Friday, March 3, 2017
Reviewing Steppin Into The Good Life by Tia McCollors
Friday, December 4, 2015
The Beast of Barcroft by Bill Schweigart
About the Book
Title: The Beast of Barcroft
Author: Bill Schweigart
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Horror
Fans of Stephen King and Bentley Little will devour The Beast of Barcroft, Bill Schweigart’s brilliant new vision of dark suburban horror. Ben thought he had the neighbor from hell. He didn’t know how right he was. . . .
Ben McKelvie believes he’s moving up in the world when he and his fiancée buy a house in the cushy Washington, D.C., suburb of Barcroft. Instead, he’s moving down—way down—thanks to Madeleine Roux, the crazy neighbor whose vermin-infested property is a permanent eyesore and looming hazard to public health.
First, Ben’s fiancée leaves him; then, his dog dies, apparently killed by a predator drawn into Barcroft by Madeleine’s noxious menagerie. But the worst is yet to come for Ben, for he’s not dealing with any ordinary wild animal. This killer is something much, much worse. Something that couldn’t possibly exist—in this world.
Now, as a devilish creature stalks the locals, Ben resolves to take action. With some grudging assistance from a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the crackpot theories of a self-styled cryptozoologist, he discovers the sinister truth behind the attacks, but knowing the Beast of Barcroft and stopping it are two different animals.
Excerpt
Ben attended the next neighborhood meeting at the Barcroft Community House. The neighborhood was in an uproar. The local councilwoman, dressed in a power suit and a brittle smile, attempted to calm the riled crowd. “I hear all of your concerns, but if everyone does their part—”
A tall man with a southern accent stood up. “Ma’am, all due respect, this is bullshit. Let’s call a spade a spade here. We all know the problem is stemming from one individual. The only question is: What are you going to do about it?”
“Again, I empathize with you, but the county can only cite an individual when complaints are made. The individual has thirty days to comply or a fine will be levied.”
It was maddening. After the meeting, Ben introduced himself to the seething tall man by telling him his address. His neighbor’s face went from seething to incredulous. “Wait a minute, you’re the next-door neighbor?”
Ben nodded.
“Brother, why am I just meeting you now?”
It was a legitimate question, Ben thought. It was his first meeting. He had spent the spring traveling back and forth to New Jersey, tending to his ailing father. When his father finally succumbed to the cancer, he suddenly found himself with time to fill and plenty of anger to burn. Since there was no breezy way to tell the man all of that, he said nothing. It was a rhetorical question anyway.
The man put his arm around Ben and yelled, “Lisa, get over here! This is the idiot who moved next door to her!”
That was how Ben met Jim, his best friend in Barcroft.
Jim introduced Ben to the rest of the neighbors on 3rd Street South, who were thrilled to have another join their ranks against Madeleine. They pumped him for information, and Ben was frustrated enough to share everything he knew. They were also eager to gossip about their own horror stories with her. The knot of neighbors pieced together her history for Ben. She had come from Seattle about ten years before, and at first, she was lovely. She was a practicing psychiatrist, until she began self-medicating. Then came harder drugs, eventually leading to her license being revoked. “After that,” said Jim, “she became a licensed raccoon rehabilitator.”
“Is that even a thing?” asked Ben.
“Whenever a raccoon gets run over or something and leaves behind babies, she takes them in. How you get a permit for this in Arlington, three miles from the damn Fourteenth Street Bridge . . .” He threw up his hands.
Jim’s wife, Lisa, a nurse, leaned in. “I’m not supposed to say this, but she comes into my emergency room every couple of months to be treated for animal bites. Raccoons are not friendly.”
A white-haired man named Stuart, tall and stooped, raised his hand to continue where Jim had left off. He had piercing blue eyes, and as he extended his finger to continue, there was just enough of a flourish to capture Ben’s attention and he suddenly remembered seeing the man at the summer block party, performing a magic show for the neighborhood children. He liked him instantly. “With the alcohol and street drugs, she started sideswiping cars. And she fed the birds beyond all common sense. She’d just dump a bag of seed on her front lawn and every chipmunk, rat, and rabbit in the D.C. metro area came to 3rd Street. Foxes too! One turned out to be rabid and the county had to come out and put it down. We all banded together and knocked on her door, begging her to see the light, but she kicked us off her property and put up a fence instead.”
“So that’s why she dumps the seed in her backyard now.”
Stuart nodded.
An older woman who stood just outside the ring of neighbors made a clucking noise. “Fence doesn’t do me a damn bit of good. She runs her garden hose ’round the clock so her critters can have running water. My yard is swamped more often than not.”
“Shit runs downhill,” said Jim.
“And Hazel is definitely in downhill territory,” said Stuart.
“What do you two know? You’re at the top of the block. You don’t have to contend with the rats or the runoff,” she said, then leveled a gaze at Ben, adding, “or the barking dogs.”
Ben looked at his feet. “All the animals stir him up . . .”
“Don’t worry about it, man,” said Jim. “Hazel could hit the lottery and she’d bitch about the taxes.”
Hazel continued, unfazed. “I was having a toilet installed once, and out of the pipes sprang five long, skinny rats. One right after the other. Five long, skinny rats, I tell you . . .” She glared at Ben, relishing her moment in the spotlight.
“Eye on the prize, Hazel,” said Stuart. “What are we going to do?”
“We organize,” said Jim. “We file complaints, one right after another, forever and ever amen. We rotate. At the end of thirty days, one of us files another. Tall grass, rats, bird droppings, whatever. We get our Big Bad Wolf on and we huff and we puff until we blow that goddamn house down. You in, next-door neighbor?”
Ben thought of his house and car, perpetually caked in pigeon shit, and the rat burrows multiplying beneath his fence, eroding the barrier between him and chaos.
“Hell, yeah, I’m in.”
Author Bio
Bill Schweigart is a former Coast Guard officer who has drawn from his experiences at sea to write the taut nautical thriller, Slipping The Cable. Schweigart’s debut is a modern entry to the rich tradition of the sea novel: everyone is confined aboard ship, tensions run high, and the setting itself is deadly, but not nearly as deadly as his characters. If you have ever suffered an impossible boss, ever wanted to fall off the grid and start over fresh, or just wanted to lose yourself in a high seas and high stakes adventure, Slipping The Cable is a must read. Schweigart lives in Arlington, VA, where he is currently finishing his second novel, a supernatural thriller set in the shadow of Washington, DC.
Website: http://www.billschweigart.com/
Links
Cake Love - All Things Payne by Elizabeth Lynx
Cake Love Boxed Set: All Things Payne
by Elizabeth Lynx
Cake Love #1-2
Publication Date: November 19, 2015
Genres: Adult, Boxed Set, Contemporary, Humor, Romance
Buy (#FREE for #KindleUnlimited subscribers!): Amazon • Amazon UK • Amazon CA • Amazon AU
Synopsis: Now you can have your cake and eat it too!
All the hot and crazy antics of Morgana Drake and Henrik Payne in one sexy boxed set. Seriously, look at the cover, there is cake right on it. And it’s sitting on her butt, what is sexier than that!This story! That’s what’s sexier. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the ins and outs, ups and downs of all things Payne.
What do you get with this SUPER-FANTASTIC Cake Love Boxed Set: All Things Payne? I’ll tell you:
RULES OF PAYNE –
***WARNING - Steamy Sex Scenes - Cake addiction - Incorrect usage of the word Potatoes***
Morgana Drake has some problems in her life. She has a boss she hates but can’t stop fantasizing about him. As she puts her focus into getting into the company’s Executive Development Program she finds only one thing standing in her way, you guessed it – her boss, Henrik Payne.***WARNING - Steamy Sex Scenes - Cake addiction - Incorrect usage of the word Potatoes***
Henrik Payne is very serious about his job. He has worked hard for over ten years to become VP of Sales and Marketing and make Mimir the third largest online retailer. He has rules he follows to make sure the company and his life run smoothly.
So, why does he keep breaking all his rules?
RULES OF PAYNE 2: Electric Boogaloo –
***WARNING – More Steamy Sex Scenes – Mile High sex that can’t be unread and Dirty Condom Wrappers used as lucky charms***
Morgana Drake has had a taste of Payne and finds she likes it in more ways than one, but she still has a few problems.***WARNING – More Steamy Sex Scenes – Mile High sex that can’t be unread and Dirty Condom Wrappers used as lucky charms***
Henrik Payne knows what he has to do. In the process he realizes he is too selfish for his own good, and the good of others. He’s also discovers his rules suck balls. He has made a new list.
Henrik and Morgana have gotten caught. Now what?
Do they get fired? Do they stay together? Where does cake fall in all of this? Read this and find out!
THE PAYNE IN THE BLOG –
You have now read the Rules of Payne and Rules of Payne 2 and find an unusual craving for cake? It happens. But you also find out you want so much more. Things that were referenced in the Rules of Payne books, you have to know how it all went down. Well, you are in luck! Get the ‘behind the scenes’ so to speak with this collection of character blog posts. The very first post being the moment Morgana and Henrik first met!
The posts lead directly up to where the book begins. Here’s what Morgana has to say about it:You have now read the Rules of Payne and Rules of Payne 2 and find an unusual craving for cake? It happens. But you also find out you want so much more. Things that were referenced in the Rules of Payne books, you have to know how it all went down. Well, you are in luck! Get the ‘behind the scenes’ so to speak with this collection of character blog posts. The very first post being the moment Morgana and Henrik first met!
***WARNING - Real Blog Posts - Sex Scenes - Copious amounts of Cake***
I love cake. Wait, wait, let me start again.... My Boss is an a**hole but mind numbingly gorgeous. That didn't sound right either. Scratch this (note to author – do not put this in the blurb).
My name is Morgana Drake, I write a blog. You may have heard of it, The Payne in the Blog (same as the title of this book, clever huh!). No? Oh well -- you will trust me! I may just be Mr. Henrik Payne’s assistant now, but soon I will be running the company.
How do I know? I can feel it in my bones. There is only one problem, my boss. They don’t just call him the Payne for nothing. He’s a jerk and I hate him! Then why do I keep fantasizing about him? Seriously, I think I need help.
EXCERPTS: Cake Love: All Things Payne by Elizabeth Lynx
EXCERPT: Rules of Payne 2
I look back to where Henrik and Ms. Slut were and now they’re gone. My eyes dart around and I see them crossing the street and heading straight toward us. He hasn't seen me and I wonder if maybe I should hide and then follow him. He followed me in New York, so now I can do the same to him. Find out if he is with her or if they just work together.
I quickly dash behind a parked car beside the curb as Aria watches me. She nods in acknowledgment and runs back inside the sandwich shop as she watches through the glass window. I gasp as the car starts and exhaust fumes blast into my face. I have to close my eyes as I gag and cough. Then the car pulls away.
"Morgana?" Henrik’s deep voice calls over to me, and I look up to see him tilting his head with the blonde at his side.
"There it is." I shake my head and chuckle as I walk over to Henrik. I raise the shiny metallic paper in my hand letting them know I found what I was apparently searching for.
"Fell out of my hand. Thought I lost my lucky..." I examine it closely and discover it's a condom wrapper. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath before I open them to see Henrik as he tries to cover a laugh.
"Your lucky what, Morgana?" His shoulders are shaking and his hand is now covering his mouth.
Smug bastard.
"Condom wrapper! My lucky condom wrapper. I mean, come on, doesn't everyone have a lucky something? If you think about it, what is worse, a lucky rabbit's foot, which is morbid by the way, or the wrapper from the condom you lost your virginity to?" I raise my brows and nod as if this makes total sense. But as I hear myself, I realize how disgusting I sound. When I glance over at the blonde who is now looking at me like I have the bubonic plague, my suspicions are confirmed: I am revolting.
I drop the wrapper and wipe my hand on my jeans.
"Your lucky wrapper is blowing away Morgana!" Henrik pretends like he is trying to catch it.
"Shut up." I say as I fold my arms over my chest.
About Elizabeth Lynx
Elizabeth Lynx is not a robot, that’s for sure. At least she says she’s not. She is also not a space alien. How do I know this, because she was born in Baltimore Maryland in the 1970’s when no one wanted to be in Baltimore Maryland so why would her parents say that if it weren't true. Of course she has had her suspicions growing up and is still in a continual search for evidence that backs up her space age theories.
To bide her time she writes about ‘normal’ people and their sexy romantic lives. Her husband chooses to put up with her theories and paranoid musings. Her two little boys help her see that perhaps she isn't an alien but more of a climbing rock. This theory is new, so she needs more time to develop it further.
GIVEAWAY
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Dirty Little Lies by Cassie Cross
Enter to Win a
$50.00 Amazon eGift Card
DIRTY LITTLE LIES
Dirty Little Series#2
Cassie Cross
Releasing Dec 1st, 2015
Self Published
Ben Williams is a billionaire CEO at
the top of his game. He’s a handsome, eligible bachelor who could have any
woman…except the one he wants. Marisa Blake is the love of his life, the one
who got away. Ben is willing to do whatever it takes to win her back.
the top of his game. He’s a handsome, eligible bachelor who could have any
woman…except the one he wants. Marisa Blake is the love of his life, the one
who got away. Ben is willing to do whatever it takes to win her back.
Marisa is a young entrepreneur whose
family is falling apart. Her parents are involved in a well-publicized scandal,
and both her and her sister’s names are being dragged through the mud. Just
when she thinks things can’t get any worse, Ben shows up at her doorstep. He
was her college boyfriend, and a serial cheater.
family is falling apart. Her parents are involved in a well-publicized scandal,
and both her and her sister’s names are being dragged through the mud. Just
when she thinks things can’t get any worse, Ben shows up at her doorstep. He
was her college boyfriend, and a serial cheater.
Great sex is the only thing they
ever had in common, and Marisa is determined to keep things physical. Still,
she finds herself falling for him. Again.
ever had in common, and Marisa is determined to keep things physical. Still,
she finds herself falling for him. Again.
When a former classmate blackmails
Marisa with information that will destroy what’s left of her family, Marisa is
forced to make a decision: sacrifice Ben to protect her sister, or forsake her
family to follow her heart?
Marisa with information that will destroy what’s left of her family, Marisa is
forced to make a decision: sacrifice Ben to protect her sister, or forsake her
family to follow her heart?
It’s not long before Marisa gets
caught up in some dirty little lies…
caught up in some dirty little lies…
Excerpt
Ben Williams is the mistake I will always regret, but will never stop making.
He and I have a long and storied history. We were the kind of tumultuous romance that makes for one hell of a cautionary tale. Together, we had a cyclical thing, and the cycle always begins something like this:
When I’m emotionally vulnerable, Ben shows up looking like sex on a stick, acting like I always hoped that he would. Caring, like he actually gives a shit about what’s going on in my life. Loving, like he wants the two of us to be happy this time around.
I’m at a low point right now, so of course he knocks on my door out of the blue. This is the way things work between us. Or, it’s the way things worked between us. I haven’t seen Ben in nearly five years.
When I see him standing on the front porch of my brownstone, the surprise is overtaken by a quick wave of familiar desire. He’s dressed casually, like he came over here on a whim. Low-slung jeans, a dark shirt, his hair tousled and messy, like he’s been running his fingers through it all day. God, he looks good, and that is absolutely terrible news for me and my willpower.
Ever since Ben and I met, I’ve been attracted to him on a cellular level. I’m fine as long as we’re apart, but the second we’re in the same vicinity, every fiber of my being is drawn to him. Even now—even though we haven’t spoken since I broke up with him for the last, devastating time—I feel the pull.
It’s that pull that makes me open the door, even though I know I shouldn’t.
I can’t resist him. I’ve tried - it’s impossible.
“Marisa,” he breathes on an inhale, looking at me like he’s surprised I’m standing right in front of him. Like I might not be real, like maybe he dreamed me up. “How are you?” His blue eyes are dark, and he speaks so softly, like he’s worried he’s going to scare me away. I haven’t been a part of a gentle, kind conversation in a long time. It’s that gentleness in his voice that makes me want to cry, and I’ve done such a good job of avoiding that lately. I’m certainly not going to allow myself to do it around him.
I’ve managed to keep it together for the most part since my family fell apart in the most scandalous, public way possible. We’re tabloid fodder; papers with our names and faces on them are everywhere. The destruction and downfall of the Blake dynasty is impossible to miss in this city. Some people are delighting in it, and I don’t blame them.
Turns out that my mother and father—the illustrious Gloria and James—aren’t the people that my sister and I thought they were. They’re exactly who the Feds thought they were, though, given the incredibly damning case they’ve built up against Mom and Dad, details of which are all over the evening news these days.
That’s why Ben is here, I’m sure of it. This is what he does: he shows up when I’m feeling low, and somehow manages to leave me feeling even lower. Still, he’s one of a very few friends—past or present—who has contacted me since this scandal broke, so I’m reluctant to send him away.
Plus, that whole can’t-resist-him thing is still in play here.
So, Ben wants to know how I’m doing? “Not well,” I tell him.
He holds out a bottle of my favorite wine and says, “I was going to wait until the Murphy benefit to talk to you, but I read something this morning that made me think that I shouldn’t wait.”
I let out a short little sigh of relief, glad that he decided not to rehash whatever terrible thing he read about my family this morning that made him think that he needed to check in on me. The very last thing I want to hear about tonight is my parents. At this point, I feel like I could do without hearing about them ever again.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Ben asks.
I shake my head. I don’t want to talk about it, especially not with him. Besides, talking? That’s not what Ben and I do. We fuck, and then I try to turn that into some kind of a relationship. I give it my all, but he inevitably cheats on me, and breaks my heart. Then he begs me for forgiveness, and asks for another chance. Like a fool, I always give him one.
Always gave him one.
I’ve learned my lesson, and now I’m smart enough to know that I can only rely on Ben for mind-blowing orgasms. He’s amazing in bed. Out of it? Not so much. Whenever I expect or hope for anything more from him, I get my heart broken, and I can’t handle any more heartbreak right now. His body was the only thing that he ever freely gave to me, and sex with him had been almost…transcendent. Ben always used sex to make me feel better, so there’s no doubt in my mind that’s what he’s here for tonight. There’s no use in trying for anything more when that only ever ends badly for me.
So, I decide to take the few hours of bliss that Ben is offering to me, and leave it at that.
I invite him inside, push myself up onto my tiptoes, and kiss him.
BUY NOW
Cassie Cross is a Maryland native and a romantic at heart, who
lives outside of Baltimore with her two dogs and a closet full of shoes.
Cassie’s fondness for swoon-worthy men and strong women are the inspiration for
most of her stories, and when she’s not busy writing a book, you’ll probably
find her eating takeout and indulging in her love of 80′s sitcoms.
lives outside of Baltimore with her two dogs and a closet full of shoes.
Cassie’s fondness for swoon-worthy men and strong women are the inspiration for
most of her stories, and when she’s not busy writing a book, you’ll probably
find her eating takeout and indulging in her love of 80′s sitcoms.
Don't Miss the first in the Dirty Little Series...
DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
I'll Be There by Samantha Chase
Enter to Win a $50 Amazon eGift Card and
a Signed Print Set of the Montgomery Brothers Series
I'LL BE THERE
Montgomery Brother's #6
Samantha Chase
Releasing Dec 1st, 2015
Sourcebooks Casablanca
Book #6 in New York Times and USA
Today bestselling author Samantha Chase's popular Montgomery series
Today bestselling author Samantha Chase's popular Montgomery series
This
Montgomery Has a Head for Business
Montgomery Has a Head for Business
Working for Zach Montgomery is
challenging on many levels-coming from a wealthy and powerful family, he lives
by his own rules and doesn't answer to anyone. But Gabriella Martine has no
intention of backing down. She's used to handling stubborn men, and it doesn't
hurt that Zach is smart, charismatic...and gorgeous.
challenging on many levels-coming from a wealthy and powerful family, he lives
by his own rules and doesn't answer to anyone. But Gabriella Martine has no
intention of backing down. She's used to handling stubborn men, and it doesn't
hurt that Zach is smart, charismatic...and gorgeous.
And a Heart for Adventure
Zach's perfect world is turned
upside down when a climbing accident leaves him broken, angry, and maddeningly
dependent. In his slow quest for recovery, Gabriella is always there to
help...but as Zach comes to see his beautiful assistant in a new light, he is
forced to re-evaluate what it really means to be a man worthy of Gabriella's
love.
upside down when a climbing accident leaves him broken, angry, and maddeningly
dependent. In his slow quest for recovery, Gabriella is always there to
help...but as Zach comes to see his beautiful assistant in a new light, he is
forced to re-evaluate what it really means to be a man worthy of Gabriella's
love.
BUY NOW
Amazon | B&N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo
New York Times and USA Today
Bestseller/contemporary romance writer
Samantha Chasereleased her debut novel, Jordan's Return, in November 2011.
Although she waited until she was in her 40's to publish for the first time,
writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her
students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up
through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing
dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.
Bestseller/contemporary romance writer
Samantha Chasereleased her debut novel, Jordan's Return, in November 2011.
Although she waited until she was in her 40's to publish for the first time,
writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her
students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up
through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing
dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.
When she's not working on a new
story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many
games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband
of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.
story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many
games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband
of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.
Haven't Started the Series?
WAIT FOR ME/TRUST IN ME
are now available in a duo!
Monday, November 30, 2015
A Brooklyn Love Affair by Tya Marie
About the Book
Title: A Brooklyn Love Affair: Vixen and Gino’s Story
Author: Tya Marie
Genre: African-American urban fiction
Vixen Williams has always been known as a woman of many faces. The fiercely devoted one she uses for her best friend, the one of a lover and confidant to her fiancé, and the real one she keeps reserved for looking in the mirror and battling her inner demons. Life is fairly normal for Vixen until her verbally abusive mother reenters her life, dredging up traumatic childhood memories, and bringing a handsome stranger into the mix with her devious antics causing Vixen to reprise her role as caregiver and bread winner.
Gino Romano is infamous for many reasons: his notoriety for being one of the youngest king pins in New York City, the cold manner in which he handles business and the notable political ties he's managed to create along the way through “profit sharing.” However, the most prominent thing he is known for is the ice fortress he has built around his heart. Because of his past, Gino keeps women at an arms length, believing it hard to find one who could accept the scarred past he comes with. Until he lays eyes on Vixen.
Brought together for all the wrong reasons, Vixen and Gino find a common ground that not only develops into a budding friendship, but sparks a love affair. From the moment they become one they must fight to protect their love from those who plan to destroy it by any means necessary, one of which being the very reason Vixen ran away from home ten years ago in the dead of night.
Will the forces that are determined to see Gino and Vixen destroyed win? Or will their love prevail?
Set in a spicy Brooklyn backdrop, A Brooklyn Love Affair brings to life pain, forgiveness, and the never ending possibility of finding love.
Author Bio
Links
Book Excerpt
I was halfway up the stairs to the co-op Trey and I shared with two other families when I heard a heavy click clacking of heels followed by a smoke stained cough. Rolling my eyes I turned to find my mother, Mahogany, standing in front of me, hands on her bony hips. She looked fifteen pounds lighter in the loose zebra print dress that swathed her small frame. My lips formed a thin line as I walked back down the stairs to talk with the woman who was responsible for making my early years a living hell.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed, looking around to make sure no one I knew was walking by.
Mahogany adjusted the cheap blonde wig she wore. “I need some money.”
“You need money?” I repeated incredulously. “I gave you money last week.”
“Vixen, that wasn’t nothing but some change.”
“You call five hundred dollars ‘change’?”
“It lasted me only a week; so yes, I call that ‘change.’”
“Well then here’s a couple pennies,” I said, pulling out a twenty and tossing it to her.
“What the fuck is this supposed to do?” she asked loudly.
I could see Mark, my neighbor, a few blocks down, squinting in our direction. I sucked my teeth and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of his view. “Make that last you tonight and I’ll see what I can do tomorrow,” I said through gritted teeth.
Mahogany sneered at me, yanking her arm from my grip with surprising strength. “You better make something happen unless you want me to come back over here scaring all your neighbors.”
“Stay the hell away from here.”
“It’s not my fault you’re scared, Vixen,” she continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “You’re scared that all these people in this neighborhood will see you for who you are. ‘Cause no matter how nice your clothes are or how good you look, you ain’t nothing but a whore like me.”
I walked away from her and shoved my key into the front door. After a few seconds I heard the sound of her cheap heels click-clacking down the street and knew she was gone.
“Hey,” Trey said the moment I entered the apartment.
My heart dropped when I saw where he was sitting. Putting on my brightest smile, I managed a bright, “Hey.”
“So,” he said lightly as he got up from the seat we kept by the window. “Who was that?”
“Just some stupid crackhead bothering me.” I said lightly, walking into the bedroom so he couldn’t see the tears pouring down my cheeks.
“She was there for a while.”
I slammed the bathroom door shut, turning on the shower to drown out the sobs that racked my chest. Trey knocked on the door, calling my name. I ignored him, too hurt by my mother’s harsh words to be bothered. The steaming hot water streamed down my face, mixing with my tears as I let go of the tidal wave of emotions that overcame me. My mother was right: behind my expensive clothes I was nothing but a whore and undeserving of a decent man like Trey. He loved me now, but I was sure once Trey knew the real Vixen he would treat her as such.
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