Untamed: Bad Boy Fighter Romance (Fighting for Gisele #2) (2 page)

Next he called the resort, but learned that Gisele had checked out. He’d expected that. There would be no reason to stay after their weekend had come to a disastrous end. She was at her condo, guarded by her brother and his gang.

Micah didn’t know if Gisele would call back or not. There was a chance she was as pissed as he was. Maybe knocking her boyfriend out hadn’t endeared her to him. Well, the guy had asked for it. He shouldn’t have barged in when he wasn’t invited.

After shedding his clothes, Micah got into a hot shower. The spray pummeled his shoulders and relaxed him. The vision of the shower he’d taken with Gisele filled his thoughts. He could feel her, smell her, and his cock hardened at the memory.

Images of Gisele, her smiles and her caresses, made him feel a bit better. Micah brushed aside the idea that she wouldn’t come back to him. But his gut ached, and his heart felt like a fist was squeezing it. There was a possibility that he wouldn’t see her again.

That wouldn’t prevent him from keeping an eye on her, and if Vik didn’t behave he wouldn’t think twice about punching him again, or worse. But that wasn’t the same as being together. For a couple of days, the world had left them alone.

Micah had held Gisele in his arms, kissed her sweet lips, and breathed in her feminine scent. He’d felt her wrapped around him, been lost in her soft panting, and listened to her cry out in pleasure. He wanted more of her, badly.

Yet Gisele hadn’t called back. After Micah got out of the shower, he dried off and checked messages, but there weren’t any. It was possible that she was busy, but considering the time of day, that was unlikely. She worked evenings, so should be available to return his call.

The more Micah thought about it, the more frustrated he became. It was hell to desire a woman he couldn’t control. That was a new experience for him, and one he didn’t like. Yet he didn’t want any of the women who fell willingly at his feet.

Micah wanted only Gisele, but if she didn’t feel the same, he certainly wasn’t going to beg. As a result of defending her, he’d had a shitty night, tossing and turning on a thin cot in a smelly prison. Yet she hadn’t tried to call him since he’d been escorted to the police station, or even taken the time to respond to his message.

Micah grabbed his wallet and room key. He was going to hit the Strip and forget his problems. While he was out on bail, he intended to make the most of it. And if Gisele didn’t care, well, that was her choice.

Micah reached for the door just as his phone vibrated. His pulse raced, but when he looked at the screen he saw that it was only Luke. After stepping into the hallway, he texted back:
I’m on my way down
. Then he got in the elevator.

When the doors opened, Luke held up his hand to greet Micah. “Ready for some action?” his friend said.

Micah strode toward the entrance. “I’m always ready.”

Chapter 2

When Gisele was alone, she went back inside and took the elevator up to her room to get away from any well-meaning staff. Still in shock, she shut the door behind her and fell onto the bed, with a splitting headache. For quite a while, she lay there, trying to regain some composure.

The weekend with Micah had been the best two days she’d spent, and she’d begun to envision a real relationship. After being with him, any other man wouldn’t do. They’d made no commitment past the end of their date, but there had been every reason to think that things would continue.

But now she didn’t know. She was distressed over how it all went so wrong, so fast. With her forearm over her eyes, she considered her predicament. Gisele wanted to do something to help Micah, but didn’t know what.

Whenever she’d tried to defend him, or explain what had happened, she’d been brushed aside. It was in moments like that she understood Micah’s love of fighting. She’d been inclined to punch the next person who told her that her statement would be taken later.

An officer had written down her name and contact information, then informed her that she would be called to come into the station for an interview. That wasn’t how it was in the movies. At the scene of a crime, no one was allowed to leave until they’d given a statement.

She guessed that was just for murders, not for boyfriend disputes. One thing was for sure—she wasn’t going to sit around and cry about what had happened. She had to do something. The problem was that she didn’t know what.

Gisele was desperate to explain to Micah that Vik had lied, and to make him understand how she really felt. But she wasn’t going to talk through the bars of a jail cell. She sat up on the bed and rubbed her temples.

She couldn’t just stay at the resort; she had to do whatever she could to get Micah out of jail. After taking a couple of headache tablets, Gisele reached for the hotel phone. The hotel concierge would call a cab for her, and maybe she could get to the jail not long after Micah had been booked.

As she reached for the phone, there was a knock at the door. She thought it was Micah, and her heart skipped a beat. Then she realized it couldn’t be; the police wouldn’t have just let him go. Gisele opened the door to find her brother standing in the hall.

Alek stepped inside before greeting her. “Gisele, are you okay?”

“Yes, I am, but I assume you know that Vik has been taken to the hospital.”

“The paramedics called when Vik gave them my number,” her brother said. “I came here immediately.”

A thought occurred to her. “How did Vik know that I was staying at this resort?”

“I told him.” Alek said it without emotion, as if taking it for granted.

Yet her brother had interfered in her private life, confirming that he had a particular interest in her choice of men. It made her wonder about his motives, and whether it really was his concern for her that prompted him to do such things.

“But how did you know that I was here?”

“You texted that you couldn’t make it to the poker game Saturday night.” Alek stood there, looking at her.

Gisele tried to put it all together. “Yes, but I didn’t say
why
I couldn’t work that night…or where I was.”

Alek shrugged it off. “You didn’t have to.” He paced a couple of steps. “You don’t really think that I let you go off without knowing where you are, do you?”

A concern that Gisele had tried to ignore for too long now surfaced. “Exactly what does that mean?”

“A cell phone can be traced,” Alek said, as if it was done as routine. “When you didn’t show up, I found out that you had come out to the lake.”

“That is none of your business.”

“I’m afraid it is, especially when you spend the weekend with one of our players, a boxer with a bad reputation.”

Gisele was indignant. “And how did you know I’d come out here with Micah?”

Alek smiled, as if to placate her. “The staff at the resort were very cooperative.”

Fuming, Gisele glared at her brother. “I resent you treating me like a child. I’m an adult, and I can spend the weekend with whomever I damn well please.”

“We can talk about this another time, Gisele.”

“No, we’re talking about it right now.” Gisele stepped closer. “And how dare you malign Micah…bad reputation indeed. So far, he’s been good to me. I’m the one who has been nothing but trouble.”

“I doubt that,” Alek said.

Gisele stared at her brother, as if she didn’t really know him. It occurred to her that for some unfathomable reason, her family feared that she might truly care for a man that was not of their choosing. That thought was disconcerting, and she recoiled. “You can’t do this, Alek.”

“I believe I can,” her brother said, without flinching. “Until you are of age, it’s my duty to watch out for you.”

“I’m sick of hearing that,” Gisele said. “If you were looking out for me, you’d want me to be happy.”

Alek looked authentically hurt by her comment. “I do want you to be happy, Gisele.”

“And as you well know, I’ve been of age since I turned eighteen. It was probably a mistake to agree to stay at the complex and continue our arrangement until my twenty-first birthday,” Gisele said. “I should have left long ago.”

Alek put his hands on her arms. “You’re upset. I understand that. It has been a stressful day.”

Gisele wanted someone to lean on; she wanted a brother she could count on. In the past, Alek had taken care of her, but now she didn’t know what to think.

“Now it’s time to go to the hospital. I’m sure that Vik has been admitted. We need to check on him. He’ll want to see you.”

“I can’t go to the hospital,” Gisele said. “I have to go to the jail, to do whatever I can to get Micah released.”

The look in Alek’s eyes was cold. “That’s not going to happen. Not right now. Micah is in police custody, and it’s your duty to see that Vik has the support he needs.”

Gisele couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Yet she knew her brother, and his tone brooked no argument. He wasn’t about to let her out of his sight, or allow her to rush off to the police station to be with Micah.

Having no alternative, Gisele packed her suitcase and followed Alek out of the room. She checked out of the resort, and a driver put her luggage in the trunk. Vik had been transported to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment, and Alek directed his driver to take them there.

The medical center was a huge, state-of-the-art facility that looked like every other hospital Gisele had seen. Inside it was painted a sterile white, and sparsely decorated. The few paintings in the lobby were nondescript, not ones that anyone could take offense to. And certainly not ones that anyone would display in their home.

The medical environment was unwelcoming and a bit frightening. Fortunately, Gisele was there to visit a man with a fairly minor injury, not one with a life-threatening disease. When they arrived, Alek spoke to the receptionist, and she directed them to intensive care.

They learned that Vik had already been taken to surgery. The blow had fractured his jaw, and the surgeon was going to wire it shut to allow for healing. Gisele took a seat in the waiting room while Alek went to get her some coffee.

For at least a couple of minutes, Gisele had some peace. She was still annoyed with how her brother had treated her, but just then, she saw no way out. She’d have to bide her time, and at least fake interest in Vik’s recovery, before she would be allowed to leave.

Gisele felt suffocated at being treated like a possession. She didn’t want to be owned, and longed to strike out and create her own life. Yet she was a bit nervous about that now. To use a poker term, her brother had shown his hand, and she hadn’t liked what she’d seen.

For some years, Gisele had clung to the belief that her brother was just being brotherly. She assured herself that she could leave anytime she wished. Now she doubted that was true. Something else was going on here, but she was too distraught and wrung out from the ordeal earlier in the day to try to make sense of it.

The Russian mob was known for many things, but arranged marriages weren’t among them. Alek had not ordered her to marry Vik, yet he was pleased whenever she’d dated him. That would have been okay if that was as far as it had gone.

Now he’d overstepped his bounds, and actually sent Vik after her when she had spent the weekend with a man Alek didn’t approve of. He’d said so. Thus, Gisele wasn’t imagining all of this. But for now, she had to see Vik and then get out. Then she’d figure out how to handle her brother’s smothering ways.

Alek returned with the coffees, and they sipped in silence. Gisele was in no mood to talk to him, nor did her brother strike up any conversation. As it grew later, Alek got hungry, so she went to the hospital cafeteria with him. Gisele didn’t have any appetite, and just nibbled at some fruit while her brother devoured a stale-looking roast beef sandwich.

Gisele read magazines, watched some lame programs on the television in the waiting room, and paced the floor. She was stiff from so much sitting, and did some Pilates stretches to loosen up. At long last, the doctor came out to tell them that Vik’s surgery had gone well, and that he’d be out of the recovery room soon.

After another wait, a nurse took them to Vik’s room in the intensive care unit. Although drowsy, he was awake. Gisele hadn’t seen him so pale, and nearly felt sorry for him. But he ruined that quickly. The look in his eyes wasn’t apologetic at all, which annoyed her all over again.

Alek chatted with Vik, letting him know that he’d take care of everything. He handed over a glass with a straw so his friend could drink some water. Since Vik had his jaw wired shut and couldn’t speak, her brother did all the talking. Vik was part of her brother’s operation and handled various business matters, which he hadn’t discussed with her.

Gisele didn’t care anyway, but she did know that Vik had plenty of money. Whatever business he dealt with for her brother was very lucrative. She should have been concerned about her former boyfriend’s condition, but she was merely impatient.

When Alek was done talking, he stepped back. “I’ll leave you two alone for a few minutes.”

“There’s no need to…” But Gisele didn’t finish her thought. Alek had already slipped out of the room.

Vik looked at her with an accusatory expression. “You shouldn’t have gone out there,” Gisele said. “This wouldn’t have happened. I don’t know what Alek told you, but you should have waited. If you wanted to talk to me, it would have been better when I got home.”

Vik waved toward the table at the side of his bed, and Gisele saw a small chalkboard. He motioned for her to hand it to him, and she supposed that was how he could communicate. When he took the chalk, Vik scratched out what he wanted to say.

I forgive you. I don’t hold it against you.

The words on the blackboard infuriated her. “You have a lot of nerve. I don’t need you to forgive me. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Vik wiped the board clean, then wrote:
I still want to marry you, and when I recover I will ask you properly.

Gisele grabbed the chalkboard out of his hands and dashed it to the floor. “I told you, Vik. I’m not going to marry you. I made that clear. And you had no right to lie to Micah about it.”

Vik gave her a condescending look, as if he expected her to comply with his wishes. That had always been part of the problem. He didn’t listen to her, and now that was intolerable. Gisele glared at the man she’d known for so long, wondering why she hadn’t put a stop to this sooner.

“Goodbye, Vik.” With that, Gisele spun and strode toward the door. She should have regretted that Vik had a broken jaw, but he was just as much of a pain now as he’d been when he showed up at the resort. She left before she punched him again. Then he would need to have his other jaw wired shut.

Alek waited in the hall, and looked up inquiringly when she stepped out. Before he could say anything, Gisele held up her hand. “I came. I saw him.” She took a breath. “And now I’m leaving.”

Her brother stood up.

“Don’t bother, Alek. I’ll take a cab.”

Amazingly, he let her go, so Gisele made her escape. Unfortunately, she’d waited so long at the hospital that there was no way the police station would be open. Of course, her brother knew that, which was why he hadn’t tried to stop her.

Outside the hospital, Gisele stood beyond the glow of the brightly lit entrance. She took in a lungful of air, trying to clear away the smell of chemicals and alcohol. Reaching into her purse, she found her phone, then scrolled for the number of the police station.

Public hours were over, but the police had to work around the clock. Crime didn’t stop just because their shift ended. Gisele reached a desk clerk who was less than helpful. She couldn’t find out anything at all. The person wouldn’t even confirm whether Micah Rinaldi had arrived earlier or been booked.

There was no choice but to wait until morning. Gisele didn’t want to go home or encounter her brother at the condo. She needed time to think, so she called cab and went to one of the larger hotels. There she got a luxury room and took a long bubble bath, trying to soak away some of the stress.

*****