Love Thy Enemy (Red Stone Security Series) (Volume 13) (18 page)

Her name was on his lips as they both came. He thrust into her long and hard as he found his release. It felt as if he climaxed forever. He buried his face against her neck, breathing her in as his orgasm finally subsided.

She wrapped her arms around him tight, holding him so close he never wanted to let her go. Her embrace made him feel honored and possessive at the same time. “That was wonderful,” she murmured, her voice just a little sleepy.

He couldn’t find his voice so he just held her, trying to come to terms with how his life had just shifted.

And he was done worrying that she was going to stab him in the back, that she was working some angle against him. This, what she’d given him… He simply knew now that she wasn’t waiting to hurt him.

The only way she could hurt him was by walking away.

“I could lie here all day,” Dominique murmured against Viktor’s solid chest. She wasn’t sure what time it was but it was early. At least it was Saturday so she didn’t have to worry about work.

His hand stroked up and down her back in a lazy rhythm. Though he was hard, he hadn’t made a move to touch her since their last bout of lovemaking. Which was good because she was too sore. She traced her finger over the curves of one of his many tattoos. When he’d completely bared himself to her she’d been surprised by how many he truly had. Not to mention the multitude of long faded scars that covered his body—mainly his torso and arms. One day she would ask him what the tattoos meant and how he’d gotten the scars.

After their first time he’d been so sweet, surprising her by getting a warm cloth and cleaning between her legs. It had been so intimate, so…unexpected. She’d quickly learned that he did a lot of unexpected things. He’d made her so angry last night, just taking over and ordering her back to his house, but she could see that it was from a place of protectiveness. And it certainly didn’t make her like him any less. If anything, his bossiness turned her on. Not that she was going to tell him that. Not yet anyway. He’d probably turn into a super caveman if she did.

“I would like that very much. How are you feeling?” He reached between her legs, cupping her sex in a purely possessive move. His big hand was gentle though.

Feeling her cheeks heat up, she shifted her head so she could look at him. “A little sore, but good.”

His blue eyes heated with hunger but he withdrew his hand and wrapped his arm around her, just holding her close. “I thought you would be.”

They’d had sex again a couple hours after that first time. He’d slowly taken her from behind as she gripped the headboard, teasing her clit as he moved inside her. Even thinking about it made a shudder rack through her entire body.

She set her head back on his chest, feeling more content than she had in a long time. “Why do you hire so many Russians? I mean, I know you are Russian. I just wondered if there was a reason,” she said after a few minutes. There was so much about him she wanted to know.

“That’s a long answer.” The rumble of his chest under her head vibrated through her.

She smiled against his hard body, wishing she wasn’t so sore right now. “I don’t have anywhere to be.”

He didn’t respond for so long, she thought he wouldn’t at all. “I had already started to break away from my father before he…died. He was a violent, vindictive asshole so I had to move slowly, setting up various accounts and a lot of stuff I won’t bore you with. For lack of a better term, he was a gangster. He’d created his own little empire right here in Miami but not all the men who worked for him did so willingly. From the time I was a kid I watched him carefully—watched his people carefully. I knew who would break away from him when I made my move.”

“He died before that though, didn’t he?” Viktor had told her that his father had left him her family’s house as part of his trust and she couldn’t believe that he would have done that if Viktor had cut ties.

She felt Viktor move slightly, as if he was nodding. “Yeah. There was another man who’d always been in competition with me.” He paused again, and she guessed he was choosing his words carefully. “He wanted my father’s empire, wanted me out of the way. I wanted the same thing essentially so I made a deal with him. I took the men I knew who were loyal to me and we severed ties from that life in a clean break. I’d already started working legitimate side businesses, so the transition wasn’t difficult. As long as I didn’t try to take any of his criminal enterprises we had no problem.”

She looked up at him. The room was dim except for a few streams of light coming in through one of the curtain-covered windows. “He just let you go?” She didn’t know much about the criminal lifestyle but that sounded too easy.

Viktor gave her a dark smile. “He had no choice. Not unless he wanted a war.”

She bit her bottom lip. “Is there a possibility he’s the one who attacked you last night?”

He snorted, his expression easing. “No. He’s actually at the bottom of my list. We haven’t had contact in years. I stay out of his way and he stays out of mine. The people who attacked last night weren’t pros.”

“You still keep pretty intense security at your house.” She knew that even the Caldwell brothers didn’t have the kind of security he did. Not actual armed guards anyway.

“I never let myself get complacent. I can’t afford to.” He cupped her cheek, his touch gentle. “I’ll never risk your safety either. Don’t doubt that.”

“I don’t.” She might not have known him that long, but she didn’t doubt him. He made her feel…happy in a way she hadn’t been in a long time. Which was hard to swallow. She turned her face away from his hold and lay back on his chest.

He stiffened slightly. “What?”

“Nothing… Okay, I feel a little guilty being so happy with you. It makes me think of my mother and then I get so angry at
her
.” Shame swelled inside her for feeling angry at all. “She left me. I feel like…she didn’t love me enough. Like I wasn’t worth sticking around for. Which is stupid, I know.” Her throat grew tight as the mix of long-buried emotions shattered inside her. She hated feeling like that.

His hold tightened ever so slightly. “My father was an evil man who ground people into the dirt. The fact that she endured being with him… She loved you very much, Dominique. That’s something you should never doubt.”

His words soothed all the jagged edges. She didn’t respond, just let him hold her. She wasn’t sure how long they stayed there but when her stomach rumbled loudly she buried her face against his chest.

He laughed, the sound so sweet to her ears because he rarely seemed to do it. “I think it’s time I got you fed.” He reached a hand down, palmed her ass before squeezing possessively. “Then I plan to eat you. Slowly.”

His words set her on fire, but if she was going to have enough energy to keep up with him, she knew she should eat something. Then…she hoped they headed right back to the bedroom.

Last night had been amazing. She hadn’t expected her first time to be so good. Now she was so glad she’d waited. Being with a man like Viktor who’d been so giving, clearly putting her pleasure before his own, had been incredible. She was pretty sure she’d fallen for him. It didn’t seem to matter that her head said this was way too fast. Her heart wasn’t listening.

* * *

He couldn’t concentrate on anything today. Not after last night’s failure. He’d hired those men specifically because of their shock tactics and penchant for violence. They were supposed to have killed Viktor’s men and taken the woman.

Time was running out and he still needed her as a bargaining chip. He’d eventually kill her, but not until he got what he wanted. Then he’d kill her and Viktor. His brother too, because there was no way Abram would let his brother’s death go unpunished.

It was Ivanov’s own fault, for coming after him first. The stupid Russian liked to hide behind a mask of civility, claiming that the things he did weren’t personal, just business. Well it was fucking personal to him.

With a trembling hand he dialed his contact.

The man answered on the fourth ring, his voice tight. “What?”

“What’s the security situation like?”

“Tight. Everyone is locked down and…” A door shut, then, “Both women are locked down as well. Both here.”

Here
meant Viktor’s house. “I want the woman.” He didn’t need to specify which one. The assistant would have been a decent choice, but knowing that Viktor truly cared for Dominique Castle, that she wasn’t some whore he was paying, made her the
only
choice.

“Too bad for you.”

He gritted his teeth, forced his voice to remain even. “Two hundred fifty grand in your account if you get her to me by this afternoon.”

The man sucked in a breath. “That’s still not enough for my life. Because he will hunt me to the end of the earth if I take her.”

“He won’t be around that long. Once I get her I’ll be able to bargain with him for what I want. Then I’ll pay you five hundred grand, with the promise that I’ll kill him
and
his brother. Once that’s done you’ll be able to start over somewhere with a nice chunk of money.”

Seconds ticked by. One, two, three… “I’ll do it. I want that boat of yours too. The one in the marina.”

Greedy bastard. Maybe he’d kill him too. He would tidy up all loose ends. “Agreed. Bring her to my office. Call me on your way. I’ll meet you in the loading area.”

“As soon as I get my money, consider it done.”

Pleased with himself, he ended the call. He’d pay him the first deposit, but he’d never pay the five hundred grand. No, he’d kill his contact first.

Soon he’d have that bitch and Viktor would be at his mercy. Opening his desk drawer he pulled out a little packet of cocaine, dipped his finger into it and spread it across his gums. Then he took one hit.

Just one to keep him focused. He wasn’t an addict. He just liked the way it made him feel, that rush of adrenaline that helped him to keep working longer hours.

Nothing was going to go wrong. Not like last night. With the exception of that snafu, everything else was falling into place.

Once he got Viktor where he wanted him, he was going to kill the bastard himself. He’d make sure Viktor begged him for death by the time he was through with him.

Dominique opened the refrigerator in Viktor’s kitchen and stared at the neatly stacked containers of food, and bright fruit and vegetables stocked in the crispers. He hadn’t been kidding when he said anything she wanted would be in here. He’d apparently prepared for the zombie apocalypse. Which was fine with her.

She might hate that there was a threat hanging over their heads, but she wasn’t going to complain about getting to spend time at Viktor’s place. The man had completely stolen her heart and she simply liked being with him. Right now he was in his office with his brother and Lyosha, going over…something. She wished they were back in bed together. Sex was definitely as good as her friends had made it out to be and she was having fun exploring it with him.

“I was hoping I’d find you.” A female voice made her turn away from the fridge. Which was just as well—she wasn’t sure what she wanted anyway.

She turned to find the petite assistant she’d sort of met the other day. “Hi…Lucy, right?” Viktor had mentioned something about her being here too.

The woman smiled as she leaned against the center island. A book, towel and bottle of sunscreen were in her hand and she was wearing a sheer cover-up that didn’t do much to hide her bikini. “Yeah. I’m stuck here too until further notice. You okay after last night? I know that you were at the hotel.”

Dominique nodded, glad she didn’t have to lie. It was clear both brothers must trust Lucy if she knew Dominique had been at the hotel when even the police didn’t. “Yeah, I’m good. A little freaked out but Viktor’s place is great if we have to stay on lockdown.” Only because the man himself was under the same roof.

“Right? Listen, while they’re doing whatever they’re doing, I’m taking a break for once and soaking up some sun by that monstrosity of a pool. Want to join me?”

Since Viktor had a fortified wall surrounding his property and extra security, Dominique guessed that was the only reason it would be okay for them to be by the pool right now. Otherwise he’d probably go into super caveman mode and not let them outside. “Yeah, I’d love to. I need to find out if Viktor has anything I can wear.” Or if the guys he’d sent over to her place were back yet with her clothes. Right now she was wearing gym pants Lyosha had found that were about four inches too long and an oversized T-shirt. She felt a little ridiculous even if she was comfortable. “I’ll meet you out there?”

Lucy nodded, her smile genuine. “Great. I’ll see you in a little bit.”

Dominique didn’t want to bother Viktor but she didn’t think he’d mind. And she really wanted to get to know Lucy since she’d be staying here too. Not to mention Lucy obviously knew the brothers well and Dominique wasn’t above asking questions about Viktor. She wanted to know everything about him.

When she reached the hallway that led to Viktor’s office she smiled when she saw his driver, Kir, headed her way. He’d been one of the only security people who was actually friendly to her. Mostly Viktor’s guys seemed to walk around with perma-frowns.

“Hey, is Viktor—” Her words died when she saw the gun in his hand. It had a silencer on it and was pointed directly at her.

Everything around her funneled out as she stared down the barrel of the weapon. Before she could think about moving, he was next to her, grabbing her elbow in an unforgiving grip.

“You’re coming with me,” he said quietly, almost a whisper, his voice hard. “You scream and I’ll shoot you in the stomach. It’s a bad way to die.” He said it as if it was something he knew to be certain.

On instinct she yanked against his hold but he shoved her up against the wall, one hand wrapped around her throat as he pressed the muzzle of the gun to her temple.

“I’ll smoke you right here. Nod if you believe me.” His eyes were cold, nothing like the friendly man from the last couple days.

She nodded, her throat tight with fear. What if Lucy came back inside and this maniac decided to shoot her?