Sempiternal - K. Renee(ang.)

Sempiternal

K. Renee

Contents Copyright Dedication 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

Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Epilogue Sneak Peek: Fueled Anger by Jack Jameson Sneak Peek: Targeting Dart by Manda Mellett Sneak Peek: Something Just Like This by Lisa Shelby About the Author Acknowledgements

Copyright Sempiternal © 2017 K. Renee Published by K. Renee 1st Edition All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the author’s work. Published: K. Renee - 2017 [email protected] Cover Design: KLa Boutique Formatting: KLa Boutique Swag Cover: © Wander Aguiar Cover Model: Finn ISBN-13: 978-1546900986

Dedication Fight for something or someone you believe in. Love trumps all.

One Stana Walking the streets alone I always feel at peace. I’m not sure what it is about the cold air that makes me feel like I am free, but it’s like my escape. The stuffy, boring life that I live is just that, boring. You work all your life and what do you have to show for it? Me? Nothing really. I have a really dull and small apartment, a cat that hates my existence, and a boss who could probably care less if I show up to work the next day. Sometimes I’m not even sure what I’m doing anymore other than going through the motions. I get up, I go to work, I come home, and then I go to bed. Like I said, boring. My dark hair blows all around my face from the small gust of wind, but I pay it no mind. The cold air is the only thing that is currently letting me know that I’m alive. Without it, I’d be pretty sure that I was just a walking zombie. No real destination in mind, only the sound of my footsteps on the pavement with the wind blowing all around me.

Coming up to the corner of Mitchell and Clark, I pause on the corner and wait for oncoming traffic. The cars blow by me like I’m not even there. I tighten my hold on my bag as I hear footsteps coming up behind me. When the light on the crosswalk flashes for me to start walking, I make my way into the street and towards the other side. A hand grabs my arm, and I’m pulled into a different direction. None of the cars bother to stop to help me as I'm manhandled by some wannabe thug. I put my fist into his stomach, and he lets out a loud ‘oomph,’ but it doesn’t stop him. He pushes me into the empty alley and my stomach drops. Never in my life has someone tried to hurt me. I take that back, I’ve been hurt before, but never like this. He pushes me up against the wall, and he puts his face real close to mine. His warm breath flutters over my skin, and I try to lift my leg to knee him in the balls, but it’s no use. He’s using his body to push me up against the wall, holding me in place. “Mmm, you sure smell pretty.” His voice is like nails on a chalkboard. I try to continue fighting him, but his body is way more powerful than my own. “What? You don’t like a little fun?” He asks. One of his hands starts to find its way up my

shirt, and I think I’m going to be sick. I begin to scream, and it lands me a blow to my cheek. I cry out in pain just as I hear someone coming. Heavy footsteps are coming towards us, and I start to scream again. “HELP! PLEASE!” I end up with his hand covering my mouth as I continue to scream out for help. His skin is dirty, and I cry out against his hand. “Please,” I mumble out, trying to get the person who’s coming up behind us attention. Tears are streaming down my face as I think about all the possible things that this man is going to do to me. His other hand grabs the waist of my leggings, and he pulls them down my thighs. “Keep fighting. I love it when I have to get rough,” he whispers in my ear. Instead of fighting, I do the exact opposite. If a fight is what he wants, he won’t get it from me. Silent tears fall down my face as his hand runs over my now naked skin. The cold wind blows around us, and my once warm skin is now ice cold. Before he can do anything else to me, he’s being pulled away. The force knocks me off balance, and

I find myself falling to the cold, hard ground. I watch as the dark dressed man pushes the man who attacked me against the wall and points a gun right at his face. I’m in shock. I can’t get my body to move even though I know I need to run. When I try to stand, my legs feel like jelly, and I end up falling back to the ground. “Ye get off on hurting a lass?” The menacing man asks my attacker. I watch the man’s eyes widen as the dark dressed man pushes the gun into his forehead. “Ye touch her again, and I’ll find you.” His accent makes it impossible to understand the next words that come out of his mouth. The man punches my attacker in the stomach, and he falls to the ground, crying out in pain. My eyes widen as I take in the scene before me. I want to move, but I’m frozen in place. My attacker gets up from the ground and takes off running into the distance, stumbling slightly as he goes. When the man’s eyes turn towards me, I get the first glimpse of his face. His sharp cheekbones and square stubbled jaw keep my attention even though he’s trying to talk to me.

“Ye alright lass?” He asks again. My eyes meet his, and I can’t remember that I’m supposed to be terrified still. He slowly walks towards me and kneels down in front of me. “Let’s have a look at ye.” My eyes widen when he reaches out his hand. I try to move away from him, but I end up pressed back against the wall, unable to get further away. “I won’t hurt ye, lass.” His voice is gentle this time, and I watch him for a second trying to figure out if I can trust him. “Yer arse must be freezing. Let’s get yer knickers back on ye.” My lips tremble, and I can feel the tears pooling in my eyes. Instead of getting up like he wanted me to, I end up crying instead. “Aye,” he breathes. He inches towards me slowly until he’s on his knees right in front of me. “Lass, no one will hurt ye while I’m here.” I look up into his eyes, and I see the certainty in them. He believes what he says. Slowly, I nod my head.

“Aye. Let me help ye up so I can cover yer arse.” I nod again, and he grabs my hands, slowly standing up and pulling me up with him. He looks into my eyes before he reaches down to fix my leggings and thong. As my warm tears fall down my face, I can’t help but focus on his eyes. The deep green color of them pulls me in with little effort. His hand reaches up and grabs my chin, moving my face so he can get a good look at the side that my attacker hit. Instinctively, I run my hand along my cheek and feel how hot it is. Slightly pressing on it, I wince, and he frowns. “What’s yer name lass?” His voice is angry, and his eyes darken. “Stana,” I whisper. “Jaysus, ye fecking foundered.” He pulls his black leather jacket off of his shoulders and wraps it around my body. The distinct smell of his cologne engulfs me, and I get lightheaded. Maybe I got hit harder than I initially thought. When I start to sway on my feet, he reaches out and steadies me. “Thank you.” My voice breaks and he pulls

me closer to his body. His warmth swallows me whole, and my body relaxes. “Me name is Jerick.” His accent is beautiful even if I have no idea what the hell he says half the time. “Thank you Jerick. You saved me,” I say when I finally stumble the words out of my mouth. “Aye. No problem. Let me take ye to yer gaff.” I stare at him with a frown. I have no idea what a gaff is. A smile appears on his face, and he tries again. “Aye, let me take ye home.” I nod my head in agreement because I don’t think I’ll be able to walk home alone. It might not be the best idea, but it’s better than walking alone if that man is going to try and come after me again. We walk the eight blocks it takes to get to my tiny apartment in complete silence. Every few minutes, I would find myself looking up at him. His face is beautiful, and if this were any other circumstance, I’d probably be staring and thinking dirty thoughts about him. Every time I stop looking

at him, I feel his eyes on me. I’m sure he thinks that at any moment, I’m going to break down and cry again. To be honest, I just might. My emotions are all over the damn place, and I feel like I’m watching this whole thing from the outside. I am still in disbelief that someone would attack me on the street in front of at least a dozen people, people who didn’t do a damn thing when he grabbed me from behind. What if it was their daughter being attacked? Don’t you think they’d want someone to stop their attacker? Gah! I am so lucky he came along and prevented my attacker from doing anything worse. When we finally come up to my apartment, I see him looking around, scanning the area around us. My eyes scan the area too, and I don’t see anything out of the ordinary. I reach to pull his jacket off, and he stops me. “Let’s get ye inside yer gaff first.” He winks at me, and I nod my head slowly. Unlocking the door, I let us into the lobby and watch as he forces the door shut behind us. Grabbing my hand, he leads me towards the stairs that take us towards the apartments. “What floor are ye on?” His voice is soft,

almost like he’s afraid of startling me. “The fourth,” I murmur. His hand feels warm compared to my cold one. We take the stairs slowly, step by step. My legs are frozen, and they hurt with each step I take. By the time we get to the fourth floor, I’m nervous. What if he expects something from me in return for him saving me? I lead him over to my apartment door in complete silence. As we stop at the door, he motions for me to open it. This is a bad idea. He now knows where I live and I have no idea who he is still. Unlocking the door slowly, I open the door and push it open. He holds the door open for me and motions for me to go through it first. Once my feet hit the tile entryway, he releases my hand. I feel my body heat up just at the thought of him being in here with me. No one has been in my apartment since Rhett. We dated for three years, and although I felt like he ripped my heart out when he left. I don’t even think I really missed him anymore. I lived a colorful life, or so I thought while with Rhett. He was the total opposite of me, and we just clicked. We tried new things, and he made me laugh more than anyone else I had ever met before. When he left, I fell into a depression, and I had a

hard time fighting my way out of it. I never expected my happiness to depend solely on someone else. I swore that I would never put myself through that again, so I closed my heart off to everything and everyone. Shaking my head, I rid my mind of all thoughts of the past. I don’t want to think about it anymore. Instead, I focus on the man standing in the middle of my living room. His green eyes follow every movement I make. “Do you… uh… want something to drink?” I feel my body heat in embarrassment. Why am I even offering him something to drink? Brilliant smile forms on his lips and I feel like the wind got knocked out of me. My god, he is beautiful. “I’d love one.” His accent makes the words sound almost erotic. After staring at him for another minute, I finally break eye contact with him and make my way to the kitchen to grab a couple of waters. I should probably grab some ice for my face as well.

Two Jerick Watching the lass looking nervous is quite amusing. Her stare penetrates through me, but I don’t mind it. Saving her from that fecker may be me lucky day. She’s a vixen, and I can’t keep me eyes off of her. I watch as she makes her way through the apartment to fetch us some drinks. Her hands shake as she reaches into the fridge and I move towards her. My hands touch her skin, and I feel me dick in me jeans twitch. He wants the lass just like I do. Her body tenses at first and I run me hands down her arms. Reaching into the fridge, I grab the two water bottles she was reaching fer and pull them out. She doesn’t move, her body is as still as a statue, and I have to guess it’s because of me. Maybe she doesn’t know what to do with a man in her space. Me hands go to her hips, and I move her out of the way gently. She leans against the counter and watches me. I reach into her freezer and pull out a bag of peas. Collecting everything, I reach out grabbing her hand, leading her to the couch.

I watch the way her eyes follow me every move. I open a bottle of water fer her and hand it to her before grabbing her legs and pulling them into me lap. Her eyes meet mine, and she looks somewhat frightened. I roll her pant legs up to see her knees. Me eyes scan over her skin, and I feel me body react. I don’t know what it is about this lass that has me all messed up in the head. She isn’t one of our kind. She wouldn’t want a man like me. I’m no good fer her and me intention fer coming here was anything but pure. I wanted to know where she lived so I could continue to watch over her. I don’t know why, but I feel like I should protect her. That fecker that attacked her will be back to finish the job, I’m sure of it. When I leaned into him with the barrel of me gun pressed into his skull, I told him not to feck with what was mine. The Brannigan’s didn’t go easy on someone who messed with their own. The fecker will soon learn all there is to know about me. Her knees are scraped, and her jaw is starting to swell. Reaching forward, I grab her chin in me hand and turn her head to the side to get a better look at it. The angry red welt is enormous and taking over half her jaw. I gently run me fingers along her jaw, and her eyes flash in pain. She

doesn’t say a word, but I can tell she isn’t really sure what to expect from me. One thing I’ve learned since moving to the states from me home in Belfast, Ireland is that language is a barrier, and the women around here seem to eat up me accent. I get laid all the time, and I’m not looking to change that, even fer a darkhaired beauty like the woman in front of me. Me hand cups her cheek and she leans into me touch. Taking the bag of peas, I lean forward and wrap the pack in the paper towels I brought from the kitchen. Pressing the bag to her face, I watch her eyes darken slightly. She’s somewhat turned on by me. I can feel her body heat as mine gets closer to hers. As I close the distance between us, me phone starts to ring from me coat pocket. Closing me eyes, I take a deep breath before handing her the bag of peas and reach fer me coat that is still on her body. Pulling out me phone, I see it’s me Da. Hitting the answer button, I put it to me ear. “Aye.” “Where the feck are ye? We have business to discuss, boyo. Get yer arse here now.” Me Da sounds stressed, and I can only imagine why. When we moved from Belfast, we

didn’t bring much more than the duds on our backs and some cash. We’ve created our business from the ground up. When shit goes sideways, he always pulls me in from the streets to deal with the problems. I’m the muscle. I deal with the kills and the threats. I keep our family safe and our competition out of the picture. “Aye. I’ll be on me way in a few minutes Da,” I finally respond. As much as I don’t want to leave the lass, I have work to do. I was on me way to deal with a buyer before I saw what the fecker was doing to her. “Ye finish with the buyer?” He asks, his thick accent billowing through the phone. “Ní hea it’s not.” Me reply is simple without telling him I haven’t actually made it to the buyer yet. “Get it done and get yer arse here now!” He bellows through the line. “Aye,” I reply before hanging up. I don’t need me Da telling me how to run

me side of the business. I know how to deal with these feckers. Turning me attention back to the lass in front of me, I watch her fer a second. Her dark hair is falling into her face, and her icy blue eyes are penetrating into me. “Ye need anything I want ye to give me a ring, aye?” At first, she doesn’t say anything, but after a few moments, she nods her head in agreement. “Where is yer phone?” I ask, looking around the room. I come up empty, and when me eyes land on her again, I see the blush creeping up her long, slender neck. Me eyes stop on her throat, and I can imagine running me mouth along it. “I don’t have one.” Her voice isn’t very strong, and I have a feeling that I make her nervous still. Hell, I make a lot of people nervous. Putting her legs down on the couch, I get up and go in search of a pen and a piece of paper. I need to be able to get a hold of her. I won’t let her go unprotected while that fecker is still walking free.

Writing me number down on a piece of paper, I bring it back over to her and hand it to her. “Ye get into any trouble, I want ye to call that number.” Her eyes fall onto the paper in her hand, and I can see the look she gives it. She isn’t going to use it. “Stana, I want ye to promise me if something happens ye will call me.” She goes to shake her head no, but I stop her. “The fecker may come back to finish the job. I won’t let him hurt ye.” Her eyes slightly widen, and she finally nods her head in agreement. “Ye call if ye have any problems,” I say again. “Yes, I will call if I have any problems.” Her voice is gentle, and it oddly washes over me. The light tone brings a smile to me face. She isn’t the same as the women I’ve had before. Her beauty calls to me, an innocence that I’ve never wanted. Before I can get too close to her again, I turn and start to walk towards the door. “Jerick.” I close me eyes as her voice hits me. The way me name falls from her lips… shit. I

don’t need this shit right now. Turning around, I see the look on her face, and I’m done fer. She slowly slides me jacket off her shoulders and unhurriedly starts to move towards me. Me jacket in her hands, she holds it out to me, and I leisurely grab it. Me other hand grabs her wrist, and I pull her to me. Her slight gasp and slightly parted lips draw me in even further. Without thinking, I lean down and claim her lips. Slowly I force my tongue into her mouth, and her body melts against mine. I release her wrist, and me hand finds its way into her hair. Kissing her deeply, I hear the little sounds coming from her. She’s fecking perfect. As if she realizes what we are doing, she pulls away and touches her fingers to her lush lips. Licking me lips, I watch her fer a second before I wink at her and turn back towards the door, pulling my black leather jacket back on. Before I close it, I look back at her and see the dazed look on her face. “Don’t forget to lock up after I leave, aye?” “Okay.” She breathes. I close the door behind me and stand there waiting until I hear the lock click into place. I won’t take the chance that fecker is out here just waiting fer me to leave her. Making me way back down the four flights of stairs, I push the heavy door open and step out

into the crisp night sky. Looking up at the building, I burn the address into me brain. I will ensure that nothing else happens to the lass. I can’t stand the thought of it. I start the trek towards the buyer's place and check me watch. Six-thirty on a Friday night. Maybe if I get this shit done soon, I can head to the club and still find a lass to shag. After trekking down the eight city blocks to the buyer's store, I swing the shop door open and walk inside. “Fuck. What are you doing here?” The man behind the register asks. He’s frantically looking around the room like someone might come out at any moment. “Yer payment is due,” I state gruffly. He pales and then goes to grab something from behind the counter. “I can’t have you showing up at my shop. My wife is in the back, and she has no idea what I am involved with,” he whispers harshly like it’s going to change the way I do me business. “Don’t care. I do pick ups as I see fit. Yer wife isn’t me problem.” He frowns but hands me the envelope. I open it and flip through the bills. “Yer short.” I grit out, shooting him a look.

“I can’t give anymore.” He pauses and looks towards the sound of footsteps. “She will find out, and it will ruin everything we’ve worked for.” “Yer problem isn’t mine. Rest of the money or yer wife is gonna be the least of yer problems.” I watch as he starts to pull another envelope out and the footsteps get louder. He tosses the envelope at me, and the woman comes out from around the wall. “Sweetheart, have you seen the…” Her eyes land on me and she pauses. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize there was a customer.” I nod me head at the woman, and she blushes. “I was just leaving.” I look back over at the store owner, and he almost seems thankful I didn’t say anything. Next time he won’t be so lucky if he tries to stiff me half me money. “Have a wonderful night,” she says cheerily. The woman has no idea what her husband is doing behind her back. I shake me head but don’t say anything. It isn’t me place to rat out lying husbands. I make me way through the door and back out into the street. Me Da is going to want the money and me back at the club before long, so I start to make me way down in that direction. He was already pissed so I won’t keep him waiting

much longer. We own a high-end strip club that caters to some of the most prominent mafia members in the area. We aren’t exactly mixed up in their world, but we do make lots of money off of them. They spend their money freely and who are we to say no. By the time I get to the club, it’s about twenty degrees colder and starting to rain. Just me fecking luck. Ducking inside, I make me way towards the back room and to me Da’s office. Opening the door, I see me Da with a lass between his thighs. Her blonde head bobbing up and down on his dick. I take the envelopes out and toss them on his desk and turn to walk out, but he stops me. “Jerick, I need ye to collect from the Devin’s on fifth.” I wave him off and turn towards the door. I don’t stop the next time he calls out me name. I have plans to find a lass to shag, and I won’t let him ruin that fer me.

Three Stana Weeks turn into months and soon, it’s been five months since I was attacked. I refuse to go out after dark alone and instead of walking, I take a cab or find a co-worker to give me a ride home after work. I feel like the darkness I’ve been living in has gotten even worse than before. Some days I have the hardest time just getting out of bed. Just remembering the man grabbing me from behind and the way he pulled my leggings… No. I won’t let him overpower me today. I’m going to be strong. Closing my eyes, I lean against the building I live in and take a deep breath. I have to get to work in thirty minutes, and it’s at least a twenty-minute walk from my apartment. Sighing, I wrap my scarf around my neck once more before I hike my purse on my shoulder and start to trudge down the busy street towards the office. Every time I hear heavy footsteps behind me, I start to freak out in my head, and soon the

darkness begins to overtake me. A heavy hand grabs my shoulder, and I barely register that I’ve grabbed the new knife that I started keeping in my bag. I whirl around and lunge forward with it. A hand grabs my wrist, and it’s pulled behind my back. My eyes are wild as I start to panic and I fight the best I can against the person who has their hands on me. “Stana.” His accent, his cologne. My body instantly reacts to him, and I can feel all the tension and darkness slowly dissipate. Our eyes meet for the first time in months, and part of me is excited to see him. When I’m not freaking out, my brain is always thinking about him – the man who saved me. God, I sound like one of those people who fall in love with the person who saved them. Hero-worshipping at its best. I can’t even think of what they call people like that. I mentally smack myself a few times before I look up at him again. He towers over me, and when I look up at his face, it’s a mistake. I instantly think about the kiss and the way my body felt when he had his hand tangled in my hair. No. I won’t think about that. “Are ye alright lass?” I slightly nod my head, but he doesn’t buy it.

“Ye don’t look okay,” he murmurs into the top of my head. He releases me and then takes a step back almost like he’s trying to read my body language. “Come on. I can give ye a lift to work.” He doesn’t wait for an answer. He just grabs my hand and leads me to a sleek looking black Audi R8. As he opens the passenger door, he motions for me to get in. Slowly I take a seat, and once I’m situated, he closes the door and jogs over to the driver’s side. “So…” I start when he gets inside the car, but I don’t know what to say to him. How did he find me again? I was sure that I would never see him again. I doubt he comes to this side of town just for shits and giggles. I mean, it isn’t the safest, but I know it’s not the worst either. “Yer wondering why I’m here, aye?” I turn to face him in the seat and nod my head. “Yes, I guess I am.” I stare out past him and through his window, watching the people walking by. The car starts moving towards my work, and I don’t even think about the fact that he seems to know where he is going. “Well, I saw ye and ye looked frightened. I gave ye me number to use if ye were ever afraid.” His gaze burns my skin. I can feel every inch of

skin that his eyes travel over, but I refuse to look at him. I can’t look at him. When the car comes to a stop, I look out the window and see the building I work in. My head snaps in his direction, and I see a smile forming on his lips. “How did you…” I trail off. Maybe I don’t want to know that he is following me or something. What if his plans for me are worse than just knowing where I live and work? Oh, my God. It’s my fault that I let him walk me home. I should have called the cops after I was attacked and he saved me. I’m such a moron. “This may sound creepy, but I’ve been worried about ye. I followed ye to make sure ye were safe and that yer attacker didn’t come back.” My body tenses and I reach for the seatbelt to try and undo it quickly, but his hand stops me. “I couldn’t just call ye. Ye don’t have a phone, so I worried.” I think back to the night he gave me his number. I’ve thought about calling it so many times since that night, but I always talked myself out of it. Since the attack, I’ve felt alone, even more so than before. I feel almost like part of me is broken and I’ll never be able to fix it. “You don’t have to worry,” I say, picking at my nails.

“Aye, I do. I’m worried about ye.” He reaches over me and opens the glove box. I watch him with bated breath as he pulls something from it. When he rights himself in his seat, he looks back at me and hands me a box. With shaking hands, I take the box and stare at him. When I look down at my hands, I see that it’s a phone box. Looking back at him, I’m sure I have a strange look on my face. “What is this for?” I ask not understanding why he handed it to me. “It’s paid fer. I want ye to be able to call for help if ye need it. I programmed me number in the phone already.” He reaches his hand over the center console and cups my cheek, the same cheek that was bruised for weeks. “Why?” I don’t understand why he wants to help me or I don’t know, save me. I’m sure he can get any girl he wants with that square jaw and high cheekbones. He’s like perfection wrapped up in a bad boy package. Even his rusty brownish hair is sexy in its messed up look that he seems to sport. “Stana, ye need not worry. I won’t let anything happen to ye,” he murmurs. His body leans forward, and before I can get my brain to work again, his mouth is on mine. His kiss starts out

soft before it turns urgent. He wraps his hand around the back of my neck and pulls me closer to him. Going willingly, I kiss him back. All logic escapes me, and the only thing I can currently think of is him. When he finally breaks the kiss, he bites my bottom lip giving it a tug before releasing it and pulling back. My cheeks heat with embarrassment. Why does he keep kissing me? “Ta tu go halainn.” I stare at him in confusion, and he starts to grin. “Ye are beautiful.” He finally says after a few moments of silence. I blush at his compliment. I don’t remember the last time someone told me I was beautiful. Most men don’t even look at me twice. “Stana, believe me when I say it. Ta tu go halainn.” I slightly shake my head, but he stops me. “Don’t.” He closes the distance between us again and presses his lips to mine. “Don’t make yerself feel less than ye are.” Closing my eyes, I just feel his lips as they glide over mine, claiming them. Breathless, I pull away and look at the clock on the dashboard. Shit. I’m going to be late. “I need to get inside. I’m going to be late.” My voice is winded like I’ve been running for miles. He affects me in a way no one else ever has. He gives

me one last kiss before he pulls away and opens his car door. I watch him as he walks around the car and opens my door like a gentleman. “Ye need a ride home, send me a text.” I nod my head, and he reaches in and helps me out. “I don’t want ye walking alone.” His breath is on my cheek, and it causes my body to break out in goosebumps. “I can protect myself.” I finally forced the words out. “Aye, but I want to know yer safe. I will pick ye up and take you to work and home.” Finally, I just give in. It doesn’t seem like anything I say will get him to change his mind. As much as I am flattered that he even wants to give me rides, I’m taken back. He doesn’t know me other than saving me from that man. Shaking out all evil thoughts, I finally agree to what he wants. A free ride won’t hurt me, hopefully. “Okay. I’ll text you when I’m getting off.” My cheeks heat when I think about the double meaning my words have. I cover my face with my hands and shake my head. “That totally came out wrong,” I say. His grin widens, and he wraps an arm around me pulling me closer to him.

“I like the way it came out. I’d be happy to hear from ye when yer about to get off too.” His eyes darken, and my body reacts to his. The box in my hand slips and clatters to the ground. He looks down at me once more before he bends down to pick it up. His eyes are right at the bottom of my skirt, and I feel his hand reach out and skim over my bare legs. A chill runs up my spine, and I try to hold still. I don’t even know why I am letting him touch me when I barely know him. When my brain finally plays catch up with the way he touches me, I feel like I’m going to be a puddle at his feet. I can’t lose myself to someone else. I can’t do the whole Rhett thing again. My mind won’t be able to handle it; I won’t be able to handle it. I didn’t eat for weeks after he left. I laid in bed and cried myself to sleep every night. I couldn’t function, and I lost so much weight that I looked unhealthy. I’m finally back in a good place. Well, I was until the attack. I still can’t wrap my head around what happened that night. I was lucky that I only suffered a few scrapes and a bruised jaw. It could have been a million times worse. “Yer thinking about that night?” He asks as he stands up to his full height. I didn’t even notice him take his hand off my calf. I nod my head

slightly, and he frowns. “I told ye, I won’t let him hurt ye again.” I don’t know what to say or do. How do you trust someone that you don’t even know? Better yet, can I even believe him? Sure his brilliant smile and bad boy looks make me weak in the knees, but I don’t know a thing about him. He could be a killer for all I know. Oh my God! What if he is a killer? What if he’s going to kill me? “Text me when yer ready,” he says pulling me from my internal rambling. Instead of doing the usual thing and saying that I don’t need his help, I simply nod. Turning away from him, I walk towards the office building and make my way inside.

Four Jerick Me mind has been nonstop thinking about that lass. I watch her walk towards her work, and the only thing I can focus on is her arse as it sways from side to side. Before she disappears behind the glass door, she looks over her shoulder at me. I lean against me car and wink at her. The blush creeps across her cheeks, and I can’t help but grin. She doesn’t know that I’ve been watching her since that night. I can’t help it. I feel this intense need to make sure nothing else happens to her. I’ve yet to find the fecker who hurt her, but I won’t give up me search until I find the bastard. He won’t live after that. Her face may be healed, but she’s now skittish. And although she has no reason to trust me, she does. It’s almost like she lets her guard down with me. That angel trusts me enough to let me touch her even after what she went through. Pushing off me car, I walk around to the driver’s side to get in. Before I can take off, me

phone starts to ring in me pocket. Pulling it out, I see Niall’s name on the screen. “Aye,” I answer. “Yer Da wants me to go with ye on the collections this week.” I run me hand over me face. I don’t get why me Da wants Niall to go with me other than to make sure I’m doing me job. Feckers. “Aye. When ye wanting to go?” I ask. Me accent gets stronger when I’m angry and all the boyo’s know. “Tonight,” he states. “Ye know I don’t want to do this to ye, but I got no choice.” I blow out a breath and put me car in drive. “I know. Yer just following orders,” I grunt out. I’m sure he’s running his hand through his hair right now. It’s his tell. He does that when he’s nervous about something. “Aye. I’ll pick ye up at six?” He finally asks. “Aye. See ye then.” I hang up and toss me phone into the passenger seat. After ten years, ye think me Da would trust me to do me job. At twenty-eight, I feel like I have enough experience that I don’t need a fecking babysitter. By the time I make it home, I’m tired and

ready fer bed. Being up all night has its disadvantages, but I wanted to make sure I saw her again. I wanted to make sure she had a phone because I want to be able to talk to her. When I picked up the phone, I asked the guy at the store what one would be good fer a lass, and he pointed that one out. I got her all the data she would need as well as a case to protect it. Walking through me apartment, I make me way straight to the bedroom and strip out of the duds I’m wearing. Slipping between the sheets in a pair of black boxer briefs, I put me phone on the charger and roll over to me back. As soon as me eyes close, I hear me phone beep with a new message. Stana: Jerick, this is too much. I can’t accept this. Ignoring her plea fer me to take back the phone, I type her out a quick message. Me: No Stana. It’s not too much. I want to make sure you’re safe. Let me. Her reply is slow, but I don’t mind. I like knowing that she’s using the phone I bought fer her.

Stana: It’s too much. It’s hard to figure this thing out. Let me repay you at least. Grinning to meself, I shake my head. There is no way I’ll let her pay fer anything as long as she is under me protection. I will make sure she is treated like the princess she is. Me: Banphrionsa, you will not repay me. I want to do this for you. Stana: What does that mean? Me: Princess. I set me phone back down next to me head and close me eyes. The exhaustion is kicking in, and I’m not sure how much longer I’ll stay awake. Before I fall asleep completely, I hear me phone beep with another message that I’ll have to check when I wake up again.

Five hours later, I’m startled awake. Grabbing me gun, I point it towards the door and wait. When the door slowly opens, I see me Da standing in the doorway. “What the feck?” I groan out, setting the gun on the bed next to me. “Yer distracted lately,” he states. It’s true. All me thoughts have been on Stana and making sure that I’m around when she’s alone. Me job hasn’t suffered through, so I don’t know what the visit is fer. “Yer head is out of the game. Is it a lass?” His tone is dangerous, and he sounds almost jealous. “No,” I respond, just as me phone dings with a message. I look down at the screen and see her name on it.

Stana: I get off in an hour and don’t have a ride. I frown at the screen, and he knows I’m lying. “Who is the lass?” He asks. “She’s nobody,” I state. I don’t want her to get messed up in me life. She isn’t from the family or any friendlies, so I know that it will be rough to be accepted by me Da. He doesn’t like outsiders to know anything about us. “Bring yer lass to dinner.” He doesn’t give me an option. “Da, we aren’t even dating. I just met the lass.” He eyes me fer a few seconds before he drops it. “Fine. If ye get serious, we must meet the lass. No exceptions.” He turns to walk away, but stops and turns back to me. “She part of the fold?” I stay quiet, and he shakes his head at me. “Ye know the consequences,” he bites out. I shrug me shoulders. He can threaten me all he wants, but it won’t change me mind about her. “Da, no offense, but I’ll date who I want. Ye may be the boss of the family, but ye don’t run me love life. She won’t be a distraction.” One thing

I know about me Da is that he doesn’t like distractions. I need to get me head on straight, and now that she has a phone, I can focus more. I won’t have to watch her every move. “Jerick don’t fecking tempt me. Ye me boyo don’t get to make the rules. Get yer head on straight and cut the lass loose.” He walks out the door without so much as another word. I grab me phone and send her a message back. Me: I’ll be there to pick ye up Banphrionsa Tossing me phone on the bed next to me, I lay back against the pillows and close me eyes. At least I’ll get to see her soon. When I finally pull me arse out of bed, I make me way to the bathroom and start the shower. As the water heats up, I think about the lass that has stolen every free minute of me head. I don’t know how she’s gotten so stuck in me head, but I’m glad she has. Stripping out of me boxer briefs, I get in the shower and shut the curtain. As the water rains down on me, me mind instantly thinks about the sexy legs she has and what I would do if I was between them. Me dick hardens, and I run me hand

over me length. I imagine that it’s her hand that is stroking me, taking me closer and closer to the edge. It doesn’t take me long to come. Me whole body was begging fer it. I need to get her off me mind somehow. Maybe shagging her will get this hold off of me. I need to get past her and soon. I can’t let this shit affect me job and family. Once I’m done showering, I shut the water off and make me way out of the tub to dry meself off. Walking butt naked into me room, I go straight to the closet to grab a pair of jeans and pull them on. Finding a button up, I throw it on and make me way to the dresser to finish getting ready. Once I’m ready, I make me way out to me car and take off towards her work. As soon as I pull into the parking lot, I see her open the door. She looks around a little before she finds me car. Getting out, I walk around the car and meet her in front of it. “Banphrionsa,” I murmur, grabbing her hand and pulling her into me. Her breath catches, and she looks up at me with a smile. “Hi,” she whispers. I lean forward and press me mouth against hers. “I hope I didn’t

interrupt something important.” “No. I was just at me gaff. Nothing important.” Me hand runs up and down her back as her hands rest on me stomach. “Gaff?” Her pronunciation of the word is way off, but it’s cute that she’s even trying to say the word. “Home.” I smile at her, and she blushes. “Come on let me take to yer gaff.” She nods her head, and I kiss her once more before I walk her over to the passenger side and help her in. Talking off, I drive us to her gaff and pull into a free parking space. As we make our way up the four flights of stairs, I can see her looking at me every few seconds. When we get to the door, I can’t hold back any longer. Grabbing her around the waist, I pull her body to mine and then press her up against her door. Kissing her lips, I press me hips into hers and pin her to the door. Her soft moan turns me on, and I don't know how much more I can take. I want her so damn bad. A throat clears behind us, and she giggles against me lips. I grab her doorknob and turn it, but we don't budge. She starts to laugh more and pulls

her keys out of her purse. She hands them to me, and I quickly unlock the door, pushing her inside. Slamming the door shut behind us, I walk her backward until we hit the back of the couch. Lifting her up, I set her on the back of the couch and press me lips against her neck and kiss me way down towards the little cleavage she has showing. She reminds me of a good girl until I get me hands on her. My hands trail down her sides, and I slide them under her sweater. Grabbing the bottom of her sweater, I pull it up and over her head, tossing it on the ground behind me. I don't care about taking it slow right now. The only thing that is running through me brain right now is getting her out of her knickers and shagging her. Feck, what I wouldn't do to get her on me dick. Just as I start to undo her bra, me phone starts to ring. Groaning, I drop me forehead against hers. She’s panting, and her eyes are closed. Reaching into me pocket, I pull out me phone and look down at the screen. Feck. It’s Niall. Hitting the answer button, I put the phone against me ear and wait fer him to say something. “Where ye at boyo?” His words piss me off, and I bite back the response that is on the tip of

me tongue. “I’m a little busy,” I bite out. “What the feck do ye need?” Looking down at the angel in front of me, me body tenses as I wait fer his answer. “We are to be doing collections, or did ye forget?” I curse under my breath and close me eyes. Pulling the phone away from me ear, I see that it’s almost six. Feck me. Time fecking flew by, and I already need to head out. “Aye, I’ll be there in a minute,” I growl in the phone. I’m fecking pissed that I won’t be getting to see what else is under these baggy clothes. Ever since the attack, I’ve noticed her new duds. No longer does she wear the leggings and fitted sweaters. Hanging up, I pocket me phone and sigh. Our foreheads are still touching, but she doesn't say anything. Her breathing is still a little erratic, and I love that. “I’m sorry,” I murmur, kissing her forehead. “I’ve got to go.” She slowly nods her head against mine, but she doesn't say a word. “I’ll text ye later,” I state before I pull her mouth up to mine and kiss her deeply. She doesn't move to put her sweater back

on, but she does watch me make me way to the door. “Be careful.” Her voice is strained, almost like she doesn't know why she is even saying the words. “I will.” I open the door and walk through the doorway, shutting the door between us.

Five Stana My heart is still pounding ten minutes after he walked out the door. I don’t know what it is about him that makes me do stupid things. I shouldn’t want him the way I do, and I shouldn’t let him kiss me that way. When I finally get my body under control, I bend down to grab my sweater and pull it back over my head. Walking over to the couch, I take a seat on the worn cushion and stare at the blank wall. There is nothing personal about my apartment and in a way it calms me. It helps me remember that everything can be gone in the blink of an eye. I could pack up tomorrow and leave this town and any other town for that matter. I typically don’t sit on a place very long, but something about Jerick makes me want to stay. This isn’t good. I shouldn’t want to stay, I’ve never stayed. Well, I guess I stayed once and look what that got me. Broken trust and a heart full of regret. My mind flashes back to when I thought we were happy, but it crashed down on the floor

and took me down with it. I thought he loved me. Heck, I thought I loved him too. “Stana, where the fuck are you?” His voice calls out from by the front door. He just walked through the door after being at work all day. When he reaches me, I can see the scowl on his face. His eyes are bloodshot, and he’s stumbling. He must have stopped at the bar on his way home tonight. “When I ask you a question, I want a damn answer,” he yells. I shrink back, and my eyes widen. Rhett has never once yelled at me or anything like this before. God, what could I have done to make him so mad? “I’m sorry,” I whisper into the bedroom. I’ve spent most of the day doing laundry and cleaning our room, so I didn’t even think to make my way to the living room when he arrived today. The distance between us closes quickly, and I can see the anger written all over his face. The crack of his hand hitting my skin startles me, and when I look up, I see the regret and pain written all over his face. My cheek burns and the sting is nothing compared to the hurt I feel inside my chest. My hand goes to my face, and I hold my cheek.

“I’m so sorry baby,” he quickly states, pulling me into his strong arms. I’m still in shock and can’t even process what just happened. He wouldn’t hit me, but apparently, he would. He did. A warm tear slides down my face, and I’m shocked that it’s even happening. He pulls my face into his chest, and he starts to whisper in my ear. “I’ll never hurt you again. I am so sorry baby.” I don’t say a word. I just let him hold me as a part of me goes numb. My mind flashes back to the present when I hear the foreign sound of the phone beeping in my bag. Walking over to where I left the bag, I pull out the phone and check the screen. When I see his name on it, I start to feel the butterflies in my stomach go crazy. He shouldn’t make me feel this way. I don’t even know him, and I have no idea what to do about it. Jerick: I want to see you after I’m done tonight. Flicks of memories to the way his mouth felt against mine have me squeezing my legs together. God, what am I doing? My fingers trail over the buttons on the screen, and I hit the reply button and type out a message back to him.

Me: Okay. I don’t say anything more because honestly, I don’t know what else to say. I’m so far out of my league with him. Just looking at him, I know he isn’t the type of guy I’ve ever gone after. His demeanor is dark and deadly but soft at the same time. Gah! There is something wrong with me. I shake my head at myself and thoughts of Rhett come back into my mind. He was nothing like Jerick, but look how that turned out. Maybe I’m destined to be with crazy men. He doesn’t write me back, and it doesn’t bother me. Instead, I go into the kitchen and make a T.V. dinner that was still in the freezer. After I eat and feed the devil cat, I make my way into my bedroom to grab some clean clothes so I can shower. Once I get out and dry off, I spend time putting lotion all over my body before slipping my sleep shorts and a tank top on. Walking through to my room, I pull the comforter down and slide between the sheets. Grabbing the remote from the small tattered nightstand, I turn it on and wait for the T.V. light to glow before I shut my lights off. The purring monster comes and jumps on the bed not long after I turn on Netflix and settle in against the pillows.

The show blurs after a while, and I find myself fast asleep. A hand presses against my belly and I freak out. Trying to pull away from the hand, I all but fall off the bed and onto the floor with a loud thump. Hearing the sound of his deep chuckle calms me enough to not reach for the baseball bat I have sitting next to the bed. His footsteps come towards me, and I hold my breath as I wait for him to come closer. “Ye okay Banphrionsa?” he asks when he gets within a foot of me. Leaning down, he puts his hands under my body, lifting me up and into his arms. I have no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck and hold onto him as he puts me back in my bed. “You scared the crap out of me,” I mutter, looking away from him. He doesn’t say anything else as he gets into my bed. “Wait, how did you get in here? I locked all the windows and the door.” I look around and don’t see anything out of place, and that makes me even more nervous than before. Maybe he’s a thief, and that’s why he left in a hurry earlier. “Ye apartment isn’t that safe, love.” His words are matter-of-factly, and that doesn’t make me feel good.

“So anyone can get in like…” I pause and swallow the lump in my throat. What if the man who attacked me can get in just as easily as Jerick got in? “What if he comes back?” I shudder, and he wraps his arms around me pulling my body into his as he tucks me into him. “The fecker won’t come near ye,” he whispers into the dark room. The only light we have is the soft glow of the T.V. “I’ll take care of ye.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head, and I close my eyes. “What if you aren’t around and he finds me?” My panic is getting the best of me. I can’t control it. “He won’t banphrionsa. I won’t let anyone hurt ye.” I bury my face into the crook of his neck while he just holds me. After a while, I feel my body start to melt into his embrace, and it scares me. I shouldn’t trust this stranger, yet I do. I’ve let him into my apartment, into my mind, and now into my bed. The only explanation is that I must be going insane. His fingers trail up and down my back in the most soothing way, and soon I’m fast asleep.

Waking up sometime later, I feel a massive arm draped across my waist, and when I try to move out from under it, it grips me tighter. Turning, I come face to face with the handsome man sleeping next to me. The room is still dark when I glance at the clock. The time reads four a.m.. He must have shown up some time after midnight at least. Maybe that’s when he gets off work… His regular deadly expression is softer and almost approachable while he sleeps. If I had met him anywhere else, I would have walked the other way. He scares me in a way, but at the same time, it’s like he pulls me in. Running my fingertip along his cheek and then across his lips, I watch him. His features never

change, and part of me is glad for that. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing, and I’m nervous that when he wakes up, he’s going to want something from me. Not that I haven’t been thinking about it since he brought me home from work yesterday. His hand around me tightens as I run my fingers down his neck and towards his pecs. He doesn’t have a shirt on so his tattoos are on full display. Growing up, my parents always told me that people who had tattoos were terrible and that I shouldn’t trust them. I believed it for a long time until I got to know some people who had ink. I’m pretty sure that some tattooed people are the most beautiful people I’ve ever met. Plus, if he was all that bad, why would he save a girl like me? I’m dull, average, boring. I am nothing spectacular, and I still don’t understand why he’s kissed me multiple times or why he’s even here right now. Sometimes I sound like a crazy person in my own head. He probably just wants to have sex with me and then his fascination will disappear. Maybe I can just give him what he wants so I can get on with my life. I need to move again. It’s probably not safe for me here anymore. My attention is drawn back to his beautiful face, and I run my finger over the skin between his eyebrows.

For once, he doesn’t look stressed or worried. I notice the heart tattoo on his chest, and my fingers itch to touch it. It looks so real and detailed. Just as my hand reaches out to touch it, his hand grabs mine. I jump back a little, but I don’t go far. His grip on me is tight, and I’m being pressed against his hard body. “What are ye doing?” His voice is sleepy and rough, making me wet between my thighs. I’m in so much trouble with him right here in my bed. “I was just admiring your tattoo.” He releases my hand, and I tentatively move my hand towards his chest and the tattoo. My fingers brush against the ink that stains his skin. The heart is detailed and lifelike. His eyes follow my hand, but he doesn’t say anything. “Does it mean something?” I ask, slowly pulling my hand away from his skin. “Aye. I got it a few years ago.” He doesn’t say anything more, and the only conclusion I can come to is that it was because of a woman. Men don’t talk about tattoos they got for other women. Not that I would really want to know that he loved someone else before. Gah! Why would I even care that he loved another woman? There is definitely something wrong with me.

Instead of saying a word, he grabs my chin and forces my face up. His lips fall onto mine, and I move closer to his body. Pressing close to him, one of my hands grips his side, and I pull him even closer. There is nothing between us but my skimpy little sleep clothes and his jeans. One of his hands wraps around the back of my neck, while the other slides along my back towards my ass. His fingers slip under my shorts, and I feel them brush against my skin. I gasp into his mouth, and he swallows the sound. We are a mess of teeth and tongues. Both of us trying to get more of the other. His fingers slide along my folds, and he pushes a finger inside of me. I moan out his name, and he kisses me until I forget all my reservations about him. The only thing I can focus on is the way it feels as he puts his hands on me and in me. “Feck, yer so wet,” he groans into my mouth. He starts to move his finger in and out of me, and my mind gets hazy. It’s been way too long since I’ve been with anyone. He builds me up quickly, and my hands dig into his skin. “Oh God,” I whimper. He claims my mouth again as he brings me

right over the edge and into oblivion. I can’t even describe the way I am feeling after that orgasm. As I come down, he kisses down my throat and pulls my top down, exposing my breasts to him. He takes one of my nipples into his mouth and has my body arching into his for more. His fingers don't leave my clit as he continues to run his fingers along my wetness. Every nip and suck that he places on my skin gets me hotter than before. Rhett never gave me more than one orgasm, and that was if he even tried at all. It was always about him. I didn't have my first orgasm until I bought a vibrator a while after we started dating. Pushing out all thoughts of Rhett out of my head, I focus on the way Jerick’s mouth feels on my skin.

Six Jerick Every time I run my hand along her skin, I feel like I’m being burned. Something about her makes me fecking crazy. I’m not in control, and I hate that. Me life is all about power, and right now, I’m anything but. Running me mouth down her neck, I suck on her pulse, and she moans out. Fer a second her body went slack, almost like she wasn’t into me, but after a few moments she changed. She came alive under me. Her nails are digging into me sides, and it eggs me on further. She’s fecking soaked, and I can’t wait to peel off these little shorts she has on. Pushing her back into the mattress, I rise up on me knees and run me hands down her body. I pull her up with me into a sitting position. Grabbing the edge of her little tank, I pull it up and over her head. She falls back onto the bed, and her tits bounce before settling. Shit. She reaches out and runs her finger down

me chest before it trails down to the top of me jeans. Her fingers nimbly start to undo the button, and I can feel me dick pressing against the zipper, just begging to come out. As she begins to push them down little by little, I get off the bed and kick them off. Watching her, I see her eyes trail down me body. They widen when they come to me dick. She slowly gets to her knees and crawls her way towards me. The light barely filters in from the street lights, and when her fingers touch me skin, I can’t help but groan at the feeling. Me dick stands at attention between us and she slowly runs her fingers down me length. Grabbing the back of her neck, I pull her lips to mine and kiss her roughly. Her fingers dig into me biceps. Me other hand grabs her arse, and I pull her whole body closer to me, causing her to gasp. I rub me erection into her soft skin, and she moans at the sensation. Sliding her shorts down her legs, I release her and push her back on the bed. Her dark hair fans out on the white sheets and feck it’s a sight. Once I get her out of her shorts, I toss them behind me and move between her thighs. Stroking me cock, I run it along her folds a few time before I finally slide into her wet cunt. Feck, she feels

fantastic. Her pussy’s grip on me dick is so tight ye’d think she was a virgin. I slide in and out of her slowly, and her eyes roll back in her head. Her hands grab her sheets, and she holds them in a death grip. Each thrust is slow and deep, pulling moans out of her throat. “Please,” she whimpers. “Fuck me harder.” When I speed up me thrusts, her ankles wrap around me and cross behind me back. I continue to fuck her hard until she moans out me name. “Jerick.” She’s breathless, and I can feel the familiar tingle in me balls, telling me that I’m close. Reaching down, I rub her clit a few times until I feel her pussy clamp down around me and she screams out her release. I pound into her a few more time before I’m falling into ecstasy right behind her. I collapse on top of her and press me face into her neck. Our heavy breathing is the only sound filling the small apartment. She gently runs her hand down me neck and down me shoulders and to me back. When I finally catch me breath, I pull out of her, and I realize me mistake. “Shit,” I grit out. She moves back and looks between us fer a second before her eyes widen, almost like she just realized what I did.

“Uhh…” Her voice isn’t more than a whisper. “I’m clean,” I rush out. She shakes her head and then frowns at me. “I…” She pauses and thinks about her response before she says anything. “Me too.” I freeze when she doesn’t say that she’s on birth control. Feck. Once I saw her beautiful naked body, I couldn’t think about anything other than that. I’m a fecking idiot. I run me hand through me hair and look towards the window. I catch her movement, but I don’t expect her to touch me. “It’s fine. I can go to the pharmacy after work tomorrow,” she says like it’s no big deal. This makes me frown. Has she done this before? Just thinking that she’s been with another bastard pisses me the feck off. I don’t want to think about another man touching what’s mine. Mine… No, she isn’t mine. No fecking way. As I’m waging this internal battle, I feel her hand on me waist. She pulls me closer to her, and I go willingly. I don’t put up a fight, and I’m surprised. Not only do I want to cuddle her body against mine, but I also want to know what it feels like to wake up with her in me arms – something I’ve never done.

“Come on. Relax. Everything will be fine.” Her voice puts me at ease, and I do as she says without a second thought. I push her back, and she crawls back towards the pillows, sliding under the covers still naked. She sighs when she puts her head on me chest. Her warm breath fans over me skin and it oddly soothes me. Running me hand down her back, I make invisible patterns on her skin. When she buries herself into me more, I move me other hand to her lower back and press her lower body into mine. Her body fits mine perfectly. Shit. I shouldn’t be thinking about her that way. She isn’t mine, and she definitely isn’t cut out fer this life I lead. She’s pure while I’m teetering that line of evil. I’ve worked fer the Divil before, and it is part of the reason we are now stateside. I know what it’s like to spill another man’s blood, and I’ve done me share of bad things. Am I proud of it? No, but I did what I had to. Ye don’t say no to a man like that. I feel her body melt into mine, and her breathing evens out. There is something about this lass; I can’t even explain it.

Waking up with her arse pressed firmly into me dick, I try not to thrust into her cunt. Me arm tightens around her and me fingers brush over her nipple. She moves lightly and her nipple pebbles. Feck, the only thing I want to do right now is get back inside of her. Me hand brushes over her tit once more, but this time she grinds back into me. Me dick hardens even more just at her slight movement. I’m totally fecking screwed. “Stana,” I whisper. “Hmm,” she responds sleepily. She runs her hand down me thigh, and I let out a sharp breath. Me phone beeps, and she huffs out in frustration. I kiss her forehead before reaching over to grab it. When I look at the screen, I see a familiar number

on it. Ignoring the message, I drop me phone on the nightstand and roll her over onto her back. “Do you have to go?” Her pouty lip makes me want to stay even though I was never planning on leaving her. If anything, I have plans to shag her again. Instead of answering her, I press me lips against hers and kiss her. Her hands tangle in me hair, and she rubs against me the best she can under me body weight. I don’t waste any time getting inside of her tight cunt. It’s like a fecking drug, and I need me next fix. “Jerick,” she moans when I thrust into her roughly. Something takes over me brain, and I can’t focus on anything but her. She’s writhing in pleasure under me, and I continue me rough and quick pace. Reaching down, I rub her clit a few times causing her to make sweet noises of pleasure. Her nails dig into me skin, and I’m pretty sure she’s going to leave marks on me. “Oh God,” she moans loudly. I’m sure her neighbors have heard her come each time. “Feck Stana,” I grunt out, pulling out of her almost completely before slamming back into her. Her sharp gasp turns me on, even more, I can’t help but increase me pace until we are both panting and

right on the edge of coming. “Ye feel so damn good baby,” I groan. Her eyes close and her mouth opens into a perfect little O shape. Feck me, she’s halainn. I feel her warm cunt tighten around me and her nails end up breaking the skin on me sides as she digs them into me. A warm trickle of blood falls down me side, but shit I don’t mind. She can draw blood anytime as long as she lets me shag her any way I want. “Jerick,” she rushes out. “I’m going to…” She trails off, and I continue to pound inside of her at a quicker pace. “Ahhh,” she moans, eyes rolling into the back of her head. She grinding on me dick a few more times as she rides out her orgasm, triggering me own orgasm. Collapsing on top of her spent body, I kiss me way down her throat and then back up to her face. The sleepy grin on her face is sexy, and her tousled hair is spread all over her pillow. Feck, she’s like a wet dream. “What?” she asks covering her face. Moving her hands away, I press a soft kiss to her lips. “I like looking at ye,” I murmur before

claiming her mouth one more time. “Yer halainn.” The pink blush covers her face, and she shakes her head no. “What time is it?” she asks suddenly, looking a little frazzled. I roll over and grab me phone, checking the time. “Almost eight.” Her eyes widen, and she pushes me off of her, rolling out of bed. I watch her run around her room, throwing clothes around and looking fer something to wear. I can’t help but grin when she finally comes to a stop wearing a tight black skirt, a half buttoned blouse, and two different shoes. When she sees the grin on me face, she looks down at herself and frowns. “You could have told me instead of laughing,” she deadpans. I shrug and give her another grin before motioning fer her to come to me. “Ye look sexy even with two different shoes,” I whisper against her lips before I claim her mouth once more. When she pulls away, she shakes her head at me. “You’re crazy.” The lass doesn’t know how beautiful she really is.

“Yer going to be late, love.” I grin from me spot in her bed. She flips me the bird before changing her shoes. Getting up, I walk over to her, me dick pressing into her belly. “No, we can’t. I’m going to be late.” She doesn’t really sound like she’s all that worried about being late to me. Me phone goes off again, breaking our lust filled haze. “It’s okay, I need to get to going anyways.” I wrap me arms around her waist and pull her body into me still naked one. “Tonight me and ye are going to be in exactly the same position.” Her eyes widen slightly, and she is stunned into silence or something. “I’ll take ye to work, pick ye up, bring ye home, and then go to work. I want to wake up with ye in me arms again.” I grab her chin and force her to look at me. “Okay.” She finally says after a few minutes of silence. Kissing her one more time, I release her and grab me clothes, pulling them on. Grabbing me gun from inside me jacket, I quickly shove it in the back of me jeans before she turns around to see it. I’ll protect her from knowing the truth about me fer as long as I can. It’s the only way I can protect her from the life I lead and the friends I keep.

Seven Stana After Jerick dropped me off at work, I kept my head down and focused on the items I needed to finish before I got off work. The paperwork it daunting and as much as I rather spend all my time thinking about the mysteriousness of Jerick, I keep my focus on the tasks at hand. All day long, I do data entry for a company that sells computer software. I don’t know a whole lot about what they do because the stuff I enter is mainly just customer information. When I see my boss walk by, I notice his stare. He doesn’t seem all that happy with me if I’m judging by the look he just gave. I don’t speak to really anyone but Max. He is one level higher than me on the food chain here. His job is to make sure that the customers are up and running and provide support if they ever should have any questions or concerns. I don’t envy his job. Sometimes I hear the way people talk to him, and I can’t imagine having to deal with that on a daily basis.

He’s a really nice guy. Cute in a nerdy sort of way too – not that I check him out or anything. That would be a tad bit weird since we work together and all. Plus, he’s the only person I talk to here, and it would be awkward if things didn’t work out and stuff. My boss, on the other hand, doesn’t speak to anyone unless it’s necessary. It’s kind of odd in a way, but I don’t mind the quiet. It helps the day go by faster when I can just put my headphones in and get to typing instead of having someone hover over me all day every day. Especially, after the night that I was attacked, and Jerick saved me. I was a mess. When I would come into work, I would rush to my cubicle and cry. Nothing would stop the tears. One day Max saw me crying and asked what was wrong. I couldn’t get the words out, and I didn’t want him thinking differently about me either. I tried to just act like it didn’t happen, but my mind trapped me into this box-like room where I had to watch the scene play over and over again. Each time my mind would change the outcome of the incident. Some days it would get further, and other days Jerick would have been there sooner to save me. The darkness that I’ve known for a while now never left. Instead, it felt like I was being

suffocated by the memories, seeing his face every time I close my eyes. When I start to panic, I grab the phone out of my bag and send Jerick a text message. He said to text him if I ever needed him and right now, I think I do. Me: Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. His response isn’t automatic like yesterday. I sit at my desk and stare at the wall for a good twenty minutes before I get a response from him. My mind is spinning, and I can’t focus on anything but the sound of the phone beeping. Jerick: Don’t focus on him, love. Focus on this morning instead. This time when I close my eyes, I think about the way I felt waking up in Jerick’s arms. For the first time in I don’t know how long, I felt safe. It felt like whatever I had to go through today would be worth it just because I had a chance to be in his arms. The darkness that typically suffocates me every morning was gone, and in its place, I felt happy. Jerick: Only think about the way it felt when I put my hands on your body.

I feel my cheeks heat with a bit of embarrassment for thinking about that at work. I never do this sort of thing, yet he’s bringing out this side of me that I don’t even know. Me: If I think about that, I may need to change. Jerick: Wet panties at work sounds like my kind of girl. I can stop by at lunch and take you out. I feel my body heat just by reading his words. He would come and take me out to lunch just because I was starting to panic. That isn’t something I’m used to. No one has ever made the extra effort for me like that. Me: I’d like that. Lunch that is… I can only imagine the sexy smirk that he probably has on his face right now while reading my text. I set the phone down on the desk and look at the pile of papers in front of me. I still have a lot to enter before I can even think about lunch. Once I get to entering, I don’t stop until I’m at least halfway through the pile. I’ve entered three new customers, as well as updated six existing customers’ databases with new employees. When I

finally look at the clock, it’s after one. Shit. I forgot to send Jerick a text about lunch. Before I can type out a text, I look up to see him standing in front of me. “Aye, love. Ye forgot to take a lunch break. I’m here to take ye out.” He has a grin on his face, and part of me is stunned that he is actually here, standing in front of me right now. How did he even get back to my cubicle? “How did you get back here?” I ask. I don’t know why I ask, but I can’t help it. I need to know the facts if possible to keep myself from overreacting. It helps keep the darkness at bay when I am in public. “The lass up front brought me back here. She said that ye typically zone out and probably wouldn’t hear us. She was right.” He comes closer, and I just stare at him. How does he looks so incredibly handsome every time I see him. It’s like he never has an off day. His hair is always perfectly done, and his clothes look like they were freshly ironed. “Come on. Let’s get ye some food. I don’t want ye to be starving tonight when I take ye to bed.” I blush at that. When I woke up this morning, I didn’t know what to expect from him. At first, I

thought that he would be like any other man. A one night stand that I thought I would never see again, but he keeps coming back. Showing up just to make me feel better and safe, something I’ve never had before. “Where are we going?” I ask. I don’t know why all of a sudden I’m hesitant, but I am. I still barely know this man, and here I am going off with him. But then again he didn’t hurt me last night when he had plenty of time to murder me in my sleep. Grabbing my bag from the ground next to my desk, I get up from my chair and let him lead me out of the office and right to his expensive looking car. I mean, it’s a beautiful car. I just don’t know how he could afford it. He looks way too young to have that type of money. He opens my door for me and helps me in before shutting it and making his way around to the driver’s side. I take this time to check him out. His slacks are snug, fitting his ass perfectly. The black button up shirt that he is wearing today pretty much fits him like a glove. I watch the way his muscles move with every movement he makes, and I get a tad bit distracted. When he gets in the car, he stares at me for

a second, but I don’t even notice. “Ye done drooling, love?” He grins, and I snap myself out of the haze I was just in. “Yeah, sorry,” I mutter, looking through the windshield. I swear I make myself seem like a forty-year-old virgin with the way I drool over him. “Don’t be embarrassed. I like that ye can’t seem to get enough of me.” When I look over at him, I see the sincerity in his expression. I don’t know why he would want to have me drooling over him. It’s strange, but then again so is the way we met. When I don’t say anything to him, he changes the subject. “What do ye want to eat, love?” The more I listen to him talk, the easier it is to understand him. “I don’t care. I’m not picky,” I say quietly. He starts the car, and takes off into the mid-day traffic. I watch as cars and people go by, but I don’t pay attention to where we are going. The silence is kind of nice and comfortable. He doesn’t force me to talk when I don’t know what to say, and it makes me a little wary. “I hope ye like sandwiches,” he states when we come to a stop at a traffic light. I turn my

head to look at him and see something in his expression that makes me want to lean over and kiss him. I don’t know why, but my body is pulling me in weird directions around him. I shouldn’t want him as much as I do. I shouldn’t want him at all. “Yes, I do.” I sound lame, I know, but he makes me nervous. A kind of worried that scares me. If anything, I need to be careful. I can’t revolve my whole life around someone else again. I can’t take that leap of faith. That’s it, I’m officially crazy. We just met. Nothing is going on more than that. I shut my mind off and try to focus on the stuff that is going on right now. I can’t keep thinking about long-term things with him. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow or the day after. I just have to live day by day like I have for the last year. We pull into a parking lot, and I don’t recognize the place at all. I take my seatbelt off and scan the area around us, nothing looking familiar. I don’t move as he gets out of the car and makes his way to my side. Part of me is afraid that something terrible will happen here and the other part of me is scared that he’s going to just leave me here to fend for myself.

Yup, that’s it. I’m officially crazy. He opens my door and reaches in for my hand like a complete gentleman. Once he shuts the door behind me, he intertwines our fingers together and leads me towards a run-down building. The moment we make it through the door, I can smell the delicious smell of fresh bread being baked. “This is a well-kept secret,” he murmurs in my ear as he pulls me closer to his side. “I come here a lot. They know me order by heart already. Take yer time and let me know when yer ready to order.” I nod my head, not taking my eyes off the extensive menu board that is above my head. I scan over all the items and finally decide on something. “I think I’m ready.” He grins and walks with me closer to the counter. “Ah! Jerick! It’s so good to see you.” The man says from behind the counter. I look up at Jerick and see a huge grin on his face. “Good to see ye as well, Michell.” I look up at the man and see the friendly look on his face. “So you want your usual?” He asks before looking down at me. “And what can I get for you,

beautiful?” I feel my face heat at the use of beautiful. “Can I get a Bacon Mac?” I ask, twisting my fingers together. I don’t know why I’m nervous. I shouldn’t be. Maybe it’s because this is the first time I’ve been out on a date in four years. It’s not a date, who am I kidding. Jerick hands the man over some money, and he tells us it will be ready in a few minutes. Jerick leads me over to one of the small tables and pulls my chair out. I take a seat and continue to scan the room. Everything in this place is cute and somewhat cluttered. Pictures are covering one of the walls to the right of the area, and I can’t help but grin when I see a photo of the man behind the counter and Jerick standing together smiling. When his eyes meet the photo on the wall, I turn my attention back to him. “That’s a great photo of you both.” “Thank ye. It was taken a few months ago at their daughter’s wedding.” I don’t say anything to that, but then again I don’t know what to say. Some would say I’m awkward during conversations and I have to admit that it’s true. I never know the right things to say.

Eight Jerick Watching her in the sandwich shop, I can see how guarded she really is. She doesn’t give more information than ye ask fer and she doesn’t supply much to the conversation. I want to know more about her, but she doesn’t say more than a few words each time. “How did you find this place?” she finally asks. “I know a guy,” I answer with a grin. She raises an eyebrow at me and waits fer me to say more. “Me best mate is the husband of the daughter. We have spent many days sitting here waiting on his bride to get off work.” She laughs at that. “So you sat in here and ate sandwiches while she worked?” I nod me head, and she starts to laugh harder. “Did you get tired of always eating sandwiches?” “No. She would make us off the wall kinds,

and we would be the taste testers of sorts.” She raises an eyebrow at me, and I can’t help but laugh this time. “So you tried out new sandwiches?” I nod me head just as Michell calls out me name. Getting up from me chair, I walk over to him, and he grins. “She’s a beauty. Girlfriend?” He asks just loud enough for me to hear. “Something like that,” I answer. I don’t know what we are right now. I don’t like putting labels on things like this; I’m more of a go with the flow type of guy. That way if I shagged someone else, I don’t have the label of a girlfriend to get in the way. It’s a dick move, I know, but it’s the way I’ve lived me life since being in the states. “Don’t let that one go kid. I know you and Rory are good guys. Don’t let the shit you do for your family keep you from falling in love.” I don’t say anything back, but I do nod me head in understanding. He’s right about Rory being a good lad. Me, not so much. Rory has been me best mate since we were wee lads and not once has he ever thought bad about me or me family due to the shit we do fer a living. If anything, he’s worked fer us a time or two when times got tough. I dragged him with me when I left Belfast. I needed some lads on

me side when it came to the family stateside. Taking the tray of food back over to Stana, I set it down in front of her and take me seat. “Oh wow, this looks amazing.” Her eyes scan over all the food on the tray. I hand her a bottle of water and grab me sandwich, taking a bite. I watch her tentatively take hers and take the first bite. Her eyes close and a small moan comes from her throat. Every inch of me tenses up, and I have to take a deep breath. Holy feck. She sounds fucking sexy as hell moaning like that. It brings back all thoughts of last night and this morning. Me dick stiffens in me pants, and I have to adjust meself. “This is amazing,” she says after she swallows. We continue to eat mainly in silence beside asking a few questions here and there. In the short time, we’ve been here, I’ve learned that Stana is an only child, never stays in one city for more than a few years, and that she doesn’t trust very quickly. The trust thing is strange since she barely knows me and has believed me enough to be in the same bed as her last night. I want to know more about the man that

broke her heart, but I don’t want this lunch to end on a wrong note, so I keep it to meself. Maybe I’ll ask her tonight when we are alone. By the time she’s done with her food, I’m just sitting there watching her. She’s so damn beautiful. I don’t think she sees it herself and that is even more attractive. “Why do you keep staring at me?” She finally asks, sitting back in her chair. “I love watching ye. Ye don’t know how halainn ye are.” She blushes a little, and I can’t help but grin at her. I feel me phone vibrate in me pocket, but I don’t bother with it yet. Me time with her is coming to an end soon anyway. I need to get her back to work. “You are crazy,” she finally says, her eyes staying on the table instead of coming back to me. “Aye, love. But I don’t lie.” She rolls her eyes at that, and I can’t help the chuckle that slips from me. She checks the clock on the wall by the door and then looks back at me. “I should probably get back to work.” Her eyes tell me everything she doesn’t. She doesn’t want to go back to work.

Instead, she rather spend more time with me. If I didn’t have shit to do right now, I would be taking her back to her gaff and shagging her again. “Alright, Banphrionsa. Let’s get ye back to work.” She smiles politely at me but doesn’t say anything. Getting up, I walk the tray to the garbage and push all the trash off. Putting the tray on the top of the garbage lid, I walk back to her and wrap me arm around her shoulder, pulling her body into mine. “See you later Jerick,” Michell calls out. I wave to him just as he winks at Stana. “He likes ye,” I state when I get her to the car. Her head whips around, and her eyes widen. “What do you mean?” she asks slightly panicked. “He told me to keep ye around.” Her skin visibly pales in comparison to her natural skin tone. “What does that mean?” I swear she

doesn’t see the beauty she holds. She may be a little damaged from the last muck she dated, but looking at her, I see so much more than just the pretty face. Once I get her in the car, I make me way around to the driver’s side. As I open me door, I see a flash of me past that I never expected to come stateside. I stare at him as he casually leans against the wall across the street. He doesn’t make a move to come towards me, but the look on his face tells me all that I need to know. He wants to get revenge. Getting in the car, I start the engine, not taking me eyes off of him. I don’t want him coming after me while I have Stana in the car with me. If anything I would rather we end this shit sooner rather than later, but he knows how I feel about bringing a woman into our shit. As we take off towards her office, I can feel her staring at the side of me head. “What?” I ask when we get out of sight of Ciaran. “Just wondering why you got all quiet and pissed back there.” I look at her for a second, surprised by her using the word pissed. I don’t think I’ve heard a bad word out of her mouth yet.

“Ye caught that, aye?” She nods her head, reaching over to put her hand on mine. I blow out a breath as we come to a stop light. “Well, I saw a lad from me days back home in Belfast. Let’s just say it won’t be a welcoming party when we finally speak.” Her eyebrows scrunch up, and she looks at me funny. “What do you mean? Are you guys not friends?” “No, love. We had a few run-ins together back in Belfast. Let’s just say there might be blood when we finally come face to face.” The light turns green so I don’t get to see the look on her face, but I can feel the tension coming from her body right now. She doesn’t like confrontation. She doesn’t seem to like violence either. “So is it like a feud of some sort?” I shrug me shoulders. “Kind of.” I don’t know how else to explain it besides the truth, and I am not ready to tell her about that yet. I would rather continue to get to know her before I give her the gory details that will make her run and hide.

“You’re not going to give me more than that are you?” She asks just as we pull into the parking lot of her work. “Not right now, love.” I put the car in park and turn to face her for a second. Her eyes are bright and questioning. She may not ask a lot of questions, but the ones she does ask make ye worry about what she might find out. “Can you tell me soon?” I nod me head but don’t say anything else. She looks at the clock on the dashboard before she looks at me again. “I need to get back to work. Thank you for the lunch date.” She shuts her mouth quickly and closes her eyes for a second before she turns to grab her bag and open the door. Before she can move, I grab her arm, and she turns to look at me. “I’ll be back at five.” She gives me a small smile in response, so I close the distance between us and kiss her. Her hand comes up to cup the side of me neck as she kisses me back. I get out of the car before she can get her wits about her again. Opening the door for her, I help her out before I shut the door. “I’ll see you later,” she whispers.

Pulling her body into mine one last time, I whisper in her ear, “I can’t wait.” She kisses me cheek quickly before walking away. I watch her until the door shuts behind her. Scanning the parking lot, I blow out a breath before making it back to me door. There is no one in the parking lot, but I can feel someone watching me. It could be Ciaran, but it could also be one of the family. Grabbing me phone from me pocket, I check the last incoming message. Niall: Meeting at the club. One hour. I check the time of the message and the clock before I mutter under me breath. I need to be there in twenty minutes. Taking off in the direction of the club, I think about that shit is about to come on me doorstep with Ciaran in town. I need to talk with me Da about his appearance and what it means. We need to be ready for the shit storm he typically brings with him. As soon as I get into the club, everybody has already gathered around. I take a seat at the bar and get the bartender to bring me a drink. Before me Da starts to speak, all the employee’s disappear, and the room is empty besides us. I scan the room

and see the faces of the newer members as well as, the older ones. “We have a few problems coming up,” Da states. “A few shipments are coming in the next few days, and we need men on the ground to ensure that nothing happens to them. We will be selling the shipments to a Russian biker and his club. Keep the information on the down low, and we shouldn’t have any problems with the pigs. Stay out of sight if possible and make sure no one tries to steal our guns out from under us like the last time.” I don’t say a word because that shit isn’t my deal. I mainly do collections in the neighborhoods as well as beat downs and murder when needed. If anything, this was more me cousin’s side of things. He continues to talk about the damn shipment, but I zone it out. I could care less about the shit they deal with. If anything I just need to know what I need to do this week. I already know that I have collections tonight, but that is nothing new. When me Da turns to me, I finally listen in. “I need Naill and Jerick to continue collecting. We will need as much cash as we can get our hands on in the next few weeks. We have a new venture coming on the horizon.” I frown at that. What the

fuck does he mean new venture? Instead of questioning him in front of all the men, I keep me mouth shut. “Get to work and don’t make me regret having ye still on the damn payroll.” The men around the room start to disperse, but I continue to slowly sip me drink. “Jerick, me lad,” he greets, coming to take a seat next to me. “Da,” I say in greeting. I know I need to talk to him about Ciaran, but with this new information, I don’t know if it’s the right time. “Why so glum me lad?” he asks, motioning for the bartender who just walked back in to bring him a drink. “What type of venture are ye working on?” I know I shouldn’t ask in the bar area, but I can’t help it. I need to know what type of shit I will be heading into. If this has to do with any of the collections, things can get a little tricky. “Ye does not need to worry,” he says with a frown. I shake me head at his answer, and I know he isn’t going to give me more than that.

“I need to worry because everything always has to do with me side of things. Ye mess it up with me collections, we have no cash. Just give me the details so I can work it out on me end.” He puts his hand on the bar and turns to face me. “Don’t tell me how to run the family Jerick. I can cut ye out just as fast as I let ye climb the ranks.” I don’t take his threat seriously. He would never cut me out of the family. I’m the one who helped him build it into what it is today, and if he didn’t have me on his side, shit would fall apart faster than it did in Belfast. “Ciaran is in town,” I state before he pisses me off more. His attention turns towards me, and he narrows his eyes at me. “Ye brought that no good lad out here? Why the feck would ye be involved with him again? He got yer brother put away fer murder.” I roll me eyes at that. Me brother got himself put away fer murder. He was the one caught putting the damn body into a trunk. “I didn’t bring him stateside. I don’t know why he’s here, but we need a plan. He’s gonna want revenge on me.” We both don’t say anything

else. There isn’t much more to say. Me Da knows the type of man Ciaran is, and so do I. If he’s here, he wants something from me or me Da.

Nine Stana One Month Later Walking through the apartment wearing nothing but Jerick’s button up from last night has become a norm for me. I don’t know if it’s strange that whatever this is has become this comfortable or that I am even thinking of him as my boyfriend. The boyfriend part might be a stretch since we don’t really go on dates. I mean, sure we go out to dinner and lunch every once in a while, but we mainly stay in. His crazy work hours don’t leave for much time together unless it’s in bed, not that I’m complaining. Grabbing a coffee cup, I start the coffee and wait for it to brew. The smell is divine, and I have to thank Jerick for that. Last week he brought over this Keurig thing and a bunch of different types of coffees. I swear I was in heaven when he made me the first cup. It was amazing and so much faster than my old coffee pot.

Just as I grab another cup down from my partially bare cabinets, hands come to rest on my hips. His nose runs along my neck, and his breath tickles my skin. “Ye look sexy as feck in me shirt.” His hands slide lower, and they disappear under the fabric of his shirt. The minute his hands are on my skin, all thoughts of coffee and breakfast are out the door, and my mind goes straight to sex. He’s made me into some sex-crazed woman, and I don’t know how I feel about that yet. His hands grip my ass, and he pulls me into his body. I can feel his erection through his dress pants as he presses it against me. “Jaysus,” he mutters as he kisses a trail down my neck. His mouth comes to the top of my breasts, and he starts to unbutton the shirt to get to my skin. His mouth trails along my skin and I feel my nipples pebble from the cold air. He takes his time kissing every inch of me, not worrying about a thing. “Feck, I need to be inside ye,” he groans, grabbing my ass and lifting me up onto the counter. “We just had sex twenty minutes ago.” I sigh as he kisses his way back up my neck. “Don’t care. I need ye now,” he murmurs

against my skin. I giggle, and he kisses my jaw. “Yer like a bad habit, I can’t stop coming back fer more.” He starts to undo the zipper on his slacks and lets them slide down his legs. I can already feel myself getting wet just at the sight of him. Everything about him calls to me, and I can’t say no. I don’t want to say no. I’ve fallen into his web of mystery and false hopes, and I can’t bring myself out of it if I tried. I belong to him in a way that scares me. I can’t even say the words for the fear that he may not feel the same way I do. He doesn’t waste any time pushing the head of his cock into me. The feel of him stretching me brings a tingle of satisfaction through my entire body. Every nerve ending is on fire, and as he pushes into me completely, I feel whole. I feel like this is right where I’m supposed to be. His mouth comes down on mine, and he kisses me deeply. Each slam of his hips brings me higher than before. I can’t get enough of the feel of him inside me. The delicious way he pulls me in and holds me tight as he pounds into me roughly. I close my eyes, letting him take the lead. Every thrust of his hips is planned and hits the right spots. My fingers dig into his shoulders as I come closer to the edge.

Nothing feels better than being right on the edge, waiting to let go. My body tenses and I kiss his neck. He rolls his hips as he presses back inside me and I can’t hold back any longer. We move in perfect sync as he slides in and out of me at a quicker pace. My eyes close and I swear I can see stars as I come. “Oh god,” I moan. I’m sure my neighbors have heard us having sex more times than they want. The things he does to my body makes it hard to stifle down any sounds. “Feck, Banphrionsa,” he groans against my skin, pressing himself into me deeper. He rests his forehead against my chest as he tries to catch his breath. “I can’t get enough of ye.” Running my nails down the back of his head, I don’t move. I just stay right where I am, coffee forgotten. Nothing is better than having him hold me like this. Like I’m the only person that matters in his world. I know that this isn’t the truth, but I like to believe it for a few minutes before he has to run out like he does every other morning.

“Are you staying for a while this morning?” I feel needy asking him, but I want to spend more than just a few hours with him for once. “Aye, unless I get called away.” He kisses my cheek before slowly pulling out of me. I grin back at him, and he runs his hands down my chest. “I rather get lost in ye all day though.” “Well, you can if you stay in bed with me all day.” He grins back at me, and I pull him back to me. “You want coffee?” I ask. “Aye,” he says kissing my lips once before pulling his slacks back up and zipping them again. I slide off the counter and grab the second cup to put it under the coffee maker. I put a new pod in the machine and hit the brew button. Clutching my coffee cup, I take a sip, and it’s now cold. Sighing, I put it in the microwave. As I start to button the shirt, Jerick stops me. “No, I don’t allow shirts in bed.” He winks at me and takes his coffee cup towards my room without a backward glance. As soon as the microwave beeps, I grab my cup and make my way back to the bedroom. When I walk in, I see Jerick leaning his back against the headboard with his cup to his lips. He’s on his

phone like normal, but it doesn’t bother me anymore. Having some of his attention is better than none. Making my way towards him, I drop the sleeve to his shirt, and that gets his eyes on me. Switching my coffee cup to my other hand, I lose the remaining sleeve, letting the shirt fall to the ground. His eyes follow my every movement as I make my way to the bed. I set my coffee cup down on the side table before climbing under the covers. I slide over close to him and run my hand down his chest. His hooded eyes give away everything he’s thinking at the moment, but I have other plans. “So I was thinking,” I say, batting my eyelashes at him. “Oh yeah, what about?” He asks, his accent making it difficult to understand the words. The more he’s turned on, the harder it is to follow him. “I thought that you should take me out tonight.” He doesn’t answer; he just nods his head as his eyes continue to scan over my body. “Eyes up here, babe,” I say pointing to my eyes, grinning still. He finally looks up at me, and I scoot closer to

him. “It’s Saturday, and I want to do something fun.” He reaches over and runs his hand along my jaw and back into my hair, tangling his fingers in the strands. “Ye want me to show ye off.” I just watch him. I don’t know if I want to be shown off, I want to have a night of fun. It’s something that I haven’t done in years. I think Rhett and I may have gone out a hand full of times, but it was mainly for work things for him. We never did anything fun where we could let our hair down and have a good time just being us. “Aye, I can take ye out. But I can’t promise that I won’t kill anyone who looks at ye. Yer mine and I don’t share.” A chill runs down my spine at his words. There is talk around the office every time he comes to pick me up for lunch, but I ignore it for the most part. He hasn’t done anything to make me think that he is anything other than the amazing man he’s been since I’ve met him. “We can go out?” I ask somewhat giddy. I want to get dressed up and everything. “Aye, love. We can do what ye want. I

know a few places that ye might like.” His eyes scan over my body again, but I don’t give him the chance to make his move. I launch myself at him, and he sets his cup down just in time. His arms wrap around me, and he brings his mouth down to mine. Before he can deepen the kiss, his phone starts to go off. I sigh and pull back enough to look into his eyes. He seems regretful, but it doesn’t stop him from checking to see who the message is from. I watch as his face changes when he reads the message on his phone. “I need to make a call, love. I’ll be right back.” Really its code for I need to leave. It’s not the first time this has happened. I nod my head in understanding and move over to my side of the bed, letting him get up. He pushes a few buttons before putting the phone to his ear and walking out of the room. Lying back on the pillows, I look up at the ceiling and listen to the sound of his accent through the paper thin walls. His words are muffled, so I don’t know what he’s saying, but his accent gets thicker, almost like he’s talking in a different language or something. Grabbing my coffee cup, I take a few sips of the lukewarm coffee and close my eyes. It could take him a while on the phone. Most of the time, he disappears when he needs to make phone calls, but

other times he sits in my living room talking in hushed whispers while I stay in here and stare at the blank walls. I wonder where he lives… I know that’s probably a random thought, but the more I think about it, the more I realize we only spend time here. I’ve never been to his place before. Maybe he doesn’t like his home? Or he could have some terrible roommates or something… That could be who he fights with all the time. I should probably ask him about that. “Jest fecking find him.” His words are clear as day, and I freeze. I don’t know what he means by that and to be honest; it scares the shit out of me. Is he talking about the guy who attacked me? I haven’t thought about him in weeks. What if he has hurt someone else? Before my mind can run a million miles in the wrong direction, Jerick comes back into the room. He looks angry, so I don’t say a word. I just watch him move across the small room towards me. He gets on the bed and leans back against the headboard, looking down at the phone in his hands. “Everything okay?” I ask. I don’t want to push, but I’m concerned.

“Aye, love. Everything will be fine,” he murmurs, looking over at me. I put my hand on his thigh and give it a little squeeze. “Who are you looking for?” I don’t ask if it’s the guy that attacked me because partly I’m afraid of the answer. If he’s looking for that man, then there is more to the story. Either he’s hurt someone else, or he’s coming after me again. I don’t want either of those things to happen. He sighs at my question and runs his hand over his face. He hasn’t shaved in a few days, and his stubble is slowly turning into a beard. “It’s that lad that come stateside from Belfast. He’s not a good guy, and I rather have tabs on him in case he decides to strike.” My eyes widen at his words. In case he strikes? What the hell is he talking about? “What do you mean strike? Are you in trouble?” I’m on the verge of a freakout, and I don’t know what to do. “He wants revenge on me fer something that happened a long time ago. No need fer ye to worry about it. I won’t let anything happen to ye.” He reaches for me and pulls me into his body. I rest my cheek against his chest and wrap my arm around his waist.

“Are you sure?” I ask. “Aye. Everything will be handled. Ye won’t even notice it.”

Ten Jerick Spending most of the day in bed had its benefits. I got to hold her naked body against mine for hours. We talked, we fucked, and we made plans fer tonight. I know that she’s excited to be able to go out tonight, so I have a few of the boyo’s coming along with us. I don’t want anything happening to her while we are out because of me. If that bastard Ciaran wants me, he can have at it, but I won’t put Stana in danger. The feelings I have fer her are getting stronger by the day, and I don’t know what to do about it. I’m trying to keep them at bay, but they keep coming on stronger every night that I spend with her in me arms. Everything about her is goddamn perfect, and I want to drown meself in her beauty and innocence. The more I learn about her, the harder I fall. I want to protect her from all the feckers in this world that have hurt her. She still doesn’t tell me

about the bloke that broke her heart before. It concerns me. Maybe she’s still in love with the bastard. I hear a knock on her door, so I make me way over to it and open it. The fecker on the other side looks at me strangely before he checks the number on the wall by the door again. “Aye?” I ask when he just stares at me. “Sorry, I must have the wrong apartment,” he says sizing me up. I don’t know who the feck he is, but he wouldn’t have come here if he wasn’t looking for someone specific. “I used to live here with my girlfriend, Stana. She must have moved.” “Jerick?” I hear her call from the bedroom. “Have you seen my bra anywhere?” When he hears her voice, he freezes. “I’ll be right there, love,” I call back to her over me shoulder. His eyes narrow on me, and I watch his expression change. “No, she still lives here,” I say to rub it in that I’m the one with his lass now. He’s pissed, and I don’t blame him. If I knew me lass was with another man, I’d be pissed too. “I want to talk to her,” he grates out.

I raise an eyebrow at him and laugh. He’s fecking hilarious if he thinks I’m really going to let him near me girl. “No. If she wanted to talk to ye, she wouldn’t have been moaning me name all morning as she came on me dick.” “Jerick? Who are you –” She goes silent as soon as she sees the guy on the other side of the door. She’s only in a towel, and I pull her body behind mine. I don’t want him getting another chance to see what he’s been missing since they split up. “Stana,” he says quietly. I feel her hands gripping the back of me shirt. Her fingers tangle in the fabric, and I don’t make a move. Either she’s afraid of him, or something bad happened between them to get them to break up. “Wh… wh… what are you doing here?” she finally asks. “I came to get you back,” he says, trying to look at her around me. I chuckle at that. “She’s moved on, fecker. Get the hell out of here and don’t come back.” I don’t care what she says when I get him the feck out of here, we are talking about their relationship. I need information about him if I’m going to keep him

away from her. His eyes keep trying to catch a look at her, but it’s no use. I’m larger than he is and I have a whole lot more to protect than he does. He won’t want to feck with me. I will take him out, and no one will find out about it. “I didn’t ask you, foreigner,” he spits. He’s getting pissed that I won’t let him see her, but I don’t care. She’s shaking behind me, and I won’t make her do anything she doesn’t want to. Looking behind me, I whisper, “Go to the room.” She releases me and runs back into her room, closing the door behind her. If she’s that scared of this fecker, then there is a reason behind it. When I turn my attention back to him, he’s even more pissed that she’s gone. “You can’t keep me from her,” he says snidely. “Ye want to bet? I can make her disappear, and ye’ll never see her again. Stay the feck away from me lass.” He rolls his eyes at me and grins. “When you give her up for some new piece of ass, she will come crawling back to me. I’ll be waiting, ready to

break her spirit worse than I did last time. Tell her I’ll see her soon.” He turns and walks down the hallway and towards the stairs. I watch him until he disappears down the staircase. Shutting the door, I make sure to lock it before heading to her room. When I open the door, I see her sitting on the edge of the bed, arms wrapped around herself. As I get closer to her, I can see the tears running down her cheeks. Something happened between them, and I will find it out. If I have to deal with him, I will. I don’t want anything to hurt her. Sitting on the bed next to her, I pull her into me lap and let her cry on me. Wrapping me arms around her, I hold her tight until the tears are gone. When she looks up at me, she wipes her eyes and apologizes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect him to ever show up here. I should have moved when things between us ended. I should –” I stop her right there. “This isn’t yer fault, love. Ye did nothing wrong.” I kiss the top of her head and continue to hold her. “But I need to know what happened. He will come back and if I want to protect ye I need to know what I’m up against.” At first, she doesn’t say a word, but soon she gives me the whole story. “We met four years

ago. He was a perfect gentleman. He opened doors for me, walked me to my door. He did everything right. We went out on dates to expensive dinners. The perfect relationship to most people on the outside. When we moved in together, things changed, but not much. He began drinking and staying out late, while I was here, cleaning and taking care of the apartment.” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “One night he came home drunk, and he yelled out for me. I was cleaning the bedroom and didn’t get there in time.” I watch her swallow before she continues. “When I didn’t answer him, he got angry. I told him that I was sorry, but it didn’t stop him from backhanding me. As soon as it happened, a look of regret washed over his face. He apologized, but I couldn’t believe him. He hit me for not answering him…” She trails off, and I see the pain written all over her face. “He said how sorry he was and that it would never happen again, but he lied. It happened more frequently after that. I spent three years with him, two of those years he hit me. He never left bruises just in case someone came over for dinner or if we had a work dinner to attend for his job.” I brush the tears off her face. Me blood is boiling, and I want so bad to find that bastard one

more time. He’s lucky I didn’t know what he did while he was here. Things would have gone a whole lot different. He will regret ever putting his hands on her. “How did ye get away from him?” I don’t know why I even ask. It doesn’t matter as long as she did. “He just left one day. Never came back.” I see the way her shoulders sag after she says that. Most men don’t leave when they abuse their woman. They continue the abuse them because they know she won’t turn on them, but he did. Something else must have caught his attention. So why is he back now? “At first I was relieved, but then I grew depressed. I felt like I wasn’t good enough for him anymore. My life turned into a train wreck, and I could barely get out of bed most days. After a while, I pulled myself together and moved on.” Then she was attacked. I know how things went after the attack, I’ve been watching her ever since. When she doesn’t say anything else, I just hold her. We sit fer hours before either of us move. “Maybe we shouldn’t go out,” she finally says,

running her fingers through her now dry hair. It’s a mess, and it’s one of her best looks yet. “No, we are still going out, and I’m showing all those feckers what they are missing.” I kiss her on the nose and push her gently off the bed. She stands there staring at me like I’m crazy, but I don’t care right now. Tonight is about her, and I will make sure she’s treated like the banphrionsa she is. “Go get ready.” A smile appears on her face this time, and she walks back into the bathroom to continue getting ready. I grab me phone and dial Rory’s number. If anyone would have me back, it’s him. We’ve been through so much over the years, he wouldn’t turn me down. “Aye Jerick. How the hell are ye?” he answers. “I’m good. I need a little backup tonight. Ye in?” “Feck arsehole. Ye know Cara doesn’t want me going out to the bars.” I laugh at that. He’s so damn pussy whipped. “Aye, but Ciaran is in town, and me lass wants to go out. I need some people I can trust with

me. Bring Cara. She can meet me, lass.” His sigh is exaggerated, but I expected that. He doesn’t do much without her approval nowadays. “Fine. I will get her on board with this. Shit better not go down while she is with us.” “Aye. It’s more of a precaution. Don’t know what he’s here fer yet. Only seen him once.” “Aye. Give me a ring when ye are ready,” he says before he hangs up. If I could count on anyone, it would be Rory. Dialing another number, I wait for the answer. As it rings, I think about the shit that can go down if Ciaran decides on making his move. He will try and take me out without thinking twice. “Aye.” The voice says on the other side of the line. “Conaill,” I greet. “Jerick. How the feck are ye, brother?” I blow out a breath and listen for Stana for a second before I say anything. “I’m doing. I need a favor, Connie.” “Aye, what do ye need?” One thing that’s

great about Conaill is that he will always help if I ask. Rory, Conaill, and I have been inseparable since we were small lads. We are as thick as thieves with the rap sheets to prove it. Their da’s are part of the family business, they are me family. “Ciaran is in town. I’m taking me lass out and need to have me back covered. I have Rory coming out too, but I need another lad I trust.” I hear him grunt into the phone before it gets silent. “Why the feck is Ciaran in town?” His question isn’t something I have an answer to, but I wish I knew the answer. “No fecking clue. It could be for payback fer the shit I did to him back in Belfast. Or it could be because of me brother. He hasn’t reached out, but I’ve seen him. I don’t want anything to happen to me lass, so I’d appreciate the help.” “Aye, ye got it. Just give me a time and a place. I’ll be there.”

Eleven Stana Finally walking out of the bathroom, I see Jerick laying on the bed, looking at his phone. He’s dressed, and I can’t help but check him out. He showered while I was fixing my hair, but I didn’t know he had a change of clothes here. As soon as I step out of the doorway, his eyes meet me. “Jaysus,” he mutters. I continue to walk toward him, and his eyes never leave me. I do a little spin so he can see the whole dress. “What do you think?” I ask. It’s been a really long time since I’ve had the confidence to wear anything like this and I kind of like the feeling it brings. The dress hugs all of my curves and shows a little more than I’m used to, but I wanted to look good for him. He gets up and off the bed, slowly making his way towards me. As he comes to a stop in front of me, he doesn’t touch me. He just scans over every inch of my body. I feel like I’m being analyzed, but I don’t move from where I am.

One thing I’ve learned about Jerick in the short time we’ve known each other is that he does things differently. I don’t know if it’s because he grew up in a different country or if that’s just how he is. He’s unique in his own way though, and I love that about him. Sometimes I feel like maybe I’m falling too fast for him. I shouldn’t want to spend every waking moment with him, but I do. I love the way he makes me feel when he’s around. I feel safe and protected something I haven’t felt in a long time. Maybe it’s because of my past or just because I’ve felt so alone for far too long. My feelings for him grow every day without as much as a reason. It’s just him I guess. “Ye look fecking amazing,” he finally says. He wraps a hand around the back of my neck and pulls me to his body. I wrap my arms around his waist, and with the heels, I’m closer to his height. “I’m glad you like it,” I whisper against his lips. “Ye have no fecking idea. I can’t wait to get ye back here and under me. The dress will look much better on the floor.” I roll my eyes at that cheesy pickup line, and he just laughs. “Ye don’t

like me line?” I shake my head no and push off of his chest, trying to keep from laughing at him. “No, it was kinda lame. You typically have something suaver to say when you say them.” I wink at him and go to the bed to grab my clutch, checking to make sure I have the phone he gave me and my ID. When I turn around, he is on his phone typing something out. Waiting for him to finish, I take the time to check him out. His black dress pants fit him perfectly. They flawlessly hug his ass, and I want to say forget going out. I would rather pull his pants off of him and stare at his naked body instead. My eyes move up to his light grey dress shirt and black jacket. He looks ultimately put together, and I want to peel his clothes off of him instead. Maybe we should just stay home, yeah, that sounds way better. “Ye ready, love?” he asks, pocketing his phone. The distance between us disappears, and I’m in his arms before I can even take my next breath. His hands run down my back and land on my ass, pulling me into his body. “Yer so damn halainn,” he murmurs before kissing me softly.

“Thank you,” I whisper. He runs his hand back up my back before he grabs my hand and leads me out of the apartment and towards his car. Before we even take off, his phone starts to ring. “Dia dhuit hello?” I don’t know what he just said, but the sound of his accent and the words get me hot. I don’t know what it is about his accent that turns me on, but it is seriously the best thing I’ve ever heard. He doesn’t even say anything else until he’s hanging up the phone. “Slán go foil see you soon.” He pockets his phone again and continues to drive in silence. “What did you just say?” I ask. Although I love hearing him speak a different language, I don’t like that I don’t know what he’s saying. “I said hello and see ye later.” He gives me a usual smirk that can melt the panties off any women within a five-mile distance from him. “It sounded way sexier when you said them in the other language.” I laugh. “It’s Gaelic,” he says looking back at the road. I continue to watch the side of his face as he scans the street and drives towards our destination. I have no idea where we are going still, but it doesn’t matter as long as I am going with him.

“Are we meeting someone else?” I ask. He turns to look at me for a second before he answers my question. “Aye. I have two of me lads coming out as well.” He doesn’t give me any more than that, but then again I don’t press him for any more information. He wouldn’t put me in harm’s way; I know that much for sure. When we finally pull up to a building, I see the flashing lights and the line that wraps around the building. “Wow,” I murmur as we drive by the building. I’ve never really been in a club before, so this is going to be an experience all on its own. “Ye never been to a club?” He asks when he pulls into a parking garage across the street. “No. I’ve been to a bar before, but nothing like this.” I take a deep breath and hope that I don’t get claustrophobic in there. “That line is long. How long does it take to get in?” I’m truly curious because I’m not really sure how long I’ll be able to stand in these heels. I never wear them, and I know that it won’t take long before my feet start to ache. “We don’t. I know a few people.” He grins as he pulls into a parking spot. “While yer with me, ye will never have to wait in the line.” He grabs his phone and wallet before getting out of the car and

walking around to my side. As he opens the door, I see the glint of something under his jacket. I ignore the weird feeling I get and take his outstretched hand. When I stand, I have to adjust my dress back down to the appropriate length before I move away from the car. His hand never leaves my lower back as we make our way out of the parking garage and towards the busy street. As soon as we step foot out of the garage, a couple comes walking up. “Jerick.” The man greets. His accent is similar to Jerick’s, so it puts me at ease. “Rory,” Jerick says grinning. He walks over to Rory and pulls him in for a hug. He moves over to the woman next, kissing both of her cheeks. “Cara.” The smile on her face tells me that she cares about him. “This here is Stana,” he says grabbing my hand and pulling me closer to them. “Stana love, this is Rory and Cara.” I shake hands with both of them, and I see some unspoken conversation going on between Jerick and Rory. I don’t say anything, but it makes me nervous. “I am so glad to meet the girl that has been stealing Jerick away from us!” Cara says with a

huge smile on her face. She links her arm with mine and starts to lead me towards the club, leaving Jerick and Rory to walk together behind us. “I’m sorry,” I say quietly. “Oh no! Please, girl, I am so happy for him to have found someone. He never introduces us to his lady friends, so this is a big deal.” She’s so giddy, and it’s a little nerve-wracking. “So Stana, where are you from?” she questions as we come up to the long line of people. They start bitching as we walk by them towards the front doors. “I’m from New York, but I’ve bounced around a few times and landed here.” I look behind us and see Jerick and Rory in deep conversation about something. You can’t hear them, but it seems way too intense for just catching up. “Wow. Good thing you landed here then! Otherwise, you wouldn’t have met our guy Jerick.” We come to a stop at the front of the line, and the bouncer takes one look at us before opening the door and letting the four of us in the club. Groans and whines come from the line, but the bouncers don’t seem to care one bit.

“We just cut in line,” I finally state in shock as the loud music engulfs us. “Well, that’s what happens when you show up with Rory and Jerick. They are like royalty at the clubs. We always get in without a problem. No line waiting for us!” She laughs as she drags me to the bar with her and orders herself a drink before asking what I want. “I don’t know. I’m not much of a drinker,” I state, looking around the room. She orders me something before ordering the guys drinks as well. As the bartender brings the drinks to us, Jerick tosses a couple bills on the bar before turning his attention back to Rory. Cara hands me a drink, and I take a small sip. The taste is fruity but strong. The look on my face has to be amusing because she starts to laugh as she hands the other drinks to the guys. “I guess you weren’t lying.” “I don’t think I’ve ever had anything like this before.” I make a funny face again. “Well once you get the first one down, the next one will go down easier.” She grins, grabbing my hand and leading me towards a table. We push our way through a few people and finally, come up

to an empty table. I set my drink down and pull up one of the barstools. Taking a seat, I feel my feet sigh in relief. I needed to give them a break. A hand on my shoulder causes me to pause, but when I turn to see who it is, a chill shoots down my spine. He looks familiar, but I can’t place where I’ve seen him before. “Get yer hand off me girl,” Jerick says in a deadly tone. The guy puts his hands up in the air and slowly takes a few steps back from us. He winks at me before he turns to go and I reach out to grab onto Jerick. “Who the feck was that?” Rory asks, still watching the man walk away. “No clue,” Jerick says looking down at me. “Ye alright?” I nod my head, and he cups the side of my neck. He doesn’t say another word, but when I look back at Cara, she has an understanding look on her face. “So have you ever been here before?” she asks breaking the awkward silence that we fell into. “No, this is actually my first time in a club.”

I start to scan the room. I don’t want that man to come near me again. “Oh my god, this is going to be an experience than!” She says, back to her giddy attitude.

Twelve Jerick The fecker that put his hand on Stana’s shoulder isn’t going away. He’s been watching her for the last hour and the more she drinks the closer he gets. I have no idea who the bastard is, but if he goes near her again, I won’t hesitate in taking him out. He’s messing with the wrong lass. I watch as Stana and Cara are dancing together, with their arms in the air and singing along to some shitty song. They both are knackered, and I can’t even imagine the shit that Rory will have to deal with getting Cara home. She’s a lush and a half, and I can’t wait to watch that shit. “Aye, Jerick,” Rory says from beside me. “Ye see why I don’t let me wife near ye anymore. Ye get her all knackered, and I have to be the one to drag her ass home.” He laughs and continues. “But on the plus, it’s always the best shag.” I grin at him before turning back to look at Stana. She’s swaying her hips to the beat of the music, and her eyes are closed. The smile on her

face never disappears even when the song changes. Just as the fecker starts to move, I see Conaill walking into the club. “Rory, get Connie.” He nods and moves in the direction of Conaill, while I make me way towards the dance floor. Just as I get to the dance floor, the lad from earlier turns and walks the other way. I close the distance between Stana and me, just as Conaill and Rory get to the guy. He freezes as soon as he sees them walk up to him. He looks up at me when they don’t move from their spots. Our eyes stay on each other, neither of us giving up. I see Conaill say something to him and his attention focuses on him. Getting to Stana, I wrap me arms around her waist and pull her body back into mine. She turns in me arms and throws her arms around me neck, putting a wet kiss on me lips. “This isss the vest night ever!” She yells at me ear. I pull back and kiss her nose, looking over her shoulder at Cara who has both of her thumbs up and a huge grin plastered on her face. “Ye knew that man that’s been following ye all night?” I ask in her ear. Her happy smile turns into fear, and she clutches onto me harder. “No. I don’t know him. He looks familiar,

but I can’t place him.” The fear sobers her up slightly. I motion fer Cara to come to us, and she doesn’t think twice about it. She looks over at Rory, and he nods his head. I release Stana and wrap me arms around both of them, leading them towards one of the back rooms in the club. We use these rooms typically for business deals, but tonight, I’m going to find out who the feck this arsehole is. Once I get the girls settled in one of the rooms, I send a bartender in to get them more of their fruity drinks. I see Conaill and Rory going into another of the rooms, and I follow suit. Once I walk into the room and shut the door behind me, I get rid of all the emotions. It’s how I survive out on these streets. Not letting anything affect me thinking. “Who the feck are ye?” I ask. He looks between me, Rory, and Conaill, not saying a word. Conaill grabs him by the back of the hair and forces him to look at me. “Why the feck are ye following me lass?” When he doesn’t answer that, he takes a fist to the gut. “He asked ye a question,” Conaill bites out. He doesn’t have much patience for

people who don’t talk. If it’s up to him, he would just torture the bastard until he sang like a canary. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The bastard finally says. I stand right in front of him and get right in his face. “Ye know exactly what I’m talking about. Ye put yer hands on me lass. Ye’ve been following her around all night. Now, I want to know why.” “Don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. I haven’t been following anyone around,” he says entirely dismissing me. Rory walks over to him and runs his knee into the lad’s gut next. He doubles over in pain and drops to his knees. “Give me the information I want and they leave ye alone.” He looks up at me with a pained expression but doesn’t tell me what I want to know. “Fuck you.” Conaill hits him again, this time in the mouth. He collapses to the ground and moans slightly. He goes to get back up, and Conaill hits him again. “Alright,” he whimpers out. “I’ll tell you what you want to know,” he mutters, wiping the blood from his lip.

“Speak,” Rory says kicking him in the ribs. “I was supposed to get close to her. Get her alone and grab her.” He moves to his knees but doesn’t get up from there. He just protects his ribs from another blow. “Who sent ye?” I growl. “I don’t know. Some dude with the same accent as you fuckers.” “Where are ye supposed to take her?” I demand. I need more fecking information than he’s giving me. I feel like part of this is a damn set up. “Rory, go check on the lasses, aye?” He moves through the room and out the door without a word. “Out the back door. There was going to be a car waiting for me.” Conaill hits him again, and he keeps talking. “I was supposed to put her in the trunk. I swear that’s all I know.” I don’t say anything else to him, I just blow out a breath and then sucker punch him in the side of the head. Whoever the feck is behind this is going out of their way to get me lass alone. He collapses to the ground, and I nudge him with me shoe. He doesn’t move, so I motion to Conaill. “Let’s drop him in the trunk of the car out back

that’s waiting fer me, lass.” He nods and grabs the guy, heaving him over his shoulder and making his way through the back and towards the back door. When I open the door, I see a black car with tinted windows parked. The trunk is slightly popped, and no one is around. Conaill shoves the fecker in the trunk and closes it before turning towards me. “What ye want to do now?” I run me hand down the side of me face and look around the dark alley. “We find out who is targeting me lass.” He nods, and we make our way back inside. As we walk down the hall, we see Rory coming out of the other room. “Ye find anything?” he asks. “No, we put the fecker in the trunk that was meant for Stana. If anything they won’t check to see who’s in the trunk until they leave. They’ll be surprised when they find that bastard in there instead of me lass.” The door to the room opens, and the girls both come stumbling out. “Jerick!” Stana says happily. She’s completely knackered again. She

stumbles over to me and wraps her arms around me waist like nothing happened. Cara is giggling behind her and pulling Rory in fer a kiss. “Stana, love,” I murmur. She looks up at me with her beautiful eyes, and I see the whole world in them. It would be so damn easy to fall in love with her. She’s everything that I wish I were minus the dark secrets that she continues to keep. She doesn’t like to share stuff still, but I will change that. I’ll help her see the world. Try new things that she would never have done without me. “Ye ready to go home?” She nods her head and leans in to press her mouth against mine. I let her do as she wishes. She kisses me sloppily, but I don’t mind. Just having her in me arms makes everything better. “Jerick, I’m going to get me drunk wife home now. I’ll catch ye later.” Rory says from behind Stana. I nod me head, and I look over to Conaill. He doesn’t move until I do. “I need to get this one home too,” I state. “We can walk together just in case Ciaran is out there.” Both men nod, and we lead the drunken girls out of the club and towards the parking garage.

As we walk towards the parking garage, I see Conaill scanning the area. When we get to Rory’s car, we wait fer him to get Cara in the car. “Jerick!” she yells. I turn me head towards her and see the huge grin on her face. “I like this one! Don’t mess it up!” Rory looks over at us and just shakes his head. “This is yer fault, arsehole,” he says before shutting the door on Cara. I laugh at him as he walks to the driver’s side and gets in. Stana has her head on me shoulder as I continue to hold up most of her weight. She waves at Cara and Rory as they take off into the night. “Let’s get ye to the car, love,” I murmur against her temple. She nods her head but doesn’t move from the spot she’s standing. Wrapping me arm around her, I lead her towards the car with Conaill following us. When I get there, I see that me tires are slashed and me windows are busted out. “Mother fecker,” I bite out. “Shit,” Conaill says behind me. “Come on, I’ll drop ye off.” I nod me head and walk with Stana towards Conaill’s car. Her eyes are wide, but she doesn’t

say a word about the car. I don’t know if it’s because she’s knackered or because she’s scared. “I’ll have one of me men come and get the car. It can be fixed by the end of tomorrow.” He’s already pulling his phone from his jeans. “Aye, I need ye to have a truck pick up Jerick’s car in the parking garage outside of Sinkhole.” He listens fer a second before he says anything else. “Broken windows and slashed tires.” Stana wraps her arm around my waist and hugs me closer to her as we walk. “Who would do that to your pretty car?” Her speech still slightly slurred. “Don’t know love, but I will find out.” “Me guy will be here in the next hour to get yer car.” Conaill hits the button on his key fob to unlock his truck. I help Stana into the backseat and scoot her over getting in next to her. “Am I taking ye to yer place?” he asks when he starts the truck. “No, South Main.” I give him directions when he needs them; otherwise, the ride to her place is quiet. When I look at her, she has her eyes closed and her cheek resting on me. “Thank ye, Conaill,” I state when he puts the truck in park

outside of Stana’s apartment complex. “Ye know I’d do it without ye even asking. Yer me brother.” I lean forward and shake his hand. “I’ll give ye a call tomorrow about getting me car. I owe ye one.” He brushes me off, but I know if he needs something he won’t hesitate to call. He doesn’t do this shit for any reason but being like family. He doesn’t want the glory or attention on him. He just wants to live his life with no regrets or rules. I get Stana out of the truck and wave to Conaill as he pulls away from the curb. Picking Stana up, I carry her to her apartment. When I get us inside, I scan the parking lot before shutting the door and taking her to bed.

Thirteen Stana The minute Jerick drops me off at work on Monday morning; I can’t help but have a stupid grin on my face until I step into the building. It’s like I’m floating on cloud nine after our weekend together. Sure there were a few moments that literally sucked, like when I puked my guts up all morning Sunday and when he had to go get his car after someone vandalized it in the parking garage. But we didn’t let any of that affect the fantastic weekend together. We still had fun lying in bed most of the day yesterday, being lazy and having a little fun. He is fantastic and sexy. I just can’t get enough of him. I know things are moving kind of fast, but for some reason since he saved me that night, he is the only thing I can think of. I feel Max’s eyes on me as soon as I walk by his cubicle. I try to ignore him as much as I can until he starts to speak. “You know who he is right?” He has one eyebrow raised as he eyes me.

“What does it matter?” I ask sounding really defensive. Part of me feels like I need to protect him and the other part just doesn’t know. The truth is I don’t know who he is. I have no clue, but even if I found out something terrible he did, I don’t know if I could stay away from him now. The feel of his skin against mine is addicting. “He’s a thug. He’s bad news,” Max states. He looks like he knows everything about Jerick, but he doesn't say more than that. “A thug?” I admonish. I sigh and move my purse to the other arm before I say anything. He just nods his head at my question, not providing me any proof. “He isn't a thug. He’s a good guy, and he has a job,” I state defending him. I’m not even sure why I said he has a job. It seems stupid now that I’m thinking about it. “He’s a murderer Stana. A man like that only brings trouble. You should stay away from him.” He gives me a stern look, but I ignore him. He doesn't know Jerick. How could he? They’ve never met before… unless they have and I just don’t know about it?

“How do you know that?” I finally ask. My hands are shaking, and my stomach is starting to turn at the thought of him hurting anyone else. There’s no way, he saved my life. He can’t be a murderer. “He murdered my father.” Max’s eyes darken, and I feel like I can’t breathe. No. He couldn't have. I shake my head, but he moves closer to me. “He killed my old man in cold blood over not paying on his debt. He works for the Brannigan family. They are involved in shady shit, and he’s smack dab in the middle of it.” My throat feels dry, and I’m having trouble trying to make sense of what he’s telling me. Jerick had been following me for months after I was attacked or so he said. My phone beeps in my hand with a new text message and I know it’s him. “That’s probably him. Why don’t you ask him if you don’t believe me?” His face is full of anger, and I can imagine what he’s going through. My parents have been gone for a while, and I can still remember it like it was yesterday that I got the news. Starting college was always a dream of mine. My parents supported my ideas one hundred percent and always told me I could do anything I set my mind to. My first semester went amazingly,

and I couldn’t wait to go back for the second semester. I spent the break with my parents at home in my small hometown of like three hundred people. Although I hated being back in that town, I don’t regret going. The weekend after I came back to school, I got the call that changed the course of my entire life. A police offer called to inform me that there had been an incident and that I needed to come home as soon as possible. I remember getting into my small black Honda and driving nonstop until I reached my hometown. When I pulled onto my parent’s street, I could see the police cars and crime scene tape blowing in the wind. Running towards the door, someone grabbed me to hold me back, and I started to scream. I screamed so loud that it was the only thing I could hear until my voice went hoarse and my body numb. I didn’t listen to the police officer telling me to calm down. I couldn’t make sense of anything. I was just with them. If that person who killed them had come one week earlier, I would be dead too. Half the time I wish I died with them. Maybe then I wouldn’t be living this life that still doesn’t even make sense to me.

I feel my heart beating out of my chest, and I have a hard time trying to catch my breath. I hear Max telling me to breathe, but I can’t get any air in my lungs. He hands me a cup of water, and I just stare at it in my hands, not really seeing it. I refuse to drink it because I know that it won’t help, nothing will. I need fresh air. When I run out the office doors, I stop and hunch over in front of the large building, hands on my knees gasping for air. I hear a voice yelling my name, but I can’t focus on it. Two hands grab my upper arms, and soon I’m being pulled back into a hard body. His scent fills my nose, and I feel myself start to calm down. “Breathe lass,” he whispers against my hair. He presses a kiss to my forehead and then pulls me into his waiting arms. “I’m right here lass.” His hand runs up and down my back in a soothing manner, and I feel my head clear entirely from the memories of my parents. When I calm down enough, I pull away slightly and look up at him. “What are you doing here?” I sniff a few times before wiping my eyes. He watches me intently, almost like he’s afraid I’m going to break down again.

“I sent ye a text to tell ye I was bringing yer wallet by.” My mind travels back to when he dropped me off. Before I could get out the door, he was pulling me back into the car and kissing me until I was breathless. I ended up spilling the contents of my purse all over his floorboard. Something catches his attention behind me and his eyes narrow. “Get your hands off her,” Max growls. When he reaches us, he tries to pull me out of Jerick’s grip. “Mind yer own business,” Jerick seethes. “She’s my friend,” Max states, not backing down. I try to diffuse the situation by putting my hand on Jerick’s chest. His eyes meet mine for a second before they go back over to Max. Just when I think that Jerick is going to say something else, he surprises me. He grabs the back of my neck and pulls me in for a mind-blowing kiss. When he finally breaks our kiss after what seems like hours, I can’t even remember where I am or why I’m having trouble breathing. The only thing I can focus on is him. My eyes wander along him, and I can’t help but think that every part of him is impressive. My fuzzy head

snaps back to reality when he hands me my wallet. I can feel Max’s hand on my arm, trying to get me away from Jerick. Jerick leans in and runs the back of his fingers down the side of my cheek, then down my neck, cupping the side of it. “See ye later banphrionsa princess.” He gives me a sweet peck on the lips before he leaves. He looks over my shoulder at Max for a second before he walks to his car. “He’s dangerous,” Max grits out behind me. I don’t turn around to look at him; instead, I focus on Jerick as he watches us. When he finally pulls out and takes off down the street, I feel like I’m suffocating again. There is no way that I could possibly feel this much for a guy that I barely know. What if Max is right, what if he is a killer?

After spending my whole workday researching the Brannigan family, to say I’m confused is an understatement. I don’t know what to think right now. I know somewhere deep in my heart that he isn’t an evil man. Well, at least he isn’t to me. At least a dozen articles were stating all the different laws that Jerick and his father have broken. Murder, corruption, illegal betting, intimidation, and so much more. According to the sites, there has never been enough proof to bring charges up against Jerick or his father. After scanning the files a few more times, I feel like I’m in a bad mob movie. Do you trust the man that saved your life or the man that has been your only friend the past seven months without question or doubt about your crazy

self and panic attacks? Gah, I don’t even know what to think. I want to believe that Jerick wouldn’t hurt anyone, but all signs are pointing to him being the villain. No, I can’t jump to conclusions. I’ve had that happen to me before, and it doesn’t feel pleasant to be accused of something without proof. My phone beeps with a new message and I see Jerick’s name on the screen. Looking at the time, I jump out of my chair and grab my things. As I walk by Max, I can see the frown on his face. He’s worried, and I get that, but I can make my own decisions. In my heart, I know that Jerick won’t hurt me – he saved me. If it weren’t for him, I’d be probably dead or wishing I were already. “Stana,” Max says my name on a plea, but I don’t stop walking towards the door. When I make it outside, I see Jerick leaning against his car. “Hey, babe.” His eyes lighten as he takes me in and it makes me feel excited and nervous all at once. I don’t know why he gets to me this way. “Hey,” I say lamely, giving him a small wave. He pushes off his car and closes the distance between us. When he’s at arm’s length, he wraps me up in his arms and presses a kiss to the side of

my neck. A small moan slips from my mouth, and I try to remind my body that Jerick and I need to talk before anything else can happen. No dirty time until I find out the truth from his mouth. “Ye ready?” I nod my head and look over my shoulder to see that Max is watching us from the glass door. “He a problem?” Jerick asks, bringing my attention back to him. “No, he just thinks I’m in danger.” I can feel his body tense at my words and my stomach drops. Maybe Max is right about Jerick. God, I sure hope he’s wrong.

Fourteen Jerick Judging by her body language, that fecking bastard is telling her that I’m a bad guy and that she should stay away from me. To say to the girl I’m fecking that I’m a bad guy is horseshit, unless he’s trying to get her to be his. Feck that. She’s mine, and I won’t let that fecker say anything to ruin that. Getting her in the car, I can only imagine the shit he told her. “Jerick,” she whispers. I turn me attention to her and wait fer her to speak before I say anything. “Talking to Max I learned a few things I didn’t expect…” She trails off before she continues again. “I’m asking you to be honest with me because over the last few weeks I’ve developed…” She stops this time and doesn’t continue. “Ye what, babe?” I ask even though I already know the answer. “Have you ever killed anyone before?” The answer she is looking fer isn’t something that I was hiding from her. I’m not ashamed of the man I

am, but I won’t tell her more than she needs to know. Instead of giving her the answer she is looking fer, I think about what she was going to say to me. She almost said something informative about what she thinks has been developing between us, but she chickened out. “The answer won’t change things. I’ll still be the same lad ye have come to know.” I pause and wait fer it to sink in fer her. “I have to know who you really are,” she states quietly. She’s messing with her hands, so I reach out and put mine on hers. I feel her hesitation, but after a few seconds, her fingers intertwine with mine. “Aye.” It’s the only word out of me mouth. I can see her tension come back and her eyes widen. “I won’t lie to ye.” I watch her as her mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. She is completely shocked, and I hate not knowing what’s running through her mind. “Why?” She finally stutters out. I’m not telling her here. Who knows who is listening and I won’t be going down fer some shit. “We’ll talk about it when we get to yer place.” I don’t wait fer her to say anything. Pulling her hand

to me mouth, I kiss her knuckles before putting the car in reverse. The whole car ride is tense, and I know she’s probably only thinking the worst about me now. Instead of heading to her gaff, I make our way to mine. I know fer sure that there are no bugs at me gaff. I can at least explain shit to her without the huge risk I’d take out here in the streets. Putting the car in park, I shut off the engine and reach over to grab her hand. She jumps at the contact then settles back into her seat. When she looks around the car, I can see the confusion written all over her face. “Come lass. We can talk inside.” When I get out of me car, I walk around to her side and open the door. I reach inside and grab her hand, pulling her up and out of the car. Her eyes are surveying the parking garage. “Where are we?” She finally asks. I don’t say anything at first; I just grab her hand and lead her towards the elevator that takes us up to me place. She follows me without any more words, and I can tell by the way her shoulders are hunched and the tight grip she has on me hand that she is nervous. She has no idea where I’m taking her, yet

she lets me lead her towards it anyways. When we come to me front door, she blows out a small breath. Unlocking the door, I push it open and motion fer her to walk in front of me. Her grip on my hand lessens as she walks into me place. I shut the door and watch as her eyes bounce from wall to wall. They scan over everything in me gaff, and I can’t get a read on her face. The sound of a phone ringing echoes through the open room, and she doesn’t even move to answer it. Once she finally has a chance to look at everything in here, she turns to me. Her beautiful blue eyes meet mine, and I’m drawn in. Walking towards her, I wrap one hand around her neck and the other around her waist, pulling her body to mine. I don’t hesitate when I drop me mouth to hers and kiss her deeply. I already know that what I’m about to tell her may make her run. The thought of never having me lips on her again tears at me cold black heart. I was trained to be a killer. I was taught that the family always comes first and that outsiders were not allowed to be part of our world. One look at her and I couldn’t help it. She drew me in like no one has ever done before. Me thumb presses against her throat and a small moan slips out. Her hands dig into me sides as she kisses me

back just as roughly as I’m claiming her. I pull me mouth off of hers before I end up taking her to me bed and fecking her the way I’ve been craving since I dropped her off at work this morning. “I brought ye here because I know that there are no ears in the room. Ye want the truth, and I’m going to give it to ye. I may not give ye everything ye want to hear, but I’ll give ye what I can.” She slowly nods her head at me words, never taking her eyes off of me. “I work fer me Da. What yer friend says is true. Me family is from Belfast, Ireland. We aren’t part of the Irish mob, but we do cater to them.” Her eyes widen at that, and I have to pause. Her eyes dart from me to the door behind me, but she still doesn’t say a word. “I know I sound like an evil man, but I only do bad things to bad people.” She starts to shake her head, so I reach out and grab her arm. Her hand comes up in the air as I pull her body to mine again. She doesn’t let me get as close as I was before, but I don’t let this deter me. “Did you…” She pauses fer a second, and I watch her throat as she swallows. She doesn’t know

how to ask the question that I already know is on that tongue of hers. “Do you kill people?” I swallow and blow out a deep breath. She isn’t going to like me answer. “Have I killed? Aye...” She pulls out of me grip and tries to make it to the door before me. Her hand is starting to pull the door open when I push it shut. I hold it closed as she tries like hell to get out of me gaff. “Listen to me Stana,” I bark out. I watch her body stiffen, and she doesn’t turn around. “I’ve only killed because it was them or me. What I do fer me family will never touch ye. I will never hurt ye.” She doesn’t turn around yet, but I continue anyway. “The men I’ve killed deserved it. They were wicked lads and were trying to kill me family one by one. I won’t stand around and let these feckers try and hurt me family if I can stop it.” When she finally turns around to face me, I can see the fear written all over her face. She’s fecking terrified of me. I move closer to her, and she backs up until her back is flat against the door. Crowding her against the door, I lean into her. My body pressing against hers brings all my rational thoughts to the dirty ones that typically linger anytime I think about her.

“That fecker I saved ye from would have killed ye that night. I don’t go by the same set of rules as that bastard. He signed his own death when he attacked ye. I don’t allow boyos to touch women in that way. Men like that are the ones I kill.” Her face pales, and I continue. “I killed a man because he put a knife to me Da’s throat over a bet he lost. Me Da may not be the best man, but he’s family. The bastard was the stupid one to make a bet in the first place. He lost and got angry at Da. I killed him before he could kill me Da.” Her face softens a little at those words, but her body is still wound tight. “They fecking deserve it.” I use my left hand to cup the side of her neck, and she doesn’t flinch away from me this time. “Trust me halainn, I will never hurt ye. Ye are the first real thing in me world.” I see something change in her eyes, so I make me move. I close the distance between us pressing me lips against hers. The sweet taste of her skin explodes on me tongue as I swipe it across her lips. Her hand reaches up, and she wraps it around me neck, pulling me mouth closer to hers. She deepens our kiss, and I slip me tongue into her mouth. Every stroke of her tongue against mine brings out a frenzy in me. Me hands grab her arse, and I pull her body into mine.

I have no fecking clue what is running through her mind as I lift her up into me arms and carry her to me bedroom. Not once does she pull her lips from mine, so I take this as a good sign. She wants me just as much as I want her. I toss her on me bed and stalk towards her. Her hair is spread out over me blanket, and I can’t imagine a better sight than the one in front of me. She’s fecking beautiful. I lean over her body and hook me fingers into her skirt. I unzip the side of her skirt and slowly pull it down her sexy legs. Her panties are lacy and black, me favorite. I start to unbutton her blouse and press me lips to her skin with each button. Her hands run up my arms and grip the back of me head, pushing me lower. I let her show me where she wants me. I get the last button undone, and I hover right above the top of her panties. The tips of her fingers start to push me head down further. I slowly sink to me knees at the side of me bed and me mouth is only an inch away from her sweet pussy. My tongue sweeps across her panty covered clit, and she squeezes her legs together around me head. I do it a few more times before I pull them to the side and run my tongue along her sweet wet heat. She’s already wet fer me. She still wants me even though she thinks I’m a monster.

Feck, I don’t even care if she hates me after this as long as I get to slide deep inside of her wet cunt again. Running me finger through her heat, I slowly sink it inside her pussy and kiss me way back up her body. Swirling me finger around inside of her, I place open mouth kisses all over her skin. Using me free hand, I pull the cup of her bra down so I can suck her perfect round tit into me mouth. I lavish her nipple and lightly bite down on it before switching to the other side, still fingering her. Her moans fill me bedroom, and I feel me cock getting harder with every one of them. Pulling me fingers from her cunt, I put them in me mouth and suck the juices off of them. Her eyes are burning with desire now, and I want nothing more than to sink inside of her. Backing away from the bed, I start to strip down. Once I’m done, I reach forward and grab her panties, sliding them down her thighs. Once I get her panties off, I pull her up and push her button-up down her arms and toss it behind me. Reaching behind her, I unhook her bra and throw it back with the rest of her discarded clothes. Grabbing her legs, I pull her to the edge of the bed and kiss me way up her chest. When I get

close enough to her face, she grabs me head and pulls me closer to her. She kisses me deeply, one hand gripping me length. Her hand starts to slide up and down me shaft roughly, and I want nothing more than to slam inside of her. Her finger slides over the tip gently before she starts to stroke me again. I moan against her lips, and she gives me a grin. She knows the power she has over me right now. She’s got me by the dick, and there is no one that I would want to have that way than her. “You kill people.” Her hand tightens on me shaft, and me eyes lock with hers at her words. When I don’t say anything, she continues. “But you only kill bad men.” I continue to stare at her, trying to piece together what she’s trying to do right now. “I protect those I care about,” I state gently. Her eyes flash before she releases her grip on me dick. “Are you going to kill that man that attacked me?” I don’t answer her because she already knows the answer without me saying the words. Instead, I tell her again. “I protect those I

care about.” “Do you care about me?” Her voice isn’t nearly as loud as it was a few seconds ago. I lean forward and cup her cheek. My thumb caresses her skin, and she sucks in a breath, preparing herself fer the answer I’m about to give her. “I do lass. When I find the bastard, I can promise he will get what he has coming to him. He would have raped ye. He could have killed ye.” I feel the thunderous beating of her heart in her chest as the words fall from me lips. “He doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as ye.” Instead of her saying anything, she crushed her lips to mine and pulls me into her body. I thrust into her roughly and start to pump me hips. I kiss me way down her neck and settle on her pulse. Her moans fill the air with every thrust that I make. The bed moves slightly across the hardwood floor in me room, but it doesn’t stop me from taking her body and claiming her as mine. Mine. I’ve never wanted a lass to be mine, but fer some reason I want to own her. Every. Damn. Inch. As we both fall over the edge, her fingers dig into me back, her nails digging into me skin.

The scratch marks burn as her fingernails move, but I can’t help but continue to feck her. Once we ride out our orgasm, I collapse onto of her and suck in deep breaths.

Fifteen Stana Waking up a few hours later, I feel the dread pooling in my belly. I shouldn’t want anything to do with Jerrick. He’s a sick man. He admitted to killing people. What would happen if I made him mad? Would he hurt me too? I shake my head slightly as I look up at the ceiling. He saved me, he wouldn’t hurt me. He starts to stir next to me. I stay as still as possible as he moves his body closer to mine. His arm is thrown across my body, and his hand is cupping my breast. He gives it a slight squeeze as he moves closer, but that is all he does. My eyes scan his dark room, and I don’t see a whole lot of personal items around. Lifting my head slightly, I try to study the floor for anything that might show that he’s, I don’t know, normal? I guess. The light from the streets cast a soft glow in the room, but I don’t see anything that makes me think cold-blooded killer. Not that I would actually know what one looked like.

Maybe Max is right about Jerick. I pull his arm up and start to slide out of his grip, but he just tightens his hold on me instead. He draws me closer to his body, and I feel his lips dance along my bare shoulder. “Yer not leaving banphrionsa.” A chill covers my body, and he flips me over to my back. “I wasn’t leaving,” I whisper. He rises on an elbow and stares down at me. Reaching forward, I gently run my fingers along his jaw before I cup his cheek, pulling his sleepy face down to mine. I kiss him tenderly, and he grins against my lips. Before we can take it any further his phone starts to ring from somewhere in the room. A small groan falls from his lips as he looks towards where the sound is coming from. He kisses me quickly before he gets out of bed and makes his way towards his discarded jeans. I watch the way his ass moves as he walks towards them and I can feel myself getting wet at the sight. As he bends over, I have to hold my breath. I’m sure he’s talking into the phone, but the only thing I can focus on now is the curve of his ass, and his firm thigh muscles are apparently making me stupid. I’ve never felt this crazy need to stare at a naked man before. I don’t know what in the hell is

wrong with me lately. It’s like he’s changed me into this horny woman that can’t seem to do anything without thinking about sex. As he turns and walks towards me, my eyes follow his dick and the way that it’s already hard and jutting out from his body. When he gets close enough to the bed, I make my way over to where he is. Reaching out a hand, I grip his length and slowly start to run my hand up and down him. When my eyes travel up to his face, I see him bite his lip. He goes to say something to whoever is on the other line, and I ignore his words. His eyes close and he lets his head drop backward. “Aye, I’ll be there in a few,” he breathes. His hand reaches out for me, and he grips the back of my head, pulling me closer to his body. Tentatively, I poke my tongue out and run it along his tip. He lets out a shaky breath as he continues talking. I slowly slide my mouth down his shaft a few times before I use my hand in addition to my mouth. I suck him into the back of my throat and swallow as best as I can without gagging. His fingers dig into my scalp, and the pain only gets me hotter. He continues talking on his phone as I start to move again. Every pump of his hips gets me wet. I don’t even notice when he tosses the phone on

the bed. He pulls me off of him and grabs my ankle, spinning my body to where he can slam into me. He takes me roughly, but I don’t care. Having him inside me is one of the best feelings in the world. I shouldn’t want him, but I do. In my head, I know that I need to distance myself from him, but my body is telling me to hold him close. I feel my pussy clench around his dick as he continues his rough treatment. Each thrust is bringing us both closer to the edge. His hand grips my neck, and he starts to put pressure on it. At first, my eyes widen in surprise and then fear. I begin to fight him, but he quickly releases my neck. “I’ll never hurt ye banphrionsa,” he whispers into my ear. I look into his eyes and see that he means the words. He shows me the softness that I need to see. If I didn’t, I would be fighting like hell to get away from him right now. I don’t even know why my mind is fighting with me on this. I shouldn’t want a man like him. He leans down and presses his mouth to mine, kissing me deeply before starting to move again. My hand goes to his pec, and just as I’m about to come, my fingernails dig into his chest. I moan out his name as he grunts, “Ye feel so damn good babe.” He continues his thrusting as my grip on him tightens. I come hard on him. I’m panting,

trying to catch my breath, but it’s no use. He slams into me a few more times before he groans out, “Feck Stana.” He falls onto the bed next to my spent body and blows out a heavy breath. Turning my head to the side to look at him, I try and memorize his face. What if I wake up tomorrow and I find out that he’s not who he says he is? What if he really is the evil man that Max says he is? He supposedly killed Max’s father. How can I be okay with that? Max is a friend. One of the only ones I have in this city. “You have to go?” I ask quietly. I can see it on his face even though he hasn’t said anything yet. That’s what the phone call was about. He probably would have been gone already if I didn’t take his dick into my mouth. “Aye,” he mumbles. He reaches over and brushes the hair out of my face before saying anything more. “I don’t want to leave ye, but I got something to take care of.” I’m sure that’s code for kill someone. I can feel the frown on my face before he even says anything about it. “I’m not going to kill anyone lass. I just need to meet with me Da about me brother finally joining the family.” “You have a brother?” I ask stupidly. Of

course, I wouldn’t know that type of information. All Jerick and I do is fuck. We aren’t anything more than that. I already know how this sort of stuff goes. I’m the booty call. I frown at the thought of being just his booty call. For the first time in a long time, I feel special. Like I mean something to him, but a girl like me will never be more than someone you come to when you want to get laid. Rhett didn’t even really care about me, and we were together for three years. All he wanted from me by the end of it was a piece of ass and a punching bag. “Aye lass, I do. He just came over from Belfast. Me Da wants to bring him into the fold, but I have me hesitations about him.” His answer surprises me. Why wouldn’t he want his brother to be part of the family business? Unless they don’t get along. “Why?” I ask, barely hearing the word come out of my own mouth. “Lass, ye no need to worry. The fecker will never come near ye.” I feel my body tense at his words. Should I be worried that his brother might hurt me? He rolls onto his side next to me and faces me. His arm wraps around me, and he pulls me closer, closing the distance between us. “I promise

ye, me family doesn’t know about ye. I won’t let them every hurt ye.” “Would they hurt me if they did?” My voice is shaky, and I feel all the blood rush out of my face. “Not sure lass. I don’t want to take any chances.” He sighs deeply before he continues. “Me family doesn’t like outsiders. They say it’s a sign of weakness.” “Weakness?” “Aye. Especially women.” I stare into his eyes trying to figure him out. I don’t understand him whatsoever, but I want to. I want to know what makes him tick. “Why women?” “They mess with ye head.” He says pointing at his own head with a sad smile. “Well, that’s according to me Da. I don’t think you mess with me head lass.” “When do I get to see you again?” As much as I don’t want to get caught up in some fairytale about the man he is with me, I can’t help it. I don’t see the killer that Max was talking about. I only know the man in front of me. The man

saying he would protect me from everyone including his own family. That means something, doesn’t it? “Stay here. I’ll be back soon.” He leans forward and kisses my forehead before he gets out of bed and starts to get dressed. “We can go get breakfast when ye wake up.” He winks at me and continues to pull on clothes. I look around for a clock and when I don’t see one I ask what time it is. “It’s a little after ten.” He answers quickly. “Still plenty of time before ye need to get to work lass.” The word work is spit out with a bitter tone, and I know it’s because of Max and what he told me. “Did you kill Max’s father?” I ask. I don’t even know why I ask. Maybe because part of me is curious to find out the answer and the other part of me is terrified to hear the truth. “Lass,” he states in warning. But I don’t let him off the hook for the answer. I sit up in his bed, and the blanket falls down into my lap. His eyes scan over my body, and I know that I can use this to my advantage. I can get the truth out of him. “I want to trust you Jerick,

but I can’t if you don’t tell me the truth.” I know I’m using his feeling for me against him, but I need to know the truth as well. His family is a dangerous one. People die every day at the hands of them, and I don’t want to become like those people. “No, I didn’t kill his father.” His eyes narrow on me, and I know that he’s mad at me, but it doesn’t stop the next question to fall from my lips. “Then who did?” His eyes harden, and he ultimately stills. “Just leave it alone lass.” His voice is gruff and almost on the verge of pleading with me to just let it go. “Jerick…” I start, but he doesn’t let me finish. His hands are now cupping my face as he comes to his knees in front of me. “Stana, if ye tell anyone about this…” He trails off and stares into my eyes, looking for a tale that I might be lying or trying to get information from him. I can’t tell what he sees in my eyes, but I know for a fact that I would never do anything to hurt him. “I won’t. Jerick, I’ll keep your secret.”

He blows out a breath before closing his eyes. His body is as still as a statue as he wages an internal battle inside of himself over this answer. When his eyes open again, I can see the vulnerable side of him. The side that I’m sure he doesn’t show anyone else. “It was me sister.”

Sixteen Jerick I didn’t stick around much longer after I told her who killed her friend’s father. I’m sure he thinks his old man died at the hands of me fer a debt owed, but it is far from the truth. I don’t even know how to tell Stana the truth. I didn’t go into details, but I know as soon as I get back, she will ask. She’s a curious one, and if she isn’t careful, she could end up dead. Lucky fer her, she doesn’t speak to a whole lot of people outside of me and that boyo Max. As I pull into me Da’s driveway, I see the line of cars. I frown at the Astin Martin sitting in the drive, and I shake me head. If that bastard is that flashy already, I can’t wait to see what he does next. He’s a damn liability and as many times as I have tried to tell me Da, he just ignores me. He’ll feck up, and I will have to clean up his mess, just like all the other times in Belfast. Walking into the house, I see the men gathered around in the living room. They are talking about something, but I can’t make it out

from where I am. As the door shuts behind me, all heads turn and stare at me. “Ah, about time boyo. We needed to get started, so I started without ye.” Me Da motions fer me to come into the living room, and I go without hesitation. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I will find out soon enough. As I stand with the rest of the family, I see me brother out of the corner of me eye. He’s wearing a tailored dark green suit with black Italian loafers. He looks every bit of the Irish Mob that he’s pretending to be. Next, he’ll have some dolled up lass on his arm while acting like the boss. Fecking prick. “I want to take over some areas in the neighborhoods around us, expand our market a wee bit.” I roll me bloody eyes at that one. I’ve been the one doing all that shit. He hasn’t done a damn thing when it comes to expanding our reach. Me brother moves slightly, and when I look at him, I see a smug grin on the bastards arse kissing gob. He must have something to do with this shit. “Jerick, I need ye to help yer brother with the expansion. We want to take over the surrounding towns by next week.” Da rubs his hands together like his plan is something that is going to be all that

great of a conquest. In reality, there are only a few more businesses that I haven’t gotten under my control. I’ll let brother dearest handle those ones. I slightly nod me head and continue to keep me mouth shut. He won’t want to hear me opinion right now. “Looks like we will be partners again, brother.” Liam grins at me. I want to bash his fecking head in fer the shit he left me to deal with back in Belfast after his arrest, but I don’t say a word. If anything, I’ll be getting back at the fecker soon enough. Out of the eye of me Da and the rest of the family. “Can’t fecking wait,” I mutter. Just as Da excuses us, I make me way out of the room and towards the front door. I don’t want to be around longer than I need to be here. I can only take so much of me brother’s stupid arse before I want to commit murder. “Jerick!” Me Da calls out just as I put me hand on the door handle. I pause and look over me shoulder at him, and he motions me back into the room. I swear under me breath and pull out me phone to check the time. I promised that beautiful lass breakfast before work, and I still have plans fer her tonight. “Yeah?” I answer, making me way towards

him and me brother. “I need ye to take a group of the boyo’s to the other side of town and work on the Matthew’s family. I want them on the take now. They have been the only holdouts on that side of the city.” I try hard not to roll me eyes at me Da. He has no fucking clue that I got the Matthew’s family to take me offer last week. “Da, I got them on the take last week. They won’t be a problem.” I see the look on Liam’s face, and I can’t tell if it’s because he’s surprised or just fecking pissed that he doesn’t get to go play bad arse. “Ah, I think I remember ye saying that boyo. Who else are we still working on?” He asks this time. “There’s a list. I have it in me car. I have plans tonight, but we can do it tomorrow.” I turn towards the door again, but he stops me. “Ye still hung up on that lass, boyo? Get yer damn head in the game. She isn’t important. She isn’t one of us.” This perks me brother’s attention up. He watches me but doesn’t say anything.

“It’s none of yer business anyway, Da. I don’t say shit about the way ye keep yerself entertained these days.” I start towards the door again and don’t stop until I hear the threat against her. “I won’t let me son be tempted by some whore he met off the damn streets.” I open the door and walk through it, slamming it shut behind me, not caring who heard him or me. He has no idea about Stana. She isn’t like the type of lass that would screw me over. If anything I’ll be the one to destroy her. I can almost guarantee it. She’s the total opposite of me and the life we lead. She won’t be my downfall. Instead, she will be the one who saves me. Getting into me car, I take off into the night. I don’t go straight to me apartment because I’m still pissed at what me Da said about Stana and I don’t want to take me aggression out on her. She doesn’t deserve that shit either. She deserves all the pretty things that I can give her. Nothing bad will hurt her. At least I’ll always try to protect her from the darkness I suffer through. I drive fer an hour before the exhaustion finally hits me. I need to sleep a little before I have to be up again and ready to deal with me family and

the shit storm I’m sure me brother is going to be bringing with him from Belfast. After pulling into me parking spot in the parking garage, I make me way up to me apartment where I know me girl will be sleeping still. It’s a little after midnight, and I still have plenty of time to make sure she gets the breakfast I promised her earlier. As I walk to me door, I see a dark figure leaning against the wall by me door. Reaching fer me gun, I grip it and cock it before pointing it right at the figure. “That’s no way to treat yer brother, Jerick,” he states as he turns his head to face me. “And here I thought that ye would have run right back to the beautiful little number in yer bed.” The white of his teeth is on full display, and I want to put a bullet in him fer even coming here. “What do you want?” I bite out. I’m on the edge of the damn ledge, and I don’t even mind going after the bastard. He deserves it after the shit storm he left me to deal with back home. It took me weeks to get out of the fecking deal that almost cost me me life. He’s damn lucky I didn’t see him before now because I would have killed him, brother or not. “Ye know what I want. I want the life I

should have fecking had. Being Da’s right hand, the position ye stole from me.” I scoff at his words. His eyes are black, the same color as his damn soul. He is a selfish son of a bitch, and I won’t hesitate to take him out this time. He’s a piece of shit if ye ask me. He didn’t deserve shit in the family. He got left behind because of the stupid choices he made on a daily basis. “Ye want it? Then fecking take it. I didn’t want to be Da’s gopher. I am his bitch and if ye really want it, then take it. Be the one who has to get out of bed at all hours of the damn night just to get bitched at by him. I don’t give a feck.” He grins at that but doesn’t say a word. As I make me way closer to him and me door, I see the look in his eye. He’s here fer something else besides just this shit. “Da doesn’t like yer new lass?” He shakes his head and grins at me. “I mean, maybe if ye let him see her, he just might change his mind.” He winks at me and starts to walk towards me. “Stay the feck away from her. She has nothing to do with ye or the family,” I sneer. He can come at me all he wants, but I won’t let him near her. “What, ye afraid that I’ll steal the lass

away from ye?” he goads. I don’t have the patience fer this arsehole right now. I just want to go to sleep with me girl. “She wouldn’t want a man like ye. Yer a coward and a cheat.” That wipes the grin right off his smug face. “She knows the type of man ye are Jerick? She knows the things ye’ve done fer this family? The people ye’ve killed?” As soon as the words come from his mouth, the door to me apartment opens, and I see her standing there in the doorway. Her eyes scan the hall, and she looks between me brother and me. “Jerick,” she whispers. She doesn’t know what to think, and part of me is glad she isn’t just freaking out first. I need to get this arsehole out of here and fast. “Lass, go back inside. I’ll be in in a minute.” She looks between Liam and me again before doing as I tell her. “It’s a shame,” he says grinning again. “I didn’t take her as the type to just roll over and listen to ye. She looked like she had a little fight in her.”

“Stay the feck away from her. Ye so much as come near her again and I won’t hesitate this time,” I growl. His grin doesn’t fall from his face, but he doesn’t stick around any longer. “So long me brother. I’ll be seeing ye again.” He walks by me and runs his shoulder into mine. I turn to watch him walk down the hall and press the button to the elevator. I need to find a more secure fecking building apparently. Once the doors close and he disappears behind them, I open the door and lock it behind me. Scanning the room, I see her sitting on the couch, staring off into space. As I take a seat next to her, she puts her hand on mine and looks up at me. “Was he really in here when I was asleep?” Her voice is hesitant sounding. She almost sounds like she might cry at any moment. “I don’t know,” I answer honestly. It’s the fecking truth. I have no idea if he really was in here or if he was just yanking me chain. All I know is that I’m going to be finding a more secure apartment in the next few days. I won’t leave her alone in here again until I know she will be protected at all times. “Let’s go back to bed, lass. I won’t let him

come near ye. He’s just pissed that I stopped his little plan with our Da.” She tenses in me arms, and I don’t get why until she speaks. “That was your brother?” She asks. “Aye. That is Liam, me older brother.” I answer, me eyebrows pulling together in confusion. It’s almost like she knows him from somewhere. “Ye know him, lass?” I question. I’m not getting a good vibe from her right now, and it is starting to worry me. “No,” she finally answers although I don’t know if I believe her. She looked a little spooked by him, and if she didn’t know him, she wouldn’t have reacted that way. Instead of questioning her further, I get up off the couch and pull her up with me. “Let’s go back to bed. I promised ye breakfast in the morning, and I will deliver.” I kiss her forehead before dragging her towards me room. I don’t want to talk about anything else right now. The only thing I want to do is curl up with her in bed.

Seventeen Stana This morning was different than all the other mornings I’ve woken up in Jerick’s arms. Typically I have him trying to get me out of whatever I’m wearing and plunging into me, stealing my breath away. This morning, he's sweet and adorable. I don’t really understand it, but I can definitely get used to it. His soft side is something that I never really expected, but have started to enjoy it. “Ye want to go out fer breakfast, or ye want me to make ye something?” He asks with an eyebrow raised. I shrug my shoulders because I don’t really care. The only thing I care about right now is spending a little more time with Jerick before I have to go to work and face Max. I know that once I walk inside, I’m going to have to hear whatever it is he wants to say about Jerick and his family. This brings me back to the questions I wanted to ask Jerick before I went to work. “Hey, Jerick?” I ask sweetly. He looks over his shoulder at

me as he pulls his sweats up to cover his tight ass. “What babe?” He asks, looking like he isn’t sure he really wants to know what I’m about to ask. “Can you tell me more about Max’s –” he cuts me off before I can finish my question. “No one outside the family knows what happened. I can’t tell ye in case ye go to him and give him the information. I would rather him hate me than know what actually happened.” I go to say something, but I guess he’s right. I’d probably feel like I’d have to tell Max the truth. I hate that Max dislikes Jerick without even knowing him, but I guess there isn’t anything that I can do to change that. A look flashes through his eyes and I want to ask if something is wrong, but I keep quiet this time. I don’t want to make him mad if I keep asking questions, so instead, I just lay back against the pillows and pull the sheets up to my chest. “I’ll make food and bring it to ye in bed.” He winks at me and then starts to walk towards the kitchen. I stay right in my place and close my eyes, trying to force myself to fall back asleep, so I don’t

start asking him a million more questions that I am dying to know the answers to. Part of me wants to ask more about the brother that seems to have snuck into his own brother’s apartment in the middle of the night without me even hearing him. I swear I’ve seen him before too. I start to rack my brain for reasons I would have come across his brother before. I can’t think of anything, but I swear he looked familiar. “Aye lass, ye look like you’re thinking pretty darn hard right now.” He chuckles so I stick my tongue out at him in response and watch as he walks towards me with a tray of food. I don’t think I’ve ever had breakfast in bed. This is probably a first, and the smell is divine. He sets the tray on the middle of the bed and hands me a cup of coffee, just the way I like it. Something I haven’t told him. “I see your stalker skills have come in handy.” He smirks at me and hands me a glass of orange juice too. “I know a lot about ye, love. Gotta be able to impress ye somehow.” He takes a sip from his own coffee cup, and I can’t help but smile. Never has a man taken the time to figure out what I like, even if the way he found out was a tad bit creepy. I mean, he followed me around for a while before he

finally made a move. I guess the way we met was a little unconventional, so everything about us has been a bit strange, but it feels so right. I know people would probably think I’m crazy for spending as much time as I have been with a man that I have barely know, but it’s almost like when he’s not around I can’t breathe, something that has never happened before. The night he saved me reminded me how alone I had become in this life. How unloved I genuinely am. He’s made me smile more in the last few days than I have in the previous few years. “Why did you follow me after you saved me?” I want to find out some information, even if he won’t give it all to me. The more I know, the better I feel about this relationship we have going on – well if it even is a relationship… “I wanted to make sure ye were safe. I didn’t want that fecker coming after ye again.” He snatches a piece of bacon off his plate and puts it into his mouth, taking a slow bite. “Why would he come after me again?” I ask. My stomach is turning as I think about him finding me again and the fear I felt when he grabbed me.

“Because ye saw his face, love. A man like that won’t risk letting ye off like that. Unless he was trying to scare ye into silence, or worse.” I freeze. What if he comes after me again? Who would protect me if I didn’t have Jerick in my life? Would Max defend me like Jerick does? The cops? I push all thoughts of being attacked again out of my head. I don’t need to focus on that, I need to concentrate on the problem at hand… Is Jerick a dangerous person? “What if he never comes after me again… then what?” I don’t know if the question makes sense or not to him, but I need to know if this is only because he thinks he needs to protect me or if it’s more than that. Gosh, I sound freaking crazy. Crap, maybe I am crazy… “I’d still be following ye around,” he states, making his way closer to me. He cups my cheek and pulls my face closer to his. “I have this thing about ye, lass. I couldn’t stop it if I tried.” “But you lead a dangerous life,” I murmur, our lips no more than an inch apart. “I can protect ye from that. I will protect ye from it. No one will ever hurt ye, love. I promise ye that.” His mouth comes down on mine, and I

forget how to breathe. The spark between us is always there, never fading no matter what I try to do to distance myself from him. “Did you ever find out who slashed your tires and broke your window?” I ask changing the subject when he sits back against the headboard. He grabs a piece of toast and puts it in his mouth before he answers. “No, but don’t worry. I will deal with them when I find out who was responsible.” Knowing the type of things he does makes me nervous for whoever messed with his car that night. He treats that car like his baby, and I can’t imagine what he’s going to do when he finds the person responsible. “Are you going to kill them?” I ask. He narrows his eyes at me and sets the leftover toast on the tray in front of me. “Don’t ask questions ye don’t want the answers to.” “Is there more that you're not telling me about what happened that night. Does it have to do with that guy who grabbed my shoulder?” He’s been acting strange since that happened and now I’m finally putting two and two together. “Stana, don’t ask unless ye want me to give

ye the truth. Ye won’t like what ye hear, I promise ye love.” He grabs his phone and types something out before pocketing his phone again. Do I think he’s dangerous? Yes. Do I believe that he will do anything to hurt me? No. Where does that leave me though? What happens if he gets caught doing something wrong or he gets killed himself? I don’t even know why I’m thinking about this right now… A month ago I didn’t have to worry about the killer that I was sleeping with, but today I am currently deciding if I can handle knowing what he might do to whoever damaged his car. Closing my eyes, I lean my head back against the headboard and take a few deep breaths. What’s the worse that can happen? I mean besides the obvious… There are so many things that I don’t know about, but Jerick is the only one who can save me. Save me from the man at the bar, the man in the alley, and even Rhett. “I want the truth,” I whisper. I need to know the truth. He sighs before running his hand over his

stubbled chin. “I’m going to find out who did this. I’ll make them pay fer it too.” He doesn’t say more than that, but I get the meaning behind his words. “Ye will hate me.” He mutters, almost so softly that I can barely make out the words. “I won’t. I promise you that I’ll always stand by you.” His head turns towards me, and he has a surprised look on his face. Hell, I’m amazed by the words that came out of my mouth as well. When I moved here, I never thought that I would ever think that I would sleep with a killer, let alone a man that would extract revenge on someone for putting his hand on me. “Ye would do that?” he asks. I nod my head because I would even if it is scary to admit. In this short amount of time, I’ve become dependent on him. I would do anything he asked me to do. “Yes.” He grabs the tray that is on my lap and moves it to the end of the bed. “Ye know what yer saying, love?” he asks gently. I nod my head and watch the way his eyes change color, his light green eyes darkening. “This life is dangerous. I can protect ye, but me family won’t approve.” “Why won’t they approve?” I question.

Why would it matter? I don’t understand… “We don’t welcome outsiders into our life. We keep everything close to the vest and me telling ye what I do is against everything we stand fer. I trust ye Stana, or I wouldn’t have told ye to begin with. It’s dangerous fer people to know what we do.” I nod my head because I don’t know any other response. “I won’t turn on you,” I whisper. He reaches over and cups my cheek. The feel of his warm hand on my skin brings forward a longing that I can’t deny. Everything in my life is about to change. I can tell by just looking in his eyes. I’m not exactly sure what I just signed up for, but I don’t care as long as I get to be by his side the whole time. “Ye have no clue what yer agreeing to, love. I’m a bad man. I hurt people every fecking day. Ye won’t be able to stay clean if ye stay with me.” I don’t care. I want him, I need him. “I don’t care as long as I have you.” He stares into my eyes for a second, like he’s searching for something. Like he’s looking for an answer to a question that he didn’t ask.

He grabs my arm and pulls me over to him. I straddle his lap and sit on his thighs. He doesn’t say anything, he just pulls my mouth down to his, and he kisses me like his life depends on it. I melt into his body and just let him take the lead. Everything he does feels fantastic like he was meant to do it to my body. I don’t question it; I just let myself feel every kiss and caress. A passion that makes everything that much stronger than if it were anyone else doing it to me.

Eighteen Jerick Once I got Stana to work, I made me way to the club. I needed to talk with me Da. The shit he wants me to do with Liam isn’t going to end well. We don’t exactly get along anymore and putting us together will only end in bloodshed. “Da,” I call out when I walk into the club. I make me way towards the back room, and I see me dad sitting in his chair with his fingers steepled to his forehead. He doesn’t look at me when I walk in, but I know he’s aware that I’m here. “Ye come to complain about yer brother?” He asks finally after a long moment of silence. “Not about him. More about the shit ye want us to do,” I state. “It’s the same shit I’ve been doing fer months. I have a handle on it. I don’t need him anywhere near me work.” I hear his chuckle come from behind me and when I turn me head, I see the smirk on his face. Liam is a fecking bastard if I’ve ever met one.

He doesn’t care about the family, he only cares about himself and what he can gain. “Ye always think yer better than me little brother.” He states as he walks out of the shadows into the room taking a seat next to me. “Little do ye know I’m the one who will take over the family when the time comes.” I look to me Da, and he doesn’t say a word. It’s the damn truth… No fecking way. He isn’t fit to run the damn family and me Da knows that. “So ye can run the family into the ground like everything else ye have ever done before?” I spit out. I’m pissed, but I don’t let them see the real anger that I have inside me veins right now. I’ll save that fer when I decide on dealing with this shit. Right now, me head is a fecking mess with Stana and the shit that is surrounding us. “The only one who would be running the family into the ground is ye, Jerick. I know about yer little whore. Remember I was at yer place. I saw the little bitch. She’s made ye weak.” I clench me hands and take a deep breath before I beat the feck out of him. “Ye have been with the lass?” Me Da finally asks. “That’s why ye’ve been so damn out of it.” He shakes his head at me as he thinks

something over. “Ye told me ye got rid of the last one. Now ye got a new one?” He looks at me like I’ve lost me mind of something. “She doesn’t have anything to do with this. Ye are just trying to find a reason to kick me down the ladder which is fine. Have fun getting the trust of the people I’ve gained in the last few months. I made the family’s territory what it is. Ye’ll lose everything if I’m not involved,” I state. They both look at each other, and I just shrug me shoulders. “It’s up to ye.” I get up from me chair and make me way out of the office. I don’t even care right now what their choice is. I have other shit I need to deal with right now.

By the time I get back to me apartment, I scan the room fer anything out of the ordinary. I don’t trust that fecking brother of mine, and I know he did something while he was in here. There is no reason fer him to be in the gaff when I’m not home unless he was trying to do something to me. Grabbing my phone, I dial Rory’s number and wait fer him to answer. “Aye, Jerick. What can I do fer ye?” he asks when he answers. “I need a new place with no ties to me name. Can ye help me?” “Aye. Any place or do ye have some specifications?” I laugh at that. He knows me well enough to ask. “I need security. Somewhere me brother can’t find or get into.” I stop there for a second because I don’t know how much to tell him. He’s been me best mate fer years so I know I can trust him. “He knows about Stana and now me Da does too. I think they are trying to push me out of the family business.” I hear him blow out a breath before he starts to talk. “Feck. That bastard has always been

jealous of ye. Maybe if he had pulled his head out of his arse, he wouldn’t be in the mess he’s made of his life.” I pause at that. “What do ye mean?” I question. I didn’t know he was in a mess. “Ye didn’t hear about why yer brother come stateside after he got out?” he asks. “Feck no. What the hell did he do this time?” I already know this isn’t going to go well. The last time me brother tried to help with the family business, I almost fecking died because of the bastard, and I won’t put me life on the line fer him again. “He got in real bad with one of the men from the Divil’s crew. He just couldn’t stay the feck away from the coke. He got pretty bad and now owes a pretty penny. Him taking ye out gives him a way to earn the money he needs,” Rory comments. I hope to feck he isn’t right about this. This can take me whole family down if I don’t do something to stop it. If Liam takes over the family, all of us will be dead. “Feck me. I need to talk with me Da. Can ye work on the place and let me know what ye need fer money, and I’ll get it to ye?”

“Aye. Ye know I always have yer back Jerick,” he says into the phone. “Aye. Thank ye brother,” I respond, hanging up on him. I dial me Da’s number and wait fer him to answer, “Aye,” he replies, sounding distracted. “Ye know why he’s really in town Da?” I ask, cutting to the chase. I don’t want to argue with him, but I want him to know why Liam is really here. “Liam?” he asks like he doesn’t know who I’m talking about. “Aye Da. Do ye know why he’s stateside?” I grit out. He has always protected that sorry son of a bitch, and I won’t let Liam take this family down. “He wanted to get back into the family business,” Da states like it’s that fecking easy. “No, he came stateside because he can’t stay away from the coke. He owes someone big back home.” “Yer just saying that rubbish because ye don’t like that me oldest will be taking over when

the time comes boyo. I get that yer pissed, but to make up shit about yer brother is a bit much, don’t ye think?” I can’t help but laugh at that. “Da, I don’t give a shit if he wants to lead the damn family. I give a fuck that they will come after us again. That me life will be on the line again because Liam can’t keep his nose out of the coke.” I hear him sigh over the line, but he doesn’t say anything else, so I continue. “He’s in deep with one of the Divil’s men. When they come stateside to clean up, I’ll jump ship. I will do what I have to to keep meself alive if ye don’t do anything about it.” “It’s a fecking family Jerick. Ye will not jump ship. We fight like a damn family, not take the coward’s way out,” he grates out. I don’t give a feck, I won’t lose me life fer that son of a bitch. “Then get yer shit straight with yer son and make sure that fecking shit doesn’t fall on the family I helped ye build from the ground up after he ruined the one we had in Belfast.” Me Da doesn’t respond. Instead, he hangs up on me. Pocketing me phone, I look around the apartment and notice a picture frame that wasn’t there before. Walking over to it, I stare at the photo and think

back to when it was taken. It was right before I took a bullet to the chest after being tortured for hours. I never gave up the information they were looking fer, so they shot me instead. I remember feeling like I was drowning as the blood seeped from me chest and down me body, covering most of me lower body. I was coughing up blood right when they found me. I was lucky to live through that nightmare, and now he wants to throw me right back into his shit. Grabbing the frame, I stare at the picture of Liam and me. We were thick as thieves, but that day changed every fecking thing. I would have died fer him, but now, I wouldn’t spit on him if he was on fire. He ruined any trust I had in him that day. Pulling the back out of the frame, I see the bug. “I’m going to kill ye meslef if I have to,” I say explicitly into the microphone before I drop it on the ground and crunch it under me shoe. He doesn’t want to feck with me. I will take him down before he can hurt me lass or me. Grabbing everything I can’t part with, I pack it up and bring the boxes and bags to me car. I’ll have to store this with Conaill or Rory until I get into a new place. Pulling out me phone, I send Stana a message.

Me: You almost off work? She doesn’t write back right away, but then again I didn’t expect her to. I take a seat of me bed and lay back against the blankets. It’s been weeks since I’ve really spent any time here. I’ve spent most of me time at Stana’s the last few weeks and will probably spend more time there until I get a new place. When me phone finally alerts me to a new message, I look down at the screen and see her response. Stana: No, I still have a few hours. Why? Is everything okay? I close me eyes fer a few minutes before I finally open them and answer her. I can’t say too much because of the unsecured line, but I can at least tell her that everything is okay fer the time being. Me: Just some shit came up. I will see you later. Her response is instant. She’s getting better at typing out her messages now. Stana: I can fake sick. If you need me, I’ll

be there. I smile at that. Stana would do something like fer me without thinking twice. She’s fecking amazing. Me: It can wait. I’ll be there to pick you up at 5. She doesn’t respond back, and I don’t know if that worries me or not. I make me way to me car and take off towards her place. If anything I can pick the lock and hang out at her gaff until I have to go and get her. When I pull into a parking spot, I scan the area and see nothing out of the normal, so I make me way to her place. Once I get her door open, I set me bag down with a change of clothes and shut the door. Making me way over to her couch, I take a seat on the small couch and put me feet on the on the coffee table. Fer the first time, I really get a look at the place. It’s clean and organized, but there is nothing personal about the space. She doesn’t look like she keeps much besides the necessaries, and it makes me curious to what she is hiding from. That bastard that came by the other day maybe? I know he hurt her, but I feel like it’s much more than she told me.

He wouldn’t just disappear and then come back fer her unless he wanted something. I just need to figure out what.

Nineteen Stana The rest of the day drags on. As soon as I got that message from Jerick, I’ve been watching the hands on the clock as they tick by. I want to see him. I didn’t write him back earlier because I wasn’t sure what more to say, but now I want to. Pulling up my text thread with him, I send him a new message. Me: I want to see you. He doesn’t respond right away, and part of me wonders what he’s doing right now. Is he hurting someone? What if someone is hurting him? Great, now my mind is running a million miles as I think about all the crazy things he could currently be part of. I don’t know maybe I’m just thinking the worse. I mean, I’m sure he can take care of himself. He’s been doing it for a while now. When his message finally comes through, I can’t help but grin. Jerick: Then come home.

Me: I still have an hour and a half. I want to see you right now. When he writes me back, he only sends a photo. When I open the picture, I see the bottom of his chin, along with his naked skin. My eyes roam over every inch of his bare chest, and I have to close my mouth to keep from drooling all over my desk. His body is a work of art. I can’t believe that I get to be the one who sees it. I flush at the thought of being the only person that gets to see him naked lately. I’m sure before me he had a line of women waiting to get a piece of him, but for the last month or so he’s spent every night in my bed or me in his. I don’t see how he could have time to spend with another woman unless he does it during the day while I’m at work. My once pleasant mood turns dark quickly. I hate that I let myself think the worst of people, but it’s hard not to. People cheat, its life and that much I do know. I just hope like hell Jerick isn’t that type of man. Another text comes in, and when I look at the screen, I can’t bring my eyes away from him again. When I finally close out of the photo, I look at his new message and stare at the words.

Jerick: I sure hope you’re not responding because you’re speechless. Typing out a response, I can’t help but grin at him. He’s cocky in the best way sometimes. I don’t know what I even thought when I let him walk me home that night, but I’m sure glad I did. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have this fantastic, yet dangerous man sending me half-naked photos. Me: I was admiring, not drooling. I grin at that and set my phone back on my desk, pulling up the new customer’s information that I just entered. Once I verify that all the client's information is correct, I read his latest message. Jerick: Well then get off work early, and we can spend the time together instead. Me: I wish I could. I want to see more. I blush at the thought of him sending another photo to me. Before he can respond, Max comes into my cubicle and leans against my wall. He crosses his arms as his dark brown eyes stare into the side of my face. When I turn to face him, I can see the hurt written all over his features. He still doesn’t like that I’m involved with Jerick, he’s told me multiple times since he said that Jerick

killed his father. I know that Jerick said he didn’t kill Max’s father, but I can’t tell him what I know. I feel like I’ll be betraying Jerick and that isn’t something I will do. I know it sounds probably crazy since I barely know him, but I want him to be able to trust me with information. I want to believe him. “Your boyfriend kill anyone else lately?” he bites out. I roll my eyes at him for being petty. This isn’t the type of person Max is, and I don’t like that he’s become cold towards me since I left with Jerick that day. Every time I’ve tried to talk to Max, he’s shut me down completely, so I haven’t even bothered. It’s pointless if he doesn’t want to talk or even try to be civilized. Jerick said he wasn’t the one who killed Max’s father and I believe him. Why would he lie about that? He could have lied about at least a dozen other things, he hasn’t done that either. So I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. I owe it to him for saving my life at least. “What do you want Max? I thought you were too busy ignoring me,” I huff out. I know I shouldn’t take it personally because it has nothing

to really do with me, but I do. Max is the only friend I have here, and he has been blowing me off for days. He refused to even talk to me, so I don’t care if I sound snotty today. “Jerick Brannigan isn’t a man you should be in bed with.” He wrinkles his nose at the words. The disdain in his voice is undeniable. He hates Jerick, and there is nothing that I’ll ever be able to do to change that. I hear my phone vibrate on the table and Max’s eyes land on the screen before I can grab it. He takes it off my desk and hits the button before I can even say anything. “Stana, I can’t believe this. You’re letting this fucking prick ruin you. He’s sending you damn nude photos while you’re at work. Are you seriously this damn delusional? He’s using you.” He shakes his head and tosses my phone at me. “You aren’t the person I thought you were. I hope like hell you’re happy with him. He’s a coldblooded murderer, and now you’re his shiny new toy. He won’t keep you around for long. You’ll be just like every other woman he’s made believe that she was something to him. I hope he destroys you.” With that, Max walks out of my office and towards his own.

Everyone in the surrounding cubicles is now staring at me, and I can’t take the embarrassment. Instead of waiting until five to clock out, I gather my stuff together and make my way to the door. I don’t stop when people call out my name, and I don’t bother stopping until I hit the end of the block. Warm tears fall down my cheeks, and nothing I do can make them stop. My heart feels like it’s been torn in two by the way he spoke to me and I don’t know what to do about it. Maybe he’s right… Maybe I am stupid for believing the sweet words that Jerick has said to me, but I don’t regret it. He makes me feel. He makes every part of me come alive, and if no one can understand that, then I don’t need them in my life either. I start to walk towards my apartment when I finally get my tears under control. When I feel like I can call Jerick without alarming him, I hit his name on my recent call list and wait for it to ring. “Aye love. I thought ye would like that one.” I can hear the smile in his voice, and I can’t help the tears that start to fall again. Him mentioning the photo only replays what Max said. “I’m not at work,” I finally say. “What do ye mean? Where are ye?” He sounds a bit concerned, but I just shake it off.

“I left. I walked out after a disagreement with Max.” I don’t want to tell him what was said because I don’t want to have to repeat the words Max said to me. If anything, I just want to pretend that it never happened in the first place. “Where are ye, Stana?” he growls into the phone. I look at the street signs, and I have no clue where I am. I’ve been walking for a little bit, but it looks nothing like the route I used to take home. “I’m not exactly sure.” I squeak out when I look at the buildings around me. My panic starts to take over, and I know that I’ll have a full-blown panic attack in a matter of seconds if I can’t calm myself down. “Listen to me, love. Describe which buildings ye are near. I’m coming to find ye.” His voice is calmer than it was a few seconds ago and it, in turn, makes me a little bit more relaxed. “Tall buildings. I don’t know the street is busy. Lots of people.” I look around and see a couple of busy buildings, so I go inside the first one I come to. My hands are shaking as I pull the big door open. “I just walked in a building. Jerick, please find me.” I close my eyes even though people are walking in every direction around me.

“Stana, listen to me. I need ye to breathe. Just breathe, love.” he says over and over again. I start to take deep calming breaths, but it doesn’t do much. I’m still freaking out, and I don’t know what to do. “Jerick,” I whimper as someone bumps into me. “Stana, breathe. I’m on me way.” I just listen to the sound of his breathing, and I try to match my breaths with his. Just as I start to calm down, a hand grabs my wrist. I look over to the person who grabbed me, and I shrink back, shrieking out so loud that people turn to stare. “Talk to me love. What is happening?” Jerick says into the phone. “Tell yer little lad that his time is up.” I hear Jerick growl into the phone a name that I’ve never heard before. “Stana where are ye?” He bites out. I walk backward until I run into someone who gives me a dirty look. The man follows me as I try to run. I get to the doors before he grabs me again. “Tell him that I will make sure I treat ye real well, lass.” I don’t say a word as he presses his

body into mine. I push the door as hard as I can, and it opens to the busy street. I see a black car that looks like Jerick’s, so I run towards it. “JERICK!” I yell as I run into the busy street. Horns honk, and people slam on their breaks around me, but I don’t stop until I get in front of the car that looks like Jerick’s. The car stops just in time, and I turn to look behind me, and the man is still coming right for me. “STANA!” His voice tears through the street and I turn around to see Jerick running down the road right towards me. The man stops and stares as Jerick comes running at me. When his arms wrap around me, I feel like I can breathe again. All the fear I had is gone, and I can finally take the breath that was being sucked from my lungs. Jerick looks up, and I feel his whole body tense. He pulls me past the car that stopped just in time for me and onto the sidewalk. He doesn’t release me as we make our way down the street towards what I assume is where he parked his car. As soon as we get to his car, he forces me into the passenger seat before kneeling down in

front of me. He doesn’t say a word for at least ten minutes as he just stares at me. I don’t know how to even comprehend what happened just now. Who was that man and why was he trying to grab me? “What did he say to you?” Jerick asks. When I look at his face, I can’t tell what he’s thinking. He looks pissed, and I don’t know if it’s because of me or the man. I can’t do this right now. I hold my hands out, and I see how shaky they are. I can’t focus on anything, let alone answer the question he just asked. My heart is pounding in my chest from both the panic, as well as the fear. Life with Jerick isn’t safe. I’ve figured it out the hard way, but it wasn’t his fault. If Max hadn't of yelled at me in front of the whole office, I wouldn’t have left early. I would have had a ride home, and I wouldn’t have gotten lost from a panic attack. That man wouldn’t have been able to come near me, and I would have been at home, cuddled up with Jerick while he whispered sweet things in my ear. “I want to go home,” I whisper. Tears fall from my eyes, and I don’t know if they are from the fear or the panic anymore. Everything is blurring together. All I know is that I want to go home and curl up in my bed pretend that none of this happened.

Pretend that I am safe.

Twenty Jerick By the time I get her to her gaff, she’s still fecking shaking. I’m going to kill those fecking bastards for the shit they pulled today. Max will wish I was the one who pulled the trigger on his da when I get me hands on the bastard. Ciaran is a different story. I’m going to kill the son of a bitch for even putting his hands on me lass. He scared her enough to run out into traffic. Once I get Stana into her gaff, I shut the door and take her straight to her room. She hasn’t said a word since she said she wanted to go home, but she was no longer shaking. Sitting her on the bed, I kneel down in front of her and grab her feet, taking both of her shoes off. When I look back up at her, she has tears still streaming down her cheeks, and her hands are folded in her lap. Sitting beside her, I don’t say a word fer a few minutes. I wrap me arm around her shoulders and pull her into me side. She goes willingly but still doesn’t say anything. “Ye okay?” I finally ask. She

turns her wet face up to look at me, and I see the scared lass she is. She isn’t part of this world and will never be used to the danger like we are. Me Da was right. A girl like her doesn’t belong in this life. She deserves so fecking much more than what I can give her. I just don’t know if I could leave her alone. I don’t want to leave her alone. “I thought that car was you.” She sucks in a breath and lets it out slowly. “That man was trying to grab me. What did he want?” Her tear streaked face just stares at me, and I know I have to give her something, anything. “He wants revenge on something that happened back in Belfast. I don’t know why he came after ye, except to send a message. I won’t let anything happen to ye, love. I promise ye that.” My voice is soft, and I try to keep me anger at a minimum while I try to comfort her. Laying us back on the bed, she turns to her side and curls into a ball. Turning onto me side as well, I wrap my arm around her body and pull her into me. She buries her wet face into me neck, and I just hold her. There is nothing else I can do right now except go and find that stupid bastard and put a bullet in him for doing this to her, but I know that

it won’t be that easy. He won’t go down without a fight. He’s been waiting fer this fer years. “I just ran. I was scared and freaking out. I didn’t think clearly. I’m sorry,” she whispers against me skin. Running me hand down the back of her head, I pull her closer and close me eyes. The pain and fear she is feeling make me feel sick. I don’t want to ever put her through something like this again, and I know that this may be the first time, but it won’t be the last. “Ye are going to be fine. I won’t let him come near ye again. I promise ye, love.” She nods against me neck, and I feel the anger start to rise in me. Me phone starts to ring, but I don’t bother with it. Comforting her is the most crucial thing fer me right now. Her hands tighten on me as she listens to the ringtone as it goes off in me pocket. When it finally stops, she pulls back a little to look at me. Her eyes are bloodshot, and she has black trails that fall down her cheeks. Her makeup may be a mess, but she still looks beautiful. She seems real, something that I’ve been looking fer fer years. “What happens now?” she asks, sniffling

slightly. “Ye don’t need to worry about that. I’ll deal with him.” I kiss her forehead before I continue. “I want to know what made ye run in the first place. What happened at yer work?” She tenses up and buries her face into me again. “I won’t stop asking until ye give me an answer.” She shakes her head no, still not saying a word. As much as I admire her fer not saying a word, it pisses me off just as much. “Stana, tell me what happened.” She doesn’t move or say anything fer a few minutes, and just as I’m about to get up, she holds on tighter and starts to talk. “Max came into my cubicle just after I sent you my last text message. He asked if my boyfriend killed anyone else lately. I rolled my eyes at him because that isn’t the type of person he is. He doesn’t act like a child. I asked him what he wanted because since that day he’s been giving me the cold shoulder. He refused to talk to me when I tried asking him questions, so I just let it go.” She sniffles a few more times before she continues her story. “He then told me, ‘Jerick Brannigan isn’t a man you should be in bed with.' I didn’t know what he meant at first, but when I looked into his eyes, I could see the pure hate in his expression. He hates

you, and he brings it into our work and our friendship. I couldn’t even say anything, and then you sent me another text. Before I could even reach for it, he already had it in his hand, looking at the photo you sent. He told me that I was letting you ruin me and that you were sending nude pictures to me while I was working.” She sucks in a breath, and I want to kill that little fecker. He has a right to hate me, but he has no right to treat Stana the way he has been. She doesn’t deserve it at all. She isn’t me, and she didn’t make the decision to keep the truth from Max, I did. I did it to protect me sister and I would do it again and again. Maeve doesn’t deserve the hate that she would get for what she did. “He yelled at me and told me that he couldn’t believe it. That I was delusional and that you were using me…” She trails off, and I reach forward to wipe the tears from under her eyes. “He told me that I wasn’t the person he thought I was. That you were a cold-blooded murder, and I was just a shiny new toy for you to play with until you were tired of me just like the others. His parting words were that he hopes you destroy me.” She takes a deep breath before she continues. “Everyone in the surrounding cubicles was staring at me, and I couldn’t take the

embarrassment. So Instead of waiting until five to clock out, I gathered my stuff and just left. People tried to stop me, but I couldn’t stay. I had to get out of there. I had to get away from him. I haven’t felt that low in a while, and when I got outside, I just walked towards my apartment. I must have gotten turned around when I was crying because I ended up where you found me.” The heartbreak in her voice tears at me chest. I can’t take the pain in words she says. Max is going to regret ever saying a word to her. I may not be the one who killed his father, but I’m not afraid to come after Max meself. He crossed the damn line with how he treated Stana, and I’ll make sure he pays fer that. Grabbing me phone from me pocket, I send a text to Conaill and tell him to get me an address on the fecking bastard Max. I say his name and his da’s name, hoping that it will be easier to track down. When I leave tonight, I have a date with that bastard. “Are you going to hurt him?” Her voice breaks on the words, but I’m not going to lie to her either. “I won’t kill him,” I mutter. “He fecking hurt ye, love. Why do ye care what happens to the

bastard?” She rolls away from me and lies on her back, arms crossed over her chest like she’s hugging herself. “Because he is my friend, I care what happens.” She blows out a deep breath and turns her head towards me. The look in her eyes begs me not to hurt him, but I’m having a hard time agreeing to that. He deserves way more than just letting that shit go. She could have died because he was careless. She could have been taken by Ciaran. “I won’t kill him,” I repeat. It’s the only thing that I can promise her. I can’t guarantee that I won’t go after that fecker Max for what he said or how he made her feel. I’m going to end the shit between us if it’s the last thing I do tonight. She doesn’t say another word, so I just curl me body into hers and hold her tight.

Slipping out of Stana’s apartment a little after eight, I make me way to me car and take off towards the address Conaill sent me a few hours ago. The place isn’t too far from Stana, and that makes me question how he actually feels about her. Why would he move closer to her when he knows that she’s with me? The first address Connie found was his old one, and after a drive-by earlier, he saw a younger couple outside playing with their young children, so he went to searching again which brought up this new place, one that he moved into a month ago under a fake name. When I pull up to the house that sits just three blocks away, I scan the neighborhood. I don’t want this to take long because I don’t want her waking up alone. She was still shaken up when I

finally got her to fall asleep, and I don’t want to make it worse fer her. She’s already been through enough today. Getting out of me car, I make my way to the door and take a peek in the front window. I don’t see movement, but the lights are all on. He has to be here. I knock on the door and wait fer him to come to the door. I can feel the handle of me gun in the back of me jeans and the knife I always carry in me pocket, just waiting to be used. As the doorknob turns, I wait fer the moment he realizes who’s on the other side of the door. As soon as he sees me, he tries to shut the door, but I get my shoe between the door and the frame before he can lock me out. “What the hell do you want?” he grits out. I’m damn glad he’s pissed. It will make this conversation that much more fun fer me. “I want to know why ye said those damn things to Stana. Ye know what she fecking went through after ye said that shit?” He rolls his eyes at me like he doesn’t care what he did to her. Almost like he thinks she deserves what she went through. Little does he

know, I’ll make him pay fer that shit. He could have gotten her hurt or worse. “She left work and had a panic attack in the middle of the fecking street. Got fecking lost because she was so hurt by yer damn words.” I see his expression change, and I can see the surprise and concern written all over his face. “I get ye care about her, but don’t make her feel bad because ye hate me.” He goes to say something, but I stop him. “I’m not fecking done,” I grit out. Me anger is starting to take over, and if I don’t keep it under control, me knife won’t stay in me pocket much longer. Instead, it will find a new home in his fecking side. I push the door open, and he doesn’t fight me on it, which is surprising. “You going to kill me like you did my father?” he asks as I push the door shut behind me. I’m close to killing him, but I told Stana I wasn’t going to so I have to live up to that. I don’t go back on me word. “One of me enemies took advantage of her confused state and tried to take her. She ran out into the fecking street into traffic. I blame ye fer this. Yer lucky she’s okay, or I would be here to kill ye not tell ye to stay the feck away from her.” I stare at him and watch as he swallows. His skin is

pale at the mention of her running into traffic. “She’s okay, right? She didn’t get hit?” He’s looking around the room like he’s trying to find something, so I put me hand on his chest and push him back slightly. “She’s fine, no thanks to ye. Don’t contact her. Stay the feck away from her. If I find out ye said one thing to her, I will go against me word to her. I’ll kill ye.” I see the Adam's apple in his throat bob as he takes in me threat. “Hate me all ye want, I don’t care. Just stay away from her.” With those parting words, I make me way out of his house and towards me car. Just as I’m about to get in, me phone rings.

Twenty-One Stana I feel the bed dip, and then I’m being pulled into his body. The smell of his cologne fills my nose, and I turn in his arms. “Where did you go?” I mumble sleepily. “Don’t worry about it, love,” he responds quietly. I feel the dread fill my belly with his answer. He went to confront Max, I just know it. “Jerick,” I whisper. My entire body goes cold with fear just thinking about what he did and or said to Max. My mind starts to race as I try to figure out what could have gone on between them. “What did you do?” The words barely fall from my mouth as I stare at him. “He’s fine.” He kisses my forehead. I can hear the frustration in his voice, but I can’t help but be worried about Max. He’s been my friend longer than I’ve known Jerick and that still means something to me. “I told him to stay away from ye. I don’t want him near ye after what happened.” My

body goes still in his arms, pulling back to look at him in the eyes. Is he serious right now? “Told him not to talk to me?” I ask shocked. Why would he tell Max to stay away from me? “After what happened today, I don’t want him near ye. Don’t stand up fer him now. He yelled at ye. He doesn’t care about ye. Ye could have gotten hurt or worse earlier. I won’t allow that.” He runs his fingers down the side of my jaw, and I see the warning in his eyes. He really doesn’t want Max near me. “But –” He cuts me off and presses his mouth to mine. I don’t even get a chance to try and say something before he slips his tongue into my mouth, effectively silencing me. I don’t try to get a word out after the kiss he leaves me with. He gets back out of bed and makes his way towards the bathroom. When I go to ask what happened, he comes back into the room with a bag that I didn’t notice earlier. He pulls something out and walks back over to the bed, sitting down back where he was laying. My eyes scan over him in the moonlight, but I can’t figure out what is in his hand or what he is doing. “I don’t want ye to go back to work there

tomorrow,” he starts. I go to interrupt, but he puts his hand up in the air, silencing me for a second. When I can’t take it anymore, I say something. “But it’s my job,” I state, sitting up in the bed. “I don’t care Stana. I don’t want ye going tomorrow,” he grinds out. He reaches out a hand, and I move away from his reach. “You’re not the boss of me,” I state firmly. “I have a job to do, and I will go back to work.” My voice is clipped and as bad as I feel about saying anything somewhat bossy to him, I don’t back down. I’ve let a man run my life before, and I won’t let him run my life now. It’s time I take control over something. “Stana, it isn’t safe. I don’t know if Max, Ciaran, or yer ex is lurking around a damn corner waiting fer ye.” I pale at his words. He’s right, but I won’t let him know that. “Ciaran?” I ask. I think that it was the name he said when I was on the phone with him earlier. The man that had held me against the door earlier today. The reason I ran into the street. “Aye,” he answers, not giving me any more

information than that. “You need to tell me what is going on. What if he comes after me again? What am I supposed to do? I don’t even know what the threat is…” His eyes move to me, and he lets out a sigh. “Ciaran is a lad from me past. We were never friends, but we worked together. He was part of the family business back in Belfast. When the family was having problems due to me brother Liam, Ciaran and I were the ones who took a brunt of the heat. Liam told the Divil that Ciaran and I were the reason that he was missing half a million in drugs.” He pauses, and I frown at the word Divil. “Divil? Like Satan?” I’m sure with the look on my face, he’s thinking twice about telling me stuff. “Aye. Similar. Only he’s a real man. A man that controlled a majority of the drug trade in Belfast. We did our part with the pussy and the guns, while the Divil did his dealings in drugs.” He pauses and runs his hand down the side of his jaw before continuing, still fiddling with something in his hands. “Me brother Liam decided that we as a family needed to get into the drug business as well. He struck a deal with the Divil and got us in the

coke business, something that we always swore off. Me and Da never wanted to get into drugs. They are messy. Yer dealers get addicted to their product and then always end up using it all and not selling a damn ounce of it.” My eyes widen at his honesty. I guess I expected him to lie to me about this, but he is really giving me the truth like he said he would. “Me brother was the dealer. He got addicted. He snorted up most of the supply and only sold maybe an eighth of what he got. We were in debt a little less than half a million, and we didn’t have the cash to pay the Divil off. Instead of Liam owning up to his shit, he took off leaving Ciaran and me to deal with the fallout. One night they pulled us off the street and took us to see the Divil himself.” He looks down and blows out a breath before he continues. “We were tortured until someone gave up the information fer where me brother was hiding, but neither of us did. I kept me mouth closed because like it or not, he’s still me brother. I wouldn’t rat him out no matter what they did to us. Ciaran didn’t agree. He didn’t want to take the torture that wasn’t meant fer him. I can’t blame

him. He was just a foot soldier, nothing more. He didn’t know the shit I knew. Ever since then, he’s hated Liam and me.” I scoot closer to Jerick and put my head on his shoulder, not saying anything. I don’t even know what to say. How do you say something to what they went through? I couldn’t imagine if I had a sibling that did that to me. “He could be the reason that Liam is here. I won’t know until he comes to find me.” His expression hardens, and he rests his cheek against the top on my head. “He now knows that he can hurt me by getting ye. I don’t want to risk ye, love. I can’t,” he murmurs quietly. After a few moments of silence, he moves out from under me and turns to face me. My eyes scan over him, and I can’t for the life of me figure out what he’s doing. His hands are still messing with whatever is in them as he stares at me. His eyes burn in me, and I can’t bring myself to look away. Every dream of happiness I’ve ever had reminds me of him. Growing up, I always thought that I would find my prince and we would ride off into the sunset together. I thought that we would never have a problem between us. We would be perfect.

Although my prince was never really there, I finally feel like I’ve found one person I could love my whole life, even if it meant me loving him only. He reaches out and grabs the back of my neck, pulling me closer to him. I go willingly, moving to where he wants me. “Meeting ye was never part of me plan. Ye came in and blew everything I care about out of me mind, and ye took hold of every part of me. I want ye to wear this.” He reaches forward and puts a necklace around my neck. As he pulls away, my hand goes to my neck, and I run my fingers along the delicate silver chain. Looking down, I see a beautiful pendant that looks way more expensive than anything I’ve ever owned before. The diamonds on it shine like you wouldn’t believe and the jewel in the middle is vast and beautiful. “When I said he could hurt me by using ye, I meant it. I will kill fer ye.” I suck in a breath at his declaration. I’ve never had someone tell me something like that, and as much as it makes me nervous, it excites me as well. Leaning forward, I press my lips against his and kiss him. I typically don’t initiate kisses and sex, but this time I can’t stop myself. The emotion

in his voice was raw with his declaration, and I know it came from the heart. He meant every word he said. Climbing into his lap, I press my body into his, kissing him deeply. His hands slide up my back, they make their way towards my hair, tangling his fingers into the strands. Grinding down on him as I kiss him, I feel his erection start to stiffen in his boxer briefs. He moves us on the bed and picks me up and puts me on my back in the center of the bed. He slides between my thighs and rubs against my core. My eyes close and I have to grip the blankets. I moan out from the sensations that are currently taking over every thought process. Before we can get any further, someone starts to bang on my front door. Both of us go completely still at the sound, and I hear Jerick mutter something under his breath that I don’t catch. He gets off the bed quickly and pulls on a pair of jeans that he must have taken off when he got back. I’m afraid to move from the bed, so I don’t move from my spot. Staying rooted is the best plan, or so I think. “What the feck are ye doing here?” He grits out. I try to peek my head around the door

jamb, but I can’t see from that angle. The woman’s voice isn’t one I recognize, so I get up and amble to the door. When I look towards the door, I see a woman standing there staring at Jerick. She’s batting her eyes at him, but I can’t hear what she’s telling him. “I suggest ye get the feck away from here and not come back.” He says in a low growl. “And tell that fecker that if he wants to talk, he has me number.” A chill runs down my spine as I think about that. Could his brother or that Ciaran guy be the reason that girl is here? Shit, does that mean they know where I live? I look down at the ground for a few minutes before I look back up and see her putting her hands on his chest. Jealously comes over me and I start to walk towards them. She doesn’t even bother to look at me when I get closer to them. She just grins at him and runs her hand down lower towards his pants. Before she can hit her target, I grab her hand from behind him and twist her wrist. Her eyes flash in anger, and I give her a dirty look. “I’m pretty sure he told you to leave, so why don’t you take your skanky ass somewhere else and stop touching my man.” I release her wrist, and she takes a step back. Her eyes narrow and she turns to leave without another word. Before Jerick can shut the door, she comes back and launches herself at

me, but he catches her before she can touch me. “Ye stupid little bitch. Ye have no clue who he is. He isn’t the white knight ye think he is. He’ll sell ye out to make his family happy. Yer just a toy fer him to play with until he comes back home to the people in his family.“ He grabs her by the throat and puts his mouth to her ear, whispering something to her before her eyes widen slightly and she pulls back from him. He releases her and she stumbles back slightly before he slams the door shut and turns the locks. When he turns to face me, I don’t know what to say or do. She’s probably right about him only seeing me as a toy for him to play with, but he wouldn’t have given me the necklace if he thought that, would he? My hand goes to my neck, and I run my fingers along the chain as I look at the ground. “Love,” he says coming closer to me. My eyes rise up to meet his, and I see the anger that is still lingering in them. Whatever reason she was here, it pissed him off more than normal. “She has no idea what the feck she’s talking about. I’m not using ye.” He reaches out and cups my cheek. Each step closer he takes, I feel myself start to believe him.

Closing my eyes, I try to get my jealous emotions under control. His hand moves to the back of my neck, and he pulls my mouth to his. He kisses me lightly, and I forget about everything that doesn’t matter right now. I focus solely on the feel of his lips on mine and the need to have him that is still lingering before the interruption.

Twenty-Two Jerick Trying to get her mind off of Katrina, I kiss her. Knowing that me Da is the reason behind this little visit just pisses me the feck off. He knows that I’m involved with an outsider, and he continues to make me feel lousy fer it. I don’t give a feck that Stana isn’t part of me world. All I care about is her and that she’s protected. The family won’t like this, but I’m not asking them fer permission. Me hands slide down her back, and I grip her arse, pulling her closer to me body. I grind me still hard dick against her belly before lifting her up and taking her back to her bed. I need to shag some of this fecking aggression out of me before I go face me Da. If I don’t, I might punch the fecker. I wrap one arm around her and grab the bottom of her shirt with me other hand, pulling it up and over her body, breaking our kiss. When I look down at her mouth again, her lips are red and swollen. She looks fecking halainn. I feel the breath

get stolen from me. I don’t know what the hell will happen, but I do know that I like coming home to her. Laying her on the bed, I make me way down her body and slide me fingers into the waist of her sweats before sliding them down her long legs. Once I have her naked, I strip out of me jeans and leave them in a heap on her bedroom floor with the rest of our clothes. Stroking meself, I make me way to the edge of the bed, but before I can reach her, she’s sitting up and reaching fer me dick. Her hand grips me tightly, and she starts to slide it up and down me length slowly before she moves closer. I watch as her tongue pokes out and she slowly licks me up and down. I suck in a breath as she wraps her lips around me and takes me dick into her warm, wet mouth. Me hands tangle in the mass of her hair. I grip her head and start to feck her face, not letting her do as she wants anymore. Her moans fill the room, and I can feel meself getting closer to the edge. I’m going to come in her mouth even though I rather come inside of her tight pussy. When she looks up at me with the sexiest expression on her face, I can’t help but come. Feck. Every damn thing about her is fecking

perfect. She swallows me down without issue, and I thrust into her mouth a few more times, riding me orgasm out. Pulling out of her mouth, me dick is still hard as a rock and ready to go again. One thing I can’t get enough of is her, and that isn’t something I’m used to. Usually getting me rocks off with a lass would be good and I’d leave, not caring whether or not she got hers too, but with Stana it’s different. I can go more than once, spending hours worshipping her body. “Jerick,” she whispers. I watch her as she lies back on the bed and just waits fer me to make the next move. She gives me the control without me ever asking her fer it. Such a fecking sight. “What do ye want love?” Me voice is hoarse, and I feel me dick throb from the sight that is in front of me. He wants her as much as I do. “I want you to fuck me.” A wicked little grin forms on her lips and I grab her ankle, pulling her towards the bottom of the bed. I fit meslef between her thighs, lifting her hips up I sink inside of her. Groaning, I can feel how wet she is. Me hands grip her legs as I thrust in and out of her at a rough pace.

Her hands go to her tits, and she pinches both of her nipples, rolling them between her fingers, moaning. Me hand slides up her body, and I have to move one of hers. I want me mouth on that sweet skin of hers. Lowering me mouth to her tit, I pull her nipple into me mouth and suck. Her free hand then grabs the back of me neck, and she holds me down on her nipple as I suck and nibble it. She’s moaning under me and trying to match my thrusts as she gets higher and higher. Her pussy clenches around me, and I feel her body tighten. The tingle starts in me spine and begins to make its way through me entire body. Something about her makes me feel shit I don’t want to, but I’m too powerless to stop it. I pull me head away from her skin, and I run my hand up her chest to her neck. I rest me hand on her throat as I slam in and out of her at a rougher pace. Her eyes meet mine, and she opens her mouth slightly. My fingers move to her lips and me thumb presses down on her bottom lip. She sucks me finger into her mouth, and I can’t hold back any longer. Just seeing her sucking me thumb like she sucked me cock has me coming hard. I fill her with me cum, and I feel her tighten even more around me as she bites down on me thumb, groaning out her release.

I slow me thrusts, and I collapse me body onto hers. We are both panting, and I can feel her heart racing against mine. Wrapping me arms around her, I lift her up and move her to the top of the bed, our bodies still connected. There is no fecking way I’m giving her up, not when she makes me feel like this. Rolling us over, I have her on top of me and me hand is running up and down her back as she rests her body on mine. Her fingers are drawing patterns on me skin, but I have no idea what they are of. We both stay silent as we continue to lay in the silence. Something is nagging at me, and I don’t want to ruin the moment by saying anything to her about it, but I’m afraid that I’ll have to. I know she’s still going to want to go to work tomorrow, but there is no way in hell that I’ll let her go. I can’t risk her safety, not when she means this much to me in such a short amount of time. Maybe it’s just lust, but I can’t take the chance that someone will get to her and hurt her. I have a lot of enemies, and they will all want to get their hands on me lass. I feel her breathing even out, so I slip out from under her and grab me phone. Pulling up a

new message, I type out some directions fer Connie to do some shit fer me. I’m still waiting on Rory to find me a place off the books so I can get her somewhere safer than here. People already know where she lives and it isn’t safe fer her. Ciaran has already got his hands on her once, and she wasn’t even at home when it happened. He must be watching her. Conaill: I haven’t found him yet. I’ll keep looking and see if I can get a lead from a few contacts. I’ll keep you updated. I curse under me breath and look down at Stana who has buried herself in me side. I send a response telling him to let me know if I need to add some pressure on a few people before I send it off and open a new message for Rory. Me: You get a place for me yet? I hear Stana’s phone beep with a new notification, and when I grab it from the other side of the bed, I see an unknown number on the screen. Unknown: He’s a lying bastard that’s only going to hurt you. Please trust me enough to help you Stana.

I grit me teeth as I read the message over a few times. That fecker was warned to stay the feck away from her, and I don’t do threats mildly. He’ll learn what it means to feck with what’s mine. Hitting the delete message button, I set her phone back where it was and roll onto me side, pulling her body into mine. Just as I close me eyes, me phone starts to ring. I silence the ring, so it doesn’t wake her up and press it to me ear. “Aye,” I answer, looking down at her still sleeping form beside me. “Found him.” Connie’s voice comes through loud and clear. I feel me body tense as I ask him where he found him. “Just outside the apartment complex, I dropped ye off at the other night.” Dread fills me body as I slide out from under Stana’s body. I tuck her in and pull on me jeans before making me way out of her bedroom. “Where is he now?” I demand. I want to figure out what the feck he’s doing here and why he keeps coming around her. “We’re outside. I got him in the trunk.” I grin and go back into the room to grab me boots, pushing me feet inside them quickly before grabbing a tee shirt off the floor and throwing it on.

“I’ll be down in a minute,” I respond, hanging up on him. I walk over to the bed and kiss her forehead before pulling on me coat and stepping out of her place, locking the door behind me. Just because we have one of the bastards, doesn’t mean another one will be far behind. By the time I make it to Conaill’s car, I feel like someone is watching me. I scan the parking lot but don’t see anything out of the ordinary. Getting in his car, I look back at her apartment as we drive away. “Ye okay brother?” He asks as he turns down the street that takes us towards the old abandoned buildings on the other side of town that we typically do business deals in. Once we pull into one of the buildings in the back, I have a terrible feeling. There is no fecking way that it would have been this damn easy to trap this bastard. Something else is going on. Getting out of the car, I make me way to the trunk and pop it open. I don’t give a damn if he comes at me. I have to know what was more important than him getting caught by Conaill. When I open the trunk, I see the grin on his stupid gob. He’s enjoying this. Grabbing his throat, I put pressure on it and close his airway slightly. He doesn’t even flinch as I stare into his eyes. “What Jerick, ye afraid of what I have planned fer yer

lass?” I hear Conaill’s footsteps coming up behind me, so I lean in and get in his face. “This was part of yer plan wasn’t it?” I grit out. I should have trusted me gut. Leaving her alone in her apartment wasn’t the smart thing to do even though I wanted to find out what this fecker wanted from me. “We need to go,” I state, socking the fecking bastard in the face before slamming the truck closed. We get in the car quickly and make our way back to her apartment as fast as we can. When I get out, I run all the way to her front door, taking the stairs two at a time and I see that it’s slightly open already. Grabbing me gun from the back of me jeans, I push the door open and start to make me way inside. The living room is thrashed as I make me way to where I left her. As I walk into the bedroom, I see her clothes still on the floor. The room has been tossed as well, and I hear a soft cry. Making me way towards the window, I see her dark hair flutter past it. Opening the window, I see her shivering on the ledge that overlooks another set of apartments. I reach fer her, and she scoots away. “Stana,” I whisper. Her head shoots up and her eyes land on

me. I reach me hand towards her again, and this time she scoots towards me. I grab her arm and haul her body into mine careful not to knock her off the damn thing. “I got ye, love.” As I pull her inside the room, I feel how damn cold she is. It’s thirty degrees outside, and she is naked as the day she was born. Tears are dried to her face, and her whole body is shivering. “I’m sorry,” I whisper against her forehead. I wrap me arms around her, and I hear Connie come in the room. “She okay?” he asks, grabbing one of the blankets off the bed and wrapping it around her. “I don’t know.” I need to get her somewhere else and right fecking now. “We need to move her in case they come back fer her.” Connie nods his head, and I wrap the blanket around her the best I can and pick her up to carry her out to the car. “Can ye grab her some clothes?” I ask as she tucks her head into me neck. Her shivers don’t stop, and I can’t bring meself to let her go. I almost let those bastards get their hands on her. I can’t let that happen. There is no way that I let her be one of their victims.

Twenty-Three Stana My whole body is numb, and I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if I didn’t move quickly enough. If I had hidden somewhere in the apartment, they would have found me. I heard them searching the place, and I tried to stay as quiet as I could even though I was freezing. When I didn’t hear them anymore, I continued to stay glued to my spot. I was afraid to go back inside in case they were still there waiting for me to come back. I was terrified of falling from the ledge too, but the fear I had of those men was worse. I had woken up before they arrived and I was just about to call Jerick when I heard the door open. I knew it wasn’t him by the sound of the boots on the ground. He is never that loud. He’s silent and sneaky when he comes over, I never hear him make a sound until he slips under the covers with me. Hiding was the first thought that popped into my head, which leads me to my hiding place.

A shiver travels down my spine as I press into Jerick. It’s like I want to become one with his body, at least then I’d know I was protected. Where the hell did he go when those guys came in my apartment? How did they even get in? A million questions are running rampant through my head right now, but the only thing I can think of is that Jerick is the one holding me close to him. I can feel how tense his body is as I hug my arms around his neck. I can’t bring myself to let him go even though I know that he won’t be more than a few inches away from me. His lap is a better spot than the seat next to him in the black car he just got in. My fingers are numb, and there are dried tears and snot on my face. I can’t say a word, but I’m so damn thankful that Jerick is here, that he came back when he did. “Ye think that it was planned?” Conaill says from the front seat. I can see him looking back at us every few minutes, but this is the first time he’s spoken since he brought the blanket. “Aye,” is the only word that comes from Jerick. His hands are steadily running up and down my back, trying to soothe me the best he can.

“Who else would be stupid enough to help the bastard?” I bury my face into Jerick’s neck, and I can feel the tension pouring off of him. He doesn’t say anything for the longest time, but when he does, it sends a chill down my spine. “Me Da, or me brother.” He blows out a breath before he continues. “If it were either of them, I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in either of their heads.” I flinch at his words, but he doesn’t acknowledge it. He just continues to run his hand up and down my back while I stay pressed into his body, trying to figure out what is going to happen next. The rest of the car ride is silent, and I have no clue where we are heading. I want to ask, but every part of me is still numb. I don’t know if it’s from fear or if it’s because of how cold I still am. As the car comes to a stop, I tuck my face into his neck, and he slowly gets us both out of the car without him having to let me go. He walks us through a door, and I just cling to him. I have no clue where we are, and part of me is afraid to look, in case I see the men from my apartment again. They were there for me. Dread fills my belly at the thought of more

people trying to find me, and I feel my breathing start to quicken. I’m going to have another panic attack. I try to suck in as much air as I can, but it feels like someone is sitting on my chest, stealing the breath from me. As I start to hyperventilate, Jerick sets me on a table and forces me to look into his eyes. “Look at me love. I need ye to breathe with me.” He starts taking deep breaths, and I try to mimic him, but it’s not helping. He says something over his shoulder to Conaill, but I don’t catch it. Everything is starting to blur, and it feels like my chest is on fire. The panic begins to fill me, and I swear that the guys from my apartment are back and they have guns. One of them points the gun right at me, and I start to scream. “No! Please don’t!” I scream out. Arms wrap around me, and I’m being pulled into a body. Jerick’s scent surrounds me just as I feel something sharp prick my skin before everything starts to fade to black. My body goes slack in his arms, and I hear him murmuring something in my ear as I fall further into the darkness.

Opening my eyes, I feel like I’ve been hit by a semi-truck. Every part of my body is sore, and when I stretch, my hand hits something warm. Rolling over, I see Jerick laying on his side, almost like he was watching me. When I close my eyes again for a second, I remember everything that happened the night before. I shiver involuntarily and curl up to Jerick. Just as I bury my face into his chest, his arms wrap around me and tighten. “Aye, love. Ye okay?” His voice is filled with sleep, and I hate that I woke him up. “I’m okay,” I whisper back to him. He presses a kiss to my forehead before pulling me tighter to his body.

“Tomorrow I have a few of me lads helping me move ye out of yer apartment.” I feel my body stiffen and the pain is almost too much for me to handle right now. I whimper slightly, and he runs his hand down my back like he was doing last night as he calmed me down. “Why am I moving? Where am I going?” I have so many more questions, but I know right now isn’t the time for them. I have no clue what is going on, and I have a feeling that he doesn’t want to tell me right now. The last thing I remember was… “Ye are going to stay with me. Rory found me a new place. The paperwork is being drafted up, and we can move in over the weekend. I just don’t want to leave yer place the way it is and risk someone else trying to find ye.” I don’t respond to that because I honestly don’t know how. He wants me to move in with him, or at least that’s what it just sounded like. “You want me to live with you.” I finally spit the words out. I can feel his body rumble with silent laughter, and personally, I don’t find this amusing at all. I need some seriousness. I can’t take this. “Jerick,” I huff out, pulling away from him. He tightens his grip on me and pulls me back into his arms.

“Aye love, I want ye to live with me. Jest think I can wake up with ye in me arms every damn morning and fall asleep with ye every night. I can’t think of a better way to start and end me day.” He presses his lips against mine. As much as I want to pull away, I don’t. I don’t think I’d mind being able to fall asleep in his arms and wake to him every day either. This is crazy. We don’t know each other that well, and after last night, I have a feeling just how right Max was about Jerick and his family. He threatened to put a bullet in his father and brother if they had anything to do with the men who broke in last night. “What happened last night?” I had a panic attack, and then everything else went black. The next thing I knew, I was in this bed with Jerick. “Ye were having another attack. I couldn’t get ye to calm down, so we gave ye something to help. It did the trick, and ye were able to calm down. I put ye to bed after that.” I frown because I don’t remember him putting me to bed. “Don’t worry, I was the only one in here when I put some clothes on ye.” I blush at the thought of someone else seeing me naked. I still don’t think that I have a good body

even though Jerick has told me many times that I am sexy and that he loves seeing me naked. I guess I am a bit self-conscious and I don’t want anyone else seeing me either. It’s different with him. God, I’m starting to sound like a damn nutcase. I shake my head against his chest, and he sighs. “What’s wrong?” I take a deep breath, and I get a good whiff of his cologne and the smell that is all him. “Living together is just soon, isn’t it?” I close my eyes and wait for his response. “We are together every day already if we weren’t at me gaff, then we were at yers.” I think about that for a second, and I guess he’s right. We haven’t spent much time apart since the month after he started to drive me to work every day. One of us has stayed at the others, and mainly it’s been at my place. “Is that how they found my apartment?” I really don’t want to think about those men anymore, but I’m afraid that if I don’t get answers, I’ll be having dreams about them coming to get me for the unforeseeable future. I can’t deal with that. My panic attacks will just get worse. Instead of thinking about this anymore, I

close my eyes and rest my cheek against his bare skin. He never releases me as I fall back asleep cuddled into his body, right where I want to be. Even if my mind doesn’t believe that I’m falling for him, my body does.

The pad of a finger tracing along my skin wakes me up a few hours later and when I finally open my eyes, Jerick is laying on his side next to me, his finger dragging up and down my skin in slow, lazy strokes. “What time is it?” I ask rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands. I look around the room when I’m done, and I’m amazed by it. It’s expertly decorated, and it seems more like a hotel than an actual place to live.

“It’s a little after noon,” he says in a quiet voice. “I didn’t want to wake ye up after the night ye had. Ye needed the rest.” I give him a quiet ‘thanks’ before his phone starts to ring. He takes a look at the screen before silencing it and setting it back on the bed next to him. I reach for it and see that the contact reads ‘Da.' Instead of asking why he’s ignoring his own father, I lean forward and kiss his lips gently before pulling away again to look into his eyes. The usual mischievous glint is gone and in its place is frustration and worry. “Are you okay?” I ask. I know it’s not something he will talk about, but I want him to know that I am here for him no matter what. “Aye,” he answers before wrapping a hand behind my neck and pulling my mouth back down to his. He kisses me deeply, and I can’t help but moan in his mouth. It never fails that he can turn me on with just a simple kiss. I slightly rub my thighs together as I think about him putting his hand between my legs. I squirm a little more, and he rolls me over to my back, settling between my legs. He doesn’t urge us to go any further than we currently are and I don’t force it either. Just having his mouth on mine right now makes me feel

better than I have the last few hours. Safe, right now I feel safe.

Twenty-Four Jerick As much as I want to take her right now, I don’t. She’s been through a lot the last few days, and I know she’s probably freaked out still. Her body temperature is finally back to normal after I laid with her fer hours, skin on skin. When I first stripped down to me boxer briefs, I didn’t expect her to be that damn cold. The blankets were the only thing keeping me warm as I pressed me body to hers. Once she started to warm up, I did too. Now that she’s awake, I can finally get some of the shit I need to get done, done. I didn’t want to leave her alone in this room all by herself, but I also wanted to make sure she was okay. She was pretty shaken up last night when we got her back here. Running my fingers along her face, I tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear before leaning forward to press me lips against hers again. I keep holding meself back from stripping away the last of me clothes and sliding inside of her. She needs time

whether she knows it or not. Me phone starts to ring again. Grabbing it, I check the screen and see me Da’s name again before I silence it and set it back on the bed. “Are you going to ignore your father all day?” Her voice is tense, and I know that she doesn’t care much fer him, not that I blame her. If she was listening to me conversation with Conaill, then she knows that I suspect him fer the shit that happened. “Aye,” I reply, not giving her a better answer than that. I don’t think she wants me to talk to her about what I might be doing to that fecking bastard if he was involved at all. I roll over onto me back and pull her with me. She straddles me lap and rests her head on me chest, not moving from this new position. I grab me phone and dial Conaill’s number. When he answers after a few rings, I tell him that I want to get back to work. He doesn’t question me, and I feel Stana tense, but I need to find out some more information before I start coming up with a plan of attack and who me new target is. After I hang up, I set me phone on me chest and grab the back of her neck.

She still doesn’t move, and I have to give her credit. She’s tougher than I ever thought possible. “Are you going to hurt someone?” Her voice is almost a whisper, but I hear it all the same. It hurts her to even have to ask, but I already told her I was a dangerous man. That I wouldn’t take shit lying down and I protect what’s mine, and she is mine. Nothing can change that fact now. Not even the little Max bastard that wants her too can take what’s mine. I’ll destroy him first. “Aye, love. Ye don’t need to know more than that. I’ll take care of what is mine, and those bastards came after ye. I won’t let that go unanswered.” Her breathing quickens, and I’m afraid of her having another attack. She doesn’t handle this all that well, and I fear that the next time I won’t be around to calm her down, and we’ll have to tranq her again. When we did it last night, she was out like a light, and I was lucky I had her in me arms when Connie did it, or her arse would have probably been on the ground. “Are you leaving?” Her question guts me. I don’t like leaving her alone, but I know that this place is the safest fer her to be while I deal with Ciaran. “Aye, I need to deal with the problem we

have.” She pulls back and looks up at me. I can see the uncertainty in her eyes, and I hate it. She has to know that I would do anything to protect her. “Be careful.” She finally whispers after a few minutes of silence. I didn’t expect her to say that, but I’m glad that she did. It lets me know that she trusts me to take care of her. “I’ll be back before ye know it.” I kiss her nose, and she wrinkles it in return. “Once we get moved into the new gaff, we can spend some time just the two of us. No distractions.” Her lips turn up into a grin at that, and I feel meslef start to relax a bit. “Rory and Cara will be helping us move everything along with a few of me lads.” A full on grin spreads over her face, and she leans forward to kiss me. “I’ve missed Cara.” I can’t help but grin at that. I’m glad that her and Cara got along when they first met. If they didn’t, I would have had to deal with both of their bitching, and that’s just something I can’t stand. Women stand behind their man and deal with the hand they are given in me world and don’t bitch about it. Stana is not from this world, yet she is taking everything as well as you could hope. “I need to go, love,” I whisper against her

lips. She nods slightly and rolls over onto the other side of the bed. Before I get off the bed, I face her and cup her cheek. “When I get back, me and ye are going to be burning the midnight oil.” She rolls her eyes at me before laughing. Her laugh takes all of me frustration away, and I just want to stay in bed with her longer.

Making me way to the garage that Conaill left Ciaran in, I open the door and see that he’s already hanging from a hook from the ceiling in the garage. This place is protected better than any other place we have so we won’t be having any visitors. I can take care of this before anyone even knows he’s missing.

“Ye done playing house with the bitch?” he grins. Instead of responding right away, I walk over to the drawers of tools and start opening a few of them. I find something that I can use, and I make me way back over to him. His eyes narrow on me when he sees what I have in me hand. The screwdriver isn’t a significant tool, but it can bring most men to their knees when you use it to torture them, something I’m counting on right about now. “Ye’d throw away everything ye’ve worked fer just for that bitch?” he asks, making eye contact with me. “I’d fecking kill fer her,” I bite out. I run me finger along the tip of the screwdriver before I look back up at him. He’s got a smug grin on his face, and I promise it won’t be there fer long. He’s going to regret ever coming stateside when I’m done with him. “Yer more pathetic than I thought.” I don’t say anything, but I grip the handle of the screwdriver and clock the bastard. His head whips to the side and the grin is gone. He thinks he

can talk about me lass, he has another thing coming. His life isn’t going to matter anymore by the end of the night. I won’t have to keep wondering when he’ll show up again. “I’d shut me fecking gob about her if I were ye. Ye know how I get when I’m angry.” His eyes narrow on me, and I take it as a challenge. Before I can move closer to him, I hear the door open followed by footsteps. “Aye, looks like the party is just getting started.” I can hear the cynical side of Rory coming out. He’s typically the calm one who doesn’t like to get his hands dirty, but I’m sure he’ll make an exception fer what that bloke has done over the years. “Yer just in time,” I answer, not looking over at them. I hear them grabbing things behind me, but me eyes never move from Ciaran. “Ciaran was just about to tell me why he’s here.” He spits at me in answer so I hit him again as hard as I can. His head falls to the side, and when he looks back up at me, I see the blood trickling down from his mouth. “Feck ye!” His voice is low, and I know that last hit hurt. “Ye know ye won’t get shit from

me. I suggest ye find someone who gives a feck.” Taking the screwdriver, I jab it into his thigh. His screams filled the room, and I can’t help but grin. I see a monitor flash on and all eyes hit the screen. Black ski-masked men are walking stealthily towards the border of the house, but one of them gets hit with a few thousand volts of electricity and falls to the ground. The others look towards their fallen lad before continuing their journey towards the house. All three of us watch as the next one goes down as well and I can’t help but smirk. These feckers thought they knew what they were getting into when they tried to take Stana, but they have no fecking clue what we do to protect the houses. Me apartment was the only place that didn’t have the electrical currents running through the ground around the building. With the high tech security, we didn’t think something was necessary, feck were we wrong. “Ye think that one is stupid enough to try too?” Rory asks as he continues to watch the screen with a deadly look on his face. “Aye. It’s not the first time.” Connie says with a sigh. “The kicker is that we have to deal with the bodies now. Can’t just leave them out

there all day.” I chuckle at that. “Well, we can wait until we snuff this bastard too. Make one big trip.” They both nod in agreement before I turn me attention back to Ciaran. “Just tell me who sent ye fer me lass and I won’t torture ye.” He spits blood at me this time, and I shrug. “I guess he wants to do this the hard way.” I take the screwdriver and stab him again, but this time in the stomach. He doesn’t scream out like the first time, and I have to give him credit fer that. When he still doesn’t say a word, I stab him again and again until blood is dripping on the ground below him. The plastic that Connie put down before catches it and I do me best not to step in it. “Who the feck is sending ye arseholes after her?” I ask again, getting right into his face. I take the screwdriver and press it to his neck. The harder I push the closer he gets to telling me what I want to know. “Liam,” is the last thing I hear come out of his mouth before I shove the screwdriver into his throat deeply before, pulling it out slowly.

“I hope ye burn in fecking hell,” I mutter as I pull away from him. Watching as the blood pours from the wound in his neck, I can’t help but feel a little better about this shit. He was just a sacrifice fer whatever is going to go down. If Liam is really behind it, I need to play me cards close to the vest. Me Da wouldn’t believe me if I try to tell him, so it’s going to be up to the guys and me. I need to fecking call Colton. Ciaran’s eyes go wide as he starts to choke on his own blood, but I don’t care. I have a plan that I need to get ready and a lass to protect. “Ye think yer brother is stupid enough to come after Stana and ye?” Conaill asks. I roll my shoulders as I think of the answer. “Me Da has been bringing him in more into the family business. I guess he could be trying to cut me out, so I don’t have anyone on me side.” Me shoulders are tense as I think about the shit that could go wrong with this. If he gets the majority of me people on his side, it won’t be hard fer him to take me down. “I just have to be smarter than the stupid fecker,” I say as the life drains from Ciaran’s eyes.

Connie walks over to him and checks his pulse before he pulls him down and gets him wrapped in the plastic sheets.

Twenty-Five Stana I’ve been reading some free book I got on my phone for the last three hours, and I’m getting antsy. Jerick has been gone for a long time, and I’m afraid to leave this room. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the truth. I know he said that this place was safe, but I don’t trust anything right now. Well, I still trust him, but only him. Before I can roll back onto my side, my phone starts to ring. As I stare down at the number on the screen, I think back to the last time I was at work and how Max humiliated me in front of everyone we worked it. Could I really go back there after everything that happened? I know that Jerick doesn’t want me to, but I feel like I should be the one to make that decision on my own. “Hello?” I answer just before it clicks over to the voicemail. “Thank God, you finally answered,” he says quickly.

I roll my eyes at the way he says the words like he’s been trying to get a hold of me for hours or something. He hasn’t called once since I ran away from the office. “What do you want?” I ask, my voice sounding icier than I expected. “You are in danger. You need to get away from Jerick Brannigan. He is bad news. You’re only going to get hurt.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath before I even respond to that. “Stana? Are you there?” He now sounds worried. “He isn’t going to hurt me.” I finally say as I see movement from the corner of my eye. As I turn my head towards the action, I see Jerick coming closer to me. He doesn’t say a word as he gets closer. He’s still wearing the jeans and tee shirt he left in, but he’s covered in dirt and blood. My eyes grow wide as I stare at him, inspecting every inch of him that I can see. “I have to go,” I say before I hang up, ignoring Max’s pleas for me to stay on the phone with him. I drop my phone on the bed and push myself up, and off it closing the distance between us. My hand automatically goes to his cheek, and

my eyes roam over him to make sure he doesn’t have any cuts on his skin. “Stana,” he whispers, grabbing my hand on his face and leaning into my touch. “I’m fine, love. The blood’s, not mine.” I swallow and continue to stare at him. “What happened?” I ask, not really sure that I actually want to know what he did. He could have hurt someone. Oh god, he wasn’t lying when he told me that he’s killed people before. My stomach turns at the thought of that, and I try to not make a scene. I just wait for him to say something, anything that might answer my question. “I found out who is after ye.” His voice is strained, and he still isn’t looking in my eyes. “I swear to ye love, he won’t touch ye.” I suck in a breath as I let his words sit in my head; bouncing around a bit before I can even formulate a sentence. “Who?” “Liam.” His eyes meet mine finally, and he blows out a breath before he continues. “Me brother.” I close my eyes as I think about what this means for him. I know he loves his brother even after all the shit he put him through. He doesn’t

want to hurt his brother, I’m sure of it. “Why is he after me?” I ask, hating the way my voice breaks. I’m terrified because Jerick has told me a little about Liam. There are parts of Liam that are dangerous and calculating. “I don’t know, love. I killed the bastard that gave up his name before I could get any other information from him. He was the reason those feckers came after ye. He was the distraction that got me away from the apartment so they could take ye.” He lifts an arm up and puts his hand behind his neck, rubbing it slightly before he continues. “Ye were lucky. If they would have gotten ye, I don’t know exactly what they would have done to ye.” His shoulders slump, and his arm comes around my waist, pulling me to him. “I’ll gut me brother before he ever lays a hand on ye, banphrionsa.” The look he gives me is full of promise, and I don’t know why it makes me feel a little better about someone trying to take me. At least I know that Jerick would do whatever it takes to protect me, even if it means going against his own family. My hands cup both sides of his face, and I press my lips gently to his. His eyes darken as he runs one of his hands up my back, tangling it in my hair. “Táim i ngrá leat I’m in love with you.” His

words, as hot as they sound make no sense to me at all. “What does that mean?” I ask not taking my eyes off of him. “Ye’ll find out soon enough,” he says quietly before picking me up and walking with me towards the en-suite bathroom. He sets me on the counter and slowly starts to pull my shirt off of me. I watch him as he slowly strips me the rest of the way down before he starts to strip his own clothes off. Once he’s done, he walks over to the bathtub and starts the water. He doesn’t do more than kiss me as we wait for the tub to fill and I have no idea what is currently running through his head. I hear his phone go off in his pants pocket, but he makes no move to grab it. “Were ye talking to Max when I walked in?” He asks. I nod my head not wanting to lie to him. I know he doesn’t want me talking to him, but I couldn’t help it. Part of me still wants to believe that Max cares somewhat about our friendship. “What did he say?” he asks as the water continues to fill. He picks me up and off the counter, stepping into the tub with me still in his

arms. As he lowers us into the water, I kiss his lips once more. “He told me you were dangerous.” The warm water envelopes around me and I let out a hum of appreciation. “He wants me to stay away from you because you’re going to get me hurt.” He moves me so that I am now between his legs and he pulls my upper body back to his. “What do ye think, love?” His voice is low and dangerous, but I’m not one bit afraid of him. “I think that he is wrong,” I say turning in the tub to face him. I straddle him and feel his erection as he runs his hands up my back, pulling my upper body closer to him. My hands go to the wall behind him, and I watch his hooded eyes as they scan over my body. I feel his tongue swipe over one of my nipples, and I gasp. “I don’t want ye to be afraid of me,” he whispers against my skin. “I trust you,” I choke out as he sucks my nipple into his mouth, lightly nibbling on it before placing open mouthed kisses along my skin, making his way to my other nipple. “I shouldn’t feel this way about ye, love. It

goes against everything ever instilled in me.” He sucks on the skin right above my collarbone, and I press my chest against his and start to rock against him. I’m wet and horny, something I never thought I would be thinking as his mouth continues to suck on the same spot as if he was marking me. He lifts me up slightly before rubbing his dick along my pussy. It doesn’t take long for him to push me down on top on him, filling me completely. “Ye feel so damn good,” he mutters as I start to rock against him again. His mouth never leaves my skin as he continues to suck and leave trails of kisses up my neck. He bites my shoulder as I grind down on him rougher than usual. “How do you feel?” I ask, finally getting the courage as I ride him slowly. He leans forward and shuts the water off, but it wasn’t before it started spilling over the side as we continued to move as one. It doesn’t take us long to fall over the edge. His hands grip my back before sliding up towards my neck. He continues to thrust up and into me with hard strokes. Tipping my head back, I let out a moan as I come around his cock, milking him. He bites my shoulder as he muffles his own groan of pleasure. I let my body weight fall onto him, but he doesn’t mind, he just holds me tighter to him. His

hands run up and down my back as we catch our breath and slow the erratic beating of our hearts. “Ye are the most halalinn lass I’ve ever met.” He kisses the side on my neck, and I melt into him further. It doesn’t matter that the water is now cooling or that it’s dirty. All that matters is that he is holding me like I mean something to him. I’ve always wanted to mean something to someone. I rest my forehead against his collarbone, and I close my eyes. “I’m falling hard,” I whisper. His lips press against the side of my head, and I can feel his lips turn into a grin. “Aye, so am I love, so am I.” We don’t say anything else as he pulls the plug on the tub. He stands up, taking me with him and I don’t mind. I just wrap my legs around his waist and tighten my grip around his neck. As he steps out of the tub, I hear his phone go off again, but he still doesn’t go for it. Part of me is worried that he might miss something important, but the other part of me is excited that he would ignore it for me. He wasn’t lying when he said that it would be just the two of us when he was done with… I try not to think about what he did before he came in here. My mind goes back to thoughts of the dirt and blood that

covered him when he came in the room, and I feel my throat dry up. There is nothing I can do to make myself not think the worse. I know he killed someone. He said it was to protect me, but I don’t know if I can handle that or not. He turns the water on in the shower and waits for it to warm up before he walks inside, putting me right under the shower head. The water coats my body and some of the tension washes away. He lets my legs go, and I slowly slide down his body. I feel every hard muscle as I do and I can’t help but moan that the sensations that rip through my body. We shower off the dirt and blood that was in the bathtub and slowly wash each other’s bodies. There is nothing sexual about it, but I enjoy being able to explore his body more, feeling his hard muscles twitch and strain as I run my hands up and down them. After we are done and rinsed off, he wraps a towel around me before leading me back into the bedroom, pulling me onto the bed and curling his body against mine. It doesn’t take us long to fall asleep wrapped up in each other’s arms.

Twenty-Six Jerick After the night I’ve had, spending the rest of it with Stana in me arms was the best medicine. Her soft body curled into mine made me realize all the shit that was taking over me life. She had a hold on me that I didn’t want, but now I couldn’t ignore. I want nothing more than to wake to her every morning. Although she has every right to be pissed that I’m not a good man, she doesn’t question it. She didn’t freak when I showed up covered in dirt and blood either. I hear me phone ring again in the bathroom, and I finally pull meself out of her grip. Padding over to me jeans that are still on the floor, I grab me phone and see all the missed calls that I let go to voicemail last night and early this morning. I scroll through the list and only respond to the messages that are important. I have shit I need to do fer the family tonight and if I don’t get it done, me Da will show up and try to force me hand. I’ve been away long

enough. I need to get some shit done, and I have to finish working on me plan to take Liam out. There is no way that I will let him ruin what I have with Stana. He won’t get his hands on her. Making me way to the bag Connie left fer me, I pull on a pair of jeans and a shirt before I make me way out of the room and downstairs. The place is quiet, and when I go in search fer Connie, I find him sitting at the bar in the kitchen. “Aye, yer finally out of bed.” He gives me a knowing grin, and I shrug. I would much rather be still tangled up in Stana, but we got shit to do. “Not by choice,” I mutter. He grins at me, and I walk over to the coffee and pour me a cup before taking a seat next to him. “Yer Da called, followed by yer brother Liam.” He looks up at me as he shoves a piece of toast in his mouth. I wait fer him to continue, wondering why the feck they would contact him. After he swallows and takes a drink of his coffee, he continues. “They called Rory too. Something about ye not answering, and trying to find out if yer alive.” I roll me eyes at that. “Like they give a damn,” I grumble, taking another sip of me drink.

As I set it on the counter, me phone starts ringing. I groan as I check the screen and see me Da’s name flashing. I put the phone to me ear and answer. “Aye.” His grunt fills me ear, and I know that he’s gonna be pissed at me. “Where the feck have ye been boyo?” I shake me head before running me hand through me hair. “I’ve been dealing with some shit,” I answer, giving Connie a look. He reaches to grab something and hands it over to me. Its surveillance photos and I can’t put a name on the person in them. “Ye know ye have responsibilities to the family. Ye can’t just turn yer back on us now that ye found some slag.” I grit me teeth and try like hell not to say something out loud. The men that were trying to get in last night were from the family. “Aye,” I respond, not giving a shit what he’s even going on about. The family isn’t a family right now. They are trying to go after me lass, and it will be the biggest mistake they’ve ever made. Working fer the Divil will be nothing compared to the hell I’ll rain down on them. “The lass needs to go boyo. I won’t let her

ruin the work we’ve put in this organization over the years. She won’t mean shit in a year. Get yer head out of yer arse and get back to work.” He grunts out the last few words. He is probably getting his dick sucked at the moment while trying to tell me how to live me life. “I’ll deal with me personal life and ye can stay the feck out of it,” I respond, me voice ice cold. I’m done playing the son who stands by his side while I get nothing in return. He wants Liam to be part of the fold, then he can have it all. I don’t mind getting away from it fer a while. It will give me time to focus on the shit I need to do. “Tell Liam that I’m looking fer him when ye see him.” I hang up before I can even get his response. He’ll be pissed off, but right now I couldn’t care less. I roll me shoulders as I set the phone down on the counter. The tension is becoming too much fer me to deal with right now. Getting to shag me lass again can probably take some of it away, but judging by the look on Connie’s face I’m not going to be able to go back to bed like I’m hoping. “Tell me what ye got.” I run me hand down the back of me neck and try to work out a few knots on me own, but it’s no use. I need to head to

the masseuse when I get some time. “The three guys from last night are yer families men.” He hands me files on each of the men and I scan over the information on each of them before I set them down and look fer Rory’s number. He answers on the third ring, and I can hear the frustration before I even say a word. “If yer calling to get that shit ye wanted, yer gonna have to wait.” I ignore that and instead ask him what’s wrong. “As if we didn’t need any more shit to deal with.” I look over at Connie, and he has an eyebrow raised, waiting fer me to tell him what’s wrong. “What is it?” I ask, losing me patience fer the conversation already. “Cara’s pregnant.” I suck in a breath, and my eyes meet Conaill’s. I mouth the word pregnant, and his eyebrows shoot up into his hairline. “We both aren’t ready yet. Not with the shit going down with the family and the stuff with ye.” I close my eyes fer a second and rub them with my free hand. “Ye guys are going to be great parents. The stuff we are doing isn’t going to change that fact,” I respond.

He barks out a laugh and I know he doesn’t believe me; hell part of me doesn’t either. “I’m a God damn killer Jerick.” He mutters something under his breath, and I can’t hear it. If he wants me to tell him that he’s wrong, I can’t. When ye live the life we do, some things are way out of our control. We were raised as killers. We learned at a young age that to get ahead, we had to take out the competition. He doesn’t have to raise his child the way we were raised. We can change the cycle. Give our children better lives than we had. “We all are Rory,” I state. I’m a killer too. “Cara knew the type of man ye were when she married ye.” I already know he’s rolling his eyes at me fer that one. “She loved ye even though she knew the type of man ye are. We can’t change the way we were raised. It’s in our blood. Yer da, me da, it was passed down through the generations to teach us how to protect the ones we love and to fight fer the family.” He blows out a breath, and I have to do the same. “Ye will get through this lad. I know ye two can get through anything.” Rory is quiet fer a few minutes, and I scan over the file in front of me again. The names are

familiar, but I can’t place them. “Why’d ye call?” he finally asks, calming himself down some. “I have a few names I want to run by ye,” I respond. When he asks me the names, I name them off quickly. “Ye every heard of Adamnan Murphy, Brady O’Sullivan, and Ennis Walsh?” “Aye fucking hell. Are those the feckers that got fried last night?” he groans over the line. “I need ye to get to Conaill’s. We have some shit we need to go over. Ye can bring Cara, Stana is here too.” Just as I say her name, I can feel her in the room. Turning me head, I see her standing by the entryway. She looks unsure of what to do so I motion fer her to come to me. Just as she gets to me, me phone starts to beep in me ear with another call. Pulling the phone from me ear, I look at the screen and see Liam’s name. “I need to get this. Get here when ye can.” I switch over the line, and I bite out Liam’s name. “Aye, dear brother. Good to hear ye are getting me threats.” “Ye so much as come near her again and I

won’t hesitate to put a bullet in yer head.” His chuckle fills me ear, and I feel her tense in me arm. He won’t come near her, I won’t let that happen. “I see that yer eejit lad has protected his gaff better than I expected. Now fer yer slag, I hope I get a chance to meet her real soon.” “Ye call her a slag one more time, and I’ll show you how it feels to lose everything ye’ve worked so fecking hard fer,” I ground out. I’m pissed that he even thinks that he can get close to her. “Yer such a muppet.” He sneers into the line. “At least I’m not a fecking traitor.” It comes out on a laugh and Stana puts her hand on me chest, bringing me back from the anger that is currently running rampant in me body. “Instead yer a fecking cunt.” I bite back a laugh at that. Feck him. I don’t bother responding to him. Instead, I just hit the end button and pocket me phone. “Everything okay?” Stana asks quietly. She presses her body into me side, and I tighten me grip on her.

“Everything will be fine, love.” I kiss her temple, and she runs her fingers up and down me chest in the most soothing way. “Ye think he’s stupid enough to send some other feckers after us?” I ask. “He’s made a mess of things again and won’t stop now. Yer da may be the only one able to get him off his high horse.” I roll me eyes at that. If anything, me Da is just going to tell me that this shit is me fault because of Stana. “He won’t give a feck.” I sigh and rub me hand up her back. “All he cares about is the family and making sure that I don’t feck any of his shit up. He told me that Stana was just a distraction and that I needed to get rid of her when he found out.” Conaill chuckles at that and runs his hand over his beard. “Yer da has always been a little tougher on ye than he needed to be.” I nod and grab me cup, taking a drink of me coffee. It’s gone cold, but I don’t bother getting up now that I have her standing between me legs. Her eyes scan over the folders in front of me, and I see her skimming parts as if she thinks I’ll take them away from her. “Last night while we were taking care of the guy who set up yer attack, three more men

came to the house to try and hurt ye.” No emotion in me voice. I want her to know how fecking dangerous things are at the moment and that she can’t try and leave until we deal with the threat. I’m sure she wants to go back to work still, but I won’t be letting that happen either.

Twenty-Seven Stana The tension in the room is almost too much for me to bear. Jerick’s hand is gripping my back tightly, and I couldn’t move if I tried. He was holding his body ridged while he was on the phone, but the moment I touched him, he sagged a bit but didn’t lose the anger that was keeping him on track with whoever he was on the phone with. “Cara should be coming over with Rory, so ye two can hang out while we work on some stuff,” he states. My eyes continue to scan over the files that are currently sitting in front of him, and I notice that two of the guys were the ones from my apartment last night. “Are they…” I can’t say the word dead. I don’t know why, but it makes me feel sick if I do. Knowing the type of man Jerick is doesn’t make it any easier, but I know that if I want to be with him, I have to get used to the thought of him being that type of man. A killer.

“Aye.” The answer is quiet. His eyes are turned down, and I can feel the change in the room. “They won’t hurt me?” I don’t know why I ask, but I couldn’t help it. I have to know that they won’t be able to come after me again after last night. The fear from last night isn’t something that I can go through again. “No, love.” He pulls me closer to him, reaching up with his other hand and cups my cheek. I peek over at Conaill, and he has a smirk on his face. “Why?” It’s almost like he knows what I’m not telling him. I point to two of the men in the photos and state carefully, “these were the two men in my apartment.” Both of them freeze, and I look up to see the anger in Jerick’s face. “They were the ones who broke into yer gaff the night before?” I nod my head, looking at them. I don’t say anything more because for one, I don’t know what else to say. If they are dead then maybe no one else will come after me. I hear the doorbell go off and no one makes a move towards the door. Conaill checks something

on his tablet before he turns some intercom thing on and hits a button. “Rory, ye can come in lad,” his deep voice says. My eyes go back to Jerick, and I see him scanning over the photos one more time. He takes out a pad of paper and starts to make notes, but I can’t see what they say from where I am currently standing. They look to be in another language as well. Before I can make my way closer to him, Rory and Cara come in the room smiling at each other. “Jerick!” She says happily, coming towards us. She wraps her arms around Jerick, and I see the familiarity that they have together. “I’m so glad to see you even under the circumstances.” He nods his head before speaking. “Aye, lass. It’s good to see ye.” He kisses her cheek once before pulling away from her. “Ye are glowing. It suits ye, love.” She grins back at him, and I feel like I’m missing out on an essential part of their conversation. She rubs her belly slightly, almost like she doesn’t even know she’s doing it. “Thank you. As scared as I am, I am so happy.” She looks over her shoulder at Rory, and he gives her a cheeky grin. She’s pregnant. I suck in a breath at my realization. A pang hits me hard, and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the thought of babies, something that I’ve

always wanted, but never thought that I could have. Before I was with Rhett, I got into a really bad car accident. At the time, I didn’t realize how bad with was. The doctors told me that I would probably never have children because of the trauma to my uterus, but at the time I didn’t think that it was such a big deal. Now that I see how happy Cara and Rory are that they are going to be parents it just kind of hit me… I’ll never get that. I will never get to see the happiness on my boyfriend or husband’s face when he finds out we are having a baby. I close my eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay. I should be happy for them, not sad about my own problems. It’s not like they knew that this would affect me the way it is. An arm wraps around me, and I’m being pulled into a hard chest. “Ye okay, love?” Jerick asks, kissing the top of my head. I nod my head because I don’t want to tell him what upset me, he probably wouldn’t understand. I don’t even really understand my reaction right now. I thought that I was okay with this, but I’m not. I want to be a mother one day. I want to be something more than I am now. I’m just a girl who’s falling in love with a natural born killer.

It may be hard to accept at times, but at least I know that he will always protect me no matter the cost. “Ye alright to go with Cara into the living room while we work?” he asks after a few beats. His lips rest on the side of my temple as he continues to hold my body tightly to his. Nodding my head, I look up at him and he presses his mouth to mine in a sweet, but quick kiss. “I’ll be fine,” I murmur before I pull away from him and walk over to where Cara is standing next to Rory. She gives him one last kiss before we make our way towards what I assume is the living room. I don’t know much about this house other than it belongs to Conaill and it’s the safest place that we could possibly be right at this moment. One thing that I trust in is that Jerick will keep me safe like he promised. As we walk into the living room, I can feel Cara’s eyes on me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” she says softly grabbing my hand when we come to a stop. I shake my head as if I don’t know what she’s talking about even though I know what she means. “As scared as I am, I couldn’t imagine not being able to have a baby if I wanted to.” I feel my throat close, and I don’t even

know what to say to her. How did she even know? “How…” I can’t get the rest of the words out. She gives me a sad smile, and she pulls me over to the large couch that sits in the middle of the room. “I saw the look on your face when I put my hand on my stomach. I know the look. My sister had the same look on her face when I told her that I was pregnant.” She reaches up to brush a tear off her cheek before she looks up at me. “I didn’t know. If I did, I wouldn’t have said anything. Jerick already knew when Rory called him. We could have kept it quiet while you were here.” I shake my head no, “I don’t want you to have to treat me with kid gloves. I already know that I’ve caused enough problems for Jerick, I don’t want to cause even more. Plus, we aren’t even talking about that sort of stuff. We barely know each other.” Now I sound like I’m rambling. Oh, my God, I need to just shut up. “I’ve seen the way he watches you. Whatever type of fling you thought that this was going to be isn’t what it is. He’s in love with you.” She grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze before releasing me. “Give him some more time, and I know he will surprise you. He doesn’t just protect woman he’s sleeping with. You have to mean something to him for him to go against his own

family like he is. The family is everything to him, and I know that he doesn’t take that lightly.” This time it’s my turn to wipe a tear from under my eye. She stays quiet for a few minutes before she says something else. “You want kids.” Her voice is soft, and I have to dig my fingernails into my palms to keep myself from crying. I don’t want to look weak in front of her. She’s strong, and I want to be strong too. “I do,” I finally whisper. I want to tell her everything, but I don’t even know what to say. I’ve kept it in the back of my mind for so long that I haven’t thought about it in a long time. Things with Rhett gotten bad and I knew that it was a good thing I couldn’t have children. Bringing a baby into that environment wasn’t the best idea so I thought that maybe it was a blessing I couldn’t have babies. “For as long as I’ve known Jerick, I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.” She grabs my hand again, and I see the tears falling down her cheeks. “Not being able to have kids wouldn’t change that. He would still worship the ground you walk on.” I let out a dry laugh at that. “He doesn’t worship the ground I walk on,” I say wiping my

eyes, a small grin tugging at the corner of my lips. She starts to laugh and soon I’m laughing right with her. Part of me is glad that we are laughing because then I’m not crying. I don’t know how else to handle this. “I believe that if you were meant to be a mother, it would happen. Just be patient. If not, maybe look into adoption.” Her eyes are kind, almost too much so, but I can’t thank her enough for the kind words she’s giving me right now. Some women just point and laugh if you are unable to bear children. They don’t understand the heartbreak and pain it causes, so having someone who understands is helpful. We spend the rest of the night chit-chatting while the guys continue to do whatever it is they are doing locked away where we left them. It didn’t take long for us to both be giggling and having a good time once the sad talk was over. Cara is someone that I could see as my best friend. Someone that I could talk to when things got tough, and I need someone else besides Jerick to talk to. I think she would let me confide in her if I needed to talk about something personal like the baby thoughts.

I’m still jealous of her and the fact that she can get pregnant, but I know that it’s not her fault that I have this problem. It’s the past, and I know that it will always continue to haunt me in the future, and for as long as I live. Grabbing the remote off the couch, Cara turns the T.V. on, and she changes the channel from some sports show to the Hallmark channel. We both laugh about our mutual love for this channel and get into watching a Christmas movie that is currently playing. It doesn’t even matter that the movie is halfway over; we still watch it, hanging on every sweet, sappy word that the male lead character is giving the girl. It’s something sweet and lovey, and it makes me think about Jerick and whatever it is we are doing. The way he holds her hand makes me all sappy, and soon both of us are crying while watching the damn movie. One movie turns into two, and soon we are on the third one, and Cara has since fallen asleep. I continue to watch the movie with heavy eyes, and it doesn’t take long for me to fall asleep as well.

Twenty-Eight Jerick The meeting with the boyos took way longer than I expected. We made a solid plan before starting to put the thing in motion. I was striking back hard, and I didn’t give a shit who I hurt in the process. They tried to hurt Stana, and that wasn’t something that I was okay with. She was the one light in me dark world and intended to keep her right where she was. As me phone started to ring, I look over to Conaill and Rory and saw the look in their eyes. They want me to play it cool with me Da and act like everything is okay between us. They never said a damn thing about Liam, but they already know me better than that. They know I won’t just let the fecker off after he tried to kidnap Stana. “Aye Da,” I answer the phone on the fourth ring. I thought about letting it go to voicemail since we were getting ready to head out for collections before heading up to bed, but I gritted me teeth answering it anyways.

“Jerick, I need ye to come to the office tomorrow and give me an update on the collections.” I roll me eyes. I’ve been doing collecting still without me brother’s fecking help. I had Rory come with me the last few times, but more to watch me back than to do the work. I don’t trust anyone in me inner circle expect fer Rory and Conaill. They would never stab me in the back, and I know that fer sure. “Aye,” I answer, looking over at the boyos. They both have grim looks on their faces, and I want to punch the feckers. They know the score, plus they are the ones who want me to keep going in, acting like everything is fine. Conaill promised that no one would be able to get into this place and that leaving Stana here while I continued to work fer the family would be the best plan. Our place is ready to move in thanks to Rory, but they don’t think that it’s the best idea yet. We don’t have the security dialed in yet, and we have no idea if they’ve found it yet or not. We still have a lot to do to get it ready fer Stana to stay in. I don’t trust the slimy bastard I’m related to. If anything he’s probably been following us and keeping tabs on the three of us. Nothing typically gets by him, and if that’s still the truth, then they already know about the new place.

“Good. See ye tomorrow boyo,” he says before hanging up on me. As I pull the phone from me ear, I can’t help but squeeze it in me hand. I’m pissed that he can just act that Liam hasn’t tried to kidnap Stana or send his fecking men here to try and get her. “Ye sure this isn’t a damn trap?” Rory asks as I pocket me phone. I shrug me shoulders because I honestly don’t know. Anything can happen, and I know that. I’m going to protect her the best I can with the information that we’ve been provided. Stana is my number one priority right now. “Ye need to go tonight?” Rory asks looking towards the room the lasses are in. He doesn’t say more, and I know that he rather stay here with Cara wrapped up in his arms tonight than heading out with me. If I make the pick ups quickly, I still have time to tuck Stana into the bed we are sharing. “Aye, I can go with him tonight,” Conaill says from beside me. “Ye stay with yer wife and be sure to keep an eye on the cameras.” He nods his head and takes the tablet that has the video feeds streamed to it. “If someone hits the perimeter, it will beep. The fence will be charged as soon as the gate is shut again.” He nods as he listens to the rest

of the instructions and I make me way towards where the lasses are. I need to get Stana into bed before I head out. Walking through the room, I see the TV on, but no movement or voices is coming from either side of the couch. As I get closer, I see both of them have their eyes closed and are knocked out. Picking her up, I carry her upstairs to the room that we’ve made home fer the next few days. As I lay her down, I see the light on her phone flashing. I tuck her under the covers before grabbing her phone and checking the screen. His name flashes over and over again. Hitting the answer button, I put it to me ear and wait fer him to say something. “Stana, thank God you finally answered. You need to listen to me carefully.” He pauses for a second taking a deep breath before continuing. “They are going to hurt you. You need to get away from Jerick. He doesn’t care what happens to you. He’s not a good guy.” I can’t help the chuckle that falls from me lips. This fecker is never going to leave her alone. I’m going to have to deal with him just like me brother. “Stana?” he asks hesitantly.

“I suggest ye stay away from me lass,” I state in a deadly tone. He starts stuttering over the line, and I know I scare the shit out of him even though he tried to act all tough last time I saw him. “Why are you on her phone?” His voice quivers and I can’t help but laugh more. Fecking pussy. “Don’t fecking worry about it. Stop calling her. She doesn’t need yer shit,” I growl. I look over at her, and her eyes are still closed. “You’re just going to get her killed. The wars around you never leave, and you’re putting her in danger. She’s more important than that shit you do.” I have to give it to him; he isn’t backing down from this. “She is more protected by me than she will ever be by you.” He laughs at that. “You’ll be the one to get her killed.” He doesn’t wait fer me response as he hangs up the phone. I set her phone next to the bed and lean over to kiss her forehead. Connie is waiting fer me downstairs and the sooner we get this shit done, the sooner I can be curled up with her.

Making me way down the stairs, I see Connie standing against the wall, staring at something on his phone. He doesn’t make a sound, and I have a feeling that he’s watching the perimeter. “Ye ready?” I ask coming closer to him. He looks up at me before nodding his head. “Aye. Let’s get this shit done. I have other plans.” He grins, and I shake me head at that. He’ll go get a lass and shag her before coming back here tonight. “Aye,” I answer as I make me way towards the door.

The route doesn’t take long, and once I take the money and drop it off at the restaurant, I make me way to the truck. Connie is watching the street and I know he doesn’t trust me Da right now, none of us do. The boyo’s and I have been working fer me Da since we were wee lads and the thought that he could betray us all the way he is is like a punch to the gut. “Ye Da in there?” he asks as I shut the door and rub me hands together. It’s getting fecking colder the closer to Christmas we get. The one thing I hate about the east coast is the damn weather. I’m ready fer some sun. “No. He must be at the club already,” I answer. I see someone walking towards the restaurant and squint me eyes to see who it is. “Isn’t that…” Conaill trails off as he sees the figure’s face. I get out before he can stop me and make me way straight fer the bastard. I grab him by the neck and press him into the wall of the restaurant. “What the feck are ye doing here?” I growl at him. His face pales almost like he didn’t expect me to be here tonight. “I was out to get dinner,” he stutters out. “I live around the co –” I cut him off. I know fer a

fact he doesn’t live anywhere near this place. He lives over by Stana, and that’s across town. “I know where ye fecking live. Don’t try to bullshit me.” I feel the blood in my ears as the anger takes over. He’s lucky I don’t kill him right here and now. “I… I…” His eyes widen when he sees Connie coming up behind me. “I don’t want to hear yer damn excuses. Why the feck are ye here?” I ground out, pressing harder on his throat than necessary. He gasps out fer air, but I don’t let him get any in. “Answer me,” I growl. “I suggest ye tell him before he kills ye right here,” Conaill says from behind me. He sounds bored, but I know it’s nothing new to him. He’s used to shit like that, almost immune to the shit I do. “Come on, I have shit I need to do still, and ye aren’t making it any quicker,” he groans. Max’s eyes get bigger, and I release his throat slightly so he can breathe again. “I was going to tell them how to find her.” I press even harder on his throat, and his eyes start to bug out of his head. He tries to fight me off of him, but I don’t let him go. I put just enough pressure on his throat to force

him to pass out before I let him fall to the ground. I look over me shoulder at Connie as he rubs his hands over his face. “Let’s get him in the truck and to the house before the fecker wakes up.” He’s pissed that I just did that, but I wasn’t letting this fucker go anywhere near me family. Not if he plans on selling Stana out to them. He isn’t protecting her; he’s trying to get something out of them. Maybe me since he still thinks that I am the one who killed his da all those years ago. The drive to Conaill’s isn’t that long, but it’s silent. We don’t speak, and part of that is because I’m trying to figure out me next move. I want to take him out, but I need to know what he was planning on telling me Da about Stana. As Conaill pulls into the gated driveway, I look back and see the fecker is still passed out. He hasn’t moved from the position I put him in, and as much as I want to beat his face in, I rather spend the rest of me night wrapped up in Stana. “Ye want to stick him in the basement fer the night or want to question him now?” Connie asks as he puts the truck in park. “We can let him stay put fer the night. Help me get him inside, and ye can go get yer dick

rubbed.” I grin at him, and he shakes his head, “Feck ye,” he mutters. “No thanks, I got Stana fer that, lad.” I waggle me eyebrows at him, and he rolls his eyes. He knew that shit would come out of me mouth; I’m not sure why he’s surprised. After we get Max into the basement, I flip the locks on the room and shut off the light. He’s gonna wish he never came to the restaurant tonight if it’s the last thing I do. Connie doesn’t say anything as he makes his way through the kitchen and out the door to his truck. I lock the door he went through before trudging up the stairs towards me lass. Once I hit the bedroom, I strip out of me duds and boots, leaving them next to the bed. Sliding in under the sheets, I pull Stana’s warm body against me colder one, and I feel her shiver. Running a hand down her chest, I tuck me hand in her leggings before closing me eyes. “Jerick,” she mumbles sleepily. I kiss right below her ear, and she moans slightly, rubbing her ass back against me dick. If she doesn’t stop now, I’m going to be pulling her pants

down and sliding inside of her. Me body is tired, but I wouldn’t pass up a round with her fer anything. She presses her ass back into me one more time, and I can’t hold back. I grip the waistband of her leggings and pull them and her panties down to her thighs before slipping them from her body entirely. I slide off me boxer briefs and rub me fingers along her wetness. She’s ready fer me, and I didn’t even have to touch her sweet cunt. I grab her shirt and pull it up and over her head, barely moving her from the pillow. She has no bra on, and I grip her tit before sucking on her neck. She moans and presses back into me. It doesn’t take me long before I’m plunging inside of her warm, wet pussy. I thrust in and out of her at a slow, steady pace. Her arm comes up and wraps around me neck. I bite down on her shoulder as she grinds back into me and I close me eyes at the feeling of her pussy squeezing me at this angle. Every pump of me hips brings me closer to the edge, and the minute I feel her tighten around me and hear her moan out me name, I let go, coming inside of her. I thrust into her a few more times gently until me dick is spent. Pressing our bodies together tighter, I wrap me arms around her and bury me face into her neck, not pulling out of her, marking her with meself. I won’t give her up, I

don’t care what me Da has to say about it. “Mmm,” she whispers in the darkness. I kiss along her neck, and she moves slightly to give me more access to her skin. “Where have you been?” Her voice is sleepily and raspy, sexy as feck. “I had to do some pick ups,” I murmur in her ear, kissing right below it. “I found yer friend sniffing around me family restaurant.” I feel her body freeze, but I kiss her shoulder and tell her to relax. “Sleep love. We will deal with him in the morning.” It takes her a few minutes before her body starts to melt back into mine and I tighten me grip on her, closing me eyes and letting sleep take me.

Twenty-Nine Stana Sleep was almost non-existent after Jerick told me that Max was sniffing around his family. I didn’t know what to think, and my mind was wandering a million miles an hour thinking about any possible reason for Max to even go near Jerick’s family. Max blamed Jerick for his father’s death, so I don’t see him wanting anything to do with his family either. Plus, I know that Jerick didn’t kill Max’s father. He didn’t tell me the whole story, but he did assure me that he wouldn’t have done it. I believe him. When I finally give up on trying to fall asleep, I get out of bed and make my way out of the room and downstairs. Maybe a glass of water will help me sleep. As I get to the kitchen, I see a shadow in there. I continue to slowly make my way into the kitchen when his voice scares the crap out of me. “Shouldn’t ye be asleep?” he asks without

turning around. His shoulders are hunched over like he’s reading from something on the counter in the dark. The light from the moon is the only light in the room, casting shadows everywhere. “Couldn’t sleep,” I mumble out, trying to think if it’s safe to be in here with him. I know that Jerick trusts Conaill with his life, but I don’t know if I do. He hasn’t done anything un-trustworthy, but still. I barely know any of Jerick’s friends, let alone Jerick. We’ve been in this relationship for months, and I still feel like I don’t know anything about him or his family other than what I’ve read on the internet and the few things that he’s told me. Sometimes I think he just tells me enough to keep me from asking him. “Ye don’t trust me,” he states, no question or humor whatsoever. “Should I?” I ask, walking closer to where he is standing. He still doesn’t look up when I get closer. It’s almost like he can sense me and the thoughts that are currently running through my head. “Jerick trusts me,” he murmurs before turning around to finally face me. He’s handsome in his own way. His reddish-brown hair reminds me of Jerick’s, but everything else is so far from Jerick’s

look. His almond eyes are a shade darker than most green eyes I’ve seen, almost a jade color. His nose is slightly wider than Jerick’s, and he has some of the longest eyelashes I’ve ever seen before. “I know.” Jerick does trust him, and part of me feels like I should trust him too, but with my history, I can’t bring myself to do it. I don’t trust anyone anymore. “I would never do something to hurt him. He’s been like me brother fer far longer than anyone else, and I owe him me life. He brought me into this life and even dragged us stateside when he and his da decided that they wanted to get out of Belfast.” He looks me up and down before he speaks again. “I know he cares about ye, but I still don’t get why. Ye lasses are a dime a dozen, and once ye leave him high and dry, another will be vying fer his attention. It’s a vicious cycle if ye ask me.” I feel a lump forming in my throat as I try to swallow. He thinks that I’m just trying to hurt his best friend. “You think I sent Max to the restaurant tonight.” I know I should have asked it like a question, but I already know the answer. He doesn’t have to tell me. “Aye. I think yer trying to mess with his

head. Maybe yer in on it with Liam. The whole reason behind the shit we have to deal with lately. Yer the only one who has gotten this close to him in a long time.” My stomach starts to turn. How could he think so low of me? You know what, I actually get it. Conaill doesn’t know me from anyone else. He doesn’t know what is running through my head and has no idea how I feel about Jerick. How could he? I mean it’s not like we spent time together with Conaill in the same room We always did our own thing together, just the two of us. “I would never do anything to hurt Jerick.” Anger laces my voice. “Aye, lass. I know ye think that, but ye having anything to do with that asshole in the basement hurts him.” The fecker still calls ye. He wants something from ye. We are dealing with him the only way we know how.” I frown at his words. What does he mean that Max still calls? I haven’t heard from him in a few days. “I didn’t know he still called. I haven’t heard from Max.” I swallow. Jerick has been taking his calls on my phone? “How do you know he calls?” I demand. I want an answer, and I don’t care if I piss him off or not.

“Aye. Jerick told him to stay the feck away from ye. That’s probably why he was at the restaurant tonight. But he won’t be a problem after tomorrow.” He gives me a devious grin, and I feel my whole body grow cold. Then I remember my very brief conversation with him yesterday before Jerick came in bloody and dirty. Instead of sticking around to hear whatever else he had planned to tell me, I make my way out of the kitchen and go in search of the basement. He let it slip that Max was being held here on the property, so I just need to find where he is. I want to find out why he was at Jerick’s family’s restaurant and why he keeps calling me. Walking down one of the halls by what I discovered was the garage; I check each door and try to find where they have Max. I have so many questions, and I need to get the answers before I let them do whatever they have planned. I don’t even know if I could trust Max after the last few conversations we’ve had. He was the reason I had my recent panic attack, and I almost got hit by a car. As I try another door, I hold my breath when the door is locked. Every other door in this hall is unlocked except this one. Reaching up, I run my fingers along the door casing and try to find a

key that may have been left here by either Jerick or Conaill. The moment my finger touches something cold, I feel like I’ve won the lottery. Grabbing the key, I stick it in the door and turn it. When the lock clicks, I turn the doorknob and push the door open slowly. The room is dark and not a sound is being made. I run my hand up the wall until I find the light switch. Flipping the switch, the light invades my eyes, and I groan at the sudden brightness. “Hello?” I hear a voice call out. It doesn’t sound like Max, but it is a male voice. I tiptoe towards the voice, and then I finally see him, I gasp putting my hands to my mouth. He’s lying on the ground with his hands tied behind his back. I rush over to him and kneel down on the ground beside him. He doesn’t say a word as his eyes meet mine. I scan over his face and see that there are no cuts or scrapes on him. He’s okay. They didn’t hurt him. “Max,” I whisper. I reach for his bindings and start to undo them. The last one is the hardest, and his whimpers cause me to stop what I’m doing. I’m hurting him, and I hate that. I don’t want to put him in any more pain than he is already in. I don’t know what they plan to do to him, but I can’t let it happen.

As much as he hurt me, he is still my friend. I have to help him. Once I get the last tie off of him, I help him stand up. He leans most of his body weight on me and just as we take a step, I feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Ice shoots through my body when his voice rings out in the basement. “What are ye doing love?” I lower my eyes for a second and try to take a breath. His voice isn’t the sweet one that he gives me every day; it’s the icy one that he gives to his men when he’s pissed off. The one I know that means his anger is directed right at me. “I…” I don’t even know what to say. I want to protect Jerick, but I can’t let him hurt Max. “He doesn’t deserve this.” I finally push the words out. His eyes narrow on me, and I swallow around the lump in my throat. “He doesn’t deserve this? Are ye fecking joshing me? He put yer life in danger, and he was going to rat ye out to me family.” He stalks towards us, and I try not to lose my composure. “He wouldn’t do that.” My voice is weak, I know it is. The sound of it is foreign, and I hate that one look from Jerick can almost bring me to my

knees. “He wouldn’t sell me out.” I look at him, and I see the hope shining in his eyes. “Yer not who I thought ye were if ye believe the bullshit he’s feeding ye, love.” Biting my lip, I try to stop the tears. “I’ve done nothing but protected ye. I went against me family and friends fer ye. I turned me back on everything that I’ve ever known because I loved ye.” I feel my heart break with one word. Loved. He doesn’t love me anymore. A tear falls down my cheek, and I don’t bother wiping it off. My heart just broke into a million little pieces, and I know that I’ll never be able to pick them up or find them all. “Ye can have her. I hope he can protect ye, lass. I’ll make sure yer life is fecking hell. I won’t stop coming after ye.” He turns and walks away, not standing in the way of us. He doesn’t care if something happens to me now. My legs give out, and I fall to the ground, taking Max with me. I don’t even feel the hard concrete as my ass comes in contact with it. I’m numb. Broken in a way that I don’t think I could ever be fixed. Instead of helping Max, I slowly pull myself to my feet and run. I run out of the basement and straight for the front door. I don’t stop for shoes or a jacket, I just get the hell out of

there. Jerick’s anger and hate were all it took to finally break me. Break me so much that I know I’ll never recover. He became my life, everything that I could ever want and more, someone who would protect me until his dying day. Now? I don’t even know where I’ll go. He moved all my things to his place. A place that I don’t even know about. I run until I can’t run anymore. Tears streaming down my face mixed with snot. I don’t stop running. I have nothing. No money. No identification. Nothing. I fall on the ground when my legs are so tired that they finally gave out. Sitting on the concrete in the snow, I don’t even feel the cold. The numbness lets me sit for far longer than I should, and I can’t bring myself to move. I had a love of a man who would kill for me. I had a new best friend that would let me cry on her shoulder if I needed it and I threw it all away. I have nothing now. Rhett was right. I am worthless. Not worth a damn thing to anyone that mattered. I don’t matter.

Thirty Jerick She chose him over me. The sight of her and him together made me want to gut the fecker right in front of her. Get rid of him so she couldn’t choose him. I clench me fist a few times before I finally punch the damn wall in the bedroom we shared. I should have fecking known. No lass was worth the shit I did. She wasn’t fecking worth it. I gave up everything fer her, and this is how she repaid me. She chose him. Running my hand over me face, I try to calm meself down, but it’s no use. She’s gone. I’m done. She fecking tore me damn heart in two. I should have known better. Loyalty is all we have, and she turned her back on me. She chose him. Fecking shit! Me loyalty to the family should be me number one priority, and I threw it all away for her. A knock at the door only pisses me off

more. I have a feeling that Conaill was the one who told her where he was. If he didn’t, she wouldn’t have gone near him. I would still have her in me bed, and I’d be waking her up to shag her instead of cursing meself fer letting her break me the way she has. The door opens, and I see his smug face. He knew she would help the fecker, it’s written all over his face. “Ye of all people should know that ye can’t trust a lass. All they are good fer is a shag, and that’s it.” His grin is irritating the shit out of me. It doesn’t take much fer me to walk over to him and punch him. His head jerks to the side with the force of me fist. He knew that this would happen, he planned fer it. His loyalty to me isn’t something that I ever thought I should question. His loyalty to the family was something I never thought would happen. The family left us out to dry. They let me brother take over me cut and now… I shake me head. “Ye need to get yer shit together. We have a fecking war to fight. Ye want the lass, then go get her. Just fecking remember she chose that fecker down in the basement. She was helping him when ye found them.” I turn me head away from him. Me anger is building, and I know I won’t be able to tap

it down this time. I want blood, and his will do. Grabbing the lamp off the nightstand, I throw it against the wall as hard as I can and watch as the glass shatters and fall all over the carpet. I hear footsteps come running and a gun is pulled and pointed right at me as Rory comes in the room. “What in the bloody hell is going on in here?” he asks as he takes in the room. “She left.” Those are the only two words that fall from me mouth. I can’t think of anything else. All I can do is think about her and the way I feel. I fecking love her. I sink to the ground next to the bed, and slowly me body goes numb. The pain doesn’t radiate through me any longer. Instead, I feel dead inside. “Shit,” Rory says walking over to me. He puts his hand on me shoulder and gives it a squeeze before he says anything. “Did she leave because she’s scared?” His question burns at me chest. I wish she left for another reason other than the one she did leave fer. I said I’d come after her, but I won’t. As much as I want to make her suffer, she’s safe from me. I said that I loved her. I know that is what hurt her the most. I didn’t say that I love her, I

made it past tense. I broke her by saying that I didn’t love her anymore, the final blow to her heart. “No. She’s not scared. She left because I told her that I didn’t love her anymore.” Conaill winces as the words fall from me lips. I fecked up, I know this. She’s fecking everything, but she was going to betray me. I couldn’t take that. I need someone who would give their life fer me, just like I would give me life fer them. “I don’t give a shit what she does if she lets him have her.” I run me hand over me face before I get up and walk away. I don’t stop when he calls me name and I sure as hell don’t stop when he tells me that Max is gone. There is nothing that will make the pain in me chest disappear. She was it. She was the one that I wanted above all else. I would have given it all up if she asked me too. It would have been a long road ahead of us, running from the family, but I would have done it fer her. I would have done anything fer her. Taking off into the early morning, I just get in me car and drive. I drive fer hours, and when I finally stop, I’m sitting in front of me family’s restaurant. I stare at the entrance fer a good hour before I finally get out of the car and walk inside.

As far as the family goes, I’m still in the fold. They want to get rid of Stana just to hurt me, but now that she’s gone, they can’t hold her over me anymore. They can’t threaten her life to get me to do as they want. All their plans will be null and void, and I get pleasure just knowing that. They are going to have to rethink their strategy. I won’t give up me stake in the family just because they think they can intimidate me. I’ll go to war with them and kill every last fecker that thinks I’m not fit fer me spot in the family. The minute me feet hit the inside of the restaurant, all eyes are on me. I scan the room, taking in the familiar faces and nod me head in greeting. My eye catches movement, but I don’t care. It’s four a.m., and I knew that everyone would be here. We start and end every day in this place. It’s our home base, where all the money goes after being collected. “Jerick, me boyo,” Me Da’s voice rings out in me ears. “I see ye finally decided to become a bigger part of the family.” I turn me attention to the man who taught me everything about the business back in Belfast. The one who encouraged me to be the cold-

blooded killer that I now am. “Aye,” I answer, not taking me eyes off of him. I want him to trust me before I slay the fecking snake that is standing right in front of me. I will take him down and Liam too. They will both be dead. “Let’s talk in me office.” He waves his hand in the direction of the office. I nod me head and follow his lead towards the back room. It won’t surprise me if he tries to get me brother or one of the men to try and take me out now that I’ve agreed to take on more of the family business. They were already trying to push me out when Liam came back, so I can only imagine that it’s not going to change now. I’ve kept their secrets long enough, and I won’t protect me brother again. If he fecked this part up, I would be the first one to throw his arse under the bus and run the bastard over, backing up and running him over again. All is fair in love and war, and Liam is at the top of me list. As the door shuts behind us, I am locked in the same room as me Da. I study the hard lines of his face and can see how old he is starting to look.

His hair is greying and has dark circles under his eyes. Nothing like the man he was when we first came stateside. “Ye are ready fer more?” he asks as he takes a seat in his chair behind the big oak desk that takes up far too much space in the damn room. “Aye. I’ve cut ties with the lass. I’m ready to jump back in full force,” I answer, not getting any closer to the desk. I stand closer to the door with a knife in the sleeve of me jacket. I don’t trust anyone here and I sure as hell won’t let anyone get the drop on me. This isn’t just his place, it’s mine too. If I weren’t around when he started this up, he wouldn’t have the control and power that he has now. I built it up, and I keep it going most days. “Good.” He scans over some paperwork on his desk. He looks up at me after he’s done and I can’t tell what he’s thinking. “She wasn’t good enough fer ye. If ye want to marry, I can find ye someone more appropriate.” I roll me eyes at that. “I don’t want to marry. I rather shag who I want, when I want. One lass tying me down isn’t what I want.” He laughs at that.

“Please boyo, like getting married would affect that.” I have to bite me tongue. That is where me Da and I differ. I don’t cheat on me lass. I don’t care if I don’t love her. If I ever got married, there will never be cheating. If she cheated on me, I would kill the bastard she was with without thinking twice. I don’t share and I sure as hell don’t need more than one woman nagging at me fer whatever reason. My thoughts go immediately to Stana. The angel that I want to hate but can’t. As pissed as I am at her, I still crave her soft touch. The feel of her skin against mine as I shagged her. The feeling of her cunt as it squeezes me tightly as I go deep inside of her. I have to close my eyes as I picture the way her lips parted and her eyes closed as I sunk inside of her last. Me dick twitches at the memory, and I have to think of something else before I get a damn boner. “Ye need to get laid, boyo.” Me da laughs, motioning down with his eyes. “Don’t fecking worry about me. I can find me own piece of arse. I don’t need yer help.” He just grins at me, and it’s one of those slimy ones that make me skin itch. I don’t trust the fecker anymore. I can only assume that he has some sort of agenda and that he will still try and find a way to

hurt me or take Stana out. As much as I want to never have to see her again after she chose him, I couldn’t let anyone hurt her. I still love her. I’d even die to protect her no matter how pissed I was at her. “Aye, well go get some pussy and come back tonight. I have a few jobs I need to be done very delicately.” I nod me head and turn to walk out the door. “Jerick?” I turn and see a dark look in his eyes. “Glad to have ye back, boyo.” I nod me head before turning and making me way towards the door and opening it. Just as I walk through it, I see me brother Liam walking towards me. “Aye, brother.” His grins at me and I have to keep meself in check. I can’t deck the sorry bastard right here in the restaurant and I sure as hell can’t put a bullet in his head. So I just give him a hard look before walking away and making me way to the front of the restaurant and out of the front door. The minute me feet hit the sidewalk I feel like I can finally breathe again. The tightening feeling in me chest disappears, and the only thing that I can feel is the heartbreak. The feeling that I’ve lost the only thing that was important to me hits me hard, and I have to stop and take a deep

breath. Motherfecker. Making me way to the car, I get in and start the engine, not caring where I’m headed. I peel out and start driving, not realizing where I’m going until I put me car in park outside of her apartment, the one that I moved all her stuff out of. If she’s here, she has nothing left. Although I don’t think she would risk coming here, she’s got nothing. She left everything she owned with me, and I know that it will be a hard road ahead of her starting over with nothing more than the clothes on her back.

Thirty-One Stana I can feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up as I walk down the street, not really sure where to go. Part of me thinks that maybe he will try and find me, but my logical side knows that he won’t come looking for me. I try to keep my mind off of all things Jerick, but it’s almost impossible. I love him. He means more to me than anyone else in my bland existence. I should have never tried to save Max. Maybe Jerick was right when he said that Max was going to sell me out to his family. I mean, why else would he be at the restaurant Jerick’s family owns. Everything still doesn’t make sense. I sigh and continue to walk in what seems to be circles. I have nowhere to go, and I have no money or anything else to find somewhere to stay. I could force Max to take me in after I lost everything to save him. I close my eyes for a

second before opening them again. A stranger bumps into me and quickly says sorry before hurrying off to wherever they were heading. The eerie feeling is still with me, so I duck into a department store and weave through the aisles and racks of clothes. I turn just in time to see that someone is looking for me. I sneak through the clothing until I find another door and slip through it. When I’m back on the street, I don’t feel that creepy feeling any longer, so I continue to walk in the opposite direction. I don’t think that his family is done looking for me or trying to kill me, so I need to be smart. I need to find somewhere to lay low as I think about my next move. Maybe if I could prove to them that I would never hurt Jerick or their family, they will leave me alone. Oh, who am I kidding? These people are cold-blooded killers who probably don’t give a shit about me or anyone else. They are only going to protect their own family, and from what I overheard before Jerick pretty much kicked me out of his life, the family didn’t even trust each other. Conaill and Rory were the only two people that Jerick trusts his life to. I know I should have trusted them too, but I barely knew them, and I

already have an issue believing men I hardly know. Except I trusted Jerick. He was the first person that I was able to trust right when I met him, even though it was a stupid decision. He only wanted me for one thing, sex. I’m so damn foolish. “So stupid,” I mutter to myself. No one even bothers as they walk past me, bumping and shouldering their way through the crowd. I can probably hide out in my old apartment until I can find something else. My lease wasn’t up for a few more months so it would be better than sleeping outside in this cold ass weather. Putting my head down, I start to walk towards my only salvation. The one place that I know no one will look for me in. But if they do, I can just sneak out the window like I did the last time. I doubt anyone will even come looking for me now that Jerick has no ties to me. I’ll just become invisible again. No one will even care if I wind up missing. My life will become pointless unless I can figure out a way to save Jerick. I can make it so that he doesn’t lose his livelihood. His family is everything; I could hear it in his voice when he spoke about them. He loves his dad even though they’ve had a rough patch recently. I think I was more to blame for than anything else. He lost a lot by standing up for me to

his family. As soon as I come up to my apartment, I feel cold. Slowly walking towards the building, I try to keep my emotions in check, but it’s no use. The last time I was here was when those men tried to kill me. Jerick saved me. He packed up my things and moved me out of here because it wasn’t safe. I miss him so damn much. Opening the door slowly, I scan the bare room before walking inside and shutting the door behind me. The locks are fixed, and the mess that I left is nowhere to be seen. A few pieces of furniture were left behind, but that’s good for me. It means that I won’t have to sleep on the cold hard ground while I hide out in plain sight. Keeping all the lights to the apartment off, I shuffle around the room, trying to find anything that they left behind that I can still use. It doesn’t take long for me to find a few things that were left in the cupboards to eat. I see a few granola bars and even some instant oatmeal that I don’t even remember buying. Sighing, I collapse on the couch and stare at the blank wall that once held a small flat screen TV that I bought with my first paycheck. A tear slips down my face as I think about

all I’ve lost. I’ll never get another chance to be with a man like Jerick. Who am I kidding, I don’t want a man like Jerick, I want him. Closing my eyes, I try to think of anything other than him, but it’s no use. I’m broken. A former shell of the woman I was with him. Maybe I’ll be able to move past him one day, but perhaps I’ll just die in the process. Possibly one of his men will deal the final blow to the nails in my coffin, and he will never have to deal with me again. It would probably make him happy anyway.

The bright morning sun shines in the room,

and I scramble to my feet. Running to the bathroom as quickly as I can, I barely make it to the toilet before I throw up. My stomach turns, and all I get out is bile and spit. The ache in my stomach as I continue to dry heave is almost too much to take. Maybe the stress of the situation is getting to me. Maybe I just need to eat something. I can’t remember the last time I ate. Once I don’t feel like I have to throw up anymore, I flush the toilet and move to the sink. Washing my mouth out with water, I spit, and I swear I might throw up again. Nothing seems to work as I try to settle my stomach and something Cara said to me hits me right in the gut. “God, you don’t even know how terrible morning sickness is. I swear it takes over two hours before I can even move away from the toilet every morning. It’s the worst thing ever.” I didn’t really think about it because I was told that I might never have children after the accident. I cried in front of Cara as we talked about it. I just stare at myself in the mirror. My skin is pale, and my hair is a wild mess. What am I going to do? I can’t just go and find him and tell him that

I think I might be pregnant. Biting the inside of my lip, I try to figure out what my next move is going to be. I have no money for a pregnancy test and I sure as heck don’t have any money for food. Pregnant women need food. Sinking to the bathroom floor, I start to cry. I cry for all the things that I’ve lost, and I cry for all the things that this child will suffer. He or she may never get to be born, and if the baby is born, he or she may never get to know its father. I may never see him again. I want to see him again, to tell him that I’m sorry and that I never meant to hurt him. I know that he probably wouldn’t listen to me or care what was going on in my life since it didn’t concern him anymore, but he deserves to know. If I am in fact pregnant, I want him to know. Leaving the bathroom floor almost seems impossible as I continue to think about the things I need to do today. Maybe I can go to Max and ask him to let me borrow some money until I can get back on my feet. It’s the least he can do since he pretty much ruined everything I had with Jerick. I know that I am to blame too since I was the one stupid enough to help him, but I’ve always been loyal to a fault, and I hurt myself in the process. I should have just went back to bed. Maybe then I wouldn’t be terrified to find out if I’m in fact

pregnant or not. When I can finally pull myself up from the bathroom floor, I walk into the living room area almost like a zombie. I don’t know what to do first, but getting a test is probably one of the more essential tasks besides food. Walking towards the front door, I notice an envelope under it. Reaching down, I grab the envelope, and my hands start to shake. Who would have left this for me? It wasn’t there when I got here last night. Letting out a shaky breath, I slowly slide my finger under the flap, tearing it open. I try to get my trembling hands under control, but it’s difficult. Pulling the contents out of the envelope, I see a note and a stack of hundreds. I thumb through the money, and I hold it to my chest as I realize that it’s over five thousand dollars. The only person I know with access to any amount of money that is more than a few hundred dollars is Jerick. He collects money for his father so it would be easy to come up with that type of cash. Plus, I remember the kind of car he drives and how fancy his apartment was when he took me there. My eyes start to water as I read over his note to me.

Stana Ruslov, Being with you will never be something I regret. Saving you that night was the chance that I needed to finally break free from the shit that I was handed from my da. You saved me in a lot of ways, and I will always love you for that. As pissed as I was that you chose him, I understand. He is more the type to settle down and become the father of your children. You need someone who can give you everything you want, and I’m not that guy. I love you. Please find happiness. Jerick Brannigan Tears start to fall down my face, and I can’t look at the letter any longer. I let it slip through my fingers as I think about his words a little longer. He’s not fighting for me. Disappointment stings as I

think about the way his letter went. He is okay with me being with Max. “I hate you,” I whisper into the empty room. I wish I meant something more to him. I hoped he would have fought for me instead of just giving up. Pocketing some of the money, I put the rest in my old hiding place in the cabinet under the sink in the kitchen. Once I have the rest hidden, I make my way to the front door to go in search of a pregnancy test and some food. Maybe even a couple of pairs of underwear and some clothes.

Thirty-Two Jerick One Month Later Scrolling through me contacts, I stop on Stana’s, and I feel me body go cold. I fecking miss the shit out of her. I want so bad fer her to be with me. The front door slams open with a loud bang and I crane me neck to see who the feck is coming in the house. A pregnant Cara comes around the corner, and I can tell her belly has grown since I last saw her a few weeks ago. I moved out of Conaill’s place and into the home the Rory got fer Stana and me before it all went to hell. “Jerick!” A yell comes from the kitchen. Getting up from the couch, I make me way towards where I can hear Cara’s voice, and I stop short. She has her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. “What love?” I ask, staring at the phone that is sitting there. “You need to see this,” she states, pulling

out a barstool and taking a seat on it. Her belly touches the counter, and I can’t help but laugh at her. Every time any of us mention the stomach she’s getting she throws a damn fit, bitching that she’s getting fat. “See what?” I ask, coming to stand next to her. She motions down to her phone, and I pick it up and look at the screen. My eyes widen when I see what the photo is. “Where did ye get this?” I choke out. She gives me a dirty look like she doesn’t believe that I don’t know. “Cara, just fecking tell me. Where did ye get this photo?” She stares at me fer a second before she asks, “You really didn’t know someone was following her?” I shake my head no and look over at her. “There are more.” I slide my finger to the side and see picture after picture of Stana. “Did you know?” Cara asks, a sad look coming over her features. I shake my head no and continue to stare at the photo I started on. Stana is standing in the store with a pregnancy test in her hand as she reads over the box. She’s pregnant. “We talked about pregnancy the last time I saw her, and she said that she couldn’t get pregnant. Maybe it’s just a false alarm?” I close me eyes as I listen to her.

Part of me feels terrified that I could possibly become a father. I know she won’t say anything to me after the way I treated her at Conaill’s. Setting Cara’s phone down, I walk around the counter to go and grab my phone from the living room. As I grab me phone, it starts to ring in me hand. I see me Da’s number, and I hit the answer button and put it to me ear. “Aye, Da,” I say in greeting. I really don’t want to talk to him right now since I have more pressing matters to deal with. I need to find Stana and find out if she is in fact pregnant. Unless… I don’t finish that thought because I know she wouldn’t have jumped into the sack with someone right after I all but kicked her out. She isn’t that type of lass. “I need ye and Liam to go down to the docks tonight.” I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention. That sounds fecking off. We don’t do work at the docks fer a few reasons. It’s not a place we can control, and we don’t like our odds if the guard ever caught onto our trails. “Why the docks?” I ask, trying to think of a reason fer what he’s telling me. “We got some information about a deal. I

need me best lads on this. It could be a large score if everything goes to plan.” “What’s the plan?” I question, needing more information than he’s providing. “We might be heading into a new revenue source. So be prepared to try the merchandise.” I roll me eyes at his insinuation. There is no way in hell I’ll be trying any of his drugs or whatever it is he is trying to get us involved in this time. Liam is a loose cannon and will do anything to make a buck. I, on the other hand, don’t want anything to do with that shit. I just want to find Stana and ask her about being knocked up. “Aye, Da. I’ll be there. Just text me the information.” I hang up before he can say anything else about me having to work with me brother. I hate the fecker and would rather not have to be in the same vicinity as him fer very long. Once I get off the phone with me Da, I call Rory and ask how the feck he got the damn photos in the first place. “Aye,” he answers on the fourth ring. “Cara is here. She was showing me a few pictures. How the hell did ye get them?” One thing Rory isn’t is a damn rat. He would never go against

me. He’s been by me side fer as long as I can remember and he is one of me best friends. “Jerick,” he starts; not giving me more information than he thinks is necessary. He’s more of the calm and collected in instances like this than I am and most times I act before I think about what the right reasoning would be. “Don’t fecking Jerick me. How long have ye known?” I’m so fecking mad that I can feel my blood start to boil in me veins. I need the information, and I need it now. “I don’t know who got the photos. Someone that I can’t trace sent them to me. We need to figure out who knows about her before they get leaked to the family, and they kill her. I would have told ye, but ye were so damn stubborn about her when shit went down that I didn’t want to add to the shit on yer plate. I know ye Jerick. Ye would have gone in and said some shit that she didn’t need to hear.” I sigh as I listen to him. Part of me knows that he is right, but I don’t say it. I just continue to listen to him talk about how the photos were delivered to him by email. He goes on about how he tried to trace the IP address but came up blank on the damn thing.

“I want ye to keep trying to track it down. I want to know who sent them and I want the information now. I know it’s going to take some time, but I don’t know how long she’s going to have if that’s…” I trail off. I don’t know if I should assume that the kid is mine. “Aye. I will get ye the info as soon as I get it.” “Thanks, Rory,” I reply before adding, “Don’t be hard on her fer telling me.” A chuckle comes from the line, and I know he won’t be mad at her. He loves her more than anything and wouldn’t let something like this happen between them. My mind starts to race, and I know that I need to go and find her. I need to make things right with her and beg her to come back to me. With things not as tense with the family, I will be able to take care of her and keep her hidden from them. They won’t understand, but I won’t leave her or me child out in this shitty world with nothing more than a tiny apartment and hardly any money. Walking into me kitchen, I see Cara twiddling her thumbs together, just waiting to see what I am going to say to her about Stana. “I talked to Rory, and he’s working on trying to get

information on the person who took these photos and sent them to him. He isn’t mad at ye either.” She laughs at that. “I knew he wouldn’t be. If he were in your position, he would have wanted Stana to do the same thing. He would want to know that he was going to be a father.” I grin at her. “Ye really think that she’s pregnant with me child?” Her eyes change almost like she is afraid to give me the straight answer. “She could be, but I don’t know. She told me that she wasn’t able to have children, something about being in a horrible accident when she was younger. She said the doctor’s told her it was impossible to get pregnant. Maybe she has a friend or something…” She trails off as she tries to think of another explanation. “It doesn’t matter. I know she wouldn’t have told me if she was pregnant, but seeing that photo, I have to find her and find out the truth.” Cara gives me a frown, and I know she doesn’t think I should go to her. She probably thinks that I should just leave well enough alone, but I can’t. I need to know. I can’t live wondering if I’m going to be a da. “I’ll drop ye off at home,” I say as I grab

me wallet, phone, and gun. “Is it okay if I go with you? I mean, she might not want to talk to you because of how things ended, but she might talk to me.” She points down to her belly and shrugs. “I mean, we are kind of in the same boat.” As much as I don’t want her to go with me, I know she has a point. Stana will want nothing to do with me. Cara will have a better chance at getting her to open the door and let her in than I would. “Ay, let’s go before I change me mind.” She giggles and presses a kiss to me cheek before grabbing me hand and dragging me out of me place and towards me car. The ride to the apartment that Stana used to rent is quick, and Cara and I spend the drive mainly in silence. “What are you going to say to her?” she asks, breaking through me thoughts of all things Stana and a galya baby. “I don’t know,” I answer honestly. I have no idea what I’ll say to her, but I need to at least know if she’s knocked up with me child. “I swear you guys can be so frustrating. If you don’t have anything nice to say, I suggest you

figure it out before we go in there. She’ll be pissed if you just show up and act like a dick.” I roll me eyes at her. Does she really think that I will act like a dick right off the bat? “I won’t be a dick,” I mutter as I pull into the apartment complex. She doesn’t know it, but I am getting Stana to come back with me. If she is pregnant, then I won’t leave her out in the open alone. I will do everything in me power to make sure she’s safe and protected at all times. I don’t care if she doesn’t want anything to do with me if that’s me child she will have no choice. Parking, I wait for a second and stare up at the apartment that I know is hers. The lights are off, and I don’t see any movement in the windows. Getting out, I wait for Cara, and we walk towards the apartment in silence. She doesn’t say anything as I start to knock on the door and it feels like an eternity before I hear anything on the other side of the door. “Stana?” Cara’s voice calls out softly through the door. “It’s me, Cara.” I hear footsteps as we wait and when the door opens, I suck in a breath. She’s still just as beautiful as I remember. Her hair is pulled up in a ponytail, and she’s got

dark circles under her eyes like she hasn’t been sleeping. I want so bad to reach out and touch her, but I hold back. I don’t want to spook her, so I just stand there staring at her. Cara goes inside and wraps her arms around Stana, leaving Stana speechless. She doesn’t say a word about why we are there at her apartment, but she reluctantly lets us through the door. As I pass by her, I can smell the perfume that she always wears and me heart is in me throat. “You look so cute,” Stana says, pulling back from Cara. Her eyes move to Cara’s belly before she puts her hand on her own stomach. I watch her, and when she looks up, her hands fall away, and she turns to walk away from me. Her expression is harder than I remember from the timid lass I met months ago. “Stana,” I say, walking towards her and reaching a hand out. As soon as me fingers touch her skin, I feel as if I was burned. “What Jerick?” She asks sounding exhausted. “I want ye to come back with me,” I murmur coming closer to her. Me hand slides around her back, and her body goes stiff. She

doesn’t move away from me, so I count that as a win. “I can’t,” she whispers, turning away from me. She looks over to Cara for help, but Cara doesn’t do or say a word. She knows what me plan is and I’m sure Rory told her to stay out of our problems. That it didn’t concern her. “Ye can love. I can provide fer ye.” A bitter laugh comes from her lips, and I hate that I’m the reason she’s become slightly cold. “I don’t want anything from you Jerick. We don’t need anything. We will survive all on our own.” We. She said we. “Is it…” I can’t even get the rest of the words out. I stare into her eyes as she struggles to decide if she is going to give me the truth or not. “Stana,” I say with a little more force. She rolls her shoulders before giving me a look that I’ve never seen from her before. She’s angry, angrier than I’ve ever seen and it makes me wonder how I could have turned her into someone like that. The lass that I am in love with, she doesn’t deserve to be bitter and angry. She deserves love and lots of it. That’s why I wrote her the note and gave her the cash. I wanted her to have a good life full of love and happiness, not anger and death.

Thirty-Three Stana Staring into his eyes brings me back to the last time I was able to press my lips against his. Memories of the two of us fill my head, and I have to fight back any emotion. I don’t want him to know what I have planned. I don’t want him to get involved. This is something that I have to do to protect him and our baby. “I’m not going back to you,” I whisper, feeling my heart break a little bit more with every word I say to him. I hate that I need to even turn him down, but I need to be able to get away while trying to get this done. If I don’t, they are going to kill him. His death isn’t something that I can handle. I need him in my life even if I lose any chance I have at getting him back by turning him down right now. At least if he’s alive, he can still be a father. A better father than his own. “Stana,” he growls, mad that I’m not giving him the answer that he is expecting from me. He

thinks that I’m weak and for a long time, I thought so too. But I know that I am doing the right thing by fighting to save his life. Losing him forever is not an option. He closes the distance between us and slides his hand up my back, tangling his fingers in my ponytail, pulling my head back slightly. “Ye can’t stay away from me. I know.” His eyes bore into me, and I have to fight my emotions. Giving in would be so much easier. I love him way too much to let anything happen to him. “Jerick…” I start, but he silences me. His lips graze against mine, and I feel my whole body shudder in anticipation of his kiss. “Gráím thú,” he whispers against my lips. I hear a slight intake of breath from behind me, and I have to close my eyes. If he had the chance to see the war raging in my eyes, he would know. He would wear me down until I told him my plan. I can’t let that happen. “Stana, please don’t make me walk away.” His voice is so low that I almost don’t hear him. “Airím uaim thú.” “What does that mean?” I ask. I have no idea what he said either time in his native tongue,

and I hate that. It must have meant something for Cara to suck in a breath. “Gráím thú means that I love you.” He kisses me once more before he tells me the next one. “Airím uaim thú means that I miss ye.” My whole body goes numb. He loves me. He said that he loves me. I know that he said that he loved me before, but it wasn’t the same. He had never told me that he loved me before and when he had said that he loved me in the past tense for the first time it destroyed me. I didn’t think that he would be able to feel the same way about me again. “Please don’t say that.” My voice breaks and my legs start to give out. This is so much harder than I thought it would be. I shouldn’t have answered the door. I should have just pretended that I wasn’t here. Then I wouldn’t have to hear these words out of his mouth for the first time like this. It should have been when we cuddled up in bed after a long night of sex. I pull away, and he tries to grab my hand, but I move too quickly for him. I have to keep my distance. I need to stay away until at least I know that he is safe. He may be angry with me when he

finds out, but that is something that I am willing to risk to ensure that he lives through it. Another knock on the door brings my attention to it, and I know that everything is going to be ruined. Every sweet word he just said to me is going to be clouded with a darkness that I may never be able to erase. He’s going to hate me, and he will have every reason to. I won’t blame him. I watch as he walks over to the door and opens it to come face to face with Liam. I watch as his whole body goes rigid. “What the feck are ye doing here, Liam?” Jerick growls. Silently I make my way towards them, and I catch Cara out of the corner of my eye. She motions for me to stop, but I can’t. I need to end this once and for all. I had a plan, and when they had shown up, it ruined it. It’s now or never. I have to end this soon before something happens to Jerick. As I reach Jerick, I put my hand on his back and slowly pull his gun out of the back of his jeans as he and Liam just stare at each other, not one word being exchanged between the two brothers. Once the gun is out of his jeans, he reaches back with one of his hands, but he doesn’t stop me. It’s almost like he’s given up. “Ye

shagging me lass?” He all but sneers at Liam. “So help me god if yer the one who…” I put my other hand on his back, silencing him. “She’s the one who called this little meeting. Only she said it would just be the two of us.” I can’t bring myself to listen to him tell Jerick what the meeting was about. “She wanted me to leave ye alone. Ye must be one hell of a shag brother.” He grins, and I feel my stomach turn. I’m going to puke. I can feel the bile as it travels up my throat. “I’m sure she is a hot piece of arse under all that.” He tries to look over at me, but Jerick blocks his view of me. “So move aside little brother, I have other shit I need to do.” Jerick doesn’t move, and I know that I need to do this now. I need to get this over with so I can save his life. I don’t wait any longer. I point the gun at Liam and pull the trigger before he can even realize what’s about to happen. His eyes widen in shock before he grabs at his chest as his body falls to the ground in a heap. And I go completely numb.

Epilogue Stana One Year Later I still don’t regret the decision I made a year ago. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Protecting Jerick and our little girl was worth all the pain and tears. The anger and the hurt lasted for months before he finally let me in again. He thought the worst of me and I knew that I deserved it. I went behind his back and made a deal with the devil in a way. He warned me how dangerous his brother was, and I believed him, but I had to do it. I had to kill his brother to protect them. He would never stop coming after us. Living in fear and always having to look over my shoulder wasn’t how I wanted to bring a baby into this world. She deserves the best life possible, and I will do anything to make sure she has that life. The moment the doctor put that little girl in his arms, the ice melted away, and he smiled at me. I saw the tears in his eyes as he held her.

Everything I did was for her. Fiona Brannigan was born three weeks early but has been nothing but a happy and healthy baby ever since. Watching this man push that little girl on the swing in an empty park reminds me why I did it. Our story may not be perfect, but I know in my heart that it’s our story. I love Jerick so damn much that it hurts. When he hurts, I hurt. I want to ensure that he is never hurting, but I know that I can only do so much. He doesn’t exactly like that I was the one to kill his brother, but he didn’t have a choice at the time. I took his decision away, and I think that it played a big part in why he was so angry. “Stana,” he calls out, motioning for me to come over to them. Fiona sits there in the seat and giggles as I make my way over to them. As I come closer, she reaches out for me, and I pick her up, pulling her out of the swing chair. I kiss both of her chubby little cheeks before I run my fingers through her soft red curls that she got from her daddy. “Hi baby girl,” I coo at her. She grins a wet sloppy grin before reaching out and putting her hands on my face. I kiss her hand as it tries to go in my mouth and Jerick wraps his arms around us

both. I sigh as I lean back into his embrace and we both stare out into the sunset. My mind replays the conversation we had when I saw him for the first time after the murder. Being locked away in this damn place is driving me insane. Jerick comes and goes, but he never says a word or stays for long. I know he’s pissed at me, but I’m not giving him a choice anymore. He needs to understand why I did it. Why I decided to risk my own life to save his. I see him walk by the door and I get off the bed and start running after him. “Jerick,” I beg, grabbing his hand and forcing him to stop. His eyes flash with anger, and I release him, taking a few steps back. My hand absently goes to my stomach, and I see regret flash in his eyes before it’s gone like it never happened in the first place. “What?” he growls. I stand my ground and open my mouth to tell him what happened, but he stops me before I can even get a word out. “What ye did was so damn selfish. Ye could have gotten yerself killed.” I nod my head because I know that. I know that I could have died and I could have gotten him killed too if Liam would have seen the gun in my

hand. “I was willing to take the risk. I had to protect you.” His eyes narrow as he stares at me, trying to figure out what the hell I’m talking about. “After you left the money and the note, I went to see Max.” His nostrils flare, and I can feel his stare go straight through me. “He told me something he overheard while he was staking out your families restaurant.” I pause for a second and his eyes narrow on me, almost like he’s sure that whatever is about to come out of my mouth will be a lie. “Liam was planning on killing you.” He closes his eyes for a second and when they open again, I can see the pain written all over his face. He doesn’t believe me. “He was planning on killing you at the docks while you were at some meeting with him. It was a setup, and I couldn’t let that happen. I need you,” I point to my stomach, “She needs you.” A kiss to the side of my neck brings me out of my memories. It has been a hard road, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Seeing the way Jerick’s eyes light up when he sees our little girl makes everything worth it, completely worth it. I would do it again if I had to. I wouldn’t think twice. Everything I do, I do it for them.

My perfect little-redheaded family.

The End

Sneak Peek Fueled Anger Jack Jameson

Prologue Lennon Blood coats my hands, and as I stare at it, I can’t remember what the fuck happened. Getting up off the cold, hard ground, I look around and see the body of a man. He’s half naked, wearing a pair of jeans that look like they were in the process of being taken off. My hands go to my body, and I feel my own half naked skin. “Oh my god,” I whisper. The words seem like they echo in the cold, dark room. I check my jeans pockets for my cell phone, but I come up empty. Dropping to the ground, I search the floor frantically, feeling the ground until I find something. My hand hits the

phone, and I press a button forcing the screen to light up. The bright light hurts my eyes for a few moments before my eyes finally adjust. Looking at the screen, I see that it’s my phone. The background photo is the one I took with my brother at Christmas a few months ago. It was the first time I had seen him in months, and I treasure that photo. With shaky hands, I pull up my call list and see my brother’s name. He’s going to freak out. I try to wipe some of the blood off of my hands, but I can’t seem to get my hands clean. Hitting his contact, I put the phone to my ear and wait for him to answer. “Hello?” His voice is groggy, and I can feel the tears start to sting my eyes.

“I need help.” My voice breaks and before I can say where I am, my brother is already asking me a million different questions. The only one I can process is, “Where are you?” I hesitate. I have no idea where I am. How the hell do I tell him that I have blood all over my hands? “Lennon!” he yells. My head is swimming. I just need to answer him. He will help me. “I don’t know. I’m covered in blood. There’s…” I trail off, and I can hear his panic over the phone. He starts to cuss in the phone, and it sounds like

he’s dialing something. “Where are you Lennon?” he asks again. I don’t even know how to answer that. “I don’t know Cash. I have no clue where I am or who the guy…” my stomach rolls and I think I’m going to be sick. I don’t know if this is my blood on me or… “I think I’m going to be sick.” I throw up on the ground next to me, and it mixes with the blood. My stomach turns at sight, and I start to cry. I just want to get out of here. “Lennon, I need you to remember where you were tonight.” I try to rack my brain for any recollection of what I did last night, but nothing comes to me.

“I don’t remember.” I can hear him say shit a few more times before he tells me to hold on. I can hear some buttons being pushed in the background and I just want to go home. Scrub every inch of my body and burn the clothes I’m still dressed in. “I found your location. I’m on my way. Stay on the phone with me. Is there anyone else around you?” I scan the dark room the best I can, but I can’t see anything. “I don’t think so. Please hurry I’m scared. What if he tries to attack me or something?” I hear his sigh and then his voice changes. “How much blood is on you?” I look down at my hands, arms, and legs.

“A lot,” I whisper. I start to get light headed just looking at it, and I hear his voice break through the cloud that is starting to settle on my chest. “I doubt he’ll be attacking you. Just be vigilant. I don’t know if there is anyone else there. If someone else shows up, run and hide. Don’t let them know you’re there.” My lip trembles at the sound of his voice, and I hear his truck start in the background. “Hey, I need you to meet me at a warehouse a few blocks from Asher.” “No, I need you there now Hawk. I don’t give a fuck what you’re doing.” I close my eyes and lean against the wall. What the hell did I get myself into?

It feels like forever with me sitting on the phone listening to the sounds of his truck rev and him muttering under his breath about me and the shit I get myself into. I listen to a sound of a Harley or something coming towards me, so I get up and start to move away from the man and towards what looks like a hallway in the back. “Cash, I hear someone,” I whisper. “Len, stay out of sight. I’m almost there.” He starts to talk to whoever Hawk is again, and I listen as well as I can at the sounds in the warehouse or whatever it is I’m in. I hear a door open somewhere, and then a

rough voice is talking. “I don’t see anything.” The voice says. “No, I don’t…” the voice pauses and then I hear, “Ah, fuck.” “Lennon,” my brother says into the phone. “Someone is in here.” My voice cracks, and it shows how scared I am. “I know, it’s Hawk. I need you to go to him. I’m on the phone with him right now. Go to him.” I hear him tell Hawk that he’s sending me out to him, but I don’t move from my spot. “Are you sure it’s Hawk out there?” I ask hesitantly.

“Yeah, just go to him. I’ll be there in a minute.” “Okay,” I say quietly. My feet lead me out into the open room against my will, and I see a man standing over the body. When he hears my feet against the concrete floor, his eyes shoot up and land directly on me. A light flashes towards me, and I have to cover my eyes. He points it to the ground and starts to make his way towards me. He eats up the distance between us quickly, and I hear him talk into the phone. “I got her. She’s fuckin’ covered in blood. Not sure if it’s his or hers.” He stops talking and comes to a stop in front of me. “Hey, I’m Hawk. Your brother is on his way.” My eyes never leave him. He

looks me over, and his eyes linger on my exposed chest. Before I can say anything to him, he pulls his shirt off and starts to pull it over my head. I put my arms in the sleeves, and it’s probably three sizes too big for me and something I would never be caught dead in. “Are you hurt anywhere?” He takes another step towards me, and I shake my head no. I don’t even know, but I can’t get any words out. His hand reaches out towards me, and I flinch away. “Do you know who that guy is?” I shake my head no, and I hear another set of footsteps coming towards us, only it sounds like the person is running. When Hawk turns to look behind himself, I see Cash running towards me. I move around Hawk and

run towards my brother. Our bodies collide, and his arms wrap around me. “Lennon,” he whispers in my ear. I hug him to me, refusing to let him go. He pushes me away from him after a few minutes and starts to look over me. “I gave her my shirt. She wasn’t wearing one.” Hawk says from behind me. I look up at Cash and see his expression. It’s one of worry and anger. “You find anything?” He asks, pulling me back to him. “No, no weapon. The fucker doesn’t even have an ID on him. I have no fuckin’ clue who he is.”

Cash nods his head, and I bury my face into his chest. I’m a good foot shorter than my brother on a good day, and without my signature heels, I’m even shorter. “I don’t ever go anywhere without heels,” I say looking up at Cash. He rolls his eyes at me, and I grab his side so that he takes me seriously. “I wouldn’t have left the house without them.” Cash looks over to his friend and shrugs his shoulders. “Well Princess you left without half of your clothes,” Hawk says with a frown. “I don’t leave the house without looking well put together.” His eyes raise, and he looks between Cash and me. Cash is the complete opposite of

me. Where I’m a fashionista that never leaves the house without looking perfect, my brother rides a motorcycle and the same pair of jeans for weeks. The only shoes I ever see on his feet are biker boots, and he has a drawer full of the same black tee shirt. From the look of it, Hawk prefers my brother’s style over mine. Looking down at my wrist, I notice my watch is missing. I never take it off. It was a gift from our grandmother before she died. “Cash, my watch is missing,” I say looking around. The sun is starting to set, and light is barely filtering in through the boarded up windows. “How did you find me so quickly?” I ask. Cash lives six hours from me, there is no way he got here

that fast if he was in bed when I called him. I look at them, and Hawk just shakes his head. “You’re in Las Vegas,” he says wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “I don’t know how you got here or who the fuck that asshole is, but I’m going to find out.” My mind starts to get fuzzy, but I don’t know if it’s from blood loss or something else. Hell, I’m not even sure that I have any wounds so it could very well be all in my head. Closing my eyes, I just lean against Cash. Maybe all this is a dream, and I’m going to wake up in my bed. “Come on. We need to get you out of here. You’re covered in blood.” He starts to walk me towards the way he came, and he yells over his shoulder,

“Can you get Reid to help you clean up this shit. Whoever brought my sister is here trying to make a statement.” “Yeah, got it,” Hawk says from behind us. When I look over my brother’s shoulder, I see Hawk watching us. His eyes are on me, and even though I’m freaking out on the inside, part of me heats at knowing he’s looking at me.

Gah! What am I even saying? I’m covered in blood for heaven’s sake. He was probably only looking at me because of said blood covering ninety percent of my body. Oh, God. I think I’m going to be sick again. As I hunch over, Cash holds me

somewhat up right so I don’t collapse to the ground to puke my guts up for a second time tonight. After I throw up bile for far longer than I could ever hope for, I let Cash lead me to his truck. Getting into the cab, I pull the mirror down and I see all the blood that covers my face and hair. I need to shower. I need to do something before I start to freak out even more so that I have so far tonight. Its pitch black when we pull into his driveway and the whole ride was silent. Neither of us said a word, maybe afraid of what might be said. I don’t know. I’m pretty sure I would have freaked out if he told me that I killed that man, but then again maybe he deserved it.

I don’t remember being in Las Vegas and I sure as hell don’t remember why I would be half naked and covered in blood. Walking Cash walk around the truck, I take a few steadying breaths before he opens the door. As he helps me out of the truck, his phone starts to ring. I try to ignore the images that are now filling my head of the man that was dead on that warehouse floor, but it’s no use. He’s all I can see.

Coming soon by Jack Jameson. For more information, check out Jack’s facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jackjamesonauthor/

Sneak Peek Targeting Dart Manda Mellett

Chapter 1 - Dart I suspect I’m not alone in disliking hospitals with a vengeance. First off, it’s the smell, that odour of disinfectant that permeates the air and from which there seems no escape. It invades everything you’re wearing, so no matter what you do it’s impossible to shake the aroma that lingers even when you leave. Pain, sickness, and death are all around, and whether or not any effort’s been made to brighten up the décor, it does little to help raise your mood. Of course, it’s better to be here as a visitor rather than an inmate, but that brings its own challenges, particularly

when the patient I’ve come to see is very inaptly named. Heart could more properly be called an ‘impatient’, fed up of being confined to his bed, and visibly suffering under the burden of the news that was delivered to him shortly after he regained consciousness. He’d been in a coma for almost a month. It’s not particularly easy visiting with a man of action who’s used to being out riding his bike but is now immobilised with one leg badly smashed up and broken ribs. Couple that with someone who has been told he’s lost his wife, and you’ve got one angry, devastated man whose emotions swing constantly like a pendulum. My club, the Satan’s Devils MC is determined never to leave him on his own, even if spending time with him is becoming an increasingly

uncomfortable and soul destroying task. Tonight I’ve drawn what’s become known as the short straw, and it’s my turn to keep him company for a while. As I exit the elevator on his floor, I’m mentally trying to prepare myself for the ordeal ahead. Don’t get me wrong, I love Heart like a true brother, and not just in the club sense. We’d joined at the same time, prospected together, and formed a strong bond while we were having all manner of shit thrown at us. But now he’s changed. Oh, he doesn’t look or sound any different; it’s just he’s not the same man that he was before the accident. Last time I was here I barely recognised him. I rap gently on the door and, as Beef steps out, ask in a low voice, “How is he today?” while hoping

against hope I’ll be told there’s some improvement. I’m not asking for a medial update, his body’s healing alright; it’s his mind that’s still got a long way to go. Beef shakes his head, and I pull back my shoulders, prepared to be disappointed. “Bad, man. The doc’s talkin’ about lettin’ him out at the weekend, but there’s no fuckin’ way he can deal with comin’ back to the clubhouse and Crystal not being there.” Beef’s words are not unexpected. Nevertheless, I’d hoped to hear different. Closing my eyes I press my hand against the wall, lowering my forehead to rest on my arm. Fuck, not only has Heart got to cope with his debilitating physical injuries, but his mental anguish on top.

Just four weeks ago, everything was normal. Heart was riding back from a visit to Tombstone, an enjoyable afternoon out with his old lady, when they were deliberately knocked off their motorcycle. The incident leaving my brother fighting for his life, a battle which proved too much for his wife, losing it on the operating table shortly after being admitted. They’d had to sedate him when he was first told the news and, much as I love my brother, I’m grateful I wasn’t the one who had to break it to him and watch him go to pieces. Now, a week later, he’s still not pulled back together. The man behind the door is a different person to the one that set off on a ride with his old lady. “How we gonna do this, Beef?”

On top of his loss, Crystal’s bitch of a mother buried her daughter without waiting for Heart to regain consciousness, taking away his chance to say his final goodbyes. While I’ve never experienced a love like Heart and his old lady had, having seen their relationship from outside in, I know how distressing this must be for my brother. Beef, named for the fact he looks like a fucking bull, shrugs. “No fuckin’ idea, Brother. Fuck, it’s hard for everyone. We all miss Crystal bein’ around. But Heart? This has darn near destroyed him, man; he loved her so fuckin’ much.” He did. If ever there was a match made in heaven, it was theirs. There’s nothing I can say. Sure,

we’ve lost brothers before—only this past year we’ve lost Hank, a prospect, and Adam, a fully patched member— but losing a woman we all adored has affected every member of the club. And it’s so much worse for him. Heart’s not just lost a friend; he’s lost his soul mate. Already I’m wondering if it’s even possible he’ll be able to ever recover. Up to now he’s certainly showing no sign. Beef pats my shoulder, a gesture given in solidarity as though to support me through the hours when I’ll be here. Then he strides off down the corridor in the direction that I’ve just come from, his head hanging low. Visiting with Heart is always depressing. Taking a breath, and then bracing myself, I enter the room, seeking any change from the last time I was here. There’s not much. Heart’s leg’s still in

plaster from his hip to his ankle, but the bandage has been removed from his head. Having been shaven to treat the wound, his blond hair on one side is at last growing back, but short and stubbly, the other side left long. Inanely I wonder whether he’ll get it all shorn off to match, but how his hair is styled is probably the least worry on his mind. Eased off the pain medication, his eyes for once look sharp and bright as they track my approach, a change from the slightly dazed look he had before. I pick up the chair by the side of the bed and turn it around then sit astride it, my arms leaning on the back, and my chin resting on my hands. Neither of us speaks. When the silence gets too grating, I’m the first to break it.

Nodding at the crutches he’s obviously been given to use, I start, “Beef tells me you’ve got your ticket out of here. In a few days you’ll be home, Brother.” His eyes widen and his nostrils flare. “Home? I ain’t got no fuckin’ home.” It’s not the first time he’s snarled at me, but I ignore it and remind him. “You’ve got us, your brothers. You’ve got the club…” “What’s the point of the fuckin’ club when I ain’t got no ol’ lady.” “You’ve got yer kid.” Yeah, he’s got a three-year-old daughter, Amy, who he’s consistently refused to see. “She’s better off without me. Fuck, let her gramma have ‘er. She

wants her.” We haven’t told Heart the whole story, it’s too much for him to handle in the state he’s in now. But yeah, he’s right. Crystal’s mother wanted the kid, but only to sell her to pay off her debts. She’d started the ball rolling that ended with their accident. It’s only the fact we don’t take out women easily that she’s still breathing air. And I won’t be alone in hoping she gets hold of some bad shit, or overdoses and removes the problem herself. All we’ve said to him is that she’s entirely unsuitable to look after a young child. He’s got too much to deal with without adding that information just yet. But I emphasise what’s already been explained. “Heart, she’s so into the shit she can’t even look after

herself.” Yeah, she owed people for the crap she injects into her veins. “Well, let the kid stay with the Prez and his ol’ lady. They seem to have taken to her.” We’ve all noticed he doesn’t even use the child’s name. And yup, Drummer and Sam have been looking after her, and well. But, “She needs her dad.” Heart sneers and looks down at himself. “Ain’t no fuckin’ good to anyone like this.” I don’t remind him she won’t care, that she just needs to know one of her parents is still there for her, whatever shape he’s in. All of us have tried, but Amy, the spitting image of her mother, is the one person he won’t allow into his room. I keep my mouth buttoned up and my thoughts to myself.

Better people than me have tried to persuade him. When he’s home it will be different. Pulling a brochure out of my cut, I try to interest him in something else. “Club’s replacin’ your bike. We’ve voted to get you a new model. Want to have a look at what you could get? Don’t know about you, but the new Low-rider looks fuckin’ ace to me.” His own was totalled as a result of the crash. But he’s closed his eyes and turned his head, pretending to sleep. I end up flicking through the pages by myself. It’s par for the course. Heart’s hurting so badly he just lives in his head, unable to move past what he’s lost and get on with his life. If neither the thought of his daughter or getting a new bike can start bringing him out of his

fugue, then I’ve no fucking idea how to get through to him. A gentle tapping at the door gets my attention, and I look up to see an unwelcome, but familiar face entering. It’s the fucking heat, one of the detectives who have been buzzing around Heart’s accident. Detective Hannah. Her erstwhile dirty partner, Archer, is long dead. Not that she has that intel yet, all she knows is that he’s disappeared off the face of the earth. I nod at her, and pretend to look past her into the empty corridor. “Detective, on your own today?” I hide my smirk. Oh, we’ve solved the mystery of who ran Heart and Crystal off the road. Archer admitted it himself. But that secret we’re keeping close for obvious reasons, including that Slick

shot off his dick before our Vegas brother cut his throat. The cops won’t be finding a body either, Slick made sure of that. Just a few charred pieces of bone, which will take them time to put back together. “Detective Archer is unavailable,” Hannah says tightly. Oh, he definitely is. The new voice has disturbed Heart. He stirs, opens his eyes, and impassively regards the detective. From his expression, I take it they’ve met before and that he’s not particularly pleased to see her. Hannah’s viewing him just as intently. She clears her throat. “How are you, today, Mr Norman?”

“The name’s Heart,” he growls. “And how d’ya fuckin’ think I’m doin’?” He sneers as his left hand indicates his plastered leg. Painfully he goes to pull himself up. I go to help, knowing his wincing comes from his broken ribs that are still healing, but he waves off my assistance, grimacing through the pain. I push the button for his pain meds closer to his hand, but he ignores it. Hannah takes a step closer. “I need to know if you’ve remembered anything more about the accident?” Accident? Murder more like. Heart touches his hand to his head. “Can’t remember fuck all as I’ve told ya already. Last fuckin’ thing I remember was ridin’ back from Tucson with my ol’ lady ridin’ bitch behind

me.” It’s impossible to miss the moisture gathering at the corner of his eye. “What have you discovered so far, Detective?” I probe. It would be useful for the club to know how far they’ve got. She looks from my brother to me. Heart doesn’t seem at all interested. Even when we explained what had happened and that the man who caused Crystal’s death has been dispatched to meet Satan, he seemed to focus on the loss of his wife rather than the punishment meted out to the perpetrator. Just when I don’t think she’s going to speak, she sighs. “We’ve tracked the vehicle down to a rental agency, seems the person who rented it used a fake name and papers.”

Doesn’t surprise me. The Herrera’s, the crime family in Tucson to which Archer had a distant connection, wouldn’t find it difficult to create a false identity. “Oh, and we found the vehicle. Burned out.” “No evidence?” I ask, hoping that Archer had left fingerprints. We all know, and that includes the detective in front of me, that he was a dirty cop, but proving his involvement in what happened to Heart is going to be impossible. He’d only admitted it to us. And then we made sure he wouldn’t be saying anything at all. The detective shakes her head. “No. No fingerprints.” When I think she’s finished, she continues, “But we got a description from the rental

agency.” And then she clams up. It would be to our benefit if they find evidence it was Archer. Perhaps knowing his culpability, they wouldn’t be too concerned when they eventually identify what’s left of his body. Literally burying a cop on the make would be easier than going through the rigmarole of taking him through the courts. Hannah tilts her head to one side, and once again tries to engage Heart. “I’m pleased to see you conscious. I hear you’re going to make a full recovery. I expect you’re looking forward to being with your daughter again.” Oh fuck. She did not just go there, did she?

Gasping, Heart leans forward and points a shaky hand toward her. “Pig, I suggest you stay out of my fuckin’ business. Your job’s findin’ out who killed my fuckin’ wife, and you can keep your filthy nose away from anythin’ else.” For a moment she looks taken aback, and then a fleeting look of sympathy comes over her face. “I’ll keep you informed as to what progress we’re making.” As Heart gently lies himself back, unable to escape the groan of pain, she gives a stiff nod, then turns and walks out of the door. “Fuckin’ cops,” Heart grumbles, and closes his eyes once again. After a while, gentle snores begin showing that this time he’s dozed off for real. I try to make myself as

comfortable as I can on the hard chair, and think about Hannah’s visit, smiling to myself as I realise this is one of the few times that a brother’s actually told the police all he knows. We’ve asked him ourselves, but he really has no recollection of the Ford F-250 hitting his bike. Can’t recall seeing it at all. His last memory is of Crystal’s arms wrapped around him, speeding along an open road. That he has no recollection of seeing her broken body on the ground has got to be better than remembering everything and reliving it over and over again in his nightmares. He must have fought hard but been unable to prevent the bike leaving the freeway, and I can only imagine the panic and fear he would have felt. Thank God for small fucking mercies he’s got no memories at all. I hope the detail never comes back.

Eight hours later and Blade’s entrance marks the end of my shift. Heart being asleep meant the time had passed with no further conversation. My muscles feeling seized, I stand and stretch, then give our enforcer a similar update to the one Beef had supplied to me, and we exchange sorry shakes of our heads. I update him on Hannah’s visit, and once that’s completed, at last I’m free to leave. While we’re all elated to see Heart physically improving, I walk out just like Beef had done after spending time with him, head down and dejected. Outside the autumn sun is shining, a pleasant temperature, not as harsh as it is in mid-summer. Monsoon season has passed, making it one of my favourite seasons to ride. Starting the engine, I point my bike towards the

clubhouse, more than ready to go home, using the miles and the time to give the breeze a chance to clear sombre thoughts from my head and the condition of my injured brother from my mind. But when I arrive at the clubhouse, where I’ve been is obviously written on my face. It’s an expression we all seem to wear when we come back from visiting Heart. Drummer, our president, standing at the bar, notices and waves me over. Jekyll, one of our prospects, puts a beer into my hand. After a quick look at me, Drum nods to the top shelf where his best whisky is kept. Declining ice with a shudder, but grateful to have something stronger, I pick up the shot glass, knocking the spirit back in a couple of swallows.

“How is he today? Any mention of Amy?” Sadly, I explain, “I tried, Prez, but he’s adamant he won’t see her. Fuckin’ shame for the kid. She doin’ okay?” Drum turns and points to where his pregnant old lady, Sam, is playing with the little girl. “Kids are resilient, she’s settlin’ in with us fine. But she needs her father. And Heart needs to see her.” That he does. “Hannah came sniffin’ around.” “Oh? She got anythin’?” “Nothin’ at all. ‘Cept they may have a description of the fucker who

hired the Ford.” Drum taps his fingers against the bar. “Could be interestin’ if that matches Archer. ‘Bout time they put the clues together.” I nod. My thoughts exactly. “We gonna make a move on Clyde? Heart still doesn’t know she’s a problem.” Susie Clyde was Crystal’s mother, and as far as I’m concerned should be in the ground for her sins. “Want Heart to be part of that decision. We’ll set him straight on what she did when he’s in a better state of mind.” I suppose that’s the right thing to do. Turning around, I survey the room, freshly painted and with all new furniture. There’s no doubt it’s

freshened the place up, but the reason for the redecoration is something else that fucker Archer was responsible for, he and his cop friends had destroyed the place using a trumped up search warrant. As I’m glancing around, I see the sweet butts are just coming in, and a good fuck might be just what I need to clear the last few hours from my mind. I nudge the Prez and indicate Paige. “Think I’m gonna give her a try.” She’s been here a couple of months now, but to date I’ve not been with her. His sympathetic eyes meet mine, and he gives a quick nod. “Yeah, go get laid, Dart.” He turns back to take a sip of his drink and I wonder how he deals with his pent-up emotions now he’s restricted himself to an old lady. Sure, the

fuckings probably good, but having no variety? My eyes fall on the other new girl, Diva. I’ve already seen they’re both up for threesomes. Having two girls service me tonight will surely bring me out of this funk that I’m in. Drummer used to be up for multiple partners before he tied himself down. Before I move off, having gestured toward the girls I’ve chosen and received their eager nods in response, I ask him, “How can you cope with having just one pussy, Prez?” He swings around, and a smile comes to his lips. “Ain’t the hardship you’re thinkin’, Dart. One day you’ll find the one, and she’ll be so good that you’ll never want your cock to go anywhere else.” I laugh, and shake my head so

violently my long hair comes loose from my bun. “Ain’t no one girl alive could satisfy me, Drum.” His lips remain curved as he replies, “Perhaps you just haven’t found the right one yet.” He pauses, and points around the room, indicating the whores ready and waiting. “There are girls you fuck, and girls you make an old lady.” I chuckle, not persuaded in the least. I’m still moving my head left to right in negative dismissal as I walk away, going over to the Paige and Diva who stand and enthusiastically link their arms with mine. Within moments we’re in one of the crash rooms, clothes scattered over the floor, and I’m lying flat on the bed while Diva sucks my cock into her talented mouth, and Paige

sits on my face. God, this is the life! Tomorrow I could go with another of the club girls, or perhaps one of the hang arounds who come to our parties. A different experience every night. No siree, I’m never going to find a woman who’s got everything I want in one package. Uh uh. After I’ve come in Diva’s mouth and in Paige’s cunt, I’m totally drained. Having ensured both girls have been satisfied, I send them away and, too tired to go up to my suite, settle down to sleep where I am. My last thoughts before my eyes close return to Heart. When we thought we were going to lose him, it wasn’t only me who felt the loss, he was my best friend, after all. It affected us all, and some of the soul went out of the

club. Heart was our conscience, Heart was a lover, a peacemaker, though he’d fight alongside any brother when needed. Heart, Crystal, and Amy were our resident family, their love for each other making all of us smile, cheering us up on the darkest of days. When he came round, I thought at least we now had him back. Damaged for certain, that was a given, it’s hard for anyone to deal with the devastation that comes with losing a mate. But what none of us expected was he’d be totally broken. That man in the hospital bed? I don’t know him at all.

Chapter 2 - Alex Celine covers her mouth and leans toward me, whispering conspiratorially from behind her hand. “See those two men at the bar? I’d give them both at least an eight, and probably darn near a nine.” Only vaguely interested, I turn to see what my sister has pointed out, and it only takes a second before I’m agreeing with her assessment. “For whites, they’re okay.” And my, that’s an understatement. The two tall men are stunning, particularly the one on the right. He’s got his dark hair tied up in a man bun, and when he turns my way his features are aquiline with well-defined cheek bones. His stance and bearing show he’s all man, almost too much for

one woman to handle. As I watch, he laughs at something his companion has said, then slaps him on the back, drawing my attention to the strange leather vest that he’s wearing. “That one’s not bad. But what’s he wearing?” Celine narrows her eyes. “The threads show they’re members of the Satan’s Devils,” she tells me. “It’s an outlaw motorcycle club based here in Tucson. Have you not seen them around?” I haven’t, no, but then I haven’t been here that long. Then I latch onto something she’s said. “Outlaw?” Now intrigued, peering up through my eyelashes, I risk another glance at them. “Yeah, they live outside the law. Or that’s the word.”

“Criminals?” “Christ, girl. Don’cha have bikers where you come from?” As she picks up her glass and drains it, I think about it. No, I don’t think I’ve come across them before, not unless I’ve been driving and had to put up with a group of motorcyclists splitting lanes, making me ultra-careful to keep to my side of the road. Tilting her drink toward the bikers, she continues, “There are rumours they kill people and bury the bodies.” “Kill? Who? Anyone?” I can’t help shifting nervously and shrinking back into my seat. She throws me a disparaging look. “Jesus, Alex. What stone did you crawl out from under? No, not random peeps. Just people who cross them.”

Making a mental note not to do anything to upset them, I risk another look, trying to assess just how dangerous they are. Celine must see that’s she’s made me nervous, and gives a little laugh. “They’re just rumours, Alex. If they were criminals, don’cha think the cops would quickly be along to arrest them?” They certainly don’t look like wanted men, standing at the bar and enjoying a joke. “And they own this place. The Wheel Inn. Or so most people believe. That’s why they’re here I expect. To check it’s running smoothly. And to keep trouble away.” Which they’d have no problems

doing just by their presence. You’d have to be mad to take on big, tough men like them. And something about them being tattooed and dangerous, I’m ashamed to admit, sparks my interest. What would it be like to have one of them in your corner? Or in your bed. Especially the one with his hair in a bun. God, I bet he’d know what to do to keep a girl satisfied. Mmm mmm. Celine resumes the conversation. “I think they’ve gone, or are trying to go legit. They own a number of businesses in Tucson…” She breaks off and looks at me with a gleam in her eyes. “Hey, girl, that’s a thought. They own a strip club.” I shrug, having absolutely no idea where she’s going with that comment.

“Yeah,” she carries on enthusiastically, “that could be an idea for you. You’re desperate for a job, ain’t cha? And I doubt they’d be worried if you didn’t want to give them your security number.” It was the wrong time to take a sip of my drink, as I now spit it out all over the table, and my resultant choking fit has the bikers, and everyone else in the vicinity, spinning around to look at me. Feeling the blood rushing to my cheeks, I grab hold of her arm. “What the fuck you talking about? Me? Work in a strip club?” “Babe,” she looks at me as though addressing a child, “you’ve got no real work experience to offer. What’s the one skill you have got?” Suddenly I regret telling my

sister as much as I had. There were definitely some things I should have kept quiet. But she’s right. Having run away to Tucson with little more than the clothes on my back, the money I had managed to bring with me was fast running out. I’d be unable to rely on her generosity for very much longer, and needed to earn enough to pay my way somehow or other. It’s not that I haven’t been looking for work, I have. But either I’m not wanted as I’ve no resume to offer, or if someone was willing to give me a chance, I baulked at having my name officially entered on employment records. I may be overly cautious, Ron might not even be trying to find me. But if he is searching for me, I don’t want to make it easy for him. Hopefully he wouldn’t even

think of looking here, even if I did come and impose on my sister. Ostracised by my overly strict family when she’d got pregnant and had an abortion at the age of eighteen, I’d kept in contact with her in secret, and as far as I know, am the only one who knows where she ended up. Even if Ron did find out her address, there’s no reason for him to think that this is where I would run to. Thinking about my plight reminds me how overwhelmed I was by her easy acceptance of my situation, and the help both her and her husband have extended to me. Not only putting a roof over my head, but also refusing much more than a pittance toward the food they willingly share. It is well past time I begin to repay them, and hopefully, manage to bring in enough

money so I can put some aside. But a strip club? I bark an incredulous laugh. She’s looking at me strangely. “I think it’s worth a try.” I just give a disbelieving look. “Me, a stripper? Working for bikers? You have got to be kidding me. Just look at me, Celine. I’m not the type.” I know what I am. Christ, I find it hard enough to get clothes to fit. Which wouldn’t be a problem if I’m taking them off. I give myself and mental slap around the head. I’m not seriously considering it, am I? “I’m black,” I add. And coming to Tucson I’m finding it strange how few of us there are. She tilts her head to one side. “You’re different is all. And from what

you’ve said…” “I said too much, obviously.” My eyes narrow at her. Her sudden change of subject catches me off guard. “Want another?” She points to my empty glass. Thank goodness! She appears to be done with her preposterous suggestion. When I nod, she takes empties and goes over to the bar. I watch as she meanders around the tables instead of taking the direct route, and ends up, oh shit, beside the bikers. Showing such rough types can also be gentlemen, they move aside to let her through, but I can see from here they’re undressing her with their eyes as they do so. Oh, Celine got the figure, looks, and the

height. She’s the total opposite of me. As usual, I can’t hide my envy at the way the dice fell. What they see must be enough to tempt them, but she dismisses the comment they make with a confident laugh, then turns and places her order. As she’s waiting for the barman to bring the drinks, she swings back around and starts having what becomes an animated discussion with the men clad in leather. Anxiously biting my lip, I half look away, but continue watching them out of the side of my eye. What is she up to? But luckily there’s not one glance coming my way to suggest the topic of the discussion seems to concern me. The biker taps something into his phone, and I’m hoping it’s not her number. She’s happily married, or that’s what I thought.

After a few moments she returns, and a fresh drink is placed in front of me. There’s a gleam in her eye that I’m not sure I like. “Thanks, Celine.” I regard it for a moment, feeling guilty. “You know you didn’t have to bring me out tonight. I’m so sorry I can’t pay my way.” “Oh shush, girl. It’s good to get away from the house and have a girls’ night out. Craig’s all well and good, but I can go out with him anytime. And I can’t eye fuck the men while he’s around.” I smile, thinking she doesn’t have to. She landed herself a good’un with him. So, what was she up to? I make a small gesture that no one else would notice. “What was that all

about?” “What?” she replies innocently, but something in her eyes flares. “You, talking to the bikers.” She laughs, shrugging it off, and points to the drinks on the table. “You’ll soon be able to return the favour once you’re earning again.” She’s changing the subject by reminding me of my sorry predicament. I lift my chin and lower it, while thinking it will take a long time before I find anyone willing to take me on. Though, surprisingly, in Tucson it’s not the colour of my skin that’s much of a drawback. There are relatively few blacks in the city, and therefore we’re not seen as any kind of threat. No, it’s the fact I’ve never worked a day in my

life that’s against me. A half-finished law degree hasn’t proved to be of any use. Celine’s looking at her glass, and then peers at me over the top. “Hey, get that look off your face. Things are looking up, girl. I’ve got you an interview. Well, maybe audition’s the better word for it.” Hang on. She said nothing about this earlier, and that flick of her eyes toward the men at the bar gives her away. Oh shit, don’t tell this mama it’s something to do with the bikers. I put my hand to my mouth, suddenly feeling very afraid. “Celine, what have you done?” I hiss. My eyes return to the bar just in time to see the two men disappearing out the back. “What do you mean, an audition?”

“At Satan’s Topless Angels.” I growl low in my throat, “Which is?” But deep down I already know the answer. The name gives it away. “The strip club owned by the Satan’s Devils Motorcycle Club.” Her reply is nonchalant, as if she was speaking about nothing more edifying than the weather forecast. Now my head drops into my hands. What the hell has she gone and done? “It’s tomorrow morning,” she continues, as if she’s not given me anything out of the normal to consider. “At eleven o’clock.” For a moment I peer through

my fingers, staring at her. What the hell is she thinking? There is no way on earth that I’ll be making that audition. For one thing, the only thing that matters, I don’t have what it takes. All at once, anger takes over as I look at my sister who, though has the same skin colour, unlike me, has been blessed with a tall slender physique, taking after our father. “Celine, just be sensible. Look at me,” I hiss. “I’m short, overweight, and my boobs are totally out of proportion. Hardly stripper material.” As quickly as mine had, her ire rises to match. “You’re beautiful, Alex, and don’t you ever forget it. And strippers come in all shapes and sizes, they have to. Men are attracted to many different types.” “Not mine.” My husband had

criticised my body for years, not that there was much I could do about it. All the dieting and exercising in the world hadn’t altered the basic shape God had gifted me with. My legs are too short, my breasts top heavy, and as for my ass... I, as Ron had so often said, am a joke. She waves her hand in dismissal. “It’s what you do with it that matters the most. And boy, have you got some moves.” Maybe, I have. Who am I to judge? But I’d spent months trying. Not that Ron had appreciated it at all. He’d seen the same video I’d sent to Celine and he’d laughed his head off, before telling me I made him feel sick and walked out, presumably to find a whore to stick his dick into.

I’d never told him anything about my strange hobby again. But I’d continued my lessons, performing for nothing other than my own enjoyment. But the legacy of the reaction of the man I’d left was what made me so nervous showing myself off to strangers. If he was repulsed, wouldn’t they be too? “Look Alex, I think you ought to give this a try…” “Celine. You know I love you, and how much I appreciate you taking me in. And I know you need me to start paying my way, but there must be something else I can do…” “You haven’t found anything so far. And,” she holds up her hands to stop me trying to talk over her again, “you need to get some confidence back.

I think this is a great way. Go to the audition, show them what you’ve got, shake that little booty of yours, and if you get the job, great, you don’t have to take it. If they offer it to you, at least you’ll start believing that bastard Ron was just trying to wear you down.” But what he’d said was the truth. I could use a mirror as well as the next woman. It will just be one more situation where I’d make a man laugh. “But it’s a strip club,” I snarl. Shit, how did I end up with this as my only option? “I can’t do that.” “Why not? Plenty of women do. And it’s not as though you’re going to be a hooker. Damn girl, just give it a try. For me?” “I am not getting naked in front of strangers.” My hand wanders down

and smoothes across the curves of my stomach. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want. Wear a bodysuit or something. I’m sure you can work something out.” The airily way she dismisses all my protests makes me realise with a sinking feeling of dread, she’s actually serious about this. My eyes narrow. “They didn’t even look at me. They weren’t at all interested.” Yeah, they’d looked around at my coughing fit, but away just as quickly. She shrugs, pushing her artificially relaxed and straightened hair over her shoulders. “I may have led them to believe it was going to be me.” “Well you can fucking go

instead.” There. If she’s so keen for one of us to take their clothes off in public, let it be her. “Alex,” she starts, sounding like she’s addressing a slow learner. “I might have been blessed with a typical figure and reasonable looks, but I can’t do with it what you can. You’ve got the rhythm and movement. I’m just a stick on two legs.” That brings a small smile to my lips. Unfortunately, she’s right. But is my ability to move enough for people to overlook my other major shortcomings? She leans forward and covers my hands with her own. “Babe, sleep on it, okay? If you don’t turn up, they won’t be too bothered. They only know to expect an Alex in the morning. If you really don’t want to do this, then don’t.

But if you want to give it a try, then I’m behind you all the way.” Again, my teeth worry my bottom lip. If I wasn’t so desperate for money I wouldn’t even consider it. I start to wonder what the wages are like, the thought of being able to put dollars in my wallet suddenly sounding attractive. But her confidence I can pull it off is surely misplaced. I glance at my sister, not for the first time in my life, wishing I’d won the looks lottery instead. “You really think I can do this?” “Why not?” I can think of a hundred reasons why. Including, “I’m not a whore.” “Of course not!” She looks shocked. “Look, I used to know one of

the girls who stripped there—lovely girl, actually. She told me nothing like that was expected. The bikers are protective of the girls, and make sure there’s no touching. Sure, some give lap dances, but none are pushed into it if they don’t want to. And woe betides a man who puts his hands on a girl unasked. She was like you, desperate for well-paying job, but because of the positive environment she actually enjoyed it. She ended up marrying one of the patrons.” Our glasses are once again empty. Celine gathers her jacket and picks up her purse. As I copy her actions her words go around in my head. Don’t be stupid. It’s ridiculous. I can just imagine Ron laughing his head off. And I pull myself up straight.

What the fuck do I care what my soonto-be ex-husband would think? Part of the reason I left was to change myself into someone different from the housewife he’d modelled me into, the Stepford wife clone he wanted to keep his house. I got away. I’m free. I can do anything. Can two people who have nothing in common find a way to each other even when the odds are stacked against them? Find out in Targeting Dart http://amzn.to/2z3JlSd

Sneak Peek Something Just Like This Lisa Shelby

Prologue “You’re kidding, right?” Her hand closes over her mouth the moment I bend to one knee and reach into my pocket. For a brief moment in time, I actually think she may just be surprised, but when she throws her head back and laughs with pure abandon, my body turns cold, and I start to feel sick. “Liam, for God sakes, get up! We don’t need people to see you and have the word get out that you’ve proposed. What in the Lord’s name are you thinking?” She all but yells through the outdoor terrace of the restaurant I reserved weeks ago, specifically for this

moment. Getting up from bended knee and shoving the small square box deep into my pocket, I fall back into my seat. My seat at the table with the candle-lit setting that she continues standing next to, looking down on me in disbelief. I don’t like the way this feels. Her standing above me. Looking down on me. I sense people staring at us, and I can hear their whispers. Why isn’t she sitting down? I am this close to my emotions getting the better of me. The kind of emotions I’m not used to feeling.

“Why don’t you have a seat? If you don’t want attention, you might want to sit down.” I can hear the terseness in my voice. It’s taking everything I have to keep my ass in my seat and not to flee the bloody scene before me. I force myself to resist because there is no need to cause a bigger scene than we already have. She finally sits. “Liam, honey…I thought you knew we weren’t serious. I thought you were just having fun too?” “Clearly, you thought wrong,” is all I can muster. I feel my rage boiling under the surface, and I know if I say much more,

the scene I’m trying to avoid will likely take place. Her smile hasn’t left her face since her hysterical fit of laughter. It’s almost as if she’s enjoying herself and finding the entire ordeal hilarious. “Liam, we have fun together and you’re great in bed— I mean really great—but there has never been any long term possibility for us.” She tilts her head and looks at me like I’m a child she has to talk down to so I understand the words that are coming out of her mouth. How could I have been so wrong about us? She can see the confusion on my face and shakes her head, taking my hand and patting it to placate me. Smile

still in place. “Sweetie, please don’t take this the wrong way…but you aren’t really the marrying kind. You’re the kind of guy a girl dates to get under her parents’ skin.” I rip my hand out from underneath hers. Is this really happening right now? She sits back in her chair, relaxed and chipper as can be. “My parents already hope I’ll marry my dad’s business associate’s son. A son with blue blood, and I know that chapter of my life is right around the corner. That’s where you came in. I was making sure I had as much fun as I could with a regular guy before it was time to settle down. Once that happens, my life with be filled with dinner

parties, babies, and boring sex.” And the hits just keep coming. “You mean a regular guy who will get under her parents’ skin. That’s what all of this...” I say, motioning my hand between the two of us. “…has been about?” “Listen, I know you make good money and you treat me well, but you’re new money, darlin’, and that’s just not quite the same thing. It’s not what my family and I are looking for. You know how it is.” “I do now.” “Liam, again no offense but do you really see me having little brown babies running around the club? My parents would be mortified.” She chuckles. Holy fuck! This is about my skin color. Who the fuck is she?

I raise my hand to let our server know we’re ready for our check. I think I’ve had about enough, and it’s time to go. “Oh, come on Liam. You don’t have to be a baby and cut the night short. You’re a big tough guy. It’s not like you actually popped the question. You didn’t ask me anything, and I didn’t decline any offers. Let’s just forget the whole thing.” She leans forward and looks up and down the small menu in front of her. “Besides, I haven’t ordered my dessert yet.” Her fucking dessert? She must be out of her fucking mind! The server brings the check to the table, and I’ve already got my card out. While I wait for him to return my card, I stare out at the lake in front of me. I can’t look at her face another

minute. I just want out of this fucking restaurant. Now. I sign the receipt once my card is returned to me. I stand and pull out her chair without looking at her. She stands on a huff. “You’re being a baby, Liam.” I don’t reply. Not sure what I would say to the racist bitch that pretty much just told me I was beneath her. That I’m a joke she was using to piss her parents off. Yep, not sure there’s anything to say that won’t lead to me getting arrested.

I walk ahead of her and straight to the valet. I can hear her stomping behind me, mumbling under her breath, and I could not give two shits. She stands next to me but neither of us speak. She’s texting someone. I’m sure she’s telling her hysterical story to all of her little friends and laughing at my expense. Where is my fucking car? I hear her giggle at something just as my car is parked in front of us. I tip the valet and walk around to the driver’s side of the car and get in. She stands outside the passenger side door and for a minute has the nerve to act appalled that I haven’t gotten back out to open her door for her. She’ll be waiting a long

fucking time. Eventually, she gets the message and lets herself in. The moment she slams the door shut, I take off. I couldn’t care less that she doesn’t have her seat belt on. I just need to get her home, out of my car, and out of my God-damned life. As we pull into her driveway, she takes off her seat belt. Her hand trails up my thigh, and she grabs my cock. If she thinks that she will ever get me hard for her again she is sorely mistaken. I lift her hand off me and drop it in her lap. She disgusts me. “Honey, if my money and my skin color aren’t good enough for you then my dick surely isn’t. Play time is over.” I put the car in park and reach in front of her and open her door for her

instead of walking around the car and opening it. “You have a nice night.” And get the fuck out of my car! She pouts for a moment and then steps out of the car, but before she closes the door, she leans in and says, “Thanks for dinner…” I jolt up in my bed, dripping in sweat and feeling like I might get sick. Fuck this dream…or shall I say nightmare. It’s been months since that laugh has haunted my sleep, and I do not plan on letting it taunt me again. I need a drink. http://amzn.to/2yJAhmC

About the author K. Renee is from sunny California. Creative by nature, she decided to put her imagination on paper. During the day, she works in an office; at night, she writes. These stories have been in her head for years and are finally coming out on paper. http://kreneeauthor.net https://www.facebook.com/kayreneeauthor [email protected] Tsu: KReneeAuthor Twitter: k_renee_author

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3653377

k-renee

Acknowledgements First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for buying this book! I never thought I would be releasing one book, let alone writing as many as I have in this short amount of time. I can’t wait for everyone to meet my characters and fall in love with them like I have. To my street team, K’s Wayward Ladies… Thank you for all you do! You girls are amazing at pimping my book out to the indie world. Thank you for your support and I can’t wait to see what the future brings. To the readers and fans… I thank each and everyone one of you

who come to hang out with me during takeovers, participating in my giveaways! I hope you like this and my future books. -K