Alex felt so damn good as she whimpered and moaned beneath me. As much as I wanted to savor the moment, remember the sound of her breath and the feel of her skin, I was already to the point of pure agony. I couldn’t wait another second and drove deep inside her with one swift thrust. Her head flew back as she gasped at the sudden invasion which made my entire body still. I looked down at her, gazing upon her gorgeous, naked body, and I was completely captivated by her beauty. I’d never seen anything quite as magnificent as her lust-filled eyes locking on mine. I lowered my mouth to her shoulder, kissing her along the contours of her neck, and goosebumps prickled across her skin when the bristles of my beard tickled against her skin. It wasn’t long before her hands trailed down my shoulders to my ass, pulling me towards her as she rocked her hips forward. I withdrew slowly, deliberately, causing her to groan in frustration as she waited for me to enter her again. 

“Please,” she pleaded as her fingernails dug into my hips.

Answering her plea, I eased into her again, and as I increased my pace, she began to move with me, matching my demanding rhythm. I couldn’t imagine a better feeling. I drove deeper, harder, and as she tightened around me, another deep moan vibrated through her chest. As we continued to move together, I could feel her body tensing beneath me, urging me on as I became more determined to bring her to the brink of ecstasy. I took her harder, faster, forcing her closer to the edge with every thrust. Alex’s hands curled around my back as she braced herself for the next wave that crashed through her body. 

“Come for me,” I whispered as I slid my hand down between our bodies. No sooner had I brushed the pad of my thumb over her swollen clit, she came unglued. Her breath quickened as she clamped down around me, making me lose all of my self-control. She was so tight, so fucking wet. Having no other choice, I submitted to my own release and drove into her one last time, burying myself deep inside her as I came.

With great reluctance, I withdrew from her and laid down on the bed. As soon as I was settled, she curled up next to me and rested her head on my shoulder. We’d barely had a chance to catch our breath when there was a knock at my door, and Riggs called out to me, “Yo, Shadow. You in there?”

“Yeah. Give me a minute.” I quickly got out of bed, and after I pulled on my boxers, I went over and opened the door. As soon as I laid eyes on him, I knew something was wrong. “What’s going on?”

“Got something you need to see.”

“All right. Just let me put on some clothes.”

“Come down to my room when you’re done, and you might want to let her know that you might be a while. Gus will be calling us all into church soon.”

When Riggs turned to leave, I closed the door and reached for my jeans. As I started to get dressed, Alex cleared her throat and with a sly smile she asked, “So, you’re running off on me again, huh?”

“Only because I have to,” I answered as I eased my t-shirt over my head. “I’ll make it up to you when I get back.”

“Is that a promise?”

“I’ll do my best.” After I put on my boots, I went over to her and gave her a brief kiss on her forehead. “But only after we talk.”

I watched as her eyes filled with doubt, making me think she might try to put me off again, but she surprised me. “Okay, but I’m going to warn you … hearing everything might change how you feel about me.”

I didn’t have time to tell her that she was wrong. There was nothing she could say that would change the fact that she’d turned my entire world upside down, and just to have her near made me feel things I didn’t even know I could. She made me want more, and nothing would change that. Hoping it was enough for now, I told her, “Not a chance.”

I kissed her once more, and then left to find Riggs. When I got down to his room, he was sitting at his desk with his eyes glued to one of his monitors. While it often gave me an uneasy feeling, I’d always marveled at what he could do with a simple laptop. As soon as he noticed me standing in the doorway, he motioned me over. “Come have a seat.”

As I sat down next to him, I asked, “What’s going on?”

“We got a name.” He handed me one of the stacks of paper as he continued, “Rodrigo Navarro.”

“So, Jasper talked?”

“Hell, he did more than that. He told Gus everything about this guy and more. I’ve just spent the past hour confirming what he’s already told us.”

“You gonna fill me in?”

“Navarro approached Jasper about a year and a half ago. At the time, he had no idea who Navarro was, but he was intrigued by the big wad of cash he flashed in front of his face. When he found out that the guy was just looking for information, he took the cash and told him everything he wanted to know.”

“What kind of information was he looking for?”

“He wanted the names of anyone who was selling drugs in the area. It didn’t matter if they were big or small, he wanted to know everything there was about them from who their suppliers were to which street corner they used. He took note of everything, and once he had what he wanted, he left, and Jasper didn’t hear from him again … until a few months ago.”

“That’s when he hired him to start taking out our boys?”

“No, not yet. This time he wanted Jasper to find him a place to set up a meth lab, the kind that could generate a shit ton of product in a short amount of time. Sound familiar?”

“The Culebras?”

"The one and only.” He crossed his arms as he leaned back in his chair. “Apparently, he was their distributor out in California, and he sent them here to get his new lab set up. He provided them with the location, supplies, and all the startup money they could possibly need, and all they had to do was deal with the competition. They thought it was a sweet deal until they crossed paths with us.”

“Damn straight.” As I thought back to the night that we blew up that meth lab, I remembered how the flames engulfed every member of the Culebra gang and left no trace of them behind. It was a well-deserved demise for the motherfuckers who’d killed two of our brothers. “You would think that alone would be enough for Navarro to steer clear of Memphis.”

“Not a chance,” Riggs scoffed. “This guy is used to getting his way, and he’s not gonna stop until he gets it. That’s why he’s back. Jasper admitted that he paid him to kill off our boys, but none of that makes any fucking sense to me.”

“Yeah, but Boone and Hoss told the same fucking story.”

“Yeah. I’m not saying it isn’t true. I’m just saying it doesn’t make any fucking sense. I mean, come on. Think about it. This guy has the money and power to bring on one hell of a war, especially after we fucked up his plans for setting up production here, but all this guy does is pay Jasper to wipe out a few of our guys. Doesn’t that seem odd to you?”

“So, you’re thinking that he’s got another plan in play, and he’s just using Jasper as a distraction?”

“Honestly, I don’t know what this guy is thinking, but something tells me that killing our boys was just the beginning.”

“Then, let’s take this guy out before he can cause any more damage.” I looked around at all the stacks of papers that were scattered around his desk as I asked, “You got something here that might help us get to him?”

“I might, but I have to ask you something first.” He paused for a moment, then grimaced as he asked “How well do you know Alex?”

I didn’t like the tone of his voice, especially when asking about someone who’d quickly become important to me, and I found myself getting defensive as I answered, “I know her well enough. Why? What does she have to do with any of this?”

“Do you know anything about her past? Where she grew up? What she did before she started working at the bookstore?”

“What the fuck, Riggs? If you’ve got something on your mind, just say it.”

Sensing my frustration, he held up his hands and said, “Hold on. I’ve got my reasons for asking.”

“Then, get on with it.”

“Jasper told Gus that Navarro had a daughter, and after doing a little digging, I came across this.” As he handed me a piece of paper, he said, “This is her … Alejandra Navarro.”

I was horrified when I realized it was an old photograph of Alex. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Her hair was different and she was much younger, but there was no doubt that it was her. For the past year I’d only known her as Alex, the bookstore owner. I wasn’t stupid. I knew she was hiding from something, that she had her secrets, but I never dreamed those secrets would include Navarro—the very man who was trying to take down Satan’s Fury. “Damn. I can’t fuckin’ believe it’s her.”

“Yeah. This girl has gone to an awful lot of trouble to wash her hands of Navarro. She cut all ties with her past, moved clear across the country, changed her name, and from what I can tell, she hasn’t been in contact with her father in almost eight years. That’s some pretty heavy shit for a teenager to handle on their own.”

“You gotta wonder what drove her to leave?”

“There’s a reason why Navarro has been so successful.” Riggs handed me another stack of photographs mostly filled with some pretty gruesome images. “The guy’s a cold-blooded killer who doesn’t let anyone stand in his way. It couldn’t have been easy living with a man like that. There’s no telling what kind of hell she went through. She was lucky that she got away from him when she did.”

“Well, I think her luck just ran out.”

After I told him about everything that had happened at the bookstore with Alex and how adamant she was about leaving town, he said, “Fuck. So, what Jasper said was true. He has been looking for her.”

“Yep, and apparently, he’s found her … unless there was another reason that asshole attacked her today.”

“Is she still in your room?”

“That’s where I left her.” My mind drifted back to Alex lying in my bed, and when I thought about how she’d felt in my arms, I wanted nothing more than to keep her close and protect her. Without me even realizing it, I’d fallen for her, and there was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep her out of harm’s way, even if that meant killing her father with my bare hands. I ran my fingers through my hair and let out a deep breath before saying, “Riggs … this girl …”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he interrupted me. “I already knew this girl meant something to you, brother. Hell, I’m pretty sure I knew even before you did.”

“Then, you know I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”

“Yeah, I know that, too.”

“So, now what?”

“We talk to Gus.”

He stood up and I followed him down the hall to Gus’s office. When we walked in, he was sitting at his desk talking to Moose, but the conversation quickly ceased when they noticed us standing in the doorway. They both watched silently as Riggs and I took a seat next to Moose and remained silent as Riggs told him everything that he’d uncovered about Navarro. I could feel the tension radiating off of each of them as they listened to the news about Alex, making their silence that much more palpable. Once Riggs had informed them of everything we knew, including the fact Alex was actually on the premises, Gus was done listening. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his desk, as he turned to me and asked, “You had no idea this girl was in trouble?”

“No. Not until that motherfucker showed up at her bookstore.”

“What has she told you about her situation?”

“Nothing,” I admitted shamefully. “She’s kept this entire thing hidden from everyone. Hell, I don’t even think Hallie knew who she really was.”

“Then, it’s time we hear what she has to say.”

I nodded, then said, “I’ll go get her, but Prez … we need to be careful with her. She’s been through a lot, and trust isn’t going to come easy.”

“Don’t worry, Shadow.” With his eyebrow perched high, he assured me, “I can handle your girl.”