Wrath

By Jenika Snow

When the strongest fall, they fall hard...

Wrath has run the streets for so long it’s become ingrained in him. Now he’s at the top, ruling over his underground empire, and he’s never looked back. But the one person who can bring him to his knees is the one person he let down, the one person he knows he can’t have—Lila.

Lila loves Wrath, but circumstances in life weren’t in their favor, and they could never be together. Now a single mother, Lila’s past is behind her and the father of her baby out of her life, and she wants nothing more than to be with Wrath.

There’s no denying they are meant to be together. It goes down to the very marrow. But can these two damaged souls realize the only light they’ll find in their darkness is with each other?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Publishing
• Release date: Sep 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781773390208

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Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2016 Jenika Snow

ISBN: 978-1-77339-020-8

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: Karyn White

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

WRATH

Jenika Snow

Copyright © 2016

Author’s Note

It is suggested Tank’s Property (The Brothers of Menace, 8) be read before Wrath to fully understand the characters and what they are going through, as this story starts where Tank’s Property left off.

Prologue

The past

Wrath had always wanted Lila, but keeping his distance was for the best. At least that was what he kept telling himself, even if he was fighting an internal war about it. But just staring at her had this dark longing inside of him, this possessive desire to just take her for his own, to claim her, until it was like another being inside of him.

Fuck.

Wrath had wanted Lila for so damn it took up his thoughts … his very life. He’d known her since she was a girl, and at first his affection for her had been almost brotherly, as in he wanted to protect her. Hell, he’d beaten the shit out of plenty of assholes that had so much as eye-fucked her.

But then that affection had grown to something possessive over the years … something akin to obsession.

Who the fuck was he kidding? He was obsessed with her.

But for as much as he wanted Lila, he’d never cross that line. She was Brendan’s sister. Brendan being Wrath’s best friend meant he wasn’t about to fuck with that. He didn’t want bad blood. But that also meant he wouldn’t let some motherfucker get to Lila either. He may never claim her as his, but he wouldn’t let some prick have her either.

He stared at her from across the room. They were partying at the abandoned warehouse where they usually hung out, but Wrath kept his distance, despite the fact he watched her intently. He brought his beer bottle to his mouth, took a long drink from it, and focused on Lila. She was gorgeous, with her long dark hair and slender body.

She was talking to some little asshole, and the way she laughed at whatever the bastard said set Wrath on edge. The thought of her even talking to anyone else pissed him off, but he’d hang back and not make a scene.

But if the little shit tries to touch her … yeah, there will be issues.

What’s up, man?

Wrath looked over at Brendan. Lila’s brother stood beside him, a beer in hand and his focus on the group of people drinking and smoking pot just a few feet from them.

Who’s the asshole talking to Lila? Wrath asked, knowing he probably should have kept his fucking mouth shut, but not caring right now. He was getting too juiced just seeing some asshole with Lila, even if it was in an innocent manner.

Wrath might have been a decade older than Lila, but fuck did he want to go to her and tell every last bastard she was his. She was of age now, a woman, and he wanted nothing more than to stake his claim.

Just some punk that came with Giggy to the party, Brendan said and took another swig of his beer. Why do you care? He fucking with her? Brendan sounded on alert now, the prospect of someone messing with his baby sister clearly pissing him off.

Wrath sensed Brendan looking at him, and he glanced over. I care because it’s Lila, was all he said. He didn’t need to admit it was because he was fucking jealous of any asshole talking to her. She’d been in his life for a long ass time, and that was a good enough reason to keep her safe from any little fuckers that wanted to get between her legs.

Well, I’m watching him, too, Brendan said.

Wrath went back to looking at Lila, and every part of him tensed when the guy reached out and pushed a lock of her hair off her shoulder. She moved back, and he saw the fact she didn’t like that written across her face. The guy inched closer, said something, and Lila shook her head and went to move away. But the fucker grabbed her arm, stopping her.

Oh. Fuck. No.

Wrath set his beer down and stalked over to where they were. Before he could try to control himself and think this out rationally, he was lifting the guy up by the collar of his shirt and bringing him up to eye level. He stared at the prick for long seconds, his anger rising, and a tangible force coming from him. It was clear on the guy’s face he realized he’d fucked up.

You don’t fucking touch her, Wrath gritted out, the prick about half a foot shorter than his six-foot-six frame. The guy had wide eyes, started mumbling his apologies, and although Wrath wanted to knock his head off, the feel of Lila touching his arm had him stilling. He looked over at her, saw her shake her head, that pleading in her eyes, and Wrath instantly tossed the guy aside. He fell back on the ratty chair they had by the trashcan fire, but the force from how hard Wrath had tossed his ass had him falling backward.

He’s not worth it, Lila said softly.

Wrath couldn’t help but stare into her big blue eyes. She was so fucking beautiful, and he loved her so damn much.

He clenched his jaw, turned back to the fucker, who was now standing, and growled low like some kind of beast. You touch her again, hell, even look in her direction, and I’ll rip your dick off and shove it down your throat. You fucking understand me?

The atmosphere was tense, the music still blasting through, but everyone was silent. The prick nodded, and without saying anything he turned and left.

You brought him here, Wrath turned and said to Giggy. You fucking leave with him.

Giggy nodded and left, and after a few moments the party commenced.

Wrath looked at Lila once more, saw Brendan standing off to the side looking unaffected at what he had just seen, and Wrath knew his control was paper-thin when it came to Lila.

Fuck.

God help anyone that tried to hurt her, because if he ever found out that she was compromised in anyway … yeah, Wrath would have no problem taking lives and watching the bodies pile up at his feet.

****

Wrath was unstable, Lila knew that, but there was a part of her that couldn’t help but be drawn to the bad boy that he was.

No, not a bad boy—a dangerous man.

But she knew he’d never hurt her. In fact, he’d only ever protect her. She knew that deep down to the very core of her soul.

Lila watched Wrath move back to stand beside Brendan, and the two of them talked for several moments, the atmosphere still tense, Wrath still looking angry.

She’d been in love with Wrath for longer than she could remember, but she knew being with him would never happen. He had a lot of issues, as did they all, but Wrath’s problems went down to the marrow. He let his rage control every part of him, let that darkness shape him. How could she let her heart get mixed up with a man that was dangerous and didn’t care if he lived or died? How could she let go of what she wanted, the life she’d pictured for herself, for a chance of happiness with Wrath? He relished, lived for, hurting people who crossed him or her and Brendan. He was feared, did illegal things, and didn’t care about the outcome.

But despite all of that, she still wanted him, wanted to know what it would be like to give herself over to a very potent man. But Lila was too afraid, even to admit to herself or anyone else how she felt toward Wrath.

Was it wrong she was wet and aroused over what she’d just seen Wrath do to the guy she’d been talking with? Truth was the man she’d been speaking with was harmless, and although he’d grabbed her hand to try to make her stay when she was going to go, the fact Wrath had been there, gotten so territorial and extreme over the situation, turned her on.

She looked at him again, saw his focus was on her, and she felt her face heat. Every part of her lit up because of Wrath, but she couldn’t be with him. She knew that. He had a lot of baggage, a lot of his own demons he needed to deal with. She might not see him with other women, didn’t hear rumors of man-whoring ways, but that didn’t mean he didn’t let off steam with a willing female. Hell, he had to. He was all testosterone and male prowess.

He had to find an outlet for all that … masculinity.

A shiver worked through her at that thought.

God, what I wouldn’t give to be Wrath’s outlet, to feel him pumping into me, poised above me as he let loose all that aggression and intensity.

Wouldn’t it be so easy just to let go and be with him?

She saw the way he watched her, looked at her, but maybe that was just him being protective? Maybe that was just him seeing her as nothing more than Brendan’s sister?

She turned her focus from Wrath, not allowing herself to think about him or what she wanted anymore. They were dangerous thoughts and desires,