by Stone, Piper
“That is bogus and you know it. That kid deserved a break. Why the hell are you threatening him? Why?” I’d never heard my captain so enraged.
I fisted my mouth, thinking about the skinny blond kid no more than eighteen. I’d no doubt saved his life but in doing so, I likely fucked up mine. But if I had to look deep inside, I would have done it all over again. Joey had a family, a mother who’d begged me to save him. I’d been like his big brother while on the inside. He shouldn’t have gotten mixed up with the Dioletti family.
“I assure you, Roger. I only make promises. Better off you didn’t know the details,” Lucian stated in a controlling manner, his laugh laced with evil. “Besides, you have no choice. I’m running the show right now.”
“Whatever you have planned, you better make certain you have permission of the police commissioner.” The captain hissed, his gait heavy as he paced the floor.
I pushed open the cold steel with a single finger, remaining in the doorway. I glanced from one to the other before walking inside. “You wanted to see me, captain?”
“Michael, come in and close the door. Have a seat.” Captain Sykes rubbed his forehead, unable to look me in the eyes.
When the captain used my given name, it meant he was nervous. Lucian had gotten under his skin.
The door was shut with enough vehemence that I could see a nervous tick appearing in the corner of my captain’s mouth. “What can I do for you?” I heard the blatant disparaging tone in my voice. I remained standing. Of course, I noticed the manila folder positioned on the edge of the dented cheap table. The reason for being summoned?
Both men remained quiet for a full minute until Lucian snorted, the single sound forcing Captain Sykes to shift closer to the table. He pushed the folder toward me, his eyes finally meeting mine. “I don’t what in the hell you thought you were doing. You’re a good cop, Thurman. What the fuck happened here?” The captain couldn’t even look me in the eyes. He knew exactly how treacherous Lucian could be.
A single ragged breath left my mouth a split second before I planted my fingers on top, ever so slowly pulling the file closer. I had no doubt about the contents. My only question was why a predator like Lucian had even bothered with something like this. He had zero jurisdiction over the police, even though he enjoyed touting the fact his did to his ruthless followers.
I said nothing. Quite frankly, there was nothing to say. The documentation on destroying the evidence that could convict the blond kid was circumstantial, but at minimum would blow my undercover status in five minutes flat if the information was leaked.
Lucian walked closer, standing only two feet away. “Seems like we have an issue here and we can handle this one of two ways.”
Snorting, I shoved the file aside.
“One. We can place you on suspension where Internal Affairs will hold a thorough investigation. Sadly, I’m not entirely certain how your career can survive with this kind of evidence. You might even end up in the same prison where you just sent a few of your buddies from the last sting you were on. Do you know what they do to cops in prison, Ruger? Oh. I’m certain you do.”
I heard nothing from my captain, a man I trusted as well as respected. Sure, I’d made a mistake, but I had a damn good reason. This was bogus as shit, but Lucian had been a thorn in my side for years, trying desperately to get me thrown off the force. And why? Because I’d exposed his indiscretions four years before, leading to his unanticipated resignation from public office. “And the second?”
Lucian smoothed down his three hundred dollar tie before picking at non-existent lint on his fine Italian linen suit. The man was a pompous pig, savoring every moment of ripping apart lives. I was just the next asshole in line. “You can work for me.”
“What?” I snapped my head from my captain to Lucian, laughing. “I don’t fuckin’ think so.”
“Hear him out, lieutenant,” Captain Sykes suggested, his words scattered in nature. I sensed a hint of fear in a man who’d never backed down to anything or anyone.
“Not a chance in hell. I’ll take my chances in prison,” I chortled, walking toward the door. I wasn’t going to be blackmailed into working with a monstrous brute like Lucian, no matter the price.
“I think you’re going to want to reconsider,” Lucian said quietly.
I heard the rustle of paper and bristled, rolling my eyes before turning around. The picture was vivid and clear; however, the images told only a portion of the story.
Not that it mattered.
They had me dead to rights. There wasn’t a jury in the world who wouldn’t believe I had something to do with this. Especially not after certain events that had occurred during my time in the military. I was considered lethal, a man capable of killing with his bare hands.
Lucian eased one last photograph in front of my face. “Sadly, poor Joey didn’t make it. What they did to the kid was disgusting and no doubt because of your interference.”
I clenched my fists, taking several deep breaths as the picture burned into my mind. No. No! I was sick, my stomach churning.
Lucian allowed a sneer to cross his face as he slowly eased the photograph onto the table. “I see I have your attention. Now, let’s get to the job at hand. Shall we?”
I’d fallen into one horrific trap, quicksand sucking me in deeper and deeper. There was no easy way out. There was a ringing in my ears, the rage continuing to build. Poor Joey. He’d trusted me. Somebody had betrayed us both, and I knew who that someone had to be. I’d let my guard down and Lucian had been waiting like a vulture.
Fuck me.
I stole a glance at Carina, another round of disgust flowing into my veins. Damien had touched her, the stench of him covering every inch of her body. I should have been the one retrieving her. Maybe things could have worked out differently. Maybe.
She made my mouth water, and my cock ache just thinking about her. I couldn’t take my anger out on Damien. Then again, this wasn’t a scenario I should have found myself in, not by a long shot, but I’d been the dumbass. Now, my rage was directed at a man I used to consider my best friend. I would take out my wrath eventually, but on the person that deserved this the most. Lucian would die by my hands. Jesus. I’d reserve the right to beat the crap out of Damien as well. What the hell was I even thinking? She didn’t belong to me.
Yet.
My mind wandered, thoughts of all those years ago filtering into my brain. There’d been no light of recognition in her eyes. Hell, it had been a fucking long time since I’d seen her.
Touched her.
Lucian must have known about our respective pasts. The timing had been right. Still, certain questions bugged the shit out of me. Why bring her into this? What did he have to gain from breaking her down? I wasn’t going to find any answers right now. However, coincidences I didn’t believe in. While Santana might not be behind this, his capture and trial had put certain pieces together. That much I knew.
Life had changed. I certain as shit had, bulking up and towering nearly six and a half feet tall since the day she walked out of my life. After that, I’d sauntered into a Marine recruiting center, signing my name on the dotted line. My best buddy was gone and the girl I’d cared for from afar had left for college. And the relationship with my father? I would have rather seen him dead. The Marines seemed like the only option at the time. What I’d learned during my tenure had given me the training to go undercover. Some called me a menace to society.
I was living up to my name.
“Another four and a half hours. Give or take.” Aleksandr lolled his head in my direction, having shifted to the passenger seat. I didn’t like the brooding Russian. From what I’d been told, Aleksandr Olatoff had ties to the Bratva mafia, a man considered brutal for his methods of obtaining information. He’d been shipped off to the United States, whatever his original mission had been disguised by his role as a diplomat. As if killers deserved such a thing. Whatever his ties to Lucian, they were strong, Aleksandr’s assistance a requireme
nt. Being so deep undercover during the last few years had forced me to cut all ties to the outside, with the exception of the captain, but Lucian had powerful connections.
He also held a grudge.
I knew Lucian was a part of an organization that was far more dangerous in its whole than the hundreds, if not thousands of members by themselves.
“Whatever.” Almost five fucking hours. The destination had been of Lucian’s choice, the man paying extremely well to bring Carina’s life to a halt.
Supposedly.
As if I could trust the asshole.
I hated being cooped up in any manner and being stuck inside a cheap van wasn’t doing my sour mood any good.
It was still dark outside, not a single ray of light even on the horizon. I hated the darkness, the impenetrable chill that never seemed to leave. I’d spent more time undercover than on the streets, picking up my share of monsters and assholes, pretending to be one of them. I was damn good as hiding behind a mask.
This assignment was going to be no different. I was playing a part, one created and designed by a master puppeteer. I swallowed hard, wiping a single bead of sweat from my upper brow.
Aleksandr sneered, giving me a hard stare. He didn’t like me any more than I appreciated his bullshit bravado.
Only four months ago, I would have hunted the Russian down like the true predator he was, determined to bring him to justice. Now, I was no better than the notorious assassin. Perhaps even worse. I could tell the man had a story or two of his own, but I wasn’t involved with this to give a shit.
My entire world had gone to shit in the matter of four days. One wretched decision. One attempt at giving a fuck. One fall from grace.
Just like they hoped.
I’d gambled and lost, and in the process, Joey had been... I swallowed hard, fighting so many wretched urges.
Now, Lucian was pulling my strings.
Carina moaned, shifting as she attempted to make herself more comfortable. The self-pity party continued. I’d been coerced into this ridiculous plan by letting down my guard. My life meant nothing any longer. I was now the hunted, or at least I would be when the authorities discovered a prominent citizen of the law had gone missing. Carina was precious cargo, but more to Lucian than I cared to comprehend. If only I knew more about the backgrounds of the people he was working with. Everyone had secrets.
Everyone told lies.
And absolutely everyone succumbed to the darkness for the right price.
There were so many rumors, so many tall tales regarding the Trust. I’d refused to believe at first, but after years of violent crimes with only the possibility that could only have been committed by officers of the law, I now knew better.
This was still something different.
At least we wouldn’t be on the hit list immediately, buying me time to think about an alternative plan. The entire New Orleans task force would suspect without a doubt Santana Dioletti had something to do with her kidnapping.
Hmmm... My thoughts shifted into overdrive.
Dioletti was a true predator, a man on a mission to eradicate every enemy, including the woman hell bent on sending him to prison. He could very well be smack in the middle of this, but the timing with Santana on trial could bring far too much light to Lucian’s indiscretions. Although, the two men were buddies, or so I’d heard. Either way, the guy was scum. Then again, maybe my idea of the kind of person who should be in that category had changed these last few weeks.
I sure as shit fit into that category.
Still, my gut told me that the connection between Lucian and Santana remained strong, but in the two days I’d had to prepare for the mission, I’d found nothing of importance. Rumors had also floated around Lucian for years with regard to his connections to the powerful New Orleans Mafia, but continued status as a powerful, wealthy and influential businessman has nearly crushed his earlier indiscretions.
And zero ties to the Trust.
My gut told me differently regarding his darker connections and I could smell a criminal a mile away. If only I’d paid more attention to him after he’d been ousted from office.
I wasn’t a good man in any sense of the word. I’d never been a choirboy to begin with, skating that fine line between right and wrong. Undercover work further fueled the boy who’d barely grabbed onto the right side of the law. I was a regular bad boy, as the girls would say, living my persona. I’d selected that path fifteen minutes after Billy Boy Thompkins had beaten the shit out of me for the fifth time way back in junior high.
And I’d never looked back.
It had taken the Marines to set me straight, giving me a sense of honor for man and country.
Where was that honor today?
“We need to stop soon for gas and food.” Damien’s voice penetrated the dense space, his tone now devoid of emotion.
“What the hell are you going to find at three in the morning?” Aleksandr chided.
“There’s always a twenty-four hour diner open in these parts,” Damien answered.
“Well then, I could eat,” Aleksandr said after glancing over at Carina. “What about our guest?”
“If she behaves then she’s treated like a lady.” I glared back at him before craning my neck until I was able to peer out the window. We were still in rural South Carolina, our well-planned trip keeping us on the backroads. The cover of dense terrain had its advantages. The road was narrow, treacherous to some degree, but Damien had no issue navigating the path.
It was the pitch blackness that was kicking my ass.
“Let’s get this over with. We need to get to our destination as planned,” I reminded them, very cognizant of the list of regulations. The bag of promised cash had lured Damien in like flies to honey. He had no real understanding of why I was doing this, but I’d seen more than one question in his eyes.
“What’s the damn hurry?” Damien snorted.
I didn’t bother answering him. Damien also knew better than to ask pointed questions at this juncture, but he was used to working alone and making the decisions.
This time, I was the man in charge.
“Mmm...” Carina stirred.
I could tell she was awake by the rapid rise and fall of her chest. I had my doubts I could trust her to behave in any manner and she had to follow the rules. I allowed a few beautiful memories to slide into my mind, the way she used to smile and her laugh.
I’d wanted her then.
I wanted her now.
I wasn’t against disciplining her severely, until she succumbed to the realization that she was no longer in charge. But whatever decisions were made were mine to determine. That was the one perk for giving up everything and everyone I knew for a life of crime.
My visions shifted to dark and savage fantasies. In truth, she’d fueled more than one during the last ten years. Licking her. Fucking her. I glared down at my hand, the slight twitch a dead giveaway that I couldn’t lie about my strong feelings. Everything had resurfaced, all the longing.
All the wretched angst at losing her.
I would train her.
Punish her.
I would strip her of her dignity, breaking her down to the most primal level of desire and need, the kind of hunger that would leave her breathless and wet. I would keep her on edge, skating dangerously close to the precipice of surrender. I would dole out agony and ecstasy.
And I would own her.
The fine line had just gotten thinner.
My cock ached to the point I was in pain, my shaft pinched against my zipper. I was unable to stop the vile thoughts in my mind. I couldn’t wait to taste her, thrusting my tongue deep inside her sweet pussy. I wanted nothing more than to shove my cock into her asshole, riding her savagely.
Bile formed in my throat, blood rushing through my veins.
Yeah, I wasn’t a good man.
“Some cheesy diner up ahead. I’ll stop,” Damien wasn’t asking.
“Fine.” Keeping Carina in line would be int
eresting. She was hardheaded and determined to get her way. She would indeed need to be kept on a short leash, made to understand that her entire life had changed by one man’s choice. Now, none of us had a choice.
I knew the endgame according to Lucian, although I wasn’t certain I wanted to follow through with it. There had to be more to this than the bullshit statements he’d given me. “This is a test of your resolve, boy. You have choices to make”
Fucker.
Then there were my instincts kicking me in the ass. Time would tell if my distrust held merit.
I crouched close to her, shifting her into a sitting position. The slight gasp pushing past her lips was the only indication she was scared in any manner. She wasn’t trembling or lashing out as I would have expected. “I’m going to remove the blindfold, Carina. I’m certain you’re hungry and need to use the restroom so you’re coming inside with us. I will tell you that if you attempt to draw attention to our illustrious group in any manner or attempt to get any kind of help, everyone in the restaurant will face the consequences. Do you understand?”
She chewed on the inside of her jaw while I removed the tight binding, not issuing a single word.
“Do you understand?” I asked again.
Carina looked in the opposite direction, exhaling in an exaggerated fashion.
Darkness bubbled up from the very depth of my being. I yanked her over my lap, giving her a series of hard smacks against her backside. “You’re going to learn respect, Carina.”
She was shocked, her arms flailing. Her disobedience had fueled the monster lurking deep within my loins.
I smacked her again, moving my hand from one side of her bottom to the other.
I heard Aleksandr chuckling, amused that I would resort to such a primitive action.
“Stop. Stop!” she squealed, wiggling in an attempt to get out of my clutches.
