Page 1 of Hansel
BEFORE
I didn’t mean to say the words; they just fell out of my mouth.
And the moment I said them, I wished I could take them back.
I was angry at her, and she was always angry at me. We had wanted to hurt each other. That was why the words came screaming out of my mouth. And I knew... I just knew that I had gone too far.
The way she recoiled from me was a punch to the gut. I tried, I really tried to form the words to make her believe I hadn’t meant it.
But by then it was too late.
The front door had already slammed shut behind her.
I knew it was the end of our marriage, the end of the life we had always dreamt of having with one another.
The end of me and her.
One sentence and my life imploded before my eyes.
All because I was an asshole and had said the first hurtful words that had popped into my head.
“YOU WOULD KNOW ALL ABOUT BEING A WHORE, WOULDN’T YOU, GRETAL?”
Eleven words and I lost her.
Chapter One
Hansel
Looking around, I smirked. Monster and Angela’s big day had arrived quicker than any of us had thought possible. Hell, most of the club had taken bets that he would come to his senses and kick her bitchy ass to the curb. I was one of the few who had put serious money down on it. And by the looks of it, I was about to be seriously out of pocket.
Because the wedding was definitely going ahead - guests were already in their seats and Monster himself was at the front, looking every bit the nervous groom. Cyber stood grinning like a fool next to him.
The field to the back of the Savage Sons’ clubhouse was full of people chatting as they filed in and took their seats. People had travelled for miles to help Monster celebrate his big day: other chapters of the Sons, some of Angela’s friends and what seemed like half of Gio’s organisation.
It was a who’s who of men who should be behind bars.
Which was kind of apt.
Swivelling in my seat, I let my eyes scan the crowd behind me. I didn’t smile at anyone. There wasn’t much I smiled about anymore. And I sure as hell wasn’t smiling at a damn wedding.
Monster was making a mistake, one that I wanted to warn him about. Tying yourself to a woman, any woman, even a woman you thought you were going to spend your life with, was a mistake.
No matter what she told you, she would rip your heart out and leave you broken.
Or maybe that was just the one I married. Maybe my brothers would live long and happy lives with their old ladies.
Maybe.
I wanted that for them. Or at least I wanted to want it.
Mostly I didn’t want to be there.
She was there somewhere. I had already heard more than one person mention her name before I had even taken my seat.
The name Gretal was always said in hushed tones when I was in earshot. As if hearing her name would send me into a rage. Once upon a time it would have, but I had got over it, mostly. As much as any man could get over his wife riding off and never looking back.
Despite that, she was still my wife. It didn’t matter how long it had been since I had seen her. When Gretal had said I do, when she had sworn to be with me forever, I had taken her at her word. She was mine - forever. She could drop divorce papers through the mail as often as she liked. It wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference to me.
