Bitter Truths (Crimson Falls Duet 2)

And leaving the club means walking away from everything I’ve ever known. At least for a long time. I spent most of my adult life with these guys, and the thought of just leaving them doesn’t sit well with me.

Perhaps I need to find a woman who can put up with my crazy ass, as well as the rest of my brothers. And that’s not going to be an easy feat by any means. They’re a lot to handle. Even Scarlett was afraid of them to a certain extent. And I don’t blame her. When I saw one of my brothers trying his luck with her, I knew he had to go. I may do a lot of shit, but forcing a woman is against my very fucking soul. Needless to say, the bastard has been buried where nobody can find his body.

She doesn’t know that, and she doesn’t need to know. My phone beeps with an incoming message. A couple of guys who have been keeping tabs on Horatio and Marinda it seems. My eyes scan the message about Scarlett’s father and the breath is knocked from my lungs.

Fuck.

Horatio Bardot committed suicide last night in a hotel room. Police are investigating the scene and will confirm if this was a murder and if there are any suspects.

I don’t reply. They don’t need to. As long as they’ve seen I read the message. Setting the phone down, I wonder if I should tell Lycan now, or do I leave it until it hits the news. He’ll know that I knew beforehand. And he’ll most definitely want to tell Scarlett before she learns from someone else.

I hit forward and type out a caption, letting him know. All updates come directly to me, and I vet them before sending them on. Once I hit send, I lock my phone, grab my keys and wallet. Time to get to the airstrip before they leave without me.

Making my way through the house, I notice a few of the brothers in the bar, a couple in the lounge, and when I step outside, I find Howler talking to some pretty bird. She’s tall, possibly about five foot eight, but that’s in the heels she’s wearing. He doesn’t look happy.

Her long blonde hair hangs to the middle of her back, and she looks about nineteen. Fuck, her tits are almost tumbling from the tank top she’s wearing. Thankfully she’s wearing jeans, or my dick would be standing to attention if she had her ass out. Even so, with those tight ass cheeks in the denim, I can’t deny she’s hot.

“But Dad,” she whines, and my breath is knocked from my lungs when I realize she is Howler’s fucking daughter. Jesus Christ. “Why can’t I go to the party? Mom only dropped me here so you could let me stay with you for a while.”

“Get inside and change. Put your tits away,” he grunts, and the girl sighs when she makes her way past me, I get a whiff of vanilla which does nothing to calm my thickening erection.

Too young.

She’s too fucking young, Darius.

She glances my way, big, bright blue eyes locking on mine. Her plump, pink lips shimmer with gloss, and her rosy cheeks darken when her gaze roves over me. I am so fucked.

Once she’s gone, I take a deep breath and face my best friend. “What was that about?”

“Fuckin’ ex-wife lumps me with a newly turned nineteen-year-old,” he grumbles, and I hold back my smile at my guess at her age. But still, I remind myself, she’s too fucking young. “It okay if she stays here a while?”

“Yeah, you know my home is your home,” I tell him, while my mind starts running through scenarios that I doubt he wants to hear.

“Thanks, man.” He slaps me on the shoulder in a show of camaraderie, but if I were to be honest about my thoughts, he’d probably knock me the fuck out. I would if I were him. Before I can answer, he asks, “You headed out now?”

“Yeah. Not sure when I’ll be back. I’ll need you to watch the club,” I tell him. “Also, she can stay as long as she wants.” I gesture with my head toward the door where his far too young for me, daughter just walked through.

“Thanks, man. Anything you need while you’re away, just call.”

I nod. “See you soon.” Before he can say anything more, I head to my Harley and swing a leg over. I pick up my helmet, but before I slip it on, my gaze flicks to the house, and on the second floor, at the window which is at the staircase, is a pretty blonde girl watching me.

I’m so fucked.

Time to get away from here.

A few weeks of hunting and killing in Europe will sort me out.