Sweet Possession (Carson-Fox Resorts #2)

Chapter 1

Fox

A rnold Diaz was the biggest prick I’d ever had the misfortune ofmeeting.

Scratch that.

My father was the biggest prick I’d ever had the misfortune ofmeeting. Arnold Diaz came in a close second. He was an arrogant asshole, but an asshole who held a fair amount of power in the criminal underworld of Las Vegas.

I might not have liked him, but he was someone worth keeping onside if ever there came a time to call on his resources. After all, wasn’t there a saying about keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer?

Which was why I found myself sipping whiskey across from him inone of his meeting rooms at the back of a run-down poker hall on the outskirts of Vegas.Two of his drug runners had been caught trying to flog product inOnyx, the newest Carson-Fox casino, and I was here to politely ask him to refrain from selling his shit in our resorts .

I only hoped I didn’t have to ask a second time. If I did, I wouldn’t beas polite.

But as bad luck would have it, before I could move the conversationonto more important things than what we were talking about rightthen- his wife finding out about his latest mistress - two of Diaz’s enforcers barged in, unceremoniously dumping a middle-aged man in the center of the room.

“Found him trying to hitch a ride outta the city, boss,”one of themeatheads grumbled, cracking his knuckles.“Stupid cunteventried to put up a fight.”

The man, whoever he was, had clearly taken a beating from theenforcers. One eye was swollen shut, and a deep purple bruise was forming around the socket. A trail of blood streaked down one side of his face from a nasty gash on his forehead.

“Good work, boys,”Diaz replied, a menacing grin taking over his face.“Fox, do you mind if I deal with Freddy here before we continue our meeting? I’ve been looking for this piece of shit for the past three days, he owes me money, and a lot of it too.”

“Have at it,”I replied, intrigued to see how Diaz would deal with theman for not paying him back his money. It was evident from Freddy’s dirty clothes, stained teeth, and broken shoesthatthe man wouldn’t be able to pay up.

“Mr. Diaz,”Freddy whimpered. It looked like any minute he was goingto piss himself from the way Diaz was glaring daggers at him.“I know the deadline has passed, but I need a few more days to get the money. It’s coming, I promise.”

“I’ve given you plenty of time, Freddy. I warned you of theconsequences if you didn’t pay,”Diaz said, leaning back in his leather chair, and crossing one leg over the other. Gone was the relaxed man who’djustbeen talking to me as if I was an old friend, this was Arnold Diaz in work mode .

“I know, Mr. Diaz, and I will have your money. I need another fewdays for a deal to come together,”Freddy pleaded.

I rolled my eyes. I had no clue who Freddy was, but I didn’t need toknow him to know he was another idiot who’d fallen victim to the Vegas lifestyle. No doubt he’d blown all of Diaz’s money on poker games, telling himselfthatif he played justone more game, he would win the jackpot and clear his debts.

“I’ve heard it before,”Diaz said, his tone cold.“You promised metwo weeks ago you’d have my money. But here we are, and I’m still waiting.”

“I know…but, but it’s different this time. Please, let me show you,”Freddy replied, wincing as he got to his feet, and pulling a small piece of paper from his pocket.

Diaz’s lips pursed but he nodded his head once. Why he wasentertaining the fool, I had no idea.

“It’s my daughter,”Freddy said, taking several steps to where Diazsat on his throne, acting as if he was the fucking king of the court.“I’ve…she’s…well-”

“Spit it out, Freddy,”Diaz barked, interrupting Freddy’s patheticstuttering.“What’s your daughter got to do with this?”

Freddy’s bloodshot eye flashed to me, the other still swollen shut.“She’s…I’ve given her to the Duke brothers.”

The hand holding my drink halfway to my mouth froze at Freddy’swords.EvenDiaz stilled.

As much as Nash and I had reputations for being clean-cut,law-abiding citizens, it wasn’t strictly true. Wejustmade sure any dealings we were involved inthatweren’t quite legal were kept under wraps.

The media would have had a field day if they found out half of the things we’d been involved in, like for instance, how Nash stalked and blackmailed his wife, Savannah, into marrying him. Like how we both had a hand in the death of his brother and made it look like suicide.

But Nash and I had limits, and getting involved in the type oforganization Zach and Marvin Duke ran was something neither Nash nor I would ever consider getting involved in.

The skin trade.

Freddy had sold his daughter to the wolves, all so he could pay hisdebt.

I had no words. This was humanity at its lowest.

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl, whoever she was. Her lifefrom now on was going to be fucking miserable. But with a cunt like Freddy as a father, I doubted her life up to this point had been anything but miserable.

“Let me get this straight. You’re selling your own flesh and blood toget me my money?”Diaz said, humor in his voice, and for some reason,thatmade me want to knock his front teeth out.

Human trafficking didn’t sit right with me.

Freddy shrugged unashamedly.“I don’t have a need for the cuntanymore. I’ve had years of putting up with her shit, she’s fucking useless. The least she can do is fetch me a pretty penny to help pay back the money I’ve spent on her over the years. She can be someone else’s problem from now on.”

I subtly ground my teeth. His words hit a nerve. If I had to take aguess, I would have bet all my moneythatthe girl had been subjected to a similar childhood to the one I had.

Poor girl.

Christ, I was sure, given the chance, she wouldn’t have chosen tohave been born into a world where Freddy was her crappy excuse of a father.

Justlike I didn’t ask to be born to my crappy excuse of a father.

Diaz snorted before narrowing his eyes on Freddy.“What makes youthink your daughter will fetch anywhere near what you owe me?”he sneered, looking Freddy up and down like the piece of shit he was.

“Zach and Marvin were sure she would when I showed them herpicture. She’s a pretty girl, look.”He shoved the piece of paper he’d been clutching in his grubby fingers under Diaz’s nose, giving me the briefest glimpse of a photograph.“She turned eighteen last week,”Freddy went on as Diaz took the photo from Freddy.“She’s still a virgin. In fact, she’s neverevenbeen kissed. The Dukes said innocent girls like her are worth their weight in gold.”

Fucking hell. This guy was one sick fuck.

“There’s no way she’s your daughter,”Diaz said accusingly.

“She is, I assure you. Her momma was Greek,”Freddy said hurriedly,as ifthatwould explain everything.

Diaz was quiet for a moment, and the longer he stared at the picture,the more my curiosity peaked as to what the hell was holding his attention.

“I can see why the Dukes think she’ll sell well,”Diaz saidafter several more seconds passed of Freddy waiting with bated breath.“What do you think, Fox?”

He held the photo out to me, and despite part of me wanting nothingto do with this bullshit, I took it from him.

And my world shifted.

Staring back at me from the crumpled photo were big, golden-browndoe eyes, framed by beautifully long lashes, and perfectly sculpted brows. A shy smile played on her rosy pink lips, and a small hand was raised, brushing her bangs off her forehead.

Long chocolate-colored hair trailed down around her slender shoulders, and if Freddy hadn’t said she was part Greek, the olive skin of her flawless complexion would have given it away .

The girl was breathtaking.

As if my heart hadjustbeen jump-started, it began to race, poundinghard against my chest as an array of emotions flooded me. Anger at the douchebag standing before me for using his beautiful daughter in such a callous manner. Rage at the Duke brothers for agreeing to sell her to dirty cunts who would violate the angel in such unspeakable ways.

But more than anything was the overwhelming need to find her, anddo everything in my power to keep her safe from the monsters of this world.

And there were many monsters. I’d once had the job of keepingsomeone else safe from a monster, only I’d failed. But as I stared at the picture in my hand, I knew without the slightest hint of doubtthatI wouldn’t fail again.

Diaz held his hand out for the photo, and I reluctantly handed it over,doing my best to hide my reaction. The last thing I wanted was for Diaz to realize the effect the girl had on me. He was the type of assholethatwould find a way to usethatkind of information against me, the same way I would have done against him.

“What’s her name?”he asked Freddy, unaware of the stupor I’d falleninto.

“Cora. Cora Annabelle Clarke.”

Cora Annabelle Clarke.

Her name repeated over and over in my head, only Clarke wasn’t thelast name my brain played.

Cora Annabelle Fox.

Fuck.

“Hmm, it’s a shame you didn’t bring her to me as a means ofpayment. I would have gladly taken her in exchange for wiping your debt,”Diaz said, handing the photo back to Freddy, who looked like Christmas had come early .

My hands fisted in my lap, the sudden need to knock his teeth outagain roared to life. In fact, knocking his teeth out wouldn’t have been enough.

I wanted to gut him.

“When is the auction?”

“In two days,”Freddy replied eagerly.

“Verywell,”Diaz said after a short pause.“I’ll grant you two days, butI warn you, Freddy, if you disappear or she doesn’t make enough to clear your debt, there will be hell to pay. Do I make myself clear?”The threat in his voice was unmistakable, there was no way Freddy couldn’t have heard it.

“Yes, I understand. Thank you, Mr. Diaz, thank you so much.”Herushed toward Diaz, relief at his temporary reprieval written over his face as he held his dirty hand out for Diaz to shake.

“Get the fuck out of here before I change my mind,”Diaz snapped,refusing to take Freddy’s hand and eyeing him with disgust.

I didn’t blame Diaz, I wouldn’t want the fucker touching me either. How he’dproduced such a stunning daughter was anyone’s guess.

Almost tripping over his feet, Freddy backed up toward the door,bowing as he went like a little prick bowing to a king. It was no wonder Diaz believed he was the king of Vegas when he had peasants like Freddy kissing his ass.

When the door slammed behind him, Diaz snorted.“What a fuckingidiotthatman is. He might make enough to pay his debt off this time, but I guarantee, it won’t be long until he racks it up again, hejustcan’t help himself, and I doubt he’ll be able to sell his daughter twice.”

“Out of interest, how much does he owe?”I asked, trying to soundcasual, and not let onthatin my head, I was already putting plans into place.

“Half a mil.”

Christ .

Freddy really couldn’t help himself.

“You know, I’m tempted to go to the auction and buy little Cora formyself,”Diaz muttered almost to himself, making my blood heat to boiling point.“I’d have a lot of fun breaking her in if she’s as innocent as he says.”

I managed to stop the rumble of anger from breaking free of my chest,and giving awayjusthow much I wanted to end Diaz so he would never get the chance to put his hands on Cora.

On what was mine.

Because little did he know, there wasn’t going to be an auction in twodays.

Cora Annabell Clarke would already be mine bythen.