I choked back the black tide, my breathing short as I fought to right my tilting ship. Why should I show Butcher’s sister mercy when he didn’t have a merciful bone in his body?
“I don’t know what happened between you and my brother—“
I got in her face. “That’s right, you don’t know but you will. You think your brother is the good guy? Because he pays to send you to some fancy, uptight private college but know this, baby girl, your brother pays your bills with blood money. He’s as dirty as they come. If I were you, I’d drop the innocent act because anyone who shares DNA with Butcher Brannon is just as rotten and I don’t give a shit about you or your feelings. Go ahead, hate me. It’s better that way. I’m not a good guy either but at least I don’t pretend to be.”
“I swear I don’t know anything about my brother’s business,” she said, tears wetting her cheeks.
“You’d be surprised how quickly people remember details with the right motivation,” I returned.
“I’m a virgin,” she blurted out, almost desperately. “Please, don’t do this. I’m begging you. Please.”
Something inside me jolted with awareness. She was playing the part, right? College kids were all about getting laid and partying between mid-term cram sessions. There’s no way she was still untouched.
But, fuck it, she could play any part she wanted as long as long as Butcher got his due.
”That sucks for you,” was all I said, then pushed off, away from her, leaving with a warning. “Stay put. If I find you tried to escape…well, let’s just say, it’s in your best interests to just do as you’re told.”
“You can’t keep me here forever,” she shot back, tears still sparkling in her eyes.
I laughed. “Of course not. But I can make each day feel like an eternity if you cross me. Understand?”
Fear snaked its way into her eyes. Good. Fear kept people from doing stupid things.
Tito walked in, a hulking mass of tattooed bad-assery with a permanent scowl, and she shrank back against the sofa cushion. To Tito, I said, “Watch her. I’ll be back.”
“Maybe she gets out of line,” Tito suggested with a shrug and I fought the immediate growl. Tito knew me well enough to know when he was treading on dangerous ground. He chuckled, easing up on his scowl for a moment. “Go on, bring back a pizza. I’m fucking starved.”
I nodded. Tito would guard my prize while I went on a food run.
For Holly’s sake, I hoped she heeded my warning.
I’d hate to mark up that creamy skin prematurely.
Chapter 7
Cason
She had spunk.
Not overt, but layered beneath the surface of the shy girl that she put out there.
I saw though the layers.
I saw fire.
God damn, I saw the most magnificent tits hiding beneath that Cornwall University T-shirt.
I heard her stomach rumble.
She wouldn’t beg.
I liked that about her.
But I wanted to push, to see how far I could go.
Maybe I wanted to see if that banked fire could burn.
“Remember how I said I would reward you for good behavior?”
She cast me a dark look that pretty much said, “Fuck you” and my cock stirred. Hell, I still had pizza in my damn mouth and my cock wanted to do dirty things to her sweet curves.
I was an equal opportunity man. I liked women of all shapes and sizes but there was something about Holly that made my dick hard as rock.
I grabbed another slice and practically shoved it in my mouth. It wasn’t physical hunger driving me and I knew it.
But you know, denial was pretty powerful when you were bound and determined to do the opposite of whatever your body and mind were saying.
Maybe I was trying to prevent myself from doing something I couldn’t take back.
To be honest, I was a little confused by my visceral reaction to her. She was just a chick, like any other, except she served a bigger purpose than just arm candy for the night.
I had to remember that.
“All right, so here’s how it works. Play nice and we’ll get along just fine. Pretty easy, wouldn’t you say?”
“That would depend on what you mean by playing nice.”
“Well, for starters, when I ask you a question, tell me the truth.”
“I’ve been truthful with you!” She glared. “You are the one who doesn’t believe me. I’ve been nothing but honest with you.”
“You lied to me about being hungry,” I reminded her softly. “Truth is, your stomach is growling like a bear coming out of hibernation.”
Her tender mouth tightened as if she didn’t want to admit I was right but a second yowl from her belly only made my point.
“Fine,” she bit out. “Yes, I’m hungry. Is that what you want to hear?”
“That’s a good start,” I said.
“Does that mean you’ll feed me?”
“Perhaps if you ask nice enough.”
She lifted her hands. “I can’t eat like this.”
I regarded her with a steady gaze. Would she run? I almost hoped she would that way I could justify the things I wanted to do to her. I took my pocketknife and slowly sliced through the rope.
She gasped with relief, rubbing at her reddened skin. “Thank God,” she breathed, groaning a little at the chaffing. “I could’ve lost my fingers.”
I ignored her complaint. Grabbing the pizza box, I opened it up and offered her some.
Holly hesitated for the barest minute, then selected a slice.
The moment her mouth opened, my erection nearly burst through my pants. That red, hot mouth, sweet and soft…I wanted her lips wrapped around my cock.
I’d never been so jealous of pepperoni in my life.
Finished, she surreptitiously wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and then sat awkwardly, trying to avoid my gaze.
But I liked looking at her. For one, it made her uncomfortable — and that was a bonus in my book — but two, there was something I couldn’t quite define about her that appealed to me.
“Stop staring,” Holly snapped, her gaze darting.
“No.” I made no apologies. “I’ll do as I want and there’s nothing you can do about it. Sucks being helpless, doesn’t it?”
“You’re a big man, taking out your rage on a woman,” she retorted, cutting me with a look. “Do you drown puppies and kittens in your spare time, too?”
I held back my laughter. Even when she was clearly at a disadvantage, Holly still found the courage to spit and hiss.
Damn, I liked that.
She was fine as fuck and I wanted her.
Did I want her because she was Butcher’s sister and I wanted to put my mark on something that was his? Maybe.
But did it matter?
I wanted her, plain and simple.
I guess that was my problem.
“Where am I supposed to sleep?” she asked, the faint distress in her expression amusing. If she thought the sofa was disgusting, wait until she saw Tito’s bed.
“Well, this ain’t no Hyatt,” I returned, scooping up the pizza box and carrying it to the rickety kitchen table. “Only one bed. Guess that means you’re with me.”
“We can’t sleep together,” she balked. “That’s not going to work at all.”
“Do you snore?”
“No.”
“Then it should work just fine.”
Holly’s mouth worked as if she wanted to protest but she knew it was pointless. Smart girl.
“How do I know that you won’t…take advantage of me?”
“You don’t.”
I enjoyed watching her squirm.
“So I’m supposed to climb into bed with you and just accept whatever happens, happens?” Some of that banked fire flared in her eyes. “Think again.”
I chuckled. “I don’t see that you have much bargaining power.”
“My brother will kill you if you hurt me.”
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Ahhh, finally, something truthful. “I thought you said you didn’t matter,” I reminded her. “Seems now you’re changing your story. Which is it? Are you important to your brother or not?”
Holly had trapped herself.
She chose to remain stubbornly silent.
Goddamn, this woman intrigued me whether I wanted it or not.
“Well, if you’re not up to talking, I guess it’s time for bed,” I said. She visibly jumped when I walked toward her, shrinking away from my outstretched hand as if I were offering up poison. I laughed. “You’re a jumpy thing, aren’t you?” Before she could answer, I jerked her onto her feet, pulling her right into my arms.
She landed with a soft oompf against my chest. Her pupils dilated instantly and her lips parted on a gasp. “What are you doing?”
“Not sure yet,” I admitted but I liked the feel of her in my arms. She fit like a glove against me. I wondered where else I might fit so snugly. “But we’ll find out.”
Releasing her, I grasped her hand and pulled her with me to the bedroom.
Holly yanked her hand away and tried to bolt for what she mistook as the front door.
I gave her props for trying but really, it was a misguided attempt as she stared in dismay at a cluttered closet. “Feeling domestic?” I asked with a healthy dose of sarcasm. “Honey, there are other ways to play house, you know.”
“Screw you,” she hissed, whirling quickly to reach for the actual front door but I was faster.
I pulled her roughly away from the door seconds before her grasping fingertips could reach the door handle and spun her toward me. Then, I shocked her by hoisting her up over my shoulder.