by Piper Stone
“No. No! I’ll scream.”
“I think given your behavior here today that pretty much everyone is going to be on my side. I suggest you take your medicine like a good little girl.”
Oh, my God. He was serious about this.
“Please stop!”
“Not a chance.”
As he brought his hand down, the jolt was the first big shock. When he continued the spanking, rapidly moving from one side of my bottom to the other, I suddenly couldn’t breathe. The second was the increasing pain. I was wearing blue jeans, for God’s sake, yet it felt like he was spanking my naked butt. I’d never been disciplined like this in my entire freaking life.
And it was never going to happen again. Not ever.
And I was going to find a way to retaliate.
My mind created a nasty image of being spanked in front of all those ranchers. Dear God. I had a feeling that he’d enjoy the task far too much.
Asshole.
Bastard.
Dreamboat.
I continued squirming until I became exhausted. There was no getting out of this. Then I heard a single gasp and struggled to turn my head toward the sound. Oh. My. God. My worst nightmare. There were several people standing gawking at us. I was going to freaking die.
They were pointing.
And they were gasping in shock.
“You can’t go around accusing people,” the cowboy huffed.
The pain continued to build, shooting down the backs of my legs, but it was the embarrassment that was killing me. I could feel the heat building in my face, my cheeks likely the same shade of red as my bottom. If there was a single person I knew at the auction, I would never hear the end of this. “You horrible piece of shit.”
“You have a filthy mouth for such a beautiful woman.”
“Yeah? Well, you have no clue what else I’d like to call you. Oh!” I was almost blinded from the horrible anguish.
He smashed his hand down several more times then stopped, even rubbing the small of my back as if he gave a shit. “Now, are you going to tell me what you were trying to get at back there?”
I shouldn’t have dared come to the auction. I was completely out of my comfort zone and whoever the sexy stranger was, he was right that my behavior was ridiculous and very unlike me. Perhaps the odd call in the middle of the night had put me more on edge than I’d wanted to believe.
What I did know is that I couldn’t trust anyone within the circuit. Maybe my belief was wrong, but my instincts were almost never incorrect.
Almost.
“I have nothing to say,” I muttered, refusing to look at the group of watchers any longer. “Just get this over with.”
“With that kind of attitude, I should pull out my belt.”
“Don’t you dare!” I struggled all over again, only to have him bring his hand down with harder strokes.
“You are one mouthy, bad girl. If you belonged to me, I’d make certain your behavior changed, even if that meant daily spankings.”
What a horrible man.
“Yeah, well, I would never belong to you. You are nothing but a wretched excuse for human flesh.” Although the wicked part of my mind allowed me to float to another and far sexier image of his naked body on top of mine.
“Isn’t that nice,” he muttered.
Get a grip. Act like an adult.
I heard his deep sigh and shivered when he rested his hand on my bottom, tapping as single finger as if contemplating what he was going to do. When he eased me into a standing position, gently tugging stray strands of hair from my face, his eyes held an imploring look.
For a few beautiful seconds, the electricity soared between us, my heart doing little pitter-patters as butterflies swarmed in my tummy. His gaze was sharp, his intense green eyes penetrating into my very soul. When he reached out, using a single finger to brush the side of my face, every ounce of my body shivered.
As if I had some anticipation that he’d kiss me again, or maybe even more.
A flash of images of his naked body ignited the embers deep inside and within seconds, I was tossed into a wildfire of desire. This was crazy. I couldn’t be attracted to such a horrible excuse for a man. “Get away from me,” I managed, even though my voice sounded far too timid in my mind.
“Look. I don’t know who you are or why you’re really here, but you need to listen to me. Cattle auctions bring out rough crowds. Some of those men in there don’t take kindly to women attempting to break their traditions. I think you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, as if every male is a sexist pig.” Why in God’s name were the words tumbling out of my mouth like I was in high school? I never acted this way.
He rolled his eyes and kept his voice even. “You need to leave here and don’t look back. I ain’t gonna say it twice.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then I will pull out my belt and trust me, you’re going to be bare-ass naked for one hard whipping.”
His nostrils flared as he studied me, his chest rising and falling from his ragged breathing. A part of me wanted to slap him across the face but as I dragged my tongue across my lips, I could see the lust building in his gorgeous dark green eyes. The man simply took my breath away.
“What’s it going to be, sunshine?”
I was shaken to the core, struggling to find a single coherent word to say. “Fine.” Great. That was all I could manage?
“All right. I’ll make good on my promise if I catch you hassling anyone else. And sunshine, I always keep my promises.” When he turned on his heel, walking away without looking back, I slumped against the building, still able to hear his boots as they thudded against the sidewalk. I couldn’t stop shaking, my entire body on fire. Every time I moved, I was reminded of the spanking, the rough material of my jeans already chafing my bruised skin.
I envisioned his handprint smack in the middle of both cheeks and bit back a smile. The day hadn’t turned out like I thought it would. What had I managed to accomplish? Snapping a few pictures of a completely legitimate operation, at least as far as I could tell. Although there was an ominous underlying current, something I wasn’t certain what to make of. Hell, the cowboy was right. I had no business here in the first place. What the hell did I know about steer, other than the handling of their medical care on a few rare occasions?
I tried to control my breathing as I thought back to the night that I’d received a call out of the blue, not long after I’d been in town.
“Are you… You a vet with Doc Forester?” The man seemed agitated, almost fearful. At least he knew the name of the man who’d sold me his business as well as his house.
“I’m a veterinarian, if that’s what you’re asking. Is something wrong?”
“Yeah. I need a vet. Right now.”
I glanced at the clock, sighing. It was freaking three in the morning. “Is this an emergency?”
“You could say that. I got a steer with a badly injured leg. He’s in a lot of pain.”
Shit. “Okay. Just give me your address and I’ll meet you there.”
I’d been a fool to go to an unknown location in the middle of the night, an even bigger fool to enter into a barn with the mysterious caller, but I’d taken a chance since he knew Dr. Forester. The guy had been nervous, shifting from foot to foot as I examined the poor creature. From what I’d been able to determine, the animal hadn’t been bitten by another animal. In fact, the injury had reminded me of a trap of some kind. I’d done what I could, suggesting the rancher take the steer to an appropriate large animal hospital in the morning. Whether or not he’d followed my directions I couldn’t be certain.
Even if I could swear by the unique markings that the steer had been in one of the pens, prepared for sale.
Shuddering, I attempted to make my way to my truck, even looking over my shoulder. I pulled out my phone, my hand shaking as I tried to make the call. Getting voicemail, I cringed. “Sandra. You around? I could use a friend right about now.”
I wasn’t prepared to admit my sins for the day, but at least I could ease some tension. With every step I took, I continued to have the creepy-crawlies. Maybe the sexy cowboy’s warning really had gotten to me.
Still, I’d had a couple of phone calls that I couldn’t let go, the timing surrounding them far too coincidental, which I didn’t believe in. While the threats were troubling, the offer to abandon my practice and become a veterinarian for some big corporation stuck in the back of my mind.
My phone rang a few seconds later, the sound producing a few seconds of anxiety. A part of me anticipated another call from the same mysterious stranger who’d warned me to shut my mouth.
“Hey, girl. I just got home a few minutes ago,” Sandra said in a lilting voice.
I took quick steps as I made my way through the parking lot, struggling to find my beat-up Dodge in a sea of other trucks. Hearing Sandra’s voice at least gave me a smile. “Please tell me you have wine or tequila, maybe both.”
“Wow, you don’t sound good. What’s wrong?”
“Maybe everything.”
“Okay. What’s going on?” Sandra asked, meeting me at the door with a glass of red wine and a shot of tequila in her hands.
I grabbed the shot, tossing it back before I even walked into the living room.
“Whoa. Now I’m worried.”
I replaced the shot glass with the wine and folded my arms as I started to pace the floor. “I met a man. Well, one sexy cowboy.”
“O-kay. That doesn’t sound like a bad thing,” she said as she closed the door, moving around me toward the couch. “Why don’t you sit down?”
“No! I mean, not yet.” The truck ride had been one of the most uncomfortable things in my life. I could still feel the burn from his hand with every step I took. Damn the man. I couldn’t get his face out of my mind. I was acting completely irrational, struggling to come to terms with why I felt so attracted to him.
“Girl. I’ve never seen you like this.”
Laughing, I shot her a look. We’d been besties growing up, her vivacious edge drawing me out of the shy book nerd I’d been. I’d even managed to snag a position as a cheerleader because of her connections and her popularity. Then I’d been forced to move away with my family to Maryland but had always wanted to come back to Montana. Being able to purchase a veterinarian practice had been my dream and one that had come true, even if I was up to my eyeballs in debt.
Why in God’s name did I suddenly feel like the situation I’d immersed myself in had become a nightmare? Because you stuck your nose into something you should have left alone.
My inner voice did little but piss me off.
“So, tell me about this cowboy. Is he really hot?” Her laugh after asking the question was laced with concern. She knew me better than anyone. After returning to Montana, it was as if the years had melted away, forging an even stronger bond than before.
I hesitated before answering, likely to try to curtail my enthusiasm.
“Very hot. He’s rough and tumble. He’s the kind of man fantasies are made of. Six foot something, all muscle and the sexiest, dreamy eyes you’ve ever seen. He’s got the kind of body that was made for jeans, or maybe jeans were created just for his perfect butt. Yummy.”
I failed.
“Yummy is right. I hope he has a twin. What’s his name?”
I slumped, finally turning in her direction. “I have no idea.”
“What?”
“I have absolutely no idea. But we kissed.”
Sandra grabbed her glass of wine, taking several gulps. “Do you want to start this story over?”
I finally moved toward the chair, easing down with care, trying not to wince. My entire body continued to tremble, but I wasn’t certain if it was from my interaction with the cowboy or the real fear I’d felt from the reaction of the auctioneer and the guards who’d literally tossed me out of the auction hall.
And the few words that had been issued.
“You need to stop meddling.”
“A little girl like you could easily get hurt.”
“I went to a cattle auction and took a few pictures, asked some questions,” I admitted.
“What? Girl, I warned you to just lay low until I could do some digging. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself mixed up in,” Sandra huffed. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I had another strange call from a basic asshole and I refuse to play some victim.”
“What do you mean another call? You didn’t tell me that.”
“I thought the first one was just a crank. But last night, the mysterious caller gave me a clear warning.”
“Of what?”
“To keep my nose to myself.” Groaning, I realized there wasn’t enough wine in the world to make me feel any better. “I don’t know, Sandra. I guess going to that barn in the middle of the night really bothered me.”
“I can understand that, and I know you. You push, but now, you’re scaring me. Although I’ll have your back. I do have enough firepower to take out half of Missoula.”
While we both laughed, I heard the nervousness remaining in her voice.
“Tell me about the calls.” Her tone was demanding.
I took a gulp of wine before answering.
“My office phone rang in the middle of the night a few days after the incident at the barn. While there was no one on the other end, I knew someone was there. And yes, I redialed the number, but I got one of those messages telling me the number wasn’t in service.”
“Sounds like a spammer.”
“At three in the morning?” I snapped then dropped my head. “Ugh. I’m sorry. I certainly don’t mean to take this out on you.”
“You’re not. Then what?”
“Then a call on my personal phone warning me to stop meddling. I haven’t given that number out to anyone except for you.”
Sandra exhaled, shaking her head. “Jesus. There are always ways of getting anyone’s information. You know that. Listen to me. You need to go to the sheriff.”
“And say what? Some asshole disguising their voice threatened me?”
“Yes, you should put it on record at minimum, girl.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Uh-huh. I can tell you won’t. What happened at the auction?” she asked in a quiet voice.
I swirled the glass in my hand, praying the wine would take the edge off. “I talked to a few people and took some pictures. I might have thrown some insinuations around, which wasn’t my original intent.” Including to the sexy cowboy.
“You took pictures and tossed out innuendoes? Wonderful. My guess is that wasn’t well received. Some of the ranchers prefer to keep their business private. The auctions are damn important to their businesses and any interference is akin to stealing a prized steer out from under them.”
“I figured that out and no, I almost had the camera ripped out of my hand more than once. I was warned to stop meddling.”
Sandra put her glass on the table, folding her hands. “Look. I understand that the call you received from some investor was disconcerting and phone calls in the middle of the night certainly added fuel to your inquisitive mind, but you really need to slow down. You can’t go accusing people of crimes.”
“That’s what Mr. Cowboy said but you didn’t see the injured steer I was asked to tend to. The poor thing was malnourished as well as injured. Why was I called to some ranch to care for a leg injury when the bastards hadn’t fed the poor animal in weeks? I have the pictures to prove it.”
“Danni, listen to yourself. You’re building some conspiracy theory when you know times have been tough around here. I’ve told you stories. Didn’t a couple of your clients mention the world of ranching has been brutal the last couple of years? Hmmm… my guess they did only because you pushed. Sometimes people simply do the best they can with what they have.”
Her admonishment was well noted, although everything about that night had been odd.
“Yea
h? I get it, but my gut tells me that there’s something going on. Besides, I don’t have that many clients. What if the smaller ranchers are being bilked out of millions of dollars by this unknown source?”
“You know better than to make accusations like that, no matter what you’ve read.”
Times were tough all the way around, my client roster not growing as I’d hoped. I hadn’t been able to get over trying to care for the injured animal. The entire situation was far too unusual. I would never forget the smell inside the barn I was taken to or the odd look in the eyes of the rancher as he stood over me, watching everything I did.
Then barely a week later to receive a call from an investor asking if I’d be interested in working with a corporation handling all their veterinarian needs had raised my hackles. I’d never even heard of the firm in question. While I’d searched the internet, I’d found little more than a landing page and limited information regarding their corporate existence. And the single blurb regarding their company? That had been a joke.
“We hope to provide ranchers with an alternative choice, including a new way of life.”
What in the hell was that supposed to mean? There were no phone numbers on the website, only a basic contact form.
The nagging remained, my mind forcing me to ask a few questions of other professionals. Had any of the other veterinarians been experiencing a rise in animal cruelty cases? Had they heard of anything going on within the ranching industry? The two veterinarian clinics I’d called had shut me down before twenty words had left my mouth. I had contacted the sheriff’s office, although I wasn’t going to tell Sandra that tidbit, only adding fuel to her fire. They’d taken my statement but told me in no uncertain terms that I might not hear anything. When I’d searched the local newspapers, I’d found the same stories that Sandra had led me to. However, the internet had highlighted various Ponzi and embezzlement schemes occurring in several states.
While there hadn’t been anything concrete to affirm my beliefs regarding the injured animal or the phone calls, there was no way I’d be able to put the ugly thoughts out of my mind.