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MINK Beauty Tempts The Beast
MINK Beauty Tempts The Beast
MINK
Beauty Tempts the Beast
MINK © 2020
All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book only. No part of
this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without
prior written permission from MINK.
This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference may be made to actual historical events or existing
locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and
any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is
entirely coincidental.
CONTENTS
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
Epilogue
Also by MINK
About the Author
BEAUTY TEMPTS THE BEAST
MINK
Revenge is my life’s work. I’m an artist in the subject. And there’s one
masterpiece I’ve had my eye on for quite some time. Helen. She seems
innocent and sweet, but she comes from a family that left me scarred and
broken. Taking her will be the pinnacle of my vengeance. So I do. But once
I have her … I can’t seem to continue with my plan.
This has never happened. I’ve killed without remorse, taken revenge again
and again on any who wronged me. But when it comes to Helen, I can’t
bear to see her so much as break a nail, which happens with frightening
frequency given her adorable clumsiness. So I keep her. And I protect her.
And before I know it … I love her.
But her family isn’t the sort to let anything or anyone go. I’ll have to fight
to keep her, but will my beauty decide to stay with her beast, or leave and
break my heart?
1
AJAX
I stretch and roll over. I gasp when I start to fall, but Lily grabs
me.
“How do you do that every time?” she says through her laughter. I wiggle
back onto the bed safely.
“It’s not my bed. There should be a wall there,” I grumble, not wanting to
get up yet. We stayed up far too late watching classic horror films. They
aren’t my favorite, but Fuzzy loves them, and he wins out most of the time.
“We have class soon.”
“Don’t remind me.” I let out a giant yawn and roll onto my stomach. I pull
the pillow over my head. I want nothing more than to fall back asleep. I was
in the middle of a very good dream. One that included my mystery man
from yesterday who had come to my rescue. He had been about to kiss me
before I jerked awake. I may not have gotten a good look at his face, but I
could never forget his hulking frame.
“You get dressed; I'll make breakfast.” Lily breaks me from my thoughts.
“You’re going to cook?” That sounds scary. She smacks my butt. “Ahh!”
“Get up, and you’ll eat the breakfast I serve you.”
“You’re so controlling.” I pull the pillow off my head, making sure I smack
her with it in the process. She dodges it, jumping from the bed. She takes
the sheet with her. I sit up and watch as Fuzzy follows her out of the
bedroom.
“Traitor!” I call, but he just flicks his tail and keeps going. I crawl out of
bed and head into the bathroom to get myself together. When I’m done, I go
into the kitchen to see what kind of mess Lily is making. Her place is small.
The stove only has two burners, and the fridge isn't a normal sized one. I’m
so jealous she has her own place. I hate being stuck in that dorm room with
Piper.
“Breakfast,” she singsongs and hands me a plate. I look down at the
warmed-up pizza from last night and laugh. I pick it up and take a bite.
“Best breakfast I’ve had in a long time.”
She smacks my butt again, making me jump.
“Stop doing that.”
“I can't help it. You scream like a little girl. Jump like one, too.”
“You're lucky you made me breakfast.”
“Eat. We got shit to do. I’ll get dressed.” She heads back down the hallway
toward her bedroom.
“We have an hour until my first class starts,” I remind her. She doesn't
respond, probably already in the bathroom. It will only take ten minutes for
us to walk back to campus. I finish my pizza and toss the paper plate away,
then grab some water.
Fuzzy circles around my feet trying to pretend he hasn't eaten breakfast yet,
but I know Lily fed him. He’s clowning to get a second helping out of me.
In his defense, it worked a few times before until we picked up on it.
Lily reappears. “Are you going to do something with your hair?”
I reach up and tighten my messy bun. “I’ll have you know it took me six
times to get this messy bun thing right.”
“At least do this.” She hands me two tubes. One is mascara and the other lip
gloss. I notice she’s only in yoga pants with an oversized shirt and flip
flops. She’s got her black hair in a ponytail.
“That ponytail took less time than my bun.”
“I’m not the one trying to find Mr. Hottie.”
I bite my lip, thinking about him again. He stood up for me in a way that no
one else has ever done. I couldn't explain the barrage of emotions that hit
me the moment he yanked that self-involved punk up. One thing’s for
certain: my mom sure does know how to pick them.
At first I had felt a bit of panic, not understanding what was happening.
Then I heard him talk. I went from being scared to instantly being turned on
and excited. A rush of energy hit me, and I’ve never felt more alive than in
that moment. It was nice seeing a jerk get put in their place for once. But
then I’d jetted, too scared to investigate further. Ugh, I should’ve stayed.
“You think he goes to the university?”
“Yeah. Why else would he be around here? Not like the food is great over
on the Old Town Plaza.” That was true. Unless you have a car, your only
choice of food around here is either the plaza or the cafeteria. Neither one
of those are good options.
“I don’t know what I’m looking for. I really couldn't see his face. It all
happened so fast. He grabbed him and started pulling him down the
sidewalk the other way.”
“You said he’s the biggest man you’ve ever seen. So the only thing we have
to do is look for giants. Should be easy to spot.” She pops a Skittle into her
mouth.
“What if I’m remembering it wrong and making him bigger in my mind
than he actually was?”
“Are you trying to get out of this, or do you want to find him? Last night
you talked through most of the movies, going on and on about him.”
I did want to find him, but today is a new day, and the excitement has
started to settle, giving my shyness room to wiggle to the forefront. I wish I
could be more like Lily. She’s bold and can talk to anyone. Me? I spout off
random crap and run instead of standing my ground.
“We can go look around.”
“Yep. We can act casual.”
I glare at her. “I know that face.”
“What? I’m not going to do anything.” She gives me a limp-wristed wave.
“Lily.”
Her nose wrinkles. “Okay, I promise I’ll be good... today.”
“Thank you.” I call for Fuzzy, helping him get into my bag before we head
out. I grab my phone out of my back pocket when it starts to buzz and see
my mom's name. “Oh crap.” I show Lily the screen.
“Do you think she knows about last night?” Lily cringes.
“Maybe?” I groan, not answering it. I put it back into my pocket, but it
keeps on vibrating. After a few minutes it finally stops. The anxiety that
built up with each call starts to settle. It doesn't last long though. When I
look this time, I see the texts from her.
“I notice that our school has a lot of short men.” As we walk to campus,
Lily is looking everywhere for Mr. Hottie. She named him that last night.
I can’t pay attention. My stomach drops as I scroll through the text
messages from my mom. “She said she’s going to come here.”
Lily gasps. “No!”
I nod.
“But she doesn't even come here for important shit. How many awards have
you gotten? Three? Yet, she’s never stepped foot on campus to see any of
those ceremonies.”
“Four,” I correct her.
“God, I want to punch her. If we find your man, maybe he’ll do it for me.
He doesn't let anyone talk shit to you.”
My lips twitch even though I’m upset about my mom. Thinking about my
mystery man standing up for me the way he did has me smiling.
“I’ll avoid her. I’m not sure she knows where my dorm is honestly.”
“I mean, you can if you want, but how long can you really do that for?”
“You’re right. I’ll suck it up and call her after class.” I check the time.
“Which I need to get to.”
“I’ve got another twenty minutes. Going to grab a coffee and keep looking.”
“Don’t follow anyone.” I point my finger at her.
“I would never.” She pretends to be hurt. I keep staring at her. “Fine. But
how is it that I’m the controlling one?” I kiss her on the cheek before
heading to class. I can’t help but look around myself, trying to find him. I’m
not sure what I would do if I saw him. Would I get over my shyness and
walk up to him? Doubtful.
I give up when I enter the Manning Building. I should let this go. Why am I
obsessing over this? I don’t obsess over boys. Well, I don’t think he was a
boy by the looks of him. Still I don’t get wrapped up in the opposite sex.
I think that’s my problem. He’s the first man to ever get my attention. He
made me want more of him. He even turned me on. I lick my lips thinking
about it as I pull the door open for Professor Kane’s classroom.
I turn my head when something catches my eye. I watch as a man darts
around the corner. My heart rate picks up. He was big enough.
“Ms. Carrigan. Are you coming to class?”
“Sorry!” I rush in and find a seat. I think I’m going crazy. I’m not only
dreaming about him, now I’m seeing things, too.
5
AJAX
S he sits through her class like a good girl, her cat asleep in her bag.
She even takes notes and seems to pay attention, a model student.
I didn’t go to college. My path was set the moment her family
killed mine and left me to die.
Though I don’t have the education, I’ve certainly made my way in this
world just fine. It’s easier than most people make it out to be. The simplest
logic makes the most money--if I see something I want, I take it. By any
means necessary. With a violence as scorching as it is swift.
Her time is up, class over, and she strides out of the classroom toward her
dorm. From here, she’ll spend a couple of hours preparing for her next two
classes.
But she won’t make it to her dorm. Not today. Night doesn’t hide me, but
I’m done waiting. She needs to break under my hands sooner rather than
later. I made a mistake last night. My rage got the better of me. Now,
though, I’m back on track.
I keep my pace slow as I follow her across the quad, the old oaks shading
her path as she reaches into her bag to pet the stray cat.
Her hips sway and the smooth line of her neck pulls my gaze along its
curve. Her hair is up in a messy tangle, cute and casual. I wonder how soft
her hair is, how finely it will sift between my fingers. I grit my teeth--these
are not the thoughts I should be having.
As she approaches her dorm, she has to go throw a narrow passage, only a
car-width across, between two older dorms. After that, her building has a
small parking area and a double door across the front that is the sole ingress
from the outside. There’s even a check-in desk for visitors. I smirk. My men
had no problems getting in and installing my surveillance equipment.
She crosses into the narrow lane. The shadows are deeper here, and fewer
students are around. I speed up my pace.
She turns her head just a little, as if she senses me, and I turn into the
nearest doorway, a locked side entrance to the other dorm.
I only wait for a moment, because then she’s walking again, her steps a
little faster. I bet her heart is pounding, the adrenaline dumped in her
bloodstream as she realizes she’s being followed. That she’s prey.
My smirk reappears, and I move more quietly, stalking her as she clutches
her bag and breaks into an almost-jog.
Fuck, I love the chase. Love the way her hair is coming loose and floating
against her soft neck. Just the look of her is making my cock steel hard in
my pants.
I’m about to take her down when someone turns into the alley up ahead.
Slowing, I move closer to the wall, hiding the ruined side of my face as a
boy rushes past, his rapid gait a sure sign of him being late to class.
Shit. By the time he’s out of earshot, Helen’s almost out to the sunny
parking lot behind her dorm. I was too mesmerized by her to grab her when
I should’ve, and now my chance is fading away.
I fist my hands and give up the cloak and dagger routine. With heavy steps,
I rush toward her. She speeds up again and clutches her bag to her chest.
Like a deer sprinting to safety, she flees from me. But I won’t be denied.
My vengeance has been simmering for far too long.
Her steps lead her out into the sunshine, into safety. But she’ll never be
safe, not from me.
With a lunge I grab her and slap one hand across her mouth as I drag her
back into the shadows. She fights, her body writhing against mine, and I get
even harder. The sweet scent of her hair and the warmth of her skin isn’t
helping, and I find myself wanting to press my lips to her neck. Maybe to
lick, definitely to bite. I want to taste her.
She makes a mmph sound against my hand, her legs still flailing as I close
my other arm tight around her waist.
My hand remains clamped around her mouth as I turn to the right and
stomp to my car. With a grunt, I lay her in the trunk.
A scream meets my ears, but it’s distant. Someone trying to save this sweet
little damsel in distress perhaps? I smirk again.
She tries to surge up and escape, but I press my hand to her chest and push
her down. “Get off!” Her scream echoes off the dorm beside us. Then she
gasps. Because she’s seen me. The real me. The burned, scarred monster
that her parents created. And the next scream that rips from her is full of
fear, a sound that’s cut off when I slam the trunk closed.
“Stop!” A harsh cry has me turning. And it’s as if the clouds have opened
and God himself is smiling down on me, blessing my revenge with a perfect
execution. Because not only do I have Helen in my trunk, but her mother is
running toward me, wobbling on her heels as she screams.
“Don’t touch her!”
“I’m going to do a lot more than that, Cass.” I grin as I get into the driver
seat and slam the door.
She’s still running toward me, her eyes wild as she tries to save her
daughter.
It’s almost touching.
Or, it would be, I suppose, if I were a different person. But I’m not. I’m the
monster she made me, and like any good monster, I’m going to destroy the
thing Cass Carrigan holds most dear.
I pull away and make sure I turn so she can get a full view of my ruined
face. So she knows her sins have come back to haunt her. And most of all,
so she knows that she will never see her precious daughter again.
6
HELEN
I scream and try to push the trunk back up. It’s pointless, and I
know it. Then I remember the emergency pull. I move my
hands around trying to feel for something, anything, but my
hands are shaking. I can’t find the pull. I keep trying to reach the other side
to see if it’s down there. I stretch my hand out as far as I can this time. My
face hits something sharp, which makes me cry out.
I reach up to touch my cheek, but I already know I cut myself. I can feel the
blood begin to trickle down my skin. I suck in a breath and roll to my side. I
hear the hum of the car and know it’s moving. My breathing picks up, and I
start to gasp for air. I instantly know I’m having a panic attack. It’s been
years since I’ve experienced one, but there’s no mistaking the signs of it.
Oh God, please. I can’t do this right now. I scream louder and hit and shove
everything I can. My heart pounds so hard that I’m sure it’s louder than my
screams. My hands go numb, and my whole body starts to tremble.
“Please,” I whimper, pleading with myself to calm down. This isn't helping.
I try to breathe slowly in and out. I repeat the steps I was taught so long
ago. I try to focus on each breath. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t get
my breathing under control.
I can’t let myself pass out right now. I jerk, letting out another scream when
something brushes against me. It’s then I remember Fuzzy is here. I grab
him and pull him into me. It gives me a second of comfort to know I’m not
completely alone.
“We just need to breathe. To try to keep calm,” I say. It’s not working, no
matter how hard I try. Why is this happening to me again? My mind races, a
flood of memories come rushing back. Ones I always try to forget. The only
thing different about this time is that I’m in a trunk instead of in the back of
a van. Still kidnapped, nonetheless.
“Stop it,” I hiss at myself as I try to remember what I’m supposed to do, but
my mind isn't cooperating. A burst of laughter spills from me when I
remember I’m supposed to focus my eyes on an object. That’s not possible
in the lightless trunk.
Something wet tickles my skin. I’m not sure if I’m crying or if it's more
blood. My face starts to throb. It’s so damn hot and stuffy in here that it
could be my own sweat. I try to convince myself that it’s anything besides
blood. I know I’m lying to myself, but I’m doing whatever I can to maintain
some sort of control in this situation.
I gasp for air, feeling myself get light-headed. I’m losing this battle. That
last thing I want to do is pass out. Maybe it’s for the best if I do. At least
then this would be over. I close my eyes tightly and try to think of my
happy place. I’m shocked when my mind brings the man from last night
into focus. I could use a hero right now. I roll to my back, still trying to
suck in air. Fuzzy rubs his face against mine.
“I won’t pass out.” I don’t know if I’m talking to myself or Fuzzy. My
whole body tingles. I breathe so fast and hard my back rises with each gasp
of air.
“I’m sorry.” My eyes fall closed for a moment before bright light floods the
trunk. I open them immediately when I feel the wave of fresh air hit me, but
I’m unable to see. I try to focus, but it’s too bright. I know the person is
talking, but I can’t make out the words. My eyes start to adjust to the light,
letting me see the outline of the person standing in front of me. It’s him. My
mystery man. How is that possible? I must have passed out, and I’m
dreaming.
I don’t care. I sit up and try to get out. He doesn't stop me as I launch
myself at him. He grunts but catches me. I bury my face in his neck as I
wrap myself around him as tight as I can.
“You came back.” I can’t believe he’s here to save me. How did he know?
He lets out a groan.
“I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
He moves, not answering my question.
“Let go,” he orders gruffly.
I shake my head.
“Let the fuck go,” he bellows.
I release my hold instantly and almost fall to the ground. He grabs my chin
and turns my head. “What did you do?”
I blink at him. My stomach drops. “You're not him,” I say as I take in the
scars of the same man that shoved me into the trunk. This isn't my hero but
my captor. My body begins to shake. “Please don’t put me in the trunk,” I
try to say, but my voice is so low I don’t know if he heard me or not.
He glares at me for long moments, his gaze burning through me. Then he
seems to come to a decision. “Fine. Behave, or you go back into the trunk.”
I nod.
“Get in.” He pulls open the back door to the car. I glance around but only
see trees and nothing else. “You can’t outrun me.”
“I know.” I get in. A moment later, he drops Fuzzy into my lap as he’s
getting into the driver's seat. I look at the screen on his dash. It's dark, but
all green as though you were looking through a pair of those night goggles
that I’ve seen in movies. It takes me a moment to realize the view is of the
trunk. My purse is still lying in it.
He flips the screen off before pulling back onto the road and flooring it. We
sit in silence, and all I see is endless trees. I have no idea where we could be
or where we’re going.
“Is this my parents’ fault?” I finally ask.
“Yours, too. You're one of them.”
I nod. He’s right. I am one of them. I look down at Fuzzy and pet him. I
know I’m finally calming down. Well, as much as one can when they’ve
been taken against their will. My breathing has evened out, and my hands
are no longer tingling. The only things hurting now is the cut that’s
throbbing on my face and my chest.
“I know how this works.” I keep petting Fuzzy. “I’ll be good. I’m not going
to fight you.” He can call and get whatever ransom money he wants. “I’m
sure my parents will pay you.” If for no other reason than so they don’t look
bad.
“I don’t want your money.”
“I don’t understand.” He pulls up to a massive black iron gate. It swings
open, reminding me of one of the scary movies Lily and I watched the other
night.
“You will.”
7
AJAX
S he hurt herself. It must’ve been when she was freaking out and
rolling around. I should’ve filed down the metal where I’d
removed the emergency pull. But I didn’t, and now she’s got a cut
high on her cheekbone. Fuck.
I run a hand through my hair and try to get a fucking grip. I’m going to hurt
her. I’m only angry she has a self-inflicted wound. That’s all. I’m just mad I
didn’t get to cut her myself.
“What do you mean?” I can barely hear her voice.
“I mean I’m not here for money.” I lift my gaze to the sweeping estate that
fans out before us. “I have plenty.”
“Then why take me?” She gives me a confused look as she pets her cat
absentmindedly.
Revenge. I say nothing.
“Who did you think I was?” I ask.
She turns away as I enter the wide garage. “Someone else.”
“Clearly. Who?”
She pulls her cat closer to her chest as the automatic door lowers behind us.
“No one.”
Someone. I grit my teeth. Another man. Who would she so willingly cling
to? What man has turned her head? I’ll kill him. I cut the engine and get out
of the car.
She’s fumbling with the door handle as I pull it open for her.
Stepping out, she wobbles, and I grab her elbow to steady her. Under the
garage lights, I see the cut on her cheek clearly. It’s small, but I’m certain it
will leave a scar. That’s one thing I know a lot about.
“Come on.” I let her go once she seems stable.
“Where are we?”
“Doesn’t matter to you. All you need to know is how to keep me happy.”
“Wh-what?” She takes a tentative step.
I don’t turn around. “You heard me. Questions piss me off. So stop asking. I
won’t tell you shit anyway.” I push into the house, and I hear her scurry to
catch up.
My footsteps echo down the thick wood floor. I should grab her and drag
her down the stairs to the basement. I have her cell set up, the walls bare
except for the chains, and her bed nothing more than a stiff cot. Not that I
intend on her being here long. At least, not in one piece.
I grunt as I turn the corner and, instead of doing what I should be doing, I
lead her to my bedroom. It takes up the entire first floor of the east wing,
my own personal retreat. No one comes in here unless I allow it, and I
rarely allow it. Only Jacques so he can clean. It’s the only way to shut him
up.
“This house is huge. Bigger than anything I’ve ever seen.” Her voice has a
tinge of wonder to it.
“Don’t get used to it.” I stalk past my bed and into the marbled bathroom.
“Okay.” She follows me in as I dig through my cabinet for medical
supplies.
“Whoa, this bathroom.” She sets her cat on the counter and walks over to
the mirror. “Oh my God.” She lifts a hand to her cheek.
“Don’t touch it.” I’m on her before she makes contact. “Bacteria.”
She swallows hard and looks up into my eyes. Not at my scars. I thought
she’d be cringing and begging for me to leave her alone as she looked at my
wrecked visage. Instead, she seems to warm under my touch, her eyes going
soft and her lips parting the slightest bit.
It confuses me and does more than that. My cock thickens. It seems to be
just as confused about the plan as I am. Fuck.
I let go of her wrist like it burns, then grab her chin and wrench her face up
to mine.
“Hey!” she protests, but I don’t let go.
“Keep me happy, beauty. That’s all you have to do.”
Her pupils dilate as I growl the words. My cock tries to wage a war against
my zipper, and something inside my mind stretches to the point it almost
snaps as I look down at her.
I let her go and retreat to the cabinet, then grab my supplies. When I return
to her, she’s looking at me with a healthy amount of worry and distrust.
Good. I can deal with that far easier than the way she was before. I
understand fear in all its guises, intimately familiar with the damage it can
do. I can work with it, mold it with my hands into something terrifyingly
wonderful, and wield it to destroy my enemies.
Just like the beauty in front of me. Helen Carrigan. My enemy.
“This is going to hurt.” I wipe her cut with alcohol.
She winces and whimpers.
I should feel a surge of delight. Instead, I make my next swipe gentler.
She relaxes just a hair as I finish cleaning it.
“What’s that?” she peers at the tube of ointment in my hand.
“What did I say about asking questions, beauty?” I squeeze some of the
antibacterial scar cream onto my finger and dab it along the thin cut.
“My name is Helen.”
“I know who you are.” I finish with the ointment, then ease a Band-Aid
onto her cheek. Once it’s smoothed down, I assess my work.
“If you know who I am, then you know my parents will pay you
handsomely to release me.” Her eyes flash with challenge. “So just call
them.”
I lean into her and place my palms on the marble counter at her back. She
shrinks away from me, but there’s nowhere to go. Just me looming over her
as she seems to reconsider her tone.
“I’m the master of this house, beauty. Everything here is mine.” I glance at
her lips. “I will do what I want when I want. And none of that involves
speaking to your godforsaken parents. You will not question me. You will
not speak of them. And you will accept right here and now that you will
never leave these grounds.”
“Never?” she asks, breathless.
Her breasts are pressing against me, the tips hard. In fact, everything about
her seems to be warming, practically glowing. Her cheeks flush, her
heartbeat stampeding through the delicate vein at her throat.
I want to taste her there. Everywhere, in fact.
Leaning closer, I test her. She doesn’t move away. Instead, her lips part
again, her tongue darting out to wet them. No fear. Just need. One that
matches my own.
I move even closer, our breaths mingling, but then I jump away from her
and look down. Her cat stares up at me, rubbing himself against my leg and
purring.
This isn’t the plan. Not the Band-Aid or the cat or any of it. Fuck.
“Out.” I take Helen by the elbow and pull her—gently, fuck me—out of my
room and into the hallway. Her cat follows.
Once they’re outside my room, I slam the large double doors and turn to
rest my back against them. My heart is pounding, my palms sweaty, my
ears burning, and my cock raging. Jesus, what is this hell?
“Um, what am I supposed to—”
“Just go!” I yell. The house is locked up tight. There’s nowhere she can
escape.
Hell, maybe she’ll do me a favor and grab a knife from the kitchen, then
sneak back here and end my torment. This should’ve been easy. She should
be naked, chained, and hurting right this second.
Instead, I’m the one in pain. I stare daggers down at my cock as it pushes
the front of my pants out.
I bite off another curse and reach for the grandfather clock beside me. With
an easy yank, I shove it to the ground and watch it shatter into a million
shards of glass, wood, and springs. The cacophony clears my head.
Helen runs, her feet slapping on my floors as she retreats.
She won’t go far.
I take a deep, steadying breath and remind myself of my plan, of my life’s
work.
Revenge.
The next time I have her in my grasp, it will be to hurt her, nothing more. . .
But maybe I’ll wait until tomorrow to begin.
8
HELEN
S cars.
My beauty has scars I never noticed. The cameras in her room
never could’ve detected those small lines, the marks of pain faded over
years.
Why would anyone mar such an innocent creature?
What am I even thinking? She’s a Carrigan. The furthest thing from
innocent. It doesn’t matter that she’s never raised a hand against anyone;
her name is coated in blood. She’s just as guilty as the rest of them.
So why did they hurt her? My mind whispers that question on repeat as I
stalk away from her. Even now, I feel the pull to return to her, to trace those
lines with my fingers, my tongue. To show her that, if anything, they only
heighten her beauty. Perfection is a mirage. Her realness is what makes her
so vibrant, raw, and pure.
They hurt her. This time, the thought is dark. Her parents had a hand in it.
I’m certain of it. They’re monsters. They don’t care who gets hurt or what it
takes to stay on top.
I storm back to my room and find Jacques cleaning the broken mirror.
“Leave it,” I growl as I stalk past, stripping down and showering off again
under the cold water. Her body, the sounds she made, the warmth between
her thighs—all of it combined to form a perfect storm of desire. I wanted
her so badly that I came in my fucking boxer briefs. Like a bumbling
teenager.
“I said leave it,” I bark as I rinse off again.
Jacques ignores me. As usual. Petulant little shit of a man. But he cooks,
cleans, and keeps this place running, so I let him live.
“Not showing your guest to the basement, I see.” Jacque raises a sculpted
brow as he dumps the shards into a pail.
“She’s none of your business.”
“Everything around here is my business.” He sighs and gets to his feet.
“Did she like the food at least?” He twirls one side of his ridiculous
mustache.
“She ate it.” I open my door. “Go.”
He scoffs. “Someone’s in a mood.”
“Jacques, if you don’t—“
“Get the hell out of here I’ll skin you alive,” he says in a voice to mimic my
own. “I know. You’ve been threatening me for two years. I get it.” He grabs
the pail, his skinny jeans looking as if they might burst at the seams as he
bends for it.
Fuzzy is still sleeping on my bed, now rolled on his back, his limbs
stretched out and his stomach to the ceiling.
“She’s in the green bedroom.” I gesture into the hall. “Go see what she
needs.”
“What about what you need?” He purses his lips.
“I need you to do what I say. That’s all.”
He rolls his eyes. “Did you really believe you’d get that beautiful girl into
your clutches and torture her? I knew from the second you saw her that pain
wasn’t the true plan.” He glances down. “That dusty cock of yours could
use some moisture, and since you’ve never had an eye for me—“ He shakes
his head. “Which is ridic since I’m gorgeous. Anyway, point is, I’ve seen
the way you’ve looked at your creepy surveillance shit. She’s different.”
I grip the back of his shirt and haul him out of my room.
“Rough, yes, Daddy,” he purrs as I toss him away.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He straightens, somehow managing to keep all the glass in the pail. “I so
do.” He runs one hand through his blond hair, perfecting the swoop along
the top.
“The only thing different about this girl is that I want her blood more than
anyone else’s.”
“Blood? Is that what you breeders are calling pussy these days?”
I grind my teeth. Jacques is walking a fault line, one that’s ready to shatter.
“Look. You want her. And not for basement time. That’s okay. You need to
let yourself have these sorts of pleasures. Love is in the air.” He grins.
I glare. “Love? You’re mistaken.”
“Am I?” He does a little jig. “I think not. I think you’re smitten.”
I advance, and he breaks up his dance and dodges back. “Now, Ajax, calm
that temper. There’s no way you can woo the girl if you’re always
threatening to skin people or flay people or gut people or any of those other
things you say.”
“Those are all true. I’ve done those things.” I pull up my fists and flex.
“With these hands.”
He seems unimpressed. “Right. Your enemies. But not innocent little girls
with big eyes and curvy, tempting bodies.”
Jacque is as gay as the day is long, but it still doesn’t sit right with me for
anyone to comment on Helen’s body. In fact, it makes a new emotion rear
its ugly head. Jealousy that’s tinted with possessiveness.
“Don’t look at her.” I grate.
He pops off a high-pitched laugh and twirls just outside my reach. “See?
Just what I thought. You’re a goner for the girl.”
I press my palms to my face, the ruined side too flat and slick beneath my
hand. Ruined. Half of me is ruined because of her. Because of her family.
When I drop my hands, I stare straight at Jacques. “I’m not a goner. Once
she’s regained her strength from the food you sent, I’m going to drag her
down into the basement, lock her in, bleed her slow, and get every ounce of
payback I’m owed. She can scream and cry and beg, but I won’t stop. I
deserve this. I’ve been simmering on it for years. And now it’s my time to
make the Carrigans pay. Helen will suffer and die by my hands.”
A strangled gasp catches my ear, and I turn.
My stomach drops to the floor when I see Helen behind me, her skin
blanching white as she puts a hand to her mouth. The horror in her eyes is
like poison in my veins, and for the first time in a long, long time, I feel
remorse. I feel…wrong. Even when I was saying the words, I knew they
were a lie. But I want them to be true. I want to feel nothing except my need
for vengeance.
But the moment I look in her eyes, I know all my words are empty. I can’t
hurt her. Won’t hurt her. And God help anyone who ever tries to.
“Helen.” I step toward her.
She shakes her head, her entire body trembling as she turns and runs from
me, her hair flying back and her retreating back like the wisp of a ghost
disappearing down the long, dark hall.
14
HELEN
I sprint down the long hallway, and my lungs start to burn as I get
to the end. I veer to the right and continue on until a set of stairs
comes into view. I slow down, looking behind me to see if I’m
being followed. The coast is clear as far as I can see. No beast.
I don’t know if my heart is pounding from fear or from the sprint I’ve just
done. I head down the stairs. When I get to the bottom, I find a door leading
outside. I pull on it, but it doesn't budge. I try again, hoping that something
has changed within the last second but still, nothing. I run my finger over
the panel next to it. I’m guessing you need the number code to open it. I
smack the door, only hurting my own hand in the process.
I’m not sure if it even matters. When I looked out the window earlier, it
seemed as if we were in the middle of nowhere. I know it’s night out
already, which would limit my options even if I did get out. I give up on the
door, knowing it’s fruitless.
I pull on a few more doors and pop my head into the rooms that open. Until
I get to one that’s an office. I enter that one, closing the door behind me and
locking it. I rush over to the desk and look through the drawers for anything
I think I’ll be able to use to get out of here. I guess I need something to
protect myself, too.
My eyes start to sting with tears as I replay what he said. His words had
been like a dagger to my heart. It’s my own fault though. I should have
known better than to believe he was a good guy. He doesn't only want to
kill me. He wants to make me suffer. What has my family done to him to
make him hate me so much? It feels as though I’m always paying for the
sins of my parents. That I’ll never get out from the shadow my family name
has cast upon me.
Maybe I’m as bad as them. To the rest of the world they look polished and
put together, but I know better. If walls could talk and if people could see
what goes on behind closed doors, everyone would know what
dysfunctional people they were.
I had the pleasure of growing up with a mother who drank too much and a
father who burned through women. They cared about no one but
themselves, and they would do anything to keep their shortcomings and
dirty deeds a secret. I know they got some of their money from shady deals,
but I didn’t know they’d resorted to having people physically harmed.
I’d put most of this together over the years by seeing the people that would
come and go from the house. Oftentimes, there were stacks of money that
would fill up a whole table as machines counted it out. Still I took the
money without question when they gave it to me. What kind of person does
that make me? I slam the drawer closed, finding nothing I can use.
This is bullshit. I already wear scars because of them. I wipe the tears away
from my face. How could he kiss me like that and still want to do all those
horrible things to me? He truly is a beast. I tried to fantasize him into
something he wasn't. I slip out of the office as I continue my search. For
what, I’m not sure.
I freeze when I enter the kitchen and see the man the beast had been talking
to in the hallway earlier before I’d interrupted them.
He gives me a smile. “Are you still hungry?” he asks.
I stand there and stare at him. Is that really what he’s asking me right now?
“Ajax gave me a list of foods you like, and I stocked the pantry as well. I
have to admit those frosted animal crackers are wonderful, but I draw the
line at cheese in a can. I mean, I got it, but do you really eat that? I can get
you fresh cheese from anywhere in the world. All you have to do is say the
word.”
“I like all cheese. I don’t discriminate,” I find myself saying. Why would
the beast have all my favorite food stocked here if he was only going to
murder me anyway? What if that was part of his plan? Maybe he planned to
make me fall in love with him and then break my heart. He would make me
feel comfortable, make me lower my guard, and then he would end me
when I least expected it.
He sighs. “I guess you got me there. I’m a cheese snot.”
I let out a small laugh. “Cheese snot sounds terrible. That is a cheese I
would not eat.” I turn when I hear the sound of thunderous steps coming. I
know it has to be the beast with how heavy each one lands. I take off again.
I try to stop at the first door to slip inside before he can see, but I slide past
it, falling. I scramble to my feet and rush inside while ignoring the burn on
my knee.
“Have you seen her?”
I still at the sound of Beast's voice.
“Who?” the nice man asks.
“Jacques.” he growls. My heart pounds at the tone of his voice. Would he
hurt him, too?
“You lost her, so you find her.”
Beast lets out a few curses. It’s only seconds until I hear his steps drawing
closer to me. I search around the dark room wondering what the hell kind of
closet it is that I stepped into. I bump into something and feel something hit
me. Then something else falls. I let out a small scream and the door swings
open, filling the small room with light. It takes me a moment before my
eyes adjust to it.
Beast is standing in the doorway staring at me. I shift over, not sure what to
do, but I let out another scream at the loud pop sound that almost causes me
to come out of my skin. Maybe he won’t have to skin me after all. It’s then I
realize I stepped on an unopened chip bag. I have been hiding in a giant
pantry.
“Come out. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“No. You’re a … a …”
“Asshole? Hideous?” He supplies for me.
“Meanie head” is all I can think of.
I hear Jacques laugh. Beast turns his head to look towards him, and I steal
that moment to make my move. I run towards him, hoping to knock him off
balance so I can run away. Instead I collide with him and bounce off. He
grabs me before I can fall and pulls me into him.
“Did you hurt yourself again?” His voice is rough, loud.
My knee still burns from when I fell on it earlier.
“What? Are you sad you didn't get to hurt me yourself?” I shout back at
him.
“Helen. Watch yourself. I won’t be responsible for my actions when you
take that tone with me.”
I swallow hard. “You’re already going to kill me. Torture me. Make me pay
for the sins of my parents. What does it matter?”
“Killing you isn't what I want to do right now,” he growls out before he pins
me to the wall, and his mouth is on mine again. The beast taking what he
wants from me. The only question is, how much am I willing to give him?
15
AJAX
I tear myself away and put her on her feet. It takes every thread
of self-control I still possess, but I have to do it. To show her I
can control myself.
When I put her down, she looks up at me with big, dazed eyes.
“I’ll fight you, you know.” She tries to step back and almost knocks her
head against a pantry shelf.
I manage to wedge my hand in there before she makes contact.
“Back!” She raises her fists. Like two little peeled potatoes, soft and
smooth. “I may not win, but I’ll hurt you!”
“Better back up, boss.” Jacques sniggers behind me.
I grab her shoulders and pull her from the pantry before she hurts herself
again. But she’s scared and lashing out, hitting me with those tiny little
fists. It almost tickles.
“All right.” I close the door behind her, set her against it, then back up.
“You’re all right.”
“Stop manhandling me!” she snaps.
But I see her hard nipples, the flush in her cheeks, the glassy look in her
beautiful eyes. “I think you like it when I manhandle you, beauty.”
“That’s my cue.” Jacque sidles up to her and hands her a long knife. “Just
poke him with this if he acts up.”
“Jacques.” I glare at him, but he doesn’t even turn around, just gives her an
air kiss on one cheek and saunters away into the back hall.
I take a deep breath. “Put the knife down.”
She thrusts it toward me, though she’s nowhere near making contact. “Stay
back.”
“You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“No, I’m going to skewer you.” She brandishes it again, but then the door
behind me creaks.
I spin and find Fuzzy jumping onto the counter and sniffing at the snack
tray Jacques left for us.
“Rude,” Helen scolds and steps forward.
But when I turn back to her, she raises the knife and tries to move away.
Except this time she dodges left. Right into the open cupboard door.
“Whoa.” I rush up and take the knife right before she flails.
“Get off me!”
I steady her, then give her space again. “You would’ve sliced your arm to
the bone.” I throw the knife in the sink across the way.
It lands with a clang that makes her flinch.
“Sorry.”
“Sorry?” She crosses her arms over her middle and backs into the open
spice cupboard. “You’re sorry? You brought me here to torture me and
murder me, and you’re sorry?” Her voice takes on a high pitch.
“I can explain.” I hold my hands up, palms to her.
“You can let me go is what you can do. Fuzzy and I don’t want to be here.”
I glance over at the cat. He’s making a nice little meal of the goodies
Jacques prepared.
“Fuzzy!” she hisses.
He ignores her and keeps chowing down.
“Fuzzy, get over here, you chubby little traitor! He’s going to hurt us!”
He looks up, then dives back in.
“Ugh!” Her eyes travel the kitchen, and I have no doubt she’s looking for
another weapon. “You can’t keep me here. I won’t let you hurt Fuzzy, and
I’ll fight you. I’ll do everything I can to—”
“A fire.” I say it quietly, but somehow the words are heavy, sinking to the
ground at my feet and hovering there like a choking fog.
“Wh-what?” She blinks.
I swallow hard, my palms suddenly sweaty, and then I do something I’ve
never done. With a swipe of my hand, I pull the hair back from the ruined
side of my face and turn so she can see the entire wreck.
She stares. It’s silent ... other than the sound of Fuzzy chewing.
“Fire?” Her voice is softer now. The fear still echoing but not so sharp.
“When I was younger. Eighteen.” I pause for a long moment. “I’ve never
told anyone this. Not even Jacques, though he’s plenty clever enough to
have pieced it together.” I drop my hair and return my gaze to hers. What I
see there slays me. It’s not disgust like I expected. Not the fear I deserve.
There’s something in her eyes that pummels the jagged rocks around my
heart. Sorrow. This beautiful creature pities me. Even though I brought her
here to hurt her. I have to go on, to keep telling the story or it might die on
my lips. “It was my birthday.” I lean on the counter, needing the support.
She steps closer.
“We had a small family dinner at my father’s restaurant. Then we drove
home. I’d planned on sneaking out later that night to have some fun with
my friends. After my parents were in bed, I crept down the stairs, and that’s
when I found them. Three armed men. One of them used the butt of his gun
and pistol whipped me until I fell. I can’t say if I passed out or was just, I
don’t know, dazed. They tied me up. The next thing I saw was my mother.”
I swallow hard, the scent of blood in my nose. Her blood. “She’d been
killed, her body tossed beside me.”
“No,” she whispers. I don’t know when Helen got close enough to touch
me, but she grabs my arm, holding on to me.
“My father is next. I can still see his eyes. Open. Not closed like in the
movies.” I close my own eyes. “Can you smell it?”
“Hmm?” She presses her cheek to my arm.
“The gasoline? I can. I can still feel the heat of that first whoosh of flames,
the sizzle of my skin.” I reach up and touch the too-smooth surface.
“I’m so sorry.” She reaches up and wipes a tear from my cheek. I hadn’t
realized I’d shed it.
“I barely survived. But I did. And I grew strong. And I promised vengeance
on the people who hurt me and killed my parents.”
“Did the police catch them?”
I turn to her, meeting her watery gaze. “No. But I did. I hunted down those
three men and took pleasure in their torture. And they gave up the name of
the one who ordered my family’s death. You see, my father had refused to
pay protection money for over a year.”
“Protection?” she asks so, so sweetly, her brow wrinkling in confusion.
“Right. If you don’t pay, then your business gets busted over and over again
instead of protected. But if you do pay, well, your business is safe. My
father got sick of paying, and he fought off anyone who tried to come in and
strong-arm him. So, eventually, the protection racket wanted to make an
example of him.”
“You killed them. The protection men?” Something in her voice tells me
that maybe somewhere inside her, she already knows. Not a conscious
knowledge, but the feeling that maybe her kidnapping wasn’t random, my
scars aren’t random, and our inexplicable link isn’t random, either.
“I killed the men who killed my parents. But before they died, they gave me
the name of the family that ordered it.”
“No.” Her eyes widen. That knowledge is rising to the surface. I can see the
exact moment understanding blooms inside her.
I rest my hand at her throat, then say the cursed name. “Carrigan.”
16
HELEN
I tell her the truth. It’s as if my tongue can’t form any more lies.
Not with her. I will never hurt her. My plans have dissolved like
water through my fingers.
It’s foolish and completely unlike me. Then again, every step I’ve taken
with Helen has been out of character if I truly think about it. I’ve watched
her for so long. Scrutinized every bit of her life. My other victims? I gave
them no thought except vengeance, no time except what it took for me to
end them.
I may be different for my sweet Helen, but my enemies will receive no
mercy. If anything, I’ll do much, much worse to them to protect Helen.
“What are you thinking?” She runs her finger along my good eyebrow.
“You were here with me, and then you went away and got all broody.”
I peer down at her luscious lips, a streak of cream at one corner just begging
to be licked. “I’m not broody.”
She inhales so hard she snorts, then laughs. A beautiful sound, one never
heard by these walls. “You are the absolutely most broody person I’ve ever
met.”
I grunt my response and lean closer, the cream and her skin a dare. Her
breath speeds up, the pulse at her throat fluttering wildly. I want to taste it,
to lick up her neck and down, down, down to the secret place between her
legs. Feasting on her is a dream, a desire that stokes heat low in my
stomach. I want to ruin her with my mouth, wreck her with my tongue in all
her delicious places.
Leaning closer, I stare at her lips.
“Wait. We need to talk about—“
I take her mouth, tasting the sweet cream and her. She melts for me, her
arms going around my neck as she sighs against my lips.
Then she stiffens and pulls back. “Hey, quit trying to distract me.”
I lick her from my lips. “I’m not distracting you.” With a pull, I lift her into
my arms and turn to the hall. “I’m taking what’s mine. I want all of it, down
to the last fucking drop, and I want it now.”
“That’s…” She swallows hard. “You, um…” She seems lost in my words,
but then she stiffens her chin. “As I was saying,” she says petulantly, but I
can hear the breathiness underneath. “We need to talk about things. Like
what happened to you after my parents—“ She frowns when she mentions
them. “I mean, I need to know what happened after,” she says softly as I
carry her to my bed. “Did you suffer terribly? You must have.” She nods to
herself. “But now you have all this, so I can’t connect the boy who lost
everything to this enormous mansion. Connect the dots for me?”
There’s no way to sugarcoat it, not now. This house and its grounds, the
accounts full of zeros tacked onto large numbers, the wealth that seems to
spring from my fingertips like a Midas touch—it’s all dirty. “I’m a bad man,
beauty. The worst, if I’m being honest.” I lay her on the bed, then reach
back and pull my shirt off.
Her teeth worry her lip as she stares up at me, her gaze wandering down the
muscled expanse of my abs to the waistline of my pants. My face may be
ruined, but I’ve made a monument of the rest of me. No weakness. Only
strength. And the way she’s looking at me right now? The work is more
than worth it. But I can’t let her think I’m some sort of white knight, though
when she refers to me as her hero, something tightens in my chest, and I
feel … I feel a warmth that is as out of place as it is pleasant. Even so, she
needs to know what she’s getting into, because I intend to be balls deep in
her tonight, and once I claim her, she’s mine forever.
“I built this empire on the blood of my enemies. I do dirty deals. I hurt
people. If anyone crosses me, I end them.” I pull her to a sitting position
and reach for the hem of her shirt.
She lets me take it from her and lift it over her head, and then I’m staring at
soft skin and hard nipples trapped behind a white bra. “You do bad things,
but you’re not a bad man.” She blinks up at me.
I smirk at that. “Oh, beauty, I am utterly wicked. Like a demon from the
depths of hell sent here to torment the living. I rip and tear and destroy, then
I take what I want. I’ll show you just how deep the darkness goes once I’ve
got you wet and wanting beneath me. Once you beg me for my cock.”
She gasps and presses her thighs together, but not to hide from me. Because
she moves her hips, as if she’s trying to find friction to ease her.
I lick my lips. “Off.” I reach behind her and unclasp the bra, then toss it
aside. When I push her back down to the bed, I step away and marvel at her
beauty. I want to fuck those round tits and cover them with my seed. Just
the thought of it sends a jolt to my cock.
“More.” I hook my fingers in her bottoms and strip them off along with her
panties.
She makes a high-pitched sound in her throat, and her cheeks redden. Her
hands move toward her breasts, but I gently set them away.
“No shame.” I gaze down at the wet curls between her thighs. “Not from
you, Beauty. Never hide this body from me. This perfection.”
“I’ve never—” She takes a shaky breath as I shuck my own pants and boxer
briefs and toss them aside.
“You’ve never what?” I stand, and her eyes go straight to my cock.
“I’ve never seen one in person.” Her mouth opens and she rolls onto an
elbow to look closer. When her warm breath ghosts across my swollen
head, I groan.
“Never?”
“No.” Her eyes feel like a touch as she takes in my length.
I reach for her hair. “Remember when I told you I’m a bad man, my little
one?”
She looks up, her innocent eyes already glazed with lust. “Yes,” she
whispers, her lips so close to my cock.
“Do you want me to show you just how bad?” I stroke her cheek.
She darts her tongue out and tastes my pre-cum, and I groan low in my
throat.
I may be bad, but when my beauty takes me into her mouth with an eager
tongue? It’s then I realize I’m not the only one with a wicked streak.
18
HELEN
I don’t know what comes over me, but all I can think about in
this moment is tasting my beast. My tongue swipes across the
head of his cock, stealing the drop of cum that had been teasing
me. The sweet salty taste hits my lips, causing me to moan.
I’m instantly greedy for more, so I suck the head of his cock into my mouth.
I don’t exactly know what I’m doing, but based on the grunts that are
coming from my beast, I figure I’m doing something right.
I suck while trailing my tongue around the head, trying to find more. I
realize that the harder I suck, the more turned on the both of us seem to get.
His cum leaks into my mouth as though he can’t control it. I double my
efforts, taking him as deep into my mouth as I can.
“Fuck,” he growls out before he begins to thrust himself in and out of my
mouth. His fingers caress my hair as he slowly pulses forward and back.
His grip tightens in my hair, almost to the point of pain, as he begins to pick
up speed. I open my eyes to look up at him. Wanting him to see how much
I’m enjoying this. Needing him to know how much I want him.
His face is contorted. He almost looks as though he’s in pain. I start to pull
my mouth away, but the groan that leaves him lets me know he’s enjoying
every second of what I’m doing.
A thrill runs through me at the pleasure I’m giving my beast. A man whose
life has been filled with so much pain. What if I was meant to be here? He
thinks he took me for revenge, but what if I’m the only thing that can heal
him? To make him feel something more than pain and hate?
“I need to taste you,” he says. Before I can protest, he’s on me. He lifts me,
tossing me to the center of the bed. I bounce once before I feel his massive
body over me as he pins me down. One arm rests over my stomach so that I
can’t move as the other grabs my thigh and spreads my legs wide for him.
My face warms as he stares down at my sex as if it’s a piece of art and he
wants to catch every single detail. I know I’m embarrassingly wet for him.
My shyness gets to me, and I try to close my legs and cover myself, but the
look he shoots me has me stopping.
“Are you trying to hide this from me?”
I shake my head.
“I think this pussy needs me.”
“Yes, it does. We need you. I need you.”
His fingers that are gripping my thigh dig in deeper with a hold so tight that
I know I’ve bound myself to him with those words. I don’t think he ever
plans on letting me go. That should scare me, but all it does is make me
grow wetter.
“It’s starting to ache so badly.” I try to lift my hips, but I can’t move. “I
need you.” I plead with him to give me the relief that I know only he can.
My sex throbs, anticipating the pleasure.
“I better fix that then. I told you I’d never hurt you.” As soon as the words
leave his mouth, he buries his face between my thighs. His mouth devours
me. He holds nothing back, taking away the hurt within seconds. The
orgasm hits me so fast I’d be embarrassed if he wasn't already pushing me
toward another.
I cry out in pleasure as the second hits me harder than the first. The pleasure
is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. I try to tell him I can’t take anymore, but
the only thing that comes out of my mouth are moans. So he doesn’t stop.
He eats at me like the starved beast that he is. Feeding on me to fill the
emptiness inside him. I let him, wanting to be the thing that nourishes him
and brings him back to life.
“Nothing should taste that good. No one besides me will ever know how
sweet your little cunt is,” he growls before kissing my clit one last time,
then he crawls his way up my body. I’m not sure if I’ll move ever again.
My eyes flutter open to look up at him. I lift my hand, and my fingers trail
down the scars that mark his skin. The same scars that brought us to this
moment.
“Nothing should feel that good.” I smile up at him.
That wicked mouth of his glistens with the remnants of my orgasms. He
leans down, taking my mouth in a possessive kiss. Marking me in a way
that is deeper than any of the scars on our bodies, this one goes to my soul.
I feel his cock start to push into me. Again, I know this is fast. I barely
know this man. Some of the things I do know should leave me shaking in
fear and not in need. He stops.
“Please.” I beg for more of him. I want to be connected in every way.
“I said I wouldn’t hurt you.” His whole body is tight as I run my fingers up
and down his back.
“I want this. I’m asking you to hurt me this one time. To give us both what
we want.” He closes his eyes like he’s in pain. I dig my fingers into his
back. “Take me. I thought I was yours.” His eyes fly open and lock with
mine.
“You are.” He groans as his mouth falls to mine, and he pushes the rest of
the way inside me. I feel the sharp pain for a moment, but the
overwhelming sensation of finding what I’ve been looking for overrides
everything. I wrap my legs around my beast and kiss him back.
He thrusts in and out. His eyes never leave mine as he makes love to me.
It’s so sweet and filled with need. It makes an array of emotions bubble up
in my throat. I have to fight not to cry, but when he sends me over the edge,
there’s no controlling the tears that break free. They spill down my cheeks,
but my beast kisses each one as he spills his own release inside of me.
I’m not so sure my beast is a beast anymore. At least not to me…
19
AJAX
“I can’t go again. I think I strained my vagina.” She flops back onto the bed,
her perfect body covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
“Strained vagina?” I roll over, caging her between my arms. “That sounds
like something I should kiss and make better.”
She smacks at my cheek, then kisses me.
I’ll never get enough of her. We’ve been together for a week, always
touching, fucking, doing all the things I’ve dreamed about doing with her. I
hand feed her when she lets me. She reads from her textbooks to me while
she studies. She was embarrassed at first, but I told her I could happily
listen to her read the obits. Her voice is angelic, sweet, and soothing to my
dark soul.
I had Jacques fetch all the things from her dorm. There was no police tape,
nothing awry when he visited in the dead of night. The Carrigans would
never dial 911, never do anything to bring attention to their missing
daughter. They’d learned from the many ransom attempts to keep a low
profile. More than that, her mother saw me. She knows who I am, which
means she likely has a damn good idea right where her daughter is. Even
so, no one would dare darken my doorstep.
“I swear if you put your mouth on me again, I may have a seizure,” she
groans into my neck and runs her tongue along my skin.
“Keep doing that, and I won’t be able to stop myself, beauty.”
“Ajax.” She nibbles my bottom lip. “My beast.”
I love it when she calls me that. Because it’s perfect. I’m a beast. Wild and
destructive to our enemies, but protective and loving to my mate.
I roll over and pull her on top of me. “Rest.” I wipe her hair from her
forehead and trail my fingers down her back. “Will you tell me today?”
She stiffens almost imperceptibly.
“You don’t have to,” I add quickly. I’ve been asking, but I won’t push her.
Not on that score. I know all too well how hard it is to talk about scars, and
not just the ones on the outside. Whatever happened to Helen left marks I
can’t see. When I find out what happened to her, I intend to make the
responsible party pay in blood. But I have to be patient. Helen’s already
shared so much. Her dreams of living her own life free of her parents, of
how badly she wanted to pretend her life was normal when she was
younger.
I shared, too. About the loneliness. The darkness. And the need for
vengeance that still thrums through my veins with every pulse of my heart.
But she doesn’t fear me. Never has. Not really. She still thinks I’m her hero.
I smile at that.
“What was that for?” She kisses the corner of my mouth. “That
devastatingly handsome smile?”
“For you.” I run my hands down to her ass and squeeze. “Always for you.”
I thrust my hips against her. “Now about me kissing it better, how about I
start—”
“Boss!” Jacques knocks on my door so hard that Fuzzy goes skittering
across the floor with his ears down.
“What?” I call out, but I’m already moving. The tone of his voice tells me
there’s trouble.
“A package came for you.” He clears his throat.
“Hold the delivery person.”
“Can’t.”
“What?”
“A drone dropped it on the front steps.”
“Wow. Amazon is really stepping it up.”
“Not that kind of delivery.” I pull her from the bed and wrap the blanket
around her. “Hide in the closet until I return.”
“What? Why?”
“Just stay there. You’re safe, but I need to handle whatever this is. Okay?” I
kiss her forehead.
She frowns but nods. “Okay.”
“Keep Fuzzy company. I’ll be back.” I hurry her to the closet where I grab
some pants, then close the door.
Then I’m in the hall and dashing toward the front door with Jacques at my
heels.
“Careful, boss,” he cautions.
Though I can’t be certain, an alarm blares in my mind that this is about
Helen. About us. And it won’t be good.
I get to the door and swing it wide. Maybe they have a drone, but they sure
as fuck don’t have a sniper that can get onto this property without me
knowing. Assholes.
I swipe the box from the steps and bring it inside.
“What is it?” Jacques dances around, nerves vibrating in his voice.
“If it’s a bomb, we’re fucked.” With rough hands, I rip open the package.
The only thing inside is a single red rose, the petals crisscrossed in scars
that look eerily similar to the ones on my beauty’s back.
Beneath the rose is a note. I pluck it from the box.
“Is it Valentine’s?” Jacques scratches his chin.
If I were the sort to roll my eyes, I would. “No, idiot.”
I unfold the note.
In a flowing hand, it says simply, Return her now or she will suffer the
consequences.
20
HELEN
I have more enemies than I can count. Each one of them would
like nothing more than to get their hands on my Helen. But
none of them know about her. It’s not possible.
The only person who saw me take her, who knows what I’ve done, is her
mother. Would she threaten her own daughter with additional scars? I don’t
think so, not after what Helen just revealed to me.
Fuck, my heart aches when I think about what she went through. I felt her
words like a punch in the gut. Each surgery on my face was a disaster, each
attempt to fix me only making the scars that much worse. This entire time
I’ve been thinking we’re opposites, when in fact, we have far more in
common than I could’ve ever imagined.
“Why couldn’t you tell me before?” I ask her as I run my fingers down her
back and feel the pain written on her skin.
Her chin trembles. “I didn’t want you to think I was weak.”
That response knocks me on my ass. “Why would I ever think you were
weak?” I stroke another tear from her cheek.
“Because here I am crying about a few cuts on my back when you had your
face and your future ruined by my family. You’re so strong. You don’t take
any shit about your scars, and I wish I could be like that instead of some
weak crybaby who wasn’t strong enough to escape without hurting myself,
who wasn’t strong enough to tell my parents no when they forced me to
have surgeries and procedures, who wasn’t strong enough to—”
I kiss her before she can spew any more lies. I tell her just how much I
respect her, how strong I think she is with each stroke of my tongue.
Palming her ass, I lift her and carry her to the bed. The blanket falls away,
right along with her sandals, as I lay her down and crawl on top of her.
Pulling back, I stare into her eyes. “You are strong.”
She shakes her head.
I grip her chin and hold her steady. “You are, beauty. You saved yourself.
You didn’t wait for your family or some white knight to show up. You’re
like the wolf caught in the trap that chews off its own leg to escape. You
took your freedom, no matter the cost. Don’t you see? That’s strength.”
She reaches up and runs her fingers down my scars. “It’s nothing compared
to what you went through.”
That brings a smirk to my lips. “It’s not a competition.”
She smiles back, her cheeks heating. “I know.”
“And those scars are nothing to be ashamed of.”
She shrugs. “They aren’t exactly my best feature.”
I grin, my cock already harder than stone. “I’m certain I already know what
your best feature is.” I press against her warm, wet pussy.
She rolls her eyes. “Oh yeah? I bet I know what you’re thinking.”
“You should.” I lean down and press a soft, chaste kiss to her perfect lips.
“It’s your heart.”
Her eyes pop open.
I grin and kiss her again. “Your heart, my beauty.” I trail kisses down her
chest and stop over her left breast. “Right in here, the most beautiful part of
you.” I kiss her soft skin.
She runs her hands through my hair. “How are you so sweet?”
I bark a laugh. “I’ve never in my life been called sweet.”
Before she can respond, I grip her hips and turn her over, then swipe her
hair away from her back.
“Ajax,” she gasps as I press my lips to the biggest scar, then make my way
along the jagged marks, kissing each one.
She squirms beneath me, need rising up in her. My desire for her already
consumes me. All day, all night—my beauty is my obsession. Her scars
don’t take away from it. If anything, they’re battle wounds that show the
depth of her strength.
“I love your scars,” I whisper against her skin and watch as chill bumps
race across her pale flesh.
I kiss lower, my mouth hovering at the top of her luscious ass, and then I
delve lower. When I spread her cheeks and tongue her tight asshole, she
jolts. And when I press two fingers inside her soaked pussy from behind,
she moans my name.
My tongue plays a symphony on her ass, licking and caressing the sensitive
skin. With a pull, I lift her onto her knees, then move between her legs.
With a steady shove, I fill her, and she moans as her toes curl.
Gripping her shoulder, I pull her up to me. “Perfect.” I bite her shoulder and
pump inside her with steady strokes. “Fucking gorgeous.”
She reaches behind her and grips my hair. I can’t resist her tits, so I grip
them and squeeze her nipples as I shove myself inside her tight walls.
Her moans grow quicker, her body tightening around mine.
I want to make this last, but when she starts to hold her breath, I know she’s
so close. With a groan, I reach between her legs and stroke her clit.
She comes apart, her breath releasing in a howl of delight as I push myself
inside all the way to the hilt. Then I come, spurting my seed in her tight
cunt as she milks me, her body greedily taking everything I have to offer.
I want it to be like this always. “I love you,” I sigh as I lay her gently on the
bed and kiss her neck. “I love you, Helen, and I always will.”
She turns her head, her eyes meeting mine. “I love you, too.”
I kiss her, claiming her for always.
But in the back of my mind, I know there’s someone out there who wants to
take all this away from me. I’ll find out who, and when I do, my basement
chamber will finally see some use.
22
HELEN
A jax shifts on his feet, ready to get the hell out of here. He’s been
itching to leave since the second we first stepped foot back on
campus. The last two months have been magical, but we can’t stay
locked away in his castle forever. No matter how much he believes that we
can.
“I think that was the last of it,” I tell my beast who stands in front of my
dorm room. The moving company already left with the final box. Ajax has
his arms folded over his chest. He’s been on edge all day.
I know this is the last place he wants me to be, but he knows how important
school is to me. I agreed to him coming with me today because I knew it
was the only way. He needed to know I was safe and him being here gave
him that. He stood outside my class while I took my final, which I’m pretty
sure I aced.
A final he said I could’ve taken at home on the computer. Somehow, he’d
managed to get all kinds of strings pulled for me and my course work. I
won’t be shocked if a building pops up on campus with his name on it. I
know the only way people get this kind of treatment is by throwing money
at something.
I look around the room, wondering if I’m forgetting something. I have to
say I won’t miss anything in this room. Especially not my roommate, Piper.
If I were a petty person, I’d allow Fuzzy to leave her a little going-away
present, but I decide against it.
“You have taken the test, gotten your things, and seen your friend Lily. I
think we can leave now,” he says, answering the unspoken question I’ve
asked myself. I guess he’s right. I’ve covered everything.
“You’re lucky your grumpiness turns me on.” I point a finger at him.
“You could have taken the test at home; movers could have done all of
this.” He motions his hand around my small dorm room. “And your friend
could have come to us. I would have sent a car.”
I walk over to him and put my hands on his chest. I feel some of the tension
leave his body now that I’m pressed against him.
“We can’t stay locked away forever.”
He starts to open his mouth, but I keep going. “As much as I love being
locked away with you, there’s still a whole world out here. One I’d like to
see from time to time. With you by my side, of course.”
He lifts his hand and brushes a piece of hair out of my face before his
fingers trail down my jaw.
“They want to take you from me, and I don’t only mean my enemies.”
“Yeah, about that, I don’t think my professor was trying to take me from
you. He was offering me a pencil.”
“That’s not all he was offering you.” His body goes right back to being full
of tension again.
I think this is enough for one day. I’m ready to get home, too. It’s time for
me to work all the worry out of his body for him.
“Let’s go. Try not to shove me in the trunk this time.” I give him a cheeky
smile as I open the door to leave my now-old dorm room. I take one last
look and start heading down the hallway. I’ve made it all day without
having to run into my roommate Piper, and I don’t want to push my luck.
He gently grabs me by the wrist and pulls me back to him.
“Must you always bring that up?” I swear his face pulls into a pout.
I giggle. “It was the most interesting first date I’ve ever had.” His face
grows darker as he leads me out of the building. “I mean, don’t knock the
whole trunk thing. Not only did I give it up pretty quick, you even got me to
fall in love with you.”
He spins me around, his mouth crashing down on mine. I forget for a
moment where we are, and I kiss him back with the same need. I get lost in
the moment until I start to hear a few cheers and someone telling us to get a
room. I knew that was going to happen. He can never not kiss me when I
tell him I love him.
He starts walking toward where we parked. This time I have to run to keep
up with him. He opens the passenger side door, and I slip in. He looks
around before jumping into the driver's seat and taking off. He truly is
scared that someone will try to snatch me away from him. It’s been over
two months, and nothing else has come of the letter and rose that were
delivered.
We’d stayed hidden away where the rest of the world couldn't touch us. As
much as I love it there, we have to face whatever this is. I have faith that my
beast would never let anything take me from him.
Each mile we get closer to home, he starts to relax. I feel myself doing the
same. I smile, thinking about how this is my home now. To be honest, I
don’t think I’ve ever felt like I’ve had one before. One that really felt like it
was mine. That I was happy to go home to. That’s what my beast has given
me.
I reach over, resting my hand on his thigh. If anything, I worry more about
my parents. They have been strangely quiet, but I guess there isn't a way for
them to get in touch with me. Today was the one and only time I’ve been
back to the school. I think if they had reported me missing, that would have
come up at some point with me still turning in schoolwork.
It makes me think my beast has ordered them away. I don’t ask. I’m not
sure I want to know. I think any answer will leave me feeling hurt. Life has
been nice without them around. I had no idea how much darkness hung
over me with them in my world. I almost laugh thinking about the only
thing I have with my beast is light. He thinks I brought him into the light,
but he’s done the same for me.
Ajax starts to slow as we grow closer to his giant gate that looks so
ominous. I suddenly realize it’s not the gate that’s creeping me out.
It’s the fact that Carter is standing in front of it. The man I haven’t seen
since our disastrous date. Since my beast saved me from him. That felt like
years ago now. I’d all but forgotten about him. From the look on his face
though, it doesn't seem as if he’s forgotten about me. At all.
23
AJAX
I snuggle in close with Ajax. I need to feel him against me. The
doctor sits in a chair across the room watching us. I was
surprised when Jacques didn’t take us to a hospital but back to
the house. Where my beast has his own hospital room and a doctor who was
already there when we arrived.
“You better not leave me,” I tell him. He’s been out for twelve hours now.
“You hear me?” I gently squeeze his hand. “I love you more than anything
in this world. You have to come back to me.” I close my eyes, unable to get
the tears to stop.
The doctor said he’s going to be fine. I won’t believe it until he opens his
eyes and looks at me. I can’t lose him. I’m not sure I’d survive it. It wasn't
until my beast that I really understood what love was. He owns my heart.
All of it is his.
“Helen. You should eat something.” I open my eyes to look up at a very
concerned Jacques.
“No. I’m not hungry.”
“Helen. He’s going to wake up and he’s not going to be happy that we
haven't been taking care of you. Please eat something.”
I sit up to look at my beast. “You’re not supposed to be the one taking care
of me. He is. So if Ajax wants me to eat then he better wake up and tell me
to do it, or it’s not happening.” I know I’m being ridiculous, but I can’t help
it. I’ll try anything to get him to open his eyes.
Jacques lets out a long sigh, knowing he’s not going to win this one. I lie
back down and bury my face in Ajax’s neck, needing the comfort that only
he can give me. I don’t miss Jacques bringing in a tray of food and setting it
down anyway.
I breathe him in as I whisper to him that I love him. I describe what our life
could be like together. Tell him how handsome he is, how lucky I am to
have found such an amazing man like him. Tell him that I could be
pregnant. It’s not like we've been using protection. Neither one of us talked
about it. I knew what the chances were. I’m sure he did, too. So I tell him
names that I favor. His parents' names are amongst those. I also remind him
that we have to get married, because we all should have the last laugh. I talk
until my throat is dry and sleep tries to take me. I miss my beast and long to
hear his voice.
“How is she?” My eyes flutter open. A hand rubs up and down my back.
My mind is fuzzy. “She hasn’t eaten?” The growl of his question rumbles
through my body. I sit up with a gasp. I would know that growl anywhere.
My beast has finally awoken.
I burst into tears when Ajax’s eyes lock with mine. I throw myself at him.
He makes a grunting sound.
“I’m sorry.” I try and pull back. What is wrong with me? He's hurt and here
I am throwing my weight at him. His arms lock around me quickly, not
letting me get away.
“Shh.” He rubs his hands up and down my back, trying to get me to calm
down, but I only cry harder. Fuzzy lets out a loud meow, not liking my
crying either. I sniffle, trying to get myself together. Reminding myself that
he’s okay and we’re no longer in danger. All the emotions I've kept pent up
inside since I was a child seem to be flowing free now.
“You’re okay. I’m okay.” He continues to soothe me, even though he’s the
one that’s just woken up from a coma.
“I love you,” I get out with a hiccup. I lift my head, needing to look at him.
He gives me a soft smile. “If you loved me you’d eat.”
I roll my eyes.
“Please,” he adds, and I give in. I’ll feed him too, while I’m at it. Jacques
brings the tray over and sets it on the bed. I watch as the doctor comes over
and checks Ajax’s wound. He was lucky the bullet hadn't hit an organ or a
major artery. I try to pepper the doctor with questions, but Ajax makes
everyone leave the room.
“Kiss me,” he orders as soon as the door closes. I lean over him, making
sure to be extra careful and give him a tentative kiss. He’s not having any of
that. He grabs me, pulling me more into him as he takes my mouth in a
soul-shattering kiss.
I want to burst into tears again, but I keep control this time. Barely.
“You scared the shit out of me.”
“Me? You’re the one who got shot! But I knew it wouldn't stop you. I never
doubted you’d save me. I knew nothing would keep you away.”
“Nothing could have stopped me,” he says against my mouth before he
takes another kiss. “How are you feeling about—” He trails off.
“Free.” I have no doubt my parents hurt others, too. Ordered plenty of
deaths, not just Ajax’s parents. The world is a better place without them. I
watch as relief crosses his face. “You’re not losing me. I’m all yours, Ajax.
I just hope you feel free, too. That you can start to try to heal from all this. I
know nothing will ever bring your parents back, but we have each other.”
“You’ve healed me.” His hand cups my cheek. “Did you mean the things
you said?”
“What?”
“I could hear you when I was sleeping. I was coming in and out.”
“Oh that.” My face warms. I bite my lip. I pretty much told him he has to
marry me. “I meant it all.” Life is too short to not go after what you want,
and I want my beast. “I want us to have a life together. A marriage like your
parents had, full of love. For us to start our own family.”
His hand slips to the back of my neck so he can pull me down to him again.
We break away from the kiss when there’s a knock on the door. Jacques
comes walking in a few moments later. He gives me a wink before handing
Ajax something and disappearing out of the room. I think they must’ve
talked while I was sleeping, because they seem to have given each other
knowing looks. Or maybe I’m imagining it?
Ajax scoots up to lean against the headboard, despite my protest.
“I’m fine.”
I give him an annoyed look that falls away when he opens his hand to
reveal a blue velvet box. My breath hitches. I know what it is.
”Helen.”
“Yes!” I blurt out before he can finish. I kiss him all over his face. I feel him
push the ring onto my finger. I look down at the beautiful antique. It’s a
square sapphire surrounded by diamonds on a platinum band.
“It was my mother’s.”
“Ajax.” Tears form in my eyes. “That makes me love it even more.”
“She would have loved you. Both of them would have adored you.”
“I love them, too. They gave me you. My Ajax, my hero, my beast.”
He closes his eyes, relishing my words. “I don’t know what I did to get you
to love me, but I’ll never let you go.”
“I don’t want to be let go. The best day of my life was when you shoved me
into that trunk.” I smile.
He smiles. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
I shake my head. Because I will never forget how our journey started. It
may not have been the most romantic beginning, but it led to both of us
finding ourselves and our happily ever after.
EPILOGUE
AJAX
“You little scamp!” I chase Genny around the yard. She crawls like a
champ, her perfectly diapered bottom bouncing up and down as she romps.
“I’m going to eat you up!” I creep along behind her as she giggles.
Fuzzy runs out ahead of her, encouraging her to keep up.
When she looks back at me with a big, drooly grin on her face, my heart
melts all over again.
“You three are having fun.” Helen wraps her arms around me from behind
and buries her nose in my back. “You always smell so good.”
I rub my palms over her arms. “Good nap?”
“The best, only thing missing was you when I woke up.” I pull her around
to my front and kiss her forehead. “Genny woke up early, so I figured we’d
come play while you got your rest.” I run my hand over her round belly.
“Her brother is wearing me out.” She yawns and nestles against my chest.
“He’s going to be trouble.”
Genny giggles and flops onto her back as Fuzzy takes off after a
grasshopper.
“If he’s anything like his mother, then yeah, a lot of trouble.”
She smacks my arm, and I laugh then kiss her hard and long as the sun
shines and Genny plays in the warm grass.
When I finally let her go, she looks up at me, a devious look in her eyes.
“You’ve got some nerve calling me trouble. If you care to remember, on our
very first date, you kidnapped me and threw me into your trun—”
I groan and kiss her again, swallowing her complaint and showing her just
how glad I am I stole her that day, trunk and all.
More MINK is coming right up! A Halloween treat and a gruff bunch of
four mountain men are showing up to make your October warm and toasty!
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ALSO BY MINK
Santino
I meet my new bride while her husband’s blood is still cooling on my hands. Bella, the Carrera
daughter with the sharp tongue and the bright eyes. She thinks she’s nothing compared to her
younger sister, but she’s wrong. Bella is everything, and I’m going to prove to her that I’m worthy to
be her husband. Once I’ve exacted my vengeance on all who seek to take what I’ve fought and killed
for, I’ll have my beauty on her back, panting my name, and thanking the Virgin I claimed her as
mine.
Bella
My first husband found me plain and unappealing. But now he’s dead, and I have to look out for my
sister as well as my own neck. But Santino isn’t the mafia king I expect. He’s ruthless, hard, and
violent, but not to me. To me, he shows kindness, consideration, and above all, an attraction that I
can’t explain. I want him, but my duty to my sister is always at the forefront of my mind. Falling for
Santino wasn’t part of my plan, but his irresistible assault may be the only thing that can change me
from a Carrera to a Baldoni, but at what cost?
Apollonia
I never wanted to come back here, never wanted to see any of these faces. Old friends and enemies—
sometimes one-in-the-same. But I had to come. One last time. It’s hard enough as it is, but then I see
him. The reason I’m here, the man who took my brother away from me. He may be the most
powerful man in Italy, but right now, I don’t care. Right now, I want him to hurt the way I do.
Cato
She comes to a funeral with pain and beauty. Lashing out, she aims for me. I take her fury, her
sorrow, and finally, her. I can’t let her walk out of my life, not when I’ve found her again. The last
time I saw her, she was a child and I wasn’t much more than one. This time, though, this time, I
won’t let our bond break. I’ll do everything I can to convince her that her life is here with me, not on
the run from a past she can’t escape. But I soon discover I’m not the only one with my sights on her,
and old enemies never truly die.
Silas
Am I stalking my neighbor Jamie? Yes. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Surely not. Look, I realize it
sounds bad, okay? But I take care of Jamie's problems whenever they arise. Just look at her ex-
boyfriend, for example. He was trouble. Now he's not around anymore. See? I solve problems.
Whenever Jamie needs help, I'll be there for her. It's just who I am. Besides, if you aren't obsessed
with the one you love, are you even in love?
Jamie
Someone is stalking me. I can't figure out who it is, but I know they're out there. And the worst part
is, now they're after my sweet neighbor Silas. I've accidentally dragged him into my dark web of true
crime and sleuthing, and now he's in danger. It's a good thing I can keep him close. And not because
of his gorgeous eyes and hard body. No, it's because I want to keep him alive. After all, I have a
stalker, and I can't let Silas be their next victim.
Hitman’s Heart
I’m good at my job. Taking people out doesn’t give me any heartburn, especially when it means my
bank account grows fatter after each assignment. So what if I drink away the days between missions,
and maybe I try to forget all the things I’ve done—I’m not soft. Not for anyone. . . Except her.
Margaret. My little ray of sunshine, the only bright spot in this world of darkness. She’s the only
thing I have to look forward to, and when she’s threatened, I can’t sit idly by. Not even when I’m
ordered to take her life or lose my own. I’ll keep her hidden and safe, but how will I protect her from
myself?
Lane
It’s not in my nature to save people, especially when there’s no advantage in it for me. But that
changes the moment I see her, my sweetness, being attacked. For once in my life, I step in. Saving
her was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I soon realize fate drew me to the right place and the
right time to meet Pepper. She’s too innocent for a man like me, but I can’t let her go. And I don’t. I
dote on her and love her. Until she’s taken from me. Her life snuffed out by my enemies. Now, I live
to make them pay, and I won’t stop until everyone who had a hand in Pepper’s death is bleeding at
my feet.
Pepper
Lane saved me. This man with the intense eyes and powerful way about him. He’s my hero, and I
can’t believe I’m falling in love. Everything’s perfect until I stray too far one night and find out
exactly what sort of man won my heart. Cruelty and violence—he’s capable of both, though I know
in my heart he’d never harm me. Even so, when I see the chance to escape, I take it. But I’m not
alone when I leave him, and my heart is forever drawn back to him, to the man who loves me fully
and without reservation. Though he may be a nightmare for those who cross him, he’ll always be my
hero.
I’m a princess in a tower. Well, sort of. I live on an estate with high walls and plentiful guards. My
father is an important man, though I’ve never learned why. But I have learned to obey him or suffer
the consequences. Even so, I have a life I understand and can bear as long as my tiger is here with
me. She’s my best friend, my only friend. At least, she was until I met the strange man through the
garden wall. Ronan. He isn’t afraid of my father. Isn’t afraid of my tiger. And the more we talk, the
less afraid I am of him. I begin to hope he’s the prince who can save me from this tower … Until I
learn I’m betrothed to another. But if there’s anything at all I’ve learned about Ronan, it’s that he
doesn’t give up easily. But will I be able to escape my father’s plans or end up married to another
man after all?
Sometimes I have sticky fingers. Funny how pricey things tend to get glued to them. An item here, a
handful of diamonds there. I take them, and then I keep them. Like a dragon with her hoard that no
man can touch. Except … that isn’t completely true. One man can. My captor, my jailor, the one
person who I can’t stop fantasizing about even though he keeps me locked away. He took everything
from me. So, I’m taking it back from him piece by piece. But when he reveals the twisted path to my
freedom, will I walk down it alone or accept that my obsession isn’t wealth at all, it’s him?
Cuffed Love
Sheriff Chrissy Darling
There’s a new sheriff in town. Okay, yeah. It’s me. I never intended to become the chief law
enforcement officer for the small town of Newberry, but here I am with a badge and a job. I also have
a few deputies and some small-town troubles, but nothing I can’t handle. At least that was the case
until a tall, handsome, be-suited man shows up and things begin to fall apart. Stolen chickens, broken
glass, and retired mercenaries are just a few of the problems Declan Smith’s brought with him. But
the biggest problem of all? My attraction to him, the man who’s the number one suspect in all the
strange goings on in my town.
Declan Smith
I’ve come to Newberry to do my job, and I’m damn good at it. Disrupting governments and multi-
billion dollar corporations has long been my specialty, but I decided to take a job in a tiny town for a
little slice of the quiet life. I assumed the local sheriff wouldn’t care for me, but when I get a look at
Chrissy Darling, I realize that taking this small job will have huge consequences. Not only is she on
my case, she’s on my mind. Constantly. But when she realizes I’m the root of all her town’s troubles,
will she send me packing or cuff me to her for life?
Stuffed
Kent
She set me up. This cute little woman with the big eyes and the sweet words framed me. Now I’m
serving a jail sentence thanks to her tricks. But I’m no fool. Layla is clearly a highly trained operator
who decided to take me out of the equation. My contract to eliminate Graham Tucker—owner of the
Fill-A-Friend stuffed animal chain—hangs by a thread, and I have to get this kill before Layla steals
it out from under me. The day I’m released is the day I’ll take my vengeance on that cunning assassin
with the innocent eyes. And then I’ll take out Graham Tucker and close my contract with the
Brotherhood.
Layla
Pandacorns are my bestsellers. Seriously. I can make a pandacorn, post it on Etsy, and it’s gone
within an hour. Working at Fill-A-Friend pays the bills so I can work on my real passion—one-of-a-
kind stuffies that have my own personal flair. But Fill-A-Friend can be demanding and sometimes
intense, especially since I’m accident prone (one time I left the cotton stuffing machine on. Whoops.)
Or like that time when I got rid of a bunch of ugly stuffed dogs and some random guy stole them and
went to jail over it. Yikes. Anyway, things are going okay until Kent shows up in my life. And then
they get so much better. He’s kind, caring, and supportive of my stuffie-making. The only issue is
that he says weird stuff about “our line of work” when we don’t even do the same thing, but he’s
handsome and amazing, so I don’t mind. In fact, I think I’m falling for him.
My stuffie business and my personal life are headed in the right direction . . . Until Mr. Tucker comes
to inspect the store and things go terribly, horribly wrong.
His Sweetest Sin
God has led me to a life of service. I never thought being a priest would be a career path for me, but
here I am giving Mass and leading a flock toward salvation. My way is clear until a red-headed
distraction begins to visit my services. Eyes wide and giving off innocence like a burst of
effervescence, Lily is a temptation that I must overcome. But the more trust she gives me, the more
confessions she reveals, I soon realize that the Lord brought her to me. I’m the only one who can
ease the deep ache inside her and lead her into the light.
When I see Father Niall standing on the steps of his church, his open smile and welcoming arms are
just what I need. Even though I’m not a Catholic, I attend his services and soak in the sound of his
voice, the warmth in his eyes. I don’t think he notices me. Until one day, he does. And then I confess
to him about the ache I feel every time I see him. Father Niall is merciful and helps me in every way
I ask. But when he learns who I really am, his own dangerous past comes to light. Father Niall isn’t
what he seems … but then again, neither am I.
Read Now
Did I break into an animal shelter? Yes. Should it be a crime? Absolutely not. After all, I’m just
trying to save these darling kittens from being sent to a lab for experiments. They deserve a loving
home, and I intend to give them one. Well, that was the plan, but then I ran into some complications.
Several of them. And they all have badges, guns, and handcuffs. So, off to jail I go, but I make my
one phone call to the only man who can help me. Benton. I just hope he doesn’t tell my father what
I’ve been up to.
Penelope is in trouble, and I’m the only one who can help her. I make it to the jail almost before she
does and save her from a night in the drunk tank. But once I get her to my house, I have a hard time
letting her leave. After all, she’s been on my mind since the first moment I met her. And this little
run-in with the law is just what I need to convince her that I can be her everything. House arrest has
never seemed so appealing. My plan is so close to working out, but Penelope always brings
something extra—could be stolen kittens, could be dangerous family ties. With my Penny, life is
always a surprise.
Read Now
Marco’s Girl
Going to high school as the heir to a mafia family isn’t as easy it seems. The prep school lifestyle
leaves me cold, and I don’t want to be a part of the lacrosse crowd or make time with the silly girls
who think being with me is taking a walk on the wild side. I’m fine in my bubble until I see the new
girl through the window. Shy, smart, and with curves that make my mouth water, Evangeline is an
unexpected good girl in my bad boy world. Her innocence should make me back off, but I don’t.
After all, I’m a Davinci. When I see something I want, I take it.
A chance at going to college is all I need, and this new prep school is the way to do it. Grams took a
maid job at a local estate just so I could attend prestigious Brightwood Prep, and I won’t let her
down. I’m focused and determined … until I meet Marco. He’s got bad boy written all over him as he
sits at the back of the classroom, his eyes eating me up. And that’s only the beginning. Marco isn’t
just bad, he’s determined to make me his no matter the cost.
Read Now
Pop-up Love
Sam
A quiet life as a clock tinker. That’s what I need. And that’s what I have … until her--the woman in
the pop-up shop across the street. The shop that’s invaded my tranquil life and turned my town into a
movie set. I want nothing to do with any of it. But then I hear her voice. And I can’t think about cogs
and tick tocks. All I can think about is her. And I when I find her? I’m never letting her go.
Fawn
A pop-up shop is the perfect idea to publicize our Kitty Cat Valentine premiere. I may not be the star
of the movie, but I can certainly be the MVP of the shop. But when my friend tells the long line of
people that I’m giving away a kiss to one lucky shopper, I don’t know if I can do it. Until he walks
in. Sam. The stoic man who’s built like a freight train and kisses like he means it. I want to be his
Valentine, but when his dangerous past finds him, will we be able to give love a chance?
Read Now
Read Now
Hitman’s Prey
He’s up to something. I know it. No man can be that handsome and mysterious. He’s probably a spy.
I can’t say for sure, but I’m going to find out. Watching Heath is easy, but wanting him is the part
that’s going to get me into trouble.
Lena peeks from her windows and tries to catch me doing something, though I’m not sure what she
thinks she’ll see. What sort of an assassin would I be if my sweet neighbor figured me out so easily?
Besides, I’m here to watch over her. The only problem is that she’s irresistible and far more alluring
than my work. Choosing between them may be the death of me, but Lena is more than worth it.
Read Now
Snow Angel
My house may be small, but its Christmas lights are the best on the street. Perfectly coordinated each
year, my holiday display can’t be beat. I reign supreme. At least I did. Until he moved in across the
street. Brendan. Who does he think he is? Just because he’s handsome and makes my parts tingly
doesn’t mean I’ll let him beat me. This Christmas, he’s going down.
Ariadne waits for the clock to tick over to December 1. She’s poised over there, ready to spring into
action with her curvy body and Christmas spirit. She goes all out for the holidays. This Christmas, I
intend to go all out for her.
Read Now
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MINK writes sweet and salty romances that always satisfy with a happily ever after.
www.MINKromance.com