Heart-On: Turf Wars #2 by Bella Jewel (top 20 books to read TXT) 📗

His brows go up. “Illegal business, is that so?”

“I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to. Club means illegal. I’ll be keeping that in mind when you hand my money over.”

“I won’t be handing anything over.”

He grins, cheerfully. “Once again, we’ll see. I just wanted to let you know Mother and I are in town, and we’re super excited to be staying here for a while.”

I hate that he calls her Mother, she’s not his mother.

Ugh.

It makes me sick.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the two of them were in some sort of relationship.

Not that I can judge.

“You can tell her that Daddy is here, too. I’m sure she’d love to see him.”

Devin’s face registers shock for just a second. Oh, he wasn’t expecting that. Good. I finally found something he didn’t have a comeback for.

“Now, if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you leave.”

He steps forward, hand lunging out and curling around my throat, shocking me. He squeezes, so tightly that my breath is cut off. I grab at his arm, but he’s stronger than me, he’s always been stronger than me. He presses me against the outside wall and leans in close. “You don’t want to play with me, Ramona. Your death can look like an accident, and who do you think that money will go to?”

I shove at his hands, my heart racing as the air in my lungs gets less and less.

“I’ll be seeing you soon.”

With that he releases me and turns, walking off.

I grip my throat, gasping in big gulps of air.

My legs are shaking.

My heart is racing.

I feel sick to my stomach.

But one thing is for certain, he just gave away his plan.

If something happens to me, that money will go to him.

Perhaps it’s time I make sure it doesn’t.

Just in case.

I DIDN’T WANT TO HAVE to tell this story, god, I have avoided it in any way I possibly could, but the fact of the matter is, Devin isn’t going away anytime soon, and the only way I’m going to deal with him is head on. And head on includes a group of angry bikers to scare him and my rubbish mother away to a place they won’t return from.

I walk into the clubhouse where I know they’re having their weekly church because Adan is already here. I wait in the bar area until they’re done, and when Riggs walks out first, he stops when he notices me. “You after Adan?”

“Actually, I’m kind of after you.”

His brows go up, and the other guys walk out behind him. A good thirty of them, but the only ones who stop are Remy and Adan. Well, those two will do, I guess. I don’t really want to share my story with either of them, horrified about what they might think, but right now I’m certain there is no other way around this and I have to do what I have to do.

“You want to talk in private?” Riggs asks me.

“Yeah, they can come too. It’s ... important.”

Adan looks at me with narrowed eyes, Remy looks at me with eyes that tells me he’s more than ready to take me to bed.

My lord.

A girl suddenly has choices.

We walk into Riggs’ office and he closes the door behind him. I take a seat, the two other guys stand. Riggs sits in front of me, crosses his arms, and leans back in the chair.

“The floor is yours.”

I swallow and glance at Adan, who still looks a bit confused.

“Well,” I say, my voice wary, “I have a problem. A problem that I’m a little worried is going to cause me some sort of harm. I didn’t think it would, but after today, I’m not so certain. Anyway, let me explain. When I was younger, and Dad left, my mother remarried. She met this guy, he was really kind and ... well ... he was good to me. He had a son, and that son was not so good to me. He was cruel and made my life hell.”

I take a deep breath.

Ugh, I hate this story.

“He tormented me until I finally got old enough to leave. My mother isn’t the kindest woman, either, and she was always on his side. Long story incredibly short, when my mother and step-father split up, I ... I had a relationship with him.”

“With who?” Adan asks, his voice gruff.

“With my step-father,” I murmur, voice low. “I was eighteen, and it was consensual. I truly thought I was in love with him, he was kind to me and well, let’s just say I was a girl with issues, shall we? Either way, he passed away, and it wasn’t long after that I found out he left everything to me. And, well, he had a lot to give.”

Riggs narrows his eyes. “Go on.”

“I haven’t done anything with what he left me,” I hesitate. “But my mother and step-brother have always had an issue with it, they believe it belongs to them. They made my life hell, so I packed up and left. I have been avoiding them since, but, well, they have finally caught up with me.”

“What do you mean they’ve caught up?” Remy asks. “They’re here?”

“My step-brother, Devin, came to Adan’s house this morning.”

“That fucker,” Adan growls. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“I didn’t have a chance. Anyway, he came to tell me they’re in town, they’re staying a while and, basically, that he won’t be leaving without the money. The way he hinted at it, though, is that he’ll make sure he takes it, no matter the cost. He also made note that if something were to happen to me, it would automatically go to him.”

“Fuck,” Riggs mutters. “He’s threatenin’ you?”

“Yeah, in a roundabout way. He’s too smart to outright threaten me. So, I guess I’m here because I really don’t know what to do about it.”

“I fuckin’ do,” Adan growls.

“You can’t just go make him ‘disappear’ Adan. Trust me, he’d have a way to make sure I