Jake

Time is something I don’t have much of. Not when it comes to my father. He is a pushy bastard who is used to getting things when he wants them, no matter the cost. When you cross Zeke Gunther you sign your death warrant. Am I proud of my father? No. He’s a heartless bastard, one without shame. I was born into a life I hate, but getting out isn’t an option. Not if I want to get out alive.

I’ve been given one task. Find out what Blair knows about the location of the sorry fuck who stole from my father. It doesn’t matter what it takes. Nate Gilroy is one of the assholes who thought he could outwit my family. His men have been following Blair for weeks, looking for the perfect way to get her into Miller’s Bar. The second they found one of her friends was dirty, it was their in. She truly has no idea who her friend really is, or how Sadie is involved in the wrong kind of life.

I should feel bad that I’m taking advantage of the strung-out girl in the way I am, but there isn’t time for that. She is a pawn in my game to gain the answers I need. From the time I presented her with no other option but to cooperate, everything unfolded perfectly. My father pulled me from the streets and assigned me to pose as a bar manager in one of the many locations he owns and stand at Blair’s side. From there, I was told to use whatever means necessary to find out what she knows about the sorry piece of shit we are after.

Zeke Gunther is known for his power. Not many choose to cross him. When his name is brought up, people just know he means business. Somehow the idea of him or any other man being sent in for this task made my stomach ache. I can’t allow anyone to get near her; she doesn’t deserve that wrath. Blair is innocent in this mess and I have to ensure she remains untouched.

The Gunther name alone speaks volumes, which is the reason I chose an alias when I intertwined myself in the life of Blair Wilkerson. Had I introduced myself as Cyrus Gunther, she would have run away faster than I could have stopped her. It was the reaction I got from most people when they found out who my father is. No one in their right mind willingly enters the life I lead.

What should have been a quick task has proven to be one of the hardest I’ve set out to complete. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a girl like Blair could have been wrapped up with a scumbag like Nate.

That guy was a fuckup at all angles, dirty, conniving and a cheat.

I’d watched him weasel his way into our inner circle with the help of my brother, Gabe. I’d watched Nate snort more lines than he paid for, fuck girls he barely knew, and during all those events he had a sweet girl like Blair waiting for him at home. None of it made sense to me. I would kill for a life like that, a life where I had someone like her to share my days and nights with.

I was given one more week to push her for answers, for any clue that would lead us to Nate. If I couldn’t get what they needed, then they would turn the task over to my weasel brother. Only over my fucking dead body would I allow Gabe within ten feet of her. In my eyes, he is worse than Nate. He’d stop at nothing; it didn’t matter to him if he resorted to violence. He’d gain the answers my father sought. My brother had proven long ago to be an asset to my father, but he is also a menace. His lack of control creates more complications for my father than he hopes for. When things go awry, when things get messy, that’s when Gabe is set loose. I can’t let him anywhere near Blair.

Each time I look at her and she gives me that heated stare, it takes all I have not to push her up against the wall and give her exactly what I know she wants. The girl is fucking amazing and the craziest part is she doesn’t even realize it. I want to take advantage of the things that I know run through her mind; I want to be selfish.

I won’t pretend I’m innocent, that I don’t have a warped mind of my own, because I’m as fucked as the rest of them. I’ve partaken in the perks of being a Gunther over the years. I had no way out, so why not participate on occasion? There was no need to make my life any more difficult than it already was.

But Blair doesn’t deserve the kind of life I have; she’s too sweet.

I want to take things slow, be as delicate as I can in the process of seeking answers. I want to know the girl behind the image Nate has already managed to paint. He made her seem as though she too was strung out and a person we couldn’t trust. The problem is those needing answers on the whereabouts of her ex don’t give a shit. Get the answers no matter what it takes or who you destroy in the process—those were my instructions. Blair just happens to be the one person in that line of destruction I can’t seem to plow through.

Whenever she looks at me, that small trace of a smile tugging at her lips makes me feel like a weak little adolescent boy. She makes me forget where I come from and gives me hope that my life can be different. I want her more than I can seem to control. Those sweet lips, that perfect body, I want to claim it all. That creates a huge problem in the plan. A problem that is fucking with my head, and with each day that passes, I find myself falling farther and farther into her depths.

Tonight is no different, even though I told myself it would be. I can’t seem to stop my heart from racing whenever she is near. I stand off to the side of the bar as I watch her move around with ease. Only moments ago she stood before me, her shoulders rising and falling as she looked to the floor. I’m sure it was to hide the embarrassment she felt by her friend's declaration or my words that followed. I’d give just about anything to be the man who made her toes curl as I buried myself inside her over and over. I want nothing more than to feel her fall apart in my arms and scream out my name. I dream so desperately for that very thing.

Just the idea of another man touching her as she begs for more makes my blood boil. I know I don’t have the right to feel possessive over her, but it is a reaction I can’t seem to control. A huge part of me wants to just grab hold of her and pin her to the bar while I claim her in front of every man here.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I reach for it. My hand starts to shake when I see who the message is from.

Gabe: Finish it or I will.

I lift my gaze and scan the bar, feeling my body still the second I connect with eyes resembling my own. Eyes we also share with our father. He leans against the pool table, cue stick in hand as he smiles, showing off his missing front tooth. He lost it in a brawl a few months back and wears the gap like a badge of honor instead of having it fixed. He is trouble; he oozes it, lives for it.

I watch him look back down at the phone he holds and type out something just before mine vibrates once more.

Gabe: She is a sweet little piece, brother, I’ll enjoy breaking her walls down. I can almost hear her begging for me to stop already.

My shoulders grow tense. Standing tall, I round the end of the bar, feeling my entire body shake with anger. He sees me coming and doesn’t even flinch. The fucker knows I won’t cause a scene; I can’t compromise my position in this whole fucked up mess. My father would surely make me pay for that mistake. I pause and fist my phone so tight in my hand I feel it dig into my palm.

I allow myself to find Blair once more just as she tips her head backward in laughter. She is unbelievable, so innocent and pure. Taking in one deep calming breath after another I again look down at my phone. Pressing the button to wake it I keep her face in my mind. I carefully type out a message that instantly makes me feel sick, but I know I have no other choice.

Me: Tonight is the night, brother, I’ll get the answers no matter what it takes.

My stomach aches with the knowledge that tonight has to be the night. I’ll set aside my feelings that have developed for Blair and I’ll do what I have to do. The only way to keep her safe is for me to shut off everything I feel inside. I have to be a Gunther, cold and callous. I have to forget about the part of me that wants to grab on tight and hold onto her forever. I know with the life I lead those luxuries aren’t possible. Because with Zeke and Gabe Gunther, nothing is sacred and nothing is safe.

There was no place for shame or guilt in what I was sent in to do. I just have to remember the stakes. It will be either me or Gabe who will get what our father needs. I just had to remember that though my heart was screaming out no, it was better that I be the asshole than for Gabe to get anywhere near her.