My phone rings as I tug on a pair of jeans and step out of the bedroom. I know exactly who it is, and he better have information. Caitlin’s in the bathroom lathering herself up with lotion after our shower and round four of fucking.

“Yeah.”

“Got into the room. It’s bad shit, man.”

“Fucking talk.”

“There’re guards surrounding her. Buzz about this being linked to the police somehow. I barely got in to see her.”

“How is she?” I regret asking, but Caitlin will demand all the details.

“Not good. The doc who works for our chapter here in L.A is on call tonight. Told me she’s malnourished and there are signs of”—he clears his throat—“abuse.” Jesus Christ.

“You getting her out?”

“Yeah, gonna take a few days and some mint to bribe the doctor to keep his mouth shut, but I’ll get her out of here. Man, my cuz ain’t going to take really well to this shit. It’s fucked up, and one thing my gut tells me is, her father was behind all of it. It’s the outlining pieces I can’t fucking line up.”

“This puts Caitlin in even more danger.”

“Yeah, someone is all out for war against this family.”

“She say anything about Caitlin?”

“She’s out of it. They have her in some drug-induced coma so they could get nourishments back in her. The doctor said she was screaming and kicking, wouldn’t even let them touch her. This is fucked.”

“It is. Something tells me her daughter gets her strength from her. She’s gonna make it, man. Just get her home,” I growl.

“Heading back to the hotel now to come up with a fucking plan.”

“Good.” I end the call and run my hands through my wet hair and down the slickness of my beard.

I can’t face Caitlin right now. I’m struggling to digest the monsters in this fucked-up scene. I head toward the patio with a bottle of Jack in my hand. The clank of the bottle hits the tabletop the same moment my ass does. I tap out a cigarette and light it, taking a long-needed pull, watching the smoke float up into the air then vanish. I refuse to let that happen with my Caitlin, where her mind goes off to some dark place over this shit. I need to figure out a way to tell her.

I smell her before I hear her. That fucking sweet smell of hers. I cannot believe a Goddamn woman has brought me to my knees.

Her palms land on top of my bare shoulders, and I swear to Christ the minute her hands touch my flesh, I feel a sense of relief in knowing she’s here with me. “Hey,” she says, placing her chin on the top of my head. I’m so fucking fucked for this woman.

I grab her by the wrist, tugging her to my front. She collapses onto my lap, looking exhausted after the day’s events. Admiration fills me from head to toe; there’s no way in hell I could handle the shit she’s gone through, and I’ve been through some heavy shit. Yet she fights to stay strong every single second of the day.

“You okay?” she asks, running her finger over the ink on my chest.

I nod, because right now I can’t go into this shit. Might be a dick move, but I can’t stand to see her fucking hurt anymore. The reality of the pain about to strike her will happen soon enough. It’s going to fucking break her.

Caitlin reaches up, taking the cigarette from my fingers. I watch in awe as she places it between her lips and inhales. Her mouth slowly moves close to mine as she blows the smoke and I inhale. There’s no way my cock should be enjoying this right now, but it sure the fuck is. Her cheeks hollow as she inhales again, smoke floating into the air over her head like a halo. I chuckle inside over the fact that this woman is about as close to an angel as anyone could get. She could have given up by now. Destroyed herself over all the lies and betrayal from her father. The manipulation and deceit that rotten son of a bitch has thrown her way. She’s a goddess in my arms.

“Make sure you check in with your secretary tomorrow. If word gets out that the woman found is your mother, then it will stir up a whole other pot of shit.”

“Okay. You do know the last time I called her, she had all kinds of questions. Everyone is getting a little suspicious.” I’m sure they are. Don’t give two fucks, either. I’m not trusting anyone.

“You don’t owe anyone an explanation. Just tell her you’re checking in. Ask her if everything is okay and hang the fuck up.”

“Fine.” She takes another drag. Her mouth curling around that filter has my cock twitching.

“You gonna share that?” I ask.

“No. They say a cigarette after sex is good for the soul,” she smirks.

“Bullshit.”

“Sounded good, though, didn’t it?”

She doesn’t stop smoking, doesn’t stop ceasing to amaze me. Always fucking shocking me.

Caitlin wiggles in my lap, clearly recognizing the growing hard-on under her tight little ass. “You’ve fucked me raw today, Katch.”

“I haven’t even begun to fuck you the way we both want. You ain’t raw. You’re fucking satisfied.”

“God, you’re a beast. An arrogant one at that.” She flicks the cigarette down to the cement patio and then leans her head back on my shoulder.

“Not arrogant. I just know how to please you. Don’t have any notion to stop, either,” I say, grab the Jack, and take a long, deep pull. Any other circumstance, and I’d be drunk off my ass.

The sun is teasing the skyline with its setting beauty. We both watch the colors wash over the sky in silence for a long time. When she shudders with chills, I wrap her closer to my body.

“What if she hates me?” Her question is barely a whisper.

That question guts the hell out of me.

“She won’t hate you, baby. If anything, you’re what’s kept her alive.” I have no fucking idea if that’s the right way to answer her; it’s all I got. I’m sure as hell not going to give her false hope if something happens to her mother.

“I’m not leaving your side through any of this,” I reply. I want her knowing I’m not going anywhere. Not until this is all over.

She strums my forearm holding her. “Thank you. I can’t quit thinking about the hell she’s been through and how she got there.”

“I’d bet my ass it was your dad.”

“I know it was. I just can’t understand why.” I feel her first tear fall on my arm.

“A lot of evil fucks out there, babe.”

“I’m glad he’s dead. I know I shouldn’t be, but justice was served.”

And that right there is the key to this problem. He’s dead, so hopefully, for reasons more important than this, her mom pulls out of it, and we hope she can give us the answers. The way I see it, that’s the only thing that’s going to ease her mind.

“I can tell you one fucking thing. If he weren’t dead, I’d be the bastard who kills him, and I wouldn’t make it quick.”

“I know.” She pauses for a tick. “What made you turn into a killer. That’s what you are, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is,” I tell her the truth.

We can have this conversation now, but there will come a time when I’ll have to tell her she ain’t asking any more questions about my life.

I inhale deeply, not wanting to drift back to that place in time. “Lots of dark shit.”

She gasps. Body going tight in my arms. “How did you escape all that dark, Katch?” I wonder if she’s asking us both that question.

I reach over for the joint on the table. Immediately regretting the loss of our skin-to-skin contact. I light it up and take a deep pull before I can even tackle this question. She peers up at me without the judgmental stare I was expecting, those talented lips forming a quirky smile.

“Need this, babe, if we are going there.”

“It’s fine.” She twists around until she’s facing me and wraps her arms around my neck. “Talk to me, Katch. Tell me what made you the man who is saving me.”

“The streets,” I reply, inhaling on the joint. That sweet aroma starts to fill my senses.

Caitlin doesn’t push for more. She waits until I’m ready.

“Had a shitty upbringing. My dad is in prison for killing my little brother. Choked him to death when he came home drunk and started beating on my mom. I wasn’t home, but my brother was. He was ten. Tried to stop him, or so my mom says. Hell, I don’t know. All I know is, that crazy bastard took my brother Kenner from me and my mom lost it after that. Began to worry about her next fix. It was a fucking parade of men and drugs after Dad was locked up.” An evil chuckle vibrates off me. “The men weren’t only interested in my mom, but me. Some would smack me around, but it was the one who tried more when I was fourteen who learned his lesson the deadly way. Guess my mom wasn’t enough to satisfy him.”

“Katch,” she whispers.

But I don’t stop. “He had me face down on the bed trying to rape me. I decided at that moment I was done with that life, so I reached under the bed, grabbed the knife I had hidden there, and killed him. I ran that night. The streets were my home and crime became my need to survive my favorite game of life. I was a fucking mess until I met your uncle Chet. He took me in, let me find a path in life worthwhile. It’s not a fucking perfect one, but Hollywood, every single time I kill a man who has crossed the club or fucks with a child, it’s like killing him all over again. It’s how I survive.”

She stares at me for the longest time. I have no idea what’s going through her mind. Not until her next words strike me deep.

“Oh, Jesus. It seems we were both trapped in a life full of hate and abuse. I’m so sorry, honey.” Caitlin clutches my face, peppering sweet kisses everywhere.

I don’t do sweet, gentle, or any of this deep-talking shit. With her, though, I feel as if I could do anything, except change my desire to kill the evil from this world. This woman is the law, and here she sits comforting a known killer. Christ, I’d be a fucking fool not to see what’s happening here. I’m falling in love with her.

There’s no sign of sympathy or disgust on her face, either. All I see is appreciation and gratitude directed toward me. My head swims with emotions I’ve never fucking felt.

“I’ve never told that to anyone, not even Chet or Curtis.”

“Katch.” Her grip on my face tightens. “No one needs to know. Thank you for giving me that. You make me stronger.”

“You aren’t giving yourself enough credit, woman. You may not have done or witnessed some of the shit I have. What you’ve been through is some brutal shit. There aren’t many people I know who would still be standing after all that’s been tossed at you. Now, come on. Let’s get some sleep.”

I stub out my joint, lift us both off the chair, carry her into my bedroom, pull back the covers, and lay her on my bed. Tug off my jeans, climb in next to her, adjust the covers, and pull her into me.

“Sleep, Hollywood.”