To The Bitter End (Dan & Chloe Book 3) Read online

  To The Bitter End.

  Nathan L. Flamank

  Copyright 2015.

  © Nathan Flamank

  The right of Nathan Flamank to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any format without written consent from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for insertion in a magazine, newspaper or broadcast.

  Also By The Author:

  Rage Against The Machine (the best-selling erotic thriller)

  Second Chance (the number one best-selling erotic thriller)

  On Deadly Ground (the sequel to Rage Against The Machine)

  Hummingbird (an erotic thriller)

  Lily

  A Darkness of the Soul

  A Lesson In

  301

  Estelle.

  In Amongst The Shadows

  Phantoms

  The Seth & Amber Series:

  The Book Of Twenty Four.

  By The Light of The Moon.

  Pearls By Candlelight.

  Seven Days, Seven Nights.

  Velveteen.

  A Bird Aflame.

  Unwrapped (a Seth & Amber Christmas Erotic Encounter)

  Unwrapped: Boxing Day (a Seth & Amber Christmas Erotic Encounter)

  Bad Valentine (a Seth & Amber Valentine’s Erotic Encounter)

  Midnight (a Seth & Amber Halloween Erotic Encounter)

  Three Little Words.

  Whispering Sands.

  Naomi.

  White Lace & Promises.

  Short Cuts.

  86,400.

  Bad Valentine 2.

  Author’s Note:

  I’d like to offer my thanks to my loyal fans who have been with me from the very beginning, and a special shout out must be made to members of ‘Erotic Encounters With Seth & Amber’...ladies you’re all amazing and I really appreciate all your kind words of encouragement.

  For new readers feel free to catch me on Facebook (I interact a lot with fans so just look for my name on FB and introduce yourself).

  A special thank you to the following pages on FB who have helped to spread the word: KORNER KAFE EXPOSED, WHAT TO READ AFTER FIFTY SHADES OF GREY and many others that promote indie authors like me...and they do it all for FREE.

  Dedication

  This one is for Niki Toth and Jeannette Pagan, your constant “harassment” finally made me sit down and finish it – hope you like it.

  Foreward:

  TO THE BITTER END is the third and final part in a trilogy of books that started with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and continued in ON DEADLY GROUND. If you have come to this tale without knowledge of what has gone before it is my suggestion that you read the first two stories first. Another of my earlier novels SECOND CHANCE also ties in to the events of TTBE.

  By all means you can ignore me and go ahead with this one, I kinda like it, but you might find yourself thinking “Just what in the hell is going on here”.

  To The Bitter End.

  PART ONE.

  Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls – E.H. Chapin

  CHAPTER ONE.

  Daniel Constantine needed a drink. He took a stool at the hotel bar and ordered a bourbon.

  ‘Any preferences?’ the barman asked.

  ‘Whatever’s strongest and leave the bottle,’ Dan replied. He placed a hundred dollar bill down on to the highly polished mahogany bar.

  ‘Rough day?’ the barman asked as he deposited a glass in front of Dan.

  ‘Rough year.’

  The barman poured a heavy shot in to the glass and as per Dan’s instructions he left the bottle. The barman took the money.

  Dan lifted the tumbler and downed the alcohol in one burning swallow.

  The barman noted the look in Dan’s eyes and decided that here was one patron that wasn’t interested in small talk. He left Dan to his thoughts.

  Dan poured another large measure and that was also downed in one long swallow. The alcohol burned his throat on the way down and Dan refilled his glass.

  Dan caught his reflection in the mirror that ran the length of the wall behind the bar and he raised his glass in salute to the murderer reflected back at him.

  He closed his eyes and the boy’s fearful face was right there. Dan opened his eyes to avoid the boy.

  It had to be done Dan, you know it. There was nothing else that you could do. The boy was unfortunate. The boy shouldn’t have been there. What’s one boy when weighed against the rest of the world?

  This last thought should have been of some comfort.

  It wasn’t.

  Dan let out a short, shrill bark of laughter and he saw the barman looking down the length of the bar at him.

  Dan raised his tumbler in salute before tilting his head back and downing the burning contents.

  Dan looked up when someone sat down on the stool to his right.

  A very attractive blonde was just getting comfortable and she smiled at him when their eyes met.

  ‘Hi,’ the blonde said.

  ‘Hey,’ Dan replied before returning his attention to the bottle of bourbon.

  ‘What are you drinking?’ the blonde asked and Dan noted the flirtatious rasp to her voice.

  Dan rotated the bottle so that the blonde could see the bottle’s label.

  ‘Any good?’

  Dan shrugged his broad shoulders, the tendons and cords of muscle rippled as he moved.

  ‘It’s getting the job done.’

  The blonde chuckled.

  ‘May I?’ the blonde asked.

  Dan slid his glass across the bar towards her.

  ‘Knock yourself out.’

  The blonde picked up the glass and she took a sip. She smacked her lips together in appreciation.

  ‘That’s a good bourbon, do you mind if I keep you company?’

  ‘It’s a free country.’

  The blonde laughed.

  ‘If only that were true,’ she replied. She slid the glass back to Dan and she raised a hand to catch the barman’s attention.

  ‘I’m Sophie,’ the blonde said.

  ‘I’m married,’ Dan replied and he held up his hand to display the gold band of his wedding ring.

  ‘Aren’t we all,’ Sophie replied and she held out her hand.

  Dan looked down at Sophie’s delicate fingers and the twinkling diamond ring on her wedding finger.

  ‘Nice rock, your husband obviously has good taste.’

  ‘He married me didn’t he?’

  Dan chuckled and he shook Sophie’s hand.

  ‘Craig,’ Dan said.

  ‘Nice to meet you Craig.’

  ‘Yeah likewise, I guess.’

  Sophie chuckled, she was still holding his hand and in the end he had to pull his hand free.

  The barman deposited a glass in front of Sophie and Dan saw the barman’s eyes drop to the plunging neckline of Sophie’s black dress. The barman’s eyes lingered there for several seconds before he turned away to serve another patron.

  ‘That happen a lot?’ Dan asked as he filled Sophie’s glass.

  Sophie turned on her stool to face Dan and she smiled at him.

  ‘You tell me?’ she asked as she leaned forwards a little. The front of Sophie’s tight black dress left very little to the imagination. Dan couldn’t help but notice that she wasn’t wearing a bra beneath the tight dress and a quick glance at her lap revealed the dress’ short length – there was a lot of exquisite thigh on show.

  His first thought when she had
sat down was that she was a prostitute. He’d seen others like her in other hotel bars but now he knew different.

  Dan focused on Sophie’s eyes.

  ‘I’m guessing a lot,’ Dan finally said and Sophie nodded her head.

  ‘Give the man a prize,’ Sophie said, the sexy rasp was still there and Dan tried his hardest to ignore it.

  Dan jumped on his stool when Sophie’s left hand came to rest high on his right thigh. Bourbon sloshed from his glass and he turned his head to look at Sophie.

  ‘I told you I was married.’

  Sophie smiled.

  ‘Is she here, your wife?’

  Dan turned his head and looked at the mirror.

  ‘No, she’s back west.’

  ‘West?’

  ‘Yeah, west.’

  Sophie’s hand moved to the inside of Dan’s thigh. He reached down and plucked her hand away.

  Sophie laughed and Dan had to admit that she had a beautiful laugh.

  Hell, she’s a good looking woman, you’d have to be blind not to see it.

  He also had to admit that he had a raging hard-on.

  It had been almost a year since he had seen his wife. The last time he had seen her she was waving at him from the front porch of their ranch house. He hadn’t seen Chloe since and he had only spoken to her a handful of times during his adventures over the past year.

  Sophie’s gaze met Dan’s in the mirror. She swept a strand of blonde hair back behind one elfin-like ear. She sipped her bourbon and a minute passed before she saw his gaze drop to her plunging neckline.

  ‘So what brings you here Craig?’

  ‘Business,’ Dan said.

  ‘And what kind of business is that?’

  ‘My business,’ Dan replied.

  Sophie smiled at his reflection and she couldn’t help but notice the haunted look in his eyes.

  ‘You look tired Craig.’

  ‘I am,’ Dan replied and he finished off his bourbon.

  Dan refilled his tumbler and he held the bottle over Sophie’s glass. She nodded her head and he topped up her drink.

  ‘You also look wounded,’ Sophie said.

  Dan turned his head and looked at her. Sophie turned to look at him and she offered up a small smile.

  ‘Wounded?’ Dan said.

  ‘Haggard, you look like you’ve had a rough few days.’

  Dan shrugged his shoulders.

  ‘It’s been a rough few months.’

  ‘Care to tell me about it?’

  Dan’s eyes dropped to Sophie’s mouth, he watched as she ran the tip of her tongue across her bottom lip.

  ‘Not really,’ he replied and he turned his gaze back to the bar.

  Sophie’s hand returned to his leg and she lightly squeezed his thigh through the denim of his jeans.

  This time Dan didn’t have the energy to remove her hand.

  ‘You’re not exactly verbose,’ Sophie said with a playful chuckle. ‘A man of few words, I like that.’

  Dan thought of Chloe, he thought of his daughter and he thought of all that he had done over the last few months.

  Sophie’s hand on his leg slowly moved in to the inside of his thigh and she smiled at him when she felt the heat of his erection against her palm.

  ‘Is your wife the jealous type Craig?’ Sophie asked playfully.

  Dan swallowed his guilt and turned to look at Sophie.

  ‘She’s the dangerous type.’

  Sophie smiled and her eyes twinkled.

  ‘Is she now?’

  ‘Yes, very. Possibly the most dangerous person I know.’

  Sophie’s hand slowly ran the length of his cock.

  ‘What about you Craig, are you dangerous?’ Sophie teased.

  Dan grunted when Sophie squeezed his hardness.

  Just walk away Dan, just get up and walk the fuck out of here, don’t do this to Chloe.

  Dan looked down at Sophie’s hand as she now openly stroked his hardness through the fabric of his jeans.

  ‘Yes,’ Dan said. ‘I’m dangerous to be around.’

  ‘Ooh, how dangerous?’ Sophie asked.

  ‘Very.’

  Dan looked up from his drink and he made eye contact with Sophie.

  ‘If I was you, I’d get as far away from me as possible. Go and never look back’

  Sophie smiled, she leaned in towards Dan. She only stopped when a matter of inches was all that separated their faces.

  ‘I can handle a little danger Craig.’

  Don’t do this Dan, you’re missing your wife, you’re missing human contact, but this isn’t the right thing to do and you know it.

  ‘I like you Craig, you intrigue me.’

  ‘You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew some of the things I’ve done lately.’

  Sophie licked her bottom lip and she smiled.

  ‘How long has it been for you Craig?’

  ‘Huh?’ Dan replied.

  ‘Since you fucked someone,’ Sophie said and she gave his cock a squeeze to emphasise her point.

  ‘A long time.’

  ‘How long?’

  ‘Long,’ Dan replied.

  Sophie smiled when she saw his gaze drop to her plunging neckline.

  Sophie lowered her glass to the bar and she smiled as she hooked a finger in to the deep V of her dress. Sophie pulled the silky material out from her body to reveal her bare breasts.

  Sophie felt his cock jolt against her hand as his eyes settled on her breasts.

  ‘I’m married,’ Dan said.

  ‘So am I, but my husband isn’t here and like you said, your wife is back west. I’m not wanting some great romance here Craig. I just want to fuck you.’

  ‘Why?’

  Sophie chuckled. ‘Why not? It’s just sex.’

  Don’t do this Dan, it’ll be one huge mistake, a mistake that you’ll regret.

  Dan picked up his tumbler, his hand was trembling as he raised it to his lips. He downed the burning heat.

  Dan flicked his gaze back to Sophie.

  Sophie’s mouth pressed against his. She could feel his resistance and she squeezed his cock.

  Dan grunted and she felt his resolve crumble.

  Sophie parted her lips and she pushed her tongue against his lips.

  A few seconds passed and then his lips were parting and her tongue slid in to his mouth.

  ‘Let’s go Craig,’ Sophie said as she pulled back from the kiss.

  ‘Where to?’ Dan replied.

  Sophie smiled at him, ‘I have a suite upstairs.’

  Dan knew he would regret this, he knew that it was a mistake but he nodded his head and he followed Sophie out of the bar.

  *****

  CHAPTER TWO.

  Dan followed Sophie through the plush hotel lobby. He noticed the dirty look that the night manager fired his way as he drunkenly stumbled past the check-in desk.

  ‘I think they’re accustomed to a more dignified clientele,’ Sophie chuckled as she led Dan towards the elevators.

  ‘Probably,’ Dan replied.

  Sophie’s high-heels clicked on the marble flooring and with every step she took Dan found his arousal increasing.

  Turn around and get out of here Dan, you have a job to do here in the city, now isn’t the time to let your guard down.

  Sophie was ahead of Dan now and she smiled back at him as she slowly lifted the hem of her dress until the curve of her ass was on show.

  Dan could see that she wasn’t wearing any knickers beneath the silk dress and any resolve that he had left abandoned him.

  They reached the elevators and Sophie pressed the call button.

  Sophie turned and looked up at him. She smiled when she caught his gaze on her groin.

  ‘You want this Craig?’ Sophie asked and her fingers plucked at the silky material. She pulled the front of her dress up her thighs until he could see the perfect smoothness of her sex.

  Dan’s cock throbbed at the sight of Sophie’s shaved sex and he nodded his head.
>
  Right or wrong he wanted it.

  The elevator doors slid open and Sophie stepped in to the elevator.

  Dan followed her without a second’s pause.

  The doors slid shut and Sophie pressed for the top floor.

  Dan waited until Sophie was turning back to face him and he swung his right fist towards her face in a powerful roundhouse.

  ‘What the fuck!’ Sophie cried as she just managed to get her arm up in time to block.

  Dan’s arm sailed past her and she dodged his flying left elbow.

  Dan stepped in to crowd her and he managed to catch Sophie a glancing blow across her right temple.

  Sophie staggered backwards. Dan pressed his advantage and brought his right knee up.

  Sophie grunted and blocked his knee with her right arm.

  ‘Motherfucker!’ Sophie cried as Dan’s fist connected with her ribcage.

  In the close confines of the elevator Dan wasn’t able to move as freely as Sophie. She avoided his next powerful swing and she stepped in close to him.

  Dan cried out when Sophie slammed her fists in to his ribcage and she followed those up with a series of quick open-handed blows to his sternum.

  Sophie pressed forwards with a series of elbow blows and Dan grunted when she scraped her right heel down the length of his shin.

  ‘Fucking asshole,’ Sophie cried. She gasped when Dan’s arms encircled her in a crushing hug.

  Dan lifted the much smaller Sophie from her feet and he slammed her back in to the far right corner of the elevator.

  The back of Sophie’s head connected with the metal wall and she grunted her pain.

  Sophie brought her right knee up and Dan grunted as pain shot through his right hip.

  Dan yelled out when Sophie’s right hand clawed at his face and he felt excruciating pain shoot through his head as she dug her thumb nail in to his right cheek.

  ‘Bitch!’ Dan grunted and he slammed a fist in to Sophie’s side.

  Sophie grunted but she was a lot stronger than he had imagined and he saw stars when Sophie slammed her forehead in to his face.

  ‘Cunt!’ Dan grunted and he staggered backwards.

  Sophie’s legs were wrapped around his hips now and she pushed herself up in his embrace until she was pressed tight to him.