Playing with Fire

Playing with FireMichaela Sawyer Copyright © 2023 Michaela SawyerAll 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.ISBN-13: 9781234567890ISBN-10: 1477123456Cover design by: M&M DesignsLibrary of Congress Control Number: 2018675309Printed in the United States of America This book is dedicated to: My amazing husband. This dream wouldn't have been possible without you!To my parents and my friends who have all supported me on this crazy journey. Trigger warningThis is not a clean read! It does contain explicit adult content that may not be suitable for everyone. This book may contain content that is considered dark to some. If you are someone who is easily triggered this may not be the book for you! ContentsChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26Chapter 27Chapter 28Chapter 29Chapter 30Chapter 31Chapter 31Chapter 32Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapter 35Chapter 36Chapter 37Chapter 38Chapter 39Chapter 40Chapter 41Chapter 42Chapter 43Chapter 44Chapter 45Chapter 46Chapter 47Chapter 48Chapter 49Chapter 50Chapter 51Chapter 53Epilogue Chapter 1HarperTurtling into my body, I tried to make myself invisible on the old, worn couch surrounded by Villa Boys. Being unseen was better than being broken, and that's what my stepbrother, Noah, chose to do—break me. Glancing up through my lashes, I watched him pace the old trailer's floor. His fist clenched at his side and his nostrils flared; I winced every time his massive boots hit the wooden floor, shaking the trailer. When Noah was in a rage, he usually took his anger out on me. My chest rose and fell with deep, rapid breaths as I tried to control the fear wrapping tightly around my lungs. Noah was unpredictable when angry. His mortal enemies took something that belonged to him. Even though it was only a dime bag of weed, they were the ones who took it. They would have been furious if anyone took it, but those rich assholes dug a little deeper for Noah and his pack of mutts. I wasn't part of Noah's gang of thugs. I had no involvement in the incident, but I would pay for it."Those stupid fucking Valley Boys stole the weed out of my locker." Parker, Noah's second in command, groaned. Parker handled all drug sales within the high school since Noah was too old to get onto the campus grounds. "If I find out which asshole did it, I will break his face open." The Valley Boys didn't need to steal the weed; they did it to set a fire on the south side of the tracks in the Villas.The war between the Valley and the Villas went far beyond my eighteen years of life. I'd heard stories about how it started, and it was always different depending on who you asked. Not that it mattered. There would never be peace between the two. Noah's dark eyes flicked from Parker to me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I said a silent prayer as fear constricted my lungs so tightly it was hard to breathe. Shit!Easing my eyes open, I avoided eye contact. Do not incite the beast. Noah was a beast, but it wasn't only his size that gave him the nickname; his bad temper and unpredictability were a deadly combination. Tall, thick, and tatted, Noah wore his long dark hair slicked back into a greasy man bun, and his beard was thick and bushy. A few years older, several inches taller, and about one hundred and fifty pounds heavier than me, I knew I didn't stand a chance against him; at this point, I was trying to survive."Harper will go get it," he fumed, never taking his dark eyes off me. I cringed as my name left his lips. It meant I would have to do something I didn't want to. "Right, Harper?"I wanted to argue, to tell him no, but I knew what would happen if I did. Blowing out a heavy sigh, I caved. "I'm not sure who has it," I whispered, my pulse racing and pounding in my ears. Noah was fast. Before I had time to wince, he had me by my shirt. His fingers tangled into the thin material, lifting me off the couch. "Noah, please." My fingers curled around his wrist to steady myself. It was pointless to fight. He enjoyed it, and I usually ended up in more pain if I struggled. "I don't give a fuck." His fist tightened as he pressed his face into my cheek. The heat from his breath burned against my skin as the smell of stale beer and weed hit my nose, making my stomach roll. "Get it back, or I'll make you regret breathing." His black combat boots pounded across the floor as he dragged me through the rundown trailer. Throwing the front door open, he shoved me out before tossing me down the broken front steps. A sadistic grin spread across his face as I lay in the dirt, trying to catch my breath for several long seconds before he disappeared inside and slammed the door behind him.Closing my eyes tightly, I fought back the tears. I wanted to run away, disappear and never come back. I was eighteen, and no one could stop me, but where would I go? I had no car. No one would hire me in this shitty town because of my association with Noah and Levi, my stepfather. I had no money and no family to fall back on. My drug-addicted mom disappeared years ago. I was stuck, so I did the only thing I could. I pulled myself off the ground, brushed myself off, and devised a plan as I took the long walk from the Villas to