The Debt Collector: An Underground Bad Boys Romance Read online

  It was like a punch in the heart, although she shouldn’t be surprised. He had given her a false ID from the start. What hurt her the most was that her internal alarm hadn’t rung when she was with him, but instead, her hormones had blinded her.

  The way he looked at her was calculating and cold before he pushed himself up again. Immediately, two men grabbed her arms and pulled her upright.

  “I’m interested, Luther. How much?”

  “I told you, Locke, she’s not for sale. She’s not even broken in yet. I can’t do that to you. I just got her. What kind of man would I be to sell you a girl that hasn’t been tested and groomed by me?”

  The man called Locke turned his gaze to her again. “I like a challenge, and you’ve given it to me. Can’t ask for more than that. So how much, Luther?”

  His hand rubbing his chin, it was obvious Luther was making a show of it, but it was his eyes that gave him away, there was apprehension there, which make her wonder what power Locke yielded over the men. A part of her had been tempted to trust him at first sight. What was wrong with her? Just because he’d let her stitch his wounds didn’t make him trustworthy!

  But if she had the choice, Tessa knew which devil she would choose.

  “You’ve taken me by surprise, Locke. I need to think about it.”

  Locke slightly bowed his head. “As you know, I don’t play games. I don’t have time for that. If you find my proposal unsatisfactory, I shall withdraw it. Good day, Luther.”

  Tessa felt her knees tremble and weaken. All that kept her upright were the two men holding her. All was lost. And even that strange thought made her wonder if fear hadn’t turned her completely mad. Danger filled the room and her options were being burned to ashes.

  “Would you agree to pay her debt, Locke? After all, that’s what you do, isn’t it? I’m sure that we can come to some kind of arrangement…”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The only thought that crossed Locke’s mind as he led her to the car was getting away from that place as soon as possible. Explanations would have to wait, as would unlocking her handcuffs, which upon reflection was not a bad thing. The good doctor may have kept her eyes downcast or avoided glancing in his direction while he was looking, but he knew without a doubt that she was searching for an opportunity to escape. And he couldn’t allow her to do that. Not only would her life be on the line, but everything he had worked for, fought for, would be destroyed.

  Luther’s men stayed close as they escorted them to his vehicle. He knew those fuckers too well. They would try once more to track him down, but he wasn’t about to give them that pleasure.

  His black Audi R8 was parked just outside the door, ready to go. He unlocked the door and helped Doctor Freeman in, mindful of her head and balance. When he fastened her seatbelt, he felt her gaze on him, and noticed she stopped breathing for a moment. Ignoring the staring goons, Locke closed her door before going to the driver’s side, slid behind the wheel and roared away.

  He was glad silence remained in the vehicle because as soon as he turned out of the street and away from the industrial area of the city, he immediately spotted the expected tail.

  Locke crushed the gas pedal and the doctor tensed, reminding him that he would need to offer an explanation of some sort. “We’re being followed. Your friends want to know where we’re going, and I have no intention of allowing anyone else to join us.”

  “They are not my friends.”

  He was glad that although low, her voice was strong with a hint of anger. Good. That was something he could work with.

  Another turn, and it was obvious those fuckers wouldn’t let go that easily. And that made him smile. “Hang on, I’ll try to lose them.”

  She turned her head toward him. “How do I hang on with my hands behind my back?”

  Tessa’s sarcastic comment showed the doctor who’d teased him at the hospital was starting to appear.

  Not answering her, he took two hard left turns, cutting through the traffic among a chorus of horns. The sleek R8 responded like a charm. He had put some distance between them, but not enough to lose them yet.

  Locke was done playing, he made a tight turn and accelerated. He didn’t want to be noticed by the cops. Not with a tail, and a woman handcuffed in his passenger seat.

  Weaving through the commercial streets, he was approaching an area he knew particularly well and realized his idea would work like a charm.

  After two sharp turns, he accessed a smaller alley before putting the car into reverse. Accelerating backward, Locke flung his arm to prevent the doctor’s face from hitting the side window. Shutting down the engine and lights, they waited. Locke senses were on high alert. His ears listening for any sound, waiting, and he could feel the doctor’s body, tense and shivering as he kept his arm across her torso.

  He fought to keep his eyes forward, although he would have preferred to look at the woman beside him. She had distracted him from the very moment she had pushed aside the blue curtain at the hospital. It had been like a kick in the guts to see her on the dirty concrete floor, beaten but still fighting. His reaction had been pure instinct, and buying her hadn’t been cheap, nor a perfect solution.

  All he wanted now was to take her to his place and explain the situation. Even though she probably wouldn’t like it.

  Locke was about to check if the coast was clear when two dark sedans sped past them. Releasing the doctor, he waited a second and started the engine before carefully moving forward, making sure it wasn’t a trap before roaring in the other direction. It was for the better, otherwise they may have had to remain hidden in that alley for a long time.

  After a few detours, and certain nobody was behind them, Locke went straight to his apartment.

  The building he owned appeared as he drove deeper into the city. It appeared as an innocuous five-story structure, gray with clean lines, like many of the surrounding structures from the industrial era that were slowly being transformed and revitalized. He had kept the outside understated. The real money had been put inside.

  Pushing a button on the console, a large door slid up and he drove in, barely slowing down. The entire first floor had been converted into a spacious garage he was proud of.

  From the corner of his eye, he saw the doctor taking in this new bit of information, and the several cars already parked there. Not all of them were his, but she didn’t need to know that. He parked near the elevator, and left an empty slot on the passenger side, knowing he would need to fully open the door to help the doctor out.

  Now sitting in complete silence, Locke didn’t wait for her to ask questions and got out of the car. Opening her door, he crouched and helped her pull her legs out. Only then did he put his arm around her waist, watching her head as she finally stood.

  He was reluctant to remove his arm from around her. His body responded to the way she felt under his hand, the same way as at the hospital. Reacting without thinking first wasn’t like him at all. And this attraction wasn’t meant to be. A woman like her would never understand him, or his needs and wants. And happy ever after was not a concept he really understood.

  “The building is secured and soundproof. There is no way for you to escape or leave without my authorization.”

  The doctor lifted her chin in defiance, her hazel eyes bright, almost fiery. In the bright light, Locke could see bruises slowly forming on her skin underneath the fascinating sprinkle of freckles on her cheeks. “You’re telling me that because I’m your prisoner?”

  “No, so you understand the situation. It may not appear so, but this place is like a fortress. Nobody can come in without me knowing. You’re safe.”

  Confusion passed in her delicate features. “So, I can leave? Now?”

  Locke felt bad dampening what seemed to be her only wish. “You will be free. Just not now. I’ll explain everything soon.”

  He turned her and produced the key Luther had given him, setting her free. When he saw the bruised and bleeding skin there, he wanted to
massage it, touch it, but she snatched her hands away. She examined them, and it was easy to see her body tensing, her first instinct to run as far as possible from him. Not giving her time to make the decision to run, he grabbed her arm and steered her toward the elevator. The door opened the second he pressed the button and Locke gently moved her forward. Once the door closed, he entered a security code on the high-tech panel and released her. His fingers tingled, and he rubbed them against the fabric of his jeans as he looked in front of him, the elevator swiftly moving up.

  The doors opened directly into his apartment, and he stepped out. His guest remained in the elevator, which wouldn’t do her any good as only another code would allow the elevator to go down again.

  Locke removed his coat and put it on a hanger in the closet. He didn’t offer to take hers as in its current state, it would need a major clean or a one-way trip into the trash.

  His apartment was mostly open plan, with the living room leading to the dining room and kitchen. To the left the hallway led to the bedrooms, office, and gym. He had designed the entire place to his liking, the wide one-sided windows free of curtains providing plenty of light. The interior was mostly clean lines and rough material in black, charcoal, and white. He never tired of the sight, and it perfectly reflected him and his personality.

  Bypassing the black velvet modular sofa, he went into the kitchen. “Would you like something to drink, Doctor, before you have a shower? Maybe something to eat?” Locke opened the fridge and scanned the contents. He had no clue what she liked but could whip something up.

  Doctor Freeman didn’t answer, and when he checked, she had finally left the elevator and was making her way into his living room.

  The sight made him pause. Not that he didn’t have women from time to time here, but those women came for very clear reasons, and a very short span of time.

  It was unsettling how she turned around, examining everything, arms crossed and hair in a tangle.

  “What I want is an explanation. Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

  Locke closed the fridge door and crossed his arms, debating where to start. And how much he could reveal. There was a matter of trust, as he wasn’t the only one involved in the secret.

  “The beginning starts with you, Doctor. Any idea why you were taken?” Right there he saw the hesitation on her face. Not surprising, so he continued. “It had to be caused by the sudden disappearance of a certain girl named Allison. Is that correct?”

  Still no answer from her, but there was a certain acknowledgment in her body’s reaction.

  “Nothing to say? Well, I will continue then, doctor. I had been invited by Luther to meet lovely Allison. Luther’s words, not mine. And in her place, I see the very doctor who most probably treated her when she escaped from the man’s clutches. That’s the rumor anyway. You may keep silent, but I can connect the dots. And when Allison completely vanished just after, it’s no surprise Luther’s men came after you.”

  “So, you say. And let me tell you, you have an amazing imagination.”

  “You never treated a girl named Allison before?”

  “I see so many patients, how am I supposed to remember them all? And once I’ve treated them, I have no clue where they go. I don’t keep track of them.”

  Locke nodded, amused, but not showing it. “I think you’re not giving yourself enough credit. You wouldn’t have become a doctor, with all that study, without having a fantastic memory. Especially since Allison appeared at your ER the same night I was there.”

  “As I said, I didn’t say I never met her. But I have no idea where she went.”

  Locke nodded. “Good.”

  The look of disbelief on her face almost made him smile. It was as if she couldn’t compute the word and he wasn’t making sense.

  The more he looked at her, the more he saw deep signs of fatigue etched on her face, with the clear outline of bruises deepening as time went by.

  Uncrossing his arms, he pushed himself off the counter and took a step in her direction. Immediately, the doctor stepped back, stumbling into a defensive stance.

  “I mean no harm to you, Doctor.”

  “How can I trust you?”

  And there it was. He couldn’t avoid it any longer if he wanted the good doctor to trust him. “Because I didn’t come to rescue you, but to rescue Allison.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Tessa checked the door once more, making sure it was locked. Her eyes went to the handgun the stranger, Locke, had given her. It was a weird way of reassuring her, which hadn’t totally worked even if she understood the symbolism. She only knew his name, Locke, and she now stood in his bathroom, naked, about to step into the shower. What was happening to her? She felt like she couldn’t make sensible decisions anymore. Everything seemed so surreal, it was difficult to process everything. The adrenaline in her system made her woozy, that and what they’d drugged her with on top of her lack of sleep. Mostly lack of sleep, she supposed. And a shower sounded so good and would help clear her mind. Maybe it would even help to remove the feeling of strange hands on her body, along with the aches and pains of her injuries.

  It was weird that not so long ago, she’d fantasized about Locke, and now, he seemed to be only one step better than Luther. There was no way he could be trusted. However, she was here and vulnerable, a not quite willing prisoner. Locke had promised a full explanation if she had a shower, ate a meal, and slept. She had agreed to a shower and maybe food, but definitely not a nap. Not here at least. She would nap in her own bed, thank you very much.

  Stepping under the warm spray, Tessa moaned at the hot water stinging her skin. The multiple jets surrounding her body overwhelmed it with a delicious pleasure-pain caress. The sudden sensation had the effect of boosting her energy levels. She knew it was only temporary, but at least, it would give her the clarity to get the answers she needed and get out of here.

  Toiletries were neatly placed inside a small recess on her right. Again, the color scheme continued, the tiles a gleaming black. It wasn’t gloomy or depressing, instead, it showed power and control. Control. A word that fitted the man, as she saw more of his personal space.

  The only way she would get clean was with a good scrub, so Tessa examined the bottles and took the shampoo. The smell was very masculine. Immediately, her mind wandered to when she’d seen him at the hospital, then when he’d fastened her seatbelt earlier in his car. It smelled like him.

  As she mindlessly washed her hair and body, her touch softened, becoming less clinical, more sensual.

  Her logical mind tried to tell her she was stupid, but it was impossible to stop. It was an overflow of lust she had tried to push back mostly because work had taken priority, but right now, there was no other priority. It was as if she was down to the very basic of human needs. Tessa suspected it was the jumble of all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours that made her act this way. It was either fight it or rid it from her system. Again, logic determined her decision. As the final bubbles and suds slid down her body, her hands followed suit, cupping her breasts. She kept her hands light, her fingernails lightly scratching over the sensitized skin, slowly closing in on her areolas. Her thighs tightened, a throb increasing between her legs. There wasn’t a lot of time before Locke knocked on the door, so she followed the water down her belly and slid a finger between her folds.

  Muscles pulled in the shoulder that she’d fallen on earlier, making her groan in frustration as it limited her movements. Stopping now would do nothing to help her regain a clear mind. Desperation started to make its way into her mind when she noticed the hand-held showerhead.

  Grabbing it, she set it to the massage spray. Playing with the intensity over her thighs, Tessa adjusted it, and was unable to bite back a moan of pleasure when the hot spray hit her inflamed clit.

  Her world zeroed to between her legs as she moved the spray closer and closer. It wasn’t enough. Water couldn’t compete with her hands, and they were no match to the rough, dema
nding touch of a man. A contact she hadn’t had in so long.

  Pleasure was rising fast, but still, she needed more. Fumbling, she switched the setting to its maximum pulse, and slightly increased the water temperature. The sudden sting and burn made her jump before she finally settled into the hard caress. Her knees started to shake, and she let her body lean on the cold glass wall, allowing her to widen her stance even more, increasing the intensity.

  The orgasm she craved was but mere seconds away and as she crushed the shower head even harder against her mons, her breath shallow, ears buzzing with anticipation, she saw movement from the corner of her eye. A body clad in black. Sea-green eyes looked inside the shower just as pleasure crashed over her, making her scream.

  Tessa tipped, her body doubling over. She should have looked away, be ashamed of being caught like this, but she didn’t. Legs like noodles, she let the shower wand drop by her side, her body sliding down the glass wall until she sat on the shower floor. Steam billowed around them; him clad in black jeans and sweater, her dripping wet, skin flushed and naked in front of him.

  His face was impassible still, he looked like a marble statue, only the glimmer in his eyes telling her that she had a man made of flesh and blood standing above her.

  Her trembling body, in the aftershock of orgasm, silently begged him to shed his clothes. However, her brain was gearing up until he finally spoke.

  “I made us something to eat.”

  And he was gone.

  Tessa’s sanity was back to normal when she finally got the courage to leave the bathroom. Her old clothes were nowhere to be seen, along with the gun, and she didn’t like it. In their place was a silk pajama top, black of course, and way too big for her despite her curves. At least it covered her to mid-thigh. It was difficult dealing with the rising panic, until she realized that she still could escape in a pajama top if need be.