Table of Contents

  Books by Aliyah Burke

  Title Page

  Legal Page

  Book Description

  Dedication

  Trademark Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

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  About the Author

  Totally Bound Publishing books by Aliyah Burke

  Single Books

  Through The Fire

  Seducing Damian

  Code of Honour

  A Marriage of Convenience

  The Lieutenant’s Ex-Wife

  A Man Like No Other

  When Stars Collide

  In Aeternum

  Casanova in Training

  Harbour of Refuge

  Protected by Shadows

  Polar Opposites

  Theta Corps

  Restitution

  Contrition

  Vindication

  Interludes

  Temporary Home

  Alone With You

  Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore

  The Edge

  Called Home to The Edge

  Straying to The Edge

  Returning to The Edge

  Cuffed at The Edge

  The Monroe Sisters

  Need You Now

  Let Me Go

  I Won’t Say Goodbye

  Heart’s Compass

  The Princess and the Marquess

  Flight of the Hawk

  The Earl’s Spark

  Keeper of the Stars

  Part One

  Part Two

  Part Three

  Part Four

  Part Five

  Astral Guardians

  Chasing the Storm

  Highlands at Dawn

  Fields of Thunder

  Branded by Frost

  Driven by Night

  Moon of Fire

  Family Forever

  Don’t You Wanna Stay?

  Love and Moonshine

  First You Dream

  Billionaire Brothers

  Saving Rhodes

  Lost Rhodes

  What’s her Secret?

  Preconception

  Collections

  A Little Bit Cupid: This Ain’t No Love Story

  My Bloody Valentine: Perfect Duet

  With Taige Crenshaw

  Single Title

  Unbreakable Bonds

  Kemet Uncovered

  Talios

  Devi

  Linc

  Saffron

  Taber

  Ashia

  Billionare Brothers

  DANGEROUS RHODES

  ALIYAH BURKE

  Dangerous Rhodes

  ISBN # 978-1-80250-809-3

  ©Copyright Aliyah Burke 2023

  Cover Art by Kelly Martin ©Copyright June 2023

  Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

  Totally Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2023 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

  Totally Bound Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

  If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book”.

  Book three in the

  Billionaire Brothers series

  It’s dangerous to ignore what’s right in front of you.

  He lives in obscurity and is better called a shadow.

  Hastings Rhodes spends his days with his boots on the ground of foreign countries. Yet the moment he gets the terrible news about one of his best friends, he heads back. To get the answers he demands, he’ll need Violet Wentz, the beautiful organizer.

  A boon for a family member has put her in a difficult situation.

  Violet expected some hassle getting the project off the ground, but a vile senator and a grumpy but guarding military man weren’t on the list. With the senator making threats, she realizes she has to put aside her own personal feelings and work with the sexy, protective Hastings.

  Two opposites have to learn to work together to each get what they want.

  Hastings discovers that neither his name nor his job is a plus for this woman, and she has thick walls around her heart. Getting in will be more dangerous than any mission he’s been on. Once in, he plans on staying forever.

  Dedication

  To those who have come before paving the way for us who are following! Thank you!! As always, to the men and women of the Armed Forces. You have my eternal gratitude for the endless sacrifices you make!

  Trademark Acknowledgements

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Marriott: Marriott Worldwide Corporation

  Pepsi: PepsiCo Inc.

  Ranger Rover: Jaguar Land Rover Limited private company

  Styrofoam: Dow Chemical Company

  Tennessee Whiskey: Dean Dillion, Linda Hargrove

  C-17: Boeing Management Company

  Hemi: FCA US LLC

  Chapter One

  “If you can’t do it, I suggest you get the person who can give me some fucking answers down here!”

  The venom in those words had Violet pausing as she stepped in through the doorway of the renovated building, out of the pouring rain. Welcome Home would be officially opening its doors in nearly four weeks, and she’d been roped into coming out here by family, nonetheless, to help them smooth over the final bumps.

  From the sounds of things, there are plenty of bumps. She pushed her hood back from her head, freeing her curls and took a deep breath. No one waited for her, not that there was a front desk being manned yet, but still, they knew she was coming.

  Chances were the person she needed was in the room with the yelling grump.

  “Sir, there’s no need for that language.”

  “Then do your fucking job.”

  Oh, hell no!

  She wasn’t going to put up with that. Marching over the spotless beige-tiled floor, she entered the doorway and found two men in there, squaring off. Two who couldn’t be more different from each other.

  The man behind the desk, whose lean body was draped in white leather pants and a bright orange shirt, stood his ground, but even from the doorway Violet could tell he wasn’t a fan of the situation. And she didn’t blame him. His voice was one she’d heard a few times when she had called out here prior to her arrival. This was Paul Hemmor.

  Yelling Man was built, a goddamn brunet Viking. Broad shoulders that looked like he could pull one of their longboats single-handedly were draped in a black leather jacket with a hood of dark charcoal-gray. As she stood behind the man, she took a quick—not so quick—perusal of him. Even his hair, that long collection of dark chocolatey strands with a few hints of rust in it, looked incredible. He had it gathered up in a man bun, but that in no way distracted from his sexiness.

  Powerful legs encased in dark denim and an ass that—Christ!—could probably crack a walnut. He stood with his legs shoulder-width apart and arms crossed as he faced down Paul, who probably weighed half his muscled weight.

  She hated bullies.

  “May I help you, sir?” she asked while she maneuvered herself into the room, past him and around the desk. Without ceremony, she dropped her large pack on the floor by her feet and gave Paul at her side a reassuring smile. Then she gazed at the man across from them and lost her breath.

  And I thought the back side was delicious. This man was every fucking desire she’d ever had, all rolled into one.

  “Who are you?” he growled.

  Patting Paul on the arm, she took a much-needed moment for regrouping and said quietly, “I’ve got this from here, Paul. We’ll catch up after.”

  He nodded then took two steps away from her only to stop. “Are you sure you want me to leave you alone?”

  The with him wasn’t spoken but definitely implied.

  “I’ll
be fine.” Dismissing him, she faced a man she would on any other day want to climb like a tree. Okay, today wasn’t an exception, she still wanted to do that, but he had the manners of a jackass.

  She plastered on her work face and looked once more at the man before her. Objectively, this time. He was a dangerous one for sure.

  “What’s the problem, sir?”

  His dark scowl was focused completely on her. She wasn’t scared, she’d been before more than her fair share of bullies. He skimmed her with his flinty gaze, the graphite hue heating to molten for the briefest of seconds before it hardened once more.

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  “I’m the one in charge around here and the one who is going to have you removed from the premises if you keep on with that language.”

  He raised one thick eyebrow. “How do you expect to do that?”

  Smile not slipping an inch, she sat in the chair and rolled it closer to the desk. “I don’t have a lot of time, so either get to the point of what is bothering you or leave.”

  Interesting how dark stormy eyes can get thunderheads in them. This man, whoever he was, didn’t like being challenged. Or refused.

  “Evan Winter.”

  She knew the name, had read about it in the files she’d been sent. But she also didn’t give out information to just anyone. Especially when she didn’t have much.

  “Nothing to say?” He placed his hands on the desk, glowering down at her.

  “You didn’t ask a question.” She leaned forward, positively refusing to back down from his challenge. “You stated a name.”

  He narrowed his eyes further, and she felt the searing burn from his glare.

  “Do you know him?”

  “Not personally, no, but I know the name. And let me stop you before you even get started. Welcome Home isn’t about giving out personal information on our people, so I won’t tell you if he’s here.”

  “I’m a friend of his.”

  His nostrils flared, and she assumed his jaw clenched but she wasn’t able to tell with that beard covering his lower face.

  “Tell me what you know,” he growled at her.

  She didn’t know a damn thing, not beyond that Evan had been found beaten and near death. There were rumors of drugs. Right now, the man was in an induced coma at the hospital to allow his body to begin the healing process.

  “Why don’t you tell me what you know, Mr…”

  “Rhodes.”

  What are the chances this man has the same name as my brother-in-laws? Or is that brothers-in-law? Oh well, not like it’s not a common name.

  “Start talking.”

  “You know, being all growly and childish isn’t going to get you the results you want any faster. Try being adult about this and talk to me, not yell, curse or anything like that at me.”

  She was getting to him, if that twitch at the corner of his right eye was any indication. At least she was sitting down so he couldn’t see her clenching her thighs together like she needed to use them to keep her on the damn pole between her legs.

  Great, now she was thinking of a pole between her legs. More than that, his pole.

  Another growl, panty-soaking, if she were thinking about things like that—which she decidedly wasn’t—rolled up from his throat.

  “You will tell me everything you know about the assholes who put him where he is. What happens after that, little girl, you don’t have to worry about.”

  Little girl.

  Hot or not, this man is a fucking ass.

  And her temper, which had been simmering since she’d walked into this clusterfuck, boiled over. Hands on her desk, she got to her feet and glared over the hard expanse at him.

  “Little girl?” She drew in a swift breath, and cursed herself because she was instantly surrounded by a heady masculine scent that didn’t help anything below her nose. “If this is how you speak to people, no wonder you’re not getting the answers you want. I’m going to ask you to leave now, Mr. Rhodes, and if you decline to take me up on my generous offer of walking out the door on your own, well, that’s fine because I will just call the cops and have them remove you from here.”

  He ground his jaw and leaned closer. “Do you have any fucking idea who I am?”

  “Besides an overgrown, ill-mannered prick? No, and not only that but, newsflash, I don’t give a fuck. Get out.”

  The gorgeous Viking opened his mouth but snapped it shut when the door behind them burst open. Violet was shocked at how fast he moved. Not just spinning around to face the doorway but to put himself in front of her, almost like he was protecting her.

  “Where the fuck is my son?” a graveled voice demanded.

  Edging sideways to see around the extremely broad back of the man in front of her, she saw an older man standing there, his hawkish face red. She wasn’t sure if it was weather related, anger or something else. But his suit was damn expensive-looking, as was the trench coat draped over his thin shoulders.

  His watery blue gaze latched onto her. “Are you the one responsible for his getting hurt? I’ll shut this place down.”

  I’m killing my sister for this.

  “Hold on a minute.” She began moving away from the living wall in front of her.

  Or so she’d thought. He moved with her.

  “Mind your tone speaking to her.” The warning was low and dangerous.

  “Do you know who I am?” the newcomer demanded.

  “I do. You’re Senator Hayes. Evan Winter’s sperm donor.”

  Well, shit, she’d not expected that response. At all.

  Hasting Rhodes wasn’t a nice man. Hadn’t ever pretended to be otherwise. He’d grown up the youngest of three boys whose father had taken it upon himself to make their lives a living hell. On the outside they were perfect. Billionaire family, connections that couldn’t be beat.

  Behind closed doors, however, their father had shown them his true face. Abusive in all the ways—emotionally, physically, and verbally. Having grown up seeing his two older siblings doing their best to protect him and being unable to do a damn thing about it, he’d sworn he would get bigger and stronger. To never be in that situation again.

  And he had. He now served in the military in a special ops group that operated so far into the black they answered directly to the president. No one else, although many had tried to give their group orders.

  No longer the little, scared boy he’d been, Hastings had pretty much cut himself off from his family. Sure, he spoke to his brothers on the rare occasion, but he definitely kept his distance. When he’d gotten injured last year and had been flown home, he’d seen them both once before he’d vanished again. Something he excelled at doing. To say he had been shocked when he’d got the notification his brother Bradford had left a message for him would have been an understatement. Regardless, he’d not gotten it right away.

  And had been kicking himself since. One of the men he’d served with who had suffered a TBI—traumatic brain injury—had gotten out of the service. As happened, Hastings had lost contact with the man once he’d hit stateside. Bradford’s message about Evan had chilled his blood in more ways than one.

  Not only had his friend and fellow warrior been attacked and was now in a coma, but he’d also been living on the streets as a homeless man. Hastings had headed for California immediately, determined to get answers.

  “I’m his father.”

  The sneer yanked him from thoughts of the past.

  “Evan is one of my best friends. You’re his sperm donor.” He shifted again, keeping the woman out of the line of fire.

  It was one thing for him to yell, because he knew he’d never lay a hand on her, but this man? The stories he’d heard about him put the senator on par with his own sperm donor. And that brought one conclusion—he would be up on murder charges if they came true because he wouldn’t allow this man to lay a hand on her.

  “I’m a senator and I deserve respect.”

  Hastings growled and took a step forward, only to stop when the woman—he still didn’t know her name—placed a hand on his arm and stepped between them.