Chapter 22

CESARE

I stand behind my little assassin, waiting for her next move, and taking nothing to chance with my prey. My breath hisses through my helmet, filling my eardrums with the sound of my anticipation. Every inch of my body thrums with excitement, from my head to my steel-toed boots.

Rosalind turns around, clutching the injection point on her neck, her features twisted with delicious contempt.

Every instinct wants to revel in the way her eyes burn with liquid fire, but it's too early to celebrate. A professional like her won't easily succumb to the muscle relaxant.

"What was that?" she asks.

"See what it's like to be drugged? Not pleasant, is it, pet?"

"Tell me," she says through clenched teeth.

I grin, resisting the urge to gloat. Rosalind is not to be underestimated, even when trapped. She is my most dangerous prey, my most enjoyable challenge.

Tires screech from outside the truck, followed by the sound of a collision. On instinct, my gaze snaps toward the doors. Rosalind charges, knocking me off balance. I stumble backward, my helmet crashing against the wall of the truck.

She lurches for the doors on her hands and knees, her fingers scrambling at a lever to fling the doors open. Her breaths come in ragged gasps, mingling with the groan and creak of metal.

I stand over her, my head cocked. "Going somewhere, pet?"

She ignores my question, focusing only on getting away. What an intriguing little assassin. She could have used that opening to slip a weapon between my helmet and collar to deliver a fatal blow. But that weak shove only bought her a few seconds to escape.

Sirens wail outside, punctuated by the crunch of metal, and then gunshots. It sounds like Rosalind didn't come alone. Benito will nag if anything happens to the cops we have on our payroll. An engine revs, followed by an even louder crash as a vehicle slams into the back of our truck.

The door rolls open, revealing her SUV. Two figures sit within its darkened front seat—Miranda and Rosalind's dour-faced accomplice.

Still blocking the other end of the alley behind them, Officers Rizzo and Barzelli exit a squad car that's crushed like a concertina. Both cops shoot at the SUV, even though it's obviously bulletproof.

Rosalind's accomplice opens her door and steps out with a pistol. She's a bulky blonde with hard features and startling blue eyes.

"Let go of her," she yells.

I scoop Rosalind off the floor and hold her to my chest like a shield. Her friend adjusts the aim of her weapon to my helmet.

"I'll give you a count of three to reconsider," I shout. "Or Rosalind will lose a kidney. One."

"Go," Rosalind croaks. "You promised."

Her friend's gaze bounces from Rosalind to the confused girl in the SUV's front seat. The corner of my mouth lifts into a smile. It looks like the friend was supposed to escape with Miranda, but ignored those orders to stage a daring rescue.

"Let her go, you sick bastard!" the blonde hisses through gritted teeth.

"Two," I say with a grin.

"Britt, please." Rosalind's voice breaks.

Britt's eyes flicker with uncertainty, torn between her loyalty to Rosalind and her mission to protect Miranda. I tighten my grip on Rosalind, making her groan.

Sirens grow louder, echoing through the narrow alleyway, alerting us all that the officers on our payroll have called for backup.

Desperation flashes through the friend's eyes before she retreats into her SUV. I toss Rosalind into the back, where she crumples like a broken doll.

I lock gazes with little Miranda, who stares at me through wide eyes, looking betrayed as hell. My heart aches at having to burst her bubble. Once she pieces everything together, the poor girl will realize she's been duped.

As I grab the door to pull it closed, the accomplice fires two shots into my bulletproof armor. Dull pain radiates from the point of impact, but it's nothing more than a nuisance. Ignoring her, I slam down the door and pound on the wall three times, signaling the driver to move.

As the truck rolls forward out the other end of the alley, I advance on my prey.

"I told you to come alone, but you disobeyed. That was very naughty. You're racking up the punishments quickly, pet."

Rosalind shrinks back, her features twisted. She knows she's trapped, but I want to see her flounder. I want to see the panic in her eyes when she realizes all hope is lost and she has once again become my toy.

"Don't act like you weren't already planning something sick," she says through clenched teeth.

I incline my head. "That's true, but I also planned to let you come. Now, I'll enjoy watching you squirm."

"As if you don't already. What was in that syringe?"

"Why? So you can take an antidote?"

If contempt was a flamethrower, the hatred burning in her eyes would reduce me to ashes. I step toward her, wanting to feel the heat of her passion.

Rosalind's chest rises and falls with rapid breaths. She shuffles to the corner, pressing both palms on the walls, trying to use them as leverage to stand.

It looks like the muscle relaxant is finally working, but I'm not taking any chances. There's a reason she needs to know which drug I injected into her, and it isn't about an antidote.

She could be fishing for information on which symptoms to mimic because she's immune to its effects. Then, when I drop my guard and remove my armor, she'll attack.

"Fool me once, little Rosalind," I sing, "But you won't fool me twice."

"What did you do to Miranda?" she asks, her words slurring.

"Nothing she didn't enjoy," I reply with a chuckle.

Anguish twists her face, her eyes welling with tears. "I will fucking kill you," she grinds out. "I will tear out your cock by the root and feed it to you, piece by piece."

"Have you done that before?" I ask, my voice breathy.

"Come here and find out."

I approach her, my cock hardening as though volunteering to become the tribute of her sadistic fantasies. Rosalind might be loathsome, but there's no denying that every twisted part of me finds her captivating.

She kicks out, aiming for my crotch, but the muscle relaxant is already taking hold, rendering her movements futile. I grab her ankle and drag her onto her back.

"Oh, Rosalind," I say, reaching for the zip-ties. "If you want to suck my cock down to the root, then it's all yours."

Her eyes widen, and she kicks out with her free foot. "Don't twist my words, asshole."

Holding her still, I fasten zip-ties around her ankle and secure it to a loop of metal at the end of a spreader bar. Rosalind squirms and screeches, her free leg continuing its futile effort to push me away. Each kick weakens under the effect of the drug.

Rosalind's defiance fuels my predator instincts, and I almost wish I hadn't injected her with so much muscle relaxant. Her resistance is exhilarating. Breaking her is the ultimate challenge. I make a mental note to even the odds next time to give her more of a fighting chance.

As I grab another set of zip-ties, her boot flies up to my helmet, connecting with a resounding thud. Laughing, I snatch her other ankle.

"So keen," I croon.

"Fuck you!" she screams, her voice going straight to my aching cock.

"Now, now. I know the sexual tension between us is unbearable, but you'll just have to wait."

Not wanting to waste any more time, I attach her other ankle to the metal loop at the other end of the bar.

Rosalind trembles. I can't tell if that's out of fear or from the vibrations coming from the engine. The muscle relaxant will only affect the somatic nervous system, causing temporary paralysis while keeping her senses intact. The drugs won't interfere with her body's fear response.

Confident that she's completely under the influence, I pull off my helmet and lean over her with my lips grazing the shell of her ear.

"This would be so much more satisfying in my dungeon, but no matter." My tongue flickers on her skin, tasting the barest traces of salt. "You're mine now, Rosalind, every delicious inch."

She shudders, but my armor is far too thick to enjoy the full extent of her terror.

"I... Will…" She swallows.

"What's that, pet?" I bite down on her earlobe, making her hiss. "You'll kill me?"

She grunts.

"You can try. In fact, I dare you to carry out those threats. But I will break you into beautiful little fragments, and you will enjoy every agonizing second."