Jagger: A Rough Romance by Piper Stone

Author:Piper Stone [Stone, Piper]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stormy Night Publications
Published: 2025-01-03T00:00:00+00:00

Jagger

Secrets.

Danger.

Both were ubiquitous in my world. I’d become the master of keeping secrets close, doing my best to ignore them while they ceremoniously attempted to destroy my life.

I’d become damn good at being able to shove them aside.

Bella wasn’t capable of doing so. Maybe because of Cally. Whatever the reason, her suffering kept my anger fresh and just under the surface.

Whoever had texted her was at least part of the reason she was petrified with every shadow. Somehow, I would need to figure out what I was dealing with since Bella refused to tell me.

“Look, Mommy,” Cally squealed again. “Santa Claus.”

We arrived in town and it seemed the entire population was out in force. My muscles tensed all over again at the thought.

I hated shopping.

Purchasing groceries was a pain in the ass.

But here I was in the middle of a thriving pet store, far too many tourists and locals fawning over treats behind the doggie bakery case and stuffed animals that had hefty price tags. But it was something I had to do. Just seeing the joy-filled look on Cally’s face almost warmed my heart.

Almost.

“Xena stays in the car until she has a collar and a leash,” Bella told Cally as the little girl tried to get the dog out of my Range Rover.

“Ah, Mommy!”

“Nope. We don’t want her running away. Do we?” Bella pinched her daughter’s chin.

I noticed again that neither one of them had a decent coat on. Their two were far too flimsy for this kind of weather.

“Come on. Let’s get the two of you inside.” I opened the door, ushering Cally into the store, waiting to see Bella’s reaction.

She was more pensive than I’d seen her. Before she had a chance to slide past me, I blocked her entrance.

“What are you doing?” Her tone had returned to being demanding.

“I could ask you the same question. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I think you do. What was in the text and who was it from?”

Bella glared at me. “None of your business.”

“Since you’ll be living in my house, it is entirely my business.”

She huffed, the sound exaggerated. “Then I guess I need to look for a place so I can get the hell out of your life.” Bella sidestepped me, but I thwarted her attempt.

“Don’t do that, Bella. You’re going through something and I have a feeling it’s dangerous. Now, confide in me.”

“Why should I? I don’t know you.”

I snagged her wrist with a little more force than I’d intended.

“Let me go or so help me God.”

Exhaling, I released my hold, holding back on my typical self-righteous stare as she peered up at me. “Is someone threatening you?”

“No. Why in God’s name would you think that?”

Because I knew when someone felt panic that swept up through every ounce of their being. “Because you were rattled by the text.”

“Just a friend from back home hassling me for not calling her.”

She tried to laugh it off.

I could easily see through her bad attempt at lying to me.

“You’re certain that’s all it is?”

“Absolutely.

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