“Boring.”

  “Yeah, but used more than once by his opponents. If you want something juicy, then be careful how you think about using it. There was an incident with a young girl. She was seventeen and supposedly he didn’t know it. There was a huge party, all his buddies there, and one thing led to another.”

  “How old was he?”

  “Well, the interesting thing was that he had buddies able to help sweep it under the rug, the girl’s mother happy to accept a hefty payment in exchange for signing a non-disclosure agreement.”

  I mulled over what he’d just told me. If I had a quarter for every politician who’d been caught with an underage girl, I’d be even richer. It wasn’t enough to matter to anyone, or at least it shouldn’t. “What about the guy in Jasmine’s room? Was he ever identified?”

  He seemed almost uncomfortable. “That took some digging. The answer is not officially. However, there were some rumors it was a buddy of yours.”

  I could tell by the grin on his face he was kidding. “Who?”

  “Jameson Bishop.”

  Well, fuck. I was taken completely aback. “How the fuck did they know each other?”

  “You’d be surprised about that group of friends. I gathered everything I have and sent it to you. It’s not a smoking gun but it’s volatile.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. I take it Jasmine doesn’t know.”

  “Remains to be seen. As with any other political arena, rumors might fly but when you have a powerful group of friends behind you, shit gets shoved under the carpet.”

  One reason I loathed politics so much. “The twisted game of evil men.”

  “You should know.”

  “Very funny.”

  “There’s one more player you should know about.”

  I could tell whoever it was should trouble me. “And?”

  “Santini Demage.”

  “Well, fuck,” I finally said out loud. Honestly, the news didn’t surprise me, nor did it feel that disturbing. My father had groomed a mafia man or two in his lifetime. However, it would seem all the parties were coming together in a way that I doubted any of them liked. Or they were simply looking the devil in the eyes. I really didn’t give a shit either way.

  As long as Jasmine was left to enjoy her life the way she wanted without interference.

  “Yeah, some crazy stuff in this world,” Jack said.

  “I appreciate you finding what you have.”

  “You know Santini is dangerous.”

  “And I’m not?” I asked, growling from seeing Jasmine’s provocative wave before obviously winning another hand. What the hell was I going to do with the woman and her… cheating ways?

  “You know what I mean, Brax. There’s word on the street that Jasmine is considered a valuable commodity. With those photographs surfacing of the two of you together, innocent or not, there is no doubt you have a target on your back.”

  “Such is life. I need to get back to her.”

  “Maggie. It also took some digging, but it appears she’s the daughter of a rival. She was hiding her identity but that might be why she was fired.”

  Things were starting to make sense. “Excellent. Now, I need to go.” I doubted Jasmine knew the girl’s true identity.

  “Wait. I need to show you something. I don’t know what it means but it’s worth you looking at.” He pulled up his device, getting to a secure network. Within seconds, he’d found a DC news broadcast.

  As I listened to the reporter, images floated back and forth from one important street and neighborhood to another. The reason for the heavy police presence was unanswered, although it would appear reporters had been trying. “What the hell?”

  “Like I said, I don’t know but I have an itchy feeling there’s something going on that has more to do with politics than typical crime. I have feelers out but even I’ve hit a dead end.”

  Something stuck in my craw, a feeling that I knew wouldn’t go away. “Just keep me informed.”

  “You’ll be the first to know. Enjoy your evening with that beautiful woman. And, by the way, the suntan looks damn good on you, buddy.”

  All I could do was laugh.

  Jasmine

  Maybe I just enjoyed living by the seat of my pants, risking it all for that taste of danger that had always excited me. That’s why I continued to push buttons, including with Braxton.

  If he’d known I’d conned a couple of the hapless older men, he hadn’t said a peep. I guess a part of me had simply wanted to defy him to see what he would do. Now we were back in the villa doing one of my favorite things, gazing at the ocean.

  He was in the process of removing his tuxedo jacket and tie, tossing them aside without his eyes ever leaving me.

  “What?” I finally asked.

  “You were breathtaking tonight, the belle of the ball.”

  “I don’t know about that. There are some beautiful women eager to surrender to ugly old men.”

  “Hey,” he taunted, slowly removing his black onyx and diamond cufflinks. Every time he was dressed up, I sensed multiple thousands of dollars. “Careful what you say, my little koala. A lot of those men are my age.”

  “As I said. Old.”

  He shook his head, appreciating the banter as much as I had up to this point.

  Being given the privilege of seeing him in a cheap pair of swim trunks had been a sheer joy, a favorite memory. But you could take the man out of money; you couldn’t take the money out of a man.

  At least he was the sexiest eye candy around. I realized I was dragging the tip of my tongue back and forth across my bottom lip in appreciation. He certainly noticed as he started unbuttoning his shirt.

  “You are one bad girl, but I do adore that about you. Why don’t you slip into the shower?”

  “Am I a dirty girl too?”

  He took several deep breaths. “Let’s just say the ocean was invigorating and it’s hard to ignore the passionate effects.”

  “Does that mean you’ll join me?”

  “Perhaps.”

  I kicked off my heels and headed for the bathroom, stopping just outside the door to peel off the strapless dress I’d selected to wear. As I left it on the floor, I noticed he was shaking his head as if he had something up his sleeve.

  Why did that excite me so much?

  The bathroom was huge, more so than I would ever have believed. It was insanely gorgeous, the shower built for two. Or four.

  After starting the water, I placed one foot on the edge of the sink, slowly rolling the dark thigh high down my leg. I hadn’t worn them in ages, but it had felt right with the dress. As I did so, I studied my reflection. The warm glow of the sun floating across my skin had added a shimmer. My eyes were brighter than usual, the amazing day exactly what I’d needed.

  However, I had a bad sense something was about to go down. It was simply a feeling in my gut, a haunting premonition that I hadn’t been able to shove aside. With steam already rising from the shower, I rolled my hands down my chest, pinching my nipples as I adored him doing. His heated reflection caught my attention. Just the way his eyes were hooded was a telltale sign of the fiery hunger still building between us.

  I didn’t say a word before entering the shower, immediately standing under one of the two showerheads. With the shower door glass slightly frosted, it was impossible to know exactly what he was doing.

  As I raked my hands through my hair, I listened for any sounds. He was being far too quiet, which unnerved me. At least I could tell he was getting rid of the rest of his unwanted clothes. The thought always made my mouth water. I had my eyes closed, enjoying the soothing sensations of the water when I felt a cool breeze.

  Around him, all I seemed to be able to do was smile.

  His breathing was already ragged, the powerful man exuding more sensuality in his pinky than most men had in their entire bodies. Even the way he brushed the rough pads of his fingertips down my back created the kind of tingling that few women ever experienced. For a ruthless man, his gentleness continued to surprise me.

  But I sensed something was troubling him. I’d learned enough about him to know that he was tense.

  “What is it?” I asked, as if expecting he’d tell me his business. The resort was full of rich, powerful people, some of them likely criminals. That was the way of the world now. Wasn’t it? If you wanted to get ahead, you stepped on someone. How could I criticize him after learning early on my father wasn’t on the up and up?

  It didn’t matter. I wasn’t marrying the man. I was enjoying a good time before real life came back into play. I couldn’t stay in paradise forever.

  I was mildly stunned when he wrapped his hand around every stand of my wet hair, yanking on my head.

  “It would seem according to one of my dealers that you couldn’t help yourself. You just had to run a con or two.”

  “Oops.” I don’t know why I’d believed I could get away with it. The man noticed everything. Or he had hired flunkies telling him every detail of what was happening.

  “Oops. Mmm… Were you aware one of the men you conned was a multiple Oscar-winning director of some of the most notable films of our time?”

  “Oops again,” I whispered, noticing his hold was tightening.

  “Uh-huh. I’ve sent him an invitation to the island several times over the years. This was the first time be brought his fiancée with him and was considering a membership. Oh, and the girl he was with is likely to be the next ‘it’ girl. Now I am likely going to need to tell him that he isn’t such a horrible gambler after all. I should require you to do that as a part of your penance.”

  Every time he used words like discipline and punishment, I shuddered all the way to my core.

  “I thought it was his daughter.” I sensed he was amused but still a tiny bit angry with me.

  He chuckled in that same seductive, dangerous way I’d heard so often. “Nice try, koala bear. I think it’s about time we formally dealt with all your infractions now that you seem to be completely on the mend.”

  “But I was in a horrific accident just a few hours ago.” I even coughed for effect.

  “My little drama queen.”

  When he pulled a wooden bath brush from the specially designed area meant for all things shower related, I sucked in my breath. Of course he was having the time of his life, twirling it in front of me.

  “Not just for hot showers any longer.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “How many times do I need to remind you of the same thing? Life isn’t always fair, but we do often receive consequences based on our bad decisions.”

  He wasn’t in the mood to hesitate, his wrist audibly cracking as he brought the thick wooden head against my backside. Not once. Not twice but four times.

  I was stunned by the heightened pain, the shock keeping me mute but my eyes filled with tears instantly. When I finally said a single word in a tiny voice, he had the nerve to chuckle all over again. “Ouch.”

  “Spankings are meant to hurt or they wouldn’t do any good. And… The effects of water exacerbates a spanking by about five fold.”

  “You bastard. You set me up with the shower.”

  “Guilty as charged. Now, be a good little girl and accept your harsh punishment.”

  It wasn’t a choice, the man bringing the brush down several times in rapid succession. He was having a damn good time making me feel like a disobedient child, continually swirling the implement of doom before starting another volley all over again.

  I was forced to plant my hands on the granite wall to keep myself from sliding down to the shower basin. Plus, the force he used was driving me forward.

  The agony continued, the crazy ragged sound of my breathing just about the only sound I could make. He was elongating the event, ensuring I would have a difficult time sitting for God knew how long. But even as tears slipped from my lashes, the crazy woman inside of me watching as they slipped into the drain, the deep throbbing in my pussy continued.

  Lordy. Lordy. The steam was sweltering but it was the spanking that was pushing me over the edge. I had no idea how long the harsh round of punishment lasted but my bottom was as overheated as my libido.

  He finished the painful round with four brutal strikes that had me clawing the tiles. I pressed my face against the cool surface material, doing my best to regroup and catch my breath. I knew he had yet to satisfy his needs. That was proven when he drove his cock deep into my pussy.

  As much as I adored the feel of his cock, the way my body responded when he held me, this time his whispered words meant more than any of it.

  “You’re not going anywhere, little koala. I meant what I said. You now belong to me.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Braxton

  It was early on the West Coast, which meant if I was a decent brother, I’d wait to call either Valerio or Gage. Not that I’d call myself decent in any regard, especially today since I’d remained awake half the night trying to find answers as to what was going on in DC.

  Even the couple of buddies I had working in the justice system had been tight lipped. That meant I should consider it an issue, whatever it was. Since when had anyone in Washington, DC been tight lipped about anything?

  After the few sleepless hours, I was standing on the deck furthest away from the bedroom we now shared, doing everything I could to protect her from whatever this was. I’d searched the internet endlessly, but even several hours later, obtaining anything worthwhile seemed hopeless.

  The moment my phone rang, I answered without bothering to look at the screen. “Yes? I mean Braxton Royal.”

  “Either you’re up early or you didn’t get any sleep.” Jack’s voice sounded as exhausted as I felt.

  “Both. You found something.”

  He sighed and instantly, the hair stood up on the back of my neck.

  “What, Jack? I know there’s something going on.”

  “Yeah, there is. A goddamn coup.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t know what you expected to find or who you needed to destroy but there’s no need to bother any longer.”

  Swallowing, my gut told me a tragedy had occurred, not that I’d label the man’s death that at this point. “He’s dead.”

  “Not just him. He and his buddies, including a judge, were killed last night. Taken out in their own homes.”

  I took a deep breath, rubbing my eyes. “Shit.”

  “One of the other victims is none other than Secretary Bishop.”

  “What in the fuck is going on?”

  Jack snorted. “I don’t know, buddy, but the conspiracy theories are already going nuts. Before you ask, no criminal element had claimed responsibility and from what one of my friends told me, there’s no evidence whatsoever at this point. Of course, forensics is still keeping a tight lip, but I got this from the horse’s mouth.”

  I hadn’t told Jack about the second worn little black book my father had kept but my gut told me that everyone who had been killed in this massacre was on the list. With my father dead, did that mean someone else was finishing where my father had left off?

  “Fucking great,” I said under my breath. How was I supposed to tell Jasmine her father was dead? “Is Jade Sinclair alive?”

  “Yeah, shaken and she was tied up and beaten but whoever was responsible left her alive. As you might imagine, she’s under police protection at this point. I doubt I’m going to get much more additional information. Besides the rules within the State Department, the FBI, CIA, I’ll guess even the president are involved; you can bet information is going to be on lockdown from here on out.”

  “To be expected. If you hear anything, let me know. Including who might be behind this.”

  “I’ll keep my ear to the ground. One piece of advice. I don’t know exactly what you’re in the middle of since you can’t seem to trust me but stay clear of it for now. Not only because you hold power that people will always want to crush if possible, but because there’s always a chance someone is attempting to tie up loose ends.”

  “I get that. I really do.”

  “I hope so. I don’t want to attend your damn funeral, buddy. It would put a huge damper on my life.”

  He was still laughing even after the call was ended.

  Meanwhile, I continued to stare out at the ocean as if the waves and turquoise blue water would provide some sense of answers. Or at least a decent way to tell the woman I wanted to keep her family had been ripped apart. Normally, I didn’t care about being the bearer of bad news. I often enjoyed the hell out of doing so with anyone daring to stand in my way, but this was different.

  This felt personal even if I’d had the same desire to destroy the man myself. After the day before, everything had changed, including how I felt about her.

  I couldn’t avoid the ugliness. Tragedies had a way of breaching every surface, no matter how hard someone tried to suppress it. I headed into the living room, still uncertain of how I was going to broach the subject.

  The closer I came to the bedroom we’d shared, the more my hackles were raised. What was that noise?

  After a few seconds, I threw open the door. Seeing the television turned on in the bedroom for the first time shocked the hell out of me. But witnessing the news playing over and over again, Jasmine’s shoulders slumping as she sobbed was another moment that cut through me like a sharp knife.

  The broadcast was horrible, the reporter going over details that shouldn’t have been mentioned, including the names of the victims. I walked further inside, trying not to allow my anger to get the best of me.

  She tensed the moment she sensed I was close, turning around seconds later to show me her tearstained face. As she opened her mouth twice in an attempt to speak, something finally broke free within me and I took two long strides forward, gathering her into my arms.

  “He’s… dead,” she managed in between sobs as she clung to me.

  “I heard, baby. Your mother is going to be okay.”

  “How can she be okay? Her husband was just murdered.” She was going through the range of emotions, her words stilted and at times, almost unrecognizable.