“No.”

  Two words said now. I shifted under the covers, still trying to make sense of the thoughts roaming through my head. “Did you fuck me?”

  Did I really think he was going to tell me the truth?

  Another round of silence.

  Suddenly, the man in the shadows, the one I both feared and hungered for rose from his chair. As the thunder rumbled in the distance, he took his time walking closer. I was surprised when he crouched down next to the bed, the scent of the man becoming more prominent.

  More enticing.

  I was enthralled by the moment as much as I hated myself, my breathing more ragged than before. Very slowly he tugged on the covers, pulling them past my shoulders to my chest, exposing my breasts and not stopping there.

  His breathing was labored, his touch far too electrifying. And as he eased the thickness down my legs, a shiver coursed along my spine. Not from fear. Not from worry about what was happening to me.

  But from the excitement I’d felt as if I remained in the beautiful dream.

  I was crazy to think of him as anything else but a monster, loathing the strange desire that refused to leave. But as he reversed his movements, brushing the tips of his fingers along the inside of one leg, I found myself opening them.

  As if inviting him to take what he wanted.

  I cinched my eyes shut, fighting all the hate and the nerves, the excitement and the near frenzy building inside. He continued his seductive path, rolling his fingers up to my stomach then sliding one around my bellybutton several times.

  When he finally crawled onto the bed, settling between my legs, the moment felt natural. Expected.

  Wanted.

  Every action methodical, he lifted my legs, bending them at the knees and gently pushing them to the bed. When he leaned over, blowing a swath of hot air down the length of my pussy, I threw one arm over my face. There was no making sense of what was happening, where I was, or why I was allowing this to happen.

  Other than a tiny part of me believed that he and I were soulmates.

  I found myself holding my breath, very much like I’d done with the dream or sick fantasy, fighting the nerves and anger, the longing and hope. How could I have hope around this man?

  Creed continued breathing in and out, a slight growl mixed with his guttural sounds as he gathered my legs into his arms. When he lifted my torso off the bed, I slapped one hand down on the sheet.

  The man acted as if I already belonged to him, the flickering candle allowing me to see the way he bent over, taking his time as he’d done before. Was he waiting for me to tell him no, or did he even care? I was stymied as to what I should do, frozen in the moment, turning my head toward what had to be the same French doors I’d walked through in my dream. I was now questioning every aspect of my sanity.

  He remained so quiet, keeping time shared little more than an enraptured fantasy. But the moment he swirled his tongue around my clit, I couldn’t keep from moaning or writhing in his hold.

  There was something so powerful about him in every aspect and I could vaguely remember that he’d picked me up in his arms, carrying me to safety inside the building. I was certain I’d also heard thudding footsteps of several people, Creed barking orders to hunt and kill whoever had attacked us.

  But the rest was a complete blur.

  My eyes remained closed as he licked up and down my pussy, using fingers from both hands to keep me wide open, fully exposed.

  For him.

  All for him.

  With every drag of his tongue, every heated breath tickling my skin, I flew further away from the fear and more toward the need for him.

  I turned my head to the side the moment he buried his face in my wetness, his growls escalating as he licked my juice. Every sound he made, every savage murmur pulled me deeper into a level of darkness I knew I’d never escape. And worse, I didn’t want to.

  As his licking became more furious, I allowed myself to be lost in the pleasure. He kept my legs wide open, using two fingers in a perfect orchestration of sheer ecstasy.

  No man had ever known my body so well. None had cared enough to learn what I needed. Creed knew instinctively.

  As he pulled me closer to another moment of rapture, I clenched my fingers around the sheet, not caring about anything but this moment in time.

  I wanted nothing more than for this beautiful moment to last but he was determined to bring me another orgasm, driving his thumb into my asshole. That was all I could take, a sharp cry rushing up from my throat as an orgasm rushed into my core, igniting the embers that had been simmering all night long.

  My body bucked in his hold, my mind spinning with one too many thoughts. But what I knew for certain was that my need for the man, for his touch and his control was increasing.

  And God help me, I wanted nothing more than for him to own me.

  Every. Inch.

  The rapture was sweet, the moment lasting for at least a full minute. When the energy began to ebb, my muscles relaxing, he kissed both inner thighs before rising to a standing position. A part of me wanted to reach for him, to beg the man to fuck me, but the words were caught in my throat.

  Creed stood over me for a few seconds before tenderly tugging the covers up to my shoulders. For some reason, I rolled over as if I knew that’s what he wanted. He brushed his fingers through my hair, leaning over and pressing his lips against my forehead.

  “You’re in my hands now.”

  His voice was soft, comforting.

  And completely possessive.

  After that, I heard his footsteps as they retreated, the almost silent click of the door as he closed it behind him.

  And all I could do was shiver.

  CHAPTER 16

  Creed

  Rage wasn’t a good look on me.

  I was like some drooling beast in the wild, barely able to tolerate waiting for his prey in order to slaughter and feast. I’d never felt such fury in my life.

  While it remained to be seen who the intended victim of the attack outside my office had been, it didn’t matter at this point. I needed to hunt down the fucker responsible and it would start with the actor who’d been hired by one of my enemies.

  “How is she?” Kane asked as he glanced over at me, his earlier silence knowing I needed to reflect on what the fuck was going on. If not, I’d go off the deep end and all of Chicago and Highland Park where I’d taken her would be littered with bodies. That’s really what I’d wanted to do from the moment I’d gathered Bella in my arms, rushing her inside the building. She’d been covered in small cuts from the smashed glass, but thankfully she hadn’t been shot.

  However, a couple of innocent bystanders had, although none of them had been killed in the attack. But that had forced me to speak with the police, even though my family had two of the men who’d arrived to take the call in our back pockets. I knew they were just doing their jobs, but the time taken answering their fucking worthless questions had prevented me from caring for my beautiful protégé.

  And that’s what I considered her at this point.

  “Resting,” I answered, still trying to put the pieces together. Bella had fallen into a deep sleep much like a coma, but I’d realized it had been because of the trauma, not injuries. Whether or not my brothers and I were close, at least the two of them realized the severity of the situation, using their contacts to try to figure out what we were up against. It had been an old gangland-style shooting, but I still couldn’t determine how they’d known someone would be exiting the building.

  Unless there’d been a lookout on the roof across the street. With that thought in mind, I’d dispatched one of my other soldiers to scour the building including the roof to see if my hunch was correct. Meanwhile, Santos Abbott had no idea his life was about to change or that he’d fallen into my crosshairs.

  I rubbed my index finger back and forth across my lips. I’d intended on doing nothing more than watching over Bella as I’d done when she’d arrived, but I’d left to make a single phone call, finding her standing naked outside in the rain and the beast in me had taken over. Why was it that the taste of her lingered, reminding me just how savage I truly was?

  And who the fuck had killed Jonas?

  “Did you find out if Jonas Carrington had any enemies?”

  Kane took a deep breath after I asked the question. “The kid? Not that I could discover but his father is the city’s hottest district attorney, his conviction record in the stratosphere.”

  Well. Well. That added another layer of complexity. Maybe the boy’s father had been the one trying to bring cases against us, failing every time.

  “Maybe the hit was based on his father’s illustrious career and nothing more.” While I said the words in passing, it was entirely possible Bella’s partner had been a pawn in an entirely different game of revenge.

  “Do you really buy that?”

  I studied the area where Santos lived. It wasn’t the worst in the city but certainly run down. Still, that was a clue that the actor wasn’t living high on the hog from monies received. “It doesn’t matter what I believe, Kane. At this point I plan on leaving a trail of bodies a mile wide. Just be prepared for it.”

  “Don’t worry, boss. I know how you are.” He pulled the vehicle to the curb, nodding toward a midrise building across the street. “He lives alone. There’s been no recent contact with anyone. The guy just came and went from the small theater where he’s acting in a play.”

  I glanced over at him before scanning the street, noticing the two other SUVs full of several of my soldiers had pulled up behind us. “Am I supposed to feel sorry for the kid?”

  Kane cut the engine and snickered. “If you started feeling sorry for anyone, I’d know you lost your fucking mind.”

  As we climbed out, the other soldiers taking my lead and doing the same, I glanced up and down the street. There were people walking on both sides but certainly no one was paying attention. “Have three of the men head to the rear of the building in case our friend attempts to escape.”

  “Will do.”

  I didn’t wait as Kane relayed my orders, heading into the building, walking immediately to the stairwell. As soon as I was inside, I pulled out my weapon as well as a silencer. I wasn’t certain yet what I would do with the man other than interrogate him until he told me the truth. However, I would temper my rage by not causing an unwanted scene of chaos.

  I’d left my perfect dancer with several men guarding her, construction workers crawling all over one end of the estate. I’d planned the alteration well in advance of the attack but given my level of trust had been tossed into the toilet years before, I was leery of leaving her alone for long.

  My check of the company I’d hired had come up clean, but given I was the master of infiltrating anyone’s organization, I was certainly aware that with the right encouragement or amount of money, anyone could infiltrate an organization, pretending to be anyone they fucking wanted to be.

  My anxiety was far too high, which meant my blood pressure was off the charts. That also didn’t bode well for my state of mind. I slipped my readied weapon back into my pocket, hearing footsteps behind me as my men followed.

  I knew exactly where I was going. The apartment at the end of the hall was nothing fancy, but it was a location Santos had called home for over three years.

  As Kane and three of my men trailed behind me, I couldn’t seem to keep my mind on business, thoughts of Bella continuously slipping into the darkest parts of my mind. While she’d been understandably nervous, confused as fuck, the fact she’d enjoyed the pleasure we’d shared told me that our connection was growing stronger.

  It would be fascinating to see how far our relationship grew. Not that she had any choice about it at this point. She was now mine in every way.

  There was noise coming from inside, likely from a television set. It was easy to recognize a person-to-person conversation.

  The apartment door didn’t appear to be particularly secure, easy to kick in if I wanted. But again, I’d reminded myself that it would draw unwanted attention at this point. Kane moved around me, pulling out his lock-picking tools. He had several skills other than just killing people. For as angry as I’d felt for twenty-four hours, I was able to smile at the ridiculous thought because of a single reason.

  One beautiful, innocent dancer.

  Kane easily unlocked the door, pushing it open for me to enter first. I’d been right in my assumptions, the big screen television pumping out some talk show. He closed the door behind all of us, my men starting to check the small space.

  I was the one who walked down the hallway, hearing additional noise coming from one of the three open doors. When I walked inside the man’s bedroom, I shook my head. Why was it that men were such fucking pigs, not bothering to toss their dirty laundry into a basket or hang up their clean ones? And the dust covering the dresser was disgusting.

  I’d been a clean freak ever since I was a kid. Maybe because I’d been the one required to wipe up the blood splatters after a hunt, sharpening the weapons as well. If the items and the area weren’t perfectly clear of any sign of violent activity, I was punished in the same way Styx had been. After two times of being a lazy kid, I’d learned my lesson.

  Maybe that’s why when I noticed the bathroom light on, another more vicious wave of anger swept through me. I stopped shy of walking into the room, realizing the sound I’d heard was the actor practicing his lines. And lo and behold, it sounded as if he’d been hired for another Arabian acting gig. What perfect timing.

  I slipped into the doorway of the bathroom, almost amused that the large man was in a bath.

  Complete with bubbles.

  No real man used bubbles, for fuck’s sake. It was an unwritten rule. The only pass given were those trying to impress their girlfriends or wives. Call me old-fashioned. What the fuck did I care?

  I sensed Kane was having a difficult time not announcing our presence with laughter. Even the actor’s eyes were closed as he relaxed in the tub, his head leaning against the back, his arms animated.

  After another shake of my head, I didn’t waste any time, crouching down beside the tub. It was at that point he finally detected he wasn’t alone, jerking up from the bath, his entire face pinched. As water splashed out over me, an exaggerated deep breath left my throat. I’d chosen not to wear one of my better suits, but that didn’t mean I wanted it to stink like Mr. Bubble.

  “What? What… Who are you?”

  While Santos asked the question, it was obvious either he recognized me or had some inkling who’d broken into his house.

  “Relax, Mr. Abbott. I merely want to ask you a few questions. It won’t take much of your time.”

  He tried to act cool, as if he could handle having four men piled into his tiny bathroom, but he was failing miserably. Not only was his lower lip quivering but beads of sweat had instantly formed across his forehead. “About?”

  “Well, it’s not for you to ask any questions at this point. That’s my job.” I glanced at the bottles of shower gel, more amused than ever. Ocean waters? Really? Maybe I was out of touch with how men handled their daily cleansing activities.

  When he started to reach for a towel, I wagged my finger at him. “Not so fast. I think you can stay right where you are.”

  “O… Okay. Just tell me what you want.” Santos shifted his fearful gaze back and forth from Kane to me. My Capo was now leaning against the sink with his foot on the toilet. And the grin on the man’s face could only be called shit eating.

  “Why, certainly. So, you were hired to portray an Arab prince. Yes?”

  He swallowed hard, the same look of terror remaining.

  “It’s a simple question, Santos. I don’t think you want to make me angry at this point.”

  “No,” Kane added. “I assure you that you don’t want to do that. He gets cranky when he doesn’t get answers.”

  I nodded in acknowledgment. “So. Where were we? Oh, yes. I was asking about whether you were employed for subterfuge.” Why was it that when I used those kinds of words, it seemed to confuse people?

  He hesitated, swallowing again. “Yes. I’m an actor. I was just playing a role.”

  “At my expense.” I was feeling a bit dramatic at the moment, even pressing the tip of my finger against my chest for emphasis. I pushed up one sleeve of my jacket and then the other, grateful I’d worn a polo underneath today.

  “You were hired to play a part, pretending that you and your buddies were interested in purchasing a stolen pallet of weapons. Yes?”

  He was shaking like a leaf, unblinking as he stared at me. “Yes. Yes.”

  “Okay. Now, we’re getting somewhere. Were you told who owned the weapons?”

  “Not at first.”

  Which meant there’d been more than one meeting. It was amazing what a little threat could do for the memory. “Okay. When did you learn?”

  “A day ago.”

  “Ah. You spoke with someone.”

  “Yes, sir,” Santos said.

  “Where did you meet?”

  “A park.”

  “A park. Interesting. And who did you meet with?”

  He suddenly clammed up, which I’d anticipated. Any bad guy with salt warned the flunkies they hired to keep their mouths shut. However, this wasn’t some hard-edged soldier determined to live and die by the sword. This was a twenty-something-year-old actor who’d gotten in the middle of a bad deal. However, it was obvious he needed another incentive.

  I made a sound like a buzzer, grabbing the kid around the back of the neck and dunking his head in between his legs into the water. If I’d wanted to do anything but scare the piss out of him, I would have bashed his head against the cheap fiberglass tub. But I used control, refraining from allowing my true personality to break through to the open air.

  For now.

  He struggled, as I lifted his head, still holding him for a few seconds as he gasped.

  There were times when my father’s old ways were more appealing and this was one of them. I’d been convinced that moving into the modern century was in the best interest of our company, but right now, all I could think about was engaging in a hunt. But it would be a waste of time and effort with this guy.