Warped (Dueling Devils Book 4) (3 page)

CHAPTER TWO

S
he
walked into the building and flipped on the overhead lights. They hummed as
they came to life. The day came on as slightly overcast and the area was dark.
She’d been here about two weeks and Chase had finally deemed her ready to go it
alone. She wanted to make her girl proud. She’d been her champion from the day
they met. Part of her didn’t trust her motives.

No,
that’s Taffy talking. You’re someone else now.

She
pushed thoughts of betrayal out of her mind. No one, minus Gia, knew about her
past. She was free to be whoever she wanted. The hard part about that was, she
didn’t know how. For so long, she ate what was given without question, wore the
clothes picked out, and acted the way her johns would like best. It left her a
soulless person in a wounded body. Locking the door behind her, she walked to
the office.

She
didn’t mind her job. After a life of being a living sex doll, it seemed like a
piece of cake. She’d always been fairly smart. The computer programs came
easily and the drawer always balanced at the end of the night. The men hadn’t
been as awful as she expected. She felt their stares. She got it. They were
curious about her scars. It’d become a normal occurrence she’d grown used to.
In today’s society, anything less than perfect was a disappointment and different
was wrong. Add in being a black female and the stereotypes widely believed…Then
you had a recipe for potential disaster for an ordinary woman. Which she
wasn’t. If she’d gained anything from her old life, it was strength. There
would be very little she couldn’t endure.

She
ran over the sheet for the day and walked over to make a fresh pot of coffee.
Normally the first person in the office, she enjoyed the quiet time to get
everything prepared. While the coffee percolated, she returned to her small
office, turned on the computer, and looked over the schedule. The men had been
keeping it by hand since Sarah quit. Squinting, she tried to decipher the other
woman's chicken scratch.

The
lock turned in the front door. She glanced up and watched as Monster appeared
in the doorframe. His massive shoulders and bulky frame should’ve intimidated
her, but something in his eyes spoke of a world of pain. A man who knew hurt in
a way most people didn’t.

He
glanced at her through the glass window of her office and nodded his head. “Morning,
Symone.” His gruff voice was at odds with the kindness in his blue eyes. He had
a different aura than his twin brother.

“Morning,
you’re in early.”

“I
like getting a head start before the brothers get in. I think they talk trash
more than they work.” His lips curved upward, making the scars on the left side
of his face more pronounced. The skin looked puckered, raised and a mottled mix
of  white and red that must have faded over the years. His gaze grew shuttered.

A
pang of guilt burst inside her.
Shit, he saw me staring.

“Sorry,
I know I hate it when people stare. I’m just not used to having someone else…”
She gestured to her face while trailing off.

“Oh,
you mean having a twin?” He smirked. “Trust me, I have plenty of experience
with that and it’s not always all it’s cracked up to be.”

She
snickered and glanced down feeling stunned by the way he’d slipped behind her
walls. Humor wasn’t something she’d experienced in—too long to remember.

“I’ll
be in the back if you need anything.”

“Thanks,
Monster.”

“Mm
hmm.” He moved to the back silently. He walked with such grace.

One
wouldn’t expect that from someone his size, but she got it. When you looked
like they did, you learned to be unseen. You spoke softly, walked lightly, and
became an expert at blending in. It made things easier. It saved people the
trouble of pretending not to see you. She watched him disappear down the hall
and into the bay. She returned to her work, transferring the schedule on paper
to the computer program.

An
hour later, the rest of the men began to shuffle inside.

Silence
and bleary eyes told her it’d been a long night of partying, which seemed to be
par for the course with these men.

She
pulled up the list of vendors. Today, their laundry guy was due to trade out
clean towels for dirty ones. A mechanic gig got dirty fast, all that grease,
oil, and sweat. Demon, the M.C. President set them up well. They didn’t even
have to clean their jumpsuits.

She
pushed to her feet and walked out of her office to the bay. The sound of nuts
and bolts turning, tools clanking, and the radio on low greeted her along with
the smell of oil and male musk. It wasn’t an unpleasant mixture of scents.

A
far cry from the expensive perfumes and body oils her mistress kept her doused
with. Thoughts of her time spent in the modern day whorehouse always came back
to haunt her. For so long, it was all she knew. In a place where children fell
victim to hunger and, sexual exploitation, selling her body kept her from
starving. It’d damn near been an honor to be chosen by Mylandra to join her
upscale harem. “Laundry time, boys. If there’s anything else you need to put
in, you’ll have to do it now. Truck will be here within the hour.” She pushed
the bin inside and leaned against the wall. It was the most she’d spoken to
them voluntarily.

“You
heard her. Get the lead out,” Pan said, flashing her a wink.

She
rolled her eyes. He was a charmer. She’d known men like him her entire life. He
used his charisma and good looks to get him what he wanted. He arched a brow at
her.

Symone
fought down the urge to snarl. Men like him were never used to being brushed
off or told no.

A
flurry of activity ensued as they scrambled to gather their soiled jumpsuits
and towels.

 Seeing
the massive bearded, tattooed men scramble amused her. She noticed Monster
didn’t move. It seemed preparedness was part of his persona.

“You
don’t like me much do you?”

She
looked up at Pan and shrugged. “I don’t know you to like or dislike you.”

“No,
but I can tell. It’s like a wall of ice comes up.”

“What?
Are your feelings hurt because my panties didn’t hit the floor the minute you
came over and talked to me?”

“Funny,
I thought you might be shy. You don’t mince your words, do you?” Pan noted with
a wince.

“Don’t
see a reason to,” she whispered, forcing herself to speak up.
My days of
silence are over.

“Tough
girl. I should’ve known. That’s how all of Chase’s friends are. Maybe you’re
one of her special friends.” Pan used air quotes.

The
statement was enlightening. Her eyes widened.

“Oh,
you didn’t know? Careful, she might try to recruit you.”

“Who
says I need to be converted? Maybe we’re already on the same wavelength.”

“Your
mysterious front is very intriguing.”

“Wasn’t
trying to be.”

“I
know, that’s the best part,” Pan teased.

She
shook her head. He’s going to be extremely annoying or fun.

“Quit
harassing the office manager. We’d like to hang on to this one,” Monster advised
coming to stand beside them.

“I’m
not bothering her.” Pan glanced at her. “Am I?”

Sandwiched
between the two men, she began to feel antsy. “I’ll get back to you on that.”

Pan’s
jaw dropped.

“Is
this everything?” They murmured yes and she nodded. “Thanks.” Eager to leave
the circle of males she pushed the cart away. Her heels clicked on the floor
and she fought to keep her stride slow. She crossed the threshold and the
tension faded. There was something about Pan and Monster together that set her
on edge. Being between them was like being in a force field of intensity. Right
now, it was the last thing she needed. She set the bin in its designated
collection spot and went back behind the desk.

The
bell rang above the door and she watched Chase walk in with a pair of dark
glasses, low-slung blue jeans and a rock t-shirt. She pushed the glasses up on
top of her head and frowned. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those morning
people.”

She
smirked. “I’m used to the hours now.”

“Ugh.”
Chase scoffed. “Mornings are a necessary evil I barely tolerate.”

“Late
night?”

“Aren’t
all the most interesting ones?” Chase lifted a thick blonde eyebrow at her.

Symone
couldn’t help but laugh.

Chase
flashed a wicked grin. “How did the opening and everything go without me?” She
leaned against the front desk.

“Smooth
sailing. Not that I had to interact with them, aside from collecting laundry.”

“Hmm…”
Chase smirked.

“What?”
Symone narrowed her eyes.

“You
don’t know how good you have it.” Chase stood up and walked over to the coffee
machine on the table.

“Why?”

“Because
normally, they give the new person hell. You’re an exception to the rule.”

Symone’s
spirit grew heavy. Yet another thing I owe to Gia. “Because of Gia and Lefty?”

Chase
snickered. “No.”

“You?”

Chase
laughed and turned to face her. She stirred the red and white stick clockwise
and watched her from under her long lashes.

“Because
they feel sorry for me?” Symone guessed.

“Oh,
Sy, no, nothing like that.” Chase stood up straight. “You really are clueless,
aren’t you?”

“About
what, Chase? This isn’t my world.” She shook her head. “I’m trying to do the
best I can navigating it on the fly. If I’m fucking up and not pulling my
weight, let me know.”

“You’re
doing great. I wouldn’t have left you here solo if I didn’t think you could
handle it, so relax. The boys are rarely this well-behaved for anyone. But it
seems our living, breathing, colossus has opted to take you under his wing.”

Heat
flooded her face. The image of the imperfect and extremely masculine man filled
her brain. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she mumbled.

“The
hell you don’t,” Chase retorted. “I’d call it adorable if I did that sort of
thing.”

She
toyed with the papers, uncomfortable with the direction their conversation had
taken.

“Look,
he’s not going to push the issue. I just thought you might want to be aware of
the person that has your back. You never know when you’ll need him.”

“Are
you on my team?”

“You
wouldn’t be here if I wasn't.”

Symone
nodded. She wanted to take her at her word, but every person she’d gotten close
to left.

Chase
took a few sips of her coffee “Alright, I better get in there and get started
before they ride my ass for the rest of the day, and not the way I like.” She
winked and left the area as swiftly as she’d appeared. The woman came off like
a storm, irrevocably changing things as she went, without breaking a sweat.

A
trait she admired. She lived life on her terms. What did it feel like? So many
unanswered questions swirled in her mind. Learning to live for herself with no
direction was more of a challenge then it should’ve been. Just shopping for
herself had been a first-time experience.

The
door opened and Demon walked in with Lefty by his side. “How are things working
out here? Taffy?” Demon asked. He spoke softly, but there was a hefty weight
behind the words.

His
dark gaze swept over her leaving her feeling exposed. The man didn’t miss a
thing. “It’s going well.”

“The
others going to agree with that statement?” Lefty all but spat at her.

“What
would be the point of lying when you’re just going to ask them?” She rolled her
eyes.

“I
don’t know why the fuck you do the things you do,
Taffy.
”

“Symone.
It’s Symone now.”

Lefty
narrowed his eyes.

The
aggression made her hackles rise. She’d hurt his woman and now, he was out for
blood.

“If
she says she’s square, I believe her. Lying wouldn’t get her anywhere,” Demon
interjected.

Lefty
snarled.

“Look
all I want is to make my own way. You put me up.
Chase
found me this
job. I don’t owe you anything and that’s the way it’s going to stay.”

“Bullshit.
You owe Gia everything.”

“Well,
you aren’t her, are you?” she countered.

“Keep
pushing me. You won’t like what happens next.”

“You’re
meddling in something that’s not your business. Whatever I have going on with
Gia is between us.”

“Everything
to do with her is my business.” His jaw ticked.

“We
got a problem here?”

A
man’s voice had never sounded like music to her ears before.

“I
don’t know, is there?” Lefty asked.