Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

B eckham

There was one true element of surprise left in this world and it had nothing to do with crime statistics or men attempting to betray me. It certainly had nothing to do with the law of averages or betting.

The only surprises I'd ever had in my life had had a woman smack in the middle of them.

I had to admit the one who'd walked into the living room brandishing a butcher knife had amused me at first. She was standing in bare feet wearing an ill-fitting robe with wet hair and challenging a dangerous man like me.

She either had balls and for such an incredibly beautiful woman, I found that hard to believe, or she had no clue who'd been standing in front of her and what the four of us were capable of.

Especially after the rough night we'd had.

Jeff, while looking amused, also had a slight scowl of concern in his eyes. "Do you want us to go after her, boss?"

I righted myself, shocked how hard the woman could punch. After taking a deep breath and hearing the slamming of one of the main doors upstairs, I took the opportunity to rake my hands through my hair.

"Not necessary. I'll handle her. Just check the exterior and the downstairs to ensure we didn't miss any unwanted guests. And look for weapons."

"She's a fighter," Camden said, grinning as if the woman had won a battle against me.

We'd made our way through the forest using the flashlight I'd snagged, hopeful in finding the small town of Camden, which my Camden had taken the opportunity to tell us what little he knew about as we were trudging through the dense trees, crawling over debris and avoiding blackberry bushes.

At barely seventy-five hundred people year-round, it supposedly held the kind of quaintness and stunning beauty that attracted writers and artists, retirees and big city dwellers longing for a taste of the simpler life. What it also curiously offered was a safe haven for those involved in disreputable businesses.

Including the gang-like organization we'd run into.

But the nagging from the way the attack had been handled continued to justify being on the edge. The entire situation had been shocking.

And that was rare as hell for a man like me.

Once we'd found the bed and breakfast, it had seemed like a good place to hole up for the night, the location providing not only a place to get some rest, but also some food. The four of us were starving.

Plus, I needed to make some calls, which meant finding Wi-Fi I could easily connect to. However, what I didn't need was trouble with a capital T and I had a feeling the woman was that and a lot more.

Exhaustion was coming close to settling in. It was funny how that occurred right after being near two explosions. I laughed as I finally headed toward the gorgeous set of curved stairs leading up to the various floors. The banister was ornately carved by an artisan, perhaps one local to the area. Every adornment was coastal and inviting.

What I needed to be certain of was that she didn't have another phone, already having called the cops. While my family had control of our own police force in New Hampshire as well as several others in the surrounding cities, Maine was like the Wild, Wild West as far as I was concerned.

I took the stairs two at a time, waiting on the landing as I listened for any sign of her. From the sound of the slamming door seconds before, I didn't think she'd had time to rush up to the third or fourth floor, but I would soon find out. As I scanned the hallway, I noticed one door was closed. Grinning, I moved toward it using long strides. With one hand on the doorknob, I tried to contain my amusement as I turned and opened it.

True to what my instinct had told me, the stunning, wet woman came flying from one of the rooms where the door had been left open. In her hand was a lamp held over her head. She issued a cry like a wild animal as she lunged toward me.

I wasn't into hurting women, but I wasn't going to add being rendered unconscious to the night's activities. Without any trouble, I snapped one hand around the base of the lamp, the other around her throat again, but I didn't bother pushing her against the wall this time.

My mama hadn't raised a fool. She'd try to punch me a second time. If she did, I wasn't entirely certain what my reaction would be.

It had been a long-ass night.

With the lamp jerked out of her hand and tossed, I pushed her back to the bed, the force of my fast walk driving us both onto the bed's surface. The full weight of my body crushed hers, yet she was doing everything in her power to fight me, twisting and turning while attempting to pummel her fists against my face.

It had been a long time since I'd felt a curvaceous body underneath me. I certainly enjoyed her ability to fight but within seconds or so had experienced enough. I yanked one of her arms over her head then the other, giving her a stern look.

"Why don't we try our introductions over again. Shall we?"

"Fuck you," she hissed, surprising me all over again by wrapping her long legs around me in a tight squeeze, somehow managing to roll us both over.

Now this was a switch.

"Let me go or so help me God. Who are you? What do you really want? I don't have any money here if that's what you're thinking."

Her demands were acrid sharp, but I also detected something fascinating. A hint of desire. Perhaps much like I felt, but this was no time for acting on my carnal needs. For all I knew, another brigade of the suicide assassins had followed us yet again, even though I wasn't certain how. "Do I look like a typical robber to you?"

She wrinkled her nose, her struggles to get out of my hold continuing. "No, but the three goons downstairs look like thugs and all four of you smell like a chimney stack. You are criminals. Right?"

With that, I rolled her back over with ease. This time I shifted back and forth, allowing her to feel how excited she made me.

Her eyes opened wide with terror as well as disgust.

"Let's just say I'm not one of the good guys, but I have no intentions of hurting you. I simply need a place to stay for the night and a good meal for myself and my soldiers."

"Soldiers. We're not in the middle of a war. Wait a minute. You were in that explosion. Weren't you?"

"Maybe."

Without any hesitation, she flipped us back over, our bodies now close to the bed's edge. At this rate, we'd be tussling on the floor soon. Not that I minded the floor in the least.

Or any other location where I could spend it with a beautiful woman. At least by her rolling me back over, her robe had come untied, revealing the sexiest pair of breasts I'd seen in a long time in a crimson bikini top.

My balls were rock hard, my cock throbbing.

"Some people are after you boys. Aren't they? And stop being aroused. You disgust me."

"The answer to your question is that my family has enemies who followed me to your lovely shore."

"So how did you get here?"

"We walked through the woods for about two miles."

"You broke in," she continued.

One more time I rolled her over and we were ready to be dumped off the bed. This time I leaned far enough over so our lips were as close to touching as possible. Just breathing in her natural scent was enough to get me high. "I will happily pay for any damage and pay double whatever the costs of the rooms typically are if that makes up for my indiscretions."

She took several deep breaths, acting as if she was still in control of the situation.

"I'll put it to you this way. I believe you'd prefer having a choice in the matter. Wouldn't you?" I was in an unusual mood, allowing myself to enjoy the moment and our oddly strong attraction to one another. The chemistry was off the charts, even though she said she found me reprehensible.

"Fine," she mewed. "As long as you're gone by the morning."

"That can be arranged. With your help of course." I nuzzled her nose with mine, which caught her off guard enough she gasped.

"What else?"

"Wi-Fi."

She laughed. "That's the beauty of living all the way in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But I'll help you try." Her vivacious boldness continued when she attempted once again to take control as she pressed her lips against mine, shoving the tip of her tongue past my lips.

For a few blissful seconds, she wasn't fighting me and I wasn't forced to treat her like my captive. Although I had to admit the possessive side of me was kicking in, the need to taste more of her as surprising as the moment.

I took over control, sweeping my tongue inside. That's when she stiffened, shifting as much as she could from side to side. Her actions were adorable if not futile. Even the way she pressed her knees against my thighs was enough to keep me fully aroused. When she finally drifted into being a cold fish, I broke the kiss, using my free hand to stroke the side of her face.

"So, do we have an agreement?" I asked.

"Do I have a choice?"

"You do not."

"Then fine. Made under duress. But there are rules to follow."

I backed away, letting go of her hands then immediately placing my finger in front of her face. It was my way of telling her not to try another harmful move again.

"Rules?" I asked playfully as I climbed off the bed.

She rose onto her elbows, yet to realize her robe had slipped down both sides, revealing a voluptuous body that instantly made my mouth water. The itty-bitty bikini song drifted into my mind, a classic my father had enjoyed listening to. Now I understood why.

The filthy things I could do if this meeting were under different circumstances were positively evil.

"Yes. You won't destroy any of the rooms. You won't break anything. You will hand me back my phone when this nightmare is all over. And for the love of God, you're not going to shoot anyone. Is that clear? Oh, and yes, you will pay triple for the trouble you've put me through. This was supposed to be my weekend alone."

That confirmed we wouldn't be burdened by guests showing up unexpectedly. "I think I can handle that. In return," I said as I offered my hand. As expected, she refused, rolling over on the bed twice in the opposite direction to get as much real estate between us as possible before sliding off. At least she didn't bother to retie her robe. I would certainly have rejected her actions, taking matters into my own hands. "Here are my rules. You will tell me if there are any other phones inside this establishment. You will not attempt to fight any of us. And last but definitely not least, you will not try and fight me or escape. Understood?"

"What if I do?" She was grinning as she'd done before, still unaware of the kind of man I was. Where had she been living, under a rock?

I crowded her space, grabbing her by the throat. She was the kind of gal who needed reinforcement. I wasn't going to add anything about the possibility our arrival had placed her life in danger. Why terrify her even more? That usually made people do unspeakable things, which almost always got them into trouble.

"What's your name?" I asked as I did nothing more than caress her skin. I did admire her bravery in the face of some unknown monster with his hand around her neck.

"What's it to you?"

"I think it will go a long way in learning to trust each other. Don't you? I'll even go first. My name is Beckham Kennedy. You may have heard of our family."

"Political Cinderellas?"

"The other side of my family is certainly America's sweethearts. Think of us as the black sheep, a regime that truly runs the world behind the scenes. And I'll give you a hint. Yes, my family consists of some very bad men. Very bad."

She tried to swallow nonchalantly, lowering her gaze enough to tell me she was finally starting to get the picture. "My name is Kenya Markham."

"See? That wasn't so hard. Was it, Ms. Markham? Now, to answer that last question. I don't think you want to discover the other side of me, the one most men fear. When I mentioned I wasn't planning on hurting you, I didn't lie. However, if you defy me in any way again, you will learn I am extremely creative in my methods of supplying punishment. I really don't think you want to end your evening as badly as ours started. Hmmm? Do you?"

Kenya's lower lip quivered and when she defied logic by dragging the tip across her bottom lip, I had a feeling I would lose all control around her. "No. You can have any of the rooms you'd like. There are fresh towels in the bathrooms. I'm certain you'd all like to shower since you smell so bad."

"Food? Is there anything worth eating or is it all rabbit food?"

She smiled as only a woman who had difficulty being obedient could. "I think I can whip up something you won't consider poison. Am I allowed to change first?"

I took a step back, resisting jerking off her bikini and exposing the prize underneath. She obviously figured out what I was thinking, yanking one side of her robe around her heated body.

"Yes, of course you are. I am a reasonable man. No other phones?"

"No. I don't have a landline. Just my confiscated cell phone."

"How do your clients call you?"

She seemed surprised at my question. "Most don't. They use the internet. You know what that is, don't you? You're not too old, are you?"

I laughed, enjoying her company a little too much. "You might be surprised. Oh, one of the talented men you call goons down there is a computer expert, an MIT grad. Maybe you can teach him the basics." My sarcasm was met with a roll of her eyes.

"You're a comedian as well as a bad man. Such talent."

I shoved my hands into my pockets and headed for the door, stopping long enough to slowly shift my head over my shoulder. "I'll be downstairs with the other goons. Incidentally, if you try and escape, which I have no doubt you will, I will be forced to handle our arrangement entirely differently. Do I make myself clear?"

She rubbed her throat as if I'd hurt her. Her gesture was almost insulting, but I had to remind myself that she had no clue what skills I had in my toolbox.

Including the ability to snap a three-hundred-pound man's neck with my bare hand.

"I would appreciate an answer, Kenya. I would prefer to be your friend during our stay together."

She smirked, adding a multilayered mask over her fear. She was quite the unusual woman, especially in the face of danger.

"Yes, Commander in Chief. Perfectly clear."

On top of her beauty, the girl was funny.

Yes, I believed I liked her.

Perhaps a little too much.