Position of Honor The Honor Series Book Two

Prologue

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Prologue

The only light in the small office came from the  fireplace across the room. The mahogany furniture appeared to be dark burgundy in the flickering light of the burning fire. It had been a long day. He thought when Candace died that part of his life would finally be behind him. He was wrong. The letter he had received that morning told him as much. She had made good on her promise and now he would be the one to pay. He sat back in the butter soft leather chair, propped his legs up on the desk and lit the Cuban cigar. The smoke he blew out gave the air a tangy flavor. He needed to relax, to think of what his next move would be.  Picking up his glass of bourbon Pierce swirled the amber liquor in the glass before taking a drink. There was a lot of decisions to make.

Pierce Stone was a powerful man. He held more secrets about the people of this small town than most realized. He owned most of the politicians in the state, the police, and the mayor, not to mention a couple of senators. Every business owner in town owed him some sort of favor here or there. Eighty percent of the land on the outskirts of town belonged to Stone. He held the deeds to the bank, the fire station and the police station. The town could be shut down with one phone call from a certain woman. And with that call, Pierce could kiss his life as he knew it goodbye. The woman was like a pit-bull and had him by the balls. The problem was they both knew it. Some things never change.

The damn woman was impossible when she was alive, and now, ten years after her death, she was still impossible. Oh, she had been alluring enough, sexy enough to draw him into her bed. Once, Pierce thought. Once was all it took and she was pregnant. She had sworn the child was his, but he refused to believe it. That was why he had the test run behind her back. He knew the truth. The child was a grown woman now. This daughter of hers had moved away from this piss-ant town, although he still received letters and calls from her wanting to get together, saying she wanted to know her father. Hah! The child had no idea what she was asking. If she knew the truth she would run for the hills. The girl was as relentless as her mother. Now, with the letter he received that morning, Pierce had to wonder if Candace had told her daughter the truth. Pierce chewed on the end of the cigar as he thought about it. If the child knew something her mother had held over him, wouldn't it be logical she would have said something well before now? The girl didn't even come back when her mother died. If she had something on him, then it stood to reason she wanted his money. If she wanted him as a father, she would have used the information to gain everything when the old bat died. Maybe the child wasn't as bright as he thought, or maybe she didn't find the information until now. Either way it was too bad, the child had escaped this town, but now she would have to pay for what she knew.

Pierce took his feet off the desk and rotated the chair to face the window. The sun had set hours ago. It was going on midnight now. The moon was full outside, setting off the ice that was crystallizing on the bit of grass that remained on the ground. It was going to be a cold winter. The dark clouds rolled over the bright moon and darkened the sky. It had the same effect the letter had on his life.

Candace had gotten in his way once and he took care of her. He never meant to kill her. It wasn't his intention when he arrived at the rickety old house. He had only wanted to scare her. But the woman was like a dog with a bone. She just wouldn't let it go. She had taken her medication, he had watched her, and she washed the pills down with a glass of white wine. It was not the ideal thing to do with the pain medication she was on. He knew it, but didn't say a word. She had been doing it for years. Said she had a tolerance to the drugs now and needed the extra kick. He was willing to give her that extra kick she needed, if it would get her off his back.

He understood why she took the medication constantly. She was depressed, desperate and in constant pain. The knowledge she held over his head could do that to anyone. He only hoped it would end quickly. It did, by accident, but it ended. He could still see her face when he gave her the pills. He had told her everything would be all right. He would take care of her and her daughter—their daughter. It was the first and only time he had said those words. Pierce had brought the papers and signed them in front of her. It wasn't a big deal. He had no children that he knew of, other than the daughter Candace claimed on him. He could easily change the will back, just as he was adding the addendum in, once she was out of the picture. He wrote her a check as well. Candace had been elated with his generosity. She eagerly swallowed the pills he held out to her, telling her they were better for her than what she had.