KianThe clubhouse was nothing more than a rundown shack surrounded by herringbone fencing. An ocean of motorcycles littered the parking lot guarded by a couple of prospects. They were mean-looking guys who were itching to make their colors as a respectable part of the crew. They eyed Throttle as the second coming of Christ and were all about ready to bow down and kiss his dusty boots. As I walked by, I found myself dragged into a headlock and a set of knuckles rubbed against the top of my scalp."I knew you'd come around," Ace, one of the prospects, cited, blowing his blond, jaw-length hair out of his face, his blue eyes dancing with glee.He was a year older than me, having joined the club to follow in his father's footsteps. The guy standing next to him was called Blade: dark-haired, silver eyes, and deadly with a knife. Hence the name."Let him be," Jenna berated them, casting them a humored scowl.Throttle's demeanor was as cool as ice. "Get back to business," he muttered, "or el

KianA few minutes passed by before the end of the round bell started to ring in my ears. That was my cue to drag my anxious ass out of the locker room and greet my opponent. I did so with a confident swagger, putting on a show for all the cheering fans. The crowd grew wild as my robe dropped to the floor, and I began the routine warm-up at the foot of the Cage. Mad Dog eyed me from the other side like a rabid animal, hellbent on coming out of here the victor. I spotted the Reaper’s goons from across the room; the acrid green lighting made them all look like a bunch of frogs standing next to a mountain of muscle. The gator was huge, even from a distance. He gave me a nod, a signal from him to me that he was rooting for my corner. That was reassuring. I for one didn’t think I stood a chance until this morning. It felt as if the ghosts of my past were all watching over me, ready to push me back through the veil if I fell through to the other side. I could hear my momma yelling to me tha

Gia“Boss told me to tell you his name is Harrison, and he's waiting in the VIP lounge,” Freya informed me.“Ugh! With a name like that, he's definitely a douche," I grumbled, leaving the room with a confident swagger.The nebulous lighting illuminated the podiums with a soft hazy glow, and dry ice curled through the air in gentle wisps. The bar stretched along the back of the club with dark seating areas along the perimeter walls. The VIP room was situated right next to the boss's office. The dividing wall served as a two-way mirror, giving the voyeuristic bastard a ring-side show. He never laid a hand on us, but he sure loved to watch.This may have been a gentleman's club, but there was nothing luxurious about it. They placed mirrors around so that clients could watch without seeming pervy, and the security guys could monitor what was going down. To say the place was unsanitary was an understatement. The public bathroom was cleaner. We had our own hygiene ritual, but we had to make

Kian"Did you get the other bullet out? Here, use this," he offered, producing a pocketknife.I tried digging it out, but it refused to budge. Blood was spewing from the hole now that I'd made it worse. My fingertips burned as they came into contact with the silver. I grunted through it, enjoying the pain like the sadistic bastard that I'd become."Got it," I announced, holding it up to see for myself.It was strange how nothing seemed to hurt me anymore. The pain was as addictive as crack was to an addict. I got some freaky sort of kick out of it. Getting shot felt like a bee sting, and silver bullets were supposed to burn like a bitch, which was weird because it wasn't all that bad. It just smarted enough to tingle. I tossed the bullet onto the ground and watched it bounce across the asphalt. Maybe my nerves were fucked from all the fighting, or maybe I was just plain wrong."You're meant to have my back," I growled at Claw, turning from him to mutter, "Useless son of a bitch." I gr

Gia Jimmy was still awake when we arrived home just after three a.m., sticking his head around his apartment door like a fucking jack-in-the-box."Do you have the rent?" he demanded, folding his arms across his plump belly.We already pooled the money together during the cab ride home."There you go, now we're square," Faith commented in a way that suggested “it was a pleasure doing business with you, now off you fuck.”Jimmy made us remain there as he counted out the cash, licking his finger as he thumbed through the notes. The girls and I smirked, knowing where they'd been just a few hours prior. He checked to see if he had miscalculated, looking disappointed that it was all there. The dirty bastard was wishing that we'd be a few dollars short like last month."Next month's rent better be on time," he cautioned, sounding pissed off to hell. "Oh, and keep the commotion to a minimum, or I may have to fine you for disturbing the peace.""Whatever," Rain muttered with a roll of her eye