Page 38 of Rattlin' Bones

What was happening?

I got shoved into a room by one of the Serpents after my performance on stage. I’d done it as a distraction since the detective I worked with on the case asked for my help. Skel was going to be pissed. At least, I thought so until his hungry gaze watched me work the pole, and he didn’t hide the growing bulge between his legs as a result of it.

Turning my man on? An added bonus.

I knew the police had finished gathering intel on Ratchet, the Bladed Serpents, Luis Diego, and Angel Mackenzie. They were all going to prison for a long time.

Skel stiffened as soon as he saw me. His jaw locked.

Everyone in the room was tense. I didn’t focus on the others, only caring about my biker—the guy who was going to put a ring on my finger. Even if he hadn’t asked me yet. And maybe, I’d get to be an ol’ lady.

I looked up what it meant. I’d be his property, but that was a biker’s way of laying claim. An ol’ lady was protected, loved, cherished, and respected. What more could a woman want? Oh, fantastic sex. I had that in spades.

My guy knew how to fuck me right. No complaints there.

I wasn’t paying attention, and that proved to be a mistake when the room erupted in chaos. Guns were drawn. People began shouting. Some threatened others.

My hair was yanked, and my head snapped back. Shocked, I tried to twist out of the grasp. “Hey!”

“Don’t move,princesa.”

Shit! Luis Diego dragged me across the room as I flailed, trying to hit him but failing. He kept me turned enough that I couldn’t make contact with any body parts. A shame. I’d love to stomp all over his flaccid dick.

“Let me go!”

“Take your hands off her,” Skel demanded.

“You’ve caused enough trouble, Skeleton Man. Time you learned who’s in charge.”

Skeleton Man. My masked vigilante.

I managed to turn enough to see him. There was no mask tonight. No face paint.

But . . .shadows began to seep from Skel. They grew in intensity, taking shape and forming a thick, heavy mass. Inside the dark cloud, I sawfaces.

Multiple skeletal images overlapped and laughed. The deep, sinister laughter was horrifying, but somehow, I sensed it was only a threat to Luis. I felt protected by the mass.

So weird.

“Let her go,” he ordered one final time.

Luis Diego seemed hypnotized. He watched the skeletal images floating in the shadows and whimpered. His hand finally released me, and I winced at the ache in my scalp.

“Lacey. Come here.”

I rushed to Skel as he slid an arm around me. The shadows began to pulse and writhe, flowing around my limbs and body. I felt caressed. Desired. And turned on. Holy shit. My core ached, and my clit pulsed with need. Lust filled the red eyes of the phantom faces. They wanted me.

Wow.

“Uh, Skel?”

Sure. I had a mask kink. That was obvious by now. Same with sex in the open where I could get caught. Another kink.

But ghostly faces and shadows? That was something new. I didn’t know how I felt about it.

“You’re protected, my Sweet Girl. Nothing and no one will harm you. You’re mine. All of me.”

Um, okay. Kinda hard not to feel special after that.

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