Thanks for reading Sold to the Highest Bidder by Aleatha Romig and Skye Warren!
To learn more about Tanglewood, check out Skye Warren’s Endgame Trilogy, starting with The Pawn. To learn more about the Sparrows of Chicago and the bratva of Detroit, check out Aleatha Romig’s Sparrow Webs: Web of Sin, Tangled Web, Web of Desire and Dangerous Web, beginning with Secrets.
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CHAPTER ONE
Sunday
Zander
Your car is red.
Your nails are red.
Your favorite kitchen appliance—the one you bought with the gift card your grandmother sent you last Christmas—is red.
The fancy bedsheets you ordered online last week are red.
Your favorite shade of lipstick—the one you stock up on every two months at Sephora—is red.
Yet, when anyone asks you what your favorite color is…you lie and say it’s purple.
How do I know this?
Because I know everything about you.
I know that you go for a run at 8:05 am every morning.
I know that you prefer drinking tea over coffee.
But not just any tea—vanilla chai with two splendas and a splash of skim milk—because you’re watching your figure.
One must keep up appearances after all.
I know you like to bury your nose in romance books while secretly trying to convince yourself that great loves like those don’t truly exist and it’s all just fiction.
But that’s just another lie you tell yourself.
Because you’ve always been a hopeless romantic.
However, those hopes were dashed six weeks ago when you caught your husband-to-be fucking your maid of honor in the bathroom at your rehearsal dinner.
He never deserved you, Violet.
You’re a rare, exotic flower in a field of weeds.
One that needs to be cherished and taken care of.
You deserve someone who truly values you…the real you.
You deserve a man who knows how you like to be kissed, the way you like to be touched.
You deserve a man who knows exactly what you need.
Fortunately, the time has come for you to meet that man.
Again.
Because I’m your new neighbor, Violet Meadows…
And I have every intention of getting what I want this time.
You.
CHAPTER TWO
Monday
Violet
“Smile for the camera, Nutmeg.”
My Bengal cat blinks at me and glances around her new abode with lingering suspicion in her eyes. She doesn’t trust this place yet, and I can’t say I blame her. All week, I’ve felt as if something was off. I haven’t been able to decide if it’s the recent cataclysmic events of my life or something else that has me glancing over my shoulder every few seconds.
When I bought this house, I thought I’d be unpacking all my things in a haze of newlywed bliss. Instead, I’m here alone, screening all my calls and sending my ex’s texts straight to purgatory where I’ll never have to think of him again.
Shaking off those thoughts, I tap out a quick caption and post the selfie with Nutmeg to my Instagram account. Within seconds, I have hundreds of likes pinging in my notifications. The comments start flooding in from an army of strangers admiring the perfection of my life. They compliment my wardrobe, my smile, my posed snapshots of the few seconds where I can fake it just for them.
Cringing, I set the phone aside and rub Nutmeg’s ears. “It’s all going to be okay. You’ll see. I think we’re going to love it here.”
She stands up and swishes her tail in disagreement before walking away. This is what my life has come to. Talking to my cat in an empty house on a Friday night. If only my followers really knew what a disaster everything has turned out to be. I have everything I thought I ever wanted, but I’ve never felt more empty.
My phone rings while I’m pouring myself a glass of wine and my sister’s name flashes across the screen. I’ve been avoiding her calls a little too much, and I know she’ll freak if I don’t answer this one. While her intentions might be good, I just don’t want to hash out my feelings about the recent dumpster fire that has become my life.
“Hey.” I turn on the speakerphone and push open the screen door as I step onto the back patio.
“Hey yourself,” Valerie says. “I was about to send out a search team.”
“Sorry.” I sit down in my comfy new wicker chair and take a sip of my wine. “I’ve been unpacking all day.”
“You know I could have helped you. Just say the word and I’ll be there.”
“It’s okay.” I lean my head back and stare up at the stars. “I really wanted to do this on my own.”
The line is quiet for a pause, but it doesn’t take long for Val to get straight to the point.
“Are you holding up okay?”
“I’m fine,” I insist, even though it’s a lie.
“You’re allowed to have a breakdown,” she says. “You know that right? There’s nothing wrong with taking some time. The world won’t implode if their favorite model misses a few posts on social media.”
“I don’t need to have a breakdown.” I roll my eyes. “I just need… well, to be honest, I don’t know what the hell I need right now. But the last thing I want to do is talk about Scott or the wedding.”
Val is quiet again, and that can’t be a good thing.
A light flips on in the house next door, and I peek over the rim of my wine glass trying to catch a glimpse of my mysterious new neighbor. During the course of my move this week, I’ve met most of the neighbors except for the one on the left of me. Our houses are only about twenty feet apart, and I’ve seen a truck in the driveway often, but no sight of who’s actually living next door. And yet, the hair on the back of my neck stands up every time I look at that place. I just can’t figure out why.
“Were you even in love with him anymore?” Val asks.
“Huh?”
“Scott,” she prods. “Did you really want to marry him?”
“Honestly?” I blow out a breath. “I don’t know. I thought I did, but now that he’s out of my life, I’m not even sad about it. I just feel humiliated and betrayed.”
“You want to know what I think?” she murmurs.
“Not really.”
“Don’t be a bitch.” She laughs. “You just hate it when I tell it like it is. Someone in your life needs to.”
“Fine.” I keep my gaze on the house next door. The TV comes on, the faint sounds of an action movie playing inside. “Tell me what you think.”
“I think your entire life has been one big dog and pony show. You’ve always put so much pressure on yourself to live up to everyone else’s expectations. The perfect cheerleader. The perfect body. The perfect clothes and footballer jock boyfriend, even if he was a total douchebag.”
“Hey!” I gripe. “He wasn’t always that bad.”
“Yes, he was. Don’t you remember in high school how he used to torment anyone who even looked twice at you? You were always just a possession to him. A trophy.”
“Yeah, okay. Obviously, I’ve figured that out, and I’ve made some mistakes. But my life isn’t so bad.”
“Your life is glamorous as hell,” Val remarks dryly. “At least, that’s how it seems to everyone on the outside looking in. But are you even happy? Have you ever been?”
Her question feels like salt in an already raw wound. And it’s something I’ve thought about a lot since my life imploded six weeks ago. But I can’t admit it just yet. Because without the illusion I’ve created, I don’t know what’s left.
“Just give it some thought,” she says.
“Thanks.” I finish off my wine and set it aside. “I’ll do that.”
“How are you li
king the new place?”
“I like it.” I shrug. “But it’s strange living alone in a new town.”
“Strange how?”
“I don’t know.” I lean back and close my eyes. “Something just feels a little off. I can’t explain it. All week, I’ve had this weird feeling like someone’s watching me. I’m probably just being paranoid.”
“Do you think it’s Scott?” She sounds alarmed.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “It could be, but I haven’t seen him around since I threatened to mace his ass.”
Val chuckles under her breath. “Well, if you ever feel unsafe just call me. I’m only twenty minutes away. We can have a pajama party at your new place.”
“That sounds really nice.” I smile through the phone. “Maybe once I get everything unpacked.”
“It’s a date,” she says. “Now go get some sleep. You sound exhausted.”
I tell her that I will and then disconnect the call, but instead of going inside, I stay out on the back patio until the chill of the plummeting temperature bites into my skin.
The lights in the house next door have since gone out, and the whole neighborhood is quiet and still. But when I glance up at the neighbor’s window, my breath catches in my chest.
Either I’m really losing my mind, or I just caught him watching me from his bedroom.
CHAPTER THREE
Tuesday
Zander
“Here, kitty, kitty.”
It’s not long before I have the Bengal cat in my arms, purring away.
I give her a treat for her cooperation and stroke her rusty colored fur. “Good girl.”
A moment later, I shoot my gaze toward Violet’s house where I catch her pacing the wooden floors, her panic rising by the second.
“Nutmeg,” she calls out, opening the front door. “Baby, where are you?”
She looks around the porch, checking every nook and cranny. “Nutmeg?”
Fear mixed with desperation is practically coming off her in waves.
Time to make my move.
Pasting a look of concern on my face, I amble up her driveway with the cat in my arms.
Her back is turned to me when I approach.
“Is this your cat?”
She jumps, her hand flying to her heart as she turns around.
“Oh my God.” Almost immediately, her gaze falls on Nutmeg. “There you are.”
I hand over the little furball. “I found her on my porch.” Shrugging, I jut my chin toward my house. “I live right next door. Poor thing must have gotten confused.”
Her chest is still heaving, and I find myself grateful for the drop in temperature when I see her nipples peeking through the thin fabric of her t-shirt.
The former head cheerleader’s body is still every bit as banging as it was back then.
“Right.” She gives Nutmeg kisses and snuggles before focusing on me again. “Thank you for bringing her back.”
“No problem.”
With that, I turn, intending to head back home.
I’m not sure if I should be happy she doesn’t recognize me or disappointed.
Then again, whereas she hasn’t changed at all in the last six years, I’ve changed plenty.
Not only have I managed to pack on forty pounds of muscle, I got rid of my braces and acne.
I also ditched my glasses for contacts.
“This might sound weird, but you look really familiar,” she calls out behind me. “Do we know each other?”
I bite back a smile.
“We do actually.” Spinning around to face her, I utter, “We went to high school together.”
Her eyes widen as she appraises me from head to toe. “Holy shit. Zander Sinclair?”
In the flesh.
“The one and only.”
We stand there, smiling at one another like a couple of idiots for the better part of a minute before she finally speaks again.
“You look so different.” Catching herself, she quickly adds, “In a good way.”
Notice that, did you?
A smile pulls at my lips. “Thanks.”
Laughing, she shakes her head. “I can’t believe we’re neighbors.”
“Small world.”
Chewing her bottom lip, she shifts Nutmeg in her arms. “It’s good to see you.”
The feeling’s mutual.
However, I don’t want to come off as some kind of creep, so I have to be smart.
If I push too hard, too fast I’ll scare her off.
I have to play my cards just right.
“Have a good night.”
Giving her a small wave, I excuse myself for the second time.
Then I start the silent countdown in my head.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
I’m on the last step of her porch when it happens.
“I was just about to pour myself a glass of wine. Do you want to join me?” She draws in a quick breath. “I mean it’s totally okay if you—”
“I’d love a glass of wine.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Tuesday
Violet
Holy freaking crap.
Zander Sinclair got super hot. When the hell did that happen?
I can’t seem to stop staring at him and I wonder if it’s totally obvious. He seems to be at ease, sitting on the sofa as he waits for me to pour the wine. When I join him, there’s a lingering note of that same scent I remember from high school. I used to wonder if it was cologne, but now I’m pretty sure it’s just Zander. He smells so insanely good I want to lean into him and take a long, deep hit like a fiend.
I can’t tell if there’s an awkward tension lingering between us or it’s just my racing heart. He’s watching me watch him, and I can’t seem to break the spell. His eyes are as intense as they’ve always been, and it would be so easy to get lost in those dark orbs all over again. We were friends once. Or at least I thought we were. He was magnetic, even when he didn’t look like an MMA fighter sitting in my living room. I remember how he made me feel whenever he looked at me. Like I was the most beautiful thing in the world, even on my worst days. But then one day, he took his dark, angsty eyes and his poetic smile and he walked right out of my life. He never spoke to me again, and I could never admit to anyone just how much that broke my heart. I still don’t know why he quit me like a bad habit. I racked my brain for the next few years, trying to figure out what I did to piss him off. But sitting here now, it seems as if all that history between us has been wiped from his memory.
“So what have you been up to these last few years?” I choke out the words.
A smirk plays across his lips and he shrugs. “I’m a detective for the special victims unit. It keeps me busy.”
“Oh, wow.” I take a sip of my wine, praying I don’t spill it on myself. “You got your dream job after all. I’m so happy for you.”
“I’ve heard through the grapevine you’ve been pretty successful in your modeling career as well,” he observes.
“You have?” I blink, wondering where he could have heard that.
It’s not like we have any real mutual friends. Zander was always the broody loner in high school. He didn’t hang out with anyone that he’d specifically call a friend. Except for me.
“It’s pretty common knowledge,” he answers with a slight bite to his tone. “You were the most popular girl in school if I remember correctly. You and Scott were the golden couple. What ever happened to him, anyway? You guys still together?”
I dip my head and lower my eyes so he can’t witness the shame burning within them. “No, we broke up.”
“Huh, I thought I heard a rumor you were marrying him.”
“Yeah, that didn’t work out.”
“Why not?”
I meet Zander’s gaze, and it’s so intense I feel it into my soul. “He cheated on me with my bridesmaid.”
“Ouch.” Zander shakes his head, but he do
esn’t really seem all that surprised. Scott had a reputation for being an asshole, so I guess the only person it really surprised was me.
“What about you?” I drain the rest of the wine from my glass and glance at his hand. “Are you married yet?”
“Nah.” Zander grins and shakes his head. “I’ve been busy making a life for myself, as you can see.”
“Right.”
He finishes off his wine and abruptly dismisses himself to return the glass to the kitchen sink. “It’s getting late. I should probably go.”
I nod, but inside I’m thinking about how much I don’t want that. He just walked back into my life, and there’s still so much we have to talk about.
I stand up and he offers me a smile as he rejoins me in the living room. “It was good to see you again, Violet.”
My eyes burn with emotions I can’t quite make sense of as I close the distance between us and offer him a hug. When he wraps his strong arms around me, a shiver moves over me. Zander has always felt a little dangerous to me, but in the best way. He’s terrifyingly beautiful, and his presence is a comfort I would indulge for eternity if he’d let me. But all too soon, it’s over when he releases me and I glance up into his eyes.
“It was so good to see you,” I croak.
He nods and turns to go, and I don’t know what comes over me when I reach out and grab his arm. Maybe it’s the wine, or maybe it’s just that I can’t accept this is it. He might walk out of my life and we’ll never talk to each other again.
“Hey, Zander?”
“Yeah?” He quirks a brow at me.
I lean up on my toes and grab his face before I can talk myself out of it. My lips collide with his, soft and warm and so addictive. It lasts for all of about thirty seconds before I realize he’s gone completely rigid, and he isn’t kissing me back.
“Oh my god.” I yank myself away, humiliation burning my flesh as I slap my hands over my face. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Wednesday
Tales of Darkness & Sin: An Anthology Page 4