HELLS COVE SINFUL SINNER

Book 5

Milana

I sat at yet another tedious dinner, my father smiling at a group of men he deemed suitable for me to marry. They bored me to tears, and I couldn’t help but think they wielded no real power. The true rulers of our state were the mafia and the infamous MC Hells Cove, who had every reason to fear my father. I had overheard his conspiratorial whispers in his office, revealing a web of deceit and ambition. Tonight, I was set to meet Ryder, the vice president of the motorcycle club—a man whose allure was impossible to resist. I had learned the ins and outs of his security, and I was determined to warn him of my father’s machinations.

As I sat there, my thoughts swirled in a turbulent storm of resentment and rebellion. My father, who pretended to be a caring patriarch, was nothing more than a tyrant behind closed doors. He inflicted emotional and psychological torment on both my mother and me, maintaining a façade of perfection to the outside world. The hypocrisy was suffocating; he brought women into our home as if they were mere decorations, while my mother endured the humiliation in silence.

“Milana, come over here and meet Adams's son,” my father beckoned, his tone dripping with authority. I rolled my eyes but complied, the forced smile on my face masking the revulsion I felt. As I approached, he introduced me to Owen, a man whose arrogance was palpable as he extended his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Milana,” he said, his eyes shamelessly appraising my form. I shook his hand briefly, maintaining my smile, yet inside, I bristled with disdain. The mere thought of my father suggesting that we should dine together felt like a betrayal of my very existence.

“I can’t accept that offer, Mr. Elrod,” I declared, my voice steady despite the tension crackling in the air. I knew the consequences of defiance but refused to be complicit in my own entrapment. A flicker of displeasure crossed Owen’s face, and I could feel my father’s eyes narrowing at me, a warning simmering beneath his calm exterior.

“Seems you have a frigid daughter,” Owen quipped, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Enough, Owen,” my father snapped, irritation cutting through the air like a knife.

I seized the moment, my resolve hardening. “I detest men like you who believe you are entitled to dictate the lives of others. Perhaps women bow to your whims, but I refuse to be one of them, you self-centered prick.” The shock on Owen’s face was gratifying, and I relished the momentary silence that followed.

“Milana,” my father’s voice was icy, a warning wrapped in authority.

“I am moving out, and I am done with you,” I declared, the weight of my words hanging heavy in the air. As I turned to leave, I caught the contemptuous gaze of Adam, Owen’s father, who seemed to think he could judge me.

“Why did you do that?” my mother questioned, concern etching her features as I rushed past her.

“I refuse to be trapped like you, letting that man control me. I have no father. I am disowning this family; I want nothing to do with him. Why are you staying?” I couldn’t help but unleash the anger and pain that had built up inside me.

“Watch your language. If I leave, he can make things hard for me. Your father is not going to just let you walk away from the family,” she said, her voice quavering.

“I am leaving, but he is not my father! We all know why he is a senator. He is going to get us killed. I love you, Mom; I wish you would leave. He doesn’t even love us.” Hot tears streamed down my face, each drop a testament to my frustration.

“We have a contract until his father or mine passes. I can’t leave. You know what could happen if I do. Just promise me you will stay in touch. I am going to miss you. Run as far away as you can.” She pulled me into a tight embrace, her warmth a bittersweet reminder of what I was leaving behind.

We held each other for what felt like an eternity before she finally broke the hug. I smiled at her through my tears as I grabbed the bags I had packed earlier, tossing them over my shoulders as I made my way down the stairs. I stumbled slightly in my heels but pushed through, determined to escape.

“Milana, where are you going, young lady?” my father’s voice boomed, filled with authority.

“Far away from you,” I shot back, my heart racing as I bolted for the door. I tossed my bags into my car as quickly as I could, adrenaline fueling my actions.

As I locked the doors and cranked the engine, I saw my father screaming behind me, his face a mask of rage. I rolled down the window and hurled my phone out, a small act of defiance. I had a new one waiting for me.

“Goodbye, you cruel bastard,” I muttered under my breath as I sped down the road, my mind racing. I was heading to a house where Ryder awaited me, a place where I could finally feel safe. I was determined to take my father down. He would never hurt me again, and I had to find a way to rescue my mother from his grasp. Guilt gnawed at me—would he take out his vengeance on her for my departure? I shook the thought away. I had offered her a way out, but she wouldn’t take it.

As I pulled onto the road and punched in the security code, I felt a surge of hope mixed with fear. I parked in front of the house, where Ryder was waiting. He came over, grabbed my keys, and tossed them to a large man who helped me with my bags.

“We’ll get you a new car. You did it, baby girl. You’re going to be okay. I’ve got you now.” He leaned in and captured my lips in a passionate kiss, igniting a fire within me that I hadn’t felt in ages.

It had always been electric between us. I needed to tell him what I had overheard two nights ago.

“My dad wants you guys dead. I overheard him on the phone the other night saying they had to eliminate your MC,” I confessed, worry lacing my voice.

“They will never be successful. We have a secret weapon who knows your father's connections. Trust me, baby girl, we are powerful and dangerous. Don’t worry about us.” Ryder’s voice was infused with conviction as he held my hand, grounding me in the moment.

In his presence, I felt a mix of desire and safety. “I need you. I’m ready,” I breathed, knowing that together, we could face whatever storm was brewing on the horizon.

“I need you ready first.”