by Stone, Piper
“I’ll be right back .”
“Where are you going?” The words blurted out, she groaned and buried her face into the soft sheets, kicking her legs. He was finding the perfect implement. No. No! But this is exactly what you need, what you should have had all along. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to kill her little voice, cut her to ribbons. The thought gave her a single chuckle .
She waited, not so patiently, trying to listen to any sounds, a hint of what he’d found. There was no indication, no telltale noises. The man was stealthy in his actions. Minutes ticked away, precious mind-blowing minutes. Where the hell had he gone? A store? His truck? She was going to lose her mind .
Crack!
Jumping, Shannon whimpered even though the smack wasn’t against her backside .
“Are you ready, sweet Shannon?” His voice had dipped to a dangerously low and sultry level .
“Yes… Yes, sir!” I’m ready. I can do this. I can. I can .
“You know this is going to hurt,” he whispered as he rubbed his hand across her naked ass .
“Spankings are supposed to hurt?” The words were posed as a question and she rolled her eyes before burying her face once again .
“Absolutely.”
Crack! Smack !
“Oww!” Jerking up, she clenched her fists around the sheets and bent both knees. What the hell had he spanked her with? She dared to steal another look. A brush. A wooden brush to be exact .
“Stay in position or I’ll add ten more,” Landen’s voice boomed .
“No, sir! I mean, yes, sir.” She slapped her legs down and braced, preparing for a hard volley .
Whap! Pop! Crack !
“We’re going to do this every day .”
Every day? She’d die. She’d… She gritted her teeth as pain tore through every part of her ass, her upper legs .
Smack! Crack! Pop! Whap !
He issued one after the other, from cheek to cheek. Exhaling, he leaned over, caressing the areas he’d already spanked. “You’re doing very well. You crave discipline .”
“Yes!” The admittance was cathartic .
Crack! Pop !
She bristled, her grip getting tighter as she pulled at the sheets, her mind swimming with thoughts, worries, desires .
Smack! Crack !
He continued, every hard spank methodical, practiced .
Pop! Slap !
Tears slipped past her lashes, ones of relief as well as an odd thankful moment burning into her soul. This man knew her, understood her needs and she’d never felt more alive in her life .
Crack! Pop !
“Ten more and we’ll be done,” Landen stated, his words now soothing .
Smack! Pop! Crack !
She jerked but held her position and floated into a moment of sheer ecstasy. This was an incredible and very freeing moment .
Crack! Crack! Pop !
There was no declaration when he finished. He merely eased the brush down beside her, as if a reminder of her place, subservient to a man who now controlled her. Shannon blinked several times as the tears continued to flow. She allowed herself to sob, to rid her mind of the nasty memories, the fears and frustrations .
Landen crawled on the bed and gathered her into his arms, cradling and rubbing her arm with his thumb, his finger brushing back and forth. So loving. So caring. “You are everything I’ve ever wanted in my life .”
The words lingered, furrowing into her scattered mind, but she felt the same. Several minutes passed as they held each other, content in their positions, the experience shared. “Jace used to spank me, but it was different .”
“Different? How so ?”
“He wasn’t controlled, not really anyway. He wanted the lifestyle so much, but he didn’t know how to handle what we started. Maybe he didn’t know how to handle me.” Shannon laughed and nuzzled closer, savoring the warmth of his body, the way his heart was beating. Clinging to him felt right, perfect .
“Love. Trust. If you don’t have both then you can’t understand or do the right thing. I will always take care in disciplining you.” He chuckled and pulled her closer. “You bring light into my life .”
“I’m glad .”
“So, am I .”
She lifted her head and could see a hesitation, a slip into another place .
When he looked away, she eased his chin back in her direction. “What’s wrong? Are you upset about what you told me ?”
“Not in the least. Felt good to tell someone. Just can’t stop thinking about the hotel fire .”
“If you believe in your gut that something is wrong, then you need to find out. There’s been a lot of shit going down in Missoula for months, people talking about shady activity. I think there’s more to Jeffries Development myself, but what can be proven? I even overheard a friend of mine arguing with a council member earlier and I’m beginning to wonder if everyone is in cahoots with a developer or politician,” she huffed. “Seeing Crystal with this guy was odd, out of her norm. She also acted like the fire at the hotel was no big deal .”
Landen shrugged. “People who have never been in a fire don’t understand at all .”
“That’s just it, she was in a fire, the hotel fire. She’s the manager of the hotel, at least from what she’s told me .”
“The manager?” he inhaled. “Interesting. What did you overhear ?”
She thought about the conversation. “A threat. She was threatening him, as if he wasn’t going to follow her lead or perhaps giving his vote to someone else. I didn’t hear that much .”
“What’s her name again ?”
“Crystal Wallace and what are you planning on doing ?”
He pulled her forward, kissing her forehead. “Nothing right now, but I will check her out. Don’t worry .”
“See, you can’t avoid jumping into the middle of everything dangerous .”
“Who says this is dangerous ?”
Shannon swallowed hard. “My gut .”
“I’m not going to do anything foolish. I don’t want to jeopardize my job. No matter what I told you, fighting fires is in my blood. I fought to regain my abilities in order to get this job.” Landen eased his head back and groaned. “Maybe I’m just looking for someone to blame for 9/11. I don’t know .”
She sat quietly. “I think you’re the kind of guy who fights against evil at every turn, no matter what danger you put yourself into. Just remember that there are two sides to every story, whether good or bad .”
“You do know me.” He pulled her down on top of him, holding the back of her head as he crushed her mouth .
Wiggling on top, she wanted nothing more than to spend the day in bed. She eased her hand under the sheets, brushing the tip of her finger up and down the length of his cock. When he moaned into the kiss, she leaned back. “Am I bothering you, smokejumper Weaver ?”
“I should turn you over my knee.” Landen grabbed her arms, flipping her over. “You belong to me. Remember ?”
“You just think you own me .”
He crouched back, ripping down the sheets. The moment he rolled her over onto her stomach, his cell phone rang. “Shit .”
“Do you have to get that ?”
“I need to get you home anyway. Some of us have to work today.” Reaching for the phone, he sucked in his breath. “Cooper. What’s going on ?”
Shannon slipped out of bed and grabbed his shirt, pulling it on. She could tell the call was official, so she padded out into the living room, Jace following. The table lamp highlighted a very sparse space and she couldn’t help but think the cabin needed a woman’s touch. Maybe she was going to have a chance to help him decorate .
Woof! Woof !
“You have to go out, don’t you?” She wrinkled her nose as she glanced down at her skimpy attire. Then she noticed the coat and boots by the door. After struggling into the boots, she tossed on the coat and opened the door, flipping on the single light. “Jesus !”
The weather had changed dra
matically with light snow covering every surface. She sucked in her breath as she walked out onto the front porch, gazing up at the sky. A hint of light was just cascading over the horizon, but even so, she could tell that the sky was white with an almost ominous darkness underneath. Holding out her hand, she cringed as tiny ice pellets sliced against her naked skin. She’d seen this kind of storm before and they usually turned into a blizzard. Trembling, she watched as Jace ran wild, snorting and woofing as he ran around the house .
She leaned against the railing, inhaling the sweet scents. While she usually loved this time of year, she had a terrible feeling remaining in the pit of her stomach. Whatever was going on was more than just dangerous .
The sound of tires crunching against the gravel driveway drew her attention. She shielded her eyes just as the headlights blinded her. “Jace. Come.” The dog responded but remained at the bottom of the stairs, his barking fierce .
The driver adjusted the headlights from high beam to low and pulled the vehicle to a stop .
The massive SUV pulling into the space wasn’t one she recognized. Instantly, she was on guard. “Landen. You have company .”
Woof! Woof !
Jace went wild, his bark piercing .
The man exiting from the driver’s side had a look about him, as if the entire world pissed him off. He gave her a once over and checked a pad before tossing it back into the vehicle. He walked forward. “Ma’am. I’m sorry to bother you .”
Woof!
The visitor held out his hand and crouched low to the ground. “Nice doggy .”
Jace growled once as he investigated, then allowed the stranger to pet him .
“Who are you?” she asked, suddenly cognizant of her attire .
He continued to pet Jace for a few seconds before responding. “I’m Fire Investigator Nelson. Is this Landen Weaver’s place ?”
“Investigator Nelson. What are you doing here?” Landen flanked her side. “Come on, Jace. Come on, boy. Let the man inside .”
Jace responded, racing up the stairs and into the house .
“Mighty obliged and as I said, Frederick is just fine. Although this isn’t a social call.” Frederick walked closer, a slight smile on his face .
“Come on in. This is Shannon Miller. She’s…” Landen laughed. “She’s very special to me .”
“Ms. Miller. I’ve eaten at your restaurant many times. Excellent food.” Frederick walked inside .
“Thank you.” She took off the coat, immediately folding her arms, thankful Landen had slipped into his jeans .
“What’s going on?” Landen asked .
“I have some additional information and I honestly came to warn you .”
“Warn him. Why?” Shannon asked .
Frederick looked from one to the other .
“You can talk in front of her. Shannon is someone you can trust with your life.” Landen reached for her hand. “Did you go back to the mountain and check the hotel debris ?
“I did go back. While I didn’t find that bomb you were talking about, I have been privy to some interesting information, including the motive.” Frederick grinned, his eyes twinkling .
“And?” Landen asked as he shifted from foot to foot .
“The Jeffries have been fighting to get this other piece of land purchased and developed. All kinds of hiccups and deal breakers from what I heard. One little caveat they didn’t want out there in the public .”
“You’re killing me here,” Landen admonished .
“If this fire was ruled arson, the deal would be gone. But…” Frederick held up his finger. “If there was a natural disaster of any kind, like an accidental fire, an avalanche, flood then the hotel property could be rebuilt in any configuration that the Jeffries family wanted .”
“How does this tie in with the other property?” Shannon asked, trying to put the pieces together .
“I’m getting there. See, Renfield Jeffries is a very smart man. While the seller had their own specific contingencies, the man offered a solid ten percent more than the other bidders to have his own special contingency included and agreed to by the county I might add .”
“I fear a nightmare coming on,” Landen said between clenched teeth .
Frederick chuckled. “I said the man was smart. The county would never believe that a man would burn down his own newly built hotel, so they didn’t mind agreeing. The contingency is that if the first property had a natural disaster and the deal had been signed on the second, then Jeffries Development could do anything they wanted to do on both properties. No county interference .”
“Why in the fuck would the county agree to something ridiculous like that?” Landen growled .
“Money. All kinds of money exchanged hands.” Frederick looked from one to the other. “Course I have a certain word from only one council member in particular at this point, but you can believe I turned the information over to both the sheriff and the mayor. There will be a full investigation. Of course, I can’t prove arson yet at the hotel, but I will find something .”
“You might not have to,” Landen said quietly .
Frederick moved closer. “Why’s that ?”
“I just got off the phone with one of the smokejumpers, Cooper McKenzie. He had a visit from the local kid who said he started the fire.” Landen looked from one to the other. “Seems Cory Wright was threatened that if he didn’t start a fire, his father was going to disappear .”
“Are you kidding me?” Shannon asked .
“Nope. The kid got scared because his father is missing and went to talk to Cooper. Seems Coop and his sister are old friends of the family. Cory told Cooper a pretty tall tale .”
Shannon shook her head. “Greed .”
“You bet, little lady.” Frederick nodded. “That’s excellent news .”
“I can tell by the look on your face that there’s something else.” Landen raised an eyebrow .
“Boy. I swear to God I’m going to hire you for my investigative team,” Frederick said as he laughed. “There is more. I had a visit from a pretty scared firefighter who confirmed that firehouse 16 has ears. He didn’t have a lot of details, but he did say a few things of importance. The reason I’m here telling you this is that I believe your life is in danger .”
“What?” Shannon slipped out of Landen’s grasp. “What are you talking about ?”
“Seems that we’re right about the Jeffries family, except for one thing. Montgomery isn’t working alone.” Frederick huffed .
Landen nodded. “His father .”
“Yes and no .”
“What does that mean?” Shannon asked, her thoughts drifting to what she’d found on the internet .
“Seems Montgomery isn’t an only child .”
The words drew her back to dinner with Montgomery. “Oh my God. Montgomery told me he grew up in a house of four. I think I know who the sibling is .”
“Who?” Landen walked closer .
“Crystal Wallace. She was the hotel manager for the resort. She acted so funny when I mentioned I’d had dinner with Montgomery and I overheard her talking with a council member, Ralph something ?”
Frederick chuckled and shook his head. “Makes perfectly good sense .”
“What aren’t you telling us ?”
Frederick moved closer into the light. “Remember the old man you saved up at the hotel ?”
Landen nodded. “Father of a… a city councilman .”
“Bingo. Seems the man had some remorse. Called me all frantic like saying I had to reverse the decision on the hotel ruling. Said he had proof that the Jeffries family was behind the fire as well as others. He mentioned a woman was involved .”
“Fuck!” Landen hissed. “That means — ”
Boom!
The ground beneath them rumbled, creating an almost deep roar .
“What is going on?” Shannon whispered as Jace went nuts .
Landen flung open the door, racing outside. “Oh my God .”
&n
bsp; As she looked up at the mountains, the bright white of the early morning sky was obliterated by a ball of orange and red .
Whoosh!
“The mountain is on fire .”
Chapter 13
T he roads were already slippery as the snow continued to fall, creating a blanket of white. Landen gripped the steering wheel as he roared through the city streets. The information Frederick had told him was horrifying, but the fire on the mountain was much worse. He’d left Shannon in the investigator’s care to get her back home safely, knowing the man was going to call the sheriff .
He swung into the parking lot, shoving the gear into park and killing the engine. Almost every jumper had already arrived. When he raced into the hanger, he noticed the long faces of several of the team. “What the hell is going on ?”
Captain Phillips approached, his face grim. “From the accounts we’ve heard, the first explosion occurred at the Jeffries estate. The second came from one of the existing resorts. There are hundreds of people inside .”
“Any known cause?” Antonio asked .
“None that has been reported. We had a call from the first engine company on the scene. There are three more in route. We’re on standby at this point, but I can tell you, you need to be ready to leave in a moment’s notice.” The captain looked from one to the other. “Tyler is monitoring the radios .”
“Arson,” Landen said without inflection .
“How do you know?” Stoker asked as he inched closer .
“Just had a visit from the fire inspector. He said Jeffries had a contingency with two properties owned. This fire must be in retaliation.” Landen had mulled over the concept on the drive over. If Montgomery was working with his sister, then perhaps one of them did indeed become greedy, wanting every dollar .
Cooper nodded as he joined the group. “Landen is right. Those kids were used as pawns. My guess is the arsonist is getting rid of liabilities .”
“That means killing innocent men, women and children?” Garcia hissed. “What the hell is wrong with people ?”