by Sam Crescent
Yeah, it was fucking hilarious.
No one knew his weakness, not even Boss. When he had joined the corporation, he had demanded that all correspondence be done via phone call. No one had argued with him. Gritting his teeth, he looked back into the hotel room. It seemed that darling step-daddy hired as many people as possible to make sure that she disappeared permanently.
This was going to be a harder mess to clean up.
“Did you phone me to bitch, or do you need something?” Boss asked. “I take it the complications are dead?”
“Of course they are. The room is registered in her name. Our bright little princess didn’t think to use an alias. That’s what created this complication.”
Boss swore.
“Any chance he’s paid up what money he owes you?” he asked.
“Nope. Bastard is conveniently not returning my calls. She stays alive until I give you further notice. I want your exact location, and I’ll send in the cleaning crew. You will need to wrap them up, and I’ll handle disposal.”
“Got it.” He hung up the cell phone, and stared at the mess. “Your stepfather wants you dead. What he doesn’t seem to have figured out is that the moment you put a mass fucking hit on one person, the likelihood of them making it look natural is out the fucking window.”
“So you’re going to kill me?” she asked.
He didn’t like how his gut twisted at her words. “Yes.” There was no point in lying to the girl, and that was what he had to remember, she was a girl. No, she was a fucking target. He needed to remember that more importantly. “Luckily for you, your stepfather is a total asshole, and so that means you get to live a little longer, Miss Pepper.”
“Don’t call me that. My mom called me that. Don’t do that.”
Viper watched as tears fell from her eyes but this time they were not accompanied by sobbing. He found this entire situation a massive clusterfuck. This was why he rarely took jobs with multiple contracts. Viper didn’t care what the other men at Killer of Kings did. This was strictly his deal. It got messy quickly, and then the fighting among fellow mercenaries just made it uglier. Moving toward his backpack, he pulled out the emergency bath towel, and placed it on the floor. He always had his survival 101 kit. A shower curtain might not be the obvious choice, but for him it had worked far too many times to leave it out. He spread it on the floor, and then took each man, one by one, and dumped their asses. Grabbing a set of cuffs from his pocket, he walked over to Pepper. She shrank away from him.
He didn’t like that, but rather than dwell on that feeling, he grabbed her wrist, and secured it to the bed far away from the door.
“You’re just going to chain me up?”
“Some women would find that kinky.” She gritted her teeth, and looked away from him. “You thinking all kinds of kinky shit now?” he asked.
“Fuck you.”
“You never know. Your stepfather doesn’t come through I may do exactly that, and keep you alive.” He stroked a finger down her cheek, and she pulled away. However, he saw the response of her body. Those big tits and large nipples showed her arousal. It certainly wasn’t cold in the room, and he had sweat coming off him. Now that was interesting. He wouldn’t delve into that just yet. Right now, she wasn’t his target, but she also wasn’t his enemy. “Until I know what I’m doing, your life is in my hands either way. Behave, and do as you’re told.” The strangest urge to kiss her came over him, and he shoved it away.
Kissing her wouldn’t resolve anything, and it would only confuse an already shitty situation. It was something he never did because it raised the stakes too high.
After securing the cuff around her wrist, he moved away, and stared at the men he’d killed. They had been good. Drugging her and making it look like an overdose was smart. Girl had just lost her mother and all that, but he didn’t like it. He didn’t like how they had been able to get so close.
He wouldn’t have let them plunge that nasty shit into her veins. Being the recipient of forced drugs himself, he knew how bad it could get, and he wasn’t into it. Not at all.
“More people are on the way?” she asked.
“Yes. It would seem you’re a valuable asset. I’m surprised you’re not trying to, you know, barter for your life.”
“How could I barter? I don’t have anything to give.” She snorted. “Unless you call my virginity a bartering tool, I’m all out.”
“So you’re a virgin then?” he asked, glancing over at her.
Her cheeks were a lovely shade of red, and she rolled her eyes. “I’ve got nothing to offer you.”
“I don’t know. I’ve never fucked a virgin before.”
“Yeah, and that’s worth the millions of dollars you’re being paid to hunt me down, and kill me?” she asked.
“You’re right, it’s not worth the same. To some guy it would be.” He wasn’t that guy. Chancing another look at her, he saw her head was bowed and she was staring at her dress, which had ridden up. Getting to his feet, he held the edge of her dress, and pulled it back over her thighs and knees, giving her the comfort she wanted.
Without saying a word, he entered the bathroom and grabbed the other dead body. Heaving him over his shoulder, he walked back into the bedroom, and dropped him onto the pile of dead bodies.
Then he moved toward the curtain, and pulled it back enough for him to look out. He’d gone from killing to babysitting. Boss wouldn’t be long now, and then he’d get to make his decision.
“Do you know if my mom suffered?” Pepper asked.
“I don’t know anything about her death. I don’t watch the news, I don’t read reports. I was told that I had a hit on you, and that’s why I’m here.”
She sniffled, and he tensed.
Viper expected her to start talking about her dead mom, and he waited for it, but nothing came out.
Pulling out his Glock, he checked outside again, waiting for Boss’s crew to come. Once the bodies were disposed of, he’d take the girl, and wait for further instructions. This was a rather unique situation. He’d never been with a woman this long unless he was going to fuck her.
He closed the curtain, and he noticed she was still looking down at her lap as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
“You loved your mom?” he asked, and then started to curse himself. This wasn’t part of his job description. He killed. He didn’t ask questions.
“Yes, I did. I know you think it’s stupid, but I do. I mean, I did.” She shook her head. “Ignore me.”
“Your stepfather wants you dead. You know why?”
“He only wants my family’s money and inheritance. Both my parents were wealthy, and their company became unstoppable. My dad died in a boating accident about five years ago.” She shrugged. “Then that monster arrived, and everything changed. My mom just wanted someone to love and to have someone to love her. It doesn’t matter. You probably think it’s stupid.”
He did. That was the worst thing about the entire situation. He didn’t give a shit about why she was here, but he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.”
Silence fell between them. He liked silence. When there was stillness it allowed him to control everything, and when he was the one in charge, nothing bad happened. In his mind, he started to count. It was the only thing he had. Counting was something he was allowed to do, what he’d been trained to do. Without the ability to do math, he couldn’t guarantee that he’d been paid right.
Why the fuck are you thinking about this shit?
Target.
Kill.
Money.
Move on.
It was the life he’d been leading for a long time now, and one he wasn’t willing to give up on. Not even for a curvy blonde with shocking blue eyes filled with so much pain. If he focused too much on that pain, he had a desire to find the bastard responsible and kill him. He was an expert in torture, and could come up with many ways of keeping someone a
live while he tormented them.
****
Pepper wiped her tears away. The pain in her head was excruciating. Until her stepfather had arrived, life seemed to have moved on, to be the same. It had always been her, her mother, and father. Then when he died, it had just been her and her mom.
The beatings, the cruelty, that hadn’t started until her mother had become weak. One day her mother had this ethereal beauty. She was a sweet, charismatic, and beautiful soul. The next day she seemed unable to form simple sentences, becoming weak, frail, and a complete shell of her former self. Little by little, Pepper had watched her become lifeless. With her mother bedbound, it had given that monster a chance to hurt Pepper in every possible way but one. He’d never raped her, and for that she was thankful. From the way he looked at her though, she knew he didn’t like her that way. She was too big, too much of a woman for him as far as she was concerned. With her mother gone, she wasn’t going to let anyone else rule or control her.
She had to fight back.
Barter with Viper.
Everyone had probably been able to do this, and yeah, she was going to be another one.
“How much did my stepfather pay you?”
“Does that really matter?” Viper asked. His back was to her and he held a gun in his hand, ready to do business whenever he needed to. She had watched him snap a guy’s neck. He really didn’t need the gun.
“Well, I’m just thinking. He needs me dead to inherit my family’s fortune, right? So I’m like, in charge of it. I know it’s a lot because I’m one of the wealthiest heiresses out there. It said so on the television.”
“What are you getting at?”
She licked her lips, and took a deep breath. “I want to pay you twice as much as him to keep me alive.”
Viper threw back his head and laughed. “Yeah, right. As soon as I get the call from Boss, you’re dead.”
“Really? Do you think a man with absolutely no money to his name can pay your fee?” she asked. “Think about it, Viper. You’re clever, right? He’s nobody. He married and killed by mother. No second spouse can inherit. That fortune is mine. Everything belongs to me, unless I die. He’s living in my family’s house with a few grand they keep out of the safe. Even if she gave him the bank details to her money, he couldn’t access it. It changes, and I have all the necessary codes to get it.”
When her father had explained how they kept the fortune safe, she hadn’t believed it. Everything seemed a little farfetched, but then again, it was a modern-day world. She had the codes and the means of getting money. It was why she could go on the run. She knew all she had to do was go into any bank, to get what she needed. “Why don’t you call your friend back? See if the funds have cleared, and if I’m lying.”
She rested her head against the wall as he did exactly that.
You cannot be attracted to him.
He’s a monster just like the man you ran from.
Fight this.
Get some balls, and fight him.
Win.
“Hey, Boss. Yeah, I got everything covered and all, but I was just wondering if any of that money had cleared?”
She didn’t hear the response, but she saw his grip tighten on the gun.
“Well, little miss pampered has a proposal.” Viper moved toward her, and handed out the phone. “Talk to him.”
“Hello,” she said.
“Pepper, I’m curious. How did you know the money wouldn’t clear?”
“He has no means of sending it. He’s broke, whoever you are. I’m the only one with access. My father, my grandfather, and older generations implemented this. They made sure no gold-digger could have what didn’t belong to them.”
“You’ve intrigued me. What do you want?”
“I want to stay alive. I know he wants me dead, but I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“I’m not in the market of keeping people alive.” His words hung in the air, and what little hope she had started to disappear. “But I’ve been known to change when I need to. Just because it’s not a specialty doesn’t mean I can’t improvise. Put Viper on the phone.”
She handed the phone back to Viper.
Watching him talk, she wondered if she had bought herself some time. She wasn’t lying. She had access to that money, and could use it whenever she needed it. But she couldn’t use it if she was dead.
I know you told me not to do anything stupid when I finally inherited, Dad. I think surviving is a good reason to spend a lot of it.
Viper closed his phone. “You have yourself a deal. Boss will text you the details. The moment he does, you transfer funds, and it will be activated, and I will do everything in my power to protect you.”
Her cell phone beeped. “I need my phone.”
The thing about her stepfather was he seemed to be too good at acting, and it made everyone believe him. How could a nice guy be so mean? She had felt his evil and knew now to always be on guard.
After getting the information she needed, Pepper did the necessary transactions, and sent the money that would guarantee her safety. It was time for her to fight the asshole who had been hurting her for longer than he should have.
Why should she just roll over and play dead for a man who didn’t deserve a dime of her inheritance?
Viper’s phone rang.
He was close enough that she could hear the other man.
“She’s right. The fucking target is right. He couldn’t pay, and was hoping someone would carry out the hit, and then he could pay. Fucker is playing a dangerous game here, Viper. He’s not smart.”
“Her funds clear?” Viper asked.
“Of course they have. Save the girl at all costs. She’s just paid us ten million, and according to the little side note she gave me, you succeed in saving her, there’s another ten. Keep her alive.”
The call ended, and Viper closed his phone. He stared at her from across the room. “You’ve surprised me. Not so long ago you were willing to die.”
“I changed my mind.” She’d thought about her mother, and then her father. He wouldn’t have wanted her to give up, and especially not to a man who had killed to get where he was.
“You’ve surprised me, and that’s a compliment. I don’t get surprised very easily.” He took a seat on the edge of the bed, not taking his eyes off her.
Licking her dry lips, she averted her gaze. “I don’t suppose you’d let me go now?”
“I thought you wanted protection?” he asked. “Suit yourself. You wouldn’t last five minutes out there. It would seem your stepdad knows how to make people do what he wants.”
“I didn’t mean for me to go. I’m not leaving your side.” Why did that suddenly sound very sexual? She took a deep breath, and smiled. “I meant from being chained to this bed. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve paid you guys a lot of money to keep me alive, and I won’t back out. I do want to live.”
She didn’t like how her body came alive under Viper’s perusal. Her nipples tightened, and her pussy grew slick, and it was entirely inappropriate. There were dead men lying a few feet away. Men that had wanted to kill her, to drug her up and make her death look like a suicide. Totally not an original idea.
She tensed as he stood and advanced toward her. For him it was just a few short strides. If it was her, it would have been a few more. He was just so much bigger than she was. Clenching her teeth, she tried not to show her body’s reaction to his closeness.
It’s totally fine.
He’s just a handsome, sexy, stranger.
Who happens to be protecting you from your very insane stepfather.
The moment his hand touched hers, her entire body felt alive like it was being awakened for the first time. Opening her eyes, which had magically closed, she found him only a breath away, staring right at her.
Did his gaze go to her lips? Did he want to kiss her?
Crap. She hadn’t brushed her teeth. Her face hurt as well. What if he kissed her, and she hated it because of the pain?
/> Shut up, and just take the kiss.
The kiss didn’t happen. He stepped away and returned to the window. Glancing down, she saw he had removed the cuffs, and placed them in her lap. He’d been so gentle as he touched her, she hadn’t even realized he’d freed her.
Men had never been nice to her. She pushed all the bad memories away. Pepper didn’t need to remind herself of the hell she’d endured the past few months.
“I believe your mother went peacefully,” he said.
“I’m sorry? You said you didn’t know.”
“I have ways of getting information. She went peacefully in her sleep so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Thank you,” she said. Deep down she knew he didn’t have the real answers. “Is this new for you?”
“What?”
“Saving your targets? You know, the change of mission or whatever it is you call it?” she asked.
“You’re the first kill that I now have to protect. Look, don’t expect much small talk out of me. It’s not going to happen.”
When he glanced in her direction, the moonlight casting a glow into the bedroom, she saw his scars just before he turned his head.
“How did you get your scars?”
He didn’t move a muscle or say anything. His gaze wasn’t even on her but on the street now. Nothing about his posture gave away his thoughts, or even if he’d heard the question.
“Boss’s crew is here,” he said.
Within minutes there was a bang on the door, and then there wasn’t time for her to say anything else.
Chapter Four
The cleaning crew was his saving grace. He wasn’t good with emotionally tense situations, and the longer he talked with Pepper, the more she managed to weaken him. It would be easy if he didn’t give a shit about her, but for some reason he did. Was it her innocence? The fact she didn’t belong in his black and white world? Or maybe it was the way she turned him on without even trying? Whatever the fuck it was, he needed to man up and get over it before she destroyed him.
“How’s it hanging, Viper?” Spade strolled into the room, a black garbage back slung casually over his shoulder. Lola followed behind him with a mop and bucket.