Page 1 of Twisted

Chapter 1

Kitty

As days go, this one has got to be among the worst. It started off ok but then like most storms you never see them coming. Well, I certainly never saw this one. I know Ryder was never really my boyfriend in the usual sense of the word, but everyone knew he was mine. That is, until a certain blonde bombshell walked into the clubhouse and blew my world apart. He shrugged me off him like a well-worn sweater and reached for a new one. He never looked back once.

Then to add insult to injury, I watched as they married in surely the quickest wedding I have ever seen not two hours later. I think a piece of my heart shattered and fell away from my soul with every word spoken. The look in his eyes as he dedicated his life to a stranger broke me in two. I wanted him to look at me with those eyes shrouded with desire. I wanted him to pledge to be mine forever because when you marry a Reaper, that’s what it means. Forever. No going back and no straying from the path set out before you.

I always kidded myself it would be me standing where she was. But then again, why would he want me? I have always been freely available to any man who called. It’s what I do best. Club whore to a group of bikers who gave me the world. They saved me from a sad and abusive life and took me in. In return, I looked after their physical needs and that was my job along with the other whores they saved. Because that’s what they do. They save the fallen and punish evil. Government assassins paid to do a job few would agree to. Ex-military and all-around heroes. These men live a hard life and it explains why their feelings got lost along the way.

When Ryder called me to his office, not ten minutes after he married another, I knew my fate. He wanted me out of the way; I understood that. Of all the women he played with, he knew I would hurt the most. He wouldn’t want a reminder of the past to taunt his new toy.

So, he told me how it was going to be. I was going to leave with his new bride’s brother and do what us Reapers do best - revenge the innocent. Punish those who dared to cross the line and bring about a rough justice. Ironic really, using the woman who loves you the most to avenge the one you chose over her.

Well, I owe him that at least because Ryder saved me and now it’s time to pay him back. Then I’ll be free to become who I was always meant to be.

So, here I sit, in a stranger’s car, speeding away from the place I’ve called home for the last three years. Three amazing, unbelievable, soul-shattering years that I thought would never end. They say that all good things come to an end. Well, here’s the proof. I can’t cry though because he never promised me his heart. You can’t cry for something you never had in the first place. Maybe I’ll find love one day. Everyone deserves to hope at least.

Tyler looks over and says in a low voice.

“You ok?”

I nod and think of the man beside me. Tyler Donahue, Ashton’s brother and the one responsible for sending her to the Reapers. He looks as destroyed as I do and just for a moment, I wonder about the man who just sold his own sister.

I say softly. “What about you?”

I watch his hands grip the steering wheel tightly and feel the tension in the air.

He shrugs. “I’ve been better.”

I nod. “Yes, I never saw this coming when I woke up this morning.”

He sighs. “Life has a habit of constantly knocking you down. We can only hope that we get up and dust ourselves off and escape the knock backs for a few more months.”

I wonder about his life. All I know is he walks with the most powerful men in the land - they all do.

I say softly. “What now? I mean, Ryder told me you were gonna set me up with your contacts. They’ll explain what’s involved.”

He sighs heavily. “Yes, tonight you come back with me. Tomorrow it should all be in place and you’ll discover what they need you to do.”

I look down. “And you? What’s your role in this?”

He laughs softly. “I have my own problems to solve. The faster I do, the quicker I can get back to Ashton and give her a choice.”

I laugh softly. “You think she has one now?”

I watch his fingers grip the wheel again as he says harshly, “What do you mean? Of course, she has a choice. They are just keeping her safe. When I return, she’ll leave with me.”

I laugh. “Keep telling yourself that, Donahue. When you return, your sister won’t want to. One thing that’s sure as the mess we’re in, when Ryder King sets his sights on something he never stops until it’s his. The look he gave your sister told me she ain’t going nowhere and what’s more, she won’t want to.”

Once again, we fall silent and I can tell my words have hit a chord. He has to know. Whatever path he’s going down won’t lead to his sister’s freedom.

* * *

It doesn’t take longand we are soon at his apartment. I take a moment to admire the sleek, cool interior of a space that tells me a lot about the man who brought me here. Modern, powerful and clinical. No homey touches and as impersonal as a show home. Once again, I wonder about the man who flicks on the light and throws his keys to the table and turns to regard me with a cool look.

“You can take the room Ashton used and freshen up. If you’re hungry, I’ll order in. Make yourself comfortable, but you’ll have to entertain yourself. I’ve got a lot to do to set things in place,so make the most of your privacy while you still can.”

He shows me to a room at the end of the hall and before I can even turn around, he’s gone.

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