by Em Petrova
He mistook her shaking her head as worry. “Trust me—we’ll keep you safe.”
“I want to trust you, but you don’t know what you just did.”
“We’re aware. We’ve been dealing with these people for a while now. We have Max’s phone, and we’re analyzing it right now.”
“Have you seen my father on the live cam?”
The grave way he nodded told her, her father’s condition hadn’t improved. A shallow sigh trickled out of her. She felt as twisted and wrung out as an old dishcloth. When would this end? How would she and her father get free? The mafia had long arms. They could find them anywhere.
“Ruby… Hell, do I even call you Ruby now?”
“Yes.”
He cupped her face with all the tenderness she craved without realizing it. But a woman couldn’t survive on working and worrying herself to the bone. “I just realized our first names are very close. Elliana and Elias.”
“Oh God. We sound like some royal twins in a Disney movie.”
His deep chuckle brought a smile to her face as well. Even if things ended badly, they had this millisecond of hope.
She moved onto tiptoe at the same moment he leaned down to kiss her. The soft crush of his lips on hers took away all her cares in a throbbing heartbeat. She lost herself to the increasing pressure of Elias’s mouth and the swipe of his tongue through her mouth.
A soft shivery moan escaped her, and she clung to him. “I want you.”
He grumbled with desire. “Shall I sweep you off to the laundry room?”
She searched his eyes. “No. C’mon.” She pulled his hand, and he followed her through the kitchen to the hallway. Leading him past the laundry room and her office, she battled with her own feelings on having a man in her personal space.
Now, she drew her lover into her haven. He stopped to scan the space, and she watched his face display emotion after emotion as he took in the collection of everything that meant something to her.
He pointed to a photograph on the wall, black and white and in the original oval frame. “Your grandmother Ruby?”
She nodded.
“I see you in her.”
A soft smile hit her lips.
Elias continued to examine her belongings, from the hand-me-down vanity with mirror where she seldom sat but had long ago become a place that caught all the junk she needed to put away and rarely did. Trinkets some of the girls had given her over the year she’d been their only link to normalcy in a new land—a tiny carved elephant, some rings with cheap but pretty stones and a necklace made of feathers, which Ruby didn’t like but kept because of the thought behind it.
His attention landed on the bed, rumpled after she climbed from it and hastily dragged the covers over the mattress. An eclectic mix of pillows and blankets created something brightly colored.
He turned to her. “I love it.”
“You don’t have to say that because you want to get me between the sheets. You’ll get that anyway.”
His eyes warmed. Laying his palm along her cheek, he said, “No, really. I love it.” Gently, he threaded his fingers into her hair, spanning them along her scalp. Her insides pitched and heaved like she stood aboard a ship out on the Bering Sea.
As he slid his other hand over her shoulder to cover her breast with his palm, her heart hiccupped and beat faster. Need sank low in her stomach. Something had changed between them. They were already lovers and coming back for more. But this time lust wasn’t driving them.
Emotion was.
He’d offered her a ray of light in the dark world she lived in. He’d vowed to keep her safe from the clutches of the mafia. And the only wicked bone in his body was between his legs.
She gasped as he fondled her breast, closing his fingers over her nipple in a light pinch. She went for his shirt, yanking it up to find that bulletproof vest and a snug shirt she knew was beneath. Taking a moment to drink in how damn hot he looked in it, she felt his stare on her.
“It’s still me.” He took her hand and laid it on his chest. “Don’t let it frighten you.”
“I’m not frightened. I’m…turned on.”
The air whooshed out of him. His chest heaved. In a quick move, he lifted her off her feet, slammed his mouth over hers and carried her to the bed. She wrapped her arms around him and angled closer to receive the deep passes of his tongue. Her pussy squeezed with raw desire, and a pulse took up in her core, deep in the place she wanted his fingers, tongue…cock.
With adept moves, he stripped off her clothes and then reached to his side to unbuckle the vest he wore. She plastered her hands over his warm, steely chest. Those tattoos he bore had alerted her to what he was, but she didn’t care then, and she didn’t now.
He was a warrior—her warrior.
She kissed him hard and deep, drawing moans from the man and giving them back. When he slipped his hand between her legs and cupped her pussy, she cried out. The heel of his hand pressed down on her clit. Her nerves snapped.
Slowly, he rubbed her, watching her face as she ignited at his touch. She rocked upward, rubbing back.
“Fuck yeah.” He sank two fingers into her pussy. She bit back a scream. Fireworks shot off behind her eyes. Her body gripped at those fingers, but he withdrew them slowly, scissoring them apart to widen her for his entry soon.
“Oh God!” She clutched his shoulders.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Hold on to me. Give yourself to me. God, do you know how beautiful you look right this minute?” His panting breaths matched hers.
He thrust his fingers deep, pulled out, plunged deeper. Curled his fingers and stroked her inner spot. Juices soaked him. And then he circled her clit with his thumb, over and over and over—
She came on a harsh cry. Her body pounded with the strong orgasm she hadn’t totally expected. Need soared through her like a meteor, searing her with emotions.
Tears welled in her eyes. Seeing them, Elias leaned over her and tenderly brushed his lips to hers. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to cry. I’ve got more where that came from.”
An unexpected laugh burbled up.
Chapter Nine
Elias’s hands shook as he slid the condom over his erection. God, this woman chained him in ways he didn’t understand. It was as if she’d captured a piece of his soul and held it hostage.
Thing was…he didn’t want it back.
He was falling for her, if he hadn’t already. That foreign little four-letter word performed backflips through his mind. When he braced his arms on each side of her and drove his cock into her tight sheath, the declaration threatened to burst from his lips.
“Elias!” She rocked against him, taking as well as giving. Her bright hair spilled in waves over the colorful, patterned cover of her bed. Her room looked like a gypsy caravan, a mix of patterns and colors that should clash but instead worked. They were pure Ruby.
Her eyes blazed up at him. The depths held passion and more…so much more. Did she feel it too? He wasn’t alone in this, was he?
Planting his hand on her ass, he pulled her up and into him, sinking his cock into her heated walls. She sucked on his neck and found his ear. With both hands bracketing his face, she kissed him with a fierce need that spiked his own. His balls throbbed. That tingle at the base of his spine threatened that he could blow too soon. No matter if he did—he’d roll with it and eat her pussy until she came several more times.
He loved watching her too much. Couldn’t get enough. Would he ever?
As he swung his hips back and then thrust into her again, she gripped him hard. One look at her expression told him she was on the edge. About to…
She squeezed the hell out of him. Her walls tightened, clamped and sucked at him. He didn’t have a prayer of staving off that release now. Arching, he issued a roar of completion.
Three spurts, then four and five… He collapsed on the sixth and damn near died on the seventh. No woman had ever pulled that much from him. Whatever hold she had on him ext
ended clear to his cock.
He grinned down at her and kissed her. Stunned, she didn’t immediately kiss him back but when she did, he felt the joy rising inside her like a tide. At long last, he pulled the emotion from her that he’d wanted from the start. Making her happy was quickly becoming his main goal. Right up there with keeping her safe and stopping the fucking mafia from terrorizing her, her father and all those women upstairs.
She flipped her tongue against his. He groaned and rolled with her, settling her atop him. Her weight felt perfect. He could lie here forever.
Fuck. Forever couldn’t last more than a few stolen moments—his team needed him. Penn could be looking for him now.
Ruby nuzzled his neck. “Don’t get up yet. Don’t go. Stay here with me.”
How did a man withstand a plea like that?
They didn’t have long together, but he wanted to make the most of it. Warmth spread through his chest, layer upon layer.
Untangling himself from this knot wouldn’t be easy—it wasn’t only his libido or a Superman complex. He didn’t know what to call it, but it was much deeper. He’d broken the rules and now someone would pay the price. Without hesitation, he knew he’d bear the brunt of any ramifications.
Then he glanced up and saw Ruby’s eyes shining up at him.
Hell, he could free her from the mafia…but getting her free of him would be a lot more difficult.
He gently eased her off him and swung his legs out of bed. “I have to go. The guys will be waiting for me.”
She sat up and held a fat pillow over her nakedness. The little white pompoms on the pillow only made the woman behind it look more enticing. His cock started to throb again as he disposed of the condom and dressed.
“Elias, what’s going to happen?” Her voice held a quaver.
He tugged his shirt down and leaned over the bed to press a kiss between her furrowed red brows. “I don’t want you to worry about the bouncers. We’ll take care of them.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. Their bosses—”
With a fingertip beneath her chin, he drew her face up to meet his eyes. “We’ll handle them too, sweetheart. Trust us.”
She didn’t relax and continued to wear a scowl. “What am I supposed to do while you’re off ‘handling’ everything?”
“Business as usual. You run your business the same way you always do. Don’t do anything different because that’s what will raise alarms with the Bratva.”
She blew out a breath, which caused a tendril of red hair to float away from her face. “Fine. Just understand that you might not like the way I run my business.”
He threw her an amused glance. “You’ve survived for this long by making tough decisions. Even though you’re now working with us, I know you’ll do great.” He brushed his lips across her brow again. She tipped her head up, and he pressed a kiss to her lips too.
It was wrenching, but he left the sexiest woman alive naked in her bed to join up with his team. He found Penn and Broshears in the restaurant, heads together, speaking quietly. The customers and the rest of the Xtreme Ops team were gone. There was no sign of Big Mike either.
“You send the other bouncer with the state police too?” he asked as he neared the guys.
Penn grunted. “Nothing so perfect as that. He’s pissed with the cops who arrested his buddy, and the Bratva won’t be happy about it either, but they can’t make a move without blowing their cover.”
“Yeah, he’ll either shut up and live with it or shake some trees.”
“Somethin’ along those lines. Your woman okay?”
Gasper inflated his chest with a huge gulp of air. “Yes, she’s holding up.”
He knew she was also drenched from the orgasms he’d given her. A vision of her pale skin hidden behind the pillow filled his brain. He pushed the image to the recesses of his mind and focused on his duty.
“So the dude is tattling to the Bratva right now. Think they’re going to show up here to defend their stronghold?” Gasper swiped his hand over his face and caught a hint of Ruby’s scent on his fingers.
“It’s the move we need right now, Jack. Shadow is hacking the bouncer’s phone. I’ve got Beckett, Winston and Day searching for the location of Ruby’s father.”
“The rest of the team?”
“Staked out around the perimeter right now.” He lifted his jaw to gesture to their location.
“What can I do?” Gasper stood at attention, awaiting his order.
“I’d like you to speak with the young woman who turned Ruby in. See what you can find out.”
“Where is she?”
“The B&B owner down the street took pity on her and put her up in a room. You can find her there. Report back as soon as you’re finished.”
Gasper gave a nod and set off immediately for the bed and breakfast. The outside of the building was simple, with a peaked metal roof to withstand the snowy Alaskan winters. The front porch boasted a few cheap lawn chairs and a table where a visitor could set a drink. It wasn’t exactly five-star, but it served a purpose here in White Fog.
When he rapped on the door, the owner grumbled at the sight of him. “I told you guys I don’t have rooms for you.” He started to shut the door in his face, and Gasper wedged the toe of his boot in it.
“I need to see a guest who’s staying here.”
“This isn’t that kind of establishment. Go to Ruby’s Place if you’re looking for that!” He started to smash the door against Gasper’s boot.
In a quick step, he shoved his way into the B&B. The man stepped back, anger reddening his face.
“You can either tell me where to find the woman—or fetch her here for me—or I’ll go looking for her myself.” He pointed to a chair in front of the simple stone fireplace. “I’ll wait right here.”
The man’s anger faded to a spark, and he muttered under his breath. Gasper couldn’t make out the words, but a second later, the woman appeared in the room.
Gasper stood from the chair. “Hello.”
She stared at him. The owner stood behind him, smiling. For what reason?
“I’d like to talk to you about what you told the police about being kicked out of Ruby’s Place.”
She blinked at him, and all at once he realized she spoke little if no English. Quickly, he repeated himself in Russian, and the owner’s eyes bulged out.
“Leave us,” Gasper commanded him in English. The man hurried off. He could eavesdrop, but he probably wouldn’t understand a word they exchanged, so Gasper didn’t follow him.
“Sit down please,” he told the woman in her native tongue. Or at least he assumed it to be—she hadn’t given any indication she knew Russian either.
Then, very hesitantly, she crossed the room and sank to a chair. So, he had gotten through to her.
“How did you come to be here?”
“By boat,” she answered after a long pause.
“Who brought you?”
She pressed her lips into a line. She was protecting the men who intended to sell her before she was evicted from Ruby’s Place for doing drugs.
“The men who brought you here can’t hurt you. You’re under my protection. Do you know their names?”
She shook her head.
“What port did you sail from?”
On and on the questioning went, with her answering in short monosyllables at times. When he brought up Ruby, the woman lifted her jaw in defiance and her eyes snapped with fury.
“She kicked me out. She had no right to do that.”
“She says it’s her rule that you’re not allowed to do drugs.”
“What was I supposed to do—tell the man I was with no? He paid good money for me, and if he wanted me to take drugs, I had no choice.”
Gasper’s chest burned. No, her choices had been taken from her in Russia when she was given the false promise of a better life. Only she’d arrived here to prostitute herself until the time she’d be moved from Ruby’s Place, on her way to marry the highest
bidder.
“You have a choice now,” he told her. “Do you want to go home or apply for a green card and work in the US?”
“I have nothing in Russia. It’s why I came here. But Ruby ruined my life by kicking me out. Now I’ll never marry a rich man.”
So the girls were promised rich husbands and wonderful bounty if they boarded the ship. Gasper had seen too many cases like this and knew better. They ended up abused, beaten, on the streets or on the news as a crime victim.
He went to the entry and looked around. The owner was nowhere to be seen, but as soon as Gasper called for him, he appeared.
“I’m going to pay for her stay here. I’ll return in the morning with money.”
He narrowed his eyes. “No funny business. If you want to keep a woman for your pleasure, go to R—”
“I know, I know,” he cut the man off. “Go to Ruby’s Place.” He was sick of hearing the name of the woman he cared for besmirched. “If you can make sure she doesn’t leave with anyone, I’ll pay double the room rate.”
The owner stared at him. Gasper saw the moment greed overcame any animosity he had toward the Xtreme Ops team or the goings-on down the street.
“Deal.”
Gasper clasped his hand hard enough that the man winced. He didn’t usually take pleasure in cowing innocent men, but this one made it clear he was no friend. Besides, he had to keep up his end of the bargain to protect the woman.
As he left the establishment, he played through his conversation with the girl. Had he learned anything from her? Nothing more than they already knew—that the mafia would go to any extreme for more power and money.
If it was the last thing he ever did, he would get Ruby free of them.
Ruby scrubbed at the table surface so hard that she wouldn’t be surprised to lift the cloth and see the finish rubbed away. To say she was pissed off at her life right now was the understatement of the century.
As if having her father held prisoner or the Russian mafia questioning her every move wasn’t enough pressure, now she was a freakin’ informant for a branch of the government she’d never even heard about. She wouldn’t have bought the story of a homeland security special ops unit if the captain hadn’t shown her proof at the police barracks.
