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CHAPTER ONE
Prologue - past
Nyx
My car was jam-packed full of crap that my aunt had shoved at me as I’d been leaving.
A lamp with a shade made from black, brown, and white feathers her chickens had dropped during molting seasons, a bird bath she’d made out of giant terra cotta pots that she’d painstakingly painted in deep, moody colors she knew I would love.
I didn’t have the heart to remind her that I lived in an apartment and didn’t have anywhere to put the bird bath. I figured I could give it to a friend. Barring that, I was reasonably sure the Murphy brothers wouldn’t even notice if I set it up in their backyard.
She’d also given me hand-made quilts, old records, a box of old hangers, and two closets worth of hand-me-down clothes. Most of it was going to go to the local charity shop, save for one of the quilts that perfectly matched my general style.
On top of that, there were half a dozen houseplants that she’d propagated from her big mama plants. I would take those. And attempt not to kill them. I didn’t have a great track record with plants. I liked the ones that seemed to enjoy neglect. I had a spider plant and a pothos that had been going strong for years despite me only remembering to water them once a month. If that.
These plants looked finicky. But I would give them my best, absentminded chance.
I really should have driven through, gone straight back to Shady Valley. I had a month’s worth of errands to run thanks to the newest bartender not being able to cut it, so I’d been taking extra shifts.
Great for my bank account.
Hell for my life.
But that was just it, I guess.
I didn’t reallyhavemuch of a life anymore.
Which was what had me driving into the heart of Vegas instead of going home.
I wanted one night without chores, responsibilities, or work.
A couple of drinks. That fantastic endless pasta bar. Maybe some dancing or a show.
Then it was right back to Shady Valley.
I had about half a dozen people to interview for the bartender opening bright and early the next morning.
Grabbing my purse, I climbed out of my car and went to my trunk, grabbing the overnight bag I always kept around, just in case. A change of clothes, some snacks, condoms, and cash.
I got myself a room, took a couple of minutes to throw on some makeup and change out of “seeing my aunt who I was pretty sure was starting to steadily lose her grip on reality” clothes to my “maybe I can get some ass” clothes. Meaning the typical little black dress—heavy on the tits, but with a decently modest hemline—and high red heels that matched my lipstick.
Add a splash of perfume, fluff the hair, grab my bag, and I was heading downstairs to the bar.
It was there that I saw a familiar face.
Pretty boy, lots of ink, charm oozing out of his pores.
Sway.
And he was absolutely surrounded by women.
A smile tugged at my lips as I watched him seamlessly juggle four women at once.
It wasn’t even the first time.
Even though Shady Valley was a reasonably smallish town, he somehow always managed to have all the women surrounding him. It was a skill that never failed to impress me.
I mean, they weren’t always even young, impressionable chicks who fell for a throwaway compliment.
