Chapter Five

Rogue

The argument with Bri had caused me to be later to my impromptu meeting with Blaze than I had intended. When my driver stopped the car out in front of the dark metal warehouse building in a more industrialized part of the city where we conducted our more clandestine meetings and slightly less than legal activities, I motioned for him to stay behind. I did not know what Blaze had waiting for me inside, and there were some parts of my business that I kept strictly between Blaze and me.

“Took you long enough.”

Blaze unhurriedly stepped out of the dark shadows of the mostly empty building. A smoke circle passed from his lips as he emerged into the moonlight before tossing the cigarette he had been smoking on the ground at his feet.

“I wasn’t expecting to have to leave the confines of the penthouse again tonight so you will have to excuse my tardiness.”

Blaze stepped closer, and I could see his hands were already covered in blood.

“From the extra surly look on your face, I would venture to guess that you were not successful convincing your newest plaything to join you in your bed tonight.” His lips curved up slightly in a sarcastic grin. “Or maybe leaving her alone naked in your bed is the reason for your annoyance. Either way, I’m glad to oblige.”

A low growl passed from my lips as I stalked forward. “I don’t recall it being any of your business who I have in my bed or in what state of undress they are in. But regardless of the inconvenience of your call, here I am, shivering in the cold and looking at your ugly face instead of enjoying what could have turned into a pleasurable evening. Not exactly the delightful turn of events I was hoping for, thus the reason I seem disagreeable. Now, why the fuck am I here? I know you did not drag me down here just to chat.”

“I have a present for you.” He walked back toward the warehouse.

I followed the smell of blood, piss, and fear growing stronger the farther we went into the building. Blaze stopped in front of a man tied to a chair. His face was beaten and bloody, his shirt had been torn open and there were cuts along his chest still oozing blood from where Blaze’s knife had carved into his skin. Knives and blades had always been his preferred method of inflicting pain when he was “playing” with his victims.

“There were two men outside the club tonight, the shooter, and this unfortunate fellow. He was lucky enough to escape on foot but not smart enough to keep running. I caught up with him a few blocks away, hiding behind a dumpster and waiting for someone to come pick him up, but I have a feeling that since he and his dead friend fucked things up so spectacularly, whoever sent him decided that he wasn’t worth the trouble and left him to fend for himself. One of our men working security recognized him as being with the would-be assassin tonight outside the club before all the chaos occurred. All he has done since I caught him is make threats and feign courage.”

I leaned forward to glare into the swollen and bruised eyes of the man Blaze had strapped to the chair before me. I studied the tattoo on his neck. “Not Russian. This looks to be Armenian.” I gripped his chin and forced his face up to mine. “My question is why would a member of the Armenian mafia be in my city, and why would you try to attack the leader of the most powerful Russian crime organization in the country? If you are so eager to meet death, you have come to the right place.”

I watched as the man’s teeth clenched and his chin jutted out in defiance, and I smiled. This was exactly the distraction I was needing right now.

I took off my coat, not wanting it to get ruined, and handed it to Blaze before putting on the thick leather gloves I had with me. I tilted my head slightly as I examined the man sitting before me.

“Most men are brave until they realize that there is no escape from death. I have seen it before many times. You think you can block out the pain, the fear. You think you are strong enough to withstand it. But there comes a point when death is not what one fears the most.”

His eyes flicked up to watch Blaze circle behind him. The anticipation of what was to come made his body begin to tremble.

“I can see the wheels turning in your mind. You think that if you talk to me and tell me what is being planned, your boss, whoever that might be, will do far worse than what I am about to do.” I leaned closer, my voice lowering as I spoke to him, adding to his fear. “But that isn’t true. I can make your suffering linger. I have spent years studying the art of bringing the maximum amount of pain with minimal blood loss. It allows me to play with my victims for longer before they bleed out or lose consciousness. I can do this for days until you tell me everything you know. When I am done with you, you will be willing to sell out your mother just so the pain will end. And I am not squeamish, so shall we get started?”

I could see my words were starting to affect him. Perspiration mixed with blood began to drip into his eyes. I had a reputation, one that I had proudly cultivated over the years, and whoever had sent him had to know what would occur if he was caught. While the thoughts of what was about to happen to him began to sink into his brain, Blaze rolled over a small table with everything I would need to cause the agony necessary to get the information I needed. Just the sight of the implements made his eyes widen.

I walked over to the table and let my fingers glide over each piece. There were knives of all shapes and sizes, some jagged and others sharp as razors. Screwdrivers, drills, poisons, and alcohol to pour over the wounds to make them burn. Speaking of burning, there was a butane torch, pliers, a hammer, and all sorts of fun tools. I finally settled on the nail gun. It would be a nice slow start. I picked it up and walked toward him before pressing it to his shoulder.

“Since I do have somewhere I would much rather be right now, I will give you an opportunity to stop this before it begins. Tell me who sent you and why you tried to assassinate Nickolai Volkoff at my club tonight?”

A sudden flash of defiance appeared in his eyes, and I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. He squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. “Fuck you! Soon all of you will die and this city will be free of your stench.”

I squeezed the trigger, sending the nail into his shoulder at the joint. He screamed before spitting blood on the floor at my feet from where he had bitten through his lip.

I kept my voice calm and steady as I watched a glazed look of pain and anguish begin to spread over his face. “Such vulgar language and spite for someone in such a precarious position, my friend. Let’s try this again. Who sent you?”

I pressed the nail gun to the side of his knee at a place that would create optimum pain.

“Kakes ger merakoun!” Eat shit motherfucker !

I pulled the trigger again. His screams echoed around us. “I speak several different languages, and Armenian is one of them. You should learn to think before you speak.”

The sound of Blaze cracking his knuckles echoed around the room as he stepped forward, drawing my attention. “While you might have your reasons for dragging this out, I would like to get at least a couple of hours of sleep tonight. So, stop playing around. Just get on with it. Nail his balls to the chair or cut off his dick. I don’t care which, just speed this up.”

My voice dripped with cynicism. “That’s easy for you to say, you have already had a bit of fun with him.”

I raised an eyebrow as I turned back to our victim and gave Blaze’s suggestion a bit more thought. “Hmm, I imagine you are right. He isn’t going to need his dick after tonight anyway.” I moved over to the table, selected a scalpel, and stepped closer. That was all it took for our Armenian friend to start talking, and I found it rather disappointing that he didn’t have the stamina to endure more.

Two Hours Later

I stepped out of the warehouse, the cold-biting wind whipping around me along with the smell of sulfur as Blaze struck a match to light his cigarette.

“Send a message to Nik. I want to talk with him as soon as possible.”

“And the Armenian?” Blaze asked, his voice hard and cold.

“Dispose of the body. I don’t want it found. I need to let Nik know what is being planned so appropriate measures can be taken before the Armenians make their next move.”

Blaze nodded automatically. “Do you believe everything he said in there?”

“No, but there could be some truth to it. Whoever is behind this knows the connection between the Bratva and our organization. The shooting taking place at the club was not a coincidence. Taking on both the Bratva and our organization is ambitious. It makes me wonder if there is more behind this than what our dead friend back there knew. He was just following orders, hoping for notoriety by killing Nickolai. He was just a pawn, not the brains behind this.”

“I’ll take care of the body and call you with the details later. You should go back to the penthouse and hope your sweet little houseguest doesn’t kill you before the Armenians get the chance.”

I watched as he walked back inside the warehouse, and I made my way back to where my driver was waiting for me. I wasn’t exactly sure what the Armenians were planning. If they were attempting to steal from me or the Volkoff Bratva, they would fail, but my instincts told me there was more to it than that. Whatever they had planned, I knew trouble would soon be coming. Unless Nik and I could put a stop to it before it started. Their attempt at assassinating Nik had failed, and the men directly involved were all dead now. But I had a feeling this was just the beginning. Things would only get more dangerous.

This was a bad time for me to bring a woman into my world. Things were about to heat up quickly, and I would have to be vigilant to keep her safe, which meant that she would have to stop fighting me. I didn’t have the time or patience to deal with a testy female, no matter how beautiful and alluring she could be. Her defiance was not simply annoying now, it could get her killed. Perhaps Blaze was right, I should rethink our arrangement and either let her go or put her on a plane out of Chicago. As the car drew closer to the penthouse, I knew that was something I wasn’t willing to do. The challenge now would be to get her to accept her fate.

Bri

Once I was alone and sure that Mr. Delaney had finally left the apartment, I began moving around the room, trying to find anything that would pry open the lock on the door. The arrogant asshole may have released me from the cuffs, but I was still locked in the room. After searching for a few minutes, I realized it was useless. The place was like a damn fortress. I thought about throwing something through the window and drawing attention to me, but we were twenty-one floors up and the windows looked pretty thick. I wouldn’t be strong enough to break them and there was no way anyone would notice me this far up without a major distraction. Once the realization sunk in that there was no way I was getting out of his bedroom until he returned, I figured I might as well take advantage of my captor’s hospitality.

The dress I had worn to the club was not exactly something anyone would want to lounge around in, so I moved to his closet and rummaged around until I found an extremely soft and what looked to be a very expensive silk shirt. A part of me hoped that it was one of his favorites. I slipped it on and rolled up the long sleeves to my elbows. The material hung down to the middle of my thighs and would be adequate until I could leave the room and get my own sleepwear.

I snooped around the rest of the room, and I had to give it to the man, he had style. His clothes were all designer and if my guess was correct, they were all tailored to fit him. Everything he possessed screamed luxury, wealth, and power. I moved from the closet and walked to the bathroom. There was a huge shower and a large whirlpool tub on the other side of the room that seemed to be calling my name, and since I was alone, I thought I would take advantage of it while I could.

I turned on the faucet and undressed as the tub filled. As I sank into the hot water, steam rising around me, I couldn’t help but think that a girl could get used to this kind of luxury. My tiny apartment only had a shower that was barely big enough to turn around in; the water pressure was weak, and the water would barely get warm. It was nothing like this.

After soaking until my skin grew pruney and the water cooled, I stepped out of the tub onto the plush bathmat and wrapped myself up into one of the thick cotton towels I had found in the linen closet before moving back into the bedroom. The penthouse was eerily quiet. I slipped his shirt back over my head, the silk caressing my skin, and climbed into his bed, the bed that I had agreed to share with him.

I propped up a few of the thick pillows and watched the door, wondering when he would return. It was surprising that a part of me was looking forward to another encounter. The man was as infuriating as he was stimulating, but I wasn’t the type of girl to sit around and whine when things got tough. So, I plumped up the pillows behind my back, crossed my arms over my chest, and prepared for him to walk back through the door.

The Next Morning

“Do you plan on sleeping the day away?”

A rich husky voice penetrated through my sleepy haze. I blinked my eyes, my lids heavy from sleep, to allow them to adjust to the light streaming in through the windows. A few strands of hair hung down in my face, and I brushed them away before pushing myself into more of a sitting position. It took a moment for me to become aware of his presence beside me. I must have fallen asleep while waiting for him to return last night. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and the sheets had slipped low over his hips, really low, barely covering the lower portion of his body. I forced my gaze back up to his face.

“When did you get back? Why didn’t I hear you come in?”

“You were sleeping peacefully, and I was quiet so as not to disturb you.”

He smiled as I scooted toward the edge of the bed. “No need to be shy now, kitten. You weren’t that eager to get away from me an hour or so ago.”

I gripped the sheets and pulled them up to my chest as if they would shield me from his teasing eyes. “What are you talking about?”

He smugly turned onto his side to face me and pressed back into the pillows. “You sleep soundly and didn’t even flinch when I crawled into bed beside you in the wee hours of the morning, but it didn’t take long for you to seek my warmth. I have to say, I enjoyed waking up to find your tight little ass snuggled against my side.”

The slight grin on his face was incredibly irritating.

“I never would have guessed that you would be such a bed hog.”

“You are a liar and so full of yourself that it is nauseating.” I twisted away quickly, but before I could swing my legs to the floor, I felt his strong arm wrap around my waist and pull me roughly to him before he pressed me down onto the mattress and covered my body with his own, making me ever so conscious of where his warm flesh touched mine.

“Not so fast, sweetheart.” His fingers traced over the silk of the shirt I was wearing. “You have good taste, this shirt is my favorite, even more so now.”

His hand slipped lower, and his fingers seared a path over my bare thigh, causing my body to shiver with delight. “Although, I would prefer that you sleep naked. Skin against skin is much more sensual, don’t you agree?”

A gasp slipped past my lips as the hardness of his thigh brushed against mine, but I pushed back the desire building inside me. “I would prefer to be back in my apartment, but we don’t always get what we want, do we?”

He narrowed his eyes as he leaned closer to me, his warm breath teasing my naked flesh. “Speak for yourself, sweetheart. I always get what I want.”

Before I could offer any kind of protest, he ripped the shirt open. The sound of tearing silk and buttons pinging against the tile floor should have spurred me into action. I should have fought against him, pushed him away, screamed, but I didn’t. Whether it was from shock or that inner part of me that wanted him to touch me, I wasn’t sure. Either way, I didn’t move, and I didn’t fight, and when his warm hands skimmed over my naked breasts, every nerve came alive. How could this man make my skin burn and shiver at the same time as if my body was half ice and half flame?

“We shouldn’t be doing this.”

His nose pressed into the crook of my neck and my eyes nearly rolled back in my head when his tongue flicked over the skin just beneath my ear.

“This is exactly what we should be doing.” There was a cool authority in his voice.

His hand seared a path down my side and over my abdomen, causing the war raging inside me to intensify. I barely knew this man and what I had learned about him so far, was definitely sending up some red flags. It wouldn’t be wise to allow myself to fall for a man like him…no matter how gorgeous he was. No matter how much I wanted him to kiss me, to touch me. He had handcuffed me to the bed, locked me in his bedroom, and refused to let me leave. How could I still want him? I had to have something wrong with me.

His hand slipped lower, between my thighs, parting my folds. I heard a soft sigh pass from my lips, but the pleasure I was feeling was short-lived. A sudden pounding on the door brought back my sanity. He was surprisingly swift as he moved away from me, a pistol suddenly appearing in his hand.

“Stay here!”

I pulled together the ripped material of the shirt I was wearing, or what was left of it, and jumped from the bed. “Wait…don’t go out there.”

He looked back over his shoulder as he moved to the door. His face was hard and serious, causing me to freeze. “This is not the time to disobey me, Bri. Stay here!”

I took a step back at the harshness in his voice. He slipped on the pants he had discarded before he had gotten into bed and held the pistol at his side before leaving the room and slamming the door behind him.

Rogue

My anger at having my time with Bri once again disturbed was near the boiling point when I walked out of the bedroom to find Blaze waiting for me. I was beginning to think that he was doing it on purpose.

“Why the hell are you here?”

He was making himself right at home standing by the bar pouring himself a glass of whiskey, my best bottle no doubt.

“I didn’t know I needed a reason, but as it were, I thought I would come by and introduce myself to your lost little angel. With things heating up and becoming more dangerous, it would be wise for her to become familiar with me.”

I walked over and took the glass from his hand before turning it up and draining the whiskey. “You don’t think I had already thought of that? But as noble as your intentions sound, coming by for a surprise visit is not why you are here. So, tell me the real reason you have chosen to disturb me again.”

I watched as he took the bottle from in front of me and turned it up. He closed his eyes and a low growl of satisfaction rumbled from his chest. Blaze has always enjoyed a good whiskey, almost as much as he enjoyed the women he had in his bed.

He sat the bottle back down and strolled over to take a seat on my sofa. “I talked to Nik. He wants to meet before he leaves Chicago to return to Las Vegas. He will contact you with a place and time.”

“Is that all? You could have texted that.”

His expression didn’t change. “I was hoping I could reason with you about the girl.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “You? The voice of reason?”

He shrugged his shoulders, the slight grin he had worn when he came in disappeared. “Think what you want, but the girl shouldn’t be here. Especially now. There is no doubt the Armenians have you under surveillance or at least they did until the two fools from the club fucked up their assignment. Even so, if they have seen her and think she is more than just a casual fuck toy, they could try to use her. Send her away before something happens to her, or she hears and sees more than you want her to. We both know you have the city in your pocket, but you still don’t need some innocent young girl telling everyone the things she has seen while with you. Don’t let your dick make decisions that could hurt the business. You can give her a settlement that will make her happy, and she can be on her way before she gets involved. There is a war coming. We should all prepare for it. Send the girl away. When all of this is over, you can go find her again or better yet, find another beauty to grace your bed.”

My eyes narrowed as I contemplated his words. “You certainly have a lot to say on the matter. Why the sudden interest in what I do?”

He shrugged his shoulders in mock resignation. “I am feeling uncharacteristically charitable. Take it for what it is, it won’t last long.”

“I prefer you better as a psychotic asshole. Get the hell out before I decide to shoot you myself.”

He stood from the sofa, adjusted his jacket, and nodded toward the hallway where I could see the bedroom door cracked open and Bri peering out. “The longer you let this game play out, the harder it will be for her to leave. I will see you at the club and you should prepare her to meet me. If things continue on this path, she will need to trust me as much as she does you. It might be what keeps her alive, especially if you are too stubborn to let her go. We both know you will tire of her soon enough, Rogue. End it now before she gets hurt.”

The truth of his words did nothing to improve my mood. He was right. If the Armenian mob was about to make a move against us, the city would become embroiled in a war and Bri was in danger of becoming collateral damage. But with me being under surveillance, she might already be a target. Her life may already inadvertently be in danger.

I turned to walk back toward the bedroom and watched her close the bedroom door with lightning-fast speed. Blaze was right, but unlike my normally bad-tempered friend, I was not the least bit charitable. I always got what I wanted and right now, I wanted the blue-eyed lost angel that walked into my club two nights ago. Unfortunately for her, the life she once had was about to change forever.