The Deadliest Sin Series Complete Collection, page 10
“I’m good, Bobby, and yourself?”
He shrugs and takes a swig of his beer. “Can’t complain.”
I wait for him to expand, but awkward silence fills the space between us instead. It’s kind of his M.O.
Social interaction isn’t really my thing. My job never necessitated me holding pleasant conversations with people. It was more get in, kill, get out. Or, get in, torture and taunt, maybe kill, get out, and then a little protection duty and helping with security mixed in. I was paid to be silent, not chitchat. But things are different now, and Bobby’s social ineptness makes me uneasy.
So it’s time to bail.
“I’m going to grab another beer. You need one?”
He holds up his bottle and grins. “Nope, I’m good.”
Thank God. I don’t need to come back.
A huge island in the center of Bobby and Janine’s kitchen separates me from Jade. I wander around it, keeping an eye on her where she chats in the corner with a few of her new friends. She looks up, and her eyes meet mine. A megawatt smile spreads across her face and she mouths, “I’m sorry.”
She knows how painful these types of things are for me. Crowds of people put me on edge. Too many unknowns. But after three cities in the last two years, she’s finally found a group of women she really meshes with, and I can’t deny her the opportunity to just be normal again.
I grab a beer from the fridge and pop the cap before taking a long swig. The cool, crisp, hoppy liquid slides down my throat and somewhat calms my nerves and quells my annoyance.
A brunette seated across from Jade bursts out laughing at something.
She must be new. I’d remember her if I had met her before. The hair, the golden eyes, the olive skin…she’s a dead ringer for Adelina, and just about everyone else in my family.
I’ll never see my sister again. I resigned myself to that when Jade and I decided to leave. Not that we had much choice. He didn’t leave us one. It was either that, or we would both be dead.
If we were lucky.
Tarek Morina doesn’t forgive betrayal. Nor does he believe in light retribution. It’s how he’s managed to establish the wide-reaching network that stretches across the Eastern states, and all the way home to Albania.
That network is why we’ve been steadily making our way west. There’s no way we can leave the country without using our passports. That would be like putting a flashing red target on our backs. Not to mention, all my resources for getting a fake one would rat me out to Tarek in a heartbeat. Fake licenses were easy enough to locate on my own, but the forger was sketchy, and I didn’t trust the crap he was offering for other documents.
The best bet was to change our names, lie low, and disappear into suburban life far away from anyone who could ever recognize us. It’s worked for the last two years. I just hope we can stay here permanently.
Rockford made me antsy. Too many people and too close to Chicago and people who know us. Minneapolis gave me the creeps, though I couldn’t put my finger on why. But Denver…it’s felt like home almost from the beginning. The friendly, laid-back vibe has lulled us into a sense of security. I don’t want to be the one to break that for Jade by being paranoid.
So, I’ll tough out the party long enough to appease her, then drag her home and fuck her all night.
If not before…
The way she’s eye-fucking me from across the room has my cock swelling painfully against my zipper. I reach down and adjust it, and those emerald orbs follow the movement, zoning in on my erection. Her tongue darts out and swipes over her bottom lip.
Fuck me.
I need to get the hell out of here.
She returns her attention to her friends while I drain my third beer. When her eyes meet mine again, it’s clear we’re on the same page. She mouths, “Outside” to me, then excuses herself and disappears down the hallway toward the front door.
Thank God…because Bobby is making his way toward me again, and I can’t suffer through that without using my piece.
That would definitely draw some unwanted attention our way. We’ve managed to fly under the radar this long, I just need to keep my temper at bay for a bit.
Meeting Jade outside will help.
I know exactly where to find her. Last time we were here, we discovered a small copse of trees toward the back of the property that create almost an archway of sorts and joked it was a great place to fuck without anyone ever seeing us.
That’s where she’s going to head as soon as she leaves the house. I’m confident of that.
But instead of chasing after her like the horny dog I am, I give her a couple of minutes so it’s a little less conspicuous.
When I step out into the cool night air, I slowly scan the street, pretending to be enjoying the peaceful evening instead of just buying a little time.
All is quiet. The neighbors are a good mile away on either side, and it’s a pretty low traffic area. After ensuring no one followed either of us out, I make my way around the house and along the edge of the property toward where I know Jade is waiting.
She practically launches herself at me the moment I set foot into the small clearing. Her legs wrap around my waist and squeeze like a vise.
“Jesus Christ, what took you so long?” Her warm breath floats through the cool air and over my lips.
I laugh and squeeze her ass. “Sorry, babe. I didn’t want to be completely obvious.”
There aren’t any windows facing this area, and it’s far enough back no one can see us. Still, I don’t need my bare ass or my woman’s pussy on display for anyone.
“Griff, stop worrying so much.”
Her chastisement gives me pause. “Jade, you know I can’t not worry.”
The playful mood sobers for a moment before she reaches between us and grabs my hard cock, reminding me of the purpose of our little escape out to the wilderness.
“We better make this quick.” Her whispered words feather across my lips.
I chuckle against the warm, wet heat of her mouth. “I feel like we had this conversation today already. I don’t do quick, babe.”
Her deft fingers slide down the zipper of my jeans. “Try.”
I walk her back into a large oak and groan when she frees my cock from its tight confines. “Jesus, baby…” is all I manage to get out before her mouth descends on mine, stealing my breath and any other words I had.
The skirt of her dress is already hiked up around her waist, giving me easy access to slide my hand between her legs and pull her panties to the side, exposing her to me completely. The head of my cock presses against her scalding core.
She wriggles against me, urging me forward. I wait for a moment, taking in the wild look in her eyes and the way they blaze even in the dim light.
Christ, she really is the most fucking beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
I slide in slowly, watching her eyes roll further and further back with every inch of cock I give her. The walls of her pussy clamp down around me, and I grit my teeth.
Holy shit. No matter how many times I’ve been inside of her, it still feels new every single fucking time. Being with her is well worth any risk we may have had to take. I pull my hips back and plunge into her again, hard enough to slam her back against the tree. She cries out, and I slant my mouth over hers, catching her moans and gasps, just in case anyone else is outside.
Dusk has already come and gone, and in the barely-there light, I can just make out the glint of satisfaction and lust in her eyes when she opens them again to meet mine.
“Yes…harder!”
Like I could ever deny Jade anything…
I slam into her…harder…faster…over and over, the bark of the tree no doubt abrading the exposed skin between her shoulder blades, but fuck if she cares. Neither do I. I'm inside of her, and that's the only place I ever want to be.
Her pants turn rhythmic in a telltale sign she's close to coming. The walls of her pussy ripple around my hard cock, and I slip my hand between us, pressing her harder against the tree so I can get to her clit. My fingers find it, like a heat-seeking missile finding a target. I swirl and press against her, and her pussy clenches around me, practically strangling my cock with her tight, hot, wet walls. She cries out my name—my real one—and it pushes me over the edge.
I roar and empty myself inside of her.
That’s when I feel the familiar press of a cold muzzle against my temple and hear the click of a hammer being pulled back.
“Konstandin…I’m surprised. It’s not like you to be caught with your guard, or your pants, down. How things have changed.”
My blood freezes in my veins, and Jade stiffens. I don’t bother to look at him. I keep my gaze locked on Jade, willing her to remain calm and not panic…yet.
A hand reaches under my jacket and removes my Glock from the holster.
I clench my teeth. “And it’s not like you to do your own dirty work, Tarek.”
He chuckles, a dark, disturbing sound that matches the ice in his heart. “Well, it’s not every day your brother steals your fiancée. This called for my own hand.”
Splitting pain in my head and darkness…
That’s what greets me when I come to.
I don’t even remember him hitting me, but the throbbing at my temple tells me it was likely with the butt of the gun.
Probably a Sig 226. It was always his weapon of choice.
The fact that Tarek hasn’t killed me yet should be my first clue that things are about to get bad, really fucking quickly. But I don’t even have time to consider it before a blow lands against my temple, knocking my head to the side and sending blood rushing down my cheek.
Motherfucker.
That woke me up.
I shift, and some sort of restraints bite into my wrists and ankles. The cool metal of a table presses against the exposed, naked skin of my back.
Where the fuck am I?
A blinding white light flips on above me.
“Fuck!”
I turn my head to the side and clench my eyes shut against the offensive bulb.
Familiar soft beeping noises fill my ears.
Medical equipment.
A hospital?
A blow to my stomach robs my lungs of air and removes any thought that I might be somewhere safe.
While I gasp for breath, heavy breathing echoes in the room from whoever is taking the shots at me.
A hand grabs my chin and turns my head back until the light shines through my lids. Something blocks it out, and I slowly open my eyes.
Emotionless dark eyes.
Surgical mask.
A doctor?
But where’s Jade?
Any attempts to turn my head to search my surroundings are thwarted by the strong hand on my jaw.
“Well, Konstandin. It seems you’ve been a bad boy. You know what happens to bad boys? They get punished.”
Another blow knocks away any ability to process his words. But not before I catch the slight accent. He’s from the motherland.
Fuck.
Blood gushes into my mouth. I swallow it and choke. My gagging coughs ricochet around the room, and he laughs, a deep, sinister sound that sends chills over my already cold, exposed skin.
It’s not Tarek. I would know his laugh anywhere.
This is someone new, someone he brought on after we fled. This is the new me. The enforcer. The bringer of pain.
This is the man who will eventually kill me, unless Tarek mans up and decides to do it himself.
Not yet, though.
Tarek won’t make it that easy. He’s going to drag this out, beating and torturing me for as long as he can, before I finally succumb and my body gives up.
And God only knows what he’s doing to Jade.
Rage boils through me, breaking through the fog of pain, and I tug at the restraints. Leather bites into my skin.
Fuck.
I won’t get anywhere. I know that. But I can’t not try. I can’t leave Jade in Tarek’s hands, not even for a minute.
Blows rain down on my body until a dark haze overtakes me.
Any sense of time is lost.
All that remains is pain, fear for Jade, and rage.
I can handle just about anything. But her…
Christ, she’s an innocent in all of this. It was a fucking arranged marriage to my brother, organized by her father who saw her as nothing more than a bargaining chip in his negotiations for territory. She didn’t choose Tarek. She didn’t choose his life…this life. She never wanted it.
And now she’s alone with one of the most sadistic fuckers I’ve ever known.
A strike lands in my gut, forcing my breath from my lungs. My chest seizes, and I gasp for air through the agony.
Fuck!
“Better settle in and get comfy.” It’s a clear warning of things to come and only the second thing he’s said to me since I awoke.
The silence is intentional, a tactic I’ve often used in these situations over the years. It makes people uneasy, desperate. I used it to get information, to get compliance, to get control. He is using it to try to break me, to make me panic.
But it won’t work on me.
Whoever this motherfucker is, he clearly doesn’t know who or what I am.
And that will be what gets him killed. It’s only a matter of time before he makes a mistake. Everyone does.
Except me.
Until I got complacent…
I never should have let my guard down. Especially not in public. I don’t know those people from the party…not really. Any one of them could have been working for Tarek or have made an offhand comment to someone who knows him and inadvertently outed us.
Now Jade’s paying the price for my mistake.
Footsteps retreat—ten, twenty feet, maybe—and a door opens. The bright light above me remains on. I turn my head to the side, trying to survey my surroundings.
A metal door closes behind the man before I can catch a glimpse of him.
Click. Click. Click.
Three locks.
Footsteps on stairs.
Given the chill of the room, lack of any windows, and the stairs, I can tell I’m definitely underground.
Cocksucking motherfucker.
There’s no way I’m getting out of here unless that door is open or I have the keys.
I don’t know where I am or how long I was out.
I could be literally anywhere. Tarek would have had his plane waiting to take off as soon as he grabbed us. I could be back in Philly for all I know. Or we may have never even left Denver.
It doesn’t matter. Wherever I am, I’m getting out. And then, I’m finding Jade, getting the fuck home to my dog, and ending this, once and for all.
Time has no clear meaning. No definites.
With no windows, no phone, no contact with the outside world beyond my tormentor, all I can do is try to count the number of times he comes and goes.
Ten.
That door has opened and locked ten times since I arrived. At least since I woke up.
Ten opportunities to escape. Ten failures.
Because this guy is good. I didn’t give him any credit that first day. I underestimated him.
He doesn’t make mistakes.
I’ve never seen his face and haven’t heard his voice since the first time he visited me here. The occasional wicked chuckle accompanies his sick, demented torture, usually when he breaks out some sort of implement designed to inflict maximum pain.
Blow torch.
Tire iron.
Vise grip.
The familiar tools I’ve used a hundred times have been turned on me.
With anyone else, I would have been out of here within twenty-four hours. Because most people are morons when it comes to keeping someone restrained and contained.
But not this fucker. He knows what he’s doing, and he has medical training, that much is evident.
An IV keeps me hydrated, and he must be injecting some sort of nutrients or something to keep me alive this long, because he sure as shit isn’t feeding me. He’s also giving me some sort of drug I can only describe as diabolical. Whatever it is, it makes my limbs feel like lead, but allows me to experience the full pain of every single cut, burn, twist, and strike he inflicts.
It’s the perfect drug, the ultimate in torture tech. I wish I’d had it when I was still working.
Instead, it renders me immobile while this asshole works me over.
And with every moment that passes, the rage inside me builds. At my brother, at this man, but mostly at myself for letting this happen.
I should have known I couldn’t walk away from that life. Even if I hadn’t fled with Jade, there’s no way Tarek would have let me lead a regular life. He relied on me too much to keep everyone in line, to do his dirty work, to ensure his empire was protected from every conceivable threat. And I did it for him, time and time again, giving away a small piece of my soul with every limb I severed and each life I took. I did it because I loved him, because he was my flesh and blood, and because I had never known anything else, any other way of life.
It was a downward spiral into Hell. Until the day Jade was brought to him…to me. I never knew something so pure, so innocent, so beautiful existed in this world. It never had in my world, the world that was created the first time I took a life and then was nurtured and twisted further by my brother.
I tried to leave that world. That was my first mistake. The second was believing I could ever truly hide from him.
For the millionth time, I twist my wrists, digging the leather straps further into my irritated flesh. Blood trickles down and pools under my hands, spreading across the steel below me. Any skin under the restraints was ripped away days ago from me trying to free myself, but the ties won’t budge.
No one is this good. No one except me.
He will make a mistake. Eventually. Even I did.
I just have to remain alert because not getting out isn’t an option. I have to get to Jade.
If that fucker lays so much as a finger on her…
Blind fury overtakes every fiber of my being, as I imagine all the things that have been happening since I let her get taken.
