Blood and Midnight

Prologue

Prologue

HALEY

There’s an old adage about the difference between falling in love with a hero and falling in love with a villain. Go for the latter, it says, because a hero would ultimately sacrifice you to save the world, but a villain? He’d burn down the world just to save you.

Sounds pretty epic, right? And let’s be honest—who doesn’t love a bad boy?

The thing about villains, though… Ultimately, they’re just the heroes of their own stories. Still fighting for a cause. Still trying to prove something to the world.

Trust me, I’ve fallen for both. And those assholes? They broke my heart every damn time.

So now I’ve got a new saying:

Screw the heroes and villains.

I want the monsters.

Dark. Vicious. Depraved. The men who slide into your heart like a surgical blade, so sharp you don’t even feel it until you’re on your knees, trembling and soaked in blood.

A monster won’t try to woo you with roses and chocolates, with sweet promises whispered across satin pillowcases. He’ll kick down a f*****g door to get to you, though. Snap a man’s neck just for leering. One threat against you, and he’ll tear out the guy’s throat with his teeth, then kiss you with a mouth full of blood, no apologies.

A monster’s got nothing to prove and nothing left to lose.

And in bed?

Damn.

He’ll own you, pushing until he finds the very edge of your limits, then smashing right through them. And oh, how you’ll beg him for it—beg him to break you, again and again and again. To absolutely ruin you for anything less than a life of obsession and fire.

And while the hero slays his dragons and the villain burns down the world for the woman he loves, the monster will simply hand you the matches and gasoline, step aside, and smile as you burn it down yourself.

Because all along, the monster always knew you could.

He just had to make sure you knew it, too.