《Fine Make》


 Chapter 1

    CHAPTER 001: A Hot Nerd


    CHAPTER 001: A Hot Nerd


    ***


    ~~SLOANE~~


    ***


    I''ve been in love with my best friend, Finn Hartley, since we met in college ten years ago.


    It''s not like I''ll ever tell him I have feelings for him. I know he doesn''t see me that way. He probably won''t ever see me that way.


    Right now, we''re in his living room, and I''m holding him to my chest, listening to him sob.


    That damn girlfriend of his has broken his heart again, the third time this year.


    "I can''t believe she did this to me, Sloane," Finn says.


    I run my fingers through his hair, trying to ignore how good it feels.


    "What exactly did she do?" I ask. "You still haven''t told me."


    "I don''t know how to say it."


    "Well, start from somewhere."


    My patience is wearing thin. I''ve been here for hours, sacrificing my Saturday to watch him disintegrate.


    I don''t know why he bothers crying when he''ll be back in her bed by next week anyway. They do this every damn time.


    I should be more sympathetic, I know. But ten years of watching him chase after the same toxic woman tends to erode a person''s sympathy.


    "Delh''s noting back, one," he says. "She left me for good this time."


    "You know that''s a lie."


    "It''s true. She''s engaged. She sent me this digital wedding invitation, and I''ve been thinking about running my phone through a meat grinder."


    That actually surprises me. Engaged? Delh''s getting married?


    Finn pulls away from me, and I can finally see his face.


    The stubble on his jaw has grown past the sexy phase into something wilder. His white t-shirt is rumpled and stained with what might be yesterday''s dinner. I''ve never seen him this wrecked, and that''s saying something.


    He fumbles for his phone, fingers trembling as he pulls up the screen.


    Then he thrusts the phone at me. There it is-a nauseating rose-gold invitation with flowing script announcing the union of Delh Crestfield and some guy named Hunter. Eight weeks from now.


    My heart skips several beats, a fluttering sensation spreading through my chest.


    I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. This is the best news I''ve heard


    in years. The witch is finally, actually, genuinely out of the picture.


    "Poor baby," I say, trying to sound sympathetic. "Did you know she was dating someone else?"


    "I mean, it''s Delh. When has she ever been faithful?"


    "You''ve got a point."


    I hand him back his phone.


    "I just can''t believe she''s leaving me, Sloane." He copses back into the sofa, staring at the ceiling like it might offer some cosmic exnation.


    "I find it hard to believe myself," I say.


    My eyes trace his strong jaw, his lips, the eyshes spiked with dried tears. I''ve memorized every inch of his face over the years, cataloged every expression. This one is newplete and utter defeat.


    It should make me sad to see him so broken, but all I can think is, ''This is my chance.''


    They''ve been lovers since high school, way before I came into Finn''s life. Sometimes I wonder if that''s the key to her hold on him-she knew him before I did, when he was just a boy with a fragile heart.


    I''ve watched Delh string him along, always knowing she''de back for another round. The thought that she''s finally cut him loose is both thrilling and terrifying. What happens to us now?


    "Who am I without her, Sloane?" Finn asks.


    "You''re Finn Hartley. You''ll be alright." I reach over to squeeze his knee.


    CHAPTER 001: A Hot Nerd


    "I can''t be alright without L."


    "There are over eight billion people in this world, statistically. Just pick someone new."


    "Statistically? You''re such a nerd."


    His words hurt. He''s said it a million times before, his usual teasing about my cybersecurity analyst job, my love for random facts, and my collection of vintage sci-fi novels. But today itnds differently.


    A nerd. That''s all I am to him. Not a woman. Never a woman.


    I stand abruptly, smoothing down my jeans and adjusting my sses. I''ll show


    him just how wild I can be.


    "You know what?" I say. "Let''s go to a club and get wasted."


    Finn looks at me like I''ve suggested we rob a bank. "You want to go to a club?"


    "Yes."


    "Have you ever been to a club before?"


    He sits up straighter, some of the fog clearing from his eyes as he takes me in- in Sloane in her weekend uniform of jeans and a faded band t-shirt, hair in its usual bob and bangs.


    "Not exactly. But there''ll be drinking and dancing. I bet it will be fun." I sound more confident than I feel. The truth is, clubs are my personal hell-loud music, sweaty strangers, overpriced drinks. But I''d walk through actual fire if it would make Finn smile again.


    A slow grin spreads across his face. "Great," he says. "You''re right. I need a distraction." He stands up, suddenly energized.* I''ll go put on something appropriate, and then we''ll stop by your house so you can change out of whatever the hell you have on right now."


    I look down at my outfit, suddenly self-conscious. "What''s wrong with what I''m wearing?"


    "Nothing, if we were going to a library book sale." He disappears into his bedroom, calling back, "Trust me, Sloane. Let''s show Delh what she''s missing!"


    I sink back onto the couch, already regretting my impulsive idea. What have I gotten myself into?


    The club is everything I feared and worse.


    The dress Finn insisted I wear-pulled from the back of my closet, a relic from a cousin''s wedding three years ago-is too tight, too short, and making me painfully aware of body parts I usually manage to ignore.


    We''ve been here for forty minutes.


    Forty minutes of watching Finn transform into someone I barely recognize- throwing back shots at the bar.


    Twenty minutes ago, he found a girl-a tall, willowy blonde in a dress that looks spray-painted onto her body. Amber. That''s


    her name.


    I stand awkwardly at the dance floor, nursing a watered-down vodka soda, watching Finn and Amber grind against each other in a way that should probably be illegal in public.


    Her back is to his chest, her arms raised above her head, fingers tangled in his hair. His hands are on her hips, guiding her movements, his face buried in her neck.


    I feel sick. I feel stupid. I feel painfully, obviously alone.


    "Sloane?" Finn calls out. "You can''t just stand there. Dance!"


    "I don''t know how to," I shout back.


    Amber frowns at me. "Then why are you here?"


    "To keep an eye on my best friend."


    "Like a chaperone?"


    "Yes," I say. "In case you try to slip him a roofie or something."


    Finn looks embarrassed. ¡°Just ignore her,¡± he says to Amber, his arm tightening


    around her waist. "She''s a control freak."


    Amber snorts. "More like your mom."


    "Big sister would be more appropriate," Finn corrects.


    Amber''s eyes rake over me in a way that makes my skin prickle. "She''s hot


    though, with her bangs and screw-me sses. A hot nerd."


    Finn grimaces. "That''s not a veryfortable image."


    "Come on. Don''t you see it?"


    CHAPTER 001: A Hot Nerd


    "See what?"


    "You don''t find her nerdish vibes stimting?"


    Finn is thankfully avoiding my eyes. "More dancing, less talking."


    "Seriously? You''re not even a little tempted to see Sloane naked?"

 Chapter 2

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    CHAPTER 002: A ne Ticket


    CHAPTER 002: A ne Ticket


    I feel my face me. Who does this girl think she is?


    "I''m not," Finn replies, not even pausing to think.


    "Bummer." Amber pouts. "I do want to see her naked, though."


    What''s her problem? Is she mocking me? Making fun of the in, awkward friend? Or is there something genuine in her interest?


    Either way, I don''t want to stick around to find out.


    I turn and push my way through the crowd, heading for the restroom, needing space, air, silence.


    Stupid, stupid, stupid, I chant silently. What did I expect would happen tonight?


    In the bathroom, I lean against the sink, staring at my reflection in the smudged mirror.


    "Get your shit together," I mutter. "This was your idea."


    My brilliant n to cheer up Finn has backfired spectacrly. Instead of distracting him from Delh, I''ve pushed him into the arms of Amber. And now I''m hiding in a bathroom while they''re probably exchanging saliva and phone numbers.


    I ssh some cold water on my wrists, reapply my lipstick, and steel myself to go back out there. I''m a grown woman. I can handle watching my best friend hook up with someone else. I''ve been doing it for a decade.


    But when I finally brave the club again, scanning the dancefloor for Finn''s familiar form, he''s nowhere to be found.


    The spot where he and Amber were dancing is now upied by a group of college-aged girls taking selfies. Panic res in


    my chest as I push through sweaty bodies, searching. He wouldn''t leave without me. Would he?


    I spot them just as they''re slipping out the front door, Finn''s arm wrapped around Amber''s waist, her head thrown back inughter at something he''s said. They''re leaving. Together. Without so much as a text.


    I shove my way to the exit, ignoring the curses and res thrown my way.


    The cool night air hits me as I burst outside, just in time to see Finn fumbling with keys-my keys-at my car.


    "Hey, hey, hey. Where are you going?" I hurry toward them, my heels clicking on the pavement.


    Finn looks up, startled. "We''re taking the party home, Sloane."


    "And you decided to take my car?"


    He has the decency to look sheepish, a hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck in that familiar gesture I usually find captivating. But tonight, it just feeds my anger. How dare he stand there looking boyishly embarrassed while he was about to steal my car?


    Amber just rolls her eyes. "Chill, Mom. You can Uber home."


    "I will do no such thing." I snatch my keys from Finn''s hand. "You two are drunk. Get in the backseat. I''ll drive."


    Amber''s eyes narrow, but she slides into the car anyway.


    Finn follows her, not quite meeting my eyes. I m the door behind them harder than necessary.


    The drive is excruciating. My knuckles are white on the wheel as I navigate the dark streets, trying to ignore what''s happening in my rearview mirror. But it''s impossible not to hear them-the whispers, the giggles, the wet sounds of k


    I turn up the radio, but even that can''t drown out their murmurs.


    "I want you so bad," Finn says.


    "Take me right here, right now," Amber responds.


    Her voice makes my skin crawl.


    1. g.


    "Eww. If you have sex in my car, I''m flinging you both right out the window," I say, swerving slightly as I turn to re at them. They''re tangled together in the backseat, Amber practically in Finn''sp, her lipstick smeared across his neck. Her hand is dangerously high on his thigh.


    She catches my eye in the mirror and smiles. "Wanna join us?" Her tongue darts out to wet her lips. "It will be fun."


    I nearly drive us off the road.


    "What?" My voicees out as a squeak.


    "You heard me. I''ve always wanted to try a threesome."


    Finn''s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. He can tell I''m pissed. "Amber, I don''t think-"


    "Don''t tell me you haven''t thought about it, Finn," she cuts him off. "Your hot little nerd friend, all worked up and desperate. I bet she''s wild under all that... restraint."


    CHAPTER 002: A ne Ticket


    My face burns so hot I''m surprised the car windows don''t fog. "You''re drunk," I manage to say. "Both of you"


    "Not that drunk," Amber purrs. "Just drunk enough to be honest. What do you say, Sloane? You, me, and Finn? I bet you''ve imagined Finn''s hands on you a million times."


    The car falls silent except for the hum of the engine and my own thundering heartbeat. Amber has spoken my deepest most guarded secret out loud, thrown it into the air between us like it''s nothing. Like it''s just another drunken suggestion, not the thing that''s kept me awake for countless nights.


    I grip the steering wheel tighter, focused on the road ahead, afraid to look in the mirror again. Afraid of what Finn might see in my face.


    "Amber, stop," Finn says. "You''re making her ufortable."


    "Am I?" Amber leans toward me. "Or am I just saying what Sloane is thinking? That''s why you followed Finn here as his chaperone, isn''t it? You want him."


    I m on the brakes, pulling sharply to the curb. "Get out," I say, my voice shaking. "Both of you. Get out of my car


    "Sloane,e on," Finn says.


    "I''m serious. Get out. Take an Uber to your ce. I''m going home."


    Amberughs, the sound like ss breaking. "Oh my god, I was right. You totally want to fuck him."


    "Amber!" Finn hisses. "That''s enough."


    Is that all she thinks this is? Some base physical attraction? She has no idea what Finn means to me. No concept of the depth of feelings I have for him. She''s reduced my love to something tawdry, something shameful.


    My hands are trembling as I turn to face them. "Get. Out. Now."


    Something in my expression must convince them I''m serious. Finn gets out first, then helps Amber, who''s stillughing as she stumbles onto the sidewalk. I don''t wait to see where they go. I pull away from the curb with a screech of tires, my vision blurred with unshed tears.


    For almost a week, I ignore Finn''s calls.


    My phone rings. I let it. It pings. I swipe it away.


    I bury myself in work, hoping it will overwrite the humiliation burning through my


    veins.


    But Finn Hartley is like a cockroach. He always finds a way in.


    "Are you avoiding me, Sloane?" he asks from above me.


    I look up from my monitor. He''s there, leaning against the edge of my cubicle like


    he owns the building. His hair is a tousled mess, dark eyes smudged with


    sleeplessness. He looks... wrecked. Good.


    "Who let you in?" I say.


    "The receptionist has a crush on me, remember?"


    "Finn, I''m busy." I turn back to my screen. "Can we talkter?" Hopefully never.


    "I''m not going anywhere until you talk to me."


    I nce around. My coworkers are openly gawking. Jenna from ounting


    literally just nudged Ca from IT. Fant


    Now I''m the office drama spectacle.


    "Will you keep your voice down?" I hiss. "People are watching."


    He grins. "More like they''re checking me out."


    "You''re so full of yourself."


    "What''s with the attitude? Is it... that time of the month or something?"


    Oh. Oh, this motherfucker.


    I swivel my chair toward him, eyes narrowing. "Did you really just-"


    "I''m kidding!" he raises his hands in surrender. "Jesus, Sloane. What the hell is going on with you?"


    What''s going on with me? He''s seriously acting like he doesn''t know? Fine, let''s y this game together.


    I stare at him, throat tight. "What do you want, Finn?"


    He reaches into his jacket and tosses something onto my desk.


    "What is that?" I ask.


    "A ne ticket to Asheville, North Carolina. I booked it for seven weeks from now."


    I frown, not liking where this is headed. "Why are you giving me a ne ticket,


    Finn?"


    You and me ashing Deti''s wedding"

 Chapter 3

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    CHAPTER 003 Meeting The Wrong Brother


    CHAPTER 003: Meeting The Wrong Brother


    I drag Finn by his jacket all the way to mypany''s parking lot, ignoring his protests.


    The moment we''re in front of his car, I whirl around to face him.


    "What is wrong with you?" I ask. "You seriously want to crash your ex''s wedding? Have youpletely lost your mind?"


    Finn runs a hand through his hair. "I need closure, Sloane.¡±


    "No, Finn. You need professional help. Therapy."


    "I can''t just sit still and watch the woman I love marry someone else."


    God. I want to punch him in the face. I want to kiss him until he forgets Delh Crestfield ever existed. I want to scream until I shake the stars loose from the sky.


    "So what''s the n, huh? You gonna storm the aisle? Ruin her big day? Shove the groom off the altar and dere your undying love like some clich¨¦ rom protagonist? Jesus, Finn, you''re better than this."


    "I don''t want to destroy the wedding," he mutters. "I just... I need her to look me in the eyes and tell me it''s over."


    My breath catches.


    I hate him. I hate how stupidly, pathetically in love with Delh he still is. How after everything-after the endless heartbreaks-he still thinks she hung the sun, moon, and stars.


    "Well, I''m not going with you," I say.


    "Why not?"


    "Because I don''t want to."


    "You''re going, Sloane. End of discussion."


    "I am not."


    "I need you."


    Oh.


    There it is. The words that crack me open and leave me bleeding all over this parking lot.


    I hate how my pulse jumps. Hate how he still has this power over me.


    "If things... don''t exactly go as nned," he continues, stepping closer, "I need my best friend beside me. I''m not sure I''ll survive on my own if Delh goes through with this wedding."


    Of course he needs me. He always needs me.


    I''ve been stitching Finn back together for so long, I could probably rebuild him from memory. I know every crack, every fracture. I''ve held the broken pieces of him in my hands and pressed them back into ce more times than I can count.


    But I''m tired.


    I''m so tired of loving him when he''s never even thought to love me back.


    I swallow the lump in my throat and force myself to meet his eyes. "I''m not your


    emotional support animal, Finn."


    "Please, Sloane. I wouldn''t ask if it wasn''t important."


    And just like that, I cave.


    Because I''m weak. Because I''m pathetic. Because I love him.


    I will always love him.


    "Fine," I say. "But when this inevitably blows up in your face, I''m not picking up the


    pieces this time." Even as I say it, we both know it''s a lie.


    Finn grins, that boyish, lopsided smile that makes my heart skip. "Deal."


    "Did you at least get me a first-ss ticket?"


    "You know I don''t do economy, Sloane."


    "Whatever."


    I turn on my heel and march back to the office.


    We''re really doing this.


    We''re really flying across the country to crash his ex''s wedding.


    What could possibly go wrong?


    222


    CHAPTER 003: Meeting The Wrong Brother


    [[Seven weekster]]


    I''ve been waiting at Asheville Regional Airport for over an hour, my suitcase propped against my legs.


    Finn was supposed to meet me the moment Inded. But of course, Finn Hartley, master of emotional chaos and poor decision-making, is nowhere to be found.


    I''ve tried calling him. No answer.


    Tried texting. Left on read.


    I check my phone for the hundredth time. Still nothing. The battery''s at 12% -just enough to call an Uber and find the nearest hotel if I have to.


    I''m seconds away from throwing my phone against a wall when I hear the low purr


    of an engine that sounds like it crawled straight out of hell-a deep, thunderous growl that makes several people nearby turn and stare.


    I raise my head just in time to see a monstrous ck Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 glide to a stop in front of me. The window rolls down, and-God help me- the man behind the wheel looks like sin itself.


    He''s beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Dangerous. Sharp-jawed, dark-haired,


    and dressed in all ck like he''s either about tomit arson or murder.


    His eyes drag over me from head to toe, sizing me up. I resist the urge to smooth down my travel-rumpled clothes or fix my hair.


    "Sloane Mercer?" he says.


    I blink. "Who are you?"


    "I guess you can call me the wrong brother," he replies.


    "What?"


    "Forgive my manners," he says, his voice smooth, deep, and annoyingly sexy. "I''m


    Knox Hartley. Finn''s brother. Finn sent me to chauffeur you to our parents'' house."


    ȯ


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    HAPTER 004 Torture Devices


    CHAPTER 004: Torture Devices


    So this is the infamous Knox.


    I''ve heard stories. Finn talks about him the way you''d talk about a stray wolf that asionally shows up to your campfire, steals your food, and disappears back into the woods. Wild. Unpredictable. Maybe even a little unhinged


    Now that I think about it, he does resemble Finn-same sharp bone structure, same annoyingly perfect mouth. But where Finn is sunshine and charm, Knox looks like he crawled out of a lifestyle magazineer sophisticated gangsters.


    "How do I know you''re not a kidnapper?" I ask, tilting my chin up. "You''ll have to provide proof that you''re who you say you


    are."


    "Like an ID card?"


    "That would work."


    "I don''t have any."


    "See? Kidnapper vibes," I say.


    "Why don''t you call Finn and confirm?"


    I cross my arms. "He''s not answering. Why do you think I''ve been standing here


    for an hour like an abandoned dog?" nce at the car. "And you showing up in an aggressive-looking muscle car that screams ''mafia boss'' isn''t exactly helping your case."


    "Are you getting in or not? I have ces to be, youngdy,"


    "Youngdy? Did you really just belittle me?"


    Knox sighs, a long-suffering sound that suggests I''m testing what little patience he has. "Get in, Sloane."


    I stare at him, deadpan. Then I sigh, because clearly, I have zero self-


    preservation instincts. I''ve already agreed to help Finn crash his ex''s wedding. Getting into a car with his potentially murderous brother isn''t even the worst decision I''ve made this month.


    "Open your trunk," I say.


    Knox pops the trunk from inside, and I toss my bag in, muttering to myself about how this is how women end up on true crime podcasts.


    When I slide into the passenger seat, Knox doesn''t move.


    "Why aren''t you driving?" I ask, ncing sideways at him.


    "Your seatbelt."


    Oh.


    A safety-conscious potential kidnapper. That''s... unexpected.


    I snap it in ce with a click, and he guns the engine, pulling out of the airport pickup zone and onto the highway with a smooth eleration that pushes me back into my seat.


    The moment we hit the open road, he speeds up, the Shelby Mustang roaring beneath us like a beast unleashed.


    "Whoa, slow down!" My hands instinctively grip the edge of my seat.


    "Wanna get out?" he asks.


    "No. But you''re moving too fast. I can''t even see the city."


    "Asheville? There''s nothing to see."


    "Easy for you to say. You''ve probably lived here all your life and traveled the world. I hardly leave New York. When I do, I like to... fill my eyes."


    It sounds poetic when I say it out loud, almost embarrassing. But it''s true. I collect


    moments, images, sensations. Store them away for the lonely nights when my apartment feels too empty and my thoughts too loud.


    "You think I live in Asheville?" he asks.


    I turn to him. "You don''t?"


    "Nope. New York."


    Wait a damn minute.


    "You''ve been in New York all this time," I say.


    "You sound shocked."


    "It''s just... Finn''s never mentioned that. Ever. How do you both live in the same


    city and never cross paths?"


    CHAPTER 004 Torture Devices


    "Finn and I have a...plex rtionship."


    The way he says it makes me drop the subject


    We drive in tense silence for a while, until Knox suddenly swerves off the main road with no warning, the car taking a sharp turn that has me clutching the door handle.


    He parks in front of a dimly lit building with neon red letters that read:


    SENSUAL DELIGHTS.


    "Umm... Is this your parents'' house?" I ask, knowing full well it isn''t.


    Knox smirks. "Sensual Delights? Really? Does it look like a house to you?"


    The ce is exactly what you''d expect an adult store to look like. Dark windows. Shady alleyway.


    "A sex shop?" I ask.


    "Bingo."


    My brain short-circuits. "Why are we at a sex shop?"


    "Need to grab a wedding present."


    "For who?"


    "My friend and his bride."


    I hesitate, swallowing hard as the pieces click into ce in my mind. "Wait... your


    friend is Hunter? The groom?


    "Yep."


    "Delh''s fianc¨¦?"


    Knox grins wickedly. "Yep."


    Oh, for God''s sake.


    Finn''s brother is a friend to Delh''s fianc¨¦?


    Why has Finn never mentioned any of this? It''s like I know nothing about my own


    best friend.


    This is just a time bomb waiting to go off.


    "Would you like to wait here ore inside?" Knox asks.


    I nce at the building, then back at his face.


    Screw it.


    I unbuckle my seatbelt and step out of the car, awkwardly adjusting my sses


    and smoothing imaginary wrinkles out of my top.


    "Let''s go buy some torture devices in Delh''s name," I say, not the least bit joking.


    Knox chuckles. "Alright, ma''am. But I must warn you, some girls do enjoy being tortured."


    We''ll see about that. I''m going to get something with enough voltage to zap


    Delh''s fake, cheating ass right off the face of this Earth so she doesn''t get to


    ruin Finn anymore.


    ȯ

 Chapter 5

    CHAPTER 005: Ever Heard Of Knocking?


    ***


    ~~KNOX~~


    ***


    I must say, I did not expect Finn''s best friend to be this charming.


    Finn''s always painted her as some awkward nerd.


    But this?


    This sharp-tongued, darkly dressed woman standing in the middle of the sex shop, casually discussing electrocution and BDSM gear with the sales rep, is not what I signed up for.


    And yet... I can''t look away.


    Her leather pants are sinfully tight.


    Her dark boots are heavy against the polished floor.


    Her blouse clings to her like a second skin, and those blunt bangs and sses? They remind me of the dominatrixes in my club. All she''s missing is a riding crop and a sternmand on those full lips.


    I watch as she lifts a violet wand, a device used to deliver electrical sensations such as shocks.


    "How dangerous is this?" she asks the sales rep.


    "In what sense?"


    "Like... would the highest voltage be enough to cause, I don''t know... electrocution? Just enough to zap someone''s soul out of their body."


    I nearly choke fighting augh.


    "These devices are built to bepletely safe," the sales rep says. "They''re designed for sensory y, not... actual harm."


    Sloane sighs, setting the wand back on the disy.


    "That''s a bummer," she says.


    She turns to the sales rep with the most deadpan expression I''ve ever seen.


    "Are you sure there''s nothing more deadly around here?"


    The sales rep''s eyes widen. "Technically... if you think about it," she stammers, "everything is potentially life-threatening, right? I mean... people have died from sneezing too hard."


    "So the answer''s no?"


    I can''t do this anymore. The poor girl looks like she''s about to call security or faint.


    I step forward, sliding smoothly into their conversation.


    "Pardon my wife," I say, cing my hand at the small of Sloane''s back. I feel her stiffen. ¡°She gets... intense sometimes. We''ll take it from here."


    The sales rep all but runs away.


    Sloane is staring at me strangely. It probably has something to do with me mentioning the word ''wife''


    "You know," I say, leaning in close enough to catch her scent, "if you really want Delh dead, you could just hire an assassin."


    "That''d be too obvious. They''ll track it right back to me."


    I smile. ¡°Right. But if you do it right, they won''t."


    "Do you have a contact?"


    I shake my head. "I don''t."


    "So you''re like a fake gangster?"


    "Who says I''m a gangster?"


    She eyes the tattoos peeking from my shirt. "You''re not?"


    I chuckle.


    This is going to be fun.


    "Tell you what," I say. "I''ll let you know as soon as I find an assassin."


    "That''d be very much appreciated."


    CHAPTER 005 Ever Heard Of Knocking?


    I release her and start browsing the shelves, casually grabbing a pair of


    handcuffs, a leather paddle, and a silk blindfold


    Thear Sloane following behind me.


    "You seem well-versed in all this," she says, "It''s as if you know exactly what you''re buying"


    "It''s my line of work."


    She pauses. "You sell sex toys?"


    "More like... I produce them. And I own a sex club," I say, turning to face her, bracing for her reaction. Most people either get ufortably excited or visibly repulsed. Both reactions are tedious.


    She just stares at me, face nk.


    "You must be loaded," she says.


    I didn''t expect that at all. "Well..."


    "Well, what, Knox?"


    "I wouldn''t know."


    She frowns. "The fact that you''re not sure if you''re loaded means you actually are.


    Poor people don''t have doubts that they re poor."


    "Is that right?"


    "Yep. You''re definitely loaded."


    I smile. "Okay, Sloane. Whatever you say."


    I can''t remember thest time I enjoyed talking to someone this much. She''s... different. Most people get all weird when I mention my line of work, my family included. But she seems normal about it. Like it''s just another job-which it is, albeit a lucrative one.


    Which is probably why I can''t stop myself from asking what''s been on my mind for


    a while. "So... you and Finn. Are you two... a thing?"


    Her face goes stiff.


    "No."


    "Do you sleep together?" I ask.


    "Hell no."


    "Right."


    She looks ready to murder me.


    We check out the items at the counter, asking for them to be gift-wrapped.


    As we sit waiting, Sloane crosses her arms.


    "How are youfortable with your friend marrying your brother''s ex?" she asks. Hmm. She went right in. "Well," I say. "Delh''s a gold digger. Hunter has the money."


    "Ah. ssic."


    "Hunter''s my friend. I might not like his choices, but as a friend, I respect them.¡± "Are you really a friend if you can''t fight some sense into him?"


    "That would only make me the enemy. You won''t win a fight against love, Sloane." She res at me. "I can definitely try."


    I smile, unable to help myself. Her naivety is both endearing and tragic.


    "How long have you been trying with Finn?" I ask. "Where has that gotten you?¡±


    Her entire body stiffens. I''ve hit a nerve.


    I should stop. Shouldn''t push her.


    But there''s just something about her.


    Something about seeing someone so pure and innocent that makes you want to crack them open. Break them apart.


    "The universe is going to align people who are meant to be together," I say, eyes fixed on her. "Whether they''re good or bad. Whether it makes sense or not. Best you can do is let people live their lives, Sloane."


    Her eyes are zing.


    "You''re not a very good friend, Knox," she says.


    "Because I tell myself the truth?"


    CHAPTER 005: Ever Heard Of Knocking?


    "No. Because you''re selfish."


    I smirk. "Oh? And where has selflessness gotten you? Have you had a proper


    date in months? Are you seeing someone


    right now? Or does your entire life revolve around Finn Hartley and his pathetic


    obsession with a woman who doesn''t give a shit about him?"


    Her eyes darken with something violent.


    And for a moment, I think she''s going to p me.


    God, I almost wish she would.


    But instead, she rises to her feet, her eyes burning holes through my soul.


    "Fuck you," she spits, turning on her heel and storming toward the exit.


    I lean back against the counter, watching her walk away.


    Her hips sway a little too much in those tight leather pants. And the way her short


    hair bounces over her shoulders as she pushes open the door and disappears into the night?


    Perfection.


    I''m going to have a hard time keeping myself from provoking Sloane throughout


    this wedding.


    I''m also going to have a hard time keeping my eyes-and my hands-off her.


    She''s trouble.


    The kind of trouble I want to drag into my bed and ruin.


    222


    one stares out the window throughout our trip home.


    Arms crossed. Jaw tight. Silent.


    It''s honestly impressive howmitted she is to ignoring me. Not a single nce


    in my direction, not even when I deliberately rev the engine just to see if she''ll


    react.


    I''ll admit, I kind of miss the talkative Sloane.


    When I pull into my parents'' house, her head jerks up.


    I can see her looking at the mansion in surprise, with so many questions written


    on her face. But whatever she wants to say, she swallows it back.


    She unbuckles, gets out of the car, and pulls her bag out of the trunk.


    "Let me help you with that," I say.


    "No. I have hands. Thank you very much."


    O-kay.


    I let her have that one, walking beside her as she marches toward the entrance.


    I open the front door for her, and when she walks in, her eyes sweep over the


    grand foyer.


    "Is there something I should know about your parents?" she says, finally speaking


    to me. "Like what?" I ask, though I know exactly what she means. I''ve seen this reaction before.


    "Like, are they from old money or something?"


    "You can ask your best friend. He''s upstairs."


    She rolls her eyes, turning her attention to the massive staircase stretching up to


    the second floor. I know what''s on her mind. She''s wondering how she''s going to


    drag that bag all the way up.


    "Just keep the bag down, Sloane," I say, amused. "Someone will take it."


    She doesn''t argue. She drops it.


    "Where are your parents?" she asks.


    "Out of the country. They should be back tomorrow or next."


    "Great," she mutters. "So we have the house to ourselves?"


    "Umm... once you exclude the employees, I guess we do."


    "Awesome." She gives me a look. "Please lead me to Finn''s room."


    I press a hand to my chest mockingly. "Of course, ma''am."


    I lead her up the stairs. We walk down the long hallway before stopping in front of


    Finn''s room. I don''t even bother knocking, just push the door open.


    CHAPTER 005: Ever Heard Of Knocking?


    "Little brother," I announce. "Your bestie is here."


    And then we see it.


    Finn and Delh pulling away from each other in a hurry.


    They''d been kissing.


    Finn goespletely still.


    Delh, on the other hand, barely reacts. She just smooth''s a hand over her hair.


    "Ever heard of knocking?" she asks.


    I nce at Sloane. Her face has turned to stone.


    "How stupid are you, Finn?" she asks.


    ȯ

 Chapter 6

    CHAPTER 006. They''re Soulmates


    CHAPTER 006: They''re Soulmates


    ***


    ~~SLOANE~~


    ***


    I can''t believe this.


    Three hours on a ne. An hour stuck in that miserable Asheville airport. All to firtd Finn tongue-deep in Delh Crestfield?


    Finn has the audacity to look guilty.


    "Sloane, I''m so sorry you had to see this-"


    "Sorry?" I cut him off, my voice trembling with rage. "I expect you to have a modicumn of self-respect, Finn. That woman is getting married in two days, and you''re making out with her?"


    "Would you rather he make out with you instead?" Delh asks.


    "Don''t do that," Finn snaps at her.


    "Why not? She''s miserable because no one wants her. That''s why she spends her life trying to control yours. You''re old enough to do whatever you want."


    "Old enough? You both are acting like children," I say. "What''s the n here, Finn? Sneak around behind her fianc¨¦''s back? Screw her in the honeymoon suite while poor Hunter''s passed out?"


    Delhughs like this is all some kind of twisted joke. Her engagement ring shes in the light, something obviously expensive, which only makes my blood boil hotter.


    "Delh''s leaving Hunter," Finn says, looking confident.


    But Delh frowns. "No, I''m not. Where did you get that idea from?"


    "We just kissed."


    "So? Doesn''t mean I should call off my wedding."


    "That''s exactly what it means, L."


    "Are you serious right now? The wedding is happening, Finn."


    I watch the hope drain from Finn''s face in real time, reced by hurt.


    This is killing him. And it makes me mad. When will he ever learn? "Take your maniptive, cheating self out of here," I spit at her.


    Delh smiles. "Or what?"


    "You enjoy this, don''t you? You enjoy torturing him. You enjoy dangling yourself in front of him, knowing he''s too in love with you to see what a sick, maniptive game you''re ying."


    Delh rolls her eyes. "What are you going to do about it? Scold me to death? Jeez. Even Finn is tired of your scolding, Sloane."


    ¡°Shut that hole in your face,¡± I snarl, stepping toward her. ¡°Get the hell out.¡±


    "Sweetheart, he''s the one who invited me over. Maybe if you were as hot and as skilled in bed as I am, he''d lool.


    way.


    I lunge for her.


    But Knox catches me.


    I''dpletely forgotten he was here. His arms wrap around my waist like steel bands, pulling me against his chest and away from my target.


    "Unhand me, Knox," I say.


    "I can''t do that, Sloane."


    I struggle against him, fury lending me strength. "I''m going to get very violent with you right now."


    "Let it go, Kitten. Let them be."


    Kitten? "Why the hell would I do that?" I ask.


    "Because they need to sort things out between themselves. Your presence is only


    going to make things worse. Let''s give them some privacy."


    I want to argue. I want to scream. But he''s right. And I hate that he''s right.


    So, I let him pull me away.


    CHAPTER 006. They''re Soulmates


    I can hear Finn''s voice behind me, soft and broken as he pleads with Delh not


    to leave. It makes me want to throw up.


    By the time we reach the living room, I feel like I''ve been set on fire from the


    inside out. I drop onto the couch, furning.


    Knox sits beside me, stretching out.


    "Is that how dramatic you usually are?" he says. "You were making it painfully


    obvious, by the way."


    "Making what obvious?"


    "That you''re in love with Finn."


    My heart jumps. How did he figure that out? "I''m not in love with him," I say.


    "Oh, you are," Knox sayszily. "Even Finn knows."


    "What are you talking about? Did he say something?"


    Knox shrugs, studying me with those dark, knowing eyes. "Does he have to? We


    only just met today, and I serised it. He''s known you for years. Do the math."


    I stand and begin pacing, my hands shaking as I try to process this. The room


    suddenly feels too small, the air too thin." Well, you''re wrong about whatever you think you know. I''m not in love with Finn."


    "Right."


    "I''m not, Knox."


    "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Kitten."


    "Stop calling me that."


    "What? Kitten?"


    Before I can hurl something at him¡ªan insult, a vase-Delh storms down the stairs, running for the front door. Finn is chasing after her like the goddamn simp


    he is. They both run out, and the door ms behind them, the sound reverberating through the house.


    I don''t even pause to breathe. I move to follow them, but Knox-being the troublemaker he is-grabs me by the waist again. "What is your problem with me?"


    I hiss, twisting to face him.


    "I don''t want you doing something stupid in my parents'' house."


    care about my friend. You clearly don''t care about yours, or you''d be calling


    Hunter right now to tell him his fianc¨¦e''s cheating on him."


    Knox snorts. "You think Hunter doesn''t know? She''s been cheating on him for months."


    My mouth falls open. "Are you serious?"


    How does she do it? How does she have such power over these men?


    Knox pushes me toward the window, his grip firm around my waist. I can feel every inch of his body pressed against mine. The heat. The muscles. His scent. They all wrap around me, making it impossible to think clearly. It''s an odd sensation, so odd that I don''t even know what to call it. All I can say is I''m painfully aware of Knox''s presence. It''s like he''s everywhere at once. Or maybe I''m reacting this way because it''s been so long since I wasst touched by a man.


    I try to focus on the scene beyond the ss. Finn and Delh are by the pool, arguing. Finn''s hands are clenched at his sides, his jaw tight with frustration. Delh, on the other hand, looks calm. I can''t hear what they''re saying, but I don''t need to. I''ve seen this scene y out too many times before-Finn pleading, Delh stringing him along. A bitte, my stomach.


    orms in


    "If you want to spy on them, Kitten," Knox says, his lips close to my ear, "you can get a good view from here. This way, you won''t interfere in their business. We can even gossip about them if you like. Now tell me, Sloane, what do you think they''re arguing about right now?"


    I try not to notice how ticklish his breath is, how it raises goosebumps along my neck.


    "Probably about how she''s leaving him for good," I say.


    "You''re wrong. She''ll never leave him. And he''ll never let her go. They''re soulmates. Toxic ones. But it is what it is. The cycle never ends."


    There''s something almost resigned in his tone, like he''s watched this drama y


    out too many times to count. Unlike him, I''m not ready to give up on my best friend yet.


    "Newssh, Cupid," I say, "she''s marrying someone else. Your soulmate theory isn''t exactly fact."


    "You think the wedding would hold?"


    "Of course it will."


    "It won''t."


    CHAPTER 006: They''re Soulmates


    I scoff, turning to face him. "What do you mean by that? Are you going to


    sabotage it?"


    "I don''t need to. It''s just the way they are. They break up, they make up. It''s their toxic little cycle:


    "You''re sick, Knox. Are you seriously hoping that your friend''s fianc¨¦e breaks his heart?"


    "Nothing would dden me more than to see Delh back with Finn." His tone is


    so casual, so nonchnt. I want to p that smug look off his face. "Hunter''s a good man. He doesn''t deserve to go through this."


    "And your brother? Does he deserve this? Does he deserve to be constantly tortured by that woman?"


    "What do you think my answer to that question is, Sloane?"


    "I expect you to act like you care."


    "You think I don''t?" he asks.


    "Do you? If you did, you''d be chasing Delh out of this house right now."


    "Why would I do that?"


    "Because he''s your brother."


    "A brother who is obviously in love."


    I can''t believe this. "You call that love? She''s using him. How is that love? Maybe you''ve never been in love before, so you don''t know what it looks like. I can tell you with my entire heart that it doesn''t look like that."


    "What does it look like, Sloane? Is it the same as the feelings you have for Finn? Because that looks really miserable."

 Chapter 7

    CHAPTER 007: The Bet


    I feel something break inside me. How does loving Finn make me miserable?


    "Let me go, Knox," I say, my voice trembling. "You might not be a good brother, but I''m a good friend. I''m not going to sit around and watch my friend be deceived again. I''m going out there."


    Knox doesn''t budge. His grip on my waist remains firm, his body immovable.


    In a voice so calm it only fuels my rage, he says, "I can''t let you go out there, Kitter will physically restrain you if I have to." "Who the hell do you think you are?" I snap. "You don''t get to control me, Knox, Let. Me. Go.*


    "I''m not controlling you. I''m preventing you from making a fool of yourself-again."


    If my hands were free, I probably would have pped him by now. "I''m beginning to see why Finn almost never mentioned you in the ten years I''ve known him. You''re such an arrogant, infuriating douchebag who cares about nothing else but himself. You''d rather watch your own brother get his heart ripped out than actually do something about it."


    Knox''s eyes darken, and for a moment, I swear I see something wicked sh through them. "That''s the thing, Sloane. Finn likes getting his heart ripped out by Delh. He likes her toxicity. He''s addicted to it. The only person seeing a problem between those two being together is you. Stop projecting your feelings onto Finn."


    "You can''t tell me what to do or feel, you brother hater."


    Knox grins. "Think whatever you like. But I want what makes Finn happy. Unfortunately for you, that''s Delh. Always has been. Always will be."


    "You''re disgusting."


    "What exactly can you do about it, Sloane? Wanna lock him in a maximum- security prison somewhere offshore? Chain him up in your basement? Finn will always go back to Delh. You think you''re the first person obsessed with ending their silly little love story? Let. It. Go."


    "I can''t."


    The words slip out before I can stop them. My chest is heaving, my face burning, and I''m standing there like an idiot with


    my


    heart bleeding all over the floor for a man who''s out there chasing someone else. Knox tilts his head, studying me with the eyes of a predator who''s just found the weakest part of his prey. "How about we make a bet?" he says.


    I narrow my eyes. "A bet?"


    "If this wedding takes ce between Delh and Hunter, I''ll let you be so you can chase Finn to the ends of the Earth if you feel like it. Follow him around like a devoted puppy. I won''t lift a finger to stop you."


    "And if it doesn''t?"


    A slow, dangerous grin spreads across his face.


    "If the wedding goes to shit-which it will-I will violently pursue you, Sloane Mercer. There''s no ce in this world you can hide from me that I won''t find you. I will crawl inside your head, your body, your soul. I will ruin you for anyone else. You won''t be able to think, breathe, or sleep without feeling me everywhere. I''l make you forget Finn Hartley ever existed. The things I could do to you. The things I want to do to you.."


    For some weird reason, I can''t breathe anymore. I turn away from Knox, facing the window again, wondering why my body has gone live with electricity. It''s hatred, I tell myself. Pure, undiluted hatred making my body react this way-not desire, never desire. Yet somehow I''m hyperaware of every inch of space between us, as though there''s no clothing barrier separating his skin from mine.


    I try to pull away, but he holds me close, his lips brushing against my ear. The contact sends a jolt through my system. "All you need is something else to obsess over," he says. "Something to channel all that obsessive energy of yours Let me provide that for you. Let me give you a hobby, Kitten, a very pleasurable one."


    I want him to do it.


    Good lord.


    What is wrong with me?


    This is Finn''s brother. I can''t be in love with one man and then be a hot mess around his brother. Yet my body is betraying me, responding to him in ways I''ve never responded to anyone.


    "You can''t do this," I say, not recognizing my own voice. "You''re my best friend''s brother. There''s a code of conduct about these things."


    1. d.


    "A code? Screw your codes," he says. "I see what I want, I take it. Unlike you, pining away in silence, letting your life pass by. That is something I''m going to teach you, Sloane Mercer, how to bend the universe''s will and take what you want."


    CHAPTER 007 The Bet


    My breath hitches. "I don''t need your lessons. Thank you very much."


    He touches my hips, pulling me further into him, and I don''t think I have a single bone left in my body to resist.


    "I always get what I want," he says, his voice a dark promise. "And since what I want at the moment is you, you better hope that wedding takes ce. There''s nothing I want more than to tie you up and bury myself so deep inside you that you''d ckout."


    I swear my legs are about to give out. My skin is burning, my pulse hammering in my throat. I''ve never felt this kind of animal attraction before-this raw, primal need that overpowers reason, morality, lealty. It''s nothing like the sweet ache feel for Finn. This is something darker, more dangerous, and infinitely more terrifying. "Get away from me," I whisper.


    "Take the deal, Sloane."


    I''m trembling. My brain is screaming run, but my body is leaning into him like a traitorous little bitch.


    In this moment, I hate myself more than I hate him, because despite everything- despite my feelings for Finn-part of me wants to see what would happen if I surrendered.


    I swallow hard, desperate to put distance between us, to regain some semnce of control. "Fine," I say, turning to meet his eyes. "We have a deal. Wedding happens, I never hear from you again. If it doesn''t... give it your best shot."


    Knox''s grin is pure sin. "Oh, Kitten. You have no idea what you''ve just done." I''m pretty sure I''ve just signed my soul over to the devil in exchange for nothing. "You know what this means, right," he says. "I have a wedding to sabotage." "What? No. No. No. You said you were not going to sabotage the wedding." "That was before you took my deal. You think you can win by ying fair?" "You''re not sabotaging this wedding, Knox."


    "Wanna bet?"


    I''m done with you and your stupid bets. If you so much as breathe the wrong way throughout this event, I''m taking you down."


    Heughs. "Oh, it''s on, Kitten. Let the strongest man win."


    Before I can reply, the front door bursts open, and Finn walks in, looking like he''s been through hell. His hair is disheveled, his eyes red-rimmed, his shoulders slumped in defeat. The sight of him-broken, vulnerable, so clearly hurting-snaps me back to reality, reminding me why I''m here, what matters.


    We both turn toward him, and the way Finn''s eyes move between Knox and me- noting our proximity-makes my stomach drop.


    Oh God.


    "What are you two doing?" Finn asks, suspicion dripping from every word.


    I step away from Knox like I''ve been burned. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Finn narrows his eyes. "Were you two... oh my God. Were you two making out?"

 Chapter 8

    CHAPTER 008: You Haven''t Found The Right Girl


    ***


    -KNOX--


    ***


    I''d be lying if I said I''m surprised Finn walked in on me holding Sloane.


    I''d anticipated it.


    Hell, I orchestrated it.


    He''d been out there crying over his toxic little temptress, and I''d seen himing back. I''d seen Delh storm off like the walking soap opera she is. But Sloane had been too caught up in our argument-too riled up and flushed and breathless-to notice any of these.


    Right now, she looks like she wants to dissolve into the floor.


    I almost feel guilty.


    "Making out?" she says. "Did you drink the pool water or something, Finn? We were just talking"


    She tries to y it off with a smile, but ites out looking like she''s undergoing an electrocution.


    "Talking," Finn repeats. "With his hands around your waist?"


    "That was my fault," she blurts, stepping forward. "I saw you running after Delh in a hurry and had this funny feeling you wanted to drown her. So I tripped while running to the window to watch and interfere if I had to. Knox caught me."


    I blink.


    Well. Damn.


    That''s... not bad.


    Not bad at all.


    I store it at the back of my head: Sloane''s a good liar.


    Finn, of course, doesn''t buy it.


    He steps closer, eyes fixed on me. "I''ve never known my brother to be a hero."


    I sh him a grin. "I''ll always be a hero to your friends, little brother."


    "How very gentlemanly of you."


    "You know me."


    The silence that follows is pregnant. I can feel the tension buzzing in the walls, crawling across the back of my neck, a snake ready to strike at any moment.


    Finn isn''t stupid. He knows everything Sloane said is horseshit.


    She moves toward him, touches his arm, trying to fix the problem.


    "Are you okay?" she asks softly. "What happened out there with Delh?"


    His face hardens. "She''s going through with the wedding."


    I watch Sloane''s lips twitch-almost a smile. She swallows it fast, but I see it.


    She''s relieved.


    And maybe, somewhere deep down, that''s what pisses Finn off more than anything else.


    "You''ll be alright, Finn," she whispers. "I''m here for you."


    Of course you are, I think, rolling my eyes so hard I nearly sprain a muscle.


    "I know, Sloane, Finn replies. "Can you give me a moment with my brother?"


    She stiffens. "O-okay... I guess I can. Which room''s mine?"


    He squeezes her hand. "Just wait in my room. I''lle show you to yours."


    She avoids my eyes as she walks past me, and something about that makes my chest feel... tight. Funny. She disappears up the stairs, and the moment her footsteps fade, Finn rounds on me like a bloodhound. "Stay away from her, Knox." "Why do you care?" I ask. "Your hands are already full with Delh."


    "I know what you''re doing. Stop it. You can''t keep hating me for what happened so many years ago."


    AIA


    CHAPTER 008 You Haven''t Found The Right Girl


    "Hating you?" I smirk. "Don''t tter yourself. I forgave you. You''re my brother."


    "You did not.¡± His voice drops, dark and trembling. "Sloane means a lot to me. Keep her out of your bullshit."


    "I''ve heard your request, little brother, and the answer''s no. I''m not staying away from Sloane


    "You think I''m joking? This isn''t a request."


    "You''remanding me now?"


    "I will do so much worse if you hurt her."


    I step closer. ¡°Funny you mention hurting her. Very ironic, even. You''ve known for years why she follows you around. But you keep her near because she''s the only one dumb enough to stand your crappy self. She has unknowingly walked into a trap where she''ll always be there for you and never have a life for herself." I lean in until we''re nose to nose. "Guess what, brother. When I steal her from you, I''ll be doing her a favor. At the same time, we''ll be even."


    His eyes ze. "You know what? I''m not afraid of what you can do, because it''s next to zero. Sloane will never fall for someone like you."


    "Is that right? She fell for you, didn''t she?"


    "Stay the hell away from her," he growls. "Or you won''t like the consequences"


    "Run along now, little brother," I say with a smirk. "See her while you can. She won''t give a damn about you in the near future.¡± He moves away, eyes on me the entire time. And then he stomps up the stairs.


    I watch him go, smug satisfaction blooming in my chest.


    Watching Finn squirm has always been one of life''s little pleasures.


    But watching him scared?


    Terrified he''s losing someone for the first time.


    God, it''s better than sex.


    But this isn''t just about getting back at Finn anymore.


    It''s about Sloane.


    Because someone like her doesn''t need to be emotionally caged to a golden boy who''ll never give her what she needs.


    She deserves fire. Obsession. And maybe a little sin.


    The way she reacted to me-the trembling in her voice, the way her body arched


    like it recognized mine before her brain caught up-that wasn''t nothing. That wasn''t a mistake. That was instinct. Pure, buried instinct.


    She''s not the angel she pretends to be. Not the soft-spoken nerd with her nose in data sheets and sci-fi novels, as Finn often ims.


    There''s chaos in her. Desire. A storm she hasn''t learned to unleash yet.


    And if I unlock that part of her-if I really open her up-she won''t be able to go back


    to who she was before.


    She''ll be mine. In every way that matters.


    Finn getting hurt in the process? Well, that would just be a very satisfying bonus.


    I make my way to see Hunter at his hotel suite.


    The door swings open before I can knock twice.


    Delh''s standing in the doorway wearing nothing but a silk robe and a pair of panties. And of course, she''s braless. Her entire chest is on disy.


    "Knox," she says.


    "Delh. I''m here to see Hunter. He told me he''s in."


    She leans against the frame, the robe gaping open. "I''ll only let you in if you say


    the right words."


    "The right words?"


    "That you''re not going to tell Hunter anything about what happened with Finn earlier today."


    "Why? Are you afraid he''ll believe me?"


    She shrugs. "I''m not taking that chance."


    "You know what doesn''t help your case?" I say. "Opening a hotel door with your


    tits on disy."


    "You used to love them."


    I push past her into the room.


    CHAPTER 008: You Haven''t Found The Right Girl


    "Hunter?" I call out. "Buddy, where are you?"


    "Shower,"es the muffled reply from the bathroom. "Be with you in a minute."


    I drop into one of the velvet chairs, watching Delh tie her robe closed,


    She glides across the room and pours herself a drink like nothing happened. Like


    she didn''t just offer me a bribe in the form of tits and a thinly veiled threat. The woman''s a walking contradiction.


    I''ll admit-I used to find it fascinating. The duality. The dangerous game of never knowing what version of Delh you were going to get.


    Now?


    Now it just makes me sick.


    "Care for a drink?" she asks.


    "No, thanks. I''ll just sit here and wait for Hunter."


    I can hear him whistling in the bathroom. He must be done.


    Delh panics. "Come on, Knox," she whispers. "Don''t tell him."


    "You think I came here for you? Get over yourself."


    "I want things to work out with Hunter."


    Of course she does.


    Because he''s rich. Gullible. Easy to mold.


    "Then maybe don''t kiss someone else two days before your wedding."


    The bathroom door opens, and Hunter walks in, towel slung low on his hips, still


    whistling.


    "Knox!" he grins. "My best man. You look as annoying as ever."


    "Hunter," I say. "So great to see you too."


    Delh walks over to him and slips her arms around him. "Hey, baby," she purrs,


    nting a long kiss on his mouth.


    Yeah. Because that''s gonna fix anything.


    She whispers something loud enough for me to hear. "Send your friend away so


    we can have a nice evening together."


    "Soon, love," Hunter says, smacking her ass. "Be there in a bit."


    She leaves. Finally.


    "Love is sweet, I tell you," heughs, grabbing a bottle of whiskey from the bar.


    "You should get hooked."


    "I''m veryfortable with my singleness."


    "You just haven''t found the right girl."


    I don''t reply.


    He pours himself a drink, then raises an eyebrow. "Care for one?"


    I stare at him.


    "Are you certain this is what you want, Hunter?"


    He freezes. "If you mean the marriage, then yes. Delh makes me happy."


    "You know she doesn''t love you, right?"


    He hesitates. Then he sits on one of the couches.


    "Hunter..." Delh''s voice sings from behind the sliding doors. "I''m still naked."


    "Just a minute, babe," he shouts back. Then he addresses me in a lower voice. "I''m not a fool, Knox."


    "I know," I say.


    He''s not.


    He''s just in love.


    He''s a very sessful investment banker, so calling him a fool would be a stretch.


    But even some of the smartest men in history have lost everything because of a


    woman who knew how to smile just right.


    I sigh.


    I told myself I wasn''t going to interfere.


    But maybe Sloane was right.


    I am a terrible friend if I don''t try.


    Okay, that has 30% to do with printer and to the g


    One way or another, that weddingy isn''t happeninry


    How about we go to a strip club?" I ack Hunter frowns. "My bachelor party isn''t until tomorrow"


    "Every day before your wedding is a bachelor party Heughs. "Alright. Can I bring try girlfriendr "Hell no


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 Chapter 9

    CHAPTER 009: All About Finn


    ***


    ~~SLOANE~~


    ***


    "All we have to do is go to the wedding, give Delh enough time to think she''s happy, and then destroy it," Finn says. " Simple as that."


    I and Finn are in one of his parents'' guest rooms-one Finn announced as my room. I''m sitting on the edge of a plush, overstuffed bed with way too many pillows, while Finn paces in circles.


    I just watch him.


    It''s not even the pacing that annoys me. It''s the delusion.


    "Have you thought about how she''d hate you afterward?" I ask, folding my hands in myp to keep them from fidgeting. "Hate? That''s a strong word," he scoffs. "Delh can''t hate me. She''ll be angry at me for a couple of days, and then we''ll be back together."


    God.


    The worst part?


    He''s probably right.


    Of course she won''t hate him. She''ll scream and cry and maybe toss a vase, but she''ll let him back in. She always does. It''s like a sick game of emotional fetch-he throws himself at her, she walks away, then whistles, and back he goes.


    I grind my mrs.


    "I''m just saying," I press, "destroying a wedding might be easy to visualize, but when ites to actually doing it, it''s not as easy as you think. First of all, what could you possibly say that would make Hunter cancel the wedding? Because Delh wouldn''t."


    He stops pacing.


    "Simple,¡± he says. "I tell him she''s been sleeping with me. No man likes to be cheated on."


    I almost choke.


    "Don''t you see the irony in that statement?" I say.


    "What?"


    "You like being cheated on, Finn."


    He squints at me like I''m missing the bigger picture. "That''s different."


    "How?"


    "It''s different when the person''s the love of your life."


    I drag a pillow onto myp before I throw it at his face.


    "You''re not even giving yourself a chance to find someone else. She''s your first


    and only girlfriend. There are other people out there for you, Finn. You just have to step outside the Delh Vortex and actually look."


    He pauses, looking at me like I just said the moon isn''t real.


    "You and Delh are the only people who get me."


    Then leave Delh ande to me, I almost say. But that would be stupid and pathetic, even for me.


    I mp my lips shut.


    "It''s not going to work," I say instead.


    "What''s not going to work?"


    ¡°Hunter already knows she was sleeping with you. He''s marrying her anyway."


    He jerks his head. "Wait, what? How the hell do you know that?"


    I hesitate.


    "Your brother told me."


    His expression cracks. "Knox?"


    "Yeah."


    Sessfully unlocked!


    There''s a pause. "Seems you two had enough time to talk while fondling each other by the window."


    CHAPTER 50 A About Fam


    "We were not


    "What else did he say, Sloane?


    "in terms of what?


    "About me. Did he tell you anything crazy?"


    I raise a brow. "Is there something crazy about you that i should know?


    Finn sighs and moves to sit beside me on the bed. His fingers find mine, warm and familiar


    "Listen, Sloane. You have to stay away from my brother. Most times we''re out toward each other Not even But sometimes the rivalry between us? it gets ugly. He could use you to get to me I don''t want that to happen. His voce drops. "Other than Delh and my family, you''re all I have left. You mean the word to me I don''t want to see you get hurt?


    It should make me melt.


    It almost does.


    But there''s something in those words that sets me off


    "Is there a history between you and your brother?" I ask


    He tenses. "Why?


    "Because you''re obviously hiding something. Why would you assume he''d use


    me if there wasn''t something senous trat happened between you two?"


    "Knox is just Knox. He''s unpredictable. I''m trying to look out for your


    "I can handle myself, thank you very much."


    "Come on, Sloane-"


    "Why should I believe you?" I cut in. "You''ve barely mentioned his name in the entire time I''ve known you. And the known you a long time. I had to hear from him that you both live in the same city. And his best friend-Hunter-is Der''s fianc¨¦ Did you know this?"


    "I did."


    "And you didn''t think to tell me?"


    I''m sorry, okay? Just stay away from Knox. He''s a womanizer with really bad morals."


    "You mean because he owns a sex club?"


    His eyes widen. "He told you that?"


    "Yep. Another thing you didn''t."


    He exhales. "Don''t you see it? He''s trying toe between us. Telling you all this


    shit so you''ll start a fight."


    "Maybe if you''d told me in the first ce, I wouldn''t need to start a fight."


    "I can''t do this right now, Sloane. My head is already full trying to solve the Delh problem-


    "There it is," I snap. "It''s always about you, isn''t it? Everything. Is. About. You. Finn."


    He throws his arms up, dramatic as ever. "What do you want? Just tell me. Il do it.


    I can''t be fighting with my girlfriend and my best friend at the same time."


    "You''re not fighting with Delh. She''s leaving you."


    "Help me get her back!"


    "I''m the one fighting with you, Finn!*


    He throws himself off the bed, flopping to the floor like a wounded deer.


    "Finn?" I say, my heart in my throat.


    I scramble off the mattress, kneeling beside him.


    He doesn''t move.


    I push at his arm until he rolls over, and I see the tears streaming down his face.


    "I can''t fight with you too, Sloane," he whispers. "Please."


    My chest squeezes.


    "Okay. Okay, get up."


    He lets me drag him up.


    "I promise," he mutters, wiping his eyes, "it''s not always about me. You''re just so perfect that you hardly have problems that aren''t from the characters in those books you read."


    CHAPTER 009 All About Finn


    I hug him, saying, "I understand."


    And I do.


    But then I pull back. "How about... if I say one of my problems out loud, and you


    distract yourself by solving it?"


    He frowns. "What problem is that?"


    I take a breath


    "So you see... when your brother took me to a sex shop and told me he owns a


    sexclub and toypany-"


    "He took you to a sex shop?!"


    "Shut up, Finn. Don''t interrupt me."


    "Okay, Sorry,"


    "I became... weirdly intrigued about these things."


    He''s blinking like I just told him I joined a cult. "Okay..."


    "Back in college, I never got to explore. I was focused on academics and graduated valedictorian."


    "Which is what I loved about you. You were level-headed and driven. You even forced me to graduate, remember? No one believed I would. You''ve got the dream life now. A good job at an IT firm. A hundred and fifty grand a year in sry. You''re killing it,"


    "Yeah, but I''m not in college anymore, Finn. And most people think I''m antisocial."


    "I don''t. You''re the most social person I know."


    "You''re lying."


    "Come on, Sloane. I''m supposed to boost your ego."


    "Not by lying."


    Heughs, "Fine. Maybe you are antisocial. But still lovable."


    I cross my arms. "I might be going through a midlife crisis. I want to explore...


    immorality."


    He frowns. "As much as I hate the idea of you going rogue, I can help you. If you''re doing this, you might as well do it the right way and with the right person."


    "You''ll do that for me?"


    "What are friends for?" he says. "Get dressed. We''re going to a strip club. I bet you''ve never been in one."


    I blink.


    "You mean that?"


    "I know just the right one."


    Iunch myself at him, squeezing the breath out of him with a hug. Then I tear across the room to the closet, pulling things out swiftly.


    "What dress is that?¡± Finn asks as I select something ck and scandalous.


    "I bought it."


    "You''re buying dresses like this now?"


    I don''t reply. I''m too busy grabbing shoes and essories, adrenaline buzzing.


    I bolt toward the bathroom.


    "We''re going to a strip club!" I sing as I reach the door.


    "Oh dear God," I hear him mutter behind me. "What have I done?"


    ȯ

 Chapter 10

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    CHAPTER 010: The Strippers Are Naked


    W weteran fin upskie Down on a srleast in the ser


    yan post and to to the thigher


    Euneyard lead games Pieceding onps, man tpping kohot Charcane fres chining teside things in highres is phar. Grrors.


    tabelsay, eyes stl to stop


    Freshmong the back of the cosch, "Warn apdance? rl pay. Just say the word, and is call the over for


    yout


    "Mehmm Ang


    His tone is teasing, but when I turn to look at him, his eyes are elsewhere-locked on a girl across the room who''s dancing in slow circles, blowing kisses his way.


    I keep looking at the side of his face. His profile tonight is aggravatingly attractive. The lighting softens his cheekbones and puts this strange glow on his skin.


    My thighs press together instinctively, and I hate myself a little for it.


    There''s something about this ce-it smells like lust and liquor andtex. It hums with temptation. It breathes. And I''m breathing with it.


    If only Finn would give me the kind of attention he''s giving that naked goddess across the room, maybe I''d get lucky tonight.


    Ugh. What is wrong with me?


    "Want something to drink?" Finn asks suddenly,


    "Huh?" 1 blink. Only now do I notice he''s waved down a server in fiss and a leather harness.


    "A drink, yes" I say quickly, "I''ll have whatever you''re having."


    "You sure? I take my bourbon neat."


    "Inmorality, rennernber?"


    Heughs, "Right, Good thing none of us are driving."


    As the server disappears, Finn''s eyes move right back to his stripper of choice.


    I sigh, Loudly.


    And then my phone pings.


    It surprises me. No one texts me thiste except my mother, my sister, or sometimes work. I nce at the screen, expecting Harper, my supervisor, to be bitching about a deadline or Wes from project management begging to finally take me out on a date.


    But it''s a new number.


    ''Look what the cat dragged into the club, the text says.


    My heart flips like a fish on cocaine.


    "Who is this?'' 1 type, even though I have a good


    Sessfully unlocked!


    "Your partner in wedding sabotaging/


    Oh, for fuck''s sake.


    ''How did you get my number?''


    CHAPTER 010 The Strippers Are Naked


    ''Finn. He gave it to me when he begged me to pick you up from the airport''


    I grit my teeth as my eyes flick upward, scanning the club-over the stage, beyond the bar, up to the VIP section. And there he is.


    Knox Hartley.


    Waving his phone, screen lit like a beacon. A strange man is seated beside him, sipping scotch, attention fixed on his phone''s screen.


    Knox smiles. Then blows me a kiss.


    I want to melt into the floor.


    Or throw my drink at him.


    Preferably both.


    Just then, mine and Finn''s drinks arrive. I take mine with shaking hands and try to pretend everything''s fine.


    "Your brother''s here, Finn," I mutter, keeping my voice low.


    Finn straightens and looks where I''m directing his gaze to.


    "Knox?"


    "Yeah. Up at the VIP section."


    Knox raises his ss in a mock toast.


    "I''m not surprised," Finn says tly. "These are the kind of ces you''d find him."


    I turn to him, eyebrows raised. "Really? You don''t find it strange that we''re literally


    in the same club, and you''re judging him for being here?"


    "The difference is we don''te here all the time. We drop by once in a while like normal people."


    "Right."


    My phone pings again.


    ''Hope you enjoy the distraction.''


    Distraction?


    I nce up.


    And I see her.


    Ady striding toward us in ck heels and little else. Her eyes are locked on


    Finn.


    She stops right in front of him, smiling like she already owns his soul.


    "You''re Finn, right?"


    "Umm.." He straightens. "I am."


    "That gentleman over there"-she nods toward Knox-"paid for apdance for you."


    My mouth drops.


    I look up, and Knox is watching me.


    This is a performance.


    Just for me.


    He wants to break me.


    Finn grins. "That''s very generous of him. But I''d prefer if you gave my friend the


    dance. She''s never had one before."


    My face bursts into mes. "No, no, Finn. Go ahead. It''s your present. I know you want it."


    "You sure about that?"


    "Yeah."


    He shrugs, delighted. "Alright then."


    And then she''s on him.


    Literally.


    The dancer straddles him like she was born for it, pressing her perfect tits to his face and grinding her hips in slow, cruel circles. Her fingers tangle in his hair. She bends and whispers something into his ear, and heughs.


    I''m a big girl, I chant in my head. I can watch the man I love get apdance.


    I can handle it.


    CHAPTER 010: The Strippers Are Naked


    I can-


    No, I can''t.


    This is totally fine. Come on, Sloane, I tell myself. This is what friendship is about getting out of yourfort zone Besides, any negative reaction I give would only excite Knox, who''s watching me intently


    He''s trying to get to me.


    Well, congrattions, asshole. It''s working.


    The dance gets more intense. Legs wrapping around Finn''s torso. His head tipped


    back in Bliss. Her hand grazing-


    Nope.


    Screw this.


    "I have to use the restroom real quick," I say, standing up so fast I nearly spill my


    drink.


    "Alright, Finn mumbles. "I''ll be right here. With this beautiful woman."


    Of course you will.


    I practically run.


    The restroom''s hallway is surprisingly empty, bathed in a crimson glow like


    something out of Dante''s Infero. I find the door and shove it open.


    Then I head to the sink, staring at myself in the mirror


    This is bing a habit. Running into bathrooms to gather myself.


    Pathetic.


    But I can''t even cry because it''s not sadness I feel. It''s rage. Embarrassment.


    Maybe a little jealousy


    I''m breathing hard.


    And then I hear the bathroom door mming shut. Then a click. Someone''s just locked it.


    I spin.


    He''s standing there, all six-foot-something of danger and bad ideas.


    Knox.


    He leans back against the door like he owns it. Dressed in head-to-toe ck.


    "Hello, Kitten," he says.


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 Chapter 11

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    CHAPTER 11 That''s N. Kate


    CHAPTER 011: That''s It, Kitten


    "What are you doing here, Know?" ask "This is the women''s room"


    "Which I made sure would be out of bounds for a wh


    Of course he did. Probably bribed someone important. I roll my eyes, trying to ignore the way his shirt clings to his torso, hinting at the tattoos that snake down


    his arms.


    "Are you staving me now?" I say


    He chuckles, the sound low and throaty. "You look ravishing in that dress. I wanted to see it up close


    "You''ve seen it. Now leave"


    Pushing off the door, he strides toward me


    1


    Instinctively, I take a step back. Then another. Until the cold, tiled wall presses against my back


    "Leave, Knox"


    He stops mere inches away, his breath warm against my skin.


    "You know what would make the dress even better, Kitten? Seeing it raised and sitting atop your pretty waist as I take you."


    "If you touch me, I''m going to scream."


    He tilts his head. "Do it. I''ve imagined what that would sound like. How loudly do you scream, Sloane? Think the club''s noise will drown it out? Because I want to make your voice hoarse and your pussy sore?


    A whimper escapes my lips. "Knox..."


    His hand shoots up, fingers wrapping around my neck, not tight enough to hurt but firm enough to send a jolt of electricity through me. He presses me against the wall, his body a solid, unyielding force.


    "Say you don''t want this, and I''ll stop."


    "I don''t..." But the words won''te out convincingly.


    "What was that, Kitten?" he murmurs, his mouth so close to mine I can almost taste it.


    "Screw you."


    He grins. Something about his grin ignites a fire within me, a primal desire I''ve kept buried for too long. The danger, the forbidden allure-it consumes me. I want him. Just for tonight. I start to reach for him-desperate-but he tightens his grip. halting me in ce.


    "If you want something, baby girl, you have to beg for it."


    "Now I have to beg?"


    He leans in until our foreheads touch. "Only if you want me to ruin you the right way."


    His free hand trails down my body, lifting my dress by the hem. Then he reaches


    for my panties, touching the damp part in between my legs. The tingling sensation that''s already unbearable somehow worsens.


    "You''re soaked. Tell me what you want, and I''ll give it to you."


    "


    "Tongue-tied?"


    He circles my clit through the fabric, a slow, torturous rhythm that has me biting my lip to stifle a moan. I part my legs, seeking more, but he maintains the agonizing pace.


    "Say it, Sloane."


    "Take me. Please."


    "I didn''t quite catch that."


    I meet his eyes. "I want you to fuck me. Please."


    The words barely leave my lips before he crashes his mouth onto mine-no hesitation, no warning, just heat and hunger and violence wrapped in a kiss. His lips are rough, demanding, tasting of whiskey. He doesn''t ease in. He devours. Like he''s been starving.


    My back hits the wall with a dull thud, but I bare Sessfully unlocked!s are already in my hair, fisting it tight, angling my head to deepen the kiss. His tongue parts my lips, sumy in, tanying with mine.


    I kiss him back with the same desperation, the same fury, like if I let go I might never get this again. And I hate that I want it so badly. I hate how I moan into his mouth. Every hard inch of him is pressed against me, his thigh pushing between mine, making me rub shamelessly against it.


    CHAPTEROTT Thats Emen


    Then his teeth catch my bottom lip. He bites down-hard


    I gasp into him, eyes flying open as pain and pleasure explode in my mouth. My fingers clutch at his shirt, unsure if I''m pulling him closer or trying to push him away. The metallic tang of blood floods my tongue


    He licke into my mouth like he wants to taste it too. I let him take it all.


    He pulls back, lips swollen. "Now was that so hard to admit?"


    "Are you going to take me or just talk?¡±


    He smiles. "Right away, ma''am."


    With his hand still around my neck, he pushes my head further into the wall. Then


    he lowers himself to his knees. His fingers hook under the waistband of my


    panties, and with one tug, he pulls them down my legs.


    1 step out of them, and he picks thece up and slides it into the pocket of his


    pants.


    "About that screaming thing," he says, lifting my right leg over his shoulder. "You still haven''t told me how loudly you scream."


    I open my mouth to respond, but words fail me as he buries his face where I crave


    him most, his tongue immediately teasing my clit.


    My head falls back, a moan escaping my lips.


    "Oh..."


    He pulls back. "You taste so much better than I imagined."


    He doesn''t give me any more seconds to catch my breath before he dives in again, drinking me in.


    The pleasure is overwhelming. Each stroke of his tongue sends jolts of ecstasy through me. I grip his hair, grinding against his lips.


    This makes him groan. "That''s it, Kitten. Rub those juices all over my face."


    The tension builds fast and wild, spiraling through me like a storm without mercy. I


    try to brace for it. Try to hold it off.


    I can''t.


    When it hits, it explodes.


    I cry out, mping a hand over my mouth as my entire body shakes.


    He groans low against me, which only adds to the tremors.


    Before I cane down from the high, before I can breathe or think or even process, he''s standing.


    I barely register the shift until he bends me over the countertop, his hands adjusting me into the right position.


    The mirror catches my eye.


    I see myself-flushed; trembling, disheveled. And him-behind me, eyes dark and


    wild, hands tearing something open. A condom.


    I can''t look away.


    He meets my eyes in the mirror as he steps forward, pulling me up by my hair.


    And then-


    He enters me in one hard thrust.


    I gasp-loud and unrestrained-as the mirror fogs slightly from my breath.


    "This is what you want, isn''t it?" he rasps behind me. "For me to fuck you hard. You want me to break you."


    "Yes," I manage to whisper. "I want it."


    His rhythm is slow at the start, measured, like he wants me to feel every second


    of it. Then his hand finds my waist, the other sliding between my thighs, circling


    that sensitive spot.


    The pace picks up.


    Each movement is devastating, sending new waves through me.


    "Eyes on me, Sloane," he says.


    I meet his gaze in the mirror, and it''s like being struck. There''s something primal in


    the way he watches me.


    "You feel so warm," he murmurs. "You''re taking this so well too, like a good girl."


    I don''t know if it''s the praise or the feeling, but I want more.


    "Please," I whisper.


    He smirks. "As you wish, Kitten."


    CHAPTER 011. That''s it, kitten


    His movements be relentless. Deep. Unyielding. It''s like being punched over


    and over again, but yo


    I''m burning from the inside out.


    I can feel him everywhere.


    "I think I''m going to die," I say.


    "Don''t die on me. I''ll be forced to bring you back to life and fuck you again"


    My vision swims, and I can''t even me the sses that are slowly falling off my


    face with each pore from Knox


    That familiar sensation is building again, bigger this time.


    Knox takes his hand off my middle, bringing it down hard on my ass


    "Oh, yes,¡± I say, jumping a little.


    That free hand joins the other, and now there are two hands gripping my hips in


    ce as he drives into ma


    "Let go for me, Kitten," hemands.


    And I do. The waves hit-massive and unstoppable-and I cry out, barely able to contain them. My body shudders and convulses. The sounds that escape my lips are wild, animalistic.


    I can hear someone knocking on the door.


    "Hello? Is this jammed or something? I swear to God, I''m about to pee myself!


    I guess Knox''s paid time is over. But I don''t care. I can''t care.


    I''m gone.


    People say the body''s capable of quite a variety of orgasms. This, I''m convinced, must be the ninth heaven


    Knox cusses and moans behind me, obviously getting his, and it only adds to my


    frenzy


    He drags my head toward him, his mouth closing around my neck, and I feel his


    teeth gathering skin, biting so deeply that? m sure he''s drawn blood.


    For some weird reason, that increases my convulsion.


    He copses on me, his weight crushing.


    We both breathe hard. I feel his heart racing against mine, and I know that I''m not


    the only one who''s been shattered by this experience.


    We stay there for a moment before anyone speaks.


    "We should go," he finally says, his voice rough. "Before they break the door


    down."


    I manage augh. But it fades quickly. Reality rushes in.


    Finn.


    He''s waiting for me. Out there.


    I pull away, dizzy, ashamed, reeling. "Oh, God. What did we do?"


    "Forgotten so soon? Should I refresh your memory?"


    "Finn..."


    The name takes the smile off Knox''s face. "That''s who you think about right now?"


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 Chapter 12

    CHAPTER 012: This Is What You Wanted


    "Of course i have to think about him," I say, more to myself than Knox. "It''s what any normal person would de


    1 hastily adjust my sses, the frames askew from our passionate, mind blowing, and reckless escapade My fingers tremble as they push the lenses up the bridge of my nose I''m acutely aware of the mascara streaking down my cheeks, painting me as the very picture of post-coital disarray. I rake my hands through my hair, attempting to fame the wild strands, and smooth down my dress.


    In the mirror''s reflection, Knox watches me. His expression is unreadable. His dark eyes track my every movement, and even though I try not to look at him directly, I can feel the heat of his stare.


    "Your post-nut rity is annoying," he says. "I feel used right now, Kitten." "Then you''ve got it better. I feel stupid"


    I turn around to finally face him, and his eyes zero in on me.


    "Because you fucked me and liked it?" he asks.


    I avert my eyes, shame curling in my gut. I''ve just had sex with a man whom I haven''t even seen naked. In a public restroom, no less. What the hell is wrong with me? I steal a nce at Knox, he''s already adjusted his clothes, every inch theposed devil, not a hint of our tryst visible. Not even a peek.


    "We had a wonderful time, Knox," I say, forcing the words past the lump in my throat. "But this can''t happen again. Finn can t find out about this."


    He remains silent, his eyes never leaving mine. In some weird way, I think he''s trying not to smile. The corners of his mouth twitch.


    "Do we have a deal, Knox?" I press, desperation seeping into my tone.


    "Go back to your friend, Kitten. He must be missing his little pet."


    I have no retort, no wittyeback. Just a gnawing guilt that threatens to


    consume me. I turn on my heel, fumbling with the lock before wrenching the door open.


    A petite woman stands in the doorway, arms crossed tight beneath a cleavage- baring corset. Her foot taps impatiently on the floor. She''s got piercings everywhere-eyebrow, nose, lip, and a shiny silver stud glinting from the dip of her corbone. She''s ring at me.


    "So you were in there all this time?" she snaps.


    "Sorry," I mumble, attempting to sidestep her wrath.


    Her eyes move over my shoulder, widening as she takes in what I assume must be Knox. "Damn. Were you in there screwing that?"


    Heat floods my face. Without another word, I bolt, running down the hallway, weaving through the thrumming club, the bass reverberating in my chest like a second heartbeat. I need to get back to Finn, to normalcy, to anything but this spiraling disaster.


    I find him alone at our booth, thep dancer mercifully gone. He cradles his bourbon, and my drink waits beside him. As I approach, he knits his brow, concern etching lines across his face.


    "I was wondering if I needed to get security or something," he says, eyes scanning me. "What happened?"


    I force augh. "Long line in the restroom. You know how it is; women and their dders."


    I sit beside him, tapping nervously on myp and turning to smile at him.


    But his eyes have moved past me. They''re somewhere else, narrowed. I follow


    his line of sight to see Knox sauntering back to the VIP section, raising his ss in


    a mock salute toward Finn.


    "What were you doing in the restroom, Sloane?" Finn''s voice is low.


    "Peeing. What else would I be doing?"


    He turns to me fully now. "Was my brother there?"


    "Come on. The restrooms here arebeled."


    "You''re deflecting. Answer the question."


    "What do you mean I''m deflecting?" My heart ra well; I''m a terrible liar.


    cage like a caged animal. Finn knows me too


    Sessfully unlocked!


    His eyes narrow further. "Did he touch you?"


    "Finn..."


    "Did you fuck him?¡±


    the serving set is stay away from th


    Meaning tiend annis his skin "Conte


    Bien amigos a can gear soon all step dosen, Bouncers appear


    They mom with military precision, grabbing Finn mid-stride-one hocks an arm around his chest, the other catches him by the ebrow fasting just enough to pin him without causing too much damage


    "Ge of me" he says, trying to jerk free, but it''s no use. They''re trained for this-built for it. Muscles like store Faces like


    Ene of them leans in close. "Sir, you need to leave. Now


    Finn''s eyes are still locked on Knox. Take your hands off me. I''m leaving anyway?


    But bes not going anywhere. Not really. He''s still straining, still ready tounch himself again if given an inch.


    And Know? That bastard just lounges in his seat like a prince watching a street fight. One arm restingzily on the booth, blood making from the corner of his smirking mouth.


    Let him go, please Leay voice small. I take him home."


    Don''t He turns to me, eyes aze. Is this what you meant when you said you wanted to explore immorality? Slutting after my brother and screwing him in a public restroom? Well, congrattions, honey. You can''t get any more immoral than


    that


    "Are we cool here, sir? one of the bouncers says. "Do we have to drag you out?¡±


    ''Great''


    They loosen their hold, and he shakes himself free, spinning on his heel and stalking toward the ext


    "Finn" I call, moving to follow, but an arm snakes around my waist, halting me. Knox.


    Let him go he murmurs into my ear. "He''s made his point."


    Tears prick at my eyes, blurring my vision. I shove away from Knox, turning to


    face him, anger and shame warring within me.


    "This is what you wanted, wasn''t it?" I say, voice

 Chapter 13

    5 Likes


    CHAPTER 013: Let Me Go


    CHAPTER 013: Let Me Go


    ***


    ~~KNOX~~


    "What do you expect me to say, Sloane?" I ask.


    The club''s bass thrums through my veins, a reminder that there''s chaos all around us, not just the one I started. Sloane stands in front of me, her eyes burning with fury. Her chest rises and falls rapidly.


    "The truth," she demands. "Tell me the truth! Was this a game to you? You slept with me to get to your brother?"


    I find my eyes drifting toward her lips, lips that are still slightly swollen from our kisses. That lustful need is stirring deep within me again. This wasn''t the n. I came here for a leisurely evening with Hunter, perhaps to nt a seed of doubt about Delh. But then I saw her in that damn dress, and all rational thought evaporated. I hadn''t intended to devour her against the restroom wall or bend her over the countertop. Yet, here we are. And I''m still thinking about it.


    I avert my eyes, focusing on the condensation sliding down my drinking ss, the one currently abandoned on my table." The truth is very ambiguous," I reply.


    "Is that right? You''re such a piece of shit, Knox."


    I remain silent, my eyes drifting to Hunter, who watches our exchange with a raised brow and a growing list of unasked questions.


    "Stay away from me," she says before turning on her heel and storming toward the exit.


    I watch her retreating form, the sway of her hips. Not once does she look back. Not once do I look away.


    Hunter rises from his seat,ing to stand beside me. "Do I want to know what just happened?"


    ¡°It''s a long story, Hunt. But I think I''m obsessed with my brother''s best friend.¡± His brows shoot up. "That''s his best friend?"


    "Yeah."


    "She''s cute."


    "I know."


    He nudges me. "You''re not going to let the poor girl go home by herself, are you?"


    I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "I''d have to use sheer force to get her into my car. She hates me."


    "Hate''s a strong word. Besides, didn''t you two just have sex in the restroom? At least that''s what I gathered from your brother''s passionate monologue, which was kind of harsh if you ask me. People living in ss houses throw stones now? He was screwing my girlfriend behind my back, but that''s beside the point. Hatred has never stopped you before, Knox. I''ve seen you bed women who cussed you out and punched you in the face the same night."


    "Ah, the good old days. But they didn''t really hate me. Sloane does."


    I recall the fire in her eyes when she asked if I''d used her to get to Finn. The raw emotion seemed more than mere hatred.


    "I don''t know, man," Hunter says. "She didn''t look like she hated you to me. You can''t let her leave like that. This is a strip club. There are some crazy individuals hanging around. She''s not safe out there, especially dressed like that. And she''s probably had alcohol."


    He''s right. I tasted the liquor on her lips, drank it in. The thought of her wandering the streets, vulnerable and alone, doesn''t sit well with me either. Sloane''s going to bite my ear off when she sees me, and I probably deserve that. But I can''t let her go home in that state. Does she even know the address of the house?


    "Fine," I say. "See you tomorrow, Hunter."


    I weave through sweaty and perfumed bodies, hurrying outside.


    The rain catches me off guard when I step out. The club''s deafening music must have masked it. Shit. I make a t my car. Sloane won''t find a cab in this weather.


    Sliding into the driver''s seat, I navigate the streets, eyes scanning for her.


    There-just ahead. She''s trudging through thepous treef dangle from her fingers.


    I pull up beside her, lowering the passenger wi


    "Sloane, get in."


    She doesn''t break stride. "Fuck off, Knox."


    Sessfully unlocked!


    I follow her, driving slowly. "You''re soaked, and you won''t find a cab right now."


    e for


    CHAPTER 013: Let Me Go


    "I''d rather walk all the way than get in that car with you."


    "Do you even know where you''re going?"


    Silence.


    Stubborn woman. I elerate, cutting her off, and step out into the rain. She tries


    to dart around me, but I''m faster, pinning her against the car.


    She pounds her fists against my chest. "Let me go, Knox"


    I grip her wrists, holding them firmly.


    The rain pours down around us, each droplet soiling us further. Her hair clings to her face, strands stered against her cheeks, neck, and forehead, making her look wild.


    "Let go of me," she demands.


    I lean in closer, our faces mere inches apart. The scent of rainbined with her perfume is intoxicating.


    "Alright, Sloane," I say. "Yes, I toyed with you all evening to get to Finn. Is that what you want to hear?"


    Her eyes ze. "I said, let me go."


    "Everything I did in that restroom," I say, my voice low and intense, "I did because


    I wanted you, and I know you wanted me too. I saw it in your eyes. You were just as tempted as I was."


    She tries to look away, but I don''t let her.


    "So let''s be adults about this. I don''t care if you hate me, Sloane, but get in the fucking car and let me take you home safely. Please."


    She stares at me, breathing heavily, the rise and fall of her chest matching the erratic rhythm of my own heartbeat.


    Finally, she exhales. "Fine."


    I release her wrists, watching as she moves to the passenger side and slides into


    the car. Her movements are graceful even in her soaked and shivering state.


    I follow suit, getting into the driver''s seat and locking the doors in case she gets any funny ideas.


    "Seatbelt," I say.


    Sheplies without a word.


    I can''t help but stare at her, taking in the way the rain has rendered her even more breathtaking, if that''s possible.


    "Well," she says, "aren''t you going to drive? I have on the seatbelt as you instructed, don''t I?"


    219

 Chapter 14

    CHAPTER 014: My Needs Are Satisfied


    CHAPTER 014: My Needs Are Satisfied


    ***


    ~~SLOANE~~


    ***


    Knox rolls his eyes and starts the car, turning up the heater as well. Warm air washes over my wet skin as we drive in silence.


    No music. No snarky one-liners.


    At some point, it bes unsettling.


    Knox is just... driving. At a normal pace. Like a normal person. No engine revving. No cutting corners like he''s in Fast & Furious. He doesn''t floor it. He just drives.


    And I hate how uneasy that makes me.


    I turn to him.


    His eyes are on the road, focused. His lower lip is caught between his teeth, and I suddenly remember where those lips have been. What they did. My face mes.


    "You''re driving at a normal pace," I say, trying to distract myself. "Finally doing something right for the first time in your life?"


    He doesn''t look at me. "Doing the right thing is overrated."


    "Only you would say a thing like that."


    "I just want to live long enough to do the wrong things with the wrong people." When he says this, his face turns in my direction.


    I look away, clenching my hands in myp.


    Knox Hartley is the kind of guy I spent years avoiding in high school and college. Especially after my parents'' divorce which resulted in me living with my father before he remarried. Dad made sure I got the sermon nightly: stay away from bad boys, Sloane. They''ll chew you up and spit you out. He used to say it like it was aw of physics.


    And I listened. I kept my head down. Stayed focused. Read books instead of flirting. Studied code instead of faces.


    Avoided drama like it was a disease.


    And now... here I am.


    Lusting after a man who practically screams danger, and hating that I want him again even now, with his hand on the wheel and his jaw set like stone. Sorry, Dad.


    Now that I''m thinking clearly, beyond the rage of before, what was that all about in the club anyway?


    Finn denied there being issues between him and Knox, but would Knox say the same?


    I clear my throat, not wanting to sound unconfident as I ask, "Is there a thing between you and Finn?"


    "A thing? We''re brothers. Didn''t you know that already?"


    "You know what I mean, Knox."


    "Do I?" He leans back a little in his seat. "You assume too much, Kitten. My head


    is as free as a bird in the sky. Please rify."


    I roll my eyes so hard I''m surprised they don''t fly out of my skull. Must be a


    Hartley thing-dodging questions like they''rendmines.


    "Did something happen that led to a fallout?" I press. "I asked Finn. He was sketchy about it."


    "Fallout?¡± he repeats like the word is in a foreignnguage. "If you mean our little problems, it''s nothing we can''t or haven''t handled before."


    "I want to know."


    "Then ask your friend."


    "He won''t tell me. And you know that."


    There''s a pause.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    "So you assumed I was the easier one?" he ask


    These


    are gonna put you in trouble, Kitten."


    "In essence, you''re saying you won''t tell me."


    "You''re right. I won''t." He nces at me. "He''s already angry with me enough as it


    is. I don''t want to start more shit by telling his best friend our dirty little secret."


    CHAPTER 014 My Needs Are Satisfied


    Hellooo? Did I bump my head and dive into an alternate universe where Knox has a conscience?


    "Where is this puritanical bullshiting from? Since when do you care about what Finn thinks? One minute you make bad decisions to piss him off, and the next you''re saintly and full of brotherly love."


    "Assumptions, once again," he says. "I and Finn may have our differences and do hate each other ny percent of the time, but make no mistake-I love him. And he loves me too. It''s the only reason we haven''t killed each other yet."


    I fall silent. There''s nothing more to say anyway.


    The rest of the drive is quiet, but it feels louder somehow.


    By the time we pull into the driveway of the mansion, I''m holding my breath.


    He puts the car in park, but he doesn''t move. Doesn''t unbuckle.


    "See you at the rehearsal tomorrow," he says. "That''s, of course, if you don''t catch the next flight back to New York."


    I hesitate. "Aren''t youing in?"


    He shakes his head, staring ahead. "No. My parents will probably be home tomorrow. I don''t want to run into them yet. There''s only so much I can take in one weekend."


    "Alright." I reach for the door handle. "Thanks for the ride."


    "You''re wee."


    I step out, heels in hand, rain still in my hair, dress stuck to my legs like glue. I walk up the path without looking back. But halfway through, something makes me stop and turn back.


    Knox is still parked.


    Still watching.


    Strange.


    I continue my walk, get inside the house, and close the door softly behind me. The next second, I''m running to the window, pushing the drapes aside and peeking. I look just in time to see the red tail lights of Knox''s car fade down the street.


    Now convinced he''s gone, I climb the stairs, heading for Finn''s room.


    I need to fix this. Smooth things over. Whatever he felt earlier must have settled


    by now, washed away with the rain. Finn doesn''t hold onto things for long.


    I find his door open. He''s lying on his stomach, scrolling through his phone.


    "Finn?" I say softly.


    He doesn''t look up. "Just leave me alone, Sloane."


    Guess that means he''s still mad.


    I walk over anyway and climb on top of him, stretching out across his back like a human nket. My head rests between his shoulder des. He doesn''t shove me and my wet clothes off him.


    Progress?


    He''s scrolling through pictures on his phone. Old ones. Me and him. I look like aplete troll in most of them.


    "Those are terrible photos," I mumble.


    "I like them," he says. "You were a nice friend back then."


    I sigh. "Come on, Finn. I''m sorry."


    He''s quiet for a moment. "Do you have any idea that your clothes are wet?"


    "I do. But I''m not letting up until you forgive me."


    "I can''t have you sleeping with my brother, Sloane."


    "It was a one-time thing. I was stressed. He helped me relieve it. That''s it. It''s


    never happening again."


    I roll off his back so I''m now lying beside him, damping the bed instead.


    "Knox is not someone you should be around," he mutters. "If you want to relieve


    stress, you can have literally anyone."


    Not everyone, I think. But I don''t say it.


    "I know," I say instead. "He used me. I used him. We both got what we wanted.


    My needs are satisfied."


    "You don''t know him. He''ll get into your head."


    "Not happening."


    "Are you saying that as a promise?"


    I hesitate. Am I? "I... promise."


    CHAPTER 014 My Needs Are Satisfied "Prove it."


    I look at him, confused. "How?"


    "I''ll only forgive you if you help me win back Delh. Then I''ll know your bead is


    where it''s supposed to be. Not in my brother''s balls."


    Seriously? How charming.


    "You''re back on the Delh thing?" I ask.


    "I never left it."


    I groan. "Fine. I''ll try my best."


    "That''s not an assurance."


    "I''ll help you, Finn."


    He smiles. "Good. Nowe here."


    He pulls me into a hug, wet dress and all. I close my eyes and let him hold me.


    But all I can think about is the deal I made earlier today with Knox. The way he looked at me when he said he''d violently pursue me and channel my obsession


    for Finn toward himself.


    If I help Finn, Knox wins.


    If I betray Finn, Knox loses-and so do I with Finn.


    This trip is going to ruin me.

 Chapter 15

    CHAPTER 015 Woke Word For Girlfriend


    CHAPTER 015: Woke Word For Girlfriend


    I can feel Knox''s hands gripping my waist tightly, eyes fixed on mine in the mirror as he rams into me from behind.


    "Let go for me, Kitten," he says.


    And I do.


    My whole body trembles like a violin string being pulled taut. His breath is hot on my neck, and my moans echo in the restroom. There''s a knock at the door. A voice. It''s Finn yelling my name, telling metot to do this. I don''t want you screwing my brother, Sloane.'' But I can''t stop. I don''t want to stop. I-


    My eyes snap open.


    My head is pounding. My mouth tastes like regret and bourbon. And the sounds from that terrible dream are reverberating inside my skull.


    I groan and throw an arm over my eyes.


    God, I hate alcohol. I''m also starving. I nce at the nightstand clock. It''s almost eleven. How did I sleep this long? I could have sworn I was just a little bit tipsyst night.


    Of all the things my brain could''ve rehashed fromst night-the fight, Finn''s anger, my shame-it chose the part where I had sex with Knox.


    I roll over, squinting at my phone on the nightstand. The screen blinks with an iing call: Mom.


    Guess that''s what woke me up.


    I sigh and answer. "Hi, Mom."


    ¡°Hi, Sloanie¨Cbug! You sound exhausted. Rough weekend?"


    "You can say that."


    "Well, at least you''re having fun."


    "Hangovers aren''t fun."


    Sheughs, one that''s more of a hahaugh than a real one. "At your age, I had them all the time."


    Right. Because when she was my age, 28, she was stuck in a loveless marriage with my emotionally unavable father. Whatever alcohol memory she''s clinging to is definitely soaked in bitterness and passive-aggressive dinner table arguments.


    "I called you earlier," she says, "but you must have been dead asleep. So I called your friend, Finn."


    Uh-oh.


    "What did you tell Finn?" I ask.


    "Sage and I are hosting a little barbecue next weekend. He''s invited his friends, family, some clients... and I''d like you toe. There''ll be a lot of handsome men your age, and one in particr would be perfect for you. He''s an independent artist like Sage, owns his own gallery-"


    "Oh my God. Are you trying to matchmake me with your husband''s friends?"


    "Of course I am, Sloane. I don''t want you to be alone."


    "You told Finn about this matchmaking circus?"


    "I did! He jumped on the idea the second I mentioned it. Even Finn knows you


    need to put yourself out there. I mean, he''s clearly not breaking up with his girlfriend anytime soon. I know you''ve got that silly little crush on him, but honey-"


    "Mom!"


    "Don''te at me. You know I always say the truth."


    Unbelievable. So not only did she plot a blind date barbecue, she roped Finn in? Does he not remember I have pl weekend with my dad? Or is this some twisted punishment forst night?


    ext


    I don''t know what''s weirder, that my mom married a much younger man or the fact that she''s trying to matchmake me with his friends.


    "I can''t be there, Mom. It''s Dad''s turn this month. I visited you in June. I already made ns to be at his ce next weekend -it''s his kid''s birthday."


    Sessfully unlocked!


    There''s a pause. "Well... for once, you can go against your forces month rule. I mean, your father has had you the longest. Cut me some ck."


    I groan, leaving the bed and shuffling to the bathroom. My dder is not ying nice this morning.


    "You can''t fault Dad for having me the longest when you left me with him," I mutter as I drop onto the toilet.


    CHAPTER 015 Woke Word For Gerifriend


    "I was young and figuring out my life. I couldn''t disrupt yours by taking you with me. You were too little to handle both your parents tearing each other apart for custody. I''ve exined this a million times, honey"


    "But you took Serena, I was five, Mom."


    Silence.


    I lean my head into my hand, rubbing at my temple with the heel of my palm. I don''t have the energy to reopen wounds or unearth years of therapy work


    "Tell you what,¡± I say. "Why don''t I think about it?"


    "That''d be lovely, Sloane. I''ll keep my fingers crossed. Have fun in Asheville" "I''ll try."


    "I love you, Sloanie-bug"


    I pause. Like I always do. I can hear her breathing on the other end of the line, waiting, like she always does too, hoping today would be the day I say it back. "Bye, Mom."


    I end the call.


    I exhale and reach for some toilet paper, finish my business, and shuffle toward


    the sink. I look like a washed-out goth mermaid in a horror movie-smudged mascara, frizzed-out hair, and eyes that scream bad decisions.


    Time to shower, eat something, and then casually rip Finn a new one for agreeing to a blind date for me.


    I freshen up, towel off the shame, throw on denim shorts and a T-shirt with a sarcastic "404: Motivation Not Found" logo, and head out of the room.


    I don''t get far.


    Because I m straight into a very broad chest.


    I look up-and for a brief, gut-wrenching second-I think it''s Knox.


    Am I hallucinating him now?


    His face is just as chiseled. Just as handsome. Except... the eyes. The blueness


    is different. Lighter. Sharper.


    And the crow''s feet at the corners of his eyes tell me this man is older. Much older.


    He stares at me with suspicion.


    "Uhh... who are you? Did you break in?"


    Excuse me?


    "Break in?" I echo. "How would someone break into this house?"


    Just then, a loud female voicees from down the hall. She''sughing. A door swings open, and out walks a vision of grace. A stunning woman with elegant curls and a silk robe, smiling as she clings to Finn. I recognize her instantly. Finn''s mom, Victoria Hartley. Guess this means his parents are back from their vacation. Which would also imply that the brooding man who just called me a burr is Finn''s father, Julian Hartley.


    Victoria Hartley pulls away from her son and spreads her arms wide.


    "Sloane! It''s been too long."


    I grin awkwardly. "Mrs. Hartley-"


    "Nonsense. Call me Victoria."


    She wraps me in a warm,vender-scented hug, while the man behind me continues to scowl.


    He crosses his arms. "Finn''s got a new girlfriend now?"


    Victoriaughs. "No, honey. This is Sloane. His best friend. I told you they were


    Julian raises one skeptical brow. "Best friend? Is that the woke word for


    girlfriend?"


    "No, silly," she chides.


    "Friends with benefits then?"


    "NO!" Finn and I both shout at the same time.


    Julian looks between us like he''s trying to solve a conspiracy theory. Then turns to


    his wife. "Men and women can be best friends?"

 Chapter 16

    CHAPTER 016: Breakfast


    Victoria rolls her eyes and strolls over to her husband. She kisses him lightly on the cheek. "Of course they can, silly."


    "I don''t think so," he says. "If anyone walks into this house and says he''s your best friend, I''ll kill him."


    Victoria throws her head back andughs. "You''re such a Neanderthal, Julian. People don''t think with their genitals all the time. Sloane and Finn are emotionally supportive friends. It''s natural. Besides, I''m a little too old to be having new friends, so don''t trouble yourself about killing anyone for my sake."


    I want to disappear.


    They''re talking about me and Finn, dissecting our entire rtionship dynamic, as though we''re not right here. Finn nces at me, smiling like this is totally normal.


    The plus side is that Julian has lost his brooding expression. He''s now grinning at his wife.


    Watching them together-how Julian softens, how Victoria looks at him as though they haven''t been together for decades already-it stirs something foreign in me. Something tight and ufortable that nestles just beneath my ribs.


    Jealousy.


    What the hell?


    I have never-never-been jealous of Finn Hartley before. But right now, watching


    his parents so effortlessly wrapped in each other''s orbit, it''s like watching a version of a life I''ve only read about in fiction. One I don''t believe in.


    I look away, choosing to study the wallpaper instead.


    Julian''s voice breaks the silence. "Wee to our home, Finn''s friend," he says, stressing the ''friend'' part. "You look like you went to college."


    I turn to him, startled. "I... I did."


    "Which means you have a job?"


    "I do."


    "Sloane''s a cybersecurity analyst for a techpany," Finn adds proudly.


    Julian nods, satisfied. "Sounds intelligent, went to school, good-looking. Think about all these carefully, Finn, as I go off to the library."


    He presses a kiss to Victoria''s temple and disappears down the hall.


    Victoria turns to me, beaming. "You must be starving, honey. Come along, we prepared breakfast for you."


    Is no one going to acknowledge how weird Julian''s statements were? No? Okay, cool. Let''s just roll with this. Apparently, this family exists in a separate si dimension where conversations about genital-led rtionships, college certificates, jobs, and intelligence are preludes to breakfast.


    Finn loops his arm through mine and guides me down the stairs.


    I hiss under my breath, "Did you tell my mom to set me up with someone?"


    "She asked," he says, shrugging. "Why would I say no? You''re single."


    "I''m supposed to be at my dad''s next weekend."


    "For a kid''s birthday party? Come on."


    "You had no right."


    "I do." His voice lowers. "We need something else to distract you before you decide to do another silly thing-like screw my brother again."


    God. He''s never going to let it go. I feel like from this moment onward, I could save a burning orphanage, and he''d still be like, "Cool, but remember that time you fucked Knox?"


    We reach the dining room, where one single setting waits on the massive table. A king''s feast for one: scrambled avocado toast, buttery croissants, fruit, and a steaming cup of ck coffee. Clearly, this was meant for me. Who el eaten their breakfast at 11:30?


    "This discussion isn''t over, Finn," I warn, already salivating.


    He kisses my cheek. "Eat up. You look like a gho Sessfully unlocked!


    Then he turns and beckons Victoria over. She''d been walking quietly behind us, letting us whisper to ourselves, and now that Finn''s attention is back on her, she''s smiling again. They disappear to the adjacent living room, sinking into a couch and diving into vacation gossip. I hear snippets-about an Airbnb disaster in Madrid, Julian losing his luggage in Paris, Victoria flirting with a Swedish bartender "just to see if she still had it." She did.


    sn''t


    CHAPTER 016 Breakfast


    I smile to myself and start eating, tearing into the food like it''s myst meal.


    But then I hear it.


    That engine. That unmistakable growl of muscle and menace that sounds like it eats weaker cars for breakfast.


    Oh, no, no, no, no.


    Please don''t let it be him.


    Let it be a random drug dealer neighbor who''s here to say hello to the Hartleys.


    Finn hears it too.


    "Is that who I think it is?" he asks his mom.


    She doesn''t even hesitate. "Yeah. Someone spotted your brother in town and told


    me. I had to drag his ass over here toe see his mother."


    Finn groans. "Mom, we wanted this weekend to be nice."


    "Then be nice to your brother. It''s easy"


    "Ugh. You''ve got to be kidding me."


    "Finn.."


    "Fine. I''ll be nice."


    My fork stills over the toast as the front door opens.


    And there he is.


    Knox-fucking-Hartley.


    A vision in ck, with tattoos peeking from beneath his rolled sleeves and a pair of sunsses he definitely doesn''t need indoors. In one hand is a stic bag, one that somehow makes him more appealing. His swagger is the same, annoying and sexy, as he takes off his sses.


    Seeing him makes me think about things I shouldn''t.


    The grip of his hands on my waist as he rocked my world and made me see blue. The bruising kiss. The mirror fogging. His voice deepening as he instructed me to


    let go.


    His mom gets up and meets him halfway, arms wrapping around him. "My boy!


    They don''t feed you over there in New York?"


    "I''ll take that as apliment, Mom."


    She pulls back, eyes narrowing. "What''s this bruise?"


    Her fingers brush the faded mark on his cheek. The one Finn''s fist left.


    "It''s nothing, Mom."


    "This doesn''t look like nothing. It''s that job of yours, isn''t it? It''s going to get you killed."


    "I know."


    Then, finally, his gaze drifts past her. Past Finn. Past the awkward silence and directly to me.


    Our eyes lock.


    "Hello, Kitten," he says.

 Chapter 17

    5 Likes


    CHAPTER 017: May !?


    CHAPTER 017: May I?


    My heart skips several beats at once. And not in the cutesy, butterflies-in-the- stomach way. No, this is the kind of beat- skipping that punches you square in the chest and makes your lungs forget how to breathe.


    Every memory fromst nightes flooding back like a filthy little slideshow behind my eyelids. My thighs clench on instinct. My mouth is dry. My pulse is chaos.


    "You know Sloane?" Victoria asks, reminding me that there are, in fact, other people in the room.


    Knox doesn''t look away. "I do."


    "From New York?"


    He moves away from his mother and drops into the nearest couch with thatzy grace he always carries. At least his eyes are no longer on me, and I can finally exhale.


    "Actually," he replies, "we met for the first time yesterday."


    I swear I hear Finn inhaling deeply and holding that breath. Although I can''t get a good look at his face from this angle, the stillness of his posture confirms it.


    Victoria turns to look at me. I try my best to seem innocent, hoping she doesn''t read everything that went onst night from my face. After a few seconds, she shifts her gaze to Knox, who''s smirking on that couch. Then to Finn. With the way she goes back and forth staring, you''d think she''s trying to solve a Rubik''s cube.


    She eventually returns to her seat, not saying a word.


    Knox, of course, must be feeling ufortable with the tension, as we all are. So he breaks it by addressing Finn.


    "Hello, little brother," he says.


    Finn doesn''t respond.


    But Knox goes on anyway. "You look refreshed this morning. What''s the secret? Threw one or two punches?"


    "Shouldn''t you be helping Hunter prepare for his rehearsal dinner?" Finn replies, not hiding the irritation in his voice.


    "Delh''s more than happy to take charge."


    "And the bachelor party? You should be nning that."


    "Are you chasing me away?"


    "Just an observation."


    ¡°Right. Because nning a bachelor party is so hard. All you need is a venue with overpriced drinks, deafening music, and women who are willing to take off their clothes for money. Isn''t that right, Sloane?"


    My fork clinks against the te. I''d managed to eat my breakfast in peace so far.


    "What?" I croak.


    "A bachelor party. Don''t those sound like the essentials?"


    "Leave her alone, Knox," Finn says.


    "I''ve never been to one," I mumble, gripping my fork like it can shield me from this moment. "So I wouldn''t know."


    "That''s sad," Knox says. "You shoulde to Hunter''s."


    "She''s noting," Finn snaps.


    My face is on fire. I can feel Victoria''s gaze sliding over to me, then to Knox, then back again like she''s watching a ping-pong match.


    Her voice is gentle but pointed. "Is there something I should know aboutst night?"


    "Like what?" Knox says, tone innocent enough to win an Oscar.


    "I don''t know," she says. "You tell me. Did something happen while I and your father were away?"


    "It''s fine, Mom,¡± Finn says quickly, tapping her knee.


    She nods, but her eyes turn to find mine. The way they linger a second too long


    on my face tells me she doesn''t believe anything they said. Mercifully, she changes the topic.


    "How are you holding up with this sudden charge Find your destined and all?" she says. "You and Delh were


    Sessfully unlocked! together for so long."


    Finn smiles, but it''s all teeth and no warmth. "I''m here, aren''t I? Gracing the wedding. It''s really okay, Mom."


    "Knowing Delh," Knox adds, "she''ll probably call it off and crawl back to Finn. Why should he be worried?"


    "Don''t say that, Knox. I''m happy she no longer has a hold on your brother. You have to make sure she marries your friend


    CHAPUR017 M***?


    and ys memed to hum


    "1A67"


    "Yes, you''


    ") can''t make any promises, Mom"


    I nce at Finn. His expression has gone dim Clouded. I know that face. It''s the one he wears when he''s trying to swallow something bitter without choking. And for once, I''m not reaching to offer him water. Even his mother knows Delh''s toxic for him Thank God. Maybe that would put a halt to his ns.


    The sound of Knox digging into the stic bag he''s carrying fills the room. He pulls out a small box. It''s matte ck and shiny around the edges. Definitely jewelry.


    He stands and walks over to his mother, handing the box to her


    "What is this?" she asks, her voice soft with suspicion.


    "A retirement present"


    She takes it from him, opens it, and gasps. "Is that...?"


    "Diamonds"


    "Honey, it''s beautiful"


    "Not as beautiful as you are."


    Finn rolls his eyes so hard I hear it.


    Victoris stands and wraps Knox in a tight hug. "Thank you, baby. I love it. But why


    do I feel like you want something in return?"


    "Can''t I do anything for my mother without ill intent?"


    "No."


    Knox sighs, "Fine. I''m hoping you can keep Dad away from me throughout this


    trip."


    ,


    "Come on, Knox. He''s your father,"


    "And I''m trying to be good this weekend. He''s going to paint me as a viin in front


    of people I admire."


    His eyes slide over to me.


    "Admire?" Victoria asks, blinking at the word. "Who might that be?"


    "Just... keep your husband away, Mom."


    Sheughs. "Then you''ll need to be out before 2PM. He''ll be done in the library by


    then."


    "Deal,"


    Knox grabs another box and tosses it to Finn, who catches it out of reflex.


    "An apology gift," he says. "To you, my little brother."


    "Apology?" Victoria asks. "I thought you both said nothing happened."


    "You know how it is, Mom. The good ol'' sibling rivalry."


    "Knox..."


    "It''s nothing. We''re cool now."


    Finn opens the box, tilting it enough for me to catch a glimpse of a watch glinting


    in the light-sleek, masculine, designer. The kind you wear to silent auctions or


    exclusive clubs.


    From the look on Finn''s face, he likes it.


    "Go and sin no more, Knox," he says, eyes still on the watch.


    And right then, Knox decides to include me in his shenanigans.


    "I also have something for thedy over there who seems to eat really slowly."


    I stare at him and the bag still hanging by his side. I want to say something-


    anything-but my voice is gone. He a present?


    "You can give it to me, Finn says eyes narrowing. "I''ll give it to Sloane."


    "I got this, brother."


    And then he walks.


    Closer.


    And closer.


    ht me


    CHAPTER 017 May 17


    Every step makes the room feel smaller, the air thinner


    He stops in front of me. Takes out a small box and opens it.


    A ne. Dainty. Elegant. Sparkling like stardust.


    "May 1?" he asks.


    Subscribe

 Chapter 18

    CHAPTER 018: The Bigger Box


    CHAPTER 018: The Bigger Box


    My mouth opens, but no soundes out. I hate that my heart is pounding so


    loudly I''m afraid everyone in the house can


    hear it.


    "It''s so..."


    "Beautiful?" he finishes, with that cocky little tilt of his head.


    Yes. But that wasn''t the word I was going for. Exquisite. Breathtaking. Impossibly timate in front of his entire family. Ther s what it is.


    But I nod.


    He steps behind me, and the world tilts a little. Maybe from the anticipation. Or maybe because I''ve stopped breathing again. He doesn''t touch me right away. He leans in, close enough for me to feel the heat rolling off his chest. His scent curls around me like smoke. He brushes my hair to the side with slow, intentional fingers, his knuckles grazing the back of my neck. My skin erupts in goosebumps.


    "Rx," he murmurs, low enough that only I can hear.


    As if that''s even an option.


    I feel him reach around me, the chain of the ne grazing my corbone. His knuckles brush my jaw on the way up. unintentional maybe, but it still makes my stomach clench. Then his thumb skims over the side of my neck, right where my pulse won''t stop kicking. It''s nothing, just a touch-but my whole body reacts like it''s everything.


    "There we go," he says, fastening the sp.


    He doesn''t move away.


    He stays there.


    Breathing beside my ear.


    His mouth dips to the shell of it, and-God help me-I shiver.


    "Come out with me tonight," he whispers.


    "Don''t say a word. Just listen. Think about how good it felt when I was inside you- how you clung to me, how loud you gat when you came. I''m not done with you, Sloane Mercer. Not after one taste. I want more. Again. And again. And I know you do too. So take your time. Let it sit with you. Let it drive you a little crazy. I''II see you after the rehearsal dinner."


    He straightens himself and steps back, finally giving me a second to inhale actual air. Then he reaches down and ces arger box on the table beside my te.


    "I''ll advise you to open this when you''re alone."


    He walks away, strolling back to the couch like he didn''t just seduce me in front of his mother, my best friend, and Jesus himself.


    Everyone is staring.


    Finn looks like he wants tomit murder. Victoria looks confused.


    I shoot to my feet, every part of my body tingling. "Thank you so much for the food, Victoria. I have a little emergency that I must take care of upstairs.¡± scoop up the boxes and flee.


    Like a full-on, legs-burning, heartbeat-in-my-throat retreat. No dignity. Just pure panic.


    I hear Finn behind me, asking Knox about the content of therger box. But by the time Knox replies, I''m out of earshot. I''ll find out soon enough anyway.


    I barrel into my room, m the door shut, and throw the lock. My back hits the


    wood, boxes clutched to my chest ke shield, like they could protect me from the tidal wave of horniness threatening to drown me.


    Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god.


    I run quickly to the bed and drop the boxes. My fingers tremble as I push the smaller one aside-the one with the ne! currently have on-and stare at the bigger one like it might hite


    I should throw it out. I should set it on fire. The Sessfully unlocked!xe. Instead, like the weak, twisted little masochist I apparently am, I grab therger box and head to the dresser. At the back of my mind, I tell myself that this level of excitement stems from the fact that I almost never get presents. I lived with my father for a good part of my childhood, and he wasn''t the giving type. Neither was Mom. But to be fair, I didn''t see or talk to her enough times to know if she''s a giver. And then there''s Finn. I mean, I''m the one who picks Delh''s birthday and


    CHAPTER 018: The Bigger Box


    anniversary presents every year. That should exin the kind of person Finn is when ites to gifting


    I set the box on the dresser''s tabletop and nce at myself in the mirror. The ne sparkles against my skin, tiny crystals catching the morning light. I brush my fingers over it.


    It''s delicate. Expensive. Thoughtful


    And it''s sitting right over the throat he markedst night.


    I know what he''s doing, and I''m almost unashamed to say I''m falling for it, his


    schemes. Being seduced by the devil has its advantages, it seems.


    I tear my gaze away from the ne and look down at the bigger box. Without hesitation-and way too much excitement - open it.


    The first thing I see is a pair of heels. Sleek, pointed toe stilettos in a shade of nude that screams, "I cost more than your rent." They''re sexy without trying. Elegant, but with ae-screw-me curve in the arch that makes my calves clench just thinking about wearing them.


    Next, the dress,


    I pull it out carefully, fabric whispering as it unfurls in my hands. It''s ck. Of course it''s ck. Short. Sinful. Barely-there straps. Low enough in the back to make me forget I have a spine. It''s cut in a way that suggests this wasn''t meant to be worn sitting down. Honestly, I''d say it looks like something you wear when you''re about to make mistakes you''ll remember forever


    Beneath it is a pair of ckce underwear, Strappy. Soft. My size, of course. Everything is surprisingly the right size.


    And then... there''s something else.


    A smaller box nestled under the fabric. White with minimal branding. I pull the box


    out slowly, holding it between two fingers like it might detonate.


    There''s a picture of what looks like aputer mouse on the front.


    Only it''s not a mouse.


    I rip open the box, cheeks burning, and sure enough-it''s exactly what I thought.


    A vibrator.


    Apanty vibrator, Guess he had the device in mind when buying thece thong with a suitable pocket. I have to hand it to him-he''s meticulous with details. Color- specific. Thorough with sizing, a thing that''s still a mystery to me. But there''s something missing from this entire package, the vibrator''s remote control. I flip the box over and check the inside twice. Nothing. Then I read the packaging. Controlled by a mobile app. That sly son of a bitch. I bet he''s already connected it to his phone.


    As if my face and body aren''t already ming enough, I see a note sitting pretty at the bottom of the big box.


    ''This is not an apology, Kitten. I''m not sorry I tasted you and want more.


    Put the dress on tonight. The heels too. Wear the special gift if you''re feeling


    brave.


    But, be warned, if you step into a room wearing it, I will turn it on.


    No matter who''s around.


    No matter what you''re saying.


    I''ll be watching and waiting.


    With lust and longing,


    K''


    I drop the note like it burns me. Like the words crawl over my skin and leave trails


    of fire in their wake.


    A knock on the door startles me.


    "Sloane, are you in there?" Finn says, "Open up."


    Shit.


    "I''m here. I just need a minute."


    I scramble. Toss everything into the drawer. Heels. Dress. Lingerie. Vibrator. I unhook the ne and slide it in after the rest of them, pushing the drawer closed.


    Then I take a calm breath, walk to the door, and open it.


    As soon as the space is wide enough, Finn barges in.


    "Where is it?" he demands.


    I shut the door and turn around to face him. "Where''s what?"


    ÎÒ


    **


    *king


    They always swe


    me a box definway at


    the gas die fos


    Pris face sightens


    ***see for myself ke sap


    *

 Chapter 19

    CHAPTER 019: The Universe Is Sending Us A Sign


    CHAPTER 019: The Universe Is Sending Us A Sign


    I''m finding it difficult to believe he''d actually invade my privacy in such a manner. A part of me just wants to wait to see if he''


    d go through with it so I can bring down the sky on his head.


    But I know better. In his current state, all bets are off.


    I run, overtake him, and nt myself in front of the drawer just as he reaches it.


    "Did you not hear me say stop, Finn?"


    He res at me. "Move aside, Sloane.¡±


    "Are you being serious right now?"


    "Since you can''t think with anything other than yourdy bits when ites to my brother," he says, stepping closer, "I''m going to do the thinking for you. Whatever''s in that drawer is getting burned."


    My fists clench at my sides. The anger rises, quick and hot, like fire licking the inside of my ribs.


    "You will do no such thing."


    "Like hell I won''t. Move out of my way."


    I step into him. We''re toe-to-toe now. I''m looking up because he''s taller, but I refuse to shrink.


    "I said, you won''t touch or see whatever''s in that drawer."


    He shakes his head. "What hase over you? Are you under a spell? Is this some sort of modern-day voodoo? Move, or I will move you."


    "I dare you to touch me. I dare you to open that drawer. You will never see me again."


    "You''re bluffing."


    "Do it, Finn. Find out."


    He stares. That bullshit grin on his face fades slowly, like a curtain being drawn shut. Suspicion creeps in, clings to his features. Something darker follows-the realization that maybe I''m serious after all.


    "You would leave me because I''m trying to protect you from my scumbag brother?"


    "I don''t need your protection. I am an adult."


    "Then start acting like one."


    That''s it. I shake my head and walk away, fury boiling beneath my skin. I make a beeline for the closet, rip the door open, and drag out my suitcase. It hits the bed with a loud thunk.


    "Sloane, what are you doing?"


    "What does it look like I''m doing, wise one Finn?"


    "You can''t leave me here."


    "Watch me."


    I yank my clothes off hangers and start throwing them in. Folded or not, I don''t give a shit. I just want out. Every thunk of fabric is a deration: I''m done. I''m done with this house, this trip, this warzone of male ego and brotherly dick- measuring contests disguised as "protection."


    I reach for my makeup bag, and that''s when I hear him¡ú


    Finn. Heavy footsteps. That stiff, purposeful kind that tells me he''s about to start trouble.


    He charges in behind me and yanks the pile of clothes right out of my suitcase. "What the fuck, Finn!"


    He doesn''t answer. He just grabs the armful of clothes and marches them back to the closet with all the silent rage of a man who thinks he''s doing the right thing.


    I see red.


    "Are you kidding me right now?" I charge after him, my blood roaring. "What do you think you''re doing?"


    I shove him aside and rip every single item right back off the


    Sessfully unlocked!


    I storm back to the bed and fling the clothes down agam suiteuse now looking like it''s on the verge of imploding.


    And then Finn-the audacity of this man-walks right back over and, without even blinking, scoops up the entire pile of clothes... and drops them all on the floor.


    The floor.


    CHAPTER 019. The Universe Is Sending Us A Sign


    "Finn," I say, voice trembling with the effort it takes not to throat-punch him into next week. "I swear to God."


    He crosses his arms. "You''re not leaving me, Sloane. I don''t want you to. I won''t allow it."


    "Oh, well then," I say. "Since you''ve decided I no longer have free will, I guess I''ll just curl up in a corner and wait for you to tell me when I can breathe again."


    "Don''t be dramatic."


    "Don''t be-?" Iugh. "You just threw my clothes on the floor like a toddler, Finn." "They don''t belong in a suitcase."


    "Well, that''s too bad, Papa Bear," I say, sweeping past him toward the mess he made. ¡°Because I''m leaving. Good luck getting back that bitch you call a girlfriend."


    I don''t even look at him as I bend down to gather my clothes.


    "Sloanie," he says,ing closer.


    I whirl around. "Put your hands on my clothes again, and I''ll choke you with a bra."¡±


    He backs off, palms raised. I pile the clothes on the bed, ignoring himpletely.


    Until I feel it.


    Hands around my legs. Squeezing tight. I nce down. Finn is on his knees. "Finn."


    "I have no one. You''re just going to leave me to fend for myself in this big, wide world. The predators will eat me alive."


    "What predators? Are we in the jungle?"


    "I''m a helpless, heartbroken man who wants his best friend by his side during a


    very tough time. Do I have to cry to get your attention? Should I bawl my eyes out


    so you can keep your eyes on me?"


    "Don''t you dare cry."


    He starts blinking like crazy. "My life is over."


    "I said, don''t you dare."


    "You''re going to leave me, so what''s the point in holding back?"


    "Jesus, Finn," I say, exasperated, "I''m not going. Would you please take your hands off my legs?"


    "You mean that?"


    "Of course I mean that. Hands off now."


    His grip loosens. He lets go and stands, brushing imaginary dust off his pants.


    Then he sits on the bed.


    Smiling.


    I stare at him. I don''t even have the strength to be angry anymore, especially not


    with that look on his face. He''s grinning, charming as ever, like he didn''t just


    emotionally ckmail me into staying.


    "So," he says. "Back to business."


    "Business?"


    "I''ve been thinking about the best way to get Delh''s attention."


    Delh?


    We went from drawer invasion, to packing apocalypse, to leg-clutching


    breakdown, to Delh in under five minutes


    Who am I kidding? Everything always leads back to Delh.


    "Delh?" I say.


    "Yeah." He narrows his eyes. "You do remember the promise you made me


    yesterday, right? That you''re going to help me stop the wedding?"


    "How could I forget when you''re always here to remind me?"


    "Great. I figured we''ve been approaching this entire thing wrongly."


    I stand there, arms crossed, confused. "We have?"


    "Yes. I came to Asheville looking broken and in anguish. And Delh feeds on that


    shit. It makes her happy."


    "Where did you learn that from? You finally took my sister up on her offer and went to therapy?"


    "I got a revtion, Sloane. It came to me in a dream."


    Loathing/


    gate You ese be read try arm around year wa


    dang olyan now lying every move the eyes make the direction of his hands, but I


    still can''t


    logo th


    yyy


    way to it just swallowed a bug would have bee


    star He looks like a tea


    my father inked and bens talk


    o of a kissing


    and can alias And oh boy, she was


    "All m


    Home of the to finch "t''s the universe sending us a sign, Sloane We don''t have to


    do things the normal way anymore Begging makes me look weak. What we need


    is to provoke her. We''re going to the rehearsal dinner this evening, and I''m going


    to kiss you exactly like I did in the dream in front of everyone. Especially


    Subscribe

 Chapter 20

    CHAPTER 020: Another Delh


    I feel like i didn''t hew that correctly


    Finn looks trumphant Convinced Lake bes created some sort of ancient brotherhood spy code to break Delh''s icy,


    maniptive heart


    "You want to kiss me at the rehearsal dinner? idk


    "Yes, I do. You have kissed a man before, haven''t you?


    "Oh, right, you screwed my brother. How could I have forgotten? Unless, of course, you both were too busy doing other things and didn''t have the opportunity to kiss. Then I''d have to show you how, so it looks authentic at the event."


    I just stare at him, my anger simmering beneath the surface. I can''t remember thest time I was this annoyed at someone. All the times I''ve mentioned the men I''ve made out with, gone on a date with, or actually started a short-term rtionship with-though you couldn''t exactly call it a rtionship-he doesn''t remember? I''ve memorized everything about him. The date he kissed Delh for the first time. The exact day they first had sex. Her favorite color. Her middle name. Things I can''t forget because he''s repeated them about a million times, which only shows that he''s not forgetful. He only remembers things that are about Delh. I bet he even thinks his brother was my firsty


    "Get out" I say, my voice firm.


    "What?"


    "I want to be alone, Finn. Please leave my room."


    He frowns, concern disying across his face. "What''s going on? Was it the food? Is it upsetting your stomach?"


    I can''t even find the strength to retort. This is all my fault, anyway. I followed him here willingly. This is who Finn is; I''ve always known. Right now, I just want him out of my room before I throw him into a bag, zip it up, and dump him in ake.


    "The food was great. I didn''t get much sleep and would like to be well-rested before the event."


    "You almost slept till noon."


    "Finn..."


    "Fine." He stands from the bed, his movements stiff. "As long as you''re going to the event and doing this with me. This is what I want. It will work."


    I turn away, my eyes heavy, "Please, Finn. Right now,"


    I can feel his eyes on me, but I refuse to turn. It would only make him ask questions I''m not ready for. From my peripheral vision, I see his leg twitching, as though he wants to move closer. But he must have decided against it because he sighs and starts walking to the door.


    "5:00 PM, Sloane," he says. "Set an rm. Or don''t. I''ll wake you."


    And then he walks out, and I go to the door and lock it. I don''t even know how to feel about whatever just went down. I sit on the bed close to my pile of clothes, gazing at nothing and everything. The more I stare, the stranger some things look. Like the pinkish walls, the frilly curtains, and the abundance of throw pillows. The girlishness of it all. Did they make this room specifically for female guests? Seems like something Finn''s mom would do.


    I reach toward the nightstand and take my phone. I scroll until I see what I''m looking for. Knox.


    ''Tonight, I text. ''See you there''


    I hold my breath for over a minute waiting. Then he texts back. ''I''m counting the hours, Kitten.''


    I feel like I''m taking a really big jump right now just to spite Finn. To use one man to get to the other is never a good idea, but it''s Knox. He probably deserves it. Besides, he''s used me before. This is just payback. I want to feel the same way I felt in that club restroom again and again. That''s my main focus, feeling good. Because everything at this moment hurt hurting Finn would feel good.


    Evening arrives, and I''m in a bathrobe, stretching my hair. My eyes are fixed on an open book, one I''m holding open with a weighted rubber bookmark. Works perfectly when I''m addicted to a book and need to read hands-free. Addiction for me at the moment is synonymous with emotionally stressed. If I''m not reading, I''ll be thinking. If I''m thinking, then my head is going to explode.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    My phone rings, and it''s my sister, Serena. I pic.. up and put it on specsker, going back to my task.


    "Serena,¡± I say. "Is the world falling apart? You actually called me."


    "Little nerdy sis. Mom told me you''re in Asheville, and for a second there, I


    thought, this is it. Sloane has finally found a man who''s just as much in love with spaceships as she is and has whisked her away on a weekend trip to discuss the invasion


    CHAPTER 925 Another Deifah


    of Mars imagine my surprise when Mom said you''re there with Finn. You''re dating him now?"


    I scoff "Like he''d ever leave Delh"


    *So what''s happening in Asheville?


    "Delh''s getting married"


    "Married? That sounds like a breakup to me."


    "It might sound that way, but Finn and I are here to destroy the wedding"


    "Say that again. Slowly, please. I could have sworn I heard you say you want to destroy a wedding."


    1 sigh. I''ve been so stupid, Rena


    "That I agree with. But you''re only that way because you''re not taking my advice. You have to make the move on him just once and get rejected. The shame of the rejection is going to snap you back to base. Total factory reset, baby."


    "Is that the same advice you give to your clients?"


    "Believe me, you''d be surprised at the kind of advice I give professionally. They love me for it."


    "Well, congrattions. But just like the other ten million times you said it, I''m not doing it."


    "So the alternative is to be his puppy?"


    I roll my eyes. "Why did you even call?"


    I can hear her breathing deeply behind the line. That''s her trademark sign for when she''s gearing up for something big, something that might annoy me. "So, remember my boyfriend, Nathan?" she says.


    "Ummm... The blond?"


    "No, the ginger,"


    "Oh, that Nathan."


    "I''ve only dated one Nathan." She pauses again, breathing deeply. "So look, Mom invited me to the barbecue next week, and I''m bringing Nathan. I want him to officially meet most of the members of my family. I believe we''re getting serious. I swear I saw him googling engagement rings the other day. I''d really like it if you came to the barbecue, Sloane."


    I smile. "Mom put you up to this, didn''t she?"


    "No!"


    "Mmhmm. Telling me about your impending engagement just to raise emotions out of me, guilt-tripping me intoing to the barbecue. Congrattions, by the way. Nathan would make a lovely husband. But like I told Mom, I''m going to think about her request."


    "This means a lot to all of us. To Mom especially."


    "I am really in a bind here. My half-sibling''s birthday or my mom''s husband''s barbecue."


    "Sloane..."


    A knockes on the door, and I turn off the straightener, dropping it on the bathroom countertop.


    "Gotta go. I''ll call youter," I say.


    And then I hang up, going to the door, already thinking about what to say in case it''s Finn again. I''m mentally preparing myself for round two of "Kiss Your Best Friend at His Ex''s Rehearsal Dinner," trying to summon some leftover patience that Finn didn''t already shred during our earlier conversation.


    I''m halfway into, "Finn, I swear to God if you''re here to talk about your prophetic dream again-" when I open the door.


    But it''s not Finn.


    It''s his mother.


    Victoria Hartley stands before me in a lovely evening gown that looks like it came straight from the pages of a couture magazine. Satin. Emerald green. Hugs her curves. Her hair is perfectly styled in soft waves that make her look like of some 1960s Parisian film. She''s radiant.


    "Mrs. Hart-Victoria," I correct quickly.


    She smiles. "Can Ie in?"


    "Oh. Yeah, sure." I step aside, suddenly aware that I''m still in a bathrobe and my


    left leg is half-shaved. Great.


    star


    She walks in, the scent of her perfume trailing behind her. She doesn''t sit. She doesn''t even look at me. Instead, she walks


    toward the center of the room and just... lingers. Eyes roaming, absorbing every detail.


    I stay behind her, awkward and stiff, unsure if I''m supposed to offer her a seat.


    CHAPTER 020: Another Delh


    "Would you like to sit down?" I ask, gesturing toward the chair near the dresser.


    She turns around, her face a soft blend of surprise and something else I can''t


    ce.


    "Oh no. Sorry. I''m just surprised Finn gave you this room. That''s all."


    "Is something wrong with the room?"


    She offers a tight, polite smile. "Not at all. It''s a splendid room."


    "It is."


    She pauses. Looks around again. Then her eyes are on me.


    "I came to discuss something with you," she says eventually. "And I just don''t know how to begin."


    I cross my arms under the robe and try to steel myself. "Just dive right in. I can


    take it."


    "Great," she says. And then she levels her gaze on me like she''s about to perform


    surgery on my eyes. "I need to know if you'' re going to be another Delh,


    Sloane."


    ȯ


    Subscribe

 Chapter 21

    CHAPTER 021:1 Don''t Want To y This Game Anymor...


    CHAPTER 021: I Don''t Want To y This Game Anymore


    "Another Delh?" I ask.


    "You know," she says, shifting ufortably. "The infamous Knox, Finn, and Delh situation."


    "The what now?" I ask, brows lifting.


    Victoria''s eyes are fixed on me.


    I watch her also, not wanting to miss any telltale sign on her face. She''s surprised: She tries to hide it, of course, quickly repairing her expression. But I catch it. She expected me to know what she''s on about.


    And now I''m stuck trying to decide if I should let her off the hook or press for the story she clearly doesn''t want to tell. The thing is-I think I already know. Or at least I have a sinking, nauseating feeling wing at my thoughts.


    But my mind refuses to wrap itself around what she might actually be implying.


    Knox. Finn. Delh.


    There was a history between them, one messy enough to warrant a personal, cautionary visit from Finn''s mother. I''d like to know what the hell happened.


    Did Knox date her too?


    My chest tightens at the idea.


    I don''t want to believe that.


    Not just because I already feel like I''m treading over dangerous ground with him- but because the idea of him having been with her... it''s too much. It''s too much tangled history. Too many connections. Too many oveps in ces that should never have ovepped.


    I remind myself-Delh is indeed two years older than Finn. She was a senior when they started their "thing." A very secret thing, he always said. I assumed the secrecy was part of the thrill for him. The age difference, the fact that he was barely sixteen, and she was already legally an adult.


    But now, all I can think is-what if the secret wasn''t just about them?


    What if it was because someone else had been involved?


    Someone else like Knox?


    Jesus. My brain folds in on itself at the thought. This is another problem I can''t think about right now, or I swear to God my head is going tobust.


    "You do know who Delh is, don''t you?" Victoria asks, interrupting my spiraling thoughts.


    "Of course I do. She was Finn''s girlfriend. It''d be insane if I didn''t know who she was, seeing as I''m in Asheville for her wedding."


    Victoria tilts her head. "That''s all you know? That she was his girlfriend?"


    "Should I know more?"


    She narrows her eyes. Not in a hostile way. Just measuring. "Hmm. I''ve only met you a handful of times, Sloane," she says slowly, "and I think you''re one of the best decisions Finn has ever made. Watching Delh be his obsession for years was... exhausting. Judging from your reaction to my question, you clearly have no idea what this family has been through trying to split those two apart." She pauses to breathe.


    "I raised my children to make their own decisions, to have choices. I wanted to be the kind of mother who supported, not dictated. But sometimes... I think I should have drawn a line. Early. Firm. Once you start letting them do everything on their own, it gets hard to take the reins back."


    I stand there awkwardly, not knowing if I''m supposed to reassure her she did a great job raising her children. I practically grew up without a mother. What do I know about mothering?


    Victoria''s still speaking. "We lost things we''ll never get back. Things I might never fully forgive them for. And as much as I wish I could exin it all to you, it''s not my story to tell. If Finn wanted you to know, he''d have told you."


    My throat tightens.


    She keeps going. "But don''t be too hard on him for not saying anything. Some truths are harder to speak aloud than others." Victoria saying I shouldn''t go hard on Finn only makes me want to go harder on him. I''ve known him for ten years. I''ve held him while he cried, over and over again, about a catastrophic thing that happened in his life. Whatever this is, he could have trusted me with the information. Now I''m thinking, is there anything I know about Finn that isn''t Delh rted?


    Victoria must be reading the changes in my mood, because she says, "He cherishes you, Sloane, Talks about you


    CHAPTER 021: I Don''t Want To y This Game Anymor...


    constantly-well, when his father isn''t around. Julian doesn''t have the patience for


    Finn''s love life. You must hate her too, I suppose. Delh."


    I hesitate. "I do. Finn''s my friend. She''s broken his heart more times than I can count."


    She nods, as if that confirms some theory she''s been nursing.


    "Good. Then we share the same goal."


    "The same goal?"


    "To see this wedding happen. It''s the only way he''ll be free."


    I don''t answer. Because, well... Everyone seems invested in this damn wedding. They all have goals that contradict each other. Finn wants to stop it. Knox wants the same but for selfish reasons. And now their mother wants an entirely different thing-for the wedding to happen. That''s what I want too, but it''s all beginning to be overbearing.


    This isn''t a wedding.


    It''s a battlefield.


    I don''t want to y this game anymore. Maybe Knox was right. People will love whomever they want, no matter how hard you try to push them in the right direction.


    I let out a breath. "I understand you, Victoria. We all want to see Finn end up with someone else. But we''ve been stuck in this loop for so long. Maybe it''s time we ept the truth. Maybe he''ll never be free. Maybe this is who he is now."


    She studies me. "Judging by your tone, you two must have gotten into a fight recently."


    "We didn''t," I say too quickly.


    "Right. Do you have someone in your life, Sloane? A love interest. Someone you care about."


    Where did thate from? "Not currently," I reply.


    Her eyes soften, and I don''t like what I see there.


    "I want you to tell me the truth," she says. "Why did Finne to Asheville? You both can''t expect me to believe he''s so over Delh that he can sit through her wedding and cheer as she walks down the aisle. Something''s not right. What is he nning?"


    "Umm, as his friend, anything I say would be a breach of friendship confidentiality."


    "I''m his mother. I deserve to know what''s going on in my own son''s life, especially


    when it involves his happiness."


    Well, I''m kinda pissed at Finn right now. Might as well say it.


    "He wants to win her back," I reply.


    Victoria exhales. "I suspected. How?"


    "Honestly? I don''t know." I''d be damned if I repeat Finn''s earlier proposition.


    "We can''t let it happen, Sloane."


    "We?"


    Shees closer. "I''ve been quiet for too long. I watched that girl gut my son over and over. I will not stand by while he walks willingly into the fire again. I want her out of his life, and you''re going to help me."


    Why does everyone want me involved? Why do I always end up in the middle of this?


    She steps even closer. "I know you care about him. You''re kind. Genuine. You''d do anything to save someone you love. And I''ve seen how he looks at you. I saw the way he reacted when Knox gave you that gift. I don''t even want to know what that was about, but it was the reaction of a man who''s possessive. And people get possessive over what they think they own." I flinch. "You''ve got the wrong idea about this entire situation. I don''t mean this in a bad way, but I''m really struggling to follow where this conversation is headed."


    Her voice drops to a whisper. "I think that deep down, he likes you. He''s just too caught up in Delh to see it. Help me send her off once and for all, and we both get what we want. I get my son back. And you?"


    She looks at me, eyes unwavering.


    "You keep Finn for yourself."

 Chapter 22

    CHAPTER 022 Get Wax Out Of One''s Kars


    CHAPTER 022: Get Wax Out Of One''s Ears


    I think I''ve forgotten how to breathe.


    Victoria''s words are still echoing in my ears, heavy and unsettling. You''veep Finn


    for poser


    If you''d asked me two weeks ago, hell, even two days ago, if this was what I wanted, I''d jump at the idea. Find''s own mother


    is hand-delivering the fantasy I''ve kept buried for years, telling me that Finn feels the same way feel soothen


    But I''m not feeling thrilled.


    Not even close.


    I''m mad.


    It''s the kind of anger that burns beneath the skin, smoldering through everyyer.


    I don''t even know why. Mafebecane the offer feels transactional. Maybe because


    I''m tired of being everyone''s tool-Finn''s and now Victoriels


    Victoria is still watching me. Expectant, Calm.


    "I believe I''ve rendered you speechless, she says. "If this means you''re considering my offer, then by all merce speechless."


    "You want me to make sure the wedding happens?"


    "The wedding''s already happening. I just need you to distract Finn from doing anything stupid"


    There''s not a single stammer in her words, not a flicker of regret. She actually believes this is a reasonable thing to ask of


    1. me.


    She goes on. "You''re a very beautiful and strong woman, Sloane. I''ve admired your selflessness for a long time, but I''m asking you to be selfish this time. And I''m not asking you to do it for free. I''ll pay. Say the amount, and I write you a check My spine straightens, "I don''t follow. You want me to distract Finn enough for him not to sabotage the wedding, and you''ll pay me?"


    "You say that like it''s such a bad thing."


    "I''m offended. He''s my friend. You could''ve worded it differently, and I would''ve done it for free."


    "The money''s just an incentive."


    "An incentive to help my friend?¡±


    Victoria''s expression doesn''t change.


    "You do know what I''m asking you to do, right?" she says. "You''re to provoke a reaction out of him. He already carries these feelings. All you have to do is bring them out. Seduce him."


    I stare.


    Is she serious? At least I now know where Finn inherited some of his brazen audacity.


    Mercifully, a knockes on the door.


    "Sloane, are you ready?"


    Finn.


    I''ve never been more relieved to hear his voice, even if my anger toward him hasn''t fully cooled.


    "Thank you for stopping by, Victoria, I say. "I have to go prepare for the rehearsal dinner."


    She nods. "Great. I''ll leave you be. Think about it. The wedding''s tomorrow. I''ll be at the rehearsal as backup."


    "Sloane?" Finn calls again. "I''ming in. Hope you''re decent.¡±


    "Yeah," I reply, "I am."


    Victoria smiles like she hasn''t just tried to turn me into a paid mistress and walks to the door just as Finn opens it. He halts in his tracks.


    "Mom? What are you doing here?"


    "Just having a little chat with your friend," she says smoothly and walks past him.


    He frowns, watches her leave, and then closes the door behind him. Now that I can see him clearly-beyond the rage of being propositioned to seduce him-he looks good. He has on a charcoal gray suit that fits him like a second skin. The top button is undone. His hair is still slightly damp, and fifth his mother is now directed at me.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    "What was that about, Sloane? And why aren''t you ready?"


    "I got distracted," I say, already walking toward the bathroom.


    He starts to follow. "By distracted, do you mean my mother? What was she in here for?"


    CHAPTER 022: Get Wax Out Of One''s Ears


    I stop at the door of the bathroom and look back at him. "Are you going to follow me in?"


    "What?"


    "I''m about to get dressed. So sit down and wait."


    He backs off, muttering something and heading for the bed. Then he flops down, eyes still on me.


    The moment I shut the bathroom door, I release a long breath.


    It''s a good thing I already moved everything I need for this event into the bathroom I don''t trust Finn not to go rummaging through my things the second I''m out of sight, searching for Knox''s gift. Sure enough, I hear the sound of drawers sliding open. The light creak of movement. He''s trying to be subtle, bless his heart, but subtlety was never Finn''s strong suit. I smile to myself and turn toward the mirror. My book is still open on the counter, but I shut it now. I''ve got work to do. Time passes. My legs are shaved smooth, my hair t-ironed into glossy submission. My makeup is wless-not too much, not too little. Just enough to make me look like I''m not trying too hard.


    And then there''s the rest.


    Knox''s gifts are all on me. Every single one. I still don''t know if that''s a good idea, but I can''t help it. The ne gleams against my corbone. The shoes are stunning, a deep nude shade that I keep looking down at, unable to stop.


    The vibrator sits where it should, in the pocket of thece panties. Quiet. Sinister. Waiting.


    I throw on a simple ankle-length fur coat to keep my exposed back hidden until the right moment. My sses are off, tucked neatly into my purse. I''ll squint my way through the night if I have to. Myopia, behave.


    I take one final look in the mirror. My reflection doesn''t look like me. She looks like


    a version of myself I haven''t met before. When I walk out, Finn is lying stomach-


    down on the bed, scrolling through his phone.


    "Took you a million years," he says, still typing away at his phone.


    "What matters is I''m ready now."


    "Give me a second. My boss is being needy."


    Still standing in front of the bathroom, I watch him. A strange feeling settles in my chest.


    I have this sudden revtion that I''m losing myself in this ce. Asheville is reshaping me. Things that would normally excite me-like spending a weekend with Finn, even though in pursuit of another woman-are getting reced by thoughts of a tattooed man I should be avoiding. I have on this ensemble he practically ordered me to wear. The dress. The ne. The shoes. The mouse-like device that''s making me edgy with anticipation.


    I''m way too excited about being sexually tortured by a man I should be running from. Knox isn''t even my type. He''s the opposite of the clean-cut, emotionally avable fictional men I fall for in books and movies.


    And yet-


    Maybe if I leave now, I''ll be able to save myself from falling too far down the rabbit hole.


    "Let''s go home," I say suddenly.


    Finn lifts his head from his phone, frowning at first. But as his eyes fall on me, the frown softens into surprise.


    "You look... different."


    "You mean bolder."


    He sits up, pulling himself to the edge of the bed. "Definitely bolder. And not your style. Though it''s glorious. You look beautiful, Sloane. Now I''m thinking we should get you a rich tycoon as a husband."


    "Haha. Funny, I want us to go back to New York, Finn."


    "We will. It''s not like I''m nning on staying here forever. As soon as we seed


    in doing what we came for, hopefully by tomorrow, we''ll be off."


    "I mean right now."


    This makes him pause. Then he stands and begins walking toward me. "Are you upset? Was it my mother?"


    "No. I just want to be back in thefort of my own home."


    "Sloane, you can talk to me." He Comes closer, cing his hands on my


    shoulders. ¡°I need you. Stay in Asheville and help me. But if you choose to go back, that''s all right too. I''ll just do everything on my own, feeling lonely that my best friend


    abandoned me."


    "Stop trying to manipte me, Finn."


    "That usually works."


    CHAPTER 022: Get Wax Out Of One''s Ears


    "You''re losing your touch."


    He smiles. "Side effect of being heartbroken."


    "Whatever. Just go downstairs. I''ll meet you there in a minute."


    "Great. We''re stealing my dad''s car."


    He leans forward and pecks me on the cheek, then turns and heads for the door.


    Don''t stay too long, Sloane."


    As I watch him go, something tightens in my chest.


    Maybe it''s time I stopped ying everyone''s fixer and became a little selfish. If


    this party will be about me seducing any of


    the Hartleys, it will be the wrong one. There are several ways to get wax out of


    one''s ears. One of them is by getting poked.


    ȯ

 Chapter 23

    CHAPTER 023: I Believe In Rules


    ~~KNOX~~


    It''s approximately twenty minutes before Hunter and Delh''s rehearsal dinner. I''m in their hotel suite watching Delhin about her outfit to Hunter.


    "I look like a balloon in this dress,¡± she says, blinking so many times that you''d think actual tears would be falling by now.


    "Honey, you look as morous as ever. Absolutely breathtaking."


    "You''re only saying that to make me happy. You know it''s not the truth."


    This is me wondering why I ever agreed to drive them to the venue.


    Hunter and I had both shipped our cars here from New Yorkst week-air- freighted. But Hunter, in all his matrimonial perfectionism, insists his car has to remain untouched until tomorrow. "Ceremonial reasons," he said. Whatever that means. So I''m the designated chauffeur. Which means I have to sit here, on this goddamn couch, watching Delh glide out from behind the sliding bedroom door, then listen to herin about her dress like I wouldn''t rather be driving my skull into a wall.


    They are both sitting on the couch opposite mine, whispering to themselves even though they know I can hear them clearly. "I would never lie to you," Hunter says. "If you looked like a balloon, I''d say it."


    Delh chuckles. "You mean that?"


    "I do. You''re the most beautiful woman I''ve ever seen in my life, and you''d look good in anything. But if you''re notfortable with the dress and want a different one, just say the word and I''ll ask Knox to take us shopping."


    No fucking way.


    If they include that in my list of things to do today, I''d just swerve us all off a bridge.


    Delh smiles, running her manicured nails across Hunter''s shoulder. "It''s fine, baby. I''ll wear a potato sack if you think I look good in it."


    "Are you sure? We could get a sack right now."


    She giggles and lightly punches his chest. "Stop ying. You wouldn''t really dy our event to buy me a new dress, would you?"


    "I would," he says,pletely serious. "Anything for you, my angel."


    She softens and takes his chin in her hand. "You''re the best thing that has ever happened to me, Hunter. I wouldn''t know what I am without you in my life. You ground me. You spoil me. You see me even when I don''t want to be seen. I never thought I''d have something this good. You''re kind, steady, selfless. You make me feel like I can be a better person just by loving you. I love you so much, Hunter."


    Anyone else would be tearing up watching this. And Hunter is. His eyes are wet, his throat tight. But he hasn''t been in the same room with Delh when she said those exact words, keeping that exact face too. It''s a shame she didn''t consider a Hollywood career. Those movie stars would have nothing on Delh Crestfield.


    "I love you too, honey," Hunter whispers. "But you might want to save some of those lines for tomorrow. I''m worried you''ve already peaked."


    "My love for you, Hunter, will always manifest in sweet words. So don''t worry about my wedding vows. They''re in my head and my heart."


    She digs into her purse, pulls out a tissue, and dabs his eyes with it like a motherforting a toddler. He takes it, sniffles, and kisses her hand.


    I roll my eyes.


    Any more of this and I''m going to develop a brain aneurysm.


    Delh pulls Hunter to her chest, letting him sob. Her hand rubs soothing circles on his back.


    Now that Hunter''s not looking, she lifts her gaze and locks eyes with me across the room.


    A satisfied smile spreads across her lips.


    Smile all you want, Delh.


    You won''t be smiling tomorrow,


    Sessfully unlocked!


    This dinner tonight is just a formality. The real rehearsal happened earlier-all the aisle pacing and bouquet clutching already done. Dramatic. Exhausting. If I ever get married, it won''t be like this. Hell no.


    CHAPTER 023: 1 Believe In Rules


    While waiting for Hunter to regainposure so we can all be on our way, I nce down at my phone, searching for the only thing I''m interested in right now. One message.


    Sloane: Tonight. See you there.


    Simple. Direct. Oddly stimting.


    I hadn''t expected her to cave, at least not yet, not after what happened at the club. She seemed like someone who held a grudge for a long time and would need a lot of groveling to convince. But maybe I don''t know her at all. But I n to. There are several ways-and positions-I''m going to use to find out.


    Someone clears their throat.


    I look up. Hunter and Delh are both standing just a few steps in front of me. "What''s up with you, Knox?" Hunter asks.


    "Me?"


    "I''ve never seen you this checked out. You''re always spatially aware. But you didn''t even notice us standing here."


    "Reports from the club."


    "Right. So your club managers make you smile at your phone with a smitten look?"


    "Smitten? You''re so nosy, Hunt. Let''s go."


    I get up and grab my keys, heading for the door.


    "Who''s the girl, Knox?" Hunter practically sings behind me.


    I don''t even turn. "Do you want me to drive you and your bride safely or not? If


    you do, stop asking silly questions."


    I swing the door open and walk out. Delh and Hunter are right behind me, whispering to themselves as they always do.


    By the time we''re in the elevator, Delh''s arms aretched onto Hunter''s left arm. Her head is on his shoulder, smiling up at her beau.


    But Hunter''s eyes are on me.


    "At least tell me it''s not your brother''s best friend," he says.


    "What?"


    "The girl that made you smile at your phone. Please tell me it''s not the one from the club."


    Delh lifts her head, alert now.


    "You''re really nosy today," I mutter.


    "And you''re being really secretive."


    "Don''t you have a wedding to worry about?"


    "It''s going to be perfect. But Knox, as your friend, let me say this: it''s never a good idea to date or have sexual rtions with someone who''s affiliated with your rtive, especially your brother. I know you''ll say they''re just friends, but he was angry when he punched you at that club yesterday. He has feelings for that girl, and you dating her is going to get very messy." The elevator stops to pick up someone else. We fall silent.


    Delh looks like she wants to chip in but can''t bring herself to. After all, it would seem weird to remind your fianc¨¦ about your ex, who you were still screwing while in a rtionship with him.


    "It''s a free world, Hunter,¡± I say. "I don''t believe in those sentimental rules you all attach to dating or sex. If I want something or someone, nothing stops me from taking them. Brother''s best friend or not."


    The stranger in the elevator shifts ufortably.


    "To each their own, I guess," Hunter says. "We''re adults. But I believe in rules. If I ever find out that someone I''m in love with has a history with my rtive or a very good friend, I''ll end the rtionship immediately. No question. Things like that never end well."


    The elevator dings. Ground floor.


    As the doors slide open and we step out, I nce at Delh. The color has drained from her face.

 Chapter 24

    CHAPTER 024: You''ve Been Warned


    CHAPTER 024: You''ve Been Warned


    I don''t smile.


    I can''t even bring myself to.


    Nothing would have pleased me more than to have Delh this cornered. But when I think about the implications of Hur s statement, my lunch suddenly doesn''t sit right in my stomach. I never told him. How''s it possible that I never did?


    I walk across the hotel lobby without a word.


    Hunter says something behind me, but I keep going. I don''t want to see him or Delh right now, though I can feel her ga burning through my shoulder des. She''s probably wondering when I n to attack.


    This is not about you, Delh. Chill.


    Once we''re outside, I cross to where my car is parked at the curb, open the driver''s door, slip into the seat, and turn just enough to toss a sharp look over my shoulder.


    "Let''s go, lovebirds," I say, voice t.


    They shuffle in, the two of them sliding into the backseat. As Hunter fusses with


    his coat, Delh''s eyes catch mine in th rearview mirror. There''s a pleading expression there.


    I look away.


    Engine on. Gear shift. Then-music.


    A rock song roars to life through the speakers, the kind with screaming vocals and


    a dirty guitar solo that perfectly matches my mood.


    "Not today, Knox," Hunter groans. "y love songs."


    "In my car?"


    "Today''s all about me."


    "I don''t care. I''ll destroy the Bluetooth speaker if any Celine Dion shites out of it."


    Hunterughs. "You neverpromise for anyone. You''re so annoying."


    I shake my head but smirk anyway. Then I search through my ylist until I find


    one-a power bad with enough guitars to keep my dignity intact and just enough lyrics about eternal love to shut him up.


    Hunter leans back, humming along. "Now this is what I''m talking about. I take it back. You dopromise. You''re a good friend."


    "Whatever. Don''t go soft on me now, Hunt."


    My eyes stay glued to the road. I''m trying not to think about anything and to avoid Delh, who''s mercifully no longer speaking. I''m going to enjoy torturing her throughout the night with the possibility of me telling Hunter the truth. This I''ll d because if I''m not doing something evil, I''ll start thinking of myself as the evil one. The bad friend who kept important secrets from Hunter.


    The venue is packed.


    One can only wonder how many people Hunter and Delh know to gather so much of a crowd.


    People are scattered across the ballroom,ughing in small clusters, sses clinking, waiters floating by with trays of champagne and canap¨¦s.


    Delh''s family surrounds her. They''re all admiring her jewelry, her hair, her gown-or whatever expensive shit Hunter bought. She smiles through it, but every now and then, she turns in my direction. Then she looks at Hunter, who''s busy working the room like a senator-shaking hands, hugging uncles, posing for photos.


    I sip from my ss and keep my eyes on the entrance.


    There''s only one person I want to see.


    "Hello, Knox, someone says behind me.


    I turn. It''s Casper. We were teammates on thecrosse team in high school, but


    he wasn''t my friend. Somehow-since the world is constantly proving to be a small


    ce- he knows Hunter and is one of the groomsmen.


    "Casper," I say.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    He smiles. "I didn''t get the opportunity to talk to you at the rehearsal."


    "You can say whatever you want to say here."


    He tucks his hands into his pockets, trying to look casual. "I mean, it''s a little weird, don''t you think? Vou


    CHAPTER 024: You''ve Been Warned


    this wedding."


    I arch a brow. "Did you want the position for yourself?"


    "Not exactly. I just... Delh''s the bride. She''s basically gone full circle. You, your brother, Hunter. Who''s next?"


    I finish my drink in one swallow and set the ss on a passing tray.


    "Go give it a try, Casper. I know you want her. You always have. Maybe this time she won''t reject you."


    He frowns as I walk away.


    I move through the room, greeting people I know, nodding at old acquaintances, dodging a few who still hold grudges from back in the day.


    The d¨¦cor isvishly over the top, just like Delh wanted. Candles in ss orbs. Roses and eucalyptus lining the front of the hall.


    I''m mid-sentence with Hunter''s father when I feel it.


    Her.


    Even before I turn, I know.


    I look up-and there she is.


    Sloane.


    The dress fits her better than anything I imagined. ck, slinky, cutting just below the corbone, hugging her in all the right ces. The fur coat she''s wearing only makes it worse-teasing at what I know it''s covering.


    Her eyes scan the room and find me.


    I excuse myself without finishing my sentence.


    My eyes are on her all the way. I don''t give any thought to Finn, who walked in beside her, looking around the room for Delh.


    I''m halfway to her when someone steps into my path. I recognize the scent.


    "Mom?"


    "Knox, darling," she says. "You couldn''t even try to put on a suit for your friend?"


    I sigh. "I''m only wearing one suit this weekend, and it''s the one I''ve prepared for tomorrow. That''s the best you all are getting from me. Wee to the party anyway, Mom."


    I try to sidestep her, but she blocks me again, waving the diamond bracelet I


    bought for her in my face.


    "The bracelet looks divine, Knox. Thank you."


    "You''re wee. Now if you''ll excuse me, I need to-"


    She loops her arm through mine.


    "Be a dear, Knox, and find your mother a seat. These arthritic feet are being bitchy tonight."


    My suspicions are piling up. Is she up to something? At first I thought it was the excitement of me being in Asheville after months away, but there''s certainly a pattern emerging.


    "What''s your n here, Mom?" I ask.


    "My n?" she says sweetly.


    "You''re acting suspicious."


    She doesn''t answer. Just pulls me toward the far side of the room and into a seat


    beside her.


    "I''m not going to lie to you," she says. "You''ve always been a smart one. I have


    waited for this day for months, and you''re not ruining it for me."


    "What are you talking about? Why are you even here?"


    "Delh''s parents invited me."


    "They''ve invited you to a dozen other events, and you never showed up."


    "I know you''ve got your eyes on your brother''s friend. I''m asking you, as your mother, to let it go. Finn deserves happiness, and I''m here to make sure he gets ite rain or fire. Delh will marry your friend. Finn will finally focus on what''s right in front of him. And Sloane will help him do that. If you distract her with your... seductive ways, she won''t be able to stop him from self-destructing. I won''t let that happen, Knox. You''re not leaving this seat. You''ll stay right here with me."


    I''m trying to wrap my head around the wordsing out of her mouth.


    "You want to use Sloane to distract Finn?"


    "Is there a problem with that?"


    CHAPTER 024: You''ve Been Warned


    The emcee taps the mic, and people begin to take their seats.


    I lean in, whispering low. "They''ve been friends for years. If Finn had feelings for


    her, don''t you think they''d have dated already?"


    "He just needs the right push. Once Delh''s gone, Finn will see clearly*


    "I have this gnawing feeling that you approached Sloane. Did you talk to her about


    this??


    "I did. I even offered her money."


    "You did what?"


    "Don''t look at me like that. You''re not a saint either."


    "Oh, yeah? You''re ying on her emotions, Mom. For what? Finn?"


    "Isn''t that what you''re doing? You''re not genuinely interested in her. You just want


    to provoke Finn. I''m asking you to sta out of it."


    I re at her, and she returns it.


    "The only reason I''m still sitting here," I say, "is because there is no empty seat beside Sloane. And you''re wrong. I want i because I want her. So whatever games you''re ying, leave me out of them. I''m done sacrificing anything for Finn. If yo try to keep me from her, I''ll ruin this wedding so fast the mes won''t have time to spread. And trust me, I''ll make absolutely sure Finn gets back with Delh."


    She draws back, quiet.


    In the background, the emcee is cracking jokes and causing the room to burst into


    "You used to be a better son," she says. "You enlisted in the army, came back, and now you''re someone else. Selfish. Heartless."


    "The boy Dad sent away didn''te back. You got the upgraded version."


    She shakes her head. "Well, I''m sorry you want to ruin your brother''s happiness over something that happened years ago. But luck is not on your side this time. Sloane doesn''t want you. She wants Finn. It''s best you save yourself another


    heartbreak and stop now."


    Ince toward Sloane.


    She lifts her head, like she''s been waiting for me to look. She smiles. So soft. So beautiful.


    I smile back. My chest beats faster, and, as is bing a habit, my pants tighten


    at the groin.


    "You''re wrong, Mom," I say. "She wants me, and I intend to make her mine. Take


    this as a formal notice that you''ve been warned."

 Chapter 25

    CHAPTER 025: Just Breathe, Sloane


    ~~SLOANE~~


    ***


    I''m trying so hard not to steal nces at Knox from across the room. At first, everything was a blur-Myopia doing what she does best. I eventually caved and put my sses back on. Squinting wasn''t doing me any favors, and I need a clear view of my target.


    Knox is the only person not dressed like he''s about to attend a Gatsby-themed funeral. No tux. No tie. Just his signature ck shirt, unbuttoned at the cor, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, paired with ck pants that somehow make him the sexiest man in the room. He''s lounging in his chair, and his fingers are idly stroking his neatly trimmed beard. The movement makes me remember how the strands felt on a very sensitive ce, one that''s currently tingling in anticipation of him turning on the device between my legs.


    "She doesn''t look happy," Finn says beside me.


    I blink, forcing my eyes away from Knox. "What?"


    "Delh. She doesn''t look happy. Which can only mean she doesn''t want to get married, and therefore I can get her back. If only she''d just spare me a nce."


    Right. I''d totally forgotten why he came here.


    My eyes drift back to Knox, who lifts his ss and drags his tongue slowly along the rim before taking a sip.


    I bite my lip.


    "Are you even listening to me, Sloane?"


    "I am."


    I turn to him. He''s watching me, his gaze shifting from Knox to me with a tight- lipped frown.


    "No, Sloane," he says.


    "No, what?"


    "We''re not having this conversation again."


    "What conversation?"


    "You know what."


    I exhale. "Finn, can you just focus on Delh? Try to get her to look at you. I''m not in the mood."


    He doesn''t answer for a while, just sits there, jaw tight, fingersced together in hisp. His knee bounces, and every now and then, his eyes move toward Delh-then away, focusing on me again (or the side of my face at least). I know him enough to tell what this is. He''s seething. Delh won''t look at him, but I also have a feeling it involves me as well. If there''s one thing Finn Hartley doesn''t handle well, it''s being ignored.


    "I''m standing up. I need to talk to her right now," he says.


    "Talk to whom?


    "Delh."


    He starts to rise, and I grab his arm, yanking him back down.


    "Have you gone mad?" I hiss. "You can''t go to her on her rehearsal dinner. What is wrong with you? Her fianc¨¦ is right there. Her entire family is here. Hunter knows she was cheating with you. Just being here is already a bad idea. Don''t make it worse."


    A slow smile spreads across his face, and he leans closer. "You''re right. I forgot myself. I''m supposed to be ignoring her. This is why I like having you around, Sloane. You make me think better."


    I stare at him.


    Of course, he did all that to get a rise out of me.


    I look away.


    Eventually, time passes and the speeches begin Sessfully unlocked! jokes. The person on the podium right now is a friend of Hunter''s, someone who introduced Casper esviously drunk and fumbling with his words, but the audience find him amusing enough tough.


    I zone out most of the things he''s saying, half-listening as he slurs throughpliments and toasts that clearly weren''t rehearsed. He''s swaying a little, gripping the mic like it might run away from him.


    But na avton gets a hundred percent back on when thear Tve always had a crush on your girlfriend, Hunt She was the *back Pain high school Ask the Hartleys


    People Rogh. Now the warm kind, but the awkward kind that fills silence when no one knows if a line was meant as a joke. A few quests nce around, confixed. Others shift in their seats or murmur behind raised hands.


    pase in n stiffens like someone''s just poured ice water down his back. His hand, resting casually on his thigh a


    ponent aga, etenches into a hat.


    Across the room, Knox lowers his ss mid-sip. His brow creases, eyes narrowing at the stage with a look that could shred bane 740x not ahused. Not even close


    Trybu ever qe me a chance, L," Casper slurs, you''ll definitely find me better than those two."


    Someone mercifully jogs up to the podam-maybe a friend, maybe a groomsman ying damage control-and throws an arm around Casper''s shoulders with a forcedugh.


    Alright, buddy, I think that''s your cue"


    Casper tries to hold on to the mic, slurring out something unintelligible, but the guy wrestles it from his grip and steers him off the stage like a drunk uncle at Thanksgiving. Nervous chuckles ripple through the room, followed by the sound of sses clinking and someone awkwardly clearing their throat over the speakers, trying to transition to the next toast like nothing just happened.


    "Who the fuck was that?" I ask.


    Finn''s still not smiling. "Someone from high school. Annoying little shit."


    nce at Knox again. He looks relieved. The frown from earlier is gone, reced now by a softer look.


    Across the room, Hunter doesn''t seem fazed either. He''s all wide smiles and flushed cheeks, clearly tipsy, throwing back thest of his champagne while keeping one arm locked possessively around Delh''s waist. She''s not smiling, though. Her pasture''s stift, and while everyone else isughing, her expression is caught somewhere between forced politeness andplete misery.


    "Why is my mom staring at you? Finn asks out of the blue.


    "What?"


    can''t exin it, but every time I look over there, she''s either looking at you or Knox is. I just need to know why she''s suddenly interested in your face. Knox, I get. But my mom? That''s weird."


    I take my drink up from the table, raise it to my lips, and sip. Then I peek from above the rim.


    Sure enough, Victoria Hartley is staring straight at me.


    And so is Knox. It''s probably true that she''s been looking at me all along, but I


    was too distracted to notice.


    "You still haven''t told me what you two talked about," Finn says.


    "It was about you. What else?"


    "We?"


    "Just let it go, Finn. I don''t want to talk about it."


    Mostly because Knox is now licking a spoon.


    He tries to make it seem casual, eyes on the emcee as he swallows whatever''s


    on his te, but the movement-the gentle sweep of his tongue along the metal¨C it''s anything but innocent.


    My face heats. I turn away.


    Finn is watching me.


    Thankfully, he doesn''t say anything. But I know that look. He''s angry.


    How about he just focus on Delh and leave me be? His nosiness is beginning to piss me off. For someone who ims to be in love with the host of this event, he sure is looking at his plus one more than the host.


    Hold on....


    is he doing that thing he mentioned before?


    The jealousy stunt?


    My stomach knots.


    never agreed to that. I figured it was one of those wild things he''d say and forget.


    Not something he''d actually try to pull in the middle of a goddamn rehearsal


    dinner.


    But then, right on cue, Finn''s arm snakes around my shoulders and pulls me against him in one fluid motion.


    Fin? 3 say, my voice sharper than I intend.


    22


    CHAPTER 025 Just Breathe, Sloane


    *Just smile and act natural, Sloane."


    My head is pressed to his chest now, and I can hear the rhythmic thud of his heart-not frantic, just steady. I, on the other hand, am seconds away from wing my way out of his grasp.


    I lift my head instinctively, and there it is.


    Knox.


    Watching.


    The spoon he''d been using to torture me just moments ago is discarded on his te. His mouth is no longer curled in amusement. There''s no teasing glint in his eyes. Just stillness. Focus.


    Finn must sense it, too, because he pulls me in tighter.


    *Jeez, you''re squeezing me," I mutter under my breath. "Delh isn''t even looking.


    Save your drama for when she is." But he doesn''t ease up.


    He doesn''t even nce at her.


    And then it hits me-he''s not doing this for Delh''s benefit.


    He''s doing it for Knox''s.


    I tense, a cold shiver creeping up my spine.


    ¡°Umm..... Finn?¡± I say slowly, cautiously. "What the hell is going on right now?"


    He doesn''t answer right away. Just stares ahead.


    "The only thing going on," he finally says, "is that you''re not smiling."


    I pull back slightly, enough to look up at him. "Why would I be smiling when my


    head is trapped on your shoulder?" He shifts, cing his free hand on my bare


    thigh.


    "Just breathe, Sloane. You''ve got this."


    "Got what?"


    His fingers move-up, over the curve of my coat, brushing the edge of my


    neckline. Then, without warning, he curls those fingers into my cor and tugs me toward him.


    I only have a split second to process the look in his eyes before he kisses me.


    ¿Ú


    Subscribed

 Chapter 26

    CHAPTER 026: Come Get Me


    My mind is numb.


    Everything around me is still spinning from what just happened. From the kiss. From the nerve. From the audacity.


    I don''t know how long Finn''s lips stayed on mine, or if they were even moving against mine, but the moment he let go of my coat, I knew it was over. Whatever moment he thought we were having-it had expired


    He''s smiling.


    "You have very soft lips," he says. "What''s that vor? Strawberry?"


    My heart races with fury.


    I''m about to rain hellfire on him when someone clears their throat into the mic.


    The emcee. Standing with a grin that''s far too amused.


    All eyes are on us.


    Victoria Hartley, smiling like she''s just seen her fantasye to life.


    Knox-expression unreadable.


    Hunter''s eyes are wide.


    And Delh... frowning.


    "Looks like we''ve got a wedding rehearsal and a love story unfolding at the same time," the emcee says, beaming. Laughter ripples through the crowd.


    Finn chuckles too.


    "I think that''s a sign of great things toe tomorrow," the emcee continues. "Don''t you all think so?" Apuse. Whistles.


    "You''ve got fans, lovebirds. Wave to the crowd at least. Even the groom is pping."


    Finn lifts his hand to wave. Then leans in, whispering, "Do it. This is so much better than I nned."


    I haven''t moved. Not an inch.


    I''m still frozen. Shell-shocked. Disbelieving.


    Finn must realize this, because he grabs my hand, trying to lift it into a wave-


    With my free hand, I p him hard across the face.


    His hand flies back, face twisting in confusion and shock as he palms his cheek. "What was that for?"


    The crowd falls silent. The ps die.


    Murmurs begin. The room tilts with whispers.


    I stand. Adjust my coat. Grab my purse. And I leave.


    The emcee tries to save the mood with another joke, and the crowdughs nervously, but I''m already halfway to the exit, my heels thudding faster with every step. Out into the night air.


    It''s drizzling.


    Of course it is.


    Does it always rain in this town? I should have checked the damn weather forecast before agreeing to this trip. I pull my coat tighter and fish out my phone, trying to figure out how the hell I''ll even get home.


    "Sloane!"


    Nope.


    I keep walking.


    "Sloane, wait!"


    The footsteps are quick behind me. Then a hand wraps around my arm and turns me around.


    "What was that about?" he says.


    "Go back inside, Finn. I really don''t want to see your face right now."


    "You mean the face you pped? You''ve never done that before. I don''t even know what I did to make you mad."


    I blink at him. "Seriously?"


    He pauses, like he actually needs to think. "Was it the kiss? Was it not to your liking?"


    CHAPTER 026 Come 061 Mb


    "Fuck off, Finn."


    I wrench my arm out of his grip and turn again, starting down the stars


    He catches up. Stops me


    "Sloane, I''m sorry. I don''t even know what i''th apologizing for right now, but I am really sorry"


    1 spin on him.


    "When you brought your stupid n to me, Finn, what was my response"


    He frowns. "You didn''t say anything"


    "Exactly. I asked you to leave the room. That should''ve told you everything


    "That wasn''t a no."


    "Oh, so my silence meant yes?"


    "You''ve never refused me anything before. What was I supposed to think? The only time I know you get bullheaded is concerning my brother. When I asked you what the secret gifts he bought you were you throw a tantrum. When I asked you not to screw him, you did. But you''ve never denied me anything else. Why am I suddenly the viin for assuring your silence meant yes?"


    My mouth opens.


    Then closes.


    He''s right. Not about everything. But I can''t remember thest time I said no to Finn Hartley.


    "Finn," I say, "I can do a lot of things to support you emotionally as your friend. But


    I will never consent to you kissing me to get a girl who no one likes except you."


    He looks hurt. "I... I just thought-


    "What''s the address to your parents'' house?"


    "What?"


    "I''m taking a cab. I''m leaving this ce."


    "I''ll drive you."


    I raise a finger. "Don''t. I want to be alone. Is that too much to ask for? Can I not be angry? Can I not be away from you, Finn?" He stares at me. Eyes rimmed with disbelief.


    ¡°What''s happening right now, Sloane? I don''t even know who you are anymore. If you want to be alone, fine. Stay out here and have the solitude you crave. Just call me whenever you''re calm, and I''ll take you home.


    He storms off.


    I watch him go. Jaw clenched. Teeth grinding. I cannot believe he''s walking away like he''s the one hurt. It makes my blood boil the more I think about it. But that''s fine. He wants drama? Oh, he''s not pissed yet. But he will be. I n to show him just how pissed I can make him. Because the next time he sees me, it won''t be in this ballroom or beside him ying his fake little plus-one. I''m grabbing my shit and heading straight to the airport. Let''s see how well he ys the victim then. I pull out my phone with a trembling hand, teeth sinking into my lower lip to stop the storm in my throat from erupting. I stare at the screen for longer than I should, thumb hovering above one name. Knox. He''s the only other person who can help with what I have in mind, even though the idea of speaking with another Hartley after being provoked by one is setting my teeth on edge.


    I tap the name and press the phone to my ear, praying he actually picks up.


    It rings.


    Once.


    Twice.


    Three times.


    "Sloane."


    Just the sound of his voice makes me almost forget why I called. It''s ridiculous how easily he can shatter my mood with a single syble. I''m supposed to hate anything called Hartley right now.


    "I need a favor," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.


    "I''m all ears."


    I swallow. Hard. "I know you''re Hunter''s best man and everything. It''s probably horrible of me to ask this of you, but I need to leave this ce. I can''t stay at your parents'' house, where I''ll eventually have to see Finn, and I need a Hartley to ess the gate when I get there for my stuff. I don''t know who else to call."


    CHAPTER 026: Come Get Me


    He doesn''t speak for a beat.


    "So you called me to ess a gate."


    "I need to get out of town tonight."


    "Get out? As in out, out? To New York?"


    "Yes. I want to grab my things and go straight to the airport. If you''ll be so kind as


    to assist, good sir."


    Heughs. Low. Deep. A sound that coils into my stomach and makes my pulse


    skip.


    "We made ns, Kitten. Are you bailing on me?"


    "Can I take a raincheck on those ns? You Hartleys have seriously tested my patience today."


    "Yet here you are... seeking help from one."


    "Here I am."


    "Tell you what," he says. "Come meet me at the rooftop, and I''ll think about it."


    My brows knit. "Rooftop?"


    "Mmhmm. That''s where I am. Come get me."


    "What, might I ask, are you doing up there?"


    "Smoking."


    I roll my eyes. "That''s a terrible habit. It literally says on the pack that it can kill


    you."


    "You can''t help being a good person, can you, Sloane? Even when you im to hate the Hartleys, you still care about our lungs."


    "Saying the truth isn''t the same as caring."


    "You think I''d give a fuck if someone I hate was killing themselves? Why don''t you bring your caring ass over here and take this Cuban cigar out of my mouth?" God. My body flushes. I grip the phone tighter. He always does this-wraps filth in velvet and makes it sound like poetry. Thest time I was alone with Knox, I ended up getting bent over a countertop. As much as I want that, I have to stay focused on leaving.


    My voice is unsteady. "Isn''t the rooftop open? It''s drizzling."


    "There''s a patio. You thought I was standing in the rain?"


    "I don''t trust you to keep your hands to yourself, Knox."


    "Now how would I drive if my hands were to myself?"


    "You could be nice and juste down."


    Heughs again. "If you want something, Kitten, youe and get it."


    "Knox..."


    "I understand that you''re having difficulty making a decision-as is your nature, I''ve


    noticed-so I''ll help you out. Just give me a few seconds."


    I hold my breath in hope. "You''reing down?"


    "A couple more seconds, Kitten. Be patient."


    I don''t understand what he means until-


    Oh.


    Ohhhh.


    The motherfucker turned it on.


    I forgot I was even wearing the vibrator. I''ve been too consumed by rage and


    humiliation and shame to remember what my entire n for tonight was in the first


    ce.


    And now-


    My body jolts like I''ve been shocked. My breath hitches. I stagger, hand gripping


    the side of the building for bnce.


    My knees buckle slightly. My thighs clench. Heat floods my cheeks.


    "Knox," I hiss into the phone. "Turn it off."


    But instead, the intensity rises. My toes curl in my heels.


    His voice is as smooth as ever. "See, I knew you had it on. You''re wilder than you


    show. Come to the rooftop, Sloane. Come get what you want."


    CHAPTER 026: Come Get Me


    The line goes dead.


    I stare at the screen, ck-jawed, vibrating in more ways than one.


    I groan.


    Still bent slightly, I gather myself. My thighs ache with want. How weird would it


    look if I dug into my panties right now to pull out the vibrator? The person making


    a call at the other edge of the portico is already eyeing me suspiciously. And the


    restroom is back where I came from, in that hall.


    I''m going to kill Knox.


    I walk.


    Heart pounding. Jaw tight. Face burning.


    I head back inside the building, eyes fixed on the stairs I hope lead to the rooftop.

 Chapter 27

    CHAPTER 027: This Was A Mistake


    I force myself to walk in a straight line.


    Back tall. Shoulders squared. Like I''m not being held hostage by a vibrator currently pulsing in-between my legs.


    It''s only after reaching the foot of the stairs that I realize how stupid I''m being. There''s literally an elevator leading to the top floor.


    I stare at it for a second, then turn, walk to it, and press the button.


    The doors slide open, and I can''t say how grateful I am that no one''s inside.


    Once I''m in the elevator, I suck in air through my nose and hold it while the numbers climb. Each ding vibrates against my spine. I adjust the cor of my coat and try not to squirm, but the heat crawling between my thighs makes that a losing. battle.


    The doors open.


    I don''t wait-l dart out, make a sharp right, and head toward the rooftop ess. Ie face-to-face with a bouncer standing by the heavy ss door, arms crossed, face set as stone.


    Now I feel self-conscious. Could he hear it?


    He squints at me. "This area is private, ma''am."


    "I, uh... I''m meeting someone. A friend."


    He raises a brow. "Name?"


    "Knox Hartley."


    "Your name, I mean."


    "Sloane."


    He eyes me a second longer, then sighs, pulling the door open and handing me a hotel-branded umbre. "Take this. It''s wet out."


    "Thanks," I mutter, grabbing it like it might be thest thread of dignity I have left.


    I step into the drizzle and snap the umbre open, the light spray dotting my shoes. The wind picks up slightly, but it''s not unpleasant. Just enough to wake up the parts of me that have been lulled into submission by tension and adrenaline.


    And then I see him.


    Knox.


    He''s in the far corner of the rooftop beneath a modern awning, the kind with sleek beams and hanging lights that blur softly in the mist. As I suspected, he''s conveniently sitting in a shadowy corner-or maybe he''d turned off the lights there himself; you can never tell with that man. He''s draped over a lounge chair, one arm slung casually over the backrest, the other holding a thick cigar. Smoke coils around him, veiling his face in a ghostly swirl that only makes him look more dangerous.


    I walk straight to him.


    "Knox," I call. "Turn it off."


    He doesn''t move at first, just lifts his chin.


    Once I''m under the shade, I copse the umbre and set it down with more force


    than necessary. My breath is uneven. My heart is a hammer in my chest.


    Knox ashes his cigar with slow, practiced ease. Then he looks at me.


    Expression unreadable. Calm.


    "You look quite flustered," he says.


    I tap a foot. "Turn it off, Knox."


    His lips twitch. He picks up his phone without breaking eye contact and taps it.


    Merciful silence.


    My thighs unclench on instinct, and I let out a sigh of relief that borders on a moan. God, I almost came in the elevator.


    "Alright,¡± I say, trying to collect myself. "Can we go now


    Sessfully unlocked!


    "For someone who finally got what she wanted tidy,


    "What I wanted?"


    "You waited over ten years for this, did you not? You should be ted. Celebratory."


    Wait a minute. "Are you talking about what happened in there? The kiss?"


    CHAPTER 027: This Was A Mistake


    He shrugs. "What else would I be talking about?"


    "You think I''d want Finn to kiss me to make Delh jealous?"


    "I think you''d want to be kissed by Finn in any way."


    "Well, you thought wrong."


    "Did I?" he asks.


    "In case you didn''t notice, that kiss ended with a p."


    "For some people, that''s forey."


    I groan. "I don''t have the patience for this. Are you helping me or not?"


    "Whether I help you or not will depend on the answers you give me."


    His face shows nothing, but something tells me he''s suppressing anger. His jaw is slightly clenched, and his eyes are nk. Even at that, he looks devastatingly gorgeous. Maybe it''s just my hormone-soaked, chaos-loving brain ying tricks on me. I try not to let my eyes linger. But they do. Of course they do.


    "Well, go on then," I say. "Ask your questions."


    His gaze drops to my heels, settling there for a while before slowly trailing up my


    legs. Over my coat. Up to my face. Landing on my eyes.


    "Why''d youe up here, Sloane?" he asks.


    "Excuse me?"


    "You brought yourself all the way up here after I asked you to. Why?"


    "Are you kidding me? You practically ckmailed me intoing."


    "I didn''t. There are restrooms on every floor in this building. You could''ve stopped anywhere. But you didn''t. You came to me. Don''t say it''s because you need someone to ess my parents'' house. We both know, the moment you stepped foot up here, you''re not going anywhere."


    He stands. His movements are so slow and predatory that my breath stutters. But


    I don''t walk back. For some weird reason, I can''t.


    He stops right in front me. Close enough that I feel his body heat. Close enough


    to taste his smoke in the air between us. "Why''d youe here, Sloane?" he


    repeats. "Is it a kink for you? Lusting after two brothers?"


    I jerk back like I''ve been pped. "I beg your pardon?"


    He turns away and paces toward the railing. His hands rest on the edge, his shoulders tight.


    "I don''t even know why I''m mad," he mutters. "This was a mistake. Just leave."


    I stare at him. The more I look, the more my blood boils.


    "You think you can say whatever you want and then dismiss me?" I ask.


    "I just did, didn''t I?"


    "I swear to God, Knox, if I take one step forward, it''ll be to shove your arrogant


    ass off this building."


    He turns.


    Slowly.


    A brow lifts. For the first time since I arrived here, he smiles. "You would?"


    "Don''t test me. I''m already pissed off at two Hartleys. I''m going to transfer all that aggression to you."


    He stalks forward. "Do it."


    "What?"


    "Transfer the aggression. Hit me."


    "Don''t tempt me."


    "Come on, Kitten. You made the threat. Follow through."


    I try to walk back, but he catches my wrist, yanking me close.


    "You can''t promise me a good time and then retreat. Do it. Hit me.¡±


    "You''re insane."


    "Fucking do it, Sloane."


    So I do.


    My hand flies across his cheek with a p that echoes against the rooftop tiles.


    CHAPTER 027: This Was A Mistake


    His eyes darken. He grins again.


    "I knew the monster was in there," he says. "Another, Harder this time. When you''ve poured out all that rage, we''ll talk about what you actually came here for."


    "I''m done ying your games," I hiss, pulling myself out of his arms.


    I turn to leave, but suddenly my feet leave the ground.


    He''s behind me. One arm hooked around my waist. My back flush to his chest.


    His mouth by my ear.


    "Put me down," I snap.


    "That''s my intention."


    He strides to the chair and tosses me down like a doll. I barely catch myself


    before I fall over, turning back just as he grabs the cor of my coat and yanks me


    upright again.


    And then his hand slips inside the coat, fingers searching for my nipples and


    pinching thern through the gown. I cry out.


    "Why did youe up here, Sloane?" he says.


    "I hate you. I fucking hate you, you arrogant, infuriating-"


    His hand curls in my hair, yanking my head back just enough to bring our lips a


    breath apart. But he doesn''t kiss me. I want him to so badly.


    "You came here to be filled," he says. "You won''t leave until I''ve fucked every man


    out of your system."


    "Knox..."


    "Tell me what you


    want."


    "You''re a crazy son of a bitch."


    "What do you want from this crazy son of a bitch?"


    I whimper. "Get inside me. Right now. Please."


    His lips crash into mine with a force that sucks the breath right out of my lungs.


    His hand is still buried in my hair, gripping just tight enough to hold me in ce without hurting. The other curves to my back, sliding past the open edge of my coat, fingers finding bare skin and sying wide across my spine. He pulls me in with the grip of a man who''s starved for touch.


    His kiss is not sweet. It''s not gentle. It''s not even remotely sane.


    His mouth moves like it owns mine, teeth catching my lower lip, tongue sliding in to stroke against mine until I''m moaning into him, nails digging into the thick muscle of his arms. I feel like I''m unraveling, thread by thread, and he''s the only thing holding me together.


    Then he moves. Hand to my ass. Lifting one of my legs until my thigh hooks high on his hip, spreading me open just enough for him to press the hard line of his arousal right against my soaked panties. The pressure of him grinding with the toy in ce only makes me more insane.


    It''s too much. Too good.


    I''m so close I could scream, and maybe I do because Knox pulls back just as my


    body starts to tense. He breaks the kiss, eyes wild, chest heaving, lips red from where I bit him.


    "Get on your knees," he says.


    ''I don''t know why I do it. It just... happened. Like muscle memory. Like instinct. I


    drop down and stare at him, waiting.


    "Take off my belt," he says, voice thick, throatier than before.


    I reach for it without hesitation. Fingers trembling.


    The leather is warm from his body. The buckle, solid and cold. My hands work


    quickly, but it still feels like everything is moving in slow motion. Like the air


    around us is weighted with something I can''t name. Want, maybe. Rage. Hunger. Pain. All of it.


    I unfasten him. Slide the belt out in one pull. Unbutton. Unzip. My hand slips


    under the waistband of his boxers.


    He''s already hard.


    Painfully, beautifully hard.


    And then he springs free, cock flushed and thick, and-there''s a piercing. A silver


    ring at the tip, glinting. I blink at it, like my eyes are trying to adjust. Like it''s a


    mirage.


    But it''s real. Every inch of him is.


    My fingers wrap around him, and my thumb brushes the metal. He groans. A full-


    bodied sound that shoots straight to my core and leaves me throbbing.


    CHAPTER 027. This Was A Mistake


    His hand fists in my hair.


    "Put my dick in your mouth," he says, voice dark,manding. "I want to see you


    choke on it."

 Chapter 28

    CHAPTER 028: All Of You


    My body obeys before my mind can catch up.


    I part my lips, tongue darting out to taste the tip of his dick. Salty. Warm. Metallic from the piercing. My fingers curl around his shaft, and when I close my lips around him, his hips jolt forward.


    "Fuck," he hisses, hand gripping my hair tighter.


    I take him deeper, inch by inch, until I gag slightly-and he groans again, a low sound that makes my thighs clench. I pull back, saliva trailing down my chin, and do it again. This time slower. My hand works what I can''t take, twisting slightly. "Just like that, Kitten. Just like that."


    He pulses in my mouth, and when I look up at him through myshes, his eyes have gone dark.


    His fingers are tangled so deeply in my hair that I can feel the sting on my scalp- and then he starts to move.


    His hips thrust forward, driving himself deeper. My throat stretches, gags, spasms.


    "Take it," he says, the words punched out through clenched teeth. "Take what you came for."


    I moan around him, the sound choked and wet, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes as I try to breathe around the weight of him. He pulls back just enough to let me gasp-then drives in again, harder, deeper.


    Spit is everywhere-slicking my chin, stringing from my lips, coating his dick. My hands clutch at his thighs, nails digging in, but I don''t stop him. I don''t want to.


    His moans are guttural now. Less controlled. One thumb presses to the corner of my mouth, dragging down to smear the mess across my jaw as he fucks in and out, panting.


    "Look at you,¡± he snarls. "Eyes watering, lips swollen. You love this. You love letting me use your mouth."


    And I do.


    God help me, I do.


    I try to speak, but all I manage is another needy sound that vibrates against him, causing him to grunt.


    He yanks me off him with a pop, dragging my head back by my hair. I''m panting, lips slick and swollen, chin soaked, tears tracking down my cheeks. I lick my lips, tasting the precum still stuck there.


    He stares down at me with adoration in his eyes.


    "You look so goddamn pretty when you''re ruined," he says.


    He releases my hair, and I stay on my knees for a moment, catching my breath. My chest rises and falls in sharp pulls.


    I look up to see that he''s already moved to the chair and is sitting, legs open, sprawled like temptation incarnate. His dick is still out, thick and glistening, his pants shoved low on his hips.


    "Get up and take off your clothes," he says. "I want to see all of you."


    I push myself to my feet, trembling a little as I reach for the coat. The air is cool against my skin, and my thighs are soaked. Slowly, I shrug off my coat, draping it over the arm of the chair. My fingers go to the zipper of my dress. I watch him as ! drag it down.


    Knox doesn''t blink.


    Doesn''t move.


    Just watches.


    His eyes ze with hunger as I pull the dress over my head and toss it on the coat. I''m left in nothing but my ck panties and heels. His gaze traces every inch of me like he''s memorizing the curve of my waist, the swell of my breasts, the flush in my cheeks.


    He leans back slightly and reaches into the pocket of his pants, pulling out a foil packet. My breath catches as I watch him tear it open with his teeth, roll the condom down over himself with one hand.


    I bite my lip, eyes never leaving his.


    "This is what you want," he says. "Hurry up ande sit on my dick."


    I quickly reach for my panties, but his voice cuts in like steek


    "Leave that on."


    I still.


    "Come ride me."


    Sessfully unlocked!


    I walk to him, climb the chair, and crouch on each side of his spread legs. One of


    his hands grips my hip. The other slides


    CHAPTER 028: All Of You


    between my thighs, pulling the soakedce aside.


    "Now," he says.


    I lower myself slowly, inch by aching inch, feeling the stretch as I sink onto him.


    My body clutches around him instinctively, desperate, greedy. He groans, head falling back. Then-


    I feel it.


    The vibrator.


    He''s turned it on again.


    I whimper, fingers flying to his chest for bnce as the pulse of it hits my clit at the same time he fills mepletely.


    "Don''t lose yourself now, Kitten," he murmurs, catching my jaw between his fingers. "Ride me."


    I start to move. Slow, deep grinds. My thighs shake as I lift and sink, lift and sink, each motion rubbing the vibrating device harder into my clit. The pleasure is too much. Too sharp. Each bounce has me clenching, twitching, gasping.


    "Harder," he growls. "Faster."


    His hands grab my hips, dragging me down harder each time I rise. Our bodies p together in a rhythm that turns the night air into steam. The pressure builds like lightning in my spine.


    He sits up suddenly, mouthtching onto one nipple, sucking deeply. Then he bites. His other hand pinches the opposite one, twisting until I cry out.


    "Look at you," he says, after releasing the nipple with a pop. "So fucking perfect like this."


    I grind harder, stars bursting behind my eyes.


    "Say it," he groans. "Say you wanted this."


    "I wanted this," I choke. "God, I wanted this-"


    He thrusts up into me as I ride him. My thighs are burning from the motion, but I can''t stop. I don''t want to stop. I need this -need him.


    The vibrator is relentless. Every grind against his cock sends a pulse directly into my clit, lighting my nerves on fire. My hips falter. My moans rise. I can''t hold it back much longer.


    Knox''s teeth graze the underside of my breast. "Come for me, Kitten," he says. "Right on my dick. Let it go."


    And I do.

 Chapter 29

    CHAPTER 029: Ignorant Bliss


    My orgasm rips through me like a storm. I shatter around him, head thrown back, mouth open in a silent scream. My body trembles. Clenches, Milks him as 1 ride everyst pulse of pleasure out of myself.


    But he''s not done.


    He wraps one strong arm around my waist and flips me with almost no effort,ying me back on the chair and spreading my legs. My panties are shoved to the side, the toy still buzzing against me, the me between my thighs shameless and dripping.


    Then he''s inside me again.


    All of him.


    Deep and brutal.


    The stretch is dizzying. He pins my legs up, bending me in half, and drives into me like he''s trying to ruin my soul.


    "Fuck, Sloane," he grits out. "You feel like heaven. So tight. So goddamn wet"


    His hips piston into me, again and again, each thrust dragging a raw moan from my throat. I''m still sensitive from the orgasm, the vibrator still humming against my clit, and it''s all too much. Too good. Too deep.


    His hand moves to my throat, gripping.


    I gasp, eyes wide, arousal doubling.


    "You like that," he breathes. "I can feel you clenching. Come again for me, Kitten."


    I do.


    Harder this time.


    My scream breaks against the rooftop air as my body convulses under his, walls clenching around him until he swears through his teeth and finally lets go- thrusting once, twice more before spilling into the condom with a groan that sounds like it ripped straight from hell.


    Then silence.


    He turns the device off, and we stay like that for a long moment.


    Breathless.


    Sweaty.


    Utterly destroyed.


    He then pulls out, ties off the condom, and tosses it in the bin by the corner before copsing onto the chair beside me, dragging me into his chest.


    Neither of us says anything for a beat.


    Then I lift my hand and slide it under the hem of his shirt, fingertips drifting over warm, hard abs, tracing slow,zy circles on his stomach like I''m drawing a map. He catches my wrist.


    "Your fingers are like little spiders," he murmurs.


    ? He brings them to his mouth and starts biting each fingertip, one after the other.


    "I want to see you," I say, staring at the strip of skin I barely got to touch.


    "Why?"


    "That''s a funny question. This is me naked on the rooftop of a public building. My assant still manages to have his clothes on."


    He taps my nose with a smirk. "Your assant, huh?"


    "Yes. You seduced and ravaged me. And now you''re hiding your body from me. How am I supposed to describe you to the police when theye asking?"


    "You moaned very loudly for someone being ravaged."


    "Justice must be served, pleasure or not. And


    Sessfully unlocked! to take your shirt off."


    Heughs-a low, deep rumble that makes my toes cur. My man was to his shirt again, and he catches the hand mid-lift, yanks me forward, and seals his lips over mine.


    This time, the kiss is slower. He takes his time, tongue teasing mine in a steady rhythm. His hand stays on my jaw, holding me still like I might float away otherwise.


    CHAPTER 029: Ignorant Bliss


    I melt into him. Into thezy roll of his lips, the warmth of his mouth, the way his chest rises beneath mine.


    Then his phone rings.


    He groans into my mouth, reluctant, and pulls away just enough to grab the phone from the pocket of his slouched pants.


    "Of course," he mutters, ncing at the screen. "Cockblocker of the century."


    He answers without letting me go.


    "Yeah," he says, voice low and casual. "Just went for a smoke."


    He meets my gaze, lips twitching.


    ¡°I''ll be right down. Don''t worry. I didn''t bail on you."


    He ends the call and sighs, shoving the phone back in his pants.


    "Come on, Kitten. We''ve got to head back to the party."


    No," I mutter, burying my face in his chest. "I''m not going back there."


    "I have to go."


    "Then take the shirt off and go. Let me have one win tonight."


    He chuckles, kissing my forehead. "You had several wins. Orgasms, if I''m counting correctly. Just sit here and wait for me. I''ll be back for you."


    As he stands and adjusts himself, I watch him.


    "You''ve been rather epting of everything so far," I say. "Does this mean you''ve backed out of the bet? You''re letting Hunter marry Delh?"


    He freezes.


    "Those are the kind of questions that make me want to smoke."


    "Does it help you get answers?"


    "Most times. I do it when I want to make the most important decisions of my life.¡±


    I pause. "And what decision brought you out here tonight?"


    His jaw flexes. "Many. One of them is a conundrum. Do I tell my best friend a


    secret that would end his wedding, maybe


    cause us to drift apart, at the same time send a toxic woman back to my brother?


    Or do I keep it buried forever and let them all live in ignorant bliss?"


    I swallow.


    "And? What did you decide, Knox?"

 Chapter 30

    CHAPTER 030: She''s A Part Of Me


    ***


    ~~KNOX~~


    ***


    I have spent years building a habit of not getting involved in people''s business.


    Especially Finn''s.


    Especially anything remotely connected to the circus that is Finn and Delh.


    It''s not that I don''t care-I just learned the hard way that sticking your nose into other people''s messes has a way of turning you into the viin, even when you were trying to mop up their blood. So I stopped trying. Stopped caring. Let people make their own choices and eat the consequences. It''s cleaner that way. Simpler. But the truth is, Hunter''s going to find out eventually-about Delh, about me, about all of it. And it''s better if the truthes from me than from someone with an agenda or an axe to grind. I''m not exactly known for being friendly. I''m not the kind of guy Hunter usually surrounds himself with-he''s the suit, the smile, the shining damn example of a man people want to follow. But somehow, despite all our differences, we''ve managed to build something that goes beyond friendship. Real, solid, inconvenient brotherhood. And once in a while, you meet someone so unlike you that it clicks in a way nothing else ever has. You find yourself wanting to protect it, keep it untarnished. You don''t want to be the reason it falls apart.


    A perfect example is the naked woman in front of me. So unlike anything I''ve ever desired and yet so irresistible.


    I watch her, studying her flushed cheeks, parted lips, transparent sses, and the sparkling ne nestled between her breasts. It''s difficult to focus on the question she asked.


    What did I decide?


    Hell if I know.


    I''ve been up here "thinking," or so I told her, but that wasn''t entirely true. I came up here because I saw my brother kiss her -and something in me snapped. Something I didn''t want to name. And when she called, asking for a favor, I invited her up here without thinking.


    I didn''t want to help her. I wanted to fuck her.


    I needed to erase that image of her kissing Finn-needed to remind her and myself


    who she really wanted. Only then would I be normal again.


    Only problem?


    I''m not sure it worked.


    Because now, looking at her in the aftermath, skin glowing, lips kiss-swollen, body marked up with the ghosts of my mouth and hands... I don''t feel normal. I feel more possessed. I want to touch her again. I want to do all sorts of dangerous and wild things to her.


    My eyes linger too long on the slope of her waist, the dip of her navel, the glint of that ne. She''s a vision of sin. Of softness. Of trouble.


    I must''ve been staring too long, because she says, "Knox?"


    I drag my gaze-reluctantly-away from her breasts and up to her eyes.


    "Did you get my question?" she asks.


    "I did."


    "And?"


    I smirk. "Well, I didn''t get much time to ponder on it. I''d barely lit my cigarette when I got distracted."


    She narrows her eyes. "Are you using me?"


    ¡°Am I?¡± I say, taking two steps back. "See you in less than an hour, Sloane."


    I don''t give her time to answer. I walk away, letting the drizzle bead on my skin. I can feel her gaze on my back like a second


    skin.


    When I reach the bouncer at the rooftop entrance he''s now seated Croping through something on his phone.


    "You done, sir?" he asks.


    "Not quite."


    Sessfully unlocked!


    I pull out a wad of cash-not bothering to count-and press it into his hand.


    The guy doesn''t blink. "More tips? Or are you about to ask for another favor?"


    CHAPTER 030 She''s A Part Of Me


    "She''s going to stay here until Ie back."


    "Like... rxing?" he asks, tilting his head. "Or do you want me to imprison her?"


    I grin. "Just make sure she stays."


    "You got it."


    As I walk to the elevator, it dawns on me that it''s probably crazy to indirectly consent to caging her on that rooftop while! go y best man downstairs. And I know it. I know exactly how it looks. But then there''s a ny-nine percent chance Sloane won''t move an inch anyway, will sit right where I left her.


    It''s the one percent I can''t risk.


    The one percent with Finn Hartley''s name written all over it.


    I''m not delusional enough to think one argument is enough to sever a decade of friendship between them. Hell, thest time Sloane and I had sex, she ran from the restroom in guilt. The only reason she slept with me tonight-let me touch her again-is because she''s still mad at Finn. It wasn''t just me she wanted-it was escape. Rebellion. Punishment for the boy who still owns too many pieces of her. Which means, if I''m going to have her-to fully explore this side of me that''s attracted to this woman-Finn needs to be removed from the picture. I don''t care if they''ve been friends for a hundred years or if he once saved her from a house fire. I can''t fight for space in a woman''s life when another man already has his ws in her heart. And Finn, for all his obliviousness, still has a grip.


    She was ready to cancel our ns, pack a bag, and get on a goddamn ne just to spite him.


    That tells me everything.


    I''m not ready to let go either. And I''m not going to do the noble thing and step aside. I don''t get fascinated easily. It''s rare. Inconvenient. And when it does happen-l get selfish.


    Selfish enough to want to steal her.


    Selfish enough to make her mine.


    And I sure as hell don''t like to share.


    The elevator opens on the first floor, and the noise from the hall where the party is being held greets me immediately. Laughter. Music. The asional clink of ss. But what draws my attention is a different noise-raised voices echoing from a side corridor.


    Familiar voices.


    Finn and our mother.


    I round the corner.


    They''re standing face-to-face, tension thick between them.


    "You can''t tell me you didn''t say something to annoy her," Finn is saying. "Something set her off tonight, and I''m very sure it''s not just that kiss."


    "I''m not going to stand here and listen to you use me of provoking your friend," Mom snaps.


    "Sloane has never reacted like that before. It''s too much of a coincidence that I watched you leave her room earlier and now. she''s suddenly snapping at little things. What did you say to her, Mom?"


    "Nothing you should concern yourself with."


    "She''s not at the house. I called the security. She''s not picking up my calls. I asked her to wait out here until she''s calm, and now I can''t find her. I need to know what you said to her, Mom."


    ¡°She''ll be back. She hasn''t picked up her things. Just... breathe, Finn.¡±


    "She''s... she''s a part of me, Mom."


    "I know."


    "If anything were to happen to her..."


    "You need to calm down."


    But he can''t. He''s unraveling.


    Watching Finn now, I see it. Clear as day.


    The thing Mom and Hunter tried to spell out before-the thing I shrugged off, rolled


    my eyes at, pretended not to notice.


    Finn has feelings for Sloane.

 Chapter 31

    CHAPTER 031: Do We Have A Deal Or Not?


    These feelings Finn has are obviously not the casual kind. Not the she''s-my- best-friend kind. No. It''s deeper. It''s in the way his voice cracks when he says her name. The way his hands won''t stay still. The way his panic takes on an edge that looks a hell of a lot like heartbreak.


    And maybe he hasn''t figured it out yet. Maybe he''s too fixated on Delh to see what''s been right next to him all along. But I see it. I see it, and it''s pissing me the fuck off.


    I bite down on the inside of my cheek and taste copper.


    It''s a habit I picked up inbat-quiet pain over loud reaction. Keeps the thoughts steady. Sharp. Contained. But nothing about this scene in front of me feels contained. Finn''s pacing. Mom''s posturing.


    I step closer before I can talk myself out of it, and they both look up.


    Mom smooths her expression into a smile. Finn wipes his eyes.


    "Knox," Mom says. "I thought you left."


    "I didn''t. It''s my friend''s wedding rehearsal."


    "Right. I keep forgetting you''re the best man."


    I nod before saying, "I couldn''t help overhearing your conversation. Are you


    looking for someone?"


    "Just go away, Knox," Finn mutters.


    Mom cuts him off. "Actually, yes. We are. You haven''t seen your brother''s friend,


    have you? He''s worried she''s fallen into the wrong hands."


    "I thought Asheville was safe," I say.


    "Nowhere ispletely safe."


    "After serving in Afghanistan, Asheville seems like a haven."


    Mom falls silent-like she always does when I bring up my time overseas.


    But I''m not focused on her anymore. My eyes are on Finn, who has suspicion written all over his face.


    "You don''t seem bothered," he says.


    "What?"


    "I mentioned Sloane might be missing. You didn''t even blink."


    "What do you want, Finn? You want me to shed a tear?"


    "I know you," he says. "I saw you leave that room after I kissed her. I know how you look at her. If there''s even a slight chance she''s missing, you wouldn''t be this calm."


    I stare at him for a second. Maybe two.


    Then I shrug.


    "Maybe you don''t know me as well as you think."


    "Where is she, Knox?" he asks, stepping toward me.


    Mom blocks his path. "Now you''re just using everyone but yourself. She left the second you kissed her. You''ve spent so long chasing Delh that you don''t even know how to properly seduce ady before kissing her, especially in public. She panicked. And the panic must have looked like anger to you. She''ll be back. Stop pointing fingers. Just find a way to do it right next time."


    Finn frowns. "Do what right?"


    "Ask her out. Date her."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "You kissed her, right? It must havee from somewhere."


    "That kiss meant nothing," he says. "It was for a n. To make Delh jealous."


    Mom steps closer to him in annoyance. "Sometimes I just want to p some sense into you, Finn. Delh''s getting married. Leave her alone."


    "I can''t do that."


    "Of course you can."


    Sessfully unlocked!


    I stand there, watching them volley words like a tennis match from hell-Finn going


    on and on about needing Delh and needing to find Sloane, who''s the only one that understands him. It''s doing my fucking head in.


    CHAPTER 031: Do We Have A Deal Or Not? And before I can stop myself, I speak.


    "Why don''t you just pick a side, Finn?"


    He turns to me. "What?"


    "If you want Delh back, just say the word. I''ll get Hunter to call off the wedding in minutes."


    "Knox," Mom warns.


    I don''t even look at her. My eyes are on Finn. And his are finally, finally taking me seriously.


    "I''m assuming there''s a condition," he says slowly.


    "There is. I want Sloane. And I don''t want to share her with you. As soon as you give me your word that you''ll set her free from this cage you''ve kept her in for years, I''ll give you Delh. Heartbroken. Needingfort. You know that''s when she''s most malleable.


    He squints. "What cage did I keep Sloane in?"


    "Cut the bullshit, Finn."


    He frowns, and I know that look-he''s trying to justify it to himself. Trying to pretend he''s not been using her as a ceholder for a decade while chasing a woman who''s crazy.


    "So let me get this straight," he says. "You want me to end my friendship with Sloane... and in return, you''ll help me get Delh back?"


    I smile. "You''re catching on."


    "I can get Delh myself, you know."


    "Really? By kissing your best friend in public? How''d that go for you?"


    He doesn''t answer.


    I go on. "Delh''s hellbent on marrying Hunter. She won''t leave him for you. Not unless Hunter rejects her outright. Just say the magic words, little brother, and get what you want."


    His jaw ticks.


    I step closer, voice low. "Do we have a deal or not?"

 Chapter 32

    CHAPTER 032: Get In My Pants


    ~~SLOANE~~


    ***


    As soon as the door shuts behind Knox, I realize how cold the weather actually is.


    The air nips at my bare skin, prickling goosebumps across my arms and legs, raising every fine hair in protest. Knox had been my heat-his body, his mouth, his hands, his presence. Now that he''s gone, he''s taken all of it with him.


    Shivering, I get up from the chair and walk stiffly toward the heap of clothes tossed over the other seat. There''s a wetness between my legs that makes my steps stickier than they should be.


    I reach down and tug my ruined panties from where they''re bunched against my inner thigh.


    Wrapping thece and the vibrator in a tissue, I shove them deep into my purse. My fingers brush against my phone, and i pull it out.


    The screen lights up.


    Missed calls. So many of them. And texts.


    Finn.


    I bite my lip and scroll through the list.


    ''Where are you?''


    ''Sloane, please answer.''


    ''Tell me you''re okay.''


    ''I''m calling the police if I don''t hear from you in five minutes.''


    ''What the hell is going on?''


    ''I''m sorry if I made you ufortable. Please just respond.''


    I lower the phone slowly.


    Guilt crawls its way up my body.


    Yes, I''m still very much mad at him. But I don''t think I''m as mad as I should be. Those orgasms melted the fight right out of my bones.


    Finn must be panicking. He probably thinks I got lost or abducted or worse. He has no idea I''ve been upstairs for thest-


    How long have I been up here?


    It felt like minutes. Ten, at most. But the lingering pulse between my thighs, the soreness in my body, the dazed nkness in my head-those are not the remnants of a quickie.


    Now I''m thinking about the sex again.


    I remember how Knox looked at me. His teeth at my nipple. The gravel of his voice when he said, Come ride me. The feel of him inside me, filling mepletely while that toy hummed against the most sensitive part of me. I bite my lip, and heat shes through my lower belly, straight to where I''m still aching.


    ? God.


    I want him again.


    This time without a condom.


    Without anything between us.


    I want to feel that piercing inside me.


    "I''m turning into a damn freak," I mutter out loud.


    I shake the thought off and quickly pull on my dress, yanking it down over my hips


    and adjusting the straps. My coat follows, wrapping me in a little bubble of


    Knox left his cigar in the ashtray, barely smoke


    Sessfully unlocked!


    I walk over to it, stare at the dark, ttened edge, and before I can talk mysel, out


    of it, I lift it to my lips. The part his mouth


    had touched.


    It doesn''t taste like him, but it does remind me of something thicker and harder


    he''d shoved down my throat.


    I''m officially losing my mind.


    CHAPTER 032 Get In My Pants


    I drop it in my purse, pick up the umbre, and head for the door, dialing Finn on my way,


    He answers on the first ring.


    "Thank God," he breathes. "Sloane, are you okay? I''ve been trying to reach you."


    "I''m fine," I reply, trying to sound steadier than I feel.


    "Where are you?"


    "Not far."


    "Is that Sloane?" I hear Victoria''s voice faintly in the background.


    "Yes, Mom," Finn answers.


    "See? I told you she was fine. She just panicked, that''s all."


    I open the rooftop door with my free hand.


    "Finn," I hear Knox say. "What''s your answer?"


    Were they together? That''s... weird. It would even be weirder if they''re all


    searching for me when Knox knows exactly where I am.


    "Can you just give me a moment, Knox?" Finn snaps. "At least let me know everything''s fine."


    "Ma''am," a voice says near me.


    I look up. The bouncer is standing just inside the rooftop ess, walking toward


    me.


    "Who is that?" Finn asks. "Where are you?"


    "I''ll call you back."


    "Sloane, wait! Meet me just outside the event venue. In the hallway."


    "Alright," I say and hang up.


    I nce at the bouncer. "Hi," I say. "Thank you for the umbre. I''m heading back downstairs."


    "You''ll need to wait a bit, ma''am. The elevators are experiencing some technical issues."


    "They worked fine when I came up."


    He shrugs. "Temporary problem."


    "I''ll take the stairs."


    "Not in those shoes." He blocks my path.


    I narrow my eyes, just as I hear the unmistakable ding of an elevator arriving.


    "Did Knox tell you to stall me?" I ask.


    He smiles. "I''m just looking out for you."


    "You mean ying jailer."


    "Company policy," he says. "No stairs for people in stilettos."


    "What''s your name?"


    "Joseph."


    "You''re not a very good liar, Joseph."


    "Must be my Christian roots."


    "How much did he pay you?"


    "Who?"


    "Haha. Funny."


    I drop the umbre and sidestep him, bolting down the stairs before he can stop


    me.


    He doesn''t follow. I figured he wouldn''t. Anything else would''ve crossed into kidnapping territory.


    At the bottom, I slip into the elevator and ride it down, adjusting my coat and ignoring the sting in my thighs with every shift. When the doors open to the main floor, I step out and start scanning the hallway.


    There they are.


    Finn. Knox. Victoria.


    Finn sees me first and immediately crosses the space, wrapping me in a hug before I can even speak. His arms are tight around me, grounding and warm.


    "I''m so sorry," he says into my hair.


    CHAPTER 032: Get In My Pants


    "It''s okay," I whisper. "I''m fine."


    He pulls back, inspecting my face. "Were you crying?"


    "I''m fine, Finn."


    My eyes dart to Knox. He''s leaning against the wall, arms crossed, expression unreadable. Beside him, Victoria gives me a long look, her attention alternating between me and Knox, who still hasn''t moved or looked away from me.


    "Let''s go back to the house," Finn says.


    "That''d be a great idea," Victoria adds, stepping forward. "This party has really wom me down."


    I want to speak to Knox. Say something. Anything. But my throat is dry.


    Finally, I manage, "See you tomorrow, Knox."


    He doesn''t respond.


    "Come on, Sloane," Finn says.


    I follow, letting him lead me away, but after making it a few steps toward the exit,


    Knox calls behind us.


    "Wait."


    We turn.


    "Finn," Knox says. "You''ve stalled enough. What''s your answer? Are you in or


    not?"


    I stare at Finn, curious, but he looks away, guilt written all over him.


    "I''m in," he says quietly. "But do it tomorrow. So nothing goes wrong."


    "Great," Knox says. "Do


    mine tonight."


    Finn clenches his jaw, then turns without a word and starts walking, pulling me


    along. I follow him, casting onest look over my shoulder.


    Knox is staring at me.


    He blows a kiss. Mouths, "Goodnight, Kitten."


    My stomach flips.


    I turn around again, suddenly needing to know what their code words back there


    meant.


    "What was that about?" I ask Finn.


    "Nothing you need to worry about."


    We walk out of the building and into the parking lot. I see Victoria heading to her


    car just ahead as I climb into the passenger seat of Finn''s father''s ride.


    Finn starts driving.


    His finger taps against the steering wheel. Again. Again. The silence in the car is


    heavy.


    I check my phone.


    I don''t know why I expect to see a message from Knox.


    There''s nothing there.


    It makes me... ache.


    I nce up to find Finn quickly looking away.


    "What is it?" I ask. "You''ve been acting weird the past few minutes."


    He hesitates.


    "I just... I have this thing I want to ask you," he says, voice low. "But I don''t know


    how."


    "What thing?"


    "Promise to be honest?"


    "When have I ever lied to you?"


    He exhales. Long. Heavy.


    "Sloane, do you have feelings for me?"


    My heart skips. "What?"


    He keeps talking. "It''s not like I never guessed you were crushing on me in


    college. I mean... who didn''t?"


    My pulse quickens.


    "I just need to know if it ever went beyond a silly crush," he says, his voice tight.


    "Was our friendship ever real? Or have you


    CHAPTER 032: Get In My Pants


    spent thest ten years just trying to get in my pants?"

 Chapter 33

    CHAPTER 033: Say My Name


    ***


    ~~FINN~~


    ***


    To be honest, the words sounded a lot better in my head when I formed them.


    There''s a difference between nning the perfect conversation and actually speaking it out loud. Sloane''s eyes are locked on me now, narrowed. I''d been searching for the cleanest way to honor Knox''s deal, because I know my brother- he''s unhinged, and he meant every word he said. So I have to do this. Let Sloane go. Even if it''s just for now. Knox''s obsessions don''tst long. They burn bright and fast, and then they''re gone. He''ll move on. I''ll get Sloane back. And Delh- Delh will be mine once again. That''s how this ys out. That''s how it''s supposed to y out.


    But I can''t do it.


    I can''t.


    The moment I picture Sloane not speaking to me, not sitting beside me, not texting me to tell me how stupid I am, not looking at me like I''m still some kind of good-it''s like the air''s been sucked out of the car. My chest tightens. My breath shortens. She''s been my only real friend for years. The one constant. The only thing that''s ever made sense. If I lose her, what the hell do I have left?


    "I beg your pardon?" she says.


    This is the moment. My cue to double down, make it messy, burn it all so I can walk away clean. That was the n. Get angry. use her of being dishonest. Break the friendship and free her for Knox to devour.


    Only... I can''t.


    My fingers tap nervously on the steering wheel. My throat is dry. The words I was supposed to say are now choking me.


    ¡°I... uh,¡± I start, then stop. "That didn''te out right. I''m sorry."


    "No shit, Finn. I was just about to ask you to stop the car."


    I chuckle, attempting to break the tension. "It''s my mom," I say. "She mentioned it.


    I told her she was wrong, but it''s been stuck in my head for a while. I meant to ask you. Just... didn''t know how."


    "Your mom told you I want to get in your pants?"


    I wince at the mistake of adding Mom into this. "Yeah."


    "And you believed her enough to ask me? If I''m in love with you? If I want to screw you?"


    Well, it''s not like I asked any question I don''t know the answer to.


    I''ve always known.


    Since the day she sat next to me in that economics lecture, iming she got the room wrong. I didn''t believe her. Not for a second. Before that, I''d seen her everywhere. In the hallway outside my journalism ss. In the library when I studiedte. At every campus event I attended, always hovering a few feet away. I''d catch her ncing over her sses, then ducking her head like she didn''t want to be seen. She was stalking me. This strange girl with her bangs and sses was my college


    stalker.


    At first, it had annoyed me. Then it started to amuse me. Most girls who crushed on me were loud about it. Also, they weren''t overly intelligent nerds who constantly had their noses stuck in a book. When she pretended to miss her way and dropped into a seat beside me the day we officially met, I remember thinking, what the hell, might as well keep her around. But she turned out to be funny. Sharp-tongued when she wanted to be. Brutal in her honesty. And she hated every single person I hung out with, especially the ones I took to bed. That alone was entertaining enough to keep her close.


    So yeah, I knew she had feelings for me. I saw it. I wasn''t blind. The way she looked at me when she thought I wasn''t paying attention. The way she''d roll her eyes at whatever girl was clinging to me that week. I just hoped she''d never say it out loud. That I''d never have to say no and watch our friendship crack open down the middle.


    Even now, I don''t want this rtionship to end.


    I can''t imagine life without her. Without her dry wit. Her judgmental eyebrows. Her oddly timed texts. Without her.


    "Of course you love me," I say, trying to sound pravte That''s the way of things."


    frie ''on''t love each other? I love you. You love me.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    She doesn''t respond. My damage control isn''t working.


    I add, "It was stupid of me to ask. My mom just put these weird thoughts in my


    head, and I let it get to me. I''m sorry."


    I can feel her staring at the side of my face, eyes cutting through every lie.


    CHAPTER 033: Say My Name


    But she lets it go.


    "Today was a long day," she says.


    "It was."


    "I can''t wait to get on ne tomorrow."


    "Me too."


    She hesitates, then says, "Does this mean you''ve given up on Delh?"


    The answer is simple.


    No.


    Delh is lightning in a bottle. There''s no one else like her. No clones. No doppelgangers. And yeah, she''s toxic. But I''ve tasted her chaos, and I want it. I crave it. Whoever experiences her would understand why.


    But I can''t say that to Sloane.


    "I think so," I say instead. "She''s made her choice. We''ll be there tomorrow to celebrate with her, wish her a happy marriage."


    Sloane hums. She doesn''t believe me.


    The rest of the ride is quiet. I stare at the road. She stares at the window. The silence between us is heavy. Every bump on the road shakes something loose in me. Panic.


    I don''t want to lose her.


    But I already agreed to.


    Knox isn''t bluffing. He never is. If I don''t give him space to pursue her, he''ll ruin my ns with Delh. But how do I make Sloane stay away from me without her knowing I''m pushing her?


    How do I make Knox believe I''ve ended things? There has to be a way to fake the distance. Just enough to let him make his move. Just enough to get Delh back.


    We pull into the driveway, and before I can even turn off the engine, she''s out of the car and walking fast toward the house. I follow, stepping into the warmth of the


    foyer, where my father is flipping through a men''s magazine.


    "Hope you didn''t wreck the car," he says without looking up.


    "I didn''t. But if I did, I''m sure you''d just get a new one."


    ¡°Oh no,¡± he replies. ¡°You wreck anything of mine now, you''re paying for it.


    Wee to adulthood."


    "Noted, Dad. Goodnight."


    "Finn," he calls after me, "you might be an adult, but I don''t condone sex under my roof."


    I freeze halfway up the stairs. "What?"


    "You and your ''friend"," he says. "No sex in this house."


    I just stand there, staring at the back of his head. I don''t have the energy to argue.


    I climb the rest of the stairs in silence, passing Sloane''s room on my way to mine.


    But then I hesitate. I haven''t said goodnight.


    I push open the door.


    "Sloane?"


    She''s there. Coat off. Dress halfway unzipped. Her chest bare.


    "Finn, what the hell!" she shouts.


    I shut the door and practically flee down the hall, trying not to think about the fact


    that I just saw her naked.


    I sleep like shit. It''s difficult to get a good rest when you''re dreaming about ending


    things with your best friend.


    I wake just after five a.m.


    I''m going to fix this. Sloane just needs to stay away from me during the wedding.


    Just enough to let Knox ruin things. I''m sure if I talk to her in the right manner, she''ll do it for me.


    I grab the house''s spare keys and my phone from the nightstand.


    Leaving my room, I head for Sloane''s room, careful not to make too much noise in


    the hallway. Mom''s a light sleeper.


    I reach Sloane''s door. Locked, as expected.


    It would be pointless to knock. She sleeps like a corpse and isn''t due to wake up


    for at least another two hours.


    I pick a key and twist.


    CHAPTER 033. Say My Name


    The room is dark. I wait for my eyes to adjust, then move to the bed, sit, and shine


    my phone''s screen on her face.


    She''s still asleep, curled on the bed. Mouth slightly open. No sses. Hair a


    mess. Sometimes I forget how different she looks with the sses off.


    To be honest, I don''t know why I''m here.


    I brush a finger through her hair.


    She shifts. Whispers something. I almost don''t catch it.


    "Knox."


    My stomach twists.


    I turn on the bedsidemp. Climb under the covers. Lie beside her.


    "It''s Finn," I whisper to her face. "If you''re going to say a name in your sleep, say mine."


    She doesn''t stir.


    That''s when I realize she''s naked.


    I lift the nket, just a little, more out of instinct than intention. And suddenly I


    can''t look away.


    My eyes travel over her skin.


    Her breasts are soft, flushed from the heat of sleep, the swell of them rising with every breath. Her stomach is smooth, delicate, the kind of softness that makes you want to trace it with your mouth just to see if she shivers. Her hips curve out from her waist, bare and warm and so close to me. I can feel the heat radiating off her skin.


    My throat goes dry. Something tightens low in my gut.


    And then something else stirs-slow, dark, undeniable. An ache I''m not proud of.


    My body reacts anyway. I clench my jaw, shutting my eyes, trying to force it down. Trying to tell myself that this isn''t the time. That this isn''t how I want to remember her. That I shouldn''t be looking at her like this.


    I lower the nket, swallowing hard, and pull it gently over her again-shielding


    her from me.


    Then I gather her closer, drawing her head to my chest.


    listen to her breathing. I try to match it. I try to pretend my heart isn''t racing.


    And I try even harder to forget how much of her I just saw. And how much I wanted more.


    I don''t even realize I''ve drifted off until I feel someone shaking me awake.


    I open my eyes to Sloane frowning down at me, the entire nket wrapped around her like armor.


    "How did you get in?" she says. "And what are you doing here?"

 Chapter 34

    CHAPTER 034: A History With Delh


    ***


    ~~KNOX~~


    ***


    I can hear Hunter retching his guts out in the bathroom, each heave a reminder thatst night did its job. That''s how you know the bachelor party was a sess- when the groom wakes up barely human mungover, and halfway questioning every decision that led to this moment.


    We both got backte. Way after the rehearsal dinner ended. The after-party spiraled into something else entirely-shots of things I couldn''t name, groomsmen and strangers dragging us into different corners of the bar, music too loud to remember what it meant to have coherent thoughts. I have a strong stomach. Always have. But even I pushed my limitst night.


    Now I''m sprawled across Hunter''s hotel room''s couch, one leg hanging off the edge, half-covered with a throw nket I don''t remember grabbing. The air conditioner hums too cold. The light filtering through the curtains is too bright. My head doesn''t hurt, but it''s heavy.


    The bathroom door creaks open. Hunter emerges, pale and damp and dragging his feet. His shirt is wrinkled and riding up his stomach, and there''s a faint ssh of water on the front-probably from when he tried to ssh his face clean and


    missed.


    He groans and copses into the second couch, hand covering his eyes.


    "Man, I gotta call in sick," he mutters.


    I huff a dryugh. "You''ll be fine.¡±


    "I feel like there''s a cannibal inside me slowly eating its way out." His voice is hoarse. "You''re the worst best man ever. You should''ve looked out for me. Now it''s looking like there isn''t going to be a wedding today."


    I sit up slightly, resting my elbows on my knees. Before I can think to stop myself, I hear the words slide out of my mouth:


    "Would you think of me as a bad friend if I said I don''t want the wedding to happen?"


    Hunter snorts. "I think I knew your stand on this wedding from day one. Honestly, I''m surprised you came to Asheville at all. That you agreed to be my best man. You hate my fianc¨¦e. You''ve always hated her."


    I run a hand through my hair. "Well... you''re my friend. I have to partake in your happiness. I have to be happy that you''re happy with Delh."


    ¡°I am happy,¡± he says automatically. Then quieter, like he''s trying to convince himself. "I''m so happy."


    He doesn''t sound happy. He sounds... tired. But that''s probably just the effect of the hangover.


    I sit all the way up now, turning to watch him as he rests there with his eyes still closed.


    "There''s something I need to ask you, Hunt," I say.


    "Shoot."


    "What is it you see in Delh that makes you want her-with everything? With all her ws?"


    He exhales. "I don''t know. She''s just... different."


    . "Different in the way she spends your money?"


    He chuckles. "I don''t mind her spending my money."


    "I just don''t get the appeal."


    "You''d get it if you''d ever dated her."


    That stops me.


    I did date her.


    And it''s because I dated her that I don''t get it.


    Sure, I''ll admit it-Delh back then was a fantasy. Queen bee. Smart, polished, seductive. She had the kind of charm that was engineered. She knew what to say, how to smile, how to flip her hair at just the right moment to keep a boy hypnotized. Being with her back then was like being handed a trophy in front of everyone.


    But the shine wore off fast-ripped away the day I came home and found her riding Finn on my bed.


    Whatever I''d felt before that moment died clean.


    So no, I don''t understand the appeal. I don''t understand the idea of chasing someone who''s made it very clear they don''t want you the same way you want them.


    .........y cise entirely. I want someone whoes unhinged at the thought of me. Someone who spirals when I touch them. Who trembles under my stare. I want madness. Possession. I want devotion.


    Andtely, when I think of those things, it''s her face I see.


    Sloane.


    The girl Finn couldn''t stop talking about through those phone calls, emails, and letters he sent to me from college. His so-called "best friend." The stalker. The girl who somehow wove herself into every story he told for a solid two years before I came back home. The girl who hovered and watched and obsessed-yet never walked away. I''d always wondered how that fire didn''t turn him on.


    And when I met her at the airport, I knew.


    I wasn''t going to be able to keep my hands off her.


    So yeah-Delh? The one who flirts like she''s bored? Who makes people feel like


    they''re lucky just to be options? She doesn''t do it for me.


    Sloane, though?


    She''s a storm. I intend to milk every one of those crazinesses from her until I''ve consumed her fully.


    Maybe I''ve let this Delh situation go too far. Hunter deserves better too.


    "Hunt," I say, voice low, "there''s something I need to tell you. Something I should''ve told you a long time ago."


    He doesn''t open his eyes. "Is it going to worsen my headache?"


    "Probably."


    He pops one eye open, peering at me sideways. Then he groans and peels himself upright, hands cradling his forehead. "Alright," he says. "Spit it out."


    I take a breath. "First of all, I just want to say that I''m really sorry for keeping this from you. I know I''m a terrible friend, and I know this is going to hit hard, but please... just know I''m telling you now because I want what''s best for you, and I can''t keep lying to you. Don''t hate me for it."


    Hunter groans. "You''re not helping my headache, man."


    "Just hear me out-"


    "Hopefully before the third world war?" he cuts in.


    I chuckle. "Yeah. Okay. So... about your bride-to-be-"


    The hotel phone rings.


    Hunter sighs and stands, swaying slightly before walking to the table and picking


    it up.


    "Hello?" A pause. His brows lift in surprise. "A visitor? Name, please." His eyes dart to me. "Alright... send her up.¡±


    He hangs up and turns to me, still looking surprised.


    "Who was it?" I ask.


    "Reception. Apparently, your brother''s best friend wants to see me. Does she


    know you''re here?"


    "Sloane?"


    He nods. "Yeah. She''s on her way up."


    I shift on the couch, my hangover suddenly forgotten. My legs spread slightly, and my hands nt against the cushions, every part of me alert now. There''s a thrum in my blood that has nothing to do with the aftermath ofst night and everything to do with her.


    Sloane.


    Even hearing her name on Hunter''s lips just now was enough to stir something low in my gut. The kind of stirring that makes my pants tighten and my jaw tense. This is trouble-I know it. But if troublees with her, then I''ll take it every time. I''m watching the door now. So is Hunter. He looks intrigued. Curious. Eventually, the knockes.


    Hunter crosses the room and pulls the door open, and there she is.


    "Sloane, right?" he asks.


    "Mr. ckwell," she says, stiffly. "I don''t think we''ve officially met."


    "We''ve not. Please, call me Hunter."


    "May Ie in, Hunter?"


    CHAPTER 034: A History With Delh


    He swings the door wide, and she steps in-and immediately locks eyes with me.


    She''s in tiny shorts and an oversized white T-shirt that slides off one shoulder, the sleeves cuffed carelessly at the arms. Her hair is tied up, a few strands escaping, framing her face in the most chaotic and perfect way. No makeup. No jewelry. Just bare skin and fire in her eyes.


    And I can''t stop looking at her.


    I don''t have long to admire her because she storms in.


    "You," she seethes, pointing directly at me. "How dare you?"


    I blink. "How dare me what?"


    "You tried to sabotage my friendship with Finn. Who gave you the right?"


    Her voice is sharp. Controlled. But I can hear it-the hurt just under the anger. I


    rise slowly to my feet, but she retreats a step, lifting a hand between us like a


    barrier.


    "Don''t," she snaps.


    "Sloane..."


    "Don''t you dare touch me, Knox."


    Hunter is already closing the door, his brows drawn in confusion. He clears his throat. "What is going on?"


    Sloane turns to him, and it takes her no time tounch into her exnation.


    "Mr. ckwell," she says, voice trembling with fury, "your friend is a terrible person. He made a deal with his brother, saying he would make you call off the wedding if Finn ended his friendship with me. Obviously, there''s something he''s been hiding from you-something he ns to use to make you walk away from Delh. I just thought you should know."


    Then she spins on me, expression cold.


    "You''ll see how it feels, Knox."


    I should be worried.


    Hell, I am worried. That little bomb she just dropped is going to blow a crater in


    the middle of my friendship with Hunter. And she knows it.


    But somehow, all I can think about is the way her eyes ze when she''s angry. The way her chest rises and falls with the weight of her fury. The curve of her thigh under those damn shorts. This-this fury, this power-is intoxicating. She''s going to end up under me today, one way or another. I want to absorb this passion by burying myself inside her.


    Hunter''s voice puts a halt to my wild thoughts.


    "Knox," he says, "what is she talking about?"


    I keep my eyes on Sloane for a beat longer than I should. Then I turn to him.


    "This... isn''t how I wanted you to find out."


    "Find out what?"


    I hesitate.


    Sloane crosses her arms, watching me like she''s waiting for me to choke on my


    own lies.


    . I sigh. ¡°I had a history with Delh."


    Hunter''s jaw tightens. "A history?"


    "We dated. In high school."


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 Chapter 35

    CHAPTER 035: Our Bet


    ***


    ~~SLOANE~~


    I don''t think I can see beyond the cloud of rage in front of my eyes.


    I stand still, arms folded over my chest, watching the two of them-Knox and


    Hunter-staring each other down like opponents in a ring. Knox''s face, as always, is unreadable. Hunter, on the other hand, looks... tired and confused.


    Today isn''t turning out as I expected it to. It''sing with a lot of anger.


    It started the moment I opened my eyes to find someone beneath me. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. But when I turned, ready to fight, ready to scream or hit or run, I saw Finn. Lying on my bed like he belonged there. Said he couldn''t sleep. Said he needed to talk.


    That was when he told me.


    That Knox had asked him to end our friendship. Because Knox wanted me.


    I couldn''t breathe. Couldn''t think. Just grabbed whatever clothes I could find, yanked them on, and demanded one thing: tell me where Hunter is staying. Finn knew. Delh had mentioned it while her tongue was apparently halfway down his throat the day I flew into Asheville.


    So here I am.


    Not because I wanted to be noble. Not because I thought Hunter deserved the truth. No. I came here for one thing. Revenge. I wanted to see Knox squirm. I wanted to throw his games right back in his face. To unravel something for once- just like he always unraveled me.


    And then I saw him standing in this room with Hunter.


    So much better. He''d witness me giving him a taste of his own dish.


    But Knox isn''t showing even the faintest hint of emotion. Just calm,posed silence. And somehow, that makes the rage burn hotter in my chest. Something about this doesn''t feel like a victory. Not yet. Not the way I imagined it.


    Not until he finally breaks.


    "You dated Delh?" Hunter finally asks, putting an end to the silence. Knox''s hands slide into his pockets, his eyes steady on Hunter. "I did."


    "I''ve been with Delh for a while now. You didn''t think to tell me?"


    ¡°I thought it didn''t matter back then. It looked like a fling. No need digging up ancient history. But then you got serious. You proposed. I didn''t know how to tell you."


    Hunter stares at him, stunned. "How about starting with, ''Hunter, I was once fucking your fianc¨¦e?'' That might''ve cleared the air."


    "It doesn''t matter, Hunt. These histories... they don''t mean anything."


    "They don''t mean anything to you," Hunter cuts in. "I don''t even understand how


    that could be possible. Were you screwing your brother''s girl?"


    A tight tick pulses in Knox''s jaw. The first break in hisposure. "You know I wouldn''t do that."


    "Do I? Because right now, it sounds like I don''t know you at all. We''ve both dated the same girl. So has your brother. And you used the fate of my wedding to manipte him? Just to get close to his best friend?"


    "Me wanting to jeopardize your wedding shouldn''te as a surprise to you."


    "No, Knox. I''ve always known you were a bit of a dick, but you''ve never turned that toward me." Hunter''s voice is quieter now. Almost too calm. "Today''s my wedding day, man."


    My stomach twists.


    I shouldn''t havee.


    The longer I stand, the more the fire in my che Sessfully unlocked! What am I doing?


    I came here swinging, ready to set a match to someone''s life on their wedding day. A man I barely know. A man who-until I told him the news-had done nothing but smile politely at me. I was so sure I was right, so sure Knox deserved to be exposed, that I didn''t stop to ask myself why. Why I was here. Why it mattered this much. Why I let myself get pulled so


    deep into his orbit that I forgot how to breathe outside it.


    I''m not the vengeful type. Not really. I don''t make scenes or shatter worlds. But today, I walked into a hotel room with every Intention of ruining a friendship, just to prove a point. Just to make Knox hurt.


    And now I''m standing here, watching the hurt bloom in someone else''s face- someone innocent-and I''m wondering who I''ve be.


    Knox makes me mad. Unreasonably mad. Furious in a way that fogs the edges of my judgment. He gets under my skin, into my bloodstream, rewires my thoughts until I can''t even think straight. And maybe that''s what scares me most. Not what I did. But the way he makes me do it. The way he makes me forget who I am.


    "I''m sorry, Hunter," Knox says softly. "I never meant for any of this to happen." Hunter steps back. "I need you both to leave. Right now."


    "Hunter-"


    "Please." His voice hardens. "I want to be alone."


    I don''t wait to be told again. I move for the door, pull it open, and step into the


    hallway. The second it shuts behind me, I start walking.


    Then I hear it. The door opens again. Footsteps. Rapid. Coming closer.


    I speed up.


    The footsteps get louder.


    "Sloane," Knox calls.


    I break into a run, but it''s toote. He catches up in just a few strides, wraps an


    arm around my waist, and lifts me clean off the floor. Then he throws me over his shoulder.


    "Knox-what the hell-put me down!"


    "If you want to start fires, Kitten,¡± he says, ¡°you better be willing to feel the heat.¡±


    I squirm and p his back. "Let me go, or I swear to God I will scream."


    We turn a corner. He doesn''t even slow down. A few pacester, he stops in front


    of a door, pulls out a key card, and swipes it. The lock clicks open, and he steps inside the suite.


    The door shuts behind us.


    The room is dark at first until he turns the light on. Sleek furniture. A king-sized bed. Floor-to-ceiling windows covered in ckout drapes. His scent is everywhere-clean and musky andpletely him.


    He sets me down.


    I bolt for the door, but he catches me again, gently this time, spinning me around


    until I''m facing him.


    "Are you happy now?" he asks, low and controlled.


    My chest rises and falls. "Don''t put this on me. You told Finn to dump me just so


    you could be with me."


    "You make it sound like you two were dating."


    "We weren''t. That''s the whole point. Friendships can be more important than sexual rtionships."


    "Is that right?" he murmurs, stepping closer.


    "Of course you wouldn''t know anything about that. That''s why you tried to screw your friend over just to fuck me."


    His hand cups the back of my neck-firm. "You''re right. I do want to fuck you. And right now, the only thing you''ve seeded in doing is turning me on more."


    "Stay away from me, Knox."


    I step back. He follows.


    Until my back meets the wall.


    "Do you think that stunt back there will break me and Hunter apart?" he asks.


    His eyes fall on my lips. Then they travel to my chest.


    And even as my pulse pounds with anger, my body-traitorous, aching-responds to him.


    "There''s something you need to understand about me, Sloane," he says. "The people I want... they always want me back. They can''t help it. Just like you."


    He slips a hand beneath the hem of my shirt, brushing his palm up until it covers one breast through the bra. He leans in, mouth close to mine. I can smell him- cologne, skin, the faint trace of smoke and alcohol. His touch is rough, familiar. Electric.


    CHAPTER 035: Our Bet


    "You hate me," he says. "But you want me. I can feel it. Hear it in your voice."


    My back presses tighter to the wall.


    "Hunter wille around," he whispers. "A few days or weeks from now, give or take. He''ll need time to adjust after calling off the wedding."


    "Calling off the wedding? You''re out of your mind if you think him finding out about Delh dating you will make him call off his wedding."


    His hand goes behind me to my bra sp, and with a swift, confident motion, he undoes it. As soon as the bra is hanging loosely around my chest, he traces his fingers from underneath, skimming the sensitive skin until he reaches my bare breast. He rolls my nipple between his fingers, and I tremble, anger and desire coursing through me. My body betrays me despite the whirlwind of emotions raging inside me.


    "You''re just trying to make yourself feel better for ruining the wedding,¡± he says, his fingers still on my nipple. "He won''t call it off, Knox. That''d be insane."


    He draws back suddenly, his hands gripping my shoulders. Before I can react, he flips me over, nting my chest against the wall. Hees close, his breath hot on my neck, his body pinning me in ce. I can feel his hardness pressing against me. I try to push back, to create some space between us, but he''s unyielding, his strength overpowering my struggles. His hand snakes around my waist, his fingers finding their way back to my breast. I can feel my resolve weakening, my body melting into his touch. I hate him for what he''s done, for the way he''s manipting me, but I can''t deny the desire that''s coursing through my veins. I''m trapped in a web of my own making, and I''m not sure I want to find a way out.


    "You know what''s even more insane?" he says, his voice a low growl in my ear. "You singlehandedly gave me everything I needed to win our bet, Kitten."


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 Chapter 36

    CHAPTER 036: Get What You Want


    His hand moves quickly to my shorts, unzipping them and pushing his hand inside through my pants until he finds my heat. He draws moisture from there to my clit and begins circling. I''m panting and moaning now, my body moving to the rhythm of his touch.


    "Our bet?" I manage to gasp out.


    "Have you forgotten so soon? We made a bet. Wedding doesn''t happen, you be mine."


    I shake my head, trying to clear the fog of lust that''s clouding my thoughts. "Those were not the terms. You said you''d chase me."


    "Same difference."


    "I have to go talk to him. To Hunter. He can''t stop the wedding."


    "I think you''ve done enough talking today, Kitten," he says, his fingers no longer torturing my clit but pushing inside me. I can feel my body responding, my hips pressing back against him, seeking more of his touch. "You came here to call me a terrible person for wanting to destroy my friend''s wedding, a wedding with a woman who doesn''t deserve him. But you''re insisting the wedding must happen, for selfish reasons; you want to set Finn free while caging another man. Who exactly is the terrible person here?"


    He pulls his fingers out of me and starts pushing my shorts and panties down.


    "Hunter''s not my friend. I don''t owe him any moral obligation," I spit out.


    "But good people are good all around. Do you think you''re a good person, Sloane?"


    "I have to go talk to Hunter, I insist, but my words are weak, my body melting into his touch. He holds my waist with one hand and keeps pushing the shorts and panties below with the other.


    "Why? Because you still want to save your friend?" he asks.


    "Fuck you."


    "This friend you care so much about quickly screwed you over to get his hands on Delh. Yet here you are, still fighting for him. What''s a man gotta do to get that much devotion from you?"


    I can feel him fumbling with his belt behind me, the sound of the buckle clinking sending a tremor through me. I came here ready to take him down. Now I''m pushing my ass toward him, arching just right as he puts on a condom. Once the condom is on, he grips my hair, bringing the back of my head closer to him and biting my ear.


    I whimper, raising my right hand to touch his head. Something about hisst statement registers in my head.


    "What do you mean by ''screwed me over''?" I say.


    "When I asked him to pick between Delh and you, who do you think he chose?" "What do you mean?"


    He slowly pushes into me, and I moan, the sensation of him filling me overwhelming. My legs are too close together, so him pushing in feels fuller than before. I can feel my body stretching to amodate him, the sensation both painful and pleasurable.


    "Knox..." I say, panting and trying to open my legs but can''t get beyond the prison of my shorts hanging down my thigh. He ms the rest of the way in, hard and deep, and I scream, my head spinning.


    "He chose Delh," he says.


    "He''d never do that."


    He pulls out and rams into me again, and I see stars. My vision blurs at the edges.


    "When you met us on your way back from the rooftop, what do you remember hearing?" he asks.


    I try to remember, but the feeling of him going in and out of me is too distracting. My thoughts are scattered and disjointed. "You''re not thinking," he says.


    "I''m trying to."


    "Try harder," hemands, catching both of my hands behind my back as though he''s about to arrest me, and then he increases the pace. He draws me to himself with each thru


    "Knox..." I moan. My body is on fire, my mind a Sessfully unlocked! "Think, Kitten."


    "Oh, fuck," I gasp, my body trembling with the effort of trying to think straight.


    "You always feel so good when you grip me. So wet. So warm."


    CHAPTER 036: Get What You Want


    "Just keep going, please."


    "Things will only get better and more pleasurable if you think."


    He ps my ass, the sound echoing in the room, and I moan, the sensation sending waves of heat through my body.


    "You''re not making it easy for me to concentrate," I manage.


    He pulls out of me, leaving me feeling empty for a second. Before I can even react, his hand is under me, fingers sliding through my folds and wiggling around inside me, gathering moisture. After a while, he pulls them out and buries his dick in me again.


    Suddenly, I feel something cold and wet at my ass. I tense up for a moment, but he doesn''t give me time to think. He pushes a finger inside, and the feeling is strange but not unpleasant. I moan louder, my body ame. A pressure is building deep inside me, a sensation that''s both familiar and new. Each thrust drives me closer to the edge, my body trembling with anticipation and need.


    "Think, Sloane," he says, his finger and dick maintaining the same rhythm. "Oh, God."


    I close my eyes and throw my head back in bliss. He only increases his pace, his hips mming against mine, his body pinning me in ce.


    ¡°Fuckkk,¡± I scream. ¡°I remember," I begin, stopping short of breath. "You asked him something. He replied that he''s in."


    "And?" he prompts.


    I try to form coherent thoughts, but it''s impossible with the sensation of his body moving against mine. "Finn said something else," I manage to gasp out. "Do it tomorrow."


    And then it begins toe back to me, the memory ofst night, the words that were exchanged. Knox saying, "Do mine tonight," Finn trying to start a fight in the car afterwards.


    "Oh, my god," I moan, on the brink of an orgasm. "I''m going to cum."


    "I know, Kitten. And I won''t let you."


    He pulls away entirely.


    I turn around, confused. "Knox," I say, my voice a mix of desperation and pleasure. ¡°Where do you think you''re going? You asked me to remember. I do now."


    He just stands there, a few feet away, staring at me, his eyes dark with desire and something else, something more intense. "I''m d you do," he says. "I want you


    so badly that I get angry at the thought of you putting your attention anywhere else but on me. I won''t share you, Sloane."


    He slowly withdraws and sits on the bed, his dick still hard and pointing to the ceiling.


    My insides tingle just staring at it.


    "When you''re done thinking and epting my terms of exclusivity," he says, ¡°you


    get on your hands and knees, crawl to me, ande get what you want."


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 Chapter 37

    CHAPTER 037: On My Face


    I stare at him.


    Knox is sitting at the edge of the bed, his dick hard and glistening, his eyes fixed


    on me.


    I know what he wants me to do. I know what I want too-my body still aches with the emptiness he left in me, a slow, smoldering burn where his fingers and length had been.


    "Can we talk about this afterwards?" I ask, trying to bargain the only way my faltering senses allow


    He smiles. "No."


    Then he bends and starts peeling his shoes off, letting each fall with a dull thud against the hardwood floor. His socks follow. His fingers go to his pants next, sliding them down, taking his boxers with them, never once standing. For the first time, I catch a glimpse of his thighs. Muscr, with veins mapping their way down to his calves. Once the pants and boxers are on the floor, he pinches the condom, takes it off, ties it, and tosses it to the floor beside the heap of clothes.


    I don''t once look away. My eyes are stuck to the thick length between his legs, the way it twitches. The veins. My core clenches.


    I pull my shirt over my head and toss it at him. Itnds on his pants. Next go the unsped bra, the shorts and panties still tangled around my thighs. Then my shoes. I stand there, bare and breathing heavily.


    His gaze moves down my body, lingering on my breasts, the curves of my hips. He bites his lower lip.


    "You''re really going to make me choose?" I ask.


    "I am."


    "If I say no, you''re going to let me walk out?"


    "I am," he repeats.


    I nce at his erection. "You''re just going to waste that?"


    "I''ll jerk off imagining I was inside you."


    "You''re ckmailing me."


    He leans back slightly, bracing himself on his palms. "You have a choice. Do you want a steady supply of good sex, or do you want to go back to my brother? There are a thousand things I could teach you. Pleasurable things. All you have to do is say you''re mine."


    My breathing turns shallow.


    He makes it sound simple. But my head is spinning.


    Finn chose Delh. He didn''t even hesitate. And yet here I am, hesitating over a man who''s offering me everything he is- even if ites wrapped in sharp edges and trouble. What would I even be doing if I wasn''t worrying about Finn? I don''t exactly have a long list of people lining up to hang out with me. My sister moved out months ago, moved in with a guy who looks like a blond in photos but who she insists is ginger. I see my parents once a month. My whole social life is... Finn. Knox leans sideways, reaching for the drawer beside the bed. The motion is smooth, unhurried. He doesn''t even look away from me as his hand slips inside and pulls out a small bottle.


    Clear. Familiar.


    Lubricant.


    He pops the cap with a soft click, tips it, and squeezes a slow line of gel into his palm. Then he tosses the bottle back into the drawer and shuts it with his leg.


    His fingers close around himself, and then-


    He begins to stroke.


    I can''t look away.


    His hand glides down his shaft with practiced ease, spreading the slickness. His fingers wrap tighter on the upstroke, twisting at the top, teasing the head. Again. And again. And again. Every motion is purposeful. Meant to tease. Meant to torment. His breathing is steady. His body, rxed. But the tension in the room is anything but.


    Every pump of his hand is a silentmand.


    And I feel it everywhere.


    In the pit of my stomach.


    In the pulse between my legs.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    My thighs press together, trying to relieve the ache building between them. But it doesn''t help. It only makes it worse.


    0


    CHAPTER 037: On My Face


    He doesn''t say a word. Just watches me with that expression he wears so well- half control, half hunger. He keeps going. Up. Down, Slow twist. A grunt escapes his throat-barely-but it hits me in the gut.


    I want to touch him. Want to take over. But I stay frozen.


    "I''d rather be inside you right now," he finally says.


    I lick my lips. "I want that too."


    "Thene to me, Sloane. Or when I cum, the window''s closed,"


    "Knox..."


    "Come on, Kitten."


    The way he says that-Kitten-makes something flutter low in my belly, I drop to my


    hands and knees, each breath catching as I start to crawl.


    "That''s it," he murmurs, his hand still pumping.


    I reach him. He catches a handful of my hair, angling my face up.


    "Say the words."


    I stare up at him. "I''m yours. Can I have a taste now?"


    He grins, all teeth.


    "You can have anything you want from now on, Kitten."


    I wrap my hand around the base of his cock and slide my mouth over him. The taste is a mix of gel and him-salty, heady, familiar. He lets out a low moan, hips twitching. His hand stays in my hair, guiding me, pressing me deeper until I gag a little.


    "I love how you take it,¡± he groans. ¡°This mouth-this throat-was made for me. You''ve been depriving it of what it needs, a good piece of meat to choke on."


    I hum around him, eyes lifting to meet his. He holds my gaze as I bob my head, tongue swirling. His thighs tighten. The way he grips my hair gets rougher. "Keep your eyes on me, baby. Just like that."


    I keep sucking, working him slow, then fast, taking him as deep as I can, letting


    my lips glide and tighten with each pull. I


    can feel the tension building in him, the way he gets closer with every stroke of my tongue.


    Then he pulls my head off him with a hiss.


    He climbs backward up the bed until his head hits the pillow.


    "Come sit on my face while you suck it."

 Chapter 38

    CHAPTER 038: Normal People Ask Silly Questions


    I climb up after him, swing a leg over his face, and nt my knees on either side


    of his head. Then I go down a little. "When I say sit, you fucking smother me. Do you understand?"


    "Yes," I whisper.


    I start to lower myself again, hesitating just enough that my center brushes his


    nose.


    "You''re not listening," he growls.


    Then he grips my hips and pulls me all the way down.


    The first swipe of his tongue makes my thighs tremble.


    I grind against him without thinking, moaning as his mouth devours me. He


    doesn''t lick. He feasts. Tongue t and firm, then pointed and teasing. My hips start moving on their own, rubbing me deeper into his face.


    He groans into me, and I nearly copse.


    Lifting me up a little, he says, "Put my dick in your mouth, Sloane."


    I lean forward, reach between us, and take him back in my mouth.


    And just like that, I''m riding his tongue while sucking him, pleasure coursing through me in every direction. He starts fucking me with his tongue, deep and slow, then fast and relentless.


    I''m trying to focus. Trying to keep my breathing steady. My hands are nted on the sheets beside his hips, my mouth wrapped around him, but every ounce of control is slipping.


    Because he''s not just licking me. He''s devouring me.


    His hands are gripping my thighs, keeping me locked in ce over his face, and I try to keep sucking him, try to stay with it, but my rhythm stutters the second his tongue slides back inside me. Deep. Firm.


    "Knox," I gasp, his name breaking free around him in my mouth.


    He groans against me, and the vibration sends a jolt up my spine. My thighs tremble. My grip on his shaft slips. My mouth falls open.


    I almost bite down when it happens-when the orgasm rips through me without warning. I choke back the cry, but my body gives me away. My legs lock, my hips twitch forward, and my vision goes white.


    I''m still trembling when he moves.


    One second, I''m panting above him, trying toe back to earth. The next, I''m t on my back and then flipped-legs pushed up, back arched, my shoulders bearing most of my weight as he lifts me effortlessly into position.


    And then he pushes inside me.


    I cry out, my hands scrabbling at the sheets, because the sensation is different- richer. There''s nothing between us. No condom.


    Just skin.


    My eyes fly open. "Knox," I gasp. "You''re not wearing-"


    "I know," he says, voice strained, eyes locked on where we''re joined. "I needed to feel all of you."


    And God, I feel all of him.


    Every inch. Every ridge. The curve of his piercing dragging against something wickedly sensitive inside me. The pulse of his cock matching the erratic rhythm of my heart. He''s deeper than he''s ever been.


    I gasp. "Oh, fuck. I''m not on birth control."


    "We''ll get you on it," he grits out, still moving.


    Every push inside me is devastating. It feels like I''m being split apart and sewn back together in the same breath.


    I can feel him everywhere. Not just deep inside me but high up, against ces that make my toes curl. My body clenches instinctively every time he thrusts in, like I''m trying to keep him there.


    "Don''t stop," I whisper, breath hitching. "God, don''t stop. It''s-fuck-it''s so good.¡± "I don''t n to, Kitten."


    Sessfully unlocked!


    I feel him speeding up. His breathing grows ragged. His grip on my hips tightens.


    The thick ridge of him twitches inside me,


    and I know he''s close.


    "Knox-" I start, barely able to form the words.


    "You want something, Kitten?" he pants, eyes locked on mine.


    CHAPTER 038: Normal People Ask Silly Questions


    "You gotta pull out."


    He grits his teeth, thrusts harder. "Cum for me first. I want to feel you squeezing"


    And I do.


    I let go.


    The orgasm ms into me with the force of a freight train. My body shakes so violently it feels like I might shatter. My legs tremble, my fingers w at his arms, and I want to run, to curl away from how hard it hits-but he holds me down. Keeps going.


    Keeps fucking me through it.


    And then, just as I feel him start to lose control, he pulls out with a curse and pumps himself twice-three times-and spills all over my stomach with a low, guttural groan.


    "You''d better get on that birth control soon," he says, still panting. "Next one goes inside you."


    My back finally drops t onto the bed, spine curving down like I''ve been unplugged.


    "It doesn''t work that fast," I mumble, eyes half-lidded, legs too weak to move. "You''ll just end up getting me pregnant." Heughs-a deep, slow chuckle that vibrates in my chest.


    Then he shifts beside me, lying down, one arm tucked behind his head as he stares at the ceiling.


    "You know," I say, dragging the words out slowly, "other normal people would just ask... ''Can you be my girlfriend, Sloane?" He turns to look at me. "Are you implying I''m normal?"


    "I''m saying most people don''t negotiate exclusivity mid-orgasm."


    "Asking you out sounds so high school, don''t you think? Someone like me... I''m more likely to kidnap you and chain you to my bed than ask a silly question like that."


    I stare at him, heart pounding.


    "Does this imply that I''m your girlfriend now?"


    He smirks. "You''re mine, aren''t you?"

 Chapter 39

    CHAPTER 039: He Knows Where I Live


    Almost an hourter, I''m in Knox''s car, staring at the imposing building of his parents'' house.


    I''m supposed to walk in and end what''s left of my friendship with Finn."


    But I don''t move.


    Back at the hotel, I''d been sofortable enjoying the back and forth between me and Knox. It had been easy to pretend the world didn''t exist when it was just us, tangled in bedsheets and breathless masifs-Knox, it seems, only needs a few minutes to regain his erection after blowing a load, which had been exhaustingly pleasurable.


    But at some point, he announced that his chartered jet was leaving for New York in two hours.


    And just like that, reality sank in. No more denial. No more yful distractions. The time hade.


    I haven''t been able to say much since the beginning of the drive here. Not since he turned the key and started the engine. My mind''s been a mess of noise and silence, one crashing against the other until all I could do was stare out the window. I have to do this.


    End things with Finn. He deserves that.


    But my hand won''t reach for the door.


    Knox drums his fingers against the steering wheel, the rhythmic tap pulling me back to the present. I can feel his gaze on me, but I don''t turn my head. I can''t. Not yet. I just keep staring at the house like it might open its mouth and swallow me whole.


    "Any day now, Sloane," he says, his voice low and teasing.


    "I..." I begin, feeling the words getting stuck in my throat. "Finn won''t take this well."


    "I know. But a deal''s a deal. He got what he wanted. Hunter called off the wedding."


    I jerk my head toward him. "He did? When did you find out?"


    He stares at me for a beat, like he''s deciding whether to say more. Then, "Just do


    what you have to, Bunny. I''ll exin better on the flight."


    "Bunny? Seriously?"


    "Bunny''s an upgrade from Kitten, don''t you think?"


    "A kitten grows into a cat, not a bunny."


    "So... you want me to call you Cat?"


    I flip him off and push the door open. He''s smiling as I step out.


    "That''s the fire I remember," he says, just before I shut the door.


    I take a deep breath and begin the slow walk to the front door, each step heavier than thest. The house looms before me, silent and still. I hesitate at the threshold, my hand hovering over the doorknob. Finally, I push it open and step inside. Everywhere''s quiet, and I''m thankful for that.


    I make my way upstairs, passing my room and heading straight to Finn''s. I knock softly, then push the door open.


    And freeze.


    ? Delh is curled against Finn''s chest, still in her wedding gown, mascara streaking down her cheeks like war paint. Her sobs are muffled, but her pain fills the room like smoke.


    "He disgraced me, Finn," she chokes out.


    "I know, cupcake. Cry it out," Finn says gently, brushing her hair back.


    He nces up when he hears the door and meets my eyes. Doesn''t flinch. Just


    smiles-soft and guilty-and raises one finger like, give me a minute.


    I stare at him. Just stare.


    And suddenly, I don''t understand why I thought this would be hard.


    God. Moments like this are everything.


    Thest nail in the coffin of years I spent chasing scraps ection giving, never receiving a damn thing that didn''t have wate


    Sessfully unlocked!


    of cleaning up his messes. Of giving, always Somewhere beneath it.


    There was nothing I wouldn''t have done for Finn.


    And it took him less than a heartbeat to pick her when his brother gave him the choice. "Congrattions, Finn," I say, my voice even. "You got what you wanted."


    !


    COOTER 039: He Knows Where I Live


    Delh lifts her head, smearing tears over his shirt. Her eyes, rimmed in ck, narrow on me.


    "What is she doing here?" she asks. "She caused this. She told Hunter. I don''t want her here. Send her away!"


    "It''s alright, babe," Finn murmurs. "I got this." He turns to me again, eyes almost pleading. "Just for a couple of minutes, Sloane."


    I nod once. "It''s fine. Goodbye, Finn."


    And then I close the door behind me.


    The hallway blurs. I don''t even feel the tears at first. Not until one slips warm and slow down my cheek.


    I wipe it away and keep moving. Back to my room. To my suitcase. To leaving.


    I start pulling my clothes from the drawers and hangers, tossing them in without order. Every motion stings. Every folded shirt, every forgotten sock feels like a piece of me being peeled back.


    I hate that I''m crying. But I also don''t stop.


    Not until the bag is full, the room empty, and I''m standing in the middle of it all. I


    take onest look around before heading downstairs.


    At the foot of the stairs, I see Victoria by the window, staring out. She turns as she hears me.


    "Sloane, dear," she says. "Are you leaving?"


    "Yes." I descend thest step. "I didn''t get a chance to say thank you for the


    hospitality. I''m really going to miss my stay here."


    "You''re always wee," she says coolly. "Is Finn not going with you?"


    "I don''t think so. I''ve got work tomorrow. Mondays and all."


    "Right." She tilts her chin toward the window. "Well, have a safe flight-although your choice inpanionship is... questionable."


    I don''t need to follow her gaze to know she''s talking about Knox. Whatever history


    or tension exists between them, I''m not ready to untangle it-not now. Right now,


    the only thing I am ready for is to get out of here and go home.


    I smile faintly. "Thanks again, Victoria."


    I head to the door, but the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs stops me. I look


    up to see Finn''s father descending, his face red with anger.


    "Honey," he says, not even ncing at me, heading straight for Victoria, "are you aware that Finn snuck that vile woman into this house?"


    Victoria''s brows lift. "What vile woman?"


    "That Delh girl."


    "She''s here?"


    "In his room." He growls. "I''ve told that boy what I''d do if I ever saw her in my house. I''m going to set that bed on fire if he doesn''t get her out."


    He starts back up the stairs.


    "Sweetheart," Victoria calls, lifting the hem of her robe as she hurries after him. "Don''t do anything too hasty. Let me talk to him first."


    I hesitate, almost tempted to stay, to see the fallout.


    But no. I have a flight to catch.


    I step outside and walk toward Knox''s car. He rolls down the window as I


    approach.


    "You''re not even going to change your outfit?" he calls. "Maybe wear something longer?"


    "Why?" I shout back. "I love the shorts."


    "Yeah, and now everyone''s going to see the legs that belong to me."


    I roll my eyes and head to the back of his car, tapping the trunk with my knuckles.


    When Knox opens it, I toss my bag in.


    Then I hear it-footsteps pounding across the porch. I turn to see that Finn has burst out of the house, his hair a mess, Delh trailing behind him in her wedding gown.


    "Sloane!" he yells. "What the hell? Where are you going?"


    I don''t answer. Just open the passenger door, slide into Knox''s car, and m the


    door shut.


    My hands tremble slightly as I click the seatbelt into ce.


    Cinn ie velling something again, something unintelligible.


    CHAPTER 8 we eers here Live


    Know nces at me. "You didn''t tell him you were leaving?"


    Know shifts into gear but waits. Finn''s sprinting toward us now. He reaches the


    car just in time to p the side mirror and grab the locked door handle, rattling it like it might give way


    I''ming for you. Know he shouts. "You won''t get away with this!"


    Knox rolls his eyes. "Very original"


    He presses the gas, and we lurch forward. In the rearview mirror, I watch as Finn kicks a hedge in frustration and Delh just stands there, arms wrapped around herself, looking like a broken doll in silk.


    My phone starts ringing


    1 silence it and stare out the


    "You''re going to have to confront him, you know? Knox says.


    1 don''t want to


    I didn''t think you were capable of ghosting anyone. Let alone Finn."


    "Well'' i murmur you don''t know me very well.


    "But I will, Bunny. Or should I call you Car


    "Just drive Know, I say smiling despite everything


    The phone rings again. And again. Message notificationse next. I don''t open


    a single one.


    Finally, I grower in off


    We dive in silence for a while, winding through the eriges of kaheville, and we get


    to the airport. We pass through the private teresimal and onto the farmmar The jet awaits, and after a few minutes of processing, we''re boarding


    Amside, ime face for face with insu


    He''s sitting by one of the windows, knocking back whiskey like it''s water When he sees me, he freezes, "Akanter:" I start, mostly out of exmation rather than actually having something to say


    "Doxit" he says "Tim only on this fight but how this ce immediately. And Knox had already paid. So we''re just passengers. Rathing more You two sit there is


    here. Nomunication;"


    I Bod


    Inox moulins, "So sorry" as the lets me to the sets near the rear i settle into one by the window, and he takes the one theside me, keeping one of his hands on my lug


    Hamber nes all us for a moment tango, they looks avay, his gaze in fixed firmly out the window now, jaw clenched, kmacies while around this whiskey ss This is going to the a long awkward fight


    But what is ewes mare unsettling is the thought of what happens when Finnes back home. He knows where I live. He knows where i work he has the contact formation of everyone in my life, and I know how relentless he can be when he wants something what he decides not to let me ga?


    CHAPTER 039. He Knows Where I Live


    Knox nces at me. "You didn''t tell him you were leaving?"


    "No."


    Knox shifts into gear but waits. Finn''s sprinting toward us now. He reaches the car


    just in time to p the side mirror and grab the locked door handle, rattling it like it


    might give way.


    "I''ming for you, Knox!" he shouts. "You won''t get away with this!"


    Knox rolls his eyes. "Very original."


    He presses the gas, and we lurch forward. In the rearview mirror, I watch as Finn


    Kicks a hedge in frustration and Delh just stands there, arms wrapped around herself, looking like a broken doll in silk.


    My phone starts ringing.


    Finn.


    I silence it and stare out the window.


    "You''re going to have to confront him, you know," Knox says.


    "I don''t want to."


    "I didn''t think you were capable of ghosting anyone. Let alone Finn."


    "Well," I murmur, "you don''t know me very well.¡±


    "But I will, Bunny. Or should I call you Cat?"


    "Just drive, Knox," I say, smiling despite everything.


    The phone rings again. And again. Message notificationse next. I don''t open


    a single one.


    Finally, I power it off.


    We drive in silence for a while, winding through the edges of Asheville, until we


    get to the airport. We pass through the private terminal and onto the tarmac. The


    jet awaits, and after a few minutes of processing, we''re boarding. Inside, Ie face-to-face with Hunter.


    He''s sitting by one of the windows, knocking back whiskey like it''s water. When he


    sees me, he freezes.


    ¡°Hunter¡± I start, mostly out of exmation rather than actually having something to


    say.


    "Don''t," he says. "I''m only on this flight because I need to leave this ce immediately. And Knox had already paid. So we''re just passengers. Nothing more.


    You two sit there. I sit here. Nomunication."


    I nod.


    Knox mouths, "So sorry," as he leads me to the seats near the rear. I settle into


    one by the window, and he takes the one beside me, keeping one of his hands on myp. Hunter res at us for a moment longer, then looks away. His gaze is fixed firmly


    out the window now, jaw clenched, knuckles white around his whiskey ss.


    This is going to be a long, awkward flight.


    But what is even more unsettling is the thought of what happens when Finn


    Subscribed

 Chapter 40

    CHAPTER 040: Hidden Cameras


    ***


    ~~FINN~~


    ***


    Delh is panting and bouncing on top of me, her manicured hands braced on my chest. She throws her head back like she''s in the middle of some kind of religious experience, but all I feel is the weight of her-skin against skin, motion without meaning.


    My mind is elsewhere.


    I''m not even in the room.


    I''m in Asheville.


    Still in that damn house.


    Still stuck in the moment Sloane mmed the car door and refused to look back at me.


    I try to focus-on Delh''s hands on my chest, on the way she gasps my name- but every time I close my eyes, I see Sloane. Her expression nk, her silence louder than any goodbye she could''ve given me.


    She''s not answering my texts. Not my calls. It''s been over forty-eight hours, and all I''ve gotten is radio silence. My father had practically chased me out of his house, red-faced and yelling, threatening to set everything on fire if Delh didn''t leave immediately. I hadn''t even argued. I packed up in a hurry and caught the first flight back to New York that same afternoon with Delh.


    Delh had refused to take off the wedding gown.


    Not through the drive to the airport. Not while waiting at the terminal. Not even when boarding. She sat beside me on the ne like a scorned bride in a gothic movie, mascara smeared, tulle dragging, drawing curious stares and whispered questions from passengers and flight attendants alike.


    I didn''t care.


    All I could think about-painfully, obsessively-was Sloane.


    She''d vanished.


    And worst of all, she left with Knox.


    I bet she''s waking up beside him right now.


    God, I think I''m going to be sick.


    Delh''s moans get louder. Her rhythm stutters, and she trembles, copsing onto


    me with a satisfied, breathless sigh. That breath is hot against my neck.


    "Did you finish?" she asks, still panting.


    I stare at the ceiling. "No."


    She lifts herself up with a sluggish groan. "Want me to suck you off?"


    "No. You''ve drained almost all the semen from my body. We had sex like ten times yesterday."


    She chuckles like that''s apliment and flops beside me, dragging the sheets halfway over her legs. "That''s usually never a problem for you."


    "Guess I''m getting older."


    "You know I''m going through a heartbreak, Finn," she says. "This is how I cool off."


    "I''m heartbroken too, you know."


    She turns her head. "Heartbroken? Because Sloane left you?"


    I don''t answer. I push the sheets off, swing my legs over the side of the bed, and stand. The floor is cool beneath my feet as I head to the bathroom. I already know how this goes-Delh brings up Sloane, and we end up arguing. I don''t have the energy. Not today.


    The light flickers as I turn it on. I brush my teeth in silence, letting the sound of the bristles brushing against each tooth mute the screaming inside my head.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    Togging the ss. My hands press against the


    Afterwards, I step into the shower and turn the water on 58 tile wall, head bowed, letting the water beat down.


    A few secondster, I feel her behind me-Delh''s arms snake around my waist.


    "You should be happy she''s gone," she says softly. "You were being charitable even keeping her around."


    CHAPTER 040 Hidden Cameras


    "L, I just want to shower and get to work."


    "She left you for your brother, she says. That ungrateful bitch. Why can''t you just let her go?"


    I feel her hand start to move down, sliding over my stomach with a familiar intention. I catch it, gripping her wrist, stopping her.


    Then I turn around.


    "I promise I''ll get over it soon," I say, eyes locked on hers. "But for this week, let me grieve. Okay?


    She steps back, lips pursed. "Fine. While you''re grieving, I''ll figure out how to get my fianc¨¦ back." "What?"


    "Hunter, she replies, tossing her hair. "He''s asking for the ring back. I don''t want to give it to him."


    "Why are you with me if you want to go back to him?"


    She doesn''t answer. Just rolls her eyes and steps out of the shower, her wet body gleaming as she purposely sways her hips on the way out.


    I sigh, resting my head back against the tiles.


    I can''t let Sloane go.


    I shower quickly, get dressed, and head to work. My body moves on autopilot, but my mind is nowhere near the office. It''s stuck on her.


    Hourster in the conference room, I wrap up a meeting with our newest signing, some fresh Gen Z rapper who''s already going viral on TikTok. He waste to the meeting, obnoxious, and clearly high, but whatever-he has a fanbase, and that''s all this industry cares about. My only business with the kid is doing my job as his talent manager. After all, that''s what the music producingpany I work for pays me to do.


    After the kid leaves, Joe-one of my colleagues-leans in the doorway.


    "You know that kid''s trouble, right?" Joe says, arms folded.


    "Gen Zers love rap artists with issues."


    "This one''s got psycho issues. Last year, his ex used him of being a stalker. Said he hid cameras in her bedroom." My head jerks up. "Cameras?"


    "Yeah, but nothing was proven. Her story didn''t hold up. His fans chewed her alive online. You know how it is. I''m just saying-keep him on a leash. And maybe stir up a little chaos before the albumunch. You know. Something juicy for the press."


    But I''m barely listening.


    My brain has already clicked into motion. The idea is sudden and intrusive, but it settles in like it belongs there.


    Hidden cameras.


    I blink slowly and turn to Joe with a smile. ¡°Thanks for the advice."


    He squints. ¡°Seriously? You never agree with me."


    I shrug. "There''s a first time for everything."


    What I mean to say is he never gives any advice a novice wouldn''t know.


    Joeughs and starts talking again, but I''m already walking away.


    "I''m heading out for lunch," I toss over my shoulder.


    "Can Ie?"


    "No."


    Joe''s always trying to be pals with me, but the only friend I''ve ever had or wanted was Sloane. And now she''s gone. I walk out of the office building and into the open air, letting the noise of the city wrap around me. The hum of traffic, the honks, the chaotic shuffle of bodies trying to get somewhere-it should all be distracting. But nothing is loud enough to drown out the static in my brain.


    I make a quick stop at a high-end surveince shop in Midtown. The kind with a low, unassuming sign above the door and a chime that sounds when you walk in. A bald guy behind the counter eyes me like I''m eitherw enforcement or trouble. "Four discreet cameras,¡± I say. "Something small. Motion-triggered, high-def. And I want to view them remotely."


    He doesn''t ask questions. Just nods and moves behind a curtain, returning with a


    slim ck box filled with gear and a small instruction manual.


    I pay in cash.


    CHAPTER 040: Hidden Cameras


    Back in my car, I study the guide briefly-long enough to understand what connects where-and then I drive. Straight to her apartment building. Every traffic


    light is a beat of guilt. Every turn is another step off the edge.


    But I can''t stop.


    I pull out my phone and dial Sloane''s sister''s number.


    "Finn,¡± Serena answers after the second ring, wariness already in her tone.


    "Hey. Have you talked to Sloely?"


    "Why?"


    "I was wondering if she''s going to your mom''s barbecue this weekend."


    "She might."


    "Can Ie over too?"


    She pauses. "Umm, you could just follow your best friend."


    "See, the thing is... we''re in the middle of a break."


    "She left you?" She sounds shocked. And then, delighted. "Good."


    "It''s under control," I say tightly.


    ¡°Uh-huh. I''ve been waiting for her to be free of you. Don''t ruin this breakup, Finn.¡±


    Subscribed

 Chapter 41

    CHAPTER 041: Hands In The Air


    Her voice scrapes something sharp in me. Of course she''s thrilled.


    Sloane and Serena couldn''t be more different.


    Although they''re both opinionated, Sloane thinks before she speaks. She''s often secretive about her deepest feelings, this! know all too well. But Serena says whatever the hell crosses her mind. No filter. No hesitation. It''s like she''s allergic to silence. Every thought bes a soundbite.


    It''s no wonder we''ve never gotten along.


    Especially back when they lived together. That apartment was a minefield, Sloane would be in the kitchen quietly stirring tea, trying to dpress from a long day, and Serena would burst in like a storm, unloading whatever drama she''d dragged home. I remember those nights all too well. Me sitting on the couch. Serena ranting from across the room. Sloane giving me that silent look-equal parts exhausted and apologetic-like she wished she could disappear.


    I never told her this, but sometimes I wished we both could.


    "Look," I say, lowering my voice. "My brother stole her from me, and you''re going to help me get her back."


    "Your brother?"


    "It''s a long story."


    "Then don''t bother telling it. I''m not helping you."


    "You don''t know Knox. He''s not right for her. He''s dangerous. Tied up with the kind of people who don''t ask for things. Mafia. Gangs. Sloane''s going to end up in trouble just by being around him."


    Silence stretches on the other end.


    "You better not be lying to me," she says finally.


    "I''m not. I care about Sloane. I need your help."


    A sigh. "Fine. I''ll talk to her."


    "Thank you."


    She hangs up without saying goodbye.


    I pull up to Sloane''s apartment building and kill the engine. My hands hover over the keys on my ring until I find it-the one she gave me years ago, with a tiny faded tag that reads for emergencies.


    This is an emergency.


    I head up, locating her apartment number by instinct. Inside, the apartment smells faintly ofvender and her. That floral, fresh scent that clings to her sweaters, her pillows, her hair when she hugs me. I step into the living room and set the gear on the couch, then walk toward her bedroom.


    It hits me all over again-how much I miss her.


    I open her closet and bury my nose in one of the shirts still hanging. It smells like her shampoo. A little like warmth. Like home.


    The drawers are too tidy. Everything folded too carefully. I need something with a little more of her scent. I find the bin she keeps herundry in-overflowing, not yet done.


    I crouch. My hands hover for a moment.


    And then I start picking through it.


    The first piece I find is a pair of panties. Obviously worn. I raise it to my face and breathe her in.


    My fingers grip tighter. I find more and pocket them.


    Then I straighten and move back to the living room.


    Time to install those cameras.


    "One in the bedroom," I say aloud. "One in the living room. One in the bathroom. And one in the kitchen."


    Each one goes in easily. Hidden. Perfectly angled. My hands are steady now. Purposeful.


    When I finish, I look around, heart racing.


    "I''ll see you soon, Sloane," I murmur to the empty apartment. "I''ll help you


    through this..... whatever this is with my brother. And then you''ll remember who you really belong to."


    I pick up the empty box and walk to the door.


    That''s when I hear it.


    CHAPTER 041: Hands In The Air


    Voices, Familiar. Too familiar.


    Sloane. And Knox.


    No. No, no, no.


    My heart drops. My chest tightens, breath hitching in my throat. What is she doing home this early? She''s supposed to be gone until evening.


    I don''t think. I just move.


    Box still in my hand, I dart toward her bedroom, dropping the box behind the dresser as I slip into the closet. I close the door just enough to leave a sliver of air. My breath is shallow. Controlled.


    From the narrow crack, I hear the door open.


    "So this is where you live?" Knox asks, his voice toofortable, too at home in her space.


    "Yup. I know what you think. It''s upside down."


    "Nope. I think it''s small."


    "Are you broke-shaming me?"


    "It''s just an observation," he says, that smug edge curling around each syble. "You brought me into your abode to get into my pants. I think I have the right to speak freely."


    Sheughs.


    God, sheughs.


    And it stabs me. Right in the center of my chest.


    Herugh was mine. All thosete nights watching dumb roms and drinking cheap wine. The way she''d fall against meughing, cheeks red, eyes shining. And now it''s his. All of her is his.


    I can hear their footsteps, closer now. My muscles lock up.


    They''re in the bedroom.


    I see them through the gap. Knox''s hand is around her neck, not choking, but guiding, dominant. He pushes her toward the bed, and she''s smiling, letting him.


    No. No. No.


    She''s not even missing me. She''s not grieving. She''s been-fuck, she''s been enchanted, bewitched, manipted by him.


    But she doesn''t look like a victim. She looks...


    Happy.


    Knox releases her neck and steps back, voice cool andmanding.


    "Take off your clothes, Bunny."


    Bunny.


    She doesn''t hesitate. Not for a second. Her fingers find the hem of her top, and


    she peels it off in one smooth motion. Her bra follows. Her jeans. Panties.


    Layer byyer, she undresses for him. There''s no shyness in her movements, only desire. Willingness. Trust.


    And all I can do is watch.


    My jaw clenches. My fists curl into tight, shaking knots. I shouldn''t be hard right now, but I am. That traitorous part of me wakes up at the sight of her nakedness.


    "Kneel. Hands in the air."


    She drops to her knees.


    Her posture is perfect, back straight, hands lifted like an offering. Her eyes are


    wide, fixed on him. She looks up at him like he hung the fucking moon.


    Knox pulls something from his pocket.


    Handcuffs.


    He steps forward and binds her wrists together.


    I''ve never seen her like this. Never seen her submit to anyone. She was kind of a


    bully to the girls I hung around with in college.


    And something inside me burns.


    She was mine.


    CHAPTER 041: Hands In The Air


    She still is.


    I make a sound before I can stop myself. A grunt. A sharp inhale. Something


    small, but not small enough.


    Knox freezes.


    His head turns.


    "Is something wrong?" Sloane asks, her voice low, breathless.


    He doesn''t answer.


    His gaze stays on the closet.


    And then he starts walking toward it.


    Step by step.

 Chapter 42

    CHAPTER 042: On The Other Side Of The Door


    AUTHOR''S NOTE: A Warning Before We Continue.


    Thest two chapters mark the beginning of a shift.


    As stated in the synopsis, these characters are morallyplex-and we''re about


    to start peeling back theyers. Things are about to get messy. Unhinged. Darker than before.


    Every character is stepping into their truest form, from which they can either grow better or worse.


    Choices will be made. Lines will be crossed. And not everyone wille out clean.


    If you''re here for the ride, buckle up.


    You''ve been warned.


    -E. S.


    ***


    ~~KNOX~~


    ***


    Years of patrolling enemy lines in the kind of ces where men disappear without a trace taught me how to listen. Really listen. To the crack of a branch that means you''re not alone. I can tell the make of a gun just from the way someone cocks it in the dark. I can count how many people are in a room by the rhythm of their breath.


    And the faint scuff I just heard inside Sloane''s closet? That was a leather-heeled dress shoe. Office-worn. Male.


    There''s only one person pathetic enough, obsessed enough, and entitled enough to sneak into her space and hide in the dark.


    I''d bet my entire fucking fortune it''s Finn.


    I step toward the closet and press my hand against the wood.


    He''s breathing. Not loud. But not trained either.


    I catch the subtle trace of cologne, a familiar one that confirms my suspicion.


    Finn.


    Fucking Finn.


    You''d think he''d reveal himself now that he''s been caught. That he''d step out of the damn closet and face me like a man. But no-of course not. That would require


    a spine. Finn''s never had one of those.


    I stare at the sliver of darkness between the closet doors, my pulse loud in my


    ears.


    Every second he stays hidden, my anger boils higher.


    This has always been Finn. Since we were kids. Always needing to have the better things for himself, even when he doesn''t truly want them. He''d beg, borrow, steal-and lie through his perfect teeth if it meant he could have more. I let it go every time. Told myself it wasn''t worth the fight.


    But then there was Lydia.


    My jaw ticks.


    Our little sister.


    I''ve never forgiven him for that.


    I force the thought away. I can''t go there.


    Not right now. If I do, I''ll have to think about other things too. Enlisting. Deployment. Blood in sand. Screams in the jungle. Ghosts in the mirror. Scars.


    I should open that door. Should rip him out of there by the cor, m him against


    the wall, and make sure he never breathes Sloane''s name again.


    But if I touch him right now, if I so much asy a finger on him-


    I don''t know what I''ll do.


    The rage is that loud. That thick.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    I can already imagine my hands closing around his throat, see the Whith bfhis


    eyes when he realizes I''m not joking


    anymore.


    Then-


    A voice. Soft. Like a rope pulling me out of the storm.


    CHAPTER 042: On The Other Side Of The Door


    "Knox?"


    I turn.


    Sloane.


    "What''s the problem?" she asks.


    She''s still on her knees. Hands raised, cuffed. Hair hanging over her shoulders. The way she''s looking at me punches every thought clean out of my head. She''s so perfect.


    "The closet," I say. "Wonderful woodwork."


    She smiles. "It was a gift from my grandmother. In her younger years, she was kind of a professional divorcee. So she''s loaded."


    "A what?"


    "You know. Marry a rich guy, make sure he''s in love enough to skip the prenup or sign a generous one. She''s been married five times."


    "Sounds like a lot of work."


    "I agree."


    I smirk. "You didn''t think to join the family business? Or is that what you''re doing right now? Trying to get me to fall in love and skip a prenup?"


    "Fuck you, Knox."


    I grin as I move toward her, hand reaching for her face, thumb brushing her


    cheek. Her eyes go soft again, her body leaning into the touch.


    "Oh, Bunny. I will fuck you, that''s for sure. I''ll take you so hard, you''ll probably have to call in sick tomorrow."


    She shudders beneath my hand, eyes going dark with need.


    "Please," she whispers.


    "Please what, angel?"


    "Take me."


    Behind me, I hear the noise again-the tiniest shift, the catch of breath, maybe even the brush of a knee against wood-but I don''t acknowledge it.


    I could.


    I could walk over there right now, rip that door off its hinges, and end whatever pitiful illusion Finn''s clinging to. But I don''t. Not yet.


    Because I''m letting that darker part of me rise-the one I keep caged beneath charm and control, the one forged in heat and blood and loss. The part that doesn''t believe in mercy.


    Right now, that part wants to mark what''s mine.


    Right now, that part wants Finn to see it happen.


    Let him sit there in the dark and listen to the sounds she makes for me. Let him


    realize he lost before he even stepped onto the battlefield.


    She''s not his. Not anymore. Maybe not ever.


    Let him cry about it. Let him spiral. Let him crumble beneath the weight of that


    truth.


    But most of all?


    Let him know that this space-this woman, this life-is mine now.


    And there''s no room in it for both of us.


    I unfasten my pants, letting them drop to the floor. Her eyes follow the movement. She''s watching me like I''m something holy. When I slide off my boxers, her gaze travels upward, lingering on the length of me, right where I''m already hard for her. Her stare only makes it worse.


    And then I do something I haven''t done in a long time-not in front of anyone.


    I reach for the hem of my shirt.


    Pull it over my head in one swift motion.


    Expose all of it.


    For a beat, I just stand there. Her eyes widen, dragging slowly over the tattoos


    carved across my chest, my ribs, my arms.


    Her mouth parts. "That''s a lot of tattoos."


    CHAPTER 042: On The Other Side Of The Door "Do you hate them?"


    "No. I just... wish I could touch them.


    No.


    She can''t.


    The tattoos-they look good. That''s the point. Years of careful nning, hours under the needle, making sure they were beautifully arranged, each one flowing into the next. I spent a fortune making them look like art.


    But they''re not just ink.


    They''re cover-ups.


    Because if she touches them-really touches them-she''ll feel what''s underneath.


    The scars. The ones that don''t sit flush with the skin. The ones the artists had to work around, blend into shadows, hide beneath shading and lines.


    And I can''t have that.


    Not now. Maybe not ever.


    Because those scars... theye with stories. Stories I''ll never tell.


    "Get on your feet," I say. "I want to kiss you."


    ËÄ

 Chapter 43

    CHAPTER 043: My Good Girl


    She rises.


    I smile as I reach for the back of her neck and pull her toward me. The second our mouths meet, it''s a fucking detonation,


    My lips move over hers with slow intent, and then I''m consuming her-biting, tasting, owning. Her mouth parts, and the groan that slips from her throat rattles straight through me. I kiss her deeper, harder, until there''s no air between us, no space for doubt or fear. Just this heat, this ache, this unrelenting pull.


    She tries to raise her arms-twice. I feel the twitch in her shoulders, the lift of her elbows. But each time, the metal of the cuffs catches her wrists, holding her back. And fuck, the sound she makes-a whimper dipped in frustration and need- makes my cock twitch.


    She''s so eager. So ready. So mine.


    When I finally pull away, we''re both breathing like we''ve sprinted into each other at full force. Her lips are red, kiss-bruised, and her eyes-those eyes-look up at me lustfully.


    "I want to touch you," she whispers, breathless.


    And I almost let her. Almost.


    "You will soon, Bunny," I say against her lips. "I''ll let you do anything to me when you''re ready."


    "Ready? In what way?"


    I don''t answer.


    Instead, I hoist her up by the hips. She gasps as I carry her to the closet.


    "We''re about to find out how strong your grandmother''s gift really is."


    Sheughs, eyes sparkling. "I feel like you''re teaching me a lot of bad things, Knox. I''ve never gone outside the office for lunch. And I''ve never spent over the designated hour."


    I press her back against the closet. My left arm braces her waist, pinning her in ce as my right hand begins to explore, sliding down her body.


    "Do you want me to stop?" I ask.


    "Don''t. Please."


    "Do you want to be a good girl? Or my good girl?"


    "Yours. I want to be your good girl."


    I can feel the heat radiating from her core, and it''s intoxicating. I press my fingers against her clit, rubbing gently. She moans, her hips moving in time with my touch, seeking more friction, more pressure.


    I oblige, my fingers moving faster, more insistently. I can feel her getting wetter, her body responding to my touch, her breathing in quick gasps.


    I love the feel of her swollen clit.


    "Fuck, Knox," she whispers, her voice breathless. "That feels so good."


    I slip one finger inside her, then another, pumping them in and out of her, teasing her, tormenting her. She moans, her body clenching around my fingers, her inner muscles rippling with each thrust.


    I can hear Finn''s breathing growing more ragged in the closet, and I can''t help but smile against Sloane''s skin. Let him listen. Let him hear every moan, every gasp, every whispered plea.


    I add a third finger, stretching her, filling her, preparing her for what''s toe. She cries out, her body convulsing, her muscles clenching around my fingers.


    "Knox," she whispers, her voice desperate. "Please. I need more."


    I don''t need to be told twice. I withdraw my fingers, bringing them to my lips and sucking them clean, tasting her desire. She watches me, her eyes wide with lust.


    "Arms around my neck, Bunny," I say. "Gotta get you back to the office soon before someone calls the cops."


    Sheughs breathlessly and adjusts her cuffed arms, circling them around the back of my head. I grip her thighs and slide


    into her in one thrust.


    She screams.


    The closet rattles.


    "That''s it, baby," I groan. "You take it so fucking well."


    Her body tightens around me like a vise, her insides clenching with every pulse,


    every thrust. I m into her again and


    CHAPTER 043: My Good Girl


    again, the rhythm of our bodies bing a primal symphony.


    "Oh God, Knox," she cries out. "It''s so good."


    I lean in, my lips brushing against her ear. "Your voice is so sweet when you


    moan, Bunny, I murmur. "So sweet." "Are you saying it''s ugly the rest of the time?"


    I chuckle and m into her harder. She bucks against me. Her body meets mine thrust for thrust, her breathing in faster.


    "Fuck, Knox," she moans. "Right there. Please. Don''t stop."


    I can feel her getting closer, her body tensing. I watch her face, taking in every expression, every sound, every shuddering breath.


    "Who owns this body, Sloane?" I demand. "Who owns this perfect, beautiful body?"


    "You," she whispers. "You, Knox."


    "Say it again." I m into her harder, deeper, faster. "Say my fucking name." "You, Knox," she cries out. "You own me. You own this."


    Soon enough, I feel her body seizing up with the force of her orgasm. Her walls mp down on me. I keep pounding into her, my hips moving like a piston, my body mming against hers, my cock filling her, stretching her, iming her.


    "That''s it, Bunny," I groan, my voice strained with effort and desire. "Come for me. Come all over my cock."


    She screams my name as her entire body trembles. She tries to squirm away from the intensity, but I hold her firm.


    "Sloane, look at me."


    Her eyes flutter open, meeting mine. Those eyes are zed with desire, with need. And it''s fucking beautiful.


    "I want to cum inside you," I groan. "I want to fill you up."


    She doesn''t even pause to think. "Do it, Knox. Please. I need it. I need you."


    My fingers find her clit, moving in time with my thrusts. I want her toe undone again. I want to feel her squeezing when I fill her up.


    And then it happens. Her back arches. She throws her head back, mouth open in a silent scream. And I let go. I groan deep in my throat, my body tensing, my cock pulsing, spilling my seed inside her.


    Her name is a whisper on my lips, her scent in my lungs, her body wrapped around mine tightly. And in this moment, in this perfect, beautiful, intense moment, I know that I''m exactly where I''m meant to be.


    When she copses against me, boneless and glowing, I carry her to the bed, still inside her. I sit on the edge of the bed, her body resting on myp, her head on my shoulder, her breath slow and steady in my ear.


    My hand rubs circles on her back, soothing her, calming her. "You did good, Bunny," I say. "So fucking good."


    is you


    She groans. "What you mean is you almost killed me."


    "That was just me trying to make love."


    Sheughs, a soft, beautiful sound that fills the room, fills my heart, fills my soul. ¡°I


    gotta get back," she murmurs, her voice reluctant. "Uncuff me."


    Even though it pains me to, I shift her off me, my cock slipping out of her. Then I head toward where I left my pants and pull the key from the pocket. Soon enough, the cuffs are free and discarded on the bed.


    She rolls off the bed and stands. "Five minutes," she calls over her shoulder, running to the bathroom.


    I wait until I hear the water running, until I know she won''t hear what I''m about to


    do next.


    Then I grab my shirt and boxers, throwing them on.


    I walk to the closet and open the door, my eyes meeting Finn''s. His face is red.


    His hands are clenched.


    "Get out," I say, my voice low.


    He steps forward, his body trembling, his eyes wild, until we''re nose to nose. "I''ll


    kill you, Knox,¡± he whispers. "You better watch your back."


    "Listen carefully, you dipshit. If I find you around Sloane again, I will kill you."


    He res.


    "Now. Get. Out."

 Chapter 44

    CHAPTER 044: Military Bugs


    ***


    --SLOANE~~


    ***


    I run out of the bathroom with a towel clinging to my skin, heart hammering as I check the time on my phone. Shit. I''ve been away from the office way too long.


    Way, way too long.


    Sooner orter, Harper-the supervisor who pretends she''s chill but tracks every second of your workday like a bloodhound -will start pinging me about the CypherGuard project.


    And I don''t have the energy for Harper right now. Or for that endless spreadsheet mapping out endpoint vulnerabilities we''re supposed to iste before end-of- quarter audits. We''re only halfway through code-gging, and I''ve already missed two checkpoints. If I''m not careful, they''ll reassign it. And I''ve worked too damn hard to get trusted with something this sensitive.


    I fumble into my room, drying off as I go, heart still racing from more than just time stress.


    I know my problem. It''s that tattooed man currently inside my house.


    Everything reminds me of him these past few days, reminds me of the feeling of having him inside me.


    I''d look at the restroom sinks in my office and remember being bent over one in Asheville.


    The hard press of a chair back against my spine brings back the way he pinned me to a wall.


    Even the gentle thrum of the office printer makes me think of the low, satisfied sounds he makes when I moan into his mouth.


    I hate how easy it is to get lost in it-how I crave the ache he leaves inside me. How it follows me everywhere. From my bedroom, I spot him in the living room.


    He''s moving. Not in a rxed, casual way like before. He''s scanning. Checking corners. Lifting pillows.


    "Is something wrong?" I call out, already pulling out fresh undies from my drawer. "Not exactly," he answers, eyes fixed on my bookshelf now.


    I yank on underwear and a bra. And then I pull the rest of my clothes back on. My hands are fast, practiced.


    "At least tell me you''re not checking for bugs," I say, half-joking as I zip my pants.


    He turns, and for a split second, his face does something strange-like I just caught him in a lie. But soon enough, his brows lift, realization dawning.


    "Oh. Bugs, as in bedbugs?"


    "What else would I be talking about? Military bugs?" Iugh, expecting him to join


    me.


    He doesn''t. I eye his serious face suspiciously before moving over to the mirror to fix my face.


    "You should change your locks," he says.


    I freeze, mascara wand hovering mid-air.


    "Why would I want to change my locks?"


    He steps into the doorway, folding his arms. His reflection is all muscle and


    shadows in the ss.


    "They''re easy to pick."


    I raise a brow. "And you know that how? Have you picked locks before?"


    His lips twitch. "As a matter of fact, I have."


    I turn around, narrowing my eyes. "I am very interested in this story."


    "Well, you''re not getting it."


    "Come on. You never tell me anything about yourself. Were you a little thief?"


    He chuckles softly, something dark and warm ur Sessfully unlocked!bout it soon. I promise."


    I roll my eyes and turn back to the mirror, fixing my hat something that doesn''t scream I just got thoroughly railed in the middle of the workday.


    I watch him behind me, slipping his shirt on, smoothing the ck fabric over the hard lines of his body. He looks dangerous like this and yet domesticated in my space somehow.


    CHAPTER 044 Military Buge


    Who would''ve thought I''d lure a man into my apartment in the middle of the day for sex? But the truth is-that''s not entirely why I brought him here.


    His mouth is filthy, he could talk my panties into being wet and dropping down my legs in a heartbeat, but when ites to himself, he''s weirdly tight-lipped. And some part of me-maybe the stupid part-hoped that by bringing him into my space, he''d bring me into his. That he''d sit on my couch, stare at my ceiling, and maybe say something about his past and present life. What keeps him awake at night.


    That''s what Google said, anyway. ''Invite him into your space so he learns to trust you? Ugh. We''re just a few days into this rtionship, and I''m one article away from bing a psychotic girlfriend.


    I smooth thest piece of hair back into ce and nce at him in the mirror again.


    He''spletely dressed now.


    With the way he''s looking around my bedroom right now, searching for God knows what, maybe he is already feeling at home and would start spilling his secrets soon. One can only hope.


    Don''t push, I tell myself.


    "Let''s go,¡± I say, turning around and trying to walk past him.


    He catches my wrist.


    Pulls me in.


    And kisses me-deep, intense, slow enough to steal time from the world. When he


    finally lets me go, my knees are wobbly.


    "Don''t start anything," I murmur, eyes still closed.


    "I just wanted to leave my scent on you," he says. "You washed it off."


    That makes my eyes open.


    "You''re weird."


    He grins.


    I shake myself out of his grip and head for the door. He ps my ass as he


    follows behind me.


    "Seriously?"


    His only answer is a smirk.


    Outside, we head for his car-a Porsche 911 that growls so loud it draws stares


    from the old couple on the second-floor balcony. I nce up at them, then quickly down again.


    I''ve never liked attention.


    Knox, it seems, thrives on it. I mean, both cars I''ve seen him drive practically scream Look at me.


    He pulls away from the curb with one hand draped over the wheel, and we glide through the city. The windows are down just enough to let the air slip in. I lean back against the seat, watching the buildings blur past. Then, just as we''re about


    a block away from my office, I spot a familiar strip mall up ahead with a very visible pharmacy.


    I tap the window. "Can you stop here?"


    "Why?" he asks.


    "I need to get something from the drugstore."


    "Are you unwell?"


    "If not wanting crotch goblins ssifies as an illness, then yes."


    He parks with a chuckle. "They''d be cute, though.¡±


    "Don''t even go there."


    I reach for the door, but he catches my wrist.


    "Let me get it," he says. "Don''t want you spending your little fortune on morning-


    after pills."


    I scowl, but he just grins widerpletely unfazed-and taps the tip of my nose


    with his index finger. Then, without a word, he steps out of the car.


    And then I''m alone.


    In his car-the only personal space of his I''ve ever been in without him there.


    One voice in my head tells me not to do it.


    Don''t.


    But the other voice-the nosy, curious one-wins.


    I lean over the console, fingers hovering above the glove box.


    212


    CHAPTER 044: Military Bugs


    Locked.


    That makes it worse because now I''m more curious.


    I start checking for keys. There''s a bunch in the center console. I try one. Two.


    Third time''s the charm.


    It clicks open.


    Papers. Receipts. A lighter. A stray pair of sunsses.


    And then I see it.


    A gun.


    ck. Sleek. Resting like it''s been waiting to be found.


    I stare at it, breath caught in my throat.


    I don''t know how long I sit there. Long enough that when I finally hear footsteps approaching, panic res in my chest. I shove everything back, lock the glove box, and don''t have time to return the keys to where I found them. I just clench


    them in my palm.


    Knox opens the door, a pharmacy bag in hand.


    "I wasn''t sure how much of it you wanted," he says casually, sliding into the driver''s seat. "So I bought ten."


    I bite my lip, suddenly aware of how weird I must look, just sitting there and staring at him like he''s got a target drawn across his forehead.


    "What is it?" he asks, narrowing his eyes.


    "Nothing," I say, too quickly. Too high-pitched. My voice skips over itself like a


    stone tossed wrong on water.


    He doesn''t move. Just watches me. Then-slowly-his eyes drop to my closed fist.


    "What do you have there, Sloane?"


    My fingers curl tighter. "Nothing."


    ! "You''re very cute when you lie. Hand it over."


    I hesitate. But there''s no winning against that look. So I extend my hand and let


    the keys fall into his open palm.


    He doesn''t even nce at them. Just tosses them back into the center console like they don''t matter-like I didn''t just unlock a piece of his world I probably wasn''t supposed to see. All the while, his eyes stay on mine. Not blinking. Not smiling.


    He starts the car, shifts into gear, and the engine hums to life again. We glide into motion. I keep my gaze on the side of his face, watching for a sign.


    And then he speaks.


    "Is there something you''d like to ask me?" he says, voice quiet. "And please don''t


    say nothing."


    I swallow. My heart''s suddenly in my throat.


    "Why do you have a gun, Knox?"

 Chapter 45

    CHAPTER 045: The Real Business


    I stare at Knox, impatiently awaiting an answer. My heart thuds too fast for how casual I''m trying to look.


    He keeps his gaze ahead, fingers flexing once against the steering wheel before settling again.


    "Because I''m certified to carry it," he says.


    I frown, not satisfied.


    "Okay. But why do you have it in your car?"


    "Where else should it be?"


    "Hidden at home? You know. Somewhere people can''t just... see it?"


    He finally turns his head to look at me, that unreadable expression back in ce.


    The one that makes me feel like he''s dissecting me, deciding whether I''m someone who deserves answers or just another person he''ll keep at arm''s length.


    "You stole my keys to get into my glove box," he says. "You think I let people sit in my car by themselves?"


    I feel my cheeks heat, guilt pooling low in my gut.


    Touch¨¦, Knox.


    I turn my head away, facing the window. Fine. I might have crossed a line. But he''s still the one walking around with a weapon like we''re in an action movie.


    A part of me wants to yell at him, demand more, demand everything.


    And another part-God, the worst part-wants to crawl onto hisp, tug his mouth down to mine, and kiss those secrets right out of him.


    Take whatever scraps he''s willing to give.


    I hate that about myself.


    I hate how attraction and anger can live in me at the same time, how they aren''t mutually exclusive.


    We drive in silence.


    Knox doesn''t push. Doesn''t exin further.


    I sit there, stewing.


    Brewing.


    We pull into the driveway of my office building, and before I can gather my wits, he''s already shifting into park, turning to look at me.


    His fingers reach out, slow and sure, catching my chin between his thumb and forefinger.


    Not hard.


    Not demanding.


    Just enough to tilt my face toward his.


    "Enjoy the rest of your day, Bunny," he says, leaning in to press a soft,


    maddeningly tender kiss to my mouth.


    ? The same mouth still frozen mid-scowl.


    I barely have time to react before he pulls away, the ghost of his touch still burning on my lips.


    "Seriously? You''re eventually going to start telling me things, you know."


    He grins-thatzy, dangerous, heart-wrecking grin-and says, "You''re beautiful. That''s something."


    I flip him off without a second of hesitation, mming the door behind me as I climb out.


    Hisugh follows me, a low sound that curls around my spine and refuses to let go.


    I march toward the ss doors of the office building, trying to convince myself I''m


    still angry.


    And I am.


    But when I nce back over my shoulder-just once he''s still there


    Watching me.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    Like he always does.


    I give a little sway of my hips as I walk, letting him watch.


    222


    CHAPTER 045: The Real Business


    ***


    ~~KNOX~~


    ***


    I stay there for a while.


    Just sitting.


    Watching Sloane disappear through the ss doors, her short hair catching the afternoon light, her steps brisk and determined.


    Only when I''m sure she''s safely inside do I peel away from the curb, one hand on


    the wheel, the other pulling out my phone.


    The second it unlocks, I press the speed dial.


    "Aaron," I say the moment the line connects, not bothering with greetings or small


    talk. "I''m going to send you an address."


    "Yes, sir," Aaron answers, crisp and alert.


    "Send a crew there. I want the locks changed. Something high-grade, digital. And


    while you''re at it, do a full sweep of the ce."


    There''s a pause on the other end. Then:


    "What day, sir?"


    "Right now. Preferably before she gets back from her day job."


    "Understood."


    I end the call and fire off a text with Sloane''s address, my fingers moving fast across the screen as I weave through traffic.


    Probably not the smartest move-texting while driving-but what can I say? Somewhere in the back of my mind, I can already picture Sloane giving me shit for it. The way her eyes would narrow. The way her mouth would pull into that sharp little frown she thinks is intimidating.


    She just seems like the type to give a full ten-minute lecture about texting while driving. Probably cite some damn statistics too, waving her hands around like she''s teaching a safety course.


    And the crazy part?


    I don''t think I''d even mind.


    Not from her.


    Normally, clingy, nosy, overly inquisitive types make my skin itch.


    But maybe she doesn''t count.


    Maybe she could scream at me in the middle of my own club, fists flying, usations sharp enough to draw blood-and I''d still want to fuck her against the nearest wall. Which, in any other case, would result in a dislocated joint for the other


    person.


    I shake my head, easing the car into a quieter part of the city-the old industrial stretch where all the windows are boarded up except for the ones that aren''t really windows at all.


    I don''t often repeat sex with the same woman.


    Once is usually enough.


    Sometimes twice, if the mood is good and the chemistry decent.


    But here I am still getting hard at the memory of her.


    Still craving the feel of her nails dragging down my back, the way she gasps my


    name like she''s bleeding it out of her soul.


    And part of me-the darker part, the reckless part-wants to kidnap her.


    Wants to throw her over my shoulder, toss her into my bed, and keep her there


    until she forgets what fresh air even tastes like.


    But bringing her deeper into my world?


    Dragging her into the shit I live and breathe?


    Yeah.


    That might be a little too soon.


    Even for me.


    My club isn''t far now.


    Tucked away in the bones of a quiet neighborhood, designed to look like a boring,


    slightly upscale office building from the outside.


    CHAPTER 045 The Real Business


    If you didn''t know better, you''d think it was aw firm or a financial agency.


    Inside, though-


    That''s where the real business happens.


    Subscribed

 Chapter 46

    CHAPTER 046: My Bunny


    I pull into a discreet driveway tucked between two abandoned buildings and kill


    the engine.


    Inside, I nod once at the receptionist-part security, part front-desk illusion-and head for the private elevator at the back.


    Swipe my ck ess card across the scanner.


    The elevator hums to life and carries me down.


    The second the doors slide open, the air changes.


    Denser. Warmer.


    The basement is packed, even in the middle of a weekday.


    People lean against dark wood-paneled walls, sipping drinks that cost more than most people''s rent.


    Some wear masks. Others don''t bother.


    Laughter spills from private rooms-throaty, darkughter punctuated by the asional sharp p of skin against skin.


    There''s a constant low thrum of music, more vibration than sound, designed to stir the blood without distracting from the real show.


    I move through it without blinking.


    A man is on his knees in a ss room to the right, hands cuffed behind his back, while a woman in leather heels circles him like prey.


    Another door opens briefly across the hall, revealing two figures locked together, shadows devouring each other hungrily.


    This ce isn''t for the faint of heart.


    It''s not for tourists.


    It''s for the ones who understand hunger and shame and pleasure as two sides of the same sharp de.


    And it''s mine.


    I step out, boots heavy on the floor, heading toward the second corridor where my private office waits.


    Sage, one of the club''s managers, intercepts me halfway there.


    Good-looking, early thirties, olive skin, a jawline that belongs on a billboard.


    He''s been with me since the beginning.


    Before the club had walls.


    Before it even had a name.


    To me, he''s not just staff.


    He''s family.


    One of the few I have left.


    "Boss,¡± he says, falling into step beside me. "We had a situation."


    I don''t break stride. "I assume you''ve handled it."


    "We patched it for now. Some asshole thought he could bring a knife in and slice up a submissive."


    I grunt. Typical. I can already picture him at his doorstep with a few bruises as a souvenir. Okay, maybe not a few.


    We reach my


    office.


    I swipe my card again, the heavy door unlocking with a soft click.


    The moment the door closes behind us, I toss my keys onto the massive steel


    desk and sink into the leather chair.


    Sage doesn''t leave.


    He lingers.


    Shifting his weight from foot to foot like he''s building up to something.


    I nce up. "What?"


    He hesitates, then says, "Are you still single?"


    "What?"


    Sessfully unlocked!


    "Look, you know I''m married, right? My missus thinks I''m an artist."


    I snort. "I don''t know why you bothered getting married to someone you have to


    lie to."


    He shrugs. "I like her. I don''t want to scare her off."


    CHAPTER 046: My Bunny


    "Alright," I say, leaning back. "So how does this concern me?"


    "She''s forcing me to throw a barbecue this weekend. Family and friends. She''s insisting I bring some of my single artist friends along to set up her daughter."


    I stare at him.


    Waiting for the point to drop.


    "You''re the only one who looks remotely normal enough for me to bring home. I figured you''d pass inspection. You know. If you... hide the murdery vibes."


    I chuckle. "Should I take that as apliment?"


    "It''s just an hour. Tops. You owe me for ditching my wedding."


    I stare at him, deadpan.


    Even if I didn''t already have a girl, there''s no fucking way I''m acknowledging an invitation like that.


    Seduce some poor, unsuspecting daughter of his wife?


    Probably a decent little thing too, if Sage has to lie this hard about what he does for a living.


    And if the mother''s the kind of woman he has to tiptoe around, then the daughter''s either a clone of her or worse-some bright-eyed optimist who thinks every stranger is a good man deep down.


    I''m not doing that.


    Besides, crowds aren''t my thing.


    The only gathering I can tolerate is the one at my club, where nobody''s pretending.


    Where everyone''s already halfway naked and nobody''s asking polite questions about what you "do for work" while passing the potato sd.


    No.


    The real world?


    The clean, sunny, barbecue-in-the-backyard world?


    That ce isn''t built for men like me.


    "Sage, you''re my brother," I say. "You know I value you."


    "Uh-huh."


    "But there''s no way in hell I''m doing that."


    He sighs dramatically. "I knew you''d say that. I''ve already rounded up the other


    guys. Told them to look decent."


    I smirk and turn to the invoice on my desk.


    "Tell me how it turns out. I''ll ce bets on who seeds in wooing your


    stepdaughter."


    "You''re not even a little bit curious to meet my family?" he says, mock-offended.


    "Should I be?"


    He leans against the edge of my desk. "Come on. I want my wife to meet my boss. Wow her with your big words. Convince her I''m not working for a mobster."


    "Answer''s still no."


    He groans. "You''re missing out. Her daughter''s not bad either. I''ve met her a


    couple of times. Sloane''s a wiseass. Kinda like you."


    Something in my chest goes tight.


    "Your stepdaughter''s name is Sloane?" I ask.


    "Uh, yeah. Why?"


    "What''s her surname?"


    He squints, trying to dig it out of whatever half-functioning part of his brain stores


    real information. "Uh... something with an M. Mercer, maybe? I dunno. My wife took myst name. I didn''t pay attention."


    "Show me a picture."


    Sage frowns, confused, but pulls out his phone anyway. Starts scrolling.


    I can already feel it.


    That slow, inevitable punch of fate winding up in the pit of my gut.


    He finds what he''s looking for and thrusts the screen in front of me.


    CHAPTER 046: My Bunny


    There she is.


    Pressed awkwardly against an older woman''s side-hair shorter, sses perched


    on her nose, mouth fighting a real smile. A girl who clearly didn''t want to be in the


    picture.


    A girl who was clenching around my cock less than an hour ago.


    Sloane Mercer,


    My Bunny.


    And apparently?


    My club manager''s stepdaughter.


    Subscribed

 Chapter 47

    CHAPTER 047: Meet Someone New


    ***


    -SLOANE-


    ***


    Today turned out to be more productive than I anticipated. I wish I could say this renewed vigor for work has anything to do with Knox screwing me against a closet earlier today.


    No. As far as I know, thinking about Knox being inside me is my biggest source of distraction.


    Not my proudest moment, but I spent half the day quietly plotting how I might steal Knox''s phone and hack into it. Funny, isn''t it?


    How picturing yourself stealing your boyfriend''s phone-and actively contemting breaking about a hundred cybersecurity ethics to hack into it-can light a fire under your ass.


    Normal people would just ask their boyfriends about the things they wanted to know. Normal boyfriends would actually


    answer.


    But no.


    Knox Hartley is about as tight-lipped as a CIA agent under torture.


    And the inquisitive part of me?


    Yeah, she''s not resting until she cracks him open.


    As I drive back toward my apartment, I run through the possibilities like I''m prepping a heist:


    - Spend the night at his ce. Steal his phone while he''s in the shower.


    - Lure him to mine. Wait until he inevitably passes out after sex and scan his devices.


    - Find a way to slip his keys off him and get into whatever fortress of secrets he calls home.


    Each n is more chaotic than thest.


    Each one sharpens my focus today like a de.


    Maybe that''s the key. Maybe evil thoughts are my personal brand of coffee.


    Now that I''m pulling into my parking lot, it finally clicks-why work felt so easy today.


    This has been my life for years.


    Thinking evil thoughts about Delh while working. Plotting imaginary takedowns of Finn''s girlfriend while cracking encryptionyers.


    Hatred and chaos fueled me.


    Not... happiness.


    Not good sex and sweet texts and being called "Bunny" with a voice low enough to melt steel.


    God.


    Good thoughts distract me.


    Evil ones make me efficient.


    I''m officially that person who thrives only in chaos.


    No messy Finn to babysit.


    No Delh to fantasize about punching.


    Just good memories of Knox inside me.


    And look what it''s done to me-turned me soft.


    Not anymore.


    If hacking into my maybe-boyfriend''s life was what it took to get my productivity back, then so be it.


    Consider it... field research.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    I grab my bag and head inside the building, pushing through the lobby doors.


    As usual, Johnny-the old security guard who barely stays awake past noon-is dozing behind the front desk, his head bobbing like a balloon losing air.


    "A very good evening to you, Johnny," I call, striding past.


    CHAPTER 047: Meet Someone New


    He startles upright with a snort, fumbling for his sses.


    "Sloane!" he says, blinking at me. "Almost didn''t see you there."


    I grin and aim for the stairs-ignoring the elevator as I always do.


    One ustrophobic experience in that metal deathtrap was enough for me to


    swear it off for life. The elevator might be faster, but after getting stuck in it once-


    just once-I''ve avoided it like the gue.


    Small spaces. No air.


    My hands had actually trembled trying to pry the doors open that day.


    Never again.


    I''d rather hike six flights of stairs in heels than get trapped again with nothing but


    bad lighting and my own panic.


    "A package for you!" Johnny calls after me.


    I pause, frowning.


    A package?


    I pivot back toward the desk. He''s holding out a small white envelope, waving it


    like it''s a winning lottery ticket.


    "From whom?" I ask.


    "The lock-changingpany," he says.


    "The what?"


    "Some guys came in today," Johnny exins. "Had IDS and paperwork and


    everything. Said you scheduled them to rece your door lock."


    I just stare at him for a second.


    And then it clicks.


    There''s exactly one man who would do something like that without asking me first.


    And the strangest part is-


    Instead of being mad, I feel a small, warm tug inside me. I bite back a smile.


    "Yes, of course," I say brightly, putting Johnny out of his growing misery. "The lockpany. Totally slipped my mind."


    Johnny sighs, visibly relieved.


    "Good. You had me worried there for a second. You''re smart, Sloane. Can''t be too careful these days."


    He winks at me as I tuck the envelope under my arm.


    "I saw you brought home a fine gentleman today," he adds with a knowing


    chuckle.


    Heat crawls up my neck. "Umm, thank you, Johnny."


    "Does that mean you''ve finally broken up with that other guy?"


    I groan inwardly. "For the hundredth time-Finn and I were just friends."


    "Yeah, a friend who wants to bang you six ways from Sunday."


    "Johnny!"


    "It''s the truth. Young people can be so blind. Man follows you around like a lost dog, and you call it friendship. You girls today..." He trails off, shaking his head


    sagely.


    I just smile and start backing toward the stairs.


    Some battles aren''t worth fighting.


    "I''m heading up now!" I call.


    But Johnny''s voice follows me, almost catching me mid-step.


    "What did you say to him that got him so worked up anyway?¡± he asks. ¡°You came


    in with that fine gentleman, and minutester your old friend stormed out, face like


    a thundercloud."


    I freeze.


    Stomach dropping.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Finn," Johnny says, like it''s obvious. "Came by this afternoon. Maybe ten minutes before you showed up. You must have said something to him up there. He didn''t look too good. Didn''t reply when I said goodbye."


    My heart stops beating for a second.


    CHAPTER 047: Meet Someone New


    Finn.


    Here.


    Today.


    My mind runs ahead of me, connecting dots I don''t want to connect. And as the


    memories flood in, realizationes with them.


    Knox searching my living room.


    Knox staring a little too long at the closet.


    Oh, my god.


    Finn was in my closet.


    Finn watched us.


    I grip the railing tightly, feeling my face go hot and cold all at once.


    Should I be more angry at Finn for sneaking into my home like a deranged


    stalker?


    Or at Knox... for letting him stay hidden while we-


    I squeeze my eyes shut.


    Nope.


    Not thinking about that.


    Not right now.


    Psychopathic tendencies must really run in that family.


    I stumble my way up the stairs, heart hammering, fumbling to pull out my phone.


    Who do I even call?


    Knox?


    ! Finn?


    God, I''m angry enough to call 911 at this point.


    But then-


    "Sloanie-bug!"


    I snap my head up.


    Standing right in front of my door are two familiar figures.


    My mother, smiling brightly, arms full of fresh flowers from her shop.


    And my sister, Serena, rolling her eyes and bncing a paper bag that smells suspiciously like Italian takeout.


    "Mom? Serena?" I say, breathless, walking toward them. "What are you two doing


    here?"


    "We wanted to surprise you, honey," Mom says, giving me a wink. "And we brought food!"


    "Noticed you changed your locks," Serena says, nudging the door with her sneaker. "Which, by the way, makes my key useless now. And seriously, Sloane-a keycard lock? What are you running here, a penthouse in Manhattan?" Only now do I actually notice the lock.


    A sleek ck keycard reader mounted flush against the doorframe.


    Not a normal lock.


    Not even close.


    Definitely a Knox move.


    I tear open the envelope Johnny gave me, pulling out a slim keycard.


    I swipe it.


    The door clicks open with a soft mechanical hum that feels weirdly... satisfying.


    "Paranoid boyfriend," I reply, ushering them both inside.


    Inside, everything is... cleaner.


    Too clean.


    The throw pillows are actually on the couch for once, not scattered on the floor or


    positioned askew.


    The floor looks freshly vacuumed.


    Even the kitchen counter shines.


    CHAPTER 04] Sheet Somages


    Either Knox installed a lock-or he called in an entire SWAT team of deaners too


    Romantic or deranged?


    The jury''s still out.


    Serena tosses the food on the table.


    "If by paranoid boyfriend you mean Finn''s brother, yeah, we heard about that she


    says.


    1 freeze mid-step


    "What?"


    "Finn''s been calling everyone, Serena continues casually "Mom, me, Dad.


    Apparently now everyone knows you''re dating a drug lord who owns a sex club"


    I can''t even form words.


    I just stand there with my bag hanging off one shoulder, staring at them like they''ve grown second heads.


    "Is that why you''re here?" I finally ask


    Mom, who''d just set the flowers carefully into my vase, plops herself down onto my over-clean couch and turns to me, her expression tender and serious,


    "Sloane, baby," she says gently, "I know you''re probably experiencing withdrawal- "Withdrawal?" I echo nkly,


    "Breaking up with Finn and all that."


    Oh.


    Right.


    That.


    "You don''t need to jump from the frying pan into the fire just because you''re


    hurting," she says. "You made a good decision leaving Finn. Now you can meet


    nice, normal people. Like artists. Good people."


    She pauses.


    Lowers her voice like she''s sharing a secret.


    "But baby... not someone like that."


    I just stare.


    Silent.


    "He owns a sex club, sweetheart," she says. "Do you know what kind of things a


    man has to do to maintain an underground club like that?"


    I want to crumple onto the floor and disappear.


    Mom''s eyes soften.


    "I wasn''t always there for you growing up, Sloane. I know that. But I''m here now.


    And I''m not just going to sit by while you


    make the wrong choice. Come to the barbecue this weekend. Meet someone


    new. Please."

 Chapter 48

    CHAPTER 048: Me. Myself. And My Desires


    I set my bag down on the couch and sink into the seat.


    Mom turns sideways. Her eyes are soft but expectant. Waiting for something.


    An answer.


    A promise.


    A miracle, maybe.


    ''Meet someone new.''


    Like it''s that simple.


    Like I''ll just show up to this magical barbecue, beam a dazzling smile at some guy, and he''ll be The One.


    A perfect suburban fantasy.


    God.


    The worst part is...


    I know she''s notpletely wrong.


    Being with Knox might be dangerous. The man himself is a danger. I can feel it every time he looks at me with those eyes- heavy-lidded and full of promises that don''t look anything like good intentions.


    He''s into something dark; that''s for sure. I can feel it in my bones.


    Something he won''t talk about.


    And I''ve seen enough movies to know how this goes.


    It''s always the girlfriend who ends up kidnapped by the main character''s rival, drowned in a bathtub, or shot through the heart in a drive-by-because she loved the wrong man.


    But Knox never pretended he was good.


    Not once.


    And I...


    I epted that.


    I wanted that.


    Maybe that''s the real problem. Me. Myself. And my desires.


    I just wish they''d let me make my bad decisions in peace.


    Mom''s really bent on making up for lost time, trying to squeeze herself into spaces


    she left empty for years.


    And naturally, in any other situation, I would''ve eaten it up.


    yed the role of the vulnerable daughter who needed saving.


    Let her fuss over me.


    Let her believe she could fix what she never stuck around long enough to understand.


    But right now?


    I need them to believe I''m fine-really, genuinely fine-before this spirals into something bigger.


    Before they start nning interventions or, worse, dragging Dad into it.


    Mom shifts again.


    "Sloane?" she says, pulling me back from wherever my head had wandered.


    I lift my gaze.


    Force a smile.


    "I appreciate the concern," I say softly. "Really. But I''m fine. And I know what I want."


    Mom''s mouth tightens, her lips pressing together in that way she always does when she''s biting back a thousand arguments all at once.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    Serena, sensing the gathering storm, busies herself at the counter. She pulls open the takeout bag with exaggerated care,ying out cartons and crinkled napkins like she''s a contestant on a cooking show.


    Mom exhales through her nose.


    "I''ll only believe you''re fine if youe to the barbecue and keep your mind open," she says. "You don''t go out, Sloane. You


    CHAPTER 048: Me. Myself. And My Desires


    don''t meet people. All you''ve ever known is Finn. Finn led you to his brother, who''s just another Finn, or worse. How would you even know what you want if you''ve never given anyone else a chance?"


    I blink at her.


    ¡°So what?¡± I ask, keeping my voice even. "You''re asking me to sneak around behind my boyfriend''s back and explore my options?"


    "I''m asking you toe to the barbecue and smile at a few decent guys. Smiling


    and having a conversation doesn''t qualify as cheating, does it?¡±


    I scoff, looking down at my hands, tracing a seam on my pants.


    "The intent to keep my mind open qualifies as cheating."


    "And so what if you cheat?" Mom fires back, a little sharper now. "You think a man


    like that is being faithful?"


    Now she''s just putting ideas in my head.


    Is he faithful?


    That morning in his suite-when he demanded exclusivity-was that supposed to


    be for both of us? Or just for me?


    ''I won''t share you, Sloane.''


    That''s what he said.


    Not ''We won''t share ourselves with others.''


    Not You''re mine and I''m yours.''


    Just ''I won''t share you.''


    Should I have said something?


    Should I have made some kind of deration too?


    Or was I so busy falling apart every time he touched me that I forgot to ask for the basics?


    God.


    I push to my feet, needing to move, to breathe.


    00


    I walk over to the counter here Serena''s arranging our takeout er.


    I join her wordlessly, pretending I''m not dying inside, pretending I''m not seriously


    considering how much simpler my life would be if I just gave up now.


    If I just picked safe.


    Normal.


    Boring.


    "I''m not a child anymore, Mom," I say over my shoulder.


    "That''s the point, baby," she replies. "You''re not. Now''s not the time to be


    developing some rebellious teenage spirit. You''re


    a full-grown woman. You should be making adult decisions. Exploring danger is


    for kids. Look at Serena. Nathan''s about to propose any day now."


    I nce at Serena.


    She''s grinning like the damn Cheshire Cat, enjoying my slow meltdown way too much.


    The worst part is...


    They won''t stop.


    Not until they get their way.


    And if Dad joins inter, it''ll be an all-out emotional war zone.


    Better to end this now.


    Give them the illusion they''ve won.


    "Fine," I say, setting down the stack of napkins with a heavy sigh. "I''lle to the


    barbecue. I''ll keep my mind open."


    Mom''s face brightens instantly.


    "That''s all I''m asking for."


    We settle around my tiny dining table, eyes set on our pasta, breadsticks, and


    meatballs. The scent of tomato sauce and garlic fills the room.


    Mom chats about her shop-about a new flower arrangement she''s trying to market to hipster wedding venues.


    Serena gossips about her friend''s cheating boyfriend.


    CHAPTER 048: Me Myself. And My Desires


    I smile.


    I nod.


    I sip from the ss of wine Serena unearthed from the kitchen shelf I hide my


    stash.


    But deep down, I''m somewhere else.


    With a man who keeps a gun in his glove box like it''s just another essory. With a man who changed the locks on my door without asking.


    With a man who let my former best friend hide in my closet while he fucked me against it like the world was ending.


    With a man who calls me Bunny in a voice that makes my bones turn to dust.


    I swirl the wine in my ss, watching it catch the light, spinning pale gold. Could I really ever meet someone else?


    Someone safe?


    Someone easy?


    Someone who didn''t feel like a fuse ready to be lit every time he looked at me?


    Could I pretend I haven''t already made my choice?


    Because no matter how dangerous Knox Hartley might be...


    No matter how many warnings and red gse pping me in the face-


    Part of me already belongs to him.


    And normal?


    Normal sounds boring.


    Normal sounds dead.


    Later at night, I lie in bed, staring up at the ceiling fan as it turns slow,zy circles


    above my head.


    A week ago, this would have been the part where I called Finn.


    Told him about my day.


    Ranted about being ambushed by my mother and sister.


    He''d give some half-assed advice that somehow always circled back to Delh,


    because of course it did.


    As much as I hate him right now-


    I miss that.


    I miss being able to call someone.


    To unload without thinking about how my words mighte back to burn me.


    And I can''t exactly call Knox and say,


    "Hey, babe, I agreed to go flirt with strangers this weekend because my family thinks you''re a gangster. Just keeping my mind open like my mom suggested. Hope you don''t mind!"


    Yeah.


    Not happening.


    But Finn...


    He caused this. He deserves a piece of my mind.


    If nothing else.


    He doesn''t get to sneak into my life anymore and pretend like it''s okay.


    I grab my phone off the nightstand and dial.


    The line barely rings before he picks up.


    Like he''s been waiting.


    "You son of a bitch," I say, no preamble. "What the hell were you doing in my


    apartment today?"


    "Sloane," he breathes out. His voice cracks a little. "Oh my God. It''s so good to hear from you."


    "The feeling is not mutual, Finn. I''m calling to tell you to save yourself the trouble


    of sneaking in anymore. I''ve changed the locks. The next time I see you lurking around, I''m calling the cops."


    "Sloane," he says again, and this time his voice is thick-like he''s holding back tears. "I''m sorry. I just... I miss you. I miss my


    CHAPTER 048: Me, Myself. And My Desires


    best friend."


    "Why? Did Delh dump you already?"


    "This has nothing to do with her," he says, pained. "I just wanted to see you.


    Surprise you. I swear I didn''t mean to do anything wrong. And then you came home with... him. And I panicked."


    "And you hid in my closet like a psychopath."


    "I didn''t want to ruin it. You looked happy. I thought if I made noise, if I


    interrupted-"


    "So you thought watching was a better option?"


    Silence.


    "I''m sorry, Sloane," he says. "I don''t care if you''re with my brother now. I just want


    my friend back."


    "It''s toote, Finn."


    There''s a beat.


    And then-


    "I''m in the hospital."


    "What?"


    "I was crossing the street. A car came out of nowhere. I broke my arm and had a


    concussion. They''re keeping me here for a little while to monitor me."


    I bolt upright in bed, heart mming into my ribs.


    "What hospital?" I demand, already swinging my legs over the side.

 Chapter 49

    CHAPTER 049: Hit And Run


    ***


    ~~FINN~~


    ***


    Delh hasn''t stopped ring at me.


    She''s sitting to my left in the only visitor chair in the room, arms crossed so tightly across her chest I''m half-convinced she''


    s trying to fold herself in half. Her legs are angled away from me, but her eyes- they haven''t moved. Not once. Not since the doctor gave her visitation clearance.


    "Could you stop with the looks, please?" I grumble, adjusting myself on the hospital bed.


    My arm is immobilized in a heavy-duty sling, wrapped and elevated with what feels like ten pounds of gauze and Velcro. "I''m already in pain as it stands. I don''t need you breathing down my neck."


    Delh only res harder.


    "I could go to jail for what I did," she says.


    "No, you won''t. I asked you to do it. It was my decision."


    She looks away for the first time, fingers threading through her hair as she rubs her temple. Her voicees quieter. Tighter.


    ¡°Still doesn''t change the fact that I stupidly agreed to break your arm with a hammer and push you down a flight of stairs. You could''ve snapped your neck and died, Finn. I almost had a heart attack when I heard your skull hit that railing. Jesus Christ."


    "It''s alright. I didn''t die."


    She lowers her hand to herp. Her face is paler than usual. The lip gloss she reapplied earlier has long since faded. Her mascara''s smudging under her eyes, and her earrings keep shaking every time she breathes, like they, too, are on edge. "That''s why you got me intoxicated," she mutters. "Because you knew I''d do anything you said when I''m tipsy."


    I roll my eyes and stare at the white ceiling tiles above. She''s acting innocent now. Like we haven''t done worse.


    There was the frat house incident in college-the one that ended with half the ce covered in foam and the other half in fire extinguisher residue. We''d trashed the ce together. Then we''d both snuck out the sketchy fire escape. I still remember the way that structure rattled and bent under our weight. She was always at every party I went to even though she wasn''t a student herself. The cops came. Someone else got arrested.


    And the senior prank in high school? The one that nearly got Knox expelled? That was all her. I was a sophomore back then, but I knew all about it. Hell, we nned it together. She was the one who eventually talked Knox out of trouble with that sweet, innocent voice and a face that could sell lies for a living.


    There was even that weekend in Marnd. She stole a cop''s taser just to test a theory-something about whether electricity would arc across wet pavement. It did. Right into my fucking kneecaps.


    That was the thing about Delh. She''s never been innocent.


    She''s just sober now. And sobriety, for her,es with a little regret.


    She''s chaotic, loyal, and when she has had just enough liquor in her bloodstream, she stops questioning anything. She''d follow me off a cliff if I said it led to a better view.


    When I brought the hammer to her earlier today, she blinked once and asked, "Are you trying to call in sick to work tomorrow?"


    I replied, "Part of the reason, yeah."


    She just shrugged. Told me I should''ve snorted crack first. "This is gonna hurt," she added, swinging back her arm.


    She didn''t need to tell me.


    The pain shot straight through my bones like electricity. My vision had gone ck around the edges. I couldn''t feel my fingers. I heard the crack. Felt it vibrate through my chest.


    She screamed. "Oh my God. Oh my God, Finn, what did I do?"


    I could barely speak. But I got the words out:


    "Quick. Before I change my mind. Push me down the stairs."


    She hesitated.


    So I whispered her name in the tone I always use when I need her to be brave for


    me.


    CHAPTER 049 Hit And Run


    And then I tumbled down three flights of hardwood stairwell like a loaded sack.


    Now here we are.


    The meds are starting to wear off. I can feel the ache settling in. My body is stiff. My head is a little foggy, but the haze helps.


    Delh keeps wringing her hands like she wants to wring my neck instead.


    "Look, L," I say, shifting again. "How about you just go home and rest, okay? I''ll be discharged tomorrow. I''m alright."


    "I broke your fucking arm, Finn."


    "And I love you for it."


    She scowls. Her eyes water, but she doesn''t let the tears fall.


    "Just go home. You''ll have the entire bed to yourself tonight. I promise I''ll get you


    something nice for all your hard work."


    She nods slowly, dazed.


    "Alright. But you still haven''t told me why you did it."


    "I was bored."


    Her face twists in disbelief. She opens her mouth to argue, but maybe she can''t


    find the right words to retort. She sighs instead, grabs her purse, and heads for the door.


    "See youter, then."


    Before she reaches it, Sloane appears just outside the room.


    They both freeze.


    Slosne''s eyes lock onto Delh first-narrowing for just a moment-before theynd


    on me.


    And suddenly, her whole face changes.


    Concern floods her features.


    It''s been so long since I saw that look on her face. Since she looked at me like I mattered.


    I swear, I almost start crying from relief.


    "Finn," she says, walking in. Her voice breaks a little. "Oh my God."


    Shees to the side of my bed, hovering like she wants to touch me but isn''t


    sure if she''s allowed. Her hands flutter uselessly at her sides.


    God, I want her to touch me.


    To ce her soft palms on my chest. To say she still cares.


    But all I say is, "Sloane. You came."


    "Of course I did," she says, her eyes scanning the brace around my arm. "What


    the fuck happened? You didn''t see the caring?"


    I look away.


    "I walked into the road. My mind was all over the ce.


    Her face falls.


    I know her well enough to see the guilt setting in. She''s ming herself. Thinking


    maybe it was her silence that sent me spiraling. And I don''t stop her.


    Let her feel it. Let her stay.


    "Has the driver been arrested?" she asks.


    "Hit and run,¡± I say. "Honestly, it''s fine."


    Delh, still by the door, suddenly steps forward.


    "I can''t believe this," she says. Her voice is low and dangerous. "You know what,


    Finn? I wish that CAR had crushed your fucking skull and left you for dead."


    "L," I start.


    But she flips me off.


    And walks out without another word.


    Sloane frowns in confusion. "What was that about?"

 Chapter 50

    CHAPTER 050: Greedy Brother


    I exhale. "Just our usual problems. You know how it is."


    She''s still skeptical but nods.


    "Alright. So who do I need to call? Your mom? Your dad?"


    I shake my head. "No. Don''t. My family''s far away. There''s no need to make them panic and hop on a ne. You''re my only friend here." I meet her eyes. "You''re enough."


    She hesitates. Her gaze drops to the floor, then back to me.


    "I''ll call Knox."


    "No!"


    Too fast.


    "I have to let someone know," she says. "Just rx, Finn. Lay back."


    I watch her pull out her phone and walk toward the hallway. My stomach sinks. This isn''t going as nned. She''s supposed to sit here. Feed me jello. Fluff my pillow. Cry a little maybe. Re-forge the bond I''ve been trying to drag back together since the wedding fell apart.


    But instead, she''s dialing him.


    And just before she walks out of earshot, I hear her say:


    "Hey, babe. So, um, your brother got in an ident and-"


    I close my eyes.


    Shit.


    Knox is going toe.


    He''ll hear Sloane''s voice. Hear that she''s with me.


    And he''lle storming through these doors like a hurricane, all brooding intensity and murderous intent.


    I groan.


    My brother''s greedy.


    He already took her from me.


    But apparently, he won''t even let me have one night with her in a fucking hospital bed.


    ***


    ~~KNOX~~


    ***


    I listen to Sloane''s voice on the phone, and it''s not as melodic as I''m used to. It''s thin. Wobbly around the edges. Rushed like she''s pacing or running or trying not to cry.


    It''s a good thing this room is soundproof, or else I wouldn''t hear her voice over all that trembling.


    "Hey, hey, Bunny," I say, voice low, calm. "Slow down. What hospital?"


    Around me, the room is still heavy with the tension I left in it. One man is tied to a chair, half his face swollen from thest punch. Spy, snitch, or whateverbel fits best today. His arms are zip-tied behind his back, his knees bruised from how hard Levi made him drop when we caught him trying to scale the rear wall behind the club''s service lot.


    Levi and Jade, Obsidian''s managers, stand on each side of the spy, looking at me like I''ve grown a second head. Can''t really me them. Thirty seconds ago, I was threatening to snap this guy''s kneecap clean out of its socket, and now I''m speaking softly into the phone.


    I don''t mean for my voice to change-it just does. She calls, and the rage dials down without permission. The rough edge in me smooths like it''s been trained to respond only to her voice,


    They say every man''s got a weakness.


    Looks like they''ve found mine.


    It''s a damn good thing Jade-who''s still staring at me like listens the bout a halo- doesn''t know the Bunny on the other end of this call is his stepdaughter. Sessfully unlocked!


    Sloane says the name of the hospital-one I know, about thirty minutes from here.


    "I''ll be there soon," I tell her. "Just stay calm. It''s not your fault. Stay on the line with me, okay?"


    I mute the call and turn to Levi and Jade. My voice drops into something colder. "I''m heading out. Take care of this for me,


    CHAPTER 050: Greedy Brother


    will you?"


    Levi nods without a beat. "Got it."


    Jade doesn''t. He just stares. His confusion and a thousand questions are worn on his face like a fresh bruise


    You''d think a guy with Krav Maga certification, former army reserve, and a r¨¦sum¨¦ that reads like a UFC highlight reel would have better control over his poker face. But no.


    He''s still stuck on the fact that the Knox Hartley-the same man who once dislocated a man''s shoulder for spitting in the wrong direction-is cooing into a phone like it''s a newborn.


    Levi reaches over and yanks the mouth wrap off our spy.


    "Come on, man," the guy blurts, voice cracked. "I don''t know what you''re talking about. You''ve got to let me go."


    I walk away and don''t nce back.


    Once outside the door, I shut it behind me and step into the hallway, swallowed by the muffled pulse of the club in full bloom. Bass rattles beneath the floors. Laughter and moans bleed into the walls. Bodies are pressed against each other under red light and shadows.


    But my head''s not here.


    By the time I''m in the car, door mmed shut and engine purring awake, I unmute the call.


    "I''m on my way."


    "Okay." Her replyes fast, like she never took the phone off her ear.


    I don''t say much as I drive. I don''t have to. I can hear her breathing. The rustle of fabric as she paces or shifts. The faint beeps and murmurs of nurses in the background. It''s all I need.


    It means she''s not in that room with Finn.


    Means I''ve still got time to get there before he tries anything else.


    Because apparently, one clear-cut deal wasn''t enough.


    Because somehow, "Stay away from her" tranted to "Manipte your way into


    her apartment, traumatize her, and now stage a fucking ident."


    When I get to the hospital, the parking lot is half-lit. It''s almost midnight.


    And inside, I see her.


    Seated in the lobby, in an oversized hoodie and sweatpants that hang off her like she barely remembered to get dressed. No makeup. Hair pulled into a sloppy knot. Still holding the phone to her ear.


    Beautiful.


    Inconveniently beautiful.


    It''s nearly midnight. A normal person with a 9-to-5 would be asleep by now, not


    rushing through fluorescent-lit hospital


    lobbies.


    Finn''s bullshit dragged her out of bed.


    And yeah, it does piss me off.


    But fuck me, she looks good like this.


    Soft. Real. Like someone I could get used to waking up beside. Even though I


    haven''t woken up next to anyone since I left the military. Not once. Not until now have I even thought about it.


    She stands the second she spots me.


    "Knox," she says.


    Her face crumples just a little. And my heart does too.


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 Chapter 51

    Fine Make 71


    CHAPTER 051: Finn. Finn. Finn


    CHAPTER 051: Finn. Finn. Finn


    "Bunny," I breathe, crossing the distance in a few long strides and pulling her straight to my chest.


    She melts into me. Just folds into my body like she belongs there. No hesitation.


    I kiss her forehead, bending slightly because she''s always smaller without her heels.


    "It''s not your fault," I murmur. "Shit happens."


    "I left him,¡± she whispers. "I knew how psychotic he can get when he feels abandoned. Yet I left."


    "You had to. People meet, and they part ways."


    She pulls back, eyes red-rimmed but clear.


    "I''m going to make sure he gets help."


    I brush her bangs out of her face, fingers lingering on her temple. "Of course. He''ll get all the help he needs. I''ll see to that."


    She nods. Her eyes search mine like she''s looking for something final in them. Some reassurance.


    "Should we call your parents?" she asks.


    "He broke an arm, right?"


    "Yes. And he''s concussed."


    "Can he talk?"


    "Yeah."


    "Can he move?"


    "Yes."


    "He''ll survive. Just wait down the hall for me, alright? I gotta check something with the receptionist."


    She exhales, finally looking less like she''s about to shatter.


    ¡ü "Okay," she says, then turns and walks toward the room number she''d


    mentioned earlier.


    I head toward the desk.


    The woman behind it has a kind, round face and tortoiseshell sses perched at


    the end of her nose. She barely looks up until I stop in front of her.


    I turn on my megawatt smile-the one I save for clients, high rollers, and now, apparently, hospital staff.


    "Hi."


    She lifts her head and smiles back politely. "Good evening. How may I help you?"


    "Name''s Knox Hartley. My brother was admitted today. Finn Hartley. Broken arm and concussion."


    She types something into the screen.


    "Are you here to visit?"


    "I am."


    "I''ll need to see an ID."


    I pull out my wallet and hand over my driver''s license.


    She scans it. Nods. "Got it. Just a second..."


    She clicks a few more keys, prints something, and slides a visitor badge across the counter as well as the license.


    "Here''s your pass and your card. He''s in room 303."


    "Thanks." I pause. "Just one thing... was the driver apprehended?"


    Her brow furrows. "The driver?"


    "He was hit by a car, no?"


    She blinks at her screen. "Um... no, actually. ording to this, it says he fell down


    a flight of stairs. Is there something else we should know? Do we need to alert the authorities?"


    Iugh, ying it off. "My bad. Sorry. Stairs. I must''ve gotten it mixed up."


    She smiles, but there''s a trace of doubt in her eyes.


    I take the pass and my card, nod in thanks, and head down the hall. As soon as I


    turn the corner, the smile drops.


    I follow the hallway down until I hit 302.


    The door is open just enough to see Sloane inside, standing by the bed.


    CHAPTER 051: Finn. Finn. Finn


    Finn''s eyes, which were formerly on her, turn to re at me.


    I push the door wider.


    "Little brother,¡± I say, stepping in. "Didn''t anyone teach you to look both ways


    before crossing the road?"


    Finn''s eyes narrow. "The car came out of nowhere."


    "That can be a bitch when it happens, can''t it?"


    He doesn''t answer. His face is pale, but his jaw is tight.


    I turn to Sloane.


    "Hey, Bunny. Mind giving me a moment with my brother?"


    She hesitates. "Of course. I''ll just get us coffee. You want one?"


    "Wouldn''t that mess with your sleep?"


    "I might not be sleeping all that well tonight anyway."


    I smile. "Alright. I''ll have whatever you''re having."


    "Are you sure? I like mine extra sweet."


    I watch her smile, all soft lips and tired eyes, and when she says she likes her coffee extra sweet, something in me twitches -low and a little dangerous.


    "So do I."


    The words slip out before I can stop them, and I know she sees it-the shift in my gaze, the heat I don''t bother hiding.


    She blushes. Full-on pink-cheeked, flustered, eyes darting to the floor like a schoolgirl caught staring at her teacher''s mouth too long.


    And then she''s gone, practically bolting out of the room like it''s on fire.


    I wait until I''m sure she''s gone.


    Until her footsteps fade and the hallway falls silent again.


    Then I turn back to Finn, who''s pushing himself toward the edge of the bed, far away from me.


    I step closer.


    His jaw tightens. Good.


    Let him know I''m not here to y.


    "Tell me," I say quietly, "what part of town did you get knocked down?"


    "Knox, leave. I don''t want you


    here."


    "I know. You want Sloane. What did you do exactly? Get Delh to shove you


    down the stairs? You''re not that courageous


    on your


    own."


    I bend, hands on the edge of his bed rail.


    His mouth tightens. "I''m going to alert the nurses."


    "Please do. Before they get here..." I reach forward and rest my palm gently on


    the arm in the sling. "I''ll have time to break this arm again and break the other one


    just for bnce."


    He hisses.


    "What the fuck do you want?" he asks.


    "Why do I always have to repeat myself? Leave. Her. Alone. Or next time, this


    won''t be a friendly conversation."


    "You just can''t ept the fact that she still cares about me, can you?"


    "Finn. Finn. Finn. You''re standing on the very edge of my patience."


    "Take your hands off me, Knox."


    I squeeze his wrapped arm. "Like this?"


    "Ouch. What the hell."


    And then I hear it.


    That voice.


    That breathless voice I''d drive across a city to hear.


    "Hey, I forgot to ask if you wanted cream-"


    I lift my head.


    CHAPTER DST


    So does Finn


    Sloane stande in the drainway eyes bouncing H


    Her brows knit "What''s going N


    CHAPTER 052: No Cream


    CHAPTER 052: No Cream

 Chapter 52

    CHAPTER 052: No Cream


    ***


    --SLOANE-N


    ***


    I walk into the room slowly, my feet soft on the linoleum. My eyes are fixed on Knox''s hand as it releases Finn''s casted arm. Neither of them answers my question.


    Not with words.


    But the silence is loud enough to fill the space between them.


    Finn''s perched on the very edge of the bed now, his body angled like he was trying to get away. His uninjured hand clutches the edge of the mattress. Knox is standing above him, jaw set, eyes unreadable, his hand just now slipping back into his pocket like nothing happened.


    But I know what I saw.


    Knox had been bent forward when I walked in, squeezing Finn''s injured arm. At some point, one of them will have to spill what history lies between them. Because this-whatever it is-doesn''t seem like it has anything to do with Finn taking Delh from Knox, which had been my initial guess.


    You can feel it-that one of them hurt the other a long time ago, and they''ve both been carrying it ever since. But whatever it was, it wasn''t enough to make them stop caring for each other entirely.


    I used to think I missed out, not growing up with a sibling.


    I''d always wondered what it would''ve been like to yell at a teenage Serena. Push. Cry with. Sneak snacks with. Fight and forgive.


    But looking at Finn and Knox''s rtionship situation now, I''m not so sure anymore. At least I and Serena are on good terms. Maybe having just an emotionally constipated dad who left me to figure out life by myself wasn''t the worst deal. Maybe bonding with my elder sister when we''d both grown up was the better option.


    Because this?


    I''m not all about that life.


    Knox is the first to break the staring contest.


    With his hands still tucked in his pockets and in the calmest voice, he says, "No cream, Bunny. ck is fine."


    I nce at Finn, who''s adjusting himself back toward the center of the bed with stiff, jerky movements.


    "Don''t worry about me," he says, avoiding my eyes. "I''ll just have Jell-O."


    I look between them-Knox with his unreadable expression and Finn hanging his slinged arm at a new angle, like it hurts more than it did before I stepped out. "So everything''s alright?" I ask slowly.


    "Why wouldn''t it be?" Knox says, already walking toward me, his voice as smooth as ever. "Come on. I''ll walk with you."


    His fingers find mine and gently hook around them, leading me to the door. Just as we reach the frame, I give Finn onest nce over my shoulder. He''s watching us-his mouth tight, his jaw locked, and his eyes burning with something that isn''t pain.


    We walk in silence down the hall.


    Knox''s hand finds the curve of my waist as we go, guiding me, possessive without even trying. His fingers press just enough to make me feel tethered. Owned.


    I wait until we''re past the nurses'' station. Past the vending machine. Past any prying ears.


    "Were you seriously going to break his arm?" I ask.


    "How do you break something that''s already broken?" he says, as if that logic makes it okay.


    "I know what I saw, Knox. You were squeezing it."


    "That was just the two of us having a conversation"


    He stops.


    Turns to me.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    The hand that''s on my waist pulls me toward him until my body meets his. Chest to chest. Hip to hip.


    The feel of him-solid, warm, grounding-sends a current up my spine. I hate that it calms me. That it makes me ache,


    CHAPTER 052 No Cream


    which I''m certain was his n. The hallway is empty, save for one nurse who walks by and nces at us but doesn''t stop. Knox doesn''t even flinch. His eyes are on me, steady, quiet, dangerous.


    His handes up to tilt my chin. "Bunny."


    I swallow hard, the words caught somewhere between my chest and throat.


    "Knox... your brother just got knocked down."


    "And?"


    "I know he can be annoying, but can you two just cool off the heat until this is over?"


    His gaze hardens just slightly. "You know this broken arm wasn''t coincidental, right?"


    "What are you talking about? You think he walked into a moving car?"


    "That''s the story he fed you so you''d feel bad for him. But his hospital records say he fell down a flight of stairs. And if I had to bet, I''d say he had Delh push him."


    I blink, heart tripping over itself. "Why the hell would he do that?"


    "The same reason he snuck into your house, installed hidden cameras, and sat in your closet watching you get fucked. He wants what I have." His voice doesn''t rise. It doesn''t need to. The words hit with enough weight.


    I stare at him, lips parting, scrambling to keep up with his words. Only one phrase sticks out from all the things he said.


    "Hidden cameras?" I whisper.


    "Don''t worry," he says, brushing hair off my cheek. "It''s been taken care of. Just


    go in there, tell him you''ll send flowers, say goodbye. Let''s go.¡±


    But I don''t move.


    Not yet.


    He waits, standing there like a storm in a ck button-down shirt. Waiting for me toply. To turn. To walk.


    But the words in my throat aren''t the ones he wants to hear. And I have to make them go down easier.


    I trail my fingers up the center of his chest. The fabric of his shirt is soft, but the muscle underneath is anything but. He tenses the moment I touch him. He always does. Until my hand slips around the back of his neck, and he dips down instinctively, making it easier for me to reach around his neck.


    "Are you trying to seduce me in a hospital hallway?" he murmurs.


    ?


    He waits, curious and amused.


    ¡°So, uh...¡± I begin and fail again.


    "What is it?"


    I slide my hand along the side of his neck, my thumb brushing the stubble there. His Adam''s apple bobs. His eyes shift- darker now. Hungry.


    "You''re going to have to say what''s on your mind soon," he says, low. "Because if you don''t, I''m going to throw you over my shoulder and find somewhere private to finish what you just started."


    I press my lips together.


    And then I say it.


    "Don''t you think we''re being too hard on Finn?"

 e Make 53

    CHAPTER 053: Share A Bed


    Just like that, the desire drains from Knox''s face.


    "Hard?" he says.


    "He''s clearly not doing well with me leaving. And it''s understandable. I''ve been the only constant in his life for years. He hardly goes home. He doesn''t have you. He doesn''t have friends. Just me. And Delh, of course. Who knows what he''ll do next? He could get himself incarcerated or worse. He needs help, Knox. Not threat Not more trauma."


    His jaw flexes.


    "What are you saying exactly?"


    "I''m saying let me get him the help he needs. There''s no rule that states I can''t date one brother and help the other."


    "Sloane-"


    "Come on. I won''t be able to live with myself if he does something he can''te back from. He''s crazy. I should have known he''d not take this well. He doesn''t cope well with abandonment. I just need to make sure he gets therapy."


    "You mean get institutionalized?"


    "Please?"


    Knox sighs and looks away, muttering something I don''t catch. But when he turns back, I know it already.


    He''s not going to say no.


    Not to me.


    "How about we talk about it in the morning?" he says. "When we''re both thinking clearly."


    I nod, relieved. "Alright. I''ll stay here with him until he''s discharged tomorrow. Maybe call in sick at work."


    He tightens his grip. "No."


    "What?"


    "You''re not staying here. He''ll be fine. There are nurses."


    "I can''t just leave him."


    "We''lle back in the morning."


    "It''s almost a forty-minute drive back to my ce."


    He starts walking. "Then we''ll go to mine. Ten minutes from here. I wasn''t going to let you drive home anyway."


    "Knox-"


    He pulls me gently but firmly toward the front desk where we return our visitor badges.


    "I haven''t even said goodbye," I say, trying to resist.


    "You can call him on the way."


    And just like that, we''re outside. The night air is cold against my skin.


    "My car''s over there," I say, pointing.


    "Leave it. I''ll send someone to get it."


    "You are being annoyingly bossy."


    He doesn''t respond. Just opens the passenger door of his car, and before I can climb in, he turns me around and kisses me.


    It''s not gentle.


    It''s not even sweet.


    It''s deep. Possessive. Thorough.


    His hands are on either side of my face, holding me still while his mouth does what it always does-wrecks me.


    I kiss him back just as hard. Tasting the faint trace of whiskey on his lips, feeling every nerve in my body respond to his. There''s nothing soft about this moment. It''s iming. It''s raw.


    When he finally pulls away, he rests his forehead against mine. His breath Sessfully unlocked!


    "I''ve been meaning to do that since I saw you in istlobby


    warm on my lips.


    I''m still breathless and unsurprisingly horny. How does one be so needy all


    the time? I had him today. Literally hours


    ago.


    And I still want more.


    CHAPTER 053 Share A Bed


    "Take me to your house," I whisper, hands resting on his chest. "I want to see where you hide at night"


    He smiles at that a quiet, sideways curl of his mouth that makes my stomach dip- then guides me into the car like it''s instinct. Like we''ve done this a thousand times. His hand stays warm against the small of my back as i lower myself into the seat. He doesn''t speak, just shuts the door gently, then rounds the hood and gets in on the driver''s side.


    The car roars to life. We pull away from the hospital with nothing but the sound of the engine keeping uspany. It feels weirdly intimate-like the world has shrunk to this car, this air between us. I settle into the seat and nce at the glowing clock on the dashboard,


    Fifteen minutes pass.


    Then twenty.


    I turn toward him. "So this ce of yours that''s supposedly ten minutes away..."


    He keeps his eyes on the road. "Time is subjective."


    "Is that so?"


    His lips twitch like he wants tough but is trying not to give me the satisfaction.


    I shake my head and let out a breath through my nose, smiling despite myself. The things this man does are a constant mystery to me. What did he think would happen if he didn''t lure me to his house? That I''d make a pit stop, wait for him to leave, and sneak back to Finn? Is it insecurity or distrust? If it is distrust, is it toward me or Finn? I have a lot of questions! need answers to, and I''m going to get them one at a time. I''m patient.


    The drive stretches past Bronx lights, then into Riverdale. By the time he finally turns onto a quiet, tree-lined residential street, I''ve stopped counting the minutes. The house he pulls up to doesn''t scream bachelor pad or criminal enterprise. It''s modern. Soft ck siding,rge ss windows with warm amber lights glowing behind them. A low privacy hedge runs along the perimeter, and thewn looks like it''s been trimmed with actual scissors.


    He parks in a private drive, hits a remote, and the garage door lifts. As soon as the car slips inside, the door rolls shut behind us.


    Once he shuts off the engine, he opens his door andes around to mine. Pulls it open like we''re on some kind of old-school date. And when I step out, his hand finds mine.


    I let him lead me.


    Inside, the air is warm and clean and smells faintly of cedar and something spicier-like his cologne but softer. We walk into a wide, open space that looks like something out of a magazine. Minimalist but not cold. Dark wood floors. Cream walls. Tastefully ced art. The living room bleeds into a sleek kitchen with ck marble countertops and matte gold hardware. A low fire glows in the gas firece like it''s been waiting for someone to admire it.


    ¡°You really have a bad concept of timing,¡± I say as he closes the door behind us.


    He doesn''t miss a beat. "Did we exceed ten minutes?"


    I side-eye him. He smiles.


    Then I notice him slipping off his shoes by the door.


    "Am I supposed to take mine off too?"


    He looks down at my feet. "Why would you want to bring your muddy shoes into


    the house?"


    "Didn''t know you were a germaphobe."


    He exhales a quietugh. "Haha. Funny. Take your shoes off, Bunny."


    I kick off the ts I''d thrown on in my rush to the hospital, cing them beside his. Before I can step away, he bends and adjusts mine until they''re lined up perfectly.


    Huh.


    Weird.


    Add that to the long, ever-growing list of Things I Don''t Understand About Knox Hartley.


    He takes my hand again and starts leading me up the stairs. The hallway is dim but clean, and I can''t help ncing in'' rooms we pass. I don''t even know what I''m looking for. A stash of rifles? An underground drug ring? A sign that I''ve gon in too deep?


    Nothing, of course. Just closed doors and a house that looks like it was staged by someone way too obsessed with symmetry.


    "Here we are," he says, opening a door to what I assume is the master bedroom.


    It''s massive. King bed, soft grayforter, floor-to-ceiling windows. Warm


    lighting and no clutter. It looks like no one lives


    CHAPTER 053 Share A Bed


    here, like everything is always this neat.


    "I see you like massive beds," I say.


    He smirks. "Sometimes I roll."


    "Fair warning.¡± I say, stepping inside. "If you push me off the bed, you''reing


    down with me."


    I strip off my hoodie and let it drop to the floor.


    His gaze drops too, falling on my bare chest.


    His eyes change the way they always do when I undress-like he''s trying to memorize every curve before he even touches me. I tug down my sweatpants slowly, watching the tension in his jaw build with every inch of skin I reveal.


    When I''mpletely naked, I don''t move.


    I just wait.


    Hees forward without a word, wraps an arm around my waist, and pulls me


    flush to his chest. Then he leans down and kisses my forehead.


    "You don''t have to worry about me pushing you off the bed," he murmurs.


    "Why''s that?"


    "I''m staying in the guest room."


    I stiffen.


    I pull back. "Come again?"


    His face is unreadable now. Just calm. Like this is normal.


    "I don''t share a bed with anyone, Sloane."


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 Chapter 54

    CHAPTER 054: Hop In


    "You can''t possibly be serious," I say. "You want to leave me on this bed all alone?"


    I expect him tough in that dark way of his, saying gotcha.


    But I see it in his eyes.


    He actually means it.


    There''s no teasing glint, no trace of smugness or mischief. Just this unreadable tness-like he''s trying to keep something buried under control.


    I grip his hand. "You''re not going anywhere."


    "Sloane, listen-"


    "No, you listen. I''ve obeyed you all evening while you bossed me around like some war general. Now it''s my turn." I yank his hand, firmer this time. "Get on the fucking bed, Knox."


    That gets me a smile from him.


    "Feisty," he says. "That was stimting. Do it again."


    "I''m not ying." I keep my hand locked around his, not budging. "Don''t turn this into a joke."


    His smile lingers, but something changes behind it-something quieter, more fragile. Not weak, no. Knox doesn''t do weak. But..... afraid?


    Is that what this is? Fear?


    I step toward him and wrap my arms around his waist, resting my head against his chest.


    "What is it, Knox?"


    "What is what?"


    "You look kinda... frightened."


    He breathes in, deep and slow. But I can hear it. The tension behind every breath.


    The pulse beneath my cheek, too fast to be steady.


    "Do I?" he murmurs.


    "Stop hiding things from me. It''s starting to get annoying."


    Silence.


    His breathing fills the space between us. So does the pounding in his chest.


    "I haven''t slept beside anyone in years," he finally says.


    I squeeze him tighter. "Well, we''ll start now. Stop being such a big baby."


    A pause. "Things can get... weird."


    I pull back to look at him, raising a brow. "A lot weirder than you already are? Knox, whatever it is, I can handle it. If ites


    to it, I can help too. Bad dreams? Scared of the dark? Scared of monsters?"


    "Don''t turn me into a project," he says, voice low, "like you did with Finn."


    I open my mouth. Shut it. There''s no fast, wittyeback for that one. No clever defense.


    Instead, I step back and pull at his hand again, heading for the bed.


    "I promise I won''t turn you into a project," I say. "But I will take that promise back if you don''t lie beside me on this bed."


    He lets me guide him toward the edge of the bed, but before I can pull him down with me, he halts.


    "Not yet. Let me get ready."


    I nod, watching as he walks to his closet. There''s the soft shuffle of hangers, the rustle of fabric; and then he returns- naked, of course. He''s carrying a small pile of clothes in one hand.


    God.


    Every time I see him bare, I forget how to breathe. The tattoos, the cut of his body, the ink across his ribs that curves j enough to make me ache. Each line looks like


    it was earned not just etched There''s a story behind all of them, certainly. Someday, I''ll ask him.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    He pulls something from the pile and tosses it at me. A soft ck T-shirt.


    "Can''t have you sleeping naked."


    "Why not?" I ask, smirking.


    CHAPTER 054: Hop In


    But he''s already walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.


    I pull the shirt over my head and slide under the covers. His scent is already embedded in the sheets-warm, musky, clean.


    I nce around the room. Every part of me wants to snoop, to find some clue about this man I still know so little about. But I fight the urge.


    Instead, I grab my phone.


    One message from Finn.


    ''Where are you?''


    I hesitate before typing. ''Something came up. I''ll see you in the morning!


    The shower turns on in the bathroom.


    Another message lights up. ''You left?''


    Yeah. Had to take care of something.''


    A second passes.


    ''Take care of my brother, you mean. You''re with him right now, aren''t you?''


    I don''t answer. Finn always manages to make everything about his brother. He


    must realize I''m getting pissed off, because another messagees in.


    ''Sorry. That came out wrong. I just wish you were here, that''s all.


    I exhale. Type fast.


    ''I''ll see you tomorrow before you get discharged. And by the way-I know you


    threw yourself down those stairs to get me


    toe. Nice work, asshole. And cameras in my room? You''re really bing a psychopath.


    A pause.


    ''I did it because I miss you.''


    I lock the phone. Set it on the bed beside me.


    The water in the bathroom stops.


    Another ping lights up the screen. I nce down.


    ''Goodnight, Sloane. No matter how much you hurt me, I still love you.''


    I stare at the message for a while, exhaling through my nose, before setting the


    phone on the nightstand.


    Finn.


    What the hell am I going to do about him?


    I''ve known him for quite a while. He''s been in my corner for things even I forgot I went through. Through college bullshit, missed birthdays, post-college breakdowns, dumb ideas-he was always there. And no matter how twisted things have gottentely, some part of me still cares about him. Maybe not the way he wants me to, the way that involves leaving his brother. Maybe not even in a healthy way. But it''s there. Embedded in the history we built together, like permanent ink beneath skin.


    But I can''t pretend anymore.


    Not after the closet.


    Not after the cameras.


    He''s not just spiraling-he''s detonating. And if I let him keep unraveling, if I look the other way, it''ll be me holding the thread when he finally falls apart for good.


    And I can''t trust Knox to help.


    He hates Finn.


    And I don''t me him. I really don''t.


    Dating one brother while the other-who''s my friend-is actively crashing through his own life like a one-man wrecking ball because of that rtionship? It''s a logistical nightmare. An emotional one too. I mean, who the hell lives like this? I''m not even sure which one of them I''m more worried about at this point-Finn, who''s ready to do anything to get me back, ''nox, who was this close to breaking his brother''s arm in the hospital because of me.


    Finn might be a walking red g right now, but he''s not a viin. He''s just... broken. In a way that''s familiar. In a way I used to think I could fix.


    But he''s also maniptive. Reckless. Selfish when he''s hurting. He weaponizes emotion in the way only someone who knows all your soft spots can. And worse, he''s clever about it. That''s the real danger-Finn''s never needed fists to ruin something. He uses guilt. Uses love. Uses history.


    CHAPTER 054: Hop In


    And if I don''t do something soon-if I let him keep operating on whatever deranged


    logic is fueling him-1 won''t just lose


    him.


    He''ll lose himself.


    And I can''t let that happen.


    Not in good conscience.


    Not when I still remember the boy who used to sleep on my dorm room floor just


    to make sure I didn''t cry alone after a panic attack.


    But I also can''t let him destroy the only thing that''s made me feel grounded in a


    long time. I can''t leave Finn alone to his devices.


    Finn and his "devices" have never led to anything but trouble.


    And now that he''s pulling stunts that involve hospital beds and security vitions,


    I can''t afford to hope he''ll magically change course.


    He won''t.


    Not unless someone forces him to.


    And that someone might have to be me.


    The bathroom door creaks open.


    Knox steps out, now dressed in a ck shirt and loose grey pajama pants. His


    hair is damp.


    "You''re still awake?" he asks.


    "You thought I was gonna sleep and let you sneak off somewhere?" I pat the


    space beside me. "Hop in."


    Subscribed

 Chapter 55

    CHAPTER 055: Make It Stop


    Knox walks over without a word, climbs into the bed, and pulls me into him. One arm drapes over my waist, the other reaches out and turns off the bedsidemp.


    Darkness fills the room.


    I can feel the thump of his heart beneath my cheek.


    I slide my hand down, fingers trailing the hem of his shirt and then slipping beneat. His skin is hot, tight over muscle. I keep going, dipping under the waistband of his pants. The stic snaps as my wrist slips past it.


    I find what I''m looking for with no effort.


    Hard already. Just from being close.


    The part of him that''s ruined me more times than I can count. The part that makes me forget my name when it''s inside me.


    It twitches in response to my touch, like it''s greeting me. Like it remembers me too.


    My fingers graze the piercing, and even in the dark, I can feel his breath hitch. Just a small break in the rhythm, a crack in the calm.


    God, I love that.


    "Did it hurt when you got pierced?"


    "Somewhat."


    "Why''d you get it?"


    "Because I like pain. And because I like to give pleasure."


    I smirk, but before I can go further, he grabs my wrist and pulls my hand out,


    cing it t against his stomach.


    "What?" I whisper. "I wasn''t done exploring."


    "Go to bed, Sloane."


    "Wait. You''re seriously nning to sleep?"


    "What else do you do on a bed?"


    "Things."


    "You''re a horny little thing, aren''t you?"


    "Maybe."


    He kisses my forehead. "That''s great and all, but tonight... you''re sleeping."


    I pout, but a yawn slips out before I can argue. Traitorous body.


    "See?" he murmurs. "I can''t maul a tired woman."


    "Your dick will put me to bed."


    "You know what else would?"


    "What?"


    "A luby."


    My head lifts. "You''re going to sing to me?"


    "It''s a song I learned in the army."


    "The army? You served?"


    "Mmhmm."


    And then, out of nowhere, he begins to sing.


    The melody is low and strange. Thenguage is familiar, but I can''t ce it. Surprisingly, his deep voice is not as horrible as I expected it to be.


    "What''s thatnguage?" I whisper.


    "Russian," he says. ¡°Learned it from a bunkmate. He said it reminded him of his daughter. See, his wife was Russian, she usually put their daughter to bed with the song. So before he slent be ing it every night. Drove the rest of us c.


    But over time, it stuck."


    "You sing it now?"


    "In remembrance of him."


    "He died?"


    Sessfully unlocked!


    CHAPTER 055: Make It Stop Knox goes quiet.


    "Happens," he finally says.


    "How?"


    "We were captured."


    Before I can ask anything else, before I can prod the edges of that wound he just casually revealed, he starts singing again. Same melody. Same low hum of sybles I can''t quite make out.


    I recognize the weight of grief when I hear it, though. It''s in the way his voice dips,


    then swells again-like he''s trying to keep it steady.


    So I don''t interrupt.


    I don''t speak.


    I justy there and let him sing.


    Let the soft rumble of his chest against my cheek lull me into sleep.


    My fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt.


    I close my eyes and breathe him in. His arm curls around me, his thumb brushingzy circles along my spine.


    I don''t know what this is between us-this strange, maic thing. It''s not love, not yet. But it''s not lust anymore either.


    It''s terrifying.


    I fall asleep like that-pressed against his body, surrounded by Russian lubies


    and quiet grief, and thoughts I don''t have names for.


    Thoughts like: I''ve never felt safer in my life.


    And I don''t think I ever want to leave.


    I wake to trembling.


    At first, I think it''s me.


    A dream, maybe. But then I feel it again. Not mine.


    Him.


    Knox.


    His body jerks beneath me, not violently, but enough to shake the mattress. His chest is tight against my neck, and I can feel the tension in him-tight like a pulled wire ready to snap.


    I shift slowly, raising my head to face him in the dark. I reach forward and turn on themp. His face is twisted, caught somewhere between pain and fear. Lips parted. Eyes moving under closed lids. But it''s not the typical twitch of REM sleep. It''s too still. Too tense.


    "No..." he murmurs, breathless. "No. Make it stop. Make it stop..."


    His whole body flinches.


    "Knox," I whisper, reaching out, my palm finding his shoulder. "Knox, wake up."


    No response.


    Just a sharp exhale and another tremble. Sweat beads at his temple. His hands are fisted in the sheets. His breathing turns shallow, rapid.


    "Knox," I say again, louder this time, shaking him. "Knox, wake up-please."


    But his eyes snap open-and they''re wrong.


    All white.


    No pupils. No ck. Just... white.


    I freeze.


    He''s not awake. I can feel it in my gut. See it in his nk, focused stare. He''s trapped somewhere else. Some mem nightmare so deep it''s wed him open. "Make it stop," he says, again. His voice is a rasp. His hands suddenly shoot out.


    He pins me.


    -ziste caught beneath his palms, pressed into the


    CHAPTER 055: Make It Stop


    "Who sent you?" he growls.


    "Knox," I whisper, heart pounding. "It''s me. It''s Sloane."


    His eyes stay empty.


    "Who sent you?" he says again, louder this time. "Answer mel"


    My brain scrambles. My body tenses. He''s stronger than me-way stronger-and


    the way he''s holding me down, the way his chest heaves like he''s still stuck on a battlefield-it terrifies me.


    "Knox, please,¡± I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "It''s okay. You''re safe. You''re dreaming. It''s just a dream."


    His hands tighten around my wrists. I wince.


    This is not Knox.


    Not the man who kisses my forehead in the dark.


    Not the man who sings lubies in Russian and arranges shoes like a monk,


    This is something else. Something he''s fought to bury.


    And it''s surfacing now-through me.


    My heart is thrashing in my ribs. I can''t move. Can''t scream. But I try again anyway. "Knox," I say louder this time. "Look at me!"


    He flinches.


    The whites of his eyes flicker. His grip loosens slightly.


    "It''s me," I say. "Sloane. Bunny. You''re home. You''re not there anymore. You''re


    safe."


    Silence.


    Then his body shakes again, like something''s breaking inside him. A harsh, low breath leaves him, and his weight copses -just barely, just enough for me to shift one wrist free and cup his face.


    His jaw is clenched tight. His eyes blink, hard, twice-and then, finally, the ck


    returns.


    Focus.


    Recognition.


    And horror.


    He blinks at me, panting. "Fuck."


    His entire body pulls away like he''s been burned. He scrambles back, nearly


    falling off the bed, one hand pressed to his chest, the other shaking in the air like he''s not sure what''s real.


    "I-I didn''t mean to-" His voice breaks. He looks like he''s about to be sick.

 Chapter 56

    2 Likes


    CHAPTER 056 Sociopath


    CHAPTER 056: Sociopath


    444


    *44


    KNOX-


    I fell right into that trap, let myself be at rest, let myself be too happy. And now the dreams are back.


    It''s the price offort. The consequence of peace.


    I''d gone over a year without them. Twelve solid months of silence in my sleep, of not waking up drenched in sweat or shivering with the taste of blood in my mouth or phantom screams still ringing in my ears. I thought I''d finally outgrown it. That maybe I''d found the answer.


    Hate.


    It had worked. Hatred for Finn. For our father. For the bastards overseas. For the pimps and predators who loitered in my club pretending to be businessmen. Hatred kept the noise quiet. Kept the chaos buried. As long as I kept burning, I didn''t feel the cold.


    But then came this woman. This girl who wore her damn sses to bed like a librarian who got lost and wandered into my life, asking to be destroyed. She didn''t even know how enchanting she looked-curled up in my bed, clothed in one of my T-shirts, hair mussed and lips parted slightly like she belonged here. Like she had always belonged here.


    She''s staring at me now. Through those goddamn sses. With concern in her eyes.


    And just like that, it alles crawling back.


    The sweat. The phantom fists. The gunshot that never stopped echoing. The fire. The des. The heat. The whips. The chains. The...


    I push off the bed with a grunt, my heart still pounding, like the ghost of the dream still has its ws in me. My hands are clenched, jaw tight. My mouth is sour with the taste of helplessness.


    "I''m stepping out for a smoke," I mutter, already moving.


    "Knox."


    Her voice is soft, still sleepy, but I hear the worry underneath. She pushes herself


    to the edge of the bed, legs tangling in the sheets, her bare thighs catching the moonlight.


    "Don''t shut me out. Talk to me about your dreams. Let me share the burden with you."


    I pause, not turning back.


    "I don''t want you to worry about my problems," I say. "I know the solution."


    "I don''t care if you have the solution," she fires back. "I want to know what that


    was about. Was it PTSD from the war? Childhood trauma? You have to tell me something."


    "I did say I don''t like sharing a bed."


    "You thought I was going to let you sleep in the guest room?"


    "I could have harmed you."


    "But you didn''t. You wouldn''t."


    "You don''t know that."


    "I do."


    There''s something in her voice, something that makes me turn. She''s sitting there, chest rising and falling, hair a mess, sses still on.


    "You think you''re the first person close to me with chronic PTSD?" she asks, eyes narrowing. ¡°These things are manageable. We just have to find a way."


    I stare at her. She''s not going to stop.


    I walk toward her and stand in front of the bed. One hand lifts to brush her cheek,


    then drifts down to trace her lips. Soft. Always so soft.


    "You know, my brother wrote to me when I was


    Her brows lift. "He did?"


    Sessfully unlocked!


    damn time."


    "Mmhmm."


    "He always gave me the impression you were not close."


    CHAPTER 056: Sociopath


    "We weren''t," I say. "But you see, my brother has a particr habit when he feels guilty. He denies things. Even to himself. So, to convince himself he was in the clear, he went overboard to be extra brotherly. He would send me these letters to keep me informed and entertained, ording to him. And almost all of them mentioned you. The stalker girl


    Her eyes widen. I feel the shift in her as she tries to pull back, but I hold her jaw.


    "I hated those letters," I continue. "But I read every one of them. Because I wanted to read about the sociopath. Did you really shave a girl''s entire head while she slept beside Finn?"


    She ps my hand away. "What has that got to do with your trauma?*


    I grin. "You know, all those stories he told me-I thought he was lying to keep me entertained. But you are crazy, aren''t you? A beautiful, crazy woman. So much passion. So much obsession. And all that with such an innocent face." I shake my head, amazed. ¡°You don''t know how lucky I feel that I''ve channeled your passion toward me. Don''t hold back. If you want to do anything nuts, be my guest. Turn the house upside down. Hack my phones and myputers. Stalk me. Shave the head off of every girl whoes around me or spikexative in her coffee. I don''t care. I''d love that. But just don''t try to fix me. I am not a project."


    "Knox-"


    I pull away before she can finish, heading to the tall cab in the corner of the room. I open the drawer and grab a pack of Cuban cigars and the slim silver lighter beside it. Then I slide my feet into a pair of house slippers and walk out.


    The night air is cool, humming with crickets. I walk past the kitchen, through the ss door, stepping out into the back of the house. It''s quiet out here. The fence is low and whitewashed, the grass damp beneath the moonlight. A pair of wrought iron chairs sits at the edge of the stone patio.


    I settle into one, striking the lighter. The me res, kissing the tip of the cigar,


    and I breathe in deep. Smoke curls around my face, warm and bitter.


    This is the silence I crave. No dreams. No pity. Just pain and nicotine.


    But I hear her.


    Bare feet. Soft tread against the wood floors.


    Shees out and stands beside me, arms crossed, staring down at me like I''m


    a child she''s about to discipline.


    "It''s cold out," I say, not looking up. "You shouldn''t be outside, especially with bare


    feet and naked thighs." "Like you care."


    I nce up. She''s ring at me.


    "I do," I say.


    "I don''t believe you."


    "Go inside, Sloane."


    She tilts her head. "Who do you think you are? My master?"


    "I have possessed you as mine, yes."


    "Did you bump your head andnd in a time when the world was still patriarchal?


    You can''t tell me what to do." "Get your soft ass inside. I want to be alone."


    She steps in front of me. Her body blocks the moonlight.


    "Make me."


    "This is not the right time, Bunny."


    "You called me Bunny." Her grin is triumphant. "I am getting to you."


    "Just go inside, you stubborn woman!"


    And although I see iting, I don''t stop her from doing what she''s about to.


    Her hand cracks across my cheek.


    "That''s for calling me a sociopath," she says, breath shaking.


    I bite my lip and let a slow smile form. "Aren''t you? You do know what a sociopath


    is, right? Or are you in denial?"


    She ps the other cheek.


    "Say that word again, I dare you."


    "Sociopath?"


    Smack. Again.


    "Gosh," I say,ughing low. "You''re getting me so hard."


    CHAPTER 056 Sociopath


    "You''re a freak, Knox."


    "Oh, yeah? Aren''t you? Or do you hate the word freak too?"


    She folds her arms. "You know what, Knox? You''re right. I get obsessed with solving people''s problems. But you know what worsens it? When the people I want to help don''t want to be helped."


    I drag my eyes from her thighs up to her face. Her lips. The firm set of her jaw.


    She doesn''t know it, but she''s already found the solution. Temporary, maybe. But


    it works. Pain.


    And right now, I''m so hard it aches.


    She must see it in my eyes, because the next moment she moves-climbs onto me, straddling myp. She''s still wearing my shirt. Only my shirt. And her core is hot against me.


    She leans in, face close. "You''re either going to let me in or endure me. But if you think I''m going back inside while you sit here with your big cigar of thoughts, thinking of ways you can shut me out or, worse, break up with me for my own good after snatching me away from your brother, you have another thinking."


    "You think my n is to break up with you? Really cute, Bunny. I''m not letting you


    go."


    She plucks the cigar from my hand and ces it on her lips.


    It makes me smile.


    She inhales. Then coughs directly into my face, sputtering. "That''s terrible."


    "It''s an acquired taste," I murmur. "The more you take it, the sweeter it bes. Not like you though, sweetness. You were sweet from the very first time. Sweet now. Will probably be sweet in years toe."


    "You think I''m sweet?"


    "I do."


    "Do you want a taste?" she asks.


    Subscribed

 Chapter 57

    CHAPTER 057: Half Blind


    I stare into her eyes. "A taste of what?"


    "Me."


    "What part exactly?"


    She cocks an eyebrow. "Is there a part you don''t like?"


    "Not exactly."


    She draws again from the cigar, eyes watering as she braves the burn. Then she leans forward, blowing smoke into my face.


    "Is that a yes or a no?" she says. "Do you want a taste of me or not?"


    I grab her waist and pull her flush against me.


    "Shoot me if I ever say no, Bunny."


    "I would if I knew where you kept your gun."


    ¡°Pardon me. I assumed you saw it in the car when you stole my keys."


    She chuckles low. "I don''t believe that''s the only one you have."


    "Ha."


    She leans sideways and crushes the butt of the cigar on the ashtray, letting it fall. She then takes my hand and presses it between her legs, guiding it beneath the hem of the shirt.


    Then she lifts her hips slightly and lets me in, pushing three of my fingers inside her.


    And she moans-soft at first. Her head tilts back, exposing the long line of her neck, sses sliding further down her nose.


    I work those three fingers further inside her, slow and deep, letting the warmth of her wrap around me like it''s trying to pull me in and keep me there.


    "Fuck, baby," I murmur, jaw tight as I work my hand in and out of her. "You''re soaked."


    Her lips part, but she doesn''t speak. Instead, she rocks into me, grinding down against my hand like she''s been starving for it Like every deflection, every harsh word from earlier was just fuel for this moment. Her breathes faster, fogging up the lenses of her sses.


    She leans down suddenly, gripping my wrist to still my hand. Then, without breaking eye contact, she pulls my fingers out of her and brings them to her mouth.


    One by one, she licks them clean, but I can tell she isn''t swallowing. No, she''s keeping it there, building it.


    Once she''s done, she leans forward, hovering over my mouth.


    Her breath fans against my lips as her eyes darken. She doesn''t ask. Doesn''t have to.


    "Spit in my mouth," I whisper. "Give me all of that sweet juice."


    Her lips part.


    And she does.


    She lets it fall from her mouth to mine, the wet, messy mix of her arousal and her spit sliding over my tongue like a brand.


    I groan-low and guttural-grabbing her face and kissing her hard.


    It''s not careful. It''s not neat. My mouth crashes against hers like I''ve been dying of thirst and her lips are the only water in the world. Her gasp is muffled against me, and I drink it down like a man starved, tongue sliding deep to taste every part of her, greedy and relentless.


    Her body jolts, but she doesn''t pull back-no, she surges forward, fingers threading into my hair. Her lips are warm and soft, but the way she kisses me back is anything but delicate. She opens for me, gives me everything, like she knows I need it brutal, need it messy.


    I tilt her head to the side, deepening the kiss, and when our teeth knock, I don''t slow down. I bite her bottom lip and tug, then soothe the sting with my tongue.


    She moans into my mouth, hips grinding against my throbbing cock. I kiss her until we''re both breathless, until my ja aches and my chest burns, until it feels like ever this her mouth, her heat, her body on mine-isn''t enough.


    I need more.


    Need to crawl inside her and stay there.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    She pulls back, breathless. Her sses are crooked now. Her cheeks are flushed.


    "You okay now?" she whispers.


    CHAPTER 057: Half Blind


    "No." I slide my hand up her back, then down to grip her ass. "But I will be."


    She grinds on me harder, and I can feel the wet heat through my sweats, and the ache-God, the ache-is maddening.


    "Tell me what it will take, Knox. Use me."


    "I want you to lose those sses so I can see your eyes when youe."


    She rips them off and tosses them onto the grass.


    I lift her off me. Not fully. Just enough to rise from the chair and nt her down where I sat-back against the wrought iron, thighs still spread, body flushed and wanting. Her breath stutters. Her lips are parted in anticipation. She doesn''t ask what I''m doing. She knows.


    And she''s ready.


    I drop to my knees. Right there. Outside. In the open.


    I know it''s stupid. I know the neighbors could nce through their damn window and catch the whole show. It''s midnight, sure-but danger never truly sleeps, and neither does curiosity.


    But I don''t give a fuck.


    Not when she''s spread like this for me. Not when she looks at me like that.


    Not when I''m already drowning in her scent.


    She helps me-hooks her hands under her thighs and opens herself wider, guiding


    my mouth to the center of her body like she''s gifting me salvation.


    And maybe she is.


    I grip her hips and pull her closer until her ass is right at the edge of the chair.


    Then I bury my face between her legs.


    Her moan is music to my ears. "Oh, yes."


    I raise my head just slightly to look at her. Her mouth is ck,shes fluttering,


    her chest rising and falling beneath my shirt. Lust makes her glow. It makes her look feral. And it drives me out of my fucking mind.


    I growl and go back in-tongue working in slow, upward licks that make her squirm, then rough, fast flicks that make her cry out.


    I rub my face all over her pussy like a man who''s lost his mind, breathing her in, dragging my stubble along the inside of her thighs just to feel her jolt.


    "So sweet," I mutter against her soaked folds.


    She whimpers, rocks her hips, and grinds against my mouth.


    "I like when you do that," I breathe out between licks. "Put yourself all over my


    face. Mark me."


    She does.


    God, she does.


    Fingers in my hair, grip tightening, she grinds harder, her moans rising in pitch. I


    let her use me, ride my face, until I can''t fucking breathe. Until her wetness covers my mouth, my chin,


    my neck.


    My cock''s a loaded weapon in my sweats, throbbing, ready to explode from the pressure alone. But not yet.


    Not until I''ve wrung everyst cry from her.


    I push two fingers back inside her, curling them up toward that spot that makes


    her whole body clench. At the same time, I suck her clit into my mouth, pumping in and out of her.


    She bucks. "Oh-fuck! Knox! Jesus Christ. Ohmygod-ohmygod-ohmygod-"


    I don''t stop.


    "Shit!" Her voice breaks, high and shaking, her thighs mping around my head


    as she spasms, panting like she''s on the edge of a seizure. "Knox, fuck. Fuck!"


    "Cum for me, Bunny."


    And then she lets go.


    Shees apart-screaming my name, body convulsing, gushing all over my mouth and face in a violent, wet release.


    My eyes shut instinctively, and I moan deep in my throat, letting her ride it out, letting her squirt on me until I''m drip with her.


    She''s trembling, her body jerking with aftershocks, breath ragged and uneven.


    "What the hell," she gasps.


    "Mmm." I smile, eyes still closed, licking her gently while trying not to get sprayed


    in the damn eyes.


    CHAPTER 057: Half Blind


    She twitches and pulls back, too sensitive, but I don''t let uppletely.


    Instead, I raise my head and keep my fingers inside her, curling them again as my


    other hand slides to her throat.


    She gasps. "Oh God, no. I don''t think I can take any more. Too sensitive-"


    "You can take it, sweet girl."


    "I''m seeing stars right now."


    "That''s because they''re right above you."


    ¡°I''m half blind, smartass, thanks to you making me take off my sses. I promise I


    can''t see shit above my head."


    "You don''t need to see," I whisper, stroking her from the inside with an unnatural


    rhythm and speed. "You just need to feel and let go."


    She arches hard, body tightening around me again.


    And then she breaks.


    Again.


    Another wave crashes through her, even harder than the first. She convulses around my fingers, gushing a second time, her legs kicking slightly, her body twisting like she''s trying to escape the pleasure and beg for more at the same time.


    She''s slumped against the chair now, trembling all over, trying to fold to one side.


    I don''t let her.


    I lift her easily-one arm under her ass, the other across her back. Her legs wrap weakly around my waist, and her arms cling to my neck.


    "That''s it, Bunny," I say. "You took it well."


    Then I stoop down, pluck her sses from the grass with two fingers, and rise to


    my full height.


    She''s breathless. Dazed. Practically boneless in my arms.


    But I''m not done.


    I carry her inside, heading straight for the one room that might frighten her into


    running away if only her legs weren''t already weak.

 Chapter 58

    CHAPTER 058: The yroom


    ***


    ~~SLOANE


    ***


    22


    My hands are wrapped around Knox''s neck as he leads me back into the house.


    I''m clinging to him with trembling legs. My skin is damp from everything he just did to me outside. I don''t know how I''m even conscious right now. My body feels wrung out, like someone twisted every drop of strength out of me and still left me


    wanting more.


    He only pauses once, just inside the door. He leans forward, reaches down, and slides off his house slippers with the same precision he used yesterday when we came in through the other door. Neatly. One foot, then the other. Perfectly lined beside the door.


    And I just... watch. Not because it matters. But because I can''t figure him out.


    I''ve seen him walk into other ces without blinking. His parents'' house. My apartment. A hotel room. He never gave a damn where he tossed his shoes. But here? In his own home, he does this.


    Why?


    Not like he''ll answer.


    If I had to put pennies in a jar for everything I couldn''t exin about Knox Hartley, I''d need a goddamn barrel. He doesn''t like talking about himself.


    Whatever his history is, it definitely includes learning how to give the kind of head that makes a woman see stars. My thighs are still shaking. My mind''s still spinning. I''ve nevere so hard in my life.


    He walks us past the living room and then up the stairs. The hallway is dim, lit only by low recessed wall lights that cast soft shadows on the hardwood floor. The master bedroom is on the right.


    But he passes it.


    My brows knit. "Where are we going?"


    "Somewhere interesting."


    The hell does that mean?


    I don''t ask. I just tighten my grip around his neck and try not to overthink the fact that I''mpletely at the mercy of this man I know so little about.


    He stops in front of a door at the far end of the hallway. His hand shifts beneath my legs, supporting me with one arm while the other reaches toward a ck keypad near the doorknob.


    A keypad?


    "Please tell me you''re not about to take me to where you keep your guns or drug stash,¡± I say. ¡°That would make me an aplice if you ever get arrested.¡±


    He chuckles low in his throat. "You''d make a fine prisoner, don''t you think?"


    "Is that your n? To lock me up?"


    His breath ghosts the side of my neck. "Don''t give me ideas, Bunny. Nothing


    would please me more than to know you''re exactly where I want you, whenever I want you."


    Something in me stutters.


    A tiny shiver.


    Equal parts fear and desire.


    Before I can think of a smart response, he sets me down. My legs wobble but hold. I adjust the hem of the shirt instinctively, like it offers any real protection.


    He keys in some digits so fast that the only number I catch is 8. The door clicks open.


    It''s pitch dark inside.


    Before I can ask questions, he pulls me into th


    Sessfully unlocked!


    ind us.


    My heart taps against my ribs. "Um..."


    He reaches past me and flicks a switch on the wall.


    Light spills into the room. If you can call it that.


    CHAPTER OS8 The yroom


    It''s not bright. It''s red.


    Deep, sultry red that washes over everything.


    I don''t realize I''m holding my breath until I feel him behind me.


    He slides my sses gently back onto my face, and now I can see everything a lot clearer.


    He stays there, one hand snaking around my waist and pulling me flush against him. I feel every hard inch of him. His mouth dips to my ear.


    "Wee to my yroom," he whispers.


    I swallow hard.


    yroom is a mild word for what''s before me.


    Now that my eyes are adjusted to the dimness of the room, what I see makes blood rush to my face.


    There''s a massive four-poster bed on one side-except the bed isn''t just a bed. There''s a thick metal bar hanging across the footboard, almost like a guillotine with extra spaces for caging two hands alongside your head. Beneath it is a cage. Like, an actual cage.


    Not decorative. Not metaphorical. A cage with iron bars and atch.


    To the left, a long padded bench sits beneath mounted metal rings. Its purpose is far too obvious, the spanking bench. Chains hang from the ceiling. Leather straps. Padded cuffs. Paddles of varying thickness line the far wall beside something that looks suspiciously like a crucifix. An X-shaped frame. A cross. I don''t know.


    I''m walking forward before I realize it, unhooking myself from Knox''s grip.


    My fingers skim the bench as I pass. The leather is cool, slick to the touch. There are buckles at each corner.


    "This is a yroom?" I finally manage.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?"


    His voice is amused, soft behind me.


    Beautiful is not the word I''d use.


    Terrifying. Yes.


    Overwhelming. Yes.


    Sexy in an ''I might die here, but what a way to go'' sort of way? Absolutely.


    I walk further in. The walls are covered in shelves-rows and rows of toys in shapes and sizes I didn''t even know existed. Some are curved. Some straight. Some shaped like animals. Some as thick as my wrist.


    I pick one up. A dildo the size of my forearm. Veined. Ridged near the base.


    I turn around, holding it up like a sword. "Do you use all of these?"


    He leans casually against a pir near the cross, arms folded. "Not exactly. This


    room contains a sample of every product mypany has designed and produced."


    "The toypany?"


    He nods.


    "And what exactly do you do here?" My heart''s pounding. "You test them out?


    Like... personally?"


    "What do you think?"


    I raise the monster in my hand. "Is this even practical? Where exactly in the body


    would it go?"


    Hisugh is low and deep. "You''d be surprised what your body can take."


    He stares at me for a short while, and I can see the amusement on his face


    changing into something darker, something


    dangerous. And then he moves,ing for me.


    ¿Ú


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 Chapter 59

    HAPTER 059. Control


    CHAPTER 059: Control


    I take a step back on instinct. He keeps walking toward me, a predator who knows the prey won''t run far


    My back hits the shelf. The dildo is still in my hand when he stops in front of me


    and gently pries it from my fingers, cing it back in its spot.


    He leans in.


    "Do you know why I brought you here?" His voice is low.


    I shake my head.


    "Use your words, Sloane."


    "No."


    "I like this room," he murmurs.


    My throat works. "It''s a very... unusual room."


    "Are you scared?"


    I hesitate. My heart is practically jumping out of my chest. The red light makes everything feel sinister and charged. I don''t know what kind of things he''s done here. I don''t know what he ns to do to me. But I can''t deny the heat rising in my belly. The curiosity tingling along my spine.


    "Yes," I whisper. "I''m scared. But I meant it when I said I want to know everything about you-even the scary parts."


    He grabs me by the neck and pulls me close until our mouths are a breath apart. "Are you sure about that? Soft things get broken here."


    "Then break me," I whisper. "Or did you bring me here to scare me away from you?"


    "Oh, Bunny," he murmurs darkly. "The only way you''re leaving this room is if I key in a password to let you out. I brought you here to cage you in with me. You''re not going anywhere until you''re so wasted that I have to carry you out in my arms." "Knox-"


    His hand tightens around my neck, tilting my chin further up. "You want to know me? This is where you start."


    His other hand slides up my shirt and finds my breast. His finger circles my nipple, teasing, then he pinches it hard enough to make me cry out.


    "I like to control things," he says. "Your body. Your mind. Your orgasms. Your


    pain."


    He pinches again, and I gasp. His hold on my neck keeps me upright.


    "I like these sounds you make when I touch you. I''m going to make youe on every surface of this room. One day at a time."


    His mouth is at my ear again.


    "In here, anything I say goes. You don''te unless I say. You don''t speak unless I ask you a question or you''re screaming in ecstasy. You don''t look away from me unless it''s physically impossible. Like when I have you bent over the spanking bench."


    My breaths areing in short gasps now.


    "You won''t need a safeword with me. But if you need me to stop that badly..." His hand strokes down the valley between my breasts. "You say your name." "M-My name?"


    He pinches my nipple again, and I cry out.


    "What did I say about talking?"


    "No... talking," I gasp.


    He releases me and steps back.


    "Good. No clothes here, either," he says, already pulling off his shirt. He drops it to the floor.


    Then his hands move to his waistband.


    He doesn''t rush. Doesn''t break eye contact. The pants fall slowly pooling at his feet.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    And then he kicks them aside, standing there gloriously naked and har


    The tattoos on his chest and biceps look more dangerous under the red light.


    He looks like a god of war about to drag me into a sacrificial ritual. Something out


    of myth. Beautiful. Terrifying. Beyond


    reason.


    CHAPTER 059: Control


    There''s no trace of the smirking Knox. There''s only this. Power. Hunger.


    Control.


    He tilts his head, watching me silently.


    My throat goes dry.


    Because I''m not sure if I should feel safe or endangered.


    And I''ve never been more turned on in my life.


    "Take off your shirt," he says.


    I don''t wait. I toss the shirt over my head and fling it aside.


    "Kneel," he adds.


    I drop to my knees and look up at him.


    He circles me slowly, and I hear him reaching for something behind me. Leather rustling. Metal sliding.


    And then he bends toward me, reaching for my sses and taking them off.


    A soft blindfold reces the sses, and suddenly, everything around me is dark.


    As he tightens the blindfold behind my head, I realize I probably won''t do well as a blind person.


    Darkness swallows everything. Not just the room, but time. Sound. The safety thates with being able to see what''sing.


    Without it, my breath shortens. My body tenses. The terror I felt earlier, that strange blend of curiosity and fear when I first walked into this room, multiplies- folds itself over and over until it''s pulsing in every nerve ending.


    Knox says nothing.


    The silence stretches, and I begin to think maybe he''s left me here. Maybe this is the game. Make me feel forgotten. Alone. Helpless.


    My lip trembles. I''m just about to break the speaking rule-to whisper his name, to beg for any sound of life-when he finally speaks.


    "Get up, Bunny."


    My knees wobble as I rise. The air is cooler now, or maybe it''s just theck of sight that makes everything feel different. "Take five steps forward."


    I do as he says, counting in my head, arms slightly out to bnce. By the fifth step, I stop, uncertain, heart thudding. He could be anywhere. Watching me. Behind me. In front of me.


    Inside my head.


    "We''re going to y a little game," he says. "When I say start, you spin in one spot. Keep spinning until I say stop. Do you understand me?"


    That shift. That tone. He didn''t raise his voice, but I feel themand in every bone of my body.


    I straighten, breath catching.


    "Yes," I whisper.


    "In here, I own you. You refer to me as Master. Am I clear?


    "Yes... Master."


    "Good," he says. "Now spin for me, sweet girl."


    My stomach flips. But I obey.


    I pivot in ce, slowly at first, arms tight at my sides. I can feel the air shift around me. My hair lifts with the motion. One turn. Two. Three.


    By the time he says, "Stop," my equilibrium is shaky. My head tilts slightly, and I nt my feet wide to steady myself. "Now," he says, "walk forward. Keep walking until you bump into something. Whatever you hit will be today''s instrument of


    torture or pleasure."


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 Chapter 60

    CHAPTER 060: Guillotine


    I exhale, trying to picture the room in my mind.


    But spinning has done its work. I have no bearings. I could be facing the wall. The bed. That terrifying X-shaped frame.


    That''s the point.


    He didn''t want me to choose. He wanted fate to choose.


    So I take a step. Then another. I keep walking, arms out, breath shallow. My palms skim the air. Then.


    Bump.


    My knees hit something.


    I reach forward. Cold iron. Then softer-mattress.


    The bed.


    "Great choice," Knox murmurs-right into my ears.


    I jump. "Jesus, you scared me."


    The words barely leave my mouth before he''s pushing me forward, pressing my head down onto the bed. My ass is lifted high into the air, and a sharp swatnds on my ass cheek. I yelp in surprise. Knox''s voice is low andmanding behind


    1. me.


    "What did I say about talking, Bunny?"


    I bite my lip, remembering his rule. "No talking, Master."


    He lifts me even higher, and the next spanknds directly on my vulva, targeted precisely at my clit. The sensation is


    electrifying, and I moan loudly, my insides clenching with a sudden, intense need to be filled. He spanks that spot again, and I cry out.


    "Would you speak without being told to?"


    "No."


    "No, what?" he demands.


    "No, Master," I gasp, my voice shaking with desire.


    "That''s a good girl."


    He leans down to kiss one of my ass cheeks gently. The contrast between the pain and the tenderness makes me moan.


    He lifts me with infuriating ease, carrying me deeper onto the bed. I feel the shift


    of the mattress beneath us, hear the rustle of chains, the click of something being adjusted.


    He maneuvers me into a kneeling position. I feel his hands at my shoulders,


    guiding my neck and arms downward. A cold surface touches my skin-a frame? It feels... constraining.


    He presses my wrists into indentations.


    Then-click.


    Something closes over the back of my neck. Something heavier than cuffs.


    My heart stops. I freeze.


    A guillotine.


    It feels like a guillotine.


    Even though I know he''s not going to hurt me, my breath shallows. I don''t feel any less scared than someone who''s about to be beheaded. My mind is screaming in every direction, but my body is unusually needy and horny.


    A momentter, I feel his touch again. He''s wrapping something around my ankles. A cool material. Then I hear a metallic click, locking the buckles in ce.


    In one pull, he sys my legs so far apart that I can feel the strain on my thighs. The metal in the middle makes it impossible to move my legs. I''mpletely exposed, vulnerable, and at his mercy. I can''t move. I can''t even lift my head. "This," he says, "is exactly where you belong, spread wide onen for me"


    I stay there listening as Knox gets off the bed. Sessfully unlocked! Each passing second. I wait, my body tense, until I finally feel the bed dip again and something cuiu and we buy between my ass cheeks. The sucking sound of a bottle tells me it''s lube, and I can''t help but gasp at the coldness.


    Knox''s hands follow, trailing the lube everywhere. He caresses my ass, my back, and then his fingers find my back entrance. He slides one finger in.


    CHAPTER 060: Guillotine


    A startled sound escapes me.


    "Shh," he whispers. "I bet you''ve never had anyone here before, have you?" "No... Um, no, Master."


    "So tight."


    The sensation is both foreign and not unpleasant. He moves it in and out, stretching me gently. Then he adds a second finger.


    The stretch makes me moan louder. I find myself pushing back to meet his fingers, eager for more.


    "You always take what I give you," he murmurs. "You''re so responsive. So good."


    He pulls his fingers out and then reces them with something else, something circr. It enters me gradually-inch by inch-pausing with each ridge. One goes in, and then a bigger one, and another, until all five bumps of the device are inside


    1. me.


    He doesn''t let me adjust to it before I feel another pressure, this time downward, in my vagina. The part of me that''s burning with need. What he pushes inside me feels like ping-pong balls attached to strings. The stretch. The slide. It makes me gasp again.


    "You''re dripping," he says, his voice deep.


    The sensation of having things in both holes is overwhelming, not quite enough to scratch the inner itch, but enough to make me squirm. All I want is for him to take me, to fill the void that''s growing with each passing second.


    Then he switches something on, and the device in my ass begins to vibrate. The sensation is electric, sending waves of pleasure through my body. It starts at the plug but travels up my spine, down my legs, and into the core of me, where everything is already tight and trembling.


    "Oh my God," I whisper before I can stop myself.


    The vibrations ricochet through me. I shake. The movement shifts the balls inside me, making them roll and tap with every tremble. The pleasure heightens. It''s unbearable.


    "Remember, Bunny," Knox says, his voice firm. "You''re not toe until I say so. Do you understand me?"


    My voice is ragged. "Yes, Master."


    I hear Knox get off the bed. And then his footstepse closer until I feel his


    presence in front of me. My heart races.


    "Open your mouth," hemands. "Take my dick."


    I obey, opening my mouth wide as he pushes into me slowly. I feel him moan as


    he hits the back of my throat, and I can''t help but moan around him.


    My crotch is on fire, and I''m shaking, desperate for more stimtion. This is torture, pure and simple. I can''t beg him to put me out of my misery without breaking the speaking rule, my hands are restrained, and what I want inside me is currently filling my mouth.


    "Fuck, Sloane," he groans as he pulls out and rams his dick into my throat again.


    My eyes roll behind the blindfold. My jaw stretches. My thighs quake.


    I twerk my hips, wiggling the balls inside me. Whenever I do that, the feeling inbination with the vibration in my ass is out of this world. I can feel the pleasure building, the need for release growing with each passing second.


    Knox continues to drive himself in and out of my mouth, and every now and then,


    he pauses, just long enough for me to choke around him.


    When he finally pulls out, I''m panting. He brushes the bangs away from my forehead and leans down, his breath hot on my


    ear.


    "You''ve never been more beautiful than you are right now, Bunny."


    I whimper, my body aching with need.


    "What do you want, my angel?" he asks.


    "Please... f-fuck me."


    "How badly do you need it?"


    "Very badly, Master."


    "I know. But not yet. I want to y with you a little more."


    I groan in frustration, and he chuckles.

 Chapter 61

    CHAPTER 061: This Body Is Mine


    I hear him backing away from me and climbing back onto the bed, and then I feel him pulling out the humming device from my ass. I moan loudly, bucking my hips as the sensation of it leaving sends waves of pleasure through my body. It definitely feels better leaving than when it went in. He pushes it back into me, and


    I see stars, my body convulsing with the intensity of the sensation.


    "You''re seriously dripping down your leg," he says. "Didn''t you just cum twice outside?"


    He ps my vulva, and indeed, it makes a wet sound, confirming his words. I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks, a mix of embarrassment and arousal.


    "Now, I have to make sure that no drop goes to waste," he murmurs.


    Then I feel something wet on my left inner thigh. His tongueps up whatever is flowing down, and I moan, needing his mouth on the part that aches most, the part with those balls that tingle when they move. The humming device in my ass is only worsening the need.


    He leaves my left thigh and starts feasting on the other one, and I''m this close to crying. More liquid is dripping out of me, falling down those same legs, and he''spping them up, ignoring the most important part. He kisses, bites, sucks- everywhere but there.


    Tears sting my eyes behind the blindfold.


    The frustration is almost too much to bear, and I can feel myself losing control.


    "I hate you," I scream. "I fucking hate you, you tormenting spawn of the devil."


    Heughs, a deep, throaty sound, and then ps my center very hard. I cry out, the pain mixing with the pleasure, sending me into a frenzy.


    "Fuckkk," I moan as he ps it again.


    Hit after hites, and I just can''t keep quiet anymore. Fuck those rules.


    : "Put your dick inside me, Knox."


    He ps my cunt again, and I grow feral, bucking against the restraints,


    desperate for release. And then-finally-his fingers slide inside me. Removing the balls. My body clenches around them as theye out.


    A beat of silence.


    And then-


    He ms into me, filling mepletely.


    I scream.


    Gosh, the moment he pushes into me, it''s not just pleasure-it''s relief. The kind that makes your lungs seize and your toes curl. The kind that drags a cry from your chest before you even realize you''re making a sound.


    He doesn''t ease me into it. There''s no patience in him now. He fucks me like he''s starved for it¨Cgripping my hips with brutal force, dragging me back to meet every punishing thrust. His fingers dig into my skin, possessive, unrelenting. I know he''s leaving marks. I want him to.


    And underneath it all, that maddening vibration still humming inside my ass sends wild jolts through my core every time he ms into me. The sensation is


    overwhelming. I can''t think. Can''t breathe. My body is clenching so tightly around


    him.


    I''m already on the edge. Frantic for release.


    And I can''t wait any longer.


    "Don''t do it, Bunny," Knox warns, reading the signs in my body. "Don''t you dare cum."


    "Please," I gasp, "please, please-"


    He ps my ass, hard, the sting sharp. I cry out.


    That ass is definitely going to be soreter. But I don''t care. I want it sore. I want


    to feel thister. Tomorrow. All week. "You don''t get to cum," he pants, thrusting harder. "Not until I say."


    "Oh my god-oh god-I can''t-"


    "You can." He ps my ass again, and I jolt forward with a choked mean, you will. You''re going to hold it like a good girl."


    Sessfully unlocked!


    I don''t want to be a good girl anymore. I''m losing my precious mind


    My mouth falls open in a helpless moan.


    He pounds into me faster, crueler now. The rhythm is so brutal I can barely stay upright. The restraints hold me in ce as my body starts to betray me, every nerve lit up, pulsing with the unbearable need to let go.


    CHAPTER 061 This Body Is Mine


    "You''re so sweet," he murmurs, slowing his thrusts just enough to torture me further. "You''d cum all over me if I let you Make a fucking mess. Is that what you want?"


    "Yes, yes, Master, please. I''ll do anything-"


    "Anything?"


    "Yes. Fuck. I can''t-please, I''m going to explode"


    He drives into me again, burying himself to the hilt. "Cum for me, Bunny. Cum all over my cock."


    I don''t have to be told twice.


    Ie undone.


    The moment he gives permission, my body detonates. The orgasm ms into me like a freight train-violent, breath- stealing, apocalyptic. I scream, arching into the restraints, as my entire body convulses. And just when I think I can''t possibly take


    more-


    He starts pulling the humming device out.


    Slowly.


    The movement drags against every quivering, hypersensitive nerve in my ass, and something in me snaps. I don''t know if s another orgasm or the same one stretching into infinity, but I seize. Full body. Hands locked. Legs twitching. I''m not just trembling-I''m tremoring.


    I''m sobbing and gasping at the same time, trapped inside a pleasure so raw and animalistic I don''t even recognize myself.


    And I''m still cumming.


    Still twitching.


    Still leaking.


    Still being dragged under by waves that just won''t stop.


    "Oh, fuck-" I choke, my voice ragged, shredded. "Oh my god."


    Somewhere far away, I hear Knox groan behind me.


    And then I feel him. Hot. Deep. Emptying himself inside me with a deep, possessive growl that makes my cunt clench again, triggering aftershocks I didn''t even know I had left.


    Even as he pulls out, I''m still trembling, whimpering softly. My knees threaten to give, but I can''t copse. I''m locked in ce, my body reduced to a shaking, soaked, overstimted mess.


    Then I feel him touch my clit-just a gentle graze.


    I scream and jerk forward, away from his hand. "Don''t!"


    He chuckles behind me.


    My head''s spinning. My legs are jelly.


    He leans close again, voice a low, satisfied purr. "This body is mine now, Bunny.


    You''d do well to remember that." And I believe him.


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 Chapter 62

    Tallih cardinaCHAPTER 062: Overslept


    le sharing you


    yayayans deny, pleasant arthe senting in in my teny..


    Home nighestand and green when i see thiessen


    Fod missed calls Seven snea


    isit up typhoning the sating theob been my thighs, and scan though the trans. Three of the messed calis are from Finn. One is from Harper-my supervisor. The texts? All Finn. All vague. All dramatic.


    Are youing today or not?


    though we talked this!


    Sloane, serioush!


    He''s supposed to be discharged today. I forgot to ask what time.


    Shit Shit, Shitt


    I quickly thumb out an apology email to Harper, telling her something about a personal emergency and how I''ll be back tomorrow. And then I send a text to Finn saying to stay put as I''m on my way. Then I toss the phone aside and swing my legs out of bed.


    Everything hurts, Miy thighs, My core, My ribs, Hell, even rny toes feel used.


    I limp toward the bathroom, grabbing the wall for bnce. The door''s half-open, and I can smell the faint,forting aroma of eucalyptus from inside.


    No shame, no hesitation-1 reach for Knox''s toothbrush andther it with his toothpaste. The act surprisingly reminds me of Finn. Thest time I did this, I had spent the night at his house during one of his self-destructive breakups with Delh. At the time, I wanted to taste him, and that toothbrush had been the closest thing at hand. It feels like a long time ago. After brushing, I lean over the counter and stare at my reflection in the mirror. My hair is a disaster. My lips are swollen. There''s a faint handprint on my hipbone that reminds me of everything that happenedst night.


    I should be horrified.


    I''m not.


    look... flushed, Wild, Marked.


    I run a steaming hot bath and sink into it, groaning as the water envelops my aching body. I soak for a long time. Long enough for the muscles in my legs to stop pulsing and for my thoughts to settle into something coherent again.


    I think aboutst night, About the way Knox looked at me. Talked to me. Owned


    me.


    And then I think about Finn.


    And my fucking family.


    God.


    Eventually, I clirnb out, dry off, and step back into Knox''s bedroom. I wrap a towel around myself and head to his closet, rifling through shelves for the clothes I came in.


    Nothing. I can''t find them.


    Weird.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    After searching everywhere, I start poking through his clothes instead. Knox Hartley has the most extensive collection of ck clothing I''ve ever seen. ck shirts. ck pants. ck jackets. Even ck socks, all rolled with military precision. I pull on a in ck t-shirt that swallows me and keep digging until I find a pair of jean shorts that barely stay up unless I


    CHAPTER 062 Overslept


    wrap a belt around them. Even then, they ride low on my hips, threatening to fall if I breathe wrong.


    Whatever. It''ll do.


    I head downstairs barefoot, the wood cool under my soles. The smell of bacon hits me before I reach the dining room.


    Knox is seated at the end of the long table, his hair damp like he''s just showered, forearms bare, tattoos visible, sleeves of his ck shirt rolled to the elbow. In front of him is a perfectly ted arrangement-scrambled eggs, toast, sausage links, avocado slices. There''s even a tiny ss bowl of fresh berries on the side.


    He looks up as I enter and smiles. "Morning, sleepyhead."


    "Morning to you too, deserter," I say, "I woke up cold and alone. You left me. And I can''t find my clothes."


    "I took them. You look better in mine anyway."


    "Took them?"


    "They are mine now."


    I stop at the edge of the table. "That''s just theft. Besides, why didn''t you wake me?"


    "Wake you?" He tilts his head.


    "I slept for too long, Knox."


    He pushes his chair back and reaches for me, pulling me into hisp. I yelp slightly at the movernent-more from soreness than surprise.


    "I thought you were taking the day off," he says, rubbing a slow circle into my hip.


    "Yeah," I mutter. "You seem to have forgotten why. I have to go pick your brother up from the hospital."


    His grip tightens.


    "That won''t be necessary," he says. "I''ll send someone to pick him up and take him home."


    "No."


    1 "No?"


    "No, Knox. We discussed this yesterday. I said I need to help him so he doesn''t do anything more crazy."


    "And I said we''d talk about it in the morning. When our heads were clearer. I thought about it, and no, I don''t want you near


    him."


    "He''s your brother. Don''t you care about him?"


    "You must be hungry." He presses a kiss to my jaw. "I''ll have the chef bring you


    "Don''t change the subject."


    "Eat first. Then we''ll talk."


    breakfast."


    I re at him, but his expression doesn''t budge. He just looks at me, calm and certain, like a man who''s used to getting what he wants.


    Fine.


    I turn toward the table, grab the te he''s halfway through, and start eating. I can


    feel his eyes on me as I chew. When I finish, I drain his ss of water too, then face him again.


    "I''m fed now."


    He grins. "Yeah, thief, you ate my breakfast."


    "Let''s talk, Knox."


    Subscribed

 Chapter 63

    CHAPTER 063 ! Don''t Share


    CHAPTER 063: I Don''t Share


    He clears his throat and speaks first. "I am trying to think of a decent reason why you''d want to help Finn, he says, voice steady. "He broke an arm, not his spine. He has Delh. If you think he needs help, it can be arranged-without you being there. So what''s the problem? Is there something else I should know about your incessant need to save him?"


    open my mouth to argue, but nothinges out.


    Because he''s right.


    I don''t have to be there.


    But I need to be. Because despite everything, I still feel guilty for cutting him off. Finn doesn''t keep friends. He has acquaintances, followers, yes-but not real people who show up. Except me. And Delh.


    And then... there''s the other reason.


    "He''s calling everyone in my family," I say quietly. "And I have to make him stop. The only way I can do that is by handling him carefully."


    "How about you just tell him to stop?"


    "Do you even know your brother? You think he''s going to pause his revenge spree because I said so?"


    "Revenge spree?" He lifts a brow. "What do you mean?"


    Shit.


    I''ve wandered into territory I didn''t want him in.


    How the hell am I supposed to tell him that my entire family is on my ass to dump him and show up to some ridiculous family barbecue this weekend to get a ¡°proper boyfriend¡°? That Finn is the one stirring all the trouble, whispering in ears and lighting fires I don''t have the energy to put out?


    I just want peace. That''s it. A quiet, boring life where I''m not the headline of every family gathering or the topic of some frantic group chat. But with them, especially my dad, that''s impossible.


    My dad still acts like I''m sixteen. Like the world is some dangerous ce and I''m made of ss. When he found out a neighbor had been harassing mest year, the guy ended up in the ER with unexinable bruises. My dad swore he had nothing to do with it, looked me dead in the eye, and lied. But when that creep came home and saw me standing outside my door, he turned pale and practically sprinted away. A weekter, he moved out.


    So yeah-if this thing with Knox ever reaches my father''s ears...


    I just have to shut Mom and Serena up. And Knox doesn''t have to know a thing.


    "Finn, uh..." I hesitate, thinking of a good way to put it, "is telling them things about me they don''t like."


    "Things like what?"


    "Things."


    Knox narrows his eyes. "I can shut him up for you."


    "No!"


    "Why?"


    "I-uh-I have it under control."


    "Tell me exactly how you have it under control."


    I fumble. "All I need to do is go to this barbecue my mom and her husband are


    organizing this weekend. We''ll sort everything out."


    A weird lookes on Knox''s face. "A barbecue, huh?"


    "Yeah."


    "What did Finn tell your family, Sloane?"


    I swallow.


    to give him something without mentioning the


    truth.


    "He told them about you," I say.


    "Okay?"


    "And they have certain misconceptions I need to


    "Like what?"


    "Just let me handle it."


    Sessfully unlocked!


    He stares at me long and hard. Then reaches up and cups my jaw.


    CHAPTER 063 1 Don''t Share


    "Are you nning to do anything I wouldn''t like?"


    "Why would you think 1-"


    "You''ve had this weird look in your eyes since you mentioned the barbecue. You


    haven''t breathed properly once. You''re hiding something."


    "Are you a detective now?"


    "I don''t need to be one to know when you''re deflecting."


    I stare at him. ¡°I need you to trust me."


    He leans closer. ¡°I like you, Sloane Mercer. I like you very much. If you say you need to help my brother-even if it''s thest thing I want-I''ll let you. I''ll drive you to the hospital right now."


    Relief flutters in my chest. But he''s not done.


    "But I want you to keep something very clear in mind-" His thumb drags along my cheek. "I do not share. Do whatever you need to keep this peace with your family. But if anyone touches what is mine, they will find themselves needing a prosthetic limb."


    My heart kicks a little faster.


    The way he says it-it feels like he knows. Knows what I''m nning. Knows I intend to flirt a little at that barbecue just to keep my mom off my back. He can''t know that. He can''t.


    I''m spiraling. Overthinking. Knox is just being Knox-possessive, territorial, always a little too observant forfort. There''s no way he knows.


    It''s just my guilty conscience messing with me. That''s all.


    I have to do this. I have to. The other option is standing my ground and letting my circus of a family make my life a slow- burning hellfire. No, thank you. What Knox doesn''t know won''t kill him.


    I lean in and kiss him-softly at first, then deeper, longer, as if I can press the lie between our mouths and make it dissolve. ! When I finally pull back, I meet his eyes and murmur, "Are you implying I''ll cheat on you?"


    "Am I?"


    "I don''t know. It sounded like you''re suspecting me."


    "Should I?"


    "I didn''t peg you for the jealous type."


    "If you keep deflecting, I''ll think you''re up to something."


    I reach out and stroke his hairy jaw. "You have nothing to worry about, Knox. I''m


    not Delh. Whatever I had for Finn, it''s gone. I only want you."


    "You and I both know I''m not talking about Finn, Bunny."


    Before I can process what that means, he''s rising from the chair and setting me


    on my feet.


    "Come on then," he says. "Let''s go get your little friend out of the hospital."

 Chapter 64

    CHAPTER 964 The Problem is 56*


    CHAPTER 064: The Problem is Sex


    Knox doesn''t move when we pull into the hospital parking lot.


    His fingers stay curled tight around the steering wheel, gaze forward. The engine is off, but his body hasn''t caught up. The tension in his arms is visible, humming under his rolled up sleeves. Even the little lines around his eyes seem sharper.


    I unbuckle my seatbelt and nce at him "Aren''t youing?"


    He shakes his head once. "No, I''ve got some things to take care of"


    "Work stuff?"


    "Mmhmm."


    I don''t press. Instead, I lean toward him, dropping a kiss on his cheek. But the moment I start to pull away, his hand shoots up, tangling into my hair and tugging me back to him.


    His mouth crashes against mine with zero warning-hot, rough, iming. His teeth nip my bottom lip, just enough to sting, and his tongue follows to soothe it. I moan, helpless against the sheer heat of it, my fingers bunching in the front of his shirt.


    When he finally releases me, I''m breathless. Unsteady.


    He doesn''t say anything at first. Just reaches into the center console and pulls out a slim white business card, pressing it into my palm.


    I nce down at the card.


    Dr. Yara Colburn, PhD. Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Trauma Specialization. Forensic Psychiatry, Private Practice + Intensive Residential Programs.


    Huh.


    It''s printed in pale gray ink on a stark white background, minimalist, expensive- looking.


    "Are you giving me this because you think I''m a sociopath who needs help?" I ask.


    Knox chuckles. "I think you''re a sociopath alright, but I don''t want you healed." He taps the card between my fingers. "That'' s for your friend, Finn."


    "Finn?"


    "If you want to help him, make sure he sees her."


    I purse my lips. "He said he''s already booked a session with my sister."


    "Your sister''s a therapist?"


    "Yeah."


    "Well, this one''s a little more... extreme. Especially when you pay for the VIP care." His voice is casual, but I hear the edge in it. "She''s the only one I trust to get the job done."


    I stare at him. Something about the way he says that...


    Extreme?


    The only one?


    My gut tightens. I raise an eyebrow. "Who is she to you?"


    "An acquaintance."


    "Have you... slept with this acquaintance?"


    A pause. Just long enough to feel it.


    "Is that jealousy I sense?"


    He says it lightly, like he''s teasing. But there''s no light in his eyes. They''re


    watchful. Measuring.


    I narrow mine. "You didn''t answer."


    He doesn''t offer anything else. Which, in Knoxnguage, might as well be a damn confession.


    Something burns in my chest. And even though I want to roll my eves and tell myself I don''t care, I know what I''ll be doing the moment I get in front of aputer.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    I''m going to find everything there is to know about Dr. Tara Co. yuing to dissect every interview, every podcast, every social media post. I''ll find out where she studied, what she looked like at twenty-two, who she dated in grad school. I'' Il even find out her star sign.


    It''s not obsessive. It''s... research.


    CHAPTER 064 The Problem is Sex


    "Fine," I say finally "T''ll tell him to book an appointment."


    "Don''t worry, I already got that covered." Knox grins. "You just tell him to call her and keep his appointment."


    My lips twitch, but I don''t let the smilee through. I reach for the door handle, then pause.


    I turn back to him. "By the way you''re not allowed to have sex with anyone but me. I didn''t make that clear before."


    His brows lift slightly.


    "No one touches you," I add. "You''re not the only one who can take a limb from someone else."


    For a split second, I think I''ve caught him off guard. But then-he smiles.


    Not a smirk. Not a fake, restrained lift of one side.


    A real, full, devastating smile.


    It''s like being hit in the chest with sunlight, God, he should smile more often.


    "Yes, ma''am,¡± he says. "I was wondering when you were going to mention that." "d we''re on the same page."


    His expression softens just a little, but then he says, "In all honesty, that''s not something you need to worry about anyway. 1 don''t fancy sex with people unless on the very rare asion I be deeply attracted to one."


    "Really? You expect me to believe you don''t have like ten acquaintances lying around?"


    He chuckles. "The only thing I like to do to people is hurt them."


    I stare at him. And for once, I have no clever reply.


    No joke.


    No sarcasm.


    I just nod.


    Then get out of the car.


    I spot my car still parked in the hospital lot, right where I left it yesterday. Knox doesn''t move. Not even when I nce back. His eyes follow me all the way in.


    Several minutester, I''m driving Finn back to his apartment.


    The trip is quiet.


    He sits in the passenger seat with his casted arm resting in hisp. His hospital gown has been swapped out for a casual T-shirt and sweatpants, and he''s buckled in but hunched slightly, as if trying to upy as little space as possible.


    I don''t pay him much attention because I''m distracted.


    Knox''s words echo through my head. ''The only thing I like to do to people... is hurt them.''


    What does that even mean?


    Emotionally? Physically? Financially? Metaphorically?


    Or does he mean he has a goddamn torture dungeon beneath his house and I just haven''t seen it yet?


    I shift slightly in my seat, trying to focus on the road. The city passes in slow snapshots. Trees. Sidewalks. Traffic lights. But I''m not seeing any of it clearly. Because all through the drive, Finn''s gaze has been on me.


    Finally, I can''t take it anymore, "What is it, Finn? You''ve been staring at me nonstop."


    "Nothing."


    "Don''t lie."


    "I''m not lying." He shrugs with his good shoulder. "I''m just... really happy, that''s


    all."


    "Happy?" I nce over. "That you broke an arm?"


    "No. That you''re here."


    I roll my eyes and look away.


    "You don''t know how terrible the past few days have been," he continues. "I know


    I screwed up. I know I did. B seriously be mad about it, right?"


    I don''t say anything.


    "I mean-we''ve been friends for almost eight years-"


    "Ten," I correct without missing a beat.


    Cu can''t


    CHAPTER 064. The Problem is Sex


    He nods. "Ten. I did that on purpose so you could see how unreasonable you''re


    being. We''ve known each other too long for my brother toe between us. That''s what he does, Sloane. He gets in the middle of things. He finds what I care about and tries to take it. Because he hates me."


    I sigh, keeping my eyes on the road.


    "I couldn''t sleep," he says. "I couldn''t eat. All I could think about was how sorry I


    am. I hate this, Sloane. I hate this space between us. You''re not really going to leave me for him, are you?"


    I clench my jaw. "Finn. I am with him. We''re in a rtionship."


    He scoffs quietly. "And that means what? You can''t be my friend anymore?"


    "Your brother isn''tfortable with us being friends."


    "Since when do you give a shit what people arefortable with?"


    I nce at him, the words lining up in my throat.


    "Since I realized," I say quietly, "that being around you messes me up."


    That shuts him up. For a beat.


    "What?"


    "When I''m with you," I continue, "I can''t have a life. You have these... bottomless problems I always feel like I need to solve. And it''s messed with me, Finn. Now I don''t even know how to exist unless I''m fixing someone."


    He doesn''t reply.


    I nce at him again. His face is stone.


    "Come back and fix mine then," he says.


    Iugh-one short, bitter sound. "That''s the most selfish thing you''ve ever said."


    "For God''s sake, what do you even see in my brother? He''s arrogant, rude, dangerous-he doesn''t care about anyone but himself. And you''re acting like he''s your damn soulmate or something."


    ! My fingers twitch on the steering wheel.


    "You''re drawn to him like a moth to a fucking me," he says. "And I don''t get it. Because it''s always the opposite. Always. Girls leave him for me. That''s how it''s always been."


    I brake a little too hard at a red light.


    My heart is thudding now, anger and disbelief pooling fast in my chest.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you?" I hiss. "Do you even want me, or are you just


    trying to steal something else from your brother?"


    "Steal? I had you first! He stole you from me!"


    "News sh, Finn. You gave me away when you chose Delh over me."


    His jaw clenches.


    "And I''m sorry," he says hoarsely. "I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean for any of this to happen. I just... I just wanted Delh back. I used Knox because I knew he''d do whatever he says he will. And I figured you''d reject him anyway ande back to


    me."


    I shake my head. "You thought wrong."


    "You alwayse back to me."


    Silence settles again. We''re almost at his apartment now.


    "I like your brother," I say firmly. "And I''m staying with him. If that means I have to


    let you go, then I will."


    The car slows as we pull into his building''s lot.


    "I''m only here," I add, "because I never properly said goodbye."


    I park. Shift into neutral.


    Finn doesn''t move. His eyes are wet. His good hand clenches around his casted


    arm.


    "You''re breaking my heart, Sloane," he whispers. "You''re in love with me. Everyone knows that. I know that. How can you love someone for ten years and then fall for someone else in two days?"


    If it were before, I would have denied it. I would have argued. imed I didn''t love him. That it was always tonic. But maybe it''s time to be honest. Finally.


    "So I''m supposed to keep loving you and not move on? I didn''t date people because somehow, I ended up chasing them away because of you. Because I thought you''de around."


    "Sloane-"


    CHAPTER 064: The Problem is S¨¦x


    "I couldn''t have you because you wanted her. Delh. You always did."


    He doesn''t deny it.


    "And then your brother took one look at me," I whisper, "and wanted me. He''s passionate. He''s obsessed. He makes me feel things I didn''t even know the body could feel."


    Finn undoes his seatbelt with his good hand, the metal clicking loud in the silence. His voice is hollow when he speaks.


    "So... the problem is sex?" he asks. ¡°You just wanted someone to fuck you?"


    Subscribed

 Chapter 65

    CHAPTER 065: The Barbecue


    I stare at Finn, still in disbelief that he''d reduced what Knox and I have to sex.


    He holds my gaze like he''s waiting for me to agree with him, like he''s said


    something rational. Like what just came out of his mouth was anything other than emotionally maniptive, absurd bullshit.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me."


    He doesn''t answer. Just looks at me, face taut, eyes tired, a strange sort of desperation clinging to him like fog.


    "Have you gone mad?" I ask.


    "Me? Why am I the one being used of madness here when you''re clearly thinking with your vagina?"


    My jaw drops.


    "If the problem was sex," he goes on, tone t and deadpan, "you could''ve just asked me. I''m your friend. I would''ve helped you out."


    Each word is worse than thest. I can''t even respond fast enough. Fury is rolling in hot waves up my spine. My pulse kicks at my temples.


    "You know," I say slowly, "I came here today because I felt guilty. I felt bad for leaving you in Asheville without a word, even after you pushed me away. I thought maybe I owed you some kind of closure. But thank you, Finn. Thank you for relieving me of that guilt."


    He opens his mouth.


    "Get out of my car," I snap. "And if I see you at my house or my workce again, it''ll be both your legs in a cast."


    "Sloane-"


    "Don''t Sloane me. Stop calling my family. Stop showing up. Leave right now."


    "I''m not going anywhere," he says firmly, his jaw clenching. "I won''t let you leave me."


    "Finn," I warn. "Get out of my car."


    "What are you going to do? Drag me out?"


    My fury reaches a boiling point. Without a word, I yank off my seatbelt, shove the door open, and storm around the car.


    Thete morning air is warm. The pavement radiates heat. I m open the passenger-side door and re down at him.


    "Get out."


    He doesn''t budge. "You want obsession? I broke my arm with a hammer for you. How about that?"


    "Great," I deadpan. "You''re a psychopath."


    I lean in, grab his leg, and yank. He tries to resist, gripping the edge of the seat with his good hand, but he doesn''t have enough strength or bnce. The moment


    I get good leverage, I tug again, and he slips out of the car,nding awkwardly on the pavement.


    People nearby nce over. Some pause. Some mutter. I ignore all of them. "Get up," I say.


    He scowls. "You pulled me down. Bring me up yourself."


    I mutter a curse and bend down, careful not to jostle his injured arm, and hoist him up by his uninjured side. He''s heavier than I expect, but adrenaline is a powerful thing. I manage to get him to his feet.


    Then, just as I''m about to step back, he grabs me by the waist and pulls me into him. I struggle, but he''s stronger than he looks.


    He leans in. I see iting. The way his mouth inches closer, the wildness in his eyes, and-


    I p him. Hard.


    The sound cracks through the air.


    He flinches back, holding his cheek, looking stunned but somehow amused.


    "Aww. You didn''t have to do that."


    "Take your hands off me."


    "Fine."


    He lets go.


    I step away from him. "Goodbye, Finn."


    He doesn''t answer immediately. Just watches me like he''s trying to memorize


    every inch of me. Then he says, voice low


    and broken, "Don''t do this. My brother... he''s not capable of caring for someone for long. He''ll leave you. He always leaves."


    CHAPTER 065: The Barbecue


    I don''t dignify it with a response. I walk back around the car, climb in, and start the engine.


    As I shift into gear, he shouts over the sound, "He''ll break your heart, Sloane. I''m just trying to help you."


    "You broke my heart first," I say, not looking at him. "Keep your help."


    I reach into the center console and pull out the business card Knox gave me. Without hesitation, I roll down the window and fling it out.


    "By the way," I call out, "that''s the contact for a shrink. I couldn''t find one for a psychiatrist. But hey, you''ve got to start somewhere."


    "Sloane-"


    I pull away before he can say anything else.


    It''s Saturday, and I have unfortunatelymitted myself to two events. My half- brother''s birthday and my mom''s matchmaking barbecue.


    The birthday party is everything I expected it to be: loud, chaotic, and entirely too sugar-fueled for my nerves.


    I''m standing under the shade of a thin patio umbre in my father''s backyard, watching a swarm of kids run screaming across the grass with party horns and sticky faces. Balloons are tied town chairs. There''s a bounce castle in one corner and a bubble machine in the other. A man in a superhero costume is taking photos with the kids while a woman with paint- smeared cheeks decorates tiny faces with butterflies and dragons.


    It''s too much.


    The only saving grace is the small cup of store-bought wine someone handed me near the entrance. I''ve already finished it.


    My phone vibrates again in my bag. I don''t even need to check to know it''s a message from my mom. She''s sent me seven in the past hour. ''Where are you? We''re starting. Don''t make mee and drag you here myself.''


    I haven''t opened any of them. The notifications alone are enough to give me PTSD from Finn''s texts-one number after another after I blocked the first five. When he''s desperate, he gets creative. I half expect a homing pigeon next.


    "Hey, kiddo," my dad says as he walks up to me, brushing cracker crumbs off the front of his jeans. "Enjoying the party?" "If you''re asking whether I enjoy watching children scream and smear cake on each other''s faces, then hell no."


    He chuckles. "Does that mean I''m not getting a grandchild soon?"


    "What do you need one for? You''ve got a four-year-old tearing around like a caffeinated roon."


    "He does keep me busy. You were a quiet child."


    I stare at him, trying hard not to pick apart thatment, because if I do, I''ll have


    to admit what it really means. That he doesn''t know me as much as he should. He never threw me birthday parties, never even liked parties until he married Daphne-the-lifestyle-blogger-with-the-perfect-legs-and-a-Pinterest- obsession and suddenly transformed into Dad of the Year. I wasn''t a quiet child. I just didn''t have anyone to talk to.


    "I have to go," I say, checking the time. "Mom''s having a barbecue, and she thinks


    I stood her up."


    "Typical of your mother to host an event the same day my son turns four."


    "Don''t make it sound like apetition."


    "Isn''t it?"


    "I came, didn''t I?" I nudge the gift box beside me with the tip of my foot. "I even bought him a present. That should earn me points. Besides, you should be happy. She''s practically arranged a few bachelors to woo me at this event."


    His face twists. "You don''t sound excited."


    "What''s there to be excited about? What am I supposed to do with an artist? Discuss Van Gogh? Let him sketch me in charcoal while I hold a pear?"


    "An artist?" His eyebrows rise. "She''s setting you up with Jude''s friends?" "Jade, Dad."


    "Jude. Jade. Whatever."


    "Yep." I pick up the gift and start walking toward Daphne, who''s currently crouched with the birthday boy near the cake table. He''s stabbing a balloon with a stic fork.


    "That''s crazy," my dad mutters behind me.


    "It is what it is, Dad."


    I bend to hug Daphne and ruffle the boy''s hair. He grins and snatches the gift,


    already tearing into it like it owes him money. I don''t wait to be thanked.


    CHAPTER 065. The Barbecue


    "See you in a month, huh?" Daphne calls after me.


    "Yeah. See ya."


    I make it almost to the driveway before my father catches up again.


    "Although it sounds odd," he says, "it''s not necessarily a bad thing. You''ve always


    had a habit of liking things only when they''re forced on you. Maybe this could be the start of your love story."


    I nce at him sideways. "Seriously?"


    "Artists tend to get obsessed with things. That could work in your favor."


    "I''m okay, thanks."


    He grins. "Maybe the problem is you don''t like men. Are you a lesbian?"


    I stop beside my car and turn to him with a smirk. "Who knows, Dad? Spaghetti is


    straight until it gets wet, right?"


    "Sloane!"


    "Come on," I say,ughing. "It was a joke, not a... Don''t take it so hard."


    "I sense another sex joke in there."


    I lean in and hug him. "See youter, Dad."


    Then I slide into the driver''s seat and pull out.


    It takes me thirty minutes to get to my mom''s neighborhood-an upper-ss bubble of manicuredwns and pastel shutters, where even the garden gnomes look expensive. Their house is the one with the ridiculous stone fountain shaped like a swan and a ridiculous number of parked cars lining the curb.


    The moment I step out of the car, I can hear the party in full swing. Music ys from a speaker somewhere. Laughter rises over the sound of sizzling meat. The smell of grilled chicken and cedar nks hits me.


    The backyard is dotted with guests. A few are seated under canvas canopies, sipping wine and chatting. Others ywn games-cornhole, horseshoes, a weird ring toss game with a leaderboard and chalk. Tables are stacked with tes, finger foods, sd bowls, jugs of iced tea. There''s even a station for make-your-own sundaes. Of course.


    My mom is standing near the cornhole area, a bright blue sundress fluttering in the breeze, long dark hair perfectly styled. Her husband, Jade, is beside her, wearing one of those golf shirts that only people with yachts get away with.


    She sees me first.


    "Sloane!" she calls, waving like I''m returning from war.


    I walk over slowly.


    "Hi, Mom. Hi, Jade."


    "You made it!" she beams, hugging me quickly. "I thought you were going to bail."


    "I said I wasing."


    "I''ve got so many people for you to meet," she says, eyes already scanning the


    crowd. "They''re all amazing."


    "Can I eat first?"


    "You will eat in your husband''s house."


    "Jesus," I mutter. "Try not to be so obvious."


    She loops her arm through mine and starts tugging me toward the game.


    "Come on," she says. "How are you at cornhole? There are some real hotties out


    there."


    "I''m not really sure I''m good at finding holes."


    "You don''t have to win. You just have to smile as you fail."


    "That''s very inspirational, Mom."


    "You couldn''t wear anything shorter?"


    I bite back a reply and nce toward the board.


    And freeze.


    One of the men ying is Hunter, Knox''s friend, the one who jilted Delh at the


    altar.


    But it''s the other man that stops my breath.


    ck shirt. Tattoos slightly visible. Eyes locked on mine before I even register his


    presence.


    Knox.


    CHAPITR ONE We All Mand To Talk


    CHAPTER 066: We All Need To Talk

 Chapter 66

    CHAPTER 066: We All Need To Talk


    ***


    WWKNOX-*


    ***


    I don''t know what the hell I''m doing here.


    I hate crowds. Hate the way strangers talk like they know you. Hate the endless shiling The pointless conversations. The artificial pleasantries.


    But more than all that, I hate the thought of sitting at my club while some overly polished, pastel shirted pretty boy slides into Sloane''s life


    So here I am.


    At a damn backyard barbecue hosted by Jade-my club''s manager and also the stepfather to the only woman I can''t seem to stay away from.


    He invited the entire city, it seems. Maybe the next state too. There''s music ying from portable speakers Tables lined with drinks and food. Laughter from corners of the yard. Faces I see every day, and some I''m not familiar with, all pretending to be nice and decent folks. I barely recognize some of my employees with those buttoned-up t-shirts, basebal caps, and dad jeans.


    And of all the poor pairings that could''ve happened today, I got stuck on a cornhole team with Hunter.


    He''s still pissed at me. Still bitter.


    He hasn''t said more than five words to me since we were handed the beanbags. The only thing he managed was a tight, "s weird you''re here. What did Jade do to pull that off?"


    I didn''t answer. Just started throwing.


    And now, we''re on round two.


    He misses again. Poor form. Wrist too tight, aimpletely off.


    The beanbag thunks off the board and hits the grass.


    His mouth twitches like he''s about to curse, but then he says, "Isn''t that Sloane?"


    I know it''s her before I look.


    I felt her.


    The moment she stepped into the backyard, something in me locked in ce. My body''spass realigned. The air went still.


    And when I nce up-


    Yeah.


    She''s heading toward us beside Margot, Jade''s wife, her mother, like amb being led to the ughter.


    At that moment, she raises her head, and her jaw cks, shoulders tense, and eyes widen and lock on me like I''d crawled out of her worst nightmare.


    "Yes," I say simply. "That''s Sloane."


    Hunter squints. "She knows Jade''s wife?"


    "That''s her mother. She''s Jade''s stepdaughter."


    "Wait... is she the girl we''re supposed to pretend to flirt with today?"


    "Don''t even think about it, Hunter."


    Sloane''s mom has her on full disy-parading her around, forcing smiles, introducing her like she''s a prize goat at a county fair. When someone suggests she join the next cornhole game, she declines with a shake of her head and a tightugh. I don''t me her-it''s a ridiculous game. But the way her gaze avoids mine and how quickly she runs to the opposite end of the yard tells me her refusal isn''t about the game at all. It''s about me. Most of the men here are mine. One of them, Creed, is getting a little too handsy at the dart section, guiding her into a dart stance with his palm hovering at the small of her back.


    I taste iron.


    My hands clench.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    Sloane steps out of Creed''s touch politely, ncing over at me like she knows


    she''s in trouble. Her eyes say, I can exin.


    I don''t want her exnations.


    CHAPTER o owed To Tes


    1 want her away from all these people


    There''s pping how Apparently the round''s over 1 look down sed resize(Raven''t moved in thirty seconds


    "We won," Hunter says.


    "Yeah


    "You seem distracted"


    "My girlfriend is in the middle of a circle of men who are checking out her ass. It''s distracting"


    "You and Sloane are dating now?"


    "Uh-huh


    "So why is Jade setting her up?"


    1 exhale slowly. "He doesn''t know. This is all Finris doing. He wants his pound of flesh for Sloane dumping him. He''s doing everything he can to push my buttons, and he''s seeding


    ¡°Ah. Little brother''s revenge. Honestly? I''m kind of d someone''s punishing you in my ce


    I nce at him. "You''re still mad about the wedding?*


    He shrugs. "You and your girlfriend yed with my feelings


    "Come on. Bygones."


    "No way. I''m going to get back at you.*


    I start walking toward the food tables. Hunter follows, scooping some colew


    onto a paper te like we''re not mid-fight.


    "Yeah?" I ask. ¡°How are you gonna do that, exactly? Tell Sloane something she doesn''t already know? She knows everything about me."


    "Maybe that''s why she''s trying to catch a date at her mom''s barbecue."


    I stop. Hard.


    He keeps walking. Grinning.


    The tension in my chest starts to coil tighter.


    A voice calls behind us.


    "Hiii!"


    We both turn.


    Margot. Sloane''s mother.


    She''s got a smile that''s ten times bigger than necessary. Dark hair, soft eyes, just like Sloane''s.


    "I saw you two won your game!" she says, breathless. "Congrattions!" "Thank you, Margot," Hunter says, already turning on the charm. "You know we artists are very... creative.*


    I shoot him a sideways look. Are they all going to pretend they are artists? I know that''s what Jade wants, but I can''t just bring myself to lie.


    "That''s very true," she says with augh. Then to me: "Jade says you''re his boss.


    It''s so wonderful to finally meet you! He never talks about work. I didn''t expect you


    to be so young."


    "Most people don''t."


    "It''s a good thing," she chirps.


    Hunter raises an eyebrow. "So where''s this daughter we''re all here for?"


    I narrow my eyes at him.


    Margot beams, oblivious. "Sloane''s right over there, learning how to y darts." "We should probably get on to seducing her, shouldn''t we?"


    "Hunter, I say low.


    Margot still smiles. "She''s all yours. Thank you so much for doing this. I know how odd the request must have seemed when you first heard it. But you''ll understand when you have children who are antisocial. Nobody wants their kids to end up alone. Once again, it''s so nice to meet you both!"


    ¡°Likewise, I lie. "If you''ll excuse me..."


    I ditch my empty te and stalk toward the dart station.


    I''ve seen enough.


    I wasn''t even sure what I was walking into when I came here. Although the reason


    for Jade''s casual invitation to this


    CHAPTER 066 We All Need To Talk


    backyard circus was clear enough. His wife needed to y matchmaker with Jade''s ''artoy trends But I wasn''t show much Sloane knew. If she came here to


    flirt, or she came for the barbecue and got blindsided by her mother


    Now I do.


    She knew. She knew exactly what this was. She came anyway.


    And I''ve been watching her go along with it-watching men hover too close, watching one of my own engloyees dares guiding hand on the small of her back like he''s earned that right. Watching her toss smiles she doesn''t max andrg that clipped, polite way she uses when she''s lying through her teeth.


    All while I stood across thewn, pretending it doesn''t bother me.


    But it does.


    It bothers me enough to peel through myposure.


    My patience is gone. Whatever game she thinks she''s ying-it ends here.


    Sloane sees meing and moves-fast. She weaves through guests in sundresses and polos, skirts swring heels clicking on the patio stones. She disappears down the side of the house, ducking through a narrow gap between the fence and a row of potted ferns.


    Is she running? Or just seeking privacy?


    Either way, she won''t get far-especially not with the mood I''m in.


    I follow, my footsteps silent on the gravel. Theughter and music fade behind


    me. The air here smells of jasmine from a trellis above and damp earth underfoot. I round the corner, and there she is, crouched near the garden shed, half-sha behind a stand of boxwoods. Her fingers curl around the top t of a wooden fence, knuckles white, like she''s debating whether to climb over.


    I grab her arm before she can move.


    She spins around, eyes wide as saucers. Her hair fans out behind her, catching


    the dappled sunlight


    "Knox..." she breathes.


    I drop the bruising calm I''ve been carrying and pull her to me, so close I can feel


    her warmth through the thin fabric of her sundress.


    "Bunny," I say. "Going somewhere?"


    She shakes her head, jaw tight, eyes darting to the fence, to the boxwoods,


    anywhere but on me.


    "How... How are you here?" she whispers.


    "Does it matter?"


    "Yes."


    "I came for you. Are you trying to hurt my feelings, Sloane?"


    She bites her lip. "It''s not what it looks like."


    "Then tell me what it is. Because it seems you''re letting people who have no business putting their hands on you close to you."


    She pulls away slightly. "See-my mom found out about you through Finn. And now she thinks you''re bad for me. If I don''t pretend to y along with this whole ''meet a good man'' act, she''s going to involve my dad. And I''m not ready to deal with that."


    "So you let people touch you to keep your mom happy?"


    "No one''s touching me. Are you here to stalk me?"


    "I came because you lied."


    "I didn''t lie to you. It''s just a stupid party. I just have to smile, and it will be alright.


    It''s not like you tell me everything about yourself.¡±


    I step in again, crowding her. One hand cups the back of her neck.


    "I can be your dirty little secret, Bunny," I say, my voice low. "But you can''t flirt with


    anybody. I don''t care if your mom''s house is on fire and your flirting will put it off. This ends now. I''m taking you home."


    "You don''t understand. My mom is dramatic."


    "I do. I just don''t care. Did you really think I wouldn''t know? What was the n?


    Flirt? Go on dates? Behind my back?


    "I didn''t have a good rtionship with my mom growing up. I just... I don''t want to


    fight with her."


    I study her face. The strain in her eyes. The conflict.


    "Good thing I love fighting," I say. "Because it''ll be a cold day in hell before I let


    you flirt with my workers."


    CHAPTER 066: We All Need To Talk


    "Your what?"


    A voice interrupts.


    "Knox? Sloane?"


    We both turn.


    Jade. Standing ten feet away, blinking at us like we''re ghosts.


    Next to him is a woman who''s a slightly older version of Sloane. Maybe a cousin


    ora sibling.


    I let go of Sloane, and she steps back, smoothing her expression.


    "Serena. Jade," she says.


    Serena smirks. "We saw you running this way. I was wondering where all that


    heat wasing from."


    Jade''s face is stiff. "You two know each other?"


    Sloane swallows. "Yes. We do. We''re... dating."


    "Wait a minute, Serena says. "Finn''s brother?"


    Sloane doesn''t answer.


    Serena gasps. "Oh, my god. Jade, didn''t you say he''s your boss? How-"


    Jade looks like he wants to disappear.


    "I think," he says, "we all need to talk."


    Subscribed

 Chapter 67

    CHAPTER 067: I''ll Carry You Over


    ***


    ***


    SLOANE~~


    The little space we''re crammed into suddenly feels a million times tighter


    It''s not just the size-though the narrow walkway barely fits four people who bling bows to the mate


    a that makes me feel imprisoned. It''s the way Jade stands too still. The way Serens is vexating with fury The way Kewurk I said a word since Jade and Serena arrived.


    I don''t even know how we ended up here, all of us.


    Were they following me? Did my mom actually send Serena and Jade to guard mal bedrmeting AP ebote grown woman.


    And Jade? Don''t even get me started on that part. Jade, of all people-my mom''s behard tho dobles at vide da for her endless "you need a good man" lectures-is working for Knox. I don''t even have the mental bonded to that fully. Whatever he''s doing for Knox, it''s definitely not artsy The only art that marts involved in tay ches painting a wall with someone''s blood.


    If my heart wasn''t already trying to w its way out of my chest, I''d actually find this hrious


    Serena breaks the silence.


    "Please tell me that the thoughts rolling through my head right now are not true; she says. Tell me you did many m mother with a fucking lie."


    Jade doesn''t flinch. "You need to calm down."


    "Calm down?" she hisses. "She''s hypertensive. What do you think this kind of information will do to her?


    "Which is exactly why I didn''t tell her. I love her. She doesn''t need to know my dirty details


    I nce at Serena. She''s furious. And sure, she has every right to be-but it''s so weird that it creeps me out. Her hands are clenched tight at her sides. I''ve never seen her like this. Not even when she found out I was dating a guy the whole family thinks is a criminal. Here she is, veins standing proud on her forehead, eyes zing like she just caught Jade hiding bodies in the garage. I guess that''s what happens when you''re close to your mom-like, really close. When you''re used to beng part of her everyday life, you take her peace personally. You explode when someone lies to het Loudly Emotionally


    Honestly, for a second, I forget this whole mess was supposed to be about me.


    "Rena," I say, moving closer. I reach out and take her hand. Her fingers are stiff in mine. "Maybe we should revist this when everyone''s a little calmer."


    "You mean lie to her?" she says, rounding on me. "You mean hide the truth from Mom?"


    "That''s not what I-"


    "She has a right to know her husband works for a bad man. A dangerous man. God knows what Jade''s doing for Knox. He could be an assassin. My mom is sharing a house with a killer."


    She''s trembling now. Words falling out of her mouth like they''re coated in gasoline. I nce at Knox, who''s watching all this with mild amusement. He''s really enjoying watching himself getting called a bad man.


    Jade''s expression is what truly unnerves me.


    He looks... angry.


    Which is wild, considering he''s the one being used of keeping secrets.


    "Okay," I say to Serena, "how about I take you home? We''ll talk through it, just the two of us."


    "No." She jerks her hand out of mine and res at Jade. "I''m going to Mom right now. I''m telling her everything."


    She turns to storm off-but Jade''s voice stops her.


    "I can''t allow you to do that, Serena."


    She whirls back. "What are you going to do? Kill me? Cut out my tongue?


    Threaten to hurt Sloane? My mom? My boyfriend?"


    He sighs. "You''ve watched too many action more Tel


    Or Sloane? She''s screwing my boss and keepir


    My spine stiffens, but I stay silent.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    eaten to harm your mother, the love of my life? s her... an ally."


    "And your boyfriend?" Jade goes on, eyes glinting. "Why would I bother with him? You don''t even love him."


    Serena freezes. Her face goes pale. Knox straightens, clearly intrigued now. Even


    I blink at Jade, taken aback by the


    CHAPTER 067: I''ll Carry You Over


    sharpness of his tone, the venom in it, and his words.


    "What are you talking about?" Serena asks, her voice suddenly small.


    Jade steps forward. Just once. But the move sends Serena stumbling, and she grips my wrist like I''m an anchor.


    "You want a viin?" Jade says, voice low. "Let me show you what one sounds like."


    He takes another step.


    "If you go to your mother with what you''ve heard today, I''ll tell her exactly why you''ve been showing up here so often. Pretending to be a loving daughter. Hanging around. Getting close."


    "Go to hell," Serena snaps, her voice cracking.


    "I dare you," he whispers. "Go to her. And she''ll find out her favorite daughter has


    a crush on her husband."


    The silence that follows that sentence is a vacuum.


    I nce at Serena, who has gone deathly still.


    "Okay..." I say, stepping between them. "That''s one hell of a reach, Jade. I get that you''re mad. But don''t start making shit up. What is wrong with you?" That re falls on me. "You think I''m lying? Ask her why she hasn''t denied it."


    I look back at Serena.


    She won''t look at me.


    And now I''m getting chills.


    "She''s silent because you''re scaring her," I say, swallowing thickly. "Hell, I''m scared too."


    A foreign voicees from behind me.


    "Babe?"


    We all turn.


    It''s Nathan, Serena''s boyfriend, in a white button-down and navy chinos, ginger curls mussed like he''s been running his hands through them. His freckles are very visible, disying the worry on his face.


    "I''ve been looking for you," he says. "You brought me here and just left me. What are you all doing here anyway? Smoking weed?"


    Serena blinks fast, wiping at her face before turning to him.


    The worry on his face deepens. He steps toward her, voice soft. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"


    Serena doesn''t meet his gaze. Her voice is quiet, strained. "No. I''m fine, Nat. I just... please take me home."


    He throws us all a look that says he knows something went down-but he''s not sure if he should get into it. Fortunately, he doesn''t ask. He just wraps his arm around Serena and leads her away.


    The moment they''re out of sight, I round on Jade.


    "That was unnecessarily mean."


    He shrugs. "Wee to my world, Sloane. People who stand in my way get taken


    down."


    "You just made yourself sound exactly like the guy she doesn''t want around my mom."


    "I don''t care. She needed to hear it."


    "You could have been more subtle, at least let me talk to her. She listens to me."


    "I''m done with subtlety. She won''t open her mouth now. And that goes for you too.


    If your mother finds out, I''ll make your life a living hell."


    For the first time since the drama started, Knox speaks. His voice is low. Dangerous.


    "You must have a death wish, Jade. Threatening my girlfriend in front of me."


    Jade startles as though remembering there''s someone else listening. Then slowly, he turns around. "Let your girlfriend know she should keep her mouth shut."


    "Don''t threaten her through me either."


    Jade sighs. "Fine." Then, almost as an afterthought, he says, "I''ll go tell the other guys to back off. Before someone gets hurt talking to their boss''s girlfriend."


    He disappears through the corner.


    And finally-it''s just me and Knox.


    He steps closer, eyeing the empty space where Jade stood.


    CHAPTER 067: I''ll Carry You Over


    sharpness of his tone, the venom in it, and his words.


    "What are you talking about?" Serena asks, her voice suddenly small.


    Jade steps forward. Just once. But the move sends Serena stumbling, and she grips my wrist like I''m an anchor.


    "You want a viin?" Jade says, voice low. "Let me show you what one sounds like."


    He takes another step.


    "If you go to your mother with what you''ve heard today, I''ll tell her exactly why you''ve been showing up here so often. Pretending to be a loving daughter. Hanging around. Getting close."


    "Go to hell," Serena snaps, her voice cracking.


    "I dare you,¡± he whispers. "Go to her. And she''ll find out her favorite daughter has


    a crush on her husband."


    The silence that follows that sentence is a vacuum.


    I nce at Serena, who has gone deathly still. "Okay..." I say, stepping between them. "That''s one hell of a reach, Jade. I get that you''re mad. But don''t start making shit up. What is wrong with you?"


    That re falls on me. "You think I''m lying? Ask her why she hasn''t denied it."


    I look back at Serena.


    She won''t look at me.


    And now I''m getting chills.


    "She''s silent because you''re scaring her," I say, swallowing thickly. "Hell, I''m


    scared too."


    A foreign voicees from behind me.


    "Babe?"


    We all turn.


    It''s Nathan, Serena''s boyfriend, in a white button-down and navy chinos, ginger curls mussed like he''s been running his hands through them. His freckles are very visible, disying the worry on his face.


    "I''ve been looking for you," he says. "You brought me here and just left me. What are you all doing here anyway? Smoking weed?"


    Serena blinks fast, wiping at her face before turning to him.


    The worry on his face deepens. He steps toward her, voice soft. "Are you okay?


    Did something happen?"


    Serena doesn''t meet his gaze. Her voice is quiet, strained. ¡°No. I''m fine, Nat. I just... please take me home."


    throws us all a look that says he knows something went down-but he''s not sure if


    he should get into it. Fortunately, he doesn''t ask. He just wraps his arm around Serena and leads her away.


    moment they''re out of sight, I round on Jade.


    "That was unnecessarily mean."


    He shrugs. "Wee to my world, Sloane. People who stand in my way get taken


    down."


    "You just made yourself sound exactly like the guy she doesn''t want around my mom."


    "I don''t care. She needed to hear it."


    "You could have been more subtle, at least let me talk to her. She listens to me."


    "I''m done with subtlety. She won''t open her mouth now. And that goes for you too.


    If your mother finds out, I''ll make your life a living hell."


    For the first time since the drama started, Knox speaks. His voice is low.


    Dangerous.


    "You must have a death wish, Jade. Threatening my girlfriend in front of me." Jade startles as though remembering there''s someone else listening. Then slowly,


    he turns around. "Let your girlfriend know she should keep her mouth shut."


    "Don''t threaten her through me either."


    Jade sighs. "Fine." Then, almost as an afterthought, he says, "I''ll go tell the other


    guys to back off. Before someone gets hurt talking to their boss''s girlfriend."


    He disappears through the corner.


    And finally-it''s just me and Knox.


    He steps closer, eyeing the empty space where Jade stood.


    CHAPTER 067. # Carry You Over


    "This is why I don''t watch TV dramas, he mutters. "Too much dialogue."


    "You were smiling through half of it."


    "It was kind of funny. You should''ve seen your face at the big reveal. Ohhh, my


    sister daydreams about screwing our stepfather. What a scandal.¡±


    I punch his chest. "Don''t joke about it, Knox."


    He lifts his hands in mock surrender. "Noted."


    Then he backs up a few steps.


    I frown, wondering where he''s headed.


    He walks toward the picket fence. Then, with zero hesitation, he nts his hand


    on the top and vaults over in one clean


    move.


    "Really?" I call after him. "You light a fire, and now you run?"


    "Not exactly," he says, extending a hand toward me from the other side. "I want to


    run with you. Come on. I''ll carry you over."


    Subscribed


    2

 Chapter 68

    CHAPTER 068: Where Are We?


    I look at his outstretched hand, wanting nothing more than to go to him.


    But I can''t just leave. Not like that.


    "I need to say goodbye to my mom," I say. "And a couple of other people. Maybe


    catch my sister before she leaves. She''s upset, and I need to-"


    "Erase her memory?" Knox''s voice is calm, but I can hear the impatience underneath "Come on. Let''s go."


    "I can''t."


    "Do I need toe get you, Bunny?"


    I roll my eyes. There''s no winning with him. And honestly? I don''t want to fight. Not today. Not after everything. So I go to him, gripping the top of the fence like I''m actually going to hoist myself over.


    He doesn''t let me.


    Strong arms wrap around me, and I''m lifted clean off the ground, pressed against his chest in one smooth movement. I gasp and instinctively wrap my arms around his neck.


    "You love getting your way, don''t you?" I murmur, the world suddenly quieter this close to him.


    "I do," he says, mouth brushing the edge of my hairline. He leans in and breathes in deep. "You used a different product today."


    I blink. "What?"


    "Your hair," he says, nosing lightly at it. "It''s different. Still you, but different. Smells like almond. Or vani. Something soft. Really nice. But I''m kind of pissed you did something special toe flirt with other guys."


    He starts walking.


    He''s right. Of course he is. I did switch conditioners this morning-some fancy product I grabbed off the store shelf and tossed in my basketst minute without thinking. It felt stupidly indulgent, like a quiet little rebellion. But I''m not going to think about that. I''m not going to think about how good it feels that he noticed. That he always notices. Instead, I lean my cheek against his shoulder and focus on the rhythm of his steps, the solid feel of his arms around me.


    "You''re never going to let me live today down, are you?" I say.


    "No." The answer is firm.


    "My car''s right over there," I say, twisting slightly in his arms.


    "I know. That''s where I''m headed."


    When he reaches my car, he sets me down gently. My heels click against the pavement, and I look up at him, a little breathless.


    Then he stretches out his palm. "The keys."


    "What key?"


    "Your car key. I''m driving."


    "Hell no. What happened to your car?"


    "I came with Jade," he says. "Didn''t want you seeing mine in the driveway and running away."


    I stare at him for a beat, then shake my head. "If you''re going to sit in my car, I''m driving."


    I walk around to the driver''s side, unlocking the door with a look that says, ''Don''t argue''. He doesn''t. He just watches me with that same amused expression.


    Once I slide in, he follows. Buckles his seatbelt without a word.


    "You''re making me your passenger princess now?" he says, ncing over at me. "You look cute sitting over there with your hands to yourself," I mutter. "Do you need a pillow?"


    He grins and shakes his head, clearly enjoying every second of this.


    I pull out of the driveway and onto the road. It''s getting dark. The streetlightse on one by one as the day folds into evening. The radio''s off. The silence between


    ur is thick center his eyes on me. Studying. Quiet.


    "Where am I taking you?" I ask, ncing sidew


    "Anywhere you''re going to."


    I raise an eyebrow. "That''s not an answer."


    Sessfully unlocked!


    "It''s the truth. I don''t know what kind of trouble you''ll be up to next. I have to keep my eyes on you."


    CHAPTER 068 Where Are We?


    "You''re one to talk. You knew Jade was my stepfather, and you didn''t say anything."


    "What was I supposed to say?"


    "Oh, I don''t know. Maybe, ''Hey, one of my employees is your mother''s husband?"


    "That would''ve defeated the purpose of the element of surprise."


    I scoff. "You always keep things from me, Knox. It never stops getting annoying, just so you know."


    "You''re driving very slowly, Bunny."


    "Sorry it''s not a V8 engine, I mutter.


    "It can definitely go faster than this."


    Annoyed, I ease my foot off the gas just a bit more, then more again, until the car is barely doing twenty. The engine hums in protest, but I don''t speed up. We glide down the street like a Sunday parade float, crawling past manicured hedges andmpposts at a pace that would frustrate a toddler on a tricycle. I grip the wheel tighter, pretending to concentrate on the road, but I can feel him burning holes into the side of my face.


    He sighs. "How can you be mad at me for keeping a secret when you kept your intentions about this barbecue hidden?"


    I don''t answer. Just keep driving. The tires humzily on the asphalt.


    "We have to stop keeping things from each other, Knox," I finally say. "You barely tell me anything about you."


    "You don''t want to know half the things about me. It''s like your sister said-I''m a bad man."


    I nce at him. "You don''t scare me."


    "I believe you. Because no one else would dare drive at that speed with me in the car."


    "Oh, so you''re tough? Everyone trembles at the sight of you?"


    He looks at me long and hard before saying, ¡°I want to be inside you right now, Bunny."


    My pulse stutters. A rush of warmth hits low in my belly. I wasn''t expecting that, and it sure shuts me up.


    I m my foot on the gas.


    The car jerks like it''s just been shaken awake, the tires gripping the road with a growl as we lurch into faster motion. The sudden pull knocks me slightly back in my seat. I immediately reach for the dial and flip on the radio, fingers twitching with the need to fill the silence and the growing ache in between my legs.


    A rap song sts from the speakers-aggressive and fast and full of rage. Heavy bass punches through the car. It''s not my usual pick, not even close, but I wee the noise. I need it. I need anything that can drown out Knox''s heat and presence. I keep my eyes trained on the road. Refuse to look at him. Refuse to give in to the way his scent fills my lungs. I can feel his eyes on me, like fingertips dragging down the side of my neck.


    We ride in silence. I''m headed toward my house, of course. But just as we near a strange corner, Knox suddenly speaks.


    "Turn there," he says.


    "Why?"


    "You want to know about me? Then turn."


    I hesitate, then signal and turn. He gives me directions now and then, and I follow, more curious than I want to admit. I almost miss a turn, and he reaches over to tap my thigh-a gentle touch.


    Electricity zaps straight through me. My foot ms on the brake.


    We both lurch forward, seatbelts tugging us back.


    "Is something wrong?" he asks, clearly amused.


    "Fuck you, Knox."


    Heughs, and I start driving again.


    The road feels different now. Quieter. Like we''ve left the real world behind.


    Houses fade into empty lots. Streetlights stretch farther apart. The sidewalks are cracked. Faded graffiti covers the sides of old buildings. We pass warehouses and closed shops, ces that look like no one''s used them in years. Somewhere in the distance, I hear music-faint and far away, like it belongs to another life.


    Knox tells me where to turn, and I follow, even though it leads us down a narrow road with gravel crunching under the tires. At the end of it is a small, dark building, low and wide, sitting in the shadows like it''s hiding.


    There''s no sign. No lights. No clear door. Just a few scattered cars parked like their owners didn''t want to be too close to anything.


    I park the car, hands still tight on the wheel for a second longer than necessary.


    When know asks to step sinsy88.10


    But is not


    Because the moment my feet hit th Th building that looks like it''s never een


    daylight


    And I did it willingly.


    That should scare me more than it does


    "Where are we? I ask


    CHAPTER 069: Pick Your Victor

 Chapter 69

    CHAPTER 069: Pick Your Victor


    Knox walks around the car and reaches for my hand. His palm is warm and steady. Mine isn''t. I let him hold it anyway. "I want to give you a little view into my past life," he says.


    And then he urges me forward, heading for the dark building. It''s quiet out here, too quiet, and every step we take makes the gravel crunch beneath our shoes. My heart thuds harder with each sound.


    When we reach the door, Knox lifts his hand and knocks. A secondter, a little metal panel slides open from the inside. Someone''s eyes peek out.


    "Evening, Storm," a deep voice says. "Didn''t expect you tonight."


    "Showing my girlfriend around," Knox replies.


    "Pretty one you''ve got there."


    "She is."


    I feel like I''m being auctioned.


    The door creaks open. A bouncer steps aside to let us through.


    "I''ll call and get your booth ready," he says behind us as Knox leads me into a dim hallway that smells of sweat, rust, and old cement.


    We reach an elevator that looks like it belongs in a horror movie-scratched metal, unstable overhead light, one single call button with a crack running through it. Knox presses it, and after a few seconds, the doors groan open.


    We step inside.


    As the doors close, I brace for the familiar upward jolt. Instead, we drop.


    Fast.


    I grip the railing. "We''re going underground?"


    "Yes."


    The elevator shudders to a stop and opens into chaos.


    Loud music pours in from somewhere above. People are yelling-some cheering, some cursing. The smell of sweat, alcohol, and metal hits the back of my throat.


    Right in the middle of the floor, a crowd circles a boxing ring. But this isn''t some organized match. It''s raw. Bloody. Two men are inside, shirtless and soaked with sweat. One of them throws a hard punch, and the sound it makes is awful-wet and solid. No gloves. No gear. Just bare hands and bone.


    People around us cheer like they''re watching fireworks. I see someone p a wad of cash into another guy''s hand.


    Another hit. One of the fighters stumbles, and I''m almost sure I see a tooth go flying through the air.


    My stomach tightens.


    Knox leans in, voice calm against the chaos. "Wee to The Devil''s Pit."


    A man in a dark suit, which is far from what I expect from a ce like this, appears beside us and motions us toward the


    stairs.


    "Your booth''s ready, Storm."


    This is the second person calling him by that name. Guess I have to catalogue that under my Knox-to-ask list.


    We climb a tight metal staircase to the VIP level-rows of ss-walled booths that look down on the ring from above. Knox leads me into one. Inside, there''s afortable ck couch, a low table with a silver tray of drinks and sses, and low lights built into the ceiling. It smells like leather and sharp citrus. The side walls are dark, while the front wall is made entirely of ss, stretching wide and tall, giving a perfect view of the ring and the wild crowd around it.


    From here, I can see everything.


    One of the fighters has copsed. The other paces the ring, arms raised. The crowd roars like animals.


    I''m still processing the view when Knox grabs my waist and pulls me into hisp. Ind with a small gasp.


    His mouth is instantly at my ear. "You like what you see?


    "What is this ce? Is it even legal?"


    Sessfully unlocked!


    "No. But it''s good business." His hands tracezy lines on my hips. "You may not believe it, but fighting in that ring was how I got the capital to start my club."


    I twist to look at him. "You... fought?"


    CHAPTER 069: Pick Your Victor


    He nods. "I did."


    "You must''ve fought a lot to save that much."


    "It wasn''t just about the money. I love taking punches."


    I don''t have time to react to that before a bell rings.


    Two new fighters enter the ring.


    One is bald, lean, with a long scar down the side of his jaw. The other is thicker, broader.


    The crowd leans in closer, like wolves scenting fresh meat.


    Beneath me, Knox shifts. I feel the movement of his chest against my back before


    I see it. He slides his phone from his pocket and taps the screen. A strange website loads-dark background, bold fonts, two shing icons pulsing with names I don''t recognize.


    "Time to ce bets, Bunny," he murmurs against my neck. "Pick a fighter. I''ll bet on them."


    "That''s creepy."


    He hums, not disagreeing. And then-


    His hand moves under my dress. Slowly. Knuckles drag against my thigh. Fingers find the edge of my panties, and I tence My legs go weak even though I''m sitting.


    "ce the bet, Bunny," he says again, almost like a dare. His voice has dipped into that wicked tone I''vee to recognize. The one that means I won''t win. He hooks a finger into my panties and tugs them down. The softce slides down my thighs and rests at my knees.


    My hand tightens around his phone in anticipation. ¡°Can people see us?" I ask.


    He leans in, brushing his mouth over the curve of my shoulder. "One-way ss,"


    he whispers. "We see them. They don''t see


    us."


    My heart''s beating too fast.


    "Oh..."


    He lowers my zipper next. His palm follows the path he opens, spreading heat along the bare skin of my back. The screen in my hands trembles.


    I''m not sure if it''s my fingers or my body that''s shaking. Maybe both.


    "The fights don''tst too long," he breathes and kisses the dip of my back. "I want


    to make you cum before it''s over." He slides the straps of my dress down my arms, then all the way down to my waist. I''m bare from the chest up.


    Then his hands are on me. Both of them. Cupping my breasts with firm, confident pressure that makes my toes curl. His thumbs brush over my nipples, and my hips shift without permission, rubbing against his growing hard-on. He groans against my back.


    I forget the crowd below. The fighters. The ring.


    There''s only him. Only this.


    "Pick your victor," he says, "right now... so I can bury myself inside you."


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 Chapter 70

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    CHAPTER 070: He''s Losing


    CHAPTER 070: He''s Losing


    My breathes out shaky. I force myself to nce at the phone in my hand. The site looks like it was built in the shadows-dark background, bold red names, icons shing like they''re breathing. The two fighters are listed with codenames: Red Reaper and Goliath. Beneath their names, odds glow in bright numbers-Red Reaper: -180, Goliath: +220. The slimmer man, Reaper, has better odds. A favorite. Fast. Deadly. And it''s the bulkier one, Goliath-who looks like he could crush a skull with one swing-that is surprisingly the underdog. Next to their names, there''s a pulsing red button that says PLACE BET-$100,000.


    Knox is betting a hundred grand?


    What the hell?


    It should be simple. Just one or two taps and I''ll be done with cing my bet. But Knox is still touching me. His thumbs tease the tight peaks of my nipples, and I squirm in hisp, trying to keep the phone steady as my body trembles. I swipe clumsily between the fighter bios-not that it matters. I''m supposed to be picking the right fighter, making sure his hundred grand doesn''t burn-but Knox''s hands are dragging my focus everywhere but the screen.


    My body is arching, greedy for more.


    His mouth presses heat into the skin just below my ear, and I can''t think anymore. I just act.


    My finger taps Goliath-the thicker of the two men in the ring-just as his image shes again. A secondter, the screen blinks.


    Bet ced.


    Knox just gambled away six figures. Rich people are weird.


    I wouldment on that any other day, but right now, my core is pulsing with a need I don''t know how to contain.


    "You picked the fighter that''s more likely to lose," he says.


    "Did I? I didn''t notice. Must be because someone wouldn''t keep their hands to themselves while I ced my bet."


    Heughs and squeezes my breasts a little firmer. "You need to see yourself through my eyes, Bunny. You wouldn''t keep your hands off you either. That body..." His voice dips, and then he kisses my left shoulder. "So beautiful. So damn soft. Comes with a few psycho issues too. What could be more tempting?"


    I roll my eyes, but the warmth climbing up my face betrays me. I''m blushing. Damn it.


    I toss his phone onto the couch beside us and turn to face him. His gaze is fixed


    on me¨Cdark, amused, and full of that quiet arrogance that somehow manages to thrill and irritate me all at once.


    "You sweet-talk like a yer," I say, narrowing my eyes.


    "You''re smiling. Means I''ve sessfully yed you, baby."


    That grin. That smug, sin-soaked grin. I should p it off him. Instead, I lean in.


    My fingers find his jaw, tracing the edge. I press a soft kiss to his mouth-barely there, just a tease. His lips part, inviting more, but I pull back an inch. Just enough to hear the small growl in his throat. Then I dive back in.


    This time, the kiss isn''t soft. It''s rough. Heated. My hands slide into his hair as his armes around my waist, dragging me flush against him. Our mouths crash and sh, tongues tangling in a rhythm that''s fast bing a habit-like we''re trying to consume each other. Breathless and greedy.


    His teeth nip at my lower lip. I bite back. He groans into my mouth, and I feel it all the way down my spine.


    I''m not sure who breaks first-but by the time we part, we''re both breathing like we ran a marathon.


    "You''re beautiful too, Knox," I whisper against his lips.


    He smirks, voice gravel-soft. "Now who''s the yer?"


    We can have this fight muchter. I need him inside me right now.


    I untangle myself from him and stand, cing my back against the covered part of


    the booth. I know Knox said the ss in front is a one-way ss, but it doesn''t


    mean I can''t be self-conscious about nting my bare ass against it.


    I push my dress down my body. It pools around my ankles. My panties are already


    at my knees, barely clinging. I step out


    Knox''s phone and my purse. of them and bend to pick everything up, tossing them onto the torch be


    Sessfully unlocked!


    Knox''s jaw tightens. His bottom lip gets caught between his teeth as bicole roams over every inch of me. I can feel those eyes trailing from my eyes down to my mouth, my bare shoulders, the swell of my breasts, my stomach, my thighs. Slowly, he brings his hands to his pants, unzipping, pushing them down just enough.


    His cock springs free.


    CHAPTER 070: He''s Losing


    It always stuns me-how lovely it is. Long, thick, veined, with that silver piercing at the tip that catches the low light. My mouth waters.


    "Come on," he says, his voice low, hoarse. "I know you''re hungry for it. Come sit on my dick."


    I rush to him, climb into hisp, and straddle him face-to-face. But he shakes his head.


    "Other way, Bunny. I want you to watch the fight."


    Oh, right. We''re actually at a boxing ring and should be watching. I almost forgot.


    I adjust myself, turning around to face the ss, trying not to focus on the crowd and their noise. Then I rise into a crouching position and reach for Knox''s length, positioning myself over him.


    Before I sink down, though, I find myself admiring the wet tip of his dick.


    I circle it with my fingers, spreading the moisture.


    He groans behind me, both hands gripping my waist.


    The sound makes me bolder.


    I rub the head of his dick against my center, particrly the pierced part, pressing


    it against my clit again and again. My hips move in small, controlled circles, dragging the pressure out as I moan softly. That piercing feels so good rubbing against me.


    Knox''s breathing gets as uneven as mine as he rocks upward to assist. "Fuck, Sloane," he says. "That''s so hot."


    One of his handses up, cupping my throat from the front and tilting my head to the side. At this angle, he gets a good view of his dick moving against me.


    "Just like that, Bunny," he murmurs. "Rub yourself all over my cock."


    His free hand slides up to my chest. He finds a nipple and rolls it between his fingers.


    I whimper.


    Outside, the bell rings, signalling the beginning of the fight.


    The crowd explodes.


    But I can barely hear them. All I care about is Knox-his fingers, his length moving against me. I need to ease the deep, aching throbing from between my legs, where I''m already wet and dripping right onto hisp.


    "Your body''s begging for my dick, isn''t it?" he says. "Yes," I breathe.


    His hand leaves my nipple and trails down my stomach, teasing its way lower. When it reaches where I''m still holding him, he gently nudges my hand aside. Then, without hesitation, he pushes three fingers deep inside me-filling me so suddenly I cry out.


    The sound is loud, uncontrolled, but the roar of the crowd swallows it whole.


    His fingers start with a slow rhythm-just enough to make my eyes water. Then he pushes in deeper, his movements bing wilder. He knows what he''s doing. Knows exactly where to reach. His fingers curve just right, and when they press into that spot-that maddening, perfect ce deep inside me-my entire body tenses, thighs clenching around his hand as my brain rings.


    "Oh, yes," I moan.


    "God, you''re so wet. Anyone who sees you this needy will think I have been starving you."


    "Please..." I say.


    "What do you want, sweet girl?"


    "You."


    "How badly?"


    "I''m dying here, Knox."


    He pulls his fingers out of me and ps them against my clit a number of times.


    My hips jolt. A startled moan breaks from my lips.


    I feel myself getting wetter.


    He doesn''t make me wait long. He lifts me by the waist and drives himself into me


    in one brutal, perfect stroke, filling me so deeply that I lose air. My scream rips out before I can swallow it.


    "Don''t close your eyes, Bunny," Knox growls behind me. "Eyes on the fight. Watch them beat the hell out of each other while I fuck you.


    CHAPTER 070: He''s Losing


    My eyes fly open, wild and dazed. The world ms back into focus.


    The ring. The crowd. The shouting. The fighters.


    He pounds up into me again and again, hard and unforgiving. I match him- rocking back, meeting every thrust with one of my own. My palms press against the side wall, the cold surface grounding me even as my body tingles all over.


    Below us, chaos erupts.


    Goliath-my pick-takes a hit. Then another. His jaw snaps sideways, and blood spills from his mouth. The Red Reaper''s fists are fast,nding one blow after another.


    "He''s losing," I say.


    "Who?"


    "Goliath, my victor."


    Knoxughs darkly, obviously enjoying my concern.


    I can see the entire crowd, at least five hundred people, and even though I know


    they can''t see me, the idea of it-being fucked so thoroughly in front of them-


    sends a strange jolt through me.


    "You like the view, don''t you?" he says, mming into me.


    "Maybe."


    "Oh, you better like it. Because the only way you''re cumming is if your fighter


    wins."


    Subscribed

 Chapter 71

    Excuse me?


    I twist to look back at him. My breathing is a wrey "And if he does*


    Knox smiles. "Then I fear you''ll just have to starve some more


    I barely have time to process the threst before his left arm wraps around me, banding across my chest. That other hard slides between my thighs and finds my cht without hesitation. He strokes. fot gee. Not so He presses and Gedes.


    My knees buckle a little from the rush of sensation.


    "Fuck," I whisper, my voice tight.


    He groans behind me, low and approving, and his hand on my chest tightens jest slightly.


    "Keep your eyes on the fight, Bunny"


    I do.


    Every move in the ring burns into my brain. Goliath is bruised, bleeding. But he''s not backing down. The other guynds a harsh blow to his stomach.


    My hips stutter. I can feel myself nearing release.


    I try to stay quiet. Try to hide it. But Knox knows.


    He pulls out.


    "No. No. No!" I cry.


    I reach for him. He catches both my wrists and hauls them above my head. One hand holds them there.


    "You don''t always have to be so wicked," I pant.


    "How else will I make you addicted to me?"


    I want to say I already am. That I''ve been addicted since the first time he looked


    at me like he wanted to ruin me. That no one''s ever made me feel this kind of need, this kind of desperation.


    But then he grips my waist and lifts me again, and I don''t even get the chance to breathe before he''s inside me, knocking the air from my lungs.


    I cry out, eyes squeezing shut.


    His voicees whispering against my ear. "Eyes on the fighters, Bunny. It''s bad luck not to look."


    I obey, forcing them open. The ring bursts back into focus. Goliath is still upright somehow, blood pouring from his nose, from a split in his brow, maybe both. He''s swaying. Every breath looks like it costs him.


    I watch as he stumbles back-almost trips. My heart sinks.


    But then he surges forward. Wild. Clumsy. A mess of movement that looks more like survival than strategy.


    A punch connects.


    Then another.


    "Come on!" I gasp. "Come on, Goliath. You can do it!"


    Below us, the crowd is a storm-shouting, standing, pping the barricades. I can''t tell if they''re cheering for him or the turn of events, but none of it matters because Knox is merciless inside me, thrusting so hard and fast I''m seeing stars. And whenever he feels me getting close, he halts.


    My thighs are shaking. My body''s a live wire. Every nerve is screaming.


    "Finish it," I whisper. "Finish it, please-"


    I don''t know if I''m begging Knox or that fighter in the ring.


    Goliath stumbles again-then throws his whole weight into onest, brutal uppercut.


    Itnds with a sick, echoing crunch. The sound of cartge or maybe jawbone giving way.


    The other fighter copses like a puppet with its strings cut.


    The bell shrieks.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    The crowd loses their minds, and I join them, sort


    Knox leans into my throat, biting down hard as he drives into me.


    "Let go, Bunny," he whispers against my skin. "Cum for me."


    I do.


    CHAPTER 971 Whds Sorayat


    Everything in me shatters.


    My release ms through me, no warning, no mercy. My thighs lock, muscles seizing, and I cry out. My nails dig into the leather beneath us. My vision whites out. My entire body convulses, legs trembling uncontrobly, pulse hammering


    behind my eyes.


    I feel Knox freeze,


    Then he groans and spills inside me, heat blooming deep where we''re still joined.


    His arms are like iron around me, holding me in ce, anchoring me.


    We crumple together, a tangled mess of sweat and hard breaths.


    The crowd is cheering as the victor throws his arms in the air, lifted by the referee.


    Blood streaks his face like war paint.


    The other fighter is still sprawled on the mat. Unmoving.


    And I can''t help the cold that drips down my spine.


    "Oh my God, I whisper. "Is he dead?"


    "I''m not sure yet," Knox says, kissing my shoulder. His hands roam my body, caressing every inch.


    "And if he''s dead?"


    "Then he''ll get a proper funeral."


    *Jesus. You people are insane."


    "It''s an underground fighting ring. What did you think was going to happen? They signed up for this."


    "I just came while someone was possibly dying, Knox."


    "Is your problem that he might be dead?" he says, turning me to face him, "or that


    you enjoyed it?"


    I cover my face with both hands. "I''m a freak."


    "There''s no denying that. But you''re my freak. A freak who just won over two hundred grand."


    My hands part slightly. I peek at him through my fingers.


    "Really?"


    "Yeah," he says, grinning. "I''ll show you."


    I lower my hands and look at him fully. He reaches to the side of the couch, fingers grazing the edge until he finds his phone. He brings it up, swipes the screen, but his expression immediately changes.


    His grin fades into a frown.


    "What is it?" I ask.


    He doesn''t reply at first, eyes scanning whatever he''s seeing on the screen. Then


    he starts typing, his fingers moving fast, jaw tight.


    "Knox," I press, "what is it?"


    He exhales through his nose. "Yara''s been trying to reach me."


    Yara?


    My brain stumbles for a second, searching for the name.


    Oh, right.


    "The psychologist?" I say.


    "Mmhmm," he mutters, still typing.


    "Why would your therapist be texting you at this time?"


    "We need to go," he says suddenly, sitting up straighter. "Apparently, Soraya has


    been arrested for shoplifting."


    He says the word "shoplifting" like it''s sour.


    My eyes narrow. "Who the fuck is Soraya?"


    That''s when he lifts his head from his screen. His whole expression goes nk,


    as if remembering where he is.


    "Umm," he says slowly, "promise you''re not going to freak out until I exin."


    "Exin what?" I demand. "Who''s she, Knox?"


    He holds my gaze, tension buzzing off him in waves.


    "Well... legally, or should I say illegally, she''s my wife."

 Chapter 72

    CHAPTER 072: The Trip To The Station


    Never in the history of a person saying "don''t freak out right before dropping freak out worthy news has it ever actually stopped anyone from freaking out Especially not when the bomb being dropped is your boyfriend announcing out of nowhere that he has a wife


    I''m freaking out.


    I am so, so, freaking out.


    Every nerve in my body is buzzing like it''s been plugged into an electric fence. My chest feels tight, my thoughts are aff over the ce, and my brain is trying to reboot like someone just yanked the power cord out and jammed it back in again. Because what the hell did he mean by, "She''s my wife"?


    Knox is leading me out of the building, hand mped around mine like he''s afraid I''ll run otherwise


    Back in that private booth, I''d screamed at him for answers-naked and shaking- and Knox gave me this false calm. Said he


    d exin everything on the way to the station. That we needed to go. That now wasn''t the time.


    I didn''t buy it, but I let him think I did.


    I got dressed and let him hold my hand all the way out of the ring and into the elevator, trying to be patient. But the moment the doors slide open and we''re aboveground again, I yank my hand free and start walking fast


    "Bunny," Knox says behind me. His footsteps pick up. Then his hand wraps around my arm. "Don''t make a scene."


    Don''t make a scene?


    1 twist my head to re at him just as we pass the bouncer, who nods.


    "Have a good night, Storm," the guy says, like none of this is weird. He''s probably seen this exact scene y out a million times in this ce.


    Knox pulls me along until we''re outside, and the heavy metal door ms behind


    us.


    The air outside is cool. Much quieter than the chaos back underground.


    We make it all the way to the car before I lose all my self-control, turning to face him.


    "Is this a good enough spot to make a scene, Knox?" I ask.


    He sighs, stepping closer. "It''s not what you think, I promise."


    "Oh? Because when someone says ''I have a wife'' to his girlfriend, it usually means they have a wife. It''s not thatplicated."


    "It''splicated," he says quietly. "It''s not exactly a marriage. It''s a favor."


    Iugh without meaning to. "A favor? I''m supposed to believe that you-the man who doesn''t give a fuck about anyone but himself-married someone as a favor?"


    His handse up slowly, fingers sliding into my hair with the kind of quiet tenderness that catches me off guard.


    Then his forehead rests against mine, breath mixing with mine. His eyes are closed like he''s trying to gather the right words, or maybe he''s just hoping I''ll stop shaking.


    "That''s not right, baby, is it?" he says. "This man who doesn''t give a fuck about anyone gives a fuck about you."


    I hold my breath, trying so hard not to give in to his sweet words, not to soften into jelly and copse in his arms.


    "Just get in the car, Sloane. I''ll exin everything on the way. I don''t want Soraya sitting in that station any longer than necessary."


    At the mention of that name, my mood resets to square one.


    I push him back. Hard enough to make him stumble a little.


    "You''re pissing me off more, Knox."


    ¡°I''ll make it up to you,¡± he says, his voice coaxing. ¡°Just name it.¡±


    I dig into my purse, my fingers fumbling through lipstick tubes, receipts, and loose change as I fish out my keys. The keys feel like razors when I finally find them.


    Without even thinking, I rip them out and p them against his chest.


    "There''s no fucking way I''m driving you to go see your wife," I say, voice tight. "You drive."


    I don''t wait to see his reaction. I spin on my heel and march around to the passenger side, my heels crunching against the gravel.


    I swear I hear him chuckling under his breath.


    CHAPTER 072: The Trip To The Station


    The moment I''m seated and buckled in, I turn to re at him as he climbs into the driver''s seat. I don''t say a word¡ªI don''t need to. Every inch of my posture screams, ''You better start exining, or I swear to God...


    The moment he''s in, he groans. His knees jam awkwardly against the dash, the seat too far forward for his long legs. With a grunt, he reaches down and yanks the adjustment lever, dragging the seat back. His hand ps the wheel as he finally finds a position that suits him.


    Then he settles back with a sigh and starts the engine. He stares straight ahead, refusing to meet my eyes.


    I watch him. Ten seconds. Twenty. I count them down in my head like a ticking bomb.


    "The more you prolong this," I say slowly, "the more murderous I get."


    "Who are you going to kill, Bunny?" he says. "Me? Will you strangle me to death? That would be a beautiful way to die, by the way."


    "Don''t test my patience, Knox."


    He''s still smiling.


    What the hell is so funny?


    I narrow my eyes, barely restraining the urge to reach across the console and yank the wheel off the road. But before I can act on my intrusive thoughts, he speaks.


    "When I was overseas," he says, "I got captured. I''ve told you this before."


    I don''t respond. I just look at him.


    "Those weeks I spent in that camp were the most horrible days of my entire life. I enlisted when I was eighteen and served for almost eight years, through thick and thin, but that was my breaking point. No sunlight. Barely any food or water. No clean air. Just cold stone, chains, pain, and the sound of people screaming."


    His voice is steady, but there''s an edge to it. A strain.


    "I couldn''t move. Couldn''t sleep. I remember chewing on my own shirt just to trick my stomach into thinking it had something in it."


    The car turns onto a busier road, and I stay silent, throat tight. I don''t know if this is about his wife or if he''s saying this to calm me down-but it''s working. It''s so working. My anger is softening like wet paper. I didn''t expect this. Didn''t expect him to let me in like this.


    "There was a man," he continues, fingers flexing on the steering wheel. "He came every few days. I didn''t know how often, really-there was no sense of time in there. But he''de. Drop a little food. A little water. Watch me eat. Then sneak the wrappers out. I figured he was taking a risk to sneak those items in."


    He swallows hard.


    "One day, he helped me escape. Guess the food was his way of strengthening me enough to run." His jaw is tight. "But before he helped me, he told me what it would cost him. He said the second they realized what he''d done, he was dead. No question. So, I had a price to pay. He made me memorize a number, told me his daughter had smuggled herself into the US, told me to find her. Take care of her. Give her a better life. That was the debt."


    His knuckles go white on the wheel.


    "So when I got back home... I found her. Soraya. And I married her. We''ve been married for five years."


    I don''t know if I should say anything. My lips part, then press back together. The car is quiet now, save for the hum of the engine and the faint whistle of wind sneaking in through the closed windows. Knox hasn''t said another word. His grip on the steering wheel has loosened a bit, but there''s still a tightness in his shoulders, like he''s holding something in, or maybe he''s emptied it all out. And that''s the thing. I think he has.


    That pause, the way he let his voice trail off-it tells me he''s said all he wants to say.


    I guess it''s my turn to speak.


    "That was very brave of you," I say. "What you did for her."


    "I made a promise. I keep my promises. I don''t think I''ve ever told anyone that story out loud. Only Yara. Endless hours of therapy have taught me how to put those events into words, I guess." He turns to me. "I would never cheat on anyone, Sloane. It''s not in my nature."


    "But you''re still married to her."


    "On paper, yeah."


    "Five years is enough time to get a green card, isn''t it?"


    "She has it."


    CHAPTER 072. The Trip To The Station


    "So make me understand why you''re still married."


    The car slows at a turn, his foot gliding over the brake.


    "I don''t know," he says. "She said we had to stay married for a while. Just to be


    safe. And I didn''t see a reason to push it. I wasn''t nning on marrying anyone


    else."


    A dozen thoughts fly through my head, fast and intrusive. What if she doesn''t want a divorce at all? What if she wants to stay married? What if she''s not just being careful as she ims-but in love?


    I can''t voice those thoughts. They''d sound stupid out loud. But they sit there, doing their job of making me doubtful.


    I remain silent for the rest of the drive. So does Knox.


    The precinctes into view.


    Just before we reach the parking lot, I ask quietly, "So you and her never... you


    know. Had a thing?"


    Knox scoffs and looks at me.


    "You''re always so cute when you''re jealous."


    "I''m not jealous," I mutter. "Unless there''s a reason I should be."


    He chuckles as he pulls into a parking spot and cuts the engine. "Come on," he


    says. "When we go in, you can ask her yourself if we''ve had sex."


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 Chapter 73

    CHAPTER 073: The Wife


    I frown as I unbuckle and step out. Honestly, I''d prefer staying in the car while he does whatever he needs to. I don''t like police stations. Never have. They make me feel like I''m being watched even when I''m doing absolutely nothing wrong. And thanks to Finn''s college adventures, I''ve been inside enough of them tost a lifetime.


    Still, curiosity wins.


    Inside, a tired officer sits behind the front desk.


    Knox steps up. "I''m here to post bail for Soraya Hartely."


    The officer looks up. His eyes trail from Knox to me and back. He taps the


    keyboard.


    "Rtion to the defendant?" he asks.


    "Husband."


    The officer lifts a brow. "Your wife''sst name?"


    "Hartely, like I said."


    "Maiden name?"


    Knox tenses. "Why''s that relevant?"


    The officer leans back in his seat. "Standard questions. Paperwork''s in order. I''ll get your wife."


    Knox exhales.


    I turn and walk to the row of chairs lined up against the wall. They''re molded stic, the kind that curve in just the wrong ces, the kind designed to remind you that you''re not here forfort. I lower myself into one, crossing my legs and folding my arms, trying not to think about the fact that I''m in a police station with my boyfriend to bail out his wife.


    Knox stays standing near the front, arms braced against the counter.


    We wait.


    It feels like forever.


    Then, finally, a side door creaks open.


    I lift my head.


    She steps out slowly, escorted by an officer who says a few quiet words I don''t catch. And then she''s fully visible.


    Curly ck hair falls in thick waves down her back. Her skin is the color of warm honey, smooth and glowing under the harsh station lights. She''s in a in top and jeans, but somehow even that looks runway-ready on her. And then she smiles - right at Knox.


    It''s soft. Familiar. Her dimples pop. It''s like he just showed up with flowers and a bottle of wine instead of walking into a police station to bail her out.


    And I realize-without even trying-she is easily one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen.


    "Oh, honey," she says, rushing to him and throwing her arms around him. Knox stands still.


    I don''t look at him. I look at the officer behind the counter, and sure enough, he''s watching. Leaning on one elbow, chin tipped forward. His entire attention is locked on all of us.


    On the married man being kissed on the cheek by his beautiful wife just released from custody. On the husband''s nd expression.


    On me-watching it all happen.


    And Knox is about to pull away. I can already sense it in his shifting weight.


    I push to my feet and walk over, nting a fake smile on my face.


    "It''s gettingte," I say. "We should leave."


    Soraya turns to me, still halftched onto Knox. "Hello there. Do I know you?"


    "This is Sloane. She''s my-"


    "Friend," I interrupt. "We''re very good friends. Co Sessfully unlocked!


    I turn on my heel and start walking, mostly to avoid Knox''s re that''s currently burning into my back. They follow behind me. I don''t turn around. I just keep moving outside and toward my car at a fast pace. But the second I reach the car, I feel it-Knox''s hand. Strong and sudden around my waist.


    CHAPTER 073: The Wife


    He grabs me and spins me to face him. My back hits the car door with a soft thud. His body is close, too close, his expression dark.


    "What was that about, Bunny?" he says.


    I nce past his shoulder. Soraya is lingering a few feet away, watching us with a strange expression.


    "What was what about?" I ask.


    "You saying we''re friends. And walking off like that."


    "What else was I supposed to say? I can''t very well introduce myself as your girlfriend while you''re picking your wife up from jail, can I?"


    "You think I give a fuck about all that?" he says, voice dipping lower. "Don''t ever do that again."


    My chest tightens. My hands curl into fists at my sides. "Or else what, Knox?"


    He steps in closer. Closer. The space between us disappears. I try to take a step back, but the car is right behind me-I''ve got nowhere to go. His body towers over mine.


    He lifts his hand, cupping my jaw and tilting my chin up until my eyes have nowhere to go but his.


    "You''re mine," he says. "I don''t care who''s watching. You tell them you''re mine."


    His thumb brushes along my jaw, and my pulse bes erratic.


    A throat clears behind us.


    The spell breaks.


    We both turn.


    Soraya''s arms are crossed over her chest. Her mouth pulls into a faint, dimpled smile that doesn''t quite reach her eyes. "Guys," she says. "As much as this little scene is entertaining to watch, we''re still in the middle of a police station. And I have a lot of questions to ask Knox."


    Knox frowns, pulling away from me. "Questions?"


    "Yes. Someone framed me for shoplifting in a jewelry store. I''d like to know why."


    "Wait-someone framed you?"


    "That''s what I said."


    "They picked it up and dropped it into your bag?"


    "You don''t believe me?"


    "I want to," he says. "I do."


    "You don''t. Why would I want to steal jewelry?"


    Knox stares at her, not saying anything. Then he turns to me, like maybe I have


    the answer.


    Soraya lets out a breath and shrugs.


    "You know what?" she says. "I don''t care what you believe. We''ll discuss all thatter. In your house."


    "My house?"


    She nods. "Yeah. That''s where I''m staying tonight."


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 Chapter 74

    CHAPTER 074 Youthful Exuberance


    CHAPTER 074: Youthful Exuberance


    It''s been a week since I found out Knox has a wife, and I''ve been ignoring everyone in my life like it''s a full-time job. My phone has turned into a graveyard of unread messages and missed calls-Knox, Finn, Serena, and my mom. But I can''t bring myself to open anything. Every time I see Knox''s name pop up, my chest tightens and I feel like I might shatter


    I don''t know why I''m this mad. I don''t. It makes no rational sense. He told me the marriage wasn''t real. That it was a favor. That he did it to keep a promise. And I believe him. But none of that justifies the age I feel when I remember him kissing me goodnight at the precinct. Then him calling a cab and going home with her.


    To ''discuss her im about being framed for shoplifting"


    Sure


    For all I know, Soraya dropped that bracelet into her own damn purse just to get his attention. Maybe that makes me sound paranoid. Delusional, even. But logic has never been my strong suit when I''m jealous. Because I am, indeed, jealous of that woman, jealous of the fact that the man I''m bing very much attached to is legally bound to her


    It''s lunch hour. Everyone else is out of the office, and I''m hunched over my desk like a woman possessed, Googling "Soraya Hartely


    Nothing.


    No photos. No gossip blogs. No scandals. Not even an old college yearbook image.


    Her Instagram''s locked. Her Twitter''s been inactive since 2018. Her Facebook ispletely private. No visible posts. Not even a profile picture. I tried looking through old posts by Dr. Yara Colburn. Still nothing. I even checked Reddit.


    The only thing remotely public is her LinkedIn profile-a cold, impersonal list that says she''s been working as an assistant psychologist under Dr. Yara for about a year.


    My mouse hovers over the tab for a people search site. You know, the shady kind that promises background reports and contact histories for a small fee. I''m considering it, actually considering it, when a voice startles me.


    "Sloane?"


    I jump and m myptop shut.


    Two pairs of curious eyes stare down at me.


    Jenna and Ca.


    Office gossip royalty.


    Jenna''s hair is in its usual wless twist, a loose curl tucked behind one ear. She always smells faintly of vani. Ca, taller, with hoop earrings that swing when she moves and a phone permanently glued to her hand, grins like she''s caught me watching porn.


    They must''ve juste back from lunch. Bags in hand, soda cups sweating condensation.


    "You didn''t go out for lunch?" Jenna asks.


    "Had a deadline," I reply. "Needed to finish a project."


    They nce at each other like they know that''s a lie. Normally, they wouldn''t give


    me the time of day, so the fact that they''re both hovering over my desk with interest means they came for something.


    I narrow my eyes. "What do you both want?"


    "Jeez, can''t someone just want to talk to a fellow colleague?" Jenna says. "Not you two."


    Caughs. "Okay, fine. A handsome man just paid us a grand to lure you outside the building. Says he''s your stepfather. Who has stepdaddies that hot?¡±


    "Jade?"


    "Is that his name?" Ca fans herself. "Sounds as hot as he looks."


    I rub my temples. "Could you just... stop fawning over my mother''s husband? And


    why the hell didn''t he call me? Why send you two?"


    "He said something about your line not getting picked up, Jenna says.


    With a sigh, I grab my phone and scroll through my notifications. Jesus. Twenty missed calls. From Mom. Serena. Finn.


    Knox. Jade.


    Apparently, I''m a hotcake these days.


    "Where is he now?" I ask, locking eyes with Jenna.


    CHAPTER 074 Youthful Exuberance "Parking lot."


    "Thanks."


    "You''re wee anytime-as long as the pay''s a grand, Ca says.


    They walk off, giggling to themselves, while I push back from my desk and grab my purse


    Down in the parking lot, I spot Jade leaning against a shiny cherry red Chevrolet Corvette. His arms are crossed, sunsses perched on his forehead, phone in hand, looking restless.


    The second he sees me, he exhales like he''s just survived a war.


    "You had me standing out here forever," he says.


    "You should''ve called first before showing up at my workce."


    "If you''d picked up your damn calls, maybe I would."


    "What do you want, Jade?"


    He pops open the back seat and pulls out a bouquet of roses so massive it looks


    like a prop from a telenov. Then he pushes it into my chest. I catch it on reflex, nearly poking my eye on a thorn.


    "Your boyfriend asked me to deliver that."


    The hell?


    "Why would he send you?" I ask.


    "Because he''s in Hong Kong for business and wouldn''t stop worrying about his girlfriend, who''s not picking up anyone''s calls. Now I have to be a delivery man, like I don''t already have enough shit to deal with."


    "Jeez," I mutter. "What''s got you so angry?"


    "You people. All of you. Your mom''s not happy because you''re not happy. And when she''s not happy, it bes my damn problem. Everything you do circles back to me. If you hadn''t decided to go rogue and date a man like Knox-which exposed my very carefully guarded secret-your sister wouldn''t be calling me every hour threatening to spill it all. Just do what your mother wants, for the love of God."


    I squint at him. "What she wants?"


    "I don''t know what you have going on with my boss, but don''t you think it''s caused enough chaos? Your mom won''t shut up about it. Why don''t you just find someone your speed, get married, pop out some cute babies, and we can all move on?"


    1 stare at him.


    "More my speed? What is this? Pot and kettle situation? You literally married my mother doing the same thing he does."


    "The difference is, I love your mother, and I would never hurt her. Knox-Knox thrives on chaos. He doesn''t mean to hurt people, but he will. And he''s married."


    "I know that."


    "You know? Jesus Christ. What else do you know and not care about? Because apparently your mother''s peace of mind is one of them."


    My mouth opens. Then closes. He did not just say that.


    Another time, this amount of hypocrisy would have been funny. But right now?


    I want to punch him.


    "Thanks for the message, Jade," I say. "I''ve received it. I''m going back to my day job."


    I turn to leave.


    "Sloane, wait."


    I pause.


    He runs a hand through his hair. "Okay. Maybe I was too harsh. But you need to know... your mother''s pregnant."


    I stop breathing.


    "What?"


    "She begged me not to say anything. But she had IVF done. She said she wanted


    a child. She''s about three months along. I''ve tried everything to convince her not


    to carry it, but she won''t budge. So you must understand why she doesn''t need this stress right now."


    "Why are both my parents having babies in their old age?"


    "That''s your reaction?"


    "What do you want me to say? It''s her decision. I respect it. See how easy that


    was? Maybe you should try telling your wife


    CHAPTER 074: Youthful Exuberance


    the same. Ask her not to stress me out too, because my brain is just as pregnant


    as she is."


    He groans. "You''re sounding very selfish right now."


    "I''m the selfish one? Do you hear yourself? Should I walk you back through everything you just said to me?"


    He exhales. "Look. I know I won''t get through to you. You''re just as stubborn as your mother. But try to understand: maybe she''s doing this out of guilt. She''s never forgiven herself for leaving you. She''s trying to prove she can do it right this time. And she''s always on edge, nagging Serena about when Nathan''s going to propose, stressing about you settling down with the right man just to make sure that you both don''t end up alone for the most part your young life."


    He looks exhausted.


    "Maybe cut her some ck and give all this youthful exuberance a rest," he finishes. "And tell your sister to stop sending me threats. I won''t entertain them anymore."


    He turns and walks to the driver''s side, sliding into the car.


    I stand there, stunned.


    Everything he just said swirls in my head, tangling up like Christmas lights in a


    box. Youthful exuberance? I step closer, knock on his window. He rolls it down halfway.


    "How dare you?" I say.

 Chapter 75

    CHAPTER 075: It''s War Now


    Jade frowns as though I''m being an inconvenience. "Sloane-"


    "No. You don''t get to dump all this on me as if it''s my fault she left me when I was five. You''ve just seeded in making me feel worse than I''ve felt in my entire life."


    "Good," he says. "Maybe you''lle to your senses."


    I re. "You''re good at making assumptions, right? Then here''s a thought. Maybe my mom married you-a young man-to prove to herself she could do it right this time. Think about that, motherfucker."


    Then I turn and walk, not before seeing his face turn to stone.


    He started a war. He has no idea.


    I pass a trash can near the lot and lift the bouquet.


    I''m about to toss it when I spot the envelope tucked beneath the ribbon.


    I open it. Two papers.


    One is a small note: ''Do you have any idea how restless I am, Bunny? Please take my calls before I have to resort to stalking.


    The other?


    A check.


    Two hundred and twenty thousand dors. This must be my winnings from the underground fight.


    I toss the flowers and the note into the bin. But the check? I''m keeping that. Maybe it''s time I got myself a new car.


    Three nightster, I''m standing outside my apartment, exhausted from another long day of pretending to care about work. I swipe my keycard across the lock, the light turning green with a soft beep. I step inside, kick off my shoes, and reach for the lights, only to see someone sitting on my couch.


    I jump.


    My hand ms against the switch, flooding the room in warm yellow light. The figure on the couch doesn''t move. But his re is enough to make my heart beat faster.


    Knox.


    "What the hell?" I breathe. "You scared me."


    "I had to cut my business trip short," he says tly, "to fly back home and figure out why my girlfriend won''t talk to me."


    My chest tightens. "Your girlfriend is done with your bullshit."


    He stands. "What did I do?"


    "You have a wife. I don''t sleep with married men."


    "That''s it? That''s what this is about?"


    "What else would it be about?"


    "Fine then." He reaches into the folder beside him and tosses a paper onto the coffee table. "Those are divorce papers. Drafted by awyer. Will you talk to me now?"


    I nce at the paper, trying to hide how good those words felt.


    "I could try," I say.


    "You don''t always have to go psycho about everything, you know? You can just ask me, and it''s done."


    "I don''t know how to do all that speaking about my feelings shit."


    I walk toward the bedroom, my feet aching from being in heels all day. I don''t look back, but I can feel his presence as he follows me with those silent feet of his.


    The door to my room creaks as I push it open. I step in and let my purse slip from my shoulder. Itnds on the bed with a muted thud, followed by my zer, which I pee'' off slowly, my movements tight and unhurried. Next are the shoes.


    I don''t say a word. Neither does he.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    My fingers move to the buttons of my blouse. I undo them one by one, really slowly, not out of seduction but because my hands are tired. When the clothes are off, I walk toward the closet and pull out an old, worn t-shirt and soft cotton shorts.


    He''s watching me, eyes following every movement.


    CHAPTER 075: It''s War Now


    1


    "I missed you," he finally says.


    pause. "Get her to sign the divorce papers, and maybe I''ll miss you too."


    I change into my house outfit, then walk past him into the kitchen. The fridge hums as I open it and pull out a container of


    leftover pasta. I peel the lid and shove it into the microwave, pressing a few buttons with mechanical precision.


    "You hungry?" I ask.


    ¡°Just exhausted," he replies. "Been having weird dreamstely."


    "About service?"


    "About you. I guess you not talking to me has be my biggest fear."


    My hand stills on the microwave door. "Really, Knox, that is one of the sweetest things you''ve ever said to me," I murmur, pulling out the container and grabbing a fork.


    Knox joins me at the table, dragging his chair back and sinking into it, arms resting on the surface as he watches me eat. His eyes are too focused, too quiet.


    I scoop a bite of pasta with my fork, lift it to my mouth, and chew like I''m


    auditioning for a toothpastemercial-too careful, too self-aware.


    "So," I say, "did you find out who framed your wife?"


    He''s silent for a short while before replying.


    "Actually, yes. It was Finn."


    I nearly choke. "What?"


    "Had to pull a few strings to figure out he went to the store the same day Soraya did at the same time too. I don''t know how he was able to put that bracelet in her bag without the cameras capturing it, but he did. I pulled more strings to get the charges dropped."


    "Finn framed her?"


    "Yeah."


    "Why?"


    Knox shrugs, like it''s the most obvious thing in the world. "Why does Finn do anything? Because of you. He wants me to know he can get to me too. The fact he''d bring an innocent party into it is what pisses me off the most.¡± ¡°That''s..... twisted. I think maybe you should both sort this thing out between yourselves. Talk or fight it out."


    "So he can get what he wants? Me in prison for murder, keeping me away from you?"


    "Maybe it''s time to involve someone else then. Someone he''ll listen to. Your parents, maybe."


    Knox doesn''t respond. His gaze drops to my mouth and lingers there a beat too long.


    "What?" I say.


    "You''ve got a... bit of sauce," he says, pointing to his own chin.


    I swipe. "Is it gone?"


    "Not quite. Higher."


    I swipe again. "Now?"


    He leans forward over the table until his elbows are resting beside my te and


    his face is inches from mine. The world narrows. My breath stutters in my throat


    as his scent reaches me, a memory I''ve missed more than I want to admit.


    Our breaths mingle. One inhale, one exhale, shared.


    His fingers rise gently, brushing the curve of my jaw, then up to my chin. The touch is soft, lingering, not a wipe, but a


    caress.


    "Right there," he murmurs. "Now it''s gone."


    But he doesn''t pull away.


    Neither do I.


    We hover. Suspended. I''m drowning in his gaze. I feel his breath on my lips, warm


    and tempting.


    My heart is thundering. My lips part. I forget about the food, the fight, the divorce


    papers, everything.


    Out of nowhere, a deafening sound explodes behind us.


    ss.


    ss shatters.


    It rains down across the living room.


    CHAPTER 075: It''s War Now


    I gasp and jerk back, my chair scraping against the floor.


    Knox is already on his feet. His body goes rigid, protective, all muscle and fight.


    "What the fuck?" I breathe, heart in my throat.


    We spin toward the source, toward the window now fractured and gaping. A dark void with jagged edges stays where the ss used to be.


    Knox moves first, crossing the room in quick strides and looking out the window to the street below.


    His voice drops to a dangerous tone.


    "That little shit," he growls. "I guess I am willing to go to prison after all."


    I rush to his side. Below, standing on the curb, is Finn-cast on one arm, the other


    resting on his hip, eyes full of rage. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Finn?" I


    shout.


    Knox starts to move. "Let me handle this. A man with two broken arms cannot throw stones."


    I nt myself in his path, hands reaching out to rest on his chest, stopping him


    cold.


    He''s all tense and furious. I have to tilt my head back to meet his eyes, those eyes


    that are burning with the promise of violence.


    He tries to step around me.


    I shift with him, blocking him again.


    "No," I say. "No, Knox. You''re not doing this."


    His jaw ticks. His fists curl at his sides. I can feel the energy vibrating off him,


    restless, vengeful, ready to erupt. But I keep my hands on his chest, grounding


    him.


    "I don''t want any trouble," I add, softer now. "Just... please. Let him go."


    His eyes move to the window, then back to me.


    "He just threw a rock, or whatever that was, through your window," he says. "What


    if you were standing there and it hit you?" "Let me just find out what he wants."


    Knox looks like he has a million things to say, but he nods anyway.


    I go to the window and lean out. Finn is still standing, eyes fixed on my room. Who the hell vandalizes a property and stays right there?


    "You think you''re some kind of Romeo? Throwing shit around?" I say. "I''m sending


    you an invoice. You''re paying for this. You have ten seconds to leave before I call


    the cops."


    "You tell that son of a bitch," Finn yells back, "he''s crossed a line. It''s war now."


    "What son of a bitch?"


    "The one right there with you! He''ll pay for the window. He''ll pay for a lot more by the time I''m done with him."


    "Finn, you should really let me go. I know you miss me, but this is not healthy."


    "You think this is about you? Not everything''s about you, betrayer. I cared for you for ten years. When everyone else thought you were weird, I was there. And you repaid me by screwing my brother and abandoning me. This, right now, isn''t about you. So step aside."


    "If this isn''t about me, why are you at my house, ruining my


    "Because I know he''s there."


    window?"


    "I''m losing all my patience. Just let me end this," Knox says. "He''s practically


    begging for a beating."


    I ignore him. "Finn, leave now, or I''m calling the police."


    "Go ahead," he sneers.


    Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a hammer.


    My heart drops. "What do you n to do with that?"


    "Watch."


    And with that, he storms toward Knox''s car, raises the hammer, and brings it down


    hard on the windshield.


    Once. Twice.


    ss spiderwebs under the force. A third strike caves it in.


    "Oh my God," I whisper. "What have you done, Finn?"


    Knox is going to kill him for sure now.

 Chapter 76

    CHAPTER 076: Pound Of Flesh


    Knox is out the door before I can convince him otherwise.


    I run after him, nearly slipping as I rush down the hallway. He''s already halfway


    down by the time I make it to the top of the steps.


    "Knox!" I yell. "Stop!"


    But he''s not listening. His body is tight with fury, all his restraint long gone.


    By the time I push through the lobby door, he''s outside, and so is Joe, the night- duty security guard. Joe''s hands are braced on his hips, looking like he''s trying to decide whether to intervene or call it in. Knox is already on Finn.


    His fist connects with Finn''s face, and Finn stumbles back, mming into the body of Knox''s car with a loud grunt. His casted arm hangs uselessly at his side, and before he can even catch his bnce, Knox grabs him by the cor and throws another punch. Then another.


    The blows are brutal. Unrelenting. Finn''s head snaps back, his body jerking with each hit like a ragdoll.


    I scream, "Stop! Stop it, Knox, please!"


    My feet are moving before I register it, crossing the street, dodging the pieces of ss from the busted window still on the asphalt. I reach him just as his fist cocks back again.


    I wrap my arms around him from behind, burying my face in his back.


    "Please. Stop it. Stop."


    I feel the way his body stiffens beneath me. Feel the tension in his spine, the barely controlled rage vibrating through his muscles. He doesn''t move at first. Just breathes, heavy and hard, as though every exhale is fighting the instinct to keep going.


    Finn rolls over to his side, groaning. His lip is split, his eye is swelling shut, and blood is visible along his jaw. He spits onto the crumpled hood of the car, right on the windshield he just shattered, and a tooth goes with it.


    "Don''t stop now," he says, coughing. "You''ve already taken everything I love from me. Might as well end it. Kill me, you son of a bitch."


    From somewhere behind us, Joe speaks up.


    "Sloane... should I call the cops?"


    "No," I say quickly, shaking my head. ¡°No, please. It''s just....... a misunderstanding.¡±


    Joe doesn''t look convinced. Neither do the people poking their heads out of windows above us. They''re watching like it''s ate-night movie premiere. One woman in a


    CHAPTER 076: Pound Of Flesh


    bo whispers something to someone behind her. A child presses their face to the ss.


    I grip Knox''s arm and start to pull.him back. "Come on," I say. "Let''s go. He''s not worth


    it."


    He doesn''t resist, but his re stays on Finn, jaw clenched like he''s memorizing every bloodied inch of his brother''s face.


    "You''re so damn lucky she still cares about you," Knox mutters. "Otherwise you''d be leaving in a worse state than that car."


    Finn coughs again, sitting up. "How much did you pay her?" he calls after us. "Huh, Knox? How much did you pay Delh to leave me?"


    I freeze. Knox stops too.


    Finn''s voice rises. "Is that what you did with Sloane? Paid her to hang around you? Because nobody loves you unless they''re paid to?"


    "Shut up," I say over my shoulder. "Go home, Finn."


    He ignores me. "It''s not my fault everyone wants me. It''s not my fault I''m lovable and you''re not. She''s going to leave you, you know. Your precious Sloane. Everyone leaves you, Knox."


    I turn, furious. "Go. Home. Right. Now."


    "I don''t want to. I want him to finish it. Let him be a man and kill me like he''s


    wanted to for years."


    "If you keep pissing him off, you might just get your wish."


    Behind me, Knox takes a step forward.


    I throw my arm out to stop him again. "Don''t."


    He breathes through his nose like a bull trying not to charge.


    Finn just stands there, and even from this distance, I can see it happening, his face folding in on itself. He''s crying. I don''t have to be close to know it.


    And the worst part?


    Some small, traitorous part of me wants to go to him. Like old times. Like muscle memory. Wrap my arms around him and tell him it''s okay, even when it''s not. Even when he''s the one causing the chaos.


    But I stop myself.


    That''s the fixer in me taking over. My Finn-fixing radar is on high alert, and I''m telling it to stand down.


    A cab crawls by, headlights bouncing across the pavement. Finn lifts a hand, and


    it


    CHAPTER 076 Pound Of Flesh


    pulls to the curb like it was summoned by fate itself.


    He opens the door and pauses, looking back at us, eyes red, jaw set.


    "There''ll be no rest for the both of you unless I''m no longer alive," he says. "You don''t get to y the victim anymore, Knox. We''re even now. You got your pound of flesh for what happened to Lydia when you stole Sloane and Delh from me. Next move is


    mine."


    The moment that name, Lydia, leaves Finn''s lips, I feel Knox shift.


    "Don''t you dare mention her name," Knox says.


    "Or what, Knox?"


    I turn and block Knox with my whole body this time, palms against his chest. "Let


    it go."


    The cab door shuts. Tires roll against the curb as it pulls off. Knox''s eyes track it until it disappears.


    Then, without a word, he turns and stalks back to the apartment. He moves fast. I run to catch up.

 Chapter 77

    CHAPTER 077: No Apology In The World


    Knox is already halfway up the stairs by the time I make it inside the building. He takes the stairs two at a time. I follow fast.


    At the nextnding, he pulls his phone out of his pocket, scrolls quickly, then presses it to his ear.


    He doesn''t say much. Just a few clipped words. Something about a tow truck. The name Aaron.


    I don''t need to hear the rest to know what it''s about.


    He hangs up just as I reach our floor and stands outside my door, shoulders rising and falling fast, like the adrenaline hasn''t worn off yet.


    When Ie up beside him, I notice his knuckles. Red and raw. Blood gathers in the creases. It makes my stomach turn.


    "You got your key?" he asks.


    "I left it inside."


    "You should always carry it. Or you''ll lock yourself out."


    He reaches into his back pocket, pulls out his keycard, and taps it against the lock. The door clicks open. At least now I know how he got in. He made himself a spare.


    We step inside. The moment we''re in, I turn to him.


    "Would you really have kept hitting him if I hadn''t stopped you?"


    He drops into the nearest chair and exhales. "He had iting."


    "You''re supposed to be the calm one. You let him bait you."


    "Maybe I just enjoy hitting him."


    "You could''ve killed him! You knocked out a tooth."


    "I was aiming for five."


    "Knox!"


    He sighs and leans forward, elbows on his knees. His hands are still coated in Finn''s blood. He stares at them for a beat before standing and walking toward the bedroom, peeling off his shirt as he goes.


    I follow him.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    He kicks off his shoes and steps out of his pants, then walks over to the dresser chair, draping the pants and his bloodied chinelose the back of it. He stands there for a moment, dressed in nothing but his boxers. His tattoos seem darker in the low light, stark lines over lean muscle.


    CHAPTER 077. No Apology In The World


    "What exactly happened between you two?" I ask. "Who''s Lydia?"


    He climbs into bed and pulls the covers over his legs. "You don''t want to know, Sloane."


    "I do. That''s why I''m asking. I want to know why you act like a monster whenever your brother''s namees up, which you''re not because I''ve seen how good you can be."


    "Don''t call me good just because I''m good to you," he says. "I''m not. You don''t know half the things I''m capable of."


    "I know you care about me. And I know you married Soraya out of the goodness of your hea-"


    "It was a debt. I owed her father."


    "Stop pretending to be this viin. You''re not."


    "You don''t know what I am when I''m not with you, Sloane Mercer."


    "Maybe. But I know this-when people are at their most vulnerable point, that''s


    when they show who they really are."


    He snorts. "What are you now? A shrink?"


    "I used to live with one. She drove me nuts."


    I cross to the bed, lift the covers, and slide in beside him. The air is warm from his body heat. Our shoulders brush. He turns to face me.


    "What did Finn do to you, Knox?" I ask. "Because I have a feeling it''s what turned you cold."


    He doesn''t answer at first, eyes fixed on me like maybe if he just stares hard enough, I'' Il disappear.


    Then, finally, he sighs. ¡°Like I said before, you don''t want to know."


    I shift onto my side, propping myself up on an elbow. "For God''s sake, Knox, talk


    to me. I''m trying to understand you. Don''t push me away."


    His jaw flexes. A long silence stretches between us.


    "You really want to know?" he says. "Fine. I hate him because he''s the reason our sister died. And there''s no apology in the world that could make me forgive him.


    Because to forgive him would mean forgetting everything that happened to me from the moment she died."


    And just like that, the room goes still.


    ***


    ~~KNOX~~


    ***


    I don''t know how she does it, but this woman, with her sses and soft bangs,


    has


    21A


    CHAPTER 077 No Apology In The World


    managed to extract things from me in barely two weeks that took my therapist month: to unravel.


    It''s the reason she keeps seeing me as soft, because she''s cast some kind of spell, and part of me doesn''t even want to fight it.


    "Your sister?" she says. "You had a sister? What happened?"


    I turn to face the ceiling. The drywall above me has a faint crack, curling like a


    vein." That''s information you might actually have to beat out of me, Bunny."


    I can feel her looking at me. She''s probably trying to decide if she should press for


    more or let it go for now. I don''t look at her. I keep my gaze on the ceiling, counting the slow turns of the ceiling fan even though there''s nothing up there worth seeing.


    Her silence answers for her.


    She''s letting it go. For now. But I know her well enough to know she''lle back to it.


    "I''ll get you another time," she finally says. "One way or the other, you''re going to tell me everything about you, Knox."


    "nning to do some voodoo?"


    "If that''s what it takes."


    I turn my head back to her, close enough that I can feel her breath on my mouth. She''s watching me, waiting, like she knows what''s in my head.


    I want to tell her how much I missed her. That not hearing from her for days felt like a different kind of torture I didn''t even know could be painful. But saying that would mean... admitting things. Feeling things. And feelings? They make my throat tighten.


    I want to tell her she''s the only person I''ve ever wanted to do right by. That she''s


    the only one right now I''d actually make an effort to keep. But I don''t.


    I don''t know how to say any of that without sounding like I''ve gone soft. So I don''t say anything at all.


    I just stare at her, hoping she can see it. Hoping it''s in my eyes-the ache, the want. "Tell me something crazy that''s happened to you," I say. My hand slides into her hair, caressing her scalp.


    "Recently or before?"


    "Just anything."


    She exhales.


    "My mom''s pregnant."


    Iugh. "I didn''t say you should fabricate stories."


    "It''s true. Jade told me. Right after delivering a beautiful check from you. Thank


    you, by


    CHAPTER 077: No Apology In The World


    the way."


    "Did you get the flowers?"


    "Trashed them. I was mad at you."


    "You''re always mad at me. At least you took the check."


    "I''d never say no to money."


    "My personal gold digger. What more could I ask for?"


    "If I were a gold digger, I''d have asked for a Lamborghini."


    "What color?"


    "Fuck off, Knox."


    She pushes the covers off and stands.


    "Going somewhere?" I ask.


    "I have to dispose of my unfinished dinner and remove shards of ss from my


    living room. I''ll be back. But don''t get any ideas. I''m only sharing this bed because there''s just one. I''m putting a pillow between us-single people on one side, married people on the other."


    I smirk. "I promise not to ravage you in your sleep."


    CHAPTER 078: Inside You

 Chapter 78

    CHAPTER 078: Inside You


    Sloane rolls her eyes but with a smile on her face, and then she disappears into the living room.


    I stay there, thinking about the things she said, about her mom being pregnant. When I try to picture the woman I saw at the barbecue with a protruded stomach, I end up seeing Sloane''s face instead. Weird. They don''t even look that much alike. Those are some of the things your brain does when you''re exhausted.


    I hear Sloane in the living room, moving around. She hums as she works, not a melody I recognize, just an off-key tune that makes me smile.


    A few minutester, she enters the bedroom and heads straight to the bathroom. The faucet runs. Cab doors creak open, then shut. The sound of her toothbrush buzzing fills the quiet. Water sshes. The lights go off. Then she''s back in the room, smelling like peppermint and whatever lotion she uses that always makes me think of vani and something green.


    She grabs a book off her dresser, one with a torn, faded cover. She keeps it tucked close to her chest as she walks around to her side of the bed.


    Without a word, she grabs one of the throw pillows from the headboard, sets it right in the middle of the mattress like some kind of wall, then climbs into bed. Her knee brushes mine, and she pulls away quickly.


    "I see you''ve set the boundary," I say, eyeing the pillow wall she''s ced neatly down the center of the bed.


    "Uh-huh."


    She opens the book to a marked page and starts reading under the glow of the bedsidemp, chewing her bottom lip in focus. I know I should turn away. Let her be. Sleep.


    But I can''t.


    "What''s that?" I ask.


    She doesn''t look up. "A book."


    "What''s it about?"


    "Aliens that disguise themselves as furniture to observe human mating patterns."


    "Why would they want to do that?"


    She nces at me. "Aren''t you aware that humans have the best sex amongst species?


    Sessfully unlocked!


    "Hm." I rest an arm behind my head. "I wonder what kind of furniture they pretend


    to be. Chairs? Dressers?"


    CHAPTER 078. Inside You


    "Mostly beds."


    "Smart aliens."


    She hums, flipping a page. "They''vibrate when aroused."


    I turn my head to look at her more fully. "Seriously?"


    She keeps reading, dead serious. "I don''t joke about what I read."


    "Right. So let me get this straight. You''re lying beside me, in bed, reading a book about horny alien furniture?"


    "Do you have a problem with that??"


    "Why would I?" I say. "I''m just surprised. One would think you read hardcore sci- fi, but all the while, you''re into alien porn."


    "It''s not porn."


    "Isn''t it? Vibrating when they are aroused? Jesus. Next thing you''re going to say is the bed gets an erection."


    Sheughs softly, shaking her head, and goes back to her book. That smile? A win, if ever there was one.


    I''m tempted to disturb her further, but my body''s demanding rest. Sleep''s been riding me hard the past few days, and now that I''m here, it''s like my whole system is copsing.


    My eyelids start to lose the battle. The room blurs at the edges. My breathing evens out. I''m almost under when I feel it, soft lips brushing my cheek, followed by the quietest whisper.


    "Goodnight, Knox."


    I want to open my eyes. Want to look at her, pull her close, say it back. But my limbs are lead. I drift off.


    I wake to someone''s skin on mine.


    Sloane is half on top of me, one leg draped over mine. Her arm lies across my stomach, and her cheek rests on my chest, breath fanning my neck.


    She''s naked.


    Completely naked.


    My cock stirs under the sheet like it''s been waiting for this exact moment.


    I study her face, trying to see if she''s pretending to be asleep. If she is, she''s damn good at it.


    Gently, I shift her off me, detangling limb by limb. I push the covers down until I


    can


    CHAPTER 078 Inside Your


    see all of her. Every inch.


    She''s perfect. Soft curves and beautiful skin. I drag a finger across her slightly open lips. They part further. Then I trace down her neck and across her chest, circling one nipple.


    It pebbles under my touch just before I lower myself and take it into my mouth.


    She moans.


    I swirl my tongue around it, suck just enough to feel her breath hitch. Her body shifts beneath me, the kind that''s not quite waking but isn''t sleep either. A murmur rises from her throat.


    I pull back for a breath and let my lips slip away with a quiet pop.


    Then I kiss a path down her stomach until I get between her legs. I inhale. God, I missed this. Missed her scent.


    My mouth meets her.


    "Knox," she gasps, fists tightening in my hair.


    I rub my face against her like a man gone feral, then drink her in. Tongue flicking, circling, devouring. Her hips lift.


    "Oh, fuck, Knox."


    She squirms, but I grip her thighs and pull her in. My tongue moves faster now- back and forth, then deep, then slow again, switching rhythms like I''m trying to punish her for starving me.


    I slide two fingers into her, pumping in and out in time with the movements of my mouth.


    Then I curl my fingers. Just the right angle. Her whole body jolts.


    She cries out.


    "There," she pants. "Oh-Knox, right there."


    I keep going. Keep my mouth locked on her. Her hips start to stutter. Her thighs


    tremble against my shoulders, breathing fast. I know that sound, know what it means. She''s close. So close.


    I let her climb until the very edge.


    And then I stop.


    Pull away and jump off the bed.


    The sound she makes could wake the dead.


    "Where the hell are you going?" she says, voice ragged.


    "To the bathroom."


    CHAPTER 078: Inside You


    "You can''t go to the bathroom."


    "Why not?"


    "Because you have to finish what you started."


    "It''s a workday. You should be getting ready. Also, you shouldn''t sleep naked around married men."


    I don''t wait for her reaction as I turn, whistling in satisfaction and heading for the bathroom. I try to ignore the ache between my legs.


    Soon enough, shees in behind me, squinting without her sses.


    "How exactly do you wish to die, Knox? Drowning in a tub? Or hitting your head really hard on the sink?"


    I raise her electric toothbrush to my face. "Option three. I want to die inside you. Slow and deep. I want thest words I hear to be you screaming my name as you cum. I want thest thing I see to be your perfect body shaking uncontrobly around my dick. But you see, you''ve been a really bad girl these past few days. If you want me to do nice things to you, then drop to your knees and apologize like a good girl."

 Chapter 79

    CHAPTER 079. The First Time We Had Sex


    CHAPTER 079: The First Time We Had S¨¦x


    To know you have control over a woman''s body is the most arousing thing a man can wish for.


    Especially a woman like Sloane Mercer-this wild, sharp-tongued, chaotic miracle with fire in her voice and daggers in her eyes. The kind of woman who''d bite the hand that feeds her if it touched her the wrong way but still kneel at your feet if you said the right words in the right tone.


    She kneels now, squinting without her sses, her mouth slightly parted.


    "I want you to do nice things to me, Knox," she says. "I''m still your good girl."


    God. She doesn''t even know what she''s doing to me. The ache in my chest fights the ache in my groin, and the war is evenly matched.


    I try not to smile, try to stay in the role of the man who''s still punishing her, the man who hasn''t yet decided whether to forgive or devour. But her body makes it impossible to think clearly. My eyes betray me, dragging across the hard peaks of her nipples, dark and tight, tempting. I imagine them with silver piercings through the center, and it''s enough to send the animal in my boxers into a frenzy.


    This is torture. For both of us. My body''s strung tight, every inch of me aching to touch her, take her, drown in her, but at the same time, I can''t help myself. Can''t stop pushing her a little further. Tormenting her is its own kind of pleasure. Watching her squirm, watching her want-it''s addictive. And I''m too far gone to pretend I don''t crave every second of it.


    "You don''t sound sorry," I say, keeping my voice low, even.


    "I am."


    "How sorry?"


    "Really sorry,¡± she says, tilting her head just enough to look up at me from under hershes. "I didn''t mean to starve you. I just got mad that you have a wife, and I''m sure you''ll be just as angry if I had a secret husband."


    That cracks my control. A grin slips through.


    "If you had a husband, I''d kill him," I say, not sure I''m joking, although from her smile, she thinks I am.


    "I''m d I don''t have one that you can kill then."


    "I''ll still do my research just to be sure."


    She smiles. "Does this mean we''re Sessfully unlocked!


    "Maybe." I lean back, arms folded. "Why don''t youe over here and find out?"


    CHAPTER 070. The first Tere We Had ex


    I expect her to stand. But she doesn''t.


    Instead, she stays on her knees and crawls to me like she''s been doing it her whole life. Her breasts sway with each shift, eyes focused on the bulge between my legs. At least I know her target, why she doesn''t feel the need to stand when she''s going to end up kneeling anyway. When she gets close, she reaches into the waistband of my boxers without hesitation.


    "No, no," I say, catching her by the arm and pulling her to her feet. "I didn''t say I forgive you yet."


    "What more do you want from me? Tears? Put your dick inside me, Knox."


    "I need you to grovel, baby. You''re not sorry enough."


    She doesn''t back down. Her hand returns to my boxers, slipping inside again, stroking with a heat that makes my knees threaten betrayal. I groan, hips instinctively pushing forward, fucking her fist with slow rolls. Her thumb sweeps over the head, catching the moisture there.


    "You''re rock hard," she says, breath releasing sweet heat onto my chest. "And you''re just torturing us both." She gives me a little squeeze. ¡°This is mine. Give it to me. I want it."


    "You have a shitty way of groveling," I say.


    "That''s because I''m not."


    I grab her waist in both hands, lift her, and set her ass down on the bathroom sink. She gasps, the sound somewhere between surprise and amusement, fingers tightening against my forearms.


    "Knox!" she says, trying to squirm off. "It''s going to fall."


    "You''re barely 120 pounds." I grip her thighs to still her. "The sink will survive."


    She''s perched now, legs parted around the basin. I spread them wider until I can still see the curve of porcin between her thighs. She''s exposed in every way that matters-physically, emotionally. She''s looking at me, expectant, pupils blown with anticipation.


    But instead of giving her what she wants, I reach to the drawer and grab the toothpaste. I bend forward, and her breath ghosts my neck. It tickles, as always, and she uses the opportunity to strike.


    Her teeth sink into the skin just above my shoulder. Hard. I hiss, biting down on a curse. Pain blooms there, delicious pain. She pulls back and soothes the spot with her tongue. It drives me insane.


    My body is vibrating when I pull away. I hold the toothpaste in one hand and stay right there, hovering near her mouth, so close I can feel the maic pull between our lips.


    CHAPTER 079 The First Time We Had Sex


    I fight the urge to close the gap, to take what she''s been teasing all morning.


    Then I open the toothpaste, smear it onto the brush, and begin brushing my teeth.


    Her face falls. "How long are you going to keep this on?"


    "Keep what on?"


    She narrows her eyes. "This act. Torturing me."


    I smirk with the brush in my mouth and lean over her again to drop the toothpaste tube back into the drawer. The heat between our bodies burns. Her nipples graze my chest. I feel her breath, shaky now.


    Pulling away, I continue brushing. Slow, methodical strokes, watching her all the while. Her lips are parted. Her brows pulled together in disbelief.


    When I''m done, I set the brush down and lift her gently from under the thighs so I can reach the faucet. She clings to my shoulders like she doesn''t trust gravity. I rinse the brush, set it down, and lower her again.


    "Your turn," I say, bringing her toothbrush back to her.


    She snatches it from my hand, ring. Then reaches for the toothpaste with exaggerated irritation.


    She starts brushing-aggressively. When she bows her head to spit into the sink basin, I step in and gather her hair, keeping it away from her face.


    And then... she aims for her tongue.


    She keeps her eyes on me as she moves the brush in and out, deliberately sliding


    it past the back of her tongue, gagging a little each time. And when she pulls it back, her mouth is glossy with spit.


    Every movement shoots straight to my dick. My boxers are stretched to their limit. I''m practically throbbing.


    When she''s done, she jumps down from the sink, turns 360 to rinse the brush, thereby pressing her ass right against me.


    The contact makes me groan.


    Hearing that sound, she lifts her chin to meet my gaze in the mirror.


    "Funny, isn''t it?" she says. "The first time we had sex, it was in this very position."


    I step forward, bringing our groins closer as my hands settle on her waist. One hand drifts down, curling around her hip to anchor her in ce. The other trails up the length of her spine, knuckles brushing vertebra by vertebra, until I reach the small of her back.


    I press there, urging her to arch for me.


    CHAPTER 079: The First Time We Had S¨¦x


    She gets it. Her back dips, hips tilting forward, ass pushing out just enough to make my breath hitch. God, she''s beautiful like this. Bent just the way I like her, ripe for the taking.


    My hand cups the round swell of her ass, and I pause there, letting myself feel the warmth of her. Then I smooth my hand over the curve, tracing the shape with my fingers, like I''m memorizing it all over again. Her skin is soft, impossibly soft, but it''s the way she shivers beneath my touch that sends the real current through me.


    "I want you to think of me when you sit down at work today," I say, still caressing her, " sore, aching, dripping."


    I p her ass hard.

 Chapter 80

    HAPTER 080: Breathe Me In


    She moans in surprise, and the sound is loud and sexy, a stimting song to my ears. And then she pushes her back further out, rubbing against my erection, grinding into it like she wants to punish me as well.


    I palm the red spot, fingers tracing the heat I left behind. She twitches at the contact-part pain, part invitation-and it nearly unravels me. My other hand reaches up and sinks into her hair, fisting just enough to make her gasp as I pull her upright. Her spine curves against my chest, and I wrap my arm around her neck, forearm pressing just beneath her throat, locking her in.


    We stare at ourselves in the mirror.


    Her eyes are wild. Chest heaving. Back still arched in anticipation.


    "Look at yourself," I whisper against her ear. "Look how wrecked you already are. And I haven''t even touched you properly yet."


    I kiss her cheek, soft and brief.


    Then bring my palm down again.


    She moans, pushing back, rubbing against me in the same rhythm as my strikes.


    "Again," she begs, voice hoarse. "Please."


    I spank her again. And again.


    Each time, she rocks her hips, grinding her ass into me harder, faster.


    "You like this, don''t you?" I say. "Being punished. Being mine."


    "Yes," she chokes out. "Knox, yes, please."


    The need inside me is feral now. Rabid. She''s not the only one desperate toe undone. I want to bury myself so deep inside her she forgets what breathing feels like.


    I''ve tortured myself long enough.


    Without a word, I spin her around, lift her off the floor, and carry her toward the shower. Her legs lock around my waist instantly, arms wound tight around my neck.


    I shoulder the ss door leading into the shower open and step in. The second I turn the handle, water pours down over us-cold at first, then quickly warming. It soaks her hair, her skin, turns her into a wet and glistening vision. Hershes cling together. She blinks up at me like she''s in some kind of trance. I probably look the same. Drenched. Starved.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    She shifts her hips just enough to grind herself against my erection. The friction nearly undoes me.


    CHAPTER 080 Breathe Me in


    "I think we''ve had enough forey," I say, my voice low, raw with want.


    I press her back into the tiled wall, one hand slipping between us. I push my boxers down just enough to free myself, then reach lower, guiding the head of my dick against her soaked entrance. Then I m all the way in, feeling the tip of my dick hitting her cervix.


    She screams and ws at my shoulders.


    "Oh, my god, Knox."


    "Shit," I groan against her neck. "I''ve forgotten how good you feel."


    I grip her hips, my fingers digging into her skin as I m into her once more. She throws her head back against the tile, and I lean in to kiss her before she can cry out. Her tongue seeks mine, moans muffled in my mouth as I start to move against her, each thrust deeper than thest but somehow not deep enough for


    me.


    "You''re driving me crazy," I say.


    She moans, her nails digging into my back, urging me on. "That makes two of us."


    I pull back just enough to look into her eyes, seeing the wild abandon in them.


    Her lips part on a moan with every push of my hips. I can feel every inch of her.


    The heat. The tight, wet pull. It makes my head spin.


    Her inner muscles clench around me, tighter and much tighter as I hit that sweet spot


    over and over.


    "Knox," she cries out. "Oh, God, Knox."


    I lean down, capturing her nipple in my mouth, sucking and biting until she''s writhing against me. "That''s it, baby. Show me how good it feels when I''m inside you."


    She clings to me, her body trembling as I continue to drive into her. I can feel the pressure building, the coil tightening in my gut. But I hold off, wanting to draw this out, wanting to push her to the brink and watch her shatter.


    "I''m close," she pants, "so close."


    I slow my pace, pulling back just enough to look at her. "Do you trust me?"


    She tries to blink through the ze of lust in her eyes. "What?"


    "Do you trust me, Sloane?"


    "I''m naked in my shower, letting you hold me against a tile wall. What do you think?"


    "Good."


    I grip her by the neck. I can feel her pulse under my fingers as I start to move again, picking up speed. Every thrust causes me to tighten my hold around her neck. Soon, her eyes widen as she realizes what I''m doing. I can feel her body tensing, her inner


    CHAPTER 080: Breathe Me In


    muscles clenching around me as I cut off her air supply.


    I lean in, my lips brushing against hers as I whisper, "Breathe me in, Sloane. Let me be your air."


    Her eyes flutter closed, her body melting into mine as I continue to move, my grip on her neck unyielding. I can feel her body responding, her hips moving in sync with mine, her moans turning into desperate gasps for air.


    "Knox," she chokes out. "I can''t... I can''t breathe."


    "I know, baby," I murmur, my lips against her ear. "Just let go. I''ve got you."

 Chapter 81

    CHAPTER 031: Ciao, Delh


    CHAPTER 081: Ciao, Delh


    Her body trembles. Her eyes flutter. Her hips jerk as I bring her to the edge.


    I hold her there, my grip on her neck tightening. I know I''m pushing her to the limit. But


    I also know she''s safe with me, that I won''t let her go too far.


    And then, with a final cry, she lets go.


    "That''s it," I say. "Let me feel you fall apart."


    Her eyes roll into her head, showing only the whites, and her body begins to shake violently. Those inner muscles squeeze me with a force that''s almost painful, but in the best way possible. Her body arches against mine, her back curving beautifully. She''s too far gone to fight the sensation of blood rushing downward, the waves of near-death euphoria.


    "Fuck, Sloane," I hiss as it feels like my dick is being mashed.


    Her body continues to milk me, the feeling driving me wild. I can''t hold back any longer. I pound into her again and again, chasing my own release. With a final, deep thrust, I let go, filling herpletely.


    Just as I loosen my hold around her neck, she releases a loud and shaky breath, then sucks in much-needed air. Her face, which had been pale, suddenly rushes with color as blood returns to her cheeks. Her eyes open slowly, blinking like she''s just waking up. Her whole body is trembling-tiny, involuntary shakes that tell me she''s still caught in the aftershocks of that orgasm.


    I hold her close, my body still joined with hers, feeling her heartbeat slowly return to normal. Her body is spent in my arms.


    "Knox," she whispers, her voice hoarse and soft. "That was... amazing."


    I lean in and kiss her gently. "Now I''m confident you''ll think of me at work."


    Almost an hourter, Sloane''s dressed for work, and I''m still under the covers, shirtless,zy, andpletely fixated on her.


    She''s standing by the dresser, leaning toward the mirror, applying makeup with calmness and normalcy. Like she didn''t spend thest hour pinned to the shower wall, crying my name and trembling under my touch.


    Her outfit is practical and conservative: a light blue, high-neck blouse that covers all the evidence of what I did to her. I know it''s no ident. The way her throat is hidden. The way she tucked her hair just right. She''s hiding the marks.


    I stretch, folding my arms behind my head and watching her quietly, studying the shape of her mouth as she smooths in a swipe of gloss. She''s humming to herself, off-


    CHAPTER 081: Ciao, Delh


    key as usual, probably not even aware she''s doing it.


    Then I see her reach for the drawer in her dresser. Her hand pauses there a


    second before pulling out a blister pack..


    I see her thumb push one free.


    She pops it into her mouth and swallows dry.


    "Morning after?" I ask, curious.


    "Not exactly. I went to my doctor and got on the pillst week. Last thing the world needs is me identally giving birth to another psycho. There are enough of those already walking around."


    I let that sit for a second. "So... is that a no to kids for now, or a no to kids at all?"


    She stops mid-zip of her bag. Turns around slowly.


    "Why?" she says. "Do you want kids?"


    I shrug, but my gaze stays on her. "Don''t you?"


    She doesn''t answer the question.


    She grabs her bag, slings it over her shoulder, and picks up her car keys from the dresser.


    "I''m off to work," she says. "You can let yourself out the same way you let yourself in."


    I sit up in the bed, letting the sheet fall around my waist. "Not even a kiss goodbye?" She taps her bottom lip with a finger. "It''ll smudge my makeup."


    But then, just as she''s about to leave, she turns at the doorway and blows me a kiss.


    When she''s gone, I stare at the drawer she left cracked open. The one with the pills.


    And I don''t know why, but I can''t stop staring.


    Then I shake my head hard, like I''m physically batting away those demons in my head asking me to put a baby in her.


    The moment I roll out of bed and stretch, my phone buzzes against the wood of the nightstand-three short vibrations. I nce at the screen.


    Hidden Caller.


    I don''t hesitate. When you live the kind of life I do, you get used to people hiding their numbers.


    I answer. "Yeah?"


    There''s a pause. Static. And then that voice, sharp, high-pitched, like it''s trying too hard to soundposed.


    "The check bounced, Knox."


    CHAPTER 081: Ciao, Delh


    Delh.


    I grin before she can say more, dragging a hand through my hair. "Oops," I murmur. "I must''ve signed the wrong name."


    "Must have? Or you did?"


    "You really thought I was going to give you five million dors to walk away from my brother?" I lean against the wall, phone pressed to my ear. "Come on, Delh. After all these years, you should be smarter than that. I absolutely hate you. Why would I want to give you my money?"


    Silence. Then a breath, audible and shaky. "You used me. You used me to hurt him."


    "I did."


    "You''re a terrible person, Knox."


    "I know," I say. "By the way, you might want to make yourself scarce. My mother''sing into the city. In a few hours, maybe less. She''s on a mission to ''put her poor son back together, and you, Delh..." I pause, letting that word hang. "You''re not exactly part of her recovery n. I might have told her that you broke her precious boy''s arm with a hammer and shoved him down a flight of stairs."


    "You bastard," she hisses. "You set me up. Finn asked me to-" "Ciao, Delh."


    I hang up without another word, the click of the call ending almost musical. At the back of my mind, I know that asking my mother toe stay with Finn is going to backfire on my ass. Being in the same city as my parents has never ended in anything but chaos.

 82

    CHAPTER 082 Back To Earth


    CHAPTER 082: Back To Earth


    ***


    ~~SLOANE~~


    ***


    It''s strange how you can go through ten years of your life knowing someone exists but not caring about that existence, and then one day, you meet them, and suddenly, they''re all you think about.


    You start wondering where they are, if some girl is looking at them the wrong way, what kind of evil they''re up to-because let''s be honest, I''m not deluding myself into believing Knox is out there doing anything noble. Probably intimidating someone into silence or convincing a public figure to break aw or two.


    It''s Friday. Barely five days since he took me in the shower, and here I am, mentally spiraling. Wondering when I''ll get to lie beside him again, pretending to resist while he seduces the resistance right out of me. When he''ll bury himself inside me and silence every logical thought in my brain. God, I''m losing it.


    I''m not going to be one of those needy, clingy girlfriends who can''t get enough of their men. Their very busy men. I''m not.


    But it''s hard to stay grounded when the rest of your life starts to pale inparison. Case in point: two days ago, my sister sent a picture of her


    boyfriend, Nathan, a picture where he''s holding up an appointment letter that says he''s now the new Head Wizard of his Dungeons & Dragons club. She''s kissing him on the cheek like he just won an Oscar, and of course, she posted it on the family group chat.


    Poor guy doesn''t even know his girlfriend has the hots for her stepfather. Makes you wonder if she''s trying to ovepensate. Prove some point. Like, hey guys, I''m definitely straight and definitely not fantasizing about the man who married my


    mom.


    At least Mom has finally stopped pestering me about getting a new boyfriend. For now, at least. It''s probably because I haven''t told her I''m still with the man she disapproves of, who also happens to be her husband''s boss. I haven''t heard from Finn or Jade either, though I''d bet good money Jade is the one Knox sent to break into my apartment and leave a flower on my table, the exact replica of the one I threw in the trashst week.


    That man, Knox, doesn''t take rejection well. Or boundaries.


    It''s past closing time now. Most of the office is quiet except for the hum of the vending machines and the click of my fingers on the keyboard as I finish thest


    pieces of this report. I breathe out when I finally hit print, watching the progress bar crawl across the screen.


    CHAPTER 082: Back To Earth


    I stand, stretching the stiffness from my spine, and head for the printer station next to the breakroom.


    The second I round the corner, Wes from project management strolls out of the breakroom, looking... weirdly startled.


    "Sloane," he says.


    "Wes," I say, keeping my eyes on the printer as the machine whirs to life.


    Wes is the same guy who spent a month trying to ask me out before settling for a


    girl


    in his own department. Even though office dating is againstpany policy, which is hrious, everyone here dates everyone.


    Someone else steps out from the breakroom behind Wes, adjusting her blouse.


    Ca.


    Not Wes''s girlfriend.


    "Sloane," Ca says, trying to sound casual even though she''s breathless. "What are you still doing in the office?"


    "Printing. How about you? ying chess with Wes in the breakroom?"


    Wes blushes and bolts, keeping his head down, shoulders hunched like a kid who just got caught stealing candy.


    Ca, on the other hand, clearly ns to do damage control.


    "That''s not what it looked like, Sloane," she says.


    I grab my printed files and start walking away. "I didn''t see anything, Ca."


    She follows me. "I''m d you didn''t. Really d. By the way, how''s your hot stepdaddy?


    I roll my eyes. "If you want me to keep quiet about you and Wes, don''t mention my stepfather again."


    "Okay, cool, cool." She pauses. "Hey, you want to know a secret?"


    "Not particrly." Can she just go away? It''s not like I have anyone to tell she was screwing Wes in the breakroom.


    "There are rumors that thepany has a new majority shareholder. The man came out of nowhere and bought up fifty-one percent of thepany. Rumor has it he''s bald. A bald man owns us."


    "How is that my business?" I reach my desk and immediately begin arranging and stapling the documents I need to drop off for Harper on Monday.


    "You work here. It''s your business."


    "Last time I checked, shareholders are up here." I raise my hand above my head. "We''re down here. If my paycheck stays the same, they can all be bald and British for all I


    CHAPTER 082: Back To Earth


    care."


    Ca smirks. "I''m just saying-there might be changes in management. You should be ready to snatch one when they walk in."


    "Snatch?"


    "You know, scratch their backs, maybe scratch something else, so you can climb thedder. Notice how the current management are all taken by some ambitious bitches, and we don''t have a chance? Now''s our turn to shine."


    "I''m not sleeping with some old guy for a raise. I''m very okay where I am."


    "I''m not okay," she says with a shrug. "Anyway, that''s just inside info I''m offering


    as a bribe for you to keep your mouth shut. If you don''t want to use it, great. Stay


    in this position forever.¡± She turns to leave, mumbling, ¡°People just wasting their gifts."


    What is her problem?


    Before I can think too hard, my phone pings. A message from Serena.


    ''Where are you?''


    Oh, shit. We were supposed to meet. I nce at the time and mutter a curse. Serena''s probably outside already, pacing and ring at her phone. I scoop my bag off the desk, stuff thest of my documents into it, and practically jog toward the elevator.


    ''I''ming out, I text as I walk.


    When I reach the elevator, I m my palm against the call button and bounce slightly on my toes, willing it to hurry.


    The dinges a beatter. The doors glide open.


    And of course-because the universe has a twisted sense of humor-Hunter,


    Knox''s friend who''s still mad at me, is inside.


    You''ve got to be kidding me. I''m not in the mood to feel guilty for what happened


    in Asheville. What is he doing here anyway?


    He looks up. Recognition hits. "Sloane?"


    "Hunter."


    "What are you doing here?"


    "I should be asking you. I work here."


    "Really?" He chuckles as the doors slide shut. "What a coincidence. And they say


    karma isn''t real."


    I turn to face him. "What does me working here have to do with karma?"


    "I just helped a client buy a huge amount of shares in thispany. And he''s offered


    to make me CEO. Which means I''ll be able to make your life a living hell. Your workload,


    375


    CHAPTER 082: Back To Earth


    your schedule-everything. I can keep you so busy with projects and travel that


    you won''t even have time to see that evil boyfriend of yours. Hell, I could have


    you


    transferred to another state. Or another country. Maybe even another continent. Just to make sure you pay for ruining my wedding."


    The elevator opens, but we don''t move.


    "Jesus," I mutter. "Why are you being so petty? I only came to your hotel room that day to tell you the truth. It''s your own fault you cancelled the wedding." "You did what you did for yourself alone, Sloane. What did you expect I''d do? Marry a girl who didn''t have the decency to tell me she once fucked my close friend?"


    "You were prepared to marry her knowing she only wanted you for your money. You knew she was sleeping with Knox''s brother, in the present tense even, but her having a past with Knox is where you draw the line?"


    &


    "I''m notpeting with my friend over a girl. What if she still wants him? Exes do that. What if she thinks about him anytime I''m with her?"


    "Your insecurity was the problem, Hunter, not me. Not Knox. And honestly, if


    you''re going to keep ming us after you willingly dated and proposed to a cheating gold digger, then maybe you made a grave mistake leaving her. You two are meant for each


    other."


    I step out of the elevator, and he follows.


    "I see why he likes you," he mutters. "You do have a mouth and a temper. But that mouth isn''t going to save you now. Tell that boyfriend of yours that I want a written apology, one each from both of you for what you did to me."


    I stop and turn. We''re nearing the parking lot.


    "A written apology? Or what? You''ll fire me, Mr. CEO?"


    "I won''t fire you. But you''ll be the busiest employee in thispany, and by


    the time I''m done with you-"


    He freezes.


    "Sweet mother of God," he breathes.


    I turn to see what he''s looking at.


    Strutting across the lot is Serena. Tight pencil skirt, cropped zer cinched at the waist, and killer heels. Waves of dark hair bounce around her shoulders, glossy and full. She pulls off her oversized sunsses in one smooth motion, stopping


    when she


    sees me.


    "Sloane!" she calls. "Over here."


    "Be right there!" I say before turning back to Hunter, who seems far gone.


    CHAPTER 082. Back To Earth


    He''s still staring, and Serena doesn''t even notice. Her head''s down on her phone,


    typing away.


    "Hey, Hunter," I say. "Back to Earth. I''m not writing that apology."


    "Who''s that?" he says.


    "Who''s what?"


    "That girl. Waiting for you."


    "My sister."


    "I didn''t see her at the barbecue."


    "She was there. You probably missed her because she was with her boyfriend." I


    emphasize the word boyfriend, not ready for any matchmaking scheme.


    "Boyfriend, huh?" he murmurs, eyes still fixed on her. "Not husband?"


    "Hunter, don''t even think about it."


    "I''ll take my apology one way or another, Sloane. It''s best you and your boyfriend


    start writing that letter."

 83

    CHAPTER 083: Mrs. Hartley


    CHAPTER 083: Mrs. Hartley


    From the direction of Hunter''s gaze, I know he''s talking about Serena.


    I move fast.


    My heels ck across the asphalt as I walk briskly toward her. I don''t wait. I grab her


    arm.


    "Heyyy," Serena squeals. "What the hell? Not even a hello, and you''re dragging me away?"


    "Just walk," I mutter.


    She stumbles for a second but regains her stride. Quickly, I look behind us to see that Hunter hasn''t moved from his position. There''s a weird look in his eyes.


    "Who was that?" Serena says. "The guy you were talking to."


    "A crazy son of a bitch."


    Serena lifts a brow. "Your boss? I know people only talk about their bosses that way."


    I want to deny it, say he''s just an arrogant bastard with a godplex and an old grudge. But if what Hunter said earlier is true, then yeah. He might actually be my boss soon. The thought makes my stomach tighten.


    We reach my car. I dig out the keys and unlock it. Serena stops short, blinking.


    "Whose car is this?"


    "Mine."


    She whistles. "That''s an expensive-looking BMW. Did you rob a bank? Oh, wait. Gangster boyfriend. How could I forget?"


    I roll my eyes and open the driver''s side door. "He''s not a gangster. Besides, I won the money."


    "In a lottery?"


    "Betting. At an underground boxing ring."


    Serena stops, one hand hovering over the passenger door. "Since when do you bet? Or watch boxing? Next thing you''re going to say is you''re into crack now. Trap queen of your gangster boyfriend."


    "Get in the damn car, Rena."


    She slides in with a dramatic sigh. I follow, buckle in, and start the engine.


    The drive out of the parking lot is quiet for the first few seconds. I still don''t know


    why she wanted to see me, and not kno Sessfully unlocked!


    gs makes me impatient.


    "So," I say, "what''s this about? Why did you want to meet up?"


    CHAPTER 083: Mrs. Hartley


    "Because you''re the only one in the family I can talk to about the elephant in the room."


    "What elephant?"


    "Jade. And your boyfriend. We can''t keep hiding this from Mom. She deserves to know.


    I grip the wheel tighter.


    "Why?" I ask.


    She turns to me like I''ve lost my mind. "Are you serious? That''s our mother, Sloane. She can''t be married to a liar. Picture how she felt hearing about you and Knox. Now think about how she''ll react when she finds out he''s her husband''s boss. What does Jade even do for him? y henchman?"


    I sigh, already tired. I should have known this is the only reason Serena would want to hang out. Jade and Knox. For a couple of days now, I''ve been enjoying a peaceful and quiet life, where the only thing I have to worry about is if I need to send Knox a sexy picture of me naked or in lingerie.


    "Look, Serena,¡± I say, "maybe it''s best if we just mind our own business."


    "No. Mom invited us to dinner on Sunday, and I''m telling her. And you''re going to be there to back me up."


    I nce at her, brows raised. "You''re really not in the position to be throwing


    stones right now. Have you forgotten what happened at the barbecue?"


    "Oh my God, Sloane. You don''t actually believe Jade, do you? That I have a crush


    on


    him?"


    "I''m not one to judge," I say slowly. "But you do hang around Mom a lot. Constantly going to her house. Spending the weekend sometimes. The other time, you offered to house-sit while she was out of the country."


    "Is it a crime to love my


    mother?"


    "No. But then I saw those Instagram posts-you in the jacuzzi outside Mom''s house, almost naked, Jade in the background on hisptop. I didn''t think much of it at the time. But then Jade said what he said at the barbecue, and it was... eye- opening."


    Serena falls silent.


    But I''m not done. Not even close. Because at some point, people need to learn where their boundaries end and mine begin. They need to stop treating my rtionship like amunity project-especially when they''ve got skeletons rattling so loud in their own closets. And if anyone needs that lesson hammered in, it''s Serena. I''m starting with her.


    "So what do you do exactly, Rena? Lie beside Nathan every night and think about Jade?


    She snaps her head toward me. "You think you''re some kind of moral police? Please.


    CHAPTER 083: Mrs. Hartley


    All the guys you''ve ever dated were just Finn look-alikes. I remember them. Same build, same height, same hair. All of them had girlfriends. Just like Finn. The only difference was they were willing to leave their girlfriends for you, something Finn wouldn''t do. And then you''ll just ghost them after a couple of dates because they weren''t Finn."


    I flinch, but she keeps going.


    "And what about Joseph from across the street? Why''d he stop calling you? Right. Because you called him Finn in bed."


    "Shut up, Serena."


    My voice is low, shaking. I should have known better than to start a fight with a shrink.


    "Oh, no. Let''s discuss morality, Sloane. Did you or did you not find Knox irresistible because he''s the Finn you can get?"


    That does it.


    "Are you insane?" I say. "Why would you even throw around those kinds of assumptions? What I feel for Knox is real. You can''tpare it to some silly crush I had for Finn. That would mean I''m just using him, and I''m not. I care about him."


    She shakes her head. "But that''s what you do. You use people. You don''t care about anyone but yourself. You never even cared about Finn, let''s be honest. You were obsessed with winning him over from Delh because at one point in your life, your mother chose someone else instead of you, and now you''ll do whatever it takes to be chosen over somebody else. Deep down, you''re still that little girl who felt reced. By Mom. By Dad''s new family. By everyone."


    "Shut up," I whisper.


    "It always has to be apetition for you. Apetition to steal a man whose heart belonged to someone else, just so you could feel worthy. And now you enjoy watching him fall apart while you''re screwing his brother. He came to me, you know. Finn. You'' ve ruined him. And I think you very much deserve a man like Knox. Because the two of you aren''t so different after all. You''re just as cold- hearted as any gangster. You''d let Mom be deceived by a man just so you can keep fucking his boss without anyone interfering. Because for once, someone chose you. And that''s all you''ve ever wanted. All this time, you''ve been waiting for someone to pick you when you''ve never chosen anyone but yourself.¡±


    My vision blurs with unshed tears.


    "I''ll need you to get out of my car, Serena," I whisper.


    "I''m not going anywhere, Sloane. You''re my sister, and we''ll figure shit out through


    thick or thin."


    "Fucking get out!"


    CHAPTER 083: Mrs. Hartley


    I m on the brakes.


    Right then, an impact jolts the entire car. Something has hit us from behind.


    "Oh my God," Serena says. "What''the fuck was that?"


    I whip around to see we''d collided with an Aston Martin.


    Serena''s already out of the car, yelling at the driver. "Hey! Are you blind?! You just


    hit our car, asshole!"


    The man behind the wheel is yelling too, waving his arms. I don''t hear the words.


    My ears are buzzing. My eyes are still wet. I reach for tissues in the glovepartment and wipe my face.


    Then I see him.


    Hunter.


    &


    He steps out of the backseat, calm as anything, a slight smile tugging at his lips.


    No way. That sly snake.


    I throw open my door and get out.


    He''s already near Serena, trying to calm her down, standing way too close.


    "Hunter," I say, voice sharp.


    He turns.


    "What a pleasant surprise, Sloane."


    "Were you following me?"


    "Why would I-¡±


    "Cut the bullshit. First you eye-bang my sister, now you crash into my car?"


    "It''s not my fault you can''t drive for shit, Sloane."


    Serena''s looking back and forth between us, a million questions written on her


    face.


    Before I can respond to Hunter, someone steps out from the other side of his car.


    I''ll recognize that pretty face and elegant style anywhere.


    Victoria Hartley.


    Knox and Finn''s mother.


    Her eyes lock on mine. I see it instantly. The recognition.


    "Well, I''ll be damned," she says. "It''s you."


    "Victoria," I murmur, forck of anything else to say.


    Her chin rises a little.


    "It''s Mrs. Hartley to you now. You can''t call me by my first name after you


    shattered my


    CHAPTER 083: Mrs. Hartley


    son''s heart."


    Subscribe

 84

    CHAPTER 084: Cleaning Their Mess¨¦s


    CHAPTER 084: Cleaning Their Mess¨¦s


    This has got to be the worst weekend in the history of weekends.


    First, Hunter decided to use me of destroying his wedding. Then Serena, my own sister, went full psychologist on me in the car, practically diagnosing me with mommy issues and abandonment issues. And if that wasn''t enough, Hunter''s car rammed into the back of my car, a BMW I''d barely had for a week.


    And now?


    Now, Victoria Hartley-Knox and Finn''s mother-is implying that I shattered Finn''s heart.


    He''d need to have a damn heart to begin with.


    I''ve had it.


    "Does anyone else have anything they''d like to get off their chest?" I say, raising my voice. "Now might be a good time to use me of changing the weather and instigating the first world war too."


    "You''re not even sorry," Victoria says.


    "Sorry about what? That I left Finn? Friendships start and end. If he can''t cope with being left, then that''s his problem. Get him help."


    "What do you think I''m here for?" Her eyes sh. "What do you think Knox called me into this popted city to do? Every time something happens between them, I end up in the middle of it, fixing things. Finn barely eats. He barely talks. All because of you and Knox."


    "Oh, that''s just rich."


    Hunter clears his throat. ¡°Guys, maybe we shouldn''t do this here,¡± he says, sounding a lot moreposed than earlier. ¡°It''s going to attract attention. Someone might call the cops."


    "Let them," Victoria snaps. "Maybe they''ll tag her for reckless driving."


    "You hit me from behind," I counter. "Who do you think is more likely to be med?"


    "Please, try to pin this on us. There''s a dashcam. You''ll pay for damages."


    "Hey, hey," Serena says, jumping in. "Don''t raise your voice at my sister. Who the hell are you people anyway?"


    "That''s your sister''s boyfriend''s mom," Hunter says, still too close to Serena for myfort. "And I''m a friend of the family."


    Even though the crash happened near the side of the road, traffic is already reacting.. Cars are swerving around us. One driver leans out his window, honking and yelling for us to "get off the damn road." A few people walking by have slowed down, watching us with interest.


    CHAPTER 084 Cleaning Their Mess¨¦s


    Hunter steps forward. "Sloane, I''m really sorry about the crash. It was a coincidence. I swear, I wasn''t following you. I''ll pay for the damages."


    Victoria whirls on him. "Why are you being nice to her? She caused this."


    He meets her eyes. "Because we need to get off the road. And she might be the solution to your problem."


    "What problem?" I ask.


    "Can we just park somewhere and talk?" Hunter says. "Before you say no, this is really important. You once cared about Finn. I think part of you still does. Let''s just have a few minutes. A real conversation. No drama."


    I nce between them. My annoyance is nowhere near ending, but I am curious. I need to know what this problem is that I might have a solution to. I''d listen just long enough to get satisfaction from telling Victoria Hartely ''no''.


    Without a word, I walk back to my car and climb in. Serena follows, quietly this time.


    Hunter''s driver is the first to start his engine, pulling back so I can move. As we drive, I feel Serena watching me.


    "I''m sorry, Sloane,¡± she says. ¡°I shouldn''t have said all that stuff. You attacked me, and I got defensive."


    "I didn''t attack you. I was just being honest. But you psychoanalyzed me like I was your textbook case."


    "It came out wrong. I''ve just been... off. With everything going on."


    "Who hasn''t?"


    A public park appears on the right, and I pull in. There''s an empty spot near a line


    of trees, quiet enough for whatever this conversation will be. I park. A momentter, Hunter''s car pulls in beside us.


    We all get out. Victoria looks more irritated than ever. Good. The feeling''s mutual. "So?" I say, crossing my arms, leaning against my car. "What is it you wanted to tell me?"


    Hunter adjusts his cuffs. "Just so we''re clear, you and I still have unfinished business, Sloane. But right now, this isn''t about you and me. It''s about fixing something bigger."


    "Stop beating around the bush, Hunter," I say.


    "Well, just like Victoria said, your boyfriend asked her toe see Finn."


    I''ll admit, I never imagined Knox caring enough to invite his mother here about Finn. That doesn''t sound like him. Part of me, maybe half, thinks they''re making it up just to guilt me into something. But the other half? It''s not so sure. Because as strange as it sounds, I can''t figure out what they''d gain by lying about this. Hunter continues, "When Victoria arrived, Finn was a mess. Broken arm, jaw, nose.


    Tooth missing. Depressed. And yeah, he said it happened because you broke his heart."


    CHAPTER 084: Cleaning Their Mess¨¦s


    I almostugh. "Of course he did."


    Victoria speaks up now. ¡°Finn''s in recovery. His therapist thinks reconnecting with his brother might help. It could be the start of healing. I''ve tried to get Knox toe, but he refuses. Nothing I say works. I even asked Hunter to talk to him-" "He won''t listen to me," Hunter cuts in. "Your son is stubborn, Victoria. Don''t act like you don''t know him."


    "You haven''t even tried."


    "We''re not exactly on speaking terms."


    Serena finally steps forward. "And what does this have to do with Sloane?" Hunter sighs. "I didn''t think of it untiCHAPTER 084: Cleaning Their Mess¨¦s CHAPTER 084: Cleaning Their Mess¨¦s


    This has got to be the worst weekend in the history of weekends.


    First, Hunter decided to use me of destroying his wedding. Then Serena, my own sister, went full psychologist on me in the car, practically diagnosing me with mommy issues and abandonment issues. And if that wasn''t enough, Hunter''s car rammed into the back of my car, a BMW I''d barely had for a week. And now?


    Now, Victoria Hartley-Knox and Finn''s mother-is implying that I shattered Finn''s heart.


    He''d need to have a damn heart to begin with.


    I''ve had it.


    "Does anyone else have anything they''d like to get off their chest?" I say, raising


    my voice. "Now might be a good time to use me of changing the weather and instigating the first world war too."


    "You''re not even sorry," Victoria says.


    "Sorry about what? That I left Finn? Friendships start and end. If he can''t cope with being left, then that''s his problem. Get him help."


    "What do you think I''m here for?" Her eyes sh. "What do you think Knox called me into this popted city to do? Every time something happens between them, I end up in the middle of it, fixing things. Finn barely eats. He barely talks. All because of you and Knox."


    "Oh, that''s just rich."


    Hunter clears his throat. ¡°Guys, maybe we shouldn''t do this here,¡± he says, sounding a lot moreposed than earlier. "It''s going to attract attention. Someone might call the cops."


    "Let them," Victoria snaps. "Maybe they''ll tag her for reckless driving." "You hit me from behind," I counter. "Who do you think is more likely to be med?"


    "Please, try to pin this on us. There''s a dashcam. You''ll pay for damages." "Hey, hey," Serena says, jumping in. "Don''t raise your voice at my sister. Who the hell are you people anyway?"


    "That''s your sister''s boyfriend''s mom," Hunter says, still too close to Serena for myfort. "And I''m a friend of the family."


    Even though the crash happened near the side of the road, traffic is already reacting.. Cars are swerving around us. One driver leans out his window, honking and yelling for us to "get off the damn road." A few people walking by have slowed down, watching us with interest.


    CHAPTER 084 Cleaning Their Mess¨¦s


    Hunter steps forward. "Sloane, I''m really sorry about the crash. It was a coincidence. I swear, I wasn''t following you. I''ll pay for the damages."


    Victoria whirls on him. "Why are you being nice to her? She caused this."


    He meets her eyes. "Because we need to get off the road. And she might be the solution to your problem."


    "What problem?" I ask.


    "Can we just park somewhere and talk?" Hunter says. "Before you say no, this is really important. You once cared about Finn. I think part of you still does. Let''s just have a few minutes. A real conversation. No drama."


    I nce between them. My annoyance is nowhere near ending, but I am curious. I need to know what this problem is that I might have a solution to. I''d listen just long enough to get satisfaction from telling Victoria Hartely ''no''.


    Without a word, I walk back to my car and climb in. Serena follows, quietly this time.


    Hunter''s driver is the first to start his engine, pulling back so I can move. As we drive, I feel Serena watching me.


    "I''m sorry, Sloane," she says. "I shouldn''t have said all that stuff. You attacked me, and I got defensive."


    "I didn''t attack you. I was just being honest. But you psychoanalyzed me like I was your textbook case."


    "It came out wrong. I''ve just been... off. With everything going on."


    "Who hasn''t?"


    A public park appears on the right, and I pull in. There''s an empty spot near a line


    of trees, quiet enough for whatever this conversation will be. I park. A momentter, Hunter''s car pulls in beside us.


    We all get out. Victoria looks more irritated than ever. Good. The feeling''s mutual. "So?" I say, crossing my arms, leaning against my car. "What is it you wanted to


    tell me?"


    Hunter adjusts his cuffs. "Just so we''re clear, you and I still have unfinished business, Sloane. But right now, this isn''t about you and me. It''s about fixing something bigger."


    "Stop beating around the bush, Hunter," I say.


    "Well, just like Victoria said, your boyfriend asked her toe see Finn."


    I''ll admit, I never imagined Knox caring enough to invite his mother here about Finn. That doesn''t sound like him. Part of me, maybe half, thinks they''re making it up just to guilt me into something. But the other half? It''s not so sure. Because as strange as it sounds, I can''t figure out what they''d gain by lying about this. Hunter continues, "When Victoria arrived, Finn was a mess. Broken arm, jaw, nose.


    Tooth missing. Depressed. And yeah, he said it happened because you broke his heart."


    CHAPTER 084: Cleaning Their Mess¨¦s


    I almostugh. "Of course he did."


    Victoria speaks up now. "Finn''s in recovery. His therapist thinks reconnecting with


    his brother might help. It could be the start of healing. I''ve tried to get Knox toe, but he refuses. Nothing I say works. I even asked Hunter to talk to him-" "He won''t listen to me," Hunter cuts in. "Your son is stubborn, Victoria. Don''t act


    like you don''t know him."


    "You haven''t even tried."


    "We''re not exactly on speaking terms."


    Serena finally steps forward. "And what does this have to do with Sloane?" Hunter sighs. "I didn''t think of it until I saw her earlier at her workce. I was dropping something off, and Victoria was in the car, waiting for me toe up with a solution to her kids'' problem. Then the elevator opened-and there was Sloane. A perfect solution."


    "A solution to what? You threatened to make my life miserable. Was that your idea of a solution?" I say.


    "That''s a separate issue," he says. "This concerns a man''s life, Sloane. Right now,


    I need you to talk to your boyfriend. Talk to Knox. Make him see that his brother needs him. Just a little brotherly affection." "What''s brotherly affection supposed to do?" I ask.


    Victoria cuts in, "Believe it or not, Finn loves his brother. You just have to convince


    Knox to have him at his house for a couple of days, let them bond. And everything will be back to normal. Trust me, I know the drill."


    If this weren''t annoying me, I would haveughed. "You think he''ll do that just because I asked? What do you think I am? His remote control?" Hunter looks at me seriously. "I think you underestimate his feelings for you. I''ve known Knox for years. I never saw him with a girlfriend. When you both destroyed


    my wedding, do you know what I asked him to do? I said I was only going to forgive him if he left you. He picked you. That son of a bitch." Maybe Serena was right after all, that I like being chosen over other people.


    Because words cannot exin the warmth that''s filling my chest right now at Hunter''s words.


    "I don''t know what you did to him, Sloane," Hunter says. "I''m just asking that you do it again. Talk to him."


    I shake my head. "I really appreciate the level of trust you have in my ability to control Knox. But I already know his answer. This will never work."


    Victoria''s expression shifts. She looks... ufortable. Hesitant. "There''s something else," she says. "Something I didn''t want to say over the


    phone or text. You can use it as leverage. As ast resort."


    CHAPTER 084: Cleaning Their Mess¨¦s "What?¡±


    Her eyes meet mine.


    "Tell him Lydia''s alive. And if he agrees to help Finn, I''ll tell him where she is. But


    he''s


    not to mention it to Finn."


    My breath catches.


    "Lydia? As in their dead sister?"


    Victoria nods. "Sister is what they like to call her. But Lydia''s not dead. I sent her


    away. Told both boys she died. Like I said, I''m the one who always ends up


    cleaning their messes."


    Subscribe


    II saw her earlier at her workce. I was dropping something off, and Victoria


    was in the car, waiting for me toe up with a solution to her kids'' problem. Then the elevator opened-and there was Sloane. A perfect solution."


    "A solution to what? You threatened to make my life miserable. Was that your idea


    of a solution?" I say.


    "That''s a separate issue," he says. "This concerns a man''s life, Sloane. Right now,


    I need you to talk to your boyfriend. Talk to Knox. Make him see that his brother


    needs him. Just a little brotherly affection." "What''s brotherly affection supposed to do?" I ask.


    Victoria cuts in, "Believe it or not, Finn loves his brother. You just have to convince


    Knox to have him at his house for a couple of days, let them bond. And everything


    will be back to normal. Trust me, I know the drill."


    If this weren''t annoying me, I would haveughed. "You think he''ll do that just because I asked? What do you think I am? His remote control?" Hunter looks at me seriously. "I think you underestimate his feelings for you. I''ve known Knox for years. I never saw him with a girlfriend. When you both destroyed


    my wedding, do you know what I asked him to do? I said I was only going to forgive him if he left you. He picked you. That son of a bitch." Maybe Serena was right after all, that I like being chosen over other people.


    Because words cannot exin the warmth that''s filling my chest right now at Hunter''s words.


    "I don''t know what you did to him, Sloane," Hunter says. "I''m just asking that you do it again. Talk to him."


    I shake my head. "I really appreciate the level of trust you have in my ability to control Knox. But I already know his answer. This will never work." Victoria''s expression shifts. She looks... ufortable. Hesitant. "There''s something else," she says. "Something I didn''t want to say over the


    phone or text. You can use it as leverage. As ast resort."


    CHAPTER 084: Cleaning Their Mess¨¦s "What?¡±


    Her eyes meet mine.


    "Tell him Lydia''s alive. And if he agrees to help Finn, I''ll tell him where she is. But


    he''s


    not to mention it to Finn."


    My breath catches.


    "Lydia? As in their dead sister?"


    Victoria nods. "Sister is what they like to call her. But Lydia''s not dead. I sent her


    away. Told both boys she died. Like I said, I''m the one who always ends up


    cleaning their messes."


    Subscribe

 85

    -KNOX-


    ***


    My opponent in the kickboxing ring has gotten a few good hits. Thest one


    almost cracked a rib. Which is exactly what I wanted. Pain. It reminds me that I''m still alive.


    "Come on, Hartley," someone from the sidelines yells. "You gonna let a stockbroker outkick you?"


    Laughter follows.


    My opponent grins, panting. He''s younger, probably in his early twenties, cocky, all limbs and fast feet. He''s been running his mouth since round one, but I''ve let him.


    I always let them think they''re winning.


    A low voice near the ropes pipes up-it''s my trainer, Jackson, arms crossed and chewing gum like it owes him money.


    "Wrap it up, Knox. He''s gassed. You''re just ying with your food now."


    The guy lunges again, going for a jab-cross. I take the jab, duck the cross, and drive my elbow into his ribs with satisfying contact. He wheezes.


    "That''s what I''m talkin'' about!" someone else calls.


    One quick right hook to the jaw, then a left uppercut under his chin. He finally stumbles back far enough for Jackson to step in, pping once. "That''s it!"


    We lower our fists at the same time, both breathing hard.


    He lifts his glove. I bump it with mine.


    "Fuck," he mutters, grinning despite the swelling forming on his face. "You hit like a tank."


    "Thanks." I pull off my gloves.


    There''s a smattering of apuse from the side of the ring. Some people nod in approval. Others go back to shadowboxing or wrapping their hands.


    Jackson steps up, ps me on the back. "Well done."


    I''m already stepping down from the ring before he finishes the sentence.


    No need to linger and watch other members of the club fight. I''ve done what I came here to do. Besides, there is someone I need to see, a certain sarcasticdy with four eyes. So I head to the locker room to freshen up and change.


    The moment I step in, I tug off my shirt. My ribs ache. My knuckles are red and


    raw.


    I like the ache.


    The locker door creaks when I open it. I toss my gloves in first, then strip off the rest of my gear and head to the showers.


    Fifteen minutester, I''m back at my locker, pulling on a clean ck shirt and tugging a leather jacket over it. And then I put my jeans back on. I''m drying my hair with a towel when the door creaks open again.


    nu, 22 May


    Someone steps in.


    I nce toward the entrance,


    At first nce, he looks old-bald, sses, limping with a cane. But then I look closely.


    He takes off his sses.


    One eye is shut. Scarred shut.


    "I never thought I''d see you again, Captain," he says.


    I freeze.


    That voice.


    I squint. "T-Bone?"


    He grins. "In the flesh and blood."


    For a full beat, I just stare.


    Mateo Torres. The man who got captured with me and was never retrieved. He''s still alive?


    I step closer, cautious. "How the hell...?"


    He leans on his cane as he walks toward me. When he''s close enough, he says,


    "I don''t know if you''re excited to see me or worried, Captain."


    "I''m shocked."


    "Nothing usually surprises you."


    "How are you here, Mateo?"


    "It''s a long story. I''ll tell you over drinks sometime if you give me your number. I had to track you down. You''re not easy to find, Knox."


    I just stare at him with so many questions running through my mind at once. There are memories I''ve worked hard to bury. For years, Mateo''s face has haunted my dreams. His voice too, humming that Russian luby he was obsessed with.


    Back in therapy, Yara once said the dreams were guilt. That I carried the weight of being captain when we were captured. That deep down, I med myself for leading men into a nightmare. For helping take a father from his child, a husband from his wife.


    Seeing him now doesn''t lift that weight.


    If anything, it makes it worse.


    Because the man in front of me isn''t the same Mateo Torres I left behind. Not really. The smile is thinner, the eyes darker. And the scars prove he was just as tortured as I was, maybe even worse.


    "You look different," I say.


    "I should. Had a little work done on my face."


    My chest tightens. "How''s your wife? Your little girl?"


    "My baby''s not so little anymore. Her mom remarried. Moved to Idaho."


    14:16 Thu, 22 May MO


    "Shit. That''s rough."


    80%


    +20


    "It''s nothingpared to what we''ve seen, brother." He taps the cane once on the


    tile. "I don''t me her. She waited. Then she lived."


    I nod, lips pressed. "I bet the settlement from the government must have made up for it."


    There''s a pause. Then he says, "No one knows I''m back. Didn''t feel like telling them. They left me in that country after all."


    "We tried," I say. "After I escaped... we looked. But they''d moved the camp."


    He doesn''t say anything. Just nods once.


    Then: "That''s old news. I''m on a new path now. Bought some shares in a privatepany."


    "Must''ve cost a lot."


    "Money''s not an issue."


    I frown, instincts kicking in fast. Something about this whole reunion doesn''t sit right. A random encounter after all these years? A ghost showing up with a cane and a smile? And now he''s saying he bought a chunk of shares in a privatepany like it''s pocket change?


    Nah. That kind of money doesn''t just fall into yourp-especially not when you''ve been dered dead.


    He reaches into his coat and pulls out a small, rectangr card. "Since you won''t give me yours," he says, handing it to me,


    good seeing you, Captain." "here''s mine. Call me sometime. We''ll hang out. It was


    I take it. The card has nothing on it but his full name-Mateo Luis Torres-and a number. No job title. Nopany name. Just a nk, faceless invitation.


    He nods once and starts walking toward the exit. The cane taps against the floor


    as he goes. He doesn''t look back.


    I don''t move for a while. I just stare at the card in my hand, then down at the concrete floor, letting the weight of it all settle


    1. in.


    Thest time I saw Mateo, he was being dragged, screaming in pain.


    We had a memorial and everything, for fuck''s sake. I''ll deal with thister.


    I slide the card into my back pocket, grab my gym bag from the bench, and head for the exit. I know I won''t be calling him anytime soon. Being around a fellow survivor will justnd me back in therapy. I''m not ready for that. There''s a reason I ignored everyone else after I came home.


    My car is where I left it, tucked into a corner spot behind the club. I toss my bag into the trunk.


    When heading to the driver''s side, my phone rings.


    I pull it from my pocket.


    ''Bunny'' shes on the screen.


    My mouth curves, just slightly. I answer. "Hello, girlfriend. I was just about to call to


    remind you it''s the weekend. I haven''t seen you all week."


    "Knox," she says in that sweet voice of hers, "where are you?"


    I slide into the driver''s seat and pull the door shut behind me. "At a private


    kickboxing club. Just finished. Heading out W."


    14:16 Thu, 22 May MD


    "You went to watch a fight?" she asks.


    "To fight."


    "You fight?"


    "As a hobby."


    "Only you would do something as intense as that and call it a hobby, Knox."


    I smirk, starting the engine. "I have other intense hobbies too. Fucking Sloane is


    at the top of the list."


    Her breath catches, and even through the phone, I can almost feel how hard her heart is beating. "One of these days," I say, "I might have to kidnap you and take


    you along with me wherever I go."


    "Why''s that?"


    007,96%


    +20


    "Because I always want to have you, Bunny. Everywhere. After meetings. At the club. In hotel rooms. In different countries. In the shower. In my bed, with the lights off or on-I don''t care. In my dreams. And in that room. You know the one."


    AD


    Comment

 86

    Her breathing''s changed-sofer now, deeper. The kind that happens when she''s turned on and trying to pretend the hole. 1 can picture her perfectly. Back pressed against a wall, lips pursed in that half-annoyed, half-aroused way due does what''s got under her skin. Probably still dressed in whatever office thing she wore to work today ben is thinking, phy


    now.


    "You, mister," she finally says, "are a very naughty man. I didn''t even get to say what I called for, and you''re ready steering, the conversation straight to flirtation."


    "What you called for?" I ask as I pull onto the road. "It''s Friday. I assumed this was a booty call. I''m already rerouting to your house."


    "Knox Hartley! This is not a booty call."


    "It''s not?"


    "No."


    "Prove it."


    "What?"


    "If you didn''t call because you missed my dick, prove it. Say so."


    I can hear her hiding a chuckle,


    "I''m not always a horny girlfriend, you know?" she says.


    "Then prove it, Bunny. Tell me why else you called."


    "It can''t be said over the phone."


    That slows me. "Can''t be said over the phone and it''s not sex? You pregnant?"


    "What?! No! Where the hell did thate from?"


    "A man can guess, can''t he?" I say. "Just hang on tight, baby. I''ming to give you what you


    want."


    Then I hang up.


    She''s probably rolling her eyes at the ceiling but also smiling. I know that smile. It''s the one she tries to fight, the one that melts into her cheeks when she doesn''t want to admit how badly she needs me.


    I keep driving. The route to her ce is familiar by now, stitched into muscle memory. I turn up the music for a few miles- just enough to let the fight leave my bones and the anticipation take its ce. By the time I pull up in front of her building. it''s already dark. The new window I installed is still intact. No signs of Finn or flying hammers.


    I park, kill the engine, grab my gym bag, and head for the lobby. I give a quick nod


    to the doorman, who calls me by my name in greeting. I take the stairs, heart already picking up its pace as I near her floor.


    When I knock, the door opens almost immediately.


    "I can''t believe you actually knocked," she says. "Are you turning into a gentleman?"


    She steps into view, and my whole body goes still.


    Fuck.


    14:16 Thu, 22 May MGO.


    5.00%


    20


    She''s dressed in a form-fitting dress that belongs on a damn billboard. Sinful curves wrapped in soft fabric, cleavage sculpted to kill, that short hem showing off legs that have no business being in public. Her hair''s pinned up, her sses are perched low on her nose, and her makeup is just enough to make a man ache.


    I stare. Slowly. Top to bottom. Then back up again.


    "Fuck me," I murmur, every bit of blood rushing south. "You look stunning."


    She blushes. Actually blushes. Her gaze drops for a second, and she tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear.


    "Do a spin." I say, stepping into the doorway. "I want to see all of you."


    She gives me a look that''s half amusement, half challenge. But she turns. Slowly. The back of the dress dips low-so low there''s nothing but bare skin and a sliver of spine. I swear under my breath and step all the way inside, nudging the door shut with the side of my foot.


    As she turns back around, I''m already in front of her. Iy my palm t against her lower back.


    "No," she says quickly, stepping back. "Back away, mister. We have things to do."


    "Of course we do," I say, my voice lowering. "They start with you taking your clothes off."


    Sheughs. "I just put them on."


    "I can help you take them off."


    She backs up another step, bumping into her wall. "I put them on for a reason,


    Knox. I want to take you out."


    "There''s an easy way to do that. You just sit on my face."


    "I mean out, out," she says, pointing toward the door.


    I lean in, lifting her chin until our mouths are a breath apart. "Why would I want to


    go out," I whisper, "when what I want is right here?"


    She presses a hand against my chest, not pushing, just holding. "Don''t you think this rtionship is filled with passion and lust?"


    "You want it to be filled with hatred and dry spells?"


    "I want,¡± she says, trailing her fingers across my chest, "to do this right. You''re the only person I want to hang out with right now. But I want us to see into each other''s worlds. Learn the basics. Hobbies. Favorite colors. Favorite food. We haven''t even had our first date, Knox. I want to take you to a ce I loved in high school. Somewhere that mattered to me. I want us to be morefortable with each other. More open. Boyfriend and girlfriend stuff."


    I stare at her lips, then her eyes. She''s making sense. She really is. But it''s hard


    to listen when all I want to do is shove her up against the wall and find out if the dress looks that good sitting atop her waist while I''m inside her. Still, if this is what she


    wants...


    "Okay,¡± I say. "Take me to this ce you loved in high school."


    Her smile is soft. Grateful. She leans in and hugs me, arms sliding around my


    waist, cheek pressed against my chest. I keep my hands at my sides because if I


    touch her, I''m going to lift her, and then we''re not going anywhere.


    That''s when I spot the bag sitting beside the couch.


    "Going somewhere?" I ask.


    She pulls back. "What?"


    14:16 Thu, 22 May Al


    "The bag."


    "Oh." She grins sheepishly. "That. I''m spending the weekend at your ce."


    86%


    (+20)


    I smile, finally letting my hands touch her waist. "You should have led with that. Come on, then. We''ll go to all your nerdy high school ces."


    She squeals and runs into the bedroom. I hear the sound of zippers and drawers, and then she emerges with a pair of ts and a purse.


    "Let''s go," she says, like she''s taking me to prom.


    I grab her hand and lead her out, down the stairs, and out to my car. I open the passenger-side door for her because, apparently, I''m a gentleman now. She rolls her eyes but gets in. I walk around to the driver''s side, start the car, and we pull out of the lot.


    We''re barely five minutes into the drive when she says, "One more thing."


    "Hmm?"


    "We can''t have sex this weekend."


    I nearly brake. ¡°I beg your pardon?"


    "It''s part of the rtionship-building process. We have to be able to bond this weekend without touching each other."


    I nce at her like she''s lost her mind. "At what point are you going to startughing, dering this as a joke? Because I know you, Bunny. You can barely keep your eyes and hands off me. And you want to stay in the same house with me and not have sex?"


    "We can do it."


    "It''s not about whether we can. It''s why."


    "To bond."


    "Traditionally, people have sex to consummate things. That''s the biggest form of bonding."


    "You''re just being difficult."


    "And you''re not telling me what this is about. No sex? Thest time you said that,


    you took your clothes off andy on me while I was asleep."


    "Well, this time it''s different."


    "Enlighten me."


    She''s quiet for a few seconds, then she says, "This is what I want. I want to understand my feelings for you beyond lust. And you''re going to help me, Knox, because we''re in a rtionship. Helping me is part of your duties."


    I turn my head slowly. "I''m supposed to help you not have sex with me?"


    "With this kind of bond, we can get to a point where we ask each other for


    anything without fear of the other person saying


    no."


    "What has sex got to do with making demands? Are you setting me up, Bunny? If


    you want to ask me something, just ask away. Don''t try to sneak around by starving me."


    "I do want to make a request. And I don''t want you to say no."


    14:17 Thu, 22 May M GO.


    "When have I ever said no to you?"


    "You will in this case."


    "Try me."


    She goes quiet again. Then, just above a whisper, she says, "I saw your mother


    today."


    AD


    No Ads

 87

    hapter 87


    SLOANE


    I don''t know what I''m doing right now, but I''m absolutely sure I care about this man. And I know that finding out his sister, the same one whose death tore him and Finn apart, is actually alive won''t go down easy.


    It didn''t go down easy for me either.


    I was mad at Victoria after she told me. I called her evil and told her to get lost. Then I got into the car and drove off with my foot pushing hard against the gas.


    But the truth is, I haven''t stopped thinking about it. All evening, it''s been bouncing around inside me, twisting up my insides. Should I tell him? Should I not? Is it better to leave the past where it lies, or does Knox deserve to know?


    He grips the wheel tighter at the mention of his mother, and even though his words are calm, I can feel the shift in him.


    "She got to you, didn''t she?" he asks.


    "Yeah. She did."


    His jaw flexes as he exhales.


    "That woman is very determined. All you have to do is put Finn in a desperate situation, and she starts her campaign. Did she offer you money this time? She loves handing out checks."


    I let out a softugh. "Unfortunately, no."


    "Would you have taken it? I remember her saying back in Asheville that she offered you money to date Finn." He shakes his head and chuckles. "From the look of things, you turned her down. People don''t often turn my mother down. You spent ten years chasing someone, and then his mother offers you money to date him, and you say no. That''s when I knew. That was the moment I became


    convinced I wanted you."


    I nce at him.


    "She told you that?"


    "Yup. Right after warning me to leave you alone. Said I should prioritize my brother''s happiness.


    "Why didn''t you?" I ask. "Why didn''t you leave me alone, Knox?"


    He doesn''t look at me, but his right hand moves off the wheel and rests gently on myp. His fingers are warm, heavy in thatforting way that lets me know he''s present even when he doesn''t have the words.


    "Do you have any idea how many times I prioritized my brother''s happiness?" he says, voice steady. "Never again. I liked you, and there was no stopping me, especially not from a speech about Finn''s happiness that I''ve heard a million times. By the way, where are we even going, Bunny? This part of the city looks like where people get kidnapped and sold into sex trafficking."


    I point. "Turn right there. We''re almost there."


    "You''re not going to tell me what''s there?"


    "You''ll see soon enough"


    He goes quiet, obeying without question, but I can tell he''s wary. The streets grow narrower. A quietness settles between us, broken only by the sound of


    the engine and the faraway echo of a siren.


    We roll into a neighborhood with old brick buildings and ivy-covered walls. The streemps here are dim, in the far corner, fucked behind a rusted iron gate, stands a cathedral that looks like it belongs to a forgotten century.


    The Cathedral of Saint Aurelia. Abandoned now.


    "Is that a church?" Knox says, squinting.


    "An abandoned cathedral," I reply.


    "And we''re going in?"


    "Yeah."


    "Should I bring a gun?"


    "Don''t you dare."


    He groans. "It wouldn''t matter anyway. Guns won''t kill whatever ghosts live in there."


    We step out, and I wrap my arms around myself. Knoxes to stand beside me, taking off his jacket and cing it across my shoulders. One hand then slips around my waist.


    The gate creaks when I push it open. I pull out my phone, turn on the shlight, and guide him through the musty entrance.


    "Is this where you made out with boys in high school?" he says behind me.


    "In a church? I wasn''t making out with anyone."


    "Smoking weed, then?"


    "None of that,¡± I say, finding the old confessional tucked into the side. "I found this ce the day I stole my dad''s car. I was fifteen. Just driving around,


    crying."


    He watches as I push open the narrow door to the confessional, revealing the hidden entrance inside..


    "Why were you crying?" he asks as we squeeze through.


    "He brought a woman home and said she was going to live with us."


    "You didn''t want your dad to date?"


    "I always thought my mom woulde back. I thought he was recing her. I cut


    up the woman''s clothes with scissors. My dad got mad. Said I was being a child.


    That my mom wasn''ting back. I took his keys and left."


    The stairwell is narrow, and Knox has to crouch behind me as we climb.


    "Did she leave? This woman?"


    "What do you think?"


    "So you were your dad''s cockblocker."


    "Maybe. He waited until I left the house before remarrying."


    Heughs as we near the rooftop, wrapping his arms around me and kissing the


    top of my head. "Even at fifteen, you were a terrorist. I bet your dad couldn''t wait until you left for college."


    11:23 Sat, 24 May Gu B


    "Mmhmm."


    May GuB


    We push open the rooftop hatch, stepping into the open air.


    The view is eerie but beautiful. The rooftop is t and scattered with gravel.


    Knox nces around. "So, what do we do now?"


    "Enjoy the view."


    He squints. "The view is dark. Are we supposed to be seeing something?"


    I lie down on the dusty floor and pat the space beside me. "By view, I meant the


    stars. They look better from up here."


    He hesitates. Then sighs. Carefully, he lies beside me.


    The stars are faint but visible. Pinpricks of silver in the ink sky.


    "So, Knox," I say, turning my head to him. "Your turn."


    "My turn?"


    "I just told you a secret. Now you tell me one."


    "That''s what people do when they look at stars? They share secrets?"


    "Kind of."


    57%


    He sighs. "Alright. I used to have a crush on a teacher in middle school."


    "Who didn''t? Tell me something big."


    "Okay. I lost my virginity at thirteen."


    "Thirteen? You were a slut even at a young age."


    Heughs. "If it''s any constion, I found it weird."


    "That''s great, but it''s still not big enough. I brought you to my sanctuary and told you I sabotaged all my dad''s rtionships. Tell me something that actually matters to you."


    He turns to face me, the stars catching in his eyes. "Don''t be afraid, Bunny. You have something on your mind, and you can just say it. What do you want


    to know?"


    "Alright. What happened between you, Finn, and your sister?"


    He stiffens. His silence stretches for a long while, but eventually, he speaks.


    "There was an incident. She was taken to the hospital. And she died. My father got mad. Said I either go away and atone for my imaginary sins or he''d turn me over to the police to be tried as an adult. So I enlisted."


    "What was the incident?"


    He sighs. "You know, I don''t believe it''s a coincidence that you met my mother


    and all of a sudden you''re interested in my dead sister. What exactly did she say


    to you, Bunny?"


    "Well, she wants you to show brotherly affection to Finn."


    "You know I won''t."


    11.23 Sat, 24 May


    24 May G


    57%


    "And I respect it. I just want to know why you hate him so much."


    "I don''t hate him. Sometimes we get along. But if you''re asking why we don''t often


    see eye to eye, it''s because he lied and it ruined my life."


    "Was the lie about your sister?"


    He nods once.


    "So if she were alive, would that change anything between you two?"


    He turns his head, staring at me. ¡°What?"


    "If Lydia were alive-"


    "Why would you even ask that?"


    I sit up slowly. "Your mother told me she sent her away to clean up the mess


    between you and Finn. She said Lydia is alive. She''ll tell you where she is if you help Finn."


    His face drains of color. Every line in it tightens.


    "Can you repeat what the hell you just said?"


    "Lydia is alive, Knox."


    He sits up too. "I''m sorry, but are you telling me that my mother had the guts to


    use my dead sister''s name to manipte me?"

 88

    Chapter 88 Chapter 88


    It dawns on me at this moment that I probably should''ve eased into it better. Said it in a way that didn''t feel like a punch to the gut.


    Sure, I expected anger. Some disbelief. Maybe even that quiet kind of devastation Knox farely lets anyone see. But I didn''t expect the shift to happen so fast, like flipping a light switch. One second he''s lying beside me, breathing calm night air, and the next, he''s fire and thunder,


    "You can''t be certain she''s lying, Knox," I say carefully.


    But he''s already on his feet.


    "Come on," he says. "My mother wants to see me, right? Well, she''s going to damn well see me now."


    "Don''t go. At least not tonight. You seem angry."


    "Shouldn''t I be?" He crouches down and grabs my shoulders, lifting me easily to my feet. His hands are steady, but his eyes are pure rage. "You have no idea how much angrier I''ll be if there''s even a sliver of truth in this."


    We just stand there for a moment, still. Our bodies facing each other, breaths shared.


    "Don''t go," I whisper.


    "Isn''t this what you wanted?" he says. ¡°A part of you told me this because you want me to forgive Finn. If the person whose death started all this isn''t really dead, then we don''t have to keep fighting. Right? Nothing he does to you will ever turn you against him. I see that now."


    "No, Knox," I say, reaching for his arm. "I just don''t want you to make things worse. If you go there in this state, I don''t know what you''ll do."


    He steps back. "Then you shouldn''t have told me, Bunny. Because God help my mother and Finn if I get to that house and find out they''re telling the truth."


    He turns and heads for the hatch.


    "Knox!" I chase after him. "Wait!"


    He doesn''t stop. He moves with the kind of purpose that makes the floorboards feel thinner underfoot.


    I follow him back down the tight stairwell, through the narrow confessional door. My phone light bounces off the floor. I nce up at him ahead, surprised he doesn''t need the light. Of course he doesn''t. He knows how to walk through the dark. I''m the one fumbling.


    Once we''re out, I follow him closely to the car. The night is thicker now, the wind colder. The second he unlocks the doors, I climb in.


    He starts the engine. I buckle in.


    "Knox, baby, let''s just talk about this," I say. "You''re not thinking straight."


    "I''m having the exact thoughts I need to be having."


    "At least tell me what those thoughts are so I can help you process them."


    His jaw tenses. "One of them is that I don''t think Ipletely have you to myself yet. And maybe if Finn''s no longer in the picture, everything will be easier."


    I frown. "What does that even mean?"


    "You''ll see."


    "Knox, for God''s sake, if you care about me at all, you''ll take us home and leave this rage behind. Please."


    11:23 Sat, 24 May


    "Don''t do that, Sloane."


    "Do what?"


    "Manipte me. All my life, I''ve been controlled by people I love. Don''t be one of them.".


    "I''m not, I swear," I say quickly. My voice is trembling. My eyes sting. "I just got you. I''m not going to let whatever happens tonight take you away from me. You''re a good person, Knox. Just take us home."


    H¨¦ presses harder on the gas. "I''m not a good person, Sloane. And as much as I care about you, this isn''t about you. It''s about me. So please, stop trying to change my mind."


    I keep my gaze on the road. I should do something. Call Finn. Warn someone. But what would that say about my faith in Knox? And despite everything, some part of me still believes he won''t go too far. He wouldn''t. Not Knox.


    But as we drive into Finn''s neighborhood, that faith avers. He''s still mad, and I''m surprised he knows the address.


    He parks, gets out, and heads into the building like a man with a mission.


    I follow him up the stairs, my eyes catching on the dust smudged across the back


    of his shirt-leftover from when we were lying on the rooftop of that old cathedral. That rooftop I dragged him to. A man who''d lie on dirty gravel just because I asked him to... he couldn''t really be capable of hurting his own family, right?,


    By the time we hit the fourth floor, he''s already knocking-no, pounding-on Finn''s door like he ns to tear it down.


    I hurry to his side and start brushing his back with my hands, more out of instinct than sense. He stiffens at the touch and slowly turns his head to look at


    1. me.


    "You got dust there," I say quietly, smoothing my hand down his spine.


    For a second, he just stares.


    Then the door opens.


    Victoria stands there in a mauve silk robe tied loosely at her waist, her hair clipped back, eyes rimmed with fatigue.


    "Sloane. Knox," she says, blinking. "That was fast.''


    "Why''d you lie to me, Mom?" Knox says. "How could you use her name to lie to me?"


    Victoria steps aside. "Please. Come in."


    Knox enters without hesitation. I follow him, shutting the door behind us and staying close to his side.


    "Start talking," he says.


    "You should sit down," she says gently. "Can I get you water? Juice? Lemonade? Even alcohol?"


    "Mom, for the love of God and my sanity, can we just get to the part where you tell me why you mentioned Lydia''s name?"


    "Keep your voice down," Victoria says, eyes darting to the hallway. "Finn''s asleep."


    Knox steps further into the apartment. His body is coiled so tightly that I can feel the tightness from across the room. His eyes move. He''s looking for something. And then he spots it. A decorative vase sitting on a low shelf. He moves toward it without a word and grabs it. In one clean motion, he turns and hurls it across the room.


    It crashes against the wall.


    Victoria gasps, one hand flying to her mouth.


    11823


    Sat, 24 May


    24 May & u


    "The next time," he says, "I''m going into Finn''s room and smashing something on


    his head."


    "Knox..." Victoria raises a hand like she''s reaching for him. "I''m so sorry. But I had to do what''s best for my boys."


    "For your boys or for Finn? Stop pretending like you care about me."


    "I do. You know I do."


    * 57%


    "Then answer the question. Why did you feed my girlfriend lies to deliver to me? What did you think would happen? That I''d what? Cry? Run into Finn''s arms? This stunt won''t earn him my mercy."


    "It wasn''t a stunt," Victoria says. Her voice lowers. Her eyes water. "It was the truth. She''s alive. She''s been alive all these years."


    Knox takes a step back. Shakes his head.


    "That''s a lie."


    "Knox-"


    "She''s dead. Lydia is dead, and she better stay dead after everything you put me through because of her."


    "Keep your voice down," Victoria pleads. "Finn doesn''t know. It would break him."


    "Why do you always do this? You use people I love to get to me, Mom. Lydia back then. Sloane now. When do you stop?"


    Before I can process what he just said, a voicees from a different part of the house.


    "People you love?"


    We all turn. Finn is standing in the hallway. He looks awful. His face is still mottled with bruises, his hand wrapped in a cast. There''s a hollowness in him that makes my chest ache.


    "You don''t love Sloane,¡± Finn says. "You just want to hurt me by keeping her. And she''s too blinded by you to notice."


    "Finn," Victoria warns.


    "Stop using Lydia,¡± Finn snaps. "Stop making her your excuse every time something happens between us. You''re not a martyr, Knox. You never were."


    Knox takes a step forward. His voice is ice. "How many times do I have to tell you not to say her name?"


    "What are you going to do? Kill me?" Finn pulls something from the sling of his cast. It looks like a harmonica at first. Then he snaps it open.


    A pocket knife.


    My heart lurches.


    "Don''t worry, Knox," he says. "I''ll save you the trouble. I''ll slit my hand open, and


    then you don''t have to worry about me anymore."


    "Oh,

 89

    No Ads


    "Everybody stay back,¡± Finn says, holding the de just below the end of his cast, pressing it to the exposed skin of his wrist. The metal catches the ins in a way that makes my stomach twist. "This could''ve ended better, but you don''t stop until someone''s dead or in the hospital, Knox, So here we are


    Knox doesn''t move. His hands are in his pockets, and his eyes are on his brother like he''s watching someone pull a party trick. It terrifies me, the way he looks so... unfazed.


    Victoria looks horrified. She''s gone pale. I don''t know what I feel. Cold? Numb? Detached in that way you get when your brain won''t let you absorb something all at once. But I do know one thing-I don''t want to see Finn open his wrists. Not in front of me. Not ever.


    "Is that supposed to move me, Finn?" Knox says, his tone t. "You sent Mom to me with some lie about Lydia, hoping I''de running. And now you think pulling a knife will somehow make me forgive you?"


    ¡°Lie about Lydia?" Finn says. "What are you talking about?"


    We both look at Victoria. Her guilt is visible. She looks like she might melt right into the floor.


    "I asked you not to mention it, Knox," she says.


    "Mention what?" Finn asks.


    Ie in, voice shaking. "Your mother says your sister is alive."


    Finn''s expression shifts from confusion to disbelief to raw, hot anger. "Stop ying, Mom."


    "It''s true," Victoria says, her voice breaking. "You two don''t have to fight anymore. Just end this war. Once and for all."


    "End this war?¡± Finnughs bitterly. "You think Knox will forgive me just because Lydia''s alive? He''s built his whole personality on hating me."


    "You''re absolutely right," Knox says. "I hate you. So why don''t you do us all a favor and use the damn knife?"


    "Stop it, both of you!" I shout, stepping forward. "Put it down, Finn.¡±


    His eyes are still fixed on Knox. "The only way I''m putting this down is if you leave him. I won''t let my brother keep fucking a woman I love."


    The room freezes. My heart starts hammering so hard it hurts. Every gaze shifts to me. Knox looks... entertained, of all things. Amused.


    "Let me get this straight," he says slowly. "You pretended to Mom that you needed brotherly affection just so she could lure me here, and you knew Sloane wille along to make sure I don''t kill you. And your n was to pull a knife out and emotionally ckmail Sloane into getting back with you? That''s impressive, Finn. Really. You''ve outdone yourself with this new level of psychopathy."


    "I don''t care if shees back to me or not. You can''t have her. I won''t rest until she leaves you."


    "I''m not leaving him," I say. "When are you going to understand that, Finn?" "Sloane," Victoria starts, clearly panicked.


    I ignore her, focusing all my attention on the man with the knife.


    "We had a good run, Finn. But we were both lying to ourselves for ten years. It''s time to let me go. I''ll always care about you, but I''m in love with someone else now."


    Knox turns to me in surprise, and I wonder why. He''s practically told the entire room that he loves me. Why''s he shocked I said the same?


    Finn tightens his grip on the knife.


    "Is that your final answer, Sloane?" Finn says.


    "Put the knife down."


    He doesn''t. Instead, he tears the de across his wrist. Victoria screams.


    The knife tters to the ground. Blood starts to drip in slow, vivid lines down his arm. It''s not gushing, not pulsing. Nothing arterial, but it''s enough to turn my stomach.


    He drops to the floor with a grunt, his teeth clenched.


    "Towels!" Victoria cries. "Get towels!"


    I spin on my heel and race down the hallway into the bedroom, fumbling through


    the door to the bathroom, yanking towels from the rack with shaking hands. When


    I return, Knox has already taken Victoria''s ce in front of Finn.


    Victoria returns with a first-aid kit.


    I hand Knox the towels, and he pads Finn''s wrist with terrifying efficiency.


    "Should I call an ambnce?" I whisper.


    "No," he replies. "He couldn''t even kill himself correctly. He''ll be fine."


    "Fuck you," Finn snarls. "And fuck you too, Sloane."


    "Just shut up and let your brother fix you," Victoria snaps, pressing her hand to Finn''s shoulder.


    I watch Knox''s hands work. He cleans the wound, pressing the towel to slow the bleeding, then applies antiseptic like he''s done this before. Like he''s patched up wounds deeper than this. Maybe he has. He wraps Finn''s wrist, tugging the gauze tight enough to hold pressure but not enough to cut cirction.


    Finn doesn''t flinch. Doesn''t resist. His breathing slows. His eyes close. He looks... peaceful.


    Maybe Victoria was right. The little shit actually wants his brother. That''s what this is. All this drama, this stunt with the knife-it''s not just about me. It''s about getting Knox''s attention, getting him close. He''s wrecking my entire weekend just to have his brother patch him up.


    I watch them-Knox crouched beside him, hands steady, face nk-and I swear, I almost want to grab the knife myself and finish what Finn started. Open up the other arm, this time deep enough to hit something real. Something that bleeds out properly.


    When Knox finishes, he straightens.


    "I don''t ever want to see you again, Finn," he says.


    "Knox," Victoria pleads. "Not now."


    "Oh, you''ll be seeing me," Finn sneers. "You and your backstabbing bitch."


    I step in just in time, my hands around Knox''s arm before heunches forward. I knew he wouldn''t let Finn''s words slide, and there isn''t a part of Finn that can take any more punches.


    "She''s got you wrapped around her little finger, doesn''t she?" Finn spits. "She makes you fall for her, makes you need her. She did it to me. She''s the reason I don''t have friends. Then she left me. Broke my fucking heart."


    "Let''s go," I whisper, tugging Knox toward the door.


    "That''s right. Run off. As soon as someonees around with bigger issues, she''ll hop off your dick and onto theirs."


    I drag Knox out the door. It feels like hauling myself out too, like if I don''t get out now, I''ll lose it.


    11:24 Sat, 24 May GUB


    We make it down the stairs, out into the street, and into the car. I think about asking him to swing by my ce for my overnight bag, but the silence between us is too heavy. So I stay quiet all through the drive to his ce.


    When we get there and have kicked off our shoes at the door, Knox heads straight upstairs, and I follow.


    He stops at that special door and keys in the password. My eyes struggle to adjust to the red light as we get inside. But Knox is already moving


    He crosses to a wall panel, opens a hidden door, and reveals a part of the room I never noticed before. There''s a setup there. It looks like a medical-grade bench with wires and a control unit. I rush to him.


    "Knox, what is that?"


    "You don''t want to see this, Sloane. Wait outside."


    "What is going on?"


    "This is how I control my emotions."


    He discards his shirt and lies down, attaching those wiry pads to his chest and


    arms. The sight of it all makes my skin crawl.


    "What does it do?"


    He hits a timer. Numbers light up. A voltage count.


    My breath catches.


    "No way, Knox. I won''t let you do this."


    I step forward to pull the pads away, but it''s toote. The machine whirs, and his


    body seizes.


    I scream.


    His teeth grit, eyes shut. It passes. He slumps.


    "Stop it, Knox," I say, tears already welling. "Please."


    "You should really wait outside, Bunny."


    "No."


    "Just go. Please."


    "No, Knox."


    He presses the button again.


    This time, I move faster. I strip off my dress, climb astride him, and feel the faint


    tremble under my skin. I take two pads from his chest and press them to the inside of my thighs.


    The jolt ms through us both.


    I scream again, body arching.


    When he realizes what I''ve done, Knox jolts upright, mming the machine off.


    He yanks the pads from me and gathers me into his chest. And then he cups my


    face.


    "What the hell did you do that for?"


    "Jesus, that hurt," I whisper.


    "You thought it was supposed to be pleasant?"


    "I wanted you to stop."


    "And I told you to go."


    "I won''t leave you alone to electrocute yourself."


    "I wasn''t electrocuting myself."


    "I don''t care. If you put that machine on again, it''s going to be me and you getting


    zapped."


    His expression shifts. The tightness in his jaw doesn''t go away, but his eyes


    change. I can''t tell if it''s relief or disbelief or just in overwhelm, but it''s there.


    His hands are still holding my face, thumbs brushing under


    my


    Then his voice drops, barely more than a breath. "You crazy woman."


    cheekbones.


    And before I can answer, before I can say anything snarky in return, he leans in


    and kisses me.

 90

    Chapter 90 Chapter 90


    +15


    Knox''s lips on mine are gentle at first. I press harder into the kiss, hungry for more, pulling him with me like I''m trying to merge us. My fingers glide up his back, and then I drag my nails down, sharp enough to leave a mark, maybe even draw blood. He groans into my mouth, the sound deep and raw, and then the kiss changes-no more softness, no hesitation. Just heat. Just need.


    His fingers dive into my hair, gripping tight at the roots, and the roughness makes me moan. My hips grind down on him instinctively, feeling him swell beneath me.


    He pulls away, breathless.


    "You need to get off," he whispers.


    "Why?" I ask, rolling my hips again just to tease.


    "Fuck. No... You said we need to work on the other parts of our rtionship. No sex. Remember?"


    I swallow. "Well, I..."


    "I''m your boyfriend. I''m supposed to help you keep your hands off me."


    I don''t know what to say to that. I definitely wasn''t this turned on when I made that no-sex rule. Back then, it felt noble. Now it feels like a joke I told in another lifetime. My hands drift to his chest, fingertips grazing the edges of the electrodes still stuck to his skin. One by one, I peel them off. I don''t dare look up, but I can feel his gaze tracking every movement.


    That part of him sitting underneath my heat keeps growing.


    "Hunter gave us an ultimatum," I say, letting my palm rest over one of the tattoos on his chest. The skin there feels slightly raised, bumpy, something I haven''t noticed before. I trace my fingers over it. He doesn''t move. Just holds still, breathing into my face.


    "Hunter?" His voice is low. Controlled. "Where did you meet him?"


    "At work. In the elevator. He said he wants an apology letter from both of us-for ruining his wedding."


    Knox lets out a dryugh. "He''s still mad about that?"


    "I think he''s just lonely. No one''s around to help him spend his money anymore."


    Knox''s arms wrap around my waist, tugging me closer. "So we''re supposed to write a letter without a gun pointed to our heads?"


    I smack his chest.


    "What?" he says. "You want to write it? You''d have to knock me out and force my hand."


    ¡°I''m not writing anything,¡± I murmur. ¡°But then he was checking out my sister. Kind of creeped me out that he''s threatening to make my life hell and at the same time eye-banging Serena."


    "Make your life hell?" Knox''s brow rises.


    "He says he helped someone secure majority shares in thepany. ims he''s about to be CEO. And if I don''t cooperate with his little demand, he''ll make sure I''m so buried in work that I never see you again."


    "Hunter''s a softy," Knox says. "He doesn''t have it in him. He just misses me and doesn''t know how toe back without making it look like surrender. I''ll talk to him."


    <38%0


    "You better," I say, "Because I''m not writing that letter."


    He lifts his hand and brushes my bangs from my face. "Then maybe you should just give him your sister"


    "Fuck you, Knox."


    Heughs and tilts his head back. It''s rich and unguarded. When hees down from it, he says, "Seriously though, the doesn''t even love her boyfriend. And a distraction might help with the whole stepfather crush thing"


    "You know too much about my family."


    "Your family is a bunch of crazies. You''re the craziest of them all."


    "Oh yeah?" I smirk. "Need I remind you that your brother tore his hand open just


    to have you patch him up?"


    Knoxughs again. "Still doesn''t beat your family''s record."


    "Your mom lied that your dead sister is alive just to get you in the same room as your brother. I think that tops it."


    Theughter fades from his face. His eyes narrow slightly.


    "The thing is," he says, voice low, "I don''t think she was lying."


    "What?"


    "I know my mother. She was probably telling the truth. And that''s even worse than Lydia being dead"


    "Do you... want to find her?"


    Knox looks away.


    "If we keep talking about this, I''m going to need those shocks again."


    I cup his face and make him look at me. "Hey. You can tell me anything. If there''s


    a weight on you, let me carry it too."


    "I don''t want this rtionship to turn into you fixing me."


    "I don''t care what you want," I say. "I''m fixing you anyway."


    "And how are you nning to do that?"


    I slowly rise from hisp. My skin still tingles where we touched, like I''m leaving part of myself behind on him. I swing my leg over and step off until I''m standing beside the bench. And he stays exactly where he is-seated, elbows resting loosely on his thighs.


    But his eyes. Cod.


    They follow me like a touch, dragging up the length of my legs, over the stretch of my thighs, my hips, my stomach. Lingering at my breasts. My chest rises and falls quickly, and even though I''m technically still wearing panties, I might as well be naked.


    The look in his eyes isn''t just lust. It''s hunger.


    "You should really put clothes on," he mutters, his gaze locked on my breasts.


    I bend slightly, hook my thumbs under the waistband of my panties, and pull them off. Then I toss them at him.


    He catches the fabric midair and lifts it to his face, inhaling deeply with closed eyes.


    Sun, 25 May


    When he opens them again, he looks like a man starved.


    "You told your family you love me,¡± I say,


    His gaze doesn''t move from my body. "Did 1?"


    "Yes."


    "I seem to remember you saying something simr."


    "Are we going to talk about it?"


    "About what?"


    "Those feelings."


    "Not while you''re naked."


    "When? Because I''m not putting my clothes back on, Knox."


    "Then I might need to run away. Because I''m not having tender thoughts about you right now


    "I don''t want you to." I step closer. "I want you to use me, Knox."


    His eyes snap to mine. "Use you?"


    "As your anchor. Whatever part of you seeks pain, I want to teach it to seek pleasure instead."


    His whole body tenses. And then his voice drops. "I''m listening."


    I start backing away, one step at a time, holding his gaze. When I reach the threshold of the main room, his yroom, I pause beneath the red glow and lift


    my hand-just one finger-and curl it inward, beckoning him toward me. My heart is pounding by now, but I don''t let it show.


    He rises from the bench like he''s being summoned by a magical spell.


    I don''t have a n. Not exactly. I don''t know what I''m doing, only that I want him


    to follow me. My feet move on their own, carrying me deeper into the room. Past


    the leather-covered benches, past the wall racks lined with tools I can''t name yet.


    And then I see it.


    The suspension rig stands near the far wall, tall and made of ck steel. At first nce, it almost looks like gym equipment- but there''s nothing ordinary about it. The base is wide and stable, with a frame arching upward like a doorway meant for tying someone in ce. Straps dangle from the top bar, thick, padded cuffs designed to hold wrists high and apart. Matching restraints hang lower, near where the legs would go, attached to adjustable hooks that promise zero freedom once you''re in.


    It''s built for exposure. For stillness. For total trust.


    I stop in front of it, turn, and meet his eyes as he closes the space between us.


    "No rules, Knox," I say. "No safeword. Use me."


    "If you''re asking me to hurt you, I won''t do it."


    "I''m asking you to use me. Not everything has to be about pain."


    He moves toward me, each step measured. When there''s no more space left


    between us, he lifts his hand to my chin and tilts it up. "You''re sure this is what you want?"


    12.44 Sun, 25 May


    "Yes. I think you''re happiest when you have something to y with."


    "So you think you know me now?"


    "I do."


    "Out of everything, you picked the swing? You''re going to be sore."


    "There''s never a time you don''t leave me sore, Knox."


    "There''s sore, baby. And then there''s sore."


    With zero warning, he lifts me by the waist and carries me toward the rig.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 CHAPTER 091: Good Things

    Knox''s hands are strong and sure as he guides me to the suspension


    apparatus. He moves with his eyes fixed on mine, and I see the intensity in his gaze the promise of what''s toe: My heart is pounding, my body already aching with anticipation.


    Once there, he lowers me gently into the harness


    hanging from the overhead rig. The leather is cool and smooth against my bare skin. I shiver, goosebumps rising on my flesh, and he notices, smirking.


    "I''ve got you, Sloane," he says.


    He starts to secure my arms, pulling them up and apart. The leather cuffs click into ce around my wrists. I test the restraints, pulling against them. They''re solid. My arms are stretched wide, my body exposed "You trust me, right?" he asks.


    "You know I do."


    He smiles, a soft, genuine smile that makes my heart flutter, and he leans down, iming my mouth with his. I can''t help but kiss him back, my


    tongue meeting his in a hungry dance. I moan into the kiss, my body aching with need. I wish I could run my fingers through his hair and pull him closer, but my arms are securely restrained, forcing me to endur He pulls back slightly, his forehead resting against mine. "I love how swollen your lips get when I kiss you," he says. "Makes me want to bite them off."


    He leans back in, capturing my bottom


    lip with his teeth and biting hard until I taste blood. I gasp into the kiss. He then soothes the pain with a slow sweep of his tongue, and the sensation sends jolts of pleasure straight to my core.


    He pulls back, his eyes never leaving mine. There''s a wicked glint in them. He licks his lip, tasting


    the blood, and a satisfied smile spreads across his face.


    "Even your blood is tasty," he says. "What part of you isn''t sweet, Bunny?"


    His hands then settle on myp, trailing a path down my legs until he finds my ankles. In one move, he lifts them high in the air. My legs are spread wide, my ass tilted slightly outward, and I can feel the cool air he secures those ankles into cuffs that hang close to my arms, properly clipping me in ce with nowhere to run.


    He then runs a hand up my inner thigh, torturously slow. I shiver.


    "You''re so beautiful like this, Sloane," he says. "So open, so vulnerable. It''s fucking incredible."


    I look away, suddenly shy.


    0000 0 0 1:I::II


    He notices and forces me to meet his gaze with a finger under my chin. "Don''t hide from me. I want to see you, all of you. You''re mine, remember?"


    I nod, somehow unable to form words right now.


    He reaches up and pats my cheek in approval. "Good girls get nice treats."


    "The only treat I want is you."


    "I know. But I''ll give you more than me since you''re ying nice."


    I can''t help but feel a sense of pride and pleasure at his words. He steps back, his hands leaving my skin, and I instantly


    miss his touch. He moves away with heavy footsteps echoing in therge room, and I strain to listen, to figure out what he''s doing. I suspect he''s heading for the toy shelf, but I can''t turn to look as my body is se Momentster, a silky wrap falls over my eyes, blocking out my vision.


    He secures the blindfold behind my head, and I''m


    plunged into darkness. Memories of thest time I was blindfolded flood my mind, the intense pleasure, the mind-


    gripping sensations, and I can feel my body responding, my core growing


    wet in wait. I try to calm my racing heart by breathing deep but it''s no use. I''m a mess of need. My body is on fire, every nerve ending alight,


    I listen as he returns to my front, and he''s so close that I feel his breath on my skin.


    I jump slightly as his fingers find my nipples, rolling them first and then pinching hard, sending jolts of pleasure and pain through me.


    I stick my chest out. "Do it again, Knox."


    He doesn''t need to be told twice. His


    ve


    fingers pinch harder, and I cry out. Then his mouth is on them, teeth nibbling tongue soothing. Those two nipples feel charged. He alternates between them, biting, sucking with slurping sounds, licking, and feasting until''m seeing stars. I can feel myself growing wetter, my core aching with need, and I start to move my hips, seeking friction, seeking release.


    He finally lets them go, and before I can protest, I feel something cold press against each bud.


    The


    contact is so unexpected that I shift back a little. They feel like small cups. I realize what they are when he turns them on and they vibrate against my nipples.


    "Oh, my god," I moan, my body arching.


    The pleasure is almost painful. The suction, the


    pulsing, and the vibration all work together to drive me wild. My hips move


    involuntarily.


    His mouth drops to the skin just under my bust, kissing a path down from there to my belly and then stopping to stick his tongue into my navel. I giggle, ticklish, and I try to squirm away, but I''m held firmly in c "Oh, no, no, no," I protest,ughing and moaning at the same time.


    He blows air into my navel, and I''m sure I feel liquid drop from


    underneath me, my body so turned on that I''m leaking.


    "Knox, please," I beg, wishing more than anything that I could drag his face to the part of me parts


    of me, torturing me, teasing me, driving me wild.


    that aches the most. But he just keeps feasting on different


    He kisses his way down to my inner thighs, his tongue tracing patterns on my skin. Hees so praying, that he''ll finally give me what I need. But he pulls back, kissing up my legs to my calves.


    Yeah, I did forget that Knox is a fucking tease.


    Close to my center, and I hold my breath, hoping,


    He finally, finally gives me a taste of what I''ve been craving. His tongue traces a line from my dripping entrance to my clit, and I''m so close that a few more touches might send me spiraling over the edge. But he pulls back, denying me the release I so desperately need.


    ¡°Knox,¡± I moan, my voice a plea.


    He kisses my leftbia, then my right, his lips soft, a stark contrast to the intensity of the nipple suckers vibrating up here. And then he''s in my heat again, tongue diving in, licking,pping, tasting. Every touch drives me wild. I wiggle my waist, trying to get closer, trying to deepen the connection, and he groans, a


    sound that vibrates into me.


    "You''re dripping," he says, pulling away, and I suddenly hate that I''m restrained, that I can''t pull him back, can''t force him to continue.


    "Don''t go," I beg.


    "Be patient. Good thingse to those who wait!"


    "I think I''ve waited enough."


    "Just a couple more seconds."


    I hear a tube opening and the squelch of liquid being squeezed out, and I''m curious. He grabs my waist and lifts my ass higher, spreading my cheeks, and I feel the cold liquid dropping there. He pushes the liquid in with an egg-like device.


    A butt plug, I guess. It stretches me. I don''t know if it''s the device humming against my chest that''s making me needy, but the butt plug feels way better than I imagined. I find myself shaking to get more of the fe Then more of that liquid is squirted onto my core, and I jump.


    "Rx," he says. "This is going to feel ufortable at first, but you''re going to enjoy it."


    "What will feel ufortable?"

 CHAPTER 092: Let Me In

    He doesn''t reply. Instead, he drizzles more lube onto me and


    rubs against my heat, He starts slow, pushing one finger in, the lube making wet, squelching sounds as he eases in. I moan, finally getting that itch scratched. One finger bes two, and then three, and then "Breathe, Sloane," he says. "Let me in."


    I try to rx, to do as he says, but my body is tight, my muscles clenched with both need and fright now that I realize what he intends to do.


    "You''re doing great. Just let go a little more."


    I take a deep breath, and he uses the opportunity to push in further, his five fingers


    breaking through.


    He starts to move, pushing and pushing.


    I feel myself stretching, feel myself giving way to him, and it''s intense, the pleasure, the pain, the fullness, all overwhelming, all consuming.


    "Knox," I moan, not sure if I want more or want him to stop.


    He kisses me on the cheek. "You can take it. Just open up. Let go. Feel."


    I do until it feels like an entire arm is inside me. My body mps down on him, trying to push him out, but he''s relentless, his hand moving, curling, hitting all


    the sensitive spots at once. Oh, lord, I''m going to die from pleasure.


    "I can''t... I can''t take it."


    "You can. You already are."


    I realize it''s just my imagination ying tricks on me, and his arm isn''t all the way in yet. He slides the rest in, and I feel every part of that arm. Every vein, every ridge, every inch of him, and fuck me, I don''t wan so I know, I know,


    that he''s fully inside.


    He rotates the arm inside me first, and I almost bite my tongue out from how good it feels. The hand keeps rocking


    in and out and around, pushing against the butt plug and creating an uneven rhythm with the nipple suckers vibrating against my chest. Feeling this good has to be some sort of felony.


    The orgasmes out of nowhere, taking me out of this world.


    "Oh, yes," I say, throwing my head back.


    My insides squeeze his arm, and while I''m still convulsing, he pulls out, and something else, something that isn''t him but just as huge, reces the arm. It''s a dildo, I realize, arge one, and he''s pushing it in, in Jhear Knox loosening his belt, and then he''s pulling out the butt plug, recing it with a hard, thick, and meaty organ that I soon realize is him. He''s


    pushing in from behind.


    "Woah," I manage to gasp out, in between tremors, feeling like I''m about to be split in


    two. "It won''t fit."


    "It will, Sloane. You can take me. You always do."


    He pushes in further, and I''m full, so


    fucking full. He pulls back slightly, then drives in again, each thrust slow, giving me time to adjust to the invasion. doesn''t make it hurt any less, but it''s pleasurable anytime he pulls out.


    "You''re so tight, Sloane," he groans, his voice strained with effort and desire.


    I can feel every inch of him, the thickness of his cock stretching me, filling me in a way I''ve never experienced before. It''s a mix of pleasure and pain that leaves me breathless, begging for less and yet more. "Knox" I moan. "Oh, Knox."


    "know, baby."


    ef


    He pulls out almost entirely, leaving just the tip inside, and then he ms back into me. I cry out in pain, rocking against the harness. He squirts more lube on me before moving again, a steady pace at first. But I can feel his restraint, the tension in his body, and Fknow he''s holding back, trying not to hurt me.


    "I want more," I say.


    His lips capture mine at the


    same time he picks up speed, hips snapping against mine. The sound of our flesh meeting fills the room.


    I asked to be used, and I don''t think I can be any more used than right now. Knox is driving in and out of me like a wild beast, and each thrust puts pressure on the dildo in me, which makes my eyes water in bli


    The constant buzzing on my nipples


    is also driving me insane. I''m a mess of wild, wild sensations. I''m not sure where the orgasm begins. It starts as a low hum in my body, a subtle tightening in me that I can''t quite ce. My breath hitches, my body tenses, and I realize that the hum has grown louder, the tightening more insistent. It''s as if every nerve ending in my body is on alert. I can feel the orgasm rising, spreading outwards, consuming me. My muscles clench, my back arches, and I let out a low, guttural moan.


    But he doesn''t stop, doesn''t slow down, doesn''t give me a moment to recover. He keeps moving, his cock


    pounding into me.


    "Again," he says. "Cum for me again."


    And God help me, I do. I can''t exin what''s happening to me right now. My skin is slick with sweat, and he''s there, holding me, kissing me, whispering encouraging words. "I''m going to


    die," I manage to gasp out in between tremors, my body wrecked with pleasure.


    "One more, Sloane."


    I shake my head. He reaches down, his fingers finding my


    clit, rubbing, circling, and my ass leaves the harness.


    "Knox," I scream, giving in to the orgasm while milking his own release out of him.


    He groans, pulsing inside me


    and filling me up. Then he copses, his body rubbery with sweat against mine. We''re both fighting to catch our breaths. My muscles mp down on him, and he groans, quickly pulling out.


    He kisses my neck, his lips soft, as he turns the nipple vibrator off. But I''m so exhausted and numb that everything feels as though it''s happening in a dream.


    "I do love you, Sloane Mercer," he whispers into my ear.


    It makes my heart seize, and I open my mouth to reply, but I don''t get the chance. The words don''t make it out, as I''m pulled under, exhaustion taking


    over.


    Everything hurts.


    Not in a bad way-


    more like the kind of sore you feel after doing something wild and worth it. My legs ache, my arms feel stretched, and there''s a dull, warm throb between my thighs that reminds me exactly what kind of night I had.


    I''m not even on the bed properly.


    I''m sprawled across Knox''s body like


    BUT


    a human nket. My cheek is resting on his chest, one leg draped over him, and my arms tucked underneath me. His skin is warm and solid beneath mine, and can feet his slow heartbeat thumping right under my face.


    I need to stop waking up like this anytime I''m


    here. I pass out in one room and wake up in another.


    I sigh and roll off him carefully, trying not to wake him. He doesn''t move, stillpletely out, one hand resting above his head like a sleeping gud


    I stretch under the sheets, blink against the soft morning light, and¡ª


    There''s someone else in the room.


    Sitting in the corner. Quietly.


    My whole body jolts.


    "What


    the fuck, Soraya?!" I say, scrambling to sit up, dragging the sheet over my chest even though she''s already seen what she''s seen. "Who let you in?"


    She doesn''t even blink. Just sits there like she''s been waiting for this exact moment.


    "I have a key," she says simply.

 CHAPTER 093: Its Not A Competition

    Waking up to someone watching you, someone who doesn''t


    live in the house, is by far the creepiest thing on Earth.


    Soraya''s hands are folded in herp. Legs crossed. Perfectly poised and casual, as if this were normal behavior, to watch your ex- husband and his girlfriend sleep. I can feel the rage start to rise up my throat.


    "You have a key?" I say. "Is that supposed to be an excuse? You''re in Knox''s bedroom while we''re both naked."


    "You''re under the sheets. I''m only sitting here because I figured it''s a bad idea to wake Knox spontaneously, him being ex-


    military and paranoid. Don''t want to get tackled down."


    Her tone is light, indifferent. Like I''m the one being dramatic for questioning her. I push myself higher up the bed, sheet still clutched to my chest. I don''t know what annoys me more-


    the fact that she''s still sitting there when she''s been caught or the fact that she doesn''t sound the least bit guilty about it.


    "You need to leave," I say, trying to keep my voice from rising.


    Right then, Knox stirs. His hand twitches against my thigh before sliding off as he turns and blinks himself awake. He squints, rubs his eyes once, then twice, like he doesn''t trust what he''s seeing yet. "Soraya?" he says, sitting up straighter. There''s a genuine confusion in his voice. "What''s going on?"


    She shes a smile so bright it should be trademarked. "Happy birthday, Knox."


    I freeze.


    Birthday? I turn my gaze to him, trying to read his expression. And to my surprise, he looks just as blindsided.


    "Is it today?" he asks.


    "Yup. You and your girlfriend need to get out of bed and act surprised when you go downstairs. There''s a small crowd waiting for you, and you know how impatient your employees can be."


    "You shouldn''t have," Knox says, his voice still groggy with sleep.


    "Birthdays are important." She stands with a grace that only makes me hate her more. "You''re going to celebrate them whether you like them or not."


    Then she heads for the door, opens it, and shuts it behind her, heels tapping softly on the hardwood.


    I just sit there. My mind reys everything that happened in thest two minutes. From the moment I opened my eyes and saw her to that smug little birthday announcement and her slipping out like she hadn''t just detonated a bomb.


    Every single ache I was feeling fromst night vanishes in the whirlwind of rage tightening in my chest. I don''t even know what emotion to na Annoyance? Pure fucking fury?


    At least Knox has the decency to look guilty.


    "I''m so sorry, Sloane," he says, shifting closer and wrapping his arm around my waist. "She does this every year. I keep forgetting."


    My eyes search his. "It''s your birthday?"


    "Yeah."


    "And you didn''t remember?"


    "I don''t follow dates religiously and never cared about birthdays. Soraya found my birth certificate once, and it''s been hell since."


    I smack his chest just hard enough to feel the impact reverberate


    through my palm.


    Shock?


    "What''s that for?" he asks.


    "You just made me look like a terrible girlfriend in front of your ex-wife. And why


    does she still have a key to your house? A key I should have


    "It''s not apetition, Sloane."


    "Isn''t it?" My voice rises an octave. "I''m not a very good judge of character but thatdy wants to bang you. Sitting here while you''re naked? Surprise birthdays? This is aimed at me. She''s marking ber territory. She has moved her piece on the chessboard, taking out my pawn. And now I have to bring down her fucking queen. This is war."


    "Jesus," he mutters, thenughs despite himself and cups my face in his hands. "It''s just a birthday party. You don''t need to n a chess- themed battle.


    "It''s not just a birthday. It''s your birthday."


    That makes him pause. He studies me with that intense gaze of his and then slides a hand behind my neck gently putting me into a kiss. It''s soft. His lips brush mine with care, and I close my eyes, sinking into the quiet heat of it, letting myself breathe. He grazes my jaw with his thumb, the pads of his fingers pressing into the back of my neck as our mouths move together. My body betrays me, of course, melting down most of my anger.


    When we finally part, our foreheads rest against each other.


    "I''ll tell her to stop after today," he says. "You


    retain full rights to throw me surprise parties. You don''t have to go crazy on her. She''s just doing what she''s used to."


    I don''t believe that for a second. But I let it slide-for now.


    "Happy birthday, Knox."


    He grins. "Thank you, Knox''s girl. Come on. Let''s put something on and act surprised downstairs."


    He tosses the nket off and swings his legs out of bed. I follow, but wince as my


    feet hit the floor.


    "My ass is so sore," I mutter. "I think you split it in two."


    "I can''t apologize for who I be in that room," he says, not even


    trying to hide his grin. "But we''ll find something to soothe the ache, I promise."


    Minutester in the bathroom, he''s brushing his teeth while I use the toilet. It dawns on me that we''re officially that kind of couple now-


    the kind that shares a bathroom without shame. One brushing, the other peeing. And tomorrow we''ll probably hit a new low of one pooping while the other showers. Ew. Is this... love?


    Speaking about love, I do remember


    Knox using that wordst night.


    Right before I passed out. How the hell do even bring that up? ''Hey, remember when you said you loved me? think I might love you too.'' Jesus, who gets good at this stuff? We''re barely a month in, and I feel like we need to sign up for a couplesmunication bootcamp.


    Within fifteen minutes, we''re both dressed-Knox in sweatpants


    and a ck shirt, me in one of his oversized tees and a pair of his boxer first, as nned, and I hang back by the hallway, listening.


    "Surprise!" a chorus erupts from the living room.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 CHAPTER 094: Cold Day In Hell

    When I finally head down, I hover in the stairway, trying to count familiar faces. Yep-


    some of these people I remember from that


    cursed matchmaking barbecue. But one face in particr is ring at me like I''m a roach on the floor.


    Jade.


    I forgot my stepfather works for Knox.


    "Over here," Knox calls, already seated with a te of cake in hand.


    I walk toward him, spotting the only avable wide space on the couch-


    right between him and Jade. Hell. No. I make a quick decision and aim for the tighter space beside a guy I vaguely recognize. But before I can slip in, Knox hooks an arm around my waist and pulls me down, rig


    I barely regain my bnce before he''s addressing the crowd.


    "Hey, everyone," he says, "meet my girlfriend, Sloane."


    1 freeze.


    Every head turns. One guy, cake stuffed in his mouth, blurts, "Your girlfriend''s cute, boss, and I can swear she looks familiar


    The guy beside him kicks him in the leg.


    "Aww," he says. "I was just saying he yed a fast one, that''s all. We all had eyes


    on the prize that day, but suddenly she disappeared-and so did our boss."


    "Keep talking, and I''m going to pull your teeth out, Deckard," says the man on Knox''s left side.


    "Please do, Levi. You''d be saving me the money for a root canal."


    Everyoneughs. Even Knox.


    He offers me a bite of cake, and I take it, never breaking eye


    contact with him as I chew. The noise swells


    around us, but all I see is him. His fingers start tracingzy circles against my waist, making me feel like I still have some kind of control in a room that clearly belongs to him,


    "So how does this work exactly?" a calm female voice says across the room. I turn and spot a woman in the corner gripping a nearly empty wine ss. "Do we make speeches or something?" "Naaa, Doc," someone replies. "We only do speeches


    at funerals. We eat, drink, make merry, and get back to work."


    "Oh," she says, eyes moving to Knox.


    I guess that makes her a fellow outsider in this group.


    lean toward Knox. "Is that Dr. Yara? Your therapist?"


    "Yeah."


    "She looks calm."


    "Don''t trust that look. She''s a lot meaner than she appears."


    "I bet. Whoever seeded in therapy with you can''t


    be anything but mean. You''re kind of annoying."


    Heughs, loud and unashamed, and of course that''s when Jade turns toward us. He''d been doing a great job


    of pretending I don''t exist.


    "Do you really have to y romance with my stepdaughter while I''m here?" he grumbles.


    "Chill, Dad," I say sweetly, purposely calling him Dad to watch him flinch.


    He rolls his eyes and looks away, muttering curses under his breath.


    Right then, someone clears their throat.


    "Attention, please," she says.


    We all look up, quieting down.


    I recognized her voice even before looking.


    Soraya.


    She''s at the center of the room, holding a bottle of Macan with thebel turned out, her posture so confident.


    "I don''t care what you all think about speeches, she says, shing her bright, charming smile. "I''ll make one anyway since I don''t fancy talking at funerals. Also, Knox and I never had arge wedding to make a speech


    at."  s?novel


    I can feel Knox''s entire body tense beneath me as my fingers clutch his thigh. Yeah, she can''t be up to anything good starting her speech with the word "wedding" when I''m here. "Some higher power must have found me worthy enough to bless me with a husband like Knox," she continues. "He''s caring. Selfless-"


    I stop listening.


    The words turn to static in my head as I lean in close to Knox, my mouth right at his ear, and hiss, "Why the fuck is she still calling you her husband? Didn''t you give her the divorce papers?"


    His breath brushes my cheek as he whispers back, "I did. She said she was going to return them today-


    being Saturday. We were both busy all through the week."


    I jerk my head back to look at him. "You''re trusting her to return them?"


    He doesn''t answer. Doesn''t have to. His eyes say enough-he does. I don''t.


    My gaze snaps back to Soraya.


    She''s still standing there, now holding up the bottle.


    "Here''s to many more years of marriage, Knox," she says. "Through thick and thin."


    I guess everyone else has figured out there''s more to her speech, because they turn to me.


    Then her.


    Then back to me.


    I know what they''re thinking. I know exactly what this looks like.


    The girlfriend vs. the ex-wife-


    well, technically still the wife. My fingers slowly slide off Knox''s leg, and my heartbeat pulses through my teeth.


    She''s not signing the papers.


    She''s not nning to. And now-now


    she''s staking her im. Here. In front of an audience. In front of me.


    She didn''t just move her queen on the board. She flipped the entire fucking table.


    I barely hear the polite ps a few of the guests offer her, or the sound of someone awkwardly clearing their throat, or the way a few of the men mumble about refilling their drinks. My ears are tuned to one frequency only: rage.


    Knox shifts behind me. "Sloane..."


    I don''t look at him.


    My eyes are locked on Soraya, who finally lowers the bottle and takes a little sip. She heads back to her seat beside Dr. Yara, a peaceful smile in ce acting like she didn''t justbel me the side chick in front of twenty people.


    Guess my instincts were right about her wanting to bang Knox.


    I''m going to


    have to go crazy on this one. Because let''s be clear: this woman has no intention of signing those papers. And as for me? It''ll be a cold day in hell before I ever, ever, settle for the title of mistress.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 CHAPTER 095: You Dont Deserve Him

    Acting civil when you''re mad is a skill I swore I''d mastered after putting up with Delh and Finn for years. But Soraya is testing that skill, and I slowly count the minutes until thest guest walks out the door.


    Knox might be private and antisocial, but his people aren''t. They linger, they chat, they p his back, and they toast with whatever alcohol is left.


    Eventually, they start trickling out one by one, and I force a tight smile for every handshake, every half-


    drunk hug, every murmured "nice to meet you? Knox and I stand side by side like a pair of Victorian hosts-


    me in his oversized shirt and borrowed boxers, him in


    lounge clothes and a smile that''s wearing thinner by the second. We say thank you. We nod. I even get kissed on the hand by some guy with a buzz cut and an attitude that screams ex con turned executive. I s faced men and severe-looking women and convinced them to work for him.


    One of thest to leave is Levi, who I''ve discovered is Knox''s second club manager. He shakes Knox''s hand, then nces at me with a crooked smile.


    "You two are gonna make some cute babies," he whispers before slipping out the door.


    Knox is all smiles as I re at Levi''s retreating back.


    Eventually, it''s just us.


    Well-


    us, and Jade. And Soraya, who''s suddenly very busy picking up used cups and trashing empty bottles like she''s the hostess of the year.


    Jade stands by the door, his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels as though he doesn''t know whether to leave or say something first.


    "This is the part where I


    threaten you not to make my stepdaughter sad or I''ll kill you," he says, attempting a joke that dies before itnds.


    Knox smiles anyway. "Noted, Jade. I''ll try my best."


    I roll my eyes at their conversation and say, "How''s my mother? Haven''t heard from her in a while."


    "She''s cool. Going for checkups. Taking her vitamins. Missing her kids."


    "She''ll survive."


    "She figured you''re happy now ever since I told her my boss took interest in you." He pauses, then adds with a pointed look at Knox, "And that you both are kind of a thing now." "Your boss, as in the artist boss?" I ask. "Or did you finally man up and


    tell her the truth?"


    He doesn''t respond, but his face answers the question.


    I sigh. So he hasn''t told her. And somehow Serena with her


    inability to shut up about anything-


    has kept the secret too. Must be the leverage Jade has on her. Otherwise, she''d have blown the whole thing.


    It''s going toe out eventually. Secrets like these always do. And when it does, it''ll burn everything in its path. Honestly, a part of me wishes we''d just rip off the damn Band-


    Aid now and get it over with. Let everyone scream, cry, throw drinks. Better one big fire than a slow rot.


    "Thanks foring, Jade," Knox says, stepping forward to shake


    his hand. "Now get your ass to work. It''s Saturday."


    "Sure, boss. Although I was wondering if I could invite you both to dinner tomorrow." He turns to me. "Your sister doesn''t know this, but Nathan sought permission to propose. We''re letting him do it at dinner."


    "Oh," I say, caught off guard. "That''s sweet. Did he seek permission from you or Dad?"


    "Does it matter?"


    "You''re right. It doesn''t. I''ll be there. I like


    Nathan. It''s about time we had someone sane in the family."


    He smiles, then nces at Knox. Youing too?"


    That depends. Dal have to pretend I''m an aitist?¡±


    Yeah


    Then no, thank you.


    That''s great. I didn''t expect you to say yes anyway." Jade waves a hand as he turns. "I''m out."


    The door clicks shut behind him, and it feels like we''re both counting to ten in our heads before turning around.


    We walk back into the living room.


    Soraya is there, finishing up thest of the clean-


    up. She''s tying a trash bag closed, her movements slow. She looks up as we get closer.


    "Did you enjoy yourselves?" she asks in that smooth voice of hers. "I know it isn''t much, but Knox wouldn''t want anything extravagant anyway."


    I don''t stop walking until I''m right in front of her.


    "You''re the one I should be asking that question, Soraya,¡± I say. "Did you enjoy yourself with that


    fucking stunt you pulled just now?"


    Her head tilts. "What stunt?"


    "The speech. Try to keep up."


    She nces at Knox as if to say, ''Your girlfriend is being


    dramatic'', but Knox doesn''t bite. He''s already


    dropped into a chair, crossing his legs like he''s about to tune into a si.


    "Eyes on me," I say sharply. "I''m the one talking to you."


    She turns, her expression tightening.


    "Did you have a problem with my speech, Sloane?"


    "I had every problem with it. You were given divorce papers to sign, and


    suddenly you''re making a speech about spending more years married together. What was that all about?" I step even closer. "Where are the papers, Soraya?"


    "I trashed them."


    "You did what?"


    "I''m very sure the divorce was your idea, Sloane. And until I know this is exactly what Knox wants, I''m not signing them."


    Knox stands now. The casual posture is gone. He walks over to me and stops beside me.


    "Cut with the dramatics, Soraya," he says. "Where are the papers I sent?"


    She crosses her arms. ¡°Like I told your girlfriend, I trashed them."


    "Why would you do that?"


    "Because she''s done nothing but bring problems to you ever since she came into your life. You used to be happy, Knox. Carefree. You almost never called Yara. And then you came back from Asheville with a girlfriend, and I started seeing your name pop up in our office records. I know she''s the cause."


    "What?" Knox says. "You think you''re the judge of my happiness now? How does me talking to my therapist mean I''m unhappy?"


    "You don''t even like therapy. Especially not hypnotherapy, which-by the way-


    your next appointment disys."


    Jesus.


    I stare at him. "You booked a hypnotherapy session?"


    He sighs, rubbing a hand down his face like this is all giving him a migraine. "I was trying it out. It''s not a big


    deal."


    But to Soraya, it is.


    "Just sign the damn papers," he says, voice lower now. "Thest thing I need is to quarrel over this."


    I''m processing everything at once:


    Soraya knowing about his appointment, her having ess to his visit records, and her iming she knows what''s best for him? From the way she''s speaking, I realize she works with Yara Probably as an assistant Which exins how she knows so much.


    But what has his hypnotherapy appointment got to do with me?


    "Soraya,¡± I say, done with her bullshit, "we could do this the hard or easy way."


    "Do whatever you like. I''m not


    signing them. Her jaw clenches. "I looked into you, you know? Actually paid someone to do that. You were obviously moving around with Knox''s brother a lot for ten years, and in one weekend, you have the hots for his brother? I don''t buy that. Finn is the origin of Knox''s problems, and now his best friend is with Knox? I think you and Finn are working together to break his heart further. He''s a nice man, and I''m not going to let you do that. You don''t deserve him."

 CHAPTER 096: Set The Keys Down

    My breath catches. Not from shock, but from disbelief that she really said that out loud. Who does this woman think she ist.


    Knox steps in front of me now. "Okay, that''s it. You need to leave. And drop your keys on the table while you''re at it."


    "Why do I need to leave?" she says. "She should be the one leaving."


    *You just admitted that you paid a PI to investigate her, and then you used her


    of plotting with my brother to manipte me. I''ve heard enough. You''re probably having a hard time processing this, so I''ll give you until the end of the week to sort your shit out. And then you''ll sign those paper


    "No, Knox. I''m not signing them. Her stupid best friend set me up for shoplifting. And I feel like someone''s following me aroundtely. You''re not the only one affected by whatever''s going


    on here. And since you''re not seeing the pattern, then I''ll be your eyes. They are up to something."


    I almostugh. She must''ve hurt her back stretching this hard. Does she actually believe I''m colluding with Finn to ruin Knox''s life, or is this her way of avoiding a divorce by cooking up


    stories? Where''s all this passioning from, by the way? Is the settlement amount not enough for her? Or is it just pride? Ego? Because from where I''m standing, they weren''t even in a real rtionship. No


    I close the distance between us until my face is inches from hers. She flinches, just barely, but holds her ground.


    "You really should''ve done


    more homework about me, Soraya," I say, my voice cold. "Because you don''t want to piss me off."


    She''s breathing faster now, chest rising and falling beneath her blouse. Her eyes don''t waver from mine. I stare right back.


    "What are you going to do, Sloane?" she asks. ¡°Make Knox take the divorce to court and force my hand? That''s only going to open a can of worms we all don''t want."


    Oh, right. The illegal marriage.


    "Like I said," she continues, chin lifting, "if you want to be with him, I''m going to have to see that you''re being genuine with him. People don''t forget the feelings they''ve had for ten years that easily. For all his bra up. His brother''s pet isn''t going to be one of them. Not when I''m alive."


    My jaw tightens.


    "I guess death will just have to do you both part," I say quietly.


    "Is that a threat?"


    "It''s a statement. You better sign those papers within the timeline Knox gave you, or I swear to God-"


    "You can''t do anything, Sloane," she cuts in, her voice rising. "Take your ass back to your psychopathic friend, and tell him to stay away from me


    and Knox. You won''t use Knox to try to make your best friend jealous."


    My voice sharpens. "Oh, now I''m making Finn jealous? Just now you said it was a conspiracy between me and


    Finn to hurt Knox. Get your story straight."


    "No, you get out of my face, bitch."


    That''s it.


    I grab a fistful of her hair, swiping a foot under hers to tackle her down. She screams as I m her face into the table. The thud echoes through the house. Her arms il against the wood. "Aww, get off me!"


    "Say it," I growl. "Say you''ll sign the papers!


    She struggles beneath me, twisting her torso, but I shift with her, keeping my grip on her scalp. Her legs kick against the floor, making hollow thumps against the wood. "Knox, get your girlhiend off me!" she shrieks.


    From behind me, I hear his voice, calm


    butced with dry amusement. "You should probably give her what she wants, Soraya. Even cant get in her way when she''s mad."


    I would have smiled if i wasn''t boiling with rage. Instead, I dig my elbow into the space between her shoulder des and press down.


    "You''re not getting away with this, Sloane," she hisses, hei voice muffled by the table..


    "Say it."


    "I''m not signing anything!"


    Lean in harder. She thrashes like a fish on a dock, but I adjust quickly, climbing over her legs and kneeling on them. She screams again_raw and high-pitched-trying to twist her hips and buck me off.


    I''m not letting go.


    "Is this really how you want to die?" I say through clenched teeth.


    "Get off me!"


    She ws at the table, trying to reach for the nearly empty Macan bottle on the table. I grab it instead and raise it, my fingers white- knuckled around the neck.


    That''s when Knox moves.


    Fast.


    He''s behind me in a second, his arms wrapping tight around my middle, pulling me back with a strength that nearly lifts me off the floor. The bottle is still in my hand, hovering in the air. I''m breathing hard, like I''ve just run five miles uphill.


    "Let it go, Bunny. Please," he says, his


    voice a whisper at my ear, face buried in my neck. "I really don''t want to be the guy showing up for conjugal visits at a correctional facility."


    "She''s getting on my damn nerves," I say, struggling against his grip, the bottle trembling in my grip.


    "I know." He


    presses me closer to him, the heat of his chest calming some invisible wire inside me. "I know."


    His hand slips over mine, gently pulling the bottle away. He walks to the couch and tosses it onto a cushion.


    At the table, Soraya is pulling herself upright, her curls wild, one side of her face slightly red and ttened where I''d mmed her into the


    table. Her hands go to her h


    smoothing it down with jerky motions.


    "She''s a barbarian, Knox,¡± she says,bing through her curls with trembling fingers. "You''ll see it soon enough. You''re just blinded by it because it excites you."

 CHAPTER 097: Everyone Hates You, Delilah

    Soraya''s eyes are buining holes through Knox''s, more from disbelief than hurt. Then she turns to grab her purse from the couch and rummages ?nti pulls out the key ring, and tosses it toward the table. The metal tters against the wood.


    "You know where to


    find me when you''vee to your senses," she says, stalking toward the door.


    "Don''t forget the papers," Knox calls after her.


    She doesn''t answer. The door ms so hard behind her that the walls shake.


    Knox finally releases me, and once the pressure of his arms fades, I turn around, brushing my shirt back into ce. I don''t meet his eyes


    at first. I''m too busy reining myself in. Eventually, I head to a couch and sit.


    "Didn''t


    know you were that strong," he says after a moment. "Where have you been hiding those muscles?"


    I shoot him a look. "Not funny, Knox. You need to take care of her."


    "I will. I''ve given her a deadline."


    "You know damn well she won''t sign those papers by then."


    He walks over and sits beside me, elbows on his knees, fingersced together. "I''m trying to do this as peacefully as possible. She''s being unusually stubborn. It''s unlike her. Before you dere war, at least try I sigh, sinking further into the cushions. "What


    are


    you nning to bargain with?"


    "It''s not exactly a bargain," he says. "But I need to fix the Finn problem."


    "The Finn problem?"


    He nods, eyes on the floor. "Him hanging around her."


    "A divorce would fix it. If she''s no longer tied to you, there''s


    no


    reason for him to stalk her."


    "Being married to me isn''t the problem. The fact that she''s tied to me


    havoc."


    "His distraction?"


    "Delh. I shouldn''t have sent her away. She''s the only one who has managed to keep Finn sane." He nces at me. "And you, of course. But that''s not an option."


    I stare at him. "You really think Delh''s the answer?"


    "I think she''s a buffer. And right now, we need buffers."


    I shake my head. "You need to get him institutionalized. It''ll fix all our problems."


    "If I do that, my father will be in this city tomorrow. You have no


    idea what kind of drama that would cause from both him and my mother."


    "So they''d prefer to watch him go insane? He tried to kill himself, Knox."


    "That would have been the best solution to our problems, wouldn''t it?" he says quietly. theatrics."


    ''But no. He couldn''t even do that right. Just theatrics upon


    Istare at him. "You love to watch him like this, don''t you?"


    He slides an arm over the back of the couch, casually draping it behind my neck. "If I said yes, would you think I''m a bad persont


    "Oh, I know you''re a bad person. I''ve epted that.


    But enjoying your brother in anguish is kinda weird, even for you."


    He pulls his phone from his pocket, his thumb gliding across the screen. He scrolls, scrolls, then


    taps.


    "One minute I think you''re evil," he mutters, lifting the phone to his ear. "The next, you''re not. You need to decide if you''re hard or soft. I guess I''ll ham to make his problems go away." "Who are you calling?" I ask.


    He nces at me. "Who do you think?"


    I don''t answer. Tjust sit there, heart thumping, as the phone rings once. Twice. Three times. I hope she doesn''t pick. I don''t know why-


    I just do. I''d rather Finn rot than get Delh back. But Knox? He really doesn''t give a fuck.


    The line clicks.


    "Delh," Knox says, cing the phone on hisp and switching to speaker.


    Her voice is instantly recognizable.


    Slightly husky, whiny, annoyed. The kind of voice that carries too much history in too few sybles. Just hearing it again makes my skin crawl. "What do you want, you son of a bitch? Did you


    call to gloat?"


    Knox''s expression doesn''t shift. He


    looks almost bored, but I know better. I''m close enough to feel the tension under his skin, the way.


    his


    body has subtly stiffened since


    dialing her number. I guess the Delh hatred is universal.


    "Gloating time''s over, Delh," he says. "I need a favor."


    He says it like it''s business. Like asking a woman he''d banished to another coast to return to his broken brother is just another negotiation. I''m


    not sure whether to be impressed or horrified.


    "You must be out of your mind if you think I''ll help you, Knox."


    "Half payment now, half afterwards," he says. "No jokes this time. I know you need the money. You''ve never worked a day in your life. Without Hunter and Finn... You get the gist."


    She scoffs. "I''ll find another source of ie, thank you. I''m not falling for your schemes this time."


    I cut in before can stop myself. The sooner I don''t have to listen to her voice anymore, the better. "You


    seriously need to let bygones b


    bygones and take the fucking money, Delh. How else are you going to survive in Manhattan?"


    I feel Knox''s eyes slide to me, curious and maybe a


    little surprised. He clearly didn''t expect me to jump in. But I did. Because somewhere between Soraya''s psychotic spiral and thistest mess with Finn, I''d stopped caring about who sounded cruel and who sounded noble. I''m tired of everyone pretending they aren''t ying the same ugly game.


    There''s a pause on the line-heavy, silent, suspicious.


    "Is that Sloane?" she finally asks.


    "It''s me," I reply. "Now are you going to listen of not? This is important. It involves you getting back with the love of your life."


    My stomach turns just saying it out loud.


    "Hunter?"


    "The other love of your life," Knox says without missing a beat.


    "Why would I want to get back with him? He''s totally obsessed with his best friend, who''s currently with


    you?


    "rinn will always love you," I say. "He won''t say no to you. He''s a mess, and you might be the only thing stopping him from doing another stupid thing. He almost killed himself, Delh.¡± "Probably a prank. You should know better than to fall for that." She sighs. "But I need the money. So hit me."


    There it is. The real reason she hasn''t hung up yet.


    "Simple," I say. "You just go back to him."


    There''s a pause again. I can practically hear


    her brain working, trying to spot the trap.


    "Is his mother still around?"


    "Why do you care?" Knox asks.


    "She hates me."


    I roll my eyes. "Everyone


    hates you, Delh. And you''ve managed so far to survive through it all. So deal with this. Or we''ll take our business elsewhere."


    She goes silent again. Then-


    "First half now, the other half afterward?"


    "Yes," Knox says.


    "The five million?"


    I cough. What?


    "No," Knox replies. "Five hundred grand."


    "Four million."


    "Five hundred grand."


    "Don''t try to be smart, Knox."


    He doesn''t even blink. "Let''s just settle for one million. Five hundred now. Five hundredter."


    My mouth falls open. Literally falls open. I turn to him like he''d just suggested selling my organs. He''s negotiating in millions now? For Delh?


    She agrees, of course.


    ¡°Deal,¡± she says, like we''re bartering over a couch on Craigslist. "So, I just go back to him?"


    "It''s not that simple," Knox replies. "Finn needs a huge distraction. And he''s always had a softness for little munchkins."


    "Munchkins?"


    The pause is brief, but Knox''s implication isn''t lost on Delh or me.


    "I''m asking you to give him a child, Delh. All these problems will go away, trust me. I speak from very ufortable memories."


    My heart stops. I turn slowly, eyes dragging across the space between us until I''m staring straight at him.


    His face is perfectly calm. Like he''d just suggested we buy a dog or order takeout. Like asking someone to give birth as a solution to emotional warfare ispletely reasonable. "What the heck," I say.


    "Trust me, Sloane. All you need to do is give Finn a baby to obsess over. He won''t remember you exist. He won''t even remember the mother exists. I''ve seen it before with Lydia."

 CHAPTER 098: The Boutique

    Ispent the entire Saturday trying to get Knox to talk about Lydia. You''d think I asked him to pry open Thanos''s list with a nail f.


    It''s exhausting. I feel like I''m dancing aroundndmines with every casual mention of his childhood. My curiosity


    is gnawing at me, but experience telle me to tread lightly. The few times her name has slipped into our conversations, Knox has either shut down or changed the subject.


    But I have questions. So many questions. Is Lydia their sister? A cousin? A foster kid who


    stayed too long? Was she a kid or older? What exactly happened that rtes to Finn being obsessed over a baby?


    I chew on these questions like they''re stale gum. And Knox, in all his maddening restraint, keeps dropping fragments. A reference here. A reference there. I bet he''s the kind of person who will tell you a friend is I''m slowlying to realize I''m dating a man who gives half-stories.


    So now I''m trying to figure out how to make my boyfriend talk. Does he have to get drunk first? Can he even get drunk?


    It''s hard to stay mad at him when you''re rewarded with sex. Really good sex. We spent Sunday morning cuddling under a shared nket while watching some sci-


    fi epic on Netflix about monsters and mutant heroes:


    Now it''s afternoon, and instead of lounging around some more, Knox has insisted we go shopping.


    Specifically: "You''re not wearing my clothes to a family dinner." That''s a direct quote. Apparently, his oversized T-


    shirt and boxers aren''t quite appropriate for witnessing Nathan''s proposal to my sister.


    And that''s how I find myself inside a boutique that smells like expensive perfume and soft leather, surrounded by racks of designer dresses with price tags that could fund a vacation. The sales associate is all smiles and cheekbones, dressed in a navy


    pantsuit that looks like it was tailored directly onto her body. She glides between racks, pulling out options with the grace of someone used to high- maintenance clients.


    She presents a small selection of cocktail dresses, all elegant, all terrifyingly expensive. I point to the one that looks remotely cheaper.


    "I''ll try that one," I say.


    The associate nods and moves to pull it off the rack. But from


    behind me, Knox''s voicees.


    "No."


    I turn around. "No, what?"


    He steps closer, arms crossed. "It''s too long. And are those sleeves?"


    I blink at him. "What''s wrong with sleeves? And what do you mean it''s long? That''s like... calf length."


    "Exactly," he says, as if I''ve just confirmed his diagnosis. "Why


    would you want to wear


    anything that isn''t above the knees?"


    "Why would I want to wear one that is?"


    "Because you have nice legs and should show them off."


    I shake my head, trying to hide the smile pulling at my mouth. There''s something disarming about how casual he is withpliments. But I''m not falling


    for his tricks.


    I walk toward him, trying not to grin too hard. "Knox, dear," I say sweetly, "I know


    for certain that you did not attend any fashion school. So why don''t you let me pick a dress in peace?"


    ¡°I


    would," he replies, brushing past me toward the tack, "if you were picking it for the right reasons."


    "The right reasons?"


    He doesn''t respond. He''s already beside the associate, removing dresses from the rack like he owns the ce. He hands her a few options -no- which I noticed before, probably because my brain short-


    circuited when I saw the price tags.


    "Knox, I hiss, catching up to him and tugging lightly at his arm. "I don''t even like that color."


    "Peach?" he asks, holding it up. "Are you sure? It matches your skin. We''re taking it."


    "But that''s like... a couple of thousand dors," I whisper.


    *Aha," he says, smirking. "Just like I said. Wrong reasons." He turns to the associate. "We''ll try those out, And don''t listen to my girlfriend. She''s a miser. The associate nods like she''s watching a romanticedy unfold


    live and gestures toward the changing area.


    "Miser?" I whisper to him as he takes my


    arm. "That would imply I have money to hoard."


    "But you do," he says lightly.


    "I don''t."


    "What''s mine is yours," he replies. "I''ll talk to the bank first thing tomorrow about getting you your own card."


    I stop walking and stare at him. "Knox, stop it. I''m not a trophy girlfriend."


    "Who says you are?"


    "You."


    He turns me to face him and ces both hands gently on my shoulders.


    "There''s no reason to fight over this. It''s not like I have anything


    else to do with my money. Spend it. Stop trying to be difficult."


    "Knox-"


    He nudges me toward the fitting room with a yful shove. "Get your ass into that room and give me a much- needed fashion show, Sloane."


    "I see why you chose the short and open dresses," I mutter.


    "Oops," he says with a wink. "You''ve caught me."


    He ps my ass just as I step into the changing room, and I re at him over my


    shoulder before disappearing behind the curtain.


    It takes almost an hour.


    An hour of outfit changes, spinning, twirling, asking, "How does this look?" while Knox gives exaggerated nods and critiques like he''s judging a runway in Mn. He sits in the waiting area with one leg crossed over the other, looking far too smug for someone surrounded by


    shopping bags and tulle. asionally, he makes the associateugh with a one-liner about high fashion. At one point, he


    suggests a beret. I threaten to leave him there.


    Finally, finally, we''re done. I''m holding more bags than I can count-dresses, shoes, essories, didn''t even try on but Knox insisted I needed. I don''t know how he convinced me, He''s like a very


    persuasive hurricane.


    We step out into thete afternoon sunlight, arms weighed down by luxury. I''m still adjusting the strap of


    e of the bags when I see her.


    A woman in fur. Full fur. And dark


    sses that scream European wealth. Her hair is up in the kind of bun only rich grandmothers can get away with. If 1 hadn''t recognized her face, would''ve recognized that bun anywhere.


    June Mercer.


    My heart skips


    She''s halfway across the street, but her head tilts, just slightly, and her lips part in recognition.


    "Now this is a pleasant surprise," she says, removing her sses with a dramatic flick. "The first person I run into after returning to this goddamn city is my favorite grandchild." Hight up instantly, "Grandma!"

 CHAPTER 099: Moving In

    Trush to her and wrap my arms around her shoulders. She''s thinner than I remember but just as solid in presence, the familiar scent of her pertume gardenia and something woodsy, floods my senses.


    "Oh, oh, careful there, child," she says,ughing "Grandma''s not as strong as she was


    when you were throwing yourself at her.


    Trelease her with a sheepish smile. "Is this really you?"


    "What? Is your eyesight getting worse?"


    "Absolutely not. My eyes are perfect."


    She smirks, then peers past me. "I can see that. Who''s this fine young man?"


    I nce back. Knox is standing by the boutique''s entrance, looking far too innocent for someone who just bought thousands of dors worth of clothes like it was groceries.


    I reach for Grandma''s arm and lead her toward him.


    "Grandma, this is Knox, my boyfriend. Knox, this is my grandmother, June Mercer."


    Knox transfers all the bags into one hand and extends the other. "It''s nice to meet you, June."


    She takes his hand. "Nice to meet you too, Knox. You look... familiar. I''m trying to ce your face."


    He smiles. "A million people look like me, I guess."


    "No. I''m good with faces. And yours is quite distinctive." She squints. "Ha! I remember. You


    own that underground club. Obsidian, isn''t it?"


    Knox''s eyebrows rise. "That''s correct."


    But I''m the one more shocked. "How would you know about that, Grandma?"


    She looks at me, amused. "I''m not that old. I know all the dope ces in this city. Knew the previous owner closely, too."


    I grimace. "I don''t even want to know what that means."


    "That we had sex?"


    "Eww."


    "Grow up. You''re twenty-eight."


    Knox is visibly holding inughter.


    I shake my head, then ask, "I thought you retired to Monaco. Why are you back?"


    "Your dad. You people won''t even let me enjoy retirement."


    My heart gives a small, startled jump. Dad? Why would Dad call her back?


    A sick thought slips into the back of my mind, uninvited. What if Jade never told Mom what he said he


    did, that I was dating his artist boss? That boss being Knox. Because if he didn''t tell her... and Mom, who has been quiettely, went to Dad with it, that would


    exin why Dad called Grandma. Th person he knows I listen to.


    "Dad called you?" I ask carefully.


    Not him. His wife, Said they were going through some issues."


    Issues?" Well, I didn''t expect that. "I was just there a couple of days ago. They seemed fine.¡±


    "You think they''re going to scream at each other in front of you?"


    Twince. "Touche. What''s the issue about?"


    She exhales, tugging her fur coat tighter around her. "Your father''s being paranoid. Refusing couples therapy."


    "Couples therapy?" My stomach twists. "Why do they need couples therapy?"


    "Daniel thinks Daphne''s


    cheating on him. She insists she''s not. And she called me."


    "Cheating?" I echo. "Did he catch her physically doing it?"


    "No."


    "Why is he so convinced then?"


    "That''s what I want to know too. But I''ve got more important things to do first. Like,


    change my wardrobe." She points at herself from head to toe. "Then I''ll head over there to sort it out."


    A strange heaviness blooms in my chest. Not again.


    "I want them to work out, Grandma."


    "I''m sure they will, child. Your father''s been burned before. He''s paranoid. The truth is, I''m not just here to settle things between them. I''m here to make sure history doesn''t repeat itself." "History?" I pause. "Wait... are you saying Mom cheated?"


    She doesn''t answer. She smiles softly instead. "It was really nice to see you again, child, cur grandmother one of these days so we can hang out."


    She leans in, kisses my cheek, then turns to Knox.


    "Bye, Knox."


    "Bye, June," he says, watching her walk off.


    The moment she''s gone, Knox returns to my side.


    "You okay?" he asks.


    swallow. My fingers tighten around the handles of the shopping bags.


    "No. I think my mom cheated on my dad."


    By evening, Knox and I have gone over the same conversation a million times. He''s behind me, zipping my dress up from behind. His fingers lightly brush against my skin, just enough to make me shiver. Ihold my breath, trying not to think about the conversation we''re currently having.


    "Why does it matter if she cheated?" he asks, voice calm but edged with exhaustion. It''s the third time he''s said it today.


    I stare straight ahead into the mirror. My reflection looks calm. Polished. Glossed lips. Hair straight. But my stomach is in knots. "I just want to know say. "I spent my whole life thinking my dad''s emotionalo unavability sent her away, made her leave me with him. And


    now-what if she cheated?"


    He doesn''t answer right away. The zipper hums


    softly as he finishes pulling it up. Then he sits down on the edge of the vanity, eyes on me.


    "Well," he says, "you don''t know that. Besides, it''s in the past."


    He reaches for my hand, pulling me gently between his knees and cing a kiss on my cheek, just inches from where my lip ss glistens.


    "You''re gorgeous," he says. "And see how good you look in the peach I picked out?"


    I roll my eyes and pu!! away, half-


    smiling despite myself. "Don''t gloat. It''s nice, all right.".


    "I know."


    There''s a long silence between us. I nce down at the sheen of the dress, then back at myself in the mirror. "I deserve to know if she cheated or not,


    Knox."


    He sighs, resting his elbows on his knees. "I don''t see the point in bringing that up, but if you have to, don''t do it today. Your sister''s getting engaged. Today''s about her."


    "Of course."


    I smooth the hem of my dress and reach for my earrings.


    "What time should Ie pick you up?" he asks.


    "You don''t need to. I''ll just find my way home from there."


    "No." He stands. "I don''t want you going home. In fact, move in with me."


    Theugh that escapes me is involuntary, light and disbelieving. "Knox, that''s too fast."


    "Too fast? I''m not asking us to get married right now."


    "Moving in together is the same as getting married." I slide a ring onto my finger and nce at him in the mirror. "I don''t think I should leave my house just yet."


    "Then we''ll stay at your house."


    I shoot him a look. "Stop being unreasonable. You''re not staying at my house."


    "It''s either you move in with me or I''m going to keep breaking in every night until you say yes."


    I shake my head. "And you think I''m the stubborn one? I''m not moving in, and you''re not moving in either."


    Knox'' steps closer and picks up a set of keys from the vanity table, handing them to me. I recognize them instantly-


    Soraya''s keys.


    "Take it,¡± he says. "It''s yours." Then he pulls another key from his pocket. "That''s for one of the cars outside. Drive it to your mom''s ce. That way, you''ll have no choice but toe back with it."


    I take the keys, feeling the cold metal bite into my palm as I close my fist around them. "Don''t wait up, Knox. I''m not bringing it back."

 CHAPTER 100: Serenas Day

    Outside, the evening air is cool against my skin. I drive through the familiar streets


    with


    subtle tension in my chest. The sun is just beginning to ser casting everything in gold and shadow. I keep ncing at the key he gave me, sitting in the cup holder. I don''t know what''s more dangerous -bim pod me this much ess or me wanting it.


    By the time I pull into my mother''s driveway, the sky is darkening. I park behind Nathan''s car and walking up the steps and knocking.


    Jade answers and barely spares me a nce as he moves out of the way.


    I step out, smoothing my dress once more before


    I walk in,


    and the scent of rosemary and garlic hits me immediately. Laughter drifts from the kitchen. I follow the sound past the living room, where Nathan''s sitting in a crisp suit watching TV.


    I wave. He waves back, the picture ofposed anticipation.


    My purse goes down on the nearest side table. I follow the sound ofughter into the kitchen and stop at the doorway. My mother and Serena are standing at the counter, giggling like teenagers.


    "Hey, Sloane," Serena says, spotting me. "Come over here. I was just telling Mom about the time we ran out of our apartment because of that fat."


    Mom tilts her head. "Why would you run because of a rat?¡±


    "It was a giant rat, Mom. Scared the living shit out of us. And then Sloane goes to security and asks if he has a gun


    because she wants to shoot a rat."


    They both burst outughing, carefree and loud, the kind ofughter that fills a kitchen and makes


    it feel like home. I just stand there by the doorway, watching them like I''ve wandered into someone else''s life. Any other day, I probably would''ve beenughing too- teasing Serena, rolling my eyes at the story, letting myself get pulled into the rhythm of their banter


    But today? My mind''s not here.


    It''s too loud in my head, too crowded with questions I can''t


    shake off. What if she actually cheated? What if everything I believed about my parents'' split is wrong? What


    if she didn''t leave because of my dad''s distance or his coldness or


    the way he used to disappear into work-


    but because of some choice she made? A betrayal?


    What if she chose Serena and left me behind for a reason?


    What ifs and more what ifs, piling up like static behind my ribs, buzzing against my chest until I can''t breathe right.


    Eventually, they notice. They stopughing. Their smiles


    soften, then fade. Serena nces at me first, then Mom follows, both of them finally realizing I haven''t moved.


    "Sloanie-bug," Mom says. "Are you all right?"


    "I''m fine," I say, remembering what Knox


    said about today being Serena''s day and stepping into


    the light. "What''s for dinner?"


    Serena starts listing dishes. "Grilled sea bass, mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, and Mom''s ridiculously addictive garlic bread." "Come join us,¡± Mom says, gesturing to the sink,


    I wash my hands at the basin while Serena makes room for me at


    the counter. We prep together, Serena and Mom


    chatting like old friends, sharing stories, and swapping memories. Iugh when I should, smile when they look at me, but I''m half


    a second behind on everything. I can tell they notice. But they don''t press. For that, I''m grateful.


    Dinner is ready just as the sky outside fades to charcoal. We gather at the table, the tes warm and steaming. The clinking of cutlery fills the room


    "This is really delicious, Margot," Nathan says mid-


    meal, looking up from his te.


    Mom gives him a gracious smile. Thank you.


    And it looks healthy enough for the baby."


    The words drop into the air like a grenade.


    "The what? Mom asks.


    "Nathan!" Serena hisses.


    Nathan blinks, clearly regretting it. "Sorry. You weren''t supposed to know that we knew."


    "You know what?" Mom says slowly.


    "That you''re pregnant," he says.


    Mom shoots a look at Jade, who''s suddenly very interested in


    his ss of wine. "Really?" she says, voice sharp.


    "Sorry," he mumbles. "It kind of slipped out."


    "You men are the worst with secrets."


    "Why was it a secret, though?" Serena asks. ¡°Why wouldn''t you tell us, Mom?"


    Mom sighs. "I just wanted to be sure I could carry to term first."


    "Of course you can. You''re strong. What is it? A boy or a girl?"


    "For now, triplets."


    "Triplets?!" Serena and I say at the same time.


    "IVF statistics," she says. "The more embryos, the better the odds."


    "And if they all survive?" Serena asks.


    "Then I guess you and Sloane are each getting one."


    "No way," I say, setting down my fork. "That''s not happening."


    "We''ll see." Mom smiles. "At least now I don''t have to lie about why I have to pee all the time."


    Across the table, I notice Nathan giving her a signal-


    a subtle flick of his fingers. Mom nods slightly, then stands.


    I''ll be right back. Need to pee," she says, disappearing down the hall.


    It''s happening. I can feel it in the air. Nathan is fidgeting. Jade is too still. Serena is oblivious.


    The conversation turns awkward without Mom here. We talk about movies, traffic, the weather. Nathan asks Jade about stocks. I say something about a book. It''s all filler, pending when Mom, the life of the room There she is now, holding a cake. A lit cake.


    "Is that a cake?" Serena asks, confused. "Where was it? I didn''t see it."


    "I hid it," Mom says, setting it down.


    We can all see the words written on it: ''Marry Me, Serena''


    Serena freeres


    Nathan it already pushing back his chali, exiting on one knee, ring few in kar?


    one it clearing his front


    ¡°garenia¡± he begins. "Words cannot express how happy you trinka tria. I feet tease load big as yours. I want us to keep feeling this for the rest of our lives. With you tharry


    All eyes are on her,


    From the look on Serena''s face, I can tell something''s wrong.


    I than I thought was physalle, and my festines for you sis Fance at


    At first, it''s subtle. Just this tightness around her eyes, like the''s holding her breath behind her smile. But then I see the way her hands are curled under the edge of the table, knuckles nching white. Her shoulders are stiff.


    The others start to notice too.


    Nathan''s still kneeling beside her chair, ring box open, his face full of soft, hopeful confusion. He looks up at her, then nces at the rest of us. Jade fiss frozen halfway through a sip of wine, eyes narrowed in Serena''s direction.


    Mom looks between us all, probably trying to figure out why the mood in the room changed


    so suddenly.


    And me?


    I''m just sitting here, heart beating too fast.


    Because I know Serena. I know that look. I know when she''s seconds away from doing something impulsive, something reckless


    and emotional


    "..." she starts, voice trembling. "I care about you so much, Nathan. And I''d like to marry you. But there''s something you must know first. I can''t keep lying."


    Nathan''s no longer smiling. "We can go outside and talk about it, Rena," he says.


    Jade is shaking his head, a warning.


    I don''t


    know whether Serena telling Nathan she''s in love with Jade would be a relief or a disaster.


    I nce at Mom. She''s gone still,


    eyes slowly shifting from Jade to


    vel


    Serena, then to me. There''s confusion there. Worry. That particr narrowing of the eyes that only mothers have when they''re aware that something is off.


    "What is going on?" she asks.


    "Serena," Jade says carefully, "maybe you and Nathan should go outside. Talk things out."


    "I support that," I add quickly.


    But Serena shakes her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I''m so sorry, Mom. And I''m sorry, Nathan. But


    I have to say it."


    "Don''t," Jade hisses, "Don''t you dare."


    "Dare what?" Mom snaps. "Somebody tell me what the hell is going on."


    Serena keeps her head down. "I''ve harbored feelings for Jade for a while now, Mom," she says in a voice so low, we barely hear her.


    Nathan is frozen. "Like you''re in love with him?


    Mom has gone rigid. Jade looks like he might explode.


    "Not just that," Serena says. Her voice breaks. "Once, when he was very drunk and thought I was Mom... we had sex."

 CHAPTER 101: Would You Have Told Me?

    I''m pretty sure everyone in the room has stopped breathing


    Mom''s face drains of all color, eyes pinned to Jade with an expression I''ve never seen at her before it''s not just shock, it''s not just betrayal. It''s far worse.


    Jade doesn''t move wither, though I see his jaw tick, His eyes are locked on hers like he''s trying to telepathically exin the impossible. But there''s nothing to say that can for this.


    "Is this some sort of prank?" Mom finally asks. "If it is, you all better stop it. It''s not funny


    "It''s not a prank, Mom, Serena says, almost whispering


    Jade turns to her. "Would you just shut up! You''ve done enough already."


    "Done enough?" Serena''s voice cracks. "What? You expected me to keep lying?"


    "I expected you not to make everything about yourself. You took advantage of me when I was drunk! I kept it a secret from your mother so she wouldn''t hate you, and now you''ve decided to blow it all up?" He lo


    "I didn''t take advantage of you!" she shouts back. "How many times do have to say it? I thought you knew what you were doing!"


    "You thought I''d willingly cheat on your mom?"


    I can''t look away from either of them. My head keeps tuming back and forth like I''m watching a tennis match I wish I never came to.


    Across the table, Nathan quietly closes the engagement ring box and rises from where he''s kneeling. He looks like he''s aged ten years in thest ten seconds. His mouth is pressed into a tight line, trembling at thud of my mother mming both palms down on the dinner table. The tes jump. The cutlery tters


    And then there''s a sound. The sharp, rattling th


    "Get out of my house," she says. "You sick fucks."


    "Margot," Jade says, standing and moving toward her. "I swear, I didn''t do it on purpose. Your daughter jumped me when I was drunk


    "But you knew she had feelings for you, didn''t you?"


    "Did you not?" she demands.


    Jade lowers his head for a breath."?dd"


    "You knew," she breathes, eyes wide


    and feral, "and you still let her hang around here whenever she wanted. You let her sleep over. You let her stay close. And then you both had sex and kept it from me?"


    "I didn''t want to ruin your rtionship with her-"


    "I don''t believe a goddamn wording out of either of your mouths. And I want you all to leave."


    She turns and starts up the stairs. Jade takes a step toward her, but she spins and lifts a single hand in a silent,manding gesture


    "Don''t piss me off more, Jade."


    "Mom, I''m so sorry," Serena chokes out as she stands at the retreating form of our mother. Her face is twisted, confused. "Oh, my god. What have I done?" Nathan hasn''t moved. But I see his shoulders rising and falling. His knuckles whiten as he clenches his fists at his sides.


    Then he speaks


    "How could you?" he says. His voice is quieter than expected, but every syblends a punch. "How could you do this to me, Bena?"


    Serena turn to him, already shaking her head. ¡°Nathan...


    "I


    loved you," he continues. "There''s nothing I wouldn''t have done for you. I''ve never introduced anyone to my family. To my friends. To my work buddies. Even the guys at my club knew you by name," Serena''s Ep trembles. She takes a step forward.


    "You think I care if you had some twisted crush on your stepfather?" Nathan says, louder now. "But you cheated on


    me. And you didn''t even have the decency to tell me in private. You announced it like a party trick. Slept with someone else-


    then climbed into my bed like nothing happened." He pauses, shaking his head. "No one''s ever hurt me the way you just did." Tears spill down his face.


    "I wish you the most painful things, Serena."


    Nathan...


    "You have two days to get your things out of the house. After that, I''m setting them on fire."


    He turns to leave. Serena stumbles forward, grabbing at him. "Nathan! Please, don''t do this."


    Right then, a bundle of clothes hits the bottom of the stairs with a dull thud. The bundle breaks open, pieces scattering One of Jade''s shirtsndsby Nathan''s feet.


    Everyone turns.


    My mother is standing halfway up the staircase, her arm still raised from throwing. Her mouth is drawn in a hard, merciless line. Her eyes are red and cold


    "Margot," Jade says, walking toward the stairs, "let''s talk about this. Let mee up and exin-"


    "Stay right there. I''ll send all your stuff down here so you can leave."


    And then she disappears.


    I haven''t moved from my seat. I don''t even know if I can. My hands are on myp, clenched so tightly my nails are biting into my palms. There''s this strange static in my ears, a whining silence that feels like a s Serena''s sobbing now. She has Nathan''s jacket in her fists, pulling him toward her as she cries into his shoulder. He''s not moving. Not pushing her off. But he''s not holding her either. Just waiting. Cold. Distant.


    Jade is pacing. Back and forth, back and forth. One hand braces against his temple like he''s trying to press the headache out of his skull.


    Then Mom appears again, this time with another stack of clothes that she hurls down just as before.


    "Why are you doing this?" Jade asks, breath ragged "Babe, this isn''t even my fault!"


    "It became your fault," she says, "when you kept your mouth shut."


    "You shouldn''t be stressing yourself out he pleads. "You''ll hurt the babies-"


    "The babies will do just fine without you, Jade."


    "I''m not letting you do this to us."


    She scoffs from thending, "What are you going


    to do to stop me? Sleep with my other daughter Go for it. It''s not like they don''t all have questionable morals at this point."


    I blink


    "What? How did I get into this?


    "What did I do say.


    "You''re just like your sister. You knew and didn''t say anything" She''s ring at me now. "So join her and get out."


    Irise slowly, pushing up my g


    "Oh, please."


    "I didn''t," insist


    sses. "I didn''t know she slept with him."


    "You expect me to believe that? And even if it''s true you didn''t know, would you have told me if you did?"


    Topen my mouth. The word yes sits on the edge of my tongue, waiting to jump


    off. But it doesn''t. Because the second I try to say it, I know it isn''t true.


    I wouldn''t have told her.


    God. I hate the truth of that. But I wouldn''t have.


    Serena was the one who reached out to me after all those years of wondering where my mother and sister were. She was the one who kept calling, kept trying, even when I didn''t pick up. The one who stood outside my college dorm window in the rain the day she showed up unannounced, telling me she missed me, that Mom was changing, that maybe we could be a family again if we just tried.


    And against all odds, let her in..


    We shared a house together after school. She made meugh again. Made me believe that maybe I was loved after all.


    With what we''ve been through together, the memories and all, I don''t think I could''ve broken her trust, not even for this. Not even for Mom


    And Mom sees it. I don''t say a word, but the truth is written all over my face.


    Her eyes narrow, the betrayal sinking deeper, and then


    she shakes Her head slowly.


    "Perfect. Just get out, Sloane."


    "They''re all at fault, Margot. Don''t listen to any of them," Nathan says. He steps back from Serena, tugging ¡°They''ve been lying to you. Sloane''s still screwing that man. Jade isn''t an artist. He never was. He works for Sloane''s boyfriend, and I''m sure you''ve met him. You deserve better than any of this."


    his coat out of her grasp.all


    Mom''s face goes pale, much paler than it already was.


    I''m pretty sure everyone is the room has stopped breathing.


    Mom''s face drains of all color, eyes pinned to Jade with an expression I''ve never seen on her before. It''s not just shock. It''s not just betrayal,t''s far worse


    Jade doesn''t move either, though I see his jaw tick. His eyes are locked on hers like he''s trying to telepathically exin the impossible, But there''s nothing to say that can for this


    "Is this some sort of prank?" Mom finally asks, ¡°if it is, you all better stop it. It''s not funny."


    "It''s not a prank, Mom," Serena says, almost whispering.


    Jade turns to her, "Would you just shut up? You''ve done enough already."


    "Done enough?" Serena''s voice cracks. "What? You expected me to keep lying!


    "I expected you not to make


    everything about yourself. You took advantage of me when I was drunk kept it a secret from your mother so she wouldn''t hate you, and now you''ve decided to blow it all up?" He looks like he wants to throw something-at the wall, at himself, maybe even at her. "What the fuck is


    wrong with you?"


    "I didn''t take advantage of you!" she shouts back "How many times do I have to say it? I thought you knew what you were doing


    "You thought I''d willingly cheat on your mom!"


    I can''t look away from


    either of them. My head keeps turning back and forth like I''m watching a tennis match I wish I never came to


    Across the table, Nathan quietly closes the engagement ring box and rises from where he''s kneeling. He looks like he''s aged ten years in the


    And then there''s a sound. The sharp, rattling thud of my mother mming both palms down on the dinner table. The


    tes jump. The cutlery tters


    "Get out of my house," she says. "You sick fucks."


    "Margot," Jade says, standing and moving toward her. "I swear, I didn''t do it on purpose. Your daughter jumped me when I was drunk-"


    "But you knew she had feelings for you, didn''t you?"


    "Did you not?" she demands.


    Jade lowers his head for a breath, "I did."


    "You knew," she breathes, eyes wide and feral, "and you still let her hang around here whenever she wanted. You let her sleep over. You let her stay And then you both had sex and kept it from me?"


    "I didn''t want to ruin your rtionship with her-"


    "I don''t believe a goddamn wording out of either of your mouths. And I want you all to leave."


    She turns and starts up the stairs. Jade takes a stop toward her, but she spins and its a single hand in a silent,manding gesture.


    "Don''t piss me off more, Jade


    "Mom, I''m so velose


    30 sorry." Serena chokes out as she stares at the retreating form of our mother. Her face is twisted, confused. "Oh, my god. What have I done?"


    Nathan hasn''t moved. But I see his shoulders rising and falling. His knuckles whiten as he clenches his fists at his sides.

 CHAPTER 102: Im Not Jade

    Once Mom regains her bearings, she turns and vanishes, no doubt going to throw the rest of Jade''s things down. Before anyone can move, Jade storms toward Nathan, fists tight.


    "I hope you''re ready to eat unsolid food for the rest of your life, you piece of shit," he growl will knock your teeth out"


    Nathan spreads his arms.


    "Do it. Show your wife who you really are. And Rena, please let go. I don''t want to push you off."


    Serena is clinging to him now after he''d tugged his coat out of her grip before. Her arms are wound tight around his torso like she''s trying to hold the whole world together through sheer force of will. Her face is


    Jade, of course, needs something to hit, and Nathan has let himself be a target after that reveal. Jade reaches them and rips Serena away from Nathan. She stumbles


    back, sobbing. Before Nathan can react, Jade punches him hard.


    Nathan staggers, grabbing his mouth, blood blooming over his knuckles


    "Stop!" Serona screams. "You''re going to hurt him!"


    But Nathan lunges back at Jade, aiming a fist of his own.


    It nevernds


    Jade intercepts him mid-


    motion, tackling Nathan with the kind of skill you know took years to perfect. Nathan''s body ms into the ground with a sickening thud, fis back crashing against the sharp edge of the table leg. The entire table jolts, knocking over a water ss that rolls and falls to the floor, shattaring.


    1-1 mutter


    "Oh, my god,"


    The men are on the floor, locked in a mess of limbs and fury.


    Jade swings first, a heavy punch to Nathan''s jaw that sends his head snapping to the side. Nathan groans, dazed, but recovers quickly and tries to retaliate. But Jade is faster. Ruthless. He ducks, then drives a ¡°Stop!¡± Serena cries, rushing toward them, her hands fluttering uselessly in the air. "Stop it, Jade"


    Nathan snarls, trying to twist free, but Jade has


    one arm pressed across his throat now, the other drawn back to strike again. His jaw is clenched so tight that the muscles in his neck look ready to snap


    And then-thump, thump, thump-


    the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps descending the staircase.


    turn my head as I hear a metallic click.


    Mom is at the foot of the stairs, barefoot and pale as bone, but steady. There''s no tremble in her arms as she raises the shotgun. It''s aimed directly at Jade.


    "Step away from him," she says, her voice like stone "And all of you, get the fuck out of my house."


    Jade instantly throws his hands


    up, rising and stumbling a step back like the st has already gone off


    "We''re leaving, Margot Please, just put the gun down."


    That''s all I need to hear


    My shoes squeak against the tile as rush toward the door, snatching my purse off the side table don''t look at anyone Hot Jade. Hots Nathan. The only thought ying on loop in my head is: Do not trust the trem The night air ps me in the tree the second step outside,


    I walk to my car and grip the door handle, fingers shaking, adrenaline still spiking in my bloodstream, I''m sliding the key in when I hear the door


    open behind ime. More footsteps. Then the unmistakable click of the lock turning


    I nce over my shoulder and see them-


    Jade heading straight for his car, eyes locked on the ground, jaw to fight it looks


    like it might crack. He doesn''t say a word, boesn''t spare a nce. Just gets in, ms the door, and peels out of the driveway


    Nathan''s already halfway to his car, and Serena''s trailing after him like she doesn''t know how to stop her legs from moving.


    "Nathan," she calls. "Wait."


    "Could you please not make this any harder for me?" he replies, not turning around. "You''ve already broken my heart. What more do you want?"


    Serena stops as Nathan hides into the driver''s seat, shuts the door, and drives off.


    I stand there watching the red of his taillights vanish into the night. Serena''s arms are wrapped around her stomach like she''s trying to keep her insides from spilling out.


    For a moment, we both don''t say anything. Just stare at the empty space where Nathan''s car used to be.


    Then, Serena says, "Can I stay at your house?"


    *Sure."


    I unlock my car, and she climbs in silently. Her fingers fumble with the seatbelt, and her face looks pale and ssy.


    We drive in silence.


    Or rather, I drive in silence while she


    sobs with her face pressed against


    e2


    the passenger side window. The kind of crying that doesn''te in waves but stays. An endless leaking faucet of grief. I don''t say anything. What would even say? That it''ll be okay? That this will blow over? That Mom won''t hate her forever? Even I don''t believe that. So I keep my eyes on the road and grip the wheel until my knuckles sche, pretending I''m not wondering if she''ll still be crying when we get to my house.


    By the time we get there, her crying has dulled into sniffling


    We head upstairs and inside my apartment, and the familiar smell of vani and carpet cleaner greets us like a tired friend. She doesn''t even take off her shoes. Just walks straight into my bedroom and copses face-first on the bed. She then yanks the sheets over her head.


    nishckin


    I hear her crying again before I even finish locking the door.


    I want to say something, aybe sit with her. But instead, I pull out my phone and type...


    ''Something came up. Don''te to my house. My sister''s here."


    Knox replies almost instantly.


    ''I''m guessing it''s the same reason Jade''s here too. What happened?


    "Long story. Tell youter.


    I toss the phone on the nightstand, run a hand through my hair, and head to the bathroom. beshen up in silence. Warm water, gentle soap, no


    noise dry my face, pull my


    over


    my head, and step back out into the


    bedroom.


    Serena''s stopped crying, but she''s still in the same position, lying on her back now, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling


    I climb onto the bed slowly, not wanting to startle her. For a while, I just sit there, not speaking. The room smells faintly of shampoo and salt.


    Then the questiones out before I can stop it.


    "Why''d you say #17"


    She keeps staring ahead.


    "You could''ve gone your whole life without telling anyone that. Why''d you tell Mom and Nathan?"


    A few seconds pass, and I''m about to let it go, convinced she isn''t going to respond, when she whispers, "Because I''m not Jade


    "What?"


    try them."


    ¡°I''m not him,¡± she says louder now, voice shaking. ¡°I can''t lie to someone and marry

 CHAPTER 103: This Is Not A Job Anymore

    Inod, letting Serena''s words sit between us.


    The light from the bedsidemp glows across the room, creating a halo around the edges offer some kind offort. I can still feel the tension clinging to her like sweat.


    sof Serena''s profile as she stares up at the ceiling it might


    "Do you even love him?" I ask gently. "Nathan"


    Her lips part, but nothinges out right away. Then, in a small voice, she says, "Maybe. He''s sweet, and he cares about me."


    Her throat catches. A soft hup follows. Then the first sab


    "And I just broke his heart," she whispers, as if realizing it for the first time. Tm an evil person, Sloane. So evil"


    Her face crumples and her shoulders hunch inward. The tearse fast now, I slide toward her across the mattress and wrap my arms around her, pulling her into my chest.


    She doesn''t fight


    it. Just shudders in my hold, her body trembling. And even though she''s the


    older one, the feels impossibly small.


    the taller one, the louder one, in this moment


    "You''re not evil," I say, brushing my fingers lightly through her hair, even as my own heart aches. "Okay? This will all go away. It''s just a storm. It pass


    "Mom hates me now," she mumbles against my shirt. "I saw it in her face. She looked at me


    1squeeze her a little tighter. "No, she doesn''t She doesn''t. She''lle around."


    like I wasn''t hers."


    But as I say the words, they catch in my throat. Because deep down, in the quietest corner of myself, I''m not sure I believe that.


    Two weekster, on a Friday


    we were back in


    Serena''s still at my ce. She''s been there since the dinner. She started off using my skincare products and stealing my cardigans college. But after a few days, Nathan dropped off all her things outside the bui And Knox? He''s a ghost I get texts from Sweet, thoughtful messages. Video calls where he looks like he hasn''t slept in days. But it''s not the same as seeing him in person, I tell myself it''s my fault for dating a bu angry!


    y somebody else lives conveniently being upied by Jade. The irony isn''t lost on me. I fought Knox about moving in, fought hard. But now I''m


    there.


    Most of that anger is directed


    at Jade. He destroyed the peace I didn''t even realize I was holding onto. And Mom? She''s still not answering anyone''s calls I''m convinced she''s blocked all of us


    I''m mid-


    keystroke on a firewall report when I hear my supervisor''s voice from above me.


    "Drop whatever you''re doing," Harper says. "You''re needed on the top floor."


    My hands freeze above the keyboard. "Top floor?",


    "CEO''s office." She''s already walking away. "Now


    Uh oh. I don''t like this.


    Ever since Hunter strutted into thispany and imed his throne as CEO-


    just like he said he would-


    he''s managed to stay far, far out of my way. And I''ve been perfectly fine with that arrangement Thriving, even. We haven''t so much as passed each other in a hallway. Not once.


    Which, honestly, isn''t that surprising. Top execs move like shadows in this ce. They take the private elevator, have their own entrances, their own goddamn alt, probably. The rest of us? We stay tethered to th So what the hell is this? Why now? Why me?


    I stand and smooth down my skirt, then grab my phone. Harper''s already at the elevator, walking at a pace that makes me have to jog to catch up. I pin just before the doors close.


    The ride up is quiet. I stare straight ahead, resisting the urge to bite my lip.


    When the doors finally open into the top floor, I''m hit by how pristine it all looks. I''ve only been here once to deliver a message from Harper to one of the executive assistants, but I tell it''s a lot different now Like a


    hotel lobby merged with the


    brain of a Fortune 500pany. Sleek Furniture, Wall- to wall windows spilling sunlight across marble floors. Art that probably costs more than my car.


    Harper leads me down aidor and stops at a thick walnut


    door. She knocks once and then opens it.


    "Here she is, Mr. ckwell," she says, gesturing like I''m some long-lost package.


    Inside, the office isrge and


    modern, with one wall almost entirely ss. Hunter sits behind a curved desk, mid-conversation with a bald man in dark sunsses, who''s seated by the window He''s holding a silver-tipped walking stick between both hands, upright like a


    ceremonial sword.


    "Thank you, Harper. You can leave now," Hunter says without looking at her. "And Ms. Mercer,e in and shut the door."


    My heels tap across the floor. As Harper exits behind me, I catch her giving me


    a look that says, "Don''t do anything stupid."


    I nod faintly and walk farther into the room, shoulders straight even though my spine feels like it might snap


    "Sit down, Sloane," Hunter says.


    I lower myself into one of the two chairs facing the desk.


    The bald man hasn''t stopped staring Or maybe he isn''t staring at all. The sunsses make it hard to tell. But it feels like he''s watching me. Judging me.


    "So, Sloane," Hunter says, resting his elbows on the


    desk. "You''re aware that we''re doing a bit of restructuring around here, aren''t you?"


    Inod. "I am."


    "Good." He flips open a thick file


    folder and begins to skim through it.


    "Mr. Mateo Torres," He gestures to


    the man by the window, "the


    majority shareholder, and I were reviewing personnel this week, and


    your file stood out."


    My stomach clenches.


    "Don''t worry. I mean that in a good way


    He flips


    to a page and starts reading aloud. "Led a security patch upgrade that prevented a major leak in Q2. Detected a data breach before it reached the client interface-


    He keeps reading, naming things I recognize as my past projects.


    Eventually, he closes the file.


    You did all this in six years?"


    "Yes," I say, my voice even, "I did."


    "That''s excellent work. Exactly the kind of thing that shouldn''t be buried on the lower floors. The previous executives were ipetent. Promotion based on hookups and office politics. All of that ends now."


    Thesitate.


    unsure how to respond. It''s... good? Buting from Hunter, it feels like a trap:


    "Thank you so much, Mr. ckwell," I say atst. ¡°I believe there are others who work just as hard"


    ¡°Hardworking and humble,¡± he says, grinning. "I think we made the right choice, Mr. Torres."


    I nce over at the man again. Mr. Torres removes his sunsses. One of his eyes is scarred shut. It''s not grotesque, but it startles me. The other eye pins me in ce like a microscope slide.


    "Of course we did," he says. "Ms. Mercer-may I call you Sloane?"


    "Yes, you may.


    "Great." His voice is smooth but low. "What would


    Id you say about a corner office?"


    My mouth opens a little "That... it has a great view of the city."


    Hunter lets out a soft chuckle. "Told you she''s funny."


    Mateo isn''t smiling, though. He keeps watching me. "The officees with a higher paycheck. Different


    responsibilities, Bonuses. Benefits. This is not a job anymore. It''s a career"


    I nod slowly, heart thudding


    "We''ll go over the details over dinner," Mateo says. "Right after the close of worke on. Not today, when I''m supposed to meet Knox.

 CHAPTER 104: T-Bone

    KNOX


    I watch from behind the one-


    way ss as the new recruits take turns being interviewed for the private exotic dance sessions. Most of them try too hard. A few don''t try at all. And then there


    are the ones who know exactly what they''re selling-


    and exactly who they''re selling it to.


    The girl on the pole now is one of those. Sparkling lingerie. Legs toned. She''s upside down, her thighs gripping the metal with skill. Her head is angled like she''s weightless, and her hair brushes the stage floor.


    I don''t know why I''m even here. The judges are more than capable of handling this process without me breathing down their necks. I haven''t sat in on a recruitment in months, maybe years. Yet here I am, arms way mirror. I could say it''s just a quality control check.


    But that''d be bullshit.


    I know why I''m here.


    Sloane.


    The woman with short hair and blunt bangs who promised to meet me two hours after work. I check my watch again. Maybe for the millionth time. An


    hour more.


    That stubborn woman won''t just move in and put me out of my damn misery.


    And maybe it''s


    got something to do with Jade still camping out in my house. Wouldn''t me her. He''s been pissed off at the worldtely, throwing punches around. Hell, he''s clocked more defaulters in the past two weeks than fast those fists of his move.


    "Going somewhere, boss?" my number two club manager, Levi, asks from where he''s standing beside me.


    I nce at him. "Why?"


    "You''ve been staring at your watch like you''ve got somewhere to be."


    "I have a date."


    His eyebrows lift. "With your girl?"


    "Yeah."


    "That same one?"


    "Really?"


    He holds up his hands, grinning. "I''m just saying...


    you screwing Jade''s wife''s daughter seems kinda incesty. You and Jade are like brothers."


    "I don''t think you understand the concept of incest, Levi. It would be incest if I were screwing Jade. That''s if we''re going with


    your statement about him being my brother."


    "So what should I call it then? Keeping it in the family?"


    "It''s called a rtionship."


    "Ha! Who would have thought." He nudges my elbow. "When are you gonna bring her over here, boss? Show her around, Scard her a little, fugte thos cute bangs of hers". "Not happening."


    "I don''t think that''s a wise idea," he says, shaking his head. "See how it turned out for J7 Man''s in shambles."


    "Unlike Jade''s wife, Sloane knows what this club is."


    "It''s one thing to know. It''s another to see and still ept you. All my first dates were here."


    "It''s no wonder you can''t keep them past the first date."


    He grins. "Why would I want to keep a girl who doesn''t like what I do for a living? I bet you haven''t told her about the times you used to indulge, fight? How you got the old man to sell this ce to you?"


    "We''re not having this conversation, Levi."


    "You''re gonna regret it."


    I turn to leave. "I''ll be in my office."


    As I walk, I can still feel Levi''s words


    circling my head like flies around a carcass. And the worst part? Some of them buzz louder than I want


    them to.


    Sloane hasn''t freaked out about


    the club. Not once. Whenever it''s mentioned, she stays neutral. Calm. Unbothered.


    But what if she just doesn''t know what she''s supposed to be bothered by?


    When people hear sex club, they picture dim red lights, sweaty orgies, backroom sleaze. Leather and chains and creepy dudes in masks.


    But then there are sex clubs-


    and there''s Obsidian. Whole different animal. This ce isn''t just exclusive. It''s legendary. There''s a reason half the city whispers the name like it''s some underground cult and why security stays busy handing


    People don''te here for


    champagne and tamep dances.


    to bleed their desires


    Theye to


    out. Every filthy fantasy, every unspoken kink they''re too afraid to name out loud anywhere else-this is where theye to live it. And yeah, sometimes they take it too far. Push too hard. Forget there''s a line. That''s when fists fly. That''s why Obsidian stays Obsidian.


    What if I actually brought her in, let her see it all? Not the cleaned-up


    version, not the sugarcoated pitch, but the real Obsidian. The heat. The shadows. The twisted beauty of what we do here. Would Levi be right? Would she look at me differently? Flinch? Walk?


    Even if I wanted to show her, I can''t. Not yet. Not unless I''m damn sure she''s madly in love with me. Because if I open that door and


    she leaves, I can''t be a grown man going through a heartbreak.


    I reach my office, swipe my card, and step inside. My chair creaks under me as I sit.


    A buzz vibrates in my pocket.


    I pull out my phone and see a message from Sloane.


    Sloane: ''Can we move the date toter tonight? I''m having dinner with my bosses.''


    I groan out loud.


    My secretary booked that restaurant a week ago.


    Me: ''Your bosses? When did you start having dinner with your bosses? Can''t your ditch them? Say your stomach hurts?''


    Sloane: ''They''re thinking of promoting me. Talking about cramps is just going to remind them why they don''t like putting women in power, I have to go, Knox. I''ll meet you at your ce after work.''


    Goddammit.


    This has Hunter''s name all over it. That smug bastard. He probably wasn''t kidding about that apology letter after all. At this rate, I might just scribete: some half-


    assed sorry just to make him stop. Or better yet, find him at that cigar club of his and settle it the old-


    fashioned way-no paper, no signature Just two men, a room, and fists.


    God, what''s wrong with me?


    A promotion''s not a bad thing. On


    paper, it''s a win. But I know how this


    city works.


    I''ve seen what the top


    the


    floor does to people, especially. ones with titles thate with corner offices and 80-hour weeks.


    These 9-5 warriors barely sleep. Some of them stumble into Obsidian after midnight begging for massages that end in orgasms, just so they can feel like humans again. If Sloane climbs thatdder, she''ll be gasping for air before long


    And me? I''m already


    busy as hell. If she starts clocking those hours, Hunter gets what he wants-


    distance, Silence. Weak spots.


    Im the phone down.


    A whileter, while I''m going through some files, there''s a buzz.


    Again.


    Hunter.


    Hunter: ''Howdy there, Knox boy. Did your girlfriend tell you she''s about to get promoted? Oh, don''t panic. She''s in the right hands. I''ll have her meeting with the top people in the country who''ll steal her away fro on for corporate men.


    I grind my teeth. Hunter and his petty games. I''m going to kill him.


    Me: ''Is this about your stupid apology letter?''


    Hunter: ''We''re way past that now, buddy. You had your chance. Just a sec. Sending you a pic of herughing with our biggest shareholder. Your girl''s


    ambitious.''


    And then ites.


    A picture.


    Sloane,ughing across a table at some upscale restaurant. She''s in profile, face tilted slightly toward the camera. Definitely Hunter''s camera, as he isn''t in the picture. The man beside her has on dark sunss tipped cane between his knees.


    Wait a minute.


    I zoom in.


    It''s T-Bone.


    "What the hell?" I say out loud, sitting up.


    What is Mateo doing acquiring shares in a tech firm? Not just any firm¡ª


    Sloane''s firm. No. This isn''t a coincidence. Not after that weird, clipped run-


    in we had at the kickboxing club. That son of a bitch is up to something. And I''m pretty sure I know why.


    I forward the photo to Aaron.


    Me: ''Get someone to ID that restaurant. Now. And run a background check on a man named Mateo Torres. This is him in the picture."


    I grab my jacket, phone in hand, and storm out of the office, hurrying to the elevator.


    Sloane doesn''t know what Mateo is.


    But I do.


    And if he thinks he''s going to worm his way into her life with revenge in mind, he''s got another thinking

 CHAPTER 105: Chaperone

    SLOANE


    Initially, I''d been skeptical about what a meeting with Hunter, who ims he has bad blood with me, would be like.


    I half expected an ambush or some kind of ego-


    driven showdown, but so far, it''s been surprisingly... normal. Almost too normal. Hunter is a good conversationalist, I''ll give him that. He doesn''t miss a beat, steering the topics around the table like a well- trained ma?tre d'' of words, making the pauses smooth, theughter effortless.


    He''s nothing like the scheming antagonist he paints himself to be. Honestly, I''m beginning to see


    why Knox called him a softie. He''s kind of sweet. Charming in the way that makes you forget your drink is empty until he signals the waiter before you even reach for it.


    It''s the other man on our table that scares me.


    Mateo Torres.


    He doesn''t speak much. When he does, it''s like he''s dissecting me, not holding a conversation. Every time I think the topic will swing to what my new role would involve- which is Hunter''s angle-


    it gets deflected. Not rudely. But firmly. And always toward me. Personal questions. Like he''s trying to measure who I am outside of my resume.


    Hunter''s leaning forward now, azy smile on his face. "I, myself, am just getting to know


    a little about all this tech and firewall stuff," he says, nudging his wine ss toward Mateo as if he''s confessing a secret. "Mr. Torres pulled me out of the investment banking world after all. But you have a way of


    I smile politely. "I believe things shouldn''t be overexined," I reply, keeping up the performance. "If you''re passionate about a project, you should be able


    to make someone else understand-and maybe even be passionate too."


    "I agree," Mateo says. "Are you by any chance married, Sloane?"


    I pause, unsure if I''m supposed to answer that.


    "I mean, your file says you''re single," he adds with a slight smile, adjusting his sses. "But


    that


    was registered years ago. And I also don''t see a ring on your finger. Of course, some people consider it a cultural thing not to wear one."


    "I''m not married, Mr. Torres."


    "Mateo, please."


    "Of course."


    There''s a pause.


    "Would you like more of that?" Hunter asks, gesturing toward my te. There''s a half-


    finished serving of


    what was once a perfectly ted risotto, creamy and delicate, topped with microgreens that I barely touched.


    "No, thank you. I''m full."


    "Dessert?"


    "Honestly, I''m fine."


    Hunter''s gaze keeps drifting toward the entrance like he''s expecting someone. I notice the little nces, the way his posture shifts. And it''s obvious that he''s dragging this dinner out on purpose. At this point, we Mateo has asked me nearly everything Where I went to college. What I majored in. What my GPA was. The name of the pet inas n?o My mother''s maiden name. Hell, Il he asked for my menstrual cycle, I would surprised. I tell myself this a normal Erecuev¨¦ ar but tongues and ice behind their smiles, Curiosity is a power y. And I''m indulging it because I need this job. Or at least, I think I do. The questions continue.


    Hex just asked me about hobbies I might consider picking up in the future when my eyes catch movement near the entrance.


    Knox.


    God, my heart skips so fast that I almost forget where I am.


    He walks in like he owns the ce. His eyes search, then settle on me. I want to smile. Want to run to him. But I remember that it would be unprofessional.


    It hits me right then that he probably stalked me here. Or... maybe not. Because when I nce at Hunter, there''s this smug, satisfied curve to his mouth that tells a different story. Did he call Knox? Knox''s eyes are still on me. I can feel the heat crawling up my neck, flooding my cheeks. I tear my gaze away fast, pretending to be fascinated by the table linen, anything but the man staring holes into my soul. I can''t afford to look like a lovesick idiot in front of Mateo, not when his back is turned to Knox and he has no idea there''s a storm brewing just behind him.


    Mateo doesn''t miss my reaction. "Are you alright, Sloane?" he asks.


    "I''m fine."


    "You look red in the face."


    "Must be something spicy I inhaled."


    "Would you like them to bring you more water? Or juice? Or milk?"


    "It''s fine, Mateo."


    I sneak another nce at Knox. He''s now being


    ushered to an empty table in the corner. He sits and doesn''t open the menu. His eyes stay on me. The tight set of his jaw tells me what I need


    to know. He''s not here for food. He''s here for me. And he''s angry.


    "I believe we''ve exhausted all that we need to say, isn''t that right, Sloane?" Hunter


    says, rising slightly in his chair.


    "I believe so."


    ¡°Alright then. I had a nice time. I''ll drop you back at work so you can get your car."


    "That''s alright, Mr. ckwell. I''ll find my way there."


    "We insist," Mateo says, rising more slowly, leaning on his cane.


    I can''t say no to my bosses. Knox is standing now too, giving me an


    eye message that says, ''Stay back.''


    I respond by mouthing, ''Sorry. Later. Meet me. Office?''


    His jaw flexes.


    Outside, Hunter''s car is already pulled up. It''s a relief they don''t have me riding with Mateo. Lelimb into the backseat beside Hunter, and as ther shifts into gear, he turns to me.


    "So, how''s that pretty sister of yours?" he asks, too casually.


    I narrow my eyes. "I thought we were pretending not to know each other."


    "In front of Mateo, yes. I made you a promise, and I''m keeping it."


    "The promotion is supposed to be a punishment?"


    "Isn''t it?"


    "Seriously, Hunter, you''ve got to do better. You''re not a very good viin. You should


    ask me for tips."


    "You do understand what your new role might entail, right?"


    "And you understand that my boyfriend is capable of meeting me anywhere in the world if he wants to see me, right?"


    Heughs softly. "You just say that because you''ve not started the life yet. Passion and love die fast with a sudden climb in career. And I''ll be keeping my fingers crossed."


    He


    looks up at the mirror. "That''s your boyfriend following behind us. He''s pissed."


    I turn to the rear window.


    Sure enough, Knox''s car is trailing us like a shadow.


    I shake my head. "You can just go to him, Hunter. No need to try to manipte your way back into his life."


    He goes quiet, fingers tapping on the seat. I leave him be. My eyes stay fixed on the mirror. Every turn we take, Knox''s headlights follow. He''s not going away.


    When we finally reach my workce, I don''t wait. I step out quickly. "Enjoy your weekend, Mr. ckwell," I say, walking away before he can say more.


    I pretend to head to my car as Hunter''s pulls away from the parking lot. That''s when Knox drives in. He exits the vehicle like it''s burning from the inside.


    "Sloane?" he calls.


    "Knox."


    He strides toward me with purpose. And before I can brace, his arms are around me, wrapping tight like iron bands around my ribs. My face presses against his chest, and the breath rushes out of me in a gasp.


    "Ouch," I whisper. "You''re crushing me."


    But he doesn''t ease up right away.


    "I''ve missed you," he says.


    "You have a destructive way of showing it."


    He pulls back just enough to look at me. "Can''t a man show how much he missed hisdy?"


    "By crushing my ribs? By the way, what was that about?"


    "What was what about?"


    "You followed me to my dinner meeting, Knox."


    "I had to."


    "You didn''t have to do anything. This is not the 18th century. I don''t need a chaperone


    because I''m out with some men.''


    "In this case," He cups my jaw, "you do. You''re moving in with me today."


    "Uh-uh."


    I gear myself up to protest about him letting Hunter manipte him. And how I''m not going to share a roof with my stepfather. The words don''t get a chance tond as he says


    ¡°I think you might be in danger, Bunny."

 CHAPTER 106: Russian Lullaby

    Knox''s car follows


    behind mine the entire way to his house. I try not to overthink it. Try not to let what he said mess with my head. But it sits there anyway.


    ''I think you might be in danger.''


    Who or what am I in danger from?


    I nce at my rearview mirror again. His headlights still follow. It''s a reminder of the conversation he refused to have until we reached his house.


    What if it''s something serious? What if someone''s watching me right now? I hold the wheel tighter,


    heart ticking a little faster as I scan the darkened sidewalks.


    I shake my head..


    This is ridiculous.


    I shouldn''t be spiraling like this, but Knox has this infuriating habit of withholding information until he''s ready to share-


    and meanwhile, I''m left to drown in my own anxiety.


    It''s a relief when I finally pull into his driveway and park. I


    sit there for a moment, hands still on the wheel, trying to catch my breath. His engine cuts a beatter, and I watch through the rearview mirror as he steps out.


    I get out, mming the door behind me.


    "We''re at your house, Knox," I say.


    "I can see that."


    He walks to me and ces a warm hand around my arm, steering me toward the door.


    "Now would be a good time to start talking," I continue. "Who''s after me?"


    He doesn''t say anything until we''re inside. The moment the door


    clicks shut, I toe off my shoes. Knox does


    the same, as meticulous as ever, before heading straight for the bar. He pulls a bottle of scotch from the top shelf and grabs two sses.


    I toss my bag on the couch with more force than necessary and follow him.


    "Come have a drink," he says as he uncorks the bottle.


    Settling into one of the chairs, I reply, "You didn''t even ask if I like scotch."


    He pours the amber liquid into both sses and pushes one across the counter toward me.


    "There''s only one way to find out. Drink."


    usha / §à§á§Ö§â


    "You''re annoying." I grab the ss and down the whole thing in one go. The burn is instant.


    "You should probably slow down," he says. "That shit is strong."


    "Why?" I set the empty ss down with a satisfying thud. "There''s no reason not to get drunk in your house. You''re my almighty protector who, of course, hasn''t told me what he''s protecting me from." He downs his drink next, refills both, then stares at the freshly poured ss with concentration. Man, if I could read minds, I''d be tearing through his right


    now.


    I count in my head, trying to be patient,


    "You remember that Russian luby?" he finally says.


    The questiones as a surprise.


    "Do you mean the one from the night you had a bad dream?" I ask.


    "It wasn''t just a dream. It was a memory."


    I wait, careful not to push. This is one of those ces I''ve learned to tread lightly-


    Knox''s past. His years in service. I don''t know the full story of what happened overseas and at home


    before he left. But whatever it is, I only hope it hasn''tpletely charged him. Every now and then, I catch a glimpse of the man he might''ve been before it all went dark. The man he might still be if someone co "What is it you wanted to tell me about the luby?" I ask carefully.


    He lifts his eyes from the


    drink and stares into mine. "The man who always sang that luby, we called him T-


    Bone. Used to be a cheerful fellow.


    I nod. "That''s the man who got captured with you, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Did he die before or after you escaped?"


    Silence.


    Then, "I left him there alive. But when we couldn''t


    find himter, we assumed he''d been killed and buried."


    I wait.


    "Turns out," Knox continues, "he''s very much alive. And until I know why he''s taken an interest in you, you''re not leaving my sight."


    My heartbeat falters.


    "Hold up. He''s alive? When did you discover this? And why did you say he''s interested in me?"


    "His name''s Mateo Torres. Does that ring a bell?"


    My mouth opens. Closes. Opens again.


    "Mateo?" I whisper. ¡°The same Mateo I just had dinner with?"


    "Yup."


    "Why would he want to hurt me?"


    "I don''t know."


    I shift in my seat, pushing a bit away from the bar. "I can''t just


    stop going to work, Knox, because you think my boss ns to harm me. Why would he promote me if he has bad ns?"


    "Could be Hunter''s doing. I believe


    Hunter''s an unaware participant i Mateo''s game. Mateo''s probably rolling with the promotion suggestion because it solves the problem of keeping you close."


    "Keeping me close for what?"


    "I''ll have those answers soon. You just sit right in this house and don''t go anywhere."


    He doesn''t really expect me to drop everything and start living in fear just because of a hunch, does he? That''s like saying the man bought an entire firm just to get revenge on a guy he knew in the army years ago.dt sounds dramatic. Paranoid. Borderline unhinged. And maybe that''s exactly what Knox is feeling, but still-locking me inside his house because some ghost from his past resurfaced? That''s not protection. That''s control. And I''m not going to


    y along just because he''s ufortable with Mateo being back.


    "Do you know how to use a gun?" he asks suddenly, after knocking back another shot.


    "A gun?"


    "I gotta get you one."


    "I don''t need it. I hate guns."


    "You don''t have to like them. You just have to know how to use them. We''ll begin lessons tomorrow."


    "Woah, slow down, Rambo. You''re really taking all this too far."


    "Taking your protection too far?"


    I exhale, trying to think straight. Before Knox, I used to think my


    dad was the most paranoid person I''d ever met. Now? Knox is giving him a run for his


    money.


    "I''m not stopping work, Knox," I say. "For the


    sake of your paranoia, I''ll let you arm me. But I''m not quitting my job right when I''m about to be promoted."


    "It''s not like you need the money. I gave you that card."


    "Which I said didn''t need. I can take


    care of myself. This is my life we''re talking about. I''m not throwing it down the drain because of some hunch Or is there something else I''m missing here? Did you do something to him?"


    "It''s the captain''s duty to protect his troops. He might be feeling like I failed him."


    "And the solution is to attack me?"


    "You never know what''s going through a survivor''s mind, especially one who went through a longer time of torture. I don''t want you around him."


    I sigh. "I understand that you care about me, Knox-"


    ¡°I don''t just care about you," he says, voice suddenly low and firm. ¡°I love you, you stubborn woman. And I want you to sit your ass at home where I know you''re safe for the time

 CHAPTER 107: Back Into Your Head

    The wordsnd right in the center


    of my chest, stealing the breath from my lungs: I almost smile. Almost.


    God. Why does he have to say it like that? With so much passion and authority. So blunt. So certain. Like it''s just a fact and not the thing I''ve been secrety dying to hear again since thest time he said it while chest tightening, skin buzzing, knees a little weak even though I''m sitting.


    I want to throw myself into his arms. I want to blurt it back and tell him, ''Yes, I love you too. I''ll stay here forever if you want me to? We''ll figure out the closet space


    and whose mug is whose and grow old yelling at each other over breakfast. I want to be that girl. Just once.


    But that would be my heart talking. And maybe my hormones, because every inch of me wants to be touched by him when he says


    stuff like that,


    My brain, though? My brain is still working. Barely. It''s reminding me that love doesn''t mean letting him lock me away because he''s scared. That just because he feels this deep need to protect me doesn''t mean I should let him bulldoze my choices. Even if part of me aches to let him.


    So I breathe. I hold my ground. And I say, "I''m going to stay here for the weekend. I''ll even move in, and we''ll be roommates with my heartbroken


    stepfather. But you''re not stopping me from going to work, Knox."


    "Oh, I am."


    "You''re not."


    "This is not a joke, Sloane. I''m trying to protect you."


    "From what? You''re not even sure there''s danger, and I''m supposed to just keep my life on hold?"


    He moves fast. One hand grabs the side of my chair, dragging it-and me-


    closer. The other wraps around the back of my neck, pulling my face to his.


    Our eyes meet, and for a second, I forget to be angry. Forget


    to argue. Forget the whole reason we''re even here.


    He leans in so close I feel the warmth of his breath on my lips. "What''s the attitude about,dy?" "Attitude?" I manage. "You''re the one throwing a tantrum because you saw a ghost from the past."


    "The only thing I''ll be throwing is you over myp for a spanking.¡±


    Heat travels from my neck


    down south. His fingers are moving, brushing over the tendons in my


    neck, and my p¨²lse


    flutters against his touch. His eyes darken as they follow the reaction, and I hate that he notices it. Hate that he''s always three steps ahead of what my body''s about to do.


    His hand trails down my neck. I stop breathing entirely.


    "Am I always going to have a hard time keeping you safe?" he whispers, voice rough with frustration and that bass that makes my legs press together without meaning to. "Maybe you''re the one you should be keeping me safe from."


    He smiles, and it''s all teeth. "You''re not wrong."


    Then, without warning, he reaches down and grabs the hem of my skirt. One strong pull and-


    Riiip.


    The fabric gives way in a single sound, the split shooting straight up


    my thigh. I gasp.


    "What the fuck, Knox!"


    "You''re absolutely right, Sloane." His voice is low now, velvet soaked in sin. "I''m the one you need the most saving from. Because I constantly want to ruin you. I want to rip you apart."


    ***


    He lifts me like I weigh nothing, sweeping i off the chair. Our drinks scatter as his hand knocks the bottle and sses sideways. Amber liquid pools an the dark wood. He doesn''t even nce at it. My ass hits the counter hard.


    Then he reaches under my ruined skirt and rips my panties the same way. One pull, and they''re gone.


    My heart jumps straight to my throat


    "You can''t fuckpliance into me, Knox," I say, trying to sound stronger than I feel. My voice shakes anyway. "That''s not how this works."


    His beltes off with a practiced flick. His zinvers


    Jesus.


    1. wn. And then he reaches into his briefs and frees himself.


    Even after all this time, he still makes me ache with a single and I swear I


    forget how to sit upright.


    look. He''s already hard. Already swollen. His hand wraps around the thick length, just once,


    "After two weeks away from you," he says, "I just want to fuck myself back into your


    head. Getting yourpliance afterward will only be a bonus.


    He steps closer and drags my hips forward. My thighs slide along the cold surface until I''m perched right at the edge. My legs fall open on instinct, and that''s when I feel the head of his cock nudging against me.  s?novel


    "So shut up,¡± he says, "and take this dick."


    He pushes in.


    My breath chokes out. He''s too much, too intense, too everything. He doesn''t wait. Doesn''t ease. He fills me in a single, brutal thrust, and my hands scramble for purchase against the countertop, nails scraping against wood.


    "Oh, my God," I pant.


    His grip tightens on my thighs, anchoring me in ce as he pulls


    back and ms in again. My back arches, my vision goes blurry, and every single thought about danger or Mateo or T-Bone or promotions evaporates.


    All that''s left is him. His body. His breath. The way he drives in and out like he owns me.


    And maybe he does.


    Maybe I''ve always been his.


    Knox sets a rhythm, ruthless and


    steady, each thrust punching a moan from my throat whether I want it or hot. His eyes stay locked on mine the whole time. Like he''s daring me to look away. His hands are like vises on my thighs, holding me open andpletely at his mercy.


    The counter digs into the back of my legs, but I barely notice. My world narrows down to the point where our bodies meet, where he''s splitting me open.


    "Knox," I gasp, my fingers curling around the edge of the counter. "Please-"

 CHAPTER 108: You Owe Me A Skirt

    He pulls outpletely before snapping his hips forward, and I cry out. My head falls back as he hits a spot that makes my toes curt.


    "Yes. Oh, yes."


    He leans down, and his teeth capture my earlobe, biting down just hard enough to make me yelp. "I want you


    to feel me. Every inch. I want you to know who''s inside you, who''s making you feel this way."


    I moan, my hips lifting to meet his thrusts, urging him deeper. The room fills with the sound of our flesh pping together, of his grunts and my moans.


    One


    of his hands leaves my thigh, trailing up my stomach, leaving a path of goosebumps in its wake. He cups my breast through my blouse, squeezing gently before pinching my nipple. The sensation shoots straigh "Fuck, Sloane," he groans. "You feel so good."


    His words spur me on, and I meet his thrusts with abandon. The counter shakes, sses rattle, and I''m pretty sure my heart stops beating entirely, my body focusing on only one thing: him. His touch, his taste, "You missed this," he says, breath hot against my cheek. "You missed me."


    I don''t answer. I can''t.


    My fingers find his shirt, wing into it. I want to rip it. I want him bare. I want skin. Heat. Everything.


    He leans forward and captures my mouth with his, teeth shing against mine. It''s not a kiss. It''s a devouring. And I open for it, let him take whatever he wants.


    His hand slips behind my back, pulling me tighter into him, forcing every inch of his cock deeper than I thought possible. The sound that escapes me is


    animalistic.


    "Say it," he growls.


    "What?"


    "That you''ll stay."


    I whimper. Shake my head. "Knox..."


    "Say it."


    "You know I-"


    His next thrust knocks the words from my lips.


    He grabs the back of my neck again, foreheads pressed together, breath ragged.


    "Say. It."


    "You''re insane," I whisper.


    "And you love it."


    "I hate you."


    "You love me."


    His pace falters for a split second. Just long enough for the truth to slip out.


    "I do," I breathe.


    He grins, eyes locking on mine. "Say it again."


    "I love you, Knox."


    And just like that, the rhythm shatters.


    Knox lift''s me, holding me in his arms as he turns and bends me over the bar. He does this without ever leaving my body.


    He fucks me harder now, hands gripping my hips, pulling me into every stroke, I reach for him blindly, dragging him down until his chest is pressed against my back. His name spills from my lips again and again He drops his mouth to my neck, biting gently.


    The bar creaks beneath us, but I don''t care if it breaks, if the whole world crashes down. As long as he doesn''t stop.


    "Knox," I say, my body tensing as I feel my orgasm building. "I''m close. So close."


    "Do you want me to fill you?"


    "Please."


    He picks up the


    pace, mming to the hilt repeatedly. "You''ll be dripping with me all night.


    I''ve been saving it just for you, love."


    "Knox-"


    He reaches around, his fingers finding my clit, circling it with just the right amount of pressure to send me over the edge. I scream his name, my body convulsing as waves of pleasure crash over me.


    He growls against my throat and


    thrusts onest time, his entire body


    tensing feel the pulse of him deep


    inside, the warmth, the tremble of muscles. He doesn''t stop until he''s emptied every drop.


    "Fuck, Sloane," he groans. "What have you done to me?"


    We both copse-


    him braced above me on trembling arms, me sprawled on the bar, breath gone.


    Silence stretches between us.


    Our skin sticks together in the sweat and the heat. I can feel his heart pounding against my back, matching the frantic beat of my own.


    After a moment, he pulls out, and I turn to face him, a soft smile ying you know that?"


    He kisses my jaw, my cheek, and then my mouth.


    "You''ll stay?" he asks.


    "For the weekend. And then maybe I''ll move in. But I''m going to work."


    on my lips. I lift a hand and brush his damp hair off his forehead. "You''re crazy,


    Heughs. "You''re the most difficult person I''ve


    ever met. Maybe a second round would help plead my case further."


    "Only if you want me to copse halfway through."


    He helps me sit up, hands warm at my waist.


    I nce down at the mess-


    liquor spilled, panties torn, skirt shredded. "You''re cleaning that."


    "I have people for that."


    "I''ve never met anyone in this


    house, other than the surprise party guests, of course."


    "Move in, and you''ll meet them all. They are usually under strict instructions to be scarce unless needed."


    "You owe me a skirt."


    "I''ll buy you ten."


    1 slide off the bar with shaky legs, and he steadies me without a


    word. His thumb brushes across my hip.


    "You okay?" he asks.


    I nod. "Just sore."


    "Music to my ears."


    I roll my eyes. "You''re such an ass."


    The sound of the front door creaking open makes us go still.


    "Knox?" a voice calls from the hallway. "Where are you?"


    76%


    Jade.


    I scramble to gather what little dignity I have left.


    "Jesus," Jade exims, rounding the corner and immediately throwing a hand over his eyes. "Are you kidding me? There are people in this house, you know. Get a room."


    Knox takes off his jacket and hands


    it to me with a grunt. I fumble to tie it


    around my waist, cinching it as tightly as I can, then use both hands to pull the front closed over my thighs. My blouse is askew. My face is on fire. I can''t even look Jade in the eye.


    Knox adjusts his pants and buttons up like it''s nothing. No shame. Of


    course not. He could probably host a TED Talk mid-


    orgasm without missing a beat.


    "If I''m staying here," I say, still breathless and humiliated, ¡°he''s not."


    Jade peeks between his fingers and lowers his hand when he sees I''m somewhat decent. Then he fixes me with a hard re.


    "You people are just fond of destroying my happiness, aren''t you?¡± he snaps. "Your mother''s filed for


    divorce, Says she wants sole custody of the triplets when they''re born."


    The air in the room changes.


    "She did?" I ask.


    "If I can''t get her to change her mind, you better tell your sister to watch her back."


    "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"


    "It means," he says, voice lowering, "that there will be no happiness for her as long as I live. As a matter of fact, someone just dropped a very informative message to your father."


    No, he did not.


    "You son of a bitch. What did you tell him?"


    "Me? It was your mother. What do you think she told him? By the way, that''s not why I came. Somedy named Lydia dropped by the club asking for you, Knox. She says she''s your sister."

 CHAPTER 109: Tiny Possibility

    It''s Sunday, and I am before a mirror, regretting my new choice of nails.


    I stare at my reflection and try to hold the eyeliner steady with what feels like ten tiny daggers sprouting from my fingers. Each movement is careful. One wrong turn could cause the sharp tip to skip across my lid and ruin everything. Again.


    I pull back and exhale. I don''t know what possessed me to get them at the salon yesterday. Maybe I was craving change. Maybe I needed a little jolt of something new that didn''t involve crying, fighting, or orgasms that left my chest tight. It was either the nails or going full redhead. I figured the nails were safer. And now I can''t even zip my jeans without stabbing my hip.


    Behind me, I hear the soft scrape of wood. I nce up at the mirror and find Knox standing at the closet door.


    He''s fully dressed for night work at his club. ck on ck on ck. Matte shirt, tailored pants. He doesn''t say a word. Just leans one arm against the doorframe and watches me with a look I can''t quite read.


    "Have you changed your mind yet?" I ask, turning.


    "About what?"


    "Lydia." I reach for the folded piece of paper on the dresser. "Jade dropped a number. All you have to do is call her."


    He walks into the room and sinks down onto the edge of the bed, legs spread, arms resting loosely


    on his knees.


    "We''ve been over this," he says. "I don''t want to see her."


    I cross my arms. "Why? You''ve made it perfectly clear that her death-or fake death-was the beginning of your problems. Obviously, you cared about her. You find out she''s alive, and you don''t want to talk to her?"


    "Some things should just remain as they are. I''ve gone through all the pain of losing her. Hated who I was supposed to hate. med myself. Spent years in therapy. It''s better off if we don''t meet."


    I study him, the way his forearm flexes, the distant look clouding his eyes.


    "But she wants to see you," I say.


    "Why now? She left before and never returned. So why now?"


    "Your mother sent her away. Have you forgotten?"


    He scoffs. "That would have been an excuse back then when we were teenagers. Now, it just sounds ridiculous. She let me think she died. I took the fall for her death. My father was so pissed he sent me away to redeem myself overseas or else face jail time. You know the rest of the story from there. And in all this time, she never once thought toe back. To reach out."


    He pauses, then adds with steel:


    "You can me my mother all you want. She''s maniptive. She''s wicked. Yes, I know this because she''s very open with her wickedness. Finn is too That''s why I don''t really care what their part was in all this. Bad people do bad things. But to trust someone and then find out they hurt you? That''s a different ballgame."


    I take a


    a slow breath. "There might be an exnation."


    "I don''t want to hear it." He stands now, jaw clenched. "Because, Sloane, I am one hundred percent sure that my mother called her toe see me. And if she had to wait for her to do that, I don''t want to see her."


    I don''t know what to say to that. Not without pushing too far. Maybe I am pushing him for the wrong reasons. Maybe it''s not about closure for him- maybe it''s curiosity for me. I want to know who Lydia is. I want to understand why her name still sends aftershocks through this family like a dormant volcano just cracked open.


    Knox walks toward me. His hand brushes the top of my head before he ces a kiss there.


    ¡°Gotta run, love. Do you really need to go to your sister''s?"


    "It''s not my sister''s house," I say, closing the makeup case. "It''s my house. If I''m


    to stay here, I need the rest of my stuff. Don''t worry about me..


    "Oh, I''m not worried. Those two bodyguards are well trained."


    He squeezes my arm and then nudges me toward the hallway. I tuck Lydia''s number into my shorts pocket on the way out, unsure if it''s for him or for me.


    We head down the stairs and out of the house in silence. Once out the door, Knox veers off to his car, and I slide into the back of mine. My two guards- one driving, one riding shotgun-exchange a nce as we pull out of the gate.


    I sit back, trying not to think about how weird it is to have constantpany. They were even in the salon yesterday, nking me like I was a visiting dignitary. One woman had the nerve to ask if we were in a poly rtionship. I hadn''t even processed the question before one of the guards told her to stay back. She hadn''t meant harm, I don''t think. She was just curious. But now I can''t even joke with strangers.


    By the time we pull into my building, I''m already reaching for the door handle. The guards move in sync with me.


    "Seriously?" I nce back at them. "I''m going upstairs. I''m fine."


    "We know you''re fine," the one in the passenger seat says. "We just want to make sure you remain that way. As is our job."


    Perfect.


    I wave at Johnny, the building''s security guard, on my way in, and he raises both brows at the two men following me like shadows. Our feet echo as we make our way up the stairs. I swipe my card at my door and step into the apartment.


    There she is. Serena. She''s curled up on the couch, holding a mixing bowl of ice cream that looks like it came straight from the freezer. She nces up.


    "You''re back."


    The guards step inside behind me, closing the door. Serena freezes, spoon halfway to her mouth. She ces it down slowly.


    "Who are they?" she asks.


    "My bodyguards," I reply, heading toward my bedroom. "I need to pack a few things."


    "Bodyguards?" she repeats, jumping out of the couch and trailing after me. "What do you need them for?"


    "My boyfriend thinks I''m in danger."


    "From whom?"


    "My boss. Kind of. He owns thepany. They used to be old pals."


    She frowns. "None of this is making sense. And why do you need to pack a bag?"


    I drop onto the edge of my bed. "I''m moving in with Knox."


    "Seriously? You''re just going to leave me here by myself? I''m not used to being alone. I don''t think I''ve ever actually lived on my own before."


    "Now would be a great time to learn, Serena. You just broke a man''s heart and slept with your stepfather. Maybe what you need is a little solitude.


    "You sound like me."


    "I don''t think so. I wasn''t mean enough."


    "Screw you."


    Iugh softly and turn away from her to head toward the dresser, needing


    to focus on the task at hand: packing pull open the top drawer and grab a few folded shirts. Next is the bottom drawer. My fingers sink into the stack of leggings shoved in the back corner. I tug at a ck pair I haven''t worn in weeks, and a small


    box falls out with a quiet thunk.


    I nce down. There, half-tucked against the dresser leg, is a small white box


    with rounded corners. A pregnancy test kit.


    Before I can so much as blink, Serena is in motion. She lunges forward and snatches the box off the floor.


    Her arm folds around her middle protectively as she turns away, hiding it behind her back like I didn''t just see what I saw.


    I''m not moving. I''ve forgotten the leggings in my hand, forgotten the shirts still folded under my arm.


    "Please tell me there''s another reason why you have that with


    Serena''s face stiffens. "Have what?"


    "Don''t y dumb."


    "I buy these things all the time, Sloane."


    "Were you and Nathan trying for a child?"


    Ou."I say.


    She exhales. "No. He hates condoms. I hate hormonal pills. So we settled for withdrawal. Every now and then, my period''ste and get scared. So I buy a kit. It''s never been positive."


    "And now?"


    She turns and walks back into the living room, where the guards are standing


    awkwardly near the window. I follow her.


    "Rena?" I call.


    She doesn''t look at me. "Just do what you came for, Sloane. Don''t worry about


    me."


    She plops back down and resumes feasting on her ice cream. Her fingers tremble just a little.


    "You bought that kit for a reason," I say. "And you haven''t taken the test."


    "Because I don''t want to."


    "Why else did you buy it?"


    "Impulse purchase."


    "And you''re seriously not going to take it?" I ask. "Why not just put yourself out of


    the misery?"


    "Because, Sloane. If there''s even a slight chance that I''m pregnant, I don''t want to


    know. I''m not in the right frame of mind to deal with it."


    "Because Nathan hates you? You''re dreading telling him you''re pregnant?"


    She ms the spoon into her bowl, ice cream sttering.


    "Jesys. You should have been a<pwyer. You just don''t let things go, do you? Fine. If two lines appear on that device when I pee on it, I wouldn''t even know who to call. It could be Nathan''s; there''s a high chance. But it could also be Jade''s. It''s that tiny possibility that is keeping me from taking the test, Sloane."

 CHAPTER 110: Its Raining Babies

    ~~DELILAH~~


    I''ve been putting this on hold for a while. It''s


    now or never.


    The fertility pills have made me bloated, alittle weepy, and just i irritable


    enough to snap at a waiter for putting too many ice cubes in my soda. Still, I took them. Because timing is everything, and my cale fellst


    me this is the window. Peak ovtion. Prime conception. One shot to make good on this


    increasingly psychotic n.


    I''m standing at Finn''s door, trying not to panic. My heart is knocking a weird rhythm behind my ribs. Not because I''m scared of him. Not because I''m new to seducing Finn-God knows that''s never been hard-


    but because this time, I''m not just looking


    to scratch an itch. This time, there''s a bigger purpose. A bigger risk. One that could show up as two pink lines in a few weeks and alter both our lives forever.


    And, okay, maybe I''m also panicking because I''ve been doing P


    s religiously, and the thought of ruining my figure makes me want to cry.


    I raise my hand to knock again, but the door swings open before itnds.


    Finn stands in the doorway, looking unexpectedly... normal. There''s color in his face. A steadiness in his eyes that wasn''t there before. The cast is still on his arm (proof of the madness I helped him orchestrate) "Delh," he says, visibly surprised. His gaze drops to my dress, that high-


    slit crimson thing


    that borders on indecent, and his lips twitch. There''s hunger in his stare, as usual, that intense kind of interest that never fades no matter how bad things get between us.


    "Finn,"1 reply. "Can Ie in?"


    "Umm." He nces over his shoulder. "I kind of have


    I.


    guest."


    "A guest?"


    "Met her at my AA meeting. She''s cool."


    "AA?" My eyebrows go up. "Since when did you be an alcoholic?"


    "Oh, I''m not," he says, stepping back slightly but not letting me through. "I tried therapy. It sucked. All those questions. And the judgment? Yuck. But these people just sit in a circle and say the darkest shit. Like, with my ex''s sister. I want to stab my boss. And you know what they say? ''People suck.'' They get.me."


    I blink. "That''s...fortingly deranged."


    "At first, I went to Sex Addicts Anonymous. That got weird. Then Narcotics. But the alcoholics are where it''s at. Real ones."


    From inside, a singsong voice floats out. "Finnnnnn? Who''s at the door?"


    "I''ming, my love!" he yells back.


    I almost choke. "Your love?"!


    He doesn''t get a chance to answer because I''m already pushing past him. His ce still smells like stale candles and mint gum. I head straight for the bedroom. And there she is.


    Naked. On his bed.


    Not even flinching. She''s blonde, obviously, but the wig she''s wearing is jet-


    ck with sharp bangs. It''s slightly crooked. She has transparent sses perched low on


    her nose, like a librarian doing cosy.


    What the hell am I even looking at?


    "Who are you?" she says tly, not bothering to reach for


    "I should ask you that."


    a sheet.


    Finn shuffles in behind me, looking a little sheepish and way too rxed for someone caught in this particr setup.


    "I see you''ve met Sloane," he says.


    "Sloane?"


    "Well," he shrugs, "her real name is Benita. But we do a little roley. I''m her dead lover. She''s Sloane."


    My vision sways for a second. I have to reach for the wall, bracing myself with one hand before my knees give out. What the actual hell is happening? Oh my god. He''s lost it. He''s officially insane. He''s got a naked girl in a wig and fake sses pretending to be Sloane-


    and he''s calling her ''my love'' like we''re in a badly written soap opera?


    I press my palm to the wall, breathing slow, trying not to hyperventte.


    This is bad. Really bad.


    I can''t let this continue. If Knox finds out Finn has found a solution to his sadness, I''ll lose everything. One million is a


    And as much as I hate to admit it, there''s a part of me that''s angry he''s happy without me.


    "You okay?" Finn asks. "Want me to get you water?"


    Benita''s twirling the end of her wig around one finger. "She could join us on the bed."


    I right myself and straighten my spine.


    "Benita, is it?" I say. "You need to get up, pack your shit, and leave."


    "You can''t tell me what to do. It''s not your house."


    "Ask Finn who broke his arm, and then let''s go over this again."


    lot of money.


    Benita grins. "I know everything about Finn. You broke his arm with a hammer. The story was so hot in AA." She lets out a loudugh, and only a tiny thread is holding me back from knocking her teeth out.


    Hook at Finn with narrowed eyes.


    He clears his throat. "Alright, Benita. Get up. I''ll call youter."


    "You''re seriously kicking me out for Jezebel?"


    "Her name is Delh."


    "Same thing."


    Finn grabs he legs and pulls her to the edge of the bed. She lets out a high-pitched noise that sounds like a dying balloon, then angrily gets to her feet. She throws on a wrinkled sundress without underwear grabs her purse, and plucks off her wig and sses. They tter onto the desk.


    "Sheesh," she mutters as she stomps to the door. "I see why Sloane left you,


    Finn."


    I feel the impact of the front door mming shut from here.


    Finn flops backward on the bed, exhaling dramatically,


    "You just sent my fun away," he says. "Why are you here?"


    "I came because I missed you."


    "You refused to return my calls. Ignored my


    "You asked me to break your arm becau xts."


    "And now?"


    "I''m not mad anymore."


    you''re in love with that nerd. I was mad at you."


    "Doesn''t matter," he says, folding his arms behind his head. "I''ve moved on. Doing great, actually."


    "By asking girls to wear wigs?"


    "God forbid a man has a kink."


    "That''s not a kink. That''s an obsession."


    "This is the only thing keeping me from kidnapping her. So yeah. I roley. My brother''s got her for now. I''ll wait my turn. She''lle back."


    I step toward the bed. "What if she''s in love with him? What if they get married? Have kids?"


    "She''s not going to stay with Knox. My brother''s terrible at love. She''ll get tired."


    "You don''t even sound like yourself. What happened to you?"


    "I used to think he hated me."


    "Who?"


    "Knox. But then I cut myself, and he patched me up. He doesn''t hate me. So I''m okay with him having her for now. We share everything, remember? Sloane will circle back to me."


    I just stare at him. This man is not the Finn I knew. But I didn''te here to psychoanalyze him. I came to do what I was paid to do.


    I reach for my hair tie, fingers


    trembling only a little as I twist my


    ponytail into a bun. Then I grab the wig from the desk. It''s sweaty and reeks of Benita''s perfume, but slide it on anyway. It''s too big, slipping forward until I have to adjust it twice. I grab the sses and settle them on my nose.


    As I turn back to Finn, I see him push himself upright on the bed, bracing with his good arm.


    "What are you doing?¡± he says, eyes narrowing.


    "You want Sloane, right?" I whisper. "I''ll be Sloane."


    I reach for the straps of my gown, slowly sliding them off my shoulders, but then we both freeze.


    The sound of a key in the front door is what caught our attention. The lock clicks.


    "Finn?¡± a voice calls. "Are you home?"


    My blood runs cold. I know that voice. It''s unmistakable..


    Victoria.


    I''m still standing there in the wig and sses, dress slipping off my arms, when she storms into the bedroom.


    Her eyesnd on me, and they narrow with instantaneous contempt.


    "What the hell are you doing here?"


    "Victoria," I say with a tight smile. "A pleasure."


    "I don''t want you here. Get out. Now."


    "Mom-" Finn tries, but she lifts a hand.


    "Not


    a word. Your sister''s here to see you, and I''d really prefer not to have this woman present for an important family reunion."


    "Sister?" Finn echoes, frowning.


    "Lydia,¡± Victoria says. ¡°She''s here. In the living room. I think it''s time you met your son, Finn."

 CHAPTER 111: The World Is Not That Small

    -SLOANE~~


    The office has be my only ce of freedom.


    Peacees with knowing that the guards can''t follow me past these walls. They hover, always hover, but not here. They''re probably across the street right now, staring through binocrs from some rented su or whatever. Watching. Waiting. Logging my every move.


    To be here-alone, unshadowed, unbothered-


    is the closest I''ve felt to breathing in the past few days.


    Of course, I still had topromise before Knox stopped pestering me about quitting my job. There''s a discreet camera nestled inside the ceramic cactus pot on the corner of my desk.


    The mic is


    worse. It''s stitched into my bra strap today, but some days it''s clipped to the


    hem of my skirt or hidden in the tiny brooch Knox insisted I wear. It only needs to be on when I''m away


    from my desk, but I''ve forgotten a few times. And I paid for it with lectures.


    Today is Wednesday, and I''ve almost trained myself to ignore the constant eyes on me. Almost.


    It''s still hard to pretend I''m not


    being heard when I pee. Especially when I have to wonder if anyone''s catching the ssh.


    Just like a few seconds ago.


    I step out of the restroom and nearly collide with Jenna, my coworker.


    The smile she gives me is a little too smug


    for my liking. She leans one shoulderzily against the tiled wall. "It''s always the ones who look innocent that surprise you."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" I ask.


    She tilts her head, studying me. "Rumors are flying around that you''re getting


    promoted. Let''s just say everyone thinks you''re banging the CEO."


    "Why in the world would they think that?"


    "That you''re getting promoted or that you''re banging the CEO?"


    "Both."


    "Well, the news going around says he''s fixing you


    an office on the top floor. Top floor, Sloane. You must have banged something, girl. Your supervisor is pissed."


    My arms fold across my chest. "Well, you all thought


    wrong. I didn''t sleep with anyone for this position. I earned it."


    Jenna''s eyes flick toward my folded arms, then up to my expression. She raises her hands in mock surrender. "Put your ws back in, tiger, I was just giving you a heads-


    up before you walk in there. The gossip just dropped. And that''s what everyone''s talking about.¡±


    She sweeps past me into the restroom with a light toss of her hair, leaving me standing in the hallway, rooted in ce.


    I stand there for a beat longer, hearing her words echo inside my head. I can''t decide if she was warning me or goading me. Doesn''t matter, I''ll find out soon enough.


    I head back to the office floor.


    As I walk in, the air changes.


    Conversations drop off in slow motion. A few heads turn downward, suddenly fascinated by their monitors. One guy coughs, awkward and fake. woman adjusts her headset like she''s in the middle of a call, but h


    I keep my face neutral and make my way to my desk. The ceramic cactus is exactly where I left it, waiting to get a clear image of me. I ease


    into my che slide my fingers under my zer, and press the button on the mic tucked beneath my shirt. Off.


    I rest my palms t on the desk.


    I''m just about to lose myself in the lines of code on my screen when a stack of files drops onto my desk.


    It''s Harper, my supervisor. Jenna wasn''t lying when she said she''s pissed.


    Her perfectly blow-


    dried bob is as tight and stiff as her expression. "Need these reviewed, cross-


    checked, and consolidated into a single report," she says. "By 2 p.m."


    I nce at the files. There are easily four reports here, maybe more. Charts, analytics,work logs. "You want this done in four hours?" She shrugs. "Not my timeline. Comes from above."


    I open


    one file, scanning the dense formatting. "Harper, this could take a full team-"


    "I''m sure you''ll manage," she says with a thin smile. "You''re moving up in the world, after all."


    She spins on her heel and strides away before I can say another word.


    My jaw tightens.


    And of course, now the whispers are back. Softer this time, sneakier. I don''t have to look to know the eyes are back on me too.


    This ends now.


    Hunter hasn''t said a word to me since the dinner. No call. No exnation. But somehow, the whole building knows about a promotion?


    I push back from the desk and stand. The mic in my shirt lets out a faint static rasp as I


    move, reminding me it''s off. I reach under my blouse and click it on as I head for the elevators.


    The doors open as soon as I press the button. I step inside alone and stab the top floor.


    The ride up feels longer than usual. My


    reflection stares back at m¨¦ in the metallic panels-


    tired, butposed. I take one breath. Then another.


    When the doors slide


    open, I step out into the plush, quieter hallway of the executive level.


    Hunter''s secretary looks up from herputer as I approach.


    "Is Mr. ckwell in?" I ask.


    "Do you have an appointment?"


    "No. Just tell him Sloane Mercer wants to see him."


    There''s a pause. She picks up the phone, keeping her voice low.


    "Yes, Mr. ckwell. Sloane Mercer is here to see you... Should I-


    okay." She hangs up and points. "You can go in."


    Hunter''s office is just opposite his secretary''s cubicle. I step toward it, knock once, and push the door open.


    He''s bent over his desk, pen scratching across a page.


    "Sloane," he says without looking up.") wasn''t expecting you."


    I walk in further and stop in front of his desk. "What is your y here, Hunter?"


    The pen freezes. Slowly, he lifts his head.


    "I beg your pardon?"


    "What are you and Mr. Torres nning to do with me? And why hide under the guise of a promotion?"


    He sets the pen down and leans back, fingers threading under his chin. "I really don''t understand what your question is about, Sloane.


    Who''s hiding under the guisel.ne


    of


    promotion? And please, sit down. Looking up at you is straining my eyes."


    I don''t wait for a second invitation. I sit.


    "I know about Mateo Torres," I say.


    "What about him?"


    "That he and Knox were buddies in the army. And they seem to have unresolved issues. I need to know if I''m a pawn


    in this game you''re all ying


    Hunter frowns, visibly thrown. "Mateo knows Knox?"


    "Don''t pretend you don''t know."


    "I...don''t."


    We stare at each other. His gaze doesn''t waver.


    "So he didn''t give you any reason why you should promote me?¡± I ask.


    "Mateo had nothing to do with it. We talked about reviewing employees'' files, and yours stood out. I made the suggestion. If Knox and Mateo have beef with each other, it has nothing to do with me."


    "So you''re just going to roll with it?


    You don''t find it weird that a man who has problems with Knox somehow makes you-Knox''s friend the investment banker who helps him buy enormous shares in a


    He shrugs. "Why should I find it weird? The world''s a small ce."


    "It''s not that small."


    Leaning forward on the desk, he says, "Let''s work with your theory here for a second. Why go through all the trouble to acquire apany to get back at someone you hate when you could just harm them direc either. So why?"

 CHAPTER 112: People Like You

    For one ufortable second, I don''t have an answer.


    I stare at a point on Hunter''s desk that''s safe and nk and lifeless-


    anything to avoid the smirk in his eyes. In the silence, my brain reys the conversation I had with Knoxst Friday.


    I remember challenging him


    on it. using him of jumping to conclusions because of his own guilt or past or whatever he refused to put into words.


    And now I''m about to use the exact same logic on Hunter.


    I straighten in my chair, forcing the words out. "You never know what''s running through the mind of a victim."


    "A victim?" he says. "Of what?"


    I sigh. "Hunter, I really appreciate the offer. But until I know Mateo isn''t crazy, I can''t ept the promotion."


    "You''re kidding me, right? I put your name forward, and you''re going to make me retract my rmendation? What


    has a promotion got to do with anything? Is your


    new office going to be rigged with a bomb? Or does being top staff make you more susceptible to assassination? This is Knox''s doing. I just know it. I''m going to speak to that boyfriend of yours." "It''s my decision."


    "So you think I want to murder you?"


    "It''s not you I''m worried about."


    "Mateo? That man has the cleanest record ever. I did my research, you know? I don''t just take whoever as my clients because they haverge amounts in their


    bank ounts. His father was a minister in a church. His grandfather owned a big winery that passed from Mateo''s father to Mateo. That''s how he got the money for this firm. Man just wants a new life. You and I stand. "I''d just go with my hunch, Hunter."


    "I''m not letting you. You''re taking that promotion."


    "I''ll see myself out."


    I walk out, not rushing but not exactly calm either. I can feel his eyes burning holes into the back of my jacket.


    He won''t let this go. He''s probably


    thinking about calling Mateo to confirm what I said, and I hope he does.


    I hope he goes straight to him. Pushes him. Presses for answers. Because maybe then, Mateo will be forced to stop circling and just say it. Whatever it is he wants from me or Knox- whatever twisted n he''s mapped out in that quiet, calcting head of his-


    he better spit it out.


    I''m tired of the guessing. And I can''t keep walking around with bodyguards, waiting for something to happen. Your move, Mateo.


    After the close of work, I spot Knox''s men outside the building-


    stationed like sentinels at the far end of the parking lot. One


    is leaning casually against my car, arms folded. The other stands by the rear of the car, sunsses still on even though the sky''s bleeding into dusk.


    I smile politely at them. Harper''s punishment in the form of work assignments drained me more than I care to admit, and I''m still reeling from the idea that my so-


    called promotion has be office gossip. I just want to get in my car and drive home-


    preferably without anyone else trying to control my life tonight.


    But then I see him.


    Finn.


    For one ufortable second, I don''t have an answer.


    I stare at a point on Hunter''s desk that''s safe and nk and lifeless-


    anything to avoid the smirk in his eyes. In the silence, my brain reys the conversation I had with knoxst Friday,


    I remember challenging him on it. using him of jumping to conclusions because of his own guilt or past or whatever he refused to put into words.


    And now I''m about to use the exact same logic on Hunter.


    I straighten in my chair, forcing the words out. "You never know what''s running through the mind of a victim."


    "A victim?" he says. "Of what?"


    I sigh. "Hunter, I really appreciate the offer. But until I know Mateo isn''t crazy, I can''t ept the promotion."


    "You''re kidding me, right? I put your name forward, and you''re going to make me retract my rmendation? What has a promotion got to do with anything? Is your new office going to be rigged with a bomb? Or does being top staff make you more susceptible to assassination? This is Knox''s doing. I just know it. I''m going to speak to that boyfriend of yours."


    "It''s my decision."


    "So you think I want to murder you?"


    "It''s not you I''m worried about."


    "Mateo? That man has the cleanest record ever. I did my research, you know? I don''t just take whoever as my clients because they haverge amounts in their bank ounts. His father was a minister in a chu I stand. "I''d just go with my hunch, Hunter."


    "I''m not letting you. You''re taking that promotion."


    "I''ll see myself out."


    I walk out, not rushing but not exactly calm either. I can feel his eyes burning holes into the back of my jacket.


    He won''t let this


    go. He''s probably thinking about calling Mateo to confirm what I said, and I hope


    he does.


    I hope he


    goes straight to him. Pushes him. Presses for answers. Because maybe then, Mateo will be forced to stop circling and just say it. Whatever it is he wants from me or Knox- whatever twisted n he''s mapped out in that quiet, calcting head of his-


    he better spit it out.


    I''m tired of the guessing. And I can''t keep walking around with bodyguards, waiting for something to happen. Your move, Mateo.


    After the close of work, I spot Knox''s


    men outside the building-stationed like sentinels at the far end of the parking lot. One is leaning casualty against my car, arms folded. The other stands by the rear of the car, the rear of the sar sunsses still on even though the sky''s bleeding into dusk.


    I smile politely at them. Harper''s punishment in the form of work assignments drained me more than I care to admit, and I''m still reeling from the idea that my so-called promotion has be office gossip. I just want to get in my car and drive home-preferably without anyone else trying to control my life tonight.


    But then I see him.


    Finn.


    He''s pacing at the edge of the lot near the hedge-


    lined path that leads to the rear building. I don''t notice him at first, but once he steps forwar amber glow of the parking lights, I freeze mid-


    step.


    A sling is still looped around one shoulder, and his good arm swings as he approaches. He looks worn out. Jaw tight. Eyes bloodshot in that way yo get from too little sleep or too much guilt. Or both. "Sloane," he says.


    Before he can get too close, one of the guards steps into his path.


    "Hey, man, who the hell are you?¡± Finn says, lifting his broken arm like he''s gearing up to fight.


    I slow but don''t stop, angling toward my car without looking directly at him.


    "Those men are here to protect me from people like you, Finn," I say


    "People like me? What the hell does that mean?"


    I stop at the rear door but don''t get in. "What do you want, Finn?"


    atly, pressing my key fob so the car beeps open.


    He nces at the guard still blocking his path, then pulls his hand slowly into his coat pocket. The motion is cautious-


    he''s making it clear he''s not pulling anything threatening-


    and when his handes back out, it''s holding a folded photo.


    He lifts it in the air.


    "I just want to talk to my brother," he says. "That''s all. Mom wasn''t lying when she said Lydia is alive. Lydia''s here, in New York. I found out she has a twelve- year-old son. She says he''s mine."


    The words hang there for a moment as my brain takes extra time to fully understand them.


    "You... impregnated your sister?"


    His face twists. "She''s


    not my sister. She''s my mother''ste friend''s child. We were


    raised together, but that doesn''t make us blood."


    I don''t respond right away. My hand is still on the car door, but I haven''t moved to open it.


    "And no," he says. "The boy''s not mine."


    I push off the door and take a step toward him.


    "Whose child is he then?"


    He hesitates. Looks down at the photo in his hand like it might give him strength.


    "I can''t tell you that," he says. "Not yet. I need to speak to Knox first. I need to exin why I lied."


    "Finn," I say, walking closer now. "Whose child is it? Don''t tell me it''s Knox''s."


    I close the distance and yank the photo right out of his hand.


    bent, the corners soft from being handled too many times. I look down.


    A boy. Dark hair. Pale eyes. Smiling. He looks like Finn. Or Knox. Or both.


    Finn watches me closely, not trying to take the photo back.


    "It''s not


    Knox''s kid," he says. "And it''s not mine either. Lydia''s just saying whatever story my mom told her to. You know how my mom is-


    she knows! love kids. She''s probably using this to distract me from thinking about you. To keep me focused on something else."


    He pauses, jaw tight.


    "Deep down, Mom still believes Knox is the father. She always has."


    "Why does she believe that?"


    "Because that''s what I told her years ago."


    "So you lied?"


    "I had to."


    "You''re a shitty person."


    "I know that. I just need to talk to my brother."


    I swallow. It''s such a relief to hear


    that Knox did not have a love child with his adoptive sister, but there are so many questions twirling in my head. Why would Victoria believe all these years that the child is Knox''s and then ask Lydia to pin it on Finn now? Granted, Finn loves children. It''s going to magically put him back together and   . But it


    doesn''t make sense is Finnfying?


    Who''s lying? What''s even the story here? My fingers are still clenched around the photo, but my arms are frozen at my sides.


    ¡°Finn,¡± I whisper. "If this boy isn''t yours or Knox''s, then who the hell is the father?" His face tightens. "Like I said, I need to talk to Knox. Please. It''s really important.¡±

 CHAPTER 113: Custom-made For Sloane

    KNOX


    Lately, I''ve found myself wanting to leave the club earlier than usual.


    It''s not even a guilty feeling, just... foreign. Like I''m abandoning an old friend to chase after a new lover. This ce used to be my kingdom. Myfort. The one environment I could control withoutpromise some in the city, some not-


    but this is the one! show up to. I''ve always liked being where chaos gathers, where I can y fixer.


    But now, at just a few minutes past 8 p.m., I''m sitting in my office staring at the analog clock on the wall, wondering how quickly I can justify slipping out. Levi and Jade can handle the rest of tonight. They''re god is usually steady with regrs and low-


    drama clients. No new blood. No backstage fights.


    Still, I used to stay anyway.


    I stare at the clock hands as they tick slower than they should. My elbow rests on the arm of the leather chair, knuckles grazing my temple.


    All I want is to lie in bed with a certain woman and fake sleep just so I can watch her read those books she swears aren''t alien porn. To see the rise and fall of the nket next to me. To listen to pages turn and the asional dramatic sigh when the plot pisses her off.


    She''s been testy since the week started. Hormones from her period, she said-


    like I haven''t already figured that out from the way she nearly threw a pillow at me for breathing too loud. Or the way she cursed out an ottoman when she hit her foot, then spent the next ten minutes limping and Last night, she threw her book across the room, where it hit the wall with a dry thud and


    slumped onto the floor. She then turned and murmured for a couple of minutes before falling asleep. I didn''t touch the book. Neither


    did she. It stayed there all night.


    And somehow, all of it just makes me want to be near her more.


    God help me.


    She''s sunk her ws into me so deep I''m afraid to even say it out loud. Every time I''ve let myself be that


    happy, the universe has pulled the rug from under me. Maybe that''s why I''m not rushing tobel it. Maybe I think I''ll jinx it.


    I nce at the clock again. It''s now 8:04.


    I''m seriously considering texting Levi that I''m heading out when there''s a knock at the door-


    two knocks, like always.


    It creaks open.


    Aaron enters, pushing an absurdlyrge box that


    looks like it should be carrying a refrigerator. He maneuvers it into the room with far more ease than you''d expect for a thing of that size, which tells me it''s exactly what I ordered: the ridiculous alien plush I had made for Sloane. Aaron drags it toward one of the leather couches near the minibar.


    The box is taller than him.


    I lean back in my chair and smile.


    "Boss," Aaron says, exhaling as he sets the box down, "your alien toy is ready and delivered."


    "I expected it to be bigger."


    Aaron shoots me a dry look. "That thing''s over six feet. What more do you want from it?"


    I wanted a chubby alien."


    I assure you, if that thing had bones and body fat, it''d weigh over 300 pounds. Thing''s a menace already


    "It''s not enough for the joke I had in mind," I mutter, eyeing the box.


    Aaron squints at me, tilting his head. "The joke? Who''s it for anyway?"


    "My future wife."


    "Bloody hell," he says, stepping back like I just confessed to a murder. "Don''t tell me you''ve gone soft and left the rest of us behind. Who''s going to be the president of the Die Alone Association now?"


    "I''m pretty sure you can handle the mantle I''m passing over to you."


    "That''s just cruel, boss."


    He gives me a mock-


    wounded look, then pulls a file from under his arm and ces it on my desk, sliding it forward.


    Aaron is technically my assistant, but that title doesn''t cover half of what he is to me. Handler. Errand runner. The best kind of watchdog, if I need something done off the books, he''s the guy.


    He


    straightens, still catching his breath from the heavy box. "So I had a PI look into Mateo Torres as requested."


    I flip open the file as he starts talking.


    "Man''s clean, Like, suspiciously


    clean. Humble background.


    Christian parents. Old money from


    the grandfather''s side. His


    grandfather owned a winery- a big one. Mateo sold it after the old man died and used that and his inheritance to buy into the firm your girlfriend works at."


    My fingers pause over the page.


    "He was married," Aaron continues. "Wife and kid are in Idaho. Apparently, she''s married now to somewyer dude Mateo''s been solo for a while His movements are simple. No wild nightlife. Gym. Church. The firm. Some high-end clubs, but nothing shy Hell, he doesn''t even have a parking ticket."


    I lift my eyes from the page.


    "He''s so clean, Aaron says, crossing his arms, "that he annoys me. If what you said is true, that he means


    you or your girlfriend harm, my.


    guess would be that he''s nning to


    drown you both during


    both during baptism.


    That''s the only thing I can think of."


    I close the file and press two fingers to the bridge of my nose with my eyes closed.


    Aaron waits, like he always does when he knows I''m turning things over in my head.


    Finally, I open my eyes. "He''s being smart. If


    he eventually makes a move, no one would believe he''s guilty."


    "So what''s the y here? Want me to grab him so you can have a chat?"


    "If you mean that violently, no." I push the file to the side. "I''ve


    been putting it off. But I need to set a meeting with him."


    "Need extra security?"


    "I have different sizes of guns, thank you. Besides, you said he''s a church boy. Can''t harm a fly."


    ¡°Right. I''ll be heading out then. And in case you need me to arrange for any other weird alien toys, let me know. I saw some good options back the There''s a whole gxy collection."


    I smirk. "I''ll do that."


    He makes it to the door, then opens it.


    But he doesn''t leave.


    Because standing right there is Jade, hand raised like he was about to knock.


    He drops his arm when he sees Aaron. Then his gaze finds me.


    "Knox," he says, voice even but urgent. "We''ve got a problem."


    Aaron steps aside, letting Jade enter fully.


    Jade walks straight to my desk and nts both hands on it. His posture is rxed, but I know him too well.


    "What is it?" I ask.


    "So Levi came to me saying there''s a man at the ground floor reception asking to see you. I was like, you know the


    drill. Send him away if he''s not a customer. But then Levi told me who he is."


    Jade pauses, like he''s still weighing the next part.


    "I thought about sending him away at first because he can''t be here for anything good. But I figured you should know before I do that. Don''t want to end up


    doing something you wouldn''t have wanted."


    My chair creaks as I lean forward. "Who is he, Jade?"


    Jade''s lips press into a line.


    "Sloane''s father," he says. "He looks kind of mad."

 CHAPTER 114: Start With A Hello

    I don''t respond at first. Not because I don''t have anything to say, but because I''m chewing on the oddity of it. My first real encounter with my fonds father is at my clubs of all ces A part of me considers slip my coat, my keys, and heading to the reception, I could offer to i him somewhere more neutral, somewhere polished and quiet with real napkins and overpriced steak, somece that isn''t soaked in sweat and b I nce at theer of the room where the plush alien toy is still slumped on the couch and then back to Jade.


    "Let him in," I say. "Keep it discreet."


    Jade nods. He knows what that means. No strippers on poles between here and the entrance. None of the shirtless dancers or the neon signs that sh Deep Dive Fridays down the hallway. The clean path, the


    Once Jade slips out, I lean back in my seat and scrub a hand over my face. What could he possibly want? And how did he find me? Probably through


    June, Sloane''s grandmother. She mentioned frequenting the club in her younger years.


    I let my eyes drift toward the ceiling, jaw tightening. Is this one of those "you''re not good enough for my daughter" speeches? Because that''s the kind of chaos that would


    make me go home tonight and take that daughter of his hard against the nearest wall-


    just to make a point. That whole family needs to learn when to back the hell off.


    Minutes pass.


    Then I hear it. The distant murmu''s voice,


    the soft tap of leather soles against marble floors, and finally, the opening of Suffice


    Jade walks in first, eyes darting back, holding the door open for the man who follows.


    Daniel Mercer is in a navy wool coat, which he doesn''t bother to unbutton. His salt- and-


    pepper hair is neatlybed, his sses perched on a nose too rigid to suggest warmth. He walks in like he owns the room. Or like he wants to dismantle it piece by piece. "Want me to hang around, boss?" Jade asks.


    I shake my head once. "It''s alight. You can leave."


    Daniel''s eyes follow Jade as he retreats, and only when the door clicks shut does he step further inside.


    "Mr. Mercer," I say. "Please have a seat."


    "It''s Daniel," he replies, already lowering himself into the leather chair across from me. His eyes stay locked on mine.


    "What can I do for you, Daniel?"


    He exhales through his nose and folds his hands on his knee.


    "A lot of things," he says. "For one, I''m d my ex-wife is doing away


    with that man who brought me in here. I don''t need that around my daughters. And to find out he works for my daughter''s boyfriend? That doesn''t sit right with me either."


    I blink slowly. So, that''s how we''re ying this? Right to the point?


    "I''m here to tell you, man to man, to leave Sloane alone. She''s brilliant and has a big future ahead of her. She deserves better than this underground life. And she''s fragile. You''re going to destroy her."


    There''s a beat of silence.


    And then I smile.


    I''d expected this. Hell, I''d fantasized about it-just to prepare. But the


    reality of hearing the words spill from his mouth makes me want tough, Not because it''s funny. Because it''s predictable. And somehow, still insulting.


    You didn''t even start with a hello," I say.


    "There''s no need for pleasantries, Mr. Hartley."


    "Knox, please."


    "Whatever. I just need the assurance that you''ll leave Sloane alone, and I''ll be out of your hair.¡±


    flean forward, resting my forearms on the desk. "The thing is, I don''t want to leave


    your daughter alone, Daniel."


    He narrows his eyes. "Are you getting augh out of this?"


    "Are you not?" I ask. "Your daughter''s a grown woman. Capable of making her own decisions. What makes you think she needs you to intervene?


    "Because she''s impulsive. She always has been. When she''s hurt or cornered, she grabs the nearest thing that feels like safety. That''s what you are. A bad decision that looks like a rescue. She did this as an a dating you."


    At the mention of Finn, I stiffen.


    "I''m sorry to hear that," I say, voice ttening. "But you came all this way for nothing. It''s a shame you''re not more


    weing. I was actually thinking we could hang out. Do some future father-in-


    "You''re not marrying Sloane," he snaps. "That would only happen over my dead body."


    "Now don''t give me ideas. I''m a bad man after all."


    I have to admit it''s kind of sweet, though-


    this whole protective dad act. A man who actually gives a damn about his kid. Too bad all that love and fatherly devotion is aimed at screwing my happiness over.


    Daniel adjusts in his seat.


    "I met your ex-wife, Soraya," he says.


    That takes me off guard. "Why would you do that?"


    "I figured she wouldn''t be on good terms with you. So I went to her.",


    I sit back, pulse ticking a little faster.


    "About what?" I ask.


    "A man like you probably didn''t dere all his assets or ounts during the divorce. She''s more than happy for me to help her sue you. You don''t want thew poking around in your finances. Bet they''ll find sor sowful things if they look deep enough."


    "Are you threatening me, Daniel?"


    He shrugs. "Just using an old trick I learned from my mother. She was a professional


    in divorce settlements. I don''t support what she did, but


    the strategies stuck. In her case, the husbands always ended up settling. But in your case, I simply want you to let Sloane go. She''ll be heartbroken for a few weeks. But she''ll survive. If she could survive her m I study him. I don''t even think I''m mad at him. This is a man who


    believes he''s doing the right thing, saving his daughter. But then there''s Sora She got two million after she signed


    those papers, and she''s still miserable? Now she''s teaming up with Sloane''s father just to twist the knife a little Pathetic. I''ll be having a word with her soon. But for now, I''ve entertained this man long enough.


    I lean forward again, voice low. "You should leave."


    "Don''t y hardball," he says. "This can go smoothly."


    "Should I call security? I assure you, the ones here are not nice."


    He rises. "I''ll leave. But I''m giving you a week. Do the right thing. Expect to hear from me otherwise."


    I watch him walk toward


    the door, I should let him go. But the words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.


    "You know," I say, "some of you parents will do anything to make your children hate you."


    Daniel pauses but doesn''t turn.


    "You obviously love your daughter," I continue. "And yet, this is what you do? Try to make decisions for her? Is there some kind of curse that takes over some of you when you be parents? Some spirit that forces you to ruin the best things in your children''s lives?"


    Now he turns. "Don''t talk to me about parenthood until you


    be a parent yourself. Whatever decisions we make, we make them


    to protect our kids."


    "You''re going to lose her," I say. "Just like you lost her mother."


    He pulls the door open and ms it behind him.


    Silence fills the room again, but my pulse doesn''t slow.


    I look down at my phone. There''s a message from Sloane:


    ''When are youing home? We need to talk.''


    But below it, there''s another message. This one is from one of her bodyguards.


    ''Thought you should hear this, boss. Happened a while ago between your brother and your girl.''


    There''s an audio file attached.


    I don''t hesitate.


    I press y.


    And as the recording unfolds in my ear, as Finn''s voice


    mixes with Sloane''s in a conversation, I feel the burn rise up my neck. I don''t wait for it to end before I push my seat back and stand up.


    My jaw is clenched. Hard.


    Because whatever I just heard...


    ...it''s enough to draw ammo from all the sources of my anger.

 CHAPTER 115: Collecting People

    HUNTER-


    Technically, I''ve always known where Mateo Torres lives.


    It''s listed in his file. A quiet, upmarket neighborhood in New York''s outer boroughs. I''ve seen pictures-


    aerial views from Google Earth, a few real estate shots that made their way into background checks. But none of those captured the size of the ce. The house isn''t just big. It''s arrogant. A kind of architectural I''m in the backseat of my car with the window rolled


    down. Smoke surrounds me as I blow out another long stream of


    cigar smoke into the night. Elias, my driver,


    hasn''t said anything since I asked him to park the car, but I know he''s aware


    I''m stalling.


    And he''s right; I am.


    I don''t know what the hell I''m waiting for. Maybe


    a sign that I should leave. That this whole thing is a waste of time. Or maybe I''m


    hoping someone wille out of the house and make this


    decision for me. But the longer I sit here, watching Mateo''s lights go on and off, the more my gut knots.


    This isn''t my business. Whatever Knox and Mateo have between them should remain between them. Mateo''s technically my boss now. Asking questions could set things off in a direction I don''t want. I''m not


    even on


    good terms with Knox. Why should I care what Mateo ns to do with him?


    But curiosity is one of my lifelong curses.


    From the front seat, Elias nces at me in the rearview. "Are we waiting for someone, sir?"


    I exhale and stub the cigar against the little metal ashtray mounted near the door.


    ¡°No,¡± I say. ¡°I''m going in. Wait for me here. Shouldn''t be more than a few minutes." "Yes, sir."


    I open the door and step out. After smoothing my palms down my


    suit, I head toward the house and knock when I get there.


    It''s not long before a member of the staff answers. I introduce myself and tell him I''d like a word with Mr. Torres. He doesn''t ask questions, doesn''t invite me in. Just nods and closes the door. I''m left standing on the porch,


    hands in my pockets.


    A few minutes pass before the door opens again, and this time, it''s him.


    Mateo stands in the threshold, leaning slightly on his cane. He''s dressed in casual cks and a cashmere sweater.


    "Hunter," he says. "Is something wrong? I wasn''t expecting you."


    I give a half shrug. "I wasn''t sure I''de either."


    He tilts his head a little, waiting for more exnation. When it''s clear none is


    As soon as I step in, I see a massive ck Cane Corso standing just to the left of Mateo''s frame. I hadn''t noticed it before. It


    must have been tucked in a shadowed corner, but now it''s watching me with dark, unmoving eyes. I stop short.


    I don''t hate dogs. I''ve owned a few. But therge ones are not my thing.


    Mateo catches my hesitation and smiles. "Patty is harmless."


    "Patty?" I arch a brow, recovering enough to step in fully. "Seems like a mild name for a dog of that size."


    He chuckles and gestures for me to follow as he begins walking. "What''d you expect? Shadow? Ghost?"


    "More like Death. Or Devil. In Spanish. Maybe Italian."


    For the first time since I''ve known him, heughs aloud. It almost makes him human in my eyes. Almost. I still think he''s a grumpy alien, though, We head into a side room-


    some kind of informal lounge. And I catch sight of a pretty woman


    curled into one corner of a couch, legs tucked beneath Her curly hair spills over her shoulders. I know that face.


    Soraya.


    She''s flipping through a magazine like she''s on a spa retreat, but when she spots me, her spine straightens.


    "Hunter," she says, blinking. "What are you doing here?"


    I walk further into the room. "I could ask you the same, Soraya. Does your husband know you''re here?"


    "Ex-husband. We''re divorced."


    "Right."


    Mateo lowers himself into one of the armchairs, and I settle into a seat across from them, angling slightly so I can see both their faces. Soraya''s initial


    1-


    surprise has worn off. She''s sipping from a ss of lemonade now, the magazine still open on herp.


    "I see you two are acquainted," Mateo says. "May I offer you something, Hunter?" here?"


    "I''m okay," I reply. "If you don''t mind me asking... what is she doin


    "I''m right here, you know," Soraya interjects without looking up. "You could just ask me."


    "I don''t trust you to tell me the truth."


    She snaps the magazine shut and sets it aside. "Why? Have I lied to you before?"


    "Okay then," I say, folding my hands in myp. "Tell me. Why are you here?"


    She leans back. "Mr. Torres reached out to me with news about my family back home. I haven''t heard from them in years. I thought something happened while I was gone. Knox made it sound like my father couldn''t have survived after helping him escape And without my father there''s no way to contact them to find out how they''re faring. Mateo brings news from home. He''s going to help me reconnect with them."


    My gaze shifts to Mateo, whose expression is unreadable.


    "At what cost?" I ask. ¡°I mean, he must want something, right?"


    "Information is the cost. He simply wants me


    to answer certain questions about Knox."


    "Such as?"


    She shrugs. "Little things. Why are you being so inquisitive?"


    "So you''re bargaining to give out information about your ex-


    husband just to get reunited with your family. You could just go home and see them yourself, you know? You''re a permanent resident now."


    "You think if I could do that, I''d be here?"


    "It starts by getting a ne ticket."


    "There''s a reason I left home, Hunter," she says. "The same reason I can''t go back."


    I rub a hand over my jaw in


    frustration. don''t even know why I''m arguing. Why I care. Maybe because Knox has been my friend for years even if thate him right. now. Maybe because no matter how much I resent what he did, I won''t let him be ambushed like this.


    Especially not by someone he helped.


    I look her square in the eye, "When I leave this house, Soraya, you''re leaving with me. There''s nothing you need from Mateo that Knox can''t give you. If you want information about your family, just ask. Pls aren "You can''t tell me what to do, Hunter."


    "Oh, I absolutely can. And trust me, you don''t want to test my patience."


    Her voice sharpens. "Who the hell do you think you are?"


    "I''m the one withmon sense, apparently. The one trying to stop you from making a fool of yourself. You weren''t even intimately married. What''s all this scorned woman act for?"


    She res at me. "Not everything is about your friend, Hunter."


    Mateo clears his throat. "People, people,let''s tone it down, shall we?"


    I blow out a long breath, trying to


    cool the heat crawling up my neck. I didn''t even realize I''d gotten this worked up. Somewhere betwee


    Walking through that door and locking eyes with Soraya, I let myself get dragged into the middle of something that was never supposed to be my business.


    At first, when Sloane brought it up at the office-


    her little theory about Mateo being up to something-


    I''d brushed it off. I thought she was being dramatic, paranoid maybe. But now? I''m seeing it. There''s a pattern forming in


    front of me, and it''s not subtle anymore.


    Soraya.


    Sloane.


    Me.


    Mateo''s collecting people. For what? That''s what I''d like to know.

 CHAPTER 116: Vague Statement

    The way Mateo''s looking at me now makes the hair on the back of my neck stand. I can tell he sees the shift in my mood. He''s watching me put an together.


    "Why did youe. Hunter?" he finally says. "It certainly wasn''t to harass my guest."


    I lean forward. Might as well go straight


    to the point. "I came to ask you a question. And you can only answer it correctly"


    "What question is that?"


    "You know what."


    "I don''t," he says, voice smooth. "Please tell me."


    I grit my teeth. "Don''t y games with me. Did you or did you not seek


    me out specifically because I''m connected to Knox? And then you bought into apany where Knox''s girlfriend works. What is your n here?"


    The warmth vanishes from his face so fast it''s like someone flipped a switch. When he speaks again, his voice is colder.


    "Have you ever been betrayed by someone you trusted, Hunter?"


    "What''s that got to do with anything? Everyone''s been betrayed."


    "I''m sure you have. You stopped speaking to your best friend because you believe he doesn''t care about your feelings. He chose a woman


    over you, let her walk all over your life like it didn''t matter. Used your wedding as a stage for their own performance. I bet every time you think about the fact that they''re still together and you''re alone, you get ar I stare at him. My jaw locks.


    "You''re not my shrink," I say. "Stop with your theories."


    "Oh, I''m not done." He sets his cane across hisp. "What did Knox say to you


    to excuse what he did? I can imagine him saying he couldn''t let you marry a bad woman. That you deserved better. And yet... he''s a bad man. His girlfriend isn''t much better. But they''re sticking together, aren''t they?"


    He pauses just long enough for the silence to burn.


    "He knew who your ex-


    fianc¨¦e was all along. Kept it from you. Let you almost walk toward that altar blind. And then, instead of keeping up the act so you can live out your days in blissful ignorance, he decided to rip the curtain open o I look away, jaw grinding, eyes fixed on a smear on the far wall.


    Everything he''s saying-every word-


    I''ve thought before. Alone. In quiet moments. On


    nights I couldn''t sleep. I just never said them aloud. Never let anyone else know how deep they''d gotten under my skin. But I''m not going to let him use that against me.


    "You can''t get to me, Mateo," I mutter. "I''m not joining your army. And I need to know right now what you


    want from me, Knox, and Sloane, or I''m quitting."


    "You can''t quit."


    "Would you like a demonstration?"


    There''s a beat of silence. Then he smiles.


    "Fine," he says. "Your friend took many things from me, and I want


    to take something from him in return. I''m not even asking for much. Just o substantial thing. The thing he values most?"


    He taps his fingers against the cane, his eyes never leaving mine.


    "I just can''t figure out if that''s a member of his family. His money. A particr asset. Or his girlfriend. You''re going to help me figure that out, Hunter. You and Soraya." "I beg your pardon?"


    "You heard me. You will help me."


    "Or what?"


    He doesn''t answer, just leans back, hands folded over the cane with a wide smile on his face that doesri''t reach his eyes.


    And somehow, that smile makes my


    skin crawl more than all his frownsbined. I don''t like


    being threatened. Not one bit..


    ~KNOX


    It''s taking more patience than I normally require to


    maintain the speed limit. My right foot keeps twitching on the gas pedal, as though it has a will of its


    own.


    My phone is on speaker, bnced


    precariously in the console tray. Sloane''s voice is the only thing that''s keeping me from flooring it all the way to Finn''s ce and kicking his damn door off its hinges.


    "Promise me you won''t do anything crazy, Knox," she says.


    I blow out a breath through my nose, gripping the wheel tighter. "Like what? Kill Finn?"


    "I don''t even know if you''re joking right now."


    I nce at the rearview mirror, not because I need to-


    but because it helps to look at something other than the


    white line I''ve been mentally tracing for thest fifteen blocks.


    "Trust me," I say. "There was a time that statement would''ve been true. If I could stall my hand back


    then, you don''t have to worry about what I''ll do to Finn now."


    "That''s great to hear," she says, but she doesn''t sound particrlyforted.


    She sounds like she''s trying to talk herself into believing it. "All you have to do is listen patiently to whatever your brother has to say. Listen with an open mind. We all


    have questions, and we can only hope the answers in our heads are not true."


    "Are you talking about Finn implying my father slept with a teenager?" I ask.


    She goes quiet.


    "He didn''t say that," she finally responds.


    I nod once, even though she can''t see me. "That''s what he implied."


    "We can''t draw conclusions from a vague statement," she says, trying to reason it through. "He


    could have meant anyone else. But even if what we believe turns out to be true, don''t overreact. Juste home, and we''ll think it through together. I know how hurtful it feels to find out someone med you fo for years. Especially if that someone is your father. Whatever happens, be cool."


    Cool.


    That''s one hell of an ask when I''m thinking about throwing my brother out his window. First, he


    lied all those years ago. And now he''s lying


    again? What does he hope to achieve with this stunt?


    "I''m cool,¡± I say, even though my pulse tells a different


    story. "And I don''t believe for a second that my father did it. 50 Finn better have a good reason why he cooked up this story."


    "I don''t mean to be the pessimist here," she says gently, "but why are you so sure your father isn''t involved?"


    I shake my head, trying to clear the haze gathering behind my eyes.


    "Because," I say, the words rising from somewhere low inside me, "unlike Finn, I know Lydia is my father''s daughter."

 CHAPTER 117: A Glimpse Into The Past

    Most people don''t remember much of what happened around them when they were young. Their childhood memories are a blur of loose birthday snapshots, scraped knees, the smell of their mother''s hair, or th


    I remember being ten and limping home from the training field with blood smeared down my shin after splitting my kneecap one afternoon. I''d been trying to impress one of the older kids with how fast I could sp came back home and made a fuss.


    But when I stepped inside, I realized both my parents were home early, which never happened.


    My mother''s voice was loud, while my father''s was quieter.


    I followed the sound toward the study, creeping along the edge of the wall, trying not to let my weight hit the floorboards too


    hard.


    They were arguing about a girl.


    From what I could understand, this girl was the daughter of Dad''s ex. Her mother had just died and named my father as the legal guardian. My mother hated the idea. She was livid-


    furious he hadn''t consulted her before epting to keep the child, enraged at the idea of taking in a child that wasn''t hers, that wasn''t theirs. I heard words like


    "stranger," and "baggage," and "why is it your problem?"


    And then they noticed me standing there.


    They didn''t say anything about this strange girl until two weekster, when Lydia showed up at our doorstep with a single suitcase and a doll clutched to her chest. Her hair was orange like rust, dry and frizzy, a it looked like she''d never had a full meal in her life. She sat on the couch awkwardly, like she was trying to fold herself into a smaller version of herself, hoping no one would notice she was there.


    I remember thinking: girls are annoying, so having a sister would probably be worse-


    another


    person to get on my nerves, just like my kid brother Finn already did, only louder and with more drama.


    But then she smiled at me when our eyes met and waved. I smiled back. There and then, I became an older brother.


    She followed me everywhere. Like a puppy. She hovered in the doorways while I did homework, asked me questions I didn''t always have answers to, and tried to make conversation at dinner when the silence her. That no matter how hard she tried, that coldness was never going to thaw. So she attached herself to me instead.


    One afternoon, maybe a month after she arrived, she looked up at me while we sat on


    the floor and said, "Does your brother hate me?"


    Finn had just stormed past us in the hallway, scowling, after finding her ying with his yStation controller.


    I shrugged. "Don''t worry about him. He hates everyone."


    And back then, it was true. Finn was eight and the worst kind of kid. Sulky, irritable, loud. Always shutting himself in his room, ying games past bedtime, and


    snapping at everyone. Dinner was always a battlefield. But somehow, he was still the golden child. Mom coddled him. Dad excused him. I was the one who got told to "be more understanding" whenever he acte Eventually, he outgrew the brat phase. By sixteen, Finn had stopped


    being the loud, annoying kid and started mirroring


    me. Down to the haircut, ti. jackets, the way I walked, the things I said. He''d ask where I was going just to show up there. Pick my electives. Borrow my hoodies without asking. I was a senior by then- popr, reckless, the kind of guy teachers warned their daughters about but still smiled at in the


    hallway. And Finn? He was trying to be me. I couldn''t understand why.


    Some of my friends mentioned it. Joked about my "mini-me." I brushed it off.


    Until I found him in bed with Delh.


    That was the first time I punched him so hard I thought I broke something in my hand.


    But I lived with it. I watched Delh date him after she broke up with me, and I learned to live with it, even if the sight of them turned my stomach. 1/3


    What I couldn''t forgive was what came next.


    Suddenly, Finn became the best brother to Lydia. Always asking how she was doing, offering to drive her ces, making her tea, and sitting beside her while she watched dumb shows. It felt staged. Performed.


    prize. I didn''t say anything at first. I mean, someone else was finally being nice to her in that house: Who was I to interfere?


    And then I came home one evening to find her bedroom door open. Lydia never left it open. I went in and met her in the bathtub with her clothes still on. arms wrapped around her knees, crying into the curve of I crouched beside her and asked what happened.


    "He..." Her voice broke off.


    I waited, thinking she''d continue, but she didn''t.


    I touched her shoulder. "Lydia," I said. "Talk to me."


    No response.


    So I asked again. And again. I kept asking until she finally gave a tiny nod.


    Her voice was so quiet I almost didn''t hear it. "He didn''t stop when I said no.


    My whole body locked. I felt it in my teeth.


    "Who?" I asked, though part of me already knew.


    She didn''t say. Just kept shaking her head like the truth would


    kill her if she said it aloud.


    But I knew.


    Every part of me knew.


    I slid into the tub with her, not caring that my jeans were getting soaked. I pulled her into my chest and wrapped my arms around her. She sobbed harder, clutching my shirt.


    That''s how Finn found us. The little shit walked in less than an hourter. The second I saw him, everything inside me went ame.


    I got out of the tub and lunged at him.


    He didn''t even get a chance to ask what


    was going on. One second he was in her bedroom, and the next he was on the floor with


    my fists raining down on


    his face.


    He screamed. I didn''t stop.


    It took both our parentsing home at that moment to pull me off him. My knuckles were raw and bleeding by the time Dad mmed me into the wall. When I told them what happened-


    when I pointed at Lydia, who was still crying in the tub, and said she''d been hurt-


    Finn cut me off


    "I saw him he yelled, voice panicked


    and shaky. "I saw Knox doing it. In the tub. She was crying. She didn''t want to-he was the onebl tried


    to save her, and he pounced on me.


    That moment. That lie. It split my life in two.


    Our mother, who was eight months pregnant at the time, believed Finn without asking a single question. And if she believed something, then so did our


    father.


    I saw red.


    "You lying piece of shit!" I said. "What the hell is wrong with you? I didn''t do


    anything!"


    "Look at his clothes!" he shouted back. "He''s soaked. She''s crying. Her clothes are torn. She can''t even look at him I''m telling you what saw when walked in here, Mom! He was molesting her!"


    "You little shit," I hissed, fists trembling, heart racing so loud I couldn''t hear myself think. "You really want to go there? Ask her, Dad. Ask Lydia who touched her!"


    But Dad wasn''t listening to me.


    He was already lifting Lydia out of the tub.


    I watched as he brought her into the


    bedroom andid her gently on the bed. He stroked her hair with a


    shaky hand, saying things like going to be okay" and "You don''t have to say anything yet. Just rest. We''ll take care of it."


    Mom was on the phone, her voice urgent as she spoke to her


    doctor friend, asking her toe to the house quickly.


    I started to walk to the bed-just to be near


    Lydia, to tell her to speak up, to please say it wasn''t true-


    but my father red at me.


    "I don''t want to see either of you right now," he said coldly. "Get out."


    I stared at him, willing him to look at me and see the truth, but all I got was the m of the door in my face.


    So I went to my room and locked the door.


    I didn''te out for three days.


    Not to eat. Not to talk. Not even when Mom knocked and said I needed to exin myself. What was


    there to exin? Nobody wanted to hear it.


    And then came the fourth morning.


    The screams woke me.


    Frantic, high-pitched, echoing down the hallway. My hand was on the doorknob


    before my brain caught up, and when I opened the door, I heard someone say Lydia drank bleach.

 CHAPTER 118: The Strays

    Everything blurred after that. My mother was the one who rushed her to the hospital. Dad


    wasn''t home, and neither was Finn.


    By evening, Mom came back alone.


    "She didn''t make it," she said.


    That night, Dad came to my room. He didn''t knock. Just walked in and closed the door behind him.


    "After your graduation," he said with tears in his eyes, "you''re going to leave. You''ll enlist. And I''ll pull every string I have to make sure they send you somewhere harsh. Somewhere that''ll chew you up and spit y He paused.


    "If you don''t agree to that right now, I''ll call the police. I''ll tell them what you did. And I won''t lift


    a finger to help you. Nowyer. Nothing. You''re on your own."


    What was the


    point in defending myself when they''d already made up their minds? I didn''t want to be in the house anyway, because I''d kill Finn.


    After that night, I was barely ever home. I stayed out until long past midnight, wandering nowhere, doing nothing. Picking fights. Stealing drinks.


    Getting high with the wrong crowd just to fill the hours. I''de back reeking of sweat and smoke and sometimes blood, slipping in through the back door like a damn ghost.


    My mother gave birth while I was gone. I wasn''t there. Didn''t even know she''d gone intobor until dayster when I overheard a neighbor congratte my father outside. I didn''t ask questions. Didn''t even wan


    But I saw Finn.


    Almost every night.


    He''d curl up in the baby''s room like it was some kind of shrine. Hey on the floor every night with a pillow tucked under his head, just staring at the crib.


    The baby didn''t make it.


    Three months in, she passed.


    Congenital heart defect. That''s what they said. Born with a hole in her heart that no surgery could fix in time.


    I almost missed


    that, too. I remember walking past the living room one evening and seeing a nurse in uniform holding a tiny nket. That''s how I found out. Finn, of course, didn''t take that well. He cried loud enough to shake th I watched all of it happen like I was underwater. Faint sounds, blurry faces. My brain was too fried to process most of it.


    I don''t remember much from that time-


    not clearly. I was high more than I was sober, counting down the days until graduation. Until I could finally get


    the hell out.


    And then I did.


    Walked out after the ceremony, tossed the cap, and never looked back.


    For almost two years after I joined the army, the only person who reached out was my mother.


    Birthday messages.


    A photo or two.


    Just enough to let me know I still had a name in that house.


    Then came Finn with his stupid letters from college. Handwritten. Pretentious. Full of philosophical quotes and insights, like he was some kind of seg monk now. Asking me if I was still angry. Still hurt. Still holdin onto a past that, in his words, "had no solid memory to stand on


    I didn''t reply, but I couldn''t stop reading them either, especially the part where


    he described those ridiculous college mischief stories and his stalker psycho best friend.


    I told myself I''d moved on after all these years. But I haven''t. Not really.


    Which is why, standing before Finn''s door right now, I don''t knock. I pound on it.


    It swings open secondster, and Ie face-to-face with my mother.


    "Knox," she says. "You came."


    "Where''s that son of yours that was sent from the pit of hell to annoy me?" I growl.


    She frowns and steps forward, blocking my path. "Don''t bring that attitude in here. We want this to go as peacefully as possible."


    "We? Who''s we?" I lean in. "If anyone wants peace, tell your son to


    keep away from my girlfriend. If he so much as breathes near her again, I swear-


    Her


    hand gestures behind her. "You shoulde inside, Knox. Come tell him yourself."


    I hesitate. But then I push myself onward, walking into the house.


    Finn is pacing the living room like a prisoner waiting for execution.


    And then I see her.


    Sitting quietly on the edge of the couch.


    A redhead.


    She''s still as small-


    boned as ever. God, she really is alive. It feels like I''m staring into one of my nightmares.


    She stands when she sees me. "Knox," she says.


    My chest tightens. I don''t know what I expected-


    more weight on her bones? A different voice? Something to confirm that this version of her doesn''t match the one I lost all those years ago? "You''re alive," I say, and my voice doesn''t sound like mine.


    She opens her mouth to speak, but Finn interrupts.


    "I''m sure you two will have time to catch upter," he says. "What I want is for you to tell everyone that that''s not my child, Knox."


    I blink. "I beg your pardon?"


    He looks between our mother and


    Lydia. "Mom and Lydia are trying to pin a kid on me. You''ve got to tell them it''s not true."


    "Is that why you called me here?"


    "Yes."


    "You told Sloane you wanted to exin why you lied. That was just bait?¡±


    "If I didn''t say that, you wouldn''t havee."


    I stare at him. He stares back, shameless.


    "When I knock all your teeth out, Finn, you won''t be able to form another lying word from your fucking mouth."


    "Stop!" Lydia shouts, cutting me off mid-


    step. "You think I came here because I wanted to? I hate all of you, I''ve carried that hatred with me for years. I hate my mother the most for dying and leaving me with you all.¡± "Lydia-" Mom begins.


    She holds up a hand.


    "I spent years recovering from what


    happened to me. I begged your mother to send me away. Begged her to get me out of that house. And now, after all this time she pleaded with me toe help Finn. Said he needed support. Said she was


    scared. And I said yes because I''m stupid. Because i thought maybe after all this time, you''d changed"


    She goes closer to Finn.


    "If I hear one more word about my son not being your child, Finn, I''m going to hit you over the head with a vase. Because it was your fault I got pregnant in the first ce. I don''t care who the father is. You''re ab


    Finn''s nostrils re. "It''s not mine because it looks like me. Why don''t you pin it on Knox? You and he were all lovey-dovey back then anyway. We only had sex once. Besides, you think didn''t see you sneaking out with Dad sometimes? What was that all about, huh?" Finn jabs a finger at her. "You''re going to take samples from all of them for a DNA test. I refuse to ept this usation."


    "You''re an idiot," she says tly.


    He actually blinks like he didn''t expect her to speak with that much steel in her voice.


    "You thought I slept with Knox and your father?" Lydia shakes her head in disbelief. "Are you insane? Your father was my legal guardian. He wanted to act like father should, but your mom wouldn''t let him do t "What the fuck are you talking about?" Finn snaps. "Act as a father should? He wasn''t your father."


    "Legally, he was."


    "Biologically, you mean?" I cut in before either of


    them can hurl another usation. Their stupid back and forth is making my ears ring. And why the hell is he saying they slept together like it was consensual sex when I literally heard her say she''d been moles Lydia turns to me, confusion lining her face. "Biologically?"


    "I know you''re our father''s love child," I say, eyes on her. "So can we all just stop with the bullshit terms like ''legal guardian'' and just stick to ''father''?"


    There''s a beat of silence so thick you could sink in it.


    "Now where the hell did you get an idea like that?" Mom asks.


    "I saw you and Dad quarreling in the


    house years ago. About that woman who just died. You told him he couldn''t bring her daughter to the house."


    "Mom?" Finn''s voice is tight. "What''s he talking about?"


    Mom sighs. It''s long, shaky, and tired. ¡°Typical of kids to assume things," she mutters. "I can''t even


    me you for thinking that way


    Your father and I had that quarrel because it wasn''t the first time he did that. He''s got a soft heart and is fond of bringing in strays Always thinks he has to save everyone." She waves a dismissive hand. "Lydia wasn''t even rted to him That woman-her mother-was just trying to take advantage of him. Just like when his sister ran away and left a baby with him. And he took the baby in. Raised him like his own."


    Something cold starts curling in my stomach.


    "The funny thing about these strays," Mom goes on, voice quieter now, "is that he always seemed to love them


    more than his own damn kid. I didn''t want him to distribute any more affection out, seeing as he was already doing too much with you."


    She gestures loosely toward me.


    "I know how it all sounds now. And I''m... I''m so sorry. But..."


    The room tilts as those words keep echoing in my ears. I try to make sense of them. But the more I do, the crazier they sound.


    "Are you saying..." I begin, but the words break apart halfway.


    "Yes." She closes her eyes. "I''m so sorry, baby. Your father made me promise never to tell you. It''s the truth. You''re his sister''s kid."

 CHAPTER 119: Warm Body

    The silence after my mother''s words goes on a little too long.


    My feet don''t move.


    Neither do my lips.


    I stand there with my hands ck at my sides and my eyes locked on hers: I can sense everyone else moving slightly, shifting, breathing, but it feels like


    I''ve been dropped inside a frozen frame, some slow-


    motion nightmare where the only thing moving is the throb behind my eyes.


    I know they''re all staring at me.


    Waiting.


    Waiting for me to react. To scream. To throw something. To fall apart.


    But I can''t take my eyes off her. Not yet.


    Her face is wet now-


    shiny in the light, as tears trail down both cheeks. She''s doing that thing where people cry without blinking. Maybe she thinks if she holds my gaze long enough, I''ll understand. That I''ll see her regret, her sorrow, and forgive her.


    But I don''t feel forgiveness.


    My ears throb with the rush of blood, and it feels like I''m dragging a lifetime of memories behind me.


    "I guess this exins why you hated me," I say.


    She flinches. "No-"


    "Don''t even lie about it. At least ord me that respect. Look me in the face and tell me you hated me."


    She opens her mouth and closes it again. A fresh tear slips down her cheek, catching on her lip.


    "I... At first, yes," she admits, voice cracking. "I resented you, Knox. Hated the fact that Julian seemed to like you more than his own kid. He''s always loved that stubborn sister of his. I knew she was going to be Her voice shakes,


    "I was so mad, I transferred that hatred


    to you. Everything I did in the past, Knox, it was a different me. I''m trying to make amends for them. I want you all to live happily together. This constant bickering isn''t going to help anybody..." I''ve heard enough.


    I turn, already moving for the door. Every muscle in my body coils with a fire that won''t burn out fast enough. They can all go to hell.


    "Knox, wait!" she calls after me. I hear her footsteps quicken, hear the wobble in her breath as she catches up and grabs my arm. "Don''t go like this. Please. You are my son. You


    will always be my son. I might have had resentments toward you, but I never did anything to hurt you. Don''t is against


    1. me. Don''t hold it against your father. It''ll break his


    heart. He''s just too stubborn to admit he still cares about you. Don''t let him know you''ve found out. Please."


    That''s when I whirl around.


    "You think I give a flying


    fuck who my biological parents are?" I say. "Just a few seconds ago, I stood in the center of this room and realized that all those years ago, you knew."


    Her eyes widen.


    "You and Dad came home to find Lydia in the tub. And you knew Finn was lying. But you backed him up. Because he''s your son.


    She opens her mouth, breath catching.


    "I won''t lie," she says, slowly raising her hands like she''s trying to calm me. "I suspected. And I''ve been trying to make amends for that.


    "By calling the girl he molested back to save him?" Iugh, and it''s not a good sound. "When do you ever stop?"


    "What the fuck," Finn says suddenly. "How many times do I have to say this to you, Knox? I didn''t assault her. When we had sex, it was very consensual, I was trying to tell you that day, but you only wanted to d "Consensual? I found her in a tub with her clothes ruined. Were you some sort of sixteen-


    year-old dragon that anything consensual would lead to her broken and crying?"


    "That wasn''t even the day we had sex, for God''s sake! You only listen to your own damn self. That''s the problem."


    "Then why did you lie?" T bark. "If you weren''t hiding something, why did you put it on my head?"


    "I panicked," he says. "If Dad found out what actually happened, he''d kill me, and a lot of people would get in trouble. I knew he''s softer with you. figured


    he''d forgive you more quickly than he would forgive me. Lydia and I only had sex once-


    and that was because I thought you slept with her. I felt if you had her, I should."


    My mouth goes ck in confusion. What the hell is he even saying? He''s not even ashamed. He says it like it makes sense. Like that logic checks out in any universe. And the way his face stays t, smooth, er it just makes me want to m it against a wall until it breaks apart.


    Thankfully, I''m not the only one mad. Lydia lunges at Finn before I can. Her fists pound against his chest.


    "You son of a bitch!" she yells. "Was that why you pretended you cared about me? Because you thought I and your brother were having an affair?"


    He tries to block her hits, grabbing her wrists.


    "What did you think it was?" he says. "I had a girlfriend-


    "That you stole from your brother!" she snarls. "You used me!"


    "You wanted to be used."


    "I wanted to be loved, you idiot!" she sobs. "You broke my heart!"


    Her voice cracks on thest word. And then her hands drop, limp, and she presses her face against his chest, heaving.


    He doesn''t say a word. Just slides his hand into her hair, holding her like she''s made of fragile paper.


    I''m standing there, fists at my sides, heart bucking like a caged animal as I watch them. It''s like I''ve stepped into someone else''s nightmare.


    What the hell is happening right now?


    Mom drops into the nearest chair and buries her head in her hands.


    I swear, for a second, I actually think about joining her. Sitting down. Holding my head the same way. Because I''m this close to losing grip. My skull feels too full. Every voice, every word, every memory is makin I can''t take one more second of this without speaking.


    "Wait a minute," I say. "If he didn''t touch you that day-why were you


    crying in the tub? Why did you say you were assaulted?"


    Lydia stiffens.


    She slowly backs away from Finn and turns to face me. It''s like she just remembered other people are in the room.


    "1..." she whispers. "We were


    supposed to hang out that day, Finn


    and 1, but he didn''t show up. So I traced him to a house party and found him but Delh He told me hed broken up with her. gobangry. and... took something at the party. I don''t remember what happened after that, but I woke to sore. Naked. And then I rushed home, and you saw me crying in the tub."


    She swallows hard, keeping her eyes down so she can''t look at my face.


    Thank God for that-because I''m not thinking any good thoughts right now.


    "It''s nice you''re telling them the truth for once," Finn yells. "Go on. Tell them it''s not my baby."


    "He has your face," Lydia fires back.


    "Doesn''t mean anything. We have to do a DNA test. I''m not epting this."


    "Finn, stop talking," Mom says wearily from the chair. "I brought her here so there can be some peace. All you have to do is say you''re sorry for what happened and tet this all stop. Take responsibility for what di


    "You all are not going to pin this on me!" Finn snaps. "I know all their names. Those boys she hung out with. We''ll find them. We''ll do the test. No one''s using me of what isn''t mine."


    "We''re not doing any test, Finn. I''ll make sure your father transfers whatever he stipted for you in his will to that boy if you don''t do what is right.


    "You can''t do that! That''s Dad''s money-"


    "And I''m his wife."


    ¡°This is just madness,¡± Finn mutters.


    It''s like I''m watching them through


    ss. All their voices blurring into each other usations, deflections, that same pathetic scramble to protect themselves. Their mouths move, their arms il, but none of it touches me. Not really tim standing, right here, and somehow, I feel a mile away. Detached. Numb in a way that burns.


    km


    And then it hits me.


    I hate them.


    Everyst person in this room.


    As a matter of fact, I don''t think I''ve ever hated anyone more than 1 hate Finn, Lydia, and my mother right now.


    "Shut up!" I say, cutting Finn off midspeech..


    They all stop and turn.


    "So let me get this straight," I say,


    lifting a hand and pointing at Lydia, not even bothering to hide the disgust curling in my mouth. "All those years ago when you sat in that tub crying, while Finn used me in front of my mother and father of sexual assault-you didn''t keep quiet because you were traumatized, did you?"


    Her eyes widen, panic blinking behind them.


    "I... I was still a little upset," she stammers.


    ¡°Upset?¡± I repeat. "Upset that strangers at a party took advantage of you? Or upset that Finn didn''t give a shit about you and you realized you were just a warm body to


    him?"

 CHAPTER 120: Someone In My Corner

    Lydia doesn''t answer.


    And that silence-God, that silence is enough.


    "You kept quiet because you wanted to protect Finn, didn''t you?¡±


    I take a slow step forward.


    "One word from you would have fixed everything." I let the words sink in. "One word. I was the only one who gave a damn about you in that house. I fucking mourned your death


    for the past twelve years. I lit candles for you in countries I couldn''t even pronounce because I thought I failed you. My father sent me away because of you. Do you have any idea what I went through? What it f just been there?"


    I look at my mother.


    She''s crying again. Not that I care anymore.


    "And you,¡± I say, jaw tight. "You knew she was alive and kept up the charade. Even to your own husband. That has to be the coldest, most inhumane thing you''ve ever done."


    "Knox-"


    "No." I raise my voice just enough to silence hers. "I want you all to keep quiet and listen to me. You''ve had your turns to speak. Now it''s mine. And I won''t say this again, so listen closely."


    No one breathes.


    "I don''t want to see your calls, your texts, your face-hell, even your fucking name-


    near me again. Don''t chase down my friends toe talk to me. Not Hunter. Not anyone. And if you, Finn," I point directly at


    him, "so much ase within a mile of Sloane again, I''m going to kill you."


    His eyes re wide.


    I mean it.


    I go to the door, grip the handle, and fling it open. The air that rushes in tastes like relief.


    But I pause. I''m not done. Not yet.


    My eyes find her again.


    My mother. Or whatever she is now.


    "If you love that crazy son of yours," I say, "you better teach him how to find his own women. Not the ones he thinks I fucked."


    Finn res at me. Fury and embarrassment warring on his face.


    I hold his gaze and wait. Please. Say something. Give me a reason.


    But he doesn''t.


    He swallows it all, jaw working uselessly as he looks away.


    "And you," I say, my voice now coated in ice as I turn to Lydia, "I say this from the bottom of my heart..."


    She raises her head slowly. Her lips are trembling.


    19.04


    "I really wished you died."


    And with that, I walk out, mming the door behind me.


    SLOANE


    It''s difficult to sit still when the man you love, who''s possibly dangerous, is out


    there with people who might push the wrong button and set him off.


    I''ve turned off the TV twice already. The sound is too loud, then too soft, then somehow just annoying. The cushions I arranged on the couch are scattered across the floor now. I keep trying to find afortable position-


    legs folded, then stretched, then crossed, then folded again. Nothing feels right. The living room light is too harsh, so I dim it. Then it bes too dark, so I brighten it. I hate this. I hate being in limbo. Knox has I check the time on my phone again and try not to sigh out loud.


    Maybe he''s just taking his time. Maybe they''re still talking. Or maybe Finn finally said something that sent him over the edge, and now I have a boyfriend who''s dragging a body into a trunk somewhere off the hi I close my eyes and press the heels of my hands into them.


    Stop. He''s not a killer. Not unless someone deserved it.


    That''s notforting.


    God, these hormones. It''s like they''ve rearranged my brain with a paranoia dial set to catastrophic. Maybe I should call. Just to check. One call. One little call won''t hurt. I scroll to his contact and hit dial before I I stare at the screen like it mighte to life and exin what the hell is going on. How many times do I call before it counts as panic?


    And then I hear it-


    the gravelly crunch of tires outside. The unmistakable sound of his car pulling in. I practicallyunch off the couch, tossing the pillows aside and sprinting to the front door.


    I throw it open.


    Knox is out of the car anding toward me, but he isn''t moving like the man I left at home


    earlier this morning. His shoulders are tense, his jaw locked. His eyes, when they find mine, are unreadable. There''s...


    something there. Something I''ve never seen on his face before. Not anger. Not sadness. Not even numbness. Just... different.


    "Knox-"I say his name softly, unsure of how to proceed. As he reaches the door, I step back to let


    him in.


    For once, he doesn''t take his shoes off. He walks straight in and


    shuts the door behind him,ing forward until he stops right in front of me. So close I can smell the cold on his jacket and the faint scent of cologne mixed with the air outside.


    "Do you love me?" he asks.


    "What?"


    "Do you love me?" he repeats, quieter this time, but no less intense.


    "Of course I do," I say quickly. "Where is thising from? What happened?"


    He raises a hand to the back of my head, fingers slipping through my hair. His touch is gentle, but there''s a


    desperation in it.


    "I need you to bepletely honest with me, Sloane,¡± he says. ¡°I need to know if I''ve got someone in


    my corner. Someone who''s mine. Someone who won''t wake up one day and decide they''ve had enough of me. You don''t have to dress it up or cushion it-


    I can take the truth. Just don''t lie to me, is this real to you? Us? Or am I just... some phase? A stop along the


    way? Are you gonna wake up one morning and decide to put yourself on the list of people who''ve broken my fucking heart? Because I swear, I can''t take that again. I can''t keep giving pieces of myself to people


    His breath shudders out as if he''s said too much.


    "Knox," I whisper, reaching


    up to ce my palm over his chest. His heart is racing. "What happened out there?"


    "I need to hear it from you," he says, eyes still locked on mine. "Do you love me? Are you really mine?"


    Tears prick the corners of my eyes before I can stop them. He looks so lost.


    "I don''t know what Finn said to you,"


    I manage, my voice shaking. ¡°But I


    do love you. Do you understand me? I''m not leaving you. You think I''m out here blowing up my whole life, fighting my family, cutting ties because it''s fun? Because it''s convenient? Llove you Knox, I wake up in the morning thinking about you. I go to bed worried about you. You''re in my head every second, even when you''re not trying to be. Even when you''re acting like this. You''re mine, and I don''t want anyone


    else."


    His jaw clenches, and his eyes close for a brief second. Then he pulls me closer, so close our foreheads almost touch, and I feel the tremble in his body.


    "I love you," I say again. "And if you ever ask me that question again, if you


    ever doubt it for a second, I swear I''ll-"


    His lips crash down on mine before I can finish the sentence.

 CHAPTER 121: Take The Lead

    I''m off the ground the next second. Thoserge hands of Knox''s are beneath my thighs as he lifts me up. Instinctively, my legs wrap around his valet, and my arms cling to him as tightly as my mouth does. He moves us across the living room with urgent steps, heading for the stairs. I hear the soft thud of his boots on each step, the creak of the banister as we pass, and the faint sound of our breaths mingling. When we reach the bedroom, he kicks the door open.


    He walks to the side of the bed and sets me down. My head finds the pillow behind me, and I keep my arms wrapped around his neck, refusing to let go. He doesn''t try to pull away. But before climbing on, he b "Say it again," he whispers. ¡°Tell me how much you love me."


    I open my mouth. "1-"


    But he leans in and kisses the tip of my nose, silencing me.


    "Go on," he urges.


    Except it''s hard to concentrate when he''s kissing my entire face. His lips leave warmth blooming everywhere-


    on my nose, my cheeks, my forehead. I feel dazed. My heartbeat is no longer mine; it follows his rhythm now. My brain, too, is betraying me, choosing sensation over sense, drowning in the feel of him. While he''s kissing my chin, I manage to breathe out, "My love for you is the same as my love for... imported peanut butter."


    "Hmm. The love''s not sounding all that strong right now."


    I chuckle, unable to help it. "Alright," I concede, grinning up at him. "More than any of my book aliens."


    "Really? I find that hard to believe."


    "Cross my heart."


    "Your tiny heart?"


    "It''s big enough to contain you."


    His hands trail gently down my sides. I feel


    the path of his fingers like electric shocks. When they reach the hem of my shirt, he starts to


    lift it, eyes never leaving mine. Inch by inch, cool air kisses my skin until the fabric is pushed up and his mouth finds the ce just over my heart. He kisses there once. Then again. It makes my throat tighten.


    I know what this is.


    He''s still carrying whatever happened at Finn''s house. He hasn''t told me any of it, not yet, and I don''t ask. Not because I''m not dying to know, but because I know him. This, what he''s doing now, is how he breathes through it. How he holds the pieces of himself in ce. So I let him. I let him kiss me Nike I''m the only thing keeping him tethered. Because maybe right now, I am.


    His mouth drifts lower, tracing the dip between my ribs until he reaches the soft curve of my stomach. He presses his lips just below my navel, and Iugh, fingers slipping into his hair as I tug him away. "Stop now," I say, stillughing. "I know where this is headed. Any area below my waist is out of service."


    He lifts his head just enough to look at


    me, a glint of mischief in his eyes. ¡°I''m not afraid of a little blood. I want you all over my face."


    "Eww," I say.


    "No way."


    He crawls back up to meet me. "You''re not being nice. In fact, I have a nine-


    month solution to the bleeding problem.


    I narrow my eyes at him. "What would you even want a kid for?"


    "Having two yous around wouldn''t be so bad."


    And that''s when it hits me-


    this isn''t the first time he''s mentioned kids. As I pull him back into a kiss to shut off the conversation, my thoughts drift Would I even know how to be a parent? What if I messed it up the way our parents messed -like both of us?


    Why am I even thinking about this now?


    Maybe all these thoughts are entering my head because I''m underneath him, chest pressed to chest, heartbeats crashing, and he''s somehow pouring them into me. Like his body is a funnel, and I''m catching ev It''s overwhelming.


    I pull away from the kiss to catch my breath and take the lead


    for a second. I shift my hips, moving in a way he understands means I want him on his back I want to look down at him, to take control of my senses for a little while.


    He doesn''t hesitate. He lets go of me, rolls to his back in one fluid motion, and reaches for my waist to help me climb on top of him.


    I straddle him like I''ve done a dozen


    ¨¦t


    times before, but somehow, this still feels new. The way his eyes track my every move. The reverence in them. It sends heat waves through me Fully seated on him now I take a second to breathe with my palms resting on his chest, feeling the steady thump of his


    heart beneath my fingers.


    His hands move to my waist again, thumbs brushing slow circles just above my hips. I can tell he''s content like this. Letting me take the lead. Letting me explore. And God, he''s so beautiful like this. Laid out, quiet, eyes dark and dted with want.


    I reach for my shirt, lifting it over my head. The fabric whispers across my skin before I toss it aside.


    Next, I''m pulling him up by his jacket and assisting in removing the said jacket along with his shirt. Now there''s nothing between us but heat and skin.


    He cups my breasts with both hands, thumbs moving slowly


    over them, tracing the curve and weight.


    "They''re slightly bigger," he says, eyes darting between them and my face.


    "Happens. Hormones."


    "You have a beautiful body, Sloane."


    I smile. "You''re just trying to get into my pants, aren''t you?"


    "With the truth, yeah."


    "You''re shameless."


    "I need you."


    pite my bottom lip, suddenly hyper-


    aware of the way his eyes fall to that lip. There''s hunger in them now. A different kind. Like just looking at me is setting something off inside him.


    And that''s dangerous. Because even


    though my body''s ready to melt into his, I''m also aware of the tampon I''m wearing Of how this is li possible time tobe turned on. Yet here Ram, feeling the wet pulse of arousal despite myself. And his hard length beneath me is not helpi


    He reads it on my face. Of course he does.


    Without a word, he shifts. A slow, grinding roll of his hips that presses him right where I''m most sensitive.


    the worst


    My breath escapes in a moan. My lips fall open. My hands clutch at his shoulders. I can''t even pretend I don''t feel it anymore


    Hees up, one hand gripping my waist tightly, the other bracing behind him as his face finds the


    crook of my neck. He whispats into my dar


    "You know you want it."


    Another grind. Another helpless noise from my throat.


    "Knox¡ª"I manage to say, though I don''t really know what I''m asking for.


    "I know, baby. Take off the shorts. What you want is right here. I''ll give it to you."


    My hands are already moving, fumbling at the button with more urgency than coordination. Screw my stance on period sex. My fingers shake from nerves, from the sheer intensity of wanting him, needing him c


    The damn shorts aren''ting off


    as quickly as i''d like. I rise onto my feet and drag them down, sliding each out of my legs and tossing them aside. The cotton hits the floor in a soft thump. Then I''m back over him, knees bracketing his hips, and my hands are already at his belt.

 CHAPTER 122: Timing For A Reunion

    Knox watches me the whole time.


    I slide the belt out in one quick pull and toss it aside, going for the zipper. When I finally reach in and wrap my hand around him, he jerks, hips twitching. into my palm.


    His dick springs free, hard and ready, and as I hold it in my fist, he reaches up and pushes my bangs off my face.


    "You look hungry," he says.


    I can''t pretend. "I am."


    "Food''s right here. All you gotta do is put it in your mouth."


    Those words are like a floodgate, releasing the pent-


    up need I''ve been holding back. I adjust myself, positioning my body so I can take him in my mouth. start at the base and lick a slow line up his shaft, circling the piercing at the tip with my tongue. I can taste the "Fuck," he groans, his hands gripping my hair, holding me in ce.


    I take one of his balls into my mouth, rolling it gently with my tongue while I massage the other with my hand. His grunt of approval is music to my ears. Raising my head, I fit as much of his dick as I can into


    my mouth until he''s hitting the back of my throat. I hold him there for a moment, my eyes watering, before pulling back.


    "Look at me," he says. "Look at me when you do that."


    I meet his gaze, my eyes never leaving his as I take him in


    my mouth again, my head bobbing up and down.


    "Oh, that''s it. You''re doing so good."


    I pick up the pace. I can feel him hitting the back of my throat with each thrust, and I rx, taking him deeper, my nose touching his pelvis.


    "Shit, Sloane," he hisses.


    His body coils tight. I want to push him over the edge. But he suddenly pulls


    my head away, eyes wild.


    He lifts me back to my previous position on hisp, keeping my knees on either side of his hips. Reaching between my legs, his fingers find the string of my tampon. He pulls. I don''t have time to see what he do


    He holds me up with one strong arm wrapped around my waist, the other hand positioning himself at my entrance. I can feel the tip of his dick pressing against me. He then drops


    me down onto his length, impaling me.


    J scream, my head falling back and body adjusting to the sudden intrusion. He''s so deep, so thick.


    "Knox..." I say, digging my fingers into his shoulders. "Don''t stop. Take me."


    He obliges, his


    hips snapping up to meet mine. Every inch of him hits all the right spots, sending waves of pleasure coursing through my body. The room fills with the sound of our bodies pping together, the wet, messy sound of his cock driving into me. I can feel the warmth of my blood coating his skin, making it slippery. And it would be weird if only I was thinking beyond how good he feels inside me. "Oh my god, Knox," I say, needing more.


    I ride him harder, my body moving of its own


    ord, chasing the pleasure that''s building inside me. I''m a moaning mess, my


    breathing in short


    gasps.


    He leans down, his teeth finding my nipple, biting gently, and I can only hold his hair to contain my pleasure.


    10:44 Wed 11 Jon


    "Knox," I gasp. "I''m close. So close."


    When he pulls back, his eyes are wild. "Come for me, sweet girl. Make a mess on me."


    His words send me over the edge.


    body convulses, my inner muscles clenching around him. Wave after wave of pleasure consumes me,


    my orgasm as I try to run from the intensity of it. His own body


    is ready to snap. With a final, powerful thrust


    He holds me tight, still moving, drawing,


    hees undone, filling me up. He throws his head back, a guttural roar escaping his lips.


    Our bodies stay locked together


    at Sankly, I don''t


    think I can move, I feel him still pulsing inside me.


    He looks at me, eyes soft, azy grin tilti


    I smack his chest without much strength" "hers


    of his mouth. "Sure you didn''t bleed out your e


    disgusting."


    entire body supply?"


    Heughs, not even trying to dodge the hit. His hands settle on my hips, thumbs strokingzily over my skin. I attempt to shift off him, now self-conscious of the mess I made, but he refuses to


    "No," he says. "Stay."


    Co


    "What?"


    "I want to fall asleep like this."


    "I can''t free bleed all night on you."


    "Who says you can''t?¡±


    "You''re insane. Let me go."


    "Nope. Stay put."


    His voice is so casual, but there''s something underneath it. A softness that I feel more than hear. And when he tugs me gently down to lie t against him, I go No resistance My head finds the crook of his shoulder, and his armse around me like muscle memory.


    Then, quietly, he starts to hum.


    That song again. The Russian luby from the other night. We lie there like that for what feels like hours. maybe it''s just minutes. Time''s slippery when you''re a bundle of tangled limbs and sweat and quiet heartbeats.


    Eventually, I fall asleep.


    And I stay that way. All night. Draped over him, legs tangled with his, one of his hands resting low on my back. Every time I stir, that hand''s still there making sure I wouldn''t drift away. When the buzz starts, I think I''m dreaming.


    But it doesn''t stop.


    My eyes crack open slowly. The room''s still dim, so know it isn''t dawn yet. The buzzing continues.


    Knox groans


    beneath


    me,


    and his hand shoots out toward the nightstand, fumbling.


    ¡°Turn it off,¡± I mumble into his chest. "It''s not even daylight yet."


    He drags the phone into view and squints at the screen.


    "Bastard finally came to his senses," he mutters. Chapter 122


    "Who?"


    "Your boss."


    Still half-asleep, I blink up at him. "Hunter?"


    "Yeah."


    He taps the screen and answers it, switching to speaker.


    "Save any gloating word that''s about toe out of your mouth, Knox," Hunter says in greeting, "We need to talk."


    "Hello to you too, Hunt. Pretty shitty timing for a reunion,


    don''t you think? It''s not even six yet."


    "Well, I kidnapped your ex-wifest


    night, and I don''t know what to do with her," Hunter says. "She''s all tied up here and barking my ears off. ¡ü had to put duct tape over her mouth. That woman''s up to no good sooner youe get her, the better."


    Knox sits up fast, dragging me with him.


    "Come again?"

 CHAPTER 123: Weak Point

    -KNOX-


    My ns for the day certainly didn''t involve rescuing Soraya from a kidnapper who also happens to be my friend.


    But here I am-behind the wheel, staring through the windshield at Hunter''s fancy-


    ass townhouse. The driveway is as manicured as the man himself. As I kill the engine, I take a moment to breathe.


    I don''t want to be here. Not afterst night. Not after dealing with my family''s mess. I had nned to spend most of the day sweating it all out on the machines in my home gym. Now Soraya''s caught in some ki


    He doesn''t call for weeks, then reappears with an announcement


    that he''s kidnapped my ex-wife.


    I step out of the car and shut the door with more force than necessary. The cool morning air does nothing to soothe me. I head up the house and press the bell.


    stone path to


    A momentter, the door swings open. It''s one of Hunter''s rotating household staff. He always says names are interchangeable, like furniture. Today''s version is a lean woman in her mid- thirties wearing a ck turtleneck and matte lipstick. She offers a clipped nod.


    "Good morning."


    I nod back. "Hunter''s expecting me."


    She knows that, of course. So she steps aside, and I walk in.


    I find him in the living


    room. He''s sprawled on the couch, legs crossed at the ankle with his shoes on the damn couch. A tablet rests in his hand, and he''s scrolling.


    "You know," I say, "normal people would just call and say, ''Let''s make up.''


    1111


    My voice carries easily in the space, but he doesn''t look up. I walk toward him, each step echoing.


    "First you threaten my girlfriend with a promotion," I continue. "You should really work on your threats, by the way. Too unserious for a man of your status."


    Hunter finally lifts his head. That smug little smile he always wears when he knows he''s being an ass is already in ce.


    "And then you call me before sunrise to say you kidnapped Soraya?" I stop in front of him. "What are you going to do next? Send my brother gift vouchers in my name?"


    "Don''t give me ideas," he says, and taps something on the screen before


    setting the tablet aside.


    I shake my head, but I sit anyway, dropping onto the couch beside his legs.


    It''s weird to admit I''ve missed this man.


    Our friendship started like a joke. I''d just ckmailed Obsidian away from itsst owner, was scouting for new clients, and thought-


    why not rub shoulders with the elite degenerates who fill up these overpriced cigar clubs?


    I hated those clubs. Still do. But I bought my way into everyst one because wealthy people are predictable. And usually horny. Which was useful, considering the services I offer. That day at the cigar lounge, Hunter stood out-


    not because he was charming or intriguing. No. He looked like he belonged to a church men''s group. Polo shirt tucked into belted jeans. Hair perfectly parted. The kind of man you''d trust to hold your wallet and I didn''t even bother giving him a card. A man like that wouldn''t go to a sex club.


    I was outside, standing by the curb, when some woman stormed up to me. She didn''t look happy as she asked if I was the owner of Obsidian.


    "Yes," I''d said cautiously.


    "You need to cancel my husband''s membership, she replied, like I was a restaurant manager who got her order wrong "Ever since we opened our marriage it''s the only ce he wants to be. He''s in there alm?st every night. I agreed to explore other people, not lose my husband to


    some brothel in disguise."


    I suggested she be a member herself. Seemed reasonable to me.


    She didn''t like that.


    Next thing I knew, she pulled out one of those flip-


    open knives from her purse and started stabbing the tires of a ck BMW. Didn''t even hesitate. Just-


    stab. Stab. sh.


    I stood there, not stopping her, just watching. When she started scratching long white lines into the paint of the door, that''s when Hunter came running.


    "Ma''am! What the hell are you doing to my car?"


    She went stiff. "I-I thought it was... his."


    That was our first real conversation. As Hunter and I waited for the tow truck, we talked. We didn''t mean to But somehow, we did. He made meugh made him say fuck fo the first time it was the beginning ofour awkward friendship-one where I''ve corrupted whatever goodness he had left to the point that kidnapping someone actually made sense to him.


    "You always manage tond yourself the worst enemies, Knox," Hunter says, breaking into my thoughts. He adjusts his posture and folds his arms. "How many people have you pissed off in this life?" "Am I supposed to keep count?"


    "I went to see your buddy, Mateo, about you."


    That gets my attention.


    "Turns out he''s pretty mad," Hunter continues. "I''m talking serial killer mad. Man''s unhinged. He sold his grandfather''spany. Liquidated almost all his assets. Mortgaged his fucking house just to get majority


    "Seems rather melodramatic."


    "He''s not even hiding how much he hates you. And he''s recruited your ex-wife."


    I say nothing. But my jaw clenches. Hard.


    "She''s mad at you too," Hunter adds. "For reasons still can''t figure out. You need to work on your people skills, Knox. They''re kind of shit right now. don''t even know why I''m helping you. I''ve justmitted a crime to quarantine Soraya from, spreading the Knox hate rus


    ddes''


    around."


    I can''t help it. Iugh.


    Hunter res at me. "After all that, youugh?"


    "I''m sorry,¡± I say, coughing into my fist. "You sound like my girlfriend."


    "Is that supposed to be apliment?"


    "It''s an observation."


    He stands up, brushing imaginary dust from his pants. "What are we going to do about the woman in my guestroom?"


    "You really kidnapped her?"


    "You thought I was joking?"


    He heads toward the stairs, and I follow.


    The wood creaks slightly beneath our steps, and halfway up, I ask, "What exactly did Mateo say to you when you met him?"


    Hunter tone and turne. His face is more serious now.

 CHAPTER 124: Banker Mouth

    I stare at the wall just past Hunter''s head, my jaw clenched. Well, I guess that settles it. That woman''s going into early retirement- locked in a tower, guarded by a fire-breathing dragon if I can manage it.


    "He wants to hurt her," says Hunter. "Maybe even Soraya. She''s stupid enough to think it''s a mutual


    transaction in whatever twisted deal they have going on."


    "Mutual transaction?" I ask. "What could she possibly need from him?"


    He shrugs. "I don''t know. Ask her. But for the record, I think I''m on the list of people he wants to hurt to get to


    you. So you''re paying for the extra security


    1 hired. I told a psychopath to get lost yesterday and resigned from the CEO position in hispany. You definitely owe me." He turns around


    and starts climbing again, and I find myself staring at the back of his head while following him up. So this is where we are-


    Mateo''s decided I''m the scapegoat for what went down all those


    years ago. Figures. The man clearly skipped therapy and went straight to plotting,


    And now I''m the outlet.


    I don''t even know what the hell I want to do about him. There was a time I would''ve taken a bullet for that bastard-


    no hesitation. Which is probably why I can''t think of anything that goes beyond sitting across from him and forcing a conversation. One where wey it all out.


    Because anything


    else just feels like history repeating itself. And I''ve already bled for this once.


    We reach the guestroom, and Hunter pushes the door open.


    Soraya''s there, bound to a chair, duct tape over her lips, her arms twisted behind her back. Her eyes snap up when she sees me. Narrow. Furious.


    She starts mumbling against the tape.


    I cross the room and tear it off.


    "Fuck you, Hunter!" she shouts, spitting


    hair from her mouth. "When I get off this chair, I''m going to skin you alive."


    "Calm yourself," I say.


    "Get these ropes off me! I have to meet someone in a few hours."


    "Who?" I ask. "Sloane''s father?"


    She looks at me in surprise. "He told you we met?"


    "What do you want, Soraya?" I ask. "To see me angry? Because you''re doing a hell of a job. You''ve been busy. Looking for ways to get my attention. Well, now you have it. Use it wisely. Say what your problem Her face shifts. Just slightly.


    "We''ve been friends for over five years, Knox. That should have counted for something. You threw me under the bus because you suddenly got yourself a girlfriend."


    I fold my arms. "You wanted me to stay married while dating someone else?"


    "I just wanted you to have the decency to talk to me first before you served those papers. That''s all. A conversation, Some respect. Do you have any idea what it feels like to be going about your day- having a decent one, even-and then, out of


    nowhere, someone you care about hits you with legal documents? No warning. Just... boom. You''re the only family I have in this country. You know that. Aside from Yara, you''re the closest thing I''ve got to a rea "In summary, you''re saying I messed up for not speaking about it with you first. Great. How do we


    solve this problem? A time machine?"


    Behind me, Hunter mutters, "I think she''s trying to tell you she''s in love with you, Knox."


    "Shut up," Soraya snaps. "Shut that banker mouth of yours."


    "This isn''t Afghanistan, woman," he replies. "People talk about their lustful cravings here. You had five years your losses and move on."


    to make a move.


    You didn''t. You gotta count


    "I don''t have feelings for him."


    "Whatever. If it were up to


    me, you''d stay in that chair until I''m sure you''vee to your senses."


    Soraya turns to Knox. "Untie me, Knox. Don''t listen to your bitch-


    ass friend with the pear-shaped head. Just untie me."


    "Coming from someone with that much forehead," Hunter replies, "you really shouldn''t be throwing insults."


    She''s back to ring at Hunter. "Your hairline''s receding, you know. You''re going to go bald very soon. Talking about my forehead." They bicker. Loudly.


    I just stand there, eyes moving back


    and forth between the two of them. At some point, Soraya starts twisting she''s about in the chair like tounch herself at Hunter, and honestly, I don''t doubt she''d manage it if she could get even one hand


    fr¨¦e.


    The craziest part is, I can''t even tell if Hunter''s doing all this to defend me-


    which, logically, would be the most reasonable exnation. Yet, they kind of seem like they want to conclude this argument on a bed.


    "Enough," I say. "You''re going to wear my ears off."


    "I just want off this chair," Soraya hisses. "Let me go."


    "Not until you tell me what it''s going to take for you to stop dragging yourself into things that could get you killed. All this over the fact that I didn''t sit you down and give a long, heartfelt speech before sending divorce papers? If If it''s an apolog You


    amapology


    you want get it. But


    you''re not adding yourself to my list of problems. Your father asked me to protect you, and that''s what I''m doing-whether you like it or not."


    I step closer.


    "So unless you give me one solid reason why I should untie you right now, you''re staying here. You''ll live with Hunter. I''m sure he''ll get a kick out of keeping you tied to furniture."


    "You can''t do that," she snaps. "That''s a crime."


    "It''s only a crime if you''re avable to report it."


    She opens her mouth, then closes it again. When she finally speaks, her voice is less firm. "This isn''t entirely about you. Mateo wants a little information, and I''m giving it to him. It''s a transaction. At the end of th with something important. Something I''ve wanted for years."


    "What is that?"


    "That''s none of your business, Knox."


    I sigh, shake my head, and turn away.


    "She''s all yours," I say to Hunter. "No, wait!"


    I stop.


    **


    She takes a breath.


    "My daughter," she says. "He wants to help me bring my daughter over here."

 CHAPTER 125: Aliens Head

    -SLOANE


    Another day, another round of awkward stares at the office-


    because apparently, everyone on my floor thinks I''m their boss now, even though my cubicle is still right next to theirs.


    The worst part? I haven''t even epted the promotion. I haven''t signed anything. But just one rumor, one sighting of me being called upstairs for a private meeting, and now I''m some unspoken corporate deity. And just when I think the day can''t get any more absurd, I step outside after work and find that Knox has doubled my security detail. Two new bodyguards wait beside the usual pair, like I''m some kind of politica


    I climb into the backseat and get crammed in between two enormous strangers. This car


    was never designed to seat five full-


    grown adults. Yet here we are. My knees are knocking against theirs. I try to shrink myself, folding my arms tight against my chest like it might make me invisible.


    "You alright, ma''am?" the one on my right asks, his voice surprisingly gentle.


    "Peachy,¡± I mumble, eyes fixed on the back of the driver''s seat.


    This can''t keep going on. The constant protection. The feeling that


    I''m being watched even when I''m alone. Knox needs to find a way to deal with Mateo -


    once and for all. I don''t care how he does it. Kidnap the man, lock him in a basement, force a conversation if that''s what it takes to end this madness.


    God.


    What is wrong with me? The lines between right and wrong are dissolving faster than I can keep track of these days. And the terrifying part is, I''m starting


    to think I could live with it.


    I don''t say anything else the entire ride home. When we arrive at Knox''s ce, I slip out of the car quickly. The guards exit too but don''t follow me to the door, as always. Inside, I let the door fall shut behind me with a quiet click.


    Instinctively, I reach for the strap of my heel, prepared to take them off the way Knox insisted I do the first time I came over. But I pause, fingers hovering.


    Knox doesn''t do that anymore.


    Somewhere along the line, he''d stopped asking anyone to remove their shoes. At first, it was this unspoken rule in his house-


    like sacred ground. No shoes. No dirt. But now, he doesn''t seem to care. Doesn''t even bat an eye when I forget and walk across the hardwood in heels.


    I still don''t know why he insisted on it back then-


    or what made him suddenly change his mind. And something tells me I never will. Not with how tight-


    lipped he is. Sometimes, when I catch myself wanting to ask about these random and weird


    things he does, I remind myself it''s Knox. There''s always a chance it traces back to a painful memory.


    I lower my hand and let the strap be, heading deeper into the house.


    There''s a scent of grilled rosemary and thyme in the air, light but mouthwatering. My stomach makes a sound of approval. As I round the hallway that leads to the dining space, I catch sight of a figure-slender,


    brte, setting down a covered te beside the folded napkins.


    It takes a second for me to ce her.


    She looks up at the sound of my steps. "Evening."


    I stop, a little surprised. "Hi. Sharon, right?".


    She straightens with a smile. "Yes."


    "Wow, I actually caught you in action. You''re not invisible today."


    She catches my meaning, of course.


    "Mr. Hartley thinks we should all hang around more so you''ll be familiar with our faces. Security reasons mostly. So I stayed back to meet you?


    "Right," I nod, stepping a little closer. "So I''ll be meeting everyone now?"


    "Before the weekend," she says. "The maids run different shifts-


    twice a week. The gardener, I don''t think morning. A few other staff too. You''ll get used to us."


    "I''m sure you''re all wonderful," I say with a smile. "Can''t wait to meet the rest."


    She gestures toward the kitchen. "Just holler when you and Mr. Hartley are ready for dinner." "He''s around?"


    "Yeah. Upstairs. Been there since I came in."


    Inod, thanking her with a small wave, and take the stairs two at a time.


    The master bedroom door is slightly ajar. I push it open gently and step inside.


    There he is. you''ve met him yet, will be around tomorrow


    Knox stands near the window, sleeves rolled to the elbows, one foot braced against the side of a tall, bulky cardboard box. The box reaches almost to his height, and it leans a little with the pressure of his


    boot. He''s holding a box cutter in one hand, dragging the de carefully through the thick packing* tape along the top. His brow is furrowed in concentration, like he''s dissecting a puzzle instead of just opening a package.


    He stops mid-


    slice and turns the moment he hears the door. His eyes meet mine, and they soften.


    I walk in fully and shut the door behind me. "Hey, you."


    "Hey yourself," he says. "You''re home early."


    "What do you mean? This is when I always get home."


    "No. You''re usually about thirty minutester than now."


    I make a face, toe off my heels, and set my bag gently on the ottoman. "What are you, my timekeeper?"


    "I''m just good with numbers."


    "Is that right?" I say, crossing the room.


    Once I''m standing just in front of him, I tilt my head


    He drops his gaze to mine, and I reach up andzily loop both arms around his neck. His body is warm, always warm. My fingers trail along the cor of his shirt as I look up through myshes. "Okay, Mr. Good-with-


    Numbers, solve this: One Sloane multiplied by one Knox, divided by one Sloane, plus one Knox."


    His eyes darken, mouth twitching in that way that always tells me I''ve lit a fuse.


    He drops the e box cutter to the side with a clink and slides one arm around my waist. Then he dips down and kisses me. It''s not rushed. His lips meet rame with warm pressure as though he''s taking his time to memorize the shape of my mouth.


    His hand moves to the back of my head, fingers spreading gently through my hair, pulling me in.


    My heart trips. Not just from the kiss, but from the


    way it makes me feel loved and imed. When he pulls back, I almost bring his head back Almost


    Instead, I say, "Is that the answer to my question? A kiss?"


    "No. If one Sloane multiplies one Knox, you get a creampie. When you divide that product by the addition of one Sloane and one Knox, you get two bald headed twins in the space of nine months."


    I burst outughing, resting my forehead against his chest for


    a second to steady myself. "You''re unbelievable, Knox."


    "That''s God-honest mathematics."


    "If you keep talking about babies," I say between chuckles, "we''re going to have a problem."


    He leans in again, this time pressing a kiss to the bridge of my nose.


    "I''ll convince you soon enough, Bunny."


    And then, just like that, he releases


    me gently and returns to the mysterious box. Like he didn''t just casually mention impregnating me with twins.


    Still smiling, I move to stand beside him, watching as he bends to pick up the box cutter, which he then digs back into the top seam of the package. His hands are focused again, careful and practiced.


    I squint at the enormous thing. "What is this?"


    "You''ll see," he says.


    He keeps working at the box, tearing at the ps until the outer shell


    falls away with a dull thunk. I decide to busy myself


    as I wait by asking some very important questions.


    "You do realize my car is designed to carry four people, right?" I ask, arms folding across my chest.


    "Uh-


    huh," he mutters, crouching to slice a line from top to bottom of the box. Why he doesn''t just pull the damn thing off is beyond me.


    "You can''t send out an entire football team to protect me, Knox. I was riding awkwardly in the middle like a poorly ced sandwich." "Would you like an upgraded car with extra seats?"


    "You''re so annoying."


    He grunts as thest bit of tape gives way. The box peels off entirely now, dropping to reveal a shape beneath protective packaging- those inted air columns that cushion impact during shipping. The object beneath isrge and greenish, but something familiar sticks out from the top.


    squint. "Is that an alien''s head?"

 CHAPTER 126: Papa Bear

    "Yup," Knox says without looking up.


    I reach out, fingers brushing the smooth head sticking out of the packaging, it''s foam. Dense and thick with sculpted features: The head is anal, fath bulbous ck eyes and a tiny slit for a mouth. "What''s beneath it?" I ask, looking down.


    He''s already begun tearing downward, slicing open the rest of the wrapping.


    What emerges is...well.


    A body.


    Large. Square. The surface is spongy and cloth-


    wrapped, shaped like a mattress with two raised mounds on the upper area-


    clearly meant to resemble alien breasts. The mouth, or whatever that opening is, sits lower on the body, oval-


    shaped. Webbed limbs


    extend on both sides, forming legs that bend outward, giving the thing an awkward but strangely endearing posture.


    My eyes widen as it dawns on me that this is probably mine. Who else likes aliens in this house? I don''t say anything right away.


    "So," Knox says casually, "what do you think?"


    "You got me an alien SpongeBob?" I squeak.


    "Huh? No. That''s a mattress. An alien mattress."


    I blink at him.


    "Remember that night I crashed at your ce and we talked about aliens spying on humans by acting as furniture?" he says. "I thought it was cute. So got you an alien bed. I wanted it much bigger, but Aaron m That breaks me.


    Iugh-


    hard. The kind ofugh that shakes my belly and makes my shoulders curl inward. I double over, clutching my stomach, trying to breathe.


    Then Iunch myself at him.


    Knox catches me with a grunt, his arms wrapping around my back as he lifts me slightly off the ground.


    "I take it that you like it?" he asks.


    "Oh, it''s beautiful," I say betweenughs. "You''re like the only one who gets me gifts."


    "Really?"


    "Really. Set me down. I want to see it."


    Reluctantly, he lowers me. I stand beside the alien mattress, fingers running


    over its soft surface. It''s thick. Well-made. Actually taller than me.


    As I inspect it, I notice a small raised area near the oval opening at the bottom. A button.


    It blends into the color, hard to spot unless you''re looking.


    I press it.


    With a quiet whir, arge green appendage begins to rise from the oval opening.


    It''s.. phallic.


    1 freeze, then burst inte another wave ofughter.


    "Oh, my god," I say, almost wheezing. "Oh, my god, Knox. You did not. You gave the alien a dick?"


    He''s smiling, arms crossed now as he watches.


    "I told you they don''t have erections!" I manage betweenughs.


    "Are you sure?"


    "I''m sure!"


    "Well then," he says, walking toward me and catching my wrists, pulling me into him again, "how else do they do the deed? "What deed?"


    "You know," he murmurs, lowering his voice, "the thing where a penis goes into a vagina. And then it keeps going in, out, in, out until-"


    I groan and p my hands over my ears. "I don''t


    think I ever want to hear the words ''penis'' and ''vagina'' from your lips again."


    Heughs and caresses my cheek with his fingers.


    "But thank you so much for the gift, Knox," I say, quieter


    now. "It was very sweet of you."


    "I''m trying to soften you up for a few requests," he says. "Don''t want your hormones getting in the way of sound judgment."


    I pull back slightly, looking up at him. "A few requests? Like what?"


    Knox''s arms are still around my waist, and he doesn''t let go. Instead, he presses his lips against my forehead, lingering there for a second before speaking.


    "First of all, I need you to talk to your father and tell him toy off my business. Wouldn''t want to hurt him and then have you get mad at me."


    "My father? You met him?"


    "Yesterday," he says, finally loosening his hold enough for me to step back. "ims he''s going to help Soraya sue me for a proper divorce settlement, which would then lead to thew probing into my finances. My brows pinch together. "Not this again. First, mother and sister. Now my father."


    "It can all be avoided if you just sit with Papa Bear and have a nice, civilized chat where you convince him to back off."


    "My mother knew he''d do this," I mutter. "That''s why she told him. Fine. I''ll talk to him. But don''t threaten my father."


    "I was just telling you what needs to be avoided." He leans in. "You''re the one I love. Not your father. I won''t feel a thing if I have to take one or two fingers from him, but then you''ll hate me. You get what I''m say The warmth in his voice sends a tiny ripple down my spine, but I keep my expression neutral. "And how about Soraya? Did you talk to her?"


    "I did. She ims she has a daughter


    back home, And it''s the reason she


    ran away in the first ce. Premarital sex and children out of wedlock can get you in trouble over there She said she back offand leave me in peace if I can bring her daughter over here. Something about it just seems weird. I have


    people looking into that already. And


    Mateo, And Hunter."


    I pause, absorbing that. "You think Hunter and Soraya are not telling the truth?"


    "You can never be too careful. Mateo was a negotiator before he became abat soldier. It''s better to assume the worst. Besides, Hender and Szepe both have some weird chemistry going on. I don''t buy it." "Great. I feel like a spectator in all this. Don''t know how to help."


    "Start with Papa Bear."


    "Stop calling him that. I''ll stop by his house tomorrow," say, but the weight in my voice is unmistakable.


    "You don''t sound cheerful."


    "That''s because it''s going to be one hell of a conversation to get my father to back out of anything he''s set his mind on."


    "You''re resourceful. I''m sure you''lle up with something" He pauses and gives me a look that''s both amused and smug, "For inspiration, you should know I had someone watch him today."


    I stare. "What?"


    "It seems your mother''s car has been camping outside his house for a while."


    "My mother?" I repeat.


    "Yup."


    "What''s she doing there?"


    He shrugs, but I can see the shadow of a smirk. "Good question. Seeing as your father''s wife is out of town."


    My eyes go wide. "Oh, my God. Are you sure?"


    "You need pictures?"


    "They aren''t... doing anything, are they?"


    "I don''t care. But if you need ckmail material, that should do it."


    I care. I care very


    much. All the switches in my body flip at once. For a brief, disorienting second, I''m not standing here as an adult-


    I''m back in my childhood body, staring at the front door like it would open any moment and my


    mother woulde back home with my sister.


    I clung to that hope for way too


    many years. The one where my


    parents get back together and we all


    live happily ever after like a Hallmark special But now


    no Hell!!


    know


    She cheated on him. I know she''s


    pregnant with Jade''s triplets and shouldn''t be around my father when his wife is not in town.


    "I''m going there right now," I say, pushing off his chest.


    He holds me tighter, like he knew I''d say that. "Come now, let''s not be too hasty."


    "She''s going to break


    his heart again," I snap. "I''m not going to let that happen. And did he leave Daphne? I thought Grandma was there to solve their quarrel."


    "You''re beginning to sound like your father. Stay out of their business and focus on using the information. That''s what''s important."


    I don''t answer him. I can''t. My head''s spinning with every possible version of how this ys out when I get there. No, I''m not staying out of it. That''s my father. I know how he crumbled when she left. I won''t let h "Last but not least," Knox says, although his voice seems faraway to me, "you need to quit your job. And I''m moving you into the club until I have handled


    the Mateo issue."


    The room falls still. My heartbeat skips.


    And I slowly turn back toward him.


    "What?"

 CHAPTER 127: My Fathers Business

    By some miracle, I make it to the weekend without picking a full-


    blown fight with Knox.


    The weird part is, I''m not even sure why I''m mad.


    It''s not Knox''s fault that some ex-military


    guy he used to be friends with went full psycho and dragged us into his vendetta. The entire typing up a resignation letter at my desk in the middle of a workday, iming terminal illness.


    Terminal. Illness.


    I even picked Fiji. Said I wanted to spend the rest of my short life soaking in bluegoons and drinking out of coconuts.


    And yes, I typed it on their printer. Onpany time. Used their office paper. Their ink.


    had me


    That job had been the only stable thing in my life for six years. Same desk. Same chair. Same perfect view of Harper''s resting bitch face through the ss wall of her office, directly across from mine. I''ve been h birthdays, breakdowns, Finn''s many heartbreak-


    induced crash outs courtesy of Delh, nights that ended with me passed out under my desk in the


    morning, gran bar in one hand, phone dead in the other.


    And now I''m leaving it behind because a man I''ve only met


    once thinks I''m a pawn in his revenge n.


    I know it''s the right call. I can''t keep showing up to the same building at the same time every day like I''m not being watched. I''m


    not an idiot. Mateo''s unpredictable, and Knox is right-my safetyes first.


    And yeah, sure. I''m good at what I do. I could walk into another job tomorrow if I wanted. Especially with Knox already whispering about his mysterious connections and people he has "everywhere." Like some But that doesn''t mean I''m not going to sulk.


    Sulking is my right.


    And of course, Friday made everything worse.


    Word got out that I''m not just quitting-


    I''m dying. No one said it outright, but their eyes did. The soft smiles. The long pauses when I walked into a room.


    Even Harper-


    yes, Harper, my emotionally constipated supervisor who''d barely spoken to me since those promotion rumors started- suddenly decided she has a heart. She stopped by


    while I was boxing up six years of my life: my sticky notes, thumbtack photos, mugs I''d never once used but still refused


    to toss.


    "You doing okay?" she asked.


    "Fine," I replied without looking up.


    "Would you maybe like to step out for lunchter? My treat."


    I nced up, surprised. Harper offering to buy rne food was the corporate version of a crocodile knitting you a sweater.


    "No thanks," I said.


    She nodded quickly and awkwardly before walking away.


    The walls in that ce had ears. And apparently very active mouths.


    Now it''s Saturday, and I''ve loaded everything can into two oversized bags. One is half-


    stuffed with books I picked up at the library earlier the ot clothes and toiletries and whatever else felt important enough to drag into temporary exile.


    I''m currently


    sitting on the second bag, trying to force the zipper closed with all my body weight.


    "Let me help you with that," Knox says.


    I look up. He''s standing just inside the doorway, arms folded, wearing one of those perfectly casual outfits that somehow still manages to highlight every


    muscle on his frame.


    "I got it," I say, gritting my teeth as I give the zipper one final, desperate yank. The bag shuts beneath me.


    "Are you still mad at


    me for wanting to protect you, or is this a strong independent woman moment?¡±


    I re at him. "What am I supposed to do while caged up in a club?"


    "You have your books," he replies, gesturing to the top of the bag like it''s a valid point.


    "Books. Really?"


    "There''s TV. Music. A jacuzzi. Champagne."


    "Fuck you, Knox."


    He smirks and drops to sit on the edge of the bed, eyes trailing


    me as I stand up and set both bags upright beside me.


    "Just a couple of days, pretty," he says. "We''ll get you back into civilization once I''ve made sure


    Mateo isn''t a probe you get to


    problem anymore anymore


    Look at the good side you get to spend time with a few degenerates, learn some ng, pick up a few bad


    habits. Most of them are just as


    crazy as you. You might not want to leave."


    "Haha. Funny.¡± I fold my arms. "It''s weird that you''ve never mentioned taking me to your club until now."


    He shrugs. "I wasn''t sure I wanted you in the club before."


    "Then why now? Why not just fly me out of the country or something?"


    "Flying you out would mean not seeing you for a while. I can''t have that. We''re still in


    the honeymoon phase of this rtionship. You understand, don''t you?"


    I narrow my eyes. "Maybe."


    "And it would mean running away. I don''t run from my problems."


    "So you''re okay with me seeing your club now?"


    A strange look crosses his face. "I think


    I''ve studied you enough to know that even if you found out kill people, you wouldn''t leave."


    "That''s a whole lot of presumption."


    "Is it?"


    "Well, do you kill people?"


    "You''d want to know, wouldn''t you? So you can have another excuse to be mad at me."


    He stands and crosses the space between us, pulling me to him by the


    waist. His body is all heate


    he''s right about this being the honeymoon phase-because


    certainly, in a year''s time or maybe a few messy months from now, I''ll be immune to this. Immune to the way his touch short-circuits my brain, the way my body leans in before I even tell it to. But right now? Right now, it feels like I''m burning alive, and I don''t even want to put the mes. out.


    "I love you, you stubborn woman," he says. "And I want you to get your ass right now to the club before it''s night. So you don''t look like fresh meat to customers.


    I roll my eyes and reach up on tiptoe,


    (?


    pecking him quickly on the lips. But he doesn''t let me drop back down His hands anchor me, ce, and fdeepens the kiss, mouth coaxing mine open in that slow, firm way that makes my knees tremble.


    By the time he releases me, I''m breathless.


    "I love you too, gangster boss. See youter tonight," I manage to say, straightening.


    "Certainly. Are you still making a stop at your father''s house?"


    I tilt my head. "Is my mother still at my father''s?"


    "Well, yes."


    "Then I am."


    "Don''t stay too long," he says, already reaching for my bags before I can.


    I follow him out of the room, fuming slightly.


    He''s had his fun trying to make me dy this visit since Thursday. But I''m done stalling. I need answers. I''m not


    leaving that house until someone tells me what the fuck is going on.


    And thank God Knox won''t be there to try and talk me out of it with his wise words about me staying out of grown folks'' business.


    My father''s business has been my business for twenty-eight years.

 CHAPTER 128: One-Man Party

    The car slows in front of the same house I''ve known since childhood, and even with four armed men packed into the car with me, it still feels like I''m arriving alone.


    I shift against the door as the vehicle stops. The moment I step out, I see it-


    my mother''s car.


    Parked clean in the middle of the driveway.


    Knox wasn''t lying. I hate that he wasn''t lying.


    The guards begin to


    move when I do, stepping forward like shadows in formation. My hand goes up before they can trail me up the walkway.


    ¡°This is a very personal business,¡± I say without turning around. "I''d


    like for you all to stay right here, okay? I''ll be out soon."


    "Boss said we shouldn''t let you out of our sight," one says.


    I turn slowly. "This is my father''s house. You think Mateo''s in there?"


    "Rules, ma''am."


    "I''m your boss''s girlfriend," I say, biting out the word with a little


    more heat than I intended. "And I''m giving you another rule."


    They nce at each other, visibly hesitating, but none of them move when I walk away.


    My jaw is clenched as I climb the porch stairs.


    I knock. Hard. Last I checked, I still had a key to this


    ce, but I can''t for the life of me remember where I left it.


    A momentter, the door opens.


    It''s my father-bare-


    chested, in sweatpants, and blinking like he''s just woken up from a nap.


    "Sloane?" His voice is rough with sleep. "What are you doing here?"


    "Nice to see you too, Dad," I say, stepping forward. "May Ie in?"


    He shifts, blocking the doorway a little more. "I''m afraid now''s not a very good time."


    Really?


    "It''s my house too," I say. "You can''t chase me away."


    push past him before he can answer, brushing his arm and stepping into the familiar space.


    My eyes sweep the room quickly-


    sofa, hallway, staircase. No sign of her yet, but I know she''s here. I can feel it in my bones.


    My father shuts the door behind us. His bare feet make soft


    sounds as he moves across the hardwood floor, following me,


    "What are you looking for, kiddo?"


    "Where is she?" I ask, spinning around. "I heard Mom''s been living here.


    "Who told you that?" he says, his tone tighter now.


    "You shouldn''t have threatened Knox, Dad,


    *So what? Your gangster boyfriend has people watching me now?


    "Where is she?" My voice rises before I can control it. "No.


    Fuck that. Where are your wife and your kid?"


    His face tightens at the word ''wife.''


    "It''s honestly not what you think, Sloane."


    "What am I thinking, Dad?"


    The stairs creak. I turn instinctively toward the sound, and a familiar voice floats down.


    "I knew it wouldn''t be long before the cavalry arrived."


    It''s Grandma June.


    She''sing down the stairs in a floral house robe and silk scarf tied neatly around her silver hair. She sees me and smiles. And damn it, there''s a small pull in my chest when I see her. The tiniest tug offo So I keep my face t. Neutral.


    She reaches the bottom of the stairs and leans in to kiss my cheek. "Your father''s an idiot, child," she says. She pats my arm gently. "But his heart''s in the right ce."


    I say nothing. Just wait.


    "Apparently, your mom miscarried. And the only person she thought to call while at the hospital was him."


    Everything inside me stills.


    "Miscarried?" I say.


    She nods. "Yes. She''s really broken down about it. Made us promise not to tell any of you."


    Something cracks beneath my ribs, a messy knot of shock, guilt, and confusion. It hadn''t even crossed my mind


    how she''d been coping, alone and pregnant.


    "Where is she?" I ask. "Has anyone called Jade?"


    The softness in Grandma''s eyes vanishes. "It''s best if you don''t mention that name when you go upstairs to see her. Hopefully, you can convince your father to let you take her somece else before Daphne ge


    SERENA


    Being alone means learning how to party on your own.


    blown, stand-on-the-coffee-table, st the record yer party, Sober. Alone.


    And not just the kind of party where you''re scrolling through your phone in bed with your legs tangled in a nket and crumbs from a chocte ba stuck to your corbone. No. This is a full-


    I''m wearing a sweatshirt with a wine stain I keep lying to myself I''ll bleach out one day: No pants. Just pink cotton undies with little of


    mismatched socks. There''s ?


    container of Tettover rice bnced" precariously in one hand, the remote control in the other wireless mic on stage at a stadium packed full of screaming fans.


    The lights are dim except for the floormp in the corner, casting an amber glow across the wooden floorboards. My shadow jumps with me as bounce from one foot fo another, belting out the chorus of track I haven''t listened to since college but somehow stilknow every word. My hips swivel in sync with the beat, and I throw in a dramatic hair flip that nearly knocks my bowl of rice to the floor.


    I forgot to get alcohol. Again. Which means I am stone-


    cold sober and doing all of this without the excuse of liquid courage.


    Sober. Alone. And losing it.


    It''s glorious.


    Then the doorbell rings.


    I freeze mid-hair-flip, rice spoon halfway to my mouth.


    Who the hell rings a doorbell at this hour?


    I shuffle to the door, drop the rice on the side table, and peek through the peephole. And when I see who''s standing outside, the words tumble out of me


    like a reflex.


    "Son of a bitch."


    Finn.


    I press my forehead against the door. Just for a second. Just to gather the emotional strength not to scream.


    I can''t believe this shit.


    I unlock the door, yank it open, and there he is. Slouched posture, one


    arm in a sling, the other shoved in his hoodie pocket. His hair is messy, and there''s a line of stubble on his jaw that''s never been there anytime before now. He looks tired.


    "Hi, Serena," he says.


    I don''t reply right away. I''m still trying to figure out whether I want to m the door or throw the rice at his face.


    "What the hell do you want? Sloane doesn''t live here anymore."


    "I know," he says. "I actually came to see you. Can Ie inside?"

 CHAPTER 129: The Man At The Door

    There''s a stretch of silence. Long enough for me to weigh the pros and cons. Pro: could be entertaining. Finn, even with his tendency for dramatics, has always been a fun person. Con: definitely ends in an em He walks past me and heads straight for the record yer. He then turns the knob and silences my concert.


    "Seriously?" I say, arms dropping to my sides.


    "Seemed a bit loud, don''t you think?"


    "That''s because it''s my house, and I want it loud."


    "Are you, like, permanently here? Or is this some sort of temporary arrangement?"


    I narrow my eyes, snatch my rice back from the table,


    and flop onto the couch, legs curled under me.


    "What do you want, Finn?"


    He stays by the record yer like a statue.


    "You do one of those maniption things they do in movies as a therapist?"


    I blink at him. "What?"


    "You know. Can you get into my head and


    change things? Make me forget certain things?


    "If you''re talking about hypnotherapy, that''s not how it works."


    He starts walking toward me.


    "I don''t care what it''s called, Serena, or what it means. I just want


    I set the rice aside. I suddenly don''t feel like eating anymore. to forget."


    ving clock and witchcraft thing movies do."


    "Forget what?" I ask, though I suspect I already know.


    "Your sister. I want to forget that she was ever in my life. I want to stop thinking about her, wondering where she is or what she''s doing with my brother. Knox thinks I only want the women he wants. I gotta show


    He''s not joking. His expression is raw, desperate. There''s a subtle tremor in his voice, the kind that slips out when you''ve run out of armor to hide behind. And for a second, just a second, I feel a pang of pity.


    "Umm,¡± I say, "I have closed for the week. And like I said, that''s not how that works."


    "What''s it going to take? Money? A kidney? Tell me."


    "Honestly?" I deadpan. "I think it would take dementia."


    Finn res daggers at me, and then he pivots and walks straight toward


    the bedroom.


    "What the hell, Finn?" I say, bolting up and following him. "Where do you think you''re going?"


    By the time I catch up, he''s already in the room. He''s prying open the closet with his good hand and pulling stuff out.


    "What are you doing?" I ask.


    "Getting her stuff. I bet she left some here before going to y house with my brother. Maybe if I set something of hers on fire, it would free me from this curse."


    I storm in after him. "Get your hands off my things, Finn."


    He pulls out the small white box I stupidly left in the same drawer Sloane found it. The pregnancy test kit.


    He nces down at it. "You pregnant or something?"


    My spine straightens like a wire. "None of your business."


    I shove him back, but he''s already yanked a shirt off a hanger, one I know belongs to Sloane, and turns to walk back


    into the living room.


    "Could you please just leave?" I say. "You''ve gotten her shirt. Go do some voodoo or whatever. Just leave."


    The wordse out in a quiet sigh. I''m not even mad anymore. I''m just tired. I follow him into the living room, crossing my arms and leaning against the wall.


    "Not until you help me forget her," he says.


    "Have you tried dating other people?"


    "Dating is not the issue here," he says. "I have a lot of sex. I just don''t want to have to make them wear a wig and sses so I can pretend I''m screwing your sister."


    I pause. "I beg your pardon?"


    He turns around.


    "Make me forget, Serena. I''m a father now. I can''t be like this. I have to look organized when I see my son, who I didn''t even know existed for twelve years. Would you want to see your father looking this messed up?"  s?novel


    "Am I to answer that?"


    "I don''t care. Make me forget. Because right now, the only other solution is to go for someone who looks just like her."


    It takes me a full breath to process the sentence.


    "You didn''te here for any hypnotherapy bullshit, did you?" I say slowly.


    He doesn''t answer.


    "You came here to look for a recement for Sloane. And what better recement than her bloody sister, huh?"


    At least he has the decency to look guilty when he mutters, ¡°Maybe. Will you help me?"


    I stare at him for a long second.


    Maybe longer. The kind of stare that


    feels like time itself has slowed just so I can catalog every ridiculous


    thing about this moment-the..


    audacity in his eyes, the desperation in his voice, the fact that he''s clutching Sloane''s old shirt while telling me he wants to screw me to get over her.


    And then I speak.


    "The only kind of help I''ll be giving you, Finn Hartley, is helping you find the


    darn door."


    I push off the wall, march across the room, and grab his good arm-


    not gently. I can feel the tension under my fingers, the taut line of muscle and bone as


    I yank him toward the exit. He doesn''t resist, but he doesn''t exactly cooperate either. It''s like dragging a reluctant golden retriever on a leash.


    "Please, Serena," he says. "For old times'' sake."


    "I don''t want to hear one more word from your mouth, Finn."


    I twist the handle of the door, ready to throw the door wide and release him into the wild.


    But when it swings open, there''s someone already kneeling there.


    ck clothes. ck gloves. ck mask. He''s crouched low like he''d been fiddling with the lock, the glint of tools still visible beside hi the door opens and our eyes meet, his entire body tenses-and then he straightens.


    A gun is in his hand the next second.


    It''s small, fitted with a long, narrow barrel that tells me everything


    I need to know. Silencer. Professional.


    "Don''t make a sound," the man says. "Walk back slowly."

 CHAPTER 130: I Love Him

    -SLOANE-


    ***


    Thest time I saw my mother, she was aiming a loaded gun at me.


    It had been one of those nights you don''t forget, no matter how much time passes or how many good days stack themselves on top of it.


    Now, I''m seeing her again. She''s lying still on a bed, palms resting one over the other on her stomach. Her eyes are on the ceiling. Her face is drained, like she''s been crying for hours and somehow still has mo I stand in the


    doorway for longer than I should, my hand pressed to the frame. I don''t know what to do. Don''t know if I should walk in, touch her, speak, or sit beside her.


    She''s so still that I almost wonder if she''s alive.


    A wave of guilt hits me. Can''t tell why. It''s not like I was the one who caused this. But I wonder... if that day


    hadn''t gone so badly or if I''d reached out after it did, offered an olive


    branch instead of silence, would she still be pregnant? Would


    the stress have been less, the pressure bearable?


    It''s a long reach, I


    know. Anything else could''ve caused the miscarriage. But I can''t shake the nagging possibility that maybe... maybe I''m part of the reason.


    I inhale before speaking.


    "Mom."


    I gather my courage and step forward. My knees feel like they''re trying to fold under me, but I ignore it. I reach the side of the bed and lower myself gently onto the edge, leaving just enough space between us that I don''t touch her. I


    was going to ce a hand on hers, but something in her stillness tells me not to.


    "It''s going to be alright," I say,


    though I don''t know if I believe it. The next words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. "Should I call someone? Maybe your husband."


    Her eyes don''t move, but her mouth does. "I don''t want to see him."


    "I know, but-"


    "I loved that man so much. So, so much. The funny thing is, I always hated the idea of giving kids their parents'' names, but the second I found out I was pregnant, I knew. I wanted one of them to be called Jade does no ''Jade''- so it wouldn''t


    get awkward. But... I loved him. And he slept with my daughter. I should''ve known it was


    a bad idea to marry someone younger."


    I swallow hard. This isn''t going as nned. "He was scared, you know. I''m not saying you should ept him back, but he''s the right person to be processing this loss with."


    "I don''t want to see him, Sloane."


    I nod slowly. "Fine. How about Serena? She can take you home and be with you


    She turns, her eyes finally meeting mine. "Are you doing this on purpose?"


    "Doing what?"


    "Making me focus my emotions on something else. Like anger. First you mention Jade. Now your sister?"


    "What she did was stupid, I know."


    "Stupid?¡± Her voice spikes. "That''s the word you chose? How about self-


    centered? Deceitful? Bitchy? She came to my house and smiled at me while she


    was sleeping with my husband. If Iy my eyes on her, I''m going to kill her."


    She sits up with effort, wincing as her body adjusts, hand drifting to her


    belly that''s still slightly distended, a soft reminder of what was once growing there. The sight of her


    like this makes me want to retreat and move forward at the same time. I don''t know what to do with her pain. I don''t even know what to do with mine.


    She''s not going to be able to stay here. That much is clear. This house isn''t safe for her-


    not because of physical threats, but because of everything else. My father


    wife, Daphne, is due back next week. And if she walks in to find the ex-


    wife camped out here, just after being used of cheating-God.


    I nce at the time on my phone. The bodyguards


    are still waiting outside. Knox would be thinking I''m on my way to his club. I''m supposed to beying low, staying out of sight.


    And here I am, knee-deep in family mess.


    She can''te with me. And I can''t take her back to her ce-


    not with a target still on my


    There''s only one other option, and I don''t care if she doesn''t like it. back.


    "I''m going to call Serena, Mom," I say, rising from the bed. "She''lle pick you up and take you home. Whatever issues you have between yourselves, I''m sure you can work it out."


    "You must be out of your mind."


    I''m not. I''m the


    only one thinking straight here. You called Dad? Dad? He has a wife who doesn''t know you''re here. What do you think she''s going to do when she sees you?¡±


    She stiffens. Her eyes retreat to a corner of the room.


    "He was the only one I could call," she says.


    "That''s not true. You could''ve called me."


    "You only care about your boyfriend, Sloane. Nobody else matters to you right now. Why should I call you?"


    I stare at her, jaw tightening. "I don''t care


    if you called one of the workers at your flower shop or a friend or even the paramedics. You shouldn''t have called Dad."


    "You can''t tell me what to do."


    "I can," I say. "And I will. You''ve had your moment making us feel guilty for being shitty children. But it''s time for you to let it go. That man downstars is only letting you stay here because he doesn''t know how to say no to you. Even after you broke his heart."


    Her eyes snap to mine, narrowed.


    "You... You cheated on


    him," I continue.


    I hadn''t wanted to go there. But the words are already out, and


    I can''t reel them back in. I hate that I''m crying now, hate that this is what it''se to


    Her mouth opens slightly. One tear slides down her cheek.


    "It''s not what you think, Sloane," she says, softer now. "Your father was unavable, and I... I made a mistake. Once. I wish I could take that back."


    "You can''t whisper. "Just like Jade


    can''t. Just like Serena can''t." I step


    back and take out my phone. "I''m


    calling her don''t care if you let her


    stay at your ce or not but your can''t stay here. You can''t."


    My fingers move quickly, I need air. I walk to the door and out into the hallway, my chest tight. At the staircase, I press the call button. It goes straight to voicemail. I try again. Nothing.


    With a sigh, I open the voicemail app and hit record.


    "Hey. Serena. It''s me. I''m at Dad''s house. Mom''s here. She... she lost the


    triplets. She''s not doing well,


    and I need someone to be with her. Can youe pick her up? Please."


    I hang up, swallowing the lump in my throat.


    Downstairs, Grandma is sitting cross-legged on the couch with a ss of wine, watching a fashion show. My dad''s found a shirt thank God and is perched on the edge of a separate couch, restless.


    1 make my way into the kitchen and grab a juice


    from the fridge. The coolness of it is the only thing anchoring me to this moment.


    When I lean against the counter to drink, Dad stands and walks over. His eyes search mine like he''s trying to


    guess what happened upstairs.


    "I looked outside," he says after a beat. "Four dangerous-


    looking men are standing beside a car I assume you came in. You go around with bodyguards now?"


    I blink at him, startled for a moment. I''d forgotten about that part, why I actually came here. Leave it to him to remind


    me.


    "At the moment," I reply and take another sip.


    "Why? Are people shooting at you? Is it already happening? You spend most of your life single, and then when you choose the wrong man?"


    His hands go to his hips.


    date, you


    I want this to stop. What do you think


    I''ll feel if something happens to you? What would your mother feel? Or your sister? Or your grandmother?"


    I m the cup down, chest heaving.


    "Just-


    stop, please. Stop. I want you all to fucking stop. Do you think I''m a child? Can I not make decisions for myself?"


    I watch the little twitch in Dad''s temple, the narrowing


    of his eyes. When he speaks, it''s low.


    "I raised you better than this, Sloane.¡±


    "You raised me to be awkward around men. Left to you, I wouldn''t date anyone for the rest of my life."


    "I''d honestly prefer seeing you alone than with that man."


    "It''s a good thing it''s not your decision, isn''t it?" My voice is steady, but there''s a


    tremor beneath it. "I want you to worry about important things. Like your son, Beau, growing


    without a father because you and Daphne just won''t work shit out. You


    want to chase her off with your paranoia? Then great. Do that. But leave Knox out of it. Don''t go seeking him


    out. Don''t threaten him."


    I take a step closer, eyes locked with his.


    "When you do that, you''re threatening me too. Because I''m going to be with that man for a long, long time. If he goes to jail. do that, you''re threatening me too. Because I''m going to


    y week and wait for him to get out. If you want m


    to be on your conscience, then keep doing what


    I''ll visit him you''re doing, Dad. Because I won''t leave him. He won''t leave me. I


    My throat tightens as I go in.


    "As a matter of fact, I''m convinced he''s the only


    one who''s ever loved every par better back all the hell up and leave us alone. I mean it."

 CHAPTER 131: Collateral Damage

    The look on Dad''s face is almost indescribable. Shock, definitely. But there''s something more. If my father were an emotional man, he''d be screaming. Or crying. Or both.


    He just stands there instead.


    "Wow," he says finally. "Are you on something? Crack? Are you using, Sloane?"


    I roll my eyes and take a shaky breath. ¡°I''m done talking about this."


    "Mom," he says, voice rising as he turns toward Grandma June, who''s still perched on the couch, legs crossed, wine ss in hand, eyes fixed on the television. "Are you not going to chip in here?"


    "And say what, Daniel?" she replies without looking away from the screen. "You''ve not seen her with that boyfriend of hers. She''s happy. He buys her designers, a lot of them. Let the kid make her own damn choice."


    "And be you, right?"


    That makes her turn around. "Oh, you better watch that mouth of yours."


    You do realize that however you turned out has everything to do with you choosing the wrong man in the first ce, right? He made you so vindictive that you made it your lifelong mission to steal from men."


    She sets the winess down and straightens, gaze sharp as steel. "And look what my thieving life got you, Daniel. Ivy League school. A fancy house. Fancy- ass job. You think Daphne-a beautiful lifestyle blogger with over a million followers on Instagram-would have married your sorry ass if you didn''t have a trust fund?" She pauses, waiting, daring him to speak.


    "Would you like to return the trust fund becaus¨¦ I stole the money, huh?" He doesn''t say a word.


    "I didn''t think so. Instead of worrying about things that don''t concern you, call your wife, who left the house mad at you. You haven''t seen your son in over a week. Serena''s distance from you didn''t teach you a lesson, did it? Jesus. I don''t think I have any more advice left inside me, Daniel. Daphne insists that the man is an old schoolmate of hers. What you think you saw didn''t happen. Let it go. And let that poor child with her short hair be. You raised her to be a wallflower. I''m surprised she made ¨¤ good catch with all that nerdiness she has going on."


    She lifts her ss again.


    "At this rate, I''ll need something stronger than wine. You''re all wee to join me."


    Then she turns back to the TV like she didn''t just roast both of us to hell and back. I nce at my father, who''s still frozen in ce. For once, he has noeback.


    "I''ll try reaching Serena again toe pick Mom up," I say quietly, walking toward the window. My fingers are already dialing.


    "Why don''t you take her instead?" Dad asks behind me.


    "Can''t, Dad."


    "Why? Have somewhere to be?"


    I hesitate, watching the signal bars on my phone. "I can''t exin.¡±


    I press the call icon and lift the phone to my ear. Serena''s line goes straight to voicemail. I call again. Same thing.


    Where the hell did she keep her phone? And why''s it off? It''s never off.


    The screen is still in my hand when I notice a car pulling into the driveway. Pink. Familiar. I take a step closer to the window, peering out just in time to see one long leg step out of the car, followed by the rest of her.


    ¡°Uhhh, Dad?¡± I say, slowly turning toward him. "Didn''t you say your wife wouldn''t be back until next week?"


    "Yes. Why?"


    "She''s here."


    Dapline pops the trunk. She grabs her bag, and then she''s unstrapping Beau from his car seat, his tiny hands reaching for her neck the moment she Jeans in. My father bolts to the window like he''s been shot out of a cannon.


    "Shit," he mutters. "She was supposed to stay one more day, as we agreed at the therapist''s office. Enough time for me to process things."


    "I don''t know how you''re going to do it, Dad," I say, stepping away from the ss. "But she can''t see Mom."


    What do you expect me to do? Hide your mother in the basement?"


    "I don''t know."


    "Maybe if I exin-"


    "Trust me," I cut in. "As a woman, she won''t understand why she''s being used


    of infidelity and has to go away, and then while she''s gone, you bring your ex to


    the house. There''s no way that won''t lead to a shitshow." -SERENA-


    My wrists burn from the rope.


    Whoever tied the knots did it like they''ve done it a hundred times before. Same goes for the sack over my head. Coarse fabric. It smells like someone once stored onions in it. I can''t see a thing. Can''t move my arms. I can barely move my neck. Back at the apartment, it didn''t take me long to realize the guy at the door wasn''t alone. A second man stepped out from the shadows-both of them armed, both terrifyingly calm. No shouting. No dramatics. Just a series of clippedmands and the cold press of a silencer against my spine. They marched us out like they''d done it a dozen times before. As we passed the lobby, I caught a glimpse of the night security guard slumped over his desk-head down, motionless. I told myself he was sleeping. Had to be. Now we''re in a car, hood over my head, wrists bound tight, going God knows where.


    The road underneath hums and grinds. There''s the asional bump, which sends my body lurching sideways and my shoulder thudding against Finn''s. I think it''s Fir Hard to tell. He groans every time we hit something. At first it was quiet. Barely a grunt. But now it''s starting to sound like full-on whimpers.


    Another bump. Another groan.


    I''ve had enough.


    "Could you just shut it?¡± I hiss through the hood. ¡°And stop pretending like you''re not working with these men."


    The car keeps rumbling on. And then Finn''s voice-muffled, tired, slightly indignant-es.


    "For your information, I still have a broken arm that hurts when I hit things. And I don''t know these men."


    "Oh, please," I snap. "How is it a coincidence that the same night you randomly show up at my apartment is the same night I get kidnapped? Come on, Finn. If this isn''t one of your messed-up plots, then what is?"


    "Why would I want to kidnap you, Serena?"


    "I don''t know, Finn. Why do you do all the crazy things you do?"


    "Could you both shut your mouths?" a new voice growls.


    It came from the front seat. ent thick. European, maybe Eastern. He doesn''t


    need to raise his voice for the threat to do its job. There''s something about a


    threat with an ent that makes it hit harder.


    Even Finn shuts up.


    The rest of the ride goes quiet. Just the hum of the engine and the scrape of tires against asphalt.


    Eventually, the car slows and stops.


    Doors open. Cold air hits my skin, crawling up my bare legs. Hands grab me. I''m pulled out, guided by the pressure on my shoulders, my knees wobbling as I adjust to standing.


    "Move," someone says behind me.


    I do. Bare feet crunching gravel, then transitioning to tile or wood-I can''t tell which. We''re inside. The air shifts. Warmer, but stale. There''s a smell, too. Like mold and old curtains. Dust and a hint of bleach.


    We more again. Then.. stairs. The pressure on my back increases as they nudge me forward. Down.


    With each step, the air grows heavier. Thicker. Damp.


    Basement.


    1 count the steps as I descend. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. My foot hits the cement


    at the bottom.


    Then I''m turned and sat in a chair. My hands are then secured to the chair, my ankles tied too.


    A beat of silence.


    Then the hoodes off.


    The light is harsh, yellowed, buzzing overhead. I blink against it, my eyes watering as they adjust.


    The room is small. Cinder block walls. No windows. A single bulb swinging slightly above us. There are four hostages, all arranged in a semicircle facing the far side of the room.


    One is Finn, who''s grumbling beside me as they remove his hood.


    The second is me, of course.


    The other two-


    A man I recognize and a woman with striking bone structure and dark curls, sitting


    like she''s two seconds from biting through her restraints.


    And then... him.


    The man sitting in front of us.


    He''s in all ck. Dark shades. A cane resting in his gloved hands. His presence


    takes up the whole room.


    I don''t know why, but every hair on my arm lifts.


    And I don''t scare easily.


    "You''re Sloane''s sister, aren''t you?" the man I recognized says, tilting his head


    toward me.


    I hesitate. Then nod once. "Yeah. What''s happening right now? Why are we


    here?"


    The woman next to him rolls her eyes. "That''s a dumb question. You''re tied to a chair. What do you think is happening? I can''t even believe this shit. This is the second time I''ve been tied to a chair this week."


    "People, people," the man in the shades interrupts, voice as smooth as it is quiet, "let''s try to speak with our calm voices. I''m sensitive to sound." It''s the first time he''s spoken, but already I want to move further back in my chair. "What the hell is this, Mateo?" the other man says. Yes, I remember his name now. Hunter. "Why are we here? And why do you have us tied up like this?" Mateo lifts his head. "That''s because you''re all coteral damage," he says. "And if things go as nned... some or all of you might be leaving this ce in a body bag."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 CHAPTER 132: The Strongest Catalyst

    ***


    ~~HUNTER~~


    ***


    I had expected Mateo to retaliate after I turned down his request to turn against Knox-but not this quickly, and definitely not with a swarm of armed men breaking into my house at night.


    How they managed to get past the two security guards Knox hired for me is still a mystery. No struggle I could hear. When they dragged me out, I caught a glimpse of the guards-slumped in the hallway. No blood on the floor. No holes in their clothes. Just stillness. I hope they were just asleep.


    Now, I''m tied to a chair in my damn pajamas. My ankles are bound to the chair legs, wrists tight behind me, the rope biting through my skin each time I move.


    And I''m not the only one dressed forfort.


    Soraya''s beside me in a silk robe. Serena''s at the other end of our semicircle with the hem of her top riding up her thighs. Finn sits just before Serena, the only one in an actual outfit. Jeans and a T-shirt. Only one of his arms is tied. His broken one is left untouched, mercifully.


    What I can''t wrap my head around is the random-ass group of people Mateo dragged into this basement-and thatment he made about us leaving in body bags.


    "You mean you''re going to kill us?" I ask, keeping my voice steady.


    Mateo turns his head slightly. "That''s one way to put it."


    "It''s a yes or no question."


    "I don''t have a straightforward answer for you, Hunter."


    "If this is about Knox," I say, "why isn''t he here?"


    "Because I don''t want him here."


    "Oh, so you take everyone else but the one person you actually have a problem with? That''s logical. Some of us have actual lives. Things to do. We don''t have time for your little revenge soap opera."


    Mateo doesn''t respond. His eye, hidden behind those sses, seems to scan deeper than just the surface. He takes his time, moving from one person to the next like he''s reading a damn menu. Soraya looks pissed. Serena, weirdly enough, looks calm. Too calm. And Finn... Finn looks like he still hasn''t caught up to the fact that we''ve been kidnapped. If Mateo''s n really hinges on using us as leverage to get to Knox, then bringing Finn was a dumb move. Guy''ll be the first to die if Knox has to choose who to save.


    "Why didn''t you just take Hunter and me hostage at your house if this was your n all along?" Soraya says. "Why lie about helping me get my kid back? Why deceive Hunter with a job? Why go through all the theatrics when you could''ve just kidnapped us from the start?"


    "The time wasn''t right," Mateo says. And then he snaps his fingers once.


    One of the masked men nods and heads up the basement stairs.


    "And now it is?" I ask.


    Mateo sighs, fingers drumming lightly on his cane. "You all and your questions. I came to this city with only one thing on my mind-revenge on Knox. That was it. I did my research. Dug deep."


    He shifts in his chair, then nods toward Finn.


    "That man with the broken arm? That''s his brother. They have the worst rtionship, of course. Practically strangers. But somehow, he winds up in Serena''s apartment on the exact night she gets taken. If that''s not fate, I don''t know what to call it."


    His eyes turn to me next.


    "You''re his closest friend. Weird dynamic, if you ask me, but that''s your business. That''s why you''re here."


    Then he points at Soraya.


    "You. You''re the woman he married. The one he kept safe for years. Finding out about you wasn''t easy, by the way. But I did. I know who you are. I wasn''t lying when I said I had information about your family. Your father''s dead. Your child''s safe. And you better relish that news, because chances are you won''t see that child again."


    His gaze finally settles on Serena.


    "And you... you might be the most important part of all this. You''re Knox''s


    girlfriend''s sister. He might be able to stand by and watch everyone else burn, but Sloane? She won''t let anything happen to you. If I have her attention, then I have his."


    Finn breaks in. ¡°Back up a little bit. First of all, who the hell are you?"


    Mateo smiles. "My name''s Mateo. And your brother ruined my life."


    "Knox?" Serena says, frowning.


    "Haven''t you been listening?" Mateo asks.


    "I have. And I''m trying to understand why you don''t just exchange blows with the man who actually hurt you. I''ve met him once. Why am I being punished for something I didn''t do?"


    He leans forward on his cane, tone condescendingly soft. "Because, pretty, I don''t want to harm a single hair on Knox''s head. From what I''ve heard about his lifestyle since Re came back, he might just end up enjoying it. You know he had this... strange rtionship with the former owner of that club he owns. And his wife.¡± He raises his brows like it''s some inside joke. "The wife was a sadist. Got off on inflicting pain. Real piece of work, from what I gathered. And sometimes, she took it too far."


    His fingers tap twice against the cane before he goes on.


    "Knox pretended to work as a security guard at the club. That was just a front. He wanted proximity. Got close to the husband. Offered himself as a... let''s say, volunteer masochist."


    He chuckles under his breath.


    "Creepy story, isn''t it? But he was


    already broken by then.


    Traumatized. You see, the things we


    went through overseas can mess


    with anyone''s head. And even though he had a n to ckmail them-had footage, dirt, leverage he enjoyed it while it


    §Ú§Þ


    people are afraid of him now. Not


    because he''s dangerous-no.


    Because he''d walk out of that room


    bloodied... and smiling."


    I''m sure whatever''s running through my head is written all over my face, because


    Mateo smiles, a knowing smile, like he''s enjoying every second of this little horror


    show.


    "I really admire his ability to find a


    way to heal he says. "Took me a while to figure out how to fix myself. Those therapy sessions? Barely did a damn thing. All that breathing and journaling... waste of time." His grip tightens on the cane. "I don''t want to harm Knox. That''s never been the point. I want him to admit he was at fault for what happened to us. I want him to say it. Out loud. And then I want him to apologize."


    "That''s it?" Soraya says. "You could''ve done this over brunch. Hug, cry, move on."


    "You don''t know Knox like I do. To get an apology from him," Mateo says, gaze locked on Finn, "one of you may have to die."


    Finn squirms in his seat like someone just poured cold water down his spine. I don''t me him.


    I want to shut it down, want to argue, to tell Mateo he''s wrong about Knox. That he''d never let it get that far. But the truth creeps in-Knox isn''t exactly big on apology. Not when he''s wrong. Not when he''s lost. Not even when it might cost him something.


    So I say nothing. Because denial would be a lie.


    "So he apologizes and you let us go?" Serena asks.


    Mateo sighs. "He apologizes, and I let one of you go."


    "What does that mean?" Finn blurts.


    "It''s simple. I have three requests to make of your brother. The things that are most valuable to him. His pride. His club. And his girlfriend. Then we''ll be even."


    I let out a shortugh. ¡°You want his girlfriend?"


    "I don''t want her," Mateo says. "I want him to leave her. To die alone. I don''t want him to have peace in this life or the next."


    "Knox is going to kill you,¡± Finn says, no trace of a joke in his tone. "Whoever the


    hell you are. I don''t care what Knox did to you or what this is about, but you really shouldn''t have involved Sloane."


    There''s a pause in the room. And then footsteps on the stairs.


    The masked man who''d gone up earlier appears again, descending slowly into


    the basement. In his gloved hand is a phone¡ªan iPhone in a pink case.


    He walks it over to Mateo, who takes it from him.


    "It''s safe," the man says.


    Mateo nods and presses something on the screen.


    "Is that my phone?" Serena asks, sitting up straighter.


    "Yup," Mateo replies. "We''re about to call your sister and tell her you''ve been kidnapped. Then she''ll get Knox on the line. And the real party begins."


    "Why not just call him directly?" Soraya mutters. "You''re really doing everything you can to waste our time."


    Mateo doesn''t look up as he taps on the phone. "And risk him keeping it from his girlfriend? No, thanks. A distressed lover,¡± he says, "is the strongest catalyst for a man in love. This is the part where you should all start reflecting on your lives, maybe find God in the process-because the next few hours are going to be extremely painful for every single one of you."

 CHAPTER 133: Your Sister Cant Come To The Phone

    ***


    ~~SLOANE~~


    ***


    My father is just as bullheaded as most of the men I know.


    He decides not to heed my warning and stands there like some old-school martyr, arms crossed, face calm in that way he thinks makes him unreadable. It doesn''t. He''s waiting for the storm that''s about toe through the front door in the form of his wife, Daphne.


    The door opens, and Daphne walks in with Beau.


    The first person sheys eyes on is Grandma June, curled into the couch with a half-finished ss of wine in one hand and the TV remote in the other.


    "You''re back," Grandma says with a slow turn of the head as Daphne kicks the door shut behind her and sets her bag down.


    "Yeah. Couldn''t stand being around my family any longer. Decided toe home." She looks down at her son and nods. "Beau, go say hi to Grandma."


    The boy hesitates. He''s got one finger lodged in his nostril, and from the way he shifts his weight from foot to foot, he''d rather be anywhere else. But Daphne nudges him, and he reluctantly starts walking toward Grandma June.


    Even as I watch this unfold, I can feel the tension rising. Daphne hasn''t looked our way yet. She knows we''re here. I know she does. Her neck is stiff, like she''s avoiding turning toward us. My father hasn''t moved either. He''s standing a few feet from me, hands now shoved into his pockets, bracing himself.


    Then Daphne finally does it. She turns. Her eyes find mine first.


    "Sloane," she says. "You''re here. Is it two months already?"


    I smile, realizing she''s talking about the two-month rhythm I''ve stuck to for years now, the one where I alternate between my parents to pay a visit. One month with Dad. The next with Mom. A habit that started as convenience and slowly turned into a rule.


    "Something came up," I reply.


    Her gaze moves to my father, and I see it¡ªthe moment her expression hardens again. She isn''t ready to deal with him. Not yet.


    "Great," she says instead. "I hope it''s not anything serious. Because I saw a strange car parked out there with some mean-looking men. Should I be worried?"


    "Those are just Sloane''s friends," my dad says, his voice soft in a way I haven''t heard in a long time. Daphne''s eyes find his again, and they stare at each other across the room.


    I take that as my cue to exit.


    I start inching toward the stairs, giving Grandma a look that says, ''Let''s give them some privacy.'' She ignores me. Typical. Beau is already on herp, one sneaker dangling halfway off his foot, and she''s patting his back while making him watch the fashion show with her.


    "Grandma," I say out loud.


    She rolls her eyes but sets the kid down. "Alright, alright." She pats Beau on the back. "Come on, Buddy. Let''s go change out of thoserge shoes your mother has you suffocating in."


    I wait for them at the foot of the stairs. Grandma''s taking her sweet time with Beau, even though she knows exactly what I''m trying to do. Beau shuffles along beside her, dragging his feet with his tiny hand clutching her robe, and he keeps ncing down at his shoes.


    When they reach me, I give Grandma a pointed look. Then I start up the stairs.


    Behind me, I hear my father say, "I''m going to get your bag," and Daphne''s voice answering, "Not yet. Let''s talk."


    At least they''re talking. It''s the only silver lining I can hold onto. I hear Grandma coaxing Beau behind me like he''s navigating Everest instead of a flight of stairs.


    "One foot up the stairs, buddy. Great. That''s it. Now the other one."


    My mind''s spiraling.


    How the hell am I supposed to get my mother out of this house without Daphne noticing?


    The window?


    Oh God. Am I seriously considering asking my post-miscarriage, emotionally damaged mother to climb out of a window?


    Yes. Yes, I am.


    Even if I did manage to get her out without a scene, where would I take her? And where''s Serena? Why the hell is her phone still switched off?


    It''s not like her. She usually replies my texts within minutes-even if it''s just a pid emoji or a sarcastic GIF. But today? Radio silence. On the one day I actually need a fast response.


    I reach the top of the stairs, still caught in that spiral, when the door to the guest room swings open and out steps my mother.


    She''s dressed up. A short, blue dress that''s a little too tight. She''s holding a


    handbag and obviously nning to head down the stairs.


    "Whoa," I whisper, stepping into her path. "Where are you going?"


    "I can''t stay here, as you''ve clearly mentioned. So I''m going home."


    "Not right now."


    "What''s your problem? First you wanted me out of your father''s house. Now I can''t leave?"


    "Keep your voice down, Mom. Daphne''s here."


    The words barely leave my mouth before I realize it''s toote.


    Daphne''s footsteps hit the stairs fast. I bet she heard Mom''s voice due to all that echoing in the hallway. Her hand is curled around the banister as she climbs.


    Behind Daphne, my father hurries along.


    Mom shifts on her feet, clutching her handbag tighter under her arm. Her chin lifts just enough to meet Daphne''s eyes as shees into view.


    "Is that who I think it is?" Daphne asks Dad.


    "Daph-" my father tries, but she cuts him off.


    "Why is your ex-wife in our house, Daniel? And why''s she putting on my dress?"


    Silence. Nobody moves. Nobody speaks.


    Mom''s eyes dart back and forth between Dad and Daphne, and I can practically see the gears turning in her head. She''s calcting, weighing her options.


    For a second just a second-I think she might defend herself. Maybe exin that she didn''t steal anything, that Dad brought her here, and she had no choice about the clothes. Maybe she''ll tell Daphne what happened at the hospital, make her understand that this isn''t some scheme to mess with their marriage.


    Instead, she says, "I''ll be leaving."


    And then she does something that''s so perfectly Mom it almost makes meugh despite everything. She walks right past them.


    Dad steps aside without even realizing he''s doing it. Daphne just stands there, mouth half-open. Mom doesn''t look back.


    I listen to her footsteps fade, then the soft sound of the front door opening and


    then mming shut.


    The sound of the door closing pulls Daphne out of her trance.


    "What the hell was that, Daniel?" she says.


    "Margot called. She said she was in the hospital and had no one else to call. I had


    to pick her up and ended up bringing her here."


    "Hospital? Bring her here?" Daphne


    repeats. Her voice rises with every word. "You brought a woman into my house. She''s wearing my clothes and walking out like she owns the ce. And I''m supposed to believe some cock-and-bull story about her having no one else? Do you realize the irony of this situation? You''ve been mad at me because of a picture. A damn picture of my old schoolmate kissing me on the cheek at a stupid lunch meeting.


    Meanwhile, you sneak your ex in


    when I''m not at home and let her try on my wardrobe?"


    "Oh dear," Grandma mutters, already lifting Beau up in her arms. "Let''s go, sweetheart. Time for bed."


    I''m stuck there like an idiot, not sure if I should stick around for the fallout or make myself scarce. That''s when my phone goes off, buzzing against my hand like it''s having a seizure. I see Serena''s name shing on the screen.


    Thank God. Finally.


    I don''t wait to see how this ys out between Dad and Daphne. I''m already moving, practically jogging down the hallway toward the guest room Mom slept in. I slip inside and pull the door shut just as I swipe to answer.


    "Where have you been, Rena?" I say. "I''ve been trying to reach you for ages. Did


    you get my voicemail about Mom?"


    There''s a beat of silence. Then a man''s voice.


    "Hello, Sloane. It''s nice to hear your voice. Unfortunately, your sister can''te to


    the phone right now. She''s in my custody as a hostage."

 CHAPTER 134: Daphne Underscore Beau

    The words stop me cold. I press the phone closer to my ear, straining to hear something, anything, that might tell me this is some kind of joke.


    "Who is this?" I ask.


    "You really don''t recognize my voice?"


    There''s something smug in his tone, something that makes my skin crawl. I know that voice. God, I know that voice. My chest starts to tighten, like someone''s wrapping bands around my lungs and pulling them tighter with each breath.


    No. No, no, no.


    "Mateo?"


    "Correct."


    "You have my sister?"


    "I do, like I said."


    All this time, Knox and I had been so paranoid about watching our own backs, checking over our shoulders, making sure we were safe. We''d been so worried about protecting ourselves that we forgot we have family members in this city. Oh, that slimy bastard yed us; I''ll give him that. But what I won''t give him is the satisfaction of hearing me squirm without solid proof he''s telling the truth.


    "Prove it." I force the words out, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice. "Show her to me. I want to see."


    "Fine."


    The line goes quiet for a moment, then my phone buzzes with a video call request. My thumb hovers over the screen. Part of me doesn''t want to ept it, doesn''t want to see whatever hell Mateo''s about to show me. But I have to know. I have to see her.


    I hit ept.


    Mateo''s face fills the screen first-that same arrogant expression I remember, made even more infuriating by those stupid designer sunsses he''s always wearing.


    Then he flips the camera.


    The image that appears makes my blood turn to ice. It''s a basement; that''s obvious. Masked men in all-ck outfits stand in a line like they''re posing for some twisted family photo.


    But it''s not the men I''m looking at.


    The camera zooms in, and I see them. Hunter first-his usually perfect hair disheveled. Then Soraya. Finn''s there too, slumped forward in his chair.


    And then Serena.


    Her face is pale and terrified, but when she sees the camera pointing at her, she lifts her chin in that stubborn way that''s so familiar it makes my heart break.


    They''re all tied up. All of them. Like animals waiting for ughter.


    "Do you believe me now?" Mateo asks.


    "You son of a bitch. Let them go!"


    "Not without getting what I want."


    "What do you want?"


    "Simple. I want to speak to your boyfriend in the next hour. On this line. I''ll call you. Don''t bother trying to track or call this number; it won''t work."


    "Let them go!" I''m shouting now, not caring if Dad and Daphne can hear me through the door. "They have nothing to do with this!¡±


    "Are you being stubborn, Sloane?" His voice is so calm, so conversational, like we''re discussing the weather. "Your sister''s life is in my hands. I''d strongly advise you to cooperate."


    "If you touch a hair on her head-"


    He cuts me off with augh. ¡°Mm. I don''t think you grasp the dynamics of our rtionship right now. I''m the one making threats here, not you. So, let me give you a little demonstration of how serious I am."


    Everything happens too fast after that.


    A sh of movement. The dull thud of a silencer. A scream.


    Serena.


    She''s convulsing in the chair, her whole body shaking as she screams through gritted teeth. There''s a hole in her left thigh, dark red spreading across the pale skin like spilled wine. Mateo''s gun is still pointed at her before he casually lowers


    it.


    I can''t breathe. The room is spinning, and I think I might throw up.


    "That was a clean shot," Mateo says. ¡°Missed all the major blood vessels. She''s got about an hour before it bes a real problem-blood loss, shock you know how it goes. That''s


    when I''ll call again. With one simple condition: get your boyfriend on the line."


    He flips the camera back to his face. He''s closer now, close enough that I can see


    my own reflection in his sunsses. I look like a ghost.


    l.ne


    "All you need to do, Sloane," he continues, "is cooperate. Don''t be foolish. Don''t call the police. Just exactly what I tell you to do. Because if you don''t-if you try to be clever or heroic-the next buttet goes in your sister''s head. Do we


    understand each other?"


    Serena''s sobs echo in the background, growing weaker by the second. Then the


    call ends, leaving me staring at a nk screen.


    I''m already moving. My body is


    operating on pure instinct now, adrenaline flooding my system. I aline know exactly what I''m going to do to Mateo when I find him. No courts, nowyers, no appeals. Just me, a gun, and a perfect hole right in the middle of his forehead. But thatester. Right now, I need to focus. Right now, I need to find out


    where that call came from.


    I throw the guest room door open so hard it ms against the wall with a bang


    that echoes down the hallway. The sound should be enough to stop a freight train,


    but Dad and Daphne are still going at it near the top of the stairs.


    "Does anyone have aptop?" I call out.


    They keep barking at each other, paying me no mind.


    "I said, does anyone have a fuckingptop?"


    That gets their attention. Both of them freeze mid-sentence and turn to stare at


    me like I''ve just materialized out of thin air. Dad''s eyebrows pull together in that familiar expression of disapproval.


    "Who do you think you''re talking to in that tone?" he says, taking a step toward


    me.


    "Where is yourptop, Dad?"


    He stares at me for a long moment, and I can see him trying to read my face. Whatever he sees there must tell him everything he needs to know, because his expression shifts from anger to concern in the space of a heartbeat.


    "Is something wrong?" he asks, gentler now.


    "I just need aptop."


    "I''ll get it for you." He holds up a hand like he''s trying to calm a spooked horse.


    ¡°Just..... just take a breath, okay? Whatever this is, we can handle it."


    I don''t follow him when he disappears down the hallway toward the master


    bedroom. My breaths areing fast.


    When Dades back, he''s carrying his ck Lenovo. He hands it to me, but his


    fingers linger on mine for just a moment too long.


    "Sloane," he says quietly, "tell me what''s wrong."


    I swipe under my eyes with the back of my hand, only then realizing that I''m crying. "What''s the password, Dad?"


    He hesitates, maybe debating whether to make me answer his question first. Then he sighs. "Daphne underscore Beau."


    Of course it is. Any other day, I mightugh at the ridiculousness of it. But right now, I have things to do. I move, clutching theptop against my chest as I race down the stairs two at a time.


    "Is she leaving?" I hear Daphne ask behind me.


    "I don''t know," Dad answers, worry thick in his voice. "But something''s definitely wrong."


    I don''t stop to exin. Don''t even slow down at the bottom of the stairs. I grab the front door handle and yank it open, then turn back to face them onest time.


    "It''s best if you all stay in the house tonight," I say. "Lock the doors. Don''t let anyone in."


    Then I''m outside. I rush down to my car. Most of my guards are leaning against the car''s body, but they straighten when they see meing.


    I have to make at least two of them stay behind and watch the house.


    Before getting in, I grab my phone and dial Knox''s number. It rings once, twice,


    three times before he picks up.


    "Bunny-"


    I don''t let him go further. In a voice I barely recognize, I say, "Meet me at your club


    right now, Knox. That psycho has my sister."

 CHAPTER 135: Mateos Mine

    ***


    ~~KNOX~~


    ***


    I can hear Jade in the backseat of my car, loading up the guns we pulled from the hidden storage in my home basement.


    Mateo thought way outside the box with this one. Sloane''s sister. Of all hostages to choose from. I''ll admit-if it were under another circumstance, I might''ve been impressed. But as it stands, I am not. The minute I heard Sloane''s voice shake on the phone, the minute I heard her sound that small and that furious at the same time, my sympathy for clever strategy went out the damn window.


    "You sure we should be carrying this level of firearm around?" Jade asks. ¡°What if we get pulled over and have to exin the assault rifles and all this illegal shit we have back here? My kid-or kids, if they all survive incubation in their mother''s womb-will not see me for a very long time. I bet Margot won''t even tell them I''m alive. Or visit me in prison. All because your girlfriend said Mateo kidnapped that bitch, Serena. Honestly? Just let her die. You''ll be doing the world a favor."


    I was wondering when he''d bring this up. From the moment he walked in after I sent for him and told him what was going on, I could see it, the way all the blood drained from his face as Serena''s name popped up. People love to talk about how dangerous a woman scorned can be, but they clearly haven''t met Jade holding a grudge.


    "Left to me, Jade," I say, "I don''t care what happens to her. But Sloane loves her sister. So we''re saving her."


    "She''ll get over her death. Give it time."


    "I don''t want her to end up spending months grieving. She''s the only thing that makes me happy."


    "You''re just selfish, Knox. Think about it. Sloane''s better off without her sister. I''ll get my revenge. Maybe Margot will grieve, and I''ll get to swoop in andfort her and get my wife back. It''s a happy ending for everyone. Only sacrifice is a few weeks of your girlfriend crying into your very avable shoulders. I doubt she''ll cry that long with you love-bombing her. This is a win-win for everybody."


    I don''t respond immediately. My hand tightens on the wheel.


    "The only thing I care about is Sloane," I say. "The rest of you can honestly go fuck yourselves."


    I press down on the gas a little harder, just enough to make the car surge forward without drawing attention. We need to get to the club. Fast.


    "Then you better hope I''m not among those who break into Mateo''s apartment, Knox-or wherever the hell he''s keeping Serena. Because I would ''identally'' leave a bullet in her chest while saving her."


    ¡°Great,¡± I mutter. "Then I will kill you."


    "You''ve not once shown sympathy since that girl ruined my life. She practically molested me. I saved her ass by keeping shut about it to her mother. And she decides to blow it all up instead of just saying no to her ex-fianc¨¦''s proposal. If you were half the friend you im to be, you''d be on my side."


    I can feel him ring at the back of my head.


    "You keep saying these things like I care, Jade."


    "You should care. We''re practically brothers."


    "Sometimes, yeah," I say. "But not when you''re talking shit like this. First of all, I am your boss. And if I say you''re saving Osama bin Laden, you are. No questions. I am going to hold you responsible if anything goes wrong when we locate Mateo and retrieve Serena. So keep your grievances aside and get Aaron on the line to give us a status report on Mateo''s family in Idaho."


    That shuts him up. The sound of bullets clicking into ce stops too. I nce at the mirror again. He''s staring out the window now, one of the assault rifles resting on hisp. His mouth is pressed into a thin line, and I can see him working his jaw like he''s chewing on all the things he wants to say but can''t.


    Then he reaches for his phone and starts dialing.


    "You really think you''re cold enough to do this?" he asks. ¡°Threaten to harm a kid and her mother?"


    "You need to pick a personality, Jade. One minute you''re thirsting for a helplessdy''s blood, and the next you''re shying away from textbook ckmail. We don''t need to harm them if Mateo cooperates."


    "And if he doesn''t?"


    "That''s his kid we''re talking about. He will."


    "You keep imagining this guy is sane. That''s the problem."


    The call connects. I listen as Jade gives Aaron the order. On the other end, Aaron confirms what we need to know: Mateo''s ex-wife and daughter just got home. His contact is watching the house now. Visual confirmation is on the way.


    I try to imagine the things that happened to Mateo in the years between our capture and now to turn him into this... thing. This version of him that''s all bloodlust and theatrics. Maybe he really does believe it''s my fault. Or maybe this is just how he vents, by making it a performance. Part of me wants to feel something for him. I get it; hurt people hurt people. But whatever sympathy I might''ve had? He burned through that when he captured Serena, which led to Sloane being unhappy.


    As we get closer to the club, I nce at the mirror to look at Jade, who''s still brooding in the backseat, arms crossed, looking everywhere but at me. I let the silence hang a second longer before saying, "Have you asked yourself if you really want your wife back?"


    "What?"


    "She asked you to leave. You left. She told you not toe back. You obeyed. She served you divorce papers. You kept it."


    "What are you saying?"


    "I''m telling you what one brother would say to another. If you want that woman, stop listening to her demands and get her back."


    We pull into the lot, and I park.


    Then I''m out, tossing the keys to Jade as he steps out too.


    "Have all the guys ready," I say. "I''m going to find Sloane. The only thing she said was that her sister''s been captured. Mateo must''ve called her directly. Get the security guys at the second basement to go run checks and then find me."


    He gives a slight nod. "Alright, boss. Thank you."


    I pause at the doors, looking back. "What are you thanking me for?"


    "For being you."


    I shake my head and go inside. The man has definitely gone soft.


    The faux reception area is as bright as usual. I approach the front desk and ask for Sloane''s whereabouts. She shouldn''t be hard to track. Everyone who walks through this ce gets tagged. Member or guest, it doesn''t matter. We always know exactly where people are.


    The receptionist informs me that Sloane was taken down to the second basement by Levi, the second manager. Sloane had told everyone in a loud voice as soon


    as she walked in that she needed ess to the server room.


    Of course she did. I curse under my breath and hit the elevator, already jabbing the button to descend. I forgot what she studied in school and did for a living up


    until yesterday. Of course she''d want to locate Mateo herself.


    ???


    The second basement doesn''t feel like part of the club. It''s colder down here-bare concrete floors, metal walls, no decor, no charm. Just function. A bunker disguised as a basement. When the elevator doors slide open, I step into a hallway. The sight of my entire tech team clustered outside the server room stops me short. All of them are


    outside. I don''t think I''ve seen them


    all out of that room at the same time before.


    "Boss," Levi says when he sees me. "Your girlfriend is kind of crazy."


    "Where is she?"


    "In the server room. She sent everyone out."


    I don''t wait. I shove the door open.


    The air inside is cool as machines hum in the background. Sloane is at the central


    console. She''s sitting in front of an openptop and typing fast with additional gear spread around her. She doesn''t even hear mee in.


    "Sloane,¡± I say, moving toward her.


    No response.


    I ce a hand on her shoulder.


    She jumps.


    Her eyes are wild, ssy, and streaked with tears.


    "What''s going on?" I ask carefully.


    She sighs. "Mateo. I need to find him. I''ll be shooting that motherfucker right


    through the only eye he has left."


    Behind me, I catch the sound of Levi starting to step into the room, but Sloane reacts before I can.


    "No. No, no," she says. "Tell everyone to back off."


    I nod to Levi and gesture him away. He hesitates for half a second as if waiting for


    me to change my mind, then exhales through his nose and steps out. The door


    eases shut behind him, sealing Sloane and me in.


    She hasn''t stopped typing.


    I should try to reason with her. Tell


    her she doesn''t have to do this on her own. That letting the others in wouldn''t mean surrendering contro¡ªit would just mean we''d stand a better chance, more@yes, more hands. But one look at her shoulders, at how stiff and locked they are, tells me that logic isn''t going to reach her right now. Her hands are shaking. Not wildly. Just enough to make me want to wrap my arms around her and force her to stop. To breathe.


    I drag a chair closer and lower myself into it beside her. ¡°Bunny,¡± I say, keeping my tone steady. "You have to let us help. Do you have your phone with you? We might be able to use it to pull Mateo''s location."


    "He covered everything," she says. "Spoofed the IMEI. Disabled Find My Phone. I tried to pull tower logs-nothing. Carrier-side data''s scrubbed. Thest ping says Argentina, but that''s just a nted ghost signal. I bet he''s not in Argentina."


    Her wordse in a rush.


    "So, in summary?" I say.


    "He used a fake inte call and hid it behind a VPN. Then he wiped everything five seconds after the call ended. No leftover data. No trail.¡ü tried tracing thest connection point, and it led to some bakery in Buenos Aires.¡± Her voice catches. "The ce burned down in 2018."


    I reach for her hand and ce mine gently over hers.


    "So our only option now is to wait for him to call back?" ¡°Yeah,¡± she says. "But this time, I''ll be ready. I''ll find him.¡±


    I nce toward the door. "Maybe if I let the others in-"


    "No. I know you, Knox. As soon as that location drops, you''re going to seal me in


    this room for my protection while you go hunting for him. I don''t want that. Mateo''s


    mine."

 CHAPTER 136: I Will Get My Apology

    Okay, maybe she does know me. It sounds exactly like what I would have done.


    "Alright. Alright," I say. "You''ll have the honor. That doesn''t mean they can''t help. I promise you, I''ll take you with me, and you''ll be the one to finish him off. How does that sound?"


    She finally stops typing. It''s not a full pause. Her fingers lift from the keys, hovering in the air like they''re unsure what to do next. Then she turns her head until her eyes meet mine. There are varieties of emotions running through those eyes. Exhaustion, fear, rage, and some others I can''t ce.


    "You promise?" she whispers.


    "I do."


    "Swear on your life."


    I pause. Then, because I mean it, I lean in closer.


    "Better yet, I swear on yours. You know I''m not letting anything happen to you ever. Not while I''m alive."


    Her face softens. She exhales and gives a small nod.


    "Mateo''s going to call back in ten minutes," she says. "I''m setting up to track the live call this time. I wasn''t ready before, and he didn''t leave a footprint. Not one. He must have someone very skilled with him. Their work is pretty neat."


    Before I stand up to call the team back into the room, I say, "Are you sure he has your sister?"


    "Yes. I saw her. He switched to video call and shot her in the thigh." Her lips press together, trembling as she forces herself to keep it together.


    Jesus.


    That son of a bitch has already shot her. It now makes sense why Sloane''s so worked up. She watched her sister take a bullet in real time. This is the kind of information that makes me murderous. Mateo really does have a ir for the dramatic. I know I promised Sloane she can have at him when we find him, but that promise is looking slightly harder to keep with what''s running through my head. My hands curl into fists at my sides before I force them to rx. She doesn''t need me losing my head too.


    "If I find that man..." she says.


    "We''ll find him. Tell me, what else did you see in the video?"


    Hershes lower. "They were in a basement. Four of them. All tied up."


    "Four of whom?"


    She hesitates. Then, "Right. I didn''t tell you. Sorry. It totally escaped my mind. Mateo has Hunter, Soraya, Finn... and my sister."


    I blink, unsure if I heard her right.


    "I beg your pardon?"


    "He has all of them," she whispers. "I should''ve known. I should''ve anticipated this knowing I have family in this city. I¡ª"


    I don''t let her finish the sentence. There''s no need, not when it''s already written all over her face. I reach for her and cradle her face in both hands. Her skin is cold due to the temperature of the room. I pull her into me, and thankfully, she doesn''t resist. Doesn''t pretend to be fine. Her body leans into mine, head resting on my chest as I caress her hair.


    "It''s alright,¡± I say into her hair. "We''re going to get them all back."


    She pulls away suddenly.


    "It''s almost time," she says. "If you''re calling them in, do it now."


    I nod once, then push to my feet. My steps are steady as I cross the room and open the door. I don''t have to say a word. Just a nce, a tilt of my head, and they understand. One by one, the team starts to file in. Their eyes sweep the room, taking in the mess of open hardware, tangled wires, glowing screens, and the unmistakable tension still hanging in the air.


    As the team cautiously moves toward Sloane, she begins dishing out instructions, and I just stand there and watch her. I''m trying so hard to fight a smile. Her world is tumbling down right now, but I can''t get over how she came in here and chased some of the city''s deadliest tech criminals out of their office and is now giving them instructions like five-year-olds.


    My guys exchange nces. Marcus, who''s been doing this for fifteen years, nods along like he''s learning something new. Tony actually pretends to take notes on his phone. They''re humoring her because they can see how important this is, but also because-hell, she''s impressive. The way she moves between systems, the speed at which she''s processing information. She might be giving them elementary instructions, but she''s doing it while orchestrating something far moreplex than any of them could handle under this kind of pressure.


    Levi stands by the corner, narrowing his eyes at the scene and then at me. I must not be hiding my pride too well. Despite everything-the hostages, the threat, the chaos-there''s something about watching Sloane takemand that makes my chest swell. She''s magnificent when she''s angry.


    Jadees in at that moment. "What is going on?"


    "Tech madness," I reply, not taking my eyes off Sloane. "Are the guys ready?" "They are. Just say the word."


    Right then, a phone starts vibrating. It must be Sloane''s phone, because she screams, ¡°He''s calling!" She spins toward me, eyes wide. "Knox! You''re the one he really wants to speak with. Talk to him and keep him on as long as you can."


    Ie closer and sit beside Sloane, grabbing the phone from her trembling hands. It''s a video call. I ept it, and sure enough, the first thing I see are the four people Sloane mentioned, tied to chairs in what looks like a concrete basement. Serena''s head is slumped forward like she''s unconscious. Sloane notices it too and starts screaming into the phone, "Rena? Rena!"


    Mateo''s annoying voicees through the phone. "Don''t worry," he says. "She''s alive. I can see you''ve got your boyfriend on the line."


    I''m looking at other things in the frame while my tech workers do what they do in the corner of the room-hands flying over keyboards, screens lighting up with tracking algorithms. The basement Mateo''s in looks old, industrial. Exposed pipes, concrete walls. There''s a single light bulb casting harsh shadows.


    "Treat her," Sloane demands, leaning into the phone. "She doesn''t look okay."


    "Women," Mateo says with that gratingugh of his. "Always dramatic. Am I right, Knox?"


    I can feel my throat tightening in anger the more I stare into the phone. "If that''s a characteristic of women, you must be one then, Mateo."


    "Haha. You''re still a funny guy, Captain."


    Then he begins speaking in a foreign.nguage I recognize as Russian. When did he learn his ex-wife''snguage? A masked man appears on the screen, moving into frame rst aid box that''s seen better days. The metal corners are dented, the white paint chipped and stained. He approaches Serena, and I can see her head lift as she bes aware of his presence. Guess that means she''s still alive.


    The masked man sets the box down and opens it. Inside, I can make out gauze, bottles of antiseptic, and what looks like a pair of pliers.


    The moment the man reaches for Serena''s wounded leg, shees alive. Her whole body jerks against the restraints, and the sound thates out of her throat is pure terror. She''s shaking so violently that the chair she''s tied to starts rocking, the metal legs scraping against the concrete floor.


    "Hold her still," Mateo orders in English, clearly for our benefit. He''s enjoying this -the performance, the control, the way Sloane''s face crumples as she watches her sister fight.


    Another masked figure steps into


    the frame, grabbing Serena''s shoulders and pressing her back


    vel


    against the chair. She''s still struggling, still making those sounds, but now she''s trapped between the two men. The first one positions the pliers over her wound, and when he starts to dig for the bullet, the scream thates out of her would give those horror movies a run for their money.


    Sloane is gripping my arm so hard that I feel her nails through my shirt, and I can hear her whispering, "It''s okay, Rena, it''s okay," like her sister can somehow hear her through the phone.


    The other three hostages in the room look horrified. Hunter''s jaw is clenched so tight I can see the muscle jumping. Soraya has tears streaming down her face. But it''s Finn who really catches my attention-he looks like he''s about to be sick. Why is he even there?


    "What is this, Mateo?" I ask, forcing my voice to stay level. "Are you forming a basement secret society with people I know?"


    "Not exactly. Let''s cut to the chase while they try to save your girlfriend''s sister''s life, shall we?"


    "Alright. Cut to the chase. And no theatrics, please. I have reached my quota of bullshit for the month."


    It''s kind of difficult to gauge someone''s mood and intentions when you can''t see their face. Mateo''s making sure the camera is fixed on the hostages alone.


    His voice drops, losing the fake joviality. "You''re going to apologize to me, Knox. Right here. Right now Acknowledge the fact that it was day while you were off proving that you''re some sort of hero. You bloody escaped and left me there to die. What sort of captain does that to his own men? And then you stopped searching for me? Do you know the things I had to do to stay alive? The number of countries I ended up in?"


    your fault we got captured th


    I lean back in my chair, keeping my expression neutral. "Shouldn''t you be grateful


    you made it out?"


    "I''d have preferred to die."


    "That can still be arranged."


    "Stop joking about this and acknowledge it was your fucking fault! Apologize to me


    for ruining my whole life!"


    The room goes quiet except for the humming sound of servers and the soft


    clicking of keyboards from my tech team. I can feel everyone''s eyes on me, Sloane''s especially. She needs me to do whatever it takes to keep these people alive. But there are some things I just won''t do. One of them is taking me for what isn''t my fault.


    "I have nothing to apologize for, Mateo."


    Mateo barks something in Russian, and a masked man goes to Hunter, pressing


    a gun directly against his temple. Hunter''s eyes squeeze shut, but he doesn''t


    make a sound.


    "I will get my apology right now," Mateo says, "or I start putting bullets in everyone here, one after the other."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 CHAPTER 137: Lonely Degenerates

    There''s no such thing as right or wrong to me. There''s only what I want to do and what I don''t.


    And I absolutely do not want to apologize to Mateo.


    I can feel the pressure around me. Eyes heavy on my face. Every breath in this room is paused, waiting on me. Even Sloane hasn''t looked away once. I can''t bring myself to meet her gaze, not with what she might be silently asking of me.


    You know what? A million people owe me apologies. You don''t see me holding the world hostage over it. This whole thing has gone too far. I''m done ying along.


    "Tell your man to put the gun down, Mateo," I say. "What you have is against me. Let''s not involve third parties."


    But the man holding the gun to Hunter''s head doesn''t budge. Instead, I watch him flip the safety off. Sloane''s grip on my hand tightens.


    And now, someone is crying.


    It''s Serena.


    Her shoulders are shaking, body jerking in the chair. The man crouched beside her¡ªthe one who was tending to her leg-pauses. He''s almost done with the bandaging. Just a few more strips of gauze over the bullet wound. But her crying throws him off. His hands go still.


    No one moves.


    Even Mateo, who hasn''t stopped breathing heavily into the phone since the call started, goes quiet. That heavy presence of him through the speaker? Gone. He''s holding his breath now, just like the rest of us.


    And Serena keeps going.


    Head down. Shoulders heaving.


    Eventually, she quiets down enough to say, "Just let us go. I want to go home. I am having a bad week. A bad month. Hell, even a bad year. And I want nothing more than to be in my bed."


    Her face is wet with tears, and her mouth trembles as she forces out the words.


    "I can''t do that," Mateo says.


    "You''re the worst viin I''ve ever seen. An apology? That''s what you want? I don''t have anything against you, Mateo. Everyone hates me right now too. My mom. My stepfather. My ex. Even my sister, though she pretends she doesn''t. I''m certain I''m pregnant, but I won''t take any test because confirming the pregnancy would mean having to figure out if the baby''s my ex''s or my stepfather''s¡ª"


    "The fuck did she just say?" Jade whispers behind me.


    But Serena doesn''t stop. She''s gone too far into the storm of it.


    "I''m convinced that if I pretend I don''t notice the missed periods or the nausea, they''ll just stop being a problem. I don''t have any more misfortune-bearing radar left in me. I''d rather be home, sipping wine I know is bad for me, than be in this chair taking a bullet for someone who can''t even say sorry when a gun is pointed at his friend''s head."


    She''s staring into the camera now, or rather, at Mateo.


    "If you''re going to shoot me," she says, "shoot me right now. If you''re not, set me free. I am done with this. Fucking done."


    The silence that follows feels heavier than before. Nobody moves. Even the guy holding the gun to Hunter''s head looks thrown. His eyes find Mateo, waiting for a signal.


    The man who was tending Serena''s leg finishes up and steps back without a word. Serena''s done a good job of pretending she can''t feel the pain anymore. Or maybe she''s more angry than she''s in pain.


    "That''s an interesting story, pretty," Mateo says. "What did you do to get everyone to hate you? Did you go overseas in the name of serving your country, get captured and tortured, lose an eye, and thene back to everyone you love being ufortable you''re alive?"


    His voice deepens the more he speaks.


    "Because my wife moved on. She won''t even let my daughter see me, says it''ll confuse her. Says she can''t exin how her dead father came back to life. You know what I think? I think she''s afraid all that life insurance and those hero benefits will have to get sorted out if I''m alive. She doesn''t want to lose the money. And the one man who caused all this? He''s on the other end of this call, having his happy ever after with a girl he doesn''t deserve."


    My jaw ticks.


    "Tell me if anything about my life sounds like yours," Mateo says. "And then maybe I''ll say you''re just like me."


    Serena''s face is pale, but she''s trying to act strong.


    "I might not have joined the army," she says, "or gotten captured. Or tortured. But I''m lonely, just like you are. And lonely people tend to do stupid things. I had the hots for my mother''s husband and took advantage of him when he was drunk. And you know what? I didn''t feel guilty until my boyfriend came back home from his Dungeons and Dragons weekend championship or whatever. I can''t remember. And I saw his browser history. He was looking up engagement rings."


    She swallows.


    "He was about to propose to me. And I cheated on him."


    "I might have to step out," Jade says. "This chick is pissing me off."


    The sound of the door opening behind me is loud. A beatter, it ms shut again. Jade''s gone.


    Serena''s still talking. The more I listen, the more it dawns on me that she''s not rambling or falling apart. She''s working him. She''s saying exactly what she knows might reach him, which might not be a great move for a man like Mateo. If I''ve picked up on that, Mateo definitely has too. He''s not dumb.


    "So, what happened?" Mateo asks. "Did he propose?"


    "He did," Serena says. "Right in front of my entire family. And I lost it, you know. He deserved better than me if I didn''t let him down hard, he''d just try to fix things between us. And I''m not the right person for him. I''m the girl who screws all her exes friends just to get back at them. The girl who has no friends because she always winds up hurting them. The girl who gets herself a decent boyfriend just to try to prove that she can be normal. And then ends up hurting him too."


    She takes a shuddering breath.


    "Even now that I''ve ruined my chances with almost everyone who loves me... I know I''m not as sorry as I should be. I''m denying the truth to myself. I need help."


    Mateo exhales.


    "You''re very self-aware, I see," he says.


    Serena doesn''t miss a beat. "I am. You should be too."


    "Maybe I am. Maybe I''m not. One thing is certain though, I''m very aware of the intentions of people around me, which is why I''ll need you to shut the hell up right now."


    "You don''t actually believe Knox ruined your life, do you? You''re just lonely, and having power over everyone who has their shit togetherpared to you is the only way you can think ofbating loneliness."


    "I said, shut up."


    "You''d rather me someone else for your misfortune," Serena continues, "and n things like this to fill the void instead of owning up to the fact that you hate your life. Hate not having people around. You''re just like me, a lonely degenerate."


    The camera shifts.


    Mateo''s walking stickes into frame first, the polished wood tapping against the concrete as he moves. Then the rest of him follows. He steps in front of the camera fully now, no longer hiding behind it.


    Then he starts toward her, leaning against his cane. That uneven limp is more pronounced with every step. Serena doesn''t flinch. She watches hime.


    And then, without a word, he raises his hand and strikes her across the face.


    The p echoes off the concrete walls. Serena''s head angles to one side as she spits out blood.


    "Bloody hell," Finn breathes.


    It grabs Hunter''s attention too, whose eyes fly open for the first time since that


    gun was ced near his head.


    Beside me, Sloane says, "Oh, my god. Did he just hit her?"


    Mateo''s entire concentration is on Serena. He stands there, breathing hard.


    "Untie her," he says.


    The guy holding the gun to Hunter finally lowers it, puts it away, and hurries over


    to Serena. He crouches beside her, working fast to undo the ropes on her wrists


    and ankles. She hisses when he identally bumps her injured leg.


    As soon as she''s free, Mateo points at her. "Stand up and leave."


    "Like I can walk with my leg this fucked up," she replies with a re.


    "You wanted to leave. So leave."


    "Not until you free them all."


    Mateo scoffs. "Oh, so you''re not a selfish, impulsive, and reckless degenerate anymore? You suddenly care about other people''s feelings?"


    "I might be a lot of things," she says, "but I am not a monster."


    He rips off his sses, revealing the hollowed, sealed socket where one eye used


    to be. "Well, I am. And if you''re going to leave, then leave right now. Or shut the


    hell up through the rest of my conversation with Knox."


    He turns and limps back toward the camera, sses still clutched in one hand.


    His face is fully visible now. Though his eye seems focused, I can tell the rest of him is unsteady. Serena got to him, if only a little.


    He doesn''t hide behind the lens this time. He stands right there, staring straight


    into it.


    "I''m done ying nice with you, Knox," he says. "So I''m only going to say this one


    more time before it gets ugly. Say the words. Admit you''re at fault. Say you''re sorry."


    My phone vibrates with a notification. As I pull it out of my pocket, I see Aaron''s


    name. I swipe quickly until I''m staring at a video.


    It''s there. Visual confirmation.


    I raise my head.


    "You know how they always talk


    about people in ss houses not throwing stones, Mateo?" I ask. "I''m staring at a lovely piece of footage of you ex-wife and daughter right now. They''re having a cozy pajama family evening with the man your daughter calls Dad. One call from


    me, and it gets real tragic."

 CHAPTER 138: I Hate Shrinks

    Mateo is unresponsive at first, staring at the camera. And then, heughs.


    It''s dry and joyless.


    "Are you threatening to kill my daughter?" he asks me. "You? Do you think the torture I went through affected my memory? You think I forgot why we got captured in the first ce? You think I don''t remember that it was you who let a suspected spy walk free because he was a goddamn kid? You couldn''t even pull a trigger when it mattered. So tell me why would I believe you''d kill my daughter in cold blood?"


    My hand tightens around the phone.


    He wants to hit where it hurts, I get that. But bringing that moment back-the kid I let go, the one who blew our mission wide open-is uncalled for. I made peace with that call, even if Mateo never did.


    "You''re right," I say. "I won''t kill a kid. But her parents, her mother and father? That''s a different story."


    "That man is not her father. And why should I care what happens to them? They''re practically unprotected because I want them to be. Please, shoot them."


    I lean forward a little so he can see more of my face.


    "You want to keep pretending you don''t care about your ex-wife? That''s fine," I say. "But you care about your daughter. And if they die, she goes into foster care. You can''t legally im her, Mateo. ording to the world, you''re dead. You think they''ll just hand her over to a lunatic who staged a hostage situation on a video call?"


    His mouth twitches, and his fingers dance at his side.


    "You can''t kidnap her as well. She wouldn''t want to go with you or call you dad," I continue. "You''re a stranger to her."


    Without warning, Mateo pulls his gun from the holster on his hip and fires.


    Everyone jolts.


    The bullet hits the floor, just inches from Hunter''s foot.


    Hunter doesn''t move, but the snarl in his expression worsens. His chest is heaving now, arms flexed behind the restraints like he''s willing his body to break out of them.


    Sloane grips my hand so tight my knuckles crack under the pressure.


    "I''m not ying with you, Knox," Mateo says, gun still raised. "Say the words."


    "And then what?" I ask. "You''ll let them go? You and I both know that''s bullshit. An apology isn''t the only thing you want. Let''s be honest. After I grovel and take the me for a mission you walked into willingly, what''s next? You want my kidney? My savings ount? My girl? I know how you think, T-Bone. Let''s not pretend this ends with you letting them go. It ends with you pulling the trigger. That''s the part you''re not saying. Because you''ve already decided none of them walk out."


    "The only thing you should worry about right now is what I''m asking you to do," he snaps.


    "Apologize to you?" I say, scoffing. "Go fuck yourself."


    "Knox," Sloane hisses beside me. "What are you doing?"


    I don''t answer. My focus is still on the screen. On Mateo.


    Outes another gunshot.


    This one ms into the concrete beside Finn''s boot, sending chips flying.


    "For God''s sake," Finn yells, flinching hard. "If my brother isn''t sorry, I am! Okay? I totally fucking apologize! It was my fault he joined the military in the first ce. If I hadn''t lied against him and he never enlisted, maybe you wouldn''t have had to go through what you did. So, I''m sorry. Okay? Just-cool off with the goddamn shooting!"


    Mateo raises the gun again and fires.


    The shot misses Finn''s foot by a hair.


    "Shut up," he growls. "Or I''ll shoot the only good hand you have right now."


    He turns back to me.


    "I''m counting to five, Knox," he says. "And then your friend dies."


    My eyes find Hunter. His expression is thunder. I''ve never seen him look like this. He shakes his head from left to right.


    "Don''t do it, Knox," he says. "He''s never going to let us go anyway. Don''t give him the satisfaction. Just make sure you kill the bastard when you find him."


    "No," Sloane says. "Don''t listen to him. What''s wrong with you, Hunter? Are you that hungry for death?" Her voice rises. "Everyone calm down. Knox is going to apologize."


    She''s ring at me now. There''s a plea in her eyes. One she''s not saying out loud, but I feel it like a weight on my chest.


    Mateo lifts his free hand. "One."


    "Just do it, for God''s sake!" Finn cries.


    "Don''t listen to them, Knox," Hunter growls. "At least let me die with my dignity intact. That''s the least you can do for me."


    "Two," Mateo says.


    "Jesus," Serena mutters. "I''m just going to leave, bad leg or not."


    She starts to move, lifting herself from the chair and carefully raising her injured leg. A strangled scream breaks from her throat at the movement, but she keeps going, teeth clenched, dragging herself upright.


    Mateo spins toward her, gun raised.


    "Sit your ass down,dy," he barks. "You had your chance."


    With a muffled groan, she lowers herself back into the chair, wincing all the way down.


    "Three," Mateo says, his attention back on me.


    "Why don''t you just go ahead and do it, Mateo?" Soraya says. Her voice is


    surprisingly calm after all that sobbing. "Shoot us all."


    Mateo turns to her. "Didn''t I ask you all to keep quiet?"


    "Or what?" she says. "You''ll shoot us?"


    He raises the gun.


    "You want Knox''s apology more than you want to kill anyone," she goes on. "That''s why that gun hasn''t gone off in anyone''s head yet. If you''re ever going to get an apology from that man, you''ll have to listen to me very closely."


    Mateo narrows his eye at her. "Oh yeah? Now you want to help? Think you can get Knox to apologize?"


    "I can do one better. I can get you to admit it''s your fault instead."


    Mateo''s face goes ck.


    "I beg your pardon?" he says.


    "You''ve got us here trapped in this little show because you think you''ve been wronged. Who wronged you exactly? Was it Knox who signed that form and made you enlist? You probably dreamed about it from a young age. Saw medals. Honors. Maybe someone in your family wore the uniform. Your dad? Your uncle? A grandfather you idolized?"


    Mateo bristles. "Stop talking."


    But Soraya doesn''t stop.


    At a corner of the room, my tech guys start waving their hands, signaling they''re closing in on a location. I wish they''d speed it up. I''ve never been this eager about locating a ce and putting someone out of their misery.


    "It''s not Knox''s fault you don''t have a family toe home to, Mateo," Soraya''s saying. "You made it possible when you filled out that form, totally willing to give your life to your country."


    "I will make sure you pack your guts off the floor if you keep talking," says Mateo. "Hostages are supposed to beg, not do whatever the hell you think you''re doing."


    "Would that make you feel powerful?" she presses. "Me, pleading? Knox apologizing? Great. After that power trip, what''s next? Would you be happy, Mateo?"


    Mateo looks at the camera. "Why do you keep getting acquainted with shrinks, Knox?"


    "My dad was just like you," Soraya


    says, unbothered. "Never there. Never present. Dead to me. They say having a child out of wedlock is a fatherless behavior, and in my case, it probably was. He didn''t even notice I was pregnant until gave birth and wasnt around anymore My mom helped me leave the country, and I left my child with her. Hardest thing I''ve ever done. You spend nine months locked away with a baby growing inside you, and whether you want to or not, you bond with them. Letting go after that? It''s insane."


    Her eyes are on Mateo, whose attention is back to her.


    "I know this story, Soraya," Mateo says. "I know everything about you."


    "But I haven''t finished the story yet, have I? When I got into this country, I couldn''t contact anyone unless they contacted me first. I don''t know how my mom pulled it off, but somehow, she got my father to care about me enough to pull strings-to free Knox, a captive of the state-so I could have a better life here. And I''m sure that cost him his life.


    "When Knox found me and told me what my father had done, I forgave the man for every single thing he''d ever done to me or my mother. Five years here, and I have counted every second until I can safely and legally bring my child over here I don''t care if she doesn''t know me. Well start somewhere. Knox might''ve ruined my ns of us adopting her and living like a real family when he fell in love with someone else and asked for a divorce. But I''ll figure something out. When shees here, I''ll make sure it still feels like she never left home.


    "You''re here botching up your chances of ever knowing your daughter, when she''s just a few


    you right now, might not care. But you''re still her father. That door isn''t closed yet. You''ll never earn her love or her respect from behind bars or in a nameless grave And those are the only two oues left for you if you keep this up. So think carefully, Mateo. Think about every next move. Is it really worth losing whatever shot you''ve got left at knowing your daughter?"


    states away. She might not known et


    Mateo''s hand shakes on the cane.


    "I hate shrinks," he mutters.


    Right then, the sound of someone running down a flight of stairses. Mateo


    turns toward the sound at the same time a masked man appears in the frame. He


    leans into Mateo, whispering something in his ear.


    Mateo stiffens. This time, the tremor in his hand doesn''t stop.


    Without a word, the runner dashes toward the camera.


    A hand ps over the lens.


    The feed goes ck.


    "What the hell happened?" Levi says behind me.


    "I think we''ve got a location," Sloane says, already turning toward the tech team.


    One of the men nods. "Exactly ten seconds ago. It''s an old postal warehouse off


    30th and 11th, past the rail line."


    I''m already pushing out of my seat.


    "Guess they figured out we know where they are," I say, handing the phone back


    to Sloane. "We need to move fast."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 CHAPTER 139: Wheres The Heart?

    ***


    ~~SLOANE~~


    ***


    My heart is beating fast as I sit in the backseat of Knox''s car, listening to Jade exin how to use a gun.


    He holds the thing like it''s an extension of his arm, his fingers casual but firm around the grip.


    "Safety off," he says, flipping a tiny lever down with his thumb.


    The click it makes isn''t loud, but it might as well be a gunshot with the way it makes me flinch.


    "Safety on," he says and flips the lever back up.


    Click.


    Again, I flinch.


    He nces at me out of the corner of his eye. "Wanna experiment?"


    "No," I say quickly. "I got it. Let''s just...leave the off and on for when it matters." His eyes narrow as he studies my face, up and down. "You afraid of the gun or something? How you gon'' shoot someone if you''re afraid of the damn gun?"


    "She''s not afraid of it," Knox says from the front as he drives. He catches my eyes in the rearview mirror, and there''s something there. He''s not just defending me. It feels like a pep talk in disguise, like he''s willing me to believe it too. "Just continue the lessons, J.¡±


    Jade shrugs and goes back to it. My fingers are clenched tight in myp. I can still hear the click of the safety in my ears long after he''s flipped the lever.


    There''s a man in the passenger seat. I don''t know his name. I don''t think I''ve heard it. He''s built like he was born holding weapons, his resting face sharp and suspicious. Back at the club, I saw two ck Escdes filled with men like him roll out right before we left. They were all armed and ready for whatever we''d meet at that warehouse.


    Knox had tried to get me to stay behind, and I almost said yes. Almost. It''s one thing to announce to the entire world that Mateo''s mine when I was angry-which I still am, by the way¡ªand it''s another to follow through when the moment actually


    "So," Jade says, flipping the gun in his hand so he''s holding it by the barrel, showing me the grip. "When you''re ready to shoot, just squeeze this trigger like this-" he curls his finger until the faintest click echoes in the car again "¡ªand the gun goes off."


    He adjusts his hold and lifts the weapon slightly.


    "But make sure you''re holding it right. Like this." He angles it. "You don''t wanna shoot your finger off. Or your damn foot. That shit happens more than you think. So aim right."


    I nod, but my throat''s dry.


    "The surest way to know the motherfucker''s going to die is by blowing his brains out. But that''s for people with good aim. The head''s not that big. Small-ass target to work with, especially from a distance."


    He points to an imaginary head in front of him.


    "But say you''re standing over him, like real close. That means one hundred percent death. Point. Pull. Boom. Done."


    Then his eyes are back to me.


    "It gets messy at that range, though. Skull bursts open. Brain juice all over the floor. All over you too, if you''re not careful."


    My stomach flips.


    "I think you''re trying to scare me," I say.


    "You''re not scared already? You really think you can kill someone?"


    "It''s either him or someone I care about. He won''t stop."


    "Then leave it to the professionals," Jade says. "Your boyfriend''s probably killed more people than he can count. Everyone here knows how to use a gun and use it well, without leftover trauma. You can just sit in the car while we bring you his head."


    "Ew," I say.


    "That right there is what I''m talking about," Jade mutters, pointing at me like I proved his point. "You saying ''ew'' at the thought of seeing a headless body makes you unqualified for this mission." He looks at Knox now. "Knox, man, you really gonna let her do this?"


    From the look in his eyes, I can tell Knox is fully in support of what Jade''s saying. Wouldn''t even surprise me if he told him to do exactly what he''s doing now- scare me off. But no one''s stopping me from doing this. No one. Because if I don''t do it, I know Knox will kill Mateo on sight. And with all the shit he''s already got in his head, all that trauma he drags around but acts like it''s not there, thest thing I want is for him to add another one to the pile.


    I won''t let that happen. He and Mateo were pals once, back in the day. I mean, the man staged a hostage situation just to get Knox to say sorry for being a shitty friend. Knox sang that stupid luby to me just weeks ago, which means there''s a part of him still attached to that psychopath. Killing Mateo has got to leave a mark, even if the man is practically begging to be shot.


    "She''s a big girl," Knox says, eyes still on me. "She can do whatever she likes."


    "Big mistake, man," Jade mutters. "If she were my wife, I''d have locked her up in a bathroom until all this is over."


    "That''s why your wife left you, isn''t it?" the guy in the passenger seat says suddenly,ughing. "You told her you were a fucking artist! Hahahaha."


    Knox is trying hard not tough along. Jade smacks the guy across the head with the back of his hand.


    I would''ve found the whole thing funny if I hadn''t just remembered what happened earlier today. I haven''t told Jade about Mom. About the babies. That she lost them.


    "Umm, Jade," I say. "There''s something you need to know."


    At first, he just looks curious. But the longer he stares, the more that look starts to


    shift, getting more serious, like he''s starting to sense where this is going.


    "What is it?" he says.


    "My mom. She, uh. She''s not in a good state."


    His hand flies to my arm, gripping it tightly. "Is she hurt? Is she in the hospital?¡±


    "Whoa," I say, startled. "Your nails are sharp."


    He doesn''t let go. But his hold eases up.


    "What happened, Sloane?"


    "She lost the babies."


    The second the words leave my mouth, his face just drops. Jade has alwayse off like a guy with a permanent resting bitch face and a tone that makes you wonder if he''s always mad. Half the time, I couldn''t figure out what Mom ever saw in him. Worse is figuring out what


    Serena saw in him too. But right now, right here in this moment, he''s someone else entirely. Every


    emotion he''s ever tried to keep buried is right there on his face. And it''s not just sadness. It''s guilt. Real, heavy, gut-punch guilt.


    "I did this," he says.


    "What?"


    "If I hadn''t been so stupid, this wouldn''t have happened."


    "Come on. It''s not your f-" I start.


    But he res at me, and I stop. I wasn''t sure believed the words myself anyway. My mom might be older, sure. Higher risk and all that. But still, deep down, I know the stress didn''t help. No matter how hard I try to reason it away, a part of me believes it yed a role.


    "Stop the car," Jade says.


    Knox nces back. "Why?"


    "I''m going to my wife."


    Knox drives until he finds a spot and pulls over. Jade''s already moving. He ces


    the gun he was using for my lessons gently beside me, then opens the door.


    He''s gone without another word. Just... running.


    Knox undoes his seatbelt and starts getting out too.


    "Where are you¡ª" I start to say, but he''s already at the back door, sliding in


    beside me and mming it shut.


    "Drive, Mud," he says to the guy up front.


    The man-Mud, apparently-turns around, surprised. "You sure, boss?"


    Knox doesn''t answer. His attention


    is fully on me now. Out of the corner of my eye, see Mud get out and walk around to the driver''s side.. secondter, he''s in the seat, rubbing his palms together like he''s


    just been promoted.


    elm


    Knox leans down and shoves my gun to the floor. Then he draws closer, locking


    eyes with me. The look in those eyes is so serious it actually makes my stomach


    twist. I don''t know why, but it scares me a little.


    "How well do you know biology?" he asks. "Anatomy, to be specific."


    "I-uh, why?"


    He slides his arm around my waist and pulls me into him, close enough that I can


    feel the heat off his skin. My breath stumbles.


    "Where''s the heart?" he asks, mouth close to mine.


    "The...heart?"


    "The human heart. Show me where it is."


    "How do I do that when you''re in my space?"


    He takes one of my hands and ces it on the center of his chest.


    "Show me," he says again.

 CHAPTER 140: Basic Anatomy

    I slide my fingers toward the left side of Knox''s chest and stop where I think the heart is.


    "Wrong," he says.


    Then one of his hands slips under my shirt. I suck in a breath, surprised, and try not to react as his fingers slide up until his palm settles just under my left breast. Not quite where I''d pointed.


    "Right here," he says. "That''s where the heart is."


    "Don''t you think there are other ways to show me that don''t involve your hand under my shirt?" I mutter, shooting a nce at Mud, who''s suspiciously very interested in the road.


    His hand slips out from under my shirt and finds my neck, tugging me closer.


    I can barely breathe.


    I shouldn''t be thinking about how close we are or how warm his mouth will be if I bridge the gap. I should be thinking about the fact that we''re minutes away from a hostage scene. A psychopath. A warehouse where someone I care about is being held.


    Mateo''s location hasn''t changed since we tracked him back at the club. It''s either he left the device behind or he''s actually dumb enough to still be sitting there. We''ll know soon enough.


    The city''s long behind us now. The buildings are getting wider, emptier, more spaced out. The streetlights here go dim and sh off more than they stay on. Warehouses line the road, some tagged with graffiti, some with windows punched in. The ground is uneven, and the air is thick with dust and engine smoke.


    "When we get there," Knox says, hand still around my neck, "you''re staying in the car."


    "What?"


    "I went against all my instincts bringing you here. But you don''t even know basic anatomy." His fingers touch my knee briefly. "The front of the warehouse is as far as you go."


    "Knox-"


    "You are one hundred percent the only thing that matters to me right now," he says. "Your body. Your brain. Your heart. You. There will be no rest for you in the afterlife if you dare catch a bullet today. I will haunt you. Your entire generation is going to pay if something happens to you today. None of them will find love in this life, I assure you. They are all going to pass away single. Your father. Your mother. Your sister. I might even look for cousins too."


    "Jesus," I mutter, narrowing my eyes at him. "Are you rted to Mateo by any chance?"


    "I''m serious. No more of this ''trying to impress me with hardcore skills'' shit. I like you just the way you are."


    "Knox," I say,ying my palm t against his chest. "I love you too, but I''m not trying to impress you. I totally trust you to keep me safe. If I have you with me, why would I catch a bullet?" I look him in the eye. "Mateo''s mine. Like you promised."


    The car slows as we pull into the lot. I nce up just in time to see the two Escdes that left earlier already parked. The men are out, weapons up, forming a wide perimeter and silently closing in on the building. Their movements are coordinated. Like they''ve done this too many times.


    Mud kills the headlights but leaves the engine running. Then he slips out of the car without a word.


    Knox moves like lightning. Before I can think to react, he dives for the floor and grabs my gun, the one Jade left me. He ms out the door and is gone.


    "Wait-!" I shout, lunging for the handle.


    It doesn''t budge.


    What the hell?


    I scoot across the seat and try the other side.


    Nothing.


    I p the ss in frustration. "Are you kidding me right now?"


    I can barely make out his shape through the dark tint, but I know Knox can''t see me. Still, I flip him off hard enough to strain my middle finger. He turns around and actually blows me a kiss. Then he uses his finger to draw a little heart shape on the ss.


    The nerve of this man.


    He child-locked me.


    He really child-locked me.


    I p the ss again. "KnoxxxXX!"


    My voice echoes back at me like I''m yelling into a void. I press my forehead to the window and watch helplessly as he disappears into the building, the rest of the men following close behind.


    They''re all in now.


    The door stands wide open, like a gaping mouth. And I''m stuck in here, seething. I stay still for a moment, breathing hard, my body shaking with fury and helplessness. My eyes stay fixed on that entrance, willing Knox toe back out. Or for someone to give me a reason not to break this ss.


    Then I see it.


    Movement.


    Out of the shadows near the edge of the lot, something shifts. I lean closer to the window, squinting.


    It''s a man. Masked. Dressed in ck, just like the ones from the video call. He''s crouching low, holding a gun, and creeping toward the warehouse door. And he''s not alone.


    More of them start peeling out of the bushes. Three. Four. Five. All armed. All moving in near silence.


    Oh my God.


    They faked it. They took the cars, probably parked them far off to make it look like they''d cleared out. But they''ve been here the whole time, blended into the darkness.


    It''s a setup.


    An ambush.


    I duck instinctively, though the tint


    should still be shielding me. My heart ms against my ribs. Do they know I''m here? No one''s looking this way. Every eye is on the door Every step they take is toward the warehouse.


    I grab my phone.


    No signal.


    "Come on," I whisper, swiping again. "Come on,e on,e-damn it!"


    Network''s jammed.


    I toss the phone onto the seat and start scanning the car like my life depends on


    it, because right now, it kind of does. I need to get out. Fast.


    I check the console. The side pockets. Nothing useful. No safety hammer. No sharp edge. No help.


    Dammit, Knox. You''re supposed to be paranoid. Where the hell is your emergency gear?


    I twist around and dig under the seats, reaching blindly into the shadows. Still nothing. Then my eyes move to the glove box. The gun. He keeps a gun in there. Or at least he used to.


    I scramble forward between the seats, knees digging into the leather as I stretch for the center console. My fingers brush something metal. A key. Thank God. I jam it into the glove box and turn.


    It clicks open.


    There it is.


    The gun is right where Ist saw it, tucked into the corner like it''s been waiting for this moment. I grab it with both hands. It''s heavier than Jade''s, rougher in my grip.


    I shift back toward the window and lift the gun, careful to aim low, away from my face. My arms tremble as I hold it. I angle my head to the side and squeeze the trigger.


    Nothing.


    Shit.


    The safety.


    I flip it off with my thumb-at least I remember that much-and squeeze again.


    The bang that follows is explosive, bouncing off the windows and roof like a bomb just went off inside the car. My ears ring. The ss doesn''t burst right away, but it cracks, forming a sort of spiderweb shape.


    I turn the safety back on, drop the gun on the seat, and start kicking.


    Hard.


    Once.


    Twice.


    Over and over.


    Finally, the window gives. ss falls away in chunks, and I don''t wait. I grab the


    gun and shove myself through the jagged frame, scraping my side as Ind on


    the pavement outside.


    I nce at the warehouse.


    It''s too quiet.


    No gunshots. No yelling. Just a dead silence that makes the hairs on my arms


    rise.


    I don''t know what''s happening inside. I don''t know what I''m walking into. But I


    can''t just stand here doing nothing.


    I keep low as I move, following the path the others took. My shoes crunch softly


    on gravel, but I don''t stop. The air smells like rust and mold.


    When I get to the open door, I pause right at the edge. The inside of the warehouse, stretches out in front of me, wide and empty. It''s darker than I thought it would be. The shadows cling to the corners, making it hard to tell where the walls end. A narrow strip of moonlight shines down through a crack in the roof. Dust hangs in the air like glitter.


    I tiptoe in.


    My eyes adjust slowly. There''s no


    one in this first room. Just old mail carts, some overturned shelving units, and broken crates scattered everywhere. I round a corner, bugging the wall, and pause when hear it-


    Wor


    Voices.


    Distant. But definitely there.


    I follow the sound, weaving through the maze of old furniture and abandoned equipment. The closer I get, the more it rifies-tense voices, ovepping, no shouting yet. Just heavy words. It''sing from below.


    There''s a staircase.


    I spot it at the end of the hallway. Rusted. Metal. Leading down into what looks


    like a basement.


    I move toward it.


    And then, suddenly, I feel a hand.


    Over my mouth.


    A hard grip ms around me from behind, dragging me back against a solid


    chest.


    I gasp, but no soundes out.


    Something cold and hard presses against my ribs.


    "Hand over your gun quietly," a voice, male, whispers. "And don''t try anything


    funny if you don''t want to pack your guts off the floor."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 CHAPTER 141: Fast Enough

    I''ve seen enough hostage standoffs in crime dramas to know that whatever I''ve walked into right now, it''s bad. Really bad.


    I shouldn''t have gotten out of the car.


    I know that now.


    But what kind of girlfriend would I be if I sat there while Knox walked into danger alone? He always acts like he''s the only one who would be shattered if I died. What he doesn''t understand is that if something happens to him, if he doesn''t walk out of here alive, I won''t survive it either. Maybe not physically, but in all the ways that matter, I''d be gone too.


    So yeah. If this ends in mes, then fine. We''ll burn together.


    I slowly raise my hand, passing him the gun just like he asked. He takes it from me. Then his hand leaves my mouth, and before I can blink, he starts patting me down. I tense up when he brushes over my chest, down my thighs, fingers pressing into ces he shouldn''t be touching. My whole body wants to flinch away, but I keep still. Something about the way he talks-thick Russian ent, no emotion behind the words-makes me think it''s smarter not to piss him off. So I swallow the disgust crawling up my throat and let him do his check.


    When he''s done, he grabs my arm and starts pushing me forward.


    Down the stairs.


    The voices that had been echoing from below go silent as we descend.


    At the bottom, we enter what I recognize as the basement from Mateo''s video call. Dim lighting. Bare concrete floor. And too many guns.


    I freeze.


    Finn, Soraya, and Hunter are still tied up. But what I walk into isn''t the ambush I was expecting. No bullets flying. No screaming. No men bursting through doors with war cries and rifles.


    Instead, it''s quiet. Too quiet. And every single person with a gun in this basement has it pointed at someone else.


    Knox''s men and Mateo''s are locked in a full standoff. Everyone''s weapon is aimed at someone''s chest.


    I nce around. It takes me a second to realize that Knox''s side is winning by just one. The extra man is currently crouched by Hunter''s chair, slicing through the ties around his arms and legs. He doesn''t stop, even though his eyes move to me the second I show up.


    Everyone else sees me too.


    Finn turns his head. His eyes lock on mine fast, and he straightens a little in his seat. He''s bruised and a little bloodied, which tells me that Mateo''s men must have done something to him after they disconnected the call. That bruise under his eye wasn''t there before.


    "Sloane?" he says, more out of reaction than as a question.


    "What the hell," Serena adds.


    Soraya rolls her eyes. "Oh,e on."


    Hunter doesn''t speak, but his jaw flexes hard. They''re all looking at me like I don''t belong here. Like I just became the variable that''ll blow everything up.


    Serena''s the only one not tied up. She''s leaning against the wall, breathing hard. One foot is on the ground while the bandaged one is slightly elevated. Her two hands are holding a rusted pipe tight enough that her knuckles are white. It looks like she''d been hopping to the stairs before I came down.


    They''re all looking at me now.


    Knox. Mateo. Everyone.


    Knox is standing about ten feet away with his gun pointed directly at Mateo''s head. He doesn''t say anything, but the way his jaw tightens tells me everything.


    He''s pissed.


    His arm shifts, and in a second, the gun that had been aimed at Mateo turns toward the man behind me.


    "Let her go," he says.


    Mateo smiles. "Look what we have here. I bet you weren''t expecting this, Knox."


    No. He definitely wasn''t.


    Knox is staring straight into my soul,


    and I can''t tell if he''s about to


    strangle me or wrap me in fiveyers of bubble wrap and throw me in a locked tower. His eyes are hard, really hard, but there''s this other thing in them too. Worry. Part of him looks like he wants to shake me for disobeying him, and the other part is him trying not to fall apart just from seeing me here with a gun pointed to my head.


    I refuse to look away, even though every instinct in me screams to drop my gaze and shrink into the floor.


    My whole body''s tense, heat climbing up the back of my neck. Guilt sits heavy in my stomach, but I keep my eyes on him.


    I mouth, ''I''m sorry.''


    And I am. Not foring down here. Not for thinking maybe I could help. I''m sorry because of how it turned out. Because I walked in trying to protect the man I love, and now I''ve only made things worse.


    "I said, drop the gun," Knox says, "and let her walk."


    Mateo sighs. "Your problem, Knox, is that you''ve always been a difficult


    Ref


    person. Always refusing to acknowledge when you''ve been defeated. Even now. I have the upper hand. So why don''t you do the smart thing and tell your men to lower their weapons before your boo''s brain gets blown out?"


    The gun at my head nudges forward for emphasis. I curse under my breath.


    For someone who seems to be the only person in this room without a weapon, Mateo is remarkably unbothered. Rxed, even. Like none of this is real to him. Like we''re all characters in a game he''s won.


    I don''t know why I ever doubted I''d pull the trigger if I came face-to-face with him. Maybe I thought I''d freeze, or that somest thread of empathy would hold me back. But standing here, seeing this man''s presence fill the room like a sickness, I''m certain of one thing:


    I wouldn''t even pause to think.


    "I''m not going to repeat this again, Mateo," Knox says. "Tell him to put down that gun."


    "Or what, huh? You think you''ll be fast enough to shoot him before he kills her?"

 CHAPTER 142: Morality Trigger

    Knox, of course, doesn''t respond to Mateo''s question.


    His silence says more than words ever could. I think he believes he can shoot the man behind me before that gun goes off in my head. I only wish, for my sake, that he wouldn''t try.


    Mateo''s hand moves down his left leg, like he''s reaching to scratch an itch. The hand disappears beneath the cuff of his pants, and when he straightens, there''s a gun in his hand. A tiny silver handgun. One of thosepact ones that still manage to kill just as effectively as the big guys. He points it straight at Knox.


    I suck in a breath.


    "Do you think you''ll be fast enough to shoot him before I kill you, Knox?" Mateo says with amusement in his voice. "I had a n, you know. A good one. Take you down piece by piece. Everything you care about. Your money. Your club. Maybe even that sex toypany-what is it? Bliss?" He chuckles to himself. "And those other little illegal ventures you''ve got tucked away. Not in your name, of course, but we both know who owns them."


    The more he talks, the angrier Knox bes. I can see it in the way his jaw grinds tighter with every word, the way his fingers flex ever so slightly around the trigger like they''re trying to keep themselves from doing what the rest of him is begging to.


    That anger is rubbing off on me too.


    I want to scream. I want to shut him up. I want to be the one who wipes that look off his face and makes him regret everying eyes on us.


    "But then," Mateo continues, tapping a finger to his chin, "you''ve proven to me in the past few hours that those things don''t matter to you as much as I thought they did. In fact, no one else but one person matters to you. I shot your girlfriend''s sister to get you to give me what''s rightfully mine, a fucking apology. You didn''t break. I tried to kill your best friend. Nothing. Those two shrinks did a pretty decent job trying to mess with my head, bringing up my daughter as some sort of morality trigger and wanting me to admit it''s my fault I got captured instead of yours. They think I''m the viin here, but you are, Knox. You were prepared to let them die as long as it meant keeping your pride."


    The craziest part? I think Soraya might actually be agreeing with him, at least on the part about Knox being a viin. Her eyes shift toward him, and there''s this strange look on her face.


    Mateo''s still speaking. "Soraya, darling," he says, "you don''t need to worry about my rtionship with my daughter. I have ns. I always do. First, I''m going to make sure my ex-wife and her husband are no longer in the picture, and then I''ll take my daughter somece secluded, maybe an ind, and raise her myself. She''ll love me eventually. Long-term hostages always do." Heughs. "I did."


    I''m sure the disgust on everyone''s face is the same as the one on mine right now. Finn spits in his direction. "You''re sick."


    "Haha. Says the man who''s almost ruining his life pining for a girl who no longer cares about him. Tell me, how did you break your arm again?"


    Finn frowns and looks away, eyes falling to Serena, who''s still braced against that wall.


    "All I asked for," Mateo says, "was a simple apology for all the hell I went through because you made a stupid decision and ruined my life, Knox You know, they kept me alive just for fun. Back in the camps. Beatme. Broke me. I made these weird noises whenever I cried, and they thought it was funny. So they found creative ways to make me cry every day, things you wouldn''t even imagine." He pauses. "Then one day, they were ambushed. I was the only one they didn''t kill because I yelled, ''Don''t shoot. I''m an American.'' That was a stupid thing to say, iming I''m a citizen of a country that left me for dead. And the fact that they were Russiansing to retrieve their captured soldiers didn''t help my situation. I managed to survive because I couldmunicate with them in theirnguage. From one prison to another prison. Well, if I thought the Afghans were creative, I certainly hadn''t met the Russians. They took out my eye before deciding that I was probably telling the truth when I said that I''m not a spy. A lot of things happened after that. Blurry memories of me acting as a trantor. A bomb going off. Running. Living amongst locals. When I finally got into the country I called home, I went looking for your grave, Knox. Actually, the empty grave I thought they''d dug in memorial to you since I believed you died in that camp. I wanted to say goodbye properly. Imagine my surprise when I found out you were alive and well."


    Mateo leans forward now.


    "You owe me an apology. And I''m going to get it, or so help me God, your girlfriend''s brain will be scattered across this floor."


    Knox''s eyes never leave mine. In a weird way, he looks calm.


    "You''re right," Knox says. "I do owe you an apology for refusing to ki child. For that, I''m greatly sorry." Knox''s eyes narrow. "You really shouldn''t have pointed a gun at the head of the woman I love."


    Mateo grins. ¡°Desperate times. I''m


    ap you understand. But that


    .n


    apology is half-assed, Knox. That''s not the only thing you should be sorry for. How about my life?"


    Knox''s lips twitch. "Right. You''ll get your apology. I''ll say it over your fucking grave."


    And then Knox''s gun goes off.

 CHAPTER 143: Say One More Word

    It happens so fast that I don''t even realize what''s happening until a few secondster.


    The man behind me copses. One second, his gun is pressing into the back of my head, and the next, he''s a dead weight crashing onto my shoulders. His body knocks me forward, and I lose bnce, hitting the ground hard. Blood pours down my back.


    I don''t even have time to scream because guns go off all around me.


    There''s a lot of shouting.


    I gently push the dead man off me, and his corpsends on my left side.


    My teeth are chattering even though the basement isn''t cold. Dust kicks up with every bullet that hits the floor or the wall. I don''t know where to look. I can''t look. My lungs feel too small for the panic I''m trying to breathe through.


    I force my eyes open and see the gun.


    His gun.


    The man''s fingers are still curled loosely around the handle, but his grip has ckened enough that I can pry it from him. My hands shake as I take it.


    I start crawling. There''s no time to think. Only move. Only survive.


    The concrete scrapes my knees raw as I drag myself forward, and the dead man''s blood makes everything slippery. I spot an old metal filing cab two feet away- tall, dented, and covered in rust that kes off when I touch it. It''s not exactly bulletproof, but it''s something. Better than lying in the open as a target. I duck behind it just as a bullet whizzes past and lodges itself into the concrete wall behind me. The sound resembles that of a hammer hitting bricks.


    I press my back to the cab, breathing hard. Then I peek around the edge.


    Most of the men are no longer standing in the open. They''ve taken cover behind the wide concrete columns that line the basement. Knox is behind one.


    Mateo is crouched behind arge stack of old wooden pallets and some sort of copsed cardboard box setup. The pallets look like they''ve been there for years, warped and stained with water damage.


    Two masked men lie dead on the floor. Mateo''s men.


    I duck again just in time.


    A bullet ms into the filing cab right where my head was, the impact so loud and sudden it makes me bite my tongue.


    "Oh God," I whisper, pressing my forehead to my knees. "This is so much worse than the movies."


    In the movies, they always make it look heroic. But this? This is terrifying. I can''t hear anything except gunfire and my own scream that hasn''t left my throat yet but sits there like a caged bird desperate to escape.


    I''m going to die here.


    I can feel it in my bones. My whole body is vibrating like it''s moments from giving out.


    I peek again, slower this time.


    Serena has crawled under the stairs, sitting on her ass with her injured leg elevated. She''s halfway hidden in the shadows, looking as scared as I believe I look.


    Hunter is crawling fast toward her now that the ropes are off his wrists and ankles. I can see the red marks where they bit into his skin. The man who''d been cutting him free is down. He''s been shot but obviously not dead.


    Finn and Soraya are still tied to their chairs, but they''re on the floor now. They must have thrown themselves down. They move together, their chairs grinding against the concrete as they drag themselves inch by inch toward the stairs.


    Another bullet hits the wall beside me, spraying concrete dust that gets in my eyes and makes them water. I drop back down, my spine hitting the filing cab hard enough to rattle my teeth.


    I close my eyes and cross myself. It''s not something I''d normally do. I''m not even religious, and I''m pretty sure I''m not doing it right. But there better be a deity listening right now.


    "If I make it out of here alive," I whisper under my breath, "I swear I''ll be good. I''ll listen next time. I''ll stay where I''m told. I won''t get curious about things that aren''t my business. I won''t-"


    But even I don''t believe myself. I''ve never been good. Not in the way that word means when people talk about being saved or blessed or worthy. Not in the way that would impress whatever deity might be watching this horror show and taking notes.


    I keep mumbling anyway. Pleas to anyone who might be listening. Deals I know I won''t keep even if I live long enough to try.


    And then suddenly-


    Silence.


    Everything stops like someone flipped a switch.


    No more bullets. No more shouting. Just the loud ring in my ears and the uneven thud of my heart.


    I keep still.


    Are they all dead?


    Please, God no. Surely the gunfire has drawn attention. The police must be on the way. The building''s not exactly soundproof, and it''s not an entirely closed-off area. Someone had to have called 911 by now. Someone had to have heard.


    I stay crouched, eyes shut tight


    enough to see stars. I''m not moving. Not until someone drags me out kicking and screaming. I can''t bring myself to look. I don''t want to know who''s still breathing and whoisn''t. I can''t look at Knox, especially if he''s lying in a pool of his own blood.


    No. I shake my head so hard my neck cracks. I won''t let my brain go there.


    Knox can''t be dead. He can''t be.


    And then I hear him.


    "It''s okay, Bunny," he says. "You cane out."


    My head shoots up so fast I get dizzy.


    Knox.


    I peek around the edge of the filing cab and see him standing there. He''s still got his gun raised, still aiming it at the stack of pallets. where Mateo is hiding. He seems calm. But his shirt-God, his shirt is soaked on one side with something dark and wet that can only be one thing.


    Blood.


    He''s leaning sideways, favoring his right side as though the wound is affecting his bnce. But he''s alive. On his feet.


    The gun in my hand drops to the ground with a thud I barely hear over the rush of relief flooding my system. I scramble out from behind the cab, feet slipping on blood and dust and spent shell casings that roll under my shoes.


    I reach him in seconds. My hands press to his side where the fabric is darkest and wettest. The blood sticks to my fingers.


    "You''ve been shot," I say.


    "I''m fine," he answers, but he flinches whenever I touch him.


    He knew. He knew he''d take a bullet even before he shot that man behind me.


    Mateo had been pointing a gun at him, after all.


    "You¡ª" I shake my head, not sure of what to say.


    He looks down at me with steady eyes, like I''m the only one in this room.


    Beside us, I hear Finn groaning.


    "I think I just broke my broken arm


    In


    again," he says as Hunter helps him up, the chair still partially attached to his legs by rope. "Next time you provoke a psychopath, Knox, maybe tell him you''ve disowned me first. I''d rather not be caught in another shootout this century."


    "Would you shut up?" Serena snaps from her position under the stairs. "It''s your fault you got captured,ing to my house and making stupid requests at night. Nobody wanted to kidnap you, idiot."


    "I would appreciate it if everyone could keep their voices down," Soraya says as Hunter moves to her next, working at the ropes around her wrists. "My brain''s been ringing since that first shot was fired."


    Finn grunts as he tries to stand, nearly toppling over in the process. "It wouldn''t have gotten this far if Knox had just said sorry like a normal person instead of turning everything into some sort of masculine pride contest. He cares about no one else but himself."


    A loud pnds on his face.


    Finn reels backward, hand flying to his cheek.


    "Say one more word and the next cast will be for your jaw," Hunter says.

 CHAPTER 144: Show Your Hands

    Finn stays quiet after that, but his re is all attitude and wounded pride. He rubs his cheek and mutters something under his breath that sounds like cursing in three differentnguages.


    I turn back to Knox, whose attention hasn''t wavered from the pallets where Mateo is still hiding.


    Knox''s men are scattered around the room, some standing and breathing hard, some slumped against walls or columns, all injured or catching their breath or both. They are all waiting, looking to Knox for direction.


    Mateo is still alive. Still crouched behind that barricade of his. I can see part of his shadow through a gap in the pallets and can hear hisbored breathing. And Knox seems to get weaker every passing moment.


    "We need to get you to a hospital," I whisper, pressing harder against his wound. The blood keepsing, seeping through my fingers no matter how much pressure I apply.


    "No hospital," Knox says. "My men will patch me up. Besides, I promised you the honor, remember?"


    He slides his gun into my hand.


    "Mateo has run out of bullets. Now, it''s your turn to be generous and lend him some. Stick them right in his chest."


    "1"


    "Just like I showed you," he continues, his eyes never leaving the pallets. "Don''t hesitate. Don''t look at his face if you can help it. Just pull the trigger and make it count."


    My fingers tighten around the grip.


    Knox speaks again, louder this time. "It''s over, Mateo. Time toe out."


    Mateo doesn''t show, neither does he say a word.


    "I know you''re hurt," Knox continues, his tone almost conversational. "I know you''re bleeding. Make this easy on yourself."


    Still nothing.


    "Shoot the box," Knox tells me, nodding toward the pallets.


    I raise the gun and aim at thergest box I can see. Then I pull the trigger.


    The shot hits the cardboard with a satisfying thunk, and Mateo swears loudly, a string of profanity that would make a sailor blush.


    "Hold your fire!¡± he yells. "I''ming out! Don''t shoot!"


    Slowly, he rises from behind his makeshift fortress. His hands are behind his back in a gesture that looks almost sheepish. His legs are unsteady, wobbling without his cane.


    "Show your hands," Knoxmands. "Both of them. Now."


    "Okay. Okay." Mateo raises his right hand. The tiny silver handgun he used to shoot Knox falls from his fingers and tters to the floor.


    He starts to lift his other hand, and before I can see what''s in it, Knox lunges.


    Not at Mateo.


    At me.


    Knox''s body ms into mine, knocking me backward.


    The grenade hits the floor and explodes.


    It''s loud. One second, I''m standing there holding a gun that feels too heavy in my hands, and the next, the world shatters into a million razor-sharp pieces.


    The pressure knocks the breath out of my lungs. It''s just... pain. Pure, undiluted agony. And ringing. My ears feel like they''ve been stuffed with cotton soaked in gasoline and set on fire at the same time.


    Everything goes white, then gray, then a muddy brown that might be blood or dirt or both.


    I don''t know how long I lie there. Could be seconds. Could be minutes. Could be hours for all I know. Time doesn''t seem to work the same way anymore. The dust is as thick as fog, coating my lips, my eyes, the inside of my mouth until I can barely breathe without choking. It tastes like concrete and twisted metal and something that might be fire or fear.


    Knox is lying on top of me like a human nket, his body a shield between me and whatever hell just broke loose in this basement.


    He''s not moving.


    "Knox," I say. Ites out hoarse. "Knox!"


    Still nothing.


    I push at him, hands trembling, smearing dust and blood across his shirt. He groans. It''s the sound of someone fighting their way back to consciousness throughyers of hurt. I never imagined that such a sound could be this relieving to my ears.


    "Oh, God," I whisper, and I start crying before I realize it''s happening. "You''re alive. You''re alive. Thank God, you''re alive."


    His face is pressed against my neck, and when he shifts to roll slightly off me, I see the blood.


    It''s everywhere.


    Smeared across his side. Down his back. Soaking into the back of his shirt like ink


    in water. And there are tiny dark bits poking through. Shrapnel. Pieces of the grenade are embedded in his skin.


    I gasp. "No, no, no. Oh my God, Knox."


    He blinks at me, slow and groggy. His lips move, but I can''t make out what he''s


    saying over the ringing in my ears.


    I lean in, pressing my ear to his lips.


    "...hurts," he breathes.


    "I know," I say, choking out the words around the lump in my throat. "I know it does. Just hold on, okay? Hold on. Don''t you dare leave me. Help! Someone help!"


    There''s movement around us now, figures emerging from the dust and debris like ghosts.


    Knox''s men.


    Two of them crouch beside us, their hands gentle but sure as they carefully ease him off me. I don''t want to let go. My hands are still gripping his shirt, like if I hold on tight enough, I can keep him alive by sheer force of will.


    But one of the men speaks-Mud, I think, though his voice sounds like it''sing from underwater. "We''ve got him, Sloane. You''re okay. He''s okay."


    I let go, barely. My fingers twitch and clutch at empty air as they lift Knox with practiced care and start carrying him toward the stairs. The others are emerging from their


    hiding ces now, looking like


    survivors of some terrible disaster, which I guess we are. Hunter, Soraya, Serena, Finn Serena''s being supported on either side by Soraya and Hunter.


    Her arms are draped around both their shoulders, her injured leg lifted off the ground. She looks like hell. We all do. Like we''ve been put through a blender and somehow came out the other side still breathing.


    "We need to leave. Right now," Mud says. He gestures to the rest of the men¡ª those not helping with Knox. "Clean it up. Everything. Before someone calls the cops."


    Hunter, Soraya, Serena, and Finn follow behind the people carrying Knox up the stairs. I start to push myself to my feet, and Mud is suddenly beside me, helping me up as my head spins.


    "You hit your head," he says, studying my face.


    "Yeah, well, a grenade went off."


    I try to focus on his face, try to make the world stop tilting sideways. My knees


    wobble like a newborn foal''s, but I stay upright.


    As we move toward the stairs, stepping carefully over debris and bloodstains, I nce over my shoulder and stop dead in my tracks.


    Mateo.


    He''s still there.


    Lying on the floor in a spreading pool of his own blood, body twisted at angles that don''t look quite


    human anymore but not quite dead. His chest rises and falls inbored


    breaths. Guess his own


    renade got him. Yet somehow, somehow, against all odds, he''s still breathing.


    let


    He should be dead. He was closest to the grenade and should have died in the explosion. But no. He''s still hanging on, still clinging to life. That bastard just wont die I swear after everything he''s survived-those years of torture, the camps, the Russians¡ªit''s like he learned how to slip past death on instinct. But not this time. Not if I have anything to do


    with it.


    My eyes scan the floor, hunting through the debris. I spot it, Knox''s gun, lying not


    far from where we were when the world exploded. I pick it up.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 CHAPTER 145: Final Offer

    The others are halfway up the stairs now, their voices echoing in the stairwell.


    Knox is being carried between two men. Mud is still beside me, looking like he''s about to hurry me along, but I step away from him before he can speak.


    I walk toward Mateo instead.


    He sees meing.


    His eyes follow me, tracking my movement with the sluggish awareness of someone barely conscious. Blood trickles from the corner of his mouth, leaving a crimson trail across his cheek. He tries to speak. His lips move soundlessly at first, then manage to croak out words.


    "You... can''t... be... happy," he whispers, each word a struggle.


    My fingers tighten around the grip of the gun.


    "Well, it''s a good thing you won''t be here to see me sad," I say.


    And I pull the trigger.


    The bullet hits him right between the eyes. That''s for almost killing the love of my life, you bastard.


    Jade was right about one thing, at least. It''s messy.


    But it''s done.


    I know I''m not thinking straight. Hell, I''ll probably lose my mind over thister, but right now? Go to hell, Mateo.


    I drop the gun. The men cleaning up the ce will find a way to dispose of it. Then I turn and run. Up the stairs and outside.


    By the time I reach the top, Knox is already being lowered into the backseat of his car, positioned face down to keep pressure off the shrapnel in his back.


    I don''t hesitate. I slip into the car beside him, dropping into the seat and pulling his head onto myp. My tears fall fast. They drop on his temple and soak his hair as I stroke it, trying to offer whateverfort I can.


    "Drive!" I yell to Mud, who''s brushing shards of ss off the front seat. Shards from the window I shot.


    Mud jumps behind the wheel, sitting on the rest of the ss pieces. He ms the door shut.


    Hunteres running toward us and gets into the passenger seat just before we take off. I don''t look back to see if the others make it into their car. I can''t look away from Knox.


    "Is he okay?" Hunter asks, twisting around in his seat to look at us.


    I''m too busy whispering to Knox, brushing the hair from his forehead with trembling fingers, to reply at first.


    "He better be okay," I whisper eventually. "You hear me? You better be okay. Don''t you dare fall asleep. Don''t die on me, Knox."


    There''s nothing but that shallow, irregr breathing.


    "How fast can this thing go?" I yell. "Where''s the nearest hospital?"


    Mud nces at me in the rearview mirror. "We have a doctor. Not a hospital. Somewhere in the city."


    "How far?"


    "A few minutes."


    "Can''t we just use a normal hospital? This is serious. He needs¡ª"


    He doesn''t even look back this time. "And go to jail for the rest of our lives?"


    Right. Of course. Gunshot wounds require police reports. Police reports lead to investigations. Investigations lead to prison cells and life sentences for everyone involved.


    I swallow my next question and stare out the window, willing my heart to stay inside my chest where it belongs. My breathing''s ragged,ing in short gasps that make me dizzy. My head''s spinning like I''m on a carnival ride I can''t get off. I''m either about to faint or scream or both.


    "...Sloane," Knox says.


    I whip my head down. "I''m here. I''m here, baby."


    He groans, a sound that manages to be both painful and reassuring.


    "What did you do to my car?" he mumbles, and I can hear the faint trace of amusement even through the pain.


    The question knocks the wind out of me and then makes meugh through the tears.


    "I shot the window," I say.


    "You... what?"


    "I thought you were getting ambushed. I had toe save you."


    "Right. The big savior," he breathes, and his lips twitch in the closest thing to a


    smile I''ve seen on him since this nightmare started.


    I run my hand through his hair. ¡°Just keep talking to me, okay? Just talk. Stay awake. Stay alive."


    "I''ll stay alive if you promise we''ll have ten kids."


    "Ten kids? Are you seriously ckmailing me right now?"


    "Do you want me to die?" he asks, like it''s a legitimate threat he''s prepared to carry out.


    "Jesus, Knox. Don''t joke about that."


    He tries tough-actuallyugh-but ites out as a grunt of pain that makes


    my stomach turn and my heart clench with worry.


    "Fine," I say, trying to keep my voice light and steady. "One kid."


    "Ten."


    "Two. That''s my final offer."


    "Ten."


    "Fuck off."


    The silence that follows is different from before. I panic.


    "Knox? Knox!"


    But he''s out.


    I don''t remember what happens next exactly. The details blur together. Just that start screaming at Mud that''s


    at Hunter, at Knox himself. My voice is hoarse, useless, but I can''t stop. My hands are still in his hair, fingers tangled in the dark strands. I can''t let go. I won''t let go.


    In the mirror, I see Mud nce back at me, his eyes wide and wary. Like I''m the grenade now, ready to explode at any moment.


    We pull up somewhere minutester. The car screeches to a halt in front of a building that makes me blink in confusion.


    A veterinary clinic?


    I stare at the sign, trying to process what I''m seeing. "What the fuck?" I whisper.


    Mud''s already out of the car. Hunter too. The doors swing open, and peoplee running out¡ªmen in scrubs carrying a stretcher that looks like it was designed for something much smaller than a full-grown man.


    I don''t want to let go. Not when they reach in for him with careful hands. Not when they start lifting his body off myp.


    If Mud says this is where they go for treatment, then I have to trust him. What other choice do I have?


    They carry Knox inside, the stretcher sagging under his weight but holding. Down


    the hallway in the clinic, they go through a set of ss doors that swing shut behind them.


    And I run after them-because I need to be where he is, because I can''t bear to be separated from him now.


    But someone stops me.


    "Ma''am, you can''t go in there," a woman in blood-stained scrubs says, stepping into my path and blocking the door with her body. "Please just wait at reception."


    "Knox!" I scream, trying to push past her. "Let me through!"


    But Hunter pulls me back from behind.


    "Just be calm," he says into my ear. "Knox is a survivor. He''s going to pull through


    this. And then you can give him those ten kids he wants."


    Iugh despite my mood. "Two was my final offer."


    "Great. You can argue about it when hees out of surgery."


    I nod, swallowing the knot in my throat as I stare at the door I''m not allowed to go through. I believe it. have to believe it. Knox wille out of there. Because he''s Knox. Because he''s stronger than shrapnel and blood loss and the kind of injuries that would kill ordinary men. Because he''s mine, and I''m his, and that has to count for something in this cruel, chaotic world. I just got him, and I''m not losing him.


    When he doese out¡ªnot if, but when-we''ll have that argument about babies all over again. We''ll fight about numbers and timing and whether our hypothetical children will inherit his stubborn streak or my reckless curiosity.


    But no matter how many we have or don''t have, no matter what the future holds, I


    already know one thing with absolute certainty-


    My heart is his.


    Strictly Knox''s.


    And that''s never going to change.


    My final offer''s still two kids, though. I''m not all about that life.

 CHAPTER 146: Passive-Aggressive Empowerment

    ~~THREE MONTHS LATER~~


    "Again!" Jade yells. He''s standing beside me with his hands in his pockets, earmuffs on, and safety sses pushed up just enough to see my face. "Don''t stop until the clip''s empty."


    I nod without saying anything because what is there to say?


    The first shot goes off, jerking my shoulder with the recoil. I keep going.


    Bang.


    Bang. Bang.


    The sound is everything, louder than the voice in my head that keeps whispering, ''You killed someone, you killed someone, you killed someone.'' The indoor range smells like gunpowder and industrial bleach, a smell that makes my eyes water. My ears are muffled by the protective gear, but I can still feel each shot rattling through my chest.


    Bang.


    Bang.


    I didn''t want to be here. Didn''t want to be standing in the firing range beneath Knox''s club, listening to Jade bark instructions at me. But after months of therapy sessions where I''ve danced around the warehouse incident-unable to voice my actual problem without risking jail time-Knox decided I needed to face my demons head-on.


    And apparently, my demon is holding a gun again.


    The weird thing is, when Jade first handed me the Glock, I didn''t flinch. Didn''t freeze up or have a panic attack or any of the dramatic reactions I''d been expecting. My hands just closed around it like muscle memory. Guess the problem isn''t the weapon itself. It''s what I did with one just like it.


    It''s the act of killing someone that''s eating me alive.


    Knox is getting therapy too. He''d shot down my suggestion initially, stubborn as always, but when the night terrors came back worse than before and he started refusing pain medication as some kind of twisted form of trauma treatment, I put my foot down. You either go to them, or I bring them to you. The therapist I found for him costs more per hour than most people make in a week, but it''s working. He''s not constantly scanning every room for threats anymore. He''s not having panic attacks when I''m out of his sight or at least, he''s getting better about hiding them.


    Right now, he''s watching from behind a one-way ss partition while lying on his stomach getting tattooed, a piece he''s been working on for two days. The doctor said it''s too early to be getting ink over his scars, but Knox has never been one to listen to medical advice. He won''t tell me what the design is and keeps it covered every time I try to peek. All I know is he can see us through that one-way mirror, watching Jade teach me how to shoot.


    It''s like having a golden retriever boyfriend, if golden retrievers weighed two hundred pounds and had separation anxiety issues the size of Texas. When ites down to it, he''s more of a clingy Rottweiler.


    Thest shot echoes longer than the others. When I finally lower the gun, my hands are shaking, not from fear, but from the sheer physical effort of keeping that thing steady.


    Jade steps forward and hits the button on the control panel that brings our paper silhouette toward us.


    When the target stops in front of us, it''s unmarked. Not a single hole. Not one.


    "Wow," Jade says. "This is actually impressive. How do you miss seventeen shots? I mean, mathematically speaking, shouldn''t you have hit it at least once by mistake?"


    "Fuck you, Jade," I reply.


    Heughs. "You''re spectacrly terrible at this. I''m charging Knox extra for these lessons."


    Before I can respond, he''s plucking the gun from my hands. He proceeds to check the chamber, eject the empty magazine, and reload, doing it all with ease.


    "How''s my mom?" I ask, needing to fill the silence.


    Jade doesn''t look up from the gun. "You know Margot. Back to her usual routine. She misses you terribly, though. You should really think about letting bygones be bygones."


    "I''m just not ready."


    "You can''t keep avoiding your family, Sloane."


    "I''ve got priorities right now," I say, and I can feel my shoulders tensing up. "Besides, you see how Knox hangs around me constantly. Until they give me their word that they''re not going to start drama about us being together, they can stay in limbo."


    He hands the gun back to me. "That''s it? Your family epting your boyfriend? You should have just said that months ago. Your mother''s moved way past caring about that. She forgave me, remember?"


    "Right," I say, but the word tastes like sawdust.


    Because what I''m not telling Jade is that Knox isn''t the actual problem. He''s the excuse. My family has turned into aplete circus, and I''ve been trying not to let the entire thing swallow me whole.


    Somehow, Jade and my mother have made peace with each other. Serena''s pregnant-by Jade, which is its own kind of mess. And now my mother is only forgiving her on the condition that she gives the baby up... to her. She means to adopt it. Like it''s a swap deal. One child for the redemption of another.


    The thought alone makes my stomach turn. I don''t know how Jade isn''t freaking out about it. But I guess he''ll do anything for his wife.


    And then there''s Serena and Finn. I walked in on them about a month ago while picking up thest of my things and returning the key, and I certainly can''t unsee what I saw. They weren''t just naked together under the sheets butfortable in it. Familiar.


    That''s an image I had to bring up in therapy.


    Serena''s reply when I asked if she


    didn''t think it was weird to be


    Pet


    screwing Finn was simply that he makes herugh and doesn''t care that she''s pregnant. I get it. Loneliness can be a bitch. But Finn? And when I mentioned the fact that he''s probably just using her as a substitute for me, she didn''t deny it. Just said, "Guess we''re using each other. The sex is great too." She then had the nerve to suggest there might be an actual connection between them. Apparently, they''d had "one stupid drunken night" back when Finn was still my best friend, so whatever''s happening now might


    not just be him chasing some leftover craving for me.


    That was it. Thest straw. I took time off from all of them. Mom. Serena. Dad.


    The only person I still talk to is Grandma, who keeps inviting me to wild house parties at my dad''s ce while he''s out trying to win Daphne back. Partying with grandmas? How does that work?


    I have other things keeping me busy


    anyway. Like dealing with the team of stubborn men who work under me in Knox''s club tech security. department. They''re stuck in their outdated ways of doing things, and honestly, they''re making my life hell with their resistance to every modern improvement I try to implement.


    But that frustration keeps me sane. Keeps me busy. I''ve started renaming system scripts after


    pioneering women in tech-Ada


    Grace Hedy, Katherine. Color-coded the entire user interface in soft pinks and purples just to irritate them. Added an Al voice name ¡°Cassie" that refers to everyone as "sweetheart" unless they override it. Even switched the default system font to something called "Feminine Sans" that I may or may not have created myself. Passive-aggressive empowerment is my brand now.


    They grumble about it constantly, but they''ll adapt. I''m here to stay, and I''m a modern woman in a modern world. They can deal with it or find another job.


    I know what goes on in the floors above mine. I''m not naive about Knox''s business operations. But I''ve made a conscious choice to stay in myne and let him handle whatever needs handling. usible deniability is a beautiful thing when you want to sleep peacefully at night.


    "Okay," Jade says, moving to stand behind me. "Where do I even start with this disaster?"

 CHAPTER 147: Demon Rabbit

    One of Jade''s hands goes to my shoulder to adjust my position.


    "First problem, your stance ispletely wrong," he says, using his foot to nudge my feet wider apart. "You''re standing like you''re afraid the gun''s going to attack you. nt your feet. You want a stable base, not whatever this tippy-toe situation is."


    He continues his lessons. We practice the stance, the grip, the sight alignment over and over until my arms ache. By the end of the lessons, I''ve actually managed to hit the paper a few times. Not well, but it''s progress.


    After we finish up, I head to the private room where Knox is getting tattooed. The buzz of the tattoo machine fills the air as I push through the door.


    Knox is stretched out on his stomach, and his eyes track my movement the second I enter.


    I settle into a chair in the far corner, deliberately positioning myself so I can''t see whatever design is taking shape on his back. He''s been so secretive about it, covering it up every time I try to peek.


    "How were the lessons?" he asks.


    "Jade''s an asshole."


    Knox grins. "That''s exactly why I like him. Absolutely zero moralpass. Just like you."


    "Excuse me? What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "It means I love you," he says, his voice dropping lower. "And you''d look incredible naked on this table."


    I have to give the tattoo artist credit; he doesn''t even flinch. Doesn''t pause in his work or give any indication he heard Knox''s inappropriatement.


    The heat in Knox''s voice and the way he''s looking at me make my cheeks burn. It''s ridiculous how he can still make me blush like a teenager. We''ve been having an insane amount of sextely-like, constantly, everywhere, in ways that would probably get us arrested if we got caught. And somehow simplements like that still turn me into a blushing mess.


    Even now, I''m getting flustered thinking about yesterday when he pulled me into that supply closet behind the bar during peak hours and had me pressed against the shelves, one hand over my mouth to muffle my gasps while he worked me over with his fingers until my legs gave out. Thenter, he had me sprawled across his office desk for what felt like hours, bringing me right to the edge over and over until I was crying and begging him to let me finish.


    This level of constant arousal can''t be normal. I''m starting to think I need medical intervention.


    "The tattoo''s almost done," Knox says, giving me that knowing smile that means he can read every dirty thought crossing my face. "Want to see it?"


    I get up slowly, my legs still a little unsteady, and walk over to where he''s lying. When I''m close enough to see his back clearly, I stop short.


    Spread across the entire width of his back, rendered in bold ck ink, is arge bunny. Complete with long ears and everything.


    This isn''t what I expected at all.


    It is not some cute cartoon bunny or Easter decoration. This thing is dark, almost menacing.


    I study it for a long moment, taking in every detail. When it dawns on me that this mountain of a man chose to permanently ink a bunny on his back. Well, it''s a terrifying bunny but still a bunny. I giggle. Before I know it, I''m doubled over,ughing so hard I have to wrap my arms around my stomach. Tears are streaming down my face, and I can''t stop. Every time I try to catch my breath, the image of Knox''s demon rabbit sends me into another fit.


    "Is something wrong?" Knox immediately sits up, concern written all over his face.


    I wipe at my cheeks and shake my head, stepping into the space between his legs. "No," I breathe out, smiling as I run a hand through his hair. "It''s beautiful, Knox."


    "You''re not just saying that to stop me from suing the artist?"


    Iugh again, leaning down a little. "It''s beautiful," I repeat. "I hope we don''t have


    to twin or anything, though. That looked extremely painful."


    "The real question is, would you tattoo a dick on a dick? You''re already a bunny.


    My bunny." And then he pulls me in closer until I''m straddling one thigh and he''s whispering against my ear. ¡°Horny like a bunny too."


    A full-body shiver runs through me. His beard scrapes against the curve of my ear and I''m seconds from letting out a sound I''ll regret when I catch the tattoo artist staring intently at the far wall like it''s the most interesting thing he''s ever seen.


    "Stop it," I whisper, swatting at his shoulder. "That''s ticklish."


    His nose brushes my cheek, then he pulls just far enough to meet my eyes. "Do


    you know one special thing about bunnies?"


    "If this is going where I think it''s going¡ª¡±


    "They have a very high reproductive drive."


    "Knox."


    "Come on," he says, pulling me flush against him. "It''s just ten. What''s the big deal about having ten kids?"


    I give him a look. "How about my vagina never looking or acting the same again? How about crotch goblins running around the house? With ten kids, I''ll never have a life again."


    He''s been skirting around this topic since his surgery, never fullying


    out to say it; just dropping us to 70


    hints. Like asking if I wanted us


    move into a bigger house with more bedrooms. "What''s wrong with the one we have?" I''d said. Or how he randomly dropsments like, "This house would need a lot of baby proofing. Too many sharp corners." I''m good at avoiding the conversation because I''m not ready to share him. I almost lost him three months ago in a basement full of bullets and blood and fear. I''m still not over it. He''s barely healed. I''m not ready to love anyone else the way I love him.


    "You let me worry about your vagina,¡± he says, ¡°since it''s mine."


    "Fuck off, Knox."


    "How about eight kids?"


    "Two."


    "Six."


    "Two."


    "Don''t you everpromise?"


    "This is mepromising."


    ...ne


    He''s smiling again, and before I cane up with another smart response, he leans in and kisses me. It''s not soft. It''s not sweet. It''s intense. His handes up behind my neck, guiding my face tochis. Our mouths fit together like they always do-perfectly, hungrily-and I lose track of everything until I hear someone clear their throat. The tattoo artist. Still pretending the wall is fascinating.


    We break apart, and Knox rests his forehead against mine, still breathing hard.


    "Let''s continue this conversation over tacoster."


    "Tacos?" I whisper.


    "Yup. I know just the spot."


    "Since when do you eat tacos?"


    "You''d want to know, wouldn''t you?" He nudges me gently back. "Now go sit your


    pretty ass back on that chair before I cut this session short and finish what we


    started."


    I nce at the artist, self-conscious now. "I''ll be right over there."

 CHAPTER 148: Lets Play A Game

    About an hourter, we''re sitting outside some taco ce tucked into a quiet corner of lower Manhattan, not far from the South Street Seaport. The smell of roasted corn and grilled meat fills the air. Knox''s car is parked across the street- ck and polished andpletely out of ce next to the weathered brick walls and shing string lights of this tiny eatery.


    We''re seated at a small metal table, and Knox is biting into a taco with zero grace. I''m not doing much better.


    "That''s not how you eat it," he says through a mouthful, pointing at the way I''ve tilted mine sideways. "You''re gonna get it all over your dress."


    "What''s the point of eating tacos if not to get messy?"


    He smirks. "Touch¨¦. You''re nasty. I like that."


    And then, without warning, he leans in and licks a smear of chipotle mayo off the corner of my mouth. His tongue is hot and slow, and I almost drop my taco. My eyes flutter closed for a second.


    "Shit," I breathe when he pulls back. "I think I need to make some more mess." "You don''t need to find creative ways to get me to maul you. Just say the word." "Where''s the fun in that?" I grin. And then a question I''ve had in my mind for a while pops up. "By the way, have you heard from your friend, Hunter?"


    "He''s still out of the country."


    "Right." I try to keep my tone casual, but he''s already watching me too closely. It can''t be a coincidence that Hunter and Soraya seem to be out of the country at the same time. With the kind of crazy things going on around me these days, I wouldn''t be surprised if those two are hooking up. It''s an oddbination.


    Knox, of course, reads it on my face.


    "You can say whatever''s on your mind, you know."


    I hesitate, then go for it. "So... Hunter and Soraya. Are they...?"


    "I strongly believe so."


    "Don''t you find that weird? Your ex-wife being with him? Isn''t that the whole reason he called off his wedding? Because Delh had been with you?"


    "In his defense," Knox says, licking salsa from his thumb, "Soraya and I weren''t together in that sense. And I think he''s a different person now."


    "Sure," I say.


    I want to add that who isn''t? It seems we all decided life is too short after that


    grenade went off. But Hunter and Soraya? Really?


    "It''s a pattern, you know," I say.


    "What?"


    "Your friend. I think he likes being used."


    Knox raises an eyebrow. "Why would you think that?"


    "Because Soraya''s obviously looking for a husband to help her raise her kid, as she said in that warehouse. She''s using him. Hunter''s just a means to an end."


    He stares at me for a long second and then breaks intoughter, tipping his head back. It''s the kind of deep, genuineughter I don''t see from him often.


    "What''s funny?" I ask.


    "You don''t see the coincidence? The first day I met you, you said the same thing about Hunter and Delh. Called her a gold digger and all. Monthster, here we are again."


    "So?"


    "You are not allowed to interfere this time. I don''t think he''d forgive us again if we mess this up. Do you think I''m willing to write an apology letter to Hunter?"


    I roll my eyes. "I think we''ve covered how much you hate apologies, Knox. The scars on your back are enough reminder."


    Heughs again, and we fall into easy conversation. Knox''s eyes never leave mine. We keep talking,ughing, and teasing each other. Somehow, by the time we''re done eating, I''ve managed to get taco sauce on my chest, on my neck, and what looks like guacamole on my shoulder. Knox keeps making increasingly creative offers to "help clean me up," and I keep having to ward him off with my napkin like I''m fending off an overly friendly dog.


    He stands and takes my hand, saying, "Come on. There''s something I have to show you."


    I barely have time to grab my bag


    before he''s leading me down toward the water, hand wrapped tight


    around mine. He won''t tell me where we''re going, just keeps walking with that steady, purposeful pace of his until we reach the edge of the pier.


    "Right here," he says, stopping.


    The lights from the bridge make the East River shimmer, and I find myself whispering, "It''s so beautiful.


    Knox nods. "And very deep. About sixty feet down. Things that go in there might get lost forever."


    "Okay. That''s random. You brought me here to talk about the depth of the river?"


    "Yes. But not entirely." His eyes,


    which were fixed on the water, turn


    to me. "I came here to remind you that you''re the best thing that has ever happened to me. Even in my dreams, I see those cute bangs of yours."


    "Which dreams? The nightmares?" I tease.


    He smiles andes closer, putting his finger under my chin and lifting my face


    until our eyes meet. "The good dreams. Always the good ones. I love you so


    much, Sloane Mercer."


    "I love you too, Knox."


    "How much?"


    "Umm... more than those tacos."


    He looks disappointed. "That''s not a goodparison."


    "They were really good tacos."


    He releases my chin and steps back a little, creating space between us. His hands slide into his pants pockets and stay there a moment too long.


    "Let''s y a game," he says.


    "What kind of game?"


    Both handse out of his pockets, fists clenched tight, keeping whatever he''s holding hidden from view.


    "I''ve got two things in my hands, each important to one of us. One of them''s going


    in the river. You get to decide which."


    He opens his left hand first, revealing a pack of half-used birth control pills.


    My jaw drops. "Are those mine? How-how did you¡ª"


    "Took them out of your bag."


    "Why?"


    Y


    "Because I know you want what I want, Sloane, he says, pausing to breathe. "You''re just scared. You think you''ll mess it up when you have another human attached to you, someone you have to love and care for. That because your father or your mother was emotionally or physically unavable, you will be too. But that''s not true, baby. You love me. You care for me, and you''re doing such a great job of it. You''re built for this, Sloane. You''re a five-foot bundle of overwhelming, boundless, and explosive emotions. Sacrificial. A little unhinged, but in the best way. Our kids will be lucky to have you."


    A tear slips down before I can stop it.


    "That''s..." I say quietly, "I don''t even know what to say."


    "Just say yes, and I''ll toss this in."


    I stare at the pills, my hand pressed to my chest. I already know my answer. But


    still...


    "You said this is a game," I say. "What''s in the other hand?"


    The smile he gives me can only mean he''s been waiting for that question. Slowly,


    he opens his right fist until what''s insidees into view.


    "Oh, my god," I whisper. "Is that¡ª"


    He uses his other hand to help flip the small velvet box open. Inside, a diamond


    ring catches the light from the streetmps, sparkling like starlight.


    "Would you be kind enough," he says softly, "to assist me in tossing one of these into the river, Bunny?"


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 CHAPTER 149: Matching Surnames

    ***


    ~~KNOX~~


    ***


    When something good finally finds its way into your life, especially after a long time without, it''s hard not to live in constant fear of losing it.


    I''ve never been this afraid in my life. Not when I took my first punch in the ring, not when I got captured overseas, not even when I watched the love of my life held at gunpoint.


    This is worse. Loving her is worse.


    Because lovees with fear. With want. With the obsessive need to know she''s okay at all times. I get these gut punches of panic when she''s not in my line of sight. I wake up in the middle of the night and reach out for her body on instinct. If she''s not there-if she''s even just in the bathroom with the door closed-I have to physically see here out before I can lie back down.


    I have to check that she''s still breathing three times a night. I have to hear it. See the slow rise and fall of her back. Press a hand to her chest if I have to.


    And yeah, I know what that makes me. Clingy. Paranoid. A little unhinged. So I told my therapist about it. The one Sloane hired for me and practically ckmailed me into seeing. I told him everything. The nightmares. The guilt. The fear. And when he asked me what I thought would make me feel secure enough to breathe again, to really breathe, I gave him the only honest answer I had.


    "I want to marry her," I said. "I want her to be mine in every way possible. Legally. Emotionally. Spiritually. I want to write her name into every part of my life. I want a family."


    That was a month ago.


    And every day since, I''ve been staring at this ring, this perfect sparkly thing I picked out myself like some lovesick puppy, and wondering how the hell to give it to her.


    Do I write a speech? n a grand gesture? Take her on a helicopter ride, maybe? Public proposal? Private?


    Would she say yes?


    Every time the answer didn''te, I shoved the ring back into its box and hid it again. Then picked it up the next day and repeated the cycle like a lunatic.


    Until two days ago.


    We''d just finished a morning run. She had that flushed look on her cheeks from the wind and exercise, her hair damp at the edges, and we were walking past some wedding boutique downtown. I wouldn''t have noticed it, except she slowed, and her eyesnded on one of the dresses in the disy.


    And she just... stared.


    Not long. Not obvious. Just enough for me to notice.


    And I decided I was being ridiculous.


    This is Sloane. My Sloane. My bunny. Why the hell would she say no?


    So now here we are.


    I''m standing on the edge of the East River, back still aching from the tattoo that''s healing under my shirt, with one hand holding her birth control pills and the other holding an open velvet box.


    She''s got both hands covering her mouth. Her eyes are wide. Wet. She looks like


    she''s either about to cry or about to bolt. I can''t tell which.


    "Oh, my god," she says softly. "Oh, my god, Knox. Are you asking me to marry you?"


    "Yes," I say. "I am."


    And before I can stop myself, the restes spilling out.


    "You don''t need to give me an answer straightaway," I add quickly. "I really don''t care what you say or choose today, Sloane. I just need you to know how I feel about you. How much I want matching O surnames and all the other legal bullshit thates with that certificate. I want us to be legal. Probably the most legal thing I''ll ever have. I want to be able to walk into a room and announce you as my wife. I want to write you into everything I own. That cute smile of yours-" My voice breaks for a second. "It''d be nice to have duplicate copies. Tiny Sloanes running around. Maybe not ten. Just enough to keep you entertained when I''m out of the country or something." I shake my head, feeling like I''ve said too much. "I''m babbling, aren''t I?"


    She sniffles and brushes tears from her face. "No. No, you''re not, Knox."


    I can''t stop now, anyway. Moving closer, I say, "The truth is, I want to make you as


    happy as you make me, Sloane."


    She opens her mouth like she''s about to say something, then closes it again.


    Then opens it a second time. A slow smile forms.


    "Are you really going to throw a diamond ring into the river if I say no?" she asks.


    I raise


    brow. "Want me to show


    you? I''ll toss it right now. But then I''ll


    buy another one in a month and try


    again if your answer''s still no, I''ll try


    again the next month. And the next. Until you say yes."


    I''m close enough to touch her now. I can see the tears still clinging to hershes,


    the way her chest rises and falls with every breath.


    "That''s really romantic, Knox," she says.


    "It is?"


    "Very sweet."


    Then, without taking her eyes off me, she snatches the pills out of my hand and


    flings them behind her.

 CHAPTER 150: Biggest Baby

    I swear, in all my life, I''ve never been this hungry to kiss someone. It''s like the oxygen in my body is burning up just from holding back. I want her mouth. Her skin. All of her.


    But I have to control myself and wait.


    "I feel like you thought I was going to say no," Sloane says. "You have this strange


    look in your eyes."


    "You''re unpredictable."


    "Really?"


    "I don''t always know what''s running through that pretty head of yours."


    She grins. "You''re right. Because at this moment, I''m wondering why this behemoth of a man that I love is holding a ring before me and isn''t on his knees yet."


    That earns augh from me.


    And I don''t waste another second.


    Without taking my eyes off her, I lower myself down on one knee.


    ¡°Sloane Mercer,¡± I say. ¡°My dearest bunny. The love of my life. Will you marry me?"


    She screams.


    It''s not a delicate sound. Not a whimper. A full-on scream that echoes against the water. Then she starts jumping-literally jumping up and down like her feet can''t stay on the ground.


    Iugh. I can''t help it.


    "Yes, yes, yes!" she says, finally stopping to catch her breath. "I''ll marry you, Knox Hartley. Put that damn ring on me!"


    I rise to my feet, take the ring from the box, and slide it onto her finger.


    It fits her just as I knew it would.


    The moment it''s in ce, I don''t think. I just move. One arm goes around her waist, lifting her clean off the ground. The other tangles in her hair, gripping it so tightly I''m probably pulling at the scalp. But she doesn''t care.


    Neither do I.


    I crush my mouth to hers, and it''s the hungriest kiss we''ve ever had. All teeth and tongue and need. She matches me perfectly, always does. Her arms fly around my neck, legs lock around my waist, and she''s clinging to me like she never wants to let go.


    She moans into my mouth, and I swallow the sound, groaning back. Our tongues tangle together, desperate and messy. We''re barely stopping to breathe, just panting against each other''s lips before diving back in.


    Her taste, her sounds, the way she feels pressed against me-it''s driving me crazy. I could kiss her like this forever. Would, if we weren''t standing on a public street.


    When we break apart, she doesn''t try to get down. Just slumps against me, face buried in my neck. Her breath is hot on my skin, and she fits right there.


    I start walking us back toward the car, holding her in my arms.


    "Two kids?" she says, lips moving against my neck when she talks. The feel of her breath there, with


    mouth almost touching my


    sends electric shocks through me. My dick starts to get hard, which is probably not the best timing when I''m carrying my fianc¨¦e down a public street, but I can''t help it. Everything about her gets to me.


    "Fine," I say. "Two kids."


    "No junior names type of shit, right? I hate those names."


    "I''ll let you pick out all the names," I say, still walking. "Call them whatever you like."


    "It''ll be unique and modern. Like Beyonc¨¦''s Blue Ivy and Rihanna''s Riot Rose."


    I pause mid-step, processing thatst one. "Riot Rose? What the hell does that even mean?"


    "Doesn''t matter. The point is, it''s unique. It means something to them. It''s not just ''Knox Junior'' or some boring traditional name."


    "Right." I resume walking. "Have at it. Whatever rocks your boat, sweetheart." "And I''ll still be your biggest baby, right?"


    I nod, unable to fight a smile. "You''ll always be my biggest baby. Kids or no kids."


    "I''ll be so fat when I''m pregnant. Like, really fat. Are you prepared for that?"


    Iugh, the sound echoing off the buildings around us as I hold her tighter. "I''ll love you in sickness, health, thickness,nkiness-whatever you throw at me. You could gain two hundred pounds, and I''d still think you were the most beautiful woman alive."


    She scoffs, but I can see the pleased smile she''s trying to hide. "Save your vows for the wedding, Knox."


    "Those aren''t vows," I correct her. "They''re facts."


    "What''s the difference?"


    ¡°Well, facts don''t need faith. They just are. Vows are promises about the future, things you hope you''ll be able to keep. But what I just said? That''s not hope. That''s certainty. I have all the faith in the world in my ability to keep loving you no matter what life throws at us."


    She''s quiet for a second, then mutters, "Damn. Who knew my future husband was a Gandhi?"


    Iugh out loud. "You have uncovered my secret ancestry."


    And because ean''t help myself-because I''m high on her yes and drunk on herughter and feeling more alive than I have in years break into the most


    ridiculous, off-key imitati


    ve


    of an


    Indian song I can manage,plete


    with a terrible ent that would probably offend half the


    subcontinent.


    Sloane''s entire body shakes as sheughs, and I swear I could bottle that sound. Keep it with me forever. Her warmth. Her joy. Her whole body vibrating against


    mine.


    I almost don''t want to put her down when we get to the car. For a moment, I seriously consider the logistics of just driving home with her still clinging to me and straddling myp like she''s the seatbelt.


    That''s the kind of reckless, selfish thinking that gets people crashing into


    streetlights.


    So I force myself to let go, to unhook her legs and guide her into the


    passenger seat as a sane, responsible adult. She''s still smiling as I lean in and press a soft kiss to her tips. Just one more, because I can''t not. Then I bend a little further and kiss her ring finger, sealing that promise the old-fashioned way.


    I shut the door gently and circle around to the driver''s side, already itching to get


    us home.


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 CHAPTER 151: Vow Contest

    "Well," the officiant says with a friendly smile on his face, "we''ve made it to the


    moment that matters most. Knox and Sloane, you''ve chosen to stand here today,


    just the two of you, because what you have is rare, and real, and enough. You''ve


    asked to exchange your own vows, so let''s begin. Knox, whenever you''re ready."


    Knox''s fingers tighten around mine the second we''re given the floor.


    Seeing the look in his eyes, I know that I made the right decision dragging him to


    Vegas to get married.


    The chapel is small, just as we wanted. There''s a faint floral scent in the air - fake


    lilies, I think. The windows are frosted, making the whole ce glow as light filters


    through.


    It''s the kind of peace I wouldn''t have gotten if I''d let Grandma June take over the


    wedding preparations.


    God.


    I''ve learned the hard way that when you''re freshly engaged and still high off that


    moment, the absolute worst person you can call is your grandmother. Especially


    when you''ve been avoiding the rest of your family.


    You can never be more excited than a grandmother. It''s impossible.


    I called her the night of the proposal, still breathless, my hand shaking as I stared


    at the ring Knox had slid onto my finger just minutes before. She gasped so hard I


    thought she''d faint, and before I could get through the sentence, "I''m so happy,"


    she was already calling half of Manhattan.


    Within three days, I''d received over seventy texts from people I hadn''t heard from


    in years. Former ssmates. Former coworkers. Distant rtives who once held


    me as a baby, apparently. Some messages came with congrattions. Some with


    unsolicited advice. Some with awkward emoji-heavy reactions that made me want


    to throw my phone across the room.


    And every day after that, Grandma June would call with new ideas. A garden


    theme. A vintage theme. A modern minimalist theme. She wanted cascading


    flowers. Rose gold chairs. A choreographed dance. She even brought up hiring a


    celebrity impersonator as the MC. I swear I''m not making that up.


    She already had a P*******t board made with my full name on it.


    One day, she sent me an image of three almost identical pink nail polish swatches


    and asked which shade I wanted for the wedding. When I replied, "Aren''t they all


    the same?" I got a two-minute voice note in return telling me I had no eye for


    detail and that if I didn''t want to look washed out, I''d better take nail color


    seriously.


    I threw myself face-first onto the bed and groaned into the pillow while Knox sat


    on the couch andughed like it was the bestedy he''d seen all year.


    "You''re mad because she loves you," he said, sipping his drink with that smug grin


    on his face.


    He wasn''tughing when his own family started calling me, though.


    His number? Unreachable. On purpose.


    Mine? Apparently still open for business. And I kept getting these calls from


    numbers I didn''t recognize. At first, I ignored them, assuming they were the usual


    telemarketers or distant cousins trying to squeeze themselves onto my wedding


    list. But then one of those unknown numbers sent a message.


    It was from Julian Hartley. Knox''s father, or technically, his uncle. The first time I


    heard the story, the one about how Julian''s sister had given birth to Knox and


    disappeared right after, leaving him to be raised by Victoria Hartley, who hated


    Knox for it... I''d nearly seen red. But with all the chaosing from my own


    family, I didn''t have the luxury of being angry for too long. I had to channel it


    elsewhere.


    "Hi, Sloane," the text said. "I got your number off Finn and was hoping to speak


    with Knox. I feel like we left things in a bad way, and there were a lot of


    mimunications. Let me know if he''s open to talking."


    I knew what that meant. It was his way of saying sorry, probably after his wife


    spent hours talking him into it. Mimunication? Really? That''s one way to put


    it. You ruined his life.


    When I showed Knox the text, he stared at it for a full thirty seconds, muttered


    something under his breath, and then deleted it from my phone. He never brought


    it up again.


    Just like that. Over and done.


    That was the moment I knew we couldn''t have the wedding in Manhattan. Getting


    married there would mean letting Grandma have her way, and if that happened,


    half the would be at my wedding.


    No, thank you.


    So one afternoon, two weeks after Knox''s proposal, I walked into his office,


    leaned against the doorframe, and said, "Let''s get married in Vegas."


    He looked up from hisputer, eyes narrowed like he wasn''t sure if I was


    serious. "You want to invite everyone to Vegas?"


    "No. I want to elope and marry your ass in Vegas, Knox. Just the two of us."


    That made him grin. The slow kind. The one that lights up his whole face.


    "Isn''t that where everyone goes for a shotgun wedding?" he asked.


    "I never said I was original. Besides, Vegas is fun. I want a fun wedding."


    "Well, baby," he said, leaning back in his chair, "I''m down for whatever. Fix a


    date."


    "This weekend."


    That surprised him. But not enough to say no.


    "I don''t know what''s gotten into you," he said, "but I love it. I''ll make the


    arrangements right away. Your grandmother''s going to be pissed."


    "I know. I''ll deal with her when I''m back."


    We spent the next day shopping,


    with Knox insisting he had better


    fashion sense, which is up for


    debate. But he was oddly


    opinionated about wedding dresses.


    He picked this short white one with


    tiny off-shoulder sleeves and silky


    fabric that hugs just enough to feel


    scandalous. And God, don''t get me


    started on the six-inch heels that are


    currently setting my calves on fire.


    We flew into Vegasst night on a private jet. Got our marriage license at the


    rk County Bureau this morning. And came straight here to the chapel.


    And now, even though I''ve been standing in these six-inch heels for far too long,


    this is still the best day of my life.


    Knox is in front of me in a suit-an


    actual suit, which almost never


    happens. Whad to insist he get one.


    No tie, of course. That was his one


    rule. The top two buttons of his


    white shirt are undone, just enough


    to reveal the edges of the tattoos on


    his chest. His hair''s a m¨¦ss. His


    smile is devastating.


    I can''t stop smiling. I''m swaying side to side like I''ve had too much sugar, barely


    able to stay still. Giddy doesn''t even begin to cover it. Across from me, Knox is


    doing his best to look calm, but I know him too well. He clears his throat,


    beginning his vows.


    "The truth is," he says, "I didn''t write


    anything down. I couldn''t. But if I


    had, I''d still be standing here looking


    at you... forgetting every single word.


    You''re so beautiful, Bunny. I''ve never


    wanted anything more than want


    you. You crawled under my skin the


    day we met, and nothing''s been the


    same since."


    I blink hard, trying to stay present, trying to hold on to every syble.


    I''ve seen the worst parts of myself through your eyes... and somehow, you


    stayed. Even when I didn''t say the right thing. Even when my mischievous ways


    should''ve pushed you away. You''re the first person who ever made me want to


    stay alive long enough to grow old."


    My eyes blur with tears.


    "So this is me promising you everything I have," he says. "The parts that are


    loudly and obsessively and stupidly in love with you. The parts that are soft and


    scared and trying. I want to be yours in every way that matters. Today. Tomorrow.


    And for the rest of our lives."


    He gives a tiny shake of his head.


    "I love you so much, Sloane Mercer. I really can''t wait to call you Mrs. Sloane


    Hartley."


    A single tear slips down my cheek, and I don''t even try to brush it away. I''m


    smiling too wide. Feeling too much.


    "Jesus, Knox," I say, blinking up at him. "Remind me not to go into a vow contest


    with you."

 CHAPTER 152: Mrs. Sloane Hartley

    Kxox chuckles. "I''m sure you''ll be alright."


    And now it''s my turn.


    I take a deep breath, trying to speak around the lump in my throat. My voice wavers, but I don''t look away from him.


    "Well," I say, "before I met you, I spent my entire life chasing things I thought I wanted. Boundless affection. Love. The kind of love that would make someone choose me over the entire world. Every time I thought I was close to getting it, it slipped away. And I had to start chasing all over again."


    I swallow, catching my breath.


    "And then you came along. God, you were relentless."


    He grins but doesn''t speak.


    "You didn''t wait for me toe around. You chased me like you already knew I was yours. And the truth is, I didn''t stand a chance. Not against these feelings that are constantly overwhelming. I couldn''t not fall in love with you, Knox."


    His thumb brushes mine again as I exhale, steadying myself.


    "And I promise you, from this day and forever, I''ll stay. I''ll show up. I''ll keep choosing you, even on the hard days, just as you''ve chosen me. I''ll be honest with you, even when it''s not easy. I''ll call you out when you''re being a pain in my ass"


    He huffs out a smallugh.


    "¡ªand I''ll never let you go to bed without knowing how much I love you."


    I step in closer, and our foreheads almost touch.


    "You''re it for me," I whisper. "I really can''t wait to start a family with you and be called Mrs. Hartley."


    My lips tremble around thest line.


    "I love you, Knox. And I''m not going anywhere."


    ***


    ¡ªKNOX¡ª


    I breathe in.


    Then out.


    Then in again.


    I''m trying like hell to keep it together after hearing her vows. I won''t cry. I''m a grown-ass man. And it works. On the outside, at least. But inside? It''s a goddamn floodgate. She cracked something open in me, and now it''s all rushing out.


    The officiant says a few more words. Something about unity, about the beauty of what we just promised. I''m barely hearing him now. Everything else but Sloane has gone into slow motion.


    We exchange rings.


    Her hand is trembling.


    So is mine.


    It makes it a little harder to slide the band on her finger, but I take my time. Guide it gently until it settles into ce. Then she does mine, same shakiness, same carefulness.


    I nce up at her after, and damn, she''s glowing. I can''t tell why it''s different. She''s still in the same short white dress, those heels, and that smile. But at this moment, it looks like she drank the sun.


    "By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada," the officiant says, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Knox, you may¡ª"


    I don''t wait.


    I take her face in both hands and go straight for her mouth. One hand slips into her hair, and I feel thingse loose¡ªpins, flowers, whatever she put in this morning. Doesn''t matter now.


    She tilts her head up, already opening for me. Her lips are soft and warm, and the second I taste her, I know I''m gone.


    I kiss her hard. Deep. Our mouths move fast, no hesitation. Tongue pushing against tongue, teeth knocking once before we adjust. She grips the back of my neck, pulling me in tighter, like she wants more of me.


    And I give it.


    She lets out a sound in the back of her throat, something low and needy. I feel it in my chest. She''s all over me, and I''m all over her. This is probably offensive to anyone watching, but I can''t stop. Her hands slide into my hair, and she tugs a little, just enough to keep me there. Our tongues tangle, wet and demanding. I lick into her mouth, and she sucks on my bottom lip like she''s starving.


    The officiant clears his throat.


    "You should probably save some for the honeymoon."


    We pull apart, both of us breathless and grinning like lunatics. Sloane presses her forehead to mine, still panting. I give her onest kiss, quicker, softer this time, and we proceed to sign the paperwork. Afterward, a chapel worker snaps a few Proid photos while weugh and pose.


    We barely make it into the backseat of the rental car before we''re on each other again.


    I''ve got one hand sliding up her thigh, under her dress. My fingers brushce. I stop there, not because I want to, but because we''ve got a driver, and I''m trying to be halfway decent. But the soft feel of thece is enough to have me grinding my teeth.


    She''s not making it any better. Her kisses are sweet and intoxicating, leaving a wet trail of saliva down my chin. As if that isn''t enough, her hand moves down, palming the erection that''s been torturing me for thest fifteen minutes, and squeezes. Just once.


    Fuck


    I groan into her neck and press my face there. "I''m going to fuck you so hard, Mrs. Hartley."


    "Mmm." She runs her lips against my ear. "Say that again. Call me Mrs. Hartley."


    I press a kiss to the hollow of her throat. "Mrs. Hartley."


    "Again."


    Ie up, cup her jaw, and look into her face. Her cheeks are flushed, lips kiss-bitten, and eyes heavy with want.


    "Mrs. Hartley," I say, and then I kiss her so deep she melts against me.


    Thank God the hotel''s close. A few blocks at most. If we were in traffic, this would get indecent fast.


    As soon as the car stops in front of our hotel, we practically run through the entrance, hand in hand, both of us breathless andughing like we''re being chased. I can feel the heating off her skin, see the wildness in her eyes, and I don''t bother hiding what''s in mine. People nce at us. Maybe it''s the suit. Maybe it''s the look on my face that says I''m a man who just got married and is about to bury himself in his wife. Either way, we make it to the elevator bank, and I press the button with a little too much urgency. The doors slide open, and she pulls me inside by the shirt.


    The second the doors close behind us, leading straight up to the penthouse, I grab her again. This time, I don''t hold back.


    The zipper on her dress gets halfway down before I lose patience and tear the whole thing off her body. This is exactly why you book a penthouse with a private elevator, so you can start peeling your wife out of her dress before you get to the bedroom. She gasps, halfughing, but she''s just as frenzied, shoving my jacket down my arms, fingers fumbling at my buttons.


    "Knox," she breathes, "hurry¡ª"


    Her dress drops to the elevator floor, leaving her in nothing but those tall heels and ripped panties. I grip her ass, pull her into me, and lift her like she weighs nothing. Her legs wrap around my waist. She''s hot, wet, and grinding.


    My fingers find her heat, and I sink two inside her.


    "Oh, fuck," she gasps, head hitting the elevator wall behind her.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 CHAPTER 153: Sweet Spot

    The doors open into our suite, one that''s perfectly designed for a honeymoon.


    Candles. Rose petals scattered across the floor. The hotel staff did good.


    I should be walking straight to the honeymoon bed, but for some reason, a bed


    filled with flowers seems too delicate for my first sexual encounter with my wife.


    I let her shoes drop to the floor, kicking mine off too, and then I take her straight


    outside to the private pool.


    She squeals when she realizes what I''m about to do. "Oh, my God, Knox. Don''t


    you dare."


    I dare.


    I take two quick steps and throw us both in. Her legs are around my waist, and her


    arms are still clutching my shoulders. She gasps as we sink in, thenes up


    choking on augh. Her sses hang askew, and she adjusts them.


    Thatughter soon turns into a fake re. "You are so annoying, Knox."


    "What did I do?"


    "You know exactly what you did. I was in the mood. Now you''ve put out the fire."


    "Oh, baby..." I press her closer to me. "One touch, and I''ll get you back in the


    mood."


    She bites her lip as I start swimming toward the shallow end, taking her along with


    me. The water ripples between us.


    When we reach the tanning ledge, I lift her up, guiding her onto the t surface. I


    make sure she''s steady before I let go. Then I kiss her.


    Her lips part right away. She''s just as ready to be consumed as I am to consume


    her.


    One of my hands finds its way between her thighs, and I slip my fingers inside her,


    easy at first-just enough to make her sigh into my mouth. Then deeper. She


    gasps and starts moving her hips, trying to find a rhythm against the hard edge of


    the pool. I can feel her clenching around me, so I push in further, curling my


    fingers to hit that sweet spot.


    Her body starts moving with mine. Rocking. Grinding. Her ass nudges back


    against the ledge with every little shift, and it sends ripples through the water.


    Her hands reach for me, searching, needy.


    And God help me, I want to give her everything.


    I ease her back until her spine hits the ledge, causing her elbows to give out so


    she lies t. Then I grab her thighs, drag her toward me until her legs are folded


    up over my shoulders, and bury my face in her.


    The taste that hits me is unmistakably her, even with the faint chemical edge of


    chlorine in the mix. It''s still her. Still warm and wet and mine. I don''t pause, don''t


    even think about it. I lick into her with purpose-slow at first, then with more


    pressure, tongue working every angle I know she loves. I drag it over her, back


    and forth, up and down, circling, flicking.


    I''m not in any rush. I want to take my time and learn her all over again, every


    small reaction, every sound.


    She arches a little when I suck on her clit, her body jolting. Her thighs tense


    around my head. I groan into her and push two fingers back inside, curling them


    just right, stroking that spot that always makes her go quiet before she falls apart.


    Her hips twitch. One hand is in my hair, tugging hard.


    Her moans start soft, but they pick up fast. I keep going. Because I want her


    wrecked. I want her to lose it in my mouth, shaking and gasping with her legs still


    locked around my neck.


    "Right there-oh my God, right there-please"


    I give her more. Suck harder. My nose is buried in her as I press in deeper, and


    she''s convulsing, grabbing at my hair, yanking so hard it makes my eyes water.


    Then she shatters.


    "Fuuuck," she cries, hips seizing.


    I feel her pulse around me.


    Her hands release my hair, and she starts to escape. I know what that means.


    She''sing down from it, too sensitive now. So I lift my head, kiss the inside of


    her thigh, and rise up over her.


    I climb onto the tanning ledge, water


    sluicing off my chest, and grab her


    legs without hesitation. I fold her in


    half, pressing her knees toward her


    chest Then I unzip my pants, reach


    inside, and pull my cock out, stroking


    it once, twice, before lining myself


    up.


    And then I push inside in one deep, greedy thrust.


    Her breath rushes out of her. "Oh, God," she gasps, head falling back. "You''re so


    deep."


    "Damn right I am," I growl, bracing my hands behind her thighs and holding her in


    ce. "I want you to take every inch of me. I want to put a baby inside you."


    I draw back, just far enough, and m into her again. Her scream ricochets off the


    surrounding walls.


    "That feels so "


    I don''t let her finish. I pull back and


    drive in again. Then again. It''s not


    slow or careful anymore. It''s raw


    and hungry and everything I''ve been


    holding in since I saw her in that


    white dress that barely covered her


    thighs.


    She''s folded beneath me like a perfect little offering, her back arched, her hands


    gripping at anything-my arms, the ledge, the water.


    Her voice is a mess of moans and broken words now. "Oh, don''t stop. Fill me up.


    Please, Knox."


    I''m not stopping. Can''t. Her body is


    wrapped so tight around me I''d need


    a crowbar to pull free. She''s so


    warm, so wet. I can feel everything.


    Her juices dripping down, her core


    squeezing every time I bottom out. I


    grind against her clit, getting deeper.


    The breathless cry thates out


    of her goes straight to my dick. I pull


    out, m in, and do the grinding


    motion again, angling her hips just


    to hear that sweet sound.


    It bes a steady rhythm. I do it again.


    And again.


    And again.

 CHAPTER 154: Officially Knox Hartleys Property

    ```text


    Sloane''s legs tremble. Her hands w at my back. Her mouth falls open as her


    body locks up, and then she shatters. She mps down so hard and so deep that


    I have to grit my teeth just to keep from losing it right then. The grip of her, the


    way she''s pulling me in like she never wants to let go-it''s damn near impossible


    to hold back.


    And then, in the middle of it all, she breaks me. "I want your baby, Knox," she


    says. "Fill me up."


    That''s it. That''s the end of my control.


    "Jesus," I growl, and everything unravels. I start mming into her, hard, fast,


    unhinged, driven by instinct and the sheer fucking need to give her exactly what


    she just asked for.


    My vision whites out. I empty myself inside her with a low, guttural sound I don''t


    recognize as my own. My thighs start to tingle. My hands shake where they''re


    braced against her skin. It''s like my body forgets how to function, and all I can do


    is feel.


    I copse on top of her, breathing heavily into the side of her neck, still deep


    inside her. She''s kissing me there softly. I don''t move. I don''t want to. I just stay


    right there, surrounded by her, still wrapped up in the aftershocks.


    The pool waterps against my arms and legs. Its warmth is just asforting as


    her skin under mine and her breath against my neck.


    Eventually, I shift, careful not to crush her, and slide out, then settle beside her. I


    lie back, taking one of her thighs and resting it on mine. We''re both still breathing


    hard, chests rising and falling in sync.


    "We just got married," she says softly.


    I turn my head to look at her. "Yeah. We just did."


    "Oh, my God," she squeals. "We just got married."


    Iugh. I love it when she makes those happy sounds. Fine, I love it when she


    makes whatever sound. My hand slides to her thigh, tracing a slow line from her


    knee upward until I reach where she''s still wet and dripping.


    "This is officially Knox Hartley''s property," I say. "All of this is all mine."


    Her eyes are bright as they stare into mine. "Of course it''s yours. Do you know


    what I want to do today?"


    "Tell me."


    "I want to gamble at a casino and lose big. I''m too happy right now. Need to


    bnce it out."


    Iugh. "Your man''s good for it. Go on. What else do you need? That can''t be all."


    "I want a couples massage. Want to sing off-key at karaoke. Ride the Ferris


    wheel. Go everywhere."


    I pull her close again, one hand resting at the small of her back, the other


    brushing her damp hair out of her face. And then I kiss her.


    Not the way I did earlier, not rough or rushed or messy. This one''s slow. Soft. Just


    warm lips on warm lips. She exhales into my mouth.


    When we finally pull back, we''re still close. Our foreheads nearly touch, and our


    breaths mingle.


    I ask, "Just Vegas? You don''t have any other state or country in mind?"


    She smiles, bringing her fingers to my face to y with the stubble on my jaw. "I


    already told you where I want to go. After that? I don''t care, Knox. Wherever you


    are... that''s where I want to be."


    Ib my fingers through her wet hair, gently working through the strands, just so


    I can keep touching her.


    How does this woman have so much hold on me?


    A few months ago, I was fine. Functional. I had my routine, my work, my walls


    built up nice and high. Then she walked into my life and turned everything upside


    down. Now I can''t even take a shower without wanting her in there with me.


    She tilts her head back, eyes closed. Her skin is flushed pink from the sun, and


    there''s something about the way she trusts me enough to be this vulnerable that


    makes my chest ache.


    Since she gave me that nk check,


    promising to go wherever I go, I''m


    going to show her the world. Every


    corner. Every hidden ce I''ve been


    that she hasn''t seen yet. Paris first,


    maybe. Then Japan. That little


    vige in Italy where they make the


    pasta by hand. The beaches in


    Thand where the water''s so clear


    you can see straight to the bottom.


    I want to watch her face light up


    when she sees the Northern Lights.


    Want to hold her hand while we walk


    through markets in Moro,


    breathing in spices and listening to


    Want to wake up next to her in a


    dozen different beds in a dozen


    different countries and see the way


    morning light looks different


    everywhere we go.


    And then I''ll do it all over again with our kids, if we have them.


    There''s absolutely nothing I want in the entire world more than this. More than


    her. My bunny. The love of my life.


    "We should probably go inside before we get sunburned," she says, stretching


    without opening her eyes.


    I smile at her even though she can''t see my face. "Yeah, love. We should."


    ###


    AUTHOR''S NOTE


    Hi, lovelies. Thank you for walking this journey with me. Watching Knox and


    Sloanee alive has been one of the greatest joys of my writing life, and I''m so


    grateful you let them into your hearts.


    Officially, this is the end of this book.


    I know many of you are wondering


    whates next, what their future


    looks like, how they raise their


    family, and where all that chaotic,


    messy relentless love leads them.


    The good news is, one or two bonus


    chapters will be included in the


    published book this July, filled with


    the kind of future I think they''ve


    more than earned. So keep an eye


    on my pages for updates and


    release dates. It''sing soon.


    And in Knox''s voice-


    I love you all, my bunnies.


    ###


    THE END


    ```


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!