Monster“Is it done?” As usual, Fang didn’t mess around with polite greetings. Usually, I was all for his bluntness but there was something about the way he asked that grated on my nerves. What did he think I was? A total amateur? Of course, it was done. “Yeah, it’s done.” I flopped down on the chair opposite him, his giant clutter-filled desk between us, and ignored his raised eyebrow. “What did you think I was doing, partying on club dime and not doing my fucking job?” The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them. Chatting shit to Fang was always a dangerous move. And usually, I showed him the respect he deserved as my club president, but sometimes I slipped up. “Wasn't the club paying for your little holiday, Monster.” Fang’s voice was unusually calm, almost cheerful sounding, and it was my turn to raise an eyebrow at him. If I didn’t know better, I would have said he was happy. His lips kept trying to do this strange thing that I suspected was a smile.Fang happy?
AngelaI knew I looked good. I didn’t need the appreciative looks from every guy that walked past my sunlounger to tell me that. But it was always nice to have people stare, even the bratty girlfriends who glared at me were rewarded with a smile. I could afford to be nice to people. On the surface anyway. I was on holiday and had just spent the night with a man who had literally blown my world apart. More than once.Even the memory of his tongue against my inner thighs had me squirming. Jesus, he sure knew what he was doing. It was just a shame that I hadn’t caught his name. Throwing back my head, I laughed, drawing even more attention to myself. Who was I kidding? Not knowing his name was part of the fun. He would always be the mysterious man I had shacked up with in Vegas, the one with the magic tongue and the monster dick. I didn’t need to know his name because I was never going to see him again. And that was exactly how I liked it.Nights like the one I had spent with him were
MonsterI didn’t get nervous, not ever, but as I slipped through the gate and into Fang's backyard, I felt something twinge in my chest. I just wasn’t sure why. I had been to dozens of these gatherings. Sure, back then it was only the older generation that had families to bring, but still, it wasn’t like I was an outsider.I knew everyone there.It was just…it seemed everyone had a partner but me. Not true by a long shot, but that’s how it felt. I had always maintained that I was happiest alone but that wasn’t exactly true. I was happiest with my brothers. They were the only family I had. And now I had to share them.My feelings were childish. Angrily, I brushed them aside, plastering my face with a smile. It was a forced one that didn’t quite reach my eyes. Social gatherings were always hard. I couldn't always keep the mask in place. But I would have to. I didn’t have a choice. There were women and children milling around everywhere. Heading straight for the cooler where I could see
MonsterThe man in front of me was everything I expected him to be. From the combed over silver hair to the perfectly pressed creases in his pants. Steel blue eyes glared at me from across the table. I was under no illusion that men broke under that stare.But I wasn’t most men. And I sure as hell wasn’t about to back down. Meeting his death stare with a smirk, I leant back on the chair, crossing my legs at the ankles. For a second, his eyes flicked towards my boots, and then slowly, as if to intimidate me further, he let his eyes drift up higher, lingering on the patches of my cut. “Monster? Is that the name I should call you? Or…” he flicked open the file on the worn tabletop, “should I call you…”“Monster is fine, Mr Monroe.” I grinned. I was getting under his skin far quicker than he was getting under mine. I could already tell. “How can I help you today?” I kept my voice even, friendly almost. Like I wasn’t stuck in an interrogation room. My only crime? Banging the old man’s pre
Monster“Stop fucking looking at it.” Gritting my teeth, I tore the tablet out of Havoc’s hands. He was trying not to smirk at least, which was more than anyone else in The Drunken Otter. Pope and Cyber were giggling like schoolgirls smoking their first joint. They weren’t even trying to hide it. And who could blame them? I would be laughing too if our roles had been reversed. “Fucking perverts.”Throwing back his head, Pope laughed. “There’s not much to perv on from what I can see.” He roared at his own joke and my face closed down. It wasn’t even a frown. I literally shut down. I had to, otherwise my emotions would get the better of me and I would hurt someone.And by God, I wanted to hurt someone. I wanted to do it so badly that my palms itched with need.“Or are you saying it’s not you?” Cyber cocked his head to the side. His face was serious. “Because I have to say, brother, it really looks like you.” He scanned the tablet sitting on the bar in front of him. His brow furrowed. “E
Angela“But Daddy,” I whined in my best little girl voice as I stared at myself in the mirror, swiping the bright crimson red lipstick over my lips for a second time. Baring my teeth like an animal, I preened, checking that my teeth were free of any. As always I looked perfect. Sexy. That was the word everyone always used when talking about me. Well, not everyone, but my friends, their friends. Anyone who saw me sauntering down the street.“Daddy, I was looking forward to coming home tomorrow and seeing everyone. With work, it's been so long since I’ve been to church with you all.” Grinning at my reflection, I carried on with my little girl charade. It was the part I played around my family, the mask I had to wear. It was all an act; it always had been and it was one that I had perfected over the years. I hadn’t been the sweet innocent girl my father needed me to be since I was fourteen. By the time I was fifteen I had men and boys eating out of the palm of my hand and… I shook myse
AngelaPushing my way into the bar, I straightened my shoulders. I was bone-weary after driving all night and most of the day, and I needed a strong drink. Letting my eyes travel around the room, I frowned for a second before letting the lines of my face smooth out, replacing my scowl with a smile. The place was everything I had been expecting: a dive bar. The kind of place where I usually wouldn’t be seen dead. But then I wanted to be seen. I wanted every person in that stupid backwater town to see my face and recognise me. The quicker they did, the quicker it would get back to Monster. If I was in luck he might even be in the bar itself. Monster owed me. And I had the perfect way he could repay me for the damage he had done. My dad wanted me to be married, and legally I had to be in order to get my hands on my trust fund. But nowhere had it mentioned who I had to get married to.He had started this mess so he owed me. He could get me out of it.The bar fell silent as I sauntered m
MonsterFang stepped out of the shelter of the dark doorway the moment I pulled my bike to a stop at the curb. His face was pensive. Yanking down the bandana from around my nose and chin, I made my way over to him. “Where is she?”Fang thrust a thumb over his shoulder, indicating that she was inside, but didn’t move out of my way so I could push through. Cyber had rung me, insistently until I had finally picked up his call fifty miles outside of town.Four words were all he said. He didn’t need to elaborate. “She’s at The Otter.”And I knew instantly who he meant. But what the holy hell was she doing there and more importantly how had she found me?“She’s inside but…”I dragged my attention back to my president. “What the hell is she doing here, Fang?” I gritted out, running a shaky hand through my hair. “Shit.” I tightened it into a fist. This couldn't be happening. It was meant to be a simple job. I had been promised it would be. And now the girl I had seduced on The Family’s ord
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.