by Piper Stone
Theirs to Protect
By
Piper Stone
Copyright © 2020 by Stormy Night Publications and Piper Stone
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Stormy Night Publications and Design, LLC.
www.StormyNightPublications.com
Stone, Piper
Theirs to Protect
Cover Design by Korey Mae Johnson
Images by Shutterstock/CURAphotography, Shutterstock/TVERDOKHLIB, Shutterstock/MaxyM, and Shutterstock/FXQuadro
This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
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Chapter One
Kelly
“He’s going to kill me.”
Saying the words out loud made them seem real. And true.
And terrifying.
Oh, God. Oh, dear God, please let me get away.
Shivering, I glanced into the rearview mirror, praying to God I didn’t see any headlights. I knew they’d come after me, hunting like the horrible monsters they were. He had dozens of men working for him, horrible specimens inflicting anguish for even a single infraction. I had almost no chance of getting away, but it was an opportunity I’d been willing to take.
The waning light of the day created horrific shadows across the road, imaginary images of barbaric thugs with guns prepared to end my one chance at freedom. I knew the visions were merely premonitions of things to come.
Michael Capatelli would never stop until he locked me in a cage, punishing me for daring to defy him. No one ever disobeyed his commands for fear of severe consequences.
Especially his wife.
Correction, his almost wife.
At least I’d gotten this far, making it almost eighty miles. The wedding guests, none of whom I knew, were likely still feasting on shrimp and lobster, drinking themselves into oblivion. I’d been locked in my room all alone, awaiting my terrible fate.
A walk down an aisle tainted with blood.
I yanked at the lace surrounding my neck, the tight material suffocating just like the proposed marriage would be. The ugly fucking wedding dress was just something else Michael had forced on me. His decision for his bride to be.
A woman he already thought he owned.
His slave.
I shuddered again, trying desperately to figure out how to turn on the heat. The sleek Lexus with a console that resembled something from a rocket ship certainly wasn’t my usual ride. My poor Monte Carlo’s heating and cooling system had barely worked, the precious bucket of rust carted off like the rest of my real life. “You won’t need any transportation after our marriage,” he’d told me on the day my beloved car was dragged away from his pristine property by a tow truck. Frustrated I couldn’t figure out the expansive heating and cooling system, I slapped my hand on the steering wheel, fighting to keep from crying. How had I gotten myself in this position?
I knew the answer: one dark and stormy night over three years before when a stranger had walked into the diner where I was working. All rugged brawn with the most intense black eyes, a laugh that had enticed me enough to agree to going out with him.
I’d been such a fool.
Hell, I’d grown up around a father who’d been a cop. I knew a lying creep when I saw one. If my father were still alive, he would have made certain his fellow Boys in Blue had shown Michael the error in his ways. How he’d been able to fool me with his loving mannerisms and promises of a fabulous future together was beyond me. The man was pure evil.
I glared at the phone I’d also stolen from one of the housekeepers. Michael had stripped me of my own, locking away the few things I’d brought with me.
For a visit and nothing more.
Then he’d upped the ante, requiring me to stay. I’d taken the brunt of his wrath, his anger because I’d lied to him.
I would do it again in order to protect the ones I loved.
Thank God there was finally limited reception on the phone, although I knew it was only a matter of time before even that lifeline would disappear. I struggled to remember my sister’s number, my mind one big blur. Everything had been stripped away from me, including portions of my memory from his brainwashing.
You’re worthless without me.
You’re only good to be property.
The ugliness of his words remained.
Hissing, I concentrated as I took several deep breaths, finally able to recite the phone number in my head. “Please be there. Please pick up the phone.” There was no way of knowing whether she would. I’d managed to call Ashley once and while the situation with Michael had yet to turn completely nasty, she’d been able to tell something was wrong. I’d hurriedly given her instructions that I knew in my heart she’d followed. Now I could only pray she’d do exactly as I asked once again.
Just as expected and maybe as I’d hoped, she didn’t answer. When the voicemail kicked in, I could tell the reception was beginning to wane. I slowed down as I relayed the information quickly. “Ashley. I don’t have time to explain. You need to go now to that place you like so much. You know the one I mean. Don’t wait. Do it tonight. Please. Just...” The three beeps were the most horrible sound in the world.
The call had dropped.
Oh, God. Oh, please God. Would she understand what I meant? Was she still okay? Was she even alive? I couldn’t think any additional wretched thoughts. There was too much at stake. I glared at the phone before tossing it across the seat. I was now completely and utterly on my own.
As the rain began to fall, I tried to concentrate on driving. I had no idea where I was going, but at this point it didn’t matter. I just needed to get to somewhere safe. Safe. Was that even a possibility? Maybe Florida. Maybe Cuba. I knew very little about the state of Georgia, had only been down I-95 on my way to Daytona Beach what seemed like a lifetime before. Maybe I could hide out somewhere for a few days? Where? How? I laughed even though a single tear finally trickled past my lashes as I put everything into perspective.
I’d fled Michael’s perfectly decorated mansion only thirty minutes before the start of the wedding in a pair of high heels. I had no coat in freezing weather, no identification, and no money. I’d stolen a stranger’s car from under the valet’s nose, only managing to escape because the massive iron gates at the front entrance had remained open to allow guests to arrive.
If I wasn’t found by several of Michael’s bodyguards, I’d be arrested for grand theft auto.
All I’d ever wanted was a beautiful fairytale; a brave knight unafraid of fighting off the dragons in order to save the woman he loved.
Instead, I’d found an evil beast, ready to consume me.
All the promises had been lies.
All the poetic emotions had turned
sinister.
But I’d refused to allow him to break me, which only pissed him off even more. Now I had to keep fighting. I wanted to live. I wanted to find a true hero, someone I could count on. I only prayed he was out there, ready to scoop me up into his massive, protective arms.
I needed to protect my little family.
Michael’s words burned into my mind as he’d stood in his perfectly coiffed three-thousand-dollar tuxedo, a cigar in one hand, a cognac in the other.
“Make no mistake, princess, you are my possession. If you attempt to escape, I will find you and you will not like the consequences. If you defy my orders, you will be punished. You will earn your right to indulge in privileges and I assure you, that will not happen for a long time. I will use you as I please. I will take you when I want, and do you want to know why? Because you’re my property.” He took a puff of his cigar, blowing the smoke in my face as he walked closer until I could smell the stench of his breath.
Then he smiled, his dark eyes flashing as he slowly lowered his gaze, sneering before once again looking directly into my eyes. “And princess. If you attempt to escape a second time, you. Will. Die.”
I was no one’s property. Fuck him. Fuck his wealth and influence. I didn’t care if I spent the rest of my life living in a little shack, I would be much happier.
Where were the windshield wipers? My hands shaking, I touched every apparatus as I tried to keep my eyes on the road. And the tears continued to fall. Concentrate. Breathe. I took several gasping breaths as I hunkered over the steering wheel, pressing down on the accelerator. As the shadows increased, twilight settling in, I did everything I could to calm down in an attempt to think clearly.
And the drops of rain pelted against the windshield.
I’d find a gas station and figure out where the hell I was. Maybe they would let me use their phone. And maybe the attendant will call Michael. “No! Stop it. Just stop it.” Yes, I’d been told several times that Michael owned everyone in the great state, his power mightier than any sword, but I had no proof, just the asshole’s bravado.
Drive. Drive.
I was finally able to take several decent breaths, even though my heart continued to hammer against my chest. You can do this. You’re strong. You’re a survivor. I said the words over and over again until the mantra stuck in my mind.
The flash in the side mirror was jarring. A vehicle. No. No. No! It was behind me. Following me. Catching up to me. Almost frantic, I pressed the gas pedal to the floor. I had to get away. I had to live. I had to.
Go. Go. Go. Go.
As I skidded around a curve, I continued to scan from one side to the other, trying desperately to find somewhere to pull into or another road. There was nothing but trees and black pavement, the darkness now overwhelming.
I was sick to my stomach, my pulse ticking in my neck. Several seconds passed. Then a full two minutes.
When I no longer saw the headlights, I held my breath, darting my eyes into the rearview mirror every few seconds. Maybe I lost them. Just a false alarm. “Keep going, girl. You can do it.”
When the lights popped up once again, closer still, I knew that I’d run out of time. There wouldn’t be anyone to save or protect me. There was no incredible knight on a big black steed, prepared to whisk me away to some magical kingdom.
There was only rain and darkness.
And danger.
My legs were shaking, and the windshield wipers couldn’t go fast enough. Please. Please. Wait a minute. The headlights suddenly disappeared once again. Oh, my God. Maybe I could do this. Breathing another sigh of relief, I eased off on the gas.
Then the car began to swerve.
“Fuck. Fuck!” Don’t panic. As everything shifted into slow motion, I managed to keep the car on the road, but as a headlight appeared coming from the opposite direction, I jerked the wheel without thinking. Then a second headlight. And a third. No. No... No!
A blasting horn.
Rain.
Blinding lights.
Stop. Stop!
Bam!
Chapter Two
Crockett
What. The. Fuck?
The headlights blinding, I swerved the bike, barely avoiding a collision. What a freaking idiot. When the car directly in front of me made a hard cut to the right, slamming into the ditch, I eased off the gas. Shit. This was last fucking thing I needed. I was sick to death of interference. If the fucking shit-ass situation wasn’t bad enough, some asshole pretending they could drive like a maniac in these weather conditions reminded me why I loathed people.
And why I had no issue killing anyone who got in my way.
This was no different. Accident or not, the jerkoff would pay for wasting my time.
I wasn’t a man with a conscience. That had been beaten out of me a hell of a long time ago. I no longer cared about anyone but myself, and the odd tug at my humanity did nothing but fuel my anger. Not a single one of us could afford to be recognized, especially since I knew members of law enforcement could be on the hunt.
Kill on sight.
I knew their tactics with a man like me, scourge of the Earth and a menace to society. I’d once felt exactly the same way, but that was a lifetime ago.
I also knew there was a significant price on our heads, but if we were captured by the man calling himself El Capitan, the ending wouldn’t mean bullets through our brains. It would mean countless days of torment, turning our bodies into Swiss cheese. I was taking a significant chance that this wasn’t some kind of ruse to discover our location. Domingo Salizare had it in for the three of us real bad. We’d made both him and his operation look like idiots in front of their core men, something that hadn’t been preventable. However, that didn’t bode well for the lengths of our lives.
The fucking nagging continued swelling with me. I slowed even more, finally making the decision to double back, motioning to the others. I knew they’d be pissed, but they had no choice but to follow my lead.
I was the one in charge after all. Fuck ‘em if they didn’t like my decision. If this was some kind of asshole hell-bent on giving away our location, he would pay with his life.
As I pulled over, the men I’d come to trust did the same. Dylan was the good-natured one of our group, insisting there were decent people left in this world. I snorted at the thought. There were three kinds of people in my mind. Those who ruled the world with anger and violence, reaping the benefits from ripping lives apart, and those who allowed the shit to happen to them. Then there was me.
I’d once been a protector of humanity, actually believing in rehabilitation. Then I’d learned the hard way my thinking was nothing but a crock of shit.
Now I had no soul, was considered a dangerous criminal, incapable of healing. As if I was sick, contracting an incurable disease. At this point in my life, I relished the thought of what I’d turned into, completely transforming from the man I used to be.
Maybe I’d never actually been a good person.
Dylan turned his Harley in the opposite direction, blocking off the road to oncoming traffic. I cut the engine, jumping off my motorcycle, hissing as the rain turned into ice. Fucking fantastic. Heading through the rough terrain was going to prove to be treacherous.
The original plan was we would be able to get back to the cabin before the horrific storm rolled in. The decision to use my cabin had been last minute, but there was no avoiding it even though the timing sucked. I’d never wanted anyone from my current or former life at what I called my sanctuary, but there’d been no other option.
If we wanted to live in order to complete our mission.
I was angry at the interruption, my adrenaline running high. If the asshole who didn’t know how to drive wasn’t hurt, I was going to kick his ass. With Dylan’s headlights illuminating the wreck, I could see the driver was slumped over the wheel.
Aw, what a damn shame.
I hissed after securing my helmet, glancing from one direction of the road to the other.
&
nbsp; “Shit. There’s no reception out here to call this crap in,” Wade barked as he jerked off his helmet.
“Yeah? I wouldn’t worry about that. If this is what I think, we’re gonna have to finish off what the road and weather conditions didn’t do,” I huffed, swaggering in the direction of the car, realizing just how damn slick the road actually was. A damn Lexus. Of course.
“You really think Salizare’s soldiers found us in this bum-fuck location?” Wade snarked, his usual nasty demeanor shining through. He’d loathed the idea of spending a single night away from his chop shop as well as sharing any kind of residence with the likes of me.
“We can’t take any chances,” I retorted.
“Let’s just see if anyone is hurt before you jump to any conclusions, Crockett,” Dylan commented. While I didn’t mind Dylan’s usual banter, I was sick of his second guessing me, as if he knew all about my past. I’d kept out of the limelight on purpose, changing my appearance in order to stay away from my former life. The last thing I needed was any additional crap that could highlight the crime we’d committed.
Then again, was it really a crime to steal from a simple thug prepared to introduce innocent people to a tainted super drug? I knew certain law enforcement officers would come to their own conclusions, sending the three of us away for a long time.
I moved closer, continuing to scan the area. We had enough weapons on us that we could hold our own, but I didn’t want to waste the ammunition on some dumb fuck.
“What the hell was the driver doing?” Wade snarled.
“Hauling ass from what I could tell,” Dylan piped in.
While it didn’t appear that the vehicle was badly damaged, the force of the hit was significant enough the driver and any passengers could be severely injured. I snorted and shook my head as ice pelted against my face. As Dylan and Wade moved toward the passenger door, I carefully pulled my Glock, releasing the safety before jerking open the driver’s door and shoving the gun inside. The single moan tore through me instantly, the woeful cry yanking out the protective side in me.
Fuck me. A woman.