Cruel Masters

by Stone, Piper

  And more of them.

  While she didn’t fight me when I handed her the glass, her hand was shaking, the same anxious look remaining on her face.

  There was no knock, no formal announcement before eight men stormed into the room. We’d had limited experience with the French Coast Guard before, and from what I could see, the assholes walking into the room had nothing to do with Maritime Gendarmerie. They were simply soldiers, likely mercenaries that had been hired to perform a dangerous job.

  The man in the front at least wore the colors of France. As he approached, he tipped his head, scanning the room in a scrutinizing manner.

  “I am looking for Sebastian Randolph,” he stated in a heavy French accent.

  “I’m Sebastian.”

  He gave me a onceover before taking a deep breath and walking closer. “Monsieur Randolph. I am Colonel Dubois. I am here to search your vessel.”

  “For what? What is the meaning of this?” I asked, ice in my tone of voice.

  His smile couldn’t have pissed me off any more than it did. “Weapons, Monsieur, as well as illegal drugs.”

  “Weapons and drugs,” I repeated, laughing softly as I shook my head. “Search away. We have arrived in your beautiful country for nothing but pleasure. I certainly don’t need anything but the touch of a stunning woman and a good bottle of bourbon to accomplish that.”

  Dax flanked my side, still holding his drink, but I could tell he was studying the soldiers carefully.

  The colonel remained unblinking for a full fifteen seconds before twisting his head, lifting his arm in his way of giving orders. “Cherchez tout.”

  “Search everything,” Dax said in a whisper.

  Smirking, I did everything I could not to react any further as the six of the seven soldiers piled out of the room, barking in French as they moved in various directions. While the yacht had been designed and built with secret compartments, there would always be a chance that our weapon stash could be found.

  And if that were to happen? We’d go to prison. There were known drug runners using the various ports, their notoriety something I’d kept tabs on over the years. However, the yacht was placed in close proximity to other expensive yachts, several owned by other Americans. A search of this kind was unheard of.

  When the last remaining soldier began to toss the room, yanking the pillows from the couch, I resisted giving any reaction at all.

  “May I ask why you believe this boat is carrying weapons?”

  The colonel offered no explanation at first. Then he inched even closer, invading my space. It took all I had not to punch the asshole in the face. “We were given a warning, Monsieur Randolph.”

  “By whom?”

  “That is none of your concern. I will need to see your passports.” The colonel held out his hand as Chase approached.

  Dax exhaled, his anger resonating through his pores.

  The soldier continued in his quest, moving toward the set of bookshelves, yanking and tossing the contents. Now I was pissed as fuck.

  The colonel was amused, his smirk only increasing given my state of discord.

  A full three minutes of tension passed and I was growing more pissed by the minute.

  “Qu’est-ce que cela veut dire?” Kendra snapped, swaggering closer to the colonel. While her French was utter perfection, her portrayal of intoxication was even better.

  “Madam,” the colonel started.

  “Mademoiselle,” she huffed.

  Dax moved closer to her, wrapping his arm around her waist. “You will have to excuse our lovely friend. She is simply concerned as to why you are here as we all are.”

  “And who is she?” the colonel asked as he studied the three passports.

  “A beautiful treat we danced the night away with last night and nothing more.”

  Kendra took a sip of her wine, sloshing some over the rim in her effort. She giggled afterwards, shifting and clinging to Dax. “N’est-il pas beau?”

  “I don’t think I’m beautiful, lovely Cherise, but thank you.” Dax pretended to keep her steady, amusement in his eyes.

  Whether or not the colonel bought the act was difficult to discern. When he walked toward her, slapping the passports in Chase’s hand, he issued several words under his breath. Then he inched closer to Dax and Kendra, his eyes shifting to the bodice of her dress, his breath skipping.

  Goddamn it. I was going to fucking kill the asshole. I took a step closer, Dax warning me off with his eyes. The sound of breaking glass as the fucking soldier tossed several glasses finally made me snarl.

  “Etes-vous ici de votre plein gre?” he asked.

  “Of course she’s here of her own free will. Give me a break,” Dax snorted.

  The colonel lifted his hand to stop Dax from making any further comments. “From the mademoiselle.”

  Kendra glared at the soldier in her usual rebellious way, raking her eyes down the length of him. Then she broke free of Dax’s hold, taking a swaggering step closer.

  Jesus fucking Christ. What the hell was she going to do?

  “Je suis ici pour profiter d’une nuit avec trois hommes magnifiques. Quelle honte qui n’inclurait jamais quelqu’un comme vous.” She dared to take another step closer to the colonel, laughing almost hysterically then waltzing away from him, wrapping her arm around Dax’s neck.

  There was almost no chance I could stop the building rage. She’d no doubt told him exactly what was happening and that she’d been abducted.

  A sneer curled on the colonel’s upper lip, his obvious fury highlighted in his expression. Before he had a chance to react, the door was opened, one of the other soldiers returning.

  “Il n’y a rien, Colonel,” the soldier stated.

  The colonel took a deep breath before turning to face me, walking slowly in my direction. When the soldier who’d remained in the room shook his head, the Colonel sneered. “It would appear that there is nothing to find, Monsieur. However, my sources are never wrong. I suggest that you finish your… pleasure and leave our waters. If you do not, I assure you that you will be watched carefully.”

  “I’ll take that under advisement,” I snorted.

  He turned and walked toward the door, once again shifting his gaze in Kendra’s direction. There was definitely something on his mind and my guess is it had more to do with whatever Kendra told him.

  After he left, I waited as long as I could stand before taking long strides in her direction, yanking her into my arms. “What the fuck did you say?”

  “Nothing,” she huffed. “I was protecting you, asshole.”

  “She’s right, Sebastian. Let her go, for God’s sake,” Dax chided.

  “Then what the fuck did she say to them?”

  Dax shook his head. “That she was here to have a good time with three men and that the colonel would never be on the list. Okay? Stop being an asshole. This is getting ridiculous.”

  Fuck. What in the hell was going on?

  “Dax is right. This is bullshit,” Chase said. “There has to be a reason why we were targeted. There are two hundred other vessels in this harbor and from the little I saw on the way in, there are a hell of a lot better candidates, even if the damn name of the yacht is Bounty.”

  “I don’t know what it would be.” But as I walked toward the window, able to tell the soldiers were still sniffing at the boat, I fisted my hands.

  “Yeah, I think you do, Sebastian. And this has nothing to do with that peon Martin Devon you turned down for the loan or even with Richard Tredegar. He doesn’t have these types of connections. It’s time you come clean with all of us before you get us killed.”

  I could see Chase’s tense stature in the reflection of the window. Then I laughed. “You’re right.”

  The others remained quiet.

  “I’ve been threatened by an unknown party,” I said, palming the glass.

  “And you think you know who it is,” Dax stated.

  I hesitated before answering. “Not who but possibly
why.”

  “Spill it,” Chase demanded.

  As I turned around, I took a deep breath, holding it for several seconds. “I think this has everything to do with my father’s death. In fact, I think he was murdered and I think whoever is behind our difficulties is determined to conclude his plan of revenge.”

  Chapter 10

  Kendra

  Murder.

  Just hearing the word made me cringe. I’d seen the horrible angst on Sebastian’s face when he’d told me about his father, the sadness that he hadn’t been able to come to terms with after all these years. I’d talked to enough monsters in my life to know when someone was lying.

  He wasn’t.

  Maybe that’s why he’d become such a cold, hard man, unable to have any feelings whatsoever.

  Sebastian had been dealt a crushing blow at one of the most vulnerable times in his life. I couldn’t imagine what he’d gone through, nor did I expect he’d provide any additional details. But murder? It was obvious that Dax and Chase had never heard that their partner and friend’s father could have been murdered. Why had Sebastian brought it up now? And why had he mentioned the horrible story to me?

  That alone had gripped a portion of my heart, dragging me into a tiny portion of his world.

  He’d touched me. Saddened me. He’d made me feel for him in way that went beyond just our incredible chemistry. I’d wanted to comfort him, to tell him everything was going to be all right. To tell him that I cared about him.

  Then he’d crushed the sentiment by his harsh words.

  As he usually did.

  My instinct had decided to rear its ugly head, pushing me one way while my conscience was attempting to yank me another.

  The act of revenge he mentioned was just as terrifying. Was it possible I was a part of the scheme?

  I thought about the reason I’d pushed for the assignment in the first place. A tip months before. An email complete with names of companies who’d supposedly been crushed illegally, two scathing articles from the Chicago Sun, and the personal drive I’d had for three years to take down every piece of scum that I had an opportunity to pursue. I’d gathered every scrap of information I’d been able to get my hands on. And still, it hadn’t given me any answers. Then a second tip came out of the blue, an indication that I would find everything I needed by going to Chicago. Was it possible that while Extreme was ruthless, maybe even toeing the line of right and wrong, they were actually not the monsters I believed them to be?

  Was it also possible that I’d been sent on some wild goose chase?

  Then why are you here? Why did they drag you across the world?

  There were no easy answers.

  The earlier scene with the basic mercenaries had left me trembling, a cold chill slicing through my bones. I might not be an expert in foreign governments, but I’d become a damn good observer. The colonel had wanted nothing more than to find a stash of weapons and arrest the three men.

  There was definitely something going on that Sebastian couldn’t control or understand. His arrogance had led him to believe that he could solve any problem, his power and influence allowing him to shove his way into any situation, gaining anything he wanted. For a few seconds, I was able to see a glimpse of his weakness.

  And in truth, it appeared to be me.

  As I walked up onto the third deck, the sight of the ocean at night gave me another round of shivers. The water was churning, the wind much stronger than before. There was nothing but a sliver of the moon highlighting the area on this side of the yacht, but I could hear a few chords of music coming from the town on the other side. Still, the noise only added to the eeriness of the setting.

  There was no particular reason I should bother trying to find Sebastian after he’d stormed out of the room, but I couldn’t seem to stop my actions. While my inner voice continued to chastise the fact that I hadn’t told the colonel about my predicament, my gut had also screamed that if I’d done so, we’d all be under arrest or even worse.

  Maybe that small part of me cared about all three men.

  I laughed bitterly as I forced myself to walk further onto the deck. I found him seconds later, leaning over the railing. As I walked closer, a light mist of the saltwater created tingles dancing down my arms. A lump formed in my throat as my fear of water threatened to paralyze every muscle.

  But I pushed on.

  I remained several feet behind him, uncertain of what to say or if I should even bother. Seconds later, he stiffened, moving to his full height.

  “I’m sorry,” he said in a hushed voice.

  “For what?” I did everything I could to keep the snarky tone out of my voice.

  Sighing, he shook his head. “You shouldn’t have been forced to go through that bullshit.”

  “They were just doing their jobs.”

  “And you’re a highly intelligent woman and completely aware that’s a fucking lie. They were prepared to find what they were looking for.”

  “Was there anything to be found?”

  Sebastian turned around slowly, his face shadowed by the limited light. “By now you’ve realized that Chase, Dax, and I don’t take any chances. I meant what I said about our enemies. They are in every country, every part of the world. If you’re asking if we carry weapons on board, absolutely. However, they are well hidden.”

  “With the exception of the Glock you carry at all times.”

  He snickered and took a deep breath. “You know your weapons.”

  “I have a license to carry one and I know how to use it.”

  “Interesting. A product of your… business?”

  I dared to inch closer, shuddering the moment I did. “You might not think that what I do is admirable or even valuable, but if my articles help to get the worst criminals off the streets, then I’ve done a service to society and mankind.”

  “Even if it takes you down a shadowed path where the information could be inaccurate or worse, threaten your life?”

  There was little I could do to stop the butterflies or the goosebumps popping along every inch of my skin. The wind continued to whip, creating a buzzing sound in my ears. The reality was something I’d never fully embraced.

  Until now.

  “Have I been threatened more than once? Yes. I’d had to move out of my apartment, even assuming a different name because a soldier from one of the New York mafia families had been given orders to take me out. Fortunately, he, along with several members of the syndicate, was arrested shortly after.” It remained one of the more horrific things I’d ever been through.

  “You know a thing or two about assumed names.”

  A flare of anger rushed into me. “Don’t judge me, Sebastian. I take my work seriously and yes, even if I’m threatened it doesn’t mean I’m going to stop. That’s not what I’m made of.”

  “Tell me about your family.”

  “They don’t matter at this point.”

  “Evidently they do if that’s the reason you continue going after the bad guy.” Sebastian cocked his head, leaning against the railing in an unnerving manner. “Every bad guy.”

  I shook my head, furious with myself that I’d said anything. “It’s just something personal, maybe even stupid.”

  “So tell me.”

  Damn it. The man was so commanding. I took a deep breath, biting my lower lip as one of the usual images floated into my mind. Two faces. Two happy faces. And they weren’t the Sheffields. “I’ve always had this feeling that my parents weren’t my birth parents.”

  “That wouldn’t make sense given there are no adoption papers. But there’s also very little regarding your life prior to the age of seven.”

  “How dare you!” I took a step forward before I knew what I was doing, the opening allowing Sebastian to yank me by the arm, dragging me against him. I smashed my fists against his chest, taking gulping breaths as the realization of just how close I was standing to the raging sea made me lightheaded and terrified.

  “How dare I? I
think that’s comical coming from a woman who lied about who she was in order to try and gain insider information. That’s what you were attempting to do. Wasn’t it?”

  “Please let me go.”

  “Why should I?” He pulled me even closer, grinding his hips against me. “As you’ve reminded me many times. You are our prisoner.”

  “Sebastian, please. I don’t like it here.”

  He slowly turned his head to look at the ocean. I could feel him softening, his fingers no longer digging into my skin but his hold still firm. “I am without a doubt one of those monsters you write about in your columns, but I’m not so much so that I would allow anything to happen to you. You are too…”

  While he didn’t finish his statement, he didn’t need to. I could sense he was struggling with his emotions. With his idealism of the world he’d created. With the reasons he’d stooped so low to bring me here. And with his feelings for me because of everything we’d shared.

  He lowered his head, his hot breath cascading across my face. Instantly, I was aroused, loathing and adoring the intense attraction we shared. “You are too special to me.”

  “Why should I believe you?” I relaxed my hands, still clinging to him but savoring the tingling sensations shooting through my fingers.

  When he captured my mouth, holding our lips together in a lover’s embrace, the same electrifying vibrations skittered down the back of my neck, floating along my spine and directly to my toes. The scent of him made me drunk almost instantly, my body swooning in his hold. As the kiss became more passionate, the roar of desire was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. I couldn’t believe how my body responded, my pussy aching to have his cock thrust deep inside.

  I hate the fact my body’s betrayal had been my weakness, forcing open a door and allowing me to care about all three men. It made no sense. There was no rational explanation. I was an intelligent woman. I’d been able to see through every vicious man, highlighting their horrible deeds without sympathy for any of them.

  But Sebastian had destroyed my resolve.

  With his sexual prowess.