by Stone, Piper
“Come here, boy.”
“I didn’t mean to do it!” I shrunk back, trying to keep my distance. I’d never seen my father so angry.
“You are a disgrace. You humiliated me in front of everyone in my precinct! A cop’s son arrested! It’s that little piece of shit you’ve been running with. What’s his name, Damien Fuckhead. As of today, you will never see him again. Trust me on that, boy. He’s going away for a very long time and if you dare try, you know exactly what I’m going to do to you and your sister!”
“No! You will not. Leave her out of it.” Tears streamed down my face, my legs shaking. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her face peering around the door, her eyes full of terror. I knew what I had to do in order to protect her. I would never forgive him. Never. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. If only I had the courage to say the words.
“Come here or your punishment will be worse.”
“Jesus. Ruger. You all right?” Damien’s question shut down the memory.
“Fine.” I was anything but fine. I’d pushed any thoughts of my father away for years. I’d become just like him. A fucking criminal. I was angry. Just like my father. I was a wretched man.
Just. Like. My. Father.
“What is this really, about Ruger? You didn’t have to call me into this bullshit. While I appreciate the fact you still had some belabored slice of trust from fifteen years ago, you had no way of knowing if I’d bother showing up.”
“You want to know the real reason?” I snapped, shoving him hard against the wall. All the rage that had built inside for Lucian as well as my father exploded, visions of blood rippling through my mind. I wanted the man dead just as much as I’d wanted my father to die.
“Yeah, I do. Jesus, Ruger! What the hell is going on?” Damien’s eyes were imploring.
“Because they have Lily! They’re going to kill her if I don’t do exactly what they say.” I dropped my hand, curling my fist and unable to look him in the eyes.
“What?” Damien’s question was almost entirely inaudible. “What did you say to me?”
I took a deep breath before answering. “Somehow they found Lily. They abducted her, took her from her home out of state. She’d gotten as far away from her past as possible, no longer the terrified girl that she’d once been.” I moved toward the kitchen island, slapping my hands on the island counter. “I thought she was safe.”
He doubled over, taking gulping breaths. “Fuck.”
“Now, do you understand? I had no choice. These fuckers can take me down, but not her.”
A full minute ticked by. Damien’s agonizing breathing drilled into my mind, further fueling the embers.
“Jesus Christ. Why? Why do they want to ruin you so badly?” Damien managed. “What do they have on you?”
“Lucian Masters. He’s well known in the south. As I told you, he’s very dangerous. I just had no idea how far he was willing to go.”
“Yeah, I know that name. Isn’t he reported to be a front for certain mafia kingpins such as Santana?”
“Never proven, although I’ve tried. I did manage to sully his reputation two years ago, thereby taking a portion of his wealth. He doesn’t like me very much.”
“You think he’s really a part of this Trust organization, working with the Raven. Right?”
Nodding, I could barely think straight.
“This is insane,” Damien hissed.
I closed my eyes, taking several deep breaths. “There’s something else.”
“There always is,” Damien whispered.
“He was my father’s partner before my father was killed and Lucian moved up the ladder, eventually running the precinct. Then he was commissioner for a little while, until his fall from grace.”
“Wow. Talk about some baggage,” Damien said under his breath. “Because of that, he threatens to kill the woman we both love. That’s more than just about retaliation. He’s settling an old vendetta for your father, the kid that fucked you up and turned into a glorified mercenary and he gets to ruin your life as well. I’m beginning to wonder who the real monster is.”
“Yeah. My thoughts exactly.”
The words hung in the air.
“Then when this is over, I am going to hunt down Lucian Masters and kill him. And there is nothing you can do to stop me,” Damien stated with no hesitation.
“Trust me. I won’t. I’m no longer a man of the law.”
When the floorboard outside the kitchen door creaked, I almost reached for my gun.
“Good morning.” Carina stood in the doorway, a slight smile on her face.
As I’d had happen every time I’d seen her, there wasn’t a part of me that wasn’t electrified, my cock swelling and my balls tightening. Tasting her the night before, fucking her had been amazing. Doing it in front of the lens had been excruciating.
“Did you sleep?” I asked, trying to avoid her prying eyes but I could tell she remained nervous, albeit less skittish.
“I did.” She took several steps further inside, darting her eyes back and forth from one to the other. “Where’s Aleks?”
“Working.” I kept my answer succinct, but the guilt settled into my system, hitting me hard. “Look, I want to apologize about last night.”
She rushed forward, placing two fingers across my lips. Just the simple touch was enough to restart my engine, creating an almost desperate need to have her. “You don’t have to explain. I just finished prosecuting a monster, remember? I know the tactics used, horrors that few people could ever understand hearing about. Last night was...awakening. Amazing. The cameras couldn’t take that away from what we shared.”
Standing in only her bare feet, the slip of a robe did little to cover her voluptuous breasts that fit perfectly in my hands. She’d turned into such a beautiful woman with soft glowing skin and curves a man like me could die for.
Would die for.
Unable to help myself, I wrapped my hand around her neck, dragging her onto her toes and yanking her against the heat of my chest. I captured her mouth, holding her in place as I thrust my tongue inside. I wanted to taste all of her every day, to consume every drop of her sweet essence. I was blinded with the same intense desire as before, my cock pinched against the zipper of my pants.
She slid her hands up and around my neck, curling her fingers in my hair. Her breasts were crushed against me and I could feel the rapid beating of her heart. Everything about this was sinful, my desires akin to little more than a beast’s. But at this moment, she didn’t seem to mind, her own longing acknowledged in the powerful kiss.
Our tongues entwined, swirling back and forth together. I brushed my hand down her silky robe, sliding my fingers under the hem and cupping her sweet bottom. The heat from her recent spanking remained, tingling my fingertips. For a few seconds, I contemplated tossing her onto the island, feasting on her for breakfast.
But there was work to do.
She sensed the change in my demeanor, pushing her hand against me. When she broke the kiss, she fisted my shirt, keeping me close. “Talk to me, Ruger. I want to know you.”
“You know as much as you want to know, sweetheart.” My words were gravelly, filled with the angst of knowing this could never last. The fact I’d fallen hard for her once again simply couldn’t matter. I would help her find a way back to her life and that would be the end.
A dark chuckle came from Damien’s mouth. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her against him. “As long as we’re saying good morning, don’t forget about me.” He cupped the back of her head, keeping her in his firm grip, the growl he emitted husky.
A twinge of jealousy floated into my system. However, she didn’t belong to me anymore than she did to the three of us. There was no such thing as the perfect fantasy.
Damien ground his hips against her belly as he French kissed her, acting more like a barbarian than anything else. I finally turned my attention away, sliding the phone into my pocket.
Seconds later, she pushed him back, wa
gging her finger. “Not before breakfast.”
“Hmmm... I don’t think you understood the rules very well last night,” Damien teased, swatting her on the ass. “But breakfast sounds like a good idea.”
One last time, I pulled her close to me, taking the opportunity to tug on the sash holding her robe closed. “You seem to forget that you have to be given permission to wear clothes.” I rubbed the flat of my hand down between her breasts, brushing the tips from one nipple to the other, pinching both until she whimpered.
“But I’ve been so good,” she commented.
The change in her demeanor was sudden, although what we’d shared had been some of the most intense moments that I’d ever experienced. I gazed down the front of her, enjoying the view.
“Seems like you’re very hungry,” she purred. Her long fingers found their way to my cock, stroking in a provocative manner.
“Always a tease. I’ll get Aleks. Breakfast and a discussion. Then there is a hot tub with our name on it for later.” Damien walked out, whistling under his breath.
She eased her hand to my chest, fiddling with my shirt as if picking some unwanted ball of lint. “There was something you said to me last night that sparked a memory of a boy I knew a long time ago.”
I stiffened. Now wasn’t the time for her to figure out who I was. “You couldn’t have known me. I didn’t grow up in Louisiana.”
“No? Your accent could have fooled me.”
“Accent?” I laughed seeing the mischief in her eyes. I gripped her arms, enjoying the way the silk felt against my rough fingertips. She was everything that a woman should be. “I don’t have an accent.”
“Uh-huh. Let’s try that again.” Pulling away, she moved quickly out of my grasp, retying her robe. When she glanced into my eyes again, her expression was serious, even haunting in nature. “My father never liked the boys I went out with or even the ones who gave me a second look. He wasn’t a good man in any regards. When I did see this boy, which was rare, he was always in a hurry.” She laughed bitterly. “But my father made certain that he kept me away from the people I cared about, even the ones I longed to get to know better. I left home at eighteen. I only came back to Baton Rouge because of the job offer.”
“I’m sorry about your father. Mine was no prize, but we get on with our lives as we’re required to do.”
“That sounds so jaded, Ruger as if you couldn’t care less about the world.”
I exhaled. “You’d be right about that.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Believe what you want, sweetheart but you know exactly the kind of world we live in, one that doesn’t deserve any kindness.”
Carina had difficulty accepting the words. I could see her mind furrowing, trying to figure out why I was full of such rage. She really didn’t want to know the answer.
She nodded several times, dragging her fingers across the island as she moved around to the other side. “You know, I met a boy once with the most intense blue eyes. He was beautiful in every way, curly dark hair and a smile that could light up an entire room, but he only smiled twice during the limited time we were together. He was afraid and haunted, so angry inside but also such a sweet and endearing kid. He was sexy and he didn’t know it, so intelligent, but quiet and shy. I fell hard for that boy. I used to dream about him at night, like teenagers do, but I knew he was something special.”
The words echoed, matching the thudding of my heart. Swallowing, I kept my eyes on her as she moved toward the refrigerator, removing items. I could care less about food. I had no desire to eat. I was simply stunned.
“My father found out that I’d snuck out of my room one night to meet with that boy. I don’t know how he found me, but he did, forbidding me to see him ever again. I was grounded for two weeks. I had no way of getting in touch with him. By the time I was able to try, I couldn’t find him. That was one week before I left for college, all the way on the other side of the country. I never came home for breaks. To this day, I refuse to talk to my father. He means nothing to me.”
I opened my mouth to say something, anything but what the hell was I supposed to say to her?
She laughed after a few seconds, darting a glance in my direction. “Anyway, I’m not entirely certain why I told you that except you remind me a little bit of him. It’s those eyes. You have the most incredible blue eyes I’ve ever seen. I know, it doesn’t matter. Love has a fickle way of finding you.”
I blinked several times. “Love isn’t something a man like me can feel. It’s only a weakness, a tool to be used. I refuse to allow anything to happen to the people I care about. Better than they don’t know how I feel. You forget, I’m not a good man. This isn’t a fantasy and we could all die.”
“I’m very aware of the danger, Ruger. You keep trying to convince me that you’re such a horrible person. Can I buy you’re hurting because of your past, jaded from the work you’ve been required to do? Yes. Do I believe that there’s nothing redeeming about you? Absolutely not. What you are good at is lying to yourself and to everyone else.”
“Trust me when I say, you don’t want to get to know the real man. I am my father, brutal and unforgiving. This is just a blip in time for me. I promised I’d figure out a way to keep you safe and I intend on keeping that promise, but there is no happy ever after for a man like me.”
She bristled, her mouth twisting. After flopping the carton of eggs on the counter, she folded her arms and walked closer. “Stop playing the martyr card, Ruger. It doesn’t suit you.”
Vile words were on the tip of my tongue, but she certainly didn’t deserve my wrath. The man inside did. I shook my head several times.
Coward.
The word entered my mind the second I walked out of the kitchen, but I was firmly convinced she couldn’t know about our connection. I had a monstrous beast inside, but whether or not it needed to be fed, I could no longer tolerate it. She was everything to me.
And I’d already convinced myself that my love for her was too strong to risk her life as I had Lily’s.
I moved to the front of the house, walking outside. I had my own plan in mind for dealing with this, something I should have done from minute one.
Confess.
There was some old adage I’d read about the sins of the fathers and that sons would always inherit their behaviors and depravities. Until now, I’d never believed in anything of that nature.
Even if Lucian called about the money, my honest guess is that if any funds had been wired, it would just be another piece of evidence placed against all of us. Wire fraud. Embezzlement. The man could stack the charges any way he wanted. We were fucked either way. I had to bring this to a head.
Grabbing the phone from my pocket, I eyed the screen. I knew the number by heart and hesitated only a few seconds before dialing. When it was answered on the third ring, I took a deep breath before speaking. “You need to listen to me. I don’t have much time. I need to explain a few things and I must be able to trust you. This is vital. Can I do that?”
There was only a slight hesitation. “Of course, you can. What’s going on?”
As I began to speak, I could only pray I was doing the right thing.
* * *
The lower level deck still had an incredible view of the mountains, the oversized hot tub a centerpiece. The area was breathtaking, even though my mood remained grim. The plan had been pushed into motion, one I prayed I wouldn’t regret. What limited information Aleks had discovered indicated that The Raven had been very active during the last couple of days, silencing several of his enemies. From what I’d been able to determine, he was ceremoniously cleaning house.
While the details were bloody, they seemed distinct from our situation. What he couldn’t determine was just how close Lucian was to the Raven in any regard. I still felt like a huge piece of the puzzle was missing.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her, studying the way she interacted with Aleks.
Damien handed me a drink, lif
ting a single eyebrow. “He likes her. That must piss you off.”
“I have no reason to be pissed off, Damien. She is her own woman.”
“Need I remind you that she’s our hostage?” He shook his head, chuckling as he darted another glance in their direction. “You don’t like their attraction one bit.”
“Let it go.” My tone was gruff.
“Fine. However, I will say this. Unless we’re leaving this house tonight, I suggest you relax. You’re ready to explode.”
“I have my reasons for being on edge. I would think a bounty hunter like yourself would be concerned about what’d going to happen next.”
“Jesus. That chip on your shoulder is the size of a boulder. Take the damn drink, Ruger.”
“Relax I can’t do.” I grabbed the glass out of his hand, immediately swirling the ice chunks, the liquid sloshing just over the edge. There wasn’t enough liquor in the house to calm my nerves. I half expected that the Calvary was going to show up. Maybe that’s exactly what I wanted to have happen.
“Does she know?” he asked as he sat down next to me.
“What?”
“About your connection to her. I do remember Carina, at least to a point. You were head over heels in love with her then, just like you are now.”
“Cut the crap. I don’t want a lecture.”
Damien moved his drink from hand to hand. “A hard man.”
I thought about the conversation, surprised she was even smiling. Maybe she’d written me off as some kind of freak. “Let’s just say she remembers a boy from a long time ago. That’s all she’s going to learn. Period.” My instructions were clear.
“You know what’s odd?” he asked after a few seconds. He smirked as he studied her. “We’re no longer her abductors. We’ve become her protection.” A laugh bubbled to the surface. “Hard to believe that we might be the only fuckers to be able to actually keep her alive.”
