by S. A. Mecham
“Your brother Marcel said something the other day about how it was his fault that you are the way you are. What did he mean by that?”
“Eh. I guess he taught me how to steal. He would watch like a hawk; made sure I was following his every move. I was like his shadow but as I grew up I got better at it then he was. I was faster. I was willing to take things further by engaging with people in order to be granted access to the much bigger prizes.” I explain. I try to contain the evidence of my obsession over my addiction. I become aware of this monster living inside of me. A monster that I never knew existed until I hear myself telling the love of my life for the first time how it all started. And I can feel this darkness moving inside pushing me to do those things. “I sure hope that you weren’t looking to marry a college boy or another cop because I don’t think that’s in the cards for me, even though I am going to find a way to quit that life.”
“I’m marrying you, Luck. I want to marry you for who you are and not for what you grew up knowing or doing.” She kisses my cheek before leaving my side and swimming over to the edge of the pool. She climbed out and began getting dressed. “Let’s go back. I am getting super hungry.”
“I can’t argue with that. I am pretty hungry myself.” I follow her out dressing quickly. My clothes absorb up the extra water that’s on my skin.
I take her hand and we start our long hike back up to the top of mountain heading back to the cabin.
Chapter Eight
Luck goes to unlock the door but it’s not locked. We enter the back of the cabin arm in arm and march into the middle of the room. I move ahead of Luck eager to get to the food but I’m blocked by his arm as he pushes me suddenly behind him.
“Shh! Get back,” he whispers and the creepiest feeling rolls over me. “Did you hear that? I think someone is here,” he looks over his shoulder at me.
I start to back up heading towards the back door and I’m met by a human meat wall. It grabs the door slamming it closed. I move back, bumping into Luck.
“Don’t worry Luck, we are not here to hurt you.” A voice rings from the living room. Luck pulls me back a few steps and then steps around and in front of me as the person from the living room walks toward us. Luck pushes me back further as he passes us and moves towards his goon that shut the door behind us. It is the same asshole from the barn. I could never forget his face. The one who burned the barn down killing those horses inside is standing in this kitchen right in front of us. My mind races as I struggle to retrace our steps wondering how the hell they found us. How did this happen? Who are these men? I can’t see Luck’s face as he holds me behind him but I can feel the tension in his body. I notice his fists ball up, the knuckles growing white from the pressure. I watch him turn from my lover into a raging ball of fury and I join him in his murky rage standing by his side.
“Calm down Luke Conway I said we are not going to hurt you two, on the contrary, I’m here because my boss, actually correction, YOUR boss wanted to meet you finally,” the asshole says to us. Luck’s facial expression is visible to me now but I can’t decipher it at all. He seems to stare on directly into this man’s chest like he could scorch his soul by just looking at him—if only the fucker had a soul to scorch.
“How did you assholes find us?” Luck roars.
“I can find anybody I want.” Another man says as he too emerges from the dark living room.
“How many more people are hiding in there?” Luck asks sarcastically.
The man says nothing. He is tall, younger, maybe my age, if even that, and he's dressed in trendy jeans and a designer shirt. He walks over to me wearing a huge smile and I notice his man-bun and Gucci sandals which almost make me gag. “Hi there, I’m Giovanni Celica. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Ava,” he says, grabbing my hand shaking it. “And Luke or ‘Luck’ as your friends call you, right?” He reaches for Luck’s hand but Luck refuses him. “Awe come on don’t leave me hanging, bro…” he extends his hand further, to which Luck finally shakes half-assed before letting go. “Well, I guess that’s good enough,” he jokes before looking back at me. He eyes shoot open at the sight of my head like he’s surprised. “Did you do this to her, Danny?” He asks keeping his eyes on me.
“Yup, sir you ordered them to take them and do whatever necessary, she tried to run they were just doing whatever was necessary. We had to prove a point, sir.” The asshole from the barn whose name is apparently ‘Danny,’ explains before chuckling. I grow sick inside. I feel Luck’s hand began to shake as his anger cursing on. But I know that his anger can’t surpass mine at this moment. I feel like I’m in some kind of bad TV episode of a mob series but instead of actors, the cast is a child want-a-be mobster and his cast of paid-for hit-man equipped with fancy suits and dumbass gangster style.
“What are we here, Danny a bunch of animals?” Giovanni turns, walking over to the asshole Danny and the two are face to face in a heated, but quiet dialog which I easily ignore. I look up at Luck who has his full attention on the two men. I notice that the human meat wall has moved back away from us and I take the opportunity to try and talk to Luck. I shake his arm but he doesn’t look.
“Hey…” I barely say to him but he doesn’t look. He can’t hear me with his attention on these men whose argument as moved into the living room. Luck starts to follow them and the human meat wall nudges me forward a bit and I just lose it on him. I throw a backhand in his face slapping his cheek. It stings my hand but I slap him again but he doesn’t move nor respond either time. Luck moves in between us stopping me from hitting him a third time. Luck shakes his head at me and starts to speak.
BANG BANG! The sound of gunfire explodes through the house and I hear glass crash followed by a mind-numbing ringing in my head and the merciless sound of the gunshots ringing away at my eardrum. I instinctively drop down to the floor, Luck joining me. I can see his mouth moving but can’t hear what he is trying to say with the ringing and buzzing echoing in my head.
I know that someone has fired a gun. But I can’t see anything from my present position. Luck climbs over me covering my body with his.
I hear over the buzzing in my head gunfire again. Several shots blast through the air. Enough that I lose count. My body feels numb and hot as he smothers me keeping me under him. I struggle to see but he is heavy and he keeps me from getting out from underneath him. I look up at his face as a single drop of blood rolls down his cheek dropping on my face. I panic shaking his body over and over again. His eyes close as I feel the full weight of his body start to crush me and I realize he is unconscious. I shake him again but he doesn’t respond.
The buzzing in my head begins to diminish and I feel someone reaching their hands around my shoulders and I am yanked out from underneath Luck.
I kick and grab reaching nothing but air while my body is lifted up and carried away from Luck by someone’s arms. I look down at Luck on the kitchen floor at my feet his head is covered in blood and he is not moving. Is he dead? I reach for him while I continue to try and free myself from the un-seeable grips of the man behind me. He moves towards the back door with me in his arms. I kick but he doesn’t drop me. I spot the human meat wall a foot away from the backdoor in a pool of blood and I realize that he is not the one holding me. I try to look back to see who has a hold of me but I feel my mouth covered before everything spins and suddenly fades to black.
Chapter Nine
I see only her feet dangling in the air in front of me. I reach out to touch them but they seem to float away from me before disappearing. My head pounds like it’s been worked over by a jackhammer. The aching is intense, but I move up onto my side anyway. I’m on the kitchen floor. My face is wet and I can feel my body fight me as I move to stand. Even with the crushing pain coursing through my body I climb to my feet and head out the back door. I am stopped by the sight of a helicopter and I’m blasted with a gust of wind caused by the blades.
“Don’t bother man; you will never catch them now they’re already in the ai
r,” the little prick with a fucking man-bun, calling himself my boss says as he joins me, watching the helicopter rising up, taking my love, my Ava, away from me. I see her slumped over in some man's arms and that it’s full of those mother-fuckers that beat me up that night in Ava’s place. This time they are not sporting masks but I recognize them all the same. “Hey, they have a fucking helicopter, that’s so cool! I want one of those. We are buying a helicopter,” the prick shouts to one of his men.
I feel paralyzed as I watch, feeling helpless while these men take her from me. The helicopter quickly rises up higher before I lose sight of it and her. “What the fuck! Do something.” I shout to myself and anyone who will listen. I never wished I that I could that fly more in my life then I do now but I’m no superhero, I'm not even a good man and my bastard-ass just let them take her.
“Hey, take it easy, Luck. She will be just fine. A woman like that, with her training I’m sure she can handle herself.” He adds while patting my back like we’re friends.
“What the fuck are you talking about man? Don’t you fucking touch me,” I growl pulling away from him, staring him dead in the eye.
“Hey now, take it easy. I’m not the one who kidnapped your girlfriend but I know who did and I can help you get her back if you want,” he bargains with me.
“What do you mean she can take care of herself? She’s with monsters that kidnap women. I need to get her back now!” I say, holding back my desire to smash his face only because I want answers. His men race to his aid by surrounding me.
“Hold on…hold on…it’s fine…Luck and I are just talking,” he says to his men and they backup.
“She’s not safe. What fucking ‘training’ are you talking about?” I add more questions.
“You know until this very moment I wasn’t sure whether or not you knew who she was. But I see now that you are clueless. Although, it would make sense that maybe you two were like into some kind of taboo shit or something. But nope, you just didn’t know that she’s a DEA agent.” He says before he starts laughing and his crew joins him. “She’s DEA, man…you have been fucking an undercover law enforcement agent this whole time!”
From Author
I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed reading Deep Grip, Irish Bastards Saga Two. It was an absolute pleasure writing this book. At time it felt as if I could see, feel, and smell these characters. This is the first romantic suspense title I have written, and plan on continuing this journey for years to come. Make sure to pre-order Slick Moan, the third installment in this epic saga.
Romantic suspense and erotic romance is my genres; however I don’t really like to be bogged down to one genre, I have sci-fi, fantasy, and non-fiction books on the horizon so I enjoy floating between all genres.
Passion comes to me from the words that I can express to the reader, knowing that my very thoughts are penetrating your mind make for complete satisfaction for me.
Dedications
I want to share this book with all the single parents out there doing the hard work alone. I know your struggle. I feel your pain. We are toiling away without pay, without even so much as a thank you most days, all in the hopes that we raise up some amazing people that will one day make us proud.
Thank you, from me to you.
Acknowledgements and Thanks
I want to say thank you to my hard working personal assistance, Kay Ann. She’s the one who brings the coffee so I don’t lose my mind in the morning. Plus she’s the one who brings my inspiration when I’m all out of belief. I love you, cookie.
I also I want to say thank so much to my editor, Tan Nizzum, for helping me with my challenges and for pushing me to never stop improving.
Also, I want to say thank you to my two amazing beta readers, Sasha and Larry. Your feedback and comments are priceless.
Last but certainly not least, thank you to all the ARC readers. Plus thanks to fans who have cheered me on since the beginning.
Please let me know what I can do to further improve my writing or simply say “way to go girl”, by leaving me a review. Your feedback and comments will help me with my success.
About the Author
I have lived a lot of what I write about. For example, I am a (PTSD) post-traumatic stress disorder survivor, I can relate to so many other people’s situation because as I child I learned to study behavior to make sure I could tell if I was making others happy because if they’re not happy well then you know what happens then. The Sad fact about growing up in an abusive community but my past helps me now it makes me stronger today.
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Love Notes
Good Luck Kid (Irish Bastards Saga 1)
Deep Grip (Irish Bastards Saga 2)
Aria (Hybrid Breed series book one)
Coming soon…
Slick Moan (Irish Bastards Saga 3)
Perfect Moves (Irish Bastards Saga 4)
Cadence (Hybrid Breed series book two)
Shylo Tribe (Hybrid Breed series book three)