Love & Corruption: A Love & Ruin Standalone Novel Read online

  Love & Corruption

  A Love & Ruin Standalone Novel

  J.A. Owenby

  Twisted Intentions

  J.A. OWENBY

  Copyright © 2019 by J.A. Owenby

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without permission of the publisher constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting J.A. Owenby. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Edited by: The Killian Group

  Photographer: Eric Battershell

  First Edition

  ISBN-13: 978-1-949414-00-4

  Gain access to previews of J.A. Owenby’s novels before they’re released and to take part in exclusive giveaways. www.authorjaowenby.com

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Other Books By J.A. Owenby

  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

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Epilogue~ Vaughn (Redd)

  Join the Fun!

  Other Books By J.A. Owenby

  About the Author

  Other Books By J.A. Owenby

  Romance

  The Love & Ruin Series

  Love & Ruin

  Love & Deception

  Love & Redemption

  Love & Consequences, a standalone novel

  Standalone Novels

  Where I’ll Find You

  Coming of Age

  The Torn Series

  Fading into Her, a prequel

  Torn

  Captured

  Freed

  For Jeannie … To all the times we laughed till we cried, cried till we laughed, and had our morning sanity sessions before work every day. Your amazing heart will live forever in all the lives you touched. I’ll miss you every day. Here’s to tailgating! Love you always.

  Chapter 1

  Each night, when I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, I saw two faces. The love I’d lost, and the friend I’d failed to protect. And one evening every year, I allowed the pain to slip away and drank and fucked myself into oblivion. Tonight was that night. My birthday.

  I rang Vaughn “Redd” Reddington’s doorbell, then opened the door and stuck my head inside. The mouth-watering aroma of Italian herbs and spices floated through the house.

  “Yo, Redd!" I called, eyeing the sparsely furnished room as I stepped inside. Even though the door was unlocked, and Redd was expecting me, old habits died hard. Redd, Zayne Wilson, who we call ZW, and I had trained in martial arts together since middle school. We were pretty evenly matched, but it was never a good idea to sneak up on any one of us. And if we were dumb enough to do it, well, we got what we deserved. My bucket list didn't include a fractured arm or a bullet wound.

  “Back here,” Redd yelled from the kitchen.

  Redd was a slob. He tossed his clothes everywhere—including his drawers. I never knew what article of clothing I was about to sit on, but for once, his house was nearly spotless. It didn’t even smell like dirty socks and sweaty ass. I was a bit touched that he’d gone to some effort to clean up for the party tonight.

  Like the rest of us, Redd was a workaholic and didn't spend much time at home. He sure as hell hadn’t been graced with a talent for decorating. Why he selected a white leather sofa and matching recliner was beyond me. Who chose white furniture against white walls for fuck’s sake? Not to mention how easily it showed dirt and stains.

  His mom visited every few weeks and cleaned up for him. She was a good woman and recognized the long hours he put in as a bodyguard. I’d never admit it to anyone, but that simple gesture made me miss my own mom like crazy. She hadn't lived long enough to see my adult years.

  I didn’t stroll into the kitchen, I sauntered. Tonight, I was free of all responsibility. I sucked in a deep breath and forced the tension out of my shoulders. This was my time to chill. Normally, my job as a bodyguard had me working on Friday nights, but this was the one day each year I did everything in my power not to.

  Redd stood at the stove, humming to himself. I placed the two six-packs of IPA and my bottle of Macallan 25 on the black granite counter. Redd had bought this house specifically for the kitchen. The appliances were top of the line, and it could easily hold ten people comfortably. It was a chef’s wet dream.

  When Redd was off duty, he loved to cook. And I loved to eat. My stomach was a bottomless pit. If at all possible, ZW and I were at Redd’s place for dinner any chance we had. The dude had killer instincts for seasoning and spices.

  We could wipe out an all-you-can-eat buffet after a workout if left to our own devices. Each of us topped out at six-foot-three and two-hundred-twenty pounds, but we were solid fucking muscle powered by high metabolisms. My chin tilted in the air as a strong whiff of something spectacular made my nose twitch with anticipation.

  Zayne nodded at the bottle I’d placed on the counter. “Nice scotch.” He leaned against the island near the fridge, crossing his arms over his massive chest.

  “It was a birthday present from Franklin Harrington,” I replied. “It cost a fortune, so I figure I better enjoy it. Man, that smells good.” I peered over at Redd. My stomach growled in agreement.

  He grinned, his blue eye winking at me playfully. Redd was born with Heterochromia Iridum. Very few people looked at him the first time without doing a double-take or gawking at his different colored eyes. One blue. One brown. He just shrugged it off as no big deal. The girls went nuts over his short, messy blonde hair, muscular build, and angled jawline. But more than that, the ladies flocked to him over his eyes. I swear to God they strolled right up to him, dropped their panties, and spread their legs. Personally, I rarely made time to get laid, but tonight was an exception.

  “What is it? Lasagne alla Bolognese?” I leaned forward, eyeing the tomato concoction.

  “Birthday surprise.” He wiped his hands on the white Star Wars Stormtrooper apron and focused on the multiple pots and pans on his five-burner gas stove.

  “It’s not the only surprise.” ZW grinned like a kid plotting an elaborate prank on his brother. He grabbed a Morning Wood beer from the stainless-steel fridge, twisted the cap off, and took a big swig from the amber-colored bottle.
/>   “I’m afraid to ask,” I mumbled. These two were always up to shenanigans. “Let’s try not to give Mrs. Juniper any reason to call the cops on us this year.”

  Redd lifted the wooden spoon from the pot and pointed it at me. I rolled my eyes when a big drop of sauce fell to the floor. "First off, Mrs. J moved to Arizona. And you know damn well the cops only made a big show of her noise complaint because her nephew is on the force." Redd returned his attention to the stove and stirred the sauce. "Don't worry, we have everything handled for tonight.”

  “We’re doing all the surveilling, protecting, and guarding,” ZW added, leaning against the counter and running his hand over his light brown hair. The tattoo of his grandfather’s pocket watch peeked out from the sleeve of his black polo shirt.

  ZW and his grandpa had been closer than butter on bread until he passed away when ZW was sixteen. He didn't handle it very well, choosing to channel his loss into beating the hell out of guys down at the docks in the illegal fights organized by slimy lowlife promoters. Eventually, someone clocked him in the head hard enough to knock some sense into him and he’d gotten his life together again.

  On my special day, ZW and Redd always watched my back. I’d get shit-faced, they would stay sober and alert. Working security meant I'd made more enemies than friends over the years. And because of that, I was observant every minute of the day. That went for Redd and ZW as well.

  “Your assignment working for Franklin Harrington all wrapped up?” Redd placed the lid on the pot.

  “Yeah. I’m officially finished.” Even though we weren’t supposed to get attached to the people we protected, sometimes it was impossible. Over time, the Harringtons had become part of my family. As soon as I realized that, it was time to move on. The relationships had slowly transitioned into deep friendships, and it interfered with my ability to protect them. The more emotion involved, the more likely I was to make a mistake. Regardless, it would take a while for the hole in my heart not to ache so much. I was used to seeing them every day. At least now when I visited them, it would be as a friend and not as their bodyguard.

  “Good, now you can stop obsessing over his future daughter-in-law,” ZW added.

  “I wasn’t obsessing,” I growled, hoping he’d get the hint and back off. Gemma Thompson had been the exception to my don’t-get-too-close rule. The only thing that kept me from making a huge personal and professional mistake was that I was also assigned to her boyfriend, the rock star Hendrix Harrington, and his family. Even though Gemma and I had met briefly, I remember the exact moment I truly saw who she was.

  While on assignment in Louisiana, I’d taken Gemma to the house she shared with Hendrix. I’d been across the street assisting her elderly neighbor when Gemma was brutally attacked by a man waiting for her inside her home. She fought for her life and kicked his ass. By the time I barged through the front door, she’d taken care of the problem. The beautiful, intelligent, and shy girl had a fierceness I’d immediately fallen for. It had reminded me of another woman from my past and had stirred up something in me I’d pushed down years ago.

  It was then I’d made the mistake of dropping my guard. Before I knew it, she’d managed to work her way into my heart. Suddenly, I was dealing with emotions I’d not allowed myself to feel in nine years.

  “Uh-oh, that ruffled his feathers.” ZW covered his mouth and laughed. His emerald green eyes flashed with mischievousness. “Dude, everyone in this room knows you’re not in love with Gemma. She was just a safe distraction for the time being because she belongs to someone else. You haven't been in a committed relationship since—.”

  I held up my hand to silence him. “Don’t say her name. We were over a long time ago.” A familiar combination of grief and anger balled up inside my chest, causing a slow, heated ache to develop.

  “No, man, you were never over her. You were fucked up. Hell, we all were,” ZW said. “The shit that went down …” His voice trailed off and his face twisted with the pain of the memories.

  “We’re done. This conversation is over. I left Portland for a reason, and it needs to stay behind me.” I picked up the six- packs of IPA I’d brought and placed them in the fridge, turning my back to the guys. Of all days, why did they have to bring it up now?

  “Food’s done,” Redd said, switching the topic.

  “Good, I’m fucking starving.”

  An hour later, my stomach was full and I was on my way to being pleasantly intoxicated. ZW topped off my scotch as the doorbell rang.

  Redd rubbed his hands together and grinned. “Let the playtime begin.”

  I quirked my eyebrow at ZW while Redd jogged to answer the door. Giggles and laughter filled my ears as the men and women began trickling inside the house. They were old friends I rarely saw anymore due to my work schedule. I shook hands and exchanged hugs with them, grateful they were here.

  “Happy birthday!” Janie sang, rushing toward me. How the hell she could run in stilettos was beyond me, but there wasn’t a guy alive who didn’t enjoy watching her huge tits bouncing with every step. My attention drifted to her low-cut red top that allowed an exceptional view of her abundant cleavage, and my dick twitched. It’d been a year since I’d gotten laid, and I knew Janie would be up for a fun night. I’d met her on my twenty-fifth birthday at a strip bar where we were partying. Although it was against club policy, I got way more than a lap dance from her. Nothing, and I mean nothing, was off limits with her.

  She stopped in front of me and adjusted the short denim skirt that barely covered her well-rounded ass. “I brought you a surprise,” she purred, trailing her long, hot pink fingernail down my chest.

  “Yeah?” My eyebrow arched slightly with her statement.

  “Lindsey,” she called over her shoulder, then smiled at me and twirled a piece of her light brown hair around a finger while her attention drifted down to my crotch. She seductively licked her lips, and my cock gave her a full salute.

  A tall, curvy blonde joined Janie. She smiled, her dark brown eyes hungrily assessing my body.

  “I told you he was hot.” Janie slid her arm around Lindsey’s waist. “We’re a package deal for your birthday.”

  Holy shit. Happy Birthday to me.

  “Both of you?” My voice cracked like a hormonal teen.

  “Anything you want.” She leaned into and kissed Janie, her tongue darting out of her mouth. I stifled a groan and watched the two of them kiss. Fuck. My dick was so hard it hurt. Guess I wouldn’t be hanging with the guys at the party after all. I had some lost time to make up for.

  Snickers reached my ears, and I glanced over to Redd and ZW who were giving each other high-fives. They were quite proud of themselves for my gift.

  “Come on, birthday boy.” Janie reached over and took my hand. Lindsey followed us down the hallway to the guest room.

  She closed the door and locked it behind us. In seconds I was on the king-sized bed, my jeans unbuttoned and around my feet before I even settled back onto the plush black and white comforter. Like the rest of Redd’s house, the guest room was sparsely furnished and only offered the bed and a dresser.

  “Lean back and enjoy.” Lindsey unbuttoned her black shirt slowly, revealing a bright red lace bra that barely covered her enormous tits.

  I watched the girls strip down to their panties and bras, kissing and caressing each other. My hand wrapped around my erection, and I gave it a quick stroke as they finished removing each other’s clothes.

  Lindsey rid me of my boots and pulled my Levi’s off while Janie tugged my shirt over my head, her lush breasts grazing my cheek.

  I wanted to shove my dick inside her and watch as she fucked all thoughts of the last year out of my mind.

  A deep moan escaped my throat when Lindsey slipped my cock into her mouth. I peered down, watching her ruby lips wrap around me. She stroked me firmly and ran her tongue along my shaft.

  “Fuck,” I muttered.

  “I know how good that hot mouth is, Pierce.” Janie smiled as
she straddled my face.

  “I’m going to make you come so hard,” I promised, pulling her shaved pussy down to my mouth. I ran my tongue along her wet slit. Damn, she tasted good. My hips bucked as Lindsey sucked my cock, and I savored Janie’s clit. Happy. Fucking. Birthday. To. Me.

  Janie rocked against me, groaning her pleasure as I played with her tits and pinched her nipples.

  The next thing I knew, Lindsey was rolling a condom on my throbbing dick and sliding me inside of her.

  “Goddammit,” I said as Janie moved off my face, and my gaze landed on Lindsey.

  Janie scooted down the bed, and I watched while she and Lindsey engaged in another hot kiss. I grabbed Lindsey’s hips, thrusting deeply.

  A loud knock at the door broke my euphoria.

  I stilled and slammed my eyes closed. There was no way the guys would set me up with two girls, then interrupt us.

  “Pierce.” ZW’s voice traveled into the room. “Man, I’m sorry, but you’ve got a phone call.”

  “Seriously? Take a fucking message,” I barked.

  “Dammit. I can’t. You have to take it.”

  Lindsey and Janie’s faces fell in unison. I understood their disappointment. I was seconds away from getting off. ZW’s timing sucked.