Mustang by Piper Stone

Chapter 3

Danni

A what?

A spanking?

Oh, this man was a fucking asshole, even if he was the sexiest cowboy that I’d seen… ever.

Bad boy.

Dangerous.

Delicious.

There were dozens of adjectives racing in the back of my mind as time slowed.

My entire body was shaking from the kiss, my pulse so high I was having heart palpitations. For all the bravado I’d tossed out, my legs were shaking. I’d been called names, shoved around, and followed. Fear continued to fuel my nasty attitude, enough so that I wasn’t able to control my reactions.

Including the fact my pussy ached, my nipples hard as pebbles. The second I’d stroked the cowboy’s cock, my mouth had watered. Christ.

I’d come here to take pictures in my attempt to find out if there was really something going on in the tight-lipped world of livestock auctions, but things had gotten out of hand. The hot cowboy certainly hadn’t helped at all. He’d scoffed at me, acted as if my accusations meant nothing.

Then the kiss and… and…

The dark and dangerous cowboy was so rugged, the scent of him like the most incredibly gorgeous man dunked in exotic cologne and testosterone. Just the way I’d felt in his muscular arms had created several tingles between my legs, my panties already damp from his savage, he-man actions.

Stop. Just stop.

My God, my mind was going off the deep end. What if my impetuous behavior would get me into some kind of trouble?

As he tossed me over his knee, I couldn’t react fast enough. Finally, the horror of the humiliation I was about to face riled my last nerve.

“Get off me. You’re one horrible bastard,” I yelped, trying my best to get out of his grasp. “You’re going to break my camera.” His brutal yank almost pitched the camera to the hard concrete surface.

“I won’t break your camera, brat, but maybe I should. Some people don’t take too kindly to their picture being taken,” the gorgeous cowboy growled.

“Jerk! I’m going to get you for this.”

“Now that you’ve called me every bad name in the book as well as threatened me with bodily harm, I’m going to make certain you remember that sweet talking a man will get you a lot more,” he said in a gruff voice as he grabbed my flailing arm, pinning it against my back.

“No. No! I’ll scream.”

“I think given your behavior here today that pretty much everyone is going to be on my side. I suggest you take your medicine like a good little girl.”

Oh, my God. He was serious about this.

“Please stop!”

“Not a chance.”

As he brought his hand down, the jolt was the first big shock. When he continued the spanking, rapidly moving from one side of my bottom to the other, I suddenly couldn’t breathe. The second was the increasing pain. I was wearing blue jeans, for God’s sake, yet it felt like he was spanking my naked butt. I’d never been disciplined like this in my entire freaking life.

And it was never going to happen again. Not ever.

And I was going to find a way to retaliate.

My mind created a nasty image of being spanked in front of all those ranchers. Dear God. I had a feeling that he’d enjoy the task far too much.

Asshole.

Bastard.

Dreamboat.

I continued squirming until I became exhausted. There was no getting out of this. Then I heard a single gasp and struggled to turn my head toward the sound. Oh. My. God. My worst nightmare. There were several people standing gawking at us. I was going to freaking die.

They were pointing.

And they were gasping in shock.

“You can’t go around accusing people,” the cowboy huffed.

The pain continued to build, shooting down the backs of my legs, but it was the embarrassment that was killing me. I could feel the heat building in my face, my cheeks likely the same shade of red as my bottom. If there was a single person I knew at the auction, I would never hear the end of this. “You horrible piece of shit.”

“You have a filthy mouth for such a beautiful woman.”

“Yeah? Well, you have no clue what else I’d like to call you. Oh!” I was almost blinded from the horrible anguish.

He smashed his hand down several more times then stopped, even rubbing the small of my back as if he gave a shit. “Now, are you going to tell me what you were trying to get at back there?”

I shouldn’t have dared come to the auction. I was completely out of my comfort zone and whoever the sexy stranger was, he was right that my behavior was ridiculous and very unlike me. Perhaps the odd call in the middle of the night had put me more on edge than I’d wanted to believe.

What I did know is that I couldn’t trust anyone within the circuit. Maybe my belief was wrong, but my instincts were almost never incorrect.

Almost.

“I have nothing to say,” I muttered, refusing to look at the group of watchers any longer. “Just get this over with.”

“With that kind of attitude, I should pull out my belt.”

“Don’t you dare!” I struggled all over again, only to have him bring his hand down with harder strokes.

“You are one mouthy, bad girl. If you belonged to me, I’d make certain your behavior changed, even if that meant daily spankings.”

What a horrible man.

“Yeah, well, I would never belong to you. You are nothing but a wretched excuse for human flesh.” Although the wicked part of my mind allowed me to float to another and far sexier image of his naked body on top of mine.

“Isn’t that nice,” he muttered.

Get a grip. Act like an adult.

I heard his deep sigh and shivered when he rested his hand on my bottom, tapping as single finger as if contemplating what he was going to do. When he eased me into a standing position, gently tugging stray strands of hair from my face, his eyes held an imploring look.

For a few beautiful seconds, the electricity soared between us, my heart doing little pitter-patters as butterflies swarmed in my tummy. His gaze was sharp, his intense green eyes penetrating into my very soul. When he reached out, using a single finger to brush the side of my face, every ounce of my body shivered.

As if I had some anticipation that he’d kiss me again, or maybe even more.

A flash of images of his naked body ignited the embers deep inside and within seconds, I was tossed into a wildfire of desire. This was crazy. I couldn’t be attracted to such a horrible excuse for a man. “Get away from me,” I managed, even though my voice sounded far too timid in my mind.

“Look. I don’t know who you are or why you’re really here, but you need to listen to me. Cattle auctions bring out rough crowds. Some of those men in there don’t take kindly to women attempting to break their traditions. I think you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, as if every male is a sexist pig.” Why in God’s name were the words tumbling out of my mouth like I was in high school? I never acted this way.

He rolled his eyes and kept his voice even. “You need to leave here and don’t look back. I ain’t gonna say it twice.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I will pull out my belt and trust me, you’re going to be bare-ass naked for one hard whipping.”

His nostrils flared as he studied me, his chest rising and falling from his ragged breathing. A part of me wanted to slap him across the face but as I dragged my tongue across my lips, I could see the lust building in his gorgeous dark green eyes. The man simply took my breath away.

“What’s it going to be, sunshine?”

I was shaken to the core, struggling to find a single coherent word to say. “Fine.” Great. That was all I could manage?

“All right. I’ll make good on my promise if I catch you hassling anyone else. And sunshine, I always keep my promises.” When he turned on his heel, walking away without looking back, I slumped against the building, still able to hear his boots as they thudded against the sidewalk. I couldn’t stop shaking, my entire body on fire. Every time I moved, I was reminded of the spanking, the rough material of my jeans already chafing my bruised skin.

I envisioned his handprint smack in the middle of both cheeks and bit back a smile. The day hadn’t turned out like I thought it would. What had I managed to accomplish? Snapping a few pictures of a completely legitimate operation, at least as far as I could tell. Although there was an ominous underlying current, something I wasn’t certain what to make of. Hell, the cowboy was right. I had no business here in the first place. What the hell did I know about steer, other than the handling of their medical care on a few rare occasions?

I tried to control my breathing as I thought back to the night that I’d received a call out of the blue, not long after I’d been in town.

“Are you… You a vet with Doc Forester?” The man seemed agitated, almost fearful. At least he knew the name of the man who’d sold me his business as well as his house.

“I’m a veterinarian, if that’s what you’re asking. Is something wrong?”

“Yeah. I need a vet. Right now.”

I glanced at the clock, sighing. It was freaking three in the morning. “Is this an emergency?”

“You could say that. I got a steer with a badly injured leg. He’s in a lot of pain.”

Shit. “Okay. Just give me your address and I’ll meet you there.”

I’d been a fool to go to an unknown location in the middle of the night, an even bigger fool to enter into a barn with the mysterious caller, but I’d taken a chance since he knew Dr. Forester. The guy had been nervous, shifting from foot to foot as I examined the poor creature. From what I’d been able to determine, the animal hadn’t been bitten by another animal. In fact, the injury had reminded me of a trap of some kind. I’d done what I could, suggesting the rancher take the steer to an appropriate large animal hospital in the morning. Whether or not he’d followed my directions I couldn’t be certain.

Even if I could swear by the unique markings that the steer had been in one of the pens, prepared for sale.

Shuddering, I attempted to make my way to my truck, even looking over my shoulder. I pulled out my phone, my hand shaking as I tried to make the call. Getting voicemail, I cringed. “Sandra. You around? I could use a friend right about now.”

I wasn’t prepared to admit my sins for the day, but at least I could ease some tension. With every step I took, I continued to have the creepy-crawlies. Maybe the sexy cowboy’s warning really had gotten to me.

Still, I’d had a couple of phone calls that I couldn’t let go, the timing surrounding them far too coincidental, which I didn’t believe in. While the threats were troubling, the offer to abandon my practice and become a veterinarian for some big corporation stuck in the back of my mind.

My phone rang a few seconds later, the sound producing a few seconds of anxiety. A part of me anticipated another call from the same mysterious stranger who’d warned me to shut my mouth.

“Hey, girl. I just got home a few minutes ago,” Sandra said in a lilting voice.

I took quick steps as I made my way through the parking lot, struggling to find my beat-up Dodge in a sea of other trucks. Hearing Sandra’s voice at least gave me a smile. “Please tell me you have wine or tequila, maybe both.”

“Wow, you don’t sound good. What’s wrong?”

“Maybe everything.”

* * *

“Okay. What’s going on?” Sandra asked, meeting me at the door with a glass of red wine and a shot of tequila in her hands.

I grabbed the shot, tossing it back before I even walked into the living room.

“Whoa. Now I’m worried.”

I replaced the shot glass with the wine and folded my arms as I started to pace the floor. “I met a man. Well, one sexy cowboy.”

“O-kay. That doesn’t sound like a bad thing,” she said as she closed the door, moving around me toward the couch. “Why don’t you sit down?”

“No! I mean, not yet.” The truck ride had been one of the most uncomfortable things in my life. I could still feel the burn from his hand with every step I took. Damn the man. I couldn’t get his face out of my mind. I was acting completely irrational, struggling to come to terms with why I felt so attracted to him.

“Girl. I’ve never seen you like this.”

Laughing, I shot her a look. We’d been besties growing up, her vivacious edge drawing me out of the shy book nerd I’d been. I’d even managed to snag a position as a cheerleader because of her connections and her popularity. Then I’d been forced to move away with my family to Maryland but had always wanted to come back to Montana. Being able to purchase a veterinarian practice had been my dream and one that had come true, even if I was up to my eyeballs in debt.

Why in God’s name did I suddenly feel like the situation I’d immersed myself in had become a nightmare? Because you stuck your nose into something you should have left alone.

My inner voice did little but piss me off.

“So, tell me about this cowboy. Is he really hot?” Her laugh after asking the question was laced with concern. She knew me better than anyone. After returning to Montana, it was as if the years had melted away, forging an even stronger bond than before.

I hesitated before answering, likely to try to curtail my enthusiasm.

“Very hot. He’s rough and tumble. He’s the kind of man fantasies are made of. Six foot something, all muscle and the sexiest, dreamy eyes you’ve ever seen. He’s got the kind of body that was made for jeans, or maybe jeans were created just for his perfect butt. Yummy.”

I failed.

“Yummy is right. I hope he has a twin. What’s his name?”

I slumped, finally turning in her direction. “I have no idea.”

“What?”

“I have absolutely no idea. But we kissed.”

Sandra grabbed her glass of wine, taking several gulps. “Do you want to start this story over?”

I finally moved toward the chair, easing down with care, trying not to wince. My entire body continued to tremble, but I wasn’t certain if it was from my interaction with the cowboy or the real fear I’d felt from the reaction of the auctioneer and the guards who’d literally tossed me out of the auction hall.

And the few words that had been issued.

“You need to stop meddling.”

“A little girl like you could easily get hurt.”

“I went to a cattle auction and took a few pictures, asked some questions,” I admitted.

“What? Girl, I warned you to just lay low until I could do some digging. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself mixed up in,” Sandra huffed. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I had another strange call from a basic asshole and I refuse to play some victim.”

“What do you mean another call? You didn’t tell me that.”

“I thought the first one was just a crank. But last night, the mysterious caller gave me a clear warning.”

“Of what?”

“To keep my nose to myself.” Groaning, I realized there wasn’t enough wine in the world to make me feel any better. “I don’t know, Sandra. I guess going to that barn in the middle of the night really bothered me.”

“I can understand that, and I know you. You push, but now, you’re scaring me. Although I’ll have your back. I do have enough firepower to take out half of Missoula.”

While we both laughed, I heard the nervousness remaining in her voice.

“Tell me about the calls.” Her tone was demanding.

I took a gulp of wine before answering.

“My office phone rang in the middle of the night a few days after the incident at the barn. While there was no one on the other end, I knew someone was there. And yes, I redialed the number, but I got one of those messages telling me the number wasn’t in service.”

“Sounds like a spammer.”

“At three in the morning?” I snapped then dropped my head. “Ugh. I’m sorry. I certainly don’t mean to take this out on you.”

“You’re not. Then what?”

“Then a call on my personal phone warning me to stop meddling. I haven’t given that number out to anyone except for you.”

Sandra exhaled, shaking her head. “Jesus. There are always ways of getting anyone’s information. You know that. Listen to me. You need to go to the sheriff.”

“And say what? Some asshole disguising their voice threatened me?”

“Yes, you should put it on record at minimum, girl.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Uh-huh. I can tell you won’t. What happened at the auction?” she asked in a quiet voice.

I swirled the glass in my hand, praying the wine would take the edge off. “I talked to a few people and took some pictures. I might have thrown some insinuations around, which wasn’t my original intent.” Including to the sexy cowboy.

“You took pictures and tossed out innuendoes? Wonderful. My guess is that wasn’t well received. Some of the ranchers prefer to keep their business private. The auctions are damn important to their businesses and any interference is akin to stealing a prized steer out from under them.”

“I figured that out and no, I almost had the camera ripped out of my hand more than once. I was warned to stop meddling.”

Sandra put her glass on the table, folding her hands. “Look. I understand that the call you received from some investor was disconcerting and phone calls in the middle of the night certainly added fuel to your inquisitive mind, but you really need to slow down. You can’t go accusing people of crimes.”

“That’s what Mr. Cowboy said but you didn’t see the injured steer I was asked to tend to. The poor thing was malnourished as well as injured. Why was I called to some ranch to care for a leg injury when the bastards hadn’t fed the poor animal in weeks? I have the pictures to prove it.”

“Danni, listen to yourself. You’re building some conspiracy theory when you know times have been tough around here. I’ve told you stories. Didn’t a couple of your clients mention the world of ranching has been brutal the last couple of years? Hmmm… my guess they did only because you pushed. Sometimes people simply do the best they can with what they have.”

Her admonishment was well noted, although everything about that night had been odd.

“Yeah? I get it, but my gut tells me that there’s something going on. Besides, I don’t have that many clients. What if the smaller ranchers are being bilked out of millions of dollars by this unknown source?”

“You know better than to make accusations like that, no matter what you’ve read.”

Times were tough all the way around, my client roster not growing as I’d hoped. I hadn’t been able to get over trying to care for the injured animal. The entire situation was far too unusual. I would never forget the smell inside the barn I was taken to or the odd look in the eyes of the rancher as he stood over me, watching everything I did.

Then barely a week later to receive a call from an investor asking if I’d be interested in working with a corporation handling all their veterinarian needs had raised my hackles. I’d never even heard of the firm in question. While I’d searched the internet, I’d found little more than a landing page and limited information regarding their corporate existence. And the single blurb regarding their company? That had been a joke.

“We hope to provide ranchers with an alternative choice, including a new way of life.”

What in the hell was that supposed to mean? There were no phone numbers on the website, only a basic contact form.

The nagging remained, my mind forcing me to ask a few questions of other professionals. Had any of the other veterinarians been experiencing a rise in animal cruelty cases? Had they heard of anything going on within the ranching industry? The two veterinarian clinics I’d called had shut me down before twenty words had left my mouth. I had contacted the sheriff’s office, although I wasn’t going to tell Sandra that tidbit, only adding fuel to her fire. They’d taken my statement but told me in no uncertain terms that I might not hear anything. When I’d searched the local newspapers, I’d found the same stories that Sandra had led me to. However, the internet had highlighted various Ponzi and embezzlement schemes occurring in several states.

While there hadn’t been anything concrete to affirm my beliefs regarding the injured animal or the phone calls, there was no way I’d be able to put the ugly thoughts out of my mind.

“Have you ever heard of RH Holdings?”

Sandra sat back, her eyes narrowing. “No. That’s the investment firm?”

“Yes, and their website seemed shady to me.”

“I should never have told you about the rumor I heard,” Sandra said. “Or about the news articles. I forgot how tenacious you always were because of your love of animals. You get that from your father.”

Sighing, I rubbed my eyes, ignoring her comment. Talking about my father was difficult. “You were concerned after I told you about the steer. You have a love of animals too, ya know.”

“Of course I do, but you can’t go around accusing people of crimes. Just slow down.”

I’d read every article she’d shared with me then found others. The rise of cattle fraud was significant, increasing every year. Maybe I should back away, let the various law enforcement agencies do their job while I tried to save mine. I thought about her request, but the same nagging remained.

“You know more about the cattle industry than anyone else I know,” I said quietly.

“Why, because I grew up on a big, sprawling ranch, my father living and breathing ranching?” She laughed then reached over, placing her hand on my arm. “I’m not criticizing you, but I am trying to warn you that ranchers are very particular. They don’t like to be accused of crimes. There are regulations for the auction houses and other sales and that’s increasing every day. Let the experts handle this before you get yourself into trouble.”

“I’ve heard that too many times already today. I could swear the injured steer was at the auction today.”

Sandra smiled. “Then that’s good news. That means you helped the animal to recover in order to be sold.”

“And slaughtered.”

“That’s a part of the industry. Why are you getting yourself so worked up? Granted, the warning call was terrible, but take it as advice to leave this alone.”

Getting worked up? That was something I didn’t have an answer to. I also wasn’t prepared to tell her that I’d taken a trip back to the ranch I’d been to on the stormy night I’d worked to save the animal. The entire place looked like it had been abandoned and not for a couple of months.

For years.

“Have you ever heard about a veterinarian used exclusively for a ranching corporation?”

Sandra lifted a single eyebrow. “Stop playing detective. To answer your question, absolutely. Depending on the industry, like the rodeo circuit for example, having a vet on staff is required. Every large ranch employs at minimum a vet tech. I could envision a very large corporation could afford to employ a fulltime veterinarian.”

“Which would make it easier to certify the cattle were ready for an auction even if they were sick.”

“You need to stop this before you get yourself worked up even more. Whatever you had to deal with sounds horrible, but the cattle you tended to could have been cornered by a cougar for all you know. Happens all the time. We do live in the wild West.”

While she’d been very animated regarding her increasing concerns, she’d also been tipsy at the time. The way she was pulling back, attempting to assure me that perhaps everything was normal left me with a lump in my throat. However, I knew better than to push it. I’d continue a careful investigation of my own.

“You know what? Maybe you’re right. I don’t know the industry and besides, I have a practice to grow.” I gave a fake smile and when I reached for the bottle of wine, I couldn’t help but grumble.

“Uh-huh. Why do I have a feeling you’re not going to let this go?” Sandra asked.

“And why do I have the feeling you’re not telling me the full story?”

She gave me a wry look. “Because it’s obvious I couldn’t even if I knew. Do yourself a favor. If, and I’m saying a huge ‘if’ you find anything, take it to the sheriff. Promise me. Being threatened is not something to mess with.”

I knew she wasn’t going to let me off the hook. “You’re right.”

“Okay, good, although I don’t buy it for a second. I tell you what. I’ll ask my father about this holding company if it will make you feel any better.”

“It would.”

“Okay. That much I can do. Now, why don’t we change the subject? This cowboy. Tell me about him again. Tell me everything.” She lifted her wineglass, a mischievous grin on her face.

“I accused him of being a bad guy. He snapped at me. We kissed. Then he spanked me.”

As a stream of wine spewed past her lips, a coughing fit ensuing, I couldn’t help but grin. Admitting what had happened wasn’t something I’d been planning.

“Wha… What?” Sandra managed then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “You’re not serious.”

“Yep. I am. He called me a brat who needed to learn a lesson.”

“He spanked you right there? Like at the auction?”

“In the parking lot.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.” She finally brought the wine to her lips, taking the time to drag her tongue around the rim. “Tell me about the kiss.”

“Perfection. Panty-dampening. Thank God, I didn’t find out his name. I never plan on seeing him again.”

“Oh, girl. That’s a real shame. Maybe you need one hunky, dominant cowboy to keep your conspiracy theories in check.”

“Very funny.” As we both laughed again, I thought about my camera. “Do you want to see a picture of him?” I asked coyly.

“Such a bad girl. Of course, I do. Who knows, maybe I can recognize him.”

“If you so, I think I’d track him down and give him a piece of my mind.” I brushed my fingers across my lips, remembering the kiss. No. I refused to be bullied by anyone, even if the roughhewn cowboy was one of the sexiest men on the planet.

“Or the rest of your body?” she mused.

“Hmm… That’s not going to happen. I’ll be right back.”

I heard her laughing, her fit of giggles exactly what I needed. Maybe I did need to lighten up. I hadn’t been able to get close enough to the steer in question to know for certain if it was the one who’d been injured. And the calls? Well, there were crackpots in every corner of life. As I grabbed the camera from my vehicle, I couldn’t help but notice a huge truck with blackened windows going by Sandra’s house very slowly. I stood still, studying the make and model, finally lifting my camera to take a picture.

Just as the driver floored it, the tires screeching.

This time, I wasn’t shaking. I was pissed.

And I’d snapped the picture.

The hair stood up on the back of my neck, a wave of nausea pooling into my stomach.

As I took the camera inside, my anger was fueled again, but I was determined not to let her know what had happened and ruin the rest of the night. I found the picture of the cowboy. That would keep her occupied. Just seeing his chiseled face was enough to make me hot and bothered.

“Here you go. Tell me that isn’t one sexy hunk?” I asked as I handed her the camera.

She glanced at the photo then up into my eyes then down once again.

“What is it?” I wasn’t certain I wanted the answer.

“You’re not going to believe this, but I know exactly who he is.”

“What?”

“Meet Holt Wills, although I heard he goes by Mustang now. And let me tell you, he’s one bad boy. In fact, he’s dangerous.”