CyberI knew she was going to faint before she did. It was clear what was going to happen from the way her eyes widened and the blood drained from her face when I spoke. Not that I could blame her.It wasn't exactly how I had wanted to tell her I was still alive. But what choice did I have? When she collapsed onto the grass, I moved without thinking. But not before I cursed Maggie out. She had known I was there, waiting for a glimpse of them. The two most important people in my life. And she had sent Iris out into the rain without warning her.What could she have even said anyway? Oh yeah, I know you think Cyber’s dead, but he’s not. SURPRISE.“Mommy?” Violet's blue eyes peered at me from beneath her lashes as I stepped through the front door. Her young face creased with worry, but, God, it was good to see her again. The last few months had been hell. The club was in turmoil with Fang going into hiding. He couldn't be seen if he was meant to be dead.“It’s ok, sweetheart.” I wanted to
IrisI know people thought I was crazy for falling straight back into his arms, even Maggie had looked kind of shocked by the quickness of it. But Cyber had wanted And sometimes it surprised me too, but for me, it had always been Cyber.The bad boy who had pinged up on my laptop years ago. And turned my world upside down. He had sent me into a tailspin. For a time I lost control of my life. I had suffered, but it was always his face that kept me going. Even if for a time I had hated him.I wasn't spinning anymore. Being with Cyber grounded me. And I was happy for the first time in years. I was actually happy. Part of me believed still believed I didn’t deserve it, that maybe all of this was just a dream. When those moods hit all I had to do was look down at the ring on my finger, its diamond glistening and I knew I was loved.Not just loved but cherished. Pausing in the doorway of the bathroom, my hair still wet from the shower I stared at his sleeping form. “If your done ogling m
BeforeThe smell hit me first.Coppery and thick, I knew what I was smelling before I had even switched on the light. It clung to my tongue, coating the inside of my mouth, until I had no choice but to swallow down the metallic taste of it.Shakily, I reached out, my fingers trembling so much that I missed the light switch on the first attempt.It wasn’t that I wanted to see what I already knew was there, more that I had to see it. I had to…with my own two eyes. Two seconds it took, though it felt like a lifetime, for my eyes to finally get used to the light. The moment they did, I wished I was back in the darkness.Red.My whole living room was red. The walls were splattered and dripping; the carpet squelched as I took a step forward. And even that small step splashed droplets up over my sneakers.It looked like someone had opened several gallons of sticky, scarlet paint and dumped them over my life.But I knew it wasn’t painted.Fighting back the urge to gag, I forced myself to
Gypsy“Oh, God, please no.” My words came out a muttered hiss as the engine that had been running fine for months started to splutter. The whole van lurched forward, jutting me from my seat. I wrapped my hands around the steering wheel and prayed. “Come on, baby, don't do this.”Another cough from the engine, and my eyes closed on their own. This couldn't be happening to me, not in the middle of nowhere. Hell, I hadn't even seen another car pass me in over forty minutes. If my pride and joy decided to break down there and then, I was going to be well and truly stranded. “Come on, just a few more miles. You can do it.” I knew how ridiculous I sounded talking to an inanimate object, but it wasn't like I had anyone else to talk to. Unless you counted Woofy, and he was asleep, as usual.That's all it would take, a few more miles. Twenty tops. And then I would be at the town I planned on calling home. It wasn't very far at all, but it might as well have been a million miles at that time
Fang“Prez.”It wasn’t exactly the welcome home I had been expecting. There was no welcome party, in fact, there was no party at all that I could see. Just one single prospect on the gate as I rolled up. “It’s good to have you back.”I nodded my agreement. It was good to be home. After almost five months on the road, I had been craving my own bed, my club and my brothers around me. That was the problem with being ‘dead’, it meant you couldn't just go about your everyday life like nothing had happened.Sure, the other chapters had been more than welcoming. They had thrown women and liquor at me on a regular basis. But nothing quite beats the feel of home.Not at my age anyway. “It’s good to be back, prospect.” My eyes barely flicked in his direction. He was a good kid, didn’t complain too much, but he just didn’t stand out to me. There was no spark in him. No passion. He saw the patch as some kind of status symbol and not his entire life. I doubted very much he would ever patch in.
Gypsy“Well, Woofy.” My hand went down to scratch between the giant wolfhound's ears as I gazed around the empty bar. “This is it, home sweet home.”The dog at my side didn't answer me, but if he could have, I already knew what he would say.The place was a dump. The advert I had answered hadn’t mentioned that the place needed tearing down and starting over. If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered. I would have found another place. Another bar in another small town where I could spend my life in hiding.A town where I was yet again alone. Hiding who I really was.I frowned.No, that wasn’t entirely true. I was who I was. And I had been Gypsy for a long time. The girl who I used to be ceased to exist. I didn’t even know why I was thinking about her.Daniella Fleetwood was gone. Along with all her hopes and dreams.Gypsy had a different vision. Smaller dreams. Realistic hopes.Daniella wanted it all, the powerful job, the perfect husband and family. The prestige that came with her fam
Fang“What the fuck are you doing back so soon?” I eyed my vice president as he swept into my office without knocking. Flopping down onto the chair opposite me with a sigh, he eyed me, a frown marring his face. “I still live here right?” As always, his tone bordered the line of insubordination. Shaking my head, I went back to the papers on my desk. I had come back thinking the club would be in shambles, that all our business ventures would be lying in ruin, but I had been pleasantly surprised.Not only had my womanising, borderline alcoholic vice president kept things afloat, he had actually turned a profit.“I expected you to party some more…” Peering at him, I waited for him to laugh, to brush off his partying ways like he always did. Hansel was a good man and great vice president, but the man liked to live on the wild side. He had since the moment his wife had left him. Gretal had been his entire world, and she had ripped his heart out.At least that’s how I saw it. She had hur
Gypsy“You don’t look like someone who is involved with a biker.”The woman wiping the dust from shelves behind my bar paused, throwing a glance over her shoulder. I expected her to look angry, but the smile she had on her face was dazzling.“Don’t I, sweetheart? What did you expect us to look like?”I froze at the question. What had I expected her to look like? Honestly, I didn’t know. “I don’t know. Just not like…” I motioned to her with my hand. Blowing out a breath that lifted my hair from my sweaty face, I tried again. “Sorry, that came out so rude. Let's start again. I’m Gypsy and I speak without thinking.”Throwing back her mane of dark hair, she laughed. “You’re ok, Gypsy. I like a woman who says it how it is. Means you can stick up for yourself. But to answer your question, we are just women, the club is just men. We all have different backgrounds and different lives. For me personally, I come from a good, Christian family - devout and God-fearing. You know the type?” The han
Gretal“You’re home.” In an instant I was off his bed and rushing towards him, yanking his head down to mine so I could kiss his lips greedily. It was instinctive, the kind of greeting I had given him in the old days when I had missed him every second that he was away from me. Before things had all gone wrong. Hansel untangled himself with a small chuckle. “Of course I’m home. I said I wouldn’t be long.” Even as our lips parted, his hands were closing around my waist, keeping me close to him. “I like the way you say it, by the way.”Craning my head up to look at him, I arched an eyebrow. “How I say what?”“Home, that I’m home. Although I wouldn’t call the clubhouse our home, not unless you want to live here of course.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled.“Anywhere you are is home, Hansel.” The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Not that they weren’t true. They were. I was tired of being away from him. Sure, we had a lot of shit to sort out, but we were older now, wiser. I knew
HanselHow was it possible that Gretal had disappeared into thin air? I knew it wasn’t possible, but that’s what it felt like. Like she had literally vanished. I knew it wasn’t the case but that’s how it seemed, The club was out in force, scouting the streets, making calls to any and all contacts that could help, and so far, there had been nothing. Not one damn sighting. And I hated to admit it, but I was losing hope.No Gretal and no Pope. It weighed so heavily on me that I found it hard to breathe. Slowing the bike, I ripped the bandana from around my chin and nose, sucking in a deep lungful of cool night air. It still wasn’t enough. Was it possible to suffocate from panic? That’s what it felt like. Like someone was squeezing the life out of me. That’s when I saw it. If I hadn't slowed, I wouldn’t have. Squealing to a stop, I snapped my head back, looking over the hedge to the parking lot. Pope’s bike. I was sure of it. How many years had I ridden alongside it? I would know it a
GretalPulling my phone from my pocket, I ignored the barrage of messages from my husband that flashed up on the screen the moment I switched it on. He was worried about me, mostly because he knew I was about to do something stupid. Except it wasn’t stupid. It was justice. Keeley deserved to be avenged, so did those other girls.So did I. Swiping passed them, I clicked on the camera option, checking my face out. I looked good. My lips were ruby red and glossy, my lashes thick with mascara, my hair curled around my face in soft waves. I looked good enough to eat.And I hoped Pope would think so as well. After all, if he didn’t take the bait then all of this was for nothing. He would fall for it though; I knew he would. Men like him always did. They thought they were superior. That they could take what they wanted without asking. And Pope wanted me. I had seen it in his eyes in the way he had looked at me. I had thought he was just being overly friendly, trying his luck a little. Bu
HanselIt was growing dark when we pulled up outside the Son’s compound. I had ridden without stopping all day, desperate to get back to them. To tell Fang and the others what I suspected. No, not what I suspected. I knew it was true. I didn’t need Sylvie to tell me. The evidence was written all over her face. It dripped from the agony in her voice.“Off the bike, love.” I wanted to be patient with her, but time was already running out. I needed to get her somewhere safe and then I needed to get to The Otter, I would have gone there first if the clubhouse hadn’t been nearer. I hoped to find him inside. And I could exact my revenge without having to worry about my wife and her whereabouts “Hansel, please.” Sylvie was back to begging, she had been nagging in my ear for hours. And she would have the exact same response to it as I had given her before.Nothing.I tugged her off the bike. The prospect who had been lounging by the front door smoking a cigarette straightened as she gave ou
HanselMoney swapped hands easily enough. I had done these kinds of drops often, so it was no big deal. What was a big deal was the fact I was miles away from Gretal and she wasn’t answering her phone. I had been calling her pretty much nonstop. It was one thing The Judge telling me she was fine but I wanted to hear her voice. To see her in person would have been better, but I could tell if she was really ok by her voice. I knew her well enough. Leaning heavily on my bike, I fished my phone out of my pocket. My fingers pressed the redial button without looking. I didn’t expect her to answer, so far she hadn’t, so I was surprised when she picked up. “Hansel.”She sounded breathy, like she had been crying and was trying to hide it from me. “What the hell is going on, Gretal, are you crying?” Doubt ripped through me. She was upset. I had been right when I thought something had happened but I had taken The Judge at his word that he would protect them. Had I been wrong to do that? “No
Gretal“Is she ok?” I raised my eyes wearily as Gypsy came into the small living room. She flopped down on the chair nearest the window with a sigh, her fingers plucking to move the drapes away so she could look down at the dark street below. “Yeah, she's alright. I gave her a mild sedative. She will hopefully sleep until morning.” She sighed again. “There's some…” She swallowed hard, and I could tell by her face that she was reliving her own attack. I had heard briefly what Gypsy had been through. And it had been horrific. “There's some tearing and bruising. A condom was used so we don’t have to worry about pregnancy or sexual transmitted infections. Not that it makes it better, but at least she doesn’t have to worry about that.” Yeah, I agreed with her silently. At least she didn’t have to worry about that. “God, I need a drink.” Darcie was on her feet, her voice shaky. “Yeah, a drink sounds good.” We all deserved one. And being above a bar we were in a perfect place for one. O
HanselThe clubhouse was oddly quiet when I emerged the next morning. I had expected there to be at least some girly chatter. Since Gretal had come back, the common room seemed to be filled with girly chatter. But there was none and it made me feel oddly ill at ease.One look at Fang who was pacing the length of the room, like some agitated bearded squirrel, and I knew I had every right to feel worried. Making my way over to him, I swung him around to face me. “What's happened?” One glance at his face and I knew something had, his face was twisted in misery. “Where's Gypsy?” Another look around and I was sure she wasn’t there. None of the women were, not even the club girls had surfaced yet, the whole clubhouse felt like it was grieving. There was only one thing to put that kind of misery on his face and it was if something had happened to Gypsy. “What's happened? Fang talk to me.”“She rang and said she wasn’t coming home for a few days. She sounded…” His voice broke and he cleare
GretalIt was worse than anything I could have imagined. Maybe because I had known Keeley since she was eighteen years old - the sweetest, most pure soul I had ever met - it hit me harder. She was huddled on the floor behind the counter and one look around told me she had put up a hell of a fight. There were shattered plates and glasses all over the floor. A smear of blood on the floor. A tiny amount of blood but it seemed to stand out in stark contrast. And then my eyes found her. And it was worse than anything I had ever seen before. And I had seen a lot of bad shit.Keeley half lay, half sat in the foetal position in the farthest corner. Her whole body was shaking. Her usually silky blonde curls lay limp against her wet cheeks. There was an ugly bruise on her left cheek and around her throat. Like someone had wrapped their hands around it and tried to squeeze the life from her. But it was her eyes that hit me.They were wide and haunted. I knew the look on her face because I ha
GretalLying in bed with a man who wasn’t Hansel, when I could still feel the wetness of my orgasm against my panties was pure torture. It didn’t matter that Gio wasn’t touching me, simply being next to him felt like a betrayal.All of these years apart and I was still worried about betraying my marriage vows. Sure there had been other people, for both of us, but that was because we were apart. Being back under the same roof as him was bringing up feelings that I thought I had buried. And I was good at that. Burying my feelings for him. When I had been forced to work at The Candy House, when I had been forced to sell my body, I had turned my feelings of love into those of hate. I had thought he had forsaken me, but then he came back. He had literally knocked me off my feet again, like some avenging hero and made it all better, and all the hatred evaporated. Because I loved him. I had always loved him and I always would. “You seem tense, Gretal?” Gio’s voice spoke from the darkness.