by Leeah Taylor
“Hmm?” He buried his lips in her neck. “Not going to break the rules, right?”
“Maybe.”
Defiant little girl. He slapped her ass.
“Gonna be a good girl, isn’t that right?”
She flicked her attention to him. Eyes nearly black. Filled to the brim with dark need.
“If I’m not?”
She wanted games. He spanked her harder, and she hissed.
“Be lucky if I let you sit for a month.”
Her brow perked up with her lips. “Promise?”
Dirty, naughty little girl. She just wanted all the attention.
“Maybe I don’t,” he teased.
“Maybe I won’t behave then.” She wiggled her ass, pressing it into his ache for her. “Maybe I’ll go get what I want.”
She trained her attention back on the TV.
He took her by the chin and made her look up at him. “And what does my petulant little princess want?”
A throne with the world and people in it bowing at her feet. Literally.
“I want it all.”
She wanted Sterling. She wanted what she deemed denied to her. He loved all of her. Even the dramatics she put on.
“And you’ll have it, sweetheart.” He dipped his finger lower between her legs. “Every delicious desire.”
She purred, pushing her hips up into his fingers. He delved deeper, greedily sinking into her warmth as he shoved the tee up her back to whisper kisses down her spine. Another hard smack to her ass, and she whimpered.
Pressing his lips to her ear, he whispered, “Squeeze another man’s cock again, and you really won’t sit for a month.”
“I’ll do it just to hold you to it,” she breathed out, thrusting her hips back into his fingers.
Impossible, defiant girl.
He chuckled. “If a spanking was what my princess wanted…” He caressed the cheek before delivering a stinging blow, enticing a satisfying hiss from her. “All she had to do was say so.”
“Again,” she purred.
Anything for his needy little princess. If just to keep her behaving. Each smack was followed by her moan. Her thrusts grew hungrier, soaking his fingers every time his palm came down. He trailed the contour of her spine with his tongue, nipping at the base of her neck, and a shudder rocked through her.
He pulled his fingers away, sitting back on the bed and reaching for the drawer in the nightstand.
“Ramsey…”
“No more games, sweetheart.”
“Please…”
He smirked, pulling a condom from the drawer. “Be mighty sad if I punished you by not giving you what you want, wouldn’t it?”
She looked back at him, pleadingly. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He moved off the bed, taking off his jeans. “Promise me. No more games.” He rolled the condom on, eyes meeting hers. Daring her to try him one more time. “No more breaking the rule. Or I just might.”
Cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling on the edge of her pleasure, she swallowed. “I promise.”
Better mean it.
Crawling back on the bed behind her, guiding her hips up to meet his, he paused. “Mean it.” She thrust back, but he pulled away. “Princess?”
“No more breaking the rules,” she whispered, meeting his gaze over her shoulder.
Another swat to her ass, and she jolted. “That’s my good girl.”
He buried deep inside of her and wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her flush to his chest. Lips pressed to her ear, he thrust again. Her whimpered moan was like fuel.
“When are you going to learn to just ask for what you want?” He cradled her tighter to his chest.
She gasped with his next thrust. “Never.”
Always defiant. Sweet and venomous but perfect in her way.
With an arm firmly holding around her chest, his lips buried in her neck, he slipped his fingers between her legs.
“World at your feet, princess.”
He rubbed, luring the moans from her lips. Her hips meeting his with every thrust.
“Make me a queen.” She panted. “Be my king.”
A surge of pleasure pulled tight deep in his belly.
“Fuck, Becca. Say it again.”
His fingers moved faster, needing her pleasure to chase his own.
She purred. “My goddamn king.”
He thrust harder as she shuddered in his arms, crying out, and he let go with a deep rumble in his chest. Collapsing on the bed, pulling her into his arms, he kissed her forehead.
“Drive me to insanity, princess.”
She pressed her body to his and hooked a leg around his waist as she rubbed against his still raging hard-on.
“Funny, you keep me from my own.”
He captured her lips and rolled her under him to sink into her. Round two a given. Always.
“Going to give you a crown,” he whispered against her lips. “I love you.”
He searched her, waiting to hear it back. She swallowed with the words held hostage by her pretty red lips.
“I love you too.”
Ramsey|3
When his phone went off before dawn, Ramsey growled. Rebecca huffed and curled into the empty spot when he untangled himself from her. He sat up on the edge of the bed, dragging a hand down his face, and pressed the phone to his ear.
“This better be good.”
“How hard did you actually look for the Marquis girl?” Cash asked. Not the first voice he wanted to hear before the birds.
“Hard enough,” Ramsey grumbled. “You aren’t calling to tell me you found her.”
“Well, yeah. Why else would I call you? Not looking to be pals or anything.”
Great, he had a sense of humor.
“Where?”
“Canonpeke.”
“What the hell is in Canonpeke to be worth staying for?”
Not that it mattered. He found her. He could finally have what he wanted. But Canonpeke was just a rundown small farm town. Unless…
“She’s working at the only bar in town,” Cash said.
“Yeah, what’s the communities like there?”
“Non-existent. No reason for witches or vampires, even wolves, to set up there.”
She’s hiding in the one place nobody would think to look. A place unremarkable enough to look over. Smart little hybrid.
“Meet me in the parking lot at the bar from last night. I’ll be there in fifteen.”
He hung up, looking over his shoulder at Rebecca. She wasn’t going to like it. Even though she always knew the plan. Find Juliette Marquis. She was the key to everything. Without her, none of it mattered.
“Becca.” He leaned down on the bed, brushing the hair out of her face. “Sweetheart?”
“God, I’m sleeping. What?” she sniped out.
He glared down at her. Moody little thing.
“Tracker called. He found her.”
She opened her eyes with jealousy swimming in them.
“Where?”
“Canonpeke of all places.” He kissed her cheek. “I’m going to meet him.”
“You’re leaving now?” She pouted.
“I am, and you’ll be gone before I get back.”
“You’re going to see her and…”
He pressed his finger to her lips. “I’ve told you to stop that. I’m not going to anything except what I said I would.
“Kill her?”
“When I get what I need. Yes, sweetheart.”
“For me?”
If that’s what she wanted to hear.
“For you, princess.”
Truth was Juliette was his only real threat. She had the power to stop him if he let her.
A smile replaced her scowl. “Good.”
He kissed her. “Be a good girl and get me what I need.”
“Whatever it takes?” She arched her brow.
“Within reason, but h
ear me, do not fuck Damien Frost to accomplish it. Do you understand me?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Somehow, he didn’t believe her but didn’t have time to drive it home either. The last image he wanted next time he was between her legs was of Damien Frost being there too.
He shoved the idea out of his head and got dressed. Kissing Rebecca one last time, he headed for the bar.
He could almost taste the success when he pulled into the parking lot. Cash leaned back against a motorcycle in the corner. Ramsey parked and swiped the envelope from the seat next to him before getting out.
“Made good time.” Cash flicked a cigarette to the ground.
He handed the envelope to him. “Anything I need to know?”
Cash thumbed through the money. “Yeah, you were like the stone to two birds.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You know she’s been running with the werecat princess, Riley O’Hare?”
That’s a big problem.
“That so?”
He didn’t know much other than the werecat princess had been running for years, and her daddy wanted her back. Didn’t care to know more. But he cared if it got in his way.
“Yep.” Cash took another cigarette out and put it between his lips. “Her father is offering like twenty grand to any tracker that can bring her home. You’ve made for a damn good payday.”
“Thirty grand and you leave the O’Hare girl alone.”
“Because?”
“Because I don’t need the werecats fucking up all my hard work. Take the money and leave her alone.”
“I can wait until you—"
“No, I’m not taking any risks. Have you told anybody you found the werecat?”
He shook his head. “Why would I do that?”
“Take the money and leave it alone.”
The last thing he needed was for this guy to get trigger happy and go after Riley O’Hare before he had the chance to get to Juliette. With her passionate loyalty to family and all, it would be a big fucking problem. She’d no doubt get the Frosts involved. He’d watch all his hard work spiral down the drain. He’d never get his hands on her then.
“It’s thirty grand. Take it and move on.”
“Fine.” He shrugged. “Whatever.”
Smart man.
“Anything else I need to know?”
“I followed her from Canonpeke to some dirt bag motel in Ranger.”
He knew the place. “Okay? And?”
“She met a vampire there. Not sure what she did when she went in, but he came out ten minutes later, soaring.”
That was interesting. Only one reason to meet a vampire at a pay by the hour motel, and it wasn’t for sex.
“Need that vampire.”
He could just show up in Canonpeke and grab her, but he didn’t do things on a whim. He needed her to come to him in an environment he controlled.
“Figured you’d want that.” Cash chuckled, reaching into his pocket. “Stopped trailing her and went for the vampire. Seems the hybrid is offering something vampires crave.”
“Blood.”
“For a price.”
“Anything else?”
He offered him the piece of paper from his pocket.
“This is why I’m good at what I do. Got a phone number for her. Now, about my money.”
Ramsey smirked. “Yeah, let’s get your money.”
Ramsey|4
A phone call and perfectly cooked up story were the only things standing between him and the final puzzle piece. The key to everything. Get to her, and everything fell into place.
He stared at the number for too long while sitting in the parking lot to avoid going back to the motel. No need to give Rebecca a reason to put off returning to Sterling. She still had a part to play.
He just needed to dial the number.
His entire life was shaped by the very existence of the Frosts. It wasn’t directly their fault. They didn’t know, but he wanted what he deserved.
I could go to them.
That wasn’t an option. He had worked too hard, for too long, to get this far just to break and fall at their feet. Besides, they deserved it. Just as much as he did. Even if they didn’t know it.
He grabbed his phone, stared at the number, and dialed. Stomach in knots, the foreign feeling of nerves and uncertainty drowned him. This was what he worked for. Spent years, and a hell of a lot of money, trying to track her down. Now he had, and there was doubt wiggling its way to the surface.
“Hello?”
Her voice washed over him like smooth silk, and he almost lost his nerve.
“I don’t have time for games,” she sniped.
“I’m looking for Juliette?”
Silence. More doubt made its way into his mind. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe going to Canonpeke and grabbing her was the better idea. No chance for doubt then.
“Who is this?”
“Heard you offer a certain kind of good that I’m in the market for.”
“Oh.” She cleared her throat as a door clicked closed in the background. “How did you get this number?”
“You came very highly recommended.”
He should have thought this through better.
She cleared her throat. “When did you need?”
“Tonight?”
She went quiet. If she backed out, he’d start his truck and drive to Canonpeke now. Grab her and be done with it.
“I’ll let you know.”
“You’ll let me know?”
“Yeah. If you want what I have to offer, then you’ll wait to hear from me.”
“And if I don’t hear from you?”
“Then I don’t need your money.”
She needed the money, or she wouldn’t be meeting strange vampires in pay by the hour motels.
The phone clicked in his ear without so much as a goodbye. He learned a couple of things from the conversation. She’s hiding what she’s doing and hard up for cash if she’s doing it.
Why doesn’t she call the Frosts if she’s that hard up for cash? No doubt Lucien Frost would give her whatever she wanted and behind his brothers’ back to boot. If he’s going by Rebecca’s side of things, Damien be damned, the other two Frost brothers would do anything for her. Even risk their hides to do it.
He sent a quick message to Rebecca to make sure she was doing her part too.
On your way to Sterling?
A message came back seconds later with a picture of a road.
Behave yourself, he messaged back.
Don’t I always?
No, princess, you don’t.
Behave yourself too.
He didn’t bother responding to her last message. She knew better. In five years, he’d never strayed. Rebecca pushed the limits more than he’d ever entertain. But he let her, and that was on him. Let her play her games to keep her complacent. It was the only way to keep his sanity with her. He wasn’t enough to fill the vacant void of attention she thirsted for.
When he got back to the motel, he took a shower, needing the grime of bars and sex washed away. Rebecca was a little naughty vixen in the bed, and he loved that she was, but he needed some space. Some breathing room. And the shower to clear his head.
The grimoire sitting on the table in the corner stared back at him as he ran a towel through his hair. He memorized the spell from start to finish. Yet he was drawn to read it again. Ensure it was ingrained in his mind when the time came. He didn’t want to miss one word. Fumble one line. He needed to be flawless in his execution.
As flawless as Juliette was creating the spell.
He opened it, not bothering to sit down, and went through the pages. The pretty, bubbly cursive told him a lot about her. More than Rebecca ever could.
She was bright, in both mind and spirit. The words danced on the page. Her word choices were careful and specific. She put thought into it. Trailing his fingers over
the words, he committed it to memory one last time.
This earth be bound by blood and right
Cast out the beasts of the moon from sight
Protect this path from point to point
Every day and through every night
He admired her power and what she harbored inside her blood. The unique strength. It was one common thread between them. She was born a wolf witch hybrid, just like him, but that’s where their likeness ended. Now she was the vampire witch hybrid thanks to her mother’s botched spell.
While he admired and respected her, for who and what she was, she was still a means to an end. Without her, everything, all of it, was for nothing.
Certain she would call with a time and place, he packed his bags with no intentions of coming back. If everything went as planned, if he got what he needed, he’d be in Sterling before dawn tomorrow.
And hopefully Rebecca would have the final piece.
He started to lose hope as the day went on and he heard nothing. Maybe she didn’t need the money that badly. But when the sun went down, ready to get in his truck and grab her, his phone went off. Hope blossomed.
“I was hoping you’d call, Kitten.”
Shit. Why did I just call her that?
Dead silence on the other end of the phone.
He quietly cursed to himself, punching the air. If he lost her now, after all his hard work, he’d have to improvise.
“Do you need or not?” she clipped out.
“I need.”
“Call me kitten again, and the only thing you’ll need is a hospital.”
Phew. I didn’t screw it up. Yet.
“Know where the Ranger Motel is?” she asked.
“I do.”
“You get the room and text me the room number. It’s three hundred, and I’ll be there at midnight.”
The phone clicked in his ear, another blown off goodbye, and a flurry of excitement rushed through him. He was finally going to meet the all-precious Juliette Marquis.
And then kill her.
Ramsey|5
Pulling off a con like posing as a vampire wasn’t hard. He just needed to look the part. Overconfidence came to mind, and she’d be familiar with it. The Frosts exuded confidence. Should make her feel right at home.
He always kept a pressed shirt and slacks with him. Just in case he needed to look a part. Whatever it may be. This time he needed to look like the confident vampire. Sleek, clean, and in control. His thudding heart was the furthest from control.