Owned (Blood Ties Book 4)

“Tell me to fuck you, and I will,” he demanded, thrusting his finger inside me as he looked up from between my legs. “I’ll break the contract. I’ll break every fucking thing.”

Yes! I opened my mouth to moan the word just as he snapped his gaze to where headlights cut through the darkness.

“Fuck.” He pushed upwards, dragging my pants with him.

I scrambled to yank my slacks up as I slid from the hood of the Mercedes as the nearing car slowly drove past. London covered me as I fumbled with the zipper and button, staring at the passing car before he motioned to the open passenger door. “Let’s go home.”

My cheeks burned as I hurried around the door and climbed back inside. London closed it behind me before he walked around and climbed in. But whatever had ignited between us seconds ago now simmered in awkward silence. I clenched my core, still feeling his fingers inside me as the storage yard disappeared in the rear-view mirror. We made our way back to the highway and headed for home.

Home.

That word didn’t belong in my world. I had no home, no family, no matter what kind of sick impersonation London wanted to pretend this was. I was glad for the interruption. It had almost gone too far…for him and for me. I wasn’t meant to have a family, I knew that now. Shame filled me as the Mercedes accelerated, swinging out around slower cars. Nothing was going to change for me, even after the contract was signed.

London would fuck me, then he’d leave for whatever woman he was courting. He’d already given me black to wear…so red was next, and the sick thing was, I’d let him.

I’d let him use me any way he wanted.

And I’d wait for more.

Because the truth was, I wanted him, far more than my heart could afford.

The weight of his gaze settled on me. Still, he said nothing as we pulled off the highway. By the time we turned into his driveway, I was desperate to get out. The garage door opened, letting him pull into the space where the Audi normally sat, and he killed the engine.

“Vivienne…” his voice was husky.

But I didn’t wait, just climbed out. He followed, hit the button on the remote, and closed the garage door before we both strode into the house. I stalked toward the kitchen, and spied the waiter glaring at me from the far side of the kitchen as I passed.

“Lond—” he started, and my captor finished it.

Crack!

I jerked and spun, to see the waiter stumbling sideways and an enraged glare on London’s face. He strode forward, grabbed the man by the shirt, and shoved him against the wall. “The next time you fail me will be the last fucking time you fail anyone. Do you understand me?”

Fear punched through me at the attack. But the waiter didn’t fight back, nor did he show surprise. He just stood there as he met London’s rage, and nodded slowly. “I take full responsibility.”

He took responsibility?

“No.” I shook my head and stepped forward. “I did it. It was all me.”

London turned that brutal stare my way and in the steely glint, I saw it didn’t matter what I said, or what I did. Only that the man London had trusted to protect me had failed…even if I was the cause. I inhaled hard and glanced back at the bodyguard, to see a slow trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. I realized just how dangerous London St. James was to everyone around him…including his allies.

Panic filled me as I left them behind and raced up the stairs to my bedroom. Even as I closed the bedroom door, I knew it was pointless. My captor was deadly in more ways than one. A chill coursed along my spine, but as I dropped my head into my hands, I knew it was pointless.

I could still feel those hard lips on mine.

Still ached for his fingers.

Dangerous or not, I was falling for him and that thought was the most terrifying of all.

I was in love with my captor.

Through the window, lightning flickered in the distance.

A storm was coming. I could feel it bearing down on me and I wasn’t talking about the jagged sparks that tore through the night. I waited, and leaned against the door as I listened for the heavy thud of his steps when he came to finish what he’d started. But they didn’t come.

I pushed away from the door, then made my way into the bathroom, and glanced up at the camera before I undressed and wound my hair on top of my head. I stepped under the hot spray and showered, but all the time I cast nervous glances toward the camera. I was in over my head here…and I didn’t know what to do.

By the time I stepped out and dried off, I could hear the close rumble of the oncoming storm. Lightning slashed through the sky outside and the faint patter of rain on the window did nothing to soothe that tight fist inside my chest. I made for the bed and climbed in, then pulled the comforter over my bent knees and up to my chin as I sat against the pillows and watched the neon flashes fill the room…and waited.