Without Regret (Devil's Playground #1) (8 page)

BOOK: Without Regret (Devil's Playground #1)
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18

After their rendezvous in Isaiah’s office, Cassidy opted to go to his penthouse while he went back into the club. It was when she was getting presentable in the private bathroom in Isaiah’s office that she remembered she had a room at the hotel, which meant she did have some of her things with her.

Why she hadn’t thought about it before, she didn’t know, but instead of taking the private elevator up to his suite as Isaiah had instructed, Cassidy decided to slip through the club and back to the main part of the hotel. From there, she took the public elevator up to her floor, relieved that things were finally back to normal.

Once inside her hotel room, she took a quick look around, noticing nothing different than the last time she’d been there, which meant during all the chaos, those men who’d taken Jordan hadn’t found her hideout. She was grateful for that.

It only took a few minutes for Cassidy to gather her things and to retrieve the items she’d placed in the safe, including the cash she’d pulled out of her savings account in order to try and get Jordan out of his predicament. She’d taken out forty thousand just in case.

It was all there, every bill.

Not that she was all that keen on walking around the casino with that kind of cash, but she didn’t have much of a choice. If she wanted to spend one last night with Isaiah before they started taking things one day at a time, she had to get back to his penthouse. Preferably before he realized she’d taken a brief detour.

Dumping all of her bathroom items into her overnight bag, Cassidy finished packing her things. One last look around and she was satisfied that she’d gotten everything.

Just as she was heading to the door, there was a knock. Figuring Isaiah had realized where she’d gone, she smiled to herself as she yanked open the door.

“Ms. Owens. So good to see you again.”

Oh, shit.

Cassidy tried to slam the door in the man’s face, but he was faster than she was, placing his foot in the way, which kept the door from closing.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“What do you want?” she asked, trying to keep her cool.

“We’ve got a few things to discuss, Ms. Owens,” the gray-haired man—Mr. Turner, she believed Isaiah had called him—said as he pushed his way into the room.

“I don’t think we do,” she retorted, clutching her bag close to her side.

“Just so we’re clear,” the man said, his lips thinning, “I don’t give a damn what you think.”

When he pulled out his gun, Cassidy knew that her options were extremely limited.

“But we do have somewhere to be, so I suggest you be on your best behavior, and I won’t have to hurt you.”

Cassidy remembered the conversation from earlier, the clear threat Isaiah had delivered to this man. “Isaiah’s going to kill you,” she said, using her most lethal tone.

The man merely laughed, which only pissed her off more.

“I think he’ll be willing to negotiate. He underestimated me, Ms. Owens. And now he’s going to see what I’m truly capable of.”

Cassidy did not like the sound of that.

Rather than argue, she allowed him to push her toward the door. Once they were out in the hall, he tucked his gun back into his pants, gripping her arm firmly as he steered her toward the elevator.

If she could get in a public place, surely she could lose him.

Unfortunately, the elevator car that arrived was empty, which meant they were still alone. But not for long.

The elevator delivered them to the main floor a couple of minutes later.

“Think of doing anything stupid and I will shoot you.”

Right. Like this idiot was going to shoot her in a crowded casino. A casino owned by Max Adorite, no less.

But she kept that tidbit of information to herself. For now, she’d go willingly.

At least until she found an opening, and that damn sure wouldn’t be after they’d made it to their destination.

19

“Isaiah, we’ve got a problem.”

Isaiah stopped his conversation instantly, turning to look at Jake Andrews, the head of security for Devil’s Playground and one of Max Adorite’s enforcers.

“What is it?” he inquired, watching the man’s face intently. The other man did not look happy.

“Ms. Owens never made it back to your penthouse, so I had them search the hotel cameras. She was seen going into one of the rooms a short time ago.”

“I’m sure she went to get her things,” he said, hoping that was the case. He knew she had been registered at the hotel when he had originally set out to find her.

“Perhaps, but while they watched the cameras, they noticed Howard Turner arrive at her room. A minute later, he left with her at gunpoint.”

Fuck.

“We found one of his men here at the club. Apparently he’d been keeping tabs on the two of you.”

“Where is he now?”

Jake didn’t respond, but the shadows that moved in the man’s eyes told Isaiah everything he needed to know. Howard Turner was now down one headcount.

“Where are they?”

“I instructed my men to watch for them on the casino floor. Less than a minute ago, they were seen coming out of the elevator.”

“Come with me,” Isaiah ordered, making a beeline for the exit.

On his way out, Isaiah gave the bouncer instructions to find Micah, to let him know what was going on, and to have Micah meet him on the casino floor.

Without waiting for his brother, Isaiah allowed Jake to lead him to the area where Howard and Cassidy had been seen last.

That dumb fucker. What was he thinking?

Isaiah knew that was a stupid question. He knew what Howard was thinking. He was going to use Cassidy as a bargaining chip, as a way to get Max off his back.

Too bad Max would never find out about this. Isaiah was more than capable of handling his own. Not to mention, the order to kill Howard had already come down. Looked as though the bastard’s timeline had just been moved up.

“There they are,” Jake confirmed gruffly. “I’ll come around behind them to make sure they don’t slip out.”

Isaiah nodded, then squeezed through the crowded casino. It was Friday night, and the place was packed. He used the crowd to his advantage, slipping between people while keeping his eyes on Cassidy.

She was carrying a bag, and Howard had a firm grip on her arm. She didn’t seem to be trying to get away, which meant she was smart.

He had to wonder whether she knew he’d get to her, that he’d never let anyone hurt her.

Not now. Not ever.

And Howard Turner had just made a grave mistake. One Isaiah fully intended to rectify.

Once he was within a few feet of them, Isaiah opted to use the people scattered about to his benefit. Surely Howard wasn’t stupid enough to hurt her in front of all these people. He would know that hotel security would not be lenient on him. They’d shoot first, ask questions later. That was what happened when an armed man attempted to do something stupid in a Vegas casino.

“Cassidy? Hey, honey,” he greeted as cheerfully as he could manage. Strolling right up to them, he pulled her into his arms, never taking his eyes off Howard. “Don’t even think about it. There’re guns trained on you right this minute. You so much as breathe the wrong fucking way, they’ll kill you.”

Howard glared at him.

Yeah, it was clear the loan shark was pissed because he’d just been divested of his only leverage.

“What’d I tell you?” Isaiah asked Howard directly.

Howard shrugged.

“I distinctly remember telling you that if you touched one hair on her head, I’d rip your throat out with my bare hands. That sound familiar?”

Cassidy clutched Isaiah’s shirt, her hands trembling as she pressed her face against his chest. Unable to resist, Isaiah wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as he kept his eyes locked with Howard’s.

“I wasn’t kidding,” Isaiah tacked on. “Not one fucking bit.”

Cassidy’s entire body shook, and Isaiah pressed his lips to the top of her head. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

He’d told her earlier that they would be taking things one day at a time, but this little stunt had just taken ten years off his life. He hadn’t considered what his feelings for her truly meant until Jake had relayed the information that she’d been kidnapped. That had sealed it for him.

Isaiah loved her, and he had no intention of losing her now.

“It’s over, baby,” he whispered into her ear, hoping to reassure her. “You’re safe. You’ll always be safe.”

She nodded but didn’t lift her face.

Jake moved up behind Howard, his weapon drawn while Micah arrived on their other side.

Howard Turner wasn’t going anywhere.

“No leverage now,” Isaiah told Howard. “But we’d be happy to show you our generous accommodations.”

“I want to talk to Max,” Howard grunted.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Adorite is otherwise occupied at the moment. However, we expect him to arrive at any time,” Isaiah relayed. “You can speak to him in person when he gets here.”

As he expected, Howard’s eyes widened in fear.

Yes, Max had opted to come to Vegas in order to deal with things himself. His way of making his presence known. The man was one to be respected, and after Howard had so blatantly defied Max, the boss figured it was time to make an appearance.

In an effort to keep the peace, of course.

“Come on,” Isaiah whispered to Cassidy. “I’ll take you to the penthouse.”

“What about the club?” she asked, looking up at him for the first time.

“It’s being taken care of.”

With his arm around her shoulder, Isaiah steered Cassidy away from the others, leaving Jake and Micah to deal with Howard. They’d put him somewhere safe until Isaiah could deal with him.

“Will I get to meet Max?” Cassidy questioned when they were alone in the elevator.

“Would you like to?” he asked, smiling. Out of all that, the woman chose that tidbit of information to cling to.

“Yeah. I’d like to … thank him.”

Isaiah nodded.

“And…” she continued, “I’d like to find out what his plans for Jordan are. I know favors don’t come free.”

Lifting her chin so that she was looking at him, Isaiah peered into her eyes. “Max didn’t do your brother any favors. I did.”

Her eyes widened with the news.

“You did? You gave him the money?”

He nodded.

Cassidy patted her bag. “I’ll repay you. I’ve got the cash.”

Isaiah shook his head.

The elevator stopped, and he kept his hand on the small of her back, urging her out into the hall. After greeting Frank, Isaiah led her into his penthouse, closing and locking the door behind them.

“Here,” she said, thrusting the bag toward him.

“I don’t want your money, Cass.”

“But…”


Jordan
owes me,” he said firmly. “And he and I will come to an agreement on how he’ll repay the loan. Tomorrow.”

“He doesn’t have the money,” she said quickly, her eyes sad.

“He doesn’t need to have it. To pay it off, he’ll work for me. In the club.”

“But …”

Isaiah placed his hands on her shoulders. “I know he’s got a gambling problem. We’re going to get him help. You and me. He’ll work for me until the loan is paid off and possibly after that.” Cupping the side of her face with one hand, Isaiah studied her. “I talked to him, Cass. He knows what he did. He realizes the danger he put you in. And your brother loves you, baby. He’s going to get help.”

A tear rolled over her smooth cheek, and Isaiah used his thumb to wipe it away.

“Why would you do that for him?”

“I didn’t do it for him,” Isaiah confessed. “I did it for you.”

“Me? Why me?” she inquired.

With both hands, he held her head gently. “Because I love you, Cass.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

He knew how she felt. He hadn’t expected to say those words. Not to anyone. But especially not to a woman he’d met only a day ago.

That didn’t make the words any less true.

“One day at a time,” he added. “Remember?”

A small smile formed on her lips. “I’m not so sure I like that plan anymore.”

Isaiah frowned.

“We don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” she told him, going up on her toes so that her mouth was closer to his.

“True,” he replied, his lips inches from hers. “We don’t.”

Her smooth fingers caressed his jaw, and he leaned into her palm.

“I love you, too,” she whispered. “It’s a little unexpected, but…”

“You don’t need to explain,” he told her. “Just show me. That’s all I need.”

And with that, Isaiah pressed his lips to hers.

20

Love.

That was such a hard emotion to grasp, but as Isaiah held her in his arms, Cassidy knew that was exactly what she was feeling. With his lips pressed to hers so reverently, she could practically imagine the rest of her life with this man.

How that had happened in such a short time, she couldn’t understand. Nor would she question it.

At almost thirty years old, Cassidy was beyond trying to figure out how the universe worked. She simply wanted to live her life, enjoy her time there, because as she’d seen in the last twenty-four hours, there was no guarantee on how long they had.

Sliding her tongue along the seam of Isaiah’s lips, Cassidy sought more.

He didn’t disappoint.

Isaiah’s hands slid down her arms, coming around to cup her ass. He lifted her, causing her to wrap her arms around his neck, never breaking the kiss. Pressing her body as close to his as she could, Cassidy held on, moving her tongue along his, inhaling him into her soul.

This man … he’d come into her life by chance, and look where that had gotten them.

Granted, at the moment, it had gotten them into his bed, a place she found she really enjoyed being.

Especially when he was there with her.

It only took a few minutes of groping before they were both naked, skin to skin.

“I want you in my bed every night,” Isaiah whispered as he came down over her. “Right here with me.”

Cassidy smiled, and it filled her entire being from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair. Every part of her felt him, the emotion that transpired between them; it was something she’d never felt before. Strong, potent. Invincible.

“Here?” she asked, smiling against his mouth while she ran her hands over every square inch of his perfect body.

“For now,” he replied. “At least until we have kids.”

Cassidy pulled back to look at him. “Kids?”

“Unless you don’t want them.”

“No,” she said quickly. “I want kids. I just thought…”

“There’s plenty about me you don’t know yet,” he said, kissing her neck. “But you will, Cass. You’ll know every part of me the same as I’ll know every part of you.”

She liked the sound of that. They might still be strangers, but they were tied together by their hearts. As far as she was concerned, that was the first step.

“Kids, huh?” she asked when he stared down at her.

Isaiah nodded.

Cassidy managed to force him onto his back. From there, she crawled over him, her hands gliding over his hard chest, his taut abs. Then down. She found his erection with her fingers, teasing him before wrapping her hand around him.

“There’s something else I don’t know about you yet,” she whispered, grinning up at him.

“What’s that?” he asked.

Cassidy leaned down, placing a kiss on the head of his cock before looking back up at him. “Whether or not you like this.”

“Oh, I like it. Don’t you worry about that,” he said on a gruff moan. “Don’t stop.”

She loved the aggressive side of Isaiah.

Wrapping her lips around the head of his cock, she sucked him into her mouth, using her tongue to lave him, tasting him, inhaling his musky, masculine scent.

“Fuck, Cass. So good.”

His hand slid into her hair, holding her head in place while she used her mouth and her hand to pleasure him. He didn’t let her stop until he was thrusting his hips upward, driving his cock into her mouth. She took him as deep as she could, using her hand to keep him from going too far.

“Damn, baby. I want to come in your sweet fucking mouth.”

A chill raced down her spine; her nipples pebbled from his words alone. She wanted that, too. She wanted to send him over the edge, to make him lose control.

But he had other plans.

“Not yet, though,” he growled, releasing her hair and pulling her up so that they were face-to-face.

With ease, he rolled her onto her back, then grabbed a condom from the nightstand. Cassidy watched as he sheathed his thick cock, entranced by the way he gripped himself, stroking slowly. It was so fucking sexy she couldn’t look away.

When he was kneeling between her thighs, looking down at her, she finally tore her attention away from his beautiful cock, looking up into his eyes.

“You like that, do you?”

“What?” she asked.

“When I stroke my dick. You like watching me.”

Cassidy nodded. Yeah, she liked watching him.

“Good to know.”

Her arms went around him when he leaned down to her, her mouth seeking his as he guided his cock into her. Her muscles relaxed enough to take him inside, holding him there, then clenching around the delicious invasion.

“I want this,” he breathed against her mouth. “For the rest of my life.”

“Me … too…” Cassidy could hardly breathe for how good it felt. He stretched her completely, the soft hair on his chest tickling her nipples, sending shards of sensation firing beneath her skin.

Isaiah started out slow, but his pace soon increased as he thrust into her, over and over, harder, faster. She clung to him, her eyes closed as she relished the feel of him against her, inside her.

When he growled, Cassidy tightened her inner muscles, locking him to her.

“Fuck, Cass. I’m going to come, baby. Come with me.”

Her body caught fire. Rocking with him, she took him deeper, loving the way he felt, the way he smelled, the sound of his voice. It was more than she’d anticipated, more than she thought she deserved.

No, Isaiah Fontenot wasn’t perfect, but he was perfect for her. And she loved him.

Without regret.

An animalistic growl tore from his chest as his body stilled, his cock buried deep, and that’s when Cassidy let go, her orgasm shattering within her, making her light-headed from the intensity.

Yes, perfect.

BOOK: Without Regret (Devil's Playground #1)
12.47Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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