by Piper Stone
Reeling in my anger, I cut a large bite, enjoying the flavor of the beef. Wagyu, no less. While she watched as I cut another piece, her nostrils flaring, she didn’t bother even grabbing her napkin. “Do you know what kind of beef this is, Delaney?”
The question seemed to put her off guard. “No.”
“It’s Wagyu.” I forked the large filet, holding it into the air for her to see.
“So what?” she snarked, finally taking a sip of her wine.
“So this piece likely costs somewhere in the neighborhood of two hundred dollars.” I put it back on the plate, taking my time once again to cut a small bite, easing it into my mouth and savoring the flavor.
“I guess that’s not the meat of choice they served you in prison.”
There weren’t any words that could have come out of her mouth that would have shocked me any more than the ones she just used. She’d been playing me, trying to find out more while pretending to give a fuck. What kind of a fool did I have to continue being? When I jerked up from the table, knocking over the chair again, both Rafael and Jax rose to standing positions, Rafael moving closer to her, holding out his arm to allow him to handle it.
“That’s enough, Delaney. While you might have figured out why Sawyer is pissed as hell, you don’t know the half of it. The man spent time in a penitentiary for a crime he didn’t commit. The reason? Lies from your boss, your lover, whoever the fuck Carter Bradley is to you.” Rafael took a deep breath. “Sawyer was blamed in order to get him out of Carter’s way.”
Her expression was unreadable, although her eyes studied him intently.
“And we don’t really give a shit. The simple fact is that you do know Carter. You’d admitted that already. You’re going to eat your dinner then answer some questions. It’s that simple. If you don’t then things are going to get even rougher. Am I making myself clear?” Rafael continued.
“Yes. Sir. Crystal,” she huffed between clenched teeth.
As if to add insult to injury, he yanked the napkin from the table, snapping it in the air before placing the thick material across her lap.
I was surprised at his aggressiveness. As I studied her reactions, she didn’t seem fazed by his abruptness or his words. In fact, she seemed bored.
“Two hundred dollars for the steak?” Jax asked. “Do I want to know about the wine?”
I snorted from his question. “Let’s just say your bounty better be pretty high.” I fiddled with the glass, unable to take my eyes off her as Rafael bent over, purposely cutting a bite out of her steak.
“Bounty hunter,” she said. “That’s what you are. An assassin for hire, a bounty hunter, and an escaped criminal. Amazing.”
A laugh churned in my gut. The girl had guts.
“Open your mouth,” he instructed.
She clamped her mouth shut.
I was forced to admit that I’d never been so exasperated in my life. However, her change in demeanor was telling. I had to keep reminding myself of that.
“You’re one damn good actress, Delaney,” Jax said under his breath. “I was beginning to think you might be telling the truth. Open your damn mouth or I’ll be the one to open it for you.”
She shifted her hateful gaze in his direction then opened her mouth as wide as possible.
This was some kind of game to her.
And I wasn’t amused.
Rafael shook his head then placed the bite into her mouth. “Eat it.”
While she did as she was told, she made another face.
“Let’s try this again. Did you work on contracts or accounting?” I asked, trying to keep the defensive tone out of my voice.
“Neither,” she answered politely this time, although she certainly had no intention of looking me in the eyes.
I shifted my gaze toward Rafael as he sat down, his face beaming from amusement.
“Accounting. Who the hell was the accountant when you were there? Wasn’t he or she called to the stand?” Jax threw in.
“Bart Reynolds was no friend of mine. Pinheaded jerk acted as if he had no clue what I was talking about after we’d had a few discussions.” I wasn’t certain how much I wanted to answer in front of her, although at minimum, perhaps she’d gather what a prick Carter was.
Her single cough drew my attention. While her head was dipped, I could swear she’d reacted to the answer and not from the food she’d been forced to ingest. “Do you need to tell us something, Delaney? Did you work with him?”
“He’s the vice president now,” Rafael said quietly.
A wave of chills shifted through me. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. I checked their website and with the state commission, trying to make any connections to your case. He was promoted about nine months ago.”
“My guess is the bastard was paid very well to keep his silence. Jesus.” I pushed the plate away, fighting the urge to rip the table apart.
“Maybe so,” Rafael answered. “What are Bart’s responsibilities, Delaney?”
“Whatever Carter tells him to do,” she answered, toying with her food.
I’d suddenly lost my appetite. “I think it’s time to help Delaney understand that the consequences for silence are just as significant as they are for disobedience. Jax. Will you take Delaney to her room? A little time out is necessary.”
“And lock me in again? How much time did you spend getting ready to take me prisoner?” she retorted.
Leaning over, I grabbed her by the chin, my grip firm. “Do you want to know what’s interesting, Delaney? We didn’t have to do anything. It would seem Carter enjoys locking people into rooms during his visits to the location. Maybe we’ll get to use that same room to lock him in. That’s after we’ve thoroughly interrogated him. Don’t worry. You’ll get to watch. I suspect that might be as early as tomorrow.”
She pursed her lips, the rebellious look remaining even as her body trembled.
Jax pushed away from the table, waiting until she stood on her own accord. “Come on, sweetheart. Maybe you and I will have a chat.”
As he started to take her away, she jerked out of his hold. “You know, I thought you were a nice guy, but I can see I was wrong. Even if what you say about Carter is true, you’re no better. You’re not just a bad man. You’re an absolute monster.”
* * *
Monster.
The word shouldn’t rattle me in the least. I’d labeled myself the same way for months. Hell, years. I wanted to laugh at her balls to the walls attitude, but something about her change in demeanor continued to nag at me.
She was playing a game, but on which side?
I paced the floor, pissed as hell and mostly at myself. I’d almost allowed my guard to fall.
“Sit down, Sawyer. This isn’t getting us anywhere,” Jax snarled. “You should have allowed me to continue grilling her. You know I have a particular way of getting information.”
“I don’t think it would do a damn bit of good,” Rafael answered for me. “I also don’t think you want to hurt her, Jax. I see the way you look at her.”
“What the fuck is it to you?” Jax growled.
“Stop it, both of you.” My words were hollow.
Glaring at Jax, I continued to pace, darting several glances at the deck, barely able to see Delaney’s silhouette. We’d allowed her out of her room after an hour, even agreeing for her to get dressed. Maybe I wasn’t cut out for being a prison guard of sorts. Besides, I could swear the taste of her kiss lingered even after steak, wine, and now whiskey.
Shit. Shit.
I had to get my mind off the raging beauty. What the fuck had been wrong with me to fuck her in the bathroom?
Like I was her damn boyfriend.
Like I could care about her.
Delaney stood stoically, her long hair floating in the breeze. While she had to be chilled given the brisk breeze, she barely reacted to the blowing sand and whistling wind.
I studied her as she stood on the deck, her body tense. She held her glas
s of wine as if it was a lifeline while she stared out at the dark skies. The wind had kicked up significantly, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore troubling.
The reason I’d never be able to care about her had nothing to do with the fact not only was I a convicted and escaped felon, but I’d shifted down a path I would never be able to recover from. It wouldn’t matter if she provided a statement saying nothing happened. We’d disciplined her. And fucked her. And...
I’d searched the house, finding nothing of use. It would appear almost every drawer had been emptied. I thought I knew the man and his habits, including his manner of keeping important documents. He’d had no reason to keep them under lock and key with me being in prison, but he certainly would have kept them out of his office or his expensive condominium just in case.
“There has to be something here,” I barked as I rubbed my jaw, tossing back a good portion of my drink. “The entire damn house is nothing but for show.”
“That’s because Carter is attempting to sell the estate,” Rafael said as he shifted his drink from one hand to the other.
“You’re kidding me?” Jax huffed.
“I had a chat with Delaney, earlier. Before things blew up at dinner,” Rafael continued. “She repeated what she told us before with details. I believe her when she says she was hired at the last minute to take photographs of the house and nothing more. If what she said is true, Tiffany ran off to get married to some boyfriend. She thinks she was getting ready to be fired from her job as his assistant. That much we should be able to determine once we get back to Miami.” He shifted his head in my direction. “If what she said is true, all this is total fucking bullshit. She’s obviously loyal to Carter for some insane reason even if she isn’t fucking him. Maybe we need to rethink this.”
I doubted his anger had anything to do with whatever she’d told him or her ridiculous behavior. I’d seen the way he’d looked at her all through dinner, could also see the glare of disdain in his eyes every time he looked at me. The man was furious that I’d taken her alone. He was right about one thing. This was fucking bullshit.
“If we can’t find shit and she won’t tell us anything, what the hell are we going do, wait until Carter pulls up in his plane with a group of cops?” Jax asked as he grabbed the bottle of whiskey he’d found, pouring another glass.
“I already told you, he won’t do that. Trust me. And even if he does, we’ll have plenty to talk about. My memories are entirely intact.” As far as going back to Miami, there was likely no place I could hide. There had to be another secure location in the house that I missed, even somewhere small. As conniving as Carter was, he was likely to have hidden panels built into the house. Think like Carter. Would he leave any evidence here while attempting to sell the house? The other question was equally as difficult to answer.
“I don’t think your memories mean shit, Sawyer. They didn’t help you when in court. In fact, given you didn’t have any evidence, you were tried and convicted in record time.” Jax kept his voice even, but his words hit home.
I’d been caught off guard with the arrest, prevented from personally showing Carter or the district attorney what evidence I had collected. Even the backup copy of the drive I’d secured on my premises had been found and destroyed or it had been kept as a souvenir. While there was no smoking gun as far as who was behind the embezzlement of funds, the proof had been there in black and white.
All removed before my attorney could get a court order signed to search the office computers as well as my residence. What had been found were direct links to my email as well as my bank accounts.
All fabricated, all without a trace of by whom.
But I knew.
Even the way Carter had smirked in the courtroom had provided all the proof I’d needed. Carter had ceremoniously planned an exquisite scheme in order to frame me. And I’d fallen smack into the middle of it.
Jesus. It still made me sick to my stomach.
Since Carter enjoyed talking about his ruthless methods of operation, he would have dropped hints of some kind. I shifted my gaze back to Delaney. Was she simply a damn good actress?
“We will search the house again the morning,” I stated then polished off my drink.
“What are we searching for exactly?” Jax asked.
“A jump drive. Orange in color.” I moved toward the table, refilling my drink. I was going to need more than just a couple of drinks tonight.
“All right, Sawyer, but you should expect the possibility of company tomorrow given your threat.” Rafael rose to his feet, walking toward the windows.
Jax laughed, rubbing his jaw. “Just exactly what kind of threat did you issue?”
I took a swallow before answering. “Just four words. ‘I’m coming for you.’”
“You still got balls, buddy, even more so now. I’ll give you that.” Jax lifted his glass.
I heard the sound of the howling wind and sighed. I had a bad feeling the weather was going to get dicey. That could work in our favor or become an issue. Either way, the boat would need to be secured. I was going to get off this goddamn island, even if it meant assuming an identity and living in one of the Caribbean islands.
“I’m going to talk to her. Time for her to stop thinking that she’s in control.” I headed toward the door.
“Sawyer. Delaney is more fragile than you think. She’s hanging on by a thread. Her life is crap and she stands a chance at losing everything. The bravado is her protection mode.”
I stopped short hearing Rafael’s words. Whether or not that was true, I had to shove it aside.
“Sounds familiar, Rafael. What would you have me do?” I asked, uncertain I wanted the answer.
“Remember what it felt like before the bitch broke your heart,” he answered. While had no idea, the man knew me far too well.
A rush of anger pooled in my gut, but it had nothing to do with the fact he’d called me out. He might be right, but there was too much at stake at this point. “I already told you. I’m not that man any longer.” I walked out onto the deck, leaving a few feet between us.
The quiet between us was awkward. A part of me wanted to have a normal conversation. I almost laughed at the thought. There was no such thing as normal any longer.
“A storm is rolling in,” she said quietly.
“Maybe so.”
“The pilot mentioned a hurricane was supposed to move away from the island. What if it doesn’t?”
Her voice held the same kind of worry I’d heard before dinner, the switch in her attitude frustrating as fuck.
“Then we weather the storm. You should come inside. I don’t want to argue with you any longer, Delaney. It’s been one shit day and I’d like to get some sleep.”
“I’m sorry.”
“About?” I took a swig of whiskey, not bothering to look in her direction.
“What I said about prison. I can’t imagine how horrible it was for you, especially being an innocent man.”
I exhaled, realizing there wasn’t enough booze in the world to deal with her games. “That’s fine. I don’t know what kind of shit you’re trying to pull or why, but it’s not going to fly with me. You need to get that through your pretty little head.”
“I’m scared, Sawyer. I don’t know what the hell you’re planning on doing. I might have a shit life, but I want to keep on living it. I’m not trying to play a game. What happened in the bathroom was...”
“Well, maybe Carter will show up tomorrow and we can get on with the party.”
“He’s not coming.”
“What?” I took a step toward her. “I said I’m through with games.”
“I overheard him talking about being threatened and that’s what he said. He’s finished with playing games. Then he cancelled his trip here. Whether or not you believe me doesn’t matter, Sawyer. I’m finished playing games as well. Unless you tell me how you were framed for committing whatever crime, there is nothing I can offer to help you. I will ventur
e a guess that it was extortion.”
Every part of my mind reeled from what she’d said, including the fact I believed her. I’d made far too many mistakes, too many assumptions. “Go to bed. We will continue our discussion in the morning, and I will be doing a bed check later. Don’t even think about doing anything stupid.” I was almost inside the living room when I heard her chastising words.
“You wear your gun as if monsters are lurking in the shadows.”
Snorting, I tipped my head, able to see her silhouette. “Don’t they? You should fully understand that there is evil in this world.”
“You’re right. There will always be evil people in the world, Sawyer, those who succeed in taking away everything that’s important to us, but it’s how you handle the aftermath that matters. As I told you, whatever you were forced to endure in prison must have been horrible. However, you allowed Carter to shut down your soul. If this is some kind of game, that means he’s already won.”
I hesitated, wanting nothing more than to lash out at her, but she wasn’t the cause of my fury or the indignation I’d been forced to deal with. “You’re right, sweetheart. There is evil in this world, the kind that destroys even the strongest of men and women. What I had to endure that changed me has little to do with prison. In fact, incarceration opened my eyes. Now, I see more clearly than I ever have in my life. While a part of me longs to put a bullet in Carter’s head, that would be too good for him. He will suffer just like I did and in doing so, maybe then he’ll learn the meaning of life.”
I walked away from her before I changed my mind, the rush of memories too much to bear. As I walked toward the set of stairs, I eased my hand behind my back, touching the gun secured firmly. Evil. She was just beginning to learn how destructive evil men could be.
And she was going to continue to learn.
The hard way.
My heart remained heavy as I walked up the stairs, heading to the communications room that Carter had designed. The last thing we needed was a freaking hurricane, but given the way the wind had kicked up, I would venture a guess some kind of storm was brewing.
I sat down behind the desk, staring at the weather tracking system. State of the art as I would imagine. The sound of the howling wind was unnerving, almost as much as the realization that my threat might have had no bearing on Carter in any way.
