His as Payment

by Stone, Piper

  The line in the sand. A past tense voice.

  I gave him a warm smile and nothing more.

  “Scotch. Correct? If I remember correctly, your tastes are on the extreme.” He poured a drink, topping his off. His mannerisms were odd for a man who was about ready to have the rug pulled out under him. “I’m certain you didn’t come here to talk about my daughter or my dead wife.”

  “We have other business to discuss, which you are well aware of.”

  “Yes. Business.” His words were far too conceited.

  “As you know, Drummand, my family doesn’t take lightly to situations of this nature. While I have the pleasure of sharing company with your brilliant daughter, you broke the terms of our deal. There will be direct and difficult circumstances. I’m certain you’ll be able to weather them. Eventually. As far as your friends, some of them will stick by you.”

  He didn’t balk or flinch as he had during our first conversation, merely handing off the drink as if this was a regular course of business. But the slight glimmer in his eyes spoke volumes of continued secrets. “Do what you need to, Dominick. I’m in no place to argue.”

  I watched his every move, more than curious what he was getting at.

  “However,” he said, lifting a single finger. “I believe that the good people of New York will be more inclined to believe my version of accounts after you’ve been arrested.”

  I took a sip, enjoying the fine quality of liquor. “Well, I guess we’re going to have to see about that. I appreciate the drink, Drummand, and you’ll be hearing from us very soon.” I eased the glass onto the table, my eyes catching a grainy but telling photograph.

  He noticed my gaze and laughed. “You must think I’m a total fool, Dominick. This came into my possession only an hour ago and as you can imagine, I’ve taken calculated steps to help the police arrest the guilty party. From what I understand, your fingerprints are all over this poor asshole’s coffee shop.”

  Snagging the photo, I held my breath as well as my desire to rip the gun from its hiding place. Marco’s death had been precisely planned.

  “Yes, I can see you’re upset, Dominick, as you should be. Gentlemen. Feel free to come in.” Drummand smiled as he beckoned toward the door.

  I’d never been considered a fool in my life. Now, I was just that.

  “You have no idea how happy I was that you offered me such a fantastic deal involving my daughter. Everything fit into place without me lifting a hand.” Drummand laughed as four police officers walked in the door. “Now, with your combined threats and the unfortunate incident with a man I believe was running drugs for you, I think all my issues with you are going to be solved. You’re going to be placed under arrest, Dominick, and trust me, the charges will stick. You’ll be going away for a very long time. Your father is next, along with every one of your hired guns. Then we move to other cities. I’ll be exalted as president of these fine United States for ridding America of every crime family.”

  He’d fucking lost it. “You insane bastard. Were you planning on carting Caroline away to an institution just like you did her mother? Or was she simply going to be caught in the warfare you’ve started?” There was true surprise in the man’s eyes, which meant he had no idea Margaret had been found. As the officers surrounded me, I offered him my own smirk. “Traitors. You know what happens to them in my world, Drummand. Just be prepared for the end.”

  “It would be a shame if anything happened to my daughter. I wonder who they would blame?”

  “If you even attempt to hurt Caroline, there will never be a single place on this earth that you can hide from me. I. Will. Hunt. You. Down.” I offered my own knowing smile, one that turned his face ashen white.

  Drummand huffed, his face turning red. “Get him the fuck out of here!”

  What I knew at that exact moment was that Caroline meant nothing to him. His greed and lust for power had made him sell his soul to the devil.

  In a game of chess, this was considered check.

  But I still had the upper hand and soon, it would mean checkmate.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Caroline

  “I have a surprise for you.”

  I heard his husky voice, the man I adored standing right behind me, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off the ocean, the trickling wave pushing foam across my feet. The sun was just slipping past the horizon, creating rings of dazzling colors. Tangerine. Fuchsia. Violet. Everything about the early evening was gorgeous, allowing a moment of peace.

  “A surprise?” I heard my voice, lust-filled and throaty. When he brushed his hand over my naked shoulder, I shivered as I always did from the simple touch. My pussy clenched in anticipation, desire electrifying every nerve ending, leaving me breathless.

  “You’ll need to obey my every command.”

  “Don’t I always?”

  He swept me into his arms, his hands placed under my bottom, cradling me against his chest. “Not always, but you’ll learn.” His eyes sparkled just seconds before he crushed his mouth over mine. His tongue parted my lips, darting the tip inside. The taste of scotch was intrinsic, filling my mouth in the same way the sweetness of him always did. His powerful arms surrounded me, the feel of his heartbeat matching the rhythm of mine.

  I was alive and on fire, hungry to have his cock filling me, fucking me. He ravaged my mouth, forcing our tongues together in a brutal dance of passion and dark longing. I could never get enough of him.

  His mouth.

  His dominance.

  His thick cock.

  We tumbled to the sand and within seconds, he thrust the entire length of his cock inside my aching pussy. Moaning into the kiss, I shuddered as the salty water lapped over our heated bodies.

  Dominick yanked my arms over my head, dragging them together until he was able to grasp my wrists with one hand. He broke the kiss, hovering over me as he took several deep breaths. The darkness had returned to his eyes, the hunger catapulting him into the savage man I knew him to be. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

  “Show me.”

  A chuckle erupted from his throat, more animalistic in nature than anything else. I was his for the taking, his to discipline.

  His...

  He pumped in and out, the force pushing us hard into the sand. I wrapped my legs around his hips, trying to arch my back, desperate to have more of him inside of me. He stretched my pussy muscles wide, forcing his shaft all the way inside. I was crazed because of this man, my thirst never quenched.

  With every hard stroke, the water washed over us in unison, cleansing the very darkness dwelling deep within. There was nothing like the power of this man, his ability to drive me to the brink of ecstasy then pulling back.

  But on this beautiful afternoon, there was nothing he wouldn’t do to ravage me, finding his own desperate satisfaction.

  He swept his hand down, brushing the tips of his fingers across my breast, leaving me tingling all over.

  “Oh, yes!” I closed my eyes, panting as he thrust, the sound of our bodies molding together floating above the crashing waves. As his cock swelled, filling me so completely, my body rushed into a sublime state of bliss.

  This was absolute heaven.

  “Fuck!” My eyes flew open, the images of the incredible dream still vivid in my mind. The fantasy had left me wet and hot, my pussy clenching and my nipples fully erect. I wanted him. I could almost feel him. Even as my thoughts lingered on the dazzling moments, I realized they were nothing more than a fantasy.

  Beautiful.

  Amazing.

  Fake.

  My life with Dominick could never be something magical, his dangerous life preventing us from finding true happiness. I gripped the sheets, rolling over and clenching my hand around my pillow, making certain the whimper was muffled. How many hours had passed since Dominick had left, the scathing broadcast shoving not only his life but mine into utter turmoil?

  I’d fallen asleep in the middle of the afternoon, stress and tension
the cause. Or maybe sadness. This wasn’t going to solve anything, other than fueling my despair. I rolled over, staring at the ceiling. Dominick was right. I wasn’t any better than he was. I’d squirreled away some kind of secret, even though I had no clue what that might be.

  I thought about my time with her, our conversations. I’d pushed her away more after going to school, refusing to come back other than Christmas and summer. She’d become more despondent and I’d ignored her. Guilt had taken me hard, keeping me sick and full of hopelessness. I thought about one conversation in particular and...

  The box. My mother’s box. For some crazy reason I hadn’t thought about it even after hearing she was alive. Granted, I hadn’t been paying much attention to her on the day she’d come into my bedroom, her voice hushed. She’d been tentative, anxious, and looking over her shoulder. I hadn’t thought about just how frightened she’d seemed.

  Until now.

  That had been three years ago, two years prior to her fake death. I rubbed my arms and paced my bedroom, trying to make sense of everything I’d seen and heard. If my father had found out that someone was looking for my mother, I had no doubt he was capable of resorting to any lengths to protect his secret.

  Or her secret.

  I had to find out. I had to know what she’d been so petrified of during her entire marriage. There’d been no substantial conversations, her happiness only occurring when he was out of the house for an extended period of time. I should have asked more questions, but there’d been nothing to compare my household to others. I’d had few friends, no sleepovers, and no way of knowing just how dysfunctional my family really was.

  I was terrified of doing so now.

  My mind was muddled enough that details of the one-sided conversation I’d had with her only came in bits and pieces. What I did remember was the location of the box she’d mentioned—a UPS store. There was one close to my father’s house but there was no way to be certain if that was the one. Was everything still there? What little I knew about them was that they had to be paid for. I do remember she mentioned the location was secure for some time to come. Did that mean years? What about a lock? Combination or a padlock?

  Either way, I was screwed. There was no way that Bruno would let me out of his sight, especially not now. The only hope was to enlist his help. Was that possible? I did remember clearly were her last words before walking out of the room.

  “If anything happens to me, get the box, my sweet daughter. Number 518. You’ll know what to do.”

  And I’d done nothing after her death, completely blocking out the entire conversation. An additional wave of guilt riddled me, the kind that forced cramps into my entire body.

  I hadn’t heard from Dominick and had no way of knowing when he’d come home. Home. The word was foreign. This wasn’t my home.

  The same nagging inner voice that yanked me into the dream was laughing, a bitter reminder that this was required to be my home. Maybe after only a few days I was ready to accept. No, there were no maybes.

  Except for the fact Dominick needed to remain alive and free from incarceration.

  I refused to add the word ‘if’ to the mix. I was terrified for him in several ways. I’d seen the wretched look on his face as the ugly pictures had passed by on the screen. I’d heard his bitter exhales as my father expanded on certain details. I also wasn’t a fool about either of them.

  My heart ached, but not just because of the despair Dominick was in but because of the love burrowing, creating skips in my heartrate. All his brooding and ugliness and I loved him. If there was a way to help the damning situation, you bet I was going to find it. A swift moment of sadness settled in, pushing away the love. Was this some weird attempt of my father to free me from what he had to believe was a prison?

  The nagging voice inside my head reminded me one last time that he seemed more elated to get me from under his wing than anything else.

  Just who was the real monster?

  I threw on jeans, lucky to find a pair of sneakers among the items Dominick had purchased. I found Bruno walking through the house, doing the same kind of pacing that I’d been doing.

  “I need your help and you’re going to think this is crazy, but I have to go to a little shopping center near my father’s house. It’s vital, Bruno, and I realize you’re going to say no, but this is very important and could be something that helps Dominick.” I sucked in my breath after spewing the words, cringing as he gave me a guarded look.

  “I’ll have to check with Dom.”

  “Please, don’t.” I inched closer. “Look, my mother left some things in a UPS box for me. I think whatever she saved could help. My father is ruthless and I’m hoping that...” I laughed after a few seconds. “I don’t even know what I’m saying. The box could have some padlock that I won’t be able to get into anyway.”

  Bruno tilted his head. “You care about Dominick. Don’t you?”

  I thought about his question, an involuntary smile crossing my face. “For every wrong reason in the world, I do. He’s dynamic and takes what he wants. He refuses to listen. He’s hardheaded. I should hate him for what he did to me, but I can’t. I just...” I realized he had a smile of his own. “I don’t know what in the hell is going on, but I refuse to play the victim in all of this. That’s not me. I understand you follow orders to a ‘T’ but in this case, break them. Just this freaking once. If what I suspect is in that box, then I might be the only person who can help Dominick.” I was lying through my teeth, but there was no other way to find out what my mother had been trying to tell me all those years ago.

  He remained stoic, his eyes cutting through me. I knew this was a waste of time. “Fine,” I whispered, exasperation enveloping the tone. I had to stop giving a shit.

  “I have bolt cutters. We’ll get into the box, but we are coming straight back here.” His words were clipped yet pointed.

  “That’s all I need. Thank you. You’re a doll.”

  For the first time, he gave me a satisfied grin.

  * * *

  The parking lot in front of the UPS store was almost desolate. While the location had a neon sign indicating it was still open, there was no one standing behind the counter. Number 518 was found easily, the group of boxes nestled all the way in the back of the store. When the clerk finally realized there were customers, Bruno had already cut the lock. I chatted with her briefly, finding out the box had been rented for five years, all paid in advance.

  My hands were shaking as I attempted to open the door, uncertain of what I would find. The shoebox fit almost exactly with no room to spare, the lid taped as if that would matter to prying eyes. I didn’t waste time searching the contents. Maybe I really didn’t want to know after all.

  I was so very cold as I secured the seatbelt, my arms and legs shaking. Just holding the thin cardboard in my hands made me feel closer to my mother, but also bitter and angry. Canada. I would hold Dominick and his father to the promise of bringing her home or I would locate her myself.

  Then I would exact my revenge on my father.

  Snorting, I closed my eyes, fingering the side as Bruno drove, happy he wasn’t interested in peppering me with questions.

  We rode in silence for at least ten minutes before he cleared his throat. “Aren’t you going to open it?”

  “I’m not certain I want to any longer.”

  “But you seemed desperate to find out the contents.”

  “I know. I’m terrified, Bruno. You can’t know what it’s like to have your entire world turned upside down.” I swallowed, fighting a round of tears.

  “Well, until you know what you’re dealing with, you’re never going to find peace. Trust me, I know.”

  He was right, more so than I wanted to believe. I picked at the tape, slowly turning my head in his direction. We were stopped at a traffic light and for the first time, I took a good look at him. He was handsome in his own way, even though he’d obviously seen his share of fist fights, even more so than Dominic
k. I had no idea how anyone survived this kind of life for an extended period of time. “You’re right.”

  “I’m always right,” he said, snickering. As the light turned green, he tipped his head in my direction before pressing on the gas.

  His smile was actually comforting, creating a smile of my own. I suddenly had the courage to face what would no doubt alter my future, at least enough to open the damn box. “I have a feeling you...” Lights from a vehicle roared from the opposite direction, barreling through the traffic light. A cold wave swept over me, a treacherous knowing and there was nothing that could be done. “Bruno! Watch—”

  * * *

  Dominick

  I stood against the cinderblock wall, listening to the prattling sounds of other caged assholes. Caged. That’s exactly what I was. At least they’d had the forethought of placing me in a six by six all by myself. Perhaps they were terrified that I’d become a loose cannon. I snickered at the thought. The anger had subsided, leaving me with a dull ache right behind my eyes and a calmness indicating an entirely different level of rage.

  Revenge.

  That was the only thing on my mind. I’d been processed and tossed in the fucking place in a matter of minutes, which meant even my arrival had been planned. I’d been foolish enough to walk into a trap and all because I hadn’t been able to think clearly.

  Hissing, I glanced at the bare toilet, disgusted from the stench. I’d seen my share of jail cells, but I had the distinct feeling I wasn’t getting out any time soon. Even the family attorney, a man considered a shark, had his doubts about obtaining bail. On the list of accusations? Murder, blackmail, and extortion. I’d listened to a litany of charges, blocking out half of them. They were bullshit, easily challenged in a court of law, but appearing in front of a judge could take months.

  My one phone call had been made. At least my attorney would notify the right people, including my father. He’d also been given explicit instructions to go straight to my house, taking Caroline to an unknown location. While I knew all hell would break loose, she could still be in danger from her own damn father. That didn’t make much sense in my mind. But hell, neither did anything else.