Chapter 15
Kinsley
Laser-Focused
As I gazed upon the brother with the crow tattoo, I couldn’t help but marvel at how different he was from his brother. While he shared Aleksandr’s height and muscular build, that was where the similarities stopped.
Nikolai King’s face was smooth and clean-shaven, giving him a boyish charm that made my heart flutter. But it was his emerald-green eyes framed by thick, dark lashes that made them appear all the more vibrant, that truly took my breath away. And his jet-black hair, so distinct from his brother’s, only added to his striking appearance.
I almost lost it when he spoke Russian. It was magical, and his rich tone made me wish to respond in kind. Hearing a complete sentence in my native tongue almost brought tears to my eyes.
How long has it been? Too long.
I followed him through the club toward the back. Knowing that Aleksandr was right behind me only increased my nerves. Passing two security guards at the end of the hall, we entered the office. Sarah was sitting up.
The man talking to her on the couch looked up, and a tremble shot through me. I backed up a step at the first sight of him. As my body met Aleksandr’s behind me, I flushed and quickly took a step further into the office.
His gaze was piercing, and there was a coolness to him. He looked every bit capable of horrible things. Swallowing hard, I ignored the surprised look on his face. This must be the third brother. He was massive, all muscle, and looked like he could kill someone with his bare hands. What my manager said came rushing back to me.
“You came. My ankle hurts bad,”
Sarah slurred. Tears formed in her eyes.
“What happened?”
I asked as I approached the couch. Good lord, how much alcohol had she consumed?
“Do you know where we are? This is the club I wanted to take you to for your birthday. Isn’t it amazing? These are the hot-as-fuck owners.”
Sarah’s voice was louder than it needed to be. Her comment made me groan as the three of them chuckled.
“Yes, I know. ‘Amazing’ isn’t how I’d describe it, but I’m glad you finally got in. Now tell me, what happened?”
I asked again, talking to her like a child.
“Well, I don’t remember. Isn’t that awful? I only remember falling in the bathroom, and he carried me in here,”
she said, flushing as she looked at the man next to her like he was some choir boy at church.
“Sarah Williams, this isn’t a game. We need to get you to the hospital. That looks broken,”
I said, frowning and looking at her ankle propped up on a pillow. My anger took over, and I turned to Aleksandr.
“You’re an ass. Do you know you may be costing her her future by not rushing her directly to the hospital and wasting time waiting for me? Do you? Of course you don’t. You like to play selfish games with people and their lives. She has an audition coming up that could land her a full scholarship to Juilliard. She needs her ankle looked at immediately.”
I strode over to him, shoving him in the chest. “Did you do this? You threatened to break my wrist. Are you seriously this sick?”
I shoved him again. “You need professional help. What is wrong with you, all of you?”
I glanced at the three of them.
Nikolai smiled at me like a child. The other brother let his cool gaze wash over my body, and Aleksandr’s cheek twitched in anger.
“I threatened to break your wrist because you pulled a blade on me. Any other man would be dead. Consider yourself lucky,”
Aleksandr said calmly, even though his eyes were blazing.
“Wait, did you say blade?”
the man on the couch asked, perking up, while Nikolai laughed.
“Oh, didn’t share that with your brothers, huh? You might want to know your leader here is slipping. If he had taken any other liberty with me aside from sniffing me like the dog he is, my blade would have drawn a hell of a lot more blood than it did.”
I had no idea if he was truly their leader, but it seemed possible, so I went with it.
“What did you just call me?”
he growled.
I had deliberately chosen to wear the choker collar, complete with its dangling whip. Deep down, I knew it would provoke a reaction from Alek, as if my intuition sensed his primal instincts lurking beneath his composed exterior.
He reached out, seized it, and pulled me closer, and a surge of unexpected surrender washed over me, leaving me bewildered and questioning my own actions. I lowered my head while internally screaming WTF? It was as if my body and mind conspired against me, compelling me to bow to him in submission. It felt wrong but also so very right.
I took deep breaths, trying to ignore the unexpected reaction from Alek. From beneath my lowered gaze, I observed a subtle shift in his demeanor. His chest rose and fell with each breath he drew until, finally, he regained his composure, giving me enough time to formulate my next move.
Just below my guise of submission, I simmered with defiance. Vowing to turn this situation around, I raised my eyes, allowing him to see the fire burning within. “I’ve played your game, Reaper. I don’t know what you want, but you need to stay away from my friend and me,”
I said, looking up.
“Or what? What will you do if I don’t?”
he asked, tilting his head, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
“I’ll be forced to bring you to heel. I wonder how much of a hit your reputation might take, but I’ve no doubt I could accomplish the goal.”
Reaching up, I traced his fingers as he clenched the whip of the choker.
The other brother and Nikolai laughed. Aleksandr’s hand, the one not holding the whip, ran slowly up my arm, causing goose bumps to erupt. His breathing hitched once more, and his nostrils flared. His blue eyes were like ice.
“You might try, but I doubt a little thing such as yourself could accomplish such a task. However, I accept your challenge and raise you one. I’ll make you my bitch. Ty budesh’ podchinyat’sya,”
he ordered. You will obey.
My thighs clenched at both his words and the sentiment behind them. Dear god, there’s something wrong with me. I should not be having this kind of reaction to him.
Looking up, I replied, “Nikogda.” Never.
I heard him suck in his breath but ignored him as I added, “Ya nikogda ne budu podchinyat’sya.”
I will never obey. Spitting the word obey out, I was committed at this point. I wanted to kick myself for answering in Russian, but it was too late. Damn me and my anger.
“Yes, I understand you. Don’t contact me again. Final warning.”
I reached behind my neck, the action forcing my breasts to push forward. His eyes were immediately drawn to the motion, and he licked his lips. Seeing his reaction put me back in control of my own. Chuckling, I unbuckled the choker, handing it to him.
“I’ll let you keep this. I have another one at home, and you seem fascinated by it. Try it on, if you like. Sarah, it’s time to go,”
I said, stepping away from him.
With my heart pounding out of my chest, I grabbed Sarah’s hand and eased her off the couch, ignoring the giant sitting next to her. I shook my head as she waved and whispered goodbye to him. We inched our way over to the door, and I prayed the entire way that Aleksandr wouldn’t try to stop me.
I had used every bit of courage I had, and my confidence was slipping. One of them alone was intimidating, but the three of them in one room was overwhelming. I could feel their eyes on us as we moved. I reached for the door, but before I could open it, I was being pushed against it.
Aleksandr turned me around and groaned, “Fuck.”
Then he slammed his mouth against mine, the force snapping my head back. His soft lips brushed against mine, demanding entrance. Moaning, I closed my eyes.
Lost in his kiss, I couldn’t resist the overpowering dominance emanating from him. I didn’t even care that we had an audience. I stood on my tiptoes once more, feeling grateful for ballet for once in my life.
My hands drifted from his forearms up to his shoulders and into his silky hair. His tongue explored mine, and a wave of heat burst inside me as I leaned into him. His eyes registered the shock and desire.
“Alek,”
I cried, gasping for breath after a few minutes of him kissing me.
His hand raked through my hair as he pulled me closer. His lips brushed mine. “You will be mine,”
he vowed, his breathing ragged.
Heat radiated from him as his full length pressed against my body. His lips fell to my ear before he nuzzled my neck and kissed it, making me want more. Damn him.
“Never. I will be no man’s bitch. Now get your fucking hands off me,”
I commanded, shaking, my breathing matching his. I needed to get out of here now. What a mess this whole night had become. Thankfully, he let me go.
I reached for the door once more and opened it an inch, but he slammed it shut. I turned around to push him back, and his mouth claimed mine again. His tongue thrust into my mouth, tasting me. It was a hard kiss, a statement, drawing a groan from him and a sigh from me. Then, finally, he eased up, and the kiss became gentle.
“Let me go. Please,”
I whimpered against his lips in an uneven voice.
I tried to detach myself like I’d learned to do so long ago, but with him looking at me—this beautiful, powerful man—it was hard to do. He evoked something inside me I’d never felt and couldn’t comprehend. The stark realization that I wanted him was overwhelming.
He stepped back and looked at the ceiling, breathing out. My eyes slid over his body one last time. God, why does he have to be so hot? His jeans fit perfectly, and my eyes lingered on his arousal. When my gaze traveled back to his face, he was smirking.
“You own a strip club. Surely there’s someone outside those doors who would love to take care of that for you,”
I taunted, looking at his cock and flushing. “I’m not interested in being another notch on your proverbial belt,”
I added, opening the door tentatively. Then a little more.
I grabbed Sarah’s hand and tried to walk her out of the club, but she was having a hard time because of her ankle and inebriation. The guy from the bar stood outside the door. He and Alek exchanged a look, and the next thing I knew, the man was picking Sarah up, and he said, “Ms. Taylor, please follow me. I’ll take you and your friend wherever you need to go.”
“I’ve got an Uber waiting,”
I remarked. He, again, looked at Alek, awaiting his response.
Nikolai scoffed, “I was right. Laser-focused, Reaper. We didn’t even get one question in, and you’ve already run her off.”
Turning my gaze to Nikolai, I found him staring at my breasts. I straightened my back and flipped my hair over my shoulders, covering the exposed skin from his eyes.
Alek snorted. “As if you could do better.”
“Is that a challenge?”
Nik asked while the two of them eyed each other like they might break out into a fist fight at any moment.
“I’ll save you all the hassle. I’m not interested in whatever questions you have. I have no intention of answering them, so good luck. But, just so you know, you’d have better luck getting information from a donkey.”
“Oh, now that right there is an absolute challenge. I’ve been known to have a way with asses, baby girl.”
My eyes narrowed, my patience completely dissipated. I shot a sharp glare at Nikolai. “Excuse me?”
The man holding Sarah cleared his throat and whispered something in Alek’s ear, and then Alek nodded. He turned and carried Sarah out of the office. I shook my head at the audacity of Nikolai King and followed Alek’s man out of the club. Once we were outside, he helped get her in the car and then handed the driver some cash.
“This should more than cover where she needs to go. You can keep the change.”
Alek’s man, whoever he was, reminded me of a younger Owen. He had to have a military or law enforcement background. It was in the way he carried himself. I instantly felt at ease and smiled at him.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Ms. Taylor.”
After a few hours in the ER, I got Sarah and her badly sprained ankle home. I tried not to think about Alek as I rode to my own house. After locking the door behind me, I kicked off my heels. The carpet was soft under my bare feet as I walked into my bedroom and drew to a stop when I caught sight of my reflection.
Before removing my dress, I gazed into the mirror, touching the skin where the choker had been. I’d stumbled upon it one night while researching and had to have it. The reflection staring back at me held a myriad of emotions—curiosity, empowerment, and an odd sense of safety.
It was a choice I’d made; even though I’d left the choker with Aleksandr, the symbolism still held weight for me. A symbol of surrender and control and, in some strange way, resilience. It made me realize that some parts of my time in captivity didn’t hold power over me anymore.
With a steadying breath, I allowed the weight of my journey to fade, replaced by the realization that I held the power to shape my narrative. I also knew enough about myself to know tonight was going to be tough. I quickly disrobed and crawled under my covers.
I allowed the nightmares in; it was easier if I almost conjured it up instead of it sneaking up on me. I could console myself with the knowledge that the rescue would come just a few short days later. Despite how much I dreaded it, I drifted off to sleep and took in the bird’s-eye view, so to speak, as a foolish ten-year-old girl once more stepped out of line.
There were four of us in captivity. I was Spring, and only a few weeks into my season, I’d committed the grievous sin of talking to one of the other seasons. Our walls were paper thin, and Autumn had been crying all night. I’d tried to comfort her by asking her what her favorite song was.
When she didn’t answer, I sang for her anyway. It seemed to help as she stopped crying, which made me feel bold. I’d asked her what her real name was. She never told me, but the Mask overheard me giving her mine. I should have learned my lesson by then, but I hadn’t. I was too hard-headed.
Usually, privileges were withheld if we misbehaved during our own season, but this time was different. My body shook, lost in the nightmare. I once again dreamed about the Gorean slave whip, its sound, and the searing pain.
The memories played out, and my mind tried to process what happened after I was whipped that day.