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  Her face pales, her eyes going wide as the color drains from her skin.

  "W-what?" she breathes. Her voice is so soft, and so fragile, and a part of me clenches tight at the way she looks so scared.

  And I hate this. She's too pure, and Nico’s being so fucking crude about this. And I know she's a goddamn porn star, and that the innocent thing is just her "look," but still. There's something about her that makes me want to protect her. To save her. It's my constant problem, wanting to save the unsaveable. I mean this chick's a porn girl — she probably got all sorts of shit that needs fixing but can’t be.

  But, I don’t want him here, or anyone, really. I am going to do this, and fuck if just being near her doesn’t make my cock rock hard. But if I'm going to take her, for some reason, I want it to be just the two of us. I want just her , no other bullshit. No other man seeing her like that. It's a fucking ridiculous thought, since she literally fucks on camera for a living, but it's how I feel.

  She freezes up though, and when Nico steps towards her, she trembles.

  Something is very fucking wrong here.

  "C'mon, sweetheart. Take it out and suck his fuckin dick."

  "Chill," I growl, my eyes narrowing at him. Something about the way she's so shut up tight and the way her body language screams terror has my hackles rising, and Nico getting closer to her is only making it worse.

  "Shut up," he snaps at me before turning back to her. "On your fuckin' knees, baby."

  "Cool it," I hiss.

  But Nico ignores me this time, and before I know it, she's gasping in horror as he grabs her and shoves her to her knees in front of me,

  "That's enough ," I roar. I take a step towards him with my hand closing into a fist when suddenly, his gun is out and leveled right at my chest.

  "Step it back freak show," he hisses, eyes narrowing at me. "We up and running?" he mutters over his shoulder at the camera guy, who nods.

  "Yep."

  "Good." His eyes dart between me and the girl, still kneeling on the floor and trembling. "I'll give you lovebirds some fuckin privacy, but the camera stays. Remember, this is just test footage stuff, but make it good, alright?" He jabs a finger down at her. "Do it ," he snaps, before he and the camera guy turn and head out of the room.

  The door shuts with a bang, and I exhale.

  "Kind of a prick, isn't he?" I mutter. "Look, I'm sorry it's my first time in all this shit. I—"

  The girl sobs, and something twists inside of me. Every instinct I have says something’s wrong here, but I can't put my finger on it. But I also know that as much as I hate doing what Nico says, if we don't do this, there's going to be a whole lot more going wrong.

  "I know, angel," I say softly. "He's a fucking asshole. Look we'll go quick and just get it over—"

  She starts to cry. Big, wet tears roll down her soft cheeks, and something breaks inside of me.

  "I'm—" Her voice hitches as she sobs, and my jaw tightens.

  "Look, we—"

  "I'm not a porn star, okay?!" She suddenly snaps, looking right up at me with those big blue eyes so full of fear and fury and fierceness. "I'm not a porn star," she says again, quieter this time as her shoulders slump and her eyes look right into mine.

  "I'm a virgin ."

  Oh, fuck.

  4

  Rose

  E verything I've been holding back — all the rage and the emotions and the tears — all comes crashing out at once. The full weight of everything hits me like a truck, and before I can even stop myself, I'm collapsing.

  But suddenly, there's warmth. Suddenly, his big, powerful arms are surrounding me and pulling me close. And for some reason, I don't pull away. I don't fight, and I don't kick and scream. Instead, I tumble into him, and before I know it, my hands are clutching at him. He might be a total stranger, but then, he's a total stranger that's clearly not the same kind of guy as the rest of them. And even if I don't know what it really means, seeing them beating on him earlier tells me he's also not with them.

  It means he's as much a victim in this as I am, and maybe that's why his arms pulling me tight sends something warm through me.

  "I'm so sorry, angel," he says quietly. His voice is deep and comforting — a rich, masculine baritone that teases its way through my ears. His hand strokes my back, and there's no denying the heat that radiates through me at his touch.

  "I didn't know," he says evenly, pulling back to hold my gaze, his eyes so full of love and warmth. "Fuck, angel," he growls. "I thought—"

  "I know," I say quietly. My cheeks suddenly darker as I glance down at myself and the ridiculous stripper-dress and heels I've got on. "This…" I swallow. "They made me wear this."

  He shrugs and gestures down at his ripped black jeans and tight gray t-shirt. "This is unfortunately just my own bad fashion style."

  I laugh. Somehow, somehow in this horrible place and with this whole horrible thing hanging over me, he makes me laugh. He grins when he sees me relax, and I bite my lip as I look up into his insanely handsome face.

  I smile shyly. "So you're not…?"

  "A porn star?" He laughs. "Jesus, no. I can't act for shit."

  "I'm not sure how much acting is involved."

  "More than I'm capable of, that's for damn sure," he mutters.

  I shake my head, relaxing a little more. "I really thought you were."

  "Do I come off like a porn star?" he grins. "Shit, I should work on that."

  I laugh again. "No, no, not that. They just…they made it sound like you were. So why are you here?"

  "I—" He frowns. "There was a job, and it went wrong. When the dust settled, the Moretti's were down a lot of money, and the blame's on me now."

  "You…do you work for them?"

  "Not by choice, angel," he says quietly.

  His hand strokes up and down my arm, soothing me with his gentle touch. I'm also suddenly aware that I'm literally wrapped up in the arms of a staggeringly handsome, insanely gorgeous man, and it's suddenly a lot more than a soothing feeling that teases through me, as wrong as that might be

  "Why are they doing this to you?" he growls. "I know they're bad fucking people, but this?" His jaw clenches tight as he bares his teeth. I can feel the ripple of his muscles against me as he tenses, and I'd be lying if I said the feel of it didn't send a teasing thrill through me.

  "There's a debt," I say quietly. "It's not mine, but they say I have to pay it back. I guess this is how."

  "Fucking animals," he spits, his arms tightening on me.

  "I—" I shiver into him, "I don't know what I'm doing, and I'm so scared," I whisper hoarsely, my voice breaking. "I—"

  "I've got you, angel," he growls fiercely. His arms tighten around me, pulling me so close to him and totally enveloping me in his warmth. "I've got you, and they're not going to hurt you."

  "Yes they are," I whisper.

  "Angel—"

  There's suddenly a pounding on the door, making me gasp and clutch at him tight.

  "How we doing in there with the sucky suck!"

  He snarls, gently pulling away from me and standing. He storms over to the tripod, grabs it and the video camera attached to it and hurls it at the door.

  Swearing follows on the other side, and there's suddenly the jangle of keys.

  He swoops into me, pulling me into his arms and holding me tight before he pulls back. He cups my chin gently in his big, powerful hand, and lets those gorgeous eyes pierce right into mine.

  &qu
ot;They aren't going to hurt you, I swear it."

  The door unlocks behind him, and I can hear Nico swearing as it starts to creak open.

  "I'm going to protect you, angel," he whispers fiercely. "I'm going to protect you with everything I have."

  The door slams open and Nico charges into the room.

  "I'm Dylan," he says quietly, his eyes never leaving mine. "And I'm going to help you."

  "I'm Rose."

  "Nice to meet you, Rose."

  Nico and his guys reach us, and suddenly, they're yanking him away and dragging him from the room.

  5

  Dylan

  "F uck , I'm sorry, man."

  Gray's edged voice growls through the phone. Yeah, I can have a phone. I also seem to be able to move pretty freely through the building a few blocks off The Strip that they've got me in. She's here too, actually, though I don't know where. I've got a feeling the three armed guys at the front door would have a thing or two to say about me leaving the building, but inside, I guess they're fine with me having my run of the place.

  But I haven't moved much from the room they dumped me in. I groan as sink back into the big chair by the window, holding an icepack to my face — a thank you from Nico for breaking his camera.

  Gray sighs. "Bringing you into this—"

  "Hey, I asked you to get me a job with these people," I mutter.

  "Well I should've told you to fuck off."

  "You were just trying to help, man. After we got back and I couldn't find anything."

  When Gray, Roman, and I got back from the Marines, we were all a little lost. Why Vegas? And why the fuck did all three of us end up working for the Moretti family? Well, it wasn’t hard, actually. Hell, the three of us grew up here and I'm actually the only one that didn't have direct connections to the family. Roman's cousin was an enforcer for the Moretti's, and that plus his size and his combat record got him a pretty lucrative job in Gino's personal security detail. Gray's father had also been a lawyer who found better pay working directly for the guys most of his colleagues were paid to try and prosecute. Gray himself had managed to finish up law school before the Marines, and when he got out, the family reached out to offer him the job his father had left with his death.

  But me? Well, I was just the fuck up, and when it was clear I had no real direction, I'd asked Gray to hook me up with the Moretti’s. To his credit, he had told me no — a few times actually. But what can I say, I'm a persistent guy, so here we all are. The three all-American marines, all working for the mob in Las-fucking-Vegas.

  Who'd have guessed?

  "Look, it's not the worst thing."

  Gray snorts. "It's porn , Dylan. And this isn't the seventies. That shit's going to be around forever. "

  "Well I'll be sure to make sure they get my good side then."

  He chuckles darkly, when I suddenly hear something in the background.

  "I couldn't find a towel."

  The female voice is soft, and sultry, and I instantly grin.

  "Listen, dude, I can call back if you've got company."

  "Just the TV."

  Bullshit .

  For one, I know that Gray doesn't watch TV, and for two, for a lawyer, he's actually real shitty at lying. Of course, being the good friend I am, I know it's my job to needle him about this.

  "Just the TV, huh? Sounds like a fun channel."

  He clears his throat uncomfortably, and I laugh.

  "Shit, Gray, if you're watching porn, give me a week and I'll get you something real fun to watch with yours truly."

  "I'd rather stare at the sun through a magnifying glass, actually."

  I grin, and I strain my ears to hear anything else from his apparently secret mystery guest, but it's quiet.

  "Look, whatever they've got me doing, it could be worse, right? It could be my head on a pike in the desert, dude. It was a lot of fucking money."

  "Yeah and it wasn't you ."

  "Tell that to Gino," I mutter.

  "I have, trust me." He sighs. "I'm trying man, but they're just stuck on the whole thing with Vinny."

  "Vinny who was about to shoot me? Vinny who was definitely in on that job?"

  Gray growls into the phone. "It's your word against the death of a made guy. Fuck, man. You know I believe you. Hell, a lot of people do actually. But Nico was close with Vin, and you know he's got Gino's ear."

  We go silent for a minute or two before he clears his throat. "So, who's the girl?"

  My jaw clenches.

  "Excuse me?"

  "The girl. Your co-star." He chuckles. "Anyone famous?"

  "No ," I spit out curtly. Curt enough that he definitely hears the heat in my voice.

  "What's going on, Dylan?"

  I scowl out the window at the neon lights of the strip. "Nothing," I mutter.

  "Dude—"

  "She shouldn't be a part of this," I hiss, my anger flashing hotly to the surface. "She doesn't belong anywhere near this."

  "Not an actress?"

  "Fuck no," I spit, my teeth clenched tight. "She's just a girl, and they've got something on her. Fuck, man, they're forcing her to do this."

  "Fucking Nico ," Gray growls lowly. "Is she…"

  He's quiet for second.

  "Gray—"

  "Tell me she's legal," he says quietly.

  I freeze, frowning. "I mean, fuck, I think so? She's young, but she's definitely…" I trail off, my stomach sinking. "Jesus, Gray—"

  "Look I'm just saying, Nico…" He growls lowly. "He's getting clients for this little porn studio of his that have certain underground tastes."

  I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling my blood boil.

  This isn't fair. It's not fair to me, I know that, but I'm not thinking about myself.

  I'm thinking of Rose. Me, I've been across the world, and done horrible shit for my country. I've made choices, and I've lived with the consequence. I mean hell, I work for a crime family . Honestly, what good did I think would ever come from that?

  But her? No. No fucking way. She's done nothing to deserve what's going to happen to her. Even if it's me who does it, and even if I know I'd never hurt her, the whole thing is fucked. Completely fucked. She's too amazing, and beautiful, and good for all of this. And I know it's wrong to even think it, but I also know it can't be helped: she's stirred something in me. She stirs something fierce in me, something that's had my mind lingering on her ever since they dragged me away from her earlier.

  And maybe it’s the savior complex that I've always had, but I know one thing for sure: I won’t let them do this to her. Selfishly, I want her for myself. Fuck it, I'll admit that. I want her all to myself — nothing for them, and nothing for the camera. But unselfishly, I want to help her. Hell, I need to help her, and I know without a doubt that there's no chance that I'll be able to sit by and let those monsters do this to her.

  Not a fucking chance.

  "I have to go, Dylan."

  "Yeah enjoy your show , liar."

  He sighs before hanging up.

  My head's spinning and my blood roars as I stand and stride out of my room. I prowl the hallways of the building. I head down to the entrance and get a warning glare from the guards before I head back up the upper floors.

  I'm looking for Rose.

  The thing is, I know I could probably get out of here. After all, they don't seem all that worried about me dipping out or going on the run. After all, the Moretti's and I both know that there are people they could hurt that would bring me back in a second — like Gray and Roman. And I'd never
let that happen. Nico knows he's got me, and he knows that I know that running would be a lesson in futility.

  The place seems like it must've been an old hotel, before the Morettis starting using it for God knows whatever they use if for. There are a lot of rooms, and I've barged into ten empty ones before I stop cold at the bend in a hallway.

  There are two guards outside one of the room doors, and it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together and guess where they've got her. I'm not under guard, but it appears Nico's prized virgin actress is .

  …It's not going to stop me.

  I move back out of sight and duck into one of the empty rooms. It's an older hotel, with those weird doors that connect rooms from the inside, and as luck would have it, the one in here is unlocked. Perfect. I slip into the next room, and do the same there. The next room is the same, but from there, I' m at the corner of the building, and there's no more connecting doors.

  I grit my teeth before I glance at the window — more specifically, at the fire escape outside the window.

  Yeah, that'll work.

  The window opens seamlessly — again, it's not like it's a working hotel anymore. I climb out, and step along the wrought-iron fire escape around the corner of the building, until I see it.

  Rose's room.

  There's a dim light on inside, like maybe she's got just the bathroom light on with the door ajar. I creep to the window, ignoring all sorts of flashbacks from my time in the Marines as I press my palms to the glass of her window and push. It opens silently.

  My blood runs hot through my body as I pause just before stepping inside. This is a crossroads, and I know it. I could walk away right now, and forget I was here, with whatever ideas I've got in my head right now. I could slip back through the empty hotel back to my room. And in a couple of days, when Nico wants to make a goddamn porn movie with the two of us, I could just do it . I could push aside the moral compass and the compassion, and the fact that just thinking of Rose makes me fucking crazy, and simply do what I'm supposed to do.

  Fuck her.

  And as wrong as it'd be to do that — to claim her virginity in front of a fucking porn director's camera — God help me, my cock throbs rock hard at the thought. The cum boils hot in my balls, and I groan, imagining it. I picture her naked and spread wide under me — maybe grabbing her ankles tightly as I run the head of my cock up and down her tight, pink, tempting little pussy. I imagine plunging inside, and tearing through that hymen, heedless of everything except my raw caveman need to fuck her , and pump my cum deep inside her fertile womb.