Cruel Temptation (Underground Kings 1)

“Grayson? Carry Quinn to my suite on the plane. I’ll be up in a minute.” I was careful when I handed her off to Grayson, my hand lingering on her head to make sure he was supporting her. This was the woman I loved when I was sixteen and hated when I turned twenty-one.

I never stopped.

“I have her, Jaxon. It’s fine.” Grayson strolled away, and I kept my back to him, refusing to turn around and watch as he carried a woman that meant more to me— that shouldn’t mean anything to me— laying in his arms instead of mine.

But I had someone to take care of.

The rent-a-driver was alone since the cars were on the plane. He was sweating, jittery, and pale. I knew he was untrustworthy, so letting him leave, well, I didn’t think that was an option. Jittery people had a habit of flapping their mouths.

“I swear, I wo—won’t t—tell anyone wh—wha—you’re doing,” he stuttered and wr

ung his hands together. “Take me with you. I could be useful.”

“I doubt that,” I said, and then the warm stench of piss filled the air. Damn, the man really was a coward. I hadn’t even done anything yet.

“I swear Mr. Steel. I…I can do grunt work. Whatever you need done.” His pants were wet, and he didn’t bother to hide the shame. I didn’t like people I didn’t trust knowing what I was up to. Someone who saw me kidnapping two people and carrying them to my plane, that was too much for him to know.

“No.” I shoved his chest with one hand, and he fell over the cliff, screaming for his life until the sea and rocks swallowed him, death silencing his plea.

Sometimes, this job got dirty. Sometimes, people died.

But that wasn’t my problem.

Chapter Three

Quinn

I do.

I woke up with a gasp when Brian’s face morphed into Jaxon’s in my dream.

More like a nightmare.

I rubbed my eyes to wake myself up, and my head swam with dizziness. My stomach turned, and a low hum surrounded me. Sitting up, I couldn’t believe my eyes with what I saw. I was in a large luxurious room, and the sheets beneath me were made of the finest silk. A white canopy fell over the bed, and it would have been a gorgeous room if it were on the fucking ground!

The bastard put me on a plane. I had no idea where I was, where he was taking me, or if Brian was okay. I loved Brian, but I wasn’t in love with Brian. I was content. I figured happiness didn’t really exist since the man I did love, murdered his sister, and went to prison for ten years, so my views on love shifted a bit.

Sue me.

“Ooof,” I groaned and held my hand to my head when a wave of dizziness hit again as I stood up. A full-bodied mirror greeted me as it hung against the wall and I noticed the horrid appearance of not only myself but my wedding dress. My hair was wrecked, blood splattered over the beautiful Vera Wang silk gown, staining the expensive material that I saved up an entire two years for.

Not much made me cry, but this was coming close to making tears fall. I didn’t have to save. I could have used the money my grandparents left me, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to feel accomplished like I made something out of myself, and I worked every damn night shift the hospital had until I finally saved up the eight-thousand dollars needed to buy this gown.

And it was ruined.

“I will not cry. I will not cry. He is done getting your tears.” I pressed my index fingers under my eyes and blinked up at the lights. Jaxon Steel was a man I cried too many nights over, wrote too many letters to that I never sent, and filled me with so much torment; I made sure I had convinced myself he was nothing but a mistake.

Now he was back, almost from the damn grave, and it proved he wasn’t a ghost haunting me anymore. He was a villain coming to collect his dues.

I would scream if I thought it would matter, but if I knew one thing about Jaxon, I knew my screams wouldn’t matter. He worked on his own time. Always had. I was better off sitting down and waiting patiently and doing my best not to freak out.

My insides were a tangled, knotted mess. I was more than freaked out, I was scared out of my mind, but I couldn’t let him think that. He already had the upper hand, and my fear would be the last time thing he would get from me since he already has had everything else.

“Brian, please be okay,” I whispered into the empty room, and my voice bounced back at me, reminding me that I was all alone. I wasn’t in love with the man, but I didn’t want to see him get hurt. It took him so long to get over Tracy’s death, and my friendship and comfort somehow turned into a relationship with him. I cared about him, and I realized I probably wouldn’t be any happier with anyone else than I was with him.

So when he asked me to marry him, I said yes, because why not?

A low buzz of something turning had me whipping my head around. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary until my eyes landed on a small black camera nestled in the corner. “Oh, you fucker! Why don’t you come in here and face me yourself! You think keeping me trapped in a room gives you the advantage? I’m not scared of you Jaxon. I haven’t been for a really long time.” I didn’t even know if he could hear me, but I hoped he could. I wanted him to know that his tactics wouldn’t work on me.