Chapter 13
Sinclair
“Need some help taming her, boss?”
Enzo had no idea he was risking a fist in his face, but I had to admit the woman continued to surprise me. I finished buttoning my shirt and headed to the bar, needing a few moments to myself.
While everything about the incident inside the coffee shop kept a red flag flying high, I had my doubts Josette had anything to do with the attack.
But there was something there, a missing piece about her that I couldn’t put my finger on.
“Don’t push me, Enzo.” Even though I had a harsh tone in my voice, as I poured the whiskey, I was smiling. How could I not?
Although touching her had been the last thing on my mind.
Not with her defiance at the coffee shop.
Or the fact she’d tossed a screen out the window.
Did she honestly think I would allow her to jump from a third-story window and escape?
Hs obviously didn’t know me very well. “She fucking heard Vincent when he was in the trunk.” I couldn’t believe it, although after everything that had occurred over the last few days, I should believe anything.
“Well, shit, boss. Do you think she’ll run to the cops? I mean you did save her life and all.” He had her purse in his hand. I snagged it from him.
The man had to be kidding me. “Enzo. Do I need to remind you that in addition to saving her life, I also kidnapped her, brought her to my house, and that I’m currently holding her as my hostage?”
He lifted his eyebrows and purposely coughed into his fist, muttering words that I could hear clearly.
And you fucked her.
Again.
And I would do so… again.
Fuck. I rubbed my eyes, feeling the weight of the last two days like a noose around my neck.
“Yeah. And there’s that.” While hearing a thumping noise in my trunk neither meant nor proved it was anything other than a bag of seed for my lawn, my reaction had proven her correct.
Not something to build any level of trust on.
“If you don’t mind me saying so, sir, she’s a hellion.” Enzo lingered in the doorway, chuckling under his breath. Not that I could blame him.
Hellion wasn’t the word for it, although I’d yet to find the right one.
“I have an errand to run. When I’m gone, make certain she does not try and leave this house.
She’s locked in, but I doubt that will mean anything.
” On top of fighting me, she’d broken a piece of art over my head.
A piece that had cost well over ten thousand.
Eh. It wasn’t the loss of money or even the artwork that troubled me.
It was her utterly rebellious nature. She’d certainly searched the internet, finding all the shitty articles on my family. So she knew what I was capable of without me telling her. Yet that hadn’t even slowed her down.
Fuck me.
I took a swig of whiskey, trying to think about what to do with her and how to get her to talk. She’d managed to get too far under my skin, another reason I’d avoided the actual ritual of dating. It was too risky for several reasons.
Including a very personal one.
Yet here I was, unable to resist her.
Not. One. Inch.
Ugh. I was furious with myself. Although she certainly had earned the spanking.
What I’d thought about in the last hour or so was that she likely had no idea my company had been on track to purchase the building. If I knew her, that wouldn’t go over very well. Although she was well aware the closure of her shop was right around the corner. Maybe I could use that to my benefit.
“What if she tries to escape?” he asked, which was a decent question.
“You still have that pair of handcuffs in your trunk.” I threw him a look, smiling when I did.
He snorted. “You bet I do. Although I must admit I use them for more sensual actions.”
“I don’t want to hear about your sex life, buddy. Handcuff her to the bed if you need to.”
I’d fretted over her during the night, forcing the doctor we had at our paid disposal to come to the house to check on her. I’d even instructed him to give her a sleeping aid. The last thing I’d wanted was for her to wake up in the middle of the night.
But forgetting about Indiana caused me to realize how ill-equipped I was with dealing with anything remotely normal.
“That I can do,” he offered. “There’s still no sighting of the guy, but I have all our best people searching for the truck.”
“My guess is you’ll find it torched somewhere.”
“What the hell happened?”
I swirled my drink. “I don’t know and my guest isn’t interested in talking just yet.”
My mouth watered just thinking about her, my cock aching from the agonizing need to take her all over again. She was a fighter, much more so than I’d anticipated. Was it possible she was telling me the truth?
I loathed variables. They disrupted business and that irritated the hell out of me. She’d mentioned a tattoo on the man’s neck. Maybe that would lead to some level of confirmation as to who was behind the attack.
And whether he was associated with the Las Riveras. First things first. I’d made her a promise I intended on keeping.
“You sure you don’t want me to order a couple soldiers to go with you?”
I shook my head. “Not at this point. I doubt whoever planned that attack, if it was anything other than a spur of the moment situation given my appearance, will try so again quickly. They’ll be licking their wounds.
Make certain you put word out on the street that anyone who brings me the bastard will receive a hefty bonus. ”
“Dead or alive?”
As I poured back the last of my glass, I thought about the question. “I don’t give a shit which, as long as his identity is revealed.”
I grabbed her purse, yanking out her keys. What I didn’t find was her phone.
“Did you grab her phone?”
“Yes, sir.”
“It’s not here.”
Enzo grimaced. “I’ll see if I can find it.”
Goddamn it. Could this week get any fucking worse?
I’d certainly never been the kind of man to experience guilt. Definitely not with any men I’d had a disagreement with.
Or had killed.
But leaving a dog alone overnight, that was something entirely different. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized I’d never sunk so low. With Josette’s keys in my hand, I stood at the front door, hesitating. There was no barking, no clawing at the wood. Just… silence.
What in the hell would I tell her if something terrible had happened to her beloved dog.
Jesus.
After raking my hand through my hair, I was at least lucky enough to find the right key the first time. As soon as the door was opened, I was knocked against the side of the building as a blur whipped by me at lightning speed.
“Fuck.”
It didn’t take me long to figure out Indiana had been the bolt of fur flashing by, already squatting and peeing.
Sighing, I glanced toward the haze-covered sky, perhaps saying a silent prayer even though I wasn’t a praying kind of man.
He harrumphed a few times, still peeing.
I finally walked toward him, wondering how much English the pup actually knew. I was the type of man who could easily walk into a mixed crowd of haters and supporters, charming them into submission and I couldn’t think of a single comforting phrase to use on a dog.
Wow. I’d lost some of my edge.
What felt like ten minutes later, he gave me a long hard look before trotting off to the side of the house.
I dutifully followed him, waiting as he finished his business.
Once he did, he kicked clumps of grass over the deposit and glared at me for at least five seconds before sauntering back to the house. Keeping a wide berth.
I’d read the look in his eyes. He knew I was the reason for the delay.
And why his mom hadn’t returned as normal.
Yeah, I was a bad man. Admitting it had never been difficult or an insult before. Why did I cringe a little bit inside knowing I’d kept him from enjoying a night with his mom?
I shook my head, scanning the neighborhood. I’d taken precautions to ensure I hadn’t been followed. The mood I continued to be in was dangerous for anyone who dared invade my space and privacy.
At least the thought provided an energy boost.
Once inside, I locked the door behind me.
Now Indiana was more animated, woofing and heading toward the kitchen. When I didn’t immediately follow, he forced himself to come closer. Another hard look. Another woof.
“Okay, buddy. You’re hungry. Let’s see if I can find your food.”
He was even out of water. Now my thoughts of my actions had gone from being a bad man to reprehensible. As soon as I filled the water bowl, he consumed it, licking the bottom.
I filled it again, sighing.
Soon, he’d need to head back outside.
At least my perfect little liar was organized and I found the food easily. How the hell much did you give a dog Indiana’s size? With no clue, I filled the bowl.
Another hard look.
Another woof.
But he chomped down, eager and happy, slobbering all over his chin.
I watched him for a few seconds, leaning against the door jamb as I studied her kitchen. Unlike the way I’d left it in my horrid attempt at making breakfast, everything was neat and tidy. So clean you could eat off the floor.
And it even smelled good.
Like vanilla and cinnamon.
Just like the beautiful woman.
Flicking and stuttering in my mind again.
I had to think of her as exactly what she was. A hostage. There was something she wasn’t telling me. I could feel it in my bones. And until she confessed, I wouldn’t go easy on her.
Even if from thoughts alone, my cock was already pushing against my zipper.
When he was close to being finished, I forced myself from the haze, walking through her house.
I felt compelled to touch things, private things.
The movie she had placed in a perfect square on her DVD player.
The choice? The Holiday. Really? It wasn’t even Halloween, yet she was watching a Christmas movie.
At least I thought it was a Christmas movie. I honestly wasn’t certain.
Chuckling, I moved to her collection of books in a cheap but oversized bookcase, noticing a fine collection of romance novels. None of them with the pages folded down.
Then off to her collection of photographs. There were only a few in pristine, dusted frames. Pictures of New Orleans, most with Indiana as the main focus. What few included her seemed to be with a girlfriend. Certainly not a relative given her shocking pink hair and darker complexion.
What I found curious was that there wasn’t a single photograph of anyone I would consider family. In my mind, another red flag. Noted in the back of my mind, I moved on, heading to her bedroom.
As expected, another perfectly tidy space. I stood staring down at her bed, the fluffy pillows providing more than a few naughty images. Maybe I was getting too soft in my older age. As Alexander would tell me. Time to settle down.
Bullshit.
He could have the marriage and matching china for all I cared.
While spending time in her house, I knew it wasn’t a bad idea to grab a few of her things. Even that sounded like an extreme violation of her privacy. The stops and starts in my mind were already driving me crazy.
This had to get done. There was business to handle and all I was doing was wasting valuable time.
Thankfully, I found a large duffle bag in her closet and tossed it on the bed. That’s when I noticed I had an audience. Indiana was sitting on his haunches in the middle of the doorway. Not moving. Not making a sound. Just eyeing me as the intruder I was. If looks could kill…
“Don’t worry, buddy. You’re coming with me. I’m taking you to see your mom.” At least I got a tail wag for acknowledging his presence.
After I’d tossed a few things into her bag, including a dress I longed to see her wear then peel off with my teeth, I realized he’d inched closer without me hearing a thing. I almost tripped over him, he was so close.
“You’re like a Ninja, Indiana. Stop doing that.”
I’d be goddamned if he didn’t issue a low growl that could compete with any predatory animal in the wild.
After a full minute of experiencing the vibrations, I crouched down in front of him. It was time to make friends. “Okay, buddy. I know you have no clue if I’m a good guy or bad guy.”
A slight tail wag. The volume of the growl increasing.
“I’m not going to intentionally hurt your mom. You don’t need to worry.” Unless I was required to provide her with another round of punishment. Now that I would do. I flexed and fisted my hand, still managing to feel the heat in my fingers.
Goddamn, I’d loved seeing the warm flush on her rounded bottom. I’d adored hearing her soft moans. Not of pain, but of pleasure. She liked being manhandled, dominated by a powerful man.
Fuck. Envisioning her naked body wasn’t on the agenda.
“However, you’re going to need to bear with me. A change of scenery. Can you understand?”
He tilted his head and, in a breakthrough, offered me his paw. Maybe, just maybe he and I could be friends.
“You’re one handsome dude, Indiana Jones. And I love your name.” I took his paw, shaking it and in a burst of energy, he had me down on my back in a split second, dragging his big, sloppy tongue across my face. I don’t think I’d ever been licked by a dog. Certainly not so profusely.
Now his tail was doing helicopters, his entire huge body wiggling.
“Okay, buddy. I get it. I like you too.” It took me almost a minute to roll away from him, laughing in seeing how much dog fur I had all over my trousers. What the hell.
After managing to get to my feet, I remembered she needed underwear. Bras. Panties. A nightie. Another hesitation before pulling open a drawer.
Wow.
Now I couldn’t grab a few pieces of lingerie? What in the fuck was my problem.
I pushed myself, even pulling a lace bra into my fingers, holding it in midair. When I brought it to my nose, catching a sweet lingering hint of her perfume, the thought of being a voyeur hit me.
Next came the fact that she was far too gorgeous to be wearing cheap shit, which including every piece of clothing and her intimate apparel.
She’d hate me even more for thinking that way, but she deserved better than cheap big box items or crap she ordered off the internet. I made a mental note to change that.
But they’d do for now.
As I was getting ready to close the dresser drawer, something unusual caught my eye. Tugging it free, I realized it was a harness of some kind.
For Indiana.
There was writing on the side.
It took me a few seconds to realize what it said.
Emotional Support Animal.
I glanced down at Indiana, shaking my head. What the fuck?