AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Don’t argue with me, Cara,” he says sharply, cutting me off. “You won’t like my response.”
My mouth snaps shut at his tone. I look around my room helplessly as I pull my leggings on, then my sweatshirt. The Russians had already managed to kidnap me once. Staying here on my own didn’t seem like a good idea, even if I did have guards on the property. I’d be stupid not to accept his protection, especially when it’s been clear my own father couldn’t provide that any longer.
“Fine,” I snap. “Just wait outside while I grab a few things. And I want a few of my father’s men to come with us.”
He sighs impatiently but nods. “Fine. I’ll go call Owen to see what men he wants with you.”
Killian pulls out his phone as he steps into the hall. I sit on the edge of my bed, tugging on my shoes before going to my closet. I have no idea how long I’d be with Killian, but I know I’ll need at least a few items to cover me for a few days. I grab one of my overnight bags from my closet shelves, tossing in a few shirts and pants, shoes, and necessary items from my bathroom. When I’m finished, I grab my tote, stuff some of my school books into it, and finally close my bedroom door.
He glances at the bags in my hand before taking the heaviest one and slings it over his shoulder. Without saying a word, he leads me back downstairs as if what we’d done in my bedroom had never happened at all. Once outside, I see a few men waiting by Killian’s car, another SUV already parked behind it. Owen worked fast. I recognized a few men from before, though some were new.
Killian opens the back door for me, slinging my bag onto the floor. “Get in. Your men will follow us.”
Biting my lip, I do as he says, letting him shut the door behind me. My father’s men enter the SUV, turning the car on just as Killian slides into the passenger seat at the front. My eyes flick towards my father’s house one last time before Niccolo starts pulling down the drive. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, and something cracks in my chest at the thought. I just hope this mess gets cleaned up sooner rather than later. After what happened in my bedroom, I’m not so sure I’ll be able to resist Killian for much longer.
Especially if I’ll be forced to live with him now.
32
KILLIAN
Cara’s silent the whole ride back to my apartment building. I’m a little surprised she agreed to come so easily. Her brush with the Russians seems to have knocked some sense into her, at least. Or maybe she just didn’t want to stay in her father’s house after he finally told her the truth. Either way, it made my job a hell of a lot easier. But she clearly didn’t entirely trust me if she’d requested that some of her father’s men come with us.
Owen had agreed readily enough to allow Cara to come live with me. However, he’d dropped a few less-than-subtle hints about keeping her purity intact—something that had made me grimace as soon as he’d said it. But he was quick enough to give me a list of names and make a few calls to the house for me to sort it all out. He’d already had a few men at the house ready to follow us.
I tried to forget our little tryst back in her room, putting as much distance as I possibly could in the car ride over to my place. Cara sits in the back, quiet as a mouse, while Niccolo and I take the front. It took a while for my hard-on to die, and it had cost every damn ounce of my self control not to take her back in her room. This girl tests my patience and control more than I’d like to admit, but knowing she’s a virgin…that she’s never done more than what we have…that helps a little.
It’s not that I care about making her first time special. Because I don’t. To me, virginity isn’t something to make a big deal out of. You lose it, and that’s that. But with Cara, everything is different. I don’t want to hurt her any more than she’s already been hurt. I don’t want to add to her pain, even if it is only temporary.
Niccolo pulls into our parking garage, cutting the engine as I slide out to help Cara. Taking her bags, I sling them over my shoulder as she closes the car door, looking around. My building only houses those who can afford top-notch apartments, the parking garage packed with Lamborghinis, custom Teslas, Paganis, and Mercedes. Cara doesn’t look the least bit impressed as we head towards the elevator that leads straight to the lobby. Her men park beside Niccolo, following us.
When I’d bought this apartment, I’d cut a deal with the landlord. He let me keep my own men as security, and I gave his other realty a bit of protection on the side. Anyone who wants to make it up to the other floors has to pass through the lobby security first. There’s no other way up. Even the emergency stairs begin there. With my own guards, security cameras in every corner, bullet-proof windows, and code-locked doors, this apartment building is about as safe as you can get. Which is exactly why I’ve brought Cara here.
At least I won’t have to worry about the Russians trying anything if she’s surrounded by my own men—men I personally vetted this past year and actually trust. Her men…I didn’t trust so much. Especially since one allowed her to get taken by the Russians in the first place. I eye them warily as they talk with Niccolo in the lobby, figuring out detail information. Trusting Niccolo to handle everything, I lead Cara to the elevator.
At first, she seems hesitant to leave her men behind, but with enough prodding, she goes. We step in as soon as the doors open, waiting for them to close. I can’t help but think of the last time she was at my apartment, the night she’d been abducted by the Russians.
She’d shown up, crying and shaking. So fragile. It had been the first and only time I’d ever seen her like that. The first time I saw her look at me with desire. I’d wanted her so badly that night to the point where it had almost been painful to pull away. And now again today. She has a bad habit of torturing me.
The elevator doors open on my floor, and I let Cara out first before following. She waits at my door while I grab my key, unlocking it and pushing it open. Her eyes sweep across the living room as she steps inside, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s thinking about the last time she was here as well. Does she regret that night? Does she regret today? Cara isn’t the type of girl to let her guard down so easily, but with me, she has on more than one occasion.
“And where am I supposed to stay?” she asks, crossing her arms. She looks doubtful as if I couldn’t possibly have any suitable guest rooms for her.
“My room.” I shrug, moving towards the hall that led to the bedrooms.
When I don’t hear her following, I turn. She’s glaring at me again, with that look that threatens to make me hard again. “I don’t think so.”
I shrug again. “You can sleep out in the living room if you’d like. Though there won’t be much privacy.” At her horrified look, I smirk. “Cara, I’m only kidding. There’s a guest bedroom ready for you.”
“Ready?” She eyes me warily. “So you planned this.”
“You’d be forced to live with me at some point,” I tell her, heading towards the guest bedroom. “I thought I might as well get it ready for you before then.”
She follows me this time, stopping short just at the doorway. The room is completely different from the rest of my apartment. It had been a small workout area before I’d had my interior decorator turn it into a bedroom the day after the Russians had grabbed Cara. I won’t lie and say I’d planned this, but I did start to suspect she’d have to come to live with me sooner or later, given the rising threat against our families and our upcoming nuptials.
After having visited her house a few times now, I sort of had a feel for what she liked. Her father’s house had a lot of light, with more neutral colors making everything seem brighter and more open. This room was modeled after that, with beige carpet replacing the gray, white walls and cherry wood furniture. A white, fluffy rug lay in the center, matching the white duvet and covers on the bed. It’s nothing like my own personal decor tastes, but I figured it would make her feel more at home.
Tossing her bag onto the bed, I let her study the room a bit. She stands in the center, a look of pleasant surprise on her face. Her eyes flick to me. “Ran out of black?”
