My Silver Fox Protector by Lauren Cole
MASON
I draggedEmma out from under the bed with a bruising grip.
“Please, what do you want?” She begged, pleaded for an answer as I hauled her up.
I didn’t say anything; even with the voice modulator I could hardly speak, I could feel my emotions welling up in my throat, threatening to make my voice falter.
The lump in my throat tightened as I threw a screaming Emma over my shoulder and carried her downstairs.
Fight Emma, fight me. Don’t give in.
I pleaded with her silently in my mind, knowing this was just as likely to happen again. She never was any good at staying out of trouble. Part of me wanted to see how much of a fight she had in her.
And fight me, she did. She screamed, and clawed at me, and thrashed as I bobbed down each step with a death grip on her.
Suddenly, there was a searing pain in my side. And I groaned and stumbled into the wall at the bottom of the stairs. Then another searing pain.
Emma grunted as she drove a knife into my side for the second time. “Let me go!” She screamed.
I momentarily lost my grip as I winced from the stab wound.
Good girl.
Emma scrambled off me and sprinted for the front door. She struggled to shove a dresser she’d pushed in front of it to the side. I grabbed my gun and fired a shot just above her hand, and she froze.
“If you want to live, you won’t touch that door again.” I growled. But this was good. She was fighting.
Before she could respond, I was across the room. I gripped her throat, pressing her into the wall. Not enough to truly choke her, but enough to scare her. With my other hand, I twisted the knife out of her hand.
“If you do that again, I’ll use this knife on you. And I’ll do things you couldn't fathom. I’ll inflict so much pain that you’d be willing to confess to crimes you didn’t commit.” I growled, as she stared at me wide eyed, holding my wrists as I gripped her throat, and I watched as one giant tear streaked out of the corner of her eye.
Fuck.
I gritted my teeth and continued. I released my death grip from her throat and she collapsed down to the ground, coughing. I grabbed a leg, trying to ignore how buttery soft her skin felt against my palm as I dragged her into the kitchen. My heart sank when she stopped fighting me. She froze, terrified, and let me drag her into a chair, trembling as I zip tied her hands behind her back, and zip tied her legs to the chair.
She looked at me trembling, but the terror in her eyes was palpable, and as I stood across the room, I slowly removed the metal instruments from my bag and set them on the counter one at a time. It was a simple method, really. I wasn’t even touching her. But I watched as her eyes roamed over the metal instruments as I placed them on the counter, one by one.
I, of course, wasn’t going to get anywhere near her with any of these. Not a chance in hell, but she didn't know that. No, these instruments I had used to pull information out of the most tight-lipped of men. No, I wouldn’t touch her with these. When these instruments were being inflicted, even the strongest of men would break, eventually. As she trembled watching me, I knew that even in her wildest dreams, she couldn’t fathom the pain that could be inflicted with these tools.
Finally, with all the mental instruments laid out, I leaned against the counter and stared at her. Really looked at her. Though we lived next door, I didn’t see her terribly often, mostly in passing. She was the daughter of one of my dearest friends, and I gladly kept an eye on her for him, but we were rarely in the same room. We’d never had much reason to be social outside of me hanging out with her dad. And at this moment, I realized, I didn’t know if I had really ever looked at her.
Her dark long hair hung wildly over her shoulders and dipped over the soft curve of her breasts. She was wearing a tiny little tank top and short, little jersey shorts. Her skin was flushed as her chest heaved over and over. I realized she had grown into a woman and was quite beautiful, quite filled out now. I felt surprised as my cock strained against my zipper.
I caught her eyes again and shook my head, remembering to keep up the ruse. They were wild with terror, darting all around, assessing, looking for a way out.
“What are you going to do to me?” She whispered.
I brought myself back to the present. I knew her life wasn’t in any real danger, but she didn’t. This was all very real for her. I gritted my teeth, remembering Viktor wanted photos. Just scaring her wasn’t enough; I’d have to leave some physical evidence that I was here.
I felt myself softly uttering, “I’m sorry.” Before I could even catch the words. I struck her hard across her cheek. The easiest way to get big obvious bruising with minimal true damage.
She sucked in a sharp breath and looked at me with fury in her eyes as tears welled up. “What the hell do you want?” Her voice bordered on hysteria.
I struck her across the other cheek.
“What do you want?” She screamed at me.
I grabbed a knife off the counter and twirled it around in my hand in front of her. I squatted in front of her, putting us at equal eyeline. “What did you dig up?”
Her chest heaved. “I don’t know what you mean?”
I sighed and walked around behind her. I grasped her throat, tilting her chin up to me, as I rested the cold blade against her skin. I leaned into her ear and lowly repeated, “What did you find?” The smell of her skin was intoxicating. I could feel the heat radiating off her neck. I found myself wanting to taste the skin where my blade was resting. So soft, so tender. The blade I held was sharp. Extremely sharp, and as I held it at her skin, a small bead of blood dripped down her neck, where the blade easily broke the first layer of her skin.
She jerked with a sharp gasp.
“Easy now, sweetheart. You move like that while I have this blade here. Well, let’s just say our fun would be over a little quicker than I had planned.” She held very still, but I could feel her pulse in my other hand. Her heart was racing, and her breasts heaving. At this angle, I had quite the view. I flicked my eyes away, feeling conflicted at the war raging inside me.
Was this attraction I was feeling?
It couldn’t be.
“I don’t know anything.” She gritted out.
“Well, sweetheart, we both know that’s not true.”
“I don’t know anything.” She dug in hysterically.
“Well, if you’re not willing to talk, I guess I’ll have to start taking things from you with this knife.”
Her voice broke. “Please, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ll do whatever you want. Please.”
“It’s too late for that.” I trailed my hand over her jaw and wound it through her hair, wrapping my fist through the length of it once, and then twice. Then, in one swift motion, I sliced the length off at her shoulders and she gasped as I dropped the cut length of her hair in her lap.
“Next time you go digging where you shouldn’t, it’ll be your fingers I’m dropping into your lap.” I came around in front of her, and she was boiling angry, and even more scared.
I was done. I was over this. I couldn’t bear to look at her face when she looked at me like that. I quickly gathered the zippered pouch from my bag and pulled out the syringe, quickly filling it up.
“Wha— what is that for?” She stuttered. “Please, I’ll tell you whatever you want. Just please. I don’t want to die.”
“Shut up.” I growled. And I did need her to shut up. She was breaking my heart.
She broke out screaming as I turned back towards her. “Help. Somebody help me.” She eyed the needle. “No, no, no. What is that? Please.”
I injected her and very quickly her eyes started to get heavy and finally they closed, and her head dropped forward.
I leaned against the counter and looked at her. She was so small, so tiny. I shuddered, wondering how much worse it would have been if the team were here. I walked over to her and lifted her chin, inspecting the damage. I quickly snapped a photo and sent it off to Viktor.
Me: It’s done.
Viktor: She doesn’t look very banged up, Reynolds.
Me: Come on. This is good enough.
Viktor: You’ve always had a soft spot for her. Finish this job right, or I’ll send the team in for you both.
Fuck.
Gripped the counter angrily before I launched myself over to Emma and struck her hard this time. I stumbled back and gripped the counter as her head hung. At least she wasn’t awake for the worst of it.
Her lip was busted now and I could see a bruise lightly starting to form across her eye. I shook my head. I hoped it was enough for Viktor.
Suddenly, I became aware of the pain in my side, and I stumbled into the kitchen and lifted my shirt to inspect the damage. As I packed paper towels onto my bloody side, I smiled to myself. She had a fighter in her, that was for sure, and I had two knife wounds to prove it. As I pulled my shirt back down, I looked at my bloody hands and back at Emma.
I quickly went to work wiping my blood strategically on her, making her look bloody but believable. I snapped another photo and quickly sent it off to Viktor.
Viktor: Very good, Reynolds. Very good.
I smirked,knowing my little trick had worked. I had Emma to thank for that.
Viktor: Bring her into the facility
Me: You can’t be serious.
I stood staringat my phone, waiting for a response that never came.
Fucking hell.
There was no end to this. I shoved my things back into my bag and quickly cut the zip ties off Emma, and then scooped her limp body up against my chest.
It didn’t miss me, how her warmth seeped into me as I cradled her against me, willing some form of comfort to be transmuted to her.
“You’re ok, you’re safe.” I whispered softly to her. “I got you, baby girl. You were never in any real danger.” As I slipped out the back, I carried her into my house through the back door. I swiftly moved through the house and into the garage, where I loaded her into my jeep. “I’m so sorry.” I stroked her hair as I gently laid her across my backseat.
* * *
I stood stoically,with my arms crossed, watching Emma through the one-way glass. As I’d gotten to the facility, they’d loaded her up and taken her from me. After they processed her, they’d strapped her to a table and locked her in a cell.
I gritted my teeth. This was all so unnecessary. The intimidation was more than enough. This was overboard.
Emma slowly stirred, and her eyes fluttered open. I watched through the one-way glass as terror flooded her face as she woke up, and then relief at recognizing the facility, and then terror again, at the realization that she was strapped down.
She shook against the restraints as two agents entered the room.
“Why am I strapped down?” She spat, shaking against the restraints. “Let me go.”
One of the agents spoke. “We have some questions for you before we make any decisions about your status.”
“My status.” She roared, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You’ve put the agency in a difficult position.”
“Bullshi–” The intercom suddenly cut off, and the door into the observation room clicked shut.
I spun around to face Viktor, who gave me a stoic nod. “She’s bloody. But maybe it would have been better if it were hers.” Viktor pursed his lips knowingly.
“Fuck off. What is all this? You already know what she got into. What’s with the song and dance?”
“We’re being thorough, evaluating our risk.”
“She’s not a risk.” I spat.
Viktor jabbed my stab wound, that had been bandaged over by a nurse in the facility. “Is that so?”
I bit my cheek so hard I tasted blood, but I wasn’t giving him any satisfaction in a response.
“This is it, for her. This is the last time I’m going out on a limb like this. After this, her deal is null. And if she causes any further damage, you’ll be responsible for the repercussions, personally.”
I watched as Viktor disappeared out of the observing room and appeared inside Emma’s cell.