what it’s like, to be without them,” she whispered. Her bottom lip trembled. “How lonely it can be.”
I stared at her, chasing away the stabbing sensation in my stomach her words caused. Chelsea Girl had long black lashes that kissed her cheeks when she blinked and freckles scattered over the bridge of her nose. A single small beauty mark sat above her upper lip.
I wanted to taste it on my tongue.
Cheska’s breathing came faster, and I saw her nipples harden under her pyjama vest. I smirked as she quickly folded her arms over her tits again. That blush was back on her cheeks. Chelsea Girl was definitely innocent. She looked around my age. But unlike my East End gangster arse, who’d been sucked and fucked the minute I could come, she was still untouched.
As my eyes slid down Chelsea Girl’s body, I knew she’d look even better on her knees. Cheska’s face blazed like she could read my thoughts.
The sound of a door opening came from upstairs, tearing Cheska’s attention from me. I gave her one last look. No doubt this would be the only time I ever saw her. We didn’t exactly mix in the same circles. She no doubt went to some rich-as-shit girls’ school.
Hushed voices came closer. Dad and Cheska’s old man appeared on the landing and walked down the stairs. Cheska’s dad’s eyes widened when he saw her beside me on the couch, wearing next to nothing. “Cheska. What are you doing up? Get back to bed. It’s late.”
Cheska jumped to her feet, obeying Daddy’s command. “I needed a drink and saw Arthur here.” She flicked a nervous glance to me. “We … we were just talking.”
“Get to bloody bed!” her dad shouted again, and Cheska ran, hurrying for the stairs.
Her old man was a dick.
“Night, Cheska,” I said loudly. Her dad’s face snapped to me and reddened in anger. “It was nice getting to know you.” Cheska turned to me, stopping dead on the stairs. I saw her lips twitch and a smile pull on her stunning face.
“Mr Adley, James will see you out,” her dad said, gesturing to the butler, who had appeared from the other room. I stared for a few more seconds at Cheska, then met her dad’s furious gaze.
“Mr Adley,” the butler said. “And Master Adley. This way, please.”
Cheska’s eyes grew huge as she stared at me and whispered, “Arthur Adley …” Her cheeks paled, and I knew right then that she’d heard of my family, our firm, our fucking notorious last name. There weren’t many people in London who didn’t know the Adley family. Knew that we were the London reapers. When we came calling, it was because you’d made a deal with the devil. The fucking dark lord himself.
I lifted my chin in pride at the sound of my name from her lips, then her daddy ushered her away out of sight. I fell into step beside my dad as the butler opened the front door, and we stepped into the cold, wet London night. The sounds of black cabs rushing by and pompous twats falling out of pretentious nearby bars filled the air. As I went to climb back into the car, I gave one last glance at the SW3 house. And in the top right window was a hand pressed to the pane, and a pair of brown eyes with hints of green staring back, watching me leave.
Chapter One
ARTHUR
Marbella, Aged eighteen
“Get the fuck out here, dickheads. The views are fucking spectacular!” Eric winked, then climbed the stairs toward the deck of the yacht, wearing his tight shorts that he claimed showed off his dick to perfection.
The arsehole was such a fucking slut I was surprised it hadn’t fallen off with an STD or some shit.
Beside me, Charlie took a sip of his gin and flicked his cigarette ash into the crystal ashtray on the glass coffee table. “If said ‘spectacular view’ is not a harem of men who’ve just descended from a CrossFit competition, covered in oil and waiting on their hands and knees, then I’ll be sorely disappointed.” I smirked at my cousin sitting like a fucking king on an Italian leather throne.
“Artie!” Eric shouted from the back deck. “Get. The. Fuck. Out. Here! We’re in bloody Marbella. If we’re not pissed and knee-deep in pussy in two hours, I’m going to fucking shoot someone.” He wasn’t joking. I’d rarely seen anyone enjoy killing quite like Eric. And the psycho did it with his fucking cheesy