by Meghan March
I was moving forward. I was letting go of the past and the things I couldn’t change. The future was bright and full of opportunity. I wouldn’t let the guilt from failing Mathieu prevent me from trying to help others. And in that vein, I was determined to see Chains become so much more than a pawnshop. I wanted to see it become the heart of a neighborhood—a place where people could come if they fell on hard times—not only seeking financial help, but the help of a community. It wasn’t all about the bottom line to me anymore; it was about being successful, but not to the detriment of others. We weren’t going to just pawn, buy, and sell. We were going to start connecting people in need with resources to give them a hand up. And one of those resources was the gym. It might seem strange that we were relying on fighting to get these boys off the streets, but it was about more than learning how to throw a punch—it was about learning discipline and giving them something to work toward—namely, college scholarships like some of the boys had already received.
Elle grabbed me by the hand and pulled me down the dock. “The auction is starting. There’s a killer Chanel bag Vanessa found at an estate sale and donated, and I’m bidding on it in the name of raising money for the program—and in the name of fashion. Oh, and Yve and Dirty Dog donated an awesome vintage Metallica T-shirt that I’m also dying to get—obviously to raise even more money and because you’re going to look sexy as hell in it until I strip it off you.”
I laughed as I let her drag me toward the crowd—because quite frankly, I’d let this woman drag me anywhere she wanted.
The rest of the evening rolled on, and predictably, Elle got her purse and the T-shirt. Unpredictably, Lucas Titan bid a million dollars on a boxing lesson with Con.
It would take all million dollars of restraint for Con not to pound the shit out of him in the ring—which I was sure was Titan’s motive. Either that, or he felt like he still had a score to settle. Regardless, it wasn’t something I was going to miss.
In the Shelby on the way home—which Elle drove since she still didn’t drink—I asked her, “What do you think about becoming a full partner in Chains?”
She slowed to a stop at a red light and swung her head my way. “Are you serious?”
“Hell yeah.”
“A partner? Like, with equal say and skin in the game?”
“Exactly that.”
“You’d trust me with that? You’re not drunk, are you?”
The light turned green, but she didn’t accelerate because I’d lifted my hand to her face and skimmed my fingers along her cheek. “I’m not drunk. And you know damn well I trust you with everything and anything.”
She turned her face to press a kiss to my palm, before taking a deep breath. “Well, obviously the only answer I have is hell yes. And maybe one more question.”
“Shoot, sweet thing.”
“Do you have any idea how epic this going to be?”
“Oh, I have no doubt about that.” Every bit of my future with Elle would be epic. I wouldn’t let us settle for anything less.
Elle accelerated, and we drove off into the motherfucking sunset.
Lucas Titan’s story is coming next in Beneath These Scars. To keep up with the latest, including exclusive sneak peeks, sign up for my newsletter!
Also, if you have a few moments, I would be incredibly grateful if you’d consider leaving a review for Beneath These Chains. Good or bad, reviews help authors more than you know. If you email me the link to your review at [email protected], I’d love to thank you with a personal note.
I’m the guy you love to hate.
In every story in my life, I seem to end up playing the villain—and I’ve got the scars to prove it.
That role works fine for me, because I’m sure as hell not anyone’s hero.
I run my life and my empire with an iron fist—until she knocks my tightly controlled world off its axis.
She’s nobody’s damsel in distress, but I can’t help but want to save her anyway.
I guess we’re about to find out if there’s a hero buried … beneath these scars.
The Beneath Series Reading Order
Beneath This Mask (Beneath #1)
Beneath This Ink (Beneath #2)
Beneath These Chains (Beneath #3)
Beneath These Scars (Beneath #4) – Coming Soon
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