CAPTOR (The Alpha Brotherhood) (Standalone Dark Billionaire New Adult Romance) (12 page)

Zoey

“You two are quite taken with each other and it is rather adorable, but this is a bit rude,” Rupert remarks.

“I’m sorry, Rupert. But your son,” I say, taking a moment to enjoy watching Shane squirm, “can be extremely demanding of my attention when he wants to be.” I turn to face his father, smiling. “I do love pottery. Very much. But the life of a starving artist has never been all that appealing. I thought it would be better to have a more solid degree to fall back on.”

Shane exhales in relief. “How do you argue with that, Father?”

“Beautiful. Artistic. Kind.” Rupert smiles widely and sits back down. “And practical. I dare say, you’re getting my hopes up with this one, dear boy. Do try not to fuck it up.”

I can’t help but laugh. Rupert looks too proper to swear. I turn toward Shane, batting my eyes like the hopeful young girlfriend I’m pretending to be.

“Don’t worry. Fucking it up is the last thing I intend to do,” Shane replies, looking me directly in the eye the entire time. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was serious and my heart skips a beat. “Where is Maddox?” I’ve heard that name before, often while Shane yells on the phone. “He should have been back with dinner by now. This is ridiculous.”

“Oh, no,” Rupert says, pulling his phone from his pocket and texting something quickly. “Shane, I know how private you are, but you really should have let someone in the family know that you’re currently attached. It would have avoided the very uncomfortable situation that we’re about to endure.”

Shane’s eyes flutter closed and draws in a frustrated breath. “Do I even want to know?”

“Probably not. Surprise,” his father chuckles. “Your brothers will be here any moment.”

“All of them?” Shane exclaims, his face contorting like he smells something rotten.

“Well, not all of them, of course. Just the three invested in the Windy City.” Rupert takes a gulp of wine. “And Adam is bringing a date. For you.”

“Goddammit,” Shane spits under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose as he starts tapping his foot nervously.

“It shouldn’t be that terribly awkward,” Rupert says. “You’ve all met before.”

“What? Who is he bringing?”

“Jessica Talbot.”

“Great,” Shane huffs, crossing his arms and flopping back in his seat like the moody child he obviously still is.

“What? She’s technically a business associate, not a…” Rupert glances at me as he tapers off. “You must have left quite an impression. Adam says she’s looking forward to seeing you again. You can’t be rude.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem, Father.” Shane looks at me with apologetic eyes, cringing. Oh. I get it.

“We’re all adults here, right? Zoey included, just barely perhaps.” The elevator dings, signaling that it’s on its way up. “Let’s see if we can add gracious and mature to the list of her wonderful personality traits. You two might want to change clothes,” Rupert laughs, rising to greet the new visitors.

Shane’s cheeks puff as he breathes out loudly and stands up. “I’m very sorry about this,” he whispers, grabbing my elbow as we head up the stairs.

“Seriously?” I reply. “This is what you’re sorry about?”

“Yes. I’ve slept with her.”

“Yeah, I kind of picked up on that, Shane.” And it might have something to do with why I’m suddenly nauseous and lightheaded. “I’ll be just fine. I’m not actually your girlfriend, I’m your hostage, remember?”

“Stop throwing around the word hostage so much. We’ve already discussed why it’s an inaccurate term.”

“Not anymore. I got a list of your demands two nights ago in the kitchen. I just have to pay the ransom myself.”

“Zoey…”

“Stop acting like you feel guilty.”

“I don’t.” He smirks at me, leading me past my room into his.

“Wow.” It’s so much smaller than I expected. Still a large room, but not compared to the rest of the place. It’s in the corner of the building, so two of the walls are floor to ceiling glass. I walk over to where they meet and it’s like standing in the sky.

Shane comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. I lean back into his chest, surprised at how natural it feels. “Do you like the view?” he asks, resting his chin on my shoulder.

“Yes.” It’s definitely enhanced with a reflection of our embrace.

“We’d better get down there.”

“Maybe I should fake a headache. I don’t have anything to wear.”

“Of course you do,” he replies, kissing the nape of my neck. “I knew my brother would pull this bullshit.” Shane dips down and pulls three boxes from under his bed. They’re all from expensive department stores. “Take your pick.”

He goes over to his closet, which might be just as big as this room, mainly filled with racks of expensive suits and shoes. He chooses a black tux and starts disrobing. I can’t pull my eyes away from his muscular legs.

Hmm. Sage green, dark red, and black. This feels like a test. Red is out of the question, I don’t want to draw any attention to myself. The black one is pretty short, so that’s out too. The green doesn’t have straps or sleeves, but its floor length and sophisticated, plus it’s my favorite color. I wonder if Shane knew that.

Turning my back to the closet, I start taking off my clothes, including my bra because this dress has one built in. I can sense him watching me. My movements are more fluid and seductive than I thought I was capable of making.

“Zip me up?” I look over my shoulder and see him swallow, like he’s overwhelmed. I think his hands are even a little shaky as he pulls the zipper up. “Thanks.” Our eyes meet when I turn around and he moves to kiss me, but I put my hand to his lips, stopping him. “You’ll mess up my lipstick.”

A frustrated groan rumbles through his chest. I think I’m starting to understand why girls like teasing guys so much. He kisses my forehead instead. “Ready?” he asks.

I am so not ready for this. “Yes,” I reply. “Unless there’s something I should know to make this more believable.”

“Just try not to be such a smart ass. That’s not normally my type.”

“I’ll make sure not to mention the whole kidnapping thing, too,” I retort.

“What did I just say about being a smart ass?” he laughs.

I stick my tongue out at him, but inwardly my head is spinning. What is normally his type? And why use the word normally anyway? That implies some sort of exception. Does that mean he’s actually into me?

Shane takes a deep breath and offers me his arm. I take it and he opens his bedroom door to a chorus of laughter and conversation. How many people are down there? I’m a total introvert, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle this.

“It’s alright, Z,” Shane whispers, unwinding his arm from mine to wrap it around my waist instead. “I hate this, too. I’ll make it up to you.”

We get to the top of the staircase and a dozen faces look up at us, smiling. More than half of them are gorgeous women. I wonder how many Shane’s slept with. He pulls his body closer to mine before we take the first step down, steadying me as I falter.

I guess his type is totally fake. A lot of people would probably call them refined and beautiful, but that would imply that this sinking feeling in my gut is something other than agoraphobia. It has nothing to do with my attraction to the jackass next to me. Or the fact that I totally know that the statuesque blonde woman whose eyes light up as she approaches Shane was supposed to be his date. Or the fact that he drops my arm to lean forward so she can kiss both of his cheeks like French people do in movies. It has absolutely nothing to do with any of that whatsoever.

The three guys mingling with the fake chicks must be his brothers and they are all insanely cute. Shane would be probably be the most attractive if he wasn’t such a steaming turd. Then again, I’m a virgin and a sucker for blue eyes, so I’m probably not equipped to make that call. Aside from similar levels of hotness, they look absolutely nothing alike at all, and none of them resemble their father.

Shane gestures for me to come to him after shaking his brothers’ hands. “Adam. Trent. Maddox,” he says flatly. “This is Zoey.”

Trent, the one with the dark eyes and killer smile actually says hello. Adam, the tallest, just nods. Maddox is definitely the youngest, looking to Shane like he’s asking permission before shaking my hand and mumbling hello.

My captor doesn’t introduce me to anyone else and that totally didn’t hurt my feelings.

“I need a drink, Shane,” I say.

“You aren’t the only one,” he laughs. “I’ll make it a double.” Shane doesn’t let my hand go, leading me to the bar. “Look, if you can’t handle this, feel free to fake that headache.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. I’ve spent quite enough time locked up alone in that room.”

“Z… I suppose I could have handled this whole captive thing better.”

“That’s as close to an apology as I’m going to get, huh?”

“Probably.”

And dinner begins. The patriarch sits at the head of the table, flanked by two gorgeous women. Shane sits at the foot and I’m next to him, with no competition across from me. It all actually goes relatively smoothly. I still don’t understand why I’m being so chill about this and behaving as if I really am trying to impress his father by adding gracious and mature to the list of my wonderful personality traits.

After the main course, Jessica not so subtly shifts the conversation toward me and Shane. It makes him nervous and I can’t help but get a kick out of it. I tell everyone how great of a boyfriend he is when he isn’t being a workaholic. Brings me flowers in the morning. Buys me clothes I didn’t ask for. Lets me plays with his expensive toys. Sometimes I even wake up and find him watching me sleep.

Shane nearly chokes on his drink from that last one, his eyes bugged out in shock. I just bat mine sweetly and grin at him. He could not be more uncomfortable right now. And it totally knocked that fake smile off Jessica’s face.

But I also notice the three brothers exchanging concerned glances. They quickly steer the topic back to business, and all the gold diggers in the room are more than happy to oblige with vacant looks on their perfect faces.

Except one. There’s something off about her. She’s next to Trent, obviously his date, but she’s watching everyone else just like I am. She’s absolutely stunning with almond eyes that are an unusually bright shade of green. Unlike the others, she doesn’t coo and giggle, doesn’t seem interested in any of this at all. Trent keeps trying to impress her, posturing, cracking jokes, boasting and telling stories of his accomplishments. She barely responds to him at all, even when the other women obviously start flirting.

“You think our relationship is weird,” Shane whispers into my ear as he catches me watching her. “Now they have a fucked up story.”

Did he just say relationship? My heart skips a beat. “How is that even possible?”

“Remember how I didn’t rape and maim you when I brought you here?” he laughs.

A chill crawls over my skin. “Oh.” Creepy.

“Yeah. That’s how most of my brothers are.”

“Most of them?”

“We’ll see about Maddox. He’s not off the leash yet.”

“How many do you have? And what the hell does off the leash mean?”

Trent’s mysterious date gets up from the table suddenly and he chases after. Maybe all the flirting did bother her. Or it could be the maiming. The other women just shrug and move closers to the Adam and his father.

“One question at a time, Z. Too many brothers. Way, way too many.” Different mothers maybe? Rupert is ancient, but he’s still filthy rich and judging by the way he’s flirting back, still interested in dating. “That smug asshole that we all call our father,” Shane says bitterly. “Isn’t.”

Jessica excuses herself soon after we finish eating, looking to Shane to walk her out. He barely gives her a second glance, nodding at Maddox who immediately gets up politely to fill his place. The little brother has acted like the host here the whole time.

“The old man looks harmless now, doesn’t he? Amiable, even.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Aneurism. Of course he fucking survived. Changed his personality completely.” Shane’s eyes narrow as he downs another glass of wine. I think that’s his sixth. “He was a monster in his prime. Still is.”

What the hell do you say to that? “Is that how your brothers got so… weird?”

“It certainly is. We’re all foster kids, Z. Like you.” Shane stares down at the table. “And he ‘rescued’ us. But not our siblings, not our friends. Just us.”

Okay, now I’m really interested. Of course, right as Shane’s opening up, his brother Adam notices and rises from the table. “I think it’s time to call it a night,” he says.

“I think it’s time for the night to get started,” his father exclaims, and the four remaining women all laugh in unison.

“A little discretion please, Father.”

Shane gets up and I follow suit. The old man eyes me up and down like a piece of meat. “Oh, that’s right,” he chuckles. “Zoey probably doesn’t know what she’s in for yet.”

“My hospitality has reached its limits, Adam.”

“I bet you’re a naughty little thing. The sweet looking ones always are. Does it take a lot of discipline to keep you in line?” Rupert reaches toward me, sneering.