Chapter 1 ~ A Monster

• Aiden
• Dom hit the floor after I put a bullet through his mouth.
• If you ask me, it was mercy letting him off easy after he dared touch what was mine.
• Turning to Leah, I found her with a gun in her hand.
• "Stay right there, Aiden," she said, voice shaking as she tightened her grip.
• I stopped, my eyes lifting to hers. "Leah."
• She bit her bottom lip. "Did I ever tell you how much I hate the way you say my name?"
• "There are many things you hate about me," I replied quietly. "That isn't one of them."
• "Do you think I wouldn't shoot you? Is that why you kicked the gun to me?"
• "If you wanted me dead, you would've used the knife you still keep under your pillow."
• Her eyes widened briefly, followed by a sad smile curving her lips.
• I knew the nights she watched me sleep with a knife hovering over my throat. The nights her fingers curled around my neck while she cried.
• I never stopped her because some part of me wanted to know if she'd do it, but she never did.
• She laughed bitterly, tears welling in her eyes now, and it broke something in me, watching her hurting.
• "I tried to forgive you," she said, voice breaking. "God, I tried. But you..." she shook her head, "you just keep taking and taking."
• "Let's talk at home."
• "Home?" She chuckled. "Are you fucking with me right now, Aiden? There is no 'home' between us. That place is a fucking prison!"
• "Call it whatever you want," I said, closing the distance between us. "Prison, hell. It doesn't matter, doll. If you're inside it, it's home to me and one day you'll accept it willingly."
• "Stay where you are, Aiden! I swear I'll fucking shoot you!" She screamed, tears trailing down her cheeks as she backed away.
• I kept moving towards her.
• Bang.
• Three months earlier...
• Smoke curled from my lips as I sat in the back seat, watching two men stumble out of an abandoned building across the street, swinging at each other like amateurs.
• "What time is it?"
• "Half past four," the driver replied.
• I exhaled slowly.
• There was a meeting scheduled for nine, and ruining my suit wasn't on the agenda. If it had been any other day, I'd handle this myself.
• On the other hand, if they keep this up, the police will come sniffing around again, and I'm sick of having to find something to keep them quiet every damn time.
• The driver sensing my irritation, offered, "want me to handle it, boss?"
• But I was already opening the door, having made a decision I might regret later.
• Stepping out with my gun already in hand, I kicked one bastard off the other, then fired two shots into his chest. He dropped dead without a fight.
• The second man scrambled back. "Boss! I am one of your boys!"
• I narrowed my eyes, my gun still pointed at him. His hands shook as he quickly lifted his shirt, revealing the Kingston insignia tattooed across his skin.
• I glanced at his stab wounds. "Think you're going to survive this?"
• "This won't kill me, boss," he breathed with a weak smile.
• Yeah, right.
• I took a long drag from my cigar, then held it out to him. He looked confused but took it anyway.
• "Rest in peace," a low chuckle escaped me as I turned and headed toward the building.
• The clang of metal on metal and grunts grew louder as I entered the building. Turning a corner, my eyes landed on a chaotic mess of men swinging steel pipes, wooden planks, and hammers with the intent to kill each other.
• I fired once, and silence fell instantly, every head snapping toward me
• "Time to wrap this up."
• "Shit. Isn't that Aiden Kingston?" Someone said.
• Murmurs spread through the rival men as they stepped back, eyes wide, while my men bowed slightly.
• "Behave and I'll make your death painless."
• The room fell silent again.
• Tapping the gun against my temple, I said, "Now. Who's the leader of this shit crew?"
• They stayed quiet, stealing glances at each other.
• "Aiden Kingston!" A man suddenly screamed.
• A huge bald man with an eyepatch and a face only a mother would love, twisted in anger stepped out from the crowd.
• "Remember me?" he growled.
• I raised an eyebrow. "I don't usually remember insignificant people."
• He clenched his jaw and jabbed at his eyepatch. "You took my eye three years ago! How dare you forget me!" He yelled, spit flying as he marched toward me.
• I chuckled. "You were lucky I left you breathing."
• "I'll gouge your eyes out!"
• I shot his both legs, and he crumpled to the ground, screaming. Stepping forward, I pressed the barrel to his forehead.
• He glared up at me. "You bastard," he croaked. "The Kingston family will fall soon. The other families—"
• I pulled the trigger, blood splattering across my pants as his body dropped.
• My jaw tightened as I stared at it then fired again.
• Exhaling slowly, I pushed my hair out of my face.
• One of my men immediately came forward, kneeling to wipe my pants.
• I didn't look at him. "Round them up."
• "Yes, boss!" They chroused, moving instantly.
• Without a leader, they folded quickly. They always did. It was amusing how quickly a gun made things easier.
• Stepping outside into the early morning air away from the tainted smell of gunpowder and blood, I placed a cigar between my lips, my fingers searching my pocket for my lighter.
• "Here." Storm handed me a lighter.
• "You look like shit," I said, noticing the deep cut on his stomach.
• "I'll live."
• Chucklinb, my eyes flickered to the lifeless body of the man who said the same thing earlier.
• "It seems the other families are planning something," he said.
• It's not the first time. And like always, they'd fail.
• Exhaling the smoke, I smirked. "Good. I am looking forward to it."
• The city had been too quiet for a long time.
• 8:55 a.m.
• When we pulled into the parking lot of Carter Holdings, I stepped out, adjusting my cufflinks.
• That was when I saw her. Blonde hair caught in the wind, phone pressed to her ear as she laughed at whatever nonsense was said on the other end.
• It was a soft, careless sound, completely out of place in my world.
• But it wasn't just her laugh that brought the strange sensation I felt.
• It was her eyes.
• Those damn emerald green eyes that locked with mine. They were sharp and fearless, eyes that looked like they could glare while fighting back tears.
• My heart skipped.
• It fucking skipped.
• I knew she felt that shift in the air too, because I caught the discomfort that flickered across her face before she looked away quickly.
• I should've left it at that. I didn't.
• She continued talking into her phone, unaware of the creep following behind her, until she stumbled over a crack in the pavement.
• My hand caught her before she fell.
• "Careful," I murmured against her ear, pulling her back into my chest. "Another moment and you'd have been kissing the ground, doll."
• "Oh my God," she gasped, her phone slipping from her hand as her body went still in my arms.
• For a moment, I forgot the violence I had stepped away from hours ago. All I could think of was her in my arms, her warmth and her fucking scent.
• I knew with absolute certainty. I wanted her. And it didn't matter how.