Pots boiled around me, the aroma of the garlic and wine sauce, awaiting the mussels, filled the air, and glancing at my phone, I noted the time. Picking up the plates, silverware, and the two wine glasses I’d balanced on the plates, I carried them over to the table I’d set up in the bar area.Setting out the plates and silverware, I eyeballed the table, then shifting the candles I'd purchased, I stepped back, judging my handy-work. Satisfied at last, with the way everything looked, I returned to the pots and pulled the lobsters out. As they cooled, I prepared citrus butter to brush on them, and then placed the lobsters in the broiler.When the tails were finally broiling, I washed and pulled the beards off the mussels, then dumped the lot in the prepared pot, setting the timer for five minutes.An
Three days after the disastrous birthday dinner, I’d moved out of the compound amid loud protestations from Ginger, Rook and Burdock, but I’d heard nothing from Torin. And, as one day had passed into two, I continued shutting Torin out of my life. By the end of the week, I’d gotten my old job back with Jess at the bar and was moving forward with my life.The night of the eighth day after leaving Torin behind me, my phone buzzed with a text message, and picking it up, I read the message.Torin: When I Was Your Man by Bruno MarsInsanely, I gave a sniff with the sudden moisture that sprang to my eyes. Ridiculous that something so simple as a song could bring me to tears. Torin never did anything without purpose though, so I knew there was a message within the song he wanted me to hear. After bringing the song up on my phone, I closed my eyes, and listened.A few days later, checking my mailbox after I got home from work, I found a plain white envelope inside with nothing on it but my f
Come the next morning, I stared at my roommate, Brian Remington, my eyes wide with desperation. "Please let go of my toaster!" I begged.Brian wore a mischievous grin, my beloved toaster in his hand, a look of triumph on his face. "Oh come on, it's not like I'm never going to give it back," he said, his voice filled with laughter, seemingly taking great pleasure in my distress."I need it for breakfast," I pleaded, my stomach growling with hunger. "I can't start my day without an Eggo, you know that," I protested.Giving another chuckle, he took a bite of his own Eggo, the crispy waffle dripping with syrup. "You're such a weirdo," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "You and your Eggo obsession."I gritted my teeth and tried again. "Please, just give it back. I'll do anything."Brian raised an eyebrow. "Anything?" he repeated, his voice filled with intrigue.I nodded eagerly, my desperation getting the better of me. "Yes, anything. Just give me back my toaster."Brian grinned. "A
Later that evening, I parked LadyBug in the bar's parking lot. As I put the transmission in park, I took a moment to glance around. The parking lot was filled with a mix of luxury cars like Mercedes and Jaguars, alongside the usual pickup trucks and beat-up old cars. It was clear that tonight was not a typical night for the bar's patrons. Adjusting my ponytail and wiping away a smudge of lipstick under my lip in the rearview mirror, I opened the car door and stepped out.The moment I did, the intense heat instantly erased the coolness the car's air-conditioner had provided, and caused me to grimace at the muggy, oppressive feeling of the evening air. Within minutes, I'd made my way through the employee's entrance. The scent of cigars, cologne, and a hint of perfume filled my nostrils, blending with the slow jazz music that drifted from the open doors of the bar into the employee's lounge. A burly bouncer, dressed in a sleek black suit and sporting a small earpiece, acknowledged me wit
As I noticed the bouncers near the VIP room eyeing the dancers, red flags went up. One of them, a heavily built man with a shaved head and a neck tattoo, whispered something into a small earpiece. With my curiosity piqued, I glanced over at Tannin, but she was busy shaking a cocktail and didn't notice the men's actions.As I watched the men, the music switched back to a fast-paced tempo, and the bar's rhythm picked up again. Shrugging off the men, I turned to the row of taps behind me, pouring beers with the precision of a seasoned pro. As I was topping off the glasses, a hand slammed down onto the counter, interrupting my flow. I looked up to see a tall, well-dressed man with a sharp jawline and piercing blue eyes, and two penguins' flanking him, peering in my direction."That was quite a display," he stated, his voice a low rumble. His cologne circled around me, a heady mix of something intoxicating.I nodded, placing the freshly poured beers down on the bartop, my smile never waver
Shattered: Way Down We Go~TORIN~PART 1SONGS LISTENED TO IN THE MAKING OF TORINBetter Than Me; HinderOrdinary Man; Ozzy OsbourneFar From Home: Five Finger Death PunchTorn To Pieces: Pop EvilI Need You; Jelly RollI Was Born To Love You; Ray LaMontagneI can't Tell You Why; EaglesSomeone You Loved; Lewis CapaldiIt Won't Last; Blacktop MojoUnsteady; X AmbassadorsOn The Run; The Jompson BrothersWhen I Was Your Man; Bruno MarsStay; RihannaState Of My Head; ShinedownTrigger warning: This book contains drug use, if this might be a trigger, please read no further.**Vocabulary**MC: Motorcycle ClubOl' Lady: name for the female who a biker has declared as hisMama's or Sweet Butts: women who hang around or live at the MC's clubhouseLay: Someone who is convenient to satisfy an immediate sexual urgeProspect: Early stage member of an MC club and waiting to be full-patched_______________________________________________________________________**MARLOWE**A light flush of sweat
With my fingers gliding across his flesh, I kept contact as I moved around to his back and across the broad expanse between each shoulder, afterward, I ran my fingers in a soft caress over the nape of his neck—God, how I'd always wanted to touch him in this way—and then began making my way over to the opposite shoulder, shortly coming around to his collarbone.Afterward, with a pivot of my fingertips, and practiced turns of my feet, I came a full one hundred and eighty degrees, facing him again.As I gazed into his eyes, my breathing increased, and I felt myself give a small pant as I moved my fingers down to his chest. Then, without so much as a pause in my actions, I lowered myself toward the floor. In a slight squat, I maintained the position for several seconds, moving my hips to the beat before easing my way back up. Once again standing and with slow deliberateness, I let my knees brush his crotch, my breasts hovering near his face. Seconds later and with a seductive move, I pl
At our appearance in the hallway, Darius Moss, one of the prospects, came charging toward us. Torin continued plowing forward, shoving him out of the way as he snarled, "Get the fuck out of the way Darius before I knock your ass out!"As we passed by Darius when he hastily stepped out of the way, Darius exclaimed, "What the fuck, Tor? What the hell are you doing? Stye ain't gonna be happy, man!""Fuck Stye," Torin snarled as he slammed his way through the exit door.~TORIN~It had been hard as fuck not to burn the club down after I'd gotten Marlowe out and brought her to my room. It wasn't as if I hadn't known what she did. Fuck, I'd been trying to convince myself for the last few weeks not to go into that fucking room. To stay the hell away from it. However, when I had gotten back from the run, I'd given in to that weakness and requested she dance for me. And God, how she'd made me want her—not like I hadn't forever it seemed anyway. I'd told myself just this once I'd enjoy her danc