Champagne & Handcuffs - Kimberly Knight(ang.)

Champagne & Handcuffs By Kimberly Knight

COPYRIGHT No portion of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any print or electronic form without permission This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, any place, events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The subject matter is not appropriate for minors. Please note this novel contains profanity, explicit sexual situations, and alcohol consumption.

Champagne & Handcuffs Copyright © 2017 Kimberly Knight Kindle Edition Published by Knight Publishing & Design, LLC Cover art © Okay Creations Cover Photographer © by Eric Battershell All rights reserved.

DEDICATION To the original Catherine: I miss you every day and you’ll always be in my heart. May you rest in peace.

GLOSSARY Glossary of sex trafficking terms and slang phrases commonly used by traffickers and used throughout this novel: Bottom or “Bottom Bitch”: A female appointed by the trafficker/pimp to supervise the others and report rule violations. Operating as his “right hand,” the Bottom may help instruct victims, collect money, book hotel rooms, post ads, or inflict punishments on other girls. Caught A Case: A term that refers to when a pimp or victim has been arrested and charged with a crime. Choosing Up: The process by which a different pimp takes “ownership” of a victim. Victims are instructed to keep their eyes on the ground at all times. According to traditional pimping rules, when a victim makes eye contact with another pimp (accidentally or on purpose), she is choosing him to be her pimp. If the original pimp wants the victim back, he must pay a fee to the new pimp. When this occurs, he will force the victim to work harder to replace the money lost in the transaction. (See Reckless Eyeballing)

Coercion: Threats or perceived threats of serious harm to or physical constraints against any person; a scheme intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform will result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person. Daddy: The term a pimp will often require his victim to call him. Date: The exchange when prostitution takes place, or the activity of prostitution. A victim is said to be “with a date” or “dating.” Facilitators: It is important to realize that human trafficking operations often intersect or exist alongside legitimate businesses. As a result, certain industries may help to enable, support, or facilitate human trafficking. This “support structure” may include a wide range of individuals, organizations, businesses and corporations, and Internet sites and practices. Common facilitators on which traffickers frequently rely include: • • • • •

Hotels and Motels Landlords Labor brokers Taxi and other driving services Airlines, bus, and rail companies

• Advertisers (Websites like Craigslist.com and Backpage.com; Phone books; Alternative newspapers) • Banks and other financial services companies • Inmate pen-pal services Force (Federal TVPA Definition): Physical restraint or causing serious harm. Examples of force include kidnapping, battering, kicking, pushing, denial of food or water, denial of medical care, forced use of drugs or denial of drugs once a victim is addicted, forced to lie to friends and family about their whereabouts, being held in locked rooms or bound. Gorilla (or Guerilla) Pimp: A pimp who controls his victims almost entirely through physical violence and force. Head Cut: A victim getting beaten down by their pimp. Human smuggling: The facilitation, transportation, attempted transportation, or illegal entry of a person or persons across an international border, in violation of one or more countries’ laws, either clandestinely or through deception, such as the use of fraudulent documents.

“John” (a/k/a Buyer or “Trick”): An individual who pays for or trades something of value for sexual acts. Loose Bitch: Pimps call a loose bitch a victim who keeps choosing different pimps. Out of Pocket: The phrase describing when a victim is not under control of a pimp but working on a pimp-controlled track, leaving her vulnerable to threats, harassment, and violence in order to make her “choose” a pimp. This may also refer to a victim who is disobeying the pimp’s rules. Pimp: A person who controls and financially benefits from the commercial sexual exploitation of another person. The relationship can be abusive and possessive, with the pimp using techniques such as psychological intimidation, manipulation, starvation, rape and/or gang rape, beating, confinement, threats of violence toward the victim’s family, forced drug use, and the shame from these acts to keep the sexually exploited person under control. Pimp Circle: When several pimps encircle a victim to intimidate through verbal and physical threats in order to discipline the victim or force her to choose up.

Pimp Partner: Two pimps who are friends and allow their victims to work together. Quota: A set amount of money that a trafficking victim must make each night before she can come “home.” Quotas are often set between $300 and $2000. If the victim returns without meeting the quota, she is typically beaten and sent back out on the street to earn the rest. Quotas vary according to geographic region, local events, etc. Reckless Eyeballing: A term which refers to the act of looking around instead of keeping your eyes on the ground. Eyeballing is against the rules and could lead an untrained victim to “choose up” by mistake. Renegade: A person involved in prostitution without a pimp. Stable: A group of victims who are under the control of a single pimp. The Game/The Life: The subculture of prostitution, complete with rules, a hierarchy of authority, and language. Referring to the act of pimping as ‘the game’ gives the illusion that it can be a fun and easy way to make money, when the reality is much harsher. Women and girls will say

they’ve been “in the life” if they’ve been involved in prostitution for a while. Track (a/k/a Stroll or Blade): An area of town known for prostitution activity. This can be the area around a group of strip clubs and pornography stores, or a particular stretch of street. Trade Up/Trade Down: To move a victim like merchandise between pimps. A pimp may trade one girl for another or trade with some exchange of money. Traffickers: Traffickers are people who exploit others for profit. They can be any demographic, individuals and groups, street gangs and organized crime, businesses or contractors. Trick: Committing an act of prostitution (verb), or the person buying it (noun). A victim is said to be “turning a trick” or “with a trick.” Turn Out: To be forced into prostitution (verb) or a person newly involved in prostitution (noun).

CONTENTS Cover Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Glossary Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Epilogue Bonus Chapter Note from the Author Acknowledgments Books by Kimberly Knight About the Author Excerpt from By Invitation Only

PROLOGUE

Bryce I never thought I’d see my sister again. When I was eight, she’d vanished without a trace. My mother had told me time and time again that she didn’t know where my sister was, and eventually I’d stopped asking. Sometimes I thought that I’d dreamt her or that she was an imaginary friend when I had no other kids to play with me. Until my mother killed herself a little more than three years ago. I’d just turned eighteen a few weeks before. I came home from being out with Tony, my mother’s husband. Though, as I read the suicide note that my mother had left, I found out that Tony was more than her husband and that my sister didn’t only exist in my imagination … Bry, I can’t deny it anymore. Tony is your biological father. I’m sorry we’ve lied to you your entire life. He wanted it that way.

Over the years, I’ve watched you grow from a boy and into a man. Sadly, you’re becoming like him, and it’s all my fault. Everything is my fault—even your sister leaving. At least I hope she left and wasn’t killed by him. Tony swears he didn’t do anything to her, but I know she ran away because I let him sell her virginity—like it was ours to sell for her. My heart breaks knowing I had a hand in it, but I had no choice. Your father was my Daddy. He started to whore me out not long after I had Joss. He’s already started showing you the ropes, and soon he’ll turn you into a pimp and have you working in his circle. I can’t watch you go down that path. I’d give anything to go back to your sister’s seventeenth birthday. I would change it all. I would leave with the two of you, and I’d find a way to hide us from that horrific man. To let you grow up in a normal household. A home where I would show you how much I truly love you. A home where we would laugh. A home where we would be able to come and go as we pleased. A home where you could have grown up like a normal kid and not one surrounded by sex, lies, and drugs.

I’d be the mother you deserve—that Joss deserved. Obviously, that didn’t happen, and it eats me alive every day. I deserve the way he has treated me for the last thirty-five years, but I can’t live like this anymore, Bry. I can’t live and watch you turn into him. Your sister wouldn’t have let that happen. Part of me feels that she’s still alive and has found happiness. That she laughs every day. That she’s happy and in love and not weak like me. I want you to be happy. I want you to find a woman who you truly deserve and not one who will only warm your bed. But I don’t know how to get you away from your father, and that’s the only answer. You’re eighteen now, but you’ll always be under his control. There’s no getting away from him, and for that, I’m sorry too. I can’t be under his control anymore, but please know that even though I was mean to you and acted like you were a mistake, I love you. I love you so much, and I can’t watch him destroy you like he destroyed Joss and me. I’m sorry, please forgive me. Mom XOXO

I found the note on my pillow when I got home from going with Tony to my first Pimp Circle. He was trying to teach me the ways on how to turn out a ho because I was “finally” a man. When we got to a warehouse near the Vegas airport, my father’s pimp partners were there with a single girl. “This is what we in the game call a Pimp Circle, son. It’s time you learn how to turn a cunt that’s being difficult,” he’d said. The men circled the girl like lions ready to attack, and I watched my father and the other pimps intimidate the scared girl physically, emotionally and sexually. It wasn’t the first time I’d known Tony to beat a woman, but watching it firsthand made my mouth water for a taste of the action. After that day, I was shown that a pimp circle could be with any form of abuse or coercion to get the ho to turn out—force her into prostitution. When I was nineteen, my father made me force a ho by gang raping her with the other pimp partners in our circle. He’d told me, “One day, you’ll be me. You’ll take over the family business and run this town. You’ll be the top Gorilla Pimp in Clark County.” At first, I was nervous, but as I watched the other pimps take their turns, I got hard. I wanted to be in control for once, feel what it was like to take what was mine. For so long I’d been doing what Tony had told me to do,

and then he was giving me the chance to, finally, become a man. That was how and who he was, and I didn’t know any different. Even after I read my mother’s suicide note and found her dead body, I thought being forceful was how to play the game. It was all I knew, how I was raised. Growing up, if I were to backtalk or tell Tony I didn’t want to do something, he’d beat me until I did it. That was why I stayed in the family business even after my mother’s final words. I feared deep down that if I were to ever disobey Tony to any extreme, he’d kill me. I’d even destroyed the suicide note in fear that Tony would blame me. I wasn’t even allowed to cry for my loss. I hated him, but had no choice. I had to do what he told me to do or I’d be beaten just like his whores. A year later—and after many hours of training —I found my bottom bitch, Jasmine. One night she started walking my track (where my bitches ran their tricks and made their quota looking for dates). One of my girls called and said someone was on their turf. When I pulled my Rover to where they were working, I spotted Jasmine leaning against a brick wall by herself. Every ho in the business knows that you keep your head down and never make eye contact with a pimp because, if you do, you’re automatically choosing up—stolen from your current pimp. And Jasmine had done exactly that. She’d made a reckless eyeballing mistake,

looking up when she thought I was a john. The moment our gazes met, she was mine. “Shit,” she muttered, “Martinez.” She knew who I was right away, and therefore, I didn’t need to coerce her or break her. Everyone knew the Martinez family. My father ran the town, and people knew not to fuck with me. Jasmine was mine, and I could see the defeat on her face immediately as she closed her eyes, looked back down at the ground and her body slumped as if she was defeated. By the end of that night, I’d learned Jasmine’s pimp was taking ninety percent of her cut and not the typical seventy-five percent. So really, her mistake was meant to be for the both of us. She was making more money under my family, and I had another ho making me money. Over the next two years, I began to trust her more and more, and six months ago I made her my bottom. Together we manage my stable of thirty plus hos. She’s my eyes, my ears, and my recruiter. That was until my long-lost sister—a fucking FBI agent—took me down. I’d heard about this bitch that Jasmine recruited who’d tried to square up. I thought this loose bitch was a renegade and couldn’t decide if she wanted to work as an escort, out of pocket as a renegade or what she didn’t know, in my pocket. Once they were recruited, they worked for me and only me.

Since Jasmine was my bottom, she recruited the hos and set-up the first date. And then, after they passed the first test on their first date, I’d come in and head cut them, reminding them who was really in charge. They say pimpin’ ain’t easy, but you know what? It is until the cunts break the rules. The first test was a date with my best friend, Aaron, who’d forcefully take control of the situation. The whores would think they were in control because they’d have what the john wanted, but the real truth was that I was their daddy and I was in control. At any moment, Aaron could be the man on the other side of the door. That was how I ran things. Recruits were raped by Aaron, and if they submitted, they passed. If they fought it or tried to back out, I’d step in. They didn’t want me to step in. I’d learned from my father that if a trick was scared and knew she was under my control, she wouldn’t stray. If they did stray or try to wrong me, they were sold—trafficked to Mexico. My father was in charge of doing the smuggling, so when one of my girls wronged me, I’d let him deal with them. Aaron and I had been best friends from the moment I’d moved to Vegas when I was fifteen. We met at school, and eventually, we both found out who my father really was, though at the time we thought he was only my mother’s boyfriend. One day in high school, Tony had called me to pick up

one of his girls. Aaron was with me, and when we arrived at the warehouse, we saw that she was black and blue. Tony turned to me and said, “Take notes, Bry. When you’re a man, this is how you’ll break in the whores.” The minute I became a pimp, Aaron told me he wanted to break them in. While I was forceful with my hand, he was forceful with his dick. We’d warn the cunts that if they tried to fuck me over, I’d tell my father we had a live one and he’d get her sold. That was what happened with Andi. I never asked how Jasmine knew Andi was a good recruit because I trusted her. As long as she passed her first date and made me a shitload of money, I didn’t care. And Andi was good all right. So good that when I sat across from her at the restaurant, I had no idea she knew who I was. Of course, I didn’t recognize her. I was eight when I last saw her. The moment Andi said, “My name’s Joselyn Marquez,” it felt as though my heart stopped. My sister’s name was Joselyn, and my last name, before Tony had changed it, was Marquez. It wasn’t a coincidence. Andi was my sister, Joss, and she was alive. But before I could utter any words, the police had rushed in, and I was hauled away. I’d expected to be sent to jail—wouldn’t be the first time I

caught a case—but instead, I sat in an unmarked car for what felt like hours, staring at my sister. My sister. Joss had been my best friend from the time I was born until the night she’d left. I needed to do the right thing. My heart was breaking in my chest as I watched Joss talk to the cops working the scene. I wanted her to come talk to me. I wanted her to hug me and tell me everything would be okay. I wanted her to tell me why she didn’t come back for me that night and take me with her. I wanted my sister back. Except she was with the FBI and I was a criminal. Eventually after my arrest, I was brought into an interrogation room. At first, Joss didn’t let on that she knew it was me, so I played along. “Now, Martinez, let’s cut the shit. You hired me today to scare me because the other night a john in your company tried to rape me—” “You have no proof I’m involved,” I cut her off. “You said, and I quote, ‘What gives you the right to disobey my orders?’” “That could mean anything, preciosa.” Yes, I’d called my sister gorgeous. I had to play my part like I didn’t know who she was. “Don’t call me that!” “Touchy, touchy!” I laughed.

“Your girl Jasmine and I have become close, you know. We’ve played craps at the Palazzo together.” I leaned back in my chair, spread my legs wide and smiled. “Agent Marquez, I run an escort business similar to Saddles & Racks. It’s no different from what you do. It’s not my fault that you took a date from my company to make extra money on the side and that guy took it too far.” I looked under the table pretending to admire her body. “I don’t blame him. In fact, it’s my understanding you killed him. I was wondering why you weren’t being charged for murder. Now I know. So, Jasmine did her job. She hooked you and got you under my payroll.” Joss laughed. “Bryce … Can I call you Bryce? I feel as if I’ve known you since the day you were born.” I chuckled. She definitely had known me since I was born. “You can call me whatever you want.” “Bryce, I met with your girls for drinks one night, and one mentioned her best friend, Nelly, was sold by you.” I realized she knew more than I thought she did. But the fact was, I wasn’t selling girls. That was the other Martinez. “They’re just whores running their mouths.” “That’s funny because I have them in my pocket ready to come forward. I told them that

once I had you, I just needed them and they were quick to turn on you.” She was trying to play me, and she could dig all she wanted, but I knew it wasn’t me she was really after. “That doesn’t make sense because they would have just led you to me.” “See … I thought that, too. But you scared them and they thought you were going to scare me.” She laughed. “You thought you were going to scare me. Do you always set your girls up first with rape dates? Is that how it works? Rape them first so they do whatever you want, and if they don’t then you sell them?” So maybe she knew a lot more than I thought she did. I still wasn’t the one she wanted, and so I sat there and let her accuse me further. “How many have you sold, Bryce? How did this start? When did this start? When did you move to Vegas? Did Tony do this to you?” At the mention of my father’s name, there was no doubt she knew it was me. His name hadn’t been uttered before that moment. My gaze darted to hers. “How do you know about Tony?” She rubbed the bridge of her nose with a sigh. “Have you ever wanted a Dalmatian’s plantation?” She paused a brief moment and then quoted, “But I am, just the same. I’m so hungry I could eat a … a whole elephant.”

I couldn’t speak as I thought about what was happening. When I was ten or so, I envisioned the moment I would see my sister again. I’d thought about how I would hug her until the point we both couldn’t breathe and how I never would let her go. I never thought I’d be handcuffed while she interrogated me. I was going to jail. I was certain of it. The entire Vegas task force, and apparently the FBI, knew what went down today. So, I needed to make this right. “Are you okay?” Agent Reigles asked Joss. “Yeah. Sorry, I never got to eat at lunch since this was supposed to be my lunch date.” Joss laughed nervously. “So, Bryce—” “I’m the middle man,” I blurted. I had my sister sitting in front of me, and I wasn’t going to screw this up. My mother was right. I needed to get out from under my father. I needed to be the man Joss would have raised me to be. She’d obviously turned out well. “What?” Joss blinked. “You’re right. Tony made me do it.” “Who’s Tony?” Agent Reigles asked. “My father,” I stated even though Joss had already mentioned him. “Your … father?” Joss stammered. I nodded. “Do you want my life story or what?” It was apparent she didn’t know that the man who sold her virginity was also my father.

Sadly, he’d sold mine too, except I’d wanted it taken and I got to choose the whore who took it. “Does it pertain to the case?” Agent Reigles asked. “I think most of it does.” I nodded. “It started when I was eight—” “And you’re willing to talk without a lawyer present?” Agent Reigles asked me. Yes, bitch. This is my sister! “Let the man talk!” Joss bit out. I laughed. We were on the same page, and now it was my chance to tell her how the last thirteen years had gone down. “I’ve been waiting for the day I could take down my father.” “I think we can remove the cuffs now. Get you some water.” I wasn’t sure why Joss stopped me. Maybe it was because she was having a hard time staring at her brother in handcuffs. Maybe she wanted my DNA to test to make sure I was her brother. Or maybe she wanted to hug me. I wanted to hug her. It had been too long since I felt her love—any love in fact. After Agent Reigles returned with a bottle of water, I took a few sips before I told the Cliff Notes version of my story. “The night of my sister’s seventeenth birthday, all I wanted was cake. We never got treats. I was eight and thought that we’d at least have a cake. Instead, our mother sent her

out with my dad. At the time, I didn’t know he was my dad. I don’t think she knew he was my father either because he wasn’t her dad. Anyway, she never came back. To this day, I don’t know what happened to her.” Except she was sitting in front of me. “That night, my dad came into our trailer and beat my mom. I’d thought that he’d beaten her to death, but I was too young to know for sure, so I left her in her room. The next day he returned and took us. She wasn’t dead, but we left and never returned. I thought for sure my sister was dead and I cried. I cried for days, but never in front of my mother and that man. I didn’t want him to beat me like he beat her, but I just wanted my sister because she was my best friend. But she never returned to get me.” Joss stood, causing the metal chair to screech in the process, and I startled. I expected her to say something, but instead, she just paced the room. “He filed some papers and changed my last name to Martinez. Growing up, he forced me to do things that I never wanted to do. Steal this, beat him up, fuck her. It escalated each time. Eventually, we moved here from Miami and started picking up the prostitutes working the streets of Vegas, or the Weekend Warriors who fly in just on the weekends to have a good time. Those are the

best ones because it’s harder to know they’re missing. “Anyway, my mother killed herself three years ago. She left a suicide note and confessed that Tony was my father, so it’s only fitting he has me running his business for him.” “How did …” “She overdosed on oxy. She said the pain of losing her daughter for selling her at seventeen was eating her alive and it was too much for her to take. She was tired of living under Tony and his orders.” “And you still think it’s okay to sell women?” “I don’t have a choice.” “Why not come to the police?” “I’d still end up in prison.” “But you’ll be doing the right thing. Think about your mother. Think about your sister.” I was thinking about my sister. “Can I make a deal?” “What kind of deal?” “I can’t save my mother, but in hopes that my sister’s still alive, I want to make a plea in exchange for Tony. I’ll work with you to bring him down.” If it were any other of the thousands of cops in Vegas, I’d be holed up in a six by eight cell for at least three years. But Joss wasn’t one of the many

officers in Vegas. She was with the FBI, and the man who sold her virginity needed to be taken out. But how do you take down a man that runs the city?

CHAPTER ONE

Seth Ten Years Old

“I don’t want to go to Grandma’s,” I whined. “Seth, listen to me.” Mommy crouched down in front of me, staring into my green eyes. She’d been crying all night, I could tell. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy. Even though I was ten, I still noticed. It happened when Mommy and Daddy fought, or when she was worried because she was scared of Daddy’s job. He was a Police Officer, and one day, I would be too. I didn’t understand why she worried. Daddy was the best. He caught bad guys. I wanted to catch them too, so I practiced often, pretending to chase them and then put them in jail. Sometimes Daddy would let me use his handcuffs, and I’d pretend my stuffed animals were the bad guys. “You need to go stay with Grandma because I need to do things here. It will just be for the summer.” “What kind of things?” “Daddy and I need to work some stuff out.”

I didn’t know what that meant. What I did know was that my mom wanted to send me down to Florida for the summer. Usually, Grandma would come to our house for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. I’d never been to her home, but I’d seen pictures. She lived in what Mommy called a trailer. To me, it looked like a long, skinny house. “But why do I need to go?” I frowned. She sighed. “Because this is adult stuff.” “I’ll stay in my room,” I pleaded. “I promise. You won’t even know I’m here.” “Seth, baby. I need you to go to Grandma’s, and it’s not because of anything you’ve done. Think of it like a vacation. I bet Grandma will even take you to Disney World. You can ride the rides and stuff. Eat all the cotton candy you want. Grandma will spoil you rotten.” A small smiled spread across my face. “I’ve never been to Disney World.” “I know. Grandma will take you. You’ll have fun, and before you know it, you’ll be back home and going to school.” I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t want to go to school either.” Mommy chuckled. “School isn’t for another two months. You’ll be fine. Now pack everything you want to bring. We need to leave in an hour.”

We drove for a long time. So long that it was starting to turn dark when Mommy pulled into a parking lot. “You know what’s fun about staying in a hotel?” I looked over at her. “What?” I’d never stayed in a hotel before. My friends would tell me about the places they would go over the summer, but I never went anywhere because my dad was always on a case. But now, going to Grandma’s, I could tell my friends all about Florida and Disney World. That made me a little more excited. “We can go swimming before bed.” I smiled. “And play Marco Polo?” I played Marco Polo with my friends all the time during the summer. I was so good at catching people, especially when I would play cops and robbers. They didn’t know I got to practice with my dad’s handcuffs. When someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, a policeman was always the answer. My dad was one, and his dad was one too. I’d never met my grandpa, though. He died before I was born. Daddy said it was in the line of duty. She smiled back. “Of course. That’s what you do in a pool, right?” “Right,” I agreed.

The next morning, Mommy woke me up early and we ate pancakes at a restaurant next door to the hotel. I liked hotels. Not only did we play Marco Polo, but they had a hot tub. It was so much fun, and the best part was that Mommy didn’t cry once. We got to talk to my dad on the phone, and he said that he wasn’t able to tell me goodbye because he’d caught a murderer. I understood. Catching bad guys was the most important thing. I wasn’t sure how much farther we had to go to get to Grandma’s, but I was tired of riding in the car. I just wanted to go to Disney World already. “Can we get McDonald’s?” I’d seen those golden arches in many towns we’d passed. “We can’t. We’re having lunch with Grandma.” “We are?” I perked up. “We are.” “How much farther?” “Not far.” I sighed. That was too long. I wanted her to tell me now. “Can she meet us at McDonald’s?” “No, baby. We’re meeting her at a rest stop, and then I’m turning around and going home.” I’d never had more than a night away from my parents before. “What am I going to do at Grandma’s when we aren’t at Disney World?” Mommy shrugged a little. “You’ll play with the other kids around like you do now.” “But I won’t have any friends.”

“Make some.” My forehead scrunched up. “There are kids that live in trailers?” I’d assumed only grandparents did. She chuckled. “Of course.” We pulled off the road into a rest stop, and I immediately saw my grandma sitting at a picnic table. The moment the car stopped, I reached for the handle. “Stop!” Mom bit out. “Not so fast.” “But I want to go see Grandma!” “We are, but I don’t want you to get run over.” “I won’t get run over.” “Just grab your bag, and we’ll walk over together.” I sighed as I grabbed my backpack from the back seat. We walked across the parking lot toward Grandma, and I watched as her grey-haired head lifted. The moment she saw us, she stood. “Grandma!” I rushed into her arms. Grandma was the best. She taught me how to play this card game called Gin Rummy and every time she came to visit, we’d play for hours. “Hey, Sethie. I’ve missed you.” “I’ve missed you too.” “How was the drive?” Grandma asked my mom as we sat at the wood table. “It was good. I would have driven all the way yesterday, but we left late.”

Grandma pulled sandwiches out of a red cooler. “It’s not a problem. Sixteen hours in a car is too long. I didn’t mind meeting you a few hours from Miami.” “Thank you. And thank you for taking this one for the summer.” Mom rubbed her hand in my brown hair, and I shrugged her off. “I’d do anything for you and Troy.” “I know. We appreciate it.” “Do you think it will all work out?” Mommy didn’t answer Grandma for a few seconds. “I don’t know. I love your son so much, but—” “You don’t need to tell me details. I love you like my own daughter, Aubrey. If it doesn’t work out between the two of you, you’ll still have me. I know firsthand what it’s like to lose a man to the force. Every day I’d worry he wouldn’t come home, and then it happened. It’s ten times more dangerous now than it was back then.” I turned my head, watching a man walk his dog in the grass. I wanted a dog.

“When can we go to Disney World?” I asked Grandma as we drove to her trailer. Mommy had left. She was crying again, but this time it was

because she was leaving me. I wondered how she would be without me for the summer. Grandma looked at me and raised her eyebrows. “You want to go to Disney World?” I smiled. “Yeah, I’ve never been, and Mommy told me you’d take me.” She chuckled. “I’ll have to find someone to go with us. I can’t ride those crazy things.” “What things?” “The roller coasters. I’d throw my back out.” I furrowed my eyebrows. “Okay. Well, who can go with us?” “My friend Dovie has a teenaged son. We can ask them if they want to go.” “Okay.” I didn’t care who went with us as long as I got to go. “So when can we go?” “I’ll check with them and let you know. Maybe next week. Better to go during the week instead of the weekend with all those people. And in this heat,” she shook her head slightly, “I don’t want to melt.” “Grandma!” I laughed. “You won’t melt.” “You don’t know about this Florida heat, Sethie. Us old people can’t stay out long, or we’ll get a heat stroke.” I stared at her for a moment. “Um, okay. Well, then can we go when the place opens?” “We’ll need to stay a few nights in a hotel. It’s almost a four-hour drive.”

I got excited. “Another hotel? I like hotels.” Grandma laughed. “Good. We’ll have fun.” I wished my dad was here and going with us. He’d love all the rides, I was sure of it. “Can I call my dad?” “Of course, sweetie. When we get to my house, we can call him.” “How much longer?” “Not long.” I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest and looked out the window. I didn’t want to whine, or we might not go to Disney World. I had to pretend that riding in a car for a long time didn’t bother me. Grandma finally turned onto a street, and I saw a bunch of trailers. “If the little girl next door is outside playing, I’ll introduce you to her.” I wrinkled my nose. “Little girl?” “She’s a sweetheart. Her mother works nights, so I usually take care of her until her mother gets home.” “How little?” I didn’t want to play with a little girl. “She’s six.” “Six? She’s a baby.” We pulled up to Grandma’s trailer. It was bigger than I thought it would be but still skinny. She parked her car under a roof with no walls. “You’ll like Joss. She’ll play with you.”

“Is she the only kid here?” “No, but until you can meet the other kids, you can play with Joselyn.” “Okay,” I agreed, though I wasn’t liking the idea of playing with a six-year-old girl. We got out of the car, and I grabbed my backpack. When we rounded the corner to where her front door was, I saw the little girl on her step that was facing my grandma’s step. The girl was playing with a Barbie doll. “Joss, honey. This is my grandson, Seth.” “Hey.” I waved. The girl smiled. “Hi! Want to play Barbies?” I frowned. I didn’t want to play with dolls. “No. Do you want to play cops and robbers?” She shrugged. “Sure. I’ve never played before.” Grandma opened her door and walked inside, leaving me with my new friend. “Well, we can’t play with just the two of us. You got a brother or sister?” Joss shook her head. “No. Just me.” “Well, what do you do around here for fun?” A small frown curved her lips. “I play with my Barbie and Ken mostly. After my mom goes to work, I watch Judge Judy with your grandma.” “What’s Judge Judy?” I asked, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder. “Some show with a lady in a black robe. I don’t understand it, but I like to watch it with your

grandma ’cause she fixes me ants on a log or cheese and crackers.” I smiled. “Ants on a log’s my favorite snack.” Joss finally smiled again. “Mine too. I only get it at your grandma’s.” “When does your mom go to work?” “I think soon.” She shrugged. “She works nights.” “Think Grandma can make us ants on a log now?” My grandma always made me snacks when she visited us in D.C. Joss frowned again. “I can’t come over until my mom goes to work. I better go inside in case she’s awake. I’ll see you later.” I watched as Joss stood and went inside the screened door to her trailer carrying her dolls. I went inside Grandma’s trailer, and it was nothing like I’d expected. Her living room was small. At home, I could run around and hide from my dad when we played, but I couldn’t run in my grandma’s trailer. Her couch with orange roses took up most of the room. And I could touch the hall walls with my arms reached out. I couldn’t do that at home. “Grandma?” I called. “I’m in the bathroom. Put your stuff in your room.” My room? I had a room? There were two doors open and one closed as I continued down the small

hall. One of the doors was straight ahead, and I saw my grandma’s purse sitting on the bed, so I went to the other door that was only a few feet from where I stood. There was a small bed against the wall, a dresser that seemed to be attached to the wall, and a closet. No toys, no TV, and no room to play. I didn’t care about Disney World anymore. I wanted to go home.

CHAPTER TWO

Cat Eleven Years Old – Five Years Later

I was scared. So scared. Even though I was going to the same school as some of my friends from elementary school, I would have different classes with kids I didn’t know. Starting middle school was freaking me out. And to top it off, my best friend, Laura was going to a different school because she lived in a different district. “After school, I’ll take you to get ice cream.” I looked over to see my mom smiling at me as she drove. “Okay,” I agreed, though getting ice cream after school wasn’t calming my nerves now as we drove to school. “Cheer up, buttercup. Won’t Victoria and Sammy be there, too?” “Yeah,” I sighed. “But not Laura. Sucks.” I crossed my arms over my chest. Victoria and Sammy weren’t very good friends of mine. Sure

we’d hang out together, but it was nothing like Laura and me. “I know, but you’ll get to see her this weekend.” I looked back out the passenger side window, not saying anything. Starting sixth grade was practically becoming an adult. I was, like, halfway done with school and then I’d go off to college and get married and have babies and be just like my parents. “And don’t listen to your brother. He’s only trying to scare you.” I rolled my eyes, remembering what my older brother Charlie had told me last night. “The eighth graders are going to bully you. They’ll trip you, pull your hair and make fun of you. When that happens, you tell me, and I’ll beat them up.” I didn’t want to be bullied. I wanted to skip down the hall with Laura and do each other’s hair before our first dance. I couldn’t wait for my first dance. Charlie had said it was so much fun when he went to his. He’d kissed a girl for the first time there. Now Charlie was a sophomore in high school and had a girlfriend. When my parents were downstairs watching TV while Aurora was over, she and Charlie would kiss on his bed. One time, I saw his hand up her shirt as I walked passed his room.

“So I won’t get bullied?” I asked, looking at my mom. “Doubt it. Just go and have fun. High school is when you should be nervous. Homework gets harder, and then you’re off to college.” We pulled up to the school. Other kids were jumping out of cars, waving to their parents and running to their friends. I looked around searching for Victoria, Sammy, or anyone I knew, but I saw no one. “I’ll see you right here once you get out.” She pulled me in for a hug. Then I started sixth grade.

I made it through until lunch. I hadn’t seen Victoria or Sammy in any of my four classes before the lunch break, not even during our break between second and third period. Just when I was about to give up hope, I saw them sitting at a table in the cafeteria. They were laughing and pointing at a girl sitting alone at another table. I didn’t know why they were laughing at her, but at that moment I knew I didn’t want to be their friend anymore. That girl they were laughing at needed a friend just like I did. Maybe her best friend was at a different school too.

I pulled the ponytail of my dark brown hair to make it tighter, arched my shoulders back slightly, and took a deep breath as I walked to the table. “Hi!” I greeted, a huge smile on my face. Her brown eyes blinked up at me. “Um, hi.” “Can I sit with you?” I gestured to the table. She stared at me for a second before responding. “Sure.” “I’m Cat.” I set my backpack on the table and then sat across from her. “Joss.” “Where’s your lunch?” Pink tinted her cheeks. “I forgot it at home.” “You can have some of mine.” “Really?” Joss’s eyes lit up. “Yeah. I can’t eat it all.” As I handed her half of my turkey sandwich, I stole a glance at Victoria and Sammy. They were staring at us. Usually, I would wave, but not today. Today they were being mean, and I didn’t like that. “So does your best friend go to another school, too?” I asked around a mouthful of the sandwich. “I guess you can say that.” “What do you mean?” “He lives in D.C., and I only see him during the summer.” “He?” A small smile spread across her face. “Yeah. Seth. We’ve been best friends since I was six.”

“But he lives in D.C.?” “Yeah. His grandma, Mrs. McKenna, is my neighbor, so he comes to visit us each year. At first, he didn’t really want to be friends, but he had no choice because I go to his grandma’s after school and when my mom goes to work at night.” “She works nights?” I slid the opened chip bag around, indicating that Joss could have some. “She works at a diner, I think. For a few months before and after my brother was born she stayed home, so I barely saw Seth’s grandma.” “I have a brother too. How old is yours?” “Two.” “Two? Wow. My brother is almost sixteen.” “We don’t have the same dad.” “Cool. You have two dads?” Joss shook her head. “No, I’ve never met my dad, and my mom didn’t tell me she was pregnant for a long time. Then next thing I know, I have a brother.” “Wow. That’s crazy.” “Yeah, but I love him.” She shrugged nonchalantly. The more I talked to Joss, the more I liked her because she seemed nice, unlike Victoria and Sammy. I didn’t know why they were laughing at Joss, and I didn’t care. I wanted to hang out with Joss all the time. “Want to go get ice cream after school?”

“No.” “No?” Who didn’t like ice cream? Joss frowned. “I can’t. My mom only lets me go to Mrs. McKenna’s and school.” “What do you mean?” “I’m not allowed to go anywhere, but sometimes Mrs. McKenna takes me to McDonald’s for dinner.” “I can ask my mom to call your mom, maybe?” “No, that’s okay.” The bell rang before I could find out why.

Twelve Years Old Sadly, Laura and I slowly stopped being friends. At first, I would see her on the weekends, but then I’d either have plans with Joss, or she had plans with her new friends, and one day we just stopped calling each other. I was sad, but Joss was a good friend. My best friend. We were inseparable. I’d come to learn that her mom was so mean. That first day of sixth grade, Joss hadn’t forgotten her lunch. Her mom hadn’t made her one. It was weird. My parents always made sure I had a lunch before leaving the house. One time Joss slipped and told me they had no food in the house to eat except cans of Vienna sausages. That quickly changed because Mrs. McKenna—who I love because she

plays card games with us—made sure she had something to eat. I can’t recall, but I think Mrs. McKenna found out Joss wasn’t eating lunch because she always came home starving. Some days, I would go over to Joss’s after her mom went to work, and we’d do homework or play with her little brother Bryce. I didn’t mind being in their trailers instead of my two-story house with a pool. It gave me an escape from my brother that was only into girls and football. Plus, if Joss and I were really lucky, Mrs. McKenna let us eat cake before dinner. She made the best chocolate cake. “I can’t wait for tomorrow,” I exclaimed as Joss and I sat on her steps, painting our nails. “Why?” she asked. “Because I get to meet the famous Seth.” All school year she talked about Seth, and I couldn’t wait to meet him. She laughed. “He’s not famous.” “You talk about him all the time.” “I don’t talk about him all the time.” Joss rolled her eyes. It was my turn to laugh. “Yes, you do. Seth knows how to play poker, Seth makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches, Seth—” “You’re jealous.” “I am not!” I lied. Joss was my best friend now, but tonight her other best friend was coming into town for the entire summer. What if she didn’t

want to play with me anymore? What if she didn’t want to spend time with me? “Don’t worry. You’re gonna love him.”

“What time do you want Mom to pick you up?” Dad asked as we stopped in front of Joss’s trailer. “Um … ten?” I knew we had plans to hang out with Seth, and Mrs. McKenna was cooking us dinner. “Eight,” he affirmed. If he knew the time, then why did he ask? “Yeah, whatever.” I got out of the car and walked between the two trailers that faced each other. As I got closer to the front doors, Mrs. McKenna’s opened. “We’re in here. My mom is sleeping,” Joss called out to me. Of course she was. It was ten in the morning, and Joss’s mom required no less than eight hours of sleep or she’d be even meaner to her. I’d met her a few times, and that was only when she was leaving to go to work. She always seemed annoyed with Jess. I didn’t understand it. I walked up the two steps and into the trailer. As I passed Joss—who was holding the door open —I expected to see a boy sitting on the couch watching TV. But I didn’t see a boy. I saw a man.

And not just any man, but the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen. “Seth, this is my best friend, Cat.” “Hello, Kitty Cat,” he said looking away from the TV. His gaze met mine and I couldn’t speak, couldn’t say hi back. I’d thought Seth was fifteen. Fifteen-year-olds looked like that? Seth had short, dark brown hair that wasn’t styled. It looked as though he’d just rolled out of bed. And his eyes … His eyes were like the shallow water of a tropical ocean that was green, not blue. I for sure could stare into them for hours. My heart started to beat faster in my chest. God, he was dreamy.

CHAPTER THREE

Seth Eighteen Years Old – Three Years Later

Over the years, I’d grown to love going to Miami for the summer. Most of it was because Joss was there. She’d become my best friend. She had a shitty mother who we nicknamed Cruella. I didn’t even know her mom’s real name because we’d always used her nickname. Joss always had a smile on her face because she was strong and funny and beautiful inside and out, unlike her mother. I didn’t know how she did it. If Cruella were my mom, I’d be a horrible person. I wouldn’t go to school, I would sneak out of the house, and I’d probably be drinking and doing drugs. I just wouldn’t give a fuck. Every time I talked to Grandma on the phone (which was multiple times a week), I made sure to chat with Joss. If anything were to ever happen to her, I’d lose my shit. Then there was Cat. I met her three years ago. Joss and I were like brother and sister, but Cat and I were something else entirely. Something I couldn’t describe.

“Seth, this is my best friend, Cat.” I tore my gaze from the hot pursuit going on during the episode of Cops. All morning Joss had been talking about her friend Cat, and honestly, it was annoying. “Hello, Kitty Cat,” I teased. Cat didn’t say a word. “Cat got your tongue?” God, I cracked myself up. But as I looked her up and down and got a good view of the girl who couldn’t speak, my heart did something in my chest. Something I’d never felt before. It was almost as though it swelled and wanted to beat for the two of us. I felt like I was under this girl’s spell, and she was only twelve. How could I think a twelve-year-old was pretty? I was fifteen. I would be driving as soon as school started. I didn’t want this girl, but my heart was trying to tell me something different. “Why are you being so mean?” Joss whined and slapped my arm. “Well, does she talk?” “Yes, she talks,” Joss answered. I stared at Cat, her big chocolate eyes staring back at me, until she finally spoke. “Yes … Yes, I talk.” “Aw, the kitty cat speaks,” I teased some more. I felt like a little boy with his first crush who, instead of being nice to the girl he wanted to hold hands with, was being mean to her.

Joss took a seat next to me on the couch. “Don’t call her that.” “What? Kitty Cat?” “Yeah.” I glanced up at Cat. She looked happy. She was biting her lower lip, trying not to smile. She totally liked me calling her kitty cat. “Sorry,” I apologized, though I didn’t mean it, and then I changed the subject. “You wanna go swimming?” Cat shrugged. “Sure.” We had to wait until Joss’s mom went to work before we were able to go to the pool. Cruella was a royal bitch. She wouldn’t let Joss do anything away from her trailer except go to school, and now that there was no school, Joss took care of her twoyear-old brother, Bryce. Of course, Grandma was the real person watching the kid. Joss was responsible, but she was only a child herself. This was her summer, and Joss needed to have fun. That’s why I made sure to tell my parents I wanted to come to Florida for the summer each year. Joss needed me. My parents had worked their stuff out and were happy to get rid of me. Dad got a detective job and wasn’t always in the line of fire. It helped my mother sleep at night. Before leaving for Miami this year, I’d overheard Dad telling Mom that when he got back from dropping me off

at the airport, he wanted her naked. I didn’t want to think about my parents naked! After Joss’s mom went to work, we finally made it swimming. “Marco!” Joss called out at the other end of the pool. “Polo!” Cat and I yelled back. We were side by side, our shoulders pressing together when the motion of the water moved us. “So, you like me calling you kitty cat or what?” I whispered, not wanting Joss to hear where we were. Cat’s brown eyes snapped to me, and she grinned. “I don’t mind.” “Good.” “Marco!” “Polo!” we both said back. “What’s your nickname for Joss?” Cat whispered. We moved away from the approaching Joss with her eyes closed, the water rippling around us. I shrugged. “I don’t have one. Joss is her nickname.” Her name was Joselyn, but everyone called her Joss. “Oh. Well, I like the nickname.” Cat smiled, and I smiled back. I liked the nickname too. Over the last few years, we’d all became best friends. It sucked that I only got to see them during the summer, but during the school year, we’d keep

in touch with phone calls after school or even chat on AOL. I was going to miss them. Now that I’d graduated from high school, this would be my last summer to spend time with them. I was going to start community college, get my prereqs for the academy, and then become a cop. I’d probably still come down for a week or two in the summer, but I had to get a job too. Money, freedom, and chicks (at least my current girlfriend back in D.C.) while I passed the time until I needed to hit it hard to become a police officer. That was the plan. But now as I watched Cat walk in the door of my grandma’s trailer, she was no longer a little girl. I was eighteen, and she was fifteen. The little girl I left last fall didn’t seem to exist anymore. Her beautiful brown eyes stood out with blackened lashes. Lips I wanted to taste shined with a shimmery pink gloss. God, her tanned legs went on for miles in her short shorts, and I was staring at her like she was the first girl I’d ever seen. She was, for sure, the most beautiful. Snap out of it, dipshit! Fucking perv. “Why are you staring at me?” Cat frowned. My green eyes flicked up to her chocolate ones. “I’m not staring at you,” I lied. “Whatever. Are you going to give me a hello hug or are you too good for that since you’re an adult now?”

And then there was that little fact. Since I was legally an adult, I couldn’t even kiss— Wait. I wanted to kiss Cat? No! I only had that thought because I was missing my girlfriend back home. Yeah, that was it. I mean, how would it look for a guy who was going to be a cop, to be charged with statutory rape? It wouldn’t look good at all. In fact, I would be fucked. I had to wait three years until I was twenty-one before I could even apply to become a cop in D.C. and that wait was going to be torture. No way was I going to mess up my fate by kissing some girl. Except Cat wasn’t some girl. She was Cat. My Kitty Cat. “I’m waiting for you to walk over here and give me one,” I teased. Cat walked toward where I sat on the velvet couch with burnt orange roses and went to punch me in the arm. I caught her fist in my hand. “Why are you trying to hit me?” “You deserve it.” “Joss-a-lyn,” Bryce called from down the hall. “I got poop on my hand.” “Doody calls.” I laughed. Joss groaned and went to wipe her brother’s shit. It was then that I realized I was still holding Cat’s fist in my hand as she stood in front of me. I looked down at our joined hands and then up to her

eyes. She didn’t pull away, and neither did I. Instead, I pulled her on top of me and gave her the hug we both wanted. What I needed. “I’ve missed you, Kitty Cat,” I spoke into her hair that smelled like flowers. “I’ve missed you too, 5-0.” She’d given me that nickname the first time she learned I was going to be a cop. “You kids going to the movies?” Cat pulled off of me, standing while I still sat on the couch. My gaze moved to Grandma to answer her. “Yeah. Just waiting on Bryce to finish shitting.” Grandma tsked. “Seth! Watch your mouth.” “Is that not what he was screaming about?” I turned and looked at Cat for confirmation. “Yeah, Mrs. McKenna. Joss is wiping his butt now.” Grandma took a seat in her olive green recliner. “Good. That means while y’all are at the movies, I won’t have any accidents to clean up.” Can I just say that my grandma is the best? I mean, Cruella gets knocked up and then pawns her baby on the neighbor? Grandma and Joss have been taking care of that boy ever since he was born. Joss and Bryce walked down the hall from the bathroom, and Bryce immediately ran to the controller of the PlayStation 2 I’d brought with me

from home. He had no idea what he was doing while he drove around a city in a car that he’d stolen. I, on the other hand, knew that he could pick up hookers if he wanted to. Grand Theft Auto III was everything I couldn’t be. The premise of the game was to complete missions, but really it was fun to steal cars, beat some fuckers up, and run over hookers. I knew Bryce was too young for the game, but he enjoyed it, and it wasn’t as though a video game was going to shape his future. He was five or some shit, and I was certain he had no idea what he was doing besides running shit over with the car. I felt bad for the kid. Joss and Grandma were trying their hardest to raise him, but that wasn’t supposed to be their job. “Ready?” I asked Joss. Just then we heard banging on the door. “Are you in there, Joselyn?” Cruella shouted through the closed metal door. Joss groaned as she opened the door. “Yes, of course, I’m here.” Cruella’s dark eyes turned to look in all of our direction. “It’s time to come home.” “Why?” Joss whined. Cruella had never done this. She was usually happy her kids were out of her hair. “Because I said so,” she snapped.

“But we’re going to the movies,” Joss whined. As Joss got older, Cruella let her do more than just go to school. Since having Bryce, it was as though Cruella didn’t care about Joss much. Though Joss still walked on eggshells around her and tried to stay home as much as possible to take care of her brother. “Not today. Let’s go.” Joss’s mom turned and went back to her trailer. Joss turned and moved to Bryce. Kneeling beside him, she took the controller out of his hands. “Time to go, buddy.” “But I don’t wanna.” He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. “Mommy said so.” Bryce turned his head and looked at the door. “I don’t wanna.” “I said now!” Cruella snapped, causing Bryce to start to cry tears. Joss reached for his hand. “It’s okay, B. We’ll watch 101 Dalmatians.” Bryce sniffed. “I want to play the game.” Joss pulled him up. “See you guys tomorrow?” she asked Cat and me. I gave a thumbs up while Cat said, “Yeah.” And then they were gone. “God, I hate that woman,” Grandma groaned and went to the kitchen.

Cat and I both looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Joss had four more years and then she could leave that bitch. Cat and Joss had plans to get their own place once they graduated. I wanted Joss out of that trailer so bad because she needed to be Joss and not a mother figure to Bryce. Bryce had fourteen long years before he could leave. He was a boy, and I didn’t worry that much about him because the older he got, the stronger he’d become. I looked over at Cat as she sat next to me, our thighs pressed together. “You still wanna go to the movies?” Cat and I had never really hung out together. There were times Joss had to tend to Bryce, and we were left alone, but Cat and I had never gone anywhere just the two of us. She grinned. “You payin’?” “I guess I am unless you got a job you didn’t tell me about.” “Don’t need a job when I have you.” She smirked. I narrowed my eyes and moved, tickling her as she squealed. “Is that why you hang out with me? Because I pay?” Cat giggled. “No, it’s because I loooooove you.” She drew out the word love as though she was being sarcastic. My hands stopped tickling her, and I looked down into her eyes, smiling as I teased, “What a

coincidence. I love me too!” She pushed at my chest, and I moved up and off of her. “What I’d really love is for you to get the newspaper and find out what time The Bourne Identity starts so we can go.” “Lord you’re bossy, Kitty Cat.” “Get used to it. Your wife will be the same way.” I laughed as I stood. “I don’t need to worry about that. I’m never getting married.” “Well, I am. I’m gonna make a really good wife.” “Oh yeah?” I asked. “You know I have to approve him, right?” Cat rolled her eyes. “You’re not my brother.” “No,” I agreed as I rounded the corner to the kitchen. “I’m better. I’m gonna be a cop and can do background checks on them.” “You will do no such thing!” I heard her respond from the other side of the wall. When I came back into the room, holding the paper, I said, “Kitty Cat, I love you, and Joss. I will approve all y’all’s boyfriends.” “Whatever, 5-0. Let’s go. I want some popcorn.”

Grandma let me take her Oldsmobile to the theater.

Crankin’ the stereo up, Cat and I jammed to some local station while I drove us to the theater. She was singing the crap out of every single song that came on, and when the current hit, You and Me by Lifehouse came on, my future was what I heard. The summers were the best times of my life, and it was only a few months out of the year. I was losing so much time with my best friends. When Cat sang the chorus about it being her and I, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. “I love this song,” she said as the guitar strummed. I smiled. “Me too, Kitty Cat. Me too.” My head was spinning. In just a few short weeks, I was going back to Washington, and I didn’t know when I’d be back. And that made my heart hurt. “When I hear this song now, I’ll always think of you singing it.” The words came from my mouth before I’d realized what I’d said. It was as though she was a siren singing to me and I was being pulled into her trance. And I fucking didn’t care. What I cared about—wished for—was that she was older so I could tell her how I really felt. Cat turned to me and smiled. “This can be like our song.” I chuckled. “Yeah, Kitty Cat. I like the sound of that.” I parked at the theater, and we got out. My palm itched to grab hers, but I didn’t. Sure we’d

touched before, but this was different. If I were to grab her hand, I wouldn’t want to let it go. And I had to let her go. As we were walking up to the ticket counter, I heard a whistle and then, “Damn, baby. You lookin’ fine.” I stopped walking and looked in the direction of the kid’s voice. Some punk dressed in baggy jeans that hung low on his hips was looking at Cat like he wanted to hump her leg right there in the open. “Is something wrong with your mouth?” I felt Cat grab my arm, but I ignored her. The kid tsked. “I wasn’t talkin’ to you, man. I was talkin’ to your girl.” I stepped up to him, coming within inches. I didn’t care that he was with a group of guys. This was my girl. “Exactly, bro. You’re talking to my girl.” “Seth.” Cat tugged on my arm, but I still didn’t budge. The punk and I stared at each other, and I felt his friends move in closer. I wasn’t going to throw the first punch, but I didn’t like how this kid was talking to my Cat. “Seth. Come on,” she said again, pulling on my T-shirt. “You heard your bitch. Get to steppin’.” Here’s the thing: I’m not stupid. I know when I’m outnumbered, and I was outnumbered five to

one. There was no doubt that if I threw a blow, I’d get my ass beat causing our afternoon to turn to shit, and I didn’t want it to turn to shit. My time with Cat was on a countdown, and no punk was going to mess it up for me. I took a step back and grinned. “You should think twice before wearing your pants like that. Guys in prison created that look to signal they were open for business. But hey, if you like it in the ass, then by all means, keep wearing them like that for easy access for your friends here.” Before he or his friends could respond, I took Cat’s hand and we walked away.

The movie was awesome. I mean, the CIA, the ass kicking, the combat. Damn, it was great. “I wonder what your grandma is making for dinner?” Cat asked as I drove us back to the trailer park. “Something delicious.” Everything my grandma cooked was delicious. “Think Joss and Bryce are coming back over?” I shrugged. “Probably since it’s already passed the time for Cruella to go to work.” Joss’s mom went to work every day around four. She probably worked at some Truck Stop or

an all-night diner. What else could she do when everyone slept? Wasn’t as though she was a janitor who cleaned office buildings at night. Joss did all the cleaning in her trailer, so I assumed her mother didn’t clean. We pulled up to Grandma’s trailer, and I parked under the carport. When we rounded the corner to walk through the walkway in between Grandma’s trailer and Joss’s, I noticed the door was open, and Cruella was sitting on the couch. She wasn’t at work. Instead, she was smoking a cigarette with a bottle of gin on the table in front of her. “Don’t think they’re coming.” I motioned to the opened door. “Poor Joss,” Cat muttered. I bobbed my head in agreement, and we walked up the two steps to Grandma’s trailer. Immediately, the smell of garlic hit my nose. “Spaghetti,” I sighed with delight. I didn’t know what it was, but Grandma made a mean spaghetti sauce from scratch. “You kids are just in time. Go wash your hands.” “Joss comin’?” I asked though I knew the answer. “Not tonight, Sethie,” she answered, and I sighed again. I followed Cat down the narrow hall to the one bathroom. Even though the trailer was smaller than

my house at home, the bathroom had two sinks. Was that weird? I thought it was weird. Cat went to one sink, and I the other. As we were washing our hands, I took a small handful of water and tossed it at her. Cat’s mouth dropped open as she looked down at her damp shirt. “You did not just do that!” I grinned. “But I did, Kitty Cat.” She cupped water in her hand and tossed it at my face. Water trickled from my dark brown hair and into my eyes. “Oh! It’s on now!” Cat smiled, and just as water filled both of our hands, I heard the cries from the little boy that would pierce my soul forever. “Mrs. McKenna! Mrs. McKenna!” Joss screamed. I could hear Grandma respond as I stepped into the hall. “What is it?” “Mom took her cigarette and burned Bryce’s hand.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Cat Eighteen Years Old – Four Years Later

When I returned home from Hawaii, I’d gone over to Joss’s trailer to bring her a birthday present, but her entire trailer was empty. When I walked next door to ask Mrs. McKenna what was going on, she was ending a call with Seth. Apparently, Joss and Cruella got into a fight, and Joss took a bus to D.C. to stay with Seth. I didn’t blame her. If I were to run away, I’d go to him too. But Cruella had up and left too, and no one had heard from her. That was weird. My senior year started off shitty. Since sixth grade, Joss and I had always done our own thing. We didn’t need a group of friends to hang with because we had each other. My senior year, I had no one. I knew a lot of the people, but I had no desire to hang out with them. As the weeks went on, and I found out that Joss really wasn’t coming home, I friended the new girl, Hannah. She slowly became my new best friend.

I’d also got my first boyfriend. It didn’t last. He was more into playing football, and I felt as though he was just like my brother. He even kissed bad. Granted, it was the first time I kissed a boy, but I didn’t think it should be that wet. I wanted a boyfriend who wanted to spend time with me. Someone who would take me to the movies. Like Seth. After I’d graduated high school, and for a week during the summer before I started classes to become a dental assistant, I wanted to visit Seth and Joss. After a year of back and forth phone calls, I was finally going to see them in person. Though, the phone calls had mostly consisted of Seth. Joss was just—odd. I wasn’t sure why she was being the way she was, but whenever I’d call, she didn’t really want to talk. You’d think that since she wasn’t under Cruella’s thumb anymore, she’d be the happiest person on the face of the earth. Seth had been a cop for over a year, and whenever we’d chat, he always had some story to tell me. “Gibbs and I were dispatched to some dude’s house today for a 10-10. Thought we were going to break-up a fight. Come to find out one of the guys had doll’s heads scattered throughout the house. And not just any doll heads. No. This weirdo had sewed the hair of his dead relatives and friends into the head of the dolls.” The only question I

asked to that weird tale was if the weirdo killed those people for their hair. Apparently, he hadn’t. He just had some sort of fetish about keeping dead people’s hair. The plane touched down, and I grabbed my bubble gum pink Razor flip phone from my purse. Me: Landed.

A few seconds later my phone vibrated. Seth: Almost there. No sense in parking. Text me what door you’re at. Me: Joss too? Seth: Nope. Just me, Kitty Cat. Me: Where’s Joss?

People started to finally move down the aisle of the plane, and as I made my way to the front, Seth texted me back. Seth: She sleeps a lot now and said she’d be at home waiting for us.

After getting my bag from baggage claim, I walked outside and texted Seth my door number. Excitement filled my body as I waited those excruciating minutes. I just wanted to hug him because I missed the shit out that boy. Though, he

wasn’t a boy anymore. No. He was a twenty-twoyear-old man who was trained to fight criminals. A black Chevy Tahoe pulled up to the curb, and when I glanced to see if it was Seth, a huge grin split my face in half, and my belly fluttered. It was him. He got out and rounded the hood. My arms wrapped around his neck as he picked me up off the ground, hugging me for dear life. “I’ve missed you, Kitty Cat,” he said into my ear. I smiled against the crook of his neck. “I’ve missed you too, 5-0.” Seth set me down and grabbed the handle of my rolling suitcase. As he put my luggage in the backseat, I climbed into the front. I couldn’t believe that I was finally in D.C. Hell, I couldn’t believe that it had been over a year since I’d seen him. Seeing him for a few months out of the year ended after he’d graduated high school. When Seth got into his seat, he turned to me and smiled. My heart tightened in my chest. Seth was a man now. A fine piece of a man. His piercing green eyes light up his face, and he had a light beard which made me want to reach out and run my fingers over the stubble. What was I thinking? This was my best friend, and he was four years older than me. We’d practically known each other since we were kids.

And yeah, when I’d first met him I was smitten. That never went away. We stared at each other for a beat and just smiled. I wasn’t sure why he was staring at me, but I was looking at him in a whole other light even with the sky black. “Hungry?” Seth finally asked as he pulled away from the curb. “Starving.” I shook my head to clear my naughty thoughts. “Pizza sound good? We can bring it back and see what Joss is up to.” “What’s her deal anyway?” I asked, looking in his direction. Seth turned his head to me. “What do you mean?” “Doesn’t she seem off?” He thought for a moment, looking back at the road. “I think she just misses Bryce. I’ve tried to locate him, but since he’s a minor, I can’t find him.” “What about Cruella?” Seth sighed. “It’s like they just vanished, Kitty Cat.” “Cops still can’t find them?” Seth had mentioned once that there was a missing person’s case open for Cruella and Bryce, but it wasn’t Seth’s case. He was a patrol cop and not a

detective, but given what he was saying, I figured he’d looked into it, too. He shook his head. “Nope. I can’t even find an employment history for Cruella.” “That makes no sense. That bitch worked every night.” He turned his head to me again. “If I tell you something, promise not to tell Joss?” My eyebrows crinkled. “Yes, of course.” He paused, looking back out the windshield. After switching lanes, he said, “There’s only one profession that I can think of for Cruella not to have an employment history. Hell, she didn’t even file taxes.” My head turned slightly as I stared at him, trying to think of what he meant. “What’s that?” Seth sighed again. “I think she was a prostitute.” “What?” I screeched. “No way!” “Think about it, Kitty Cat. Works nights, no employment history. Unless some diner in Miami was paying her under the table, my money is on Cruella being a streetwalker.” I blinked, trying to process his revelation. Growing up you’d always hear about hookers, but you’d never see them unless you went to the right part of town, and I never went to that part of town. “Don’t tell Joss my suspicions,” Seth continued. “I don’t want to stress her out even more than she

already is. Getting her to actually get her GED was brutal. Now I just want her to move on, start community college—something. I’ll find her brother one day. I know I will.” “Yeah, I won’t tell her.” And I wouldn’t. Over the past year, Joss and I had drifted apart. Whatever was going on with her wasn’t something I wanted to stir up. I had no doubt Seth would find Bryce. This was Seth we were talking about. He would do anything for her just like he’d do anything for me. We finally made it to the pizza place, and after our hot, cheesy, goodness was ready, Seth drove us to his apartment. As we walked up the steps to his door, I could see the blue glow of the TV through the blinds that covered the window. Seth released the handle of my bag and stuck his key in the lock, gesturing for me to go ahead. Part of me thought Joss would run and hug me as soon as the door was open. She didn’t. When our gazes met, she smiled a small smile and sat up. I didn’t fly over a thousand miles for this bump on a log to only smile at me. I handed Seth the pizzas, and just like the first day I’d met Joss, I straightened my shoulders and walked to her. “I’ve missed you so much, Joss.” I leaned down and hugged her.

Her arms wrapped loosely around my back. “I’ve missed you too.” I pulled back. “What the hell is going on? Why do you seem so—down?” Joss shrugged. “Just tired.” She was lying. I could tell by the way her eyes looked down at the light-wood coffee table behind me and not back into my eyes. Whatever. “Well, I’m here to go see the Capitol and work on my tan. I expect you to do the same since this guy has to work a lot of the days I’m here.” I hooked my thumb in the direction of where Seth was in the kitchen. “I tried to take more days off, Kitty Cat,” Seth called back. I grinned, looking at Joss as I spoke. “No worries. Joss and I will have girl time.” I could hear Seth groan as he rummaged in some cabinets, but I knew he was used to our girl time. He’d watch TV while Joss and I did our nails and talked about the girls we didn’t like at school. Each summer, Seth pretended to tune us out, but I knew he was listening because sometimes I’d see him smile or roll his eyes after we said something. “Right?” I asked Joss. I was talking about girl time. She gave a tight smile. “Right. Of course.”

“Good. Now let’s stuff our faces and make Seth watch Miss Congeniality 2 with us.” “I heard that!” Seth yelled from the kitchen. This trip was going to be so much fun.

“Ready to go to the pool?” I asked Joss after I’d made us lunch. Seth was out doing his police stuff, and I was still trying to break down Joss’s wall that she had up. It had been two days, and sometimes I saw glimpses of my best friend, but the majority of the time she was just blah. What the hell happened to her? “I’m not feelin’ it, Cat.” I groaned and plopped down next to her on the couch, crossing my arms over my chest. “Joselyn Marquez, I didn’t come all this way to stay in this apartment the entire time and play Guitar Hero. Let’s go have some fun.” “Tanning is fun?” she challenged. I rolled my eyes and looked at her. “We used to tan all the time back home. What’s up? Why don’t you want to do anything?” “I want to do stuff.” I frowned. “Like what?” “We went to the Capitol didn’t we?” “We practically dragged you.” “I still went.” She sighed.

I turned my body to face her fully. “Tell me what’s going on with you. I get it. You and your mom had a huge fight, and you ran away—” “It’s not that.” “Then what is it?” I grabbed her hands in mine. “You miss Bryce?” A tear slide down her face. “I should have taken him with me.” I let go of her hands and wrapped her in my arms. “Come on. There’s no way that would have worked out. That’s like kidnapping or something.” “You know just as well as I do that she would have never reported him missing,” Joss sobbed into my hair. “Yeah, but given Seth’s job, there’s no way a little boy could live here without someone finding out. He was barely able to make it so you could stay here.” But really, I didn’t know how that had played out. “I’m just scared. Seth said he can’t find him. What if … What if he’s dead?” More sobs escaped her breaths with each word. I started to tear up. “Why do you think that?” She pulled back and shrugged. “You know my mom. She doesn’t care about him. She didn’t care about me, and if it weren’t for Mrs. McKenna, Bryce and I would have starved.” “I don’t think he’s dead.” At least that was what I had to tell her.

“Then where are they?” she cried. That was the million-dollar question. I mean, Joss ran away, and Cruella thought the answer was to move so Joss could never find her? That was some fucked up shit. “I don’t know, Jossie. What I do know is our best friend is a cop who knows other cops, and he’ll keep looking.” Joss crossed her arms, not saying anything. “Let’s go have some fun and when Seth has news, we’ll worry about it then. I’m sure Cruella got scared and just left. She probably thought you would report her for being a bad mom.” “I wish I would have.” Joss looked down at her lap, wringing her hands. I nudged her shoulder, and when she looked at me, I gave a tight smile. “Let’s go have fun. You’re no longer under that witch’s thumb, and you know what?” “What?” “We’re eighteen now. We can go to strip clubs.” Joss laughed. Like full-on laughed. I hadn’t heard that laugh in forever.

The sun had set on my final day in D.C., and Joss and I were on our fifth run through of Miss Congeniality 2, when I heard the key in the lock.

My heart fluttered. Hell, it had been doing that every single day when I would hear Seth come home or just straight up saw him sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee. I didn’t know what it was, but I’d never had this reaction to a guy before. And don’t even get me started on what seeing him in his cop uniform does to me. The virgin in me wanted to be bad. So bad. Bad to the point where I would be handcuffed and— “Did you hear me?” I blinked, realizing Seth was actually speaking to me as I stared at him. “Um, what?” He chuckled. “I asked if you wanted to go bowling tonight.” I looked back to Seth with only a shrug. “Yeah, sure. Whatever.” “Good. I’m going to change, and then we’ll meet up with some friends of mine from the precinct.” “Ohhhhh,” I sang. “We get to meet your other friends?” Seth chuckled. “Joss has already met them.” I narrowed my eyes at him, and he stuck out his tongue at me. “Are any of them cute?” I asked Joss and smirked back at Seth. He rolled his eyes and went to his room. I wasn’t sure why he needed to change. He was in street clothes since he wasn’t on duty, but whatever. “Not really.”

I sighed. “Well, that sucks.” “I guess.” She shrugged. “You guess? No D.C. boy has sparked your interest?” Joss looked away, biting her lip as she stared at the white wall across the room. “Not interested.” “Are you, like, interested in girls?” Joss turned and rolled her eyes at me. “No.” “Well, we need to find you a guy tonight. It’s my last night here.” “And where do you want to do that?” “I don’t know, but we need guys in our life other than this turd face.” I pointed to Seth as he walked back into the room. My words almost got stuck in my throat when I saw the black tee he was sporting. It was clinging to all his muscles, muscles he didn’t have the last time I’d seen him in Florida. Muscles I didn’t see under his cop uniform when we’d met him for lunch a few times. “That ain’t gonna happen,” Seth stated. “Pa-lease, 5-0. You might be my best friend and think you have to approve my boyfriends, but you have another thing comin’.” “I at least get to do a background check, remember?” “I’m eighteen, Seth. The guys I’m interested in are too young to have had enough time to have a criminal record.”

“You’ll be surprised, Kitty Cat. They could have juvy records or some shit.” I groaned. “Whatever. Are you going to treat Joss the same way?” I gestured to her. “No need. I won’t have time for boys,” Joss stated. My head snapped back as if she’d slapped me with her ridiculous words. “What?” “I’ve decided that I’m going to get my prereqs and then go to the academy like Seth.” “You want to be a cop?” I asked. “Yeah, I do.” She moved to the front door, apparently ready to leave. “Did you know about this?” I pointed to Joss as I spoke to Seth. He opened the door. “We’ve talked about it.” We all walked outside. “So I’m going to have to deal with two cops?” “Looks that way, Kitty Cat,” Seth answered as he closed and locked the door behind us. “Well, I’m not going down that road. You two can fight bad guys while I clean teeth.” My dad was a dentist, so I was going to follow in his footsteps. Kind of. I didn’t want to be a dentist myself. Drilling into enamel wasn’t my thing. I just wanted to clean some teeth and help my dad. Seth laughed and swung his arm around my shoulder, bringing me to his side. “I wouldn’t want you in the line of fire anyway.”

I pushed off of him. “You think I’d be a horrible cop?” He smirked. “Nah, Kitty Cat. I just don’t want to have to worry about the both of you.” “I can handle myself, thank you very much.” “I’d still worry.” “But not about Joss?” I asked, gesturing toward where she walked in front of us to the parking lot. “Of course I’ll worry about Joss. But she grew up with the baddest bitch we know and survived.”

Whoever doesn’t like to bowl is crazy! Even if you suck at throwing the bowling ball down the lane, it’s still fun. Mix in hot guys and watching them bend over … Sign me up for a league King Pin! Da—amn! We were between games, and Joss and I were at the snack bar waiting on some nachos I was craving. I could see Seth and his friends laughing a few lanes over, and my damn heart was doing that fluttering thing again. Joss was right. None of his friends were cute. They were old—like thirty or something, but Seth … Watching him tip the beer bottle to his lips made me wish I was that amber liquid sliding down his throat.

I was seriously losing my mind. I’d only ever had one serious boyfriend, and I was still a virgin. Joss and I weren’t the popular kids in school, so we didn’t have many friends. We were known as what people called “trailer trash” even though I didn’t live in a trailer park. “Here you go, honey.” I looked back at the blonde who passed me a plate of nachos and filled my cup with Coke. “Thanks.” I smiled as I took my food. “We totally suck.” I laughed as we made our way back to the guys. Joss chuckled. “Yeah, we do.” “I don’t think we should be on the same team anymore. Break it up so at least one of us can be on a winning team.” Of course, I wanted that to be my team. She shrugged. “Whatever.” “Crap. I forgot napkins,” I said, looking down at the orange, nacho cheese that had dripped on my fingers. “I’ll grab some. Your hands are full.” “Thanks.” I smiled. Joss turned to go back to the snack bar, and I walked to the partition that separated the woodwaxed floor and the carpet. On the side where the lanes were, the divider held bowling balls. “So, that Cat, huh?” My ears perked up at the mention of my name.

“What do you mean?” Seth asked his buddy Drake. I stood still, not wanting to make any movement so they didn’t see I was behind them. “She’s fine as hell.” “Dude, she’s eighteen.” “Still legal. And that ass … You hittin’ that?” “What?” Seth snapped. “If you’re not, I might wanna go.” Seth stood, anger lacing his features. His partner, Gibbs, pushed at his chest, and before Seth could respond, he saw I was behind them. Our eyes locked, and it was as though the music stopped and time stood still. My traitorous-self wanted Seth to utter the words, “She’s mine.” He didn’t, though. Instead, Joss returned, and a new game was started.

“I’m gonna shower and go to bed,” Joss said the moment we walked in the door. Seth and I shared a look. This was my last night before leaving. And God knew how long it would be before I saw them again. “I’ll shower after you,” I stated. “You can use my shower, Kitty Cat.” Butterflies. So many damn butterflies. “Oh-kay,” my voice cracked.

As I grabbed my clothes from the room I shared with Joss, my mind was going a million miles an hour. I was about to shower in Seth’s shower. Seth’s shower where he showered naked. All those muscles and Seth just standing under the hot water with suds— “Hurry up, Kitty Cat. I want to shower too.” “Keep your pants on!” I shouted. Or don’t. Fuck, Cat. Get it together. Joss closed the door to the hall bathroom as I made my way to Seth’s room. It smelled like mahogany and teakwood. It smelled like him. I quickly showered, not wanting to be in there long, because the longer I was in there, the more I thought about Seth naked. My hormones were something else. When I exited the steamy room, dressed in pajama shorts and a T-shirt, Seth was sitting at the end of his bed, waiting. “Want to watch a movie?” “Sure,” I replied without thinking. I didn’t care that it was almost three in the morning. This was my last few hours of spending time with him before I had to go home. “Pick it out, and we’ll watch it in here so we don’t wake Joss.” My eyes shot to the mattress behind him. Watch a movie with Seth in his bed? Before I could respond, he added, “And not Miss Congeniality 2. No girly bullshit.” I laughed. “Fine.”

As Seth was showering, I rummaged through his collection of DVD’s. He had every Harry Potter movie that was currently out, and since I hadn’t seen Goblet of Fire, I grabbed it. Just as I was about to walk back to his room, I glanced at the framed picture of me, Seth and Joss that was sitting on the end table next to the couch. We’d taken it a few years back. I was going to miss my friends. I sat on his bed, the movie paused at the beginning and ready to start. Seth emerged from the connecting bathroom—shirtless. The entire time I’d been visiting I hadn’t seen him without a shirt on. I didn’t know what he slept in because every time I saw him in the mornings he was dressed and ready to go to work, and if he didn’t have to work, he was in pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. My mouth started to water—another reaction that had never happened to me before, but man, being a cop looked good on him. He obviously worked out to keep up with the bad guys, and I wasn’t complaining one bit. “You’re staring again, Kitty Cat,” he said, rubbing a towel on his head. “I can’t help it,” I blurted out before I realized what the hell I’d said. He smiled, and that just made the entire situation worse. “What movie did you pick?” Right. Movie. “Harry Potter.” I held the case up so he could see which Harry Potter I meant.

“You’ve seen the other three?” “Yep.” “Okay. Well, let’s get to it.” I watched from the end of the bed as Seth turned off the light and then climbed onto the bed next to me. “You gonna sit up the entire time or what? I won’t bite.” I rolled my eyes, needing another reaction to replace the lust I was feeling, and moved down to lay next to him. The TV was on the left side of the bed against the wall. As we lay, my back faced his front as though we were spooning. But not. We weren’t touching though I was hyper-aware of every move he made. “Can you see?” I asked, looking over my shoulder. He smiled again. “Yeah, I can see.” I smiled warmly at him then returned to the movie. Everything was going great … And then it happened. Harry was dancing at some ball, and the moment the scene changed to crazy punk dancing, Seth’s hand went to my hip. Over the years, we’d touched plenty of times, so I thought he was just resting his arm on me, but that thought quickly changed when Seth’s hand started to move up my side. My body tensed. Was this really happening? Turning to look over my shoulder, my gaze met his, and I saw the heat in his eyes. They were like sparkling emeralds tempting me to steal them. I

turned on my back as Seth leaned forward. No words were spoken as my heart stopped beating in my chest. This was totally happening. Or I could be dreaming. If that were the case, I didn’t want to wake up. The moment our lips touched, everything I’d ever wanted didn’t matter anymore. I no longer cared that I didn’t get a pony when I was five, or that my brother got to stay out past curfew and I was never allowed. Nothing mattered except the feel of Seth’s lips on mine. He moved over me, pressing his lips harder against mine and opening slightly. I followed, my mouth parting, and then I knew I wasn’t dreaming. The feel of his tongue in my mouth was like nothing I’d ever felt before. It was like driving a jet ski across the ocean in Hawaii: paradise and excitement rolled into one. It was nothing like my first boyfriend. It was better. So much better. We kissed for a long time. I didn’t know how long, but Harry and his friends were no longer at the ball. I wasn’t even sure if the movie was still playing, and I didn’t care because the kiss turned into more. So much more. Seth’s hand skated up my hip and under my Tshirt. When his palm met my bare breast, he groaned in my mouth. I was no longer feeling butterflies in my stomach, but another feeling I’d

only experienced by myself. Between my legs dampened, and my thighs had a mind of their own as they parted, allowing Seth to move between them. My back arched slightly as he lightly pinched my nipple. Good Lord, this is amazing. Then it turned into even more. I could feel the hardness of him grinding against my center. Heat spread through my body as our pelvises worked in sync with each other. We were both wearing thin pants that did nothing to cause any sort of barrier. It was all hard against soft and fantastic. Seth would groan, I would moan, and then he finally broke our lips apart. He gazed into my eyes, and we still didn’t utter a word. We’d been friends for so long that words weren’t needed. We both knew we wanted more. And that was what happened. I thought Seth looked good shirtless, but I was wrong. So wrong. All of him was perfect. He was perfect. When I’d thought about losing my virginity, I’d always pictured candles lit, soft music playing in the background and maybe even the sun setting in the distance. I never thought it would be the blue glow of the TV cascading around our naked bodies as sorcery spells were cast in the background. But this felt right. It was as though all those years of picking on each other were some sort of foreplay. In the kisses we shared—the touches—the friction

our bodies were creating was as though we were channeling every pent up emotion we’d kept hidden. Seth broke his mouth from mine again and stared down at me. Again nothing was said, only a little nod on my part, and then he reached over to the nightstand. If I were in a sound mind, I’d have realized that he kept condoms in his drawer for nights like this and not just with me, but all I could process was it was finally happening with the one guy who had always been there for me. The one who would stick up for me when some dick wad whistled like I was a piece of meat. The guy who wanted to do background checks on future boyfriends so he could make sure they were right for me. You know what they call that? Love. I was in love with this man. He was so much more than my best friend. He was my future. The one guy I could spend hours with and never tire— the guy who I wanted to spend hours with. The guy who stole my heart the summer I was twelve. I realized, at that moment, that I’d loved him for the past six years because he was Seth. My Seth. I watched as he sheathed himself with the condom and then looked down between my legs. He licked his lips and then returned his gaze to

mine. “I’ve wanted this for a long time, Kitty Cat. Are you sure?” I swallowed. I was completely sure. “Yes, but I’ve never—” “I know,” he cut me off. “Do you trust me?” “Yes.” I didn’t hesitate. I’d trusted him since day one. He returned his lips to mine, and as our tongues twirled around each other in a slow rhythm, Seth eased into me. I gasped into his mouth as the pressure built and he stretched me, but he didn’t let our mouths part, allowing me to focus on his mouth and not on the pain between my legs. I never thought pain would feel wonderful, but this man was the source and the cure. My body adjusted to him and then our hips were in rhythm with each other too. Thrust after thrust, sweat coated my body, and I felt myself getting closer and closer to the feeling I’d only ever given myself. A part of me couldn’t believe that I’d just lost my virginity. Another part of me always knew that Seth would be the one. His pace quickened, and then it happened. I came, my body bowing in. Seth swallowed my cries of ecstasy, and then he jolted, coming not far behind me as he kissed me for a few seconds more. He didn’t move. I didn’t move. And Harry was doing some shit on the TV.

Seth smiled. “I think that Potter fucker put a spell on me.” I laughed. “I’m thinking that was more fun than Quidditch.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Seth When

you turn twenty-one, chances are you can’t wait to legally buy that first alcoholic beverage. It feels as though you’re breaking the law and could get caught at any moment. That was the feeling I got the moment I saw Cat at the airport. She was fucking gorgeous, and when I picked her up in my arms, I could feel her breasts against my chest. She was no longer the little girl I knew. Cat was a woman. A woman who made the inner beast in me come out, even to one of my cop buddies when he said he wanted to get in her pants. I tried to tame it by acting as though she was the best friend I’d always had. I made sure to keep my distance. Work helped with that, but having her in my bed inches from me … I couldn’t deny the lust I felt for her. Feeling her tight pussy wrapped around my dick as I slid inch by inch inside her was worth the wait. Swallowing her cries of pleasure was worth the wait, and knowing that she was finally truly my Cat was worth the wait. Some guys might be hesitant to

take a woman’s virtue, but this was Cat. I didn’t need to second guess myself or worry that she would get clingy. I wanted her to get clingy. I wanted her to move to D.C. and be with me—to be there for Joss. I wanted it like all those summers, but permanent. However, I also knew she was starting school in the fall to become a dental assistant. Could I wait a year, do the whole long distance thing? Would she wait? After we cleaned up, I wanted us to crawl in the bed together, but we both agreed that given Joss was going through some shit, we couldn’t let her know. So Cat went to Joss’s room, and I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

When I woke the next morning, I could smell Cat’s floral scent across the pillow by my face. I smiled. I’d never had this reaction toward a woman before. Before Joss moved in, I’d brought women here for a good time, and after Joss moved in I would “work late” but I never gave a fuck that I could still smell the chick the following day. Smelling Cat the first thing in the morning was something I wanted to do on a daily basis. As I stretched, waking, I could hear the girls were in the kitchen making lunch, their loud voices traveling down the hall. It was almost noon, and in

just a few hours I’d have to bring Cat to the airport. I threw on a T-shirt and made my way to them. Cat looked up, and we smiled at each other. Never in my life had I wanted Joss to get out of the way before, but damn, I wanted to wrap Cat in my arms and kiss the ever loving shit out of her. Instead, I brushed passed her on my way to the fridge for creamer. “Way to sleep my last day here away, 5-0.” I smiled. “I was up late last night—or should I say this morning.” “I wish you weren’t leaving,” Joss stated. Both Cat and I turned to her. Her statement was normal. If she had acted normal in the last year, it wouldn’t have puzzled us, except she hadn’t. She was a buzzkill to be around. A fucking one-tone cock block. “Yeah, Kitty Cat. I wish you were staying too.” I reached around her for a coffee cup. “Me too,” she said, taking a plate of sandwiches to the kitchen table. “But I promised my dad I’d help out around the office this summer. He’s going to finally teach me things so I can have a head start on school.” “Maybe Joss and I can drive down. Visit Grandma and stuff,” I said, pouring lukewarm coffee in my mug. I wanted to say so much more than that but kept my mouth shut.

“I’m never going back,” Joss stated, bitterly. I turned to face her, coffee mug in hand. Cat spoke, “Your mom mov—” “I’m not going back!” Joss snapped and left, slamming the door of her room. “What the fuck?” I breathed, staring at the path Joss had just left. This was a whole other level of her mood swings. She never lashed out before. “I don’t get it.” Cat bit into her sandwich and then spoke around a mouth full of food. “She should be happy.” I moved and sat in front of her, stealing a potato chip. “It’s because I can’t find Bryce.” At least that was what I thought. Why else would she be a fucking mess? “Even if you could, it’s not like he can live with you guys.” “I know. I think she just wants to make sure he’s okay.” “I’m sure he’s fine. He’ll be ten soon, and that’s old enough to survive with that woman. Joss did.” “Hope so.” Another salty chip crunched in my mouth. “So, last night?” “Yeah?” “You doing okay?” I reached out and brushed my fingers on top of her hand. It had been a long time since I’d slept with a virgin, but I knew the following day wasn’t a comfortable one. My high school girlfriend had made sure I knew that.

Cat smiled. “Yeah, just a little sore.” Before I could respond, Joss walked back into the kitchen. “Sorry, guys. I’m just—” Cat stood and went to Joss, wrapping her arms around her. “You don’t need to be sorry. We get it. Just know we’re here for you.” “I think I’m starting my period soon.” “No, we are not talking about that shit,” I stated as I stood. Cat punched my arm. “Grow up.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “I’m pretty sure you know I’m a man.” She smirked. “Group hug for old times’ sake?” We all moved together, hugging just like we used to do during the summers I spent with these two crazy ass chicks.

Driving Cat to the airport brought back so many memories from our childhood. When I was ten, I didn’t want to go to Florida. Then over the years, especially as I got older, I didn’t want to leave. This was similar. I didn’t want Cat to leave, but I’d followed my dreams, and I had to let her follow hers. Maybe after she’s done with school, she would decide to move to D.C. I think we were all feeling the same way because, on the way to the airport, the three of us

were quiet. Then it happened, and my heart squeezed a little more. The guitar started strumming in my speakers, and before the first note was sung, Cat’s head turned to me. “You have this song on your phone?” Apple had recently come out with a phone that allowed you to store music. I’d transferred my music to my phone and made sure You and Me by Lifehouse was on there. “Of course I do.” We sang along to the words, and after the night before, the words were truer. “Will you come back?” Joss asked from the backseat as I pulled into the airport. “Of course. Just don’t know when.” Cat shrugged. “I hope soon. Maybe we can go to the strip club finally.” My eyes darted to Cat’s, and she laughed. “Yes, we could check that off our bucket list.” I shook my head. “Call me when you get home so I know you made it.” I pulled up to the departures. “I will.” All three of us got out of my Tahoe, and while the girls said their goodbyes, I grabbed Cat’s suitcase. After they had their moment, I walked up to Cat, wrapped my arms around her and whispered

in her ear, “It’s always been you and me, Kitty Cat.” She pulled her head back, her chocolate eyes staring up at me. “Yeah?” “Yeah, and I wanna do it again.” I needed her to know that it wasn’t a one-time thing. “Yeah?” she asked again. “Yeah. We’ll figure it out.” “Figure what out?” Joss asked. I looked over at her. “Getting Cat back here for a visit.” That was only half of a lie—or just not the entire truth. With my arms around Cat, I pulled her to me again. “I’m gonna miss you, you know?” “I’ll miss you too, 5-0.” God, I wanted to kiss her. Fucking cock block Joss. Instead, I kissed the top of Cat’s head and then pulled away. “Call me when you get home.” “I will.” She smiled and waved goodbye. It was then that I realized a part of me was leaving.

Having Cat visit was good for both me and Joss. For me because I’d finally acted on my feelings for Cat. But for Joss, it was like she was a different person. She seemed to be happy finally. On the way home, she turned to me and asked, “Will you help me become a cop?”

I turned my head and looked at her for a second and then back at the road. “Of course. I told you whatever you need that I’m here for you.” “I know. Having Cat here, and knowing she has future plans, makes me want to have plans.” “Plans are good, Jossie.” “Maybe we can be partners one day.” I turned and looked at her again. She was smiling. I smiled in return. “Yeah, maybe.” “I hope so. I’d be the best partner.” I chuckled. “You think so?” “Yeah because we know so much about each other. We already have each other’s back.” “I’ll always have your back.” I pulled into the parking lot of our apartment complex. “Partner or not, I’ll always protect you.” She took a deep breath as I pulled into my parking space. “Yeah,” she breathed. It wasn’t convincing.

Things returned to normal when Cat left. We talked on the phone most nights, and we discussed her coming back before school started. We didn’t know when, but we had a few months to figure it out. “McKenna, I need you to do me a favor.” I turned my head in Gibbs’s direction as he drove the patrol car during or shift. “Of course.

Anything.” “I’m glad you said that.” “Oh God,” I groaned. “I’m not getting a good feeling about this.” He chuckled and turned his head to me. With a shit eating grin, he said, “It’s nothing bad.” I stared at him for a beat not believing him. “What is it then?” “So listen, I need you to take my sister out.” “What?” I laughed, staring at him as though he had two heads. “She saw you at Lola’s one night and has been hounding me to set you two up.” “What?” I laughed again. “She ain’t ugly if that’s your hang up, and you owe me for covering your ass when Joss showed up a year ago.” “Fuck.” I did owe him. The day Joss showed up at my precinct, I didn’t think. I’d just reacted and took off in a marked car. That was a no-no since I was barely out of the academy. Gibbs covered for me and said he was with us. “Okay. Fine. One drink.” “Drinks and dinner.” “What?” I sounded like a broken record. “Like I said, she ain’t ugly.” “Then why is she single?” “Why are you single?” he countered. “Because I live with a cock block.”

“I’m not asking you to fuck my sister. I’ll cut your dick off if you do that.” “Whoa.” I held up my hands in defense. “I ain’t gonna sleep with her. I’m not the type.” We both laughed. I was a dude, so if a chick wanted to put out on the first date, of course I’d hit that. But not with Cat in the picture, and not with Gibbs’s sister no matter how hot she might be. “Not the type my ass.” He shook his head. “Dinner and drinks only, all right?” I pointed my finger at him. “I do this, and we’re even.” He smiled. “Yeah. We’ll be even—unless you break her heart.” “Break her heart after one date?” “Let her down easy. Be a jackass for all I care, but just don’t be mean.” “And when it doesn’t work out, you’ll remember that was the plan?” “Look. I’m not asking you to marry her. Just buy her some dinner so she stops bugging me.” “Fine. Set it up for Friday.”

When I talked to Cat earlier, I didn’t tell her I had a date. No girl wants to hear about a guy they’ve hooked up with going on a date with another chick. And even though Cat and I weren’t official, she

was still Cat. I didn’t want to hurt her. If I told her that it was a favor for my partner, she’d say she understood, but really, in the back of her mind, I knew she’d wonder if I was telling the truth. I just didn’t want to put Cat through that. “Where are you going?” Joss asked as I came out of my room. “Out.” “On a date?” she sang. “No, I’m going to grab beers with the guys at Lola’s,” I lied. I didn’t want to chance Joss accidentally telling Cat. “Can I come?” I stopped walking toward the door. “You want to come? You never want to go anywhere.” “I’m starting to feel like my old self again, Sethie.” I walked to her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. “I’d love for you to come, Jossie, but this is a guy’s night out, and we’re going to a bar.” She sighed. “Okay. Can I come next time?” “Yes. Next time. Promise.” I felt bad lying to her. But I had my reasons. While I was stopped at a red light, I texted Cat. I know, shame on me, but I was thinking about her. Me: I miss you, Kitty Cat. Hope you’re having a good night.

By the time I made it to the bar where I was meeting Gibbs’s sister, Annie, Cat hadn’t texted me back. It was a little unusual, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I wanted to make this night as short as possible. After pulling the wooden door open, I walked into the dimly light bar and spotted Annie sitting at a high top near the side wall. She probably thought we were having drinks here and then going to a nice restaurant for dinner. That wasn’t my plan. Lola’s provided me with more dinners than I could count, and what better way than to be a cheap date than just order cheese sticks as an appetizer? The closer I got to the table, the more Annie’s eyes widened. Did she not believe I was going to show? Girls were so weird—especially my two best friends. “Annie?” I asked, and she stood. “Hi.” She reached out to give me a hug, but I stuck my hand out to shake hers. “The boys are right. You’re fine as hell.” Bet she didn’t see that line coming. “Um. Thanks?” “What’s your poison tonight, honeybuns?” Having that term of endearment roll off my tongue made me shiver. “Um, I’ll have a margarita?” “Why the question? You aren’t sure whatcha drinkin’?”

“I usually don’t know what to order.” I took a seat, feeling as though it was going to take me thirty minutes to get what she really wanted to drink. Annie followed suit. “Gibbs told me you’ve seen me here before. Do you just come for the food then?” “No, I come here with my friends to have a good time.” “Oh, so you like to shake that ass out on the dance floor for all the guys to fantasize about?” She laughed. “I love to dance. Do you?” “Yeah sure. What’s not to love about a nice ass pressed against my dick as we sway to the beat of the music?” “I’d definitely back mine up against you.” Aw fuck. Changing the subject, I said, “A margarita is a good drink to have. What do you want to eat it?” “We’re eating here? I thought we were just meeting here for a few drinks and then going somewhere else.” Could she not have figured out what she wanted to drink before she showed up? I didn’t want to be here all night. That wasn’t my plan. Get in, get out, I’ll catch you later. “Nah, honeybuns. Lola’s has the best fried pickles in town. No need to go somewhere else.” “Eww. I’m more of a fresh veggies girl. I’m not into fried foods.”

“Then a lot of limes it is with that margarita.” I winked and stood. “I’ll be back.” I left to go to the bar to order our drinks and place the food order. “Hey, Greg, can I get a margarita on the rocks with salt and extra limes, a Coors Light, and every fried food item you have on the menu?” He laughed. “Are you serious?” I rolled my eyes. Greg had been my bartender for a few years, and when I ordered food, it was usually a burger or something. Not every fried food known to man. “Yeah, man.” “Whatever you say, McKenna.” He turned and went to the POS system, rang up what I assumed would be potato skins, French fries, fried pickles, chicken strips and cheese sticks. He turned, opened a bottle of Coors for me, and then started making the margarita. “What’s up with you tonight?” I leaned in as if Annie could hear me from across the room. “I’m on this date as a favor to Gibbs.” Greg chuckled. “She’s cute. You’re just not feeling it?” “I can’t get serious with Gibbs’s sister, man.” He set the tequila drink in front of me. “So you decided to order every bad item on the menu to get her to want to leave early?” I laughed. “Yeah.” He shook his head in disbelief. “You’re a stand up guy. I never thought you’d do such a thing.”

I grabbed the drinks. “Gibbs knows my plan. Just bring the food when it’s up, okay?” “Yeah.” He grabbed a towel and began wiping the bar top. I turned and started walking over to Annie. God, this was so out of character for me, but I couldn’t chance her liking me because of my looks, and nothing is more of a turn off than a bad personality. “Here you go,” I said and slid the drink to her. She took a big sip, drinking about half of it through the straw, and before I realized what was happening, she said, “I need to do something.” Then she stood, pulled me by my blue, buttondown shirt, and pressed her mouth to mine. She tried to part it, I could feel her tongue rubbing against my lips wanting me to open up for her, but I couldn’t. This wasn’t right. I didn’t like her even if she wasn’t Gibbs’s sister. I broke the kiss, stepping back a little, and my eyes had a mind of their own as they moved to the door, probably my inner conscience searching for the closest exit. But instead of seeing an empty door beckoning me to make a run for it, I saw something else—someone else. Standing there was Cat.

CHAPTER SIX

Cat “Cat!” It’s hard to see the one you love with someone else. Seeing Seth with another woman—kissing another woman—was like all those butterflies I felt before died in the pit of my stomach in an instant. “Cat!” I kept walking—not wanting to talk to him—to hear his lies. You and me my ass. “Cat!” Seth shouted again, and before I took five more long strides, his hand wrapped around my wrist. I spun around as he tugged me. “Please. Stop.” I looked up into his sea green eyes—eyes that I could stare into forever. Mistake. “Why?” “Why?” he asked, jerking his head back as though I’d hit him. “Yeah!” I shouted. “Why do you want me to stop? I’m obviously interrupting your date.” I tugged away from his grasp and moved to the street to flag down a taxi. “Joss said you were out drinking with the guys—”

“It’s not what you think.” I laughed sarcastically as a taxi pulled up. “Not what I think? You were kissing another girl. I have eyes, Seth.” “Yeah, but—” I pulled open the door. “No buts. I get it.” “No, you don’t,” he clipped. I slide into the car, my hand on the door to close it. “I do. You don’t have a stash of condoms in your nightstand drawer to use only in the summer.” With me, I wanted to add but didn’t. I was so stupid. How could I assume that after the night we shared he wanted to be with me? We’d never really talked about it all those nights spent on the phone. We just had a plan for me to come visit again before school started. We lived too far apart to become an us. I shut the door before he could respond and locked it. “Where to?” the cabbie asked. “I—” “Come on, Cat. Open the door. Let’s talk.” Seth jiggled the handle. “Just—drive.” I tried with everything in me to not look out the window, but I failed. As the cab started to pull away from the curb, I turned, and my gaze met Seth’s. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t keep talking to him and letting him spill lies. I saw with my own

twenty-twenty vision that he was with someone else—his lips on someone else. So even though I had nowhere to go, I ran. Running and hiding was better for my heart than hearing the truth. Seth needed someone his age. Someone who wasn’t fresh out of high school. Someone who lived in his town. As the cab drove me to a destination unknown, I realized that I was doing the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. I wanted to go back. I wanted Seth to tell me that what I saw was wrong. But my heart was at the funeral of all those butterflies because I was letting go of what I thought was real. You and Me.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Seth Present Day – Eleven Years Later

It was hot. It was hot as fuck. Fuck it was hot outside. I always thought Vegas was called Sin City because of their motto: What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas. I knew that wasn’t the reason Vegas was referred to as Sin City, but a lot of shit goes down in Las Vegas that people don’t want to recall. They lose all their money, they hook-up with strangers, they drink until they black out or they pay for sex. But to me, it was called Sin City because the moment I stepped out of the airport, I walked into the Devil’s playground. It literally felt as though fire was burning in the wind and I was in the fucking shade. How was I going to survive in Hell? I didn’t even know how long I’d be in the Lake of Fire. All I knew was Joss and the FBI needed my help with an undercover case she was on. Apparently, she’d requested me. Joss and I had both focused on our

careers over the years, and while she went into the FBI, I’d worked my way up to detective. The cab I grabbed at the airport pulled up to a two-story house, and after I grabbed my bag, I made my way to the door. I rang the doorbell, stood in the Netherworld for what felt like hours, and then my best friend, Joss, opened the door. “Miss me?” She squealed and rushed into my arms. “I’m so happy you’re here.” We hugged for a moment and then pulled away. She still had a smile on her face. “Vegas looks good on you, kid.” “I have so much to tell you. Get in here.” Joss waved me in. After she shut the door, a dude was coming down the stairs. “Paul, this is Seth. Seth, this is—” “Her fiancé,” he informed me and stuck out his hand. I turned to Joss, shocked and not realizing I’d left Paul hanging. “Fiancé?” He pulled Joss against his side and then kissed the top of her head. For as long as I’d known her, I’d never seen Joss with a guy. I’d only heard about her failed dates like she’d heard all about mine. For the past eleven years, no woman had felt right. It was as though a part of me was missing, and I searched, but only to come up short each time. I hadn’t even heard her voice since the night she

drove away from me before I could explain the date I was on wasn’t real. I tried calling and texting Cat, but she never responded. Then one year turned into two, and two turned into five, and five turned into eleven. “A lot has happened since I moved to Vegas,” Joss said with a smile. “Apparently.” I laughed. “Well, let’s pop the champagne, and you two can tell me all about it before we dive into why I’m here.” “So you’re the best friend this one has known almost her entire life?” Paul asked, nudging his elbow against Joss. I nodded. “That would be me.” “Well, it’s great to finally meet you. Do you like tequila? I’m more of a tequila man myself.” He chuckled. “Yeah, anything really.” “Do we have any tequila?” Paul asked Joss. I wrinkled my brow and pointed to Joss. “You’re asking her?” I found it weird because I knew what alcohol was in my house. Granted I lived alone. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I just moved in about an hour ago.” “What? Really?” Moved in an hour ago? How long had they been engaged? “Does that explain the pictures on the floor by the door?”

Joss turned to a cabinet and pulled out a full bottle of Patrón. “Um—that kinda explains the pictures on the floor.” She laughed. “And I just bought a bottle this morning.” “Okay. So explain.” I took a seat on a barstool at the kitchen island. “You two are really engaged?” “Yeah, man.” Paul took the bottle from Joss and kissed the side of her head. “I got this, gorgeous.” “Since when? I mean, you haven’t been in Vegas that long.” I watched Joss walk around the island as I spoke and then sit next to me. That was when I noticed the diamond on her finger. “Since about an hour ago.” She smiled—again. “What?” I asked, looking from her to Paul who was pouring us shots of the clear tequila. “I know it’s confusing. I’m going to brief you.” Paul gave me a weird look, and Joss turned to him. “Seth is a detective from D.C. I asked my boss to bring him on board because I trust him.” “A cop?” Paul asked. “The FBI brings in cops to help with cases?” “When they need them,” Joss clarified. “Maybe I should just start at the beginning.” I chuckled. “Start somewhere. This shit ain’t makin’ sense, Jossie.” I didn’t expect to be briefed in front of her fiancé. Well, I didn’t expect her to be engaged either. And it wasn’t protocol to talk

about a case in front of a civilian. Was Paul a civilian? He acted as though he knew nothing about cops or the FBI given his last question. Joss grabbed a shot glass and threw back the tequila. No salt. No lime. Just straight tequila. Then she did it again with the glass Paul had slid in front of me. I stared in disbelief. This wasn’t the Joss I knew. And then a thought occurred to me. Was she still undercover? Had she said yes to this guy but it wasn’t real? Wait. I’d called her Jossie. Was she going undercover as Joss or another name? Fuck, I needed to know all this before being thrown into Hell. My assignment was supposed to be given to me from her because I didn’t have time to be briefed. I got the call, packed and was on a plane in less than a day. “Gorg—” “It’s okay.” She took a deep breath and faced me. “Remember when I ran away at seventeen?” I nodded and looked from her to Paul. That was a real life question. Paul slid another shot of the Patrón to me. “I didn’t run away because I got into a fight with Cruella. I ran away because she sold my virginity. I was raped.” “What?” I asked, causing the stool to skid on the hardwood floor as it scooted back. Growing up I’d always thought I would protect Joss no matter

what. When someone said shit to her or Cat, I snapped. I was livid. But now, if this were true and she’d had her virtue stolen when she was seventeen … I felt like a knife was in my heart, and I couldn’t breathe. Joss took another shot of the tequila and then proceeded to tell me the truth about her mother. I paced the entire time as I listened to her explain that not only was Tony her mom’s Daddy, but she’d learned that Tony was her brother’s father and they ran a prostitution and sex trafficking ring. Yes, they. Bryce was in on it, and it all came to a head when Joss went on a date with him and then arrested him. A date with her brother. Twisted shit, I know. The entire time she spoke, I stared at her. What Joss was telling me was unreal. I mean, I’d had a hunch that Cruella was a hooker, and now I knew for sure. It also started to make sense the way Joss had acted when she came to live with me. It took her awhile to get back to the old Joss, and she wasn’t one-hundred percent when she’d left for Vegas—even twelve years later. “So,” I started, trying to form a sentence, “you two?” My finger went back and forth between them. Joss smiled at Paul. “We’re real.” “Okay but …” I hesitated again. “You’ve only been here a few months.”

“She tried to leave me, but I didn’t let her.” Paul’s words stung. To this day I wasn’t over Cat. I’d catch myself wondering how she was doing and if she was dating or even married. That was where my job came in handy and then, of course, Facebook. You can find out a lot about someone just by going to their profile on social media. Even if it’s set to private, their profile picture tells a story. And not once in the ten or so years that I’d been randomly checking out Cat’s page had I seen a picture with a dude. I wasn’t stupid. I knew she was dating. The guys had just never made profile pic status. “There’s more you need to know.” Joss bit her lip. “My undercover assignment was to work for a company called Saddles & Racks. They’re an escort service.” “Okay?” “And Paul—” “Let’s just say I know how to fuck,” he stated. “Paul!” Joss snapped. “What, gorgeous? It’s true. You know it’s true.” I was confused. “Saddles & Racks is a prostitution—” “No, no.” Joss shook her head. “It’s an escort service. Client’s don’t pay for sex, but it’s known that—” “Basically if the date is going good, you might as well end it getting laid while getting paid for it. I

mean, not paid for sex. Shit. You know what I mean.” Paul rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Look at me, running my mouth to a cop and FBI agent.” “So let me get this straight.” I was trying to put all the pieces together. Apparently, Paul was involved somehow, but he didn’t know all the details. “You two met while you, Joss, were working undercover. You fell in love. Now you’re engaged, and I’m here to help bring down the man that your mother let sell your virginity. But the real kicker is that the boy who’s shitty ass you used to wipe is going to be an informant to help bring down his own father so he doesn’t have to do time?” “And my mother killed herself.” “Wow,” I breathed and finally sat back down. “This explains all the tequila you’re drinking. But it’s cool that Paul knows all this? No offense.” Joss smiled and looked to Paul. “When I took my brother down, Paul was there. He ended up killing two of my brother’s men. But since I’m undercover, I’ve made the decision that Paul is going to be an informant too.” I asked, “Paul killed two men?” At the same time, Paul asked, “I am?” “Yes, I’ll explain. I mean, two hours ago I didn’t think you’d be here, Paul. But having the two guys in the entire world who I trust the most in

the same room has made me realize that for this plan to work, I need to fully trust my partners.” I smiled. “Partners. Just like you’ve always wanted.” “Yeah, but I never knew I’d be taking down my own brother’s father and the man I hate the most in the world.” “Seems like the best person to take down.” I winked. “How am I involved? I thought you just wanted me for my body,” Paul asked, and I rolled my eyes. “Here’s the thing. Bryce had tabs on Andi—” “Who’s Andi?” I asked. “My undercover name.” I nodded, silently telling her to continue. “His Bottom, Jasmine, knows me as Andi. She knows he went to meet me for lunch. What she doesn’t know is he got popped by the FBI. The story he’s going to tell is there was a random robbery at the restaurant. Two of his men were shot and killed when they got in the way. I guess Bryce knows the owner. Anyway, he’ll tell Tony and whoever that he was arrested because when he was being questioned, a cop saw that he had a gun on him and he couldn’t provide a permit for the gun or a license to carry. Nothing to do with him being a pimp.” “I still can’t get over that little Brycie Marquez is a pimp.”

“He goes by Martinez now. Tony changed his name to reflect him as a father once the shit hit the fan with me. I guess moving across country with a kid makes you plan to bring him in on the family business. And since it’s a family business, Bryce needed his birth father’s last name.” “Crazy shit. When do we start? What’s my job?” Joss smiled and looked to Paul. “This is where you come in.” He perked up. “I’m intrigued.” She turned back to me. “You’re going undercover as a buyer, and Paul is going to be your bodyguard.” “What?” I laughed. “No offense again, but how is an ex-gigolo going to protect me?” Paul was a built dude, but that didn’t mean he knew how to fight or use a weapon. Killing two men could have been a mistake. “I’m ex-Army,” Paul stated. “And no offense, but I’ve probably killed more people than you.” “Boys,” Joss cut in. “No need to have a pissing contest over who’s killed the most men. The fact of the matter is you both know how to protect and serve. I also trust both of you with my life. So if you two can put your dicks away, you’ll realize my plan is solid.” I’d never heard Joss talk like that before. Maybe this Paul guy was good for her—toughing

her up. Whatever it was, she was right. We had other things to worry about. I just hoped we’d all survive.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Cat “Okay, Crystal. We’re all done.” I took off my latex gloves. “The girls at the front will book your appointment to put your crown on when it comes in.” “Thank you, Dr. Stone.” “You’re welcome. See you in a few weeks.” I patted Crystal on the shoulder and made my way to my office. For the past three years, I’d been working at my father’s practice. At first, I thought I would only become a dental assistant, but I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to have to depend on a man to survive, so I made sure that I would be financially stable and wouldn’t have to worry about money. Instead of going to school to be a dental assistant, I went to the University of Florida College of Dentistry and graduated when I was twenty-six. What I hadn’t planned on was never finding a man who I could pretend I needed to depend on. I closed the door to my office and moved to sit behind my desk. I had patient charts to sign off on

before I was able to leave for the day. The more time passed, the more my father gave me patients of my own. He was on his way to retiring, and when that happened, he wanted me to take over. I didn’t want to disappoint him, and every day I tried to be the best. I’d been working in his practice doing various jobs almost my entire life and was looking forward to being the boss one day. In fact, I practically was the boss. He spent more days on the golf course than in the office these days. My phone buzzed in the pocket of my white coat. Hannah: Are you ready for tonight?

I groaned. I wasn’t ready for tonight. My best friend Hannah was dragging me to speed dating. Apparently, she had two tickets, and the co-worker she was going to go with had bailed as of last night. And since I was her only other single friend, I was up. Me: Let’s just go out to dinner. My treat. Hannah: No. We both need to find men. We aren’t getting any younger.

Well, that was the truth. In less than a year I was going to be thirty. How did that happen? The older I got, the faster time flew by. It felt as though it was yesterday I was spending summers with—

My childhood friends. I’m not sure what happened with Joss and me. After Seth broke my young, naïve heart, it was as though that part of me fizzled out. Joss and I still talked on the phone now and then, or on Facebook, but I hadn’t seen her since I was eighteen. At first, I’d told her I was busy with school—which was true—and then I was busy with my career. She became a cop, and then went into the FBI. We both just drifted apart as most friends do after high school. And Seth— I could never look at him again. There were times when I would be drunk off my ass and somehow Facebook would bring up Seth’s profile. Granted, it wasn’t a Seth McKenna profile. Once, my drunk detective work had figured out he had a profile under the name Michael Wade. You see, Mrs. McKenna discovered Farmville a few years back and apparently wanted more friends to play with, so she had requested me as a friend. I accepted, and that night after a half a bottle of wine on an empty stomach, I searched her friend’s list. The moment I saw the name Michael Wade, I knew it was him. Even with a different name and a generic profile picture of the Washington Capitols logo, the name Michael stood out like a sore thumb. Seth Michael McKenna. I’d never forgotten that name. But why Wade? Well, my detective work was in full force that night because I’d figured out

that the lead singer of the band Lifehouse had the last name of Wade. Needless to say, after I figured that out, I drank the rest of the bottle and passed out on my couch. Hannah: I’m picking you up at 8. Be ready!

I sighed staring at myself in the mirror. I was running out of dresses to wear on first dates that weren’t cursed. Tonight I chose to try my luck with a navy, sleeveless, knee-length dress that had a wraparound waist and black belt. Maybe it was the black heels I wore each time that was the actual curse, so I opted for silver strappy heels that paired well with the silver clutch I had to go with them. Hannah: I’m here.

Time to get this disaster over with.

“So,” Hannah started. “Do you see any hot guys?” I scanned the crowd as I sipped from the straw of my margarita. “Not a single one.” Hannah rolled her sky-blue eyes. “Don’t be stupid. This can work.”

“You think I’ll find the love of my life in five minutes?” “If the key fits.” Ding. Ding. Ding. Before I could respond, I looked to see a lady tapping a glass. She was the same person who’d checked us in and handed Hannah and I each a key style lock. “Each guy will have a key. And you never know. He might hold the key to your heart.” Gag. “Okay ladies. Go ahead and take a seat at one of the high-top tables. Once everyone is ready, we’ll begin.” Hannah and I grabbed tables next to each other, and I felt as though there were eyes on me. I looked up to see a man in a black suit with a navy tie staring at me. He grinned, and my eyes moved up to his, taking in more of his face. He wasn’t bad by any means. He had short brown hair, dark eyes, and what I could tell from where I was sitting, nice teeth. I noticed everyone’s teeth since working in the dental field. When the speed dating started, nice teeth dude didn’t make it to my table in time. Instead, he made it to Hannah’s. There were twenty-five guys and twenty-five girls. We were given five minutes with each partner. Guy after guy I heard the same line over and over. “Does your key fit?” “Wanna stick your key in my lock?” “Is it in?” My key fit in one lock and the guy

was a total flop. There was no chemistry whatsoever. Then it was finally good teeth guy’s turn. Also known as the last man standing—or the last hope. He smiled, I smiled, and after he sat, he said, “I’d stick it in, but it wouldn’t fit.” I choked on the sip of sweet, salty mixture that I had taken to wet my whistle. He laughed. “Sorry, I should have saved the joke for when you weren’t drinking.” I chuckled. “Already trying to kill me and we aren’t even married yet?” “How else am I going to get your millions?” I laughed again. Not once did I laugh this hard the entire speed dating and it had taken an hour and thirty-five minutes to happen. “I’ll need to know your name so I can put it in my will.” He smiled again, and this time I got a clear view, no drink in the way. He definitely had nice teeth. “Dan.” He pointed to his name tag. Right. Totally wasn’t looking at anything except his smile. “And you’re Cat.” “That I am.” I grinned. “So, Cat, what’s your story?” He took a sip of something clear. Vodka tonic maybe? I shrugged. “Dentist. Single. Never been married and no kids.” It was the same story I’d been telling the last twenty-four men. “And you?” “Dentist. Single. Never been married and no kids.”

I cocked my head to the side and nodded slowly. “So we have some things in common.” “We do.” And since we had only five minutes, I asked the big question. “Why are you single?” Dan shrugged. “You know, the usual. Been engaged, didn’t work out.” “That’s not the usual I know.” “What do you know then?” I sighed. “Boy broke my heart, and I don’t trust men now.” “It’s because you’re young.” I snorted. “And how young do you think I am?” His brown eyes twinkled in the low light. “Twenty-one.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you only saying that since I’m drinking?” Dan smiled. “Grew up with two older sisters. I know never to ask a woman her age, and if I get a question like the one you just asked, I know it’s a trick question. Therefore, I say the youngest possible.” “Well, you have to know I’m at least twentyfive since that’s the youngest I can be a dentist.” He smiled and pointed his finger at me. “I knew you were smart.” “Smarter than you,” I pointed out. “No. If I had said twenty-five, you would have thought I was a jerk. Some women think that

twenty-five is almost fifty.” “Okay, you got me. I would have totally thought you were being a jerk.” “All right, ladies and gentleman. This is your final minute warning. If it’s a match, exchange those numbers.” “Is it a match?” Dan asked. I furrowed my brow. “I don’t know. Promise not to kill me?” “No.” I smiled and bit my lip. “Well, in that case, give me your phone.” He did, and I dialed my number from his. “There. I have yours too.” “Perfect. Put my name as Murderer, and I’ll put yours as Woman I Need to Murder.” “It’s totally a match made in heaven.” “Maybe,” Dan agreed. “I knew you two would hit it off,” Hannah stated as she slid from her seat. “Because we’re dentists?” I rolled my eyes. “Yeah.” She shrugged. “Did you know dentists have the highest suicide rate?” I asked, trying to point out that two dentists were probably not the perfect match. “Really?” she asked. “They did at one point. I don’t know if it’s still true these days.” “Wait,” Dan said and placed his hand on my arm. “You’re not planning on killing yourself, are

you?” I looked back at him. “Why would I do that when I have you to kill me?” I asked, and showed him that I had, in fact, put him down as Dan the Murderer. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Hannah looking from Dan to me and back. “This is true.” “Okay, you two are officially perfect for each other.” “I know,” Dan stated. “We have plans.” I laughed. “Yeah. He’s going to kill me when we’re married so he can take my millions.” “Oh—kay.” Hannah bobbed her blonde head slowly as though she was confused. “I don’t want to get murdered, so I think it’s best we go.” I slid off my stool. “Apparently, she struck out tonight, so we have to go. She’s my ride.” Dan smiled again, and I knew I’d be thinking about it for many days to come. “That’s fine. My calendar is booked with multiple root canals tomorrow. I should head home.” “Great. Now I’m going to have to hear you two talk dental when we all hang out.” “Seems like we all like to jump the gun.” I shook my head with a smile. “I’ll call you.” Dan leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Okay.”

And then he was gone. “So?” Hannah prompted as we walked out the front doors a few minutes later, giving Dan enough time to get to his car so it wasn’t awkward. Though the whole exchange was on the verge of awkward, but on the good side of things. “So. I think this just became my lucky dress.”

The moment I made it into the office the next morning, my cell rang. A part of me thought it would be Dan, but the number said it was coming from Las Vegas. I didn’t answer. It was probably a sales call or something. I booted up my computer to bring up my schedule for the day and then my phone dinged with a voicemail message. I pushed the button and listened. “Hey, Cat, it’s Joss. I know you haven’t heard from me in a few months. I’ve actually been in Vegas working on an undercover case. Anyway, I was calling because I have some news.” She paused. “I’m getting married!” Another pause, and I realized my mouth was hanging open. “I want you here, Cat. I know it’s Thursday morning, and I wish I had given you more notice, but I’m getting married on Saturday. I’ll pay for your ticket or whatever it takes to get you here. Please come. Call me, text me, whatever. I miss you.”

The message stopped, but I couldn’t move a muscle. Joss was getting married, and she wanted me there. Hell, she was getting married in less than three days. I thought about it for what felt like hours until my assistant, Kelly, knocked on my door to let me know my first patient was there. Even though I hadn’t seen Joss in forever, for her to reach out to me was huge. “Hey, Kel,” I called before she could walk away. “Yeah?” “I need you to cancel all my appointments tomorrow and Monday.” “Sure. Everything okay?” I stood and reached for my white coat. “Yeah. Something’s come up.” “Okay. Sure. I’ll let the girls know up at the front to reschedule everything.” “Thanks.” As I made my way to start my day, a thought occurred to me … Was Seth going to be there too?

CHAPTER NINE

Seth Never, and I mean never had I ever thought I’d be working as a john. When a cop works undercover, they do a lot of things: drug buyer, hitman, gang member— whatever it takes to bust someone. Of course, I knew people went undercover as prostitutes. I just never imagined I’d be working on the other end and buying them. In fact, most cops never get the chance to go undercover. Not everyone is cut out for the job. You have to forget who you are to become who you need to be. For the past week, I’d been training with Paul, and I had to admit, he knew how to shoot. When I found out he used to be in the Army, I had a little bit more respect for him. I still wasn’t convinced that he was right for Joss, though I didn’t think any man would be. This was my best friend— practically my sister—and given what she’d been through, she deserved someone who wouldn’t give her shit. I knew she could handle herself. She was FBI after all, but real life was different from

working a case. If I ever got wind that Paul was stepping out on her, or just plain out being stupid, he was going to have to answer to me. So far, though, I got the feeling he was a good guy. I’d also met his friend Gabe. “Joss said you teach shooting classes?” Paul put his Jeep in park. “Yeah. It all stemmed from when Gabe’s fiancé was married to our old Major. He wasn’t a great guy and treated her like shit. After she left him and shit went down, Gabe and I wanted to help women out. The Army shaped us to make this country better and helping civilians is what we want to do now. It just so happens that we have a drive to help abused women because Auttie was abused by Major Dick.” “Man, that’s crazy.” “It’s all good. Gabe and Auttie are getting married after their baby is born, and look at Joss and me. They say everything happens for a reason.” “That they do,” I agreed, and we both opened our doors to exit. “I think Gabe is here now for a session. You can meet him.” “Perfect.” We made our way inside. After we’d checkedin, Paul and I walked into the next room where the firing line was. A bald dude stood behind a woman, watching her shoot.

“Cap,” Paul yelled over the gun shots. The guy turned his head. “Hey. Didn’t know you were coming today.” “It’s all good now. I got my girl back, we’re engaged—” “What?” I wasn’t the only one shocked at the engagement apparently. “It’s a long story. I’ll have to tell you about it some other time.” “Paul Jackson is finally settling down with one woman? You’re out of the game?” “Yep. Quit that shit, bought a ring, and now Joss’s best friend, Seth—” “Who’s Joss?” “Andi.” “What?” Gabe asked again. Paul sighed. “Andi’s real name is Joselyn, and she’s been working with S&R undercover.” “Undercover?” Gabe asked looking from me to Paul. Paul chuckled. “Part of the story I can’t tell right now, but she’s FBI.” “FBI?” Gabe balked. “I’m Seth.” I stuck out my hand to Gabe. “Right. Sorry. Gabe, this is Seth. Seth, Gabe.” We shook. “He’s not FBI like her, but a detective in D.C. I wanted to bring him out so we can both practice to get ready—”

“Let’s do that, yeah?” I cut him off as I sensed he was about to tell Gabe our entire plan. Our undercover plan that was top secret. We did a few rounds and then headed back to his place. Time was getting closer to when I’d actually start my part of the undercover operation. Before any of that could happen, Joss got approval from her boss to get married to Paul. I didn’t fully understand the rush. Though, if Cat and I were together, I’d marry her before going undercover too. It was symbolic or some shit. Joss and Paul were getting married on Saturday, and then no telling how long it would take before they could start their life together because on Monday her vacation was over and the plan was going to start. Would Joss move back to D.C. afterward, though? Would she stay in Vegas? We wouldn’t know until we took down the man who had caused Joss to have nightmares for twelve years. And I was looking forward to that day. I still couldn’t believe it. Deep down I’d always known that something had to have happened to make her run away. I just never thought it was Joss being sold to the highest bidder to rape her of her innocence. When I come face to face with this Tony guy, there would be no telling what I was going to do. Just thinking about it made my blood boil. And that was if I got to him before Joss did. I wasn’t sure if I’d stop her from killing him if it ever

got to that point. The FBI wanted a clean case, one where we just bust him and bring him in so he could serve time, but did a man who sold women for money deserve to live a life where he had a roof over his head and food in his belly? It didn’t matter that it was behind bars. I didn’t want my tax paying dollars to go toward this asshole at all. What happens undercover, stays undercover. That, of course, wasn’t true, but we were in Vegas, and everyone knew their motto. And this was personal. Technically I wasn’t undercover yet. We were in the briefing stage and Joss was no longer undercover either. Andi Middlebrooke was no more. Michael Wade and his bodyguard, James Jackman were on the case. So far being undercover was like a vacation. I woke up, went to the gym, went to the range and then came back to Joss’s house where we’d talk about the case over drinks. We had a plan. A plan that, when placed in motion, would be the last time Tony would breathe free air. I now had no doubt that bringing Paul in as a bodyguard was smart. The more people we had on our side, the more likely everything would go as planned. I’d thought about asking Joss what she thought about bringing Gabe in as well. I’d found out that he was Paul’s captain in the Army, and having two trained marksmen with me would be even better. But then I’d learned that

Gabe and his fiancé were expecting a baby, and not knowing what we were walking into made me realize that it wasn’t a good idea after all. Plus, we were talking about taking down pimps. How crazy could it get? “So, I called Cat.” The beer bottle I was holding stopped at my lips. “Yeah?” Keep cool, Seth. Keep cool. Joss sighed. “I had to. I know I haven’t seen her in years, but I can’t get married and not have her there.” I set the bottle on the coffee table and sighed myself. “I don’t know where it all went wrong with all of us.” I knew I wasn’t telling Joss the truth. I did know. I just didn’t know why Cat never gave me the chance to explain. “We were all so close.” “Me either.” She shrugged. “I guess we all put our careers before our friendship.” I nodded. “People lose touch. Just didn’t think it would be the three of us. We survived years with only seeing each other during the summers.” Joss took a sip of her margarita. “She called and left a message that she’s coming so, maybe this weekend will bring us all back together. After this case is over, I feel that my life is going to change.” “What do you mean?” “Once we take down Tony, then what will I do? I don’t know if Paul will want to move to D.C.”

“Transfer here. Tony’s not the only pimp in town, Jossie. I mean, Vegas is notorious for prostitution.” She stared at me for a beat. “But I’ll miss you.” I moved closer to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulder, bringing her to my side. “We’re talking about you moving to Vegas. I’ll visit every vacation I get, and if I hit it big, I’ll retire and move here too.” Joss shoved my shoulder. “You can transfer too. Maybe go to Quantico and join the FBI. We can stay partners.” I pulled her back to me. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We need to take down Tony first.” “We will. I know Bryce will pull through.” “We will,” I agreed. What else could go wrong?

Of course she was coming. When Joss told me that she’d called Cat to invite her to the impromptu wedding, I was freaking out. Would she bring a boyfriend? Would she come single and I could have another chance? She’d know I wasn’t seeing anyone. Or maybe she wouldn’t. I didn’t think Joss would tell her why we were in Vegas, and me showing up to the wedding by myself would be like a neon sign flashing that I

was single. Usually, I wouldn’t care, but I did when it came to Cat. After all these years, I’d thought about what would have happened if I never went on that date with Gibbs’s sister. Or if I just would have told Cat beforehand. Would we still be together? Would we be married? Would I live in Miami? Would she have moved to D.C.? So many things could be different just by changing that one night. Or maybe they wouldn’t be. I also found out that the owner of an escort service made a lot of money. I wasn’t sure how much, but Mark, the owner of Saddles & Racks, had a nice pad. Since Joss and Paul were getting married lickety-split, they needed a place stat. Joss wasn’t down for having Elvis marry her, and all the casinos were booked a year or so in advance for a Saturday wedding, so Paul talked to his old boss and he agreed to let them use his house for the night. When Paul, Gabe and I pulled up, I thought it was a standard house. But then when we walked in, I’d realized you can’t judge a book by its cover—or a house in this case. It was a two-story, flat roof, stucco house that had a view of the desert mountains. The backyard was spectacular with an L-Shaped infinity pool that looked as though it went on for miles. And since there was going to be a wedding in the backyard, there were flowers

floating in the pool with candles and white roses all over. To the right were stairs that led up to a balcony, and then another set of stairs that lead up to the roof. I wasn’t sure what was on the roof yet, but I could only imagine the view. Living in D.C., I didn’t have views like this or the quiet the mountains provided. I had cars, buildings and a whole lot of chaos. “Gentlemen.” I turned to see a well-dressed guy behind us. “Seth, this is Mark. He owns Saddles & Racks,” Paul introduced us. I stuck out my hand. “Nice to meet you.” “Are you FBI too?” I jerked my head back slightly, confused that he’d knew. “I’ve known since before Andi—Joss—joined S&R that she was FBI. My cousin’s her boss and the one that put her undercover in my company.” The cat was out of the bag in a sense. The S&R crew knew Andi was really Joss, though they didn’t know details on the case or that the case was still ongoing. They just knew that Andi no longer worked at S&R and it had been only for the FBI. Since my role hadn’t officially started yet, no one was the wiser as to who I was other than Joss’s best friend. “Oh.” I shook my head. “No, I’m not FBI.” “Ah. Just a guest of the wedding?” “Something like that.” I smiled.

“I have a feeling I know what that means. Anyway, a room is upstairs for you boys to change in. I’ll come up when the bride gets here.” Mark shook my hand again. “A few of the S&R crew are coming,” Paul said to Mark. “Brad, Vinny, Nick, Lea, and Nina. Joss’s friend Cat and her boyfriend, too. Oh, and Brandon Montgomery and his wife, plus Blake, Brandon’s brother, and a guest—” My heart stopped. Cat and her boyfriend? Fuck! “Paul,” Mark cut him off. “I get it. People are attending your wedding. You don’t need to list them all. When they arrive, they’ll be in good hands.” Paul smiled. “Sorry. Just nervous.” Gabe slapped him on the back. “PJ. You’re marrying the love of your life, not a hitman. Calm down and let’s go get you suited up.” I watched Gabe try to calm Paul down, but my thoughts were still on the fact that Cat was coming with another man. I needed a drink.

CHAPTER TEN

Cat “I need a beard,” I said into the phone. “Baby girl, I don’t think that would look good on you,” my friend, Nathan replied. I groaned. “Okay, maybe that wasn’t the right way to use that term, but I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.” I heard him chuckle through the phone. “No, you didn’t use that term correctly. You would be my beard.” “Whatever,” I sighed. “Remember how I told you about the boy who broke my heart?” “How can I forget? You compare all the men you date to him.” I rolled my eyes even though Nathan couldn’t see me. “Right. So, my friend Joss called me this morning and invited me to her wedding. I’m pretty sure that Seth will be there, and I don’t want to go all the way to Vegas alone—” “Vegas?” he interrupted. “All you had to say was we are going to Vegas, and I’m down for whatever.”

“Good. Pack your bags, and I’ll book us on the next flight in the morning and a hotel room.” “The morning?” “Yeah. The wedding is Saturday.” “And you just got invited?” “I don’t know all the details, but Joss said she’d explain why it’s short notice when I get there. Might have something to do with her being in the FBI.” “All right. Text me what time you’re picking me up. I need to go primp myself.” “Me too,” I admitted. Luckily I’d just gotten my nails and hair done, but what dress was I going to wear that would make Seth regret breaking my heart? I needed to go shopping.

I found the perfect dress. It took me awhile, and I wasn’t sure what was sexier: a dress that went above the knee or a floor-length one that had high slits up both legs. I went with the latter. There was just something about the navy blue floral print dress that spoke to me. It had shades of cream, rose and browns with a drawstring, halter bodice and elasticized waist. And not one, but two slits on either leg that showed my toned legs as I walked.

Paired with rose colored, ankle strapped heels and I was hoping Seth would be drooling. Payback’s a bitch, right? What if Seth was coming with a girlfriend—or his wife? Oh my God, was Seth married? Did he have kids? My Facebook detective work wasn’t in full-force these days, and he never posted any pictures. Mrs. McKenna didn’t either. Fuck! If Seth showed up with another woman—a wife or girlfriend—I might have to kiss Nathan in front of him. I didn’t care that I was approaching thirty. We were talking about me coming face to face with the only man I’d ever loved. Best case scenario was Seth wouldn’t be there. But this was Joss we were talking about, and she and Seth were still best friends after all these years. My gut was telling me that he’d be there. After Nathan and I arrived in Vegas late the night before, we took a taxi to Bally’s where we were staying. I’d never been to Vegas before, and seeing all the lights on the strip, the people, and the dry heat didn’t disappoint. Plus, there was a Starbucks right out the front doors of the hotel. A girl needed good coffee in the mornings, especially if she was going to have to pretend to be dating a gay guy. “We’re going to be late,” I called to Nathan as he was still in the bathroom getting ready. “You can’t rush perfection, baby girl.”

“I told Joss I’d meet her at her house so we could ride with her to the venue,” I reminded him. After my first patient on Thursday, I’d called Joss to tell her that I was coming. She sounded different —happy—excited even. She didn’t want to explain over the phone why she was in Vegas or why there was a rush for her to get married, and I was okay with that. She gave me her address and told me to meet her there, and we could ride over in the limo together and catch up. “Two minutes.” I went to the mirror and made sure my curls were staying intact. My phone buzzed in my clutch, and I smiled as I saw that it was a text from Dan the Murderer. Dan the Murderer: Hey Cat! Hope all is well. It’s day three, and given the standard dating rules, I’m supposed to call you. Except I’m out of town for the weekend. Can I call you tomorrow when I get home and set up a date?

I smiled as I sent a text back. Me: Hey! I’m out of town too. Tomorrow sounds good.

The bathroom door opened, and there was a hot man with dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes in a navy, pinned striped suit with a rose colored shirt

standing before me. I shook my head. “Nope, can’t rush perfection.” He smirked. “You too. And if I didn’t know any better, I’d think we were a couple.” I laughed. “Well, we match like we’re going to prom.” “That’s what couples do. They color coordinate.” I put my phone in my clutch then turned to walk to the door. “All right. Let’s go face my worst nightmare.” Nathan grabbed my arm, stopping me from walking past him. “Everything will be fine. And who knows. Maybe he’s single just like you are and you two can hit it off again.” I swallowed. “Doubt that. I haven’t seen him in eleven years.” “I know, and you’re both grown-ups now. I’m just saying that if you two want to rekindle that old flame, I’m perfectly fine coming back here and finding my own party. We’re in Vegas after all. This town doesn’t sleep, and I don’t plan on it either.” I gave him a warm smile. “I doubt that will happen, but if it does, hang a sock on the door.” Nathan opened the door for us to leave. “I’m not bringing them back here. Everyone knows not to take a hookup back to your own turf. They won’t leave when you want them to.”

I laughed, and we walked out into the hall. “I’m not holding my breath. A lot can happen in eleven years.” “But true love lasts forever.” I laughed harder. “What are you, a Hallmark card?” “I’m just saying that I won’t stand in your way if you rekindle anything.” I was done going in circles with him. Nathan didn’t know what he was talking about. “If you say so.”

Not gonna lie, I was nervous. I hadn’t seen Joss in so long, and as the cab pulled up to a two-story house, I wasn’t sure how our reunion was going to be. Luckily I wasn’t going in alone. I wasn’t sure if I would have come without Nathan, but Joss had been my best friend for many years, and growing up I always thought I’d see her get married, just like she’d see me. So here I was walking up the walkway to her house. “What if he answers the door?” “Then I’ll grab your hand, baby girl. I’m good at faking shit.” “I owe you.” I took a deep breath as I rang the doorbell. My heart stalled in my chest as we waited. The wood door swung open, and it wasn’t

Joss or Seth who answered. “Oh,” I stammered and looked at the house number next to the door. Did the cab drop us off at the wrong place? “You must be Cat,” the stunning pregnant brunette said with a smile. I hesitated slightly. “I am.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Autumn, Joss’s friend.” I shook her hand. “Nice to meet you. This is my boyfriend, Nathan.” Lord that sounded weird to say on so many levels. “Pleasure,” he said and stuck out his own hand. After we greeted each other, she stepped back and motioned for us to enter. “Joss is upstairs still getting ready, but she said for you to go on up. It’s the last door on the left.” “Thanks,” I replied and looked to Nathan. “I’ll be fine. Go see your friend, honey.” I smiled, took a deep breath, and walked up the stairs. With each room I passed, I looked inside to see if Seth was there, but he wasn’t in any of the rooms. When I got to the last door on the left, I walked in to see Joss in front of a standing mirror. Her back was to me, and the first thing I noticed was how beautiful her lace gown fit. It was a form fitting, spaghetti strapped, backless sheath dress with a lace train. My breath caught at the sight of her.

“Joss,” I whispered, still hung up on how beautiful my friend had grown up to be. She turned and rushed to me. “Oh my God, Cat!” “You look so beautiful,” I gushed as we wrapped each other in our arms. “I’ve missed you so much. Thank you for coming.” We pulled apart, a lump forming in my throat. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” “I need to tell you some things before we go.” I raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Sure.” We both sat on the end of her bed, and she turned toward me. “So you’re probably wondering why I called you without much notice?” I nodded, and she smiled. “Well, this wasn’t planned by any means. I came out here to work an undercover case, and I fell in love with—” She paused, and I noticed her eyes were starting to become glassy. “I can’t even describe how I feel about him. He’s just —the mirror to my soul.” “Aw, Joss …” I touched her knee. It warmed my heart to hear that she’d found love. Joss took a deep breath and waved her hands in front of her face. “I can’t cry, or I’ll mess up my makeup.” We both chuckled. “Anyway, I met him my first day undercover. I was placed as his roommate, and since day one I fought the attraction I had for him because I was working a case.”

“Was he your … mission?” I didn’t know the right terminology. She laughed. “No. He was my distraction more like it.” “But everything worked out in the end, and now you’re getting married.” “Yes and no. There’s more to the story.” “Oh. Okay.” I furrowed my brows. Joss took a deep breath and looked to the left out the window. A few seconds ticked by before she finally spoke again. “I can’t tell you all the details, but I need to tell you some stuff.” “Are you still undercover?” I asked. “Yes.” “Oh,” I breathed. Wasn’t expecting that answer because I thought once someone was undercover, they had no contact with their real life. “Well, yes and no. It’s a special case.” “Oh,” I said again, trying to follow along. “I’ll just tell you how I told Seth.” My eyes shot up to hers at the mention of his name. Trying to play it cool as if hearing his name spoken didn’t make my heart ache, I replied, “Okay?” “Remember how I ran away at seventeen and went to live with him?” “Yeah?” How did twelve years ago factor into her working undercover?

“I ran away because Cruella and her pimp sold me to a man so he could take my virginity.” I blinked, not sure I was hearing her correctly. “What?” “That’s why I wasn’t me after that night. It took me years to finally be happy again, and I wasn’t truly happy until I fell in love with Paul. Even though I was a cop and now FBI, I never truly felt safe until him. It was like I was always on edge, looking over my shoulder for more bad shit to happen to me—” I reached for her and wrapped my arms around her neck. “Jossie, you could have come to me.” “I know,” she said against my neck. “Seth too. Hell, Seth is a cop, and I never once told him what happened to me until now. I think it was because when I heard from Mrs. McKenna that my mom and Bryce left, I knew there was no hope of catching the guy.” We pulled back. “Is that what you’re doing now? Catching the guy? Trying to find your mom?” That was the only reason I could think of for her to be telling me this after all these years. She smiled tightly. “Yeah, but shit, Cat. It’s so much deeper.” “What do you mean?” Joss sighed. “So my mom sold me out to her pimp, Tony, and long story short, he’s Bryce’s real father, and they run a sex trafficking ring.”

“What?” I asked again, not sure I’d heard her correctly. “I arrested Bryce a couple of weeks ago.” “What?” I screeched, blinking and shaking my head slightly. I was confused. So confused. “I know. I didn’t know until I was face to face with him. I’m not sure when he realized it was me, but he agreed to be an informant to bring Tony down.” “His own father?” “Yeah. He hates him.” “What about Cruella?” Joss stood with her back to me. “She killed herself.” I wanted to say, “Good,” but that probably wasn’t the best reply, so I didn’t say anything. “Anyway, I was sent here to work undercover to bring down a sex trafficking ring. I had no idea that I would be tied to it. Now I’m determined more than ever to bring down the King Pin. I brought Seth in to help.” “He’s—here?” I knew he was, but I needed Joss to confirm it. “He and Paul are at the house where I’m getting married. And we better go, or I’ll be late to my own wedding.” She laughed. “Right.” I stood, knowing that it wouldn’t be long until I would see Seth.

She wrapped me in her arms again. “For my honeymoon, I’m working a case with Seth. We start everything on Monday, but after it’s all done, I’ll tell you more. I’ll come visit you in Miami, and we’ll catch up on everything. I want to know everything I’ve missed.” We pulled apart. “That sounds really nice.” “Okay.” She smiled and went to the mirror to check her hair and makeup. “One more thing.” She turned from the mirror to look at me again. “I wasn’t sure if you were actually going to show, and since this is all short notice and on a limb, I asked Autumn to stand with me when I get married.” A lump started to form in my throat. I understood her decision, but it still stung. “I understand. I’m just happy to be here.” I smiled a warm smile, trying to hide the pain. Joss smiled back. “Me too. And now it’s time to get married.”

We took a white limo to a house on the outskirts of Vegas. It was good riding over with Joss and Autumn. They both got along with Nathan, and I’d learned that Paul, Autumn’s fiancé, and Gabe were both former male escorts. Never in my life would I have ever guessed that Joss would have fallen in love with a man who used to have sex for a living.

Granted, Joss and Autumn both swore up and down that they were only paid to go on dates, but everyone knows what a gigolo does. And not only were Paul and Gabe going to be at the wedding, but their gigolo friends were too. A girl might need to have some fun if you know what I mean, especially after seeing Seth. No telling what emotions were on the horizon for our reunion. “Ready?” Autumn asked, looking at Joss as the limo came to a stop. “Beyond ready,” she beamed. The driver opened the door, and we all piled out. The front door swung open, and my heart fell out of my chest. I watched it flop on the ground as I sensed Seth walking toward us. His short, dark brown hair was spiked a little in the front, and his green eyes felt as though they were piercing my soul as he stared at me. Plus, he had the same light dusting of a beard that he’d had the last time I’d seen him, and I still had the urge to run my fingers across it or feel it between my legs. Seth was a man. A fine piece of a man. A man I wanted to maul even though he’d ripped my heart out. “Fuck,” I murmured under my breath. And just like he said he would, Nathan was in full boyfriend mode. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me to him. “Thank you,” I whispered.

Against my ear, Nathan whispered back, “If you don’t bang him this weekend, I will.” I smiled, trying to mask my laughter as I looked into the emerald eyes I thought I’d never see again. “Kitty Cat,” Seth clipped in a harsh but direct tone, then looked at Nathan’s arm around me. I hadn’t heard that name in so long that, when he spoke the two words, my stomach dipped as though it was trying to resurrect the butterflies that had died when he’d broken my heart. Even if he sounded annoyed to see me. My hands itched to wrap around his waist and hug him. I’d missed him so much. Except I stood there in my fake boyfriend’s embrace. “Seth, it’s good to see you. This is my boyfriend, Nathan.” Nathan released me, and the men shook hands. Then the person we were all here for stepped around me, and Seth turned to her. “Damn, Jossie. You’re not the six-year-old I first met playing Barbie. You’re stunning.” She smiled. “Thanks. Is everyone ready?” “Are you?” Seth countered. “I’ve never been so sure of anything else in my entire life.” “That’s our cue,” Autumn said. “I’ll show Cat and Nathan to their seats and get ready.” My gaze met Seth’s again for a brief moment, and I swore the look in his eyes was the same pain I was feeling. Like it hurt to breathe the same air

because no matter what, we loved each other, but we weren’t together. At least I knew I loved him. Still did. Except if he loved me, why did he give up? I know I didn’t make it easy for him. I’d never taken his calls, never returned them or his texts, and then he just stopped trying. But I was young, dumb, and my heart had been broken for the first time. I never wanted to experience that pain again. But seeing Seth after all these years—in a tuxedo that I knew was hugging muscles that went on for days—brought everything back. I missed him. I still loved him. I wanted him to tell me that he loved me and we could be together because that was what I’d always wanted. That was what I searched for in every failed relationship I had. But he only spoke two words to me. He didn’t hug me, didn’t kiss me —didn’t so much as tell me he’d missed me or that it was good to see me too. And as I walked with Nathan’s hand in mine behind Autumn, the heart that I thought couldn’t be broken anymore started to crack again.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Seth I had a few shots. I needed them to calm my nerves. I wasn’t nervous because I was walking my best friend down the aisle to give her away. I was freaking out because I knew Cat was with her. The tequila was starting to put me somewhat at ease, but that quickly disappeared when I opened the door and saw another man with the girls. My worst nightmare was confirmed. Cat had a boyfriend. I hoped Mark stocked his house with boozed because, to get through the night, I was going to need to get wasted. “Jossie.” I grabbed her hand in mine. I needed to tell her what was weighing on me before I gave her away. “Before I give you away, I just want to tell you that I’m sorry.” “For what?” “I always thought I’d be there to protect you and I wasn’t.” “We don’t need to go down that road, Seth.”

“I know. I don’t want to either. I just wanted to tell you that even though I wasn’t there for you, I know Paul will be.” She snorted. “Is this your way of telling me that you approve of Paul?” “I see the way he looks at you. It’s the same way I used to look at …” I trailed off thinking of her. “At who?” Joss prompted. I sighed. “It was a long time ago. Didn’t work out.” “You know what they say, true love has a habit of coming back.” I looked toward the front door where Cat had just gone through—with another guy. “Or it wasn’t meant to be.”

It didn’t matter that it was one-hundred degrees in the evening by the pool in Mark’s backyard, I could feel Cat’s body heat radiating off of her as I sat next to her while Joss and Paul exchanged vows. You know, front row on the bride’s side is for her family. That would be Cat and me. “Paul, bro. You may kiss your bride,” Mark advised. Anyone could become ordained on the internet these days. Even an owner of an escort service. Maybe Mark would start offering that for

couples that book dates. Instead of getting married by Elvis, they could get married while being escorted. I wasn’t into threesomes, but if they wanted to have a date with someone and then get married, that was on them. More money for Mark so he could afford this crib. Everyone clapped as Paul and Joss kissed. I looked toward Cat, because I had to, and saw that she was wiping tears from her eyes. God, I wanted to wrap her in my arms, feel all of her body heat pressed to me, and share in this moment together. Our best friend had just gotten married. Instead, I caught Nathan’s eye as he pulled out a napkin, handed it to her, and then swung his arm across her shoulders. Now that the ceremony was over, I needed to find the open bar. Stat.

After all these years, I was definitely still in love with Cat. Was that how soulmates worked? No matter what, you’d always love them even if you couldn’t be with them? One thing I did know was that watching Cat in the arms of her boyfriend was a pain I’d never felt before. It hurt worse than when she slammed the taxi door in my face.

It hurt worse than when I never heard her voice again. It hurt worse than when I tried to replace her with so many others. Seeing the one person you love loving someone else was like burning in a sea of hot lava. Basically, it was Hell. “It’s weird huh?” I glanced up to see Joss taking a seat next to me. “What is?” “Having Cat here.” If she only knew. “What do you mean?” “I mean we haven’t seen in her so long. It’s just weird that she’s only a few feet from us. I really fucked things up between us all.” I turned to her. “You fucked things up?” “If I was still myself and hadn’t run away—” “Nope.” I stood, reaching my hand out to her. “We are having none of that on your wedding day. It’s time to dance.” She placed her hand in mine and stood. I led her to the dance floor, Bruno Mars singing about Uptown Funk, and then we danced as though nothing was wrong in the world. At one point the many glances I sent Cat as she danced with Nathan actually landed with her staring back at me. Our gazes would lock, our bodies still moving to the beat of the music, both questioning where it all went wrong. I mean, I knew where it went wrong,

but how did it stay wrong? How did I not fight for her? Prove to her that I wanted to give us a shot? I was young, dumb, and selfish. “I’m gonna go find my husband,” Joss said as another song ended. “Gosh, that sounds so weird.” “Get used to it, Jossie.” She beamed, finally realizing that she was Joselyn Jackson. Then she was off, and I was left standing alone on the dance floor, the two love birds laughing as if they were mocking me. I stalked toward Cat. “Mind if I steal you for a minute?” Oh, God. What was I doing? I had no plan. My emotions got the best of me, and before I knew it, my feet were moving, and my mouth was saying words I didn’t want it to say. Cat looked at Nathan, and he said, “It’s okay. I’ll go grab us a few cocktails.” He left, and Cat turned toward me. “Yes?” “Walk with me.” I held out my hand for her to take. She blinked and stared out my outreached hand. “Walk with you?” “I just want to talk, Kitty Cat. It’s been a long time.” Cat didn’t say anything for a few beats, and I thought she was going to tell me to fuck off. Instead, she said, “Okay.” God, I wanted to tell her that I wanted to just love her. That our love was true. I felt as though we

wasted so many years, and now here we were with this giant elephant sitting on my chest causing me not to breathe. She followed me off the dance floor, not grabbing my hand. My heart stung, but I kept my composure. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but more or less hoped. To get away from everyone, I walked to the steps that led up to the second-floor patio. The music still blared, and I had this urge to get her alone, so I asked, “Want to see why there are steps to the roof?” Cat turned to look at the other cement staircase and shrugged. “Sure.” We walked up the stairs, and I stared at her hips as they swayed going up the stairs. The music started to diminish slightly, and when I cleared the final stair, it became clear why there was an easy way up here. We’d walked into an oasis. Even under the moonlight, I could tell it was green and lush with flowers everywhere. There was a fountain in the center, and I swore I heard birds chirping. “Oh my God,” Cat gasped. “It’s beautiful.” “Yeah, it is,” I agreed though I wasn’t talking about the greenery. I was staring at Cat, not believing that they two of us were alone. She walked along a stone pathway to the water fountain and flowers that surrounded it. I had no clue what they were, but they weren’t prettier than Cat. “How is this possible?”

I shook my head. “I have no idea.” I mean really. Who has shit growing on their roof? Why not make the entire backyard paradise? “Whatever the reason is, I want to do the same to my house. A place to escape.” We walked to a bench next to the fountain and sat down. “So what do you want to talk about?” she asked bluntly. I swallowed. There was so much I wanted to talk about, but how could I tell her anything without her running away again? “How have you been?” Cat snorted. “You brought me up here to ask how I’ve been?” No. “Isn’t that what old friends ask when they haven’t seen each other in eleven years?” “Friends. Right.” “What do you want me to ask, Kitty Cat?” She turned her head, looking away from me. “Just … Just tell me why.” “Why?” Cat turned back to me. “Yeah, why?” “Why what?” She stood. “Why did you have to break my heart?” I stood, moving in front of her, fearing that she was about to run again. “Why did I break your heart? Cat, you fuckin’ left without letting me

explain. You took my heart with you in that yellow taxi.” “You were on a date, Seth. I saw you kissing another woman. I didn’t want to share you. I gave you a piece of me, and you acted like I was just another notch.” “No,” I snapped, placing my hands on her cheeks and looking directly into her eyes. “You were never just another notch. I fucking love you.” “But you were on a date, kissing someone else.” A tear slid down her cheek, landing on my thumb. I brushed it away, my heart aching in my chest at the same time. “I was doing my partner a favor,” I said, lowering my voice. “I owed him because he covered for me when Joss ran away. He wanted me to take his sister out so she’d leave him alone. It didn’t mean anything, and I never saw her again.” “Kissing his sister was a favor?” “No, she kissed me, and when I pulled back, you were there. It was bad timing.” She pulled away from me. “Why didn’t you tell me that?” “I tired!” I snapped. “I mean, you never said it on any of the voicemails or texts. Why didn’t you just explain it?” “Because I wanted to tell you in person. I wanted you and only you. It’s always been you,

Kitty Cat.” It will always be you. Cat turned back to me, tears running down her cheeks. “It’s too late. I’m with Nathan now.” “I know.” I sighed but wanted to tell her to dump his ass. Then the universe mocked me. The song in the distance switched to the strum of the guitar that I knew so well, the song I played on repeat for hours on end for months. Cat’s eyes flicked to mine, and I saw all the pain in them that mirrored mine. “Dance with me,” I begged. “What?” “Dance with me to our song, and then you can go back to your boyfriend. I just want this dance, and I’ll leave you alone.” She let the lyrics be sung for a few moments before she said, “Okay.” I tugged her hand to me, bringing her body flush with mine. At that moment, I didn’t care what month it was, what day it was, or about anyone else. It was Cat and me up on a magical rooftop, and she was back in my arms even if it was for only three minutes. “You look beautiful tonight,” I whispered against her ear. “Perfect.” “Thank you,” she whispered. I brushed the tears from her cheeks, and we swayed to the song for a minute or so before I spoke again. “I know you’re with someone else— have a life in Florida—but for what it’s worth, I’ve

always loved you, Cat. You’re in my arms, crying. You know you feel something for me too.” She didn’t reply as the song came to an end. Then she broke free and left me … Again.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Cat I ran again. My throat was closing up, and if I didn’t leave that rooftop, I was going to turn into a blubbering mess. I couldn’t let Seth continue to see what his words were doing to me. I couldn’t be around him without thinking of a future with him. Especially when he was telling me words I’d wanted to hear for the past eleven years. I couldn’t let my heart try to beat again for him because I knew it was only temporary. I caught Nathan’s gaze, and he moved from the table he was sitting at. When he got to me, he handed me a glass of champagne. “Are you okay?” “I need to go. I need to find Joss and tell her goodbye, and then we need to leave.” “Okay,” he agreed, not pressing me for more info. I wasn’t even sure what had just happened. It was surreal, as though I was dreaming and Seth was telling me how much he loved me. I downed the flute and looked around searching for the couple of the hour. Joss and Paul were out

on the dance floor dancing to Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran. They were so happy, and while I watched the lovebirds laugh, kiss and hold each other, I felt as though I was going to crumble into a heaping mess. Nathan pulled me to him and wrapped me in his strong arms as if he knew I was about to fall apart. “It’s almost over. This is their final dance.” I nodded against his chest and closed my eyes, not wanting to see anything. I needed to only feel the comfort of someone I trusted. Even with my eyes closed, I knew Seth wasn’t far. It was as though I could sense him lurking—watching— waiting. After the song ended, Paul grabbed Joss’s hand, lacing his fingers with hers and then they walked toward us. We were by the kitchen door that was as long as the room and had a rolled up door. It gave the house an open feel, and it was another reason I loved this place. I’d never forget the roof and what happened up there. All the guests moved to the door, forming a jagged line. Joss and Paul hugged and made their way through everyone. I moved away from Nathan when Joss got to me, a smile on my face as I tried to mask my emotions. Did Seth even know what he was doing to me? Did he want me to cry? Did he care? Did he expect me to run away with him or something? Leave Nathan to find his own way home?

“I’m so happy for you,” I gushed. “And Paul, you seem like a really good guy. I’m happy for you both.” Joss engulfed me in her arms. “When are you going back to Miami?” Not soon enough. “Tomorrow afternoon.” Joss grinned. “Paul and I are staying at the Bellagio tonight. If you want to meet us for breakfast in the morning—” “No.” I smiled. “I’m not going to impose on the only day you have for your honeymoon.” “Well, we better go somewhere after we’re done with the case.” She looked to Paul. “Oh, we will, gorgeous. I’m taking you far away, and it will just be the two of us.” Paul kissed the side of her head. “You guys go. Have a good night. We’ll stay in touch.” I hugged her again, then Paul. “If you find some extra time, Seth should be at my place tonight. You two can catch up.” Me go see Seth? Nope. We’d caught up enough for one trip. “We have plans once we leave here,” Nathan cut in. Thank you, fake boyfriend. “Okay, well, I’ll call you, and we can plan a girl’s trip or something.” “Sounds good.” I waved to them, and then they were gone. Happy and in love.

“I think we should go get drunk. Stay up all night. We can sleep on the plane. We’re in Vegas after all.” I groaned as I used the keycard to enter mine and Nathan’s hotel room. “You can. I’m going to put my pajamas on and call room service. I need to veg out.” The door closed behind us as we entered the single room. “Baby girl, tell me what happened.” I groaned again as I fell backward onto my queen sized bed. “Seth told me he was still in love with me.” “What?” he screeched. I felt the bed dip next to my side. “Why are you not with him right now? This is what you’ve always wanted.” “Is it, though? I didn’t even know he loved me to begin with, and now he’s saying he’s still in love with me.” I sat up and faced him. “As long as I’ve known you, you’ve always slipped in little things about him.” “I have not!” Nathan chuckled and mocked, “This one time we were having a water fight at Seth’s Grandma’s, and when he threw it, it hit me right in the chest. As soon as the water soaked me, he couldn’t take his eyes off of my chest.”

“Okay, first of all, I didn’t say it like that. Second of all, we were kids. And third of all, I never said he couldn’t take his eyes off of my chest. The way you say it makes it sound like he’s a perv.” “My point is, I’ve heard countless stories about this guy. I know you’re still in love with him. It’s time you finally realize it too.” “Of course I still love him!” I stood and let out another frustrated groan as I began to pace. “Then what’s the problem? He told you he loves you.” “The problem is, is that we live hundreds of miles apart. Everyone knows that long distance relationships don’t work.” Nathan moved and grabbed my shoulders, stopping me. “They do when both of you have been in love with each other since you were kids. And you both still love each other even though you haven’t seen the other in a fucking long time.” “What should I do? He’s here, and we’re going home tomorrow.” He smirked. “Well, Joss told you point-blank that she isn’t home and Seth would be there— alone.” “Technically she didn’t say alone.” “I think you should go find out.” I laughed. “You want me to just show up at his doorstep?”

“I’m sure he’d enjoy it more if you were naked, baby girl.” He smirked. I pushed him away. “That won’t happen.” “Seriously, go and talk to him. Give him more than twenty minutes. Tell him you love him too and you’re scared. Just tell him the truth. Maybe even fuck his brains out. You know you wanna.” I rolled my eyes. I did, of course, want to feel Seth again—kiss him—taste him—smell him. “What if I show up and he’s with another woman —again? I can’t go down that road one more time. I’ll die. I will literally die of a broken heart.” Nathan grabbed my shoulders again and made me look him in his eyes. “If he’s with another woman, then you can finally move on.” No matter what Nathan said, there was no moving on from Seth.

It felt as though the taxi was driving at a snail’s pace. So many emotions were going through me as I watched the streetlights pass. I was really doing this. I was going to show up to either find Seth alone or with someone else. As the cab pulled up to Joss’s house, I took a deep breath and made my decision. If he was with someone, I’d never think about him again. If he was alone …

I was going in for the kill.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Seth There was nothing like walking into a house alone after you watched the one person you loved more than anyone in the entire world leave you again. But this time she was with another man. It felt as though a nail was hammered into my coffin and I was getting buried alive. That was probably how Cat felt when she saw me with Annie, and now karma was coming back to bite me. One of my best friends was married, happy and in love. The other … Well, I guess she wasn’t my best friend anymore, but she was probably happy and in love too. And like an idiot, I’d told Cat I was in love with her. Still in love with her, in fact. What the hell did I think would happen? That she would tell her boyfriend that she’d brought with her from Miami to fuck off and run off with me? God, I was stupid. It was just that seeing her again—seeing her grown into the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen —made me vulnerable.

Being a cop, I wasn’t weak. I wasn’t helpless or exposed. But seeing Cat again made me all those things. She made it so I couldn’t think before I spoke. Then she’d left, and it felt like I wouldn’t see her for another eleven years—or ever. After this case was over, I was going to Miami and fighting for her this time. It was time I fought for her. So what do you do when you want to numb the pain? You find a bottle of booze and drown your sorrows. Two drinks in, the TV on, but I wasn’t watching it, the doorbell rang. “What the fuck?” I muttered. I didn’t want to deal with whoever could be at the door. I wanted to continue to hold my friend Jose Cuervo and stop feeling for the night. But this was Joss’s house and she’d just gotten married, so maybe it was a wedding gift someone was dropping off. I got to my feet and made it to the door. When I swung it open, standing there was the last person I’d thought I’d see, but the one I wanted to see. “Are you alone?” Cat asked. I nodded, speechless, and then as though I was dreaming, my world got better. Her hand reached out, and she pushed me back. I went with it as I watched her move through the threshold and slam the door behind her. I was still tongue tied, not wanting to fuck anything up. I didn’t know what, but having Cat show up alone

and touching me could only mean good things. At least I hoped. I was going to ride whatever ride this was because this was the best damn thing to come out of me being an idiot. We were still moving backward as the door clicked. All at once, my back hit the wall, Cat’s mouth met my lips, and the pictures behind my head fell to the floor. Her fingers slid through my short, dark brown hair, her tongue parted my lips, and then I took over, spinning her around so her back was against the wall. My fingers wrapped around her nape and I pressed our mouths harder against each other, needing to devour her—needing to consume everything there was about Catherine Stone because she was finally in my arms again. Nothing else in the world mattered at that moment except for her. And when her leg wrapped around my hip, pulling my hard dick against her, I groaned. It wasn’t a slight groan, but more of a growl because I was hungry. I was so fucking starved for this woman that, if I wasn’t careful, I might hurt her because I knew once I started, I wasn’t going to be able to stop. Cat’s other leg wrapped around my waist and I braced us, pinning her against the wall. Her warm lips and slight moans felt remarkable. My hands wrapped in Cat’s and I brought them above her head, moving closer so I could grind my erection against her. More pictures fell to the hardwood

floor, and that must have been why they were on the ground when I’d first arrived in Vegas. Though that was Joss and Paul’s doing. If the walls could talk … “Kitty—” I started to whisper against her lips. “We can talk after. I just want you,” she moaned. She didn’t need to tell me twice. Moving with her in my arms, I took the stairs two at a time, our mouths still connected as we both spoke. “God, I’ve missed you,” I confessed. “I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry too.” She pulled her head back and looked me straight in the eye as I stopped just outside my bedroom door. “If I would have let you explain, we wouldn’t have—” “Baby, we can talk about this later. Right now, I’m going to throw you on that bed in there and make up for lost time.” “I’ve missed you too.” She giggled. I stepped through the threshold and threw her like I’d said I would. She squealed as she landed on the queen size bed. There was nothing special about the room. It had a bed, a dresser, a TV—everything I’d need for the few days I was staying in it until the undercover job started. Now it had something else in it—my Kitty Cat.

I moved on top of her, our mouths returning to taste the other, and I slipped my hand into one of the slits of her long dress. Slits that exposed her tanned, toned legs as she walked. Slits that had made my dick rock fucking hard at the wedding. Slits that gave me direct access to where I wanted to bury my head. She was soaked to the point that I could smell her arousal as I broke the kiss and slid her underwear down her legs. Smelling how much I turned her on only fueled my fire. I wanted to make her come fast, and then I wanted to take my time. Two of my fingers slipped in her heat, causing her back to arch off of the mattress. I worked her pussy hard, my fingers pumping in and out. My mouth watered, begging to get a taste of her. And the moment I took my first taste, I had everything I wanted in the entire world. Cat was mine. I looked up, meeting her brown gaze, and she moaned, reaching for her tits. She rubbed them over the fabric of her silky dress, and as I licked, she squeezed her boobs. When I bit lightly, she pinched her nipples. And when I sucked her into my mouth, she moaned louder. My balls started to ache, needing a release of their own as my tongue worked her clit in circles. My fingers pumped in

and out of her, curling up and making her wither. I didn’t stop until she came. And when she did, she grabbed a fist full of my hair as her body shook and her pussy clenched my fingers. “Take off the dress, baby.” Cat’s eyes opened, and when she saw that I was unbuttoning my shirt, she sat up and pulled her floral dress over her head. I stared at her perky tits as they bounced in place slightly from not wearing a bra, and that only caused my dick to strain more. “God, you’re the most beautiful woman in the entire world.” I didn’t care if that was cliché or some might think it was a line. It was fucking true. Catherine Marie Stone was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. She smiled and rose to her knees, moving to me and reaching for the button of my black slacks. “Now it’s my turn.” Yes, it fucking was. I tore off my shirt and helped her with my pants. Once I was as naked as she was, Cat wrapped her arms around me and brought our bodies flush with each other. “I can taste myself on you,” she whispered against my lips. “Best fucking taste ever,” I stated. Again, it was the truth. “I want to taste you.” I pulled back, looking into her dark eyes. “You can taste me anytime, anywhere.”

Cat smiled and spun me around so I was sitting on the edge of the bed and she was standing before me. I’d never get over how fucking beautiful she was. Her curves were more defined and that ass— Lord help me. She bent at the knee and wrapped her hand around my dick. I watched as her brown head lowered, and then I felt her tongue run from the base of my cock to the tip. Cat sucked the tip then lowered her mouth, engulfing my shaft then back up. She slid her tongue down the underside, mixing licks and kisses as she went closer and closer to my balls. Then she repeated it over again, licking up my shaft and engulfing my rod, her warm, wet mouth bringing me closer and closer to release. I’d almost came just from watching her come, and I knew her assaults on my dick weren’t going to make me last. Cat bobbed her head again, her hand moving in sync with her mouth. I groaned, running my gaze over her slender back to the tip of her ass. There was so much I wanted to do to this woman. I wanted it all with Catherine Stone. I’d craved it all with her since the first time we made love, and now her mouth was on my cock, her moans vibrating my hard shaft, and I was about to come in her pretty little mouth. “I’m gonna come,” I warned. She looked up at me from hooded lids and increased her pace. “I want to taste you,” she said

around my tip, and dammit if she wasn’t about to because now that I knew she was greedy, I was going to explode down her throat. And I did. My hands clenched the comforter, and I groaned, shooting my seed and watching her throat work as she swallowed all of it. I pulled her up, fusing my mouth with hers and tasting myself on her. A first for me. I never had the desire to kiss a girl after she sucked my dick, but being as this was Cat, I didn’t give a fuck. I was still hard as our tongues swirled around each other. I craved more—wanted more—needed more. And so did she. Before I’d realized it, Cat was pushing me back on the bed and straddling my hips. Her brown eyes looked down at me. “Do you have a condom?” My heart stopped. Time stood still as I cursed my luck. “No,” I replied, closing my eyes out of frustration. “I’m on the pill.” Of course she was. What single woman wasn’t? “Do you trust me?” “With my life.” “Good,” I breathed. “Now I’m gonna fuck you.” Cat smirked. “Or I’m gonna fuck you.” I chuckled. “Is that so?”

She bobbed her head and reached around, grabbing my dick. “Yes.” She raised up slightly and guided my cock into her warm heat. Cat slid up and down, using her legs as I grabbed her tits, knowing from earlier that she loved them to be squeezed and pinched. She swirled her hips as she went up and then back down, and each time I pinched her nipple, she let out a moan. Cat leaned forward, and I took her boob in my mouth, popping her nipple with my lips. Her pace increased, and dammit if I wasn’t going to blow my load again. This woman knew how to work every nerve I had, and I fucking loved it. I grabbed her hips, halting her, and then I turned us so she was on her back, my hips driving into her as the headboard banged against the wall. I thought I’d want to go slow the second time around, but there was no holding me back. Too many years had passed for me to take things slow. There would be many more days in our future for me to go gentle because I wasn’t going to let her go again. She moved her legs, attempting to wrap them around my waist, but I stopped her, moving forward so her hips tilted up and her knees were almost hitting her face. I couldn’t get close enough to her. I wanted to swallow her up with my body. I picked up the pace, thrusting into her so hard that the tip of my dick was hitting the spot that made her moan.

“Fuck, baby,” I groaned, the bed squeaking with each drive of my cock. Her boobs jiggled below me, her moans meeting my ears. Her breathing quickened, and I knew she was on the verge of tipping over. Just as she pinched her nipple, she came around my dick, her mouth opening as she screamed her release. I followed, spilling my seed deep inside her. After we caught our breaths, we jumped in the shower and did it all over again.

I’d woken up next to countless women in my thirtythree years. Women love a man in uniform and all that shit. It also helped that Lola’s was my favorite haunt and the chicks that frequented that bar were a sure thing. But I didn’t want any of them for more than one night. Sometimes two. But Cat I wanted forever. She was always supposed to be my forever, and I’d fucked us up. Secrets and lies kill relationships. Always. Now though, Cat was lying in my arms, and I wasn’t going to let her go. After Joss and I took down Tony, I was going to figure out how to make us permanent. We both had our lives back home, but there was no way I was going to spend a second without her by my side. We also had to figure out

how to tell Joss. I didn’t think she’d be mad that we were together, but I knew she’d be angry that we’d kept it from her for so long. If I had told Joss back in the day, she probably would have helped me win Cat back. They say everything happens for a reason. I just didn’t know why it had to hurt so much. Cat stirred in my arms, and when her chocolate eyes opened, I smiled. “Mornin’, beautiful.” She grinned in return. “Never thought I’d hear you say those two words.” I kissed her lips. “Well, get used to it, Kitty Cat. You’re gonna hear it for the rest of your life.” “Yeah?” “Yeah.” I kissed her again. “Well, once this job is over.” Cat frowned. “How is that going to work?” I shrugged. “Not sure yet. We’ll figure it out.” “Okay.” I’d half expected her to tell me that it wouldn’t work out. That she’d run again. “Okay?” “I’m just going to see what happens. Things work out in the end, right?” “Right.” I kissed her soft lips again, needing to feel them every waking moment now that I could. “After my case ends and you go home …” A thought occurred to me. “And you end things with Nathan—” Cat chuckled and rolled to her back.

“What’s funny?” She ran her hands down her face, still smiling. “He likes men. Like I do.” My eyes widened, and a sharp pain went through my brain. “What?” “He’s my best friend. I brought him with me because I was scared you’d be with someone. I couldn’t walk into that.” “Like I did.” Cat turned to face me. “It’s different, 5-0. You broke my heart.” “And you broke mine,” I countered. Because she had. “I know,” she whispered. “And I don’t think we should re-live it.” “You’re right,” I agreed. “And for what it’s worth, I love you too.” I blinked because I wasn’t expecting Cat to tell me that. Sure, I’d told her the night before that I loved her, but I thought she hadn’t heard me. “You love me?” She rolled her eyes. “Of course I love you. I’ve always loved—” I kissed her. I had waited forever to hear those words. “Let’s go make new memories,” I finally said when we needed to catch our breath. “What do you have in mind?” I smirked. “Let’s get married.” “What?” she shrieked.

My grin widened. “I’m kidding.” For now. “But seriously, change your flight home to tomorrow. Let’s go be tourists.” She stared at me for a beat and then smiled. “Okay.” “Music to my ears, Kitty Cat. Music to my ears.” Cat moved closer and kissed my ear. “Starting with your ears is only the beginning.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Cat Seth had tattoos that turned me on. Last night when we were getting hot and heavy, I didn’t get a good look. But now as we lie in bed, my head on his right shoulder, my finger traced the lines over his arm. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking at other than it looked as though the black and grey tattoo was of skin ripping away from the bone. “Tell me about your tattoos.” He looked down at his arm and shrugged. “You think there’s a meaning?” “Isn’t that why people get them?” “If I tell you, you’ll think it’s a line.” “A line?” My eyebrows furrowed. Seth took a deep breath. “I wanted something badass. I’m a man in blue, but when you left in a taxi with my heart, it felt like my skin was being ripped from my body. Like I was being torn apart.” A lump started to form in my throat, and I tilted my head up at him. “You got the tattoo because of me?”

He gave a tight smile. “Yeah.” I sat up and moved to the left side of the bed so I could look at it closer. When I did, I noticed that it was his “bones” being exposed, but as my eyes traveled down his shoulder and bicep, I noticed that there was a cat blended in on his wrist. My gaze flicked to his the moment I realized he was telling the truth. “You’re gonna make me cry.” Seth sat up and cupped my cheeks. “We’re not reliving the past, remember?” I nodded, wishing that things were different back then, but sometimes the wrong decisions bring us right to where we were meant to be.

I wasn’t one to blow off work. I had patients. I was the boss’s daughter. Hell, I was going to take over the practice in a few years. But this was Seth, and he was asking me to be with him, something I’d wanted to hear for so long. My patients could wait. After Seth and I showered the night before, I’d sent a text to Nathan, confirming to meet me at the airport. I’d realized that in my lust-filled haste, I’d left my luggage on the front steps. Luckily, when Seth went down to grab it, it was still there. Now I was sending a text to Nathan that I was staying for another day. He’d understand. Then I sent a text to

my dad and one to Corinna who ran our front office asking her to reschedule my Tuesday patients when she went into the office on Monday. I wasn’t sure what time I would make it home, but I needed a day to sleep because I wasn’t getting much now. “Booked us a suite,” Seth stated as he came back into his room and sat next to me on the bed. I’d suggested Bally’s because it seemed to be in the center of everything on the strip. Plus from the room I shared with Nathan, it had a view of the water show at The Bellagio. That was cool to watch. “A suite?” “Well, not yet. I booked a room, but I was told that they will give fifty-dollar upgrades for a suite when you check in.” “That’s cool.” I smiled. “So, let’s get dressed and—” My phone rang, and Dan the Murderer flashed on my screen. “Dan the Murderer?” Seth asked. I looked over at him. “He’s not really a murderer. Well, not that I know of.” “Okay …” he hesitated. “Why is he called Dan the Murderer?” The phone continued to ring in my hand. “Long story.” “Are you going to answer it?” I looked down at the phone again. “Nope.”

“Good. Do I need to be worried about this Dan guy?” “Nope,” I said with a pop of my lips. I felt bad ignoring Dan. He was a nice guy, and we’d really hit it off. I’d thought for sure when I returned home I would go on a date with him. Now, everything had changed. “What about the murderer part? I’m a cop you know.” I grinned. “I know that, 5-0. I’ve known practically my entire life that you’d be a cop. I’ve even seen you in uniform.” Seth chuckled and kissed my lips softly. “I’m just sayin’ that if I need to run a background check, I will. Gotta keep my girl safe.” “Your girl?” I deadpanned. “Baby, you’ve been my girl since day one. We’re just making it official now.” He kissed my lips again, butterflies fluttering in my belly. I’d wanted to be his girl since day one too. Then I thought of him in his uniform, and my belly did a dip. “Are you allowed to use your handcuffs on your women?” It was still a fantasy of mine. He grinned. “Only when they’re naked.” I looked down at my bare chest, but Seth spoke again. “I’ll cuff you tonight. If we don’t leave now, we’ll never leave this bed and Joss will catch us.”

I’d never been in a suite before. The lady who checked us in said it was a junior suite, but I didn’t care. A suite was a suite. I mean we were in Vegas. How much time would we be in the room anyway? I smiled at the thought. Given that it took Seth and I a long time to actually leave the house because we couldn’t keep our hands off each other, I’d think we were going to spend a lot of time in the room. After Seth unlocked the door with the keycard, I walked in and down a short hallway. Once I cleared it, I turned left and saw a king-sized bed with a couch and coffee table in front of it. Nothing really exciting, but then I looked to my left again. Sitting in a giant, open, step-up bathroom was a sunken Jacuzzi. I turned and looked at Seth who was behind me, wheeling in our bags. “I bet we can both fit.” He smirked. “Reading my mind, Kitty Cat.” I walked up the steps, taking in the mirrored closets that were on either side of the tub. I kept going and stopped. “There are sinks on either side of the room.” Seth was on the other side, looking at everything too. “I wonder what a regular suite looks like if this is the junior one.”

“I know, right?” The room was fantastic. “What’s in here?” I asked and opened a door on the back wall. “Oh. It’s the toilet.” I laughed. Seth opened his door, and I expected him to say the same thing, but he didn’t. “This one has a bidet.” I giggled and walked to him, passing a standing shower that was behind a wall. “I’ve never seen one before.” “Use it.” I snorted. “Yeah, right.” “I’ll use it.” He smirked. My giggle turned into a full laugh. “You do that. I’m gonna check out our view.” Seth followed, not using the bidet. I understood why they have them, but a shower did the same thing, and I didn’t have to have water shooting up my ass. The floor length window stretched from wall to wall. When I pulled back the sheer white curtain, the pool down below was the first thing I saw, and then buildings and desert, but not the strip. “Want to go to the pool?” “We can do whatever you want to do.” I’d seen crazy Vegas pool parties on TV before, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be involved in one. I was fast approaching thirty, not a young twentyone-year old who didn’t have a care in the world. However, the pool was calling my name. After we

slipped on our suits, we trucked ourselves to the pool. The Vegas heat slapped us in the face the moment we went back outside. I couldn’t wait to take a dip in the water. We grabbed towels and went in search of lounge chairs. The pool I wanted to swim in was packed with people. It wasn’t like what I’d seen on TV. There was music blaring, but people weren’t dancing and being wild. Everyone was just standing in the pool talking and drinking. I could live with that. We laughed, we talked, we kissed, and we lived in the present. There was no past we needed to rehash, and there was no future we needed to figure out. We just had a good time being together. Finally.

After the pool, we took a shower, not a bath—the Jacuzzi was for later—and then we got dressed for dinner. I didn’t have anything nice to wear since I hadn’t planned on staying. My last outfit was jeans and a thin sweater that I was going to wear on the plane. Seth was taking me to a nice dinner—our first date—therefore, I put the dress I wore to the wedding back on. And I did have extra panties thank God. My mom always told me to pack an

extra pair in my carry-on in case my luggage got lost. Thanks, Mom! Walking hand in hand, we walked to the strip and then down to the Cosmopolitan where STK Steakhouse was. I’d seen the restaurant in Miami but had never been. STK was a sleek, sexy restaurant with white seating and wood tables. It screamed Vegas. I ordered a Mango About Town which consisted of tequila, a spicy liquor, mango, lemon, and cayenne. I was hesitant at first, but the waitress assured me it would pair well with the steak I’d ordered. Seth ordered a beer. “To our first date,” Seth said and held up his glass. I smiled and picked up mine, then we cheered. Usually, this was the time each person would ask one-hundred questions, but even though we hadn’t seen each other in so long, it felt as though no time had passed. I wanted to ask him those first date questions like: What kind of music do you like? What’s your favorite movie? But I knew the answers—at least I thought I did. “So, how’s Miami these days?” Seth asked. I chuckled. “Hot.” “I haven’t been back in years. I need to visit Grandma.” “She moved from the trailer park, right?” I briefly remember seeing pictures of her new

apartment on Facebook. “Yeah. A few years back, my parents and I moved her into a senior living facility.” “Like a nursing home?” Seth took a sip of his beer. “No, an active senior community.” “Oh! Does she like it?” “She loves it. She even has a boyfriend.” “What?” My eyes widened. “A boyfriend?” “Nice guy. I’ve met him a few times.” “They don’t …” He laughed, throwing his head back. “I hope not.” “You’ll need to text me the address, and I’ll visit her.” “I’ll take you,” Seth countered. “Okay.” I smiled then took a sip of my drink. I was trying to nurse it while we waited for the steaks we ordered. “You know she’ll be happy that we’re finally together?” “You think?” “Grandma knows everything.” “Everything?” “She’d tell me, ‘Sethie, you need to come down here and go find Cat. Make her your wife’.” My eyes widened again. “Wife?” “Well, she knows I’ve loved you forever. And she’d tell me that she wasn’t getting any younger.”

“I can’t wait to see her face when she sees us together.” “I’m gonna tell her, ‘Grandma, I’m makin’ Cat my wife’.” At that moment, the waitress decided it was the best time to bring us our dinner. After she left, I wasn’t sure what to say. Of course I wanted to be his wife. “Maybe we should go get married by Elvis,” I joked. I was joking, right? Yeah, I was totally kidding. “Don’t tempt me, Kitty Cat, because I will in a fucking heartbeat.”

After dinner, we went dancing. Not clubbing at least once while in Vegas was like a Cardinal Sin or something, so we felt that was what we should do. It didn’t matter that it was a Sunday. People came to party. Since we were at the Cosmopolitan, we decided to check out The Marquee. “You want to dance or get a drink first?” Seth yelled into my ear over the loud bass. I grabbed his hand and called out, “Let’s dance!” We made our way to the dance floor, and after squeezing between people, we found a space where we could sway our bodies. My hips moved side to

side with the rhythm of the beat, my arms waving in the air as we let loose. When in Rome and all that—or when in Vegas was more like it. I couldn’t tell you what song was playing because I didn’t care. What I did care about was the feel of Seth behind me as he turned me around and pressed his front to my backside. His hands stayed on my hips as my ass ground into him. I could feel the hardness of him through the silk of my dress, and I had to admit, it was turning me on. “You know what I love about this dress?” Seth whispered-yelled in my ear, causing goosebumps to rise on my neck. I shook my head. “It has easy access.” I swallowed and looked around at the people dancing beside us. Everyone was in their own world, dancing to the same beat. Some were drunk, some were making out, and some were looking around like they were searching for their next target. I wanted to be scandalous exhibitionists. I pressed harder into him, signaling that I wanted whatever he wanted to do to me. If people saw, I didn’t care. Though, if we were caught, it would look bad for a cop to be doing whatever we were about to do in public. Luckily, the club was dark with only strobe lights, and there were enough people around that we had to be dancing right on top of each other.

Seth pulled my shoulders up so he could press into my back. We continued to sway to the beat, but before I knew it, his hand was snaking around and going through the high slit and directly for my panties. He didn’t bother pulling them away from my body. I felt him go in through the side and then his finger was running through my slick folds. “Christ, Kitty Cat,” he hissed in my ear. “You’re so fucking wet.” I nodded because I was. I knew that it wasn’t going to take me long to come apart from his touch. It was as though we were in our own world where only Seth and I knew that he was fingering me on the dance floor. His finger found my clit, and I bucked, grinding my ass on his hard cock. “Do that again, and I’m gonna fuck you in the bathroom not giving a fuck who will hear us.” My belly dipped at his words and my orgasm built. Just the thought made me lose all train of thought except the way his finger was rubbing against my clit and hard. Just as I was about to tip over the edge, Seth slid his other hand in the top of my dress and went straight to my nipple. He knew. He was the first man to pinch my nipple during sex, and since then, I knew it was something I liked. I’d never told a man that I wanted him to pinch me when I came, but in just one night, Seth knew that I liked it. Loved it even because it felt as

though a wave of pure bliss exploded in my entire body. Just as my pussy clenched his fingers, his other ones twisted around my nipple causing me to bow inward. I couldn’t keep myself up even if I had tried. The pleasure was so intense that I cried out as I rode the wave. No one around us looked, but it might have been because Seth was spinning me around and swallowing my cries of ecstasy. We kissed until my body stopped pulsing. “We need to go. Now.” I didn’t argue.

Even though the Cosmopolitan hotel was kittycorner from Bally’s, we decided to take a taxi back to the hotel room. I was aching for him, and the fifteen minutes it took for the driver to drive across the street felt like fifteen hours. Fifteen painful hours. It also didn’t help that the entire time, Seth’s hands were all over me, his mouth on my neck, his tongue causing goosebumps to rise on my skin. The cab pulled into the driveway of Bally’s, and my anticipation was at an all-time high because it was only a few more minutes … “Hey, man. Can you stop right here?” I looked to Seth, questioning what the hell was going on. We’d practically stopped on the strip with all the millions of other people. One thousand or so

feet from where I wanted to be dropped off. I wanted it to be him and me. You and Me. “We need to get something,” he stated and handed the driver the fare. Seth opened the door, and we were sliding out of the car. He took the steps in front of us, and that was when I’d realized we were at a drug store. “What do we need from CVS?” It wasn’t condoms. At least I didn’t see the point since we’d been having sex without them. “Water.” We went through the sliding glass doors hand in hand. “Water?” “Once we’re in that room, baby, we aren’t leaving until it’s time for you to head to the airport.” “Oh,” I breathed. His plan was my plan too. “We can order room service for breakfast, but for what I have planned, we’re gonna be parched.” Seth winked. Yes, we were definitely making up for lost time. Seth grabbed a case of bottled water, and I thought we were ready to pay. However, he tugged me to the next aisle and grabbed a bottle of champagne. “We have more celebrating to do.” He shrugged. I laughed, not arguing with him. We’d been celebrating for close to twenty-four hours, and

champagne seemed appropriate. After we paid, Seth grabbed my hand again. He carried the case of water on his shoulder, and I had the bottle of champagne in a white plastic bag. We walked out the door, through all the restaurants and shops in front of Bally’s, and then up the escalators that led to a walkway into the hotel. I stopped walking, tugging on his hand. “We forgot cups.” “Who needs glasses when I have your body?” he asked with a grin. I swallowed hard. He led me into the hotel, and we made our way to our room. The painful minutes had turned into at least forty-five, and now I was feeling as though I was going to combust and turn into flames the moment Seth’s hands were on me. Seth opened the door, and before it was even closed the case of water fell to the floor, the plastic bag I was holding slipped from my fingers and onto the floor causing the glass champagne bottle to clink on the ground. Our bodies fused together, my back hitting the door. We only had a few more hours before I had to leave, and apparently, we weren’t wasting any time. We tore my dress over my head and then, as we walked into the room, me going backward, we unbuttoned Seth’s black button-down shirt, both of us working the buttons. My knees hit the side of the bed, and I fell

backward. Seth shrugged off his shirt, and crawled up my body, locking our mouths again. “You want some champagne before I fuck you?” he asked against my lips. I smiled, envisioning me chugging from the bottle, and then we’d get down to business. “Sure.” Seth kissed my lips with soft kisses before leaving me sprawled on the bed. He returned a moment later with the bottle. After he popped the cork, he handed me the bottle, and I took a sip. I knew that there were glasses next to the sink because every hotel had them, but I’d seen a TV special once … Let’s just say you shouldn’t drink from them. I handed him back the bottle after I drank some of the tart goodness. He smirked and said, “Lie back so I can drink mine.” I laughed but didn’t hesitate. If Seth wanted to drink from my skin, I didn’t care. He pulled my panties down my legs then discarded the rest of his clothes. The first splash was like ice hitting my bare stomach, and I hissed as he continued to pour the bubbly liquid. I waited with bated breath as I watched his face lower. His tongue mixed with the sparkling wine on my skin, sending shivers up my spine. “Yep, I was right.” Seth gazed up at me. “Champagne tastes better on you than in a flute.” He lowered his head again, licking the rest of the

tart goodness from me. And then he added more and did it all over again. Feeling his tongue run up my stomach and around my nipples was causing more than just my skin to get excited. I was feeling everything between my legs, and I wanted him there. As though he could read my mind, Seth poured more champagne lower … And lower … And lower … And then his mouth was between my legs, and he didn’t stop until I was coming. “You want me to handcuff you now?” Seth asked as he moved up my body to give me a quick kiss. I looked up into his stormy green eyes and nodded while biting my lower lip. I’d never been handcuffed or any sort of bondage. I’d only ever fantasied it with Seth as the one doing it to me. Seth went to his bag, unzipped it, and pulled out his silver handcuffs. “There are no bars on the headboard, so cuffing you to the bed is out of the picture.” I tilted my head back and looked at the headboard. He was right. “So, baby,” Seth stalked toward me again, “do you want to touch me while I fuck you or not?” Might as well get the full effect. “Not.” I shook my head and watched as he unlocked them. He smirked. “Then, hands behind your back.”

I flipped over and put my hands behind my back feeling as though I’d just been a bad girl and he was arresting me. “You ever done this before?” I asked because I was curious, though the moment the question fell from my lips, I regretted it. Just thinking about it made me jealous. “Done what?” he asked, as he locked the first cuff in place on my wrist. “Cuff someone?” “I mean in bed.” Obviously, he’d cuffed someone before. He was a police officer after all. The second cuff clicked into place. “Nope. Only on duty.” My body relaxed even though I hadn’t known I’d tensed waiting for his answer. “But I have to say that seeing you naked at my mercy is making me rock fucking hard.” Wetness pooled between my legs at the vision he was painting. I was still feeling good after he brought me to orgasm by his tongue, and when he spread my legs and ran his fingers up my slit, my hips rose off the bed asking to be fucked. I was ready for more, so much more of him. “Christ, baby.” My eyes closed and I moaned at the feel of his fingers running through me. Then his hand left me, and the bed dipped from his weight. I sucked in a breath when the tip of his cock nudged my opening. How was I going to make it a week or two without this happening daily? In twenty-four hours, my feelings for Seth were stronger than they had ever

been. When I thought it was only a crush on the older friend, I would count down the days until he’d fly into town. Those summers were the best days of my life. Now that we were older—making new memories—talking about forever—I was head over heels again. Seth raised my hips slightly and then slid into me inch by delicious inch. I couldn’t touch him, couldn’t touch myself to increase any pleasure. It was all on Seth, and I had no doubt that he was going to deliver. His hips rocked into me, and with each thrust I let out a moan, each drive hitting that one spot most men could never find. Over and over the tip of his cock rubbed into it, sending a wave of pleasure through me. His pace quickened, then he slowed and pulled out slightly then back in. Even with the reduced speed of his shaft, it still hit that spot. I knew I was getting close, to the point that I itched to grab my nipple. But I couldn’t. My hands were bound, and all I could do was rest my hands on my ass cheeks and enjoy the ride Seth had me on. Before I knew it, he turned me onto my side and hooked my leg around his hip. His thrusts picked up again, my breast bounced, and my nipples called my name. It didn’t matter that the handcuffs were cutting into my wrists. The pain only intensified the desire inside of me. “Yes!” I cried out.

Seth groaned and pulled slightly on my arms, bowing me backward. “Fuck, baby.” “Fuck,” I groaned. God, it felt good. So fucking good. He reached up and grabbed my nipple. I cried out again, my body jolting as the orgasm tore through me. Seth slowed and then picked up his pace again, following me over the cliff. He unlocked the handcuffs, freeing my wrists, and then slid up my slickened body as I turned onto my back. “You want to soak in the Jacuzzi before round two?” I smiled knowing that we’d do more than just soak in the sunken tub.

The next morning I woke up sore. I hadn’t had this much sex in well, ever. Of course, as soon as we woke, we had another round. Then we ordered breakfast and ate in bed. My trip to Vegas had turned into the best time of my life. Except now it was over, and any minute I had to get into a cab and go to the airport for my long flight home followed by days or even weeks without seeing or talking to Seth. “I’ll call you as soon as the case is over.” I nodded against Seth’s chest. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, Kitty Cat.” I pulled back and looked into his green eyes. “Be safe, okay?” “Always. And plus, I have the best partner.” “Tell Joss I said to be safe too.” Seth smirked. “Then she’ll know about us.” “True. Okay. Keep her safe so when this is all over, we can tell her together.” He pulled me back to his chest and kissed the top of my head. “I will.” We hugged for long seconds. I didn’t want to pull away, but I had to. “I better go. Can’t miss my flight.” Seth sighed but didn’t let me go. “I wish I could drive you to the airport.” “You have an asshole to take down. Let Joss have a crack at him before you bring him to jail.” “I plan on it.” “Good.” We stayed in each other’s arms again while people passed us through the revolving door of Bally’s. All I had to do was tell one guy that I needed a taxi to the airport and then my time with Seth would be over for days unknown. But the clock was ticking and planes don’t wait. “5-0 …” “I know.” Seth sighed again. Then he pulled back, tipped my chin up, and brought his lips to

mine. Leaving fucking sucked. “A week—two weeks tops, and I’m there.” “I hope so.” We broke apart. Seth grabbed my hand and then gestured to the guy to call a taxi from the line where they waited. The yellow cab pulled forward, and Seth turned to me again. “This fucking sucks.” “My thoughts exactly.” “But you better go before—” “I know. Everything will be okay.” “Hope so. I love you, Kitty Cat.” “I love you too. And we’ll figure it out. Even if we rack up a bunch of airline miles.” Seth pressed his lips to mine again, and even though we both didn’t want to move away, we did. I slid into the yellow car and waved goodbye. “What airline?” the cab driver asked as he pulled out of the driveway and onto Flamingo Boulevard. “Southwest.” While he drove down the desert streets, I thought about how this trip started off with me having a broken heart to my heart once again beating in my chest. Also, the butterflies were doing a happy dance, flying around and making my heart whole again like Cinderella’s birds did when they helped her get dressed each morning. The cab came to a stop, and I looked around, not seeing the airport at all. “Um—I needed to go

to the airport.” He looked in the rearview mirror. “Change of plans.” I blinked, stunned as my door opened and I was dragged out by a guy in a black suit. “What are you doing? Let me go!” I yelled, my heart hammering in my chest. His hand came across my face, smacking me so hard that I thought a tooth might come loose. “Shut up!” he hissed. “Don’t speak until you’re spoken to.” Fear ran through my veins as he dragged me into a dark warehouse and into a cage full of other women. Once I was behind the chain link fence wall, I asked on deaf ears, “What are you doing? Let me go!” He laughed. “Welcome to your free trip to Mexico, bitch.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Seth “Where were you last night?” “Gorgeous, let a man have his secrets.” I rolled my eyes at the two love birds. “Are you two done?” Joss pushed the button to call the elevator, then looked at her husband. “I’m talking to my best friend about his night for the few minutes we have left of our normal life.” “You act like we’re never getting it back.” All three of us stepped into the elevator of the Aria. After I watched my heart drive away in a taxi again, I walked down Las Vegas Boulevard and checked into a suite under my undercover name, Michael Wade. I went by the name on Facebook, but it had no real ties to me. I did it so crooks couldn’t find out who I really was, where I lived, who I was dating, etcetera. There were also a lot of other Michael Wade’s on social media, so if Tony wanted to investigate me, he wouldn’t find anything out.

After slipping my key into the slot of the elevator, I pressed the button to the sixty-first floor. “If you must know, I did get lucky. I had a very nice weekend fucking just like I’m assuming both of you did too.” Paul smirked. Of course they did. They were newlyweds, and Paul used to fuck for a living even if he swears he wasn’t paid for that. “All right. So we’re clear on the plan?” Joss asked, changing the subject. “Clear as day!” Paul boomed. “I get to go all James Bond—” “No,” Joss interrupted him. “You get to look pretty by Seth’s side.” “And kick some ass if need be.” Paul proceeded to punch the air like an idiot. Had to admit, this dude was growing on me. As far as the meeting, Bryce was meeting us in my suite. I’d texted the number Joss gave me using a phone the FBI had provided me for the mission and told him when and where. A key would be waiting at the front desk for him so he could take the elevators up to the floor. The FBI was putting me up in a suite in one of the nicest hotels in Vegas as my cover. I was playing a rich, business man who was looking to expand his company. Not bad, not bad at all. Once Bryce arrived, we’d go through the plan with him. He was going to tell Tony that he had a

guy from Vancouver who was interested in partnering up to get women into Canada. In the meeting he and Tony had, Bryce would bring me to a location where the girls were ready for me to assess. Tony would think that I was scouting the meat to make sure it was good enough for my liking. If they were—which they would be because I wasn’t going to walk away from any woman put in that situation—Bryce would tell Tony, and then I would meet with him to pay for the girls. Except the meeting wouldn’t be me paying him at all. It would be me arresting every single pimp and hooker in that location. Joss would be waiting for my signal, and then the FBI would move in. When I told Cat it would take two weeks, I didn’t mean it. Our plan shouldn’t take more than a few days since Joss had been working this case for months. I was just the last one in—the one to make the final bust. The three of us walked out of the elevator, and once we found the correct room number, we entered heaven. It was two stories, large white pillars along a huge floor to ceiling window that wrapped around the first level. Paul whistled. “Damn! Maybe I want to go to Quantico if the FBI puts people up in paradise.” “This isn’t standard, sexy.” Thank you, Jesus, I was staying in a hotel for this case. I’d heard Joss call Paul sexy one too many times. Though, during the operation, Paul

was supposed to stay with Gabe and not with Joss. We all needed to break ties after this meeting, except when Paul was hired as my bodyguard. Then we’d have meetings. “So? It happens apparently,” Paul stated. “Let’s see how the Army shaped you, man. Then I might recommend you to the academy in D.C.” “D.C.?” he questioned. “I’m not moving to D.C.” I looked to Joss. “I’m staying. I decided to transfer.” I smiled. “I understand, but I’ll miss you, kid.” “I’ll miss you too, but it’s not only because of Paul that I’m moving here for good. Once all of this is over, Bryce will spend time in jail. I want to be in the same city as my brother. And then, when he gets out, I want a relationship with him.” “Totally get that too.” All three of us were looking out the window at the sun setting behind the mountains when the elevator dinged. I turned, and a man in a suit stepped onto the second-floor landing. A man who looked just like his sister. He walked down the stairs, and Joss moved to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. I didn’t fully know what to expect when Bryce would walk in. A part of me thought he might set us up—get us killed, or not show up at all and be on the lam. But

he showed—alone—and I felt as though I was seeing a ghost. I never thought I’d see that little boy again. The two broke apart, and Joss turned. “Bryce, this is my husband, Paul.” The men shook hands, and then she turned to me. “And not sure if you remember—” Bryce smiled. “I remember very little, but what I do remember is you used to let me play Grand Theft Auto.” He stuck his hand out, and I took it. “I did. Little did I know that was practice for you.” “Seth!” Joss snapped. I held up my hands in defense. “I’m kidding.” “It’s cool,” Bryce said, looking at Joss. “It kinda was practice. Though in real life, I can’t kick a hooker out of my car until she pays me. Not the other way around.” Who would have thought that I’d be standing in a room with an FBI agent, myself, a prior gigolo, and a current pimp? My mind was officially blown. “By the way, sis, your wedding was beautiful.” All three of us balked at his admission. “You were there?” Joss asked. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” “How did you know where?” Bryce smiled. “Andi’s one of my girls, and I have tabs on all my girls, Jossie.” “Why didn’t you say anything?”

He chuckled. “Because I’m not the only one with eyes in this town.” “What does that mean?” I asked. “Tony’s a powerful man.” “What do you mean he’s powerful?” Bryce moved and sat on one of the couches. “Fear goes a long way. So does money. Combine those two, and you have everyone in the business wanting to kiss your ass.” “So if that’s the case, won’t he know who we are?” Paul asked. “He’ll know everything about you, Paul. He’ll even know you got married—” “To me then,” Joss stated. “Only when you file your marriage license,” Bryce corrected. “So we wait.” Paul looked to Joss. “Right?” She nodded. “Yeah. It’s not like we can go to the recorder’s office while we’re working this case anyway. Not enough time.” “Okay,” I jumped in. “So you tell him that you have a guy who wants to get in on the business. I’ll hire a bodyguard. And it will look legit because Paul needs a job now that he’s not fuckin’ around.” “Seth!” Joss snapped. “Oh come on, Jossie. You’ve been working as an escort too.” “I’m not sleeping with my clients.”

“To be fair, I haven’t slept with a single one since you stormed into my house.” Paul smirked. Bryce stood again. “You three don’t need me here to talk about your past—” “Wait.” Joss grabbed his arm. “When’s the meeting for Seth?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s the thing. When I brought it up to Tony that I’d had someone interested in joining the business, he was all for it. Apparently, he wants to expand into Cuba, Russia, and Korea.” “What does that mean?” Joss asked. “He’s throwing a party.” “A party?” I questioned. “We have a warehouse near the airport that we keep girls in that are being sent to Mexico. Recently Tony’s been collecting tourists and selling them.” “Tourists?” Joss asked. “He pays cab drivers to drop them off at the warehouse instead of the airport.” “What does that have to do with other countries?” I asked. “He’s found buyers on the dark web and invited them to come check out the merchandise.” “How many girls?” Joss inquired. Bryce shrugged. “A couple hundred. Maybe more.”

“A couple hundred!” she yelled. “How long has this been going on?” “A few months.” I shook my head in disbelief as Joss began to pace. Paul scrubbed his hands down his face and muttered, “fuck” under his breath. “This was worse than I’d thought,” she said. “So what’s this party like? We go in, the girls prance around, and then we tell him how many we want to buy?” I had no clue how they even planned to get all the girls across various borders. But what I knew about criminals was they’d find a way. “Not exactly. There will be more than just the ones we have. The girls will be waiting for someone to ask for a test drive if you know what I mean.” “Why would any of them agree to go have sex with these strangers?” Joss asked. “Fear.” “Fear?” I asked though I knew what he meant. “Tony’s been starving them. If they don’t do what they’re told, they get a nice belt across their skin.” “Oh, God,” Joss whispered. “We’re going to need more than just the four of us.” Joss continued to shake her head in disbelief. “I agree,” I stated. “When’s the party?” Paul asked. “Tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night? I can’t get a team ready in less than twenty-four hours.” I turned to Joss. “You’re gonna have to. Not only can we take down Tony, but we can also get three other traffickers.” She sighed. “I’ll make a call.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Cat It was hot. So fucking hot that I was dying from lack of water. At least that was what I’d thought. It felt as though my body was shutting down. I was tired, hungry, thirsty, scared. Everything was wrong, and my body didn’t realize that it needed to keep all the water in because I wasn’t getting food or water. “How long have you been here?” I asked a redhead who was dressed in shorts and a tank top. She was only one of the many in the cage. I had no idea how many of us there were, but there were a lot of scared women. “Three days. I think.” “And you?” I asked a brunette. “I’ve lost count.” My body began to shake. This couldn’t be happening. What did they want from us? No one had come to take any of us away. All they did was add more girls to the giant cage in a warehouse. They never brought food or water. We didn’t have anything to sit or lay on except the hard ground.

Sometimes I would press my cheek to the cool cement floor, trying to cool my body down. I didn’t care or think about what could be on the ground. All I knew was I was searching for comfort the only way I could think of. “Have they brought you any food or water?” They nodded and Three Day Girl said, “They bring us water and food once a day.” “I wouldn’t call it food,” Lost Track of Time said. A metal door in the far corner of the warehouse opened, and five men walked in carrying white buckets. “It’s your lucky day bitches,” one of them yelled. How was being locked in a cage lucky? How was getting kidnapped lucky? Were we lucky because they weren’t beating or raping us? I didn’t find it lucky at all. It was my worst nightmare come true. Seth had put me in a taxi to go home where I’d wait for him to visit, and then we could be together. Now I was kidnapped, and if I didn’t figure out how to get out of here, I would never see him again. I would never see anyone I loved again: Seth, my parents, Joss, Hannah, or Nathan. One man unlocked and opened the cage door while the other four men walked in behind him. All of them were carrying white buckets and had guns strapped in holsters. I swallowed my fear. “Food and water,” Lost Track of Time said.

Yes, I needed water bad. I didn’t care that I’d been here only a few hours—or maybe a day—hell, was it more? There were no windows, so I couldn’t tell if the sun had ever set or risen for that matter. And I hadn’t slept a wink. There was no way I was closing my eyes for one second because things happen when you sleep. Scary things. Bad things. “Be good little whores and eat and drink up. You’re gonna need your energy tonight.” My heart sank. Did that mean what I thought it meant? No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No! All the girls looked normal. They looked like me. Someone who had come to Vegas for fun. I’d always thought a prostitute made that decision and they dressed a different way, acted a different way, even talked a different way. But these girls were terrified. We were all prisoners, locked in a cage. And if we tried to run, I had no doubt we’d be shot. When they placed the buckets down, we rushed to them. Inside one was water, and the other had what looked like day old dog food soaked in water. It smelled like shit too. I knew a person could go three weeks without food. Hopefully, by then, I would be dead because I would rather die than stay in this hell hole or go to Mexico. I didn’t even know what that meant. Were we being sold as

slaves? Trafficked? I didn’t know, but it scared the shit out of me. Then I thought about Joss and how she was sold but got away. Was this the case she and Seth were working on? If it was, would they find me before it was too late? Before I was sent to Mexico? As the minutes ticked by—hours—time unknown, I was trying not to show fear. But really, I was freaking the fuck out. What would happen tonight? Would we be put in a truck like a moving truck and drive to Mexico? Was Bryce behind this? Would I recognize Bryce after all these years? Was that Bryce who came in earlier telling us that we needed energy tonight? What did that mean? Why did we need energy if we were being sent to Mexico? I had so many questions running through my head. Questions I needed the answers to sooner rather than later. But what if it was too late? “All right, bitches. It’s time for your show!” I jumped at the man’s voice. Once again, men were walking through the metal door at the far end of the warehouse. “Be good little whores and strip down to your bra and panties.” He laughed. “And if you’re not wearing any … Well, that’s even better.” God, when would this nightmare be over with? “I’m not a whore!” a girl at the front of the cage yelled.

The man walked to the fence of the cage. “What did you say?” “I’m not a whore. I’m a doctor.” I heard him chuckle. “Anyone can be a whore, bitch. All you gotta do is spread your legs and let the man take over.” “No!” she yelled back. I swallowed hard as I watched the exchange. I couldn’t tell what she looked like other than she had dirty blonde hair because her back was to me. Though, after all this, all of us were dirty. The man unlocked the cage, swung the door open and hissed, “What did you say?” “You can’t make me—” I jumped at the sound of his palm connecting with her face. “We can make you do whatever the fuck we want, bitch. You belong to the Martinez family now, do I make myself clear?” She nodded, and then the man snapped his fingers, and another man handed him a syringe. “Since you’re a doctor, I’m sure you know what I’m about to do.” I flinched as he jabbed the needle in her arm and she slumped in his arms. He threw her limp body to the ground and asked, “Does anyone else want to object to what we have planned for tonight?” No one said anything. “Good. Now take your fucking clothes off and get in a single file line. When I come back, you will look down at the floor and follow me. You are not

to look up or make eye contact. If someone wants to take you for a ride, you let them. But know this, we’re watching. If you fuck up, I’ll do more than hit you.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Seth No more pussyfooting around. It was time to take Tony, and the other traffickers he was associated with, down. The problem was, I needed to keep my emotions in check. Knowing that Tony had sold Joss’s virginity made me hate that fucker with my every breath, but knowing that the local PD and VICE would be watching my every move, I had to be on my best behavior. Joss had made a call—or maybe a few calls. I wasn’t sure since I wasn’t involved, but she’d called my hotel room and told me that we had backup. I breathed a little sigh of relief because I wasn’t sure what I would be walking in on. Pimps and traffickers weren’t known for being reasonable. In my experience, even if they weren’t trained, most of them carried a piece on them. If Bryce were telling the truth, then Paul and I would be outnumbered. For this plan to work, I needed a driver. “We need to recruit Gabe.”

“What?” Paul questioned as he attended our initial I-need-a-bodyguard-meeting. “I’ve been thinking. Given that we’re not getting a one on one with Tony, I need you by my side even when we drive up.” Originally I didn’t want Gabe involved. He had a family he was building, but all I needed him to do was drop us off so Paul could be by my side. “He’s not going to go for it.” “He won’t be in the line of fire. All he needs to do is drop us off.” “Why can’t we get someone else? Or take a taxi?” I laughed. “A high-powered business man isn’t going to take a taxi—” “Then a limo.” Paul paced in my suite as he thought about what I was telling him. “Yes, we need a limo or at least a high-end SUV. But I think it would be best if we didn’t have a stranger drop us off at some random place.” “I’ll ask him.” I shook my head. “No, I will. Call him and have him meet us here.” Thirty minutes later, the former Army Captain was walking down the stairs in my suite. “What’s so important you had to meet in this …” He looked around the room. “I can’t even describe it.” Guys weren’t very good with describing shit. I couldn’t describe the suite either other than it was

fucking perfect and I felt like a king up in it. “Like I said on the phone, Seth wants to talk to you.” Paul nudged his head in my direction. Gabe turned to me, and I nodded my agreement. “I know you said you didn’t want to be involved in our undercover mission—” “I don’t” he stated. “I only need you as a driver.” He balked with a frown. “A driver?” “A driver carrying actually.” Gabe shook his head. “No.” “All you need to do is drop us off, and then you can go home to your fiancé.” He looked to Paul and then back to me. “You can get anyone to be your chauffeur.” “True,” I sighed. “But I can’t risk someone seeing something or knowing anything. Just drop us off.” “But you need me to carry a gun?” “It’s only for your protection, or in case something goes wrong.” Gabe chuckled. “Exactly why I don’t want to be involved.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “Nothing will go wrong, and I’ll be forever in your debt.” “Don’t lie, Gabe. You know you’ve always wanted to work for the FBI. Look at this joint.” Paul spun around with his arms outreached.

Gabe paused, looking from Paul to me and then the suite. “All right, but if something happens to me, and my baby is left without a father, then you better take care of Autumn and my kid.” He pointed at Paul and glared. Paul smirked. “Oh, the promise of a threesome with my wife and Auttie.” My cell dinged. Gabe was downstairs in a black, FBI issued Cadillac Escalade. “Ready?” Paul nodded and moved to the stairs. As we walked up, I said, “Once we leave this suite—” “I know, I know. I was a Lieutenant in the Army. I know how to take orders.” I chuckled, though I was nervous. Sure, I’d been in hot situations before, but not like this. Not where so much was on the line—personal stuff— and me pretending to be someone else. Yet, I had to act as if I knew what the fuck I was doing. The FBI had given me a tie clip with a camera and microphone hidden in a diamond in the center. They were going to watch and record everything. Once Tony agreed to take my money, they’d swoop in. Before that happened, I had to get the other three traffickers to admit why they were there to lock in the case that would be brought against them.

“And just so we’re clear, if they search us, you stay outside.” “I know. Not sure how I can protect you if I’m outside, though.” I didn’t want Paul without a gun. If they searched us and took my piece, he needed to keep his. Also, if they searched us, that likely meant only Tony and Bryce would be packing and not the other traffickers. I smirked. “I’m a cop, Paul. I’m sure I can handle some businessmen.” “All right, but I want a crack at Tony too. He hurt my wife.” I stopped walking. “That’s not part of the plan.” Paul stopped and turned to look down at me. “Well, make it part of the plan.” “Paul—” “Listen, man. I know Joss is your best friend, but she’s my wife. This asshole hurt her—hurt her for years.” “And that’s why you need to let the professionals take care of him.” He threw back his head and laughed. “So what? Tony getting locked up for a few years is all he deserves?” “Of course not.” “And you’re telling me that you’re going to go in there and not rip his head off?”

I thought for a moment. Paul was right, Tony needed to be put down. Going to jail for five, ten, twenty-five or so years wouldn’t be enough justice. The problem was that I was a cop and justice was my life. It was what I swore to do. My phone dinged again with another text from Gabe. “We gotta go,” I said and began walking up the stairs again. “I’m just asking for one punch. Maybe two. Draw some blood.” “I’ll see what I can do.” I wasn’t sure if I could, but we all deserved to knock Tony around a few times. And Joss deserved to deliver the final blow even if I had to ditch my surveillance camera.

We pulled up to the warehouse. Joss and the other feds were around the corner, ready to move in on my go, but first, I needed to get the birds singing. I knew the plan was to get all of them to talk, but Tony was my main target. “Thanks, Gabe. Go home to your girl.” His green eyes looked back at me from the reflection in the rearview mirror. “Will do.” I nodded to Paul. He got out, then opened my door. I buttoned my black, pinstriped suit jacket and walked to the door where two guards were

standing. Bryce had told us that my name would be given to the guards and they’d let me in. Sure enough, when I walked up to the door and dropped the name Michael Wade, they let Paul and me inside. I expected them to search us, but they didn’t. That told me that there were more on the inside packin’. I hoped Paul had caught that, too. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but loud music wasn’t it. It felt as though I’d just walked into prom. People weren’t dancing, but the men and women weren’t dressed in jeans and a T-shirt either. If I had to describe what the men looked like, it would be pimps. Big hats, fur coats, canes. And there were more than just three of them. I was in a room full of pimps and hos. It was a cop’s dream—or nightmare—however you wanted to look at it. “I feel underdressed,” I muttered, hoping Paul could hear me. He nodded. A dance floor, tables and chairs were set up around the warehouse with a DJ and a couple of bars and a stage. As we moved in, I caught the eye of Bryce. His outfit was purple and velvet. No cane, and no hat, but bling around his neck that consisted of large gold chains and diamonds. Instead of mocking him when he got to me, I stuck my hand out to shake his.

“Should have told us about the attire,” I said behind gritted teeth. “You’re not a pimp,” he stated. “What does that mean?” “This is a Player’s Ball.” “A what?” “Every year, a ball is held, and an award is given to the best pimp in town. I’ve won the last three years in a row.” I smiled, trying not to cause a scene or to show we were talking semantics. “I thought you said it would be me and the other three traffickers?” “I said they’d be here. Plus, this year is different. Usually it’s just the pimps that bring their girls, and we party. But since Tony has been kidnapping tourists, he’s going to parade them in and let whoever take their pick.” Still smiling, I gritted out, “I feel you’re jerking us around, Bryce.” “I’m not,” he hissed and leaned in closer to me though it was probably hard to hear us over the loud music in the first place. “Tony’s going to bring the girls out, and then the pimps will lay claim to them. You’ll have enough proof and can make arrests as they leave or drive away.” I didn’t say it out loud, but if we moved in to make arrests as the pimps left, word would get around and then all hell would break loose. So we

needed to move in and block all exits before the night ended. “I need to go make my rounds,” Bryce stated and walked off. The liquor was flowing, and the pimps were mingling. I’d noticed the girls looked at the floor. Not a single one looked up, not even when a person was talking to them. I knew that if they made eye contact with another pimp, they were trading up. How that worked in a room full of pimps was beyond me. The music cut out, and I looked toward the stage to see an older man grab a mic and start talking. “Welcome to the fifth annual Player’s Ball!” Cheers were hooted and hollered around the room by the pimps. The girls continued to look down at the floor. I realized this was Tony, the man who had hurt my sweet Joss and made her run away. He was the man who had beat her mother, forced her into the life too. He was the man who caused Joss’s mom to kill herself. He was the man who forced a sweet little boy into the game. And all of it was for money and power. He was also the man who, by the end of this, would know who I really was, and I wasn’t going to go lightly on him. “To mark our fifth year, I’ve decided to do something different. Vegas is expanding and not just

with new casinos going up. People come here with a shitload of money in their pockets, and a lot of them are looking for pussy.” More cheers. “So being the businessman that I am, I came up with a way to get us more girls—more money in our pockets.” More cheers. “Now, I know we all can’t take on a lot of tricks in our stables, so I’ve invited a few men who want to get in the game. They’re here to buy some and ship them off to Canada, Cuba, Russia, Korea and of course Mexico. Tonight, before we give out the Pimp of the Year Award, the girls will come in. When you see one—or more—who will work with your stable, claim them by taking the number they have attached to them. Each girl is five g’s.” I quickly did the math. If Bryce was right, and there were at least two hundred girls here, Tony would make a million dollars. A million dollars for girls he’d kidnapped. A million dollars for selling what wasn’t his to sell. A line of girls started to file in from a door off to the far side of me. None of them looked like prostitutes. They all looked scared, worried— fearful. They had a piece of paper—or something similar—attached to their bra strap, and their backs had the same number painted in black. They also looked like they hadn’t showered in days. One thing I knew about pimps was that they took care of their merchandise. They’d buy these women, get

them all dolled up, and then put them out on the street corner—probably in a day. Since having what looked like every pimp in town in one room, the plan needed to change. I needed to figure out the best course of action. All I needed to do was get all the pimps on camera paying Tony, and then Joss and the team could move in. That was the plan until I saw her … Until I saw Cat—my Kitty Cat. The love of my life was standing—waiting—to be bought by scum and forced to sell herself. My body went still, ice doused my veins, and I was about to go nuclear. This had just changed from a sting to a murder scene because not only had Tony taken Joss’s virtue, but he’d kidnapped my woman. And he was going to pay. As I kept my gaze on Cat, I wondered if Joss could tell that it was her from the hidden camera. I had to move closer, buy her—do whatever I needed to do to protect her. I was no longer questioning what I needed to do to make it look like I was a buyer. I was going to buy Cat now, and keep her by my side the entire night. Except I didn’t have five grand on me. I turned my body to Paul and whispered, “They have Cat.” He blinked and then whispered low, “What?” Then the pieces started to come together. Bryce had told us that Tony was using taxi drivers as

facilitators to bring tourists to the warehouse. Just yesterday I’d put Cat in a cab, and only because I had to start this case right away and couldn’t drive her myself. I should have fucking drove her. I should have told Joss the truth and then brought Cat to the airport. It wasn’t lost on me that once again lying might potentially rip Cat from my life— this time maybe forever. However, if I had to shoot every fucker in this place, I would. I was going to do whatever it took. “What do we do?” I spoke low, hoping to God that Joss and the team could hear. “Joss, I need you to get me five grand. Now. They have Cat. They fucking have Cat.” Then I said to Paul, “Follow me.” I stalked to where Bryce was talking to other pimps. When he saw me, he excused himself. I didn’t blame him for cutting his conversation short and jumping to talk to me. I was on a mission. A mission that was going to end with me going to jail. “What’s up?” “What’s up?” I mocked. “Tell me what the fuck your sister’s best friend is doing here?” “What?” he asked and looked at the line of girls. “See her.” I pointed to my Kitty Cat. “Number thirty-five.” Bryce nodded. “Yeah.” “You used to play with her too.”

He went still. “What the fuck?” “Yeah, man. Your fucking father is trying to ruin another life that circles back to you.” He turned to me. “What do you want me to do? I can’t go up to him and tell him, can I?” I shook my head, closing my eyes briefly. “You’re going to go outside, get money from Joss, and bring it to me.” “Joss?” “She’s listening, dude. Right now, they are getting the money together.” At least I hoped that was the case. “She’ll meet you outside, and you bring in the money.” “What if someone sees me with a fed?” “Joss ain’t stupid,” Paul cut in. “Right,” I agreed. “They are coming up with a plan. I just need you out there to help. You’re the only one who can walk in and out and not look as though it’s suspicious.” God, I fucking hoped Joss have a plan and quick. Bryce nodded and turned to walk out the door. I kept my gaze on Cat. I wanted her to look up so she could see I was here. So she knew I was going to protect her. But she didn’t. And as I stared at her, I noticed the pimps were moving in. I had to get to her before someone else did. I was moving, my legs taking giant strides as I got closer. Then I watched as one pimp took his

nasty hand and rub a finger down her cheek and then her bottom lip. I saw red. I saw blood. I was going to take my gun out and start shooting every motherfucker in this place. Fuck justice. A pimp would serve time and get out to only go down this road again. If I put them in the ground, then that was one less trafficker I had to worry about. Paul grabbed my arm and stopped me. “You need to calm down.” I shrugged him off. “What would you do if that was Joss?” “I know. I would be out for blood too. But I’m here for a reason—we both are. She’ll be safe.” “They’re touching her!” I spat as low as I could without causing a scene. We both looked to Cat and that was when I saw the pimp that was caressing her cheek, yank her number off of her then moved to the next girl. I was no longer seeing red. I was shaking, sweating, and on the verge of losing my shit. Paul stepped in front of me blocking me from my view of Cat. “That doesn’t matter.” “The hell it doesn’t,” I hissed. “What if he takes her in the back and …” I couldn’t finish that thought. Once he paid Tony, he could technically do whatever he wanted to her. Take a test drive as Bryce had put it. I needed to get to Cat, at least tell her I was here and to not go anywhere with that guy. I broke

around Paul and went to the line of women, scanning them as if I was looking to buy them. As I got in front of Cat, I whispered, “Kitty Cat.” She went still. “Don’t say anything. Don’t look up. Everything will be okay.” Cat nodded slowly. “I know you were just bought, but you aren’t going anywhere with him.” She nodded again. I looked up to see I was near Tony. How the fuck was I going to buy these girls to send to Canada like the plan if I had no money? I didn’t think payment would need to be made tonight. I thought that meeting theoretically would be tomorrow. I looked to my right and noticed Bryce walking toward us. I didn’t move. I wasn’t going to move away from Cat no matter what. Bryce handed me a piece of paper. “Joss said this is an account number to give to Tony for a transfer. There’s enough to buy fifty girls.” Cat shivered—or what I thought was a shiver. When I looked closely, I saw tears streaming down her face. I wanted to wrap her in my arms, touch her skin, kiss her lips—anything to show her that everything was going to be okay. But I couldn’t. I was living in my worst nightmare and couldn’t wake up to see it was all a dream and Cat was lying next to me with a smile on her face.

“Kitty Cat, this will all be over soon.” She nodded one more time. I looked to Paul, and even though I thought I wasn’t going to leave Cat’s side, I needed to get this shit over with. I needed to catch Tony on camera, and then everyone would move in. We didn’t have time to fuck around. This was Cat, and she’d just been sold. I watched the pimp who had taken her number hand over stacks of cash to Tony. At least we had one fucker on camera. “Start going down the line and grabbing numbers. You do twenty-five and so will I.” “Got it,” Paul said and moved, ripping the numbers off of the bra straps of the women. They each flinched as the paper tore away from their clothes. “Stay right here,” I commanded Bryce. “She’s not to go anywhere.” I took a deep breath and then collected my twenty-five numbers. With each one, I wanted to tell the girl who I was and what was happening. Instead, I bit my tongue and caused each one to flinch, showing their fear all while my heart raced. I knew not everyone was cut out for undercover work, but I thought I was. I was until my future was on the verge of being a memory that I’d die to forget. I moved to where Tony was sitting on the stage in a fucking chair that looked like a throne. I nodded to him and introduced myself. “Michael

Wade.” I wanted to push him, cause the chair to fall back and then stick my gun in his mouth and pull the fucking trigger. Tony stuck his hand out, and we shook. “My son told me that you’re looking to expand into Canada.” “Yeah. Fifty.” I handed him the numbers and the routing and account number Joss had given me. He smirked. “Give me a few minutes to get my guy to transfer the money, and then they’re all yours.” I turned around so I could look at Cat as I waited. But she was gone, and so was Bryce and Paul.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Cat A hand wrapped around my arm. I knew it wasn’t Seth’s because I’d watched his feet walk away from me. I didn’t think it was the man that he’d left standing with me because I hadn’t seen their feet move. As the person tugged me back, I looked up even though I wasn’t supposed to. I saw Seth standing on the stage with the pepper colored haired man that had come into the warehouse as we stood in a line and he gave us the rules. “All right, whores. It’s time. It’s time to make me some money.” The man chuckled slightly. We were standing in nothing but our bra and panties. Some of us had neither on. Some of us only had one piece on. “All of you are going to walk into the next room, heads down, without uttering a fucking word. If you do, you’ll meet more than Alex’s hand.” “What do you want us to do?” a woman behind me cried out. The grey-haired older man smirked and walked passed me. “Are you deaf?”

“No.” I heard the woman say. “I mean, why did you kidnap us?” He laughed and that caused the other men to snicker. “This cunt wants to know why I kidnapped her!” He cackled some more. “Isn’t it obvious, puta? You’re gonna make me money.” “By …?” I closed my eyes, fearing he was going to hit her. “Whatever the fuck my boys want you to do.” I heard cries from behind me, and I fought everything inside me not to cry. I couldn’t show fear. If I showed fear, then they would win. But how was I going to be a sex slave and be fearless? Did those two things go together? “Now,” he continued, “usually you’d get a fresh slap in the face for asking stupid questions like that. But seeing as I want you all sold, I can’t mark you up. That doesn’t mean someone out there won’t. So be the good little whores that you are and keep your fucking mouths shut!” The older man walked passed me and nodded to whom I’d learned was Alex, the man who had hit and drugged the woman earlier in the day. Alex moved to the door and then we were walking into Hell. “What are you doing?” a man asked, and I looked up out of habit to see a younger version of Joss.

Bryce? We stopped moving, and I noticed Paul was right with us. A little bit of relief washed over me knowing that I could be saved. However, a hand was still wrapped around my upper arm and starting to get tighter. “Since when do you get to tell me what I do with my tricks, Martinez?” “Did you pay for her?” “Are you saying I’m trying to cheat your father? And who the fuck are you?” The man pointed at Paul. “Doesn’t matter who the fuck he is,” Bryce returned. The hand on my arm squeezed more, and then we were moving backward again, my bare feet dragging on the floor. “Fuck off, Martinez. I’m square with your old man.” As I was pulled away, I saw Bryce look at Paul and then they turned to look where Seth was. I stared at Seth as I moved backward. He was waiting for the older man, and just as he turned around to look to the spot where I’d been standing, I was dragged through a door and into the warehouse, then through another door, no longer able to see Seth or anyone for that matter. A tear slid down my face as I realized no one was coming to save me.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see where we were going because, in the pit of my stomach, I knew. I was bought, and now I was going to have to have sex with this man. This man I didn’t know. This man who was hurting me. This man who was going to make me walk the streets of Vegas. Faintly, I could hear footsteps, but they weren’t coming fast enough. Before I realized it, I was shoved onto a soft surface. I kept my head down, doing what I was told to do because I didn’t want to be hit or beaten. And more importantly, because I didn’t want to see this guy’s face. I couldn’t look at him and see the evil that thought it was okay to buy women to have sex with—to sell for money. I slightly opened my eyes, only a slit, only enough to see I was sitting on a black leather couch. A hand wrapped around my throat, and I was being forced to lie on my back while another hand pulled my panties down. I squeezed my eyes shut again. “If you do what I say, chica, then we won’t have a problem. You feel me?” I started to shake but nodded my agreement. “Speak!” he roared and grabbed a fistful of my breast. “Ye—yes,” I cried out. “Good. And I take care of what’s mine. You want to get your hair and nails done? I’ll pay for it. You want a new dress? I’ll get you that too. But you obey me and only me. From this point forward,

everything you want in life will be provided to you by me and only me. You understand?” I nodded again. His grip around my throat tightened, and then he was palming my pussy, squeezing it. “When I ask you a question, you answer me!” “Ye—yes,” I stuttered again the best I could with his palm closing some of my wind pipe. There was a loud bang, like a door being opened and hitting the wall at full force. I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to know how many more men had come in to rape me. “Get off of her!” a guy roared, and the one who had his hands on me was gone. I slightly recognized the voice, but I was too scared to register it. I balled my legs up to my chest, and as I rocked in the fetal position sideways on the couch, I covered my ears trying to block what was happening around me. Even as I pressed my palms hard against my head, I could still hear everything. “Who the fuck are you?” Crash. “I’m your worst fucking nightmare.” Seth? I’d know his voice anywhere. Bang. A body wrapped around me from the back and I jolted. Against the hand covering my ear I heard, “Shh, it’s Paul. I’ve got you.” Finally.

The floodgates opened, and I drowned in my sobs. I kept my eyes closed, not waiting to see what or where I was. If I opened then, the room, the scene, the situation would forever be burned into my brain, and I didn’t want that. “What the fuck is going on?” I jolted again at the loud boom of a voice, a voice I quickly recognized as the older man. Then Paul was gone, and I was back to shaking, fearing he had been ripped away and I was going to be next. More crashes and bangs echoed in the room. Things—bodies maybe—hit walls, and noises I didn’t recognize radiated through my hands and to my eardrums. Then I heard the click of a gun. A sound I’d only heard in movies. “Drop it!” Seth shouted. “Drop your fucking gun, old man!” The man laughed. “I knew you weren’t a businessman. You Metro?” “I’m Special Agent McKenna, and I said to drop your weapon!” “You know I run this town, don’t you, boy? You think you can just come in here and wave your gun around and I’ll drop to my knees like a pussy? Cops like pussy too, and that’s why you’re all workin’ for me.” “Tony, I said to drop your weapon.” The old man, who I now knew as Tony, laughed. “You’re outnumbered, son, and I suggest

you take your ass out of here before you get in trouble.” Seth snickered. “That’s where you’re wrong. Karma has caught up with you.” Tony chuckled. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “Twelve years ago, you made a mistake. Hell, you’ve been making them longer than that, but now, this one has caught up to you.” “What? Your mother was one of my girls? You think that you’re getting payback now by putting me in jail?” “No!” Seth shouted. “You sold my best friend’s virginity, and now you’ve tried to sell my woman.” A hand wrapped around my arm and I was being hauled off the couch. It was then, and only then, I opened my eyes. When I did, I was staring into the emerald eyes I wanted to wake up next to every morning. Except he was on the other side of the room with Paul, both of them with guns pointing toward us, and there was a gun against my head. “This your woman?” Seth’s face became red, and he jerked his gun as though he was gripping it tighter. “If you don’t let her go, I will blow your fucking head off!” The cocking of a gun caused me to widen my eyes, and tears started to roll down my cheek.

I stared at Seth because he was the last person I wanted to see before I died.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Seth When I saw Cat in the line of girls waiting to be purchased, my entire world stopped. When I saw the man rub his hand on her beautiful face and grab her number, I thought I was going to explode. When I barged into the room where he’d dragged her, and she was stripped of her underwear, his hands on my girl—my pussy, I thought I was going to turn into the Hulk and rip him to fucking shreds. But seeing a gun to her head was far worse. Sure, I’d been in hostage situations before, but not when it was the woman I wanted to marry. The one I loved more than my next breath. My heart raced, my blood rushed through my veins, and I started to shake out of anger. I couldn’t pull the trigger. What if I missed and then Tony pulled his trigger? What if I hit Cat and killed her? I couldn’t let that happen, and I couldn’t let Tony take her from me either. “If you don’t let her go, I will blow your fucking head off!”

Tony smirked. I knew he was about to pull his trigger. What sick bastard wouldn’t? But then, in my peripheral vision, I saw Bryce moving slowly toward him. Was he going to shoot me? Was he going to shoot Cat? The familiar pop came from a gun, blood splattered everywhere, hitting me in the face, and Cat screamed. I rushed to her, ready to pull her from Tony and then shove my gun between his eyes and pull my fucking trigger—end this motherfucker once and for all. Before I could get to her, there was another pop of a gun, and I watched as Cat went flying toward the couch. I moved that way, knowing that I needed to stop any bleeding to try and save her. “This is for my sister!” Bryce roared. Pop. “This is for my mother!” Pop. “And this is for me!” Pop. My body covered Cat’s as I looked over to see Bryce standing above his father, a gun pointed at Tony’s head—or what was left of it. Tony and the man who had bought Cat lay on the floor, bleeding and not moving. Paul rushed to me. “Is she hit? Are you hit? Where the fuck is Joss?”

I pulled back from Cat and scanned her body. The only blood I could see were dots from the residual red spatter. “Were you hit, baby?” Her chocolate eyes that were fresh with tears looked up at me. She shook her head then buried her head in the crook of my arm. “Are you hit?” I asked Paul. “Nah, Bryce did all the shooting.” The cavalry moved in, handcuffing Bryce, and then Joss was at my side. “What happened?” “Get me a blanket or something to cover Cat up,” I ordered. I wasn’t going to tell Joss anything with Cat half-naked in my arms and a swarm of men piling into the small room. She snapped her fingers, and I assumed that meant she told someone to get us a blanket. Bryce passed us as he was being escorted out. Joss stood and wrapped her arms around her brother and whispered in his ear. I couldn’t hear what she’d said, but he nodded and then he was gone. Before Joss could ask me again what had happened, I asked, “What took you so long?” The moment I’d turned around and realized Cat was missing, I’d told Joss it was go time, and then I was running after her in the direction the man who bought her went. I went on my hunch that it was through the open door, and thankfully, I was right. “Did you see all those pimps? It took us a few minutes to get them all in cuffs. They’re still

working on it now.” I nodded, still holding Cat tight against me. “Are you okay, Cat?” Joss asked, and reached out to rub her hand on Cat’s head. Cat nodded, not saying a word. “She was almost raped and shot, Jossie. Give her some time.” “Okay.” Joss stood and reached for a blanket that someone had handed her. She handed it to me, and I wrapped it around Cat. “Are you okay? What about you, PJ?” “I’m fine,” I muttered and held Cat closer to me. Paul grabbed Joss’s face and stared into her eyes. “This ain’t nothing compared to what I’ve seen, gorgeous. The question is, are you okay? This is the man—” “I know,” Joss cut him off. “If he was breathing, it would be a different story. I’m just not looking at him.” “I’m gonna get you out of here. Okay, Kitty Cat?” She nodded, and then I scooped her up in my arms and far away from the two dead bodies.

“I’m gonna get you in the shower and wash the blood off of you, okay?”

Cat nodded. I knew she was broken, who wouldn’t be after being sold and almost raped and then almost killed, but I longed to hear her voice again. I wanted her to tell me she was okay because her actions said she wasn’t. I knew that actions spoke louder than words, but if she’d at least speak, then it would make me feel better because I’d know we were on the right track. After turning on the water and getting it the correct temperature, I discarded my suit, the blanket, and Cat’s bra, tossing everything into a heap on the floor. Physically, Cat looked okay besides a few light bruises on her arm and around her neck. Mentally, I knew she was replaying everything over and over in her head. It had been a long night. After a paramedic examined Cat, I brought her back to Joss’s. I had a lot of shit to do that involved the case, but my only priority was getting Cat out of there. She hadn’t uttered a word as a patrolman drove us to Paul and Joss’s house. The entire time I held her in my arms. When the cop pulled into the driveway, Paul rushed to unlock the door and I carried Cat into the house and to the guest shower. Paul didn’t question me. He was there when I told Tony Cat was mine and I was going to take care of her. “Wanna talk about it?” I asked while I made sure the water was still the perfect temperature. She shook her head.

“Okay. Let’s get you cleaned up.” I reached out my hand and guided her into the shower. As I washed her body, I spoke, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t drive you to the airport. If I had—” Cat turned in my arms and placed her hand over my mouth. “It’s not your fault.” A lump formed in my throat as the adrenaline of everything was settling down. “It is my fault.” “No. Neither one of us knew that cab driver was working for Tony. I’m just lucky it was your case.” A tear slid down my cheek. “What if it wasn’t? What if you were still—what if you were out on the street right now? Over three-thousand women are kidnapped and put into sex trafficking every day. That was you.” Her wet body pressed against mine, and she wrapped her arms around my middle, resting her cheek on my chest. “Was me. I’m safe now.” I chuckled slightly. Cat had just gone through a whole ordeal, and now she was the one consoling me when it should have been the other way around. “I can’t lose you again, Kitty Cat.” She tilted her head up, and I looked down into her eyes noticing that she too was tearing up. “You won’t.” “My job is dangerous.” “It is, and I should be the one to worry about you, not the other way around.”

“Yeah, but my job put you in danger.” Cat shook her head. “No, it didn’t. Stop beating yourself up.” I sighed. “I just can’t grasp the thought of you being in danger or you not in my life anymore.” A smile split her lips. “You have me naked in the shower, and you think you’re going to lose me?” “I better not.” I pressed my lips to hers finally. I didn’t know how her spirits would be after tonight, but for her to crack a smile, I knew we’d eventually get passed this. Cat squeezed me again, and after we’d held each other for some time, I stepped back and said, “Let’s get cleaned up and get you in bed.” Since Cat had no clothes, I gave her a black Tshirt of mine that hung just above her knees and a pair of plaid boxers. She was beautiful and I wanted to do nothing more than make love to her, except now wasn’t the time. After crawling into bed, I pulled back the corner of the comforter and motioned for her to get in. She did, and I wrapped my arms around her, her back to my front, and held her. I’d thought she had fallen asleep, and I was about to get up to wait for Joss to discuss things, but Cat spoke. “When I close my eyes, I see Tony.” My body went tight. “What did he do to you?”

“Nothing physically, but he’s the only one I saw that was involved in everything I went through tonight.” “You don’t know what the guy looks like that bought you?” “No,” she whispered. “That’s a good thing, Kitty Cat.” “I know. That’s why I did it, but I still see Tony.” “Tony’s no longer breathing, baby. He ain’t gonna hurt you or Joss again.” We were silent again, and I knew by the way she was breathing that Cat wasn’t falling asleep. “I have an Ambien. You want to take it?” She nodded. “I’ll be back.” After I ran down the stairs to grab a glass of water, I went back up and grabbed a pill from the bottle. I had a prescription because there were nights I couldn’t sleep because of what I saw in my line of work. Tonight would be one of those nights, too. I’d replay everything over and over and over again. I’d think about how things could have gone wrong. How Cat could be the one dead and not Tony and some pimp. And I’d think about how, if it were any other trafficker, that Cat would still be missing.

“How is she?” Joss asked, walking into the kitchen with Paul. I looked to the stairs that led to Joss’s bedrooms and where Cat was currently sleeping. “Gave her an Ambien and that put her to sleep.” They sat in front of me at the kitchen table where I was nursing a glass full of tequila on the rocks. After the night we had, they were lucky I was sharing the bottle and not drinking straight from it. “Thank you.” I looked up at Joss. “What?” “If it wasn’t for both of you, I don’t think we would have—” “We didn’t,” I corrected. “Your brother did.” She swallowed. “I know. But if you weren’t there—” “If I weren’t here, Cat would never have been kidnapped,” I snapped. Joss blinked. “Why are you blaming yourself?” I huffed and looked up at the stark white ceiling, shaking my head. I’d blame myself until the day I died because it was me who watched her drive off in that yellow cab. “I put her in the taxi.” “I thought—” I righted my head. “We were going to tell you together. Tell you when all of this was over and we’d figured out how to be together.” “Together?”

I took a deep breath. “I’ve loved her all my life.” Paul nodded as though I’d confirmed what he already knew. He was probably dying to ask me. He struck me as that kind of guy who liked to be all up in everyone’s business. “Yeah? I love her too,” Joss said. Paul poured him and Joss a shot of the tequila. “No,” I shook my head. “I’m in love with her. Have been since we were kids.” Joss stared at me for a beat. “In love with her?” I took a sip of the Patrón, and it burned as it slid down my belly. “Cat and I have a lot of history together.” “History—together?” “When Cat came to visit us the summer after she graduated high school, she and I started …” I paused trying to come up with the words of what we were back then. “After that trip, I thought we’d do the long distance thing for a year while she went to school, and then I’d convince her to move to D.C.” “But that didn’t happen.” I took another sip of the tequila and shook my head. “Nope, because a few weeks later she came back to surprise me and saw me on a date.” “Seth!” Joss shouted while Paul muttered, “Shit.” “Shh,” I scolded. “Don’t fucking wake her up.”

Joss leaned in and whispered, “You were playin’ my best friend?” “No,” I hissed. “I was doing what I needed to do to keep Gibbs from coming clean about me bringing you in the cruiser when you showed up at my precinct.” “What do you mean?” “Gibbs made me go on a date with his sister. It was just a one-time thing. Except Cat walked in and thought I was cheating on her—” “That sucks, dude.” Paul threw back the agave goodness. “That’s why we never saw her again?” Joss asked. “She wouldn’t let me explain. Never spoke to me again until the night of your wedding.” “Wait.” Paul looked at his wife. “Didn’t you tell me that she used to visit you guys in D.C.? In fact, I think you said she’d specifically visit Seth.” Joss bit her bottom lip. “That day when we went hiking, I was trying to open up to you. I wanted to open up to you because what I was feeling for you was real even though Andi wasn’t. But I didn’t want you to know the real me. The me who shut everyone out because of what happened to me on my seventeenth birthday.” “You didn’t shut Seth out,” Paul corrected. “Because I was living with him for a long time. You should know how hard it is to ignore a

roommate.” Paul smirked. “Especially those I run into naked in the hall.” “Whoa!” I threw up my hands. “This conversation is going south fast.” They chuckled. After a few beats, Joss asked, “How did you get Cat in a taxi here if she has a boyfriend?” I chuckled. “He ain’t her boyfriend. Nathan’s her gay friend that she made come with her because she thought I’d be with someone.” “I knew there was something going on there. They didn’t even touch in the limo on the way to Mark’s.” “Good,” I stated. I didn’t give a flying fuck if he was gay or not. No man was touching her again. We sat around the table, all of us drinking the tequila when I finally asked, “So, Bryce?” Joss turned to Paul, and he raised his hands. “I know. That’s my cue to leave. Just don’t be long, I’ll be naked and—” “Paul!” I snapped. “I know you two are in the honeymoon phase, but if I hear you fucking, I will shoot you.” He smirked. “Hearing someone fucking in the next room is a turn on, bro. Gabe and Autumn used to go at it like fucking—” Joss shooed him away. “I don’t need a visual about our friends, PJ.” He went upstairs muttering

to himself. “We can make this fast,” Joss stated to me. “You’ll be briefed tomorrow at headquarters.” I nodded. “Long story short, everyone was arrested. Tony and that Reggie guy are dead, and Bryce was booked for a double homicide.” “Fuck,” I breathed. Yes, Bryce had killed Tony and the pimp who had bought Cat, but he saved her life. Probably saved mine and Paul’s too. “Charges won’t stick.” My eyes darted to hers. “It won’t?” “Somehow the feed of him pulling the trigger got interrupted, and it just shows Tony with a gun to Cat’s head and then you rushing over to her.” “Interrupted how?” She shrugged as though she had no idea, but by the smirk on her face, I knew she’d made that happen. “Even his prints were wiped.” I snorted. “So what will happen to Bryce?” “Well, since he was our informant on the case, he’ll either get probation or one to five for soliciting prostitution.” The FBI had authorized informants to break the law over twenty-two thousand times in a four-year stretch a few years back. I didn’t know if that meant murders or what, but given that Joss was in on the case, I was sure she had pull of what would happen to Bryce. “Why did he kill Tony?”

“I’m not exactly sure,” she sighed. “I wasn’t able to talk to him, and probably won’t be able to because it’s a conflict.” “You really doing okay after all of this?” Joss nodded. “If it weren’t for Paul, my answer would be no. But having him with me and loving me, makes me feel protected. Crazy as it sounds, I feel safer now with him than I ever did with my training.” I sighed. “I hope that’s the same for Cat with me.” “Are you going to move to Florida? Is she going to move to D.C.?” I shrugged. “I don’t know, but it will be a long fucking time until I’m ready to have her out of my sight.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Cat I woke with arms wrapped around my body. At first, visions of the night before clouded my judgment and I’d almost jumped out of bed screaming. Then I realized the arms that held me were Seth’s. I sighed and sank back into him, loving the feel of him. All of him. Though, as I felt his morning erection pressing into my butt, I thought about the faceless man as he cupped my pussy. If Paul, Seth and even Bryce hadn’t come into the room at that exact moment, there was no telling what would have happened—other than the obvious. “Good morning, beautiful.” A tear slid from my eye. “Shh. It’s okay. You’re safe,” Seth whispered, kissing my shoulder. “I know,” I whimpered. I thought he was sleeping, but even with a sleeping aid, I was certain I hadn’t slept more than a few hours too. “It will take some time. You’ll never forget, but it should get better.”

“I hope so.” Seth leaned his chin on my shoulder. “What if you talk to Joss and Autumn?” “Autumn?” I rolled onto my back, looking up into his eyes as he hovered over me. “I don’t know all the details, but before she was with Gabe, Paul said she was abused by her exhusband.” “Wow,” I breathed. “I had no idea. She seems so happy.” “Time heals all wounds, right?” I shrugged. “I guess.” Though I never got over Seth breaking my heart. Except now I realized I was equally at fault since I didn’t let him explain anything to me. Seth pressed his lips to mine. “Just know I’m here for you every day, and I’m not letting you sleep alone.” My eyes widened. “Oh shit!” He jolted, startled by my outburst. “What?” “My parents—my office, they’re probably wondering what happened to me. Shit, Nathan too.” It hit me like a ton of bricks. Nathan knew I was staying an extra day, but since then, I hadn’t called anyone. Not like I could. My phone and belongings were taken when I was. “We’ll call them.” I sat up and tried to leave the bed. “I have patients. They’re all probably wondering where I

am.” “Hey …” Seth grabbed my wrist, preventing me from leaving. “Tell me what you need, and I’ll take care of it.” I held out my hand. “I need your phone.” He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed it. “Make your calls. I’m going to make us some breakfast. I gotta go to the bureau today and do my report and get briefed, but everything will be okay. We’ll get through this.” I smiled tightly, not sure if he was correct. After he left, I sat back on the bed and dialed my office. “Stone Dental,” Corinna answered. “Corinna, it’s Cat.” “Oh my God! Where are you? We’ve been worried sick and have been calling you non-stop.” “I’m sorry. Something happened—” “Are you okay?” I looked at the window, noticing the sunlight was trying to peek through the blinds. “I am now.” “What happened?” “I’ll tell you once I get back. Is my dad there?” “Yeah, just a second. I’ll get him.” “Okay. Can you also reschedule all my appointments the rest of the week? I’m not sure what day I’m flying back.” “You’re still in Vegas?” “Yeah. Like I said, something happened.” “Okay, no problem. Let me get your dad.”

“Thanks.” I stared at the sun shining through the cracks, and a sense of relief washed over me. I was safe. I wasn’t in the windowless warehouse that I’d been in. I was in Seth’s bed. I was with the man who’d always made me feel safe from the moment I’d met him. “Catherine!” Dad bellowed. “Are you okay? What happened?” I sighed. “I don’t want to tell you over the phone.” “Are you hurt? Why didn’t you call?” “Stuff happened, but I’m okay now. I’m with Joss and Seth.” “Good.” “I just wanted to call and tell you that I was fine, and sorry it took me a few days to call you. My phone was stolen.” “We’ve all been worried sick.” “I figured, and I’m sorry.” “I’ll figure out your patients with Corinna and Kelly. You just come home, okay?” I bobbed my head. “I will soon.” “I love you, Ruthie.” I smiled at the nickname my father had given me when I was a kid because I loved the candy bar Baby Ruth. It was to the point where I’d steal his change from his change jar and ride my bike down

the street to the gas station every day so I could eat one. “Love you too, Daddy.” I set the phone down on the nightstand as Seth walked in carrying a tray with plates of food and coffee. I needed to jump on Facebook and message Hannah and Nathan because I had no idea what their numbers were. I’d always had them in my phone. I was lucky I knew my office number, and that was only because my dad had worked from that office practically my entire life. Though I guess I could have Googled it if need be. “Paul made breakfast. I guess he does that every morning.” Seth smiled and handed me a plate. “That’s nice of him.” I looked down at the plate full of bacon, over easy eggs, toast and coffee. Seth sat next to me, and we both propped ourselves against the headboard. I didn’t even remember the last time I’d eaten. I guess it was breakfast with Seth before my nightmare. “Joss went to get you some clothes.” “Okay.” I took a small bite of the toast. “I’m going in to finish what needs to be done with the case. Joss said she’d call Autumn and you guys can go get coffee or something when she gets back.” “Wait.” I looked over at him. “Does she know we slept in the same bed last night?”

Seth stopped moving his fork full of egg to his mouth then set it on his plate. “She knows more than that.” “She does?” My eyes widened. He sighed. “I’m sorry, Kitty Cat, but after everything that went down, I told her about us last night.” I stared into his emerald eyes for a few moments. “How did she take it?” I thought I’d be upset that he told her without me, but I was relieved. Relieved that it was out and we didn’t have to hide our relationship any longer. “She took it much better than I thought she would. It was as though she didn’t care. In fact, she scolded me for going on a date with Annie. She thought I was playing you.” “So, she’s cool with us dating?” “Pretty sure she’s cool with it.” I took a few more bites of my food. “You told her that it started years ago?” “Yep.” Joss was okay with us dating. Joss was okay with us dating. Wow. Seth shoved a bite of toast in his mouth. “I gotta get going. You wanna grab dinner tonight?” “Yeah, but it might need to be an early night. I need to figure out my flight home for tomorrow.” “Stay. Give me a few days, and I’ll go with you.” Seth slid off the bed and moved to the closet.

“I have a dental practice at home—patients. My dad needs me back.” He moved to my side of the bed and sat at my feet. “I know you want to get back to your life, but I’m not ready to let you out of mine.” I blinked at his words. “We’d break-up if I left? That wasn’t even the plan before all of this shit happened last night.” “No.” He shook his head. “I mean I’m not ready to put you on a plane and have to worry if you make it home safe. I want to go with you. I can see Grandma, and we can spend more time together.” “What about your job in D.C.?” Seth shrugged. “I have vacation time. I don’t need to go back right away.” “I haven’t taken a long vacation in years,” I admitted. “Then let’s go somewhere, just the two of us. While we’re gone, we can figure out what’s best for us so we can be together.” “Where do you want to go?” “Don’t care. You pick the place. It can be anywhere in the world.” “I need to tell my father. Tell my staff.” Seth stood and shrugged on his white button-up shirt. “Like I said, we’ll go to Miami, and you can figure shit out. Then, I want you all to myself.”

My belly dipped at his words. I definitely liked his plan.

After Seth left, Paul gave me his laptop, and I logged into Facebook. As soon as Joss returned, he was going into the FBI to give his statement of events. I got the impression no one wanted to leave me alone. I didn’t want to be alone anyway. As I pulled up my Facebook account, I had message after message from my two friends. I also had messages from everyone at work and my family. It felt good to know that I was missed, that they worried about me, though Nathan assumed I was shacked up with Seth the entire time, but I wasn’t ready to tell them anything, especially not on social media or over the phone. I messaged them that I’d decided to stay in Vegas with Seth and Joss. After I sent the messages and explained how I’d lost my phone, Paul put on the TV for us to watch. I had no idea what was on because my attention was on the days before. I wasn’t scared because I knew I was safe, but all I thought about was sitting on the hard, cold, concrete floor, starving, being forced to strip down to my bra and panties, and then bought. I was bought as if I was property. Then I thought about the faceless man dragging me, and his hands on me. But what made me not have a

panic attack was remembering Seth coming into the room and hearing his voice. My entire life he’d always been my savior, even against stupid boys who whistled at me. So I focused on Seth’s face and knowing he’d never let anything happen to me. Sometime later, Joss came back, a bag from Macy’s in her hand. After she kissed her husband hello she turned to me. “I didn’t know where you shopped, so I just went to the first store I could think of in this town.” I smiled and took the bag from her. “Doesn’t matter at this point.” “Are you doing okay?” I shrugged as I set the bag down on the floor beside me on the couch. “As well as I can be.” “I was thinking we should meet up with Autumn for coffee.” “I’m not really feeling like going anywhere,” I confessed. “I understand. I’ll text her and have her meet us here if that’s okay?” “Okay.” “And that’s my cue to leave.” I turned to see Paul stand from the couch. Joss wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered something in his ear. He smirked then winked at her. After he grabbed his stuff and headed out the front door, Joss pulled her cell phone out of her purse. I assumed she sent a text to Autumn.

“Everything okay with the case?” She sat next to me. “Yeah. I mean, the devil is dead.” I turned my head to face her. “But Bryce …” “Nothing I can do about it now.” I nodded, getting the feeling she couldn’t really talk about the case with me even though I was the victim. The night before, as the paramedics had checked me over, an Agent Reigles with the FBI took my statement. They said they’d let me know if they needed me again. After I changed into the panties, jeans, and thin, purple sweater Joss had bought for me, I used her makeup to freshen up. It was the first time I’d looked in the mirror since everything happened. The night before I was too scared to look. Now, as I stared at myself, I only noticed a few bruises. The memories of how they got there kept playing on repeat, and I wanted to know when the nightmare would end. If it would ever end. When Autumn arrived, she brought in two cups of coffee and a passion tea lemonade for herself. She smelled like warm vanilla sugar, and even though it had been a few days since I last saw her the day of Joss and Paul’s wedding, it looked as though her pregnant belly had grown tremendously. She was beautiful. I knew that she’d once been in an abusive relationship, the way she glowed told me that she was happy now. Even though our

situations were different, I wanted to know how she got through it. I also wanted to ask Joss how she finally got through her ordeal too. I wasn’t raped or beaten. I was just really, really, scared shitless. And, for the first time in my life, I’d heard gun shots that weren’t even five feet from me. I could still hear the pop of the gun as it was fired when I closed my eyes. I needed to know how to move forward because I’d heard horror stories about trauma and I didn’t want to live in pain every minute of every day. Especially not when I had Seth back in my life. “Thank you for the coffee,” I said as I grabbed the white cardboard cup from Autumn. “You’re so welcome. I miss that liquid goodness like you can’t believe.” I smiled. “I’d die without coffee.” Autumn set her drink down and rubbed her protruding belly as she sat next to me. “You want kids one day?” “With Seth,” Joss blurted. My eyes widened as Autumn said, “Really?” “Apparently, those two,” Joss moved her finger back and forth as if Seth was in the room with us, “are a thing.” I hid behind the skinny coffee cup but smiled again. Having girl talk felt good. We sat and talked as I told them how Seth and I had started something when I was eighteen, and how I was an idiot for too

many years. How he told me at the wedding that he still loved me, and how I still loved him, and how we spent the days before everything went to shit together. I didn’t go into details, but that led to the talk … “Did you get any sleep last night?” Autumn asked. I nodded slightly. “A little. I’m sure it was because I wasn’t alone.” Joss looked to Autumn. “I’ll go first.” She took a sip of her coffee and then a deep breath. “I know you know bits and pieces of my story, but the night it happened, I wasn’t alone either. I was on a bus heading to D.C., but when I got there and couldn’t find Seth, I was alone. I cried and cried and cried. So if you want to cry, cry. Let yourself feel.” “I did cry,” I confessed. “I know,” Joss said. “But if you need to, keep crying. We’ll all understand.” I gave a tight smile. “I know, but I’ll be going back to Florida, so I won’t burden any of you.” “You’re not a burden, Cat. You’re my best friend.” Joss and I hugged. Even though we hadn’t had a real relationship for so long, it felt as though we had. All those years apart were like seconds in time. Sure, we’d both had our life progress, but I felt as if we were back in high school talking about football games and how Victoria got caught giving

head to Kenny Williams during lunch one day. Or how Sammy left school because she was pregnant. We were back on track. “Is Seth going with you?” Autumn asked. I shrugged. “He said he was, but he has a job. I can’t expect him to stay in Miami forever.” Joss grinned. “I bet you could.” “Right,” I snorted. I thought I could do that too if I asked, but I wasn’t sure if that’s what I wanted. There was so much to think about in such a little bit of time because I didn’t want to go one day without Seth again. “He will. But anyway, I really didn’t get through my shit until Paul,” Joss continued. “Having someone to talk to, and someone who made me feel safe, was what did it for me.” “Me too,” Autumn chimed in. “When I met Gabe, I was broken. My ex-husband used to put his hands on me. It wasn’t like I had a black-eye daily or anything like that. He was strategic because he wanted to keep up a front. I’d actually made the decision to leave him, but it wasn’t until I met Gabe that I was finally able to because he made me feel safe. One night we were having a party at my house, and Gabe showed up. He and Paul actually knew my ex.” “Really?” I cut in. Autumn nodded. “They were all in the Army together. Richard was their Major, Gabe the

Captain, and Paul a Lieutenant.” “Small world.” “Seriously.” Joss took a sip of her pink tea. “Apparently they weren’t the only ones to hate Richard. So did a lot of men in this town. The night of the party, one guy rushed in and all hell broke loose. Gabe kept me safe, and we’ve been together ever since.” I watched as she rubbed her belly again. “And after this baby is out, we’ll make it official.” “When are you due?” I asked. “Two more months.” “Do you know what you’re having?” Autumn shook her head. “Nope. We want to be surprised.” “I don’t know if I could do that. I’d want to know,” I confessed. “Me too,” Joss agreed. “Speaking of …” I prompted. “Nope. Not pregnant.” Joss chuckled. “But now that you’re married …” “Yeah, get on that so our babies can grow up together. I’m sure Gabe and Paul will be excited.” Joss shook her head. “I just got married a few days ago. Let me enjoy it.” A thought occurred to me. “Oh my God, am I imposing on your sex life now?” “What?” Joss gasped. “Of course not!” “Because I’ll stay at a hotel until I go back—”

“Cat.” Joss put her hand on my knee. “You’re not imposing. If anything, I’m enjoying catching up with you.” I smiled and hugged her again. “Me too.” “Just remember we’re here for you.” I smiled tightly. “Thank you. How long did it take to forget everything?” The girls looked at each other. Joss spoke, “I still catch myself thinking about that night.” “Me too.” Autumn agreed. “Things trigger it. TV shows, movies, songs, seeing a woman in our self-defense class. Abuse is all around us.” I swallowed. “So it won’t go away?” “I don’t think so,” Joss said. “It will just get easier to deal with.” “And you and Paul … You know …” Joss chuckled. “We have consummated our marriage, yes.” I didn’t think Paul would marry someone he couldn’t have sex with, but I wasn’t sure. “And you were able to be with other men before him?” I was lucky my first time was with the man I wanted to spend forever with. Joss stared at me for a beat, and then turned to take a quick look at Autumn before she spoke. “No.” I blinked. “No?” She shook her head. “I’d like to say that I focused on my career, but the reality is that it was

hard because I remembered that night.” Autumn leaned forward and rubbed Joss’s back. “Will it take me twelve, thirteen years to finally have sex again?” I didn’t know how it worked, but the thought made me sick to my stomach. I wasn’t raped like Joss, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw the faceless man and felt as though I could feel his hands on me. How was I going to let Seth touch me? Autumn moved her comforting touch to me and rubbed my back. “It will take as long as it takes.” “It only took that long because I was in my head,” Joss clarified. “I trusted Paul. Knew he wouldn’t hurt me, and once I let him show me that he loved me, I got out of my head because I loved him too. I was tired of living in the past. Granted, I didn’t know I was about to come face to face with my past.” “And now?” Joss leaned forward and grabbed my hands. “Now I know he won’t hurt me again. Even before Tony was dead, I had Paul to show me I wasn’t broken. You have Seth, and while I don’t know all the details of your relationship, I do know that man will do anything for you. He’ll give you time. He’ll wait for you. He waited eleven years, Cat. And I know he will do anything to protect you. I saw it last night.” A tear slid down my cheek. I knew she was right, and I hoped I could remember what she was

saying when the time came for Seth and me to be intimate again. We were on fire, and it was the best sex of my life. Now I needed to try to get out of my head and remember that the devil and his pimp who bought me were no longer going to hurt me because they were dead. I knew that over time, with Seth by my side, I’d be free of my nightmare.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Seth The case was over. At least for me it was. My undercover mission was finished, and I was given the all clear to return to D.C. unless Bryce was put on trial and then I’d have to come back to Vegas to testify. But given what Joss had told me, I wasn’t sure it would happen. I was sure no one missed having Tony and a no-named pimp off the streets. I sure the hell didn’t. But I didn’t want to go back to D.C. I was serious when I told Cat that I’d take a vacation and go with her to Miami until she could get away. And I didn’t care where we went. Cat was back in my life, and I wanted to spend every waking moment with her. Of course, that wasn’t realistic, but I was prepared to spend the next few weeks with her twenty-four-seven. “Ladies,” I greeted, walking in the front door. All eyes turned to me, but I only looked at the brown ones I dreamed about. “Hey!” Cat beamed. Not only did I see Cat’s eyes light up, but she

smiled. She fucking smiled. Then she stood and came to me. “Kitty Cat,” I said with a grin and opened my arms to embrace her. She rushed into my arms. “Have a good day?” She nodded against my chest. “I did.” “Did you see Paul?” Joss asked. I looked to her, Cat still in my arms. “Nope.” Joss shrugged. “I’m not sure who he’s meeting with. I was just curious.” “Well, I got the all clear.” “It’s over?” Cat asked, looking up at me. I kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, baby. It’s just you and me now.” “Well, I should head home. Baby is making me tired, and Gabe should be home from the range by now,” Autumn said, starting to stand. “Tell him thank you for me,” I said. “Even though he only dropped Paul and me off, it felt good walking in there knowing he’d have our backs if need be.” “Definitely.” I grabbed a beer while they said their goodbyes. Afterward, I sat on the couch, and when the girls came back in, Cat sat next to me. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her in close. It felt strange for a moment that we were doing this in front of Joss. For so long I’d had to hide my

feelings, and now we were out in the open flaunting it. “So, what do you two want to do tonight?” I balked. “With you?” Joss laughed. “Well, me and Paul.” “Don’t you two want to be alone?” I knew I wanted to be alone with Cat. “We have forever, but you two will be leaving soon.” “Speaking of, we should probably figure that out,” Cat stated. I took a pull of my beer before responding. “Yeah, whatever you want. I told my lieutenant I’d be back in a few weeks.” The moment those words left my mouth, a sinking feeling washed over me. Even if I convinced Cat to move to D.C., she wouldn’t move right away. Cat lifted from my side. “I should go back tomorrow.” “Kitty Cat.” I frowned. “You’ve just been through some shit.” “Everyone back home doesn’t know that.” “You didn’t tell them?” Joss asked. “No. How could I tell them something like this over the phone?” I sighed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to hear it over the phone either.” We were silent for a few seconds, all of us probably thinking about the previous night. “Let’s book a flight for tomorrow.

We can always come back to Vegas to visit Jossie and Paul.” Cat’s eyes lit up. “I want to come back after Autumn has her baby.” I smiled. “I’m sure we can work that out. Then we’ll celebrate with some champagne.” My dick started to stiffen at the memory of tasting the tart wine on Cat’s skin. Best fucking way to drink champagne. I could definitely use some more celebrating.

Cat cancelled all her patients for the rest of the week, and two days later we were flying to Miami. That was the soonest flight we could get on. Each night, I held Cat in my arms. I didn’t think either one of us got much sleep. For me, I didn’t want to go into a deep sleep in case she needed me, and even though Cat had never said as much, I knew she was thinking about the ordeal she was put through. I could relate. The first time I shot a person, I replayed that day over and over again. I hadn’t killed the guy, but it was still traumatic. Even with my training. The plane touched down, and after we grabbed our bags, we went to wait for our ride. Before we’d left, Cat had messaged Nathan on Facebook and asked him to pick us up. I’m sure he was dying to

hear all about our time together since Cat had left him and came to me. Nathan pulled up in a convertible, red Ford Mustang. After putting the car in park, he got out and rushed to Cat, hugging her while I stood awkwardly with our bags. If he only knew that the hug probably meant more to Cat than ever because she’d almost lost it all. “Nathan, you remember Seth.” He stuck out his hand, and I shook it. “Nice to see you again,” he said. “You too, man. Thanks for picking us up.” “Anything for this girl.” “Even pretending to date her,” I teased. Nathan rubbed the back of his neck. “That was all her doing.” “It’s cool. It all worked out in the end, right?” I smiled at Cat, and she grinned back. “Well, get in, and I’ll bring you home, baby girl.” Nathan gestured to the passenger door and then went to the driver’s side. I opened the door, and Cat climbed in the back, me in the front. After we were on the road, he asked, “So you had a good time?” My heart clenched, and I wished I could see Cat’s face. I wished I could hold her hand. “I have something to tell you, but not while you’re driving.” Nathan looked at me and then glanced at Cat again in the mirror. “What? You two got married?”

“I wish, dude,” I replied, trying to ease whatever Cat was feeling. “I fucking wish.” The car was silent at my confession. I didn’t care. I’d marry Cat tomorrow if she wanted to. Cat told Nathan how we reconnected and spent the next day and night together. What all we did in Vegas, leaving out the intimate details. She left the conversation as though we’d spent the entire time together. Not that she’d been kidnapped. Once we pulled up to a one-story house with a pavered driveway, we got out. Back in D.C., I didn’t live in a house. I had a condo because I didn’t have time to keep up with a yard or anything like that. That, of course, would change once Cat and I figured out where we were going to live. Nathan and I grabbed our bags while Cat opened the front door. When I walked in, I totally knew it was Cat’s house. It was just so girly. A crystal chandelier hung in the entry, and another one hung above the wooden dining room table that had flowers on it. Granted the flowers were now dead. And when I got to the master bedroom, big fluffy pillows were on a made-up bed. After my tour of the inside, the doorbell rang. I looked at Cat, and she smiled. “Hannah.” I watched as she opened the door and was engulfed in a pair of arms. “You are never allowed to go MIA again. I was so worried about you.”

“Han,” Cat mumbled. “You want to meet my boyfriend?” Hannah pushed away from Cat in a hurry and her gaze locked with mine. I smiled and stuck out my hand. “Hey, I’m Seth.” She stared at me for a moment as Cat closed the door and then Hannah’s hand came out to meet mine. “So you’re the reason she went MIA?” And there went my heart again. It clenched in my chest. I wanted to be the reason Cat went MIA, but not for the reality of the situation. “Han, I have something to tell you.” Hannah’s eyes cut down to Cat’s hand, and Cat chuckled. “No, we didn’t get married.” “Well, tell me what it is,” she whined. “Come out to the lanai. Nathan is out there, and I can tell you both at the same time.” Cat led us to her backyard where Nathan was waiting. “Nice view,” I praised, looking out at the lagoon. Cat smiled and took a seat. “Thanks, but don’t go swimming in it. There are gators.” “No shit?” I asked as I sat next to her. Hannah sat next to Nathan after giving him a quick hug. “Yeah, but they’re harmless. Still scary, but they don’t chase you or anything.” “Well, I don’t plan on going in there to find out.” I chuckled.

“So what was it that you wanted to tell us?” Nathan asked. I grabbed Cat’s hand, linking our fingers and rubbed my thumb across the back as she told them everything. When she was done, they stared at her as though they were in disbelief. “You’re joking, right?” Nathan asked. Cat shook her head. “You were kidnapped and sold to a pimp?” Hannah asked. Cat nodded. I pulled her to me and kissed the top of her head. “And you saved her?” Nathan asked. Cat didn’t go into much detail about the case other than I was undercover and stopped her from almost being raped. “Not soon enough,” I confessed. “I never want to go to Vegas,” Hannah stated as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in the chair. “It’s not a common occurrence,” I affirmed. “Except it happened to Cat just by getting in a taxi,” Hannah countered. “There’s sex trafficking rings all over the world. I’m sure there are a few here in Miami. You just never know.” “Well, Cat and I are going to go to a selfdefense class or something. This shit has me scared.”

“After Seth and I go on a real vacation.” Cat smiled up at me which made me happy. Not only because we were going away together, but I knew talking about what had happened to her couldn’t have been easy. “You two deserve it,” Nathan said. “I can’t even imagine. You’re a strong chick, baby girl.” “Oh my God!” Hannah gasped suddenly. “Remember that guy Dan from speed dating? Could you imagine if he’s really a murderer?” I watched as Cat’s eyes widened and remembered seeing that Dan guy had called Cat while we were in Vegas. “Well, I’ll never hear from him again anyway,” Cat stated. “I lost his number when they took all my stuff when I was kidnapped.” “Should I be jealous here?” I asked. I was jealous hearing Cat talk about another man even if it was her saying she’ll never hear from him again. Cat snorted. “No. I don’t even know the guy’s last name. He’ll probably just think I’m blowing him off.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Good,” I stated. I had plans. Big plans and they didn’t involve me fighting for Cat with another dude.

I never saw a gator, though I was looking. When I spent my summers in Miami, I’d seen a few. Never swam with them, though. “Your friends seem nice.” We slid under the covers of her king-sized bed. “Yeah, they are.” “How long have you been friends with them?” Cat placed her head on my chest and paused, thinking. “I’ve known Hannah since my senior year and Nathan about Five or six years.” “Oh, right. I remember you mentioning Hannah when we used to talk that year. I’m glad you had people.” She looked up at me. “Now I have all my people.” I leaned down a little and brushed my lips against hers. She returned the kiss, and before I could stop myself, my tongue licked against her bottom lip, and she opened, granting me access. We kissed for long seconds until Cat rose and straddled my hips. We went from being together several times a day to nothing, and now, as she sat on top of me, my dick hardened. And then Cat retreated, scurrying away to her side of the bed. “Kitty—” “I’m sorry.” A tear slid down her cheek, and I brushed it away with my thumb. “Don’t be sorry.”

“But I’m broken,” she cried. I rolled to face her, raising up on my elbow. “I’m gonna say it again, baby. You went through some shit.” “Yeah, but I can’t even be with my boyfriend. When I feel something down there, I think about the faceless man.” I brushed more tears from her face. “Kitty Cat, I loved you before we were having sex, and I’m going to love you when we’re old and I can’t get it up anymore. We’re gonna get through this.” She chuckled through her tears. “I hope we have sex again before you can’t get it up anymore.” I grinned down at her. “I hope so too, but if not, it’s not going to change how I feel about you.” Cat smiled tightly up at me. “I love you.” I softly kissed her lips. “I love you too, baby.”

The next morning, after we got Cat a new cell phone, we drove to my grandma’s. It was a lot nicer than the trailer she once had. She had a one bedroom apartment in a senior living facility that had everything she needed. “When was the last time you saw your grandma?” Cat asked as I pulled into the driveway. “It’s been a couple of years. Once I made detective, finding vacation time was hard.”

“I’m glad we’re going to Fiji next week.” While Cat and I ate breakfast, I’d booked us a trip to Fiji. When I brought it up, Cat joked that she’d always wanted to stay in one of the huts on the crystal blue water. So I said, “Let’s do it.” Cat had turned to me, wide-eyed as I was already searching flights. I didn’t care. I’d go into debt for this girl. I wanted to give her the world because she deserved it. “I know, baby. Just you and me in our own private hut.” “Can’t wait.” We exited the car, and I grabbed her hand as we walked to my grandma’s front door. I’d half expected Grandma to be waiting in the parking lot for us. I knocked once, and the door flew open. “Sethie!” Grandma cried and rushed into my arms. I dropped Cat’s hand, embracing my grandma. “Hey, Grandma. Long time no see.” She pulled back and cupped my cheeks. “Too long.” Grandma looked at Cat. “Catherine Stone, you’ve grown into such a beautiful young lady.” The women hugged. “Thank you so much, Mrs. McKenna.” “Come inside. Harold and I have some lemonade made.”

I swear Harold and Grandma were like teenagers in love. It was good to see my grandma happy. The four of us sipped on lemonade while I told them about my work in D.C., the undercover job in Vegas, how Joss was married and then Cat told them about her ordeal. I wasn’t expecting her to say anything, but the way Cat was able to rehash it all over and over seemed therapeutic. And she needed that. I’d heard therapy was like that. You’d talk about your problems, get them off your chest, and then have a sense of relief. Whatever Cat needed to do, I was all for it. Before we left, I pulled Grandma aside and said, “Grandma, I’m gonna marry that girl.”

Our next stop was dinner at her parents’ house. In all the years I’d known Cat, I’d never met them. I’d seen them drop her off at Joss’s trailer a few times during the summers we spent together, but not once had either one of them gotten out of the car. Cat directed me to her folk’s place in Coconut Grove. It was a two-story tiled roof home that to me screamed money. Not like Mark’s place in Vegas. That was unreal. But this house was a Spanish style home with a three car garage, a circular driveway, a lush yard with palm trees around it, and a pool that overlooked part of the

ocean. Now I understood why Cat was freaking out about missing work. Just seeing this house told my intuitions that Dr. Stone was good at his job and their practice was successful. Cat didn’t bother to knock as we entered the front door. No one was there as we made our way inside. We found her parents outside, underneath the upstairs balcony sitting at a table that pointed to a pool that overlooked the water. “Mom. Dad. This is Seth McKenna.” I stuck out my hand and greeted them with a nod each. “Nice to meet you both.” “Over the years we’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.” I glanced at Cat noticing she was blushing from her mother’s words. “All good things, I hope.” “You did break her heart, son,” Cat’s father stated. I rubbed the back of my neck, but Cat spoke for me. “That’s in the past. It was actually a misunderstanding.” “Oh?” Cat’s mom asked. “I was young and dumb, and Seth was just out of the academy. The time just wasn’t right.” “Fair enough,” her father said and sat back down, gesturing for me to sit as well. “You have a lovely home, Dr. Stone.” “Please, call us Carroll and Cora. There isn’t a need to be formal.”

I smiled at them. “Will do.” “So, Cat,” Carroll turned to her, “tell us about Vegas.” And so it began.

Carroll and Cora didn’t take the news well. I didn’t blame them. But Cat was strong, assured them that everything was going to be okay and she had me to protect her now. I’d take a bullet to the heart before I’d let anything happen to her again. Cat and her mom were in the kitchen preparing dinner while Carroll and I sat under a fan outside. “There’s something I need to ask you, Carroll.” His gaze flicked to mine. “Okay?” “I’ve known your daughter almost my entire life. I’ve loved her since I was fifteen. Since I first laid eyes on her. And I know I screwed up letting her get away, but this time, I’m not. I want to marry her. I want to make her my wife and spend the next eighty years making up for the past eleven. I want to give her the world, and I was wondering if I have your blessing to ask for her hand?” He stared at me for a beat, and I thought he was going to say no, but then he surprised me by saying, “It’s about fucking time.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Cat Fiji. We’ve all seen it in magazines or on a TV show or in movies, and when I joked to Seth that I wanted to go there—to escape—I thought my dream was far-fetched. Then he shocked me and actually did it. But I couldn’t let him pay for the entire thing, even if he insisted, so I paid for the flights, and he was going to pay for everything else. Once we made it to the resort on the Malolo Island, we were escorted to one of the ten private huts or what the locals referred to as bures. Words could not describe the pristine, turquoise lagoon and marine sanctuary. It was awe-inspiring. Once inside, I was breathless as I took in the plush kingsized bed and wood accents throughout. What amazed me the most was the Plexiglas section of the floor that allowed us to see all the fish swimming below. It was pure heaven, and I was in it with Seth. We had our own deck and were told we would have a canape plate from the chef and a glass of champagne daily. When the gentleman

mentioned the glass of champagne, Seth turned to me and smirked. Clearly, Seth didn’t need a glass to drink champagne. “What do you want to do first?” Seth asked as we both fell backward onto the bed. I was exhausted from the twenty plus hours it took to get here, so my first thought was that I wanted to sleep, but it was still the afternoon, and I didn’t want to miss our first sunset in paradise. “We could swim and then eat dinner while the sun goes down,” I suggested. “I like your thinkin’, Kitty Cat.”

“I can’t believe this is our backyard right now,” I beamed as we changed into our suits. “It really is paradise.” Seth looked out the opened wall. The entire wall was rolled up and revealed the crystal blue water. There were no neighbors to look at, no people walking by. The only thing you could see was a small island in the distance. We walked out onto our wooden deck and straight into the warm water. It came to the top of my shoulders and to Seth’s pecs. As we swam a few feet, tropical fish swarmed below, and I felt as though I was in an aquarium. I couldn’t get over the

reality of where we were, and honestly, who I was with. A month ago I never dreamed I would be in Fiji with Seth. For so long I had questioned why. Why did Seth take my virginity and not care? Why did I have to fall in love with my best friend? And why did it still hurt after years of trying to find a replacement for him? But, of course, life has a way of working out, and in the end, the pieces fell into place. If we hadn’t gotten together when I was eighteen, maybe that Tony guy would still be stealing women. Joss finding Bryce had nothing to do with Seth and me, but would things have gone differently if I hadn’t been kidnapped? And what if Seth and I had stayed together when I was eighteen? That didn’t mean we would still be together. Maybe teenage Cat and rookie cop Seth would have never worked out. Now we were older, smarter, wiser, and I was willing to accept that maybe our good thing back in the day fell apart so better things could come together now. After a long time of soaking in the water, me in Seth’s arms as we talked, we decided to shower and call for room service. As we waited for our food to be delivered, we lounged in bed, staring out at the sun as it set into orange, pink, yellow and red hues. I wasn’t sure if it was the location or the view or just everything together, but suddenly my mouth

found Seth’s and I forgot all our worries. It was slow at first, tasting, teasing, and I realized that I’d never get enough of this man. For so long I yearned for him, and now I could kiss him whenever I wanted. Seth was kissing me harder, leaning over me as his tongue thrust deeper into my mouth. Shivers raced down my spine, and I moaned, wanting more —needing more. My body missed his touch, the way he felt pressed against me, his hard to my soft. Seth groaned in response, not doing anything except working his mouth against mine as though he was trying to memorize the feel of my lips on his. My mind started to think, overpowering my body that wanted to only feel. Was Seth trying to memorize the way I felt against him? Did he think that, at any moment, I could be ripped out of his life again? That I’d run? If he thought that, he was wrong. But I couldn’t give him more right now because I felt broken, like a piece of me was missing. Finally, my brain caught up to my body, telling it that my missing puzzle piece was Seth all along. And he was here, now, kissing me with such emotion that I was melting beneath him. I wrapped my fingers in his short brown hair, trying to bring him closer to me—needing to bring him closer to me. If I could, I would crawl into him and never leave because this man was the one who wanted to

protect me. My heart exploded in my chest at the thought that I was finally going to get my happily ever after. The one I’d read about in so many love stories. The one I’d longed for since I was twelve years old. The one that was almost stolen from me. Seth’s hand ran over my breast, and I willed my brain to continue to listen to my body and heart. But as his hand skimmed lower, the memory of the faceless man invaded my thoughts. I cringed. If I couldn’t stand Seth’s hands on me, how was I going to get my HEA? Seth pulled his lips from mine and looked down at me. “You okay?” I wanted to tell him yes, but before I could utter a word, a single tear slipped from my eye. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. His thumb brushed my cheek collecting the salty drop. “Don’t be sorry, baby. We’ll go as slow as you need to.” “How do they do it?” “Who?” he asked. “Women who were raped. How do they get past it and have sex again?” “I don’t really know.” “Joss was able to.” Seth nodded slowly. “Because she found someone she could trust. You know you can trust me, right?” I sniffed. “Of course.”

“And you remember all the fun we had having sex?” I smiled at the memory. “Of course.” “Then maybe focus on that? Don’t think about the faceless man. Know that it’s me who will be touching you, bringing you pleasure, not pain. It will be me loving you.” He kissed my lips softly. Seth was right. Instead of thinking about the villain, I needed to think about the good guy. The one who literally wanted to give me the world starting with Fiji.

Our five nights in Fiji were coming to an end. We’d snorkeled, paddle boarded, sunbathed, walked on the beach and just relaxed. Seth and I still hadn’t had sex, though. He wasn’t trying, and I was trying to get out of my head. It didn’t stop us from making out like teenagers whenever we got the urge. Each night when we’d kiss before bed, we got one step closer to going all the way. It was as though I was a virgin again. Oddly enough, I wasn’t this nervous the first time around. The first time with Seth—with anyone. Now it was our final night, and Seth had planned for us to have dinner on the beach. The night couldn’t have been more perfect. The sunset was beautiful red, pink, yellow and orange shades,

the weather wasn’t too hot or cold, and the wind blew a light breeze. And I was experiencing it all with my man. We were led to a table not far from the waves hitting the shore, two glasses of champagne were poured, and then we were left to enjoy the night as we waited for our dinner. “The trip went fast,” Seth stated after taking a sip of his drink. “It did,” I agreed. “I don’t want to leave.” He nodded. “Neither do I.” “Are you going to go back to D.C. right away?” We hadn’t talked about what was going to happen when we’d return to the States. I never brought it up because I didn’t want to hear him tell me he had to go back. I’d become used to going to bed each night with him, and waking up every morning to his smiling face. The first thing I needed to do when I returned home was get a dog. I needed someone to cuddle with while I waited for each visit. Would it be days? Weeks? Months? The thought made me sad. “I don’t want to.” He sighed and looked out to the endless waters as though he was thinking. “I don’t want you to either,” I confessed. Seth thought for a moment, still looking out at the water and then he turned back to me. “I can look into finding a job in Miami.” My eyes lit up. “Yeah?”

“Kitty Cat, I’d do anything for you.” He grabbed my hand and leaned toward me from across the table. “Even if that means leaving the one place I’ve always called home. I don’t care. I once chose my career before fighting for you, and that led to years of being miserable. I don’t want to go down that road again.” “Me either.” I nodded. Seth grinned. “But you see, if I’m willing to pack up and move to you, you need to do something for me.” I tilted my head slightly. “What’s that?” Seth’s smile widened, and before I knew it, he was sliding from his chair and down on one knee in front of me. My world stopped. The waves, the birds, the moon. Everything stood still except for Seth as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a diamond ring. The flames from the candles on the table reflected against it, and my breath caught as I stared at the round diamond on a band that looked like two vines wound together. “Marry me.” I didn’t have to think. My brain, my heart, and my body were all screaming the right answer. “Yes.”

I couldn’t eat my dinner fast enough. It was some sort of fish, but all I could focus on was the diamond on my left hand. “I hope you like it.” Seth took a bite of his food. “Are you kidding me? It’s gorgeous!” Not only was the band woven together like a vine, but one side had petite diamonds along the band and solid on the other. “I didn’t know if you’d want gold or silver, so I went with white gold.” “5-0, really, I love it.” He smiled. “I also thought that the twisted vines were like us. You light up a room, sparkle in the moonlight.” “It’s perfect. Just like you.” I stood and moved to sit on his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. “You could have given me a ring out of a Cracker Jack box, and I would be happy. You make me happy.” “And you make me happy.” I practically pulled Seth to our hut. I was so excited. I had no idea he wanted to get engaged because we’d been together for only a few weeks. But Seth was right. We were miserable without each other, so why wait? If two people loved each other, it shouldn’t matter. Look at Joss and Paul. They were only together for a few months before they got married. Seth and I had seventeen years of

history. And he said he’d move to Miami for me. I didn’t know what that would entail, but the thought that we’d be together forever had me rushing to our private room so I could show him how happy he made me. Seth opened the door to the hut, and our mouths locked. We spun to the bed as the door closed behind us. The entire time our lips were pressed together, I thought about Seth. If I couldn’t let him touch me, then how would our marriage last? It wouldn’t. I needed to trust him. Trust that he would take care of me like he always had. At the side of the bed, I unbuttoned his shirt, getting it off his body and onto the floor. Then we removed my dress, his shorts, and our underwear until we were both naked, him on top of me. “Are you sure?” he asked. I nodded. “I think so.” “Want me to go slow?” “Maybe I should do it?” Seth grinned. “I’m not going to stop you from riding me, baby.” I smiled, and we switched positions so I was straddling his hips, the picturesque ocean view in front of me. The moments it took for me to grab his cock and position it under me, I kept chanting to myself, “I can do this. I can do this.” I needed to remind myself that it was fun and this was Seth. Before I slid onto his base, I looked into his

emerald eyes and knew, at that moment, that I could do it. I was staring at the face I dreamed about all the time. It wasn’t some faceless man, it was Seth. The tip of his shaft probed at my entrance, and I lowered, taking him in little by little. A sense of relief washed over me. Maybe I would still have nightmares—still think about what had happened, but not now. Now I was going to ride my fiancé. My fiancé. Seth and I were engaged. To be married. It was surreal, to say the least. “That’s it, baby,” Seth groaned. “I’ve missed this,” I confessed because I had. I started off slow, moving my hips back and forth, getting used to him. I braced myself, my hands behind me on his thighs as I arched my back and picked up my speed. Seth’s hands roamed up my stomach lightly, then to my breasts, cupping them and squeezing lightly. The feel of his rough hands on my soft skin intensified my mood, and I leaned forward, placing my hands on his biceps as my hips moved up and down on his hard erection. Seth was hot. Plain and simple. From his piercing green eyes to his tatted arm to his ripped abs. And then, of course, his cock that was bringing all the pleasure I craved. I needed to taste him, show him how happy I was to be marrying him. Every slide of

my hips, every twirl of my tongue, was me pouring my heart out. His hands rubbed my ass, turning me on more, causing my hips to roll. Our mouths were still tasting, sucking, devouring. Every inch of our bodies needed to be rubbing together. It was my turn to memorize the feel of him, remember that fear wasn’t going to stop me from living my life. “God, you feel good,” he groaned. “I love your pussy, baby.” I moaned in response, continuing to ride him. I stole a glance at the ocean in front of me and smiled. This was what I’d imagined heaven would be like. At least my heaven. “You’re so beautiful.” I looked down, gazing into his eyes again and smiled. “I’m going to dream about you riding me like this. How your perfect tits bounce with each roll of your hips. How you let out little moans when I hit your G-Spot. How the fucking sunset glows off your tanned skin.” “Babe,” I moaned. “Just kiss me, baby.” I leaned forward, taking his mouth with mine, and let out a gasp when Seth’s hands grabbed each side of my ass and spread me open. Our movements picked up and he slammed up into me. I sucked in a

breath and held on while he drove me closer and closer to the point of letting go. “Oh my God, keep doing that,” I moaned. “I want to fuck you like this until I feel that sweet little pussy clenching around my dick.” Seth’s hands grabbed my breasts, each one squeezing a nipple, and then I spasmed, my orgasm rocking me to my core. I hadn’t realized how much I missed this—missed him—missed the feel of him. “Christ, Cat,” he groaned, my pussy clenching his cock like he’d wanted. “Fuck!” I held on as he pumped into me with vigor until he was groaning his release and we were left sweaty and sated. “I love you,” I said, kissing his lips as we both tried to catch our breaths. Seth’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me until I was pressed flat against him, his shaft still inside of me. “I love you more and more every day, Kitty Cat.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Seth We flew back to Miami, and a few days later I left to go back to D.C. I needed to give my twoweek notice. I had no other option—no other job to go to, but I didn’t care. My life was now complete with Cat back in it, and I didn’t want to put my job before her again. There would be another position for me to take. I didn’t care. What mattered was being with Cat. Life was too short to have my priorities mixed up. That came full frontal when I almost watched her head get blown off. “I’ll call you every night before I go to bed,” I said. Cat was in my arms as we stood on the curb at the departure terminal. “I’m going to miss you.” I sighed, pulling her closer to me, and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll miss you too, Kitty Cat, but it’s only for two weeks, and then I’m moving in.” We smiled at each other. We hadn’t talked about where I’d live when I did move to Miami, but I wasn’t moving in with Grandma. “Oh good. You can take out the trash.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, that’s all I’m good for.” I felt her smile against my T-shirted chest. “I’m sure I can come up with a few more things.” We hugged for a few more seconds until a security guy eyed me and, without speaking, told us we needed to move Cat’s car. “I better go catch my flight. I’ll call you when I land.” I took her lips, taking as much as I could to last me two long weeks.

“Look what the cat dragged in.” I looked into the next cubicle from me and laughed at Gibbs as he sat at his desk. We both had cubicles as desks for when we were actually at the station, but only a half-wall divided us, allowed us to talk which helped when we were on a case. Gibbs and I had only been partners together as detectives for a year. When we were on patrol, we were partners for two years, and then he got promoted to detective. I was promoted when his previous partner retired. “Miss me?” “Nah, man. I can do this job without you,” he teased. “Well, good ’cause you’re gonna have to.” He balked. “What does that mean?” “I gave my notice.”

“What? Why? Transferring to the FBI or what?” I chuckled. “No. I’m moving to Miami.” He leaned forward. “This about Cat?” Gibbs knew Cat. He’d met her years ago when we went bowling, and he knew all about what happened when she saw me with his sister. “So, Joss got married in Vegas.” “What does that have to do with …” And then as if it all clicked into place. “Cat came to the wedding?” I nodded. “She did.” He leaned back in his chair. “And since you’re quitting your job and moving to Miami, I’m assuming you two hit it off?” “Well,” I rubbed the back of my neck, “I actually proposed to her.” I wasn’t sure why I was nervous to mention that to him, but I was hoping he wouldn’t judge me for rushing in so fast. I didn’t feel that it was fast because this was Cat I was talking about. “No shit?” Gibbs stood, knocking over his chair. “Shit went down, bro.” “Apparently.” He righted his chair and smoothed his tie before he sat down. “You have no idea.” Gibbs was my best friend, and I knew I could trust him, so I told him about the wedding, the undercover case and how Cat got

mixed up in it. When I was done, he stared at me, not saying anything. “You gonna say anything?” “I can’t. I’m literally speechless.” “It’s all good now. The perp is dead, Cat’s safe, and I got the girl.” Gibbs blew out a breath. “Still, dude. That’s some crazy ass shit.” “I know. I lived it.” He stuck out his hand. “Congrats on finally getting your woman.” I smiled and took his hand. “Thanks.”

The two weeks flew by. I was able to give my notice, put my condo on the market, and get most of my stuff packed. My last day on the job, Gibbs threw me a going away party at Lola’s. The entire station came to wish me luck. Even my folks. “Son, I always thought you’d follow in my footsteps.” Dad had spent twenty-five years on the force before he called it quits. In that time, he’d made detective, sergeant, and lieutenant. He retired before making captain because my mother had a hard time being married to a cop. Things got better between them once he made detective and started to work more at a desk than out in the streets.

“I am,” I clarified. A few days after I’d returned to D.C., I had dinner with my parents, told them about my time undercover and, of course, everything about Cat. My mom was sad I was leaving but excited to meet my future wife. Dad … Well, I guess he wanted me to marry the job. “Once you get settled, I’ll call my guy at Miami Dade and see what we can do.” I smiled. “You don’t have a guy in Miami.” He chuckled. “All I need to do is drop my title.” “Your previous title,” I corrected. “Troy, leave Seth alone. He’s a grown man.” My gaze flicked to my mom. “Maybe he doesn’t want to be a cop anymore.” “Whoa.” I held up my palms in defense. “I’m only relocating. I ain’t quitting the force.” I had practiced being a cop practically my entire life. I didn’t just decide it one day when I was twenty-one. I lived and breathed it, and that was where I went wrong when it came to Cat. That was no longer the case. Mom smiled tightly. “A mother can dream.” My mother hadn’t wanted me to be a cop. However, she’d supported me when I went into the academy and ever since. That was what mothers did when their sons were no longer babies.

“Take care of Grandma, yeah?” Dad said, changing the subject. “Harold is doing a bang-up job, Dad. I’ve never seen her so happy.” “Your mom and I are visiting for Thanksgiving. I’ll be the judge of this Harold character.” I shook my head, laughing. “I look forward to it.” A bell behind the bar rang, and I turned to see the bartender, Greg, who I also considered a friend, holding up a pint of amber colored beer. I looked around to see everyone in the bar was holding up their drinks. “I’ve known you for a long time, Seth. I was here when you solved your first case, through all the nights you were stressed about solving more cases and I’ve watched your revolving door of women through the years.” Everyone chuckled, including me. “I was even here to make your pain go away when that girl, who oddly enough is the reason you’re leaving, broke your heart. I’m going to miss you, Detective McKenna. You’ll always be a brother to me. And if beer were an ocean, and I was a duck. I’d swim to the bottom to drink my way up. But the ocean is not beer, and I’m not a duck. So here’s to us, now let’s get fucked up.” The entire bar erupted into cheers, and that was exactly what I did.

A month later, I still hadn’t found a job. It wasn’t for lack of trying, but the process was taking longer than I’d thought it would. I debated submitting an application for a patrol position, but I knew in time that I’d find a job. Even if I had to call my old man and have him put in a good word. My cell rang, and I picked it up off the coffee table. “Hey, baby,” I answered. “Autumn had her baby!” Cat screeched. I smiled. “That’s awesome.” “Want to go to Vegas this weekend?” I chuckled. “Do you?” I could tell that every day got better for her. When I was back in D.C., there were some nights I had to stay on the phone until she fell asleep. Then there were times I’d wake up to a call from her asking me to calm her after a nightmare. It tore me up inside each time, but they were slowly coming to an end. I could feel it. “I do. Face my fears and all that. Plus, I want to see that baby!” “Okay, then let’s go to Vegas this weekend.” She squealed. “I’ll tell Joss we’re coming and book us a flight.” “Cat—” I started to protest. “Don’t start with me, 5-0. We live in modern times. I can afford a trip to Vegas. You can’t ’cause

you aren’t working, and you aren’t working because of me.” “Because of us,” I corrected. “I quit to make an us. You and me.” “I know, and that’s why I’ve got this. Plus, you bought me a two-carat engagement ring and a trip to Fiji.” And I’d spent most of my savings doing so, but I didn’t give a fuck. “All right. I’ll pack a bag.”

We arrived in Vegas a little before midnight. We rented a car because there was no way Cat would ever step foot in a stranger’s car again. I didn’t blame her. When Gibbs and I had gone into that house with all the doll heads, I’d had nightmares about them coming alive. To this day it’s hard for me to even look at a Barbie. When Cat and I have kids, I would be praying for boys. And if we have girls, they’ll be playing with G.I. Joes and Hot Wheels or having tea parties with teddy bears. Ain’t no headless doll making their way into my house. The following morning, Cat and I stopped at Starbucks outside of Bally’s before heading to Gabe and Autumn’s. We’d upgraded to a suite like we had the first time we’d stayed in the hotel. I wasn’t sure if any other place on the strip offered a fifty dollar upgrade, but Cat insisted we stay by

Starbucks. What I wanted to do was find the taxi she was put in and drove to her nightmare. If he was still out there, he needed to be put away too. I needed to talk to Joss and find out where the case was at. Surely she’d gotten the camera feed from the hotel and had found that fucker. We pulled up to the address that Joss had texted to Cat. Paul’s Jeep was sitting at the curb, so I parked behind him. I stole a glance at Cat before we opened the doors to get out. She was beaming. “Ready?” “You’re excited?” I teased. Cat chuckled. “I’m excited to see our friends again, aren’t you?” I nodded. “Of course.” “Well, let’s go!” She opened the door and then she was out of the car. I followed, grabbing her hand as we walked up the walkway to the front door and rang the bell. Gabe pulled the door open. “Hey, Papa!” Cat greeted. He smiled, dimples appearing in his cheeks. “Hey, guys. Thanks for coming.” We shook hands, Cat hugged him, and then she skated around him to where Autumn, the baby, Joss, and Paul were sitting. “So what’s it like?” I asked, looking at Autumn as she passed her baby to Cat. “Being a father?” he asked, shutting the door behind me.

I nodded. His grin widened. “It’s instant love. Practically the same feeling I had toward his mother.” “His mother?” I asked, making sure I’d heard him correctly. “Liam James Hastings.” I clapped him on the back. “Congrats, dude.” “Thanks.” Paul stood and shook my hand, followed by Joss hugging me. I was still watching Cat as she held Liam with the biggest smile spread across her face. “This kid right here,” Paul motioned to Liam as Autumn hugged me hello, “is named after me.” Gabe groaned while both Joss and Autumn said, “Oh God,” with a sigh. “Your name’s not Liam,” I corrected as if Paul didn’t know his own name. “Don’t make me change my mind, PJ,” Gabe warned. Paul smiled. “See. James is my middle name.” “So what you’re sayin’ is you’re the father?” I joked. “No, I’m not the father.” He rolled his eyes. “But I was in the next room when he was made.” “Seriously!” Autumn snapped. “Do you have to go around telling everyone that you’ve heard Gabe and I having sex?”

I took a seat next to Cat. Joss followed me and rolled her eyes as we watched Autumn and Paul argue. “I was just statin’ facts.” “PJ,” Gabe warned again. “All I’m sayin’ is the boy was named after me.” Autumn looked to Gabe. “I think we made a mistake. Obviously, he can’t handle this.” “Auttie,” Paul snapped. “I’m fuckin’ delighted and bragging to my boy Seth that my two best friends in the entire world named their kid after me. Of course I can handle it.” “Why did you name Liam after Paul?” Cat asked. All eyes shot to her, but Autumn spoke. “Because if it weren’t for this jackass, we’d be dead.” The room fell silent. “What she means is that PJ has had my back more times than I can count. He’s saved my ass numerous times, and if it weren’t for him, none of this would be happening,” Gabe corrected. Thoughts of Paul having my back during the undercover mission floated into my mind. He’d never batted an eye when Joss told him that he needed to be my bodyguard. Paul just did it. He risked his life to help protect mine, and then he did the same when Cat was in danger. He could have easily gone outside and let the police and FBI

handle Tony and the pimp who bought Cat, but he didn’t. He was rushing ahead of me ready to take a bullet for everyone I loved, especially in the name of his wife. Joss had found a man to continue protecting her like I’d tried to do. I knew, however, that he was going to do a better job than I had. “Holy shit!” Joss gasped, looking at Cat. “What the fuck is that on your hand?” I looked down to Cat’s left hand, and a smile instantly split my face. Cat held up her hand and asked, “This thing?” I chuckled. “So, yeah. We have some news too.”

I left Cat to sleep while I went downstairs to meet Joss at Starbucks. The night before, Cat and I had all but recreated our first time together in one of those suites. This time there was no handcuffs or champagne involved. For one, I didn’t think Cat was ready for the cuffs, and two, we didn’t stop to get a bottle of champagne. I just wanted my girl. When I arrived at Starbucks, Joss was already there, sitting at the top of the stone seats in the middle of the store. When she saw me, she stood and smiled. “Marriage looks good on you, kid.” “It does, doesn’t it?”

“You never told me where you went on your honeymoon after the case was over.” Joss beamed and handed me a cup of coffee. “Italy.” My eyes widened. “Italy? Wow!” “Paul has a thing about the beach and sand. I guess it reminds him of home and Afghanistan so we went to Rome.” “That’s amazing.” I took a sip of the warm coffee. “It was.” “I’m glad you’re happy.” “And I’m glad you’re happy.” “Should have fought harder for her. We would have beat you to the altar.” “Now you know to never keep anything from me. I would have helped you.” I took another sip of the coffee. “Things have a way of working out in the end.” “They do,” she agreed. “Speaking of, what’s been going on with the case?” “DA struck a deal with Bryce. He was sentenced to five years. I visit him almost every weekend.” “Is that safe? I mean, you’re FBI. Do the inmates think he’s a narc?” “Don’t think so. I don’t go in carrying my badge or weapon or anything. I go as his sister.”

“True. So is he getting out of the game?” “Says he is,” she sighed. “I mean, he better.” “Did he confess why he killed Tony?” “I asked him when I went to visit a few weekends ago.” “And?” “Isn’t it obvious?” “Well—I guess, but it was still crazy. That was his father.” Joss took a deep breath and stared out the window as she spoke. “It was the only way to get out from under him.” “Yeah, but that was his dad. His blood.” She turned back to me. “And so am I. So was my mom.” “I get it.” I remembered what Bryce had said when he shot Tony. “This is for my sister!” Bryce roared. Pop. “This is for my mother!” Pop. “And this is for me!” Pop. “How is he handling killing his own father, though?” I continued. “You know … He doesn’t look sad at all when I see him. I think he’s relieved to not have to live under his thumb.”

I nodded. I’d probably feel the same way. “When are you going back to D.C.?” “I’m not.” My eyes widened. “So you really are transferring?” “Already did. I’m back to working sex crimes, which leads me to what I need to talk to you about.” “Oh, God … Do I need to go undercover again?” I didn’t mind going undercover, but I’d just got my girl back, and we needed to plan our wedding. I didn’t want to take any chances. Joss chuckled. “No. Have you found a job in Miami yet?” “No.” I shook my head. “Not for lack of trying. Just a lot of fish in that pond with being so close to Cuba and the drug cartel.” I had no desire to work for the DEA. “Good. Want to move out here and work for VICE? Help me out on more trafficking and prostitution cases?” “Seriously?” Joss grinned. “They saw you takedown Tony. They’re all for having you onboard.” A pain in my heart started to cause it to ache. “But … Cat.” “She wouldn’t move?” “She wants to take over her dad’s practice.”

Joss nodded. “I get it’s a lot. You just moved from D.C. to be with her. Why don’t you talk to her and see what she says? The job offer is an open offer. It will be here whenever you need it.” I wanted to make sex crimes my passion. Because I wanted to stop them given what I’d learned about Joss’s past and what had happened to Cat. I just needed to convince Cat it was okay to move to a place that held bad memories.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Cat I woke to kisses moving up my bare arm. It wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last. It was a better wake-up call than any device on the market. As I started to wake, I smelled the scent of coffee and smiled. “Good morning, beautiful.” I smiled, my eyes still closed. “You really do love me.” “More than yesterday, Kitty Cat.” I sat up, the white sheet falling from my chest and revealing my bare breasts. Seth’s gaze honed in on them as he sat up on the side of the bed and stared. “More than my boobs?” “Your tits are a part of you, and I’m not biased.” I took a sip of the coffee, instantly feeling as though the caffeine entered my veins. “I had coffee with Joss.” “Everything good with the case?” “DA struck a deal. Bryce got five years, but might get out sooner for good behavior.”

“For murder?” I balked. “I read once that the FBI had covered up twenty-two thousand crimes in four years a few years back. They have their ways.” “Wow. That’s crazy,” I breathed. “And Joss is one of them.” “Sometimes the rules need to be broken. Are you sad that Tony is dead?” “Of course not.” “None of us are losing sleep over what Bryce did. In fact, it saved taxpayers money because now we don’t have to pay for that asshole to be in prison.” “I never thought of it that way.” “Anyway, I need to talk to you about something.” My stomach sank. I didn’t like that sentence. “Oh—kay?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Joss offered me a job.” My eyes widened. “She did?” “Well, not with the FBI, but here locally with VICE.” “Here … In Vegas?” He nodded, and my heart sank to meet my stomach. “I don’t know all the details, but I’d be working on cases about prostitution and trafficking.” “Like I was trafficked,” I whispered.

“Now you know why I’m considering it.” “You’re considering it?” “How could I not, Kitty Cat?” He reached up and brushed my hair behind my ear. “I have the chance to take more traffickers and pimps off the streets.” I turned my gaze from him. I knew Seth was looking for a job. Now he was offered a position over twenty-five hundred miles away. We were talking double what it was from D.C. “What are you going to do?” He grabbed my hands, and I turned to look back at him. “What do you want me to do?” “Why are you asking me?” “Because you’re my fiancé. This affects both of us. Would you move here? Joss and Paul are here. Autumn and Gabe, too.” “But my friends and family are back in Miami.” “And I left mine in D.C.” A lump started to form in my throat as I felt our worlds breaking apart again. “The difference though, baby, is you have friends here too. I moved to Miami and only had my grandma, and she’s all for knitting and shit. That just ain’t my thing.” I chuckled slightly. “But I’m supposed to take over my father’s practice.” “Is that what you want?”

I blinked. It was always the plan, but I hadn’t really thought about it being what I wanted. I went to school to be a dentist so I could take over the practice. I enjoyed dentistry, and I wanted money like my dad. I had nothing else to fall back on. “Think about it. I want to make the decision together, but this is an opportunity that will save lives. I’ll help you start your own practice here if that’s what it will take. I’ll make the entire precinct go to you. I don’t care. I love you, and I want to marry you.” “I want to marry you too.” A tear slid down my cheek. He was right, this could help save lives, but I didn’t want to let my dad down. Seth kissed my lips. “We’ll work this out. It’s not the end of the world.”

Things weren’t the same after our talk. Whenever we kissed, touched, had sex, it felt as though we poured everything into it because it could be our last. When we got back to Miami, I went back to work, and Seth did whatever it was that he did all day. I wasn’t sure if he was looking for a job or not. Things were just off. “You’re becoming quite the traveler, Ruthie.” I looked up from my desk to see my dad standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest.

“I think that’s coming to an end.” He uncrossed his arms and moved to sit in the chair in front of my desk. “Why’s that?” “Seth got offered a job in Vegas with VICE. I feel like we’re going to break up.” Dad sighed, nodding his head slowly as though he was trying to come up with what to say. “The world works in mysterious ways, Cat. You’ve wanted this guy for your entire life. I know it, your mom knows it, and you know it.” “I don’t want to break up with him,” I corrected. “Then what’s the problem?” I blinked rapidly, confused. “Um … This.” I waved my arm around to indicate the office. “So you take the boards in Nevada and get licensed there.” “Wait. What?” “What’s the confusion about?” “You!” I hissed. “You want me to take over the practice so you can retire. I don’t want to disappoint you.” Dad reached forward and placed his hand on mine. “I’m retiring next year even if you take over or not. I’m sure I can find someone to take over a successful practice.” “So you don’t need me?” I leaned back in my chair and crossed my hands over my chest.

“Of course I need you. You’re my daughter, but this is just a place to work. Is it worth giving up the love of your life for a job?” “It’s not just a job, Daddy. You’ve had this place practically my entire life. I know it like the back of my hand.” “So go start your own. You’ll know that one like the back of your hand too.” “Seth told me that he’d help me.” “Let him. I’ll loan you money to start it. I’m on my way out. Your mother and I will be traveling. Don’t do this for me. Do it for you.” I thought for a moment and then said, “Well, I guess I’m moving to Vegas.”

Three Months Later A month after my talk with my dad, Seth and I drove to Vegas with our entire lives in a giant moving truck. We’d hired a company to pack and load our life, and Seth was driving his truck while towing my car. Moving across the country was a lot of work. Dad hired a temporary dentist to take over my patients, and I was certain that he was trying to see if the guy was a good fit to take over when he’d retired. I tried to tell my father to keep his name on the door and to let other dentists work for him. He

said he’d think about it. I didn’t blame him. He wanted to retire and not have to worry about staff or paychecks or keeping the lights on. Joss had found Seth and me a place to rent until we were able to buy a house. Seth’s condo in D.C. sold, and my house was on the market. We joked that with the combined proceeds we might be able to afford a rooftop garden house. If anything, we could make one if we got a flat topped roof. It was on my must haves. Seth started his job with VICE, and I searched for a commercial office to rent or buy while I waited to take the Nevada boards. Living in Vegas was different from Florida for sure. There were no gators, and the only place I might see a snake would be on a hike in the desert. I could live with that. The more days that passed, the more I realized moving was the right thing to do. I was happy for the first time in eleven years. Today we were going to Autumn and Gabe’s wedding. Seth was bummed he’d missed Gabe’s bachelor party, but, of course, the boys told Seth that he would have a night he’d never forget. I didn’t even want to know. When that night came, I was flying Nathan and Hannah into town, and we were partying it up. No cabs, of course. One of the guys would have to be the designated driver or something because I would never take a chance like that again.

Since this was Autumn’s second wedding, and Gabe didn’t care as long as he got to give her his last name, they were having a small wedding at the Anthem Country Club. The lush greenery and rolling mountains in the background were stunning. A circular patio overlooked a pond, and burntorange roses were scattered down the sides of the chairs, making a walkway for Autumn. “Are you Cat?” I turned to see an older woman with Liam in her arms speaking to me. I smiled. “I am.” “Would you mind watching Liam until I’m escorted in? I’m Autumn’s mother, and I’m helping —” “No need to explain. I’ll take him.” I held out my arms as she passed Liam to me. “Thank you so much.” “No problem,” I cooed, rubbing my nose on Liam’s. He smiled, revealing dimples that matched his father’s. He also had his dad’s green eyes, but everything else resembled the dark haired beauty who was his mother. I held Liam in my arms while all the hot gigolos and call girls said hello to us. I held Liam in my arms even after Autumn’s mom was escorted to her seat. And I held Liam as we watched his mother walk down the aisle wearing her princess style wedding dress with capped sleeves, a scooped neckline, and beading that sparkled in the evening

sun. She was stunning and looked like an angel. Gabe wasn’t bad to look at either in his form fitted black tux. Mark was the officiant again, and when he started, my gaze moved to Joss. She was standing next to Autumn’s friend Brandi and was staring at Paul, who was standing next to Gabe and one of the current Saddles & Rack’s gigolos, Vinny. I didn’t know why Gabe had chosen him to be the other groomsman, but he had. Maybe one day, now that these people were becoming my friends, I’d get to hear Vinny’s story and find out why he was a part of the crew. “Are you ready for one?” I turned my head slowly, my eyes wide as I looked at Seth. “A baby?” I whispered. He nodded. “Yeah.” “Are you?” I countered, continuing to whisper. He put his arm behind my back along the chair, and whispered in my ear, “Yeah.” I blinked at him. “Can we get married first? Not that there’s anything wrong with Autumn and Gabe having this guy before now—” “And when will that be?” I frowned. We hadn’t picked a date because of the move and his new job. “Soon?” “How soon? ’Cause all these weddings are making me want to do it tomorrow.” “By Elvis?” I teased, still whispering.

He grinned. “Well, we are in Vegas.” I chuckled, low. “Joss wasn’t okay with having Elvis marry her, and neither am I.” “Pick a date, any date, Kitty Cat. And make it soon.” I smiled. “Okay, but for now, before we have a family, let’s enjoy you and me.” “There will always be a you and me.”

EPILOGUE

Seth Today I was marrying my best friend. Cat was one million percent my best friend in the entire world. Once I got her back in my life, everything seemed to fall into place. It was as though the universe was screaming, ‘You finally got it right!’ I did. I totally did. Our life might have gone down the broken road of Hell, might have been painful at times, but in the end, the pain was what allowed us to be better together. Heartache, fear, and chance shape people and that was what those things did to me. It made it so I looked at every woman (except Cat) with precision gloves, and none of them passed the test. I also feared that I would settle. Thankfully I didn’t because when I saw Cat at Joss’s wedding, I took a chance and told her how I still felt. Now she was minutes away from becoming my wife. “Ready?”

I looked at the door through the reflection of the mirror to see Gibbs walk into the room. “Yes, but Cat’s going to kill me. I’m hungover as fuck.” “Drink some water and man the fuck up.” “I don’t even know what we did last night.” He laughed. “I think it’s better that way.” And Cat was probably going to kill me because of that little fact. I literally couldn’t remember what we did other than drink. And drink. And drink. All the guys swore it was going to be the best night of my life. Maybe it had been. I have no idea because the last thing I remembered was taking a shot of tequila Paul had given me when we were in a limo. We had dinner at a place called Herbs and Rye, and the next stop was some place called Commonwealth. I had no idea what we did there, or what we did after. I could have bet my first born at some casino on Fremont Street for all I remembered. A knock sounded on the door, and then Joss stuck her head in. “It’s time.” Gibbs turned to her. “Aw, she came to escort me.” I rolled my eyes. “Paul will kick your ass.” “Did I hear my name?” Paul barreled in. “How the hell are you two not hungover?” I asked, my head pounding and my stomach churning. “Practice,” Paul answered.

“We drank the same amount?” I asked because he was one fucking ray of light this afternoon and I hated him because of it. “Well, we were all buying you drinks, too.” “So I had double or triple what you motherfuckers had?” They both nodded. “I hate you all.” That included Gabe, their friends Vinny, Nick, and Bradley. Apparently, my night was nothing like Gabe’s. They camped or some shit. At least he could remember. And yes, VICE detective McKenna partied with male escorts. Saddles & Racks wasn’t some pimp making his women sell themselves twenty times a day. Saddles & Racks was a company where the people paid for dates. That was all I needed to know. What happened behind closed doors wasn’t my business. I had actual criminals to worry about. “While this was insightful, it’s time for you to make an honest woman out of my girl,” Joss said, waving for all of us to leave the room behind her. The guys clapped me on the back and left. I took a few moments to straighten my black bow tie, down a bottle of water, and grab two aspirin from my bag. I was ready.

Cat chose for us to get married at the Wynn. They had a primrose garden courtyard that was available on a Wednesday, three weeks after Gabe and Autumn got married. When I told Cat I wanted to marry her right away, I wasn’t kidding. The downside, though, was that I couldn’t get off work to go on a honeymoon. I wasn’t complaining, but I did want to escape with her again. And I knew we would because I had sixty or so years to do it. As I walked out onto the terrace, the round canopy that was covered in ivy was lit with white lights. I walked along the white rug that was laid out in the center of two aisles of cushioned wood chairs, but the décor and cake and food and whatever else went into planning a wedding weren’t what I cared about. The only thing I cared about was her. Cat. My Kitty Cat. Catherine Marie Stone was about to become my wife. I hugged my parents as I passed them, and shook Cat’s father’s hand and gave her mother a hug. Cat’s brother and his wife had flown in as well, and when my gaze cut to his, he stood. “I know we just met, and I don’t give a fuck if you’re a cop, but if you hurt my sister again, I will kill you.”

I snorted. “If I hurt your sister again, I will kill myself,” I corrected. There wasn’t a chance in Hell that I would do such a thing again. The first time was a misunderstanding, and now that she was back, I was never letting her go. Ever. We shook hands, and then everyone took their seats besides Cat’s father. He left to go get my girl as I stood next to Mark who was starting to become the resident Saddles & Racks officiant. “You ready?” he asked. I smiled. “Since I was fifteen.” He leaned in closer to me. “This better be the last fucking wedding I do. I know you don’t work for S&R, but these fuckers are droppin’ like flies. First Gabe, then Paul.” Mark shook his head in disbelief. “Next will be Vinny or some shit.” I laughed. “Maybe you can offer it as a package deal on your website?” “Hell no!” Music started to play, and my attention moved to Paul escorting Hannah down the aisle. Then Gibbs brought Joss forward, and my heart started to beat faster in my chest. This was it. Any second Cat was going to appear, and everyone else around me would disappear. The familiar strum of our song started to play, and my headache vanished. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her from the moment she walked onto

the terrace. That floral dress she wore to Joss’s wedding, and the teal one that she wore to Autumn’s, had nothing on the white one she was wearing to marry me. I didn’t know what style it was, but I knew it was my favorite. It had a poufy skirt that I couldn’t wait to crawl under, and it was strapless, showing the bare shoulders I wanted to taste. But what made this dress my favorite wasn’t the way it looked. It was who was in it. My bride. Tears pricked my eyes as I watched her come to me. I’d found a girl who was beautiful and sweet, one who had waited for me, and me for her. We were just kids when we fell in love, not knowing how anything would turn out. Then I’d found the same woman who was strong, that shares my dreams and who I’m building a home with. We fought against the odds, but this time, I knew we’d be all right. The one to carry my love. The one to carry my secrets. The one to carry my children. “Make this fast,” I whispered, hoping Mark could hear. I couldn’t wait another minute. Cat’s father kissed his daughter, I shook his hand and then I took Cat’s hand. “You look perfect tonight.” She smiled up at me. “It’s because I’m finally marrying the perfect man.”

“I’m far from perfect, baby, but we’re perfect together.” Then as I stared into the chocolate eyes that I craved, Mark made her my wife. My forever.

Mark made the ceremony fast, and then we took pictures and ate at the restaurant that looked out onto the Lake of Dreams at the hotel. When Cat and I left for our suite, people congratulated us as we passed. In the elevator, I took her lips, kissing her and not caring if anyone else was around. “We did it,” Cat said against my lips. “Yeah, baby, we did.” “You ready to start a family?” I pulled back, looking down on her. “Where do I sign up?” She smiled. “In the room.” I tilted my head slightly. “I stopped taking the pill,” she said, reading my thoughts. “Yeah?” I grinned. “Yeah.” The elevator dinged and the doors opened. I took her hand, pulling her toward our room. Once Cat and I were behind the closed door, I spun her around and started to work on the bodice that was tied up her back.

“Fuck, baby,” I muttered. “Why are these things hard to get off? We’re meant to fuck after I make you mine, not me losing my erection ’cause I can’t get this fucking thing off.” Cat laughed. “I think it’s meant to open as though I’m a present.” “Kitty Cat, you are a gift, but if I don’t get inside you in the next few seconds, you won’t be saving this dress ’cause I’m ripping it to shreds.” She spun, stopping me from my work. “Maybe you should have champagne to calm down?” I smirked. “You know I prefer to drink it on you.” And then like magic, Cat wiggled out of the white dress until she was standing in nothing except white panties and sparkly sandals. “What are you waiting for?” I groaned and moved to the ice bucket where a bottle was chilling. “Oh, I forgot.” I looked at Cat, the bottle in my hand and water from the ice dripping onto the carpeted floor. “Forgot what?” She looked around the room and then moved to a suitcase that was sitting next to the couch. “I packed something.” I began unwrapping the bottle as I watched her bend and start to open the luggage. The cork popped as Cat pulled something from the bag.

“Want to use these?” My handcuffs spun on her finger. My dick started to stiffen at the memory of the first time she was naked with my cuffs on her. “You sure?” She nodded. I set the bottle down and moved to her, grabbing the cuffs. “Then hands behind your back, Mrs. McKenna.” The End. Vinny’s story is next in Rum & Coke! To stay up-to-date on release information, join Kimberly’s newsletter. Also keep reading for a sneak-peek of Kimberly’s book, By Invitation Only.

BONUS CHAPTER Dear Reader, I wrote this bonus chapter and posted it on my blog back in 2016. In case you didn’t get a chance to read it or you want to read it again, here you go. It takes place sometime between the end of Angels & Whiskey and before Paul fell in love with Joss in Tequila & Lace. Enjoy! –Kimberly

Paul My best friend is getting married. And I get to plan an epic as shit bachelor party. There are two requirements for a great bachelor party. The first one is getting shit-faced with your buddies while surrounded by naked chicks. The other is humiliating the guy. Women do the same thing where they make the bride wear penis attire and go on a stupid scavenger hunt where they make some pussy buy them a shot or have the bride kiss some ugly fucker. I’ve seen it happen far too many times. Guys have a different way of embarrassing the groom, though. We’re dudes, so we shit talk and roughhouse. We take things to the extreme, and we do it with force. We do it with bodily harm. Gabe used to be a gigolo, and a damn good one at that before a woman changed everything and he quit the game. Normally, I would tell him that he’s letting a woman drag him around by the balls, but the woman in question is Autumn, and I love her.

She’s like a sister to me, and he couldn’t have found a better woman. So how do you plan a bachelor party for an exgigolo who has seen more titties than he can count and already lives in Vegas, the city where most guys come to enjoy their last night of freedom? This needs to be a night Gabe won’t forget. I called our buddies from Saddles & Racks and asked them to meet me for a few drinks so we can come up with a plan. We’re at a place I found on one of my dates called Gold Spike. It has a full bar and has games like beer pong, pool, cornhole, and life-size Jenga. After we get our drinks from the bar, we grab a high-top table, but I see the guys eyeing the pool table. We can’t have that. We won’t get anything done. One thing would lead to another, and we’ll be betting money and not coming up with a plan for Gabe. After we’ve discussed the bachelor party, we can play games and I can take these fuckers’ money in a few games of beer pong. “I can’t believe Gabe’s getting married,” Nick says, sliding onto a bar stool. “We know the thought of one woman’s pussy for the rest of your life makes your dick want to run and hide.” Vinny shakes his head, grabbing a seat, too. If anyone in our group is next to get out of the game, it’s Vinny. He stopped seeing a chick from out of town who couldn’t handle what we do. He

didn’t want to leave S&R for her. He wasn’t like Gabe. “Fuck,” Nick groans. “Just the thought of that scares me.” He shivers and then takes a long sip of his grapefruit juice and vodka with a salted rim— which is also known as a salty dog—appropriate for him in my opinion. Out of all the guys, Nick is my go to friend when it comes to shit, but he’s a real I’m-never-getting-married-dude. Hell, I’m never getting married either, but if this motherfucker fucks up Gabe’s happiness by putting any kind of doubt in his head, I will personally beat his ass. After what Gabe went through with Cochran, he deserves to be happy, and if Auttie is that person, then I’m not going to try and change his mind. Like I said, I love Autumn like a sister. “You better not fuck this up,” I warn, pointing my finger at his face and narrowing my eyes. Nick rolls his eyes. “I’m only going to get Gabe shit-faced.” “I don’t want to only get him hammered. I want this to be something cool as shit.” He laughs. “It will be. He just won’t remember it.” “And how do you know what will happen?” I ask. He shrugs and looks to Vinny and Bradley. They look to me, waiting.

“That’s why I asked you all here.” I shake my head in frustration before taking a sip of my tequila and Coke. “We need to plan something fun. We can’t just bring him to a strip club. We see tits and ass all day.” “Not Gabe. I bet he has to jack off twice a day now just to keep his sack from exploding.” Nick chuckles. I groan at his smart ass remark. “Trust me, I’m sure they’re still fuckin’. They lived with me, remember? I’m pretty sure shit hasn’t changed that much in only a few weeks.” “What do you have in mind?” Bradley asks, getting back to the task at hand. “I’m not sure. He can go to a casino anytime, so that’s lame.” Bradley takes a sip of his gin and tonic before he speaks again. “Have you seen that place where you can drive bulldozers?” I shake my head. “No.” “I’ve never been, but a buddy of mine told me about it. You can drive a bulldozer or an excavator. You build huge mounds of dirt, push gigantic tires around, build trenches, and stack two thousand pound tires. You can even play bucket basketball— whatever the hell that is.” “Dude, that sounds cool,” Vinny exclaims with a huge grin.

I watch Vinny take a sip of his rum and Coke while I consider the bulldozer idea. Playing with heavy machinery does sound fun, but it doesn’t sound epic and I want something he’d never expect. I want something that we can’t go do any given day. “I’ve never heard of that, and we definitely need to go do it one day, but I want something that’s going to be the shit, not something that’s just going to be fun.” They nod and then we sit in silence. We sit and think for what feels like forever. My drink is almost empty when, out of nowhere, Bradley slaps the table, causing us all to jump. He turns to me, a big ass grin on his face, and asks, “How good are you at lying?”

I told Autumn that I was stealing Gabe for the weekend and to have his bag packed. She, of course, questioned me, but if I wasn’t going to tell him what we were doing, I wasn’t going to tell her. I did, however, promise her there would be no girls involved. That was partially true. Knowing that Gabe was at the range teaching, I stopped by his house to grab his bag from Autumn. “Are you sure that’s all the clothes he’s going to need?”

I look at the small duffel bag and then back at her. “Yeah,” I chuckle. “We’re guys. We don’t need a lot of clothes.” “I know, but all I packed was two pairs of boxers, two T-shirts, swim shorts, a sweatshirt and a pair of sweats.” “That sounds right.” “What if something gets dirty? You’ll be gone for two nights and I didn’t pack extra pants.” “Auttie, trust me. We can wear the same clothes two days in a row.” Her eyes grew huge. Laughing, I add, “Guys don’t care.” Shaking her head, she closes her eyes and then turns and walks to the kitchen as she mutters something I can’t hear. I don’t understand the big deal. “I’m going to grab some stuff from the garage.” “Whatever,” she calls back. After grabbing what I need, I throw everything into my Jeep and then walk back to the kitchen. “Bye, Auttie. We’ll pick him up at nine.” I kiss her cheek and try to step away to leave, but she grabs my wrist before I can move and gets in my face, pointing her index finger at me. “Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I can’t kick your ass, PJ. If I find out there are women all over him this weekend …” Her eyes narrow and I swallow hard.

“There won’t be women all over him this weekend, I promise. Plus, this is Gabe we’re talking about. You can trust him. You can trust me.” She stares at me for a few beats and I feel my heart rate kick up. I’ve never been scared of her. I knew she was a badass by the way she’d handled her ex-husband, but Jesus, I never expected to be on her bad side. “Autumn,” I say, using her given name because I need to let her know I’m serious and she can trust me. “I promise it’s just a bunch of guys getting together. You packed him sweats for Christ’s sake. You think chicks are going to be all over him in sweats?” “Paul Jackson, I know how all you boys operate. It doesn’t matter what you wear. Hell, you all work naked for a living, so don’t give me that bullshit.” All right, she got me there. I release her death grip from my wrist and bring her in for a hug. “Auttie, I promise it’s not that type of party. We all fuck everyday—literally.” I snicker. “Not helping,” she mumbles. “We’re going to go blow off some steam and do guy shit. Just drink and have a good time, I swear.” She pulls back and looks me square in the eyes. “Promise?” “I cross my heart.”

Gabe I’m dreading tonight. It’s my bachelor party and I don’t know what’s going on, but apparently, Autumn does. She’s in on the shenanigans and I’m left in the dark. All I know is what Paul texted me this morning: Paul: Dress to impress tonight because it’s about to go down!

Usually, I’d be excited to hang with my friends, but Autumn and I are still new. She’s having my baby and I want to spend every free second with her. Before she came along, I was drowning my sorrows in whiskey, hiding my pain from everyone. Well, I thought I was hiding. I didn’t care if I woke up the next day, but now I have a reason to wake up. I don’t want to get wasted at my bachelor party and not remember going to bed next to my angel. I want to remember every single night. But Autumn has convinced me that I need this. Maybe we both need this. Sure I spend time with Jackson here and there, but it’s been a while since

I’ve hung out with the guys. A night out would be good. But I won’t get plastered, even if it is my night to get hammered. Jackson can go fuck himself if he thinks that will happen. As I head home from the range, I think about what I’m going to wear. I know, I’m a guy —whatever, but Jackson said I need to dress to impress and I have no idea what to wear or where the fuck we’re going. By the time I get home, I still have no idea what I’m wearing. I’m not good at this shit. Hell, Jackson helped me pick out my outfit my first night as a gigolo. Clothes just aren’t my thing. I grab my phone and send a text to Jackson as I get out of my Yukon and head inside: Me: Where are we going tonight? Paul: Out.

Fucker. Me: What are you wearing?

I groan as I enter the house, shaking my head. I fucking sound like a chick. Paul: Is this Auttie because you sound like a girl. Me: Just answer the question! Paul: Clothes.

I’m going to kill him. “Angel,” I call out. She doesn’t answer so I call her again, moving toward the kitchen. “By the pool,” she finally responds. The moment I walk through the French doors that lead to the backyard, I spot her in her bikini, lounging in the shade. I decide I’m not going out tonight no matter what Autumn and Jackson say. The sight of her with her small bump, the bump that holds our future, is enough reason to stay home and cuddle on the couch like we do every night. It’s what I’ve grown to love. She looks up from her e-reader. “Hey, how was the range?” I sit in the lounge chair beside her and then lean over and kiss her. “The usual. Julie’s getting better. Before long, she’ll be as good as you.” After everything that went down with Major Dick, we’d started our own self-defense classes at Club 24. In addition, we teach women how to properly shoot guns. “That’s awesome. I really like Julie. So are you ready for tonight?” Her smile is as big as I’ve ever seen it. “You really want me to go?” “Of course, I do. It’s your bachelor party.” I lean back in the lounge chair and stare up at the blue sky. “But I want to stay home with you.

No telling what they have planned. PJ told me I need to dress to impress and I have no—” “Wait—what?” She sits up. “This surprises you? I thought you know the plan?” “One second.” She grabs her phone and I watch as she messes with the screen. “What are you doing?” “I’m …” She pauses longer than necessary, still on her phone, and I begin to wonder if she doesn’t know what the plan really is. “Ange—” “I’m asking Paul what you need to wear.” “But you know where we’re going, right?” She gives a nervous giggle and I start to become even more suspicious. “Yes, but I didn’t ask him what you need to wear.” “Why would you need to ask him?” This is definitely making me nervous. “It’s a special place.” I tilt my head. “Special?” “Yes—special.” “Like VIP special?” I grin. She smiles with a shrug almost as if she is trying to hide something, then looks back down at her phone. “Well, it is your night.” He’s probably taking me to a club on the strip with our own table and bottle serVICE. Guys have to dress nicely to get into most Vegas clubs.

“Are you sure you’re okay with all of this?” She looks back up from her phone. “Yes, now let’s go pick you out something to wear.” “I don’t want to go.” “What do I have to do to convince you?” I scrunch my eyebrows. “You want me to go that bad?” She stands then straddles my hips. “I want you to go and have fun with the guys. You’ve been with me every night. Things are going to change once the baby gets here.” I grab her phone from her hands and then glance at the time. “We have time for a shower first.” “We?” She laughs, throwing her head back. I nod, staring at her chest. “I am covered in chlorine.” She winks. “Then we’d better wash you off.”

I toss my wallet and keys on the table then start making my way to the bathroom. But when I turn the corner, I stop. She’s leaning into our walk-in shower to adjust the temperature and all I can see is that perfectly round ass of hers. After adjusting my dick that’s now straining against the fly of my shorts, I lean against the doorjamb, fold my arms and simply watch her. A

few short moments later, she looks over her shoulder and flashes me that seductive grin as if she knows I’ve been watching her the whole time. Pushing myself off the wall, I strip a piece of clothing with every step I take until I’m toe-to-toe and nose-to-nose with her, I swept Autumn’s hair back with both hands, bring her lips to mine and start moving us under the spray of the showerhead. We reach the other end of the shower and I pin her against the wall, grinding my hips to give her a little tease of what’s about to happen. I pull my lips from hers and make my way to her neck, applying little nibbles to her jaw along the way. She reaches down and wraps her hand around my now rock hard dick. I let out a groan and bring my mouth to her ear. “Turn around, angel. Hands on the wall.” Autumn turns around, puts both palms against the tile, and then rests the back of her head on my shoulder giving me open access to her neck. When I start alternating between nipping and sucking at it, she pushed her hips back, rubbing her perfect ass against me. One of my hands makes its way up to her tits, massaging between small plucks and causing her nipples to stiffen. The other hand moves between her legs. At the first stroke of my fingers against her clit, Autumn lets out a moan. I push them deeper, gliding in and out effortlessly and I know it’s not from the water that’s beating down on us. My girl

is ready. She’s hot and slick and as my knees bend, lifting her slightly to slide my dick in, I think to myself that the guys can go fuck themselves. Who needs a bachelor party when you have this woman waiting at home for you? I don’t give a shit what they have planned. Nothing beats her. Nothing. My thrusts are slow because I don’t want to hurt the baby. We’ll both get there eventually. I reach my hand around to rub her clit. She turns her head and bites my earlobe. “I’m not going to break, Gabe.” She tells me every time we fuck that I won’t hurt her or the baby. I know she’s right, but I keep my rhythm slow and steady. Just in case. “I want it harder,” she moans. I take a deep breath before I grab her hips with both hands and drive into her. “Anything you want, angel.”

I’m feeling better about everything now that I’ve fucked Autumn. I’m relaxed, I shave my face and head and then dress in dark jeans, a button-up dark blue shirt, and brown dress shoes. “What are your plans for tonight?” I ask Autumn as we lounge on the couch waiting for Jackson. “You’re looking at it.”

“Don’t have too much fun,” I joke. “Someone needs to stay by the phone in case I need to bail your asses out of jail.” I look down at her, fear starting to work itself back into my veins. “I’m kidding, Mr. Green Eyes. You’re going to have a good time with your friends. I promise. Now stop worrying.” She leans up and kisses me lightly. Before I can say anything, Jackson walks in without knocking, his usual style. “Get your ass up and let’s get this party started!” Autumn stands and I immediately miss her warmth. PJ’s shit-eating grin spread across his face tells me I’m going to regret this night. I’m not sure if it’s because I made him do all kinds of shit in the Army and he’s going to pay me back or what, but I don’t like how excited he is. “I love you. Have a good time and I’ll see you when you get back.” Autumn’s warmth is back as she hugs my waist. “You’ll be awake?” “Of course.” She stands on her tiptoes and presses her lips to mine again. Before she can pull away, I grab her face and deepen the kiss. PJ can wait a few seconds. I want my angel to know that I’ll be thinking of her tonight and that she has nothing to worry about. No matter what the plan is, she can trust me. Even though we haven’t talked about trust, we both know Major

Dick cheated on her and bachelor parties are unusually infamous for cheating. “I’ll be missing the taste of your lips all night,” I whisper and give her one final kiss. “Ready, love bird?” PJ motions for the door. “Fuck off, Jackson.” I wink at Autumn as a goodbye. She laughs and follows us so she can lock the door once we leave. “You need a drink,” he mutters as we step out my front door. I expect to see his Jeep parked in front of my house, maybe even a limo. What I don’t expect to see is a medium sized black party bus. “What did you do?” I ask. “Did you expect me not to drink tonight so I could drive your ass around?” “I guess not.” We round the bus with multiple tinted windows. I can’t see inside. I can’t hear anything coming from inside either. As we get closer to the door, I see the driver standing outside. “Gabe, this is Alfred.” “What?” I half-laugh because I don’t want to insult the guy, but come on—Alfred? “I’m kidding,” Jackson exclaims, slapping the dude on the back. “His name’s Roberto, but Alfred is better for our little adventure.” My head whips to PJ. “Adventure?” “Get on the bus, Gabe,” Jackson groans.

PJ and Alfred step aside. I look up and meet Bradley’s gaze. “Party’s up here, man.” I shake my head slightly, take a deep breath and decide that the sooner I get on the bus, the sooner I can return to Autumn. I mean, what can go wrong? Jackson follows me up the stairs. The darkened bus is mainly lit by multicolored LED lights running along the baseboards and in the ceiling. There’s a stripper pole in front of me that I assume is in every party bus—at least in Vegas. The moment the guys see me, the cheers are deafening. You’d think I won an award or something. Bro hugs are exchanged. Pats on the back go around and finally Nick shoves a whiskey and Coke in my hand once I’m steered to a place to sit. The door of the bus closes and music starts to blare. Strobe lights flash and I feel as if I’m in a mini club—I guess I am. I’m not exactly sure what five dudes are supposed to do on a party bus but it makes sense to have a driver to take us around town when they’re drunk off their asses. “Where are we going?” I ask. “Around,” PJ answers. The guys laugh. The bus is moving and I can barely see out the tinted windows except for passing lights. Why won’t they tell me anything? “Are you going to be in a shit mood the entire night?” Nick asks.

“I just want to know where we’re going.” Paul nudges his head toward my drink. “It’s a surprise. Now drink your drink, loosen the fuck up and have a good time. This is your night.” I crack my neck, nod, and take a long gulp of my drink. The whiskey burns as it goes down my throat. I should have known that the Coke color was only a splash. Bradley, Nick, Vinny and Paul are all watching me with grins on their faces. I’m about to ask them why they’re so quiet, why they’re looking at me the way they are, but before I can, a shadow appears out of the corner of my eye. A chick walks through a back door and stops, hand on her cocked hip. She’s dressed in a red sparkling bikini with fishnet stockings and stilettos. Usually, a man’s reaction would be “Hell, yeah!” but my first thought is, “Autumn’s okay with this?” We’re five minutes from my house and a chick is coming toward me half-naked and my future wife who’s carrying my baby approved a stripper? Nope, not buying it. “What did you do?” I ask Jackson for a second time in ten minutes. “Me?” he asks, bringing a hand to his chest as if he’s innocent. I see a smile start to spread across his face. “Autumn knows about this?” I wave my free hand up and down the length of the chicks body as

she stands before me. “Well …” he starts to say and the guys laugh. “Just relax,” the stripper says and kneels before me. “Look, lady—” She stands again and straddles me. “They told me you might be difficult,” she whispers in my ear while grinding her hips. “It’s your bachelor party and they hired me to strip, so let me do my thing. I won’t fuck you, that’s not my style. Do what your friend said and just relax. Have a good time. This is the last time you’re going to see another chick’s boobs in person.” She pulls her head back and her stare meets mine. If she only knew who the bus was carrying. Jackson should have known I couldn’t care less about strippers. Does he expect me to pretend to be into this chick? Am I supposed to pretend this part of a bachelor party is what I want? “What’s your name, sweetheart?” The moment the pet name comes from my lips, I’m no longer me. I’m S&R me, the one who can tap into a woman, have a connection with her, know what she wants even if she doesn’t know. “Tessa.” “Well, Tessa …” I pause and look over her shoulder at Jackson. “Do your thing.” The bastard smirks and I flip him off as Tessa goes to work. I expect her to start taking off her

clothes, dance on the poll, do shit like that. Instead, she stays on my lap and one-by-one she unbuttons my shirt until she has it off my shoulders and down my back. I reach up to untie her bikini because she promised me tits. I know Autumn will kill me, but everyone keeps telling me that this is my night and well—fuck it. I’m not going to touch, I only want to see. As I reach up, Tessa slaps my hand. “No touching.” “Are you serious?” She stands, taking my shirt with her. “I am.” She throws my shirt and Nick catches it. “Sweetheart,” I chuckle, “you promised me your tits.” “I vote for tits,” Vinny chimes in. My gaze turns to his and I nod. “See, we want to see your boobs.” “All in good time boys.” “Let the woman work,” Bradley says. Asshole. “Now,” Tessa begins, kneeling and grabbing my belt buckling, “You won’t be needing this.” “Whoa!” I start to crawl away, but she acts fast and jumps on my lap. “Someone needs to be handcuffed so he can’t move.” I shake my head. “You’re not handcuffing me.” “Yes, I am.”

“You’re stripping me of my clothes before we go to a club? That defeats the purpose.” “You don’t know how to dress yourself?” she sneers. “I …” I turn my gaze to the guys, who are all laughing at my expense. I’m supposed to be S&R Gabe. How is this chick turning the tables on me? “You don’t need to handcuff me.” Her steel-blue eyes stare straight into mine. Seconds tick before I finally agree. What harm can come of her handcuffing me? She said she wasn’t going to fuck me and I trust Jackson with my life. The handcuffs she uses to bind me have an extra-long chain. I’m tempted to break them, but I know this is for fun. It’s probably also for comfort. It allows my hands and arms to not be as high up on the bar behind me and I’m almost in a resting position once she’s finished cuffing me. The guys refill their drinks as they continue to watch the show. The drive to the club is taking a long time, but maybe Alfred is driving around until Tessa is done with me. After I’m handcuffed, Tessa removes my belt and then stands. She’s facing me, her legs spread for balance, and a wicked grin spreads across her face. Pony by Ginuwine blares through the speaks. “That’s my cue,” she confesses. Her hips sway and roll, her hands roaming her upper body. I’m in a trance, mesmerized by what I’m seeing. I’m no

longer fighting to resist these bachelor shenanigans. I’m going with them. I want to see whatever Tessa has up her sleeve—well, under her bikini. She moves to the poll and my gaze slips to the guys. They’re caught in the reverie, too. We’re all watching her as if we’ve never seen a woman before. Tessa walks around the pole, giving each guy attention, but lingers on Vinny for a little longer and I wonder what’s up with that. She rubs his bald head between her breasts and then moves on. With her back to the pole, her hands glide up her breasts, her neck and then behind her nape. We watch as the strings fall. I expect her tits to pop out, but her hands keep her top on and I groan. I stare at her chest, waiting. I can’t tell you what song’s playing right now—hell, I can’t tell you how long I stare. Tessa bends and her gaze meets mine. She grins and her top falls down. They’re nice breasts, but not my angel’s perfect ones. Her hands go behind her back and she loosens the rest of her top, finally removing it completely. She flings it at Vinny. It’s my day, but she gives him the red top? Whatever. I expect her to do some shit on the pole. Instead, she kneels in front of me and begins to work on the button and zipper of my jeans. “You’re not going to do pole tricks?” Her hands still and she looks up at me. With a chuckle, she says, “In a moving bus?”

I laugh. “Oh, right.” She continues on my jeans. “So you have a thing for Vinny?” I whisper. Her head turns and she looks at him then back up at me. She tugs on my jeans causing me to raise my hips so they slide down my thighs. “What can I say, there’s something about bald guys.” “He’s single.” Was I having girl talk? I was definitely hanging out with Autumn too much. “Good to know.” She slipped off my shoes and then my jeans, leaving me in my boxers. “Finally!” Jackson blurts. My gaze darts to his. “What do you mean finally?” “Well, we’re about to be at our destination any second. Tessa, put his shoes back on.” I look down at her and she gives me an apologetic grin as she slips them back on my feet. “My shoes? You mean my clothes. Nick, give me my shirt, asshole.” “Sorry, man. No can do.” The bus pulls to a stop and the guys rise. Bradley comes over and releases the bar above my head so my arms fall but I’m still handcuffed. I go to stand, ready to strangle Jackson, but the door of the bus opens and he’s out before I can make a move. Nick blocks me before I can pass. I move around him, thinking I have the upper hand because when it comes to Jackson, I usually do, but when I

run down the two stairs toward him, I stop in my tracks. “I wouldn’t do that, Captain.” The barrel of a gun is pointed at my chest. I look around. It’s pitch dark, the only light coming from a flashlight being held by Alfred and the headlights of the bus. I shake my head as if to make sure what I’m seeing is correct. The bus has pulled over on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere and my best friend in the entire world is pointing a pistol at me. “What—” Alfred moves the flashlight a little and then I see it’s my paintball gun from my garage. The manufacture’s name catches the light and I relax because my best friend isn’t going to kill me in the woods—naked. I watch the rest of the guys come out, each carrying their own gun. PJ is the only one with a handgun. The others are holding typical paintball guns with long skinny barrels and feeders on the top. “Are you going to shoot me?” I ask. “This is how it’s going to go. You’re going to run and we’re going to chase you—” “You want me to run in the woods naked?” I laugh sarcastically. Nick shoots a paintball near my right foot and my head jerks toward him. “Let him finish.”

“Are you fuckers for real?” I spat. This party is no longer fun. “Yep,” Bradley states. “Like I was saying,” PJ hisses, “you run, we hunt. Think of it like hide and seek.” “Motherfucker, I’m gonna kick your ass.” I move to strangle him with the long handcuffs but stop when all guns point at me. “Boss, you need to hurry up before a car comes,” Alfred interjects. “Alfred!” Jackson shouts. “Jesus, I know. We’re parked on the side of the road. I get it. Now if everyone will shut the fuck up, we’ll be on our way in two minutes!” He pauses for a second. “Okay, you’ll be running, yada-yada, and if we catch you, we shoot you with these.” He gestures to the guns. “There’s a campsite just behind me that you need to find.” “How am I supposed to find it?” “Don’t give me that shit, Captain Hastings.” “You’re serious?” He nods. “And I don’t get a gun?” “Nope, but you get a flashlight.” All the guys laugh. “You know paybacks are a bitch right?” He laughs under his breath. “Shit, I’m never getting married.” “No, but I know where you sleep.”

“Touché. We’ll give you a thirty-second head start.” They release my handcuffs with their guns drawn. Before I run off, I see Vinny go back into the bus. I make a mental note to ask him about it. Not because I want to talk girls with him, but because if he gets involved with a woman she might become a friend for Autumn. Major Dick robbed her of friends and the more she has, the more my heart feels complete. As I jog away, I hear the bus drive off and the guys cackling about how awesome their plan is. It’s awesome for them because they aren’t being hunted in their underwear.

I’m out of breath, Nick on my tail. I’ve tackled him, taken his gun, and now I’m running to what I hope is our campsite. I see a fire blazing, tents setup and all I want is water. Fuck! Two figures are sitting in chairs next to the fire and in ten seconds they’re about to get a scare of their life because I’m coming out of the woods in my boxers carrying a paintball gun, sweat dripping down my body and I don’t give a fuck. My gaze meets one of theirs and I smile. Fuck my life.

“You’ve got to be kidding me right now,” I pant, trying to catch my breath. Blake tosses me a bottle of water. “Good news is you found us.” “I can’t believe the Montgomery brothers were in on this.” “Someone had to tend the fire,” Brandon says as he slaps my back. Brandon and Blake are the owners of Club 24 where we teach our self-defense classes. We rent the room from them. “Sit and let’s get you a drink.” Blake gestures to a seat by the fire. I down half of the water and pour the other half over my head. “Sorry about your side,” I say to Nick as I walk toward a chair. “How’s your thigh?” I look down at the welt where he shot me. Fucker. “Okay—maybe I’m not sorry about your side.” We laugh and I rub my thigh where I got hit then sit. Brandon sits back down in his chair next to the fire. The other three guys are nowhere in sight. “Excited about the baby?” “Extremely. Have any pointers?” “We’ll talk later.” Blake hands me a shot. “I thought you said a drink?” “Blake has a thing for shots.” Brandon laughs.

The other guys finally walk in, laughing. I take the shot, down it and then I charge Jackson. Snatching the pistol from his hand, I aim for his thigh and pull the trigger. Nothing happens. “You really think we’d have ammo after what we just put you through?” They all laugh. “I really hate you right now.” He laughs again. “Go sit down and have a drink. We’re here for two days.” My eyes become huge. “Two days?” “We’re camping, Cap.” “What?” He shakes his head as if he’s frustrated. “The future Mrs. Hastings approved this. There, now will you go sit the fuck down and have a drink?” My eyes narrow at him in frustration. Autumn doesn’t control me, but it does make me feel better that I finally know which part she knows about. I look down at my almost naked body and then back up at Jackson. “Can I have my clothes back?” He laughs. “Oh right, we wouldn’t want to see your dick popping out of the slit. Auttie packed you a bag. It’s in your tent over here.” We start walking. “There’s also showers that way.” I definitely sweaty from running from these fuckers. “Hey, Jackson?” He stops and turns toward me. “Thank you for planning all this, even though you tried to kill me.” I smile.

He chuckles. “I didn’t try to kill you, but you’re welcome.” “And I will get you back when you get married.” “Dude, I’m not getting married.” “You say that now, but I bet that someday soon some woman will barge into your life and you won’t know what to do without her.”

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR Dear Readers, I hope you’ve enjoyed Champagne & Handcuffs. If you would be so kind to leave a review where you’d purchased this book as well as Goodreads, I would greatly appreciate it. Honest reviews help other readers find my books and your support means the world to me. Please subscribe to either my blog, newsletter or both to stay up-to-date on all of my releases. You can find the links on my website at www.authorkimberlyknight.com. You can also follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorKKnight. Until we meet again, friends, Kimberly

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I always start with my husband because he’s the one that has supported me through this journey. I love you, you know? To my editor, Jennifer Roberts-Hall: Thank you for always telling me we’ll make it work. We always do! To my best friend, Lea Cabalar: If people could see our texts they’d be laughing! I appreciate all you do for me and truly being my best friend. To my betas: Felicia Barcela, Franci Neill, Kerri McLaughlin, Kristin Jones, Sanne Heremans, Stephanie Brown and Torrie Robles. Thank you for being my eyes and making sure this story made sense. You ladies are amazing, and I’m lucky to have you willing to help me out. Thank you so much. To all the bloggers who participated in my cover reveal, release day blitz and review tour, thank you! Without bloggers, I have no idea where I would be. You’ve all taken a chance on me and my books time and time again, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. And finally, to my readers: Thank you for believing in me and taking a chance on my books

again and again. Without you guys, I wouldn’t still be writing and living my dream.

BOOKS BY KIMBERLY KNIGHT Where I Need to Be (Club 24 Series, #1) Finding Spencer (Club 24 Series, #2) Wanted (Club 24 Series, #3) Wanting Spencer (Club 24 Series, #4) Anything Like Me (Club 24 Series, #5) Forever Spencer (Club 24 Series, #6) Down on Me (Club 24 Series, #7) Perfect Together – The Club 24 Series Box Set (Books #1-6) Tattooed Dots (The Halo Series, #1) The One (The Halo Series, #2) Never Stop (The Halo Series, #3) My One (The Halo Series, #4) Angels & Whiskey (Saddles & Racks, #1) Tequila & Lace (Saddles & Racks, #2) Champagne & Handcuffs (Saddles & Racks, #3) By Invitation Only And more …

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kimberly Knight is a USA Today Bestselling Author who lives in the mountains near a lake with her loving husband and spoiled cat, Precious. In her spare time, she enjoys watching her favorite reality TV shows, watching the San Francisco Giants win World Series and the San Jose Sharks kick butt. She’s also a two time desmoid tumor/cancer fighter that’s made her stronger and an inspiration to her fans. Now that she lives near a lake, she’s working on her tan and doing more outdoor stuff like watching hot guys waterski. However, the bulk of her time is dedicated to writing and reading romance and erotic fiction. www.authorkimberlyknight.com www.facebook.com/AuthorKKnight twitter.com/Author_KKnight pinterest.com/authorkknight Follow her on Instagram: KimBrulee10

BY INVITATION ONLY

CHAPTER ONE

Peyton “So, this bitch gets in my face and demands I tell her what the fuck I’m doing with her man. Demands! Who the fuck is she, thinking she can demand I tell her shit?” “And let me guess. You need an attorney now?” I took a sip of my cosmo. My best friend Lorelei, and I had gone to the bar down the street from our work that we frequented almost every Friday night and sometimes for happy hour during the week. Rick’s was everything you would expect from a bar in Beverly Hills. The food was great, the atmosphere was on point, and the drinks were always perfect and made with the best liquors. But what set Rick’s apart from other bars in the area, and what kept Lorelei and I coming back, was the vodka tasting room. It wasn’t just a room. It was a walk-in glass freezer designed solely for vodka in its purest form. They gave out faux fur coats to wear in the twentyeight degree box, and a vodka expert spent around

fifteen minutes giving tastings and information regarding the hundred or so different vodkas that were lined along white leathered shelves. It was a neat experience. Lore and I had only done it once, but since it was a glass case, we watched people do it all the time. Lorelei waved me off. “No, I don’t need an attorney. Before I could do anything, Tom got in her face and told her to back the fuck up.” “Oh. Does he need a lawyer now?” “No.” She rolled her chocolate brown eyes. “You don’t even practice criminal defense.” “Fine,” I agreed. “Continue.” “This chick burst into tears. Tears! In the middle of the club.” “Wow …” I breathed, flipping my long, dark hair over my shoulder. “Why did she cry?” Lore shrugged. “I guess they recently broke up and she’s still in love with him. Funny thing, I don’t care. I’m never going out with that dude again. I don’t need that shit in my life.” I chuckled. “Gotta love online dating.” “Right?” She took a sip of her cosmo. “And what guy takes a girl to a club on their first date? I mean, I like to dance and drink as much as the next girl, but I’m not putting out unless they at least feed me.” “You’re too much.” I laughed.

“That’s why you love me.” She grinned and smoothed her hair down. “I love you because you save my ass on a daily basis.” “I do save your ass daily,” she agreed with a laugh. We had been working for a family law firm in Beverly Hills for over five years. We met the day she was hired by Chandler & Patterson, LLP as my paralegal. She was my eyes to make sure I didn’t screw up any pleadings, and my paper pusher, making sure my client files are in date order and pristine—among other things. And she’s my best friend. Some firms frowned upon attorneys friending “lower” colleagues, but not C&P. When an assistant worked well with the person they were assisting, it was like a well-oiled machine. Chandler and Patterson was a high-profile law firm that represented well-known famous actors/actresses, directors, musicians or other people in the limelight getting divorced and/or had custody issues. Given our clientele, we also specialized in prenuptial agreements and tried to do mediation when we could. Most of our clients didn’t want the public to know what was going on in their marital lives. I got into law because of my father. Before he retired, he was a criminal defense attorney for twenty plus years, and then a judge in Los Angeles.

I wanted to follow in his footsteps, and while I didn’t practice criminal defense, my ultimate goal was to become a family law judge one day. “So, did the chick leave or what?” I was interested in hearing the end of the story since my dating life was shit. Shit meaning I went on dates that never led anywhere. I either didn’t like the dude, or once he found out what I did for a living, it turned him off because he assumed I’d take him for all he was worth if we ever got a divorce in the end. Sure I knew what to do and what not to do when it came to the financial aspects of a marriage, but not all marriages ended in divorce. Needless to say, those guys weren’t the right ones for me. Lorelei snorted. “I don’t know. She ran off crying, and I didn’t see where she went. Tom bought me a few more drinks, we danced, and then I went home.” “Alone?” I smirked. She furrowed her eyebrows. “Yes, alone. The guy had no potential. He was cute and all, but I don’t have time for girlfriend drama. I’m too old for that shit.” I was two years older than her thirty, so I was too old for that shit too. “At least you have men interested in you.” “Pey,” Lorelei leaned forward and grabbed my hand, “you have men interested in you. You’re just not interested in them.”

It was my turn for my eyebrows to raise. “No, I don’t.” I knew that wasn’t exactly true. I was picky. She blinked slowly, shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe what I’d said. “See that guy over there?” She nudged her head at the bar. I turned and saw a guy with a buzzed head of brunette hair, dressed in jeans and a button-down blue shirt, looking our way. “Yeah?” “He’s been staring at you for the last twenty minutes.” “He’s staring at you,” I argued. “Um, no.” I looked at the guy again, and he raised his tumbler. I turned back to Lorelei. “Okay, so maybe he is looking at me, but only because it’s a Friday night and he wants to get laid.” “And?” She chuckled. “I’m not into that kinda thing. I want to be fed, too.” We both started laughing, and I turned to look at the guy again to see if he was still looking at me. He was, but he scowled then looked away. “Aw, he thinks we’re laughing at him.” I shrugged. “Good, he’ll stop staring.” “We’re fucking bitches.” I nodded. “We are. But I came to have a drink with my friend after work. I didn’t come here to have a one-night stand.”

“Maybe you need one.” I turned my head slightly and narrowed my eyes. “What?” “You’re so wound up because of work. I get it, it’s stressful, but that’s more of a reason to get laid.” “Well, not with that guy.” I waved my hand in the direction of the poor dude. A smile spread across her ruby lips. “Well, let’s find you one.”

My Uber driver dropped me off at the front door of my building, and after taking the elevator up to my floor, I stumbled out three sheets to the wind. Lorelei and I had drunk one too many cosmos —five if I remember correctly. And because we were in our own world, gossiping and people watching, we didn’t find me a guy to go home with. That wasn’t really my thing, though. Plus a lot of the men who frequented Rick’s were lawyers, and I didn’t want to get involved with someone I had cases against. That could get messy, and it was unethical. If attorneys did get involved with each other, they needed to inform their clients, and then one of the attorneys would need to withdraw from the case so it wasn’t a conflict. Who wanted to do that for a one-night stand? Not me.

As I passed my neighbor’s place, I placed my hand on the door wishing he’d open it, pull me in and fuck me. If I were to have a one-night stand, I wanted it to be with my sexy neighbor. Apparently, a lot of women had lived out that fantasy. I heard him all the time enjoying the company of those women, and each of them sounded different. I giggled to myself as I stood outside his door, remembering some of the things I’d heard. “Did you get that lamp at Target?” one woman had asked between moans. “I’m gonna fuck you hard!” another woman had shouted. At first, I’d thought it was Sam shouting because it sounded like Batman’s deep growl. And another that had me laughing so hard was, “You like that, you saucy biscuit?” Where Sam found these women was beyond me. And the ones who moaned over and over and over annoyed the fuck out of me. I wasn’t sure if it was because he was that good in bed or they thought their screams were sexy. And every time I wished it were me. Since I was buzzed, I wanted more than just a quickie with my vibrator tonight, but my neighbor didn’t open his door, so I carried my drunk self to my condo. Thinking about it, I should have had that guy with the shaved head at Rick’s buy me my drinks and take me home. At least I wouldn’t be pining over my neighbor, who didn’t even know I existed.

That wasn’t true. Sam knew I existed, but only that I was the girl next door. We’d never said more than two words to each other in the three years that we’d been neighbors. Maybe he had a rule about not eating where he shits or, in this case, fucking his neighbors. Maybe he thought I had a man. Or maybe he thought I was ugly. I never saw the women he brought home (only heard them), so maybe he only screwed supermodels who talked like superheroes or had a thing for comfort food. After stripping my clothes and leaving a trail back to the door, I stood in front of the floor-length mirror in my bedroom. No, I definitely wasn’t a supermodel. For one, I wasn’t tall and all legs. I was five-five, and I only had normal-sized breasts. Not the ones that spilled over the cups of bras or the ones that needed a push-up bra to even look like boobs. I’d heard the saying that a man really only needed a handful. I had that covered, but no more than that. I wasn’t fat, but I wasn’t runway material either. I was normal. I weighed what was right for my frame. My desire to be with Sam started to fizzle out as I continued to stare at myself, thinking of all the reasons why he never gave me a second look. And then it happened … “Yes!” the woman screamed. “Yes! Right there!”

I knew what she was referring to behind my bedroom wall. I’d never seen it, but if the banging was any indication, I knew he was fucking her hard because his headboard was hitting the wall next to mine. Bam. Bam. “Yes! Fuck yes!” Bam. Bam. “Well, son of a bitch,” I muttered to myself. My buzz was definitely wearing off, and my hatred for Sam was rising. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” “You like that, Nikki?” “Yes!” Nikki screamed again. I rolled my eyes. Well, I could have answered that question. Sam started to groan, Nikki started to moan, and I’d had it. Before I knew what I was doing, my butt-ass-naked-self was banging on the wall between our condos. “Stop!” I shouted. “Some of us are trying to sleep!” I was such a loser. Sure it was late, but it was a Friday night, and I’d just let my hot ass neighbor know I had no life because I was “sleeping” at three in the morning and not getting my brains fucked out like Nikki. The banging of the headboard stopped, and I sighed. It worked. If only I’d done that years ago,

Sam might have realized I could hear him and maybe he’d pick a different place to screw them. Like the couch or the kitchen counter. Hell, maybe even the floor. I started to walk toward my attached bathroom when there was a knock on my front door. I stopped mid-step and didn’t move hoping he’d leave. There was only one person it could be, and apparently, I’d pissed him off. More knocks came, and I held my breath. If he couldn’t hear me breathing, he’d assume I was sleeping. And more knocks. “Open the door, Peyton.” He knew my name? I mean, I knew his name because I was a woman and we did that shit. As soon as I’d seen him when he moved in, I wanted to know his name, but of course, I couldn’t ask him. That would be crazy. I wasn’t shy. I had to present cases in a courtroom, and all eyes would be on me as I spoke. I also met with strangers every day, from new clients to attorneys I’d never worked with before. But this was different. This was Sam. This was the hot neighbor whose name I knew only because I’d heard a chick screaming it. Of course, that was when I had a glass to the wall and my ear pressed against it, trying to hear what was happening in his bedroom. Little had I known I didn’t need the glass. But I had no idea he knew my name.

“Peyton, open the door.” I sighed and closed my eyes. Sam had said more than two words to me now. Granted it wasn’t faceto-face, but if I opened the door, it would be more than the eight he’d already said. “I’m not going away until you answer the door.” I wasn’t sure how our neighbors were feeling about Sam yelling at my door. It was late—or early. However you wanted to look at it. Sam knocked again. “Damn it, Peyton. Open the fucking door.” Before he caused more of a scene, I snagged my robe from the back of my bathroom door and threw it on as I made my way to the front door. Thankfully I wasn’t sleeping. My hair and make-up were still intact and gave me a little more confidence when I swung the door open. “What?” I hissed. He opened his mouth to speak, and then I watched as his eyes traveled down my body and then back up. “I thought you were sleeping?” “I said I was trying to,” I clarified. “You sleep in full makeup?” I scowled. Who was this guy? “No, I just got home and was getting ready for bed until I heard you—” “Do you want to join us?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Sam smiled, and then I remembered why I was infatuated with him. He was tall, dark and handsome: the perfect combination. His white teeth shined against his olive skin, and I swallowed. My gaze then traveled down his bare torso, and my eyes widened. I’d never seen him shirtless, and fuck me, he was perfect. Washboard abs, a trim waist that connected to that V that drove women crazy, and not a lick of hair on his chest. His lower stomach was a different story, and I knew exactly where the light dusting of hair went. “Do you want to join us?” he asked again. “How do you know my name?” I blurted. “What?” He chuckled. “How do you know my name?” I repeated. “Because we’ve lived side-by-side for three years.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “But we’ve never said more than hello to each other.” “Do you know mine?” he asked. I snorted. “Kinda hard not to when the women scream it nightly.” “Does it turn you on?” “I … What is this?” I asked, moving my hand back and forth between us. Sam placed a hand on the doorjamb then moved in closer as he whispered, “You weren’t sleeping, and are dressed only in a black robe, which leads

me to believe hearing me fucking a chick was turning you on. So I want to know if you want to join us.” “But when you came over here, you didn’t know I was only in a robe and not sleeping,” I corrected. With his free hand, he ran his fingers along the silk collar of my robe. “I’ve seen how your eyes drop when you see me, and a tint of red spreads across your cheeks. I know you want me, and I figured hearing me turns you on. I want to get you in my bed.” I stepped back, and his hand fell away from my clothes. “You think that I’d want to share you?” Sam cracked another smile. “Have you ever had a threesome?” “That’s none of your business.” “That’s a no. In that case, I’ll kick Nikki out and it can just be us.” What the hell was happening? “I’ll pass,” I stated, and reached for my door to close it. Sam grabbed it. “You sure?” I was starting to realize that my fantasy with this jerk was only that—a fantasy. He wasn’t who I thought he was. I mean, he did sleep with a lot of women, but I just thought… I thought he’d one day realize the girl he wanted lived next door to him. I was totally a loser.

“I’m not into that.” He smiled again. “Into what?” I waved my hand in the direction of his condo. “Being another notch on your bedpost.” He laughed. “Peyton, we’ve been neighbors for a while. I know you want to be another notch, and I’m giving you the chance.” “You’re such an asshole.” “But you’ve thought about it, right?” he asked, totally ignoring the fact I was pissed and had just called him an asshole. Not wanting to give him even more of a bigger head, I said, “I thought that you were a nice guy.” “I am a nice guy. When I want something, I go after it. Doesn’t mean I’m an asshole.” I crossed my arms over my chest again. “Why now? Why are you willing to kick that poor girl out?” “When you banged on my wall, I realized that I could be fucking you, so I came over here to get you. Nikki is down for whatever. If I can only have you alone, then I’ll kick her out.” “Have you ever heard the saying too little too late?” “Don’t be like this, Peyton. You know we both want each other. I’m sorry I waited until now.” I rolled my eyes. “Wanted.” “What?” He tilted his head.

“I’ll admit that I thought you were cute. But now I know you’re a sleazeball, and I don’t want to catch anything. Have a good night.” I pushed him back and closed the door in his face. I was definitely no longer drunk or horny. In fact, I wanted to move right then and there. What had I’d been thinking? He’d been with countless women. Countless! I picked up my discarded jeans and blouse as I walked back to my room and went to take a shower. I felt dirty just being in the same space as Sam. When I got out of the shower, it sounded as though he was literally screwing Nikki against the wall. I heard what I assumed was her body moving up and down the wall as he thrust into her. Sam was trying to torture me. There was no way I’d be able to sleep with my head next to all the moaning. Therefore, I grabbed a pillow off my bed and went and slept on my couch. Want more? Purchase it today!