My hands are searching for her before I even open my eyes. I can’t feel her, so I sit up fast. Looking around she isn’t here. Anywhere. Standing, I quickly dress, finding my clothes and walking down the stairs to where I’m guessing she’ll be. I spot her the minute my feet hit the bottom step. She’s behind the desk, talking to someone. They both look my way then she leans over the counter kissing Barbie’s cheek before she walks out the door leaving us in the room by ourselves.

“You disappeared.”

She looks up at me shrugging her shoulders. “Some of us have to work for a living.”

I step closer to her, but she steps back. “You don’t. What happened to all your money?”

She looks at the desk then back to me. ‘“I donated most of it.” I roll my eyes at her.

“Of course, you did.” I go to step closer, but her hand goes up to hold me back.

“Just keep the distance. Stop trying to get closer.”

I try to hide my smirk. “Why?”

She shakes her, head, dropping her hand. “Because I want to be able to breathe while I talk to you. So keep those hands to yourself,” she says seriously. Her eyes are watching me. Those mocha-colored eyes that bring me to my damn knees.

“I enjoy touching you, so very much.”

“Please don’t. If you want to talk I’m here to listen. But you must keep your hands to yourself.”

“That’s unfair.” She raises an eyebrow at me. “Who was the woman?” I ask, referring to the lady she was talking to.

“That was Stiles’ sister. Why?”

“She was the one looking after the shop?” I ask her. Quinn had handled it all. He mentioned something along the lines of Stiles’ sister, I just didn’t pay much attention.

She simply nods her head then starts opening her mail.

“She’s really good to me. I need more females in my life...” She pauses and her hand freezes. She steps back, frozen in time, and the letter she just opened floats to the floor. Her face has gone white, and her hand comes up to cover her mouth.

Stepping forward, I reach for the letter and see a picture. It’s of her and me. On the roof of the hospital. Picking up the note, I read it out loud.

He isn’t right for you!

If you stay with him... I’m going to kill her!

Behind the photo is a photo of another lady. It reminds me of Barbie.

“Who’s this, Barbie?” I show her the photo, and she looks at me, paled.

“That’s my mother.” I look back at the photos and see it. It’s her mother, but that doesn’t make any sense. She looks up to me, her face changes and her hands clench. “This is your fault. My life is shit because of you. It’s all your fucking fault.” She steps forward, her hands slamming into my chest. I let her because she’s right. But it doesn’t mean I’ll be leaving. I’ve become selfish like that. She slows down then her head lays on my chest as I pull her to me. “I want to hate you.”

I stroke her hair, kissing the top of it. “I know, but it’s impossible to hate those that already have all your pieces.”

She shakes her head. “Who could it be? Amy?”

When I don’t answer, she pulls away and looks up at me. “It’s her, isn’t it?” My eyes skirt around everywhere but her, I don’t want to tell her. “Why are you looking guilty? You didn’t send this?” She looks up at me pointing to the letter.

“It’s not Amy,” I reply.

“Why can’t it be her? She hates me the most, apart from Livia. But she’s family despite how we feel about you.”

“It’s not Amy,” I repeat it again, and her hands go through her hair as she shakes it.

“Why isn’t it Amy?” I scratch my chin looking away. “Don’t think of an excuse, just damn-well tell me.”

I look back to see her hands are on her hips. She’s sexy as fuck when she’s feisty.

“Because I may have splattered her brains all over the Arena floor for trying to kidnap you.”

Her hands fly to her mouth as she looks at me. She speaks, but it’s muffled. “You killed her?” I shrug my shoulders. “You knew she did that?” I nod my head.

“We searched for you. You didn’t think we would?”

She stutters on her words, then tries to hide it, but I see it. “L-Livia was there...”

“Livia and I have been over for a while, she just didn’t want to believe it.”

“I can’t believe you killed Amy,” she says shocked.

“She touched you. What did you expect me to do?”

She looks up at me then look back to the floor. “What about Antonio?” I shake my head again. “You killed him, too?” she asks, her mouth agape.

“He wasn’t required anymore. He’d crossed too many lines that he couldn’t come back from.”

“Is that what you do now? Just kill people?”

“No, it’s what I do to those that deserve it.”

“What if I deserve it? What if you had to kill me?”

I groan at her words. “That would never happen because one day soon you’ll be my wife, and then the only person who’ll be killing, will be you killing me every time you refuse to kiss me.”

Her hands cross over her chest. “Sounds like you have high hopes that aren’t there to have. We aren’t even a thing. Yet, you think one day I’ll marry your ass?” She laughs and goes to step around me. I snatch her waist, bringing her back in front of me, pushing her hair out of the way and kissing down her neck.

“It’s not a matter of if, Barbie, it’s clearly a matter of when.”

She drops her head to the side. “You can’t use your words and hands to convince me.”

I laugh, and she pushes away from me. “I think I could... if I wanted to.”

She walks to the front door, opening it. “You need to leave. I have to work. And you have to find who sent this and squish it. No killing, though.” She shakes her finger at me and points to the door when I go to reach for her.

“You kill all my fun.” I step out of the doorway and onto the step.

“And don’t come back tonight. Give me my key.” She holds her hand out.

“That isn’t going to happen. It’s mine now.”

“I’ll deadbolt the door then.”

“I’ll break your glass. Don’t try to lock me out.” Her eyes go big in shock.

“Fine, at least call before you sneak in.”

I step forward, my lips inches from hers. “I quite remember you enjoying my company.” I kiss her lips. She pulls back, but I don’t allow her to and take a step when she does, and press her against the wall so I can kiss her without her pulling away. She relaxes when I touch her, and my lips don’t leave her. My body pushes into hers, and her hands drop to her side and cling on my trousers, with her hand stopping herself from moving forward and touching me more.

Coming up for air my forehead touches hers.

“You can leave now.”

I nod my head, pushing away from her. Walking out the door, my car is still in the same spot. Looking back, I notice her watching me. She turns away when I do, and walks back to her desk as I drive off.

***

QUINN’S STANDING AT the door to my house when I pull up. He has his phone in hand and a more than serious look on his face. “Why so serious?” I ask him, stepping up the stairs and opening the house. He follows me in. “Quinn?” I turn around flicking the inside lights on.

“We received a few death threats, for you and her.”

“Barbie?” I ask him, and he nods his head. “She got one, too.”

He groans. “I’ve interrogated every one of Antonio’s men. It’s none of them.”

“You’re sure?” I ask just to be sure of what he’s telling me. It could be anyone. One thing my father taught me was there would always be someone ready to take you down when you’re at your highest. Most will be fakes, but some you should watch closely. I thought this was a fake, until now.

“We managed to track it back to here. The stamp is from here.”

“Someone I know?”

He shrugs his shoulder. “That possibility is higher than most, considering they know about both of you.”

“And it’s not you,” I joke with him.

“This is serious, Ryken, they could kill her. There’s no coming back from that, is there.”

“Squish it! Fucking kill it. Now.”

He nods and presses a few buttons on that cell phone of his. He’s good with it. He amazes me sometimes the things he can pick up and how he can utilize all types of apps to get the results we need. Like how he found Barbie on the internet that time within minutes.

“And also... are you planning to stay here?” he asks, looking up from his cell.

“Of course, it’s where she is.”

He looks to me like he knows what I’m thinking. “Are you planning on leaving the clubs with Cane or taking them back?”

I haven’t given that much thought. He seems to be doing well with them. Even though that’s where I want to be, it’s not where I’m needed the most.

“Leave with him for the time being.”

He nods again, typing away on his cell. “There’s also the matter of the house with Livia.” She picked that house, I didn’t fucking want it. Fuck! I didn’t even want to move. My home is where Barbie is. That’s who I want to stay near.

“Give it to her.” He raises an eyebrow. “It’s paid for, and she’s the one that loves it. Give it to her.”

“One last thing.”

I groan into my hands. “Have you become my secretary, one I didn’t know about or think I needed?”

He laughs shaking his head. “That favor you owe me.”

“Yes,” I reply, not forgetting about that. I was wondering when he’d bring that up. It was just a matter of time before he collected on the favor I owe him.

“I’ll be collecting on that soon.”

“How soon.”

He drops his head to the side looking at me. “Hopefully very soon.” He smirks, and I shake my head at him.

“Collecting tonight?” I ask. He doesn’t look happy but confirms it anyway.

“Tonight, I’ll meet you there.”

Business doesn’t stop even if we want it to. It’s not how things work around here. Buyers still want girls.

“Be careful, they know you’re back, and they also know now, that the business is still going. Just because they never caught your father doesn’t mean they can’t catch you.” I nod my head and walk into my father’s office. On the table is a list of the last two girls we sent to Antonio. Pushing them to the side, next to that is a photo, one of Barbie when Michael took her from me. No one else was there that night, and I sure as shit didn’t take this photo. So how the fuck are they all appearing now. Who the hell is trying to fuck with me? I press call on Michael’s number. He doesn’t answer straight away, but when he does his voice is serious, and he talks low.

Michael’s now in charge. Antonio’s untimely death put Michael in charge of the MC chapters. Everything now falls to Michael.

It could have been his master plan all along. But that would be stupid. They’re related. Brothers.

He could be plotting to kill me now, he would have heard what happened to his brother by now.

“We need to talk,” I say then hang up the phone.

Conversations on phones are stupid. Technology has a way of you getting caught up in its web. It’s advanced, and almost always that’s the way you get caught, for doing or saying something you shouldn’t have. Lucky for us we are far from stupid.