Stranded with My Stepbrother Chapter 127

Will

The man himself was sitting in front of me, something I never expected to happen. Ibrahim Abadi, the sheik’s most trusted minion.

“We need to get out of here,” I said to McKenzie. “Immediately. Now.” I grabbed her arm.

Xavier moved to block the door, but I was a fit guy, and he wasn’t. I knew I could take him.

Then I heard the distinctive click of a gun being cocked. “I’d really rather you stay,” Ibrahim intoned, cool as a cucumber.

“Fuck.” I didn’t know where to stand to best protect McKenzie as Xavier had pulled out a gun as well.

Ibrahim gestured to the seats in front of him. “Sit.”

His gun didn’t waver. I slid my hand down McKenzie’s arm until I was holding her hand.

“I don’t like this,” she whispered as we trudged over to the chairs and sat down.

“I don’t, either,” I confirmed.

Ibrahim set the gun down on the table next to his right hand, definitely within easy reach, and steepled his fingers in front of him. “You two are particularly difficult to catch. Almost as bad as your parents.” He looked at McKenzie. “They are particularly bothersome.”

“Good,” McKenzie said.

Ibrahim smirked. “I can already tell you’re a spitfire. Just like your parents. Especially your father. Your father is a very large thorn in my side.”

I squeezed McKenzie’s hand. I hoped she would take this as a signal not to antagonize Ibrahim too much. If anyone was going to draw his wrath, it was going to be me.

McKenzie did not take the hint. “I’m glad my parents are a pain in your ass. You can sit right on it and spin.”

Ibrahim’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You’re certainly more mouthy than your mother.”

“Yes, well, I’ve got some of my dad in the mix, too, and I know he’d tell you to go f—”

“What do you want?” I interrupted before bickering turned into hostilities. He still had the gun, after all.

Ibrahim gave McKenzie one last disapproving scowl before turning to me. “I’m glad you asked, William. I’m sure you’re aware that my employer died suddenly, recently, and I’ve taken over his empire.”

“How nice for you. Did you shoot him in the back or the front?” I asked blandly. Anything to focus his anger on me instead of McKenzie.

“Does it really matter?” He smirked, answering one of my questions. “The point is, he’s dead, and I’m in charge. Now, Masterson and the sheik have been competitors in the business for many years. But there was always a mutual respect, a respect I continue to uphold with your grandfather. Imagine my surprise when he told me you had disappeared, absconding with sensitive information.”

I shrugged. “Not doing me a lot of good these days, but when we do find a judge who isn’t crooked—” I raised a derisive eyebrow at Xavier. “—I fully intend to ram everything I know up yours and Grandfather’s asses. Especially Grandfather’s.”

Ibrahim chuckled. “I guess someone is still a little salty over his father’s suicide. That happened before you were even born. You should get over it. He was weak.”

A grinding sound filled my ears, and I realized I was clenching my jaw so hard my teeth were screaming in protest. “Say that again.”

He spun the gun as though we were playing Russian roulette. “Are you sure you want to play this game?”

The gun stopped spinning when the barrel was pointed right at McKenzie.

My anger was doused by panic. “Leave her out of this. She doesn’t know anything.”

“I very much doubt that,” he chuckled. He tapped the butt of the gun near the trigger.

Next to me, McKenzie swallowed. Her hand went clammy in mine.

“Don’t you need her as bait? You’re trying to get Jacey and Caleb Kent, aren’t you?” I pointed out.

“Killeen. But, yes.” He kept tapping the gun. “Still, another Killeen is another liability. Your grandfather requested I keep you alive, but he didn’t say anything about McKenzie here.”

“You can tell my grandfather I have no intention of taking over the family business.” I gripped McKenzie’s hand. “And if you’re shooting her, then you’re shooting me, too.”

He snickered. “I like that you think you have a choice in the matter.” He picked up the gun and raised it in McKenzie’s direction.

I lunged.

Ibrahim grunted in surprise, and McKenzie screamed when the gun went off.

The bullet ripped through my shoulder, and I groaned but still tried to wrest the weapon away from him.

“Enough!” he bellowed as we grappled, slamming his fist into my wounded shoulder.

I saw stars, and my hold on the gun slipped.

“Xavier,” Ibrahim tsked as he got the gun away from me. “Enough child’s play. Do what you were paid to do.”

“McKenzie…” I murmured in defeat, just before I felt a prick in the back of my neck.

The last thing I heard was McKenzie shouting, “Will!”

***

The air smelled like hot sand and antiseptic. My shoulder was stiff but no longer burning. I was laying somewhere soft and clean.

“McKenzie,” I groaned through parched lips.

A stirring of a weight on my thigh made my eyes fly open. The dry air and sudden light made them sting.

Blonde hair fanned in a cloud on top of the thin hospital blanket tucked around my body. It was McKenzie, and she was asleep.

I reached down with my good arm and stroked the back of her head, reassuring myself that she was really there.

“You’re awake,” a female voice said.

I looked up and saw a woman in a hijab smiling down at me. Shoulder or no shoulder, I heaved myself up to confront her or anyone else who might be with her. “Who are you?”

“I’m Dr. Rafiq’s nurse, Maryam. We’ve been taking care of you for the past few days, though Mr. Abadi does come in from time to time,” Maryam replied.

“How nice of him.” I frowned. “Where are we?”

“I’m not supposed to tell you that, sorry. Mr. Abadi thinks you’ll cause trouble,” she chuckled.

“You do realize we’ve been kidnapped, right?” I said.

Maryam nodded. “Of course. But that’s no reason not to be nice to you. Though you really shouldn’t play with guns.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I snorted.

McKenzie stirred again in my lap then sat up, blinking. “Will!” She threw herself at me.

I caught her with a grunt. My shoulder wasn’t happy about her landing on my chest, but I honestly didn’t give a flying fuck. She was here. She was alive. And she…

… was wearing something so gauzy it left nothing to the imagination.

I didn’t even know where to put my hands to shield her from view when the doctor came in, white coat and all. “Don’t move,” I told her, deciding to keep her lying on my chest and gently putting my hands on her ass.

The doctor raised an eyebrow at me. “You certainly don’t think I dressed her that way, do you?”

“No. But unless McKenzie consents, she doesn’t get to be your eye candy, either,” I growled.

Dr. Rafiq just rolled his eyes. “I’m perfectly happy with my wife, thank you very much.” He smiled besottedly at Maryam.

“I see.” I still wasn’t going to let him ogle, though.

“That outfit is for my pleasure.” Ibrahim walked in, smirking.

McKenzie stiffened in my arms.

“Didn’t we have a deal, McKenzie?” Ibrahim said.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered in my ear, then wriggled off me and faced Ibrahim, her cheek flushed with shame, though there was still defiance in her eyes.

I could hear something snap in my brain. I was off the bed, setting off all sorts of sensors and machines and yanking my IV right out. I grabbed McKenzie and put her behind me. “Look you sick fuck. You get her some real clothes. I don’t know what kind of deal you had, but I’m breaking it.”

He sighed. “You really know how to kill the mood. I was just looking. It’s the least she could do for me after I provided you such excellent medical care.”

“My grandfather wants me alive, so you would have had to provide me medical care anyway, you manipulative sonofabitch.” I felt gauzy fabric against my back and realized I was in an open-backed hospital gown and McKenzie was trying to do the same for me as I was doing for her.

“Then it’s her own fault for being stupid, isn’t it?” he grinned.

McKenzie made an angry noise, but I kept her where she was by holding her arms, which she had wrapped around me.

“Clothes,” I demanded again. “Now.”

Ibrahim snapped his fingers, and within five minutes our old clothes, freshly-laundered, were retrieved by a servant.

My shirt had been replaced, however, with an exact copy. Unless someone’s seamstress skills were so deft that the bullet hole had disappeared.

I wasn’t going to worry about it. “And somewhere to change?” I continued, frowning at Ibrahim.

“Follow me.” He turned and started for the infirmary door.

I threaded my fingers through McKenzie’s over my stomach, and we awkwardly followed, me protecting her front, her protecting my back. The hallways dragged on forever. We were in some sort of hacienda-style building with great Moorish arches and pillars and a large garden in the middle. It was quite the compound, and I would have called it beautiful except for the fact that we were prisoners here.

“In here. I’ll be locking you in, of course, and guards are posted everywhere. These will be your quarters for the time being.” Ibrahim pushed open a heavy wooden door to reveal a light-filled suite with opulent furnishings. “It has an en suite bathroom. My predecessor would have demanded you take your meals with him, however, I’m not keen on having to waste my men’s time guarding you as you dart around like little mice trying to find some nook or cranny to crawl out of. I know even if I assure you there is no way out of here, you are still going to try. And I find that simply tedious.”

I snatched our clothes. “Noted. I won’t promise we won’t try to escape, regardless.”

He snorted. “I’d have been quite disappointed if you just rolled over and gave up.” He winked at McKenzie, and even though I respected the fact she could defend herself, my blood still boiled.

Case in point, my brave girl spat in his face.

Ibrahim calmly took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his cheek. “William Masterson III, you are quite a lucky man.”

“I know.” I maneuvered her and me into the bedroom and slammed the door in his face. Then I tossed the clothes down on the canopy bed and turned in her arms so I could hug her properly.

She buried her face in my chest, taking several deep breaths. I nuzzled into her hair, also taking several bracing breaths.

Then her cool fingers began to undo the ties at the back of my hospital gown.

“You want to get dressed?” I assumed, mumbling into her hair. “Probably a good idea.” Still, I didn’t let go.

“Actually,” she replied. “I really don’t.”

I glanced down and tilted her chin up so I could get a good look at her. McKenzie’s cheeks were flushed, her lips parted.

The way she looked up at me demurely through her lashes sent a bolt of desire straight to my groin.

“McKenzie…” I whispered, rubbing my thumb along her lower lip, “what’s gotten into you?”

“Well, hopefully you in a few minutes,” she replied throatily. She bit her juicy lip, and I was jealous. I wanted to be the one doing that.

Still, I had to at least try to be the voice of reason. I was several years older than her after all. “We’re in the middle of the lion’s den. Are you… sure?”

“I thought you might die,” she replied, the last word choked out. “I was so scared. You were bleeding so much. And then you didn’t wake up for days.”

“I’m sorry, honeybee. If I could have come back to you sooner, I would have.” I caressed her cheek.

“I know.” She kissed my palm, and my heart melted.

Her fingers swiftly undid the rest of the ties. I let the gown slip down my arms and onto the floor before frowning at the getup Ibrahim had put her in. It was even more see-through than I’d originally observed.

“I won’t be wearing it again. Ever,” she said in disgust.

“No. You won’t. I’m going to make sure of that,” I decided and gripped the offending outfit at the collar, ripping it all the way down.