“You’re frightened of me,” Stone stated in a dominating manner.

  “I’m frightened of very little.” Thank God I’d cuffed him.

  “You’re lying.”

  I turned around to face him, pointing the barrel of my gun against his chest. “I rarely lie. I’m not frightened of the likes of you.”

  A smile curled on the corner of his mouth, one of knowing.

  Hungering.

  I took a decided step back, yanking him with me and toward the doorway, giving the sheriff a nasty glare as he finally lumbered in my direction. I noticed the crowd was watching intently and slipped my gun back into the holster. Then I patted Stone down, yanking the Glock from the holster under his shirt.

  “You enjoy feeling me up, sweetheart?” Stone growled half under his breath.

  “I suggest you shut the fuck up or I might use this on you.” My retort might not be professional, but I knew the asshole needed to have a commanding tone. I also realized he was a very careful man, his training preventing him from being caught with his pants down.

  So to speak.

  I crouched down as the crowd continued to wrap around us, patting first one leg then the other. I could hear the snickers from the various burly men, the nasty comments about exactly where they’d like me to place my hands.

  Only if I had a metal vise in them.

  The second weapon was expertly hidden. Sighing, I jerked his jeans up a few inches, revealing the large hunter’s knife. “Interesting. Going hunting, Mr. Marks?”

  “Only for sweet things that taste delicious.”

  His remark only further pissed me off, but I was well aware he was goading me. I slipped the entire sheath behind my back, glaring at the few closest men. They really didn’t want to fuck with me right now. I’d had almost no sleep and the coffee in this town was terrible. Bitter. When I rose to my feet, I moved the fugitive closer to the door. The damn sheriff was grinning at me, his goofy expression a reminder of some bad Southern movie. Still, I kept my cool.

  There was no sense creating a scene or scaring the locals. Not for a piece of shit like Stone.

  “Well, well, little miss. I see you caught your man,” the sheriff spouted, winking.

  The fool actually winked at me.

  Cool it. Don’t get pissed off.

  That wouldn’t do me any good. “Really wasn’t that hard. I’m surprised you and your crack team hadn’t been able to do it.” A few snickers from the patrons definitely irritated the sheriff. “Now, I’m going to place him in your custody until I can charter a flight. I’m certain you can handle him.” Cooperation with the Spokane law enforcement had already been prearranged, but I’d tracked him further north to the sleepy little town. I’d made certain to have a brief conversation with the sheriff on my arrival, not that he was too keen on helping some unknown bounty hunter.

  Then I’d forced him to make a few phone calls and he’d changed his tune.

  The sheriff shook his head, a grin covering his face. “No can do, Ms. Rollins. We’re all full at the inn.”

  “I beg your pardon?” The asshole had to be kidding me. We were in the middle of a snowstorm. I wasn’t going to drive to another county hoping they would oblige a bounty hunter from several states away.

  “You heard me. Storms like this tend to bring out the violence. The jail is full. You should know many of the roads are shut down as well.”

  I could hear the slight chuckle coming from Stone’s mouth. I had to count to five in order to keep my voice down. “We had an arrangement.”

  “Blame that on Mother Nature. I can certainly hook you up with a charter service, an experienced pilot that might be able to get you out of here tomorrow if the storm breaks. That’s about all I can do. You’re going to have to hunker down for the night.”

  Hunker down.

  With a monster?

  I heard the words the sheriff was saying but the ringing in my ears matched the hard thumping of hammers behind my eyes. This was turning out to be a nightmare. “And exactly what am I supposed to do with the prisoner overnight?”

  “You seem to know how to handle yourself. You did rent one of those cabins I recommended, didn’t you?”

  Yeah, I’d rented a one-bedroom shack that had definitely seen better days. “Over my dead body.”

  “Then I don’t know what to suggest,” the sheriff mused, his attention drawn by apparently yet another brawl. “I’ll give the pilot your cell phone. Sorry but I have business to attend to.”

  I stood gawking at him as he walked into the crowd.

  The man had to be kidding me.

  “Seems like you’re stuck with me,” Stone said under his breath.

  I’d never been put in this kind of position before. Granted, this was only my third capture since accepting the position. Shit. Shit. Shit. “Just shut the hell up while I think.”

  “Where do you think I’m going to go?” he asked as he turned in my direction.

  I had another set of handcuffs in the rental Jeep, and enough ammunition to track him down if he ran. I could chain him to the bed or a chair, take away his boots and jacket. Even if he did try to escape, he certainly wouldn’t get very far. And the truth was, I’d shoot his ass if he dared try to fuck with me.

  Rules or no rules.

  History or no history.

  “Fine. Here’s how we’re going to play this. Instead of locking you up in my car, which is more than you deserve, you’re going to be a really good boy for me tonight. You give me any trouble and you’re going to find yourself with a bullet in your kneecap. Understood?”

  “I do so love threats from beautiful women.”

  What a piece of work. I dragged him through the crowd, resisting biting back at the sneers and catcalls. I’d had my share over the last few months.

  This was going to be one long ass night.

  * * *

  “Sit with your hands behind the chair,” I instructed after kicking the cabin door shut. I was shaking like a leaf and in truth, I doubted it had anything to do with the cold. The adrenaline was flowing, my head thumping and my wits ripped into shreds. When I called my boss, I knew the man was going to be pissed. I could only hope he was going to rip the sheriff a new one.

  Stone stood in the same spot, his eyes twinkling as if he held some kind of secret. “Aren’t you going to make me more comfortable, take my coat off?”

  “You don’t deserve any concept of comfort. Sit. The. Fuck. Down.”

  After a few seconds, he issued a low-slung growl, no doubt meant to scare me, but finally obeyed, the hard thump of his muscular body hitting the solid wood ringing in my ears.

  I gathered a whiff of him, some kind of cheap cologne mixed with the scent of pine, and nearly gagged. When I heard another chuckle I almost slammed the butt of my gun against his head. I knew he was trying to rattle me, the asshole. Well, he had another think coming. I’d been through a hell of a lot worse than wrestling with a criminal.

  The gun within reach, I removed one of the cuffs, winding it through the rungs of the heavy wooden chair before snapping the stainless steel back around his wrist. I gave it a hard tug, satisfied. There was no way for him to get away.

  Standing back, I rubbed my hands together before dragging the scarf from around my neck and dumping my coat onto the couch. Next, I unloaded his knife and gun, carefully easing both onto the coffee table. I’d tag and bag them later.

  After one tall drink.

  Stone studied me, those same gorgeous eyes raking down the length of my body. I’d never felt so undressed in my life, as if I was standing completely naked in front of him. Another round of images popped into my mind, the almost violent shiver threatening to give me away.

  I could hear the howling winds, tree limbs scratching at the window. I fought to keep from jumping every time that happened. I certainly wasn’t going to seem nervous around him.

  I was well trained, majoring in criminal justice and criminal psychology. I knew the way a man like Brax Marks thought, the burning need to rebel against those intent on incarcerating him. I also knew what he was capable of, acts of violence and brutality, even murder. He was as dirty as they came. The man would likely sell his soul for a profit.

  What the hell had happened to him? There had been no indication he was violent during our... heated round of sex. In fact, he’d been sweet, caring. What horror or tragedy had changed him?

  I had to remind myself that fifty k was on the line for a job well done. That would hopefully lead to other high-profile cases. The nerves were getting the better of me and I did something I wouldn’t ordinarily do in front of a perp. I poured a hefty amount of bourbon into a glass.

  He was still watching me, no doubt amused as I took a sip then a gulp. Well, fuck him. I had the upper hand. He finally seemed to grow bored of the spectacle in front of him, shifting his gaze to the perimeter.

  “You need a fire.” His words were out of the blue and strange as fuck.

  “We’ll be fine. We’re leaving bright and early,” I answered.

  “Suit yourself.”

  I was growing angry at his nasty tone. After taking another sip, my grip white-knuckled on the thick crystal, I put the glass down on the counter without smashing it. Yay, me. Then I grabbed my phone. The reception was even shittier than before. I could only pray the call went through. Thank God, it was ringing.

  “Frank?” I gave a sigh of relief. “I can barely hear you.” The man’s voice was garbled at first.” Why was Stone sneering at me? I turned in several directions until the signal became stronger, forced to crowd close to the wall. “Okay, that’s better. I got him.” Even my fingers were tingling. “Yeah, I know. Crazy. Anyway, I can’t get out until the morning.”

  Frank was far too giddy. We were a small firm, little fish in big waters. He’d taken a chance on hiring me, against just about everyone’s advice.

  “No, the sheriff is being an asshole, but he’s going to talk to a pilot. Big storm.” I realized that telling him I was housing the fugitive wasn’t in my best interest. I could explain all the gory details when the job was completed.

  “Okay, but look...” I wasn’t able to finish my sentence. The crackling on the line quickly went to dead air. “Fuck.” I held the phone to my head, still shaking.

  Still anxious.

  At least my boss knew all was well.

  I was prepared for the usual snide comments from Stone, ready to launch into him simply because he’d managed to get on my nerves.

  You mean under your skin.

  Not in this lifetime.

  Not again.

  No matter how delicious his cock had felt.

  At least I could get the guy a blanket.

  When you spend the majority of your career in law enforcement, your instinct is sometimes the only thing that keeps you alive. In a flash, I’d realized that I hadn’t paid enough attention to mine and I was going to pay for it.

  Whoosh!

  Bam!

  Chapter Two

  Harper

  “You shouldn’t have underestimated me, sweetheart,” Stone whispered, his husky words followed by a primal growl. “I’m very good at what I do. I’m also one dangerous fuck.”

  “As if I care?” I retorted, doing everything I could to get out of his firm grip. I hated to admit that I was terrified, doing everything I could to keep from showing it.

  “While you’re one fascinating woman, I’ll give you that, you’re no match for me.”

  “You’re a dead man. Do you know that? I’m going to rip out your throat and feed it a bear. Then I’ll really have some fun.” I struggled, hissing and kicking out as he dragged me off the floor and toward the kitchen table. The man was far too strong, picking me up like a bag of feed.

  “As I already told you, I do love threats. They fuel my fire. Did you honestly think a simple pair of handcuffs was going to keep me locked down like some fucking animal?”

  “You are a fucking animal!”

  He shoved me over the table, wrangling my arms behind my back and holding both in one hand, easily unsnapping my holster and placing the gun on the chair. “Interesting statement. You could be right. I think you’re the one who needs to learn self-control. You certainly don’t like playing by the rules. I’ve watched you over the last couple of days, determined to hunt me like a dog yet holding back. I wonder why that is.”

  His snicker was enough to fuel a different level of rage.

  “Fuck you.”

  “So you’ve already told me. You hunger for a man to control you, all those dark and kinky thoughts that elevate your senses.”

  “Asshole. You have no right to talk to me that way.” I kicked out, my boot managing to catch him smack in the groin.

  Huffing, he placed his massive palm on the small of my back, shoving me hard against the table. The pressure was enough that it cut my air flow. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Why?” I struggled to say, gasping afterwards. “Hurt your manhood? Or was... that already... stripped from you?” I managed to free one arm, clawing at the table. I’d left a knife on the cutting board from lunch. If only I could...

  He raked his arm across the table, tossing everything onto the floor. “You’re a very bad girl, Harper Rollins. I suggest you learn to obey my every command or there will be harsh consequences.”

  The snap of the cuffs going into place around my wrists drained a significant amount of fight, paralyzing fear settling in. Oh, God. Oh. God. “Fuck you!”

  “That’s not going to help you. In fact, I might have to teach you a lesson in submission.”

  What in the hell was the man saying? Blinking back tears, I did everything I could to regain the rage that had served me well over the last couple of years. “Yeah? Well, imagine when I plant the barrel of my gun in your mouth.” I struggled to catch a glimpse of him, watching in utter horror as he removed his jacket, making himself comfortable.

  Chuckling, the sound sending chills into my body, he slapped his hands on the table on either side of me before I had a chance to consider bolting. “And you know that’s not going to happen. If you’re a good girl, I’m going to keep you as my prisoner for a very. Long. Time.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “So you’ve already begged, sweetheart.”

  “Why are you doing this?” I asked. Nausea rolled into my stomach, hitting me hard.

  Stone fisted my hair, yanking my head back a few inches. He lowered his, blowing another swath of hot air across my face. “Because, sweetheart, I’m not going to be captured and taken to prison for something I didn’t do.” He ground his hips against my ass, sliding back and forth.

  The man was hard as a rock. Jesus. Even worse, I was aroused, my pussy aching, my nipples tiny pebbles. How could a horrible, disgusting man like this turn me on in any manner? Because you fantasized about him for years. Shaking, I sucked in my breath, refusing to fall into some crazy scheme of his. He wanted me on edge, nervous as a cat.

  Well, fuck him. I was much stronger mentally than he could ever be.

  If he had any remembrance of our time shared, I doubted he would be acting like such an animal. Then again, what if that single night allowed him the self-imposed authority to take me any way he pleased?

  “You’re out of your mind, Brax. You were caught in the act. Blood all over your hands. You’re a monster. A sinner. You will be brought to justice.”

  “Sins. Let’s talk about sins. You crossed state lines in order to snatch me, irritating the hell out of the local yokels. You interrupted a card game that I was winning. You wasted a glass of some damn good whiskey. And...” he allowed the word to linger, “you ignored my commands. I think you need to be punished for your sins. What do you think, sweetheart?”

  “Stop calling me that or I’m going to carve out your eyes with a spoon.”

  While Stone eased back, I could hear his ragged breathing.

  “You need stern discipline in your life,” he whispered savagely.

  “Yeah, well, you’re not the man to give it to me.” I realized I’d just issued a challenge.

  And he’d accepted.

  As he jerked me up from the table, his hands unfastening my jeans, I knew I’d fallen into some state of shock.

  “I think you’re going to realize differently after I give you one hard spanking.”

  “What?” I managed to whisper. No. No. this wasn’t going to happen. No freaking way. I did everything I could to get out of his hold, breathless by the time he wrapped his fingers around the waistband of my jeans. “Don’t do this. No. Please.”

  “You should have thought about that before,” he huffed and with a hard yank, my jeans were past my knees.

  The only protection left? A thin string of material. I was mortified, heat rushing to my face. I opened my mouth to retort, scream, anything but there was dead silence, my throat cinched closed. Everything around me swirled as the nightmare took on another level.

  “Somehow, I don’t think you need these any longer. Do you?” Another dark chuckle. Another heavy breath. He slid the tip of a single finger down the crack of my ass.

  I was aware when he wrapped that same finger around the tiny bit of elastic, my heart racing, stars floating in front of my eyes. Everything became one giant blur, my eyes no longer able to focus. A quick snap of his hand, two seconds of the sound of ripping material and my bottom was fully, utterly, shamelessly bared.

  Oh, please. Oh, please. Oh, please.

  There was no amount of prayers that was going to stop the brute, no begging that he would listen to. He’d captured me and I had no doubt what he was going to do.

  Whip me.

  Use me.

  Fuck me.

  I could only hope that he would decide to keep me alive.

  “What... What are you... Doing?” The little voice that came out of my body was nothing like the persona I’d built, fighting to regain some level of respect after so much deceit and lies. I’d been reduced down to nothing more than a helpless girl, not a black belt or a specialty trained sniper.