Free Havok: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance by Riley Rollins

nice.
    This is about the last thing I ever expected to happen. Especially on a day like today.
    Brock seems strangely in the past already. I almost feel like there's something wrong with me for not being more upset. But after my cry in the car this afternoon, I haven't felt much. And not in a numb way either. I just feel indifferent to his passing. Maybe a little sad. But only on a human-to-human level.
    A waitress comes to take our order after a few minutes.
    "For you, sir?"
    "Sesame beef, broccoli in garlic sauce, and hot and sour soup to start," says Havok.
    "Yes, sir. For you, miss?" She turns to me and smiles.
    "Just a cup of wonton soup, please."
    Havok gives me an odd look. "You said you were hungry."
    "I am," I say nervously. "I just don't want to put you out." I'm so used to Brock's abuse that I'm practically trained to order the cheapest thing on the menu.
    He shakes his head. "That piece of shit really did a number on you, didn't he?"
    The waitress blushes, and looks away, not knowing how to react.
    I look down in shame. "I guess so."
    Havok watches me for a moment, then turns back to the waitress. "Just double my order."
    "Yes, sir," she says, and shuffles away in a hurry.
    "So," I say quietly, "Did you take care of… you know?"
    I watch his eyes as he answers, and notice that they dart around the room before he answers. "Yeah."
    "Should we... I don't know. Light a candle for him or something?" No matter how bad he was to me, something feels wrong about letting any human die like that.
    Havok looks disgusted. "I said not to bring him up again. He doesn't deserve a damn thing."

18

Havok
    A ll through dinner , I can't help staring at Penny's gorgeous body and her glowing, beautiful face. I want to take her so bad, hard and fast. I want her ass, her lips, her everything.
    But I don't like how her emotions affect me. When she's sad, I feel some alien urge to comfort her. It's dangerous. And I hate hearing talk about her ex-boyfriend. He's nothing but a stain in the sewer now, and that's the only way he should be remembered.
    After our meal, I take her back home. I let her grab a shower, then put her to bed, one hand cuffed tightly.
    I toss and turn all night, thinking of her just a few steps away. It takes all my self-discipline not to slip into her room and have my way with her. I know she'd fuck me just as hard as I'd fuck her.
    But I can't.
    I won't.
    I'm afraid of what it would mean.

19

Penny
    " W ake up , Penny. Rise and shine."
    I force my eyes open, and the morning sunlight stings my eyes. I've been here for almost three weeks now, and we're falling into a routine. Today is a Saturday, which means housework.
    I feel cool air against my midsection, and I realize that my pajamas are almost pulled up to my breasts. Havok's gaze runs down my chest, fixing on my exposed tummy. It's nothing he hasn't seen hundreds of times before. And I don't really mind him looking. It kind of excites me, even though nothing has happened between us and I'm starting to doubt that it will. Still, my instinct is to cover myself up.
    I hook my free fingers under my shirt and pull it down. Goosebumps ripple over my arms and legs, and I wonder if Havok notices. If he does, he gives no indication. He's all business, like he's been since I arrived here.
    "I need you to clean this morning."
    Havok stands over me, working the handcuffs. A moment later, there's a click, and my wrist is free.
    This is how it works now. He keeps me handcuffed in the guest room at night, and during the day I earn my keep by doing housework and occasional cooking.
    The truth is, he's good to me. It's a fair trade-off. But he still refuses to tell me anything more about why I'm here or why I'm in danger. It's getting harder for me to understand what this is all about, why he can't be honest with me, and why he disappears for hours several nights a week. Working at Fascinations . I guess.
    Nevertheless, I get up and do the chores I've been asked to do. I scrub