Monster: A Seven Sinners Novel

by A G Henderson

  He wasn’t the least bit concerned.

  Rocco was the first within range, and within moments that both went on too long and went by too fast, Monster showed every one of us how he’d earned his namesake.

  I’d seen fighters of all shapes and sizes; each of them with their own methods and styles. Weaknesses and strengths. But I had never seen anyone fight like he did.

  A punch came right for his face. Instead of dodging or blocking, Monster stepped into the blow and let it glance harmlessly off his shoulder before grasping the arm that had been offered to him.

  Without a shred of hesitation or pity, he broke the arm over his knee with enough force that I saw a flash of white bone poke through the skin. All at once, Rocco was screaming at the top of his lungs and falling to the ground.

  His screams were joined by a chorus of others bearing witness to pure violence given shape and form.

  Jesus. I lifted a hand to cover my mouth in a combination of shock and awe. Monster had made that look as easy as snapping a piece of straw. How strong was this guy?

  Heedless of the fate their downed friend had suffered, the other three Vipers came in close. I was already wincing before the next one—a tough-looking guy with a buzz cut—stepped within range.

  They were too close together.

  Operating out of panic and rage instead of any real tactics.

  I wasn’t the only one who realized it.

  Monster moved into their midst; a machine born of violence that could grind the very world to dust. He dipped his shoulder into the chest of Buzz Cut and went for Baseball Hat instead.

  The smaller man’s eyes widened, and he tried to backpedal from the enormous hands reaching out towards him.

  Too late.

  Too damn late.

  Monster caught him by the neck and pulled him in close, smashing his forehead into the other man’s nose. Cartilage snapped and the man’s howl was that of a trapped, wounded animal.

  The volume of his cry went up another several notches when Monster delivered a crushing kick to Baseball Hat’s knee that sent it in the opposite direction it was meant to be.

  Beside me, someone retched, dropping to their hands and knees. I should have joined them. The milkshake sitting in my stomach was starting to curdle and rebel. If only I could manage to look away.

  Part of me was horrified. That part wanted to turn tail, run the hell away, and never look back. That part was coming face to face with the idea that this was only one Sinner facing off against three men who didn’t look like pushovers.

  Except two of them were already on the ground, their fighting days likely behind them.

  Wounds like he had given out? They weren’t quick recoveries. If either of those two could use those limbs again with any real effectiveness, I would be surprised.

  Then there was the other part of me. The one that knew what it was like to fight with everything I had. To rend, tear, and claw at anything that might stand in the way of what I needed to achieve. That part was more than a little bloodthirsty, a whole lot interested in seeing this tabloid of carnage play out, and very, very turned on.

  My nipples were hard enough I could feel them brushing against the fabric of my sports bra with every breath. What started as a pool of heat between my legs was now a boiling ocean, blanketing me in the fog of lust and desperate need. I clenched my thighs together, trying in vain to soothe the desperate ache throbbing and making itself known.

  Fighting had often been compared to fucking. I had enough experience in both areas to confirm there was truth to the saying.

  A man like that…

  Brutal and relentless and overwhelmingly efficient.

  What would he be like in bed?

  What would it be like to have all that ferocity moving between my thighs? I imagined it would be something close to seeing two storm cells come together. Terrible yet beautiful in their sheer, destructive nature.

  Would I survive without falling to pieces?

  Would I want to?

  A pained moan had me shaking my head, clearing those ridiculous images from my brain as fast as I could. The third man was down, and his jaw…

  Jesus.

  Whatever Monster had done, the last Viper was going to need a straw if he planned on eating in the foreseeable future.

  Monster turned around, massive chest rising and falling with each breath. He was covered in a light sheen of sweat, and yes, he was one of those men who glistened after physical exertion.

  His blonde hair fell to one side while his lips curved in a cruel grin. He raised his arms, spinning in a slow circle. A gladiator of old brought to the modern-day for the entertainment of the devil himself.

  For all of Nikolai’s boasting and threats, I was sure no one missed the fact that he didn’t send anyone else into the ring.

  Which meant—

  “You,” Monster said, pointing right at me. His eyes glowed with pleasure and I trembled, wanting to launch myself at him just as much as I wanted to fall to my knees and unbuckle his pants. “You’re the Queen around here?”

  I wasn’t confused about whether or not I had any real allies inside this place. The people around me were acquaintances at most. But they did cheer for me twice a week. Clap me on the back. Help me bandage myself when I was hurt.

  So, I was very aware of how no one spoke up or tried to come between me and this imposing figure who had wiped the floor with three grown men like they were child’s play.

  Even Micah remained somewhere behind me, silent.

  That one had a bit of extra sting to it, but I brushed it aside for later.

  When I didn’t respond, Monster growled and stalked forward. The crowd around me shifted back, creating more space. I was getting serious King Kong vibes here, and I was also getting the feeling no one was going to come to my rescue if he ascended a skyscraper with me tucked in one huge hand.

  Finding my voice, and a healthy dose of attitude, I folded my arms across my chest. I tried to ignore the way his eyes dropped to my breasts and stayed there for a moment before slowly tracing up my throat. My pulse throbbed in time with the ache between my legs, and I swear he could see the flutter beneath my skin when I swallowed, throat working.

  “What do you want, Sinner?” My tone was even with just enough bite. A bit breathier than I would’ve liked, but beggars trying to avoid being turned into Josie-shaped pancakes couldn’t be choosers.

  I liked my arms, and knees, and most parts of my body, thank you very much. And I was not even getting ready to listen to the cavewoman part of my brain that was super into this dude and his display of raw, primal masculinity.

  She was getting shoved firmly into the backseat where she could grunt and salivate without affecting my actions.

  Monster stopped in front of me, wide shoulders blocking most of my vision. I stared at the tattoo on his chest, gripping my arms tighter to keep from reaching out and tracing the clean lines. Now that I had a closer look, I was certain it was the largest tattoo I had ever seen in person. The entire thing stretched from just below his collarbones all the way down to his waist.

  Speaking of his waist…

  Goodness gracious, those abs. Did I have any dirty laundry with me? This was the perfect time to test the washboard theory. Eight perfect, rippling blocks led my eyes towards the V cut that dipped below his waistline.

  And I wasn’t going to get started on the bulge because drooling in front of these people who were supposed to respect and maybe even fear me seemed like a bad idea.

  “I’m shutting you down,” Monster rumbled. His angry voice was the flash of fangs in the dark, headed straight for the jugular.

  Yeah, I arched my neck a bit. Concussion. Give me a pass here.

  “Is that so?” I kicked sawdust across his boots, just because. “You and what army?”

  He stepped closer still, forcing me to tip my head back to keep his face in view. I could smell him now. A tempting mix of fresh sweat and lavender. Each inhale was like taking a
hit from the world’s most potent joint, and my lids briefly fluttered before I started holding my breath as much as I could.

  “I don’t need an army,” he said, bending at the waist. He placed his lips beside my ear and whispered, “I am the army, pussycat. I’m the battering ram and the invading force. The usurper and the victor. Your castle and your kingdom are already mine. I’m just waiting for you to realize it.”

  I stepped back, breaking our connection. Standing too close to him was dangerous in and of itself. It was like being stuck in the gravity well of some unknown planet and steadily being pulled towards the surface.

  “But now that I’ve made an impression,” he added, sea-blue eyes flashing. “I’m willing to make a deal.”

  Nikolai stormed into the ring behind me, but I noticed that he didn’t come that close. “You’re only one man,” the angry Russian spat. “You think you come here and make demands because you beat punks? Blyat!”

  Monster raised his eyes above my head, and my knees almost gave out the moment he released me from that stare of his. I tipped to the side a bit, but his hand was there.

  Catching me with ease.

  Keeping me upright.

  Detonating tiny grenades of pleasure throughout my body as his calloused palm rasped briefly over my bare arm.

  Then his hand dropped, and I discreetly bit down on my tongue to try and find some balance, both metaphorical and literal. Falling over my own two feet would do nothing for my credibility. Which I needed if I was going to keep making money here.

  Monster stepped around me, and I took in a greedy gulp of air not stained with his scent. “You have two choices,” he said firmly. “First, I take your Queen and the rest of you scatter, never to be seen or heard from again. Second, I take your Queen and you refuse to scatter. At which point I will personally make sure you are never seen or heard from again. Do I make myself clear?”

  Despite the seriousness of the situation, a grin curved my lips.

  What a piece of work.

  Did he really think I was going anywhere with him after watching him brutalize the men still crawling around on the floor?

  Nikolai cursed, accent coming in thicker. “You fucking with me now, Sinner? Those are same things.”

  Monster hummed, and my core buzzed, making me sink my teeth into my lip.

  “Maybe you should clean your ears,” he said. “One of those options is very different from the other, because it ends with you alive. But please, go with the second one. Make my fucking year.”

  Nikolai cursed again, this time in his native tongue. I could easily picture the veins in his forehead throbbing with anger. It was time for me to intervene before he did something stupid that we could never take back.

  I knew both him and Bruno were armed. Weapons weren’t allowed during the fights, but it only made sense for the ring leaders organizing the flow of cash to make sure no one could get the jump on them. Monster was a badass, but bullets beat fists at the draw every time.

  Except that would only complicate things.

  And by complicate, I meant that going down that route would put a flashing, neon target above the heads of everyone here. A target that would never dull or fade until we were buried in the dirt.

  One dead Sinner, and occupied elsewhere or not, Creed would call in the scariest killers he had on hand. He would become Death, and his horsemen would ride each of us down until his retribution had been carried out.

  No thanks. I had other things to do that didn’t involve being six feet under. Assuming they even took the time to bury us when they were done.

  Assembling imaginary bricks to prop my courage as high as it could possibly go, I grabbed Monster’s arm and turned him towards me. To be fair, I mostly tugged at him. He was nice enough to turn, seeing as how there was no way I could’ve moved him otherwise.

  I let go quickly, wiping my palm on my jean to get rid of those stupid tingles that were back in full force. And what was going on with my stomach? Why did a whole hive of bees stir deep in my belly when those fathomless eyes drank me in?

  “Look,” I said, running my tongue over my teeth. “I’m sure we can negotiate something. Do you want a cut?” Making the concession burned, but losing something was better than losing all of it. “We can pay, and agree to stay out of your way if—”

  “No,” he cut me off with a mean smile. “I gave my offer already, and received nothing but animosity. What a terrible way to treat your guests, by the way. So here’s the newest deal, and the only one I’m going to give you.”

  Monster dropped his voice so only I could hear. “Either you come with me, or people start dying. Starting with him.” His finger lifted, pointing into the crowd.

  With a creeping sense of dread, I followed the direction he was indicating. For some reason, I wasn’t surprised to find Micah on the other end. Face tight with concern, he mouthed something when he realized I was looking his way, but I didn’t have time to make it out.

  A lump the size of a small country rose in the back of my throat. “You’re bluffing,” I croaked.

  The violent Sinner didn’t respond. Not with words, in any case.

  He simply blinked at me and stalked towards Micah.

  Towards one of the few people who had been fairly decent to me.

  This wasn’t happening.

  I was not being blackmailed right now.

  At any moment, I was going to wake up and realize Monster wasn’t almost on top of his target.

  At any moment, I was going to sit up in bed, throw the covers off, and that giant hand reaching out would vanish into the figment of my imagination that it was.

  Except no matter how hard I pinched myself—not even when blood started to flow beneath my nails—nothing changed.

  None of this went away.

  I was trapped in this nightmare, and also the only person who could stop it.

  If I dared to.

  There’s still time to get away.

  That voice of self-preservation was absolutely right.

  I instinctively knew where my duffel bag was. I could grab it and bolt. Do what I’d considered earlier and leave this town behind. There would be no murderous giant who wanted me for himself and probably wanted to do awful, terrible things to me.

  There would be no one on my trail. If there was one thing I was good at, it was disappearing. I could collect Mom and we could start over.

  The only thing it would cost me was the life of someone I considered a friend, even if he had just pussied out on me big time.

  Easy choice.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Monster

  Her voice rang out, strong and sure, a moment before my grip closed around the man’s neck. “Stop.”

  The sound of her agreement was music to my fucking ears, but it wasn’t enough. Something about her called to me. We were alike in more ways than she would probably care to admit. There was a beast curled up beneath her skin as well.

  How could I tell?

  Call it animal instinct. Or simply an innate ability to determine who was the predator and who was prey.

  Watching her walk through the crowd earlier?

  Seeing how people either moved out of her way or turned and genuflected themselves in greeting?

  Predator. All the fucking way.

  Even standing near her had been enough to make the itch beneath my skin subside. Interacting with her was like constantly fighting the battle my soul craved. I could only imagine how heavenly that battle would feel between the sheets.

  Assuming we made it to an actual bed.

  Those perky breasts?

  That shapely ass?

  That long, honey-blonde braid of hair falling down her back? The one I could already imagine twisting in my grip while I pounded into her tight heat from behind?

  There was no guarantee I wouldn’t be inside this woman the moment I finished dealing with these bothersome ants. Fuck, we were far enough on the outskirts of town that I debated how practical it would be
to take her right in the nearby woods.

  But I was getting ahead of myself, and deviating from Creed’s initial request. He’d told me to handle this thing however I wanted. I didn’t think that included taking a prize for myself.

  Would he care or be opposed?

  Did I give a shit about whether or not he had an issue?

  Fuck to the no.

  And even if he did, those were problems for another day.

  I grabbed the nervous-looking man in front of me by his scrawny neck and squeezed, flashing a sharp grin at the fear in his expression.

  He grabbed my arm, trying to pry me off. Pointless.

  My grip was reinforced with sheer will and more strength than he had in his entire boy. Nothing short of a miracle would make me let go.

  His face turned red as oxygen became scarce, but I was only half-focused on him. I was waiting for Josie’s reaction, and she didn’t make me wait long.

  A blow to the back of my knee sent me dropping into a crouch with a grunt. I brought Micah with me, never letting go. She came around to my front and whipped her fist into the side of my jaw.

  Impact.

  My head jolted to the side and I tasted blood in my mouth. Shifting my jaw around, I let a deep chuckle rumble from the depths of my chest. I spit red on the ground and smiled at her with bloody teeth. Still, my grip was relentless, and Micah was turning an unhealthy shade of purple.

  Her eyes went wide and her stance shifted, weight going back on one leg. I was tough, accentuated by a healthy dose of crazy that had been building up for years. But I wasn’t completely insane either.

  Getting kicked in the head was no one’s idea of a good time.

  Getting her foot off the floor?

  Well worth pushing her so far.

  Her knee came up and I moved swiftly, releasing the now-coughing simpleton and lunging towards her. My shoulder hit her midsection and then we were heading towards the ground together. I turned us in midair, taking most of the impact while my arms wrapped around her.

  She felt so good pressed against me that I barely even noticed when we hit the floor, sending a cloud of sawdust spraying in every direction. With my attention now occupied, the room was released from the thrall I’d held it in, and I saw people bolting for the doors from the corner of my eye.