Darkness & Lies: A Brotherhood Novel (#1) Read Free Page A

went to the back and called the cops. It was pretty sad too. The guy really thought he was going to get that money for a minute there. At least until the officers slapped the cuffs on his wrists and dragged him out of the door.”
    “That’s really sad. ” Hadley frowned. “I mean, ma y be he really needed the money. Maybe he was homeless or something.”
    “Or maybe,” Cheyenne smirked, “he was just really stupid.”
    Hadley smacked her arm as if offended, but she couldn’t hide the smile playing at the corner of her mouth. “ You’re stupid, Chy.”
    “And you’re too soft- hearted for your own good,” Cheyenne rebutted. “I swear, Lee, one of these days you’re gonna be taken to the cleaners by some poor sap with a good sob story.”
    Cathy gave an unfeminine snort. “Too late , Chy, Cam already got to her.”
    Cheyenne smothered a laugh. Cameron was Ha d ley’s husband. Ten years ago they had met in a coffee shop down the block from her apartment. Hadley had noticed his mopey, withdrawn behavior and being the bleeding heart that she was; she had approached the perfect stranger and asked him if there was anything the matter. Of course, he spilled the classic story about a bad break- up and a cheating ex and Hadley had fallen for it hook, line and sinker.
    They had been inseparable ever since — except for these outings , of course, but not for the sake of trying. Ev e ry year Cameron would plead his case and every year, to her continued surprise, Hadley shot him down. Cheyenne was the only one who knew it was because this was a rare opportunity for Hadley to break free of her daily grind and Cam’s clinging vine routine. Hadley needed the break, plain and simple.
    Cameron was a loving husband and an attentive f a ther, but he was severely lacking in a lot of areas. While Hadley was playing the role of housewife, maid, mother, chef and chauffeur, Cameron was working part time shifts at the r efinery. Barely clocking in more than twenty hours a week, he never ceased to come home and demand his ritual beer while he fused his ass to the recliner and got lost in his video games for the remaining eight hours of the day.
    Cheyenne had been playing counselor to Hadley’s pent-up anger for last few years as tensions began running higher. Not that Cameron had ever noticed t he change. However, men always seemed to wear their blinders where their personal life was concerned; which was why Che y enne had remained blissfully single most of her adult life.
    Whenever she found herself getting lonely and that familiar itch to seek out a mate became too strong, she would snuggle up with a bucket of rocky road and her f a vorite author, J.R. Ward and her delicious men of the Brotherhood , and get lost in the fantasy of hulking, leather clad, emotionally wrecked males whom she would be all too happy to dive in and fix.
    And that was wherein the problem lies. No man, u n less they were a fictional character dreamed up by a wo m an, would ever be that incredibly devoted, loving, attentive and sexy. Not that Cheyenne would ever mark men off her list entirely. She had needs too. It was just that, aside from the perfect specimen dropping out of the clear blue sky, sword in hand ready to defend her to the death, there would never be a man alive that would meet her specifications.
    “You really are a bleeding heart though.” Cheyenne caught the wicked gleam in Cathy’s eyes even as her face dropped into a pitiful pout. “Speaking of, you think I could borrow a couple grand? My rent is overdue because I bought these really cute shoes that were way out of my price range, and my landlord says that if I don’t pay by the end of the week , I’ll be on the street. I don’t want to be a streetwalker, Leelee.” Cathy swiped at her face as if she were crying.
    “I know you don’t think I’m falling for those croc o dile tears, Cat!” Hadley snapped good-naturedly. “I swear you two; I don’t know why I even