“Yeah, I gave all that up. It was leading me down a road I didn’t care for.” Sayer reminded himself that his addiction to gambling had ended a long time ago. But he knew the draw, the excitement, the thrill of it. He’d lost everything he’d worked for and loved. So he’d gotten help and rebuilt his life one fucking day at a time.
“Most men couldn’t walk away. Takes a strong damn man to handle his demons, Sayer. Let’s get that drink.”
Chapter Seven
Diamond stoodon the second-floor landing, watching Teller and the other member of the Royal Bastards walk back toward the event. She caught the sleight of hand from Teller’s boy. He’d pretended to slip the asshole’s ID back into his wallet, but pocketed it instead.
“Domino, find out his name for me.”
Domino glanced down at Teller and his friend. “That won’t be a problem.”
“Don’t get tangled up with Teller. Not in bed or out of it. Got me, Domino?”
“I got you, boss.” She wouldn’t cross the line, at least not in a way that mattered. But a little temptation never hurt anyone.
Diamond glanced down at her ruined dress and sighed. She needed to change and get back to the event. As one of the faces of Haven House, people expected all of them to be present—no exceptions.
Turning from the view, she headed for her suite, already thinking about her backup black dress. But as she stole one last glance over her shoulder, she caught Teller’s boy watching her.
He winked.
A slow smirk played on her lips, but she didn’t let it linger. Let him wonder if she’d noticed at all.
Still, her gaze flicked over him—tall, broad shoulders, steel-gray eyes that were too pretty for a man like him, dark blonde hair that looked just long enough to tug. And that tuxedo… sleek, tailored, annoyingly perfect. She wondered, just for a moment, what he’d look like beneath it. Then she shook the thought off and kept walking.
She took her time redressing, touching up her makeup and hair as she stared at herself in the mirror. She had come a long way since meeting the ladies who formed the Royal Harlots Quebec City Chapter.
For a twenty-year-old kid, being in WITSEC had felt like being trapped in limbo—stuck between who she was and who she was supposed to be. Except she never got a say in either.
At that age, she should have been figuring herself out—making mistakes, experiencing life, maybe even screwing up a little. Instead, she had a new name, a fabricated backstory, and a town she’d never heard of that she was supposed to call home.
The government gave her the essentials: an apartment, a stipend, help lining up a job, but none of it filled the gaping hole left by what she’d lost. Family? Friends? Dreams? All gone.
Every interaction became a careful balancing act. Did she know her fake past well enough to make it believable? Had she almostslipped and used her real last name? Could she ever let anyone get close without endangering them—or herself? Paranoia crept in constantly, turning even innocent questions from strangers into knots in her stomach.
The isolation was the worst part. Social media? A thing of the past. She couldn’t text her best friend or check in on her family. There was no “miss you” message to an old flame, not even from a burner phone—because if she slipped up, she might not get another second chance.
Dating? Impossible. How could she explain she couldn’t introduce them to her family because, legally, her family didn’t exist anymore? How could she brush off the way she avoided cameras or flinched when someone casually asked where she was from?
Maybe, with time, she’d start to settle. She memorized her new identity. She learned to answer to her new name without hesitation. Maybe she’d even let someone in—just a little. But deep down, the fear never faded—the knowledge that if her past caught up to her, she’d disappear again.
And next time, she might not be so lucky.
That was how she felt for years until she walked away from WITSEC.
She’d done the best she could with what the government had given her, taking the stipend and putting it toward a business degree. She bought her first Harley, a symbol of freedom in a life that had never really been her own. Then fate intervened, leading her to a bike night at a local bar. That’s where she met Domino, Nova, and Vale.
Three years later, she told them her story.
It wasn’t long after they decided to build something bigger—something for women like them. What started as a small riding group quickly grew, and before they knew it, they were petitioning to become an official chapter of the Royal Harlots. Quebec City became their home. But what helped them get their chapter was Obsidian, the woman was part of the Harlots mother chapter and vouched for them.
Being under the Harlots protection gave them another layer of protection for their businesses. God, that had been a long time ago.
Smoothing a hand down her dress, she smiled at her reflection. Her past was where it needed to be—in the past. When she opened the door, the last thing she expected to find was mister winky. “Can I help you… what’s your name?” she asked, slightly annoyed the guy was standing outside her door.
Sayer smirked. “You mean your girl didn’t give it to you yet?”
Diamond smiled—rare for her. She didn’t have time for smiles, and she definitely didn’t have time for flirty men. Instead, she waited. Let him tell her himself.
