by Shade, S. M.
“Hey, they saw me blowing a guy!” Samantha calls, sounding defensive.
“Like that’s out of the ordinary,” I murmur, and Jani elbows me, giggling.
Neal nods to Denton before he walks off to join Veronica.
“Okay, let’s see it. I believe Veronica’s place is first. She went a little overboard with scented candles and air freshener.”
The wall jumps to life with an image of Veronica’s living room as the three inspectors come in behind Neal. Instantly, their hands go to their mouths. “I-I’m allergic to flowers,” the older lady stutters and retreats back outside.
Onscreen Veronica smiles brightly. “There are no real flowers. I just wanted to freshen the place up for the inspection. Please, come in.”
Yeah, this girl is going to fit right in here.
We watch, as the three inspectors are assaulted, apartment after apartment, without ever being touched. One apartment is filled with the scent of cooking cabbage and chitlins that have been boiling overnight. Another features two tenants faking the flu, cuddled up in blankets on the couch, retching and dumping fake vomit into basins. You can’t blame someone for being sick.
All of the inspectors are green after leaving there, and there’s a time gap before they move onto the next as they try to gather themselves. The next apartment is Samantha’s, and everything looks normal until they open her bedroom door to find her gobbling a knob wearing only a pair of panties.
Looking up at them, she feigns surprise, then outrage. “Hey, this show aint free!” The man she’s with just shrugs at them, looking bored.
They don’t have much luck at the next apartment either, where sex toys are scattered across the living room. Leaving the dishwasher open where an array of dildos and butt plugs drip dry was a pretty good touch.
You’d think they’d learn, but no. They go to the bedroom where a massive St. Andrews Cross stands, displaying a selection of handcuffs and spanking implements. “We can thank Jani for that set up!” Stephanie calls out. “I’ll return it to Scarlet Toys tomorrow.”
“Now, let’s not get too hasty,” her husband interjects, making everyone laugh.
One of the tenants even brought their three-year-old twins into the fun by having them “play a game” where they scratch their heads. She was very apologetic about the head lice, but they caught it at pre-school, so she could hardly be blamed.
Finally, they get to Mallory and Dennis’s place. The three inspectors who were so eager just an hour ago now look bedraggled and weary. Mallory invites them in with a smile, but what you don’t see is Dennis, dropping the mother of all stink bombs in the bathroom.
Mallory chats with them in the living room and just as they walk past the bathroom, Dennis bursts out, a magazine tucked under his arm. “Whew! You may want to give that a minute! I swear I shit stuff I ate when I was ten!”
“Dennis!” Mallory pretends to scold him.
“What? I ain’t kiddin, woman! I saw corn! I ain’t had corn in years!”
It’s at that moment, the stench really hits, rolling out of the bathroom and down the hall. The lady in her thirties clamps a hand over her mouth and races for the front door. She manages to make it to the street before throwing up. Neal follows her, asking if she’s okay, so we don’t get to see the other’s reactions after, but Mallory speaks up.
“They were right behind her. Didn’t even look in the bedrooms!”
“I think we can call this a success!” Denton announces, and everyone cheers.
I grin down at Jani. “Do you think they learned anything?”
Jani wraps her arms around me. “Don’t fuck with Violent Circle.”
“That’s right, baby.”
Epilogue
3 years later
January
“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Cassidy says for at least the fourth time. “I’m going to kill Wyatt for opening a Scarlet Toys there.”
“It’s freezing cold all the time. Who needs sex toys more than people who spend so much time indoors? Besides, I can take classes while Noble works. It’s not forever.” I lean down to brush my hand over her daughter’s hair.
“She’s going to miss you, too.”
Yeah, moving to Alaska isn’t going to be easy. I’m leaving everyone I know and love, except Noble. I’m terrified and more excited than I’ve ever been in my life. It’s an adventure, an opportunity I never thought I’d get. When Noble was offered a research position at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, we were faced with a serious decision. He was tempted to pass it up and accept a lesser job somewhere else because of me, and I couldn’t let him do that.
I’ve spent the last two years paying off all my debt and saving money. With just myself to take care of and the well-paying position at Scarlet Toys, I got ahead quickly. Noble and I had plans to move in together after his graduation, but the Alaska thing came out of the blue.
I had already decided to go with him, and take the business classes I’ve been saving for, when Wyatt announced he’d been considering a few small towns in Alaska, and Fairbanks would be a perfect location to open his next store.
So, here we are, all packed up, ready to catch a plane tomorrow. Violent Circle has come together to throw us both a going away party tonight. I have one more night with all my friends before I move over thirty-five hundred miles away.
“You’d better video chat with me every day,” I warn Cass, before bending to talk to her two year old daughter. “You too, Kiera. Do you want to talk to aunt Jani on the computer?”
Her little face lights up with a smile. “Yes! I like the computer!”
I know she doesn’t really understand, but I’m going to stay in touch as much as I can. She looks up at me. “Aunt Jani, Alaska has polar bears.”
“I know they do.”
“Don’t get eat by a polar bear, k?”
Cass smiles and holds back a giggle. “Nope, I’ll stay far away from the polar bears.”
Kiera thinks for a moment, her chubby finger tapping her chin. “Are there frickin elephants there?”
My gaze jumps to Cass, who stares down at her little clone. “Kiera, don’t say frickin. It’s not a nice word.”
Kiera’s little forehead rumples and she runs off toward her bedroom, returning with a picture book of animals. Jumping on my lap, she opens the book and points to a page. “See, it’s a frickin elephant, Mommy. That’s not a bad word.”
Cass and I follow her finger to the picture in question, and I can’t stop the giggles from pouring out of me. Kiera stares at us both as we try to stop laughing, her expression growing indignant. “What? It is! Daddy told me! It’s a frickin elephant!”
Cass composes herself first, and hugs her daughter. “African elephant, hun.” She sounds out the word, and Kiera echoes her.
“No, there aren’t any elephants there,” I assure her.
I’m going to miss this kid.
Cass needs to put Kiera down for her nap, so I head back to my now empty apartment. There’s nothing there but an inflatable mattress, since all our stuff has been shipped to our new home. Since tonight is going to be a late one, partying with the whole neighborhood, I take the opportunity for a quick nap.
Noble wakes me, his hand brushing through my hair. “Hey, the party is starting. Are you going to sleep all night?”
Shit. I guess all the excitement of the last week caught up with me.
“Mmm, I’m awake. Did you get everything taken care of at WFUK?”
“Yep. They had a little going away thing. Got me a cake and everything.”
“That’s sweet.”
Noble looks down at me and it strikes me how much he’s changed. His eyes are the same bright blue, and the same blond hair hangs long over his forehead, but his jaw has become more defined. He’s lost the last of that baby-faced look and somehow transformed into this rugged, perfect male specimen.
“I never get tired of seeing that look,” he murmurs, kissing my neck.
; “What look?”
“The one that says you’re thinking about my cock.”
I tilt my head, ignoring the obnoxious squeak of the mattress. “I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but I wasn’t thinking of Lord Farquad at all.”
His teeth nip my neck. “Are those little dick jokes ever going to get old?”
“You spent six years being known as Porn Penis. I don’t want your ego to get too big.”
“You’ll be happy to have a nice big porn penis to keep you warm once we get to our igloo.”
Giggling, I push him off of me. “We aren’t moving to an igloo. Fairbanks is a modern city.”
He gives me the same grin that grabbed my heart two years ago. “Next you’ll tell me that we don’t need the tennis racket snow shoes I ordered.”
Giggling, I lean my forehead against his. “We’re really doing this.”
His breath is soft on my face. “We really are. Are you scared?”
“Terrified? You?”
“A little nervous, but with you by my side, I can do anything.”
“Together, we can do anything,” I correct.
“Oh, before I forget, keep an eye on Trey tonight. I found the tube of capsaicin he used on my toilet the first night you stayed with me, and I rubbed it into every pair of underwear he owns.”
I get to my feet. “You’re the best boyfriend ever. Let’s go. We have one more night of crazy.”
“I’m going to miss this place.”
“Me too, but maybe our new neighborhood will have people who throw dildoes into the yard, or run around naked.” I slip on my shoes, and grab my jacket.
“It won’t be the same.” He wraps his arm around me, and we head for the door.
Flipping off the light for the last time, I take one final look back.
“No, there’s no place like Violent Circle.”
THE END
Acknowledgments
This book was so much fun to write, mainly because so many expressed interest in January and Noble’s story. And by expressed interest, I mean they messaged me with When the hell do we get the next one? There’s no better feeling than knowing readers love the characters as much as I do.
To my betas, Veronica Ashley, Amanda Munson, Theresa O’Reilly, Bridget McEvoy, Lissa Jay, and Melissa Teo. Thank you so much for pointing out the embarrassing plot holes, mistakes, and typos, and keeping me from getting too ridiculous. You make me look much smarter than I am. Veronica, no one dies in this book, so there’s no need to pee on anything I own.
Melissa Teo is also the best damn P.A. I could ask for, and I’m so grateful for how hard she works to get my books seen. Every time she messages me with I have an idea, I’m excited and terrified to see what her brain has conjured up this time. It’s always epic. If you don’t know who she is, hang your head in shame and then go check out these groups:
Booksmacked
B.A.N.G.
To the Shady Ladies in my book group, thanks for making the group such a fun, drama free place to hang out. Thanks for getting my sense of humor and not thinking I’m crazy. Or at least keeping it to yourself if you do.
Last, but certainly not least, thanks to all the book bloggers, page owners, and group owners who work tirelessly to help me and so many other authors get their stories out there. We couldn’t do any of this without you.
Clean Start
Violent Circle: Book Three
Copyright © 2018
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Chapter One
Veronica
Have you ever had the crap scared out of you by a sigh? It doesn’t seem possible, does it? That a little, quiet breath could cause someone to jump like they’ve been touched by a live wire and almost pee themselves. If you have trouble believing such a thing, you’ve never been a parent.
The sweet little love of my life, who I occasionally want to duct tape to a chair, stands beside my bed, giggling at my reaction. Why do kids do that? Just stand by your bed, all creepy and quiet, staring at you until you open your eyes?
“Aiden, you aren’t supposed to wake me up until the clock says seven, remember? You’re supposed to stay in bed.”
“I didn’t wake you up. I was quiet and waited for you to wake up on your own.” He climbs over me like I’m a jungle gym, and I bite back a curse when his elbow jabs me in the nipple.
Stellar start to the day.
He stretches his little body out beside me, tucks his arms behind his head, and closes his eyes. I say a quick prayer to any god of single mothers that may be listening for him to fall back to sleep. I just need a few more minutes. Or an hour. An hour would be bliss.
I pull my covers over him, and I’m just starting to drift off again when I feel his warm palm against my cheek. “Mom,” he whispers. “The clock says seven, and I might die if I don’t eat pancakes.”
A snort of laughter jumps out of me, and I drag myself to a sitting position. “I don’t think anyone ever died from a lack of pancakes, Ade.”
He pulls his knees up and rests his chin on them, giving me a serious look. “Do you really want to risk it?”
This kid. I swear, he’s too damned smart for his own good. It’s easy to forget he’s just getting ready to turn five because he acts like such a little man sometimes. You know, right before he does something like trying to shave the local stray cat because it looked hot with all that fur. Poor thing has a bare stripe right down its back.
“Nope, let’s get you some pancakes. Blueberry or chocolate chip?”
He bounds out of bed and streaks down the hallway, his voice carrying behind him. “Chocolate chiiip!” I’d better get moving before he decides to start without me.
Aiden watches me from his stool at the counter while I cook his pancakes, jabbering away the entire time. “Are Neal and Bailey going to come to my birthday party?”
I slide the pancakes onto a plate, and set it in front of him, along with a glass of milk. “Yes, they’ll be there.” Along with half the neighborhood from what I’m hearing. We’ve only lived here on Violet Circle for about two months, but everyone treats us as if they’ve known us forever. The sign may have been vandalized to say Violent Circle, but my experience so far has been positive.
It’s a strange neighborhood, full of eccentric people. There’s no denying that, but they stick together like family, and Aiden and I could really use the support right now.
“I like Bailey. She’s nice.”
“I’m glad. She likes you too.”
“Everybody likes me except Eddie, and I don’t care because he sucks.”
“Aiden!” I exclaim, turning away to hide my smile. “That’s not nice.”
He shrugs, taking a bite of his food. “He’s not nice. He says he’s my boss cause he lives at the hotel and I only visit. I don’t like him.”
The kid really is a little monster, but he’s only eight, and it’s understandable that he’d have some problems. A cheap hotel isn’t a place to raise a kid. Not that I’m judging his family. I know how hard things can be.
I take a seat across from him. “He’s not your boss.”
“I know.”
“Would you like to live at the hotel?”
He blanches. “No way! I love my room. He has to sleep in the bed next to his parent’s bed. And he can’t have a lot of toys because there’s nowhere to put them.”
“He’s having a hard time then, isn’t he? You
know how you get grouchy when you’re upset? He probably feels that way a lot. It’s not right that he’s mean to you, but I want you to be nice to him anyway. Sometimes being nice to someone can make them feel better. You might be the only person who does that for him.”
Aiden chews his lip, a habit we share when we’re thinking or nervous. “But what if he’s mean to me again?”
“Then come find me and we’ll do something about it.”
“Okay, I’ll be nice.” He swallows his last bite and drains his glass of milk.
“Go get dressed and pick out some toys and books for today. It’s only a half day, and we’ll get lunch on the way home, okay?” I ruffle his hair. He needs a haircut.
His eyes brighten. “Can we go to Carl’s and get a shake?”
“Sounds good to me.”
He races off to dress and pack his little backpack.
I hate that I have to drag him to work with me every day, but I don’t have a choice. It won’t be for much longer. Next fall, he’ll start Kindergarten, and I’ll be able to work days without worrying about him. Fortunately, the couple who own the hotel are fine with me bringing him along. There’s always a few empty rooms where he can watch T.V., play his handheld game, read, or play with his toys. He’s never too far away from me for me to hear him. Sometimes he trails along behind me from room to room as well. After two months, all the regular guests know him, and he knows his boundaries. I’m grateful for the small adjacent playground, so he doesn’t have to be cooped up for hours, but on days like this, he’s stuck inside.
I do a quick clean up from breakfast, grab a breakfast drink for myself, and guzzle it while I toss on my jeans and a tee shirt. It only takes me a few minutes to throw my hair up into a messy bun, brush my teeth, and wash my face. I don’t bother to shower until after work. The rooms can be gross, so by the time I get home, I can’t wait to wash away the grime.