Madman

by Ws Greer

  Once we know they’re out, we all sit down and I lift my glass of Cristal.

  “Now it’s done,” I say.

  Reina and Nix lift their glasses with me, and we toast to our victory over the Scarfo family, and to a bright, shiny future as the rulers of the city of Philadelphia.

  Reina

  I COULDN’T HAVE asked for a better reunion with Solomon. No, not in a million years could I have asked for this entire thing to have gone any better. I remember thinking about it in my room at Ecole des Roches. I remember thinking about him, dreaming about him, wishing I could be with him and hating my parents for forcing me to move simply for loving someone different than them. My hatred for them was my fuel for seven years, and while I was over there, my mind split in two. On one side was my love for Solomon and everything we’d been through together. The other side was darker, a never-ending fire burning brighter and hotter by the day. It festered inside me, ate away at me, and changed me into something much worse than what I was before I left. So, I plotted and planned for seven years, with nearly this exact ending in mind. Now, it’s here. Nearly all of it has played out the way I wanted it to. Nearly all of it. There’s one thing left.

  Solomon and I lay in his massive bed next to each other, wrapped in his blood-red sheets, and I let my eyes linger on the beautiful view of the city shining through the window in front of me. Philly was always a gorgeous place, and I always loved it, but now that I’m with him, it’s ten times better, and it seems to shine even brighter.

  I lay my head on Solomon’s chest and rub his skin with the tips of my fingers, tracing the many tattoos permanently placed there. I breathe him in, drowning in the scent of him and feeling every bit of his love as he places a hand on my shoulder and rubs my skin softly. He’s a villain in this world, but with me, he’s perfectly tender, which goes a long way to show me just how much he loves me. I know Solomon would die for me. Even as both of us lay here naked in his loft, if danger swept into this room, he’d get up and snuff it out without hesitation, or he’d die trying. It’s been that way since we met all those years so, and just like my feelings for him, it will never change.

  That’s why I waited to tell him the last part of my story. I was gone for a long time, and when you’re locked away in a horrible boarding school, you need something to motivate you. I had Solomon and my parents, but there was also something else. Something sinister that’ll never go away. I thought about it every day, and I still do, even when I’m surrounded by every magnificent thing that Solomon brings into my life. Something worse than the abuse at the school, and harsher than being disowned by my parents.

  “Solomon,” I whisper, wondering if I should tell him. I put it off before, but now that his head is clear, it’s time. I feel nervous as his body shifts under the sheets and his breathing changes.

  “Yes,” he says in a sleepy whisper. “You good?”

  “There’s something I need to tell you,” I begin. Anxiety creeps into my limbs and makes them feel heavy as I try to stay calm. “When I was explaining what happened to me when my parents sent me to France, I left something out. Something important that I’ve never told anyone until now.”

  “Okay. Why did you feel the need to leave this out when you told me everything else?”

  “Because I needed you to focus on the task at hand, which was Dante,” I explain. “I didn’t want to distract you with this because I knew you’d lose focus on what you had going on, and I didn’t want that to happen. One thing at a time, remember?”

  Solomon releases a breath that feels like a hot fan on the back of my head, blowing my hair a bit.

  “Alright, Reina,” he says. “What is it?”

  “I told you that after my parents informed me that they were sending me away, I tried to get on the train to come back to you. I didn’t know what I was gonna do when I found you, but I was determined to get back to Strawberry Mansion so we could be together. Maybe I planned on just staying down there with you forever, I don’t know, but I never made it that far, because as I approached the train station, Charlie found me. He grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me to his car.”

  Solomon shifts his body again, and I can feel heat beginning to lift from his skin. He’s already pissed just listening to this part. I remember how much he hated Charlie, so I know how deeply this will cut him. But I have to tell him.

  “When he got me back home,” I continue. “My mother was there. She and I had another insane argument over you and people who live in the slums, as she called it. She was furious, and after she finished yelling at me, I ran to my room and cried myself sick. I cried for a long time before I finally fell asleep in my bed. When I woke up, I wasn’t alone. Charlie was there, and he was on top of me.

  “I fought with everything I had in me to get in him off, but he was too heavy and strong. There was nothing I could do physically, so I screamed, but he quickly informed me that nobody was home. My parents had left the house to get a break from me and my drama, and they left him to look after me. There was nobody there to hear me scream, and he knew it. By the time I realized what was going on, he already had his pants down and was shoving mine down too. I begged, I pleaded with him to stop, but he was so furious about me rejecting him for you. I could see the jealousy and envy in his eyes, and he’s the kind of person who lashes out when he doesn’t get things his way. He talked horribly about you, called me filthy for wanting to be with a criminal from the ghetto. He said he was going to show me he could be rough like you. There was nothing I could do to stop him, so I did my best to zone out. I went to another place in my head while he . . . he raped me.

  “Afterwards, he forced me into the shower and threatened to go to Strawberry Mansion with a bunch of his friends to hurt you if I told anyone. I already knew what would happen to him if he did that, so I told my parents anyway, hoping he would go down there so you could kill him. My parents, though, they didn’t believe me. I told them exactly what happened, and they told me I was making it up to get back at Charlie for telling them about you and me. They actually thought I lied about him raping me so I could get revenge on him, and all Charlie had to do was sit back and deny it. I couldn’t believe it. Their only response was to move up my flight so that I could leave sooner. Before I could plead with them any further, I was already on my way out the door. They pushed me out like I was nothing, and took my rapist in as the son they never had.

  “That’s why I’ve been so adamant about coming back here and destroying everything they’ve worked for. It’s bigger than just us, Solomon. Charlie raped me, and every single one of them has to pay. Do you understand? Every single one of them.”

  Solomon is silent. I hear his breathing picking up, but he’s not moving. Something in me expected him to jump up and run out the door, doing his best to hunt Charlie down with no clue where he is, but he’s calm, as if he’s keeping everything he’s feeling locked away in his head. I know he’s the ultimate manipulator, and he’s much smarter than anyone realizes, so whatever is to come is going to be deep. I’ve just armed a ticking time bomb in the middle of Philadelphia.

  “Where is he?” Solomon finally asks.

  “I don’t know for sure,” I answer. “I just know he’s with them, and they have their compound somewhere else now. Their business is guarded and they bought a new house, so I don’t even know where they live anymore—Charlie either. All I know is that they’re still in Philly. The main hub of their business is still here, and they’d never leave that behind, so they’re still here. We just have to find them.”

  Instead of lashing out, Solomon lets out another deep breath and wraps both of his arms around me. He pulls me in close to him, squeezing my body and making me feel so safe—exactly what I’ve always loved about him, and precisely what I need right now.

  “I’m sorry that happened to you, Reina,” Solomon says in a hushed tone. “I should’ve been there. I should’ve been there to protect you.”

  “There was nothing you could’ve done, Solo
mon,” I tell him as tears fill my eyes.

  “Maybe not then,” he replies. “But there’s something I can do now. There’s something we will do. Together. Alistair Wilde, Betty Wilde, and Charlie whatever-the-fuck-his-name-is—they’re all dead. All of them! And what is theirs, will become ours.”

  “It won’t be easy, Solomon. No one has ever tried to take down an empire like Wilde Inc.”

  “Of course not,” Solomon says with sheer, unshakeable confidence. “No one’s ever tried because there has never been anyone like me before. I’m gonna burn all of it down, and Charlie will watch it turn to ash before I set his life ablaze too.”

  THE END

  IT’S DONE! I can’t believe it! I actually finished this book, and I did it while sitting on a plane, flying back to Guam all the way from Sacramento—well, technically I’m flying to Hawaii right now, then I’ll be heading to Guam after. Anyway, I did it!

  It took me over a year to complete this book, because 2017 has been the most challenging year of my life and military career. I never imagined going through what I had to go through this year, and now that I’ve persevered and fought my way through it by finishing this novel, I’m very proud of what I’ve done.

  I started the year by getting a military assignment to a place my family and I had no desire to go to, and then was scheduled for spinal surgery in April. I had to put my whole life on hold, obviously, and going through that surgery was the worst pain I’ve ever felt, and the recovery was six months long!

  After the surgery, my wife had to help me in and out of bed, and on and off the toilet. She had to help me put on my pants and my socks, and for a little while, even my shirts. I couldn’t have done it without her, and that is not an overstatement at all. I needed her with me, and absolutely could not have made it through that surgery without her. So, my first acknowledgement has to go my wife for always being everything I need her to be. She was my ride or die through that whole ordeal, and I’m thankful I have her in my life as a wife, partner, and best friend. I love you, Roxanne. Thank you for holding me down when I couldn’t lift myself up. And thanks for helping me to make Reina awesome as well. We didn’t get to do this project together like we planned, but we do them all “together.” I love you, baby.

  I have to thank my kids big time for this one. I’ve been working on this book for so long, and after the surgery, I had to force myself to get back into the groove of writing. I knew this book was going to be my best and longest, and writing characters like Solomon and Reina required a certain type of environment. So, I had to close the door to my room and lock them out for at least an hour a day, so that I could get into the right headspace to become a villain. I appreciate their support so much, and they never ask me to quit what I’m doing to hang with them. They let me work hard so that we can have more in this life, and I appreciate that very much, because I’ve always been a very ambitious person. Sitting around and doing nothing just doesn’t work for me. I have to be grinding away at something, striving to become bigger and better, and my family is more than supportive. So, thank you, Janae and Justin, for letting me work and write my dopest book ever! Janae, I said you could read this one, and I’ll keep my word. I hope you enjoy it, because you and your brother helped me write it without doing a thing. Thank you!

  Next, I have to thank my parents. My mom and dad have always only wanted the best for me, and I’ve probably pissed them off by doing things they don’t agree with, saying things they don’t agree with, and not believing in things that they hold dear. But being a parent isn’t about forcing your kids to follow whatever you’re doing. It’s being supportive of the path your kids choose, and my parents have been just that. They know how hard I hustle, and they know I get stressed dealing with it and my military career, but they’re always there for me to talk to. Every time we get on the phone, we get caught up and end up talking for much longer than we intended, but that’s because we’re more than just son and parents. We’re friends. So, thank you, Mom and Dad, for always being there when I need you. I’ve been gone a long time, I know. I regret that, and I appreciate you not always being in my ear about it. You’ve just sat back and waited for my grind to pay off, and it has. Me and the fam will be back soon, and we have a lot of catching up to do. I love you guys!

  Shawn, my one and only brother, I love you, man! We don’t get to spend enough time together, homie. Like I said before, I’m writing this on the plane leaving Sacramento, so we just hung out for a weekend for the first time in nearly three years since that quick Vegas trip. We’ve missed so much of each other’s lives, and that sucks! Neither of us knows our families as much as we should, and when I get back to the states, we’re gonna freakin’ kick it, man! All of us. I want to know my nephew better, and you need to know your niece and nephew better too. So, get ready to hang out next year! Love you, big bro!

  I have some really amazing friends who I’ve met online over the years—far too many to name, but I just really want to thank my book friends and fans who’ve been waiting for me to come back from the dead this year. Sorry I didn’t answer your messages when you hit me up on my birthday. You dropped messages in my inbox and I didn’t reply because I was toughing out a very rough part of my life, but even then, I appreciated you reaching out to ask how I was doing. That means a lot. Seriously. Thank you for your continued support. I hope this book was worth the wait!

  Of course I have to thank my cover designer, Robin Harper, for doing it big for book number ten! This cover is so crazy. Seriously, I did a lot of comparisons when we finalized it, and there just isn’t anything out there that can hold a candle to what we put together on this one. I know it’s a combination of both of our ideas and creativity, and that just means that this process could be so much harder if I had to do it with someone else. I’m super picky, but you always give me exactly what I want, and this cover is no exception. It’s amazing, Robin, really. You’re a genius, and I’m glad I found you back in 2013. Thanks again, and you’re already on deck for book number eleven!

  I gotta shout out my interior designer, the best in the game, Christine Borgford! With you, I don’t even have to do anything! I just trust that you’re gonna come in and kill it, and you do, every single time. These novels are my babies, and you help bring them to life on the inside after Robin makes them pop on the outside. Thank you for always fitting me into your schedule and getting files back to me on time. I can never stop myself from panicking about it, but you’ve yet to let me down even once. You’re worth every penny!

  Lastly, I’m gonna shout out someone who hasn’t been born yet. The wife and I have a baby on the way! I actually don’t even know if you’re a boy or a girl yet, but I can’t wait for you to get here! It shocks me that we decided to have another baby after all this time, but I don’t regret it at all. I love you already, and can’t wait to meet you. We’ve got a pretty dope life all set up and waiting for you!

  Until next time, book fans. I’ll try not to be gone for too long this time! Thanks for reading!

  WS GREER IS a bestselling romantic suspense author, and an active duty military member with the US Air Force. He’s been serving his country since 2004, and has been an author since his debut novel, Frozen Secrets, was released in 2013.

  WS was born to military parents in San Antonio, Texas, and bounced around as a child, from Okinawa, Japan, to Florida, to New Mexico, where he met his high school sweetheart, who’d become his wife in 2003. Together, the two of them have two wonderful children, and are currently living overseas on the tiny island of Guam.

  WS has tackled different genres throughout his writing career. From romantic suspense with his debut novel, to erotic suspense with his bestselling Carter Trilogy and Defending Her, to contemporary romance with Worth Saving.

  WS has learned a lot about writing over the years, and his goal is to build a loyal and thriving fan base in the romantic suspense genre from here on out. His stories are deeply rooted in suspense, but WS loves the added drama of intense, emotio
nal characters. Emotion, suspense, and drama is what WS does best.

  WS loves connecting with his fans and readers, and does so whenever he gets the chance, and he would love to hear from you. You can find him on his personal blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  Stay tuned, there’s more suspenseful stories coming from WS Greer!

  Want more from WS? Follow him everywhere!

  www.wsgreer.wordpress.com

  FACEBOOK

  GOODREADS

  TWITTER

  Thank you for purchasing Madman (Love & Chaos #1)! Please leave an honest rating and review wherever you purchased your copy. It’d be very much appreciated!

  Check out these other titles from WS Greer

  Frozen Secrets (A Detective Granger Novel)

  Claiming Carter (The Carter Trilogy #1)

  Becoming Carter (The Carter Trilogy #2)

  Destroying Carter (The Carter Trilogy #3)

  Defending Her

  Worth Saving

  Kingpin (An Italian Mafia Romance Duet #1)

  Long Live the King (An Italian Mafia Romance Duet #2)

  Red Snow (A Detective Granger Novel)