A Captive Situation (Kings of New York)

The second I stepped inside the station, there she was.

The woman from the subway. The same woman I’d not been able to get out of my head. She was like a fly, buzzing around me, poking at my thoughts. I’d been on the train that day because Shorty was still in town. I knew he was going to get banished. It was inevitable because he was a pain in the ass on his good days. He was never going to change, and Ashton would want Shorty as far away from his woman as possible, but I wanted to make sure I got all the information out of him that I could about my cousin.

Christ.

My cousin. That was all a shit show by itself, but Nicolai was dead. And my fucking family decided to take a vote and appoint me as the new head. It was a farce. The whole thing. I had a shit ton of family members. Some were cops. Some were in the oil business. And then I had a section that was Mafia, except most of those uncles all lived in Maine. They ran the business from there, which was a joke by itself.

I was a cop.

Fuck.

I had been a cop. I wasn’t anymore, not for two days now. There’d been a short period of time I considered going up to Maine and taking over the business. They gave me the power, but I started thinking about it, really thinking about it.

I hated the idea. Loathed it, in fact.

If I was going up there, it would be to destroy the family from inside. I had no allegiance to them. Not one fucking bit. They’d stood by when my parents died in a car accident. I’d just turned eighteen. Justin wasn’t far behind me, and no one stepped up to help us out. No fucking way was I going to let my little brother go into the system. We lived in Maine back then, but I took him on.

I packed him up and we went to the city, where I joined the academy.

Being alive for Justin had been my main purpose for so long. Then he died and for the last six months, I found new purpose in finding his killer. My fucking cousin, Nicolai. That’s who killed him. It was another nail in their coffin, as far as I was concerned.

Who else knew about it? I didn’t believe that no one else knew. Nicolai might not have been the one who pulled the trigger, but he was the reason behind it. Then there I was. A cop who no longer wanted to be a cop. I’d been forced to walk the line between good and bad, needing to choose the dirty side at times, but fuck’s sake. No one knew my world.

Justin was gone.

I’d been finding solace at the bottom of some bourbon bottle, then scraping myself out of whatever one-night stand’s bed that I went home with for the night.

I was heading to the bar to do just that when my phone started ringing. Recognizing the number, I contemplated not answering it. It kept ringing, and I cursed, knowing she was just going to keep calling. I greeted her with a growl. “Shit’s over between us, Laila. Leave me the fuck alone.”

She was silent for a beat before sniping, “Jesus, your ego is inflated. Not calling you because of that, asshole.”

I frowned. “Why are you calling?”

Laila was another cop. She and I had tangled naked together enough times over a few months that she started thinking we were in a relationship. Hell. Maybe we were, but that was the time my brother’s body was pulled from the water and nothing had been the same again for me. Laila didn’t just fall to the sideline. I’d punted her ass across the continent, as far as I was concerned. It’d not been the nicest thing, but my mind frame didn’t give a fuck.

“I got one of your cousins here.”

“Not interested—” I started to say. Any of my cousins, I didn’t give a fuck about them either.

I heard shouting in the background, and Laila cursed on her end. “Jesus Christ. She said she’s family. I’m doing you a solid. You can come down and pick her up. We won’t charge her if you do.”

“Her?” I quieted.

“Yeah. Says her name is Viv—”

Vivianna.

Of all my family members, all the different branches, Vivianna was one of the few that was intertwined with the West and Walden Mafia families. She wasn’t a part of the Worthing Mafia family. That was a whole other side, but she knew of them. Some of our uncles went into the oil business. Some went into being professional criminals. Of that side of the family, both did well with money. Vivianna, unfortunately for her, was used to that lifestyle, except she’d also gotten hooked on a fast way of living back in her modeling days. She wasn’t modeling anymore but hadn’t been able to stop trying to live that fast life.

This wasn’t the first call I’d gotten about her, but considering how my own life was going, it might be the last. I sighed into the phone. “Yeah. I’ll come down and get her. I’m guessing you won’t just release her?”

“Yeah.” Laila laughed, harshly. “No. You can get your ass down here. I’ll let you take her home, but she needs to go to rehab. Look of her, she’s not going to wake up one of these times she puts a needle in her arm.” She waited after delivering that stark statement.

I checked my stop and saw the one coming up I’d need if I was going to the station. “I’ll be there in twenty.”

Twenty-three minutes later, I walked in and boom.

There she was.

Not my ex–booty call.

Not my cousin.

But the woman from the subway who had been plaguing my mind.

I almost turned right around to leave because this woman was trouble. She’d had my dick hard on the train. It’s the whole reason I was in her face, grilling her about needing an ambulance. And that mouth.

Christ.

Her fucking mouth.

The way she’d been biting it on the train. When she’d been wringing her hands together, when she didn’t even know she was doing it, getting all worked up. I didn’t even know the shit going on in her mind but I knew it wasn’t good. But she’d been gnawing away at her bottom lip and I had to say something. I got up in her face, downright pushing shit on her that wasn’t even the truth, all because I had to say something. If I hadn’t, I was a second away from doing something else to her mouth to get her to stop chewing on it. No woman affected me like that. I didn’t like it. Goddamn. I didn’t have time for a woman like her, and now, seeing her on the same bench where they put people being detained, I stopped in my tracks.

Trouble. Just, fucking trouble.

I was fucking hard for her all over again, and she was back to gnawing on that bottom lip of hers.

Her hands were clenched in her lap, wringing together, just like on the subway, but I was glad to see there weren’t handcuffs on her.

I paused just inside the door.

In two seconds, I’d be spotted and my ex–booty call would be notified. I’d turned in my resignation. Those who knew me knew I wasn’t a cop anymore. News got around because not only was my own flesh and blood mobbed up, not only was I one of the many dozens of cops who was also on payroll for another Mafia family in this area, a different mob, but the irony of all ironies was that they assigned me to organized crime. Seeing this woman sitting there, feeling the way my body wanted to go over and put a claim on her, fury swept through me. I was not a good man. I wasn’t. That was the plain fucking truth. I was all the way bad. Grew up bad. Continued being bad. My reasons might’ve been good, but there was no way around the fact that I had no place to go over, introduce myself to that woman, and see how she’d feel about putting those lips around my dick instead.

Course, I wouldn’t go there first. I’d be respectful. Ask her for a cup of coffee first.

Jesus.

I was going for her without even realizing it myself.

Two steps.

Three.

I was nearing her.

She lifted her gaze.

Clocked me, her eyes widening.

Confusion swirled in their depths.

She frowned a little, and again, sank those teeth down in that lip of hers.

I almost groaned out loud.noveldrama

“Worthing.” A smooth feminine voice—one that I used to love, the rasp from her when I’d been dick-deep in her, but now it grated on my nerves—called out from behind me.

Chatter around the front of the station quieted.

That was because of me. I was assuming more people had heard about my resignation.

The woman from the subway continued to stare at me, her eyes narrowing, and then recognition flared. Her mouth opened, gaping a little. A small bit of panic flashed too.

I winced, not really liking seeing that reaction, but I was forced to turn my head as my ex was walking toward me.

I shifted back a step. “Brant.”

Laila’s face tightened, slowing in her step just a bit before she steeled herself and continued until she was at my side. She knew how to stand and position herself. Laila Brant could wear an Easter Bunny costume and still come off seductive. I knew how she did, but I wasn’t giving her that attention. My eyes stayed on her face, so I caught how her mouth flattened briefly before it kicked up in a slow smile. “Retired life must suit you. You look good.”

I narrowed my eyes, cocking my head to the side. “Funny. I don’t hear the dulcet tones of my cousin. What? She pass out in a cell back there?”

Laila’s smile shifted to a genuine grin before we both heard what I knew was missing.

“—the meaning of this! I know people, you know. Do you know who I am? Who my family is? I can make one call and I’ll have your badge. I’ll have all of your badges—” Her screech got louder as she was brought out from the back.

I shifted on my feet in time to see my cousin being led through the door that separated the holding cells from this main area. Another cop in uniform was bringing her out, and as soon as he saw Laila, he looked relieved, fitting his key to my cousin’s cuffs.

My cousin swung her wild gaze around until her eyes landed on me. They went wide and she almost stumbled over her giant-ass high-heeled boots, trying to get to me. “Jake! Jakie! Jake!”

I growled. “Shut the fuck up, Viv.”

She did, clamping her mouth shut before her body wavered backward.

Laila shouted, a hand shooting out at the same time.

My cousin started to fall.

The uniformed cop caught her, panic fleeting over his face before he swung that still-panicked gaze toward Laila. “I didn’t—she was going to fall on her own.”

Laila went over, waving him off. “Don’t worry, Officer Porath. You can go back to your other duties. I got her from here.”

He eyed my cousin, looking relieved as he could step away. “We’re releasing her?”

Laila took Viv’s arm, drawing her from him. “We got it handled.” She indicated me and his gaze trailed over. Recognition flared over his face, having him snap to his fullest height, his back going straight. “Detective Worthing—err . . .” His frown was fierce.

Laila grinned, bringing my cousin toward me. “It’s just Mr. Worthing now, I believe.” Her eyes found mine, a hint of something deeper appearing. “Or is it Don?”

The uniform was confused, but Vivianna heard and tipped her chin back, a raucous laugh trailing out of her throat. Jesus. She was all skin and bones, wearing . . . I didn’t even know what she was wearing. Leather leggings with some animal-print corset top? And were those feathers wrapped around her like a shawl? I had no idea. She looked ridiculous. But she continued to laugh, annoyingly, before she finished it with, “Not Jakie.” She snorted, still laughing. “You’re joking, right? Everyone knows that was just a joke. A whole farce—” She cut off, seeing my face. She stammered, the blood draining from her face. “S-sorry, Cuz. I, just—you’ve always been a cop. I mean . . . though, Justin was the golden boy of the two of you—”

“Shut up.”

She flinched, going white again, looking as if I’d slapped her. “Sorry, Jake. I—just—”

I turned my back on her, focusing on Laila. Knowing—feeling—the subway woman watching the whole exchange.

I heard Vivianna add behind me, quietly, “I loved him too.”

I cringed, but not the time or day. I asked through gritted teeth, “I’m assuming you have strings attached?”

Laila had been watching me carefully, but her face blanked a moment. “Uh. Yeah.” Her forehead wrinkled as she thought. “Rehab.”

“What?” Vivianna croaked. “No fucking way—”

I leveled her with another look.

She was my cousin, one of my many cousins, but we were not close. Our relationship consisted of this. Of her getting high, getting arrested, using my name to get out of trouble. I tended to come down and haul her out of here more for favors since she used to be buddies with people that I needed information on sometimes. That was before I turned in my resignation. I didn’t need those favors anymore. I was thinking my cousin was forgetting that part of our relationship.

I was here for one reason alone. Because my brother would’ve wanted me to help her.

I said to Laila, “Not a problem.”

“What?” Viv screeched again, her eyes darting around the room, looking for someone else to come in and stop this from happening.

I raised an eyebrow.

Laila was waiting too.

My cousin wasn’t seeing anyone else there to help her out, until her gaze fell on the woman from the subway. It stayed there.

I asked, “Unless you want to be charged?”

Laila jumped in, not missing a beat. “They’ll send you to rehab too. It’ll just cost more.”

Viv was still staring at the subway woman, but she snorted again, rolling her eyes. “Money is something we have. Our family is rolling in it.” She paused, remembering me. “Or some of us are, if we choose to roll in it.”

I’d had enough. Reaching for her arm, I growled, “Let’s go.”

Vivianna tensed, resisting. “Wait!” Her gaze was still trained on the woman, and I was about to jerk her after me, because I didn’t like how she was looking at the subway woman. My cousin could spot a mark a thousand feet away. Our family might’ve had money, like she said, but I knew Vivianna had been cut off long ago. The money she got was handed to her from the family’s lawyer, a lump sum given on the same day every month, and she didn’t get any more or any less. It drove her nuts, but it also kept her in check. Otherwise she’d blow millions on drugs as fast as she could snort it without overdosing.

Vivianna jerked her chin toward the bench where she was sitting. “What’s her story?” She looked to Laila for the answer. “She’s been here the whole time I’ve been here, but I’ve been watching. There’s no one back there processing her, or even looking like they’re going to process her.” She looked back, her tone warming. “What are you here for, sugar?” She pulled her arm out of my grip and went over, easing down next to the subway woman.

I didn’t want to look, but I couldn’t not anymore so, lifting my gaze, I let my eyes fall on her. And fuck. I drew in some air, drinking in the sight of her. I could look all I wanted now. She was like nothing I’d seen before. She made me think of rose petals. Lips that were made just for me. She had eyes deep like the ocean, a heart-shaped face. She was slender, but not too slender. There was strength in her bones. In her eyes. In the way she fucking sat there, thinking whatever fucking thoughts that were going round and round in her mind, but she was above it all.

I didn’t know what brought her here.

I didn’t know what made her hands wring themselves.

I didn’t know what was holding her back, making her chew on her lip, but I knew that I took one look at her and I wanted to sweep it all away.

And that reaction scared the fuck out of me, but when my cousin went to her, sat down, and threw an arm around her shoulders, I thanked what God there was for this small assistance from him.

“Come on, Detective Brant. What’s this one here for?”

The subway woman’s gaze kept darting from Vivianna, to me, to Laila, to me, to Viv, to me, to Laila, to me. She had no idea what was happening right now.

“I don’t know. I can find out—”

I knew. This was the bench they put people when they just wanted to pull them away from a situation. There was nothing to hold them, but for some reason they didn’t feel like they could leave them where they were.

Laila was crossing the room. “Hey. Yo.” She rapped against the clear plaster between us and the other side. “What’s with this one? Who brought her in?”

I spoke. “I got her.”

At the same time, Vivianna exclaimed, “She’s my friend! I want her to come with me.” My cousin linked the subway woman’s arm through hers and she looked at me, all serious. “If I’m going to rehab, I’m going to need all the support that I can get. Right, cousin?”

I held her gaze.

I didn’t know what my cousin was doing, what game she was playing, but if I was drowning, the universe just threw me a rope. I wasn’t stupid. I took hold of that rope and I wasn’t going to let it go. “Course, we’ll take her.” I pivoted on my feet, repeating to Laila, “I got her.”

My ex frowned, a little flustered. “I—uh—sure.”

I crossed to Laila, lowering my head and voice. “Whoever brought her in is long gone. You know that bench. I know the bench. I’ll take her.”

Another officer approached us, holding his hands out. “Uh, yeah. Sorry. What he said. Brightman brought her in, but he said to let her know she could take off after a bit. He clocked out forty minutes ago.”

“What?”

I snapped to attention. “Right. I got her.” I motioned to Viv. “Let’s go.”

She beamed to me, standing up, her arm still linked with the subway woman’s. “Splendid!” She marched them to the door.

I started to follow, but a hand stopped me on my arm.

Laila was frowning at me. Her gaze went to where she was holding me back. She dropped it, but sidled closer to me. “Jake. I—”

My heart tugged.

I saw the look on her face. The way she was looking at me, speaking to me. This was a woman whose heart was involved. For this time, this one time, I needed to say the right words, no matter if they were going to hurt or not.

I ignored whether Vivianna and the other woman had stopped. I didn’t know if they were watching this or not, but I couldn’t think about them. I cupped the back of Laila’s elbow and lowered my voice, softening it. “I’m not the man you think I am.”

She stiffened, her gaze jerking up to mine.

My hand tightened on her, holding her firm. I kept my voice soft. “We kept company together for a bit, and it was a good time. I’ll admit that I think you got in further than anyone else, but my cousin—she’s just a mirror for what’s going on inside of me. I am a fucking mess, Laila. Don’t wait for me. Go on that family trip to Europe that you do this time of year, but go and let yourself meet some rich European millionaire. Don’t give me a second thought, because I promise you, I am not worth it. I have blood on my hands. I was a good cop, but I was dirty at times too. I should be a dead cop. You and me, there’s nothing there. There will never be anything there. You deserve a good man. Go and find him. It’s not me.” The last was said harshly, but for fuck’s sake, she needed to hear it. I meant every word. “Don’t waste your time on me. I’m not interested, Laila.”

The last was meant to hurt, and as I said it, the small bit of hope I saw in her eyes died away. The embers dwindled to nothing.

Good.

I left, walking past Vivianna and the subway woman, ignoring the knowing look on my cousin, and feeling pierced by the stricken look on the other. It didn’t matter. None of this mattered. Laila would stop wasting her time on me, and that was good all around.

But as I went past the others, Vivianna dropped to a whisper, taunting me. “Look at you. You know, if you were actually the piece of shit that you think you are, you wouldn’t have said a thing to her. You would’ve kept her on a string and when you decided you might want a taste, you’d reel her in, like you were fishing.”

I stopped, rolling my shoulders back and bracing myself. “You got the wrong cousin, Viv. I’m not my brother. His body was lifted up with fishing nets. Maybe shut the fuck up with more fishing metaphors, hmmm?”

My comment was mean.

I didn’t care.