CAPTOR (The Alpha Brotherhood) (Standalone Dark Billionaire New Adult Romance) (4 page)

Every muscle in my body tenses up because he’s too close. I don’t know him. I don’t know where I am and even if I did, I wouldn’t be sure how I got here. All I want to do is crawl into my bed and pretend this never happened, even though I’m not exactly sure what I want to forget.

One of his hands slides to the back of my neck and my pulse spikes. I start to thrash, pushing against him, but my arms feel like jelly and air hits the bare skin on my chest because the jacket fell open. I can’t decide if I should keep struggling or pull it back together. I’m so dizzy, everything is so foggy.

“Shhhh.” His breath is so warm against my lips. “I won’t hurt you. I won’t even touch you, okay?”

“Really?” I murmur as he grabs both sides of the jacket and pulls it together, covering me. His chest feels so solid beneath my palms.

“Really. You’re safe now,” he assures me. I’m incapable of accurately determining if he’s lying or not, but I don’t think so. “I still think about it every day. About you.”

That’s what I wanted to ask him. “Do I know you?”

“No.”

“Have we met before?”

“A long time ago, yes. But you don’t remember that either. Like you won’t remember this.”

He smiles at me, his thumb gliding across my bottom lip. It’s such a sad, almost timid smile, so different from the arrogant grin I saw before. My heart races as he leans forward and brushes his lips across mine. They’re so soft. I’ve thought about doing this for a long time, but I didn’t think it would feel like this.

My body’s reaction is foreign to me, a strange heat and energy rising up from my belly and parting my lips. His do the same as he draws nearer, the hand that was holding the jacket falling away and reappearing on the small of my back, but I don’t care if I’m exposed anymore. His breathing is so close, I can hear it hitching with every movement his lips make against mine.

I want to remember this somehow, I have to. It’s my first kiss and it feels so real.

When Shane pulls back, I’m surprised to see that his expression is so strained it almost looks like he’s about to cry. “I am so sorry,” he chokes. “I let you down. I couldn’t help you then, but now I can. I won’t let him hurt you this time.”

“Who?”

“I’m so glad you can’t remember.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Good.” He kisses me again, softer this time, somehow even sweeter. I want more. “Come here, Z,” he whispers into my ear. “I won’t hurt you. I swear.”

All of my senses are dull and fuzzy. I’m not sure what this emotion is, but it isn’t fear. Somehow I wind up sitting in his lap with my head against his chest, tucked under his chin. His arms surround me, everything is so warm. I curl up and breathe deeply as he kisses the top of my head. No one has ever held me like this before and I don’t care if it’s a dream. I don’t even want to know.

Shane

Zoey sleeps against my chest now, but it’s not as comforting as I’d imagined it would be. Now that she’s here a part of me wishes that she wasn’t. What the hell am I going to do with her?

I thought it would be over soon. I’d resigned myself to somehow learning to make peace living with the mystery. But then we were standing face to face. She’s always been a trouble maker, even when she didn’t try.

I’d never admit it aloud, but I had an entire speech planned for that moment with Marlowe. Actually, not that moment. I’d have preferred to wait until later and had been working out how to phrase it for years. I wanted to be professional, controlled. That’s who I am now. But one look at her and suddenly I’m a reckless, impulsive fifteen year old little punk that needs to wave his dick around to know that he’s been heard.

One of our assistants is standing on the curb as I pull up. Fuck. I can’t remember her name. She crawls into the limo, holding the blanket I demanded when I called.

“What the hell?” she exclaims, doing her best to keep the look of contempt off her face. “I was wondering why you wanted a Level 1 to bring you this. I almost handed the task off and I guess I should have. I don’t how it works in California, but here we don’t mix business with pleasure.”

Claudia. A stickler for the rules. “This isn’t pleasure.”

“That’s one of your girls, is it not?”

“No,” I correct her. “She’s… a special case. I found her up with Marlowe and I need your discretion about this.”

“Oh.” She hands me the blanket and watches as I shift Zoey around to wrap it around her waist. “Is she alright?”

“No, she’s not alright. I just told you I found her at Marlowe’s.”

“I guess that explains why Adam is having a conniption. He’s in your apartment waiting for you.”

“Get him out.”

“You know I’m not authorized to interfere in fraternal conflict. No one is. Maddox followed him up there if it makes you feel any better.”

“Great. Two of them.”

“Would you like me to call in a third?” she laughs. “Trent would probably have your back on this one.”

I glare at her as she holds the door open. “That one is on my shit list now, just so you know.” Z jerks when the breeze lifts the edge of the blanket, exposing her legs as I rush her inside. Our assistant has already cleared the lobby for our arrival with only ten minutes notice. Not an easy feat. “I do appreciate the discretion, Claudia.”

“Of course,” she replies, checking her phone as she slides her key into the lock of the private elevator. “Good luck with Adam. Let me know personally if you need anything else. I don’t need any more rumors floating around the office, you guys are doing a good enough job on that front as it is.”

I savor the few moments I have alone with Z on the ride up. She’s out cold. Literally. The color of her lips is concerning and that pill shouldn’t have knocked her out this hard. Perhaps I should call a doctor up here.

My unease over her condition distracts me from a simmering rage that threatens to explode at the sight of my brother. If I wasn’t holding her, I’m not sure I’d be able to resist the urge to strangle him. Judging by Maddox’s horrified expression, that’s exactly what he’s expecting.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” Adam stands with his arms across his chest like he can actually intimidate me.

“I should be asking you the same thing,” I reply. “Get out of my home. Both of you.”

“I don’t fucking think so. You just exposed everything,” Adam hisses. “Half of those deals aren’t even finalized, Shane.”

“It’s less than a third,” Maddox corrects him. Ever the peace maker. “He can’t stop it now anyway.”

“That’s not why Adam’s pissed,” I laugh. “He just didn’t get a chance to let Marlowe know he won.” I never would have allowed that to happen anyway. He’s far too impulsive and emotionally involved.

My elder brother is still fuming, that vein in his forehead ready to burst. “Yeah. You’re right. That was my fucking moment, Shane. I’m the one that made this happen.”

“That is absolute bullshit,” I remind him.

“I’m the one that actually lost someone,” he shoots back.

“You have a lot of goddamned nerve.” My jaw clenches so hard I’m worried I’ll break a tooth.

“You took a trophy. Do you have any idea how risky that is?”

“A trophy?” my naïve little brother gasps as he looks at the unconscious bundle in my arms. I shake my head at him reassuringly.

“Adam, you’d better tread lightly.” I tilt my body to expose Zoey’s face. It doesn’t exactly come as a surprise that Adam doesn’t recognize her, but it still pisses me off. “She most certainly isn’t a trophy. Remember that girl our investigators couldn’t find?”

“What?” Adam’s anger dissipates as he starts to put the pieces together. “Shane, I—”

“Don’t bother. You blocked the investigation.”

“They didn’t even have a name.”

“Those guys can find anyone. I still would have helped you if I got her back.”

“That’s not why I did it,” Adam replies calmly. I can’t believe he’s foolish enough to admit it. “You can’t turn back time. All we can do is move forward.”

“That is your philosophy, not mine. I found her stripped naked on stage in front of screaming men, getting auctioned off.”

“Jesus,” Maddox says, his face contorting in disgust as he looks to our brother for an explanation.

“So I don’t care that you didn’t get to feed your ego by making your little speech. Get the fuck out of my house.”

Zoey flinches and I realize that I’m clutching her too tightly. I don’t want her to wake up afraid of me so I take a deep breath and watch my brother storm out. Maddox sticks around.

“This doesn’t concern you.” I almost tell him that she’s been drugged and she’ll probably be out for a while, but I don’t need to explain myself. “It’s none of your business. Did I miss anything?”

“But…” he trails off, flabbergasted. “Yes. Father is coming to town unexpectedly and would like to see you.”

“Unexpectedly,” I scoff. That certainly complicates things. “Well then, make arrangements to meet him somewhere. And stop calling him Father. How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t care what’s on paper, that’s not who he is.”

“Rupert would very much like to see your new home.”

“Right,” I sigh. I suppose it is a bad idea to isolate the old man, especially after this stunt. “Just take care of it, Maddox.”

“But that girl… Shane, where will you… It doesn’t matter how much money you have, you can’t just…”

“Keep this to yourself or you’re out on your ass.”

“Shane!” my brother calls out to me as I race up the stairs.

The movement disturbs Zoey as her head bounces against my chest, making her whimper. My steps slow as my heart starts to pound. I would take her to a hospital, but when she wakes up she’ll want to go home. Or, they’ll throw the poor girl in the psych ward.

I lay her down on the bed and watch her hands clutch my jacket closed. Even unconscious, she’s still on guard. And far more beautiful than I expected. The full realization of what I’ve done sinks in as I sit in the chair next to the bed and watch her rest, wondering what I should do next.

I’ve put her in unimaginable danger. Although, she must have already gotten herself into a fair amount of that on her own, considering where I found her. Twenty thousand dollars. That’s quite a lot of trouble. She looked so petrified on that stage, trembling in front of those bidders. I wish I could say that I don’t give a shit if she deserved it, but I do. Marlowe will pay for it anyway.

The image of her standing on that stage will blend with the others that haunt me now, if I somehow manage to let her go. The scarring, the shame. It has to factor into whatever mistakes she’s made, whatever wrong turns she took that led her to that spot. My resolve not to touch her while she sleeps starts to crack. I need to see the damage up close. She’ll never let me once she’s awake and surprisingly, I don’t think I’ll have it in me to force her.

Her breathing is deeper now, more even. Her arms remain crossed over her body, but her hands are loose and don’t resist when I pull them apart and roll her on her side. I lift my jacket up to her ribs, surprised how easy it is to resist the urge to steal a glimpse at her breast.

It’s definitely her. The pattern has morphed over the years, lengthening with her body. The smaller cuts have faded away entirely, but the deep gashes might even look worse. It’s honestly fascinating, beautiful in its own way. I wonder if she knows the story behind it. I hope she doesn’t.

Hopefully, Marlowe didn’t recognize it. If anyone could forget such brutality, he could. With any luck, he’ll be too busy scrambling to avoid the inevitable and forget all about her. He’ll try to hit us back anyway he can. If he ever realizes what she means to me…

What she meant to me. She is not the same innocent little girl that she used to be. Zoey shudders, a small tremor that grows more violent until it’s nearly a convulsion. Some type of withdrawal perhaps? Regardless of her vices, she needs medical treatment. The last thing I need is more blood on my hands, especially hers.

I call down to Claudia to send up a doctor. A team arrives within the hour. Their accusing eyes keep glancing at me, but they keep their mouths shut and do their jobs. The toxicology screen comes back with a lot more than Halcion, but it isn’t a fatal combination. Heroin and most of the other hard drugs would be undetectable within twelve hours. There’s no way to test if she’s an addict, but it would explain how she wound up on that stage. If she is coming off something, she’ll just have to ride it out.

And she won’t be doing it alone. When they’re gone, I give into temptation and crawl beside her as she shivers. She pulls away from me and I let her. After a while, I’m able to move closer until I can wrap my arms around her to keep her warm. The shuddering stops and her breathing evens out until she’s resting peacefully.

My body reacts to hers in the most inappropriate way. I honestly didn’t think I’d be attracted to her, especially under such horrific circumstances. Perhaps I’m forgetting what I am now. Zoey is far too fragile to be around me. I can delude myself into thinking that I’ll get her clean and let her go, but I will manage to destroy her life along the way. It’s my nature.

Guilt and hunger finally motivate me to get out of bed. I can at least manage to let the poor girl rest properly. For now.