by Piper Stone
“Oh, you think you have a handle on this?” he asked as he crowded even closer, until I could feel the weight of his massive body crushing mine.
The second I attempted to push him away, he snagged first one hand then the other, dragging my arms over my head. I could feel my heartbeat echoing into my ears, the ragged sound matching my heavy breathing. He was an oppressive force, the kind of man that would always take what he wanted, no matter the consequences.
“You’re not going anywhere, sweetheart.” His words were just as possessive as his actions, his gaze penetrating into the very core of me.
“And why is that?” I dared to ask.
“Because you belong to me.”
When he captured my mouth, grinding his hips against me, every cell in my body was ready to explode. He was all male, entirely dominating and there wasn’t a part of me that didn’t crave his demanding actions. The feel of his hard cock pressing into my stomach sent a series of butterflies racing into my tummy.
Even though I struggled in his hold, I knew there was no getting away. I’d broken his rules. I’d crossed a line. And I knew without a doubt he would punish me.
In his way.
As he thrust his tongue past my lips, I closed my eyes, a moan creeping up from my throat. There wasn’t a part of me that wasn’t tingling, my pussy clenching then releasing several times. I was no longer shocked at my body’s betrayal, only cautious that my heart fluttered.
I refused to fall hard for this man.
He wasn’t good for me.
He wasn’t the kind to stick around.
Yet at this moment, nothing else mattered but the passionate kiss, the way he took control. He kept me pinned to the wall, the pressure of his hands against mine tightening. I was lost in the moment, savoring the taste of him as well as his rugged scent, but every aspect was surreal.
Dangerous.
Delicious.
The single knock on the door wasn’t enough for him to pull away. The hard pounding finally forced him to growl as he tipped his head, glaring at the intruder.
I shifted enough to see who’d interrupted, the man standing in the doorway just as roughhewn, grinning as if he knew Scorpion.
“What?” Scorpion barked, still keeping me in the same position.
“Sorry to interrupt, buddy, but I think you need to handle this... situation in the bar.” There was amusement in the man’s voice as he gazed down the length of us, leaning against the doorjamb.
Scorpion hesitated, shifting his gaze back in my direction, a slight growl permeating the space. “You’re going to stay right here. Do not even think about leaving. If you do, I’m going to punish you. If you snoop, I’m going to spank your ass so harshly that you won’t be able to sit down for a week. Do you understand me, Caroline?”
“Oh, yes, sir,” I purred, arching my back and undulating my hips. The look in his eyes was decidedly merciless, the man meaning every word he said.
He pulled away as the other man laughed.
“I wouldn’t push him, Caroline. Scorpion is one tough taskmaster,” the intruder stated, the gleam remaining in his eyes.
A series of hard thudding sounds followed by a crash could be heard coming from the bar.
“Goddamn it.” Scorpion shook his head, giving me one last hard look before following the other brute out the door, slamming it behind him.
Sagging against the wall, I struggled to catch my breath, licking my lips as the taste of him remained. Damn, he was a take-no-prisoners kind of guy. As I rubbed two fingers across my lips, I studied the room, the space more generous than I would have thought for a crappy bar. I even pulled out my phone, taking several pictures until the photographs on the wall drew my attention.
As I walked closer, I knew immediately what I was looking at. The six men in the picture were all rugged, all in their uniforms, warriors going off to battle. I immediately recognized Scorpion, as well as the man who’d been standing in the doorway. They were all smiling, although I could see such trepidation in their eyes. Jasper hadn’t been lying about wanting to leave a legacy to his nephew. It had been very important to him.
I still wondered why he’d called my father’s firm. Why not select one from California or even Texas? I knew of several who were fabulous promoters, easily capable of handling what Jasper was looking for. I took a picture of the image before shoving the phone in my back pocket. I doubted Scorpion would want me to mention my find. He certainly had no desire to talk about his past.
As I fingered the photograph, I wondered if Scorpion could ever be that happy again. He wasn’t just brooding. He was lost in some kind of nightmare. A cold shiver rushed down my spine, forcing me to rub my arms. I walked around the rest of the office, trying to obey Scorpion’s directions, but my curiosity was killing me.
After a few seconds, I couldn’t fight my natural instincts, glancing quickly at the closed door before shifting my attention to the desk. I opened one drawer after another, finding little more than basic office supplies. If there really were designs, wouldn’t Jasper keep them here for reference?
My resolve crumbled, I moved toward the single set of file drawers, searching frantically. There was no telling when Scorpion would return. While Jasper kept decent records, there was no mention of renovating the club on any level. I slammed the last drawer, huffing as I scanned the room once again. I hadn’t noticed the small door, likely a supply cabinet. Taking quick strides, I pulled it open, hopeful I’d be able to find something of value or importance.
While the closet was fairly large, I’d been right. There was a stack of copy paper, a box of envelopes, and a dozen or so lightbulbs, but nothing else. I smacked my hand against one of the shelves out of frustration, jerking back when something fell from one of the top shelves. The old box of menus suggested Raunchy Ride had actually served real food at some point. I grumbled to myself as I attempted to place it back into the original location.
“What the...” I fumbled to find a light switch then inched inside, peering up at the ceiling. An attic access. I peered around the corner, debating whether I was making a huge mistake. What the hell. No pain, no gain. I doubted Scorpion would pay attention. Maybe I could find something useful.
Maybe I could get myself in hot water.
I had to jump in order to grab the string hanging from the panel, fighting until I was able to release it, the tight springs creaking once I did. The sight of the rickety stairs dropping down did little to boost my confidence that I’d find anything of value in one big black hole. There had to be a light in the attic space. Right?
“Why not,” I mumbled then carefully planted my tennis shoe on the first rung. The entire thing swung as I climbed, forcing me to realize just how much I hated heights of any kind. Determined, I reached the top, trying to get my eyes used to the darkened space. Reaching out, I felt what appeared to be another string. The second I tugged on it, light flooded the rather large space.
“Wow.” I was shocked at just how many boxes and other items had been tucked away, including several banker’s boxes. Hoisting myself up wasn’t as difficult as I thought, the naughty girl inside of me almost desperate to find out what Jasper had kept.
It was like going down memory lane, boxes of old checks and invoices mixed with photographs that had to be from the early days of the bar. There were even decorations from various holidays, all neatly boxed and labeled, prepared for use. Why would he take more care about Christmas decorations being easily found than the boxes of corporate records?
Hmmm...
I listened for any sounds and other than the thump of music pulsing through the floor, there was no sign of Scorpion.
Easing to the floor, I selected a nondescript box and began to go through the contents. Employee records. Termination records. Paid invoices. There was nothing of any real interest.
Until I noticed a file in a different color. It wasn’t labeled, no writing on the front. Inside were a group of financials from five years before from some hold
ing company. That wasn’t shocking. What was? The dollar amount on the financials.
Over ten million dollars’ worth.
Five. Years. Ago.
I’d been privy to enough of my father’s financials records for the business, as well as keeping an eye on Steele Rhythm’s balance sheet to know what I was looking at. Assets, and not just including cash and other investments. Land.
But what was Jasper doing with some holding company’s records?
The sharp tapping barely drew my attention, the beat lost in the drums of whatever song was playing. When it became more insistent, followed by a deep baritone rumble, I bit my lip.
“Uh-oh.”
“Uh-oh is right,” Scorpion stated, the tone chastising.
I tried to smile as I peered up at him, feeling like the kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “I just... I found...” Oh, Christ. What the hell was I supposed to say? There was no getting out of this. As the heat swept up along my jawline, I swallowed hard. “There’s something you need to see.”
He took a deep breath as he glanced around the area, shaking his head several times. “What I see is a basic storage space for junk as well as a very disobedient girl.”
“Scorpion, you don’t understand.”
He inched closer, holding out his hand. “Oh, I think I do. Put that back.”
“These are financials that you have to see.”
Aggravation crossed his handsome face second before he grabbed my hand, yanking me to my feet. The file flew out of my hands, papers floating toward the floor.
“I think the little filly needs to learn another lesson.” Scorpion refused to listen as I sputtered useless words. The man merely grabbed a set of boxes, plopping down and dragging me over his lap.
This was almost as humiliating as before, my entire body shaking as he brought his hand down, smacking one side of my bottom then the other. I’d never been more grateful to be wearing rugged jeans that I was at that moment, my ass cheeks still smarting from the previous spankings.
“I don’t understand you, Caroline. You continue to fight everything I tell you,” Scorpion snarled then brought his hand down several times, each one harder than the one before.
“You’re not my keeper.”
“Right now, I am the person trying to keep you safe. Since I own this bar, one you still seem so damn interested in, you’re going to do as I say.”
I wiggled, rolling my hips across his throbbing cock, the former tingle shifting directly into my pussy even as the pain continued to increase. “I can take care of myself.”
“Uh-huh. That’s why you continue to defy me, because you’re one tough girl?” He threw his leg over mine, grabbing one of my flailing arms by the wrist. “Stop fighting me or I will strip you of your clothes right here. Right now.”
Huffing, I tossed my other hand to the floor, trying to figure out how I could get through to him. He was the most stubborn man I’d ever known, refusing listen to anyone but whatever demons were inside of his head. Damn him!
“That’s better,” he growled, although he continued to pepper my ass with one hard strike after another.
After a few minutes, I stopped moving altogether. There was nothing I could do to get him to stop.
When he finally let up, rubbing my aching bottom as he shifted me back and forth across his lap, I resisted moaning. The sensations were far too electrifying, keeping every nerve ending on edge, my pulse skipping. How could he do this to me every time we were together?
I was equally surprised when he turned me over, easing me into a sitting position. He lifted a single eyebrow as he studied me, finally rolling his fingers through my ponytail. “What am I going to do with you?”
His lips were even more succulent in the ugly fluorescent light, my desire to kiss him overwhelming, but he needed to listen to me. I got off his lap, backing up to the box I’d been searching. When I crouched down, I expected him to stop me. He simply watched as I gathered the papers from the file, finally shoving a few in his direction.
“Just take a look at these. Okay?”
Exhaling in an exaggerated manner, he reached for them reluctantly, barely darting a look at the papers. “What are they?”
“Old financials.”
“Makes sense. I know Jasper owned the bar for several years.”
This time, I was the one shaking my head. “Not for the bar, at least not from what I can tell.”
He furrowed his brows then gave me a single nod before paying more attention, flipping one page after the other. “I don’t understand.”
“That’s what I was trying to tell you. Why would Jasper have files for a holding company that obviously had some wealth?”
“Maybe he was storing the records for a friend.”
“Maybe,” I said, settling carefully on my aching butt and reaching for the box once again. I could tell he was more curious than he wanted to let on.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Searching for clues. Maybe Jasper had more viable reasons to consider renovating the bar after all. Maybe this has something to do with the warning. You are aware Billy Kane murdered someone.”
He slowly lifted his gaze. “Yeah, I’ve heard. I find it funny how much you’ve learned in such a short period of time.”
I wasn’t about to mention Brandy again, not at this point. “Let’s keep looking. Maybe that can help you.”
“Ten minutes. That’s it. Then I have an actual bar to run.”
Two hours later and after closing time, we were no closer to finding answers. I’d opened the fifth box, and while I’d found more personal items, including a copy of the deed on the ranch, there’d been almost nothing else on the holding company. Even I was growing frustrated as hell. The last file wasn’t very thick, but at least it would complete the task.
“That’s it,” Scorpion growled. “We’re climbing down from here and you’re going to wait in my office. In. My. Office. Until I’ve made certain everything is closed down. Then I’m going to follow you home. You got it?”
While I’d heard him, the words weren’t registering. At least not the ones from his mouth. However, the words on the pages of the documents were speaking volumes, the sticky note on the front written in shaky letters and dated.
Original Agreement
For Cooper
As I flipped through the pages, scanning several of the passage, my heart began to race.
“Did you hear me, Caroline?”
I nodded, merely handing him the agreement.
Scorpion gave me a stern stare but took a look quickly, finally slowing after glancing over three or four pages. When he began again from page one, he ran his index finger over the sticky note, a slight smile curling on his lips.
“What is it?” I asked after a few seconds.
“An agreement, and it does have something to do with the holding company, but I don’t get it.”
“Meaning?”
“My name is all over it. How is that possible? If what I read is correct, the bar and ranch are just a tip of the iceberg as far as Jasper’s estate.”
I felt a rumble coming from beneath us and heard some kind of a sound. My instinct told me that something bad was happening.
“What the hell?” Scorpion grumbled.
“Scorpion! You need to get the fuck down here.”
The voice was the one from before, only his tone was filled with rage.
Dropping the paperwork, Scorpion bolted toward the stairs, his boots thudding on the floor after he jumped. I grabbed the file, including the agreement and followed seconds later, hiding the paperwork in Jasper’s desk. From what little I knew about agreements of this nature, they were not only important but often the only method of proving someone’s intentions.
I rushed into the hallway, realizing that no one remained inside the bar. When I opened the entrance door, I saw the employees crowded in a semi-circle.
“Oh, my God.”
This wasn’t just somet
hing bad. This was a prelude to war. I knew Scorpion well enough to know he’d never let this go. The person responsible would face his wrath.
Flames erupted toward the night sky, embers falling like rain, dancing down to the earth in the light breeze. Even from where I stood, the heat was intense, the stench of burning metal and gasoline forcing me to cover my nose.
My eyes watering, I pushed my way through the crowd, only to be tugged away from the blaze by Scorpion’s friend.
“Not so fast, Caroline. There’s a chance it’ll blow again,” he said softly, his grip firm. “Just let him walk this off. No one was hurt. That’s the good thing.”
“God fucking damn it!” Scorpion railed as he paced several yards away from the fire, his shoulders heaving.
“What happened?” I asked the question to no one in particular.
Another hulking mass of a man shifted closer, lifting his eyebrows as he gave me a onceover. Another Marine. Another buddy. Scorpion had actually asked for help from his friends.
“We heard some popping sounds. As soon as one of the bouncers walked outside, he heard the screech of tires seconds before the truck blew. You must be Caroline,” he said, a slight grin on his face.
“News travels fast,” I managed, my heart racing. First a brick. Now an explosion. What the hell was Billy going to do next?
“It’s Montana,” the first one laughed. “By the way, I’m Hawk. That’s Mustang.”
I gave both a respectful nod, but I found it difficult to take my eyes off Scorpion. “Your names are like out of romance novels.”
Hawk chuckled. “Trust me. They all have a particular meaning to our crew.”
I tried to inch closer to Scorpion only to be stopped once again by Hawk.
“A feisty one, just like Scorpion mentioned.”
“Did anyone see a fucking thing?” Scorpion yelled as he shifted his glare to the few bystanders.
“Not a thing, boss. They waited until closing time. Already called it into the sheriff’s office,” one of the bouncers said.
“As if they’ll give a damn,” he countered. He finally walked toward us, the continuing flames allowing me to see the almost serene look on his face. But his eyes shimmered with fury.