I fumbled to get the key, barely twisting the handle to the door before he shoved me inside, ripping my purse from my hand and dropping it to the floor. My phone and the rest of the contents scattered across the floor, his deep growl indicating he didn’t care.

  When he shoved me against the wall, our combined needs became primal, both ripping at each other’s clothes. Nothing mattered but sharing our explosive need, unbridled passion that knew no bounds. As soon as we were both naked, he cupped both sides of my face, every muscle in his body tense.

  “Goddamn it, woman. I want you.”

  There was no method of stopping the delicious madness. We were hot for each other, so much so the heat rising between us created vibrations dancing down to my toes. The dark, breathless sounds he made continued to spark the fire. I closed my eyes as he raked his teeth along my jaw, moving ever so slowly to my ear. When he darted his tongue into the shell, I shuddered to my core. The moment was pure euphoria.

  “I’m going to fuck you long and hard.”

  “Uh-huh,” I muttered, my mouth watering, the need increasing.

  Laughing softly, he nipped my earlobe then rolled his lips to my mouth, capturing it like the savage he was. While his kisses from before had left me lightheaded, the way his tongue dominated mine sent me floating into the clouds. I raked my nails down his muscular back, pulling his body tightly against mine. The feel of his throbbing cock kept me breathless, my mind spinning about all the wicked things he would do to me.

  And I craved every one of them.

  The kiss was just a statement of ownership, a moment of reaffirming his possession. Our tongues twisted together in a seductive dance, twisting. Exploring. My stomach was in knots, my arousal indescribable as I wrapped one leg around his thigh. How could a man be this evocative, yanking on every bad girl gene existing in my body? He sucked on my tongue, drinking from me as if I was the only person who could provide him air. The train continued to pick up speed, jumping over the tracks, the thuds matching the rapid beating of my heart.

  I rolled my hands up and down his back, struggling to get even closer. He sensed my hunger was off the charts, pulling away from the kiss and lifting me into the air. There was no time wasted, no preparation before he thrust his cock deep inside.

  “Oh, yes. Yes…” Moaning, I nipped his lower lip, digging my teeth into the tender flesh. Every sound he made was animalistic, exposing his near desperate need. I wrapped my other leg around him, gripping his massive shoulders in my effort to hold on. This was nothing but primal fucking and I loved every second of it.

  We were both panting, beads of sweat already trickling down both sides of his face. He rose onto the balls of his feet, plunging like the wild man I knew him to be. Sunlight streamed in through the window, images flashing by in a fog. I squeezed my eyes shut, the raw bliss soaring through me all I could concentrate on.

  “Tight. Hot. Jesus.” His words were scattered, filtering around the way he continuously drove me against the wall.

  I clung to him, digging my fingers into the flesh of his shoulders as I intertwined my feet. He wouldn’t let me fall. The weight of his body pressed against mine felt right, as if we’d always been meant to be together. I gasped for air, a series of stars rushing into my field of vision. As I tossed my head back and forth, the insanity of what we were doing became a powerful aphrodisiac.

  “All mine. Every inch,” he muttered then nuzzled against my neck, his hot breath causing another wave of intense heat.

  As the seconds turned into minutes, the powerful man refusing to stop, I was thrown to the edge where sanity met reality. “I’m going to come.”

  “Don’t you dare.”

  “I can’t hold it.” I laughed then whimpered, the brutal hammering of my heart curtailing my breathing.

  “Not yet. Not… yet.”

  I clamped my muscles around his cock, pulling him in even deeper. As his body tensed, he pulled his head away, his eyes completely dilated. The beast inside of him had broken through the surface, pushing him to an uncontrollable point.

  “Come for me, beauty. Come with me.” His command was little more than a growl, the strange smile on his face dragging me closer to the precipice.

  A part of me wanted to laugh, so many emotions running through me.

  “I want you to say my name when you come,” he growled, yanking first one arm over my head then the other, holding my wrists together in one hand like he’d done before. I felt like I was freefalling, losing all control over my body.

  “I…” I struggled in his hold, arching my back.

  “Say it! Come for me.”

  “Mmm…” I was right there, the swirl of sensations like a tidal wave.

  He slammed my hands against the wall when I didn’t respond immediately. “Say. It. Come. Now!”

  Everything about his dark voice was commanding, pushing and pulling, the teetering effect pulling at every synapse.

  But there was no possibility of disobeying him. Every muscle and tendon began to twitch, the complete rush of adrenaline as an orgasm swept through me creating a wild shudder throughout my body. “Oh. Yes. Yes. Yes!” As the climax rushed into a sweltering wave, my eyes rolled in the back of my head, the roar of ecstasy so intense. “Phoenix!”

  He continued to thrust, his savage actions jarring. Then every muscle in his body tensed. When he issued a loud roar, I lolled my head on his shoulder, the rapture overwhelming.

  As he erupted deep inside, filling me with his seed, a strange feeling washed over me. This wasn’t just about passion. He’d meant what he said, believing I now belonged to him.

  I was strangely addicted to the thought, my muddled mind incapable of separating pleasure from reality.

  Even if nerves continued to sweep through my stomach.

  He held me against him as we both attempted to control our breathing. The way he casually wrapped his fingers around my throat, the look of domination in his eyes as he pulled away should terrify me. Or at least make me question what was left of my rational mind. But the fire between us refused to be squelched.

  Seconds later, he took a deep breath, releasing his hold.

  “Mia tóso idiaíteri gynaíka,” he muttered.

  “What does that mean?”

  He kissed my lips gently before easing me onto my feet. “It means you’re a very special woman.” The way he touched my face with the rough pads of his open hands, and the shimmer in his eyes left me without any idea what to say. As his eyes turned into darkened pools, my face cast in the reflection, I placed my hand on his heart.

  Then the train rolled over something, a hard thud that vibrated the entire cabin.

  “What was that?”

  He threw his head to the side, glaring out the window. “Whatever it is, I don’t like the sound of it. I’ll find out.” Backing away, he reached for his clothes, tossing me my dress.

  I quickly yanked it on, darting my eyes back and forth from one side of the window to the other. There was nothing but trees for as far as the eye could see but there was a sense of urgency in his actions. I crouched down, jerking the items from the floor, shoving them into the small bag. As I stood, I accidentally pressed the screen on my phone.

  The urgent text from Elizabeth sent a spiral of fear into my system.

  “Stay right here,” he told me. “I mean it, Whitney. Do not leave this cabin.”

  “What is going on, Phoenix?” The look on his face added to the anxiety.

  As he closed the distance, I fingered my phone. He gripped my chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Whatever it is, I’ll make certain it’s not a problem.” He acted as if he was powerful enough to stop anything he didn’t like from occurring.

  He left without saying anything else, leaving a dull ache inside. Then I gripped my phone, my knuckles white from the pressure. When I opened the text, I held my breath reading her words.

  Phoenix Diamondis, firstborn son of Odysseus Diamondis.

  Then the words with flame emojis were on both sides of two other simple words, but ones that said all I needed to know.

  Open Me

  And I did.

  I should have followed my instincts.

  I should have known Phoenix was a liar.

  And I never should have allowed him into my heart.

  CHAPTER 10

  Phoenix

  Sabotage.

  The word played in my mind along with betrayal. If what I thought was happening was true, someone close had betrayed me.

  Trust was rarely given, less so over the last few years. The fact I’d lowered my guard could destroy me.

  That wasn’t going to happen.

  Not now.

  Not ever.

  I yanked out my phone as I moved hurriedly through the corridor, glancing out the windows every few seconds. There was no indication anything was wrong, just the conductor slowing down after running over an object on the tracks. Possibly an animal, debris from a storm, but my instinct told me Zakaryan had made good on his presumptive threat.

  “Jonas. It would appear I’m under attack.”

  “What the hell? What do you want me to do?”

  “Have the plane on standby.” Shit. It wouldn’t arrive for several hours, long enough to be caught in a cage. I thought about my other options, realizing I’d left myself wide open. I’d need help, which I wasn’t used to. “I’m calling in reinforcements. Just be prepared. When I return, we attack.”

  “You got it.”

  I ended the call, moving toward one of the conductors. “Where’s the next stop?”

  “About an hour from here.”

  An hour.

  An hour too long. If an attack was imminent, both Whitney and I were sitting ducks. Was this about Whitney or me? “Let the engineer know there will be two passengers disembarking.”

  “Yes, sir, but you’ll need to be ready to get off the train.”

  “I will be.” I moved away from him toward one of the windows on the observation car, half laughing as I dialed a member of the Brotherhood. Constantine was less than an hour away. At this point, I needed all the assistance I could get. I was almost surprised the call didn’t go to voicemail, the man’s deep voice resonating in my ears.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard from you, friend,” Constantine said almost in passing, although he knew me well enough to realize if I was calling out of the blue, there was a considerable issue.

  “I don’t have time to chat. I need your help.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I think an impetuous decision will come back to bite me with the Philly Armenians. I’m on a train just leaving St. Louis. Next stop less than an hour away. Can you meet me there?”

  “Yeah, find a place to hole up and let me know. If you’re being hunted by that pig, he’ll bring an army.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  Constantine hissed. He was a powerful man, his regime located in Kansas City. He was also in an alliance that had proven to be worthy of the initiation into the group.

  We were considered kings even amongst our enemies, rivals in a dangerous game of supremacy, ruthless predators who would stop at nothing to get what we want. The Brotherhood was an organization created to keep the peace between six powerful crime families. There was no question we were monsters, every one of us a bad man with a penchant for violence. However, we were also determined to do things differently than our forefathers who started wars where blood rained in the streets. That wasn’t our style, change continuously necessary.

  Constantine was considered the founding member, a merciless man who’d suffered many losses. Could I trust him as well as the other members? I’d learned that was the case, even providing assistance over the years. Now it was my turn. I needed the kind of help only Constantine and his massive army could provide.

  There were rules, but we made them. Anyone who broke the sovereignty of our ‘round table’ would face punishment. Up to this point, no one had.

  There was no fucking with another member’s turf.

  I’d be required to return the favor, but I’d made the decision, good or bad, to keep Whitney safe.

  She was mine. Mine to taste.

  Use.

  Fuck.

  And own.

  Goddamn it, I had it bad for the woman.

  “Is your plane in the city?”

  His laugh was dark, ordinarily the sound pissing me off, but we’d learned to tolerate our differences and our dark humor over the years. “It’s yours if you need it.”

  “Then I’ll hitch a ride back to Philly.”

  “On the way. Call me when you’re in a holding position.”

  There was no need for further discussion. Whether or not Whitney adhered to my rules no longer mattered.

  She’d soon learn that by being under my protective wing, she might survive.

  But she’d be required to provide the information I needed.

  One way or the other.

  Whitney

  Open Me

  The words had presented a swirling vacuum. I craved the truth, but in learning who and what Phoenix was, the fantasy would be destroyed. My heart ached from the thought.

  As soon as I clicked on the link she’d sent, a sharp feeling of anger coursed through me like venom from a snake.

  And the snake’s name was Phoenix. As I read the article from a newspaper in Napa Valley, I was pulled into a vacuum.

  My thoughts drifted to what my father had said right before I’d hung up on him. Something about irreputable people hunting for him. Swallowing hard, I closed my eyes, doing everything I could to remember the few other conversations I’d had with him over the last two years. My father had changed his number, which was the reason I’d answered the phone a few months before. No, it had been longer. A year? More?

  He’d made another promise about getting a fantastic job. That I should come visit. He’d told me where he’d gone. Hadn’t he? I moved toward the window, leaning against the glass.

  As I forced myself to glance at the article again, I held my breath.

  Elena Diamondis, owner of Diamondis Wineries, was arrested on extortion and blackmail charges. As sister of Phoenix Diamondis, the notorious leader of the Greek Crime Syndicate in Philadelphia, there’s speculation her winery has been used for money laundering for illegal activities.

  I couldn’t stomach reading anything else.

  I’d just left Napa Valley, for God’s sake. I’d buried my father in a grave that I’d never visit again, his small tombstone surrounded by lush greenery and trees. There’d been no one there to attend except the daughter he’d never known.

  The daughter he’d never wanted to know.

  But I remembered there’d been several men in dark suits, the hulking frame standing in front watching everything I did. The man with obsidian hair and dark shades.

  I’d expected to be riddled with terror, but all I felt was rage. What the hell did he want from me?

  Whatever my father had sent me. I was certain of it.

  As another jolt occurred somewhere close, I did what I could to keep from panicking. I grabbed my shoes, refusing to give into fear as I slipped them on. There was no way to get away from him.

  I wasn’t going to get the chance. The door flew open, the man storming inside, barely closing the door behind him before he headed in my direction. He’d added a suit jacket, the open button allowing both sides to shift as he moved.

  Providing a clear shot of a weapon.

  My pulse skipped several beats, my throat closing.

  “You need to listen to me very carefully, Whitney,” he started.

  Backing away, I threw my arm out, palm toward him. “Don’t come any closer, Mr. Diamondis, son of Odysseus Diamondis, notorious mob leader.”

  He eyed me warily, expressionless at first. Then a slight smirk crossed his handsome face marring his carved jaw with the ruthlessness it displayed. “I wish we had all the time in the world to discuss the last round in this rather vindictive albeit sinful game we’ve been playing, Ms. Whitney Canfield, daughter of Theodore Canfield. However, we’ve run out of time. You’re coming with me. Get your things together. We’re getting off this train in less than an hour.”

  When he took another step closer, I drew in my breath. My entire life spun out of focus at that moment, the loss of words startling. What was I supposed to say to a man who could easily end my life?

  “Going where?”

  His smirk remained, his once heated gaze turning icy. “You’re coming with me to Philadelphia.”

  “That’s not going to happen, Phoenix.” My mind drifted into a fog, but I clawed my way through it, laying out what few options I had. Getting away from him was the first requirement. I’d been played, the ugliness of the realization hit me hard. Had anything we’d shared been real or just a game he’d created? The strong woman I’d always been rushed to the surface. The bastard wasn’t going to derail my life.

  “I’m afraid it is. It would seem my enemies were paying attention to what your father did with the information and money he stole.” He smiled as he’d done a hundred times since we’d met, his perfect, beautiful white teeth still able to light up a room but this time the expression wasn’t about desire or joy.

  It was about retribution.

  I shrank back, hearing the horrible confirmation. The last two days had all been a lie. I’d been played a fool and had fallen for some of the greatest lines in the world. I’d never considered myself naïve.

  Now I considered myself an idiot. All the red flags had presented themselves, but I’d wanted to be set free, if only for a little while.

  “No. If you’re going to kill me, then that’s what you’re going to need to do. I don’t really care at this point.”

  “You’re a beautiful liar, my sweet Whitney.”

  He was the villain, a monstrous man who had every intention of stealing my life, yet I found myself mesmerized by him. Every action. The way his dark eyelashes skimmed across his high cheekbones. The subtle yet powerful look in his eyes.