The Enemy in My Bed by L.K. Shaw

Chapter 2

Pierce

Not a single flickerof movement betrays my surprise at the person sitting before me. I study him—no, her. Cobalt blue eyes, nearly too big for her face, peer up at me with a mixture of defiance and fear. It’s the latter I lock on to. Because fear feeds me.

“You’re no one, huh? Why don’t I believe you?” Probably because the accent marks her as a liar. I despise anything Russian. This girl—woman—is no different. It doesn’t matter that I have no idea who she is. The fact she shares blood with our enemies is enough for me.

“Believe me, or don’t. I do not care,” she spits out.

I give her credit for the brave front she presents. “Why were you at Mikhail’s estate?”

Her spine stiffens. “It is none of your concern.”

Not in the mood for games, I cross the room in three steps and grab her face in my palm. I squeeze hard enough to get her attention, but not enough to cause damage. Her eyes widen in terror and she whimpers. My nostrils flare, and I welcome the scent of fear. I’m surprised to find my cock rising from arousal. For the moment, I ignore the unwelcome sensation.

“That is where you are wrong. It is very much my concern when my boss’ wife has been kidnapped, and I find you trying to run away like a coward.”

A change washes over her, and the defiance returns to the forefront. She narrows her eyes. “A coward is someone who intimidates innocent women.”

I tighten my grip a fraction. She sucks in a pained breath. If she thinks her petty insults will offend me, she will soon learn otherwise. “It’s a good thing you’re not innocent then. Now, let’s try this again. Who are you?”

The woman stares up at me, but refuses to bend. I release her face with a jerk, leaving bright pink fingerprints in my wake. Instead, I snatch a fistful of hair and wrench her head back. She screams and struggles in the chair. Tears spring to her eyes and spill from the sides. The Russians had no mercy for my sister. I’ll show none to them. Regardless of who they are.

“I will get the answers I’m looking for. How difficult you make it for yourself is up to you,” I speak calmly.

“I am no one,” she repeats through gritted teeth, closing her eyes.

Fuck.I loosen the grip on her hair and take a step away. Her entire face is red and she’s breathing hard. Wet lines run down her cheeks, and her lids remain shut. I continue observing her, taking everything in. The clenched fists and jaw. Rigid spine and shoulders. A proud and stubborn chin raise. Finally, she opens her eyes and locks gazes with me. I’m bombarded with her emotions.

Hatred.

Fear.

Pride.

“Maybe you need some time to rethink your decision.” I turn and head for the door.

Behind me, the woman’s breath hitches. There it is. The fear she’s been trying to bury breaks through the surface. The sour scent of it comes floating through the air. Once again, my cock twitches. I inhale the sickly odor before glancing over my shoulder. Her pupils are dilated and her chest rises and falls even more rapidly.

I continue forward and then pause at the doorway to give her one more chance. Her eyes track my movements. I reach for the knob and begin to pull it shut. My fingers haven’t even touched the light switch yet. A shiver racks her body. White nails grip the armrest tightly. Still, she says nothing. With a single flick, the room turns black. Is that a whimper? Would she make the same sound if I sucked on her clit? Slid my fingers deep inside her? I push away the images.

“I hope you’re not afraid of the dark.” With those parting words, I close the door. For several minutes, I stand on the other side, my ears straining for sound. Only silence greets me. I’m almost disappointed. As quietly as I’d arrived, I make my way up the dimly lit corridor until finally I reach the exit. Waiting for me is the new driver, Fabrizio.

“Take me to Jacob’s,” I instruct him before he encloses me in the back of the town car with a nod.

“Yes, Mr. De Luca.”

I resist reaching into the dry bar to pull out the bottle of bourbon. It’s the only thing that takes the edge off my rage. Normally, I sip it slowly and let the vanilla and oak flavors dampen the fire that burns through my belly. Not this time.

My need to hold on to the anger is strong. Because ever since I flipped the light switch to discover my captive is a woman, emotions I keep locked up tight threaten to emerge. I refuse to let them out. They do nothing but make me weak. And I swore long ago to never be weak again.

Jacob opensthe door of his townhouse and steps back to let me pass. The lights are dim, and a heavy pall lays over the place. His features are haggard and already dark circles have appeared under his eyes. I hate showing up this late after everything that went down tonight, but we need to talk.

“Let’s go to my office. I want to be close to Brenna in case she wakes up and needs me,” he says.

I follow him quietly up the stairs. We pass the open doorway of the master bedroom where he briefly pauses, his gaze on his sleeping wife. A soft light glows from within. I keep my gaze averted. No need to intrude on their private space. Satisfied she remains asleep, we continue a few paces down the hall until we reach a second bedroom that Jacob has converted into his personal office.

This is the first time I’ve been in this room since he moved in. Most of our meetings have been held either in the back of the body shop or inside Empire. The atmosphere here is far more relaxed than at his father’s. Sal ruled differently than his son does.

Jacob takes a seat at his desk while I remain standing. “Has he told you anything yet?”

A small part of me doesn’t want to divulge that our guest isn’t what we expected, but I’ve sworn to never keep secrets from him. “It’s not a he.”

His head jerks back a fraction. “Repeat that.”

“The person I caught trying to escape from Mikhail’s compound is a woman. A Russian woman.”

“Fuck.” His eyes leave mine and he focuses on the desk’s surface for several seconds. He blinks and returns his gaze to me. His demeanor shifts slightly. His expression hardens, and an unspoken message passes between us. He won’t stop me from doing whatever is necessary to get information from her. No matter that she’s a woman.

“Has she said anything?” he asks again.

“Not yet,” I say with a shake of my head. “I have every intention of finding out her secrets, though.”

He nods absently, not questioning the tactics I might use to expose them. An image of watery blue eyes flashes inside my head. I snap the door shut on it. Whatever is necessary.

“If you don’t get anything from her, I’ll speak to Brenna in a day or two. Ask her about the woman. Maybe she knows something.”

“Hopefully that won’t be necessary. Our guest seems to have a weakness in regards to being held in the dark. After a few hours alone, she may be willing to part with some information,” I tell him.

“Keep me updated,” Jacob says.

“Of course,” I acknowledge him. “Anything on Giovanni?”

I haven’t told Francesca about him being shot, yet. It’s not something I’m looking forward to. I can’t put it off forever, though. Especially if the kid dies. My sister would never forgive me.

“Dino’s wife, Renata, volunteered to wait at the hospital. The last I heard is that he’s in surgery and in critical condition. I told her to message me the minute anything changes.”

A cry from the other room brings Jacob to his feet and out the door without a word. Brenna is more important than anything else I might have to say. The soles of my shoes are quiet down the hall, the stairs, and out the door of the townhouse, leaving the couple in peace. I block out his wife’s cries. They remind me too much of another woman’s.

I instruct Fabrizio to take me to Gianna’s. A hard and dirty fuck is just what I need to keep my mind occupied.