Dirty

by Ella Miles

  “Nina! Eden! We need to go!” I shout.

  But they keep running forward. Searching for their loves, the one person who makes this world worth it.

  I cough again and know I’m going to have to start dragging them out of here. I will if I have to.

  “Gia!” Nina screams.

  I run to her and see Arlo passed out on the floor with a bullet in his leg.

  Shit.

  Nina examines him quickly, but there doesn’t seem to be any other issues.

  I slap him hard, trying to get him to wake up.

  He startles.

  “Get him out of here! I’ll get Eden,” I shout and run over to Eden, hoping she’s found Matteo.

  Nina nods and pulls Arlo up to his feet. They will make it. Now I need to find Eden and Matteo.

  “Eden!” I shout.

  I run as I see her through the smoke.

  I stumble, though, as someone grabs my ankle.

  “Clive,” I say through a cough.

  “I knew you would die here,” he says.

  “No, you will die here,” I say, ripping my leg from his grasp.

  I cough again, and I know if I don’t want his words to be true then I need to get out. Now.

  I run to where I last saw Eden and find her clutching Matteo’s hand.

  We don’t have time. The smoke and flames are closing in, but I won’t leave my brother here. Even if he’s already dead.

  Without a word, Eden and I scoop under each of his arms and start dragging him out. It takes everything out of us to get him out. We all collapse onto the ground as our home behind us goes up in flames. We may have saved everyone we care about, but the house is gone.

  I turn my attention to Matteo, who is starting to cough. Arlo is standing next to Nina. I run back to check on Caspian.

  He smiles at me when he sees me approaching and sits up in the SUV.

  “You save the day?” he asks.

  I grin and kiss him firmly on the lips.

  I climb into the back with him, holding him tight as we watch the house burn and my brothers and their wives slowly approaching. We’re all wounded, but I have no doubt we will all survive and be stronger than ever.

  Everyone is free. Erick and Clive will go down with the house. And we are all free of our pasts.

  Nina and Arlo stop in front of the car. Matteo and Eden limp up. We all need to get to a hospital. But we all watch for a moment as our pasts die with the flames.

  “What now?” Nina asks.

  “Hospital,” Eden answers.

  “That’s not what I meant,” Nina says, glancing back at me. In fact, everyone is staring at me. Knowing how much I wanted this house back. Everyone else wanted it gone, but I wanted it.

  “We can rebuild,” Arlo says looking from me to Matteo who nods.

  We could. We could rebuild a mansion on this land. Build the perfect home for all of us to come back to when we were missing home.

  Except this isn’t our home anymore. The Carini mansion is gone. Over.

  Our past will never haunt us again.

  “No,” I say, staring at my brothers and their wives. I never thought the piece of paper mattered. I never thought I needed to get married. I was always a Carini. I never wanted to be anything else.

  Until I watched the Carini house burn. In that moment, I realized I’m more than a Carini. I want to be more. I want what my siblings have. I want everything.

  I turn to Caspian. “No, I don’t want to rebuild. I want a new start. Our past is over. But I’m ready now for our future. A real future. I thought I could escape my past. Our pasts. I will always be a Carini, but I’m ready to be a Conti now. I want to marry you, Caspian.”

  He grins as he pulls me to him and kisses me firmly. “I thought you’d never say yes.”

  The girls squeal behind me, and when I glance back, I see the tears in their eyes.

  “Here. I want to get married here though. I don’t care the house is gone and will never get rebuilt. I want one last positive memory to replace all of this. And give us a fresh start.”

  “I’ll marry you wherever you want, whenever you want. I never thought I’d convince you.”

  I grin. “I’ve been yours since you laid eyes on me.”

  “I know. But if we don’t get your brother to the hospital fast, he’s going to pass out,” Caspian says eying Matteo.

  “Speak for yourself,” Matteo jokes at Caspian.

  “Everyone in!” I shout, ready to leave this place. Nina jumps in the driver’s seat and, after everyone has jumped in, starts driving off away from the home. A home that has all the memories of our pasts. It’s where Arlo found Nina. Where Matteo trapped Eden. And I was sold to be saved by Caspian.

  It has bad memories and good.

  It holds the mistakes we all made.

  A tear falls down my eye, despite the pain I’ve felt in that home. A pain we all felt. It’s what made us who we are. It’s what brought us all together.

  And now, it’s gone.

  It’s how it should be. The flames set us free. Despite what we felt before, we were never free. We could never forgive ourselves for our mistakes. I look at Arlo and Matteo, knowing the three of us have committed a lot of sins.

  I look from Nina to Eden, to Caspian. We could never forget the pain that the Carinis caused them.

  But now we are healed.

  The flames brought us together. They saved us.

  Finally, I know we are all free because we have the most important thing: family.

  THE END

  * * *

  Thank you so much for reading the DIRTY series! I hope you loved this dark romance as much as I loved writing it! Sign up to get Taken by Lies for FREE here & get notified of my new releases>>>EllaMiles.com/freebooks

  * * *

  Keep reading to get a sneak peek of Taken by Lies…

  I was taken.

  Kidnapped by a boy I thought I could love.

  Then he sold me as if I were property.

  For three years I endured.

  Beatings.

  Torture.

  Pain.

  I never broke.

  I was strong, determined, resilient.

  But then one day it happened…I broke.

  Setting me free.

  I should have run away, found a new life, and started over.

  Instead, I returned.

  To find the man who sold me.

  Get Taken by Lies for FREE Here!

  Taken by Lies Preview

  Alcohol.

  It can lower your inhibitions.

  Transform you into somebody society accepts.

  Make you relax enough to ask the hot girl at the end of the bar out on a date.

  Alcohol has so much power.

  The power to tempt me.

  To take me away.

  To make me forget.

  It should be only an act of rebellion. An underage misdemeanor, done as much for attention as to feel the effects. That’s all alcohol should represent. I’m only seventeen. Still a long ways from twenty-one, but alcohol has never been a healthy pastime.

  As soon as I tasted the liquid, I knew it was a habit I would never give up.

  Not because I’m an alcoholic. That’s one thing I could never be, even when I drink in large quantities. Even when I need alcohol as much as I need to breathe.

  I need it to forget.

  I finish the last drop of the amber liquid in my glass. One drink isn’t nearly enough for me to forget. If there were another way to erase my demons and slip me into amnesia, I would take it. But I’ve never found another option. This is my only option.

  “Another round,” I say to Zeke and Langston who are sitting in the corner booth with me. It’s not a question, but a statement.

  I need more, and they will both stay with me, drinking until my past is erased for another hour.

  Slinking out from beneath the corner booth hidden in the shadows, I stand and cross the width of the room before climbing o
nto a stool at the bar. We have a waiter, but I don’t have the patience to wait for her to realize we need more drinks.

  I eye Blake behind the bar. He knows when he sees me to drop his other patrons and serve me immediately. His tip, along with his job, requires it. This is just another bar my family owns. It’s nothing in the grand scheme of things — just a place for me to retreat to when necessary. And lately, I’ve found coming here on a daily basis is very necessary.

  Blake spots me out of the corner of his eye. He politely ends his conversation with the flirty woman at the end of the bar and walks my way, before pouring me another glass of the finest bourbon we have. I reach for the glass he sat in front of me and wait while he continues to make drinks for my friends.

  I lift the glass to my lips taking comfort in the fact that soon my nightmare will be over. My memory will be obliterated, at least until I have to meet with my father later today.

  The door flies open, and a girl falls through. She stumbles once as she drops to her knees. But her cheeks don’t flame with embarrassment. Instead, fear threatens her eyes as she scans behind her. As if, any second, the evil she is running from will find her.

  She stands quickly and brushes herself off out of habit, not because she’s dirty. Her skin is a light olive color, but it’s impossible to know what ethnicity she is just from the coloring. We live in Miami; everyone is tan. But her skin hints at more than just spending too much time in the sun. Hers promises a past and culture far more intriguing.

  Her legs are too skinny I realize as I soak up her body and ingrain it in my memory like I do with everything. My memory is flawless, and even if it wasn’t, there is no way I would forget such a spark of beauty like her.

  Her clothes are too big for her. Her blue jean shorts engulf too much of her legs. Her tank top hangs like a tent instead of showing the curves beneath it. Dark black hair hangs down her neck in thick waves hiding her face.

  But then she flips her head back and blows the rest of her locks from her face. Gone is the fear. Gone is the clumsy girl. Gone is the awkward girl uncomfortable in her own skin. I even forget her clothes are two sizes too big.

  She’s transformed from meek girl to powerful woman with one toss of her hair. Her steps are bold and robust as she struts toward the bar, only taking her three steps to reach the edge.

  She smiles at the bartender, and Blake floats over to her, as under her spell as I am. I don’t know what she says as she whispers to Blake, but I know he will retrieve whatever drink she ordered without verifying her age. And I’m right. Blake slides a beer to her without glancing at her ID. An ID that would either be fake or show she isn’t any older than I am.

  Her age doesn’t matter though. The way she looks at him with piercing greenish blue eyes and unending poise is enough to persuade him to risk his job for her.

  Blake may be used to serving underage clients, but that’s only because of me. I’ve never seen him serve anyone unassociated with me who’s so clearly a minor.

  The girl lifts the glass to her lips, and the foam sits on her upper lip as she drinks down the golden liquid like it is the only thing keeping her alive.

  That I can understand.

  I shouldn’t approach her. I shouldn’t think about her. I shouldn’t invite more evil into her world when it’s clear she running from enough herself. But I can’t fight the pull. I’m not strong enough.

  I leave the drinks Blake placed in front of me for Langston and Zeke. I only take my drink as I slide into the stool next to her.

  Her gaze never leaves her drink as I move next to her. She doesn’t realize the danger that has approached.

  “What’s an innocent creature like you doing in a bar like this?” I ask.

  Her eyes roll gently in her head, but it’s the only sign she heard me. Otherwise, I don’t exist to her.

  But I’m a patient man. I know she heard me, and I know she is uncomfortable with me sitting so close. She’ll answer. If for no other reason than she’s curious as to why I converged on her in the first place. She may not show any fear right now, but she’s running from something. And the tension in her neck is enough for me to know she’s terrified of me outing her and returning her to whatever she’s trying to evade.

  She doesn’t know I would never stop her from escaping. It’s a feeling I understand too well. I would never stop someone from feeling free, if only for a moment.

  “I needed something to eat. There isn’t anything but bars on this road for miles.”

  I frown. Food? That’s her excuse?

  She downs her drink, and before the last drop crosses her lips, Blake brings another bottle to replace the empty beer still in her hands.

  I smirk. “It seems you need alcohol a lot more than you need food.”

  She shrugs. “Alcohol helps too.”

  “This bar doesn’t serve any food. You are out of luck.”

  She nods. “I know.” She still doesn’t look at me as she speaks. It’s like she’s talking to a ghost. Like I don’t exist to her.

  “I could turn you in for underage drinking. My family is close to the cops in this town. I could have you arrested. A permanent mark on your record. But maybe that would help you. Get you somewhere safe and away from whoever you are running from.”

  My words finally get her attention. Her bright eyes, looking more green now than blue, finally fall on my dark orbs. Her pink lips purse, and I think she’s going to yell at me or plead for me to do anything but call the cops. I expect her to beg or to dash out the door again running in fear.

  “You won’t turn me in, and even if you do, I don’t fear the police.”

  My finger traces the rim of my drink instead of tracing the outline of her soft lips like I want.

  “I’m not a nice man. My conscience will have no problem turning you in. I’ll sleep just fine knowing I put you in jail for a night.”

  She licks her plump lips, and my patience teeters on the edge of a cliff. Why the hell do I want to taste her lips? She’s just a girl. Just like all the rest of the girls I went to high school with.

  I groan silently. She’s not like other girls. I don’t know much about her, but I know she is nothing like other girls.

  Her bright eyes narrow into slits about to tear out my throat, and I think I finally unnerved her.

  “You’re not a man. You’re just a boy. Just like I’m a girl, not a woman. You’re not twenty-one any more than I am.”

  She inches closer until her face is a breath away from mine. Her lips so close I could easily take them into my mouth before she could react and stop me.

  She nibbles on her bottom lip as if she knows that’s exactly what I want to do.

  “You may control the police, but right now, I control you. You won’t dare call the police on me.”

  I exhale, my eyes squinting as I study this fascinating girl in front of me. I’ve never met someone who spoke so many truths and so many lies in one sentence. I lurk forward, and she stills, exhaling harsh breaths but refusing to back down.

  I lick my own lip, and I watch as her bottom one trembles. Our gazes lock in a fierce battle. Neither of us will back down. I could take what I wanted without a fight from her because she refuses to show weakness. I would guess she’s always this strong.

  Her life is as much a struggle as mine. We would make quite a pair. But I’m afraid our lives aren’t meant to do anything but intersect for a brief moment. She’s here to give me a tiny sliver of entertainment. She’s a distraction from my own hauntings.

  Blake places a plate of burger and fries in front of the girl.

  My eyes widen for less than a second, but it’s long enough for her to take it as a win. She smiles as she leans back in her chair before turning to her plate of food.

  “I guess you don’t know everything about this bar, boy,” she says before shoveling a fry into her mouth.

  I can’t help but grin at her. The way she says boy, it doesn’t feel like an insult, even though that’s how she meant it.
It feels freeing to seem like a boy in her eyes instead of a man who has too many responsibilities. I’m not the only one she has under her spell. This bar doesn’t serve food, but it didn’t stop Blake from ordering food from the nearest diner for her.

  “I’m Enzo. I’m rarely proven wrong, but I’m happy to be proven wrong by…” I pause waiting for her to tell me her name.

  Her eyes cut to me. “I don’t give anything away for free.”

  “I don’t either.” My unblinking gaze holds hers. I gave her my name; now I expect her to give hers just as freely.

  She finishes her second beer. “Buy me another drink, and maybe I’ll tell you.”

  I finish my drink and slam it down on the bar. She jumps at the sound the glass makes as it hits the rough wood.

  She startles easily.

  I don’t say a word, but I know Blake got my silent order loud and clear. Get me another drink and bring one for the girl.

  Two minutes later, half of her burger is gone, and Blake brings another bourbon for me and another beer for her.

  “Name,” I command, my voice low and rumbling. I won’t wait for her to follow an order. I need her to follow my demand as much as I need to drink this glass of bourbon.

  She smirks. “Impatient?”

  I grab her wrist as it loosely holds a fry inches from her mouth.

  Her eyes widen for a millisecond before she regains her control. She’s afraid of me. Or at least she doesn’t like strange men gripping her wrist.

  I lean forward, and my teeth snap a bite of the french fry she’s still grasping.

  She frowns and her body radiates anger as if me taking a bite of her fry is the greatest sin I’ve committed so far.

  “Jocelyn.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  “Jocelyn what?”

  She shakes her head. “Enzo what?”

  I growl, but it’s so low I’m not sure it was audible.

  “Jocelyn,” I say again. It’s a pretty name. A strong name, but for some reason, it doesn’t fit the girl in front of me. I’m sure she goes by a nickname. Maybe Josie, or Jose, or Lynn. But I haven’t earned her nickname. The one that only her family and friends call her. And she hasn’t earned more than a first name from me.