Bad Men - Piper Stone Page 0,95

her life, requiring more than one shot to take her down. I would never forget finding her on the cold stone floor, her vacant eyes staring in horror at what she’d had to face.

Then I’d held her in my arms, cradling her lifeless body for almost thirty minutes while I’d planned my act of revenge, one that had taken me almost a full year to enact. I’d enjoyed killing the man in cold blood. I wasn’t going to lose Lindsey. I refused to allow another asshole to claim the woman I loved.

And so, I did what I had to do, the only thing that would silence the beasts inside. The only thing that might relieve the terrible guilt I’d carried with me for years.

I pulled the trigger.

Chapter 17

Lindsey

Two Weeks Later

Family.

Loyalty.

Honor.

The three words had been ones I’d been thinking about for the last couple of weeks, all in an attempt to accept not only things about my family, but also about myself. I’d pretended to be something I wasn’t for far too long. I’d allowed my world to be swallowed up in finding a sense of purpose instead of living.

I almost laughed at the thought, especially since I’d given the same advice to a man who’d awakened my very soul. I hadn’t been able to get either Diego or Jack out of my mind even while learning how to deal with my father once again.

While I wasn’t certain I would ever be able to respect him again, he was my father and I loved him. He’d also been trying to protect me in his own crazy way. At least we’d had a long talk over a couple of glasses of scotch.

The nightmares had ceased the moment Michael had made good on his threat, tossing me into the trunk of his expensive Mercedes. I’d known who he was hunting for, the men who’d protected me against monsters like himself. While I’d found it difficult to believe that he’d gone to such great lengths to destroy my life, I’d at least been able to come to terms with it. He’d been a great pretender for years, acting as if he’d cared about me all those years from our past.

He’d traded the smidgen of goodness I believed he had one time in his life for power. Since his brother had been gunned down, he’d been required to become a part of the family’s operations on a more permanent basis. The promise? That he would be the one to take over as head of the Mancini crime syndicate after the death of his father.

The decision obviously hadn’t been difficult for him to make.

I stood on the corner, glancing up and down the street, hoping that the decisions I’d made were the right ones. So much had changed in my life, including the fact I’d accepted a position at a hospital in a city I never believed I would call home. It was funny how things could change when you least expected them.

My palm remained sweaty, my nerves rattled. I wanted this to be perfect, a chance at a new life, but it could certainly backfire on me.

I held my breath as I checked my watch for the fifth time, struggling with the intense anxiety. As the hairs stood up on the back of my neck, I bit my lip, my entire body trembling. They’d arrived. I felt the touch of fingers brushing down my arms, another hand easing my hair over my shoulders and tracing a line down my neck. My mouth was suddenly dry, my pulse racing.

And as always, my entire body ached for more.

Their kisses.

Their rough hands.

Their dominating ways.

Their hard fucking.

“Who’s the sexy blonde?” Jack asked, whistling for effect.

I couldn’t help but grin. While I’d actually enjoyed being a redhead for a few weeks, I wanted the real girl to stand here in front of the two men I loved on this special day.

“Nobody special,” I answered.

“Wrong again, lady,” Jack growled.

“Now why would we find our woman on a sidewalk in the middle of downtown Charleston?” Diego asked in his usual sensual voice, the sound floating around me, soothing yet arousing.

“Good question. I think she needs a lesson in who she belongs to,” Jack added before smacking my bottom.

Belong.

The word had never been in my vocabulary. I’d never wanted to or attempted to belong to anything or anyone.

Until now.

The last two weeks had been difficult, yet they’d remained by my side, both in their protective mode, concerned that the Mancini family would exact