Cyprus

“Cyprus, wake up.” Birch shook my shoulder, forcing me to roll onto my back. “Come on, Babe, it's time to get up.”

“What time is it?”

“Eight-thirty,” he said, smiling down on me, his big blue eyes glittering with excitement.

“It's so early, Birch, why in the love of God are you waking me up? What are you up to?” Pushing up on my elbows, I rubbed my eyes, clearing them of the sleepy haze. “There better be a damn good reason you're waking me up before noon.”

I had trouble getting to sleep over the past few weeks. Every time I closed my eyes I kept seeing Antoine's face. It plagued me like a horror movie, making me toss and turn until my body finally gave up.

The way he looked, the calmness in his eyes and smoothness of his lips as he kept a smile on his face right up to the end, it was unsettling. I wanted that image to make it better, I felt like his acceptance should set me at ease because even he knew he deserved what was coming.

But I still had nightmares about it. I saw the pop of the gun over and over in my head. What scared me the most was I wasn't afraid, I didn't feel horrified and nervous around Birch or his father. I felt numb about the devastation they had caused, but fearful of myself.

Because deep down it wasn't that Antoine had been killed or the men I trusted had pulled the trigger several times over. . . It was because when I really looked back on it, I honestly didn't care that he had died.

What the hell is wrong with me?

What kind of monster am I becoming?

Pushing away the thought, I cursed myself for even debating if I could label myself as a monster. I wasn't a beast, I wasn't some disfigured creature that fed off life. I was just a girl who was being protected. I was just a woman walking a tightrope with the family that kept her balanced.

Tilting his head to the side, Birch kissed my forehead, and whispered. “You have no clue what today is, do you?”

His lips warmed my skin, sending tickling hairs down my arms. I loved when he kissed me like that. I could feel it in my bones, in every pore and muscle. That man was my world. With one kiss my mind was clear, and my thoughts were relinquished to nothing more than a single second in time that didn't matter anymore.

Because I was here; I was with the one person that helped me to believe in myself and forget everything behind us.

Neither of us are evil. We were just dealt a hand we had to play.

Nothing was simple. Death and living were both equally hard. It didn't matter which end you were standing at.

I had forced myself to forgive Birch for his actions on the beach. He said he had killed for me, that he had done it to make sure that no one would hurt me. But what he did had helped to save other women—I loved this vigilante of circumstance.

Smiling up at him, I shook my head no.

Drawing his fingers down my chin, his lips thinned. “It's your birthday.”

“My birthday?” Giving him a funny eye, I pursed my lips. “No it's not, it's August fifteenth, my birthday is in May, you know that.”

May, it was my favorite month. The flowers were blooming, the air was clean and crisp, I loved it. And since I didn't have an actual birthday to celebrate, I got to pick my own.

There were some benefits to not knowing who you were. You got to choose all the things that most had no control over. My age was a guess, my name was picked, and my birthday was a date I got to set.

Birch laughed, snuggling up against my side, and wrapping his arm around my belly. “No, not that one, your birthday with us. Today is the day my parents took you in eight years ago.”

“Oh, that birthday. Sorry, I'm still half awake.” Giggling, I nuzzled my head under his chin and placed my hand on his chest. “I can't believe it's been that long already.”

Squeezing me into his ribs, he tickled the tips of his fingers up and down my arm. “I'm just happy we found you. I can't imagine my life without you, and I never want to.”

Kissing his neck, I lifted my hand to his cheek. “Well I'm here, so you never have to worry about that. I'm not going anywhere.” Shifting on the bed, Birch lowered his body, gripping my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I love you, I've loved you for a long time.” His eyes burned into mine, forcing my heart into my throat.

“I love you too.”

“I know you do.” His thumb swept back and forth, softly stroking my lower lip. “And I hope that never changes.” Pushing his mouth against mine, he kissed me like I was the air he needed to survive.

Birch was my first love, he was the only man I had ever loved. And I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Our lives were woven together like a thick quilt. He was my past, my present and my future.

Pushing my back up, he climbed behind me on the bed, straddling my hips. His breath scaled down the back of my neck as his teeth grazed my skin. The air was hot, saturated with need. It didn't matter what he did or how gentle or rough he touched me, I melted in his hands. He knew me better than anyone else. He knew what I liked, he knew how to draw out moans and elongate the pleasure my body experienced.

Raking his fingers down my spine, I let my eyes close tight as he massaged my shoulder blades, digging his thumbs into the tense muscles.

There was nothing innocent about this man. His hands were lethal to others, but magic in my eyes. His toes dangled in the darkness, and he never downplayed the dangers that surrounded him.

To most he was Birch Rottera, son of Nicholi Rottera. His name brought fear, it brought hurt and pain if justified in the moment.

But to me, he was just Birch. He was the boy who taught me how to throw a football, the man who helped me learn to drive. We had breakfast together every morning and went to sleep side by side every night.

He was normal in every way through my eyes. When it was just the two of us; that was the real man, that was the man I had fallen in love with.

Everything else was forgotten the second he kissed me and held me tight. The moment his hands worked my flesh and I looked into his eyes, I only saw the boy I knew and loved, the young man I had grown up beside.

I was a mere girl when we first met, abandoned and alone. He was the curious entertainer and I was the serious visionary. He'd come up with some crazy idea, and I'd be the voice of reason.

And I've known that I loved him since the moment we first met.

I think it took him a bit longer to see what I could see. We had been together for two years before he finally told me he loved me. Either he wasn't sure about the way he felt or he was too shy to say it out loud. But I waited. I waited every day for him to finally tell me what I already knew.

The first time he told me he loved me, he gave me a look, and when he said it, I knew he meant it. I could still remember it as if it happened yesterday.

Birch tilted his head, allowing his charcoal colored hair to sweep across his forehead. The bright blue in his eyes contrasted the blackness of his hair and toned skin, making them pop like fireworks as he smiled. His shoulder brushed mine as we washed the dinner dishes together.

There was nothing significant about that moment, there were no flowers or candy, no cards or handwritten confessions of love.

It was just his eyes and the words. His tone simple and sincere, his voice strong and confident. He spoke those three words under his breath as I scrubbed lasagna bits off the dinnerware.

The silver cutlery splashed into the water, kicking up bubbles into the air. Birch laughed, elbowing me in the ribs as I openly stared at him like there was a ghost hanging over his head.

That was the best day of my life, the moment I knew we would always be together.

“Do you promise to always love me, Birch?”

A tight kiss hit the base of my neck, forcing my skin to ripple with goosebumps. Resting his chin in the dip of my collarbone, he quietly spoke into my ear. “You know I always will.” Running a hand through my hair, he curled his fingers in deep, clutching at the roots. “I can't help but to love you, Babe.”

Love wasn't a word I could remember even using before him. I didn't remember my parents, I couldn't remember if I had siblings or family or friends. My first real memory was of him.

I woke up lost and confused. I had felt like my world before his family was nonexistent. It couldn't have been anything great if my brain had refused to hold on to one fucking image.

Dragging flat palms down my arms, he scooped them around my chest, dancing the pads of his fingers over my nipples. Stealing them away, he slipped them down the curve of my sides, sliding lower and lower.

My sex grew hot and wet, eagerly waiting for his touch. But he stopped just before my mound, cautiously flirting with the seam between my legs.

Fucking tease.

I didn't want him to stop, I wanted him to keep going, I wanted him to slip his finger through my folds, flick my clit, and give my body exactly what it was begging for.

Tugging hard on my hair, he yanked my head back. “I'm yours and you're mine, Cyprus. Always. Never forget that.” His hard fingers clutched my skull, twisting my face so he could look into my eyes. Biting my lower lip, he plucked it gently between his teeth. “We were meant to be.”

Smiling, my teeth glinted behind crimson red lips. “I know, I feel it too.”

Growling under his breath, he tucked his hands under my arms and turned me around to sit me on his lap. I wasn't ashamed to say I liked it rough, I liked bringing it to the line and seeing how far I could take it.

And Birch. . .

He loved to give it.

I would never say no, I would never deny him of one craving, one thrust, one bite or pull or slap. He could take me however he wanted and I'd scream for more.

A tight white shirt hugged my chest, framing my naked tits behind almost sheer fabric. Birch stared down at my nipples, eyes zeroing in on the dark targets, beading up hard. Licking his lips, he pressed his palms against my back and pulled me closer.

His nose traced the pebbled flesh as a throaty moan escaped through his breath. “Babe, I'll make sure you always have everything you need.” Shifting his hips, I felt his cock against the heat between my thighs. “And you need this, don't you?”

“I don't know, I might need breakfast first.” Winking, I rolled my waist, gyrating and rocking against his thick member. My tits perked higher as I arched my back, anxiously waiting for attention.

“Fuck breakfast, I've got your breakfast right here.” Licking his lips, he coiled a hand into my hair and snapped my head back. Goosebumps jumped off my skin as he kissed my throat with rough pecks.

“Mm,” I moaned, sucking my bottom lip in. Rubbing my mound up and down the length of his shaft, I felt it jerk and throb beneath the thin fabric of his briefs.

“Fuck, I love that. I love seeing what I do to you.”

He enjoyed teasing me. Watching me squirm, seeing my expression as the desire seeped into my belly and took over, leaving me lost in delirious arousal. That fed his adrenaline, it gave him a rush to know he had this power over me.

Birch wouldn't make me wait too long, he wasn't that cruel. It was just enough to drench my panties and make my body shudder as he entered my pussy and pushed in deep.

“Just take me, stop fucking around and take me.” Pressing my pussy down harder, I ground against the firm muscle. “I need you in me, I need to feel you deep inside.”

Gliding his fingers up my inner thigh, he gently massaged small circles against my needy button. The center of my panties were soaked in silky wetness, the sweet juice seeping through the thin material, and coating his fingers in liquid passion.

“Fuck me, Birch, I need you to fuck me.” My thighs quivered, choking around his waist. “Don't make me wait any longer.”

Pulling my head back harder, he tore his fingertips from my pussy, slinking a hand up my belly and under my shirt. Pinching one nipple, he rolled it firmly against the two pads.

“Did you think you were in charge when I put you on my lap?” Plucking my nipple with a hard pop, he moved to the other one, repeating the same motion. “Because you're wrong.”

Cooing, my eyes closed tight as my back bowed. I didn't have any words left to speak, not a single fucking one.

And that's exactly what he wanted to see.

Releasing my hair, Birch skimmed one hand down my spine, curling it around my ass. Bucking my hips, I forced the tender spot to rub hard and fast against his cock. I needed him to finish this. I had to come before the anticipation killed me.

“Fuck, Birch, I can't take it.” Digging my fingers into the tops of his shoulders, I squared my back, leaning into his chest. “Please fuck me. If you don't fuck me soon, I'm going to come all over your lap.”

An animalistic growl flowed out from the back of his throat. Crushing his lips against mine, he kissed me. He kissed me with all the emotions he bottled up inside. He kissed with all the hopes and dreams that we had an entire lifetime ahead of us to share.

My lips parted easily to let him in as our tongues collided and twined together. Everything around me faded away, I only saw him, I only needed him; nothing else mattered.

I wasn't alive before meeting Birch. And I'd die without him.

His cock was rock hard, eagerly trying to break free of its restraint. Working my fingers over the elastic band, I tugged his dick free. Gripping the throbbing muscle firmly in my palm, I stroked him from base to tip.

I knew just how he liked it. He liked it when I squeezed the crown and swirled my thumb over the tip. He would moan when my fingers stroked his shaft, massaging the beating veins under the surface.

Licking my lips, my lids hovered half open as I danced a single finger over the ridge, spreading the slick drop of come that rested on the edge. “I love you.” I whispered, biting my bottom lip and flashing a tight smirk. “Now fuck me.”

Raising my hips, I shuffled my panties down my thighs, and kicked them off. Pressing up on my knees, I held his dick and guided it inside. His crown disappeared into my warmth as I lowered slowly, butterflying my thighs wide open. A shiver spread up through my chest as my clit rubbed his lower belly.

This man had me, he had me in every way possible. There was nothing I wouldn't do for him. And I wasn't ever going to let anything come between us.

His blood ran black, his heart never beat, his veins thick as tar. But not with me, not with his Princess.

Slamming my ass down over and over, I drove him deeper. My soaked pussy milked his length as greedy walls clutched him tight to keep him inside.

This, this is where I belong.

BANG!

The bedroom door sprung open, wood splintering and shattering around us like falling snowflakes. Screaming, I threw my body to the side, ducking behind his back.

“Get on the ground!” A swarm of blue uniforms and black guns charged into the room, corralling around us in one quick swoop. “I said get on the motherfucking ground!”

A heavy hand gripped the base of Birch's neck, tossing him to the floor in a split second. Three over-sized men mounted him, smothering his face into the carpet.

I didn't say a word, not one fucking word. All I could do was stare into the eyes of my protector. His skin had turned ash gray, lids open wide as saucers as his pupils dilated in sheer shock.

“Birch! Birch!” Reaching my hand out, my fingers met air as I was jerked to my feet and dragged out of the room. “No! What are you doing!? Stop!”

Fuck! They know!

They found out what he did. . . What we did.

I tried to fight them, I did. My arms flew out wild and untamed. My lungs screeched like an owl as I tried like hell to get back to Birch.

But I couldn't move forward.

An officer stood in front of me, blocking me from darting back into the room. He kept lifting his arms, shoving me backwards, making me teeter on my heels

Birch kept his gaze frozen on mine. It looked like he was hoping I could read the words inside his head. His eyes softened, brows crinkling up against his hairline.

He's apologizing. He's sorry that I'm seeing this.

“What are you doing to him?! Let him go!”

“You have the right to remain silent, you have the right. . .” The words faded into a jumbled mess of tones as I shut down and crawled inside my own head.

This isn't happening. It can't be happening.

No! No! No!

Raking hard fingers through my hair, I felt the firm grip of hands around my wrist. “Let's go, you're coming too. You have the right to remain. . .”

I knew my rights, I didn't need some fucking asshole cop telling me them.

Clenching my jaw, I bit my tongue, trying to remove all the feelings that were burrowing into my chest, attempting to hijack my heart.

I knew who Birch was, he never pretended to be someone he wasn't. But I tried so hard to keep those two worlds apart. I refused to think that they could ever bleed together and destroy us.

I was wrong.

And as my eyes glossed over and the tears began to fall, I knew. . .

I had lost him forever.