Page 3 of Charming But Reckless

Shrugging, I looked from her to her father. “I don’t know. I’d have to ask my mama.”

“And he has anaccent! Dad, he's perfect! Is he for me? So I can learn and stuff? I promise to be good. I won’t hurt him or anything.”

The way she spoke about me like I was a gift felt weird. It was like she didn’t understand I was a human too. Or maybe she thought all people were toys to be played with.

It took me far too long to realize what Shelly and her father were. I had a good idea when I said they were monsters. I just had no clue how accurate a description it was until it was too late, and I’d lost every ounce of innocence I’d ever known.

CHAPTER 1

ORION

Present Day

There wasnothing I hated as much as I did a case involving human trafficking. It was always a bit too close to home for me.

Despite the years of therapy, I still suffered from the memories that haunted me. I still remembered the past I couldn’t shake no matter how hard I wanted to.

Even my accent, the one I’d worked for years to get rid of, wanted to return. It was on the tip of my tongue to let the southern drawl slip out. To curl my tongue around words I hadn’t spoken in decades.

Some of it had to do with the fact that I lost everything the day I was taken. My life. My best friend. My mama. It was all snatched up and set ablaze as I rode away in the back of a car.

In the four years, six months, and twelve days it took me to escape the Mori’s clutches, my mother had passed away and my best friend vanished from the face of the earth. I knew because I’d looked high and low for both of them.

I was forced to restart my life at only fourteen years old without the support of any friends or family. Luckily, I was streetsmart enough to keep my head above water until I managed to come across Tank.

Meeting him changed my life all over again.

He offered me the one thing I thought I’d never have again: a family. They weren’t blood related, but they were fairly damn close.

And we protected our own at all costs. Even when it was uncomfortable, or it challenged us.

Which is why I was facing my demons despite not wanting to.

“The Gilded Ones have their hands in a bit of everything,” Memphis had said. I knew from the look Tank shot my way that it was going to be something I didn’t want to hear.

It wasn’t until later when we were going through the reports that it hit me. There was a trafficking ring within the society. Since it was still early in our investigation, we had no clue how many people they held or how wide their reach was. We could only assume until we had more intel.

Even seeing the possibility of it all had me wanting to ditch the team. My therapist, Elyse, would tell me to take deep breaths and to find my center. She’d guide me through balancing myself out, so I remembered I was no longer trapped in that place.

But fuck if it didn’t feel like it all over again.

My skin itched with the need to scrub myself raw in the shower. I knew if I started, I wouldn’t stop until something was bleeding. I didn’t have time to break down just yet. That would have to wait.

Besides, there were a number of these cells in the country. I doubted these people were connected to the Moris. That would be the worst luck in the history of ever if so.

Instead of thinking about it more, I took to doing the best I could to help the team. It was all I could do to focus on them.

Rescuing Damari.

Saving Sinclair.

Being there for Godric, Ronan, Cohen, and Memphis.

Avoiding Tank’s scrutiny.

It was all a distraction. Every second was meant to keep me out of my own head.

But then everything fucking changed thanks to a tip about the shipping container. Even though I knew it would likely trigger me, I went ahead with the mission.

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