Chapter 11
eleven
. . .
Gray
I check my gun one more time before tucking it into the holster under my jacket.
The bondsman agreed to meet me at his office in town, but that doesn't mean I'm walking in unprepared.
Three weeks I've been working to clear Beck's name, and today it ends.
One way or another. I've got the court clerk's affidavit, the paperwork showing the error, and the official documents needed to remove the bounty.
If reason doesn't work, I've got other methods.
No one's keeping a price on what's mine. Not anymore.
Beck watches from the doorway as I gather my things, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. She's wearing one of my flannels buttoned just enough to cover her breasts, her legs bare and tempting. Makes it hard to leave, even knowing I'll be back soon.
"Be careful," she says, moving to straighten my collar. Her fingers linger on my chest. "Please."
I capture her hand, bringing it to my lips. "Always am."
"No, you're not," she argues with a small smile. "You're reckless and dangerous and—"
I silence her with a kiss, deep and possessive, my hands gripping her waist to pull her flush against me. When I release her, she's breathless, pupils dilated.
"And yours," I finish for her. "I'll be back before dark."
She nods, worry still clouding those hazel eyes. "I love you," she whispers.
The words hit me like a physical blow, just as they did last night when she first said them. I'm still not used to hearing them. Not sure I ever will be. Not sure I deserve them. But I'm selfish enough to take them anyway.
I press my forehead to hers, breathing her in. "Mine," I growl, the closest I can come to returning the sentiment. She understands. She always does.
The drive into town takes forty minutes, winding mountain roads that would make most people nervous.
I take them at speed, the truck handling the curves with practiced ease.
My mind keeps drifting back to Beck—to her love confession in the middle of the night, to the way she surrendered to me after, to the feel of her inner walls clutching my cock as I emptied myself inside her.
I never expected this when I first saw her picture in that bounty file. Never expected to become obsessed, to track her, to claim her, to—
To love her.
I don't say the words. Don't know if I can. But the feeling is there, unfamiliar and uncomfortable, like a muscle I've never used before. She doesn't need the words anyway. She sees it in the way I touch her, protect her, claim her.
The bondsman's office is in a strip mall on the edge of town, sandwiched between a vape shop and a discount liquor store. Classy. I park directly in front, making sure my truck is visible through the front window. A message. I'm not hiding.
The bell over the door jingles as I enter. The reception area is empty except for a bored-looking woman filing her nails behind a desk.
"Here for Jim," I say, not bothering with pleasantries.
She looks me up and down, taking in my size, the hardness of my expression. "Down the hall, last door on the right."
I find Jim Cowell exactly where I expect—behind a cheap desk in a cramped office, the walls covered in framed bounty notices. He's in his fifties, overweight, with the red-veined nose of a heavy drinker. He looks up when I enter, recognition flashing in his eyes.
"Gray Maddox," he says, leaning back in his chair. "Been a while."
I've worked with him before, bringing in skips, collecting bounties. Never liked him, but he pays on time and doesn't ask questions. Until now.
"Jim." I remain standing, using my height to advantage. "Got something for you."
I toss the folder onto his desk. He eyes it warily before opening it, scanning the contents with practiced efficiency. His expression gives nothing away.
"Interesting," he says finally. "But I don't see how this is my problem."
"You put out a bounty on an innocent woman." I rest my hands on his desk, leaning forward. "That makes it your problem."
He snorts. "Clerical error. Happens sometimes. System's not perfect."
"It's been weeks." My voice drops dangerously. "Plenty of time to correct it."
"Paperwork takes time." He shrugs, unconcerned. "Besides, from what I hear, you've been keeping the Monroe girl real close. Personal interest, Maddox?"
My hand moves faster than he can track, fisting in his shirt collar, yanking him half across the desk. "Careful, Jim."
Fear flashes in his eyes, quickly masked. "Let go of me or I'll call the cops."
"Go ahead." I release him with enough force that he falls back into his chair. "I'm sure they'd be interested in how many of your bounties end up with mysterious injuries. Or how many are brought in without proper documentation." I lean closer. "Or how many never make it to lockup at all."
His face pales. We both know he's been cutting corners for years, taking shortcuts that skirt the edge of legality.
"What do you want, Maddox?"
"Clear her name." I tap the folder with one finger. "Today. Now. While I wait."
"It's not that simple—"
"Make it simple." I straighten to my full height, letting my jacket fall open just enough to reveal the holster beneath. "Or I'll simplify things myself."
He swallows hard, eyes flicking to the gun and back to my face. "Fine. But it'll cost you."
"No." My voice is flat. "You fuck up, you fix it. For free. And you make sure every hunter who took the job knows it's been rescinded."
"That'll take—"
"An hour. Maybe two." I check my watch pointedly. "I'll wait."
For a moment, I think he might refuse. Might call my bluff. But it's not a bluff, and he knows it. Jim's seen what I'm capable of. Has paid me for it, more than once.
"Fine," he says finally, reaching for his phone. "But after this, we're done. Find another bondsman."
"Gladly."
I take a seat across from his desk, settling in to wait as he makes calls, sends emails, processes paperwork. It takes ninety-seven minutes before he hands me the official notice of bounty rescindment, stamped and signed.
"There. She's clear." He doesn't meet my eyes. "Now get out of my office."
I stand, tucking the notice into my jacket pocket. "Pleasure doing business with you, Jim."
His only response is a raised middle finger as I walk out.
The drive back to the cabin is faster than the drive in, the weight lifted from my shoulders making the truck feel lighter somehow. By the time I pull up to the cabin, the sun is starting to set, painting the mountains in shades of gold and orange.
Beck is waiting on the porch, wrapped in a blanket against the evening chill. She stands when she hears the truck, eyes searching my face as I approach.
"Well?" she asks, voice tight with anxiety.
I pull the notice from my pocket, holding it up for her to see. "Done. No more bounty. No more hunters. You're free."
Her eyes fill with tears as she takes the paper, reading it quickly before looking back up at me. "How did you—"
"Doesn't matter." I climb the porch steps, closing the distance between us. "What matters is you're safe now."
"Thank you," she whispers, tears spilling over. "I don't know how to—"
I cut her off, lifting her into my arms. Her legs wrap around my waist instinctively, the blanket falling away to reveal she's wearing nothing underneath. My cock hardens instantly at the realization.
"Don't need thanks," I growl, carrying her through the front door. "Need you."
She laughs, a sound of pure joy that makes something in my chest tighten. "You have me. Always."
I make it as far as the kitchen before my control snaps. I pin her against the wall, my hands already working my belt open, freeing my aching cock. She helps, her small hands pushing at my jeans until they're down around my thighs.
"It's over," I tell her, positioning myself at her entrance. "Baby girl. It's over."
"Yes," she gasps as I thrust home in one smooth stroke, filling her completely. "God, Gray—"
"Daddy," I correct, setting a relentless pace immediately. "Say it."
"Daddy," she moans, head falling back against the wall as I pound into her. "Yes, Daddy, please—"
I capture her mouth in a bruising kiss, swallowing her cries as I claim her with each powerful thrust. Her legs tighten around my waist, heels digging into my lower back, urging me deeper.
"It's over," I repeat against her neck, teeth grazing the sensitive skin. "But you're still mine. Say it."
"Yours," she agrees breathlessly, nails scoring my shoulders through my shirt. "All yours, Daddy."
I shift my angle, hitting that spot inside her that makes her walls clench around me. "That's it, baby girl. Take Daddy's cock. Feel me deep?"
"So deep," she whimpers, her inner muscles fluttering around me. She's close. So am I.
"Going to fill you up," I promise, one hand sliding between us to find her clit. "Going to breed you right here against the wall. Make sure you remember who you belong to."
"Yes," she gasps, her eyes glazing with pleasure as my thumb circles her sensitive bud. "Breed me, Daddy. Make me yours."
Her words push me closer to the edge, my rhythm growing erratic as my release builds at the base of my spine. "Come for me," I demand, pressing harder on her clit. "Come on Daddy's cock."
She shatters instantly, her body convulsing around me, inner walls gripping me like a vise as she cries out my name—my real name, not the title I make her use. Something about that breaks what little control I have left.
I drive into her one final time, burying myself as deep as possible as I come, emptying myself inside her with a guttural groan. "Mine," I growl as my release pulses hot within her. "Forever."
We stay joined as our breathing slows, her forehead resting against mine, our bodies still connected in the most intimate way. When I finally set her feet back on the floor, my seed trickles down her thigh—visible proof of my claim.
"Free and clear," I murmur, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "No more running."
She smiles up at me, eyes bright with tears and lingering pleasure. "No more running," she agrees. "I'm home."
Home. The word resonates through me, unfamiliar but right. This cabin has been my sanctuary for years, but it never felt like home until Beck. Until she filled it with her laughter, her cooking, her soft body in my bed.
"Home," I echo, pulling her against my chest, resting my chin on top of her head. "Safe."
And for the first time in my life, I think maybe I am too.