by Sam Crescent
“I’m not good for being broadcast. My scars.”
“Everyone loves a bad boy. Come on, Viper, this is a really good idea.” She touched his arm, excited to even be thinking about it.
“I’m going to need to run it by Boss first.”
Pepper patted her thighs. “How about we phone him now?”
“Just calm down. I want time to think about this.”
Once again silence filled the car, and she couldn’t take it anymore. After the night they’d had, she didn’t want there to be any more silence.
“I think it’s a great idea. We can say that I had an argument with my mom, which isn’t a lie really. We did argue, and I’d had enough. I couldn’t handle the pain that he inflicted on me, so I ran. You followed me, took care of me, and during that time we fell in love, got married.”
“I’ve been consoling you ever since?” he asked.
“Yes, exactly. We can pull this off, right? Wait, we can’t get married.”
“Boss can get the relevant paperwork, and at a later date we can use a priest if we decide to keep it going.”
She liked that. He was planning for a future with her. Or so she hoped. They may not be on the best speaking terms, but she liked this plan a hell of a lot.
The drive to Boss’s secret house took far too long for her, but she stayed quiet so that Viper could think.
When they got there, a large hulk of a man was already waiting. He had dark hair that was down to his shoulders, and two scars down his eye.
“Viper,” he said.
“Boss. Pepper, this is Boss. Boss, this is Pepper.”
“Nice to meet you at last.”
He was so big, so scary that it made her swallow. Her heart started to race, and she glanced at Viper, seeing he wasn’t afraid.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Pepper,” Boss said, opening his gates. He waited for them to enter, and she didn’t like having him at her back. She had paid this man ten million dollars to keep her alive. Unless someone else had come up with a higher price, he worked for her. “I thought you had gotten lost.”
“No, we weren’t lost,” Viper said. “Believe it or not, Pepper has a plan. Tell him.”
She gritted her teeth hating being put on the spot, and he’d done it on purpose. He didn’t really think her plan was a good idea. Licking her dry lips, she began talking at the same time they all started walking toward the main house.
Once she had finished, they were securely inside, and Boss had his arms crossed over his chest, looking deep in thought.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“That could work. I can have the documents here within the hour. Do you know anyone in the media who would do a press release for you?”
“Yes, I do, and I can even have it arranged for outside my family’s company.”
Boss smiled, and in a weird way that made him look even scarier.
She tensed up waiting, and then he nodded.
“Let’s get this party on the road.”
Chapter Eight
Viper wasn’t sold on Pepper’s idea. So many things could go wrong. She was too naive for her own damn good, not realizing how many targets would be on her back once they went public. He didn’t want to lose her.
He stood against a far wall in the living room with his arms crossed, watching Pepper explore Boss’s vast art collection. His mind was in overdrive as he plotted several murders in his head—and the fact he’d fallen for a mark. He was an idiot. After a lifetime of keeping his guards safely in place, never letting a woman under his skin, Pepper had walked into his life and changed everything. She was too young and innocent for him, but the thought of any other man having her made a deep-seated rage burn inside him. Pepper was his. He’d crossed that line, and there was no turning back now.
He’d never had anything of value as a child, taught not to keep mementos or get attached to anything or anyone. But he’d taken control of his future a long time ago. Pepper would be his prize, the one thing he wouldn’t let anyone take from him.
“The way you watch her … shit, Viper.” Boss leaned against the wall next to him.
Viper didn’t comment.
“Killer of Kings can’t have hitmen who fall for their marks. We’d go out of business in no time.”
When Viper turned his head to gauge Boss’s expression, the bastard winked, a look of amusement on his face.
“This is fun for you?” he asked.
Boss shrugged. “I just feel sorry for the fool who makes a move on that girl.” He chuckled.
Viper pushed off from the wall, not comfortable with topic of conversation, and even more disturbed that he was so transparent. “I’ll get the job done. This changes nothing.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Viper. I’ve seen it before—love changes everything. One thing’s for damn sure, a piece of pussy will never tear down my empire. Weren’t you the one always telling me women were just a weakness used to exploit us?”
Viper whirled around, running both hands through his hair, tempted to pull in out at the roots. “Are the papers in? I’ve got to get the fuck out of here.”
“Sure,” he said. “They came fifteen minutes ago.”
Viper felt cornered, bristling like a feral dog. This was the first time in his life he had something worth saving, and it terrified him. Viper watched Pepper trail her finger along one of the larger bronze statues. Everything about her mesmerized him, from the color of her hair to the curves of her body. She turned as if sensing his gaze, giving him a little smile.
“Pepper, come on, it’s time to go.”
As he started to walk through the marble entrance arch of the room, Boss placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. “One word of advice. If shit gets ugly, save yourself first. We’ve already been paid in advance. I don’t want to lose one of my best men.”
He jerked away from Boss, heading straight for the front doors of the mansion. The place was fucking huge, and looked more like an Italian museum than the hideout for a crime kingpin. It was even more secure than Viper’s condo. He noticed every little intricacy from the thugs around the property to the state of the art security and surveillance system in every corner.
“Wait up,” Pepper called out as she ran through the lobby. “We’re already leaving?”
“The marriage documents are ready. There’s no sense sitting around, wasting time. Best to get on the road.” His mood had soured. Boss had forced him to examine his feelings and any future with Pepper. Maybe dreaming up a happy ending with her was bullshit for a fuckup like him.
He walked ahead of her, too fast for her to keep up. His eyes were on the Mustang just outside the main gates. His escape. Moving from one job to the next was what he did best. Settling down could never work.
By the time the iron gates began to automatically open with an eerie whine, Boss and a couple of his hired guns had caught up. Viper wasted no time getting into the car, squeezing the steering wheel with both fists like a lifeline. Pepper sat in the passenger seat, and then Boss leaned over and tapped on the driver’s side window.
He started up the car, now equipped with a working key, before lowering the tinted glass.
“I had your plates changed, too. The ones you had were hot.” Boss stood back up, looking at the dark cloud cover moving in. “Call me when the job is done.”
“I always do.” Then he hit the gas, reversing out the long winding driveway. That’s what he liked: clean, efficient, no bullshit. Why did Boss have to push his buttons today? He usually knew better, but then again, Viper had never shown interest in any of the whores who frequented Boss’s place. He’d never cared about any woman.
They’d been driving for a while in silence, awkward silence.
“Is something wrong?” Pepper asked.
“This is a big move we’re taking. A lot can go wrong. Your stepfather isn’t going to hand everything over without a fight.”
“Well, I’m hoping there won’t be a fight. Like I said, this
plan is perfect. Nothing can go wrong.”
Her positivity was cute, but it was all an illusion. The reality was going to be equivalent to a shit storm. “Whatever you say, Pepper.”
“It’s true. You’ll see.” She leaned over the center console and rested her head on his arm. He felt his muscles relaxing and breath softening. It was odd having a woman cling to him for safety and affection. She had no idea the power she held over him.
The landscape changed from rural to urban to rural again. In another half hour they’d reach the city. Viper had a bad feeling about showing up unannounced at Pepper’s house. His renowned confidence was at an all-time low because this time he had something to lose.
“Kiss me,” she said.
He frowned. “Now? I’m driving.”
“You’re trying to pull away from me. I can feel it. Ever since those texts you’ve been distant.”
“Distant?”
“If you think I feel differently about you because of the reading thing, I don’t.”
He didn’t like where this was going. Pepper was an educated girl from a wealthy family. There was no way she’d be happy with an illiterate man like Viper. His fucking insecurities had shown their ugly colors since Pepper walked into his life. He wished things were different, but they weren’t.
“Viper, please say something.” She placed her hand on his thigh. “I need you. I don’t have anyone else.”
He abruptly hit the brakes, parking in an abandoned alcove along the side of the road and cut the engine. “I don’t want you to settle, Pepper. You deserve more.”
“I’m not settling, so don’t put words in my mouth.”
“What can I give you?”
“Look, I’ve known so many Ivy League boys in my life. I don’t want them, I want you, a real man. You can take care of me, Viper. In every way.”
Fuck, the way she said those last words made his cock swell in his jeans. He twisted uncomfortably in his seat. “You want that kiss or what?”
She smiled and leaned closer. He cupped the side of her face and kissed her hard and demanding. She even tasted sweet. Her little mewling sounds were pushing him over the edge.
As soon as their tongues began to play, he pulled away and left the car, slamming the door behind him.
Pepper rushed out, joining him at the rear of the car. Her little hands were balled into fists, her brow lowered. “What was that about? What did I do wrong now?”
Her grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up onto the back of the Mustang, pressing himself between her legs. “I need you.”
“What?” Her voice was barely a whisper, her hands resting on his shoulders.
He lifted up her shirt with one hand, while fiddling with his belt buckle with the other. Her tits were gorgeous. He quickly realized he was addicted to everything Pepper. He peeled back the cup of her bra and took her areola into his mouth, sucking hard.
“Get your pants off, baby. I want my dick inside you.”
She let out a little gasp, but did as she was told, wiggling out of her pants while seated on the trunk of the car. He pulled them clean off once they shifted down her hips. Maybe another time he’d take things slow, savoring her body—not now. They were about to risk their lives with this volatile plan, and Viper had been craving a piece of Pepper since their first encounter. Just remembering the moment he took her virginity was enough to set him off. She’d given him more than her innocence. Her gift made him feel special in a world that had always told him he was nothing more than a shadow.
But right now was about sex. Hard and dirty.
Viper spread her legs wide, tugging her ass until she slid to the very edge of the trunk. He positioned himself, rubbing the ready end of his cock in her overflow of juices.
“Oh God,” she said, bracing her hands on either side of her. Her eyes were hooded, her full lips parted.
He pushed inside her until seated to the hilt. She was so tight and hot, her pretty, pink pussy gripping him like a fist. Viper growled, the instant relief after sliding inside her incomparable. “You feel so damn good, baby girl. Tell me you want to be fucked.”
“No, I can’t say that.”
Her body was full of his cock, her shirt rolled up atop her breasts. The odd car zoomed by on the highway, but they were partially hidden in their alcove within the dense forest.
He kissed her, determined to get her to submit. She wrapped her arms around his neck, squirming against his cock, but he refused to give her what she needed.
“Viper, please.”
“Say it.” He ducked down and licked her tight nipples, flicking them with his tongue.
“I want you … to fuck me,” she said.
“Do you want me to make you come?”
“Yes!”
He couldn’t hold back his own needs a second longer. Viper grasped her hips and fucked her good, ramming into her lush body with enough stamina to rock the car. He was pent up and hard as steel.
Pepper moaned and squealed, the erotic sounds drowning out the sounds of nature. He loved how she held onto him, her nails digging unforgivingly into his skin. The pain only spurred him on.
He pumped into her hot cunt over and over, kissing her lips, the rim of her ear, her neck.
“I love you,” she said. Then her body erupted, her pussy rhythmically milking his cock. He came in a powerful rush, groaning as he met his own release.
Their breathing was rapid as they relished in the aftermath. Viper stayed in place, their bodies still connected. Had he heard right? It had to be words spoken in the moment of passion. No one had every loved him, certainly not a woman. The longest relationship he’d ever had was three weeks, if he couldn’t even call it more than an extended booty call.
Pepper was a good girl. His girl.
He took a last deep breath, then lifted her down to her feet so she could get dressed. Viper zipped up and then popped the trunk. He opened his traveling arsenal, displaying the full array of weapons he’d packed up when they left his condo.
“What the hell?” Pepper stared at the guns.
“Get dressed, princess.” He buckled on his bun belt and harnesses, then began filling every holster with a lethal weapon. Each one had a silencer, just in case he needed to keep on the down low. By the time he closed the case, he was a one-man killing machine.
Once they were back in the car, he noticed the fear in Pepper’s eyes. He didn’t like it.
“I’m scared,” she said. “I wish this was all a nightmare I could wake up from.”
“You know why this has to happen. We have to set things right.”
“What if something happens to me?” She looked like pure innocence with those big, blue eyes.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he said. “You’re mine to protect.”
****
When her house came into view it was like looking through a portal in time. A wash of emotion took her by surprise. She remembered her mother, but mostly the fear the house represented thanks to her horrible stepfather. Her body felt stiff, her nerves on edge. What was she thinking to go through with this plan? Now that they had arrived, her confidence dwindled.
“Shit, your place is huge.”
“Appearances mean nothing,” she said. “I could never live in that house again. It only reminds me of his cruelty.”
“Bernard Sutherland,” Viper recited, a deadly inclination in his tone.
“He’s the worst.”
“Is that your name? Pepper Sutherland?”
“No! I have my mother’s name, Henshaw.” There was no way she wanted to be associated with that monster, that murderer.
They pulled around to the side street next to the house. Viper had his leather jacket on, effectively concealing his weapons. He was more on edge than usual, his focus seemingly on everything at once.
“They’re not here. I thought you told the media crew to meet you at seven sharp?”
Pepper looked at the dashboard clock, and it was already twenty minutes aft
er. It seemed odd they’d be late for such a breaking news case. As much as she felt safe with Viper, part of her believed she’d meet the same fate as her mother. “I don’t understand why they’re not here.”
Viper scanned the area, his eyes narrowed. “That’s because they’re dead.”
“What!”
He raced the car up the street, way above the inner-city speed limit. The sound of the engine was deafening. Her heart pumped like a freight train, and she had to remind herself just to breathe. Viper stopped in the old alleyway behind her house, mostly used for deliveries and storing the dumpsters.
“Get out,” he said.
“Viper, what’s happening?”
“Hush now. Keep quiet and do as I say.”
She followed behind him, holding the edge of his jacket like a lifeline. He appeared like a man taking a casual stroll on the beach, his shoulders back and each stride strong and confident. He had one hand inside his jacket, and he used his free one to test the back door. It was locked. Viper squatted down after checking around. Within seconds he’d picked the lock.
Once inside the only home she’d ever known, she felt dirty and violated. Her stepfather didn’t deserve to take over everything. She noticed little things, like family portraits and small trinkets she’d bought with her mother when she was a child. He’d taken everything from her. Her anger gave her the confidence she desperately needed right now. Even if she never lived here again, there was no way she could stand the thought of her mother’s murderer enjoying it.
“Stay here,” Viper whispered. “I’m going to check over there.”
Pepper didn’t like being left alone, but she did as she was told. She kept fiddling with the hem of her shirt hoping he’d come back quickly, but after a while she heard two male voices coming from the other hallway. She froze, a jolt of panic paralyzing her like back at that hotel. She tried to call out for Viper, but her voice didn’t work.
“Someone’s there,” said one of the men. When they both noticed her, they were quick to pull out guns. God, she hated guns, especially when pointed at her.
