Broken Lyrics (Book 3 of the Black Heart Series)

Prologue

Bree

I grew up in a small town, one where everyone knew my father, and myself by default. Had I been a bit of a trouble maker? No. I can honestly say that I wasn't. I was a hell raiser.

My mother died when I was eleven. When her cancer took her, I was lost. Every day after school, I would sit by her grave and cry for hours.

My mother had always had this light about her. She had liked to stand out and wasn't afraid of small town gossip, but she had a presence, that I thought of even today. She was always cool and calm, patient and loving, and so supportive.

It was what I strived for in my everyday life. Cool, calm and collected, while proving to people in this small town that I was stronger than they thought I was.

Sure, I'd had my bumps along the way, but my bar practically owned this town now and there was nothing that could stop me. Except my much hated trips to the grocery store.

Our shipment of limes was on backorder, and we needed them for the weekend. So, here I was, on a Tuesday afternoon, filling my basket with every lime in the place. I didn't even care if they were ripe or not at this point.

My phone rang, as I made my way to the cashier. I had to answer it, it could be Davis, my lead bartender. If he needed something, I'd rather get it now, and not have to come back later.

I pulled it out of the pocket of my leather jacket and looked at the caller ID. It wasn't Davis at all, it was Lexi. My best friend from my most troubled days.

Her and I had grown close, the year that I had run away from home. From there, we became nearly inseparable. We supported each other through school and pushed along together, when things got tough. When I needed something, she was always there. As my lawyer and my friend.

I had her working on something for me, and I was hoping this was her with the news.

"Hey, Lady." I answered with a smile.

"Oh, if it isn't my sweet little Bree." She crooned. This had to be a good sign.

"Did we get them?" I made my way to the checkout.

"They signed." She squealed, "The girls are going to be ecstatic!"

"DC will flip!" I gasped.

Our daughters had grown up together. They were just as inseparable as Lexi and I, but in turn, they both had a very unhealthy infatuation with a band from the West coast.

"We'll tell them together, tonight at dinner!" I knew Lexi was just as excited as I was.

This was a surprise. The girls couldn't be in the bar itself, while the act played, but they could be in my office and watch on the security camera, while they listened to the live.

We had done it on multiple occasions and the girls loved it.

I was grinning wickedly, but when my eyes roamed to the magazines and a set deep blue eyes stared back at me from one of the covers, my smiled faded.

His hair was shorter now, than it had been when I knew him. He had traded his long locks for an undercut that fell down to his defined cheek bone. He was shirtless, of course, revealing all of his tattoos and piercings. Well, the ones that weren't hidden behind the curvy blonde.

"Yeah..." My voice came out slow, as I looked at the magazine cover that read, "Asher McGhee: Girlfriend and Porn Star, Erika Bridges Tells All."

"You okay, Bree?" I could hear the concern in her voice, but I couldn't look away.

"Yeah, Lexi." I sighed. It had been sixteen years. I should be happy he's settled down. Even if it is with a Porn Star, "I'll see you tonight, okay?"