A Taste of Dangerous Stranger

You all know how I love my mafia books. I decided to have one set in Spain – Dangerous Stranger. Now, you can just imagine the sexy hero and his accent. Can’t you? Yum. I’m also excited because I’m a part of a very special anthology – Cowboys for a Cause – benefitting COVID-19 – with several other amazing authors. Both are FREE to read if you have a KU Subscription.

Enjoy a taste of:

Dangerous Stranger

Ping. Ting.

The sound was decidedly metal, as if something was being scraped against the well-worn brick. A blade. I’d heard the very sound on more than one occasion, the realization not as terrifying as it was startling that I’d actually know the sound from a full block away. I walked up the few stairs toward the entrance, praying to God the door was unlocked, but my instinct screaming that I’d have no such luck.

My gut feeling had been right, the door refusing to budge. I dared to take a glance over my shoulder while I tugged on the handle one last time. The monstrous figure was at least a solid two hundred and fifty pounds, his face remaining in the shadows.

Run. Run!

Danger.

My instinct kicked me in the gut, my mind reeling.

I had absolutely no recourse but to take off running. Within seconds, I was able to hear heavy, solid feet behind me, the man’s gait faster than I would have imagined given his massive size.

Terror ripped at every emotion, my entire mind reeling. I let off a solid wail, frantically looking for anywhere to go. The darkness was ominous, overpowering in every manner. I was in a city I didn’t know, in a country where people spoke little English and I’d fallen into a tourist’s biggest trap. I was a huge fucking fool. There was no one coming to save me, not a fucking soul on this street that would give a damn that a woman was being accosted.

My God, had the asshole laughed? The sound reverberated into my ears, dark and evil just like the man himself.

My anger turned to rage, flashes of light shifting across my field of vision. This motherfucker wasn’t going to kill me. I twisted around, tossing the larger bag in his direction, taking off running once again. Clothes I could do without. The anguished thud as the fucker tripped was satisfying, but the action had barely slowed him down. My God, he was gaining on me.

I heard the sound of another vehicle coming from the opposite direction. Then it slowed down, the headlights flashing in my direction. No. No!

This had been a setup. Oh, God. Oh, fuck!

As fast as I could run, the asshole was gaining on me. The sound of screeching tires matching my high-pitched scream as my feet pounded on the pavement. I jerked toward the street, weaving past a parked car in my effort to get to the other side. There was the sound of a car door, another pair of feet. My life flashed in front of my eyes.

Whoosh!

“Argh!” This time, the guttural scream hadn’t erupted from my throat, the deep bass echoing in my ears. Another hard thud was followed by an angry shout in Spanish. Suddenly, everything seemed to be in slow motion, the sounds exploding behind me vicious and brutal. When I no longer heard the sound of anyone following me, I turned, gasping for air, headlights from the same vehicle illuminating the street.

The light from the building washed over a small area, accentuating a man dressed in a white dinner jacket, his long raven hair pulled into a ponytail. There was no mistaking the shimmer of the knife in his hand, the reflection of the blade unmistakable. He snarled, kicking the man several times before standing to his full height, removing some kind of cloth from his pocket and wiping the blade.

Blood. He had to be wiping away blood from stabbing the asshole who’d been following me.

Ready to kill me.

By all rights, I should be paralyzed with fear, but another instinctual realization settled in. Whoever the stranger was, he had no intention of harming me.

From where I stood, I could clearly see the outline of the man who’d been following me, his body slumped onto the sidewalk. I suddenly realized I was walking closer, my body reacting while my mind attempted to process anything about the stranger who’d saved my life.

He tipped his head very slowly in my direction, his gaze locked onto mine and while there was no way I could see his eyes, I could swear they were boring into mine. Everything about him reeked of danger and possession, as if he owned the streets, and people were prepared to bow down to him.

After sliding the weapon into one pocket, he eased his phone from another. The husky sound of his voice floated in my direction, every word spoken in Spanish. I was still petrified, unable to process what had just occurred.

The roar of an engine caught my attention, the same vehicle moving closer to the stranger, a door opening. The headlights were suddenly blinding, forcing me to shield my eyes. Without any hurry in his step, the man walked toward the car. Before he climbed in, he took another look in my direction.

Acknowledging me.

Protecting me.

Wanting me.

Then the sleek vehicle drove past, the dark windows hiding those inside, but I could still feel his heated gaze.

As well as his burning desire.

What did you think? Imagine what he will do AFTER saving her…

Purchase Dangerous Stranger

Now, for a little information on Cowboys for a Cause

If you climb in the saddle, be ready to ride…

Over twenty-five of your favorite bestselling and award-winning authors have rustled up some sizzling, Grade-A, top quality cowboys for you to enjoy in this epic western romance anthology. From heavy-handed herdsmen, bronco-bustin’ bad boys, and every kind of wild, wanton wrangler in between, the heroes of this steamy collection won’t be denied, and they’re guaranteed to leave you breathless.

Save a horse and…well…you know the rest. But don’t delay because Cowboys for a Cause is only available for a limited time. Rope your copy today!

The proceeds from Cowboys for a Cause will be donated in their entirety to Direct Relief Coronavirus Response and the Feeding America COVID-19 Response Fund. But please note that Cowboys for a Cause is not affiliated with or endorsed by either charity.

To learn more about the charities or make an individual donation please visit:

Direct Relief: https://bit.ly/2Zqm79e

Feeding America: https://bit.ly/36n7Onb

Purchase Cowboys for a Cause

New Release and Cowboys for a Cause

So happy to share two bits of good news. First, I have a sexy new release – Big Rig – the sequel to Roughneck – my oilrigger piece, but you can read as a stand alone. Trust me, Riley is one rough and tumble kind of man. Second – I’m so happy to participate in Cowboys for a Cause – all proceeds going to a Covid-19 Charity. Let’s take a peek at both.

BIG RIG

She needed a lesson all right. Whoever the female thought she was, there was no doubt she was attempting to outdo the men. Considering the type of language she was using, I’d call her obnoxious.

Vulgar.

Bratty.

I had an easy method to remedy that.

“Rough crowd, my ass. They are getting way out of hand.”

“That’s what happens when you’ve had a day to drink away your sorrows,” Walker said with a lilt in his voice.

As we walked inside, I was struck by the musty stench as well as the heated atmosphere. The single exclamation screaming over all the others gave me a clear indication of the vile mood everyone was in.

“You’re going to follow the rules. Period. If not, I will have this location shut down. Trust me. I have the ability to do so.” The raunchy woman had what appeared to be the entire crew surrounding her.

While I was still unable to see the person responsible for the directive, one that she had no right to authorize, I moved closer. The group of men were agitated, some even raising their fists.

I heard Walker’s snicker from behind and as I pushed my way through the group, I was honestly mesmerized by the woman standing in the middle of the crowd.

Beautiful.

Bold.

Unruly.

The three words described her very well, even though her actions yanked at my inner core. She had no idea the kind of man she was dealing with.

“You have no right,” one of the burly men shouted.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” another said, snorting after the comment.

They were both correct and even though I wanted to see how far she’d go, I knew better than to allow things to get out of hand.

“I have every right,” she stated authoritatively.

“I warned you. You have your hands full,” Walker chortled from behind me. “One of several unhappy customers.”

Fuck me.

Who the hell was she? Rigging was a tough job both physically and mentally. Not that a woman couldn’t handle it, but she was maybe one hundred pounds soaking wet. I studied her for a few seconds, my cock aching in a way I hadn’t experienced in years. Damn it. Being attracted to one of the crew didn’t bode well for an explosive situation. She needed a quick lesson in who was boss.

“And what is that right?” another roughneck asked, allowing his voice to boom over the entire room. While only a few of the men took several steps backward, it was enough to allow me a full view of the female in question.

I was rarely enticed by any woman at first glance. I had my reasons including lack of trust.

As well as guilt.

The sight of the fiery beauty forced my cock to full attention, my balls tightening. Everything about her indulged the dark and sadistic man I’d always been. From the way she’d weaved her dark hair into a constricting bun to the manner in which she attempted to hide her voluptuous body with one hell of an ugly shirt, every cell in my body was on fire. Jesus. I was hungry as a wild beast and there was no doubt one day she would belong to me.

Mine to train.

Mine to use.

And mine to fuck relentlessly.

Even though my thoughts were Neanderthal in nature, I had no methods of curtailing my savage desire.

Or my needs.

A fog slipped past my eyes for a few seconds as I envisioned her naked and writhing body. Christ. I had to get control of myself.

She snapped her head in the rigger’s direction, her eyes narrowing as she attempted to size him up, already zipping him into a body bag.

“Because my commands can’t be ignored,” she stated, the tone of her voice far too haughty for my tastes. “If they are, I will shut this rig down.”

Wow. She had balls the size of cantaloupes.

“And neither will mine,” the same guy stated in a commanding tone.

Several of the men snickered in the background, pissing me off even more.

“Yeah? And just who are you?” she asked, twisting in the direction of the gravelly voice.

“A man who knows more than a damn woman,” a fourth husky voice said from somewhere in the crowd. “You have no business here.”

She beckoned with her hand, using the other to plant it on her hip. “Why don’t you come right here and tell me that to my face. If. You. Have. The. Balls.”

“Whoa!” the collective crowd roared.

Oh, fuck me. This was going to get way out of hand. Shit. Shit. Shit.

The cheering and clapping were confirmation that I was correct.

“Watch out. Here it comes,” Walker hissed. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you about Alexis.”

I heard my buddy’s words, his inflection full of amusement. “Funny how you didn’t tell me that ‘Alex’ was a woman.”

“I wanted to see how you’d handle her,” he said, chuckling. “She definitely has a mouth on her.”

“Uh-huh. Well, then I guess I’ll handle this my way.” I pushed my way into the middle of the group, several of the men glaring at me for the interruption. Even from a distance, I could see both the brute and the unknown woman were raring for a fight and the damn crowd was egging it on. She had no intention of backing down, her body language tense, but even in the dim lighting of the oversized room, I was able to catch the nervous tic in the corner of her mouth. Several of the men refused to budge as well. I had the feeling I was going to have trouble with a solid third of them.

Before I had a chance to say a thing, one of the men bolted in front of the others, the veins in his thick neck bulging. While the burly, inked dude stood well over eight inches taller than the girl, she was absolutely taking no shit. He huffed and puffed, sweat covering his forehead.

“Listen here, little filly. Women are only good for two things. Fuckin’ and cookin’. My guess is that you’re only good for the first.”

There was a single reaction and not necessarily the one I’d anticipated.

She cold-cocked him.

Now, just imagine what Riley is going to do…

Big Rig Purchase Link

COWBOYS FOR A CAUSE

The summer heat has arrived early… Introducing Cowboys for a Cause, a western romance anthology benefiting COVID-19 relief. I am thrilled to be taking part in this awesome collection releasing June 8th!

BLOGGERS: SIGN UP HERE

If you climb in the saddle, be ready to ride…

Over twenty-five of your favorite bestselling and award-winning authors have rustled up some sizzling, Grade-A, top quality cowboys for you to enjoy in this epic western romance anthology. From heavy-handed herdsmen, bronco-bustin’ bad boys, and every kind of wild, wanton wrangler in between, the heroes of this steamy collection won’t be denied, and they’re guaranteed to leave you breathless.

Save a horse and…well…you know the rest. But don’t delay because Cowboys for a Cause is only available for a limited time. Rope your copy today!

The proceeds from Cowboys for a Cause will be donated in their entirety to Direct Relief Coronavirus Response and the Feeding America COVID-19 Response Fund. But please note that Cowboys for a Cause is not affiliated with or endorsed by either charity.

PREORDER TODAY!

I do hope you’ll consider ordering. Trust me – these cowboys are going to be HOT!

Kisses and spanks…

Piper