Bent to His Will: A Dark Billionaire Romance

by Piper Stone

  “You’re probably correct. The majority of women can’t handle that kind of punishment. Humiliation is usually a game changer,” he said quietly. If he was attempting to chastise me, it only served to tick me off.

  “You want to know the truth? She’s not just any woman.” I’d spoken the words absently, my cock twitching from the thought of her. Being cautious had always been my methodology. Perhaps I’d check with one of the law enforcement officers who maintained a membership to determine if she was one of their own.

  I longed to do vile and monstrous things to her, including fucking her in every hole. The pain I longed to inflict was sadistic as hell, the darkness that I usually shoved into a cold chamber of steel suddenly unlocked. The adrenaline rush accompanying my sick desire was nothing short of extraordinary.

  “Mmm... Perhaps. I have to know. What did she taste like?” Christopher asked, a wry grin on his face.

  I closed my eyes, remembering the way her taste had remained on my tongue for some time. “Sweet. Spicy. Perfect.”

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you like this girl, Gregory. I’d be careful if I were you. Not only do we have a business to run, but you know what happens when you fall in love.”

  I shot him my middle finger before shoving the files into my desk. Applications I could sort through later. “Not going to happen. I’m finished with relationships.”

  “You didn’t know she was married. Or did you?”

  She. As if the woman from my past no longer had a name.

  I closed my eyes, refusing to remember the damn event from years before. Unfortunately, the brief mention riled me more than I believed it could. “Do not dare bring that bitch up again, brother. Shouldn’t you be checking on the liquor order?”

  He sighed even though he gave me a hard glare before walking toward the security monitors. “We hired staff to do the grunt work.”

  “Yes. Staff.” Employees we paid very well.

  “You need to let the past go, Gregory, or the bad decisions you made could cloud your judgment.”

  All I had to do was give him a harsh glare. Bad decisions. I’d almost brought down our entire empire because of a single woman. Neither one of my brothers would soon allow me to forget.

  “Tell me something. How much further would you go with the lovely Valentina?” he asked, a wry grin on his face. “You’ve saved her for a reason, so I admit that I’m curious.”

  “I’d make certain she was introduced to a portion of our club, acting on the promise I gave her. However, I already told you that if she’s working undercover, there is no doubt that she ran back to her precinct crying the blues.”

  “That is a problem.” Huffing, he shook his head.

  I gave him a wry smile. “Not necessarily. We own far too many of the very officers who work in her department, some of which have been very bad boys over the years. Perhaps this is a way to flush out those who refuse to live by our code.”

  “Interesting thought. What if she returns? What then?” he retorted.

  While I truly didn’t believe she’d have the gumption to enter into the dark realm again, my cock ached from the thought alone.

  “Then she will be treated like any other employee. Even if she is on the up and up, my instinct is telling me that she’s playing some kind of a game, Christopher, and you know how I feel about that.”

  He snorted. “Yes, I know exactly how you handle that kind of situation. Just try and keep your cock in your pants in case she does. Since she did check out and given the response that we had to her dance last night, you might want to reconsider allowing her to play even for a little while longer.”

  I was surprised he wasn’t balls to the walls with insisting I ‘handle’ her.

  “Only if she has the guts to show,” I mused.

  “And what if she brings reinforcements?” He offered a huge grin, knowing damn good and well that my brutal tactics would prove to be useful. I had no issue killing a cop if necessary.

  Sighing, I shook my head. “Then we’ll deal with it. Unless you and Michael decided to cook the books, using our hard-earned capital to purchase drugs, I don’t think we have an issue. Whatever the cops are looking for is bogus. We make money. We have powerful clients. They don’t like the fact we pay our taxes and conform to all building codes as well as city laws. We’ve had run-ins with police before and we will again.”

  And we would enjoy altering the course of history if necessary. Certain politicians truly believed that they were above the law as well as our influence.

  I noticed his jaw clenched but he said nothing, and I wasn’t in the mood to push.

  A few minutes of tension filled the room. Christopher and I rarely saw eye to eye on anything, including a woman.

  “Well, then it looks like you might have been wrong about her or at minimum get your chance to flush out whether we have a spy on our hands. Valentina just arrived.” Christopher snorted when he tipped his head in my direction.

  I wasn’t certain whether to be thrilled or even more cautious. I was usually correct about people, including when they were hiding something. While I’d caught the desire in her eyes, the burning need to escape and let go, she was also clearly regimented, suggesting significant training of some kind that spoke of either military or law enforcement. What I couldn’t figure out is why our club had been targeted. What did the police believe they were going to find?

  I rose from the chair, flanking his side. The sight of her walking in with costumes in her arms, heading straight for the back and the dressing rooms created another stir in my cock. I could almost gather a whiff of her perfume, the intoxicating scent more powerful than almost any other fragrance in the world.

  When she stopped short, peering up at the security camera, I could swear she was smiling. Taunting me.

  Daring me.

  A growl rolled up from my chest, my thoughts turning dark. Whatever game the little lady was playing, she’d met her match. Tonight would begin the kind of lesson that she would never forget, one that would drag the hidden woman from the very prison I’d mentioned to her. I’d made her a promise and it was one I intended on keeping.

  My way.

  “I think I’m going to enjoy working tonight, brother.”

  Christopher gave me another hard look before walking toward the door. “Just be careful, Gregory. We’ve worked far too long and hard to get where we are. Don’t lose your shit over a single woman. There are plenty out there to play with.”

  Play. That was the operative word. Although her lessons would be harsh if necessary. One thing I knew for certain. After tonight she would become mine. Mine to train.

  Mine to fuck.

  Mine to erase if and when it became necessary.

  * * *

  The evening was proving to be another success, only one disgruntled member out of hundreds. What I refused to allow were rude assholes who thought they could handle our girls roughly. The asshole had gotten exactly what he deserved, including a trip to one of the local ‘Docs in a Box’ for cuts and bruises. Perhaps he’d think twice about striking one of my employees again.

  I’d attempted to stay in my perch in the office throughout the majority of the night, but my draw to Valentina was too great. As I stood in the shadows watching her second performance, I couldn’t help but think about how truly talented she was. Nervous? As a damn kitty cat. Engaging? Like a little bird flitting from table to table even from the stage, adding an intoxicating few drops of her sweet nectar into the drinks of unsuspecting yet desperately hungry men. In my world, there were those who would call her a powerhouse.

  However, the woman wasn’t going to have even a chance at garnering any level of control.

  She’d chosen to push the envelope, both her costume and her dance routine extremely provocative. It would seem she was out to prove something. To me or to herself? My balls tightened as I studied her, admiring her practiced yet stilted form. She’d tried hard to provoke me in small ways, as if accepting the
challenge that I’d laid out.

  As the dance neared a conclusion, I walked closer to the stage, allowing the iridescent lights to highlight my presence. With every swing of her long legs twisting and turning around the thick steel pole, I found myself inching closer. Every time she closed her eyes, her perfectly manicured nails sweeping down her chest, my blood pressure increased. She was truly magnificent.

  Valentina ended the routine crumpled in a ball merely inches away, her back rising and falling from exertion. As the crowd made certain to shower her with appreciation, I remained in the same position, my hands shoved into my pockets, unable to take my eyes off her.

  She finally lifted her head, her gaze locking onto mine, the same nervous tic appearing in the corner of her mouth.

  I didn’t blink nor acknowledge her in any other way. I simply turned around and walked toward the bar, curious as to what she would do. While I wanted nothing more than to take her tonight, to begin an entirely different level of training, I also wanted to keep her on edge.

  I would wait, biding my time, allowing her to feel increased discomfort.

  Even if it tested the hell out of my patience.

  “A drink, Mr. Dunmore?” the bartender asked immediately.

  “A club soda.” The last thing I needed to do was to have a buzz. I would stay very much in control.

  “Coming right up.”

  The drink was pushed in front of me within seconds and I enjoyed watching the way Valentina interacted with clients. Her dramatic display of brushing her fingers across the shoulder or arm of one or another male was enlightening as well as amusing. She was trying damn hard to play the perfect seductress. My guess was that she knew I was observing her every move. I did enjoy a good sparring partner.

  My cock was throbbing like a son of a bitch, the desire for her off the charts. Why did I crave the woman so damn much? Because she’d dared to test me, to pretend she was something she wasn’t? Because her strong will and dancing eyes reminded me of someone else? Hell, that was ridiculous.

  I glanced at my watch, realizing that it would soon be closing time. In truth, I was exhausted, ready to get a good night’s sleep. Perhaps I’d allow her to wonder what I was thinking.

  And planning.

  Meanwhile, I’d spend some time talking with a few of the connections I had on the street to see if I could flush out what might be going on in the club.

  However, every part of me wanted to punish her. Devour her.

  Break her.

  The one thing I knew about my brother was that he was no fool. If he felt we had an issue, I was inclined to believe him. What I didn’t buy totally is that it had everything to do with Ms. Foster. As she finally moved closer, chatting with two other dancers, my thirst increased. She’d won the first round of our game of cat and mouse. Soon, it would be time to even the score.

  “We need to talk, Gregory.” Both Michael and Christopher had flanked my sides, speaking in hushed tones.

  “It’s going to have to wait,” I barked.

  Michael moved in front of me, shaking his head. “No, right now.”

  I noticed both anger and concern in his eyes and finally nodded, shifting my gaze toward Valentina. All three women were headed to the employee’s area, which meant she would be leaving soon. “This had better be fucking good.” I moved automatically toward the stairs leading up to the other floors, the others following, using my key card to get us into the secured wing.

  When Michael ushered all three of us into his office, shutting the door immediately, I bristled. “Why all the clandestine cloak and dagger shit?” I asked as I walked toward the expansive bar in his office, admiring his collection of fine liquors. Maybe a drink was in order after all. My brother was a true connoisseur of food and drink, something I couldn’t care less about.

  “Because we have a problem,” Michael answered. He walked to his desk, almost smashing his fingers down on his computer keyboard.

  I glanced at Christopher who shrugged before motioning for me to pour him a drink as well. I made three, first taking the glass toward Michael’s desk, shocked when he yanked it out of my hand, chugging the expensive scotch down in one gulp.

  “What the fuck?” Christopher asked, whistling.

  “Yeah, I think you need to tell us what the hell is going on,” I added.

  Glaring from one to the other, Michael swung his monitor in our direction then immediately stormed toward the bar.

  When I headed closer to his desk, I could see he’d pulled up a split screen, one highlighting bank accounts information and the other a balance sheet from the last month. “What are we looking at?”

  “For God’s sake, Greg, you can read a goddamn balance sheet just like the two of us,” Michael snapped then rubbed his fingers across his forehead. “I’m sorry. I’m just pissed.” He sloshed some of the scotch over the rim, slamming down the bottle then walking closer. When he pointed from one side of the screen to the other, he took a deep breath. “Do you see the two figures?”

  “They don’t match,” Christopher piped in.

  “Exactly,” Michael huffed.

  Narrowing my eyes, I could tell why my brother was pissed. There appeared to be five hundred thousand dollars that wasn’t listed on the balance sheet. Fuck. “Which balance sheet is correct?”

  “My numbers. Mine!” Michael snarled.

  Both Christopher and I looked again, trying to comprehend why he was so angry. “I don’t get it. Did you make a mistake with your figures?” I knew better than to ask. He was meticulous.

  “Fuck, no. I’ve checked and double checked about ten times. Do you understand what this means?” Michael asked, looking from one of us to the other, continuing before we had a chance to say anything. “I found the corresponding deposits. It means that someone has deposited additional funds into several of our bank accounts. While none of the other dollar amounts were of this size, they add up to a little over a million dollars.”

  “Why in the hell is someone depositing money into our accounts? That doesn’t make a damn bit of sense.” Christopher leaned over the desk, studying the numbers again.

  I backed away, allowing a long breath to escape. “Yes, it does. This means the reason you heard we could have an undercover agent in our establishment is to catch us red-handed with payoffs.”

  “For what?” Christopher demanded.

  “That’s what we need to find out. So far, I haven’t been able to trace the various sources, and there have been multiple deposits made. I’m going to try again tomorrow, but for now, we are in lockdown mode. Not a single one of our employees touches a deposit. Do you hear me?” Michael commanded. “You need to talk to that damn informant of yours, Chris. If they know something for real, they need to fucking spit it out and I’ll kill the bastard myself.”

  I’d never seen my brother this angry or concerned. “He’s right, Christopher. You need to drag the information out of that pisshead dealer or I will be happy to.”

  “Jesus Christ. Fine. I think I can handle it,” Christopher hissed.

  I glared at him, my thoughts drifting to Valentina. Maybe she wasn’t an officer of the law at all but working for one of our enemies, although obtaining any information about our financials was almost impossible.

  Without a court order.

  Still, coincidences I didn’t believe in.

  A growl formed in my throat, another round of rage building. “Let me know what you find tomorrow. I know what I need to do tonight.”

  “Don’t kill her, Gregory. Not after what Michael found. We might need her,” Christopher said, giving me a long, hard look.

  “How interesting that you would change your mind. I don’t plan on killing her. In fact, if what I suspect is true, she’s going to become very important to our organization.”

  “Hell, no. That’s bullshit. You need to get her out of here,” Michael chided. “I don’t give a crap whether you stuck your dick in her. Her sudden appearance is far too coincidental.”

&
nbsp; I gave him a hard look, finally able to smile. “I suggest you leave her to me, brother. I assure you that she’s going to learn what it means to cross us. Then she’s going to do whatever the hell I command. And I will find out who the fuck she is and more important, who she’s working for.”

  I threw open the door, taking long strides into my office, shifting from one monitor to another in an effort to see if Valentina was still on the premises. After almost five minutes with no luck, I slammed my hands on the table, biting back a roar.

  No one fucked with us.

  Everything had changed. Now I would take her as my possession.

  Using her.

  Tasting her.

  Fucking her.

  Very slowly I walked down the stairs, moving through what was left of the group of people, scanning the crowd for any sign of her. Satisfied, I moved to the third floor, finding it almost entirely empty.

  The moment I walked onto the landing of the second, I noticed Valentina from a distance. In her hand? A camera. Jesus. F. Christ. While she was attempting to take a few pictures unnoticed, I could tell exactly what she was doing.

  And I was pissed as hell.

  I walked toward her, taking her arm and drawing her close to my chest. The electricity soared even as my fury remained. “Ms. Foster. Come with me.” I would play the game for a little while longer to see where it might go.

  Valentina froze but instead of spouting off words in defiance as she’d done the night before, she only nodded once. Her change in demeanor was fascinating, as if she’d found another way to be in charge. She turned slowly, her beautiful green eyes opening wide. And the camera was nowhere to be seen. The game continued, my fascination increasing. “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m surprised that you returned.” It was difficult to keep the edge from my voice.

  “I said that I would, and I always keep my word. This job is important to me.”

  Her luscious body was only inches away from mine, her perfume entirely different than the night before. More exotic. Musky.