by Malone, M.
table of contents
Meet the Guys
Noah
Jonas
Matthias
Bonus Scenes
JJ
Matthias
Spoiler Alert!
The stalker
Excerpt of Shameless
Back Cover
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Excerpt of Force
Back Cover
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
About the Authors
Copyright
This bonus book is a thank you to all the fans of The Shameless Trilogy!
Meet the Men of Blake Security: read introductions from Noah, Jonas and Matthias!
Bonus Scenes: read alternate points of view on some of your favorite scenes from Shameless and Shameful. You'll hear from JJ, Matthias and there's one special scene from a character you will NEVER expect. (major spoilers btw)
Also includes extended excerpts from SHAMELESS and FORCE!
THANK YOU all for your amazing support of Malone Squared. We truly appreciate it. And we can't wait to hear what you think of the series we have coming next *wink*
The Shameless Trilogy ( Shameless / Shameful / Unashamed )
The Force Duet ( Force / Enforce )
The Deep Duet ( Deep / Deeper )
meet the guys
Noah
Perfection takes work, patience, and well, skill. Something I’ve got in spades.
You need to know your targets, You need to feel them out, watch their response. Knowing when to retreat is key. It’s just as vital as knowing when to press your advantage.
Lucia gave me a run for my money. And admittedly I might have made some miscalculations—
I’m talking about sex. What did you think I was talking about? The whole killing people thing?
Yes, I used to kill people. I said it now, are you happy?
I see your judgment, but it was for a good cause. And honestly assassins get a bad rap. Besides, I don't kill people anymore…usually.
We’re getting off the subject here. I want to talk about Lucia and how I finally got her around to my way of thinking about — actually, she probably wouldn’t like me telling you about how I got her to agree to —.
No, I’m not gonna say it. She’d kill me. And honestly you guys all know that anything is possible with lube so…
But I see you’re still stuck on the whole assassin thing anyway. Fine. Let’s talk about it. I used to work for a covert government organization. But I left when I realized their motives weren’t pure.
I might have taken a couple of people with me. This is our story.
Jonas
I’m not sure what he told you, but we’re not all assassins. I’m a cop. Was a cop. Whatever. Semantics. The point is I’m a lover not a fighter. Well, so maybe there was that one time.
But the guy deserved it. And I’ve vowed never to do it again. Besides, I’ve got my hands a little full.
Looking this good takes up all my time. Well that and fighting with her. Jessica “JJ” Jones. No, she’s not a comic book character, but to me, she might as well be Jessica Rabbit.
God damn I’ve never seen an ass so perfect in my life. It makes me dream about doing things to it. All the things.
When that woman gives me attitude, my first thought is to smack it. Every god damn time. I want to see the surprise on her face when I do. And then I want to do…other things. Worshiping it, squeezing it, lick— Ahem, sorry, I got a little carried away.
The point is, that JJ is a huge pain in my ass and my d— never mind. But suffice it to say, I’ve got a wicked case of blue balls thanks to that ball buster.
Anyway, my job on the team is to be the voice of reason. To keep Noah from going back to the dark side. And oh, yeah, to actually make a difference.
It’s amazing how many people you can help when you’re not encumbered by the badge. So anyway, this is our story. Not JJ’s. Don’t listen to her. She’ll make this all about her. And it’s not.
…Or maybe it is.
Matthias
Why am I here?
That’s the easy answer. Noah, these guys. Yes, even Oskar are my family. Noah saved me. For the first time in my life someone actually gave a shit about me for real. And not because they wanted anything.
He’s protected me from myself. From my old life. From my past. But I’m keeping a secret.
No, not that one. Practically everyone knows I’m a virgin. At least they all suspect.
It’s not that I’m asexual or something. I’m not. And before you start asking questions, I like women. I—uh—sort of hoped Lucia would notice me. She was the kind of girl I always saw myself with.
Sweet, innocent. I thought someone like her could keep me grounded. Hold the inner beast at bay. But turned out, she wasn’t mine. And well, it seems she likes killers. When push came to shove, she went all in with Noah.
Like…all in. I heard every fucking moan. So what’s a freindzoned hacker/assassin to do? Play with his—monitors and servers and protect my family from the storm that’s coming. Because there is a storm coming. One I can’t warn my family about.
It’s just one of the secrets I’m keeping. What’s the other you ask?
I really really like killing people.
bonus scenes
Alternate Scene : JJ
JJ watched as her best friend took her first shot of the night. Lucia thought that she’d been fooling her by going to the bar and ordering virgin drinks when JJ wasn’t looking but she knew when her bestie was loaded. Lucia was way too clear-eyed to have actually been drinking all night. At least she was dancing. Getting the prim and proper Lucia to actually shake what her mama gave her usually took alcohol or a lot of pleading.
“Are you having fun?” JJ yelled over the music and then wished she hadn’t. She pressed a hand to her head.
The beginnings of a headache pounded at the back of her skull and JJ wondered if maybe she shouldn’t have taken a hint from Lucia. She was going to have a hell of a hangover in the morning if she didn’t cool it. But it was her best friend’s twenty-first birthday! What kind of bestie would she be if she didn’t encourage a little bad behavior in honor of the occasion?
“I am. This is exactly what I needed,” Lucia yelled back.
JJ smiled but then her attention was snagged by a tall, blond warrior type standing near the bar. Instantly her headache receded. Now this was what she needed, a little fun to take her mind off the stress at work and how weird Lucia had been acting lately.
Lucia turned and then smiled knowingly when she saw the Viking God. She knew JJ’s type. “That guy is cute. You should go talk to him.”
JJ shrugged. “Maybe later. Gotta make him work for it.” But she couldn’t keep her eyes from returning to take another look. Mmm, mmm look at him, she thought. She liked them big so she could climb them like a jungle gym.
When she saw Lucia’s worried frown she straightened up. There was no way she was ditching her best friend for a guy on her birthday. That was a bitchy move, especially after she’d convinced Lucia to get away from her seriously overprotective boyfriend in the first place. For years, she’d encouraged her friend to seduce Noah, the family friend who was always hanging around. The tension between the two was palpable when they were together and JJ had figured it made more sense for Lucia to at least have a one night stand with him than to just pine away forever. But ever since they’d hooked up, Noah
had gone completely caveman. JJ had a hard time seeing her best friend except for when they were at work. She wasn’t sure that relationship was healthy but wasn’t sure how to bring it up since she was the one who’d encouraged it in the first place.
She sighed.
Lucia looked over at the sound. “Go talk to him. I’m fine. Actually I’m going to head out anyway.”
“Are you sure?” JJ could feel herself weakening. Lucia had never been able to hang long, she always said she’d rather be at home curled up in bed with a book anyway. She glanced behind her and found that Viking guy was still staring. He winked.
Lucia laughed. “Yes, I’m sure. Go!”
When JJ hesitated, Lucia gave her a little push. JJ walked slowly over to the bar, glancing behind her to make sure that Lucia was really leaving. Once she saw her friend gathering her things, she sat on the bar stool next to the Viking.
“I’m Rick. What’s your name, beautiful?”
He leaned a little too close and she could smell the alcohol on his breath. JJ winced and wondered if it was too late to leave with Lucia. Even a boring night in bed with a book was starting to look good. She hated dealing with guys who couldn’t hold their liquor.
“Hi Rick. I’m JJ.”
His forehead crinkled in confusion. “Is that, like, a nickname or something?”
She sighed. All the hot ones turned out to be not that bright. “Yes, it’s a nickname. It’s short for Jessica Jones.”
He smiled and then frowned again. “You have a comic book character’s name. That’s weird.”
Oh sweet baby Jesus. This dude had a serious case of foot-in-mouth syndrome. She was going to call him Rude Boy when she told this story to all her friends. “Yup. That’s me. Totally weird. So are you going to buy me a drink or what?”
While Rude Boy used the few brain cells he hadn’t destroyed yet to order her a drink, JJ turned and surveyed the dance floor. The bar area was elevated slightly making it easy to see the mass of writhing, sweaty couples going at it. Maybe she could ask Rude Boy to dance and then lose him in the crowd. He was drunk enough that it just might work.
Just when she was about to suggest it, her eyes landed on a familiar form. Lucia was on the dance floor, trying to push her way through the crowd. JJ stood. If she ditched Rude Boy fast enough, maybe they could share a cab. Then she blinked and Lucia was gone. Her eyes swept over the crowd frantically until she found a tall form carrying her friend over his shoulders while she kicked and wiggled in his arms.
Oh hell no.
JJ didn’t even spare a glance behind her as she shot off the bar stool and stumbled down the stairs separating the bar from the dance floor. She wasn’t sure how she managed it, maybe it was the get-the-fuck-outta-my-way neon sign on her forehead but she made it through the sweaty mass in record time. By the time she pushed her way through the outer door and landed on the sidewalk, she was high on fear and adrenaline.
When she saw Lucia standing outside, all of it landed on her heart at once. She was so relieved she could cry.
“There you are! I saw you get grabbed…” Then she noticed Noah standing next to Lucia and it all made sense. “Oh, it’s you. Hi, Noah.”
Noah lifted his chin in the mildly arrogant way that she’d always found reluctantly hot. “Hi, JJ. Do you need a ride home?”
“No, I’m good. There’s a sexy Viking inside who’s going to plunder my spoils tonight. But thanks.”
Noah winced. “Great.”
Not that she was planning on going back inside but he didn’t need to know that. She just liked fucking with him since Lucia had confided once that Noah thought she was a bad influence.
Might as well live up to the hype.
“Heard you’ve been playing with dildos? I can get you one of your own if you want?”
“No, that won’t be necessary.” Noah was trying so hard to keep a straight face but he honestly looked a little nauseous. Geez, what a prude.
“Okay, if you’re sure. I get a discount so it’s no biggie. Hope you enjoyed the stripper gram the other day. That was my idea.”
Lucia laughed softly and swayed slightly. JJ moved forward to catch her but Noah got there first. He sent her a disapproving glance as if Lucia’s condition were solely her fault. JJ rolled her eyes. Lucia had barely had anything to drink, it wasn’t her fault that her friend was a lightweight. Plus it was her birthday. What did he think a new twenty-one year old was going to do on their birthday, drink apple juice?
“And that’s our cue to get home.” Noah raised his hand and waved down a cab before bending to scoop Lucia into his arms.
The way he held her, so tenderly, was completely at odds with the harsh look on his face. Damn this guy had it bad. But then again, so did Lucia. And she knew who of the two was more likely to get hurt.
“Wait. Noah, she was really hurt by whatever happened between you guys earlier. Will you… just be careful with her, okay?”
“I would never do anything to hurt her.”
JJ nodded but thought the big jerk had no idea that he could hurt her without even trying. Men never got it.
Alternate Scene : Matthias
Matthias stared at the monitors in front of him, all too aware of what time it was. Four bloody thirty in the morning. Not that he slept much anyway. Nightmares had a nasty way of finding you if you slept. And he had more than his fair share of nightmares.
So sleep was whittled down to the bare essentials for the most part. Three hours at night and a one hour nap during the day. Noah always gave him the hairy eyeball when he woke up to find him at his computers, but Matthias didn’t give a shit. Noah knew enough about some of the nightmares that chased him. So his worried looks were wasted. Noah didn’t sleep much either.
Especially now with all this Lucia shite happening. Hell, they were all worried. And you’re more worried than you should be. He barely concealed a growl as he shoved the thought aside. She wasn’t for him. He knew that.
Any idiot with eyes could see that. Didn’t stop Matthias’s dick and heart from thinking she might belong with him. Oh right, like any woman wanted a barely-out-of-his-teens virgin who was a little too good at killing people. That was on another level of fucked up.
He hated ORUS for making him so good at it. As if they were responsible for his aptitude and creativity when it came to killing. No, you were responsible for that all on your own. A flash of memory made his stomach turn.
That night, the darkness and the cold seeping into his bones. The blood on his hands, the fear and terror taking hold of his mind and the…joy in his heart.
That bastard had gotten what he deserved. But you don’t need to be so happy about what you did. He shook his head to clear it. He needed to let go of the past. Let go of the memories. They would eventually swallow him. Besides remorse wasn’t exactly in the ORUS handbook. Kill. Quickly and efficiently. That was all that mattered.
That and don’t get caught. And don’t make it personal. One would think the shadow organization that had taken what was left of his soul wouldn’t mind having a few psychopaths on their roster, but they carefully screened out anyone who killed for pleasure. Hell, they weeded out anyone that showed any emotion one way or the other.
He hated to think of what would have happened if Noah hadn’t gotten him out of there. He scrubbed a hand down his face. Enough of this walk down memory lane. His mind had been running overtime since Lucia showed up and he needed to keep his shit together.
He pushed himself up from his chair and stretched. He just needed to grab a coffee and then he’d get back to scanning the security footage for clues. Everyone made mistakes. There was no such thing as a ghost. He knew that better than anyone. He also had his scripts running in the background trying to bypass ORUS’s security. He’d built the initial systems. He’d get past them soon enough. They needed to find out who the hell was after Lucia.
She might not be his, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care about her. She was still family. As he marched
down the hallway he heard shuffling in the kitchen.
Instinct had him quieting his footfalls and his hands itching for a gun. But he didn’t find an intruder in the kitchen. No. This was far more dangerous…a half-naked Lucia. Fuck him. He must have made a sound because she whipped around nearly bumping into him. She squeaked and jumped a mile.
"Oh shit. Sorry. I didn't realize anyone was in here. I just came for —"
Lucia put up a hand. "No, it's fine. I was the one skulking around in the dark."
Matthias nodded. His eyes went wide. Jesus, she had on only a threadbare T-shirt. He could practically see her nipples. They were hard and—No. Do not fucking look at her nipples.
Because that would lead him to wonder if she had any underwear on. And then he’d think about all the things they might be able to do on every flat surface of the kitchen.
No. She’s not yours. She belongs to Noah.
And his boss was by far the better man. By miles. He shifted his gaze away and tried to angle himself away from her. The last thing she needed to see was his growing hard on. Or the outline of his cock piercing. He needed to get the fuck out of dodge.