Guard (The Underground Book 3) (23 page)

“Two more bodies were found about an hour ago.”

“Where?”

“Same place, though they won’t be able to use that location any longer. The cops are crawling all over the dump site.”

Mikhail rubbed his fingers over his forehead. “Dammit. So brazen.”

“Yes.”

“Any idea how long they’d been dead?”

Haley flinched.

Mikhail wrapped his free arm around her waist and hauled her against his chest.

“Autopsy will help, but the police think about two days.”

“Jesus.”

“It would be nice to know how long Yenin holds them before he kills them and dumps them. A timeline.”

“At least two weeks,” Mikhail conjectured, thinking of Haley.

“Not so sure about that. Maybe the dead ones live less time or longer.”

“True.”

“In any case, keep her off the street.”

“About that…”

Haley lifted her face and set her chin on his chest. “I have to go back, Mikhail. Monday.” She’d heard every word from Leo since Mikhail had hauled her against his chest. “And Belinda…”

“What?” Leo asked.

“Haley has a friend named Belinda Gallo. She’s a reporter for
Chicago Multimedia
. She’s working this story. Plans to hit the street Monday with Haley to snoop around the local homeless.”

“Not gonna happen.”

“Yeah, I’m clear on that. But Belinda is definitely not.”

Haley frowned, chewing on the corner of her bottom lip. He slid his arm up her back and around to her face to cup her cheek and pluck that lip out from between her teeth.

She gasped.

Good. He left his thumb pressing on her lip while he stared at her and continued to speak to Leo. “I’ll have one of the guys check on her in the morning and see what we can do about changing her mind. I don’t like that she left here late tonight to go home. One of Yenin’s cronies could have followed her. If anyone watching had any idea who she was…”

“Possible. Not likely.”

“I wasn’t worried about her coming over to visit. The curtains were all closed on the apartment. Just because a woman entered the building didn’t mean she was visiting Haley. But then I found out she has a connection to this case. I freaked out a bit. Got one of the FBI out front to take her home.”

“Good thinking. Text me her address. I’ll see if Taylor can get the police to pick up patrol in her area.”

“On it. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Mikhail set the phone on the counter and cupped Haley’s face with his free hand so he held her with both palms, catching her full attention. “This is serious, Haley.”

“So is living on the streets with no food, Mikhail.”

He took a deep breath when what he wanted to do was turn her over his knee and spank some sense into her.

“I’ll take you to work Monday, if you really want to return, but you can’t leave the building. Not for any reason. Not even for lunch.”

“I can’t stay in hiding forever.”

“You will for as long as it takes.”

She gasped, yanking her face back in a futile attempt to escape his grip.

“Haley…” he warned.

She glared at him. “Let me go.”

He dropped his hands, though it took every ounce of self-control to do so. Why couldn’t she see reason?

She spun around and headed down the short hall. A second later the bedroom door shut a little harder than strictly necessary.

Mikhail took two strides over to the front door, made sure it was secured and the alarm set, and then he shut off all but a small lamp and followed in Haley’s steps. He cringed as he passed the couch. The last thing he wanted to do was revert back to their previous sleeping arrangements. Hopefully she wasn’t that angry.

Just as he reached for the handle on her bedroom door, it opened. Haley stomped past him and headed for the bathroom. She wore another pair of long flannel sleep pants and a sweat shirt.

Great. That was the last thing he wanted to see her in.

He entered the room, took off his shoes and socks, and was just pulling the covers back on the side of the bed he’d used last night when she came back. “You gonna kick me out tonight?” he asked.

“No. That couch is awful.”

That was the only reason?

She headed for her dresser and took off her earrings to set them on top. Without meeting his gaze, she made jerky movements toward the side of the bed and slid under the covers.

Mikhail stared down at her. Suddenly his mood changed from worried about her kicking him out of the room to fighting the urge to chuckle. “Baby… You’re gonna sleep in that sweatshirt? You’ll burn up.”

“I’m fine.” She fluffed up her pillow without looking at him and flopped onto her stomach, her face toward the far wall.

“Well, I’m not. And we aren’t going to bed angry.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

Really? Was she testing him? “You’re seriously going to face the wall and shut me out because I don’t want you working in an unsafe environment?”

“Yep.”

“Nope.” She was so sadly mistaken. And why did his cock jump to attention at her defiance? Probably because it had become comical and her reasoning was full of holes. “What kind of man would I be if I let you walk out the door alone to go wander the streets handing out blankets?”

“The supportive kind.”

Now he laughed. There was no holding it back any longer. “Haley, baby…”

She flipped over and sat up. “Do. Not. Laugh.” Her face was flaming red.

He schooled his mouth and narrowed his gaze. “It’s either that or take you over my knee.” He fisted his hands at his sides. “And frankly, my hands are screaming to do just that.”

Her mouth fell open.

“That’s right. Your little tantrum is making me horny, and the only way I know to get you to listen to how ridiculous you sound is to spank some sense into you.”

“Well, it’s not going to happen, so wipe it out of your mind.”

He stalked around the foot of the bed until he got to her side. And then he grabbed her chin and tipped her head back, forcing her to look at him. “What is this bratty routine?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You. Acting childish. Is it intentional? Are you wondering what I might do about it?”

She gasped. “No. It’s who I am. I’m not going to quit my job just because you say so. It’s important to me. You need to get over yourself.”

“No one said a word about quitting your job.”

“You’re acting all macho alpha like I have to do whatever you say. That might fly when we’re having sex. Hell, it might fly when we aren’t having sex, but not where my job is concerned.”

He leaned in closer, still gripping her chin. “And I’d never dream of telling you where to work or what jobs to take. What I
will
do is find a way to make you see reason when your safety is at risk. This would be one of those times.”

“You can’t just dominate me and make it all better, Mikhail.”

“Wanna bet?”

She hesitated. “You think if I let you spank me, I’ll see your way?”

“Yes. I know you will. But spanking you isn’t what I have in mind.” Hell no. He was going to force her to see his way with a much more persuasive tactic.

She chuckled, but not with humor. “Fine.” Her shoulders slumped and she rolled her eyes. “You’re on.”

“Pardon?” Was he understanding her correctly?

“Dominate me. Do it. Give it your best shot. Let’s see if when you’re done, you’ve convinced me not to feed the homeless.” She raised her voice on those last words.

A slow grin spread across his face. He couldn’t stop it. “Oh, baby…”

She rolled her eyes again. “Calling me your baby isn’t going to make my panties wet.”

Oh but it was. He watched her squirm. And then she pursed her lips.

“Good. I’ll take this bet. You’re mine. Don’t plan on getting much sleep tonight.”

“Fine.” She crossed her arms. “But you better pull out all the stops because this will never work.”

Mikhail’s cock literally ached. The sassy little imp was begging him to dominate her.
Begging
him. And her stance told him she was already aroused from the effort.

Before he was done with her, she would be begging him with a completely different set of needs. She wouldn’t even remember her defiance concerning her job. All she would know in a few hours was the deep need to come that would not abate until she called uncle.

Haley watched Mikhail’s back as he turned and strode to the corner of her bedroom where he kept his bag. He pulled off his shirt and dropped it on the floor. When he bent over, she stared at his fantastic ass encased in perfect-fitting jeans. She trailed her gaze down to his bare feet. Sweat broke out on her forehead. What the hell was wrong with her?

The man was a Dom. He had every trick in the book. There was no doubt in the world he could spank her ass until she called uncle. Her pussy already clenched with arousal. Her clit throbbed against her panties. And her nipples were sharp points abrading against the tank top she wore under the ridiculous thick sweatshirt.

She had no idea why she’d chosen to be so bratty. Probably because she didn’t like the idea of him telling her—no commanding her—to do his bidding. She couldn’t be in a relationship with a man who thought he could control her every move.

Sure. She was being defiant. Testing him. Testing herself. But it was for a good cause. Right?

Yes. The homeless. Did he think she would simply abandon the local needy people over a few dead bodies?

Apparently.

But she wouldn’t.

Didn’t matter if she was being rational or not. Didn’t matter if he chained her inside the apartment. Didn’t even matter if he fucked her until she begged him to let her come.

She still had to feed the homeless. Maybe not as blatantly as strutting down the street in the dark alone, but still…

Mikhail turned around to face her, holding a long rope in his hands. Black rope. Intimidating black rope. He tapped it against one palm. “Your submission starts now. No extra chatting. No back talking. No sassing me. You’ll never need a safe word with me, but any Dom worth his salt ensures his sub has one anyway. So use red. Red to call a halt. Yellow to slow down.”

She held his gaze while he spoke. She was in so much trouble. Finally, she nodded.

He lifted a brow. “Already you forget your manners?”

“Sorry, Sir.” She felt a flush rise up her cheeks.

“Safe word?”

“Red, Sir.”

“Good. Lower your gaze. Get off the bed. Strip. And I mean naked.”

She shivered as she crawled out from under the covers and swung her legs over the side. She tugged her sweatshirt over her head first and dropped it. She wiggled out of her loose pants next, leaving her in the tight tank and her panties. With a deep breath, she removed the last two items, well aware of his penetrating stare.

He stood feet away from her.

Goose bumps rose on her skin. She let her arms hang loosely at her sides. There was probably some stance she should take, but she couldn’t for the life of her remember what it might be.

Mikhail still stared. He didn’t move for long moments, though she couldn’t see his gaze because her head was tipped toward the floor. Instead she watched his sexy bare feet.

Finally, he turned away and yanked the blankets off the bed. “Climb into the center. Lie on your back. Spread eagle.”

She tried to swallow through her stress, but her mouth was too dry. Somehow she managed to climb onto the white sheet and situate herself in the center of the bed. Lifting her arms toward the corners was a challenge. And there was no way she could force herself to spread her legs as far as he probably intended.

“Legs wider.”

She inched them out.

“Wider. Don’t make me ask again. I don’t like to repeat myself when I’m dealing with a naughty little girl.”

Her breath caught. Is that what she was? A naughty little girl?

She supposed she was. And perhaps even intentionally. Though she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why. Was she testing him? Trying to find out how dominant he truly was?

What a fool.

She closed her eyes, unable to look at him or the ceiling. It was easier to hide.

So much time passed. What was he doing? She could hear nothing. Her exposure alone made her pussy grow wetter by the second. Knowing he was staring at her naked body.

And then something brushed over her cheek, making her flinch.

“It’s just a blindfold, baby.” His voice was softer. Gentle. Nothing like the aggravated one he’d used before they started playing. “Lift your head a bit for a second. I’m going to secure this over your eyes.”

She blinked up at him, slightly nervous to have her sight taken away. It was one thing to close her eyes voluntarily. It was another thing entirely for him to obscure her vision intentionally.

But he did. And the blindfold was wide enough and thick enough she saw nothing. She opened her mouth as if it was more difficult to breathe without her sight.

“Relax. Deep breaths. Get used to the lost sense. Your other senses will increase in a few minutes.”

Was that a thing? She fisted her hands. Stretched out to the corners of her bed, they didn’t reach the rungs. Neither did her feet, but the position left her more open and vulnerable than she’d ever experienced. And it was voluntary. So far.

“You’re so sexy spread out for me like this.” Something trailed across her neck and shoulders, lightly touching her skin.

She flinched, a soft gasp escaping her lips.

“Don’t move. Keep your hands and feet right where they are for as long as you can. It’s actually harder to hold a required position than to be tied down. You’ll see. You still have some semblance of free will. And I’ll let you keep it until you move. No warnings. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir.” How long could she stay spread out like this for him? If he kept tormenting her with some sort of leather dancing across her skin, not long. She thought it was leather. If she wasn’t mistaken, she could smell it.

And then she had her answer. It brushed right under her nose, tickling her upper lip. She breathed in deeply as it went by. One soft piece of leather, maybe an inch wide. And looped?

She winced. A crop?