Mastered by Malone (Haven, Texas 6)

“Mike!”

“Damn, there goes my plan to lock her in the basement and keep her there, naked, bound, and fucked,” Alec said in a low voice that sent a wave of need washing over her.

What was wrong with her? She didn’t want that. But she could picture it. All too clearly.

Mike took a step forward and she stepped in front of him. Suddenly, all three men frowned down at her.

“Mike, he was joking.”

“Mia, stop stepping front of me like that.” Mike reached out for her, grabbing hold of her arm with the clear intention of pulling her back.

“Let her go,” Alec said in a low voice.

Mike’s jaw clenched. But to her shock, he let her go.

Alec turned that hard gaze on her. “That’s the last time you step between two men like that. Your job isn’t to protect. Your job isn’t to be a diplomat. He can do that.” Alec nodded over at Jardin. “Your job is to do as you are told, understand?”

“Jesus. Fucking. Christ,” Mike said.

“Alec.” Jardin sent his cousin a frown.

“What? You both disagree? Tough shit. I’m the one being charged with keeping her alive. She needs to obey me.” He turned his gaze on her. “Mia, come here.”

Her body immediately leaned towards him, but her mind brought her to a stop. She had to be loyal to her cousin. The only person in the world who loved her. Just because this guy had a face that could stop a woman in her stride and a voice that could command an army did not mean that she had to do what he said, right?

“All right, enough,” Jardin said in the firmest voice she’d heard from him. “You’re scaring her.”

“I don’t think she’s scared. I think she’s torn. And this is why he needs to go. There can only be one person in charge here. One person she obeys.”

“And you think that one person is you?” Mike snarled. “Bullshit. Forget it, Mia. I’m not leaving you here with this asshole. Come on.”

“You can take her if you want,” Alec said to Mike. “But you’re going to get her killed.”

“I got her away once.”

“And he found her. He nearly killed her. Murdered someone else he thought was her, isn’t that right?”

She trembled as she recalled the sight of Angel lying on the ground. Pale and still. Nausea bubbled as an anxiety attack loomed. No, not here. Not in front of these alpha males. She couldn’t.

“Mia, you all right?” Jardin asked in a soft voice.

At least someone cared to talk to her instead of speaking about her like she wasn’t even there. Her mind raced, trying to figure out a way to make everyone happy in this scenario. She looked back at Mike then over at Alec.

“She’s exhausted,” Alec said quietly. “And you’re not making this any easier on her. You need to leave. Don’t contact her. Don’t contact me. You have anything urgent to tell us, call Jardin. But make sure you do it from a secure line.”

“I’ve been an NYPD detective for fifteen years. I don’t need you to explain this shit to me.”

“Then let me explain this. You want her kept alive? I’m your best shot at that. But things are done on my terms. I’m putting my life—my brothers’ lives—on the line to keep her safe because we owe a family debt. But that’s all I owe you. I don’t need to give you an explanation about what I do in my private life. I don’t need to listen to your bullshit judgment. I’m not fucking going to force her to submit to me. I have plenty of women eager for me to do perverted shit with them, I don’t need to force anyone. She’s not my type anyway.”

Ouch. Well that didn’t hurt. But it wasn’t anything she didn’t know already. Plain. Boring. Still, people didn’t usually say that stuff to her face.

“Jesus, Alec,” Jardin muttered.

“You do anything she doesn’t want, and I will make the rest of your life very short,” her cousin threatened.

“Understood,” Alec said calmly. God, he was cold. “Mia, I’m going to be in my office. You have ten minutes to meet me there. I’ll take that as you agreeing to my protection and the rules that come with it. Including cutting ties with your cousin. You’re not there in ten minutes, I expect the two of you to get off my land and never return.”

She watched with no small amount of shock as he turned and walked away. That was it? Ten minutes. Ten minutes to decide whether to turn her life over into this a stranger’s hands? But then what other choice did she have? And for his faults, of which she was certain there were many, she really did believe he would protect her.