Authors: Piper Davenport
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Erotica, #Romantic, #Romance, #Romantic Suspense, #Mystery & Suspense, #Suspense
Justice
2014 Piper Davenport
Copyright © 2014 by Piper Davenport
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States
Justice
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
BACK BLURB
Macey Gilbert has lived through a horrific crime and lost the love of her life in the process. When a new danger arises and threatens the small thread of sanity she’s clinging to, she’s forced to trust in the one person she thought she’d lost forever.
Dallas Stone watched as the woman he loves pushed him away years ago, but in a stolen moment, she shows him hope and he makes a snap decision that will change their lives forever.
Will Macey open up enough to let Dallas back in?
Will Dallas be able to protect her from an enemy neither of them saw coming?
CHAPTER ONE
Two years ago…
M
ACEY GILBERT STOOD at the fourth floor nurse’s station and grinned into the phone. Due to the fact she didn’t carry her cell phone on the floor; Dallas Stone had called her on the hospital mainline instead. “Yes, I’ll be ready.”
Dallas was arguably her closest friend outside of Payton Williams and he’d recently become much, much more. “Mase, that means six, babe. Not six-fifteen,” he said with a chuckle.
“I’ll be ready,” she promised.
“It’s our first official date. I want it to be perfect.”
After a ridiculously hot and frustrating make-out session two nights ago, Dallas invited her out. He refused to seal the deal, so to speak, until they’d had a proper date, and as much as Macey had wanted to rip his clothes off and tie him to the bed, she decided to allow him the chance to be romantic. Grateful she had a busy nursing shift to keep her thoughts occupied, she was now anxious to get off work and focus on Dallas.
“Dal, I trust you. Even if it all goes to shit, I’ll love whatever we do.”
“Nice, Mase.”
She giggled. “I’m sure it’ll be great.”
“Are you on with Alec today?”
Alec was Dallas’s brother and a gifted ER doctor who Macey had trained under.
“Yep. He’s here. But when isn’t he?” she said.
“Very true,” Dallas agreed. “You’re off at four, right?”
“Yep. Same as I said yesterday.”
“Smart ass.”
“Don’t you forget it,” she retorted.
“Best band ever?” he said.
“U2.”
“Nope, Metallica,” he countered.
They’d played the “best ever” game for as long as she could remember and, for the most part, their answers were close in agreement, but sometimes the game would incite an enthusiastic debate.
“You’re a weirdo,” she quipped.
“A weirdo with way better taste in music than you.”
“Says the man who listens to Mirage.”
“Okay, you got me there,” he said. “But you have to admit, they’re great musicians.”
“I don’t have to admit a darn thing,” she quipped.
Dallas laughed. “I’ll see you at six.”
“I’ll be ready.”
Macey hung up and bit her lip, her heart racing in anticipation. Although she wanted to leave immediately for home, she managed to sit down for about an hour to work on charts before the grind of the automatic doors interrupted her.
“Okay, lady, dish.”
Macey looked up to see Ada Morris walking towards her. Ada had started at the hospital three months ago, and she and Macey had become quick friends.
“About?” Macey asked.
“Nice try,” Ada said, sitting at the empty desk chair. “This morning you mentioned plans for tonight without elaborating, but with that goofy look on your face, I can tell it’s gonna be hot.”
“Oh, really?”
“Absolutely. Tell me about this boy. How long have you known him? Is he hot? What does he do?”
“How do you know there’s a boy?”
Ada giggled. “You’re sitting there working on charts… we all hate charts, you most of all… but you’re here, smiling and humming, so that’s a neon sign saying ‘there’s a boy.’”
Macey sighed. “There’s most definitely a boy.”
“I knew it. Who?”
“Dallas.”
“Dr. Stone’s brother? The hottie who works with the other hottie… what’s his name? Brock?”
Macey giggled. “One in the same. I’ve known him forever. At least for as long as I’ve known Brock and Payton.”
Ada and a few of the other nurses had joined Payton and Macey for girls’ night out a few weeks ago. Brock had been on hand as designated driver and they’d taken full advantage of him. Macey’s drink of choice had been the classic whiskey sour and she enjoyed at least five, earning her not only a fabulous buzz, but the hangover from hell the next morning.
“Payton’s your BFF right?”
“Yes,” Macey said. “And Dallas is Brock’s BFF, although, if he ever heard me refer to Brock that way, he’d probably shoot me. He could, since he’s FBI as well.”
Ada giggled. “Somehow, that makes him sexier.”
“I know.” Macey smiled.
“How long is forever?”
“High school. Brock and Dallas were one year ahead of me and Payton and I’ve always adored Dallas. I actually thought I’d fallen in love with Brock first, but then I met Dallas, and I was done. I have watched him date every bimbo who threw themselves at him… and believe me, there have been a
lot
… but he and I have always had a really great friendship.”
“So you two never hooked up?”
“Nope. Don’t get me wrong, Dallas tried. Most of high school, actually. He used every line to cajole me into bed, but I just couldn’t do it. Be another conquest. I always wanted more and I knew he wasn’t there yet. Some days I’d totally kick myself for not giving in, but by then he’d gone off to college with a football scholarship, and then onto the police academy. My nursing program kept me too busy to pine after him. I did date a few guys while I was in college, but not seriously. I just knew Dallas and I would find our way to each other.”
If not, she was resolved to drugging and kidnapping him and keeping him as her own personal sex slave, but that was a last resort. That part, she kept to herself.
“So what changed?” Ada asked.
“Honestly? I don’t know.” Macey shrugged. “He kind of made a move a couple nights ago and now it’s full steam ahead.”
That was an understatement, particularly because she was determined tonight was the night. She’d let him wine her and dine her, but then she would insist on something a little more satisfying, which would happen in her bed in a matter of hours.
“I love a man who takes what he wants.”
“That he does.”
Ada smiled. “What about Brock? Is he single?”
“Very,” Macey said. “But he hates to be set up.”
“I’m sure you can find a way around that.”
Macey chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.” Ada pushed away from the desk. “I have to check on the mommy in four-twelve. Aren’t you out of here?”
Macey checked her watch. “Crap. Yes. I should have left ten minutes ago.”
“Have a good one,” Ada said, and Macey dropped her charts off in the file room and headed for her locker.
* * *
Macey’s phone rang as she arrived home, and she saw Payton’s name on the screen. “Hey, Pay.”
“Ohmigod, it’s official.”
“I
know
it’s official,” she said, pushing open her front door.
“No, I mean, it’s oh-fish-
all
. Dallas told Mom and Dad.”
“What? Seriously?”
“Um, yeah,” Payton said. “Dad took him out on the deck and grilled him for like an hour last night.”
Macey bit her lip. Ever since her parents had died, Payton’s had stepped in, saving Macey from eating holiday dinners alone and putting up with stalkers. Chuck always seemed to know when to show up and clean his rifle on Macey’s front porch, usually while wearing a wife beater and talking like a hick.
“I love your dad.”
“Yeah, you’re weird that way,” Payton said. “Only you would think it was cool to have Dad grill your boyfriend for hours, asking his intentions and crap.”
Macey giggled. “Maybe you have a point. But as much as your parents adore him, I love that they’re protective enough to make sure he does right by me… which he will.”
“Yeah, he’d be an idiot not to. Outside of the fact he’s a little afraid of you, there’s a line of men who’d maim him if he hurt you.”
“Well, there is that,” Macey agreed.
“He told Dad he loved you.”
Macey’s heart stopped for a second. “He did?”
“Yeah, he did.”
“Wait.” Macey narrowed her eyes. “How do you know all this?”
“Um…"
“Payton Abigail Williams, were you eavesdropping?”
Payton’s bedroom window opened directly above the deck and she’d often used it to spy on her siblings. Apparently, she still did.
“What? No. I would
never
,” she droned sarcastically.
“Oh my
god
, Pay. You are the worst.”
“I know,” Payton said with a sigh.
“Okay, what else did he say?”
Payton laughed. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”
“Only because you pushed me from the Empire State Building.”
“Fair enough. Honestly, he didn’t say much else that I could hear. I kind of got the impression he might have known I was listening.”
“Which means, he only let you hear what he wanted to get back to me.” Macey giggled. “Which is why he’s so good at his job.”
“So true. I’m really excited for you Mase,” Payton said on a more serious note. “You’re perfect for each other and it’s taken a freakin’ long time for you to get here. You deserve to be blissfully in love.”
“You do too, Pay.”
“Oh, I know. It’s why I won’t settle.”
“Good.” Macey looked at her watch. “Hey, I need to jump in the shower or I’ll be late.”
“Okay, have fun. I want details tomorrow.”
“You got it.”
Macey hung up and headed to the bathroom. Once out of the shower, she slid on her favorite emerald-green lace panties and matching bra, over which she pulled on a maxi skirt, black with tiny white daisies embroidered on the fabric, and a white lace camisole with a black, button up shirt she tied off at the waist. Her favorite black wedges finished the ensemble, along with a thick black leather cuff with a watch-face in the center.
She left her long, auburn hair to fall in soft curls down her back, but shoved a hair band in her purse in case she needed to control it at any point in the night. Dallas hadn’t divulged what they were doing and she had to admit she was a little nervous. If he planned some huge gesture and long romantic night, she wasn’t sure how she’d fake being excited. She hated both fuss and romance, but if he wanted fuss and romance, then she’d try to deal with fuss and romance.
Macey made sure her room and bathroom were spotless before heading downstairs to chill some wine and make any last minute tidy-ups. As promised, Dallas arrived at six p.m. on the dot, and she opened the door to a dozen yellow roses, her favorite, and the hottest man she’d ever known holding them. Six-foot-two, green eyes, dark hair with a tinge of red, built like Charlie Hunnam, Dallas Stone was what most women dreamed about. And Macey was definitely most women.
“Hi,” she said, her voice breathy.