Loch and Sage crashed through the front door of their home, mouths united. Her legs tangled around his waist, stripping their clothes while not losing contact with one another. Her gentle moan as his hard cock brushed against her sex had Loch rushing to their bed. Forgoing any foreplay, he unapologetically dropped her onto the mattress, disposed of the rest of his own clothes before tackling hers. He took a moment to admire her naked beauty in the bathing sunlight from the window. The dips and curves of her womanly shape made his mouth water with anticipation.

“I love the way you look right now.”

“You love me naked,” she countered with a seductive grin.

Christ, where did she learn that?

“Your soft flesh”—he trailed a finger from her in-step to her thigh— “this creamy skin.” Her eyes closed as his fingers brushed across her swollen nub. “I could eat you for days and never tire.”

“Please do,” she moaned, her back arching as he rubbed his hand up her body to her chest. Kneeling on the bed, he lifted one leg to rest on his shoulder, opening her wide for his shaft to brush against her sensitive flesh.

“I’d rather devour you,” he grumbled in her ear, lining their bodies up and slowly pushing inside her warmth.

“Oh, Lochlan,” she breathed out on a sigh as he seated himself to the base inside of her. Her body pulsed around him. Her tight core strangled his dick in a nearly painful grip. Moving wasn’t an option until she loosened up.

Bending down, he took a light pink nipple into his mouth, sucking and nibbling as she squirmed beneath him. Her hands went to his hair pulling his head closer.

“More,” she gasped when he bit down. Her walls slickened, and he could finally move within her.

Taking her hands from his hair, he brought them down to their sides, pressing her into the bed as his hips began rocking. Her one leg was squished between their bodies as he worked her slowly. Sage couldn’t stay still as he pinned her to the bed. The only free limb, her other leg, she used to push her hips up into his as he thrust into her.

“It hurts,” she mewled. When he went to stop, she growled, “Don’t you dare!”

Chuckling, he lay kisses along her breastbone, moving up to nip at her chin just as she turned her head to meet his. Their mouths clashed with much ferocity. She sucked on his tongue as he let her hands go to grip her hips. Releasing her leg, he rolled them so he was on bottom. She sat atop him, a look of shock on her innocent face. His grip on her hips tightened as he pushed up into her. Her eyes glazing over.

“Ride me, Sage.” The predatory grin on his face was matched by one of her own.

“With pleasure,” she purred.

Her hips moved slowly at first. Front and back, she slid along his length. Clenching her pussy around his shaft, Loch felt the muscles in his frame straining with the need to control their pleasure.

“I like this,” she murmured, out of breath. Her hips picking up speed.

Sage’s hands roamed his chest until she found his nipples. Pinching them between her nails, a sharp pain shot straight to his dick causing him to harden further. He cursed, she moaned. His hips bucked up into hers at the same time she slammed back down on him, sliding himself deeper inside of her.

“Fuck, I’m gonna come, Angel.” He grit his teeth, trying to hold off and wait for her.

“Lochlan?”

“What, Angel?” He was fighting a losing battle.

Leaning down into him, she whispered in his ear, “Can we make a baby?”

That was the straw to break the camel’s back so to speak. Rolling them back over, he flung both of her legs over his shoulders, contorting her petite body as he gripped her ass tightly, just the way she liked and slammed into her over and over.

“We can make anything you want,” Loch groaned in her ear, loving the idea of her swollen with his child. As much as he wanted more time for just them, knowing they were both young and had plenty of time, he couldn’t resist at least trying.

“I want a baby,” she moaned again.

His thrusting picked up speed, and he began slamming into her, crushing her into the mattress. Resting his head beside hers, he groaned, “Come with me, Sage,” unable to hold off his release any longer.

They seemed to be the magic words as he felt her pulse around him, her body tense as she flew. Her cries of pleasure, music to his ears while streams of cum jetted from his cock, flooding her little pussy with every ounce he had.

“I love you, Lochlan,” she murmured sleepily.

“More than faith, Sage,” he replied as they both rolled to the side.

Their gazes locked, the knowledge of what they’d done, what she asked for, reflecting back on one another as slow smiles crept across their faces.

* * *

After a small nap, Sage woke feeling like a weight had been lifted. Peace filled her heart knowing Allegra was going to get her life back, even if it was in a new name. Serenity engulfed her at the realization that her and Lochlan were on the same page.

Some people might believe they moved too quickly, and maybe they were right, but she felt complete with him by her side. Tranquility flowed through her with every beat of her heart.

Seeing the room was empty, she quickly moved to the en suite to freshen up. The girl meeting her gaze in the mirror wasn’t one Sage openly recognized, but one she loved all the same. This girl was happy, free, loved. She felt so much love.

After dressing in a pair of Lochlan’s sweats and sweater, she made her way downstairs, expecting to see him around somewhere.

The house was eerily quiet. Silent in a way she hadn’t felt since leaving home. It was the type of silence that always made her skin crawl.

Slowly making her way to the kitchen, she was relieved to see a note on the counter next to a brewed pot of coffee.

Reading it, she smiled. Loch had to go into the shop to deal with the quick delivery of a vehicle he’d worked weeks on. She wondered idly about how many he had in restoration at a time since it always seemed he was delivering one to someone. Seeing as Braxton was supposed to be outside to watch the house, she decided to pour him a cup of coffee and grab a blueberry muffin Lorraine had sent home with them earlier that day.

Slipping on her shoes, she opened the door, shocked and terrified at the sight before her. Braxton was there alright. Blood dripping from his skull as he lay on the ground.

“Hello, Sage.” That voice. It was the sound her nightmares had consisted of for weeks.

“Wh–what are you doing here?” She couldn’t take her eyes off of Braxton’s lifeless body.

“I’m here for you.” Morgan stepped over the body and advanced on her. Dropping the items from her frozen hands, she tried to slam the door shut, but his foot jammed it, and he flung it open. Hitting her in the face, caused her to lose her balance and hit the floor.

“I’m not yours,” she tried to scream, dizzy from the knock to her head. Blood began dripping down her face.

“You are. Your father and I had an agreement.” He sneered at her.

“What kind?” If she kept him talking, maybe Loch would get there in time.

“The kind where I kept my mouth shut for what he did to that girl all those years ago, and he gave me what he couldn’t have.”

Sick to her stomach, she asked, “What are you talking about?”

Tsking, he laughed. “So naïve. That girl, his vicious sermons, so much hate for you. Your father is a bad man.” He laughed harder as her face paled, and he crouched in front of her.

“He wouldn’t,” she gasped. Her father couldn’t have killed anyone. Gulping at his nod, Sage shook her head back and forth. “He’s a man of great faith.” No matter how much resentment she felt for her father, she couldn’t believe he would do such a thing.

And yet…everything after that made sense. The lockdown, the hatred, the accusations of temptation.

“I’m afraid he did, sweet Sage.” Morgan attempted to touch her cheek. When she swatted his hand away, he countered with a backhand, causing her head to swim and stars to dance before her eyes.

“Don’t you dare touch me!” she yelled, incapable of tamping down her disgust for the man. “You’re no better than he is! You’ve been watching me since I was sixteen!”

With a predatory sneer, he reached out and snaked his hand around her neck, hissing out, “Your father wanted you for himself. He settled for someone else’s child. I. Got. YOU!” His words were punctuated by the tightening of his hand.

“No.” She shook her head, refusing to believe anything he said.

“I’d say you could ask him, but he took his own life just last night. After finding out about your marriage.” The last word was said with such hatred, she felt it to her bones.

Her heart cramped as shock mustered its way through her body. A chilling sense of doom rattled her teeth. “No.” The single horrified word seemed to bounce off the walls and echo around the room.

“Yes.” His grin was chilling. “That means you’re mine now.”

That was one thing she would never be. Straightening her spine, she spat out, “My father may have been a weak man, but I am no pushover. I will never be yours.”

* * *

Loch made quick work of presenting the car to Bill, a customer that had been recommending them for years. He took pride in giving the man back a perfect job every time.

Sirens in the distance caught his attention as he was leaving with Nox and Soph in tow. “What the hell is that?” his brother commented. The sheer noise was nearly deafening as they drew closer.

Seeing the barrage of police vehicles driving past the street Hogan Bros. was on, Loch had a bad feeling when one of them turned towards them. Recognizing Frank behind the wheel, the feeling intensified.

“Loch!” he called, barely stopping his cruiser. “Follow me!” He didn’t have time to ask what was going on before the man was turning around. Sharing a worried look with Nox, Loch climbed behind the wheel of his Cobra and peeled out of the parking lot like a shot.

It didn’t take long for him to realize they were heading to his house. Seeing Nox’s car behind his made him feel marginally better but didn’t wipe away the worry completely. His girl was at home, and while he knew Braxton would do everything to protect her, he also knew if the police were heading that way, all hell had broken loose.

The ordinarily fifteen-minute drive was cut in half as he came to a screeching halt in front of his home. A home he had planned on making the perfect refuge for Sage. The home they had planned on starting a family in.

He froze when it came time to leave his vehicle, to find out what was really happening. He didn’t want to believe harm could have come to his charming, beautiful new wife; he wouldn’t survive it. But it was all he could think of.

“Come on, Loch,” Nox opened his door, seeming to understand his hesitation. “She needs you, man.”

Getting his ass in gear, Loch stood, slamming the door behind him. He bypassed anyone trying to stop him and ran to where Frank was. Noticing a bloody Braxton sitting in the back of an ambulance shot his nerves up with white hot rage. “Where the fuck is she?” he yelled to the other man.

Braxton looked up, a huge gash on the side of his head, pale-faced, and bloodshot eyes. “That girl has fucking balls, you lucky bastard.”

Not understanding, he snapped again, “Where the fuck is my wife?”

“Lochlan?” Closing his eyes upon hearing her sweet voice, he turned.

There she stood, scared, pale, blood drying on her cheek and his sweater. She’d never looked more radiant than in that moment.

“Angel.” She rushed into his arms, sobs racking her body. “Shhh, baby, I got you.”

“I’m sorry; I’m so sorry.” Her apology confused him.

“What for?” He pushed back to meet her arctic blue eyes.

Hiccupping, her shallow breaths stuttered. “Morgan, he came. The things he said, what he did to Braxton. I’m so sorry.”

Her words still made no sense. “Sage, you need to take a breath. Explain it from the beginning.”

“So many nasty things. He told me everything. My father’s obsession, his, all of it makes a sick sense, and I hate him. Both of them. I hate them so much it hurts.” She needed to get something off her chest, so he let her continue speaking. “He wanted to take me away, Lochlan. He was going to hurt me and maybe, the baby.” Just her saying the words broke his heart and made him mad enough to kill. “I mean, I know we’re probably not, but what if we are? He was going to take it from me. From us. I couldn’t let him!” Her sobs grew harsher the more she spoke.

Pulling her back into his chest, he whispered in her ear, “No one, Sage, no one will ever take what’s ours. We won’t let them.” Looking to Frank, he asked. “Where is that son of a bitch?”

Two officers came from the house before he could answer. They looked pale or possibly even a little green from whatever was in his home.

“You know that umbrella stand you have by the front door?” Loch nodded, his mother had given it to him, full of umbrellas. He never used it. “Turns out your girl has a good swing and great aim.”

Frustrated with not being given the answer he sought, Loch shouted, “Out with it, Frank!”

“Sage here not only kicked him in the nuts to get away from him, but when he caught up to her, she had knocked the stand over and retrieved herself a weapon.” He was beginning to get the picture. “One of those umbrellas of yours had that pointy tip thing. Well, she beamed him right in the family jewels, tore right on through. Blood. Everywhere.” Shit. Maybe he wasn’t getting the right picture.

“She broke his giblets?” Nox asked shocked and in awe.

“Son, she didn’t just break them, they are in a whole new stratosphere.” Frank was having a hard time holding in his laughter now. “She’s got strength, don’t piss her off.” He left with the warning hanging in the air.

“Sage?”

“I’m sorry.”

It was all she would say to him. He refused to forgive her when she’d done nothing wrong. “Let’s get you to the hospital,” he said, guiding her to his car.

* * *

She hadn’t meant to do it. The sound that had come from him. The screams, the sight. All of it was what nightmares were made of.

Except Sage didn’t feel remorse.

She felt elated knowing he couldn’t ever hurt another person again.

Even though Morgan would live, in a federal prison from what she was told, he’d never be able to get a hard-on again. He would have to have major surgery to repair some of the damage she’d done to him, but he had it coming.

She’d begged for mercy, for freedom to live out her life, to check on her friend, but he wasn’t going to afford it to her. His only intent had been to do her harm. Whether he kept her or not made no difference, so long as someone paid for his loss.

Not knowing if she even had the strength to inflict pain on another human being, let alone stick an umbrella through their genitals, Sage had fought with everything she had.

Her life had begun the day she met Lochlan, and she had every intention of it ending in his arms. Not the arms of some psychopath.

After they left the hospital, Lochlan had taken her to a nice hotel. Knowing she wouldn’t want to be in the same room that someone tried to ruin their lives.

Sage knew that, together, they would heal. They would move on. Their lives would be everything they’d dreamed of and so much more.

Lochlan’s arms wrapping her in his warm embrace soothed every aching hole in her heart from all she’d lost in the past few months. The pain she suffered, the agony her mother must have felt after the police confirmed that her father had committed a mortal sin.

“I got this for you,” he said as he locked something around her wrist. “For your birthday.”

Lifting up her arm, her eyes welled with tears that she thought had dried up. It was a stunning bracelet with an angel charm that read, always my angel.

“I love you so much, Angel.”

“More than faith, Lochlan.”

It had become their turn of phrase. Something that would last a lifetime.

Just like them.