MasukPearl Johnston fled to California chasing a simple life far from the chaos of her father's motorcycle club and the stepbrother whose dark eyes promised sins she couldn't afford to confess. For two years, she built a safe existence with Ryan. Until Ryan shatters her illusions with a cruel truth: their entire relationship was a lie. Forced back home by her father's death, she has to face Zander daily. He doesn't give her the chance to escape again. He has vowed to stake his claim on her. The journey of finding the truth about her father's death thrusts her in danger and its that time when Pearl realises that the hardest thing is not craving her step brother but loving a man who is willing to burn the world for her.
Lihat lebih banyak“ Let's break up. You are not the one for me.” The words felt like a hot slap,the weight of them landing on me, crashing my heart into a thousand tiny pieces.
I stared at Ryan,my boyfriend of two years with whom we had finally agreed to get engaged,ready to tie the knot.
“ What?” I chuckled nervously, hoping and praying that he would burst out laughing and tell me that he was only pranking me. But the serious look on Ryan's face told me that this was not the joke I was hoping it was.
“ You heard me Pearl! I don't want this anymore. I don't think I can push through when I don't even love you.”
If the first batch of his words was harsh,I don't know what to call this. After dating for two years and getting my hopes up,what did he mean by he didn’t love me? Was this some kind of a joke or something?
Was everything a lie?
“ Ryan—” I called,my voice breaking.
“ Don't give me that expression,Pearl. I agreed to date you because I thought it was fun to have someone who loves me. But now, I'm tired. I am in love with someone else and I plan to make things official with her.”
My heart trembled and I curled my hands into fists. So this is what everything was about? He was here for some fucking experience, bask in free love while finding his true love? Technically speaking,I was dating myself, fooling myself into thinking that what we had was long-lasting? That it was beautiful and perfect?
My tears threatened to spill but I pushed them back,met his gaze with a weak smile.
“ Alright. Good luck.” I said, stood up, turned around and walked away.
Today was supposed to be perfect. Ryan had called me earlier to meet him at our usual cafe. I dressed up for that damn meeting but now, walking away in my heels,I could not help but mock myself.
Two fucking years! I gave two years of my life to an asshole who didn't deserve it? Everyone around me said that Ryan was not the right man for me. Only I insisted that he was a good man because apparently, I loved him.
Anyone who dared badmouth him ended up getting sidelined with me.
As I walked down the familiar pathway we would walk, holding hands and sharing icecream, a mocking smile curled on my lips.
I thought I had it all, a perfect boyfriend, a happy relationship away from the chaos called my home.
Two years ago, I left New York, my homeplace and ventured to a new city.
I had a simple dream, to live a simple life and find love, probably get married and start a family.
I don't hate New York, I just didn't like how chaotic life was there. Always living on the edge, chasing that adrenaline every day?
That's a life I was never cut for. After college, I chose to relocate. My father, Flinn was against it but eventually, he agreed.
Escaping chaos was one thing, maybe the excuse I used to get away because the real chaos came in the name of Zander, my asshole stepbrother.
He was everything I loathed yet couldn't keep my panties dry around. He was the type of man I could never commit to yet looking at him, he was the perfect object of my darkest imaginations.
His half assed grin, like he could see through me, through every dark and sinful thought I could never admit out loud never ceased to piss me off. I never concealed how I disliked him yet every time he looked at me, I could swear he saw it, that tingling desire to be held in his arms and punished like his little whore.
Coming here helped me keep my mind and lust off him. Then I met Ryan–sweet, charming and handsome of course.
I set my eyes on him and didn't bother being subtle about my interest in him.
Months later, we got together. Everything was going perfect, well, until that damn meeting happened.
After dragging my feet across the streets for what felt like forever, I stood before my small apartment. I fumbled for my keys and unlocked the door, kicking the heels immediately I stepped inside.
I pushed myself forward, my body and mind screaming for a good afternoon nap. You see, one thing I mastered after being my father's daughter is that tears don't look demure on a beautiful face like me.
I have seen and been through so much to cry over an asshole who thinks I am not enough.
If Ryan needed that satisfaction when he announced our breakup,then he will have to wait for his next target.
“ You look like a mess.” A deep familiar voice sounded from across the room. My eyes scanned the area until they landed on him.
Zander fucking Johnston, my stepbrother.
A groan left my lips involuntarily.
“ What the hell are you doing here? This is my house.” I snarled, a scorching glare fixed on his face.
He grinned, that all too familiar annoying but panty dropping, heartbreaking, smile that I know so well.
“ It's our house, technically. Our father owns it.” He fired back.
“ He is my father, not yours.” I snarled. After being raised by my dad all my life, sharing his affection with someone else, a grown ass man at that never felt right.
Exactly four years ago, my father brought home a wife and guess who else, Zander.
He shrugged, seemingly unbothered by my words.
“ I am still waiting for a fucking answer. I made myself clear that I didn't want anything to do with New York so why come here?” I snapped, my annoyance bubbling again.
“ You need to come back home.” Zander announced, his expressions suddenly turning grim.
For a moment,
I am stunned but I manage to recover, ready to lash out.
“ Dad needs you to send him off. He is no more.”
Zander The house was still empty when the door shut behind me. No, scratch that, it wasn't just quiet, it felt empty. One would think they were the same thing, but there was no way you would be able to differentiate between the both of them until you had felt or experienced it. There was a difference, and my body knew it before my mind caught up. Quiet meant rest, meant breath held in anticipation of sound, while empty meant absence, and a wrongness that pressed against the inside of my skull.“You painted a target.” Bear’s voice hadn’t left me. “You showed them where to press.”I didn't want to agree with the man, but I hated that I found myself unconsciously doing that because he was right. My head throbbed in time with my pulse, a dull ache that spread behind my eyes and down my neck. The adrenaline that had carried me home was burning off now, leaving exhaustion and a sharp, bitter edge of nausea behind. That, and a dull throbbing pain that threatened to send me to the after
Pearl The first message came while I was folding laundry that wasn’t mine. .I remember that detail because it annoyed me, because it felt unfair that I was doing something so small and domestic while my chest had been tight all day for reasons I couldn’t explain. My phone buzzed against the counter, and I almost ignored it.Almost.After that stunt with my phone, I told myself that I needed a break. If I wasn't so obsessed with the damn gadget I probably wouldn't have even noticed it in the first place. I was this close to ignoring it, when I read the text. Unknown Number:If you want the truth, meet me.I stared at the screen, my fingers going cold.That was it. No name, no explanation, but just those five words, sitting there like they knew something about me I hadn’t said out loud yet.I locked my phone and went back to folding. I folded a shirt next, then a pair of jeans. I made sure the movements were slow and controlled. I told myself not to be dramatic, but then the phone
Zander I came back to myself in fragments. I wasn't one to be ungrateful, or maybe I was, but a tiny part of me couldn't help but feel like not waking up at all. I was yet to recall what had happened, but I doubted it warranted being woken up in the worst possible ways known to man. The first thing I recognized was the cold metal dug into my spine. It sent shivers, unwelcome ones shuddering down my back, and in an attempt to get away from it, I realized I couldn't. My wrists burned next and I quickly felt the rope, tight and biting into skin every time I shifted. My head throbbed like someone had split it open and forgotten to close it again. There was a single bulb hanging overhead, swaying slightly, its light harsh and unforgiving.For a moment, I didn’t remember where I was. Then I did.I jerked forward instinctively, and the chair scraped violently across the concrete. Pain flared down my arms as the restraints held fast. I sucked in a sharp breath and pulled harder, muscles sc
Zander I hated that I had to go back there again, but nothing could compare to the hatred and nagging feeling that would linger if I didn't, and that made it all the more worse. It gave me a choice I had no idea but it accept. Not going there was only going to bring more problems than I imagined, and I could already feel myself getting mad just by thinking about it. Fuck. Tlast time I walked into that place, Hawk had broken my nose and Bear had dragged him back before I could return the favor.It hadn’t been chaos, and that was the part that stayed with me. It had been measured, almost calculated, like a message delivered with bone instead of words.I pushed the image out of my mind as I slowly eased the bike into the compound. Nothing had changed since the last time I'd been here, especially the fact that some of the bikers still stared at me with fear and reverence in their eyes. Good. I made sure my bike was parked carefully, while doing a little reflecting at the fact that






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