You never think it will happen to you. You hear stories and share in the experience of others. You feel bad for them, tell them you understand what they're going through. It's a lie, of course, a desperate attempt to lessen the severity of the situation to appease your own selfish discomfort. Then the unthinkable happens. And you don't know how to continue on with your life because the guilt, fear, and pain has soaked into your skin, branding you with a mark you can't scrub off. I thought I was going to die in that alleyway, but Sebastian Black saved my life. A loner, he walked the streets late at night listening to music through his headphones, his hands buried deep in his jeans. A punk, his clothes were always one size too big, never clean or crisp, and lacked coordination, but he wore them like Gucci. A hero. My hero. The only one who can heal me and show me how to wash it all off.

The whole town of Nantahala knows to stay far away from Maverick Kingdom, the cruel, dirty biker gang that isn't afraid of breaking laws. Unfortunately, Colin Maverick is the prince of their Kingdom, a scattered puzzle that I so badly want to piece together. He is broody and fierce, but there is one thing about him that makes him different: he doesn't talk. I've always been curious about him, aching to know more... And then the day beneath the waterfall happens. He sees me for who I really am, and eventually, I get a glimpse of the real him, bared and true. I should have listened when they told me to keep my distance. I shouldn't have ignored all the red flags that were being tossed my way. I got in deep with Colin, not even realizing there was one secret he had kept from me that could change the way I looked at him forever. ** This story is un-edited.**