Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Matter
Note
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
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Epilogue
Sneek Peek: Book 6
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Taming the Beast
Book 5 of the True Mates Series
By
Alicia Montgomery
Copyright © 2017 Alicia Montgomery
All rights reserved.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of the Author. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
This book is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously and not be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is coincidental.
To my readers, who made this all possible.
Don’t forget to turn the page all the way to the end - you can get a BONUS chapter of this book, as well as a FREE copy of my contemporary billionaire domination romance novelette The Billionaire Heirs.
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for buying or borrowing this book! Indie authors like me rely on you guys a lot to read our work and spread the word.
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Alicia Montgomery
Chapter One
Sebastian Creed signaled to his favorite bartender as soon as he sat down on the long, onyx-colored bar. The young man spotted him instantly and nodded in acknowledgment. Soon, a glass of his favorite bourbon appeared in front of him, and he took a small sip. There were some days he still couldn’t believe he was allowed in a place like this.
Luxe was the most exclusive club in New York City. He had to show his sizable bank statements just to be considered for membership. That was ironic, considering that growing up in a rundown trailer in Tennessee, he didn’t even have two dimes to rub together. Money was power, he learned. And over the years, he had acquired lots of it. Of course, that came with women, too. Not that he had any problems before he became rich. It was always easy to find some chick for a one-night stand or even a quickie in the bathroom, especially when he was in uniform. All he had to do was walk into some dive bar or small-town roadhouse, and the women were eager to “do their patriotic duty.”
As his wealth grew, however, so did the number of women who wanted him. Luxe catered to men and women like him, so at least here, he never had to worry about gold diggers. He only had to worry about the chicks who were too clingy or wanted to reform the bad boy. Those types he had learned to spot and avoid. He gave as good as he got but always left right after the deed. The sex, the skin-to-skin contact were the few times he felt something, but the moments right after left him cold and empty. Most days, he was just going through the motions as life had sucked the joy in him. He hadn’t felt real emotions in a while. Not since Afghanistan.
He swallowed down more bourbon, enjoying the burn down his throat. Pushing those thoughts aside, he scanned the room for his next target. The blonde across the bar seemed promising. She had just sat down,and leaned over to give her drink order, showing off a fantastic set of tits. They were unusually perky, so she either had a good bra or an excellent plastic surgeon. He’d find out soon enough.
Without warning, the hairs on the back of his neck bristled, and years of combat training told him he was being watched. He swung around, instantly recognizing who it was, but not the two others with him.
“Well, hello trouble.”
“Hello, Sebastian,” the man said. “Alone for tonight?”
“Not for long.” Sebastian turned his head towards the blonde, thinking about what color panties she was wearing under that silver dress. She looked back at him, her eyes flashing with interest. He knew that look. She could wait, though. He had a feeling this night was going to be interesting, which was a good thing. Sebastian was starting to get bored.
It was Grant Anderson, CEO of Fenrir Corporation. He’d met the guy a couple of times before and on his last visit to Luxe, even introduced himself. That night, he seemed like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and Sebastian figured it wouldn’t hurt to give him his card, especially if it could drum up some business. He even expected Grant to do a background check on him and his company, which was standard in his line of work. Creed Security pinged them right back, and then he found out who his mysterious friend was. After that last time, though, Grant had stopped coming to Luxe. It was too bad, as he genuinely liked the guy, though they only spoke a few times. The last time they did speak, the Grant was apparently in trouble, but he didn’t specify what kind of trouble. Now, maybe it was his chance to find out what kind.
He turned back to Grant. “But before I move on to tonight’s entertainment, tell me, where have you been? What happened to you?”
Grant gave him a smile. “Something worse.”
Sebastian laughed. So, some girl had gotten her claws into the CEO of one of the world’s largest corporations. Lucky chick. “Really?”
“Oh, yeah. Baby on the way, too.”
Ah, that was at least eighteen years of child support payments. Whoever she was, she must be happy as a clam. Of course, judging by that stupid grin on Grant’s face, he didn’t know what was coming. Better cheer him up while he could.
“Well, shit.” He gestured to the bartender. “A round of bourbon for my friends here. On me. But we’re not here to celebrate your doom, are we?”
Grant placed a manila folder on the bar beside him. “Sebastian Creed. CEO of Creed Security. You enlisted in the Marines as soon as you turned eighteen, went all the way to Spec Ops. Discharged honorably after ten years, then you started your security firm. Hit it big when you got some military contracts, and now Creed Security is one of the largest military and private security companies in the world.”
Now comes the fun part. “You know when I take a shit, too?”
“I like to get to k
now my friends well, Sebastian.”
“So do I, Mr. Grant Anderson, CEO of Fenrir Corp.”
He waited for a reaction from Grant, but there was none, not even a blink. The man wasn’t head of a major corporation for nothing.
“You’ve been doing some research, too, I see.”
“You think you can run a background check on me and I wouldn’t find out? Your guys are pretty good, but mine are better.” Sebastian rose to his feet. He was taller than Grant and his companions, but then again few men reached or topped his 6’5” height. “Now,” he said calmly, “What do you want?”
The blonde man to Grant’s right spoke in a cool voice. “We want to hire your firm, Mr. Creed.”
Any other man would have been intimidated, but he wasn’t just any man. “And you are?”
“Nick Vrost. Fenrir Corporation’s Head of Security.”
He didn’t feel inclined to shake the man’s hand, and Vrost didn’t offer his either.
“And you?” he said to the other man with Grant. This one was dark-haired and seemed more friendly. He also held out his hand.
“I’m one of Grant’s partners, Liam Henney.”
Sebastian shook Liam’s hand, surprised at the unusual strength. He looked at all three of them, and for the first time, felt a strange sensation in his gut. There was something unusual about these three men.
“So this is business.” Sebastian settled back on his seat. “So, let’s talk business. What can I do for you gentlemen?”
Grant took the seat next to him. “We have a missing…asset. The asset was taken from us by force, and we need he— it back.”
The hitch in his voice didn’t escape Sebastian’s notice. “So, standard corporate espionage stuff, huh?And you want me to retrieve your asset?”
“We will recover the asset. We’re narrowing down its location, but we already know we’ll need muscle to infiltrate the facility. Now, we’ve done research on your firm.” Grant paused to give the bartender a nod as he accepted the drink, immediately taking a sip. “You’re the best, and you’re also discreet.”
“Of course. Discretion is part of the game.” Sebastian nodded. “But first you’ll have to tell me what this asset is, and why it’s so important to you.”
“No,” Vrost said in his cool as ice voice. “It’s on a need to know basis only. My team will take care of retrieval. You just need to make sure we can get in and out safely.”
Ice filled his veins. No fucking way. This was not how he did business. There were certain types of people who thought that just because they had money, they could lead him by the balls and tell him what to do. “Then we have no deal. Have a good evening, gentlemen.”
“I’ll pay whatever you want. Double what you usually charge,” Grant said.
“Look, Grant.” He wanted to be honest with the man, at the very least. “My company is used to handling secrets. Classified stuff, even, so you can be sure your secret is safe with me. But, I need to know exactly what I’m getting into.”
“I’ve seen your record, Creed. Your company has run operations far more dangerous than what we’re asking.”
Hmmm…Fenrir’s security people were probably top-notch if they knew what kind of jobs he’d done. “The answer is still no.”
“You’d turn away millions of dollars to do one small job, just because we won’t tell you what it is we want you to retrieve?” Vrost asked.
He would not let the man get under his skin. “Listen, Mr. Vrost, right?” Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest. “Money, I got. Lots of it. But you know what I can’t replace with money, Mr. Vrost? The lives of good men and women. If I went in blind, I’d be risking the lives of my employees. Good, loyal people who’ve been to hell and back with me. And for what? The prototype for a fancy new gadget? A miracle pill that promises weight loss without the hard work? No. That’s how people get hurt, and I don’t do business with anyone who would treat my people like disposable toys. So, goodnight, gentlemen.” He felt disgusted, and frankly, disappointed that Grant Anderson was just like all the other rich bastards who wanted to hire him.
Sebastian walked straight to the blonde, leaning down to her ear. “Hey sweetheart,” he whispered in a low voice. “Why don’t you and me have a little fun on our own?”
The woman’s blue eyes widened, her pupils blowing up as he traced his fingers down her back. “Sure,” she said, standing up and following him.
He led her to one of the corner couches and moved over to give her some room.
“I have to confess, this is my first time here,” she said, scooting closer to him. “But, well, I was thinking of a nice birthday present for myself when my trust fund came in and…”
Sebastian gave her an empty smile, and let her drone on about her hobbies. Something about dancing horses or some shit. He nodded, as if he heard her, though all he could think about were those long legs and how they’d feel wrapped around him later that night.
“Mr. Creed.”
That was quicker than he’d thought it’d be. He glanced up at the trio of men, a bored look on his face. It was Liam Henney who had spoken. “Please, call me Sebastian.”
“Call me Liam, then,” the dark-haired man continued. “May we speak alone, Sebastian?”
He leaned down and whispered into the blonde’s ear. “I really wanna hear more about your horses, sweetheart, but I have some business to take care of. Go over to the other couch, and I’ll join you in a bit, okay?”
The blonde nodded, and with one last saucy look, she left.
Sebastian focused his attention back on the trio. “Okay, say what you need to say.”
“We’ve talked it over,” Liam said. “And we can tell you a little bit more about the asset. But not everything.”
This shit again. “All or nothing,” Sebastian insisted. “And if you fucking lie to me, I’ll know.”
Liam settled on the couch next to him, took his phone out of his pocket, and turned it on. He placed the device on the table and slid it over to Sebastian. “The asset.”
“Oh, fuck me,” Sebastian Creed said under his breath. He nearly dropped the phone in his hand but kept his grip tight. The air in his lungs rushed out of his body, and an unfamiliar feeling in his middle was gnawing at him.
The woman in the picture was beautiful. No, wait, that didn’t even begin to describe her. She was breathtaking. Peaches-and-cream complexion that looked soft to the touch. Burnished brown hair that went past her shoulders. Delicately-arched, but thick brows that framed her face. Long, sweeping dark lashes over expressive eyes. He wasn’t sure what color they were, but he thought they could be a very light green. And those lips. Pink, luscious and pouty, and he instantly imagined how they would taste and feel against his.
“Well? Will you help us?”
Sebastian looked up at the three men watching him. “Fine. Sit down, gentlemen.” He leaned back into the couch and watched as the three men sat across from him.
He waited for one of them to speak. When it came to negotiations, after all, the first one to talk was the loser. They needed him more than he needed them, that was for sure.
“Sebastian,” Liam Henney began. “This asset…I mean, she’s important to us.”
He narrowed his eyes at the other man. Was she his woman? Something he hadn’t felt for a long time —jealousy —clawed at his insides. Henney was the one who approached him after they walked away, and he probably took the photo of her. Fuck it all, if that was the case.
Tamping that feeling down, he spoke. “Who is she?”
“Dr. Cross is one of our leading researchers,” Nick Vrost said. Vrost clearly despised Sebastian, but he seemed like a solid guy, someone you could rely on. He said he was Head of Security for Fenrir Corporation, but he didn’t appear to have a hint of military experience. In fact, the pretty boy seemed more at home in a boardroom than a war room. He detected a hint of danger around the man, though. Vrost wouldn’t have risen to such a position if he didn’t earn it.
/> “What was she working on?”
There was a pause, but Grant answered. “Food. Food research.”
Sebastian rubbed his jaw. Food R and D was a multibillion-dollar industry. Many manufacturers had better security than the Pentagon since the competition was fierce. Still, there was something they weren’t telling him. He was tempted to walk away right now, but another glance at the picture had him rooted to the spot. “So, what happened?”
“Dr. Cross didn’t show up for work this morning, which is unusual for her. She didn’t call in sick, and we couldn’t reach her phone. We had our HR department check her apartment, but she wasn’t home,” Grant explained. “Finally, we decided to send our security team to investigate. None of her colleagues or friends knew where she was. Then, we checked the video from the security camera in her building. She was walking home last night when she was taken.”
Sebastian gritted his teeth. “How?”
“Two vans, about a dozen men, came and plucked her right off the street. She tried to fight them, but they must have drugged her,” Grant continued.
“Where is she now?”
“We’re working on finding her,” Grant replied. “But we don’t have enough people to retrieve her. We need extra reinforcements.”
“Why come to me?” Sebastian asked. “Why not go to the police?”
The CEO hesitated. “We know the people who took her. Let’s just say they’re not the type of people the police could handle. She might get hurt, as well as other innocent people.”
“Hmmm,” Sebastian rubbed his jaw. “Mercenaries or some sort? Cartel? Hell’s Angels?”
“Yeah,” Grant nodded. “Mercenaries. Hired goons. Plus, you know NYPD handles dozens of missing persons in any given week. They’d take forever to get an investigation going, and who knows what’ll happen to her if we wait any longer.”
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