Hustler_A Second Chance Romance Read online

  Hustler

  A Second Chance Romance

  CONTENTS

  TITLE PAGE

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  EPILOGUE

  EXCLUSIVE: FAMILY NIGHT

  SAVING MEL

  FORBIDDEN TOUCH

  RYE HART SNEAK PEEKS

  COPYRIGHT

  Click here to join Rye’s Newsletter and receive a steamy bad boy romance in your inbox for free.

  As a thank you, I’ve included an exclusive full-length, never before released romance: Family Night, as a bonus after the main story. Enjoy!!

  PROLOGUE

  I shivered as he hooked his fingers into the band of my panties.

  “I’ll make sure you enjoy this,” he said.

  I lifted my head up and watched him slide my panties down my legs. He kissed back up my skin, making me jump the closer he got to my pussy.

  His lips hovered over my wet pussy as his eyes whipped up to mine. There was a shadow of a grin upon his cheeks as his eyes ignited with a passionate fire.

  I felt my heart slamming against my chest as his hands ran up my legs, wrapping around my thighs and pulling my ass to the edge of the bed.

  His tongue licked up slit and my head fell back to the bed as my body was flooded with relief.

  My hands curled into the sheets of the bed as his tongue worked slowly around my clit.

  “I love your body,” he said, as he sucked the tight bud. “I love your taste. I love your sounds and your smells and the way those sexy moans for me.”

  “Please,” I said breathlessly. “Don’t stop.”

  “Mmmm, I won’t,” he said, before he slid his tongue deep into my pussy.

  My back arched off the bed as my hips rolled into his face.

  His tongue ran along the folds of my pussy, licking up my wetness and making me moan. I squirmed against him as his arms pinned me to his face.

  He licked and he sucked.

  He whispered into my dripping folds. He slid a finger inside and crooked it, causing fire to burst behind my eyes. I wrapped my legs around his face as his tongue tortured me with its slow pace. I bucked against him, my hands curling into the thick locks of his hair as he smiled into me.

  “You’re perfect,” he said, with a whisper.

  “Please, I can’t—I have to—please—”

  Over and over again, he pulled me to the edge before backing off. Two fingers filled my pussy as one of his hands slipped from my thighs. I heard his zipper before his hand began to move, and the thought of him stroking his cock was too much to bear.

  I leaned up and pulled him onto the bed, his pants staying on the ground.

  “Get over here,” I said, breathlessly.

  CHAPTER 1

  RYAN

  Here we go.

  The buzz of the door made me jerk as the guard ushered us into the room.

  Plastic seats with phones on the right sat against a thick wall of plexiglass.

  This was how Jason and I had seen our father since we were little boys. No hugs or pats on the back, as physical contact was prohibited. I’d forgotten what he even smelled like.

  I pulled up another chair as Jason sat down. My brother was only sixteen and I hated bringing him to see our father this way. Jason had only been eight when our father was hauled away for armed robbery. Most of his memories of our father were of seeing him in prison.

  But I was old enough to remember those days before.

  The days where Dad would come home with sacks full of money.

  We didn’t question what was going on, and no one around us did, either. Food was on the table, clothes were on our backs, and our shoes never had holes in them. My father was a single dad who took us in when our mother chose drugs over her family. He did the best he could, but he knew it was never enough. And when a parent needs to provide for their children, they get desperate.

  Like my father had.

  In the neighborhood where we grew up, good clothes were more than anyone could ask for. Our roof never leaked so our carpets never molded, which meant we were living the good life. We didn’t live off rice and bread, which meant we ate like kings. It was a life meant for good and honest people, those who did right by society and contributed the way a person should.

  But that wasn’t what my father was.

  He was good man, but not an honest one.

  The guard opened the door and the inmates began to file in. One by one, they sat down in front of the family members who had taken the time to come see them. I put my hand on my brother’s shoulder, feeling him trembling as I tried to comfort him.

  I hated putting him in this position.

  Our father was the last to emerge and the smile that crossed my brother’s face made my heart ache. He grabbed the phone and waited for my father to pick up, then instantly began filling him in on his life.

  He had gotten used to trimming down his life to seven minutes.

  “Highlights. I aced my science exam and they bumped me up to A.P. Chemistry. I’m still struggling with history, but Ryan’s helping me with flashcards. I haven’t talked to that girl yet, but I’m trying to get to it. Every time she looks at me it’s like I freeze.”

  “Pretty girls’ll do that to ya,” my father said with a grin.

  “I still want to do Forensic Psychology in college, especially since I’m good at the science. I hear that’s the hard part for most. Oh! And I got my first suit yesterday. Ryan took me to get it.”

  “Any special occasion?” my father asked.

  “Ryan says any guy worth his salt needs a good suit,” Jason said.

  “Then you should listen to your brother. He’s always had your back.”

  “Your turn,” my brother said.

  I took the phone and held it up to my ear as my father smiled at me.

  “A suit, huh?” he asked.

  “I’m not one to wear them, but Jason gawks at every guy who has one on. Figured it would be a good early birthday present,” I said.

  “You can afford to buy your sixteen-year old brother a suit?” he asked.

  “It’s not a fitted Gucci suit or anything. Off the rack plus about thirty bucks for alterations. Totally doable on a construction salary.”

  “How’s that coming along, by the way?” my father asked.

  “I’m looking to branch out. Thinking about heading back to the old hometown and seeing what they have for me there,” I said.

  “You wanna go back to Tell City? You couldn't wait to get outta that place.”

  “I guess home always calls us eventually. So, are you going to tell me why you’re trying to cover up bruises on your neck?” I asked.

  I watched my father tug at his jumpsuit, revealing the discolored marks on his skin.

  “Just a petty fight. You know how those get,” he said.

  “Did you start it this time?”

  �
��Nope. Learned the first time when it landed me here. I was the target,” he said.

  “Do the guards know that?”

  “There’s a reason my face isn’t any more busted up than it is.”

  “What was the fight about?” I asked.

  “Pudding, if you can believe it,” he said.

  “In a place like this? Doesn’t shock me a bit.”

  “I’ve got four more minutes and I don’t wanna waste it on me. You boys gonna be able to come see me if ya go all the way back to Indiana?” he asked.

  “You know we’ll always get up here to see you,” I said.

  “The winters are harsh. I didn’t see you boys at all last winter.”

  “We couldn’t get into the city. Damn snowstorms kept the roads blocked off,” I said.

  “Don’t cuss in front of your brother.”

  “Nothing he hasn’t heard before,” I said.

  “You need to be better than me. You don’t need to be wasting your life away in a place like this like I am. I’ve been here for ten years, and I got three times that on my ledger to ride out. I’ll die in this place before I set my feet on ground outside of these walls. But how you show yourself to society begins with how you talk.”

  “I’m in construction, Dad. I’m not a businessman,” I said.

  “Don’t matter. Do better than I did, son. Make your brother do better than I did, too.”

  “You did the best you could, Dad. It wasn't your fault Mom chose what she did over us.”

  “Your mother went through a hell of a life,” he said. “Cut her some slack.”

  “A shitty childhood doesn’t excuse shitty decisions as an adult.”

  “Quit with that mouth,” he said.

  “Sorry.”

  “No matter how rough things got with us, your mother was the love of my life. I tried to do my best by you boys, but I ain’t got a college education. Hell, I didn’t even graduate high school.”

  “Language,” I said, with a grin.

  “You listen to me, boy. Your brother’s gonna need you. I’m proud of you for finding a job in construction. Hard work and getting your hands dirty ain’t nothing to swat at. Earning an honest paycheck was something I couldn’t seem to do. Pass that down to your brother. Push him toward a better life.”

  “I am, Dad. I promise.”

  “He’s all you got, and you’re all he’s got.”

  “We got you,” I said.

  “It’ll be nice to have you closer now. I worried about you two living in the harshness of Detroit.”

  “Figured you wouldn’t be getting transferred anytime soon with the stunt you pulled at the other facility. So hopefully Indiana pans out,” I said.

  “You worry about you and Jason. I’ll be okay no matter where you boys go,” he said.

  “Time’s up,” the guard said.

  The buzz of the door opening grated against my ears.

  “I love you boys,” my father said.

  My brother pressed his hand to the plexiglass, trying to feel my father’s warmth. Tears lined his eyes as my father pressed his hand to my brother’s and I gritted my teeth. What a fucking way to see your dad. A guard yanked him up from his chair and shoved him toward the door.

  “Come on, Jason. Let’s go get some lunch,” I said.

  As we were walking through the parking lot, my phone rang. I saw who was calling and ushered my brother quickly into the car. Kenneth was the last fucking person I needed to be talking to.

  “What?” I asked. “I told you I’d call when we were done.”

  “You need to get to the warehouse now,” Kenneth said.

  “I got Jason with me. I’m dropping him off, then I’ll be on my way,” I said.

  “No time. Get here now. We’re waiting for you.”

  “I’m not bringing my damn brother to this thing.”

  “Then you better run, boy. Because time’s ticking and we’ll replace you if you can’t meet the demands,” he said.

  “Fine, you little fucker. I’ll be there,” I said.

  I hopped into the car and took great care to make sure I wasn’t followed. Jason was silent, his eyes staring out the window as the world passed us by. I took the battery out of my cell phone and shoved it back into my pocket, taking advantage of the fact that Jason was zoned out.

  “I thought we were going to get lunch?” he asked.

  “I got a stop to make, and then we will. Promise,” I said.

  I pulled up to the abandoned warehouse and Jason furrowed his brow at me. I told him to stay put in the car and not to go anywhere, no matter what happened. He looked at me with a puzzled expression, but I shrugged him off.

  No time to explain.

  “What the fuck?” I asked, as I walked into the warehouse. “This couldn’t wait five fucking minutes?”

  “How was Daddy dearest?” Kenneth asked.

  “Beat to hell over snack food. Now what gives?” I asked.

  “We got a job,” Jesse said.

  “Okay,” I said. “And you couldn’t wait to tell me about it until after I dropped Jason off?”

  “What’re you guys doing?”

  I whipped around at the sound of Jason’s voice.

  “Boy, I told you to stay in the car. What the hell are you doing?” I asked.

  “I got bored. Plus, I’m not a kid anymore. Maybe I can help,” he said.

  “Get back in the car,” I said.

  “Hey Kenneth.”

  “Hey buddy,” Kenneth said.

  “Talking about another heist?” Jason asked.

  I felt Kenneth and Jesse burrow their gazes into my back as my face turned red.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Come on. I’m not an idiot. You’re not a construction worker like you always tell Dad. We were raised by a heister. You think I didn’t know what you were doing?” Jason asked.

  “You were eight!” I said.

  “Can we get on with this?” Kenneth asked.

  “No. Not until Jason gets back in the car,” I said.

  “You gonna keep your mouth shut?” Jesse asked.

  “I always do,” Jason said.

  I groaned as Jason walked up to the table where we were all standing.

  Now, more than ever, I wanted out of this lifestyle. I was done robbing banks and coordinating heists. I had invested some of what I’d taken after cleaning it thoroughly and that was going to get us by for a while. But eventually I would need to find a job in order to keep supporting Jason and me.

  Especially if Jason was going to college.

  I wanted him to have a good start. I never had the damn option of going to college, but he did.

  If I had any say about it, he would.

  He was intelligent, and he deserved the opportunity.

  One more successful heist would not only give him money for college, it would set me up to live minimally for the rest of my life. I could hunker down, live off a budget, find some small ass town to call home.

  No more robbing banks, no more threat of prison, and my brother could go to college without worrying about all that fucking debt.

  “Dad’s gonna kill me thanks to my smart ass brother,” I said.

  “Not from jail, he’s not,” Kenneth said. “Okay. There’s a local bank that services a hell of a lot more than just this town.”

  “City Central?” I asked.

  “That’s the one.”

  “That place is massive,” I said.

  “Which is why you’re gonna have to take the time to case it,” Kenneth said. “I’ve got blueprints Jesse and I can study, but we’ll need some solid recon to figure out where the hell the cameras are.”

  “Shit. You’re really going for the big one here, aren’t you?” I asked.

  “Hell yeah. One good score and we could all live a good life for a couple more years,” he said.

  “The usual cover?” I asked.

  “Yeah. Opening an account works the best. I did enough research to know they have a ne
w teller, so if you get in his line he’ll be slower and it’ll give you more time to look around. You can be exasperated, looking around in frustration. Shit like that,” he said.

  “I’ve done this before, Kenneth. You don’t have to give me pointers. I know what I’m doing,” I said, annoyed.

  “Could I say something?” Jason asked.

  “No,” I said. “You don’t wanna sit in the car, that’s fine. But you don’t have any input here.”

  “I’m with Ryan,” Kenneth said. “Just hang tight, kid.”

  Jason sighed and pouted, like I’d just taken away his Xbox. It was too bad because I wasn’t letting him get caught up in this lifestyle. I did this to provide for him like my father provided for me, but the cycle stopped there.

  Jason would do better.

  Be better.

  I wasn't letting him travel this same fucking road.

  “When do you want me to case this place?” I asked.

  “Today,” Kenneth said.

  “Fucking great. You got money I can walk in there with?” I asked.

  “Dad wouldn’t like your language,” Jason asked.

  Jesse snickered as a smile broke out on Kenneth’s face.

  “No, he wouldn’t,” I said. “Sorry. Kenneth, do you have money I’m going to do this with?”

  “I do. Got a thousand dollars you can use to open Jason a savings account or something.”

  “We’re not putting his name anywhere near this,” I said.

  “Fine. You a savings account. I don’t give a shit. But open a damn account with this and get on with it,” Kenneth said.

  My crew was fairly tight-knit like most good crews were. We’d worked several jobs together and knew we could trust one another if the plan went to shit. But Kenneth was a bit of a hot-head, and that always made me nervous.

  He tossed a bank bag of money at me as our eyes connected. Kenneth was being more aggressive than usual and I didn’t like it. None of our heists had ever been this hurried, and Jesse had looked as caught off guard as I had been. Why had he been doing all this preparation behind our backs?

  “Fine,” I said. “Jason, I’m taking you home first.”

  “Go to the damn bank,” Kenneth said.

  “I’m taking my fucking brother home before I go and do anything else,” I said. “Don’t like it? Do this shit yourself.”