Skeleton King (The Dirty Heroes Collection Book 9)
Page 19
She sat on a stool, her long legs crossed at the ankles, her knees open just enough for me to see a glimpse of ruffled panties. My eyes traveled back up. Breasts full, soft yet firm, bordering on spilling from a corset of powder blue. Her shoulders gleamed with an ivory shimmer, contrasting with the shadows of her collar bone and the delicate dip of her throat. A long, graceful neck, smooth and inviting, led straight up to a heart-shaped face of pure angelic beauty.
It was her eyes that trapped me, though. Luminous eyes that sparkled like frost and rain and winter skies, captured inside the white, feathery mask she wore. She was singing low, a sweet, sultry tune that wrapped around me, melting the ice around my heart. When she closed her glitter eyes and tossed back her head on a high note that pierced my soul, ribbons of blue silk touched the floor—her hair, soft, so long, so smooth.
Minutes, hours, years passed as I sat enthralled by her. Long after she’d left the stage, taking her blue lights and sultry jazz with her, my eyes stayed glued to the spot she once occupied, until the bartender’s voice broke the spell.
“—sure you don’t want anything else?” he was asking.
I turned and noticed immediately that my target was gone. Fuck. Fuck!
Grabbing my wallet, I threw down a ten and shook my head at the bartender.
“She’s something, isn’t she?” he asked, taking my napkin and wiping the bar down where my glass had been. When I didn’t say anything, he must have assumed I didn’t understand. “Blue. The last performer? She was just hired. Almost a week ago, actually. Such a voice. She’s going to be a star one day, mark my words!” He grinned in a dreamy, stupid manner and walked away, pausing to talk to another customer.
Blue.
I felt a hand on my back and closed my eyes, feeling spiders and fire ants dancing under my skin. When I stood and turned, Cotton Candy was there again. She leaned in close and tugged on the string of my hoodie.
“Want some company tonight, big man? My shift’s just ended. Come on, I’ll make you feel so good.” She licked her raspberry lips, her bloodshot eyes scanning my chest and shoulders.
I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Get the fuck away from me.”
She flinched as if I’d slapped her and pulled her hand away. “Sorry…uh…”
I walked away, but not before glancing back at the stage.
Blue. Her name was Blue.
The house music was playing, my target was long gone, and the stage was empty.
What had just happened?
ONE CLICK
Acknowledgments
I always feel that I never give justice to those that have been crucial to my stories, but I will do my best. Creating beautiful stories and books isn’t a one-person job, and I am beyond grateful for those that played a role in the production of Skeleton King. Thank you all for believing in me, supporting me, and all your help in making this story the best it could be.
I’m going to start by thanking Murphy Wallace. Without you this story would likely never have been written, and I am so honored to be a part of this stunning collection. Thank you so much for including me in this incredible project.
My incredible editor, Kim BookJunkie. I can’t even with how amazing you are! I swear you are magic with how you make my words so stunning. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have you, but I am. Thank you for all your meticulous work. You truly bring my books to a new level. More than an epic editor though, you’ve been a true friend.
My betas! Oh man, you ladies saved this book! It takes a special person to beta read. It’s difficult to kindly criticize, especially with the gracefulness that ALL of you did. I was blown away by your willingness to be honest in order to make this story the best it could be.
Kathi Goldwyn. You’ve been with me since the beginning, and I cringe to think where I would be without your friendship and support. Thank you for always telling me what I need to hear, whether it’s being a beta or just pure encouragement. You have been a strong pillar that I can trust, and I can’t express how much help it’s been.
Salina Anderson. Well, you saved my ass with this book. Your medical knowledge was detrimental to the realism of this story, and I owe you so much for that. Thank you SO much for sharing your knowledge with me. And on a personal note, thank you for being such an incredible friend. You have also been with me since the beginning, and your support for my art will never be forgotten.
Kween Corie. Girl, you have been such a cheerleader for me since I released my very first book, and I can’t accurately express how your enthusiasm for my words makes me feel. Thank you for being an OG Babydoll and always having my back. Your feedback is always so helpful, but your friendship is what I’m most thankful for.
Wendy Rinebold. You were a first-time beta for me and you absolutely did not disappoint. Your feedback had a huge impact on the final version of this story, and I thank you for not only reading my words, but also giving me so much support.
Nikki Murray. Girl! I am so freaking glad I met you! While of course, your feedback on this story was extremely beneficial, I’m really just so thankful for our new friendship. I can’t wait to see all the things you do!
Gizel Alvarez. My boo! I owe you so much beyond just being an amazing beta reader. You have promoted and supported me since my very first book and have continued to be a huge support and confidant. Above all that, you have been an amazing friend. Thank you for standing by me.
Tania Renteria. Oh my gosh girl! Your support, love, and encouragement has been so important to me. I can’t express how grateful I am for all you’ve done for me. Thank you so much for being an incredible friend and confidant.
Jay Aheer. This cover! Thank you so much for putting such a beautiful face to this story. I know I’m not the easiest to work with, but you gave me EXACTLY what I wanted. Thank you for your art.
Dani René. This formatting is GORGEOUS. I’m so proud to be a part of this project with you. Thank you for the beautiful job you did on this series.
Bloggers. Thank you so much for all you do for the indie community. The time you take to review, promote and talk about the books you love is extremely helpful to authors like me and means so much when you choose to post about one of my books. You really are so important to this industry.
Readers. None of this would be possible without you. There are SO MANY books out there to choose from, so when you choose to read one of my books, it really does mean the world. You talk about the books you love simply because you feel passionate about them and I think that’s beautiful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading and supporting my work.
Last but certainly not least, my Babydolls! You guys have no idea what you do for me on a daily basis. You’re my solace, my safe place and I literally don’t have words for telling you that you gave me a place to be me, and I owe so much to all of you for that.
Also By Charity B.
Series
Candy Coated Chaos (Sweet Treats #1)
Sweetened Suffering (Sweet Treats #2)
Cupcakes and Crooked Spoons (Sweet Treats #3)
Standalones
Anointed
R.I.P.
Anthologies
Thou Shall Not: A Dark Ten Commandments Anthology
The Dirty Heroes Collection
About the Author
Charity B. lives in Wichita Kansas with her husband and ornery little boy. She released her debut series, the Sweet Treats Trilogy, in 2018 and is constantly working on her next release. She has always loved to read and write, but began her love affair with dark romance when she read C.J. Robert's The Dark Duet. She has a passion for the disturbing and sexy and wants nothing more than to give her readers the ultimate book hangover. In her spare time, when she's not chasing her son, she enjoys reading, the occasional T.V. show binge, and is deeply inspired by music.