PowerLess: Anti-Hero Game: Power Chain Book Three

by Chelsea Camaron

  “I understand,” I replied, meaning it completely. Lincoln, Draven, and Nixon Jacoby ran Jacoby Investigative Services. They had their business, their clients, and their lives to worry about more than me and my situation. The three of them were brothers and thick as thieves. There was no doubt any of them would drop a job at any time for anything one of the other’s needed.

  “Then what’cha need, Dane?”

  “Freeman Zook.”

  He made a tisking noise in the background. “You don’t wanna go there, Dane.”

  “Don’t jump to conclusions. He switched my task. The mark I had you scout here,” I began.

  “Yeah, hot little thing and smart too.”

  Anger and jealously hit me like a wrecking ball at his reply. I had to calm myself quickly. “She was my final marker. Except now, he wants me on her without finishing the job. You and I both know Freeman has enough men to put a watch dog on her. Why is he having me stand down? What’s shifting in his organization?”

  Link sighed heavily. “You want me diggin’ deep. Shit’s gonna cost ya, Dane, and not just money.”

  “Marker, money, whatever you need. Something changed, and I want to know what.”

  “Got it.”

  With that, we ended the call, and I readied myself for bed. After all, tomorrow night I had a date.

  Something I had never done before.

  At seven sharp, I parked outside of her basement apartment that she gave me the address to on the phone, not that I needed it. Going to the door, I made sure to pick up flowers and a small box of chocolates.

  Cliché… yes.

  Not my typical style… yes.

  Did it matter? No.

  Whatever I needed to do to secure Aspen’s trust, so be it. And that included wooing her as Hannah.

  While I must admit, it wasn’t hard because the woman was gorgeous even covered in pottery clay. It made my dick hard just thinking about what she could look like cleaned up.

  I rang the doorbell. She answered, and my jaw dropped to the ground as my cock hardened more behind the zipper of my black slacks.

  She had her dark hair down in these flowing waves that framed her face perfectly. Her makeup wasn’t caked on or overdone, but rather gave this sultry look drawing me into her green eyes.

  I was speechless. For the first time in my life, there was nothing.

  She wore a deep purple dress that had a plunging neckline. The globes of her tits popped in a way that had me wanting to run my tongue through her cleavage. The dress clung to her body like a second skin, accentuating every curve all the way down. The hem stopped mid-thigh, and her toned legs were on display into a set of black peep-toe heels.

  Aspen Everly Kimmel was a bombshell.

  I extended my hand with the flowers while trying to discreetly adjust my continually growing hard-on.

  “Thank you,” she praised, taking the flowers. “Sunflowers are my absolute favorite.”

  She took the flowers inside so I followed her. The space was small, and I could tell there was not one part of it that was her. No personality. She was playing everything smart. Keep less stuff so she could pack up and run anytime. I even noticed the edge of a duffle bag under her bed, no doubt ready to go at a moment’s notice.

  I would have to play it smart so she didn’t run off like a skittish rabbit only to disappear on me once again.

  “You look absolutely stunning,” I told her as she turned back to me with her purse in hand.

  Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she dropped her head.

  “Hannah,” I said, almost slipping up to call her Aspen. “Look at me,” I commanded.

  It took her a beat but finally her head came up and her eyes met mine.

  “Be confident. Be proud. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. You have this way about you and this look in your eyes that I can only describe as a passion and lust for life. I have never been as attracted to someone as I am you.”

  And that was the damn truth. No woman had ever captured my attention like her. This was going to be a long night and an even harder mission to accomplish because all I wanted to do was rip her dress off, fuck her every way I could, and tell the world she was mine.

  That made this more dangerous than any job I had ever taken before.

  Because this woman made me lose my mind and all control.

  11

  Aspen—Hannah

  Nervous? No, more like petrified, on the verge of throwing up after running into my bathroom and locking myself in. I had to still myself in place to keep from doing just that. My tiny apartment felt like a postage stamp with Dane’s bulk in it, his masculinity pushing in and taking over.

  He was gorgeous before in the store, but now… dressed up…

  Holy shit.

  It took everything inside of me to breathe, a function my body should be doing on its own, but was unable to. Before he was causal, now he wasn’t.

  Inhaling, he smelled wonderful and powerful all mixed together. My body, mind, and nose couldn’t get enough of his scent. The cologne mixed with the smell of man, and it had me wanting more.

  Dark dress pants that looked as if they were custom designed for each curve of his legs and waist covered his bottom half. They hugged him so fantastically I could tell his legs were toned. His button-up gray dress shirt hung on him so perfectly part of me wanted to rip it off of him and scatter the buttons around my place.

  Desire flared inside of me threatening to take over and do just that. It had been a long time since I had a man, and Dane wasn’t helping the situation.

  Since I didn’t own a vase, a glass of water would just have to do for the flowers. Never in my life had a man brought me flowers let alone chocolates, and it did something funny to my heart. It was caring and sweet. Dane didn’t look like a sweet guy, though. More like going to rip your panties off and fuck you until you scream.

  Damn.

  This man was attracted to me. Judging from the flare in his eyes, very attracted to me. Wow. Just wow. At least the feeling was mutual.

  His words struck me, though. Passion and lust for life. Once, I had that. Once, when I wasn’t hiding out to save my life. Now though, my passion laid in the pottery I made. While I liked it here, it wasn’t where I was supposed to be.

  That thought pulled me from lusting after Dane to sad.

  Sad that no matter if this worked with Dane, we could never be. Sad that even if this went where I thought it would lead to, it would be just that. Sex with a hot guy only for it to end.

  I couldn’t give a man much of me because of my secrets. I needed to keep a mind to that during the night and not let my guard down. If it did disaster would strike, and I’d have to leave and start over again.

  I had a good thing going here and had no business risking it.

  Heat came up on me, and I looked up to see Danes blue eyes. The quirk of his brow told me he caught me in the midst of a meltdown. Therefore, I shook it off and pasted on a smile that I was sure he could tell was fake, fake, fake.

  “Wanna tell me what put that look on your face?” His hand reached up, his fingertips gliding over my jaw lightly. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

  “I’m ready to go,” I said instead of answering, not in a million years able to tell him the inner war that was inside of me threatening to take me over—chew me up and spit me out.

  “I’ll let that one go, but just so you know, Hannah, I plan on getting to know you really well. And whatever your problems, your fears, just look at my shoulders. They’re large enough to carry the load.” His eyes shone brightly with his intent, and my knees felt weak. Damn, leave it to me to feel like one of those 90210 moments where he knocked me on my ass.

  Geeze. Someone save me. How could my world fall apart then suddenly a hot man saying all the right things shows up obviously wanting more? Why did I have to have the shit luck in life?

  “Right.” I ignored his comment and my damn shaky knees. “I’m starving. Can we get going?�
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  Then I shit you not, he pulled me into him and kissed the top of my head. It was so hot I was surprised my hair didn’t catch on fire. The spark from it shot all through my body, even to my fingertips and toes. And that just from a kiss to the forehead. I was in deep trouble.

  He’d break me just from a kiss alone.

  I’d had lovers, several of them. Not a single one of them had a kiss that brought me to the point of falling to my knees. This didn’t bode well for me.

  Dane pulled back, his hands heating up my arms where we connected. His lip tipped at the side in a grin that would have a nun pulling off her panties and throwing them out just to get it again.

  I felt it. Hell I was feeling everything, and we needed to get out of here. My feet took me a step back, and the grin didn’t fade. Instead, he reached for my hand, and we were off without a word.

  Locking up the door, Dane waited for me patiently and led me out to the SUV with his hand on my lower back. My treacherous body wanted to lean into him more, but I was able to refrain… barely.

  He led me out to a very shiny black Chevy Tahoe, gliding around it to the passenger seat. I noticed a couple of stickers on it telling me that it was a rental. It hit me as I got in and he shut the door behind me that maybe Dane wasn’t from around here. Maybe he wasn’t who he seemed, and that thought had my body going ice cold.

  Hand on the door handle, I waited for him to open and jump in.

  “Why do you have a rental car?”

  He smiled broadly as he cranked over the engine and in a panic I started to open the door, but he didn’t put the SUV in drive. “Mine’s in the shop. It’s a Durango, but I’ll tell you what”—he swept his hand over the wheel in a caress—“I’m really liking the Tahoe.”

  It all came out so free and open. There was no hesitation like he was trying to make something up to cover the rental. It felt genuine and my body relaxed, hand moving away from the door handle.

  “Hate when that happens,” I said quietly as I shut the door and he put the vehicle in reverse, pulled out, and started down the road.

  “What kind of car do you have?” he asked, and that one was easy.

  “I don’t right now. Just got rid of one and moved here. I’m close to everything so I don’t need one for the moment.”

  Out of my peripheral vision, his jaw hardened, but he released it quickly. I had no idea what that was about and didn’t ask.

  “That must be why you have such gorgeous legs. So you just moved?” he asked me casually.

  “Wanted a simple kind of life away from the city,” I replied, giving him a half-truth. I didn’t like city life, only the money that came from working there. He didn’t need to know I left my country road home, on the run after banging my best friend’s boyfriend in the head with a baseball bat for raping her.

  I shook off the thoughts of home. It would get me nowhere.

  Instead, I focused on the masterpiece of a man beside me. Heat rushed to my cheeks and, unconsciously, I crossed my legs. It was true, walking everywhere was great exercise and it made me happy that he noticed it.

  “Simple looks damn good on you, Hannah,” he complimented.

  “Thanks.”

  He looked over at me while the SUV was stopped at one of the three lights in town. “Don’t be nervous. I just want to get to know you better. No other expectations at all.”

  I felt my shoulders sag, but I wasn’t sure if it was from relief or sadness. Did I want him to make the moves on me? Did I want to start something that I knew had no future? One night, Aspen—just one night.

  Before I knew it, Dane pulled into a large parking lot on the outer edge of the town. The outside of the building was all rustic wood that appeared to be aging with each passing day.

  The shrubbery and flowers were well loved and taken care of judging from them being weed less. The roof was made of metal that appeared to have seen better days, but my guess was that it was supposed to look like that for effect. That was the craze on all those home shows, rustic chic they always referred to it as; I could see the appeal.

  Dane opened the door once more, let me out, and led me into the restaurant. It was loud and full of people. Country music played, but judging from the different photos and albums on the walls, they played all kinds of music from country to rock.

  The bubbling hostess showed us to a table. We wound through the throngs of people, and tucked in the back was a booth. As we moved next to it, the noise from the place got a little lower, enough for me to hear the hostess say, “Enjoy your meal.”

  We sat opposite of each other, and it felt different. In one sense it was comfortable, and in another it was nerve racking—if that made any sense at all.

  We ordered drinks and our meals. Now that I didn’t have the menu to take up my time and attention it was time to do the ‘getting to know you’ portion of the evening, and it made me nervous.

  I couldn’t fuck up and tell him something he didn’t need to know, but I would damn well be honest with whatever I could.

  “What made you get into pottery?” Dane asked, elbows on the table, full attention on me making me flush. His attention on you made you do that. It was like a cosmic rule or something.

  This was a good topic, and the coil around my anxiety loosened just a bit, and I told him the story of high school. He was attentive and listened to every word I said, even grinned when I told him about the destruction.

  “So you’ve always wanted to do it?” he asked.

  Weighing my options here, I went for it. “No. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up trying again. When I did, it went well and I love it. It’s relaxing and most of the time, stress free.”

  “How long have you lived here?” he asked and since it was a small town and everyone knew I was new to it, I stuck with the truth.

  “Only a few weeks.”

  “Damn, and your business is doing that great in that short of a time?”

  I shrugged. “Guess Colorado folks like pots, bowls, vases, plates and everything in between.”

  “You do beautiful work.”

  I tamped down the shyness that I felt. “Thank you. What about you? How long have you lived here?”

  “I’m actually a town over and haven’t been there long.” This piqued my interest because he really didn’t answer my question.

  “Where are you from?”

  Without a beat he answered, “The mid-west.”

  “Wow. That’s a long drive.” Since I knew this well. Pennsylvania wasn’t technically the mid-west but not too far off. Only like a state or so. Still, it was a long way.

  “Yeah. Shit happens and you go where you need to go.”

  “Yeah,” I responded a little breathlessly. I’d been so busy with everything that letting what had been happening roll off of me, and it was creeping back in. I needed to stop that. Jolin Zook had taken enough from me, he didn’t get to keep taking more.

  “What about your family?” he asked, and that was another easy one, well not emotionally.

  “My mom and dad were killed when I was little. I lived with my grandparents after that. Grampa passed and my Gramma is alive, but she doesn’t know who I am most days. She’s deteriorating.”

  That last part was a knife to my heart that cut me deep. I wanted to call her home and just get an update, but I couldn’t guarantee that Jolin wasn’t watching my contact with her. I missed her.

  “You miss her,” Dane surmised, and I nodded and swallowed down the tears that threatened to escape. Somehow I mustered it.

  “Yeah. I miss the person she was while I grew up. The one who taught me how to cook, balance a checkbook, and was there for every event I had cheering me on. It’s hard seeing someone you love lose themselves and not be able to bring them back. Knowing you have no control over it is worse.” I shrugged again really wanting to get off this topic. It was bringing the mood of the evening down too low for my liking.

  “Let’s try for something not so heavy.” Dane smiled, my
heart fluttering at the realization that he got my thoughts. “How about movies, books, television? What interests you?”

  “You’re gonna think I’m a nut.” This made the heavy lift from the conversation in a flash, and I was grateful. “I watch a lot of everything. TV, movies, reading books, I’m up for any of it. Probably more than I should admit to.”

  We talked until our food arrived about different television shows, movies, and surprisingly books we had in common. It was way more than I could have expected, the commonalities we had. When our food came, the conversation didn’t lull.

  I didn’t want to hide away or switch off the conversation. No, I was all in. He listened to rock with some light rock music, and I loved all kinds. We found the ones we had in common and talked about them.

  Everything made me relax and slip into me—Aspen, not Hannah. Really, they were both me, but the things I shared with him were from the life I left behind. They were still me. Jolin was just the asshole who fucked everything up. He didn’t have a damn thing to do with who I was on the inside.

  Dane reached over and placed his hand over top of mine, his thumb moving in small circles. The touch making my core quiver and clench. A touch and my panties were already dampening.

  He was a great man. He told me about his three brothers and how one had a little boy they all spoiled rotten. He didn’t grow up with his parents in a traditional way either, but had his mom, Ellen Sue, who raised him on her own. She was who he bought the pottery for. The way he talked about her, he loved her very deeply.

  Each item we talked about, he drew me in closer and closer to him.

  He filled my aching heart in ways he would never understand.

  The more his finger moved over my skin, the hotter I became.

  “You keep biting your lip like that, Hannah, I’m going to come over there and bite it myself.”

  My breaths caught because the dominance coming off of his tone made everything inside me spring aware. It was controlled, but he was damn serious. His eyes blazing in to me.