Bittersweet Obedience E-Book

Mia Kingsley

• Herausgeber: Black Umbrella Publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Bittersweet Submission
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 114

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Cameron I never actually wanted to return to Nebraska, but I have to sell my late father's house. I just hope I don't run into Jordan. After all, he's the only man who ever broke my heart—and the first one I robbed ...   Jordan I know for a fact that Cameron will come back after her father's death. Not even she can be that heartless to not show up—and I'll be waiting for her. Revenge is sweet, they say. After all this time, it should taste even sweeter than Cameron herself.   This is a dark romance with no cheating and a guaranteed HEA.

Leseprobe

BITTERSWEET OBEDIENCE

BITTERSWEET SUBMISSION 3

MIA KINGSLEY

A DARK ROMANCE

CONTENTS

Bittersweet Obedience

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Epilogue

About the Author

BITTERSWEET OBEDIENCE

Cameron

I never actually wanted to return to Nebraska, but I have to sell my late father's house. I just hope I don't run into Jordan. After all, he's the only man who ever broke my heart—and the first one I robbed ...

Jordan

I know for a fact that Cameron will come back after her father’s death. Not even she can be that heartless to not show up—and I'll be waiting for her. Revenge is sweet, they say. After all this time, it should taste even sweeter than Cameron herself.

This is a dark romance novella with no cheating and a guaranteed HEA.

PROLOGUE

CAMERON

Fifty-two days until I no longer had to sneak across the fields behind the house under cover of fog and night to meet my boyfriend.

Dad was just acting like an idiot! Jordan and I had been going out for three years, and everyone knew it. I was counting the hours until I came of age and could meet with my future husband without Dad trying to stop me.

Secretly, I was hoping that Jordan would ask me to marry him on my birthday. It was idiotic, and we were both young, but it felt right.

At least for starters, it would have been enough if Dad could finally keep his nose out of my business.

In addition, I was also looking forward to taking my younger, adopted sister with me out on double dates. Jordan had a lot of cute friends; there was sure to be someone suitable for Alexa.

But she was asleep in bed at home as I snuck across the fields to Jordan's house to surprise him. He had worked late tonight and didn't want me to visit him because he didn't like it when I walked alone in the dark.

However, I really wanted to see him and spend the night in his bed. Preferably naked and under him.

I almost giggled at the thought: What would my father have to say about that? I put my hand over my mouth to stifle any noise and pulled open the screen door at the back of the house.

Jordan's mom had taken his younger brother to Florida for a long weekend with his grandparents, and his father usually took that as an opportunity to sit around Eddy's Pub until the wee hours of the morning without worrying about getting into trouble when he got home.

With any luck, Jordan and I would be all alone. I quite liked that idea.

I had taken this route so often by now that I could move silently through the Walker's house. I was hurrying up the stairs, wondering if I dared to wait naked for the man I love, when I heard the moaning:

"Oh, Jordan!"

The blood froze in my veins, and for a split second, I thought the pain was going to kill me. I knew that voice. Ruby was always copying me, but I hadn't thought she was hot for Jordan.

I clenched my fists, remembering how he had told me that he had to work long hours.

Although I didn't want to make my pain any worse, I couldn't resist creeping up to the guest room where the noises were coming from. I nudged the door open slightly, just enough to see Ruby's breasts bobbing up and down. She was on top of Jordan, riding him passionately. It was dark in the room, and I was grateful that I had been spared from seeing too much detail.

Fucking bastard!

I ought to run into the room screaming and scratch their eyes out!

It was only when I noticed blood dripping from the palm of my hand that I realized how tense I was. My pulse was racing as I stroked the crescent-shaped wounds on my skin.

Stop and think, Cam, an angry voice inside me whispered. What would hurt Jordan the most?

I went through the list of things my boyfriend loved. Apparently, I wasn't on that list anymore, so his car would take the top spot. The keys were always on his desk when he wasn't using them.

I did a 180° and went to his room to take the key.

It's not enough, the voice whispered. Think of all the things he's promised you. The future you could've had together.

I clenched my teeth. My eyes fell on the old metal can that had once held a bottle of bourbon. Jordan had been saving money in there to buy a house for us, to educate our future children...

I quickly blinked the tears away.

Take the money and the car, get Alexa, and get the hell out of here. What’s holding you back?

For a few heartbeats, I stood still, waiting for any doubts to stop me. Instead, I heard Ruby scream his name. Something inside of me shattered into so many small pieces that at that moment, I knew I would never be able to fix it again.

I grabbed the metal can and keys before sprinting down the stairs. Jordan had taught me and Alexa to drive. Something he would probably regret when he found out what I had done.

I couldn't have cared less. The tires spun as I drove off to get Alexa.

Temperton was so small that the engine had not fully warmed up by the time I pulled up in front of my parents' house and got out. The TV was droning on loudly from the living room as I crept down the hall.

I shook Alexa's shoulder. She turned over quietly and looked at me, still mostly asleep.

"What's up?" she whispered.

"We're leaving."

Though she frowned, she got up and went to her closet. I already had my bag in my hand; Alexa only had to slide the hangers apart to get her gym bag out. Everything she owned fit in the small, black bag.

At first, I had been surprised that she always kept it packed in the closet. But after some time, I had begun to understand her impulse to break away and disappear at a moment's notice.

In a matter of minutes, I had come to understand that I didn't belong in Temperton, Nebraska, any more than she did.

We went down the stairs, skipping the creaky fourth step to not wake my father, who was sleeping off his latest binge in the living room. He'd been going downhill ever since my mom died.

I had clung to Alexa and Jordan for consolation, but now it looked like Alexa was all that I had left.

She stopped on the front lawn when she recognized Jordan's car.

"Cam," she whispered urgently, and grabbed my arm. "What's happened?"

"Get in," I replied. I wouldn't cry until I was out of this damn town.

She shook her head. "Give me the keys."

"You don't have a driver's license."

"Neither do you," she hissed back. "But at least I can see the street. You probably can't in your state."

I brought my hand to my cheek and felt the wetness under my fingertips. Damn it!

With a frustrated noise, I tossed her the key and climbed into the passenger seat. I hated that the car smelled like Jordan.

Alexa turned the key and put the car into reverse. "Spit it out, Cam."

"I caught Jordan in bed with Ruby Palmer."

"Shit! No! What was the bastard's excuse?"

I shrugged tiredly. "No idea. I didn't want to make the disaster any worse than it already was, so I crept out as quietly as I came in. But I did grab his savings."

"I'm so sorry, honey."

I wiped the tears from my face as bravely as I could. "Don’t be. At least we're both getting out of this town now."

"Boys suck," Alexa announced fervently.

"No shit. Let's swear we'll never forget this. Boys suck."

Alexa laughed as she adjusted the rearview mirror. "We should just spend the rest of our days getting money out of their pockets. That would serve them right."

"That's what we ought to do. Let's go to some big city and see. The main thing is to get away from here."

"What are we going to do if we get caught? Neither of us is legal yet, although you will be soon."

I reached out and stroked the cheek of my adopted sister, my best friend and soul mate. It was impossible to express in words how grateful I was that she had come into my life and had unconditionally given me her trust and support. My throat was tight with emotion, and I had to clear my throat before I could answer her.

"We're going do what we do best, and we won't let ourselves get caught."

1

JORDAN

Arnold groaned. I knew he was trying to show how much he disliked what I had done to him, but I chose to ignore it. I had waited too long for this day for that.

Again and again, he pushed the papers from right to left and back again before he looked at me over the rim of his glasses. "Are you sure that you want to do this? I mean..."

"Yes," I interrupted him harshly, underscoring the statement with a brief hand gesture.

"But..." he began, before cutting himself off. He nervously smoothed out the document. "I know what you did for Temperton. We do owe you, but this is going too far."

I leaned back and folded my arms. "Let me make sure I got this right: Who took matters into their own hands when this construction company invaded our town to build a shopping center?"

"You."

"Who made sure your daughter kept her house by paying off the bank loan after her husband ran off with all your money?"

"You."

"And who pays for your beloved Fall Festival every year?"

Arnold took off his glasses and ran both hands over his face. "You."

"Right. Have I ever made a big deal out of it? Your daughter is currently paying $100 a month for her house, and I'm taking care of the rest. At that rate, it'll be paid off sometime in 2073. Am I forcing her to give me more money? No. This is the first time I've asked for something in return. Something that hasn't done you any harm, by the way."

His shoulders sagged a little, but I wasn't the least bit sorry for forcing his hand. My need for vengeance was far stronger than my compassion.

Finally, he unscrewed the top off his fountain pen. "I've been feeling bad ever since I called Cameron and lied."

"You can be certain of my eternal gratitude," I said, holding out my hand to examine the papers one last time.

"What really happened then? I mean, she was so young when she disappeared."

"That's between me and Cam."

"Good God, Jordan. You are way too kindhearted to hold that kind of grudge. I don't know about you, but I need a drink." He got up and picked up the heavy crystal decanter. "You, too?"

"No. Make sure you don't let your nerves get the better of you. She should be here any minute."

Although Arnold was old enough to be my father, he looked like a nervous schoolboy. It really didn't matter whether he played his part or not, though. I'd called in so many favors that the trap would snap as soon as Cameron set foot in the city.

Few were as reluctant to help me as Arnold was. Most of them had been quite easy to convince. I'd made sure that the inn was randomly booked out and that the only mechanic in town wouldn't fix Cameron's car when it broke down, as of course, I'd made sure it would.

I checked my watch repeatedly, trying to imagine what it would be like to see Cam again after all these years. Was she still just as pretty as before?

Whenever I thought of her, I saw an attractive teenager, which was really quite annoying. Girls that young weren't my thing anymore.

Arnold noticed my look.

"She said she wouldn't make it until 6 o'clock," he said.

"Of course, she said that. Her plan was probably to clear things up with you and then leave before anyone even knew she was here."

At last, I heard a car engine and wondered briefly what she'd done with the car that she'd stolen from me fifteen years ago. She wouldn't have driven it here, right?

I reached out and turned the main light out so that only the little lamp on Arnold's desk was on. I didn't want Cam to see me right away. I wanted to enjoy the sight of her first.

It was the only chance I would have to get revenge on this cold bitch who'd stolen from me and broken my heart.

It had cost me a lot of money to track her down when her father died, but I knew it would be the only reason she would come back to Temperton after turning her back on our quiet town fifteen years ago.

Arnold made the sign of the cross quickly as the door swung open. I heard high heels clattering on the stone floor. Cameron came in and turned her face to the only lawyer and notary in town.

"Hello, Mr. Hamilton."

Her dark voice sent a shiver down my spine, and I felt for the wall behind me, not having predicted the effect Cam would have on me.

Still.