Chapter 19

Keelan

“ Y ou know,” Sadie started. “As cruel as you were to me when we were kids, I never thought you’d turn out to be the most sadistic one in your family.” She kept her gaze on mine, and the slight lift in her chin added to the bravado in her voice. “I was wrong about you.”

This was the first time she had spoken to me in the nine hours we had been driving since we left the gas station. By then, it was almost six-thirty, and the sun had dipped below the horizon. Sadie’s judgmental eyes turned away from me as I drove into a motel parking lot. She ran her hand over her mouth, clearly frustrated and angry.

I tried to hide my smile, but her ridiculous behavior was too funny. “I never claimed to be a good man, princess,” I replied, pulling the car into a spot close to the motel door. “You just hoped I would be, so it would ease your guilt when you let me fuck you.”

Her head whipped back toward me, and her mouth gaped. I teasingly slid my tongue over my lips, watching her squirm in her seat. Her brows furrowed, and her expression shifted into disgust. “ Well, it was a mistake that will never happen again. I regret all of it.”

“Is that right?” I purred as my hand made its way to her inner thigh.

Her weak spot.

Sadie stiffened under my touch but resisted pushing my hand away—still determined to prove a point. But that pouting, stubborn look on her only made my dick grow hard. “Because, how I see it, you haven’t regretted any time I was inside you. Not then or now. Come to think of it, I think you kinda liked it.” I lightly squeezed her thigh. “You probably enjoyed it when I chased you last night, too.”

“Oh … you goddamn asshole, Keelan. Like I have a choice now, with you holding me hostage. And two years ago, long before you slit a man’s throat, I was taken as property by a monster who hated me. What the hell did you expect me to do? Cry every day and live in complete misery after I said, ‘I do?’ I hoped that if you felt anything for me at all, you’d change.”

“Change?” I raised my dark eyebrow at the word. My lips curled into a wide grin as my hand slid up her thigh before pulling it away. “There is no changing me, Sadie. Arthur Blake raised me, for fuck’s sake. He taught me and my brothers everything we needed to know to survive in our business. That includes killing anyone who got in our way and not batting a damn eye when we did it. I am who I am, and you would be smart to remember that. I took you as a gift, nothing else. You should have known your place when our fathers gave you to me, as you will now.”

As soon as I said those words, I saw the impact they had on her. Her jaw dropped, tears welling in her eyes. The defiance was gone, and only hurt and despair remained. If we wanted to get to Los Angeles in one piece and open the lockbox, Sadie needed to be obedient. I couldn’t let her think I had gone soft. It’d be easier if she feared me.

I cocked my head as I drove the nail home. “What’s the matter, Sadie? Did you think we would ever have a meaningful relationship back then? Did you think I came to collect you because I wanted you? Don’t be na?ve.”

Sadie’s nostrils flared, and she turned away from me, staring out the car window. “Go fuck yourself—”

The muffled sound of a phone vibrated behind us. Sadie’s phone was ringing in my bag. Fuck, I forgot I turned it back on to snoop through her text messages.

Luckily, she had a burner phone with the GPS feature turned off, preventing anyone from tracing her location.

Sadie’s eyes widened, and she spun around to reach toward the backseat. I grabbed her wrist and yanked it back, squeezing it until she winced. “Don’t,” I warned, gritting my teeth. I released her wrist and grabbed the duffel bag, unzipping the front pocket. I reached inside and pulled the cell phone out. There was an incoming call from Brian Danon.

Motherfucker.

“Looks like the little prick you pretend isn’t your boyfriend is calling you.” Sadie’s eyes widened as I handed her the phone. “Go ahead, sweetheart. Answer it.”

She shook her head, but I shoved the phone closer to her face.

“Answer the fucking phone! ”

Sadie hesitated but nodded and took the phone. As she looked down, I noticed he’d sent several text messages, and she had about ten missed calls from him.

Yeah, that looks like he’s a lot more than some guy she fucks.

“Okay, okay,” she quickly said as she pressed the call button and held the phone to her ear.

“Ah, ah. Speaker,” I said under my breath.

Sadie nodded, pulling the phone from her ear and pressing the speaker button.

“Hey, Brian,” she said, her voice hoarse from holding back a sob.

“Tessie, what the hell? I’ve been trying to call since last night. Are you okay?”

Tessie? Why did that nickname irritate me so badly? Tess isn’t even her real fucking name.

Sadie sighed and leaned back against the seat. Her hands trembled, and something told me she was debating doing something very stupid.

Reaching into my holster, I drew my gun and pressed the barrel against her side, hidden from view in the parking lot. Sadie’s breath stopped as the hard metal pushed into her hip. My eyes locked with hers, daring her to do it, but it seemed that the gun was enough persuasion to keep her mouth shut.

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I lost my charger last night, and my phone died. Then I woke up sick.”

“Sick? Do you need me to call someone?” His annoying voice irked me further. I pressed the gun harder into her side.

“No, Mason came by and dropped off some stuff. I still have a fever, but I’ll be okay. Honestly, I just need to go back to bed. I miss you, babe. ”

What the fuck?

My jaw clenched, and my nostrils flared. I dug the barrel of the gun into her side again until she flinched.

Her expression was pretty terrified; Sadie knew she had made a mistake.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, Brian. Is that all right?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end until he replied, “Yeah, of course. I’ll text you in the morning. Get some rest, baby. I miss you, too.”

Brian ended the call without saying goodbye, and Sadie dropped the phone in her lap, her body shaking now.

“I did what you asked.” She covered her mouth to muffle the sobs. “Take the phone, and get that goddamn gun away from me.”

“Gladly.” I grabbed the phone, placed it back into the bag, and removed the gun from her side. I leaned in, gently grasping the back of her head, running my fingers through her long, red hair, and drawing her closer, my breath brushing against her skin. “Be very careful how much you push me from here on out, Sadie . Do you understand?“ She only answered with a nod before I released her. “Alright. I’m going to zip-tie you for the time being while I get us checked into the motel. Can you be a good girl while I do?”

Sadie nodded as her eyes glistened, and she looked away. While she kept her eyes toward the passenger window, I pulled out the zip ties, re-securing her to the seatbelt. Tears were running down her cheeks and dripping onto her lap, but she made no move to wipe them. Something ugly burned my heart, but I ignored it and continued tying her .

Once I was certain she was securely bound, I grabbed a T-shirt from my bag to hang from the window and used the sun visor to cover the front glass. “Give me ten minutes.”

A young woman with light-beige skin, long black hair, and an hourglass frame stood behind the desk. When she saw me approaching, she adjusted her red blazer and stood a little straighter.

“Welcome in, sir. How may I help you?”

I greeted her with a warm smile, pulled out my fake ID, and slid it across the desk. “Just one night for me and my wife, please. One king or queen bed will do.”

“Look at you all prepared,” she beamed, picking up my ID and typing into her computer. “Makes my job easy. I just need a credit card on file.” She typed a few words into the computer before smiling back. “How’s your day going?”

“It’s going,” I said, pulling out my wallet and asking, “Do you guys accept cash?”

She nodded. “With tax, you’re looking at eighty-six dollars and fifty-six cents. You’ll have to pre-pay with cash.”

I pulled out eighty-seven dollars even, and she offered up the change, handing me the room card and directions to the room.

While she wrote the room number down on the room key card slot, I leaned back a little, peering out the lobby window to the car.

No sign of my princess escaping.

“Thank you, Mr. Wilson,” she said as I returned my attention to her. “Enjoy your stay. ”

I picked up the keycard and returned to the car.

When I opened the passenger door, Sadie turned her head away from me as I cut the ties and pulled her out. After grabbing our bags, we went inside the motel and took the elevator to the second floor.

The small room smelled of lemon, vanilla, and grapefruit, which, luckily, didn’t irritate my sinuses. It was spotless for an off-the-highway motel. One bed stood against the center wall, and a small table sat next to a bronze metal floor lamp in the corner. A couple of cream and gold abstract paintings complemented the hunter-green wallpaper.

I locked the door and secured the top latch before tossing our bags onto the floor. “I’ll order us some food in a bit. You’re not refusing a real meal this time. You can’t possibly be functioning on chips, water, and that half-eaten turkey sandwich.”

Sadie averted her eyes from me and looked around the room. “Sure.” But she wouldn’t meet my hardened gaze.

She can’t behave like this forever.

I walked toward her. Only then did Sadie glance over her shoulder to look at me while trying to move away. Clearly, she wasn’t going to make any of this easy for me. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with her theatrics. We were running out of time and closer to being cornered by the damned cops.

“Sadie,” I growled, grabbing her arm and pulling her against my chest. The back of her head bumped against my collarbone as I held her tight, snaking my arm around her thin waist. She struggled to break free, but I only squeezed tighter. I wanted her to know this wasn’t a fucking game. That I was the only one in control here. Most of all, I wanted to fuck this damn attitude out of her. But not now. I had to hold off on that. “This trip will be much more pleasant if you stop being such a spoiled, entitled brat.”

Sadie attempted to dig her fingernails into my thigh, but I held her still, trapping her body. I pressed my weight into her until she was slightly bent underneath me.

“I can’t breathe, you bastard,” she said as I crushed her in my arms, reminding her I could take her whenever I wanted. “Let go!”

I chuckled as I pressed my lips into her hair, breathing in her scent.

Damn . Sadie smelled so fucking delicious. I could never get over how my body reacted to her intoxicating, alluring scent. Even after all these months, that feeling never faded. My instinct wanted to ram myself inside her and coat my body in her scent as she moaned beneath me. However, we’d been traveling all day, so she likely wanted to shower. Which would make that delicious smell disappear.

I don’t want it to disappear.

Finally, I released her, and Sadie hurried away, keeping her body turned toward me so I was no longer behind her. Her eyes burned with fury—the kind that warned me she would scratch my eyes out if I came too close.

The thought of her struggling made my cock thicken and twitch. “Go take a shower,” I ordered. “I have some phone calls to make, so you’ll have a little alone time for now. Then we eat.”

Sadie didn’t argue, but she pointed to the blue duffel bag I brought in. “What’s in this one?”

“I didn’t want to lug all the bags up from the car, so I grabbed this one with your shower stuff and pajamas,” I said, giving her the bag. “Keep the water running after you finish. I need to clean up, too.”

Sadie snatched the bag and rushed into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

As if that flimsy lock would keep me out.

After I heard the water turn on, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Gavin’s number.

It rang twice before Gavin’s voice came on the line.

“Hey, man! Where you guys at now?” Gavin’s cheery voice came through the receiver.

“A hotel about ten miles from Davenport. Sadie’s in the bathroom cleaning up. We’re crashing in a cheap motel for the night. What’s going on right now?”

Gavin sighed heavily. “The shop got raided this morning, and they took some paintings off the back wall. Detective Harris fucking Bridges is working this investigation.”

Goddammit.

“He’s been a thorn in my dad’s side for ten fucking years.”

My cousin cleared his throat in agreement. “Yeah, and he’s determined to take us down. In case things go sideways, I’m sending you the software to the laptop now. It’ll be inside the secured drive I set up before you left. Once you’re able, send over the key through the software, and I’ll try to process it from my end with help from someone on her side of the family. Unless you tell her everything and get her to do it for you.”

I groaned. “Yeah, that won’t be happening anytime soon. God, Patrick would have been so much better at this. I just tattooed the designs. I don’t do all that techy shit.”

Gavin cleared his throat. “Are you sure there’s a box of files? ”

“Yeah, I’m positive. Patrick didn’t die for all this to go to shit. He trusted me to see this through.”

“Have you told her anything yet?”

“God no, I can’t even get her to eat a fucking pancake, and that’s her favorite breakfast.”

Gavin laughed. “Well, you might not have a choice as to when to clue her in.”

“I’m not ready for her to kill me yet. We’re having too much fun playing cat and mouse.”

Gavin snorted. “I’m surprised you’re not already dead. She’s not the easiest to control.”

Leaning against the bed, I ran my hand over my face. “I’d rather get her across state lines and back in LA without more fighting. Once we get closer to home, I’ll tell her. Maybe when we get to Vegas.”

“Alright, good deal. Just don’t get pulled over by the cops. The closer you get to the California border, the more likely you’ll hit a checkpoint.”

“Noted. Keep me posted on any developments with the feds.”

“Will do,” he said. “I’ll text you in the morning.”

“Alright, I’ll talk to you later, then. Thanks, Gav.”

I threw my phone on the bed and looked at the bathroom door, but the shower was still running.

Slowly, I walked up to the door and leaned against it, closing my eyes. Fuck, Sadie was so close, naked, soap dripping down her body. She’d fucking lose it if I came in, though. I stressed her out enough by holding her at gunpoint.

Fuck it .

I placed my hand on my doorknob, ready to slam my foot against it to break it down, but the water turned off.

After a few seconds, I heard her rummaging through her bag, and she whispered, “Fucker,” which made me chuckle.

I stepped back as she stormed out, wearing nothing but one of her silky black nightgowns with thin straps, which reached only a few inches above her knees. It was practically lingerie.

“I want the other bag that has my clean underwear and pjs that cover me more than this. All you put in this bag is the sleepwear that barely covers my ass.”

I shrugged and bit my bottom lip, taking a few more steps back before my shoulders hit the wall, and I sized her up. The nightgown hugged her in all the right places, offering me easy access to the spot I craved the most. Sadie had been giving me an attitude all damn day, and it only made me want to devour her right here, right now.

“Mm,” I hummed. “You look fucking good in it, though.”

She scrunched up her face. “I want one of your T-shirts, Keelan.”

I threw my head back and laughed. “Do you need my scent on you? I mean, I can give that to you without the shirt … in other ways. I’d like you to loosen up.”

“Don’t be gross,” she sneered, that defiance back on display. Nothing got me more excited than seeing my princess squirm under my gaze. “You’re such an asshole.” Her insult was mumbled as she tried to move past me, but I swept my arm around her waist and tossed her onto the bed.

Sadie immediately tried to jump off, but my hand was already grabbing her throat when her feet hit the floor. She tensed underneath me, but a flicker in her eyes told me she had submitted .

Or at least, that’s what I told myself.

Whether she wanted to admit it, Sadie needed this just as much as I did.

“Not so fast, baby girl. What’s the rush?” I asked, lowering her back onto the bed, my legs caging her in.

Her sweet, luscious aroma hit me as I got closer. It was a mix of the scent of Sadie and lavender soap, and a growl rumbled deep in my chest. My eyes watched her breasts move up and down as she inhaled sharply. “Keelan, I can’t—”

“Shh, of course you can. Just relax. You’ve been way too tense since I abducted you, and I need you to cooperate tomorrow on the road.”

“Fucking hell. Can you blame me for being this tense? This isn’t going to help me cooperate,” she retorted.

I smiled at her little lie before my firm hands glided up both her thighs while my knee moved between hers, spreading them apart. “I mean, you slept like a little angel last night after I wrecked that pussy of yours in the dirt. This is exactly what you need.”

Sadie pressed her lips together and let out a slow, long exhale.

God, I have to taste her. Right. Fucking. Now.