HIDING DESIRE

OBSESSED MAFIA MEN

BOOK 1

CC GEDLING

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 CONTENTS

Foreword
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
37. Epilogue
Afterword
Acknowledgments
About the Author

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For all the strong, independent women who handle everything life throws at
them with a smile and enjoy escaping to a fictional world of obsessed alpha
males.

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Copyright © 2024 by CC Gedling
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means,
including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author,
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to names, characters, actual events, places, brands,
businesses, locales and persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author acknowledges the
trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction,
which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorised,
associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

ASIN - B0CHPNG71Y
Cover design – Cruel Ink
Photographer – Wander Aguiar
Model – Zac
Proof Editor – Chloe L Proofreader

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 FOREWORD

This book is a work of fiction. Let’s face it: most book boyfriends IRL
should probably get a kick in the nuts and sent to jail, but in the fictional
world, they are hot. Do not take any of the content in the story to represent
a healthy relationship or the glamorising of gang violence. It is written for
entertainment, just like action heroes flying through the sky and children
performing magic. Please check the content warnings.
This book is written in British English. This means there will be local
slang, too many U’s, and not enough Z’s for my American readers. Still
sorry, not sorry.
Mother, I’ve given up warning you not to read the books that I write,
but you must stop recommending them to your healthcare professionals.
Your dentist doesn’t need to be traumatised. Love you. X

Content warnings. Graphic violence. Torture. Kidnap. Drugging. Past

abuse. Parental death (past). Human trafficking. Reference to drug use,
sexual abuse and pregnancy loss (past, side character). Dementia (side
character). Explicit scenes. Mild spanking and choking.

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 1

T he chilled air in the refrigerated warehouse crept across the back of my

neck, but it did nothing to cool my internal rage.
“P-please, Boss. I did nothing. I never met that guy until tonight. It was
a set-up.” Blood and saliva dribbled from Eddie’s ruined face, dripping onto
the plastic beneath his suspended body.
“Do you think I’m stupid?” I asked Eddie, picking up an iron crowbar.
My usual conversational mask hid the fury that burned underneath my
skin as I twisted the metal object around in my hands.
Eddie widened his eyes. “N-no! Never!”
Of course, he thought I was daft. It was by design, but my men should
have known better. Once they became traitors to rival gangs, who knew
what went through their heads?
For the best part of a year, I’d been chasing information leaks and
whispers of double-crossing. Many men had died painfully, and I still
seemed no closer to piecing it together. There was a rat in my organisation,
possibly more than one, but I needed to prove it. This man was a pawn, but
that didn’t mean he would get away with leaking information to the
Stefanov gang.
With gang leader Boyan Stefanov set to be released from prison any day
on a technicality, I needed this bullshit cleared up. I liked a break in the
chain of evidence as much as the next criminal, but that piece of shite
returning to the streets would pose me a headache. The Stefanovs ran a
human trafficking ring, amongst other things. We clashed in the past, and
they were responsible for the death of my uncle.
“Please,” Eddie wept, tears joining the fluids running from his face.
“Pathetic.” Loch, my adoptive brother and right-hand man, rolled his
eyes.
“Tell me what you told them,” I said to Eddie.
“H-he wanted to know about the clubs.”
I rolled the cool metal around in my hand, testing its weight. This piece
of shite betrayed and insulted me, and the need to carve him up beat at my
temples.
“And you thought it was a good idea to reveal sensitive information
about my organisation to some eejit you met in a bar?”
“No! No! I’d seen him before. I swear. I didn’t know he was working
for Stefanov’s crew. I swear!”
I smashed the iron bar down in a wide arc, crushing it into his ribs.
Eddie screamed. The snapping sound and reverberation through my arms
told me I’d cracked a good number of ribs and possibly even punctured a
lung. I watched him swing, panting and crying.
“Here’s the craic. I don’t believe you.” I heaved another swing and hit
him in his gut.
He screamed again, and then the little shite passed out.
“Fecking hell.” I tossed the iron bar onto the table, making the tools
jump and clatter.
Loch scowled, no doubt unhappy about me messing up his neatly lined-
up torture devices.
“Want me to wake him up?” Loch said, prepping a syringe of
adrenaline.
“Fecking wasting our time with this piece of shite.”
“The contact might be more helpful. He’s up next.”
I groaned internally. I liked torture as much as the next man, but
clearing up this mess was time-consuming. My organisation usually ran
smoothly. The reputation I built over the years as a roguish psychopath kept
the wheels turning. People couldn’t make me out, but they feared me, which
worked.
“Wake him up. Time to give him some incentive.”
The lights in the warehouse glinted off Loch’s bald head as he stalked
over to Eddie’s limp form. He jabbed the syringe into his neck, and Eddie
roused, moaning.
I grabbed the crowbar again, stepped back up to him, and tipped his
chin back with a curved end.
“You know how this will go for you. But you can decide how it goes for
Jackie and the kids.”
His eyes widened. “You wouldn’t. You-you don’t hurt women.”
I smiled at him. “There’s always someone who will take a job for a
price. Do you remember what happened to Dave’s family?”
The colour drained from his face. He didn’t need to know that I’d sent
them far away to set up a new life. I wasn’t a fucking monster.
“I suggest you tell me what they gave you and what you gave them in
return.”
“Okay, okay. But don’t hurt them.”
“Talk.”
“They paid me cash in hand. They just wanted information on the strip
clubs. Who runs them, and how the girls are recruited. Where the records
are kept. That sort of thing. They wanted to know about the new clubs.”
“Why?”
I had an idea why: it would be easier to remove girls from new, less
established clubs.
“They didn’t say.”
I brought the bar down across his left kneecap, and he howled.
“Okay! Okay,” he sputtered, dribbling and panting. “T-they need a fresh
supply of girls.”
“Brexit affecting their smuggling?” I asked.
“I-I don’t know.”
“So you thought selling out girls in our clubs, ones under our protection,
ones that make us money to known traffickers, was a good idea?”
“They threatened me and my family,” he cried.
“A running theme. But you made a payday, too.”
He nodded, sagging forward, snot trailing down from his nose.
“Why would you double-cross me?”
He lifted his head, blinking his swollen eyes. “You-you’re less scary
than them.”
I chuckled lowly. “Really?” I stepped closer and whispered. “Do you
know the real reason why colourful animals are deadly?”
He shook his head, confusion lighting his distorted features.
 “It’s not to deter as nature programmes want us to believe. It’s to tempt.
They are the sadists of the animal kingdom. They draw you in to see you
die up close.” I slipped a flick blade from my pocket. “Do you want to
know why I smile and joke?”
He blinked at me stupidly.
“Because the nearer I am, the deeper the knife slips in.” I angled the
sharp steel upward to slip past his ribs, driving it into his heart.
Eddie swung back with a strangled cry. The blade slid free, drenching
my hand in a gush of warm blood. His eyes were wide as he coughed and
gurgled. Loch stepped up beside me, and we watched his final flailing
splutters as the pool of crimson widened on the plastic sheeting beneath
him.
“That was poetic,” Loch said when Eddie finally exhaled his last breath.
“Feck off.”
I tossed the bar back on his table again to piss him off and grabbed the
cloth he held out to me. I knew soon he’d be itching to wash off the mess he
caused. He was such a dichotomy: so adept at torture but also a clean freak.
“Are we doing the other one tonight?” He signalled our men to start the
clean-up.
“Why the fuck not?” I said, wiping off my blade and pocketing it.
Blood rushed in my ears. I was just getting warmed up. No one sold me
out and lived to tell the tale.

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 2

S hivering , I dashed from my beat-up car towards the side entrance of

Mystique Mirage. Larry, one of the security guards, spotted me and opened
the door.
“Evening, Amy. It’s getting cold,” he said.
Larry was huge and sweet. He had three kids, and his wife was pregnant
with their fourth.
“It’s always cold on Halloween,” I said as I stepped inside.
“True.”
“Are you on the floor tonight?” I asked him, feeling on edge and in need
of extra reassurance.
He kept the girls who danced at Mystique safe – better than some of the
other security. The club was always packed on Halloween, and the busier it
got, the more handsy the patrons became.
“I’ll be on the floor by ten.” He closed the door.
Once inside, I headed for the changing room and my locker. I was here
earlier than usual because of my intricate costume for tonight. The new boss
was coming in, and I needed to impress them. I’d worked at enough strip
clubs to know that new management was often bad news for dancers. They
like to clean the house and start again with their own team. Each girl needed
to prove her skills and popularity to ensure we kept working. I was in my
final year at university and needed this job for another ten months.
The changing room’s typical scent of perfume and sweat met my
nostrils. It was busy already. My gaze darted around the other girls. All the
make-up stations were full of a mixture of devils and angels. Tanya had
decided on a sexy zombie. She was a classic blonde-haired, blue-eyed
bombshell and could get away with gruesome fake cuts.
“Hey, girl. What are you rocking tonight?” Michelle appeared next to
my locker, sporting an X-rated Catwoman suit with more holes than
material and cute black cat ears.
“Skeleton.”
“Sexy skeleton?” She high-fived me. “Let me know if you need a
hand.”
I nodded. Michelle’s stage name was Candy, and it matched her
bubblegum pink hair. Her friendliness was refreshing as these clubs often
contained plenty of bitchy types, or cabronas, as my mamá would have
called them. I tried to stay away from drama, so I avoided too much
confrontation. Plus, I had more on the line than other girls.
I stuffed my bag into my locker and unzipped it. The mirror on the
locker door would do for my face paint. Methodically, I added layers of
white, dashes of colour, and rhinestones to make the sugar skull pop. I had a
quick drink because I couldn’t have one later without risking some of it
falling off.
Once I was done, sadness washed over me at the reflection that stared
back at me. My abuela would have cursed me for painting a sugar skull to
strip, but this was me honouring my mamá. She taught me everything I
needed to know to support myself in this business and loved me
unconditionally. Sometimes, I missed her like the air in my lungs. The
bottom of my mouth burned, and I blinked at the moisture that collected in
my eyes. I couldn’t afford to cry. I could cry tomorrow. Tonight, I was
channelling her, the most beautiful woman I’d ever known.
Eyes on the prize. Make a great impression, ensure the bosses know
your worth, make good tips, and get home for a few hours of sleep before
uni tomorrow.
With my face and pep talk complete, I moved on to the transfers for my
body. I pulled on a sparkly red thong and applied the glow-in-the-dark bone
stickers to my skin. They stood out against my olive complexion, and the
rib ones stretched across to cover my nipples. The ones running down my
spine proved a challenge.
“Michelle?” I called her over.
 “Wow, girl, you look amazing.” She touched the long ponytail that I’d
pulled high on my head.
“Could you apply my spine?” I handed her the transfers and the glue,
which would be a bitch to remove later.
She snickered. “Brings a whole new meaning to growing a backbone.”
“Why are you trying so hard?” Kelsie’s nasal voice carried above the
general chatter.
Her stage name was Vixen, which matched her curly red hair. She liked
to think of herself as queen bee but came off as insecure. I’d met versions of
her type in strip clubs across the country. Mamá would have called her a
cabrona for sure. She was barely twenty and had a big chip on her shoulder.
At twenty-seven, I felt positively ancient in comparison. Twenty-five. I
mentally reminded myself.
“It’s Halloween. This is a costume,” I deadpanned.
“It’s her heritage,” Michelle said.
I wanted to point out that painting sugar skulls on to strip wasn’t what
people did in Mexico, where mamá’s family came from, but I had a rule
about not feeding the trolls.
Kelsie rolled her eyes. “Did your ancestors shake their titties for twenty
quid? Puleeze. You’re about as South African as Dave behind the bar.”
Two girls behind her shook their heads.
“She’s part Mexican, you dipshit,” Michelle said, glaring at Kelsie.
“Suuure.” Kelsie dragged out the word and walked away, the bunny tail
on her Playboy outfit bobbling with the sway of her hips.
“Don’t listen to her. She’s jealous you’ll get more tips and room
requests tonight.” Michelle added the final transfers to the backs of my legs.
I pulled on a colourful wrap that covered me until it was time to remove
it. It was a risk to leave the bone transfers across my nipples tonight. We
didn’t have to go topless, but it was better for tips that way. Some crowds
were better with teases than others.
“Staff meeting in five.” One of the security guards shouted through the
door.
A chorus of groans went up, and several girls looked nervous. Some of
them were here on short trips from Europe to make money before going
home again. They were at higher risk than others because their contracts
were often terminated first in this kind of takeover.
 Nausea fluttered in my belly as I swapped my smaller heels for
towering wedge heels. I’d splashed out on a new pair that was also glow-in-
the-dark to match my bones. The rhinestones itched across my top lip,
probably from nervous sweat.
We all trekked into the main room, which always looked strange with
the lights on and no patrons. Everyone found seats at the permanently sticky
tables. A short woman with a shaved head and tattoos snaking up her arms
appeared on the main stage.
“Thank you all for coming. I am Kia, the new consulting manager.”
Shifting in my seat, I wondered what a consulting manager was.
“As many of you know, the club has changed ownership. Mystique
Mirage is now part of the O’Sullivan Group. I will oversee the transition
and train your manager on our expectations.”
Many girls fidgeted as unease ran through the room.
“Many of you are nervous, but this change represents progress. Will you
have to prove your worth to the club? Yes. The O’Sullivan Group runs a
tight ship. But I’m a fair judge, and I’ve overseen over thirty of these types
of transfers. It doesn’t have to mean bad things.” Her confident voice
carried.
“I didn’t know the mafia had a standard for titty shaking.” Kelsie
snorted loudly, and her words froze me.
My pulse sped up. Had I heard her right? Had an organised crime gang
bought us? Adrenaline spiked through me, and my hands sweated. Surely
not.
Kia’s eyes zeroed in on Kelsie, who squirmed under her gaze. “This
week, each of you will have an individual assessment. I will place a list on
the notice board.”
I blew out a breath, trying to control my panic and chastising myself for
listening to anything that girl said. Kelsie was prone to exaggeration, and I
hoped she would be the first one subjected to that inspection.
You don’t always need to be paranoid.
“Before I leave you to finish getting ready, I’d like you to introduce
yourselves and give us a fact about yourself.”
Oh no. I hated having to speak in front of groups. Despite stripping my
clothes off most nights, I wasn’t an extroverted person. This was where I
usually pretended not to speak English very well. However, that could
affect my chances of staying. It was a dilemma. I spoke English perfectly
well; I was born here and legally British. My Spanish was very rusty, with
hardly anyone left to communicate with.
The new boss pointed to a girl just as her phone rang. She apologised
and took the call.
“Tonight? Okay, yes. I’ve not started at the location yet but of course.”
She cut the call. “My apologies. This will have to wait. I expect you to be
on your best behaviour tonight. Impress me and my team. Now, everyone
up. Show me your outfits.”
We all stood, and I was relieved to be spared the awkward introductions.
She motioned us forward, and we lined up like preschoolers for inspection.
After several moments of glancing down the line, she asked us to remove
our layers. My wrap was silky, and I let it slip off my shoulders.
“Does that glow in the dark?” Kia asked, and I jolted, realising she was
talking to me.
I nodded.
“I want you on the floor for the first two shifts, then on the main stage at
ten.”
The new boss was giving me prime spots. My outfit worked! I did an
internal fist pump. If I impressed her, my tuition would be safe until
graduation.
Kia gave out everyone else’s directions. We usually had a rolling rota,
but I had worked at places where management chose who went on the main
stage based on ability or favouritism. It could get quite ugly. A good slot
could guarantee a night with room requests and high tips, especially on a
night like this. Unfortunately, it also painted a target on my back.
Kelsie bumped my shoulder on the way back to the changing rooms.
“Fucking teacher’s pet.”
“Ignore her.” Michelle fell into step with me. “Time to spread Desire
about.” She winked at me, punning my stage name.
I worried at the rhinestones on my lip as I mentally rehearsed my
routine. Dancing was second nature to me. I’d been doing it since I was
three. It was in my blood. I worked on autopilot most nights, tired from a
full day at uni, but tonight was different. The air was charged, and it wasn’t
just because Halloween was one of our biggest nights.
When I took my first break at nearly ten, I needed to replace more
rhinestones, and my forearms were burning. I’d been dancing my butt off,
although I hadn’t seen the new boss again. That didn’t mean she and her
team weren’t watching.
Jeez, I hated feeling paranoid. I’d had enough of that in my life.
Seeing as I had to replace half the rhinestones anyway, I glugged a bit of
water and went for a quick wee.
Head up high. My mamá’s voice echoed in my ears, and I whispered a
silent prayer to her tonight. I’d never seen anyone move on the pole the way
she did.
I grabbed my wrap and tightened it again for my main routine. The club
was heaving now, and I’d already made good tips on one of the small poles.
Tonight, they’d lit the UV, making my costume pop.
I strutted onto the main stage in time with the beat. “And next on the
main stage is Desire.” The DJ rolled the r in my stage name.
Mystique wasn’t a club where the dancers could choose their music.
You were introduced and danced to whatever they played next. The beat
started thick and heavy, and I grabbed the pole, rolled my hips, and moved
into the early part of my routine. I made eye contact with the men around
the edge of the stage, which usually ensured more significant tips if they
thought you were watching them.
Deaf to the catcalls and jeering, I slipped a shoulder free of my robe and
continued. Mamá always told me the secret to her success wasn’t switching
off like many girls but simulating genuine desire. She told me she imagined
the best sex of her life. She was always open with me, never hiding what
she did because I was a teenager. I didn’t have much experience with good
sex, but I had a great imagination.
I slipped the silk sash on my wrap free, letting it fly behind me as it
twirled around the pole. I imagined a faceless man watching me, sliding
closer and trailing his finger across my collarbone.
Climbing the pole and inverting, I allowed my wrap to slip free. It
slithered to the floor beneath me. As I undulated and swayed, only the
music beat and the faceless man of my dreams permeated my concentration.
Something shifted in the crowd as the energy thickened. The stares tonight
had weight to them.
Returning to the floor, the faceless man of my imagination was
worshipping me now, and heat pumped through me. The song crescendoed,
and I ended my routine bent over, looking back over my shoulder.
My eyes locked with a man across the room. His gaze was potent as his
intense eyes drilled into mine. My heart was already pounding from the
exertion, but it raced harder.
Shaking myself, I tore my eyes away as the song changed and swung
into a more complex routine that tested my arms. The burn added to my
internal heat because my imaginary faceless man had been replaced. I didn’t
look into the crowd again, but I saw him in my mind. Tall, dark-haired, and
intense, he was powerfully built and wearing a suit. As I danced through the
next song, I used his heated attention to fuel my movements. This time, I
ended up on my front, legs spread obscenely as I arced my back. The move
pulled tight on the transfers across my chest, adding to the tingling in my
pussy. What was with me tonight?
My eyes sought him out, but he was gone. Disappointment, more acute
than the situation warranted, hit me.
“Fucking show us your tits, love.” A guy off to the right hollered at me.
I shook myself, and I rolled upwards to move into the next song,
“Thank you, Desire. If you want to book a room with her, speak to your
server.”
Confused, I turned and noticed the stage manager signalling me to come
off. My heart sank. I was being pulled only two songs into my set. I
collected the cash thrown onto the stage, blew a kiss and flirty wave, and
strutted off. It was less than I usually made, especially on a packed night
like tonight.
Shit, shit.
I controlled my breathing and headed for Teresa, the stage manager. As
soon as I moved behind the curtain, Kelsie bumped past me as she strutted
out to applause and jeering.
“Did I do something wrong?” I asked Teresa.
“No. The VIPs have requested you.” She ushered me forwards. “Take
those transfers off your tits. You need to impress them, girl. Kia is up there,
too.”
Teresa was a no-nonsense mother-hen type, but I could hear the stress in
her voice.
“Are they part of the takeover?”
“They are the biggest bosses. Just work hard and impress them. You
know the drill. Take a ten-minute break and then get up there.” She
squeezed my arm.
Shit.
Theresa was the reason I had the job here. She moved from a club near
Northampton, where I used to work, and she told me she could get me a
spot on the rota. When I got into Sheffield Uni, I called her right away. This
club was far enough not to attract the city crowd and be recognised but
close enough to commute without falling asleep at the wheel at two a.m.
I shrugged my wrap back on and headed back to the changing room. I
decided against taking Teresa’s advice and removing the transfers, plus
half-ripped-off nipples weren’t an impressive look.
Ten minutes later, I fiddled with my belt as I walked towards the VIP
section. A separate corridor ran to it, so I avoided walking through the main
floor. The VIP area was part of the main lounge but set on a mezzanine. The
pole was smaller and recessed so guests could watch the girl there and the
main stage show if they wished. There was a private room, too, which
meant that with larger VIP parties, two girls worked together – one on the
pole and one in the room. The VIPs could request any girl from the floor,
and we’d swap out.
Larry nodded to me and opened the door. The music from the main floor
washed over me, and my eyes snagged on Kelsie doing her Playboy bunny
routine on the main stage. Turning to the wide booth, my heartbeat stuttered
as I realised the man with the intense stare was there. He sat in the middle
of the booth, his arms spread wide across the back, gaping his suit jacket
open to reveal a waistcoat and tie. His dark hair was smoothed back, and his
fierce green eyes tracked my movements. Kia sat on his left and nodded at
me. A gigantic man to his right with a bald head didn’t look up. Two men
flanked the booth in dark suits, staring into the club. The green-eyed man
gestured to the pole.
“Dance for me,” he ordered, his Irish accent thick.
Kelsie’s reference to the mafia hit me squarely in the chest, and my
stomach churned. As I reached the pole, I nearly stumbled on my heels.
He is probably just some CEO douche. I tried to reassure myself.

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 3

A djusting my cufflinks , I climbed out of my Range Rover into the chilly

night air. Loch exited and joined Craig and Ian, who were scanning the
area, having arrived in a separate car. We left Cian, my cousin, back home.
He was like a kid in a sweet shop at a strip club. This was the fourth club
we’d investigated. The low-level Stefanov guy had squealed like a pig when
we brought him into the room. Perhaps it had something to do with Eddie’s
dripping corpse hanging from Loch’s hook, but I took solace in the
knowledge even my double-crossing men held out longer during torture. It
was a weak comfort, though, given they existed at all. He confirmed the
Bulgarian gang was looking to infiltrate our newer clubs. Adding to the list
of reasons they needed to be neutralised.
Trusting others to do important jobs wasn’t in my nature, so Loch and I
started inspecting clubs purchased in the past six months, finishing with this
one –
the closest to home but also the most recent acquisition. I doubted the
Stefanovs had already gotten their claws into this place.
Loch swore under his breath, and it made me smile. He didn’t enjoy
being away from his woman and especially not spending our nights in strip
clubs.
“Think of this as an extended stag party,” I told him, thumping his
massive shoulders.
The guy had a few inches and a good few kilos on me. I’d tease him
about being a fat bastard, but he was all muscle. The only one that ever
gave me a good fight.
“Feck off,” he muttered, not loud enough for anyone to hear.
He might be my adoptive brother, my right hand, but he didn’t openly
disrespect me.
“Come on. This is a legitimate stag night activity.”
He grunted and ignored me, and I chuckled to myself. The big eejit was
getting married at the end of the week. You’d think he would crack a smile.
Kia met us at the VIP entrance, which looked like it could do with a lick
of paint. I reminded myself we’d only taken this place over last week. I
wasn’t expecting much inside.
“Mr O’Sullivan.” She nodded, stress showing on her stoic face.
Kia was an excellent consulting manager. She flipped poorly
performing strip clubs, making them more lucrative. She would hate that I
was here before she’d tidied the place up. However, I wasn’t here to look at
titties and new décor. I was here on a vermin-hunting mission.
My organisation varied from arms dealing and drugs to strip clubs and
bookies. I needed legitimate businesses with cash flows to hide the illegal
dealings.
Kia led us to a room marked VIP and directed us into a wide booth with
worn black velvet lining. The floor dipped slightly to a small pole, and the
whole area had a view of the main floor. As far as layouts went, I didn’t
hate it.
“Do you want me to bring up the books?” Kia slid into the booth on my
left with her laptop.
“Employee files first,” I said.
Ian and Craig took up the position to observe our surroundings. Loch
looked grumpy, but he scanned the club, too.
“I’ve not gotten into them yet. I planned to start tonight after meeting
the girls for the first time before we opened.”
I nodded. I wasn’t here to check on her work. She didn’t need my
meddling, but I let her think I was inspecting it because it hid my intention
from prying eyes. Plus, a bit of fear always kept people sharp.
My gaze swept out to the main floor. Halloween made the place busy
for a Thursday night. The women danced in various costumes, and tacky
plastic spiders dangled between coloured sashes adorning the ceiling.
Kia brought up the files, and I clicked through them, paying close
attention to the Eastern European women and the security staff. The former
were bigger targets for trafficking, and the latter could let the foxes into the
henhouse. Loch took down the information. We were looking for anything
irregular in the background checks that my tech guy, Thomas, would run.
“Anything that stands out already?” I asked Kia, knowing her instincts
for sniffing out trouble were one of the main reasons her location flips were
successful.
“The liquor supply needs changing. The prices are a joke, and few of
the girls have a drug problem.”
“Which ones?”
She pointed out the names, and Loch highlighted them in his notes.
They were weak links in the chain, easy to exploit. The question was, did
we want to leave some deliberate bait?
“Shall we do a walk-through?” Kia asked.
I’d rather pull my fingernails off, but I rapped my knuckles on the table
and got up reluctantly.
She took us through some tired-looking backstage areas and a very
grubby office before leading us into the crowds on the main floor. The air
here was sickly sweet. Since they banned cigarette smoking inside, clubs
like these had to mask the smell of sweat and pussy that permeated the
place another way. The cheap solution was pumping in an air freshener like
they were doing here.
Kia caught the twitch of my nose and nodded. “It’s on my list to fix.”
My clubs were classy and expensive. It didn’t matter if the surrounding
area was a shithole. Arseholes flocked to more upscale places, and they
spent more. I might be a thug and a criminal, but I wasn’t stupid. I spent a
long time studying business, which was one reason my organisation did
well. People underestimated a smiling Irish man, and more often than not, it
killed them.
Kia had us pause as she painted her vision for the central area. The DJ
announced a new dancer on the main stage. Desire. I scoffed internally.
Could these stage names be any cheesier? I watched a woman draped in a
riot of colour stride onto the stage. My heart thudded dully in my chest.
Time slowed as her every step brought her closer to me, but she still seemed
far away. Skull face paint adorned her features, and sparkly crystals caught
the light along her full lips. Her dark hair was piled onto her head in a high
ponytail. The wrap she wore was silky, and it shimmered under the lights.
 The UV flicked on, and her face glowed as she danced. The bones down
the centre of her chest flashed luminescent before disappearing behind the
robe. My heart smashed against my rib cage as she flashed a golden-
skinned shoulder, complete with another glowing white bone. Was she
covered in only bones? The tendrils of fascination tightened around me as
the music thumped through me. I watched her twist and move like liquid.
Her robe fell open, and the effect of her phosphorescent skeleton dazzled
under the lights.
“Sean.” Loch’s voice infiltrated my addled brain, and I snapped my eyes
away from the woman.
“Did you hear anything Kia said?”
“No. That’s what you’re here for.” My eyes pulled back toward the main
stage like a magnetic force. Now, she hung upside down, and the robe was
gone. Arousal thumped through my body.
Her lithe body was glowing, covered in white bones, and her full tits
were straining against gravity, and a single luminescent rib bone pulled
across her nipples. My cock hardened as I watched her wind sinuously
down the pole to the ground.
Fuck. This wasn’t me. I owned a massive number of strip clubs, and I
never mixed business with pleasure. But I couldn’t tear my eyes away. My
reaction to her was violent like a mania had descended upon me.
Just then, she looked directly at me. Her crystalline blue eyes captured
mine. Only the two of us existed at that moment. She had me in a
chokehold that reached right down to my balls. Her gaze held secrets, and
instantly, I wanted to know them.
The song changed, and she returned to her routine, pulling her eyes
away. Loch gripped my arm, anchoring me back to reality as the sound and
smells of the club rushed back over me.
“You’re dribbling,” he said under his breath.
I shot him a look that made most men shit themselves and resisted
punching him in the kidney. Kia led us back towards the VIP area, and I
couldn’t help but watch the woman on the pole as we climbed the steps.
“She’s wearing quite a costume, that one,” Kia remarked as she reached
the VIP balcony. “Do you want her up here to dance?”
My eyes locked on to the fucking melters crowded around the stage,
drooling over her. A potent hostility coursed through me, and I was seized
by the desire to brandish my gun and fire off shots to clear the place.
Instead, I nodded to Kia, who radioed someone, and I watched until the
dancer left the main stage.
This wasn’t part of tonight’s plan.
Kia led us back to the wide booth. I slid in and adjusted myself
discreetly. Loch smirked as he sat beside me opposite Kia, so I kicked him
under the table, making him grunt.
Kia continued outlining her plan for the club and gave us a brief
overview of the accounts. I tried to relax in the booth, spreading out and
maintaining the outward appearance of calm. My mask of composure was
thinner than usual as I wondered what was taking the dancer so long. I
loosened my jacket. It was hot in here, or maybe that was the fire she had
stoked inside me. I left my waistcoat buttoned as it was lined with the
thinnest layer of bulletproof material – like all my waistcoats. Nothing was
truly bullet-or knife-proof, but my three-piece suits were more than just
mental armour.
The door opened, and she walked in. I sucked in a breath. Her height
rose to nearly six feet in her heels. I imagined her long, skeleton-clad legs
wrapped around me. She paused, watching the main stage before turning
and freezing like a deer in headlights. Her gaze roamed all over me, igniting
my instincts. The predator inside me watched her from behind my eyes.
With her closer, the pull was more potent and the compulsion fiercer.
She hesitated for a few more seconds before turning towards the pole.
There was no teasing seduction as she dropped her wrap and immediately
twisted around the pole.
I stifled the groan as she swayed with the music. This wasn’t like me,
yet my vision was full of only her. I glanced at Loch, whose eyes were
firmly on his drink.
Kia looked up. “Do you need me for anything else, or shall I leave you
for the evening?”
“No. We’ll be going shortly,” I dismissed her.
We had enough information for now. Eventually, I might bring Kia in on
things, but I’d let her do her job for now. We should have left, but I didn’t
move a muscle, mesmerised by the sway of the dancer’s hips.
Feverishness inside me forced me to shed my suit jacket. As if towed by
an unknown force, I stood from the booth to observe her more closely. A
fanatical need to get closer drew me forward.
 Closer up, I could see the tiny red thong that hugged her pussy. Desire,
that’s what they said her stage name was. Fair play, they got that right.
My heart pounded inside my chest, and my hands itched to reach for her
as arousal simmered in my bloodstream. Her curves were unreal. She spun,
thrusting out a peachy arse that I could sink my teeth into, and a tattoo
across the base of her back caught my eye. It was a hummingbird
surrounded by roses. Hummingbird – that suited her: beautiful, flighty,
exotic.
After a few songs, the tempo of the music changed, and it stirred me
from the stupor I’d fallen into. Had she hypnotised me? I was standing in
the open without awareness. My men were around me, but it was a
dangerous move for someone in my position.
I reluctantly sat back into the booth, reclining and briefly scanning for
threats. It would be too late by now, you melter. I chastised myself.
“Are we done, Boss?” Loch asked as he placed down his empty drink.
“There’s a private room next door.”
He didn’t call me boss very often. We were brothers in most senses, but
he used the term tonight to remind me my tongue was hanging out. I shot
him another scathing look, but he smirked. Someone had cheered up
significantly.
“You know I don’t shite where I eat,” I replied, despite the fact the
frightening depth of my reaction to her made me a liar.
“You’re just dribbling all over the floor instead?”
Someone was enjoying this far too much.
I raised an eyebrow. “You’ll regret that tomorrow in the ring.”
“It’s worth it just to see you show some emotion.”
I tore my eyes from Desire. “That’s rich coming from ‘the Butcher’.”
My men called Loch the Butcher owing to his penchant for cutting up
his victims during torture and the fact he hung them from a hook like a
piece of meat. Bound-to-a-chair was okay for me, but we all had our thing.
The big bastard used to only have two modes: psycho and stoic. Typically,
his shite talk only came out in the fighting pit. Since he got all wifed up, his
annoying side from our childhood had re-emerged.
“I’m just saying maybe it’s time you blew off a little steam. We’ve been
up the arse of this Stefanov bullshit for nearly a year. When was the last
time you got laid?”
“Jesus fucking Christ, is this an intervention?”
 “Feck off. I’m just saying. Bang the stripper, and let’s move on.”
“Don’t fucking call her that,” I barked.
She wasn’t some piece of pussy to fuck.
Loch raised his eyebrow to his non-existent hairline. “She is a stripper.
We are in a strip club. One that you own,” he reminded me.
Fuck. He was right. We were in my newly purchased strip club, and I
was foaming at the mouth over this woman. My infatuation was already
deep.
I glanced over at the pole, and Desire’s eyes were hooded as she danced
like she was seducing the pole itself. A nasty foreign feeling rose inside me
and burned across my chest.
Jesus fuck. I was getting jealous of inanimate objects.
Giving myself a shake, I realised I needed to tip her and send her home,
or else I’d end up breaking one of my own goddam rules and dragging her
off to a private room. Or worse, just plain kidnapping her. Blowing out a
breath, I refused to be like my father.
I caught her eye and gestured to her wrap on the floor. She stopped
dancing. I watched her cover her gorgeous body and beckoned her over.
Loch stood and walked over to stare out at the main floor.
“Eyes away,” I barked for Ian and Craig’s benefit.
“How long have you worked here?” I asked as she drew level with the
table, bringing a vanilla scent.
Her painted brow furrowed, and her gaze darted away, then returned,
zeroing in on my sidearm, visible now that my suit jacket was off.
“No entiendo.” Her eyes shifted nervously.
I tilted my head at the blatant lie. It was like a flash of red to the raging
bull inside me. We were literally here to smell out bullshit.
“That’s a shame.” I tapped the table with my knuckles.
Pulling a stack of notes out of my pocket, I placed five hundred pounds
in fifties before her.
“Go home. Your shift is over.” I pointed to the door.
Before I take you home with me.
She blinked at me for a few seconds.
“Muchisimas gracias, Señor!”
She gathered up the money and scampered away. I pressed a hand over
my erection as I watched her long legs disappear through the door.
 “Must be losing your touch, old man,” Loch muttered, walking back
over.
That fucker was a year older than me at forty.
“Feck off.” I shoved him as I got out of the booth. “Gowon, I need to
speak to Kia about the employee files again.”
The inescapable need to learn more about the lying hummingbird
thrashed inside me. It was almost as strong as the compulsion to follow her
home.

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 4

T he familiar smell of the dental school calmed my nerves this morning.

Despite getting off work early last night, I couldn’t sleep fretting about that
gorgeous stranger who, by the look of his gun, was not some CEO schmuck
as I’d tried to kid myself.
Did it mean I was going to be fired? Would he have given me a huge tip
if he did? Was he a mafia boss? I didn’t want to believe he was.
Five years ago, the club I worked at got bought by the Italian mafia, and
I got the hell out of there as fast as I could. Back then, I had the luxury of
moving locations because most of my college work was remote. That was
no longer the case; this club was close to uni without being too close. Damn
it. I only needed ten more months. I couldn’t rush off like I might have in
the past. I’d have to monitor the situation and discretely look around at
other clubs.
I hitched my bag higher on my shoulder and wound my way to the labs.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t matter because strip clubs like Mystique didn’t get
frequent visits from big bosses. Turning a corner, I bumped into someone
and had to stutter my apologies for not looking.
To clear my mind last night, I read about advanced periodontal
techniques. Subsequently, I felt like shit today with a spaced-out feeling like
the rest of the world was moving faster than me. It was not good in my first
week of restorative dentistry clinics. Harrison, our supervisor, already laid
down the law about how complex this set of clinics would be.
 Finally reaching my destination, I locked my things into my cubby and
scratched at my wig. Some days, the inside drove me nuts. I tied back the
dark blonde curls and pulled on my lab coat. At my station, I greeted Kirsty,
one of the dental nurses, and reviewed my patient list today. There was a
gap after the first one; if it didn’t fill, I could grab a hit of caffeine.
Stifling a yawn, I turned, finding Harrison standing close beside me. I
yelped and stepped sideways.
“So jumpy.” Harrison smiled, and despite his blond-haired good looks,
his expression came off as creepy and overfamiliar. “Have you thought
about my offer, Amy?”
“I’m still not sure what I’m doing after graduation. I’m just focusing on
passing.” I shuffled away from him subtly.
“True. But not every student can say they’ve been offered a job before
qualifying.” He stroked a finger along the edge of the equipment tray, and I
suppressed a shiver.
I knew plenty of the “old boys’ club” had jobs lined up for them long
before graduation. I also learned that Harrison had a nasty temper to go
with his sleazy persona. I’d rather remain stripping for the foreseeable
future than join his practice when I graduate next year, which was
happening despite my coy words to him. No one would stop me from
finally realising my promise to my mamá.
“The Breakwater Practice has an excellent aesthetics service. I know
you were keen on that module.”
I hated that he had picked up on that.
Luckily, one of the other students came to speak to him, saving me from
answering him. I moved away surreptitiously and busied myself getting
equipment ready, unnecessarily counting things that Kirsty would have
carefully laid out already. Thankfully, he left without a backward glance,
and I sighed with relief, turning my attention to my appointments.
My first patient was recovering from radiotherapy for a tonsillar tumour,
and I was required to plan for restoring his dental health and present it to
Harrison. By the time I finished with the patient, Harrison was in a foul
mood.
He disputed every point I made and criticised my history and plan. I
remained professional because my patient had been through enough of an
ordeal without his dentists arguing over his open mouth.
 By the end, I was shaking with rage and humiliation. It had been a while
since I felt Harrison’s wrath. I had no problem getting feedback and
learning from my mistakes, but some of his words were belittling.
“You want a coffee?” Kirsty laid a hand on my arm, and I gave her a
thin smile.
“I’m going to read up on what Harrison suggested,” I said.
She pressed her lips together and nodded before leaving the main clinic
floor. I could do with a break, but Harrison had slammed a huge textbook
down on the side and demanded I read four chapters in my clinic gap. My
hands shook slightly, so I probably didn’t need to add caffeine. I tucked
myself back against the wall and opened the enormous volume on
restorative techniques.
A disturbance pulled me from the text that swam before my eyes. My
breath caught as I saw who was striding into my space. The guy from the
club last night. Today, he wore a charcoal suit, making his green eyes stand
out.
I clutched the book against my chest as if it would shield me. He
couldn’t be here. I darted my head around and noticed a few people staring
open-mouthed. The same two men in black suits from last night shadowed
him at a distance. My heart raced in my chest. Was he here to show me up?
No, no.
“I’m sorry, sir. You can’t be here.” Harrison’s nasal voice appeared
suddenly.
If I weren’t freaking out so badly, I would have laughed at the
exaggerated swallowing motion Harrison made as the guy turned to stare at
him. Harrison was a foot shorter, and his waist was probably the size of this
guy’s thigh. Despite that, he pulled himself up, full of self-importance and
opened his mouth.
“I have an appointment.” The guy’s Irish brogue was sharp, and
Harrison jumped at the tone.
“I don’t think so. There wasn’t an appointment in Ms Shelton’s diary.
As her supervisor, I should know.”
“You better recheck the diary then, friend.”
The way he said friend made me shiver. Harrison spluttered as the guy
turned back to me.
“Ten thirty. They fit me in for a cancellation.” He ignored Harrison, his
intense gaze on me.
 I remained frozen as Harrison muttered about speaking to reception.
“Come on; I promise I won’t bite.” He grinned at me, and a dimple
popped out.
He was ridiculously handsome with an undercurrent of danger, and I
hated that my traitorous body liked that. Adrenaline pumped through me,
and I glanced past him, wondering if I could run off. He followed my line
of sight and cocked his head.
“Never run from a predator unless you can guarantee getting away.”
“W-what do you want?”
He grinned. “What, no, ‘no entiendo’ today? I wondered how you took a
dental degree in a language you couldn’t speak.”
I dropped my eyes, my cheeks burning.
“To answer your question, I’m here for an oral inspection.” He came
towards me, and I flinched, but he merely sat in the dental chair and crossed
his hands over his lap. “Gowon, check. I really am on the schedule.”
I unstuck myself and tapped on the computer. Sure enough, a patient
was booked into the slot that began ten minutes ago. Sean O’Sullivan. The
O’Sullivan Group. So he was the big boss. My boss. I closed my eyes. Why
now? I was so close to graduating. An intense wave of emotion lodged in
the back of my throat.
Could I live with the comments from fellow students about stripping?
Of course I could. My skin was thicker than that, but would it harm my
standing at the dental school? The two lives weren’t supposed to mix.
Frustration welled up at being at his mercy. I smashed at the keyboard,
navigating the medical file to avoid turning back to him. There were a few
scant details on the system. He would need a complete history. It wasn’t
uncommon for the dental school to slot general patients into our gaps as the
restorative appointments were lengthy, and the waiting list for the dental
school was long. But this man hardly needed an NHS dentist.
I picked up a clipboard with a history sheet to keep a barrier between us.
“Mr O’Sullivan⁠—”
“Sean,” he interrupted me.
“I need to⁠—”
“Dark hair suits you better.”
My eyes snapped to his.
“You can’t talk about that here,” I hissed at him.
 He grinned widely. “Fair play, your secret is safe with me,
hummingbird.”
I swallowed thickly at his reference to my tattoo and the more painful
reference he wouldn’t understand. If he wanted to remind me he’d seen me
practically naked, then I would keep everything professional.
Gathering myself, I fired medical questions at him, not letting him
expand on his answers before moving on. A smirk played around his lips as
if he knew exactly what I was doing. I asked him about past dental work.
His brilliant smile made it clear he was no stranger to the dental chair, but
he was far from one of our usual patients.
“You have two implants at the front. How did you lose those teeth?”
“Boxing.”
“Surely you aren’t still boxing anymore with those implants?” My head
shot up sharply.
He shrugged.
“You shouldn’t be fighting with those.”
“Why? Did the dentist not do a good job? Do I need to have a word
with him?”
I blinked in shock at his undertone but composed myself.
“I’m sure they are perfectly fine. But while implants are arguably as
strong as real teeth, being hit in the mouth carries far more devastating
consequences to the bone they are implanted in than merely losing a tooth.”
“I still box, but that doesn’t mean I let myself get hit in the mouth.”
“That’s impossible to control even with a mouth guard.”
“Not if you’re good.” He held his arms out. “I’m fightin’ fit, doc.”
“Not a doctor.” I placed the clipboard down and took a deep breath.
“I’m going to drop your chair back and check inside your mouth.”
Kirsty wasn’t back, but I was damned if I was keeping him here any
longer than necessary.
He said nothing, but his green eyes watched me intently.
“Open,” I said.
When he opened his mouth, a mass of gold fillings greeted me,
including some tricky marginal-fit ones. His front teeth were expensive
implants, and he had multiple crowns, too. His gums were healthy, and he
clearly had regular dental care. Unfortunately, his aftershave smelled
amazing up this close, too.
“You have an expensive mouth,” I muttered, filling in my chart.
 He grinned. “The dentist told me gold made the hardest fillings. Plus, if
I ever get down on my luck, I could yank a few and melt ’em down.”
Something told me this man was never down on his luck.
“Gold fillings are an alloy and not pure gold.”
“Beautiful, smart, and speaks English,” he mused.
Biting back a retort, I reminded myself who he was.
“Your teeth are in excellent health, and I have nothing to add to your
dental plan. Keep sweet things to a minimum, and we won’t have to add to
the precious metal in your mouth.”
I spoke to him unprofessionally, but I was sick of feeling trapped. He
came here to unsettle me, and between him, Harrison, and no sleep, I’d had
enough today.
“But I like sweet things.” He stood up, not waiting for the chair to lift.
“What can I say? I’m a man who likes dessert. Given half the chance, I’ll
lick the bowl clean.”
Inappropriate heat fizzled through me as he stepped closer with a sly
look. I coughed to clear my throat.
“You must remember to brush and floss after eating sugary meals.”
His smirk told me he knew the effect he was having.
Harrison appeared in my bay at that moment. “Why is this patient
leaving without you running a treatment plan by me first?”
Sean turned to the smaller man, and true menace rolled off him.
“She’s finished. It’s good enough for me.”
“Well… well, that’s not how it works, sir.”
“Why don’t we discuss how it works in your office?” He grabbed
Harrison’s upper arm and dragged him.
The fine hairs rose on my neck, torn between fear and arousal. I must be
broken to be enjoying the toxic display.
“You can’t—” blustered Harrison, attempting to break Sean’s grip.
Sean leaned down and said something I couldn’t hear, and Harrison
went pale and allowed himself to be dragged off toward the supervisor’s
office. Paralysed, I watched them disappear inside.
“What the fuck was that about?” Rosie whisper shouted as she burst
into my workspace, making me jump.
“No idea,” I said, running a shaky hand over my hair.
“That guy was fifty kinds of hot, and he dragged Harrison off like the
little muppet that he is,” she said with pure glee.
 I snorted despite my heart still being in my throat. The door swung
open, and Sean emerged. His eyes locked with mine as he strode back over.
“Hot man alert,” Rosie muttered, twisting to face him.
“Thank you. I’ll remember your advice next time I’m enjoying
something sweet.” He licked his lips and swept away with a wink.
Oh my god.
“Sweet baby Jesus,” Rosie muttered, fanning herself. “Tell me you got
his number.”
“He’s a patient,” I hissed at her.
“He’s not my patient.” She laughed at my expression. “I hope Harrison
is in a pool of blood and piss in that office. He’s such a douche.”
That could easily be a reality if Sean were the kind of man I suspected.
Rosie returned to her bay, and I stared at the closed office door. Lunch
break arrived, but I never saw Harrison re-emerge.

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 5

T hankfully , Harrison’s body wasn’t removed in a bag, but I didn’t see

him again. After lunch, we were told that he had to leave for a personal
matter. The rest of the day was uneventful, and my jumpiness finally settled
down.
Now, I was halfway across town, breathing in sweet, sugary air that
made my stomach grumble while waiting in a massive queue at the
specialist bakery.
Valentina, or Mamá Vale as she liked me to call her, spotted me and
beckoned me over. The older woman had a streak of flour across her brow
and smelt of yeasty bread as she hugged me.
“Hola mija, cómo estás? You are too skinny. I’ll put some extras in the
bag to fatten you up.”
I rolled my eyes at her and passed her my card to swipe. Once it beeped,
I took the bag she had just jammed some iced buns into. La Pandaria
specialised in Mexican sweet bread alongside the usual British offerings. It
was hugely popular and had a café bar attached, but it was closing early
today. Hence, I drove like a bat out of hell after my last patient to get here.
Mamá Vale was a lovely lady and acted like everyone’s abuela. My own
abuela used to make Pan de Muertos or sweet bread for our Día de los
Muertos celebrations even after she went blind, but she never had Mamá
Vale’s cheerfulness.
“Adiós, hasta luego, Tia Vale.” I said goodbye to her.
 “You need to work on that accent. I’ll set you up on a date with my
grandson.”
I shook my head and waved, heading out through the crowd before she
could marry me off.
My Citroen AX was ancient, and I prayed it would start each time I
turned the key. Cat, my housemate, called it the bean can, but it got me
from A to B and only cost me a few hundred quid to buy.
Luckily for me, it started, and I drove back across town and pulled up
behind the row of shops our flat sat above. I grabbed my baked goods and
locked the car, letting myself in through the back gate. The smell of grease
and potatoes hit me as the warm air pumped out of the extractor next to the
stairs to our flat. My stomach protested again, and I rushed to get inside –
the temptations of living above a fish and chip shop.
Cat straightened up from the altar that I’d created this morning.
“Hey. I got back about half an hour ago and added the final touches,”
she said.
A rush of affection for her hit me, and I hugged her.
“Are you okay?” she asked, pulling back to stare at me.
We weren’t touchy-feely friends, but a lump rose in my throat. This day
always brought that out of me. My family were all gone, and Cat was my
closest friend.
“Just grateful,” I said, wiping my eyes.
“I’m happy to help.” Cat smiled, flicking her ginger hair out of her face.
It meant more that she celebrated with me as she had a terrible
relationship with her family. Celebrating her ancestors wasn’t easy for her,
but she joined me for the past two years we’d lived together.
“Now, get Mamá Vale’s bread out. I left a space for it.” She rubbed her
hands together.
There was nothing like Mamá Vale’s sweet bread. Sorry Abuela.
Cat had collected the marigolds on her way home from the medical
school, and the altar looked terrific. I placed the bread down, realising a
new picture adorned the display. A younger Cat and a woman I suspected
was her nanny smiled into the lens. I made a note to ask her later. My eyes
trailed over the likenesses of Mamá and Abuela, highlighted by the
flickering candles. I didn’t have any pictures of them, but I had an artist on
social media draw their likeness from my descriptions. It was a frivolous
expense I didn’t need, living hand to mouth, but it was important enough to
me that I ate baked beans for a few months to afford it.
I smiled, thinking of my grumpy abuela telling us about the proper
festivals that lasted two days back in Mexico. One honoured children who
have passed and the other deceased adults. Mamá didn’t remember as they
left when she was young. No matter how we decorated our altar, it was
never quite right in my abuela’s eyes. I think the craving for her homeland,
coupled with the knowledge she couldn’t return, not to mention her failing
vision, all turned her bitter.
Mamá, on the other hand, was a beautiful soul. My eyes watered, and
my chest tightened. Knowing she was gone never really got easier. It just hit
me less often. Her lovely dark eyes stared back at me from the artist’s
impression. What would she have thought of me if I had told her about
meeting Sean O’Sullivan?
She would tell you to run away as fast as you can.
The clanking of dishes pulled me from my memories, and I blinked
rapidly. Mentally shaking myself, I turned to help Cat. She always made
this special lamb stew. It was Cat’s way of honouring her family or the only
person she considered family. She left it in the slow cooker to come out
thick and delicious.
“I saw the new picture,” I said, getting glasses and cutlery from the
drawer.
“I contacted the ex-gardener to see if he had any pictures. I remember
him taking that one.” She ladled the rich-smelling stew into bowls and
pulled off a chunk of bread for each.
She said nothing else. Cat never talked about her past, only that she
didn’t see eye-to-eye with her family. Although she grew up with money,
there seemed to be no love. Unlike my small family, who had very little, but
love was never in short supply.
Cat passed me a bowl, and my mouth watered as I carried it across our
tiny flat. The living area was all in one, and each year, we moved the TV
and decorated the stand. So when we plopped down on the worn sofa, we
faced the altar.
We ate in silence, not watching the telenovelas that my mamá used to
love, and I got Cat hooked on once we moved in together. The spicy tomato
flavour of the stew contrasted with the crusty bread as I watched the
flickering flames, hoping Mamá and Abuela were looking down on me. It
wasn’t a big festival of extended family that my abuela used to talk about,
but it was more than I thought I’d ever be able to celebrate a few years ago.
“Did you impress the new boss?” Cat asked.
Pulled from my thoughts by the implications of her words, I inhaled a
lump of bread.
“That well, huh?”
I coughed and grabbed a drink, my eyes watering.
“It was okay, I guess,” I croaked, still choking.
After last night, I didn’t know how to unpick my thoughts and feelings.
“The main boss was there in the end. He gave me a big tip,” I said,
settling for bare facts once I cleared my airway.
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“I guess. I’m not sure all his businesses are legitimate.”
Cat snorted. “That’s not uncommon.”
When I said nothing else, she turned to look at me.
“You mean organised crime?”
I shrugged. I didn’t know, but I knew a dangerous man when I saw one.
“Do you think it’ll be a problem?”
It’ll be a problem if he keeps appearing at my workplaces, I thought, but
I didn’t say that to Cat.
“Probably not. How often do you see the big boss?”
“True. I hardly see mine at all.”
“Don’t you have to see him?” I asked.
Cat worked as a carer. Earlier this year, she left the agency she worked
at and started doing shifts solely at this one place where the old guy needed
round-the-clock care. She took every shift available outside of her medical
school placements. She was often awake and still studying when I shuffled
in from the club.
“Yeah… I mean, you know, the estate pays me. The company takes care
of it. So I’ve never seen that big boss,” she rambled and gave a nervous
laugh.
Curiosity gnawed at me, but I reminded myself I had a shitload of my
own secrets, and if she didn’t want to tell me, I would keep my nose out.
“So, was the boss fit?” she asked, opening a bag of gummy bears and
pouring some into my hand.
I groaned, remembering how gorgeous he was and how he smelled close
up. The last thing I needed was to get attached to a dangerous man. I vowed
I’d never end up like Mamá.
“Gorgeous,” I said savagely, biting off an innocent gummy’s head.
Cat giggled. “Well, at least there’s that.” She stood up, grabbed a bottle
of wine, and uncorked it.
Neither of us would have more than one glass as we both had clinics
tomorrow, but I let the cool liquid slide down my throat, reminding myself
to think of my ancestors and forcing away unwanted images of Sean
O’Sullivan.

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 6

T he motorway was busy as I weaved the Range Rover past slower cars.
My mind was back in the club with the hummingbird and her suspicious
paper trail. I tried to convince myself that was the motivation for this trip
and nothing else, even as infatuation nibbled at the edges of my
concentration.
“What’s wrong with Vegas for a honeymoon?” I asked Loch mainly to
distract myself from memories of her tits.
“Nothing, but Rada doesn’t want to leave the country.”
“Why? She’s got a passport.”
“It’s her sister. Until we find her, she doesn’t want to leave.”
“You know that⁠—”
“Don’t fucking say it.”
I shut my mouth. They were both delusional. Rada’s sister was dead.
We’d not found her in nearly a year of looking.
“What’s the play when we get there?” Loch asked, changing the subject.
“Let’s see how it pans out.”
Loch sighed and checked his firearm. He knew it would not be pretty.
“Are you gone for this woman already?”
I scoffed. “Says the man who picked up his wife when she was
unconscious and covered in the blood of the men she’d stabbed and took
her home immediately. Fecking pot callin’ the kettle black.” I changed
gears. “This is a potential lead. The woman pretends not to speak English,
hides the fact she is doing a degree, wears a wig, and her ID is faker than a
page three girl’s tits.”
“Sure, you tell yourself it’s about the Stefanovs.”
“It’s about being lied to.”
I hoped she wasn’t tied to the Stefanovs. I’d have to employ an entirely
different type of torture on her. The thought had me adjusting my half-hard
cock.
Loch burst out laughing. “So that’s the route you’re taking? I hope the
strip club doesn’t have a policy against the boss getting his dick wet.”
“Feck off. This is the type of irregularity we were looking for.”
“Yeah, because lots of trafficked women are using their fake ID to do a
dental degree.”
I ignored him and turned off the motorway.
The need to know everything about Amy – not her real name – Shelton,
burned inside me. It was dodgy as fuck, and her ID looked legitimate, but
the in-depth background check Thomas ran did not, and when you knew
forgers, you knew their styles. The guy who forged her ID was paranoid and
shifty. He did reasonable work, but not as good as the guy I used.
We pulled up and parked on the nondescript suburban street. I’d left
Craig and Ian watching the dental school where the hummingbird was in
the clinic. Yesterday was a lot of fun, bribing my way into an appointment
with her and making her sleazy supervisor piss his pants. He was lucky the
place was packed, and I didn’t kill him for the way he spoke to me.
Loch gave me a look before unfolding his massive frame from the car.
He was grumpy because he was getting married in a few days, and this trip
prevented him from banging his wife.
I rapped on the door, and a young guy with dark bags under his eyes and
messy hair answered.
“H-hello? Do you have an appointment?”
“Tell Briggs Sean O’Sullivan is here to see him.”
“Okay, wait here.” The guy closed the door in our faces.
I shared a look with Loch.
“Wait for it,” Loch said, amusement playing at his lips.
There was a crashing and shouting before the door was pulled open by a
panting, red-faced Briggs.
“Mr O’Sullivan. I’m so sorry my associate left you outside. He will be
dealt with.”
 I nodded. “Taking on an apprentice?” I asked as I crossed the threshold.
Jesus wept. The place was a hoarder’s paradise. I wasn’t sitting down in
here.
“Come through. The front room is for cover.”
“And for breeding rats,” Loch muttered, his jaw straining.
I watched him pull some vinyl gloves on.
“You want to stay out here? I asked him, gesturing at the piles of mess
just to fuck with him.
He looked unimpressed and didn’t answer. I smirked, feeling better
already. Pulling Loch’s leg made up half my fun.
“Would you like a drink?” Briggs asked.
“No.”
We moved through the back room, full of screens and machines. You
could see the floor, but it was hardly tidy, and Loch’s jaw did not loosen.
“How can I help?” Briggs asked.
The skinny guy from the door reappeared, holding a rag to his lip.
“A past client file.”
Briggs ran a hand through his thinning hair. “I maintain client
confidentiality.”
I unclipped my gun from my shoulder holster and held it loosely.
His eyes widened.
“You mistook my statement for a question,” I replied.
“Yes, yes, of course. Which file?”
“Amy Shelton.”
He twitched and moved toward the back wall, filled with bookshelves
overflowing with folders. After a few minutes of ragged breathing, he
returned with a slim folder he had taken from inside a larger one.
“Here it is.”
I flipped the cover open, and Amy’s pale face, looking much younger
than the photo on her passport, stared up at me.
“Had to age that one up. Excellent work, I’d say.”
I listened to him boast about his techniques as blood pounded in my
ears. I flipped the sheets over. Rosa Cortes. The date of birth glared out at
me like a punch in the gut.
“How old was she when she came to you?”
Our employment record said she was twenty-seven, but the date of birth
on his paperwork didn’t match ours.
 He peered over my shoulder, and the smell of stale cigarettes invaded
my nostrils, making my eye twitch. Fecking hell, this suit would need dry
cleaning.
“She was a young one. There, fifteen.” He pointed as if I couldn’t read
or do simple maths.
He adjusted himself, and I barely stopped myself in time from painting
the wall with his brains. I clenched my teeth and blew out a breath. Loch
tensed next to me, reading my body language.
“What’s your interest? Has she been stealing from you?” Briggs licked
his lips, his face eager.
It pissed me off even further that his immediate assumption was that she
was a thief.
“Something like that,” I muttered.
Stole my fucking sanity.
I flipped the folder closed and handed it to Loch. To his credit, he
tucked it into his jacket without wiping it down, keeping his hands free. The
skinny guy backed toward the door, so at least someone was reading the
room.
“How does a fifteen-year-old pay for an adult ID? Your prices aren’t
cheap.”
Red tinted the edge of my vision, and blood pounded in my ears.
He smirked disgustingly. “I cut her a deal.”
I hummed in my throat, the rage burning like an incinerator. I knew
instantly what this piece of shite was going to say. I wasn’t sure if I could
hear the confirmation, so I changed the subject for a minute, thinking I
could get something more valuable from this visit besides rabies.
“How’s your apprenticeship going?” I turned to the guy who was
retreating from the room.
He gulped wide-eyed.
“The little shit only makes coffee,” Briggs blustered.
The skinny guys’ fear transformed into a mask of irritation. “So if I left,
you’d still put out all the IDs you do? Your dinosaur methods are outdated,”
he spat.
“Watch your mouth, boy. If you want money to keep your mother in
those fancy nurses, you’ll shut the fuck up.”
That hit far too close to home.
“Tell me what she paid you.” I swung back to Briggs.
 “She let me break that pussy in. Nothing quite like a virgin.”
The movement of my arm was reflexive, and the bang was loud. Brigg’s
face exploded, splashing blood across the screen behind him as he and his
body slumped to the ground.
“Fuck. I thought you’d take him back to the warehouse,” Loch said.
He didn’t deserve to breathe any longer. The crazed beast inside me that
had already marked the hummingbird as mine demanded immediate
retribution. I closed my eyes, forcing away images of my underaged
hummingbird beneath Brigg’s sweaty frame. The bile burned my throat.
The skinny guy whimpered, pulling my attention back from those
horrifying images.
“Congratulations, you’ve just inherited his business. How much of this
junk do you need?” I asked him.
“M-my laptop and some of the equipment,” he stammered.
“None of the files?”
He scoffed, a flash of his irritation returning. “No. The idiot thought that
piles of shit in the living room would prevent cops from searching the
place. All of this is incriminating. I keep my stuff on secure servers.”
“Nothing is truly secure. Come and work for me. I’ll hook you up with
my tech guy. Operate under my protection. We’ll work out a suitable cut,
and I’ll put plenty of work your way.”
“My mother⁠—”
“Bring her with you. We have houses.”
“The nurses⁠—”
“Done.”
He shook himself off. “Okay.” He strode over to his old boss and kicked
him. “Fuck you, prick.”
I would have laughed, but the edgy, twitchy feeling inside left me far
from humorous.
“Call a clean-up crew and have them bring a spare van to fill up,” I told
Loch, then gestured to the skinny guy, not knowing his name.
“Smith.”
I almost rolled my eyes at the irony of working on fake IDs with the last
name of Smith. “Set Smith up with what he needs.”
Loch nodded.
“My guys will be here shortly. Make sure you tell them what you need
loading, then get your shit from your house.”
 Loch handed me a burner.
“Call me when you are leaving,” I said, handing the phone to Smith.
I tucked my gun away and strode out of the house with agitation
crawling all over me. Loch was right. There wasn’t enough violence to
satisfy the blood lust that pumped through me. I needed to smash and break
things.
“You want to spar?” Loch asked, pulling his door open and speaking
over the top of the car.
“Nah, Rada won’t like it if I mess up your pretty face before the
wedding.” I rapped my knuckles on the roof. “Who takes a fifteen-year-
old’s virginity as payment?”
“Sick fucking paedos, that’s who,” Loch spat, climbing into the driver’s
seat.
“Fuck.” I glared at my hands. “We should have taken him to the
warehouse.”
Loch started the car with a shrug. “No one listens to me.”
I stared out of the window. The plot had thickened around my beautiful
hummingbird. What was she hiding from?
“Take us to Carlisle Road,” I said.
“Can we get some fish and chips if we are going to sit staring at a
stairwell all afternoon?” Loch groused.
The big eejit was always eating.
“If you get them,” I conceded.
My thoughts turned back to her as we headed towards her flat, which I
may or may not have sat outside for part of last night. Rosa. I wasn’t sure
how much I liked her real name. I’d stick with Amy or hummingbird.
“Anyway, we won’t be staring at the stairwell. I’m going inside.”
“Fecking hell,” Loch grumbled as we re-joined the motorway.

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 7

S napping my gloves off , I cracked my neck to release the tension, feeling

drained. Today’s clinic had been gruelling, even without Harrison’s cutting
comments. The other supervisor wasn’t pulling punches either. I didn’t
know if it was because it was the final year or if it was just this speciality.
Or maybe it was because I woke up hot and bothered by an inappropriate
dream about my possibly-a-gangster boss. It was scorchingly hot and
finished just before the best part. I was no stranger to sexual desire working
in the industry that I did, even if my real-life experience with sex was
lacklustre at best and awful at worst. I refused to grab Bob, my battery-
operated boyfriend, and complete what started in dreamland, which meant
more textbook diving at four a.m. It was annoying as it was my night off,
and I used those to try to catch up on sleep.
I packed away and headed for my locker, looking forward to getting into
bed early tonight. Maybe I could sneak in a telenovela. The lead character
was about to find out she was heir to a powerful family, and the snide side
character would get bitch slapped. I hated real-life drama, but I lived for
that trashy fictional kind. Plus, the anticipation of removing this wig was
palpable, and I could almost feel the fluffy onesie hugging me already.
“Amy, wait up.” Rosie jogged towards me. “I need a huge favour. I
know you rarely go out for drinks after clinic, but could you come today?”
We stopped at the lockers, and she gave me a pleading look.
“Why?” I asked.
“Lester is going. I overheard the supervisors persuading him.”
 Lester was the youngest supervisor and reasonably attractive. He
provided helpful feedback. Most of us liked him, but Rosie had been
crushing on him since he arrived last year.
It wasn’t my place to tell her it wasn’t a good idea to pursue her
supervisors, especially after having a sex dream about my boss’s boss.
“What time are you going?”
“Right now. We’re going to Smeltering by the med school. It just
opened. I need a wing woman.”
“Okay, but I can’t stay long. I’ve got to pick my housemate up from her
placement, as her car is in the garage,” I lied.
I knew they’d get food and head into town, but I didn’t have the money
or energy for that. Rosie squealed and jumped up and down a few times,
making me smile.

Smeltering, the cheesily named bar was reasonably classy inside. Wooden
floors and an expansive bar with multiple booths created a clean, fresh look
– nothing like the dim lighting and sticky floors at Mystique Mirage.
Rosie towed me over to the bar and insisted on buying me a Diet Coke
before she pulled me closer to the huddle of supervisors. Unfortunately, I
hadn’t thought this through as Harrison was there. He narrowed his eyes at
me as we walked closer. My heart thudded irregularly. Thankfully, he
walked off as we arrived, and Rosie immediately started talking to Lester. I
stood awkwardly, wondering exactly what she’d need me for until she
asked Lester about a problem I apparently had with a patient. Resisting the
urge to stomp on Rosie’s foot to shut her up, I nodded and winged it as
Lester quizzed me.
His questions got more in-depth, and I excused myself to go to the
toilet, tossing Rosie a look. She could have warned me to have a fake
patient ready to go. I was no stranger to making things up as I went along,
but I preferred notice. I headed for the toilet sign and turned into the
corridor.
A pain in my upper arm flared as someone grabbed me roughly. No! I
gasped and twisted away, breaking the hold. Harrison’s red face came into
view as he went to grab me again, but I dodged him.
 “What the hell?” I said.
“You think it’s okay for your fucking boyfriend to appear in the clinic
and threaten me? That there would be no consequences? You fucking bitch.
You can kiss goodbye to any offers from Sheffield dentists. You’ll be lucky
to pass,” he hissed, spittle flying from the corners of his mouth.
My heart leapt and then sank.
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
Harrison scoffed. “Your fuck buddy, then.”
“I’m not fucking him. I didn’t know he threatened you.”
Harrison sneered, but the fine tremble in his hands gave him away. A
small savage part of me wondered why, if Harrison thought he was my
boyfriend, confronting me would work. But then his colossal ego didn’t
permit much common sense.
Harrison ran a hand through his hair and appeared to compose himself.
“If that’s so, you better make it up to me. Help me forget and make me
less likely to tank your career before it starts. And don’t tell your not-
boyfriend, or you’ll be sorry.”
“How do I make it up to you?” My stomach churned.
“I’m sure you can think of something if you’ve been sucking two-bit
gangster dick,” he spat and turned on his heel.
I leaned against the wall, my breathing choppy. Why was it always a
sexual exchange with men? I’d cleaned my life up and clawed my way back
to my feet over the past decade, and I thought I was over this kind of
bullshit. I might strip to pay my tuition, but I no longer offered extras. I was
so close to my goal and the chance to leave that behind, and now this.
A fine tremble overtook me as my adrenaline dipped, and I staggered
into the ladies to splash my face with cold water. The girl in the mirror
looked pale and frightened with unfamiliar blonde hair. I swiped at the
reflection, hating myself for this moment of weakness. Get it together.
I took a deep breath and headed back out to the bar. Rosie was still
talking animatedly to Lester, and I didn’t want to be the third wheel,
especially while I felt shaky. I headed to the bar and ordered some peanuts
for something to do. The hairs on my neck prickled as I waited for my
change. Behind the bar was mirrored, and I searched for the source of the
feeling.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw his dark features. Sean’s stare was
just as intense as when I’d been practically naked, and I hated the butterflies
it set in motion in my stomach. The bald man and the two suits were with
him. He crooked a finger at me.
Fuck. Seeing him here was the last thing I needed. Was it a coincidence,
or was he following me? Something told me nothing was a coincidence
with this man.
The barman handed me my change, and I stared at the coins for a few
seconds before gripping them tightly in my palm. I would see what he
wanted and then leave. The alarm I’d set with a ringtone to pretend Cat was
calling me for a lift was due to go off soon, which would help me escape.
Staring at the wood grain on the floor, I headed directly for his booth.
As I neared the table, I glanced up, and his eyes were on me, but the men he
was with were all looking away.
“Fancy meeting you here. That’s three for three.” He grinned widely,
and that damn dimple appeared.
Attraction rushed through me, and I gritted my back teeth. I would not
end up like my mamá.
“What a coincidence.” I kept my tone light, but the giant bald man’s lips
twitched as if he might smile.
“Sit down and have a drink,” he said.
“Thank you, but I need to return to my friends,” I answered politely.
“You mistook that for a request,” he replied, still smiling.
Irritation burned through me. This man was toying with me. I perched
on the edge of the booth. Sean leaned forward, crowding me with his rich
scent.
“Tell me, what did that melter say to you?” His eyes were startlingly
green this close, and I didn’t stifle the hitch in my breathing at his
proximity.
“What?”
“That supervisor of yours. You went to the ladies annoyed, and you
returned upset. I saw him reappear just before you did. Ergo, he is the one
who upset you.”
“He didn’t⁠—”
He pressed a finger to my lips, silencing me.
“Don’t lie to me. We’ve moved past the ‘no comprende’ bullshit.”
I leaned back, letting his finger fall away. “Why did you threaten him?”
“I threaten everyone. He’s nothing special.” He shrugged. “Except
maybe a special kind of stupid.” He motioned to one of the suits, who
strode off into the bar.
I shook my head. These men were playing games with me.
“Harrison could sink my career before it’s even started.” My voice
choked as I stood up. “Please leave me alone,” I said, turning and walking
back towards Rosie.
“Too late for that, hummingbird.” His voice followed me, and I closed
my eyes at the nickname.
Maybe I needed to look at dental school transfers.

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 8

K elsie ’ s hairspray cloud forced me to cough as I turned around from the

make-up station. She gave me a smug look, and I ignored her. I already had
enough to deal with. Thankfully, today was Friday, and my clinic didn’t
feature any hot Irish gangsters, nor did I see Harrison.
From my research, transferring schools in my final year would be
difficult and require very extenuating circumstances on a case-by-case
basis. I couldn’t afford to drop out and reapply elsewhere. It would cost me
time and money I didn’t have. The trapped feeling churned in my stomach.
The club was busy as I walked out to one of the smaller poles, ready to
dance off this frustration. My steps slowed when I saw Tanya already there.
Theresa came bustling over and grabbed my arm. “Desire, you are in
the VIP private room tonight. You aren’t out here.”
“What? My schedule said pole three?”
“Didn’t Vixen give you the revised schedule?”
“No,” I huffed.
Why anyone would rely on that cabrona to pass on information, I didn’t
know, but Theresa always had a soft spot for her.
“Right, well, chop chop. Off you go.”
I picked my way through the crowd, avoiding stray hands, and headed
for the VIP area. The main area of VIP was empty, but the two suits
flanking the private room told me who was inside.
Neither looked at me, but the one with sandy-coloured hair nodded and
pulled open the door for me. As I entered the dark room, the faint aroma of
Sean’s aftershave washed over me. A low bass played, and I automatically
looked to the pole in the centre of the room rather than at the man I could
see reclining like a resplendent king on the circular couch. It was the same
pose as when I danced for him on Halloween. Was that only four days ago?
“Four for four,” he said, pulling my attention.
I cleared my throat. “Would you like me to dance at the pole or closer?”
“We could have a drink. Get to know each other.” He gestured to the
champagne glasses and the bottle on ice.
I’d have to be stupid to drink anything he was offering.
“I’d rather dance.”
“Fair play. I’ll let you get us thirsty first.” He grinned.
I adjusted the music slightly higher and approached the pole. My satin
dress zipped down the front, and I wore a shiny black thong underneath. I
focused on the beat and swung into my favourite routine. Letting the music
guide me, I rolled my body and danced. My automatic imaginary reel
played, and Sean’s powerful frame again replaced the faceless man, as if
my subconscious and body wanted to betray me. I shivered lightly, feeling
his eyes on me and imagining his touch. This was so bad. I bent over,
unzipped the double-ended zipper to my belly button, and twirled, letting
the satin material flare out. The images kept coming, and combined with his
scent that was everywhere in the room, I felt myself grow wet.
Shit.
His effect on me was unparalleled; I’d never felt this way before. I
forced the images away, focusing on my movements and releasing the zip
fully to allow the material to fall away. Dancing while covering my breasts,
I arched my back and tossed a glance over my shoulder. Sean remained in
the same place, but his knuckles clutched the back of the couch, turning
them white, and the intensity of his gaze blazed hot. I snapped back up and
pirouetted around, letting him see my bare chest. I suppressed a smile when
a masculine grunt met my ears. Men were all the same. Show them a pair of
tits, and they regressed to babies. As much as I thought it was a bad idea, I
enjoyed the crack in his controlled facade. He’d been a mask of power and
casual indifference since we met, and to see my effect on him was heady.
Dangerous as shit but addictive, nonetheless.
I danced around the pole a few more times, and then, encouraged by his
reaction, I strutted over and hovered over his lap. As I undulated over him,
he didn’t make a move to touch me, but his jaw tightened and his nostrils
flared.
Maybe I should fuck him, give him what he wants and get rid of him. I
pushed that treacherous thought away and twisted to dance with my back to
him.
“Jesus wept.” He swore under his breath, and I smiled.
Turning, I straddled one of his thighs and danced closer; his pupils blew
wide, and he watched me from under hooded lids.
A sharp rap on the door made me jump, and his arms flew up, yanking
me against him and crushing my breasts to his suit.
I yelped and struggled, but his arms were like iron bars around me, one
full hand spanning my backside. He was rock hard beneath me, and unless
he had a lead pipe in his trousers, he wasn’t a small guy. The heat of my
attraction to him and a spike of fear chased through me.
“What the fuck do you want?” Sean bellowed over my shoulder, making
me flinch.
“Loch says it’s urgent,” a male voice said from the door.
I twisted, but I couldn’t see anyone. It was only slightly ajar.
“Five minutes. Tell him it better be life or death, or he won’t be in any
fit state to enjoy his wedding tomorrow.”
The door snicked closed again, but Sean didn’t release me. His hand
shifted, and he pulled my leg over him. I struggled, but I was no match for
his strength. He pressed against my lower back, pinning me to him.
“Fancy being my plus one for a wedding tomorrow?”
“What?” I stopped struggling and leaned back.
This man was so confusing.
“You heard me.” His gaze dipped briefly to my tits, which were
basically in his face but then snapped back up to my eyes.
“Let me go.”
“No one sees you like this but me.” His words were fervent and almost
intoxicating, but I shoved the feeling away.
“I hate to break it to you, but I’m a stripper. At a club you own. Boss,” I
snapped, fed up at being manhandled after the week I’d had.
Part of the annoyance was at myself because, on some level, it felt
incredible here on his lap with his strong arms around me. The sad, touch-
starved girl inside me had low standards.
He grinned. “That peachy backside will look so nice painted red.”
 I didn’t bother to address that statement or the inappropriate heat that
fizzled through me at the image it painted. I just glared at him.
“Mmm, there’s that fire you’ve been keeping hidden.” He released his
hold on me, and I scrambled back off his legs.
He made no attempt to hide the enormous erection as he stood. His
muscular thigh framed it in his trousers, and I gulped at the sight. He
grabbed his suit jacket and extracted a wad of fifties from his wallet.
Honestly, who walked around with that amount of cash?
But as he turned, I saw the weapon at his back and decided you’d be
mad to rob this guy.
“Fair play, it’s too soon for a wedding date. I’ll take you out tomorrow
night instead.” He rapidly closed the distance between us and folded the
notes into the string of my thong at my hip. “No more dancing tonight. Get
your clothes back on. Go straight home.” He patted my arse cheek.
I opened my mouth to protest, and he pressed his finger against my lips.
“Kia knows you are to be sent home. Do not defy me on this.”
“So you’ve decided I’m your latest plaything, and now I can’t earn any
money because you won’t let anyone else look at me?” I asked,
exasperated.
“Yes.” He straightened his waistcoat. “No one looks. No one touches.”
I scoffed, backing away. “If you wanted a chaste virgin, you went
looking in the wrong place.”
Once again, he moved fast and was in front of me, his suit jacket
grazing my nipples. My mouth pooled with saliva as I studied the powerful
lines of his features.
“I’ll kill any man that’s slept with you.”
“You’ll have a lot of men to kill then,” I said recklessly.
His nostrils flared, but a dangerous smile crossed his features. “I’m
okay with that. Send me the list.”
I reared back from him, stumbling on my heels. He grabbed my arms
and steadied me.
“You’re a psychopath,” I whispered, twisting away.
“I’ve heard that before.” He gestured at my dress near the pole.
“Clothes. Now. Home.” He turned on his heel and headed for the door,
leaving me reeling.

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 9

“T his better be good ,” I barked into my phone at Loch as I adjusted my

dick.
There was a chance it might fall off right along with my blue balls. This
woman had me all kinds of fucked up.
“We’ve spotted Stefanov’s thugs on the surveillance footage. Rada
recognised one of them.”
“Were you romantically watching surveillance cameras together? Isn’t it
bad luck to see the bride the night before the wedding?”
“Not the time,” he growled.
The Stefanov gang had trafficked and abused Rada before Loch found
her so he was understandably angry.
“Which cameras?”
“Multiple. You need to see this.”
“Shite,” I muttered, clicking off the call.
I wouldn’t be following my hummingbird home.
“Make sure she gets home,” I told Ian. “With me,” I said to Craig, and
we headed for the car that I left Cian in.
The distance from Amy created a buzzing in the back of my mind. I’d
had her in my lap tonight. She was such a mix of frightened rabbit and fiery
bombshell. When I first saw her, the obsession that sprouted to life had
mutated into a monstrous, all-consuming need. For the first twenty-four
hours, I kidded myself that it was because she was hiding something. But it
was the O’Sullivan curse. The men in our family were like swans, mated for
life. Unfortunately, we also lost our minds to possessiveness, which didn’t
always end well for the women. I refused to let anything happen to Amy by
my hand or another, but my infatuation was growing more potent, and I
didn’t want to be away from her. She still hid many secrets, but the ones I
couldn’t uncover myself, I intended to extract pleasurably.
Twenty minutes later, we were home, as the club was on our side of
Sheffield. People laughed when I set up base here. We weren’t near a port,
nor was the city massive, but it appealed to me on several levels. Plus, there
was a small enough airport here to bribe the officials.
Loch stood at the door as we pulled up, which was never a good sign.
“Is Rada okay?” I asked.
“She’s alright,” Loch replied, and the murderous beast he unleashed on
our enemies peaked out from behind his eyes.
“Fair play. Are you alright?”
He grunted and turned on his heel, heading for my office. Cian followed
us inside, keeping a wide berth from Loch. They didn’t get on.
Loch flicked on the laptop as I sat down. Multiple screens appeared.
We’d set up cameras facing out from the front and back entrances. The
clubs already monitored the bouncer queues, but I didn’t normally have
them fed to my office. Thomas had facial recognition software running on
the entire system. We hoped we’d spot any known Stefanov associates.
Nikola Zhirkov’s ugly, scarred-up mugshot popped up on the screen,
and sure enough, he’d been spotted outside a club. The word was Niko was
once Boyan Stefanov’s right-hand man, although how high up he featured
these days with his sons pulling the strings, who knew. Maybe not high if
he was doing surveillance. That said, I sent Loch on important jobs as he
had an eye for details.
“Which club is this?”
“If you rewind the latest footage, you’ll see yourself leaving from the
back door.”
“Shite.”
My mind reeled. Had the Bulgarians discovered Amy’s importance to
me, or was it a coincidence?
Loch answered my unasked question by flicking to the next section of
surveillance. My blood boiled as I saw Niko watching the back entrance to
a familiar chip shop and the tiny flat above it.
“It was a good idea to place that camera,” Loch noted.
 We argued yesterday about putting cameras at Amy’s place, which was
far too unsecured. Despite the temptation, I didn’t place any cameras inside.
She had a housemate, and I didn’t want to see another woman naked. My
eyes were for the hummingbird only. I may, however, have stolen some of
her underwear instead. Not sorry.
My mind raced with possibilities, but I decided I needed to clear the
room.
“Is Father Torin ready for tomorrow?” I asked Cian.
He blinked stupidly and pushed a hand through his bright ginger hair.
Cian was my father’s youngest brother’s only kid. We lost his father to a
heart attack, and we both lost our other uncle to one of Stefanov’s men.
With my father dead, Cian was the closest blood relative in my
organisation, which was littered with distant cousins and non-family men.
He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and the recent feud with Loch
hadn’t helped his attitude. I mostly had him overseeing the local gambling
ring to keep him out of trouble.
“Yeah, I guess. Shit himself when I called him.” He smirked like
making a priest sweat was something to be proud of.
“Check in with him and get the cars ready for tomorrow.”
Cian’s smirk slipped off his face, and he headed for the door.
“Shite for brains,” Loch muttered as the door clicked closed.
“Did Rada recognise Niko?”
Loch nodded jerkily.
“Better get a hook ready for him in the warehouse.”
“That would kick off a war with Boyan coming out of prison.”
I shrugged; my patience for avoiding all-out war had run thin.
“We could send Boyan Niko’s head as a welcome home present. Maybe
war is the only way. They tried to squirm out of the blame for Uncle
Declan’s murder, blaming that piece of shite Kolev for going rogue. What
excuse do they have for stalking my woman?”
They said their man Ivan Kolev had acted alone when he killed Uncle
Declan in a dispute over drug suppliers, but I knew differently. Ivan was
once in Boyan Stefanov’s inner circle, along with Niko. We proved Ivan
was still actively involved in their fucking trafficking when we caught him
attacking Loch’s woman. That hadn’t been part of the plan, but still. We
tortured Ivan, and he never admitted to killing Uncle Declan outright,
maintaining it was a gunfight gone wrong. Even claiming someone had set
the whole thing up. I let the Bulgarian gang believe I bought their story
about Ivan and that our arguments were settled when Loch cut him into
small pieces, but it just cemented in my mind that there was a bigger plan
afoot. Now it was spilling over to my hummingbird.
“I’ve brought them right to her door.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Loch muttered. “Come and see Thomas.”
What the fuck did that mean? We’d left Thomas, our tech guy,
researching Amy’s real name, and I’d been too busy getting the best lap
dance of my life to check in with him yet. Not sorry.
We headed over to Thomas’s control room. Loch shouldered the door
open with a scowl. The room was a mess, and while I was confident there
weren’t any rodents in here because Thomas knew I’d shoot him in the
fecking leg if there were, it was far from sanitary. Every time we visited, it
set off Lochs’ need to clean.
Thomas was stooped over, tapping on his keypad. The light from five
screens illuminated his bespectacled face. He didn’t look up or
acknowledge us.
“I’ve printed it all out.” He inclined his head to a file perched on a stack
of papers. Loch grabbed it and passed it to me. I scanned the document and
the passages that Thomas had highlighted.
Rosa Cortes was filed as a missing person by her school when she was
fifteen. No father was listed on her birth certificate. Mother, Lucia Cortez, a
Mexican immigrant, moved here with her mother. She worked as an exotic
dancer, age thirty-six, at the time of death. Her body was found brutally
mutilated and partially decomposed, washed up on the banks of a river
down south. Appearances suggested the body was weighted down at some
point. Death was caused by blunt force trauma to the head. Her body was
submerged after death. I flicked through the post-mortem images, and
despite the bloating and waterlogging, it was clear Amy’s mother had
suffered before her death. More disturbing still was the likeness to her
daughter.
Loch stood behind me, saying nothing; he’d already seen these.
“What information do you have on Lucia’s workplace?” I asked
Thomas.
He didn’t answer but started typing so it would appear in a minute or
two.
 I recognised the name of the strip club Amy’s mother had worked at. I
made it my business to know about strip clubs and their owners. I knew
Bulgarians with ties to the Stefanov gang once owned it.
“Crooked copper,” Loch muttered.
Any half-decent police inspector would have identified a connection to
gang involvement. The police report was significantly light for a brutally
murdered woman and her missing teenage daughter. The report concluded
Rosa’s absent father was likely responsible for her mother’s death and had
taken Rosa back to Mexico. Case closed. Big payday.
Thomas handed me the printouts, and I took them wordlessly,
motioning Loch back to my study. I poured us both a drink and sat heavily
in my chair.
“Jesus wept,” I said, swirling my drink and thinking about those autopsy
pictures.
Not much moved me these days. I’d seen and done too much shite, but
the thought of what happened to my hummingbird’s mother turned even my
stomach. I let the whiskey burn down into my stomach and mulled
everything over. If she ran from the Stefanovs because they killed her
mother, it was no wonder she was wary of me.
“As your brother, I need you to hear me out.” Loch ran a hand over his
bald head. “This woman might be a honey trap.”
I paused with my glass to my mouth and stared at Loch. “Give me a
good reason I shouldn’t shoot you in the leg?”
“I’m getting married tomorrow.” Loch smirked and raised his hands.
“I could put the bullet in your tiny brain and save Rada the hardship of
being married to an eejit.”
“Don’t be like that. She loves me.”
The woman was madder than a box of frogs.
“Only a mother could love a face like yours.”
“Feck off.” He put his empty glass down. “For what it’s worth, my gut
tells me Amy’s not a plant. If she isn’t, then she’s either in danger because
your ugly mug is dribbling all over her, or she is on their radar for her own
reasons.”
Considering her desperate ID change at fifteen years old, I suspected the
latter. It made the most sense, but if the Stefanovs had me under
surveillance, I’d tipped them off.
“Either way, I’ll need to bring her under my protection,” I mused.
 Hide her away so she can’t escape.
“And if she’s a trap?” Loch asked.
“You brought a known killer into our house and forced her to be your
wife,” I reminded him.
“There was no forcing. It was more like wearing her down.” Loch
smirked.
“I’m not sure I’ve got time to wear Amy down.”
Things were more complicated than I first thought. The mania running
underneath my skin demanded I kidnap her immediately to protect her.
While I refused to be like my father, the stakes had increased exponentially.
“I’ll need to be more persuasive.”
“Believe me, kidnapping a woman isn’t the best start to a relationship.”
“You’re getting married tomorrow. That worked out fine.”
“I rescued Rada,” he protested.
“Rescued her into our holding cells?” I chuckled.
He shook his head but stopped biting.
“Are you not going to tell me it’s a bad idea?” I asked.
“Did you tell me that when it came to Rada?”
“No, I could see you’d gone barmy for her.”
“I can see the same thing.”
I tossed him the finger.
“I’m going to bed. It’s my last night as an unmarried man.”
“Pretty sure you should save yourself for the wedding night.”
“I’ve got plenty in the tank. Worry about yourself.” He disappeared out
the door.
My thoughts crowded together inside my head in the quiet of the office.
I headed down to the grounds because I did my best thinking outside. The
cold air rushed over me as I opened the front door. My whistle brought my
dogs running over. The massive hounds butted against me as I rubbed their
heads. They both stood to my waist, and despite being highly trained
security dogs, they loved a good fuss. I grabbed two balls and threw them
off into the darkness, walking after them across the lawn. They chased
about as I devised a plan.

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 10

J olting awake , I tangled with my sheets and dropped off the side of the
bed, jarring my left side as I landed. My heart thudded against my ribs as
memories of my mamá’s body swam in front of my eyes. The dream had
been so real. I untwisted myself and hauled myself off the floor, shivering
as the cool air hit my sweaty limbs. I shuffled off to the shower to try to
wash away the images. They were a stark reminder of where getting tangled
up with dangerous men got you.
The rest of Saturday was a total wash. I tried to study, but I couldn’t
settle into anything. He invaded my every thought. And each time it
happened, a pit in my stomach appeared as I remembered Mamá’s fate.
Maybe because I didn’t have a normal teenage life, all those stupid crush
feelings they talk about in TV shows were showing up now. It was
ridiculous, as I’d barely spoken to the guy. All he’d done was order me
about. Why was he consuming my thoughts? His tip money had helped as it
secured my rent for the next few months, but I knew it was deeper than that.
It was the attention. His intense focus on me was heady.
For years, I blended in, hiding and getting by, slowly getting closer to
realising the dream I swore I would achieve. There was no room for
relationships. Sex was transactional, something to use as a last resort. Never
something to look forward to. Sean’s appearance in my life stirred feelings
inside me I’d never experienced, and it reminded me how lonely I’d grown.
I had friends, but none of them knew me. But a few days in his orbit, he
made me feel like he saw me. It had me wanting to do something stupid.
 Thoughts like these harassed me on the drive to the club. In the dressing
room, I fretted about defying Sean and then got annoyed that I was even
bothering. You aren’t property. I swiped the winged liner on aggressively,
going for a heavy hand tonight. Sparkly black eyeshadow completed my
dark look.
In the mirror, I spotted Larry poking his head around the door.
“Amy? You’re needed in the office.”
My stomach dropped. Surely not?
“Fucking hell, are you banging the security too?” Kelsie screeched.
“Put your claws away, Kelsie. We don’t need your bullshit tonight.”
Michelle pointed her lipstick at her.
Kelsie flipped her off and flounced away. I sent Michelle a grateful
smile, debating whether to grab my robe, but I had little booty shorts on
tonight and a bikini top. Fuck it.
I strode out of the changing room, wiping my sweaty hands on my
shorts and feigning more calm than I felt. Larry fell into step with me.
“I’m sorry to call you out here, but will you look at my tooth?”
I stopped dead. “What?”
This wasn’t about Sean?
“Listen, I know you told me not to say anything about your degree, and
I swear I haven’t, but my filling fell out.” He held his cheek on the left,
pointing inside his mouth. “I’ve had a toothache all day; I can’t eat anything
hot or cold, and I can’t get into my dentist until next week.”
I glanced around uneasily. Larry often walked me to my car, and he saw
my dental school information and textbooks. He agreed to keep it between
us.
“We aren’t in a dental clinic here, Larry. And I’m not qualified.”
“I know, but I googled it and got a temporary filling kit, and I thought
maybe you could look.”
“It would be better to get an emergency appointment.”
“I’m supposed to be working all weekend,” he pleaded.
I caved at his puppy dog eyes.
“Okay, but I haven’t got any equipment, and I might not be able to do
much,” I told him as we headed for the office.
Since Kia arrived, the office looked tidier, although it still smelled
strongly of cigarette smoke from Teresa’s habit. I sat Larry in the swivel
chair, letting it down to its lowest point so I could lean over and look into
his mouth.
“Have you got a light on your phone?” I asked him, standing on my
tiptoes.
He nodded and put it on, passing it to me.
“Lean your head over the back of the chair.” I grabbed the phone and
looked along the top left row of teeth. Half of his first molar was missing.
“What the fuck is going on?” a familiar deep voice bellowed.
I leapt in fright, falling forward over Larry as the chair spun. Larry
grunted as he caught me. We whirled around to face the door where Sean
stood holding a gun, his handsome face a mask of fury.

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S aturday morning , Cian brought me frustrating news from one of our

suppliers, and I was still dealing with it as I buttoned up the collar on my
wedding shirt.
“You need a buttonhole.” Trixie, my housekeeper, came bustling into
my office without knocking.
“I could have been killing someone in here, Trixie,” I growled, not in
the mood for her mother-hen routine.
She clicked her tongue. “You wouldn’t risk getting blood on your
precious books.”
Despite acting like everyone’s grandmother, Trixie knew what happened
in this house. She snatched my suit jacket from the chair and fixed some
white flowers surrounded by blue-green ribbon to the buttonhole on my
jacket.
“You need a teal tie today. The wedding party is wearing teal.” She
handed me a statin tie.
“Jesus wept,” I muttered.
“Don’t be like that, young man. This is a joyous day. A little birdy tells
me you have found your girl. Don’t take too long before you bring her
home. You need to show her you are serious.”
“Shall I kidnap her today?”
“Shall I set the guest room up?” she asked hopefully.
I shook my head as I tied my tie. Trixie was a special kind of crazy.
“You can still come today,” I said.
 Her sunny smile slipped. “I’ve got too much to do. Cian promised to
take some pictures.”
I didn’t tell her I wouldn’t trust Cian to get a picture of the inside of his
jacket pocket. Neither did I call her out on the fact that her agoraphobia
prevented her from going to the church, not the house jobs. We all had
baggage. Despite being a bunch of deplorable criminals, she took good care
of us and kept us fed and watered, so if she never wanted to leave, I was
okay with that.
“How do I look?”
“Like you need a woman on your arm.” She straightened my tie.
“Working on it,” I said, grabbing my gun and jacket.

The church service was mercifully short, and surprisingly, Father Torin had
got through it without shitting himself. Most of the time, the fear I invoked
was helpful, but not always. I was happy for Loch and Rada, but the need to
return to my hummingbird itched inside me. They were disgustingly lovey-
dovey. I was wondering why I even returned to the house with them. Loch,
the lovesick eejit, had tattooed Rada’s name across his chest. And she was
gazing at him like he hung the moon. I snatched a bottle of whiskey off the
shelf for a toast, not in the slightest bit jealous.
“He’s never tattooed my name anywhere, so you ought to be proud,” I
said, passing them both a filled glass.
“Feck off. Why would I want your name tattooed on me?” Loch said.
“Touché,” I said, toasting them.
Dashing back the whiskey, I enjoyed the burn and considered the merits
of tattooing Amy’s name on me. Which name would I use?
“I’ll leave you lovebirds to it.” I knocked my knuckles on the bar and
headed out.
I didn’t wish to be nearby for the marriage consummation.
Ian drove to the club, and my mood had soured by the time we arrived
at the car park. Kia texted me that Amy had arrived for her shift. I told her
to send her to the VIP room. It seemed my exotic little bird hadn’t heeded
my warning yesterday, so I would need to be more explicit in my directions.
I might be resisting the urge to snatch her off the street, but that didn’t mean
I was okay with her dancing for other men.
Outside the club, there was no sign of Niko lingering around, so I
headed for the office. I needed to speak to Kia before seeing my
hummingbird. Throwing the door open, the scene that greeted me tightened
my throat.
Amy was leaning over a guy in a chair. Her hair fell around them,
hiding both their faces, but her tits were threatening to fall from a string
bikini. Blood pounded in my ears, and my gun was in my hand in an
instant.
“What the fuck is going on?” I bellowed as my usual cool evaporated.
Amy squealed and fell across the man, and the chair spun wildly.
I seized her arm, yanking her off him and levelling my gun at his chest.
The security guard’s eyes widened, and he threw his hands up.
“No! Wait,” Amy shouted, hurling herself in front of my gun.
The red mist descended on my vision at her defending him, but I jerked
the gun away from her.
“Out of the way.”
“No, wait! I was checking Larry’s tooth. He-he’s lost a filling.” Her blue
eyes were wide, and her hands were outstretched like I was a wild animal.
“He’s about to lose more than a filling, a chuisle,” I ground out, my
trigger finger twitching.
“Wait, wait! I have a wife and kids. Honestly, Amy was checking my
tooth. Please, Mr O’Sullivan, I would never touch her.” The dead man
blubbered from the seat.
“Your hands were all over her,” I gritted out.
“S-she fell.”
“Stop this.” Amy’s fiery eyes met mine. “He knows I’m a dental
student. He’s lost a filling.”
“What’s going on?” Kia entered, eyeing my gun and everyone’s
position. “Do we have a problem?”
“Only your security guard’s hands all over my woman,” I said through
clenched teeth.
“I was checking his tooth!” Amy threw up her hands.
I searched her face for a lie. She rolled her eyes at me, and I realised I
was acting like my father. That dimmed my violent desire to attack the guy.
Marginally.
 “Larry, you need to call the emergency dentist. That tooth will need a
root canal.”
The security guard scrambled to his feet and backed away towards Kia.
“Take the rest of the weekend off. Get your tooth fixed, Larry,” Kia
said, her eyes on mine, silently asking if we were good.
Honestly, I didn’t know. The predator inside me tracked Larry’s
movements to the door. Glaring until he disappeared. I nodded mutely at
Kia, holstering my gun and reaching for my usual calm.
“Can you give us a minute?” Kia asked Amy.
Amy looked between us, her eyes flashing.
“Wait for me in the VIP room,” I barked as she stalked out.
My hand twitched as I watched her leave.
“Is there something else I need to know besides you claiming the
dancer?” Kia asked, moving behind her desk.
“Amy, her name is Amy,” I barked.
Kia nodded solemnly. “Claiming Amy.”
I forced myself to breathe deeply, reminding myself my problem wasn’t
with Kia and I did, in fact, need her. It took a few moments to clear my
head.
“The Stefanov gang have been staking out the club.”
Kia narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
I debated how much to tell her.
“Targeting girls for trafficking.”
“Fucking pigs,” Kia spat.
“I need all the clubs reviewed.”
“You want me off this location?”
“Not yet. Can you handle both if you extend your time here? I’ll make it
worth your while.”
“You always do. That’s why I work for you.” She flipped her laptop
open. “Does Larry need a P45?”
“The jury’s out.”
His widow would be getting his death-in-service benefit if I had
anything to do with it.
“Amy?”
“She’s in the VIP room with me until further notice. Not out on the
floor.”
 Kia smirked and nodded. “I’ll check in on the older clubs and let you
know. You’ve been to the new ones, right?”
Not much passed her notice regarding the clubs, so it wasn’t surprising
that she’d heard about the other visits. I nodded, then headed back out to the
VIP room, the need for violence still at the forefront of my mind.
The VIP room was empty, and irritation slammed back into me. Did she
think defying me was a fun game?
I headed back towards the changing rooms, bursting through the door.
Screams rang out as dancers covered themselves, and my vision zeroed in
on my hummingbird, dressed for the street, standing by her locker.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” I barked, stalking over to her.
Fear flared in her eyes as she clutched her bag to her chest. I bent over
and tossed her over my shoulder, bag and all.
“Put me down!” she shrieked, her tiny fists hitting my back
ineffectually.
I strode down the private corridor to the VIP section and hauled her
inside the private room we’d been in last night. Jesus wept. Had it been less
than twenty-four hours? This woman had me in bits.
None too gently, I tossed her down on the couch, and she bounced,
glaring at me. Instant arousal shot through me at the sight of that fire. I
imagined turning her arse red and then feeding her my cock.
“What part of ‘wait for me in the VIP room’ was unclear?” I said,
bringing my weight down on top of her.
“I’m not your plaything. You are a psychopath! You nearly killed Larry
because you’re crazy.”
“For his sake, I suggest you don’t mention him again,” I ground out as
she wiggled beneath me.
I hardened against her soft curves.
“You can’t threaten everyone I speak to.”
I most definitely could.
She shoved at my shoulder, and I caught both her hands, pinning them
with one of mine.
“You had your tits in his face!”
“Checking his tooth!” she screamed back. “I’m a dental student and a
stripper. In both roles, I lean over people, including men.”
I paused, contemplating that problem. I had a perfect solution, but
judging by her spitting cat routine, it might not be the best time to discuss it.
 “Why were you leaving?” I leaned on my other hand, lifting a fraction
of my weight off her.
“Why do you think?” She sighed. “I can’t do this.” She deflated beneath
me, the fight draining from her as she averted her eyes. “What’s it going to
take? A blow job? Sex? Once? Weekly? What will it take for you to leave
me alone?”
Stilling, I studied her. I was used to begging and bartering. Worthless
men would promise the world to save their miserable hides. But watching
her offer something no doubt lesser men would take her up on flared
uncontrolled anger through me. I knew one dead man who certainly had.
How many men had she appeased by trading her body?
“I don’t think I’ve made myself clear, a chuisle. While I want all those
things with you, they will not be exchanged for leaving you alone. You are
mine now. It might be fast, but that’s the reality.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at me, and the savage part of
me wanted that shattered look just like it wanted the fire. She was mine to
push to the limit and bring back.
“Yours to be kept in a cage. Yours to be passed around to entertain your
friends while you fuck whoever you like.” She closed her eyes, and the
tears fell. “Yours to dispose of when you get tired of me.”
The black heart inside my chest clenched at the sight of her despair. My
broken hummingbird. But I wouldn’t have her compare us to her mother’s
fate.
I swiped a salty droplet as I cupped her cheek, rubbing the moisture
across her skin.
“There will be no sharing. No one else for either of us.”
She scoffed. “Sure.”
“You don’t need to believe me. I’ll show you.”
She didn’t answer. I studied her stunning features, wanting to ruin her
for anyone but me, but not like this.
“Let’s get something to eat.” I lifted off her and pulled her up.
She stumbled to her feet, staring at me incredulously.
“You’re serious?”
I nodded.
She shook her head, shrugging. “Why not.”
Admittedly, it was not the most enthusiastic response I’d ever had, but
she was either coming with me on her feet or over my shoulder. Because if I
laid on top of her much longer, I’d end up breaking my promise.
We walked in silence as I guided her toward the back entrance, where
Ian was waiting. A familiar-looking red vehicle moved off from across the
street, and I hustled Amy toward the Range Rover, gun in hand. The
Stefanovs were pushing their luck, and Amy’s time for coming with me
willingly was running out.

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 12

H ow had I ended up like my mamá? I stared unseeing out of the tinted

window of Sean’s Range Rover. The smell of cream leather seats mingled
with his aftershave, creating a decadent combination. I hated that despite
the display of toxic masculinity in the office, my body still lit up around
him. Attraction to dangerous men must be genetic. A fucking terminal
illness. Tears prickled the backs of my eyes at remembering the sight of
Mamá’s body. Ruthlessly, I pushed those images away. I had to think. He
hadn’t taken my offer of sexual favours, which meant I needed to get
serious about the possibility of running.
The car stopped, and the sight of the dark and deserted-looking place in
front of us pulled me from my thoughts.
“Where are we?”
“Paddy’s restaurant.”
“This is a restaurant?”
“The front looks nicer. On second thoughts, it’s not much better than the
back, but the food is the best.”
The ginger-haired suit exited the car first and scanned the area. Sean
came around to open my door. He was jealously gun-toting one minute and
chivalrous the next. I couldn’t work him out with his expensive three-piece
tailoring and charming smile. When I got out, his hand flew to the small of
my back, making me shiver.
Was I so sad that a slight affection from a maniac made me react? I
rolled my eyes at myself as he steered us to the back entrance. He knocked
twice, and a large balding man appeared. The look on his face was almost
comical. He looked utterly terrified for a few seconds before recovering.
“Mr O’Sullivan, what an honour. Come in, come in.” He ushered us
inside, and the smell of rich cooking made my stomach grumble.
“Let me show you to your room. If I’d known, I would have had it
ready. Of course, it’s always ready for you, but I would have set everything
up nicely.” He rambled as he led us along a corridor and up a set of stairs.
The ginger-haired suit followed us, but at the top, he squeezed past and
swept into the room.
“Will others be joining you, or shall I have a small setting made up?”
“We’ll dine alone,” Sean said, his hand still on my back. The heat
permeated my jeans and T-shirt, which I had hastily pulled over my bikini
and booty shorts.
The man, presumably Paddy, pulled a smaller table over and rapidly set
it for two. By the time he’d finished, a thick coat of sweat lined his brow.
“I’ll have Tina come straight up to you.” Paddy scampered away.
Sean pulled a chair out for me to sit.
“Is everyone afraid of you?” I asked.
“Mostly.” He tucked my chair in and then sat down, studying me with
amusement.
“You don’t seem to have that problem. I can’t remember the last person
who screamed at me and lived.”
I fought off a shiver. Fear turned far too many men on, and working
where I did, I learned to suppress the signs. The truth was, I wasn’t as afraid
of him as I should be. I was more fearful of what the lonely little girl inside
me might allow him to do for a sliver of his attention.
The server appeared, and she looked equally as terrified as Paddy. An
ache flared in my throat as I wondered if having people constantly afraid of
him made for a lonely existence.
Tina handed us menus with shaking hands and asked what we’d like to
drink.
Recklessly, I decided to have alcohol. Who knew if I had a job to go to
tomorrow?
“I’ll have champagne,” I said. “I never got any last night.”
Sean grinned at me.
“Do you know what you want, or shall I give you a minute?” Tina
asked.
 When I opened the menu, I found it was written in Irish. I glanced up at
Sean, who smirked.
“Do you like lamb?” he asked.
I nodded. With how hungry I felt, I could probably eat a scabby dog.
Usually, I would grab snacks between sets, but I hadn’t eaten at all today
because of various chores before work.
“I’ll have double my usual and some bread.” He returned the menu to
Tina, who almost dropped it and ran away.
“Is it lonely, having everyone afraid of you?”
He grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He was dangerously
handsome, especially in that teal tie that brought out the colour of his eyes.
“Are you worried about me, a chuisle?”
“What does that mean?”
“My pulse,” he said, and my heart skipped.
I shook my head, reminding myself I couldn’t trust anything this man
said.
“Where are your other henchmen today?”
He chuckled. “I like that. I’ll tell Loch.”
“Loch?”
“The big bald brute. I should imagine he’s enjoying his wedding night.
However, I don’t want to think about that while eating. Or at all.” He mock
shivered.
I smiled despite myself. “You did go to a wedding today.”
That explained the flower in his buttonhole, which looked slightly
crumpled.
“Yes, it would have been better if you’d accepted the date, but it was
only a small gathering.”
I couldn’t imagine what type of woman was marrying the huge bald guy
called Loch.
Tina returned with the champagne and some crispy-looking bread. She
uncorked the bottle with trembling hands, poured us a glass, and added it to
the ice bucket before rushing off like something was on fire.
I slugged the first bubbly glass back, needing something to take the
edge off, then grabbed one of the bread rolls as my stomach grumbled. Sean
refilled my glass with an amused look.
“I almost forgot. I got something for you.” He reached into his pocket
and pulled out a wide, flat jewellery box.
 My fingers stilled, holding a piece of bread.
“What’s that?”
“A gift.”
“Why?”
“Because I saw it and thought of you.”
I rammed the bread into my mouth and brushed off my hands. Chewing
slowly, I brought the box closer as if it contained an explosive. I hinged it
open and swallowed thickly. The champagne had already gone to my head,
and my eyes watered before I could stop them. A hummingbird covered in
tiny diamonds with a small sapphire eye was nestled in the deep blue fabric.
“A hummingbird for my hummingbird.”
A lump rose in my throat, unrelated to the bread I’d eaten, and I pushed
the box away as a wave of sadness washed over me.
“Don’t call me that,” I whispered.
“I’ve called you that before.”
And every time was like a knife to my heart.
“Just stop, please.”
“Why?”
“Because I asked, isn’t that enough?”
“Not for me.”
I hated him right then, forcing me to tell him.
“My mamá called me that, and she is dead. They killed her.”
“Who?”
“It doesn’t fucking matter. They fucking played with her and killed her.”
I closed my eyes. “Just like you’ll do with me.”
Hands grabbed me, and I tipped. I shrieked, my arms flying out and
swiping the glass off the table. It crashed to the floor. Sean carried me over
to a couch and pressed me into the cushions.
His face was livid. “Don’t compare me to your mother’s killers, and
don’t assume what I will do to you. Do I intend to kill you? No, unless it’s
with orgasms. Do I intend to kill anyone who tries to touch you? Oh yes. I
am a dangerous man, but you don’t seem to grasp that I belong to you now,
and you belong to me.”
His chest heaved up and down as he glared down at me, his weight
pinning me with his body wedged between my splayed legs, just like in the
VIP room. His weight anchored me, and his scent drowned my senses. It
rocketed desire through me unbidden. My gaze dropped to his lips.
 “Don’t fucking tempt me. Humm—” he cut himself off and gritted his
teeth. “Oh, fuck it.” He pressed his lips to mine.
Fireworks went off in my brain as all rational thought stopped. His lips
were soft, but they pressed aggressively against mine, and I automatically
moved against him, forgetting all of my earlier objections. Heat fizzled
through me from my mouth right down to my centre as I parted my lips. His
tongue slid into my mouth and twisted with mine. His masculine grunt
pushed my need higher as I felt him hardened against me. My hands ended
up in his hair, and I pulled on the strands, causing him to grind against me,
making me gasp. Holy shit. If kissing him was like this, what would it be
like to fuck him? Light-headedness invaded me at the lack of oxygen as my
mind raced forward, imagining tearing off his clothes.
“Fucking hell.” He pulled back and rested his forehead against mine as
we heaved for breath. “As much as I want to fuck you into this couch, I’m
not giving Ian or the staff an impromptu show.”
My brain fired back online, and horror at my actions slammed into me.
What the hell was I doing? He studied me briefly, frowning before climbing
off me. I watched him rearrange the impressive tent in his trousers, and the
residual heat licked through me. When was the last time I had an orgasm
with someone other than my vibrator? When had I last wanted sex with
someone instead of exchanging my body for something? Never.
I sat up and pulled my top down where it had ridden up. I cleared my
throat, embarrassment flaring as I glanced over to the corner where the
ginger man, presumably Ian, was standing, looking in the other direction.
How often did he have to turn a blind eye when his boss was fucking
someone? That thought left an ugly feeling inside me, and I scowled.
“What’s that look for?”
“Just wondering if you pay your men enough to ignore you fucking
your latest plaything.”
“I’m going to let that comment slide because jealousy looks good on
you.” He grinned. “But for your information, I’ve never fucked a woman in
front of my men.”
He led me back to the reset table. Mortifyingly, Tina must have had a
front-row seat to my loss of dignity on the couch.
“I’ll get rid of it.” Sean grabbed the jewellery box.
“No,” I said, reaching out. “It’s beautiful. Just don’t call me that.”
 “Done.” He lifted the necklace from the box and indicated that I should
turn.
I lifted my hair, and he slid the chain around my neck. The cool metal of
the hummingbird settled against my skin. I closed my eyes again against the
conflicting emotions warring inside me and prayed I wouldn’t end up like
my mamá.
To cover my confused feelings, I guzzled the champagne, which was
incredibly easy to drink. When the food arrived, I was pleasantly tipsy and
feeling much better. We ate a variety of things, and more champagne
arrived. Sean’s favourites were the lamb stew and boxty, a type of potato
pancake.
“Trixie has learnt how to make a good boxty, but nothing beats Paddy’s
ones.” Sean shovelled the last one into his mouth.
We’d both destroyed the food.
“Whose Trixie?” I asked.
“My housekeeper.”
A giggle slipped out, and I slapped a hand over my mouth. I felt fuzzy.
“What is so funny?” he asked, smiling as he loosened his suit jacket.
“You have a housekeeper called Trixie.”
“Trixie would be upset at you laughing at her name.”
I stilled. “I didn’t mean⁠—”
“I’m pulling your leg.” He leaned forward towards me. “She wouldn’t
be offended. She’d tell you to fuck off.”
“I’d imagine she’d need to be a strong woman to keep your house in
line.”
His gaze intensified. “That she would.”
It no longer felt like we were talking about his housekeeper, and I
glanced away.
“Do you want dessert?”
“I couldn’t eat another mouthful,” I said, patting my food baby, feeling
contented.
Everything felt better with a full stomach, or maybe it was the
champagne.
He straightened and pulled his wallet out, dumping a wad of money on
the table.
“Are you always a big tipper then?”
“I tip when the service is worth it.” He winked at me.
 I stood up and swayed. Woah! I gripped the chair for support, and the
next minute, I tilted again. Sean had picked me up, and the room spun.
“Too much champagne,” he said, his pretty green eyes looking down at
me.
“But it was so nice. Just like your aftershave.” I buried my nose in his
warm neck and sighed.
This was nice.
“Fair play, let’s get you home, a chuisle.”
I snuggled into his warmth, and the jostling movements of his walking
made the room spin a bit more, so I closed my eyes.
“Come on. Get into bed.” Sean’s voice roused me, and my room came
into focus. I blinked at the bright side lamp on the side of my bed.
Strong fingers unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them down my legs.
Were we having sex now?
“Not tonight, a chuisle. We’re sleeping,” he replied, even though I
didn’t ask that question out loud.
“Are you a mind reader?” I slurred.
He chuckled, and I watched as he removed his suit jacket and waistcoat.
His fingers moved quickly, opening his shirt and exposing his bronzed skin
beneath.
“You’re very tanned,” I said, swallowing as saliva pooled, watching his
muscular body come into view.
“I go to the Canaries regularly. I was there in the summer visiting
friends. My ma’s sister has a pub in Lanzarote.”
I hummed, mesmerised by the skin appearing. I licked my lips. Did he
say we weren’t having sex? There was a reason we shouldn’t, but I couldn’t
remember it. He stripped to his boxers, climbed into my small bed, and
moved behind me. His heat licked my back, and I sighed, burrowing in his
warmth as his arms hauled me against him.
“Go to sleep.”
The reason this was a bad idea lay just outside of my reach, muted by
the comfort and fuzziness filling my brain.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I mumbled as I fell asleep.

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 13

A headache beat at my temples while my bladder screamed a warning it

would soon burst. My cheek rested against something warmer and firmer
than my pillow. I blinked my eyes open, which spiked pain through my
brain. Groaning, I lifted my head, and a string of dribble extended toward
an expanse of man-chest.
What the hell?
Last night came back to me as I stared at Sean’s face. He looked
younger and more relaxed in his sleep. Awake, he had a dangerous air,
gorgeous but deadly.
My eyes dragged down his chest, which was densely packed with
muscle. A faded tattoo on his left pec and another on his upper arm were the
only visible tattoos. Scars littered his skin, some paler than others. His hand
rested over the sheet, and his knuckles were a mess of scar tissue – a
reminder of the life he led.
Although, he hadn’t taken advantage of my drunkenness last night. I
remembered him putting me to bed. Mortifyingly, I’d asked if we were
having sex, and he said no. Wouldn’t it have been the best time to take
advantage? I didn’t know what to do with that information.
My fingers tingled, wanting to trace his skin, and, against my better
judgment, I shuffled closer. My hand slid under the pillow and grazed
something cold and hard. I froze and flipped it over. A gun lay on my
sheets. My heart rate picked up. The image jolted me out of my lust-filled
need to touch him. I replaced the cushion and slid out of bed.
 Stupid. Stupid.
I shook my head, but that made me sway. Righting myself on the
dresser, I fled out of the room to the bathroom.
Gah! A deranged panda with red eyes peered back at me from the
mirror. I avoided my reflection, relieved my bladder, and quickly cleaned
my teeth. Then I tamed the snarled tangles in my hair and removed my
smudged makeup.
The pounding in my head had eased back, but that didn’t stop me from
bumping headlong into Cat outside the bathroom.
“Are you ok?” Cat gripped my upper arms to stop me from toppling
over.
It was funny because she was the most accident-prone and poorly co-
ordinated person I knew, so I must be hungover.
“I drank too much last night,” I muttered.
Cat raised her eyebrows at me. She was right to question it. I never got
drunk; neither of us did.
“Is everything okay?”
“Students get drunk all the time,” I said evasively.
“Sure. But you…” Her voice trailed off, staring open-mouthed towards
my bedroom door.
With his thick biceps crossed over his bare chest, Sean made an
arresting sight. He stood barefoot, leaning against the frame. My gaze
snagged on his overfilled black boxers, and I darted sideways to stand in
front of him, facing Cat.
“Hi, there,” she said, amused as she glanced between us.
“Sean O’Sullivan,” he said, his smooth Irish accent rolling over his
words.
His heat lined my back as he rested his hands on my bare waist. I was
suddenly aware I was wearing my bootie shorts and sparkly bikini from last
night.
“Catherine Hounslow, but everyone calls me Cat.”
“I’ve been told so much about you,” Sean said.
He was such a liar, I’d never said a word about her.
“We need to get dressed.” I twisted and hustled him back inside my
room, catching Cat’s smirk as I closed the door.
She would grill me later.
 I opened my mouth to ask him why he was still here, but he pressed me
back against the door and took my lips. His vast body crowded me, short-
circuiting my brain. Overwhelming sensations moved through me. His
tongue licked into the seam of my mouth, and I gasped. This allowed him
entrance as he deepened the kiss, and thoughts of pushing him off flew out
of the window. Desire rocked through me, and my hands gripped his hair.
He grabbed my legs, wrapping them around his waist. The firm planes of
his muscular body pressed against me, and I writhed against his hardening
cock as he ground me against the door. The movement rubbed at my clit,
and heat swam through me. Sensation crowded sensible thoughts out. His
aftershave filled my nostrils, and I gave into the attraction between us,
sinking against him.
Our tongues slicked against each other, and my head swam with need.
The grunts from Sean just fuelled my cascading thoughts. His big palm
smoothed across my skin and pushed the cup of the bikini up, dropping my
breast into his hand. I arched against him as he pinched my nipple and sent
a jolt of pleasure down to my centre. Wetness pooled at my entrance as I
shamelessly rubbed against him, still kissing him as if my life depended on
it.
“It’s breakfast time.” Sean pulled away, his lips swollen and hair
mussed.
He dropped my legs, and I stumbled as he yanked my shorts and thong
down in one motion.
I squeaked as he buried his face in my centre, even as he continued to
pull the garments off my legs. His warm wet tongue found my clit, and I
gasped.
“Fecking delicious,” he groaned, pressing a hand down on the enormous
tent in his boxers before nuzzling back to my pussy.
Finally freeing me from the shorts, he tossed my leg over his shoulder
and pressed a hand to my hip, pinning me to the door again. I dropped my
head back against the wood, closing my eyes against the intensity. His
fingers probed my entrance and slipped inside. I ought to be embarrassed by
how wet I was, but his assault on my clit prevented my words from
forming.
“So wet for me.” He crooked his fingers, setting off delicious shudders
inside me.
 I soared higher, scrabbling a hand in his hair, pressing him closer. My
hips rolled against him as his fingers worked as fast as his talented tongue,
and my orgasm rushed towards me. He hummed, and the sensation rocked
through me. I trembled and fell over the edge as pleasure rolled through me
like a freight train.
“Sean!”
He sucked and nipped at me, prolonging my release before he let my leg
down. I wobbled and grabbed the door handle to remain upright. He sat
back on his knees, looking up at me with a smug expression. He looked
stunning and mischievous on his knee before me, my release shining on his
chin.
“Best breakfast ever.”
A distant part of me wanted to roll my eyes, but my brain remained
offline. He stood up and scooped me up, bringing me to the bed. My body
was cooling, and while it was wholeheartedly on board with fucking him,
my mind wasn’t entirely sure it was a good idea.
He took a handkerchief from his discarded suit jacket, wiped his face,
and carefully folded it back into his pocket.
“I’ll wear your pussy juices all over my face with pride. If it fades, I can
bring this out of my pocket,” he said when he saw me watching.
“Should I return the favour?” I fidgeted and gestured at his obvious
erection.
That’s what people did, right?
He grinned at me. “No.”
“Really? Don’t men do that to get their dick sucked?”
Wasn’t that how it worked? I had no frame of reference for this… this?
Whatever this was between us.
He frowned. “When you suck my cock, it’ll be because you are
desperate to taste me and not to return a favour. I’ve told you before that
our relationship is not transactional.”
I didn’t know what to say. No one had ever eaten me out. And without
some form of payback, I didn’t like the feelings that were brought up. I
pulled my knees up and hugged them.
He turned to pull his trousers on, and I gasped. His back was a mess of
thin scars. Old wounds littered the powerful lines of his back, some
puckered and jagged.
“What happened?” I asked as he shrugged his shirt on.
 “People tried to kill me,” he said matter-of-factly, buttoning the
crumpled material.
“Why?”
“Does it matter? They failed.”
I fought the desire to rush over and hold him. My stomach churned at
the idea of all those wounds. Did they all happen at once or in multiple
attacks?
“Let’s get some breakfast,” he said.
I jolted out of my morbid thoughts as I remembered the dusty cereal in
my cupboard and the fact we’d run out of milk.
“I don’t have anything,” I admitted.
“Craig has picked up food.” Sean grabbed his phone from the dresser
and pulled his gun from under the pillow.
Still naked, I walked across the room to my dresser. There was no point
in being shy. I picked underwear, leggings, and a T-shirt and pulled them on
under his watchful gaze.
We walked into the main room and saw Cat emptying bags of food to
create a considerable breakfast spread on our small table.
“A big blond guy dropped these off. He said he couldn’t stay, but they
were from you,” Cat addressed Sean.
“Damn right he can’t stay. He’s got a job to do,” Sean said.
“You ordered all of this?” I asked him.
“You needed something after all the champagne last night.”
Cat glanced at me, smirking and filling her plate with pastries. “Thanks.
We usually eat cereal.”
She was wearing her carer uniform for her shift today. She grabbed a
coffee and settled on the beanbag in the corner. I felt her curious eyes on us
as Sean filled a plate for me, then insisted I sit between his legs on the
couch.
“What are you guys doing today?” she asked, taking a bite from a flaky
pastry and closing her eyes in delight.
“I’m supposed to be working.” I nudged my croissant across the plate.
Sean grabbed it and tore off a strip, holding it up to my mouth. The
attention made the naive little girl inside me swoon.
“You’re spending the day with me. I sorted it with Kia.”
“Are you her boss?” Cat said, pausing with her coffee halfway to her
mouth.
 “No—”
“Yes,” Sean interrupted.
“Okay,” Cat said, drawing out the word and darting her gaze between
us. “I’m glad we cleared that up. Either way, Amy deserves a fun day off. I
hope you are taking her somewhere nice.”
Great, thanks, Cat, for throwing me under the bus.
“I intend to.” Sean flashed me a grin and held up another bite of pastry
for me.

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T he nice - smelling Range Rover looked even posher in the daylight. After
arguing with Sean about going out today, I realised talking to him was like
talking to a brick wall. We were en route somewhere, but he refused to tell
me where. I patted my hair nervously. Sean insisted I keep my natural
colour. It had been a long time since I had gone out during the day without
my wig.
The phone rang, and he glanced at me before answering it hands-free.
“O’Sullivan.”
“Mr O’Sullivan, it is James, the head carer on shift today at Clearviews.
I’m sorry to call you on a Sunday morning.”
Sean’s whole body tensed. “Is it urgent?”
“I’m afraid so, sir. Your mother is very distressed. She’s barricaded
herself in the storeroom and is demanding to see Connall.”
“Jesus fecking Christ,” Sean muttered, glancing at me again. “I’ll be
there in half an hour.”
“Thank you.” The relief in the man’s voice was palpable.
“Shite.” Sean looked torn as he clicked the call off.
“It’s okay if you’ve got a family emergency. Just drop me off anywhere,
and I’ll get a taxi.”
“Absolutely not. We’re together now, and you might as well see the
madness you signed up for.”
I opened my mouth and closed it again. I didn’t remember signing up
for anything. Was I about to meet his mum? It sounded like she was in a
facility. Sean would probably grow tired of me soon, so why did meeting
his family feel nerve-wracking?
We drove in silence, and Sean’s previously cheerful mood disappeared.
Eventually, we pulled up in front of a large building with a partly glass
front. Off to the side was a lake. The sign proclaimed, “Clearviews. A home
to relax in.”
Sean helped me out of the car, and the ever-silent ginger-haired suit I’d
learned was called Ian stood next to us, looking alert and fierce in his black
suit.
Once inside the lobby, a carer rushed to us and introduced himself as
James. Sean didn’t ask many questions, leading me to believe this wasn’t
unusual. We rose in the lift, and the doors opened to show a group of people
clustered at the far end of the corridor. A few of them visibly shrank away
as Sean strode up the corridor. I would have done the same without Sean’s
towing me forward.
“She’s in here?” he asked James.
He nodded, sweat beading on his brow. “We’ve got the sedative ready.”
“Ma?” Sean’s voice boomed in the hushed corridor.
There was some scuffling and then a muffled female voice. “Connall?”
Sean sighed and cleared his throat. “Mary! Get your little arse out here
now.”
I glanced at him. It seemed strange to say that to his mum, but his jaw
was set, and his furious eyes met mine, then darted away. I squeezed his
hand, and he glanced down at the connection. He squeezed my hand back,
his eyes remaining on the door. The scuffling and scraping grew louder
now.
The door cracked open, and a thin woman with a cloud of frizzy
strawberry blonde hair peeked out. Sean immediately wedged his foot
inside.
“Mary. Come out now.”
The look in her pale blue eyes was clouded. She studied his face,
blinking.
“Connall?” She opened the door wide and flung herself into Sean’s
arms. He caught her one-handed. “Where have you been? These fuckers
tried to kidnap me. Kill them all!” she shrieked, dropping back to her feet
and gesturing around.
She stilled as she noticed Sean’s hand in mine.
 “Who the fuck is this floozy? Is this where you’ve been? I’ll fucking
kill her.” She launched herself at me with clawed hands.
I stumbled backwards against the corridor wall. Sean spun me away. Ian
blocked her, and she caught his face, dragging her nails down before Sean
captured her hands. She hissed and spat, trying to get at me. The hatred and
fury on her face made me shiver as my heart pounded in my throat.
“Any fecking time now.” Sean bellowed at the surrounding staff.
James jumped forward with a syringe and jammed it into Mary’s leg as
Ian held them steady. She turned her anger on the carer, twisting from
Sean’s grip, and caught James’ face with a slap. Sean hoisted her over his
shoulder and strode off back along the corridor with her screaming and
thrashing at his back. He pivoted into a room we had passed earlier.
I jumped when a hand landed on my arm. Ian’s face had three long
bleeding scratches.
“Are you okay?” I asked him.
He merely nodded and escorted me towards the room. One carer looked
frozen as we passed.
“Can you bring me some saline and gauze, please?” I asked her.
She took a few moments to process what I said. I gestured at Ian’s face,
and she nodded, hurrying off.
“Doc will sort it out when we get home,” Ian said.
His voice was a deep gravel, his Irish accent fainter than Sean’s.
“Does Sean need me?”
Ian gave me a look I couldn’t decipher, and we both peered into the
room. Mary was on the bed now, rolling her head listlessly.
“Sean?” she whispered, her eyes filled with tears.
“Yes, Ma. I’m here.” Sean’s voice was weary and nothing like I’d heard
from him before.
“Where’s your father?” She frowned at him.
“He’s dead, Ma.”
She began weeping, and my stomach dropped. I pulled my head out of
the room, not wanting to intrude. My heart broke for Sean and his mum.
The carer reappeared, and I was grateful for something to do. I took the
saline sachets with shaky hands and soaked the gauze.
“Let me clean those.” I gestured for Ian to lean down.
“The boss won’t like that.”
 “Psst. You got injured defending him. Scratches can get infected.” I
leaned on my tiptoes and wiped the gauze over his cuts.
After a few passes, I removed the drying blood and cleaned the wounds.
“What the fuck is going on?” Sean appeared seething and glaring at Ian.
I leaned back from where I’d balanced on his arm.
“I’m cleaning his scratches. They will need some cream to prevent them
from scarring.”
“Don’t touch my men,” he barked.
Ian stepped away, tensing like he’d been electrocuted.
I glared at Sean. “He’s injured.”
“I don’t care if his fecking arms are hanging off. He can see the doctor
when we get home.”
I swallowed my argument, remembering the scene inside the room.
“Is your mum okay?”
“No.” Sean ran a scratched-up hand down his face. “She’s resting now.”
He turned back to James. “Lock the fecking storeroom. Let me know how
she is later.”
He took my arm and steered me back to the lift. Ian fell into step behind
us. The silence as we descended was tense.
“You don’t have to tell me, but will she be okay?” I asked as we exited
Clearviews.
Sean’s steps slowed as he looked down at me. He nodded to Ian, who
headed for the car. Sean gestured toward the lake, and we walked toward
the body of water. A set of swans floated just offshore.
“Only Ian, Craig, and Loch know about this place,” he said.
I nodded, not sure what to say.
“My father was a brutal man, but he loved my mother in his own way.
Perhaps a little too much.” He shook his head, coming to stand on the bank.
“The O’Sullivan males always go off the deep end with their chosen
woman.” He cast a glance up and down me, sending a shiver through my
body.
“He drank and fought a lot; maybe he hit his head one too many times,
but the old man got paranoid. Began accusing Ma of cheating.” He shook
his head. “As if she would. She worshipped the ground that shite stain
walked on.”
I laid a hand on his arm, and he immediately pulled me into his body.
He rested his chin on my head as we faced the water.
 “He began knocking her around, and she hid it from me. One day, he
flew into a rage. He told her he knew she’d cheated on him and he’d killed
the man. He’d beaten her half to death before I found them.” His voice
cracked.
I stifled a sob imagining the scene. One that was far too close to what
happened to Mamá.
“What happened?” I whispered.
“I beat him to death instead.” He brought his hands together across my
front and rubbed over his scarred knuckles. “The irony of him teaching me
to be a fighter.”
The pain in Sean’s voice, mingled with the horror coursing through me,
had tears spilling from my eyes and soaking into his jacket.
“It was a long time ago. But she never recovered. Traumatic brain
injury, they said. Sometimes, she recognises me. Sometimes, she thinks I’m
him.” He shook his head. “I’m a lot of things, but not him,” he muttered.
I probably ought to be horrified by the fact he beat his father to death,
but my mind raced forward and imagined my mamá. The desire to kill those
responsible for her death still burned inside me. The regret that I couldn’t
do what Sean did for his mother made me squeeze him to comfort us both.
Sean didn’t explain further, and his bold declaration hung in the air as
we watched the swans paddle away. We stood quietly for a long time.
His phone vibrated at my back, and he pulled it from his pocket.
“Yes?” he barked. “I’ll deal with it.”
He cut the call and stuffed the phone back into his pocket.
“I’m sorry, a chuisle. I need to take you home while I sort something
out.”
“Okay,” I said, turning and hugging him.
He tipped my head up and took a slow kiss from my lips.
It had hardly been a dream date, but it had shifted my view of him. I
still did not know what we were to each other, but I’d softened towards the
brutal man. We shared more pain than I’d realised. The drive back was
silent, and I wondered whether to throw my rules out of the window and see
where this went.

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 15

S omeone was going to get shot in the face.

This morning, I woke up with a crick in my neck in an empty bed, and
except for my tasty breakfast, the day had gone to shite. We should have
been on a date, but instead, Amy witnessed Ma slashing up Ian’s face, and
I’d dropped her back at the shite hole she lives in because Cian had let one
of our poker games get robbed. A late shipment of weapons had already
threatened to overturn my week before it started, and now this.
“Why did you put that shite for brains in charge of the poker games?”
Loch groused as we climbed into the car.
He looked dishevelled, probably from fucking his new wife. Lucky
bastard. I licked my lips, but sadly, there was no hint left of Amy’s musk.
“Didn’t you eat?” Loch said, staring at me.
“Oh, I ate. Let’s sort this shite out.”
On the short drive to the warehouse where Cian was, I contemplated the
situation with Amy. The only reason I’d resisted the urge to kidnap her was
that I refused to become like my old man. He snatched my mother off the
streets and made her his. My mother, God love her, cared for the bastard
even though she didn’t know half of the evil he was capable of, at least not
until too late. The same obsessive beast lived inside of me, and I needed to
know I had it under control. It reared so quickly to the surface when I saw
Amy near another man. Ian’s lucky that I like him and know he’d never
touch my woman. But I can’t say the same for everyone else.
 My phone rang, and I pulled it out. An unknown number flashed up.
Since my phone wasn’t subject to telesales, I answered it, intrigued.
“What?”
“Mr O’Sullivan, may I trouble you for a minute of your time?” A
cultured voice filled the line.
“Who is this? How did you get my number?” I asked, and Loch glanced
over from the driver’s seat.
“I’m merely a concerned friend.”
I let the silence stretch until he cleared his throat awkwardly.
“It’s come to my attention that you have been visiting a residence on
Carlisle Road.”
Grinding my teeth, I sat up straighter.
“I suggest you choose your next words carefully, friend.”
He cleared his throat again. This guy had bigger balls before he dialled
my number.
“A friend of mine lives there… and she’s vulnerable. I’m looking out
for her.”
“Lots of friends you have. Tell me, what is the name of your other
friend?”
“Catherine.”
It clicked into place with the background check I made on the
housemate. I knew exactly who this eejit was, and my rage cooled.
“Do you know who you are calling?”
“Yes.”
“Well then, friend. If you know who I am, what did you hope to achieve
by informing me that you’re monitoring my whereabouts?”
His swallow was audible. “I need your help. We aren’t the only people
observing that residence. I am a man of considerable resources, but…”
“But you operate inside of the law.” I finished for him.
“Most of the time.” A slight growl entered his voice.
“What are you offering? I don’t do favours out of the goodness of my
heart.”
“Your interest is solely in Amy Shelton?”
“Spit out what you want. Time is money.”
“Get rid of the men staking out their building. I assume you’ll be
moving Miss Shelton out soon?”
“Assumptions will get a man killed.”
 He blew out a breath, and I grinned for the first time since Amy’s
release had covered my face. It was fun playing with this eejit.
“If I did move her out, do you want me to leave protection behind?” I
asked, humouring him.
“No, I’ll see to that. Just get rid of the Bulgarian thugs.”
I chuckled. “Tell me, Maximillian Foster the Second.” I paused for
effect. “Why haven’t you taken Miss Hounslow to safety? After all, she
spends hours at your house already.”
“You already knew,” he said, frustrated.
“I know everything that goes on in my city, Mr Foster. You took an
enormous risk ringing me. But I’ll do what you ask, and you’ll owe me a
favour.”
The guy cursed under his breath. “As you wish.”
I clicked the call off without saying goodbye. I liked that I’d received a
favour from a rich man for doing exactly what I had planned to do.
“What was that about?” Loch asked.
“Just a rich prick obsessed with Amy’s housemate.”
Loch raised his eyebrows and then shook his head. “The smell of fish
and chips must drive men wild.”
I clouted him around the back of his head. “Watch your fucking mouth.”
“Jesus,” he groused.
We pulled up to the warehouse, and Cian came scuttling out like a
cockroach.
“I got one of them,” he panted, his ginger hair sticking up.
“What the fuck happened?” I snapped at him.
His shirt was torn, and his tie hung off. He gestured us inside with a
blood-stained hand. The interior had been set up for a high-stakes poker
game, but tables and chairs were turned over, and there was a body
sprawled across the floor.
“Dead men don’t talk,” I growled.
“I didn’t have any choice. He had a gun.”
“What the fuck did you have, a water pistol?” Loch said. “Fecking
eejit,” he muttered, striding over and snapping on some gloves to examine
the dead guy.
“Talk,” I barked at Cian.
“It was the Stefanovs, three of them. They came in with weapons and
shot the place up, demanding the cash.”
 “How much did they get away with?”
“I don’t know.”
Grant me the strength not to shoot him in the face.
“You don’t know.”
“I shot one of them,” Cian said mulishly.
“And now we can’t question him. How did you know they were
Stefanov’s men?”
“Sounded Bulgarian.”
Great, more hearsay and rumours.
“What about the cameras?”
“Er…”
“That’s not an answer, Cian.”
My patience was paper thin now.
“I forgot to put them on.”
“They’re always on.”
“Okay, okay, I turned them off. I had company.”
“So because you wanted some pussy you turned the security system off?
Is that what you are saying?” My trigger finger itched, and the scars pulled
tightly across my knuckles as I clenched my fist.
“It’s a good job that you are my cousin.”
My fist snapped out and broke his nose. The hit was far from satisfying,
but it laid him out on his arse.
“You’re lucky he didn’t put a bullet in you. Useless twat.” Loch strode
past him and off towards the small office at the back.
“Sean, I’m sorry,” Cian whimpered, clutching his nose.
“You’re not sorry, but you will be by the time we’ve sorted this mess
out.”

The pitiful lock clicked open on Amy’s front door, and I resolved to get a
locksmith to her in the morning. Better yet, I’d replace the door. The flat
was dark as I walked to Amy’s bedroom. A clock on her dresser displayed
two thirty. I cracked my neck from side to side and undressed. Checking the
safety of my gun, I slid it under the pillow at her head and climbed in
behind her.
 “Wa?” she mumbled.
“Go back to sleep, a chuisle.” I pressed a kiss to her fragrant hair.
“Sean?”
“Shhh.” I pressed my back to the wall and hauled her smaller body
against mine.
The tension of the day melted away as I held her. Many things were
wrong right now, but she wasn’t one of them.
Her alarm went off at six, and her groan vibrated against me.
“Oh. I thought it was a dream.” She lifted her head, blinking sleepily at
me.
In the night, she gravitated to my chest again, like a comfy pillow. My
internal alarm woke me at five, and I spent an hour staring at her.
“Do you dribble every time you sleep?” I asked her, and she ducked her
head.
“It’s rude to point out when people drool, especially if you sneak into
their bed uninvited. How did you get in?”
“My key.” I stretched, popping out my back.
“Your…” Her gaze slipped down my body. “Your what?”
“My key. I took your spare one and made a copy. A company is coming
today, and they’ll be upgrading the door and locks.”
“What? You can’t do that. Our landlord must agree on modifications, or
we could be fined.”
“Not if your landlord wants to keep his kneecaps.”
It occurred to me that I could buy this place, but that would be a slow
process. A phone call would set things straight, and she wouldn’t live here
much longer.
“Come on. Get ready for your clinic, and I’ll drive you there.”
She spluttered for a few seconds before shaking her head. Good. It
would be better for her if she followed my plans.
After another breakfast delivered by Craig and more curious looks from
Catherine, the housemate, I pulled up outside the dental school, tamping
down a growl at the thought of her leaning over the great unwashed of
Sheffield.
Feck. How was I going to cope with her chosen career?
“I’ll pick you up at five.”
“It’s fine. I have an appointment in town, so I’ll walk there.”
“I’ll take you to the appointment.”
 “It’s fine.”
“I know it is.” I got out and walked around to her door.
She gave me an exasperated look as she got out and then waved at a girl
I’d seen her with when I visited her clinic.
“I don’t need you to take me everywhere.”
I pulled her against me and kissed her. I hated the blonde wig she had
on, but I resisted tearing it off.
“See you later, a chuisle.” I pulled away, enjoying her dazed look and
her taste on my tongue.
She would eventually learn that I got what I wanted.

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 16

“O h my god , is that the hunky man meat from the clinic last week? You sly
fox,” Rosie hissed at me as I walked over.
She bounced on her feet and hooked her arm around mine. I could feel
Sean’s scorching stare at my back.
“Maybe.”
“Are you banging him?”
“Yes,” I told her a partial truth.
In reality, I wasn’t sure what we were. While he tempted me like no one
I’d ever met, he still worried me. Or at least what he did concerned me. He
never explicitly said he was involved in organised crime, but the guy
screamed mafia leader.
“Wow. Is he good?”
I hummed, not wanting to get into specifics but unable to deny the small
amount of fooling around we’d done had rocked my world. I was no
stranger to sex, but orgasms were like unicorns with glittery poop until Sean
blew into my life.
Rosie chattered as we walked through the dental school until we parted
to put our stuff away and check the patient list for the day.
The day passed in a blur. Pleasantly, Harrison wasn’t around. We
finished slightly early, and I found Craig outside, standing next to a black
Audi. My steps faltered, and he walked over.
“The boss was running late and asked me to drive you to your
appointment.”
 “That wasn’t necessary,” I said, accepting the lift. It looked like rain,
and I hated getting drenched. “How is Ian’s face?” I asked.
“He’s fine. But if you keep asking after him, it won’t remain that way,”
he said, opening the back door for me.
I slid in, thinking about that ridiculous statement and Sean’s jealous
streak. It shouldn’t have pleased me, but in a twisted way, it did. I gave
Craig the address in town. He’d have to drop me outside because it was on
the tram tracks. Indeed, he didn’t look happy when we pulled up.
“You don’t need to escort me inside.” I dived out of the car and rushed
across the pavement into the small salon. Carmel greeted me and took my
coat.
“River will be with you in a moment. Do you want a drink?”
“I’m fine, thanks.” I glanced out the window, checking Craig wasn’t
about to come bowling inside with his men-in-black routine.
River glided out with a client and handed them over to Carmel.
“Sweetie, it’s been too long.” He gestured me into a room at the back.
He opened my file on the counter next to the couch. “It’s been what?
Six months? Have you noticed much regrowth?”
“More on my legs than anything.”
“Hmmm. They can be tougher as they are finer. But it’s easier with dark
hair because I know your collar doesn’t match your cuffs.” He gestured at
my wig.
I told him I dyed my hair when I started coming here for laser
treatments. Waxing frequently was a pain, so I saved up for the laser course
for my legs and bikini line. Now, I just did six monthly top-ups.
“I’ll leave you to change, and you can tell me all about those men that
pant over you. You still haven’t taught me any of your moves.”
I chuckled. Once he left, I stripped down to put on the gown. There was
a commotion outside, and the door burst open. Sean rushed inside, holding
River by the neck, who sputtered, turning red.
“Sean!”
“You better not have seen my woman undressed!” he fumed.
“Sean! He’s my laser technician. Put him down!” I grabbed Sean’s arm,
and the gown fell from my hands, leaving me in just my bra.
Sean growled and dropped River, yanking me against him and snatching
a towel off the side.
“Put your fucking clothes on!”
 “I was putting on a gown when you burst in here.”
“Your pussy is on show.”
“That’s the idea with laser hair removal. Why did you think it was so
smooth?”
His eyes darkened. “Your arse is going to pay for that. I’m not okay
with having another man see what’s mine.”
“We’ve been through this, Sean. I’m a fucking stripper. Half the country
has seen the goods.”
He growled again, a full-on primal noise.
“Don’t you growl at me. River is gay. He’d rather look at drywall than
my foo-foo.”
“It’s true,” River gasped, clambering to his feet.
“I’m so sorry.” I grimaced at him.
“Don’t apologise to him!” Sean barked.
“Well, you aren’t going to.”
River looked more amused than frightened. “I take it you’ve got a new
man then, sweetie?”
“Don’t give her a pet name,” Sean growled.
I rolled my eyes at that.
“I still need my laser,” I said to Sean.
“He’s not doing it.”
“Fuck’s sake.” I threw my hands up, unable to cope with this
overbearing man.
“I’ll swap a client with Trisha,” River said, and I gave him another
apologetic look. Instead of looking annoyed, he made a fanning motion and
mouthed, “So hot.”
It was a good job that he didn’t mind cavemen because good laser
places were hard to find.
Eventually, after much persuasion, a terrified-looking Trisha appeared
to do the laser, and Sean agreed to stand outside.
“He’s terrifying,” she told me once she finished. “Are you okay?”
I knew what she meant, and I probably should have been more scared
by Sean’s behaviour, but currently, I was mortified.
“I’m fine. I’m just sorry about all the disruption.”
“Don’t worry, he’s not the first concerned boyfriend we’ve had in here.”
The term boyfriend somehow didn’t fit Sean, but I didn’t correct her.
Once I was dressed, she led me out to the desk, and Sean fell into step
behind me, his hand on my back. River was behind the counter, and he
smiled as we drew level.
“I’m so sorry.” I mouthed to him.
“Water under the bridge. Your man has taken care of your bill and then
some.” He glanced at Sean, whose icy glare could strike a man dead.
“I’ll…” He cleared his throat. “Trisha will see you in six months.”
I nodded to him, resolving to text him again to apologise. I grabbed my
coat and left the shop.
“The car is this way,” Sean said.
The rain hammered down on us, but I whirled around to face him.
“Why are you so obsessed with me?” I asked, pushing hair out of my
wet face.
“Because the moment I saw you, you became mine.”
“That’s like a kid saying I licked it, so it’s mine.” I threw up my hands.
“I seem to remember there was licking, too.” He wet his lips obscenely.
“You’re impossible.”
“Come on. Let’s get you home before I kill someone for looking at you
for too long.”

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 17

S ean got a phone call after my disastrous laser appointment and was
forced to drop me home with a promise to return. It wasn’t until the
following day, when I woke plastered to his warm body, that I realised, yet
again, he’d snuck into my bedroom and climbed into bed with me. The rest
of the week was the same. Sean snuck into my bed after I’d fallen asleep
and took me to and from uni every day. He ensured I was in the VIP room
during the evenings I worked. I danced for him another three times. The
dancing skirted the line between foreplay and full-on sex. My reservations
over who he was fell away inside that room, and I danced just for him,
enjoying his sole focus.
It was dangerously addicting, and I realised I was at risk from a
different kind of danger. His actions were wearing my resolve down and
blurring the lines I placed around my heart. I feared now if he grew tired of
me, it might be worse than if he stayed. Was that why Mamá never got
away?
“Kia has taken you off the rota for tonight. I am taking you on a date,”
Sean announced, snapping me out of my thoughts as I returned to my room
from the shower.
It was Friday morning, and I’d been increasingly tempted to invite him
into our tiny bathroom as the week wore on, but “Aunt Flo” was visiting,
which saved me from cracking. Subsequently, I was experiencing sexual
frustration for the first time in my life, especially as I couldn’t just whip
Bob out of my drawer with Sean in my bed.
 “Where are we going?” I wondered what he would say if he knew of
today’s significance.
“It’s a surprise.”
“How can I dress correctly if I don’t know where we are going?”
“I have something for you to wear.” He stood up, and his body
momentarily mesmerised me.
He chuckled, and my eyes flew to his face. “Here,” he said, holding out
a big flat box.
I’d not seen it in my haste to rush to the bathroom this morning.
Tugging my towel tighter, I laid the box on the bed and lifted the lid. A silky
black dress peaked out from a mass of tissue paper inside. I pulled it out,
and it rippled fluidly like water from thin spaghetti straps. The cowl neck
flowed up and over, leaving the back mostly exposed. It was stunning and
clearly expensive. Below the dress were a pair of black diamante-encrusted
heels with red bottoms.
“Wow.”
“You like it?”
“It’s stunning.”
“You’ll make it stunning.”
I blinked at him as something fluttered through my chest. I should have
known better than to be wowed by expensive gifts, but no one had ever
bought me something like this. No one looked at me the way he did. I
realised I was dangerously close to falling for Sean, and as I watched him
fish out his gun from underneath the pillow, I prayed it wasn’t a mistake.

The upright heaters pumped out heat, making the rooftop warmer than it
should have been in November. The night was clear, and the stars twinkled
above our heads.
Sean glanced around multiple times. More of his men lined the
restaurant than usual. Ian and Craig weren’t here. He’d been extra vigilant
since we left the house this morning. Despite the opulent surroundings on
the rooftop, it was setting my teeth on edge.
“I didn’t know somewhere like this existed in Sheffield.” I shifted in my
seat, trying to quell my stomach’s unease.
 “The city is hosting more rich people than a decade ago.”
“Because of the Steel Brothers?” I questioned.
Sheffield was famous for its steel industry and the millionaire investors
who made the city their home.
“Liam would love that.” Sean snorted.
“Do you know them?”
“Liam is my cousin.”
“Really?” I paused my fidgeting.
I’d only seen pictures of the fierce-looking businessman but didn’t
notice any likeness to Sean.
“Distant cousins.”
“Some girls used to fantasise about them visiting our club one night.
Tanya had a poster of them from some men’s magazine in her locker.”
“Not you?” Sean leaned forward.
I smiled into my wine glasses. “Would it be a problem?”
Sean studied my face and sat back in his chair. “I don’t enjoy killing
family, but…” He shrugged.
“You are ridiculous.”
He didn’t answer as our starters arrived.
I gulped down my Mediterranean salad. I went for light choices because
this dress was beautiful but tight, and I didn’t need a food baby to
accessorise it. The food settled my stomach a little, and the next course of
gnocchi had a heavenly creamy sauce that complemented the wine. We
didn’t speak much, and I drank sparingly, not wanting to embarrass myself
again.
The sounds of the city were muted up here, but the lights twinkled
behind Sean. The main restaurant downstairs had created an exclusive
rooftop location. There weren’t many tables up here, and the others were
empty.
“Is everything okay?” I asked Sean, noticing the set of his jaw.
This man had many faces, but I’d grown to differentiate his masks from
those he gave me. He held my gaze momentarily, and emotion played
across his face.
“I have an important question.”
He stood up and approached my side of the table. My heartbeat picked
up as he dropped to one knee, and time stood still.
“What?” I asked, dumbfounded.
 He produced a box and popped the lid open. The rock inside the box
was obscenely large. It glittered in the candlelight on the rooftop, and blood
thundered in my ears.
“Marry me?” His green eyes burned intensely into mine.
My mouth opened and closed a few times, and the air vanished from my
lungs. What? This was so sudden. He took advantage of my stunned state
and grabbed my hand, pushing the vast rock onto my left ring finger. I
stared down at it, dumbfounded.
“But…” I started, but he pushed forward and pressed his lips to mine,
silencing my words.
He didn’t drop my hand as he went to sit back down, and the sounds of
the city rushed back over me.
“Hang on. That wasn’t a question. We barely know each other. This is
crazy!” I rambled.
“We can get to know each other. And no, it’s not a question. You are
mine, and I am yours. I don’t need months and years to know that. You
wake up each morning surprised to see me. This settles those worries. This
thing between us isn’t temporary. Now you can move in with me.”
I clutched the tablecloth in shock.
“Wait… what? Move in with you?”
“Yes, we are engaged. And my back can’t take much more of your bed.”
That was hardly the point!
“You don’t have to climb into it every night!” I said, exasperated.
“I do because you are there. I can assure you my bed is more
comfortable, though.”
“I’ve never even seen your house.”
“We can go now.”
“Sean… I don’t know. This is all so sudden. And… there are things you
don’t know about me.”
Like my real name.
“Nothing you tell me will put me off you.”
“It’s not just that. I don’t know you either. Not properly.”
“You’ve met my ma. You’ve met Loch. You only need to meet my dogs
and Trixie, and you’re golden. We can do that when we go back to my place
now.”
“Now?” I squeaked before realising what he said. “I thought Trixie was
your housekeeper?”
 He grinned, picking up on my tone. “See, already territorial. Trixie is
my housekeeper. She’s sixty-five and likes to pretend she’s everyone’s
grandmother.”
My head reeled at that information.
“There are very few people important to me, and the jury’s out on you
meeting the Steel eejits.”
I gaped at him. He’d made all these decisions.
“I need more time.”
Sean sighed and knocked his knuckles on the table. “You’re not giving
me any choice here.”
“There’s always a choice, Sean. Even if you don’t like it,” I replied, my
heart pounding, but he didn’t say anything.
He shook his head, looking disappointed, and my heart clenched.
Without looking up, he poured two glasses of water. He handed me one, and
I gulped it. My throat was dry from all this talk about moving in and
engagements. The ring glinted as I brought the glass to my mouth again,
mocking me and pointing out that I’d not taken it straight off. Sean watched
me intensely as I tried to hide behind the glass, finishing it to avoid
speaking.
“You’re in danger,” he finally said.
“What?” I sucked in a breath.
He signalled one of his men, who passed him an envelope. He pulled a
selection of grainy photos and a mugshot out and placed them on the table.
My heart stopped as my eyes fell on Niko’s unforgettable face. I seized the
other images and realised Niko was sitting in a car behind a familiar set of
shops. Dizziness swarmed me, and I jerked back in my seat. I couldn’t help
but dart my head around as if he might jump out of the shadows.
They had found me. I need to run.
My head spun with panic as I jumped to my feet. My chair bounced to
the floor. Were they watching?
“I-I… I need to go.” I stumbled, and a firm hand gripped my arm.
“Calm down, a chuisle.” Sean’s sharp command made me flinch.
I had to get away.
“Look at me.”
Two Seans filled my vision.
“No one is going to hurt you. You’ll come with me, and I’ll hide you
while I take care of everything.”
 My brain was sluggish, and my vision hazy. How much had I drunk?
“You don’t understand,” I slurred, leaning against all three Seans.
“I understand perfectly well, Rosa Cortes.”
My old name shot an electric current through me, paralysing me. My
blurred vision flew to his face, and all his faces swam against the city
skyline.
“I’m sorry, a chuisle. But I’ll keep you safe.” His voice echoed as if
down a tunnel, and everything went dark.

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A djusting Amy’s weight in my arms, my gaze fell to the rock on her

finger. She might have been shocked, but she hadn’t taken it off. My men
flanked me as we descended the restaurant through the private hallway. I
hadn’t wanted to drug her, but she was taking too long to come willingly.
Niko Zhirkov was outside her flat this morning, which was
unacceptable. Slow romancing was off the cards. Personally, I thought I
deserved a medal for my restraint until now. I’d given her nearly two weeks
to warm up to me, but I wouldn’t compromise her safety any longer, and
that new door on her flat wouldn’t keep the Stefanovs out indefinitely. I had
an ally, and we would end this together for our mutual good, but I needed
her to be safe. She would remain with me until I took care of the problem.
And by then, she would never want to leave.
I climbed into the back of the car and arranged Amy across my lap. She
was dribbling again, and I couldn’t help but smile down at her. Stroking a
finger across the soft skin of her cheek, the fanatical beast inside me was
finally happy.
My phone rang with a video call from Loch.
“You went with Plan B then,” he said as I angled the screen to show him
Amy in my lap.
“Got my ring on her finger.”
“Did you put it there after you drugged her?” Loch asked, and I shot
him the bird.
“What have you found out?”
 “Not much yet.”
I’d sent Loch on a scouting trip to Manchester because I wanted first-
hand information about the Stefanovs. Boyan was being released any day
now.
“We are heading home. Ian and Craig are grabbing her stuff with Cian.”
“I wouldn’t trust that ginger prick to collect the trash, let alone her
stuff.”
“He’s driving,” I said.
Loch mumbled something about Cian not knowing his ear hole from his
arsehole.
“Keep me updated,” I said.
“Likewise.”
I clicked the video off and rested my head back on the seat. This was
getting complex, but I couldn’t help but be happy to bring Amy back to my
house.
Climbing out of the car once we arrived, my hounds jogged over to see
who I had in my arms.
“This is Amy.” I let them sniff her. “Guard her, but she can’t be allowed
to leave.”
They looked up and barked once. I knew they understood my words.
Inside, Trixie rushed into the hallway. Regardless of Amy’s willingness,
I told Trixie I was bringing my woman home tonight.
“Is that her?” She bustled over and smoothed Amy’s hair from her face.
“She’s so pretty. You are punching above your weight, young man. Did
you drug her? You know that’s not how a gentleman acts.” She chided me
despite looking positively gleeful.
“You know I’m not a gentleman.”
She tutted. “I’ll make her some soup for when she wakes up. Soup
makes everything better.” She tore off back to the kitchen.
Amy would love it here once the initial shock wore off. She needed
more family in her life. She belonged here with me. I climbed the stairs to
my room and laid her carefully on her side of my bed. Our bed. I estimated
I had a few hours before she woke up.
My phone rang with a call from Cian, making irritation flare inside me.
He was on the thinnest of ice.
“Sean!” he screamed.
“What?” I barked, tensing.
 “Craig’s been shot! They came for us, man. We got Niko, but they’ve
torched the place. It fucking exploded. All that chip fat downstairs,” he
rambled, half hysterical.
“Where are you?” I seethed, heat flushing through me.
“I’m heading to the warehouse. I’ve got him in the trunk.”
“Where is Craig?”
“We had to leave him. The pigs were on the way.”
“You left him bleeding in the street?”
“I left Ian with him. This Niko guy, he’s alive. I knew you’d want to
question him.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Fucking Cian.
“Where is the housemate?”
“Craig got her out. That’s how he got shot.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
I called Loch. He immediately turned his vehicle around, but it would
be nearly two hours before he returned. I made a second call to my lawyer,
a third to the police superintendent, and the final call to my new friend
Max.
“The time for playing games is over. Offer your woman shelter while I
deal with the Stefanovs.”
“That wasn’t our deal,” Max growled.
“We never had a deal. I listened to your call out of courtesy and didn’t
shoot you in the fecking face for speaking to me like some lackey. It’s time
to step up.” I cut the call, knowing he would deal with the housemate.
I didn’t care if he put her in a hotel or took her to the mausoleum he
called a house.
I stroked a hand down Amy’s cheek, hating leaving her. I locked the
door and passed the key to Trixie, who appeared clutching a flask of soup.
“I’ve got to go out. Watch her for me.”
Trixie nodded and took the key. Satisfied that she would watch Amy, I
rounded up my men and briefed them. Half were coming with me, and the
rest would secure the house. The grounds had various deterrents, including
tall walls with barbed wire around most of the property, but I felt better
leaving them on high alert.
Silence filled the drive to the warehouse, and my muscles coiled with
tension. Cian’s car was parked at an angle, the front door hanging open. We
all drew our weapons and headed for the side door. Creeping along the
corridor, I noticed a smudge of blood trailing to the main cold room. The
door jerked up, and we levelled our weapons.
“Hey! Don’t shoot. It’s me,” Cian said, popping his head out. “I’ve got
him in here.”
We entered and found Niko slumped forward, restrained to a chair with
his hands behind his back.
“I got the piece of shite.” Cian stormed over to Niko. “Fucking dirty
Bulgarian scum.” He grabbed Niko’s hair and yanked his head back,
jamming his gun underneath his chin. “Could have killed him, but I knew
you’d want him.” His eyes shone maniacally as he held Zhirkov like a
trophy.
“Tell me what happened.” I cracked my neck, annoyance simmering
through me.
Cian opened his mouth to reply, but Niko jerked forward. He seized
Cian’s gun and twisted, whipping Cian across the temple. I fired as he
turned the gun on us. One of my men shoved me aside, firing at Niko. A
blazing pain shot through my shoulder, and I stumbled, grunting. The shot
from my man hit Niko’s hand, and he dropped Cian’s gun, shouting in
Bulgarian.
Fury washed over me, fuelled by the burning in my shoulder. I
staggered forward and punched Niko across the mouth. His eyes rolled
back, and he crashed into the floor. I shook my fist out, seething.
“Strip him and fucking string him up,” I spat.
I learned an important fact this evening, but it had been costly. Pressing
on the wound at my shoulder, I gritted my teeth against the pain as the
blood ran down my arm like a river.

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A humming sound brought me back to my body. Where was the humming

coming from? The soft bedding beneath me didn’t give me a clue. Was I
dreaming? I lifted my eyelids, and the room swam – dark sheets and
unfamiliar surroundings.
A face loomed over me, and I squealed.
“Calm down, deary. It’s just me, Trixie.”
“Trixie?”
That name rang a bell. I sat up, but the room pitched, and I slumped
back against the pillows.
“Take your time.” Trixie’s greying hair was pulled back from her round
face, and she smiled encouragingly.
She wore a baggy T-shirt and leggings. I flinched as she leaned over me,
but she merely puffed my pillows up and helped me lay back straighter.
“Sean should be back soon.”
It clicked into place: the meal, the engagement, the pictures of Niko
outside my flat. My heart sped up. Sean blindsided and drugged me. I
glanced down at the massive rock on my left hand.
“He drugged me.” I gasped.
“Nobody said men were smart, dearie. But he’s got good intentions.”
I gaped at her. Was she for real? My pulse thumped as I remembered
he’d said my real name. How did he know?
“How did he know what?”
“What?”
 I didn’t realise I said that out loud.
“He knows something about me that no one else knows,” I whispered.
“Ah, yes, that is one of his talents. I’m told he’s quite smitten with you,
so it figures he would find out everything he could.”
“But it shouldn’t be possible,” I whispered.
Trixie chuckled and handed me a bottle of water. “That’s not a barrier to
a man like him. Just know that he has your best interests at heart.”
“Drugging me and kidnapping me?” I asked her incredulously.
“There’s no need to be dramatic. Plenty of women would be thrilled to
be in your position.”
What? She was as nuts as he was.
“I made you some soup to help you recover. Now you are awake, I’ll
get on with my jobs. Make sure you drink plenty. The bathroom is through
there. Don’t get up too fast, or you might fall.”
I stared dumbfounded at Trixie’s retreating form. Despite her calming
words, the telltale sound of a key in the lock told me I was a prisoner. I
side-eyed the large thermos on the dresser and decided to check the
window. Slipping out of bed, my knees buckled as soon as I stood up. I fell
forward onto a plush rug and burned my palms. I should have listened to
Trixie. Pushing up onto my knees, they wobbled as I hiked my dress up and
crawled to the wide windowsill. It was dark outside, but low lighting
illuminated a manicured garden and expansive lawn. A huge grey dog
trotted across the grass. I sank down the wall next to the window, still
feeling shaky.
How the hell did I end up here?
I jolted awake, a stabbing pain in my neck from the angle at which I’d
fallen asleep. The door opened, and a dark-haired girl around my age
walked in. She wore head-to-toe black and an unreadable expression.
“Are you okay?” Her accent sliced through me, and she frowned as I
shrank away. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m Rada.”
My heart beat out of my chest. Please be wrong, please be wrong.
“Where are you from?”
She frowned at my question. “I live here.”
Something ugly cut across my paranoia. What the hell? Did Sean have a
harem here? Not the time. I swallowed past the lump in my throat.
“I mean, your accent.”
She frowned again. “Bulgaria.”
 Fuck. The floor dropped away from me. Everything fell into place.
That’s why he knew my name, why he took me. He lied to me. He said I
was safe. Pain tore through my heart. Were they working together? I cast a
frantic look around for a weapon.
“It’s okay. You’re safe here.” The Bulgarian girl, Rada, held her hands
out as she came closer, but I shrank back, scrambling away.
I glanced past her, expecting to see one of them. She cursed in
Bulgarian. That word I knew. I closed my eyes against the memories as my
breaths hyperventilated from me.
“I’ll speak to Loch,” she muttered and left again, locking the door.
I scrambled to my feet, desperate to find an escape. The ground was too
far below me to use the window, and my bladder screamed at me, so I
stumbled into the bathroom. Shiny marble stretched in all directions. There
was a claw-foot bath and an oversized walk-in shower, but my mind barely
registered them. I rushed through my business and washed my hands.
Mascara ran down my face, and one of my dress straps hung off my
shoulder. I needed more practical clothing.
In the main room, I headed for the walk-in closet. Inside, there were
men’s and women’s clothes. A bitter ache sliced across my chest. My finger
paused over the vast selection of suits. I fell for every trick in the book.
Stupid. Stupid girl. Was it a game to him? Make me fall for him. Would he
sell me back to Boyan, or did he work for him? Sean didn’t seem like the
type to work for anyone.
I shook my head, wishing I could erase the thoughts. Grabbing some
yoga pants and a T-shirt, I tried not to think of who they belonged to. There
were trainers in my size, a sweatshirt, and a jacket. My head swam for a
second, and I clutched the railing.
Dazedly, I stumbled around the room. It was devoid of anything I could
use as a weapon. My eyes zeroed in on the metal thermos. I tested its
weight. I was sure it would knock someone out if I caught them right. I only
needed to startle them so I could bolt out of the door, and then I’d wing it.
I leaned against the wall next to the frame, praying Trixie didn’t come in
next. She seemed sweet, but I wouldn’t suffer the same fate as Mamá.
I gripped the canister, its warmth making my palms sweat. I stood for
what felt like an hour; my arms ached, my head rushed with crazy thoughts,
and I flinched at every slight noise. My heavy breathing was loud in the
quiet room. I clutched the warm metal, shifting my feet. My eyes threatened
to close a few times, but I slapped my face.
When the lock finally turned, I tensed and lifted my arms. The door
opened, and I struck, thumping the thermos against someone’s head.
With a grunt, a body fell through the door. Frozen in shock, I realised
with horror that it was Sean sprawled unconscious across the rug, and he
was covered in blood.

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T he medical bag rested on the passenger seat as I steered the car with one
hand. Luckily, this one was automatic. Blood smeared across the seat as I
shifted restlessly due to the burning ache in my shoulder.
Loch wasn’t back, and I sent some men home with an unconscious
Cian. Rafferty, my man who shot Niko in the hand, packed my wound with
a field dressing. This allowed me to work Niko over without bleeding to
death. I tortured him with very little finesse before leaving him for Loch.
Niko had come for Amy on Boyan’s orders. He identified Amy from the
surveillance pictures Niko took into the prison. However, not everyone
seemed happy that Daddy Stefanov would be back on the streets, calling the
shots again.
“Where the hell are you going?” Loch’s voice boomed through the in-
car speakers.
“Somewhere I can get two problems solved.”
“What the feck does that mean? You need Dr Ali to see you.”
“I’ve got another doctor in mind. Just get to the warehouse. I want
everything from Niko before we send him to the depths of hell.”
“You’re not going to tell me where you’re going?” He forced out a
breath.
I’d kept many things secret recently, keeping my own counsel. Loch
was the loyalist man I knew, but the deeper we got into this shite, the closer
I held my cards to my chest. Maybe I was paranoid like my old man.
“Send Rada to check on Amy, will you?”
 Loch grumbled something but agreed. “I need more than what you are
telling me.”
“Later,” I agreed, dropping my head back against the headrest.
I clicked off the call as I arrived at the underground garage. My hand
shook as I swiped the stolen and duplicated card against the sensor, making
the door roll up. Feck. I drove inside, parked next to the bank of lifts, and
grabbed the medical bag.
I’d rather be seeing Dr Ali back home, as I didn’t believe he was
involved with my traitor problem, but I needed the help of another kind, and
luckily, there was a doctor here who would fix me up.
The lift was card-operated, too, and the reflection in the mirror inside
showed a pale man with blood stains peeking out from under the jacket over
his suit. Jesus wept. I looked like shite. It had been a while since I’d been
shot or stabbed, and it was ironic I was turning to Liam for help.
The lift doors opened, and distant music came from the penthouse to the
right. I headed left and swiped my card again. They really should change
the electronic locks.
I shuffled a little light-headed along the corridor and into the expansive
office room. Unlike the other times I’d been here, the place smelled of
floral perfume. I headed for the bar before realising there wouldn’t be any
alcohol. Fuck’s sake. I could do with a drink. I fished around in the medical
bag and found a small bottle of whiskey. Not bothering with one of the
fancy crystal tumblers, I slumped into a leather armchair and slugged it
back from the bottle. It burned on the way down, a pleasant distraction from
the pain in my shoulder.
My mind wandered, and I hoped Amy was okay. She’d be spitting mad
by the time I got home.
“What the bloody hell are you doing here?” Oscar Russell’s posh British
accent made me smirk.
“Nice to see you, Sir Oscar.”
I drawled out his title because I knew he hated it.
“What happened to you?” His gaze flicked over me.
“A minor altercation with a bullet.” I pressed a fresh gauze to my
shoulder, which had begun bleeding again.
“You can’t just turn up here with a fucking gunshot wound!” Oscar
hissed.
“You invited me to your engagement party,” I said.
 “Bring a bottle and celebrate, I said. Not a medical pack and bleed out!”
He tossed his hands up.
His fiancée, Eve, entered the office, her dark eyes wide with alarm.
“Hi there, Doc. Me shoulder’s in bits. I’m gonna need your help.”
“Haven’t you got medics on staff?” Oscar interrupted.
A wave of pain slammed into me, and I leaned forward with a grunt.
“Not safe. I’ve got a rat.”
That wasn’t quite the truth, but it was close enough.
“Who shot you?” Oscar demanded.
“No one you know. Just need your pretty fiancée to fish this bullet out
and stitch me up so I can get back to my woman.” I gestured to the medical
bag at my feet.
“She the one that shot you?” Oscar asked sardonically.
“No, but isn’t the best trouble always about a woman?” I grinned at
Eve, referring to our summer trouble with a particular dark-haired doctor.
Eve tensed. “But I’m not a trauma surgeon.”
“And I’m not going to the hospital with a bullet hole. So, I need you to
do me a favour, Doc, and do your best. Just like I did for your fella.”
My patience was thin tonight. Eve frowned, confused by my sentiment.
Oscar cast me a scathing look. I met his dark gaze with one of my own.
Time to pay the piper, Sir Oscar. My favours didn’t come for free, not even
for friends. Remembering I was here for several favours tonight, I decided
to help him out.
“When I flew everyone home and tracked you down for this love-sick
eejit,” I said to Eve whilst holding Oscar’s gaze, letting him know I was
cutting him some slack.
His pretty fiancée did not need to learn about the monster that lived
inside her man. Or how far he would go to ensure her safety.
Eve snapped into professional mode and asked me questions as she
looked at my wound.
“Press on it for me while I look through your bag.” She searched
through the medical bag.
Oscar dragged a hand down his face, but before he could open his
mouth to speak, the door bumped open.
“The fuck is going on here?” Liam Reid’s angry presence filled the
room.
 Where Oscar had a refined, cultured voice, Liam’s was broad, northern,
and rough as nails from being dragged up on a local estate.
“Now we have both Steel Brothers. It’s a proper party.” I held out my
good arm in welcome.
“Who shot you?” Liam asked, his dark eyes flashing.
The blood pressure cuff went tight on my arm, and I grunted as Eve
probed my wound.
“I’m going to flood this with local anaesthetic. The bullet is still in
there.”
I knew that. I could feel it grind against my tissues every time I moved.
“Mind if I have a drink? I need one.” I held the bottle up, and Liam
scowled at me.
“I thought I was done dragging your bloodied arse out of the gutter.”
“It’s been a quick minute.” I frowned at the memory.
Liam was my cousin, but only distantly. He earned his place as one of
my most trusted people when he saved my life many years ago. However,
he was a moody bastard.
“I’m going to give you some fluids.” Eve jammed the needle into my
forearm.
“There’s blood in the bag,” I said.
“I’m not giving you that without knowing your blood count or having a
cross-match.”
“It’s my blood, Doc.”
“I don’t want to know why you have bags of your own blood with you.”
Oscar collapsed onto his chair behind the desk.
“It’s sensible in my line of work.”
I had a fridge at the warehouse and at my home. There was a technician
Dr Ali used to make sure we stored blood correctly.
“Can you be sure they’ve not been tampered with? If someone has
betrayed you, then they could kill you off with a transfusion reaction and
not even be blamed.”
This woman was too intelligent for Oscar.
“Only someone clever would think of that, Doc. I think I’m safe.”
“All the same. I wouldn’t risk it.”
I nodded at her. My head swimming slightly from the whiskey and the
blood loss.
“Who is trying to kill you now?” Liam asked.
 “Bulgarian gang. Their leader’s getting out next week.”
“Boyan Stefanov?”
I nodded. He’d obviously heard on the news. Not much got past Liam.
“But you’ve got a rat?” Oscar asked as Eve injected me with local, and
it stung like a bitch.
“Indeed.”
Liam jerked his head up, and he looked between Oscar and me. “That’s
why you came here?” he asked.
“Partly. I thought Eve here could help me. But I need your help. I need a
money trail following.”
I was close to getting the proof I needed. My gut told me I was right,
but the proof had evaded me. I was missing something, and it was driving
me nuts.
“I thought you had a whizz-kid IT guy?” Oscar cut in.
“I do, but…”
“He doesn’t know who to trust. Okay, I’ll need details,” Liam said,
grabbing a pen and pad.
I relaxed back into my chair. His ready acceptance helped settle the
raging beast inside me that wanted to carve up the world and cut out the
canker from my organisation. These two men stood to lose much by
associating with me, yet they were willing to help. They were men I
counted as friends but kept at arm’s length. It reminded me of Loch and my
promise to tell him what I suspected. My father had been a paranoid bastard
playing his cards close to his chest, not sharing anything with others, and
I’d been leading by his example. Maybe it was time for a change now that I
had Amy.

Liam drove me home in my car with Oscar following. My wound was

mostly still numb thanks to Eve’s liberal use of local anaesthetic. I climbed
out once we pulled up in front of my house, pushing the head swimming
away, not wanting to show weakness in front of my men.
“Is this woman of yours here willingly?” Liam asked me as he got out.
“Tell me, if Chloe was in danger and reluctant to be taken to safety,
what would you do?”
 His gaze darkened.
“I think you have your answer,” I said, rapping my knuckles on the car’s
roof.
“Just take care of yourself,” Liam said gruffly, stalking away towards
Oscar’s car.
That was practically a love letter from that grumpy bastard. I waved
them off and concentrated on making it up the steps. I didn’t check to see if
Loch was home. I headed straight for my room, keen to see Amy.
Unlocking it with my spare key, I stumbled inside, and a movement caught
my eye. I lifted my injured arm too slowly to prevent the blow, and the
blinding pain across my temple sent everything black.

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“W hat did you do ?” The Bulgarian woman, Rada, rushed into the room,
followed by the bald guy Sean called Loch.
I froze, clutching the thermos. My stomach churned with knots. Seeing
him laid out on the floor tore me down the middle. Had I killed him? I
should run, but I needed to check if he was okay.
More men appeared in the doorway, and I shrank against the wall. I’d
missed my gap. A long groan from the floor snapped my eyes toward Sean
as he rolled over. Blood stained his clothes, and a bandage peeked out from
his jacket.
“She got you good,” Loch said as he helped Sean sit up. “Who was the
last person to knock you out?”
“Tommy Molloy, bastard caught me from behind, too.” He rubbed his
temple where an enormous egg had formed.
I winced at the sight, averting my eyes.
“He didn’t enjoy getting beat by a twelve-year-old.” Loch chuckled.
They were joking right now, but I attacked him and didn’t succeed in
getting away. I was a dead woman. A lump rose in my throat, and images of
my mamá floated into my mind. I edged toward the door, but Loch moved
swiftly and filled the doorway, flanked by two other guys.
“If you run, the dogs and the men will chase you, and Sean’s already
pissed off enough.”
Rada moved, drawing my attention; her expression looked haunted, and
I remembered my courage.
 “I won’t let you take me to them,” I said, my voice breaking.
Loch looked between Rada and me, realisation dawning. “You think we
are Bulgarian mob lackeys?”
I gripped the thermos painfully. “Everyone has a price.”
“You’re wearing Sean’s ring. You think he’d sell you to Boyan
Stefanov?”
A shudder ripped through me hearing that name spoken out loud, and I
closed my eyes, assaulted by foul images of the woman I loved the most in
the world. Rada made a sound, and I opened my eyes to see her reaching
out. But she paused, and her hand fell back to her side.
“Let’s get you up.” Loch moved back to Sean, whose expression was
unreadable.
“Gowon with you.” He batted Loch’s hand away and clambered
unsteadily to his feet, one arm held loosely at his side. “Everyone out,” he
barked at his men.
What had happened to him? I gasped as he staggered and lost what little
colour he had.
“Fecking hell. Tell me you got some medical care wherever the fuck
you went?” Loch manhandled him back to the bed.
“Eve sewed me up,” Sean said, collapsing back onto the pillows.
“Who is Eve?” Rada asked, moving forward now to inspect him.
Yeah, who was Eve? And who was Rada? I clutched the thermos flask
against me as if it could somehow hold me together.
“Oscar’s wife. She didn’t want to use the blood. Could the bags here be
compromised?”
Rada bristled. “No, only Dr Ali and I have the keys.”
“Get Dr Ali and some supplies, darlin’.” Loch kissed Rada on the head.
It answered my question about her. She must have married the giant.
She hurried out of the room, avoiding my gaze.
“A chuisle, come and sit down. You look exhausted,” Sean said, patting
the bed with his hand.
My eyes pricked with tears, hearing the concern in his tone. Was this a
trick? I’d assaulted him, and he wanted me to sit next to him. Was he going
to kill me? My mouth went dry.
“I don’t like that look. Come here. We need to talk.”
“I’ll take that.” Loch plucked the thermos from my hands and led me by
the elbow.
 “I…” I opened my mouth to apologise but then closed it again.
Was I genuinely sorry I’d hit him? He drugged me and locked me up.
Loch said they weren’t working with the Stefanovs, but how did Sean know
my name?
“Good girl. Don’t apologise for things you’re not sorry about.” He
grinned at me, and I wondered if I’d hit him harder than I realised.
I perched on the edge of the bed, but he sat forward and grabbed me
with his good arm. I squealed as he tugged me up next to him.
“That’s better. Fuck, I’ve missed you.” He buried his face in my hair. “I
could have done without the welcome wagon, but I’ll let that go. I’d say we
are even.”
“Even?” I said, trying to wiggle away, but despite his multiple injuries,
his good arm was like an iron bar.
“Unless you want to make it up to me.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Why did you kidnap me?” I demanded.
“Because you’re mine.”
I guess it was better than selling me out to Mamá’s killers, but it wasn’t
great.
“You can’t just steal people off the street and proclaim to own them!”
“I can.”
“What gives you the right?”
“In my world. I am the judge, jury, and executioner. I make the rules.”
“That’s not going to work for me, Sean. That makes me a prisoner.”
“That wasn’t my intention. I needed to protect you.”
“Making decisions for me when I don’t know all the facts isn’t
protecting me.”
“I couldn’t risk you panicking and running away.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but that’s exactly what I did when I saw
those pictures. But that didn’t make me feel better.
He sighed. “I have to keep you safe, a chuisle. You are my world.”
What could I say to that statement?
Rada and Loch returned with a short man carrying a doctor’s bag. He
clipped a pair of glasses on the end of his nose.
“Who stitched you?” he asked once he uncovered what looked like a
gunshot wound on Sean’s shoulder.
A wave of nausea passed through me. Who had shot him?
“An ER doc.”
 The doctor clicked his tongue. “Not a bad job considering.” He replaced
the dressing and started doing various tests on Sean. “Did they give you
some fluids?”
Sean nodded. It didn’t sound like he’d been to a hospital. Worry for him
crawled through my chest.
“I’ll get you some antibiotics. Let me check your blood count, and we’ll
decide on the blood. Rada told me about the worry over contamination, so it
might be safer to give you an iron transfusion.”
“Fair play. Do what you need to, Doc. I need to be up and about.”
The doctor clicked his tongue again but didn’t say anymore. I got the
impression people didn’t argue with Sean. I waited, squashed to Sean’s side,
expecting to face some hostility, but no one said anything. I felt Rada’s eyes
on me, but I avoided looking directly at her, fiddling with the covers
instead. Loch hovered around her, and it was obvious they were together.
Eventually, the doctor left, saying he would visit Sean later, taking Rada
with him to help with the blood sample.
“Did you find anything out?” Sean asked Loch.
Loch gave him a meaningful look and glanced briefly at me. “Get some
rest, and I’ll tell you later.”
“You don’t give the orders around here,” Sean griped.
“No one listens to me anyway.”
Sean snorted and made a rude gesture. The two seemed close, nothing
like they’d acted at the club. Not that I’d seen Loch there again after the
first night.
“Are you going to stab him while he’s asleep?” Loch asked me,
scowling.
“Why would I do that?” I said.
The thought of stabbing someone made me queasy. There are three
people you would stab. My conscience helpfully reminded me.
“Something Rada would have done,” Sean said.
“Feck off.”
“And he would have liked it. Kinky bastard.” Sean chuckled.
“I’m going now,” Loch grumbled and left us alone.
“Seriously, are you planning on clobbering me again because I was
hoping to get some kip?”
“I’ll leave you…” I sat up but got yanked against him more tightly.
“We’re both having a nap.”
 “If you aren’t working with the…” My mouth wouldn’t form the words.
“The other gang. How did you find out my real name?”
“I found out because we were inspecting my clubs for signs of the
Bulgarians targeting girls to traffic, and you blatantly lied to my face, so I
investigated you. Visited your old friend Briggs.”
A hot slice of shame burned through me, and I turned away.
“He’s dead, by the way.”
Good.
“How did you find me if he was dead?” I asked.
“I didn’t say he was dead when I found him.”
My eyes flew to Sean in alarm. “What?”
“Do you think I would let him keep breathing after I found out what you
had to exchange for your safety?”
I cringed, and my face tingled. Sean knew. That disgusting man, Briggs.
He was the first man that I paid with my body. I scrubbed myself raw in the
dingy hotel shower afterwards and cried for a week straight.
“Look at me,” Sean barked.
I called my strength back to myself and looked him in the eye. “I did
what I had to.”
“I know, a chuisle, and I hate that you had to, but I’m so proud of you.”
I choked on the lump in my throat. He was proud of my biggest shame?
“Survival isn’t pretty. It’s a fucking bitch. But you pick yourself up and
dust yourself off.”
I nodded, leaning against him. We sat silently for a few minutes, and I
pushed away thoughts of Briggs. Sean had killed him, and I couldn’t find it
inside myself to feel sorry. I thought back to what Sean said about
Mystique.
“Are the others at Mystique safe?”
Sean shrugged. “For now, until I cut the head off the snake.”
“Kill Bo… Boyan,” I choked out.
“Yes,” he said plainly.
I searched his face for a hint of deception. Why would he do that? It was
something I’d hoped would happen for years.
“Why?”
“There are many reasons, but the one I want to know about is the one
that made you shudder when you heard his name.”
I glanced away. I couldn’t face telling him that.
 “I saw what he did to your mother, so don’t relive that unless you want
to tell me.”
I blinked at him in shock.
“But did he ever touch you?” He gritted his teeth, looking furious.
“How do you know about my mamá?” I whispered.
He knew about the horror and shame that lived in my past.
“I saw the police report.”
My whole body shuddered. Sean pulled me tighter, and the tears sprang
into my eyes. Snippets of the articles I read swam into my mind. They
found her body frighteningly close to where I’d fled to, as if she’d followed
me in death. Bile rushed up my throat, and I curled forward.
“Shhhh, a chuisle. I’m here.” Sean sat forward with me as I struggled to
swallow the saliva pooling in my mouth.
“I never buried her,” I choked out as if that was the worst of my crimes.
“She deserved better.” The sobs wracked my body as I remembered
breaking down in the newsagent shop with the newspaper in my hand.
“I never knew what happened to her body. Did they burn her with a
mass of unclaimed victims? She didn’t deserve that.”
Sean held me tight with his arm, rocking gently back and forth as
everything spilt out.
“I had to run. I should have stayed. That day, I returned home early
from a test at school and found her. I heard someone come back, and I hid. I
hid under the bed as they laughed and joked as they took her body away.
Niko said they’d grab me from school… that Boyan wanted to sell me, but
Ivan said… I can’t… the things they talked about as they cleaned the
evidence of Mamá’s life away. I froze, so afraid. I should have done
something…” I broke off, the pain in my chest too strong. “B-but I stayed
there until it grew dark. I crawled out, grabbed the bag Mamá left stashed
with cash and ran. She told me I had to leave if anything ever happened to
her. But it didn’t feel right…”
“Clever girl. Your mamá would have been proud of you.” Sean
smoothed a hand down my arm. “Where did you go?”
“To my Spanish teacher’s house. Antonia was Mexican, and we used to
talk. She knew about my life and was friends with Mamá. Sometimes, I’d
go there after school. Antonia told me I could stay but I knew I had to
escape. My being there put her in danger. She gave me money, and I found
Briggs to do my ID so I could disappear and not end up in the system. But I
didn’t have enough money…”
“You were fifteen.”
I nodded, wondering briefly how he guessed. Or did I say? He killed
Briggs. Of course he knew. My head was a mess.
“And you’ve been surviving ever since on your own?”
“I moved around. For the first few years, I was paranoid, seeing them in
every face, every patron. Eventually, it wore off, and I wanted to keep my
promise to my mamá. After abandoning her, I wanted to show her she could
be proud of me. All she ever wanted was for me to get my degree. She
would have hated to see me dancing even though I learned from her.”
“I know she is proud of you.”
I choked and retched. Was she proud of me? Dancing to pay my way
through various community colleges and now uni. I hadn’t received my
degree yet. Instead, I’d fallen for a gang leader just like she did. I knew she
loved Boyan at some point. I never saw him much, but I knew she met up
with him. Would she be proud that I escaped only to be kidnapped by her
killer’s rival?
“You’re safe now,” Sean said, shuffling us back against the pillows. I
curled up against his chest, hiccupping.
Was I safe? I felt ruined. Ruined by the memories I couldn’t erase,
ruined by the man next to me that I somehow had feelings for. Although
even in my despair, I couldn’t compare Sean with the evil men who killed
Mamá. Maybe I was naïve, but I sank against his warmth as exhaustion
swallowed me whole.

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 22

T he pain of being shot and then belted around the head paled compared to
the dagger that dragged through my chest while listening to Amy. I’d laid
here stewing for an hour, and I hoped Loch had skinned Niko’s balls while
he tortured him.
Amy burrowed closer in her sleep. I shifted, and agony shot through my
shoulder. The local had worn off, and it was throbbing like a bitch. My
phone buzzed in my pocket, and I replied to the text. The next moment,
Loch slid into the room.
“I brought you some painkillers. Before you protest, I’ll leave them on
the side, and we’ll both pretend you didn’t take them.”
“Feck off and pop some out. I’ll take them with a whiskey.”
He shook his head and cracked open a bottle of water despite my
request for liquor.
“Open your mouth.”
“You’ve got to buy me a drink first.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Loch muttered, tossing the pills in my grinning
mouth and holding the bottle to my lips.
“Reminds me of all those years ago,” I mused after swallowing the
tablets.
“Fecking awful patient back then, too.”
Liam might have saved my life when I got stabbed twenty-six times, but
Loch nursed me back to health. The bald bastard wasn’t bad at being a
nurse.
 “I’m not holding your dick this time.”
I barked a laugh. “You didn’t last time.”
“You were out of it, and your dad wouldn’t take you back to the
hospital. You don’t know what I held. Fuck, you were in a state.” Loch
looked haunted.
My smile faded. “I’m sorry.”
You didn’t catch me apologising often. But I was sorry I hadn’t trusted
him more with what I suspected. This man would walk through fire to help
me.
“Yeah, you owe me a better explanation than you’ve given me so far,
brother.”
He hardly ever called me that – only Sean or Boss. My father never
legally adopted Loch because nothing my pa ever did was legal, but he
declared he was his son after I suspected he had Loch’s father killed.
I nodded.
“We need to talk about something else.”
“Go ahead.” I rested my head back against the pillows.
“Rada isn’t happy.”
“That sounds like a you problem.”
“She’s not happy with you.”
“That still sounds like a you problem. But fair play, what’s she upset
about?”
“You holding Amy against her will.”
“Does she look like a captive?” I glanced down at Amy, who had
already drooled on my chest.
“No, but smacking you upside the head and trying to escape doesn’t
give the impression she wants to be here.”
“She’s not here against her will. She’s in the pre-decision phase of
staying by choice.”
“That’s—”
“You’re not in a position to criticise me. Your wife was in our holding
cells for over a week,” I interrupted.
“She was recovering.”
“She was sizing up how to stab you in the eye with a toothbrush, you
mean?”
“She doesn’t like it when you remind her of that.”
“So this is another intervention?”
 “Don’t be so fecking dramatic. I’m just saying stop greeting her as
Toothbrush Killer or TK.”
“Fair play, but she should have killed those men less memorably.”
“You weren’t even there.”
“You painted an excellent mental picture. I snapped the head off my
toothbrush and tried melting a razor into it, you know. Fecking stank. Shite
weapon. It’s an impressive feat, not something to regret.”
Loch dragged his hand down his face like he was sick of me.
“It reminds her of a bad time. Just don’t do it. For what it’s worth, I’m
sure Amy will come around, but I promised Rada that I’d speak to you.”
“Whipped,” I muttered.
“Says the man who is making googly eyes at the woman who knocked
him out with a flask of soup.”
Feck. I would never live that down.
“Amy was in bits when she realised you were injured,” Loch said.
“She’s warming up to me.” I glanced down at her hand that bore my
engagement ring.
Loch followed my eyes. “Did you super glue it to her finger?”
“Feck off.” I shifted my shoulder, which felt marginally better since the
painkillers.
“Is Niko dead?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Definitely dead. They recognised Amy from the surveillance footage of
you.”
“I know.” I ground my jaw.
It wasn’t uncommon to monitor other gangs, but Boyan seemed to have
a hard-on for me.
“He told me Boyan wanted her for when he gets out.”
I already got that from Niko before I left him hanging for Loch.
“Amy says she heard them planning to sell her when she was younger.
Guess who else was involved?” I growled, recalling the conversation.
“Let me guess. Ivan fucking Kolev.”
I nodded grimly. “That’s two down already. We only need Boyan, and
he’s being conveniently released from His Majesty’s leisure in a few days.”
“You want to take him straight out?”
I shook my head.
“I have a different plan, one I could use your help with.”
“Good.”
 He didn’t press for answers now, but we’d need to talk in the next few
days.
“Yesterday was Amy’s actual birthday, and I’ve thought of a perfect
gift.”
I outlined what I needed from him.
“I’ll get that prepared for you. Get some rest.”
“What did I tell you about giving orders?” I asked.
He just grunted and dropped the painkillers on the side, leaving me with
my sleeping beauty.

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 23

S ean ’ s snores vibrated his chest. His breaths lifted the warm muscles
beneath my palm rhythmically. I’d woken up yet again, dribbling all over
him. Now, I was watching him like a creeper, thinking over the last few
weeks’ events.
His domineering approach drove me nuts, but what was my current
alternative? Running away and falling into the clutches of Mamá’s killers?
Sean wanted to protect me, and while we’d need to work on his methods, I
wanted what he provided: support, shelter, and affection. The lonely little
girl inside me wanted to stay more than the woman in me who wanted to hit
him upside the head again. He’d shown me care and attention that
fundamentally altered my outlook in a short space of time, almost like I’d
grown addicted to him.
I opened the rawest of my wounds last night, and he merely held me. I
always thought I’d need to bury my secrets if I wanted a relationship. I’d
mapped out my career, but the life beyond qualifying had always been
fuzzy. It involved me working hard, making my mamá proud, and
eventually having a house and family. They were always blurry in my mind,
like the faceless man I used to imagine when I danced. They weren’t clearly
defined, but they would be. And then I’d finally be normal. My fictional
husband would have a nice, respectable job, and he would never have
learned about my terrible past. I’d keep it locked away, forcing my life to be
safe and mundane.
 But I wasn’t normal, and feeling seen by Sean last night, knowing he
knew the worst corners of my past and still wanted me, had changed
something inside me.
Sean groaned, blinking his eyes open. His hand found mine on his chest
and squeezed it.
“I’m glad you didn’t run.” His voice was gravelly, and it made me
shiver.
“The big dude said it was pointless.” My voice croaky, too.
“Sometimes he talks sense.” He pulled us up against the headboard with
a wince.
The lump on his temple was less pronounced, and although I felt bad
about it, he had to know he couldn’t kidnap me without consequences.
“I’m still not sorry I hit you. You can’t go around drugging me.”
He nodded as he dragged my hand back to his chest.
“And I’m not sorry about drugging you. The Stefanovs had you under
surveillance. It was no longer safe. Niko broke into your flat and set it on
fire.”
“What?” I reeled back. “What about Cat?” I scrambled to get off the
bed, but his arm tightened.
“She’s fine. Craig took a bullet getting her out.”
“Oh my god. Is he okay? Shit. I need to call Cat.” I looked around,
expecting to see my phone.
“She’s with a friend, and Craig’s fine.”
“Her friend from uni, Sienna?”
Sean made a non-committal noise.
Oh my god.
“Everything I own is gone?”
“Not everything, a chuisle. Craig was there to get your stuff. He’d
already packed most of it, including the pictures of your mother and
grandmother. We have most things.”
“Really?”
I wasn’t even going to examine how high-handed he had been packing
up all my stuff, but I was grateful. I had digital copies of my pictures, but I
was still glad.
“What about Cat’s stuff?”
“I don’t know. I’ve not had time to speak to Craig. You realise she could
replace her things in a heartbeat? Her family is old money.”
 “She was cut off. She moved away to avoid them controlling her.”
“She still has powerful friends.”
“Sienna is rich, I guess,” I mused.
We fell into silence, and the enormity of what he told me settled over
me. I had no home now.
“Is Craig going to be okay? I’ll have to thank him.”
Sean frowned.
“He’s not the only one that got shot.” He pouted.
My finger flew to the edge of his bandage, remembering the gunshot
wound from last night.
“Who shot you?”
“Niko.”
I gaped at him. “What?”
“Lucky shot,” he grunted.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Sean shouted, and Trixie entered with a food tray.
“I made you pancakes,” she said, setting the tray on the bed. “Have you
taken your medication?”
“Don’t fuss, Trixie.” Sean sighed.
I noticed he spoke to her differently, more like how he talked to me.
“What do you expect? Getting yourself shot!” Trixie reddened. “Just
keep an eye on him,” she told me before bustling out again.
Next, Loch entered with a large gift-wrapped box and an envelope.
“I’ll leave these here.” He gave Sean a meaningful look and dropped the
parcel on the bottom of the bed.
“Thank you. I’ll be in my office shortly,” Sean said, and Loch left,
closing the door.
“You can’t get up today. You were shot,” I said.
“My organisation won’t run itself. I can’t have my men thinking I’m
weak.” Sean pointed at the envelopes. “Grab those.”
“What is in here?” I picked up a large white envelope and a smaller red
one.
“A birthday card. It’s late now, but still.”
I stilled, but then I remembered he had used my real name, so he must
have known my actual date of birth.
I slid a finger under the flap and opened the card. It had a rose on the
front, and inside, my chest tightened as I read the words.
 To Rosa Amy My Fiancée Wife
Happy 26th Birthday
All my love, Sean XXX

How could he love me already?

This man plucked me off the stage and forced his way into my life. He
told me, not asked me, that I was marrying him, and then he’d drugged and
kidnapped me. What did it say about me that I cuddled with him all night?
He passed me the larger white envelope, and I slit it open. Photographs
tumbled out across the bedding, and my heart lurched. Images of a dead
body, swollen and brutalised, made me scramble back.
“What?”
My heart slammed against my rib cage as Sean calmly fished through
the pile of images, each more hideous than the last. He pulled out the
picture of a hand with a familiar tattoo. I swallowed thickly and looked at
the pictures more closely.
“Is that Ivan?”
Ivan hung around with Boyan, and if I were ever home when Boyan
visited my mamá, Ivan would leer at me and whisper foul things. For years,
I lived in terror of him finding me and doing what I heard him threatening
as I hid under the bed that day.
“My first present to you. If I’d known, I would have kept him on ice so
you could see him in the flesh.”
I gagged.
Sean frowned. “You better move to the other present before breakfast.”
Trepidation filled me as I reached for the box. The bow fell off, and I
removed the lid. A face stared up at me. Niko’s dull, dead eyes gazed out of
the box. The smell of dead meat wafted up from the plastic-lined gift box.
The scream burst out as my brain caught up, and I scrambled backwards. I
fell off the bed, still screaming. My eyes and mouth swam with water, and I
retched.
Loch skated into the room, halting dead.
“Why?” My gaze swung wildly to Sean, who remained calmly on the
bed.
 “Because your enemies are my enemies, and I’ll bring you as many
heads as you deserve.” His expression was genuinely frightening.
I staggered to my feet, and dark edges appeared in my vision. He swam
in and out of focus as dizziness raced over me, and I swayed.
“Catch her for me.”
My vision went black.

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 24

“M en are idiots ,” a female voice said.

I blinked my eyes open and found myself back on the bed. Trixie was
fussing around the room, and Rada sat in a chair nearby. I realised Trixie
had spoken as she came over to peer down at me.
“Too much stress isn’t good for anyone. Those boys, honestly.” She
clicked her tongue. “Do you want some chicken soup? Or maybe a hot
chocolate. Yes, sugar would be better. I’ll bring you both one.” She
disappeared without waiting for me to answer, leaving me with Rada.
I sat up against the headboard, glancing around.
“Sean and Loch had some business to attend to. Something about a
shipment.”
“You are married to Loch?” I asked.
“Yes.” She smiled, and it lit up her sharp features.
We fell into silence.
“Before Loch found me, the Stefanov gang trafficked me here from
Bulgaria.”
My heartbeat picked up at her sudden statement.
“Ivan Kolev ran their operation, and he used to visit the house where I
was trapped. He was a monster and deserved what Loch did to him.” Her
chin jutted out, and my stomach turned, remembering the images splayed
across the bed.
“Niko, I didn’t know as well, but we saw him sometimes.”
I shuddered at what she must have endured.
 “Loch tells me Boyan Stefanov killed your mother with the help of Ivan
and Niko.”
I nodded jerkily. “At least, that’s what I heard them boasting about.
They took their ‘fun’ too far and killed her.”
“Then you should be glad there’s less scum on the streets,” Rada spat.
“I am, but it shocked me to see a head in a gift box.” I wrapped my arms
around myself and glanced around. Mercifully, it was no longer here.
“Your fiancé is a crazy man,” she said.
It took me a second to realise she meant Sean. I looked down at the
engagement ring on my finger.
“He is.”
Sean was a force of nature.
“I don’t know how to feel about it. Every time I think I’m okay, the
ground shifts.”
“My mother used to say, ‘You can’t wait for circumstances to improve
to be happy. You must choose that for yourself each day.’ You have a
powerful man willing to do anything for you. Two of your mother’s killers
are dead by his hand. These things are reasons to be happy. Everything else
will fall into place.”
The weight of her words settled around me.
“Are you happy?” I asked, wondering how she lived around all this
violence.
“My sister was trafficked with me, and until we find her, I won’t truly
be happy.”
“Oh.”
“I fear what she’ll have endured by the time we get her back.” Rada
shook her head. “But I love Loch with all of my heart. He is a fierce
protector like Sean, and I’m happy with him.” She smiled again, but this
time, it was dimmed.
I couldn’t imagine what it was like knowing your sister was in the
Stefanovs’ clutches somewhere.
Trixie returned then with two mugs of hot chocolate.
“Here you go, dearies.” She passed us both a drink, then disappeared
again.
“She’s sweet,” Rada said, blowing on her hot chocolate.
Sweet and also crazy. Did Trixie know about the heads in boxes? She’d
probably tell me that the sentiment would flatter most women.
 “I’ll let you rest. Sean’s office is the third door on the left.”
When the door clicked closed, the silence was deafening. I hardly felt
like the girl I’d been a few days ago.
How much work had I missed? Was it still the weekend?
I guessed Sean had sorted work, but I was behind on uni studies. I
sighed as I realised I couldn’t return, not with the Stefanovs sniffing around.
Maybe I could get an extension? A mixture of anger and sadness washed
over me. They’d taken the one thing I had left of Mamá and ruined that, too.
I squeezed my eyes shut against images of her. Pictures of Ivan’s body and
Nikos’s head swam into my mind this time. I could almost smell his flesh in
my nostrils, but I didn’t hurl this time. There was a different burn in my
stomach.
I spent years fantasising about killing those hijos de putas, as Mamá
would have said. Wishing they would die agonising deaths. Well, two of
them had.
I drank the sweet hot chocolate and contemplated my own morality.
Maybe I wasn’t such a good person after all. Eventually, I got out of Sean’s
bed and went to find him.
Out in the corridor, a ginger-haired man lingered by the door of what I
assumed was Sean’s office.
“No wonder he wouldn’t let me go to the strip clubs. It looks like he
wanted to keep the top pick for himself.” The guy walked toward me, his
gaze appraising.
It reminded me of some of the club’s more lecherous patrons – those
who undressed you with their eyes regardless of what you wore. He drew
level, stopping far too close. There was a large bruise on his temple and a
cut across his cheek. I didn’t lean away like I wanted to. Showing fear to a
man like this would be like a red rag to a bull.
“I’m Cian. Sean’s cousin. We’re very close.” He smirked at me. “What’s
the matter, cat got your tongue?”
“What the fuck are you doing?”
We both jumped at Loch’s shout as he barrelled up the corridor.
“Step back, shite for brains.” Loch slammed Cian against the wall in an
arm bar. The smaller man struggled and spluttered.
“What’s going on?” Sean appeared in the doorway with a gun in his
hand.
Loch released Cian, who slid down the wall.
 “The big bastard is attacking me for no reason,” Cian whined,
massaging his throat.
“You gonna tell Sean how fecking close you were to his woman?”
Sean’s face darkened. “Care to explain?”
“I was just saying hello and being friendly like. She’s a new family
member. I came to see you. After-after⁠—”
“After your incompetence nearly got Sean killed?” Loch said,
aggressively jutting his chin towards Cian.
Cian stumbled back from Loch and fell on his butt.
“As you can see, I’m fighting fit.” Sean held his gun arm out.
There was no weakness in his stance. The lump on his temple had gone
down, and he’d ditched the sling.
“That’s good.” Cian scrambled to his feet and backed away. “I’m going
to check on security for next week’s game.”
Sean nodded, and then he and Loch exchanged glances after Cian
disappeared around the corner.
“Has Dr Ali finished the infusion?” Loch asked, and Sean nodded.
“Okay, I’ll take Rada and sort out what we discussed.”
Sean nodded. He tucked his gun away, slid an arm around my back, and
guided me into his office.
The room was nothing like I imagined. It had an antique charm, with
rich dark furnishings and bookshelves filled to the brim. He guided me
across the room, but I paused at the shelves. The books were mainly
business themed. I guess they didn’t write about gang warfare.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, pulling me onto his lap as he sat back
in a big leather swivel chair.
“I should ask you that. How is your shoulder?”
“Healing. The doc’s got me doped up, and he’s given me a bag of black
shite. I feel better.”
“Black shite?”
“He said it was iron.” He nuzzled his face into my hair and took a long
breath.
I sank against his familiar firm body.
“I’m not sorry,” he said.
“I’m not mad,” I whispered honestly.
We sat silently for a few minutes. I stared out the window, watching two
enormous dogs roam the garden.
 “Your mother’s body is being moved to our family’s plot.”
I snapped my head up to look at him. “What? How?”
“Her body was given to the local authorities, and they placed her in an
unmarked grave. I’ve pulled some strings, and she is being moved. When
this mess is cleared up and it’s safe, we’ll have a proper funeral.”
My eyes stung, and the lump from yesterday returned. He’d found
Mamá and was moving her to a proper grave. Emotion welled inside me.
“You don’t realise how much that means to me.” My voice cracked.
“Your mother is important to you. Death doesn’t change that. What is
important to you is important to me.”
I clutched him and fought the tears, letting the enormity of what he’d
done for me sink in. Our relationship had barely begun, and he was a
homicidal gang leader, but he was so considerate. He didn’t buy me flowers
and make empty promises. Instead, he brought me the heads of my enemies
and reunited me with my mamá. I wiped my tears, deciding I didn’t want to
be sad anymore.
“Thank you.”
“I protect my family.”
I turned my head and kissed him. He drove his hand into my hair,
cupping the back of my skull. My breathing sped up as he slid his tongue
against the seam of my mouth. I parted my lips. Need and desire rushed
through me. Kissing this man was heady. I pulled back and slid down to the
floor between his legs, desperate to taste him.
“This is turning out to be a great thank you,” he mused.
He looked like an indolent king, like when I first danced for him. I
reached up and undid his belt and trousers, peeling down his boxers. His
erection sprang free, angry and hard. I gripped the base.
“Fuck. You look good on your knees, a chuisle.”
I took him into my mouth, and a string of Irish words fell from his lips.
It made me smile around the head of his dick. I hollowed my cheeks and
sucked him deep. A pulse of arousal beat through me, settling at my centre
as I grew wet.
Sean fisted my ponytail and lifted me off him.
“Fuckin’ heaven in that mouth.”
“Use it,” I told him and watched his eyes darken.
He directed me back and forced my head down. I gagged as I struggled
to accommodate his girth at the back of my throat. My eyes watered as he
pulled me back up before plunging in again. I swallowed, trying to relax my
throat, and the slight panic of my air being cut off sent me soaring. He
thrust his hips up, plunging into my mouth as I worked him over.
“Fecking hell. Going to make me blow like an inexperienced melter
tearing his handle off for the first time.”
I don’t know what he meant, but his tone told me he was losing control.
Breathing between his plunges, I was no stranger to blow jobs, but I’d never
given one that turned me on like this.
“Fuck!” he roared as he stilled, his dick swelling in my mouth as he
pumped salty cum down my throat. I worked to swallow it all, but some slid
out of the corners of my mouth to join the tears that ran down my cheeks.
“Jesus wept. You sucked my soul out of my body, woman.” He helped
me up with his good arm and cuddled me onto his lap.
I kissed him, and his tongue circled my mouth.
“Almost as delicious as your pussy.”
He stood us both up and pressed me back against his desk, kissing me
hard again.
“But your arm.” I leaned back, my hands on his chest.
He twisted me around and smacked me on the arse. The sting made me
gasp as a bolt of arousal rushed through me.
“I don’t need both hands to fuck you, and I’d need to be dead to not
want to.”

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L ust flooded through me as he pressed his hard body against mine,

bending me over the desk.
“Take them off.” He snapped the waistband of my leggings, and I
scrambled to pull them off, brushing against his cock that was once again
hard.
“I want you naked, but if anyone walks in and sees your tits, I’ll shoot
them in the face. So the top stays.”
He pressed me flat to the desk, and the mahogany cooled my flushed
cheek. His fingers found my drenched centre and plunged inside, making
me moan. I felt completely exposed, and it made my whole body sensitive.
“So wet for me.”
He pulled them out, and I whimpered at their loss until the broad head
of his cock rubbed at my entrance. Anticipation so acute left me panting. He
sank inside agonisingly slowly, and I tingled all over as he filled every inch
of me.
“Fuuuck,” he groaned as he seated himself flush against me. “I knew
you’d feel like heaven.”
“Please fuck me.” My voice came out breathy.
“Gladly.” He pulled out almost to the tip and thrust back in.
Forcing air from my lungs with every stroke, he set a brutal pace. His
good arm held my shoulder as he rammed into me. Pleasure unfurled and
built in my centre.
 “Gripping my cock so well. I fucking knew it. Right from that first
night, I was gone for you. You fucking own me,” he roared as he bucked
into me.
The pistoning of his hips made his cock hit places inside me I didn’t
know existed, and I hurtled towards the edge of something I’d never felt
before.
I lost myself to the sensations as he filled every one of my senses. His
heat, his scent, the feel of him, and the grunting masculine groans told me
he was losing his mind, too. The slapping of skin filled the room. My eyes
found the door, afraid someone might walk in. But imagining the picture
that would greet them sent a shiver through me.
“That’s it, you filthy girl, strangle my cock. Fuck!”
His pace became erratic, and he tilted his hips. Pressure bore down on
my centre.
“Sean,” I cried as my orgasm exploded through me with a rush of fluid.
“Fucking soak me. Fuck.” He thrust a few more times, and his cock
jerked inside me, warmth filling me, prolonging my pleasure.
I slumped forward as the power drained out of me, leaving behind
trembling limbs. He pulled us back into his chair with his cock still inside
me, cradling a hand across my chest.
“You drenched me, you dirty girl,” he panted in my ear.
We both regained our breath, and he slid out of me as he softened. An
embarrassing amount of fluid gushed out of me.
“Oh my god.”
I’d never had sex without a condom, and I’d certainly never come.
“This chair is soaked with us.” He chuckled.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t, you dare apologise. It’s a throne now.”
I giggled, feeling boneless. “You are crazy.”
“It’s not the worst thing I’ve been accused of,” he said, tapping my hip.
“Let’s get cleaned up.”
I felt mildly embarrassed, pulling on damp leggings, but Sean merely
tucked himself back in his trousers and walked out of his office, covered in
our combined releases. Admittedly, the corridor was empty, and his room
wasn’t far, but for a guy who was usually very put together, he didn’t seem
to care about being covered with us.
 My skin tingled with afterglow as I helped him undress and applied a
waterproof bandage to his wound. His body, despite the scars, was a work
of art. Somehow, they made all the male perfection more real. I undressed
as Sean started the fancy shower in his ensuite. The water was instantly
warm, which wasn’t something I’d ever experienced growing up as I did. I
smiled as I touched the chrome handles.
“What are you smiling about?”
“Once I qualified, I promised myself I’d get a great shower with warm
water and great shower pressure.” I moved under the spray and sighed.
Sean moved behind me, and I leaned back against him.
“You’ve got the shower now. What else did you imagine?”
I sighed. “Actually qualifying.”
“You will. The Dean has allowed you time off.”
I turned to face him, jolted from my dreamy state. “What?”
“Someone owed me a favour, so I called it in. They know the Dean. You
can resume your course when things are safe again.”
Water streamed down his body, distracting me.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“The way you said thank you earlier is always acceptable.”
I smacked his chest, and he laughed.
“I told you, what is important to you is important to me. But you aren’t
going back to work at Mystique. I’ll end up killing a club full of people.”
I bit my lip. “I’ve always been independent.”
“You’ve always been alone.”
His words rang through me, echoing through my hollows.
“You’ve done amazingly and are so strong, a chuisle.” He cupped my
face with his good hand. “But you have me now, and what is mine is yours.
Plus, I’m a jealous bastard.”
That was true. It wasn’t like I wouldn’t quit the club once I qualified,
anyway.
“Okay,” I conceded as I grabbed the shower gel.
Apparently, I was doing this crazy thing with this man, and he’d already
thought of everything. The warm water soothed me as I smoothed the soap
over him. He stared down at me like I was something precious, and the
lonely little girl inside me gobbled it up.
I turned him and traced the puckered scars across his back. “What
happened?”
 He leaned his good hand against the wall and hung his head.
“I won a fight, but the guy was a sore loser. He came after me with four
of his friends and blades.”
My hand stilled, gripping his side.
“They jumped me behind the fight venue. I fought back and knocked at
least one out and badly injured another, but they got me on the ground.
Luckily, Liam, my cousin, was at the fight looking for his dad. He arrived
and fought the remaining ones. They ran off, probably deciding they’d
already killed me.”
“Liam Reid?” I couldn’t imagine the millionaire investor in a street
fight.
“The one and only. I’m lucky he was always a scrappy bastard.”
I slid my hand around his front, pressing my face to his back and
hugging him. I shuddered at the image of him on the ground, covered in
knife wounds.
“Liam took me to the hospital. Good thing they got me stitched up
quick because my Pa was mad and came and discharged me himself, chest
drain and all.”
I hated his father even more.
“How old were you?”
“Seventeen. Loch had to nurse me back to health because Pa didn’t
believe in weakness.”
We fell silent, watching the water swirling away down the drain.
“I found them all.”
“Who?”
“The ones who tried to kill me. It took years, but I never forgot.” The
hoarseness in his voice told me how close he came to dying. “Come on,
let’s washup, and you can meet my best soldiers.” He twisted around in my
arms and kissed the top of my head.
“Your best soldiers?”
“Bran and Sceólang.”
The second name sounded like Shore-lang.
“My furry soldiers.”
“Those monster dogs outside?”
“Yep.” He stepped out and grabbed a towel for us both.
“Okay,” I said nervously.
I liked dogs, but they were like dogs on steroids.
 “They wouldn’t ever harm you, but they wouldn’t let you leave either.”
He grinned at me.
We dried off and headed downstairs. As Sean opened the front door, the
cool air flicked the ends of my still-damp hair up. I scratched my scalp,
realising how nice it was not to be wearing my wig. Had it burned up in the
flat? That thought reminded me I ought to ring Cat. She was probably going
spare.
Sean whistled, long and shrill, and the two massive behemoths bounded
over.
“Sit,” he commanded, and I nearly sat down, too.
He smirked at me as if he had read my mind.
“This is Bran. She is the leader. And this is Sceólang. He follows Bran.”
“Are their names significant?”
“They are named after the two dogs in a famous Irish myth. You can pet
them.”
“What breed are they?”
“Irish wolfhounds.”
“Did you put steroids in their food?” I ran my fingers through Bran’s
wiry fur.
“No, they are a big breed of dog.”
“Did you live in Ireland long?”
“I was actually born in the States, but we returned to Ireland when I was
a baby. We moved here when I was twelve. My father was always looking
to expand his power base, but he pissed off too many of the wrong people in
Ireland.”
“Your accent is still strong. How long is it since you moved?”
“Are you asking if I’m an old man?”
I laughed, and Sceólang whined, begging for a fuss.
“I’m thirty-nine. Which makes me a cradle snatcher.” He winked.
His age had honestly not occurred to me. I knew he was older than me.
It might feel like a gap if I were a normal twenty-six-year-old, but I’d lived
a lot of life since I fled my old house a decade ago.
“I cultivated my accent because it’s another part of my image. They
don’t expect much from an Irish man besides drinking and violence. They
don’t expect me to be cleverer than them, and they underestimate me.” He
grinned. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m still good at violence.”
That I didn’t doubt.
 “Let’s get you back inside before you catch a cold.” He wrapped his
good arm around me and pulled me to his side.
I nuzzled my head against him, no longer worried about ending up like
my mamá. Boyan never showed her the care and affection Sean had shown
me. He only ever used her. They might both be mob bosses, but they
couldn’t be more different.

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I’ d never had an issue with focus until Amy crashed into my life. Now,
my mind was full of her. Her perfume, her taste, her smiles. She was under
my roof, wearing my ring, but somehow, it wasn’t enough unless she was
sitting on my lap. With my business the way it was, I didn’t want to expose
her to the constant ugliness I took for granted daily. It wasn’t until she
brought her light into my dark life that I could see the comparison.
After presenting Niko’s head to Amy, I sent it to the Bulgarian
compound. The good thing about sending a body part to another gang was
that you knew it wouldn’t end up with the police.
Boyan, freshly minted from prison, immediately retaliated by blowing
up one of my bookies and replying with a message that he would wipe me
from the face of the earth.
Loch had chuckled at that. “Doubt the old man’s got the strength to hold
his cock for a piss, let alone kill you off.”
I had a rule of never underestimating people. Boyan had proved that he
was a psychopath, and I didn’t think it mattered that he was over sixty. That
kind of craziness just built with age. I’d stepped up security, but the nagging
issue of my rat was a constant worry. My inside contact had new
information for me, and now that Loch knew everything I did, things were
easier. However, I kept the video feeds from the entire house flowing to my
computer.
“Hey.” My favourite voice filled the doorway.
 I clicked the screens blank and motioned her over. She walked over
wearing a pair of leggings and one of my shirts. Her dark hair fell about her
face, and she looked beautiful, free of makeup and walking barefoot around
my house. When she was close enough, I snagged her and pulled her onto
my lap.
She laughed huskily as I buried my nose in her hair.
“I missed you,” I said.
“It’s only been an hour.”
“Too long.” I grabbed her hips, growing hard underneath her.
It was a problem whenever I was around her. One I never wanted to
wear off.
“Did you unpack?”
“Not quite. I think Craig got almost all my stuff.”
“He said there wasn’t that much.”
It was shocking to see how little she owned – mostly stripping outfits,
heels, and some old textbooks. That morning, I personally removed some
items, and I was waiting to see when she noticed.
“Is he okay?”
“He’s fine.” I didn’t like her worrying about my men.
Craig was recovering perfectly well. Trixie was fussing over him like a
mother hen.
“What about you? Are you overdoing it?”
I flexed my arm, and pain shot through the joint. “It’s getting there.”
You didn’t slow down in my business, not with wolves like the
Stefanovs at the door.
“I spoke to Cat. She’s staying at the manor house where she works. Her
boss isn’t as big of a jerk as she thought. He offered her somewhere to stay
rent-free.”
“So generous of him,” I mused.
She studied me, her keen eyes taking in my tone. “Do you think she’s
safe?”
“I think her employer will keep her very safe.”
“He’s like eighty years old. I don’t think she’d go for a Playboy bunny-
type role.”
I laughed. “She told you he was eighty?”
Her forehead wrinkled up adorably as she thought about it.
 “I-I don’t know. She said he was older, but I don’t know if she ever said
eighty.”
“He is two years older than me.”
“Oh!” Then she grinned. “He’s ancient then.” She giggled.
I grabbed her and tilted her over my lap with my good arm. The twisting
action caused me to hiss at the pain in my shoulder.
“Over!” I barked as she shrieked.
I pinned her with my arm and gritted my teeth as I used my injured arm
to pull down her leggings. Her blue lacy thong came into view along with
that perfectly peachy arse.
Fuck, I didn’t think this through because I couldn’t spank her with my
bad arm. The minute I raised my restraining arm, she tried to scramble up,
but I brought it down on her cheek with a smack.
“Ow!” she collapsed back over me, giggling.
“You know I’ve killed men for less cheek than that.” I peppered her
backside with smacks that she giggled through. Eventually, she squirmed,
and I slid my hand beneath her thong, greeted with her glistening wetness.
She moaned as I stroked through her folds, finding her clit and circling
it.
“Sean!” She gasped.
I loved hearing my name on her lips as I pressed my thumb inside her
and my fingers worked her clit. It was a weird angle, but I wasn’t about to
stop. She bucked against me, and I picked up the pace.
“That’s it, dirty girl, come over my hand.”
My cock throbbed, trapped beneath her. The memory of being inside her
almost had me coming as she did on my fingers. Her pussy contracted
around my thumb as she shuddered.
I removed my fingers and sucked her essence off them. She tasted
delicious, and I contemplated clearing my desk and feasting on her when a
knock at the door had me pulling up her leggings as she scrambled upright.
Her face was red, and her hair was messy as I pulled her back onto my lap.
“Come in.”
Cian appeared in the doorway, smirking, and my lust promptly died.
“Sorry to interrupt.” His eyes lingered on Amy as she smoothed her hair
down and gazed at the desk.
“What is it?” I clipped.
“The shipment had a problem.”
 “Why are you telling me this?”
Cian wasn’t involved with the shipments. He handled gambling ever
since everything with Uncle Declan went down.
He shrugged. “Thomas told me to tell you.”
I glanced at the computer, and there was no alert from Thomas. He
preferred to communicate electronically despite living in another area of the
same house.
“I’ll speak to him.” I fired off a text to Loch and then stared at Cian.
“I can go⁠—”
“Loch’s handing it.”
Cian clenched his jaw and nodded, leaving the room.
“He’s your cousin?”
“Yep, my pa had two brothers.”
“Was his dad the one Ivan killed?”
I’d told her briefly of our previous issues with the Stefanovs.
“No. That was our other uncle.” I ran a hand through my hair. “It was an
initial product exchange. We were supposed to be building an alliance with
the Bulgarians.”
She winced, looking at me wide-eyed. “You were going to align
yourself with them?”
“No, we were working on a mutual supply chain. Viktor, Boyan’s son, is
much better educated than the rest of the family. He wanted to focus on the
arms and cut the trafficking out. Or so he told me. But that all went to shite
after Uncle Declan was killed.”
“Now you are at war with them?” She fiddled with my collar.
“Yes, but you don’t need to worry. I’ll keep you safe.”
“I’m not worried for me. I’m worried for you.”
“Don’t worry, a chuisle. I always win.” I kissed her lips. “I’ve got
something to show you.”
She stood, and I had to adjust myself from the painful position my dick
was trapped in. She smirked at me. I grabbed her hand and led her towards
the library. I hadn’t given her a proper tour of the house and grounds, but
she had met all the important people.
“In here.” I opened the door and watched her eyes go comically wide.
“Oh my god!”
I tried to see the library through her eyes, with its rows of shelves, a
small mezzanine, a large sofa, and a few tables with reading lamps. The
smell of old paper washed over me, and a tense part of me relaxed. I led her
to the wooden bar and poured us a drink.
“Those are for you.” I gestured at a stack of thick textbooks.
“Are those?” She rushed over to the table and started thumbing through
them. “Oh my god, these are all new. I had a fourth-edition copy of this
one.”
She held up a shiny book with a picture of teeth on the front.
“The Dean had the head of the dental school send a list of textbooks.
They’ve paused your course. All they know is you had a family emergency.
The university received a generous donation and will keep their mouths
shut.”
She flung herself at me, and I grunted at the impact, pressing a kiss to
her hair.
“I’m as obsessed with you as my pa was with my ma, but I won’t make
you give up your dreams,” I told her, making the promise I intended to
keep.
I knew my limitations as a jealous, obsessive bastard. She would need
permanent guards to attend university even after all the gang war was over.
But I wanted her to realise her promise to her mother.
She beamed at me, kissing me. I deepened the kiss like the greedy
fucker I was. She pulled away and eagerly examined the pile of books
before staring at the stacks, which held a varied collection.
“Thank you. I didn’t…” she trailed off.
“You didn’t pen me for a bookworm?”
“No.”
“Fair play.”
Something else by my design. Knowledge was power – a different type
of power than my father wielded and instilled in me.
“As a child, my father hated anything related to education. We were
home-schooled. He made sure we could read and count, but apart from that,
I had no formal education.”
She blinked at me, shocked.
“He caught me reading a story once and beat the shite out of me. He
told me reading and books were for pussies and weak men. But I liked to
defy him in small ways. So, I started collecting books and reading them late
at night. I realised you could get books that taught you things, not just
stories.”
 “Oh, Sean.” She cupped my cheek, and I leaned into the touch.
I wanted to tell her everything I’d never said because my walls were so
high. Being the boss meant zero vulnerability. My brutality was carefully
concealed inside a jovial package. But she peeled back those layers and
deserved more than the mask.
“Just when I thought there couldn’t be any more reasons to fall in love
with you.”
I stilled. “You love me?”
“I might? Is that too soon?” she asked me, her eyes full of uncertainty.
I was gone for this woman.
“No.” I pulled her close. “I’m already in love with you. It’s not even a
strong enough word for my obsession with you. You stole my soul. You
took it for your own, and now it walks around outside my body. Now I’m
vulnerable because if anyone took you, there’s no length I wouldn’t go to,
no limit to what I would do, nothing I wouldn’t steal, and no one I wouldn’t
kill to get you back. I would burn this fucking city to the ground.”

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T he intensity of his gaze made my pulse race. Had anyone ever looked at
me like that? My mamá loved me, and she was the most beautiful person to
me, but the way Sean treated me, the lonely runaway girl inside me was
gone for him. Even the hardened, cynical part of me was swooning. My
body lit up as soon as we were in the same room. Our chemistry was off the
charts and not something I’d ever experienced before him.
“I’ve got something else to show you.”
He grabbed my hand and led me up a spiral staircase to the mezzanine.
A single stack of books extended along the space, and behind them, the wall
had a round window looking out over the garden and the field behind it. A
bench seat with a thick cushion was at the bottom of the curved glass.
“This is my place. No one is allowed up here, not even Loch. I don’t
come up here much, but if I do, it’s to think.”
I gazed up at this paradox of a man with all his layers.
“Thank you for showing me.”
“Oh, I’m planning on doing more than showing you. It’s time to
christen this place. Strip.” His husky command left me reeling for a minute,
and he smirked at me. “You know how to do that.”
“Are you stripping too?” I shot back.
I was rediscovering my sass under his care.
“You’ll have to do that. I’m an invalid, you know.” He gestured to his
arm with a wicked grin.
“Okay.” I walked forward and started unbuttoning his shirt.
 The heat roared through me as I exposed more of his golden skin. My
fingers traced the faded tattoo over his pec. He watched me in his fervent
way, his chest rising and falling beneath my palms as I slid the shirt off his
shoulder, careful not to catch his dressing. The ridges of his abs were
smooth under my fingertips as I trailed them down his front to his belt. He
shivered, and I preened at drawing that reaction from him.
“You’re killing me, a chuisle,” he growled as I palmed the enormous
bulge in the front of his suit trousers. “I said strip, not tease.”
“But stripping is a tease. That’s the appeal. The fantasy of what you
can’t have.”
“Oh, but I can have it.” He grabbed the back of my neck and smashed
his lips down on mine. My hands flew to his face as I melted against him.
He broke the kiss, pulling back.
“Clothes. Off. Now.” His eyes glittered.
I used one arm to snag my T-shirt, pulling it up and over in one
movement. His eyes roved over the black lacy bra. It seemed Craig hadn’t
saved my underwear from the flat, but plenty of new sets were in the
wardrobe. I undid the front fastening and looked back over my shoulder as I
let the bra fall to the floor. Bending, I pulled my leggings down. These
clothes weren’t the most seductive choices, but at the sight of my matching
black thong, Sean groaned.
“What a fucking sight.” He bit his lip, and an elusive dimple appeared.
I spun around, holding my breasts and dropping to my knees. I reached
for his belt. His green eyes were heavy-lidded as I undid the buckle and his
trousers. He stepped out of them, and I was at eye level with his straining
boxers. Reaching in, I pulled him out. He was hard and heavy in my palm. I
darted forward and caught the bead of pre-cum on my tongue. It caused a
salty explosion across my taste buds. He muttered something in Irish and
sank his hand into my hair.
“As much as I love the sight of you and your perfect lips on your knees
for me, I want my cock inside that pussy of yours.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the window seat.
“Will someone see?” I darted a glance at the garden.
“There’s no one on this side of the house. I made sure. No one sees this
perfect body. Only me.” He sat down on the window bench and grabbed the
back of my thigh, forcing my knee onto the cushion as I straddled him.
“I want you to look out over your new home as you fuck me.”
 I stared down at him.
“Sean…”
“You’re wearing my ring; you are my woman. Tell me you don’t feel
this thing between us. Tell me it’s like nothing you’ve ever felt. You already
admitted you love me.”
He yanked me closer, and the breath whooshed out of me, his erection
trapped between us. He gripped my chin, bringing my eyes back to his. The
fervent look there undid me.
“I feel it.”
“Then embrace it.”
I buried my face in his neck, which smelled delicious. “Okay,” I said on
a breath.
“Good girl.” He ground his hips up against me, and the desire roared
through me.
His hand slipped around my throat, collaring me with a firm grip. My
breathing hitched because, even injured, this man was much stronger than
me.
“Ride my cock, a chuisle.” He gave me a wicked grin.
I rose and gripped his shaft, notching him at my entrance, but he didn’t
let go of my throat even as I sank down, letting him stretch me. I was
drenched, and he lit up every nerve ending inside me. We both groaned as
he tightened his hold on me. The lack of oxygen sent a rush of adrenaline
through me, and my lust ramped up. I clenched around him, and he smirked
again, knowing exactly what he was doing. Using my throat as leverage, his
hips met mine as I rose and fell over the top of him. The hours of dancing
were coming in handy as I matched his pace, slamming us together. The
pressure of an orgasm was building as he dragged himself across my front
wall.
“I’ve never felt anything so good,” Sean gritted out, sweat beading on
his forehead from the effort of his thrusts.
My eyes danced over him. Pleasure soared through me as we moved
together frantically, just like this whole thing between us – explosive and
fast-paced. His hand kept me grounded and anchored to reality – my new
reality.
“Sean,” I whined as he shifted to rub my clit.
“Come for me, choke my cock with that tight pussy.” The wince on his
face told me it cost him to use his bad arm, but I was half delirious with
pleasure.
His dirty words and the way he was hitting a place so deep inside me
pushed me closer to a huge orgasmic cliff. My vision greyed at the edge as
his hand cut off my air, and I went off like a rocket. Pleasure burst from my
centre and radiated through to every finger and toe. He loosened his hold,
and I gasped for breath as my head fell forward and my teeth latched onto
Sean’s good shoulder, biting down. He roared and bucked, spilling hot cum
inside me.
“Jesus wept,” he finally said as he stopped thrusting. “You’ve got me in
bits.” He buried his face in my damp neck, and I clung to him as we
regained our breath.
“Yeah, we should probably have talked before we had sex… again.”
Sean kissed my neck, and I shivered.
“I’m clean. Are you planning on making me a daddy?”
I leaned away from him. “I’m clean too, and I’ve got a coil.”
He nodded, smoothing my hair from my damp face.
“Do you want kids?” I asked.
“Interesting question to ask while my cum is dripping out of you.” His
dimple popped out, and I smacked his chest.
He slipped from my body, and the rush of fluid made me blush. He
rearranged me across his lap and grabbed a blanket I’d not noticed, tossing
it around us. We were sticky, but I wasn’t ready to move away from him.
“Seriously, though.” I traced his faded tattoo. “I don’t know if I want
them.”
“Okay.”
“I thought mafia leaders were all about the heirs?”
He stiffened underneath me. “Not all of us.”
I looked up at his clenched jaw and stroked it with my hand. He gazed
down at me, his harsh expression softening.
“My father was obsessed with heirs. My ma had multiple miscarriages.
She told me she had wanted to stop because the pain of the losses was too
much, but Connall had to have an heir. Eventually, with the help of some
dodgy medication, she got pregnant with triplets.” His anger was palpable.
“It was a dangerous pregnancy, and ultimately only one of us survived.”
“You were one of three?”
“Yes, my sister died inside Ma, and they had to get us out pronto. The
doctors said I stole all the room and starved the other two out. My brother
was small and didn’t make it much past birth. Connall was thrilled to have a
murderer straight out of the womb.” Self-loathing coloured his tone.
“It wasn’t your fault.” I cupped his cheek.
“I know that, but to my pa, it was an ultimate sign from the universe
that he’d bred a powerful son.” He squeezed me with his good arm. “So, I’ll
never pressure you. If we have kids, that’s fine. If not, fine.”
I nodded, not sure what to say. It was too soon to talk about a family. I
wanted to finish my degree, and who knew when that would be safe?
“Is that why you call Loch your brother?”
“Loch earned his place as my brother, but my pa pretty much adopted
him. He saw him trapping and butchering a fox and decided he had the
skills to protect my back. Of course, he thought Loch did that because he
loved killing and skinning things, but it was because the fox kept killing the
rabbits he liked to shoot with his air rifle.”
“Is that much better?”
“Loch used to shoot the rabbits to feed himself and his mother when his
father left them for days without money or food.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t feel sorry for the past. It strengthens us, or it tears us down. We
decide.”
I rested my head on his shoulder and stared into the garden, thinking
about my past and wondering if it made me stronger.

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 28

I rifled through the hastily packed boxes, searching for my old comfy
socks. The clothes in the wardrobe I made assumptions about when I woke
up here were for me. But I liked my slipper socks. Was Bob, my battery-
operated boyfriend, here? Mortification rushed through me, imagining
Craig rooting through my bedside drawer.
The door opened, and I snapped my head up. Sean walked in, his eyes
on me like a laser. Clothed or naked, he watched me like a hawk. The
potency of his gaze sent tingles through me, and it hadn’t reduced in
strength from the first night. I didn’t think I wanted it to.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Just looking for my socks. You know I ought to be pissed off at you
moving all my stuff without my permission, but I can’t be sorry it got saved
from the fire.”
The entire block of shops had gone up. Miraculously, no one was
injured, but it scared me to imagine what would have happened if I’d been
there.
“That kind of dilemma must be tough.” Sean smirked, his damn dimple
popping out.
“Did you…” I trailed off, unsure how to ask.
I didn’t want someone to lose an eye to Sean’s jealousy.
“Did I what?”
“Did you tell Craig to leave my underwear?”
 His eyes darkened. “I didn’t have to tell my men not to touch your
underwear, but if you are asking where it is, it’s in the bottom drawer on the
left.”
“What?”
“When I saw Niko outside that morning, I dropped you off and doubled
back. I took your intimate things and then had Craig and Ian collect the rest
later.”
“You…” I gaped at him.
“And I picked up something else.” He walked over and opened his
bedside drawer.
He dropped my bright pink, double-ended dildo, aka Bob, onto the dark
bed covers.
My cheeks flamed.
“I think you owe me a show for my foresight.” He retreated and leaned
against the end of the bed.
“A show?”
“I want to see my competition in action.”
“Competition? You get so jealous that I’m surprised you’ve not smashed
Bob up.”
“Bob?” Sean’s eyes narrowed.
“Oh my god!”
“Okay, show me why we should keep Bob. Beg for his electronic life.”
He smirked. “And I’ll show you I’m not jealous of everything.”
I stared at the dildo and back at Sean. He reclined against the wall with
a taunting look on his face. Heat flushed through me at the idea of him
watching me use it.
He waved at me to proceed. “I’m injured, so I’m tapping in my new
teammate.”
I rolled my eyes at him. Fuck it. I rolled my leggings down, bending
over to give him a show. Next, I whipped off my top and crawled onto the
bed. I smiled at the groan it elicited from him. Flipping onto my back, the
cool air rushed over me, tightening my nipples.
I clicked Bob on, and the vibration buzzed up my arm. I let my legs sink
outwards and watched Sean palm himself. Even injured, he looked like sex
personified.
I slid the smooth, narrower end down my chest towards my centre while
keeping eye contact. Sean’s hungry gaze roved over me.
 “That’s it. Press it to that clit for me.”
I arched as the vibrations zapped my bundle of nerves.
“Jesus wept.” Sean licked his lips.
I swiped the vibrator through the wetness that had collected since we
started this game and pushed it inside me.
“That’s it; fuck yourself with it.”
Sean’s growly commands made this so much hotter. I circled my clit
with my fingers as I plunged the dildo inside me.
“Fuck, I’m so jealous.”
I smiled and moved faster. The heady combination of vibrations and
Sean’s attention rushed me towards an orgasm in record time.
“Turn it up,” he barked.
I pressed the button, and the vibrations intensified, becoming louder. I
realised Sean had taken his cock out and was stroking it. The sight was so
erotic, watching him jerk off while filled up with the dildo, that it pushed
me over the edge.
“Yes!” I panted through my climax.
Sean strode over, his cock gripped in his powerful hand.
“You’re perfect,” he groaned, his hand shuttling rapidly.
“Fuck.” Sean’s cum spurted in ropes across my chest and belly as I
watched him come apart.
It was the hottest thing I’d ever seen. As he finished, he smeared the last
of his cum across my breast, then trailed a hand down my belly, smoothing
the rest in like cream.
“You look glorious covered in me.” He reached over and grabbed my
vibrator and licked the length of it. “Delicious.”
My mouth popped open as I lay in the post-orgasmic glow, shivering
from the dampness across my chest. Unphased, he zipped himself back up
one-handed, then leaned down for a filthy kiss that nearly had me dragging
him into bed with me.
“I can tolerate Bob as your co-performer.” He twirled the bright pink
device in his hand, his eyes glistening with a manic gleam. “But next time,
I’ll be using him on you.”
That mental image heated me up way better than my fluffy socks.
The next day, I made a concerted effort to emerge from the haze of lust I’d
fallen into.
“But if you know you have a traitor, why haven’t you confronted
them?” I asked while sitting on Sean’s lap in his office.
His pen passed over a contract he was signing. “Because proof has
proven elusive, and something doesn’t add up, plus I’m not my father.”
“What does that mean?”
“I mean, his paranoia about Ma’s fidelity was only part of his psychosis
towards the end. He executed as many of his own men as he did his rivals.”
I blinked at him.
“He saw conspiracies and double-dealing everywhere. While I must be
vigilant, I have trust in some things – to some level, at least. I’m not good at
that part, but I work with evidence. It’s just proven tricky to pin down.” He
rubbed his temples.
“You can talk to me, you know.”
“I know, a chuisle. But you are the light in my life, not the dark.”
“But I’m here.” I stroked the back of his neck.
I meant it too. I’d fallen hard for him and his mess of contradictions –
all of him, his smiles, threats, and brutal lifestyle – because he fiercely
protected those he loved.
“Thank you.”
“We should see your mum again soon,” I said.
“You’re volunteering to be attacked again?”
“You said yourself, she fluctuates. We’ll keep going and might catch
more lucid patches.”
Sean gripped my chin and kissed my lips. “You’re perfect, a chuisle.”
I was far from perfect, but I felt strongly about keeping the relationship
with his mother alive. I’d never give up on Mamá if the roles were reversed.

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T he next few days were a blur of settling in and sex. Sean had turned me
into some kind of nympho. Even though he was busy plotting with Loch, he
didn’t enjoy letting me out of sight; he constantly pulled me onto his lap or
kept a hand on me.
As someone who had always worked and studied full tilt, I found it
weird to be mooching around. I felt a rock of guilt about my course. I
constantly fretted about not fulfilling my promise to Mamá, but each time I
thought about going outside, images of her lifeless body swam into my
mind.
Perhaps I’d developed some of Trixie’s agoraphobia. Sean explained her
past and the fact that she never left the property. The house was huge, and
the grounds were quiet and guarded, so I understood why.
I was in the library, trying to read my brand-new restorative dentistry
textbooks that Sean had bought for me, but my mind was wandering. Sean
and Loch were meeting in his office to discuss important new information.
He’d been in a grim mood since last night. I cuddled him until I fell asleep,
but I’m unsure how much rest he got.
“I’ve brought you some lunch, dearie.” Trixie bustled in with a plate of
thick-cut sandwiches and kettle chips.
“Thank you, Trixie.” The woman had a sixth sense for a rumbling
stomach.
She smoothed a hand over my hair, and I closed my eyes at the
affection. I could get used to being fed, but I needed to exercise or I’d be a
stone heavier without dancing most nights. Trixie trotted away, saying she’d
be back for the plate. She could be the sweetest, although I saw her
threatening Loch with a bread knife when he tried to sneak some food from
the fridge. The huge man had scampered away, leaving Rada and me
giggling.
My phone buzzed, and Rosie’s name flashed up. She’d called and texted
me a few times. My chest tightened at the reminder that I’d been neglecting
my old friends – not that Rosie and I were that close.
“Hi,” I answered lamely.
“Amy!” she shouted into the phone, making me wince. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay.”
“I’ve been calling. I was worried.”
“I’m sorry I got caught up, and my phone ran out of charge.”
“Where are you?”
“Family emergency,” I said.
Sean had arranged things with the Dean, and presumably, my
supervisors had been told.
“I didn’t think you had much family,” Rosie said, her voice curious. “I
thought maybe that hottie had kidnapped you, and you’d died from amazing
dick.”
That was strangely accurate, and I giggled.
“So you are climbing that tree!”
“No.”
“Liar. Anyway, when are you returning?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Okay… are you sure things are alright?”
I sighed. Rosie knew I was hyper-focused on finishing my course.
“Yeah, it won’t be long.”
“Good news for when you return. Harrison quit. No one knows why, but
a new woman is starting soon.”
“Oh,” I said, wondering if Sean had anything to do with his leaving.
I didn’t have the bandwidth to worry about sleazy bastards like
Harrison.
“Alright, well, call me if you need anything.”
We said goodbye, and I vowed to be a better friend after this mess was
over. I returned the phone to the table and tried again to read, but it buzzed
with a text.
 Michelle (Candy): Have u hrd?
Me: Heard what?
Michelle (Candy): The fucking club is on fire.

I dialled her number immediately. We weren’t the kind of friends who

talked on the phone, but sometimes, we texted each other between shifts. I
had told her the family emergency excuse, too.
“Mystique?” I asked without even saying hi.
“What other club do we work at?” Michelle’s voice trembled with tears.
“It’s on fire now?”
“The flames are so high that I can see them from my window.”
I forgot she lived around the corner in a high-rise block of flats.
“Shit!”
“What the fuck can we do? I know it’s selfish, and someone could be
hurt, but without those tips, I won’t be able to make rent.”
Michelle had a younger sister who was in college, whom she supported.
“I’ll find out what’s going on,” I promised her.
I hung up and raced out of the library, crashing directly into Sean, who
had Loch and Rada behind him.
“Mystique!” I gasped as he righted me from our collision.
“I know.” His jaw worked. “How did you find out?”
“Michelle texted me. She can see the fire. She’s scared about what’s
going to happen,” I rambled.
“We’re going there now.”
“Okay.”
“No, you’ll stay here with Rada.”
“But…”
“Do you have experience fighting fires?” Sean raised a brow, and I
scowled at him.
“No, but I should come with you.”
“It’s not safe, a chuisle. This is Boyan. I own plenty of clubs, but this is
where you worked. It’s a message. We’ve delayed too long.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, this ends. I’m taking this to Boyan. We know where he’s been
holed up since he got out on Monday.”
“Wait…” I gripped his arms as fear crawled through my chest, stealing
my words.
 “Don’t worry. This is a long time coming. I’ll bring you back his head
for your collection.”
I swallowed the bile that raced up my throat. “Just come back to me.”
He pressed a fierce kiss to my lips. “The hounds of hell couldn’t keep
me away.”
I held him tightly, hating the idea of him leaving when he was injured.
He’d regained some of his arm movement over the last few days as a physio
had visited, but he was far from one hundred per cent. Loch and Rada
appeared to be arguing.
“Don’t make me lock you in the holding cells again,” Loch murmured.
“If you do, I will stab you in the leg,” Rada hissed, looking incensed.
“We have holding cells?” I asked, and Sean just shrugged.
Loch held Rada’s face and whispered something fervently to her. It was
intense, and I tore my eyes away.
They said goodbye, and Sean fiercely kissed my lips again before
stalking away, leaving an empty coldness in his wake. Rada looked ready to
level the place; her fists curled and jaw set, but when she turned, I saw a
sheen of tears in her eyes. This sank a heavier stone into my gut. A tense
few minutes passed as we stood in silence, listening to Sean bark orders at
the men. Then, doors slammed on the vehicles, and they rolled out.
Craig appeared at the end of the corridor, his arm still in a sling. He said
nothing, but clearly, he was one of the men left with us. Rada scoffed and
turned on her heel, grabbing my arm and towing me away.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“We will not sit around like pretty ladies,” she said, her accent thicker
with her anger.
“Okay,” I said, nervous about what she meant by that.
She towed me towards the other end of the house, and I noticed Craig
subtly following us. We descended the steps and approached a door I’d only
ever walked past. Rada tapped a number on the keypad and opened it.
Inside was a sitting room with shelved walls. She pressed a panel which
popped open and typed into another keypad, and the shelving swung open.
I gasped at the sight. It looked like an action movie. Machine guns,
knives, machetes, smaller guns, knuckledusters, and a variety of
sledgehammers adorned the walls and floor.
“Holy shit,” I said.
 Rada moved around the selection with practised ease. She collected
knife sheaths and began strapping them on. She grabbed a gun and checked
the chamber, filling it with bullets.
“Er… What are we doing?”
“You are just standing there, but I’m getting ready. I have a bad feeling.
A very bad feeling.”
A shiver passed over the back of my neck. “I’ve never…”
“I know.” She handed me a blade on a strap and then two grenades.
“Take these.”
“What the hell!” I put the grenades down like they were hot potatoes.
“Look, if something goes wrong and they come here, we need weapons.
These will fit in your bra. No one will know because your boobs are already
big.”
I gaped at her and the idea of stuffing my bra with freaking grenades.
“Why would anyone come here?”
I hadn’t liked the idea of Sean leaving, but I knew I was a liability in a
fight. Maybe Loch had trained Rada to be a badass, but I knew my skill set:
dancing and dentistry. Rada turned away and leaned over as if she was
secreting a weapon inside her pants. Struth! I glanced around, waiting for
someone to jump out, shouting, “Fooled you.”
Rada turned back and gestured at the grenades again.
“What if I accidentally set one off?”
“To activate them, you must pull the pins out and release the arm. If you
put them in your bra, that won’t happen.” She showed me how they worked.
This felt like the time at junior school when Marie Jones forced me to
roll my skirt up, even though I knew Mamá and Abuela would go mad. The
stakes seemed a lot higher, though, like blowing-a-breast-off higher. I
humoured her and stuffed them into my bra. The cold metal dug into my
boobs, and although I had a baggy hoodie on, I looked like I’d grown to a
double F.
“Follow me.” Rada led me out of the room.
Craig was nowhere to be found. She took me to the lift and pressed the
lower-level button inside. The door opened into a blank corridor with
various doors off to the side. She scanned her fingerprint, and the door
clicked open. In the centre of the room, tied to a chair, was a bloodied man
with a swollen face and ginger hair.
“Is that Cian?”
 “Yes,” Rada spat.
The man looked up; dry blood marred his face, and his lips formed a
manic grin.
“You bitches have a death wish.”
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Sean and Loch finally found their rat,” Rada said, a knife suddenly in
her hand.
Cian was the traitor?
“What are you planning to do?” I squeaked.
“He will tell me the Stefanovs’ plan.”
Cian laughed. “You think if your husband couldn’t make me talk that
his two-bit whore would?”
The door slammed, and I whirled around. A hissing sound came from
the vent on the ceiling, and I listened in horror as gas pumped into the
room. Oh my god!
“What did you do?” Rada shouted as she rushed to the keypad, but her
fingerprint didn’t work.
Cian struggled against his bindings. “Don’t fucking gas me too! Get me
out of here!” he screamed at some unseen person.
I tried to hold my breath, but the need to breathe was overpowering with
the flood of adrenaline, pushing my heart rate up. The first lungful I sucked
tasted sweet, and my head immediately went woozy. I turned in slow
motion and saw Rada slumping as she banged against the door. I staggered,
the room spinning, and my knees hit the floor as I stumbled forward.

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T humping inside my skull woke me, and I rolled over, nausea turning my
stomach. Oh no. What did I drink? I blinked my eyes open into a dimly lit
room. The surface beneath me was firm and cold. I wasn’t in bed.
Something firm dug into my boob, and I tried to lift my hand, but it was
bound in front of me with zip ties.
Pieces came back to me. Sean leaving… Rada in a weapons room…
And the rat, Cian, tied to a chair… Gas… someone gassed us. Someone
was working with Cian! Although he seemed angry at getting gassed along
with us.
I groaned, rolling to sit up. My heart slammed against my rib cage. I
spotted Rada across the room. At first, I thought she was slumped forward,
but she was moving with small, jerky movements. Suddenly, her hands
sprang apart, and she moved to the zip ties on her feet, making quick work
with her knife on the zip ties.
“You’re awake,” she whispered as she stumbled towards me.
Her thin razor snapped through my binding, and I rubbed at the red
marks on my wrists as she cut the ones at my ankles. The blade folded back
into a bracelet I’d not seen before.
“Where are we?”
“No idea.”
She turned away and bent double, jiggling. I realised she was fetching
the weapon she had stashed. She produced a sheath, wiped it off, and
removed a blade, which she flicked open.
 “Do I want to know where that came from?”
“Inside me. I vowed never to be a captive again.” She held the blade up,
and it caught the light. “Have you still got your bra stuffing?”
The uncomfortable feeling against my chest told me that both the
grenades made it, although a quick check told me my ankle knife hadn’t.
“You know head and neck anatomy. Aim for the eyes and the arteries,”
Rada said as she fished a smaller blade from her bra and handed it to me.
What?
I stared at the knife, its warmth heating my palm. Before I could protest,
she banged on the door.
“Rada!” I hissed, gripping the knife.
The door swung outwards, and Rada launched herself at the man on the
other side. My heart lurched in my chest. She slashed at his neck, and blood
sprayed out in a wide arc. The guy toppled forward, and she slammed her
knee into his stomach, grabbing his gun. I watched in horror as he clawed at
his neck and wet gurgling sounds erupted from his throat.
“We need to go.” Rada’s face was oddly blank.
I swallowed down the vomit that had risen from my stomach and closed
my eyes. Oh my god. I stepped over his body as he took his last rasping
breaths.
“Come on.” Rada tugged me forward, smearing blood across my grey
hoodie sleeve.
I stumbled along behind her, part of my brain knowing we had been
brought to a dangerous place, and the other part dissociated from what was
happening.
We peered around the corner of what looked like a factory, with faint
machinery noises in the background. The double doors at the end of the
corridor had round windows. We crept along to the end and looked through.
I froze at the scene. Sean and Loch were bound and huddled on the floor in
the middle of the room. Multiple men paced the periphery with guns. Cian
looked dreadful, gesturing to another man with similar coloured hair that I
didn’t recognise. Footsteps behind us shot panic through my veins.
“Hide,” Rada hissed, pushing me behind a stack of crates by the door.
Frozen, I crouched behind the boxes, but instead of joining me, she
whirled around to meet whoever was coming. Shouting in Bulgarian forced
my eyes shut, and I shook as memories from that night washed over me.
Scuffling and grunting made me curl into a ball.
 “How the fuck did she get out?” a male voice said as the door opened.
“Fuck you,” Rada shouted.
“You’ll pay for that, you fucking whore.”
A slap rang out, and an inhuman roar came from inside the room. I
recognised it as Loch. The sound was frightening.
“I’m going to enjoy fucking you in front of your husband,” the cruel
voice mocked.
“We have business to attend to.” A voice I’d recognise anywhere sent a
fresh wave of terror through me.
Boyan Stefanov was a few feet from where I hid.
“Check for Sean’s bitch,” the unfamiliar voice hissed before the door
swung shut and footsteps faded away.
I shrank further behind the boxes and tried to make my ragged breathing
quiet with my sleeve, trembling with suppressed memories of hiding as they
took Mamá’s body away.
Was it my destiny to hide and cower as these people killed the ones I
loved? I dug my fingernails into my palms, needing the bite of pain to reign
in my hysteria. Breathe. I refused to do this again. Sean, Loch, and Rada
weren’t dead. Focus! I pulled the two grenades from my bra. Sean said a
threat was sometimes enough. They couldn’t shoot me without having me
drop these. Could I threaten to drop them and get them to release Sean and
Loch? Hell, who was I kidding?
I silently prayed to Mamá, asking for her strength. Pulling the pins out
with my teeth, I curled my fist around the arm thingy. Rada gave it a name,
but I was frightened out of my mind and wasn’t sure I could remember my
own name.
Leaving the pins on the ground, I took a deep breath and popped up to
peer through the door. Maybe I could safely throw one off to the side? Fuck.
I didn’t even know the blasting power of these things. This was all kinds of
fucked up.
“Freeze,” a voice behind me barked.
I jumped, almost dropping my grenades.
“Turn around slowly.”
I pivoted, keeping my hands slightly away from my body.
“Fuck,” said a guy dressed in black with a gun, his eyes glued to the
grenades. “Where are the fucking pins?”
“I swallowed them,” I said, unsure where that brain wave came from.
 “Crazy bitch. Step away from there.”
“Actually, I think I’ll go inside. If you shoot me and I drop them, we are
both dead.”
“Fuck.”
I backed against the doors and pushed them open with my butt.
“What the hell is this?” the unfamiliar voice greeted me, and I turned
away from the gunman, who hesitantly followed me into the room.
My confidence grew seeing the shocked expressions on the faces of the
men inside as I lifted my arms. The atmosphere shifted.
“Nobody move,” I shouted, my voice shaky.
“What are you going to do, you dumb bitch?” Cian shifted on his feet
next to the unfamiliar man.
My gaze found Sean behind them. His arms were restrained painfully,
and his eyes widened minutely before slipping back into a blank expression.
He tracked my hands along with everyone else. Rada and Loch gazed at me
with hard expressions.
A slow clap snapped my attention to a face that haunted my nightmares.
Boyan, the man who pretended to love my mamá for years only to abuse
her and then let his friends destroy her. I’d feared coming face-to-face with
him for a decade, But now, standing holding two live grenades, a livid rage
bubbled up inside me.
“You fucking pig,” I spat at him.
He grinned at me. “Such fire. Just like your mother. But that’s no way to
greet your father.”
Father! Everything inside me stilled, and my arms fell.

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T he fecking plan had gone to shite, and as we waited for Boyan to arrive, I
swear I could hear Pa fucking laughing from his grave. “That’s what you
get for trusting people, Seany-boy.” Well, fuck off, old man.
I ground my teeth, working on my bindings as I sat on the floor of one
of our older warehouses. My shoulder throbbed, and blood trickled down
my chest where the stitches had burst open after Cian drove his thumb into
the wound. He would die painfully. Rage simmered inside me. He was
supposed to be tied up at home, but I’d missed a crucial player in the game.
Fecking Uncle Declan.
The double-crossing bastard had never been dead. I’d seen his body
briefly but had not suspected Cian then. That part had been more recent,
and the information Liam sent me yesterday proved the money-siphoning
source. Torturing the little shite hadn’t helped because, despite pretending
to be the mastermind, he knew little of the broader plan. Presumably, Uncle
Declan had promised him more power in their newly snatched organisation.
Good luck with that, boys.
Declan’s 'Lazarus’ moment was the only reason they got the jump on us
at the main warehouse after we visited the club's burnt-out shell. I wasn’t
expecting to see him, and that momentary shock was enough. That and nine
guys – ten, if you count the one Loch managed to kill.
Fuming, I kept my face a blank mask. I needed Boyan here to clear this
mess up. Things hadn’t gone to plan, but I was confident my inside man
would adapt to the circumstances. I needed to get Amy before she woke up.
 Cian had woken up effing and jeffing about Uncle Declan drugging him
along with the girls. He taunted me that Amy had been hog-tied, and I
added it to my mental tally of pain I’d be dolling out to him. Torture was
too good for that traitor.
Uncle Declan was strutting about like a peacock, waiting for his new
best buddy, Stefanov, to arrive. He’d always been a pain in the arse, and I’d
only avenged his death because he was family. In truth, I was well shot of
him. Except, I fecking wasn’t shot of him at all.
“After this, I’ll be the boss, just as I should have been after Connall’s
death.”
“Shite for brains,” Loch mumbled.
I laughed, a deep, reverberating laugh, and Cian darted forward, pistol-
whipping me across the face. The pain exploded across my cheek, and I
laughed harder, spitting blood onto the floor.
“You couldn’t head up a girl guide troop, you fecking eejit.”
Declan’s face was a contorted mask as he grabbed my chin, forcing my
head up.
“I’ll start by fucking that stripper bitch in all her holes.”
“For that, I’ll skin your dick first.”
He punched me, and my head snapped to the side.
“Teenage girls hit harder than you, Declan.” I sneered at him as the
room spun lightly.
Shouting from outside the room pulled my attention to the double doors.
Declan stormed over and dragged them open.
“How the fuck did she get out?” he shouted into the corridor.
Who? My heart thrashed against my rib cage.
“Fuck you,” Rada screamed, followed by the unmistakable sound of
spitting.
Loch stiffened at my side.
“You’ll pay for that, you fucking whore.” A slap rang out into the room.
Loch roared, his enormous frame lurching forward, straining to stand.
One of Declan’s lackeys kicked him in the chest, and he crashed back
down.
“I’m going to enjoy fucking you in front of your husband,” Declan
mocked.
“We have business to attend to.” Boyan Stefanov swept past Declan and
into the room.
 Declan dragged Rada inside and motioned for his men to tie her up.
Cian kicked Loch in the ribs while he was on the floor. The fucking coward
wouldn’t take him on unrestrained.
Petar and Viktor Stefanov followed their father inside. Petar was
everything our surveillance footage confirmed. He was shorter than his
brother and had greasy hair and manic darting eyes. He held his weapon in
his twitchy right hand. Viktor was the picture of calm as his cold, pale blue
eyes swept the room. Tattoos crawled up his neck and across the backs of
his hands, but he was dressed smartly in a suit. His eyes flickered over me
without recognition.
Was Amy out there too? Everyone was going to die. I ground my jaw,
praying for patience and working the biting plastic-free. I hated that the
plan had taken this turn. They deposited a tied-up Rada next to Loch, who
shuffled towards her.
“Three for the price of one deal.” Declan smirked, gesturing at us.
The door opened again, pulling everyone’s attention.
“What the hell is this?” Declan shouted.
The man had lost the room. And he thought he’d take my organisation
from me.
My heart stopped as Amy walked in, gripping a grenade in each hand. A
guy with a gun followed her, looking ready to piss himself.
“Who gave Amy grenades?” I murmured, casting a glance at Rada, who
looked smug.
Jesus wept.
“Nobody move,” she shouted, her voice wavering.
My queen. As much as I hated her being here and so close to explosives,
I couldn’t help but feel pride at her entrance.
“What are you going to do, you dumb bitch?” Cian said angrily, but he
looked nervous.
Her wild gaze found mine, and I locked my eyes with hers.
“Fecking hell,” Loch muttered next to me.
A slow clap caused Amy to twist. The grenades moved in a wide arc as
she turned to Boyan. This was precisely what I wanted her to avoid. To my
surprise, her face contorted with rage, and she spat at his feet.
“You fucking pig.”
His grin told me he was about to shatter her with his words and heat
flushed through my body. I wanted to explode forward and silence him.
 “Such fire. Just like your mother. But that’s no way to greet your
father.”
Amy jolted with shock, and her hands fell to her sides. The men around
the room threw themselves to the ground.
“No!” I shouted, causing her to jump and clutch the grenades to her
chest, her frame trembling.
A gunshot rang out, and Declan slumped to the ground. Boyan dropped
his gun hand back down.
“What did you do?” Cian gaped at him.
Declan’s feckless men scrambled to their feet, guns raised, but Viktor
and Petar picked them off with ease and levelled their weapons at Cian,
pinning him in place.
I watched Amy like a hawk, every gunshot sending a flinch through her
body.
Silence rang out as the last of Declan’s men slumped to the ground. Two
men I recognised now lay blindly unseeing on their backs. Great, fewer
traitors to kill later.
Boyan ignored Cian. His eyes were on his daughter. “Where are the
pins, dashte?”
“I swallowed them.” Amy’s voice was thick with tears.
My protective instincts raged with the need to gather her up. I hated
this.
Boyan cursed in Bulgarian.
“What the fuck is going on?” Cian screamed, but he wasn’t asking
Boyan. He was talking to Petar, whose shifty eyes darted around, avoiding
his gaze.
“Isn’t this what you wanted? To kill your uncle so that you could be the
Irish King.” Boyan’s voice was mocking, his accent growing thicker with
his sarcasm. “Except you didn’t make that deal with me.” He nodded to
Viktor. “Kill him.”
“But—” Petar started.
Viktor put a bullet through his brother’s head, and he slumped to the
floor in a heap. Amy gasped, clutching the grenades to her chest. Don’t drop
them yet, a chuisle. I urged her, catching her terrified eyes. She backed
against the wall, shivering violently.
“You made a deal with my traitorous son. Do you think I don’t know
everything that goes on in my house?” Boyan carried on conversationally as
if he hadn’t just ordered one of his children to kill the other.
Not everything, old man.
“I’ve got an opening for a child now,” Boyan said, turning to Amy and
smiling like a crocodile.
“You’re crazy,” Cian screamed, waving his gun around.
“You’ve still got a deal. Put that down, you stupid boy,” Boyan spat.
Cian’s eyes swung around the room, catching on me. I stared back. It’s
time to pay the piper, cousin.
He twisted back to Boyan and fired. Boyan’s man, who had trailed Amy
into the room, immediately shot back. Boyan staggered, bending double,
and Cian gasped, falling forward as blood bloomed on his chest. He half
turned towards me, and I sneered at him.
“You got off lightly, you fucking traitor,” I said as he gurgled his last
breaths.
Amy had slid fully down the wall now, her eyes wide and knuckles
white around the grenades. Hold on, a chuisle.
“Get him out of here,” Viktor barked at the guy who shot Cian,
motioning towards his father.
“Kill them and bring your new sister.” Boyan coughed, tearing open a
bulletproof vest. Fucker hadn’t been shot after all. Although he looked like
shit, wheezing and gripping his chest as his henchman helped him up and
out of the room.
Viktor watched them leave, then stalked over, his gun drawn.
“No!” Amy screeched, scrambling to her feet awkwardly while holding
her grenades.
“Call off your woman,” Viktor said, a smirk on his lips.
“Fecking untie me, you eejit,” I hissed.
“Sorry, I don’t speak Carney.”
I glared at him for that slur. The prick was enjoying this.
“Wait, Amy. Just hold those grenades. Viktor is with us.”
She blinked at me in shock.
“It’s not my fault your shitty plan went sideways.” He produced a flick
blade and sliced through the bindings.
“Where has your father gone?”
“He’s about to meet someone very special.” Viktor smirked.
“That wasn’t the plan. He was going to meet Loch’s tool selection in the
warehouse.”
 “But torture is so messy and slow,” Viktor mused.
His accent was much less pronounced than his father’s.
I rubbed at my torn wrists and flexed my hand as pain lanced down
from my shoulder. As soon as I staggered to my feet, I grabbed Amy. She
fell against me, crying. I cradled her hands, making sure she kept hold of
the grenades.
“Do we need to be on shite watch until you pass those pins? Or did you
not swallow them?” I asked her.
“No.” She hiccupped. “They are behind the crate outside.”
“Might as well use them to start the fire.” Viktor mused.
“Of course, you wouldn’t have a problem with arson on my property,” I
said.
“Naturally,” he replied, smirking.
“What is going on?” Rada’s voice shook as she glared at Viktor from
Loch’s arms.
“There is a change in Stefanov’s leadership,” I said.
“Why are you aligning yourself with them? Fucking traffickers.” She
glared first at me, then at Loch.
“Viktor plans to clean up his organisation. He hates trafficking and is
shutting it down. Our organisations will work together just as we planned
originally.”
We both knew alliances were more lucrative than war.
“We’ve been working to our mutual benefit for months. But we needed
to flush out the traitors. Viktor’s brother made a deal with Declan for a
different alliance,” I said.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she rounded on Loch.
Someone was in trouble. He began frantically trying to explain to her in
a low voice.
“No, Loch. We could work with him to find my sister!”
“We will. I only just found all this out!” Loch sent me an angry look.
“If he closes down the trafficking, we might never find her,” she
sobbed.
Viktor was studying the exchange with a curious expression.
“Did you know he was my father?” Amy’s tear-stained face suddenly
held the same accusation.
I could have lied and told her I didn’t believe she was Boyan’s daughter.
“I suspected it.”
 The hurt behind her eyes cut into me deeper than the press of Cian’s
finger into my gunshot wound.
“I guess that makes you my half-sister,” Viktor said. “Pass me those.”
He carefully took the grenades from Amy, and I pulled her into my arms.
My heart sank as I realised how stiff she was.
“Let’s go. You can throw them in from the rear door,” I said, heading for
the fire exit.
Viktor jogged along with us. “Run,” he barked as we reached the door.
We flung ourselves into the field behind the warehouse at a dead run. A
distant clanging and feet pounding behind me told me Viktor had chucked
the grenades and was running, too.
The explosion burst into the night, and a wave of momentum threw us
forward. I landed on top of Amy, who screamed. Loch rolled forward,
clutching Rada. I turned back to see the colossal fireball engulfing the
warehouse. I scrambled off Amy, checking her for injuries, but she just
huddled in on herself.
“Who is dealing with your father?” I asked Viktor as he stumbled to his
feet.
“The Surgeon. He’ll send me proof of death.”
I blinked at him. The notorious psycho-for-hire and serial killer the
media called the Surgeon had Boyan.
“How the hell did you get him to agree?”
Word was you couldn’t pay him to take jobs. He was the unhinged
bogeyman of the mob world – no allegiances, no allies, and no trace of him.
“He came to me, saying he had a score to settle with my father. He said
he knew we were working together.”
“How the hell did a psycho like that know when I only just found out?”
Loch asked.
A million questions burst into my head, all of them about security and
leaks.
“Don’t ask me how he knew. The guy’s crazy,” Viktor said, dusting his
suit off.
Amy started laughing maniacally. “Someone crazier than you guys.”
She doubled over, wheezing, and then retched, throwing up onto the
grass.
I grabbed her waist, but she batted at my hand ineffectually and then
tried to twist away. I yanked her against me. She wasn’t pulling away from
me now.
“I want proof too,” I told Viktor.
“Oh, I think he plans to visit you himself.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“I think you’ve got an admirer.” Viktor smirked.
“We need to get out of here,” Loch said, cradling Rada in a bridal carry.
She seemed lost to her demons.
The sirens were pulling closer as we jogged back to the cars. Amy
wouldn’t look at me, but I didn’t let her go. I didn’t care how long it took
her to come around. She wasn’t going anywhere.

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 32

A my remained stiff all the way home. Once alone in our room, I crowded
her in the shower and stripped her clothes. She shivered and stared at the
floor.
“I didn’t know for sure he was your father, but I knew it would break
your heart. It doesn’t matter who your sperm donor was. Just as it doesn’t
matter who mine was.”
“How did you find out?” she asked in a small voice.
“Thomas did a more in-depth background check. He found Boyan took
over the club your mother worked for. They started an affair, but she moved
away when she found out she was pregnant. She had you and returned to
work at a different club. But he eventually found her. He was in and out of
your lives after that. He had other illegitimate children, but Petar gradually
killed them all off.”
She gasped, her eyes flying up to mine. I yanked her underwear off and
backed her under the spray.
“Viktor is the only one of Stefanovs with a set of brain cells. I met him a
few years ago at an investment dinner. He was working to bring their gang
into the business sphere. He hates people trafficking. The deal that
supposedly resulted in Uncle Declan’s death was our first attempt at a small
alliance. Unfortunately, we both trusted the wrong people.” I gestured for
her to squeeze some shower gel into my good hand and began washing her.
“How did you find out?” she murmured.
 “Viktor contacted me after everything happened, but it took a while for
us to trust each other again. Eventually, we realised there was a rat on both
sides. However, working out who was behind it took even longer.” I sighed.
“Boyan enjoyed playing the brothers off against each other, and everything
was harder to prove with him in prison. Petar finally showed his hand to
Viktor, and he alerted me last night, which was why Cian was in the cells.”
She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. I tugged her into my
body.
“My gut told me that Cian was involved, but my brain told me he was
too dumb to pull it off. I couldn’t find the proof to back up my hunch. I
didn’t want to execute a member of my family on a whim. The men didn’t
blink when I killed my father because they had lost that much faith in him
and lived in constant fear of him turning on them. Some fear is good, but
excess breeds disloyalty.” I hung my head. “What I never expected, and
regret not considering, was that Uncle Declan was still alive. It meant I
didn’t look in the right places for my traitor.”
That stupid assumption could have gotten us all killed.
“It’s not your fault,” Amy breathed.
“It is. I am the boss. You could have been harmed, and that is
unacceptable.”
“Even if I’m his daughter?” Tears welled in her eyes.
“I told you I didn’t care about that. It might be hard for you to accept,
but it doesn’t change how I feel about you. You are my heart.” I cupped her
cheek.
She nuzzled into me, and I wished I could take away the devastation
behind her eyes. I shucked my drenched shirt off, and Amy’s eyes flew to
the bloody, reopened wound on my shoulder.
“Oh, Sean.” She made a choked noise as her hands hovered over me.
“No tears, a chuisle. We start our new life now. There’s no more war
with the Bulgarians. Viktor and I will hammer out a new deal that sees us
build a stable alliance. They have the supply chains we need, and we have
the merchandise. Their trafficking rings will go, and we’ll form a
collaboration that strengthens us both.”
“How can you trust him?”
“Trust is earned. So far, Viktor has proven he’s trustworthy. But half-
brother or not, if he double-crosses me, he’s dead. However, I don’t believe
he would back down from this.”
 My father would never have trusted someone like Viktor Stefanov. But I
wasn’t my father, and I built my empire – far bigger than his ever was –
based on calculated risk.
“I’m not sure how I feel about Viktor,” Amy confessed.
“You don’t have to feel anything for him. Family is what you choose it
to be. You get to surround yourself with your people; they don’t have to be
blood. Aithníonn ciaraóg ciaraóg eile.”
“What does that mean?”
“Roughly, it translates to ‘one beetle recognises another.’ In other
words, you find your people or beetles.”
“Beetles? You are crazy.”
“Crazy about you.” I pressed her back against the tiles and kissed her
pouty lips.
She kissed me back, then shoved at my uninjured shoulder. I pulled
back, ready to ease off. While I wanted to distract her with orgasms, she’d
been through a lot.
“I’m still mad at you,” she said, but her eyes were hooded.
“Let’s see if I can help with that.” I dropped to my knees and grabbed
her thigh, pulling her pussy to my face. “Tell me to stop, a chuisle.”
“Don’t stop.” She cupped the back of my head.
The water streamed down us as I buried my tongue in her folds. She
gasped, grabbing my hair and thrusting her pelvis against me. I drowned in
the taste of her as I licked and sucked, centring on her clit and harassing it
with my tongue. My dick pulsed painfully against the confines of the damp
fabric of my trousers. Her taste exploded across my tongue, and I poured all
my obsession with her into my efforts, circling her clit mercilessly.
“Sean!” she cried as I sucked it into my mouth.
She ground her pussy against me, and her hands slipped for purchase
against the tiles. I gripped her thigh as she squirmed, working her into a
frenzy with rapid strokes. Her panting breaths increased as I licked her. I
flexed my tongue, and she came with a scream. I lapped up her release as
she shivered above me.
I stood up, licking my lips, and her dazed expression was just what I
wanted to see as I tugged the button on my trousers open, ripping down the
wet material and freeing my cock.
“Have you had enough?” I asked her.
 She eyed my cock and bit her lip. I hated that I couldn’t pick her up
properly with my injured arm. As if reading my mind, she turned and stuck
out her peachy arse. I leaned down and bit it lightly, and she squealed.
“Hands on the wall,” I told her, and she resumed her position.
Sliding my cock through her wet cheeks, I couldn’t wait as I pressed
inside her. She moaned and gripped me with her silky walls.
“Fuck.” I grabbed her shoulder as I bottomed out, bliss rising in my
spine. “You are mine. You aren’t going anywhere, and if I need to keep you
on my cock until you believe it, brainwash you with orgasms, then I will.”
She pulsed around me and moaned.
“You looked fucking hot walking into that room with two grenades.” I
shuttled into her, violently fucking her.
My fear over her safety and the adrenaline of the evening fuelled my
crazed movements – the need to reassert my ownership of her beat at my
temples.
“So fucking dangerous. So fucking mine.”
“Sean! Harder.”
“You want it harder.” I gripped her shoulder, doubling down my thrusts
as she moaned.
Our skin slapped together with the water raining down across us. The
madness took over, and pressure built at the base of my spine. She felt like
heaven, and my climax raced up towards me far too fast. I wanted to fill her
up repeatedly.
“You might want to hate me, but you can’t. You are mine. All fucking
mine,” I raged, pounding in and out of her hot, wet heat. “Come on my
cock.”
She tightened around me, gasping my name and sending me over the
edge. I spilt into her as pleasure filled me right to my fingertips. A few more
jerky thrusts, and I glanced down, watching my cum dripping out of her.
Fuck. That sight made my cock jerk with one last spurt. I pulled out and
used my fingers to scoop some back into her. She moaned about being over-
sensitive. I relented and turned her around. She melted into me, and I tilted
her lips up to mine, kissing her.
“I’ll organise the priest for the weekend. We’ll get married here.”
She blinked up at me, the post-orgasm haze clearing. “What?”
“You heard me. I don’t want any doubt in your mind that I belong to
you, and you belong to me.”
 She shook her head in disbelief, and I tugged her into my chest.
Loch got Rada’s name tattooed on him as a wedding gift to her. I
thought he might be onto something and decided to cover up some of my
faded tattoos because they reminded me of stupid teenage choices.
Choosing Amy wasn’t a choice I’d ever regret.

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 33

B ran and S ceólang trotted next to me as I walked through the garden.

The air was cold and the ground frosty, but being outside felt nice.
Yesterday seemed like a terrible dream. I woke multiple times in the night,
drenched in sweat from running away from burning buildings and tripping
over dead men.
Sean was getting an antibiotic infusion, and I slipped outside. He was a
force of nature, and I was in danger of being swept up by him for the rest of
our lives. Now that the threat had passed, I needed to think. I’d never truly
contemplated what freedom from the Stefanov gang might mean – never
having to look over my shoulder again.
The barbed wire on the fence reminded me that Sean’s business was
hardly safe, even if the latest enemy was defeated. Did I want that for my
life? Was it in my blood from my father? Was that why I’d accepted it so
easily? It’s because you’ve fallen in love with him.
Sean said he didn’t care who my father was, but I could barely accept it.
Why did my mamá never tell me? We shared everything, and this lie
seemed so large. I ran over my memories of seeing Boyan, which weren’t
very many. Nothing made more sense through that lens, and comprehension
didn’t dawn. I wished I could speak to her. She probably wanted to protect
me.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my chest tight. Bran whined next to me, and I
patted her head. The thoughts rolled around, and I wished I could switch
them off.
 I resumed walking and reached a patch of freshly turned earth as an
elderly man walked around the corner with a wheelbarrow. A terrible smell
hit my nostrils.
“You must be the reason for the roses,” the man said.
“Hello?” I said, unsure who he was.
“The name’s Albert. I’m the gardener.” He touched the end of his flat
cap and walked past me with the smelly wheelbarrow.
“What is that smell?”
“Manure for the roses. Do you like ’em or something? Sean has never
asked for specific flowers in the garden before. Bloomin’ roses are a pain in
the backside to grow,” he grumbled.
Did I like roses?
“Is your name Rose?” He peered at me.
I went to say no, then realised it was. Rosa. Maybe these were for me.
Albert didn’t seem bothered that I hadn’t answered him. I watched as he
shovelled the manure onto the ground, muttering about it being the wrong
time of the year to plant roses.
“They are going to look like twigs. I’m not sure why he wants them in
so fast.”
“The wedding,” I remembered what Sean said in the shower last night.
He wanted to marry me. He told me it was this weekend.
“You don’t sound excited about a wedding, missie. I thought girls liked
planning those things.”
“I…”
He paused, leaning on his shovel. “Better tell a man if you have cold
feet. There’s no point in starting a life together with lies. That is the way to
misery. Mark my words, missie.” He wagged a gloved finger at me.
It wasn’t that I didn’t love Sean, but…
“It’s not that. I don’t know if I have a choice.”
I thought about Sean steamrolling his way into my life and all the
decisions he’d made without me. He said he would do better, but maybe I
wasn’t firm enough because he hadn’t. Not by keeping the information
about Boyan from me and unilaterally deciding on a wedding this weekend.
Maybe I got swept up in the relief of someone taking care of me, protecting
me, loving me. I may have decided to take the plunge with him, but the
events of the last few days left my head reeling. Was I ready to be his wife?
 “I’ve met many people in my time. Supposedly good men, law-abiding,
upstanding citizens. Plenty of ’em would stab you in the back as soon as
look at you. But Sean? What you see is what you get. He looks after his
family, that one. If you’re his woman, I’d wager you could ask for the
moon, and he’d try to pull it out of the sky for you.”
I hummed. That was probably true. He’d done so much for me already.
“Gotta put your foot down, that’s all. Give him a red card.”
I laughed at the football reference and imagined pulling out a red card
from my pocket every time Sean went over the top. I might have been
growing in confidence, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for that.
“Go on with you now. I don’t want you to get cold or Sean thinking I
might be tryin’ to steal you.”
“He is a jealous man.” I shook my head, thinking of his previous antics.
It was equally as frustrating as it was flattering.
I said goodbye to Albert, and the dogs trotted behind me as I returned to
the house.
“Do you not want to marry me?” Sean’s voice startled me, and I
screamed.
The dogs barked, and my heart raced inside my chest. My eyes flew to
where his voice came from. He leaned against the wall behind a bush,
shirtless and wearing only jogging bottoms.
He looked as delicious as he did dressed up, but my breath caught at the
look on his face.
“What are you doing out here?”
“Looking for my fiancée. You weren’t in the house.”
“So you were spying on me?”
“I got here in time to hear you tell Albert you had cold feet.” He looked
devastated.
“I didn’t mean that. I just…”
“You just what? Do you still think I’m like Boyan? Do you think you’ll
end up like your mother?” He ran a hand through his hair.
I snapped my mouth shut because, despite everything, I didn’t think that
anymore. Then, the realisation hit me that what bothered me the most was
that I wanted to be his equal.
“I don’t like it when you make all the decisions. You don’t treat me as
an equal. You’ve done so much for me, but like drugging me, you took
away my choice, and now you’re telling me the wedding is in a few days. I
love you, Sean, but I don’t know if I’m ready.”
A lump lodged in my throat.
He searched my face. “Okay, we’ll wait.”
“Just like that?”
“Albert isn’t wrong when he said I would fetch the moon from the sky
for you. I thought getting married would help you know I wanted you
forever.” He dragged a hand down his face. “But I can see how it looks. I
promised to tell you more, but I didn’t. I’ve always made decisions based
on what I think is best. I’m sorry. It will take time, a chuisle. Will you give
me time?”
The vulnerable look on his face wasn’t one I’d ever seen. I moved
towards him and placed my hands on his chest. His skin was cold for once.
“Of course. I love you, but I want to be your partner, not your
possession.”
He nodded, closing his eyes and dropping his forehead to mine.
“We need to talk about the jealousy.”
“No,” he mumbled.
“No?”
“I’ll never not be jealous of other men around you.”
“You don’t trust me?”
“It’s them I don’t trust.”
“Could you try?” I blinked at him, and he grumbled, looking up at the
sky.
“I’ll try.”
“What if we have a warning system?” I grinned at him, already feeling
lighter.
“A warning system?” He raised his eyebrows.
“Yeah, like a yellow card, red card.”
“I’m not letting you talk to Albert again.”
“Why? He has the best ideas.”
He curved his good arm around me. “What’s the punishment for being
sent off?”
“No sex.”
“Harsh.”
“It would hurt me too,” I admitted because he had turned me into a
raging nympho.
 “Oh yeah?” His lips curled up.
I was glad the desolate look in his eyes was gone, replaced by mischief.
“I’ll call things off for the weekend.”
I stared at him. Was that what I wanted? Now I knew he would put it off
for me.
“Well…”
“You’re killing me, a chuisle,” he groaned.
“I’m sorry; my head is a bit messed up. I think I just wanted the
choice.”
He barked a short laugh. “Okay, that makes very little sense.”
“It makes sense to my girl logic,” I grumbled.
He stepped back and dropped to one knee.
“A chuisle. My pulse. My reason to breathe. Will you make me a semi-
honest man this weekend and become Mrs O’Sullivan?” He blinked up at
me, and that damn dimple popped out.
I smiled at him, and genuine happiness burst across my chest for the
first time since I had found out about my father.
“Yes.”
He grabbed me with his good arm, twirling me around. The dogs
barked, and I giggled. He slid me down his front and kissed me deeply.
“No more talk of having no choice, a chuisle. You are my queen.”
“I love you,” I said, and I meant it.
It didn’t matter who my father was or what happened in the past. My
mamá loved me and tried to protect me in her own way. I had survived
alone for a long time, but now I had Sean. All that mattered was building
our lives together, and I’d make some red cards to ensure he stayed in line.

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 34

A my ’ s hair fanned the pillows, and her face finally looked relaxed in
sleep. Her words earlier nearly broke me. Hearing her say she had no choice
but to marry me. It flashed me back to Ma, and all the work I’d done to
avoid becoming my father came crashing down. I was a ruthless bastard
who called the shots and backed them up with unilateral actions. I realised
I’d pushed Loch away and left Amy feeling trapped. The jealous, possessive
beast inside my chest wasn’t going anywhere, but I could curb the ruthless
decision-making when it came to her.
I leaned back against the headboard, too wired to sleep. My shoulder
was aching again like a bitch. Dr Ali had re-sutured it and had me on a
course of antibiotics. Fuck knows where Cian’s dirty finger had been.
My phone buzzed on the bedside table.
Unknown: Meet me in the library

Adrenaline hit my senses. I grabbed my gun and pulled on my boxers.

In seconds, I was outside the library, staring at a blank video feed on my
phone. The screen should have shown me the interior, but it just showed me
fuzz. I cracked the door open. A figure sat in the shadows of the stacks.
“Who the fuck are you?” I asked, despite my suspicions.
“You know who I am.” His voice was smooth and accentless.
“How did you get into my home?”
He leaned forward into a pool of light from the desk lamp. His dark,
jaw-length hair fell into his face, but his light blue-green eyes stopped me in
my tracks.
“I’ve got Ma’s eyes,” he said, answering my unvoiced thought.
He spread his tattoo-covered hands out, showing he held no weapon.
“I’ve wanted to meet you for so long. I’ve imagined what we might talk
about so many times. You’ve done impressive things, brother.”
Denial crowded my head just as surely as certainty rang through me.
“Why should I believe you?”
He stood, and I trained my gun on him. He raised his hands again and
slowly turned and lifted his shirt. A large brown birthmark spanned his left
flank.
It was shaped exactly as Ma described the “curse mark.” She used to cry
about how her boy was marked for death before he was even born.
“There’s a folder on the desk with a selection of evidence. I don’t expect
you to believe me.”
“How did you survive as a baby when they declared you were dead?”
“I wasn’t breathing at first, and Connall ordered me disposed of. They
took me away, but a nurse noticed I’d begun breathing. She stole me from
the hospital and sold me on.”
Sold him on? The fuck?
“Where did you grow up?”
“In a training orphanage in bumfuck nowhere until they moved me to
Europe.”
He’d remained in the States. My gut told me he was telling the truth, but
with the recent betrayal, my brain didn’t want to believe it. However, his
eyes were the exact shade as Ma’s.
“Are you going to shoot me, brother?”
“Jury’s out.”
“On shooting me or the sibling thing?” He cocked his head.
Cheeky bastard.
“Do we have a sister too?”
His face darkened. “No, she died.”
I slumped down in a chair nearby and watched him.
He settled back into his seat. “I thought you’d at least try to shoot me.”
I grunted, not quite ready to give up that idea.
“I know that blood has recently betrayed you, and I’m not here to sit
around with a beer and shoot the shit, but I have bought you a present.”
He nudged a box next to his foot.
 “You’ve bought me body parts.”
“Your favourite. Boyan is dead. He was involved with the ring that
bought and sold me. Unfortunately, for them, they were a little too effective
in training killers.” He grinned manically.
“What makes you think I want his head?”
“I knew you’d want proof.”
I nodded. “How did you get in?”
He wagged his finger at me. “I can’t give away all my secrets.”
Fuck’s sake.
“Why now?”
“It was the right time. I needed to work to get Boyan out on a
technicality.”
“Why not kill him inside?”
“And miss the light leaving his eyes? Never.”
He sounded like me.
“What do you want?”
“I always thought you would remain like me, a lone wolf, but watching
you with your woman has intrigued me with the idea of family.”
I stiffened. “What do you mean watching me?”
“Nothing like that.” He waved away my raised gun.
“You look happier. The concept fascinates me.”
He made me sound like a science project.
“How long have you known about me?”
“A decade.”
That rocked through me.
“And you never thought to make contact?”
“I never needed to.”
I realised how lucky I was to have Loch and now Amy at my side.
Without them, I might have been a soulless bastard like this man.
“What’s your name?” I set my gun on the table.
There was no point in pretending I would shoot him.
“Not the one that Ma gave me. I was never a Patrick. Rik, maybe, but
no. My name is Mason.”
Patrick and Anna were the names she wept over even before she lost her
mind.
All this time, he survived. They called Mason – my brother, the
Surgeon. He hid many of his mob kills as the work of a serial killer.
 “Why the theatrics with the stitches?”
He smiled. “Distraction. It began as an accident. A client wanted the
liver. Fuck knows what for, but I stitched him back up. I didn’t want
intestines all over my body bag. After a while, it became useful if I wanted
to dispose of a body. Blame it on a serial killer. The men I killed weren’t
missed and never connected. It’s kept them guessing for years.” He
smirked.
“Smart.”
The amusement drained from his eyes. “You killed Connall.”
“I did.”
“Good. I saw Mother.”
“You visited her?”
“No, just from afar. I don’t think her fractured mind could take a visit.”
I nodded because I agreed. Ma probably wouldn’t recognise him, but
nothing good would come from it.
He stood abruptly. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Where are you going?”
“Back to the States. I’ve got one more pig to roast.”
Walking with him to the entrance was a surreal experience.
“Maybe one day we can have that beer.”
I nodded at him and watched him walk off down the drive. That was
weird as fuck. My highly trained guard dogs nuzzled him as they trotted by
his side. Bloody traitors. I found out two things tonight. I had a brother, and
I needed a complete security upgrade.

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 35

T he sunlight glinted off Sean’s dark hair.

“I do,” he replied, his green eyes burning into mine.
My chest burst with joy as he smirked at me, and that damn dimple
popped out.
“With the power vested in me, I pronounce you man and wife.” The
balding priest’s voice shook.
We all knew his power only extended to marrying inside his church, but
somehow, Sean ensured he married us on the grounds. The poor man looked
ready to leave, but his fear didn’t dim my happiness. I was used to people
being terrified of my husband. True to his word, he arranged for us to get
married this weekend.
Sean dipped to kiss me, not waiting to be told.
“Wife,” he growled as he pulled away.
“Husband.”
The dimple reappeared, and he spun me to face a small crowd of family
and friends. The sun was out, and despite the frigid air, it warmed my face.
We’d been lucky with the weather.
A lump rose in my throat when my eyes caught on Antonia, my old
teacher. She beamed at me, dabbing at her eyes. Sean had tracked her down
and invited her. I’d ruined my makeup this morning when she came to see
me, telling me how proud my mamá would have been of me.
“Wait a moment,” Sean growled into my ear, making me pause.
 Music started, and a mariachi band appeared around the corner of the
house. All dressed in traditional clothes, they began to sing. My stomach
fluttered, and I gripped Sean’s arm. The song’s words about love and
devotion brought a lump to my throat. I glanced at Sean, who was staring
down at me with his intense gaze. The song crescendoed, and I revelled in
his thoughtfulness.
“Thank you.” I beamed at him.
“Anything for you, a chuisle.”
We kissed again until a wolf whistle rang out. I glanced up, knowing it
was Loch. He had Rada on his knee and was grinning.
We walked down the short aisle to the recently erected marquee, the
band’s music following us. The theme was hummingbirds, and I teared up
when I looked at one.
A server went to hand me a glass of champagne, and Sean growled at
him, snatching it away. The guy yipped and ran away.
“That’s my job.” He passed me the glass, and I giggled.
“Do you need a yellow card?”
He pulled me against him, clinking our glasses. “Not on our wedding
day. Wife,” he said possessively.
“Well then, you better behave.” I winked at him.
Loch walked over, towing Rada.
“Made an honest man of you.” He slapped Sean on the back.
Sean flipped him off. “Getting married didn’t work that way for you.”
They embraced each other, and I smiled at Rada. We’d grown closer,
but the ever-present sadness that followed her around lingered, and I wished
we could do more about her sister.
Two good-looking men, whom I recognised as the Steel Brothers,
appeared behind Loch. They had beautiful women by their sides, one
platinum blonde who looked heavily pregnant and the other dark-haired.
“Congratulations,” the dark-haired guy I knew to be Liam Reid said,
extending his hand to Sean.
Sean ignored his hand and pulled him into a hug. “Cousin.”
Liam slapped his back. “Worth saving your miserable arse all those
years ago, then.”
Sean laughed. “I’m a miserable arse?”
Liam scowled at him and extended his hand to me. Sean knocked it
away and glared at him.
 “How the tables turn. It’s nice to meet you finally,” Liam said, smirking
at me. “This is my wife, Chloe.” He indicated the pregnant blonde at his
side.
“You look stunning,” she said, smiling at me.
“Thank you.”
The golden-haired guy stepped forward. “Congratulations. I’m Oscar,
and this is my wife, Eve.” His posh voice was easy on the ear.
“Sir Oscar.” Sean tucked me under his arm.
Oscar rolled his eyes.
“I heard you were studying dentistry,” Eve said.
“Yes, there’s been a bit of disruption, but I’m returning in two weeks.” I
grinned at Sean.
“I bet it got disrupted. We’d love you and Rada to come sometime for a
girl’s night.”
Sean stiffened next to me. “At Steel Tower?” he asked.
“I’d love to,” I interrupted.
“We’ll need to work out security—” he began.
“Do you need that red card now?” I whispered to him, but evidently not
quietly enough because Liam’s fist flew to his mouth, stifling a laugh.
“Did you just red-card him?”
“I’ll pass their numbers through,” Sean said, cutting him off with a
glare.
Chloe and I giggled.
“How the mighty fall.” Liam winked.
“I’ve got some good stories to tell you about those two eejits,” Sean
whispered as the Steel Brothers and their other halves moved away.
I blinked up at him, and he winked at me.
Cat came over cautiously. A man in a suit followed her at a distance,
and Sean tracked his movement.
“Thank you for coming.” I hugged her. “Are you okay?”
Cat glanced around nervously. “Is the guy who helped me here? I
wanted to say thank you.”
“I’m so sorry about the flat,” I said, guilt flooding me.
“It’s okay. I’m staying at a nice place.” But her tone didn’t indicate that;
she seemed sad and defeated.
“Is everything okay? I can help you if you need it,” I whispered to her.
 She eyed Sean warily. “No, it’s honestly fine. I’m just tired. Finals are
kicking my butt.” She offered a wane smile. “The guy… Craig, I think.”
I pointed to Craig who was still wearing his sling but insisted on
working. Except for now-dead Cian and his two accomplices, Sean’s men
seemed unfailingly loyal and keen to prove they had nothing to do with
Cian and Declan’s treachery. Declan had killed two men and knocked Craig
out to sneak me and Rada back out of the compound. He got in because his
security access had never been disabled. Sean had overhauled the security,
and it was like Fort Knox now.
“Thank you.” She smiled at me and gave Sean a frightened look as she
left to walk over to Craig.
“Is she in trouble?” I asked Sean.
“No.”
I frowned at him.
“Later,” he told me, reminding me we were, in fact, at our wedding.
“You’d better tell me,” I told him sternly.
“Maybe you could suck the answers out of my cock.”
I smacked his chest. “Dirty old man.”
“You know it.” He grinned.
I knew he’d help if I asked him to. He’d helped Michelle and her sister
find a new place and club.

The rest of the day was a blur of celebrating and eating. Trixie had
grumbled about external caterers, but she’d clearly been enjoying her day
off and looked cosy sitting with Albert. She caught me looking at her and
shot me the bird. She was feisty, but she’d helped me secure the surprise for
our wedding night, so I’d let her off her rude hand gesture.
“Time to go, wife,” Sean growled at me, nipping at my ear as he swept
me up with his good arm.
There was wolf-whistling as Sean carried me out of the marquee.
“You didn’t dance.” I smoothed his tie down, excited for his surprise.
“You do the dancing in our marriage.”
“I do,” I agreed.
 He carried me over the house’s threshold and up the stairs. I imagined
his reaction to my surprise, and arousal curled around me.
“I have a wedding gift for you.”
Sean’s steps slowed as we arrived at our room.
“Is it underneath this dress?” he asked, nuzzling my neck and making
me giggle.
My dress was simple: a lace-topped gown with a long organza skirt.
“Maybe. Put me down and close your eyes.”
“Not going to put you down,” he growled, closing his eyes as he walked
us inside.
I glanced around, making sure everything was in place. The newly
installed pole gleamed silver in the candlelight from the tea lights around
the room.
“Walk to your left,” I told him.
The madman wouldn’t put me down or open his eyes.
“Stop,” I told him before he tripped over the new armchair I’d placed
next to the pole. “Open your eyes.”
They flickered open, staring hungrily down at me before glancing
around.
“Is it a private show for our wedding night?” His pupils dilated.
“It’s a private show forever.”
I loved dancing, but I hated the stares, except for his. I never wanted to
dance for anyone but him, and I couldn’t wait to feel the burning weight of
his gaze on me again. My body suddenly felt hot beneath my dress. I tapped
his arm to put me down and gestured to the seat.
He grinned and sat down, spreading his legs, and reclining in his god-
like pose. His hungry eyes took me in.
I perched on his lap. “I need your help with the buttons.”
During my mastermind plotting, I realised my dream wedding dress
didn’t fit my stripping plans. The look on Sean’s face told me he didn’t
mind helping. His strong fingers released the tiny buttons, and he leaned
forward to kiss down my spine. His breath hitched as he glimpsed my
underwear.
Once the last button was open, I pulled away, releasing my arms from
the dress but holding it to me. I grabbed the remote and set the tracks I’d
chosen for this before turning back to face Sean. Anticipation warmed me
as I waited for a beat before letting the dress peel down to the floor,
exposing the sheer white bodice and barely there thong, complete with
suspenders.
Sean groaned, palming his erection against his suit trousers.
“Fuck me. I’m the luckiest bastard alive.”
I swung into a routine on the pole, loving the heavy breathing I was
eliciting from Sean.
The music transported me away as I danced, snatching glances at Sean,
whose greedy eyes watched me. I ended the song on the floor and crawled
towards him, flipping up to dance a hair breath from him. His familiar
aftershave fed my desire as I watched his chest rise and fall, his pupils full-
blown. It was heady to have a powerful man’s attention and know he was
mine.
“Husband,” I whispered in his ear, and it was all it took to crack his
control.
He grabbed me, his fingers flying into my hair and smashing our lips
together. I moaned into the kiss as he plundered my mouth.
Standing abruptly, he walked me back to the bed. His hand twisted the
material of my thong, snapping it, the scraps of material falling to the floor.
He yanked my corset down, and my breasts spilled free. His hungry mouth
ravaged them as he crowded me against the bed.
“Say it again,” he growled.
“Husband,” I said, scooting back on the bed and spreading my legs to
show him the mess he’d made of me.
“Wife,” he grunted before tearing at his suit trousers and shirt. I
watched his feral movements with satisfaction, needy and squirming on the
bed. Every inch of golden skin that came into view was a treat.
Then he was on me, his blazing hot skin against mine and his delicious
weight pressing me down. Without missing a beat, he was pressing into me.
The stretch was almost too much, but I was so wet it made it possible.
“Fecking hell. It gets better every time,” he groaned, bottoming out as
he settled flush against me.
I was so full.
“Tell me you’re mine.”
“I’m yours. Forever.”
And I felt it down to my soul. Sean had muscled into my life and
snatched me away, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
 His thrusts built up speed, lighting up part of me, and my eyes fell
closed.
“Watch me, wife. Watch me as I fill you up.”
My eyes snapped to his and the dark madness they held. I fell into their
depths as an orgasm built, feeling him hammer into me.
“Going to live here, inside you,” Sean choked out as I raced towards my
orgasm.
“Touch yourself; I want to feel that pussy clenching me. Milking me.”
His filthy words had my hand flying to my clit. I roughly circled it as he
thrust into me, and then I broke, flying to pieces and soaring with pleasure.
Sean growled and stuttered until I felt him fill me with a roar. My orgasm
continued to pulse through me, the aftershocks almost as strong as the
climax itself.
Sean pressed a kiss to my lips. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I said, smoothing his hair from his sweaty forehead.
“You’re stuck with me now.”
“Forever.”
He rolled us, and I ended up sprawled across his chest, breathing in the
possibility of a life I never dreamed of. Sleepy bliss allowed me to drift
until I felt Sean hardening beneath me.
“Dance for me with my cum dripping out of you.”
Immediately, my lust fired back up.
Our wedding night continued into the early hours of the morning.
Eventually exhausted, we collapsed back into bed. Sean fell asleep, but I
remained awake, watching the sun creep over the horizon.
A robin landed on the window ledge, and I couldn’t help but think of
Mamá. I watched as it hopped about. She deserved better than her fate, but I
hoped she was at peace. That she could see me and was happy for me.
Despite my best efforts, I’d fallen in love with a mafia man, but Sean taught
me that not every mobster was the same. He treated me like his queen, and
he became my king.
The robin flew away, and somehow, I knew she’d sent it. I thanked
Mamá for teaching me to love so fiercely by her example.

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 36

A my ’ s shuddering sobs tore at my insides. I hated to see her cry. I

reminded myself these were good tears. Tears of resolution. It didn’t
suppress the raging monster inside me that wanted to kill someone to make
them stop. I scratched the edges of the film on my new tattoo, feeling
useless.
We’d been in a bubble of bliss since the wedding a week ago, but I
knew this visit would shift that mood.
Amy reached out a shaky hand and smoothed her fingers over the
hummingbird at the top of the marble stone. I wasn’t sure I made the right
decision choosing a headstone for her mother’s grave without asking her,
but she’d fallen to her knees when we got here and wept, clutching me and
gibbering thank yous.
“She said she called me hummingbird because I was the light in her life,
like the depictions of the Aztec sun god. All she wanted for me was the
freedom she didn’t have. That’s why she loved the idea of me becoming a
dentist. She loved hearing about what I learned at school because she
dropped out early to help support Abuela.” Her voice grew stronger, and the
tears lessened.
“That was how she ended up dancing. She said she never wanted that
for me but taught me to dance because she knew I loved it. I used to play on
the poles in the clubs when they were closed. I watched the women there
and thought they were so beautiful. Mamá wanted me to get a job using my
brain, not my body. She wanted big things for me, and I wanted her there
when I achieved them.” A sob stole the words from her throat.
I tucked her back under my arm, hating not being able to take her pain.
It was a part of life, but it didn’t make it easy. I grieved my ma, and she was
still alive.
“I think she’ll love it here.” Amy glanced around at the leafy cemetery
adorned with flower beds and trees. “Thank you for bringing her back to
me. It’s been hard all these years not having a place to come and see her.”
“You never need to thank me, a chuisle. If it is important to you, it is
important to me.”
It was true. My priorities had shifted in a brief space of time.
We spent another ten minutes in silence until Amy’s tears finally dried,
and she stood with my help.
“Goodbye, Mamá. I’ll see you soon. Next time, I’ll bring some
flowers.” She pressed her fingers to her lips and then to the headstone.
I pulled her against my good side. My damn shoulder was still twinging.
She smoothed a hand over my chest, smiling. I’d got a huge rose
tattooed over my heart to symbolise her old name. She decided she wanted
to keep Amy, and I’d already changed her second name to O’Sullivan, so I
was happy.
“Do you fancy a drink?” I asked.
“I’d love a milkshake,” Amy said sheepishly. “I know a great place near
town.”
“I can’t say I’ve ever gone out for a milkshake, but let’s go.”
“Old man.” She poked my ribs.
“You weren’t calling me that last night.”
She giggled, and it was a welcome relief from her tears.
My phone rang, and Loch’s number flashed up.
“Yes?”
“We’ve got a situation,” Loch said, and I could hear Rada’s crying in
the background.
I tensed. “Tell me.”
“It’s Viktor.”
“What about him?”
They’d gone to see him in their endless quest to track down Rada’s
sister. Viktor said they could search through Boyan’s main paper files. Our
solid new alliance was still in place. We’d hammered out product supply
chains that were becoming lucrative for both organisations. Viktor had shut
down all the trafficking.
“He got a call while we were with him. Rada thought she recognised her
sister’s voice. She followed him and saw her on the video. Viktor claims
she was wrong, but she’s convinced.”
I blew out a breath. Rada’s obsession with finding her sister could cloud
her thoughts.
“Do you think⁠—”
“No. I believe my wife.”
Of course he did.
“Who does Viktor say this woman is?”
“His wife,” Loch said.
A lead weight dropped into my gut. “Jesus wept.”

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 37 EPILOGUE

O ne year later

“Your two o’clock is here.” The receptionist, Avery, brought in a clipboard,

and I frowned at her.
“Was it a last-minute booking? There was a gap.”
When I checked at lunchtime, I swore it wasn’t booked. I had almost
asked Avery to ring my later patients to see if we could shuffle them
forward so I could get home early.
“A last-minute booking.” Avery smirked at me and left.
I glanced at the names on the papers and smiled. Sean O’Sullivan.
Poking my head out the door, I spotted my husband. His presence
dominated the waiting room, and a few of the women waiting were casting
him speculative glances.
I caught his eye, and he smirked at me, his dimple popping out.
“I have an appointment with the best dentist in the country.”
I rolled my eyes at him.
“This is a woman-only practice,” I reminded him.
It was his rule, after all.
“In that case, I’m here to see my wife.” He grabbed me, kissing me in a
completely inappropriate display for the waiting room.
Avery snickered behind her hand as I pulled away. I grabbed his suit
lapels and dragged him inside.
 “I like this aggressive dentist role-play.” He grinned, pressing me
against the counter and kissing me again.
“You can’t just book yourself into empty slots.”
“This was my slot. I paid to keep it open. It’s a year today since we
met.”
“I know that. I have a special dance planned for tonight.”
He groaned as he ground his erection against me.
“I couldn’t wait.”
“We aren’t having sex here with patients outside.”
He nibbled on my ear. “I’ll eat you out.”
“No.” I giggled at his ticklish kisses. “It’s better if you wait.”
“I’m dying.”
I giggled again. I told him I had a special surprise for tonight, and he
had to keep his hands off me after the weekend. It had been a long week full
of sexual tension, and his turning up looking gorgeous and smelling yummy
with his erection pressed against me was testing my resolve.
“My dick is going to fall off,” he groaned.
“You’ll enjoy it more later.”
I’d bought a latex outfit and some massive heels to match, and I was
going to show off my new tattoo. It matched the rose he had inked over his
heart. This one was at the top of my leg, with Sean’s name and an Irish
saying inked through it. He would go feral when he saw his name on me,
and I wanted to dance for him and show him.
He bought this practice and filled it with incredible female dentists. One
was my supervisor because I only qualified last year, so I couldn’t set up
independently. It worked perfectly, though, as I loved my colleagues. We
joined forces with Chloe’s charity for victims of domestic violence and ran
a free clinic on a Friday for women and children who registered through her
organisation. The rest of the week was a mix of clients, including some
celebrities, who came for facial aesthetics and cosmetic dentistry. It was a
dream come true, and I was learning from some of the best in the field.
It also meant that the clinic ran with and without me. After my first year,
we planned to take a few months to travel and see some of the world I’d
never visited, including a visit to México and a distant cousin of my
mamá’s that I’d found.
“I’ll go mad before then without a taste.” Sean peppered my neck with
kisses.
 This man was a menace with his persuasive techniques.
“You’ll live.”
“Do you remember when we first bought this place and we christened
this chair?” He grinned salaciously, pointing at my dental chair.
“Yes.” I rubbed my thighs together at the memory.
“We should do that again.”
“Not today.”
He sighed. “I better have a dental check-up.”
Sean refused to see another dentist despite me telling him it was a
conflict of interest.
He sat back in the chair and opened his mouth. Before I could tell him it
wasn’t time for his check, something sparkly caught my eye. A diamond
band was nestled between his mass of gold fillings and cheek. I pulled on a
glove and hooked the ring out. It was a perfect circle of diamonds, creating
a stunning eternity ring.
“Sean.” I gasped, snapping off my glove and sliding the ring on my
finger.
“You like it?”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you.”
I kissed him, and he pulled me onto his lap.
“I cancelled the rest of your surgery.”
“You did what?”
“I had Avery ring them and tell them the next treatment is on me if they
rebook, and they seemed to rush to accept. I’ve come to collect you. The
Steel boys have lent me their chopper, and we are going out for a meal.
Then I’m bringing you home for my dance.”
“You can’t just cancel my afternoon!” I said, secretly thrilled.
“I can do whatever I want. And I want my wife.” His intense gaze
blazed into mine, and the arguments died on my lips.
We shared the decisions for the big things, and he’d grown far more
open with me.
But I still loved it when he swept in and took charge of things like this.
“I’ve got nothing to wear.”
He grinned at me. “I have a dress in the car.”
“I guess I’m all out of excuses.” I laughed.
“That’s what I like to hear.”
 He kissed me long and dirty, and I began to rethink the no-sex-at-work
rule. He pulled back, smirking at the mess he’d made of me.
“Come on, let’s go.”
This was my life now: dentistry and diamonds. It was a far cry from my
life a year ago, but it was something a girl could get used to.

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 AFTERWORD

Thank you for reading this book and joining me in this new series. I would
greatly appreciate it if you could leave a review on Amazon.
My Book
So… Viktor had Rada’s sister, Lina! Their story will be next in the
Obsessed Mafia Men series. And perhaps a certain sexy psychopath called
Mason might be the third… Watch this space! Sign up for my newsletter for
updates and to see the character art of Sean meeting Amy for the first
time.
https://ccgedling.myflodesk.com/ky27wl6c7y

If you’ve not read Loch and Rada’s story, Craving Revenge is out on KU.
https://books2read.com/u/4AazDK
 Interested in reading the Steel Brothers stories? Liam and Chloe’s
story, Steel Vengeance. And Oscar and Eve’s story, Steel Protection. Are
both available on KU https://books2read.com/u/m2QDWR
 How about a short story about Cat Amy’s medic roommate? Valentine’s
Desires. It’s available on my Ream, along with a variety of other BDSM
shorts, featuring a Dom called Gene, who goes by the title of The Desire
Genie. Granting desires is his thing. This collection of stories will come out
later this year. In the meantime, read them and my ongoing projects by
subscribing to Ream
https://reamstories.com/ccgedling

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Firstly, my editor, Chloe L. Proofreader, thank you for putting up with my

nonsense and quoting that style guide in the margins!
My alpha readers, Noor, Allira, and Ginger, encouraged me so much.
You ladies were amazing. Thank you, also, to my beta reader, Tanya, for
helping clarify certain areas.
Thank you to my ARC team, who helped me launch with a bang despite
the tight time frame.
Poppy Jacobson and Aurelia Knight, thank you both for your help
refining my blurb.
My Ream supporters who helped suggest names and got to read this
first, plus my Wise Flamingo, Georgina. I asked my Facebook group, CC’s
Flock, to come up with a name for Amy’s strip club, and Dakota came up
with a perfect one.
I needed a variety of sensitivity readers for this book and they all more
than stepped up to the plate. On the employment side, Sharonjit, thank you
for lending your expert knowledge in dentistry. You’ve been a star. Blake,
thank you for her pole dancing advice. Lord knows I’ve never been near a
pole in my life!
I needed a lot of help to keep my nationality and culture straight. Jade
Ember, thank you for letting me bug you about Irish sayings, foods and
endearments! Ginger, thank you for your Brazilian knowledge and input, as
well as for being an alpha reader. Dora, thank you for your help with the
Bulgarian side of things!
 My cover designer, Cady at Cruel Ink, did a stunning job on the covers.
She is a total queen.
My cover model, Zac, photographed by the incredibly talented Wander
Aguiar, was a perfect fit for Sean in my head. I was very lucky to win the
competition organised by the awesome Bobby Kim in his TikTok Facebook
group. It was tough trawling through hundreds of pictures of half-naked
men, but I took one for the team to find the perfect one for our mafia boss!
The thought that I might have forgotten someone keeps me up at night,
but I really appreciate everyone around me who helps me keep pushing
through.
To my readers – thank you for your support, and I love hearing from
you in my “Flock” on Facebook.
Finally, to my husband and boys. You are usually first, but I changed it
up this time. Thank you for all your support.
Xxx CC.

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CC Gedling is a mother, wife and doctor alongside her writing.

She uses her medical background and interest in psychology to build complex characters. Her
books contain a mix of romance, suspense and a dash of spice.
Her British dry sense of humour allows her to survive the dreary UK weather and the chaos of
being a mum.

For all her social media links https://linktr.ee/ccgedlingauthor

Website – www.ccgedling.com

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