by Joanna Wylde
My friend grinned, because we both knew I’d give her to him anyway.
I turned to watch as Piper rose slowly to her feet behind the exercise equipment. She wore a bright red bikini, and while it wasn’t the most revealing I’d seen, it didn’t do anything to hide her curves, either.
Fuck. I guess it was better than having one of the more connected students listening in, but she tempted me so much it was dangerous.
“Get out here.”
She stepped around the bins, walking toward me slowly. She was one of the older students here—twenty, just like me—and I could see that she fully understood the implications of what she’d heard. Dread rolled off her, because she’d heard the stories about me and Rourke.
“I wasn’t trying to spy on you,” she whispered, coming to stand in front of me. It was the truth. That much was obvious. She wasn’t a player, not like so many of the rest of us. “I’ll never tell anyone, I promise. Just let me and Lola go. She wasn’t even here.”
I smiled at her, then glanced back at Rourke. He still held his prisoner, whispering quietly into her ear as his fingers smoothed across her stomach. I had no idea what he was saying, but Lola’s eyes were wide and almost panicked.
Perfect.
Turning back to Piper, I shrugged. “I don’t want to hurt you. You’re not part of this and there’s no reason you should have to suffer. At the same time, I can’t just let you walk away . . .”
Behind me Lola gave a sudden, sharp scream and my friend laughed. Piper’s gaze darted between us, and I sensed the exact instant she panicked. In total silence she started running for the door.
Rourke dropped Lola, beating Piper easily. I started toward them, refusing to move faster than a slow, stalking pace that would scare her even more. Maybe it sounds sadistic, but it really was for her own benefit. If I couldn’t control Piper’s mouth, I’d have to kill her.
That’s when Lola startled the hell out of me—instead of crumbling into a ball of whimpering nothingness, she attacked Rourke. Not a flailing, pathetic little girl slap attack, either. She went straight for his balls and he might’ve been in trouble if his dad wasn’t one of the most deadly contract killers in Callaghan history.
Rourke seemed utterly enchanted as he caught her by the foot, easily flipping her toward the floor. If she’d hit, it might’ve been fatal. Lucky girl, he’d decided to play with her instead. Seconds before she hit, he caught her head, cushioning it.
She’d still be bruised as fuck but no concussion.
Winking, Rourke turned to face Piper, who’d come to a full halt.
“Come back here,” I told her, allowing a hint of impatience into my voice. “You can’t get away from me. I’m still willing to talk to you, but you’re running out of time.”
“Go!” Lola hissed. Rourke clamped a hand over her mouth. She surprised me again, biting him. This time he laughed, the sound pure delight.
“Lola, you’re making a big mistake,” I said lightly. “If you play dead, he’ll leave you alone.”
“You’re both fucking psychopaths!” Piper hissed, looking between us. I held her gaze for three long seconds. Then she bolted, and this time I couldn’t resist. Piper was fast, but I was a foot taller and in far better shape. Still, she managed to stay ahead of me for close to a minute, tearing around the pool deck like a secretary running from her boss around a desk.
My dick was hard as a rock by now.
Rourke laughed the whole time, taunting me as Lola struggled in his arms. Then I caught Piper in the corner and she spun to face me, panting. A thin sheen of sweat covered her face, every breath she took bouncing her breasts.
Her waist was narrow and her hips were wide. Not fat, but perfectly designed to cradle a man.
Me.
“Give up,” I whispered, holding her eyes. She shook her head. Time to end it.
In an instant I was on her, one hand covering her mouth as I wrestled her down to the deck. Even now, Piper fought hard, thrashing her body against mine until I thought I’d lose my mind.
Then I had her down on her belly, covering her with my hard cock buried in her ass with only the thin fabric of our suits to protect her. I kicked her legs apart on instinct, then pressed into her.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” I whispered in her ear, closing my eyes for a second as I fought for control. This had started out as a game, but here was the danger—I wanted Piper. I’d wanted her for a long time and now I had her. “I’m going to let your mouth go. If you scream, you’ll pay.”
I moved my hand.
“Please don’t rape me,” she whimpered. My ass flexed, the tip of my cock pressing right against her opening. Fuck.
Groaning, I pulled back.
In the distance I heard Lola squawk, but I couldn’t be bothered to look at Rourke’s new toy. Piper held my entire focus. I leaned down, my lips brushing against her ear as I spoke with calculated menace.
“If you were anyone else, I’d have to kill you for what you overheard tonight,” I whispered. “But you’re a lucky girl, because you don’t have a stake in any of this. I’ll give you one chance. One. You keep your mouth shut and you don’t have to worry. But if I even imagine you talked, I won’t just come after you. I’ll come after Charlie, too. Do you understand.”
She turned to stone.
“How do you know about Charlie?”
Triumph flashed through me—I had her.
“I know everything,” I whispered. “I know about the trial. I know about the custody battle. I even know about what you were doing the night it happened. I don’t want to hurt you, Piper. You’re an innocent girl and you don’t deserve any of this. Keep your fucking mouth shut and nobody ever has to know any of it.”
“I will.”
“I’m going to let you go now. You’ll go back to your apartment and you’ll never talk about this to anyone. Stay away from Lola and don’t give anything away to your mom. You’ll live happily ever after.”
Piper nodded desperately. I inhaled, drinking in her scent, then forced myself to push away. She refused my offer of a hand up, edging away from me on her hands and knees. Then she was up and running.
Seconds later, Piper and Lola were gone.
I looked at Rourke and smirked.
“She’s right,” he said. “You really are a fucking psychopath.”
“No, I’m not. If I was, I’d have killed her. That would be safest, and we both know it.”
He laughed.
“That’d be a waste—I’ll bet you never see her again. She’ll be too scared to leave her room.”
I shrugged.
“Better that than dead. I’ll need you to take a message back to the MC. Just because we can’t kill Jamie doesn’t mean we shouldn’t send him a message. In the long run, this may work to our benefit.”
HISTORICAL NOTE
The events in this story are based loosely on real events that took place at different times in the Silver Valley and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
The “riot” in downtown Coeur d’Alene took place in June 1999, during the annual Car d’Alene classic car show. It began outside the Iron Horse Saloon when police stopped a biker and were booed by the crowd. Things grew out of control when more officers arrived in riot gear. While the exact timeline of events is controversial, many witnesses (including my own friends who were present) stated that the police attacked them violently. Fourteen people were arrested and it led to a challenge in the Idaho State Supreme Court over whether police officers are immune from prosecution.
The Sunshine Mine Fire is one of the darkest chapters in Silver Valley history. On May 9, 1972, the second deadliest hard-rock mining disaster in U.S. history killed ninety-one men deep underground, many of whom were overcome so quickly they were found still sitting in front of their open lunch boxes. Escape efforts were hampered by out-of-date rescue equipment and leadership issues. Eight days later, two survivors were found 4,800 feet under the surface. No other men would come out alive. The oldest v
ictim was sixty-one years old and the youngest was nineteen. They left behind seventy-seven widows and more than two hundred children, three of whom were still unborn. If you’re interested in learning more, I highly recommend The Deep Dark by Gregg Olsen.
Looking for more?
Visit Penguin.com for more about this author and a complete list of their books.
Discover your next great read!