Bound (Dark Horse #1)

by J. S. Scott

  “Don’t you worry, son. No one’s going to mess with your family now—and whoever took your father from you will pay for it dearly.” He ran a heavily veined hand across his chin, taking me in. “You know…my business—everything I’ve built—was supposed to go to my son, Steven. But with his death—and with you marrying Wren—the business is yours if you want it.”

  Steven had been Turner’s son—or rather his stepson, since Turner had remarried when Wren and Steven were still fairly young, a few years after his wife’s death. And Turner might be looking for a replacement, but there was no way I was letting him pull me back into such a dangerous life when I was so fucking close to finally escaping it. “I’m looking to get out of that sort of line of work—not to take on more of it. And it’s for the best, especially if you don’t want Wren to become a target.”

  “Glad you’re already thinking of how to keep her safe, though it does pain me to let everything I worked so hard for to just fall to dust.” He let out a ragged sigh, though it did little to persuade me.

  I’d been trying to get myself and my family out of this life for a long time, and Turner sure as hell wouldn’t be convincing me otherwise. “Not going to happen, Turner. I’m here for only one thing, so if we could please get on with it, I’d appreciate it.”

  “You’re a ballsy fucker, Blackthorn—just like your father was.” Turner tossed a file across the table toward me. “She’s been living in San Francisco. Everything you’ll need to know to find her is in there.”

  I flipped open the folder and leafed through the papers and the photos, my heart immediately lurching at the sight of her, picture after picture, clearly taken without her knowledge. She was still as gorgeous as ever and still had that wild and mischievous look in her eyes. It drew you in, even if you knew nothing good could come of it.

  There were pictures of her alone, but those were few and far between. Instead, most were pictures of Wren laughing and hanging out with several different men—and a few women—leaning back in their arms, or more intimate pictures of her caught in a kiss. And that meant convincing her to marry me was going to be even more of a pain in the ass, since any attachments to others would only complicate things, given that I was the one who was supposed to be marrying her.

  I shut the folder and tossed it on the table with a shake of my head, knowing this was going to be nothing short of a disaster. “You’ve been having her watched?”

  “Of course I have. And she knows it too—not that it’s slowed her down any.” Turner gave me a wry smile, his blue eyes locking on mine as if to make a point that he was still the one in control. “But you’ll make her happy—and you’ll sort out these other men. Just don’t take too long. I wouldn’t want anyone to have the chance to go after your family simply because you’re taking your sweet time getting married.”

  Pissed off, I got to my feet and snagged the folder. “Keep them safe, Turner. Or there will be consequences. Because if you think I’m scared of you, you can guess again.”

  “Do you think I don’t know that? It’s why you’re the only man good enough for my Wren.”

  It ended up being one hell of a drive down from Seattle to San Francisco, since flying back with her wasn’t really an option if she decided not to cooperate. Having her freak out in the middle of an airport and start screaming that I was kidnapping her wouldn’t turn out so well. But that long ass drive meant I had far too much time to run through all the different ways this thing with Wren could go wrong.

  Things between us had always been intense—but there was something there with Wren that made me feel like she was walking a razor’s edge, and she’d fall into the abyss if the winds shifted in the slightest. And though she was smart and loving, caring and vibrant, it also felt like she was clawing at shadows.

  Yet, my options were few—and Wren’s were even fewer if she wanted to continue living the life she’d grown accustomed to. We were getting hitched, whether she liked it or not.

  I pulled up in front of Wren’s place, ignoring the tension in my shoulders as I hopped out of my car and stretched my legs out, my ass sore from the long drive. Heading through the front door, I made note of the fact that the security in her building was practically nonexistent, and after double-checking the number on her mailbox, I headed up the stairs to her apartment.

  As late as it was, I somehow doubted she’d be home, and a quick knock told me my suspicions were right. After all, it wasn’t like Wren to stay in when she could go out and cause mischief. And at the moment, her absence suited me just fine.

  With little security to prevent anyone from entering the building, I was relieved that she hadn’t been stupid enough to hide a key where someone might find it, given the line of work her dad was in. As for me, it’s not as though it would be hard for me to pick the lock, given that up until rather recently, I’d made a living doing questionable things, which often times included digging up information on people who needed to be persuaded. And usually that information was easier to find if I had access to their homes.

  For the last decade or two, my father, and more recently, my brothers and I, had been fixers for people who didn’t want to get their hands dirty, or had gotten themselves into trouble and needed a hand getting out of it. But that was now in the past.

  With my dad now dead, my brothers and I knew we’d end up the same way if we didn’t walk away. So we decided instead to focus on Blackthorn Whiskey—the distillery that we’d up until now used as a front for our less law-abiding activities.

  Look at that…she’d even left a light on for me. I stepped into the apartment and locked the door behind me, before wandering around the living area. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were all open to each other, and there was a great view of the city. Though the neighborhood was nice and trendy enough, it wasn’t ostentatious, despite the amount of money Wren had access to.

  The place had a comfortable bohemian vibe going with the décor, which felt as eclectic as Wren. And I just had to check out her bedroom—and her bed.

  I couldn’t resist lying back on her pillows, and was immediately hit with her scent. Even after not seeing her for the last eight years, her scent was instantaneously familiar. It was clean and slightly flowery, though it was more complex than just that, with an underlying scent of something deeper and earthy, like she’d been camping out in the woods after a summer rain, and had the smell of cedar and a wood fire clinging to her skin. And though my head knew full well that this was a bad idea, my cock had a mind all its own as it recalled what it felt like to sink into that tight little body of hers as I held her in my arms.

  Looking over at her dresser, I spotted a few pictures tucked into the frame of a mirror. It’d been years since I’d last seen her, but she was gorgeous as ever. Most of the pictures were of her with her friends, but it was also hard to ignore the pictures of her with other men. Not that I was stupid enough to think she’d been leading a celibate life. And it wasn’t as if I hadn’t been with my share of women. What was good for the goose, and all…

  Abandoning the comfort of her bed, I rummaged through her fridge and grabbed myself a bottle of hard cider—not my favorite drink of choice, but it’d do—and then picked up the book she’d set aside on one of her end tables, opening up where she’d left off, the page bookmarked for convenience.

  Fucking hell…what was she reading? A scorching hot sex scene blazed across the pages, making my cock ache against the zipper of my jeans as I read on.

  By the time I heard a key rattling in the lock, I was hoping like hell that Wren would not only be alone, but ready to make up for lost time. I set aside the book and got to my feet as the door swung open and she stumbled in, her lips locked with some guy who looked ready to fuck her against the first surface he could find.

  Though I had no right to be jealous, I still found myself closing the distance between us in two quick strides, yanking the guy off her and to
ssing him toward the door, ignoring his surprised curses. “If you have any sense, you’ll get the hell out of here.”

  “What the fuck? Ash?” Wren’s face went from shock to fury in a split second. “I can’t believe you. Get out of my apartment this instant or I swear I’m calling the cops.”

  The guy she was with started to come toward me, but I just shoved him back out into the hall and pulled out my gun, which quickly shut him the hell up.

  “I suggest you forget about her. And if you call the cops, I will find you.” I slammed the door shut before locking it, and then turned my focus back to Wren, before she took the opportunity to pull out a knife and gut me like a fish for dinner. “We need to talk.”

  “Like hell we do.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Wren

  I couldn’t believe this was happening. Ash. Of all the people to show up on my doorstep, it would have to be him. He was not someone I could deal with. Not now, not ever. “You need to get the hell out of here before I call the cops.”

  “You’ll be doing nothing of the sort. Sit down, Wren.” Ash leaned against the back of the sofa, looking as handsome as ever. Tall, muscular, short, dark hair, and a good bit of scruff across his chin, as his brow furrowed over stunning green eyes that were always far too serious. “We need to talk, and it can’t wait.”

  “I have nothing to say to you. And anything you had to say, you said a long time ago.” He’d broken my heart, and though I knew I wasn’t the easiest person to deal with, I’d done nothing but give him every part of my heart, body, and soul. In exchange, he’d simply walked away from me before I’d ever had the chance to tell him the truth…to tell him my secrets—and he’d condemned me back to a life of hell. And now? Well, now…the fucking bastard wasn’t worthy of my time—or me.

  And yet, when he crossed his arms in front of his chest, his shirt stretched over his broad shoulders, forcing me to fight against my body’s immediate reaction to him, knowing exactly what it was like to be on the receiving end of all that power. I felt myself go wet with a heady need that demanded to be satiated, even if it was warring with my hate for the only man I’d ever loved.

  “Your father sent me—and I’m afraid neither one of us has a choice this time around.”

  Panic struck my heart, knowing just how sick my dad was. “What happened? Is he okay?”

  “You know he’s not well, little bird.”

  Fuck… He just had to go and call me that. It was a play on the name I shared with a pretty little bird, and it had always made me feel special, despite everything. Yet he continued on as I tried to swallow down the lump in my throat and tried to blink back the sting in my eyes.

  “He’s likely no worse than he’s been the last month or two. But the problem is he’s not going to get any better, and time is running out for him, which is why I’m here.”

  I didn’t understand what one thing had to do with another, and frankly, this was all too much for me to deal with, especially when it involved Ash. We had a too fucked-up history for this to go well, and I still hated him for what he’d done to me. “Frankly, I don’t care why you’re here. Now get the hell out of my home, Ash, and don’t ever show your face here again.”

  With every part of me, I needed him gone. Because I was barely holding it together with him around, and I knew no good would come of him lingering. The longer he stayed, the harder it’d be to ignore what my body wanted when Ash was around—even if I still hated him. As fucked up as that was.

  “I hate to tell you, but you’re coming with me.” He pushed off the sofa and slowly crossed to where I was standing, looking like some wild beast getting ready to play with its prey. “I’m afraid you have no choice in the matter, and in case you’re wondering—yes…I will drag you out of here, gagged and bound, if you decide you don’t want to cooperate and come willingly.”

  Well, if he thought I’d respond well to threats, he could guess again. I pulled out my phone and got ready to call the cops when he yanked my cell out of my hands. “What the fuck, Ash? Give me back my phone.”

  “You can have it once you’ve packed and we’re on the road.” His smug smile was infuriating, especially when he slipped my phone out of sight into the back pocket of his jeans.

  Enraged by his audacity to come into my home and not only take my cell, but harass me, I shoved him as hard as I could—for all the good it did me. With a move so fast I didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me to him, throwing me off balance as he then spun us and pinned me to the wall, trapping me between his warm, muscular body and the cold plaster. And fuck…I could feel just how hard he was as his cock nestled itself against the small of my back.

  Fucking hell… He’d always known how to push me…always known how to get me to lose control…and that was one thing that had yet to change, despite everything.

  I could feel my self-control slipping as my need for him flamed to life, refusing to be ignored, especially when he ran his hand up my thigh, his fingers rough against my smooth skin as he slipped his hand under the airy fabric of the dress I was wearing. Memories of him taking me flooded my brain in a reminder of all that once was, my body immediately coming alive.

  With his mouth at my ear, his warm breath sent a shiver of need through me as I did all I could to resist him, even if it already felt futile. And when he spoke, his voice was ragged and smoky. “Is this what you want, Wren?”

  I wanted to lie to him—and yet I couldn’t. Not when my body’s reaction to him was immediate and my hunger for him was fierce, my answer riding a ragged exhale. “Yes…”

  His fingers skimmed just under the fabric of my lace panties before he fisted them and tore them from my body with a yank that had me crying out as the fabric cut into my skin, the flicker of pain and his fierceness only making me want him all the more. My self-control slipped further as I felt myself go so wet, leaving my thighs slick as they rubbed together, my clit throbbing and heavy with my desperate need.

  And then he was backing away from me, his absence feeling like he’d taken a part of me with him—yet again.

  What the hell was wrong with me that I still wanted him, that he could still have such an effect on me even though I hated him for breaking my heart? I spun around, and with years of hurt and anger raging through me, slapped him before I’d had a chance to think it through—and immediately regretted it.

  His eyes lit up as he gave me an easy smile that was all too familiar, despite our time apart. “I suppose I deserved that—but that was your one shot, little bird. You don’t get to do that again. Not unless you want to find yourself over my knee and unable to sit for a week.”

  “Why the fuck are you even here, Ash? You made it abundantly clear that things were over between us a very long time ago—and you were the one who wanted nothing to do with me.” It still killed me that even after close to a decade, it still fucking hurt like he’d walked away from me—from us—just moments ago. And I still hated him for it.

  He gave me a brooding pout that only made him sexier. Curse the bastard. But there was suddenly more there and the light dimmed from his eyes. There was a sadness there that I didn’t quite understand—and it was a damn rare sight on Ash Blackthorn. “Did you hear about my dad?”

  “No…” It suddenly felt like the floor had shifted out from under my feet as a dread filled me. “What happened?”

  “He was murdered. A hit-and-run—which was no accident—landed him in the hospital, and then once he’d recovered and was about to get discharged, someone got to him…made it look like a medical emergency.” The tightness in his voice told me just how raw and difficult this was for him, especially when I knew just how close he and his dad had been.

  “I’m so sorry, Ash. Truly.” Without thinking, I crossed to his side and wrapped my arms around him as he held me tightly to him and buried his head in the crook of my neck
.

  It immediately felt so familiar, even as I told myself that it didn’t change a thing between us. Even if he was hurting, our past was still fucked up, and I’d never be able to forgive him for the chain of events he set off by leaving. Feeling more sober about things, I pulled out of his arms, needing to put some distance between us before I did something stupid.

  “Listen, Wren… The men who killed my father are still out there threatening my family—even attempted to burn down my mother’s home, and nearly killed my sister-in-law in the process. I need to keep them safe—and your father has offered to help.” He let out a ragged breath and ran his hand down his face before pinning me with his green eyes.

  “So…why are you here, Ash? What does any of that have to do with me?” I did not like where this was going. Because I had no doubt it was going somewhere, if my father and Ash were involved, and I doubted I’d be happy with either of them in just a moment.

  “Wren…I swear this wasn’t my idea.” He closed the distance between us, though it only had me backing away, my heart hammering inside my chest. “Believe me—I know you want nothing to do with me.”

  “And yet, here you are.” What the fuck was he up to? And though I was trying not to panic, I was failing miserably.

  He let out a deep breath, and looked me straight in the eyes so I’d know he was serious. “We’re getting married.”

  I scoffed at him with a laugh. Because he had to be kidding. “Like hell we are.”

  “Neither of us has any real say in the matter, Wren. If I want your father’s help to make sure my family is kept safe and my dad’s murderer gets his due, he’s insisting that we get married.” He put out his hand to stop me when I started to protest, though he had to be fucking insane if he thought I was going to go through with any of that. “And since he knows it’s not a union you’d enter into willingly, he’s decided to cut you off financially if you don’t go through with marrying me.”