by Piper Stone
“Goddamn,” I muttered, lights flashing in my peripheral vision.
She leaned back, blowing across the tip once again, the chuckle pushing past her delicious lips more vixen-like than ever.
I fisted her hair, yanking until she was forced to look into my eyes. Shaking my finger, I eased my hand down until I was able to roll the tip back and forth across her lips. “You’re not in control. You need to remember that.”
“Oh, I remember.” She opened her mouth wide, the mischievous look remaining.
I forced her to take three full inches of my shaft, barely able to control my hunger. I couldn’t wait to slide my cock deep into her tight little pussy.
Then her asshole.
The sounds coming from her mouth became more ferocious, growls and purrs only adding to the incredible moment.
“That’s it. Take every inch of me.” I planted my other hand on her head, rolling onto the balls of my feet, thrusting even more of my cock inside. When the tip hit the back of her throat, I threw my head back, issuing a heady roar toward the heavens. I took full control, pumping into her mouth with wild abandon, my body tense as a wire.
She darted her tongue back and forth, clenching her jaw muscles, only adding to the heat.
Within a few seconds, I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my control for much longer. My legs were shaking, my mind drifting in the perfect moment of bliss. I heard the change in my breathing, rattled as fuck.
When she squeezed my balls, there was no holding back.
“Fuck. Fuck!” The pressure was surreal, my balls ready to explode. As cum rushed into my cock, I pumped harder and faster into her hot little mouth. A rush of adrenaline matched the flow as I erupted.
While I held her in place, I could feel my resolve around her crumbling. When I released my hold, I tumbled backwards, struggling to be able to see. As I was finally able to open my eyes, the sight of her licking her lips was one powerful aphrodisiac.
“You are amazing.”
She exaggerated her movements, sliding the tip of her tongue around her mouth in lazy circles. All I could do was shake my head.
“I’ve been a good girl. You should release me,” she whispered, her tone dripping with sexual innuendoes.
“I don’t know,” I countered as I attempted to walk closer. Now I was so damn relaxed I couldn’t think clearly.
“A deal’s a deal.”
“That’s true.” I swaggered even closer, peering down at her. “But if you even think about being naughty again, you’ll get a spanking.” I pulled Bryce to her feet, biting back a grin from seeing the rebellious side of her return. The moment I unfastened the rope, I expected her own form of retaliation.
She simply stood close to the water, rubbing her arms as she studied me. Why did I have the feeling that she was up to something? “You ready to continue our ride?”
“Uh-huh, cowboy. Very much so.”
I lifted my eyebrows, watching her intently before giving her a come-hither nod then turning away. I should have known the little woman couldn’t be trusted. Instead of following behind me, I heard the light splashing of water and the second I turned around, she managed to toss cupped handfuls into my face. Another round of laughter floated into the trees.
“You shouldn’t have done that, sweetheart,” I chastised.
“What are you going to do about it?”
I laughed as I lunged forward, grabbing and lifting her into my arms. “You won’t learn.” As I inched toward the water, the expression on her face turned to absolute horror.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, struggling and kicking her legs.
“I think you need to cool off.”
She tossed a look toward the water, moaning, “You wouldn’t dare!”
I lifted a single eyebrow, stopping just two feet from the water. “You really don’t think so? You obviously don’t know me very well then. Now, the water’s going to be cold given it’s spring fed, but you’ll get used to it.”
“Don’t you even think about it!”
“Oh, you can swim, can’t you?” I swung her out, chuckling as she screeched, grabbing onto my shirt with a solid grip.
“Don’t do it, Hawk. Please. My phone. You’ll ruin my phone and I need it for work. You have to know that.”
Inhaling, I give her a curious look, furrowing my brow as I pretended to debate. “Give me your phone.”
“What? No. Don’t do this. Please,” she begged.
“Give me your phone or I guess you’re going to be out of contact for a long time.”
She hissed under her breath then fought to slip her hand into her back pocket, giving me a ferocious growl before handing it to me. “If you do this, trust me. I will get you back.”
I chuckled as I ripped the phone from her hand, the jarring immediately highlighting the screen and catching my eye. “What. The. Fuck?”
“What is it?”
I eased her down, keeping my hold firm and read it again. A portion of the text message had been cut off. “What’s your code?”
“What? Why?”
“Give me your code, Bryce, and I’m not fucking around with this.”
“Six, nine, four, three.”
I punched in the code, maneuvering to her texts. What I saw curdled my blood and there was no doubt in my mind.
My brother had been murdered.
Chapter Eleven
Hawk
Stop investigating the fires. If you don’t, you won’t like the consequences, Ms. Myers. People who meddle usually end up dead.
The words were simple enough, the threat chilling, the text coming from an unknown source. I paced the floor, trying to calm my anger as well as accept the fact Drake had been killed because of something he knew. That was the only conclusion I’d come to.
“The fucker is going to die,” I barked. I meant it too. I was finished with playing games of any type.
“You have no way of knowing who sent the message, Hawk.” Bryce was unusually calm. “You told me that the article was going to piss people off.”
“Yeah, but to threaten you is entirely something else. What about that fucking informant of yours? He knew your number.”
“Why would he do that? Why? That doesn’t make any sense. He wanted to expose whoever was behind this.”
Nothing did at this point. “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t put it behind the motherfucker. Maybe you were steered to write the story in order to hide something larger.” I could tell she was thinking about my words.
“Maybe. Maybe not. He seemed sincere and worried that his identity would be discovered. I hate to say it but I’m nervous,” she finally said. She moved toward the couch, sitting down and immediately pulling her phone into her hands. “What the hell did I discover?”
“Obviously more than you should have gotten yourself mixed up in.” I noticed in a few seconds that she was typing. “What are you doing?”
“What needs to be done. Bringing this fucker out in the open.”
“Give me the phone, Bryce.” I walked closer, holding out my hand.
“Nope. I started this and I’m going to finish it.” When she pressed her finger against the screen, I snatched it from her only to find she’d sent a terse and very pointed message back to the sender. While I was shocked the damn thing actually went through, I was livid that she’d purposely decided to antagonize the jerk.
Come get me, fucker. I’m not scared of little men with even smaller balls.
“Jesus. Fucking. Christ. Why did you do that?”
“That’s what I do,” she insisted.
“My God. Do you have any idea what kind of fire you’re playing with here? This could be some deranged asshole working alone. This could be an entire group of people. Men are dead. You should be scared to death, Bryce. Now, you’re going to listen to me because I’m only saying this once. You’re not going home. Period. You’re a target and that shit just isn’t going to happen.”
“And you’re not my caretaker, Hawk. I b
arely know you.” She looked away as soon as she said the words. “I had to send the message. I know you don’t understand.”
I stiffened, trying to curtail my own frustration. I could easily tell how worried she was. “Nope. I don’t understand why you’re purposely putting yourself in harm’s way and maybe you don’t know me, but I can keep you protected. I might be the only one who can.” I wanted to punish her, wrap my arms around her and hold her tightly against me, commending her bravery. Shit. She was a loose cannon.
“For the rest of my life?”
Sighing, I rubbed my eyes. We’d gone over this for almost two hours, although she remained tightlipped about much of what she’d already discovered.
“I have a job to do, Hawk,” she managed, unable to look me in the eyes.
“A job that might get you killed.” I slipped the phone onto the table, shaking my head. “Do not do that again. But if that fucker texts you back, you will show me. If you don’t...”
“Fine, but I can take care of myself!”
She was just as fiery as usual.
I hissed under my breath. “You’re right, Bryce. And you don’t need anyone around you. That’s obvious.”
“You should talk. You have so much anger furrowing in that big brain of yours that it’s going to explode one day.”
This wasn’t getting us anywhere. Fuck. Nothing was getting us anywhere but deeper in a pile of quicksand. I had no business trying to play detective, or protector or anything for anyone. I walked toward the window, staring out at the star-filled sky.
Night had fallen, a time I’d once loved. Now the darkness seemed oppressive, my heart heavier than before. Drake had lost his life searching for answers. What the hell it all meant was almost too much to even fathom. And I still hadn’t been able to venture into Ashley’s room.
I was a damn coward after all.
“I don’t want to argue with you,” she murmured. “I’m just trying to make this right.”
“Then we won’t discuss this at all.”
I couldn’t stand the thought of someone trying to hurt her.
“You know what’s funny? I enjoy spending time with you,” she said wistfully. “I shouldn’t. You’re a caged animal.” She laughed. “But one I like.”
Her reflection in the glass was enough to wrap a rope around my neck. I had no business getting involved with her, but the time spent with her allowed me to feel almost normal.
Almost.
“What are you thinking?” Bryce asked minutes later, still studying the screen on her phone.
“That whoever you pissed off will make good on his threat. We need to contact the sheriff.”
“You know how I feel about that. It’s not like I haven’t been threatened before.”
While she liked to play the brave female, I could see her hands continued to shake. “I don’t think you understand the ramifications of what you might have uncovered. That’s why Drake is dead.”
“So, you believe me,” she asked, shaking her head as she glared at me.
“I believe something occurred that Drake knew about.” I yanked out my pocketknife, moving directly to the box. “The only way to find out is to search through his belongings.”
“He wouldn’t have put himself in harm’s way on purpose. That’s crazy. Think about Ashley.”
“No, but my brother would have volunteered to work the fire if he believed that he might find some kind of evidence. And you’re not going to talk about putting one’s self in harm’s way.”
She exhaled, watching as I slit the tape on the box. “Maybe. You honestly don’t know that, Hawk. I did some additional digging today, even asked a friend of mine if she knew of any investigations that were ongoing on the recent incidents.”
I glared at her as I yanked off the box lid. “You need to stop fucking around with this. You also need to tell me everything. Screw whatever promise you made to that informant. All bets are off since that article was published. If there is something going on, there may be several people involved. Let. It. Go.”
“And I can’t do that. It’s my job.”
“Not to get killed,” I snapped.
Her continued glare was hateful at first, just another reminder of how brash she could be. The dominating man inside of me wanted to lock her inside the cabin, refusing to allow her to continue snooping, but I knew she’d find a way out.
“I’m not going to allow a few words to chase me away. Whoever sent that text is just trying to scare me.”
“Yeah? Then how did the asshole get your number? Why do you honestly think the person responsible sent you that text? Three firefighters lost their lives, others were hurt, and three buildings burned, maybe more over time. That gives the perpetrator the reason to make certain whatever truths are out there aren’t brought into the open. If you think your life isn’t expendable, you’re out of your mind. I’m not going to stand around and allow you to get yourself killed.”
She studied me intently, every part of her body tense. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you actually gave a damn about my welfare. And I’d say that you also know more than you’re telling me.”
Growling, I shifted my gaze away. “Don’t be a fool, Bryce. No story is worth getting killed over.” I was able to see a flash of pain on her face from my words.
“Fine. I created a mess. I was just trying to clean it up.”
She would always be a spitfire, a woman who refused to listen to reason.
“Are you certain you know this friend very well? Given the accusations that were made, whether you wrote the piece for the newspaper or not, your name was attached. That also means you should be leery of your producer. He seems like a cagey guy anyway.”
“How would you know?”
After sighing, I shook my head. “I could tell when I went to your office in order to find you. What I’m trying to say is that at minimum, you need to be careful who you talk to at this point.”
“Wow. My friend works in the DA’s office. Okay? She’s a junior level attorney but she’s in the know. She also has methods of investigating people and corporations that I don’t have access to. I thought she would a good source of information.”
When she looked away, I could tell she was hiding something. “What did you do? Do not lie to me.”
“Umm...”
“Hell, no, Bryce. You are not going to continue acting like some lone wolf. That will get you killed.” I snapped as I wrapped my hand around her arm, forcing her to look at me. “What did you tell her? I will drag you over my knee one more time if that’s what’s going to drive any level of reasoning into that thick skull of yours.”
“Stop. Okay? I asked her to check on what happened with Jaime Weatherby. You mentioned she died in a fire. That raised a red flag. It has to with you.”
I wanted to be furious with her, but a part of me was more curious than angry. “Yeah, maybe. And what did she say?”
“Becca said that Jaime died at her job, which was as a legal assistant for another firm. She was working late one night when the fire started in the basement of the old building owned by the partners in her firm. Jaime likely had no way of knowing what was happening until it was too late. Unfortunately, the firefighters couldn’t get to her in time. That’s why you think Drake might have volunteered for these fires, to find something out about his wife’s death.”
I sucked in my breath, hearing the story regarding Jaime’s death dragging out another feeling of rage. No wonder Drake had offered to become a volunteer firefighter. He wanted to find out what the hell happened. “I know my brother. If the fire was suspicious, he wouldn’t be able to let it go. What was determined to be the cause of the fire?”
“You’re just like your brother,” she chided.
I glared at her.
“You are one hard man. The investigator ruled it an accident. Faulty electrical system,” she said with a smirk on her face. “And before you ask, it’s a different investigator than for the recent fires, so there’
s no connection there.”
“You’ve been busy.”
“That’s why I’m good at my job.”
Good. The woman did need to be hogtied or caged. “Someday you’re going to have to explain to me the meaning of the word good.”
“Very funny. Check the box. Maybe you will find something important or maybe there’s nothing to find.”
I wasn’t certain which I preferred. My mind remained foggy as I peered into the box, first noticing a ball cap positioned on top. As I pulled it into my hand, I could do nothing but close my eyes. The Marines. As I fingered the dense material, every emotion rolled through me, including guilt. My brother had been proud of my decision after all.
“Anything else you need to tell me?” I asked after a few seconds, struggling to place the hat on the table.
“Becca either didn’t know anything else that mattered, or she didn’t want to tell me about any investigations regarding the owners of the buildings.”
“Let me guess. You think she’s lying to you.”
Bryce exhaled in an exaggerated manner. “Yes, I do, but I didn’t press it with her. You have to remember, I’m a nobody in town. Plus, she seemed nervous.”
“Uh-huh. I still have a feeling you’re not telling me everything.”
“I’m not hiding anything from you, Hawk, but I’m not going to lie that her clipped answers put me on edge. We both want to learn the truth, no matter what the horrible answers might be. Yeah, I have a job to do but I feel obligated to find the truth.”
“The truth. Why the hell is that? I’m nothing but a story to you.”
“My God. Don’t play the martyr, Hawk. While you seem to enjoy the nasty attitude that you make certain everyone else around you experiences, I’ve seen the man inside, the one who’s feeling guilty about leaving his brother. I also experienced the one who hungers to actually enjoy his life. While I might not know all the damn reasons why you ran away to the military, I can see that you’re hurting because of all the lost time. That doesn’t give you a right to take it out on me. I’m not your punching bag. I’ve made my own mistakes. No one’s perfect. But I won’t be treated like your enemy.” She stormed off, throwing open the back door.
