Caged and tamed, p.1
Caged and Tamed, page 1
Caged and Tamed
Vonna Harper
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Afterword
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Copyright © 2021 by Stormy Night Publications and Vonna Harper
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Stormy Night Publications and Design, LLC.
www.StormyNightPublications.com
Harper, Vonna
Caged and Tamed
Cover Design by Korey Mae Johnson
Image by Depositphotos/Vitalik Radko
This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults.
Chapter 1
The first time he’d been at Korbin Aldrich’s place overlooking the Pacific, Caleb Roth had come close to hyperventilating. So that’s what seven plus million dollars bought in San Diego. That had been four years ago, specifically nine days after his sister’s violent death. If nothing else, taking in the multimillionaire’s estate had briefly separated him from a mixture of rage and grief. Even tonight with one beer in his belly and another on its way, he remembered his determination to bury himself in booze so he wouldn’t emotionally break down like his folks had. He’d drunk too much back then, way too much. The need to escape still occasionally swamped him because, hell, Hanna had been only nineteen.
He wouldn’t go down that nightmare of a road on this humid Southern California summer evening but he had no objection to taking the edge off. It wasn’t as if Korbin Aldrich or fellow detective Joe Risinger would caution him to stop at two stupidly expensive imported beers. Korbin could afford the best. More to the point, the older man had no objection to paying law enforcement for information.
“You’re sure?” Korbin asked. “No doubt Ethan Crowl still has his fingers on the whole operation?”
Joe grunted and continued separating orange sections and popping them in his mouth. In the six months since Joe had left Seattle and become a detective in the land of endless sunshine and drugs, he’d lost his rainy Washington pallor. He was nearly as tanned as Caleb. More to the point, Joe had the relaxed look of a man who got all the sex he wanted when he wanted.
“You can’t be surprised,” Joe told Korbin before Caleb could speak. “Just because Ethan’s in prison doesn’t mean that asshole isn’t still in charge.”
“Hold on,” Caleb corrected. “He’s determined to keep his position but that doesn’t mean he has it. His conviction messed up the mafia’s management. There’s going to be bloodshed until a new godfather takes control.”
Korbin chuckled. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he dispensed with maybe a quarter of his beer. The three men were on a massive redwood deck overlooking the ocean watching the sun try to make up its mind whether it was ready to lose its hold on the day. Caleb loved endless evenings like this. He’d put his career to bed and wouldn’t have to think about it until tomorrow—at least he wouldn’t most nights. Tonight however, Korbin had asked to be brought up to date regarding their mutual foe, only the obscenely wealthy man who ran J and J—Judge and Jury—never just requested something. Cloaked in low, quiet tones, he let it be known he wouldn’t accept anything except the broad and absolute truth.
Hell, he had every right to.
“I can’t help but liken what’s going on to what happens when a wolf pack loses the alpha male,” Caleb said. He’d never seen a live wolf but the predators had long fascinated him. The way he saw it, the mafia wasn’t much different from wolves. Dangerous. “The soldiers who’ve been waiting to move up in the ranks smell weakness. They push. Nip at heels. Sometimes, if they think they’re macho enough, they challenge the boss.”
“I take it Ethan knows what’s going on in the streets?” Korbin chuckled again. “Serves the bastard right not to be able to call all the shots. All these years he’s been pushing his weight around. Believing no one’s stupid enough to take him on. Then he’s charged, tried, and found guilty.” He gave Joe a thumbs up. “Speaking of, how is Lainey doing?”
“She’s back in school. Taking four classes, three of them online. Speaking of, she told me to make sure I thanked you for everything you did.”
“She’ll do fine. That’s one smart young woman—too good for you.” His smile died. “How does she feel knowing her stepfather is still pulling strings? I assume you’ve told her how far Ethan’s power still reaches.”
“I have.” Joe flexed his big, hard shoulder muscles. “She doesn’t like it.”
“Of course she doesn’t. The things he did with that sex slavery scheme of his—make sure she knows how proud I am of her for testifying against him.”
“I did my best to prepare her. Her determination came from inside. Men like Ethan Crowl will never be anything except bastards. A guilty verdict doesn’t change a cur’s nature.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Korbin said.
“What do you mean?” Caleb had known Korbin for more than five years, but he was still trying to get through the man’s layers.
“Simple and selfish on my part. Judge and Jury needs a worthy opponent. Where’s the challenge if the Ethans of the world fade away once their cell doors are locked?” Korbin leaned forward and watched a trio of seagulls glide overhead. “As long as the mafia exists, and it’s going to be around longer than we are, people’s lives will be ruined.” He turned his attention to Caleb. “Or destroyed. What happened to your sister was—”
“I can’t change reality.” It still tore at his heart to talk about Hanna’s last days. No one’s life should end at nineteen. “I focus on what I can accomplish. What any of us can.”
“Point taken,” Korbin said. “So you two are getting hints of conflict?”
“More than hints,” Joe said. “Right now the mafia is split into several divisions.”
“It’s hard to tell how many underbosses are vying to become godfather,” Caleb said. “Ethan isn’t about to let anyone strip that title from him. It pisses me that he only got ten years. It’s a damn shame the DA’s office couldn’t tie him to Nate’s death.”
Nate was—had been—Joe’s younger brother, a brash, self-confident young man who’d worked for Ethan until he’d figured out that Ethan was using his skill as a street race driver to enrich Ethan. Instead of obeying Ethan’s order to throw a race, Nate’s ego had been in control. In exchange for ruining Ethan’s payday, Ethan had ordered Nate killed.
Nate’s death hadn’t been Ethan’s downfall. His attempt to set up a sex slavery operation had done the deed thanks in part to Korbin. Caleb kept telling himself it didn’t matter which crime had brought Ethan down. What did was that the mafia kingpin was behind bars and helpless—only he wasn’t out of operation, damn it. From what Caleb was picking up from the streets, the battling underbosses were determined to turn the sex slave setup into a major moneymaker. Unsuspecting women had been safe from the moment Ethan had been locked up, but the danger was back.
“I’m frustrated,” Korbin said. “I should have seen it coming, but I’d hoped a conviction would weaken the mafia.” He rubbed his eyes and went back to watching the seagulls.
“It did,” Caleb told him.
“But it isn’t down and out.”
“No.”
“So where do we go from here?” Korbin stabbed a glance at Caleb. “If you were a betting man, where do you think Ethan is focused? Does he still have an interest in making money from street racing?”
“No.” Caleb didn’t have to look at the fellow detective he considered a trusted friend to know Joe was uptight. After all they’d both lost a sibling to the mafia. “There’s nothing sexy about having the fastest car in this part of the city. Not enough money behind it either.”
“Drugs then?”
“Drugs will always be a core part of what the mafia’s about, but I don’t think Ethan’s in a position to have a real impact on that money stream. Besides, it’s been around for so long it practically runs itself.” He wasn’t sure where Korbin was going with this line of discussion. “Money laundering’s pretty much on autopilot.”
“I agree,” Korbin said. “A new income stream is vital for someone looking to move up in the organization. From personal experience I know loyalty hinges on workmen respecting management’s decisions. Do you two think sex slavery has enough potential to interest all of the underbosses? Joe, I’ll cut you some slack when it comes to answering that. You have other things on your mind.”
“Just one.” Joe massaged his thighs. “But Lainey doesn’t expect or want me to give her all of my time. She understands what my job entails. Besides, she has her mother’s welfare to deal with.”
“Speaking of,” Caleb said, “how is Magara doing?”
“Not bad considering.” Joe licked his orange-stained fingers. “My future mother-in-law is a pro when it comes to acting. No matter how mu ch shit her soon-to-be ex is putting her through, and he’s making the divorce as hard as he can, she earns every penny she’s being paid. I’ve watched. The emotion she puts into her role—”
“So she is divorcing Ethan?” Korbin broke in.
“Slowly. Like I said, Ethan’s being a bastard about it. Lainey spends as much as she can with her mother, listening, giving advice when it’s asked for, sometimes cursing Ethan more than Magara does.”
“Good for her. I’m sure it helps to have you to talk to.”
“I like to think it does.”
Seeing the light of love in Joe’s eyes, Caleb fought a wave of envy. The whole time he’d been growing up, he’d believed love and devotion would cement his parents’ marriage no matter what life threw at them. He’d wanted what had sustained them—until his sister’s cruel death had torn his parents apart. He still wanted to believe there was such a thing as happy ever after but it hadn’t happened in his family. Maybe nothing would ever threaten Joe and Lainey’s relationship but maybe—
“Listen to him,” Korbin said. “Only a few months with Lainey and Joe thinks he’s an expert in the romance department. Shit, I imagine there was a time when Magara felt the same way about the shithole.”
The shithole was Ethan Crowl. “Speaking of,” Caleb said, “several of my sources are convinced Ethan is sold on sex slavery lining his pockets. He’s willing to leave the other operations to the wolves nipping at his heels.”
“That’s interesting,” Korbin said. “I’m kind of surprised he’d specialize but there are limits to what he can do from where he is.”
Korbin snorted. “Breaks my heart. One thing, he was just getting started on the slavery angle. He probably sees it as a challenge.”
“A big one considering he has to handle things from a distance,” Caleb pointed out. “He has to rely on soldiers he trusts.”
Korbin and Joe laughed, prompting Caleb to join them. “Loyalty within the mafia is the same as believing a wolf won’t attack,” he said. “They want the world to believe honor is what it’s about but there are a lot of hungry soldiers.”
“To say nothing of the consigliere, bosses, caporegime, soldiers, even a picciotto or two,” Joe said. “That adds up to a lot of bodies the godfather doesn’t dare turn his back on. I wish we had a better idea who’s convinced spilling blood leads to power and who is biding their time waiting to see who’s left standing.”
“Yeah.” Korbin frowned. “For a while I hoped Magara would turn out to be the connection we were looking for. There she was, a civilian married to the godfather.”
“She wasn’t much different from me,” Joe said. “An outsider no one looks at.”
“Which is why I brought you into Judge and Jury,” Korbin allowed. “Unfortunately now the mafia doesn’t trust you any more than they do Caleb.” He studied the redwood decking his shoes were planted on. “Where do we go from here? How do we keep potential slaves safe? We can’t stop what we can’t see coming.”
The world saw Korbin Aldrich as a highly successful man with a knack for making every business he was involved with succeed. Only a handful knew what really got him up every morning—a gut-deep determination to hamstring the mafia. He didn’t just use his money and resources toward that end. He sometimes got personally involved. In addition he chose others, mostly cops who shared his loathing of organized crime, to do what he couldn’t.
“No, we can’t.” Like Korbin was doing, Caleb studied the long, wide swath of redwood. This wasn’t the first time he wished he’d become a carpenter. “If I did my sister might still be alive.”
“You couldn’t do anything,” Korbin ground out. “Just be the wolf you’ve been talking about. Stalk your prey. And when you’ve cornered it, bring it down. Gnaw off its fucking legs.”
I will.
Chapter 2
Groaning under her breath, Mia Hess struggled to catch the page coming into the ER. Unfortunately, the squalling toddler she was dealing with made that impossible so she pulled back the cloth partition in preparation for stepping into the hall.
“Where are you going?” the toddler’s frazzled mother demanded. “She’s in so much pain.”
“I know she is. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure you will. After your break.”
What break, Mia wanted to challenge. She was in hour eleven of a twelve-hour shift, all of it spent on her feet. Her bladder was grateful for the two minutes she’d managed to carve out earlier, but she was so hungry she was lightheaded. At times like this she questioned her decision to go into nursing but it was worlds better than how her mother kept her lights on.
“What was that?” she asked the nurse who was heading for another room with an IV bag.
“Two ambulances. One critical.”
It was Friday night, specifically a few minutes before midnight, which had her figuring booze might have played a role in what had happened. Her belly clenched. Where was her brother? Not at the disaster of an apartment he shared with several other young men. She’d bet a month’s salary on that.
When the nurse said the ambulances were at least five minutes away, she went back to dealing with the youngster who’d parked a small plastic stick in her ear. The too-young mother with bags under her eyes was rocking a wide-eyed and thankfully silent newborn while trying to calm her blonde older child.
“Do you like dogs?” Mia asked the now sniveling girl. “I just got a puppy.” She pulled a small, white stuffed dog out of a drawer and handed it to her patient. “She looks a lot like this. I don’t know what to call her. Do you think you can help me?”
Despite a suspicious stare, the girl clutched the much-used toy to her chest. “Precious,” she whispered.
Tweezers in her palm so the girl couldn’t see what she had, Mia cupped a small trembling chin with her free hand to keep her patient from moving. “That’s kind of long for a little puppy. How about a nickname?”
“No. It has to be Precious. And she has to wear a pink collar.”
Fortunately Mia had gotten a decent look at the offending intrusion so she knew how to angle the tweezers. “Of course she does. Now, how about you show me how far you can count?”
No longer suspicious, the child started counting. Mia waited until she heard five then slipped her tool into the girl’s ear, took hold, and slowly pulled. Mom, who’d been counting along with her daughter, nodded and asked the girl to draw an eight with her forefinger.
“There.” Mia held up four inches of red plastic with rounded ends. “All gone.”
At the sight of the object, the girl started crying again. Judging by the sounds beyond this bit of sub-drama, Mia knew the critical patient had arrived. Dismissing her ache, she used an otoscope to be sure the ear hadn’t sustained any damage. After telling the mother to check at the nurse’s station before leaving, she stepped into the largest emergency room.
Most of the ER nurses were already there, prepared to perform their designated tasks. As she backed against a wall to leave room for the stretcher, she assured herself that the various equipment they’d need was in place. The expressions on the ambulance staff’s faces as they rushed in left no doubt that this was a hot one. So did the EMT riding the stretcher so he could pump the patient’s chest. The taut muscles in his arms left no doubt that he was using every bit of strength in his upper body.
“I can’t do this much longer,” he muttered. “Someone has to take over.”
“Right,” Dr. Martin Guyer said. “Who has this?”
Fortunately before Mia felt compelled to volunteer, Angela, one of the other nurses, held up her hand. Angela waited until the patient had been transferred to the bed then grabbed a stepladder so she could lean over the patient.
“What do you know?” Dr. Guyer asked the EMTs.
