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THE VIPER
FREE FLOWERSHOP ASSASSINS SHORT STORY
Join Yates, Ranger and Donnie as they take on The Viper.
BYE BABY
Donnie King.
Ruthless, sexy and assassin extraordinaire.
Or at least he used to be.
Now, Donnie’s washed up, drinking himself into unconsciousness night after night. He needs one more hit, one more chance to prove himself, to reclaim some dignity.
Enter Elliot Austin, the blue-eyed, blond.
An easy kill, or he should’ve been.
Donnie botches the hit and wakes up tied to a chair with a knife pressed to his jugular. He waits for Elliot to finish him off, but his young mark does something unexpected.
He kisses Donnie, then speaks over his shoulder as he leaves.
“Bye Baby.”
Humiliated, Donnie vows to end Elliot, but killing him is anything but easy.
He’s gifted at getting away, and is always one step ahead.
He teases, and humiliates, and drives Donnie crazy.
It’s an addicting game of cat and mouse that forces Donnie to climb out of the gutter, and get himself into shape.
Donnie wants Elliot dead, but he might just want him alive that little bit more...
SO PATHETIC
Yates Anderson, ex-military strategist, part-time assassin, and full-time flowershop owner is one hundred percent focused on finding his elusive mark, Mr Stevenson.
He has not gotten distracted by the young man who wandered into his shop and asked to die. He has not taken it upon himself to look out for this tragic case, and he wants nothing more than Dylan to stop lingering around his shop like a bad smell.
Except, he doesn’t smell bad, he smells like strawberries, and with each encounter, Yates wants to add cream to that equation. His big watering eyes and twitching eyebrows do things to Yates, dirty things.
Dylan is pathetic, so pathetic, but what does that make Yates?
He craves pathetic, longs for it in his bed, and once it’s there, he’s not sure he wants to kick it out the next morning. He doesn’t do caring or emotions. He’s heartless, robotic, yet he’s falling for Dylan.
Dylan knows (or doesn’t) just how to play his one last remaining heartstring, and maybe, just maybe, Yates doesn’t want the lonely, cold existence he claims.
Maybe, just maybe, he wants Dylan to be his.
And maybe, just maybe, that one remaining heartstring is going to break…
RAGING RANGER
Ranger Keyes, assassin, occasional stripper and full-time hopeful (not hopeless) romantic is determined to get his happily-ever-after.
His best mates, Donnie and Yates, have both found love, and he knows it’s finally his turn to step into the spotlight and star in his own love story.
For that, he needs a co-star, and he sets his sights on one guy and one guy alone.
He may have a chip on his shoulder and a permanent frown on his face, but Ranger knows that Troy’s the guy for him.
Convincing Troy to go on a date, let alone that they’re supposed to be together isn’t easy. Troy’s guarded, and dismissive and tells Ranger repeatedly he isn’t the co-star in his love story, he’s the bad guy.
But how can he be the bad guy when he’s put butterflies in Ranger’s gut?
How can he be the bad guy when he helps Ranger with his building rage?
How can he be the bad guy when Ranger falls in love with his laugh?
Ranger’s about to find out exactly how…
ROCKED TO DEATH
Stone Briggs.
Ex-con, big brother, and not a fan of baking. Which was strange considering he owned, Stud Muffins, a reputable bakery in a dodgy part of town.
Stone’s goal in life is to be there for his brothers, and if at all possible, keep them out of prison. Which sounds simple, only… Newt just stole something, Mickey wants to take part in illegal fights, and Jude is keeping a secret.
Things are complicated enough for Stone without Robin strolling into his life and falling at his feet. Not his feet exactly. He falls five metres along from where Stone had his bare butt cheeks against the bakery window…
Why bare butt cheeks?
That might have something to do with the dead man he just wiped off the kitchen walls.
Which wasn’t Stone’s fault.
That was down to the assassin, Donnie King, and Yates Matthews, the crazy florist across the street.
Why did Robin fall?
That might have something to do with the bible that hit the back of his head.
Which was partly Stone’s fault.
If Robin—the priest—hadn’t forced him to take the bible, Stone wouldn’t have thrown it at him.
He didn’t mean to knock Robin unconscious and break his nose. He’s not a monster despite what some people might think.
Stone is just a guilt-ridden guy who runs a stupidly named bakery.
And the ear sliding down the wall has nothing to do with him…
MY COWLICK COP
Jude Aster.
Police officer, lookout, and the brother with the wayward hair. It’s not easy for Jude juggling his job with the antics of Stud Muffins, but things get even more complicated when Luck Milligan sets him a trap.
Jude falls into it with humiliating results, and reluctantly agrees to be Luck’s eyes and ears at the station.
Is Luck a bit on the crazy side?
Yes.
Does he mock Jude’s hair and use photographs of cows to intimidate Jude into cooperating?
Yes.
Does he have a slight obsession with a part of Jude’s anatomy?
Absolutely.
But with Luck comes Hope, Luck’s twin sister, adopter of strays, cooker of stews and carer of thirty-one cats.
Thirty-two if Hope includes Jude.
Which she does.
When old wounds resurface between Jude and Stone, he doubts his place in the family and finds himself growing closer to Luck Milligan and his sister.
Sure, it’s equal parts blackmail, kidnap, and Stockholm syndrome, but that’s still something in Jude’s eyes.
Just like with his brothers, he’ll protect Luck and Hope at all costs.
And just like with his brothers, that will be put to the test…
GO DOWN SWINGING
Mickey Briggs.
Boxer, unofficial uncle and self-labelled ‘straight guy’.
Mickey has gone through life plagued by memories of his childhood tormentor Aaron Fletcher. With Luck Milligan in need of a fighter to take on Aaron, Mickey jumps at the chance of finally getting his revenge.
But knowing the fight between them is on the horizon isn’t enough.
He wants to see what Aaron has become.
He wants Aaron to see who he has become too.
But Aaron Fletcher isn’t the boy Mickey remembers.
He’s a good father, a nice guy and he looks at Mickey like he’d love to be beneath him. The more time Mickey spends with Aaron, the more Mickey likes him, until a kiss leads to a longer kiss, to more…
It’s impossible, and yet with every smile, every flirty comment and lingering look, Mickey starts to believe Aaron has changed.
Boxing day approaches, Luck’s club hangs in the balance and with so much at stake, Mickey has a decision to make.
Fight or walk away with Aaron.
But somebody must go down in the final round.
And that person won't be getting up again...
THE STARMAN STRATEGY
Newton Briggs.
Asexual, old women magnet, and convicted killer.
The youngest Briggs brother has been sent to prison over the ‘accidental’ death of Jeffery Sharpe. He doesn’t feel guilty for his crime. He did it for his brothers. All of them.
But he is scared.
Newt’s strategy to survive prison: Be himself.
He quickly learns that might not be enough.
The top dog, Shaw, wants him dead.
Thomas, a previous patient of Stone’s, wants to spank him.
And Leo…well, Leo just wants to keep him safe.
Unbeknownst to Newt, Stone planned ahead and hired him a bodyguard behind bars.
Sure, it’s the same guy that almost choked Newt to death in the back of the bakery, but after Newt quite publicly throws up on him in front of the whole wing, Leo considers them even.
With Leo at his side, Newt integrates himself into E-wing and accepts his place in prison.
Newt did not expect to make friends who feel more like family.
He didn’t expect to grow strong feelings for his bodyguard/cellmate to the point he wants to kiss him.
And he definitely didn’t expect to be serenaded in the shower by a man tattooed head to toe as a snake.
Being behind bars is not at all what Newt imagined, but one thing is for sure, life won’t be the same when it’s all over…