118. If he wasn’t gone or doing whatever business a gangster handled—and she couldn’t imagine it had much to do with marketing or public relations, but probably involved some accounting—he had her on the bed, in the tub, on the couch, or against the wall. Once, he even took her in the solarium in the middle of breakfast. She’d offered a token protest at the ability of anyone to see them, but had soon forgotten her objections when his hand traveled under her skirt to stroke her bare mound. Forgoing panties had been her idea, but he’d loved the discovery so much that he’d forbidden her to wear them at all after that. She’d pretended to mind and had argued, but had acquiesced fairly easily. Mainly because she enjoyed the sensation of different (or no) fabrics against her bare lips, and also because there was something deliciously naughty about teasing him with the knowledge that she wasn’t wearing underwear—especially when he was about to go somewhere and had no time for se
119. It wasn’t because he was afraid of missing the ballet. He just felt better when Mia was in sight, and he knew she was safe from Peretti. His house was a fortress that Peretti would find almost impossible to breach, but he couldn’t help feeling she was safer with him than anyone else. He shifted into fourth and snorted with amusement at the thought. After the things he’d done to her, it was fucking amazing she considered herself safe with him. Did Mia understand she was safe from Peretti, even if not safe from Shane himself? He was just as driven to possess her as he had been. The more he had, the more he wanted. Shane squirmed, thinking he wasn’t sure he could ever get enough of her. When he was with her, it soothed the beast inside him that wanted to completely consume her so she’d always be with him. His feelings for his little Russian doll would have sent her into a panic if she really grasped the intensity. They certainly freaked him out. He’d never wanted anyone
120. wet she was for him. Unfortunately, they weren’t alone, though their companion’s eyes were always centered on the stage whenever she glanced at him. As the show progressed, Mia realized his attention specifically centered on one performer in the show. She had a minor role and also seemed to appear in the chorus during a couple of dances, but when she was on stage, she held Cormac’s attention. At intermission, the dancers mingled with the crowd, and she had a chance to meet the one who seemed to hold the attention of Shane’s friend. She glided toward them with either natural grace or the byproduct of years of training. A few inches taller than Mia, she was about her age, with long dark hair and a familiar shade of green eyes. She wasn’t surprised to hear the ballerina’s name was Siobhan. Shane’s sister. Glancing out the corner of her eye, she saw Cormac light up and didn’t miss the way the girl blushed slightly when he took her hand in a gentle squeeze that lasted o
121. “Fuck you.” Without waiting for his permission, she walked away from him. Mia pressed her back against the wall of the building, tuning out the milling crowd as her gaze focused on Shane. The sound of sirens in the background seemed closer, and she hoped they would make it in time to save him. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have been in danger. Mia knew that was an irrational thought. If Shane hadn’t taken her, this wouldn’t have happened either. He was equally to blame, if not more so. Aldo was the one most to blame for the violence, and she knew he would have taken her eventually, whenever he got tired of playing whatever waiting game in which he had been engaged. Shane jerked suddenly, and she stood upright. Mia’s first impulse was to run to him. That same irresistible pull seemed to be drawing her forward. She needed him. Needed to be with him. Needed to reassure herself he was alive and would be safe. She froze after two steps, self-preservation kicking in
122. Her heart hammered in her ears, and she stared at him for a second before sliding her gaze to the bus station. Could she run for it? Would she be able to outrun his long legs? “Don’t think about it, whore.” Her spine stiffened. “Fuck you. You don’t like me and don’t think I’m good for Shane, so just let me go. Pretend you didn’t see me.” He laughed. “That wouldn’t do you a damn bit of good. I’d just have to chase you farther.” She scowled. “He has to give up some time.” Though she wasn’t sure she actually believed those words, even as she uttered them. Wallace wagged his cell phone at her. “Not with that transmitter in your arm.” Mia gasped. “What?” He lifted a shoulder. “You’ve been tagged, and now you’re getting bagged.” Almost unconsciously, she rubbed the spot where Shane had injected her without her permission that morning more than a week ago, under the auspices of giving her Depo-Provera. Her eyes narrowed, and her lips clamped shut. Instinct urged her to
123. Even not knowing exactly what Shane had planned for her, Mia was still relieved to see him when he entered the basement two days after Wallace had taken her from the street. Her first thought was he looked like hell. His normally robust tanned skin was pale, and his face looked gaunt, though he couldn’t have lost much weight in the four days since she’d seen him, even with a gunshot wound. Her gaze darted to the sling encasing his left arm, where she could see the bulky bandage covering most of the left side of his chest and clavicle underneath the thin fabric of his T-shirt. It was insane, but she had to physically bite her tongue to keep from asking how he felt and fretting over him being out of the hospital already. The reality of her position and situation made it easier to rein in the concern. She lay on the cold concrete, naked as the day she was born, with her hands cuffed to her ankles, which were spread by a metal bar. It was an obscene, undignified pose, b
124. I woke up in a strange place, in a strange bed, next to an extremely hot – and gloriously naked – strange man. …What happened last night? My mouth tasted like cotton and I had an icky sweet taste in my mouth that literally made me want to vomit. My stomach felt bloated, my head was pounding and I couldn’t hold my trembling hands still if I tried. There was light streaming in from the giant windows that surrounded the bed and it was doing nothing but making my head pound worse and darkening my already foul mood. I sat up slowly, not wanting to wake the strange bedfellow next to me. I tried to shake out my hair, but it was a tangled mess. The motion of sitting up had made me nauseated and once again I had the feeling that I was going to throw up. I looked around me, wondering where the bathroom was. I was humiliated enough just waking up here, the last thing I wanted to do was hurl all over hot guy. I needed to get the hell out of here. I slipped out of the bed and st
125. “With clothes on,” she said. I laughed and said, “Yes, I’m going right now to get dressed, then I’ll order breakfast.” She only nodded, but she hadn’t let go of the doorknob. I half expected her to be gone when I got back, but to my delight and relief, she wasn’t. I found her sitting on the sofa looking out the window. I sat down in the chair across from her and smiled. She shot me a look that should by all rights have set me on fire. “Was this all some big pick-up game to you?” she asked. “A pick-up game? No, Bella. We both had too much to drink. I’m not normally a heavy drinker and last night I was looking for some liquid courage. Once you report what I have to tell you, life as I know it is going to implode. I wouldn’t have had the audacity to expect that a woman like you would ever want to be with a man like me.” She raised an eyebrow, obviously not convinced. I wish she could see inside of my head because I meant every word. I know what I am. I’ve known sinc