Dark Wails - Misty Cogburn (top 100 books of all time checklist .txt) 📗

gaze as he looked at me for what seemed like the first time…

Like a gas-station clerk taking inventory after a thug had entered the store, the man seemed to be assessing every mark on my body with the scrutiny of a up-town fine arts dealer… it was like it was the first time he had seen or felt another's skin.

His face held a look of admiration that kept me from reacting.

Each tattoo he came by would cause him to pause, but never-the-less his hands made their way down the toned flat of my stomach to gentle trace over my fanged-bat.

He stopped short at the peeking edge of bandages wrapped around my middle, as if only just then noticing the others that twined around my arms.

There was a look the deepened at the sight of my injuries, but he didn't ask.

Without any shame or hesitation he studied my body up-close and personal.

The strange man cupped the small of my waist, just beneath my ribs, as if measuring with his hands how small I was, and I could feel the fingers of his large hands almost touch around my middle.

At this my anger began to bristle, Was this some joke about how small I was?

I couldn't help the fact I looked like a tiny Asian that had been stretched.

Suddenly, he nodded to himself as if reassured before his eyes flicked back to mine.

I knew I couldn't keep the unease from my eyes at he met my gaze, but I flashed him a scowl and put on my meanest face.

"What'ya doin'?!" as if I wasn't totally freaked out by this queer.

Act cool, keep a strait face, I thought to myself.

Humor shone in the man's brown eyes as he placed his hands on my shoulders.

Wondering briefly what the dude thought was so funny; I froze as he leaned forward with cocky smirk to press his lips against either side of my face

I knew it was some foreign-ass way of greeting people, but never-the-less it really pissed me off for some reason or another.

However I didn't have time to contemplate on it…

I flinched as he grabbed a hold of my dislocated arm just above my elbow.

Biting down on my lower lip to keep from showing any discomfort, I glared at the dark haired man, but he only leaned down to where his lips were against my ear.

As if waiting for my yelp of pain as he snapped my arm back into its socket, he waited until I cried out to reply … "Meeting my bride…"

I heard his words with cold stab of fear…

Everything about the man had me locked up like some nut-job wearing a strait-jacket in a psych ward, those eyes of his…

He was like Mad Dog…

He was like me…

His dark chocolate gaze met my blue, and all of a sudden I knew without a doubt this man knew… this man knew everything.

The man kissed the corner of my parted lips, murmuring in my ear in Italian.

"Cucciola mia…"

I was too shocked to see the confident smirk he flashed, he knew…

That thought left me frozen against that wall long after the man had left the foyer.

He knew… the Don knew…. hell even Scottie might have known.

I don't know how much the Don and Scottie might of known, but this man … he somehow knew what I had told only one other soul.

…Mad Dog… that crazy fuck'n bastard…

I had only two secrets I kept in life, a few well trusted people knew the first, but only Mad Dog knew the later.

Whether he had ever told anyone was irrelevant, we both shared a secret only someone with a similar burden could understand.

I didn't really care about the first; it was only a matter of convenience I used to keep a steady income from the Boss Man Scottie.

It didn't bother me if the whole world knew, I wasn't some little brat fresh off the streets, I had long since proved to Scottie I was a capable fighter.

This man, the Don, Scottie, Mad Dog, Easy, and Ari they all knew…

…They knew I was a woman…

However this man, he knew something only Mad Dog had ever guessed, and I knew it was only possible on one condition.

…he shared the same burden…

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Images: Cover isn't mine, no clue whose tho~
Publication Date: 06-17-2014

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