Tame Me (Alpha Four, Book 2)

by Mia Dymond

  A whimper left her lips, a coded plea for more of his domination. Flesh slid across flesh as their lips met in a mutually satisfying dance.

  And then something outside the ring of fire that surrounded them intruded, threatening to penetrate and then spoil her ecstasy.

  Lost in utter contentment, she hesitated in her assault on his lips only because of the screaming sirens in the back of her mind. Hoping she hadn’t really heard them, she pressed her mouth firmly back against his. Much to her dismay, he suddenly pried their lips apart. It was then that her brain fully comprehended the sound of the security alarm.

  “Upstairs.” He grabbed her elbow and urged her out of the kitchen, into the living room, and then at the bottom of the staircase. “Lock yourself in the bathroom and do not open the door for any reason. Slam the door so I know you’re safely inside.”

  “But, what about y—?”

  “Go, Kat!”

  Despite her desire to see him safe as well, she didn’t argue. The deadly tone in his voice told her not to even try. Without further question, she turned and took the stairs two at a time.

  Chaos waited to hear the telltale sign that the bathroom door was closed until he negotiated the maze of the living room floor and flung open the front door. He moved his gaze from left to right and back again before he stepped out onto the porch and did the same. The night was silent – silent and dark, two factors that made safety a living hell. Satisfied no one lurked in the shadows of the porch, he closed the front door and then ventured down the steps.

  Palm trees swayed in the gentle breeze as he surveyed the area, using his well–honed night vision to locate movement of any size or shape. The rush of the water touching the shoreline echoed in the silence, making any other sound of movement practically impossible to hear. He glanced at the driveway and then at the street in front of the house, both absent of vehicles. Someone had approached on foot, which either simplified or complicated things. And, short of placing a guard outside the house or risk leaving Kat unprotected, there was no way for him to track the intruder.

  Sonuvabitch.

  He released a hard sigh, took his cell phone from the holder on his hip, and dialed while the sirens still screamed.

  “Alarm breach,” he said into the phone.

  As soon as those two, simple, direct words left his mouth, he disconnected and walked back into the house with anger shoving him the whole way. Although his teammates would arrive in record time, it wouldn’t be fast enough to prevent the perp from escaping detection. He lifted a hand and stabbed buttons on the alarm’s keypad, somewhat relaxed when the sirens quieted.

  The minute he returned to the railing of the porch, he heard the growl of Thunder’s truck in the driveway. His nerves stood at attention as the captain climbed the steps and stood beside him.

  “Ace and Rebel are searching the perimeter.” Thunder braced both hands against the railing and fell silent, as usual.

  Sweat dampened his brow and coated his palms as he stood beside Thunder and waited for Ace and Rebel to finish casing the area. What the hell was wrong with him? He rarely unleashed his emotions. Not since he learned the hard way it was the totally wrong thing to do.

  The alarm breach could’ve been caused by numerous things – birds, the wind, a weak door mechanism – but he knew he was only reasoning away the obvious for Kat’s sake. The last time he checked, birds did not have opposable thumbs – or hands at all, for that matter – there wasn’t an even slight breeze in the air, and he knew firsthand that the door mechanism was sturdy. Someone had opened that door. Someone with experience. Gray clouds gathered around his brain, reminding him that he didn’t believe in coincidence.

  “Get down, Melaina!”

  He shouted the order over screaming sirens that literally threatened to make his ears bleed while he lay atop her and pressed her head to the floor.

  “Alarm breach, ground level,” he said into the radio attached to his shoulder.

  “It is nothing, Jace.” She managed to escape his hold and roll from beneath him. “A bird probably flew too closely to the sensor.”

  He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her back against him. “Humor me.”

  “I cannot breathe.”

  He buried his nose into her hair and inhaled the sweet smell of green apples. His senses tingled with the assault. “Tough.” He continued to squeeze, not even remotely interested in her complaint, content to lie there behind the false door until her father’s men intruded with assurance of her safety.

  “You cannot hold me forever,” she reminded him as she snuggled back into the warmth of his body.

  Although she couldn’t see it, he gave her a smug, confident smile. “There’s only one way I can’t.”

  Damn his honesty.

  Chaos shook himself free of the memory’s cold, hard grip and pushed his thoughts back to the current issue just as Thunder’s booming voice filled the silence.

  “Don’t go back there.”

  He released a hard breath, determined not to let the past intervene or to allow the captain to know just how much he needed to go back there. He turned to open the front door and then entered with the captain behind him.

  “Any evidence?”

  He knew the answer before the other man shook his head. “Rebel’s pulling the tape from her recorder.”

  “Neighbors see anything?”

  “Ace is checking. We’ll know shortly. What’d you do with Kat?”

  “Locked her upstairs in the bathroom.”

  Thunder looked down at the floor, still littered with a mix of shoes, magazines, and several different piles of …. stuff. “The perp made a helluva mess, didn’t he?”

  “I’m ninety–eight percent sure he didn’t make it inside, Captain.”

  Thunder frowned. “No?”

  “No.” The explanation made him grin. “I made a path to the kitchen. Everything is exactly how I left it.”

  “This must be quite a challenge to your freakishly–strange obsession with neatness.”

  “I’m managing.”

  Thankfully, Ace and Rebel’s appearances captured Thunder’s attention as they entered through the still–opened front door.

  “Next door neighbor saw a man run across the front lawn.” Ace negotiated the mess with several carefully–placed steps. “Did he trash the place?”

  “No,” he mumbled. “Did you get a description?”

  “Male – short, stocky guy, short hair, dressed in black. That’s about it. He avoided the spotlights.”

  Chaos wasn’t surprised, satisfied that the suspect’s actions proved he wasn’t an amateur. He glanced at Rebel. “Any pictures?”

  “No disc in the player.”

  He bent his head and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Did you put one in there?”

  “Yep.”

  He raised his head. “It’s a test.”

  “Agreed.” Thunder folded his arms across his chest. “What about solitary?”

  “Not an option,” he answered without hesitation. “I think we’re better off beefing up her system and lying low. No sense giving him the gameplay.”

  Rebel grinned. “Her system’s pretty good. The cameras inside the house recorded everything.” The other man paused and Chaos knew exactly what would come next. “Kudos to you for not burning the bacon.”

  “I thought you said there wasn’t a DVD in the machine.”

  “Two players. One for inside activity and one for outside. Tonight’s action was both inside and out – but only half of it was recorded.” Rebel stepped next to him and squeezed the top of his shoulder. “Seriously man, you’ve got to let the past go.”

  Although he knew the truth in his friend’s words, avoiding the truth was much easier. “Where are we on Intel?”

  “I’ve reviewed about fifty of Abbott’s case files and to be honest, he’s probably on several hit lists.” Thunder crossed his arms over his chest. “His conviction rate is close to 95%.”

  �
��Any repeat offenders we need to investigate?”

  “I’ve got feelers out on several.”

  Ace gestured at the staircase. “Are you sure she’s still up there?”

  “Hopefully,” he mumbled.

  “Do you want to relocate?”

  “Affirmative, but she’ll fight me.”

  “Did our perp even get inside?”

  “No. I sent Kat upstairs after the sirens rang. I was at the door within three seconds.”

  Rebel nodded. “He breached the lock electronically.”

  “A professional?”

  “Maybe. Then again, technology is a criminal’s best friend.”

  “If he’s watching, he knows about Chaos.” Ace tilted his head to one side. “Must be a cocky sonuvabitch to think he could get in.”

  “He didn’t intend to enter the house. He’s watching to analyze our response.” Thunder widened his stance. “Re–wire the brain on the unit and make absolutely sure the eyes are watching at all time.” The captain glanced at him and smirked. “That means watch yourself.”

  He ignored the other man’s jab. “Not an issue.”

  “We’re not making much progress.” Rebel rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “I’m beginning to think the whole thing is one big attempt to make us scurry around like rats.”

  “Maybe,” he agreed, “but we have no choice until we know for sure.”

  Thunder nodded in agreement. “Any more suspects?”

  “Several. I’ll email names.”

  “How was business at the spa?”

  “Normal, according to Kat. I didn’t see or hear anything suspicious.”

  “From the neighbor’s observation, we know we’re dealing with a man – or, at least a male is doing the dirty work.”

  “What about the charity dinner?”

  “I’ve scoped out the venue. The hospital has a fairly secure floor plan, believe it or not. The area they’ve reserved is a large room with an entrance from the outside. There’s a hallway off the left side that leads to the kitchen. The door on the opposite side leads into the main hospital. As long as it’s locked, there’s one way in and one way out.”

  “Any additional doors to the kitchen?”

  “No. The kitchen’s only access is through the larger room.”

  “What about windows?”

  “There are windows all the way around but at ceiling height. Obviously they’re just a light source.”

  “According to Kat, the place will be packed with women. If any one of them intends to harm her, we’ll know it.”

  “Do we have any kind of a guest list?”

  “It’s open to the public. Some tickets are purchased beforehand but are also available at the door. People are seated until the fire code restrictions are met.”

  “The only choice we have is to go in blind.” Thunder smirked. “That’s what we do best.”

  Ace folded his arms across his chest. “Any more activity around the judge?”

  “No.”

  Chaos made absolutely sure he filled Thunder in on his biggest suspicion. “He has an assistant, James Foster. He’s on my list.”

  “Met him. Preliminary background’s clear but I’m still working on it. He gets a pass for now.”

  “He knows an awful lot about Kat.”

  “Like I said, for now. He’s Abbott’s right–hand man, which makes him easier to monitor.”

  He silently agreed, satisfied that Thunder had a definite process. “I guess I should let my prisoner out.”

  “We’ll let you brief her.” Ace headed for the door. “Call Rebel if you need back–up.”

  “Me?” Rebel frowned.

  Ace nodded in the affirmative. “You have more experience with the female mind.”

  “If you’re talking about my experience with Sophie, think again. If it’s one thing I have learned, it’s that there is no understanding the female mind.” Rebel grinned as he followed Ace and Thunder out the door. “A word to the wise: Just hang on and enjoy the ride.”

  ***

  He paced in front of a large, bay window in his inner sanctum as he gazed out into the dark but clear Florida sky and listened to the voice on the other end of the phone line. Such a shame the beautiful evening had taken such a nasty turn.

  “It’s him.” His associate released a hard breath as he relayed information he already knew. “Sonuvabitch is Taylor.”

  “Were you successful?”

  “I tested the alarm. The damn thing screamed like a banshee and Taylor came running.”

  “Did he see you?”

  “No. I only tripped the sensor then ducked behind the furthest palm tree I could find. He exited briefly, then returned inside the house.”

  “Did you see the woman?”

  “No. I can’t confirm she’s even there.”

  “She’s there.” He snickered, encouraged that the games had begun.

  “The house is on lockdown. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but penetration will be difficult.”

  “Of course it will. We must be patient and wait him out.”

  “It’s going to take more than me to confront Taylor.”

  “I am aware.” The other man’s admission lined up completely with his own train of thought. “Leave that task to me.”

  “Where should I go from here?”

  “Take a break.” It wouldn’t hurt to give them another false sense of safety. “I’ll call when I need your assistance.”

  He disconnected, not concerned by his associate’s news. After all, he’d done his homework. Not only would Taylor be a major obstacle, the woman appeared obstinate. Charging the compound would not render him victorious; patience would be a mightier weapon in this battle.

  He sat down in the chair behind his desk and listened to the waves crash against the shoreline while he decided how to proceed. Perhaps a subtle hint would make them realize he meant business. He chuckled under his breath at that logical but ridiculous thought.

  He had never been one for subtleties and didn’t intend to start now.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Packed into a room the size of a closet with his teammates, Chaos draped a pink silk tie around his neck and attempted to remember the last time he’d even worn a tie. Better yet, why had he been so agreeable when Liv corralled them into this holding cell and insisted they wear one?

  He moved his gaze around the room onto each of his friends, tempted to suggest they make a run for it. Yet, reality tapped him on the shoulder and reminded him that if they even attempted such a maneuver, they’d never succeed. Women in every size, shape, and form crowded the dining room and blocked the nearest exit. Not only would escape be impossible, it would be detrimental to their safety.

  “Whose idea was this, anyway?” Rebel mumbled from beside him.

  “Your fiancé’s,” Chaos reminded him.

  “Oh yeah. Well, we didn’t have much of a choice, did we?”

  “We had choices.” Ace slipped a finger under the edge of his tie and pulled it away from his neck. “Damn, I feel like I’m squeezed in the coils of a boa constrictor.”

  Thunder folded his arms across his chest. “Quit whining like a little girl. We’re all suffering here.”

  “I did a little mingling before Liv stuffed us back here.” Rebel looped his piece of silk over one finger and glanced at him. “The gang’s all here, Abbott, Foster, and your guy, Hawthorne. And, I have to tell you, as packed as the place is, we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

  Chaos wasn’t disgruntled by his teammate’s observation. They all knew the place was a security nightmare going in.

  “Thing is,” Rebel continued, “the population is ninety–percent female, and the ten–percent male will be easy to monitor.”

  Ace nodded. “I’m not totally confident about my conclusion yet, but I’m pretty sure we’re not looking for a female anyway.”

  While he processed Ace’s admission, Chaos stepped into the doorway leading to the dining room, not surp
rised to see a whole crowd of men suffocated by tuxedo jackets with their necks squeezed by ties. He counted twenty round tables, each with ten chairs that held women of all shapes and sizes who waited patiently for a man to cater to an unvoiced need so they could then stuff his waistband full of cash. He shook his head. Kat hadn’t been kidding when she said women would pay high dollar for their undivided attention.

  Movement from the far corner of the room captured his gaze and immediately, his interest changed gears. Dressed in a short, red dress that grazed the tops of her knees, Kat stood in conversation with Carley, Liv, and Sophie. Although each woman represented beauty in her own right, Kat was the one that caused both his body and his mind to take notice.

  From his position he had a nice side view, away from the threat of her discovery. She wore red well; the color accented her sparkling green eyes and emphasized her well–defined curves. The low–cut neckline of her dress touched the tops of her breasts and her long, auburn curls graced the porcelain surface of her skin.

  He also knew from experience that red was an appropriate color for her temperament. Once she put her mind to something it could not be changed without her full cooperation. More than once he’d been the object of her fiery attitude and ironically, he found himself severely aroused.

  But even more stimulating was the woman beneath her sparkling, diamond–like exterior. Over the last few days, he’d learned that Kat devoted herself to others, either providing comfort to her customers, support to her friends, or time to her charity. Not to mention the strong tie that bound her to her father. She put everyone else’s needs before her own as if hers were simply a second thought. He smirked. Even her housekeeping skills were insignificant.

  He inhaled a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. Yeah, Kat was a beautiful woman, both inside and out – one who was totally off limits to him.