Bad Influence

Copyright © 2023 LC LehesahoAll rights reservedThe characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Cover design: Diabolically Delightful LC Lehesaho Editing: Zainab M. / Heart Full of Reads Editing Services Interior formatting: Diabolically Delightful LC Lehesaho Contents Copyright12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637 ...and a slight content warning.Before anything else, I have to ask. Have you read Bad Company yet? If not, steer away, my friend. This is part two of Puma and Ada’s duet, so I highly suggest picking it up first.Now, moving forward.If you’re still reading this and not running to get BC, then you know this is a dark romance — or like my husband likes to say, crime porn, but we don’t need his opinions — and some of the content might be triggering or disturbing to some readers. I’ve been day drinking and crying and considering therapy more than once while writing this book, but now, after eight months of twisting and turning, it’s finally here, and I’m still very much in love with Puma Hayes and Ada Asher.If you need more clarification about the possible triggers, contact me at [email protected] and we’ll talk.Oh, and hey!I did a thing. Since it’s been a while BC came out, I made a cast of characters in the beginning to give you a little reminder of who is who.Bad Influence contains graphic violence and strong sexual content. Only suitable for those 18+. Beasts of Prey (Shangri-la)❖ Puma Nicolas Hayes❖ Bear “B” Elijah Hayes❖ Tiger Anthony Hayes (Leo’s foster child)❖ Wolf Atticus Hayes❖ Cobra Sofia Hayes❖ Falcon Arabella HayesLeo Hayes aka Daddy Hayes – father to all of the Beasts, crime boss from Shangri-la, definitely DILFAda Vanessa Asher – a racehorse groom and a shitshow magnet who happened to date the wrong guy in the past, zodiac sign: Aquarius (this explains a lot)Grim Reapers (Preston City)Sidenote; Grim Reapers are the sons of the Order of the Six❖ Cruz “Satan” Christian (also the head of Carnage Crew)❖ Lennox Rinaldi❖ Quentin “Q” Valentino (Tiger’s half-brother)❖ Cillian Moore (Ireland)❖ Michail Vasiliev (Russia)❖ Xander Kaiser (German)Cierra Cera – Q’s fiancée, Ada’s friendNash Day – Cierra’s friend, went out on a date with Ada once, a member of Carnage CrewHunter Delaney – a kid from Ada’s neighborhoodEmilio “Havoc” Cortez – a member of Pronto Muerte and Falcon’s… well, they’re complicatedMatt Galanis – the guy who fucked with the wrong girlRhea Katerina Diamandis – an FBI agent and much more…Not all characters are listed here. You can listen the playlist here: SpotifyWerewolf – Motionless In WhiteKilling Time – Infected Mushroom, Perry FarrellFreefalling – FacadingNo Time To Die – J-MarinDoomed – Bring Me The HorizonLie To Me – RIELLObsessed – EMDI, Veronica BravoKing of Disappointment – EchosBeg Me – EBEN, Biometrix, RIELLDark Things – ADONAIf You Would Let Me – Arc North, HANDSM.I.N.E (End This Way) – Five Finger Death PunchFantasy – Black Atlass In a faraway land, there’s a girl born with a wisp of bad luck in her hair and fire in her fingertips.Sadly, one unfortunate event follows another, and no matter how hard this strong-spirited girl tries to overcome her struggles, she is always backed against the brick wall, in need of a savior.But how much misfortune can one take without second-guessing their moral codes?How much does transforming from a damsel in distress to a mistress in madness take?In this case... it might just cost everything.Si vis pacem, para bellum.If you want peace, prepare for war.After all, all’s fair in love and war. 1Preston Police Department“We’re missing something. There’s something off here…” I motion toward the crime scene photos at my temporary desk, a frown on my face, the heel of my combat boot tapping the floor.“You think she couldn’t have done it?” Thatcher asks, resting his ass on the edge of my desk and crossing his ankles. Leaning on his left hand, fingers splayed on the table, he brushes my pinkie with his, just a slight touch, and maybe I wouldn’t mind it if the titanium in his ring finger wouldn’t catch the light, reminding me of her.But now, I do fucking mind.“It’s not that.” I shake my head, tilting back in my seat and pulling my hand to myself. There’s an unsettling feeling in my gut, like a foreboding of something bad. Preston has always been the nest of evil, but now… it’s more palpable, more dangerous, when its tentacles are lingering on the streets. This, Ada Asher’s case, only proves it.There’s something sinister in the air.“I think she’d have been perfectly capable of monstrous things, because all of us are with the right push, but I want to know what hers was. What made her lose her mind like this?”What did they do to her?“What’s a surefire way to make anyone lose their mind?” he says, tilting his head deliberately as I stare at him, knowing I’m not going to like what he’s about to spew next. “Falling in love, Diamandis.”No. Falling in love with the wrong person does that.But I don’t say it aloud because we don’t need this conversation now, and I sure as shit don’t need to have it with him. He wouldn’t recognize love if it would smack him across his face—a fucking fact, because I’ve witnessed the redness on his right cheek; his wife Bella being left-handed.Still, the tightness in my throat isn’t because I feel remorse. It’s because I don’t.I take in the pictures of the men, all of them now dead, and then Ada’s, our suspect who I think is more victim than the one to blame. We got the picture from the stable she was working at, the name embroidered on her navy-blue jacket with golden letters. Wild red hair falling over her