by Piper Stone
This time, I almost ran from the room, the pain more intense than anything I’d ever felt in my life. “Ouch! Jesus!”
“Yep. Just what you needed.” He pressed his hand against the small of my back as I kicked my legs out. Did he honestly think he was going to keep me in position? Not a chance.
Reaper seemed to anticipate what I was going to do, keeping his hand in position then smacking me two more times.
“Oh. Oh!” Anguish tore through me, white-hot heat that managed to sear every nerve ending and muscle. I couldn’t believe how much the belt hurt. My breath was stolen, stars floating in front of my eyes. But there was more. I was wet all over again. This was insane. I couldn’t believe my scent wafted between us. He had to think I was a nutcase. In truth, I was. I’d lost every concept of my rational mind the second I’d seen his face.
Wiggling, the sensations coursing from my arms to my legs were all over the place. I closed my eyes, forcing them aside.
“Please just don’t, Reaper.”
“Are you going to explain why you tried to shoot me?”
“I… can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t? Who is chasing you?” He hesitated, likely counting to five in his mind. “Okay. Let’s continue.”
The asshole didn’t waste any time, slicing the belt across my upper thighs twice then returning to my aching bottom. If this was just some kind of game initiated by Giordani, he was certainly playing the part, but my instinct told me he wasn’t one of the brutal monsters. My instinct also told me that he was a real hero, yet a man who’d lost himself during the war. I wanted to trust him. I needed to trust him in order to do the right thing. Sadly, I remained gripped with worry and fear, uncertain of what the right thing was.
He seemed to wait to see if I was going to answer before cracking the belt down three additional times. Then he held his fingers dangerously close to my pussy, making me even crazier.
“Just stop. Please? Sir?”
“Then tell me, Michelle. What in the hell will this asshole do if he catches you?”
“Don’t call me Michelle!” I snapped.
“Okay, Mitch. Talk to me. What the hell is he going to do?”
Exasperation mixed with my fear, my need to let my guard down overwhelming. I could see Dante Giordani’s face as if he was standing in the room. And he was leering at me as he had been sitting in the courtroom, his nasty and disgusting thoughts easy to read.
“He’ll kill me. Okay? The bastard will hunt me down and he will kill me, but only after locking me away and doing anything he wants to me.”
The wretched silence was almost deafening. He didn’t believe me. Why should he?
He dropped the belt. I lowered my head, still trying to think clearly. The feel of his hands as he raised my panties and lowered my shirt was even more exciting than before. Yet I’d never felt like such a stupid child in my life. It was as if I needed being taken care of. Maybe I did. Maybe I was tired of trying to do everything by myself.
“You can return to the couch now.”
Everything about the man was authoritative as hell. As I shifted closer to the soft leather, I winced from the way my panties scraped against my ass cheeks. Damn him. Damn the situation.
Damn my life.
I didn’t expect his next words or the way I would feel hearing them.
“No one is going to hurt you. No one. If a single asshole attempts to lay a hand on you, the fucker will be forced to face my wrath. And Mitch, I assure you that the bastard. Will. Die.”
Chapter 5
Reaper
Damsel in distress.
Just my luck to have a woman in need of protection drop on my doorstep. I’d promised to protect her. Whether or not I chose to believe her was something else. I pulled the bottle of bourbon back to the middle of the table. It didn’t matter it was three in the morning.
“You need to tell me the story. All of it.” I poured another half glass for her, shifting the glass in her direction. When she didn’t budge at all, I sighed then moved to sit beside her. I took her hand, forcing her to wrap her fingers around the thick crystal. “Just take your time. We’re not going anywhere.”
Mitch gave me a half smile. “I’ve never been to Montana before. It’s beautiful here.”
“Yep. It is. Do you really have a friend with a cabin somewhere in these mountains?”
“Not a friend exactly. After threats were made on my life, the district attorney was the only man who seemed to give a damn. He gave me the address. I don’t think he was supposed to do that. I took my friend’s truck and left quickly.”
“Wait a minute. You’re talking about a safehouse?” What in the fuck was going on?
She nodded. “Yep. Isn’t that supposed to happen?”
“Don’t play naïve, Mitch. You’re a smart woman and you’re not pulling the wool over my eyes. Start from the beginning.”
Jesus Christ, she was still trying to play me as some kind of fool.
“It’s simple. I witnessed a horrible crime by a monster and did the right thing by telling my story to the police. The asshole didn’t take very kindly to me doing that, so he sent his thugs to terrify me against testifying on the stand.”
The conviction in her voice was almost believable.
“Uh-huh. What’s the asshole’s name?”
“Dante Giordani. From what I learned after the crime, he was some big gang leader. Drugs. Extortion. I witnessed him beating a man just outside a store I was in. The man later died. I was the only one to actually witness the crime who came forward. Of course, I learned why the hard way. You don’t open your mouth.”
I thought about the name. While it didn’t ring a bell, I’d been out of touch for so long that didn’t mean anything. A growl escaped my lips. “Let me guess. He wasn’t convicted.”
“Nope. Not enough evidence. I did testify and I’ve never truly witnessed evil until I sat thirty feet away from that pig.”
“And you weren’t given protection?”
“I had police protection for a few days, but when it seemed the bastard had moved on, the officers were reassigned. That’s when the games began.” She yanked the blanket more tightly around her then took a gulp of her drink.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, studying her face. She was definitely terrified.
“Giordani began to show up in front of my apartment. He’d just stand there. One time he was there for two hours. He never tried to break in, but I could swear he knew when I was looking out the window. He’d issue this kind of cold and calculating smile that I still see in my dreams.”
“Goddamn it. This happened in Chicago?” My anger increased exponentially. She couldn’t be that good of a storyteller.
Her hand was shaking as she brushed her fingers through her hair. “Yes. That’s where I moved to for a job. I guess that’s why I had no idea who the asshole was, although I’m not certain I would have done anything differently.”
An honorable woman. My hackles remained raised. “And they refused to put him back in jail?”
“He didn’t violate any laws. He was on a public street. After that, the calls started. While at first there was no one on the other end, I knew the asshole was on the other line. He was trying to terrorize me and in truth, it was working. When he finally spoke, telling me exactly what he was going to do to me, I called the police. They didn’t exactly laugh at what I told them, but they made certain I knew that if they bothered to trace the call, it would have come from a burner phone. After another horrible call, I got in contact with the district attorney. Mr. Porter couldn’t do anything either, although he did confirm what the police had told me. We have such a great system.”
When she started laughing, I could tell just how much pressure she’d been under. “What else happened?”
“My car was vandalized. As you can imagine, there were no fingerprints, nothing to indicate it was anything other than a random attack.”
“What forced the DA to send you away?”
“When I was sent a picture of a dead witness in the mail, the DA decided to take matters into his own hands. The DA did try to get a safehouse but given there was no direct evidence that it had anything to do with Giordani, his request was denied. So, he gave me the address of this cabin in Montana and told me to get out of town until things cooled off.”
“Then you’re likely safe.” For now, although I’d known assholes like that before. They wouldn’t leave a loose end. I glanced toward the window, trying to develop a plan of attack.
Mitch turned her head, gazing into my eyes. “I don’t think so, Reaper. You didn’t see him in the courtroom, the way he looked at me. You didn’t hear what he said, but that’s not what terrified me the most. It was the way he said the words, including over the phone. He was very articulate in the way he phrased everything, very eloquent even. And so very cold. I knew he was simply telling me exactly what was going to happen.”
“What else did he say?”
She shrank against the couch before answering me.
“He said that I was one of the most beautiful creatures he’d ever laid eyes on and that it would be a shame to waste something so precious. Then he told me that he had a special cage designed in order to keep me as his pet but promised that if I ever tried to get away from him that he would kill me.”
A cold shiver skated down my spine as rage shifted into high gear. “What. The. Fuck?”
“That’s why I left my life behind.”
“Why didn’t you knock on my door?”
She half smiled. “From what I’d been told, he had people working for him everywhere, including even some members of law enforcement. I watched you cutting wood, the way you handled the maul and I was terrified. I couldn’t trust you.”
“And now?” No wonder the poor girl had acted the way she had.
“I want to trust you. I’m just… I’ve never been afraid in my life, at least not like this. But Giordani meant every word of what he said. If he finds me, I will disappear.”
“Over my dead body,” I snarled and took her hand into mine. Her fingers were like ice, trembling in my hold. I brought her hand to my lips, pressing them against her skin.
“Even if you are who you say you are, you’re just one man and while I believe you are very dangerous, you can’t fight a man like Giordani.”
My thoughts drifted to my buddies. As if a team of four men could take out some drug lord. However, it was entirely possible to keep her safe in Missoula. Hmmm… Maybe. “You might be surprised; however, I don’t think it’s going to come to that. Missoula is a long way from Chicago. This Dante fella is going to use but so many resources in an effort to find you.”
“Maybe so, but what am I supposed to do the rest of my life? Become a cowgirl? I drained my bank account before leaving, but I assure you that he’ll watch my credit cards. I have no doubt he has those kind of friends.” She pulled her hand away, shifting it under the blanket.
I grabbed my drink, thinking about what the fuck I was supposed to do with her. Take her to the Missoula sheriff? What good would that do? Fuck me. I wasn’t equipped to handle this kind of shit.
Mitch sighed, twisting her mouth. “Will you help me?”
“Are you asking for my protection?”
“I’m asking for your damn help. If you don’t want to do that, just tell me. I’ll figure out a way to leave.”
I wanted to ask her what the hell she thought she was going to do if I didn’t help her, but I bit down on my tongue. “You ain’t going anywhere, Mitch. I’ll help you, but on one condition.”
“What the hell is that?”
“You do everything I say.”
Groaning, she muttered something under her breath that sounded a hell of a lot like curse words. “Anything?”
“Yup. Anything. Are you agreeing or should I feed you to the wolves?”
“You’re a bastard.”
“We’ve already established that. The offer goes away in five seconds.” I said the words casually, but my heart continued to beat rapidly. “Four. Three. Two.”
“Fine. Whatever.”
“Then we’ll figure something out.”
“Why are you agreeing to help me? I mean other than extortion.”
Extortion? I couldn’t help but chuckle. She’d been in my face, basically accusing me of being a threat. Maybe she had good reason to question my reaction. “The truth is because you did an honorable thing. Very few people would have the courage to take on a monster.”
“Is that the real reason or just because you want to get back into my panties?” she asked in a defiant manner, her eyes full of the same spunk and anger as the first few seconds that I’d laid eyes on her.
Sadly, I could tell she was looking for something more… romantic. I wasn’t that kind of guy. Yeah, we’d fucked and in truth, I could do so again more than once, but she’d brought out the protective side in me as well.
I had nothing else to give, at least nothing worthwhile to anyone.
“Why don’t you like the name Michelle?” I asked in passing.
“Because I just don’t. Okay?” She’d grown agitated, her breath skipping.
“You need to get some sleep,” I said as I leaned forward, studying the fire. She had a real enemy on her hands.
“What if something happens?”
“Nothing is going to happen, Mitch. We are in the middle of a snowstorm in the mountains of Missoula, Montana. Trust me in that you’d have to be an expert tracker to get up the mountain right now. I seriously doubt that this group of thugs wants you badly enough to risk their lives trying to get to you.” But they would hunt her down. There was no way she could have been careful enough in her efforts to get away.
I knew instantly I’d said the wrong thing, the single soft sob a stake driving into me. Goddamn it. Well, I wasn’t the warm and fuzzy kind of guy. I kept my stare on the flames, still trying to figure out what to say to her. When she rose from the couch, she didn’t bother turning around before dropping the blanket.
“Because Giordani always called me Michelle although no one uses anything but Mitch. Even on every legal documentation including my driver’s license, Mitch is used. The bastard knew where I’d grown up. He knew about my brother. He knew where my parents lived in North Carolina. That’s why.”
The second she walked away I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off her.
So beautiful.
So bratty
So very much alone.
Jesus Christ.
While there was no way to search for who this asshole was while at the cabin, I would hunt him down if and when it was necessary. No piece of shit was going to threaten someone who’d done the right thing.
Deal or no deal.
Fuck him.
If he as much as made a phone call, he would die.
I took a sip of my drink. Then it turned into a gulp. What in the fuck was I going to do with her? And with the situation? Well, there was nothing that could be done until the storm passed. Just thinking about her brought another round of desire shifting into every cell and muscle. She’d managed to awaken a part of me that had been shut down in my mind on a permanent basis.
I rubbed my hand against my groin, forced to shift my cock to gain some relief. The feel of her heated bottom against my skin continued to tingle. I flexed my fingers, turning my hand over and studying my palm. Her rounded cheeks fit perfectly into my hand.
What the hell was I thinking?
She was in need of a safe refuge and all I could think about was ravaging her body.
Safe.
There was that word again.
I held the glass into the light. It would seem I was going to be forced to face my demons.
The question was how.
I fluffed the pillow, finally easing back onto the couch. The moment I closed my eyes, visions of the lovely woman filtered into my mind.
Her gorgeous face.
Her long legs.
Her incredible
perky breasts.
Then as before, ugliness rushed in, pushing me back to the night my life had been driven straight into hell. “Fuck.”
It was going to be one hell of a long night. How many had I experienced over the last few months? Enough to know something had to change.
I had a longing to see my buddies again, but doing so would bring additional baggage as well as continued guilt. I’d fought to stay away from it for long enough. Now I was in Missoula and had to make certain choices. I could only wonder what their reaction would be in seeing me. In truth, I didn’t expect the best. What we’d endured had placed a mark on all of us. Hell, I didn’t even know if they’d remained in town. I hadn’t bothered to keep in touch with any of them or even inquired about their lives.
Sighing, I tried to concentrate on the sounds of the wind. Normally soothing, tonight it allowed me to realize that change was coming.
Maybe the feisty woman had come into my life for a reason.
Could I keep her safe?
Hell, could I even keep her alive?
I placed my gun on my lap and eased against the back of the couch. If the storm ended tomorrow, we might be able to get down the mountain.
Then I knew exactly what had to be done, at least for now.
Exhaustion finally settled in, forcing me to close my eyes. I would protect her, no matter what I had to do.
Protect.
Honor.
Sinners…
Saints…
“I thought I’d find you here.” I chuckled as I glanced at the makeshift bar on one of the other bases. I knew Snake came here on a regular basis, attempting to drown his sorrows. I’d simply never known the reason why. “Where’s the pup?”
Snake gave me a hard glare before grinning like a little kid and raising his glass. “Apollo is safely nestled under my covers. Go figure. He lives the life of luxury while us misfits wallow in bullshit and lies.”
I’d never heard him talk that way before. His love of the military, including the regimen was well noted, including in the higher ranks. However, he was a true bad boy, often refusing to follow the rules. “Well, you’re going home soon. You’re getting out of this mess.”