Warped (Dueling Devils Book 4) (2 page)

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“Did
you hear…we’re getting a new girl?”

Monster
glanced up at his brother and shook his head. “Wasn’t it enough you ran Sarah
off? How about you take a breather on the girls we have to work with?”

“Oh,
come on, dude. Sarah was fun while she lasted.” Pan grinned roguishly. Aptly
named after the never aging child-king, Peter Pan, his brother always looked to
the bright side of things. His birth certificate might say thirty-five, but
Monster would pin his mentality at about eighteen. They’d both dealt with the
fire in their way. Pan decided to focus on the fun things in life, no matter
what that cost everyone else.

 Monster
didn't have that option.
It’s easy when your face isn’t completely fucked.
Sometimes, looking at Pan was painful. Seeing the once identical face that now
mocked him with its pristine condition. He’d been lucky to get out with his
life, but the price he’d paid to live was high. He ran his fingertips over his
textured cheek.

“You
need to lighten up, Monster. It’s like you’re a fifty-year-old trapped inside a
younger man's body.”

“Maybe
it’s to balance out your younger man in a young man’s body syndrome.”

“Touché,”
Pan joked. He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

Monster
shook his head. Despite being identical, there were night and day.

“Seriously,
though, I’m worried about you.” Pan’s voice dropped an octave.

“What’s
to worry about?”

“Plenty.
When’s the last time you smiled, or got laid for that matter?”

“I
didn’t realize my sex life was so concerning.” Monster tightened the bolt,
gripping the wrench hard enough to turn his knuckles white.

“No,
your lack of one is.”

Not
so easy to get laid when half your body disgusts most women.
“Not
all of us need it on the daily.”

“Bullshit,
this isn’t about frequency and you know it.” Pan pointed at him.

Monster
growled in the back of his throat. “Can we not do this? Your argument is
wearing thin and getting on my last nerve.”

“So’s
your refusal to live your life.”

Monster
looked up at him. “This is me living the best way I know how. You want me to
say it for you? I freak women out. You think I can get my rocks off while she’s
cringing and staring at my disfiguration? It’s not a good time for me.”

“What
are you talking about? The biker bunnies are lined up to get in bed with you.”

“To
get to you, or because they think I’m an easy way to old lady status. Their
eyes are dead. Would you want to sleep with someone forcing themselves to be
with you?”

The
light left his brother's blue eyes and he mentally swore.

“Look
I’ve accepted my fate. Maybe it’s time you do too. I can’t be like you, Pan.
The sooner you accept that, the easier things will be for the both of us.” Monster
broke eye contact and returned to repairing the bike they’d been restoring
post-accident.

“And
just like that, I’m dismissed?”

“I
don’t know what you want me to tell you.” Monster shrugged.

“That
you’re going to start living, dammit.” Pan kicked his creeper across the
garage.

Monster
bowed his head. It always got tense between the two of them around this time of
year, when the anniversary came around.

“Who
determines what’s living? I have a job I fucking love, a family who’s willing
to die for me and always has my back and when I need it. I have pussy.”

“But
you’re not happy. Don’t you see that’s why I keep hashing this out with you? I
can see it in your eyes, brother. It’s like you’re never fully here with me and
that eats me up inside. If it hadn’t been for me—”

“No.”
Monster cut him off. “Saving you was second nature. You would’ve done the same
thing and you know it.”

“Yeah,
but look at what it cost you. I’m the one who has to live with that.”

“There’s
nothing to—”

The
door to the front of the shop opened and the alarm beeped. Monster exhaled.
“We’ll finish this talk later.”

Pan
nodded and walked away.

“Yo,
anyone here yet?” Chase’s voice reached them in the garage.

“Yeah,
Chase, me and Pan are working.”

“Good,
come meet our newest co-worker.”

Monster
set his tools aside carefully and rose, steeling himself for the response. He
was massive at six-foot-three, and the scars that covered the majority of the
left side of his body added to the intimidation factor. He rolled his shoulders
to loosen up the stiff muscles.

Pan
replaced his mask. The boyish grin accompanied by a devilish twinkle in his
blue eyes returned. Pan was an entertainer. A caricature.

Monster
envied his ability to hide in plain sight. Shoving his hands into the pockets
of his jeans, he navigated through the bay into the office. The sight that
greeted him stalled his heart momentarily.

At
that moment, the tall, slender, brown-skinned woman made him feel like life
might be returning to a battered soul. His match in every way and he wanted her
instantly.

She
stood a bit above average height. Her hazel-colored eyes held caution and
wariness. A steely expression that only came with the hardest knocks life could
offer up lined what should've been delicate facial features. Faded scars
covered her flesh, telling a story of pain. Her face was heart-shaped and
elegantly formed.

She
would understand me.
For him, the scars turned her face into a
surreal form of art. So much beauty not ruined, but transformed into strength.
His stomach twisted itself into knots and his mouth went dry.

“Hey,
this is our new office manager and go-to girl, Symone, once I get her trained
up properly.”

Symone.
He turned the name around in his head…sensual and exotic, like the woman in
front of him. Her black button-down dress hugged her curves and skimmed her
knees. He wanted her legs wrapped around his hips and her red pumps digging
into his back. His cock twitched and he shifted his weight.

“Symone,
this is Pan, the flirt, and his brother, Monster.”

She
glanced between them and back to Chase. Her body took on a defensive posture.
The skittish behavior sent up red flags. Someone had hurt her badly.

“Nice
to meet you, Symone. What a beautiful name.” Pan smiled, oozing charm.

She
scowled and Monster snickered. She turned her multicolored gaze on him and he
tensed, waiting for disgust. Her eyes softened slightly.

“Welcome
aboard. We can be loud and rowdy, especially when all the brothers are in here
working, but we don’t mean any harm by it.”

“I’ll
keep that in mind,” she replied.

Their
gazes held and the others in the room all but disappeared. Such a fascinating
woman. A mystery he wanted to solve.

She
glanced away.

Chase
cleared her throat. “Alrighty then, I’ll start showing her around. If you need
us, we’ll be in the office. “

“Alright,
thanks, C,” Pan said. He turned on his heels and strode back to the garage.

Unsure
what to say, Monster nodded and followed him. Dazed, he returned to the
motorcycle and knelt down.

“Okay,
what the hell was that?” Pan asked.

“What?”

“Exactly.”
Pan pointed his index finger. “You’re bewitched.”

Monster
snickered. “Bro, you’re buying too much into the whole Peter Pan reference.”

“No,
don’t do that,” Pan snapped.

Monster
glanced up. “Do what?”

“Act
like nothing passed between you and Symone. You barely look at girls and the
two of you could not take your eyes off each other.”

Monster
shook his head. “It’s clear we have things in common. I felt a kinship. It’s
obvious why.”

“Don’t
use that copout. This is about more than scarred flesh.”

Monster
narrowed his eyes. “‘Cause you’d know, pretty boy?”

“Fuck
you. I’m your twin. I know when something’s up.”

“Well,
when you figure it out, can you clue me in?” Monster raised an eyebrow.

“You’re
so fucking annoying,” Pan seethed.

“Right
back at you.”

“I’m
going to check the due dates on the bikes to see where we need to focus once we
finish this one up today.” Pan walked off.

Monster
chuckled. Usually, the shoe was on the other foot. The shift in the tides
filled him with a feeling he hadn’t had in years…hope. As the others filled in,
the usual organized chaos began. He loved the smell of oil, the feel of the
metal in his hands, and the familiar motion of repair. Motorcycles had always
been his love. He got it honest from his father. Thoughts of Freebird, as
always were mixed with one part happiness, then one part anger and
disappointment. He’d been a great dad for most of their life, then he took a
turn down a dark path that had been the entire family’s downfall.

“Hey
man, did you see the office manager?” Monkey asked as he strolled in twenty
minutes later.

“Yeah,
I saw her,” Pan replied.

Monster
paused and glanced up at the dark-haired Spaniard he swore should’ve been
nicknamed Rico Suave for his wooing skills.

“I
bet you won’t be running this one off like you did Sarah,” Monkey said.

“No,
she made it pretty clear my charm was lost on her,” Pan said dryly.

Monkey
laughed. “I saw her from behind when we came in. Her body is killer, but when
she turned around—holy shit. Someone did a real number on what would’ve been a
beautiful face.”

The
comment lit a fire. “Fuck you, Monkey. Last I checked, you were no Brad Pitt,”
Monster snarled.

Monkey’s
jaw dropped open.

“Be
careful, Monster has a little crush on her,” Pan quipped.

His
brother’s wide grin pissed Monster off even more. “It’s not a crush,” he
growled. “You walk around all day having people not look you in the eyes, hold
their kids closer like you’re a fucking child molester, then you might not want
to sit by when someone tries to do the same to someone else with scars.
Everyone just keep their fucking mouths shut about it.”

Silence
fell.

Monster
glowered, making eye contact with everyone in the room. He felt protective of
the woman who’d recently joined them, and that mean staking his claim.

“Dude!
Monster, chill out. Monkey didn’t mean anything by it. No one knew you had your
boxers in a bunch over her. Mum’s the word from now on,” Bandit said.

Monster
grunted and returned to his tune up.

Pan
hovered nearby.

“Are
you going to say whatever it is you want to say, or just keep floating like
your namesake? Because I’m pretty sure my parents died years ago.”

“Damn,
you really are in a mood.”

Monster
glared up at him and narrowed his eyes.

Pan
smirked. “It’s amusing seeing you all worked up over a girl.”

“I’m
not worked up over her.”

“Right?
That’s why you just stared everyone down like an alpha male pissing on a tree
to mark his territory.”

“I
just don’t want them to give her a hard time, is that a crime?”

“No,
but it’s the most lively I’ve seen you in God knows how long.”

“I
thought that’s what you wanted,” Monster countered.

“It
was—it is.”

“So,
what’s the problem?” Monster pressed.

“You
always try to dumb things down. We both know it’s not that simple. She makes
you react and we don’t know shit about her.”

“Let
it be, man.” Monster shook his head.

“You
know me better than that,” Pan said.

“Yeah,
unfortunately, I do. You’re going to annoy, overwhelm and possibly piss her off
before she can even get her foot in the door. Just let it happen on its own, if
it’s meant to.”

“Let
what happen?”

“Exactly,”
Monster retorted.

Pan
shook his head. “You don’t make sense, you know.”

“I
do. You just can’t see it.”

“Thank
you, Zen Master.” Pan gave a mock bow. “I so look forward to these enlightening
lessons.”

“Glad
to hear it. I’ll try to make sure I drop a new one daily.”

“Smart
ass. Since you decided not to go on your rampage, I’m going to get back to
work.”

“Might
be helpful if you want to get out of here on time,” Monster drawled.

“I
hate you sometimes, you know?” Pan walked back to his bike.

Monster
shook his head. His brother was like a dog with a bone. He wouldn’t stop
picking at this until he understood it. He didn’t understand the fear in his
chest that if he looked at it too closely, he’d discover it was all in his
head. Pan had always been the more outgoing twin and now, he was the normal
one. It’d exacerbated the difference between them. Monster refocused his
attention on his work to drown out the river of doubts threatening to drown the
joy he’d gained. There would be enough time for reality to come in and set him
straight soon enough.