LOGIN~ SIENNA ~It’s been three days of asking myself if this was what depression felt like — and wondering why it waited for me to be away from my best friend and support system before it pulled me into its depths. The only words my parents had spoken to me since the disastrous breakfast were to invite me to the exclusive gala their company was hosting to celebrate thirty years of hospitality. No, it wasn’t an invitation. It wasn’t even a request. It was a directive. There would be a gala and I would be attending with them. I wondered why my presence was so important that they broke out of their silent treatment to share the information with me. But I knew — my parents never missed an opportunity to display their achievements. And I was one of them. Not in their ideal form but I guessed this would do for now. The gala was happening tomorrow and I had no idea how I was supposed to attend with them when they still walked past me like I was air. The part of me that is used to pining
~ GAVIN ~His voice dropped several notches. “Really?”I nodded solemnly. “I did a lot of things in the club, Eddy. Some were… brutal. Gore. I think it’s the gore that triggers the night terrors.My mind fixates on those things whenever I speak with a patch member — or even step onto the club grounds. Sometimes all it takes is hearing the name Devil’s Machete and I would get a terror that night and many nights after.”Edward went still but I could tell from the way his shoulders rose and fell that his heart was racing. He blinked fast — too fast — and for a second, I feared he might cry. My sweet brother. Too bad it was all for a lie. Or was it?Truth and lies had never meant much to me. The way I saw it, every word I spoke fell into one of two categories; the ones that got me what I wanted — and the ones that didn’t.I only uttered the words that did. Those were my truth. They say the truth sets you free. I say the truth is whatever sets you free. So even though I’d not had any
~ GAVIN ~We did everything to make money — drug pushing, loan sharking, smuggling weapons, securing local businesses for a fee they paid willingly or not, debt collection and of course, if you had someone you wanted singing with the angels, we handled that. We had fun too. Biking was a big part of the club culture because we were, of course, bikers. We had crazy racing nights that somehow always ended in fights as if to remind us what we were. I found it all exciting; the adventures, the chaos, the drama. But what I loved most was the brotherhood. We were not good men by any standards, but we rode hard for anyone who wore the patch. In just a year, I rose from prospect to respected patch member. By my second year when the club president was killed by his lover ironically named Delilah, other members nominated me to be the next president, alongside a guy called Bruise. Bruise had been second in command to the last president and was annoyed that the presidency didn’t automaticall
~ GAVIN ~Ouch. That hurt. Bad.But it didn’t matter what she said to me. I was just happy to hear her voice and know — really know — that she was safe.Sienna couldn’t imagine that not all parents meant safety. I could. With a father who had tried once to get me killed, I understood that better than most.“Do you remember what I told you about being safe the first day you met me?” I asked, switching the car’s air conditioning back on, figuring I’d be sitting here a while.I had just pulled into the massive private garage of Steele group headquarters, about to step out for my meeting with Edward when Sienna’s call came in. I’d just pulled into the massive private garage of Steele Group headquarters, about to step out for my meeting with Edward, when Sienna’s call came in.“That’s it’s not being unexposed to danger,” she said slowly, trying to recall, “but being protected from it.”A small smile tugged at my lips. “Good girl. This means you’ve always been safe with me. You will alwa
~ SIENNA ~Her forehead creased. “Ask.”“Uhm… s—so, there was an allegation… accusation… Harry claimed…” I stuttered, my thoughts scattering faster than I could catch them.I honestly couldn’t say I was ready for the answer to the question I was trying to ask.Mom surprisingly waited for me to fumble through all the synonyms of allegation I knew. I cleared my throat. “Harry came home one morning and—“Her smart watch beeped. She glanced at it. “Oops. Time for my workout,” she announced, already walking towards the door. “How about my question?” I called after her. “Ask at the breakfast table. Maybe you’ll have gotten yourself together by then.”“I need to ask you… alone.”“Then come talk to me at the home gym. That’s actually why I came here — to invite you to work out with me.” Her eyes dipped to my belly and it was all the sign I needed to also get dressed. I picked up my bathrobe, slipping into it and tying the rope tightly around my waist until it hurt. Thankfully, she had f
~ SIENNA ~It took me a second or ten to figure out where I was when my eyes fluttered open. My gaze drifted slowly around the room, appreciating the careful, almost reverent way everything had stayed untouched — exactly as I’d left it. Slipping out of bed, I crossed the room and pulled the curtains together where thin blades of sunlight pierced through. The brightness was almost intrusive.How late had I slept? The wall clock was obviously long dead so I reached for my phone. 7:46 am.I exhaled quietly. My “evening nap” yesterday turned into a full night's sleep. The only interruption had been dinner which was delivered up to my bedroom. No surprises there. Travel always drained me. Notifications for two new missed calls from Gavin also waited on my screen. With a groan, I dropped the phone back on the bedside drawer. “Jeez, can’t he take a hint?”I let my eyes wander around the room again, waves of nostalgia washing over me.The walls were painted a soft pink and on the one o
~ SIENNA ~A frown crossed my face. “What part of the gym makes it better? The sore muscles? Hand calluses? Machine accidents?”Gavin gave me a look that could best be described as pitiful; a face that clearly said I didn’t know what I was missing. “The discipline it builds. Results. Confidence in
~ GAVIN ~“I could,” I started, losing whatever was left of my patience, my glare keeping her still as a statue. “I could fuck you — up. And I will, if you keep disrespecting my boundaries. I believe you want to keep your job.”She pulled back startled, a puzzled look on her face. I offered a grima
~ GAVIN ~From the moment I found out what Max ‘knew’ I needed, I vehemently turned it down. But he insisted. In his words, “We have work, Gav. Go let out this steam so you can function with a clear head tomorrow.”So here I was, in a private booth of a shadowed sex club with a dancer he whispered
~ GAVIN ~The air in Maxwell’s balcony was heavy with the smell of cigar as we puffed into the night. A bottle of the strongest vodka I’ve ever had sat on the stool between us, flanked by our half-filled glasses. A speaker was blasting metal music inside the house, the sound filtering out and servi







