#Chapter1
Prologue
Things didn’t look great, not only had I lost the last piece of my normal life, staring down at the foreclosure notice on my mother's house, but now I had to face the reality she would probably never come home. Watching someone wither away, knowing they were once full of life, once the biggest influence in yours and now reduced to skin and bone, bedsores, and a machine breathing for them as the life force slowly drained out of them, bloody sucked. I thought for sure that would be the hardest day of my life when they rang me to tell me there was nothing else they could do for her.
Yet, I still held out hope, held onto the possibility, no matter how slim it was, she would return to me, just wake up like nothing happened. Scrunching up the foreclosure notice, I tossed it in the trash before adjusting the box tucked under my arm. I walked to the trunk of my car dropping my mother's alcohol stash in it. I couldn’t leave it in the storage locker, no flammable liquids, but I couldn’t bring myself to throw it out either. Mum loved a drink. I hated that she was a drunk but now I would give anything to see her with her glass in her hand laughing and telling me stories. Sighing, I closed the trunk and hopped in my car gazing at my childhood home one last time before saying goodbye to this part of my life.
I was truly on my own.
Breathe, just breathe, it's only temporary. I told myself, staring into the back of my cramped Honda Civic. At least I still had my job and my health, even though that was dwindling away. I could remain normal as long as I could keep my job, and that hope kept me going. Could things really get worse at this point? Yet as I drove myself to work, I knew afterward I had nowhere to go and was now officially homeless. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was how my life would always be.
***
I snorted at the memory, remembering how pathetic my life now was. Everything went downhill the day I left that driveway.
Funny how things worked out, I thought that was the worst day I would endure. Little did I know I had an entire future planned out by what supernaturals called the fates. That the two men I worked for would claim me and turn out to be monsters I wanted desperately to escape from until I no longer didn’t. What was the point? This life of mine was apparently destined for this horror story, why fight it? So what if my life was going to crumble and burn before I found happiness?
Happiness? I couldn’t remember what the heck that felt like, to me it seemed like some conjured-up dream, a fantasy, and I don’t mean the good kind that makes your panties damp. Don’t get me wrong. I wish it was that sort of dream, but I dreamt of stability. That's what would make me happy. The only dreams that seemed a possibility was a messed up sort of dream, the fucked up joke kind, where you didn’t know if you wanted to laugh or cry at the circumstances you found yourself in because it was truly that pathetic, that bad. Happiness was something of the past. I downed my bottle of vodka building up the liquid courage to face my Sinful mates, or maybe I was the sinful one and maybe I liked it. Or maybe this vodka had gone to my head. I stumbled back to the office, trying to pretend to be normal and like I hadn’t just downed half the bottle. Yep fake it till you make it, or don’t. Either way, I was all kinds of messed up, but that's ok because so were my mates.
I groggily woke up, the sun just breaking through the windshield of my beat-up HondaCivic. I stretched my body, trying to get into a comfortable position. For nearly three months, I had been living in my car, and my body was really starting to protest. Sitting up, I pulled my blanket around myself, trying to warm my freezing cold skin. An empty vodka bottle rolled off the seat and into the passenger side floorboard. Now I know what you are probably thinking, I’m an alcoholic. Well, I’m not, nor did I ever drink and drive.
The first night I had to sleep in my car, it was minus three degrees. I was in danger of freezing. Luckily for me, my mother's drinks had helped save the day. My trunk was half-filled with spirits. I wasn’t lying when I said she liked a drink.
I was going to dispose of it but was glad I hadn’t. Her favorites were vodka, seconded by tequila. I never was much of a drinker, watching her was enough to deter anyone from taking that path. But on that freezing night, I decided, why not? I grabbed a bottle hoping to help myself sleep and forget that I was now homeless and living in my car. My life was already at a pretty crappy crossroads, so what would one more vice hurt?
That night I learned that alcohol could get you through the bitterest of cold nights. You don’t feel the sting of the air when you’re intoxicated, in fact, you don’t feel much of anything. My alcohol tolerance had become rather impressive. I didn’t drink myself to oblivion, but on nights like the first night I spent in this cramped car, and like last night, I knocked a few back to help chase away the cold.
I watched the sun slowly come up over the horizon, bringing its warm rays to chase the chills away, the heat filtering through the windshield. There was one plus side to living in your car. I was never late to work, seeing as I lived in the workplace parking garage. No one knew that little secret but the janitor Tom. A sixty-year-old man, balding on top, with kind eyes, a cuddly figure, and a grandfatherly nature.
He stumbled upon me sleeping in my car one night. I told him it was only temporary, so he kept the secret between us. My bosses just thought I was an eager and enthusiastic worker. I was always the first person to work besides Tom, who opened the parking garage and the building, and I was always the last to leave. I wasn't about to correct them. They could assume whatever they wanted. I needed this Job.
Reaching for the ignition, I turned my car on, my phone instantly lit up and charged through the lighter socket while my engine growled in complaint and shook off the lingering cold. It was 7 am. Getting up I leaned over the passenger side and grabbed my outfit for the day that hung from the roof by the back door.
Sliding my seat all the way back, I shimmied my track pants off and grabbed my panties. Pulling them up my legs before putting my black slacks on and buttoning them up. I grabbed my bra and ducked down behind the steering wheel. I didn't want to give Tom a heart attack. I quickly ripped my shirt off and clasped my bra into place before putting my white button-up blouse on.
I had just finished slipping my heels on when I saw Tom walking up the driveway to the top level of the parking garage. I tossed my sleeping pants on top of the bottles to hide them and smiled at him. Swinging my door open, I greeted him with a smile
/"Hey, Tom,/" I said, waving at him before reaching in and grabbing my handbag from the passenger seat. Tom walked over holding two paper cups. My favorite part of the morning, it had kind of become our morning ritual. Every morning Tom walked all the way to the top level of the car garage, brought me a coffee, and we both walked back down to the entry together.
/"Hi love, how was your night?/" Tom asked, concern warm in his voice.
/"It was fine, a bit chilly but nothing I’m not used to by now,/" I told him, grabbing the cup from his hand. I let the heat build up on my palms, almost hesitant to drink the beverage and take away my source of warmth. It was silly, I'd be plenty warm inside the office.
/"You know you can always stay…/"
I cut him off before he could continue.
/"Tom, I know, but really I’m fine. This is only temporary./" I gave him the same smile I always gave him. The mask that everything was fine in my world and this was just a minor bump.
He shook his head. He's heard the same excuse every morning for the last few months. He knew there was no use arguing with me. I was too stubborn and was not one for accepting help, even if it would help prevent frostbite.
Tom continued to the door before punching in the security code to let us into the building. He'd offered to let me stay with him and his wife more than a dozen times by now. But I didn't want to intrude and it wasn't so bad here. It was a lot safer than the park I was originally parked at. I shuddered at those hazy memories of what could have happened to me. No, being in the top of a parking lot garage, safe in my car was far better.
Tom let me in early every morning. I usually went straight upstairs to my desk, which was conveniently directly in front of the air conditioner. Catching the elevator to the top floor, I stepped out and into the foyer and walked to my desk, my heels clicking on the marble floors. Grabbing the AC remote, I turned the heater up full blast and stood directly under it, warming myself up while I sipped my coffee. One of the few times I was heated inside and out.
Once I’d warmed up, I sat at my desk and started my laptop, and looked over the day's schedule and any notes I had left for myself. I had worked at Kane and Madden industries for around 12 months. I was a secretary for Theo Madden and Tobias Kane. They owned the tech company, and I was about 98 percent sure they were a couple. Not that I had seen them officially together or anything at any of the company parties or even share a glance with each other outside these doors. They had separate offices, but they had this way of communicating. They always seemed so in sync with each other, and I had caught them staring weirdly at each other. I had also walked in on what I think was Theo kissing and sucking on Tobias’s neck.
I must admit it was hot, and it kind of turned me on until Tobias noticed me standing there gawking, which made Theo freeze, and then it got awkward and tense between all of us. I'd run from the room. They never mentioned it, so I assumed I was let off the hook. I added that memory to the 'it never happened' file of my brain.
It’s a shame they were both gay. They were the hottest gay couple I'd ever seen. Or whatever their dynamic was if it wasn't a couple. Gay friends with benefits maybe?
Tobias was the more imposing one. His intense gaze would send shivers down my spine and send chilling vibes that rivaled my car. Even before I'd walked in on him. If he wasn't gay, I'd think I was prey with the way he'd stare. Sometimes when he spoke to me, he'd get this far-away expression on his face like he was looking straight through me instead of at me. I swear one time, I thought I heard him growl! I know that’s insane. People don’t growl, not like a predator does. I put it down to the 18-hour shift I worked that day.
Tobias Kane was tall, dark-haired, muscular, sported a 5 o’clock shadow, possessed a strong jaw, and was gifted with sharp piercing blue eyes. Theo Madden on the other hand had softer features. He was just as tall as Tobias but had a very casual laid-back attitude and fluffy brown hair that was short on the sides and a little longer on the top. He had green eyes that sparkled when he talked to me and high cheekbones. Both were breathtakingly handsome. Even after all the time working there, I still got stunned by their godlike appearance.
I’m incredibly surprised I was never fired. I had been caught way too many times daydreaming, staring off into space, and having very inappropriate thoughts about my bosses. But I also knew I was extremely good at my job. No one had lasted this long as their secretary, and no one was willing to do the sometimes-grueling hours I'd endured in my position.
Once I finished checking my laptop, I checked the time. It was 8:30 AM. I still had half an hour before my bosses arrived. Slipping out of my seat, I walked to the bathroom with my handbag. I set my makeup on the counter and pulled my brush out. I brushed my unruly waist-length blonde hair. After deciding to pull it into a high ponytail, I grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste and quickly brushed my teeth. I applied some mascara to my already long thick eyelashes, and some eyeliner to brighten my dark green eyes before putting on some red lipstick. It contrasted nicely with my fair skin.
I was so glad this floor had no cameras because it would be too embarrassing if my bosses found out about my morning routine. Plus they would see me in all my morning bedhead (or car head) glory. Tom didn't count. He didn't care what I looked like, and I was always comfortable around him. But if anyone else had seen me, I think it might have gotten a bit awkward.
Once I finished, I quickly ducked into the small kitchenette and got their coffees ready for their arrival. I heard the elevator ding just as I finished making them. I placed them on a tray and quickly walked back to my desk tray in hand. It was the perfect routine and it'd never failed me once.