Debt Collector's Due, page 1
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Cover Artist: Shyla Colt
©Shyla Colt, 2019
Debt Collector’s Due
Shyla Colt
Blurb
I’ve been beaten, stabbed, shot, and nearly buried alive as I worked my way up the ladder from underling to a made-man. My only regret in the twenty-some year journey is leaving the woman I love behind. Athena Douglas was the boss’s daughter. Charged with her care, I knew better than to get involved, but I couldn’t say no to her pouty lips, and big brown eyes. I nearly lost my life over her. For years an ocean has separated us. Now her father is calling in one final favor, save his daughter. How can I say no?
Chapter One
Alfie
Ifan Redd walked into the office like a zombie. His tan skin had a pasty undertone, and his blue eyes were wide and dilated. Alfie Bowring narrowed his gaze and searched for further signs of drug use or intoxication. It was just after lunchtime, but his mate could hold his liquor like a champ. It’d take more than a few pints at the pub to make him behave so strangely.
“Whas amatta, If? We got a problem with one of the boy's collections?” He’d been legit for the past five years with his debt collecting company. They took care of the shite other people couldn’t or didn’t want to. It was a good life. One that allowed him to use his past reputation for more than death and destruction.
“A phone call just came in. There’s a man on hold for you.”
“Alright. Who is it, then?” Alfie asked.
“That’s the thing, mate. It’s Porter Douglas.”
Rage exploded inside him like an atomic bomb, mushrooming up and consuming every inch of him in his wake. His body shook. He balled his fists to keep from destroying everything on his desk. He ground his teeth and cracked the bones in his neck.
“Patch him through, and give me the room,” he said quietly. There are things a man has to do alone.
“Are you sure?” Ifan says as he hesitates in the doorway.
My chest heaves, and my breath quickens. The blood in my veins feels more like lava as heat rises up inside me. Porter Douglas has been back in my life for less than a minute, and Ifan is already treating me like I’m going to have a breakdown. “Do I need to tell you twice?”
Ifan slips out of the room, and my phone lights up.
I’ve thought of this moment for years. What I’d say if I ever got the chance. Now I’m struck mute and dumb as my mind goes blank. I grip the phone so hard the plastic protests with a creak. Hours in the gym have made me a formidable man. I have to keep in shape and stay one step ahead of the crooks I’m after. If you showed any weakness in this business, they’ll exploit it, and hollow you out like a pumpkin.
I bow my head and take a few deep breaths, steadying my nerves as I regain my composure. The man in control was the one who holds power. I’ve proved myself and built my own empire. I’m worthy of the same respect Porter demands. The thought cools my blood lust. In the end, Porter conceded to me. Amused by the thought, I pick up the receiver.
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t hang up this phone on you, old man.”
“Athena needs you.”
The name is a sledgehammer to the sternum. Images of large milk chocolate-colored eyes fringed with dark lashes, shimmering with tears, and filled with pain flickered in my mind.
“You don’t even deserve to speak her name to me.”
“Perhaps not. But you’re listening to me now, aren’t you?”
Shrewd. “Speak.”
“My time is over. A man can only hold the top position for so long. I accepted this when I began. My number’s finally getting called in, and I choose to go down with the ship. She can’t be here when that happens. I know the drill. They’ll come in, clean house and convert the ones they think will be loyal. The sheep. I can’t take my last breathe knowing my daughter’s about to be another man’s slave. She’d be nothing more than a toy to be ridiculed and abused. We both know she deserves better than that.”
“She always has,” I spat. I’m not moved by the old man’s sudden change of heart. This is his swan song. He means to assuage his guilt before he leaves this world. It’d take a hell of a lot more than this last-ditch effort to keep her safe to do that. He treated her more like a possession than a child. It always rubbed me the wrong way. If I had a child, they’d know they were my world.
“Yes. You’re right.”
“Look I’m not buying what you’re trying to sell here—
“I can see all the mistakes I’ve made now. Don’t make her suffer for what I did.”
“Uh-huh. You’re telling me this looking for what mate? Forgiveness?” I snort. “I’ve none to give you.”
“I didn’t expect you to. This is about Athena.”
I close my eyes and rub my right temple to ease the ache beginning to set in. “And you think she’ll leave everything she’s built behind, why? We both know she’s stubborn as a mule.”
“I’m not giving her a choice. I’ll send the information that tells you when and where she’ll arrive and how she can retrieve her money. Make sure you’re ready for that. She can’t ever come back, Bowring. If she does, she’ll be a pawn. A symbol of the old god that fell. They’ll break her and parade her living carcass around.”
I don’t respond. He’s right about this. “What do you want me to do? Hold her prisoner? Make a new cage for her to live in?”
“No, create her a new life so good she won’t miss the old one.”
“This is a mess you made. You leave it at my feet and expect me to clean it up?” I snarl.
“Was your love for Athena so fleeting?”
The words piss me off further. “You don’t get to feign concern now. Too little too late.”
He continues, ignoring my barbs. The move drove home the seriousness of the situation. He always had to have the last word and prove his dick was bigger. This isn’t a ruse or paranoia. He’s certain about this takeover. I sit up straighter in my chair. Athena is in real danger. “Do you understand what it means if you agree to this. She’ll be your responsibility going forward. Yours to care for.”
“You’re a right fecking git. Ya know I won’t deny her this.”
He chuckles. “I did. I’ll be in touch.”
The dial tone in my ear signals the end of our conversation. I slam the phone down and run my hand over my face.
Ten Years Earlier
I unlock the door and slip into the front door of the three-bedroom high-rise apartment. I quickly enter the security code and get a beep of confirmation before I re-arm it. The smell of roses that permeates the air and the homey setting flip a switch inside me. I’m home and free to be myself. I allow my guard to lower, relax my muscles, and soak in the gentle atmosphere that’s become a refuge. My life is complicated, stressful, and bloody. A man needs an outlet.
I distance myself from the interrogation I’d completed hours ago. I place the persona most fear aside and let the one rarely seen come to the forefront. Compartmentalizing is the only way to remain sane with all the blood I have on my hands. Shrugging off my jacket, I wince slightly as my muscles protest. Heavy from the punishing blows I’d rained down, they’re screaming at me now. Along with my red, inflamed knuckles. I bend down and slowly unlaced my boots. I step out of them and leave them beside the coat stand where I hang my jacket.
I roll my shoulders and navigate the home in the dark. I know every piece of furniture in my path. I pause in the doorway to admire the sight of the woman who holds my heart. Asleep, her oval-shaped face is a work of art. From her full parted lips to her high cheek bones, long slender nose, and the thick coal-black hair, she'd braided. She’s breath-taking. Her sienna-colored skin glows with health, and the goodness she houses inside her. A port in the storm, she keeps my head from growing overcrowded, and my heart from turning cold and black.
I’d seen that happen to men like him who have nothing else to keep them from crossing over the edge. Our relationship sprung from nowhere. I worked for her father since she was twenty, watched her blossom, and kept her safe. Then she turned twenty-three, and the chemistry between us ignited. I tried and failed miserably to stay away from her before I gave in to the powerful pull.
Padding over the cherry wood floor, I move to the bed. Perched beside her, I run my sensitive knuckles over her soft cheek, ignoring the smarting. The pain the gesture caused is worth the reward.
She mumbles in her sleep.
"Alfie?"
"Better be."
A smile curves the corners of her lip up. Her eyelids flutter as she fights against sleep. "Are you really here? Or is this another dream?"
"I’m here, Princess." It's been weeks since we’ve been able to be together like this.
"Mmmm. I missed you." She leans into my touch, and my heart skips a beat. I can kill a man without batting an eyelash, yet this woman makes me tremble like a child frightened of a thunderstorm. She strips me to my barest form and pulls things out I thought were long gone.
She opens her eyes and gasped. "Alfie. Are you hurt?"
"No." I shake my head. This is nothing I haven’t dealt with before. "Just need you." I bent down and captured her lips, ready to drown in everything she represented.
In a world of violence, power plays, and pain, she’s my heaven. Athena Douglas is a personal nirvana I’d kill to protect. A clean, pure, soft thing to bury myself in. She sees the man beneath the monster. I cup her face and sample the sweetness of her mouth. She moves her head to the left and right, seeking a better angle as I lay my upper body on hers, and she winds her slender arms around me. Chest to chest, we reacquaint ourselves in an unhurried tangle of lips, tongues, and teeth.
I move back, and she sits up following me. The white sheet falls to her lap, revealing the pale pink chemise that accentuates her full breasts. I lick my lips, eager to taste her skin.
“Off.” She tugs at my white Henley, and I chuckle.
“You’re so cute when you’re bossy.”
“I’m not bossy. I’m horny,” she counters.
“Well, we can’t have that, can we?” I ask. I grit my teeth as she helps me out of the shirt and tosses it behind us. She presses her hands against my chest. The sight of her brown skin against my olive is the picture of beauty. No woman could ever be a better fit for me. I’m overcome by the rightness
“Come here.” I wrap my hand around her neck and pull her lithe frame toward me. She tilts her head. I part her lips with my tongue and feast on the exquisite taste that is Athena Douglas. She moans, and I swallowed down the sound of feminine satisfaction. We surfaced for air like deep-sea divers who’ve been under too long. Her chest heaves, and I focus in on the hard buds poking through the silk of her nightgown. He cups a mound and sucks her nipple through the material. Her back arches, and she buries her fingers in my dark curls.
“Alfie,” she rasps.
“Mmhmm,” I agree, sucking harder as I massaged its twin. I bite down on the dime-sized peak. She gasps, trembling as he continues to combine pleasure with small bursts of pain. I pinch, and tug, listening to the sound of her breathing. Those broken breaths are music to my ears. She is mine to please. I release her with a pop.
“I think you’re wearing too much clothing.”
I peel the sheet away, like a man unwrapping his present, grip the hem of her gown, and work it up her body. She’s smooth skin, small curves, and softness in the moonlight streaming through the windows. I pitch the garment over my shoulder and climb onto the bed, straddling her as she lay on her back. I begin to worship her with my mouth. I nibble my way down her graceful neck to the valley of her breasts, tracing the path with the tip of my tongue. I lick around the supple swells.
“Alfie?”
“Tell me what you want, Princess.”
“Your mouth on me.”
“Where?” I smile against her sternum. It’s a game we like to play. Despite our time together she retains a bit of her soft-spoken nature in the bedroom. It’s endearing. That innocence is sexier than any practiced response I’ve had over the years.
“On my breast.”
“Like this?” I press her breasts together and suck one and then the other into my mouth.
“Oh, Lord. Yes.”
I flick the peaks, circling and sucking before I released them and nip my way down her belly. Her muscles tense, and I trace the bikini area above her neatly trimmed triangle of dark hair.
“Stop teasing,” she whines.
“Say it.”
“I want you to eat my pussy, Fie.”
I dive in, latching onto her clit like a man starving. She bucks, and grips my hair, coming off the bed as she spread her legs wider and works her hips. I pin her down with my arms and eat her like a four-course dinner. I lap at her pearl with my tongue alternating between flicks and sucks. She chants my name, and I thrust my tongue inside. She clamps down on me and stiffens, shaking as she comes. I take her in, relishing the taste of her. She’s gone limp against the sheets, breathing hard as I pull away and kiss her belly before I stretch out beside her and capture her mouth, sharing her delectable taste.
“Now, you’re overdressed,” She whispers as she recovers.
“I can fix that.” I swing my legs over the edge, and stand, removing my jeans as fast as my aches will let. She watches me with large hungry orbs that have my cock twitching. Rock hard, and leaking pre-come, my head is swollen, purple, and ready to be inside her. I stroke my length, and she licks her lips. “See something you like, Princess?”
She nods, crooking her finger. Amused, I walk toward her. She pushes my hand away, grips my base, and takes me into her warm, welcoming mouth. She swallows me down until I tap the back of her throat. She flexes her muscles, hollowing her cheeks, and bobbing her head. My eyes roll into the back of my head.
“You’re so good at this, baby.” Her wrist rotates as she hits the perfect rhythm. Goosebumps break out over his flesh, and he thrust into her mouth. She hums, and the vibration travels through my entire body. I grip her braid and tug hard.
“Only place I’m coming is inside you. It’s been too long.”
She scrambles back onto the bed, opens her legs, and spread her lips the way I like. The sight of her glistening pink parts earns a grunt of admiration.
“You have such a pretty pussy baby.” I trail a finger through her wetness and circle her clit. “You ready for me?” he whispered
“So ready, Alfie.”
I kneel on the bed between her shapely stems and nudge her entrance. Her walls mold around me, and I pushed deep, torturing us both with the slow entrance. She contracts her muscles. I growl.
“More, baby?” I fed her all I have and paused to marvel at the snug fit, and the love sparkling for me in the depths of her amber orbs. I don’t deserve what she gives me. Not her body and especially not her heart, but I took it, and I’ll keep it close until I take my last breath. “Grab on to the headboard. I’m about to make up for lost time.” She wraps her fingers around the heavy metal, and I retreat and drive home. I grip her hips as we grind together, as close as two people can manage to be. It’s still not enough. She’s a fever burning me up from the inside out.
“Give me your legs baby.”
I adjust, throwing her legs over my shoulder and gripping her under her knees as I go deeper.
“Oh, yes. There. Right there.”
Her muscles began to contract, and my spine tingles in response. Sweat runs down my body in rivulets. Tiny sparks shot off as my nerve endings caught fire.
“So close.”
“Come for me, Princess.”
She cries out, letting go. I groan, gritting my teeth as I pump through her orgasm, before I release everything I have built up into her. Exhausted, I collapse onto my side, still encased in my own personal paradise.
Hands grip my arms like manacles, and I’m yanked from my bed and sleep. Startled, I jerk away, roaring as I throw elbows and kick wildly to break free. I land a stomach hit to one of my assailants. I go on autopilot as I blink, trying to focus on the threat and neutralize it. Athena releases a blood-curdling scream. I spared a glance back and find her clutching the white bedsheet to her chest. A blow lands to my jaw, snapping my head to the right. Fueled with rage, I hold up my fist, and find myself and square off against the army of men surrounding me with Porter Douglas at the helm.
I still and accept my fate. I always knew this day would come eventually when I started the affair with Athena. I won’t be a coward and risk having her hurt now. I stand at attention, fists at my side. I met the penetrating gaze of the dark-skinned man whose lips are curled up with disgust.
“You’re not even worthy to kiss the ground she walks on, and yet you go behind my back and soil her?” Porter beats his chest with his fist. “Lie to me. Make a fool of me? After all, I’ve done for you?”
“I love her.”
“Love?” Porter barks. “Love is a foolish fleeting emotion. You should’ve known better. You knew I would never approve of this. That’s why you never brought it to me.” He glares at Athena. “You’ve ruined the best enforcer I have. Now you’ll see what happens when I’m crossed. My own child plotting against me.”
Athena sobs. “This has nothing to do with you. I love him. I want to spend the rest of my life with him.”
