Lock Shock And Barrel Novels & Stories

On the very day I returned home, my would-be mother-in-law slapped a check across my face. “Five million dollars. Walk away from my son. I’ve dealt with gold diggers before, who think a pregnancy can lock a man down. You’re not nearly as smart as you believe.” Before I could say a word, a girl in a white dress shrank behind her, clutching her sleeve with trembling fingers, her eyes brimming with tears. “Mrs. Sterling, please… don’t do this. What if Adrian finds out? And… if he truly cares about her, I’m willing to step aside.” I let out a soft laugh. So that was the story she had written for me. A calculating woman trying to steal her man. I bent down, picked up the check, and tucked it neatly into the deep neckline of Lily Bennett’s dress. “Here. A tip. Your performance wasn’t bad.” Then I pulled out my black card and flicked it onto the table. “Ma’am, I’ll offer you ten million. Keep your son on a leash, and tell him to stop bothering me. I find him revolting.” I paused, then added lightly, “Oh, and one more thing.” I gestured toward the delicate little flower she was guarding so carefully. “The girl you’re protecting? My father brought her home last year. His illegitimate daughter. “If anyone thinks they’re joining my family, they should probably ask the Bennetts for permission first.”

To cheer up their depressed adopted daughter, Ashley Reid, my parents don't dare to treat me nicely. They've even locked me in a pitch-black room more than 700 times, just to put a smile on her face. At first, they feel guilty toward me. But eventually, even my older brother, Liam Reid, who used to care for me the most, treats it like it's all perfectly reasonable. When Ashley's depression finally starts to ease, I work up the courage to kneel and beg them to seal off that room for good. But at her birthday party, simply because I'm wearing the only T-shirt I own, she starts tearing up and asks my parents if I don't like her. My parents and Liam rush to comfort her and, yet again, lock me away in that dark, endless room. "Summer, you're her elder sister. You have to be more considerate of her feelings." "If you hadn't insisted on wearing something so tacky for her birthday party, she wouldn't have gotten so upset." "You've gotten used to it after all these years, right? One more time won't matter to you." I curl up in the corner, gripping my hair, unable to say a word. Three days later, they finally let me out. They remind me not to upset Ashley again. But I just stare at them blankly. "Sorry, who are you?"

It came as a shock to me when my father announced to me my upcoming wedding to the Celebrity Musician, Dylan Talen. Heir to the 'Talen Empire'. Son of the most successful business mogul in the country. The problem is, it's news to me. I've never met this man, I only know about him through the paper and Media. I wanted to protest, but my Dad who never saw me as his daughter but a pawn in his 'power game' had made his decision and there was no going back for me. *********** Lucinda is forced to leave her perfect life and get married to the celebrity musician, Dylan. Dylan is the heir to the 'Talen Empire' and the son of the most successful business mogul in the country. He's referred to as the country's idol, because of his success throughout the entire music industry and Hollywood. He's known to be rude, heartless, rarely forgives, and above all was a big-time playboy. What happens, when a deal is brokered between their families, leading to these two opposite souls being forced into a union they both don't want?

I had moved out of our house, but my boyfriend—the one I had given up everything to run away with—had no idea. Neither did his possessive younger brother, the one who used to knock on my door calling for me. My boyfriend's first love had taken up all their attention. They no longer listened when I played the piano. They even forgot about my cat fur allergy and brought that woman's cat home. My boyfriend, Ian Blake, had snapped, "If anyone's leaving, it's you. There's no way Eva's cat is going anywhere." His brother, Sebastian, had said, "Sienna, Eva is my girlfriend. How could I give up her cat for you?" When I woke up in the hospital after going into anaphylactic shock from my allergy, I decided to leave them. Back home, I made my first call to my mother. "Mom, I'm ready to accept the arranged marriage."

After five years of being mates with Eric Wheeler, the Alpha of the Lightchaser pack, I'm finally expecting the long-awaited heir. I'm overflowing with joy as I head to the Werewolf Alliance, thinking it's time to give Eric both these surprises together. Just as I'm about to complete the final claiming ceremony, one of the Elders from the Alliance exclaims in shock, "Ms. Gardner, the mark on you is a temporary one! Unfortunately, the secret treasure left by your parents cannot be inherited by the two of you. He… isn't your mate at all!" How can this be? We're clearly fated mates! I request to check the Alliance's mate registry. The name next to Eric's is unmistakably his childhood sweetheart's—Ella Howell. She's the daughter of the former Beta and someone whom the entire pack had expected Eric to marry before I appeared. I laugh absentmindedly. How great. Now, Eric is going to lose two things that are crucial to his life.

My adopted sister won the Elixir Challenge by stealing my potion. To her shock, she was informed that the event was a selection event for the future wife of the Serpentkins' future head—the same heir who was infamously impotent, barbaric, and hideous. When the Serpentkins sent over a proposal letter, demanding her hand in marriage, my fiance panicked and promptly took my adopted sister away for a quick marriage and even consummated. Once the deed was done, she returned triumphantly, showing off the mark on her lower back. "Well, what are you going to do now, Winnie?" she gloated. "Your fiance is mine now, and you'll be twenty-five in three days. If no one comes to pick you up, you'll just be dumped into the hands of some wife-beating Rogue who is ageing and unwanted…" Actually, she was wrong—I had a choice. I went to the parlor where my parents—who were busy fixing the mess my adopted sister made—were, announcing, "If she refuses to marry the future head of the Serpentkins, I will!"

Daisy gets the shock of her life when Clark, her husband serves her a divorce and gets engaged into Amelia. Alejandro is her night in shinning amour and saves her life. They have a blissful relationship but life and Clark gets in the way. Like a child who wants their long forgotten toy back, he applies all the tactics he has up his sleeves to get her back. His success is inhibited by a bitter and despicable past, one Alejandro is a huge part of. A can of worms gets opened and Daisy doesn't like what she finds. She is also faced with the choice to pick the lesser evil among the two men. Will she let her motherly sentiment or emotions get in the way of her decision? She overcomes her indecisiveness and makes what seems like the right choice. Once again danger gets in the way of her happiness. This time around she does the unthinkable to protect herself from the danger heading towards her and her loved ones.

"You're a whore, a whore does not change overtime and you know that." He whispers back, loud enough for the older couple sitting across to hear. And they couldn't help but gasps in shock, as the older woman soaks her teeth in distaste while the older man frowns. "What did you just call me? Ethan, what did you call me? If you can't trust me, then maybe we shouldn't be together." She said, her voice barely above whisper and her eyes teary. But she felt like this was all a dream, they have been quarreling lately but not like this. It has never been like this. Earlier today when she told her sister, Eloise, about this dinner, they all hoped for an engagement. But this doesn't look like an engagement dinner, or does it?. This was some of the last words Aurelia heard from her boyfriend before she stumbled heartbroken into a bar where she meets the man who changed her life.

Ari woke up to find herself in the body of a newborn female beast cub, her mind still reeling from the shock of her sudden rebirth. The last thing she remembered before her new life began was the chaos of hijackers on her plane, followed by the devastating crash that claimed the lives of all the passengers, including her own. As she struggled to come to terms with her new reality, Ari was overwhelmed with fear and uncertainty. She had always suffered from androphobia, an intense fear of men, and despite years of psychiatric treatment and medication, she had never been able to fully overcome her condition. Even in her previous life, she had struggled to make intimate contact with her own family. As she looked around at the unfamiliar world she now found herself in, Ari couldn't help but wonder if she would be able to survive in this strange new place. Despite her condition, she was determined to find a way to adapt and overcome her fears.

After catching her boyfriend banging her coursemate, Luna ends up in a club with her friend, in a bid to forget it all. There, she meets this dashing guy who she jumps on without hesitation and requests for wild sex. It was supposed to be a one-night stand— one hell of a one-night stand that gave her shivers, but what she wasn't expecting was to meet him again. Not as the one who helped her brother secure a business deal and the one in whose house she would be spending the next thirty days. His name is Xander Storm— a dashing billionaire and one of the most eligible bachelors in Bayview. The shock goes both ways because the two of them relished the one-night stand and acknowledged that it felt more than one— but weren't expecting to see each other again. What will these thirty days be like? Will they pretend it never happened, or will they give in to the growing feelings that gnawed at their hearts? What will Xander's growing feelings for Luna mean for his revenge against the death of his parents, and for his enemies?