Sinners' Playground

by Caroline Peckham

  I might have been obsessed with the girl once, but obsession was an ugly friend. And I’d cut off his head many years ago when I’d been incarcerated.

  Juvie had been bearable, but prison had been insufferable. At least until I’d learned to detach and feel nothing but the hollow space in my chest. But it didn’t come without sacrifice. That void in me had deepened, devouring all the good until there was nothing left but darkness and rot. My morals had always been thin, but now they were non-existent. It was funny how quickly loved turned to hate. My adopted brother had disposed of me like decaying fruit, but instead of disappearing like he’d hoped, I’d festered and festered in the dark.

  I wiped the excess ink from the wound and returned to my room, finding Mia coiled in my sheets, her naked body painted in ink, her short, dark hair messed up against the pillows.

  I growled in irritation, stalking toward her and snatching a fistful of her hair to wake her. She gasped as I yanked her head back to look at me, a sneer on my lips that made her throat bob with fear.

  “You don’t sleep in my bed unless I tell you to. Get the fuck back to your own room.”

  She whimpered as I tugged her hair tighter, but she liked that, her eyes brightening at the pain. I yanked her to her feet and she moved into the cage of muscle my body created, pressing her large tits against my chest.

  “Are you going to teach me a lesson, Maverick?” she asked, her long, dark lashes lowering to frame her eyes.

  She had my name inked on the inside of her lip and I leaned down to drive my teeth into it, amused by her worshipping me like I that. If I was a god, I was the dark kind. The kind who drove fear into monsters’ hearts and ate virgins for breakfast.

  There was only one girl I was in the mood to fuck since I’d seen her at The Dungeon, but Mia was a decent substitute. I pushed her onto the bed, turning her over and smacking her bare ass so she cried out for more. I grabbed the back of her neck, forcing her down into the sheets as I dropped over her and spoke in her ear.

  “If I find you here again without my permission, I’ll kill you. Don’t fucking test me,” I snarled and she quivered, grinding her ass into my cock needily.

  I freed my dick, running my hand up and down the tattooed length of it, a vision of rainbow hair wrapped in my fist making me even harder. I put on a condom and fucked Mia in the ass until she was screaming and begging for mercy, planning not to make her come, but she enjoyed this too much. Pain was pleasure to her. And that was fine by me. Because inflicting it was my fucking forte.

  I let her stay when I was done, mostly because the girl was valuable to me and if I drove her away permanently, I’d shoot myself in the foot. She was the stepdaughter of Kaiser Rosewood, a man who currently inhabited a tightly locked down property which I wanted to get into. My first issue was that the manor was on Harlequin territory, so I couldn’t just stroll up there, even if I brought an army of my men with me. It had to be done more subtly than that. If I went to that house, I was leaving with the contents of the crypt. I couldn’t botch the job and risk alerting Kaiser to the value of that place. It was too precious. Because what lay in there could destroy the Harlequins. And help me get my revenge once and for all, even if it took me down with them.

  Mia fell asleep beside me and I turned my back on her, closing my eyes in a bid for sleep to come. But it was never that easy. The nights were where my demons lived. And all that waited for me in the dark was a meeting with them eye to eye.

  “I’ll break you down and build you up into a real man,” Officer White whispered in my ear.

  I was in the trench, or so they called it. It was a maintenance level in the prison where there were no cameras. A place where there weren’t any laws, nothing but me and four animals in the dark.

  “Are you sure you wanna mess with Luther Harlequin’s boy?” Reed chuckled.

  “I’m not his boy,” I bit out.

  “See, I told you,” White said.

  “Is that why you never answer his calls, never see him when he comes to visitation?” Officer Hughes asked. “What happened to make you hate the big man, kid?”

  “What are you, his fucking lap dogs?” I snarled.

  They all laughed. All four of them. I’d thought the other inmates were bad, I’d feared what waited for me when the guards weren’t looking. I’d never even thought to fear what would happen when they were.

  One of them spat on the ground near where I was kneeling and I flinched. I hated that I flinched. I wouldn’t do it again.

  “Yeah, I’m a Harlequin just like your daddy,” Boyd growled and the others laughed again. It was always a cold sound, no humour in it really, just cruelty. They goaded each other until it became a game. And I was their favourite plaything lately.

  “He’s not my father,” I growled, tugging against the handcuffs locking my arms behind my back.

  White kicked me in the jaw and pain splintered through my mouth until I tasted blood. Rage and hate and fear burned a hole in my chest and I cursed them, goading them myself because I knew they wouldn’t stop until they’d had their pound of flesh either way.

  “Hold him down,” White commanded, smoothing back his shiny blonde hair that reminded me all too much of Luther and my brother. He pulled his belt free of its loops and curled it around his fist. “Let’s see how long it takes to break the skin.”

  I reached for my nightstand with a grunt, trying to force back the flashes of memory in my mind that sliced through my head like a knife. I took out the revolver that lay in the drawer and slipped out of bed, heading onto the balcony where the warm night air wrapped around my flesh like it was drawn to the cold in me.

  I emptied the rounds into my hand, placing just one bullet back into the revolver, spinning the cylinder and loading it with a jerk of my wrist. Then I drew in a long and ragged breath before placing the barrel against my temple. The metal was bitingly cold like death itself.

  My heartrate didn’t increase, my breaths coming evenly as I gazed across the water in the direction of Harlequin territory. My old home. My enemies.

  I pulled the trigger with a blind confidence and the click confirmed everything I already knew. Like it did every night. The odds were always the same. Six cylinders, one bullet. I’d done this every night since I’d left prison. And death hadn’t taken me yet. So I knew with an unfaltering certainty that life would reside in my veins until I’d ripped every Harlequin from this world. Death was my only friend. And he’d given me another day. Another chance to make them bleed. And bleed they would.

  I t was late and I was distracting myself from thoughts of Rogue by messing around with my boys. JJ had made sangrias and I swear him and Chase were trying to drink each other under the table. I’d decided to remain sober since Rogue’s tracker had gone offline and she hadn’t responded to any of my texts. If it wasn’t for JJ and Chase insisting I give her space, I’d have tracked her ass down by now and she’d be firmly in my sights. But as I was trying this new thing called being ‘reasonable’, I’d promised myself I’d give it until two am before I went hunting. Just fifteen more minutes though and I’d be out looking, so she’d better hide well if she didn’t want me to find her. I had the willpower of an army of men, but when it came to her I was rendered weak. Because it was her. And that was really all there was to it.

  Chase’s phone kept blowing up and I finally swiped it up and muted it. Rosie Morgan kept calling and Chase kept ignoring her. It was irritating as fuck.

  “At least text her to shut her up.” I tossed the phone at Chase who sat across the table from me on the patio.

  He caught it and switched it off. “Problem solved.”

  “You’re such an asshole,” JJ said as he dropped down beside him, dripping wet from his dip in the pool. “Just cut her off if you don’t wanna fuck her anymore.”

  “Yeah, the girl annoys the fuck out of me anyway so you’d be doing me a favour,” I said. I’d already banned her from being around when I was there. Her voice made my brain hurt.
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  “She’s less annoying with my cock in her mouth,” Chase reasoned, lighting up a cigarette. “And I kinda enjoy seeing how long I can keep her quiet for. Though when she comes it’s like a siren going off.”

  “I know, man, I heard her when you fucked her in the restroom at that club on New Year’s.” JJ tipped his head back and started doing an impression. “Chasey, Chasey-pie! Oh surf and turf me!” He made a noise like a sealion, clapping his hands and bouncing in his seat and Chase roared a laugh while I chuckled.

  “Dude, I thought she was right in front of me for a second,” Chase said. “But you can’t exactly complain about the noise after that fucking sex contest you held in the room next to me in that hotel we stayed in in Lantern Bay. It sounded like you were fucking a whole pod of dolphins.”

  I chuckled. I had a strict no orgies rule in the house which had had to be implemented because when JJ and Chase got drunk together, shit got weird. But so long as they kept their weird elsewhere, I didn’t give a fuck.

  JJ smirked. “I just had to know if I could make an entire bridal party come in under an hour. The bride was a squealer. And I did her twice ‘cause I’m generous like that.”

  I swiped up my phone, checking it again, my mind stuck on the only girl in the world I gave a fuck about. And I happened to give all my fucks about this one.

  “Still haven’t heard from her then?” Chase asked me and I shrugged, tossing my phone from one hand to the other. “She’s probably gone forever then.”

  “Shut up, man,” JJ shoved him in the face as I glared at him.

  My phone rang and I answered it before I even checked the caller ID. “Hey, where are you?”

  “What’s it to you?” a deep male voice came down the line and I cursed internally, jamming my thumb on the speaker phone so JJ and Chase could hear.

  “Shit, hey Dad,” I said.

  “Who were you expecting?”

  “Just a girl,” I muttered, pushing a hand into my hair as I shared a look with the guys. Telling Rogue that Luther Harlequin was dead hadn’t exactly been the smartest move, considering she was gonna find out we’d lied one way or another. But I couldn’t have her running off again because of him. I could handle my dad. I just needed to figure out how to unfuck the situation first. Because by Harlequin law, he was bound to kill Rogue if she ever came back to town. But I wasn’t some kid anymore. He’d left me in charge of Sunset Cove. It was mine to rule. So my word meant something to him now. But that didn’t mean he was going to forget about the code either.

  “How’s it going in Sterling?” I asked to change the subject.

  Dad rarely came back to town these days. He was running a bigger division of the Harlequins up in Highbridge County, claiming new territory and pushing back our rivals The Dead Dogs. We’d brokered peace with them several years back, but since some asshole Shawn Makenzie had taken over, he’d started fighting to claim territory from us again. I’d thought he was just some redneck nobody up until the day he and his gang had killed eleven of our men, ripped out their goddamn insides and written his gang name in their blood right on the fucking street. Dad was dealing with the brunt of his shit. He hadn’t attempted to claim any of my turf down here yet, but we were ready for when he did. I had my men recruiting left, right and centre, and if he wanted a war, he’d picked the wrong fucking crew to come at.

  “Shawn took a hit last night. We drove the message home good, but the fucking scumbag isn’t giving up easy. If he moves south, I need you on standby,” Dad said.

  “We can handle him,” I growled. “Do you want me to come up there?” I asked, though the thought of leaving Rogue behind pained me. But I had duties I couldn’t ignore, and if Dad needed more men on the front line, I’d be the first to fucking volunteer.

  “No, boy,” he growled and I hated that he still called me that. “How’s Sunset? Has Maverick cooled off yet?”

  JJ rolled his eyes and I had to agree with that. My dad did not get the fucking message that Maverick was a turncoat psycho who was never coming home. He still held onto the hope that I could bring the asshole to heel, whatever the fuck that meant. Maverick had never been tame, but Dad didn’t seem to remember things right.

  “He’s our enemy,” I hissed. “Him and his gang killed eight of our men the other day. He cut off John Merkle’s head.”

  “Ah shit,” Dad sighed. “Merkle won’t easily be replaced.”

  “Is that all you give a shit about?” I demanded.

  “Maverick’s just having a tantrum. He was always like that as a kid.”

  “It’s been ten years,” I said in exasperation, biting down on my tongue. “One of these days, either I’ll end up dead or he will.” I could taste blood in my mouth and realised I’d bitten too hard.

  “Yeah, which is why I’m getting tired of how long it’s taking to broker peace with him,” Dad said in a gruff tone that made my heart pound. Luther was the scariest motherfucker in the pacific west, but I wasn’t some child he could boss around anymore. My reputation was as fierce as his these days and I wasn’t going to listen to this bullshit.

  “He’s a dead man,” I snarled.

  “He’s your brother,” Dad pushed. “We’re fucking family. Harlequins don’t kill Harlequins.”

  “He’s a Damned Man,” I snapped, my blood heating. “He started this war, but I’ll put an end to it with a bullet in his skull.”

  “Watch your mouth, son,” Dad warned. “You kill him and there’ll be consequences.”

  “You’re fucking delusional,” I snapped. “He’s not the kid you brought up, why don’t you come on down here and see how quickly he points a gun at your head?” I said heatedly, while JJ and Chase shared a look. But I knew my dad wouldn’t really come down here anytime soon. And even if he did, I’d have good warning. I’d hide Rogue before he got within ten miles of Sunset Cove.

  “He’s lost his way,” Dad pushed, his sharp tone saying he wasn’t going to be talked around on this. I’d already tried a hundred times anyway, I didn’t know why I still bothered. But sooner or later, he was gonna have to face a dead Maverick or a dead me. I couldn’t see it ending any other way.

  “God, if that fucking girl hadn’t messed up all your heads, I wouldn’t have to deal with this bullshit,” Dad muttered and a blade of ice twisted in my chest.

  “Well I could say the same about you sending Maverick to prison,” I spat and arctic silence fell on the line.

  I remembered the day Rick had been taken away as vividly as if it was etched behind my eyes. I’d thought losing Rogue had broken my heart as deeply as possible, but it turned out there had been more pieces waiting to shatter. My adopted brother had been sent down for killing Axel and I’d had to tell him I couldn’t help. Look him in the eye and let the cops drag him away. I’d been angry at him for risking Rogue’s life by searching for her even after Dad had threatened to kill her if we dared try. But that anger would have passed. He had still been my brother back then. And I knew I’d let him down, but fuck, there hadn’t been another option. Even if I’d given him an alibi for Axel’s murder or offered to take the fucking prison sentence myself, my dad already had every cop in town in his pocket. The deal was done. I couldn’t have changed it any easier than I could have torn down the sky that day. I knew he’d be angry when he got out of prison, but I’d never expected…

  I pressed my fingers into my eyes, banishing the ghosts of my past. It was far too late for regrets and guilt now. Maverick had changed. He wasn’t my brother. He was my enemy. And I had the scars to prove it.

  “Well maybe that bitch of yours shouldn’t have killed one of my men,” Dad scoffed and the word bitch made my hackles rise and my teeth grit. “Anyway, I don’t wanna talk about some long forgotten ghost, I’m calling about the Torres deal. They wanna run a trial with us. We need to shift a hundred kilos in the next couple of weeks and I want the shipment to come into the marina. I want you to make arrangements to collect it. You’ll need a van and a few strong men there ne
xt Thursday at three am.”

  “Got it,” I said curtly, shifting my mind onto business. “I’ll get Pascal to store it. Have you got buyers?”

  “Not yet, I’m working on it. I’ll call soon.”

  “Alright.”

  “Love you, kid.” He hung up before I replied because I never said it back and he hated that. I’d stopped saying it the same day he sent Rogue away.

  Sometimes I was pretty fucking sure I hated him, other times I was indifferent, and once in a blue moon, I missed him.

  “Rogue is gonna castrate us when she finds out we lied about Luther being dead,” JJ said, miming chopping off his own balls.

  “I don’t think we can piss her off any more than we already have,” Chase commented with a shrug.

  “She’ll get over it,” I said firmly. “We have to figure out how to handle it first.”

  “And what if she like…I dunno, asks anyone in town about him?” JJ frowned.

  “Why would she?” I asked, though I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t considered it. It hadn’t exactly been planned, I’d just spur of the moment lied and that was that. “Just keep it locked down until we can figure out a way to deal with it.” I pushed out of my seat, tucking my phone into my jeans’ pocket.

  “Where are you going?” Chase frowned and JJ cocked his head.

  “He’s going Rogue stalking,” JJ said with a knowing smirk and I shrugged as I headed past them.

  “Night assholes,” I called.

  “Bring her home safe,” JJ laughed.