Defying Dorian: Bad Boy Billionaire Romance (3 page)

Kneeling down, I removed the mask of the man who threatened to rape me. His face was unremarkable, just like him. It was pudgy and pockmarked with old acne scars, I shuddered when I thought of what it would have looked like hovering over me while he did his worst.

Next, I knelt over the body of the other man, at last finding the key to the car in the pocket of his pants. After pulling it out, I reached for the ski mask and removed it. Immediately I had a sensation there was something familiar about him. I didn’t know him, but I could’ve sworn I’d seen him before. Maybe he just had a familiar kind of face. I’d seen plenty of them during my time as a cocktail waitress. Even so, I couldn’t shake the feeling.

Anyway, I didn’t have time to waste trying to remember. Instead, I refocused my energy on getting the hell out of there.

Climbing into the front seat of the car, I started it. Before putting it in gear and driving off, I took one last look at the carnage I was leaving behind. None of it seemed real. Was there any way it could have?

Exhaling a deep breath, I put the car in gear and started to drive on the frontage road.

By then, the sun had almost set. Darkness wasn’t far behind. The last remnants of daylight reached like thin fingers across the nearby mountain ranges. I didn’t have time to look at them for long -- Vegas was hours away. The adrenaline began to leave my body and the first waves of exhaustion set in on me.

I needed every bit of concentration I had. My life might still depend on it.

Not far in the distance, I saw one pair of headlights streaking along the highway. Only a few miles remained between me and the road home.

Whatever I left behind wasn’t my problem, at least for now. By the time the owners of the case arrived, I’d be long gone. Or at least that’s what I thought…

Out of nowhere, a blinding bright light filled the front seat of the car. On instinct, I slammed on the brakes and let go of the steering wheel, covering my eyes while I tried to get a view of the source of it.

Peering through the brightness, I noticed the shape of the helicopter landing directly ahead of me, blocking the road.

And the only way out.

Dust swirled everywhere, engulfing the car in a torrent of sand. It wasn’t long before the figure of a man cut through the haze, riveting my attention.

A tall, muscular silhouette moved with ominous purpose towards me. I swallowed hard, tightening my grip on the steering wheel when the unthinkable occurred to me.

If I have to run him over to save my life, that’s what I’m going to do.

But just then his face came into clear view. Our eyes met. His dark pupils glowed with intensity, almost commanding me to look at them.

His short cropped hair, buffeted about by the turbulence from the helicopter blades, framed his angular jaw and cast a haunting shadow across his handsome features.

Licking my lips, I swallowed hard and searched every square inch of my mouth for the slightest trace of moisture. There was none to be found. Even worse, my eyes betrayed me, tracing the lines of his custom-made suit. Every inch of it clung to his muscular torso.

My hesitation cost me.

In a flash, he walked around the side of the car towards the driver’s side door. I yelped, reaching for the lock and barely switching it before he yanked on the door handle.

With the car still running, I put it in reverse and stepped on the accelerator, trying to look behind me at the same time. It wasn’t long before I felt myself lose control. Within seconds, the car slid off the road and came to rest in a shallow ditch.

“Shit!”

Yelling, I reached for the handle and jumped out.

He was running straight for me.

I don’t want to die! What am I going to do?

There was no time to think, so I did the only thing that came to mind. I took off running, hoping against hope I’d escape. It wasn’t long, maybe a matter of seconds until I found myself swallowed in a powerful embrace.

And then, a damp cloth made its way around from behind me, covering my nose and mouth. Consciousness slipped away from me like the day slides into night. Before I lost awareness, the arms that grabbed me swept me off the ground and then pulled me into the hardest chest I’d ever felt.

“You’re safe with me now, Tempest. I’ve got you.”

* * *

F
uck
.
I pinched my eyes tight. A soft moan escaped from my lips.

My awareness returned at the price of a throbbing head to go along with it. The fog of unconsciousness started to lift, but even after opening my eyes everything remained dark. Blindfolded, I felt my hands bound again only this time with rope instead of tape. I almost said something, asked where I was and what the hell was going on, but before I could I heard voices nearby.

I recognized both of them immediately.

The first was the man I talked to on the phone. The second, even though I only heard it a single time - there was no way I’d forget it.

It’s like it imprinted on my soul.

It was the kind of voice that commanded respect and conveyed authority. A deep, throaty baritone traveled across the room and reached inside of me, sending vibrations across my body.

Still not with it, I struggled to stay focused for the first couple of minutes. They discussed what happened at the scene. The man with the baritone voice demanded to know if it was cleaned and secured after he’d gone.

“Yes, Dorian. It’s been taking care of.”

Dorian.

“Excellent work, Kendrick. That will make things with her much easier.”

Who, her? Me, her?

I swallowed hard, the haze surrounding my brain clearing in an instant.

“If you don’t mind me asking… Why do you insist on having her here? It’s not worth the risk. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Dorian didn’t respond right away. I imagined the handsome face I saw through the window of the Rolls-Royce turning serious.

“That’s not something you need to worry about. You’re goddamn lucky we were able to get there in time and get that situation under control before the police showed up.”

Kendrick uttered a sound like he was trying to interrupt. Dorian didn’t let him.

“As far as Tempest is concerned, I’m going to keep her as long as I need to. I don’t give two shits if you think having her around is risky or not. We clear?”

A sudden surge of exhaustion coursed through my body. Whatever they’d used to knock me out still had hold of me. Uncontrollably, the image of Todd being murdered flooded into my mind.

“Todd… Todd,” I muttered.

The men stopped talking.

Holy shit. Oh, shit.

I struggled to keep my composure, maintain a steady breath. My hearing seemed like it was a thousand times more sensitive than normal. I noticed someone walking towards me, their feet squishing on thick, firm carpeting, until at last I sensed a presence between my knees.

All movement and sound stopped.

I panicked. “Please don’t kill me!”

After a couple of horrifying seconds, Kendrick responded.

“No one is going to kill you. Actually, it’s quite the opposite.”

A pair of hands closed in around my face and with a few gentle pulls, undid the ties of the blindfold. Once it fell away, I blinked my eyes several times in a row, looking at Kendrick. He had an average looking, slim build. With a pair of wire rim glasses set low on his nose, he looked more like an accountant than a criminal mastermind.

He continued. “You’re here for your own protection.”

Trying to orient myself, I looked around the room and noticed I was in an office. It wasn’t like the kind you’d find in a building though. It was more like a home office. I glanced at Kendrick again.

“Who am I being protected
from?
”

Without saying a word, Kendrick stepped to one side and it was then I saw
him.

I felt my eyes widen right in their sockets.

Seriously, like moons.

I’ll never forget those words he said… ‘You’re safe with me now, Tempest. I’ve got you.’ In the chaos of the desert, part of me wanted to believe him, but now, in this calmer setting, I began to have second thoughts.

After all, having my hands and feet bound wasn’t exactly reassuring.

He was the most handsome man I’d ever seen. If it wasn’t for the fact I was being held against my will, and the fact these men were probably responsible for Todd’s death, I might actually give a shit.

As it stood I wasn’t in a romantic mood. I looked away from him and back towards Kendrick, yanking against the restraints at the same time. He stepped in my direction and placed his palm on my shoulder.

“Relax.”

After a deep inhale, I blew out a long breath and looked at him.

“What makes you think I’m not? Wouldn’t you be if you were me? Let’s see, I’m driving along minding my own business with my fia–
boyfriend
… When, out of nowhere, two masked men run us off the road, kill him, kill each other and leave me all alone in the middle of nowhere until you call. The next thing I know, I’m knocked out and dragged to who knows where? Relaxed? Yes. I can honestly say I can’t remember a time I’ve ever been so relaxed. Thank you for your concern, Kendrick.”

The narrow-shouldered man looked at me and frowned. In contrast, Dorian chuckled, grumbling a low rolling sound that filled the room.

I never broke eye contact with Kendrick. Not that it mattered, but it was obvious from the way he stared at me he didn’t appreciate my response. We looked at each other in silence until Dorian spoke.

“That’s enough, Kendrick. Untie her.”

“Yeah, Kendrick.” I nodded, narrowing my eyes at him. “Untie me.”

While he undid the restraints, my gaze met Dorian’s once again. I wanted to keep my composure, keep a straight face. He might have been the one who saved me, but that still didn’t mean I could, or should, trust him. Kendrick circled around behind me. I turned my head a fraction to follow him before returning my gaze to Dorian.

He
was not what a killer is supposed to look like.

Worse yet. I felt the sudden swell of an unwelcome emotion stirring inside of me. It was something I shouldn’t have felt.

Was it attraction? Oh God. Lust? What the hell is wrong with me?

I broke eye contact with him. The restraints fell away, pooling around my feet and ankles. I had to find a way to get these urges under control and
fast
. It didn’t matter what Todd had done to me –– two wrongs don’t make a right.

That’s what dad always said.

Kendrick walked around in front and stepped between Dorian and me, mercifully breaking the staring competition.

“There. Better?” Kendrick asked.

His tone pissed me off. I don’t know why. Exhaustion maybe. Anyway, it did.

“Fuck you. Fuck both of you. Let me out of this office.”

“I told you…” Kendrick said, sarcasm dripping from his tongue.

He turned and looked at Dorian.

Dorian eased back in his oversized chair but didn’t say a word, just glared at Kendrick. For several seconds the two of them exchanged silent stares of displeasure until the door to the office opened.

A woman entered. She was gorgeous, and I mean,
stunning.

Seeing her, Kendrick nodded and stepped to one side, allowing her to pass. She walked in the direction of Dorian, who got to his feet when she approached. Reaching for her hip, he placed his hand on it and leaned in, kissing her once on the cheek.

Then, he pointed at me. “Ainsley, this is Tempest. The woman I mentioned to you.”

Ainsley reached towards her forehead, gliding a couple of fingers through her glistening brunette hair before whipping it away from her face and glaring at me. The look didn’t last long, maybe a second, but it was unmistakable.

She looked at Dorian again. “How long is she going to be staying?”

Staying? Where the hell am I?

Dorian shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. Could be days, weeks, hell, who knows, months?”

She listened attentively until he finished. Once he did, she looked straight at me. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

A soft smile came to Dorian’s face.

“Thank you,” he began, nodding at her. “I don’t know where I would be without you.”

Ainsley smiled at him in return. It seemed formal, polite. Immediately after, she turned her attention to Kendrick.

“Are you ready?”

Kendrick nodded. “Yes.”

Then, almost as quickly as she entered, Ainsley passed by me without so much as a word. Marching right by Kendrick, she continued towards the exit. He followed close behind, and then they disappeared.

Once they had, another woman made her way inside and closed the door behind her, locking it. She was fit and square jawed, looked to be European -- maybe Russian. Whatever she was, her expression was serious and focused on me. I snapped my head towards Dorian.

“What the hell is going on? You can’t keep me here.”