in with me at the church.
And she was never fucking leaving.
There’d been nothing from Pearl yet. But we knew her people were on the move. And heading to our fucking town. I’d be ready for her. Ready to remind her who the fuck she was. She was coming back to us—the easy way or the hard.
“Put me in,” Vinnie said, standing right in front on of me, top off and fists clenched. His eyes were bloodshot and crazed. Since Pearl had “disappeared” from his side a few weeks ago, he’d lost weight, he was pale.
My brother had lost his motherfucking mind.
I flicked my chin at the second pit behind us, and Vinnie tore off, no doubt to rip some fucker’s head off and toss it onto the sand.
Cheska didn’t move off me all night, Vera and Ronnie talking to her beside me. Then the pits cleared out, and the real fucking fun began.
I slapped Cheska on the arse, and she got off my lap; I stood, taking off my suit jacket, shirt and tie. The Hangmen, the Irish and the Romani stayed, as always. And my soldiers brought the table of weapons to the pit.
I jumped down onto the sand and cracked my neck from side to side. My soldier brought out the first wanker who had dared to fuck with my firm. The hessian hood was ripped off his head, and he practically shat himself when I stood before him. I sparked up my cig and took a long inhale, letting the smoke fill my lungs.
I swung my arms wide. “Welcome to the Adley Court. You are charged with being a traitor. An Adley’s word is his bond.” I pointed at his face. “A bond you have broken. And I am here to collect.” I spat on the sand in front of the cunt on the floor and flicked my head to the table of weapons. “Choose your weapon.” The tosser didn’t try to protest or beg for his life. He knew the fucking score.
He grabbed a crowbar and readied to fight. I glanced up to Cheska. “Get the fuck down here, princess.” Cheska rose from her seat like the fucking Adley queen she was.
She strutted down the stairs to the pit and stood right at my side. Her rose scent was driving me fucking barmy. Her eyes fixed on mine, and her fucking lips looked too perfect painted bright red. So I took her mouth, my bird moaning into my mouth and grabbing on to my naked chest as I pushed my tongue against hers, smearing her red lipstick.
I pulled back, hard as fuck for her pussy and the kill I was about to take. I wiped the red off my face and smudged my thumb over her lips, before she caught it in her mouth and bit down hard.
Cheska met my eyes as I hissed, her fucking head high, owning both me and everyone in this fucking pit. “Pick one,” I said to Cheska, pointing to the table of weapons.
Cheska walked to the table, brown hair swaying on her back and holding my black heart in her fucking hands. She reached for the spear and headed back to me.
Rising to her tiptoes, she kissed me on the mouth. Then, glaring at the traitorous fucker on the ground, she placed the spear in my waiting hand. “Baby?” she said, lip curled in disgust.
“Yeah, princess?”
“Make him scream.”
So I did.
THE END
Playlist
Take Me Back To London — Ed Sheeran, Stormzy
Come With Me Now — KONGOS
Bitter Sweet Symphony — The Verve
Fire — Kasabian
Broken — Jake Bugg
Do I Wanna Know — Arctic Monkeys
Got No Love — The Kooks
Hide and Seek — Imogen Heap
Mad World — Lily Allen
Devil Side — Foxes
Two Fingers — Jake Bugg
You’re in Love with a Psycho — Kasabian
Firestarter — The Prodigy
White Flag — Bishop Briggs
The Cave — Mumford & Sons
The Prayer — Bloc Party
Fire — Kasabian
Exile (feat. Bon Iver) — Taylor Swift, Bon Iver
I’m Kissing You — bshp
you broke me first — Tate McRae
Arms Around You — Jamie Grey
I’m Not Okay — RHODES
Supermarket Flowers — Ed Sheeran
I Fall Apart — Post Malone
Be My Mistake — The 1975
Die Alone — FINNEAS
Feel Again (Feat. Au/Ra) — Kina, Au/Ra
9 Crimes — Damien Rice
I’m God — Clams Casino, Imogen Heap
Out of the Darkness— Sleep Thieves
Ain’t No Grave — Renée Elise Goldsberry
What He Wrote — Laura Marling
Devil Town — Cavetown
Sleep On The Floor — The Lumineers
Monster — Mumford & Sons
Devil’s Waitin’ — Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Daydream Believer — Jonny Fears
Let It Be — Labrinth
Scar — Foxes
Break In — Halestorm
Die A Little — YUNGBLUD
Here’s to Us — Halestorm
Enjoy the Silence — Lotte Kestner
Seasons — NEEDTOBREATHE
Hometown Glory — Adele
To listen Click Here
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my husband, Stephen, for being my biggest supporter.
Roman, my little smooch. You are the absolute light of my life. I’m so blessed to be your mammy. I never thought it was possible to love somebody so much. You’re the best thing I have ever done in my life. Everything is for you.
Mam and Dad, thank you for the continued support. Dad, thank you for always being a champion of my writing and helping me whenever I need you.
Samantha, Marc, Taylor, Isaac, Archie, and Elias, love you all.
Liz, thank you for being my super-agent and friend.
Neda and Ardent Prose, I am so happy that I jumped on board with you guys. You’ve made my life infinitely more organised. You kick PR ass!
To my TILLSTERS, I couldn’t ask for better book friends. Thank you for all for everything you do for me. Here’s to another step forward in our Dark Romance Revolution! I love how your little dark hearts are drawn to mine—like is drawn to like. My fellow dark-hearted little nightmares.
Thank you to all the AMAZING bloggers and Instagrammers that support my career, and the ones who help share my work, make the most unbelievable edits and videos and shout about it from the rooftops. You’re appreciated more than you’ll ever know. And lastly, thank you to the readers. Without you none of this would be possible. Dark Romance is my passion, the genre that calls to me most. It’s not a ‘go-to’ genre for many people, but you guys get me, and for that I’ll forever be grateful. Some people don’t understand us, and our undying love for characters with dark hearts and questionable morals… But we have each other, and that’s all we’ll ever need!
Thank you for taking a walk on the dark side with me. It’s a fun place to be once you take the leap.
“An Adley’s word is his bond.”
Author Biography
Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.
After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.
After several years living in Italy, Canada and the USA, Tillie has now settled back in her hometown in England, with her husband and son.
Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.
When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than spending time with her little family, curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, and convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that last square of chocolate.
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