Wicked Kingpin Read online

  He was called a lot of awful names. Knox created a mountain of corpses of his enemies so he and his organization could stay at the top, but Knox drew a line when it came to women and children.

  Then again, Knox could forgive Leah. She didn’t know him, but she was about to. There was no way out of this arrangement. Fate landed an angel on his lap and Knox had every intention of keeping her.

  “I scare you. I get it,” Knox said.

  “You don’t. You intimidate me a little but now that we’re talking, I’ve changed my mind.”

  “Oh?”

  “Knox Carter. You’re supposed to be this big bad monster. The entire city lives in fear of you, but you couldn’t even hold on to a woman unless it’s against her will.”

  Knox moved without thinking. Anger spiked through him as he gripped her chin. Genuine fear flashed across her pretty blue eyes.

  Good. Leah needed to be reminded of the fact that she wasn’t dealing with any normal man. Knox breathed hard, regretting his actions immediately. He couldn’t afford to lose Leah right after acquiring her.

  Hurting her for real was the last thing on his mind. Knox traced her bottom lip with his thumb. She trembled. Knox released her.

  “You’ve seen me acting nice, Leah. Trust me when I say you don’t want to see my nasty side,” Knox said.

  It was an empty threat. Knox couldn’t bear harming a single hair on her beautiful head, but she didn’t know that.

  “Okay,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. This is all just too much for me.”

  Leah hung her head and stared at her hands. She looked cowed and defeated. That expression looked wrong on her. Knox realized he was going about this all wrong.

  Damn. This was new to him as well. Knox had fucked plenty of women but none of them made him act this way. He’d never wanted any other woman the way he wanted Leah. Where was the fun in taking her against her will, when he’d rather have her submit to him of her own violation?

  Knox bet she’d yield beautifully to him. He could imagine those plump and luscious lips of hers wrapped around his cock. Her gorgeous form, kneeling before him, anticipating his needs. His pleasure.

  Knox vanquished that erotic image from his head and focused on the present.

  He tried to picture himself in her shoes. Her brother’s betrayal must’ve still stung. She’d been plucked out of the life she once knew and was suddenly thrust into Knox’s world.

  “Talk to me,” Knox urged.

  Maybe that would get her to loosen up. To warm up to Knox somehow.

  “I never thought Larry would ever betray me. After our parents died, he raised me. He always reminded me that I owed him, that he wasted so much time looking after me. I just thought…” She trailed off and then hastily wiped the tears that gathered in her eyes. “Doesn’t matter what I think now.”

  She didn’t want him to see her cry, to witness her at her most vulnerable state, he realized. He leaned in close and kissed away the salt of her tears. Leah froze. Knox could tell his gesture startled her.

  It surprised them both. Knox wasn’t a man known for being affectionate. Ex-lovers and his enemies called him heartless for a reason.

  “Family should never betray you,” Knox told her. “You’re right to hate your brother.”

  “He didn’t need to drag me with him to gamble. I volunteered to come. Larry knew I’d do anything for him. Since he lost his job at the car factory two years ago, I’ve been paying the bills and groceries for us,” she said bitterly. “It still wasn’t enough. It never is.”

  “Why would you do that?” Knox asked.

  “Some part of me believed I could convince him to change his mind. When we went down those stairs and sat at that table, I knew it was hopeless. He even told me not to worry, that he had it in the bag.” She blew out a breath. “He said Guy and Shane would give him a chance to win his money back.”

  “The game wasn’t rigged,” Knox told her gently. “We don’t cheat. Your brother was just a poor poker player.”

  Whether she believed Knox or not, it was hard to say.

  “I don’t even know why I told you all that,” she whispered. “I’m just a toy to you, aren’t I?”

  “That’s where you’re mistaken.”

  Knox took that opportunity to slant his mouth over hers.

  Earlier, he had only gotten a taste of her. He wanted, no needed more. She responded, hesitantly at first before relaxing into the kiss. Leah parted her mouth and he thrust his tongue down her throat. She gripped his left bicep. Her intoxicating scent of vanilla and lavender wrapped around him.

  Knox pulled away first, knowing if this continued, Leah would no longer be a virgin by the time they reached his apartment. He always prided himself on his self-control, so it stunned him how easily it unraveled when it came to her.

  “I shouldn’t be kissing you,” she whispered.

  Leah furrowed her brow. She looked torn between her desire and hatred for Knox.

  “Why? It felt good, didn’t it? Don’t lie to me. I can see your tits hardening under your sweater.” Knox bet if he unbuttoned her jeans and slipped his hand past her underwear, he’d find her soaking wet for him.

  “I can’t want you. You’re dangerous,” she whispered.

  “So are you.”

  “Me?” Leah asked, sounding baffled. “You can break me in two with your bare hands if you wanted.”

  “Why would I want to do that? I want you underneath me, screaming out my name in pleasure.”

  Leah’s cheeks and neck turned pink.

  “Speechless for once, kitten?” I asked.

  “Don’t call me that.”

  “Why not? You obviously have claws and you’re aren’t afraid to use them.” The car came to a halt. Knox looked out the windows and recognized the street he lived on.

  “We’re here,” he told her.

  “What’s going to happen next?” There was a hint of fear in her voice but there was also something else. Curiosity.

  “You’ll see,” Knox told her with a smile. He got out of the car and opened the door for her.

  Chapter Three

  Leah was crazy for going along with this sick little charade. Knox wasn’t a good man. He was even more dangerous than she suspected. He also managed to do what most people couldn’t. Knox convinced her to let her guard down around him, to confide in him.

  He was probably a busy man. The fact Knox took the time to listen to her problems made her see him in a different light. Maybe there was more to him than she initially thought.

  Leah stepped out of the car. She wondered why her heart was beating wildly for a man she hardly knew, a stranger who called her his property. Knox could’ve taken her against her will. She was his to do as he pleased, and yet he’d kept his hands to himself during the drive to his apartment.

  “Think of tonight as our first date,” he said.

  Leah was ready with a witty retort but the sexy smile he flashed at her rendered her completely silent.

  She managed a nod and heard the squeal of tires on asphalt. Leah looked over her shoulder and spotted a nondescript black car parked across the street.

  One man exited the car and started nursing a cigarette. He looked over to where they were and gave a nod to Knox. Leah felt Knox’s hand on the back of her neck. He gave it a squeeze and she didn’t know why she didn’t pull away or tell him off.

  “Just my men,” Knox told her in a reassuring voice.

  Of course, Knox had bodyguards. Seeing his men made her uneasy. Their presence reminded Leah that she’d left the world she was familiar with and entered a new one. His.

  Leah didn’t understand the rules of his world. She felt like Alice, free-falling into the dark rabbit hole. She couldn’t go back to the starting point. She had to find another exit.

  He offered her his arm again. Knox was acting like a complete gentleman, but Leah knew the real him that lurked underneath.

  Despite the sleek suit he wore and his careful appearance, Knox
didn’t bother hiding the intense look of want and hunger in his eyes. He wanted Leah—her compliance included, although she didn’t understand why.

  When Guy and Shane dragged her brother away from the table, she silently swore to herself she’d never give in to Knox. Leah didn’t understand who she was dealing with but she was beginning to have an inkling.

  How could she outwit a man who was used to deceptions and lies?

  A waitress like her who lived in the slums was no match for Knox. Leah could only play his game, see how it unfurled.

  She took his arm and let him lead her inside his building. Be brave, she reminded herself.

  “You live here?” Her voice was a mere whisper.

  Leah silently berated herself for sounding so awed and dumbstruck, but she couldn’t help herself. No graffiti littered the walls. Warm lights illuminated the warm and inviting space.

  There was a doorman at the front who greeted Knox. The waiting area had dark-brown leather couches, lamps, a coffee table strewn with magazines.

  If the lobby looked this fancy, she wondered what his apartment looked like.

  “I own this building,” he corrected.

  There was a couple in their thirties waiting for the elevator. The man seemed to have recognized who Knox was because he tugged his partner’s hand. He looked watchful and fearful.

  “Hey, what’s the problem?” the woman asked.

  He whispered something in her ear. She turned pale. They both stepped back and let them in. Leah wondered if it was like this everywhere Knox went.

  “Have a good evening,” Knox called to the couple. The elevator doors hissed shut.

  “You get your way all the time, don’t you?” She couldn’t help but ask.

  Knox merely flashed her an indulgent smile. It infuriated her. Leah crossed her arms over her chest. She pretended to act bored and indifferent like she did this all the time, like mob bosses invited her to their homes on a regular basis.

  Deep down, she was terrified. She began to wonder if she made the right decision after all.

  He took out a slim key card and placed it on the elevator slot. Knox punched the button to the penthouse suite. The elevator let out a ping and they stepped out into a long corridor. Two of his men waited outside.

  “Boss,” one greeted.

  The other gave Leah an assessing look before opening the door for Knox.

  She hesitated. Beyond that door was Knox’s private living space. Few people in this city probably managed to take a peek at what lay inside.

  “Be my guest,” Knox murmured.

  She took a deep breath and stepped inside. Knox turned the switch on. Her breath caught. Windows everywhere. They stretched from the floor to the ceiling. The furniture he chose were mostly made of dark cherry wood. Beyond the gigantic living room, Leah spotted double doors that led to an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

  People really lived like this?

  The apartment Leah shared with her brother suddenly seemed like a dump compared to this palace. Leah detached herself from Knox and wandered to the windows.

  She rested her palm against the cool glass. Knox lived on the twenty-second floor. He had quite a view. She could see the city’s skyline from up here.

  “What do you think?” he murmured behind her.

  Leah spun, only to bump right into his massive chest. She peered at his face, tried to get a read on him, but she couldn’t. Knox remained enigmatic and closed-off to her.

  She told him the truth because she had nothing else to offer. “I’m beginning to realize I’m way out of my league.”

  He chuckled, like her answer amused him.

  “Are you mocking me?” she demanded.

  “Not at all. Your honesty is a refreshing change.”

  “You told me earlier to treat this like a first date,” Leah reminded him. She needed to get her bearings. To stop letting herself be overwhelmed by him. “A date includes dinner.”

  “That’s right.” Knox took off his jacket and padded to the kitchen.

  He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Leah followed him, curious as to what he’d do next. His kitchen was like a dream. She ran her hand over his shiny appliances while Knox took out ingredients from the fridge.

  “I can’t believe Knox Carter is cooking me dinner,” she commented.

  It was so much easier thinking of Knox as a simple date, rather than the man her brother lost her to.

  Leah trusted one man before. She’d offered him her heart on a platter only for him to return it in pieces. Brody made it hard for her to trust another man again.

  Leah never had time to date, anyway. She was too busy working, paying off the rent and bills. It didn’t help that Larry had been out of a job for two years.

  “Cooking for a woman. This is a first for me,” Knox said. He had some eggs, cheese, and bacon out.

  “You don’t usually cook for your dates?” she asked. Leah positioned herself at the opposite side of the counter, so she wouldn’t get in the way. Knox started to boil some pasta in a pot.

  “You’re the first woman I’ve brought back here,” he said, expression intense. “And I usually leave the cooking to my private chef.”

  That made her feel a little special. Stop it, Leah chided. Falling for a killer, for Knox, wasn’t supposed to be on the cards. Too bad the more she spent time with him, the more she realized that Knox had complicated layers to him.

  “Who taught you to cook?” she asked, watching Knox chop garlic. He clearly knew how to use the knife.

  “My mother. She passed away when I was twelve. She’d been gunned down by an enemy group. My fondest memories of her were always in the kitchen. Before she married my father, she told him she understood what he did. She accepted him but she didn’t want to know what was going on with the family business.”

  “I’m sorry,” Leah said, meaning it.

  Knox’s mother didn’t go peacefully. She couldn’t imagine how that was like. Knox’s tone was matter of fact, but she didn’t miss the fondness in his voice when he talked about his mother.

  “It’s tough to lose a parent,” she said.

  “Must be harder for you. You only had your brother and he doesn’t strike me as reliable,” Knox said.

  “Can I help with anything?” She wanted to change the topic. Larry’s betrayal still felt like a knife between her ribs.

  “No, you’re my guest. Do you cook?”

  “I do, but I can’t make anything fancy. I’ve been working at the same diner since high school. When we’re busy, I sometimes help the cook flip burgers.”

  “Carbonara is the simplest pasta dish out there. I only use five ingredients.”

  “Maybe you can teach me sometime.” She closed her mouth, suddenly realizing she was actually flirting with Knox.

  “It’ll be my pleasure, kitten.”

  She shivered at the nickname he’d given her. Knox plated their dinner. He also took out two bottles of wine and asked her, “Red or white?”

  “White, please.”

  “I like it when you say please.” Knox uncorked the bottle and poured it into two glasses. He handed her one. Noticing her hesitation, he said, “Don’t worry, it doesn’t contain poison. I don’t want you dead.”

  Knox took a sip of his wine. Leah reluctantly followed him. The wine tasted … expensive. At that moment, she didn’t have any other word for it. A little sweet. Nothing she was used to. Knox finished his glass and grabbed another bottle from the sink. Whiskey.

  “Now that’s my kind of drink.” Leah blushed.

  Good girls didn’t admit they liked hard liquor. Sometimes after a long shift, she would have a glass or two. It was her guilty pleasure.

  He smirked and poured her some after she finished her wine. Leah took a gulp. The effect was instantaneous. The amber liquid seared her throat and warmed her insides.

  “My kind of girl,” Knox said. “More?”

  Leah set the glass down and decided that was enough for the night. “No, t
hank you.”

  “Let’s eat before the food grows cold,” he suggested.

  “Can we eat outside? I’d like to see the pool.” Leah was astonished at her own boldness. Maybe it was the shot of whiskey that made her stupidly brave.

  The rare times Leah managed to get a date, she always hung back. She let the guy take the lead. She was an old-fashioned girl in that sense.

  With Knox, she felt a little wild and desperate. Desperate, because she understood the stakes. Leah was supposed to hate Knox, but it was getting harder to resent him. She couldn’t be attracted to a dangerous man like him and yet she let him wrap her around his little finger.

  “It’ll get a little cold, but you can have my jacket,” he offered.

  Leah grabbed their plates. Knox took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. Thoughtful man.

  They headed out to the poolside. Knox was right. The night was chilly, but the effort was worth it. Leah raised her head and looked skyward. The stars were all out tonight and they reminded her of a brilliant silver net stretched out across the heavens.

  They ate dinner by the pool table. They talked a little more. Light conversation. Nonsensical stuff.

  Leah slipped her arms into Knox’s jacket. It felt incredibly warm. Smelled like him, too. She caught a whiff of cigarettes, cologne, and whiskey.

  Knox was nothing like she’d imagined him to be. Leah knew what he did for a living. That no one in their right mind wanted to get on his bad side. Knox was made of hard edges. If Leah looked hard enough, he had a different side as well, one she suspected he seldom revealed to just anyone.

  Don’t be naïve, Leah. He could be playing you.

  That might be true but Knox could’ve done whatever he wanted with her but he hadn’t. Leah was confused as hell. She didn’t know what he wanted with her, what he had planned. Her desire for him warred with her unease.

  “Knox,” she began. “Why did you do all this for me? Why dinner? I thought you’d use me and be done with me.”

  Those last few words weren’t easy to say but she had to be practical. Leah needed to know her role in all this. She swallowed.

  In the last half hour, Knox had laughed. He’d smiled. He’d opened up to her but now, he retreated to the cold and icy mask he wore when she first met him. Leah didn’t regret opening her mouth. All good things had to come to an end somehow.