Cruz (Dark and Dirty Sinners' MC #5) - Serena Akeroyd Page 0,1

ton of ink, but those marks had forged me into the woman I was today.

One who helped others cover up their scars, and who loved her baby brother. He was my ride or die because, when it mattered, he’d been mine, saving me from myself and that bottle of Clorox when he’d found me using it like it should never be used.

It was stupid. In fact, it was fucking stupid because I needed the goddamn bleach, but my thoughts, the memories, Caleb, all of it combined and I hurled the bottle ahead of me. As it soared through the sky, gravity had it plummeting with a nasty thud. The instant smell of chemicals had me wincing, and hoping there was some in the bunkhouse.

“You’re an idiot,” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head at my own stupidity.

My trouble was I had a quick-to-trip flip switch.

Always had. Always would.

Heaving a sigh, I trudged to the bunkhouse, wishing that my high of before hadn’t just plummeted to the ground like the bottle of fucking Clorox.

That was another constant.

My life was like a helium balloon that was destined to soar only to fall.

“And that’s enough self-pity for one night,” I grumbled to myself, because no one had time for that shit.

The door was unlocked, because only an idiot would think to break onto the compound and steal anything, but it meant I didn’t have to head into the clubhouse to grab a key which was a relief, as it was quite likely there’d be an orgy going down in there.

As I rolled in, my brows arched as I saw how hard the guys had been working because it was complete. The TV was up, the new sofa was in, and when I strolled into the bathroom, then the bedroom, there was still plastic wrap around the new mattress, as well as that plastic liner stuff they put on mirrors to protect the surface.

Dumping my bucket on the floor in the kitchen, I ran the water as I emptied it, then when it was hot, filled it to the brim.

And after I rolled up the sleeves of my Martin Garrix hoodie—the one Nyx and Caleb always gave me shit for—I got to work.

Bathroom, then kitchen, then surfaces in the living room and bedroom, and then the floor. By that point, I was sweating bullets, and as I tossed the scrubbing brush on the ground, I swiped at my sweaty forehead before tossing the hoodie off and onto the sofa.

A few minutes into my scrubbing sesh, I heard a wolf whistle, and I froze.

It was low.

Almost silent.

But I’d been a victim once, and I’d sworn I’d never be again, so even when I was busy, I kept at least one part of myself aware of my environment.

My head whipped around, and I saw him standing there, leaning against the doorjamb, his arms folded across his chest, his eyes narrowed at me.

I immediately registered that he hadn’t intended for me to hear the whistle, but that didn’t stop me from glowering at him. Not only for the whistle, not only for watching me and creeping up on me, but also for the fact that his gaze was fixed, quite firmly, on my tits.

Typical fucking man.

“The eyes are up here, Cruz,” I snarled at him, and even though I was quite willing to go head to head with him, two things were going against me.

One: I’d had a nineteen-hour day, and was exhausted.

Two: If I carried on cleaning and just ignored him, I knew he’d carry on watching me.

Cruz wasn’t like the other brothers. I didn’t know much about him, and to be honest, I thought that was the case for the entire club. I didn’t want to say that he was an enigma, because if I did, I’d find that attractive and I didn’t have time for attraction right now.

I’d tried to fuck my past out of my system throughout my early twenties, and while I hadn’t taken a vow of chastity, it was an old habit I was trying to get out of.

I could still remember the day when a fuck buddy had given my number to another guy, who’d thought I was a hooker. I’d woken up with two hundred dollars on my nightstand and—

“You’re lucky I’m not Nyx.”

I was grateful for the intrusion into my thoughts, just not so happy about what he was saying.

“Why? Because he’d tell me off for being here?” Goddamn brothers. Even Caleb who was younger than me,