Charity is home free: her degree
under her belt and making a beeline, straight for sunny Ft. Royal, and her
sisters, Hope and Faith. Excited to see them, yet having been warned by Hope to
watch herself when it came to the disarmingly charming ways of The Kraken,
Charity never expected to walk right into the one man to flip all of her
switches to the ‘on’ position before she’d even taken a dozen steps into town.
under her belt and making a beeline, straight for sunny Ft. Royal, and her
sisters, Hope and Faith. Excited to see them, yet having been warned by Hope to
watch herself when it came to the disarmingly charming ways of The Kraken,
Charity never expected to walk right into the one man to flip all of her
switches to the ‘on’ position before she’d even taken a dozen steps into town.
Nothing was everything she liked.
Tall, handsome, with a pair of eyes that any woman should swoon over. Just the
right mix of tortured bad boy to pique all of her healer’s instincts. Charity
knew that the men of The Kraken played for keeps; all except, it seemed, for
this one. Too bad no one told The Kraken that she played for keeps, too.
Tall, handsome, with a pair of eyes that any woman should swoon over. Just the
right mix of tortured bad boy to pique all of her healer’s instincts. Charity
knew that the men of The Kraken played for keeps; all except, it seemed, for
this one. Too bad no one told The Kraken that she played for keeps, too.
Shit. Charity dropped onto the barstool beside mine and dropped her keys on the scarred wood surface of
The Plank’s bar. She raised an eyebrow at me.
The Plank’s bar. She raised an eyebrow at me.
“What?” I asked.
“It’s raining again, figured I could offer you a ride home, seeing as your bike is in the shop and Marlin
has your car.”
has your car.”
“I’m good,” I said and downed the shot of Crown in front of me. Lightning took the shot glass off the bar and
sighed.
sighed.
“You’re done, Bro. I ain’t going to watch you do this to yourself all over again.”
Fuck.
“Let me take you home?” she asked gently. I shook my head and ran a hand over my hair.
“I’m not ready to go home.”
“Okay, fine. Then I’ll sit right here until you are.”
“Fuck, really? Go find someone else to take care of,” she flinched at my tone but I didn’t apologize
or back down. I was bad news, she didn’t need any of what I had to offer. She was a nice girl… Corrine had been a nice girl, too. Corrine and I had made the sweetest little girl together… Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.
or back down. I was bad news, she didn’t need any of what I had to offer. She was a nice girl… Corrine had been a nice girl, too. Corrine and I had made the sweetest little girl together… Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.
“It’s the time of year, Honey. It’s not you,” Hossler said at my elbow.
“Fuck, Hoss, stay out of it!”
“You’re drunk and acting like an asshole; Charity’s a guest. Take your sorry ass home, Nothing. People are
sick of your fucking pity party for one.”
sick of your fucking pity party for one.”
I stood up abruptly and staggered, definitely unsteady on my feet. Charity reached out and put a hand
on my arm but I jerked away from her.
on my arm but I jerked away from her.
“Just fucking stay out of it, all of you!” I barked and headed for the door.
I saw Radar get up out of the corner of my eye and I didn’t want to deal with him, or anyone, so before he
could get to me I went out the door and into the pouring rain outside. He caught up to me, grabbed my elbow and I was in the mood to force the issue. I turned and raised my fist but was cold cocked by Charity’s glacial stare before I could swing.
could get to me I went out the door and into the pouring rain outside. He caught up to me, grabbed my elbow and I was in the mood to force the issue. I turned and raised my fist but was cold cocked by Charity’s glacial stare before I could swing.
“The fuck?” I asked.
“I could ask you the same thing, except I’m done asking. Get your ass in the Jeep.”
I blinked and opened my mouth to reject the notion but before I could, she was speaking again, tone full of
consternation.
consternation.
“You can either, get your ass in the Jeep and let me drive you home, or I can tell your leader how you almost
cold cocked his woman’s sister in the face.” She arched a light brow, her face set in stone and I shut my gob and looked this way and that, striking out in the direction of her white Jeep Wrangler.
cold cocked his woman’s sister in the face.” She arched a light brow, her face set in stone and I shut my gob and looked this way and that, striking out in the direction of her white Jeep Wrangler.
Text Copyright © 2016 A.J. Downey
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses,
places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s
imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s
imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All Rights Reserved
In The Series
Cutter had given up
on finding a
woman when Hope sauntered right into his bar. With her straight talk, toned figure, and military training, she can disarm a man in more ways than one. But the mission she’s on will shake up Cutter’s world.
on finding a
woman when Hope sauntered right into his bar. With her straight talk, toned figure, and military training, she can disarm a man in more ways than one. But the mission she’s on will shake up Cutter’s world.
Hope’s lost her younger
sister, but she hasn’t lost her namesake. It’s been almost two years since Faith vanished, but Hope hasn’t given up the search. She’ll either find her sister or some answers. Can Cutter keep his club out of
trouble and help the siren in his bar on her mission? One can only hope…
sister, but she hasn’t lost her namesake. It’s been almost two years since Faith vanished, but Hope hasn’t given up the search. She’ll either find her sister or some answers. Can Cutter keep his club out of
trouble and help the siren in his bar on her mission? One can only hope…
Faith.
She’d managed to keep her namesake while in captivity, but now that she was free? The daunting task of rejoining society was in front of her and it seemed that Marlin had to keep it for her.
Marlin can’t help how he feels about Faith, she was remarkably easy to
like. The only thing he could do for her was be there, and keep his damn hands to himself, which was the real challenge.
like. The only thing he could do for her was be there, and keep his damn hands to himself, which was the real challenge.
Neither one of them knew if she would make it out of the darkness intact; only time would tell about that. During
trying times, all you can do is hold on and have a little faith…
trying times, all you can do is hold on and have a little faith…
A.J. Downey is a born and raised
Seattle, WA Native. She finds inspiration from her surroundings, through the
people she meets and likely as a byproduct of way too much caffeine.
Seattle, WA Native. She finds inspiration from her surroundings, through the
people she meets and likely as a byproduct of way too much caffeine.
She has lived many places and
done many things though mostly through her own imagination… An avid reader all
of her life it’s now her turn to try and give back a little, entertaining as
she has been entertained.
done many things though mostly through her own imagination… An avid reader all
of her life it’s now her turn to try and give back a little, entertaining as
she has been entertained.
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