Their Virgin Captive(8)

“Look, you do your thing, but be back at the office by one. We’re going to take Hannah to Alaska with us.”

Dex stopped. “We are? Hannah wants to go to Alaska?”

“Not exactly,” Slade admitted. “We’re going to talk her into it. We’ll say it’s a business trip.

But we can keep her safe there until the police figure this shit out and nail this guy. I really do have to go up there. I’m the head engineer. I’ll convince her that she needs to take notes or something.”

Dex knew he should stay here. He should be the one running the investigation. Damn, it meant Slade would probably sleep with Hannah. There was no way his brother would have such close access to Hannah and not claim her now that they’d decided she was theirs. But he trusted Slade. “Take care of our girl. You explain that I love her, too, but I need to find the bastard who’s stalking her.”

Hannah’s safety was more important than his dick, though his dick was protesting mightily.

Dex walked up the stairs to Hannah’s apartment. They wobbled under him. Ratty old place. It reminded him of his last foster home. The house had been falling down around them, but his foster father spent every dime on beer, cigarettes, and the lotto.

He was going to get Hannah out of here. She didn’t know it yet, but she wasn’t coming back to this dive. She would come home with him and Slade. Dex refused to accept any other outcome.

“You’re coming to Alaska with us,” Slade said. “Gavin is putting the Lenox brothers on the case.”

“He took me off? Without even consulting me?” Dex stopped right in front of Hannah’s door, his heart sinking to his gut. He’d been hoping Gavin would apologize. Dex wouldn’t accept at first, of course, but eventually he would and agree to stay on as Black Oak’s Head of Security.

The fact that Gavin had actually removed him was a blow he hadn’t been expecting—and it was more painful than he’d imagined. It might have been better for all concerned if Gavin and Slade hadn’t come looking for him in that foster home.

Dex thought about that day often. He’d been just about to age out of the foster system. He’d had no place to go one day, then the next, he was moving into this huge mansion with the brothers he’d never imagined he had. Starting over again was going to be hard, but he wasn’t going to hang around to be Gavin’s whipping boy.

There was a long huff from Slade’s end of the phone. “Dude, you’re just like him, you know?

Why does your brain always go to the worst possible place? Gavin wants you to come with us.

He set this whole thing up to include you. Come on, this is our shot with Hannah. We’re going to talk to her about the pictures when we get to Alaska. We need to break this to her gently, then assure her that she’s safe.”

Dex pondered that. At least if he was close to her, he could protect her. Maybe he and Gavin could work things out, too. Burke and Cole Lenox would definitely track down this scumbag threatening Hannah. “All right. I’ll go. And I’ll pack Hannah some clothes so she doesn’t have to come back here.”

“How are you planning on doing that? Do you have a key to her place?” Slade sounded miffed.

Dex tried the front door. It was locked, but just barely. He gave it a shove, and the door gave way. “I don’t think a gnat needs a key to get into Hannah’s. No freaking security at all. I’m in.”

“I’ll let Burke know he should watch her place and see if we can catch this guy. Do what you need and get your ass back here by one.” There was a short pause. “This is all going to work out.

I promise.”

And that was Slade, always the optimist. Dex wasn’t feeling so rosy. What if Hannah didn’t want him? He’d live with that. But damn it, she was going to get his protection. “I’ll see you then.”

He hung up and looked around her apartment. Hannah had never invited him in, and he was wretchedly curious. The place was neat and feminine with yellow curtains hanging in the small kitchen. There was a single coffee mug drying on a mat by the sink and a dish for her cat’s food and water on the floor.

With zero remorse, he went through the mail she’d stacked neatly on the counter, then pressed the button that started her answering machine.



Ms. Craig, this is Brenna from the South Side Animal Shelter. I’m sorry, but your cat isn’t here. I’ll call if I find out anything.

Her cat was missing? Hannah loved that damn feline.

Hannah, it’s Preston. Look, we need to talk. Why would you call HR in? It was one kiss. You were coming on to me, and we both know it. Let’s work this out, just the two of us. What do you say, baby? Maybe over dinner?