Mastered by Malone (Haven Texas Book 6) Read online

  “Who are all the guys sneaking around out there?” Mike asked, his shoulders tense as he glanced out around the yard.

  Alec’s opinion of him went up. “Those would be my brothers.”

  “How many of them are there?” Mike asked.

  Alec shrugged. “Enough.”

  “Enough?” Mia asked, finally finding her voice. She stared up at the large man glaring down at her. What did that mean? He didn’t want to tell them how many brothers he had? Why wouldn’t he want them to know? If she was going to live here, she assumed she’d meet them. And if they were anything like the one she’d already met then she was in trouble.

  He turned his gaze to her, and she wished she hadn’t drawn his attention once more.

  “There’s five.”

  “You’ve got six,” Jardin said with a note of exasperation.

  “I do?” He shrugged, seemingly indifferent. Didn’t he know how lucky he was to have just one brother let alone six? “Figured they would have murdered each other by now.”

  She couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. It had to be an act, surely. She’d already met one brother. Tanner had greeted them at the front gate, going over Mike’s car with a machine he said would search out any tracking devices or bugs. Mike hadn’t been too happy with that; he’d been even less impressed with the way Tanner had flirted with her the entire time. She hadn’t read anything into it. He struck her as the type of guy who flirted with all women, be they eight or eighty. It wasn’t like she was the type to attract someone as gorgeous as Tanner Malone.

  Alec Malone was just as stunning. But he certainly didn’t have Tanner’s easy nature. As he glared down at her, she found herself wondering if she’d be better off facing the assassin, because Alec Malone certainly didn’t seem pleased to have her here. Not that she could blame him. She didn’t know why he’d agreed to any of this. She was putting his entire family in jeopardy with her presence.

  Tall, with broad shoulders, his dark hair was kept neat and short. His jeans were a faded blue, his shirt stretched across his wide chest, tight around his arms. He wasn’t the biggest guy she’d ever seen. He didn’t look like a guy who worked out at the gym for hours each day. He looked like a man who knew how to work hard for what he wanted.

  There were hints of gray in his dark hair, but they just added to his appeal. Those dark brown eyes pinned her, as though he’d sensed her studying him. She stood there, frozen as he held her with just his gaze. This man . . . he was dangerous, potent, and so gorgeous it took her breath away.

  She needed . . . she needed to get her act together. He was the guy who was opening up his home to keep her safe. She didn’t like this plan any more than Mike did. But she liked his alternative idea even less. The one where he took a leave of absence to protect her.

  Yeah, that one sucked. Because in that scenario she was pretty certain her only family was going to get himself killed.

  “Look, Mike,” Jardin said. “You don’t know Alec and his brothers but they’re solid. They’ll protect Mia.”

  “I called in a favor from you,” Mike stated. “I only trust you.”

  “Even though he’s a soul-sucking lawyer, Jardin doesn’t have the resources I do. Besides, he’s here half the time and in New Orleans the rest. You hardly want her moving around, do you?” Alec ground out. “Or are you planning on taking her back to New York with you?”

  She trembled. She never wanted to go to New York again.

  While he said all this, his gaze was on her. Mike didn’t miss that. His glower was hot enough to scorch.

  “Maybe that would work. Last thing that he would suspect is for her to be hiding right under his nose.”

  “That will never work,” Alec spat out dismissively. “Stupid idea.”

  She could sense Mike bristling. Alec Malone didn’t seem to have much of a social filter.

  “Mike.” She placed her hand on his arm as she stepped forward so she stood beside him. “I don’t want to go to New York.”

  “If it’s the best way to keep you safe—”

  “It’s not,” Alec Malone interrupted.

  She resisted the urge to scowl at him. Couldn’t he see she was trying to smooth things over? And he was just making it all worse. And she had to live with this guy for the foreseeable future?

  “Mike, I can’t go back to New York. I can’t.” She stared up at him, willing him to understand. A hint of softness entered his gaze and he nodded. She breathed out a sigh. Sometimes, when he got an idea in his head he couldn’t let it go.

  “All right, sweetheart. New York is out.”

  “Good,” Jardin said to them both. “She’ll be safe here, I promise.”

  She looked over at Jardin, who appeared to be the sane one. Although she didn’t know how sane it was to be standing there in a Texas summer dressed in a three-piece suit.

  “Aren’t you hot?” she blurted out, without thinking first.

  Alec Malone snorted out a laugh. Okay, the man was just plain rude.

  Be nice, Mia. You need him.

  She hated having to rely on other people. Hated creating this headache for her cousin. She rubbed at her forehead.

  “I’m fine,” Jardin replied smoothly, shooting Alec a look he missed since his gaze was still on her. What was with that? Why did he keep staring at her? She was no great beauty. She wasn’t even interesting looking. She was plain. Most interesting thing about her was that someone was trying to put a bullet in her head. And she’d really rather not be that interesting.

  “Do I have something on my face?” she muttered, scrubbing at her cheek.

  “What?” Mike turned to look at her with a frown and she flushed. Drat. Hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

  When she risked looking at Alec Malone, his eyes were dancing. He was laughing at her! She turned her gaze away before she said something totally inappropriate.

  You need him. Play nice.

  She let out a deep breath.

  “Still not happy you’re only here part of the time,” Mike said to Jardin. “Thought I was giving her to you to protect.”

  “Like Alec said, he’s better equipped to watch over her.”

  “Yeah? How’s that? Who even is this guy? All I know about him is that he’s your cousin, he owns a ranch, has a lot of brothers and he likes to tie women up and whip them,” Mike snapped.

  “Interesting that you know that.” Alec sent Jardin a look.

  Jardin frowned. “Don’t look at me, I didn’t tell him.”

  “Your brother did when he was going over my car with a bug detector. I asked him if he thought his brother could take care of my cousin. He said you were uptight, cautious and liked to be in charge. He also told me that you hardly ever leave the ranch so you could keep a close eye on her, except when you go to the BDSM club in town.”

  She gaped up at him, she hadn’t heard any of that conversation, but her cousin wouldn’t look down at her. Instead his gaze was on Malone, who had his arms crossed over his chest and an amused look on his face.

  “While I like to use the whip on occasion, it’s more Jardin’s preference than mine. I like a nice paddle. I have quite the collection.”

  “Thanks very much, cousin.” Jardin glared at Malone. But his gaze was back on her. He couldn’t tell, could he? That her body had heated at his words? That her nipples had hardened? That she had to bite back the urge to ask to see that collection.

  What was wrong with her? Sure, she liked to read books about that stuff, but she’d never gone to a club. She was pretty certain she never would. Because she was chicken shit. And with her luck, she’d walk in, trip over something and end up with her hoo-ha on display. Mind you in a place like that there was probably a lot of hoo-ha and cock on display. But knowing her, she’d make an absolute spectacle of herself, probably get herself kicked out and—

  “Mia! Mia, you okay?”

  She blinked, looking up into Mike’s concerned face.

  “What?” she asked.

 
“She’s exhausted,” Alec said sharply. “She needs to rest. You done with your posturing yet?”

  Mike scowled at him then Jardin. “You’re into that dominance bullshit as well?”

  Jardin sighed. “Well, we don’t go around calling it bullshit. But if you’re asking if I’m a Dom, yes, I am.”

  “You go to clubs and tie up girls then whip them?” Mike asked using the same tone of voice that one might ask someone if they had a shrine to Hitler in their basement. Disgust, horror, and anger.

  “Mike, please,” she said quietly

  “I won’t have my cousin exposed to any of that shit.”

  “Mike!”

  “Damn, there goes my plan to lock her in the basement and keep her there, naked, bound, and fucked,” Alec said in a low voice that sent a wave of need washing over her.

  What was wrong with her? She didn’t want that. But she could picture it. All too clearly.

  Mike took a step forward and she stepped in front of him. Suddenly, all three men frowned down at her.

  “Mike, he was joking.”

  “Mia, stop stepping front of me like that.” Mike reached out for her, grabbing hold of her arm with the clear intention of pulling her back.

  “Let her go,” Alec said in a low voice.

  Mike’s jaw clenched. But to her shock, he let her go.

  Alec turned that hard gaze on her. “That’s the last time you step between two men like that. Your job isn’t to protect. Your job isn’t to be a diplomat. He can do that.” Alec nodded over at Jardin. “Your job is to do as you are told, understand?”

  “Jesus. Fucking. Christ,” Mike said.

  “Alec.” Jardin sent his cousin a frown.

  “What? You both disagree? Tough shit. I’m the one being charged with keeping her alive. She needs to obey me.” He turned his gaze on her. “Mia, come here.”

  Her body immediately leaned towards him, but her mind brought her to a stop. She had to be loyal to her cousin. The only person in the world who loved her. Just because this guy had a face that could stop a woman in her stride and a voice that could command an army did not mean that she had to do what he said, right?

  “All right, enough,” Jardin said in the firmest voice she’d heard from him. “You’re scaring her.”

  “I don’t think she’s scared. I think she’s torn. And this is why he needs to go. There can only be one person in charge here. One person she obeys.”

  “And you think that one person is you?” Mike snarled. “Bullshit. Forget it, Mia. I’m not leaving you here with this asshole. Come on.”

  “You can take her if you want,” Alec said to Mike. “But you’re going to get her killed.”

  “I got her away once.”

  “And he found her. He nearly killed her. Murdered someone else he thought was her, isn’t that right?”

  She trembled as she recalled the sight of Angel lying on the ground. Pale and still. Nausea bubbled as an anxiety attack loomed. No, not here. Not in front of these alpha males. She couldn’t.

  “Mia, you all right?” Jardin asked in a soft voice.

  At least someone cared to talk to her instead of speaking about her like she wasn’t even there. Her mind raced, trying to figure out a way to make everyone happy in this scenario. She looked back at Mike then over at Alec.

  “She’s exhausted,” Alec said quietly. “And you’re not making this any easier on her. You need to leave. Don’t contact her. Don’t contact me. You have anything urgent to tell us, call Jardin. But make sure you do it from a secure line.”

  “I’ve been an NYPD detective for fifteen years. I don’t need you to explain this shit to me.”

  “Then let me explain this. You want her kept alive? I’m your best shot at that. But things are done on my terms. I’m putting my life—my brothers’ lives—on the line to keep her safe because we owe a family debt. But that’s all I owe you. I don’t need to give you an explanation about what I do in my private life. I don’t need to listen to your bullshit judgment. I’m not fucking going to force her to submit to me. I have plenty of women eager for me to do perverted shit with them, I don’t need to force anyone. She’s not my type anyway.”

  Ouch. Well that didn’t hurt. But it wasn’t anything she didn’t know already. Plain. Boring. Still, people didn’t usually say that stuff to her face.

  “Jesus, Alec,” Jardin muttered.

  “You do anything she doesn’t want, and I will make the rest of your life very short,” her cousin threatened.

  “Understood,” Alec said calmly. God, he was cold. “Mia, I’m going to be in my office. You have ten minutes to meet me there. I’ll take that as you agreeing to my protection and the rules that come with it. Including cutting ties with your cousin. You’re not there in ten minutes, I expect the two of you to get off my land and never return.”

  She watched with no small amount of shock as he turned and walked away. That was it? Ten minutes. Ten minutes to decide whether to turn her life over into this a stranger’s hands? But then what other choice did she have? And for his faults, of which she was certain there were many, she really did believe he would protect her.

  “Mike, you gotta trust me on this,” Jardin told her cousin. “I owe you. You need some help. You can’t protect her on her own and he really does know what he’s doing.”

  “How?” Mike snapped. “He’s a rancher.”

  “I can’t tell you about Alec’s background. That’s his business. But I wouldn’t leave her with him if I didn’t think he was our best shot at keeping her safe.”

  Mike let out a frustrated noise. “If I could think of any other way . . . ”

  “I know, man. I know he’s not an easy man to get along with. I get why you worry about leaving her here. But the fact that you don’t agree with what we enjoy when it comes to women doesn’t make it wrong. Or mean that any of that will touch Mia.”

  That was almost disappointing. She bit her lip. Crap, she needed to keep thoughts like that on lock down. Last thing she needed was to blurt that out.

  Mike looked over at her and she cleared her throat. “I’ll be all right, Mike. I want to stay here.”

  “Mia, you don’t know—”

  She put her hand up on his chest. “Mike, I know when you look at me you see the kid you’ve looked out for all her life, but I’m an adult now. I can’t go back with you and put you in danger. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you. Please, just let me stay.”

  He looked away with a sigh. Then nodded. “Fine, but I don’t care what the fuck he says, you call me if you need me.”

  “I will.” She wrapped her arms around him. “I love you.”

  “Love you too, sunshine.”

  “All right, good. Mia’s tired. She needs to go see Alec then get some rest and settle in. Mike, you need to get out of here and get back to your job. I know you don’t trust my cousin or like him. Believe me, very few people do. But he knows what he’s doing and when he says he’ll repay the family debt, he will. This really is the best place for her.”

  “It better be.”

  She walked through the house, following Jardin. She was almost too nervous to look around, but curiosity got the best of her. From the outside, the two-storied ranch house was impressive. One of the biggest houses she’d ever seen, it dominated the landscape. It was a gorgeous house with a large porch that ran along the front with French doors leading inside. But it almost looked out of place. The landscape was rugged and bare. There was nothing to soften the place. But then, it seemed to suit Alec Malone to a tee. He wasn’t a soft man. He was as hard as the land around him. And she was completely out of her depth.

  Fuck. What have I done?

  The inside of the house was no less impressive with its high ceilings and gorgeous wooden floors. But the house felt a little unloved. It wasn’t messy exactly, although it wasn’t particularly clean either. It felt a bit bare. Cold. There was no art on the walls. No furniture in the huge foyer or anywhere along the hallw
ay.

  “Here you go, sweetheart.” Jardin stopped in front of a large wooden door. He put her small bag down on the floor. She didn’t have much, just what Mike had quickly grabbed for her from a Walmart when they’d had a brief stop to rest. She was going to need to get some more stuff. How, she had no idea. Online shopping would be easier, if she had a damn credit card. Being on the run sure was hell on the pocket.

  “Just don’t let him bully you. Stick up for yourself, but do it respectfully,” he advised, before turning away.

  “Wait. You’re not coming in there with me?”

  Jardin turned, shaking his head. “This next part is between the two of you. I can’t help you with that other than to tell you that his bark is worse than his bite.” He turned away, probably not expecting her to hear the next part. “Mostly, anyway.”

  Great. Awesome. He was leaving her to enter the monster’s den all of her own. What kind of a gentleman did that? And what kind of wimp did that make her that she needed someone to protect her? She could do this. She took one calming breath then another. But still her hand trembled as she reached out to knock.

  Nothing.

  Okay. Maybe he wasn’t there. Maybe she should just . . . what? Wander around a strange house? Stand out there until he came?

  She reached out and knocked louder.

  “Yeah.”

  Right, she guessed that was all the greeting she was going to get.

  She stepped inside and couldn’t decide whether to shut the door or leave it open. In the end, she left it open a few inches. That way, someone might, possibly, hear her screams for help.

  Melodramatic much?

  But that feeling of walking to her doom increased as she stepped further into the room.

  “You’re three minutes late,” was all he said, not even bothering to look up at her.

  She resisted the urge to fidget like a naughty schoolgirl brought in front of the principal. What was the worst he could do? Kick her out? Order her to bend over his desk, pull down her panties, and smack her bottom with one of those paddles?

  Okay, get your act together, Mia. You are losing your mind.