by K. A Knight
“Do you think I could?” he murmurs, rubbing his finger across my lips, and I automatically open them for him. “Do you think I’m capable of that?”
I watch him, then answer, “If you needed to, yes.”
He blinks, looking down at me, his knee nudging between my legs and pressing against my pussy. “And that doesn’t bother you?”
“Honestly? No, if you need to kill me then I trust it’s for the right reasons. I trust you,” I admit, and suddenly I realise it’s true. I might be scared of him, I might fear what he’ll do to me, but I trust him.
“You shouldn’t,” he whispers and steps back, flicking his phone again.
The lights come back on and we start to rise steadily while I’m still plastered to the wall, breathing heavily from his touch. He stares at the elevator door and ignores me once again, so I pull myself together and step up next to him. Just as the doors open, I grab his arm.
“You don’t get to tell me how to feel or act, you just have to accept it. Accept that I do trust you, that I would face down the death you fear if it meant staying by your side.” I let go and step out, his eyes burning into the back of my head.
I stop inside the penthouse, the ceilings so high I can barely see them. There is a kitchen to my right, and a living room directly in front of me where Donald, whom I met at Scarlett’s party, is sitting with...the chief of police? His face is turned away, but I recognise his profile from the news and press conferences about the crackdown in crime from his officers. Donald rises and they shake hands and head this way, so I stop and I feel Keanu step up behind me. He nods at the chief, whose eyes narrow slightly, but he nods as well.
“Until next time, Donald,” he calls, without looking at me, and gives Keanu a wide berth. Only when the elevator shuts does Keanu move around me and head to the sofas, sitting down as Donald stares at me quizzingly.
I’ve never really been into older men, but holy vaginas, he is one fine male. Like a silver fox, the type you would call daddy for sure. It’s in the way he holds himself, the elegance and utter raw power he exudes. He smiles at me, ignoring Keanu.
“Miss Amor,” he greets me, taking my hand and kissing the back before letting it drop. “What an honour. Would you like a warm drink with me?”
“That would be great, tea if you have it.” I nod and he grins at me like I said something right.
“Very well, I was having darjeeling, if that’s okay with you?” he inquires.
“Perfect, thanks.” I smile politely.
“Good, take a seat and I’ll grab it. Keanu, I take it you will be joining us as well?” he addresses the man as he moves to his kitchen, and begins opening cupboards. I don’t know why, but I imagined him having a butler or a cook.
“Please,” Keanu calls. Oh, so to him he’s polite.
I choose a seat on the sofa opposite him and sit down, crossing my legs, and Keanu snorts so I glare at him.
“Pretending to be a lady, Brat?” he teases, leaning back in his own chair, his legs open wide. He looks like the devil asking me to sign my soul over in his fucking suit.
“I am a lady,” I snap.
“Since when?” He laughs.
“Since always, but assholes like you bring out my bitchy tendencies and make me stabby,” I scoff, trying to ignore his prodding, even as his eyes light up from our fight. He does like to wind me up, just like I do him.
“Stabby? I thought it was burny, if I remember correctly.” He winks and I have a flashback of the man screaming last night as I burned his tongue, but I push it away.
“Oh, give me time, it’s not even eleven in the morning yet, I’m sure I can accommodate stabbing you before dinner.”
“Now, now children,” Donald chides, as he places a tray on the table between us with three grey ombre mugs and a matching loose leaf tea pot. “Behave.”
“She doesn’t know how,” Keanu taunts, as he takes a mug and pours his, watching me as he stirs it, so I stick my tongue out at him while Donald isn’t looking and he grins.
Donald sits in the armchair next to Keanu and takes his own mug, pouring two and passing me one. I thank him and sit back with it resting on my knee, not looking at Keanu, but instead gazing around the penthouse. It’s very modern, slick, and more homely than Keanu’s place. A splash of red hair catches my eyes from a picture below the TV, but before I can examine it closer, Donald draws my attention back to him.
“So, what brings you both here? I’m guessing from Nadia’s presence, it doesn’t involve business?” he queries courteously, but his eyes are calculating, and he wants to know how much I know.
I could play dumb, but I don’t think he would appreciate that. He seems like a man who’s a straight shooter and values truth and information. “This is business. I witnessed a kidnapping and went to Keanu since I trusted him to help me find the woman and the people responsible.”
Keanu sighs and Donald looks at him with raised eyebrows. “Did you now? What was his response?”
“Nothing friendly, I can assure you, but I wore him down. I won’t be cut out of this. I know you have your secrets, let’s not play dumb with each other. I don’t plan on talking to anyone, I just want to save that woman.”
“Why?” he asks, leaning back and sipping his tea.
“Because I was there, I could have stopped it, and I didn’t. I owe it to her. Keanu agreed to work with me. He hasn’t shared information, but he hasn’t held me back either. We are here because of what we found last night,” I inform him, and then sip my own tea.
He grins then. “Is that right? Keanu, does she do all the talking for you?”
I blush a little, feeling like I was reprimanded, but his smile is genuine so I figure he’s teasing.
“I traced the pattern of bars from the kidnapping and we went to one last night and spoke to the owner. We uncovered some information. I’ll be checking the others while I’m waiting for some leads to pan out, but I thought you might be able to help with some,” he explains, and Donald nods, serious now.
“With?” he prods.
“They have police and maybe even government officials in their payroll, that’s for sure, and someone with computer abilities to wipe systems clear. I need you to check with your associates and see what you can find while I’m working other angles. The man also believed this isn’t their first time doing this. I was thinking we could reach out to other chapters and check if they had similar experiences of serial kidnappings that stopped over three months ago.”
“I certainly can. I’ll reach out to the others and get back to you. You mentioned other clubs?” he presses, and for a moment I get a flash of him looking after Keanu like a father, and I’m not sure why.
“Yes, a few. It seems they are finding dirt or if they can’t find it, framing it to blackmail club owners. The instructions are untraceable, and I only have one video of a man in their units.”
“Not a lot then.” Donald frowns.
“There is something we haven’t tried,” I interject, and they both turn to me with matching scowls.
“What is that?” Donald inquires politely.
“Bait,” I suggest, and then take a sip of the tea. “This is good, where did you get it?”
“No fucking way,” Keanu snaps.
I sigh and lean forward. “Shut up for once and listen to me,” I start, but he stands and begins to pace.
“No, I know where you’re going and the answer is no,” he yells, and then gets in my face. I jump to my feet and stare him down as those green eyes flash at me and his mouth twists into a glower. “I don’t need you getting yourself in trouble and having to rescue you.”
“Will you just—”
“No is the fucking answer. I knew I shouldn’t have let you in—”
“Children,” Donald snaps, and both our heads swing to him. “Keanu, take a walk and cool off,” he orders.
Keanu grinds his teeth, and then with a glare at me, storms outside, slamming the doors behind him and making me jump.
“Please sit,” Donald offers, so I do as I’m told. “Care to explain your thinking?”
“One of the club owners, where I witnessed the kidnapping, we had an…intimate relationship. I was thinking about using myself as bait to get kidnapped, and then we track them from there and take them down from the inside.” I sigh.
“That would be very dangerous,” he muses, stroking his beard.
“More dangerous than your normal work? The longer we wait, the more people disappear,” I snap, and then breathe out to calm myself. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be, I believe Keanu is trying every other avenue before it comes to something like that to keep you safe.”
“I don’t get why he won’t let me try it! It’s not like he cares what happens to me!” I huff and deflate a little then.
Donald watches me and then leans forward, his arms between his knees. “May I offer some advice?”
“Please.”
“All these men and women I work with face death and evil on a daily basis, the monsters that hide behind a human facade. They do the jobs you can’t even dream of, their lives never stop, always on alert. People like Keanu cut themselves off early on, so you will need to help him find his way back. He fears the most basic of intimacies, because his judgement and his past has taught him that when you love someone, you lose them.”
My heart breaks for him. I look to the door and where he went. “What happened?”
“That is for him to choose whether or not to tell you, all I’m saying, Nadia, is he cares. If he didn’t, you wouldn’t be here. He would have turned you away that night, even if you were in danger. He cares a great deal more than he will ever be able to tell you, simply because he doesn’t know how. Don’t give up on him now.”
I look at him then. “You love him.”
“Like a son,” he confirms. “I will never have children, but Keanu came to me as an angry young man, and I saw a lot of me in him. I took him in, and I like to think I helped him. He is my family, as is Max and a lot of the others. I know you probably don’t understand our lifestyle, and a lot of people think us heartless monsters capable of great evil, but we still love and love deeply. You just have to earn it.”
“You don’t seem bothered that he’s letting me in on this—on his mission and into this secret and even bringing me here,” I observe, tilting my head as I watch him.
“I trust Keanu,” is all he says.
The door opens then and we both turn to see Keanu, framed in the doorway, his phone in hand.
“I have a hit, I need to get back,” he mutters, and we both stand.
“Okay, I’ll look into what we discussed. Call if you have any issues.” He turns to me, adding, “Nice to see you again, Nadia, take care and I will send you some of this tea.”
“Thank you, I would like that.” I grin and then follow after Keanu, who’s already at the elevator. I get in next to him, and the doors shut on a smirking Donald as he watches us both.
Great…talk to him, keep going, was Donald’s advice. How do I do that when he’s constantly pushing me away? One thing is for sure, I need to know more about him, more about what made him this way.
Chapter Eighteen
Keanu
I leave Donald’s apartment with Nadia in silence, unsure what to say to her. How do I explain why I freaked out? Or why the idea of her putting herself in harm’s way scared me so much I took it out on her? My words never work with Nadia, and I wish I could explain, but maybe it’s for the better...it did ruin our morning though, and the truce we seemed to have going.
It’s like we can’t help it, we butt heads, and she’s so strong. Too strong, and she sees too much. Fuck. In the elevator, I text Donald to let him know I’ll keep my eye on her and he has nothing to worry about as far as it goes with our secrets. He replies instantly.
Donald: Good. I need you to find someone for me when you are finished.
Spider: Who?
Donald: An old friend.
I take it that’s all he is going to say, so I pocket the phone, ignoring Nadia’s stare, and when we reach the ground level, I step out, making sure to shield her, putting myself between her and the others here. All of whom could kill her in seconds before she could even scream.
The blonde behind the desk glares, she’s always hated me. I used to fuck with her computers just to be spiteful, and she never liked how powerful I was around here. She likes to think she has the power, when really she’s just a receptionist.
I nod at a few people I recognise, my eyes flying wide as I spot a familiar face. Shit, I thought he retired. And by that, I mean he faked his death and fled. Not that I ever told Donald that...I guess the bastard already knows and let him go. Letting everyone else think he was dead so he could have the life he was always going on about.
A mountain of a man, he’s barrelling towards the desk. He even makes Max look small, which is no easy feat. If you wanted a dirty job done, he was who you went to. Not the smartest, but he got shit done and didn’t flinch at death and bloodshed. Hell, the bastard used to scare me. No man should be that strong and unblinking when facing down a grenade. Most run from danger. He runs to it.
He stops when he sees me. “Spider,” he greets, keeping a wary distance.
I push Nadia behind me and nod. “Idris, I thought you died.” I smirk and he snorts.
“Liar,” he replies.
“Okay, thought you retired?” I press, tilting my head. Is he a threat?
“I am, I did, just some personal business, and then I’ll be gone again,” he informs me.
“Good, make sure you stay gone. It’s hard to cover your tracks if not,” I retort, and he blinks in astonishment as I laugh. “Didn’t really think you got out alone, did you? You’re welcome.”
I can almost hear his teeth grinding. “I owe you one then.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t collect,” I reply, and he sighs, relief crossing his face. To owe a favour is to owe that person your life. I could ask him to do anything, but I won’t. I respect his decision to want something else, something more.
“Boss is up there, hope I don’t see you around.” I nod before pressing Nadia to the other elevator, and only when the doors are shut do I relax.
“Who was that?” she inquires, speaking for the first time since we left Donald’s.
“A ghost, the fucking boogeyman,” I tell her. “You’re better off pretending you never saw him and prey you never catch his attention.”
She nods, looking away again, and we go to the car in silence. I open the door for her, and she seems miles away, lost in her own thoughts. As I climb into my seat, I get another text.
Donald: He was never here, make it happen.
Spider: Already done.
I start up the car and gun it, wondering how I should break the silence. How do I fix this? Tell me I didn’t break this too badly? I was starting to enjoy our partnership, to relax even though I know I shouldn’t.
A flash of my mum falling with a scream plays in my mind’s eye, and I tighten my hands on the wheel. A reminder of why I don’t let people close. Fuck, what was I thinking?
She can’t get close to me.
Chapter Nineteen
Nadia
He’s quiet on the way home, barely looking at me as Donald’s words ring through my head...get him to talk. Don’t give up on him. So I sigh and open my mouth, words pouring out that I never thought I would be saying to this asshole.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have ambushed you like that,” I apologise.
He tightens his hands on the wheel, but doesn’t respond, so I continue, “I want to help, I want to be useful. You’re already doing so much and I want to find these people. I thought it was a good idea, but I shouldn’t have suggested it in front of Donald before talking to you.”
He looks at me then, coldly stating, “No, you shouldn’t have.”
I grit my teeth, not rising to the bait, instead I stay calm. “I know, I really am sorry.”
He inclines his head and I take it to mean that’s all I’m going to get from him. “I do think it’s a good idea though. You need inside, you need to catch a break. Using me as bait would work, and I know you could make it as safe as it could be.”
“No,” he snaps.
“Will you fucking listen to me and get your head out of your ass?” I yell, and then blow out a breath, not wanting this to lead into another argument. “It could work, I think we go down this route we’re traversing, but if we can’t get any further, we use me. You’d be there, of course, watching, protecting. Put a tracker in me, on me, whatever, and we find out where they take the girls. We get the information we need.”
“No.” He hammers his fist into the wheel.
“Why? Because I’m a girl, a girl you want to fuck? Would you hesitate if I was anyone else? What if I was Scarlett?” I shout, throwing my hands in the air, my jealousy at their friendly relationship erupting.
“Scarlett is too smart and knows how to look after herself,” he responds, and I flinch.
“Fine, what if I was anyone else? Would you be so adamant? No, you wouldn’t be, and you know it as much as you hate it. This is a good idea, you should at least consider it and stop being such a controlling fucking asshole. You said yourself that I don’t matter to you, so why?”
“That was before!” he screams, looking over at me with wild eyes.
“Before what?” I scream back.
“Before I cared! Before I let you in! Before you meant something to me!” he yells.
We both go silent, breathing heavily, and he swallows and looks back at the road.
“Keanu,” I whisper hoarsely, reaching out and laying my hand on his arm, my heart racing as my lungs squeeze, those butterflies taking flight in my stomach. One sentence, even thrown at my face, and I’m back to being a wide-eyed, weak-kneed girl crushing on this man.
