Page 4 of Monsters in the Dark

I was also very aware that I was probably never going to have a life-partner, but I was okay with that. I understood that men preferred soft women, simple women, beautiful women. I understood that they wanted women that were mother material, and women that knew how to create a safe, loving, comfortable home. If someone were to ask me to pick out drapes, I’d balk at the very idea. However, if someone asked me which handgun was best for left-handers, I’d ask for beginners, hunters, tactical, revolver, semi-auto, and so forth. No man was interested in a woman that didn’t fit the mold, and that was okay. Forcing a relationship was never the answer, and neither was trying to turn yourself into something that you weren’t.

Now, luckily, I had no problem going home with a man after my shift. Sex was an exhilarating connection that compared to nothing else on the planet. Done right, nothing felt better than raw attraction and the powerful chemistry that came with it. Sex was an animalistic ritual that I could appreciate more than most. I’d seen animals in the wild, and the way that the male wolf owned his mate was one of the most intense and incredible things to ever witness.

So, yeah, I didn’t mind one-night-stands, and it also didn’t bother me if the guy didn’t call me the next day. Again, men in this day and age couldn’t handle a woman like me, and I was gracious enough not to think less of them for it.

“I miss you, Papa,” I whispered into the quietness, knowing that the afterlife was anybody’s guess. Nonetheless, it made me feel better to think that Cian could hear me.

I grinned to myself, remembering how he’d hated me calling him Papa. His argument was that I’d forget my parents if I started calling him Papa, but for someone that hadn’t been able to remember her parents, it’d been a futile argument.

No matter what, Cian O’Connell had been my father, and that’d been that.

Chapter 3

Declan~

A year later, both Stewart and Ashton Oliver were no longer my problem, and I couldn’t lie and say that I wasn’t grateful for one less headache, particularly that one. Congressman Oliver had been a thorn in my side for too long, and his eldest son’s death had been a welcomed one, and his younger son was wise enough to stay underground. Now, while I wasn’t a good Catholic, Stewart and Ashton had been worse than any sinning man of religion. I didn’t mislead people into believing that I was anything other than what I was. I also didn’t mistreat innocent women, something that bothered me to no end. Of course, there was a difference between innocent victims and your garden-variety victims, and I knew the difference. So, when a man mistreated a woman that was indeed innocent…yeah, that type of shit didn’t sit well with me.

That was also the reason that Cooper Donaldson was a problem for me. To the outside world, Cooper was a megalomaniac global financier, and he had enough money to hide all of his dirty secrets. While his name was associated with all kinds of politicians and wealthy investors, Ashton Oliver had been small time and never should have fallen on Cooper’s radar, apart from Ashton’s father being a congressman. They’re friendship had been born out of the same sick need to abuse women, and while Ashton had finally gotten his comeuppance, taking care of Cooper was going to require a little more finesse. Luckily for Brandon Oliver, I’d never heard anything about him, apart from being spineless.

Now, the problem with Cooper Donaldson was that he didn’t look like a monster. He was in his sixties, but took care of himself, so instead of looking aged, he looked distinguished. He was six-one, had dark brown hair, golden-colored eyes, and carried himself like a man that knew how impressive his net worth was. So, looking at him, no one would ever suspect that he was evil to the core. No one would ever suspect that he wasn’t as charming as everyone believed him to be.

Nevertheless, all I had were whispers and rumors when it came to how he treated the working girls that made their living in my territory. Whether from fear or finances, none of the girls were willing to speak out about him, so it wasn’t worth the risk to take down such a huge name if I had no proof. Plus, because most of the girls had their own personal demons to deal with, it was unfair to blame all of their troubles on Cooper Donaldson’s sickness, even if it was said that he was into blood sports.

I also had Klive Simpson to deal with, though I didn’t have to deal with him alone. He and his little merry band of misfits were causing problems for the Kotovs and Sartoris as well, so at this point in time, he was merely an annoyance more than anything else. Granted, in my line of work, I had a million annoyances a day, but still. I didn’t mind it much if the issues made me money in the end, but to just ruin my day? Yeah, I didn’t appreciate that shit.

I let out a deep breath as I glanced around the club, Noah making his way over to my table. It was ten in the morning, so the club was fairly empty, only having opened a few minutes ago. Vanity was a gentleman’s club that catered only to men, and lots of business deals-shady and legit-were made within this building. We served lunch and dinner, then after eight, the girls came out and did what they did best; they turned men stupid.

Noah unbuttoned his suit jacket as he sat down across from me. “Everything’s set for tomorrow’s shipment,” he said. “Ronan is also wanting to bring on a new pilot, but I’m not sure that it’s a good idea.”

“What reason did he give for wanting to bring this guy onboard?”

“He claims that his family is beginning to become suspicious with how many flights he’s been taking lately,” he answered. “His wife is accusing him of having an affair.”

“So, it’s our problem that he can’t control his wife?” I snorted.

Noah smirked. “You say that like women can be controlled.”

“They can if you know what you’re doing,” I retorted.

“Christ, I’m going to love it when some female finally knocks you on your ass,” Noah chuckled.

“Tell you what,” I said, fiddling with the tumbler of my favorite whiskey, The Chosen. “The day that I get married, you get married.”

“That’s an easy bet,” he remarked with a grin. “Since you refuse to entertain the idea, it’s a deal.”

Getting back to business, I said, “Well, let Ronan know that we can always find another pilot altogether if his domestic issues are more pressing.”

“I already did,” Noah informed me. “I just thought I’d let you know in case he tried to get a hold of you. Never underestimate a man’s begging.”

“Did you get the name of the guy he suggested?”

Noah nodded. “Already running a full background check in case Ronan ran his lips already.”

“Honestly, when Nero took out Emil Schultz, I thought the expansion was a huge win for everyone.” I shook my head. “The airports are becoming a fucking headache.”

Noah eyed me. “Tha time o’ the month, is it?”

I flipped him off.

---