Bound by Vengeance (5 page)

He couldn’t help but smile as his little minx grinned up at him. Desire illuminated those beautiful grey eyes, flooding them with promise. Peeling her away from him, he sent her upstairs with a firm swat that hurried her along. Walking back into the garage, he carried in the books she’d selected. At least it would give her something to do until the situation with Laychee was corrected. That was a problem that needed rectified, and soon. Stayed cooped up inside the house had to be driving her crazy.

Blowing out a deep breath, he shrugged out of his coat an
d scarf. Tucking his gloves into the pocket, he hung the items up in the closet and snagged a bottle of water. After taking a long drink, he pulled his cell phone out and dialed the head of security. Henderson’s deep voice answered on the other end.

“We’re
back. Were there any problems while we were gone?”

“I saw you pull in. Welcome home, sir. There’s nothing to report. All is quiet as usual.”

He bit back a sarcastic remark. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed and nodded into the darkness. “Thank you.”

“Have a good evening, sir.”

Sebastian ended the call without responding. He checked the clock. It was just after nine. Josh and Monique would be heading to bed soon, if they weren’t there already. The thought made him grimace. That was definitely a mental image he could do without. Rather than drag things out and interrupt his partner’s time off with a call, he shot off a quick text.

Dominic and Vince picked up our houseguest this morning. How’s my sister?

His phone chimed a few seconds later.

I hope the bastard enjoys the hospitality. Good, Baas. Everything’s good. You?

I’m turning in for the evening. Goodnight.

After double-checking the locks and the alarm, he prowled up the stairs. Anticipation and the onset of desire were starting to flame h
is system. He pushed open the doors to the master suite and shut them quietly behind him. Taylor was already in bed with the covers modestly pulled up to her chin. He regarded her with a soft tsk of disapproval.

“Silly girl,” he whispered.

She’d turned on the fireplace that served as a quarter divider between the bedroom and sitting quarters. Warmth and an inviting golden glow engulfed the room and spilled across their four-poster bed. He stripped down quickly and crawled toward her, tugging the blankets down in his wake. Sebastian sucked in a sharp breath upon seeing the delicate scraps of lace encasing her curves. He rocked back on his heels to get a better view, a small smile of understanding curving his lips. This is why she’d been hiding. He wasn’t a fan of clothing in bed. All it did was get in the way, but there was no denying how much he appreciated this surprise. Reaching up he trailed a finger over the black garter hugging her thigh. A low groan rumbled in his throat as he ran his hands over toned muscles and silky flesh. Inching up her legs, his eyes locked with hers.

Taylor fisted the sheets with a pleading whimper as he rubbed his thumb against the lacy scrap between her thighs and his breath fell across her skin. Her hips jerked when he ground th
e rough material over her dampening slit. Capturing the frilly garter between his teeth, he slowly tugged it down while watching her face. Cheeks flushed a rosy shade of pink and nibbling the delectable swell of her bottom lip, she was an astounding sight. He ached to rip every last inch of clothing away, sink his fists into that gleaming sable hair, and drive himself deep. His body trembled and he fought to rein it in and go slow. If she wanted to play, he would play.

Crawling back up her, he released the
garter from his teeth and dropped it beside her head before easing down to capture her lips. He kissed her deeply, loving the way the grip of her fingers told him when her head swam. Dipping his fingers between her legs, he rubbed the wet lace. He inched lower and ran his tongue over the tent of her nipple until it turned into a stiff peak. Taylor gasped, her body arching with an imploring bow as he licked the pebble through the rough material.

“Seb—Sebastian, please…”

His low chuckle vibrated against her chest, making her shiver and moan. “Oh no, darling. You wanted to make me work. Now I’m going to make you beg.”

He alternated between kneading her breasts and twisting her nipples until her breath came in labored rasps. Leaving a trail of kisses between the
m, he worked his way down the taut drum of her belly. Her hips lifted pleadingly. Breathing the scent of her in, he traced a slow path along the curve of her hipbone with his tongue. Taylor’s fingers twined through his hair, silently urging him on. Hooking a finger through them, he roughly tugged her lace panties aside and sealed his mouth over her glistening sex.

The room rang with her cries of pleasure as he flicked his tongue across her and speared deep. She tugged his curls harder, drawing a low growl f
rom his throat. The vibrations hummed through her and Taylor’s hips snapped up with her hoarse cry. Feeling her tremble, he eased back, loving the sweet look of torment on her face.

“Sebby, please…”

He couldn’t help but smile. She twitched with a helpless moan as he blew on her clit. He waited a few more seconds before torturing her with a light kiss. Her body twisted, seeking to increase the pressure.

“Please,” she whimpered. “Please, please…”

He shook with silent amusement. “Mmm. It’s so sexy when you beg,” he murmured against her. “Makes me so damn hot.”

“Goddammit, Sebastian!”

He threw his head back with a loud laugh. Still smiling, he kissed the inside of her thighs. “Such foul language,” he chided softly. “Is that how you repay me?”

“Now you’re just being cruel.”

“Cruel? No, baby. I can be cruel though if that’s what you’d prefer. Would you like me to punish you for your little slip up, or maybe for pulling my hair?”

“No, Sebastian. Please. I’ll be g
ood.”

The demure plea sent a sharp stab of desire straight through his groin. He groaned and rocked off her. The sound of rending fabric filled the room as he tore the thin lace in two. Taylor’s eyes flared. Firelight reflected in their silvery depths. Sna
ring her slender hips, he jerked them toward his and drove deep. Her strangled cry echoed in his ears. Gritting his teeth against the exquisite feel, he pounded into her in a fevered bid for relief. Taylor arched and writhed, her hands clawing at the comforter. Somehow, he managed to rein himself back in.

Time crawled by as his slow, deep thrusts rocked her body, making those delicious breasts sway. The sight of them drove him wild. She was so hot, so tight…his mind spun and a dizzying bliss grabbed hold. H
e kept at it for what felt like hours. Every time her body quivered, he would pull back until exhaustion kicked in and he couldn’t take it anymore.

Feeling the snug grip of her tunnel grow painfully tight, he picked up the pace. The breathless cries bounc
ing through the room built into a wavering scream. His name carried on her lips and the world exploded. Darkness threatened as he slammed to the hilt and came with a triumphant roar. Taylor squirmed, whimpering in his grasp.

He wasn’t sure how or when he’d
ended up on his back, but the gentle glide of her fingers across his sweat-slicked chest slowly pulled him back down. His heart still pounded a furious rhythm. Closing his eyes, he savored the moment and the delighted aftershocks still wracking his body. Drawing her against his side, he kissed the top of her head.

“I love you, baby,” Sebastian whispered hoarsely. He was sure she responded, but by then the numb allure of sleep had already started to close in and draw the curtains on the day.

Chapter 3 ~

The coppery tang of blood hung in the air. It mingled with the sour stench of sweat and a heavy undercurrent of fear. Sebastian prowled the dimly lit room, his gloved hands clasped behind his back. The guard struggled against the thick ropes and zip ties
binding him to his chair. Blood and snot ran down his battered face, and he shook with another pleading round of sobs. His terrified stare flickered between Sebastian and the solid steel door in a frantic search for reprieve. Leaning against the cement wall behind him, Josh folded his arms and rolled his eyes in bored dismissal.

“We’ve heard it all before, buddy,” he stated dryly. “I gotta be honest with you, man. I’m a little tired of listening to the same old song and dance.”

“Please,” the guard choked. His voice crackled and strained with his efforts to speak. “You don’t understand. I have a family.”

Sebastian spun on his heel and coiled over the man with an abruptness that made him flinch. Instantaneous horror flooded the captive’s hazel eyes. He pressed
deeper into his seat in a vain effort to escape. Pain carved across his swollen face as Sebastian snared his cheeks and dug his fingers in until the fleshy folds ground against bone.

“That was a very bad mistake, Andy,” he warned in a silken whisper. “Do
you really want to bring up family around me after you were caught taking pictures of mine?”

A vicious blow from the back of his fist sent both man and chair capsizing sideways against the floor. Gritting his teeth, Sebastian sent him skidding another foot
away with a well-placed kick to the ribs. Andy wailed in between the rattling whoops seizing his body as he fought to suck in a breath of air. Crouching over him, Sebastian seized a thick handful of hair and wrenched the russet locks until the man’s neck bent with a savage bow.

“You brought this situation on yourself.
Nobody
threatens
my
family, least of all some low-life scum like you. You violated my home, my trust, and the people I love. I hope they treated you well over the last three days, because I promise we haven’t even gotten started.” He shook his head and leaned over the man. “You took pictures of my sister and the woman I love inside our home, and you were doing it all for Laychee, isn’t that right?”

“I al-already told the other pe-people every
thing I kn-know,” he gasped.

“I want to hear it for myself. Tell me, Andy, what is it that he was going to do with these pictures once he had them?”

“I don’t
know
. Oh God, please…”

“I don’t believe you,” Sebastian whispered, stroking his head with mock aff
ection. “And nothing is going to save you now. Not even God. Not from me.”

He stood and walked away, giving himself a chance to cool and his words a chance to sink into the man’s tattered psyche. Josh blew out a slow exhale, and their eyes met across the r
oom. One nod to his partner was all it took. Levering off the wall, Josh jerked their prisoner up and righted his chair. Sobs echoed brokenly throughout the concrete room. Sebastian smirked. The man could scream at the top of his lungs for days on end and no one would hear. Marx had chosen a modified oilrig deep in the desert for this particular operation. Despite the soundproofed walls, nothing but nature stretched around them for miles. It was their own personal hidey-hole, an oasis of torture far away from the rest of the world and its prying eyes.

“You might want to reconsider what you know,” Josh warned. “My partner enjoys these situations a little too much. You see that gleam in his eyes? That’s not rage, Andy.
That’s anticipation. He lives for this stuff. You have no idea just how brutal he can be, and you’ve definitely pushed the wrong button.”

A wavering scream pierced the air as Josh drove a curved knife through the man’s forearm and buried it deep. The chair
rocked onto its hind legs, teetering precariously, as he bucked and thrashed in a fit of pain. Watching him, Sebastian felt a smile threaten.

Josh accosted their prisoner with a rough pat to the cheek. “Come to think of it, you pushed mine, too.” He force
d Andy’s tear-filled stare back to his partner. “See what I mean? Look at him. Does that look like a man with empathy or a conscience to you? He’s been trained, conditioned to be nothing but a coldblooded killer, Andy, and so have I. Did they tell you anything about our organization when they brought you in?”

The man gave a frantic shake of his head, his gaze darting between the two men.

“Maybe they wanted it to be a surprise,” Sebastian mused.

“Yeah, maybe they wanted to make him guess, seeing how he likes
to play games so much. Do you want to tell him, or should I?”

He regarded both men for a long moment before gesturing with a sweep of his hand.

Josh ruffled Andy’s hair. “Sorry about that. My partner isn’t much of a talker. He’s more action fueled, if you get my drift. It’s nothing personal.”

Sebastian grunted beneath his breath. “Perhaps in your case it is, but you crossed the line, Andy. One there’s no going back from.”

A brief spark of amusement flashed in his partner’s blue gaze. The sickening thud of knuckles meting flesh flooded the room. Sebastian’s lips twitched in response. Giving his neck a stiff roll, he glanced at the clock. It was the only decoration adorning the walls and the only break from the drab, stained concrete spread around them. Even the door was painted a matching shade of grey. There were no handles on the inside, only a guard stationed on the other side of the door, waiting for their coded knock.