by Stone, Piper
“Just business.”
Grabbing the mirror and dropping the towel, she twisted until she was able to see, blinking several times, her eyes narrowing, a slight giggle pushing past her lips. “Bad girl. I like it. A perfect selection.”
Just seeing the happiness on her face from giving her a simple pleasure was enough to chill my blood. Whatever had possessed me to do this had been a poor decision. Still, the mark was exactly what I’d wanted, selfishly. And right now? My cock was aching. I wanted to take her home, strip her of her clothes, and shackle her to my bed, spending hours exploring every inch of her perfect body. When she moved toward me, I held out my hand. “I’m glad you do. I have some additional phone calls to make that require me to be at the house. Come on.”
Lola returned the mirror and positioned her dress. “Not until you tell me what the hell is going on. Are we in some kind of danger?”
She wasn’t going to let this go. “I don’t have time to explain.” I didn’t want her to hear the news just yet. Then she’d truly understand what level of danger we were both embroiled in. I had no way of knowing how she’d react. “When I give you an order, you follow it. We’ve been through this.”
Inching closer, she placed her hand on my chest, curling her fingers. “Or what, sir?”
Even the slight touch, gentle and full of passion was enough to send a jolt of current straight into my testicles. “Don’t. Our time here is almost concluded.”
“We have a couple of days left, Jagger. Please talk to me.”
Placing my index finger over my lips, I nodded toward the door.
“Fine.” She walked past me, determined to walk out the front door without me. I snagged her wrist, yanking her back into the hallway, crowding her space, whispering in her ear. “This isn’t the time that you can be defiant, Lola. Everything I told you about my life is true, but things have changed. Please, do as I say.”
When I leaned back, she was chewing on her bottom lip, the nervous tic one that I adored. I held her hand, keeping her close as we exited the store. We were only three blocks from the car. I kept watch, eyeing every person who invaded our space. While there was no indication of being followed, I refused to let my guard down even when we were safely in the car and on our way back to the beach house. The silence and tension between us were draining, palpable, and I could tell she would pepper me with questions at some point. And what would I even think about telling her?
She folded her arms, glaring out the window, allowing me to drive without interference. When I headed up into the mountains, I sensed she’d noticed how often I’d glanced into the rearview mirror, but she remained quiet. As soon as I pulled into the driveway, she leaned forward, unbuckling her seatbelt.
I slid the gear into park and immediately grabbed her hand. “No. You’re going to stay here until I check the house and grounds.”
“You’re really that terrified. What’s happening, Jagger? Is your father pressuring you? Do you have other enemies that you haven’t mentioned to me?”
My fingers were digging into her skin, my arm twitching from extreme anxiety. “Let me make certain there hasn’t been a breach in security.”
“A breach in security. Would you listen to what you’re saying? You fucked me in the middle of a nasty bathroom. You certainly weren’t worried about security then.”
“And I was a fool!”
Thin-lipped, she shook her head several times. “Maybe I was the fool thinking that I could believe you, in anything you say to me.”
“Lola, I...” I let go of her arm and pulled the gun from my holster.
“I’m so sorry that you have to live every day of your life looking over your shoulder, concerned that some asshole is going to try to kill you. I couldn’t live that way. It’s not living.” Slumping against her seat, she shut down, her entire body tense.
I hesitated until the old training settled in. I certainly couldn’t protect her out in the open. “Keep the doors locked and Lola, I’d dead serious about staying here. This isn’t a game of any kind. I’m leaving the keys. If I don’t come back in ten minutes, get out of here.”
“And where the hell am I supposed to go?” Her voice suddenly seemed so small, deflated as if fear had overpowered her brash attitude.
Softening, I gave her a half smile. She didn’t deserve any of this and the question was a damn good one. “To the police. They will help you get a flight out of St. Martin.”
“And what do I say? That the man I’d fallen in love with was murdered and I didn’t stick around long enough to give a shit?”
Love. Hearing her say the words was more damning than a knife in my throat. I was unprepared for her the reality that she did trust me and that I’d allowed her to see the man inside. “Don’t give them my name, Lola. If you do, you will never leave this country. Tell them you were staying with friends.”
She snickered. “As if they won’t figure out that I was with a notorious mafia man. I can only imagine what they’ll do.” Rolling her eyes, she shifted further away. “Don’t worry. I can be a damn good actress when I need to be, or don’t you remember?”
Hell, yeah, I remembered. I eased out, shutting the door and waiting until she’d hit the lock. Keeping the gun in both hands, I walked around the house before going inside, checking every room. There was no sign that there’d been an attempted break in. Nothing seemed amiss, but my gut was rolling. If there would be an attempt made, it would no doubt be tonight.
Satisfied, I returned to the car. Whether or not I expected her to be there didn’t dawn on me until she threw open the door, storming past me.
“No boogeymen?”
I closed and locked the door, clicking on the safety and sliding the gun back into the holster. Then I made certain one last time that the front window locks were in place before closing the blinds. By the time I made it into the kitchen, she’d poured two glasses of wine. I dropped the keys on the counter, contemplating the next course of action. The way she lifted her eyebrow, her gaze concentrated on the gun was telling. “Lola, there are some things I need to explain to you, but if I do, then you can’t ask me any questions and you can never repeat what I say to you.”
She grabbed her wine, issuing an offhanded smile as she ignored my comment, heading for the deck. She threw open the doors, walking outside, immediately closing her eyes after leaning against the railing.
This wasn’t going to be easy by any means. I grabbed the wine, following her outside yet keeping my distance, studying the waves. High tide was coming in, ocean spray already hitting the rocks. I adored the sound of crashing waves, the powerful concept of nature against the perceived superiority of man. “I never lied to you that my family is dangerous, including every associate who works for my father.” I stumbled on the tense, almost giving away that he was dead.
“And you’ve tried to convince me that you’re dangerous as well. Same shit. Different day.”
“I told you that I’d always tell you the truth, no matter if you liked what I had to say.”
“What are you saying to me? Really, Jagger? I’m so sick of the seesaw effect that I remain in a constant state of nausea. You want me to hate you, yet you do everything in your power to peel away those crusty layers. As soon as I get close, as soon as you allow me to grasp that gentle and caring man inside, you yank away. I can’t do this any longer. I love the time we’ve shared, the way you’ve disclosed your knowledge of domination and submission. You’ve helped the woman buried so deep inside her own shell feel free. But the baggage you carry is a tremendous burden. And, you’re a pain in the ass.”
Even the way she blew a puff of hair from her face was sexy. “You’re not going to have to worry about that any longer.” I couldn’t even look her in the eyes. If I did, I knew that she’d catch the lie, even before I finished my sentence. Damn it.
“What the hell does that mean?”
I kept the same expression, bland and without any feeling.
She took a long stride toward
me. “What the hell does that mean? That you don’t want me any longer? You had some two-bit artist wannabe slap some damn tattoo on me, your design I might add. Your mark. And it means nothing?”
“For the record, the guy I paid serious money in order to provide one of your fantasies has a solid reputation.” God, I wanted nothing more than to drag her over my knee, give her the spanking of her life. She was the most infuriating female I’d ever met. Huffing, I held my tongue until the wind shifted, highlighting a noise. Instantly, I bristled, one hand gripping the cool wooden railing. Tilting my head, I drowned out everything else as I scanned the perimeter of the beach, searching for any abnormalities.
“Are you listening to me at all?” she demanded.
“Hush.”
“Don’t you hush me. Don’t you dare hush—”
I threw out my arm, cutting her off. Then I could swear I heard a second clinking noise. “Damn it!” The adrenaline rush immediate, I grabbed her arms, pulling her in back of me. My wineglass toppled off, shattering the glass.
“What’s wrong?” She wasn’t exactly whispering, but her words were clipped.
“Get inside,” I instructed and narrowed my eyes, searching the small beach, trying to find the source of the few seconds’ worth of reflection. The easy access to the beach was easy to see from almost anywhere in the back of the house. There were no close docks or moorings, but an assassin could easily trek through the woods, locating the house if they knew where they were going. A simple fly-by from a small airplane or helicopter could allow the killer to ascertain enough information. At least the other direction was secluded, rocky and dangerous. There was a small pathway, but not easy to find. Still, four miles worth of shoreline in either direction was very private, almost impossible to get to from any road.
“Talk to me. What’s wrong?” She tried to jerk out of my grasp.
Turning sharply, I pushed her hard, shoving her past the threshold. “Listen to me. When I give you an order, you will follow it. Now, get inside!”
I could tell in her eyes the anger had returned, her unwillingness to follow directions no doubt creating several issues if this was an attempt on our lives. “Damn it,” she mumbled but took a step back, wiping spilled wine from her dress.
“Please. Do as I say.”
“Whatever.” Shaking her head, she stormed further inside, half slamming the glass on the counter before moving toward the hallway, mumbling under her breath.
Moving back to the railing, I held my hand over my eyes, cutting the glare and scanning the entire area. The crunch under my feet was chilling, perhaps telling of things to come. I could see nothing. Not a person, not another flash of light. But I knew I’d been right.
I headed inside, closing and locking the door then moving toward the front of the house, carefully looking through the blinds. I could see nothing but my car. There were no apparent visitors, but my sixth sense had kicked into overdrive. I had no doubt someone was watching us. I could feel a presence lurking in the damn shadows. Keeping the gun in both hands, I moved to the door, opening very slowly, my eyes roaming the property.
I eased outside, crouching low to the ground as I swept the perimeter with my eyes. By the time I made it to the corner of the house, I was chastising my ridiculous actions since the minute I’d allowed her to get under my skin.
Granted, we’d been here only a few days, but that was absolutely enough time for one of the capos to arrive from stateside, secure a plan, and locate the house. If this scheme had been in the works for some time, eradicating the entire family, my departure would have put a shift in the timing. Perhaps my father had gotten wind of what was coming, hence the secret meeting leading to his murder. I had to find out who’d been on the invitation list. There was no doubt I’d played into their hands, whoever the fuck ‘they’ were. My mind was reeling, the inner voice suggesting plots and scenarios as if this was some movie set. What did I know? My father had been betrayed. Perhaps the entire organization had been. The pilot hadn’t returned my call, which meant he’d been compromised, leading the assholes right to us. I moved in stealth-like actions toward the bank of trees, an excellent vantage point.
Damn it. I’d never been this careless. Years of training with various capos and other soldiers at my father’s insistence and I’d allowed my cock to do the thinking. That was going to stop. Think, asshole. Leaning against one of the trees, I fingered my Glock, running my fingers down along the barrel. I needed some form of protection for both of us, and more than just the arsenal located inside the house. I would switch to a different tactic then formulate a plan. No one knew I had friends on the island. I couldn’t help but wonder if Calen had been bought off by the New Yorkers, his family threatened. I was going to find out. Hissing, I dialed Alvaro as I moved from side to side.
“I was just about to call you,” Alvaro said, almost in a whisper.
“That means you found something, a plan.” I didn’t like the sound of his voice. Too cautious.
“Not from Calen, my friend. The man has a second mortgage on his home and he’s banking on the season to keep him afloat. That’s how he was able to get the money you are so concerned about.”
I heard the glitch, that strangled effort to find the right words. “But?”
“I rattled a few cages. There are rumblings on this island. People know who you are, which means you should be very careful.”
“Careful I’m not good at, it seems.”
He chuckled finally. “Tell me something I don’t know, my friend.” An awkward silence settled in. “Look, I heard about the massacre. Damn shame.”
“News travels fast.” Hell, it wasn’t a shame to me.
“When it involves a man like your father, yes. I suspect you’re worried,” Alvaro stated.
I allowed a slow breath to escape. “Worried, yes, but more about my companion.”
“Ah, yes. The lovely lady. Does she know about you, my friend?”
“Enough to keep her interested, and if she’s discovered, they will use her against me. I need to get to safety. We’ve been compromised. I need a place to stay, a way to get off the island tomorrow and it must be tomorrow.”
“Shit, my friend. The island is small but the gossip huge, if you know what I mean. Getting you to safety, I can do. Getting you off this island will take a significant amount of money.” Alvaro’s voice was strained.
“Money I have. Time I don’t. I need to settle this score before a bloody war breaks out. Can I count on you?” I squelched the commanding man clawing at the surface. Alvaro might be my only concept at salvation.
“Yah, man. You can count on me. I will call you in thirty minutes with details.”
I rubbed my eyes before walking back to the front door. “I appreciate this, my friend. Few I can trust.”
“No need to thank me, Jagger, at least not yet. I will tell you this, my friend. I do not like what I am hearing, not in the least. You must be very careful.”
“Understood.” I shoved the phone into my pocket, every muscle in my body tense. I checked the forest for any sign of human interference.
There was still nothing amiss, no broken plants or downed tree limbs. There was also no sign of tire tracks of any kind. Let’s just hope my imagination was getting the better of me. For now. “Fuck.” Sucking in my breath, I snorted as I walked back to the house, closing the door with a soft click. Our connection was strong enough I sensed her presence, even gathering a taste of her sadness, the emotion matching my own.
“You really think we’re in danger? Is that what this is all about?” Lola stood in the background, her tone of voice on edge.
“I’m not certain, but I’m not taking any chances.”
“Stop the shit, Jagger. You’re making and receiving clandestine calls. You have a haunted look, for God’s sake, which isn’t like you at all. You’re the brash and bold man. Be honest with me, really honest. Besides, I know more about you than you think I do.”
I snorted. “Like hell y
ou do. You know nothing about my life.”
Smirking, she shook her head. “You’re always going to win. Aren’t you?”
There was no winning in this scenario.
“So, your father or this brother of yours? Who’s threatening you?”
I walked past her, moving into the kitchen. “I don’t honestly know. I just don’t fucking know. But I can tell you that I will protect you at all costs. No matter what I have to do.” As if she was going to believe me. I dared to slide a glance in her direction.
She stood where she was, her face pensive. “If you’re trying to scare me, you’re doing a damn good job.”
“I’m not trying to scare you, Lola. I’m a realist. This is the life I’ve been forced to lead since I could remember. Always looking over my shoulder. Always worried that there would be a hit or an abduction. Me and my brother were fair game to anyone wanting to get ahead. And my father loved the position. Instead of worrying about his sons, he exploited the fact he had them. Happy family, huh?” I placed the gun on the counter, glaring at the piece. What she said next couldn’t have been more gut-wrenching.
“I care about you, Jagger and I know there’s more,” she insisted, taking decided steps closer. “I want to help.”
Help? The spunky woman would get herself killed. “Yeah, there’s more, but what does it matter? You’re going to go back to a happy little life in bumfuck wherever. I’ll be picking up the pieces.”
“Oh, my God. Now, you sound like an impetuous child, wallowing in your own bullshit. You’re a millionaire. You have women crawling at your feet. You have trinkets and toys that the majority of us dream about. Please don’t whine to me.” Lola laughed bitterly before grabbing her wine and polishing off what was left of the glass.
The woman was right. I’d pretended that the money didn’t matter, that I was some martyr who could live without the perks. She’d not only seen through my veil of lies, she’d shredded the outer layer. Palming the counter, I made the decision to tell her the truth. She was far too intelligent and if I had to be honest with myself, I wanted her to know why we would never work. “Lola, I—”
