Heartless: Merciless Book 2

by Winters, W.

  The sounds of a slap and a grunt mix with a cry of agony. My knees nearly buckle. They’re here.

  I’m too late. No, please no.

  “Fuck you.” I hear a voice I think belongs to one of my cousins and another hard smack as my knuckles go white from gripping the railing.

  I can’t breathe as my bare feet pad on the cold floor and I sneak closer to where the voices are coming from. My heart is beating so loud, I think they’ll hear me.

  How could I have let this happen?

  How could Carter? The thought goes unfinished, but either way, my heart breaks.

  “We’ll take it from here,” I hear Carter’s voice as I see the backs of two men leaving, walking out from an open doorway, and heading to the rear exit. Both dressed in black and carrying guns. Not handguns or pistols, but automatic weapons. I nearly fall backward on my ass trying to take cover in the closest doorway, so I go unseen.

  The sound of metal scraping against the floor can only be guns being kicked away.

  Guns and questioning. It’s an interrogation. My heart races and I struggle with what I can do to stop this.

  “Where is she?”

  Nikolai. I grip the wall, just around the corner from the front room where the voices carry from. The mix of adrenaline, fear, and betrayal riding through my veins in waves and overwhelming my ability to even think.

  “I’ll ask again, nicely. What were your direct orders?” Jase’s voice is cold. Colder and harsher than I ever could have imagined. “Or did you not have any?”

  I can barely breathe and when I do, it sounds so loud. My heart’s beating out of my chest when I peek around the corner, getting low to the ground and praying no one will see me.

  “Did your boss really send you to your death on a whim? Six men against an army?”

  I cover my mouth with both of my hands and nearly fall forward at the sight in front of me as I round the corner, the rushing of my blood drowns out the voices of the interrogation, but the sound of a gun smacking against skin and crashing into bone rings clearly.

  With my eyes shut tightly and a sickness stirring in my stomach, I force my eyes open. I force myself to see everything.

  Nikolai makes up one of the three. The other two are my cousins, Brett and Henry. They’re brothers and years older than me. We’ve shared every holiday. I was a bridesmaid in Brett’s wedding. Every event we’ve been to together for years flashes before my eyes as I see Brett spit blood onto the floor. The left side of his face is already bruised and the black chestplate of his armor is covered in blood.

  My heart squeezes. I don’t want to see this. I can’t. I can’t watch, but I have to do something.

  “We’re not telling you shit,” Brett sneers and Henry struggles next to him. With their wrists bound behind their backs, Henry sways. His right eye is swollen and that’s all I can see, but he’s not well.

  What did they do to you? My heart bleeds at the question.

  Jase and Declan have guns pointed at the back of their heads, with all three of them kneeling in a row in front of them.

  “You want to join your friends sooner, rather than later?” Jase questions them.

  I’ve never felt so betrayed. So sickened. Bile rises in my throat as my gaze drifts across the three men I’ve known all my life so close to their lives being over if only a trigger is pulled.

  “Fuck you,” Nikolai grunts out, pulling my focus to him. Although he stares at Carter with nothing but hate, his eyes show his pain. And it’s my undoing.

  The war has never felt so alive as it does now.

  That’s when I see a light shine, directing my eyes to what matters.

  Carter’s gun is tucked in the back of his pants. It’s staring right at me, the light from the room reflecting on it. And the guns on the floor behind him. Three guns and one I recognize as Nikolai’s.

  He took their guns, he kicked them away from my family. And now they kneel in front of Jase and Declan, waiting for execution. The sound of a gun being cocked pushes me forward and leaves me no choice.

  My hands shake as I crawl toward the guns. One scratches across the floor as I try to pick it up and I know at that point they see me. So, I do the only thing I can.

  I point the gun at the enemy who doesn’t have a gun.

  I stand on weak legs and grip the gun as tightly as I can. Aiming it at the back of Carter’s head. Knowing I’ve made a choice and hating myself for it but fueled by the need to protect my only friend and family.

  “Carter,” I call out his name and feel the eyes of everyone else in the room on me as Carter turns slowly around to face me.

  His eyes flash as he lets out a breath, but he doesn’t retreat, he doesn’t even seem to take me seriously. He looks at me the way you’d look at a child playing dress-up. Non-threatening and as if they’re simply being cute. It cuts me in a way I didn’t think was possible.

  He really cares so little for me. He’s really going to kill them all and expects me to fall in line, obeying and submitting to his every whim.

  As he steps toward me and I pull the trigger back even though my hands tremble, his expression morphs, and the damage I’ve done is so clear to me in this moment. His firm expression of disapproval and irritation changes to one I’ve never seen. A mask of hardness and sharpness that makes his chiseled features look even more dominating and villainous.

  I can hear him breathe as he stops in his tracks. Everything about him is terrifying, save the look in his eyes. Those dark eyes with bright specks of silver still shine with something else. Hope, maybe? But it vanishes when I call out to him, feeling the tightness in my throat and chest squeezing the courage from me. “Let them go,” I force the words out and they come out strong. I don’t know how because at the moment I feel nothing but weak.

  I feel like I failed the boy still hurting inside of Carter. I’ve lost the trust. I can see it as Carter’s eyes glaze over and the darkness overwhelms them. I’ve never hurt so much in my life as I do now, but what else was there for me to do? I’m in a hopeless situation and there’s no possible way for me to win.

  My palms are so hot and tingling with the rush of adrenaline and mix of fear that controls my every move, and I nearly drop the gun but somehow, I hold it steady and keep it pointed on Carter.

  “The girl we’ve all been waiting for,” Carter says without a change in his expression. No arrogant smile. Nothing but a menacing look of hatred and disgust.

  His head tilts and he says a word low and deep in his throat that sends a sickening chill down my spine. “Talvery.”

  TO BE CONTINUED…

  Carter and Aria’s story continues in BREATHLESS!! You don’t want to miss what happens next in this gripping story! Order it now!

  Haven’t read Daniel and Addison’s story? You don’t want to miss out on their heart-wrenching story, Possessive. Keep reading for a sneak peek.

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  Keep reading at the very end for a preview of my USA Today Bestseller, Forget Me Not. Or you can start reading the prequel for FREE by clicking here!

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  W Winters Reading Order

  Sinful Obsessions Series:

  It’s Our Secret - FREE!

  Little Liar

  Possessive

  Merciless

  Standalone Novels:

  Broken

  Forget Me Not

  Sins and Secrets Duets:

  Imperfect (Imperfect Duet book 1)

  Unforgiven (Imperfect Duet book 2)


  Damaged (Damaged Duet book 1)

  Scarred (Damaged Duet book 2)

  Happy reading and best wishes,

  W Winters xx

  Sneak Peek of Possessive

  From USA Today bestselling author W Winters comes an emotionally gripping, standalone, contemporary romance.

  It was never love with Daniel and I never thought it would be.

  It was only lust from a distance.

  Unrequited love maybe.

  He’s a man I could never have, for so many reasons.

  That didn’t stop my heart from beating wildly when his eyes pierced through me.

  It only slowed back down when he’d look away, making me feel so damn unworthy and reminding me that he would never be mine.

  Years have passed and one look at him brings it all back.

  But time changes everything.

  There’s a heat in his eyes I recognize from so long ago, a tension between us I thought was one-sided.

  “Tell me you want it.” His rough voice cuts through the night and I can’t resist.

  That’s where my story really begins.

  Possessive is an emotional, gripping story. Filled with heartache, guilt and longing! Possessive will take you on a journey of obsession and jealousy...it's emotional, raw and captivating. - Beyond The Covers Blog

  Preface

  Addison

  It’s easy to smile around Tyler.

  It’s how he got me. We were in tenth-grade calculus, and he made some stupid joke about angles. I don’t even remember what it was. Something about never discussing infinity with a mathematician because you’ll never hear the end of it. He’s a cute dork with his jokes. He knows some dirty ones too.

  A year later and he still makes me smile. Even when we’re fighting. He says he just wants to see me smile. How could I leave when I believe him with everything in me?

  My friend’s grandmother told me once to fall in love with someone who loves you just a little more.

  Even as my shoulders shake with a small laugh and he leans forward nipping my neck, I know that I’ll never really love Tyler the way he loves me.

  And it makes me ashamed. Truly.

  I’m still laughing when the bedroom door creaks open. Tyler plants a small kiss on my shoulder. It’s not an open-mouth kiss, but still, it leaves a trace on my skin and sends a warmth through my body. It’s only momentary though.

  The cool air passes between the two of us, as Tyler leans back and smiles broadly at his brother.

  I may be seated on my boyfriend’s lap, but the way Daniel looks at me makes me feel alone. His eyes pierce through me. With a sharpness that makes me afraid to move. Afraid to breathe even.

  I don’t know why he does this to me.

  He makes me hot and cold at the same time. It’s like I’ve disappointed him simply by being here. As if he doesn’t like me. Yet, there’s something else.

  Something that’s forbidden.

  It creeps up on me whenever I hear Daniel’s rough voice; whenever I catch him watching Tyler and me. It’s like I’ve been caught cheating, which makes no sense at all. I don’t belong to Daniel, no matter how much that idea haunts my dreams.

  He’s almost twenty and I’m only sixteen. And more importantly, he’s Tyler’s brother.

  It’s all in my head. I tell myself over and over again that the electricity between us is something I’ve made up. That my body doesn’t burn for Daniel. That my soul doesn’t ache for him to rip me away and punish me for daring to let his brother touch me.

  It’s only when Tyler says something to him, that Daniel turns to look at him, tossing something down beside us.

  Tyler’s oblivious to everything happening. And suddenly, I can breathe again.

  My eyelids flutter open, my body hot under the stifling blankets. I don’t react to the memory in my dreams anymore. Not at first. It sinks in slowly. The recognition of what that day would lead to getting heavier in my heart with each second that passes. Like a wave crashing on the shore, but it’s taking its time. Threatening as it approaches.

  It was years ago, but the memory stays.

  The feeling of betrayal, for fantasizing about Tyler’s older brother.

  The heartache from knowing what happened only three weeks after that night.

  The desire and desperation to go back to that point and beg Tyler to never come looking for me.

  All of those needs stir into a deadly concoction in the pit of my stomach. It’s been years since I’ve been tormented by the memories of Tyler and what we had. And by the memories of Daniel and what never was.

  Years have passed.

  But it all comes back now that Daniel's back.

  Chapter 1

  Addison

  The night before

  I love this bar. Iron Heart Brewery. It’s nestled in the center of the city and located at the corner of this street. The town itself has history. Hints of the old cobblestone streets peek through the torn asphalt and all the signs here are worn and faded, decorated with weathered paint. I can’t help but to be drawn here.

  And with the varied memorabilia lining the walls, from signed knickknacks to old glass bottles of liquor, this place is flooded with a welcoming warmth. It’s a quiet bar with all local and draft beers a few blocks away from the chaos of campus. So it’s just right for me.

  “Make up your mind?”

  My body jolts at the sudden question. It only gets me a rough laugh from the tall man on my left, the bartender who spooked me. A grey shirt with the brewery logo on it fits the man well, forming to his muscular shoulders. With a bit of stubble and a charming smirk, he’s not bad looking. And at that thought, my cheeks heat with a blush.

  I could see us making out behind the bar; I can even hear the bottles clinking as we crash against the wall in a moment of passion. But that’s where it would end for me. No hot and dirty sex on the hard floor. No taking him back to my barely furnished apartment.

  I roll my eyes at the thought and blow a strand of hair away from my face as I meet his gaze.

  I’m sure he flirts with everyone. But it doesn’t make it any less fun for the moment.

  “Whatever your favorite is,” I tell him sheepishly. “I’m not picky.” I have to press my lips together and hold back my smile when he widens his and nods.

  “You new to town?” he asks me.

  I shrug and have to slide the strap to my tank top back up onto my shoulder. Before I can answer, the door to the brewery and bar swings open, bringing in the sounds of the nightlife with it. It closes after two more customers leave. Looking over my shoulder through the large glass door at the front, I can see them heading out. The woman is leaning heavily against a strong man who’s obviously her significant other.

  Giving the bartender my attention again, I’m very much aware that there are only six of us here now. Two older men at the high top bar, talking in hushed voices and occasionally laughing so loud that I have to take a peek at them.

  And one other couple who are seated at a table in the corner of the bar. The couple who just left had been sitting with them. All four are older than I am. I’d guess married with children and having a night out on the town.

  And then there’s the bartender and me.

  “I’m not really from here, no.”

  “Just passing through?” he asks me as he walks toward the bar. I’m a table away, but he keeps his eyes on me as he reaches for a glass and hits the tap to fill it with something dark and decadent.

  “I’m thinking about going to the university actually. To study business. I came to check it out.” I don’t tell him that I’m putting down some temporary roots regardless of whether or not I like the school here. Every year or so I move somewhere new … searching for what could feel like home.

  His eyebrow raises and he looks me up and down, making me feel naked. “Your ID isn’t fake, right?” he asks and then tilts the tall glass in his hand to let the foam slide down the side.

  “It isn’t f
ake, I swear,” I say with a smile and hold up my hands in defense. “I chose to travel instead of going to college. I’ve got a little business, but I thought finally learning more about the technicalities of it all would be a step in the right direction.” I pause, thinking about how a degree feels more like a distraction than anything else. It’s a reason to settle down and stop moving from place to place. It could be the change I need. Something needs to change.

  His expression turns curious and I can practically hear all the questions on his lips. Where did you go? What did you do? Why did you leave your home so young and naïve? I’ve heard them all before and I have a prepared list of answers in my head for such questions.

  But they’re all lies. Pretty little lies.

  He cleans off the glass before walking back over and pulling out the seat across from me.

  Just as the legs of the chair scrape across the floor, the door behind me opens again, interrupting our conversation and the soft strums of the acoustic guitar playing in the background.

  The motion brings a cold breeze with it that sends goosebumps down my shoulder and spine. A chill I can’t ignore.

  The bartender’s ass doesn’t even touch the chair. Whoever it is has his full attention.

  As I lean down to reach for the cardigan laying on top of my purse, he puts up a finger and mouths, “One second.”

  The smile on my face is for him, but it falters when I hear the voice behind me.

  Everything goes quiet as the door shuts and I listen to them talking. My body tenses and my breath leaves me. Frozen in place, I can’t even slip on the cardigan as my blood runs cold.