Austin

by Stone, Piper

“He did hurt you. Fuck him. I’ll beat the shit out of the asshole.”

  My words made her grin. “That’s not very nice of you, Austin Bridges.”

  I shook my head. Hearing my real name from her lips was actually comforting. I’d tried for so long to push everything about my past behind me that Vader had taken on a life of his own. Maybe it was time to push my moniker aside. This was my life now. Good or bad. “Now you know all about me.”

  “No, I don’t. There’s so much more to you than just a name or the tragedy you had to go through. There are stories behind your tattoos, your life in Montana before you left. Your dreams. Your hopes. Likes. Dislikes. I’d like to know more if you’ll let me.”

  “You would, huh? You might not like what’s under the painted exterior.”

  “As long as you don’t toss bottles at me, I think I’ll be okay.” Her eyes twinkled as she laughed.

  Another shot of electricity crackled through my loins. Maybe she’d be the one person who could help soothe my demons. I cupped her face, rubbing my thumb across her jaw. “I’ll never hurt you, Franny. I’m not a good man and I’ve done some terrible things, but I would never intentionally harm you in any way.”

  She leaned into my hand, rubbing her face against my palm. “I needed that today and I believe you.”

  “I have a thought. Are you up for taking a walk with me?”

  “I thought you had to work.”

  I gave her a sly grin. “I’m the boss. I can take some time off.”

  “A walk to see the rest of the glorious estate. Sure.”

  “Are you making fun of the place?”

  “Are you kidding me? I adore the house, the barn, and the land. The inside reminds me a lot of the home I grew up in. My parents were poor, but my dad loved to work on the house, always renovating. I had a blast just being around him.”

  “Sounds special.”

  She smiled. “Yeah, it was. Even my brother enjoyed working with Dad. That’s what families are for. Right?”

  “Yeah, they are. Let me grab a couple fresh beers. Don’t go anywhere or I will find you.” As I walked inside, I realized that I wasn’t lying to her. I would hunt her down anywhere on this earth. As a rush of sensations erupted inside, all I could do was smile. After grabbing the cold bottles, I took a second to reevaluate the interior. Maybe this would make a perfect home.

  For a family.

  I rolled my eyes again as I walked outside, taking a second to grab a blanket from my truck. Then I nodded in the direction of the barn. After taking the bottle out of my hand, she rubbed the side down my arm, teasing me in the manner only she could do.

  “What’s the blanket for?” she asked, the tone more like an enticing purr.

  “You’ll see.” I moved toward the broken fence, leaning over and staring at the peeling paint on the barn. “This takes second or third priority but one day I hope to own a couple horses.”

  “I can see that. That would be amazing. Why maybe the third priority?”

  “You’ll see. Patience, my sweet Franny.”

  “That I don’t have.”

  As we walked down the path, I realized I felt more at ease than I had in a long time. Just being with her was calming, but there was more to it. She hadn’t rejected the house on any level, judging me because of my choices. “I hope to open the area, remove a few trees.”

  “Okay.”

  There was a casual nature to her, completely different from the conservative senator that she had to portray. She was more comfortable this way than in her fancy clothes or being inside her big house. Her eyes lit up when she noticed the clearing. After giving me a gleeful look, she jogged toward the area, squealing when she saw both the mountains and the lake.

  “You like?” I dared to ask.

  “Oh, yes. This is incredible. What a hidden gem. Imagine a lovely swing and a flower garden. You could even buy sand and make a little beach right here in front of the water’s edge.”

  I sauntered toward her, tossing the blanket on the ground before flanking her side inches away from the water. “There’s something very special and peaceful about the sound of rippling water splashing over rocks.”

  “Peace is something you desperately need, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe more than most, at least for right now. I hope that changes in the future.” I scanned the perimeter, taking a deep breath. When I headed for the blanket, she remained. I could feel the weight of her stare as she tried to find the right words.

  I spread out the blanket and eased down, keeping my knees bent. She took her time walking in my direction, swishing her hips.

  “Careful teasing me, lady. I’m a pretty rough dude.”

  “So I’ve heard.” She sat down beside me, allowing our arms to touch. That alone was enough to send a round of desire shooting through me.

  We remained quiet for a full minute. She deserved to hear the truth.

  “I don’t know what you heard, but my unit was given intel about a situation including a group of insurgents prepared to annihilate a village. Unfortunately, the information given to our major was nothing more than a lure to pull a team into a danger zone. While we were contract workers at that point, we were tasked given our expertise to handle the mission. We came under heavy fire and one of the men of our unit was determined to continue. We were forced to leave without him.”

  “Your friend,” she said quietly.

  “Yes, our buddy Snake. That shit happens all the fucking time, but usually a plan is developed to bring a fallen soldier home. That wasn’t the case this time. Hawk was our commanding officer and while all of us were pissed, he refused to accept the decision handed down by our major after Snake disappeared, presumed captured. The long and short of it is that the five of us went against orders in an attempt to free not only our friend, but the other soldiers who’d been imprisoned. Once again, we were betrayed, an explosion going off. Snake, as well as several others were killed. As you can imagine, we were blamed for the entire incident.”

  “Jesus Christ. That’s horrible.”

  I snickered, still staring at the water. “And it’s all my fault.”

  Franny shifted closer, taking my hand. “How could it be your fault?”

  “That first mission. I should have insisted that Snake return to the helicopter, but he disappeared under gunfire and smoke.”

  “You’re not to blame, Vader. Snake was a soldier. He knew the odds.”

  “You don’t understand. I hesitated. I froze. I didn’t follow the very first thing that every Marine is taught. You never leave a man behind.” I turned my head in order to look her directly in the eyes. “Don’t you see? I’m a murderer and I’m going to confess to my crime.”

  Chapter 11

  Francesca

  Murderer.

  I could tell by Vader’s eyes that he believed what he’d told me, the guilt he’d suffered dragging him to the very pits of hell and beyond. If there was a witch hunt going on, which is what I suspected, his confession would be accepted, any chance at a future ending. I damn well wasn’t going to allow that to happen. I also suspected a cover-up since no orders had been given to rescue the captive soldiers. While there was no way to be certain given the secretive nature of the mission, the thought still infuriated me.

  “It’s not your fault,” I insisted.

  “And you weren’t there,” he countered.

  “No, I wasn’t, but I do understand at least a little of what you and your team went through. My brother was a Marine through and through. He loved every aspect as well as fighting for his country. Of course, he never provided details of the missions he was required to go on. Even after he was killed, our family was told very little. He was awarded the Medal of Honor after his death. While I’ll never forget that day my mother was handed the award by the president, it didn’t take away the fact my brother was gone. I questioned what happened, refusing to believe the mission he was on needed to happen, but after some time, I realized that my brother would have done a
nything to fight for his country. That’s what I suspect happened to Snake. There was nothing you could have done to prevent him from continuing the mission he’d been given.”

  “Which makes me a coward.”

  I gripped his arm. “No. You forget that against all odds, you and your friends, your team went back to save him. All of you are men of honor. You must remember that, Vader. That’s what Snake would say to you right now if he could.”

  He hung his head, taking several deep breaths before squeezing my hand. “He already has.”

  “Then try and remember that what you and the men of your unit did was truly heroic, no matter what kind of crap is tossed in your direction.”

  “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re one hell of a woman?”

  “You know what? Only you.”

  Vader took several sips of his beer. While I doubted that he was at peace, at least the rage that had hung around him in an intense aura was quieted for the time being. My words weren’t going to change anything, but maybe they gave him some comfort that I believed what he and his friends had done was necessary.

  “What the hell did your ex-husband do to you?”

  The question was one I knew I couldn’t avoid, even though I had no desire to get into the wretched details. “Let’s just say he wasn’t Prince Charming after all.”

  “Men who hurt women need to be castrated.”

  I almost laughed, but I knew he was serious. “He’s not worth it, Vader. I’m done with men like him.”

  Another quiet thirty seconds settled in.

  “You know there’s a chance that someone is going to figure out that you were at the motel that night.”

  Sighing, I fiddled with the label on the bottle. “I know and in truth, all the questions that I’ve asked aren’t going to help.”

  “What do you mean questions?”

  “I didn’t get decent answers from the sheriff. I have a feeling these incidents are part of a bigger plan.”

  “You need to be careful, Franny. I know the kind of people who have no problem torching a building, even if people are in danger. There’s a hunger inside some people, a craving to watch things burn and acting on that gives them a sense of control.”

  “It sounds like you know what you’re talking about.”

  “I know enough. I’ve watched damn good men, even a few women lose themselves entirely to the sickness. You need to stop asking questions. If you don’t, whoever this asshole is won’t hesitate to consider you collateral damage.” Vader’s words were more of a demand than a request.

  I wasn’t certain why his words pissed me off, but I jerked to my feet, moving away from the blanket. After a few sips, I carefully set the bottle on the ground, no longer thirsty, at least for barely cold beer. “You don’t own me, Vader. If I can help in any way find this freak, then I’m going to do it. I talked with the motel owner earlier. He was threatened to sell his property. A second owner didn’t deny it, although he hung up on me after I asked the question. Something isn’t right about this. I just don’t know what that is.”

  “Their reactions should give you a very clear reason to stay clear of this. Let the authorities do their job.”

  I laughed, shaking my head. “The authorities? They can’t seem to make any connections while I’ve made at least one. Now that I’ve been threatened by the same asshole, my guess is he or she is going to make a mistake.” As soon as I spit out the words, I could see the change in his eyes, the kind of profound anger as well as possessiveness that I’d seen the night of the fire.

  “What did you say?”

  “Nothing. It doesn’t matter. We don’t have to talk about it.”

  “You were threatened?”

  Exasperated, I turned away. “I’m threatened all the time, Vader. There isn’t a week where I’m not burned in effigy. So what? I’m not going to stop until I find out the truth.”

  I was aware he’d shoved his beer to the ground, moving into a standing position and taking long strides away from where we were. What the hell was he doing? And why did I tell him about the threat? I should have known he’d have an adverse reaction.

  “Vader. I’m not going to say I’m sorry. Someone already lost their life.” I resisted going after him. The big brute could sulk on his own.

  He said nothing. Mr. Man-of-few-words ignored me. Of course he did.

  Groaning, I moved back toward the water, trying to rationalize why he was behaving this way. I wasn’t his possession, even though it was evident that he thought he could control me. Well, fuck him. Fuck all men.

  A cracking sound drew my attention, but I refused to turn around. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that his silence bothered the hell out of me.

  But it did.

  Why?

  We didn’t mean anything to each other, at least not really.

  A shiver coursed down my spine when I felt his presence behind me. “I really can protect myself.”

  “You mean like the weapon you have in your truck? Do you even know how to use it?” Vader asked in his silky, velveteen voice, the one that created goosebumps dancing over almost every inch of my body.

  “I can shoot a man right between the eyes. It’s another thing my daddy taught me. I suggest you keep that in mind.” I dragged my tongue across my lips, the surges of excitement and apprehension colliding together.

  When he wrapped his hand around my forearm, dragging me with him, I yelped, immediately shifting in order to pummel my fists against him. When I noticed what he held in his hand, I was floored. Speechless. A switch? Was he kidding me?

  “You need to learn when to keep your nose out of things that could mean danger,” he stated with no inflection in his voice. When he reached the blanket, he finally turned, gazing into my eyes with the kind of deep and very dark possessiveness that took my breath away.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” I tried to back away, but he refused to let me go.

  “Teaching you a valuable lesson.”

  “Oh, hell, no.”

  “I think we need to work on your manners as well as that caustic mouth of yours.”

  The man wasn’t kidding. “I… Wait a minute. That’s not…” I’d written dozens of speeches during my career, many on the fly but I had difficult putting a coherent sentence together. Jesus Christ, the effect the man had on me was all consuming.

  “Lower your jeans and panties.”

  His command was even more forceful than before.

  “Whoa. You’re not going to spank me.”

  “If I need to, I will tie you to one of the trees. You’re going to stop interfering. You could have placed yourself in danger.”

  “I knew what I was doing.” As soon as I issued the words, I knew it was a mistake. He dropped the switch, yanking both my wrists into one hand then proceeded to unfasten my jeans. No amount of wiggling managed to get him to stop, his hold too strong. I was completely at his mercy.

  A husky growl erupted from his throat as he deftly managed to unbutton and unzip. “Fight me and the punishment is going to be much worse.”

  While he was forced to use both hands to roll the dense material over my hips, I found myself obeying him. I was shocked that I stood almost still, allowing this man to slide my jeans and thong down past my hips. While my breathing was irregular, I couldn’t utter a word in defiance. What the hell was wrong with me? Did I actually believe I deserved punishment?

  He wrapped his hand around my hair, guiding me toward one huge tree, pushing me against it with enough force the wind was knocked out of me.

  I couldn’t believe this was happening or that I’d allow any man to control me in such an egregious, horrible manner. Yet every single cell in my body was on fire, every muscle taut in anticipation of not just the round of discipline, but a single touch from his hand. My mouth remained dry, but my pussy was wet. I knew he could detect just how aroused I was, the scent floating all around me like a beacon of wanton desire.

  “Arms ov
er your head.” He issued another command, his tone just as gravelly.

  And I obeyed without hesitation. I had to be out of my mind.

  “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Franny. It’s time you figured that out.”

  Was that some crazy kind of proclamation that he actually cared for me? I closed my eyes, digging my fingers into the bark. While I doubted anyone would wander this far away from basic civilization, the fact he was spanking me in the middle of the afternoon in the open air was almost as horrifying as the act itself. I took several ragged breaths, the anticipation killing me. Why hadn’t he started?

  Why was I standing here?

  The second I heard a whooshing sound, I bit my lower lip to keep from crying out. When I felt a connection, I sucked in my breath. The sting was slight, almost unnoticeable, although my pussy continued to quiver, my legs shaking.

  When he delivered two in rapid succession, a slight pain coursed down to my toes.

  But by the fourth and fifth cracks, I couldn’t hold back a ragged moan, my body jumping involuntarily. “Ouch. Jesus.”

  He growled in such a low-slung manner that the sound reverberated in my ears. The bastard even pressed his hand against the small of my back in some crazy attempt to soothe me. Like that was going to happen.

  The whooshing sound was almost as unbearable as the spanking itself, but every time he brought the switch against my naked skin, I reacted by either jumping or kicking my legs as far as the tight material would allow.

  “You’re going to promise me that you will leave this alone,” Vader stated.

  I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t do that.

  But I did.

  “Yes. Okay? I promise.”

  “Uh-huh. Why don’t I believe you?” Vader seemed to concentrate on his efforts, bringing the switch down several times in a perfect rhythm, covering every inch of my aching bottom as well as the tops of my thighs.

  With every hard strike, another wave of embarrassment crushed over me, becoming suffocating after a few minutes. I was humiliated that I was so damn aroused, my nipples pushing hard against my bra. My reaction was insane. Even the way my heart skipped several beats was ridiculous. But when I found myself undulating, rubbing my legs together as if trying to achieve pleasure out of this horror show, I was mortified.