All Chapters of The Serpent's Heart : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"Shit!" I hissed, wrenching the steering wheel to violently pull over into the closest truck stop I could find. The gravity of my mistake hit me like a physical blow, my mind whirling with the implications I'd failed to consider in my haste to escape the monster I'd left behind.Arthur could track the GPS in the car. He was a paranoid asshole who had all of his company vehicles installed with additional anti-theft devices, and I should have known he’d do the exact same to the one he gave me. It was how he always knew where I was. It wasn't my phone—it was the damn car.I ducked slightly in my seat, peering beneath the steering wheel, looking for the cluster of wires under the dash.Flashes of my old life swirled behind my eyes—echoes of boosting cars that belonged to rival clubs, and quiet evenings in my father's garage when he was showing me how to survive in a world I'd eventually tried to discard. I looked across the lines. I knew exactly what they all did. I knew how to hotwire an

He stood before me, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his expensive suit. His blonde hair was styled perfectly off his sharp, aristocratic features, his blue eyes gleaming with a cold fire that sent an immediate chill down my spine.His leather shoes clicked rhythmically against the asphalt. His stride was controlled and calm, as if he hadn't just tracked me across the state like an animal. His expression remained entirely neutral as he stepped onto the concrete walkway of the motel, closing the distance between us.My mind raced a million miles an hour, trying to figure out how he’d found me."Come home, Lottie. Don't make me get blood on your mother's jacket," he drawled, cutting through my panic with a flat tone that brokered no argument. A malicious, arrogant curl deformed his lips as his hand slipped out of his pocket. He reached out, his fingers wrapping like a steel cuff around my wrist. "You'll forgive me. We can forget this whole little incident ever happened."I

- Charlotte - I didn't think. My eyes darted to Arthur who stated back at me with venomous fury, clutching his ribs where he'd been thrown into the dresser. A promise of retribution blazing in his eyes before I looked back up at Logan's emerald unwavering gaze, his large tattooed hand still extended even as his chest heaved with restraint. He looked older - harder. He was wider than I remembered, covered with muscles and more tattoos covering his arms. Some were flexed with silver scars and his left eyebrow was sliced through with a cut that hadn't been there three years ago. I slapped my smaller hand into his. "Get me the fuck out of here." I rasped, my throat feeling like I'd swallowed glass with a shot of tequila. A smirk twitched at his lips, his hand closing around mine. "Good girl," he muttered in a low growl, hauling to my feet with one hand, picking up my duffle bag with the other and slinging it over his shoulder. He moved without hesitation, his boots stompi

- Charlotte - "Hey, princess," the deep voice rumbled in my ear, stirring me from sleep, my eyes struggling against exhaustion before snapping open as I remembered where I was - and who I was pressed against. I vaguely remembered being lulled to sleep by the familiar sensation of holding a warm, solid body and the soothing growl of the modified engine that had been my lullaby since I was a baby. A moment of panic hit me as I realized I was against the handlebars now instead, only for it to die as suddenly as it flared when I felt the broad hand squeeze my ribs, holding me securely in place. "Relax, Char...you're safe," Logan's voice murmured in my ear, making me turn my head, looking up to see him staring across the tree-lined road we drove. There was an edge to his gaze, like he hadn't calmed completely since the encounter with Arthur. Or something else had pissed him off while I'd slept. His green eyes met mine for a moment, seeing the tired, bewildered look on my f

- Logan - Don't hit her. Fucking hell - don't hit her, princess. I repeated mentally, my grip on my beer bottle tightening until my knuckles turned white with my own contained rage. I could see the fire ignite in Charlotte's eyes, the overhead bar lights highlighting the odd blue flexes in her green and gold mixed eyes - the most intoxicating hazel that were more distinct and lighter than the man standing at her shoulder. There was a raw, violent desire that matched my own to put Veronica in her place for trying to hide disrespect behind a saccahrin tone. I keep a mask of composure but inside, a dangerously proud smirk threatened to tug at my lips. She was still in there. Beneath the bruises, the exhaustion and three years of what she believed was her only shot at carving a different life for herself - my girl was still as fiery as ever. I forced myself to take a long pull of my drink, downing half of it, before speaking. I knew I'd have to find a moment alone