Padding to the kitchen as I tighten the belt on my robe, I make a beeline for the coffee machine. While Ryker might not be a great cook, he’s compensated with the best technology money can buy. And a coffee machine that freshly grinds the beans before making some of the best stuff you’ll find outside a coffee house? Perfect. Caffeine, quickly and in mass quantities, coming right up.

I hit the button on the machine, deciding to go with the Honduran blend today. Leaning back against the counter, I look around at the penthouse. I can’t believe I’m here, safe and happy. Sure, Ryker’s penthouse is luxurious, but that means nothing to me. I don’t mean to be ungrateful, but I had that at Jacob’s place. Luxury doesn’t matter to me. We could be back in that broken-down warehouse that Ryker used as a safe house. As long as I have him, I’m happy.

The coffee machine beeps while Ryker’s still in the shower, and I pour myself a steaming cup. Reaching across, I grab the sugar and add in two big spoonfuls, the perfect amount for me, before sipping and sighing deeply as the delicious brew immediately finishes waking me up. Morning sex with Ryker is . . . well, all sex with Ryker is fabulous, but I also tend to get worn out and want to go back to sleep because it’s so dreamy. But not with this stuff.

The doorbell rings and I set down my cup. I head into the foyer by the elevator, checking the video camera feed, and I see that it’s Marcus, along with a woman. I chuckle. No wonder Marcus used the doorbell. I thumb the intercom. “Come on in, guys.”

A minute later, the front door opens and Marcus comes in. With him is Kendra, a feisty sparkplug of a woman whom I met the very first night that Ryker kidnapped me from Jacob. At first, I was unsure about her. She seemed to be enmeshed in Ryker’s world so well, and she is a beautiful, albeit deadly, woman. With tattoos covering her right arm, brown hair done up in twin braids, and a strong jawline, I thought I’d be put off by her sometimes rough around the edges demeanor. Instead, I’ve enjoyed the times she and I have been able to talk, limited though it might be. “Someone’s got a freshly fucked look on their face.”

Marcus looks aghast at Kendra’s greeting, but I have to chuckle, smiling. “What can I say? It’s damn good coffee,” I joke back, raising my mug in a toast. “What do you say, Kendra? Want a little cream with your sugar?”

Kendra laughs and spins around one of the dining table chairs, sitting down and leaning against the low back casually. “No thanks. I like my coffee like way I like my men.”

“You mean any way you can get it?” Marcus jokes. It’s another thing I like about Marcus’s evolution—he’s growing more comfortable with showing both sides of his personality. Inside, he’s still the thoughtful guy who helped take care of me when Ryker was out taking care of business, but he never would have let Kendra joke with me before, or have joked back with her. Before now, he was Ryker’s right-hand man, kicking ass and taking names and holding the line. Now, he’s developing into . . . more.

Kendra turns a light shade of pink but doesn’t say anything. She’s lower in rank within the gang, even if I suspect she’s quickly climbing the ranks.

“Hey, you eaten yet?”

“Nope, but I appreciate the coffee,” Kendra says, getting up and walking into the kitchen like she owns the place to grab a mug, obviously remembering where they’re kept. I remember our first real conversation, where she bluntly told me that she’d never slept with Ryker, had no designs on him whatsoever, and good luck with that. She’d raised a finger with each of her list of items like they were bullet points and then turned her hand to flip me off. I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or offended at the time, but ultimately, it’s made it more comfortable for us to be friendly.

Marcus grabs a mug of coffee as well, and we settle into the living room. “How’re you doing? Everything okay since you guys got back?”

I can tell he wants to ask so much more, but he’s trying to be tactful. It’s another of my favorite things about Marcus. He can be sweet, kind, even a bit quiet in private, but I’ve seen him in action, too. When shit needs to get done, he turns it on and is a dominant badass who demands respect from his crew. It’s fun and more than a little entertaining to watch him switch between personas. It reminds me of acting when I’d have to get into character. But for Marcus, it’s not fake or acting, just two sides of the same coin. As he develops, I’m curious to see if the two sides blend more or if he keeps them separate, keeping his sweet side hidden in favor of being the new hardass boss in town.

“I’m good. Actually, I’m great. I’ve got another meeting with the police today.”

“You going to talk to the cops?” Kendra interrupts, surprised. “No offense, but I wouldn’t go into Police Plaza without being unconscious or dead.”

“Relax,” I reply, smiling. “Ryker’s going with me, and I’m not expecting it to be anything more than a formality. They’ll have to leave Jacob’s case open, of course, but nobody’s talking. Also, this afternoon, a lawyer’s going to come by to talk about Jacob’s will. I don’t really give a shit about anything of his, but I am the listed next of kin. Jacob had no heirs.”

Marcus nods in acceptance. “Good, good. Let me know if you need a guy for the money management. I know someone. He’s clean and everything, but talented at making your money work for you.”

“Thanks. I’m just gonna see what the lawyer says and go from there. I don’t even know what all Jacob had other than the house. I mean, you guys blew up his restaurants.”

I feel Ryker walk in behind me, his presence filling the space as he offers a handshake-hug combination to Marcus. He sits down, close but not crowding me, letting me always know that I’m safe. “I think it was the best bit of urban renewal this city’s done in twenty years. Actually, Marcus, do me a favor. Arrange a car and driver for going down to talk to the cops. I just want to relax today.”

Marcus laughs. “Yeah, I can do that. Think of it as a retirement gift.”

Ryker shifts to all business. Kendra brings him a cup of coffee, and he takes a sip, giving me a thankful nod. Somehow, he knew. “Okay, so enough with the pleasantries. Let’s talk this through. How do you want to handle this?”

Kendra interrupts, her eyes flashing between Ryker and me. “Ryker, no offense, but are you sure about this? Are you really ready to give up everything you worked for?”

Ryker strokes my hand, reassuring me before he says anything. “Kendra, I did exactly what I always planned on doing, delivering justice to the man who killed my father. Yes, I planned on running this city after that, but plans change. Marcus is the man for that job, and I have other things to consider now.”

“Did you make him do all of this?” Kendra asks me in her usual blunt manner. “Some kind of pussy magic?”

“Kendra, I didn’t force Ryker. He wanted out of the life, and after what Jacob was like . . . well, let’s just say I wish all of you were out of the life. But I understand the reality of things. So Ryker and I are making a choice for ourselves.”

Kendra looks at Marcus, who gives her a look that makes me wonder. Nah, couldn’t be. She doesn’t seem to see it though. “You know, I back Marcus all the way. Just making sure. And Sarah, you’re all right. Probably the closest thing I have to a girlfriend, but don’t be calling me for shopping and shit, ‘kay? You might be just fine rolling in a silk robe, but I’m a bit more rugged. I don’t even have a pair of high heels.”

“Thanks, Kendra, and don’t knock a silk robe till you’ve curled up in one. Maybe I’ll get you one and then you’ll see for yourself. Seriously, though, I appreciate that you’ve always had Ryker’s and Marcus’s backs and aren’t the least bit scared to call them on their shit. So do me a favor.”

“What’s that?” Kendra asks. “Frappes and manicures?”

I laugh, shaking my head. “No, I want you to keep checking on Marcus and watching his back.”

“Now that’s something I can do.”