Chapter 9 #2
Yet my body wasn’t responding appropriately.
If I had to be truthful with myself, I’d admit that I’d wanted nothing more than to drive my cock deep inside her sweet pussy.
Now that I knew her juice was the nectar of the gods, I would need to shut down a more primal part of me for fear of losing control.
“You are not what I expected.”
With a quick glance, I could tell she was prepared to wait to hit me with her barrage of questions. Right now, that was something I was grateful for.
“And just what did you expect?”
“A useless bastard who can’t get it up unless he’s beating on a woman.”
“Wow. I give off a good vibe, I see.” Chuckling, I was certain I heard her cursing me under her breath. She was certainly a fighter. That would be necessary if we were to get through this.
“Where are you taking me?”
“As I said. Somewhere safe.” I could tell she wasn’t about to let the answer go without explanation. “My… house.” Hesitating wasn’t acceptable, but here I was.
Fortunately, there were no issues for the remainder of the drive, the late-night hour allowing for an easy trip.
As soon as I pulled down the street, she sat up, scanning the area.
She wasn’t simply impressed with the surroundings.
She was memorizing details. I could easily tell by the look of consternation on her face and her rapid eye movement.
Another good sign.
I pulled into the garage, waiting until the door closed before turning off the engine.
We both sat for a few seconds in the quiet, the dim overheat lighting providing an eerie backdrop.
“Come on. You’ll be safe inside. God knows we both need a drink.”
I could tell my change in demeanor as I invisibly removed Drake Cavanaugh’s ‘mask,’ shifting back into being nothing but a chivalrous cowboy, as my buddies liked to call me, surprised her.
Yet she remained silent.
Once inside the house, I immediately removed my jacket and tie, tossing them across the back of a kitchen chair. All the while she was watching me, shrinking into the shadows, her breathing still labored.
When her eyes landed on my jacket, I noticed the handle of the Glock could be seen. I could smell her fear from where I stood. After I covered the weapon, I shook my head. “The world you were just rescued from is very dangerous.”
“From one danger into another, I suppose.”
“Maybe so.”
The night had been exhausting, leaving me enraged at what little I’d seen. Enough to know I’d do everything in my power to destroy every man and woman involved in the Privileged. Even the name invoked thoughts of violence.
“What would you like to drink?” I finally asked as I headed to the already open bottle of whiskey.
When she remained quiet, I shook my head.
“First things first. I’m not going to poison you and you’re allowed choices. I think there’s everything. Wine. Vodka. Hell, even tequila.”
“Why do you care?”
Her attitude was irritating, but I reminded myself that she was still in the dark. “Because everyone deserves a choice.”
“Except the women locked in cages and sold as cattle.”
The words biting, they did cause me to glance in her direction. When I said nothing, she rubbed her hands down her dress, licking her bottom lip out of nervousness.
“Wine. Red if you have it.”
The slight softening of her voice reminded me why I’d been immediately attracted to her.
“That I can do.” I had no clue what I was selecting, but I grabbed a bottle from the smaller wine cabinet Maverick had installed in the kitchen.
My skills were rusty opening the bottle and as soon as I broke the cork, she laughed after a little snort.
“Would you like me to do that for you? I would think a man of your stature and wealth could do anything. Or maybe you’re used to having everything done for you. Does that include wiping your ass?”
If she’d truly believed she would find her sister while engaging in such rebellious behavior, she hadn’t thought the plan through very well.
“I must admit, wine isn’t to my taste. Not very manly. But feel free to show me how it’s done.” I backed away, allowing her to fix the botched attempt. As soon as she was within a few inches, the same jolt of current tormented my already aching muscles.
Her body remained stiff and she constantly threw me a cautious look. When she was finished, she backed far enough away I couldn’t dare try to touch her.
It took me a minute to find a glass, which forced me to realize yet once again I wasn’t cut out for being an undercover anything. I hadn’t even bothered to go through every room in the house. A telltale sign I didn’t belong.
I slid the glass across the counter, noticing she was shivering.
The tension was worse than I’d anticipated and I wasn’t certain I was ready to delve into the entire story. She certainly had no intention of being cooperative.
“Why don’t we do this? I’m going to show you to your room. There are clothes in your closet that should fit you. I’m certain you’d prefer to be in something else. Not that the dress isn’t lovely on you.”
Every time she studied me after something I’d said, I realized just how terrified she must be.
If only Misty was here. She’d know what to say and how to allow for a smooth transition.
Into what exactly? What were we about to do, play house?
While other women suffered. I already gathered I’d need to keep Reese on a short leash or she’d feel compelled to escape to hunt for her sister.
A metaphorical leash. Oh, this was so out of my wheelhouse.
“I’ll ask you again. Who are you?” Her tone was even more demanding.
“Maybe no one you want to know. Now, I suggest you get comfortable before we talk. I’m certain you have any number of questions.
” It was my call how much to share. Although I’d been cautioned by everyone on the team to provide only the necessary details, this was my mission and she wasn’t going to share anything unless I was honest with her.
“You have no idea. Like who you are and what is this charade all about.”
“I assure you this is no charade.”
I’d read everything about the woman I could find.
I knew where she’d gone to school as a child, where her parents had taken her and her sister on vacation.
Not only did I know to the penny what she had in her two bank accounts and how much credit was available on her three credit cards, I knew everything about her sister and her parents as well.
As far as her father, it would appear he’d retired years before.
Did he have decent investments? Yes, but by no means would I call him the typical mark for a kidnapper seeking ransom.
That brought more questions into my mind and no answers were available.
There’d been nothing to suggest that Reese was anything other than a kindhearted, intelligent junior high schoolteacher who followed every law, gave to charities including animal rescue organizations, and voted every November.
No criminal record. No termination from employment. Not a single parking ticket.
She was a walking, talking picture of perfection.
At least in my mind.
However, it was her continued rebelliousness after what she’d endured that intrigued me more than anything.
My instinct told me there was much more to the woman than what I’d seen.
“Then what?” she pushed. Another crackle of electricity dragged me from my inappropriate thoughts of possession. Maybe it was the intense ache behind my eyes that issued a solid warning to keep this professional.
“Change first. Then we’ll go over the details.”
“What if I try and escape?” The way she folded her arms across her chest, jutting her hip out was far too enticing. Christ, my balls were tight.
I purposely looked away to collect my shit. Yes, I’d been required to touch her inappropriately to keep my cover intact, but that didn’t mean I could unleash my wolfish desires. I could certainly decide to tell her if she made a single attempt, she’d be punished. But what good would that do?
Maybe in my insistence on bringing down the Privileged, I hadn’t thought everything through carefully enough.
“Then the chance of finding Briana will drop significantly.” When she didn’t say anything, I turned my head toward her.
Her eyes were open wide, yet her jaw remained clenched. As I’d experienced with her before, certain acts of behavior were a surprise.
And far too enticing.
There was such a classy aura about her, yet she was so vulnerable.
She’d taken it upon herself to venture into a world where piranhas and sharks had a daily diet of innocent women.
She’d blindly ventured into a situation that she had no business in.
What in the hell had possessed her into thinking she had any qualifications for tackling a group of men who could easily make her disappear?
Like how many other women?
I was hot enough under the collar my cock was no longer just twitching. It was full on aroused, pushing so fucking hard against my zipper I was in pain.
The quick dart of her eyes to my crotch let me know she was completely aware of the condition I was in.
Because of her.
Even with my arousal, the dominating guy that I’d turned into had me wanting to yank her over my lap, giving her a proper round of discipline. For putting herself in harm’s way.
Oh, yeah. That would go over well. Forget about the concept of trust.
Her hiss brought me back to whatever this reality had turned into.
She didn’t think of herself or whatever fear remained.
In three strides with her long legs, she was standing mere centimeters away.
Still in heels, all she needed was to tilt her head slightly to look me in the eyes.
“You might have me in a compromising position, Hunter. However, I’m far more formidable than anyone in this corrupt club has given me credit for.
If you so dare as to lay a single finger on my baby sister under any circumstances, I will gut you. Is that understood?”
Her vehemence brought a casual smile to my face. However inappropriate, it had been a long time since a single woman had attracted me to this degree.
My eyes were drawn from her long eyelashes and the way they skimmed across her rosy cheeks to her voluptuous lips, the stain used still a vibrant red. My action involuntary, I reached out, brushing my knuckle across her skin.
While she didn’t recoil, her eyes opened wide, the same fear I’d seen before returning.
“Just wiping away glitter on your face. Nothing more.” I showed her the specks on my finger before wiping it on my trousers.
There was no mistaking the sizzle of heat or the desire burning a hole in my gut. As before, I sensed she felt the same thing, especially when she took a purposeful step away.
And her action had nothing to do with anxiety over how I’d handle her disobedience.
“I would expect nothing else from a loving sister and my intentions are exactly the opposite.”
I’d caught her off guard, her reaction to chew on her bottom lip. After a few seconds, she turned away, uncertain what to say.
“Now, would you like to change?” No matter the connection, I’d need to handle this very carefully. Did I have any fear she’d sold her soul? No, although I wouldn’t put anything past Lucifer and his guards, which meant her clothes and shoes would be tossed out.
“Yes.” With a single clipped word, she allowed me to lead her upstairs to the bedroom I’d selected for her. Whatever play acting we would be required to do wasn’t going to occur inside this house.
I stepped inside the bedroom first, turning on a couple of lights as I did.
I had no clue if I was trying to be the consummate host or simply doing exactly what I’d been taught to do as boy.
Just like opening doors for women and pulling out their chairs.
My father had been adamant that treating a lady like a precious gem was required.
Then there was the concern that somehow someone from the Privileged had gone through my house. As she’d done the entire evening, she watched me as I turned on every light, checking every bathroom. All clear.
“This will be your room while you’re here.”
“You mean forever?” she quipped.
I rubbed my eyes, at least momentarily tired of the banter. “Are you hungry? My guess is you haven’t eaten very well.”
“Why would you say that? Because I look like a skeleton? Not that bread and water wasn’t satisfying. I was looking forward to having some gruel at some point.”
She bore the same look I’d seen in Denise. Someone who’d been given little food and water, yet upon the day of auction had been provided with lavish food and given all the proper attention to her appearance required for a successful and profitable sale.
Yet even after what she’d been through, Reese refused to back down from her rebellious spirit.
Denise had managed to share a few more details of the day she’d been sold. Hearing and remembering the disgusting details had almost made me do something earlier that I no doubt would have regretted.
Reese didn’t look like a skeleton. Just a terrified, beautiful woman that I wanted to protect.
And to defile in the worst ways.
Fuck me, I had to stop thinking with my dick.
Ignoring her barb, I moved to the closet.
“Don’t blame me if the clothes aren’t right.
I had to go on the information discovered.
And no, I didn’t do the shopping. I’m going to change and I’ll be downstairs.
” I headed toward the door. “There are a couple rules that need to be followed. Leave the blinds closed in the bedrooms and you’re not to venture outside without me accompanying you. Is that clear?”
Her exhale was as huffy as I’d heard before. “Yes, sir.”
Goddamn, this woman was going to drive me wild.