Bent to His Will: A Dark Billionaire Romance

by Piper Stone

  A cold shiver trickled down the back of my legs. What if that was the truth? Of course, the captain would take his side over mine. And if I simply disappeared? That would make it a hell of a lot easier. “I don’t believe you.”

  The judge chuckled before darting a glance toward the television, keeping his eyes on me as he reached for the remote. “The great thing about living in DC is that sordid news is always the highlight of everyone’s day.”

  As the screen popped on, I loathed the fact my eyes were drawn to it. Myriad emotions rushed through me as I witnessed all three of the Dunmore brothers being led from the club in handcuffs. At least six police cars had surrounded the location. I was suddenly sick to my stomach, still fighting the tears.

  “I am a thorough man,” he half whispered. “Now. Where were we? Oh, yes. The answer to your question is that bad blood runs in the family. I knew you’d have no problems crossing certain lines,” the judge continued, shutting down the television.

  I refused to allow him to see how much his bullshit bothered me. While I attempted to smile, I felt as if there was nothing left. Nothing. I was all alone. Oh, God. Oh... God.

  “Now, you’re going to hand over your gun nice and slowly to me.” He beckoned with one hand, his eyes gazing down the length of me. “You are truly a beautiful woman. I might just have to keep you as my pet. Would you like that?”

  “Fuck you.”

  Snarling, he inched even closer, the gun pointed at my temple. “That wasn’t nice. You’re going to be punished for that. Give. Me. Your. Weapon.”

  I didn’t budge, trying to figure out the best way of overpowering him. While he outweighed me by a solid hundred pounds, I certainly had the training. But I had to keep my weapon.

  “Give the gun to me, Autumn, or I will have to hurt you and I really don’t want to do that.”

  There was no advance warning, no noises of any kind.

  Until the front door was kicked in, three men bursting inside.

  As the judge fired a shot, everything shifted into slow motion, my heart skipping several beats as the intruders burst forward. Within seconds, an arm was swept out, knocking the gun out of the judge’s hand, the force pitching the judge against the wall.

  “That’s not a nice thing to do, Judge Needham,” Gregory said, half laughing as he glared at the judge.

  “Gregory,” I whispered, unable to stop the tears from falling. Thank God the bullet had missed, shattering what was left of the intercom instead. The sight of both Michael and Christopher next to him, all three with weapons in their hands, made my heart sing. Michael and Christopher immediately moved toward the judge, flanking his side.

  “What the hell?” the judge demanded.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Gregory said as he walked toward me. I’d never seen the kind of look in his eyes that he gave me, the quiet reverence as well as...

  Love.

  “How? What happened?” I managed as he cupped my chin, rubbing his thumb back and forth across my lips.

  “Let’s just say your nice captain freed us immediately after listening to the fascinating evidence I had regarding Judge Needham. He also had an interesting story to tell, Detective Autumn Sutherland. I take it we have you to thank for helping your captain understand that we were the ones being framed. However, it would already appear your captain had an idea of who was behind the ugly game the judge was playing.”

  “What?” The captain had figured out that the judge was the person responsible? Maybe I’d underestimated him. I was shocked as Gregory grinned. “I’m sorry I lied to you, but I had a job to do.” I heard the words as they tumbled out of my mouth but almost laughed after issuing them.

  Gregory shifted his gaze in the judge’s direction. “We all have jobs to do, secrets to lock down deep inside. Don’t we, Judge? I think the court system is going to be very interested in yours.”

  “You’re not going to get away with this,” Judge Needham hissed, once again shifting his gaze in my direction. “But you are right, we all have secrets, lies that we tell ourselves in order to pretend we’re not evil. You’re the most vile and evil person I’ve ever known, Gregory.”

  “That’s funny coming from a man who enjoys keeping and caging women,” Gregory retorted. “It’ll be interesting to see what the press has to say about that.”

  “Are the police on their way?” I asked, giving the judge a hard glare.

  “Oh, they will be,” Michael said, half laughing.

  “But first, we have some entertainment in store for the good judge here,” Christopher added.

  “No good deed goes unpunished.” Michael said as he smiled. “You can expect a visit any time now from Mr. Gasini and a few of his associates. He wants to thank you personally for destroying his son’s career.”

  “You can’t do that!” the judge insisted, taking gasping breaths.

  “We can and we will, Judge. Now you understand that fucking with my family wasn’t in your best interest,” Gregory stated, his eyes twinkling.

  “But they’ll kill me!” the judge insisted.

  Michael tapped him on the shoulder. “No, they won’t. Although you might hope that they will.”

  “I am curious as to why you hate me so much, Judge Needham. My father was very good to you. You were friends, or so I thought. So why?” Gregory asked as he closed the distance to the judge.

  “You don’t deserve to know,” the judge hissed, his expression one of hatred.

  Gregory pointed his weapon at the judge’s head.

  “Don’t!” I snapped, inching closer. “You’re a good man, Gregory, no matter what you think. He’s not worth it.”

  As Gregory tipped his head in my direction, I could see a mixture of emotions, including the love he felt for me. I only hoped it was strong enough to keep him from pulling the trigger.

  Exhaling, Gregory finally eased the gun away, engaging the safety then shoving his weapon into his jacket. “Let’s get you out of here, Autumn. I’m finished with this trash.”

  As he guided me toward the door, the judge began to laugh, the sound more haunting than I would have imagined.

  “You really want to know why, Gregory? Do you want to know why? She meant nothing to you, never even showed up on the extensive checks that your organization performed. She was a nobody and you destroyed her. But she meant something to me and to my family.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Gregory demanded, his rage returning.

  “Maggie. Do you remember her?”

  I could see the way the name affected Gregory, the horror in his eyes.

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Maggie was my goddaughter, a girl I promised her family that I would protect, only I wasn’t able to protect her from you.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Gregory

  Guilt.

  Love.

  Anger.

  They all seemed to remain close to the surface, impenetrable emotions that could rock anyone’s world. They certainly had mine. In the last few days, more times than I could count. There was also another world that I’d been forced to learn.

  Acceptance.

  I hadn’t been the one to pull the trigger ending Maggie’s life. Her estranged husband had been, although her godfather blamed me for the entire tragedy. Maggie’s name had never surfaced in the judge’s background. For some reason, he’d gone to great lengths to keep her association with his family very private. Just another secret in a sea of them. While I knew there was more to the story, that didn’t alter the circumstances.

  Or the guilt I continued to feel.

  If I’d have known who she was or the fact she was married, even though she’d been separated for almost a year, I would never have embarked on a passionate and very dark relationship with her. I guess I was more old-fashioned than I cared to believe.

  A one-woman kind of guy and one who was very unattached.

  A smile crossed my face as I lifted the glass of wine, savoring
the flavor more than usual. At least I was finally starting to relax, enjoying the moment. Who would have ever thought I’d be able to do that after all the guilt and anger I’d harbored for so many years? It seemed that the judge had three illegitimate children, none of which had wanted anything to do with him. Perhaps Maggie was the fourth. Whatever the truth, the poor man was facing disbarment as well as a nasty divorce.

  As the sun began to set, I took a deep whiff of the ocean. Deciding to hire a captain for the boat had been a good idea. Although the trip was only planned for a day, the time away from the club and the press was something I needed desperately.

  Plus, I had other thoughts on my mind, filthy ones that had consumed me over the past few days.

  Seeing Autumn in front of the camera, standing alongside her captain as they formally exonerated our club had been defining. While I still found it difficult to accept that she was a detective, I was proud of her.

  Although her dance the night before had been... sensational. One last time at the club. One last dance for the members. Everything had been perfect.

  As Valentina.

  I chuckled and lifted my glass, realizing a beautiful shiver had shifted down my spine.

  She was here.

  The woman I adored.

  The woman I’d fallen in love with.

  Even if she’d been pretending at first.

  “Hello, stranger,” Autumn whispered from behind me.

  As I turned, the sight of her made the beast deep inside crawl toward the surface again. I wanted to ravage every inch of her, taking her in every hole. I needed to chain her to the bed, never letting her out of my sight.

  And I would hold her all night long, keeping her safe.

  As mine.

  All mine.

  Forever mine.

  “You look stunning,” I managed as my cock twitched, my balls like tight little drums hungry for a feast. She stood in a slinky red dress, her feet bare, her long copper-colored hair flowing behind her back as she swayed back and forth to the music.

  “And you look delicious,” she mused, laughing softly. The lilt was something that I would never forget. Everything about her remained vulnerable, yet so damn strong. She was a vibrant piece of art, a beautiful rendition of a masterpiece.

  And I was one lucky as shit man.

  I leaned against the railing, beckoning her with a single finger. Tonight was very special.

  She moved ever so slowly toward me, her eyes never leaving mine. As she came closer, she bit her lower lip, acting as if she was so innocent. Of course, I knew better. She was a temptress, a woman who could cause an entire club to go mad with desire. When she lifted her hand, running her fingers down my chest, I issued a series of growls.

  “You are one bad girl,” I whispered in a husky tone.

  “I suppose that means I need a hard spanking.”

  Grinning, I reached out, wrapping my hand around her throat and pulling her closer, onto her toes as I lowered my head. “Absolutely.” I pressed my lips against hers, tasting the wine from an entirely new perspective. As she wrapped her arms around me, arching her back, I pushed my tongue past her succulent lips, hungering even more than before.

  She moaned as the kiss became more passionate, a roar of need that never seemed to go away. I would consume her tonight, bringing her to new heights of pleasure as well as pain. She was finally ready to surrender.

  I swept my tongue across hers, drinking in her sweet essence as the scent of her perfume and her incredible pussy wafted under my nose. She was aroused, her nipples hard as pebbles, her entire body quivering in my arms.

  When I broke the kiss, she purred then moved beside me, lifting her head as she gazed at the last remnants of the sun.

  “So beautiful here. Where are we going?” she asked, the light breeze shifting her long strands back and forth.

  “Does it matter?”

  She seemed to think about the question. “Not in the least as long as I’m with you.”

  “Good answer.”

  We stood silently together, watching the rise and fall of the light waves.

  “I’m curious about something,” she said in passing.

  “As always, Ms. Detective.”

  “Where are the ledgers?”

  Laughing, I thought about that very conversation I’d had with Michael earlier in the day. “The honest truth is hidden in Michael’s mind. He refuses to tell either Christopher or me, but I assure you that they will turn up one day.”

  She shivered as if on purpose, shaking her head. “Then God help the rest of Washington DC. You do know that the men who were arrested, their careers and their reputations were ruined. Correct?”

  I thought about the senator and while a part of me wanted to feel guilty, I honestly didn’t. “If you keep secrets, they will eventually come out and usually not when you want them to. The nature of the game and one I’m very good at.”

  “Bad boy.” She gave me a slight punch in the ribs as well as a sideways glance. “No more business talk. I love your boat.”

  “And I love you.”

  A slight gasp left her lips as she tipped her head to stare at me. “Are you sure? I am a handful.”

  “Yes, you are, but I have ways of taking care of that. That question is do you love me?”

  Love.

  I’d never said the words to Maggie. We’d never had that kind of relationship. Perhaps I wasn’t ready for a woman with so many layers, sides that intrigued the hell out of me. I was definitely ready now.

  “I’m still thinking about it.” Giggling, she jumped out of my reach, twirling in a full circle. Perfectly on balance.

  Driving me batshit crazy.

  “Be careful, little girl, or you’re getting dessert before dinner.”

  “Please, oh, pretty please?”

  I had to admire her strength. In learning about her father, I’d begun to understand why she’d had such a thick layer of armor surrounding her. What had surprised me the most was when she’d called him. While she continued to say she would never want anything to do with him, I knew it was her way of releasing her own guilt.

  No more secrets between us.

  No more lies.

  Just two people longing to share a lifetime together.

  “For the record. I love you to the sun, moon, and the stars and back,” she said before giving me a wry smile. “Forever and for always. Is that good enough?”

  With two long strides, I had her in my arms again, swinging her in circle after circle.

  “I never knew you could dance,” she mused.

  “You never asked.”

  “Good point.”

  “Come with me. I want to show you something.” I took her by the hand, leading her to the salon. When she noticed the red foil bag on the coffee table, she gave me a playful look.

  “A present for me?”

  I shook my head, adoring her coy demeanor. “Only because you’ve been such a good little girl, my pet.”

  Very slowly she eased onto the couch, taking her time pulling the gold ribbon and reaching inside. As her hand pressed across the velvet box, she darted another look in my direction. “What is this?”

  I shrugged and took a sip of wine, never taking my eyes off her.

  Her hand was shaking when she opened it, her eyes going wide. “It’s... stunning.”

  Remaining quiet, I allowed her to remove the jeweled collar, the diamonds and rubies sparkling even in the dim lighting, the tag with her real name. I could tell she knew what it meant and for a few seconds, my heart hammered hard in my chest.

  “Amazing,” she added.

  “I’m glad you approve. As you might imagine, the collar comes with rules.” I took careful steps toward the couch, sitting down beside her.

  “Always rules.”

  “Yes. You must obey me at all times. You must always call me sir. You must perform any dazzling sexual act I require. And you must never be with another man.”

  “And if I break those
rules?”

  I took the collar from the box, waiting until she’d lifted her hair. I’d never been a man to falter at anything, but this was very important.

  For both of us.

  And so, even though my hands were shaking. I positioned the clasp and brushed my fingers down the back of her neck, my nostrils flaring as the hunger continued to increase. “Then I’ll have to punish you.”

  “I guess that’s not going to happen often then,” she said as she turned to face me, easing her wine down on the table. “Because I’m a very good girl. All. The. Time.”

  I took a sip of the wine, allowing the liquid to roll on my tongue before swallowing then placing my glass beside hers. “You’ve already broken your first rule.”

  “I did not.”

  “And you have a sassy mouth.”

  “That’s not so,” she huffed, pursing her lips in the most provocative manner.

  “You do understand what that means. Correct?”

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” As she attempted to get up, her eyes dancing with amusement, I yanked her over my lap, immediately tugging her dress up over her rounded bottom.

  “You forget I’m your master. Forever and always. Remember?” With one snag of my finger, I ripped away her panties before bringing my palm down, smacking one side then the other. There was nothing more enticing than spanking her, bringing her to a place of rapture.

  “Yes. Sir.”

  As a smile crossed my face, I realized that for the first time I was happy.

  And as far as the ledgers? Only time would tell.

  Secrets...

  The End

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