Opening the front door, I find Michael standing on the porch, hands in his pockets. “Hey, man, come in.” I open the door wider for him to enter.

“Danny came through with an address,” he tells me, coming to a stop in the kitchen.

“Great,” relief washes over me. I wait for him to tell me what it is, but he stares at his boots, hands on his hips, ignoring me. “Dude, the address?”

His troubled eyes meet mine. “It’s not good, he’s laying low with his supplier. And that’s a dude you don’t want to fuck with.”

I blink at him, waiting for more information.

He sighs and plants his hands on the counter. “He’s hanging out at Eastman’s compound. That place is almost as heavily guarded as my father’s—or I should say Danny’s—place,” he snorts but it’s not in amusement.

Shaking his head, he looks at me, pain in his eyes. “Danny never wanted this, none of us did. Now look where we are. I’ve got a straight job with Abe but look at my brothers. They’re fucked. Will is in a goddamn wheelchair, possibly for the rest of his life, and Danny is stuck running a multinational crime syndicate.”

“I know, man, and if I could have changed anything that day when shit went down with your old man and Kalista, it would be what happened to Will. He didn’t deserve that. And neither did Danny, but we make our own choices in life, Mickey. Each choice leads us to exactly where we need to be. How else would you have found Kalista?” I ask him.

Gritting his teeth, he nods. “You’re right,” he swallows, “I know you’re right. And I shouldn’t be putting my shit on you when you’ve got bigger problems on your hands right now. I’m sorry, man.”

Clamping my hand over his shoulder the same way he did to me a few days ago, I tell him, “Don’t sweat it, bro. We all have our own battles to fight. Mine just happen to be the priority at this present moment in time. But I promise you, I’ll do whatever I can to help you deal with your family situation when this is all over.”

Dropping his head, he mutters, “Thank you, Zak. I don’t know how to handle Will’s condition and I have no idea how to help Danny…” He sighs. “But you’re right, we deal with this first. I’ll take you to Paco, Eastman himself is not a completely bad guy. Danny says he’s got daughters of his own, that might be our in.”

Finally, something I can work with. “Okay, have you met Eastman?” I ask.

“Nope, but Danny has. Abe’s brother had a run in with him a while back too. Far as I know Eastman did what he could for him,” he says.

That could be useful. “You talkin’ ‘bout Axel?”

Michael nods. “Yeah, Eastman’s little brother is a shitbag, he was mates with the fuckwad that kidnapped Axel’s miss’s. Let him hideout on the compound. Eastman was pissed so he helped them as much as he could.”

Nodding to myself I let this information sink in. “Excellent. I’ll ask Abe to call Axel.” Then I think better of it after remembering the way Abe was such a dick the other day. “Actually I’ll get Alec to make the call.”

Michael chews at the edge of his thumb nail. “Yeah, what’s with him? I’ve never seen him like that. He’s not a confrontational guy. Unless it’s with your little leprechaun,” he adds with a chuckle.

“Excuse me?”

Michael stiffens at Red’s cold voice coming from behind him. He spins to face her, hands raised. “Hey, Ellie, didn’t hear you there,” he says, smiling brightly.

“Did you just call me a leprechaun?” Red asks with a raised brow. She stalks closer to Michael, so close he leans back, knocking against the counter behind him. “Well?”

Michael foreheads furrows with frown lines, feigning confusion. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replies. The slightly higher pitch of his voice giving away his lie.

Red’s eyes narrow dangerously, “Don’t bullshit me, I heard what you said. Are you making fun of my heritage right now? I never picked you as a racist, Michael.”

He balks, “Racist? What?”

“My mother is Irish, and you’re calling me a leprechaun. I’d call that racist, wouldn’t you, honey?” Red asks sweetly, looking up to me with a saccharin sweet smile.

I grin. “It does sound a little on the intolerant side.”

Reds smile brightens. “And what do we do to prejudice assholes?”

Michael’s face pales and he swallows hard, “I didn’t know your mother was Irish, I swear!”

My little Red ignores him. Still looking up at me, she tilts her chin, waiting for my answer, “I only know what I do, babe, but I really want to know what you do.”

Her lashes flutter as she moves her body back into mine, pressing her sweet ass into my crotch. Emerald green gems stare up at me, desire burning hot in their depths, then like a flash she turns her attention back to Michael and smirks, “You’re on babysitting duty. Kadyn’s asleep in her room. Bottle stuff is on the bench.”

As soon as the last word has left her lips I sweep Red up into my arms, and move us down the hallway to our room. I kick the door closed and approach the bed, gently laying Ellie down on the messy covers. She is breathtaking, her chest rising and falling rapidly as her eyes rake over me standing above her.

Pushing up to her knees she tilts her chin up offering me her pouty lips. I dip my head and wrap my fingers around her neck, tugging her up higher so I can press my mouth against hers. She moans into me and my cock thickens instantly. We haven’t even thought about touching each other since all of this started.

But now that my lips are on hers I can’t get enough. Moving my free hand to the small of her back, I press myself into her soft curves. “Now…Red,” I tell her, knowing she understands.

She swallows, bringing her eyes back to mine. “Now,” she says, her eyes gleaming with desire, thickening my dick even further. “Come here,” she whispers, and I do, bringing myself flush with the edge of the bed.

Reaching back, I tug my shirt over my head, throwing it behind me. Red licks her lips and reaches for my belt buckle, her fingertips grazing my hard cock beneath the denim. Jerking down my zipper she slides her eager hands around my hips diving inside my briefs to scrape her nails against my ass.

My entire body shudders and my head drops back, loving the feel of her nails sinking into my skin. I groan in satisfaction, my hips surging forward. Red pushes the band of my briefs down, taking my jeans with them, until my cock springs free. Her eyes fixate on my hardness, bringing her mouth to the head she blows warm air against it before sucking it into her mouth.

“Fuck,” I hiss in pleasure. It’s been too long since I’ve felt her. Reaching down, I grip my fists in the front of her tank and yank it apart.

Her mouth opens in shock. My cock pops out and I shove her back. “Scoot,” I tell her, and she shuffles up the bed as I climb on top of her. Resting on my haunches, I tuck my fingers into her yoga pants tugging them down her gorgeous legs. “No underwear?” I eye her, smirking.

She shrugs, “I got dressed in a hurry this morning.”

“I’m not complaining,” I mutter as I drop my mouth to her centre, running my tongue in one long stroke along her cleft. Red’s body arches up off the mattress and I flatten my palm on her lower belly. “Shh…” I murmur, making my way up her body with long licks, stopping to suck on her hip bone, the underside of her breast, her pink peaked nipple.

My cock nudges against her entrance, her warm wetness coating my tip. I groan, rocking my hips forward again, pressing inside just enough to engulf my knob. Have mercy, she’s so goddamn tight. The pressure is pleasure and pain.

Red surges her hips up, my cock sinking all the way inside her until I’m balls deep. “Ellie,” I breathe. “God I love you, baby.”

She pants, sinking her nails into my ass again. “More. I need more, Zak, please,” she begs.

I pump my hips, my pelvis grinding against hers with each and every thrust. Her body shuddering beneath mine, “Like that, Red? Is that how you like it? Deep and hard, you like my cock inside you like that?”

“Yes,” her voice tremors, her sweet pussy clamping down on me. My thrust become less measured, more sporadic. “Ah, Zak, yesss…” she whimpers, her nails biting so deep I feel my skin break beneath them.

Pounding into her, I feel out of control. “Red,” I grunt, pushing harder and harder. “So good, baby, so fucking good.” Her pussy pulses around my cock as I grind into her one last time, my come shooting deep inside her perfect body.

Red places her hand against my cheek sliding her thumb over my bottom lip. “Love you,” she whispers.

Sweeping a wisp of hair off her forehead, I lean down and kiss her. “I love you too.” Rolling to the side, I pull her into my arms, kissing her temple as she snuggles into my chest. For a few moments it’s just me and Red, nothing can touch us. Not time, or space, or any of the shit outside this room.

“You never got to tell me what it is you did to racists?” I murmur into the crook of her neck.

Red chuckles, “I was just going to knee him in the balls.”

“Damn, I love you, woman,” I rasp into her ear, nibbling on her lobe until she squirms away from me laughing.