Perversion (Perversion Trilogy #1)(36)

“Let me go,” I growl. “Marco’s not going to like it when I tell him you roughed me up in the park.”

Because Marco is the only one allowed to rough me up.

Memo chuckles. “Marco’s the only reason why I haven’t treated you like every other piece of pussy around here. But, your time is up, princessa. Soon, Marco will either take you as his, or he’ll pass you off to the next in line.” He smirks. “Which is me.”

My skin crawls. He smells like liquor and body odor. Memo runs his hand along my arm, and I turn my head away and push down the instinct to bite his god damned finger off. He trails his hands down the side of my body, grazing my breasts with his fingertips before helping himself to a handful of my ass.

“And that time is soon.”

I lift my leg and send my knee sailing into his balls. He jumps back and grabs his crotch. “You puta! You’re gonna pay for that!”

He raises his hand. The smack falls on my face with a brutal sting so sharp it makes bark from the tree beside my head explode.

Wait, his slap just made the tree trunk …I don’t have a chance to finish my thought. Memo releases me and runs for cover, I manage to shove my notebook back into my backpack.

Just as the bullets begin to fly.





Seventeen





Screams echo all around me, shattering the serenity as people scatter and take cover. I scan the area to see where the bullets are coming from. All I see are terrified faces and people’s backs as they run for cover. There are no bodies on the ground.

Yet.

Another set of shots ring out.

I look for Tricks, but I haven’t seen her since she darted behind a thick tree.

With my weapon in hand, I raise the hood underneath my leather jacket. I’m not thinking, only reacting as I dart through the now eerie silence of the park while bullets wiz through the air all around me. The dirt explodes like mini bombs around my feet. I round the tree to where I last saw Emma Jean. I find her curled up in a ball on the ground with her hands over her head.

She doesn’t see me coming as I pick her up from behind, throw her over my shoulder, and make a run toward the pasture. She screams, thrashing and punching my back.

“Let me go, asshole! I’m not going anywhere with you. I’d rather stay and be shot. If you force me, I’ll tell…”

“Tricks,” I warn.

My blood heats with adrenaline and a newfound need to murder whoever the fuck she thinks I am. I’m in a full sprint as I head toward the fence, using a tangle of overgrown roots to leap to the other side where a cow is lazily grazing as if he’s immune to the sound of bullets.

She stills. “It’s you,” she whispers. “Guess you figured it out.”

“Yeah, we gotta talk,” I grind out. The sound of the bullets grows distant as I make my way through the tall grass and into the thickness of the woods.

“Uh…why? You gonna tie me up again?”

I chuckle at her use of sarcasm after just escaping a rain of bullets. “I won’t be making that mistake again, we both know you can find your way out of restraints easily…Tricks.”





Emma Jean


Tricks. His use of my nickname both soothes and disturbs me. I’ve waited so long so hear him say it, but it’s a double-edged sword of epic fucking proportions.

“Now talk,” Grim says, hauling me off his shoulder and plopping me into a plastic chair. We’re in some sort of marine stadium under a bridge overlooking the bay. It’s rusted and abandoned and, of course, covered in graffiti. I never even knew it existed.

“What is this place?” I ask, taking in my surroundings.

Grim looks around as if he’s just now noticing where we are. “It used to be some sort of concert venue and boat show stadium. Hasn’t been used since the 80’s.”

“What a shame,” I say. “I bet it was beautiful.”

“It’s not the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Grim quickly averts his gaze when my head snaps up. “And we are talking.”

I shake my head. “No, we’re not.” I cross my arms over my chest.

“You say that like you have a fucking choice,” he growls.

“Yes, I do, Tristan.”

“It’s Grim now.”

“Yeah, so I’ve learned. But we’re still not talking. I don’t have anything to say to you.”

He leans in close with both hands on the chair above my shoulders. “You don’t have anything to say to me?” He chuckles and closes his eyes in disbelief. When he opens them again, they’re glowing with anger. “I wouldn’t recommend pushing me too hard, Tricks. My tolerance is pretty fucking short these days, and if you haven’t noticed, I’m not the same kid anymore. You can’t con your way out of this one.”

He closes in on me. I’m surrounded by his strong masculine scent. The sizzling in the air zaps all around us.

“What do you want from me?” I yell, pushing against his solid chest. I stand, but there’s nowhere to go. I fall back down on the seat. He hovers over me, golden eyes shining in the moonlight.

“I want to know what the fuck happened to you five years ago!”

“WHY?” I scream. “Why do you—”