A Six-Pack & a Shot at Love (Love on the Rocks #1)(3)

She looked at him shyly and took a deep breath and released it. He stepped closer, a smug, victorious expression on his face, and his large hand moved along her hip, around her waist to snag her close. The same hands that grabbed her, beat her, and raped her when she told him off and found him in bed with multiple women. She closed her eyes and willed the tears, the pain away. She hadn’t told a soul.

“That’s more like it. You can’t fight destiny, Venetia.” He pressed his lips to her forehead then to her lips. She turned away, and he chuckled low.

“You’ll come around. They all do.”

She felt her blood boiling, but she knew better than to reply in anger. He was stronger in so many ways besides physically.

“Come with me now,” he suddenly demanded and took her by her hand and pulled her along with him. She saw Maddor, his bodyguard, and he didn’t look happy at all. Maddor pushed open the door.

“We have a problem. Cops,” he said to Conan.

“Falcon?”

“Yup.”

“Shit. Where’s the car?”

“C is pulling it up now.”

They came out of the back of the building, and she yanked her arm free.

“I’m not going with you,” she stated as firmly as she could.

He gripped her tighter and yanked her against his chest. His teeth were clenched and spittle hit her face.

“Don’t f*ck around with me.”

She pushed against his chest, heard the squealing of tires, and then he struck her. Just like that, he hit her. Lights flashed, sirens echoed, and they were suddenly surrounded by unmarked police cars, men in plain clothes, cops. Conan yanked her up close to his face. Her cheek was bruised and swollen, and tears streamed down her face.

“You tell them anything, and I will hunt you down and slit your f*cking throat, but not before I kill your f*cking parents and get your brothers knocked off, too.”

Her gut clenched with fear, and she jerked back as men grabbed him and told him he was under arrest.

“Are you okay, Miss Lockatelli?” one man asked. He had a gun, a badge, and looked at Conan with hatred and disgust in his eyes then back at her. Another man reached up and gripped her chin gently.

“You need ice,” he said, and she glanced at Conan, who was being dragged, handcuffed, toward an awaiting vehicle along with his bodyguard and his driver.

“Miss Lockatelli, you’re safe now. I’m Detective Falcon Yearns. We have some questions for you and are hoping you can assist us in putting Conan away for a very long time.”

She wished it could be that easy, but it wasn’t. Conan knew people. Conan had great lawyers, and he covered his tracks well. Despite the things she knew, she couldn’t rat him out because, even behind bars, the man would make his threat good. Her parents would die, so would her brothers, and she would live with their deaths for the rest of her life or until Conan decided how he wanted her killed.

“I don’t know anything. I haven’t seen Conan in a year. I didn’t even know he was going to be here tonight, or I never would have come here.” Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“You were his girlfriend for two years. Surely you know something that can help us.” He held her gaze and looked like an honest, good man, but she knew Conan and she was deathly afraid of him. Whatever he wanted, he got, and being behind bars couldn’t stop him either.

“I’m sorry, Detective, but I don’t know anything, and I have nothing to say. I want to leave now. I don’t want to be here. I never should have come.”





Chapter 1


Apollo Corbias stood by the window looking out at the water. The beach house was their home, but he and his brothers rarely weren’t working, always getting involved with some sort of deal. Their biggest focus now was the new site for their tenth luxury hotel and a remodeling of a pre-existing hotel in South Carolina on a private beach and resort.

Apollo turned toward his brothers Garvan and Roman. “I don’t know if I like these. They’re not capturing the true beauty of the place. I think we need to invest more in the brochure, the website descriptions, and photos. We need to show what this place has to offer.”

“I’m disappointed, too. I expected a lot better quality and an actual care for the job, but these people didn’t show shit,” Roman replied.

“Then we don’t pay them. I’ll take care of it.” Garvan walked out of the room. Apollo knew that Garvan would, in fact, take care of it. He was a hard-ass like the rest of them, but he hated spending money foolishly.

Apollo exhaled and ran his fingers through his hair.

“I don’t think this has to be so stressful,” he said to Roman.

“It doesn’t have to be, but we require perfection. This is slop.”

“Agreed. So what’s the plan for tonight, anything?”

“Not for me. I’m looking forward to a nice bottle of wine, a good steak, and sleep. I’m f*cking exhausted and still suffering from jet lag. I swear, as much as I love Hawaii, the trip is a killer.”

Apollo smirked. “It could be worse. You could be traveling commercial.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I haven’t taken a commercial flight in several years.”

“I know. We’ve become accustomed to having a private jet. Which reminds me, where are Titan, Zane, and Ace this weekend?” Apollo asked.