In the Still of the Night:Sexy Romantic Suspense (Book 2 The Blonde Barracuda's Sizzling Suspense Series) (29 page)

An ugly flush scorched Dalila’s pale cheeks at Peter’s derisive insinuation. The hatred in Dalila’s eyes aimed at Peter was radioactive. She snapped. “You think you are so clever don’t you? You’re wrong. You underestimated me, Peter. Admit it. When I pull this off, I will be the undisputed leader of the team. The first thing I will insist is that Young-soo fire you. I don’t need a watchdog and Young-soo no longer needs you. I can do everything for him that you can do, and more.”

Peter’s grin was sly. “Are you referring to your ‘on your knees’ talents? I don’t doubt that you can do ‘more’ for Young-soo in that arena than anyone else, man or woman, would be willing to do.”

He put up his hands, cutting off her angry yelp. “Enough bantering, Dalila. You told our boss that you would ‘take care of’ both Alexis and Colonel Gardner tonight. You assured him that you had a foolproof plan, and moreover that you did not require
my
assistance. I presume there is more to your plan than capturing the two of them? Particularly since we all know that no force on earth could prevent Alexis from coming to the aid of her friend or keep the Colonel from coming after his woman. Is this it, Dalila? Now you have our ‘associates’ beat the three of them to death? Hardly seems sporting, given that all three are shackled. But then you’re not known for your finesse….”

Lexie couldn’t hide her surprise. The antipathy between the Dalila and Peter was blistering. She caught Jake’s glance and knew that they were both trying to figure out how to take advantage of the hostility between the two rivals.

Dalila made a visible effort to keep her anger in check, but the red splotches on her cheeks and the wrath vibrating through her body gave her away.

“Yes, Peter, you don’t have to be so smug. I do have a plan and it is working perfectly. You see Alexis and Jake are going to have an unfortunate accident. Alexis will be found outside the Dragon Queen spa where she was killed by a rabid bunch of pimps still angry for what you and she did to them at the Rising Sun. Jake, in his grief and anger that Alexis has once again done one of her outrageous show stealing acts, only to get killed in the process, gets blindly drunk. He drives his glorious 918 off the cliff at the outskirts of the Valley. In addition to a blood alcohol level of .25, he’ll have a few designer drugs in his bloodstream.”

Peter tugged at his chin thoughtfully and then shrugged. “I’ll admit Dalila, your plan is a decent one. Alexis does continuously push the envelope, and might indeed go on another midnight raid, only to be captured and killed this time. But I find it difficult to believe that Colonel Gardner would take his own life, kill himself. In my view, he would spend the rest of his life killing the men responsible for Alexis’ death. But that’s a niggling point. By the end of the night they both would be dead and you could report to Young-soo:
mission accomplished
.”

“And you will confirm that. Correct, Peter?” Dalila smirked, but Lexie heard the tinge of anxiety in her voice. Clearly she needed Peter’s approval, reassurance that he would support her with their boss.

Peter nodded in agreement. “Yes, Dalila, I assure you. I will report tonight’s events to Young-soo. As always, he will draw his own conclusions. It will be up to him to decide which of us should continue to run this operation.”

Ignoring Dalila’s uncertain frown, Peter glanced at Lexie. “As a point of interest, is there a reason you have strung Alexis up like this?”

Dalila’s frown disappeared, chased by her obvious delight at her intended coup. Pointing to the group of warriors, she responded, “Yes Peter, there is. I don’t often have the chance to school my fellow
Jopok
associates in the fine art of Hapkido caning. I don’t like to brag, but I was taught by the best. As you know Peter, caning is an art.”

She reached for the cane. Lexie felt a shiver of fear, seeing the blatant bloodlust in Dalila’s eyes as she stroked the rigid length lovingly between her fingers. Lexie should have seen it coming, but didn’t hear the whistle until a second before she felt the vicious sting slice her leg. Jake’s furious growl drowned out her startled cry.

Dalila’s eyes gleamed with sadistic excitement at their uncontrolled reactions. She sauntered over to Lexie and tipped up her chin with the handle of the cane forcing her to meet her gaze. Lexie swallowed hard and returned her glare.

In a voice ripe with mock despair, Dalila mused.

“Poor Alexis. Barracuda, indeed. When she is found tonight, the police will see that she was not only raped, but also caned. A fitting punishment for the little slut. Her performance at the City Council almost ruined my plans and my access to Young-soo. It was only a matter of time until she traced me to the spa owners.”

She turned to Peter, rage marking her cheeks. “But you knew that didn’t you, Peter. That’s why you helped her. You used her to get to me. You thought you could get rid of me, shame me before the
Jopok
leaders. Thanks to you, Young-soo was ready to ‘dismiss’ me. And you know what that entails, Peter.”

Peter’s eyes narrowed. The glimmer of a smile flickered over his face then disappeared. His voice was taunting.

“Ah, Dalila, I’m practicing your motto: All is fair in love and war, correct? But, I will concede. At least for the moment, you seem to have everything under control.”

He gave her a slightly mocking bow.

“As for your other areas of interest, while I’m aware you are a Hapkido master, I was not aware of your interest in caning.” Motioning to Lexie, he gave a disgusted snort. “You must be as appalled as I am with whoever hung her up like this.”

He glared at Hong. “Get me a stool please.” The command in his low voice brought Hong to attention. As the wary fighter searched for a stool Peter glared at the others.

“Don’t you goons know the proper way to cane a person? If her muscles are already tired, they resist the cane. It doesn’t sink in as deep. That, my ‘wanna-be-warriors,’ is the goal of this exercise, is it not? To cut as deeply, and as painfully as possible? Hanging her from her wrists defeats the purpose.”

Peter shoved the stool under her feet, cut the rope looping her over the hook, and lifted her down. Lexie tried to muffle her groan but the pain wrenching though her back and shoulders when her arms were released was excruciating. Peter locked his arm around her waist to keep her from collapsing. For a delirious moment she thought he was trying to help her, and she leaned gratefully into his strength. His next words disabused her of that momentary insanity.

“Dalila, I have a proposition. Regardless of what happens tonight, we both know that if I told Young-soo to eliminate you, you’d be gone. Here’s my proposition. You mentioned that ‘someone’ will rape Alexis. I presume you intend for the pimps or even some of our boys to have that privilege, correct?”

Dalila’s expression confirmed her distrust. “And?”

Peter tightened his hold on Lexie.

“It so happens that I have been unable to capture Alexis’s attention due to her ridiculous obsession with Colonel Gardner. Given that the Colonel is indisposed at the moment, I wonder if you might give me the privilege of taking advantage of Ms. Beloi’s ‘availability?’”

Dalila was incredulous.

“You want to fuck her?”

Lexie gasped and twisted violently in Peter’s arms, but he was too strong. Bending her arm behind her back, he jerked her against him. “Be still. Or I’ll put you back on that hook, only this time I will hoist you higher.”

His sharp command was drowned by Jake’s animal growl.

Peter ignored them both and nodded to Dalila.

“Hmm, ordinarily I would reject the use of that word as I consider my skills more rarified. But yes, that is exactly what I want to do. I believe the crude expression is ‘fuck her brains out.’ Once I’ve had her, perhaps several of the others would like a go at her? Ji-hun, Gun-woo, or, Y-jun? All of them seem to have fallen under your powers. Perhaps you should reward their loyalty.”

The men he mentioned surged forward their faces contorted with lust, a chorus of hearty cheers from the degenerates greeting the suggestion.

Dalila lips curve in a delighted smile.

“All under the watchful eyes of our incapacitated Colonel?”

Peter’s voice was thick with scorn. “Indeed. Although Colonel Gardner will not be able to join in the fun, at least he will be able to watch.”

The cheers grew louder. Several of the men began arguing for first dibs.

Lexie couldn’t look at Jake. She was terrified and furious. How dare Peter? Ask Dalila for the ‘privilege’ of raping her! And then give her to other men? While Jake was helpless to fight back? It would destroy him, kill them both. How could she have misjudged Peter so? Not only was he a high level
Jopok
member, but a cruel, lecherous pig of a man.

Jake’s voice was silky soft. “You touch her, Peter, and I swear to God you will be in twenty pieces by the end of the night.”

Peter quirked a brow. “That might be a more credible threat, Colonel, if you were not shackled to a chair—and guarded by a dozen
Kkangpae
warriors.”

Jake’s eyes were nearly black with rage, but his voice was low, steady. “You son of a fucking bitch. Touch her and I promise, you will not live to see the dawn.”

Chang stepped forward and drove his fist into Jake’s gut, then bitch-slapped him across the face. Jake doubled over from the blow but didn’t utter a sound. Lexie couldn’t control her sob.

A deep frown creased Peter’s brow. Glowering at Chang, he spit out a warning.

“You ignorant bully. You do that again, and I will have
you
caned. Tied to a chair unable to fight back, this man could withstand a hundred blows from you without wincing.”

Casting a scathing glance at the group, Peter declared, “The Colonel is mine. And I plan to hurt him far worse than you could physically. I intend to take what matters most to him, his woman. And when I’m finished with her, I will choose from among you, who will have her next.”

The roar from the eager fighters was deafening. Most of them didn’t speak English, but the meaning of their shouts and demands were clear.

Dalila stepped forward and barked. “Silence! All of you!”

When a semblance of order was restored, Dalila pinned Peter with a hard gaze.

“And you will tell Young-soo that I have earned my position?”

Peter kept Lexie facing forward, her hands tied, his arm locking her against his chest. “Yes, Dalila. I will tell him that you took responsibility for the evening and that you deserve the credit. He will be impressed with my report, I assure you.”

Dalila’s tinkling laughter filled the room. Her face glowed with excitement. “I can’t believe it, Peter. This is even better than what I envisioned. And after
all
of you are done with the little slut, I will cane her.”

Flouncing over to An-kor, Dalila gave him a saucy wink. “Now An-kor, please, pour me a glass of the Chivas Royale. A large glass. I want to celebrate!” Like an excited child, she clambered up on one of the overstuffed chairs. Sitting on the edge of the seat, she accepted the large glass An-kor handed her. Raising the glass in a salute, she crowed, “Please, Peter, let the show begin.”

Acknowledging the boisterous shouts from the rabid circle of men surrounding them, Peter bowed then dragged Lexie close to Jake.

“Come, Lexie. I think the back of this chair is a good place to start. But since I enjoy my women to put up a bit of a fight, I will untie you.”

Lexie forced herself to breath deep. Her heart was racing and her stomach felt like a colony of fighter ants had established a stronghold in her gut. Over and over she repeated her mantra: Strong Women Survive. Strong Women Survive. Seeing the gang of lecherous men hovering around the edge of the living room, all focusing lustily on her body, she wondered if An-Kor’s observation might not be correct. Perhaps ‘surviving would be more a curse than a blessing.’

Peter turned to the group of rowdy men who were noisily jockeying for position in the obscene queue. “Do you agree, men? What fun is it fucking a little pussy that is tied in knots?”

The hideous crowd shouted their agreement.

Peter withdrew a ten-inch blade from his ankle sheathe. Before he cut the rope binding Lexie’s wrists, he warned her, “Make a wrong move and I will sic all of these animals on Jake. Do you understand?”

Turning away from the crowd of visibly aroused men, he faced them both toward Jake, an ugly smile lighting his face.

Lexie forced herself not to look at Jake. Rather she focused on Peter. Somehow she needed to distract him so that she could free Jake.

Peter’s voice was rich with sarcasm. “This may seem like poor sportsmanship, Jake, less than honorable. But you embarrassed me as much as Alexis did. Did you really think you could take her out of my arms and virtually dry fuck her in front of four hundred people—without consequences?”

Jake managed a taunting jibe, “
Au contraire
, Peter. She wasn’t dry.”

Peter’s face twisted in what could have been laughter or fury. His voice was icy cold. “Ah my friend, you’ve goaded the wrong man.”

He twisted Lexie’s arm behind her back, forcing her to look over her shoulder at his face. “Alexis, you chose him over me. Does that seem like a good choice at this moment?” When she glared at him and didn’t answer, he continued, “Before I lift your naked ass over this chair and reveal some of your better parts to our group, I will give you the opportunity for a few last words to your lover.”

Fury rolled over Lexie and gave her strength. With a violent twist she almost got free. The men behind them shouted warnings to hang onto her. As Peter shoved her toward Jake, he whispered to her, “Cut the rope.”

It took Lexie a full three seconds to understand that Peter had discreetly pressed the knife into her hand.

He pushed her against Jake and jeered. “Come, my dear. Say something sweet. And while you are whispering nonsense, let me say a few words to your Colonel.”

Another blade in his own hand, Peter crouched in front of Jake and drilled him with a hard stare.