Miracles did happen.

Riley was back in my kitchen, standing beside me, Carly on the chair next to her, as we fried up pancakes and doused them in syrup.

“You know what’s the best on pancakes?” Carly asked, grinning from ear-to-ear with syrup smeared down her cheek.

“What, gorgeous?” I asked, and watched Riley flip another one. She was great at it—probably had a lot of practice living with my sister—and she was flawless as usual, even in the slightly-stained-with-batter apron she’d tied on over her jeans and sweater.

“Bacon! We should have bacon with it. I love bacon.”

“We might have some in the freezer,” I said, “but, no, wait.” I checked my watch. “Honey bun, it’s just about five minutes before it’s time for you to brush your teeth. You can have one more pancake, and then we’ve got to wrap this up.”

Carly gritted her teeth and balled up her fists. “But I really—Daddy.”

Riley set down the pan and turned quickly, smiling. “Carly, honey, why don’t you tell us how you’re feeling right now?”

Carly took three great gulps of air, then said, still through clenched teeth. “Daddy, it makes me upset that I don’t get more pancakes. We never have them, and you’re always too busy to make them.”

I blinked. That was a kick in the gut, but at least she’d used her words instead of throwing a tantrum or tossing a chair onto its side.

“OK, Carly, I understand,” I said, “but right now, you need to get your teeth brushed and ready for bed. Maybe, if you ask Riley nicely, she’ll make pancakes for you again tomorrow or this weekend. How does that sound?”

Carly’s little fingers came free of her fists one at a time. She breathed deeply again then looked up at Riley. “Riley, will you maybe make me some pancakes again please?”

“Sure. And thanks for asking so politely. I’ll make some extra tonight and you can have some for breakfast tomorrow. With bacon!”

Carly’s anger dissipated. She clapped her hands once. “Thank you!”

“All right,” I said. “Now, up to brush your teeth.”

“I’ll come up and read you The Princess in Black in a minute,” Riley called, as my daughter rushed from the room, bouncing on her heels, the anger forgotten.

“Shit,” I muttered.

“What?” Riley asked.

“Just amazing how good you are with her. Also amazing how many words we use with kids nowadays. I don’t know about you, but back in my day, my foster dad or mom, whoever it was, would’ve spanked my ass if I got angry like that.”

“And look how well you turned out,” Riley commented, wryly.

I snorted a laugh. “I see your sense of humor is back.”

“Who said it ever left?” She switched off the stove, set the pan aside and turned to face me, wiping her hands off on the flowery apron.

“I’m glad it hasn’t. It’s one of the things I enjoy about you,” I said, and took one step closer, my gaze chasing over her face, down to her long, slender throat, then her collar bones, and lower. Even lower.

Riley coughed, softly, and I snapped my focus back to her face. “I’d better go tuck her in,” she said.

“I can do it.”

“No, it’s OK, Bryan. I’ve got this one. I want to do it.” And then she swept out of the kitchen and out of sight, leaving nothing but her scent behind. Jasmine, something else. Honeysuckle. Her skin. Fuck, I wanted her still, in so many goddamn ways I couldn’t even fathom.

And she was the wise one. Almost ten years younger than me and wise beyond her damn years. She wanted the space between us, because she knew this couldn’t possibly end well for us. Not the relationship part, at least.

Fuck, but how could I avoid it?

I snagged one of the pancakes to distract myself and devoured it, dragging it through maple syrup pooled in the plate. It was sweet, delicious, made with love.

When I’d been with Janine, she’d… probably made pancakes I’d missed. I’d dropped the ball with her. I’d loved her in my own way, though it had never felt as deep as it should’ve been. In fact, the height of emotions I’d experienced with Riley had dwarfed any in my past.

You can’t love. You don’t.

I paced back and forth in the kitchen, mulling this over. I could protect them. I could keep them safe. Fuck it, I didn’t want to have to pay off this little Marcus prick to keep them safe. It was the integrity of the damn matter. But what else could I do?

What the fuck else could I do? Call the cops on his ass? The word from my contacts was he had contacts of his own in the cops. So that was out. And so was taking this to violence with Marcus. I wasn’t that guy anymore, and I didn’t want that shit around Carly.

Paying him was the answer. For now. I understood what pricks like Marcus were about. He’d take the money now, leave us alone for a while, then come back for more later. He’d mark me as an easy target. That was what I would’ve done as a shithead back in the day.

What other option was there?

---

“Done,” Riley said, and entered the kitchen, cutting off my train of negativity. She stopped dead, reading the room. “Sorry, did I interrupt something?”

“No,” I replied. “Just thinking.”

“OK, I’ll just pack away Carly’s pancakes for tomorrow, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

“Riley,” I said.

But she was already at the plate, feeding the pancakes into a Tupperware to go into the fridge.

“Riley,” I repeated. “Let’s talk.”

“Again?” she asked, another hint of mirth in her tone. “We did a lot of talking this afternoon. I would’ve thought you were all talked out.”

“You’re here now, so you believe me. That or you care about my daughter enough to stay. Both are good. Both are admirable, but Riley, fucking hell, you slay me. You destroy me. I can’t fucking think about you as a separate entity from my family.” I had to get it out. Had to make her understand that leaving now was futile.

“You lied to me,” she said, her back to me. “Or you omitted things. I know, it’s stupid for me to be angry about it, but it’s the truth. You didn’t owe me your truth or your history, but it still feels like you should have at least told me… I don’t know. I don’t know.”

I walked up behind her, placed my hands on her shoulders. “I should have told you, I know, but it wasn’t the right time. I was worried I’d scare you off, and then I wouldn’t be able to protect you.”

“Why do you think I need your protection so bad?” She stiffened. “I might be young, but I managed to escape once, I can do it again.”

“And then what?” I brushed her hair back from her neck. “Then I lose you anyway. Then I lose the only woman I’ve actually connected with in years. I don’t want that either.”

She turned in my arms, looked up at me, and I traced the angle of her face, the lines and planes. “What does that even mean? This wasn’t supposed to get complicated. This wasn’t supposed to be anything, Bryan. We were supposed to meet once. We were supposed to—”

“Fuck supposed to. What about meant to?”

“Meant to?”

“You think it’s a coincidence you turned up for the job instead of anyone else?” I asked. “Fuck, I’m not big on fate and all that hoodoo crap, but man, Riley, you can’t say that this doesn’t feel right, that you don’t think we weren’t meant to end up like this. In this situation.”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged.

I ran my hands down her shoulders, her arms, and to her hands. I squeezed them in mine. “Well, I do know. I know what this was meant to be—simple. And now it’s not. All we can do is deal with what we’ve got, and Riley, baby, I’m not going to let you go now. You gotta know that.”

“What if you don’t have a choice? What if I’m not ready?”

“Not ready?” I scanned her face, the lips she’d just wetted with the tip of her pink tongue. “Riley, you’re leaning into me, you’re so ready for me you can’t even think straight. Just one kiss, and you’re mine again.”

“Modest, I see.”

“Modesty is for folks who are too scared to be themselves,” I replied. “And I am one hundred percent myself when I’m with you.”

“Bryan.” But it came out gentle, not forceful, not a rejection.

“Tell me you’re staying. Tell me.”

“I’m staying,” she said, softly.

I kissed her full on the mouth, parted those sweet, supple lips and tasted that mouth. Maple syrup, pancakes and utterly her. My Riley. The woman I’d fantasized about, tried to keep at arms’ length, who’d finally crept in, even though she hadn’t wanted to herself.

“Oh god,” she whispered. “Oh my god, Bryan.”

I palmed her breast through the apron and sweater, feeling for her nipples, then slathered kisses down the front of her throat, to the side of her neck. I suckled on her, lost myself in the scent.

“Oh, Bryan,” she sighed, leaning into me, her fingers scraping down my back, my spine.

“Got to have you now,” I growled.

“Bryan!” The voice didn’t come from Riley, but from the kitchen’s doorway.

I froze, turned my head.

My sister stood, framed by the light from the entrance hall, her red hair standing on end, still wearing her chef’s uniform. “What the hell are you doing?” she squeaked.

“Bev!” Riley pushed two hands to my chest, and I straightened, took a single step back. “Bev, what are you—? How?”

“I have a spare set of keys and the alarm code in case of emergencies,” Bev replied, stiffly, her gaze cold now, and flicking between me and Riley. It was true—I’d given it to her after we’d moved in, though I’d always drawn her away from coming to the house. “Not that that fucking matters. What are you—? You two are a couple now?”

“No!” Riley said.

“It’s complicated,” I rumbled.

“No shit.” Bev folded her arms across her chest. “No fucking shit it’s complicated. You have a daughter. You have—baggage, apparently.” She looked at Riley. “And you lied to me. I warned you about doing this, Riley. I’m just—I’m so disappointed.”

“Sis, what are you doing here?” I asked. “Is everything all right?”

“All right? Apparently so,” she replied. “Neither of you were answering your phones, so I came over to check that you were fine. I mean, judging by the trashed apartment and the freak-out Riley had this afternoon, I figured the shit storm was on the way.” She wiggled her hands toward us. “Just didn’t realize it would be taking this form. You know what, I’ll leave you to it. I’d better… leave.” She turned and clopped off across the tiles in the entrance hall.

“Bev!” Riley called out. “Shit, shit.”

“What? Hey, calm down. What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is that Beverly warned me about you. She doesn’t want me to get hurt. Or you. Oh god, OK. This is fixable, it has to be.” Riley skedaddled toward the front door.

“Riley, chill. It doesn’t matter. Bev will be fine.”

But she was already gone, out into the entrance hall and further.

“Riley!” I followed her out, striding across the tiles and shaking my head. This was idiotic. My sister would get over the shock of seeing us together, and so what if we’d gone too far with this? It was none of her damn business. She had no ground to stand on, no right to be angry.

I walked out onto the front porch, through the open front door, and caught Riley walking back up the front path.

“She’s gone,” she said. “Got in the car and drove off before I could even speak to her. What a screw-up.” She lifted her hands and flopped them down to her sides again.

“Not really,” I replied. “Honestly, Bev will get over it. She doesn’t have any reason to be angry.”

“She does. She helped me through everything, and she specifically warned me away from you. I think she wants to protect me. Or you. I’m not sure. This must be weird for her, regardless. You’re her brother. Friends aren’t supposed to date brothers.” Riley walked up the front steps and halted one below me.

I placed my hands around her waist and lifted her onto the top one. “Fuck the rules,” I said. “You’re still here with me. You’re still mine.”

“Yours?” This time it was a male’s voice that interrupted us.

Riley didn’t just stiffen, she jumped. She scooted to one side of me and backed up a step.

The man who walked up the front path was handsome, sure, one of those fuck-boy types, except the top of his head was shaved, and his face was tattooed under one eye—a crimson skull. He wore jeans, a leather jacket over nothing but his chest, which was covered in tattoos, skulls, crosses, flames, all the typical shit I’d seen over the years. He halted just short of the steps and looked up at us, his eyes blood shot.

“Well, hel-fucking-lo to you, Roman,” he said, “nice to meet your deadass at last.” He nodded to Riley. “I see you’re already equated with my piece of ass.”

“It’s acquainted, asshole,” Riley snapped, and took a single step forward again. She squared her shoulders and looked down at him. “And I’m not yours. I never will be again. And I’m not a piece of ass either.”

“You sure about that, honey cheeks?” He licked the top row of his teeth. “Looked to me like you were about to present that ass on a platter to Roman. That makes you a piece of ass and a skanky whore too.”

Riley opened her mouth to reply, and I stuck out a hand. “Who the fuck are you?” I asked, pointing a finger to the intruder.

“I think you know,” he replied.

I had a hunch, but it was one that brought rage coursing through ever cell in my body. “Marcus,” I said, and looked over at Riley. “He’s your ex?”

“Yes,” she replied. “Unfortunately.”

“Ex.” Marcus barked a laugh. “You out bad then, honey. Shame.”

“I was never part of your stupid little club, Marcus.” Riley flipped the bird at him.

“Careful with that finger, girl, or I’ll break it off for ya.”

“You take one mother fucking step closer, and I’ll tear you in two, you little shit stain,” I said and walked down the steps, facing off against him. I was a head taller, bearded, more muscular, but he still smirked. He still thought he had the power.

He did, in a sense. He knew what I wanted. He knew what I had. And he knew what he could get out of it.

“Look at you. What a waste. Man, you probably could’ve taken over from Griphon if you hadn’t shit the bed and decided to get out. You are the only member in the history of the club to leave and stay in the same fucking town. I think it’s time I taught you a lesson.”

I lifted my gaze over his head and scanned the street. No bikes, no clue as to how he’d gotten here, gotten into the gated community in the first place.

“You see it, now, don’t you?” he said, softly, so Riley wouldn’t hear. “I can go anywhere, do anything I want. Everyone’s a pawn, and you’re no different. Now, you give me what I want, or I will kill her and your little girl in front of your eyes, then kill you next. You’ll die with their bodies lying right in front of you. Bleeding out.”

I clenched my fist, resisted every urge to bring it up to his jaw then slam an elbow into his nose. Head-butt him, break his nose, squeeze his fucking testicles until they popped. Violence colored my vision red, and I breathed like an ox, stared down at this excuse for a man, for a human being, standing on my lawn, on my property, threatening the only people I cared about.

“That’s right,” Marcus said. “Feel it. Feel it. And know that I had that pussy up there before you even knew it existed. She might not know it, or want to know it, but it’s still mine. You keeping it warm for me at night, huh?”

I grabbed his chin and jammed his jaws shut on his tongue, held him there. He grabbed the front of my shirt and twisted.

“Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit.”

“Bryan, don’t,” Riley called out. “Don’t. Just leave him. Don’t. It’s not worth it.”

Marcus snorted a laugh through his aquiline nose.

“How much do you want?” I asked, and peeled my fingers off his face, just enough to allow him to speak. “How much?”

“Ten mil.”

“Ten mil, and that’s it. Debts settled and you leave me and my family the fuck alone.”

“You and your family,” Marcus said, nodding. He grinned, baring those white teeth again, the skull tattoo twisting on his cheek. “Sure. Ten mil, and I’ll leave you and your family alone.”

“Contact me with the details for a transfer. Then we’re done. We’re done with this shit. I never want to see you or your Crimson Riders ever again. Got it?”

Another snort. “Sure, buddy.”

I tossed him backward, shoving him by the chin, then took a step back, folded my arms. “We’re done here,” I said. “Now, get the fuck off my property.”

Marcus threw back his head and roared a laugh this time. All right, big man, if that’s what you really want. I didn’t give a fuck what was so funny to him. He got up, brushed off his jacket, then offered Riley a wink.

“Hope to see you again, sweetheart. Next time will make you wish it was the last time.” He turned and sauntered off across the lawn, climbed over my fence, then continued down the sidewalk until her was out of sight.

I stood frozen on the pathway, listening hard. A motorcycle engine started in the distance, followed by another, and another, and another.

“Oh my god,” Riley whispered. “Oh my god, they were all out there. Waiting.”

I walked back up the steps, guilt burrowing through me. She wouldn’t be afraid, her ex wouldn’t have found her if it wasn’t for me. “Riley,” I said. “I didn’t know your ex was that jackass.”

“Would it have changed anything?” she asked.

“No, probably not. It doesn’t matter, now, anyway.” I drew her into my arms as the motorcycles roared off into this distance. “It’s over now. They’re gone. They can’t touch you, can’t hurt you, can’t ever get to you again. It’s over.”

She rested her head under my chin and exhaled. “I don’t know why,” she said, against my throat, her lips moving against my flesh, “but I don’t believe it. I just don’t think it will be that easy.”

“It will be. I promise. It’s done.”