“You doing alright, man?”

Shane rested his forehead against the window, gauze wrapped around his torso where he’d been stabbed. His eyes were closed, but he was still breathing.

“Stay awake, Shane. We’re almost there.”

“Tell Cynthia—”

“Shut up. You aren’t going to die.”

“I don’t know, man. I feel so weak right now…” He’d bled out all over the seat in the Hummer. His breathing was getting heavier and shallower.

I drove as fast as I could down the dark road, knowing we only had a few minutes before they appeared behind us. We’d accomplished what we set out to do, but it didn’t go down as simply as we wanted.

I just had to reach the helicopter at the landing point, and we would be home free.

Then I saw the headlights behind me, the army of cars quickly catching up with us. I didn’t mention it to Shane, who was barely holding on.

I promised Vanessa I would come back, and I had to keep that promise—at all costs.

The Hummer was being pushed as hard as it would go, and I couldn’t do any faster. I was taking turns dangerously, but if I slowed down, they would catch up with us. Shane shifted left to right in the passenger seat, his body getting weaker and weaker. He looked in the rearview and saw them coming. “Shit.”

“We’ll be fine. We’ve been in worse situations.”

“No…I don’t think we have.”

The helicopter was sitting in the dark waiting for us, so I slammed on the brakes and turned the Hummer so it covered some of the chopper. “I can’t carry you, Shane. You need to run in there, get the engine going, and I’ll cover you.”

“Bones, this isn’t—”

“We’re getting out of this alive, alright? You’ve got a wife waiting for you, and now I have someone who promised to kill me if I didn’t come back. So we have to pull through this. Fight the pain. Just get that chopper off the ground. I’ll make sure a bullet doesn’t hit you, but you’ve got to make sure you get me out of here. Alright?”

I popped the door open and pulled out all the guns and ammunition we had. I had a machine gun, a few grenades, and a rocket launcher. “Haul ass, Shane.” I couldn’t look at him anymore because I was focused on the cars coming this way.

Shane clenched his jaw and screamed as he got out of the passenger seat. Half limping, half running, he darted into the chopper and got to work.

I loaded the rocket launcher and aimed precisely in front of the vehicles, wanting the first Hummer to run into the explosive at the perfect time. I pulled the trigger and watched the rocket fly, the smoke erupting out of the back of the tube.

It hit perfectly, causing the Hummer in the front to buck toward the sky and tip over, the engine exploding at the same time.

But that was just one car. I had three more.

The chopper started to hum to life, the power on and the rotors slowly starting to spin.

I launched another rocket, hitting the next big vehicle. I shot it right in the driver’s window, causing the driver to explode in a fiery death and send the Hummer exploding and spinning out of control at the same time.

The other cars were too close now, so I pulled out the machine gun and started firing.

They stopped their cars and got out, blocked by the car doors. They laid a line of bullets at me, forcing me to duck for cover.

The propellers were moving faster, but it still wasn’t quite ready yet.

I grabbed a few grenades and threw them backward over my Hummer, knowing my aim was true even if I couldn’t see it. I saw the explosions in the reflection of the chopper door, debris flying into the air.

I stood up again and kept firing the rounds, shooting the men who were still standing.

Shane opened the back door. “Get in. I’m taking off.”

I kept firing as I backed up, leaving myself exposed to bullets. But there was chaos among the men, the cars still on fire and the rounds hitting them in all different places. I hopped onto the runner then stood up, still firing. “Go!”

Shane pulled the chopper off the ground.

I saw one of the men pull a rocket launcher out of the back of the pickup. “Shit. Shane, we’ve got a rocket launcher.”

“The sniper rifle is on the wall. You better hit him, Bones.”

I dropped my gun and pulled the rifle out of the crate. The helicopter was vibrating so my accuracy wasn’t as strong as it usually was. But I steadied the gun, looking through the scope, and when I saw the man ready the rocket launcher, I fired.

Head shot. “Got him.”

“Good,” Shane shouted. “I need you to take over in a bit…I don’t think I can keep it up much longer.”

“You’ll be fine, Shane.” I shut the door and pulled on my helmet. I got on the radio and told our team we would be arriving soon, and Shane was seriously injured. He was becoming paler in the face by the second.

I took over the controls, and he moved to the passenger seat.

Shane clutched his stomach and breathed hard, his shirt soaked. “I’m not gonna make it, man.”

“Shut up.”

“I’m not…tell my wife—”

“I’m not telling her a goddamn thing. You can tell her when we get back.”

Once I landed at the rendezvous point, the medics took Shane and rushed him into surgery. We had a small medical team, but they’d been trained to handle emergency situations. I stayed behind and sat in one of the chairs in the hallway. I was caked with dirt and blood, and I still had my shotgun over my shoulder. I dragged my hands down my face.

Max called me. “I just got the news. Shane has been hit?”

“He was shanked pretty deep, at least eight inches.”

“Shit…”

“He’s in pretty bad shape. I have no idea how he got that chopper running.”

“Because you made him believe he could actually do it.”

I really hadn’t thought he could. I just didn’t know what else to do.

“What should I tell Cynthia?”

“Don’t tell her anything yet. She can’t get down here anyway, so…let’s just wait it out.”

“Fuck, I hope he’s alright.”

“Me too.”

“You hit the target?” he asked.

“Yeah…” That didn’t seem important anymore. The money we would gain from this operation didn’t seem important either. I just wanted my friend to be alright.

“Vanessa is okay. She went to dinner with her parents and then hung out at her apartment for a little while. Now she’s back at your place.”

I didn’t care about Vanessa right now. I knew she could take care of herself as long as she didn’t do anything stupid. “Thanks for keeping an eye on her.”

“She’s a bit of a handful.”

“Why do you think I like her so much?”

Max didn’t chuckle. “Are you hurt?”

“A few scratches and bruises. Nothing serious.”

“Well, that’s good. Let me know when you hear anything about Shane.”

“I will.”

We hung up and I continued to sit there. Shane wasn’t just my comrade, but my friend. Losing him would cause more pain than I could handle. This hitman business was clean and simple. We took out bad guys that shouldn’t be alive anyway. But these high-level operations were too advanced for our small team. Next time I saw Max in person, I would tell him we had to stick to smaller projects because we simply didn’t have the manpower. It didn’t matter how much the job paid. Vanessa was right—it wasn’t worth it.

A few hours later, I got some news.

They stopped the bleeding and gave Shane a blood transfusion. He was stable and getting some rest.

I could return home whenever I wanted, but I wasn’t leaving until Shane came with me.

I got on the phone with Max. “The doctor says he’ll be fine. He lost a lot of blood, but they cleaned him up pretty good. He’ll need to stay still for a day or so before we can move him. So I guess you can tell Cynthia.”

“Alright…she’s gonna be pissed.”

“No surprise there.” If I’d been mortally wounded and I couldn’t move for a while, Vanessa would be pissed too.

“You want to come back now, and I’ll fly out there?”

“No,” I said quickly. “I’ll stay with him until he’s ready to move.”

“Are you sure? You must be tired.”

“I’m not leaving him behind.” I’d stay by Shane’s side until we returned together. We were partners in battle as well as out.

“I understand. Maybe you should call Vanessa. She’s been at your place for the last few days. Hasn’t gone anywhere.”

Now that I was out of danger, I didn’t see the harm. “Alright.”

“You want me to tell her you’re going to call from a private number?”

“No. She’ll know it’s me.” I hung up then dialed her number into the phone. My phone couldn’t be traced by location, and it didn’t actually have a number. The signal was connected to a group of twenty different satellites that showed my location on twenty different spots around the globe, so it was impossible to figure out exactly where I was.

It rang a few times before she answered. “Hello?”

I didn’t say anything, just treasuring the sound of her pretty voice. I hadn’t heard it in almost a week, and now that it was in my ears again, it reminded me of quiet nights when she asked me to make love to her.

She somehow knew it was me. “Bones?”

“Hey, baby,” I whispered.

She breathed a loud sigh into the phone, the relief heavy in her voice. “You’re alright…?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, thank god. I’ve been losing my mind over here.”

I got hard thinking about her concern, imagining my woman walking around my place in one of my t-shirts, counting down the hours until I was back in her arms again. Having a woman care whether I lived or died was innately sexy. It made me wish I was coming home tonight, that I would walk in the door and immediately sink between her legs.

“Will you be home tonight?”

“No…I’ll be here for a few more days.”

Her silence carried her devastation.

“Shane was stabbed. He needs to recover a bit before we travel.”

“Is he going to be okay?” she whispered.

“Yeah. He was hit pretty bad and I wasn’t sure if he was going to make it, but he pulled through.”

“Oh god…what about you?”

“Just a few bruises.”

“Good…did you finish what you were supposed to do?”

“Yes. It’s over.”

“It’s not over until you’re home.”

I loved the way she said home. Because we had a home together, even if she hadn’t officially moved in with me. “I’ll let you know when I leave.”

“Okay.”

“Max told me you saw your parents?”

“Yeah, I did. We had dinner together.”

“And how was that?” I suspected seeing her family would remind her that our relationship wasn’t feasible, but she was so affectionate with me on the phone it didn’t seem like anything had changed.

“It was okay,” she said quietly. “We went to my father’s friend’s home for dinner…”

That set off alarms in my head. “That boy was there, wasn’t he?” My baby wouldn’t lie to me. Even if she could get away with it, she wouldn’t. That was why she was telling me this at all, because she felt too guilty keeping it from me.

“Yeah.”

“Did you tell him I’m your man?”

“No…but something else happened.”

My right hand immediately formed into a fist. If he tried to kiss her or make some other move, I’d have to murder him. It pissed me off enough letting him look at her, but if he touched her, that was a different ball game.

“My father talked to me privately and asked about you…not you, specifically…but about the man I told my mother I loved. My father and I don’t talk about these sorts of things. For most of my life, he’s kept me hidden away from the opposite sex—”

“As he should.” With a daughter that beautiful, what choice did he have?

“Anyway, he asked why it couldn’t work with us. I never really gave him an answer. I just said you weren’t right for me. Then he asked if he could meet you, since you’re the only man I’ve ever loved. He actually encouraged me because he said love only happens once. You’re lucky enough to feel that way for someone once in your life…let alone a second time.” Her voice went quiet, even though it seemed like she had more to say.

I didn’t want to meet the infamous Crow Barsetti. I wanted nothing to do with the asshole. I didn’t want to be involved with the rest of the Barsetti clan. I despised them all equally. But if I wanted to keep Vanessa, I had to suck it up and do it. I had to try—for her. Her family was important to her the way my comrades were important to me. They were my family. “You want me to meet him?”

“I…I don’t know.”

There was no way that would go well. It didn’t matter how calm and polite we both were. Tensions would be too high, and neither of us would be able to restrain our hatred. Even if we didn’t have guns, our fists would fly at each other.

“A part of me thinks it’s not crazy…”

“Baby, I don’t want you to become delusional with hope. There’s no way this will ever go well. There will never be a scenario where your father will accept me. I don’t blame him. It’s not like I’ll ever stop hating him. It doesn’t matter how much I love you.”

“I know the odds are slim…but I know how much my father loves me. I know he would do anything for me. Because of that, I think there’s a chance this could work. I can’t keep you as a secret forever. We have to try.”

I shook my head even though she couldn’t see me. “When you told your father I wasn’t right for you, he’s probably thinking I’m poor or something. He has absolutely no idea I’m his mortal enemy. This won’t end well.”

“This is what I do know—you’re the stubbornest man I’ve ever met. You wanted to kill my entire family. But not only have you dropped your vendetta, you’re willing to meet the people you despise because you love me. Once upon a time, we thought that was impossible. But look where we are now. My parents love me too, so I know there’s a chance. We can meet in the middle…somehow.”

“You’re going to blindside him.”

“We’ll do it in the best way possible.”

There was no best way possible.

“You’ll do this for me, right?” she whispered. “Tell me you’ll try.”

The idea of looking that man in the eye, along with his wife, made me sick to my stomach. It felt like a betrayal to my family line, to a family that lost everything—including their lives.

“Bones?”

Loving this woman had completely turned my life upside down. She changed who I was, turning me into a man I hardly recognized. Now I was domesticated, protective, monogamous, loving…everything I never anticipated. But I wouldn’t change anything, not when she was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me. “I’d do anything for you, baby. You know that.”

“And my father would do anything for me too.”

Three days later, Shane and I returned home.

I took him to his place, where his wife was waiting outside. She didn’t even notice I was there because she was too busy sobbing into Shane’s chest. Her arms wrapped around him, and she succumbed to the grief of his injuries.

I knew Vanessa would do the same thing if I’d been hurt like that.

It made me feel lucky.

Lucky that I had someone waiting for me.

I’d never had anyone before. No one cared if I lived or died but my boys. The women in my bed were usually strangers or whores, but I never cared that I was unloved. But once I loved a woman, I lived for being loved in return.

When I pulled into the parking garage at my place, I texted her. I’m coming up. I didn’t want to scare her when she heard the elevator start working. Someone had broken in to my place before, and I didn’t want her ever to feel afraid again.

With my bag over my shoulder, I rose in the elevator until I reached the top floor. The doors opened to Vanessa standing there, wearing black lingerie and sky-high pumps. The emotion in her eyes told me how much she missed me, that the sexy lingerie was just for me and not her.

I dropped my bag on the ground then scooped her into my arms. I held her against me so we were eye level. I looked into her eyes without kissing her, seeing the way she visibly melted for me. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she placed her forehead against mine.

I held her that way for a long time, feeling the burning connection between us. She didn’t want me between her legs. She wanted me just like this, safe and back at home. She moved her face into my neck and clung to me, her breathing deep and uneven.

She was light as a feather, so I held her with ease. I felt this small woman breathe against me, felt her cherish me in silence. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, baby.”

“Please don’t leave ever again…I can’t stand it.”

I said nothing, knowing I couldn’t make a promise like that. This was my job, how I supported the lifestyle I enjoyed. I got off on killing too, whether it was with my bare hands or a gun. “I’m with you now.” I carried her down the hall and into the bedroom. I set her on the bed and slipped off her heels before I pulled the thong down her long legs. I kept her bra on, liking the lace against her dark skin. I kept my eyes glued to hers as I pulled my shirt over my head and dropped my jeans. Layer after layer came off until I stood in just my skin. My cock was anxious and hard from not visiting her pussy in so long.

I dragged her ass to the edge of the bed and pressed my crown into her entrance, feeling her lips fight my size initially.

Her hands locked around my wrists, and she breathed as she felt me enter her.

The first thing I wanted to do now that I was home was make love to my baby. I didn’t want to talk or cuddle. I felt more connected to her like this, when my fat dick was surrounded by her wet arousal. I pushed inside until only my balls rested against her asshole.

She breathed through my intrusion, her eyes closing as she handled the pleasure and the pain.

My hand pressed against the mattress at her waist, and I leaned over her so I could get a perfect view of her face, of the love in her eyes. I started to thrust, my balls lightly hitting her asshole.

She moaned immediately, like she’d forgotten how good I felt.

I made love to her soft and slow, just the way she liked. She didn’t want me to fuck her anymore, as much as she liked it. She liked it like this, when it was about our minds connecting as much as our bodies. It was vanilla and simple, but I enjoyed it as much as she did. I watched her tits shake with my movements and the way her eyes lit up with desire. This was what I missed the most when I was gone—just looking at her.

“I love you…” Her hands crept up my chest until her small palms cupped my face. “I love you so damn much.” Unafraid, she looked into my eyes when she spoke, fearless and sexy. “I love you so much it hurts.”

I wanted to come inside her, to dump all my arousal in that perfect little slit. Her words aroused my body as well as my mind. Her devotion was sexier than anything any other woman had done. Like no one had been on this bed before her, she was the only one. All the others didn’t matter, not when I met the one woman who’d changed my life forever. I was the only man who deserved a woman so perfect, because I could protect her and take care of her. But even I didn’t feel like I earned her. Only Vanessa Barsetti could have captured my heart so easily. She had it the first night I met her, not because her beauty was unparalleled, but because her bravery was so tireless. She was stronger than most men I’d fought. She was fearless, powerful, and confident.

There was no other woman like her.

“I love you more than anything else in the world, baby.” I said the confession as I was buried deep inside her, speaking the truth. She was more important than my money, my revenge, and everything else. She was more important than me—and I would do anything for her. “And I only love you.”

I sat at the table across from her, having just left my office.

“How’s Shane?” She made lunch, sandwiches and chips. It was the only thing she knew how to make—because it didn’t require any pots or pans.

“Good. His wife has put him on lockdown, though. He’s not allowed to go anywhere or do anything.”

“Not a bad idea,” she said. “Sounds like the two of us would get along well.”

They were both spunky and full of attitude. “Actually, you probably would.”

“Maybe we should do a double date.”

“So you can gang up on us?” I challenged.

“There’s two of you and two of us. Not exactly ganging up…unless you’re just scared?”

I was a little scared. Two women who knew they had us wrapped around their fingers would be our greatest foe. “He’s still recovering anyway, so maybe some other time.”

She chuckled. “So that’s a yes.”

I covered up my response by eating.

Vanessa dropped the subject, but she had a knowing look in her eyes, like she was aware she had me by the balls. “Do you have another operation soon?”

“No, it won’t be for a while. It rotates to the other guys before it comes back to me.”

“Good…hopefully that won’t be for a very long time.”

“Probably a month.”

“Thank god.” She sighed in relief. “I’ll have to go through this twelve times a year…”

“I’m gonna talk to Max about dropping these higher-level operations. We just don’t have the manpower. We need to stick to simple hits.”

“Or better yet, you could all just retire…”

Never gonna happen. “This is my job, baby. I’m not going to change. You’re going to have to learn to accept that.”

“I will never accept you risking your life for money. I would much rather be poor.”

“It’s not just about the money. I need this…for my anger.”

“No, you need me,” she countered. “And you haven’t been angry in a long time. You don’t need violence or blood to cope with your pain anymore. You get all of that from being with me.”

I hadn’t noticed it until she pointed it out. Ever since she came back to me, I hadn’t felt an ounce of pain. I’d been too busy making love to her or watching TV with her to realize. I was happy…something I’d never been before. But that didn’t change anything. I was part of this enterprise, and I couldn’t just walk away. They could handle the business without me, but it would be difficult with three men instead of four. “Drop it, Vanessa.”

Her eyes narrowed when I said her first name, but she didn’t say anything more about it.

We ate in tense silence, the sound of our moving mouths filling the air between us. I watched her and she watched me, but neither one of us tried to change the subject to make the air a little calmer.

We finished our meal and continued to sit there. That morning, I made love to her good and slow the way she liked, and then I hit the gym on the third floor. She painted in her art room, and now we were together for lunch. I should go back to my office and finish paperwork, and she should get back to the art studio.

But we continued to sit there.

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot…” She dropped her gaze and looked at her empty plate. “I want you guys to meet.” She didn’t look at me, knowing my gaze would be furious. “Even if it doesn’t go well, which it probably won’t…I can’t keep living a lie anymore. I can’t keep lying to them.”

“They’ll be furious, Vanessa.”

“I know they will. But they’ll come around…eventually. Once they get to know you, in time, they’ll see what I see.”

I couldn’t stop myself from scoffing. “Baby, I kept you as a prisoner and held your family’s lives over your head. I made you fuck me to keep them alive. Let’s not rewrite history here. I have no idea why you fell in love with me.”

“I fell in love with you because you changed.”

“But if they knew—”

“They don’t need to know. All they need to know is you love me and protect me. You would never let anything happen to me. Just because you’re your father’s son doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.”

“I am a bad person, baby. I kill people for money. Don’t make me go in there and lie about who I am. I’m not going to lie for anybody—not even you. Your father and your uncle aren’t innocent men, so they can’t judge me. Your father’s relationship with your mother wasn’t much different from ours. He may not like who I am, but if he’s ever going to trust me, he needs to know I’m honest. So honest that he doesn’t like what I have to say. That’s how men work. He will probably never like me, but there is hope that he may come to respect me…eventually.”

“I guess I understand that. So that means you’re willing to do this?”

“Unfortunately.”

She breathed a deep sigh. “Alright…I guess this is really happening.”

“Don’t catch him off guard. You should tell him before I’m in the room—out of respect.”

“Okay.”

“And we should do it at his place where he’s most comfortable. His house has guns hidden everywhere. He can grab one at any time.”

“My father isn’t going to shoot you.”

“But knowing he can will make him feel better. You should have his brother there too. That will give him more security.”

“Now this is starting to sound like a mob meeting.”

It definitely wasn’t the normal kind of meeting where a woman introduced a man to her parents. We wouldn’t have iced tea and sandwiches over lunch and talk about how beautiful the weather was. This was two enemies meeting under one roof. “Pretty close. Your mother shouldn’t be in the room.”

“But she wants to meet you.”

“Let Crow decide that. Trust me, he’s not going to want her to be there. And I also think you should handcuff me.”

“Okay…now you’re being ridiculous. I’m not going to handcuff you.”

“It makes a strong statement, baby. I’m the one going in there unarmed with my hands cuffed together. I’m helpless and vulnerable. That’s the only way he’s going to know I’m serious, that this isn’t some kind of stunt. He’ll assume I’ve just been using you to get to him. This is the only way I can prove that’s not true.”

“It just seems excessive…”

“I think it’s not as excessive as it should be. I just hope he doesn’t shoot me the second he looks at me.”

“My father would never do that…”

I was his mortal enemy. There was no telling what he might do.

“He’d never hurt me, so I can be a human shield if it comes down to it.”

That didn’t make me feel better. “Don’t you ever do that. Accidents happen, especially when tensions are high. I can deal with him, but I can’t deal with him if you’re hurt by accident.”

“God, this is going to be awful, isn’t it?” she whispered.

I nodded. “I can guarantee it’ll end badly. There’s no possible scenario where it’ll end with a handshake. You need to be prepared for that. I know your father loves you, but he’s not going to look past his hate so easily…it’ll take him a long time. I’ll have to prove myself to him.”

“And you’re willing to do that for me?”

I was in this for the long haul, for better or worse. “Baby, I’d do anything for you.”