He was the boy next door, my escape from my splintered home. I fell in love with him too early, thought about him too much, and hoped for something he could never give me–a fairytale. He pushed me away, but I followed. I chased the ghost of Cain Donovan across the country, heart racing for him and him alone. Eventually, I did find him–right where he told me to look. What I saw shattered me beyond comprehension, and I decided I was done. The last thing I expected was for him and the leaders of Oasis, the street racing hub of St. Louis, to show up. Months later, we were all in danger, and the feelings I thought I’d let go of were re-surfacing. I didn’t know what to face first: Cain Donovan or the Bratva he used to be part of.
Cain
She was the girl next door, my escape from a broken home. I didn’t like her at first, but really, what little boy would like a bossy girl in a yellow dress covered in clovers? She became a sanctuary–my best friend. Night after night, after Mom stopped cussing and hitting, I climbed through her window. Years passed, we grew up, and suddenly, that little girl with the wild hair was a beautiful woman—one I couldn’t have. So I left, and I didn’t expect her to follow. I pushed her away–again. I succeeded: she stayed away, and it hurt like a bitch. My brother needed an ally, and I lost years of my life repaying a debt he couldn’t. When I finally managed to break free, I raced to find a life worth living, and Oasis became my home. The last thing I expected was to find my clover girl. My boys wanted her at Oasis, and she went, acting like I didn’t exist. Then, she got hurt, and it changed everything. Whether she wanted me or not, I would always protect her. I just needed to stop loving her first.
He was the boy next door, my escape from my splintered home. I fell in love with him too early, thought about him too much, and hoped for something he could never give me–a fairytale. He pushed me away, but I followed. I chased the ghost of Cain Donovan across the country, heart racing for him and him alone. Eventually, I did find him–right where he told me to look. What I saw shattered me beyond comprehension, and I decided I was done. The last thing I expected was for him and the leaders of Oasis, the street racing hub of St. Louis, to show up. Months later, we were all in danger, and the feelings I thought I’d let go of were re-surfacing. I didn’t know what to face first: Cain Donovan or the Bratva he used to be part of.
Cain
She was the girl next door, my escape from a broken home. I didn’t like her at first, but really, what little boy would like a bossy girl in a yellow dress covered in clovers? She became a sanctuary–my best friend. Night after night, after Mom stopped cussing and hitting, I climbed through her window. Years passed, we grew up, and suddenly, that little girl with the wild hair was a beautiful woman—one I couldn’t have. So I left, and I didn’t expect her to follow. I pushed her away–again. I succeeded: she stayed away, and it hurt like a bitch. My brother needed an ally, and I lost years of my life repaying a debt he couldn’t. When I finally managed to break free, I raced to find a life worth living, and Oasis became my home. The last thing I expected was to find my clover girl. My boys wanted her at Oasis, and she went, acting like I didn’t exist. Then, she got hurt, and it changed everything. Whether she wanted me or not, I would always protect her. I just needed to stop loving her first.