FIVE
Sitting at his desk in his office, Raid turned another page of their supplies list. Scanning the items that he’d be expected to pay for, he blinked his eyes up to his lieutenant before letting them sink back down to the page.
“There are some…” Diego cleared his throat. “New items on there.”
Incredulous wasn’t usually in his repertoire; Raid did his best to remain reserved. If he’d spent any time thinking about what it would mean to have a woman under his purview, the list wouldn’t be so unexpected.
“I see that,” he said.
“Guess you were right that having a woman on site would cost us.”
It wasn’t any financial cost that made him question whether allowing Diego this project was a smart move. Over the course of the weeks that this woman had been on his compound, Diego had kept a close eye on her, which saved Raid from ever having to have direct dealings with her. That was the way he’d like it to stay. At some point, eventually, he’d have to lay eyes on her. But, he was in no hurry to cross paths with the woman who’d fallen from the sky.
The shift of Diego’s jaw told Raid that he wasn’t exactly comfortable having this conversation. But, in the past, they’d never had to think about, much less discuss, feminine products and medications.
The birth control pills she’d requested were what had first crooked his brow. If she had her eye on a man, employee or inmate, Raid would question her impulse control. For her to so quickly pick a mate would suggest that disaster was inevitable; he’d feared as much since Diego had first spoken of incorporating her into their roll. Jealousy, envy, lust, they each had the potential to corrupt his well-oiled machine.
“Is she getting ideas?” Raid muttered, reading the list of supplies that would be picked up on the next trip into town, checking for anything else that might give him a clue about her intentions.
Diego swallowed. “No, uh… the pills are something to do with… something.”
Raid didn’t often smile, but he felt one threatening his lips when he put the document down and noticed how Diego was squirming. “Her cycle,” he said. Diego lowered his attention in time with a nod. “You’ve had her under your supervision for eight weeks. How’s she working out?”
If Diego was having any kind of second thoughts, there were still options. Keeping on top of the situation was paramount to ensuring it didn’t get out of hand. Most of the time, Raid tried to forget that there was any kind of impurity in his ranks. Not that he considered women impure by nature, but the presence of one was against long-standing policy.
Yet, Diego wasn’t disheartened. The way he often perked up when she was mentioned suggested an optimism that left Raid suspicious. “The guys were unsure at first. But, they understand the rules now. They call her Sexpot, but it’s a nickname.”
Any lingering urge Raid had to smile vanished, leaving a cold chill in its wake. “Is she playing with them?”
Having no personal experience with this woman, Raid could only take Diego’s word with regards to her integrity and character. She could be a lush or a flirt, and beyond what would happen to her if she pushed the wrong man’s buttons, the last thing he wanted was tension among men who could be called upon to protect each other’s lives.
“No,” Diego said, glowing with a pride that intrigued Raid. “She understands the power she has over them, as a woman among men. But, I have a feeling that was something she learned long before she got here. She’s smart and recognizes that they’re not guys she wants to tease.”
That was at least something, and he hoped Diego was right in his assessment. Raid nodded. “Is she attractive?”
Diego was so startled by the question that his chin shot up. Over the last two months, Raid had allowed both the woman and Diego a chance to settle in, so he hadn’t asked even the most basic of questions about her. But, Diego didn’t seem to be losing interest in his project, so it was coming to the time when Raid would have to accept this situation wasn’t going away.
“Attractive?” Diego asked.
Unsure if Diego was being protective, Raid explained why he’d asked, though he had no obligation to justify himself to his lieutenant. “Asking if the men have thought about fucking her would be ridiculous. If she’s got a pussy, then I figure they have. How attractive she is tells me how long it will be before I have trouble with them pursuing her. At some point, one of them will make a move on her.”
His lieutenant’s expression hardened in a way that Raid couldn’t fail to notice. Intrigue became concern; Raid hadn’t seen that look on Diego’s face for a long time. Not since they were both much younger. It was a look of anger and offense that confirmed Diego did feel protective of this girl. Given that he’d asked about the woman’s appearance, it didn’t take Raid long to figure out what had caused Diego’s reaction… His fraternal reaction.
Clarity made Raid slam a hand on the desk and thrust to his feet “She looks like Mia. Fuck! Why didn’t you tell me, D?”
Gritting his teeth, Diego breathed in. “What difference does it make?”
This changed everything. Raid couldn’t recall the last time he’d felt such visceral rage. “It makes a fuckload of difference and you know it does. If it meant nothing, you would have told me about her resemblance to your sister the first day you laid eyes on her.”
Opening the top drawer of his desk, Raid pulled out the weapon that was always there and checked the chamber. Raid didn’t think too long about what he had to do with the woman. He’d been uneasy about her being there in the first place and was pissed at himself for not being more thorough about vetting her and probing Diego’s motivation for adopting her.
He should’ve realized there was a reason his lieutenant had spoken up for her. Diego had a soft spot for females, but he’d never wavered in his duties or his loyalty to the compound procedures. Raid had thought taking on the woman was a novelty for his lieutenant, a distraction from their repetitive existence. He hadn’t realized how deep Diego’s need to protect this stranger went.
As Raid rounded the desk, Diego sidestepped into his path. “Where are you going with that?”
“You know where I’m going,” Raid said and bent his elbow to hold up the gun, pointing it to the ceiling. “Stand aside.”
Diego’s lips tightened over his clenched teeth, but he exhaled and backed off giving Raid a route out of the office.
It wasn’t typical for him to hang around and shoot the breeze with his employees. But, the tension that streamed in his wake drew the attention of those he passed as he marched down the stairs and through the cellblock. He didn’t usually use the cellblocks as a short cut either, giving those around another clue that something was going on.
But, he ignored everyone like they were invisible. Raid didn’t care that his actions were causing a stir, and stuck to his purpose.
The inmates would never threaten him, not that he was afraid of them or anyone for that matter. But, he was also armed, so this wouldn’t be a smart time for someone to try taking him on. Especially given that his mood was anything but merciful.
When he got to the end of the wing, he went through the security doors and down a flight of stairs. Navigating another set of security doors, he left this series open as he strode through the dark corridors.
Storming past the guard who knew it was against all rules to leave any doors or gates open, Raid was set on his destination. “Sir?”
The guard jumped up and hurried after him. Though the young man seemed staggered, Raid wouldn’t be surprised if news of his mission had already filtered through the ranks. Employees carried audio transmitters and wore earpieces, so communication could be instant.
Raid came to an immediate halt at the cell door and gestured at it with the gun. “Open the door,” he said to the guard who didn’t hesitate to do as he was told. “Get her out.”
The door swung back on its hinges and the guard stepped inside to address the cell’s occupant. “On your feet, She.”
“I don’t have my shoes on.”
Her voice drifted out from within, forcing Raid to steel himself. It had been a while since he’d heard a female. The sound of a feminine timbre echoing in his own building gave him chills. Having her there was wrong on every level. He resented the twist of compassion that clenched in his gut. She was an interloper, not a victim, and she was a risk to his life’s work.
Raid was practiced and professional and knew how to turn weakness to his advantage. This woman had been coddled for too long.
Seizing the guard’s shoulder, Raid pulled him out of the way and took his place in the doorway. That was the first moment he saw her. A slight woman, sitting on the edge of the bed, peeking up through thick, dark, sweeping bangs.
As soon as she spotted him, she froze.
But, it was surprise that had startled her to a stop, not fear. Sitting upright slowly, she considered him with more curiosity than concern. Her gaze cooled. Growing more discerning, she scrutinized him. The tense twist in his gut changed from compassion to something that he could only describe as discomfort.
He’d never been uncomfortable in his life and he’d be damned if some petite princess was going to make him feel that way on his own turf.
“On your feet,” he growled.
Her eyes were narrowed on the gun when she put her hands on the bed behind her and leaned back. After a moment, she spoke, lacing her tone with contempt. “If you’re going to put a bullet in me, does it matter if I’m standing or sitting?”
“I was told you had a mouth on you.”
Confidence and satisfaction oozed from this woman, though the latter wasn’t aimed at him. If anything, she seemed unimpressed. “I was told we’d never exchange a word,” she said. “Yet, here you are. You are the Laird, I assume?”
He strode forward. “In the flesh,” he said. “This is your lucky day.”
Grabbing her hair, he ignored her pained scream when he hauled her onto her feet. Dragging her from the cell, Raid didn’t even look at the guard who was taking up space in the hallway. With her hands tangled in her own hair over his fist, she tried to free herself from his grip. But she was tiny and weak, there was no way she could protect herself from any man here. Even the oldest or scrawniest of the inmates would be able to overpower her if they got the chance or took the notion.
“Let me go!” she screamed and tried to kick out, but he held her at arm’s length in front of him, pushing her up the stairs and through the open doors to the external courtyard above.
Only when he’d forced her into the middle of the deserted concrete square did he thrust her forward out of his grip. “On your knees.”
“No!” she said, whipping around, her eyes full of venom. “No! I won’t!”
Raising the gun, he pointed it at her head. “Follow orders. Has my lieutenant taught you nothing?” he snarled. “Yield.”
She licked her dry lips; the hatred in her heated glare empowered him. If this was a game, he wouldn’t lose.
But, he couldn’t deny it had been a long time since his blood had been warmed like this. Everyone around here knew he was in charge and gave in without a fight. This woman was different, she had fire, and he’d take pleasure in dowsing it.
Just when he thought she was going to refuse again, she unlocked one knee and then the other to lower into a position of submission in front of him. For half a beat, he suspected a ruse or a trap. The spirited woman he had dragged from her cell wasn’t the type to surrender without a fight.
It didn’t take him long to figure out what had changed her attitude. He’d mentioned his lieutenant. It wasn’t him she respected. This woman was submitting because Diego had instructed her that she should. She was showing deference because his number two had trained her well, she was doing this for Diego.
Whatever her reasons, he’d got what he wanted, her on her knees in front of him, where everyone and anyone could see her. “You know your place, lamb,” he said, lowering his gun, though he kept it in his hand as he started to stroll around examining her.
“Is this the part where you slaughter me?” she asked, trying to look at him.
Raid pressed the gun to her head again. “Eyes front,” he said, stopping when he was behind her.
Just glimpsing part of her profile, he saw her lips part in surprise when he blew out a sharp, piercing whistle. He supposed she’d been expecting a gunshot rather than a whistle.
If that had been a surprise, what came next had to be outright shocking. The doors to the courtyard opened and his men began to take their places against the wall around the perimeter.
“What?” she asked, no longer doing such a great job of hiding her distress. “What’s going on?”
Setting her off-balance was exactly his goal. He’d believed that limiting her contact to Diego’s supervision would prevent any kind of incident. What he’d failed to see was that given Diego’s sensitivity for this woman, she had a false sense of security. Diego had protected her, but that didn’t mean for a second that she was safe here.
“You broke the rules, Poppet.”
Though he was sure of himself, she was beginning to crack. He could understand how this was unsettling, she’d been here two months, but hadn’t witnessed any major incidents or come face to face with him. But, that was exactly what he wanted. This was no free fairground ride, this was life or death. If Diego had a soft spot for this female, then her weakness could cost Diego, and he wouldn’t allow that.
She didn’t move from her knees, but her eyes darted around in their sockets. “I… what? No. No, I didn’t—”
“We gave you a home, a place to belong, and you took advantage of us.”
Wheedling her way into Diego’s affections wasn’t an easy thing to do. Raid despised how she’d made his cohort weak.
“But I—”
“We must find a punishment fit for our lady,” he said.
The only one they had, and yet, she was creating waves without much effort on her part it seemed. “I… I’m sorry, I…”
Continuing around until he was in front of her again, he focused on nothing but her. “Tell me your name,” he said.
“Shea.”
“Should I let you live, Shea?” he asked. “I did that once already and you’ve made me regret it.” It was a shame. There was fire in her belly, but she didn’t know how to direct it. Few did until they were faced with a fight for their life. “I don’t give second chances. So… do I kill you or do you want to take your chances with the inmates?”
When her gaze crept up to his, he expected to see fear, but it wasn’t there. Her uncertainty was gone and he read nothing but determination. “I’m not afraid,” she said and lifted her chin higher. “If you’re displeased, I deserve to die. If you want to see me fight, release them.”
Raid had seen all kinds of men in this position; comrades and inmates alike could be brought to their knees in the courtyard if they’d broken rules. He wasn’t always the man towering over them, but in the past when he had been the punisher, he’d never worried about getting a hard-on.
Grinding his teeth together, he turned his anger on himself. She was beautiful. As a man who prided himself on not being easily distracted, he didn’t like that he noticed the lusciousness of her lips that she salved with her soft pink tongue, making them glisten.
Her chest was heaving, rising and falling in time with her short, shallow breaths. He could read the pounding of her heart in the hammering pulse point of her throat. He’d done that. He’d enlivened her instincts with his rough hands and harsh words. He didn’t blame her adrenaline for rising though he did resent it, because it was the fuel that was making her sultry eyes burn with resolve.
She’d declared her intention to fight, and that made him question her sanity. “You must be an idiot,” he growled. “If you think you’d last one minute with these starved men—”
“Whether I last doesn’t matter,” she said. “But, I won’t submit without a fight… not unless you tell me to.”
What the fuck? Maybe this was why he’d never had a woman under his command before, they could really fuck with a man’s head. She was no idiot, somehow, she got it. It was that or she’d read him, but he damn hoped it wasn’t that. Raid didn’t like to be fucked with and he didn’t need this female in his head or under his skin.
“You belong to me,” he said.
Although it wasn’t a question, she answered. “Yes.”
Everyone here belonged to him, everyone was expected to follow any and all orders that he gave. But, hearing such a female declare her allegiance was something else. Maybe it was because it was new, most women weren’t so compliant.
Yet, it wasn’t simple compliance. She wasn’t simpering or cowering, she was stating a fact. One that she seemed almost proud of. His suspicions were raised. He didn’t register any resentment, but heard only true determination. Raid didn’t know any other way to be except resolved and steadfast. But, she was doing something else to him too, something that went beyond his response to her obedience.
Nothing in his life was more important than this compound and the work they did here. Nothing would ever be prioritized over it and his attention on it was absolute, even when he wasn’t here or was doing other things. But, in a unique moment, he found himself thinking of something other than concrete and security reports.
Raid was thinking of that plump lower lip, moist and soft, just a foot away from his cock. Bringing up memories of the wet tongue he’d seen a moment before, a fantasy of demanding she open her mouth and submit in a more carnal way began to build in his mind.
He couldn’t let her or his men see that she’d managed to knock him from his usual position of fortitude. It was his job to control everyone here, he was their CO, the fucking General. Despite her yielding to him in every way, deferring to him, indulging him, for the first time ever in his life, he didn’t feel in control. Even in spite of that, she was making him feel powerful, more than that, she was making him feel virile, somehow appealing to his masculinity without showing any hint of flirtation.
Damning himself for letting her influence him, he lifted the gun and pointed it at her forehead. “Your life…”
“Is yours,” she murmured, widening her eyes so they could make contact with his without her needing to lift her chin any more. “My Laird.”
He could hear his own heart thudding in his ears. Trying his best to ignore it, he forced himself not to clench his jaw, fearing that those around him might notice his internal conflict.
Relaxing his arm, he turned and strode away. Abandoning her. Seeing Diego by the door he was heading for, Raid gave his lieutenant a single nod, passing responsibility for the female back to him. Compelled by his need for solitude, Raid retreated into the building to wonder just what the fuck magic she’d managed to cast over him.