“We need to discuss some shit,” Sterling yells back. “Get dressed and come upstairs. You’ve got five minutes or we’re coming to you.”
“Fuck.” Aston sits up and runs his hands through his slick hair. “He’s right. Even though we roughed these motherfuckers up and showed them we’re not to be messed with, we need to come up with a solution for you and your roommate. These guys weren’t playing. They came here ready to take us out and hurt us in any way possible. It nearly took Ace drowning a motherfucker to get them to finally back off and leave, agreeing to our terms if we took it easy on them. Still, I don’t trust them.”
We both crawl out of bed and begin getting dressed. I can see how tense Aston is, as if he’s busy thinking about me getting hurt.
“We’re gonna need to find you guys somewhere else to live. It needs to be somewhere safe and closer to us so we can keep an eye out on you two better. Even though we made it clear we wanted those fuckers out of town by tonight, you can never be too safe.”
Aston grabs my hand, keeping me close. I follow him upstairs to where his brothers are eating a pizza and chilling on the couch as if they hadn’t just almost killed or gotten killed.
Aston didn’t go into detail about what happened out there, besides Ace almost drowning someone, and honestly I don’t want to know. Their enemies were out for blood when they arrived, but the three Locke brothers are still breathing. All I care about is that the boys took care of them before they were able to take care of the Locke brothers.
Ace pats the seat next to him and gives me a sexy little wink. “Sit. Have some pizza.”
I get ready to sit down, but Aston sits first, pulling me into his lap and wrapping his strong arms around me. “All right. Let’s discuss this shit so I can get my girl back to bed. It’s late.”
Sterling shakes his head and hands me a slice of pizza, which I take and begin eating. It’s well past two now, and suddenly my stomach is growling.
“I called Uncle Killian, and he’s looking into a few properties nearby that we can get our hands on. Said he might have some connections. We should have word within a few days.” Sterling tosses his pizza down and gives me a stern look. “I’m sure Aston already told you the plan. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Being sorry isn’t something us Lockes do very well. We need you to do this for us. Got it?”
I nod my head and lean into Aston as he holds me tighter to him to comfort me and let me know that I’m safe in the hands of him and his brothers.
My safety isn’t something I’m concerned about when it comes to the Lockes. It’s getting Melissa to agree that worries me.
She already hates the idea of the Lockes even coming close to our house. I can’t imagine how she’s going to take us needing to move next to them and into their safety.
“I’ll talk to my roommate tomorrow and let her know what the plan is. It’s going to take some convincing to get her to agree, but I’m down for anything that you guys feel is safe for us. I trust you guys, and I’m going to do my best to get her to as well.”
“Good.” Sterling stands up and hands me a beer. “Welcome to the circle.”
I feel Aston smile against my neck before he kisses his way up it. A small moan escapes me, causing him to growl into my ear.
“Finish that beer so I can take you back to my bed. I’m not done with you yet. I won’t be for a long fucking time.”
Holy fuck . . . I don’t want him to be. Ever.
ASTON
One week later . . .
I stare at Melissa and Kadence as they argue over what they need to keep and what needs to get trashed.
They’ve been doing this for the last three hours, and I have to admit that it’s been quite amusing.
Her roommate wasn’t comfortable with us helping them move at first, but after I made it clear that there was no way in hell we weren’t helping, she calmed down a bit, allowing us to touch her things.
Doesn’t mean she hasn’t been watching our every move from the corner of her eye as if she expects us to bite her or some shit.
I am a possessive bastard when it comes to Kadence.
I don’t fucking deny that.
Her friend Melissa is important in her life, and although I don’t want Kadence staying right across the street from the assholes we sent away, I’m not going to leave her friend high and dry and put her in potential danger.
So we helped them find a place closer to us with the assistance of Killian. It’s nicer, not near where those fuckers lived, and I’m five damn minutes from Kadence.
Sterling and I are helping them move, and Ace is setting up some security shit at their new place. Can never be too cautious when it comes to the safety of my girl. Even with having her close, you never know what the fuck could happen.
There’s some pretty fucked-up people in this town.
I assumed Melissa would have been totally against this whole idea, but once we told her what had gone down with those fuckers, me getting shot, and Kadence in danger, she was more than willing to pack up and move where it was safe. Apparently she just wasn’t expecting us to physically be here helping.
“One last time, ladies.” Sterling holds up an ugly old lamp that looks like it was salvaged from the dumpster. “Is this shit coming with or staying? Please tell me this ugly fucker is going in the trash.”
“Staying,” Kadence says quickly before Melissa can respond. “Staying.”
“I like it, but fine.” Melissa rolls her eyes at Kadence. “Toss the damn thing. Less junk to unpack.”
Sterling grins and throws his cigarette down. “Good fucking choice. This is the most hideous thing I’ve ever seen.” He kicks the lamp across the yard and jumps up to close the back of the truck. “I’m gonna do one more sweep to make sure those assholes are really gone and not just hiding out. I’ll meet you at the girls’.”
I nod my head and turn to the girls. “You two ready to roll?”
Kadence and Melissa stop by the moving truck, look back at the house, and then glance at me.
“As ready as we will be,” Kadence says, and I pull her into the hardness of my body, reminding her that I’ll do anything to protect her.
She’s one of us now. She’s mine and I protect what is mine, no matter the consequences.
“Then let’s roll.”
KADENCE
Six months later
I stare at the bonfire in the center of the Locke brothers’ property and smile. Aston is beside me, his new guitar in hand as he strums on it.
The sound is peaceful, lulling almost.
I’ve gotten so used to this that I’m not sure what it would feel like not to be here right now, under the stars with the Locke brothers.
It’s something we’ve been doing every Saturday for the last six months. Even on the colder nights, we still find our way out here in the stillness of the night sitting around a fire having drinks and just giving each other hell.
The boys have been doing this for years now. It’s their way of letting each other know that they’re a family and nothing will ever break them apart.
It’s their short moment of peace in the chaos of their lives. If it weren’t for these moments, then I’m more than positive they’d lose their shit.
“You fucker,” Ace says to Sterling while elbowing him hard in the chest. “Get your own beer. You saw my ass just grab that one and set it down.”
Sterling holds up the bottle with a cocky grin. “You know what happens when you leave shit sitting around. Becomes available to the first motherfucker to grab it.”
Ace reaches under his chair for another beer. “It’s cool.” He pops the top and sits back. “Good thing I’m always prepared.”
I start to laugh because this is pretty typical of these guys. And to be honest I’m loving it. I feel like I’m at home, like they are my family.
It’s a damn good feeling.
I glance at Melissa, who over the last few months has actually warmed up to the idea of hanging out with the
m. This is the eighth bonfire she’s joined us for, and she seems to fight less and less with each time I ask her to come.
She was still hesitant at first. But she saw how much Aston cared about me, and how much I do for him. She realized this is my life now.
Aston is the man I love. He’s where I feel the safest.
“Beer?” Aston hands me one, and I smile and grab it. Before I can take a drink, he grabs my face and kisses me hard, reminding me, just like every day, that I’m his.
I love that about Aston. He’s not afraid to show me every single day that I’m his and he’ll do anything for me. It doesn’t matter what it is, anything I ever fucking ask—although I try not to ask for much.
Truthfully all I want is for him to be there for me, and that’s something I know he’ll always be. He’s proved that every day for over six months, and I’ve done everything I can to do the same for him.
Leaning against him, I tilt my beer back, taking a small sip. It’s cold and runs down my throat, this hoppy, bitter taste that covers my tongue.
I watch the flames again, wondering how my life ended up here. I love it, I really do. I feel like I’ve finally found my family, like what I was given in life led up to this moment.
“Chug, little sister,” Sterling says with a grin.
I smile, the endearment hitting my heart. They welcome me, see me as their family, too.
I glance at Melissa, and see she’s grinning. I’m glad she came around and is happy hanging with us, being around them.
She’s my family too, my sister, and without her in my life I would be lost.
“Come here, baby,” Aston says and pulls me into his lap, his strong arms holding me protectively.
“Come on, chug, Kadence. There are a lot more beers to go around, and this night isn’t over until they’re all fucking gone.” Ace tilts back his beer right before he falls to the ground from Sterling kicking his chair over. “Fucker,” he growls before placing the beer back to his lips and taking a drink anyways. “I can drink from here just fine.”
“Ignore them and kiss me,” Aston says, and before I can do or say anything, he’s kissing me, making everything else around us disappear. His mouth on mine always seems to do that. Makes me feel as if it’s just the two of us. No one has ever been able to make me feel this happy, and I know from the way he treats me, like I’m his fucking everything, that no one has ever made him feel this happy either.
“I love you,” he whispers against my lips. “Do you fucking know that?”
My breath hitches in my throat from his confession, and heat swarms throughout my whole body, making me feel as if I’ve just burst into flames.
I can hardly breathe, to be honest.
Aston Locke loves me, and I have a feeling that’s something he doesn’t feel for many people other than his brothers and uncle.
I’ve known I loved him for a while, but hearing him say it first has my heart beating straight out of my chest.
I love this man so fucking much that it hurts. Belonging to Aston is everything I could’ve ever asked for.
ASTON
Kadence’s breathing picks up against my lips, letting me know that my confession has her heart and body reacting.
Good. That’s real fucking good.
It lets me know that she loves me too. Even if she doesn’t say it back. She doesn’t need to.
I feel it with every moment we spend together.
Every touch.
Every kiss.
Every time I’m inside her.
Kadence is mine, and I’ve known it from the moment our eyes first locked that night across from her house.
Smiling, she leans into me, gently brushing her lips over mine. “Guess what?”
“What?” I whisper while running my thumb over her cheekbone. “Tell me.”
“I love you too, Aston.”
Feeling overwhelmed with emotions, I grip the back of her head and kiss her so fucking hard that it hurts.
I kiss her until we’re both fighting for air and one of my brothers is throwing something at us to break it up.
Doesn’t matter.
They can throw shit at me all night, and I’d kiss this woman until I can’t breathe. I wouldn’t stop until I knew she needed to come up for air.
“Holy shit, little brother.”
I glance at Ace.
He jumps up from his spot on the ground. “Did I just hear you say love?”
“Hell yeah, you did,” Sterling says with a smile. “Our littlest Locke has found his woman.”
“Well, I know that shit. But that dipshit has barely even said he loves us. This calls for a cele-fucking-bration.”
Ace disappears into the house and comes out a few seconds later with some guns and moonshine.
This motherfucker . . .
“You don’t have to drink that shit.” I laugh against Kadence’s lips. “Even I think that crap taste like shit.”
She leans in and bites my lip. I love it when she does that.
It reminds me that she doesn’t give a shit who’s around us. She wants me and she’s not afraid to show it.
Standing up, I grab Kadence and throw her over my shoulder, giving her ass a hard smack.
“Oh come on!” Melissa laughs while holding up a beer. “You’re going to leave me out here with the two craziest Lockes?”
I smirk. “She’ll be back . . . in a few hours.”
I’m just about to escape inside with Kadence so we can get a little time alone when a set of headlights has us all looking down the driveway.
I instantly set Kadence down and stand in front of her, while Ace pushes Melissa behind him. None of us know what to expect.
But from his expression, Sterling recognizes the little white car the second it pulls up and the engine cuts off.
We all watch as a petite brunette steps out and closes the door behind her. It’s not until she walks closer to the fire that I realize it’s Sterling’s old crush from high school . . . a girl I know Sterling has still kept in contact with. A girl Sterling still cares about.
Wynter’s face is busted up, causing Sterling to immediately throw his bottle of beer at the house and walk over to her, pulling her into his chest as she cries into him.
Looks like some whole new shit is about to happen.
There’s no way my brother will allow the asshole that hurt her to get away with it.
I love Kadence, and I’d do anything for my girl. Same goes for my brothers, and I know Wynter is the one that got away for Sterling.
The one girl he always wanted but never quite got.
And so it continues.
The dark, twisted ways of the fucking Locke brothers.
The End
Coming soon . . .
SAVAGE LOCKE (LOCKE BROTHERS, 2)
VICTORIA ASHLEY grew up in Rockford, IL and has had a passion for reading for as long as she can remember. After finding a reading app where it allowed readers to upload their own stories, she gave it a shot and writing became her passion.
She lives for a good romance book with tattooed bad boys that are just highly misunderstood and is not afraid to be caught crying during a good read. When she’s not reading or writing about bad boys, you can find her watching her favorite shows such as Supernatural, Sons Of Anarchy and The Walking Dead.
Contact her at:
www.victoriaashleyauthor.com
BOOKS BY VICTORIA ASHLEY
WALK OF SHAME SERIES
Slade (Book 1)
Hemy (Book 2)
Cale (Book 3)
WALK OF SHAME 2ND GENERATION SERIES
Stone (Book 1)
Styx (Book 2)
SAVAGE & INK SERIES
Royal Savage (Book 1)
THE PAIN SERIES
Get Off On the Pain (Book 1)
Something For the Pain (Book 2)
STAND ALONE TITLES
Wake Up Call
This Regret
Thrust
BOOKS CO-WRITTEN
WITH HILARY STORM
ALPHACHAT.COM SERIES
Pay For Play (Book 1)
Two Can Play (Book 2)
JENIKA SNOW is a USA Today bestselling Author of romance. She’s a mother, wife, and nurse, and has been published since 2009. When not writing she can be found enjoying gloomy, rain-filled days, and wearing socks year-round.
Contact her at:
www.JenikaSnow.com
Newsletter
BOOKS BY JENIKA SNOW
You can find more information on all her titles at: www.JenikaSnow.com
VICTORIA ASHLEY
First and foremost, I’d like to say a HUGE thank you to Jenika Snow for taking a chance and writing this amazing story with me.
I’d also like to thank the beta readers that took the time to read Pay for Play: Lindsey and Amy. We appreciate you ladies so much!
Lea Schafer for doing a wonderful job at editing and Dana Leah for her amazing design work on our cover.
And I want to say a big thank you to all of my loyal readers that have given me support over the last couple of years and have encouraged me to continue with my writing. Your words have all inspired me to do what I enjoy and love. Each and every one of you mean a lot to me and I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for your support and kind words.
Last but not least, I’d like to thank all of the wonderful book bloggers that have taken the time to support our book and help spread the word. You all do so much for us authors and it is greatly appreciated. I have met so many friends on the way and you guys are never forgotten. You guys rock. Thank you!
JENIKA SNOW
A big thank you to Victoria for going on this adventure with me and creating dark and twisted characters that we love to hate! This story wouldn’t be possible without the help from so many people: Dana, our cover designer, Lindsey, who took the time to go over the story and give us her opinion, Lea Ann, who is an incredible editor, Ardent Prose for their help in promoting, and of course all the readers and bloggers who support our crazy endeavors.
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