My body ached in a delicious way as I rolled over in the bed. It was warm, which meant he had just gotten up. A smile pulled at my lips as I tiptoed to the bathroom. I could hear the water and see the steam filling the bathroom before I even entered it. My heart was beating out of my chest as I slipped through the door and closed it quietly behind me.

I was completely naked, and the thought of being with Zerro again so soon made my mouth water. The danger we were in only intensified my feelings for him. Every extra breath or day of life, I was given was meant to be with him.

I could see him through the glass of the shower. His head was downcast as the water sprayed onto the back of his neck and down his body. He looked utterly defeated, and for a slight second, I contemplated giving him the time it looked like he needed. In the end, my body won out because, in a moment’s time, I crossed the bathroom planting my hand on the glass.

His eyes shot up, and even through the blurry stained glass, I could see the darkness looming over him.

“What are you doing up?” he asked gruffly, opening the shower door slowly. His eyes ate up my body stopping on my chest before they landed on my eyes. His own were heavily hooded with desire, and I knew all it would take was one stroke of his cock to break whatever steely resolve he was under.

“I woke up and you were gone. I want you,” I purred into his ear as I leaned into his body. He looked worn and tired, and I knew what we were going through had been getting to him. He was used to everything going as planned and protecting only himself. Our fight had been just that—a fight about Mafia being in his blood, and though I wanted things to be different, I knew they never would be. I would take him any way I could get him. Even if he was a ruthless killer.

He smirked at me, stepping back to allow me into the shower. Goose bumps spread across my skin as I came into contact with the hot water. I stared at him for a long moment before stepping up onto my tiptoes to land a kiss on his lips. His hands roamed over my body as if he were memorizing every inch of me.

“I love you…” he whispered... or at least, I thought he did. His words were so quiet a whisper wasn’t even the word to describe it.

“I love you, too,” I said back, pushing myself into him. His cock was at full attention, but from the molten look in his eyes, my guess was it was the last thing he was focusing on. Wrapping his arms around me, he sat me against the shower wall. Instead of holding me up, he separated my legs, setting each foot on the bathtub ledge. Then he bent down between my legs and buried his face in my pussy. There was no warning, and as his tongue, lips, and teeth assaulted me, I shuddered. My ass slid against the wall so much so I thought I would fall.

A shriek of terror was all Zerro needed to wrap my legs around his shoulders, and eat away. Long gone was the fear of falling, and in its place, hunger so strong, it almost tore me in two.

“Yes… Yes…” I cried out, his tongue gliding through my folds. My hands found his hair and tugged hard as he nipped at my clit. The pleasure coursing through me was borderline painful, and as I came on his face, I felt as if he was trying to get as close as humanly possible to me.

“This sweet cunt wants my cock, doesn’t it?” His voice sounded dirty and my nipples pebbled as small droplets slipped down over my shoulders and down my chest. Biting my lip, I nodded my head unable to udder a word.

“Words, Bree. Use them,” he demanded.

“Yes, my pussy wants your cock,” I exclaimed as two fingers entered me furiously. My body was just coming down from my first orgasm, and I was already in my second.

“More… More…” I cried out knowing nothing could do justice quite like his cock could. He owned me in more than one way.

“When I say so…” His voice held its own desire, and as I focused on him watching himself pump in and out of me, I became enthralled. Right then I came, my muscles clenched around his fingers tightly. Pulling from me gently, he brought his fingers to his lips and licked them clean. A thrill showed on his face, and then he stuck one in my mouth.

“Suck it,” he ordered. I did as he said, sucking on my own juices. As strange as it seemed, it only turned me on more. He watched me through hooded eyes as I nipped at his finger gently, only to scrape my tongue over the bite.

“Turn around. I want to take you against the glass.” He spun me around without another word pushing me against the cold glass. My nipples rubbed against the glass, and I cried out in pleasure.

His hands lingered along my hips as he settled in behind me. Anticipation ran rampant as I waited for him to enter me. Turns out, I didn’t have to wait long because, with one fluid thrust, he was in me. My body shuddered, and I almost came from one single stroke.

His hand wove around me, cupping my tit as he rolled my nipple between his fingers. “You’re exquisite, Bree. I don’t deserve someone like you…”

He had no idea what he deserved. Pushing back against his thrusts, I moaned.

“No, it’s I who don’t deserve you.” I barely got the sentence out as the air in my chest was heaved out as he pushed me hard against the glass. Every inch of my body was squished.

“No, love. I don’t deserve you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t take you. You’re mine.” He grunted and nipped at my earlobe.

Without the chance to say anything else, he pushed into me painfully and pleasurably as if he were trying to rip me apart only to build me back up.

Tilting my head back, I pushed against him wanting everything he could give me. In seconds, I felt the distinct flutter in my belly. A zing ran through me leaving my senses fried. My breaths were pants, and as he slapped a hand against my ass, I continued to urge him on.

“Beautiful. Fucking. Beautiful.” He somehow got out as he clamped onto my hips, bruising them.

Spurts of hot semen entered me, and as he pulled out, I felt as if I had lost a part of me. As if this was the last time I would see this man for who he was.

“Remember, no matter what, I love you, Bree. I always have, I always will. Okay?” His lips found my forehead, and for some odd reason, I said yes—not thinking this might be the last time I would see him alive.

As he dried off, I felt him pulling away from me. Why? I didn’t know. The butterflies in my stomach just moments before were now replaced with worry and doubt.

“Are you okay?” I asked finally getting the courage to do so.

“Just fine,” he said smirking. It wasn’t a real one though; no, this was the mask of the man I had grown to know. I knew whatever was going on wasn’t going to be good. In the throes of passion, nothing seemed wrong, but now thinking about it, it was. It was so different.

“Is something going on? You’re acting strange… Did the plan change? Did I do something?” The horror of actually doing something wrong crept up on me like a disease.

“Just get ready for the day, Bree,” he simply said, dismissing every single question I had thrown at him. Confusion wasn’t even the word I would use to describe how he made me feel. Just moments ago, I had never felt so close to someone, and now—now, I felt as if we were oceans apart.

Slowly, I pulled myself together. I brushed my teeth. My hair. I was trying to mend my fragile heart so he couldn’t see the hurt he was causing me. Whatever he was doing, it wasn’t because he wanted to—or at least I would keep telling myself that until I knew the truth. A soft knock sounded against the bedroom door.

“Come in,” I mumbled, picking up one my many books I had somehow managed to get here. It was strange how much pleasure reading could bring you. It could pull you from your current life and make all the pain go away.

I heard the creak of the door as my eyes lifted to meet James coming in the room. He looked wearily around the room as if I were going to lash out at him.

“Can I come in? I just want to talk to you for a second.” He hesitated for a moment, which only made my curiosity grow. What did he want to talk about? I thought we already said everything we needed to say.

“Sure,” I said smiling.

He crossed the threshold closing the door firmly behind him. It was then the walls felt as if they were closing in on me. John’s death was still fresh in my mind and even if James was my father, it was hard for me to see things like that yet.

“I just wanted to see how you were handling everything? If you had any questions?” His eyes smiled. Literally smiled, as if he were happy for the first time in his life. I knew I meant something to him—that finding me, alive and well, was something he never expected.

“I’m handling it…” I mumbled over my words. How was I handling it?

“You know... you don’t have to handle it alone. I am here for you. I want to be here for you, but you have to allow me to be.”

I looked at him sideways for a moment as he stood in front of me. Was I really not allowing myself to let him in or to heal after all the damage had taken place?

“I know… I just… I don’t know how to deal with all of this. It’s like part of me thinks it’s all a lie, maybe even a dream. Like somehow I’ll wake up from it all and things will be different.” I shrugged my shoulders.

He smiled softly. “I used to think the same thing when I found out your mother was dying. When I found out about you… My heart broke… To have something truthfully yours ripped from you.” My eyes began to sting with unshed tears threatening to fall.

He knew heartache. His was different from my own, but he still knew it. It seemed as if we were two sides of the same coin. The same book just different stories.

“I’m sorry. I truly am. I never knew, and had I known, I would’ve said something. I would’ve done something. I loved John because he was all I had, but if I had known you were my father... if I knew your blood ran through my veins too, I would’ve made an effort to be part of your life.” The words left not only my mouth, but also my heart as I spoke them to the father I never knew I had.

“I just…” He paused. “Now that I know about you, Bree, you can’t expect me to not want... no, need to be a part of your life. So I want to try to be the father you need now. I know I can’t go back in time, but if I could, I would.” My feet closed the distance between us, and in a matter of seconds, I found myself in his arms.

I didn’t really know this man, but it was evident he loved my mother. I could feel the love he had for me each time he looked at me when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. I am the person they created together, out of love and for that reason alone, I know I have to try.

“I don’t want you to not be in my life either.”

“Then let’s cover the distance, years, and months once separating us. Let’s attempt this father and daughter relationship… I haven’t always been the easiest to be around, I mean, just ask Jared.” He sighed. “But I want this to work… Sam would have wanted that.” The mention of my mother’s name caused a shiver to run down my back. I knew in my heart, especially after reading the letter from her, she would have wanted it just like he said.

“So we try then.” He gently pushed me back to look into my eyes. I think he needed to see I meant those four words. “You mean that?” he asked anxiously.

“Hey…” I could hear Jared’s voice on the other side of the door as James wrapped his arms around me engulfing me in a tight hug. His hold was tight as if he was trying to embed an imprint of me into his skin—as if he might lose me again.

“Are you ready?” Jared asked peeking around the corner, hoping I wasn’t naked I was sure.

I ignored him for a moment. “Yes, I’m sure—Dad.” The words eased from deep within me, and I knew when I said dad now, I really meant it.

With one last tight squeeze, James released me with a smile on his face as he slipped out of the bedroom past Jared.

“What was that about?” Jared questioned, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“That was none of your business, what do you want?” I changed the subject standing before him in a defensive stance. I still wasn’t sure about Jared. Some days, we clicked and other days, we were like water and oil on two very different ends of the spectrum.

He watched me as I watched him, our eyes colliding.

“Right… Well, whatever it was, you’re holding us up.”

“From what?” I sputtered, clearly taken aback by his comment. What the hell was he talking about? I wasn’t holding anyone up.

“From going to the grocery store.” Jared sounded surprised, and I had no idea why. No one told me anything.

Huffing out a breath, I shook my head. “What are you talking about? I’ve never gone to the grocery store with you since we’ve been here. Why now all of the sudden?” It wasn’t a strange question really with the way Zerro had been acting and now Jared raising my suspicions.

“Well, since Zerro decided he didn’t want to do it, and Dad is busy, I figured you and I could go.”

“You mean you saddled me up for the job so you don’t have to go alone?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

“You know it. Now get your ass moving. Daylight is burning, and we have to be back before dark.” Then, just like that, he slipped from the bedroom. I slipped from the bed. My boots were next to the bed. I had tucked the knife into my boot the night Zerro and I had sex on the hood of his car. I wasn’t sure what he would think about Devon giving me a weapon, but I wasn’t going to go into all of this without one.

Slipping them on, I walked from the bedroom ready to go. What I stumbled upon was an argument between James and Zerro of epic proportions taking place in the living room.

“It’s not your choice,” Zerro growled bearing his teeth like a lion ready to roar.

“It’s not yours either.” James came back just as harsh, and for a second, I thought they were going to brawl right here on the living room floor.

“Just shut up, both of you. Don’t kill each other while we’re gone either,” Jared said, heading over to me. It was then Zerro had taken notice of my presence. His eyes lingered on mine for a moment before going to the floor. What is his problem?

“Let’s go.” Jared more ordered than asked, and even though I didn’t want to go, I knew I needed to get away, get out. Get some air. Clear my head and think about it all.

“You know you could ask me, and not so much order me. Just because you’re my brother doesn’t mean I have to listen to you,” I enlightened him.

With a short laugh and shake of his head, he entered the SUV, leaving me to stand there and wonder what the hell was going on around me.

“Don’t they have pads anywhere in this godforsaken store?” I mumbled to whoever was listening as I walked down the aisle marked toilet paper. Tampons were a bathroom product so what the hell was the deal?

As I searched the shelves, my eyes landed on a box of Kotex hidden behind a sign. Well, one box was better than none, I supposed.

Grabbing the box, I turned on my feet slowly, only to run into a firm chest.

“Oh, my gosh, I’m so sor—” My words cut off as my eyes ran up the body landing on two green orbs. Devon.

“Fancy seeing you here.” His words were teasing, but his eyes held danger as if at any second he would grow fangs and start yapping at my neck.

“Umm… yeah…” I stuttered over my own words, which obviously showed my nervousness. I had no reason to be scared of him before, but now. Now I was slightly frightened. It just showed how much a person could change in a days’ time.

“We’ve run into some trouble, so I’m going to need you to leave the store quietly and come with me.” He said it calmly, but his demeanor was off.

“What do you mean we’ve run into some trouble?” I wasn’t stupid; the way he was acting made it seem like everything was off.

“I mean…” he said between clenched teeth gripping me by the arm firmly. “We need to leave now…”

Shrugging his hand off my arm, I shot daggers at him. “We don’t need to go anywhere. When I hung out with you the other night, you were different. Now you’re all uptight and pushy. What’s your problem?” He was aggravating me.

“Bree…” He said my name as if he were pained by the mere verbal use of it. “We can do this one of two ways. One, you can come quietly. Two, I can take you against your will. The first way will result in little to no damage. The second, well… it might hurt a bit.” I looked at his face to see if he was kidding, but he wasn’t.

“This wasn’t a part of the plan, Devon,” I stated informing him how wrong he was. I was so caught up in trying to figure out everything as if it were a puzzle I didn’t see Devon cover the distance separating us.

“Hard way or easy way.” Those were the only words he said and my taking a step back must’ve been my way of answering, because not a second later did a white cloth appear from his pocket. In an instant, his hand was over my mouth and the white cloth cloaking my airways. My vision blurred as I felt a hand behind my head holding me up. Green eyes shone down on me and fear ripped through me. What was going on?