Fire & Vice: Prisoner of Fortune

Shania was suddenly acutely aware of her situation, like a baby lamb bleating angrily at a full grown lion. She was brave. Or trying very hard to act like it. He raised a brow at the furious, frightened beauty challenging him. "I didn't force Aiden to come to my club, and I didn't force him to throw down that money. I also didn't force him to gamble away an IOU." "No conscionable business owner would accept an IOU!" she snapped. He took a step toward her, thick brows lowering over dark eyes. "Watch your tongue, woman. Just because you trespass on my good graces this evening doesn't mean I'll let insults pass those beautiful lips unpunished." Shania quickly stepped away from him, trying to keep some distance between them, and bumped the top of her thighs sharply against his desk. She tried to look brave, but was failing miserably on the inside. She wanted nothing more than to escape his presence, run to her little car, drive home, pack up all of her belongings and move away from

Looking down at Aiden Galveston's battered face, Khalid was glad he had sent Ash to pick up some of Shania's belongings and come here himself. He hadn't been able to get her image out of his head. He needed to understand her better and she only socialized with one person. The burning need to smash in the face of the man that had put hands on, and made love to, Shania was nearly overwhelming. Khalid knew it was unreasonable to expect the woman, who was around thirty, to be a virgin. But he was disgusted by the fucker that she'd had sex with. Aiden was a waste of humanity, while the man's wife was a fucking saint in comparison. "Wake up," he snarled. Aiden opened his eyes and struggled to get out of the hospital bed when he realized who stood over him. "Calm down," Khalid snapped. "I'm not here to kill you." Aiden stopped struggling and lay back, colour draining from his face as he stared up at the man he was sure was here to end him. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice cho

It took a week before Shania finally found the opportunity to leave the casino on her own. She had spent the week in a gilded cage, enjoying every pleasure Khalid could offer but freedom. While he lavished his wealth on her, she had spent her time watching and waiting, her sharp mind hungrily taking in every detail. Khalid spent much of his days in his office, running his various business interests. In the evenings and late into the night he would keep her up talking. At first she had resisted, but the ever present threat of more intimacy kept her agreeable to his terms. She had learned that Khalid owned a lucrative construction company as well as the casino. She suspected he was involved in less legitimate businesses as well, but they never discussed it. Mostly, Khalid wanted to know about her. She was loathe to talk about herself and would offer only pointed answers to his questions, but gradually he had coaxed more out of her than she had intended to give. She had told him about

Shania knew that her time was up the moment she saw the bus driver take a call on his cell phone and then swiftly glance back at his passengers. She pulled the ball cap that she'd hidden in her purse down lower over her forehead and slouched further into the seat. She leaned her head against the window and watched the city lights grow closer. So close she could almost touch them. She wondered what would happen. There were a few other people on the bus. A group of drunk, laughing women bouncing around on the seats behind her and a guy who looked like he was asleep. What if she just started screaming for help? Shania wasn't certain, but she was pretty sure Khalid's reach was endless within this city, perhaps even further. It didn't matter where she went, he would track her down. Shania glanced sideways out the window in time to see a black blur of vehicle overtake the bus with a roar. She gasped and sat up straight, watching apprehensively as it cut in front of the bus and stopped. A

Khalid shoved her toward the bed where she collapsed in a shivering heap. Fear and hate warred within her. She wanted to lash out at him for daring to hurt her, but she feared he could (and would) do much worse if she hit him again. She dropped her gaze and shrank back, turning away from his hulking form at the end of the bed. Clearly not liking her submissive retreat, he turned and punched a hole in the wall. "Fuck, Shania!" he snarled, rounding on her. "You have me all fucked up! I can't even beat you properly." He paced angrily, like a wrathful tiger along the side of the bed. "Khalid," she said, rolling on the mattress to face him, pleading, hoping any regard he had previously had for her might surface, "don't do this. Please, I can't take it, you have to let me go." Khalid punched another hole in the wall, ignoring the crumbling drywall drifting around him. "I have to finish it, Shania. I can't let you fuck with my head like this." He pointed a finger at her. "You won't wi