Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:10:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com 32 32 Captivating Curse (Bellamy Brothers #9) Read Online Helen Hardt http://www.ilovenovels.com/captivating-curse-bellamy-brothers-9-read-online-helen-hardt Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:10:08 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/captivating-curse-bellamy-brothers-9-read-online-helen-hardt Genre: Alpha Male, Chick Lit, Erotic, Suspense Authors: Helen Hardt Series: Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt
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Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >70

Enter a world of mystery, suspense, sin, and heart-wrenching emotion with Helen Hardt's Bellamy Brothers series!

She chooses sacrifice over survival.

He will damn himself to bring her back.

Daniela Agudelo has spent her life paying for the sins of men who believed they owned her. This time, the choice is hers, and it’s the most dangerous one yet. To save an innocent child she loves, Daniela offers the one thing she swore no one would ever take from her again.

Hawk Bellamy refuses to let her disappear.

As Daniela vanishes into the jaws of her past, Hawk risks his fortune, his freedom, and the carefully controlled life he’s built to find her. Every secret he uncovers drags him deeper into a truth he’s spent his life denying—his father’s legacy isn’t clean, and the darkness threatening Daniela may be rooted in his own blood.

Daniela already knows what she’s willing to sacrifice. Now Hawk must choose what he’s willing to destroy to save her

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

HAWK

Eagle nods once, heavy, as the sedative crawls up his veins. “Outside your door,” he whispers. “The night I…went down.” His lashes flutter. “Somebody didn’t want me telling you what I found out about Dad…”

Everything inside me goes still. “What about Dad?”

“Dad and…” His tongue trips. “D—D—D…” The syllables stumble, break apart. His eyes roll, slow as tide. He tries again. “D⁠—”

The last consonant dies on his lips. His mouth softens. The sedative wins.

I turn to the nurse. “Is he okay?”

The nurse is already smoothing the line, already changing the monitor range. “He’s fine,” she says. “He needs sleep. His body’s been through a lot. He’ll likely be out the rest of the night.” She lifts her gaze to mine. “You can come back in the morning.”

“Yeah,” I say, though morning feels a lifetime away. “I’ll do that.”

Falcon watches me from the door.

“I’ve got something to attend to,” I tell him.

“Reyes.”

I nod.

The hallway feels too bright.

I take the elevator down, grab my car from the valet.

The night outside feels wrong, air thick and wet. I drive with my knuckles raw from earlier, the bandage already spotted through.

The drive is slow and dark, but I finally make it.

The old barn crouches on the edge of our land. No lights. No sounds but crickets.

I kill the engine and listen. Nothing. Good. I want quiet.

Gravel crunches under my boots. The barn door gives with a long, complaining groan.

My eyes adjust quickly.

The chair.

My skin crawls with tiny invisible feet.

What the fuck?

The chair waits where I left it.

Empty.

For a second my brain refuses to believe what my eyes are seeing. The shape is wrong. That’s all. Reyes is slumped. Head down. I step closer.

The rope is cut. The rag I used to gag him in a heap on the ground.

I go cold and hot at once.

“Reyes,” I say into the dark.

Silence answers.

I cross to the stool where I left the plate. The fork sits on top and the plate is licked clean. He ate every bite.

Something glints at the base of the post. I crouch. A sliver of metal.

Fuck. It’s half a hacksaw blade. Where the hell did he get that?

I follow the scrape marks to the side door. Outside, weeds bend in two lines to the service path. Not footsteps. Knees. He crawled, or someone dragged him. The tracks vanish in the gravel.

My skin prickles.

I scan the rafters. The beams.

Nothing.

Motherfucker.

I pull my phone out of my pocket. No bars. I step toward the big doors. One bar. Then none.

He was tied. He was gagged. He was mine. And now he’s air.

Eagle’s voice punches through my head, slurred and stubborn. Outside your door. Didn’t want me telling you what I found about Dad… D-D-D…

Dad and what. Dad and who. Dad and D.

The barn tilts.

If Reyes is out, he’s either running or hunting. Maybe both. If he’s running, he goes home, grabs the diary, burns the pictures, resets the board before I can move. If he’s hunting⁠—

No.

I replay every knot I tied. Every check. Every lock. There’s a gap I didn’t see. There has to be.

I walk the perimeter again, slow this time, eyes on small things. I inhale.

Something hits me.

Motor oil?

No. Almost like soap, but stronger.

Fuck.

Cheap aftershave.

The same ghost Eagle muttered about through meds. Aftershave in a garage somewhere. A smell that doesn’t belong to my barn or to Reyes.

He didn’t get out alone.

My mouth goes dry.

My phone vibrates. I yank it out. One bar now.

A new text from a number I don’t recognize.

It’s a photo. Grainy. It’s the barn. Two figures. One slumped, one upright. A third shape in the foreground—just the hint of a shoulder. Whoever took it is almost in the frame.

Under it is a message.

Nice knots, Bellamy. Try harder.

My pulse goes flat. I lift my head into the dark and grin without humor.

“You want to play?” I say to the ghost of cheap aftershave riding the night air. “Okay.”

A second buzz. Another photo pops up. Close-up this time. Reyes’s wrist, chafed and bleeding, hand giving the camera a lazy thumbs-up. On his ring finger, a smear of something darker than dirt.

And then a third—a shot of a safe keypad. Not mine. Not his. Looks like a stock image. Just numbers lit in cold blue. The code fields blank. The caption under it:

Tick-tock.

The screen goes black.

I stand in the doorway of the barn, fists opening and closing, knuckles burning under old blood and new.

Eagle’s last stuttered syllable scrapes through me again. D—D—D⁠—

Dad and who?

Reyes is gone.

Then I see them.

More texts.

From Daniela, sent hours ago.

Belinda is missing. DHS revoked her temporary protected status.

This quickly? What the fuck?

My breath catches in my throat.

I stopped being the good son. I embraced chaos, did what felt right in the moment.

Pandora’s box has been opened, and that same chaos has now cursed everything I touch.

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Chaotic Curse (Bellamy Brothers #8) Read Online Helen Hardt http://www.ilovenovels.com/chaotic-curse-bellamy-brothers-8-read-online-helen-hardt Sun, 07 Dec 2025 21:11:44 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/chaotic-curse-bellamy-brothers-8-read-online-helen-hardt Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Erotic, Suspense Authors: Helen Hardt Series: Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt
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Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 74005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >72

Enter a world of mystery, suspense, sin, and heart-wrenching emotion with Helen Hardt's Bellamy Brothers series

He thought the worst was over.

He was wrong.

Hawk Bellamy has always been the calm in the storm—the one who cleans up the wreckage his family leaves behind. But even he can’t control the chaos closing in now. His younger brother is fighting for his life, and Daniela Agudelo, the woman Hawk loves, is caught in a deadly game that began long before she escaped Colombia.

Daniela wants to believe she’s free. But someone out there remembers her face. Her name. The taste of her fear.

While Daniela fights to stay ahead of a predator who knows her every secret, Hawk is haunted by his own. Each revelation tears at the fragile peace he’s built, each choice pulling him closer to the morally gray line he swore he’d never cross.

Now the world around them is unraveling—his brother is fighting for his life, the Bellamy empire is cracking under the weight of its secrets, and Daniela’s predator is closing in.

Hawk will do anything to protect her. But in a world built on lies, obsession, and revenge, saving her might cost him his soul

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

DANIELA

For a moment when I wake up, I’m not sure where I am.

Then I know.

Hawk’s place. Hawk’s bed.

I jerk upright.

Vinnie and Raven will be worried sick.

I grab my phone from my purse on the floor. Sure enough, there’s a text from Raven.

I’m fine, I text back. I’m at Hawk’s.

Then the three dots.

We figured you were. I tried to call you both but they went to voicemail.

Yeah, we were busy, but I don’t say this.

I’m sorry to worry you.

It’s okay. Love you.

Love you too.

Hawk isn’t in the bed next to me. Where is he? I walk to the bathroom. He’s not there. I turn on the shower and get in, letting the warm water pelt over me. After I wash my hair and then dry off, I put on my dress I wore to court yesterday without the underwear. Commando for now, until I get a change of clean undies.

Then I leave the bedroom.

I find Hawk in the kitchen with a fresh pot of coffee.

I inhale. It smells so good, almost as good as the coffee I had back in Colombia.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” he says. “Did you shower without me?”

“Guilty,” I say. “But I’m always up for another.”

“Coffee?”

“Please.”

He hands me a cup, and I take a long sip of the strong brew. “I had some calls from Raven,” I tell him.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I didn’t even hear it ring. My phone was buried in my purse. She and Vinnie were concerned when I didn’t come home.”

He cocks his head. “Didn’t you tell Raven you were spending the night with me?”

I shrug. “I did, but she probably wanted to check in. She knows about my history. But I’m an adult.” I sigh. “I should have let them know I’d be staying over, so I feel bad. I don’t want to cause them any pain.”

He gives my shoulders a squeeze. “Ray will get over it. So will Vinnie. Which reminds me, I haven’t looked at my phone in a while either.” He leaves the kitchen.

When he doesn’t return after ten minutes, I pour myself another cup of coffee.

I could get used to waking up in Hawk’s house.

I could get used to a lot of things.

1

HAWK

Five missed calls from Eagle, all from last night. A few from Robin this morning.

A bunch of texts from Eagle, too.

Asking for help.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

The last one just says I’m coming over.

The doorbell last night. That was Eagle.

He needed my help, and I ignored him.

But I was with Daniela… I couldn’t just leave⁠—

Then my phone buzzes.

It’s Robin.

“Robbie?” I say.

“Damn, Hawk, I’ve been trying to get you for over an hour.”

“What is it?”

“It’s Eagle,” she says. “Something triggered him. Fuck, he’s been clean for so long.”

My heart sinks. He’s relapsed. And I wasn’t there to cover for him this time, so the whole family is going to know.

It’s going to kill Mom.

And again I need to pick up the pieces.

“Where is he?” I ask. “I… I know where I can take him to get him help. It’s…not the first time this has happened.”

“What the hell do you mean? Eagle hasn’t relapsed, Hawk. He’s in the hospital,” Robin says. “He OD’d. And it’s bad, Hawk. It’s bad.”

A wave of terror seizes me and wraps around my heart like a boa constrictor. My breath is shallow, my pulse erratic.

“What?” The word comes out as a choked whisper, barely audible, even to me.

“OD’d, Hawk. Overdosed.” Robin’s words are hard and cold.

I feel numb. Shocked. Denial creeps in.

No, that can’t be. Eagle would never OD. Relapse, maybe, but…

Except not denial.

All this time, I knew he wasn’t keeping clean. I hid his problems from the rest of the family. He asked me to, and I did it.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >72

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Cryptic Curse (Bellamy Brothers #7) Read Online Helen Hardt http://www.ilovenovels.com/cryptic-curse-bellamy-brothers-7-read-online-helen-hardt Sat, 16 Aug 2025 22:26:16 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/cryptic-curse-bellamy-brothers-7-read-online-helen-hardt Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Contemporary, Dark Authors: Helen Hardt Series: Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt
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Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 72969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >72

Enter a world of mystery, suspense, sin, and heart-wrenching emotion with Helen Hardt's Bellamy Brothers series!

She escaped hell. Now it wants her back.

At just eighteen, Daniela Agudelo has already lived through more than anyone should. After fleeing Colombia and the men who stole her childhood, she lands in Texas with a dream of becoming a gourmet chef and a desperate need to stay invisible. But everything shifts when she meets Hawk Bellamy.

The middle son of the Bellamy billionaire ranching family, Hawk is used to being overlooked. Trapped between a hero brother and a reckless one, he’s the family fixer, the one who follows the rules—until Daniela crashes into his life with her intense beauty and haunted eyes.

Their connection is magnetic. Dangerous. She’s too young. He’s too jaded. Too bound to secrets and responsibilities he never asked for. But need has a way of ignoring the rules.

Until the first cryptic message arrives—and the hell Daniela thought she left behind doesn’t feel so far away.

And Hawk? He’ll break every rule in the book to protect her

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

HAWK

Fifteen Years Ago…

There is nothing more important than family. Remember that, Hawk.

I swear to God, if my father bludgeons those words into my brain one more time, I’m really going to become unhinged.

But at age twelve, I’ve been trained to say, “Yes, I understand, Dad.”

“It’s important that you always understand—he clears his throat, hiding his mouth—“that what I did was necessary.”

I nod. “Yes, I understand that.”

Even though I don’t.

Even though what he did lacks all understanding. All compassion. All goodness.

I look around my father’s home office in our sprawling house on Bellamy ranch. His massive mahogany desk, his leather reclining chair, his four giant computer monitors. Bookshelves are lined with tomes I’m sure he’s never read but look good. They smell good too. I inhale the crisp scent of parchment and leather.

It does nothing to soothe me.

What happened wasn’t right.

I don’t like when things aren’t right.

My brother Falcon tells me I need to be more realistic and less idealistic. The world is a complicated, messy place.

But why should I sacrifice my own standards? Why should I just accept injustice in the world?

My father drones on. “It was necessary to protect your mother. She could’ve been violated. Or even killed. Same for your sisters.”

I gulp down the lump in my throat. If that’s truly the case—though I don’t believe it is—then I do understand. My twin sisters are only thirteen, a year older than I am. And my mother…

She and I have a complicated relationship. I love her, and I certainly wouldn’t want to see her raped or murdered. The thought of it makes me want to puke.

Suffice it to say that I’m pretty sure I’m her least favorite child of the five of us. Her favorite is my younger brother Eagle, the baby. Followed by Raven, my sister who is the most like her. The other, Robin, prefers to hang out with my brothers and me, doing boy stuff.

“It was necessary to keep you and your brothers from being killed in your sleep,” Dad says.

I nod for the third time. And I repeat myself. “Yes, Dad, I understand.”

My father threads his fingers through his blond hair. It’s beginning to gray—just a touch of silver around his temples. Then he looks at me with those blue eyes that are so like my own. I’m the only one of five who inherited them. My brothers and sisters all have dark-brown eyes, like our mother. We all share her darker skin from her Mexican heritage.

So as I stand, looking at my fair-skinned father, I focus on his eyes. The eyes he gave me.

Only me.

And I try to find something in common with him other than the one feature we share.

Something.

Anything.

But I can’t.

How could he do what he did?

Though I’ve repeated the mantra—Yes, Dad, I understand—I don’t understand. No rational person could.

“I’m sorry, Hawk,” he finally says.

My eyes go wide.

Did I truly hear the words?

I’m sorry, Hawk.

I didn’t know Austin Bellamy was ever sorry about anything.

Of course, when you shoot one of your own children, you probably should be fucking sorry.

1

HAWK

Present Day…

“What’s up, Fal?” I say into my phone.

“Hawk. Thank God you answered,” my older brother, Falcon, says.

My brothers and sisters always give me shit about not answering my phone. Texting is easier for me, and it’s the method I prefer. That way I can answer at my leisure.

“It finally happened,” Falcon says. “Dad’s awake.”

His words rattle around my head like loose ping-pong balls before they register.

I should probably feel happy about the news. Our father has been in a coma for the past several months after a botched suicide attempt.

The whole thing makes no sense. Austin Bellamy is a great shot. If he’d truly wanted to kill himself, he probably could have. But he only grazed his skull, which doesn’t explain the coma.

The doctors can’t find any medical explanation for it, and though I hate myself for thinking it, I’ve wondered if he could be faking.

Austin Bellamy couldn’t fake a coma by himself, of course. But he could with help. Someone could easily be on the inside at the hospital dosing him up with drugs to keep him unconscious.

Why would he fucking do that?

Why would he try to kill himself in the first place?

And why would he botch it so badly?

I have no answers, but when it comes to my father, nothing should surprise me.

I hold back a scoff. My relationship with my parents is fucked up to the nth degree. I’m actually closer to my father than I am to my mother.

“I’ll get there as soon as I can,” I say to Falcon.

“Great. Thank God. This is such awesome news.”

“Yeah, sure is.” I end the call.

I walk outside, get into my truck, put it in gear, and start the drive to the hospital that has been my father’s home since his suicide attempt.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >72

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Victorious Vice (Bellamy Brothers #6) Read Online Helen Hardt http://www.ilovenovels.com/victorious-vice-bellamy-brothers-6-read-online-helen-hardt Wed, 12 Feb 2025 07:22:03 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/victorious-vice-bellamy-brothers-6-read-online-helen-hardt Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Contemporary, Erotic, Suspense Authors: Helen Hardt Series: Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt
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Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 77126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >77

Enter a world of mystery, suspense, sin, and heart-wrenching emotion with Helen Hardt's new series!

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

VINNIE

Ihave a feeling that the Bellamy ranch shrouds more secrets than perhaps even Austin Bellamy himself knows.

“I believe Falcon is a good man,” I say.

“I do as well. Otherwise I wouldn’t have saved his ass.”

“What about his brothers?”

Dad shrugs. “I wasn’t able to find out too much about them before I had to go to prison. The older one, Hawk, seems good. But I sense that the younger one is a bit of a loose cannon.”

My father has no idea.

“I’ll look into all of them,” I say. “I’ll make sure Savannah is safe.”

He gives a weak smile. “I know you will, Vinnie.”

“I should’ve been here, Dad.” I run my hands through my hair, sighing. “If I had been, Mikey would still be alive.”

“I’ll never stop mourning your brother,” he says. “Just as I’ll never stop mourning your mother.” He looks at me, a small glimmer of light in his eyes. “But I have you, and I have Savannah. I trust Falcon to keep Savannah safe. And you know what I need you to do.”

“I’ll do it, Dad. You have my word.”

I drop him off at the prison, and when I get back to my mother’s home—now my home—my grandfather is waiting for me at the front door.

“I have nothing to say to you.” I brush past him, opening the door.

“Check your email,” he says. “You’re back on that flight to Colombia. Leaving tonight.”

“Send someone else.” I take a step inside the house.

“Nope. I’m sending you.” He grabs my arm. “You want to be my second-in-command? That’s who I need on this mission. You’d be there now if your mother hadn’t had that heart attack.”

I grit my teeth. “Don’t even talk about my mother.”

He frowns, laying a hand over his heart. “You think this isn’t killing me? She was my child.”

“Yes. Your only child.”

His lips twitch.

And I cock my head.

“My mother was trying to tell me something before she died. Something about you. Something about my father.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You mean you haven’t guessed?”

I whip my arm out of his grasp. “Stop playing games with me, old man. If there’s something I need to know about my father, you need to tell me.”

“All you need to know about Vincent Gallo Senior is that he’s a weakling.” Grandfather scowls.

“Weak men don’t kill a man to save their daughter from marriage to a degenerate.”

He says nothing.

“So don’t ever tell me my father’s a weak man again.”

“To the contrary,” he says, “your father is the strongest man I know.”

“But you just said⁠—”

My flesh goes cold as ice.

Oh my God.

What my mother was trying to tell me…

What my grandfather just said…

I feel my blood draining from my face.

There’s a reason I look so much like my mother, so much like my grandfather.

And my father doesn’t know. He doesn’t know.

And all mafia brides are supposed to be virgins…

Nausea grips me, but I resist the urge to double over and retch.

“You fucking bastard,” I grit out.

A wicked grin crawls across his wrinkled face. “Now, Vincent,” he sneers. “Is that any way to speak to your father?”

I grab his shoulders violently. “You raped your own daughter?”

“And that surprises you?”

“Wasn’t she supposed to be a virgin?”

He shrugs. “She was. Until about a month before her wedding. I waited until I knew she was ovulating.” His grin widens. “I suppose one could say I invoked the right of prima nocta.”

My stomach is twisting into a pretzel. “And you knew… You knew she was pregnant…”

“Yes, I lucked out.” He smirks. “Your grandmother couldn’t give me any more children, but I knew I wasn’t the problem. I had to make sure my line continued.”

“My father…”

He clasps his hands together, frowning. “Do you know how difficult it’s been, Vincent? Letting you take his name?”

“Oh my God…”

“So you see⁠—”

I cut him off. “You knew I was your son this whole time. You still raped me with that billy club.”

He raises a finger. “As my father did to me.”

Vomit threatens to erupt from my throat. “This is over, old man. It’s over now.”

I reach for my gun, and out of nowhere, two goons who work for the family leap into action. They must have let themselves in before I got home. They charge forward like twin shadows. The first goon lunges at me, slapping the gun out of my hand. It skids across the marble floor, stopping under a side table.

I duck as the second goon swings a fist at my head, and counterattack with an uppercut to his jaw. The man staggers back, but before I can get back to my gun, the first goon grabs me from behind in a bear hug, lifting me off the ground.

I grit my teeth and slam my head backward into the goon's face. I can hear the crunch of his nose breaking. He drops me, and I pivot on my heel and throw an elbow into the man’s throat for good measure. He gags in response.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >77

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Volatile Vice (Bellamy Brothers #5) Read Online Helen Hardt http://www.ilovenovels.com/volatile-vice-bellamy-brothers-5-read-online-helen-hardt Fri, 06 Dec 2024 20:23:41 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/volatile-vice-bellamy-brothers-5-read-online-helen-hardt Genre: Alpha Male, Erotic, Suspense Authors: Helen Hardt Series: Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt
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Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >76

Enter a world of mystery, suspense, sin, and heart-wrenching emotion with Helen Hardt's new series!

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

VINNIE

I wasn’t completely honest with Savannah about why I went to the Buddhist temple.

It wasn’t just to alleviate the guilt of leaving her and Mikey back in the States at the whim of the family. And it wasn’t just to work through what my grandfather had done to me.

It was because I found myself involved in something far more sinister.

One fateful day, I ended up in a secluded alley in Prague, where a crooked wooden door creaked open to reveal an underground gambling den. There I met Misha—a man whose green eyes gleamed with dangerous amusement.

His real name was Mikhail, which threw me—the Slavic version of Michael. I thought of Mikey, who I’d left at home, and guilt overwhelmed me. When Misha offered me an opportunity to make a huge profit, part of me felt like I was talking to my brother, so I jumped in with both feet.

Misha was searching for a hidden treasure buried in the heart of Eastern Europe.

I was intrigued—and also desperate for some easy cash.

But it turned out not to be so easy. I dived into Misha’s world, abandoning my odd jobs and my pursuit of quiet anonymity. He gave me a firearm but told me not to use it unless I had to defend myself.

A year passed. I lived in shadows and chased ghosts. Misha kept me busy while he sometimes disappeared for days at a time. His name notwithstanding, I didn’t fully trust him, but I found myself enjoying the chase. Every time doubt crept in, Misha would return, always with a new clue, a new lead.

I got sucked in, and the whole thing became a game to me. Did I think we’d really find treasure? Maybe at the time I did. It gave me a creative outlet, something to do.

Until I realized it wasn’t all that different from what I’d fled from at home.

I was becoming bound to a different kind of family. Not my mafia family, but an Eastern European underworld. Misha operated under different rules, but the principle was the same—secrets, power, betrayal.

I had to get out. But how?

One cold night in Bucharest, I got my chance, but it wasn’t the way I imagined it.

Misha told me he’d uncovered the final piece of the puzzle, located within the grip of a rival gang. We’d need to be quick. We’d need to be strong.

“Are you afraid?” Misha asked me.

“No,” I lied through gritted teeth.

“Good,” he said. “Fear will only lead to your demise.”

The gang had set up their base in an old chateau. The stone structure was imposing as hell and full of foreboding darkness.

As we moved through the corridors, our footsteps muffled by the worn-out rugs, my heart pounded. The echoes of raucous laughter and clinking glasses reached us, growing louder with each step we took. Misha led the way. He was in his element. Danger was his drug.

Until he turned on me.

To this day I don’t know why. Maybe because I presented a challenge to him. Maybe he decided he wanted all the loot for himself. Or maybe he was just batshit crazy.

But that night, I had to do something I swore I’d never do.

I took a life.

It was self-defense, but I still had to move quickly and quietly to avoid being caught.

I learned to travel during the night. Change my appearance when necessary.

And I was done with crime.

Done.

Until now, of course.

If everything went according to my plan, Puzo should be dead.

He was a piece of shit, and the world won’t mourn him.

But doing my grandfather’s bidding doesn’t give me the revenge I crave.

The vengeful vice I’ve been carrying around with me since that fateful day in his office, where he violated me in the worst way while I refused to scream out in pain.

Because fuck him.

Fuck him and fuck the world that allowed him to exist. I left that life behind, buried it deep under layers of pseudonyms, fake passports, and never-ending roads. But the ghosts were always there, whispering in my ear, reminding me of all that had been taken from me.

I existed in the shadows, a phantom flitting through Europe. I eked out a living doing odd jobs, never staying in one place for too long. As long as I remained a ghost, I was safe.

But I’m back now.

And I’ll have my revenge.

I regard Raven. She’s sleeping soundly.

It kills me to leave her, but she has no place in the world I have to inhabit.

I can’t shake the anger coursing through my veins. Every time I close my eyes, I see Misha’s face, smirking, laughing as he turned on me.

He’s not laughing now.

Grandfather thinks I’m weak. Too weak to take Puzo out with a gun he provided.

That doesn’t make me weak. It makes me smart.

Grandfather doesn’t know who he’s dealing with. But he will soon enough.

Vengeance isn’t just a fleeting thought for me. It’s my driving force, my vice. It consumes me, and I welcome it.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >76

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Vengeful Vice (Bellamy Brothers #4) Read Online Helen Hardt http://www.ilovenovels.com/vengeful-vice-bellamy-brothers-4-read-online-helen-hardt Sat, 05 Oct 2024 02:31:24 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/vengeful-vice-bellamy-brothers-4-read-online-helen-hardt Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Erotic, Suspense Authors: Helen Hardt Series: Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt
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Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >74

Enter a world of mystery, suspense, sin, and heart-wrenching emotion with Helen Hardt’s new series!
When love and vengeance collide…
Raven Bellamy is a survivor. She stared down cancer and won, emerging stronger and more determined to savor every moment of the life she nearly lost. Whether it’s inhaling the scent of every rose or basking in each sunrise on her family’s ranch, Raven is living on her own terms.

Vincent Gallo, Jr. spent seventeen years running from a past drenched in blood. Now he’s back with a singular purpose—to destroy his mafia family from within. He’s prepared for the darkness ahead, ready to sacrifice anything and everything to fulfill his mission.
Until he meets Raven Bellamy. Her resilience, her beauty, her spirit—despite the scars of her battle—ignite a passion in him that he thought was long dead. She haunts his thoughts, turning his carefully laid plans upside down. Vinnie knows he can’t drag her into his deadly world, but he also can’t stay away.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

VINNIE

The ballroom is buzzing with chatter, laughter, and the clinking of champagne glasses. Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, casting sparkles over the elegantly dressed attendees. I stand near the entrance, greeting guests and keeping a watchful eye on the room. This event is crucial for the family’s public image—and for my own plans.

I scan the crowd, pausing here and there on familiar faces. Politicians, businessmen, socialites—all here to support a good cause. The Raven’s Wings Foundation is a noble effort, dedicated to funding blood cancer research and treatment. It’s a legitimate cause, which makes my presence here all the more important.

Then I see her.

Raven Bellamy. The founder of the foundation, my sister’s sister-in-law, and the woman who’s captured my attention—my love—more than I can allow myself to admit. She’s standing near the stage, talking to a small group of admirers. Her short dark hair, barely grown out after her battle with cancer, catches the light and frames her face in a way that’s both striking and delicate.

She’s beautiful. Not in the conventional, long-haired, magazine-cover way, but in a way that speaks of strength and resilience. Her dark eyes shine with a light that’s hard to ignore, her smile genuine as she speaks to her supporters. There’s something about her, something raw and real, that pulls me in.

Has pulled me in since the first time I laid eyes on her over a month ago, when her head was covered in dark peach fuzz. My heart beats faster in her presence, and my groin tightens. I can hardly breathe as images of devouring those full pink lips invade my mind. They were the softest and sweetest lips I’ve ever kissed.

I draw in a breath and walk toward her, the need to be close to her nearly overwhelming me.

I should stay away. I promised to stay away.

But damn…

I weave through the crowd and nod at people I mostly don’t recognize. After all, I’ve only been back in this country a couple months. When I reach her, she’s just finished her conversation and turns to face me.

“Vinnie,” she says, her voice warm and inviting, as if what transpired between us never happened. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Raven.” God, her lips. They glisten with a silvery effervescence. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Congratulations on the event.”

“Thank you,” she says, her gaze locking onto mine. “It means a lot to have your support.”

For a moment, we stand there, the noise of the ballroom fading into the background. I’m struck by the depth in her eyes, the unspoken stories they hold. She’s been through hell and back—part of it due to me—yet she stands here, a pillar of strength.

Does she remember what we shared?

What we said to each other?

Is her heart breaking like mine is in this moment—this moment when we must pretend to be mere acquaintances?

“I have to admit,” I say, leaning in slightly, “I’m impressed by what you’ve accomplished. The foundation, your journey… It’s inspiring.”

Her smile widens, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “That means a lot coming from you.”

Does it?

Or is this part of the show?

Before I can respond, an amplified voice interrupts us.

“May I have your attention please.”

I look toward the front of the ballroom where a man stands at the podium. Raven’s father, Austin Bellamy, dressed like the Texas rancher he is. At first glance, his black tuxedo and crisp white shirt seem like normal cocktail attire, but the bolo tie with the turquoise gemstone slide shows his roots.

“Thank you all for coming this evening to our gala in support of my daughter’s new foundation, Raven’s Wings. We won’t take up a lot of your time, but it’s only proper that the founder herself say a few words. Come on up here, sweetheart.”

Raven waves to me and makes her way through the crowd to step up to the microphone. The room falls silent, all eyes on her.

“Good evening, everyone,” she begins, her voice clear and strong. “Thank you all for being here tonight and for supporting the Raven’s Wings Foundation for the research and treatment of blood cancers. This foundation is incredibly personal to me, and I’d like to share a bit of my story with you.” She pauses and scans the room. “A few years ago, I was diagnosed with leukemia. It was the most terrifying moment of my life. The uncertainty, the pain, the endless treatments—it was a battle I wasn’t sure I could win. At first, I was overwhelmed by fear and despair. The thought of losing my life, of leaving my loved ones behind, haunted me day and night.”

The audience is silent, hanging on her every word.

“I remember the nights spent in the hospital, staring at the ceiling, wondering if I would ever see another sunrise. Each day was a struggle, not just physically but emotionally and mentally. The treatments were brutal. There were days I couldn’t get out of bed, days I wanted to give up. But through it all, I found strength in the love and support of my family. They were my rock, my reason to keep fighting.”

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >74

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Seductive Sin (Bellamy Brothers #3) Read Online Helen Hardt http://www.ilovenovels.com/seductive-sin-bellamy-brothers-3-read-online-helen-hardt Fri, 15 Mar 2024 06:57:11 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/seductive-sin-bellamy-brothers-3-read-online-helen-hardt Genre: Alpha Male, Erotic, Mafia, Suspense Authors: Helen Hardt Series: Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt
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Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >71

Enter a world of mystery, suspense, sin, and heart-wrenching emotion with Helen Hardt’s new series!

They’re drawn into a world of seductive sin…
Savannah Gallo sacrificed herself to save her lover and is now imprisoned inside an opulent mansion belonging to a rival crime family. Despite the confining walls, her spirit remains unbroken. She’s nothing if not resilient, and she’s determined to use every ounce of her strength and cunning to outwit her captor.
In prison, Falcon Bellamy mastered the art of survival, and he refuses to surrender the woman he loves without a fight. After enlisting his ex-Navy SEAL friend, he goes after Savannah with precision and determination.
But Savannah’s captor is also determined. She must face some harsh truths about her family—secrets and betrayals more complex than she ever imagined that put both her and Falcon’s lives in danger.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

SAVANNAH

“You’re not coming anywhere near me!” I glance around quickly, looking for something, anything, to use as a weapon.

I pick up the Jane Austen I was reading, using it as a shield.

“Put that down, Savvy,” Miles says. “Eat your damned dinner. I can’t have you fainting from hunger.”

He’s right. I can’t faint. I want to be completely conscious for whatever he has in mind for me. If I’m unconscious, I can’t fight back.

“Eat,” he says again.

I take the tray and set it on the small table in the living area.

A fork.

Good.

And a spoon.

No knife.

The salmon is flaky and doesn’t require a knife. Not that he would have given me one anyway.

I force myself to ingest the food. All of it. And the water.

I rise. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

He blocks the door to the bedroom. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“Would you rather I piss on you?”

I regret my words as soon as I say them. With my luck, I just turned Miles on with that threat.

“Fine. Go.”

I head into the bathroom and close the door.

Of course there’s no lock.

And of course he can see everything I’m doing anyway.

Fucking cameras.

Is it really that important to watch me take a crap?

But I’m glad I ate the food. Already I’m feeling stronger. Healthier.

I made a deal, and I’ll see it through, but I won’t make this easy or enjoyable for him.

Then I laugh out loud.

Enjoyable for him? He’s already enjoying this. Whether I lie like a dead fish or fight him to the end, he’ll enjoy it. He’ll get off.

I flush the toilet and look in the mirror once more. My skin is pale, my hair is stringy, and the anxiety of the last several hours is imprinted deeply into my eyes.

I see myself as whoever is watching me sees me.

A pawn.

A weakling.

A mere thing.

I can’t escape. I made my choice.

I chose the wellbeing of Falcon over my own.

And as much as I hate what’s about to happen to me, I can’t bring myself to regret it.

I leave the bathroom, enter the bedroom⁠—

Miles is there already, standing by the bed, naked, his hard cock jutting out and ready.

I swallow, forcing the food to remain in my stomach.

I lie on the bed, and he lifts my satin gown over my hips, hovers over me, his face menacing.

“Tonight you’re mine, Savannah Gallo. Welcome to hell.”

1

FALCON

In every prisoner’s life there’s that one day they can recall that changed everything. That put them on a different path.

For me it was the day Zion came to my cell block.

Zion, I knew, would be trouble.

Different from the way Fletcher or Bruno had been trouble for me.

It only took me that one time in the cafeteria to get Fletcher in line, and Bruno? After I freed Tommy Ortiz from his tyranny, he stayed in line as well.

But Zion…

The first day I saw him, I knew.

He was as burly as they come, solid muscle, but a good five inches shorter than I was.

Already I saw it in him. Small man’s complex. He’s the guy who has to exert his dominance over everyone to compensate for his lack of height.

He had a shock of sandy brown hair, and a nearly pretty face—one that would’ve made him a target if he weren’t so burly.

You can tell a lot by how a man walks. Especially on the inside.

A lot of new prisoners come in with a hunched posture, which doesn’t bode well for them. Those who can come in while walking upright with a straight back are trying to look brave so they won’t be a target.

They walk briskly, swinging their arms freely. They look straight ahead while not making eye contact with anyone.

If they’re good at this act, they won’t see a lot of trouble in prison.

These are the guys that fly under the radar, are left alone.

The ones who look at the ground, shoulders slumped—those are the targets. The ones whose screams I try to ignore at night. The ones for whom prison is a whole different experience.

But then there are those like Zion.

Those who come in walking upright, a slow even gait, and they look everyone—everyone—in the eye.

The kind that assesses everyone with a single glance. Separating the strong from the weak. Ready to assert dominance over the situation, whatever it may be.

That was Zion.

He walked past Bruno, eyeing him. And then past Fletcher, who is bigger than I am.

Until he got to me.

He looks me up and down, his gaze taking in everything about me. Judging me. Sizing me up as a competitor. I curl my hands into fists, my gaze never wavering from his.

I look him in the eye. Always in the eye. These criminals only take about a millisecond to respond to that split-second you take your attention away from them.

I don’t speak to him.

I don’t speak to anyone until they speak to me. It’s kind of my calling card.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >71

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Sweet Sin (Bellamy Brothers #2) Read Online Helen Hardt http://www.ilovenovels.com/sweet-sin-bellamy-brothers-2-read-online-helen-hardt Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:56:23 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/sweet-sin-bellamy-brothers-2-read-online-helen-hardt Genre: Alpha Male, Erotic, Suspense Authors: Helen Hardt Series: Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt
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Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 71312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >68

Enter a world of mystery, suspense, sin, and heart-wrenching emotion with Helen Hardt's new series!She's his sweet sin...Ex-convict Falcon Bellamy served eight years for a crime he didn't commit. Once he was free, he wasted no time hopping into bed with his parole officer. She was the salve he needed to soothe the demons from his incarceration and the worry for his sister who's fighting a life-threatening disease.But sweet Savannah Gallo has her own demons.A member of a notorious crime family that robbed her of both her brothers, Savannah tried to leave her past behind. But a rival organization wants her, and they'll stop at nothing. Savannah knows how to fight back, but she has an Achilles' heel, and she's determined to save him from another prison sentence.Falcon is no stranger to sacrifice. He will keep Savannah out of harm's way...and he'll plow through anyone who tries to stop him.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

FALCON

Eight years earlier…

Dad isn’t particularly happy with my plan to join the Navy right out of college. He insisted I build my house on the property, and I did, but the military has always been my dream. My buddy and I have been talking about it since our middle school days. Leif Ramsey and I went to separate colleges, but we stayed in touch, spent our summers together, chasing women and getting drunk. Talking about what we’d do once we joined up.

In two weeks, Mom and I leave for a wine tour of France and Italy. Then, once I’m back, Leif and I are leaving for officer training.

We both want to be Navy SEALs.

We’re both crack shots, but even Leif admits I’m better than he is.

My brother Hawk is a close second.

We like to practice on the edge of the Bellamy property, where the brush of Texas forest meets our ranch land. Hunters come for the mule deer.

An old barn sits right on the edge of our property, built by my grandfather—hell, maybe his grandfather—years and years ago.

We never go in the barn. It should probably be condemned. But there’s a clearing about a quarter mile away that’s excellent for target practice.

Hawk sets up the targets while I load my pistol.

The clouds above us are rolling, and thunder cracks in the distance.

Once the targets are set, Hawk returns, also looking at the sky. “I don’t know, Falcon. Looks like we might get rained on.”

“So then we get wet.”

I line up my target, aim, shoot three bullets in a row dead center.

“You’re good,” Hawk says. “But not as good as I am.”

He aims, shoots three bullets the same as me, right dead center of his own target.

“I always beat you in contests,” I say.

“Yeah? Nothing says I can’t get better.”

Hawk is three years younger than I am, just finished his freshman year of college. I’m not quite ready for him to be as good as I am at anything, but it’s not like I have a fucking choice.

We continue our practice, until lightning strikes close, and thunder cracks right over our heads.

And then the rains come.

As if from nowhere, water falls from the sky, drenching us.

“Fuck.”

“I better get those targets,” he says.

“Leave them. The winds are picking up. This isn’t going to be any run-of-the-mill Texas rainstorm.”

“We’re pretty far from shelter.”

“There’s that old barn. We can go there.”

We set into a run, reaching the old barn in just a few minutes. The door is latched, which is odd.

“Who could have done that?” I ask Hawk once we’re inside, the rain beating like a drum on the old roof.

I look around. Leaks are everywhere.

“Damn,” Hawk says. “This is one hell of a storm.”

“Yeah, I wish we had a tarp.” I walk around, avoiding the leaks, looking for a dry place where we can wait out the storm. I shuffle my feet over the dirt floor, and when I finally find a place that’s pretty much dry, I shuffle my feet again.

“Damn. What’s this?”

Beneath my shoe is a tiny streak of white. I kneel, take a closer look.

Hawk comes up behind me. “Looks like powdered sugar or something.”

I look around. “Yeah…which means it’s not powdered sugar.”

Hawk sits down beside me. “The dirt is a little bit less compact here as well. What the fuck?”

“We don’t have any shovels,” I say.

“Not sure we need them. This dirt is pretty loose.” Hawk begins shoveling the dirt away with his hands.

I join him, and once we get down about a foot, it becomes clear what that white powder was.

There’s a bag of it, and it’s got a tear in it.

“I’ll be god damned,” Hawk says.

Several bags lie underneath the ripped one.

“Is this what I think it is?” Hawk asks.

“Looks like cocaine to me, not that I’d know.” I take a little bit of the powder on my finger, run it across my tongue. “Sure isn’t powdered sugar. It’s bitter as shit.” I spit it out.

“How the hell did it get here? On our property?”

“I don’t have a clue. But I’m betting I know who does.”

Hawk raises his eyebrows? “Eagle? No. I know he’s a little rebel. Youngest kid syndrome and all. But he’s not into drugs, Falcon. None of us have ever been into that.”

“One way to find out,” I say. “We bring him the fuck out here.”

Hawk points to the stash. “What do we do with this in the meantime?”

“We get it the hell off our property for sure.”

“I don’t want to touch the stuff.”

“You think I do? But what happens if some hunter is out here looking for shelter and finds this?”

He nods. “Yeah, you’re right. What do we do? Take it home and flush it?”

“Or take it to the cops.”

“Falcon…”

I shake my head. “Yeah, I know. If Eagle has anything to do with it, then we’re risking him getting arrested.”

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >68

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Savage Sin (Bellamy Brothers #1) Read Online Helen Hardt http://www.ilovenovels.com/savage-sin-bellamy-brothers-1-read-online-helen-hardt Sun, 30 Jul 2023 16:01:22 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/savage-sin-bellamy-brothers-1-read-online-helen-hardt Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Mafia, Novella Authors: Helen Hardt Series: Bellamy Brothers Series by Helen Hardt
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Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 72156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >69

Enter a world of mystery, suspense, sin, and heart-wrenching emotion with Helen Hardt's new series!

In prison, they called him Savage.

Falcon Bellamy spent years locked up for a crime he didn’t commit, which shattered his dream of serving his country as a Navy SEAL. When he's granted early parole to help with a family emergency, he’s determined to reclaim his life. The last thing Falcon wants or needs is a relationship, but when he meets his beautiful parole officer, he knows he's in trouble.

Savannah Gallo is supposed to keep Falcon on the straight and narrow, but she can’t help getting drawn into his brooding darkness and intensity. Her gorgeous parolee is off-limits, but their chemistry proves too explosive to ignore. Between the sheets they can escape the secrets they’re both keeping—secrets that spell danger for them and those they love.

But secrets never stay hidden forever, and when theirs collide, the fallout could be devastating.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

FALCON

The place is a dive.

Funny.

Before, I’d never have considered entering such a bar, but now?

Now, I’m different.

I’ve seen how the other half lives.

I’ve been part of the other half.

And this dive? It called to me, so I went in.

The bar stools are covered in red vinyl, and the one I choose has a couple of rips in it. Seems appropriate. It’s early—only eight p.m.—so there’s no crowd yet, if there ever is one. Maybe these old bars on the edge of towns don’t do much business. Not that I’d know.

A neon Old Milwaukee sign hangs on the wall behind the bar, above the shelves of bottles with names I don’t recognize. Probably all rotgut.

I’m not used to rotgut, but nearly a decade has passed since I’ve tasted alcohol that wasn’t fermented in a toilet tank, so I’m pretty sure the well brands here will taste like fucking Pappy’s.

No one else sits at the bar, but the barkeep on duty—a middle aged woman who seems intent on wiping lowball glasses—doesn’t seem in any hurry to offer me a libation.

I clear my throat. “Ma’am?”

“Be with you in a minute,” she says, her voice low and raspy. A smoker, no doubt.

A couple tables are occupied with young men wearing T-shirts and orange vests. Construction workers, probably, just getting off duty. In the background, headbanger music plays softly over the intercom. Ironic. An old juke sits in one corner, but it’s not lit. Probably just for show. The tables and the bar are crafted from some kind of dark wood. The bar itself is full of scratches and needs revarnishing.

“What’ll it be?” the barkeep finally says to me.

“Bourbon. Neat.”

“You got it. Brand?”

“The shittiest you’ve got.”

She laughs, and it sounds kind of like a frog croaking. “Been that kind of day, huh?”

I look down at the scratched surface of the bar. “You don’t even know.”

She turns, grabs a bottle without a label, and pours a shot into a lowball glass.

“Better make it a double,” I say.

“You got it.”

She adds another fingerful and slides the glass to me, along with a napkin that says “Ruthie’s Roadies” on it.

“You Ruthie?” I ask.

Another low laugh. “Hell, no. I’m Iris. We get these napkins at a discount. Buy up leftover stock from other places.”

“Ah. Got it.” I pick up the glass. Take a sniff. Whew! Harsh stuff. A little woodsy, a touch of caramel, and a whole lot of battery acid.

“What’s your name, cowboy?” Iris asks.

I raise an eyebrow. “Do I look like a cowboy to you?”

She eyes the tats on my knuckles. My shaggy dark hair that nearly touches my shoulders. My black stubble. “Not so much. What are you, then?”

“Not sure.” I shoot the bourbon, letting it crawl down my throat in a slow burn. I slide the glass back to her. “One more.”

She nods, pours me a refill, and hands it back. “You going to tell me your name?”

I hold up my glass, swirl the light brown liquid in the glass, the way I used to swirl wine. I used to appreciate fine wine. My mother taught me about wine when I was sixteen years old. She loves the stuff, used to have it shipped from Napa Valley, Burgundy, Tuscany—you name it—to our Summer Creek, Texas ranch. I enjoyed the stuff, and not just because I was only sixteen and it was a thrill to drink. No. I enjoyed the nuances, the colors and aromas, the flavor as it trickled over my tongue and then the finish as I swallowed. Mom said I had the same knack for wine that she did. We talked about going to Europe on a wine tour once I finished college. We’d planned to do it after graduation and before I joined the Navy with my best friend, Leif.

None of that happened, of course.

It couldn’t.

I polish off the second drink and exhale. “It’s Falcon.”

“Say what?”

“You asked my name. It’s Falcon.”

“You’re shittin’ me.”

“Nope. I’d show you my driver’s license, except I have to get a new one.”

Iris frowns. “No driver’s license? Good thing I didn’t ID you. How’d you get here?”

“Cab.”

“Yeah? What have you been doin’?”

I push the glass toward her, motioning for another. “Time.”

1

SAVANNAH

“Who picked this place?” I ask Gert.

It’s our monthly ladies’ night, and somehow we ended up at this dive with no name somewhere between San Antonio and Summer Creek. It’s picking up now. When we got here ten minutes ago, only a few guys sat at a table and one guy at the bar.

Not that I’m here to meet guys. That’s not what ladies’ night is about. Gert, Jordan, Ashley, and I decided back in college that we wouldn’t lose touch like so many college besties do. Since we all live in the same area, we’ve kept up the monthly tradition of ladies’ night for six years now. Sure, we’ve missed a few months here and there, but for the most part we’ve been good about keeping the date.

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