Page 133 of Forbidden Heroes

Magical comes to mind and I can’t help but feel nostalgic for the warmth of unmade memories I wish my childhood provided.

My body stiffens for a moment. Old memories surface and beat back the child-like fantasies I cooked up in my head to mentally escape the crowded shelters and dingy apartments my mom scored for us on cold winter nights after a little time in the back room with one man or another.

I shake off the stench of the past and let the warmth of the foyer envelop me and remember why I’m here in the first place. I follow the few guests who arrived with me through an ample hall truly decked out for the Christmas festivities, and I can’t help but smile just a little. Someone loves this time of year and it shows in every candle, gleaming chandelier, and dozens of glittering trees.

As I mingle with the guests and follow the gathering crowd toward the ballroom the frilly ruffles outlining my neckline tickle the sensitive skin of my neck, and I tug at the annoying fringe, ready to rip the damn thing off.

My hand stops mid-tug as I take in the other guests.

Okay. This wasn’t like any party I’d ever been to. The invitation said a costume party and my weasel of an uncle made sure to pick the sluttiest one available.

At least I fit in.

Chiseled muscle, bronzed skin, and supple legs are all on display from the various festive costumes. There are more sexy Santas and dolled-up busty elves than I’ve ever seen in one place. My eyes skim through the half-naked crowd, taking it all in.

It’s a wonder they didn’t card me at the door with the going-ons I witness.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

A lithe blonde walks by on stilettoes that make her legs look like they never end. My gaze travels up the length of her body and lands on a set of green eyes a similar shade to mine.

I give a little wave. “Hey to you too.”

“Here, you look like you could use this more than me.”

The blonde winks at me and passes me a glass of champagne before walking off.

“Thank you,” I whisper as her male companion takes his eyes off my breasts long enough to give me a smile.

She was right.

I sip at the bubbly liquid and sigh inwardly as the light alcohol soothes my frazzled nerves.

Among the party-goers are men three times my age who don’t hide the fact that they are caressing my ample curves over their wives’ heads, clearly fucking me with their eyes.

I scrunch my nose and scowl when I recognize a few from business functions my uncle hosted at his home, others are new-to-me faces.

I tug at the hem of my skirt, but not too hard or my breasts will slip from their silky confinement. It was a constant battle of lesser of two evils.

How the hell did I get myself into this mess? Oh right, by being the good girl. I followed the rules and here I am. A pawn in someone else’s game.

After my mother died and I landed with my only living relative, I worked my ass off to earn a scholarship to Brown University because I promised myself I would never end up like her—a drug addict running from one fix to another, one man’s bed to another.

Now my uncle is holding my full college ride over my head, as collateral to get what he wants. As if I only have it because of him.

He might be right. He did give me a home when I would have been placed in the system. But that didn’t mean I had to like it.

Deep pockets earn you deeper connections in the messed-up world, and unlucky for me, William has all the right strings at his disposal if I screw this up. A tug here and a pull there and my whole future would crumble around my feet.

For the second time.

Resolve thickens around my spine and I lift my chin. I can do this. I have to if I want to finally be free of the man that has controlled every aspect of my life for the past six years.

The plan I’m supposed to follow goes like this: Get in, flash some skin—well more skin than I already am—and snap some compromising pictures with my uncle’s boss with a minor.

Easy in theory.

Why, you ask? Well my uncle, the rat bastard that he is, has his eye on the CEO position of Savage Ink—Chicago’s finest marketing firm worth billions.

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