Captured and Kept: A Dark Reverse Harem Romance

by Piper Stone

  “She’s a big girl. She knows the risks. If she’s stupid enough to write some article about diamonds in the mountains, then she can handle the aftermath.” Wolf was insistent.

  “Oh, come on. She doesn’t deserve the wrath of either Mr. X or any of the other marauders itching to hunt us down. You know that,” Bronco muttered under his breath. “Our risks are our own. We should have taken the time to drag her ass back down the mountain. We’re as much to blame for this situation as some wayward girl living out a ridiculous fantasy.”

  “Mr. X. Perfect name for the dude, as well as funny,” Cane said, coughing.

  “Yeah, well, it won’t be funny if our employer finds out that we had a bystander here. Our instructions were very clear. Tell no one or face losing the money as well as our lives.” Danger gritted his teeth. Why in God’s name didn’t he follow his initial instincts? He refused to place her life in danger. It just wasn’t going to happen.

  Wolf slammed the beer bottle on top of the counter. “You wanted to play house.”

  “We all did!” Danger snapped.

  “Why don’t you all cool down. This isn’t getting us anywhere and you know it.” Bronco moved in between them. “We’re almost finished. One day and we can bag and tag and get the hell out of here. Mr. X doesn’t have to know about Dani. We’re all going our separate ways, and this will simply have been another job, a very lucrative one. We can get on with our lives.”

  Exhaling, Wolf nodded. “Agreed.”

  Another round of tension remained between them.

  “So, what are you going to do with the girl?” Cane asked, breaking the ice.

  The girl. They were all distancing themselves from her, as if the last week had never happened. This was the question he wasn’t prepared to answer. He’d thought of little else since his admission this morning. The look on her face had driven a stake in his heart. He wanted to be with her more than anything, even start a new life, but she’d never be happy given the kind of life he was required to live, always on the run. All the money in the world and even the fact Mr. X was going to erase their histories wouldn’t alter that fact. He’d been a fool to even think so.

  He was also aware every man desired her, and not just for the adventure they were sharing—together.

  “I don’t know. I care about her and I don’t want her hurt. That much I do know.” Danger heard Bronco sucking in his breath.

  “You like this girl, really like her,” Bronco stated, laughing softly. “Shit, man. You need to deal with this now. If you don’t want her found, captured, and killed then I suggest you talk some sense into her. This glorified idea she has about fixing her broken career might get her killed.”

  The truth was haunting, hitting him smack in the face. “Yeah. I’ll go talk to her.” Danger polished off his beer, his heart heavy and his thoughts muddled. After a few seconds, he headed toward the bedroom, hesitating before knocking twice. When she didn’t answer, he walked in, finding her staring out the window. “Dani, I thought we could talk.”

  “Didn’t you come to punish me in some regard, drag me out to the others and whip me?” Dani asked without turning around.

  He heard the utter contempt in her tone of voice. “Not tonight. I think we’re past that at this point.”

  Dani lowered her head and even from where he was standing, he could see her lower lip quivering. She was trying to hold in her emotions.

  “Why don’t we take a walk?”

  She didn’t respond for a full minute, finally turning around, glaring at him in the eyes. “I know you all think I’m stupid. A crazy girl longing to fulfill a fantasy. Come to the mountains, have sex with several men. Sure, the fringe benefits were wonderful. I can’t lie about that, but I’m simply trying to regain my life. Okay? I’ve told you that several times. I don’t care about the diamonds. I don’t care about this employer you have.”

  Danger could tell she’d been crying. “I know you’re trying to regain your old life. I guess in truth, we all are. Take a walk with me. I’ll give you whatever answers you need, at least as much as what I’m allowed to tell you.”

  Her brow furrowed, she folded her arms then nodded once. “Allowed. You’re right. You should have forced me to go away instead of...” Her words trailed off.

  He took two steps toward her, reaching out then yanking back his hand. “Come on.”

  “Fine.” She trailed behind him as they walked out the front door, none of the others saying a word.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets, gazing up at the mountains as the sun began to set. “I meant what I said, Dani. I’m considered a dangerous man.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve killed a lot of people.” He heard her strangled breathing.

  “You’re a soldier, aren’t you?”

  “I was, Marines. Special Ops. I was damn proud to serve my country and was privy to some powerful information. Then I was captured and held prisoner for almost three years, tortured. I watched as several of my buddies were murdered. I always believed we’d been used as pawns. Was even vocal about that at one point, but nobody believed me. When I came back, I wasn’t the same man. And no, there hasn’t been a doctor capable of quieting the demons. What you said about your father, what he believed was going on? He was right and so were you. What was occurring in secret meetings could’ve potentially created the war to end all wars.”

  Dani stopped short. “What did you say?”

  He turned to face her. “I didn’t make the connection about your father when I first met you. I knew Major General Walter Cronfeld, or at least I knew of him. He was highly decorated and respected in the ranks of the Marines for almost his entire career. Unfortunately, at least for him, he was tenacious in his beliefs and you were correct in that he ruffled some feathers. He knew a great deal about what was going on behind closed doors. He was indignant that the country he loved so much was being pushed into Armageddon. I remember hearing about this. Even my commander talked about your father’s accusations. As you can imagine, making Major General Cronfeld seem crazy was easier than negating what evidence he’d collected, even though they tried. Then you started writing articles, pushing the agenda all over again.”

  “He was right. I tried to believe in him. They almost had me convinced my father is crazy. Damn it. Is the danger still there?”

  “Yes, at least from what I know. The same people are involved. Anything could happen. Americans have no idea how precarious the world government is. Any day could potentially be their last. Your father wanted the entire world to recognize this.”

  “And so he was ostracized. All those years I didn’t believe him,” Dani whispered.

  “The government and the military can be very convincing when they need to be. I remember how outraged certain high-ranking officials were. Anyway, by then, I was on the wrong side of the law, at least as far as the government was concerned. I was hired as a mercenary, spending the majority of my time in other countries. I can’t tell you by whom, but rest assured, they also believed what your father accused our government of doing.”

  Her eyes were imploring. “That means you were still working for our country, just in a different capacity. That doesn’t make you a bad man, Danger.”

  “Oh, yes, it does. I enjoyed the killing, taking human life. I became the same kind of monster I’d been fighting since I was eighteen.” Danger was forced to look away, tears brimming his eyes. This was much more painful than he’d anticipated.

  Cupping his face, she brushed her fingers across his skin. “You allowed me inside, Danger. You’re a wonderful man. You see, I know you better than you know yourself.”

  Twisting his head, he kissed her hand, every part of him anguished. “I only wish I could help you understand.”

  “Why this job? Why work for a basic thief? I don’t get it.”

  Danger took her hand into his, walking them further away from the cabin. He counted to three before admitting the guilt that had been like a noose for so many years
. “Because of Angelina, because of how special she is. With money I can at least keep her out of harm’s way.”

  Dani gripped his hand but remained quiet.

  “She’s my sister, Dani. I meant what I said about never being married. What you and I shared here has been the most special time of my life.” He could see relief in her eyes.

  “Tell me about her.”

  “She’s beautiful and so opinionated, just like you,” he said, chuckling before the darkness took over. “I placed her life in danger because of what I’d fallen into. It’s a long story, but after my parents died, I took care of her. We had no other family. She looked up to me, so proud I was in the military. Unfortunately, after I was captured and believed to be dead, she lost her way. She found herself with the wrong kind of people, including a man who nearly destroyed her, the supposed love of her life. The bastard was pure evil.”

  “I’m so sorry, Danger.”

  “When I came back, I did everything I could to get her back on track and I do mean everything, and she never forgave me.”

  “You killed the man who abused her,” Dani said quietly.

  He nodded. “There was no way for her to rationalize what I did. Angelina knew what I was involved in, what my job was. The things she said to me, what she accused me of. They were true. What difference was there in the man I killed or the man standing in front of the mirror?”

  “So, this job and the money...”

  “The truth for me is that I had nothing to live for so after she tossed me out of her life I took this job simply to try to find myself again. The money is enough that Angelina will never have to work again and I can just disappear. Bronco, Cane, and Wolf have their own reasons for taking this assignment; however, we all needed to disappear because of our pasts. That’s why you have to leave here and pretend you never met us. I get about your article, but you can’t tell anyone who we are or about the diamonds. You just can’t risk it.”

  “I don’t give a shit about the others, Danger. I care about you. I. Love. You.”

  Dragging her into the heat of his body, he gripped the back of her head as he crushed her mouth. The taste of her was even more stimulating, fueling the fire, but more than anything, he wanted to keep her safe. In order to do so, he’d have to let her go. When he broke the kiss, he brushed strands of hair out of her eyes. “I love you, Dani, but I need to follow through with my plan. That will be best for everyone.”

  “You can’t run away. Angelina needs you. Your country needs you.”

  The old conflictions rushed into his mind. “I’m just one man, Dani. I have no credibility. There’s nothing I can do. Look what they did to your father.”

  “But there’s more work to be done, to try to save our entire world. You know that better than anyone. I can work with you. I’ll be by your side.”

  Danger shook his head. “Trust me. You’ll have a much better life without my baggage and I refuse to endanger your life.”

  Pulling away, she remained unblinking for a full minute. “I thought I knew you, Danger, but I was wrong, and you were right. What I do know is that you are nothing but a coward.”

  As she walked away, tears slipped down both sides of his face.

  He was a coward.

  Chapter Eleven

  “You’re still sulking.”

  The statement was the same Dani had heard for the last six weeks. “I’m still sulking, Lisa. Don’t judge me.”

  “I’m not judging you.” Lisa slid onto the barstool, tapping her fingers on top of the bar. “I’m just worried about you. And bah humbug.”

  “What’s there to worry about? I’m home, safe, and alive. I’m writing again. In fact, I have a snazzy little piece about the ice cream shop down the street going up tomorrow.” And who gives a shit about the holidays?

  She burst into laughter. “You’re sitting in a bar in the middle of the afternoon all alone and you’re writing about frivolous crap, the kind of shit you ran away from in the first place.”

  “I didn’t run away and today is my day off!” Dani snapped then took a deep breath. All she’d been doing was running. From her father and her past. From her feelings for Danger. From the articles she’d promised to write about the cavemen. Her fingers couldn’t wrap around her glass of wine fast enough, nearly sloshing it over the edge.

  “Whew. Bartender, I need one of those.”

  “Aren’t you working?” Dani challenged.

  “One isn’t going to kill me or my job. Damn, you’re on edge.”

  They sat together in silence.

  “Okay, I’m hiding but not running. I’m right here and committed to doing the right thing,” Dani insisted.

  “For the newspaper or for you?”

  “Both. Danger was right. I need to get on with my life. What I shared was just...”

  “Sexy and powerful, dangerous and amazing.” Lisa snorted. “Don’t give me that look. You used those very words more than a few times.”

  “So what? I went into the mountains expecting to write a fun piece that I could share with the community.”

  “Why aren’t you?”

  Dani had no good answer, at least not one she could share with her best friend. “Because there’s no real story.”

  Lisa coughed, almost ripping the glass of wine from the bartender’s hand before he had an opportunity to set it down. “Don’t you dare give me that.” She took a gulp before continuing. “I heard every detail, all the sexiness that every girl in the entire world would find enthralling. Like a romance novel. You lived a real adventure, an amazing fantasy. What’s not to love? You even have art, although I wished you would have taken the picture up close.”

  They wouldn’t allow me to. They would have spanked me for even trying. The whispered words in her head made her swivel on the hard wooden seat, her pussy clenching. She’d only mentioned half of what had occurred, including information about their heightened level of discipline. “Yeah, well.”

  “Dear God. What is wrong with you? Four sizzling hot men, a week of wild sex. I realize it’s a family newspaper and all, but you can cut out the part about their huge cocks. Right?” Laughing, Lisa fingered her glass, giving Dani a mischievous look.

  “Shush!” She glanced from side to side. She’d had her share of questions since her return, especially from her boss. While he hadn’t threatened her job, he also hadn’t offered her any stories with additional meat. She’d simply been docked vacation time. She’d almost asked Jacob several times whether he knew Wolf, but in asking, she might blow the man’s cover. She rolled her eyes at the thought. She had no idea of their last names or even if the names they’d given her were real or not. Some reporter she was. The only evidence she had that her adventure had even happened was the single picture and the diamond.

  Danger had never asked her about the stone in any manner and the subject hadn’t been brought up in any regard. The last day at the compound had been terse, none of them on speaking terms. Then they’d packed her up, found her truck, and given her gas.

  But she’d seen the bags of diamonds.

  Dani shivered at the thought. She was home, and everything was back to normal.

  Except for her heart. And she’d realized just how much she cared for all of them.

  “No one is paying any attention to us.” Lisa scowled. “What’s really going on here?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I’ve also heard that about a hundred times. When are you going to tell me what they were doing on that mountain?”

  Dani shrugged, twirling her wineglass.

  “Something illegal I presume.”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “It obviously does to you, especially since you’re in love with Danger.” Lisa slunk back, as if anticipating a hard smack.

  Dani merely gave her a cold expression. “I’m not in love with him. He’s a coward.”

  “Why, because he didn’t take you with him? Because he didn’t allow his life to revolve around you?” Lisa growle
d. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You had a magical ride. Besides, go find him if you love him that much. Hell, go find all of them.”

  All of them. She shivered at the thought. Spending a live with all of them was nothing more than a ridiculous fantasy. “I told you. I’m not in love with the man. And, I have no idea where’s he’s gone, where he’s from or his real name. Just how do I go about finding him?” Her inner voice was poking at her, calling her a liar. The was no logical reason for her to be in love with Danger, but her heart, body, and soul yearned for his touch, his wet lips pressing against hers and his cock buried so deep inside her pussy.

  “By writing the article. Who knows. Maybe someone will recognize him even with all that hair. Pretty good disguise though. Did the beard scratch you when you kissed him?” Her laugh was raucous.

  Dani lifted her middle finger playfully. She’d actually adored their scraggly appearance, the roughhewn look suiting them. She allowed her thoughts to meander to the four men she’d grown fond of: fleeting memories of the raging passion and the heated punishments rocketed through her brain. Even her fingers were trembling just from thinking about them. What she’d said to Danger during their last conversation had haunted her. He was courageous and a fighter, especially for his sister. She’d simply allowed the hurt building inside to cloud whatever was left of her jaded judgment.

  Or maybe she’d been lured into a web of deceit.

  Hissing under her breath, she hated the thought she’d been nothing more than a distraction, bumbling into the middle of a basic theft ring. But that’s all she was left with, at least regarding their ‘operation.’

  She’d picked up the phone to call her father at least a half dozen times but hadn’t been able to find the courage. Still, if anything her father said held more than sixty percent of fact, they’d given up their endeavor way too easily. Was there some hidden ploy to destroy other countries, thereby putting the United States in danger? There again, what in the hell could she do about it? Write more articles? Drag the past back into her life?