Hard Stick

by L. P. Dover

  I wasn’t surprised when one of his bodyguards answered the door. He was going to need one. Orlando was six five and around 275 pounds of pure muscle.

  “Where is he?” I demanded. He opened the door wider and I saw Mitchell by the bar, pouring himself a drink. The second I saw him, every ounce of sanity I had went out the window.

  “Ah, Kellan, come in.” I pushed past Orlando and stormed toward him. Jason huffed behind me, but there was no way in hell I could sit back and wait for him. Before I could get any closer, Tommy, one of his other bodyguards, stepped in the way; he was just as big as Orlando. Mitchell smirked over at me and it only fueled the fire more. “I see you brought a friend, too.”

  Jason flashed his badge. “FBI is more like it, fuckhead. I suggest you tell Tweedledee and Tweedledum to step away.”

  Mitchell’s smile faded and he nodded at his men. Now there was no one in the way. “I see Kristen told you about me.”

  It took all I had not to snap his neck. “You’re a sick son of a bitch. I know everything you’ve done to Kristen…and about your involvement in Cole’s death.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Maybe the FBI does. Soon you’ll be behind bars getting ass-raped by your new cellmate. I never pegged you for a stalker. Kind of pathetic if you ask me. I wonder what my mother would say if she knew about this.”

  He stood and slammed his glass on the counter, shattering it. “Your mother doesn’t give a fuck what I do. She knows I’ve been with other women, just like she’s been with other men. Kristen was always mine.”

  “Not anymore. I suggest you leave and take my mother with you. You come anywhere near Kristen or me and I’ll kill you.” Turning on my heel, I took a step toward the door.

  “I want to see her,” he said.

  I whirled around, fists clenched and ready to beat the shit out of him. “Fuck that.”

  He held up his hands. “Just one more time and then I’ll leave you two alone.”

  “You expect me to believe that?” I snapped. I charged toward him and grabbed him by the neck, slamming him into the wall. His bodyguards tried to get to me, but Jason pulled out his gun, holding them at bay. Mitchell hissed when I squeezed his throat, wishing I could choke the life out of him. “The next time you think about coming to town, I’m going to assume it’s Kristen you’re after. Just know, I’ll be waiting.” I slammed his head against the wall one last time for good measure.

  He rubbed his neck. “You’re making a bad decision. Wouldn’t want to see your hockey career go up in smoke.”

  “Your threats don’t scare me. As long as Kristen’s safe from you, I don’t give a shit what you do.” With those words, I walked out the door with Jason on my heels.

  “What are you going to do now?” Jason asked. “If Mitchell says he’ll leave her alone, it might not be a bad idea to let him see her.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? What the hell are you thinking?”

  I punched the elevator button and we got on. Once the doors were closed, he stepped in front of me. I couldn’t see straight; I was beyond pissed. “With Aylee and me there, he’ll know Kristen has the FBI on her side. He may be a man of power, but he’s not fearless. We’ll be right there with her. Plus, if he talks to her alone, we could put a wire on her. Maybe he’ll slip up and say something about Cole’s death when he’s around her. That way we can bust him for good.”

  Huffing, I ran my hands through my hair. “If you think she should, then you tell her. I don’t condone it at all. I don’t want her anywhere near that fucker.”

  He nodded. “All right, let’s go then. The sooner we get this done, the sooner it’ll all be over.” With Mitchell, nothing was over until he won. Maybe I should’ve killed him when I had the chance.

  Chapter 26

  Kristen

  “Why isn’t he answering?” I shouted, pacing the living room floor. It’d been over an hour and we hadn’t heard a single word from Kellan or Jason.

  Aylee stood by the window. “Hopefully they’ll be back soon.”

  I walked over and stood beside her, my nerves shot. “What am I going to do?”

  She looked over at me. “About what?”

  “I don’t know. Mitchell’s a part of Kellan’s family. I’ll never escape him.”

  “So are you saying you want to break things off with Kellan?”

  The thought made my heart hurt. “I love him, Aylee. I just don’t know what Mitchell will do to him. They may be family, but Mitchell will do anything and everything to get what he wants. Kellan isn’t safe.”

  She brushed a hand down my arm. “Kellan is a big boy. I wouldn’t worry about him. If he’s not scared to go head-to-head with Mitchell, then let him do it.”

  “Cole wasn’t afraid, either,” I told her.

  Her gaze softened. “You’ve got this, Kristen. You can’t live your life in fear.” Headlights flashed through the window and I rushed to the door.

  “They’re here.” Kellan pulled in, followed by Jason. As soon as Kellan got out of the truck, I was in his arms. “Don’t you ever leave me like that again.” His arms snaked around my waist and he held me tight.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “It had to be done.”

  I pulled back and searched his face. There were no black eyes or bruises. I had been certain there was going to be a brawl. “What happened?”

  “Mitchell knows I know everything. I told him to stay away from you.”

  “Did he listen?” I asked. He glared over at Jason and clenched his jaw. “Hey,” I said, turning his face back to me, “what are you not telling me?”

  I looked over at Jason and he sighed. “Mitchell wants to see you. He said he’ll leave you two alone if you agreed to meet with him.”

  “What?” I shouted.

  Jason held up his hands. “Not alone, Kristen. All of us will be close by. Plus, we’re going to plant a wire on you so we can record what the bastard says.”

  “Oh my God, I can’t believe this.”

  “Me, either,” Kellan huffed. “I don’t want you doing it, but if there’s even the slightest possibility of him leaving you alone we need to consider it.”

  “I don’t even know if I can. I might try to kill him myself.” The thought of being anywhere near him made my stomach turn. I hated him for taking my life away from me and I hated him even more for killing Cole. They all remained silent while I fought the feelings inside me.

  “It’s up to you,” Aylee said softly.

  I was ready to be done with it all. “Fine, I’ll do it. Wire me up.”

  Kellan pulled out his phone. “You don’t have to, Kristen.”

  “No, I do. Maybe it’s time I faced my fears. I want to do it tonight. Not here, though, somewhere neutral.”

  Kellan stared at me and I could tell he didn’t want to text Mitchell. When I nodded, he sighed and sent the message. It only took a few seconds to get a reply. Kellan held up his phone. “He said he’ll be there.”

  “All right, we’ll get ready,” Jason said, nodding for Aylee to follow him into the house.

  Once we were alone, Kellan pulled me into his arms. “You have no idea how hard it was not to kill him tonight. Now I have to see him again.”

  I laid my head on his chest. “Imagine how I feel.”

  “Are you scared?”

  “Not with you and the others there. If I was by myself, that’s a different story. I don’t trust him.”

  He held me tighter. “Neither do I. But I told him if he ever came back into town I’d kill him. I mean it, Kristen.”

  Swallowing hard, I pulled back, averting my gaze. “I was afraid you’d return and not want to be with me anymore.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe because I was intimate with your…” I tried to say stepfather and couldn’t. It sounded so disgusting. “He was one of my clients. I thought he was getting a divorce. Otherwise, I never would’ve stayed with h
im.”

  “Hey,” Kellan murmured, gently lifting my chin. “You don’t have to say anything else. I love you, Kristen. Nothing’s going to change that. Does it kill me that you were with Mitchell? Yeah, it does, but it’s all in the past. You’re mine now and that’s all that matters.” His lips pressed against mine and I melted against him. “I’m not going to let him take you away from me.”

  “Promise?”

  He kissed me again. “On my life.”

  —

  It was dark in the park, but I wanted it done somewhere away from prying eyes and away from our houses. Mitchell and his two bodyguards had arrived first and I could see him standing in the shadows. He was still wearing the same suit he’d worn at the restaurant. The closer I got, the better I could see him staring right through me.

  Mitchell waved for his bodyguards to stand back and then he stepped forward. “I want to talk to Kristen alone,” he called out, mainly glaring at Kellan. Jason and Aylee stayed close but they gave me my distance.

  Kellan, on the other hand, clenched my hand tight. “Forget it,” he snarled.

  Mitchell’s gaze narrowed. It was the same look he gave Cole the night of their confrontation, the night before he died. “It’s okay,” I blurted.

  Kellan gripped my hand tighter. “What the hell are you doing?”

  I pulled my hand away. “I’ll be fine. He’s not going to do anything with all of you close by.”

  His jaw clenched. “He’d better not.”

  Mitchell cleared his throat and I huffed; he never had patience. I squeezed Kellan’s arm to assure him. “This won’t take long.”

  I took a deep breath before facing the man who ruined my life. The wire was in place, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Mitchell suspected I’d be wired; he was a smart man after all. He nodded toward a wooden bench down the path and I followed him. It was close enough to everyone, but far enough away for no one to hear us. He sat down and I made sure to sit as far away from him as I could. My heart beat so fast I could feel it pulsing in my ears. I waited for him to say something, but all he did was stare at me, his gaze making me shiver. I didn’t like the possessive look in his eyes.

  “Why?” he growled low, his voice deep and angry. I wasn’t going to let him scare me.

  “You know why,” I snapped back. “Cole would still be alive if it wasn’t for you.”

  He sighed. “I didn’t kill him, Kristen.”

  “You might not have, but I’m sure one of your goons did,” I hissed, nodding at his two bodyguards. “I knew I’d be next. I know how desperate you were to find me in Canada.”

  His fiery gaze bored into mine. “How do you know that?”

  “You’re not the only one who knows people, Mitchell. I have people protecting me.”

  “I would never hurt you like that. Do you have any idea what it did to me when I thought you were dead?” His fists clenched and he moved closer. I fought the instinct to jerk away; I didn’t want him to see my fear.

  “I’m sure your wife was there to console you.”

  He scoffed. “Just like Kellan did for you. Seeing him touching you makes me so goddamn furious.”

  “That’s not any of your concern,” I snarled. “You and I were over a long time ago. Whether you want to believe it or not, we’re done. Stay away from me and stay the hell away from Kellan.”

  I got up and he grabbed my wrist, jerking me to him. His lips slammed against mine so quickly I couldn’t even fight him off. Kellan shouted from behind and I could hear his thunderous steps, but I pushed Mitchell off and slapped him so hard I could feel the burn in my hand. His head snapped to the side and when he looked back at me, he smiled.

  “You’ve changed,” he murmured.

  “You son of a bitch,” Kellan shouted. I looked at him, and Jason was holding him back. Jason wouldn’t be able to keep him contained for long.

  Mitchell smirked and touched his lips, which only made it worse. “I have changed,” I spat. “I’m not going to let you control my life anymore.”

  His hungered gaze trailed down my body. “No, you’re not. But I guess all good things have to come to an end.” He nodded at his men and stepped back, keeping his attention on me as they walked away. “Goodbye, Kristen.”

  Kellan rushed up to me and pulled me into his arms. “Fuck, I wanted to kill him. You okay?”

  I nodded and held him tight. “I’m fine. Just glad it’s over.” Jason and Aylee walked up, their focus on Mitchell and his men. Once they got into their cars and drove away, I could breathe again. “What do we do now?” I asked.

  Aylee sighed. “We keep an eye on Blackwell for a few months. Hopefully, he won’t be stupid enough to come after you.” She glanced at Jason and then back to me. “We can always send you to California. Brooklyn has connections there.”

  Kellan tensed, but when I looked up at him, he lifted his hands to my face. “If you want to leave, I’m not going to stop you.”

  Placing my hand over his, I leaned into his touch. “I don’t want to run anymore. This is my home. If Mitchell does try anything, he’ll regret it.”

  Kellan pressed his lips to my forehead. “That’s for damn sure. Let’s just hope he’s smart enough to stay away.”

  “What about your mother? Does she know?”

  He shook his head. “They both can be fucked up together. After today, I’m cutting all ties with her. I can’t be a part of her family, not when she’s with him.”

  My eyes burned. “I’m sorry, Kellan. I never wanted you to be in the middle of this.”

  His warm hands tightened on my face. “I love you, Kristen. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

  “Ditto,” I murmured. “Now let’s go home. I need to wash every trace of Mitchell off my body.”

  His hands slid down my face and he grasped my hands. “And I’ll be glad to help.”

  Chapter 27

  Kristen

  THREE MONTHS LATER—MID-FEBRUARY

  The view of downtown Charlotte from my office was breathtaking. I’d often find myself just gazing out into the distance, thankful that I was there. I’d been working at M&M for three months and my client list had grown substantially. It felt good to be doing what I loved.

  After that night with Mitchell, he hadn’t come anywhere near North Carolina. I often wondered how long it would last, but I knew I couldn’t worry about it for the rest of my life. However, I did still look over my shoulder from time to time, expecting him to be there. The only thing I wanted was for him to pay the price for Cole’s death. I feared it was never going to happen, but I was a strong believer in karma.

  My phone beeped and I already knew who it was going to be. Grinning broadly, I pulled my phone out of my purse.

  Kellan: Don’t forget to meet me at the rink after work.

  Me: I’ll be there.

  I loved our dates at the rink. Now that I was working and he was in the middle of extensive training we hadn’t had much time together. Tonight was going to be our first date in over a month.

  “Knock, knock,” Bristol called out. She opened the door and stuck her head inside.

  “Come on in,” I said, sliding my phone back into my purse.

  She walked in and sat across from me, breathing a sigh of relief. “It’s finally the weekend. I can’t believe how busy we’ve been this week.” Bristol and I had grown really close since I started working with her. It was nice having a friend who shared the same kind of passion I had for designing.

  “You getting ready to leave?” I asked her.

  She nodded. “Yep. I’m flying out to Texas to see my mother tomorrow. She has an insane fear of flying.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “Doesn’t she know people die more in car accidents than in a plane?”

  “Yeah, but she’s stubborn. She won’t listen to my father, either.” My mother used to be stubborn, too. “So what are your plans this weekend?”

  I glanced over at the clock and smiled. “Well, I’m getting ready t
o meet Kellan at the ice rink for a date. His team’s been kicking ass, so now he has a short break before his game next week.”

  “Oh wow, that’s exciting. I don’t watch hockey, but I wish them luck.”

  “Thanks. I used to not care about it, either, but when I went to that first game, I was hooked.”

  “How does it feel to be officially living with Kellan now?”

  “Pretty good. I mean, we were kind of living together in the beginning anyway, but it’s nice to call his place my home. I think it brought us closer together. I plan on getting the rest of my stuff out of my old house sometime next week.”

  “Do you need any help?” she asked.

  I waved her off. “I can get it. It’s just a couple of boxes.” Brooklyn had offered to sell her house to me, but I knew she loved it too much. If I hadn’t moved in with Kellan, I would’ve bought my own place now that I was making good money.

  Her phone started to ring and she stood so she could pull her phone out of her pocket. “Ah, it’s one of my clients.” She headed for the door and turned around. “Have a good weekend, Kris. I’ll see ya on Monday.”

  I waved. “See you then. Be safe in Texas.”

  She waved goodbye and hurried out the door. It was time for me to go as well. Having a weekend with nothing to do but be alone with Kellan was going to be heaven. He needed it after his long practices this week. Once the clock hit five, I packed up my stuff and headed out of the building. The rink wasn’t too far away, and when I got there, I grabbed my bag and headed inside. It turned out that Cole’s parents had kept some of my things from my house in Salem, including the skates my mother had bought me. They also kept my portfolios from past clients and all of the things Cole had gotten me from our years of being friends. There was even a sweatshirt of his that I always wore on the nights it was cold; in Massachusetts it was always cold in the winter. It felt good to wear it again.

  The rink was vacant, except for Kellan, who was already skating around. “Couldn’t wait for me, huh?” I shouted. He stopped and turned around, giving me his sexy smile. He could look at me like that and I’d melt in his arms every time.