Claiming Honor (Bad Boys of River City Book 3)

CLAIMING HONOR

Bad Boys of River City Book Three

By

Elle Wylder

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Honor Monroe leads a well-ordered life and she likes it that way. Sure, she may occasionally indulge in a walk on the wild side, but she always makes sure she has a way back. Then Hunter Wallace sets his sights on her. The man is nothing but trouble and she is oh so tempted to indulge. Certain it would be 'the rip her heart out' kind of mistake, she stays away from him until a threat forces her to seek his help.

Hunter can’t believe someone is stalking Honor–everyone knows she belongs to him even if she won’t admit it. The one bright side is she needs him to keep her safe. While he’s at it, he’s going to make sure when the dust settles, he gets to keep her.

Chapter One

Hunter

Nightclubs are never my first choice to grab a beer with the guys. I'd much rather go someplace laid back or buy a case and hang out on my back deck. The Hot Spot--what an absurd name--is the newest
to be seen in
place in River City. I wouldn’t be here but I have a meeting with the owner, Dan Phillips. He runs the local drug trade for Chase Beaumont, who runs his operation from the Birmingham area, on the opposite end of the state from me. It's pretty damned profitable from what I see, too. I don’t want anything to do with that shit, but I do have other business with Chase. Which is why I’m meeting Dan here tonight.

Normally, I’d insist on another venue and just bring Lake and Ryder with me. That's more about show of force than defense. But Walker and Trace are here too, since Trace’s wife, Lynn and her cousin Grace, who’s just moved back to town, decided to go dancing and this is the new popular club. I don’t like their women anywhere near business, but I’m biting my tongue with it this time since Honor, Grace’s sister, is supposed to show up at any minute with their friend Faye. Honor has been running long enough and this is the last place I want to confront her. But if I ordered her or the other women to stay away they'd just blow me off. How the fuck do I deal with that? I'd never hurt a woman. Men who do that shit are scum and I won't be one of them. But once I claim Honor? I won't stand for her ignoring my rules. Clubs are not safe for single women. Not in my world. I keep checking the door but I’m not the one who spots their entrance.

“What the fuck is she wearing?” Ryder mutters.

He’s sitting next to me. I hear the scowl in his voice while I search the crowd.

“Which one?” Lake asks.

There’s no mistaking the appreciation in his tone. That’s when I see Faye wearing a red dress covered in fringe. It has a deep neck, showing off her cleavage, while the short length showcases her long legs. Ryder is practically foaming at the mouth. Any other time I’d find this amusing but I haven’t seen Honor yet. Then a woman comes around the side of the bar, hands a glass of something to Faye, and I think I’m having a stroke. Honor. My woman, though she hasn’t admitted it yet.

She’s wearing a short skintight black leather dress with an inch or so black lace as a hem. She’s practically spilling out of the bodice. The top of the dress is also black lace and I can just see the large flower tattoo on her chest and shoulder through it. When she turns, I groan. Fuck. Is she trying to kill me? The dress is backless, the leather just covering her perfect round ass, and shows off another tat, this one a large colorful peacock that starts at the nape of her neck and stretches down her spine to the small of her back. I’m torn between admiring the damned nice view and covering her with a blanket so no one else gets a look. And people are definitely looking.

The two women finally spot us and start working their way through the crowd. Honor ignores me when she reaches the table, finishes off her drink, and leaving the empty glass and small purse on the table, heads out to the dance floor. Lynn and Grace are already out there--wearing a lot more clothes--and Honor and Faye easily slip through the gyrating crowd to join them. The beat of the music is loud and driving and Honor immediately loses herself in it, moving her hips to the music. Damn, she’s fucking hot.

Some guy steps up behind her and tries to get in close. I rise to my feet, but it’s unnecessary. She’s quick to twist aside, completely blowing him off, and he slips away. But I remember what he looks like. I’ll be sure to keep an eye on him and warn him off if necessary. She may not be ready to accept my claim yet, but I’m sure as fuck not sharing her while she runs scared. Before I can step in, one of Dan’s guys comes to me and leads me up to the balcony office where he oversees the club.

“Dan,” I say, offering my hand though I’m really not feeling friendly. He knows it too. He grins at me.

“Hunter,” he greets me.

He looks out the glass wall overlooking the dance floor. I know he’s watching Honor. Who isn’t? She is a different woman when she’s dancing. Uninhibited. Abandoned. I want her in my bed just like that, so bad I think I might explode.

“If you don’t take care of that sometime soon, someone else will,” Dan says softly.

I fight back a growl and the urge to brawl. Dan is right and I know it.

“She’s mine.”

Dan holds his hands up in surrender. “I know that, man. No argument here.”

But he’s right. Honor has to stop running. She belongs with me. In my house, in my bed. In my life. I’m getting hard just imagining having her so close all the time. Since I’m fairly certain that’s not happening tonight, I focus on business.

“Talked to Chase?”

“Yeah. He can reroute your delivery to his contact in Jackson.”

I nod. I don’t like using Dan as a go between, but after Honor’s cousin Tim, Chase’s last guy in River City, tried to kill Lynn, and then his brother Carlos tried to kill Grace a couple of weeks ago, the feds and state police have been looking at him too closely. The last thing I need is my business being connected to his, but neither of us can sit on a shipment of stolen luxury cars forever.

“This weekend.”

“I’ll let him know,” Dan says.

I start to leave, but he stops me.

“I heard you’re fighting a couple weeks.”

I turn back. “Yeah. So?”

Dan grins. “Just figuring out who to bet on.”

Yeah right.

“Honor know about it?”

I stare at him until he shifts nervously. Why is he so interested in my woman? But despite the flash of tension, I see amusement in his expression. He’s fucking with me. If I hadn’t known him my whole life I might be tempted to pitch him over the railing.

“My woman is none of your business, Dan. You should fucking remember that.”

“No problem, man. See you later,” he says, heading back downstairs.

I find Honor in the crowd and watch her a few minutes before rejoining my men.

Honor

I feel him. Watching me. Wanting me? He has other priorities though. He disappears with one of Dan Phillips’ men. I’m not an idiot. I know Hunter’s businesses are illegal. Half of them at any rate. I can’t live with that. Can I? Tonight I just want to dance and drink. Tonight I don’t want to think. And I don’t. I lose myself to the music and I drink way too much. Before I know it Faye is saying she’s leaving, but that’s fine. Grace will take me home. I need this tonight. Just…mindlessness. I need to forget that I’m Honor Monroe. That I want a man who is so totally wrong for me. I’m the Miss Goody Two Shoes he’d never want. Not really. I'm just a novelty for him.

Except that's not who I am. That’s just how everyone sees me. If it wasn’t impacting my sex life so horribly, I might laugh about it. But it seems much more serious now and I don’t want to think, so I dance. I know I can do that safely here. I have enough friends around. I’m not very surprised when Hunter finds me though. He comes up behind me, wraps his arms around me, and whispers in my ear.

“Your bed or mine, baby?”

The question makes me stiff. Pisses me off. Oh my gawd, I am
so
pissed. The assumption…it just makes me see red. It also turns me on. He’s always so in charge. I bet he’s aggressive and demanding in bed, just like I want. I have to get away from him before he figures that out.

“I’m going home,” I snap. “Alone.”

Because if he comes with me, I’m lost and I know it. He laughs softly.

“Maybe you need a taste of what’s to come.”

Before I can ask what he means by that, he maneuvers me into a dark corner. He turns my back to the wall and presses against me. Every long hard inch of him. I feel his cock pushing against my belly and it takes everything I have not to moan in pleasure. One hand grips my hip, while the other tunnels into my hair, taking a hard grip and tilting my face to his. He lets me see the kiss coming. I should protest, but I’ve been fighting this attraction so long. What can one little taste hurt anyway?

His mouth brushes mine again and again. Soft. Teasing. Not at all what I expected and for a second I’m disappointed. Until he catches my bottom lip between his teeth and tugs. I gasp at the hint of pain and he takes advantage, his tongue stroking into my mouth. Claiming. Marauding. The fingers in my hair tighten enough to sting and I love it. Then he lets it slide from his fingers, his hand moving to cup my face before trailing down my throat. Over my collarbone. Coming to rest over my pounding heart. He breaks the kiss. I’d protest but he’s staring at me with so much possession in his eyes I know I only have one option.

Run.

His expression closes off, like he knows exactly what I'm thinking, but his eyes are still burning into mine. He drops his hand and backs away slowly. I want him to come back. To finish what he's started. At the same time, I want to disappear. He strokes his knuckles down the my cheek and I shiver. How can I want someone so much who is so horribly wrong for me?

"Ryder will drive you home," he says abruptly.

Then he turns and stalks off through the crowd. What the hell just happened here? It wouldn’t take too much to persuade me to go home with him right now and he just disappears? I should be happy but I'm oddly deflated. I head back to the table. I'm not sure if I want to confront him or just get the hell out of here. Since he's not there and Lynn and Grace have left, I decide to go home too. I figure I'll go out front and grab a cab but Ryder won't hear of it. Of course not. No one disobeys Hunter.

The drive to my house is pretty short. Inside, I shower and crawl into bed, bury my head under my pillow and promise to forgot I ever met Hunter Wallace. Right. Like that's going to happen.

Chapter Two

Honor

“I’m telling Walker. He’ll go to Hunter if you won’t.”

I glare at my sister. My
twin
. She’s supposed to be on my side, not gift wrap me for the big bad wolf.

“Don’t you dare,” I say.

That’s the last thing I need.

“It’s one thing to have an admirer, Honor. It’s another entirely to have a drug dealing stalker. Hunter has guys he hires out as bodyguards.”

Yeah, that’s true enough. But if I go to him with this he won’t let one of those guys near me. He’ll insist on doing it himself and that is a major problem for me. Because hello. Smoking hot bad boy? Any reasonable person would say keep far away. But my hormones are screaming oh, please! Sign me up! After that kiss last weekend, I’m having a hard enough time keeping my distance. I know exactly what will happen if Hunter gets too close. After that kiss, after looking in his eyes and knowing if he really puts his mind to it, I'm a goner, I’ve avoided him. It hasn’t been easy. I get the feeling I’m running out of time though. I may not have seen him but he calls. Often. Especially late at night when memory and desire attack. Okay, this isn’t a new thing. We've been having these late night chats for months. But the last week it’s like he knows he's wearing me down, and I hear a new edge in his voice. Impatience. Demand.

“I think she’s right,” Faye says. Great. Another traitor.

“Right about what?” Lynn asks sliding into the seat next to me. We’re meeting for our regular Friday lunch and it’s definitely going to be an alcohol one. Thank God I already ordered a beer.

“Honor has a stalker and the police won’t do anything.”

Lynn frowns and turns to look at me. “You reported it?”

“Yeah.” I shrug. “I have no proof.”

“I thought Hunter already had someone watching you. Because of the shooting.”

I shake my head. I was furious when I heard about that, but once the shooter was caught I insisted he drop the guard. Before Lynn can respond to that, and I can see she wants to, I hear a voice behind me.

“Hello, ladies.”

I look up to see Ryder Malone and Hunter’s new guy, Roddy Daniels sit at the table next to us and narrow my eyes. I’m not sure if Roddy is here to protect Grace--Walker is a wee bit overprotective--or if Ryder is here to watch me. I’m betting on the latter. Damn Hunter.

“What are you doing here?”

Yeah, I sound like a bitch. No, I don’t care.

“Having lunch?” he offers with that charming smile of his.

I want to smack him upside the head but don’t. This isn’t his doing. Hunter, on the other hand, might have to die. Lynn, still scowling, ignores them both.

“Who is this guy?”

Shit. If we have this conversation with big ears sitting right there Hunter will be so far up my ass I’ll never get away. Fuck me. The visual that accompanies that thought makes my stomach do a slow flip flop.

“Wayne Cox,” I keep my voice down but Ryder still hears me.

The flirty bad boy is all gone when he looks at me and I’m reminded exactly how dangerous the guy can be. “What about him?” he asks.

I try to shrug it off. Though I probably don’t have a chance in hell of pulling that off.

“He just seems to be around a lot lately.”

If possible Ryder gets even more grim. “He bothering you?”

I shake my head. Fuck. I’m so screwed.

“I'm sure it’s nothing,” I say, because hell, maybe I’m imaging things?

Maybe it really is just coincidence. He starts tapping a text on his phone and I sigh. Where’s my drink? The waitress arrives at the same time as my cell rings. I don’t have to look at the display to see who it is. I glare at Ryder while I answer.

“What?”

“So rude, sweetheart.” Hunter tsks. “Where are you?”

“Like you don’t know,” I snap. I take a long drink, then stand and walk away a few feet, but I stay within sight of Ryder when he rises as if to follow. I scowl and point my finger at him. “You stay there.”

“Excuse me?”

“I was talking to your guard dog. Who you were supposed to call off,” I snap into the phone.

“But then I wouldn’t have heard about this. Tell me about Cox. Is he bothering you?”

I know I have to tread very carefully here. I could get a man killed with the wrong words. Which is exactly why I've been trying to keep some distance between us. Why couldn’t he be some safe, boring businessman?

"Honor," he prods when I hesitate too long.

“It’s probably nothing. I just keep seeing him around.”

“I’ll talk to him.”

That is the absolute last thing I need or want. And seriously, I’m probably just being paranoid. But damn, that itch on the back of my neck, the sixth sense warning me someone is watching me isn’t going away, even here in this public place with Hunter’s guys there to watch over me.

“No, Hunter. It’s nothing, okay? Just let it go.” I know he can hear the alarm in my voice.

“Worried what I might do, sweetheart?” he asks softly. But I'm not sure we're talking about Wayne Cox anymore. I think of this as his bedroom voice and try to repress--futilely--a shiver.

“Maybe,” I say and want to kick myself for giving him that much. I can't get any more involved with him than I already am. He’s River City’s version of a crime boss for crissakes. But despite my best efforts, I’m getting sucked in. It’s only a matter of time before my resistance fails and I fling myself at him. I'm going to get whiplash, I'm so back and forth about what I want from Hunter. Leave me alone or fuck my brains out? That choice is getting harder and harder.

“I didn’t know you care,” he murmurs.

“I don’t,” I answer immediately. I feel like I’ve walked into a hole and I’m sinking fast. “Hunter, leave it alone. Please.”

“What are you doing after lunch?”

I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me. I should have known he’d just steam roll over me.

“Errands.”

He sighs. “Honor.” The warning is clear in his tone.

“I have to go by the post office and pick some things up for Mark’s house party this weekend.”

“Ryder’s going with you.”

“No,” I say emphatically. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Honor, sweetheart, don’t do this me,” he groans softly. “Take Ryder with you. And I want to see you tonight.”

Oh no. No way.

“Ryder can tag along but that’s it.”

He chuckles. “One of these days I’m going to wear you down.”

I know he is and it scares the hell out of me.

“Not today,” I say primly.

"Very soon, baby," he murmurs. "And once I have you in my bed I'm not letting you go."

That's exactly what I'm afraid of. Until the newness wears off. Then what will he want? I'm sure it won't be me. I say goodbye without replying to his declaration and hang up. When I return to the table, Ryder stands and motions me over.

“Sit over here, Honor.”

He wants to position me in the corner. He probably thinks it's easier to protect me there. I'm not having any of it. Shaking my head, I return to my chair. Our food arrives but my appetite is completely gone. I push pasta around on my plate while the others eat and chatter. The hell with this. I pull a twenty out of my wallet and lay it on the table.

“I need to get going,” I say, standing. Ryder reluctantly does the same and points to my full plate.

“You know I’m gonna catch hell for that, don’t you?”

Oh, good God. Hunter is bad enough. I’m not putting up with this crap from one of his men. I roll my eyes.

“You’re a big boy. I’m sure you can handle it.”

He cocks his eyebrows and follows me into the parking lot.

“No one handles Hunter,” he says taking my keys from me. He opens the passenger door and steps back to let me climb in. I don’t even bother protesting. I know I won’t win this one. I’ve never met a Southern man who doesn’t insist on driving.

“Except maybe you,” he muses once he’s behind the wheel.

Yeah right. If I could handle Hunter, Ryder wouldn’t be driving my car. He comes in handy, though. It takes a couple hours but I pick up the mail and party supplies. Ryder helps me haul two cases of beer, a case of wine, and what seems like dozens of party platters into Mark’s house. Mark gives me an odd look. I know he’s wondering what I’m doing with the dangerous looking man at my side. I shake my head to indicate he shouldn’t ask and thankfully, he doesn't.

“Need anything else?” I ask him before I leave. “I can help with the party.”

“No,” he says emphatically. “Take the weekend off.”

I sigh. I don’t want time off. I want to stay so busy I don’t have time to think about Hunter. Tired enough I don’t dream about him though I haven’t managed that one yet.

“Well, have a good time,” I say and turn to leave.

“I’d say the same to you, but I know I’d be wasting my breath.”

Sad but true. It’s been way too long since fun was a word in my repertoire. I drop Ryder back at his car and he follows me home. I let him walk me as far as the door then insist he leave. Hunter didn’t say a damned thing about him sticking around all day. Once I step inside I hear him pull away. It’s early afternoon and I have nothing do. The weekend stretches out before me. Empty. What the hell am I going to do? My stomach grumbles, reminding me I didn’t eat lunch.

The house is only a couple years old and is what they call garden style. The front door opens into the living room and a small dining area and kitchen are next to it. I drop my purse, laptop bag, and keys on the table and go into the kitchen to make a sandwich. I go for the peanut butter and decide screw it. Leaning against the counter, I eat a few bites off a spoon. Now what? Faye invited me to go out with her tonight, but that’s hours from now and I’m just not in the mood. I think I’ll get comfy and curl up with a good book.

But when I open my bedroom door I freeze. My heart races as I look around. It's trashed. I'd left two baskets of clean laundry in the corner. It looks like someone shredded them and spread them all over the room. Then there are the roses, bouquets of black and red on all the flat surfaces. It turns my stomach and gagging, I rush to the kitchen and splash water on my face. Surely that’s enough to convince the police I really do have a stalker. But they can’t protect me can they? What good is a protection order against someone like this? I only know one man who can keep me safe. Only one, who despite knowing better, I trust. I grab my purse and laptop bag and get the hell out of the house. I know exactly where to find him and I have a damn good idea what’s gonna happen when I get there.