A Dom Is Forever (46 page)

“You want me to tie the girl up, boss?” Colin asked.

“No. She’s not a threat. I’ll keep her in the car with me. The dose we gave her should keep her out until we can get back to my house. You’ll drop us off, make sure my brother here has a nice seat, and then I expect you to get to the airport and make sure everything is ready. We’re leaving for Dubai tonight.”

He’d already shifted money around. Not all of it, of course, but enough to get by until the Lachlan Bates deal came through, and then he would allow Nelson to get his little business into the Middle East and he would be set. It would be safe to kill Nelson then.

Colin lifted Liam up, tossing him over his shoulder.

“Throw him in the trunk.” He didn’t want to be anywhere near Liam, but Avery was a different story. He lifted her up himself. She wasn’t a lightweight, but then he’d never liked a skinny girl. They died too fast.

She really was quite pretty. It was too bad she turned out to be such a whore.

He sighed and kissed her cheek. She was limp in his arms. She would be a bit of fun before he killed her, a way to pass the time until his flight took off.

He followed his men down the stairs and to the waiting car.

The night had just begun.

Liam kept his head down as he came to a bleary consciousness. He wasn’t sure what his insane bastard of a brother had shot him up with, but he would bet it was ketamine. It was what he would have used. It was a veterinary tranquilizer that wasn’t too hard to get if a criminal had the right contacts.

He forced his breathing to stay even, his body to relax. He opened his eyes slightly, thankful he’d let his hair get a bit too long. Carpet was under his feet, and not cheap carpet. It was a rich red and looked to be Oriental. He very carefully tried to move his arms. Rope held him tight. His hands were behind his back, and he seemed to be sitting in a chair. Was anyone behind him? Was it safe to start on the ropes? They were tight, but he could force his hands to work. He just needed to find the knot.

And Avery. He really needed to find Avery. He couldn’t see her from here, and he couldn’t hear her. Was she still out? How much time had passed?

A deep voice filled the room. “I can see you moving, brother. I haven’t completely forgotten my SAS training. You might as well open those eyes wide and see what I have for you.”

Dread curled in his stomach. Was she already dead? If Avery was gone, then he would have one job in the world to do. He would make sure his brother suffered. Then he would find and kill the traitorous Mr. Black, Eli Nelson—whatever he wanted to call himself. He would be dead.

Liam brought his head up, the world spinning just a little. Even as his eyes focused, he could feel the knot. Rory had always been lazy. He’d left the knot where Liam could manipulate it. It wasn’t a mistake Liam would have made. The pads of his fingers started to work it. “Nelson was a distraction then?”

Rory sat behind a large ornate desk. He’d ditched the contacts, and his deep green eyes showed through. Their mum’s eyes. “He’s my partner. He has been from the beginning. When we realized you and your crew were here, he obligingly provided me with the distraction I needed to take care of you. He’ll take care of your team, of course.”

Would he? Nelson didn’t have the firepower to take care of Ian and certainly not on the streets of London. Nelson was cool as a cucumber. He wouldn’t do a damn thing without planning it out. And why did Rory think Nelson hadn’t known about them? Nelson had sent out his calling card and practically invited them to come to England.

Who was the real distraction?

And where was Avery? He couldn’t just ask the bloody question. Rory was a sadist of the highest order. Liam had tried to curb the tendencies, but he’d failed. If Rory knew how much he loved Avery, it could mean a long, painful night for her.

“You worked with him on the op that nearly got me killed.” It wasn’t a question. Liam knew the answer, but he needed to keep his brother talking. He had to get out of the ropes and figure out where Avery was and if he could save her.

“I did. Nelson contacted me. He saw my potential. He also saw a chance to take over a very lucrative arms dealing market. There was no uranium. That was all a ruse to get
Leonov
to bite. Nelson came across
Leonov
and found out about the bonds. Ten million easily transportable dollars, but he couldn’t get close. Somehow Taggart heard the stories and started the op before Nelson could get everything in place.”

“So Nelson sent along a very handy distraction.” Ian’s wife had been a means to an end.

Rory shrugged. “I wasn’t involved in that part of the business. I just know Nelson took over at the right time, and we got the bonds. Nelson then killed
Leonov
and together we took over his business.
Leonov
had a nice contact list going, but we decided we could do better.”

His brother, the entrepreneur. “And you became Thomas Molina.”

A satisfied smile lit Rory’s face. “The trouble is transporting the bloody weapons. So many checks these days, but everyone wants to help poor, starving children. We just needed a well-respected charity to be willing to help stow away our weapons.”

Where the hell was Avery? Despite the sedatives still in his veins, he could feel his heart rate speeding up. What the bloody hell had Rory done with Avery? What pain had she already been put through?
Just let her be alive.
He’d help her heal. He’d be with her. He’d hold her and love her and put her back together. She just had to be alive.

And he was losing it. Calm. Cool. Unemotional. He had to stay professional or they would both be dead. And Rory seemed to want to talk. Liam’s shoulder was killing him, but he forced his fingers to work without moving his arms. The knot was right there. There was a game they played at Sanctum. Tie up the Dom and see who was best at getting out. Ian was the Rope King, but Liam had come in a close second.

Weapons. He’d been talking about the weapons and the charity. He stared at his brother. Only the eyes were still the same. “How much surgery did it take?”

Lips that weren’t his own tugged up on Rory’s altered face. “Quite a bit. I was out of pocket for almost a year. I had multiple surgeries and made a careful study of Thomas Molina. Nelson had identified Molina as the perfect target. He formed a sort of friendship with Brian Molina.”

Brian Molina had been an addict. Liam could guess just what kind of friendship Nelson had formed. “He became Brian’s dealer?”

“Nelson knows many people, and Brian was easy to control as long as he got his fix. Brian kept an eye on his brother while I was preparing for my role and then he coached me on his brother’s history and mannerisms. I couldn’t simply appear one day. I had to make connections. I had to take my time. The fact that he was perfectly terrified of leaving his house, and he hated talking to people on anything but his computer made it easy. Even after Brian and I took over the fund, I had to keep him around for a bit and bide my time.”

“You killed them both?” It was a dumb question, but it kept him talking.

“Absolutely.” Rory was nearly purring. “I obviously needed Molina dead in order to take his place, and Brian had outlived his usefulness once I was set up as his brother. I couldn’t have him hanging around. After all, he wanted some of my money.”

“I bet Nelson wants more.”

The first crack appeared, a frown that covered Rory’s face. “I’m in control of this business. I have all the power. Eli Nelson is simply the man who gave me my start.”

“Yes, brother, he’s such a philanthropist. He just looks for little criminals with hope in their eyes and plucks them from obscurity and sets them up because he’s got such a big heart.” Pain flared in his arm, but he’d slid his pinky finger under the knot.
Patience. Gain purchase and work the rope.

Ian had taught him this. Ian, the asshole. Ian, who had been more of a brother to him than the man in front of him. Ian had taught him, and Jake had practiced with him. Adam had sat in the background drinking beer and making sarcastic comments while Sean had timed them. His real brothers were still here with him. The skills they had taught him would come through in the end.

“I can handle Nelson,” Rory said, his fingers tapping impatiently along the desk.

“I doubt it. If he put you in a position, it was so he could use you and perhaps get rid of you when he decides to take over. Nelson lost his big payday. My boss took it away from him a couple of months back. He can’t go back to the Agency. He needs cash, and he likely needs it bad. Did you spend all the bond money on the surgeries?"

Rory shrugged, a negligent move Liam remembered from their childhood. “Ten million doesn’t go as far as you think it would. The surgeries cost money, setting up the infrastructure of the business costs money. The bonds went fast. That’s why we had to use Molina. I could easily take over his income and his trust fund, though some of it is tied up legally. I’ve been slowly shifting money to other accounts. When I leave here tonight, I’ll have millions at my fingertips.”

“How are you going to explain Avery’s death?”

“That is a problem, actually. Maybe I won’t kill her. Maybe I’ll take her with me to Dubai and marry her. We’ll spend plenty of time in Africa and the Middle East. Lots of bad things happen there.” He chuckled a little. “Actually, I could make some cash off the little cow. I’ll put a good insurance policy in place and then get her killed. Yeah, I like it. Thanks, brother.”

Rage churned in his gut. If his brother put a hand on Avery, he would cut Rory’s bloody balls off and shove them down his throat. He would tear him limb from limb. But she was alive. She was fucking alive.

“Do whatever you want with the girl. I don’t care.”

A long sigh filled the room. “Oh, Liam, really? I listened in while you fucked the bitch. Avery, dear, why don’t you come in?”

A door opened and one of Rory’s thugs shoved Avery inside. She’d changed or been forced to. She was wearing a long white gown, silky and lovely. It showed off her figure to beautiful advantage, and it made her look a little like a bride on her wedding night.

The only problem was she was his bride, and Rory was going to try to take her.

Avery stumbled, her leg giving way beneath her. She hit the carpet, her body crumpling. He wanted to howl. His woman. His to protect and he couldn’t get to her because he was bloody tied up. He was impotent and useless, and she was going to pay the price.

“Ah, look, the little cripple seems to have lost her footing. It’s all right, dear. I don’t need you for your grace.” Rory pushed his chair back, standing up. “Colin, you may leave us. Go and watch the door. We’ll be leaving in an hour or so, and we might have a guest with us. I haven’t decided yet.”

The massive thug nodded and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Perfect. Just him and his brother and the rope that bound him.

Avery was on the floor. Her face turned up, so gorgeous, so vulnerable. “Li.”

Rory chuckled. “Lee? Oh, dear, do you even know his real name?”

Liam waited, praying she would follow along.

Avery turned from him to his brother. “He’s Lee Donnelly.”

Good girl.
A fierce pride threatened to take over. He had no doubt she had been calling out for Liam, not Lee.

Rory rolled his eyes and got to one knee. Condescension dripped from his mouth. “His name is Liam O’Donnell, you dumb bitch. He’s my brother.”

“I don’t understand any of this. I thought Brian was your brother. Why are you walking so well now?” She turned back to him, playing her part beautifully. Or was she? He hadn’t told her his suspicions. Was she shocked that his brother was an arms dealer? Would it affect the way she saw him? “Is it true? Did you lie to me?”

“You were a means to an end, love.” She was the reason he was breathing, but he couldn’t let his brother know.

“Was she?” Rory asked.

It was time to act a little and to lean on what his brother knew about him. “Please. Do you really think she’s me type,
Ror
? I like ‘
em
a little prettier than that.”

Rory shoved a hand into her hair and forced her face up. Liam could see the pain in her eyes. Fuck, he was going to make his brother pay. “I don’t know. She’s quite pretty in a very innocent ‘I never had a cock up me ass’ way. Don’t you think? Of course, appearances can be deceiving.”

He pulled Avery up by her hair, using her weight against her. The little moan of pain that came out of her mouth hit his soul.

“Stop!” Avery struggled, her feet kicking, trying to find the ground.

And Liam had to pretend not to care. If he gave in, even for an instant, Avery would hurt in ways she couldn’t imagine. He knew he was likely giving up any hope of a future with her, but he would do anything to save her. “She’s got a nice tight ass, brother. You should try it.”

Bile rose in his throat but his fingers worked hard, and he could feel the knife in his boot with his foot. They’d taken his gun and another knife, but the stiletto was still there.

“No!” Avery started to fight. Her fists came out, but it was an ineffectual thing against Rory’s strength. She hit his chest, but he just laughed and held her away from him.

“Maybe I will, brother,” Rory replied. Shrewd eyes slid his way. “I was listening the whole time, you know.”

A slippery slope. Another piece of the knot fell free. He had a little room to work now, but he had to be careful. It was also easier to move his arms, and that would give away the whole game. “I was acting the whole time. You’ve been out of the game for a long time if you think I have a real emotional attachment to her. She was the mark, mate. You remember how that is. I do admit that she was a rather dull lay.”

Avery gasped, her face turning to him. Tears fell from her eyes. She was never going to forgive him. He wouldn’t be able to explain why he’d turned away from her when she was at her most vulnerable. She would hate him. She would loathe and despise him, and he couldn’t take it back. He kept his face cold, blank. Like he didn’t love her. Like she wasn’t the best part of his soul.