Fighting Dirty: A Stepbrother Romance (When The Gloves Come Off Book 2) Read online

  I want out of this place, but I’m afraid of Tony’s wrath. The Russian opens the door to find the Madame standing on the other side. She nearly falls inside the room when the door opens. It was clear she was eavesdropping. The Russian looks down his nose at her.

  “Can I help you with something?” he asks.

  “Is there a problem?” she responds.

  “No. The girl is perfect.”

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  She sounded like a headmistress chastising a student. The Russian stiffens. He’s not the kind of guy you talk down to-not unless you want a fight.

  “I had something else in mind for the girl-something not found in this room. Do you understand?”

  “I think so. There’s a room available at the end of the hall to your right. I’ll show you.”

  I had no idea what the Russian was referring to, but the Madame seemed to understand him. What could he possibly want that wasn’t in this room? My mind flashed back to the sight of the man being led around by a dog leash. What if the Russian had something kinky in mind for me? Was I ready for that? Obviously not, but he doesn’t care.

  We followed the Madame down a long corridor lit with blue light. A naked girl ran past us giggling. She was followed by a man in his boxers chasing her with a whip. Is that what the Russian had in mind for me? Whips?

  The Madame stood aside. “If you need-” she started, but the Russian wasn’t interested in what she had to say. He pushes past her, dragging me behind him, then slams the door in her face.

  The room looks worse than I feared. There are chains hanging from the ceiling, whips, and handcuffs; dildos in a selection of sizes and shapes, and a wall full of metallic objects covered in spikes.

  I twist away from the Russian, somehow managing to break free from his iron grip.

  “I’ve never been with a man before,” I admit. “I’m not ready for this.”

  I give a frightened look to the wall of torture devices, hoping he’ll take pity on me.

  “Never?”

  I shouldn’t have mentioned I was a virgin. I wanted sympathy, but I doubt the Russian would give it. If anything, he was more interested in fucking me than he was before.

  “Please… I’m not ready for this. Tony kidnapped me. He’s forcing me to-”

  The Russian held up his hands. “Yes, I understand. It is as I said; I’m not here to take your virginity-unfortunately for you.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  There was a soft knock at the door.

  “Ah! Our guests have arrived.”

  The door opened. A man wearing a large coat, hat and thick glasses entered. A woman with bright red hair was hanging off his arm. She wore a large leather jacket and a tight black dress beneath.

  “Are we late for the party?” she asks.

  She kicks the door shut behind her. The man takes off his hat and glasses.

  “Liam!”

  I run to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. For a second, I forget that I’m in this mess because of him. He hugs me tight.

  “I’m here to rescue you.”

  I take a step back, curl my hand into a fist and hit him as hard as I can.

  Liam

  “Christ, Riley!”

  She manages to hit me square in my already busted eye. The side of my face lights up with pain. She’s got one hell of a right hook, I’ll give her that.

  “This is all your fault,” she says.

  Ivan and his girl are watching us closely. They don’t bother to try and hide the smiles on their faces. Watching me argue with Riley is high entertainment for them. I’d rather have this fight in private, but Riley wants it now.

  I’m tempted to let her scream at me. I deserve it. But time is of the essence. We need to get out of here quickly.

  “Hit me again.”

  “What?” she says, with a look of bewilderment on her face.

  “Hit me again. Get it out of your system. You need to focus so we can get out of here.”

  She scoffs. Now that I’ve given her permission to hit me, she’s lost all interest.

  “Not to interrupt,” Ivan says, “but we really should be going.”

  His girl, Nina, starts to undress. Riley looks bewildered. It hasn’t escaped my notice that Riley is practically naked. She’s wearing a see-through black bra and underwear with thigh-high stockings. I try to avoid looking at her, but it’s too late. I’m already rock hard. Then I remember where she is and why. Tony wants to whore her out to the highest bidder. For that, he’s going to have to pay.

  “I don’t understand what…” Riley starts.

  Nina takes off her wig and tosses it at Riley. She wasn’t expecting it, so it hits her in the face. She inhales sharply. She’s pissed and I don’t blame her, but we have to move quickly. The Madame will be in at any second to ‘check in’ on us. It’s clear she’s been given instructions to keep an eye on Riley. It’s her first night on the job and she’s a flight risk.

  “Nina’s going to take your place. Swap clothes with her.”

  “I’d hardly call this ‘clothes,’” she says holding up Nina’s tiny black dress.

  “We don’t have time to argue about this.”

  “I don’t think it will fit me. She’s a lot smaller than me.”

  Nina didn’t look smaller to me. If anything, she was a bit bustier. She had huge fake tits. How she was able to squeeze them into that tight, black dress was a mystery to me.

  “Just try it on.”

  Riley turns her back to me. Her underwear are not only see-through, they’re also a g-string. Heat shoots through my cock. I look away quickly. Nina is completely naked and waiting for Riley’s underwear. I see them fly through the air as she tosses them to Nina. It takes every fiber of my being not to turn around and look at Riley. I’m doing my best to respect her privacy as she changes clothes, but it’s not easy.

  “Okay,” she says timidly.

  I turn around. The dress clings to her tits and ass so tightly it looks like she’s been dipped in black ink.

  “It’s too tight,” she complains.

  “It’s perfect.”

  Riley gives me a disapproving look, then quickly puts the leather jacket on.

  “Don’t forget your hair,” Nina says.

  Riley puts on the red wig and straightens it.

  “What do you think?” she asks.

  She looks totally transformed. Riley’s a beautiful girl, but she’s not doing herself in favors by keeping her hair conservative and mousy. Somehow, the red wig makes her eyes pop and her red lips look fuller. Her cheekbones look high and strangely exotic.

  “Well?” she says impatiently.

  Words fail me. How can I tell her how beautiful she looks without sounding like an idiot?

  “Perfect,” Ivan says.

  He grabs Nina’s hand and walks her to the wall on the far side of the room. He takes out a ball gag, a mask and handcuffs from a drawer. He kisses Nina’s cheek. She smiles mischievously as he gags and blindfolds her.

  “I take it this isn’t your first time?” Riley says.

  Nina winks as Ivan handcuffs her. I put my disguise back on. The glasses and hat look strange on me, but they at least hide my busted face.

  “You ready?” I say to Riley.

  It’s at that moment the door busts open.

  Riley

  The Madame enters the room along with a bodyguard. I’m sure she’ll recognize me so I freeze in place, keeping my back to her.

  “What is this?” the Russian demands. “First these two idiots barge in demanding an audience, and now you are here to nag me?”

  “Is there a problem here?” the bodyguard asks.

  “Problem?” Liam says in a strange nasally voice. “The only problem I see is that I was told this room was empty. How am I supposed to get some alone time with my girl when all the rooms are full?”

  Liam grabs me around the waist and pulls me to him. I stiffen as our bodies are pressed togeth
er. I’m face-to-face with the Madame now. She only glances at me. I hold my breath, waiting for her to recognize me, but she doesn’t.

  “What kind of operation are you running?” Liam continues.

  He’s talking fast; his disguised voice sounds annoying and entitled. I’m sure this is by design. The Madame will want to get rid of him quickly.

  “This is a whorehouse, right?” he asks sarcastically. “I’m just checking because there doesn’t seem to be much fucking going on. God knows, I’ve been trying, but this Russian fuck-”

  The Russian starts to yell at him. Liam returns his insults in a volley of loud nonsense. They shout over each other so loudly that you can’t make out what either is saying.

  “Okay!” the Madame yells.

  Amazingly, her voice is louder than both the Russian and Liam. She has a way of taking command of the room that reminds me of a school teacher who’s used to having to wrangle loud, hyper children.

  “I will find a room for you and your companion,” she says to Liam, sounding calm and professional.

  “It’s about time,” Liam replies, though I can tell this is not what he wants. We need an exit, not a room.

  The Madame gives Nina a hard look. The mask and ball gag cover most of her face. The negligée hangs a bit loose on her, but the Madame doesn’t seem to realize she’s an imposter. Hopefully, she won’t realize for a while.

  We follow behind the Madame as she leads us out of the room. We pass through the front of the club. The place is packed. Girls sit on men’s laps and whisper in their ears. There’s a naked woman sitting on a table with her legs twisted behind her neck. Several men sit around watching as she contorts her body into different shapes. They look almost bored with the display. I can’t imagine how much sex you have to have to become bored with it.

  Liam keeps an arm wrapped tightly around me as he guides me through the crowd. The bodyguard follows behind us. We’ve raised their suspicions. Great. It’ll be a miracle if we get out of here alive.

  The Madame leads us to a private room and pulls out a set of keys. She unlocks the door and steps aside like a gracious hostess.

  “Finally,” Liam says with a roll of his eyes.

  I walk in ahead of him and sit down on the bed, crossing my legs. I’m trying to stay in character like Liam, but it’s not easy. This place is terrifying and fascinating. The half-naked girls, the music, the men, the lack of inhibitions on display… I feel like I have sensory overload. A part of me wonders what it would be like to explore the club as a client, but I don’t have that luxury. I’m a captive.

  “That’ll be all,” Liam says, dismissing the Madame.

  If she’s bothered by how rude he is, she doesn’t show it. She nods and exits the room, but before she leaves she gives me a second look. My heart skips a beat. Does she recognize me? No. She leaves, shutting the door behind her.

  Liam sighs and sits down on the bed beside me.

  “What now?” I ask.

  “Now we wait.”

  “For how long?”

  “I have a feeling that guard is going to be hanging around outside our door for a while. I think they bought it though,” he says, taking off his hat and glasses.

  “You’re really good at being obnoxious. She totally bought it.”

  “Thanks.”

  We both laugh. An awkward silence descends on us. I can feel Liam staring at the side of my face. I can’t meet his eyes. I look away, taking in the room. It’s much plainer than the previous room. Thank God. I don’t think I could handle being locked inside another torture chamber.

  This room’s walls were free of whips and handcuffs. Instead it was covered in ugly red wallpaper with a swirling print. We sat on a nice, wooden canopy bed. I was starting to think how much I would love to have a bed like this myself, then I saw the handcuffs. They were hanging from the back bed post, forgotten by the previous clients.

  “What’s wrong?” Liam asks.

  I must have made a sour face.

  “How many people do you think have slept in this bed?”

  Liam laughs.

  “I’m serious.”

  “I know, that’s why I laughed.”

  “I fail to find this funny.”

  “I know, I’m sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t pissed off Tony they wouldn’t have tried to hurt you.”

  “What did you do to piss him off?”

  “I told him I was done fighting. I wanted out. He took you as hostage to force me to continue fighting. Then the son of a bitch rigged the fight just to humiliate me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I was supposed to take a dive and let the Russian win. I lost my temper and got you into even more trouble.”

  “Somehow, I doubt Tony would have let me go either way. You could have done exactly as he ordered and I would have still ended up here.”

  “You’re probably right. Still, I lost my temper and put you in more danger. Did Tony…?”

  “What?”

  I finally meet his eyes. Up close they’re glassy and crystal blue. There’s a combination of sadness and anger boiling inside them.

  “Did he touch you?”

  “No. He made me parade around in lingerie, but he didn’t touch me. The Russian was my first client.” I shake my head. “It’s a good thing you showed up when you did. How did the Russian end up with me? Did he request me? It must have looked suspicious?”

  “He just demanded a new girl. He’s slept with most of the women here.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me.”

  “He told them he wanted a fresh, young girl; someone innocent and untouched.”

  “Gross.”

  “In this place, it’s probably one of the least offensive requests they get.”

  I wondered how it could get much worse, then realized I didn’t want to know.

  The side of Liam’s face was red and swollen. My hand ached. I’d hit him pretty hard. I rubbed my knuckles.

  “Did it hurt?” he asks.

  “What?”

  “Punching me.”

  “Oh, not really.”

  “I bet it felt good. Let me see your hand.”

  He took it and extended my fingers, then rubbed it.

  “Does that hurt?” he asks.

  “No.”

  In truth, it was painful, but I didn’t want to look weak.

  “You’re stronger than you look.”

  “I’m not going to apologize for hitting you.”

  “I wasn’t asking you to. I deserved it.”

  His fingers pass over the lines on my palm. Heat stirs inside me. I pull my hand away, but I’m not sure why. His touch is comforting. Thoughts of Nina and the Russian flashed through my mind. Were they enjoying their time inside the torture chamber? What was it like to be so attracted to a man that you wanted him to tie you to the bed and fuck you?

  Our eyes meet; I quickly look away. Liam doesn’t say anything. Can he read my thoughts? Most guys don’t pay any attention to me. I’ve always been the kind of girl who’s ignored. School bullies couldn’t even be bothered to pick on me. I guess I was too boring for them. There was no sport in it.

  The dangling pair of handcuffs caught my eye. Could I become the kind of girl who liked to be tied up? More importantly, would I ever meet the kind of man I wanted to tie me up? My eyes fell on Liam. What if I’d already met him? Was the answer to my questions sitting beside me?

  “Liam, do you regret what happened?”

  I can’t bring myself to say it-the pink elephant in the room between us. Do you regret making out with me? Touching me? Pressing your body against mine? It shouldn’t matter given the trouble we were in, but I couldn’t help thinking about it. We were surrounded by sex. How could I not think about it?

  “I regret getting you into this mess. If I hadn’t come into your life, none of this would have happened. But if you’re asking me if I regret what happened at my apartment… No, I don’t.”

  He takes my hand aga
in. This time I don’t pull away.

  “Do you regret it?” he asks.

  Before I can answer, he takes my chin in hand and lifts my face towards his. He kisses me, soft and warm, but there’s more. I can sense his restraint. Hunger burns beneath the surface. It never occurred to me that I could inspire that kind of desire in a man. It fills me with something I’ve never felt before.

  Liam’s my stepbrother. It’s wrong to feel this way, but a kiss couldn’t hurt, could it? I kiss him back. I try to tell myself this won’t go any further. We’ve both been through a lot; it’s only normal to want the comfort of another person. Right?

  Liam’s hand rests on my thigh. I squirm and pull away from him. A loud, drumming bass rattles the room. The music in the club was picking up. Absently, I wondered what was going on out there. The sound vibrated through my chest and echoed through my bones.

  “Riley…”

  Liam’s voice was rough, as if he spoke from somewhere deep inside him. His hand still rested on my thigh.

  “We can’t…” I reply.

  Liam slides his hand up my leg and beneath my tight dress. I inhale sharply, but don’t stop him. A wave of desire unlike any I’ve ever felt before consumes me. The pulsing between my legs leaves me breathless. I squeeze my thighs together.

  Liam traces invisible circles over my skin. His lips find mine again. This kiss is different; his hunger is raw and unrestrained. He bites my lower lip.

  “Tell me you don’t want this,” he says.

  His hand slides between my legs, passing over my underwear. I squeeze his hand between my thighs as if to stop him, but I don’t want him to stop.

  His fingers slide beneath my underwear. The jolt of energy that floods my body makes me jump. No one has ever touched me like this. Liam starts to massage my clit in small, fast circles. A moan escapes from between my lips.

  Suddenly, I’m on my feet. Liam sits on the bed looking confused. I start to pace the room and try to compose myself.

  “I can’t… I’ve never…” I mumble.

  Liam catches my hand, stopping me. He stands and wraps an arm around my waist. The temptation is too great. My body doesn’t care that he’s my stepbrother, or that I’ve never done anything like this before.

  This time I don’t wait for him to kiss me first. I press my body against his. I can feel his cock through his pants, hard and thick. He kisses my neck sweetly; his fingers twist through my red wig.