Chapter Seven

Rogue

Seeing the way her face paled as well as the stark fear and anxiety in her eyes after her conversation with her friend confirmed my suspicions that she was running from someone. But now that I knew that it was a man, a man that had beaten and nearly raped her, I was filled with a murderous rage so intense that my knuckles were white from clenching my fists at my side. It angered me that I didn’t find her sooner, that I wasn’t there to protect her. To know that she went through something so traumatic made me feel an even stronger need to shield her from all things that could cause her pain or hurt her. I never wanted her to feel that powerless or afraid again. The fact that she refused to give me a name did not help assuage my fury. I would find the man responsible for making my angel tremble in fear if I had to scour every part of this earth, every hole in which he would try to hide, every back alley in every filthy city. And when I found him, he would then know true terror, true fear, and I would take delight in seeing him suffer.

Bri sat next to me in the back seat as my driver took us to the club. Thoughts of her, the sweet smell of the perfume she was wearing, and the reminder of the softness of her skin were the only things breaking through my anger. The woman was going to drive me mad with lust. I wanted to touch her, pull her onto my lap, and lift her skirt so I could drive into her. I wanted to ease her fears and those worry lines between her eyes. I wanted to assure her that I would never let her be hurt again, that she was safe with me and would never have to handle things alone. She had me now. I would protect her. She would never want for anything. Every wish, every desire, I would grant, if it were in my power to do so.

My fingers itched to touch her, but with the fury I was feeling now, I was afraid that I would hurt her. Although, a part of me wanted to bring her a small measure of pain just so that I could take it away again, ease the sting so that she would finally understand that she was mine, that no other man would have her in their bed. My rage was so intense that I barely heard the notification on my phone. I looked down to see a text from Blaze telling me that Nik wanted to meet at his favorite restaurant as soon as possible. I responded then tossed my phone on the seat beside me.

“Why are you so angry?”

I couldn’t look at her. The wrath I was feeling toward a man I didn’t know and the desire to fuck her until she could think of nothing or no one but me was almost overpowering.

“What tipped you off, Angel? Tell me, why do you think I am angry?”

I heard her sigh loudly and could almost feel the roll of her eyes.

“Well, the frown on your face is typical but today it is more severe than usual. You haven’t tried to touch me since I told you about …about him…about what he did. I suppose I should be grateful for that, but I know it’s because you are upset about something. As to why, I don’t know. I told you the truth, I didn’t say anything to Allison that would cause you problems, and I haven’t tried to run again since last night.”

I clenched my jaw. “Are you certain you want to have this conversation with me right now?”

“I don’t want to have this conversation at all, but since you seem to be brooding over it, I thought I would ask. It’s not as if you were the one beaten and almost sexually assaulted by a crazed stalker.”

Once again, my anger threatened to singe the corners of my self-control. “He hurt you, Bri, and he will pay for that with his life. I promise you that.”

Her luminous eyes widened in astonishment. “You can’t just appoint yourself as my guardian or my personal avenger for anyone that dares to wrong me.” Her brows rose slightly. “And why would you?”

She still didn’t understand, still so reluctant to accept her fate. “You will learn very soon, Angel, that I can do whatever I want. You have no idea how far I will go or the drastic steps I will take to protect what belongs to me. But you will find out shortly and then you will no longer be in doubt about where you belong.”

I watched her eyes widen and decided to change the subject. “We will be having lunch with Nickolai today.”

“The man we are meeting, is he the same one that was almost killed outside your club? Will that not be dangerous? Especially if the ones that shot at him return to finish the job.”

“Nickolai faces threats regularly. As head of the Bratva, he has many enemies. Last night wasn’t even serious enough to make him increase his security detail, and we are meeting on his turf. They will not be so foolish as to try and attack him there so soon after their first failed attempt. He is much more powerful than the men who want to see him dead.”

Her eyes searched mine. “And you? How powerful are you? Powerful enough to be well-protected?”

I found her obvious concern amusing. “Worried about me now, love?”

The concerned expression she was wearing quickly turned into one of irritation. “Never mind, I shouldn’t have asked. Being shot at is probably an everyday thing for you. I can certainly see why. Sometimes I want to shoot you myself.”

Her cheeky nature and quick wits amused me. I continued to look out the window, knowing that if I looked at her now, I would not be able to keep my hands to myself, and while I had every intention of throwing her skirt over her head and devouring every inch of her before fucking her until she could barely walk, Nik’s favorite restaurant was only a few minutes away. There would be time for that later.

Bri

Rogue remained quiet, but I could tell from the hard set of his jaw and the rigidness of his body that he was angry. I didn’t know much about the kind of life that he lived and while I imagined being shot at and being friends with people who were vicious criminals could make anyone’s nerves on edge, he was not the type of man to be intimidated. To say that my nerves were a bit frayed would be a monumental understatement. My foot continuously tapped against the floor, a gesture I often did when I was nervous; my palms were sweaty, and my stomach fluttered. We were about to meet with the leader of the Russian mob. Would we be searched when we entered? Would there be guys with guns everywhere? I had only met the man once before Rogue threw me over his shoulder and carted me away. But he did say that his friend Nickolai was dangerous, as if I couldn’t have figured that much out on my own.

The car came to a stop in front of a small Italian restaurant that was nothing like what I expected. It was very simple, almost like a family café, nothing like the fancy expensive restaurants that seemed to be everywhere in Chicago, the ones I could never afford to eat at, the ones where you had to have reservations weeks ahead of time or know someone important to get in.

The driver came around to open the door for Rogue. He stepped out and adjusted his suit jacket before extending his hand to me. When I got out of the car, the only familiar face I recognized was that of his scowling and sulky friend that I had seen at the club and again at the penthouse.

He stepped closer and even though he was wearing dark sunglasses that hid his eyes, I knew he was staring at me; I could almost feel it.

“Hello, little one.”

It was the first time he had spoken to me directly. I was too nervous to speak so I just gave him a timid smile, and I felt Rogue tighten his hold on my hand.

“Blaze will be by your side anytime I am not. If anything happens and you can’t find me, he will find you. He will protect you at all costs.”

I looked from one man to the other and wondered how two obvious alpha males could coexist peacefully. Then the words he had spoken began to pierce through the stupor my brain seemed to be in.

“Do I need protecting?”

He turned back to look at me briefly. “You are my woman, and I will not take any chances with your safety.”

Those four words, you are my woman , sent a chill down my spine and seemed so final, as if that was all I needed to know.

I didn’t have any more time to argue that statement with him as he immediately began tugging me behind him as we entered the restaurant. I heard a deep brief chuckle from behind me, and I wondered if Blaze found this entire situation entertaining. It made me speculate how many women he had said that to before and if any of them were held captive as I found myself to be. I imagined I am the only woman who did not run to his bed the minute he looked in their direction. Although I kept referring to my predicament as captivity, I had to admit that I hadn’t tried very hard to escape since the first night. There was something wrong with me.

When an unintentional sigh slipped past my lips, Blaze stepped forward and whispered near my ear, “Bored so soon or were you thinking of the more pleasurable aspects of being Rogue’s woman?”

I turned my head and met his gaze. “Jealous? I will trade places with you if that’s what you want.” I was about to also let him know in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t anyone’s woman when a very large and burly-looking man stepped out of the shadows.

“You all have to be searched before you go any farther.” His Russian accent was thick.

Blaze stepped past me. “The fuck we do! Nickolai knows we are coming.”

“Yes, he does, and he left strict orders that everyone was to be searched.”

Blaze’s expression became even more severe. “Let me save you fuckers the time. I have three pistols on me and about five different knives and not one of you is capable of relieving me of them.”

Rogue released my hand and opened his coat. “We are both carrying weapons and Nickolai knows it. What kind of game is this?”

One of the men stepped between me and Rogue separating us. I took several steps back as a small grin crossed his lips.

“Touch her and I’ll cut off both your hands.”

I was surprised at how relieved I was to hear Rogue’s voice through the buzzing in my ears and even more glad to feel his arm around my waist.

“She is with me, and nobody touches her. Do I make myself clear?”

For a minute I thought a fight would break out before we were even allowed admittance into the restaurant, but a deep laugh came from one of the tables inside.

“Let them pass, Yuri, and for God’s sake, don’t touch the girl. I do believe Rogue is serious with his threat.” He stood up from behind the table and held a glass in his hand. “I can’t say that I would fault him, should I ever possess something so lovely, I would be protective of her too.”

My feet seemed rooted to the floor, but Rogue was pulling me alongside him as we moved to the large round table at the back of the restaurant to take a seat with the Russian mob boss.

Rogue sat to my left and Blaze to my right while Nickoli and one of his men sat across from us.

“It is good to see that you have decided to stick around, Miss Rogers. After Rogue’s rather barbaric display, I had my doubts.”

I wanted to ask how he knew my name, but Rogue’s hand instantly went to my knee and squeezed softly. I took that as my cue to keep my mouth shut.

Blaze leaned forward. “For someone that has an army of assassins trying to kill you, I have to say that you seem rather calm, Nickolai.”

The Russian’s lips lifted into a slight smile that seemed more deadly than it did humorous.

“When you are the leader of the Volkoff Bratva, you get accustomed to attempts on your life. To me, it is just another day.” His eyes lifted and held mine. “Besides, there are times that a man needs something that challenges him both in business…and in the bedroom.”

The Russian had the most penetrating ice-blue eyes I had ever seen. There was a glass of water in front of me and I picked it up and drank half of it.

Was every bad guy in this city sexy as hell or was it just me?

“What do you know of the Armenian threat?”

Thankfully, Nickolai broke his gaze with me to focus on what Rogue had just asked. “Little more than you I imagine. Although I am not sure that I believe the confession you extracted from the Armenian that Blaze captured outside the club the night of the assassination attempt. He was much too far down the food chain to have any real details. But I do believe they want to weaken the hold you have on the city. Perhaps they are seeking to draw your focus onto something else, thinking it will be easier to seize control if you are otherwise…preoccupied.” His gaze turned back to me. “They want Chicago and everything within your empire. Once they have taken out your organization, there is no doubt that their greed and stupidity will cause them to move on to Vegas and Los Angeles and try to take from the Bratva. The attempt on my life was just a bonus. They never expected me to be in Chicago. Someone was just trying to take advantage of the situation and became ballsy. I imagine the original target was you.”

“The man Blaze tortured in the warehouse said that they wanted to start a war between us. I had already determined that he was too far down the line to be the one making the decisions. He wouldn’t give up a name and we were quite insistent on it. I don’t think he knew who was pulling his strings. Do you have any ideas?”

I watched as Nickoli shrugged as if none of this was a big deal.

Did I just hear Mr. Delaney talk about torturing a man?! What the hell had I become mixed up in?

I twisted my hands on my lap as Rogue moved the material of my dress up so he could touch my skin just above my knee. The slow circles he drew with his fingers caused me to shiver but were not as comforting as I imagined he thought they would be.

The Russian’s lips curled into a smile. “Creating a division between us would be a waste of time, but like I said before, I do not think that is their intention. I feel they are trying to create a distraction that will put you off guard. It will require more digging to discover who is behind it. I will, however, offer my support and help if the need arises. If you and Blaze find the situation more than you can handle, that is.”

I turned my head to see Rogue’s face darken.

“While I appreciate your help, I assure you that I am more than capable of protecting and securing everything that is mine.”

Nickolai nodded. “I never doubted you. I will be returning to Vegas tomorrow, but you know where to find me if you need anything. I will also send out feelers and speak to my contacts to see if I can discover anything else that would be helpful. But since I am here in Chicago and rented out the entire restaurant, we should at least eat.”

His eyes met mine again. “They have the best pizza in town. You should try it.”

I was startled when Rogue’s phone buzzed with a notification and bumped my knee against the table, causing the glasses to rattle. I saw Nickolai’s smile widen and I could tell that it amused him to see me frightened. It was all I could do not to kick him under the table.

Rogue leaned over, pressed a kiss to my cheek, and whispered in my ear. “Don’t be afraid, Angel.” He then glanced at Blaze before turning to address Nickolai again. “If you will excuse me, I need to step out and handle this.”

I wanted to reach out to him and had to clasp my hands together to keep from doing so. Rogue may have done some despicable things, namely handcuffing me to his bed, and keeping me against my will, but he was the one man in this room who did not make me shy away in fear. Even my so-called protector Blaze made me anxious.

“Would you like some wine, Miss Rogers?”

I nodded and he poured some in a glass for me.

“It’s odd being the only ones in a restaurant.” It was something that popped into my head and suddenly my mouth decided to speak it aloud.

“It makes it easier for me to manage who is allowed entrance that way.” His smile faded. “I was speaking the truth when I said I receive death threats and assassination attempts routinely.”

I felt as if something was stuck in my throat. I took a sip of the wine as I let my eyes move around the room, taking note of the security he had stationed at every window, every entrance, and I didn’t see how anyone would be able to get to this man.

“I need to use the restroom.”

Nickolai stood from his seat as did Blaze.

“It is down the hall to your left.”

Blaze took my arm. “I will escort you.”

I shook my head desperately, just wanting a few minutes to myself, time to clear my head and think. “That will not be necessary.”

Nickolai moved from around the table. “The room has no windows and there is only one way out. She will be safe to go alone.”

Blaze nodded, but I could sense his reluctance. “I will be watching for you, little one.”

I turned and made my way past two of Nickolai’s rather large guards and down the narrow and dark hallway to the ladies’ restroom. Once inside I immediately went to the sink and turned on the water. I only needed a few minutes away from the table, away from the dangerous men surrounding me, and away from the ominous threats that surrounded them.

My chest heaved as I breathed in and out, almost on the verge of hyperventilating. My heart was pounding, but if I didn’t get back out there soon, there was no doubt in my mind that someone would be coming to retrieve me. So, I washed my hands and took a few more deep steadying breaths to calm myself before opening the door.

I stopped suddenly when I was met by a rather large and intimidating force. Nickolai was leaning against the wall waiting for me.

“I thought we could have a few minutes alone to…talk.”

I instantly became more alert. “Where is Blaze?”

“He is being detained for the moment; a feat not easily done I might add. And I am not sure how long my men will be able to hold him.”

“What do you want to talk about?”

He stepped closer, looking down at me intensely. “You.”

He began closing the space between us so that I was trapped between his body and the only exit. My eyes darted past him, expecting to see Blaze or Rogue coming to my defense at any time, but right now, I was alone.

“I assure you that I am not at all interesting nor am I worth your time.”

He leaned closer and studied me as if he were sizing me up. “I can see where Rogue finds your innocence appealing. It is both fascinating and enchanting. But will a woman as pure and guileless as you be able to withstand this world? Are you strong enough to belong to a man with so much power, a man who can easily crush his enemies and anyone who makes the mistake of crossing him? Or are you here for some other purpose? Is all this sweetness just an act to get close to him? Could it be that you are the distraction meant to bring him down?”

He was baiting me. I tried to swallow the lump that seemed to be stuck in my throat. “That’s a lot of questions.”

“I am just trying to make certain that you aren’t hiding something behind that beautiful smile and sexy body.”

He leaned closer and regarded me with curiosity. “Fuck, I can almost smell your purity. Are you truly so virtuous, Miss Rogers? Or is it all make-believe?”

Warning spasms of alarm moved through me, and I pulled away. “Don’t touch me.”

He tilted his head to the side, his voice dipping an octave lower. “I am not accustomed to people telling me what to do, ptichka , but I assure you that I have no wish to anger my friend by touching what is his, no matter how tempting you may be.”

I had already had a hell of a morning and I had enough of this man trying to frighten me, or intimidate me, or whatever he was doing. I pushed against his chest, and he took a step back. “I am stronger than you think, and I do not belong to anyone. The past few days have been very long, more than a bit disturbing, and quite frankly I have grown tired of everything. So, get the hell out of my way or do whatever it is that you came here to do.”

His dark frown turned up slightly at the corners of his mouth, and I moved past him and walked back to the table where I saw Blaze being physically restrained. Rogue walked back inside at the same time, his eyes moving from Blaze to where Nickolai followed me from the hallway. His eyes seemed to burn with anger as he came to me.

“Trying to intimidate her? You should know better, Nik. Don’t make me kill you.”

Nickolai’s men immediately pulled out their pistols, but he held up his hand and they quickly lowered them.

“No worries, my friend. I was the perfect gentleman. I did not touch her.”

Rogue put an arm around my waist and anchored me to his side. “If that is the only information you have for me, I will leave you to your lunch. I have more important things to do today, but I will keep you informed if anything happens that concerns you or the Bratva.”

He nodded routinely. “And I will do the same.”

Nickolai stepped closer to me. “It was a pleasure to meet you, ptichka , and I am glad that we had our talk. If it means anything to you, I think you just might be strong enough to be in our world, even if you don’t plan on staying long.”

I heard a loud scuffle behind us and turned to see Blaze pull free of the men that had restrained him and immediately punched them, causing both men to drop to the ground. “Put your hands on me again and I will fucking kill you!”

Nickolai shook his head slightly, telling his men to stand down when they shot to their feet ready to fight.

Rogue pushed me forward. “Go with Blaze. He will escort you back to the car. I need to speak with Nickolai.”

I glanced back over my shoulder, glad to finally be leaving. Blaze gripped my elbow and the other men parted to let us pass.

When we got to the car, Blaze opened the door. “I didn’t expect Nik to do something so bold and stupid. Next time I will be ready.”

He shut the car door before I could respond, and I leaned back against the seat glad to have some time alone.

Rogue

“You shouldn’t have done that, Nik. Blaze will not easily forget, and your men are lucky they aren’t dead.”

Nickolai waved a hand and his men instantly disappeared to leave us alone. “I will make it up to him the next time he is in Vegas.”

“What did you say to her?”

“I merely wanted to get a better feel for her character. I have seen you with many women over the years, but never have you been so enamored with one. I simply wanted to find out if she was hiding something behind that innocent facade you find so attractive. You can’t be too careful, Rogue. What if she was sent to infiltrate your organization? A pretty face like hers would be easy to lower your guard around. But after speaking with her, I feel her innocence is genuine. She also showed me that she possesses an unexpected strength. It will be an asset. A weak woman can be a liability. You know that as well as I do. But it appears as if Miss Rogers is much more than what you see on the surface. I honestly think she would have tried to fight me if I had not let her pass when she asked me. She has a fire in her eyes that I find appealing. But I am not certain you will be able to hold her. She is quite adamant that she does not belong to you. Perhaps you should just cut your losses and allow someone else a chance to tame her.”

“Fuck you, Nik.”

His mocking laughter was deep and low.

“Before you leave, I have a gift for you.”

He nodded to one of his men who left the room.

“What have you done, Nik?”

A sinister grin crossed his face. “Just doing you a favor.”

I turned as two of Nik’s men came back into the room dragging a bloodied and beaten man between them. His head was hanging down so I couldn’t see his face.

Nik walked over and pulled his hair to hold his head up. His men had done a number on him.

“Who is he?”

Nik dropped his head. “This is your masquerading Russian.”

My eyes narrowed. “I told you that I would handle it, Nik. This is Chicago, not Vegas.”

“His deception was a slap in the face to the Bratva. I couldn’t let an insult to me, and my family, go unpunished. Besides, before he passed out from the pain, he was able to give us important information on his reason for being here in Chicago causing trouble.”

Bri was waiting for me in the car, and I had more important shit to take care of today, I didn’t have time to play Nik’s games. “Are you going to tell me or are we going to play charades?”

“Impatience is a flaw, my friend. Your lovely little captive can wait a few more minutes.”

He walked back over to the table and casually took a drink of his wine. I was beginning to believe he was purposefully dragging this out just to piss me off.

Nik sighed. “He was paid to masquerade as a member of the Russian Bratva. He doesn’t know the name of the man who gave him the money, but he was told to go around the city, demand money from shop owners, vandalize property, etc. But he had to make certain that he claimed to be doing all these things in the name of the Bratva.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Why would he do something that undoubtedly would bring the attention of the Bratva on him?”

“Money. They paid him rather well. He did say that the men who met with him all wore the same tattoo on their necks. Sound familiar?”

“You think whoever is behind the Armenian threat is also the one that paid him? They certainly are going to a lot of trouble.”

Nik took another sip of his drink. “Whoever is behind it is a fool. None of this makes sense and none of it is statistically beneficial to a takeover. It’s very amateurish and stupid. To be honest, I do not think there is much to fear.”

“They tried to assassinate you.”

Nik shrugged his shoulders. “But they didn’t succeed. Besides, why should I fear when you and Blaze are the main targets? And I don’t have a beautiful long-legged distraction as you do.”

“What are you going to do with him?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

I nodded as I walked toward the door.

“Rogue.”

I turned back to see Nik smiling. “Do try and stay alive. I would hate to have to deal with just Blaze anytime I visit Chicago.”

While I was angry at Nik for what he had done to Bri, I knew his reasons. As I walked to the car, I wondered how she would react to my next move and smiled. It was the reason for the phone call I received while at the table with Nik. Even before he questioned my motives, I had already decided what I needed to do. She would be furious and turning every ounce of her anger into passion would be a pleasure.

Blaze was waiting for me beside the car, his hands clenched into tight fists as he paced. Bri was seated in the backseat.

“I should have killed every one of those fuckers!”

I arched an eyebrow. “Nik meant no harm.”

“What did he do to her?”

“He just asked questions. Nik knows better than to hurt her. I need you to plan on attending the gala with us tonight and then go to the club, I have other plans for the evening.”

Blaze’s frown intensified. “Something that involves her, no doubt. Why can’t you just let her go, Rogue? Things are too dangerous. If you don’t focus on the damn Armenians or whoever else is behind the recent takeover attempts, you won’t have a dick to fuck her with. Get your head together. Women are meant to be fucked and discarded, nothing more.”

I moved around him toward the car. “Not this one. Will you be at the club or not?”

“I’ll be there, but heed the warnings you have been given, Rogue.”

I watched as he walked away and for a minute I wondered if I should listen to his advice and send her away, not for good, but at least until the danger had passed. I could send her to Alessio in New York. He would keep her from running as well as protect her. I opened the door and sat beside her. The driver had already been given instructions as to our next stop.

I looked over to see her sitting as close to the opposite door as possible. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she refused to look in my direction.

“I’m sorry if Nik frightened you.”

“I wasn’t afraid.”

“That is admirable of you and says a great deal about your fortitude and courage. I have seen grown men break down into tears when forced to kneel in front of Nik.”

She looked over at me but did not uncross her arms. “He didn’t force me to my knees, all he did was ask questions. I think he believes me to be some sort of spy.”

An image popped into my head of her being forced to her knees in front of me and my cock instantly stiffened as I thought of her pretty pink lips wrapping around my throbbing dick. I wanted to touch her. I reached over and pulled her toward me. My hand cradled her neck as I pressed her back against the seat. I wanted to taste her. I wanted to strip her naked and let my fingers pave the way for my tongue. She pressed against my chest, but I wasn’t ready to release her. I wanted to brand her, mark her, claim her as mine. The thought was driving me mad. I moved from her lips and sank my teeth into the side of her neck, eliciting a cry of surprise from her sweet lips. I sucked hard and then licked over the spot where my teeth marks were still evident.

“Soon everyone will know that you are mine, Angel.”

I moved back to her lips and swallowed the cry of protest before she could argue that point. Soon there would be no escape. I had already made the arrangements and then she would forever be trapped in the darkness and danger that was my life. A part of me felt guilty at what I was about to do, but then I remembered how it felt when I sank my cock into her virgin pussy, and the red-hot possessiveness that came over me earlier returned full force. She was made for me, and only me. The thought of any other man touching her and taking her to their bed made me homicidal. There was nothing else I could do to ease the fire inside me. No, I would not feel guilty for wanting her; I would not feel guilty for tying her to me forever. My hand moved up her skirt to touch the smooth silky skin of her thigh. I wanted to feel the warmth of her core; I wanted to thrust my fingers inside her and bring her pleasure, to feel her come on me.

I roughly pushed her legs farther apart and slid her panties aside before rubbing my fingers against her folds. My mouth swallowed her cries as I thrust two fingers inside her. My thumb rubbed over her clit, making her squirm against my hand. She was very passionate, and I looked forward to pushing her boundaries, to making her experience things she had not before.

She continued to ride my hand as my fingers moved inside her until I felt a rush of her essence over my fingers as she trembled. Her eyes were slightly glazed, and her cheeks flushed when I pulled my hand free. I placed the two fingers in my mouth and licked them clean as she watched.

“The only man you will ever be on your knees before is me, love. And I can’t tell you how much I look forward to seeing your lips wrapped around my cock.” I gripped the back of her neck and pulled her mouth to mine, knowing she could still taste herself on my tongue. “But first, I have a surprise for you.”