NINE - Thorn

NINE

Thorn

When we arrive in my palatial kitchen, I indulge myself and grasp her waist, lifting her onto the sprawling marble counter.

Her small gasp is tinged with honey. "I can sit in a chair."

"I prefer you here," I say, noting the breakfast spread on the island. Mrs. Pendrake must've gone to the grocery store before cooking eggs and bacon.

Alana looks over at the wide windows revealing the churning ocean, and her shoulders relax. I ponder her reaction. Is there something about the ocean that calms her? Interesting.

I spear a piece of juicy cantaloupe from the platter and press it against her lush lips. "Eat. It's your favorite." Mine as well, which is why we keep the fruit on hand.

Her eyes widen and she stubbornly presses her lips together. She's cute. Adorable, even. I clamp one hand on her thigh and she startles, opening her mouth so I can push in the delectable treat.

She glares but chews and swallows. "What makes you think I like cantaloupe?"

"It's your favorite. I know everything about you."

Her chin lowers. "I'm not eating out of your hand."

"Don't throw out challenges you can't meet," I retort. "Would you like coffee?"

Need sparks in her eyes.

My balls respond in kind.

Without making her ask, I pluck a mug off the top shelf and pour her a good portion. I know from my research that she likes oat milk and honey with her coffee. "As I wasn't planning on taking you quite yet, I don't have anything with which to lighten this except regular milk."

She accepts the mug, wrapping both of her small hands around it. A lovely pink color filters over her skin, and I can't help but wonder what she'll look like in the throes of orgasm. Pleasure belongs on her face. "Why the unplanned kidnapping?" She takes a deep drink and her delighted hum nearly knocks me to my knees.

I frown. "You always take yours with sugar."

More challenge tilts those unreal eyes, sharpening the green. "Don't believe everything you see."

Fair enough. I move into her, pushing her legs apart and settling where I want to be, standing while she's balancing on the counter. "I like that about you."

More color fills her face. That statement pleases her, and she doesn't want it to. Oh, I can sense the sweet lightness in her, and she's a perfect blend for the darkness in me. Soon she'll admit the truth. "Back away," she snaps.

"You don't want me to." I lean in, noting her quick intake of breath. "Why do you hide the way you take your coffee?"

"Because I can."

Now that, I understand. How intriguing. Just how much do I actually know about her?

She clears her throat. "Again, why the unplanned kidnapping?"

"Sources informed me about the raid on the club, which was focused on you. To kill or take, I don't know. So I decided to take you first."

Her nostrils flare. "You're a killer and I don't like you."

"Yes I am, and I don't care."

Her jaw tightens. "I need to contact my friends."

"No." I lean to the side and scoop up a spoonful of scrambled eggs to press against her mouth.

Glaring, she accepts the treat and swallows. "Please."

Please.Said as a soft entreaty. I would've instantly shut down yelling or demands, or even worse, crying. But the gentle request hits me hard in the chest. Why, I don't know, since there's nothing in there. Is she playing me?

She tilts her head, studying me right back. Most people can't maintain eye contact with me for long. Oh, she struggles, but her shoulders tighten and she meets my gaze, her blush deepening.

I admire that. Hell. I knew I wanted her—not in a million years did I expect to like her. "Why?" I ask.

She blinks. Finally. "They'll be worried about me."

I find it interesting that she wants to reassure her friends, not her family. "I'm sure your merry band of do-gooders can survive without you for a short time."

Surprise darkens her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb," I warn her. "I know all about Rosalie, Ella, and once in a while Merlin, who lives at Rosalie's boardinghouse for the ancient. Getting the state senator's wife to safety was a risky proposition. Good job on that." I feed her another bite before focusing on her again. "I understand you don't have a way to dispose of the senator. I would be happy to do so for you."

She sips her coffee again, obviously thinking through my offer.

Fuck. I like her even more.

Regret turns down her plush lips. "Thank you, but I don't want that on either of our souls."

Her answer surprises me. "My soul is black as tar. Don't worry about it."

Her chin lifts. "It's never too late to reform, Thorn. I won't be responsible for adding to your burdens."

That makes zero sense. I've kidnapped her, for crap's sake. I reach for a wooden spoon with garnets decorating its handle and stir the eggs on the platter.

Mrs. Pendrake hustles in from the nearby laundry room with another carafe of coffee. "I didn't know if you wanted decaf." She places it on the counter.

Alana stiffens.

I frown and turn, looking at Mrs. Pendrake as an outsider would. She's around sixty with spiky white hair and burn marks down one side of her face into her clothing from a fire she barely survived in her thirties. Before I hired her to manage my homes. Tattoos line her neck and arms, and she has more piercings in her face than ten rebellious teenagers put together. She's box-shaped and wearing old jeans and a bright blue sweatshirt that makes her look even boxier. "Alana, this is Mrs. Pendrake. She'll get you anything you want."

Mrs. Pendrake nods, her expression blank. "There's a notepad in the drawer by the fridge. Leave me a list, and I'll go shopping immediately." She glances at me. "Two cameras caught you in downtown San Francisco last night. I'm having them wiped but will need more discretionary cash."

"Of course." I fight a grin as Alana tries to press her knees together and force me out from between her legs. Nobody will ever force me out of this place, and she might as well learn that now. So I grasp her thighs and spread them further apart, digging in my thumbs, the countertop cold against my legs.

The little squeak she makes sends a dark thrill through me.

Mrs. Pendrake turns and leaves, no doubt hiding her disapproval. I don't care.

Alana looks at her half-full coffee mug.

"I wouldn't," I warn.

"You have no sense of decorum," she snaps, smartly deciding not to toss the liquid at my face. "What were you doing in San Francisco last night that you don't want on camera?"

"Killing five people." I had promised her no lies.

She pales, but unmistakable interest shows in her expression. "Why?"

"Because I wanted to." Sometimes the simplest explanation is best.

A knock on the side door has her jumping. "Come in," I call out.

She struggles again and I press in, lifting her thighs and forcing her to either wrap them around my waist or fall back on the counter. Grunting, she puts down the coffee mug and grabs my shirt for balance. "You're such an ass."

Maybe, but her thighs are wrapped around me and unwilling desire is darkening her eyes.

The side door opens and Justice walks in, his intense gaze taking in the scene. "While this is cozy, even with the news blacked out, you need to know that the entire fucking city is on high alert because of her disappearance." He speaks in Gaelic, which might be considered rude.

Alana just looks at him. Is she accustomed to being dismissed in such a way? I find I don't like that. At all.

"Stop being a prick and speak in English, Justice," I say in English, partially turning my head so I can see them both.

One of his dark eyebrows rises.

She watches him. "You know, I didn't see it last night, but there is a resemblance between the two of you."

The entire world thinks I'm the last standing recluse in my entire family. Her keen eye is yet another intriguing aspect to her. "You're right," I say. "We're brothers."

Shock sizzles in Justice's eyes for a second. "You're going to kill her?" He speaks in English this time.

She pales.

"No," I growl. "I promised her no lies last night. Remember?"

Justice looks like he's about to fall over a cliff.

I give her a glare. "She'll keep our confidence." My voice is heavy with threat.

She looks from me to him, paling. "Thorn and Justice? Seriously?"

Justice shuffles his massive boot. He's dressed in dark jeans and a black shirt, and no doubt he's been prowling the city all morning. "Our father didn't exactly like us."

She bites her bottom lip. "I'm sorry, Justice. I know how that feels."

Justice draws back.

I save him before he can propose to her or do something equally ridiculous like try to save her from me. It is one thing to know she's beautiful and creative and quite another to realize her heart is truly as sweet and pure as advertised. Plus, she's courageous. I hadn't expected that. "Justice? What have you found?"

He focuses. "The three gang members who infiltrated the club to take Alana last night are dead."

"Killed by Sokolov's men?" I ask.

He nods. "The guards fired almost instantly, and my sources relate that Hendrix took out at least one of them. I've tracked down two more members of their gang, Twenty-One Purple out of Oakland, and we can speak with them tonight after we leave them on ice all day."

Good. I'd like to know who has orders regarding Alana sooner rather than later, and I'm well acquainted with that gang. They run drugs and women, and like most gangs, are incredibly territorial. I don't like that they have her in their sights.

As if reading my mind, she narrows her gaze. "Why are you trying to help me?"

It's a good question. "I told you. I'm obsessed with you."

The words should terrify her. Instead, she purses her lips. "You don't know me."

I am learning that to be true.

"So you're just a superficial bastard who likes what he sees."

I grab her ass and pull her tighter against me, my cock against her pretty blue panties that look like one of the thongs I'd purchased for her. "I fucking love what I see. Do you have a problem with that?"

The pulse beats wildly in her neck. I can see it. "Yes." She spits out the word, but adorable confusion lingers in her angry eyes.

I don't blame her. She doesn't understand the raw connection I'm forging between us yet. She will. She'll learn to crave it. "You're in danger, and nobody threatens what's mine." It's as close as I can come to explaining to her, and I don't explain to anybody.

She sweeps a hand toward the back doors. "Your own brother knocks on your door. You obviously aren't close to anybody."

I remain distant from Justice so I can keep him alive. "You and I are going to be so close you won't know where you end and I begin. Even more importantly, you won't fucking care."

Justice keeps his expression carefully blank. "Do you want me to plant a trail for her? It's not unthinkable to believe she might run away after being thrown to the Sokolov man-child."

Panic lights her eyes. "Just how long is this kidnapping going to last? I have work to do."

The longer she's away from Aquarius Social, the easier it is to take them down. I don't like the idea of hurting her, and leaving her with nothing is not my intention. "You're with me so long as I'm alive."

One of her eyebrows arches. "Why?"

There are many answers I can give to her, but I go with the simplest truth. "You're my reason for breathing, and you were meant to be mine."

That intrigue enters her eyes again and she shoves it away. Poor confused girl. "You're nuts."

"Quite possibly," I agree. "Are we any closer on the other matter?" I ask Justice.

"Yes." Justice runs a hand through his thick hair. "Kaz says the alexandrite crystals we stole are faster than anything he's ever seen and thus may be able to solve your problem in time." He wisely keeps from revealing that I'm dying.

I switch to Gaelic like the unrepentant asshole I am. "How close is he?"

"He's talking to himself, which is a good sign," Justice returns in our native language. "He might even be able to trace the virus back to the source. At least we'll have a starting point."

Humans break easier than technology.

Vengeance fills my body with heat. Good. Whoever is trying to kill me needs to bleed. Now it is just a matter of having enough time to dig out the leads. Since I'm being an ass and speaking in a language foreign to her, I figure I'll get it all out now. "I want Wynd on the op tonight when we speak with the two gang members you've secured to question about the hit on Alana in that stupid bar. He needs to see more blood."

"Agreed," Justice says. "Sorry we didn't acquire more garnets in the other raid."

Sometimes rumors are false. If Malice Media is going to continue to operate successfully, we need a new garnet for the servers. One that will hopefully connect to Justice. "It wasn't false intel. There are garnets out there we don't have." It makes sense one of the other families is collecting garnets. It isn't like I don't have plenty of stores of their crystals on hand.

He glances at Alana. "We're being jerks and she's just watching us curiously and enjoying that coffee way too much. Did you put honey in it?"

"I'm out of honey," I retort. "She's surprisingly adaptable."

He shrugs. "You need a calm and submissive woman. Why don't you keep her?"

"I said adaptable. Submission is something a man earns." The idea of her on her knees before me tightens every muscle in my body. "Where does her father think she is?"

"He has no idea," Justice says smugly. "Your name is being bandied around, along with the names of his other enemies. There's also a thread suggesting she has run away."

That's what I figure. "Any problems?"

"Yes. Her pal Rosalie has gone to the press three times, and that little hacker Ella is busy planting seeds online trying to find her. They're both a pain in the ass."

I look to where she's calmly watching us speak. "The three of them seem surprisingly close." On the surface, anyway. I've watched Alana try to keep her distance, some distance, from those she cares about. She's smart. Those you love are liabilities, and unless you're strong enough to take out any enemy, not worth the risk. She's worth it. I'll demolish anybody who tries to hurt her.

"Do you want me to take them out?"Justice asks.

"No. We'll take the two men requiring interrogation to the boathouse. Has the place been cleared?" The crystal couriers of the night before had known more than I thought but didn't resist my persuasion very long. One seemed truly opposed to pain. In fact, he'd had an appointment to fetch an underage girl from the tent city as soon as he had finished work. Their bodies are now feeding the fish in the ocean.

"Yes. I'll take care of it." With a nod to Alana, he strides out of the kitchen.

I turn back to my woman. "Sorry about that."

"No, you're not."

No, I'm not. Her scent envelops me and I want to toss her onto her stomach and explore her stunning backside. Instead, I figure she's done challenging me for the moment so I set her back on the counter.

Her thighs immediately drop and she pulls down the skirt, trying to shimmy away to the other side.

"Stop moving." I reach into my back pocket and drag out a secure satellite phone that even Kaz can't hack. "Call your friends and lie."

She accepts the device, calculation in her gaze. "Isn't rule number one no lying?"

I lean in, making sure I have her attention. "No lying to me."

"Ah." A small dimple twinkles in her right cheek. "I see." She cocks her head. "What do you want me to say?"

"Up to you. But if you don't convince them that you're fine and to stop looking for you, I'm going to kill them." I let her see the killer inside me. It's time I stop hiding from her, anyway.

She pales and her hand trembles as she dials. Then her face brightens as her friend answers, and if I didn't know better, she'd convince me that she's decided to take a stand and disappear for a while. When she retells the part about Cal asking about her hymen, I can hear the ring of truth. Finally, after her friends promise to stop being nuisances, she ends the call and throws the phone at me.

I snag it out of the air and deposit it safely in my back pocket. "Are you a virgin?" I ask bluntly.

Her chin lifts and her eyes glitter. "Yes. Rumor has it that breaching my hymen leads to certain death unless said use is sanctioned by my father." Her tone is pissed.

Good. It should be. Her father is an ass.

She continues speaking. "Apparently that's a requirement for marrying Cal. Bragging rights and all of that."

"That's not going to be a problem for long."

She opens her mouth to argue, no doubt, and I take it. She tastes like cantaloupe, coffee, and honey, and I dive in, taking every ounce of her in a brutal kiss. For a heartbeat, she struggles, and then opens beneath my assault, meeting my tongue with hers.

I slide my hand beneath her sweater and move up to cup her breast before pinching her nipple.

She stiffens and then moans, leaning into my touch.

I release her, knowing if this goes any further we won't be leaving the house all day, and I have too much work to do. Mainly to survive.

She stares at me, eyes wide, cheeks rosy, lungs panting.

"Remember your rules today, Alana." With that, I walk out of the room while I still can.