Chapter Nineteen

Rogue

I didn’t waste any time getting Bri upstairs once we reached the penthouse. Her skin was chilled from the damp clothes she was still wearing. I carried her straight to the shower and turned the water on as hot as we could stand it.

I stripped her out of her clothes and followed suit with my own. The need to get her warm outweighed my desire to fuck her until the morning brought the cold reality that I would have to send her away until all the threats had been disposed of and it was safe for her.

When I joined her under the hot stream of water, her hands reached out to me, and I felt a tightness in my chest like nothing I had ever experienced before. This one woman had power over me. More power than anyone. When I couldn’t find her after the chaos at the club tonight, the feeling of terror that coursed through me was almost paralyzing and I didn’t like it. I had allowed Bri to become embedded into my soul as if my very existence depended upon her, and it disturbed me to think that she had that kind of hold on me and how easy it would be for someone to take her and destroy me.

“Rogue, I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave you.”

I looked down into her upturned face, her bright eyes pleading with me as water cascaded down her back and shoulders.

My hands moved over her arms, my fingers tracing the same path as the rivulets of water down her spine, and pulled her closer. “It is better this way. The farther you are from me, the safer you will be.”

She crossed her arms over her breasts. “I don’t care. When I am not with you, I don’t feel safe. You are the only thing that keeps the nightmares away. I don’t want to wake up in a bed alone, wondering where you are and what is happening. Besides, there has to be something I can do to help.”

Her hands moved over my chest as her breasts pressed against me, but I couldn’t let lust override logic. I knew what had to happen. My hands gripped her wrists, and I walked her backward until she was against the tile. The power she had over me was strong, and I was close to giving in to anything she asked simply because I wasn’t sure how long I could go without her. I leaned down closer, letting my lips press against the throbbing pulse in the side of her neck.

“Like I said before, this isn’t just about you, Bri. There are other matters at stake. You are a distraction, an encumbrance. The one thing in this world that could destroy me. I need you to be where I don’t have to worry about you, where I don’t see you.”

Her eyes widened at my words, and I had not meant for them to be so sharp, but I was still wrestling with the crushing feeling of need for her. I had never felt this attachment to another living person before and it bothered me.

“You don’t want to see me? Well, you must be taking romantic advice from Blaze.” She rolled her eyes and tried to move away from me when I chuckled at her suggestion.

I pulled her back into my arms. With one of my hands anchoring in her hair, I yanked her head back, eliciting a shocked gasp from her lips. “Don’t think that you are going to walk away from me in a fit of pouty anger because you can’t get me to change my mind.”

I spun her around and braced her palms against the tile as I nudged her feet farther apart. “When I see you, I can think of nothing but having you naked, and then my mind is consumed with tasting you, feeling your flesh against mine, and fucking you until you are screaming and begging me to stop. I meant what I said, Angel. You are a distraction, an obsession from which I can’t break free.”

My fingers slipped between her legs where I found her pussy weeping for me. When I roughly pushed two fingers inside her, she shrieked. “But make no mistake, you are mine!”

I entered her swiftly and violently, bringing her off her feet to her toes. “I will end these threats and once I have, I am going to take you somewhere far away so I can have you naked and all to myself with no distraction. I am going to fuck you until there is no doubt in your mind as to where you belong.” I leaned over her shoulder and let my teeth sink into the long column of her neck. “Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking I would ever let you leave me. You are already embedded too deep into the darkness, but until it is safe, and the dangers eliminated, you will go wherever I say and stay there until I bring you back.”

My hands went to her hips, and I continued my thrusts. I felt her muscles tighten and squeeze my cock and I came undone. But this wasn’t over. I didn’t know how long we would be apart and if I was going to be denied access to her body, tonight, I would feast my fill. It wouldn’t be enough. I wasn’t sure if I would ever get enough of her. The cravings and desires I had for this woman would rival any known drug. I longed for this to all be over so that I could have her to myself without the dangers that were lurking closer every day.

I turned her back around and lifted her so that she was settled down over my dick again, her legs wrapped around my waist as I carried her from the bathroom to our bed where I would fuck her until the light of morning brought me back to cold reality.

Bri

My eyes felt heavy, and I was still so incredibly sleepy, but after spending another passionate night with Rogue, I was not surprised. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the bright light streaming in through the windows. My arms reached out to discover the bed empty. Rogue wasn’t there, but that wasn’t the most disturbing thing. This wasn’t the same bed I had fallen asleep in, and I was dressed. When I fell asleep, I had been most definitely naked and curled against Rogue’s side, his arms around me. I scrambled up to a sitting position to take in the room as the sun’s brightness filtered in through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. My head felt heavy and there was an intense pounding right behind my eyes. I put a hand over my forehead, trying to make the pain stop.

This was most definitely not the penthouse. My heart began to beat faster as fear began to settle over me. Where the hell was I? What had happened?

“Oh good, you’re awake.”

A soft feminine voice on the other side of the room drew my attention. I stared at her for a few minutes and her smile widened.

“I know you must be confused, and I am sorry that our first meeting had to be this way.”

“Where am I?”

She stepped closer to the bed, and I quickly pushed aside the covers ready to run for the door if necessary.

She sighed heavily, clasped her hands in front of her, and stopped moving. “I want you to know that I told Rogue he never should have done this. But he is just as stubborn as my husband.”

I squinted my eyes and tried to get my brain to focus. “Who are you?”

“I know you have a lot of questions and trust me when I say that I know exactly how frightening it is to wake up and not know where the hell you are, but if you will take a few minutes to calm down, I can explain everything to you. It may not make you feel better, but it will at least take away some of your confusion as to how you got here.”

My eyes darted around the unfamiliar room, hoping Rogue would walk through the door and explain everything himself. Or, I would wake from whatever weird dream I was having.

“I don’t think calming down is an option at this point.”

The small pretty blonde nodded. “Trust me, I get it, but give me a few minutes to explain. Then if you still want to scale the walls and run, I will completely understand. I’ll even help you.”

“Fine. Start explaining.”

“Would you like something to drink or eat first? I can have one of the housekeepers bring something up for you.”

I shook my head, growing more impatient by the second. “Where is Rogue?”

“Let’s start with something less complicated, shall we? My name is Eden Messina. My husband Alessio is a friend and business partner of Rogue. They have known each other for a few years, Blaze too. We flew in this morning to help with whatever situation those two are mixed up in. But before we could get to our hotel suite in the city, Rogue called and asked us to meet him here. We arrived just as he was carrying you inside the house.”

My eyes squinted as I tried hard to listen and understand what she was saying. “Why don’t I remember anything? How could I not remember getting dressed or driving here? You say he carried me inside. How did I not wake up for that? I have never been that sound of a sleeper.”

She rolled her eyes and her pretty smile slipped. “That’s the part you aren’t going to like. Rogue was worried about how you would react to him bringing you here and then leaving. He mentioned that you were anxious about it, and he thought if he gave you something to help ease your anxiety it might help make it easier for you.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Rogue did this to me?”

She nodded sympathetically. “He put something in your drink last night. It was meant just to relax you, but it knocked you right out. You have been sleeping soundly for hours. Rogue’s personal physician was called, and he said there would be no strange side effects and that you should wake up within a few hours. Sedatives affect people in different ways.” She took another step closer. “Be grateful that he didn’t use chloroform. Unfortunately, I know firsthand that it gives you a horrible headache for several hours after you wake up as well as nausea. You are feeling alright, aren’t you?”

I put a hand to my forehead, trying to comprehend what she was saying. “Yes, I’m fine except for the fact that I have been drugged. I can’t believe he did this to me.” I thought back and vaguely remembered him bringing me some juice just before we went to sleep.

She nodded a sad mixture of sympathy and pity on her face. “If it makes you feel any better, I gave him an earful letting him know exactly what I thought about it. I felt it was the least I could do, considering you were unable to do it yourself.”

I sank back down on the bed letting her words sink in. “Why? Why would he do that? I still don’t understand.” I looked around the room still confused. “Where am I?”

“I am not sure why he did it. The excuse he gave me was that he just wanted you to have something to relax. He never imagined that the medication would affect you the way it did. I am not defending him, just letting you know that I truly believe he had the best intentions. As to where you are, you are at Rogue’s estate outside of Chicago. I have to say, I am rather impressed. This is the first time I have ever been here, but it is quite lovely.”

“Rogue owns an estate?”

She nodded. “Yes, a rather large one.”

“Where is Rogue?”

“That is the complicated part of all this, and I am not exactly certain what is going on. My husband doesn’t tell me very much about his business and to be honest with you, I’m not sure I want to know.”

“Your husband is….”

“Don of the Messina family.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course, another mafia connection. The second I have met in the past week.”

My eyes closed, and I pinched the bridge of my nose with two fingers. The headache I had when I woke was beginning to get worse. “Let me see if I have this correct and please forgive me if I get the events confused, but you are saying that Rogue drugged me, brought me to his estate, where I have never been before, and left me here to wake up alone with a stranger. He really thought that would ease my anxiety and make this transition easier for me?”

“What can I say, men like Rogue and my husband are impulsive and don’t always make the most rational decisions, especially when they are in love. But we are not alone. They left us well-protected. My constant shadow Tomas is here, as well as a man named Michael. I have never met him before, but he seems capable. He said he was a priest although I have never seen a priest that looks like him before.”

She winked and gave me a cheeky grin. “He and Tomas are downstairs having breakfast. I thought it would be best if you saw a friendly face when you woke, someone who understands what you are going through. I am sorry you had to find out this way. I know Rogue never expected the medication he slipped into your drink to be so effective. If it makes you feel better, he was very worried.”

I narrowed my eyes in frustration. “He should be worried because I am going to kill him.”

Her eyes twinkled as she giggled at my comment. “I was hoping you would have that reaction, now I know we can be friends. I don’t blame you. I have been in a similar situation and Alessio is very lucky I was never able to get my hand on a weapon.”

I know she was doing her best to make me feel more at ease, but I wasn’t sure that was possible. “I would like to speak to Michael.”

She motioned toward the door. “You are free to do as you wish.”

I stood from the bed and walked quickly to the door. As I stepped into the hallway, I realized just how expansive Rogue’s mansion was. There was a dual staircase that led down to a large entryway. I continued walking as I looked around, surprised at the differences between the penthouse and the mansion. Where the penthouse was dark and masculine, this house looked like something out of a magazine. Professionally decorated with lots of large windows letting in the sunlight, the color schemes were lighter, not nearly as menacing as I would have thought Rogue preferred. It was beautiful.

“The kitchen is to your right once you get downstairs. Just follow the voices.”

I looked over my shoulder to where the woman was standing along the railing. She was exceptionally beautiful, like a real-life Barbie. She was the type of woman men noticed, and I wondered if her husband was as protective of her as Rogue had been with me.

I made my way down to the kitchen, my bare feet not making a sound as I followed the voices and the rich smell of coffee brewing. When I peeked around the corner, I was relieved to see one familiar face.

Michael jumped down from where he was sitting on the countertop talking to a man I didn’t recognize, but whom I assume was there to protect Eden Messina. He had a darker complexion and dark hair. His eyes followed me into the room and like all the other men I had met recently, he looked as if he could kill someone and not think twice about it.

“Brielle, I’m glad you are awake. Come have a seat and I’ll get you some coffee and something to eat. Are you feeling well?”

I walked farther into the room, my eyes darting between Michael and the tall broad-shouldered Italian man standing on the opposite side. My mind was still reeling with everything that had happened and I kept thinking that I wake up from whatever kind of Alice in Wonderland dream I was having. “I don’t want coffee. I want to know why the hell Rogue drugged me and brought me here.”

Michael looked back at the other man, who had lowered his head and looked away with what I thought was a suspicious grin on his face.

“With as angry as you look, Rogue should be glad that he is not here.”

“Anger is just one of many emotions I am feeling now. Why would he do this to me?”

Michael held a cup of coffee in both hands as he moved closer to me. “Rogue did tell you that he was bringing you someplace safe away from the city.”

“Yes, but I wasn’t aware that he would drug me, drop me off, and leave me to wake up with strangers.”

Michael at least had the good sense to look ashamed. “I know you may not believe me, but that was not Rogue’s intention. The medicine he gave you was supposed to relax you and help you sleep. Instead, it had an anesthetizing effect and knocked you out. And while I am not condoning it, he refused to leave until I got here just in case you woke up. He wanted at least one of us to be familiar. He was really worried.”

I narrowed my eyes. “How considerate.”

Michael grinned but wisely didn’t try to take up for Rogue again.

“As a priest, I know you have to preach forgiveness, but right now I am firmly on the retribution side of things.”

The young woman from earlier walked into the kitchen. “I like her.”

Michael took a sip of his coffee. “At least with Rogue being away for a few days, it will give us ample time to work and practice more self-defense moves.”

At this Eden stepped closer, obviously intrigued. “Self-defense? You are teaching her self-defense moves?”

I looked up at her. “Yes, I thought it would be wise and give me something to do. Michael graciously has been teaching me the proper way to punch and how to get out of submission holds if someone tried to grab me. I thought it would make me feel more secure.”

“Oh, that sounds awesome! I want to learn to. Do you mind if I join in on a few of your lessons?”

The other man who had remained silent the whole time immediately spoke up. “Not on my watch, princess. You expect me to allow you to be manhandled and then for Alessio to return to find you covered in bruises or hurt while learning these moves…no, it’s not going to happen.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. “I’ll handle Alessio. It will be fun, and you can’t tell me that it is a bad idea, especially considering the trouble all of you get into on a regular basis.”

Her mention of trouble reminded me of the reason Rogue had sent me away. I looked back to Michael. “Where is Rogue?”

“He and Blaze received word on the whereabouts of the Armenian, Petros Sargsyan, who has been attempting a takeover of both Rogue and Nickolai Volkoff’s businesses. He was behind the attempt on Nickolai’s life the day you went to the club for your interview.”

I folded my hands together, trying to hide the anxiety I was feeling. “Rogue had told me that there were other factors, things that didn’t concern me. I suppose that was what he was talking about.”

Eden took a seat beside me. “It is always distressing when Alessio puts himself in danger. I often have a hard time keeping my mind free of everything that could go wrong, so I understand exactly what you are feeling. But since we are together, perhaps that will make it better. We can distract each other, and now we have Father Michael to teach us some of his skills.”

“Fuck, Alessio is going to kill me, princess. I’m going to walk around the perimeter and check security so at least I will have an alibi,” Tomas said as he walked from the room, leaving the three of us alone.

“I think I would like that coffee now.”

Michael immediately got up and walked over to the coffee pot. After settling the cup in front of me, along with cream and sugar, he put a hand on my shoulder. “Everything will be alright, Bri. I may have been away from this life for a few years, but one thing I know hasn’t changed is Rogue’s ability to take down anyone who opposes him.”

“When will I see him? When will he come here?”

“I don’t know. He was insistent that it would be easier for you if he stayed away until he had taken care of everything. I tried to change his mind, but he was already set on this course. To be honest with you, I’m not certain if he is trying to make things easier for him or you.” He winked. “Stay here and rest. You still look exhausted. Later today if you feel like it, we can practice. The entire house is at your disposal. It is quite large so it may take you awhile to learn your way around.” He glanced over at the beauty beside me. “Mrs. Messina, it has been a pleasure to meet you.”

“And you as well, Father Michael.”

I wrapped both hands around the warm mug of coffee and pondered everything Michael had said.

“If you would prefer to be alone, I can find something to do. I saw that the house has a library as well as a large media room. I am more than capable of entertaining myself.”

I gave her a small smile. “No, I wouldn’t mind the company. The past few days have been crazy. I’m sure you wouldn’t even believe it if I told you everything.”

She laughed at that. “You think you had an unusual courtship and marriage? I will have to tell you about how I met Alessio.”

After talking and laughing hysterically for two hours while sitting in the media room, I knew that I liked Eden Messina. She was as sassy as she was beautiful, and it was good to know that someone like her had adapted so well to her unconventional marriage and the life she now led. She made it look easy as if being married to a dangerous man, a killer, was nothing out of the norm. It gave me hope.

Before dinner, Michael took both of us to the gym where he showed Eden some of the moves that he had tried to teach me earlier. It was all done under the watchful and disapproving eye of her bodyguard, Tomas.

After a delicious dinner prepared by the private chef who had been hired to work here at the estate, all I wanted to do was take a hot bath and climb into the large bed in the master suite and sleep. But once my head hit the pillow, I was reminded of how it felt to be alone, of the nights I spent in my old apartment, waiting for the sun to rise because I couldn’t sleep, or watching old reruns of Seinfeld or Friends to fill the silence. I plumped up my pillow and turned to my side, looking at the empty side of the bed, and I began to worry. I didn’t need confirmation from Eden Messina or Father Michael to know that what Rogue was involved in was dangerous or that it was not uncommon for the men he called his friends to be surrounded by death. What I wasn’t sure of was if I could meld into this world as Eden had done. Could I get used to going to bed alone knowing there was the possibility that Rogue may not come home? Eden seemed so at ease with all the danger that surrounded them, but I wasn’t sure I would ever be.