by Julia Sykes
“Take me back,” I seethed. “If you are who you say you are, I don’t want to be anywhere near you. Take me back to school.”
“No.” It was an unequivocal refusal. “If I take you back, you could get hurt. I won’t do that to Joseph.”
“You won’t do that to Joseph? What about what you’re doing to me?” I folded my arms over my chest, imitating his hard stance. “Take me back.” I enunciated each word, righteous anger giving me the courage to stand up to him.
Suddenly, he moved toward me. He’d been intimidating while standing still as a granite statue. When he closed the distance between us, he prowled with lethal grace. My breath caught in my throat, and when he got into my personal space, I forgot how to breathe.
He leaned over me, bringing his arms up around me and resting his palms on the headboard behind me. His huge body caged me in, his powerful aura pinning me in place. His face was inches from mine, his black eyes swallowing me up.
“Do you want to be murdered? Or maybe they’ll just rape you. Or maybe they’ll pass you around until they get bored, and then they’ll kill you. Is that what you want?”
My mouth went dry, and my hands began to tremble as the awful words rumbled from his chest.
“Back off, Marco,” Joseph growled. “You’re scaring her.”
Marco didn’t move away from me. “She should be scared. She needs to know what will happen to her if she tries to leave.” He was speaking to Joseph about me again, but I couldn’t muster up any anger over it this time. I was too frightened to be angry.
“You’re not going anywhere. Certainly not back to Harvard. You’re not going to leave this house until we say you can. Do you understand?”
I shook my head slightly, a weak denial of the horror I faced.
“Back. Off.” Joseph tried to come to my defense again, but Marco didn’t listen.
“You’re going to tell your family, friends, and professors that you’re taking some time off from school,” he informed me, his hard tone brooking no discussion over the matter. “You’re going to stay here with us. Do you understand?” he asked again, demanding only one answer.
I swallowed and nodded, knowing he wouldn’t accept anything else. He’d stay here, trapping me, until I agreed. Or maybe he’d do worse than getting in my personal space. Every word he spoke dripped dark authority, and I was too intimidated to continue defying him.
“Good girl.” He finally withdrew, and I heaved in a gasping breath.
My heart hammered in my chest as though I’d run a mile, and my hands shook. Fear was venom in my veins, coursing through my body with insidious intent. Tears stung at the corners of my eyes, and I tried to take deep breaths to stave them off. My chest seized, and drawing in air became difficult as my breaths came faster and faster. I was close to hyperventilating, panic setting in as Marco’s horrific words echoed in my mind.
Maybe they’ll pass you around until they get bored, and then they’ll kill you.
He had told me this was my new reality: remain his captive or face rape and death at the hands of their enemies.
I couldn’t process it. I was just a privileged, damaged girl from Georgia who had worked hard to earn her place at a prestigious university. My whole life had been about getting a good education and making my father proud. Then, Joseph came into my life, and my world shifted to revolve around him. I’d yearned to have him back, but now that I was with him again, everything was horribly wrong.
Mafia. Joseph is a mobster.
The concept could barely penetrate my consciousness. Not only was it abhorrent, but I’d been convinced that the man I loved was gentle and good, despite his fierce protective streak.
I blinked hard to clear the tears from my vision, searching for Joseph’s gaze. He was watching me, his jaw tight and his fists still clenched at his sides.
“I’m so sorry, angel,” he rasped.
I latched onto his contrition. “You don’t have to do this,” I pleaded. “You don’t want to hurt me. I know you don’t. Just take me back to school. I won’t tell anyone about this. I swear. Just let me go.”
His chin lifted, and his eyes blazed with a possessive light I’d seen before. In the past, it had made my toes curl. Now, the depth of his obsession made my stomach drop.
“I can’t do that. I won’t.”
“Finally, the truth,” Marco said, smugly satisfied.
“You can’t keep me here!” I railed. “I don’t want to be part of this. Just let me go back to my life.”
“Marco already explained that we can’t do that,” Joseph said, his resolve hardening to match his friend’s. “You’re staying right here. With me.”
He reached for me, but I shoved at his chest. “I don’t want to be with you,” I shouted, my tears falling faster as my heart broke all over again. I could taste the lie on my tongue, but my head knew better than my heart. It didn’t matter that my body still longed for his touch; Joseph was toxic, every bit as dangerous as Marco. I just hadn’t been able to see it before.
His expression darkened, his jaw ticking. He stopped hunching in shame, sitting up to his full, impressive height. This was the powerful man who’d made my mouth water and my panties damp. Even now, my sex heated in response to the sudden shift in his demeanor.
My helpless response made rage surge alongside panic. Before I knew what I was doing, my hand cracked across his face.
I instantly regretted it. Not only did my palm smart where it had connected with his sharp cheekbone, but his expression darkened further.
My animal brain kicked in my flight response, and I tried to scoot away from him.
I didn’t make it to my feet before he was on me. He easily caught my wrists as his body settled over mine. His weight pinned me down, his vastly superior strength keeping my hands trapped above my head.
My rage and fear left me on a defiant shriek, and I writhed beneath him. I felt his cock stiffen against my thigh, and my sex swelled and grew slick for him: an ingrained response.
I should have been terrified that he’d violate me, but that thought never registered. Deep down, I knew Joseph would never hurt me. He wasn’t capable of it, no matter what kind of violent lifestyle he led. Even now, he held me carefully, restraining me firmly without causing me pain.
But I couldn’t stop fighting. He’d denied my instinct for flight, and fight was all I had left.
I turned my head and sank my teeth into his forearm. He cursed and jerked his arm away, but he didn’t back off. Keeping his hold on my wrists, his free hand settled over the front of my throat, his long fingers wrapping around my neck. He didn’t apply any pressure, but the act of dominance shocked me into silence. My screams stopped abruptly, and I went still beneath him.
He stared down at me, a dark satisfaction in his eyes that I’d seen before but never fully understood. He liked overpowering me. I’d thought it was a kinky game when we’d engaged in this kind of play.
But Joseph wasn’t playing. He was demonstrating his absolute power over me, showing me that there was no point in fighting him. He would always win, and he would enjoy subjugating me.
My lower lip quivered, and Joseph leaned in to press a gentle kiss against it.
“Don’t cry, angel,” he cooed. “I’ll keep you safe.”
His calloused fingertips stroked the column of my neck, lighting up my sensitive nerve endings. I bit back a moan as memories of ecstasy at his touch assailed me. My body was conditioned to respond to him. Or maybe I’d been this powerless against him from the very beginning.
I certainly felt powerless now; conquered and completely overwhelmed.
He brushed his soft lips over my cheeks, kissing away my tears.
His hand was still around my throat. He was still pinning my wrists above my head. And his cock was still hard against my hip.
“Are you finished with your little tantrum, then?” Marco’s drawl penetrated the intense connection between Joseph and me. I was almost grateful for his diminutive words. At least they freed
me from the power Joseph held over me.
Heat creeped up my neck, and I turned my face away from Joseph’s kisses. Embarrassment flooded my system. Marco was watching us, observing us. His keen black eyes studied me, and I got the sense that he could read every nuance of my emotions.
“Please,” I begged Joseph. “Get off me.” I couldn’t bear his touch for one more second, especially not with Marco watching.
He didn’t comply right away.
“Are you going to continue acting like a brat?” Marco asked me. “If you’re ready to behave, Joseph can let you up.”
My cheeks burned. I didn’t want to agree to behave. It was tantamount to admitting that I’d been acting like a naughty child. I didn’t understand how Joseph could allow Marco to talk to me this way.
But Joseph wasn’t letting me up. He was waiting for my response. Again, I knew there was only one answer they would accept.
“Okay,” I managed on a whisper. “I’ll…” I couldn’t bring myself to say the words I’ll behave. “I won’t try to fight you.”
Marco’s hard lips twitched with amusement, and my embarrassment burned into indignation.
Still, when Joseph finally released me, I didn’t try to run. There was no point. Marco stood between me and the door, and Joseph had just proven how easily he could catch me and trap me.
With as much dignity as I could muster, I sat upright and smoothed my hands over my hair, straightening the places where it had become mussed during my struggles. When I felt somewhat more collected, I took a breath and faced Marco head-on, spearing him with a defiant glare.
A wide, wicked grin spread out on his face, the first true smile I’d ever seen him wear.
It was even more intimidating than his cold stare, and I wouldn’t have thought that possible.
Chapter Four
Ashlyn
“Here.” Marco handed me a notebook and a pen.
“What’s this for?” I still sat on the bed, but I’d scooted as far away from Joseph as I could manage. Marco remained standing, and that unnerved me even more than Joseph’s nearness.
“You’re going to write some emails,” Marco told me.
I blinked at him, nonplussed. “Emails. With a pen and paper.”
He nodded. “You write them, I’ll type and send them. If you think we’re letting you anywhere near a laptop, you’re mistaken.”
“What am I supposed to write?” I was pretty sure Help! I’ve been kidnapped by mobsters! wasn’t going to be an acceptable message. Just the fact that this was my new reality had barely begun to sink in. If it weren’t for Marco’s intimidating presence, I might have giggled at the absurdity of it all.
But there was nothing funny about Marco’s dark stare.
“I want three emails,” he said, ticking each off his fingers as he spoke. “One to your family, one to your roommate, and one for your professors. You’ll explain that you’re going through a hard time—I’m sure they’ve all seen what a mess you’ve been after losing Joseph—and you’ll say—”
“Excuse me?” I cut him off. “A mess?”
He raised one dark brow. “Yes. A mess. I had people watching you. Do you want to see the before and after photos? I have some from when you were with Joseph, and several after that. If it makes you feel better, he doesn’t usually look this shitty, either. He’s actually pretty vain, to be honest.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Joseph said, his voice all warmth and sincerity. “You’re beautiful, angel.”
“I didn’t say she wasn’t beautiful. I just said she was a mess after you left.” The words were a little defensive, but Marco didn’t sound at all contrite. If anything, he seemed annoyed with the exchange, as though it was of no consequence.
“So, before you interrupted me,” he speared me with a warning look, “I was telling you what you need to write in your emails. You need to sound genuine, so that’s why you have to write them instead of me making shit up for you. What you say is up to you, but keep it vague. Assure everyone that you’re all right.”
“And where am I supposed to say I’m going to be staying while I’m on this little sabbatical?” Some of my fire was returning now that Joseph wasn’t holding me down, and I made my question as cutting as I dared.
Marco shrugged. “I’m sure your family can afford for you to go on a spa getaway or to some fancy chalet. I honestly don’t care what you come up with. Just make it sound real.”
“You don’t know anything about my family,” I declared, my temper flaring.
“So, you’re saying they can’t afford it?”
“That’s not the point.” My dad had never denied me anything I wanted, but that didn’t mean I hadn’t worked hard to earn my place at Harvard. Not only had I excelled in academics, but I’d put in countless hours with the swim team during high school, and I’d volunteered as a tutor twice a week.
Marco made it sound as though I was some entitled snob who thought money could buy me anything.
“The point is that you convince them,” he said sternly. “Say whatever you need to say, but know that I’m going to read through them all very carefully to make sure you’re not dropping any hints about where you really are.”
“I don’t even know where I really am.” I threw up my hands, exasperated.
“You’re at my family’s estate. You don’t need to know exactly where. All you need to know is that this is where you’ll be staying indefinitely. Now, write.” He pointed at the notepad, the simple gesture sharp with authority.
“And what about tomorrow? What about next week? What do I say when they ask when I’m coming back?”
“You’ll explain that you need time to yourself. Will your parents expect to hear from you every day?”
I cut my eyes away to hide the pain he’d just uncovered, but my hesitation gave him the answer he needed.
“I’ll take that as a no,” he said, cruelly clinical about my estrangement from my family. “I’ll monitor their responses and let you know when you need to send another email.”
I lifted my chin, hurt making me defiant. “And how do you plan to access my email account?”
He fixed me with a level look. “You’re going to give me your username and password.”
I scoffed. “Not happening.” The fact that I was missing was all that gave me hope. Someone would wonder where I was soon. They’d look for me. The police would get involved. They’d find me and keep me safe from my captors and their enemies.
Marco cocked his head at me, considering. After a moment, he gave a short nod in Joseph’s direction. “You deal with her. I’m over this bratty bullshit. Let me know when it’s handled.”
I gaped at his back as he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.
Deal with me? Bratty bullshit?
The man was as infuriating as he was intimidating.
I rounded on Joseph, emboldened now that Marco was gone. “How can you let him talk to me like that?” I demanded. “Hell, he’s not even doing me the courtesy of talking to me. He’s talking to you about me while I’m right freaking here. You’re just going to let him treat me this way? You’re just going to let him kidnap me and talk down to me like I’m nothing?”
Joseph’s brows drew together. “He’s not treating you like you’re nothing. That’s just how Marco is. And he only took you to keep you safe. We’ve explained this.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, how magnanimous of you. Instead of warning me and allowing me to go to the police for protection, you’ve chosen to abduct me and hold me against my will.”
“I don’t trust the police to keep you safe,” he said, suddenly fierce. “I don’t trust anyone else to keep you safe. I left you because I thought it was the only way to protect you. If I’d known you were at risk, I never would have let you leave my sight.”
I glowered at him. “Marco was right about one thing. You need to stop pretending to be noble. You’re not my white knight. You’re a criminal, Joseph. You lied to me.” The l
ast came out on a strained whisper as my heart twisted at the words.
Shame colored his cheeks. “I didn’t lie. I just didn’t tell you everything.”
“You didn’t tell me anything,” I accused. “Every time I asked about your family or where you were from, you’d shut me out or change the subject. I trusted you. I told you everything you ever asked about my life. But I don’t know you at all.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to know. I was trying to get away from my life. That’s why I was in Cambridge. I wanted to hide out and start over. I wanted to start over with you, Ashlyn. Even though I knew I didn’t deserve that kind of second chance.”
“What did you do in your life that was so terrible?” I flung at him, even though I feared the answer.
His jaw firmed, and he cut his gaze away. “Plenty. And now I’ve ruined your life. That’s the worst crime I could ever commit. All I wanted was for you to be safe and happy.” His eyes snapped back up to mine, hard with determination. “I know I’ve made it impossible for you to be happy, but I’ll keep you safe, no matter what. Now, you’re going to write these emails and give me your login information.”
I pursed my lips. “You’re starting to sound like Marco.”
“Marco is being hard on you because he wants to keep you safe, too. We just want to protect you.”
“He doesn’t even know me. Why would he care about me at all?”
His pale eyes glittered, and I became mesmerized by their crystalline shine. “He cares about you because I care about you.”
My heart ached. Were the words as heavy with meaning as I imagined?
I love you. The unspoken sentiment was still locked in my chest. Did he feel the same way?
Even after everything I’d learned about him in the last hour, I still felt that soul-deep pull toward him.
“I know you can’t forgive me, but at least let me keep you safe. Write the messages. Marco will make sure they get to the right people. It’ll buy us time to figure out what to do next.”
“I…” I swallowed back my refusal. His earnest expression tugged at my heartstrings. He really did want to protect me, like he’d done from the very beginning. Marco had made it clear that he wasn’t going to let me go. If I didn’t really have the option to go to the police for protection, then I had to rely on Joseph.
