Cruel Captivation: A Dark Romance (Underground Kings Book 5)

by Kelli Callahan

  “What’s it say that he’s the only man I’ve ever been with?”

  This time, I can’t help it, I catch a sob in my throat and lean my forehead against hers, hating that her first time was a nightmare that no one wanted. “You’ve never been with anyone. You haven’t had your first time. He doesn’t count because he stole it from you. You have a choice now, Heather. You can choose who you want to be with, and if that someone doesn’t understand your past, then they sure as hell don’t deserve your future. I don’t care how long it takes to show you that you lived through a nightmare so I can make all of your dreams come true. I’ll wait and if you’re never ready to take that next step, if you’re never ready to have sex, I’ll love you anyway. Sex isn’t important to me. You are.”

  “Why?” she asks, as the elevator lights flicker and the wires groan as the pitstop is coming to an end.

  “Because you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved and will ever love.” Before she can answer, the elevator starts moving again. I bend down and pick her mask up off the floor, then slip it on her face. It’s black lace and each corner of the eye turns to sharp peaks, giving her cat-like eyes.

  I grab my mask too and slip it on and we have ten floors before the party starts. “You don’t have to say anything, but I’m here for work. I was going to stay away from you and give you space, but I can’t do it anymore. My name is Ryan Sinclair. I’m a trust fund brat. Under no circumstance are you to call be Asher. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she agrees quickly. “Why are you here? What happened? You only steal from criminals; what criminals are here?”

  “The ones that had a hand in killing Grace.”

  She gasps and stands in front of me, blocking the doors so I can’t exit.

  Five more floors.

  “Who? Tell me.”

  “There isn’t time,” I say.

  She slams her hand on the emergency stop again and the elevator jolts. “Make time.”

  “My father and a man your father are acquaintances with is behind it and that’s what I’m here to figure out.”

  I expect her to throw a fit, to cry, to do something, but she surprisingly composes herself, steps away from the door, and hits the button again. The elevator descends again, and she stands next to me and our arms touch, just enough to reassure me that she’s there, but also for it to look casual.

  “I hope you’re wrong.”

  “Me too, baby.” But Sebastian is never wrong when it comes to what he finds. If my dad is behind this, if he is friends with Richard, if he knew about Grace, then I have no doubt about this situation. “I think your dad is innocent in all this and is being set up by my father. Don’t worry, I’m going to find out.”

  “Wait, Richard?” she slaps her hand on the button again and I groan. Jesus, at this rate, the party is going to be over and our lead will be gone. “Uncle Richard?”

  Fuck. Sebastian curses in the earpiece. I had forgotten they have been there the entire time, which means they heard everything.

  I’ll worry about that later.

  “What the hell did you just say? Uncle Richard? How did I not know about him? I don’t remember meeting him. He didn’t start coming around until a few years before Grace died. Why?”

  “Don’t tell her.”

  I grind my teeth at Sebastian’s input. I have to tell her. I have to be honest. “Grace is your half-sister. I don’t know the entire story, but Richard was her father, and he was sending money to your mom up until the night she died. Me and the guys have come across him before. He’s a dangerous man with a lot of money. I had no idea he was tied into our lives so much.”

  “Mom said she was adopted, but we were too similar.” The signs of her about to cry begin, but she holds it in. “My parents have been married for too long for that to be possible, right?”

  I want to lie to her, but I press the button to take us down to the party, knowing damn good and well, she’s about to look at her parents in a new light.

  Tell me again, how am I good for her when I’m ruining her life right now?

  Thirteen

  Heather

  We walk out of the elevator together, and I’m in a haze. I believe every word Asher is telling me because he has no reason to lie. He hasn’t lied so far, so why would he start now?

  He sticks out his elbow before we enter through the French doors. “Shall we?” he asks.

  I slide my hand around his arm and grab onto his thick bicep. “What am I going to tell people? I didn’t tell my parent I came with a date.”

  “Say we met in the elevator and you kissed the life out of me,” he teases and the bright orbs of his eyes glitter with mirth.

  “I could say that, but I think it will be better if we met in the gardens over a glass of wine.”

  “Fine,” he rolls his eyes. “If you insist.” He leans down and whispers in my ear, “I like the other story more because your kisses are delicious.”

  The doormen pull the handles of the large doors that stretch from the floor to the ceiling, opening them to reveal a massive party. Soft music is playing in the background and no one is dancing, but everyone is talking. As we step into the room, it’s my turn to whisper out of the side of my mouth, “I’m sorry, Sir. But I’ve only just met you. You’re Ryan Sinclair, are you not?”

  “Cheeky,” he says. “I like that the most about you, you know. I’m glad you’re finding it again.” He bends down and gives me a soft peck on my cheek. “I’ll help you find every single part of yourself, Ms. Thomas, even if it is the last thing I ever do in this world.”

  I’m speechless, wishing we were back in that elevator and away from this lame party. I’m ready to be alone with Asher. Sure, some might say it is too soon, but I’ve waited so long to feel like this, to want to give myself to someone, and I’m not going to let the fear of a man who is dead stop me from living the rest of my life.

  I’m conquering myself tonight. I’m a new woman.

  Asher’s woman.

  My mom waves at me from across the room and she notices the man attached to my arm. She nudges my dad and leans in to tell him and his eyes dart from the person he is speaking with, to me. The smile fades from his face and even from here I can see his lips move and say ‘excuse me’ as he walks toward me with mom on his arm.

  “Oh, fuck,” Asher curses, but I don’t think he has anything to worry about. He is wearing a mask and they aren’t going to recognize him.

  But after tonight, they are going to realize who the criminal is in this family and it sure as hell isn’t Asher.

  “You’re okay, Ryan. It’s only the Governor,” I chuckle and Asher growls beneath his breath, sending waves of anticipation over my skin. I like that sound. I want to hear it while he is making love to me, deep and hard.

  “You better stop those nasty thoughts or I’m going to take you up to my room and we won’t take a breath for days.”

  “Liar,” I say, right as my father stops in front of me. “Hey, dad.”

  “Sweetheart,” he greets, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek. “Who is this?”

  “Ryan Sinclair, Governor Thomas. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I met your lovely daughter in the gardens and asked if she’d accompany me to the event.”

  “Sinclair?” My dad ponders on the last name. “Oh, that’s right, Sinclair. Your great grandfather started Sinclair Brewing Co. Isn’t that right?”

  “That’s correct, sir,” Asher says.

  How the hell did he get that backstory?

  “Well, that’s wonderful, but I don’t think you need to be with our daughter,” my mom states as kindly as she can. “She’s been through—”

  “Mom,” I cut her off as politely as I can. “I think I’m ready for a night of fun instead of being locked up in the house.”

  She flinches away and my dad looks down at his feet ashamed.

  “Weren’t you about to ask me to dance, Mr. Sinclair?” I ask Asher, hoping he gets me away from my suffocating parents.

  “
If it is okay with your father, I would love to,” Asher says, leaving the ball in my dad’s court.

  “I supposed that’s okay. I’ll be speaking with you later, Mr. Sinclair.” My dad holds out his hand and Asher meets it, giving it a firm shake.

  “Absolutely. Congratulations on the election. It is well-deserved.”

  I watch my dad’s expression turns grim for a moment before he catches himself and smiles again. “Thank you. Take care of our little girl.”

  “On my life,” Asher states, wrapping his arm around my hip and guiding me to the left toward the dance floor no one is on.

  A few people smile and say hello, but Asher is combing the area. “No, nothing yet. Where is he?” he asks thin air.

  “What?” I ask just as he spins me before catching my hand in the air and tugging me against his body. The string quartet plays a slower song, something someone can fall in love with if a person isn’t careful. We gain the attention of everyone around us and I thought others would join us, but no one does. It’s just me and Asher.

  The way it’s meant to be.

  “Sorry, I was talking to the guys in my ear. They are asking if I’ve seen Zeke, one of our friends. I haven’t spotted him. He is in a burgundy suit, of course. He doesn’t do anything half ass, that’s for sure.”

  “Wait, they can hear you?” I ask in horror, thinking about what happened on the elevator.

  “Every word,” he mumbles.

  “Ash— Ryan,” I correct myself, scolding him for having someone hear us.

  “It’s okay. I don’t think they heard us.”

  Liar.

  “Have you seen your Uncle?” he asks, twirling me around, then dipping me.

  “No, not yet.”

  “I haven’t seen Zeke either, which worries me and makes me wonder if we are too late.”

  “Too late for what?” I ask.

  “I’m not sure. I wish I knew,” he spins me again and my eyes land on his father and mother, who have stone cold expressions on their face as they talk to someone in the far corner. “I see your parents,” I say and Asher tenses, his hand gripping mine harder than before.

  “I know, I saw them right as we walked in. I’m keeping an eye on them. They aren’t talking to anyone I know, but that means nothing when it comes to my father.”

  I keep an eye on his dad and watch as he shakes the man’s hand before walking away with his wife on his arm, starting to go near my dad. “He is moving on to my dad.”

  “Now that is something I need to know, thanks, baby,” Asher gives me another kiss on the cheek, and I nearly melt into a puddle when the song comes to an end. Everyone claps around us, but the applause fade into the distance when our eyes lock.

  The world fades away, my hands heat, and I want to reach into my chest and hand him my heart, begging him to take care of it.

  “You’re beautiful, Heather Thomas,” he says, darting his eyes back and forth between mine.

  “So are you, Ryan Sinclair.”

  He swings me up and against his chest, stealing my breath, and my hair flies over my shoulders. I notice his eyes close and his nostrils flare. “What?”

  “You smell so good, like rain falling into the ocean.” His hand cups my jaw, his thumb grazing over the high points of my cheeks. “I could get lost in you and I wouldn’t care to ever be found.”

  No wonder women dropped their panties for him left and right. We don’t stand a chance when it comes to a man like Asher. He says all the right words with big emotions. How can I not fall for him when he practically speaks poetry? A soothing balm to my scarred heart.

  “I bet you say that to all the girls,” I tease, but a part of me is curious.

  He hums, then scoffs a laugh. “I’ve never said any of those words before and I have never told a woman that I’ve loved her. Only you.” The moment is ruined when he glances around, searching for someone. “Where? Are you sure?”

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “Fuck,” Asher curses softly and yanks the earpiece out of his ear. “Richard isn’t here, and neither is Zeke.”

  “Were they ever here?”

  “No, which means we don’t know where Zeke is, and we don’t know what Richard is planning. We are fucked.”

  “There is one man that might know something,” I whisper, taking his hand in mine as I drag him toward the bar, passing ice fountains and fake laughter.

  “Who?”

  “Your father. He seems to be in the middle of it all and I feel someone watching me. It doesn’t make me feel warm and cozy either.” I lean against the bar and take off my mask. “Champagne, please,” I tell the bartender, who is mildly attractive with dark hair, broad shoulders, and a nose that’s been broken one too many times.

  “Whiskey, neat, please.” Asher says pretending to look around, interested in the scenery. “He really is watching you. I don’t like that.” He stares at the man who he has to call his dad and I can’t help but wonder what he is thinking, but he isn’t voicing them out loud.

  “One champagne. One whiskey neat.” The bartender sets our drinks on the table in front of us.

  “Thank you,” I say, taking the sleek flute in my hand and sipping. The bubbles burn my nose and make my eyes water at the initial contact, but it passes quickly.

  Asher down his fast and slams it on the table. “Come on, let’s go.”

  “I’m not done with my drink.”

  “Bartender,” Asher lifts his hand and the man with the crooked nose comes running. “Deliver a bottle of everything to the penthouse suite on the top floor.”

  “Everything, sir?”

  “Did I stutter?” Asher states, handing over a stack of one-hundred-dollar bills.

  “Right away, sir.”

  “Bring that with you,” Asher says to me, taking my hand, and dragging me away through the crowd. My body jerks from the sudden pull and the champagne spills over the rim of the glass.

  “Where are we going? What’s wrong? I thought we needed to stay? What am I going to tell my parents? They are going to worry about me and send the guards to look for me if I don’t tell them something.”

  “Good idea. Good. That’s good.” Asher pauses, then frantically spins and twirls as he searches. “I need to find your parents. We need to talk because I think I just figured out who killed Grace. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long. I’m so stupid.”

  “We can’t tell them! Are you insane?”

  “I am. I am when it comes to protecting you, do you understand that? Do you get that I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe?”

  “Asher, you’re scaring me,” I say, a tremble in my voice.

  “I don’t want to, but I need to tell your dad the truth.”

  “We can’t. Not here. It will be your death wish. We need a plan.”

  “I have a plan,” he says, dragging me again, and when I see where he is bringing me to, that’s when I see my father in the corner.

  Where the hell are the guys whispering in his ear now? I would hope they would tell him to calm down and think about this rash decision because I don’t even know what Asher is thinking, but whatever it is, it has him scared.

  “We should have never come here tonight. I’m an idiot. We should have known better.”

  “I don’t know what that means. I have to be here tonight. I don’t have a choice,” I say to him.

  Asher better know what the hell he is doing or I’m going to throw this champagne in his face.

  Fourteen

  Heaven

  I have no idea what I’m doing.

  I think I have a death wish.

  “Ryan, what’s the rush? Is everything okay?” Governor Thomas asks.

  “Can we go somewhere else, Governor? I think we have a problem.” I hope this goes well or I’m about to get thrown in another jail cell.

  “What’s going on? Heather, is he giving you trouble?” Governor Thomas reaches his hand in the sky and men dressed in black coming from the doorway inch forw
ard.

  “I’m fine. You want to talk to him, I promise. I swear, I’m okay,” she says, and I wrap my arm around her waist, not wanting to hide how I feel about her anymore. I have to put it all out there if I have a fucking chance with her father.

  I can tell he isn’t happy, but I could care less. “Please,” I beg.

  His eyes narrow, measuring me up, but eventually nods. “Give me a moment to grab my wife and we will go to the office in the corner.” Governor Thomas towers over everyone as he prowls through the crowd, searching for his wife, who is talking to my mother.

  God, something slimy is going on, I just wish I could connect the pieces and understand how the fuck Grace is in the middle of it.

  When Governor Thomas reaches my mom, I give them my back and look down at Heather. I don’t want to take a chance at anyone recognizing me or this entire operation will be for nothing. “You’re sure about this?” she asks, taking a step forward and beaming up at me with those big green eyes that I fucking love.

  If we ever have kids, they better have her eyes because it would be a damn shame not to grace this world with more of her beauty.

  “Yes.” No. If I’m wrong, the punishment is about to be severe.

  “Okay, follow me,” Governor Thomas says over my shoulder.

  I take Heather’s hand in mine, keeping her tucked against my side. I do my best to block my father’s view of her because for some reason, he wants her, and if I’m right, he wanted Grace.

  But why?

  Governor Thomas opens a door in the back of the room where a few people linger, but most of the crowd is up front. Heather walks in front of me and sits at a long table by her mother, but when Governor Thomas shuts the door, he stands.

  “Someone want to tell me what is going on? Are you going to ask my daughter to marry you after one night? Listen, we have been through a lot,” he pinches the bridge of his nose. “And I understand if you think you two are in love after one night, but you have to give me and her mom time to come around.”