Bad Men - Piper Stone Page 0,98

watched people passing by, several of them looking inside the window. No. No! My bottom was already sore from the spanking two days before. Were they serious? I was mortified, kicking out my legs.

“This is just a taste of what you can expect tonight,” Jack added, bringing his hand down several more times.

The jingle of the little bell over the door was horrifying, the look on the contractor’s face just about the worst thing that I hoped to face.

“I’m sorry. Am I interrupting? I’m here to do some work for a Dr. Walters.”

Jack

Love.

Who the hell would have thought I could actually feel the emotion again? I hung over the deck railing, staring out at the early morning light cresting over the water. There was something magical about this time of day, the way the glowing colors produced shimmers across the water. It had seemed natural coming here, sharing the private space with the woman I loved and someone I would have never thought would become such a good friend. Sharing our lives together might be considered unusual, but I realized how much both of us meant to Lindsey.

I laughed as I sipped my coffee, savoring the rich flavor more than usual. Everything seemed to taste better around her.

Did I regret walking away from a high-paying job? Not in the least. This way both Diego and I could protect her. Would I always look over my shoulder, concerned that the Mancinis would rear their ugly heads? Likely.

Would I continue to feel guilt regarding Teresa’s life? Maybe.

I’d come to accept both.

Tensing, I felt a presence behind me.

“When you reflect, people tend to die,” Diego teased as he flanked my side, taking a deep whiff of the salt air.

“Not this time, at least I hope,” I said, chuckling.

“Michael got what he deserved,” he stated as if I would disagree.

While Dante had been needed in order to handle the murder scene, Silas coached as to what to say to the police, the entire situation had left me numb for two days. The thought of losing Lindsey in such a careless manner had brought back the horrors of Teresa all over again.

To think she’d risked her life in order to confront her father had left me angry, frustrated, and stripped to the very core. She was one tough lady, refusing to accept any man’s bullshit.

Including from us.

I smiled thinking about how many times I’d yelled I loved her that night before fucking her like a wild man. Some romantic I was.

An awkwardness settled between us, but I could tell he was forming questions.

“I heard you talking with your sister,” I dared to say, giving Diego a quick look. While I’d expected anger, he actually smiled.

“Yeah, we had a long talk. She’s planning on coming to visit in a couple of months.”

“I’m glad, Diego. You deserve to be happy.”

He chuckled as he shot me a look. “So do you, my friend.”

Sighing, I gave him a respectful nod. We were friends.

“I’m curious. Would you protect your sergeant all over again?” he asked. Sharing information about my past had been more cathartic than I would have believed, and I didn’t regret it.

I’d tried not to think about the incident, the horrible bloody day ending in the loss of one of our own men as well as several civilians that weren’t supposed to be in the location we were scouting. While the insurgents had opened fire, the sergeant’s reactions hadn’t taken into account the cost of innocent lives. And he’d refused to listen to my concerns. I’d never figured him as the kind of man to betray one of his own, but when charges were brought against our unit, he’d almost immediately pointed fingers.

In my direction.

Protecting him had seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

“I don’t honestly know,” I answered truthfully.

“You would. The Jack I know is the most honorable man I’ve ever met. You’d go to your grave in order to save your country, the people you work with, or the woman you love.”

Diego’s words were heartfelt and much appreciated.

“Would you protect the man who both saved and tossed you away all over again?” I asked.

He inhaled in an exaggerated manner, holding in the breath for a few seconds before exhaling. “Not a chance.”

I patted him on the arm. “You’ll get the opportunity to exact revenge if that’s what you want to do.” From what we’d learned, Luis had gone underground, hiding from Fernando’s men. He’d resurface and if I knew Diego, he’d find a