“Hey.” He pushes against Ranger’s shoulder. “Get lost. I’ve been working on this one all night.”
Ranger doesn’t even look at the guy who pushed him. Instead, he keeps his gaze locked on mine, swinging at the guy without even blinking. He makes contact with his jaw, and the man falls down.
“What the fuck are you doing?” The huskiness of his voice doesn’t mask the intensity or anger in his tone. He pulls me against him. Sighing, I settle into the safety of his embrace. Home. Why do I feel so bound to him already after such a short time?
“Having fun. I didn’t plan on seeing you here.” I wrap my hand around his neck, more than willing to go with him instead of the random on the ground who’s holding his swollen face.
“Just because I’m not here doesn’t mean you can fuck anyone else. I want you. You’re mine now.”
I smile at his words. “You haven’t worked for me yet.”
“I told you, if you don’t work, then steal… I’m stealing.” His hand latches onto my wrist, and he coerces me into the corner I was about to take no-name to. He spins me around, pressing my back against the wall as his lips find mine. His mouth is hot, hungry, seeking. And I gladly let it find what it wants.
His hand lands on my knee, trailing up over my thigh, pushing my red dress out of the way. “This is mine.” He presses against my aching clit. His fingers trail upward, over my stomach, stopping on my neck. His fingers wrap around it, and he squeezes slightly. “You’re with me. Nobody else. Got it?” His blue eyes burn even in the darkness, and his angular jaw flexes with intensity.
Before I can agree, because I’m fucked up like that, his mouth is back against mine, and my body buzzes with excitement.
He releases my neck, so he can grab ahold of my thighs. Lifting me up against him, I feel his desire for me. He reaches between us and frees himself. Moving my panties over to the side, he slides deeply inside of me. The connection he’s forging between us is more than physical. But I can’t explain it. It’s different. Unfamiliar. But I like it.
Nobody can see us, but I can still see everyone on the dance floor. It excites me in ways I don’t understand.
“Harper,” he whispers my name as he thrusts slowly and methodically up into me.
My eyes meet his. In their depths swim emotions and things I don’t recognize. For some reason, Ranger and I just click.
“Tell me you’re mine.” His hand moves to my ass, and he slides a finger inside as he rolls his hips, hitting that perfect spot inside me.
“I’m yours, Ranger!”
“Mine.” His mouth crashes against mine just as my orgasm washes over me.
Ranger and I are sitting at the bar, sharing a bottle of cheap vodka when Big plops down beside me.
“The famous Harper. I wasn’t expecting to find you here.” He smirks.
“I’m everywhere, Big. Thought you knew that by now.”
Big and I have partied together a couple of times, but he’s always been more of a father to me. He’s never hit on me, no matter how hard I tried to score. It’s like our own special game. I hit on him time and time again, and he always shoots me down.
But this time, Ranger is by my side, and I just promised to be his. I don’t know how well openly flirting with someone else will work with him. He seems like the jealous type. And for some reason, I don’t have the desire to hurt or upset him.
I’ve always been my own person. It didn’t matter who I was dating at the time, if I wanted someone, I went after him. But now, Ranger has some kind of spell on me. The way he talks to me, the way he fucks me, I don’t want any of it to stop.
It’s no secret that I love attention, and Ranger gives me more than anyone ever has. Usually, I get fucked once and thrown away. But he came back for me. And he was pissed at the thought of me being with someone else. I love the feeling that causes in me.
“What does your father think of you going to all these parties?” Big asks.
I laugh. “My dad still thinks I’m his innocent little princess. Plus, he has his hands full at the moment.”
He almost grins but catches himself. “So I’ve heard. Where is Enzo now? I would assume at the bottom of Lake Michigan?” He tips his glass, taking a long sip of the amber colored liquid.
I roll my eyes. “He was fired.”
He turns to me suddenly. “Fired?” He chokes on the word, barely able to keep his whiskey down.
I nod with a grin. “That’s right. Daddy must be losing his killer instinct.”
Big stands and quickly finishes his glass. “I need to go. Nice seeing you again, Harper.”
“Who was that?” Ranger asks.
“Big. He’s like my dad’s arch nemesis.” I laugh.
Ranger leans back, watching him walk away, but I don’t bother to ask why he’s so interested.
4
“Harper!” my dad’s voice booms from his office.
I’m in the kitchen, so I hear him easily. Sitting at the table, I drop my fork. With a sigh, I stand and walk into the room to see Enzo standing at my dad’s side while he sits at his desk. This stops me in my tracks. I didn’t think Enzo would ever show his face again. Uneasiness crawls up my spine.
“Yes?” I ask through my confusion.
“Have a seat.” He motions toward the empty chair across from him.
I slowly walk deeper into the office and fall into the chair he indicated. “What’s going on?” I glance at Enzo. “Why are you here?”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “I came to make your dad a deal.” The smug look on his face detracts from his good looks.
“For what? My mom?” I shoot back.
My dad’s back stiffens, and anger flashes in his eyes. “Enough. I want to know what the hell you think you’re doing?” Staring at me, he opens his desk drawer and drops an envelope in front of me. The thud it makes causes me to jump.
“What’s that?” I don’t dare touch it.
“Just look at it,” he bites out.
With a deep breath, I pick up the envelope and open it, pulling out its contents. A stack of glossy, full-color images fill my hand. It’s pictures of me and Ranger from last night: us grinding on the dance floor, laughing while we sit at the bar, and huddled up in the darkened corner where I thought nobody could see. It’s obvious in the photos that we’re having sex. My back’s pressed against the wall. My legs are wrapped around his hips, and his pants are sagging low. If that wasn’t enough, the blissful expression on my face over his shoulder says it all.
“What the fuck is this?” I toss them down on his desk in disgust. “Have you been following me?” I look at Enzo.
“Not me. I hired someone. After that night at the club, I knew something was going to happen. I saw you two when I was walking out.”
Dad looks between Enzo and me.
He’s going to regret doing this shit to me. Enzo will pay. “Oh, you mean the night you fucked me in that private room?”
“What?” Dad yells, standing up so quickly he topples his chair backward.
Enzo holds up his hands defensively. “It’s not what it sounds like. She drugged me. I told her no countless times. She slipped me something. I literally had no idea what I was doing.”
Dad looks over at me, pain on his face. “Is this true? Are you using drugs? Did you drug him?”
I laugh sardonically. How is this all coming back on me? “What does it matter? He didn’t stop me from sucking his dick. And stopping was the last thing on his mind when he fucked me against the wall and then called out Mom’s name!”
I don’t know who Dad is more pissed at: me or Enzo.
“Sir, I had no intention of messing with your daughter. You know that. She’s been throwing herself at me for years. You’ve watched me turn her down time and time again. Why would I have anything to do with her now?” Real fear has replaced his smug look from just moments ago.
“Maybe because you’re trying to get back at me for taking my wife away from you.” Dad shakes his head and chuckles hu
morlessly. “You really thought you could turn this all around? That I’d forget you’ve been fucking my wife, and now my daughter, and I’d give you your fucking job back?”
Enzo slides his hands into his pockets and straightens his back. “I walked in here and told you I would trade you good information for my job. You agreed.”
“That was before I knew you fucked my daughter!” Dad reaches for his gun and aims it at Enzo. “It’s open season. If I were you, I’d run. And run far. I’m letting all the guys know to shoot to kill.” His eyes narrow to slits. Then he pulls the trigger and the gun fires, causing me to jump. The sound echoes in my ears, and the smell of gunpowder burns my nose taking me back to when I was five.
I’m sitting in Daddy’s office, playing with my dollies on the floor. I peek up at Megan, Daddy’s secretary. She’s real pretty with her yellow hair and friendly blue eyes.
“I’m almost done, Princess Harper, and then I’ll come down there and play with you.” She smiles sweetly. Sometimes, I wish she was my mommy. Mommy doesn’t play dolls with me. She’s always too busy. I love it when Daddy brings me to his office because that means I have somebody to play with.
Two men walk in, and Megan stands quickly. “You can’t go in there!” she yells, but that doesn’t stop the men from pushing their way through the door. Nobody’s supposed to bother Daddy when he’s working. They’re gonna be in big trouble.
Megan bends down to my level. She looks serious. “Harper, I want you to crawl under my desk and cover your ears. Okay? I’ll be right back.”
Nodding, I scamper to do as I’m told. Megan is my friend. If she asks me to do something, I do it. But, I’m also dying to see what is going on, so I peek around the edge. I press my hands to the sides of my head. My dollies are beside me. I wish I could cover their ears too.
I’m covering my ears so tightly that I can’t hear what’s being said, but I can see Daddy’s mouth moving. His face is super red, and it’s growing redder by the minute. The vein between his eyes is popping out. I’ve never seen him this mad. It scares me, but I try to be tough.
Megan steps between Daddy and the men. Then Daddy holds up his hand and says something only to her. Her head dips down like she’s sad, and she makes her way toward the door. Just as she’s slipping through, I see Daddy pull a gun from beneath his jacket. I’ve seen Daddy’s guns before. He told me to never touch them. They could hurt me. He raises it at one of the men, and a loud bang makes its way to my ears. I jump, and my chest hurts where my heart is running. But I can’t pull my eyes away. They’re locked on the man on the floor. Just as the red blood runs from the boo-boo on his head, Megan shuts the door and bends down in front of me with a smile. My heart slows, returning to normal.
The memory is quickly shattered as Enzo lets out a scream and falls to his knees, clutching his shoulder.
“Consider that a warning shot. You have about twenty minutes to get to the hospital before you bleed out. I suggest you hurry.” Dad stands back with the gun in his hand, watching as Enzo tries to get to his feet.
Blood pours out of the wound, covering his fingers and rolling down his arm, dripping off his elbow and onto the floor as he makes his way toward the door without another word. Stupid asshole should’ve known better than to come here and throw me under the bus. If I go down, I’m taking you with me.
I stand back, pretty happy with myself. Enzo didn’t get his job back, and now he’ll have to leave or risk being killed.
“Your turn.” Dad turns to look at me. “Whatever you’ve got going on with him…” he says in a stern voice as he points at the pictures on his desk, “call it off.”
My mouth drops open. “What? No! I’m eighteen. I can see whoever I want. You can’t stop that.”
He places his gun on his desk and leans over it. “Call it off, Harper or I will kill him.”
I laugh and roll my eyes. “Kill him? You won’t even kill Enzo for fucking your wife and then your daughter! You really expect me to believe that you’ll kill Ranger for dating me?”
“This,” he spits and picks up the picture of us having sex. “Is not what I’d call dating. He’s treating you like a fucking slut. How many people watched you get fucked on that rooftop? You’re better than this, Harper. You’re better than the men I employ.”
My eyes fill with tears. “So, I’m a slut now?” My voice cracks on the word, and my heart breaks that my own father would call me that. I hold my hands up at my sides.
“I said he’s treating you like a slut. Learn the difference.” He pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
“Well, all my redeeming qualities came from you, Dad. I’m no better than you are. If you wanted me to grow up and be a doctor or lawyer, maybe you should’ve raised me a little differently instead of letting me sit in a playpen on the side of the pool while you and Mom had parties and snorted coke off hookers asses. Maybe you shouldn’t be fucking my friends… And maybe, if you don’t want me dating the men you employ, you should be in a different business.” I step back, watching his face fill with more and more guilt. “I’m nothing more than the monster you created. Love me or hate me, but you made me this way.” With that, I turn and walk out of his office, leaving him with something to think about.
I have no idea how to get ahold of Ranger. He always finds me. I really want to talk to him and warn him in case my dad tries something. I want to talk to him about what’s happened today. But since I don’t have his number or even know if he’s in the same hotel room, I pull on my sexy, black dress and head to the closest party.
It’s my mission to get blackout drunk and forget about it all.
I wake with a pounding headache. Holding my head, I roll over and come face to face with a man’s back.
Oh, fuck. Who is that? I can’t believe I did this again. I look around me, but all I can tell is that I’m in some random hotel room. It doesn’t look like the one I was in with Ranger the other day either. Carefully, I creep off the bed.
Reaching down, I grab my dress off the floor and jerk it on quickly.
“What are you doing? It’s early.”
I spin around to face the bed, and my eyes land on Ranger. A sigh of relief rushes from my lungs. “Oh, thank God. I wasn’t sure where I was or who I was with.” I collapse back on the bed.
He looks at me confused. “That happen often?”
“More than I care to admit.” I shrug.
He rolls over to his side with his hands cupping my face. “No more.”
“No more what?”
He shakes his head. “You’re too good for this life. You shouldn’t be getting blackout drunk. You shouldn’t be eating X or having to deal with the shit that comes along with your dad’s business. You shouldn’t have to worry about a man twice your age taking advantage of you in a fucking private room in a dingy strip club.”
“How’d you know about that?” I try to sit up because I’m too anxious to lie down any longer, but he stops me.
“Your manager is a fucking douche. He lets customers pay to watch.”
I inhale deeply. “What? You watched me with Enzo?”
He shakes his head. “No, I didn’t. The other guys did. Enzo…” He bites his tongue and turns away.
“What? What about Enzo?”
He sits up on the edge of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees and hanging his head. “Enzo took us there. He was pissed that your dad found out about him and your mom, and he was pissed that she wouldn’t leave your dad for him. He knew you worked there. He went there planning on doing exactly what he did. Don’t let him blame you. He knew if he played hard to get that you’d try harder. He said you were spoiled and didn’t like to be told no. It was his plan to fuck you and accidentally call you by her name. He just wanted to hurt your family any way he could.”
5
“What a pleasant surprise,” Big says as I walk into his apartment after one of his men let me in and collapse on his white leather couch.
“I need your help.
”
He’s standing on the balcony, but he saunters inside and pours us both a drink. After handing one over, he sits down in the recliner next to the couch.
“What’s the problem?”
“I want you to help me get rid of Enzo.”
He flashes an amused look. “May I ask why?”
“Why? He’s been carrying on an affair with my mom. Isn’t that enough of a reason?” My brow wrinkles in an exasperated frown.
As he takes a sip, the ice clinks in his glass. He makes a show of propping his feet up on the glass coffee table between us. “I have a feeling there’s more to the story.”
“Why are you questioning me?” my voice rises along with my defenses.
“If I’m starting a war with someone, I like to know why… You know, the whole story.”
I let out a long breath. “He took advantage of me.” My eyes are downcast at my lap. And I school my features to look sad and wounded.
He lets out a long laugh, and my head jerks up.
“You forget, I’ve seen you in action, Harper. You don’t let anyone take advantage of you. If anything, you took advantage of him.”
I set my glass down with a thunk on the table. “Fine. I slipped him some X, and we had sex. Then I found out he’s been banging my mom. The only reason he had sex with me was to get back at my parents. He used me.” I feel embarrassed for even talking about it. And I don’t get embarrassed. I don’t allow myself to be used. If anything, I do the using. Enzo got one over on me, and I hate it.
“Does your father know?”
“Yeah! And he let him walk out. I want him gone. Either you can help me, or I’ll do it myself.”
He shakes his head and takes a deep breath. “I don’t know, Harper. You know how I am when it comes to sticking my nose in your dad’s business.”
I laugh. “It’s never stopped you before. I thought I was like a daughter to you?” I play on his affections for me.
“Let me see what I can do.”
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