“I didn’t lie about my father. We didn’t speak, didn’t see each other, and now I have even more reason to hate him.”

  “A sad situation but your heartfelt assurances change nothing. You are coming with me.”

  “We’ll have to agree to disagree. With a single word to the conductor, a mention that you threatened me, you will be detained. Now, I’m certain you have a fancy attorney who will easily talk the authorities out of pressing charges, but by that point in time, I’ll be long gone.”

  “There’s nowhere on this earth where I can’t find you.” He said the words with a gleam in his eyes, his smirk cocked and charged. He was enjoying watching me squirm. If he thought I was the kind of woman to beg for my life, he was dead wrong. He also knew that I was right.

  We were captured in a bubble, glaring at each other as if waiting for the other to back down. That wasn’t going to be me. I lunged toward him, fisting my hand then issuing a hard punch to his jaw.

  While surprised, his eyes closing briefly, he reacted like the predator I now knew him to be, shoving me against the wall. While jarred, I refused to play the victim, squirming until I shoved my knee into his groin. Unfortunately, my aim was off.

  He narrowed his eyes, pressing the full weight of his body against mine. “Listen to me. Your actions are futile. You have no choice in the matter.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Oh, I assure you that will continue to happen. I’m not finished with you yet.”

  The horrible change in the man, the venom in his eyes tore through my system. I’d thought maybe I could fall hard for the brooding hunk. Instead, I was faced with a monster.

  I continued fighting him, somehow managing to free myself from his grasp. Then I flew toward the door, a scream ready to escape my throat. He snagged me by the hair, immediately clamping his hand over my mouth. As he pulled me against the heat of his body, I was appalled. His hard, throbbing cock was pressed against my bottom, a sick reminder of what we’d shared.

  Tears formed in my eyes, but I forced them away. I refused to allow him to see how terrified I was.

  “That wasn’t a good idea, my beauty. There will be consequences for your actions. I will protect you, but you will obey my every command.” His voice was gruff, anger riddling every syllable, yet I wasn’t afraid of him. No, I was still aroused.

  That was twisted, so wrong, but as he held me against him, I wanted nothing more than to melt. I moaned into his hand, still fighting him.

  “You’re going to need to trust me,” he added.

  Trust. Was he out of his mind?

  “I’m going to let you go. Then we’re going to talk. You won’t scream or try and escape. Correct?”

  I nodded, my body shaking. When he released his hand, I gasped for air. I was shivering, my mind still in slow motion as I tried to process what was really happening.

  But I wasn’t the kind of girl to give in so easily.

  I lurched forward a second time, managing to open the door before he caught me. There was no savage pull, no rage released. He simply pushed one massive hand against the door as he wrapped his other around my arm.

  “I’m disappointed, Whitney. You’re an intelligent woman. You’re already figured out your life is in danger.”

  “By you.”

  “No, by those who couldn’t care less about how special you are.”

  My pulse continued to increase, the hard thumping of my heart echoing in my ears. “And you do?”

  “Yes, I do, which is why I’m going to teach you a lesson. Eventually, you’ll need to trust me in order to stay alive.”

  The soft yet gruff words were almost comforting as he locked the door, dragging me toward the table. As he pitched me over, my thoughts spun out of control. When he ripped my dress up to my waist, I couldn’t react fast enough before he brought his palm down on one side of my buttocks.

  The sharp slapping sound was jarring, the anticipation of pain jetting into my system. But there was nothing but a wave of tingles, my body betraying me with full arousal. I couldn’t move, didn’t fight back, and the realization after he issued four more hard smacks across my buttocks was blasphemous.

  But the haze returned, an unworthy testimony to everything we’d shared. Even as I pressed my hands against the table in a failed attempt to get away, the part of me surrendering to his heinous actions grew stronger.

  He’d fisted his hand around my hair, keeping me locked down in the surreal moment. With every brutal strike of his hand coming down on one side of my bottom then the other, my thoughts drifted to the filthy desire we’d shared. It sickened me to accept I was still enthralled by the dangerous man, accepting his punishment as if I deserved it.

  “I didn’t want this to happen,” he said half under his breath.

  “Yes, you did. You planned this. The seduction. The ugly possession. You don’t care about me.”

  His hesitation forced a lump in my throat. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

  The train continued to roll away from the city and my life flashed in front of my eyes. He continued the spanking, relentless in his harsh method of discipline. When he dared to caress my skin, I wanted to lash out like I’d done before, but the throb in my pussy had already stolen my breath. The fact I was wet, the scent of my desire floating like a wafting cloud of lust shoved my mind into a terrible place.

  One of want and need.

  Acceptance.

  The thought was crazy, as if I’d fallen into his trap. I cringed deep inside as the searing effects of his fingers trickled into every cell and muscle. How could I allow this?

  No, how could I crave this?

  With every savage crack of his hand, a portion of the intense anxiety floated away. I bit back a laugh, hating myself for the longing that remained.

  “You need to calm down. We will get through this,” he told me.

  We. As if there was a connection between us that couldn’t be broken. The man was crazy, so much so that I almost believed him.

  Maybe I was the insane one.

  As the pain finally started to build, I no longer had the energy to fight, still staring out the window as the vivid lights from passing buildings hypnotized me.

  Yet the darkness was foreboding, a silent, powerful understanding of what I’d need to face.

  A single tear slipped past my lashes, the ugly sounds of the punishment echoing in my ears. I wanted to hate him, to make a silent vow to find a way of ending his life, but a small part of me couldn’t erase what we’d shared.

  When he slipped his hand between my legs, controlling me by swirling his finger around my clit, a subtle moan finally escaped my mouth.

  “You’re still wet for me.” His words were strangely cathartic, his control over my body overwhelming.

  “I hate you.”

  “Good. That will help keep you alive.” He slowly slid his fingers down the length of my pussy before pulling his hand away. Then he eased me to a standing position. “You’re coming with me. You have no other options if you want to stay alive.”

  “What did my father do to you?”

  He hesitated before answering, taking the few seconds to brush his hand down the front of my dress. “Betrayed my trust. No one does that and lives.”

  While I’d believed the report I’d been given, my father dying of a heart attack, the words eclipsed what I’d thought to be the truth. “You killed him. You murdered my father.”

  He spun me around quickly, keeping his gaze on my eyes. “I did not. But I would have.”

  His admittance was said with no emotion, as if taking a life was just a matter of business.

  “You’re a horrible man.”

  The way amusement crossed his face ignited another fire, this time one dripping of the need for retaliation.

  “I never said otherwise, Whitney. Get your things together. We don’t have much time.”

  I felt the hard pull of the train as it started to slow down. The fact he’d already arranged for us to get off the train didn’t surprise me. He’d been one step ahead of me in my blindness for the man and his… prowess. The bad taste in my mouth became intolerable.

  As the conductor rounded a bend, I could see a group of buildings in the distance. If I had to guess, I’d say the phone call he’d been on had been in preparation of tossing me into the trunk of a car waiting for his arrival. “I assure you that I have friends that have the ability of keeping me safe for a very long time. I put in a call while we were out just to make certain.”

  The way he cocked his head led me to believe he bought my little white lie.

  “Very clever, my naughty little omorfiá, but that won’t help you. Grab your things or you’ll be forced to spend your time with me wearing what you have on. Since you’ll be with me for an extended period of time, that could make you very uncomfortable.” He was rushing his words, constantly drifting a quick glance out the window.

  He was very concerned about whatever he’d learned. Maybe I could use that to get away.

  There was a strange sense of knowing that the trap I’d fallen into was a bottomless pit, a place of darkness that I’d never be able to escape from.

  But I wasn’t going to go without a fight.

  As soon as he took another step closer, I lunged forward again, determined to get away from him. If I could get off the train, then I might have a chance at survival.

  His initial irritation at my actions was quickly replaced by a look of surprise. While he managed to grab my arms, he threw his head toward the window, the shadowed light providing a clear indication of his rage.

  Then the entire train began to shift, the hard squeal of brakes permeating the space. I was pitched forward into his arms and without hesitation, he forced us to the floor, covering my body with his.

  The train continued to shake, the rattle of metal horrifying. Something was wrong. Something was…

  Boom!

  CHAPTER 11

  Phoenix

  The explosion was deafening, the brutal shake of the car we were in getting worse. Within seconds, there were several horrific popping sounds, metal skidding against metal. As the car shifted directions, I pulled Whitney tightly against me, covering her with my body. She was still struggling, taking gasping breaths. The fact she was still trying to crawl away from me was a testament to her resolve.

  And her hatred.

  I need to act quickly to get us out of here alive.

  “Whitney. Whoa. You’re okay.” I’d never been the kind of man who needed to protect anyone, but with her I couldn’t imagine a drop of her blood being spilled.

  Murderous thoughts raced through my mind, the need for revenge vital.

  No one would ever hurt the woman who belonged to me.

  “Just let me go. Just let. Me. Go,” she pleaded, refusing to accept her fate.

  “Stop fighting me. I told you before. You’ll need to trust me.”

  “No. No!” Her wail was cut off as another car slammed into us from behind. The noise of twisting steel was quickly drowned by several smaller explosions, vibrations pounding the floor beneath us. Then our car was flipped on its side, the window shattering as it started to skid sideways.

  The entire scene was pitched into slow motion, debris scattering everywhere, furniture toppling. I felt a sharp pain in my leg as a chair was slammed against my torso.

  “Oh, God.” Her scream was muffled by the hard wail of brakes trying to stop the train’s momentum. Seconds passed, the momentum continuing. When the train finally came to a hard thud, the jar slid us both forward. The sudden lack of movement was as unnerving as the previous roll.

  Hissing, I glanced around me. Screams permeated the dense air, Whitney’s shaking body fueling my rage to the point I was almost blinded by it. Zakaryan would suffer for what he’d done. There was no doubt he was the person responsible. The act of war meant her father had betrayed my sister, selling his soul to the Armenians. Or had he intended on double crossing both of us all along? The fact Zakaryan had gone to such significant lengths to eliminate his enemy meant he was desperate.

  That made him that much more dangerous.

  Now I was stuck with the aftermath. There were no options left. My stunning captive was coming with me, obviously a lucrative commodity.

  Only I had no intentions of selling her in the open market.

  I’d been through several battles, skirmishes in and around Philly over the years. Some enemies were more calculated than others. This hadn’t been a well-planned attack because the aftermath in dealing with various law enforcement entities was a tremendous risk. Why would Zakaryan do something so impetuous?

  I wouldn’t find the answers here or anytime soon for that matter.

  My gut told me that bombs had been planted on the tracks. The moment we’d run over something, I sensed a decoy had been used, the explosives not on automatic detonation. But that meant they were in close proximity. Far too close. The fuckers couldn’t risk another train being derailed in their attempt to hunt me down.

  A cold, brutal thought slipped into the back of my mind.

  Or had I been the target? Only Jonas had initially been told about my altered plans, Stavros second, and my soldiers had yet to learn why my return had been held up. But my lovely companion hadn’t feared being tracked. She’d not only walked into the hands of a monster but had also allowed another to trail her.

  A few seconds later, she wrapped her fingers around my arm, clinging to me tightly as the car was pitched forward again, coming to a jarring hard stop that rocked the entire metal frame.

  I took a deep breath even as acrid smoke rolled in through the broken window.

  “Let me go,” she managed, her voice shaking as it should be.

  “No.”

  “This can’t be… happening.”

  I kept her body covered as the hiss of steam crackled all around us. When she shifted, trying to scramble away from me, I shifted until my mouth was pressed against her ear. “Yeah, it’s happening. Let me find out just how much danger we’re in.”

  “I am in danger,” she croaked. “Because I’m around you.”

  “Trust me, beauty. There are even worse nightmares. Are you hurt?”

  “Leave me alone.”

  “Answer me. Are you hurt?”

  “I don’t think so. Shaken.”

  “Okay. We’re getting out of here one way or the other.” I shoved a pile of debris from my legs, twisting until I could move to a sitting position. The side of the car was an open hole. As I peered outside, the realization of what we were facing came into view. Emergency lights had popped on, highlighting the carnage. Train cars were lying in a serpentine formation, fires erupting in several. I had one way of knowing if there were additional bombs, but I couldn’t wait around to see. I had to get us the fuck out of here before Zakaryan’s soldiers showed up. When I started to stand, Whitney reached out.

  “Wait. Don’t go.”

  “I’m not going anywhere just yet and certainly not without you. We’re okay but you’ll need to follow my directions to the letter. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?” I eased her into my arms, moving to a standing position. “Do you?”

  She pushed against me at first then the extent of the wreck captured her attention. “Yes, I understand. Who did this? Let me guess, someone who wants you dead. I don’t blame them.”

  Her change in personality was almost more arousing than the girl who craved my firm hand. I was a twisted man to be thinking about devouring her during a crisis.

  “Like I said, beauty. I have several enemies and you’re right. They want nothing more than to bite off my head. However, if they manage to do so, there won’t be anyone to protect you.”

  “Ha. You’re going to protect me?” Her gaze was imploring.

  “Yes, beauty. But only if you do exactly as I say. Now, we need to go before they have another meet and greet. Somehow, I doubt the outcome will turn out the way you want it to.”

  “You’re crazy and stop calling me that.”

  “You can tell me exactly what you want me to call you later,” I told her as I made certain my weapon was still in position. “Besides, I’m several things including ruthless, but you’ve already figured that out. The only thing you need to know about me is that I can and will get us out of this shitstorm.” I peered out the broken window, hissing at the sight of the carnage. Her eyes were open wide, scratches on her lovely face. I wanted to slaughter the pigs for putting her in harm’s way.

  I would soon enough.

  We were far enough away from St. Louis that backtracking would be dangerous, but at this point there was no other choice. I had to get us somewhere safe to allow Constantine and his men to arrive.

  “Fuck,” I snarled, and my exclamation seemed to amuse her.

  “Caught off guard?”

  “Hmm… You could say that.”

  Her laugh was irritating. “I have a way of doing that.”

  The fact she could still be defiant sparked something deep inside of me. I’d sensed she was close to figuring out my intentions were damning. The timing couldn’t be any worse.

  When the train rattled again, I felt a rush of heat. The fire was getting closer, smoke billowing into the air. Several passengers were wailing, the ugly sound penetrating the car. Whitney shivered as she darted her eyes outside the window. “This is horrible.”

  “It’s only going to get worse. I’m climbing out first. You’re going to jump into my arms.”

  “To hell with you.” She coughed, doing everything she could to back away.

  “Don’t fight me on this. The bastard who derailed this train set explosives meant to kill us, Whitney. They will try again. The longer we stay where we are, the more likely they are to succeed. You need to get it through that lovely head of yours that I’m your only hope of survival at this point.”

  “Then what?” she snapped, getting in my face.

  I snapped my hand around her neck, rolling my thumb back and forth across her skin. As I lowered my head, she pursed her lips, keeping her defenses tightly woven around herself. “Then you and I will get a chance to spend some quality time together.”