Before Sin

by M. Malone

  Blurb

  They say love is all around.

  Yeah, for everyone but me.

  It sounds crazy, I know. Breaking News: badass bodyguard for the nation’s top security firm doesn’t know how to talk to women.

  That’s it, folks. I have no game. Luckily my newfound family at Blake Security accepts me exactly as I am.

  But there are things in my past, secrets, that I’d do anything to protect them from.

  * * *

  (Before Sin is the prequel to the Sin Duet. The saga will continue in the next book, Sin)

  Before Sin

  M. Malone

  Nana Malone

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Excerpt of Sin

  Sin Chapter 1

  Sin Chapter 2

  Sin Chapter 3

  More from The Malones

  About the Authors

  1

  Matthias

  I ignored the compulsion to tug on my tie. The damn thing was uncomfortable. Everything was uncomfortable. But this was JJ and Jonas’s rehearsal dinner, and I needed to suck it up. So instead, I clutched my club soda and tried to plant a smile on my face and at least look like I was having a good time.

  Who in the world had their rehearsal dinner two weeks before the wedding anyway? People who saved other people for a living and had clients. This was the only date that worked for everyone to attend… Yes, even me. JJ had insisted even though I’d tried to back out.

  Fair enough, it wasn’t the worst thing I’d ever done. Everyone was happy. Jonas and JJ were getting a practice round on the dance floor before the big event. And any second now, we’d all start screaming at the pair of them to, “Get a room.”

  Izzy was in Noah’s arms, clapping her little chubby hands, giggling and cooing, slapping her father in the face. Noah, he looked well pleased about it. This was what it was all about. And as far as I was concerned, this was about as good as it was ever going to get. Another Blake Security couple married off.

  Then why aren’t you happy?

  Okay yeah, the crowd was a problem. JJ had a lot of friends. So. Many. Friends. So many people. And honestly, so did Jonas from his old life. He was that kind of guy. Affable, people liked him. So, the bar was crowded and I was extremely uncomfortable, but for Jonas and JJ, I could suffer through. Besides, I’d already tried to make my escape once. JJ caught me and pretty much put the guys on Matthias-doesn’t-get-to-leave watch. So yeah, I’m stuck. And honestly, JJ was terrifying. She was such a little slip of a thing. She might look like a Barbie doll, but she had a mouth. Wow! She could even make me blush with the things she said.

  “So, bride or groom?”

  I frowned and turned to face the woman to my left. Wow… She was something. Wild red hair, standing several inches up and then spilling over her back and shoulders. How did she get it to do that?

  It wasn’t just her hair that was big and in your face. Her massive tits were on display. And her face was extra decked-out, like those YouTube videos where women spent an hour doing their makeup. It was a shame too, because given her bone structure, she was probably gorgeous. But she’d overdone it. And the dress she was wearing – too much. First of all, she had worn white. I thought that was taboo or something. And the scrap of handkerchief was short, low cut.

  She cocked her head and lifted a brow, and then I remembered, yes, she’d asked me a question.

  “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  She grinned. “Bride or groom?”

  I frowned. Clearly, I was neither. “I’m not the bride or the groom.”

  She giggled. The sound probably should have been pleasant but instead was more like breaking glass. Then she reached out and squeezed my forearm. “Oh my God, you are so funny. You’re hilarious. I’m Amber. Who are you?”

  I slid my gaze down to where her hand lay on my forearm and willed her to remove it. It wasn’t that I didn’t like touching, it was just that – okay, I didn’t like touching. The only person I didn’t mind touching me, honestly, was Izzy. She felt safe to snuggle. And clearly she would never attempt to hurt me, except for the constant wetting her nappy when I was holding her. But honestly, she was a baby. She couldn’t help that. But other people touching me, that felt… uncomfortable.

  Apparently, Amber here didn’t seem to get the subtle ‘back off’ signals.

  “I’m Matthias,” I said and then slowly shifted so she was no longer touching me.

  Unfortunately, she took my shift as an invitation for her to step even closer. Her perfume was strong, and sweet, with a spicy after taste of sorts that lingered a little too long. She was close enough that her breasts brushed my chest, and I had to hold my breath so as not to get too much of her perfume.

  “God, you’re British too. I fucking love a Brit. It’s the accent. It’s so sexy.”

  I couldn’t help the eye roll, it sort of just happened.

  “Yeah well, I think there’s this mate of Jonas’s who’s here too. His name is Evan or something. He’s British.” Yes, I knew that in the game department, I was blowing this. But honestly, was I supposed to try it on with this one? She was too tarted-up for me.

  Most men didn’t mind obvious.

  Yeah well, I wasn’t most men. And, as it turned out, Amber wasn’t most women. She certainly didn’t take the hint and stepped even closer. The scent of her perfume was enough to choke me.

  “I met Evan earlier, but he’s not as cute as you are. So, Matthias, what do you say you meet me upstairs and you show me exactly why they say, ‘Just lie back and think of England.’ I’m so curious to know.”

  I blinked at her. What was she on about?

  And then she reached for my hand and placed hers inside my open palm along with something hard and plastic. Only then did she brush by me and whisper, “See you in a minute.”

  As she sauntered away, I couldn’t help but glance back at her. Oh come on, zero ass! Look, I’m not saying she had to have a big one. But at least, some ass. She was going to be disappointed when I didn’t join her. I leaned over to speak to the bartender. “Oy, mate, the red head who just left, she’s going to come down here in about 30 minutes to an hour, and she’s going to want to know what happened to me. I’m going to beg you not to tell her and then give her back her key, would you?”

  The bartender chuckled low. “Oh you mean, Amber. Consider yourself lucky you escaped unharmed. I’ve heard she’s a monster in bed.”

  That was the last thing I needed. One monster in the bed was enough. Thanks.

  “Yeah, I’m just not feeling it mate. Good on you.” I slid the key over to him, and then I looked for an exit. Clearly, I was no good at the flirting and drinking bit. Besides, I figured someone should go and check on the security system at home anyway.

  Bullshit, you’re running away.

  And what if I was? I would never admit it to anyone who asked. Not ever. As happy as I was for Jonas and JJ and the rest of the family, I’d hit my limit. The last thing we wanted was for something to set me off. Besides, as it turned out, JJ wasn’t the only woman I was terrified of. That Amber, she looked like she was ready and willing to do damage.

  And I, for one, would like to keep my dick intact, even if I had no intention of using it any time soon.

  2

  Ten years ago…

  “Ugh, don’t do that!” I wiped off the wet kiss that my friend Sabine had just left on my cheek.

  A chorus of giggles surrounded me. The sound was almost enough to make enduring the wet slobber worth it. Sabine and Gigi loved to tease me and poke fun. Even
if it was at my expense, I couldn’t blame them for their tricks. There wasn’t a whole bloody lot of fun available to be had around here. We had to take our happiness where we could find it.

  “It’s not a disease, Matt.” Gigi could barely speak she was laughing so hard.

  The sound never failed to make me smile in return. She was a bit younger than me. Sabine was too, but I didn’t mind spending time with the younger kids around the compound. Someone had to keep an eye on them and keep them out of trouble and away from the things their young eyes shouldn’t see. The Family kept the children housed in a separate building from their most unsavory practices, but it was still closer than I’d like it to be. Gigi and Sabine were so young. So innocent.

  Well, maybe not as innocent as they should have been. Sabine in particular was all too happy to wander off and get into things that were of no business to a young girl. But I did everything I could to keep them sheltered. They’d find out what this place was really about soon enough.

  I was so focused on the sound of Gigi’s laughter that I didn’t realize how far we’d wandered from the main building. My eyes darted around, and I panicked when I noticed Eddie watching us. One of the older guards, he was a bit of a tosser, and I’d never liked how he looked at Gigi. She was one of the smallest kids here, despite being almost ten years old. Her bright red hair and freckles made her stand out amongst a crowd.

  Standing out here could be a death sentence.

  “Oy! What are you three doing back here?” Eddie spat on the ground, coming dangerously close to my foot.

  Rage burned in my chest, the same feeling I had whenever I was confronted with the reality of where we lived. My mother had tried so hard to shield me from it. For so long, she’d told me that we lived with the Family for our own protection, because they took care of us and made sure we were safe and had enough to eat. But it wasn’t long before I had to accept the harsh reality of the things my mother had to do to secure this “safety.” Even the most innocent of children would eventually notice that all the women worked in one building and that there were strange men being escorted in and out.

  That the men who kept them “safe” were the same men they should fear.

  “Sorry, we didn’t mean to come so far.” I hated having to say the words. I didn’t want to apologize to him. Ever. But his beady eyes were already fixed on Gigi.

  He never watched the older girls. Only the tiny ones like Gigi. It made me sick.

  Sabine put her arm around Gigi, sensing the change in atmosphere. She was more like me, aware that the world was often not a good place. Her mother had been one of the working girls here too, but she died a few years ago. The light that was once in Sabine’s eyes died then, too.

  “You know the rules. Stay in the courtyard.” Eddie grinned at the girls, ignoring me. “Unless you’re coming to pay me a visit.” He reached out to run a finger over Gigi’s shoulder.

  When she shrank back, he scowled. “Little bitch.”

  “Leave her alone,” Sabine yelled.

  I moved before he could come any closer to them and pushed the girls behind me. If he lashed out, I could take it. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d been knocked around for wandering out of bounds.

  Eddie spat again, his cruel mouth twisted into a parody of a grin. “No matter. It’s only a matter of time before they’re moved to this side anyway.”

  Everything inside me withered at the thought. But before I could say something that would have earned me a backhand across the mouth, a voice rang out. Eddie turned slightly at the sound.

  “Matt. Girls. What are you doing out here?”

  My mum hurried across the pavement toward us, her eyes sweeping between me and Eddie nervously. She put her hand on my shoulder and shook it slightly. Her voice was steady when she finally spoke though.

  “You three should be inside finishing your chores not out here bothering the guards. Go on.”

  Her push propelled me back toward the main building. But after a few steps, I looked over my shoulder and stumbled when I saw Eddie’s hand on her arm. His eyes met mine and briefly I saw what looked like remorse. Shame, maybe.

  Then I turned around and rushed to catch up with Gigi and Sabine.

  An hour later, after the chores were done, I said goodbye to the girls and headed back to the small suite of rooms I shared with my mum. When I opened the door, she turned from where she stood in the small kitchenette. One of the guards had noticed my interest in computers and said that I might be picked to come live in the big house one day. Honestly, I hoped it never happened. I didn’t want to leave my mum. Or Gigi and Sabine.

  “There you are. I was wondering what was keeping you.” Mum dropped the dishtowel she was holding on the counter. “And what was that this afternoon, yeah?”

  I shrugged. “We didn’t mean to wander. We got distracted.”

  She came around the counter and put a gentle hand to my cheek. “You can’t get distracted. You have to be on your guard.”

  Rage, at her, at the situation, at everything, bubbled forth. “I shouldn’t have to be on my guard all the time. You think I don’t know what this place really is? Why all the men come to visit the ladies in the forbidden building?”

  Her face flushed, and I instantly regretted my words.

  “I forget sometimes how smart you are, my son. I’ve tried to protect you as much as I can. The world is a harsh place and we all have to do things we’re ashamed of sometimes to get by. I just wish you didn’t have to know it.”

  She put her arms around me, and I fell into her embrace, cursing myself for the hasty words. No matter what, I never want to see that look on her face again. That shame. I vowed then that I would never treat a woman the way those bad men treated her.

  And that somehow I would find a way to save her.

  3

  A week went by after the rehearsal dinner, and life proceeded as usual. To be fair, ‘the usual’ in the world of Blake Security could pretty much mean anything. Which was why I was surprised to find myself at home on a Friday night with absolutely nothing to do.

  “So there are no active cases that need research?” I asked Oskar, quite certain there must be something we were missing.

  “Nope. Noah cleared everything leading up to Jonas and JJ’s wedding. I guess he thought we’d all be distracted. Or he wanted to give his friend time to bone his future bride. Either one.”

  Oskar shrugged, his massive shoulders moving beneath his shirt like boulders. The blond giant looked like Thor on steroids but had the humor of a twelve year old boy.

  It was interesting that he was considered the most juvenile of our group when I was, in fact, the one just barely enough to drink. Although with a life history like mine, I sometimes felt like I aged in dog years. Currently my mental age was sitting at somewhere around one hundred and forty.

  “Great. So where is everyone then?”

  Just to be clear, I wasn’t upset about the peace and quiet. It was just unusual. When you live in a penthouse that’s the headquarters for an international security conglomerate, quiet isn’t something you get a lot of.

  “The girls are at the bachelorette party tonight. Noah didn’t tell you?”

  Shit. That must have been what the boss was talking about earlier. I’d nodded along and smiled in all the right places, meanwhile only hearing every third word. My mind had been running a million miles per hour lately, compounded by even less sleep than usual. Leave it to my luck to have actually missed something important today.

  “Right. He did mention that.” My phone rang, saving me from whatever response Oskar was about to give. I squinted down at the screen when the phone abruptly stopped ringing and a text came in. When I saw who it was from, my heart immediately sped up.

  Lucia: Plz tell me u r home !

  My fingers cramped as I struggled to type back as fast as possible. Getting a text from the boss’s wife when she was supposed to be at her best friend’s bachelorette party was not the kind of situation
that inspires confidence.

  Matthias: I’m here. What’s going on?

  Waiting for the next text seemed like days instead of minutes. Oskar picked up on my panic and put down the bag of chips he was previously inhaling. “What’s going on? Why are you suddenly staring at your phone like that? Is someone sending you nudes?”

  “It’s Lucia. I’m waiting for her to text back.”

  Oskar raised a blond eyebrow. “Are you dirty texting with the boss’s wife? Because if so, you need to warn me so I can get out of the line of fire when he comes gunning for your ass.”

  The look on my face must have clued him in that this was serious because he abruptly stood up straight. “Wait, isn’t Lucia at the bachelerette party right now? With JJ?”

  My phone dinged again.

  Lucia: Sorry, can’t type well. Handcuffed.

  What. The. Fuck.

  “Holy shit, dude. We have to find the girls. Now.”

  Oskar didn’t waste time talking, just followed me down the hall to my room, aka the security command center. I was typing before my ass even landed in the chair, pulling up the tracker software we used. Lucia had a necklace with a security tracker in it, so in a few moments, I had the GPS coordinates for her location.

  “Let’s go.”

  While we were walking back out, Oskar was on the phone calling Noah. Then Rafe. But I could barely hear any of his conversation. We stopped in the weapons room and suited up before hitting the elevator down to the garage level. Oskar took the wheel so I could keep working on the laptop I took along. The security software was running, monitoring Lucia’s tracker in case her location changed before we could get into position.