Syren's Plaything Read online

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Playlist

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Other Books

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Playlist

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Other Books

  Syren's Plaything

  The Syren’s Series book 3

  Published by Jennah Thornhill

  Copyright 2018 by Jennah Thornhill

  All rights reserved. ©

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, songs and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead is coincidental.

  All rights reserved in accordance with the Copyright and Related Rights act 2000.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in anyway.

  Written by- Jennah Thornhill

  Edited by- Karina Boote

  Book Cover- Envy Design

  Formatter- JC Clarke

  Karina.

  Thank you for being you and for coming on this whirlwind with me, without you I don’t think any of this would have been possible.

  You’ve put up with all my mood swings and answered all my demands- no questions asked, when you could have told me to piss off plenty of times. Ok so maybe you did a couple of times, but you still did everything I asked of you. Even when times were hard you were always there Mofo. There are no words to tell you how grateful I am, so I’ll just have to show you.

  Here’s your story Mofo, you’ve earned this. Thanks for being my best friend but most of all, for being my Mofo. I love ya!

  Karina

  10 years ago

  I’m standing just outside my father’s office door, which is normally, if not always closed when he’s in there.

  What’s so different about tonight?

  That’s when I hear the deranged sound of my father’s voice, shouting, at what or who I haven’t got a clue.

  All of a sudden, the door is swung open, making me shrink back in fear, hoping that it’s not my father. I’m never allowed in his office, never mind being caught standing right outside it, not that I’m sneaking around or even trying to eavesdrop. I’m not. I was passing it on my way to my room. Whoever was leaving the room must have stopped because this gives me enough time to run around the corner.

  “That was close.” I say quietly to myself.

  “I understand Dom, I’ll get it done.” John boy? What’s he doing in my father’s office, and more to the point, why was he having a telling off?

  I hear footsteps coming towards me, so in a panic and not knowing what to do, I start fast walking again in the direction of my room. I’m just about to around the corner at the end of the hallway when I hear my name being shouted.

  “Karina?” Yeah, it was John Boy. My father’s favorite. At doing what I haven’t the foggiest idea, I never wanted to know so I never bothered asking. The less I know the better.

  “What are you up to? You’re looking shifty.” He asks, only with a slight smirk on his face. He knows I don’t like doing what I’m told, especially when it’s orders coming from my father. I might only be twelve years old, but we don’t always get along.

  I’m clever for my age, I know what he does, or have his henchman do, they aren’t pretty, not one tiny bit. From the women, to the drugs, to the weapons and even going as far to killing people. My dad tells me there are some bad people in the world, yet I’ve no doubt he’s one of them. Not that he’d ever hurt me, he tries his best to keep me out of it. Just not enough to stop it altogether. Which brings me back to John and what could have gone on in that office.

  “I... erm.... I was just passing... I was on my way to my bedroom... I have homework to do.” I stutter for two reasons, one, I haven’t a clue what to say to him, so he doesn’t cotton on to me hearing what was going down only moments ago. And two, every time I look at him or he’s near me I get nervous and can’t speak.

  “I’ll walk you, wait up.” It's like Baywatch, to me he’s running very, very slow, yet he's only walking, and he reaches me in no time. Stupid I know. When he gets to me my breathing picks up speed.

  “You ok princess?” I need to calm my breathing, fast.

  He's only eighteen himself, so when he calls me princess it makes me laugh. On queue I start laughing and all the nerves I was feeling moments ago have vanished and replaced with glee.

  “I’m fine sorry, it just makes me laugh when you call me that.” I tell him not one bit embarrassed.

  “What, princess?” I nod at him, confirming that yes, I meant that. “You’ll always be my princess no matter how old you are… remember that.” It’s true, he’s told me this plenty of times. Along with other things.

  Once we get to the door of my room, I open it and stride in, leaving the door open. He doesn’t enter. He just leans up against the door frame folding his arms over his chest, watching me.

  “K, I need to tell you something.” I stop what I’m doing and just look at him. I don’t say anything, so he carries on. “Your dad is sending me out on a job. And I think I’m going to be away for a while. Do you understand?” I’m not dumb, I wish he’d see me as more than just a little girl.

  “I’m not a baby John, I’m not completely stupid.” I don’t know if I’m angry at him because he does think I’m stupid, or if it’s more the fact he’s having to leave me. And the tears kick in. “I…I… don’t want you to go... can’t he send someone else?” I plead.

  He makes his way towards me.

  It must be a very important job, one he can’t refuse my father on. He pulls me into his very strong arms, wrapping me up in him, which I throw myself into more.

  “Look, If I could... I would... but it is what it is. You’re going to have to watch your own back whilst I’m gone ok?” I nod into his chest. “I’ll come back I promise.” He kisses the top of my head before turning and walking out, leaving me to cry myself to sleep.

  Something I did every night while he was gone, waiting for him to come back to me. To protect me again.

 
He promised me he would come back.

  Will he break the biggest promise he ever made me?

  Karina

  Present Day

  I hate my job.

  It’s not my dream job, far from it.

  I’m a manager at a high-end restaurant in London. It’s not the fanciest of jobs in the world, well not to me anyway, but the money's great and it pays my bills. That’s all that matters at the minute. My dream job would be to run my own wedding dress boutique, where people work for me and I can design the dresses. I’ve started my portfolio which contains all my ideas, sketches I’ve done and bits of material that I love. Drawing sketches of bridal gowns has always been my passion, ever since I sat and watched my mum modelling them. She was beautiful all the time, but when she wore the designer's gowns, she blew me away. When she had modelling jobs, she would always take me along with her and since then I just fell in love with the idea of someone maybe one day wearing a wedding gown that I've designed.

  Ever since my mum died, I’ve felt completely lost. I still don’t understand how she ended up dead. One minute she was happy and healthy, the next she was gone. I didn’t know what happened to her, but something tells me my dad played a massive part in it. He can’t lie to me forever, one day I will find out exactly what happened to her. The day she died, was the day I also lost my only friend I had in the place I was supposed to call home, John boy.

  To me, my mum was and always will be irreplaceable, and John boy wasn’t far behind her, he was a close second.

  So anyway, back to the dresses, I’ll get there someday, I know I will. I just need to be patient, which is one thing I’m not. But I’ve made that promise to myself, and if Allie can achieve her goals… then why can’t I?

  For now, though, I’m stuck doing what I’m doing, which is making sure rich, spoilt and stuck up their own arse, two faced people have a pleasant time and a decent meal whilst they wine and dine with us.

  Snotty nosed fuckers.

  Like I said, it’s a job, and it pays the bills.

  Money isn’t particularly an issue but living in London does have its downside. Rent for one is expensive, then add in bills, food and basically just ‘living’, and it doesn’t leave me much for a ‘rainy day’.

  My ‘rainy day’ will be here in about six months, and as scared as I am about having this baby, I can’t help but feel excited for this next step in my life, I just hope that the Dad feels the same.

  I’ve been struggling these past few weeks, well four to be exact. A couple of months ago my best friend Allie was attacked backstage at her boyfriend’s show. She was left with horrific injuries which could have ended her dream career as a dancer. Weeks of death threats followed before it came to a head four weeks ago when I was kidnapped and used to lure Allie into a trap. What happened whilst we were both held captive is something I don’t think I’ll ever truly get over.

  I have nightmares about that dreadful, horrendous night.

  I relive the whole torturous experience over and over in my head. My heart beats so fast it feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest.

  I wake with a cold sweat and end up screaming at the top of my lungs, clutching at my bed sheets for some sort of protection, maybe comfort. It never works. Not when Allies screams still cut through me every time I close my eyes, and I can still taste the blood in my mouth from where that twat Charlie cracked me one in the jaw.

  The pain they inflicted on us was so agonizing and horrendous, I hope I never have to experience anything like it ever again. All of this was intensified by the fact they had us bound and blindfolded the whole time. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy and trust me I have a few.

  I’m very outspoken and say what I think, not a lot of people can take being told the truth, but like I’ve always said, ‘If you can’t take it, don’t dish it out.’

  What I went through, what we both went through. You never think it would ever happen to you, you just hear or read about it in the news or on the television. Well it can happen, and it did happen.

  When will it all just become a distant fucking memory? Or better yet when will I forget it all together? I just want my life back. I’m getting there slowly but surely.

  I couldn’t be more grateful that my little bean at that time survived, it was a fighter, just like me, I survived. We all survived. Thankfully.

  And even though I decided to keep the baby, my life is still a mess. Some would call me a slut, I’m not, I’m far from it. But I’ll admit I’m still not a hundred percent sure who the father is. I’ve only slept with two men in the last couple of months, so I know it’s either Travis from Grey's bar, who I met when Allie had her party to celebrate getting the job dancing for Syren.

  I did finish what I couldn’t that night at the party months ago, when Allie was living with Connor. I was lonely and needed a release, so I phoned Travis, stupid of me I know. He was easy and more than up for it, and if I’m honest, I thought it would help me try and forget my three sexual encounters with Johnny. I needed to erase him from my mind. It didn’t help at all, not one little bit. If anything, it made it worse.

  The whole time Travis was on top of me, I was thinking about Johnny and the way he held me, the way he kissed me and the way he rocked my world should’ve been illegal.

  Speaking of Johnny, he’s the other potential father. I slept with him three times and not once did we use a condom. Yet again, bloody stupid I know, that’s just asking for trouble, but he makes me forget who I am, or where I am. My whole world spins by him just being near me, not that I’d tell him that... Ever. It would make his head swell more than it already does.

  I’m shitting myself, how do I tell them that one of them could be the dad?

  What if neither one of them wants to bring a child up?... I’ll have to do it all by myself, and even though I may have Allie to help me, I’ll still be all alone. She has her own life with Connor now, she can’t come running at the drop of a hat, especially at night time, when I’m struggling to get any sleep. I couldn’t ask that of her, even though I know she would. It just wouldn’t be fair. Especially now that we know she’s expecting a baby too. Only her pregnancy isn't a big secret, in fact the whole world knows. When she told Connor, she was having his baby, the bloody idiot shouted it from the rooftops in front of every English newspaper reporter he could think of. He hired out Heron Tower in Bishopsgate and invited a whole media circus to tell them their news. It was also his way of warning them that she was off limits and that no one was to come anywhere near her. In a weird way it was kind of perfect, but then he could've put them all at risk again, what with all the bands fans going crazy and what have you. So far though it's worked, he did that just over a week ago and luckily, they haven't been bothered.

  Why can’t I have what she’s got? All I want is that constant someone in my life to look after me and love me.

  Why is it that anyone who ever gets close to me fucks off and leaves me?

  Johnny

  If someone had told me six months ago that my best friend would fall in love, and that the same best friend would get stabbed in the chest and nearly die, then I would have laughed in your face. I’d say you were talking total bollocks, but no, all that shit really did happen. And then to top it all off Karina walks back into my life, I still can’t get my head around it. By some miracle she rocked up and she still manages to knock me on my arse, even after all these years. She’s making me rethink the last conversation I ever had with her. If I could have explained it to her better I would have, but the day I left wasn’t the right time. I had my orders. She wouldn't have understood anyway, she was too young.

  I can remember the first time I saw her again. I picked her up from the airport and she was just standing there, with her suitcase in tow looking like she could take on the world. I knew it was her the moment I laid my eyes on her, she was out of this world. Breathtakingly beautiful. She's not the twelve-year-old girl I used to know... no, now she’s a grown woman with a body
to die for. When I heard Connor say Allie’s best friend was called Karina, I almost died on the spot. I didn’t know what to think, my body was on high alert. At first, I couldn't move from the car, I just sat there staring at her from afar, making the most of it before someone saw me and thought I was a creep. I eventually made my way to her, and she didn't have a bloody clue who I was, she still doesn't. To her I’m Johnny Owens, lead guitarist of Syren and that’s it. Not John Boy her protector, or her father’s number one runner. Not even the eighteen-year-old that fucking left her. None of that. Just Johnny the dickhead, the guy who fucks about and doesn’t give a shit. The last time she saw me I had no hair, I didn’t have a single tattoo and I was a skinny little runt. Ten years apart is a long time for someone to change, no wonder she doesn’t remember me. I’ve now got chin length sandy blonde hair and I’m covered in tattoos, oh and I’ve got my tongue pierced as well, which comes in handy at times I can tell you. Girls don’t seem to complain... She certainly didn’t when I got her naked… three times may I add. All of which I can’t stop thinking about. She’s like a drug, she’s running through my veins, I want more, I can’t get enough. I should have known that one hit would never squash my need for her.

  I never did tell her who I was that day, I bottled it, just like I knew I would. Connor knows she's from my past but not to what extent, I couldn't tell him the full story, he'd go straight back to Allie and tell her, who would then tell Karina. I can’t have her finding out, not like that anyway.