Pitiful lies, p.1
Pitiful Lies, page 1
PITIFUL LIES
JERSEY BAD BOYS
BOOK 3
C.D. GORRI
PITIFUL LIES
Jersey Bad Boys
Book 3
By C.D. Gorri
Copyright C.D. Gorri, NJ 2024
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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, places, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either part of the author’s imagination and/or used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights are reserved. No part of this book is to be reproduced, scanned, downloaded, printed, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of any materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
DEDICATION
They say the bigger they are the harder they fall. But when he’s so determined to have you, he’ll move heaven and earth to get you, being big and bad is a good thing. In fact, it’s everything.
This book is dedicated to those of us who pass Captain America by so we can drool over the other guys. You know the ones. Frank Castle, Wolverine, Deadpool.
Yeah, those guys.
So if you think that’s you,
let me introduce you to Angel Fury.
This one is for my editor, the incomparable Tammy Payne, my Beta Readers, and my ARC team, you are each of you sensational and I adore you.
Thank you for helping me get these book babies, just right.
Oh, and Shelly? I didn’t forget about you. Look for the meeting you asked for between the pages.
XOXO,
C.D.
CONTENTS
Prologue One-Angel
Prologue Two-Giselle
Prologue Three-Giselle
Prologue Four-Angel
Chapter One-Angel
Chapter Two-Giselle
Chapter Three-Giselle
Chapter Four-Angel
Chapter Five-Giselle
Chapter Six-Angel
Chapter Seven-Giselle
Chapter Eight-Angel
Chapter Nine-Giselle
Chapter Ten-Angel
Chapter Eleven-Giselle
Chapter Twelve-Angel
Chapter Thirteen-Giselle
Chapter Fourteen-Angel
Chapter Fifteen-Giselle
Chapter Sixteen-Angel
Chapter Seventeen-Angel
Chapter Eighteen-Giselle
Chapter Nineteen-Giselle
Chapter Twenty-Angel
Chapter Twenty-One-Giselle
Chapter Twenty-Two-Angel
Chapter Twenty-Three-Giselle
Chapter Twenty-Four-Angel
Chapter Twenty-Five-Giselle
Chapter Twenty-Six-Giselle
Chapter Twenty-Seven-Giselle
Chapter Twenty-Eight-Angel
Chapter Twenty-Nine-Giselle
Chapter Thirty-Angel
Chapter Thirty-One-Giselle
Chapter Thirty-Two-Angel
Chapter Thirty-Three-Giselle
Chapter Thirty-Four-Angel
Chapter Thirty-Five-Giselle
Epilogue One-Angel
Epilogue-Two-Giselle
Epilogue Three-Nico
Also by C.D. Gorri
About the Author
JERSEY BAD BOYS
There’s no room for mercy in a kingdom built on lies.
Beneath the veneer of polite society exists a criminal organization known for its utter lack of mercy. They call themselves the Vipers. The men who belong to this syndicate are cruel, cunning, and unforgiving. Ruled by a king, this band of brothers knows no boundaries and takes no prisoners. To cross them is to sign your own death certificate.
But even serpents have weaknesses.
And sometimes that weakness is just a flower.
Our Bad Boys:
Nico Fury
Luc Batiste
Angel Fury
Content Warnings:
This is a contemporary romance series of connected standalones, featuring familiar tropes such as enemies to lovers, forced proximity, arranged marriages, secret babies, and contains some violence, and explicit sex scenes. Profanity, graphic, steamy scenes, violence, homicide, talk of deceased relatives, references to sexual assault and abuse (not by the MCs), mention of domestic violence (not perpetrated by MCs), mention of suicide, alcohol consumption, misogyny (not the MCs), questionable morals, hurtful past, manipulations, fake relationships, lies, revenge, forced marriages, very bad decisions, and romantic obsessions that may be unhealthy, or toxic.
This is a fictional story with fictional characters. This is not real life.
*Always take care of your mental, emotional, and physical self because you are important.
PITIFUL LIES
Denial is just another type of lie. But sometimes it’s all a girl has.
Giselle
Okay, so I threw a glass of beer in his face the first time I saw him. I thought he was his cousin and that he was treating my best friend badly.
It was an honest mistake. I didn’t know the psycho was going to see it as a challenge and form a fixation on me. My answer was a firm, resounding no.
But that didn’t seem to stop him. And when a group of drunk guys decided to follow me home one night after I left the Den, I had to admit, it paid to have a stalker who was six foot six inches of pure, tattooed muscle.
Angel Fury was something to behold, and now that he made it into my bed, I was afraid he’d slithered into other places. Like my heart. There was only one way to get rid of the man who would only cause me pain in the end.
Deny. Deny. Deny.
Angel
The first time I saw Giselle Vega, I knew I wanted her. The curvy goddess stood toe to toe with a monster like me and didn’t even bat an eyelash. It wasn’t every day I met a woman feisty enough to take me on.
She could keep spouting her pitiful lies, but I knew the truth. I felt it every time I touched her. She was crazy about me. And I wanted to keep her. I just had to get her addicted. So, I decided to lay in wait, like the Viper I was.
That was the thing about snakes. Sure, we hibernated at times, but we always struck when least expected.
My pretty Little Doll has no idea what was coming for her.
Pitiful Lies is the third in the contemporary romance series of connected standalones, Jersey Bad Boys. This series features familiar tropes such as enemies to lovers, forced proximity, arranged marriages, secret babies, and contains some violence and explicit scenes.
PROLOGUE ONE-ANGEL
Early Summer
Anticipation is something a lot of guys discount, but it’s kept me alive for forty-two years.
Some people think a lifestyle like mine is part act, and they aren’t wrong. There is something to say about being the Enforcer to the most powerful criminal organization in town and showmanship.
But if this is an act, then I am always on.
I don’t wear a costume. All of this is me. And it is real.
My height.
My bulk.
My ink.
The metal in my ears.
And the weapons strategically concealed around my body.
I sit in the shadows, a tightly coiled serpent, waiting to strike at anyone who comes into my house with ill intent.
The Vipers’ Den is our place.
It is dark and loud. A little pretentious, and one of the most sought after night spots in the tri-state.
A nightclub and bar, it’s the perfect cover for a syndicate like ours. Nico, Luc, and I run the Vipers, and this is our base of operations.
We each have offices in the basement, and like any good snake pit there are hallways and secret passages that serve our needs well.
We run a tight organization with Nico as our king. He’s my real cousin, but me, him, and Luc are all blood brothers. We’ve each put in enough blood, sweat, and tears to make this thing ours.
I don’t mind having a king. A snake needs one head to lead, and Nico is perfect for the job. Luc is all brains, and his team of lawyers keeps us solid. I’m the guy in charge of all security, and I’ve spent the last few weeks increasing our fucking numbers.
This feeling I have, it’s been building. I don’t know what it is, but something is happening.
The atmosphere is ripe with expectation.
Like some shit is about to go down.
But I’m ready. I am always ready. I have to be.
The DJ is spinning some shit with a heavy bass, but I’m not really paying attention to the song.
Things are getting tense. But Nico’s mind isn’t where it should be.
Oh, I know where it is. Ever since I brought that cute little baker girl here to clear her brother’s debts, a part of him has been MIA.
It’s none of my fucking business. Nobody else’s, either.
Nico, Luc, and I built this thing up from the ground when we were still wet behind the ears.
Nico is the king because he fucking earned it.
I don’t want the crown.
I never did.
I am happy right where I am. Doing what I do best. Cracking skulls and putting the fear of God in those who are too stupid to know they shouldn’t fuck with us.
The Vipers are feared and respected. We ar e the gatekeepers. We control the ports and that means money and power. Never mind the cops, businessmen, and politicians we have in our pockets.
The thing is, when you have assets like that, there’s always some asshole wanting to test you. And with Nico otherwise occupied, it’s on me to make sure no one gets through our defenses.
I’m the Enforcer.
The guys who work under me are all muscle, and they are loyal to the organization. I see to all our security needs, and I make sure anyone needing a lesson gets it.
Luc is the Council.
A bonafide fucking Princeton grad and a lawyer to boot. He handles all the business deals and makes sure our legit side is where it needs to be.
As for my cousin, Nico?
Well, like I said, he’s the undisputed King of the Vipers. That means he does a little bit of everything.
Nico is unhinged in the best possible way. He is cunning and sharp as a tack. I’m proud of the fucker.
I started working with him and Luc when they were just teenagers, and I was barely twenty. A bad batch of heroin sent Nico’s mother and Luc’s sister to their graves far too fucking early.
That skinny brainiac and my hotheaded cousin took on the local dealers themselves and almost wound up dead for their efforts.
That’s where I came in. I started out as an amateur MMA fighter, but I switched from main event type shit to underground matches.
When I got a hold of Nico and Luc, all black and blue from a beating they took, I decided to teach them a thing or two about fighting.
So, at my core, that’s what I am.
A fighter.
The three of us together were harder to defeat than any of the old gangs wanted to admit.
But look at us now.
We are the Vipers.
And no one crosses us and lives to tell the tale.
So, when the king is busy, I watch over the Den. Here I sit, minding the king’s throne and making sure everyone knows who and what we are.
A group of scantily clad women sashays past me, and I give them a once over.
It’s what they want. What they expect. And I am a man who appreciates beauty.
They’re too obvious for my tastes, though. I’m forty-two, not twenty-five. Spandex and stilettos aren’t what I look for in female companionship these days.
But then something, or rather, someone, catches my eye. She’s about five foot four inches tall and about a buck eighty, by my estimation.
That might be large to some guys, but not to me.
I’m six foot six inches tall and I am easily twice the curvy little woman’s weight.
My cock starts to twitch behind my slacks as I take in her purposeful stride.
Little Doll is walking right towards me, I realize and raise my eyes to her face.
Holy fuck.
If looks could kill I’d be dead on all accounts.
The woman is, well, there’s no other word for it, stunning.
She is stunning.
Thick, dark tendrils of curls spiral down her back, past her shoulders, in a wild mane that bounces when she walks.
I want to see it spread across my pillow like some dark dream. I bet it will look sexy as fuck.
I adjust my thickening cock and sit forward, placing my full frosted beer mug on the table at my side.
Her hips switch as she walks, bringing attention to the indent of her waist. My eyes travel down her body. I moan at the sight of her cleavage. Her big tits jiggle with every move, and that is not even the best part.
Lower still, my gaze rakes over her covetously, stopping once I get to the little skirt she has on with two slits on either side.
Holy. Fuck.
Little Doll has got a set of legs on her.
Oofah.
Every time she steps, a flash of pale skin shows her thick fucking thighs as she walks.
I want to feel those thighs wrapped around my head while I feast on her dripping cunt.
I lick my lips, my gaze going back to her sweetheart of a face.
But she ain’t smiling at me. In fact, her pale green eyes are flashing with an emotion I register as anger.
Like white hot fucking anger.
She is closer now, and I gotta admit I’m more than a little curious.
I mean, I don’t know this woman from Eve.
But I want to.
And I want to know why she’s pissed.
Of course, I wasn’t expecting her to grab my mug of beer and toss the contents in my face.
“You bastard! Are you really just sitting here looking for your next fuck after you knock my friend up!” she yells, and I’m soaked, but I don’t even blink.
How can I when she looks so fucking divine in all her fury?
But that’s my name. And I’m about to show her what it means.
PROLOGUE TWO-GISELLE
So, this whole shitshow that is my life all started when I tossed a mug of beer in Angel Fury’s sexy as hell face.
Of course, the enormous fucker just sat there after I did it, freezing me in place with his icy blue eyes.
Jesus. Christ.
Those eyes of his were like nothing I have ever seen. And for a split second, I hated myself for wanting the man my best friend was hung up on.
At the time, I had mistaken him for his cousin.
Anyway, after about a second, he stood up, towering over me. After his eyes and his bulk, the next thing I noticed were his tattoos.
He was inked up from head to toe, it seemed. And I liked it. I liked it a lot.
He stunned me, grabbing me by my waist and slamming his mouth against mine in some kind of barbaric claim.
I was shocked to say the least.
And turned on. Very, very turned on.
And that was something that completely horrified me. But I had to admit, I didn’t push him away. I kissed him back.
The first thing I tasted was beer. Likely the one I’d tossed at him. The second thing was him.
Masculine power and mint.
Not realizing he wasn’t the father of Anna’s baby, I did the only thing I could do in self-defense.
I slapped him.
But that only made him smile, and the second I saw that expression, I was done for.
“I don’t know what it is you think I did, Koukla, But I promise I’ll fix it,” he said, then he kissed me again.
“Wait,” I gasped, and turned my head, trying to catch my breath.
“What about Anna?” I asked.
“Anna? Who’s Anna?” he replied, and my mouth dropped open.
“Aren’t you Nico Fury?” I asked.
“Nah, Little Doll. I’m his cousin. Angel. Angel Fury,” he said, still not letting go of me.
“Oh shit,” I murmured, realizing my grievous mistake.
“Yeah, oh shit. You disrespected me in front of an audience, Koukla. Now you have to make it up to me,” he growled into my ear.
Knowing who and what the Vipers were, I nodded my head. I didn’t need that kind of trouble in my life.
I said no the first few times. But then, well, I agreed. And yeah, I went out with him.
Well. Not out out. Just to the Den.
I did it so he could save face. I played the part, acting like the big bad Viper’s girlfriend.
It was easy at first. Falling into bed with Angel was downright enjoyable.
The best I ever had.
While Anna and Maria were finding their happy-ever-afters, I was dreaming about mine.
But I’m not lucky like them.
Angel isn’t like Nico or Luc. He’s not anything like his namesake.
No. The big, sexy man is a devil in disguise.
Still, I didn’t expect him to break my heart. But that’s my fault. I believed he wanted me as much as I wanted him.
I have to be honest, though. Angel made no promises or declarations. And after seeing him in the Den with a skinny blonde perched on his lap, I didn’t need any.
I dated cheaters before, and it never ended well for me. I wouldn’t do it again.
So, I ran.
I took the easy way out.
I skipped town when my best friend was about to have a baby, and I did it for the most cowardly reason of all.
Because my feelings were hurt.
Pitiful, right?
Fuck.
I am not usually such a wimp, but I just couldn’t face a lying, cheating bastard like Angel Fury.
