Tara Lodge isn't who she used to be. Once the picture-perfect daughter of a powerful Chicago senator, now a runaway hiding her identity and the scars from her past. After a night that nearly cost Tara her life, she vanished into a quiet Nevada town, determined never to be found. Until she met the Finch brothers. Jason is wild, and impossible to resist. A one night-stand with him left her breathless...and wanting more. Jeremiah is steady, intense and wickedly charming, slowly pulling her into his abyss. It doesn't help when she starts working as his assistant, and the flames grow fiercer. Torn between two brothers who both want her, Tara is stuck between passion and protection. But her past is catching up. And she'll have to fight to keep the life and love she has finally dared to build.
Voir plusMy head was spinning.
And not in the way it did when you were hungover or had a terrible nightmare. No. It was excruciating and painful, I couldn't even breathe. "Shit," I cursed, clutching my sides, as something wet dribbled down my mouth. My vision was blurry. I could only see the faint outlines of the kitchen cabinets and the overhead lamps but beyond that, everything else was faint. I groaned, trying to push myself up to my feet but I couldn't. My legs suddenly stopped working. What the hell happened? "It's your fault!" I heard my father's beastly voice roar and mom's whimpering following suit. They were arguing, or rather my father was raining curses on her. "If you were home like I asked you to be, this wouldn't have fucking happened!" "You almost killed her, Salem!" "What the hell did you just say?!" I heard him bark and then a thump followed. It wasn't hard to decipher what had happened. Either he'd planted his fist on her face or he pushed her again. I wonder what mom saw in him, aside from his wealth and position. My eyes finally cleared and I realized I was lying on the kitchen floor. The white tiles stained with my blood, and glasses that had shattered everywhere. "I told you to never talk back at me, you witch!" My father screamed again, followed by another thump. I grabbed the nearest stool and pushed myself up to my feet, groaning and pressing a finger against the throbbing on the side of my face. I winced in response, and pulled back immediately. A sob clogged my throat when my hand returned stained bright red. What did he do to me? I looked at my parents across from me, both of them were still oblivious to my consciousness and I wasn't sure I wanted them to notice me either. My memory returned with vengeance and I gasped, stumbling backward. Dad had returned from a function, drunk senselessly and he yelled out for mom but she wasn't at home. She'd announced last week and yesterday that she was going for a visit to her parents. It wasn't a wonder that he didn't hear her, Dad had selective hearing. He didn't want to hear anything that he didn't want to. So when he came home and didn't find his wife, he took out his rage on the nearest person. Me. I gasped again, catching myself quickly before I fell again. The man almost killed me. I looked around the mess; the glasses on the floor, the broken chairs. He wasn't just lashing out, he had an intent. It was a miracle that I was still conscious. "Mija¿" My head snapped up, catching the wide eyed stare of mom. "Are you okay?" Dad was frozen in his spot, his hand still hanging in the air. I stepped back out of terror and he quickly dropped his arm. "Tara-" he stuttered, licking his mouth furtively. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-" "You almost killed me," I whispered, my fingers trembling. "I would've died." "No!" He barked, moving forward and I scrambled away. "I was drunk. I-I didn't know! Tell her-" He looked at my mom desperately and a part of me hoped she would stand up to him finally and kick him off his high horse. I stared at her hopefully, begging with my eyes. Tell him, Mom. Tell him the kind of monster he is and walk away. But she didn't. Sasha Lodge plastered a smile on her face instead and rose to her feet, dusting the sides of her dress. "He's right, Tara," she said gently. "He didn't mean to-" "You've got to be kidding me," I muttered and spun on my heels, running off." "Tara!" She yelled after me but I didn't stop. "Tara, wait!" I didn't stop until I was in my room, and I shut the door, locking it securely. My gaze caught my reflection in the mirror and a warbled sob left my mouth. "Christ!" I cried, raking a hand through my hair. The left side of my face was nasty. My cheek was swollen and bruised, and there was blood that had long dried plastered on my temple. I could barely recognize myself. Even my Dior pyjama set was soaked with my blood. I felt utterly disgusted and pulled it off my body with lightning speed. My breasts stared back at me, speckles of blood dotting my brown skin and I swallowed back a disgusted cry. "Tara!" I heard rapid knocking on my door but I didn't move. "Tara, please open the door," she tried twisting the handle but it didn't budge. "You know your father didn't mean for what happened." I scoffed, the first tear running down my eyes. "How long will you keep making excuses for him?" "Tara!" She sobbed, knocking weakly but I ignored her. I used to think my father was the perfect man. A good husband. A wise leader. I grew up knowing his bright smiles and lovingness, but it was all a lie. The smiles masked the cruelty underneath. He first started with my mom, abusing her until she was unconscious or had to be sent to the hospital. There was a time he beat her so much her ribs broke and she had to get twelve stitches. He never touched me, of course. Feeding me lies that my mom just needed some straightening and this was the best way he could do it. I believed him until I didn't anymore. And then one day, I finally stood up to him and called the cops. I hoped my mom would confess when they came but she just pretended everything was fine, saying I must've heard wrong. Of course, the police couldn't touch the powerful senator so they let him be. That was the first night I saw how twisted my family was. Since then, if mom wasn't home for him to lash out on, he would take it out on me and then blame her for not being around. A part of me believed that mom knew this and used it to her advantage, so she began staying out late sometimes leaving for days under the guise of going to her parents. "I've had enough," I muttered under my breath, fuming with so many emotions. I walked over to my closet and pulled open the doors, eyeing the stash I'd been stacking for months. I was waiting for the right time and this was it. This was the last straw.I was so excited, I could barely sleep through the night. The moment my alarm buzzed, I was already out of the bed and heading towards the bathroom. Once I was done dressing, I stepped out of the apartment and then the main building. The morning air was crisp, and the sky was still a dark blue colour.I smoothed my blouse one final time before walking through the gate. I'd chosen my outfit carefully this time around. I wore ankle boots for stability on the uneven ground, fitted dark jeans that hugged my figure perfectly, and a white blouse that looked professional without being stuffy. I wasn't going to make the same mistake of wearing heels against that gravel again. I found a cab the moment I was at the road, the driver was a friendly older man with kind eyes. He caught my reflection in the rearview mirror. "You look real nice, miss. Got yourself a job interview?""First day, actually." I said, unable to keep the excitement from my voice. "Well, ain't that something. You're go
As I lay beside Jason, my fingers traced the curves of his muscular chest, the sweat from our makeout session still glistening on his skin. His eyes were closed, but there was a satisfied smile playing on his lips as he basked in the afterglow of the blowjob I'd just given him. "You're insatiable, Tara," he murmured, his voice heavy with desire. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, a blush spreading across my face as I met his gaze. After he picked me on the way back from the mayor's office, I didn't expect he would drive me back to his condo. He didn't say anything until we stepped through the front door, the moment it closed, he ravaged me like a hungry beast. I didn't stop him. I had also been aching for him. "Only for you, Jason," I replied, my voice was a low purr. I could feel the familiar stirring of desire within me, the ache in my core that only he could satisfy. I straddled him, my thighs gripping his hips as I leaned down to whisper in his ear. "How about a li
"Anyways, why are you here?"Hope sprung in my chest, I was already off to a good start, I just had to make a lasting impression. I opened my mouth to explain when the door behind him swung open. My smile crumbled as Jeremiah Finch emerged, his broad frame filling the doorway.Those damn blue eyes found mine immediately, surprise flickered for just a moment before his expression returned to that normal stony mask. Heat flooded my cheeks again, but this time it wasn't the good kind. It was the angry kind that reminded me of yesterday's humiliation, of his dismissive 'I only hire men's and the crew's barely concealed laughter. "We should continue this conversation next time, Mayor O'Connor," Jeremiah's deep voice cut through the air. "It was good speaking with you." "Ah, a shame indeed that we wouldn't speak for longer," Even as the mayor responded with enthusiasm, I could feel those piercing eyes on me. My skin crawled with the uncomfortable awareness of his attention. "Well, le
The sound of the alarm clock woke me from my slumber, and I groaned, dragging myself from the bed. My muscles protested as I moved around, heading to the bathroom first. Today was yet another of applying for more jobs. After yesterday's rejection, I was prepared to just lie in my bed today but my finances cried out to me in my sleep. "Oh well," I muttered, heading downstairs once I was fully dressed, my hair tied up into a neat bun.I still hadn't gotten used to having blonde hair, and checking the mirror this morning revealed that my dark roots were beginning to show. I had to find time to dye it this week. "Off job hunting again?" Suzie asked the moment my foot hit the main hall downstairs, eyeing me with concern. "Yesterday was a bust," I admitted, trying to keep the bitterness from my voice.The memory of Jeremiah's dismissive tone still stung like a fresh slap. 'I only hire men.'The arrogance of it made my jaw clench all over again. Suzie's expression grew sympathetic. "
"You only hire men?" I quizzed, hoping I had heard incorrectly. But he arched a brow, looking bored. "I believe that's what I just said."The unfairness of it all ignited something fierce inside me. The words poured out like water through a broken dam. "That's completely outdated thinking, Mr. Finch. Gender has nothing to do with managing books or understanding numbers. I have a degree in accounting, three years of experience working in the regional bank and two more handling the books of a governor's milling company." I stepped forward, stopping in front of his desk with fisted fingers. "I can balance ledgers better than most men you've probably hired. This mind of bias is exactly what's wrong with small towns, you'd rather stick to your prehistoric ideas about what women can and can't do than actually consider qualifications." I tipped my chin boldly, "this is 2023, not 1953, and if you can't see past your own prejudices to recognize talent when it walks through your door, then
The word "no" had become a familiar refrain by the time shadows stretched long across the pavement. Bank tellers, shop owners, office managers, each polite rejection had chipped away at my optimism, but not my resolve. I'd heard worse than "we're not hiring right now."The last man I'd spoken to at the hardware store had been kinder than most. "Try Finch Construction," he had said, wiping grease from his hands with a rag. "Heard they need someone for the books." After several wrong turns down dusty roads that seemed to lead nowhere, I finally spotted the modest trailer that served as Finch Construction's headquarters. It was small but purposeful, every inch utilized with the efficiency of people who understood the value of space. Construction equipment was sprawled all over the yard; a weathered tractor, piles of lumber, and cable coils gleaming in the dying light. The crew were finishing up for the day, and every pair of eyes turned toward me as my heels clicked across the grav
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