Captivated Read online

  Captivated

  Jagger Cole

  Contents

  A Special Present

  Synopsis

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Also by Jagger Cole

  About the Author

  Captivated

  Jagger Cole © 2020

  All rights reserved.

  Cover by Plan 9 Book Design | Editing by MJ Edits

  This is a literary work of fiction. Any names, places, or incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Similarities or resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events or establishments, are solely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  The unauthorized reproduction, transmission, or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal and a violation of US copyright law.

  Created with Vellum

  A Special Present

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  Synopsis

  Tonight, she’s all mine.

  I’ve lived my life one heist at a time, taking what doesn’t belong to me. Then I was set up by the mob and left for dead. But the mob underestimated me. And now, I’m out for revenge.

  Her father is the one who should pay, and he will. But it’s her I’m taking. Tessa De Luca is forbidden temptation wrapped in one gorgeous, whip-smart, sassy, ginger-haired little package. She’s an innocent in all of this. But tonight, she’ll be mine.

  That’s the plan at least, before I lay eyes on the beautiful little firebrand and can’t look away. She’s supposed to be revenge; a ransom to get paid and get on my way. She’s not supposed to set my cold heart aflame and rattle my damn walls.

  The mob, the cops, and half the lowlifes in New York are after me. Giving up Tess would be a ticket out of Dodge. But that ain’t happening.

  I found her. I took her. And now, I’m keeping her all to myself. Come what may.

  This OTT romance is packed with instalove, no cliffhanger, and a perfect happy ever after.

  1

  Max

  I’m on the hunt. My pulse throbs deep in my veins, and my jaw ticks. My eyes peer out of the darkness, across the ivy league campus quad. Students in expensive clothes, carrying expensive books walk this way and that. Some carry pricy coffee drinks, others are on phones, or laptops. They smile and laugh. They make jokes or flirt. They’re happy, and they’re carefree.

  I’m barely a few years older than most of these students, but I’m a stark contrast to them. I’m in the shadows of a building—dirty, broken, and seething with rage. It’s not a smile on my face, it’s a savage grimace. The hole in my side aches, and I can feel the blood trickling down my ribs. My clothes are dirty and ripped. I haven’t slept in two days.

  But none of that matters. Like I said, I’m on the hunt, and my prey is near. Tonight’s the night I’m taking her. No lack of sleep will stop me. No bullet-hole will slow me down. That I’ve just fought my way back through hell from death makes no difference at all. Tonight, she’s mine. End of story.

  She’s an innocent in all of this. Or at least she started out that way. A few days ago, she was just Tessa De Luca, studious and whip-smart first year medical student. But it isn’t her accomplishments that’ve put her on my radar. It isn’t her jaw-dropping beauty that put my sights on her either, believe it or not. It’s her family.

  Specifically, it’s her father: Dino De Luca, head of the De Luca crime family. Tessa isn’t a conquest. She’s revenge.

  I’ve been working my way through the seedy underbelly of New York since I was fifteen. I’ve been a lookout, a driver, a planner, and a strong man. I’ve been a hard hitter and a collector. But mostly, I’ve been a thief. And I’m damn good at it. Presumably, that’s why Dino hired me for the job. I’d worked plenty of jobs for the asshole before. He’s not my favorite crime boss to do business with, but he pays, and mostly on time.

  But this time, it all went wrong. Stealing the hard drive from the Senator’s office should have been a breeze. Minimal security, and a model of safe I could pick in my fucking sleep. I almost literally could have done the job with my eyes glued shut and one hand behind my back. And the pay was too good to say no to. But you know what they say about the best laid plans. Or if it’s too good to be true, it probably is? Well, it was.

  The job was a setup. I’d cased the West Village townhouse for a week. I was lock solid on the job. And then the night it was going to go down, it all went wrong. Lights went on. Alarms that hadn’t been there before got tripped. Armed guards I had no intel on started shooting. I caught two before I smashed my way out of a third story window. The dumpster mostly broke my fall, along with a rib or two.

  Now, I’ve spent the last two days on the run. I had a few spots I knew of to lay low, but the clock is ticking. Dino is a huge player in this town, and the walls are closing in. He’s got cops on the payroll, and a small army looking for me. I know he set me up, and I even know why. I also know Dino knows I’ll be coming for him. He’s walled up good and tight in his penthouse fortress. He’s waiting for me to make my kamikaze attack. But trust me, it ain’t coming.

  Dino might be hiding behind an army and a city fortress, but I found his soft spot: Tessa; his daughter.

  It’s the only reason I’m still in town. If I leave, Dino wins. And he gets away with the shit I found out he’s into. So I have a new plan: take Tessa, and make Dino know what it means to hurt.

  Or at least, that was the plan. But then I dragged my way up here to Morningside Heights to stalk my prey. It should have been easy. I’m a thief, and strongman. I’m a hardened criminal with basically no remorse. Taking Dino’s bratty college-aged daughter and holding her ransom should have been the easiest job in the world for me. But then I laid eyes on her, and my world changed.

  There’s no shortage of beautiful girls in New York. But Tessa De Luca is a cut above the rest. The stunning red hair and the sharp blue eyes turn me to mush. Her soft curves and petite frame turn me into a beast. Her smile makes my heart stop and my manhood thicken.

  I’ve been around the block enough to know this is bad news. Even as fucked up as I am, I know I’m crossing wires with this plan. The goal is to hurt Dino. This is about revenge. But that was before I laid eyes on Tessa. Now, it’s about something else: taking her all for my fucking self.

  I don’t just want payback. I want her.

  A group of students pass by close to me. They don’t even see me. I’m a wolf at the edge of the pasture, ready to pounce on the sheep of my choice. The door to the academic building across the quad from me opens, and suddenly I spot her. Her long red hair is fallen in tangles down one shoulder. She’s got a bag heavy with books, and she looks fucking beautiful in that light sundress.

  Behind her is the big guy. Him I expected. He’s one of Dino’s enforcers, and his job it to shadow Tessa. Maybe he scares away the college boys or common thugs. But he doesn’t scare me. An army wouldn’t scare me away from her tonight. It amuses me that Dino thinks one big motherfucker with a thick neck is safety enough for his Tessa. I’m almost furious at him for leaving her so unprotected.

  She starts to make her way across the quad. My muscles coil, ready to move. I know she’s coming this way, and I’m ready. I’m even ready to deal with him. Because nothing and no one is stopping me from tak
ing my prize tonight.

  She walks closer, and I growl to myself. It’s time to take my revenge.

  Tonight, she’s all mine.

  2

  Tessa

  I pause for a minute when I step outside into the evening air. God, it feels good to be outside. I’ve been in bio labs and lectures for the last twelve hours straight. I’m exhausted and starving. But that one pause and deep breath rejuvenates me. The warm breeze teases my auburn tangles. I close my eyes and drop my head back to drink it in.

  “We need to keep moving, Ms. De Luca.”

  I scowl when Fat Tony interrupts my moment of Zen. His name isn’t actually Fat Tony, or even Tony. It’s Chris. But he talks and acts just like the “Fat Tony” mob character on The Simpsons. So, that’s what I call him. He hates it, and I don’t care. We’re not friends, and it isn’t as if we have a cutesy “love hate” banter. I truly don’t like him and hate that he’s my constant shadow.

  It’s at the orders of my father, of course. Fat Tony is my constant shadow to “protect me.” But I think it’s pretty obvious that it’s more about keeping tabs on me. It’s about controlling me.

  I know all about who and what my father is. I know what he does for a living, and how we’ve lived the life I grew up in with the means I had. I know about the people he hurts, and the crimes he commits. My mother knew, too. But she died when I was just a kid. Dad might have tried to at least hide his mob life a little when she was alive. After that though, he had it out in the open.

  It always bothered me, of course. But in the last few years, it’s started to get worse. He’s getting reckless and cruel. And the distance between us is only growing larger. Fat Tony is his control over me while I’m here at school. Dad barely ever even let me out of our mansion when I was growing up. I even went to college living at home.

  But when I got into Medical School, I finally put my foot down. I wasn’t going to commute to Columbia every damn day from New Jersey. No way. Dad got me a nice apartment basically across the street from school, and one for Tony right across the hall. It’s like the worst sitcom setup ever. But it sure beats living in dad’s house.

  “Don’t forget that we need to leave your lecture early tomorrow to make it to your father’s house in time.”

  I roll my eyes. “I’m not skipping bio-chem for a dinner I don’t want to go to, Tony.”

  He scowls at the name. But he’s given up correcting me. “Your father wants you there, and on time.”

  “And I want to keep my spot at the head of my class. And, you know, learn?”

  “We’ll be leaving at two-fifteen.”

  “We’ll be leaving at three, when the class ends,” I hiss. I turn sharply and keep walking. I’m sure we’ll still be leaving at two-fifteen. But at least I can put up a fight about it.

  I want nothing to do with this stupid dinner, too. It’s just going to be a bunch of my dad’s mob buddies and their mistresses, like a bad rip-off episode of the Sopranos. In fact, more and more, I want as little to do with my father and his life as possible. I want to study my ass off, get my medical degree, and hopefully pull a residency on the other side of the planet from New Jersey.

  We start across the quad towards my apartment. I’m distracted when a handsome looking blond guy runs up.

  “Hey, Tessa!”

  I smile weakly at the familiar face. “Hey, Ted.”

  Ted is also a first year, and in my bio chem lecture. He’s very sweet, and he’s very classically “all-American” handsome. I didn’t date at all growing up, or even in college. My dad being who he is scared most guys away. Anyone who was brave or stupid enough to ask me out got a hard “talking to” from someone like Fat Tony. But being at Medical School and away from my father, I finally said yes when Ted asked me out.

  My first date ever was nice. But that’s it. It was nice. Ted was nice, even about Fat Tony sitting a table away from us at dinner. The food was nice. And he was nice enough to walk me home. We hugged, and he went home. It should have been a really great intro to dating: no awkward kiss, and no pressure to do anything I’ve never done before. Except it was just sort of boring.

  The problem is, there was no “spark.” I think that’s been my problem with my love life, aside from my overbearing dad. I’ve been waiting my whole life for a spark, and I’m starting to wonder if sparks are just movie-script bullshit. Because now I’m twenty-two years old, and I’ve never even kissed a guy.

  “Hey, so, I had a really nice time the other night, Tessa.”

  I smile. “Thanks, Ted. Me too!” I’m not lying. I did have a “nice” time. But without any sort of spark, what’s the point? What’s the point of trying for another date with Tony looming over us? I can’t even imagine the awkwardness of trying to invite Ted upstairs with my dad’s employee lurking across the hall. He probably has orders to break Ted’s kneecaps if he tries to come upstairs anyways. I’m positive my father knows about my date, thanks to Fat Tony. I can’t believe I haven’t heard any flack about it.

  “Maybe we could try for another time next week?”

  “She’s busy next week.”

  I grit my teeth. I turn and glare at Tony, but his face is like stone.

  “Okay, um, maybe the week after?” Ted hasn’t gotten the hint that I’ve already picked up on.

  “Let me guess, I’m busy that week too?” I mutter at Tony.

  He grunts. “Yep.”

  This is my father, speaking and acting through Tony. He’s let me have my one dumb date, and now he’s shutting it down. I mean I’m twenty-two for fuck’s sake. I sigh and look back to Ted. “You know what? I’ll call you.”

  “Sounds great. Good to see you, Tessa.”

  “We’re late.” Tony grunts and pushes me along past Ted. I frown deeply and march ahead of him. This is one of the little things I do to assert some power. I don’t call Tony “Fat Tony” for nothing. When I walk fast, I can hear him wheezing to catch up. It might be a bitch move, but Tony’s an asshole mob thug. So, screw it.

  “Slow it down, Tessa,” he grunts.

  “Can’t, sorry!” I yell over my shoulder. “I’m very, very busy, Tony. I thought you knew that?” I’m being a smart ass, but I don’t care.

  “Slow it down!” He grunts again. I’m really walking fast, and he’s farther back than he normally is. “Tessa! I mean it!”

  I smile to myself. “I can’t hear you, Tony! Catch up!”

  I’m across the quad now. I turn to dart through the small alley between the student union and the visitor’s center, like I always do. My apartment building is right across the street from where the little cut-through exits to. I slip into the shadows. I think about running now that I’m out of sight of Tony, and it makes me grin.

  And then suddenly, hands grab me. I scream, but a huge, strong hand covers my mouth and clamps it shut. A powerful, muscled arm circles my body and draws me tight against a rock-hard, huge man’s body. I scream again, but it’s barely audible.

  The man grunts and starts to drag me down a side-alley behind the student union. Suddenly, I hear a shout, and then a banging sound. I realize it’s a gun, and I scream again as something ricochets off the brick wall next to me. I look up to see Tony with a gun in his hand at the head of the alley. But the man holding me growls and yanks me out of sight.

  He hauls me into the student union parking garage. It’s empty at this time of the evening, and fear grips me tight. He drags me like I’m weightless towards a van, and my heart seizes.

  “Please! No!” I scream. But it’s muffled through his hand. I’m sure all he hears is “Pmmvvph! Nuurrrr!” I’m also sure he wouldn’t stop even if he could hear me clearly. He pushes me against the side of the van, pinning me to it with his muscled body. And I feel his breath right on my ear.

  “I’m going to take my hand away, but I know you feel this.”

  He pushes the metal barrel of a gun against my back through my sundress. I nod quickly. I know what that is.

  “You’re co
ming with me,” he growls into my ear. I tremble. His voice is dark and ragged sounding. But it’s also so deep and smokey. God, you could almost call it sexy in another scenario.

  “Wait, please!” I gasp.

  “No,” he growls back.

  “Hang on!” I gasp again when he yanks the sliding door to the window-less van open. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

  I hate to use my family for anything. But in this instance? To stop me from being freaking kidnapped? Hell yeah, I’m flaunting who my father is.

  But the man just sneers and laughs darkly. Suddenly, he spins me around and pins my back to the side of the van. I look up, and I gasp sharply. The eyes piercing into mine are wild and dark-lashed. The face around them is gorgeous and handsome. The lips sneering at me are captivating.

  “I have every idea who you are,” my captor growls. His voice is so smokey and sexy, but also dark and terrifying. I tremble in his grip. My throat tightens on my breath.

  “And now,” he rumbles. “You’re all mine.”

  He spins me around, and I whimper when a cloth ties over my mouth. I scream into it as my hands are yanked behind me and tied tight. He pushes me into the dark van, and then slams the door shut with a thunk. The van starts up a minute later, and my heart pounds as it pulls drives off.

  I’ve been kidnapped by the hottest kidnapper ever. And I have no idea where I’m going.