* * * *
“I honestly don’t think Pina is involved, but she’s scared. I can tell, and she mentioned that she had her own problems with Liam and Keno,” Falco told Jonah over the phone.
“She had good reason to be there, and she did leave early,” Brainyard added.
“So you think that she’s telling the truth?” Jonah asked and looked at his brothers, who were all listening in on the speakerphone.
“I think so. The only way to be sure is to tail her, too. She did mention that Liam was meeting with Aurik. Looking into his background and knowing he was part of that military situation Clark escaped from is giving me a bad feeling,” Falco said.
“He wouldn’t recognize me. He was there a short time,” Clark added to the conversation.
“But you recognized him, Clark. He was part of that group. And there’s something else we came across digging up information in Ivan,” Falco told them.
“What’s that?” Jonah asked.
“Ivan and Aurik have been working together for years. Aurik isn’t just Russian. He’s German. Clark, his brother Daphnee was a mercenary at that prison where they held you. Do you remember him?” Falco asked, and Jonah saw Clark’s eyes narrow and appear as if he were biting the inside of his cheek.
“I remember him.”
“It goes without saying, but if this guy figures out that you’re the one who killed his brother and escaped that prison—”
“He’ll want revenge and go after anyone close to me. My brothers.”
“Exactly. Let’s hope he doesn’t know and that this is just business,” Jonah added.
* * * *
Pina was laughing and talking to Louisa where they stood outside of her men’s beachfront hotel.
“This must be great, being able to come here and do a day at the spa or just sit on the beach or by the pool,” Pina said as they looked out at the ocean.
“It is great most of the time, but I really don’t get to use the amenities too often yet. The guys are so protective of me. They keep me here and busy.”
Pina smiled, but she felt that pinch of worry. She didn’t want to cause Louisa any trouble. Falco had not just threatened her. He’d warned her about how protective the Hunt men were, and she respected that. Hell, she was envious.
She felt the hand on her arm and looked at Louisa.
“Something is wrong. Talk to me,” Louisa said to her.
“It’s nothing, I’m just not looking forward to that event and dinner tomorrow night.”
“Why not? I hear that Liam will have quite the spread.”
She sighed.
“Is Liam hitting on you or something because I’ll tell you right now, Pina, that the man is no good. I know he’s attractive and wealthy, but he is not trustworthy at all.”
“I know, believe me I do, and it isn’t him. It’s the whole group of people Nolan has been connecting with lately. I just don’t like it. I’m wondering if I should start looking for a different job.”
“Risk starting over?”
“No, I don’t think I’ll have to. I’ve met some fantastic business people along the way. I’m not bound to South Carolina either.”
“Wait, you love it here. You grew up here, went to school here, and couldn’t wait to buy that little house two blocks from the beach. What gives?”
“I don’t know. I’m just rambling, you know, thinking out loud.”
They both heard voices and turned to the right. Pina was surprised to see Micah and Vaughn Hunt walking toward them with Knox and Clark Mondave.
She swallowed hard as he slid his palms along her skirt. She was dressed casually today, wearing a straight beige skirt that hit right above her knees, high-heeled sandals with ankle straps, and a cream-colored camisole. She had taken off the light blouse she wore because it was super hot in the sun.
“Hello, ladies,” Vaughn said and pulled Louisa close and kissed her cheek and neck. Pina watched in admiration, smiling at his show of affection. Micah kissed her neck, and Clark and Knox stared at Pina.
“Hi, guys, what’s going on?”
“We had a little meeting, but now Vaughn and I are available to go over those arrangements for tonight’s event. Are you all set?” Micah asked.
“All set. It was a great lunch, Pina. Call me tomorrow even if it’s late to tell me about the party.”
“I’m sure I won’t be home too late. Thanks again,” Pina said.
“Well, talk to you guys later,” Vaughn said and accompanied Louisa off the patio and through the doors.
“Surprised you didn’t do lunch with Liam, Aurik, or Keno,” Clark said to her, looking her over as if trying to read her mind.
She was instantly on the defensive, despite that tingling of attraction she felt for him and Knox. Knox moved right next to her.
“Since when is it any of your business where I take lunch or who I’m with?” she asked, giving Clark the once-over. She gasped when she felt Knox step close to her and place his arm around her back. She looked at him and that scruff along his chin and cheeks.
“Since you kissed our brothers.”
“That was a mistake that won’t happen again.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure. I hear that your kisses are pretty damn good.”
She chuckled, but her heart was racing. She couldn’t help but to look at Knox’s lips and wonder what types of tattoos he had under his clothes. Through the white shirt he wore, she could see a bit of color at his open collar.
He gripped her hip.
“We didn’t come here to battle words,” Clark said to her.
“Oh no? Then why are you here, in my space?” she asked.
“To warn you to be careful tomorrow night. Those men your boss is doing business with are bad news.”
“Are they, Knox? Because it really isn’t any of my business what any of them do or what you and your brothers do,” she retorted.
“You’re friends with Louisa. It’s the only reason why we’re giving you a warning. Don’t get suckered in,” Clark said to her.
“I can take care of myself. After tonight I’m considering looking for a new job. I know trouble when I see it.” She eyed Knox over and then Clark.
“I’m sure you think you do. Where are you headed now?” Knox asked her.
“Why don’t you tell me since you seem to know who I have lunch with and where,” she replied.
Knox chuckled and then moved right next to her. He faced the water but kept an arm around her waist as he whispered into her ear. “Darling, you keep that attitude up with Clark and me, and your punishment will not be taken lightly.”
“Punishment?” she asked, shocked as she wondered what he might do. Strike her, demand something from her?
He pulled her close and ran his hand along her waist to her back and right over her ass as he whispered into her ear.
“A nice long-ass spanking, with you bent over my knee, crying out as you come.”
Her face flushed, her nipples hardened, and she looked right at Clark, who just stared at her as if he were eating her up with his eyes. She couldn’t believe her body’s reaction, and she tried to recover and snap out of it by pushing on Knox’s hand.
“I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.”
“It can happen if you want it to,” Knox replied and then slid his hand from her ass to her hip, and then he took her hand.
“We’ll walk you to your car as you think about inviting us back to your house for dessert.”
She gasped. “Unbelievable. You’re such a chauvinistic jerk. What do I look like? One of those bimbos that throw themselves at you and your brothers because you have money and power and—”
Knox pulled her hard against his chest and kissed her, stopping her from carrying on. In a flash he was overpowering her, infusing his magic into her body and her mind, and she kissed him back.
When he finally released her lips, he cupped her cheek and stared down into her eyes as he used his thumb to fix her lip gloss.
“Goddamn, you are hot when you’re fired up. Ask us back to your place.”
“Absolutely not.”
Clark chuckled.
“What are you laughing at?” she asked, reprimanding Clark.
Clark went from smirking to dead serious as he looked her over.
“I don’t give warnings like my brothers do, so watch that tone and that tongue. We aren’t the bad guys.”
“That is yet to be determined,” she retorted.
Knox smirked but kept her hand in his and led her through the hotel and to her car in the parking lot.
“Last chance, are we following you home?” Knox asked.
“Keep dreaming, Mondave.” She opened the door to the Jeep.
“Oh, I will, and when you’re in my bed, we can act out all these fantasies that are brewing in those dreams. All of them.”
For some strange reason, she felt her pussy clench and her cheeks flush.
“Hmm,” she replied, and then he closed the door.
“Be careful driving,” Clark told her, and Pina pulled out of the parking lot, feeling confused and entirely too turned on.
Who the hell did the Mondave men think they were? Why did they get to her so easily?
She couldn’t go home. Not feeling this wired and not with the possibility that Keno could, once again, be waiting for her. She headed to her parents’ house. They would help her make sense about what she was feeling, plus they should know that Keno was being pushy.
Thirty minutes later, Pina pulled into her parents’ driveway. Clare and Jonah Leonie just happened to be bringing groceries in from the supermarket.
“Pina, what a nice surprise,” her mom said and put down the grocery bag and gave her daughter a hug hello. She smiled, and then her dad gave her a hug, instantly making her feel safe and secure.
“Is everything okay?” her dad asked.
“Everything is good. I wanted to stop by today because the weekend is busy with work. Let me help you,” she said as she saw her dad limp toward the trunk of the car and pull out another two bags.
She felt sad that he still suffered from his injuries that Jordene had caused. It made her think of Keno and the current situation. With that thought, as she carried in the groceries, Clark and Knox popped into her head, as did their brothers. She would be safe with them. They would protect her and her parents from Keno and Liam. But she couldn’t use them like that, especially when they had bigger problems of their own with Liam and Aurik.
She helped her parents unpack the groceries, and they talked about regular things like bingo night last night at the senior center and their plans to go on a small boat trip Saturday morning with friends from senior club. All good stuff.
“How about some coffee or sweet tea?” her mom asked.
“Sweet tea is fine. I’m going to the dojo when I get home.”
“When is that gladiator event coming up in the mountains?” her dad asked.
“Two months. I have so much to do and haven’t been able to train like I want to.”
“Well, maybe you can skip that one and do the next one. After all you’ve come in in the top five all the other times,” her dad said.
“I’ll see how I feel.”
“What’s wrong? I can tell something is up,” her dad said.
“Sit down and we’ll talk.”
“Shoot,” her mom whispered and took a seat after placing the pitcher of sweet tea and glasses down onto the table.
“I was at this event two weeks ago. The gala event I told you about, Mom, where I was going to spend time with Louisa.”
“Oh yes, but then your boss asked you to help him out with some businesspeople.”
“Yes, well, it was okay until Liam and Keno showed up.”
“Liam and Keno?” her dad asked.
She explained about what happened and how she’d figured out Liam was L.R.
“Damn it to hell. You didn’t talk to him, did you?” her dad asked.
“Dad, it gets worse.”
Her father looked white as a ghost and then angry. She knew he felt as though he’d failed her that night that Jordene had dragged her from the house intent on raping her, but she’d fought back and shot him. Even after the newspapers wrote about the story and how it had been the shots by police that had killed Jordene, who fired at them, shooting one officer several times, her father felt guilty that she had to pull the trigger and had been sexually assaulted.
“Keno is Jordene’s brother.”
Her mom gasped. She covered her mouth, and the tears filled her eyes.
“We have to leave. We can pack everything up, close out the bank accounts and—”
“No, Dad, we’re not leaving. Keno doesn’t know what happened. Even if he suspected me, he can’t prove it. If I pack up and leave, then he’ll hunt me down, and then we’ll be facing more trouble.”
“He talks to you? You have to do business with these men?” her father asked.
“Nolan wants them to donate art and monetary funds to support the scholarship fund.” She explained the whole story and then how she’d met the Mondave brothers. As she talked to them about everything that had happened in the past several weeks, their concern grew deeper, but then her mom took her hand into hers.
“You like these men, are attracted to them, aren’t you?” she asked.
Tears filled Pina’s eyes. “I can’t fight it. I know I need to. They’ll have bigger problems if Liam and these men are trying to sabotage their businesses and even Louisa’s men’s businesses, too.”
“Why can’t you take a chance with them, if they make you feel good, and safe?”
“I can’t get that close to any man, never mind six like these men. They’re rich, powerful, and not exactly legit in their business dealings or at least in the security assignments they get.”
“You haven’t been able to be with any man ever because of what Jordene tried to do to you that night. It isn’t fair, and if these men care about you…”
“No, Mom, they don’t care about me. I’m a piece of ass, one that isn’t throwing myself in their laps and swooning over their fat wallets and tough attitudes.”
“Maybe you’re wrong about them. Maybe you put them on the defensive or they have their own things to hide and are keeping up walls, too.”
“It doesn’t matter. I have a bigger problem if Keno keeps pushing to get me into his bed.”
“I don’t believe this is happening. Out of all the businesses for L.R. and Jordene’s brother to get hooked up with, why your boss?”
“Because Nolan is an ass-kisser and a wimp, and he’ll do anything to get support for this project. Liam is supplying him with some extraordinary pieces that alone will draw crowds. Liam’s name will be all over that school as a number-one supporter. Hell, he’ll outshine Nolan, and Nolan was the one who built the whole place.”
“So what are you going to do about these Mondave men and about Keno?” her father asked.
“Not much I can do but keep my eyes and ears open, not place myself in any position being alone with Keno, and get through Saturday night. After that, I may be looking for a new job just so I can separate myself from the danger.”
“Will that work?” her mom asked.
“I sure hope so, or all those self-defense classes I’ve taken over the years are going to be tested out.”
“Let’s hope not. I expect a call Saturday night or Sunday morning,” her father told her, and she nodded as her mom poured the glasses of sweet tea.
Chapter 7
“What’s the update?” Liam whispered to Keno.
“Everything is on schedule. The delivery truck will be hit right on the highway.”
“Are the men ready at the museum?” Liam asked.
“Aurik has his men there and others assisting with the hit,” Keno replied.
Liam narrowed his eyes. “I thought he was leaving this up to us.”
“He said he didn’t want to take any chances and that there can be no wi
tnesses.”
“Keno, if he leaves dead men, the cops will be involved, perhaps the feds.”
“I doubt that. It’s not like Ivan’s the kind of man to leave bodies lying around. The truck will look abandoned, and the bodies will never be found.” Suddenly Keno’s eyes widened, and he completely focused straight ahead. Liam caught sight through the crowd of guests exactly who had caught not only Keno’s attention but also Aurik’s.
Pina Leonie was dressed in a tight-fitting burgundy sequined dress that hugged her hips and accentuated her breasts. Her hair was pulled up away from her neck and shoulders in some fancy updo, and she was talking to Nolan’s date this evening, his assistant, Delores, and three other businessmen.
“If you’ll excuse me a moment.” Liam chuckled. “Keep her close, Keno, if you want to claim her. You’re not the only man with her on their radar.” As he said that, Aurik Archimbald and his two associates interrupted the conversation, and Aurik greeted Pina with a kiss to each check before taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor. Keno was pissed.
* * * *
“You look absolutely stunning, Pina. I swear you get more beautiful each time I see you.”
“You’re too kind, Mr. Archimbald.”
“Aurik. Please, call me Aurik. There’s no need for such formalities.”
“Thank you, Aurik. So are you enjoying the party? There’s more people than I expected.”
“It was a bit boring until you arrived. I’ve noticed there are a lot more people and the security is high, too.”
She looked around and caught sight of Keno giving her the evil eye, and she ignored him and looked back at Aurik. The music played, and she danced along with him. He was fit, muscular, and that accent of his definitely made her smile. They exchanged pleasantries and talked a little bit about business and being in charge of finances.
Tequila Sunrise [Love on the Rocks 4] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 11