The daylight shines through the curtains as Austyn lies on my chest, sleeping soundly. Last night was better than I ever imagined. She’s always been amazing in my eyes, but our compatibility and the sparks between us make us unstoppable.

The only thing that stands out is her hesitation with the actual act of sex. I watched her carefully as I slid inside her, and if I didn’t know better, I’d swear she was about to cry. Yet, she didn’t. It’s not like I was her, but her actions left me a bit confused. After that initial entry, though, she was all in. We matched each other movement for movement.

Austyn is by far the best partner I’ve ever had. It’s because I love her. I know it. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love her.

In the light of day, though, is she going to pull away again? Is she going to erect those fucking walls again? Is she going to push me away? Is she going to try to avoid me once again?

Nevertheless, I won’t allow her to block me out. Not even for a moment. She’s going to know exactly what it means to have a man love her. As if she didn’t pick up on it the past few months.

She slowly stirs, her hand flexing on my chest. I wait to see her reaction, remaining still. She slowly lifts her head, her eyes sleepy from sex and lips beautifully puffy.

“Hey.” Her voice is whispered and sexy.

“Hey, beautiful.” I tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear, and she sighs contently.

“Can we just pretend that it’s still the night?”

I brush a kiss over her lips. “There’s no reason to pretend. This is us—you and me. Not one damn other thing matters. This right here”—I pull her tighter to me—“is all that I give a shit about. You. Me. Us.”

Tears well in her eyes, but she fights them back. “I wish it were that simple.”

“It is. Just let it be.” I lean down, kissing her hard and deeply, lying flat on the bed with her on top.

Her soft, compliant, still sleepy body molds to mine like a glove, fitting in the right places exactly. She kisses me with all the fervor of last night, meeting me at every turn and blowing my damn mind. Always knew she’d be sweet. Knew she’d be the one to wreck me. Having it confirmed only makes me harder.

Austyn rubs her pussy along the length of my bare cock, her knees on either side of my hips. The sensation drives me mad with desire, lust spiking through me.

Tilting her head, I take more, exploring every inch of her mouth with my tongue and lips. She’s a fantastic kisser, so soft yet rough when she needs to be. Absolutely fucking perfect.

She lifts from my lips, her eyes dilated and breathing ragged as she continues to move over me.

“You’re so fuckin’ wet, beautiful.”

Her glazed over look comes to me, her brunette hair falling around her like a curtain.

Reaching up, I grab her tits, needing the feel of her flesh. It’s so soft, and it turns her on, if her hips going faster has anything to say about it. Tweaking each nipple, she cries out, tossing her head back. Her hair is so long it swipes over my legs, only adding to the sensations coursing through me.

I feel the pre-come leaking out of me and grasp her hips. “Beautiful, need to glove up and be inside that sexy body of yours.” Reaching over, I grab the foil packet, tear it open, and glide it on.

She grasps my cock, and I have to hold in the urge to come because it rides me hard.

Poised at her entrance, she slowly lowers onto me. Her pussy is so damn tight she has to rock her hips back and forth inch by painful inch to let me in. Once her ass is resting on my hips, she stops, our eyes connecting.

Looking deeply within her, I see what I’ve been wanting to see, when her mouth kept telling me other things—love, compassion, and undying lust. They brew in her depths, wrapping around me like a winter scarf.

She brings her hands to my chest, palms flat, searing me with her heat. Blowing out a breath, sweat trickles down my face and chest. My patience is just about spent. Then she starts to move. Up and down, gliding along my shaft, her knees and legs working as one unit. The rhythm starts out uneven, but all too soon, she finds it.

Austyn drops her head back as a sexy as hell moan escapes her. I squeeze my hands on her hips, guiding her faster. My hips buck with each downward thrust from her. My cock is so deep inside I have to blink away the stars in my eyes.

“Oh, Ryker!” she calls out as our pace quickens.

I pop my feet flat on the bed, knees cocked up, and meet her each and every time. Her body falls to me, lips attaching to mine as she kisses and tries to breathe at the same time.

Wrapping my arms tightly around her back, I still her movements, taking her lips. I violently thrust my hips repeatedly, squeezing my ass muscles, trying to make my cock penetrate further.

Holding her immobile, her lips fall from mine as she moves her face to my neck. I continue to hammer into her.

Austyn’s wetness is heard throughout the room, along with her pants, mewls, and cries.

Her pussy walls contract around my cock, making the slide in and out more difficult but so much better.

“Ryker!” she screams loud enough to shake the walls of the room. Only then do I allow my cock to burst inside her. The muscles in my abs jump with each squirt of my release until everything is spent.

Austyn’s body relaxes into mine, her breathing matching my very own. Sweat coats both our skin. I reach up, cradling the back of her neck, and pull her lips to mine.

This is exactly what I want to wake up to every fucking morning of my life.

Yes, I’m ruined.

* * *

“You’re going to cook?” Austyn asks with a genuine smile on her face. One I’ve been getting a lot of since our excursion the other day. Each time she gives me one is a gift. Ones I take greedily.

Pulling out a pot and setting it on the stove, I tell her, “Yep. The one thing I remember from my mother’s cooking is hamburger, peppers, and cheese. You can’t go wrong with it.”

She leans against the doorframe, happiness radiating from her. “Sounds good. Do you want help?”

“Sure. Chop up the peppers.”

She enters the kitchen, stopping next to me, and we spend the next few hours cooking, eating, and laughing.

There’s a fight in her eyes that she tries to hide. One that wants to let everything go, yet she still finds herself holding back. Lately, though, she’s been able to let loose and be with me. That’s another one of her gifts, only making me love her more.

* * *

My cell rings, the screen reading, Mom calling.

I lean down to Austyn. “Gotta take this.”

She moves off my lap and sits up on the couch. Then I make my way to the balcony with the door open and light a smoke.

“Yeah?”

“Matthew?” The voice is hushed, so much so I can’t make out who it is.

“Who is this?”

There’s a hesitation, then, “It’s Breanna.”

I inhale deeply. This can’t be good.

“Samantha told me to call you,” she continues.

I’m hoping this is a call to get her out of that house. I was going to do it on my own. Just, with Austyn, I haven’t been focusing on it. I need to. This is my wakeup call. I need to pay more attention.

“Okay,” I lead, trying to get her to tell me what she wants. If she doesn’t want to leave, then it won’t matter because she’ll just go back. I’ve always assumed she didn’t want to be in that life, but I could be far off the mark.

“Samantha said you were going to get her out.”

“Yes.” I have to keep reminding myself she’s only fifteen, almost sixteen, but fuck, it’s like pulling teeth to get her to talk. She’s also socially awkward, being so sheltered her entire life. It’s another thing I have to keep in mind.

“Dad had me meet with William today.”

Bile rises up my throat. William is the leader, if that’s the correct term nowadays. He’s the one who determines your spouse match.

“He has men picked out for me, and I just can’t …” She trails off, and then I hear her soft crying on the other end of the phone.

“Tell me what you need, Breanna,” I prompt, hoping she comes out and says it. I try not to let the anger show through, afraid I might scare her.

“I want out. I don’t want to marry those men. Two are my cousins, and one is my half-brother. That’s just icky, Matthew.” Icky. It reminds me of how sheltered my siblings are from the outside world. She may be going on sixteen, but she’s much younger than that socially.

“Alright. When do you want me to get you?”

“Just like that?” She sounds surprised, but she should know I mean business from Samantha. No way I’ll let her stay in that place if she doesn’t want to be there. My thoughts are, if William and James think she’s old enough to be picking out a potential husband to be with for the rest of her life, then she’s completely capable of making the decision that she doesn’t want to be in that life.

“Yep. What’s the plan?”

“I …” She hesitates. I forgot again that I need to walk her through it.

“When will Mom and the kids be gone while you’re at home? Or would you be able to leave at school?”

“Not at school; too many people. It has to be at the house and with dark cover. Either while everyone’s sleeping or when Mom goes to church tomorrow night.”

There’s only one option there. “When Mom goes to church.”

“I’m supposed to watch all the kids.”

Fuck.

“So, they’ll be there then?” Shit.

“Yeah.”

Okay, change in plans.

“Here’s the deal, since the kids are home, let’s do it while everyone’s sleeping. That’ll be better than the first.”

“Okay.”

“Tomorrow night, one in the morning, I’ll be waiting outside the back left window to the basement. You’re going to crawl through the window, and then we’re out of there. Got it?”

“I’m scared. If she catches us …”

“It won’t happen, and even if it does, I’m not the same little boy I was when I left. We’re doing this quietly, so I don’t jolt the neighbors and they start making phone calls, then I have a mob or cops on my hands. Quick and quiet.”

“Okay.”

“You only pack what you need in a duffle bag. One. Don’t bring curling irons and shit like that. Only bring clothes and personal things that you can’t get at a store. Don’t start packing until everyone goes to bed tomorrow. That way, no one will catch you and ask what you’re doing.”

“Okay.”

“Are you okay?” I ask when she says nothing else and the dead air takes over.

“Yeah, I’m just scared, but I can’t do it. I have to leave.”

“You leave, that means no contact with the other siblings or Mom. You’re on your own, but I’ll help you get all set up.”

She sniffles. “I know.”

“Alright. I’ll be there tomorrow at one a.m. Be ready.”

“Thank you.” She clicks off the phone just as Austyn comes out to stand by me on the balcony.

“What’s going on?” she asks, leaning her elbows on the wrought iron railing.

Ripping my other hand through my hair, I answer, “We’re gonna go get my sister tomorrow night. She wants to leave.”

“Samantha?”

“No, Breanna. She turns sixteen soon, and they already have matches for her. Two are her cousins, and one is a half-brother. It’s not fuckin’ happenin’.” I toss out the smoke. “We need to head over to the clubhouse.”

She nods.

For this, I’ll need my brothers at my back.

* * *

“Let’s do this.” I glance over at Austyn. “You ready.”

“Not like I’m doing much but sitting in the truck, waiting for them to jump in. I’m sure I can hack it.”

Reaching over, I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pull her lips to mine for a quick kiss.

“Can y’all not do that in front of me?” Nox whines, but I don’t give a fuck. We haven’t been around the guys since our relationship turned. Nevertheless, I make no apologies for kissing my woman. Fuck that.

“Shut it,” I order with a smile. “There shouldn’t be any trouble. I’ll be in and out quickly. We just gotta watch the neighbors.”

“Tell me again why we don’t just break down the fuckin’ door and take her out?” Rhys chimes in.

“We’re tryin’ to make her disappear. If they know I had anything to do with it, they’ll sick the cops on me so fast my head’ll spin. The cops are one of them around here and will have no trouble bouncing us all behind bars. Not only that, they’ll send out the lynch mob beforehand, and the less bodies we have to deal with, the better. We want a clean in and out.”

“Fuckin’ idiots,” Rhys grumbles, walking back to his truck. No bikes this time; too loud for the neighborhood.

GT clamps a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s get her out and get the fuck out of here. This place is fuckin’ twisted.”

“You’re telling me.” I look down at my watch. “Ten minutes. I’ll radio if there are any problems. Only then do you move in.”

“Got it, Captain,” Deke teases, but not in a fun way. He’s still pissed about his hand being forced. What he needs to remember is he’s still a fucking prospect.

Not having time to deal with it, I kiss Austyn one more time then shut the door.

Everyone leaves while I wait. Those ten minutes seem to take for-fucking-ever. Like the second hand on the clock doesn’t want to move correctly. The house has no lights on, but two lights outside illuminate a lot of the space, so we’ll easily be seen.

There are two cars in the driveway, both empty. The neighbor has one light on, but it looks like it’s over a kitchen sink. That could possibly be one that’s on all the time, yet I don’t know for sure. The other neighbor’s house is dark. Even with them dark, my alertness is on high, making sure that all is clear.

My watch finally shows one o’clock. Austyn gives me a nod, and then I’m off, creeping through this little town like a thief in the night. Down the sidewalks and through the driveway. A dog barks in the distance, and I’m hoping it isn’t close. That’s the last thing I need.

Going around the back side of the house, I find the left window is open with no screen on it. At least she’s really ready to come with me.

“Breanna?” I whisper into the night.

Nothing.

Fuck, maybe she chickened out.

I wait, looking in the window and seeing nothing but darkness inside. Time starts to tick by. It’s funny how fast it goes when you want it to slow down.

“Breanna?” Poking my head in, I see movement off to the side. “Breanna?”

“Yeah, hang on.” She’s rummaging through something, which she should have done before I got here.

“We don’t have time to hang on. Move!”

“Okay,” she whisper-yells. “Be quiet; Dad’s here tonight.”

“You’re fuckin’ shittin’ me.” Of all the times for that motherfucker to show up, it has to be when I’m here and taking one of his prized girls. He covets the girls like expensive money because they are the ones who keep this lifestyle going. Stupid fucker.

“No. Now move.” She tosses a duffle bag out of the window opening, then tosses a second.

“Now,” Breanna says, and then a small body comes out of the window. Holy fuck.

“Breanna, what are you doing?”

“I’m not leaving her behind. She only has a few more years, then she’ll be in my shoes. She’s the last girl,” she says hastily, climbing out the window behind our younger sister Ashley.

My heart thumps loudly. This isn’t what I planned. Not two minors who now need places to escape. Fuck me.

A loud shatter comes from the window, one of the panes lays on the ground in pieces. Lights come on. There is no time to argue.

“Go. Down the road to the left until you get to the black truck. Get inside.”

I grab both the duffle bags, and then we head out around the side. The front porch light comes on as we get there.

“Go to the truck.”

Breanna stops. “He’ll be mad.”

“Fuckin’ go!” I yell just as the front door swings open with such force it hits the side of the house. My sperm donor comes out, wearing pajama pants and a T-shirt with “He’s the one” on the front. Asshole.

“What’s going on here?” James asks, quickly coming down the stairs and directly toward me on bare feet. Holding my ground, my feet stay planted as he approaches. “Who are you and what do you want?” he demands like he’s some sort of king or some shit and I’m supposed to listen to his bullshit. No, not happening.

He’s pudgier than I remember, and his dark hair has turned gray. His eyes show years of keeping secrets and how they are paying a toll on him now.

“Hey, Daddy-o. Remember me?”

He blinks repeatedly, looking me up and down. When it clicks in his head, his mouth turns in disgust. “Matthew?”

“The one and only. Seems you have a problem that I’m takin’ care of.”

He lifts his chin with confidence. “And what’s that?”

I lean in. “Two girls who want nothing to do with this life.”

His eyes round. “Charlotte, check the girls! What did you do to them?” His face turns a vibrant shade of red, and even with it dark, the glow from the light accentuates it. It’s not a good color for him at all. With his yelling, though, he’s going to draw attention and fast. That’s what he wants. He wants his minions to come out and get in my face. Idiot.

“They’re gone!” my mother wails, running out the door. “Matthew, what are you doing?”

“The girls want to come with me. I’m takin’ them somewhere safe where you can’t find them … ever.” I press the button on my walkie, knowing my brothers will be there momentarily. “James, I have enough information gathered on you to sink your entire operation. To close your banks and your stores—everything. Gone in a puff of smoke.”

I sense my brothers behind me, but it’s my sperm donor’s round eyes that tell me for a fact.

“See these men behind me? They’re my family. We protect each other with everything we have. You come after me or those girls, we’ll end all of this and you’ll have nothing left.”

Truth be told, I don’t have information that would destroy their operation, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get it. It’s a bluff I’m rolling with, seeing if he’ll take the bait.

“You can’t do this!” James exclaims.

“Please don’t,” my mother pleads, tears streaming down her face.

“She already has her future husbands lined up. Two cousins and a half-brother. Nice. That’s fuckin’ nasty. You look at me with disgust, but that’s where you’re wrong. You disgust me.”

“I don’t really care what you think of me. God has told me what He wants of me, and I’m following His rules.”

“Bullshit. You wouldn’t know the truth if it bit you on the ass.”

“Brother, we need to go,” GT says from my side. That’s when I notice more lights coming on in the neighborhood. We killed the cameras on the road, so at least they won’t show us here.

“We’re leaving. Don’t come anywhere near us or you’ll be done for. Not only will I get your ass thrown in jail for your underage activities, I’ll destroy you. Think of this as my revenge.” On those parting words, I turn to my brothers, nodding, and then we all take off like shots.

I hear footfalls behind me, having no doubt it’s my sperm donor. Girls are such a high commodity in this world, he’ll do anything to keep them. Anything.

Turning around, I find he’s only a few beats behind me. I jump into an already running truck—thank you, Austyn—and we take off into the night.

In the rearview mirror, I see my father stomping his feet and waving his hands in the air, angry as all hell.

I’m going to need to find these two somewhere to go, now.

“Are you okay?” I ask the girls, who are crying in the backseat of my extended cab.

Breanna sniffles. “We’ll be fine. We just have to get out of here.”

Austyn reaches over and grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’ll call Mom.”

I nod, thanking Christ that Princess has connections.