Taming Evangeline (Shattered Souls #1) - C.L. Matthews

TAMING EVANGELINE Copyright © 2016 C.L. Matthews All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written consent except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events or real people are purely fiction. Editing services provided by Edits By V. Photography by Mandy Hollis/MH Photography Cover Design by Sara Eirew/ Sara Eirew Photography Book design by Inkstain Interior Book Designing







A LONG NIGHT WITH YET another man was Evangeline’s routine for the past eight years. She didn’t mind different men every night; it thrilled her to know she was experiencing everyone available to her. That’s how she got her nickname, “Black Widow.” The thrill of having any man at her mercy gave her a dark satisfaction that was untamed and alluring. She used them as if they were a gamer at an arcade, taking what they could give while getting nothing in return. Their pain was her aphrodisiac to the emptiness she felt inside. Men fell at her feet, falling into her web of lust and mistakes. She pitied them and gave nothing to ease their torture. She lived off the facial expressions of men when she was done; knowing she satisfied them but never would again. Evangeline would leave in the middle of the night to hide the excitement that lit up in her dark irises, not wanting them knowing her plans, which were what kept her going every day. A broken heart wasn’t something you let go of like last night’s trash; it was a slow burn that constantly throbbed between her ribcage to remind her why she hated men so much. The sun shined down on her body through the light-colored curtains that she had never seen before. Eve owned blinds…that much she remembered. Where the hell am I? She then remembered the previous night of clubbing, which led her to this man’s house in the end. Her head throbbed, nose scrunching in displeasure at the acknowledgement to how much she drank. She’d never got used to having a man hold her at night, as it wasn’t something she enjoyed wholeheartedly. Eve did recall that it was vital to have his name added to her black book, or for better terms, her “nice fucks” book. This book listed her favorite men she’d slept with. Several were already listed, each of them having a “talent” she enjoyed. There was Ren, the animal. He liked toying with handcuffs and was amazing at eating her out. Then there was Robert “Bobby.” He made Eve experience orgasms that hurt from the powerful intensity, ones that made her stomach ache as she received them. She took immense satisfaction playing with him. When she found a new man she enjoyed, she’d add him to the book and get a phone number for later adventures. There were never attachments, just sex. If it were to ever

grow into something more, they’d turn into poison and she’d drop them like a bad habit. Attachments were messy and she wasn’t in it for emotions. Rolling to her left side, her eyes washed over the god-like statuesque man sleeping deeply. Her eyes roamed from his muscular “V” all the way to his chiseled chin. He was much more appealing with the lighting, showing every feature she missed last night. Still sleeping and breathing deep, he displayed such innocence. After last night, no one could say he was simply innocent. His cheeks were reddened with the heat of the sun caressing his naked skin. One thing she missed about men was how she didn’t have nightmares while they were around, easing her wandering mind simply with their presence. The man’s face appeared peaceful in his sleep, like the sight of satisfaction or as if he was dreaming happy thoughts. It had a relaxing effect to her entire body. His hair was a cool summer tea shade with lighter blond highlights that went in all directions, sloppy but fitting for his masculine face. His beard trimmed around his chin, accentuating his jawbone, making him appear young at heart. She remembered exactly what it felt like between her legs last night. Fanfuckingtastic. She giggled, her eyes dancing as he ground out in displeasure from the noise, knowing all too well he had a rough night as well. Not only did they have intense and heated sex, they drank more than they should have for a week night. Tequila shots weren’t always the best choice, especially for the start of a week. The hangovers were a bitch. This situation she caught herself in wasn’t normal for her. She was typically gone by this time in the morning, but she always hung around a little longer for the satisfying one-night stands. The only time she stayed was if they were worthy of her time and would be for her unforeseen endeavors. Good thing I haven’t been called into work yet. Her job was the one thing that would turn any sane man off. She dissected men and women for a living. Not physically, but in the most personal of ways. She made it so she knew their life inside and out, their type of victim, who they dated, who their next target could be, and their MO. Instead of being a field agent like her best friend Ronnie, she decided on a more technical route, to analyze people and learn about them. She tore apart a person’s mind to think just as they did, to be the victim and killer. Sometimes it was harder than she wanted to admit. Thinking like a psycho wasn’t exactly uninvolved. It was a feat she despised doing, sometimes with a case like she had awhile back, she had to think like a sexual predator to understand why he attacked children and who his next victim could be. It was how she was so easily able to catch killers. She was the Aaron Hotchner of real life—a complete badass. He admired her with a cheeky grin, a dimple peeking out on his right cheek. She could tell he was pleased she hadn’t snuck out while he was passed out. As a nervous tick, she started playing with a lock of her hair, twisting it while biting her lip gently. As she twirled her hair, she leisurely dragged her gaze up to his, noticing his eyes were a vibrant green with golden flecks encasing the iris and she

thought they were absolutely vibrant. He still carried a boyish grin; he couldn’t keep his eyes off of hers. It reminded her of the little things she didn’t notice which unsettled her; she didn’t catch names, features, or even personalities. Eve never noted these kinds of details, but she typically didn’t find a good playmate either. They didn’t come often and when they did, she appreciated the moments like these that she didn’t get the chance to experience. Still smiling like a schoolboy, he spoke, his voice still groggy from sleep. “Good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?” He rubbed his tired eyes with his palms to wipe the sleep from them. An uncontained smile appeared, beaming at him without a care of the consequences of being thrilled. Usually she thought compliments were tacky, but she relished in it this one time; wishing it was more for once. She tired of having a new man every night, to not know them deep down. No, don’t think that way. You are better off. Shaking off the negative thoughts, she answered him. “Amazing actually, was hoping I could get a name and number and see if there was another time we could enjoy each other ’s company?” You know you liked last night as much as I did. Grinning from ear to ear, he smiled brightly, eyes wide and glowing. His smile was contagious and she found herself smiling with him, even though she should hold him at arm’s length for good reason. She held her breath, hopeful for another eventful night in the near future. Those nights were what kept her sane; she needed something normal in her life. What she really needed was stability. Her job was open, really; she could be called in at any moment. “Well, I’m Max Liston, and yes, I am available for sex whenever you need a fun time,” he winked with a confident grin. Max Liston. She silently rolled his name off her tongue. She enjoyed the way it sounded. He said yes! Snickering and nearly jumping in joy like a kid at Harry Potter world, she had just collected another name. Though it was a routine for her, she reveled in new men for new types of foreplay. She was content to have another person to spend her lonely nights with. Maybe they’ll be less lonely, now. “I’m Evangeline Carpenter, but most people call me “Black Widow” for kicks; an inside joke if you will.” She winked, snickering helplessly. “But don’t be frightened; I like you. You have no reason to fear my bite, you may find that you like it.” His eyes widened, as if she punched him in his gut, his smile disappeared and a frown covered his beautiful features. Aw, don’t frown, pretty boy. “I’ve heard of you, Eve, and not always good things either. I work with Gideon Blackwell and I can’t say it’s exactly smart for us to spend time together after today. You know how he is; plus, he’s my boss. I can’t lose my job for a good lay, it’s not me,” he said, the color leaving his face. Her smile disintegrated, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. Her brows furrowed in disbelief, she shook her head, pressing her lips in a tight line. Gideon Blackwell, his name was like a bitch slap to

my face. He’s always ruining my fun. She pouted, lips protruding outward, wanting Gideon to take a hike from her business and keep to himself. Max seemed too nervous over a guy that Eve was through with, years ago matter-of-fact. Not only were they done, he was a distant memory that she hated to have brought up in conversations such as this one. A light clicked in her head as a devious glint lit in her eyes; she recognized what she had to do. Licking her lips and tapping them in contemplation, a devilish smirk took over her face the more she thought of it. Maybe he’d be an asset of sorts; if he knew Gideon, then she could definitely use him to her advantage. She required a person who could tell her what he’d been doing all these years. No matter how many times she told herself she hated the bastard, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Maybe his love life sucked as bad as hers. If she were honest with herself, she’d probably walk into his arms without as much as a second thought. No. No. No. Her new plan would be simple; she’d get info on Gideon and let Max give him all the excruciating details to their sexcapades. Like a frat boy in a frat house, maybe he’d tell everyone how he conquered her body; Gideon would just love that. She liked messing with his head since he fucked with her heart. Karma was a bitch, and he’d get his own. Maybe he’d finally feel the hurt she felt all those years ago. A girl could only hope. She tilted his chin so they were eye to eye with only a breath of space between them. “Don’t let poor, little Gideon ruin our fun. I wouldn’t even mind if you bragged or told him all about it. He ruined me, Max; he is a bad man.” She frowned with a miserable expression marring her pretty face, “He broke my heart and couldn’t care less about me. He keeps trying to hurt me, so don’t let him win,” she sulked, emphasizing each word. “One I will never forgive,” she added for good measure. For some sick and twisted reason, she needed this to work out. A hint of smile played at his lips like he’d won the fucking lottery. Maybe he did, as there was always an empty bed she needed filling. He rubbed his chin in thought. Already knowing she had caught him in her web, one that was only getting stickier and messier by the day. She intertwined him with the rest of the men she used for shits and giggles. Right where I want you, pretty boy. “Fine, if you say he did you wrong, then I will oblige to your needs. I had an amazing time and I know next time will be nothing less. You seem like a sweet girl, Eve.” If only he knew. Now to use him for my evil schemes. Before she left to go home and shower, they played around for another hour or so in bed, not that she minded a quick tumble before she headed to work. He was quite the energizer bunny and she loved every moment of it. If a man could make her moan and not fake it, that was a good thing. Now that she was successful with capturing his attention, she would put him on the top of her list right above Ren Michaelson, but only because he had more stamina. Ren… now that man was a freak in bed and the things they’d explored together were pretty

intense, like nothing else she’d ever experienced. She blushed, thinking of all the things he’d done with her body. Ren was her side boy that she’d visit at least once a month. It would be more if he wasn’t the co-owner of a huge marketing company. Now Max would probably be a twice-a-month man for her. If he wasn’t too busy. He should consider himself lucky. No one got that privilege from her. Since Eve felt empty more often than not, she craved a warm body to comfort her. She’d never admit how lonely she was because that meant “he” won and she would never let him win again. Saying she would consider the thought of dating would be a lie, she wasn’t the type. Her work was too complicated and her heart was too shattered to let someone in. Her book had a good twelve men, now thirteen with Max. She felt the need to explore for some more; she did after all get lonely often. Her needs were untamed—she was untamed and horny as hell. No one would ever be enough for her. If he didn’t fuck it up, she’d be happy. She wouldn’t have to scour the cities for a new conquest every night.



GIDEON WOKE ABRUPTLY FROM A loud banging at his door. He stood, nostrils flaring and a pissed off glare masking his face. He dressed swiftly so no one would see him naked, his face darkening as his aggravation grew from the intrusion. Who the hell would be here this fucking early anyway? He leisurely walked to the door, wondering what the possible reason could be that had him up that early. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, he noticed it was nearly four in the morning. You’ve got me be fucking kidding me! Rubbing his tired eyes in aggravation, he opened the front door with a grimace from his boiling anger and was greeted by his high school friend, Jo Bailey. This can’t be good. He wiped his exhausted eyes with his palms again, wishing for just a little bit more sleep before all hell broke loose. He peered at Jo with revulsion, not sure if he had gulped down a gallon of whiskey, did drugs, or was just dead-tired. He looked like complete shit. “You drunk, Jo?” he asked pointedly, shaking his head in disgust. The smell permeating the air was ghastly, probably the booze he consumed on a daily basis. Gideon had to use all of his will-power to not pinch his nose from the odor. He waved him in reluctantly, wrinkling his nose with revulsion. Still, his stomach churned, he had to hold his breath in hopes he wouldn’t vomit from the rancid stench. Jo stumbled through the door; his balance was off and he had definitely done something to put him in this state. “I did something bad, Gideon—something I can’t undo. This may be my last run.” Jo muttered incoherently before he face planted the floor. His body lay flat on the carpet at Gideon’s feet; he was going to leave him there but decided to drag him to the couch. Could he have come at a worse time? I’m not dealing with his shit again, he thought angrily. Any kind of Jo was a bad sign, but he was worse drunk than he was sober. He only showed up when he needed a cover story. What was it this time? Gideon didn’t sleep the entire time Jo was passed out on his couch, not that he could sleep anyway. Between the reeking living room and the stress of what Jo could have possibly done caused his nerves

to skyrocket. The last time Jo presented himself out of the blue was because he needed to get out of a drunk and disorderly charge. Hopefully it wasn’t anything worse than that; Gideon could handle making a simple charge disappear, as he had done it more times than he could count. Looking at the clock in frustration, he squeezed the bridge of his nose. Two hours had passed. Jo had slept like a baby while Gideon festered in his thoughts. No matter what he did, Gideon always had a soft spot for him. Their past was a crazy one, one that you didn’t tell your children about in hopes they wouldn’t be exactly like you. The things he, Jo, and Garrett did would make Lucifer cry. Jo saved Gideon and Garrett from being locked up when they were in high school; he felt that he owed him something, everything really. They made mistakes and Jo was always their “fall guy.” He always got the shitty end of the deal, but never complained. His head pounded, the stress of the situation getting to him. The scrunching noise of the couch brought Gideon back from his musings. “Gideon, what time is it?” Jo groaned. “It’s six in the morning. Why’d you even come here? What have you done now?” Nothing good. Nothing ever good. Jo’s eyes bulged out of his head, “Can you get Garrett over here? It’s a life or death situation. I wouldn’t have you call him if it wasn’t a serious situation, you know that.” Gideon’s heart pounded erratically, a trickle of sweat making its way down his back. What the hell could this poor bastard do that he’d need the whole crew together? Calling Garrett was no cakewalk; they hadn’t spoken in months. Taking out his cell, he dialed Garrett. It rang three times and right before it hit voicemail, Garrett answered.

GARRETT ARRIVED AT A QUARTER past seven and appeared sick with nerves, almost tormented. His pale jittery complexion matched Gideon’s; they were scared shitless. With exhaustion wracking his body, Garrett asked the question they were all afraid to ask. “What do we need to fix this time?” he rushed the words out with uncertainty, his Adam’s apple bobbing with defeat. This could only turn out badly. Jo blanched and Gideon rushed to get the garbage can, knowing the face all too well. He could tell Jo was going to blow chunks and the carpet wouldn’t survive the assault. Barely making it back in time, Jo puked everywhere. Just fucking great! Everyone was on edge, their faces pensive. The clock ticked loudly, ringing in Gideon’s ears. Tick, tick, tick. Time felt frozen, suspended, nothing in the moment made sense to him. Ringing

sounded in his ears, making his head throb more. Where had life gone? His breathing was uneven, he hadn’t a clue what was wrong with the life he lived. He wanted to smash the clock, to make the ringing go away but it was all in his head. He couldn’t escape that or the monsters that hid in the back of his mind. Kill. End it now. They screamed at him as if he didn’t already have the weight of a dozen on his shoulders. If he’d only done the right thing all those years ago, if he had, they’d be living normal lives and he’d be with the woman he loved. Jo’s face was covered in vomit and sweat. Gideon left the room to get him a glass of water to wash down the bile. Jo wiped his puke-stained mouth, drinking the water to wash out the taste. “I killed someone,” he stated matter-of-factly, looking emotionless as he gawked at Garrett begging for answers. His face was grim as well. Gideon could hear all of their breathing in the silenced room. You could slice the tension in half. Before it could get anymore awkward, Gideon peered at Garrett for direction. Garrett nodded, speaking quickly as his words teetered toward terrified, “I’m now binding myself as your lawyer. Tell me everything. Don’t leave out anything. I don’t care what you have done, none of this matters; start talking.” “Where do I start?” Jo asked, shifting in his seat, perturbed. Both Garrett and Gideon groaned and rubbed their temples in obvious frustration. What an idiot! “Start wherever the hell led you to be a dumbass murderer. Maybe start there!” Gideon screamed, veins popping from the anger he was releasing, and his skin reddening from the strain of the situation. How could anyone take a life willingly? Murder? This was unlike Jo; he was the martyr, the one who saved people. “It started back in high school, right after the hit and run we covered up. We came back to finish our senior year and I was hanging by threads. The guilt tore at me from the inside out; I don’t know how you guys could pretend you were fine and that nothing had happened. I couldn’t focus, I felt like I couldn’t even breathe, that I didn’t deserve to.” They held their heads down and nodded at him to continue. We all screwed up that night. Messing up with her caused it all to go downhill. They were all drunk and shouldn’t have been driving. That poor couple lost their lives because they were idiotic teenagers. “I fell for Mitch Cates. She understood I was having a hard time,” he said. They both groaned at his admission. She was the biggest whore out there. Everyone called her “The Walking STD.” It was the truth; no one wanted to be between her legs if they hadn’t already been there. Gideon had to hold in his laugh. How a man could fall for a woman like her was a joke to him. “She was voluptuous and it made a fire ignite inside of me. I know it sounds cheesy but she was ‘it’ for me. She was one to behold, like Eve was for you, Gideon. We starting screwing around, and it was fun. Being a stupid teenager, I fell hard and fast. I dropped the ‘L’ word one night after a passionate session of love making at the cove. She ran for the hills after that. I wasn’t sure if it was

because she was scared or because she didn’t feel the same about me.” Gideon scratched at his chin thoughtfully as sadness enveloped his thoughts. He never told Evangeline he loved her and they were together for six months. Did he lose her by not telling her? No, he lost her by being an idiot. He cowered behind sex and never gave his heart to her. She owned it but she never knew. Shaking his head from his stupor, he nodded at Jo to carry on with his story. He continued his story with regret in his voice. “After we graduated, her brother got her into some party drugs. When he passed away from an overdose, she got into some hardcore shit to cope with his loss. I wanted her to love me so I started doing them with her, wanting to have a reason to be around her. I just wanted to protect her. Wouldn’t you do it for Evangeline?” He asked, his eyes questioning Gideon. He exhaled a huge breath as if he could breathe for the first time in a long time by being honest with himself, he nodded in response. Jo shook his head knowingly; he knew Gideon would do anything for another day with Eve. “Her brother died from his addiction and she was going down the same path. She refused to get help and continued to dwindle down. Then she became a working girl to pay for her addiction.” A working girl? What a fucking joke. A whore was a better word to use. Tears formed in his bloodshot eyes, leaking down his cheeks like acid rain, threatening to consume him. “I loved her so much. It became an obsession; she was my own personal addiction. I couldn’t let her go even though she was killing me inside.” He pointed to his heart with a pained expression. “When she stopped wanting me in her life, I started following her around. Since she was always tweaking, she thought I was a stalker. I wanted to make sure she didn’t OD or get hurt. I only wanted to save her!” He was a broken man in tears. Gideon had never seen him look so weak before; he knew that feeling well. After Evangeline left, he felt as hopeless as Jo seemed. He’d never cried before, not even when they accidentally killed those two innocent people. Jo loved Mitch more deeply than Gideon thought possible. “I didn’t mean to kill her! No—I—I—didn’t want to kill her.” Jo was a blubbering mess. Gideon’s heart ached for his friend, he knew what losing a love felt like. Gideon handed him tissues, but was lost in his thoughts once again. Mitch was dead? He was speechless. Breathing in deeply to control the frustration he felt, Gideon tried to reassure Jo the best he could. “Breathe, buddy. Take slow, deep breaths. We don’t need you to have a panic attack. That wouldn’t do anyone any good.” Gideon paused for a moment, noticing the sun shining through the blinds. If only the moment was a pleasant one so he could bask in its beauty. The sunrise was always something he enjoyed experiencing, but not on this morning. This morning would haunt his dreams forever. He wanted nothing more than to move past this terrible moment. Stuck in his head he noticed the dust that covered his TV and his coffee table. When was the last time he sat and watched a show on television? How did he get to this point in life? There was no

meaning left; he had lost that when he abandoned her. His heart ached for memories gone to a woman he let go, a woman he wanted to spend his life with. Gideon felt his heart squeeze, the more he thought of Evangeline the more he regretted. He couldn’t help but stare at the floor with his own helplessness. How did such good kids turn out to be broken, beat down, and changed forever? That night, the one where he lost the girl and those people forfeited their lives, was the reason for the change. The fact that they did a terrible thing, got away with it, and pretended back then that it never happened. It continually haunted them to this day. Things like that changed people. They were like that group no one knew existed. CK-21. They were bad; damaged goods. Gideon, Garrett, and Jo were incapable of fixing—for the fixers they were, they could never repair their own lives. A clean slate was all they sought after, but they continuously weaved a web of lies formed from previous lies. They ruined what redeeming qualities they had when they didn’t tell the truth about that car wreck. After Jo calmed a bit, he began again, this time with more strength than before. “Mitch was falling down an inescapable hole, not even I could save her. I know she noticed me following her, but thought I was her pimp or dealer. She was always behind on payments.” His demeanor changed and he now appeared angry, the veins in his face pulsating. “Her pimp knew she was drowning and he didn’t do shit! She was only getting worse and barely looked like the woman I fell in love with!” His voice had risen; he rose to his feet and slammed his fist into the wall with a brute force that worried Gideon deeply. Jo punched a hole in Gideon’s wall after the second hit; he needed to calm down. His rage always got the best of him. Shit. Jo tried to calm himself by taking deep breaths. He clenched and unclenched his jaw and exhaled a breath of anguish. It came out more like a dying cat’s last groan. “Last night I happened to be watching her and a man, a dealer maybe, was beating the shit out of her! I ran toward him and punched him twice before he pulled a gun on me. I put my hands up to surrender and told him to let her go. He cackled, a maniacal sound, and then he threw Mitch on the ground. I was such a pussy. I should have saved her; maybe she would be alive if I had grown a pair.” Gideon stood next to Jo, patting his shoulder in comfort as he cried. “She was barely breathing and I tried helping her to ease the pain, but her lung was punctured. She coughed up blood and I knew it was the end for her. I couldn’t see passed my tears, I was so angry with myself.” His rage boiled up again and he screamed, red in the face as veins popped everywhere, “She shouldn’t have been a fucking hooker! She could have been with me! We could have started a family together! I was trying to love her and be the man she needed!” Jo kicked the coffee table in evident fury. The wood splintered, completely wrecked from his disdain. “I tried to save her! I tried calling the cops and she stopped me! She told me it was her time and that she had accepted her fate. How could she accept that? What the hell was wrong with her?” he screamed, his voice only rising. “She told me to frame Finnegan Connelly, her brother ’s best friend.

She had me write a note to put in her coat pocket and told me to get as far away as I could. I booked it. I knew it was wrong but I still ran. Like the coward I was, I listened to her, told her goodbye and left in a hurry. She died alone,” he finished with fresh hot tears and uncontrollable sobs. Touching his shoulder, Gideon tried to uplift him. “You didn’t kill her, Jo. She wanted you to leave and it was her choice. She died at her own free will.” Jo looked irate, and they knew what would come from his temper. Taking a step back, Gideon waited for the blowback from Jo’s anger. Looking at Gideon with hatred, he spouted, “She didn’t choose to die! I killed her! She made me blame a man I have never met before! I can’t even take it back!” While Jo tried to catch his breath, Gideon tried reasoning again. “I’m sorry to tell you, but dude, you can’t take the blame for this. I can’t let you.” Garrett nodded in agreement. “I am with Gideon on this one, man.” “It’s not your fucking choice!” he yelled before storming outside the house. They tried chasing after him, but he got into his car and left. Looking to Garrett, he shook his head; he was at a loss for words, too. More shit was sure to hit the fan.

A PHONE RANG IN THE distance. Prying herself up from her dampened sheets, the nightmare she’d just woke up from caused, she answered. “Carpenter, here.” “Evangeline, we need you quick. Wake the girls and bring them with you; it’s an emergency. We are at the corner of Fremont.” “Yes, Sir. Be right there, Sir.” She hung up in a rush and dressed, quickly waking the girls up. “We need to go now. Riley called and we are needed. No time to explain, let’s go,” she said quickly, sweating with nerves. The only time her boss ever called hastily like that was when there was a murder. She hated being at those scenes; they haunted her every night on replay like a bad mixtape. They drove to Vegas in a mere thirty minutes, speeding the entire way. Their flashing lights lit up the cold desert outside, their sirens blaring in the wind, and more than likely waking everyone up in their slumber. Her heart was pounding at the thought of the scene that would unravel. She wasn’t ready no matter how much she prepared herself, she’d never get used to the sight of a dead body. Dread filled her when she arrived at the scene, her palms covered in sweat as nausea tried to force its way up her throat. Who would it be, a woman, man, or a child? Her hands shook, teeth rattling, mouth drying up like the desert on any given day, and she felt as if she was suffocating from her own fear.

“Eve, come on, you’ve been standing here for over five minutes,” Ronnie said, snapping her fingers and grabbing Eve’s wrist, forcing her to enter the crime scene area. The scene was something out of a horror film; she had to fight the vomit from escaping her. So much blood. The woman was bruised along her neck, face, and probably more areas that weren’t visible at the moment. She looked broken, like that Raggedy Anne doll Eve had her entire childhood that was beaten and battered to the end. Eve wanted to close her eyes, but she dragged herself closer as the feeling consumed her. The woman appeared so broken, she no longer existed in the world and Eve could feel it in her bones. She wanted to give the woman a semblance of peace because no one should look as if they were a piece of garbage that never made it to the dumpster. Her thoughts were bombarding her, causing panic to rise in her chest. As she crept closer, she was barraged with the face of her high school enemy, Mitch Cates. What tormented her most was the lifeless look in Mitch’s eyes. She couldn’t be here; she couldn’t see the face of the girl that once ruined her life, she couldn’t. Her hand on her heart, the shock passed and the tears finally came at an excruciating force. Her knees became weak and she trembled from top to bottom before finally breaking down in front of everyone. “Do you know this woman, Carpenter? We didn’t find ID on the body,” Riley said. Looking at her feet with a dry throat and emotions she couldn’t admit were there, she answered solemnly, “Yes, she’s a girl we went to high school with. Her name is Mitch Cates.” She pointed to Ronnie and Ness. “I can’t believe she’s dead. I haven’t seen her in years, but this is too real for me. I think I need to recuse myself from this case, Sir.” Laughing but completely serious her boss looked at her with an amused expression. “Eve, that was years ago and you have a job to do. Your team is the best in the state and we need you.” The ringing in her ears wouldn’t go away. Did she hear him correctly? He wanted her to stay and investigate? Her stomach dropped at the thought of investigating Mitch at all. How could he be so thoughtless? There were other teams out there. She glanced at her lifeless body once again; the murderer was merciless with her. There was blood everywhere, soaking up the entire area. The smell of rotten garbage and decay wafted in the cool night breeze and again there were the dead eyes of Mitch staring at Eve, begging for her to help her. The coroner stood above her corpse, observing the lividity of her body. Hopefully he could determine cause and time of death. He went to work with her limp body, treating her like any other victim. She was a person; one Eve knew all too well. There were so many people in Las Vegas, but the one victim she got stuck with was a woman from her small town of three thousand people, Overton. Great. Deciding she was better off talking to witnesses, she walked away. Her heart was still racing and the revulsion she felt simmered in her gut. Ness was already back at the Suburban with her laptop.

What Eve would give to be with her, instead of outside with people. She wasn’t much of a field agent. Her job was to analyze and dissect, not look at dead bodies of past high school enemies. “Evangeline, you can go back to the office and start a file. We’ll be there within the hour.” She almost smiled, happy to be set free and to get out of the area full of death, but she couldn’t bring her face to anything but dread. She was ready to hit the hills and that was what she planned to do. Getting to the Suburban, she drove herself and Ness to the office. She needed to get started, to fill her mind with anything but Mitch’s lifeless eyes. No matter how much Eve admitted she hated Mitch, she couldn’t help but feel bad that she laid dead in the street.



I HAD A WAY WITH words when it came to nerdy girls like her and tried sucking her in. I used words to make her insides pool with arousal. She’d want me in the end, or so I hoped. She was the sexiest nerd I had ever laid eyes on, and she wore it with confidence. Many people knew me at Moapa Valley High as the womanizer. I fucked anything with a nice body and legs. Being a lady-killer made me the least wanted guy by the smart girls. It seemed only the girls that were just as horny as me were the only playmates I got. I stalked my prey for months and attempted to learn everything there was to know about her. Mitch Cates had labeled Eve the “nerd” of Moapa Valley, but she was the most alluring of forbidden fruits. She had curves that every guy would want to grasp and the supplest breasts that I wanted to squeeze as I fucked her from behind. No one had the sex drive I did, I was a fucking animal. Eve was the forbidden fruit, and I’d have the first taste. Evangeline knew of my reputation because she avoided me as if I were a walking disease. She would soon fall under my lustrous façade and see me as the sweet talker that made her feel emotions she only dreamt of. She didn’t realize how irresistible she was and that was what made me get hard every time I thought of her. I will change your mind, kitten. Her attempts to avoid me made it all that much more fun. Being the most desired girl was no easy task and I would be the one to taste the sweet juices of her. She was quite the treat and one day she would be mine. I’d own her mind and her body, not going a minute without thinking of me. Eve was clueless that I watched her when she ate lunch with her friends and had no clue that I imagined her naked on my bed with her legs spread open, screaming my name. Yes, I had it bad and one day she’d know just how badly I do. The day I met her was memorable, I woke up at the ass crack of dawn. Knowing me, I partied far too much to wake up so early, but I knew I’d be able to see her, and so I dragged my ass out of bed and

took time to look nice for her. Arriving at school a good thirty minutes early, I spent my extra time hanging out with the rest of the outcasts that I usually hung out with. They were talking about their recent adventures and some were pretty hilarious which brightened my mood. I remembered eating my strawberry pop tart that tasted like sugar coated cardboard. YUM. I raced to class in hopes of finally meeting her acquaintance. Advanced Biotechnology 1010 was only for intellectual students and I was surprised she even got in the class with me. She was two years younger than me, which made it nearly impossible to get into this class. But there she was, in my class, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Mrs. Brady had been setting up the new seating chart all week and having her for two semesters last year, I thought I could pull some weight in asking if she could sit me with Eve, so before Eve arrived I asked her. She seemed suspicious and she had every right to be. “Why would you need to be placed next to Miss Carpenter, Gideon?” I smiled at her, feigning innocence. “Mrs. Brady, Eve was talking to me yesterday about being nervous of keeping up with the syllabus because she’s only a sophomore. I offered my assistance, I couldn’t let her fall behind. She is too sweet and trying to get ahead for college.” She looked skeptical but decided to give me the benefit of the doubt. “Very well, Gideon, just make sure she doesn’t fall behind.” “I wouldn’t think of it.” I said, with a cheeky grin. I took my seat at my table waiting for the warning bell to ring, then I would see the girl I hadn’t been able to get my mind off of. The warning bell blasted and echoed throughout the room, most of the student body arrives, and Eve was among them. She looked at the board, seeing where she was assigned and peered at the seat next to me with crimson cheeks. Now I have you, kitten. Mrs. Brady ushered everyone to their seats, and Eve moseyed over slowly while biting her lip. I wondered what those lips would be like when I nibbled and sucked them into my mouth. It was then, when she looked my way with her eyes eating me up that I knew I desired her more than all others. I remember thinking that if she didn’t stop gawking at me that way I would take her under the bleachers and show her why everyone wanted me. Mrs. Brady announced we had the first thirty minutes of class to get to know our lab partners. I wanted to get to know Eve and then have her naked as get to know her all over again. “Hey, kitten, my name is..” she peered at me with knowing eyes and interrupted, “Gideon Blackwell, the man whore.” This wasn’t how I pictured our first encounter. I coughed, surprised at how feisty she was. “Yes, I guess you can say that, but I prefer Gideon.” She rolled her eyes in exasperation, “Okay, Gideon. My name is Eve not kitten, and I would prefer you call me by my given name, not a silly pet name.” I smirked, laughing in her direction, she wasn’t

pleased. “Kitten is feisty, I like it. So, Evangeline, huh?” The daggers she shot my way were extremely sexy. “I apologize, Eve... I would really like to get to know you, and for you to know me as Gideon and not as the whore you believe me to be.” That struck a nerve somehow, she scowled, brows scrunched in anger, “I am surprised you’d have time for anything other than sex and that you’d think I’d want to get to know you. I’ve heard stories about you, and that makes me less interested in getting to know you than licking a toilet bowl would.” Ouch. I returned her scowl with menacing glare, whispering in anger, “Just because you heard stories doesn’t mean you know me. Don’t judge me without knowing my side of the story, Evangeline. I am not who everyone thinks, I have a side of me that I haven’t shown anyone because they don’t deserve it.” As if I smacked her in the face, she peered at me with wide eyes. “I’m sorry for being immature, I just don’t think I’d like to get to know a guy that takes sex so lightly. It isn’t something you just play with and pretend it doesn’t matter.” So she is one of those girls. “I never said I took sex lightly, kitten. Just give me a chance to show you who I can be? I promise I’m more than meets the eye and I can be a good guy.” Empty promises, and she would one day find out who I really was. She contemplated my question, “I will give you some time to prove you aren’t a sleazebag, Gideon, but if you ruin my trust you will regret it.” Score, you are mine. Heading to lunch, I spot Evangeline with Vanessa. Making my way to her table to show her that I care, I pause when Mitch walked up to me. She dragged her mouth extremely close to my ear, “Gideon, if you are looking for your next playmate I’m ready for the taking.” I push away from her, causing a scene. “Mitch I wouldn’t sleep with you if you begged me. You open your legs for more men than an OBYGYN does.” She gasped, slapping me across the face. Mitch was a fucking cunt, I’d never touch her. Evangeline watched the whole scene and from the expression on her face she seemed pissed with a tinge of jealousy, but you could tell she heard me blow Mitch off. I walked up to Evangeline, still reeling from my encounter with Mitch and whisper in her ear “Would you like to take a walk?” Nodding in my direction, I take her hand and intertwine our fingers. She peered down at our hands with confusion, but doesn’t pull away. We walked at a slow and steady pace until we reach the track field, this field was where I blew off steam, it held meaning to me. Taking her to the opening of the fenced area, I pulled her to my lips without thought. Eve broke the kiss quickly, crushing my hopes, I couldn’t control myself when it came to her. “What’s wrong, kitten?” Eve looked back at me in bewilderment. “I just have never been kissed like that before, well, at all.” I wanted her to remember how my lips felt against hers, every girl deserved

to be kissed like it was their last. Leaning in for more, she brought her lips to meet mine halfway. The overwhelming taste of her caused me to smile as I slip my tongue inside. I continue to gloat while my tongue danced with hers. Eve released a little groan, causing my dick to harden. She was so adorable, and knowing I’d fuck an innocent girl caused a burning sensation to eat at my stomach. I always remember that moment because she looked at me in utter embarrassment. “That is the sexiest noise, kitten, don’t ever be ashamed. That’s the reaction I was hoping for.” “Gideon, what is this? You don’t date from what I can tell.” I smirk at her with a wink. “I may not do relationships but to have you as mine I will do anything. Trying is worth it for you, kitten.” She grasped her hands together, and let out a sad sigh, “Don’t hurt me, Gideon. I’m willing to give you a chance but I don’t do heartbreaks. I’ve seen my best friends experience them and I’m not interested. I protect my heart with everything that is why I don’t date.” Looking into her brown eyes, I saw the fear emanating in them. “I won’t ever hurt you.” I promised her, but I knew that I’d never keep it. The rest of the day passed by in a blur and by the end I was itching to kiss the lips of my kitten. That damn hint of caramel had me craving her taste. She exited the school near the track because health was her last course of the day, I quickly made my way over and picked her up at her waist and kissed her passionately. I wanted to impress her so I read in romance books that girls enjoyed this shit. She didn’t understand because she was innocent but she turned me on, she grabbed a hold of my neck and wrapped her legs behind me, capturing my waist with her ankles as little whimpers escape her. If she slid down any lower she’d feel my hard on and we both knew she’d be terrified. She slid down at a painfully slow pace, rubbing across me on the way down, emanating a growl from me. She peered up at my eyes with pride and smirked. “Did you enjoy our kissing, Gideon?” My eyes bore into hers, I drew her hand across my hardened dick eliciting a sigh. “What do you think, kitten?” Her eyes go wide, and she began breathing heavily. I wanted to take her to the bleachers and forget being a good guy. “I didn’t think I could have that effect on anyone,” she whispered. “Kitten, you have that effect on many men, you just don’t see it the way I do. And believe me, you don’t want to know the dirty thoughts I’m having about you.” Naked, underneath me, and letting me own your entire being.

MONTHS PASS WHERE WE DATE; I took her to the cove, boating, fishing, and so much more. One day, months later, we sluffed school to hang out, and things between us changed. I offer to drive her home. “Let’s go hang out at your place and we can figure out our homework assignment for Biotech.” She stated, innocently. If it were any other girl, I would seek a hidden

meaning, but this was my sweet forbidden fruit and she meant homework quite literally. We get to my house, my mom wasn’t home, or around much in general. She was a court judge and never had time to be home. Not that I minded, I had more time to have sex. I asked Eve if she wanted to study in my room and the little vixen agreed. Naughty girl. Bedrooms lead to fun. She set her bag down and I put mine in the closet where it belonged. I pulled out my biotech book and dreaded the fact that I was actually going to study. She took it out of my hands, and put it on the desk on the side of the bed. Coming toward me at a slow sultry pace, I conjured dirty thoughts that cajoled in my young mind. I must be dreaming, I had thought to myself. This sexy vixen was putting on the first move. She reached me, kissing me. I took control of the kiss and show her how good I believed I was. She moaned in my mouth, arousing my beast. Why, kitten? Why must you tease? She slid her hand down clumsily, feeling my cock. My pants felt so tight at that moment. Her eyes widened while she fumbled the button at the top of my jeans. This couldn’t be happening. She wasn’t this kind of girl. Or was she? I let her have full control of the situation as she unbuttoned my jeans, and pulled down my zipper. I wait for her next move, not knowing what to do with a girl for the first time ever. She pushed me down on the bed, slipping my jeans off with my assistance. She ate me up with her eyes. Her lips meet mine, coaxing and pirouetting like waves in the ocean as they splash the coastline in meeting. Her hand rubbed back and forth over my boxers producing a moan to slip through my lips. My mind reeled, here was an innocent girl that took sex seriously, but was readying herself to be fucked. My sexy kitten began taking off my shirt, and I helped, assisting her. She now straddled me in all her dressed glory, looking like a delish fucking piece of steak. I drew her to me, kissing her neck, and finding my hands roaming up to cup her covered breasts. Eve let out the sexiest fucking moans. Pulling off her shirt she wore a lace black bra underneath, I unclip it, letting her breasts fall as I start sucking on them. They were so plump and sexy. Climbing off of me, she unzipped her jeans while I watched, amazed at how well she seemed to know what she was doing. Shimmying out of her jeans she stood practically naked, in only her lace panties that screamed, “Fuck me!” She slowly glided them down to her ankles. I gazed at her in awe. She had the most impeccable curves, they were made for me. Her nerves showed from my predatory gaze so I brought her to me, hoping to distract her. I slipped out of my boxers, and we both lay naked in my bed. I bore into her eyes, needing to know that this was what she wanted. “Evangeline, my sexy kitten, are you sure about this?” She only nodded, and I took it as the “go ahead.” I slid lower until I hit her stomach, my lips pressing kisses to her navel, leaving warmth as I continued my descent lower. Finally reaching her pussy, I placed tender kisses at her opening and she gasps. I open her legs and feast on her delicate flesh. Her legs shook from pleasure as I sucked on her nub and slip a finger inside of her. She tightened around it, and then I slip in another. “Gideon!” She groaned out, hearing

her moan my name sparked something inside of me, something I didn’t want to feel. Her body shivered from the vibrations as I continue to ravish her. Her orgasm erupted, drawing out satisfied screeches, “GIDEON!” That’s right, kitten, scream my name. I made my way up to her nipples, bringing them into my mouth suckling and nipping them gently with my teeth. By now, she appeared high from her orgasm, I reawaken her by rubbing her clit, her eyes pop open, and they are glazed over in euphoria. “Are you sure you want me to claim you, kitten?” Instead of her usual nod, she answered. “I want to be yours, Gideon, and no one else’s.” That did the trick. I quickly hopped up to my dresser, pulling out a condom. Sliding it on my engorged dick, she looked worried about my girth. “Kitten, I promise to be gentle this time around.” That seemed to calm her a bit, and I enter her slowly. You could see the obvious pain on her face. “Would you like me to stop?” I gave her one more out, wanting to solidify her decision. Shaking her head in my direction, I continue to push in. Once I was all the way in, I pull out and push back in a little faster. Now she had the face of pleasure, I picked up my pace and she began moaning louder. Her reactions are nothing I have ever experienced before, so sweet. “How does it feel, kitten?” Her response was a dragged out whimper. “Are you mine, kitten?” She met my eyes, “Only yours, Gideon.” I pumped into her faster and my breathing became ragged. “Are you mine, Gideon?” I release into her then, a mind blowing orgasm wracking my body, I was unsure how to answer her, and let out a deep breathe. Was I hers? Wasn’t sex all that I wanted? I had her in my bed like I wanted to but did I want her to own me? I was a young kid and wanted to fuck as many people as I could before settling down. I plopped down next to her, and attempted to regain my breathing. She was hurt, that much was apparent, but I still didn’t know if I wanted her to be the only girl in my bed. My breathing calmed, and instead of responding to her question, I bring her clothes to the end of the bed. Pulling up my boxers and pants I couldn’t help but watch her. She was devastated and I didn’t know what to tell her. I fucked girls and never call them again, and I was trying hard not to do the same with her. What the fuck was wrong with me? Fully dressed, she grabbed her bag and asked for a ride home. I royally fucked this one up. “Eve, are you okay?” With tear rimmed eyes gawked at me. “No, Gideon, I just gave you everything I had to be thrown out like yesterday’s garbage.” Fuck me. I truly upset her. “I’m sorry. I’m just not ready to commit to just one girl.” She sobbed, ignoring me the rest of the way to her house. A week passed since we had sex, she switched seats in Biotech, and was avoiding me like before. This time when I caught her looking at me, it wasn’t with a blush, or a nervous glance, it was with complete hatred and disdain. She was no longer a Forbidden Fruit, Eve was a Black Widow ready for her next victim.

BEING A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD virgin made me a nerd, but then I gave in and was lost when Gideon took my heart, causing my dad to worry for my well-being when I stopped eating. So for my dad and myself, I decided to fix what I did. If men only wanted sex, I’d give it to them. I would not offer my heart up to be shattered, so that was what I did. It started with getting my nipples pierced, which hurt like a BITCH. They were something I always wanted though so I got them both done at once and they were constantly reminding me of the change I was making for myself. With the one-night stand thing, I started out slow with people I knew. Garrett, Gideon’s best friend, was my first target. To get back at Gideon and to make him jealous, I lured Garrett into my bed. It wasn’t really hard. The thing with guys is that you didn’t have to try really hard to get them into your pants; you just needed to offer. He was into me apparently because he was trying to convince me to give him more than one night, but I wasn’t having it. One night was my number one rule. I refused to give my heart to another man, so I used him for my needs. He wasn’t that great at it and that’s what made me change tactics. I was more pissed about the fact that he didn’t tell Gideon or brag. I needed that boost of confidence. He seemed to care about their friendship more than bragging rights. After Garrett, I wanted to be more noticed so I decided to become the elusive “Black Widow.” I started with the softball team. There were a few boys that I heard knew how to go down on a girl and I was interested in trying that. Joey was the cutest blonde boy with boyish curls and crystal blue eyes. I was happy when I got the chance at him. They weren’t lying when they said they knew how to go down on a girl. He was amazing. I had fun with him a few times, which wasn’t something I normally did. I tried a few more boys on the team and got bored. I was not only known as the “Black Widow,” but the girls now knew me as a slut. I was okay with that because it made more guys want me. I could never be satiated, only one man could ever satisfy my sexual appetite and he fucked me, literally. One Friday night with the girls, they dared me to get a tattoo. Since I had a fake ID, I knew I could. Needles terrified me, but I knew exactly what to get. We drove to Henderson and walked into The Golden Dragon, known for their fantasy and mystical tattoos. I brought Ronnie and Ness with me to watch. When we walked in, we were instantly greeted with a man that had more facial piercings than tattoos. I showed him the spider web I wanted on my shoulder with a black widow dangling from it. He asked for ID and I gave him my fake one, the look on his face was priceless. It was as if he knew it was fake, but ended up deciding to give me a tattoo anyway. Apparently he needed the money, so score for me! We were there for a few hours and the shading was what took the longest. He told me to see how it

looked. Walking over the full body mirror, I turned my head so I could see my shoulder in the reflection better. I began crying from the sight. The man’s brow wrinkled with worry as he asked if I was all right. “Yeah, I just—this is amazing. I absolutely love it,” I replied, looking at it a bit longer. As he put the bandaging on it, he explained all of the care measures that I would need to take and the things I needed to avoid. Completely giddy, I was sure I only heard parts of it, not my luck when it came to scabbing. The girls were squealing and jumping up and down. They ushered me out of the shop and continued to talk about how cool it was and how excited they were that I didn’t chicken out. I may have a pussy, but I sure as hell wasn’t one. We headed home; I had this dull throbbing in my shoulder. I hoped it didn’t take too long to heal. I remember him saying it could take up to two months to heal. That was a long ass time! We arrived at my place and my Dad wasn’t home. He must have still been at work. We headed inside and decided to watch some girly movies. We popped some popcorn and watched Made in Manhattan. It was such a sappy movie, but we loved it.

WE MUST HAVE PASSED OUT because I woke up to the smell of my dad’s amazing cooking. I swear his food was heaven on earth; there was nothing like his home cooked meals. I loved how I could eat so much and still want more. I’d come back for seconds and thirds in near tears from being so full, but that didn’t stop me or the girls. We literally scarfed down his famous spaghetti like it was our own personal drug. We told him we were heading to the lake and he said he’d see us later that night. I remember how his face used to light up an entire room. I missed that. I recalled driving down there and being so excited to trick the next guy into my bed. My next conquest would get a kick out of my new tattoo. That was my new thing, fooling boys into my bed and only giving them one night. It was like a game to me. I got off on screwing them and not giving them more than that. I loved seeing their faces, broken and hurt, just like I was when Gideon did it to me. This night wasn’t going to be any different. We arrived at the lake around eight and the sun was almost gone. The beauty of a sunset on the lake was like no other. How the moon disappeared and fell into the water was simply stunning, and that was one reason that night was burned into my brain. The sunset that night was breathtaking, one that ate the entire sky with reds, blues, and yellows. There were so many guys there! A bonfire burned in the middle of the cove and there was tons of alcohol. I saw a nice looking guy with a few girls hanging around him and knew that he was who I wanted. If there were girls hanging all over him, I’d definitely need to snatch him up. I loved a good competition and being able to get a guy that all the girls wanted was a win. Walking towards him with purpose, he looked up immediately. It was as if he knew what I wanted

because his eyes locked with mine. It wasn’t a real fire blazing in those eyes of his, but there was something there that made me want him more. Keenness licked his eyes as if he was studying me, watching my every move as I made my way toward him. His eyes told me an answer to a question I didn’t need to ask as they beckoned me forward. He never looked to the girls; I had all of his attention. There was not a moment that he looked away. Those eyes captured me like a trance that I never wanted to escape. They were silver in the lighting of the fire and mesmerizing. I strutted his way, knowing he was observing my every move. When I reached him, I lightly sat myself on his lap and brought his lips to mine. There was no holding back. It was just the two of us, the embrace of our lips molding together as one. The fire building in my chest and the emotion that he captured in that one kiss was all I felt. The two girls with him looked furious, probably with jealousy. I knew what I wanted and knew that I’d have it. He would be mine, my happiness and one-night stand for the night. A smile crept across my lips as he responded just as quickly as I started. He grinned back at me, knowing what I wanted. “I’m Eve,” I said while giggling. My eyes never left his. He responded. “I’m Marcus and I’m yours tonight. Want to dance, beautiful?” I couldn’t help the blush that rushed to my cheeks. No one called me beautiful but my dad. When Marcus said it, it was real and not out of obligation. I nod as we walk toward the fire. Music blared from someone’s vehicle and I remembered swaying into his impeccable body. A football player’s body was unlike any other and Marcus was the team captain; I remembered seeing him at the games when I went with the girls. Grinding into him and smiling the whole time was what made me remember that night so easily. When he whispered in my ear to go somewhere quiet, there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to get what I wanted. We walked away from the area; his vehicle parked quite a bit away. His truck was alone and there was no one in sight. It was pitch black outside and we used our flashlights to reach his truck. His flatbed had blankets and pillows; he must have planned on getting some tonight whether or not it was me. I hopped onto his flatbed and he trailed right after me. We began kissing feverishly; there was no holding back and I didn’t want to. I rolled him over so I was straddling him, allowing him to feel me up and undress me. As a young girl, I felt as if this was what people called heaven. Sex was my outlet. When I bombed a test, sex was there. When I was pissed at my dad, sex was there to release the tension. He pulled out a condom, creating excitement as to how this would end. Would he be a slow lover? Would he fuck me like an animal? It was such an enticing feeling, one I’d never get used to. We started out slow and by the end, I was panting in pleasure. He was a mix of the two, putting his feelings into it, which wasn’t something I was used to. Marcus made sure to give me the release I needed and his release came shortly after.

With Marcus, there was a fire, one I had only felt with Gideon. It was like being in a sauna and randomly being zapped by little shocks. I’d say there were butterflies, but they were more like fireflies, buzzing inside trying to escape. There was a heat in my tummy that burned at an intense force. I wanted more of him, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t be “that” girl. I hopped out of the flat bed and dressed quickly. I never stayed long because the look in most guys’ eyes made me feel dirty. Marcus was different. He grabbed my wrist and with the look in his eyes, I knew what he would say before it came out of his mouth. “Stay, Eve. We can have some more fun. We could have something, I know you felt it too.” I knew that he’d want more. Most of them did. But with Marcus, he wanted my heart, my entire being; he didn’t just want sex. “I had a blast and I don’t regret it, but I don’t do more than one time,” I replied. He frowned at my choice to leave and pulled me to his lips once again. His kisses made me weak in the knees; it was like he was kissing me so deep that he kissed my soul. His reluctance to let me go was what made me change my mind in the end. “I… I…” Before I finished, he pulled me back in for another and this time I wanted to give in. I wanted for a moment to be “that” girl. I wanted to have more time with him. He drew back. “Eve, please just give me the chance. I can make you happy whenever you want it. I want you, I want this.” He pointed to me and himself emphasizing what he wanted. I couldn’t deny the feeling he gave me, it was better than with Gideon; he craved me. He wasn’t some cheesy jock that just wanted another notch in his belt. He was something else. I wanted him more than I wanted my next escapade. He could be enough. So I gave in. I let him have me whenever he wanted; that was when I gave a piece of myself to Marcus. He let me see others and I let him as well. We always came back to each other and in the end it was our downfall. We always made it back to each other and it was exciting to know he was there for me when I needed him. We were best friends with benefits and lovers all in one. He knew how to bring me up and make sure I was feeling okay about myself. A few months had passed and we were still seeing each other on the side and it was the best fun I had had since Gideon. Eventually all I looked forward to was Marcus. He knew how to satisfy my hunger and how to make me feel special. He was one helluva lover. The night of the football game changed everything. Being the star quarterback, his popularity spiked because they had won the championships. Our deal was to meet at the bonfire at Lake Mead so we could have some time alone filled with sex and lots of booze. Mostly sex though; I couldn’t seem to get enough. I loathed not being right in the head. I had just done something with Gideon that I knew I would regret—something that was dumb even for me. If Marcus knew he’d probably be disappointed in me. He didn’t care who I slept with but he

didn’t like to see me hurt. Gideon…well, he liked breaking my heart. I’d taken Gideon to my place and slept with him one final time and it made me crack. I was broken because the feelings were still there. I still loved him and wanted him. I wasn’t sure why my feelings still thrived. He shattered my entire being and didn’t care. I decided that I had to drop things with Marcus. It was unfair to love two men at one time and Marcus deserved so much better. I was growing too attached like I was with Gideon. Slowly and surely I fell for him. I knew he was something I craved but didn’t deserve, to be the bigger person, I had to let him go. Arriving at the bonfire with the girls in tow, they weren’t excited for what I was about to do. They were worried for my heart as always. I didn’t deserve them but was lucky they stuck by me. I wore a skimpy black dress that left nothing to the imagination. I saw him immediately and the smile he had was perfect and sweet. The smile he saved for only me. Those eyes tantalized and called to me, beckoning me forward once more. I couldn’t deny the burn in my belly. I lifted my lips in a small smile and he could tell something was wrong. He made his way to me and brought his lips to mine. I relished in the moment, taking advantage of our last kiss together. If I knew giving him up would be this hard, I’d probably had taken the selfish route instead. I needed him more than I knew. He took my hand and brought me near the fire. He started dancing with me and the way he held me was as if he knew this was our last dance, our last everything. He held me like a lover that he couldn’t let go. There was nothing in the world I wanted more than to be his forever kind of girl, but my heart was split in two. I couldn’t be only his. We were swaying to Whiskey Lullaby, which was the saddest, most ironic song, when all hell broke loose. Gideon came up quickly, grabbing Marcus by his collar. “Don’t fucking think about it. She’s mine and doesn’t need a scumbag like you taking advantage of her.” I glowered at him, seething heat tickled my spine as I tried to hold back my anger. “I am not yours anymore. I am more of Marcus’ than yours, but I’m no one’s property.” Enunciating each word to spell it out for him. He shook his head, disbelieving my denial of what happened earlier meaning something. It didn’t —it couldn’t. Gideon’s shocked face was all I saw before my anger finally consumed me and all I saw was red. I was pissed, no, I was livid. He had no claim on me. He ruined that. “Gideon FUCKING Blackwell! We are not an item, nor will we ever be again. You fucked me and left; that is all you. Don’t get mad that I am trying to move on.” But in truth, I would never move on. Marcus’ face looked broken as he gazed at me with pain in his eyes. “I was just going to show her a good time like I always do, Gideon. I take care of her every day. It’s not my fault you fucked up.” His finger dug into Gideon’s chest. Gideon’s fists began pounding into Marcus, I dropped to the ground, completely broken and crying vehemently. “GIDEON, stop it! STOP IT!” He pulled back and I looked at him with pure hatred. I

couldn’t forgive him for that. He was not the same man I fell in love with. “Leave, Gideon. You are unwanted here.” Rising from the ground, I pushed him away. He glared at Marcus and me before turning toward Garrett’s truck and leaving in a hurry. I looked at Marcus with regret and sadness. “I am so sorry. This is my fault. My selfishness and the way I am with guys is why he hurt you.” I hugged him with everything I had and he reciprocated. I knew what I had to do and so I did. “We can’t do this anymore. We can’t be together like this. I can’t risk falling for you more than I already have. I can’t do this to you, too, Marcus. It hasn’t been just sex for a while and I just can’t. I am so sorry.” Before he had the chance to say anything, I placed a kiss on his forehead and ran away from him. I left him behind looking like shit from Gideon beating him down. I was such a bitch. I rarely saw him after that night. The rest of school passed by in a blur and I continued to play the same games, still upset about Marcus and broken because of Gideon. I was told Marcus never got over me and that I wrecked him. I ruined people. That was what I did in life. He was such a great person and I lost him to Gideon. I let Gideon win every time. I let him have the heart he didn’t deserve. I failed Marcus that day and myself as well. I heard Marcus dropped out and went into the army, but I wasn’t so sure. I didn’t know anything anymore.



THE FBI FIELD HOUSE IN Henderson, Nevada was quiet, the kind of silence that made a work day drag on for years rather than hours. There wasn’t much happening there other than the dissipating research for the murderer of Mitch Cates. The case I don’t want to be involved with. Evangeline sat in the conference room, restlessly searching for any clues on her current ordeal. Despite hating this case, she was adamant on figuring out the truth. The answers she was given were too simple and planned out meticulously. Nothing was ever that easy. She felt as if it were a cover-up of something bigger, or something worse. If she hadn’t heard horror stories of this exact thing happening in the past, she would have dropped it like the rest of her team had. There was things she couldn’t move past and one was how well thought out the whole scene was dressed up as. Mitch Cates was murdered near the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino. There was a man they had reason to believe murdered Mitch at the crime scene. At the time, he told them he only arrived because she called, which they found evidence of. Not getting the chance to interview him that night, she didn’t know if he was the murderer or not. The weird part was that he was the only suspect; someone placed a note indicating him as an accessory. They didn’t suspect anyone else could be involved, that it was only him. Why would an accessory to murder stay at the scene of the crime? Sounds fishy. Finnegan Connelly, the prime suspect was not only at the scene when the paramedics arrived, but he called the police. If he were guilty, there’d be no reason for him to be at the scene. He tried saving her life for fuck’s sake. Didn’t sound like a murderer, did it? There were too many variables, and she would bring them all to light—or that was the hope. Everyone was against her, clouding her mind with lies she refused to see. When people tried their damndest to be a better agent, they caught onto scandals that drew all others in, watching from a backburner while their lies simmered and frolicked about. Eve didn’t feed into it, and that was what made her the best.

Being an analyst wasn’t an easy job when everything pointed to Mr. Connelly. It was like he was handed to them on a pitchfork. If she were to murder someone, she’d be long gone. She wouldn’t stay and get caught, let alone try to save the person she tried to kill. That’s why she wasn’t falling for the “he did it” lights blinking in front of her. Eve and her team had found multiple letters between the suspect and victim. Ronnie and Ness believed they were lovers because of the way Mitch spoke to Mr. Connelly, but who calls a friend, Finny? That had to be the ugliest pet name in existence. That was what you called an animal or a stuffed bear as a child. Eve scratched her forehead, nothing about this murder made any sense. There was nothing to link the two to something that would lead to killing. Staring at pages and pages of letters, she realized they were very close, but lovers? She wasn’t sure of yet. Figuring out their relationship had been the hardest part. They almost spoke in secret, there seemed to be hidden meanings in their letters. Mr. Connelly was in his hotel for now, sitting back and avoiding publicity. Not that anyone could blame him. He was in the spotlight now for all the wrong reasons. After the tons of letters over a course of six years, she’d come to the conclusion they weren’t lovers, but Mitch had used the love Mr. Connelly had for her to her advantage. What a bitch! Just like before! Mitch and Eve had a bad past. Eve worried about it; she tried dropping the case because her emotions toward Mitch were volatile. When she and Mitch were in high school, Eve was a nerd. She dressed in baggy clothes and wore her hair in a ponytail at all times. Mitch was the opposite, flaunting all she had to offer to anyone who’d have her. She teased Eve and her friends for their choice in clothing, but they were comfortable how they were. She still to this day wondered why Gideon chose her. She was nothing like he was used to looking at let alone getting into bed with. If anything, Mitch was his type of girl but he had never been with her. Her boss laughed at her, not understanding or caring of her connection to Mitch. He told her unless she wanted to lose her job; she’d better get back to work. Since she was unable to get off the case, she dedicated all of her extra time trying to solve it. Riley, her boss, thought she was looking into it too much. He believed Finnegan was guilty and that was that. She begged to differ; nothing was this easy or coincidental. She would show him proof of Mr. Connelly’s innocence. Too bad time and evidence wasn’t on her side. One thing she was absolutely sure of was that she would find the real killer and there was nothing in the world that would stop her. They released Mr. Connelly because of insufficient evidence. Everything was unsubstantial. Everything pointed at him, but he didn’t have bruises from beating her. There was no possible way he caused that much damage without bruising somewhere. Everyone believed his guilt, but she didn’t—she had a gut feeling he was being framed, a patsy of sorts. Throughout the day, teams watched him; his privacy didn’t exist anymore. Before being

arrested, he was a powerful attorney, one of the best in the state. He lost his title when the accusations came out and he decided it best to quit. If it wasn’t for the hotel he owned, he’d probably be broke. Finnegan lost everything by being at that crime scene. She couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy.

ONE THING EVANGELINE COULD BE certain of was that her nighttime life was what she now lived for. Her only stress relief was sleeping around and drinking tons of booze. Fireball and Lemon Drop Martinis were her choice of poison. Back in high school, her high school sweetheart used her. He took advantage of her love for him and then walked away. She’d grown a lot from that. Sort of. Now she knew how to not be attached, which was something she used to her advantage. For now, she used her luscious curves and sexy demeanor to get them to sleep with her; they fell for it every time. In high school, she wasn’t outgoing; she was a shy book nerd trying to pass advanced biotechnology. Now she knew her body and how to use it to her advantage. They said living with your best friends had its perks and Eve lived with both of hers. Her two best friends kept her sane and partied with her to let loose. Sometimes she thought it was because they didn’t trust her to be alone, but she brushed it off. They looked out for her when she didn’t or couldn’t watch out for herself. They had been friends since high school and now worked together. A dream come true, right? These two girls were the better parts of Eve. Veronica brought out her courage and strength while Vanessa made her do the right thing and kept her in check. If it weren’t for these two, Eve would’ve been in jail several times. She wasn’t one to play with, and wouldn’t have survived high school without her two best bitches. Speak of the devils themselves. The two strode into her office, “Hey, girls,” Eve laughed. The irony was too much. Ronnie was the most stunning umber tone, when she smiled, her perfect pearly whites brought out the bronze glow of her cheeks. Her head, full of natural wild and untamed ash-brown curls tinged with red on the ends, fit her personality perfectly. Vanessa with all her tattooed beauty, barely any skin was untouched with ink, every memory, love story, and laugh brought to light on her tawny-brown skin; her gauged ears and black licorice hair fitting her smooth complexion perfectly. “Hey, bitch, you still on the case? We know it was that Finnegan guy, so just drop it.” Eve turned to Ronnie, clucking her tongue in irritation. Ronnie stuck her tongue out in Eve’s direction; she hated when Eve did that. Ness came in behind Ronnie. “I’m with Ronnie on this one, Eve. You should stop looking. We will

find the evidence that Finnegan killed Mitch and be done. It was him and we all know it; you’re the only one trying to look deeper.” Eve couldn’t figure out why they were they so adamant of the search to end, and that there could be holes they were avoiding seeing, or how could everything point to one man, a man that tried saving the victim no less? When she figured out who really killed Mitch, they would all feel stupid for second guessing her. She wouldn’t stop until she brought her killer to justice. Wasn’t that her job? Making people pay for being douche bags, scum, or creeps? Turning to the girls with a scolding glare, she tapped her foot and finally retorted, “Well, maybe he’s innocent. Ever think of that? The evidence is fishy. Nothing’s that easy, guys. Well, except for Ronnie.” Even for it being late, they still all burst out laughing, including Ronnie. Tears streamed passed their eyes as they choked on fits of laughter. “Fist bump!” Ronnie fist bumped Eve while laughing uncontrollably. “That was slow coming, but so worth the wait.” Being with her two best friends always made life easier and more fun, she couldn’t survive without their witty comments. “So how was your night with Max? Is he Black Book material?” Ronnie asked excitedly, eyebrows waggling suggestively. She loved all the nitty gritty details. Literally, all of the details. “Yes, I think he was a better lay than Ren and you know I love my nights with Ren. I’m surprised to even admit that. Ren would be ashamed if I told him so.” “Oooooh,” both girls exclaimed at once. Eve blushed at the memories of his face between her legs. Ronnie would want to know about that as well. “I need to get a hand on your Black Book, Eve. I have been lonely as hell and your men seem to have money and know what they want in life, I’m sick of lousy men and even worse lays,” Ronnie pouted, giving Eve the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster. Eve’s face lit up in amusement. Ronnie was the only person she knew that had a sexual appetite similar to hers. Untamed and unsatisfied. “Maybe if I wasn’t greedy, I’d loan them out, but for now they keep me happy any day and I need them. You should create your own black book, get some nice fucks and write their numbers and names down. It’s as simple as that.” One thing Eve had over the other two girls was her emotionless demeanor. She could sleep with a lot of men and not feel bad about it. Ronnie did as well, but she liked to get to know them a little better which led to being upset. Vanessa was the worst of the three. She fell too fast, too hard, and she wore her heart on her sleeve, which got her hurt easily. Eve enjoyed being detached, she couldn’t hurt that way and she didn’t want to hurt anymore. She had enough of that in high school and she’d go celibate before she felt that pain again. While they gossiped about nice one-night stands, their boss walked in hastily, a begrudged

expression marring his handsome face. “Girls, I have a new case for you and will need you in Vegas on watch.” He appeared perturbed about the case at hand, causing Eve to silently question why. They began to jump with joy, but strained themselves and played it off as nothing. The thought of being able to party every day and night was more than appealing to Eve. She knew where they would be staying and couldn’t be more stoked. “Recon?” Her body was reacting to the nerves she felt, she was fidgeting and shaking her leg waiting for an answer. “Yes. I need you scoping out a target during the day, but at night you are free to do whatever,” he said, looking directly to Eve. Damn, so much for partying all day. Eve had a thing for her boss and she constantly tried being with him to no avail. He was unobtainable, but she savored challenges. One thing she loved more than sex was winning in all aspects of life, she was a sore loser. If she could get Riley in bed with her, it’d be the epitome of her sex life. If he is good, at least. Winking at Riley, he flared his nostrils while clenching his teeth, but that didn’t stop the flutter in her lower belly. One day she’d get Mr. Unavailable to sleep with her. She’d attempted before, but realized soon after she could lose her job and so she stopped pursuing him, but that didn’t stop her from dropping hints daily, hoping one day he’d give in to her. His eyes landed on Ness and he smiled warmly. Were they screwing? Before Eve could contain herself, jealousy suddenly consumed her; the thought of someone else having him first angered her. Her assumption of the two was irrational but for some reason she couldn’t handle it. There wasn’t a reason for her to care but she did. Ness wasn’t the kind of girl that hit it and quit it though, so maybe they were just friends. Yeah, just friends. “Hey, Vanessa,” He grinned at her again, Eve could swear he looked her up and down appreciatively, “I’m going to cut out early to let you ladies talk and all. Keep me updated on any information you find online, okay?” Ness was their computer analyst, like Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds. Sometimes we even called her “Baby Girl” to make her smile. Ness nodded at him with a playful grin and rosy cheeks. Riley left and Eve turned her friendly smile into a heated scowl and directed it at her best friend. Her eyes glared down, fists clenching and unclenching. Heat tickled her skin like a feather barely touching your arms, unable to contain the rage and suspicion, she bit her tongue for as long as possible. She hadn’t felt like this since she was with Gideon in high school when she knew he was fucking around with other girls. Possessiveness was ugly and she hated that it currently devoured her like a late night snack. “Are you fucking him?” Eve asked, bluntly. Ness looked aghast, her face red and blotchy as she began to cry. She’s so sensitive. Eve could never be honest with her, she always had to sugar coat everything. “Are you kidding me, Eve? You have known me my entire life. I don’t sleep around! Plus, he’s our fucking boss!” She exclaimed. Vehemence laced her tone, and a grimace full of disgust pointed at

Eve. “Just asking.” She played it off, the childish remarks striving to escape her mouth. Control was never an issue for Eve, she was always cool and calculated, but not this time. “He never looks at me like that,” Eve slipped out, still pissed off. “Just because he’s nice to me doesn’t mean we are sleeping together. God, is sex all you think about? I don’t fuck everything that walks like you do.” Ness replied, leaving the room with tears in her eyes. “You are such a bitch, Eve. It is not like he’s fucking you either, so get over yourself.” Ronnie left to find Ness. Well, fuck. Sitting in the same spot, she realized she was being a bitch. Ness was one of her best friends, so she shouldn’t have overreacted. Eve really needed to get laid. She was losing her shit. Being a raging bitch to her best friends wasn’t her usual attitude.

PASSING BY RILEY’S OFFICE BEFORE he left for the night, she felt a spark of desire imagining his chiseled shoulders and what they’d look like flexed underneath her body. Thrusting deep and hard, eliciting moans from them both. Her hormones were everywhere, and her stomach squeezed with need. One day she’d get past the fact that Riley only saw her as his Senior Analyst. Until then, she’d dream about him and drool while he wasn’t looking. Stopping just shy of his desk, she waved at him. “Hey, Knight, if you need us ladies, please, just call.” He looked up briefly, uninterested in her small conversation. His brows fixed in concentration of whatever was on his computer. “We will be staying at the Stratosphere. Don’t hesitate to call if we need to come in.” She tried, again. Hopefully she’d spot Mr. Connelly at his hotel, which was exactly the reason why she chose it. She required answers and who better to ask than the suspect himself. After looking dumb for nearly two minutes, Riley finally responded with a few taps of his keyboard. “Is that all, Evangeline? I have a lot of work to accomplish before I leave.” She pondered naughty answers that would probably get her fired as he waited for her to respond. She went with keeping her job—she kind of liked it. “Yeah, I just wanted to keep you updated so you didn’t have to look too hard to find us, especially if you needed us available. It seems like you always need us when we aren’t available.” Her insinuation clear, she enjoyed poking the bear. “I’m very capable of finding the things I need, Evangeline. If that’s all, please have a nice trip and

update me if you see any suspicious activity with our suspect. Don’t worry about me; I don’t think I’ll need you.” He turned away and began typing again. Boo! That got me nowhere. Walking away from him was hard. What could she do to get a gorgeous man like Riley to give her the time of day? What if he was gay? Maybe that was why he was denying her advances. Or he probably thinks I am a slut.

THE DRIVE HOME WAS ROUGH; thoughts were invading her mind and not the pleasant kind. She couldn’t help but contemplate about how terrible she was as a human being. She slept with men and never called back, and led them on while acting like it didn’t affect her, but it left her feeling broken inside when she didn’t feel anything. There was something wrong with her and she never could admit it. She kept thinking of Ness’ face; she was hurt and Eve not having a care in the world caused that. She noticed Ness and Ronnie were already home when she arrived. “That’s weird; they are never home this early,” she said to herself. She walked inside hoping to see them but the living room was empty. Without thinking twice, she strode toward her room instead of continuing her search for them. She still felt bad about earlier with Ness, but she had more important things to do, like pack for the trip. Making her way to her bedroom, it was how she left it that morning, a huge mess—like a tornado tried on every one of her outfits and muttered, “Hell no” to each one. No matter how many outfits she had, she frequently felt like she had nothing to wear every day. Her closet was a disaster as well; picking out her outfits wouldn’t be easy. She knew the majority of her wardrobe was black which made it pretty simple to find matching outfits. Picking up a couple of sexy dresses and pantsuits for her day job, she was satisfied. Maybe I’ll get laid, she thought and laughed, her mood lighter than earlier. “What are you laughing about, slut?” Ronnie poked her head in the door. Eve couldn’t tell if she was kidding or still pissed off from earlier. She had major resting bitch face syndrome. “Just thinking about getting laid this weekend so I’ll stop bitching; it’s not like Riley will give me what I want, so I’m not wasting my time anymore,” Eve said, hoping to break the tension between them. Ronnie nodded. If anyone understood never having satiable sex, it was Ronnie. “By the way, do you have a bigger duffle I can borrow?” Ronnie asked with a smile. Maybe she wasn’t pissed anymore. “What the hell would you need a bigger one for? It’s only three nights.” Ronnie laughed, making Eve scared to hear the answer to her question. I take that back.

“Well, just in case I don’t get laid, I need my bag of tricks to keep me entertained.” Gag. Why the hell do I bother asking? Her and her sexcapades were creepy and Eve learned to not question her anymore. The images scorched into her brain were enough to never ask her for details. Like the one time she walked in on Ronnie and some dude with a ball gag in his mouth. A bunch of nope. She stuck her tongue out in disgust. “That’s so gross, Ron. I didn’t need to know of your extracurricular activities.” Ronnie leered like the devil’s mistress as she walked out the door. Sick freak. “I can bring you one if you get lonely, Eve. That’s what friends are for.” “Hard pass.” Not only was that a less than pleasing offer, Eve didn’t need one of her used toys; she had one of her own play toys whose name was Knightly. Without telling her that secret, she threw one of her extra duffels to Ronnie who was laughing and walked over to the door, shutting it behind her. They decided they would take Ronnie’s Suburban and split the gas. It wasn’t like they planned on driving because with their luck, they’d be tanked and wouldn’t be able to drive. Plus, who drives in Vegas? It was a walking city. No one knew how to drive there either. If they weren’t terrible drivers, it’d be okay to drive everywhere. Taxis or walking, it is. Ronnie was already in the vehicle, waiting on Ness to finish. “Hey, Ness, are you ready to go?” Ronnie yelled from the Suburban. Vanessa came out of the condo in a huff and seemed less than happy. “Ness, are you sure you want to come?” Eve asked. Ness actually scowled at her, looking all like the FBI agent she was. “Do you think I can’t make my own choices, Eve? I’m not a child.” Stunned for words, her jaw went slack. What the hell crawled up her ass in the past half hour? Eve shook her head and slammed her door. Ness got in the back of the Suburban and they started their trip to Vegas. This will be fun… Luckily for them, it was less than an hour drive to Vegas. The awkwardness between the three of them was palpable; you could slice it with a knife. They were headed to the Stratosphere and as hilarious as it may be, Eve figured they’d be so drunk that being that high in the air wouldn’t make her sick. As a kid, and even to this day, she was terrified of heights. How did one willingly enjoy that? She hoped a little liquid courage would be all she needed to get her ass up there to enjoy herself, and possibly investigate Mr. Connelly. They arrived a little after seven thirty and made their way to the three-bedroom suite. Ronnie seemed a lot calmer than earlier, but Ness was the opposite. She was on edge—fidgeting, twiddling her thumbs, and tapping her heels. To say something was bugging her would be an understatement. The fight earlier must have hurt her more than Eve thought. Eve took notice and sought to lighten the mood. They couldn’t have fun if they were all pissy. “Are you ladies ready for our Jacuzzi? If you get bored and can’t find a man to sleep with, there’s

always a vibrator and a hot bath. BAM. Perfect ending to a crappy day.” Yup, she just went there. Like that Amazon Fifty Shades of Grey commercial. Ronnie burst out laughing; Eve could tell it broke a lot of the tension between the three. Ness’ face was priceless as she looked at Eve in horror, her mouth shaped in a big “o” with her eyebrows scrunched, making everyone laugh harder. Ness piped up, “You ladies are so damn desperate I’m scared to see what I come back to.” They all erupted in laughter again, tears rolling down their cheeks. Eve hoped they cleared the air. They wanted to have fun, not dwell on earlier events. Walking into the suite, the sight was marvelous. There was a Romanian look to it like they were living in 27 BC and this was the Roman Empire’s main room. The Jacuzzi could fit all three of them, but that would be awkward. In the second bathroom stood a walk in shower that had showerheads running down the left and right side. I can imagine phenomenal shower sex coming my way. On the table sat a flyer for the weekend’s events. At the Top of The World restaurant, there was a composer doing a piano piece every night. At the rides up top of the hotel there was a free photo booth that offered real-life shots of you riding the rides. Last, but not least, there was a Masquerade Cocktail Party at the AirBar. Maybe one of the vendors inside would have masks; they’d have to go check it out.



AFTER SETTLING INTO THEIR SUITE, Eve took advantage of the full body shower. As the heat consumed her, she let out a tranquil groan, ready for the night ahead. Until tomorrow morning, they were free to do as they pleased. Eve kept wondering if he was suspicious or just a person in need of watching. Riley had only given them a folder with his name and photo, but no info attached. That was really strange for him; he always gave rules of engagement and everything pertinent to the case file. Maybe he’d call and give them more details in the morning. The steam relaxed her, causing the stress to seep from her body. For once she thought about how the night would go. She’d come back and have a muscular, sexy man in her bed. There’d be lots of sweat and names screaming from mouths as their bodies moved in unison, she imagined it all. She fantasized the heat working up her body, squeezing and pinching her insides until her orgasm consumed her body and shook as she shuddered underneath his body. Hopping out of the shower, she toweled off, and picked her outfit and lingerie for the night. She chose a sexy violet purple bra and thong set, the bra nearly pushed her boobs out of it. She dressed as if she was ready for sex and truth be told, she was. If Gideon were still around, he’d call her a “sex kitten.” She enjoyed the thought far too much. Her outfit practically caught fire when she put it on; she was a sight to see. Her dress, shorter than necessary, had lace trimmings everywhere but overall sexy in an elegant way. The scoop neck left little to the imagination and her heels screamed sex. She needed to acquire a mask to match her outfit, hopefully they would find ones that were fitting for the event. Ronnie and Ness came into the bathroom while she finished up her hair. Ronnie looked like a devil prancing around in red; she was sizzling hot! Ness looked so sweet and pure that angels could sing to her innocence. “We look like some sexy bitches,” Ronnie smirked knowingly. They all smiled in approval. Time to get shit faced!

The AirBar was the hot spot at the hotel. Standing over eight hundred feet in the air, you could peer over the ledge and feel like you were falling. The ladies headed up to the special elevator that only took people up the tower when Eve realized they all weren’t wearing their masks. “The whole point of a masquerade is to wear masks, so let’s go check out the shops before we head up!” she exclaimed. A lightbulb switched on inside their minds, they laughed and headed to the nearest shop. The shop was full of club garb; there were souvenirs, outfits, and even masks. “It’s surprising that they have masks!” Eve laughed, shocked that they weren’t ugly either. “Yes, we carry little things for every event at the hotel. We like to keep up with the crowds, as it helps us sell more,” the clerk peeked over on the side of them. They jumped back at her voice, not expecting an actual response. After looking at each mask, Eve settled on an elegant black eye mask. It had lace like her dress and little feathers on the left side. It made her caramel eyes pop nicely. Ronnie had a simple glitter one with red jewels and three black feathers sticking from the top. Like Eve’s, her mask only covered the top half of her face. Ness’ was a silver one with an intricate design that showed a lot her face. There was no material; mostly swirls of silver and jewels that accented her eyes, making them appear to have an eerie glow. We look amazing. Walking to the front, they put their masks on the counter. They were ready to party. “Good thing for credit cards! This trip will cost a lot in booze alone,” Eve stated, knowing they weren’t cheap dates. Masks in hand, they trailed back to the elevator. The attendants took the girls’ photo and gave them a ticket to scan. Once they got to the elevator door, Eve’s heart sank. She was going to be high up in the air, and she wasn’t prepared. Ness hid in the corner, fidgeting with her hair. Her anxiety permeated the air while they rode up. The bellhop couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of her so she retreated further away from him. Her awkward stance and the way she bit her lip was hysterical. So innocent. “Have you ever been to the sky rides, ladies?” he asked, breaking the silence. They all gawked at him and shook their heads. “They are pretty intense, but you’ll love them.” He appeared honest, his eyes never leaving Ness. Leering over at her, she refused to move her eyes toward anyone or anything other than the floor. The awkwardness set in when the elevator once again became silent. Eve was relieved when the bell chimed; they had finally reached their destination. She saw the dim lighting at the bar and was amazed at how packed it was. She looked to the girls and saw that their mouths were agape. Pointing to the bar, they pushed their way through sweaty, grinding bodies and were relieved to make it to the barstools unscathed. The bar was lit up like Christmas, twinkling lights framing the entire wall full of alcohol.

Ronnie yelled above the music to the bartender, “Hey, sexy! Can we get six shots of Jose?” He nodded, his eyes roaming her body in appreciation. The bartender was busy, but Eve noticed his plain attire, wearing a simple black button up with jeans. His mask was silver, which was bland for a man of such structure. He was well toned and his clothing took away from his amazing body. For a higher class bar, he was underdressed. Handing them the shots of Jose, Eve cringed from the college memories that crossed her mind. Back then, she and her friends went to a Super Bowl party and got wasted on tequila, not the good stuff but the cheap kind like what was in her hand now. Every time anyone took a shot, they all had to join in and have one too. By the end of the night, she lost count on how many she had. She woke up the next morning naked on the front lawn of a frat house. The girls were nowhere to be seen and neither were her clothes, so she ran home naked. Luckily, campus security didn’t catch her. She also had a hangover from hell. With the expensive stuff, she could handle it better and pace herself. She was a Patron kind of girl now. She didn’t touch the cheap stuff because she had the worst hangovers from it. Before they could down the shots, Ronnie had to do their ritual. “Okay, ladies! The first one for courage, and second one is to put pep in our step. Then we’ll be back for more! Bottoms up, sluts!” They downed both shots quickly, and then sucked the lime. Immediately the warm, tingly feeling hit Eve’s body like liquid fire. The bellhop was in the elevator when they arrived once again and they tried to ignore his hungry stare. “Where we going, ladies?” “Sky rides,” Eve answered with confidence. He smiled his approval. What a creep! She returned his smile as nicely as she could, her nerves rising as the elevator hit its peak. “This is our first time up to the top.” “That is a good choice. Let the screams come out because it is too intense otherwise. I mean you may throw up if you don’t scream.” Ronnie and Ness’ eyes landed on Eve. They frowned as if they were as terrified as she was. “Uhm thanks… I think.” Reaching the top of the hotel, they exited the elevator slowly. Her ears popped as she made her way to the outside door. Eve gasped as she took in her surroundings. Her heart raced while she gazed out at the city. She couldn’t believe the breathtaking view; it felt as if they were on top of the world. Her breathing hitched, realizing what the spectacular view meant. She was up really high. Don’t you dare faint, Evangeline! “Wow, it’s so beautiful up here.” She peered over the fenced area and could see all of old Vegas and a part of the new strip. There were tower viewers you could use for a dollar to see the city better and it was worth every penny. The lighting of the city twinkled like stars and the buildings didn’t look dirty because it was dark. It gave a whole new appearance to the dirty city, she appreciated the nightlife of Vegas. Besides the height, she loved the view of everything. It changed how she felt about the big city.

Ness and Ronnie came over and grabbed her arm, dragging her and making her lose sight of the spectacular view. The exquisiteness was almost graspable. She could almost believe that if she reached far enough, she could touch the lights across the way. “Come on, Eve. We need to get on the rides before the lines get too long. You know I hate waiting in line,” Ronnie pouted. She regarded at them both as a feeling of fear washed over her. Shit! This is actually going to happen. She attempted to push down the fear but by the time they were buckled into the ride, she was ready to piss her pants. Her fear was tangible; she couldn’t believe she actually followed through with it. I must have a death wish. There was not enough alcohol in the world to prepare her for this moment. Grabbing the railing bars she held on for dear life, fearing the worst. The ride dangled from the building, hanging off the balcony as the ride tipped you over. The city no longer gave her peace as she watched the car dive outward. Her whole body quaked with fear; she closed her eyes to escape the scene. I still cannot believe I agreed to do this shit! “HOLY SHIT!!!!! Oh! My! God! GET ME OFF! I AM GOING TO DIE!” Eve screamed, her reaction the same during both rides. She felt numb to everything after that moment. Ronnie and Ness laughed their asses off at her discomfort, as they didn’t seem to have the same issues as her. Heights weren’t their favorite, but they were more accepting of it than Eve was. They are taking this crap easily. Winded and traumatized, she only dreamt of her next round of Tequila. Her nerves were shot. Drinks were definitely in order after this shit. A lot of fucking drinks. Instead of taking the elevator they opted out for the stairs since the AirBar was only two floors down. The thought of being in the elevator with the bellhop once again made them cringe. They arrived at the bar for the second time that night. Eve had fisted her hands so tightly that her arms strained from the motion. Her stomach queasy from the fear she hadn’t recovered from. She was so tense that the first thing she did was stride straight to the bar. Mmm, I need a Martini. There were people surrounding the bar with money out in the air. It was too crowded and overwhelming. While minding her own business waiting for the bartender to come her way, a stranger brushed passed her shoulder. She felt the sensation as a chill overtook her body. Immediately she noticed the green orbs behind the black mask with red checks. They stared through her, knowing something she didn’t. Something about those eyes hit somewhere deep inside her mind, but she couldn’t place where she remembered them from. He gave her a smirk that overtook his handsome face. That small look set her stomach on fire. A rush of heat spread down between her thighs as a blush brushed across her cheeks. He’s sexy. Can I have him? Instead of continuing his pursuit of her, the stranger quickly weaved through the dancers until she couldn’t see him anymore. Her face turned down, sour knowing someone didn’t chase after her. There was nothing she hated more than a man walking away. She continued to pout until another man grabbed her attention. Another man approached her, tall, well-built, but his face appeared sad. As if he

knew she was looking, a small smile rose to his lips. The stranger wore a black mask that covered half of his face and had no intricate design. It was simple and fitting for his attire, showing he didn’t care much about looks. Interesting. “Excuse me, Miss. Can I get you a drink?” His smile was welcoming, not creepy like the bellhop. There was no denying her acceptance of a drink. The only thing she loved more than sex was free alcohol. Who doesn’t? “Yes, a Lemon Drop Martini, please.” He laughed at her answer. He had to know they weren’t exactly girlie drinks. Her Lemon Drop martini packed a punch so she knew to sip it slowly. She’d done this for quite some time; she wasn’t an idiot. Plus, she held her alcohol well, she was a smart drinker. He smirked at her as if he knew what she just pondered silently. Licking his bottom lip, he didn’t look away from her eyes. One thing she enjoyed about men was when they weren’t scared to look into her eyes rather than looking at her chest. Her drink was mixed in a matter of minutes, the bartender handed the drink to her, which looked simply delicious. It was garnished with a lemon and that made her love it more because she liked the lemon smolder. Something about lemons make my taste buds go crazy. She lost her train of thought, mesmerized at the taste; she couldn’t help but let out a satisfied moan. “Mmmmhmmm.” This bartender knows what he’s doing. If she remembered, she’d give him a huge tip for his amazing mixing skills. There wasn’t too much vodka or sweet and sour. The mix was perfect. She looked into the crowd hoping to see the girls nearby but neither of them were in sight. Instead of worrying, she turned back to the stranger hoping for a good night out. Her eyes went back to the man who bought her the best martini she’d ever tasted. When she seen his eyes, they glimmered, she noticed that he continued devouring her with them. Hooked and pulled in. I’ve got him. She never had to say anything; her tits and curves did the job for her. Getting a man was simple for her, although it shouldn’t be. If only they knew what she’d be like in the end. The club music was focused on the 90’s, some of her favorite music played around that time. The music was loud and bumped through the speakers. It enticed her into dancing, to move without a care and not stress about her scouting mission in the morning that she had no further detail on. Gazing into his eyes, she saw a hunger—one that she knew too well, one she could fulfill. “Would you like to dance with me?” he asked. Hell yeah, I want to dance. His eyes studied her, absorbing her like a shark that preyed on its next meal; waiting for the best moment of attack. She demanded a man in control and he seemed like that man, and it created wetness that rushed to her core. Yeah, I need to get laid. I’m not this frivolous. The dance floor was her next move, she sashayed her hips in answer. Waggling her finger, she beckoned him to come to her—she wasn’t a chaser. I will convince him to come with me tonight. Though she

wouldn’t have to try too hard, he eyed her like every man did before they begged her to fuck them. His face was hidden in the shadows, but she swore he growled at her. It was hard to be sure over the deafening music. As he slowly strutted toward her, she couldn’t help but notice how immaculate he looked in his pantsuit when the lights shined on him. His grin brought the sexiest dimple to his cheek. A thought kept hitting her; she felt she knew him from somewhere. That dimple, those icy eyes… Maybe it was the alcohol but she kept detecting things she remembered in each man she passed by. First the bartender, then the man that brushed passed her, and now this guy that made his way to her. But this particular man, his eyes were so familiar, and it killed her to not know where she’d seen them. Her gut was pretty on point when she felt she knew something. She couldn’t put her finger on exactly what it was. He was extremely handsome and at least six feet tall, which was perfect for her five-foot-three body. His jawline was impeccable, a little bit of five o’clock shadow masked his chin and she couldn’t have thought of anything better. There was part of a shoulder and neck tattoo visible. She wondered what their meanings were. She never got tattoos without a story behind them and figured most people were the same. Eve had a thing for tattoos, well, men in general was more like it. He had short hair and the most amazing blue eyes any person could get lost in—it was as if the ocean and glass met and exploded in rapture. When he finally reached her, he came around the back of her body gripping her hips tightly. In that moment, the music in the background didn’t matter, the loudness from the people surrounding her didn’t faze her, and it was almost as if it was just her and him in that moment. Bringing her close to his chest, there wasn’t a breath of space between them. Like a pawn to his body, her hips moved on their own as she began grinding into him. Enjoying the closeness of their bodies, she let out a satisfied sigh. His hard exterior was made for her body; they melded together perfectly. They flowed together with ease, or maybe it was the alcohol feeling for her. The alcohol did a lot of her work tonight, or so it seemed. She imagined what it would feel like with her on top of him—the bliss she’d feel with him inside of her. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Eve; she chastised herself for her thoughts. He sighed in her ear. “If you keep moving like that, you will be in my hotel room tonight screaming my name. I’d love to hear my name on those lips,” he said, emphasizing each word. Without a thought, she took a deep breath and let out a throaty, “Mmmmhmmm.” It came out more like a whimper and he noticed it. He’d be a good lay, and a fun one at that. Usually she’d be embarrassed of moaning because it made her look weak, and she wasn’t for that. She usually maintained control. If it wasn’t for the alcohol and the fact that she was like a rabid dog, she’d be more controlled. She was horny as hell—Riley’s denials had driven her to desperate measures. What if I’m only attracted to this man because I’m tipsy and in desperate need of a lay? She had more than her fair share of one-night stands; she didn’t date at all. After having her heart

broken twice, she decided relationships weren’t for her. Even if she were open to relationships, she wouldn’t have the time to invest in one. A one-night stand with no attachments is what I’m used to. In the end, she wanted to take advantage of his hard-on that rubbed against her—that was all. Sex is just sex. She didn’t see it as anything other than an itch needing to be scratched, and she was okay with that. A ringing sounded and realizing it was her phone, she had to answer it. She pulled away from the mystery man to answer. Without checking caller ID, she answered—not her best choice. “Eve, here.” She was so shocked at who spoke on the other end that she almost dropped her phone. “Evangeline—just checking in. Are you ladies doing okay? I was worried when I didn’t get contact.” Worried? He said he’d get a hold of them if he needed to do so. She paused for a while, struggling for words. “Ms. Carpenter, are you all right?” he asked, his tone laced with concern. That brought her out of her stupor, like cold ice dropped down her back. “Yes… Sir, we are fine. We are just at the club dancing, not that you care.” She paused, red with embarrassment. “I, uh, I—I’m sorry. I have had a little to drink. I—I um…. apologize,” she hiccupped, stammering like a fool. She flushed at the interruption. What the hell is wrong with me? It’s like I want to be fired. She smacked her forehead; he probably thought of her as being childish. Geez, I made a total ass of myself. She just accused her boss of not caring for their well-being. That wasn’t a screw up, right? Yup…she’d definitely had too much to drink. Realizing she was still on the line, she smacked her head and warned herself to stop overthinking and wait for his response. “That’s quite all right, Agent Carpenter. Please keep me up to date. We’ll speak tomorrow. I will need updates on the man I gave you information for. We’ll discuss further instructions in the morning.” “Yes, Sir.” He hung up while she was still stuck in her haze, leaving her nervous for the repercussions of her drunken night. Maybe the recon mission would get her out of any backfire from her boss? Her biggest fear was Riley showing up and seeing her in bed with a stranger. She’d never recover from that kind of humiliation. He already thought badly of her as is. Plus, in case she got called into work too early for the suspect they were working on, she didn’t want to be in the middle of a sexy situation and have to leave. She could always do the walk of shame, practically dancing in the excitement at the thought of screwing men over. At least she didn’t steal their shit, they were lucky. A definite way to ruin a night of fucking was going to check on a dead body or ruining the chance with her boss. She turned back to the man and began her seductive dancing once again. Eve didn’t even know this man’s name; she only knew that he was radiating waves of lust, and she was close to jump his bones if he didn’t stop pushing into her. She was confident that if he was this good at dancing, then he could definitely give her a good roll in the sack. Maybe a fourteenth name in her black book? She brought her black book with her to Vegas since there was always an opportunity to

get a new name. He must have had the same dirty thoughts. The glint in his eyes made her squirm, they were mischievous looking. One night wouldn’t be so bad, right? She could sneak out before he woke up and Riley didn’t have to find out. Looking to her feet for answers, she scolded herself for her greediness. Her womanhood couldn’t take the shots tonight; she forced her brain to take over and decide against it. If only her brain and vagina could agree for once. Or at the very least she wished she didn’t care what Riley thought. It wasn’t like he saw her as more than a coworker. The last song that played, Tipsy by J-Kwon, stuck with Eve. That song sang to her, capturing her deep down. She was slowly losing it, the alcohol in her system was taking her for the ride of her life, telling her to dance her ass off and enjoy herself while she had the chance. Swaying back and forth between the mystery man and several bodies around her, she lost track of time. So mesmerized with the music, she found her hands wandering down to his hardened member. Groping and squeezing gently, his groan slowly kindling her desire. She made a quick decision that tonight wasn’t going to work with that drunken feeling scratching at her consciousness. “What the hell is going on? I never get drunk this easily, I’m no lightweight,” she whispered as if the open space would give her some reassurance or answers. Nausea creeped up like a stranger in a dark alley, she was done for. Her body began swaying badly, it couldn’t have been from the little bit of alcohol she consumed earlier. Something’s wrong. Dizziness took over her body as she lost control. Her body felt fuzzy, a distant memory. Damn tequila and martini. I’m not even a lightweight. She could slightly remember him kissing her hand and telling her that it was a pleasure to dance against her body. No, thank you for being sexy. Reaching into his dress coat, he gave her his card with his number on it and whispered in her ear huskily, “You have my number just in case you change your mind. Don’t hesitate to ask for my suite number.” She giggled but couldn’t focus on her surroundings. She could no longer hear the music or people. What are people? She was losing consciousness.



FINNEGAN CONNELLY WASN’T MUCH OF a drinker. He hated being around sweaty, alcoholinduced bodies because they acted stupid, and he wasn’t up for that. For some reason on this night, he really wanted to get fresh air and have a drink or two. His office just wasn’t cutting it; he needed to feel less confined, less like the prisoner he was. Lately, when in his office, he felt as if the air left his lungs and suffocating him from the inside out. If there wasn’t so much shit going on in his life, he wouldn’t have a need to drink or get air. Fuck. Who gets accused of murdering their best friend’s little sister? She was like a sister! The night dragged on as he researched Mitch’s death, he scoured file after file with more questions than answers. He needed to escape, to be free for once. Heading to the top of the Stratosphere, he exited his personal elevator and breathed in the cool night air. It felt crisp and clean, being up so high felt similar to flying. Walking to the edge where the guard railing sat, he gazed upon the city lights. They were so bright and welcoming. When he was a child growing up with Lance and Mitch, he loved to gaze at the night sky. In Overton you could see thousands of stars, but the lights mixed with the pollution hid them away in the city. He savored the cool breeze and freedom he hadn’t felt in a long time. Breathing deeply in and out of his mouth, he felt his tension ease a little. His stress levels skyrocketed since Mitch died. He wished life were different because he seemed to always get fucked without the lube. The noise rose suddenly as people swarmed in to take selfies and photos of the skyline, he didn’t enjoy huge crowds; they made his anxiety peak. I need to get out of here. As his uneasiness grew, he decided on a new escape, a place he could wash down his stress. His weakness was whiskey, and a Jack and Coke was calling his name; singing to him in the most romantic way, he couldn’t deny his thirst any longer. The AirBar welcomed him like a long lost lover. The lights welcoming him in an embrace he

hadn’t felt in a while. His eyes found the Jack sitting on the ledge of the shelf, and he knew exactly that it’d extinguish his thirst. There stood a new bartender; hopefully he’d know Finn’s regular drink. You can’t really mess up a Jack and Coke though. “What will you be having, Sir?” the bartender asked kindly. “A Jack and Coke please,” He paused, scratching his chin thoughtfully, “Wait, make that two.” “Coming right up.” The bartender began mixing his drinks, Finn watched him like a hawk making sure he didn’t mess it up. Handing him his drinks he smiled, “Enjoy.” After tipping the man, he stared at his best and worst poison. Taking a deep breath, he slowly consumed his drinks, enjoying the savory taste. These will be the end of me. Staring off into space, wondering how many he’d drink before the night ended, something by the door caught his immediate attention. A woman, she walked in; a brunette beauty. God, she is so fucking beautiful. Though half of her face was covered in a mask, she pranced in like she owned the place. The confidence she carried radiated across the entire club, people were observing her as she headed his way. She had something about her that screamed, “I’m the boss.” Right as she acquainted herself at the bar, he knew she would be his latest conquest. He had to have her. Her hair was the richest brown color similar to his favorite whiskey and it was curled to caress her back, he couldn’t help but stare. Would she be his savior, the one to fix his demolished life? Her dress squeezed her body like a glove showing off her succulent curves. Her hips were perfect, wanting to be gripped tightly while he bent her over, and her tits were round and perky, ready to be squeezed. I need to buy her a drink. Walking in her direction, he knew he had to taste her, even if only once. Like a nice bottle of whiskey, her body called to him and made him want a lot more than just a taste. He would never admit it, but he was addicted to whiskey and the way it burned on the way down his throat and warmed his body up. Maybe she’d be like liquid fire, coursing through his veins. Without a moment’s thought, he began his hunt. She ended up near the bar, a perfect moment to play. “Excuse me, Miss. Can I buy you a drink?” She looked at him in unadulterated lust, already looking tipsy. Her eyes twinkled like they held the deepest secret, one that he wanted to figure out. “Yes, a Lemon Drop Martini, please.” A girly drink with a kick, she’d end up wasted if she wasn’t careful. My kind of girl. He paid the bartender and turned back to her, noticing her eyes were glazed over. When he took her hand and asked her for a dance, she answered by swaying her hips and waggling her finger at him. God damn, she’s sexy in those heels. He moved over to her slowly, wanting to make her beg. Seeing the impatience in her eyes made his desire rise, he wanted her to want him more than her next breath of air. Finally reaching her, he grabbed her hips from behind and brought her to his hardened member

as he began to grind into her. Her moans answered enough. She pushed her ass into him with a force that made his cock throb with need. She didn’t seem to notice his sexual advances; seeming to be in her own kind of trance. Her eyes wandered everywhere but at him. “If you keep moving like that you will be in my hotel room tonight screaming my name. I’d love to hear my name on those lips,” he whispered huskily, his intensions clear. The songs kept coming and they continued dancing for some time. His cock ached from her constant groping, it was painful. I need to be inside her sweet pussy. At the rate they were going, he would need a release or a cold fucking shower—maybe both. After a phone call that took far too much time away, she stopped dancing to let him know that she couldn’t give in to him tonight because of her job. Damn obligations. He hoped tonight would go in a different direction, but that brunette trumped his plans. Pulling away from him, she swayed back and forth as if she was out of it. Must have been some phone call. He hoped she was exhausted from work, as she looked pale and feverish. There will be another chance. It made him leave disappointed, but he would be a gentlemen knowing he’d have another shot at her. The first thing he’d get, a cold shower; he practically ran the whole way to his suite. He tried to think of anything other than that sexy brunette that he wasn’t fucking into oblivion at that moment as he arrived at his room. He hit the shower right away to try to ease the ache. He imagined the brunette beauty, remembering how it felt to have her grind against him. He gripped his shaft and rubbed gently. The release was there but nothing like what he imagined her pussy would feel like. Soon. He hopped out of the shower and put fresh clothes on. His office was his next demon to face. The case against him was faulty and he knew it. Now he had to solidify it. The Stratosphere had an area he designated for his office. He headed toward there on the second floor, hoping he could figure something out. He reread the files, knowing nothing had changed but praying it would soon. Scratching his head, he pounded his fists onto his oak desk. This can’t be happening! When he thought about the clusterfuck of a case he was involved in, he got an intense migraine from the sheer stupidity of it. If he could walk away, he would have long ago. He’d have left and retired in Ireland like his parents wanted for him. They wouldn’t let him leave the state, let alone the country; he just wanted to escape the hell that had become his life. He rested his forehead on his desk, the coldness soothing his head.

THINKING BACK TO HIS CHILDHOOD, he wondered where it had all went wrong.

As a kid, Finn wasn’t spoiled, he was humble. His parents got them by, but never had extra to flourish around. Luckily he had the Cates’. They were his second family and he was blessed to have them. When he was in high school, he visited Lance to hang out while his parents went on a date. Suddenly after arriving to the Cates’ house, he had a bad feeling that something bad would happen. His gut screamed at him to beg his parents not to go. He knew something wasn’t right but they thought it silly of him. The entire night his gut twisted in knots, sweat appeared at his brow, and his breathing was frantic. A visit from the police ruined everything. “Finnegan Connelly?” “Yes. That’s me.” “I’m Greg Shipland, and this is Alexander Lakke.” They pulled off their hats as Finn shook his head in disbelief. “I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this but your parents were t-boned by a car earlier this evening. I—I’m afraid to say they didn’t make it.” His tears came before the cop finished. His stomach clenched and the pain overwhelmed his entire body. The earth shattering scream that escaped him ringed in his ears. His life no longer had meaning. His parents were gone and he had to live by himself. They would never see him graduate or get married. They’d never meet their grandkids or experience Ireland with him. They were gone. After they were killed, he finished school numb. He didn’t do anything special but go to and from school so he’d graduate. The Cates’ gave him a suite at the Stratosphere and he continued to live there. They took care of him the best they could. He was very closed off after his parents’ death. Lance and Mitch were his best friends as kids. Their parents grew up together in Ireland and moved here as teenagers. The Cates’ lived in the dinky town of Overton, but his family lived in Vegas just south of the strip. They would always visit each other so he hung out with Lance and Mitch often. They were inseparable; they were family. Lance and Finn didn’t have secrets; they knew everything about each other. They used to bike, snowboard, and party on the weekends. In the winter they’d travel to Utah for the snow season and spend weeks on end just hitting the slopes. They got into biking after they couldn’t afford to miss school in the winter. They did crazy things that could’ve gotten them killed, but they didn’t care. The adrenaline rush was worth the risk. When they were finishing up their senior year, Lance decided school was his last priority. He started doing drugs and raving. He hung out with the wrong crowd and it ended up being his downfall. When he decided drugs were more important than their friendship, Finn stopped visiting. After graduation, Lance overdosed on ecstasy. He went to a huge rave in Vegas and never made it home. It was hard for Finn to be around the Cates’ after that. Mitch always guilt tripped him, blaming

him for not being there for Lance. It wasn’t like he could drop his life—Lance had choices, but made the wrong ones. Mitch ended up getting into drugs, saying that Lance gave her some before and that she enjoyed escaping his death by being high as a kite. The guilt ate Finn up, but he couldn’t do anything but try to get her some help. By the time he realized there was a problem, Mitch screwed people and got paid for it. She was a prostitute that didn’t care she wasted away every day. Finn graduated college with his Masters’ in Law and became a defense attorney. Years had passed before Mitch finally contacted him for help. She needed to get a grip on her life. Her parents gave up on trying—he couldn’t blame them, either. There was only so much a person could do for another. It was a hot as hell day in Overton. I headed down to pick up Mitch and take her to a clinic to get clean. When I arrived at the Cates’ house, she sat on their porch with a cigarette in hand. Hopping out of the car, I went towards her gave her a hug. Still sweet and innocent as a little girl; I missed that. She pulled away, tears fresh in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Finny. I didn’t mean to get this bad. I really need help.” What could I say to that? Pulling her into the car, I drove away. The drive to the Gabel Center wasn’t far, but my body wracked itself with nerves. Mitch was surprisingly calm, which scared me because she was never calm. As an addict, she fidgeted more than when sober. She laid her head against the window while I hummed radio tunes. We arrived before dark. She started to shake violently and with the brotherly instincts I always had toward her, I held her close to offer comfort. She looked at me and the fear was profound in her eyes. I couldn’t help but feel terrible for her. I knew this was the right thing; she needed it. Walking her inside was easy; my nerves were what caused me to be nauseous. I checked her in at the front and kissed her forehead goodbye. She cried and waved while I left, heartbroken. Driving home in silence, the dread hit every nerve in my stomach. When I got home, I jumped into the hot shower immediately. I’m not a crier by any means, but thinking about her made me break down while the water pelted my back. The guilt smothered me and my heart hurt for my best friend. When I finished, I picked up my discarded clothes. Pulling out my keys and cell, my stomach dropped when I noticed my fucking wallet was gone. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Mitch!” She had taken my fucking wallet. She used me once again. When would I ever learn from her shit? Shaking his head in disgust, he still remembered calling her and listening to some lame ass excuse as to why she stole his wallet. He canceled all his cards and got new ones. He stopped speaking to her after that; he didn’t need that kind of negativity in his life. It was a dark and dreary Friday night when she called him screaming. It came as the biggest scare; he didn’t know what to expect, but her frantic screams were definitely not what he expected. When he answered, his heart dropped. He felt like it’d explode from his rib cage. He never thought the time she’d actually need him to be for a real reason and not for money or drugs.



SHE CRIED; HER BREATHING UNSTEADY as she said a man planned to kill her. At first I thought she was tweaking, or just being paranoid as usual. Her anger filled the phone. “He has been around stalking me for a while! I need help, Finny!” I promptly asked where she was. She told me Fremont Street, so I did what anyone would do; I hurried there to find her. It was her favorite place to get her next fix. I looked for her everywhere. I searched around the block and began running until I spotted her in an alley covered in blood. My breathing hitched, this wasn’t supposed to be my life. Her body bruised and beaten, she looked nothing like the little girl I used to hang out with. Seeing her body like that caused my stomach to turn. It churned until I couldn’t contain my stomach contents. I turned around and hurled what little I had eaten that day. Seeing her in that state was nauseating and she just looked like she was unconscious. I went from worried to frantic really quickly; she wasn’t responding. I needed to save her; I was supposed to protect her, I promised Lance that I’d protect her forever and as I cried at her frail body, I knew I failed him. Trying to wake her up was impossible as tears fell down my face, blinding me to the scene in front of me. “Mitch, you’ve got to wake up! Mitch, please!” I knew deep down there was something wrong; I could feel it in my bones. Tilting her head so her chin was upward, I began CPR and chest compressions. She tasted like cheap vodka and something bitter; probably her last fix. I don’t know what the fuck she did, but she didn’t feeling like Mitch. Her body cold, not what I’d think she’d feel like while alive. As I kept doing compressions, my heart beat frantically at the possibility of her death. In a last ditch effort I pulled out my cell and dialed 911. Mitch appeared so broken, like a doll that had been run over multiple times that would never look the same. As the first responders were arriving, I kneeled over her body while it shook with my sobs. “Sir, please, what is your name? How did you find her?” they asked. After the traumatic event, my head fuzzy from the shock. I tried explaining to them what she’d told me on the phone earlier, but they didn’t believe it. She was gone; she would never hug me again like her knight in shining armor, and she’d never be able to fix her life. Nausea had hit me and my face felt wrong and numb before I puked what remained in my stomach then continued to cry. I stayed until the police stopped questioning me. They treated me like a common criminal, like the men I put away daily. Her parents arrived soon after; I hadn’t seen them in quite some time. They looked like they were giving up hope. Their faces were masks of the people I once knew. They embraced me and none of us could contain our sorrow as we cried for what felt like hours. Time

seemed to stop at that moment. Nothing felt right; nothing would ever be the same. Every time Finn closed his eyes, he’d remember her dead, motionless body and the screams before he’d never hear her sweet voice again. “Why didn’t you help me, Finny? You let me and Lance die! It is all your fault and we will never forgive you!” Sleep never happens. He tried taking medicine, but then an endless loop of her screaming would play over and over again. What he thought was a rescue mission for him, ended up being his downfall. The cops took him into custody on suspicion of murder. Mitch had a note that stated him as an accomplice to her murder —that he knew what happened. The thing was…he had no clue why that would be on her body. Ever since then he had been the prime suspect of her murder. He was told to stay in the state, to stay put in general. When released, he had to be watched, he dedicated all of his free time to find out what Mitch was involved in. He needed to know what she had done to get herself killed. After some time, he found nothing. There was not one thing that would cause this other than her addiction, but that didn’t stop him from searching. Fuck my life! Her parents were struck with grief and decided to move back home to Ireland where they grew up. They signed the Stratosphere over to him and he took it in hopes that it’d change his life. That was the last time they spoke. They wrote letters here and there, but they decided he reminded them of their pain. I’m the last person they love; they can’t handle the memories of me. As he contemplated everything that had happened to him, he tried pushing the bad thoughts away. His stomach full of pain from the grief and heartache. His entire frame shook, the anger and anguish filling him up like acid. What could he even do? What did she do to get killed? She wrote that he’d know. How the fuck would I know? He banged his fists into his desk, “FUCK! What did you get me into, Mitch?” he screamed, not that she could ever answer him. Utterly clueless to what she got him into, he grinded his palms into his eyes. He needed answers, and he needed them now.



GOOD THING FOR FRIENDS, GIDEON thought with a scratch of his chin. He wouldn’t have known where his kitten stayed if it wasn’t for them. As soon as she made a reservation, they’d let him know she stayed the weekend at the hotel, but weren’t specific as to why. That didn’t deter him. He had a mission to accomplish and no matter the reason, it was the perfect opportunity. His plan would work, he’d win the girl, and stop being the bastard he’d become. The desire to see the woman he loved above all else weighed heavily on his shoulders. His train of thought stuck on Evangeline. From her perfect curves to the way she moaned his name and how she made him feel before he abandoned her, his entire mind continually consumed with thoughts of her. His obsession with her life the past eight years was scary and unadulterated. He may have been arrogant once, but not this time. He was weak for her; her love for him ruined his bravado. There was nothing he wanted more than to hold her once more, though she made him weak, she also made him know what love really was. One mistake had ruined everything and he’d never forget what he did to her, his sweet Evangeline. Her face haunted his dreams in the best of ways. Her face was the most painful reminder of how much he hurt her, but at the same time it was the sweetest temptation to remember her body against his. No matter how much he tried avoiding the way she made him feel, he couldn’t stop. Being merciless resulted in less misery for himself, and with all the women he’d been with, he would be fucked up if he gave into temptations of caring. She reminded him of who he could be and even though he hated it, he took enjoyment in the slips of feelings her memory gave him. The bar welcomed him, more welcoming than his sorry ass deserved. Hopefully Ronnie and Ness didn’t catch him there. They hated him more than Evangeline did. She may hate him, but she pretended he didn’t exist. They loathed him, just the sound of his name infuriated them. They deserved to be pissed; he ruined the best thing that ever happened to him—Evangeline. They blamed him for her detachment; he fucked up her heart just like she did his. At least I’ll see her one last time. Heading to the Airbar, he noticed just how immaculate he looked. Cocky bastard. The dress code

was masquerade. Of fucking course. The mask he found at some shop matched his favorite of all time, The Phantom from The Phantom of the Opera, but was checkered black and blood red. The shape was an exact replica. So cliché, but so Gideon. He enjoyed the way people would see him while his face was mostly covered. He felt mysterious and deadly all in one. His button-up shirt hugged his every curve as his jeans accentuated his thighs and hips. The mask, however, was his favorite accessory, hiding his eyes. If she saw them, she would know who he was immediately. Jo got a job as a bartender; it was how they all kept tabs on Finnegan Connelly. Finnegan, that poor bastard had a tough life and he was about to fuck it up worse. Only temporarily. Their task at hand was to save themselves by saving Finnegan, which sounded easier than it was going to be. Luckily he was easy to follow; he had no social life whatsoever. He lived for his job and now that he lost it, he had nothing to do but sit at his hotel. Their plan was so out of question and illegal that Eve wouldn’t know what hit her. They’d all be hidden, so she wouldn’t recognize anyone. His plan would work perfectly. No matter what, he’d save the man that Jo screwed over. Gideon strolled past the bar and nodded in Jo’s direction to let him know he was ready. Though he worried of the execution of his plan, he had no doubt he’d follow through with his part in it. Jo was another story. He’d never admit it, but he liked Eve as a person. Before she became the “Black Widow,” she was a nerd just like Jo. They had a connection that Gideon never had. They were book nerd friends, and that was the closest kind of friendship you could have. His mind was stuck, his pessimism scaring him shitless. He never used to be a pansy or selfconscious but when it came to her, all bets were off. Taking a seat at the bar, he ordered a coke; hopefully no one noticed it wasn’t alcohol. To ensure his plan wouldn’t fail, he needed to be sober. He was a bad drunk, super destructive. He lost all of his inhibitions. Sitting at the barstool, Jo slid his drink to him and winked. Perplexed at the response, he gave Jo a questioning eyebrow in turn. Jo shrugged his shoulders with a smile and turned back to his work. The first thought that hit his mind was Jo seeing her for the first time in years; maybe he’d missed her presence too. This would be a long night. Where is Eve? Eyeing the door in apprehension, his mind wandered to their plan. First they were to drug her, and then they were to take her and find out what she knows. They then would put the blame on CK-21 and force her to see reason. This could either work perfectly, or it would fail miserably. There was no happy medium here. Such a fucking downer. He knew she would eventually show up; she was a drinker that couldn’t resist a party. The room was dimly lit, leaving just enough glow to highlight their outfits and masks. There were strobe lights everywhere, flickering and bouncing off the walls; giving short bursts of brighter light. The way it spotlighted the dance floor and it enticed the partygoers to dance. The entire scene

reminded him of how Eve could light up an entire room just with her presence. She was like a lighthouse guiding his way no matter where she was located. He ordered another coke as he sat at the bar impatiently waiting for her to show up. The bar slowly filled up with younger people wanting to party away. When Jo slid the drink to him, he pointed at the door. She swaggered in, glowing with beauty and looking like a sexy vixen he could never forget. A woman shouldn’t be able to look that delicious with clothing on, but then again, no other woman was his kitten. Evangeline was a force to be reckoned with. The desperate need to have her in his arms hit him harder and faster than he could compensate for and his focus was no longer on the task at hand. Their memories flooded his mind, the touches, the kisses, and the sweet mementos. The need to tell her that he was a dick and made a huge mistake in high school propelled him in her direction. Pausing mid-stride, he remembered that he had to focus on his plan, her cooperation depended on it. His inhibitions couldn’t get the best of him; he refused to let them. I just need to feel her body—just once. The feel of her body had been something he craved since that night. When their bodies melded together, it was magical. There was no need for words, the noises of their bodies colliding and the moans that escaped were enough for him to hunger for more. Maybe he could use his needs to his advantage. Like Gideon, Eve could be craving him as much as he craved her; it was vital to test that theory. With renewed confidence, he walked directly toward her. The lights continued dancing to the beat of the music while partygoers swayed away. Though she didn’t see him coming, the plan was to make sure she would see him ignore her. Eve hated being disregarded like the latest trend and his plan to make her feel that way would kick the domino effect into motion. If she felt unwanted, she’d be too caught up and unable to tell he drugged her. As an agent, she would be trained to watch her surroundings. Distracting her was the key to his perfect plan. Brushing past her slowly, she spotted him just as quickly as he knew she would. The way she watched him made him worry that she recognized him. Her eyes glinted, as if she analyzed him like she did her suspects. She didn’t stop until he smiled wide at her. He could tell that once she couldn’t piece where she’d seen him before she went for the lustful gaze. She eyed up and down his body, nibbling on her bottom lip with longing in her eyes. A lioness on the hunt. The glassy look in her eyes proved she’d had a few pre-party drinks. She’d be more susceptible to his charm. Just wait for the cocktail I have for you, kitten. He smirked in her direction and her skin flushed. She looked flustered; her bottom lip still between her teeth, the motion made him harden instantly. Those plump lips used to do wonders to him. If the situation was different, he’d take her right then without hesitation. The way the room darkened in the corners made an easy access to fuck. By the time he reached her, she leaned over the bar. Ogling her ass while she bent over the

counter caused his dick to twitch. He grabbed her wrist, hoping she wouldn’t pull away or punch him from invading her space. He didn’t know what to expect from her, he didn’t know her anymore. Her eyes searched his for several seconds as he brought her hand to his lips and laid a tender kiss on her knuckles. Her breath hitched and her eyes dilated as she licked her lips—wanting him. The scent of vanilla and shea butter wafting from her immediately took over his senses, something he always loved about her. Without thinking, he brought her body flush with his. Her body melded against his as if she were made for him and him alone. A smile covered his face, and for once it reached his olive eyes. He leaned into her and whispered like a long lost lover, “Save me a dance, beautiful. I’ll be waiting for you.” As he backed away, her eyes reached his, and he could swear she verbally chastised herself for getting a reaction from his touch. He knew she didn’t like to look weak, but lust was always her weakness. She hasn’t changed a bit. As her eyes lazily washed over him, the smirk he learned to love and hate caressed her face. “Okay, sexy, I will be here all night. I’d love to have a dance and maybe something more with you. You never know how this night will turn out.” Fuck me. She offered herself up to him like a delicious three-course meal on a silver platter. I wish I could take her tonight, or right now. He winked in her direction and began to back away. She did something he hadn’t seen in a long time; she turned red once again. I miss that so much. So many years wasted because of his childishness. Or my dick. I am not sure at this point. That was too close for comfort, she could have recognized him. He backed away into the crowd of people and disappeared from her sight. Turning his head, he stared intently at the windows that overlooked the city, losing himself in thought. He relished in the beauty of Vegas. If he wasn’t on the job, he’d enjoy the view and the city itself more. With his life, there was only work and more work; he couldn’t even drink away his sorrows anymore because he had to be able to focus. I need to save them all. Turning his attention back to the job at hand, he saw Evangeline looking angelic as she waited for someone else’s attention. She always did move on quickly. Some guy bought her a drink and Gideon internally gagged, imagining what the guy said to her. He obviously just wanted to fuck her, but who didn’t? Damn, jealousy is a bitch. Even after eight years of not seeing her, it was similar to receiving a punch to the gut to see another man be so close to her. A burning sensation radiated through his chest, waiting to explode. Licking up his spine was anger that he repressed because he hadn’t a choice. While she was lost in another man’s eyes, Jo continued their plan as scheduled. Jo spiked her cocktail, so she wouldn’t be awake for much longer. If all went to plan, she would crash and he’d pick her up and whisk her away. This dude had to go before he messed up the plan. As the jealous feeling swelled in his chest, he felt the desire to dominate her body once again and

craved to hear her say that she was his. He needed his kitten back. Something within him snapped and in that moment, he realized he’d fight tooth and nail until she gave him the second chance he felt he deserved. One thing she seemed to have forgotten was that he owned her heart; he always had. He had been hers since they first met and he knew she still wanted him. Even after she also promised him her heart, she still managed to shatter his into a million pieces. The more he obsessed himself with her, the more deranged his mind got. Evangeline was more than a love, she was his life, his everything, and without her, he wouldn’t be happy. To his knowledge, Gideon knew of only one other guy she had been with besides him. A mixture of stubbornness and cockiness clouded his mind as he rattled his brain trying to recall the guy’s name. Shrugging, he let it go. It wasn’t worth his time to dwell on a man that she probably never thought about. Eve is mine. Forever and always. She would hate him after tonight when she discovered that he was the one to take her, the one who took advantage of her in every way possible. Gideon’s underhanded methods towards Eve were abusive to his power as an FBI Chief. He glanced back over to the two and she finally downed her drink. Not too much longer now. No matter how conflicted he felt about what he was about to do, he couldn’t wreck their plans. Jo should have managed to mix in enough Rohypnol to knock her out for at least a day or so. She focused on her company, the music, and masks that she didn’t notice her drink was drugged, making the kidnapping that much easier. Oh, kitten, I wish this wasn’t the case. I wish you weren’t involved. Scratch that. He wished it played out in a different scenario. If it weren’t for her being involved, he wouldn’t get to be this close, and he wouldn’t solve a murder and free two men. Save them both. As he argued with his conscience, he observed as the douche took her to the dance floor and began grinding into her. It wasn’t pretty to witness. Why did I take this part of the job? No one would even remotely call what they were doing as dancing. Gideon clenched his teeth, not able to help the rage building inside. Seeing them together wasn’t an easy sight, watching the woman he loved dancing with another man, was equivalent to watching two dogs hump each other. Disgusting. Gideon was sure his face reflected an unsavory shade of beet red or purple. Luckily for him, he hid in the darkness of the club. The temperature seemed to rise in the room as he felt his muscles tighten more. He desired nothing more than to kill the bastard holding Eve. He gripped his sidearm, imagining the man falling to the ground bleeding out. He felt the heat and pressure continuing its path up his face, pissed that she was enjoying herself and angry that it wasn’t him touching her. His only wish was to show her that he still cared deeply for her. Frustratingly so, he did not go to her and snatch her away from the douche, he attempted to practice the breathing exercises he learned in training. Calm down, she isn’t yours anymore. It doesn’t matter who he is; focus. The dickwad grinded into her like he was already inside of her, the motion

causing Gideon to feel sick to his stomach. You can’t look away; you need to babysit. This is the job you got yourself into. Gideon noticed Eve’s dizziness from the drink when she stumbled slightly after being bumped into by another dude. If his estimation was correct, she’d be passing out within the next half hour. No getting laid for you, kitten. For his plan to succeed, she had to fall inconspicuously and then he’d make his way to her. He could pretend they were married and lie about her having one too many. If it wasn’t soon, she would be taking that asshole home with the expression she gave him. He had no desire to imagine her fucking another man. Avoiding their groping to salvage his stomach contents, he looked away for the briefest moment. Seems like I am more jealous than I care to admit. Smacking his forehead to create some sense didn’t seem to help him figure out what was wrong with him, or why he was being a dickhead. Why did I ever hurt her? He imagined if they would have stayed together. They’d have little ones running around and be married. I ruined such a happy ending. Escaping the little fantasy he envisioned, he glanced up and he tried to find Eve and her dance partner, but the space where they stood only a moment ago was empty. She was gone. Where the hell did she go? He looked in Jo’s direction, distraught and eyes widened, but Jo was too busy fixing drinks to notice Gideon’s frantic gaze. Unless he found her quickly, their kidnapping plan would be in the toilet. Searching around the entire club, he panicked. People stared at him like he’d lost his mind. Gideon practically ran toward Jo at the bar and spoke as quickly and quietly as he could. “Jo, where the hell did she go?” Jo looked up at Gideon with a confused expression. “I haven’t seen her, man. She was dancing with some dude and BAM. Gone. I haven’t seen her for at least a few minutes.” That isn’t possible! I only looked away for a moment. How could I be so idiotic? She was their foolproof plan and here he was being a fool, screwing everything up. This fucking sucks!



DARK, CLAMMY SPACES AREN’T FOR me, but hey, they may be for you. Ha, humor at a time like this. I never said I wasn’t a smartass or anything. Waking up shackled to a bed was how some women liked their foreplay. Me? Not so much. Eve loved her rough sex, but she wasn’t too kinky. Though she liked exploring in the bedroom, the exploration stopped at whips and chains, but she couldn’t say she wouldn’t try it at least once. The room was dark, cemented, probably about a ten-by-ten room, and it smelled of stale beer and mold. The light barely shown through and what she could see wasn’t much help. Her body felt frozen, stuck in an anxious state of mind. Trying to crane her neck to see better, she couldn’t get much motion; it was kinked from being in the same position for too long. How long have I been here? Her whole body ached. She felt as if she ran a marathon. Those who knew Eve knew that’d never happen. She tried once, to be something more than a diva but it didn’t work. When she tried, she rolled her ankle while running a 5K and never looked back. After that incident, she saw it as a sign to just be herself. Her achiness was what one’d describe as if she had sex with a bus or a train, not that that was possible, but the feeling was there. Craning her neck downward, she realized her clothing barely covered her. Just wonderful; I know my dress wasn’t much more, but man. Scantily clothed attire was her regular club garb, but she’d never be caught wearing these simple-minded kinds of clothes. She didn’t do “bum” days. Her fears rose higher as she thought about what kind of fucked up situation she got herself into, not the excitement she’d hope for. Amused at her thoughts, she feigned a smile. She was so completely fucked. Instead of laughing like she usually would in a situation like this, she began to fidget. She conjured too many possibilities and they were crashing into her head at an excruciating pace. Instead of being calm and praying for a good outcome, she overthought and imagined all of the worst

outcomes. Her pulse raced creating a migraine causing her eyes to water from the pain. Why am I here? Where was here exactly? She kept questioning if she had royally pissed someone off while being in the FBI. Maybe she was just that bad of a person. I am probably just that bad. She fucked men over for fun, living for the thrill of her next sexcapade. That usually got people killed. I am just lucky I have the law on my side. Her deranged thinking created an emotional toll on her body, her entire frame forcefully shaking. Calm down, Eve. Breathe; you learned this in training. Nerves never got to her, and she faced her fears upfront, but she’d never been kidnapped before. Regardless of her racing mind and heart, she had training for this; she knew what to do and how to do it. Dig deeper, Eve. She had to find that part in her mind she was hiding from. Wisps of air passed her lips as she tried calming her nerves. The technique must have been something she learned in class during training. It made a significant difference in her erratic heartbeat, the pain in her head gradually receding while her chest still pounded. Just like when she used to run, she needed to calm her heart. She may be scared shitless but breathing was necessary so a panic attack wouldn’t come. Rather than thinking of the positives, Eve continued to think about outcomes that would end badly. If she knew the condition of the rest of her body, she may calm down some and try to think of escape routes. Her body hurt, achiness and tinges of pain obvious, but she couldn’t look for bruising. The stinging distracted her but not enough to stop her hammering heart. She shouldn’t be freaking out but she was an analyst, not a field agent; she’d never expect anything like this to be possible for her. Eve’s naïveté to think this couldn’t happen to her—she’d learned her lesson. What would Riley do? Would he be badass and sweet talk his way out, or would he go in guns blazing and kick some ass? She prayed for answers, for Riley to rescue her, and for her to change her horrible habits in case it’d help her in the future. She analyzed cases like this for a living but never in her life did she think to be on the receiving end of it. The things they saw, who would ever imagine it to be them under the circumstances? Last year, her team had investigated a supposed “kidnapping”. The bodies were never found, but the kidnappers said they killed the family. Was she going to be like them? Would her picture show up on milk cartons like when she was younger? She attempted to control her breathing once again because passing out from distress was not an option. Seeing this whole situation was vital for her survival—to retrace her steps if she survived. In training they taught her to count her steps, to smell, and look at everything for future purposes. She also needed to be in the best shape possible just in case she escaped. If she did, she’d need to haul ass to find anything in the vicinity. Rest and tranquility was the key to saving her strength for what could come. If it came down to it, she needed to fight or be a smooth talker just as she thought Riley would be.

She knew how to use words to convince someone of something else; she did it every time she convinced a man into her bed. Rest and tranquility, she repeated to herself in her head. The walls were ragged; the moldy smell still permeated her senses, the building must have been an old office or jail of some sort. It was musty and neglected. Besides the kidnapping part there was no possibility of this being a running facility. After she calmed her heart a little, she couldn’t help but conjure bad thoughts again. Just like usual, she turned a bad situation worse with her pessimistic brain. Such a fucking downer. There was little hope to being found in an abandoned place. They could barely find places that suspects bargained with. Her hands were bound tightly, she wish she could feel anything other than the metal biting her skin. It was at least four inches in length and a quarter of an inch thick, there was no escaping this. She craned her neck the best she could, realizing she wasn’t covered in sweat or oil. If there was more lighting she could probably see how clean she appeared. Why do I feel clean? Considering where she was before she was kidnapped, one would think she was dirty and smelled of stale alcohol and sweat. She shouldn’t feel clean and that made an alarm ring in her head repeatedly. HARD. Then even HARDER. “HOLY SHIT! Someone bathed me! So not cool!” she screamed at no one in particular. This wasn’t good at all. She’d rather feel filthy than be clean because being clean meant she was naked and touched without permission. Her body was no temple, but it was very creepy to imagine someone man-handling her while she was unconscious. Hopefully it wasn’t a creeper peeking at all my girly bits. Did my kidnapper touch me? Instead of worrying about making it out alive, she was worried of being raped. Yanking at her restraints did nothing but bring biting pain. But that didn’t stop her from trying. Rest and tranquility, she mentally screamed to try to stop her thoughts from wondering. A pounding continued in her head, one that wouldn’t stop no matter how much she tried to repeat her mantra. Who would take her? What had she possibly done to deserve it? She was a Federal Agent, bad people like holding them for ransom. She didn’t have a ransom to pay; she only made enough money a year for a place to live, cute outfits, and her alcohol addiction. It wasn’t like she was loaded! Riley wouldn’t get her back and pay that, right? He wasn’t that kind of person. I’m completely fucked. What could she offer someone other than herself? There was nothing she had to offer. Her inner monologue didn’t do well for her body and she shook with sobs. Her mind perturbed and flustered in a way that she couldn’t hold back her uneasiness. So like any other normal person would do, she panicked and tried escaping once more. Breathing unsteadily, she pulled on the cuffs and chains again to see if they would ease a bit or give out. The clanking of the chains reverberated off the walls, echoing for everyone to hear. No such

luck; they didn’t budge whatsoever. The chain rang loudly as she continued to hit the bed rails hoping no one would hear her desperation. Unless they were Deaf, there was no missing her noisiness. Her desperate attempts to escape were silly at best, the feeling of being trapped forever and possibly dying felt like a glass of cold water splashed on her face. How could this happen to me? She didn’t want to die at the young age of twenty-five. Of all people in her field of work, she, a simple analyst, was the one kidnapped. Her dad would have a field day with this if he were still alive. Well, after he’d stop freaking out, of course. Ronnie would be more of a risk than me, she was a field agent and she went undercover all the time. Why me? Why now? Ronnie was a badass though; if she got kidnapped there would be a bullet in someone’s head by the end of the day. Out of frustration, she tugged more ferociously. “COME ON!!!!! Please! I don’t belong here!” I need to get out of here. Her claustrophobia was making her hyperventilate. She couldn’t pass out; she had to be prepared for whatever came next. Breathe. In and out. In and out. Tears fell slowly down her cheeks as she realized the situation she was in. What did I get myself into? Out of options, and out of strength, she decided she’d do anything and everything to survive. Even if I lose myself in the process. Hell, if she could sleep her way out of this, she would; she’d done worse before. Like that time when she got into a bar fight because some bitch thought she’d take her night with Ren away, it ended badly. Ren and Eve were at the bar dancing the night away like every other night. Some bitchy redhead came in claiming he was hers and that Eve better get “Steppin’.” Eve laughed it off and the bitch came at her pulling hair and shit. Eve didn’t go down easy and beat the twat silly. She had to give the arresting officer a blow-job to get out of it. Poor guy never had a good pop. When she said she’d done worse, that was the understatement of the century. She chuckled aloud at the memory. Ren had said Eve was sexy as fuck being defensive, claiming the chick was his friend’s wife and that he had fucked her a few times because she was desperate. If he wasn’t such a good roll in the sack, she’d have dropped his ass right then. She despised drama and hated nothing more than being involved into a lover ’s spat, and even worse, the homewreckers and the men that couldn’t keep their shit in their pants when it came to women. Contemplating her escape, she questioned why there hadn’t been any threats or torture. Not that she wanted it; it seemed fishy. Most people wanted to torture their hostage for answers or to get a ransom of some sort. She wasn’t loaded by any means, but the girls would come up with something. Ness’ family had money and when her parents passed away, she got it all since she was the last living child. Eve’s dad, who was a high school janitor, was the only person she had because her mom left when she was a kid. There was no way she’d have anything to offer besides her body. Closing her eyes, she pictured all the hell she may receive from this. What if they hurt me? Terrified and worrisome, she opened her eyes slowly. Blinking rapidly, she realized she wasn’t alone

any longer. The room was lit up more, the building functioned just fine. Suddenly, as she looked upward to find who had entered the room, there was a man sauntering past the door. He must have turned on more lighting because the room was finally coming into focus. His posture screamed unstable and a little more than unhinged. He had a cocky stance and a matching smug smile plastered on his chiseled face. If he wasn’t acting like a caged animal she may have found him attractive. She studied him like she would any suspect. He appeared to be well built under his casual clothing and was clean as could be. Standing upright, he appeared stalky with no slouch in his shoulders. He was in his mid to late twenties, and a possible Military background. You could take a man out of the Military but you couldn’t take the Military from a man. It stayed with them, or at least it did with Riley. You’d think this man would be in a jumpsuit for his behavior, but alas here he is. He’d probably seem more threatening in one, or maybe super-hot with a tinge of scary. The one thing that caught her off guard was the mask he was wearing. It was a Spiderman eye mask that only covered the top half his face. The redness from holding back laughter and sarcasm built up and spread up her neck, her body unable to contain it. She tried cutting her laugh off with a cough, but it came out like a choking laugh that brought tears to her eyes. Looking up to his displeased face, she couldn’t help but make a joke of it. “Hey, buddy, you know it isn’t Halloween. We’ve still got a few months. But I have to say, you’ve got to be kidding me, right? A freaking Spiderman mask? I haven’t been kidnapped before, but I can’t imagine this is the normal attire.” You’d think I would be smart enough to not be sarcastic, but apparently I surprise even myself. The man wasn’t slightly amused with her outburst, but the sneer he gave was bone chilling, sending a shiver down her spine. She felt she should just shut up now. His demeanor changed from amused to deadly in mere seconds. His face was dark, not quite sinister but more deranged than before. His brows grave, if looks could kill…like as if he was a hardened criminal and this task was like any other before. Who smiled with that much indignation? Only someone that had a damn good reason to hate her would carry such mischievous glower. What did she do to fuck him this badly? She didn’t want to believe she was that bad of a person. Maybe she literally fucked him and he was still mad about it? She could be a heartless bitch at times. That was why she had a black book; she didn’t need attachments— they were all participating clients, ones that would never retaliate—or so she thought. With her book, she knew all the men she fucked. She could trust them not to be crazy asses unless this was one of them and she was dumber than she thought. His demeanor changed slightly, going from extremely pissed to appearing sarcastic with a cynical smirk eating up his face and a little psycho in those dark eyes all at once. It may not sound doable to be both at once, but his face had a devilish sneer and a scrunch in his brow all at the same

time, crazy and unhinged with just one look at his face. His darkened features met her scared ones. “Evangeline, sweetheart, your sarcastic humor has always been your best quality. Not that the sex was ever a bad one, either.” What the hell did that mean? Who is this guy? “You know it was really nice finally seeing you naked after all these years. You haven’t changed much since I’ve been inside of you though. You’ve definitely got bigger tits; it was a pleasure to gaze upon them. Too bad you reeked of a dance club or maybe sex? Not sure on that one, sweetheart. You always enjoyed sex, so I’d bet the latter of course.” His tone was condescending, full of hatred and scorn. What frightened her most was that he appeared as if he was ready to attack, like a tiger looked before it attacked its prey. In a way, it made her want to laugh at how fucked up the situation was. She was now the prey, not the seductress she always claimed to be. The irony. “You showered me?” she grilled him with a grimace. She didn’t want to hear the answer even though she already knew. There was no way she hadn’t been cleaned; she smelled of lavender and something else she couldn’t place. Angry and confused, she shook, feeling violated to her core. She hated that he felt the need to take advantage of her while she was obviously drugged. He touched her and she didn’t remember any of it. Unlike most women, she liked remembering her one-night stands. They either led to more or they would lead to a new person in her black book. But regardless of the outcome, it was her choice. “Yes. I said you smelled horrid so I washed your entire body along with my own. Not that we haven’t done it before, just this time you were kind of unconscious. Plus, baby, you used to love showers with me. All sopping wet and needy—always needy.” You’ve got to be kidding me. A gasp escaped her chapped lips. Shocked and fearful, her embarrassment was evident on her face. The breath slowly receded from her chest, as it tightened, it shattered pieces of her mind while taking her breath away. “Before you freak out, baby, I didn’t take advantage of your drug-induced body; I’m not like that. Plus, I prefer my women to be aware of my dominance. You used to enjoy it as well. I like you to know I own your body wholeheartedly.” Yeah, like that makes it okay. “I didn’t catch your name; it seems you already know mine. Plus it seems like we know each other from some time in the past, so please enlighten me,” she begged with her eyes and a pout, letting her bottom lip protrude. His smile was all knowing and familiar, causing her body to tremor with uneasiness. Who the hell was this guy? How do we know each other? Why did he seem so familiar? He shouldn’t be… any men she knew couldn’t be capable of this. If there was, she royally fucked up. Good job, Evangeline. She never really checked into who she brought into bed, she kind of just fucked them and said goodbye. He walked closer and looked directly into her eyes “You can call me Ray, baby, or even Master. I kind of like the ring to that one but it’s your choice.” Is that his name, Ray? What kind of kidnapper

gave their real name or tried seducing a victim? She’d never known a Ray. He seemed to know her though, way too fucking much for her liking. He even said they had slept together. That meant they established something at some point. That also meant a man she had slept with was capable of kidnapping someone. This whole situation was all sorts of fucking twisted; it was like he enticed her to him, to get her to feel what he was feeling. Merely a foot away, he brought his hand to her chin, caressing it like a soft flower petal. Eve attempted to drag her face away but her body was paralyzed by the chains. For a flicker of a moment, his eyes softened, and that’s when she saw something personal—not contempt, but remorse. It vanished almost as quickly as it was shown, and an eerie frown took its place. “Is Ray your name or are you just yanking my chain?” Wow, I need some help. Suddenly feeling like a teenager, she closed her eyes, avoiding his. He laughed, a genuine one. It sounded strange coming from his mouth; an evil man shouldn’t laugh with such joy. Yanking my chain? Dumbass award goes to Eve! No matter the place, she used sarcasm and jokes to create less tension in her current predicaments—not that it was the best tactic, but it worked for her. “Not entirely, but who would give an FBI analyst they don’t plan on killing their full name?” He’s got a point there. Or he’s just a smartass—I’m going with a smartass. His amused expression pissed her off to no end; he seemed to enjoy her discomfort. At least he didn’t plan on killing her at that point in time. That didn’t mean her sarcastic comments at the wrong time wouldn’t get her killed. She needed to stop putting her foot in her mouth. “Ray,” as he called himself looked to be enjoying her smartass remarks. “Another reason why I’m wearing a mask, Princess.” Her breathing hitched and her heart beat painfully, suffocating her slowly, her voice wasn’t one of strength but it was all she had to offer. “May I ask what you want with me, Ray?” Using his name would make him empathize. Or at least I hope. The case last year with the kidnapping, they used the name of the kidnapper to persuade him not to harm the victims. It failed in the end, but it was worth a try in her case. Just use nice and non-sarcastic words, Eve. Be smart, like you were trained to be. I can’t panic, I need to be calm. Calm and tranquility is key. “Well, to be honest, you aren’t going to like it, sweetheart. You can either submit to me or you can fight me, but if you fight with me the outcome will be unpleasant for you. I can be ruthless when need be. I have a set of skills that have been given to me by my Command. You don’t want to see those set of skills in action, believe me.” He pauses, smiling like a psychopath, “I will enjoy it far too much. Every time my Command gives me the opportunity to use these specific talents of mine, I get really excited. Causing complete misery to people gives me immense pleasure; to hear them scream, beg, and fight me with their last bit of strength is heavenly.” His eyes glazed over, as if he got sexual

arousal from only speaking about what he’d do. “You see, I’ve been watching you for quite some time, Evangeline and it has come to my attention that my talents come to work in my favor. Bringing you to the brink of giving up will be so sweet, baby.” The horrifying images that swarmed Eve’s mind made her cringe internally. She didn’t want to ever experience his so-called “skills.” Besides that, he terrified her colossally and also made her wonder things that she shouldn’t. Who was his “command?” What the fuck was a command? Why did he enjoy torturing people? What did he get from it? She’d read about guys like that, ones that got off on causing pain. His arousal apparent in his pants, he lusted the thought of causing her pain. Gross. Staring at him with her mouth open in dismay, she fumbled for words that wouldn’t get her killed. Biting her tongue aggressively, blood tinged her tongue unwelcomed, and her need to say something witty battled within her like a demon trapped in hell. Her hands balled into fists, stopping her from screaming in utter dread. Her eyes rolled all-knowing she’d get herself killed sooner rather than later. He reached down and closed her mouth with his pointer finger, a smile sitting on his plump lips. “You may be into what I have planned though. You’ve probably changed a lot over the years. We both know you’ve gotten a lot prettier. Maybe you’ll enjoy the whole kidnapper and victim roles we’ll play.” Winking, he traced his finger over her cheekbones. “I’ve heard some women enjoy being tormented by their attackers, like some freaky Stockholm stuff. Are you going to be like that, Evangeline? Are you going to play nice, baby?” The thought had her squirming; she didn’t know how to respond. She desired nothing more than to say “Fuck you,” but she thought better of it. Her bitchy side was eager to come out and play, but she also wanted to survive, so she went with playing nice. “Do I really have a choice in the matter?” She smiled sweetly, her voice dripping in sarcasm but hoping to seem innocent and as sweet as syrup. A choice? Not even close. His grin was evil and the twinkle in his eye was unkind but somewhat excited. He seemed to enjoy the thought of hurting her. It was almost a mix between a serial killer enjoying their kills and a kid at Disneyland that didn’t have to wait in any lines. “Not exactly. You can be a good girl like you used to be or a bad one that you may truly be. That is the choice I have given you and that choice is completely yours. Choose wisely, Evangeline.” Her face fell in defeat. She needed to survive. What choice did I really ever have? “I will listen within reason, Ray. I am not the submitting type. I like to dominate the situation, especially sex. If you have been with me, you would know that.” Fear consumed her, being Eve, she wasn’t willing to submit. She was a fighter by definition; she’d fight until death to not have to succumb to a psychopath. The look in his eyes was a deadly combination of indignation and fury. The breath she had only moments ago was stolen from her lungs. Receding to the black abyss of her mind; it no longer existed as dread suffocated her. If she were to survive, she wouldn’t know how to breathe regularly again. “I remember every minute, Evangeline, every god damned minute of the hell and agony you put

me through. Though the sex wasn’t agony but mind blowing, and probably the best thing I got from you. It still was nothing on what you did to my soul. What you did broke something deep inside of me, something I can never get back—nothing I can repair. Good thing this is just business and not that relationship bullshit or we’d be in a lot more trouble.” Her heart was caught in her throat. She never expected him to have that close of a connection. Straining her neck to look up, she was struck with unadulterated terror when all she could see was a shadow hovering over her. He sat next to her vulnerable body and placed his hands around her throat. She could feel his callouses and could smell the mint in his breath, noticing that hunger had risen in his glossy eyes. Please don’t say he is one of those sick freaks that like to strangle their lovers for arousal. “Hey, I am not really into that, the kinky shit.” Or even the dominating chains and whips shit. “I don’t do BDSM. It isn’t my type of foreplay, Ray.” A guttural laugh vibrated his entire frame. With that look in his eyes, nothing good could come from it. His end game was unclear, but she feared for her life. “I’m sorry, princess, but there aren’t any choices on your behalf. Remember? Now I need you to stay calm and not move, unless of course you want me to break your larynx? I will enjoy this, Evangeline, so much, and I need you to know that this is very thrilling to me. We will have some fun together.” He paused, gauging her reactions, “Remember, don’t fight me.” Panic rose in her as he began putting pressure on her throat, her air slowly slipping away. He’s going to kill me! Shaking and terrified she pushed against her restraints, flailing her body as his pressure increased. She needed to relieve some of the pressure, but being chained up made it near impossible to move. His grip tightened and everything began to blur and fade in and out around her. The last thing she remembered hearing was, “I’ll be back, sweetheart. We are far from finished.”



NOW THAT THEIR PLAN HIT the fan, Gideon was completely fucked. How am I going to convince Riley to invite me in on the case? He knew one thing; he would save Eve from whoever took her if she could be saved. Don’t think that way, she’s fine; she’s strong. Convincing her that Finnegan Connelly didn’t kill Mitch wasn’t even the hard part of this whole ordeal; the real hard part was convincing her that he was the one she needed to be with—her forever kind of love like she believed in the past. Sounded a lot easier in my head. Love was so fucking twisted and impossible to deal with at times. If only it was easy, he thought. They wouldn’t be in this mess if that was the case. One night could have changed it all. He dialed his old buddy’s number, waiting for his answer. “Unit Chief Knight here…” “Hey, Riley, it has been awhile… I know you are searching for your agent Evangeline Carpenter. Before you ask how I know, it has been all over my office; news spreads fast here. Good news is, I’ve got some information if you are interested in letting me in on the case.” There was a deep intake of breath on the other end of the phone. I wonder what he’s thinking. “Yes, yes. Anything that will help in this situation, I’m desperate. Sadly, all I know is that the girls went partying this past weekend and Eve got snatched up sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning. Enough of talking over the phone. I’ll brief you further when you arrive. We have a set up at the Stratosphere in the girls’ room. Room 121B. Come alone.” He seems pretty involved in their lives. I wonder how close they are. “You got it. Be there in twenty.” His eyebrows furrowed in frustration as he dressed in his tailored grey suit, needing to look appropriate for the job. His gun was holstered and his badge was attached to his pants pocket. As he headed out the door, all he could think about was Eve’s life, hoping she wasn’t collateral damage to his major fuck up. She needs to be saved. I will save her. Let’s just hope she doesn’t figure out my involvement. He loved her more than she would ever realize. This warped and fucked up love had consumed him for years.



ARRIVING AT THEIR HOTEL, HE took a quick look at the place he was recently staking out to kidnap Eve and he realized something important. He was wrong in involving her. I can’t believe I got her into this shit. I’m beyond selfish. He would make it up to her forever if that was what it’d take. I’ll make her love me. He felt instant regret for wanting to be put on the case, especially now as he’d arrived at the girls’ suite. Not the least bit surprised at how fancy everything was, those girls always had an exquisite taste. Veronica and Vanessa both seemed less than happy to see him, not that he could expect more from the best friends of the girl he destroyed. “Hey, dickface. How’s life treating an asshole such as yourself?” Veronica quipped immediately after opening the door. He smiled at her with the cockiest smirk he could muster. “Oh, you know, same old; fucking some girl here, there, and everything I could ever dream of in life.” I can be the dickface you mentioned. Her face twisted in anger, reddening and appearing pained, but it was Vanessa who spoke up with displeasure. “You know I always knew you were a sleazebag. What brings you onto our case? What makes you think you belong anywhere near her?” Riley leisurely made his way to them and didn’t seem happy, either. “You didn’t appear to know of Miss Carpenter earlier, Gid, but according to Miss Lakke and Miss Minjarez, you guys have quite the past. Why didn’t you mention that? We’ve been friends since college. That hurts, man.” Fucking bigmouthed girls. Hands in his pockets and eyes avoiding the glares of his colleague, he answered as honestly as he could. “We did date in high school; I found it irrelevant at the time. Plus I knew if I mentioned our past, you wouldn’t let me on the case. I have information that’s really important to you.” He took it into consideration and motioned for him to follow. He led him to what he could already tell was his kitten’s room. Breaking the eerie silence, Riley gave Gideon a pointed look with questioning eyes. “So what is this intel you have, Gid?” “I was at the AirBar that night and I saw the bartender slip something into her drink. I know, I know, I should have done something sooner, but I wanted to see how it played out. I also know that there was a man dancing with her; she disappeared right after I saw her with him. I would have stepped in but looked away for just a moment, I’m sorry.” Did he take her while I was too jealous to notice? There was hope that she may just be with a random dude from the club and not kidnapped. His jealousies and fantasies could have led her home with some dude to fuck. Hopefully it didn’t send Eve

to her death. This cannot be happening. “Gid, I can’t even describe how I’m feeling. You put my agent in danger and over what, something idiotic like old high school jealousies? If I didn’t need you I would put your ass in IA’s view. But alas, we need to do surveillance. The girls will head up and talk to the barkeep you speak of and we’ll do some observation from here. We need to search her stuff and see what we may be missing.” This is so wrong. I hope she forgives me for this. “Okay, I’m really sorry. I thought it would be a bigger bust or something. I don’t know and I regret putting her life in danger. I’ll start here and hopefully I can find something helpful.” He felt as if he was invading her life. Searching Eve’s room was wrong; it was invading her privacy—like a creepy dude stalking her. She was going to hate him for it if she didn’t still hate him from high school. She probably does. I made her into a demon. He wouldn’t dare say that to her face; she may kick his ass. Looking through all her stuff, he found a photo of them from high school in her briefcase. He was standing behind her with his arms draped around her. Eve was smiling, a smile he hadn’t seen in too long. His face had a huge “X” on it. Yup, she hasn’t forgotten shit. She would be less than thrilled to see him when they got her back, and probably even less happy about him being involved in the case. The hope of their reunion dwindled as he put the picture back into her luggage. Turning away from her room, he held back the sadness that overwhelmed him from the situation he caught himself in. Heading to their main room, he scoped out the area, wondering where Eve could possibly be. He knew they’d figure out Jo drugged her drink, but hopefully they wouldn’t link Jo to Gideon. Jo was too sloppy, Gideon knew this and still involved him, and he would have hell to pay for his carelessness. No matter the case, he couldn’t protect Jo this time; he would probably go down for this. “Riley, I didn’t find anything useful. She only has her case files here and it looks like she was still trying to figure out who murdered Mitch Cates. That’s all I can tell from what little she brought here. Do you think the murderer took Eve for information on what she knows about the case?” he asked, rushing out the words. A new thought came to mind, one that wasn’t pleasant to say the least. He believed maybe she was bait for him. He had information that no one else did. “It definitely could be him. Finnegan Connelly is our lead. He killed Mitch.” He seemed thoughtful as if he was hiding a dirty secret. Did he know more than he was saying? No one knew it wasn’t Finnegan except him, Garrett, and Jo. He couldn’t just come out and say, “It’s not Finnegan,” without any proof. “I still think it’s fishy that there was a note on her body claiming it was Finnegan.” Riley looked toward him and sighed. “That’s what Evangeline says, but you both are wrong. For now he is the only lead we have and I am not going to rule him out without evidence that he is innocent.”

He was right; if you were handed something on a silver platter, you’d take it without questions. You wouldn’t try getting the food from the garbage instead. “Well, let’s head to your office and comb over the case and see what we have so far,” Gideon offered, hoping the tension would be left at the suite. Riley nodded his head in agreement. And they were off.

ARRIVING AT RILEY’S UNIT HOUSE, he wasn’t surprised at how similar it looked to his. They were only one division apart, but their buildings could be twins. They took the elevator to his department floor and headed to the meeting room that was also identical to Gideon’s. In the center of the room was a clear whiteboard with the crime scene photos that he had seen far too many times. There were victims across the board that fit the same Modus Operandi, or in layman’s terms, M.O. Every victim seemed to have some type of crime on their belt. Roger Adams, a 50-year-old male from Henderson, Nevada, was killed three months ago with multiple stab wounds and a gunshot wound in the forehead. He was a pedophile that got away with many child rape crimes. Gideon would know; Garrett was the defense attorney on all of his cases. None of the children would testify and from what Garrett told him, Roger paid off the parents to not speak to anyone about it or press charges. He was a piece of shit. Then there was Lacey Jackson. Like Mitch, she was a prostitute that sold drugs to minors and slept with anyone with a dick. She was caught with a boy who was no older than sixteen and got away with it because of Garrett. He couldn’t believe all of those “victims” that were slaughtered were all cases Garrett and Gideon oversaw. That made himself and the guys appear guilty in too many ways. Gideon’s face turned sour as he thought of what this was pointing to. “Riley, all of these ‘supposed’ victims are all involved in child crimes or other crimes and got away with them. That is this person’s M.O.; he kills people that never got justice served. We have ourselves a vigilante and we don’t have any clue who it is.” A vigilante only bringing justice to Gideon’s cases was too coincidental. Riley sauntered to the roundtable and smacked both palms down on the surface. “This is fucking ridiculous, Gideon! Eve may have sexual tendencies I don’t approve of, but she doesn’t deserve to die! It’s not like she does illegal things like the rest of the pieces of shit on the board!” From the pain and anger on his face, Gideon realized Riley cared for his kitten. As much as it was unsettling to know another man had feelings for her, he knew he was right. She could be very promiscuous but unlike the other people this vigilante has killed, she was all for the law. She abided by it and always fought to get pervs and other criminals locked up for life. Eve was a good woman when she wanted to be and anyone could vouch for that.

He was the only reason she was considered bad and if anyone was to be hurt by this vigilante, it should be him. Gideon helped those worthless scumbags more than he did good things for the public. Jo, for instance, was just as bad as Mitch and he couldn’t even count how many times he had bailed him out and got his record wiped cleaned. In all consideration, he was worse than most offenders. The others did wrong doings but Gideon used and abused the system to benefit criminals, his friends and the people he cared about. What was strange was that the vigilante hadn’t attacked him, Garrett, or Jo yet. Out of everyone, they were above the law and more deserving than the others of his wrath, but he hadn’t come for them yet. The suspect had taken some of their worst clients down. Why not me? Why take Eve? Then the epiphany arose, it scared him more than it reassured him. He took Eve to get to him; he must know what she meant to him. He would do whatever he could to hurt her. My God, what have I done to her? Would she survive this sick fuck?



EVE CAME TO WITH A throbbing ache in her neck, feeling as if her voice wouldn’t come out when the time came to speak. Closing her eyes from the pain, she tried voicing herself and it came out as a croak. Not entirely sure how much time had passed or how long she had been missing, she no longer cared. The pain was unbearable, if only she could rub it to dull the stinging. The bedposts were too big of an obstacle; she had already tried escaping and had no will-power left to try again. Who is this man? Why does he enjoy torturing me? “Ray…please, if you—won’t unchain—me so I can ease some of my pain, would you…oblige to massaging my throat? You—hurt me,” she croaked, her voice pathetic at best. The door creaked open and she heard a pitter-patter of footsteps reverberating off the walls. There was no trust for the man around her but she needed a release from the ache in her neck. He could hurt her but anything was better than what position she currently found herself in. By the time he made it to her bed, she was wheezing, and she couldn’t contain the painful groans escaping. She needed water to moisten her sore throat. Carrying a delicious looking bottle of water, he gave her a small smile. “At least you have some manners now. You used to be demanding and bitchy.” She scowled her answer. If she weren’t shackled, it’d be a whole different ballgame. Her bitchy side was only restrained because of her current situation. How does he know this much about me? She didn’t have too many men for longer than one night, but there were a few. Who could he be? She had eleven suspects since he was a brunette. Bobby and Max were blondes, so they were out of the question. There were also those few years before she closed herself off completely, that brought a whole new wave of candidates that she forgot about. What drove her nuts was that none of them were named Ray. She may not have gotten attached, but she did try getting their names. “How is it you know that about me?” she barely muttered, her voice raspy. Tilting her head upwards, he helped her drink more water to help the ache and scratchiness. The cement room seemed to heat up as he rubbed the tender spots on her throat, a little satisfied

moan escaping from her lips. The relief was heaven on earth. To her surprise he was being gentle and not evil compared to earlier. “To answer your question, you were once mine. The love we had didn’t just fade; it never had the chance to blossom.” Putting his finger under her chin so she’d look directly into his eyes, he spoke gently, “Don’t fret, sweetheart. I will own you again. It is just a matter of how rough and when. We were lovers once, and it was the greatest time. I wanted you to love me and be my forever, but your commitment issues got in the way. You know how you were.” While his thumb was massaging small circles over her throat, he leaned down and began sending tender kisses where he just rubbed. She was battling with being terrified of him near her throat again and pleased with how gentle he was being. He was being too tender for a broken man. “I’m sorry for the pain, but it was necessary. It shows your strength and weaknesses all in one. Plus I have a job to do and that’s you—nothing more. I need you to be tough for what is to come. I hope one day you will understand that. I don’t tell any ‘contracts’ this, but one day I pray you forgive me for this.” It was almost as if he regretted hurting her, but wanted to make it appear as if he was only taking advantage of her lonely state of mind. Her head told her to be disgusted and turned off, but her body was reacting to him like a horny schoolgirl. Some things you couldn’t deny and god it felt good for her to be touched. I may as well play along, right? She danced across a dangerous line with him; did she realize there was a line? As an invitation to continue, she leaned into him more. As much as she’d hate to admit it, his tender kisses were a major turn on. What the fuck am I doing? When his head lifted in confusion, she didn’t know what to say; she herself was confused at the moment. “You are a lot more open than you used to be. You must have not been loved since us. You never would have been this way back then. I guess you’d never be in the hands of CK-21, either.” He peered down at his hands, moving them away from her and clenching them until they turned white. “Fuck, forget I said anything.” She tried ignoring his words and not let them get to her, but in reality they rocked her core. Selfpreservation is a bitch. Bile rose in her throat; she was disgusted with herself. She swallowed the bitter taste that burned in her throat, wishing she could just stop feeling. The room felt overwhelming from what just occurred, and she craved nothing more than to escape. She hated that she had naughty thoughts of this man or even any feelings other than abhorrence. Her libido needed to take a hike; he kidnapped her for fuck’s sake. What is wrong with me? Who is CK-21? They are a myth right? What the hell was he talking about? Maybe he was deranged, lost to himself and others. Taking her away from her thoughts, he turned toward her. “You know, Eve; I would love to be inside of you like I used to be. I enjoyed every second of it before, but now I’ll wait until you’re least

expecting it. That’ll make it all the more fun for both of us. At least it will be for me.” Well, that’s fantastic. A psychotic dude from her past wanted to hold one over on her and in the worst way. Payback was a bitch. Karma would have her time with Eve once and for all. I can’t even count of both hands and toes how many times I have done this to a man. “Uhm, Ray, why would you kidnap me if you just wanted to fool around? You know I am an open lover and am willing to do what most people aren’t. I like sex and enjoy it like most people do their coffee in the morning.” His grimace and frown full of disdain was answer enough for how he felt about her lifestyle. There were days she had the same look on her face, sometimes she hated herself for the way she chose to be. In a condescending tone that held vehemence, he growled out, “I won’t make love to you like a lover, baby. I will be as harsh and rough as I want. I want him to know you are tainted goods, that you are a dirty slut. I want to show him that I own you and he won’t ever again.” A dirty slut? Who was this man… and this “he” he speaks of? “On the contrary to your beliefs, Ray, I’m not a slut. I have needs like any other woman that need satisfying. Just because you are a hypocritical man doesn’t mean I’m a slut, it just means I’m more welcome to lovers unlike most women. Just because men can do what I do and not get shamed upon doesn’t mean I don’t have the same needs that need fulfilling.” “You keep telling yourself that. The difference between you and other women is that they’d fight me before they’d ever let a kidnapper take them to bed. But you…you are a whore that would take any opportunity to jump on my dick because that’s who you are, and how you’ve been for years. It’s disgusting.” Way to be blunt, asshole! She returned his hatred, “It isn’t that I would jump to be in bed with you, but I like to try new things and I have a good feeling that you would dominate me the way I need to be dominated. Show me what I’ve been missing and maybe remind me of who you are. Maybe you could tame the beast inside of me, it’s hungry, Ray.” She paused, knowing she shouldn’t say what she wanted to say. But, what the hell. “If we are being honest here, I have a thing called self-preservation and I’d rather have a quick fuck on my belt than be dead.” Yes, stroking the ego usually gets them to calm down. Don’t get your ass killed, Eve. “You’re a dirty whore, Evangeline, I won’t sugar coat it. In the end I will dominate you one way or another. But first things are first; I need you to willingly sign this slave agreement. I need you to sign it before anything we do goes any further. Can’t have you opening your big mouth and letting others know what happens while you are in here. Especially since my big ass mouth mentioned CK-21 and that already puts this whole thing in dangerous waters.” There was that group again. She had heard their name before, but it was more of a myth than anything. What you heard as a warning at the field house, to keep you straight as an agent—so you wouldn’t become an “issue.” Stunned silent, that wasn’t what she was expecting. A slave contract? As in he owns me in every

way? It wasn’t legal, not in the real world but it’d hold her to him temporarily, making him believe he owned her. Agitated with her hesitation, he practically growled “If you do not sign this agreement, your time spent here will be unkind to say the least. It should be anyways because of the job I have, but I will take it easy on you because I loved you once.” Once. She needed to ask what CK-21 really was. Without any more reluctance, she looked directly into his steel grey eyes and answered, “And how long do I have to decide this? You are asking for me to willingly give you my body. No ifs, ands, or buts. That is a lot to think about.” It wasn’t really, but she was trying to avoid the inevitable. His skin turned beet red, something that seemed to becoming a norm for him. She figured her response was the wrong answer, or at least not the one he was looking for. “You either sign it now, or I will fucking rip it up and who knows what I will end up doing to you. I’m trying to make this easy on you and you’re making this difficult.” I guess that’s my answer. She tried making eye contact so he knew she was serious, but he was too pissed to look at her right then. She then tried getting his attention instead. “Are you going to unchain my wrists so I can sign it willingly or do you want me to use my mouth?” That was as willing as I will get. I shouldn’t have said that, his mind will go to the wrong places. Lust-filled eyes leveled with hers. “Sweetheart, as much as I’d love having that gorgeous mouth sucking the life out of my cock, I’d prefer you sign legibly with your hands.” Her jaw went slack for the third time; he knew how to rattle her. Grinning at her like a kid in a candy store, he pulled the keys from his left pocket and unlocked her cuffs. His excitement was unfaltering; it creeped her out. An involuntary shudder ran down her spine. “Here you go. Now, you will sign willingly or we will do it my way. I pray that you let me do it my way; it’s much more fun.” He hinted at his dark desires of torture with his facial expressions. She rose into a sitting position and rubbed the soreness from her wrists, trying to get her blood flowing again. They were not only itchy from being raw, but they were tender from her constant wiggling. Mustering as much strength as she could, she spoke with firmness. “Okay, hand it over. Let’s get it over with.” Smugness overtook his face as he handed her the clicker pen. He had her right where he wanted her or so she thought. Signing her life away, but not literally because it wouldn’t hold up in a court of law but she felt helpless nonetheless. “Please just be gentle.” He laughed, probably amused at her trying to have any say in the matter. “Here you go, Ray, it’s done. I’m yours.” She shivered at the thought of him having so much power over her. Not knowing what he was capable of terrified her. The mischievous grin that spread across his face wasn’t reassuring. “Perfect! I will bring you something to eat. I don’t need you dying of starvation or dehydration.” Only because you need all the

power over me as you can get. As he left the cemented room that she had come to know as her own personal prison, she realized he didn’t re-shackle her. I may need to rethink this career option. Before he exited he turned back toward her with newfound excitement, “Oh and Eve, I am going to have to cuff you again. Can’t have you going all suicidal or anything,” he stated, laughing at the thought of it. “Now that you are mine, you may not want to be here.” Click, click, click, click. When the cuffs were back on her, she was painstakingly aware of the rawness in her wrists. Cackling and smiling like a maniac, he left her again and she hoped it wasn’t as long as before. She was starting to feel the hunger and exhaustion creep in.

HOURS SEEMED TO PASS BEFORE he showed up again. In reality it was probably about thirty minutes, but being alone in a cemented room with no clock made it seem like forever. A rumble that sounded like a creature growling released from her empty stomach. She was starving, feeling like a caged beast. Ray opened the door and ambled over, his face an emotionless mask. Slowly and gently, he took off her cuffs. The delight from her wrists being free was intoxicating. There was a bruise where the cuffs once were. Her ankles were now regaining feeling and the pain was almost immediate. Noticing there was a plate in Ray’s hands, she gazed into his eyes with question. Please feed me, her eyes begged. “Here, Eve, eat this; it will give you some strength. It’s a PB&J, and it’s even on your favorite nine-grain bread. I remember you loving that bread, and also took the liberty of bringing you some orange juice without pulp to wash down the peanut butter.” I do in fact love nine-grain bread. His nice demeanor stunned her silent. His mood had only gotten better. What made him have any change in his abusive behavior from before? “Why are you being so nice, Ray? Thought I was only a slut to you?” By the expression on his face, she’d struck a nerve. Damn, don’t hurt me again; I can only take so much. He appeared to be pondering what he wanted to say—what he needed to say. “You weren’t always a slut, Evangeline. Your choice in men led you down that path. Don’t get me wrong, I want to see his face when he figures out that I touched his forbidden fruit. Classic, I can imagine. The first time didn’t go over so well.” Forbidden fruit? Only one man in her entire life had called her that. Gideon Blackwell, the only man she ever loved other than Marcus, but Marcus was another story all together. “Are you speaking of Gideon?” If the answer was yes, she couldn’t tell. He had an expressionless mask on, as if he didn’t care what she asked. God damn it, I need to know who he’s targeting!

“And what is this CK-21 you mentioned? Why have I not heard of it? Well, I have heard of it, just not what it really is.” I need answers! The words tumbled out, but she hoped she could at least have one of those answered. Avoiding her questioning glare, he held her face in a tight grip kissing her desperately, as if she was his only source of oxygen. At first she didn’t reciprocate, but his urgency made her feel as if she was the best tasting wine, he finally had the pleasure drinking, which made her insides boil with longing. One would think she’d remember a man kissing her with that much passion and fervor, yet she didn’t. The urge to feel disgusted was there, but so was desire. It was unavoidable. The heated kisses scorched her skin like embers licking a fire and hated that she was enamored by it. I need to stop feeling this way toward him. Snap out of it, Eve! They were both panting as he continued his assault of her lips; stopping him was the last thing on her mind. Earlier, her heart hammered in fear and uncertainty, but now it was pounding with excitement and worry. The worry she felt was from her newfound feelings toward this man when she shouldn’t feel anything but disdain. She felt at ease with him around and she couldn’t, no, she wouldn’t be the girl that fell for her kidnapper. What kind of shit is this? He gradually pulled away, his lips barely leaving hers, neither of them wanted the moment to end, but it needed to. His grey eyes shined with hope and a yearning she couldn’t place, one that reflected in her face. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t hold back any longer. There is just something about you that has always called to me, like a Siren’s Song. You are irresistible, Evangeline Carpenter.” What did I get myself into? This couldn’t be happening. A kidnapper that romanced his victim and wanted to cause pain all at once? This is insanity. “Does your hate for this man overpower your will to be the great man I’m currently experiencing? I can see a spark in there, Ray. It may be small, but it is there.” Pointing to his chest, she demanded an answer. Please deny it. I don’t want you to be ruined as well. “Is it CK-21? Is that why you are doing this? I may be able to help you. I work for the FBI,” she stated in one huff while grabbing his face. Asking him struck a nerve; he nearly ran out the door. I need to know what kind of man he really is. He stopped at the far wall next to the door and strained himself of his anger. His fists clenched and unclenched, his face pained. “Don’t pretend you know me, Evangeline. I’m a terrible man; I hurt people. I’m a man with a vendetta, and a man that is incapable of love. I’ve murdered people for all the wrong reasons. CK-21 made me who I am and I can’t go back. There’s no normal for me. There are rules you’ll never understand and if you think you can, you’re naïve.” I won’t accept this as true, that he is incapable. No, he just wasn’t willing to love—scared just as she was. She could help him and bring him back from the darkness he felt. I know I can. Trying to make her way over to him, she stood up slowly. “I don’t believe that, Ray. You have shown me you are very capable of emotions such as love and admiration. You’ve made me feel them

again, which I never thought was possible. CK-21 can’t hold that over you, I can save you. Let me save you.” Taking a brave step in his direction, she felt desperate to fix him—mend his broken heart. When he didn’t freak out and run, she continued her journey to him at a slow pace. I need to feel him, to show him what he makes me feel. She loathed admitting it, but he made her feel treasured and cherished in the weirdest way. Finally reaching him, she stroked his cheek with the back of her hand, whispering, “You could be a great man, Ray. I can see it in you,” she purred, her voice singsong. Showing my heart was never the plan and I know it’ll backfire. Ray angrily grabbed her wrists and dragged her back to the bed, her jail. “Eve, you are more mistaken than I could ever try to drill into that pretty head of yours. I’m a cold-hearted, evil bastard. I cannot be changed, not for myself and not for you. There are no redeeming qualities in me anymore. They left a long time ago. Quit trying to save a man that can’t be saved.” Tossing her onto the bed, he put the shackles back on. No! Not again. Resisting the urge to burst into tears as panic set in, Eve kept calm so he didn’t become angrier. Her bravado a mask, to appear to him that she was stronger than he assumed; it was essential to prove her resilience to him. “I may show you compassion because of our past, but I promise you this. I. Will. Ruin. You. I will get my revenge and you will be collateral damage. You are a means to an end, Evangeline. I can’t love you and I won’t. I won’t change because you want me to; I am not capable of change.” He walked to the door, hand on the handle before looking back, “Goodbye, Evangeline.” Letting it sink in, she began to weep. Ray would see her as broken, but she was done caring. He could see her weaknesses. How could I have been so wrong? No, he could be good! He had to be different. She needed to convince him, and she wouldn’t give up. There was regret in his eyes as he looked over his shoulder. His forehead had worry wrinkles and a sad frown covered his beautiful face but he wouldn’t give in. He wanted to comfort her, but she could see in his eyes that he refused to look weak, even if he hurt her in the process. Ray, you can be a better man. You just need to believe it. Turn around; show me that you are still human. The tears slipped down, burning as they slid down her reddened cheeks. Hopelessness filled her body at an excruciating pace; dread filled her entire frame as her sobs shook her body. The only sound she heard was the latch clicking into place when he walked out of the room. Instead of holding in the pain, she let the anguish she was feeling escape her. Her wrists were sore, but it didn’t stop her from struggling against her restraints. The feel of her skin tearing in multiple places from anguish and resentment filled her body with more pain. That didn’t stop her though. The pain reminded her she was still human and not a caged animal. The feeling of a shattered soul was what Eve was experiencing and it crippled her. Tears slipped from her eyes and she cried for what felt like a lifetime. She cried for Ness and Ronnie, Riley and her

team, and lastly she let the tears fall for a broken-souled Ray. A man far past saving, even for me. How could she be so wrong? Ray was a man; if he had so much hatred then he must have loved something so much to make him feel that way. If she ever left there, she would bring down CK-21 if it were the last thing she ever did. The night dragged on. Sleep escaped her from her continuous thoughts about Ray. He may have kidnapped her, but he had a heart. I know he does. A person couldn’t be damaged this badly if they didn’t have one. How could someone treat this man so badly? He seemed sweet deep down, or maybe that was just what she wanted to see. When she looked at him, she saw herself reflecting in his eyes. Maybe that was why she felt so broken over his situation. It reminded her of the first guy she let into her life and halfway into her heart after Gideon wrecked her. He was something else. He cared, and didn’t just want sex like most guys did. Marcus was different, so kind-hearted and sweet, making sure she was happy and that trait was not something you received often with her lifestyle. When she started falling for him, she dropped him like a ton of bricks, breaking his heart like hers was broken before. That was one thing she regretted every day.



SATURDAY NIGHT CAME AROUND PRETTY quickly. Finn’s thoughts were of returning to the AirBar. He figured the sexy brunette would’ve contacted him by now. There was no doubt in his mind that she wanted him just as bad as he wanted her. I will have her. She’d be a nice piece of ass and maybe more than a one night stand. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Finn. Like most business men, he wasn’t the relationship type. He hated worrying about another person like he had with Mitch and Lance. And look how that turned out for me. Heading up to the AirBar, his only hope was that she’d show up again. Making his way to the bar, he noticed there was a new bartender, a woman with really nice legs. As his eyes slowly moved north, he saw that she was a blonde. Definitely not my type. He scoped out the place discovering the brunette was nowhere in sight. There were two women questioning the bartender he was just checking out. Since he owned the place, he felt the obligation to see what was going on. Plus, the leggy blonde wouldn’t know much since she wasn’t here last night. There was a Hispanic woman and a stunning dark chocolate girl with her. They both had badges and guns holstered on their hips. Fuck, they must be asking about me and the case I am involved in. With a new nervousness clouding over him, he walked over wearing his businessman face asking, “Hey, ladies, what is going on?” The dark girl had a look that he knew all too well, a look that said, “You look like some piece of shit I have arrested before.” Just my fucking luck. She finally spoke up. “And, you are?” Shit, do I want her to look at me with disgust or should I lie? He told her the truth because he was so smart. The anxiety he felt may have been palpable, but he hoped for his sake it wasn’t. “Finnegan Connelly.” With my luck, I look suspicious. Why did this continue to happen to him? His exterior was as calm as possible. She gasped taken aback and immediately he recognized where this would lead. “Were you here last night with my colleague Evangeline Carpenter? I’m pretty sure you were the guy she was dry humping.” So that is what the sexy brunette’s name is.

Smiling because he now knew the name of the brunette beauty that evaded his dreams, he could now imagine her saying his name. “Oh, I never did catch her name. I had left after giving her my business card.” Leaving with the biggest hard-on I’ve ever had. Without saying another word about how they knew him, it caused a chill to roll down his spine, making him cringe. Like a smack to the face, he realized he knew exactly who these ladies were, and it sucked that he hadn’t noticed sooner. I thought I knew everyone involved in my case. “I haven’t seen Evangeline since I left her last night, so I can’t imagine why you are throwing a fit.” She gave him the deadliest glare that would make any normal man run, but he held his ground, unwilling to show her that he was fazed by her outburst. Then she practically growled, “Eve is missing. We haven’t seen her since last night when we thought you had taken her to your room.” God, I wished I had her nice ass in my bed last night. “Well, I wish I could be more help to you, but I have no idea where she went. I’m truly sorry. The one thing I can offer is my help. I own this hotel and I will make sure all the employees know to cooperate with you. Please feel free to check surveillance and anything else you’ll need.” Her jaw lay slacked as she looked as if she were at a loss for words, her eyes looking as if they were going to pop out. She whispered, “Why are you willing to help us?” Because it’s not like I need a bigger target on my back. It was his turn to look perplexed. Obviously he would help any person even if she wasn’t hot as hell. “For one, I didn’t hurt her. Two, I would like to see her again in one piece and in my bed. Lastly, I would help anyone that needs it.” She shot daggers at him, so in turn, he gave her his classic sexy smirk and said, “Please let me know if you need any more assistance.” She stomped off utterly pissed and it gave him a satisfied feeling.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON FINN WOKE UP from a loud banging at his door. What the hell? Opening the door to see the snappy girl and the quiet girl, he wasn’t too happy. “Hello, ladies, what can I do for you?” At six in the fucking morning. They appeared pissed off—or something more, scared maybe? “Eve still hasn’t been heard from and the one who took her hasn’t contacted us for ransom or anything. We’re worried we won’t be able to save her.” Well, now I feel obligated. Fuck. He never thought he’d say that he was scared shitless for a woman he had only just met, but he was worried that she was dead or would be soon if he didn’t help them. “Well, have you been checking every place she could be?”

Snobby girl appeared to be at her wits’ end. She frowned at Finn and replied ferociously, holding nothing back. “Yes, do you think I’m a dumbass? We have known her our entire lives and every place we would go to ‘get away’ has no trace of her ever being there. It’s like she vanished into thin air.” While stepping closer to the girls, he couldn’t help but worry about Evangeline. “Can you come in here and make it less suspicious? You are making me look like a suspect.” They grunted at the same time and entered cautiously. Looking directly to both women, he said what he had wanted to say all day. “So you know my name, can I by chance know yours?” If looks could kill, he’d be dead at that very moment. The quiet Hispanic one spoke for once, “I’m Vanessa and this is Veronica. We’re Eve’s best friends and are all on the same team.” Finally some fucking answers. “Nice to meet you, ladies. Wish it were under better circumstances.” Or not at all would be great. They took a seat on the couch, rubbing their temples in unison. “She was seen leaving the club with a man but the elevator bellhop said that she was passed out and that the man’s face was covered by a masquerade mask like the rest of us. That’s all we know.” Pacing back and forth, he considered where to go next. “Did you ask the bartender that was there last night? He’s the one who made her drink.” They look back and forth to each other. Vanessa piped in, “Can you tell us what he looked like? Anything would help. We thought it was that Barbie that we were talking to earlier, but we both got our drinks served to us so we never looked at the bartender.” Of course not, these ladies would have men waiting on them all day. He didn’t get a good look at the guy either. Shit! If she wasn’t so sexy I would have paid more attention to my surroundings. “All I remember is he was about six feet tall and a dirty blond with shorter curly hair. I was too busy staring at your friend eye fucking me from across the bar.” They both laughed; it felt nice to somewhat break the ice. “We better get going and start checking the employee list then. We need to find the bartender. Maybe he saw who took her.” Showing them the exit, he led them out of his room and began pacing again. Why am I so anxious? It wasn’t like he loved her; he just met the woman. Evangeline was her name.

LATER THAT NIGHT, HE CHECKED the staff records and saw the bartender ’s name was Jo Bailey. His records showed he lived just off of Fremont Street. He rushed toward the ladies’ suite which he also found out in the hotel’s directory, it was on the thirtieth floor. Knocking as hard and quickly as possible, he hoped they’d answer faster. Vanessa answered with a confused reaction. “Vanessa, I’ve found the name and mailing address to the bartender. He lives right

off of Fremont Street and here’s his address.” She peered over the file and smiled brightly. “Thank you, Mr. Connelly. This will actually help a bunch in our investigation.” A cheesy grin spread across his face. “I’m coming with you guys to question him about everything. I’m the owner of the hotel after all,” he said while inviting himself inside, following close behind her. Veronica was shaking her head in disapproval. “We don’t need more baggage. We need to get this done with no bullshit. Looking at you and knowing who you are screams bullshit.” Turning toward her with a scowl, he practically spit, “I like your friend Evangeline and just want her safe. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that is what good guys do?” She grimaced, disgusted or something, and turned away. Vanessa piped in, “I guess that is a yes. Let’s go question the bartender.” They drove across town in Veronica’s black Suburban. Once they arrived at the guy’s house, they knocked on the door and a man that looked vaguely familiar to all of them answered. “Hello, officers. How may I be of service?” the man asked. The girls look him up and down in apparent appreciation as Finn made a gagging noise. “Sorry to bother you, Mr. Bailey, but can we ask a few questions?” He gave them a toothy grin, which made Finn scowl in disgust. “Well, of course you can, ma’am.” Dipshit and his fake southern drawl. The girls ate it up like it was their favorite dessert. “Our colleague, Evangeline Carpenter, was last seen on Friday night at the AirBar where you bartend. Was there anyone you seen her leave with?” Or maybe you took her, he wanted to add. He feigned being shocked or at least that was what it looked like to him. “I saw her dancing with that man.” He pointed at Finn with an evil grin. The accusation in his eyes was unsettling to say the least. “She didn’t leave with him though,” he stated with an arrogant smirk. Bastard. “She left with a man wearing a masquerade mask. That is all I know I am sorry.” We were all wearing masks, dumbass. Looking at each other, he could tell they were even more frustrated. “Thank you for your help, Mr. Bailey,” Veronica said, thanking the man. With a flirty smile, he directed his words toward the girls, “You can call me Jo, ma’am, and give me a call if you have any more questions.” Vanessa blushed; he took that as an invitation and wrote down his number before turning away and heading back inside his home. Finn’s body heat rose in irritation; they were too nice to that piece of shit sleazebag. “Okay, ladies, can we head back? We are of more use at the hotel than with that punk.” They were driving back to the hotel, arriving short of 10:00 p.m. With irritation etched into his body, he decided to catch some much needed sleep. His mind wondered where the beautiful

Evangeline could be, hoping she was okay. Why do I care so much? He hardly knew the woman. He showered quickly, and then lied down, falling into a deep sleep where he dreamt of the sweet-looking Evangeline.



RAY HADN’T BOTHERED HER, MUCH to her despair. While she slept, he must have slipped in because she was free of all restraints. The fact that she wasn’t restrained made her think that he knew she wouldn’t leave him. He cares about me. He must know she had an agenda of her own, to save him. Over the course of however long it had been, she’d given him so many reasons to kill her and yet she was still there, unharmed and wanting to show him hope for the future. He has a heart that I want to fix. In attempt to convince him to come in, she headed towards the door. Leaning against the cold metal, she prayed to hear something other than her screaming thoughts and heavy breathing. She didn’t get anything, which only irked her more. Her kidnapper was deliberately avoiding her. He could at least keep me entertained. He probably didn’t want her to ruin him; he knew her track record and what she did to men. “Ray, I am dying here. It’s hot and boring. Come entertain me. Pleeeease—Rayyyyyyy,” she dragged out his name exaggerating her boredom. There were footsteps then several latches unlocking. She stepped away from the cold metal door, wanting nothing more than to see him, she craved his attention. So he was there after all. How could you avoid talking to someone for that long? He came in dressed impeccably, looking delicious. Maybe she had been in the dungeon too long, as she now fantasized about her capturer. What the fuck is wrong with me? Ray was wearing a dark black and grey pinstripe sweater that was rolled up at the sleeves. He also had on jeans that hung low on his hips, accentuating his figure. He looks so good. The only thing throwing her off was the new mask; it was pure black, making his steel grey eyes stick out like ice on a summer day. It was simple, no silly Spiderman that made her crack jokes. There wasn’t any humor here, just pure hunger. He ambled over to her and touched her face lightly. “What am I to do with you, Evangeline? You make it so hard to be bad. Why do you make me want to be a better man? I can’t and

it breaks me little by little. Why must I care for you after all these years? How do you have a hold on me and on my heart?” The frantic beating of her heart was ringing in her ears. Sweat formed on her forehead, between his admission and the heat, she felt balmy. His remorseful attitude and the fact that he aspired to be a good man for her created a lust filled fascination for him that overwhelmed her senses. After the first round of strangling, she was sure she’d either learn some new kinky moves or learn about CK-21 somehow. The need to know his identity was strong. She needed—no, she required to know who he was before anything further happened. He dropped hints that did nothing for her. She was always promiscuous; how could she remember just one man? The fact that he was willing to hurt her stirred something inside of her. Who could hurt me this much but claim to have loved me once? She hadn’t a clue and it was killing her inside. The identity of the man underneath the mask nagged at her constantly. Her eyes found his, her heart seeking answers. “You can choose who you want to be, Ray. I can help you be who you want, I want to—I need to know you.” Heat penetrated her from his gaze making her crave him in more than one way. Not exactly the best ways for the situation she found herself in. Throwing caution to the wind, she gave into her temptations. While he was distracted, she grabbed him from around the waist, turning him around. Her eyes bore into his no longer asking permission. “Ray, I need this, I need you. Don’t say no, please.” Studying her, waiting to see if she would change her mind, he finally gazed into her eyes with a fire-burning passion, it took her breath away. At least I am not the only one who feels this connection. The sensation of lust ignited in her stomach and flared into her core. She was ready. Their kissing started out slow and fervent and then became frenzied as if they were in lack of oxygen. He caressed her skin with his calloused hands as breathy whimpers escaped her. “Eve, I can’t do this without needing more. This can never be more or go further than me taking you from your kidnappers. This,” he gestured between them, “Can’t be more than a job. The mission needs to be completed, regardless of my feelings for you.” Her kidnappers? What was he talking about? “What are you saying, Ray?” Her hands balled into fists, her knuckles turning white while nails bit her tender skin. He had to be lying! There was no way she could screw two men over that badly. He tilted her chin aggressively but not unkindly so she was looking at him eye to eye, her neck craning far passed uncomfortable. “Eve, you may not believe this, but there was a plan in motion to kidnap you already. I just hijacked it. I did it because it was the man I hate more than anything in the world. I saved you from whatever he had planned, but I was already watching you because of Command. He wanted to make sure you didn’t cross a line. You were never to be killed, only questioned.” So he saved me by kidnapping me? Who the hell was Command? “I… don’t… understand. Someone was already going to take me? You protected me by taking me

yourself? Your command, as you call him, he made you hijack some plan in progress?” He nodded, grabbing her face not wanting to answer her questions. Her hands relaxed, slowly getting feeling back into them. Letting out a shaky breath, she shook her head, unable to understand anything anymore. “Who was going to take me, Ray? Am I safe? Why were you already following me?” Why did she trust him so much? He kidnapped her and tortured her, even though her libido didn’t understand her brain sure as hell did. “If I told you that, you’d know who I hate and it isn’t time for you to know yet. Yes, I saved you from him and no, I don’t know if you are safe. I’m not entirely sure what his plans were. I only know that I wasn’t letting him have you again. CK-21 is something I can’t speak about, it’s the rules. You shouldn’t even know it exists. I was angry, so I slipped up. If anyone figures out you know anything, they will kill you and me without question. Command can’t catch wind of my slip up, so I refuse to further jeopardize you.” Am I supposed to say thank you for kidnapping me? With him being vague, it wasn’t helping with her panic attack rising. Taking in deeper controlled breaths and exhaling slower, her anxiety lessened. “What are we even doing? This feels like it should be wrong, but I can’t help but feel like it’s fate. I shouldn’t have feelings for a man who took me against my will, but I can’t help but want you.” Pausing, she took a step back to get breathing room, “Please explain this to me in a way I can comprehend my suicidal notions.” He puckered those amazing lips into a frown and it reminded her of her dilemma. It aroused him to cause her pain, but she wasn’t so sure now. Maybe he was only supposed to hurt her for answers but he hadn’t since earlier, so maybe not? He didn’t even question her, if his command desired answers then where were all of the interrogation techniques? Her mind was reeling and she couldn’t think straight. What is he doing to me? The feelings were consuming her. She didn’t want to feel for him, yet she did. He reminded her of her past and what it was like to be broken. I need to save him from himself. Forgetful of her audience, she pulled at her hair, emotions bombarding her unwelcomed. He paused for longer than she expected. Could he see her battling her inner demons? Tapping her shoulder lightly, he finally gave her an answer. “I don’t know what we are doing. I just know it’s wrong, even though it feels right. It shouldn’t be happening, but screw values and morals. Let me have you this one last time, Evangeline, then I‘ll let you go. I need this; I need you.” He pointed at her chest, referring to her body as to what he sought. She couldn’t say no even if she wanted to. After having an inner battle with her brain and lady parts, she gazed into his alluring grey eyes and couldn’t help but nod her answer. She didn’t speak out of fear of him hearing her hesitation; she didn’t want to ruin the moment. His chest rose and fell with heavy heaves, as he gently brought her into a tight hug almost as if he held her together so she wouldn’t run away. The room seemed to disappear and all that was there were her and him. There was no kidnapping, no other men, secret

society, or heartbreak, just the moment suspended in time. She shivered in anticipation, chills and goosebumps flared up her tender flesh as she felt his breath on her ear, noticing he was inhaling her scent committing it to memory. While he held her, she breathed him in, smelling similar to life back on the lake, the sweet smell of the waves and flowers cascading in the bushes. There was a manly musk attached that mingled with his cologne and deodorant; it was the most intoxicating scent that she’d ever smelt. She didn’t want the moment to end. Unexpectedly he lifted her up and carried her to the bed. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t the gentleness of a long-time lover. He laid her down lightly, and she could almost pretend they were lovers enjoying a night full of passion. Her heart raced; it was crucial for this to happen. Ray told her that he was incapable of compassion and love but at that moment, he was showing her he was wrong. He is a good man, just wronged in so many ways. Instead of rushed kisses, he was unhurried and caring. He traced Eve’s entire body with his palms with gentle caresses, soft, barely-there grazes, and achingly slow suckles. He glided his fingers over her hips and belly. Gripping each curve with covetousness. Chills wrapped around her body like a blanket, consuming her bone deep. Fuck. He rubbed slow circles over her hips with his thumbs and then trailed them up to her breasts. As he kneaded them, the emotions he expressed spilled into her and flowed throughout her body, causing tears to trail down her cheeks. Damn emotions. He kissed up her body, stopping abruptly as he gazed into her tear-filled eyes. “I can stop. I thought you wanted me to.” “I don’t want you to stop. I just haven’t felt this much emotion in such a long time. I forgot how it felt to be admired wholeheartedly.” He seemed to understand what she struggled to say, looking at her with all-knowing eyes. They reflected admiration and yearning. He brushed the tears away and kissed each eye, and cheek, all while trying to comfort her. He finished with a small kiss on her forehead and one at the base of her throat. “If you want me to stop, I won’t continue. I’m done hurting you, Eve.” With as much courage as she could muster, she trembled while saying, “Make me feel loved, Ray. Show me how you feel, just—just make me forget.” Ray accommodated her every deprivation as he kissed her everywhere and squeezed all the right places. Her composure was all but lost, causing her to pant heavily. The airy moans that came out were mere whispers, but heated and throaty all at once. Passion was ingrained in each of his kisses as well as a little of something else—something she was scared to admit she felt. Love—or what she could conceive as love. It’d been so long since she let herself feel anything other than lust. He had feelings for her that had grown over an expansion of time which she wasn’t sure of how long. The thought that he loved her in any way terrified her; she couldn’t identify what he looked like without a mask covering his face.

When he kissed her, she could feel grief—complete sorrow that overwhelmed her senses. He gave her loving and caring touches she needed to feel, he was completely attuned with her heart’s yearning. Her wife beater felt confining. The desperateness to feel his skin on hers dissipated her resolve. While she tried removing her tank top, he stopped her, his delicate hands trailed to the hem of her half removed shirt, slowly lifting it. Every part of her skin was touched as he teased her. He made sure of it. “There aren’t words that express your beauty, Evangeline.” Lifting it more and more, he palmed her breasts and squeezed gently. She felt disconnected from her body as he gave her nipple rings a gentle pull; she was in pure bliss. Dark spots fogged her vision from the pleasure she received. Her chest felt lighter the more he kissed every piece of her. His head careened down toward the boxer shorts she had on, tracing his tongue along the hemline of them. She squirmed, panting and demanding more. Lifting the waistband of the boxers, his hand trailed across her sweet spot, causing a jolt of ecstasy to run through her entire frame. “Not yet, sweetheart. There is so much more to explore. It has been a long time.” How long had it been? Why can’t I remember him? This man knew her body, all the nooks and crannies, and all the places she loved to be touched. He knew her in an intimate way that no one else did. Her boxers made their way down her hips at an agonizingly slow pace. She felt anxious once they were off. She hadn’t felt nerves like those in a very long time. There was only one man that took such care of her; he was the only one to make her nervous for sex. He was looking at her like she was a prized gem, but to be under such a gaze would make anyone writhe and it caused her nerves to spike. He held her down, putting his index finger on her lips. “Shhh, don’t be scared, angel. I’m just admiring the body of a goddess.” That didn’t make her feel any better. She had never been referred to as a goddess before, so that was nice. Wait—did he just call me angel? Only one man called her that; it was sort of an inside joke between them. The meaning of her name, Evangeline, was “good”, which she was far from. He decided that angel would be fitting, he believed her to be an angel that no one seen besides him. Her apprehension heightened at the mention of her old name. Who was really under that mask? If it were who she assumed it was, she would be devastated all over again. Not noticing the change in her, he began lifting his shirt. Her eyes were roaming his statuesque figure in an instant. His low hanging jeans caught her eyes first, and then his delicious hips as she made her way up his body as slow as possible. She wanted to remember everything in this moment, every touch and look, his musky scent, and his drop dead gorgeous body. Once her gaze reached his left peck she was paused instantly, dumbfounded at the sight. Trailing from his peck to his ribcage was a scar that was all too familiar. No. That isn’t possible.

She argued in her head that more than one person could have that scar. Stop freaking out, Eve, she mentally chastised herself. The worst part was that she was there when it happened. Attempting to calm her racing heart she tried imagining anything other than the memory plaguing her. They were making love in the fields near the cove. There was a license plate sticking out the ground but with it being dark, it hid it from their sight. He rolled her over, and then howled out from the slicing of his chest. The metal embedded into his chest and blood was everywhere. He always said it was a mark of his love for her. Fuck! What terrified her most was that it was the last person she would have expected this from. It couldn’t be him. It was just a coincidence. She knew it; deep down, she knew it was him. There was no doubt in her gut that he was here in her arms, pretending to be someone different. Willing to hurt her for a fucking job and a secret society that haunted dreams of every federal agent out there. “Take off your mask. I can’t continue until you do.” Staring at his body, relating his story to hers, knowing what he knew, and those damn steel grey eyes, she finally knew who he was. How could I forget them? She couldn’t. Not in a million years could she ever forget those eyes that bore into her at this very moment. It can’t be him, please don’t be him. “You know if I pull off this mask you will know who I am and what you mean to me. I can’t ruin that, Evangeline. I just can’t. You will have more questions that I simply can’t answer.” His chest rose and fell with inconsistent breathing; he was just as scared as she was. His face looked pained, so much pain that she felt it deep inside her. She squeaked, hesitant to how to proceed, unsure how to feel. “You can’t hide from me. I already know who you are. There are only two men in the whole world I have ever loved and you are the one I should have never let go. I should have been what you and I both needed. I was too fucking selfish and scared. Let me see your face,” she sat motionless, grabbing at the mask, “Marcus, please.” The look on his face showed that he wasn’t only caught but he was completely vulnerable now. He slowly removed his mask as tears of betrayal escaped her. She felt closed in, unable to breathe. No. NO. This can’t be happening. Bringing her face mere inches from his, he exhaled a long ragged breath. “Evangeline Carpenter… You are the only woman I have ever loved. The only woman I will ever love. Look at me…please look at me, angel.” It hurt entirely too much to see that it was him that took her. He kidnapped her and still claimed to love her. How could he hate someone so much to hurt me? “I can’t—I can’t bear knowing you took me against my will because you hate someone so much or even for a job. I loved you! I let you have my heart when I promised I wouldn’t! I let myself love when I had no heart to give, Marcus! For you! Damn it, Marcus!” Sobs wracked her body, making her shake from head to toe.

The answer she offered was far from satisfying and she knew it; his expression told her so as well. No, he simmered, boiling in anger and she couldn’t blame him. She was an absolute coward; all those years ago she took the easy route. She didn’t give their love a chance. “You took my heart, Evangeline! You stole my very essence when you left! You gave me no reason, just a goodbye! We could have had something special and you gave it up for him! I could tell you loved me! I could see it every time we made love, every time you’d tell me about your day, and every time I’d hold you at night when you needed comfort. I. WAS. THERE,” he yelled, sending shockwaves to her core. Her heart ached for him. He was right. Marcus was the first man she ever allowed to make love to her. She didn’t realize it until later, but she knew that he was the one she should have chosen. Time wasn’t on their side, and she never got the chance to tell him how she felt. In the end, she was too scared to be hurt again. I was a pansy ass, stupid girl. There was nothing left of them; she ruined it. She could now see what it had done to him and it was her fault. The task of saving him had her feeling hopeless. He can’t be saved. “I know I hurt you. I know I was worse to you than any person deserved. It was inexcusable, but I was afraid. Gideon had just broken my heart and I didn’t want to risk it again. I wouldn’t have survived if you had destroyed my heart as he did. I’m sorry I couldn’t overcome my fear of being hurt to love you.” Why me? It is always me. I am a mess. If only I kept my legs closed along with my heart. His face was one of resentment, a scowl so dark it crawled across her skin in tendrils. There was a hidden sadness that she could barely spot. “The sad part is I don’t even know what went wrong. We were so happy and doing so well; we were even seeing each other for more than just sex, not that you would have ever admitted that. You actually opened up to me and told me everything. When you were sad, I was your comfort. I held you every time you cried, and I always listened. I wanted to ask you that night to be mine. I needed you, angel. I loved your whole being and I felt it when you left. My heart stopped. I felt dead inside and I couldn’t believe you would choose nothing over what we had. You were everything to me. We were amazing together…” His voice cracked as he trembled, his head looking at his feet. He was beautifully broken. Realizing that he was broken, by her hand nonetheless, she knew she couldn’t help this broken man. She couldn’t help him because she was the one to break him in the first place. Her greed and fears caused her to shatter his heart, her Marcus Ray Cagel. Her supposed “forever kind of love.” He was her second love, the one she never counted; she never gave them a real chance. In order to save their hearts, she broke them both in the process. Other than Gideon, he was the only man she ever let see her heart. How could she not realize it was Marcus all along? His entire being was the most important part of her world in high school. High school.

Before she wrecked this amazing man, there was a light in his eyes that she could never forget. He was her regretful past; she didn’t know why she ever gave him up. Maybe fate was trying to tell her that this was their second chance at making their relationship work, to have something for real. Finally she realized where she was and what Marcus had done to her. How could he be so heartless? How could he do this? “Marcus, how could you take me? I know I was a shitty person for what I did and I regret it every day, but why hurt me? Why treat me like I’m nothing?” He moved away from her in obvious anger, his hands shuddered as his face twisted in a pain filled grimace. “Angel, you act like I wanted to do this. I really didn’t have a choice in the matter. I have loved you since I first laid eyes on you. You never noticed me until later, but I loved everything about you. I was lucky that at that first bonfire party you chose me of all people. I knew you were just looking to get laid, but me—I was always watching you from afar and was looking for a partner in life, someone I could love and share everything with.” Coming mere breaths away from her, he grasped her face in his hands possessively. “You were everything to me, angel. I’m sorry you are in the crosshairs of this whole entire ordeal, but for some reason you were wanted by some bad people because of your current case.” He let her face go, stepping back. Now she could think of the situation she was in, imagining the worst outcome was always her forte. Letting it sink in, all she could think was, “Fuck—lifestyles other than sex got me into this mix.” Stroking her face with his thumbs, he brought her close. “Evangeline, angel—baby, I never wanted to hurt you. It was necessary. I never thought I’d let old habits rise and I couldn’t help myself from touching you. I want you just as much as before. Scratch that—I never stopped wanting you. I just gave up on trying since your heart didn’t belong to me.” Why does he have to make me fall for him all over again? He was right. Her heart always belonged to Gideon. She may love Marcus, but Gideon had owned her entire being since he spoke to her in Biotech 1010. “My heart may belong to another, but I loved you, Marcus. You were something I was scared of experiencing. I was terrified for my heart, so I backed out. We could have had something special and I took that away from us both, and for that I’m sorry.” Before she could babble on about how she regretted hurting him, he captured her lips with fervor and pent up anger. Breathless and panting for air, she pulled back. The heat from his gaze was sending her thoughts elsewhere. His eyes were hardened but tranquil; she could tell he wanted her to make the next move. He was giving her another chance to choose him. Only him. Just for once. Looking into his grey eyes, she felt at home, as if they never were apart for all of those years, as

if they took their chance at forever and were looking at each other as lovers and not as the lost souls they were. He held back and she knew it was for her benefit, so she could decide to give it all to him without him interfering. Warmness caressed her body as his eyes called her in, their lips meeting again. His taste was something she never thought she’d forget, yet here she was, reconnecting with the lost taste of his tongue and the feel of it dancing with hers. Gripping her neck softly, he made it so she didn’t have a breath of room between their mostly naked bodies. His kisses were savage and fierce, all those years apart showed how much his hunger had grown. His grip intensified and roughened; the whimpers that escaped her were from both pain and pleasure. She was clad naked while he only had pants on. She unbuttoned his pants with precise movement, her hands fumbling the zipper with uninhibited need before ripping them apart. Now that he was only in his boxer briefs, she noticed that he had grown so much since the last time she saw him. His thighs and hips were toned. The thought of licking and biting those hips had her on fire. Desire pooled in her lower stomach as she licked her lips in anticipation. Her eyes wandered south as he lowered his briefs. He’d know she was wet as soon as he touched her. Marcus stood in front of her so she could take control for once. Without a second thought, she pushed him on the mattress and got on her knees. Without hesitation, she put his length near her mouth and licked his tip as to tease. “Angel, my sweet angel, don’t tease me, baby,” he ground out, needing more. Putting his length in her mouth, she suckled softly. “Holy fuck, angel, I forgot what those plump lips felt like.” As she pulled him deeper into her mouth, she felt him touch the back of her throat; the pleasure was palpable. His moans filled the cement room, echoing off the walls and into her heart. Gently grinding her top teeth on his length, he squirmed, needing a release. His orgasm close, he abruptly pulled out of her mouth and pulled her atop him. He bit her neck where her pulse beat frantically. Fuck me. “My cum doesn’t belong in that beautiful mouth, angel.” He gently flipped her over and hovered over her entire frame. All of her conscious thoughts were gone; she could only imagine the pleasure he’d bring her. He lowered himself to her wet, slick core. “You are soaking for me, Evangeline. I want to taste you—all of you.” He lowered his face to her folds and lapped at them with his tongue. The warmth from his tongue and the pressure he added caused her core to pulsate in pleasure. “You are sweeter than I remember, angel. So sweet and delicious.” She felt sexy and wanted when he spoke to her that way. His strokes were like a sweet serendipity; she didn’t even need to beg. His thumbs dug into her hipbones, sending a shiver across her body. Her nipples were pert and ready for the taking. His lavishing had her on the brink of orgasm. Her thoughts wandered to what his dick

would feel like inside of her. Would he fill me up? Her screams filled the room as his teeth ground lightly against her clit. Everything around her stopped. She was stuck in her own head as pleasure wracked her body. It was glorious and overwhelming, but just right. It felt like she was touching the stars with her own two hands. She could hear loud screams of pleasure and realized it was her own voice, so guttural—so raw. The high wound down. Reality was finally settling back in. The breaths leaving her were heaving and loud. Her insides warmed with a feeling she thought was long gone when Marcus smiled at her. Fireflies. Marcus sent tender kisses up her body steadily, nipping at all the right places. His smile widened when he gazed at her taut nipples and played with the little hoops. “I remember the first time you got these played with. I was the first to pleasure these perky nipples,” he said. She smiled, not because he was right but because that was the night everything changed. The night she knew Marcus had a piece of her. “I love you, angel. Sex wasn’t the only good thing we had,” he said. Her heart soared at the words as she looked into his grey eyes and nodded in agreement. “I know, Marcus. I know we had a lot more than sex.” Marcus smirked and looked satisfied with her admission, thinking he’d won. Now to prove him wrong. Climbing on top of him, she let his length fill her like none other had. He hissed, his audible pleasure bringing her happiness knowing she still had that effect on him. While lost in her thoughts, he took advantage. Flipping her onto her back, he brought his lips to her ear. “Not this time, angel. This time I am going to love you right,” he whispered, sending shudders up her spine. She sought to taunt him to win this battle, but his words left warmth inside her that she refused to deny was there. He thrust into her at a leisurely pace, kissing her with compassion and love. I miss this—this man. “Marcus, I…I need you to make me feel wanted. I need you,” she spoke with a heated look and a smile that gave the gods a run for their money. Bringing his body flush with hers. “Evangeline Rosemary Carpenter, you have always been loved and desired. I will always need you, baby. Let me in—let me show you,” he practically begged. Sweat trailed down their bodies, the craving to lick it off his chest was unbearable for her. He kissed her neck gingerly and swirled his tongue in a circular motion on her jugular, causing her to gasp in pleasure when she was reminded of what it felt like on her clit. “When was the last time you made love, Evangeline? How many men have had what I have had?” he growled. Jealousy, she thought. Looking into his glacier eyes, she answered honestly, “Only you, Marcus. I haven’t loved another.” Marcus’ smile radiated; his eyes almost sparkling in delight. No one has been worthy. No man has been worth it. The risk in giving her heart away again produced an empty feeling inside her. How did I get to this place? Looking away in fear, he lifted her chin to him to force her to look

directly into his eyes. “You don’t need to be scared, angel. Let me love you; I want you.” Tears trailed her cheeks like small rivers leaking into an abyss. No matter how many times she told herself that she wouldn’t ever have self-pity again, it was happening; the dam had broken. Damn you, Marcus. “I don’t deserve love. Look at what I’ve become, Marcus. A whore—I am a whore. I can’t even love the girls like I should. I—I closed myself off.” The pain in her heart was visible as she babbled, her face a snotty mess. Good thing I am not wearing makeup. He pulled out of her, sex all but forgotten, and pulled her to his chest in an attempt to hold her brokenness together. Marcus held her as if she was going to run for the hills, as if nothing this weekend ever happened. He may be right, I can’t do this again. Her heart was aching from her years of an emotionless existence. She didn’t even know if she ever let herself grieve for her father. The holes in her heart ached, the pain overwhelming her in the worst way. Why me? Why now? Instead of continuing their passionate love making, he held her while she fell fast asleep. She wouldn’t have had it any other way.



WAKING UP NEXT TO MARCUS made Eve feel worthy and at home. Enthralled, intrigued, and warmed were the feelings she carried of getting a second chance with him. A real chance. She observed him as he slept, his chest rising and falling with his tranquil breathing. Her heart was blissful and was enamored by his presence when only a day ago she was terrified. How much one day could change, right? If someone had asked her the other day if there was a chance at Marcus again, she would have laughed it off as a joke. A sad and cruel one. “Angel, you know it’s creepy when I wake up to you watching me?” he asked groggily. She giggled in response, knowing exactly that it bothered him. He hated it in the past, so why would that change? He was the only man she ever woke up next to back then. “I know. I was just making up for the past times I’ve missed, that’s all.” She let her head fall to her hands, and then began twiddling her thumbs as she thought about all of the lost time, the mornings she could have woken up to his smile and morning wood. So much time was lost and she’d never get those moments. Unexpectedly feeling nervous, she blushed and hoped he wouldn’t catch her reminiscing about their past. Her hopes vanished when his finger found her chin. Time stood still when he watched her in adoration, a smile encompassing his face and now she understood what was wasted. Too much love. Years of affection between her and Marcus were irretrievable because of her selfishness. She missed his smile and the way that he looked at her was as if she were an angel that fell from heaven to bless his life. She kept imagining what their life would have been like had she not left him. It would have been glorious. She regarded him; scared he’d disappear in thin air if she breathed evenly, not willing to blink. She didn’t want to miss a second of their time. “I thought it was all a dream. That at any moment, I would wake up and you’d be a figment of my imagination and I’d wake up still handcuffed to the bed, wanting this and you to be real.”

His laugh was a musical sound. “I’m glad it isn’t a dream. I’ve missed you, angel.” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “You are the worst and best thing to have happened to me.” Standing up from irritation, she walked backwards and avoided his eyes. “What do you mean by worst?” she finally asked. Her heart hurt at his comment. “Uhm—well,” he started, clearing his throat. “When you left me in high school, I was recruited by CK-21. They said I had a special set of skills that would benefit them. Since we weren’t together anymore I thought, why not? What I didn’t know and later came to find out is that those talents they were after changed me entirely.” Although she was scared, she didn’t want to upset him. She shuffled her thumbs before gathering the strength to ask him. “What is CK-21, Marcus? I’ve always heard of them as a ghost story—a myth that agents spread across the FBI.” “It would be better if it was just a ghost story and not real. We are a group of highly trained contractors that are unique in every way. Each person has a certain skill that benefits our Command.” Without thinking, she asked, “And what is your skill?” She sucked in a breath, horrified for his answer. Why did I ask? “I’m a vigilante, but for better terms, I’m a killer—an assassin. I either torture them slowly until they die or I kill them quickly. It really depends on the situation and if I feel like they deserve worse.” She immediately found herself uncomfortable, fidgeting and internally cringing at the thought of him killing and torturing people. Nausea overwhelmed her senses, but she couldn’t throw up—she needed to be strong. How had he gone from the sweet, lovable guy from high school to a contract killer? “How can you willingly do this to people? Kill? Torture? Why, Marcus?” His face turned sour. A grimace replacing his once there smile, “That’s what they did to me. Kill or be killed. I’m a trained assassin. You can’t hold that against me, angel. I didn’t have a choice.” “But you kill people,” she said, upset at the revelation. “I don’t have a choice, Evangeline. Don’t you get it? As I said, kill or be killed. It’s not like they are good people. I’m always given a bad person as a contract, except you. You were the one exception, but I’m not sure why,” he finished, heaving an exasperated sigh. Grabbing her head in confusion and anger at a group she wanted nothing more than to dismantle, she practically begged, “I need time to process this. Give me a minute.” It wasn’t his fault, right? He didn’t ask for this. He could have said no, though. Jeez, how could the most tender and considerate guy she treasured all that time ago turn out to be an agent of CK-21? “Who’s Command? You keep mentioning a ‘command’ but not a name,” she asked. His eyes darkening as his fists clenched in clear discomfort at her questioning. “I can’t tell you that. He’d clean me—he’d kill me, angel.” Instead of listening, she continued to badger. “Is it someone I know? Please—I don’t want Ness

and Ronnie in danger.” “You couldn’t do anything if you wanted to. He would end you before you told anyone else about CK-21. I won’t risk your life, angel. I won’t ever hurt you again.” “Not telling me is hurting me, Marcus. I’m a law abider; I follow the law, I stop bad people, and I‘m damn sure I’ll stop CK-21. I won’t let things like this just ‘go away.’” She made quotations in the air. “Angel, baby, you need to be unknown to his identity. I can’t give him another reason to kill you.” “How can you not see that this is dangerous regardless of his identity? Being in the dark is no better than being in the light.” Her shoulders sagged in defeat, she wasn’t winning this argument. The questions weren’t easy ones and they left Marcus red-faced and angry at that moment. “I can see that! I don’t know his real name! I only know his face and what he’s capable of! We call him Command; anything else gets us in trouble! That’s it! Drop it!” With as much anger as she could muster, she yelled back, “I don’t want to drop it! I’m paranoid now! How do you pretend everything’s okay when I know it isn’t?!” “You will because our lives depend on it. Your acting skills are key to our survival.” “I’m not an actress, Marcus,” she let out, worried she’d get them both killed. “Well, you better learn because I can’t lose you again. I love you.” Those three words—those meaningful and dangerous words broke down her barrier. Her walls came crumbling down around her and for once she was hyperaware of what Marcus would see. Everything she was scared of moments ago didn’t seem to matter anymore. He was here; her Marcus Ray Cagel was here. He loved her and only her, only looking to protect her from everything. Minutes passed as she watched him with knowing eyes. The air suffocated her with warmth. Her heart and head were finally in the same place. There was an urge to drop down the rabbit hole with him and lose herself; she was losing the battle. He recognized what she craved and saw it with the titillating expressions on her face, her entire body language and the way she bit her lip in need. She held back, but wanted him to make love to her. Without a second thought, he seized the moment. Licking his lips in anticipation, his hands trailed her torso down to her hips, his fingers digging into her tender flesh. She yelped in delight, her eyes dilating in desire. “I need you; I need to feel you. I’m guessing I have to get back soon. Don’t let me leave without having you fully.” The bed dipped as their body weight shifted in the center, the tiny twin-sized bed perfect for this very moment. Without a second’s waste, there was no suppressing himself this time. No gentle kisses, tender caressing, or lighthearted thrusting. Relinquishing control, he lifted her from the bed, she hit the wall with a soft thud, her insides screaming for him. At that moment, she sought to take it slow and drag it

out; she didn’t know if they’d ever have another chance. Marcus’ thoughts were headed in another direction entirely. Grinding her body into him without abandon, she relished in his husky groans. “You are so fucking beautiful,” he moaned gruffly. She’d miss this part. Knowing he’d satiate her but without him, she knew she’d need a nightly visit with her vibrator. Eve was bad at keeping her legs closed. She needed a stress release, taking a new man to bed almost every night was the cure. Unless she used her black book, she opened her legs to random men she met at the bar. Without Marcus to keep her inner beast tamed, she didn’t know how she’d stay committed. Marcus was the only one to tame Evangeline, and since this wouldn’t last, she was doomed. While she was stuck in her own personal hell, he tried to bring her back to the present. He needed her as much as she did him. He gripped her hips, his thumbs grinding into her smooth skin. She loved the bite of pain she received; she craved it. It was a mixture of pain and pleasure that she welcomed—it made her feel alive. The room seemed to heat up from their passionate kissing. He took her to the bed again, setting her down gently. Coming from behind her, he trailed his index finger down her spine, causing chills to overcome her body. She shivered in eagerness; she wanted him—all of him. His lips found her shoulder giving her a love bite, causing her to scream out in pleasure. He continued his assault all across her back, triggering moisture to seep between her thighs. As he continued, she thought she couldn’t take anymore teasing. Marcus wasn’t giving in just yet. His tongue traced every place he had just bitten and a chill of pure bliss took over her body. His hands tracing her curves, breasts, and the curve of her ass, she was in a euphoric hell. Her release felt so far away, but she was only a few touches away from exploding. Her hands tried roaming his bare body, but he put a stop to that instantly. “No, I need control this once. Give me free reign, angel,” he demanded. “Mmmhmm,” she barely ground out, suffering to give herself to him fully. Her brown hair billowed around her shoulders, the curls lioness and simply chaotic. She moaned when pulled her hair, enjoying every second of it. His body flush with hers, he rubbed his hardened cock on her ass. Eyes bulging, she realized what he wanted and that knowledge terrified her. Not once had she done anal and the thought alone scared her stiff. “I’ll be gentle, I promise,” he said sincerely. Was that enough? Could she trust him to be gentle and make her first time worthwhile? She could always stop him if it went too far, right? Yes, Marcus was a gentleman; he loved her. He’d never do anything to hurt her. “I’m scared. I have never done it before,” she squeaked, completely embarrassed of her

confession. For a girl that had had more partners than most men, she was vanilla when it came to experimenting. “If it hurts too badly, I’ll stop. I’d never purposefully cause you pain. Trust me.” “I do trust you.” Trying relentlessly to calm her nerves, she inhaled as deeply as she could. Marcus’ lips found her neck and he nipped and nibbled. She felt her body relaxing into him as he continued and she slowly lost herself into him. She heard him spit in his palm to lubricate himself. “I’ll be as slow as you need. Don’t tense up; it will cause displeasure,” he warned, trying to keep her calm. His tip caressed her taint, her first reaction was to tense from the sensation. Remembering what he told her, she inhaled through her nose deeply and relaxed her muscles. He slowly entered her and she felt a sharp pain from the invasion. His hand reached her clit, rubbing generously; she lost herself in the sensation. As much as she wanted to clench, she didn’t. He was so gentle and caring. As he made his slow entrance, he nibbled her back as a distraction and she fell into him, her desire taking over. The deeper he made it, the more it hurt. She wished pleasure would replace the pain. Licks, bites, and hot breaths tickled her frame. She wanted him deeper; her sudden desire to feel him take her body was blinding. “Angel, baby, are you okay?” he asked. She could only nod, scared her answer would come out as a groan. Finally inside her entirely, she craved more. “More,” she moaned, her words escaping her, surprising herself. He pulled out and rammed back inside, her grunt of approval was all the assurance he needed. Sweat covered their bodies from the long and slow encounter, the air thick with the lust from their lovemaking. He repeatedly bulldozed her untainted hole, muddling her with titillation. The fireworks going off in her brain were astonishing; her entire body was filled with ecstasy. His hand never leaving her clit as orgasms wracked her frame. Picking up his pace, she was stuck in a frozen state. He began to pull at her nipple rings, trying to bring her back to earth. He pinched and pulled lightly and they pebbled in approval. Placing his head near her neck, he whispered sweet nothings once more. “You are so fucking beautiful, angel. This ass is mine—all mine, baby.” His moans came out guttural and gruff, eliciting goose bumps to cover her naked body. The chills she had made her tense. “Fuck, I won’t last, baby; you are squeezing me like a vise.” She couldn’t help but tense as he was finishing his sentence, feeling his release exploding inside of her. She shuddered with satisfaction as the warm liquid filled her. The warmth was welcomed as he continued emptying his seed in her, she tipped over the edge and finished with him. That was the best she thought she’d ever get from a man for her first time, or maybe only from

Marcus. He was special, an enigmatic man. He rested his body atop hers; for once the warmth that radiated from him was relaxing. Never wanting their time to end, but realization hit, it was time to part ways, and she wasn’t looking forward to leaving him. Her body serene from their time spent, she dozed off quickly.

THEY AWOKE; SADNESS PERMEATING THE air as their time slowly ticked to an end. Eve never planned on being kidnapped, let alone finding her first true love, and then to top it off, acknowledging the whole thing was a scheme from the beginning. Marcus drove her to the place where everything changed. The place that means everything to me. She lost so much that night and Marcus wasn’t the only one she lost. That was the day that Marcus was ruined, tarnished beyond repair. The day I fucked him over. He told her what she did to him, his mind, and his heart. She couldn’t imagine what was worse, the fact he was hurting her for a secret group or that she damaged him so badly he got to the point of needing to do that. Arriving at the cove, all she could think about was what she had put him through. “I’m so sorry, Marcus.” He looked thoughtful. I wonder what’s on his mind. He gazed into her eyes so deeply it was as if he was staring at her soul. “I know you will never love me the same but I love you, angel, ‘til the day I die and until my very last breath,” Marcus muttered softly, his words full of promise. Evangeline couldn’t help the tears that flowed freely down her cheeks. “I will protect you, Marcus. I won’t let them know what happened this weekend,” she whispered, bringing his face toward her. There was nothing in the world that would make her tell them about their weekend. She put herself atop him, straddling his lap. “I will protect you. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and hide your identity. You will always hold a place in my heart that no one else will ever obtain.” I will never let our love go. That was when it happened. Pulling her into him with a gentle force, he kissed her with pure dedication. They both knew it was their last goodbye for a while if not forever. He held her with the utmost care and love. They kissed for what felt like forever and when she finally broke away, they were both panting. His lips were swollen from their passionate kissing and Evangeline couldn’t help but beam. She looked into those beautiful grey orbs of his and promised herself that she would protect him no matter the costs. “I will always love you, I never stopped. I always thought about our time together and how much I wanted a lifetime with you. I never forgot,” she whispered sadly finally admitting the

truth to Marcus. “Then don’t leave. Run away with me, Evangeline. I need you like I need the air we breathe. I feel completely and utterly lost without you. I’ll never love another like I do you,” he forced out in one breath. Eyes scared of what was to come of the weekend’s events. Again in tears, she couldn’t help the way it hurt her heart to walk away once again, probably forever this time. I want to say yes more than anything. “When this blows over I’m going to come to you. Then we will finish what we started so long ago. I promise you—I will be back,” she said. Her gut told her another story, though. She felt as if she were telling a lie, like she couldn’t promise him something so farfetched. But since she promised, she was going to try her damnedest to come back and give their love the chance she never did before. She was terrified to see what drama awaited her when she got back. They shared a final long, mind-blowing, and earth-shattering kiss. “Come back to me, my love— my Evangeline. I love you, forever and always,” Marcus declared. “I will because we deserve it—because you deserve it. I’ll be back. I don’t know when, but I will be,” she stuttered, unsure of her promise. It was sunny, the warmth brought a flushed heat to her cheeks. Marcus held her in a tight embrace, one that felt like it would be their last. She cherished it, savoring the feel of his body embracing hers.



HE FUMED WITH BOILING RAGE as he looked out his windshield warily, only a few hundred feet away from Agent 21’s car. He’d like to blame it on the failure of the agent’s mission, but it had more to do with the fact that she was in the car with him. She was his destruction, the end of all men’s lives as they knew it. Fuck! He was with her as if they rekindled their relationship, not as how he was contracted to be. Shit! This wasn’t supposed to happen. How could he possibly fix this fucked up situation? Marcus was a lucky son of a bitch. He was Command’s second, his most trusted agent in the group. Command had been tracking him; he always kept an eye on his best agents to make sure they didn’t run off. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have known how much Marcus had royally fucked up. How could he be so mental? At least now he had time to fix his mistakes. Getting out of his blacked out suburban, he headed to the rear. In the back was a torture chamber for “On the Go” contracts. There were saws, blades of all kinds, and everything else you’d find in a handy man’s tool box. He could easily be looked at as a repair man if there wasn’t so much blood stained inside. No one could search his vehicle though, he had credentials that got him past everything. Reaching his favorite toolbox that contained trial drugs, a wicked grin pulled at his lips. This’ll teach him to not fuck me over again. Each drug had its own purpose; the one he grabbed was a special kind of fucked up. This drug was unlike any of the others. It was only in the beginning trials, but he saw first handedly that it had worked successfully. Though one of the five patients didn’t survive for more than a few days, he knew Evangeline was capable of better strength. She’d be fine, hopefully. Ketanypnol was a ketamine mixture with rohypnol and other drugs added in. They called it “Wonderland” because it reminded him of the craziness in Alice in Wonderland and the way you could lose yourself in the rabbit hole. Its sole purpose was to damage but not kill the receiver of the drug. In this case he didn’t want to kill Evangeline, just maim her. He needed her alive to finish his

mission, which always came first. This was a lesson both Agent 21 and Evangeline would learn soon. Don’t fuck with Command. Ketanypnol would do exactly what he needed. It would give her short-term amnesia; at least that was the hope, nothing was concrete when it was still in the trial stage. She could possibly forget the past few months but hopefully that wasn’t the case with this one occasion. His only need was to make her forget the past few days, if it was longer, it may hinder his game plan. Best of luck, mate. They had only had a few memory losses that were longer than the last week of time. Hopefully it just made her forget the entire kidnapping since it didn’t go to plan. Fucking Marcus. Putting all thoughts aside other than his mission, he headed toward them with fury filling his icy veins. His heart hammered; for once in his life his nerves were getting the best of him, hindering his assault. Marcus spotted him immediately, fear licking up his skin. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think his agent was about to attack his Command. Don’t you fucking dare. He glowered at his agent, all knowing; he’d kill him if necessary. No. Marcus was anything but reckless, even when it came to her. Marcus kissed her tenderly, a sadness creeping over his face like ice. A barrier between his love for her and respect for his Command. Holding her as close as he could, Marcus shook in silent fear, keeping her head out of view of his Command. She didn’t seem to notice the change of events. Good. Command saw Marcus’ weakness; seeing how spineless Eve made Marcus pissed him off. In this line of work, there was no room for weakness or attachments. Of course, he knew that best. He was the pillar of rule following. Rule number four: no attachments. Painstakingly he gave them their last moment, he planned his attack precisely. While Marcus distracted her, Command opened her door swiftly. Marcus held Eve so tightly she couldn’t see it coming. All he heard were her screams filling his ears. Painfully aware of the terror filling her voice, he cringed, the reaction knowledge to Marcus. Before he plunged the needle into her neck, he felt it—guilt. Stop it, this is your mission. Rule number one: Mission before all else. If looks could kill, he’d be a dead man standing. Marcus shot daggers at his Command. The vehemence and abhorrence was visible in his blazing eyes as the heat rose to his face. He’s mad at me? Look at what he caused; he had no right to be angry. He’s a lucky man to have me cleaning his mess up before it could spread. Rule eight: Clean up your messes. “Before you plan on all the ways you could possibly end my life, just know that I’m giving you a free pass for your undeniable mistake. You fucked up beyond repair, Marcus. If it were any other

agent of CK-21, they’d be cleaned out. No hesitation. Don’t make me change my mind. This is the only second chance you’ll get.” Instead of an answer, Marcus nodded while unbuckling Eve. Command understood his resistance; he loved her. After she was unbuckled and secure in his arms, he carried her to the dirt ground. Smearing her makeup that he had just applied, he stepped back to approve his work. Changing her clothes was the hard part, so he had Marcus’ help with undressing her and putting her back in her club garb from the pre-kidnapping events. God, she was a beauty. Shaking his head in disgust at his thoughts, he walked back a few steps. He couldn’t get attached to the beautiful woman. She was forbidden. He knew that better than anyone; he made that mistake before. Rule Five: Targets are Targets, not people. Finally satisfied with how she’d be portrayed by the cops, he walked to his suburban with Marcus in tow. “Agent, I need you to go back to headquarters for debriefing. I’ll call the police as a concerned civilian. She’ll be home soon. Veronica and Vanessa will make sure of that.” With a disgruntled scowl, Marcus reluctantly drove away from the scene. Poor, defenseless Eve, she should have stayed away. She was always getting in the way of matters that were out of her control. Why was she so attentive? She cared far too much for such hopeless people. One day she’d understand that she needed to stay out of business that didn’t concern her. Or it’d kill her. His stomach tied in knots watching her lie on the cold, dirty ground; she was helpless at this point. Fuck, stop caring, damn it. He would never let a woman look this way, especially not in front of others. She looked like a hooker laid to rest and he’d never forgive himself for this one. Command knew she was so much more than what he made her appear to be. “This was never supposed to happen. I'm sorry,” he said while walking away. He moved toward his suburban, driving only a few hundred more feet away to hide behind trees and bushes. He couldn't leave her unattended. The cops would arrive soon along with Vanessa and Veronica and then he would take his leave, going unnoticed and hidden in the background. As the police arrived, he headed in the opposite direction of them. When he was far enough away, he turned around and backtracked. Seeing the scene for what it was, it would turn out to be a huge clusterfuck. Shit. He hightailed back to headquarters, needing to teach Marcus a lesson. Don’t fuck with Command. Follow all ten rules and you’ll live to see tomorrow.

HEADQUARTERS WAS AWFULLY SILENT; HIS gut told him that something went down. Walking toward his office, he noticed there was not one agent amidst. That was strange. Opening the office door, he was shocked to see Agent 7 sitting in his chair. “Sir, you never told me you were going to kidnap her. I feel betrayed in every way possible. She’s my best friend. She could have been killed.” Her tone was chastising and hurt. “Agent, it isn’t your choice what I do. You are here for my use and what I do is not controlled by feelings or what people want. If it were, I’d be out of a job. People’s consciousness would get in the way,” he got out, bored of her emotional state. Did he need to teach all of his Agents the ten commandments again? They all seem to think they were above his laws. “I wasn’t even at the crime scene of my own friend’s rescue, so imagine how that makes me look. I heard she was unconscious. What did you drug her with?” Her eyes betrayed her emotional connection, driving him through the wall. Emotions were so subliminal, why his agents kept them around all the time was beyond his understanding. He looked down, letting one emotion he felt slip. He was ashamed at his greedy actions. “Ketanypnol,” he stated, still upset that he let any feeling for Evangeline slip out. “How could you? She may never remember anything! You took her memories? What is wrong with you! What if she dies like that one test subject?” she screamed. Tears rushing down her face, she seemed betrayed. Without waiting for his answer, she shuffled passed him. Her face told him that he wouldn’t be forgiven for this mistake. Fuck. She’s very important to our mission too. Rule One: Mission before all else. Why did these things continue to happen to him? What could he possibly do to change them? He was once a great member of society, a marine, a believer in all things good for his country, and a savior to those who had lost themselves. He saved people; that was his job. Now he killed them and made the world a better place for who knows what cause. He didn’t know who he was anymore. When the Founder recruited him, he knew what he continued to fight for. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

HE RAN HIS HAND THROUGH his hair as stress and worry filled him. His guilt consumed him; he could have ruined a beautiful young woman’s life. Sitting at the hospital, he waited for updates. The doctor he had on his payroll updated him hourly. There hadn’t been any change and she had been asleep for thirteen hours. What if she never woke up?

What if, because of his blinded rage, he ruined her? He’d never forgive himself. She was innocent; he never hurt the innocent. Rule Ten: Don’t shed innocent lives.



THE SURROUNDING BRIGHT LIGHTS MADE her eyes blink rapidly. They were dry, as if she opened her eyes too much in a chlorinated pool. She felt extreme pain as she blinked some more, realizing her eyes weren’t adjusting easily. Where the hell am I? Did I run a marathon? Maybe I got ran over by a train. That’d be a story to tell the girls. There was a beeping sound—a monitor, maybe? Her hand felt heavy; trying to get the strength to lift it felt like a lost battle. Then she felt someone else touching her other hand. Her vision became clearer as her eyes finally adjusted to her foreign surroundings. A newfound pain formed in her head. Blinking back the tears that threatened to surface, she tried her hardest to not cry out like a baby. Stop being a pussy, Eve. Someone squeezed her hand, trying to show her that they were there. She rolled over slightly to see who it was. There sat an exhausted Ronnie with a tear-stained face. Her eyes were swollen from crying and her mascara was a complete mess. “Where am I, Ron?” Eve croaked, throat itchy and irritated. Her eyes sprang open in apparent fright, “Eve—baby girl?” She must have thought she was dreaming, her face telling a story of sleepless nights and lots of alcohol. Eve attempted to smile at her, but it probably came out more of a grimace. “Where am I, Ron? What the hell happened to me?” “You’re in the hospital. You went missing Friday night and were found on Sunday. You were unconscious. We were so scared, babe. It was like you were comatose; we didn’t know what to think.” Pounding was all she heard. Thump. Thump. Thump. She recognized it was her heart beating irregularly. “Ron—Ron, I—I don’t remember anything about this weekend. Why can’t I remember?” she cried. Tears soaked her face, crying causing aches in her body to be more apparent. “They said you were drugged. You may never remember these past few days.” The thought that she lost time wasn’t what upset her. What upset her was that she felt like something life-changing had happened and she couldn’t remember it. Her gut screamed at her to remember.

Where was I? What the hell happened? Barraging thoughts caused her to hyperventilate, her breathing ragged as she held her chest as if it were the last part of the world she had a grasp on. Her life changed in a matter of days and she didn’t remember anything. “Eve, babe, you need to calm down,” Ronnie said, scared of the monitor ’s frantic beeping. “How long have I been gone?” “Only three days total if we count Friday night. You have been sleeping for four more, though. We were so scared that you would never wake up. Even Riley has been freaking out. He was worried about you.” Bullshit. Riley didn’t care. Maybe if it was about him losing an asset, but care? No, she was wrong unless something randomly changed and he now cared about something more than his job. It was funny, you always heard of near death experiences changing you as a person, so maybe Riley had finally opened his eyes. A girl could hope. Speaking of the devil, Riley walked in with sunken bags under his eyes, bloodshot irises stared at her. He looked so upset with her. She had never seen him look so vulnerable. Was he okay? His pale complexion and demeanor told another story. “Can I have the room, Veronica?” he asked. The defiance in her eyes showed that she didn’t want to leave. “Sure, Sir. Eve, I will be right outside the door. Holler if you need me, babe,” she said while closing the door. “Evangeline…” He paused, suddenly at a loss for words. “I’m sorry for not being a better chief; I shouldn’t have put you on that scouting mission. This is my fault. Please, forgive me for my idiocy,” he apologized sincerely. The big bad FBI chief in crumpled clothes and defeat in his eyes, she never thought she’d see that sight. “Riley, you couldn’t have predicted what happened. No one could have. In a strange way, I’m happy I don’t remember. It was probably scary and torturous. I’d rather be in the dark,” she replied trying to reassure him. In all honesty, she needed to know what happened during that time. She felt alienated in her own body; a ghost watching life after death. “I want to let you know I’ll be here to take you to your memory recovery sessions. I don’t want you feeling pushed out; you may want to remember what happened in the end. Maybe you figured out who Mitch’s killer is,” he said with hope in his tone. The motion made her stomach churn. What if she knew and forgot? That would be a terrible thing to forget. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up, boss,” she joked. “Well, I’m here, so no need to rush back into work. The girls said they were staying at the suite for a little longer. They wanted you to feel at home there to be able to relax.” “That was sweet of them, but I don’t remember a hotel. Please refresh me?” He laughed awkwardly before answering kindly, “The Stratosphere. You all share a three-

bedroom suite with a Jacuzzi and an awesome shower. Before you ask, I know because we had to dig through your stuff to investigate your disappearance.” “A Jacuzzi, huh? I may have to take advantage of that,” she replied, ignoring his other gestures. “I’ve got to go back to the office and prep. Get some rest, Evangeline.” “Thank you, Riley. I’m lucky to have you as a boss.” He waved while leaving her room.

WHEN SHE WAS DISCHARGED FROM the hospital, Ronnie drove her to their hotel. She hoped Ness would be there. She needed a hug from her, a hug that wasn’t sympathetic but simply love. Before they opened the door, Ness came out with a huge smile. “Eve!” she squealed in delight. “I missed you so much! I’m so glad you are okay! God, don’t ever scare me like that again!” Eve’s thoughts went to her kidnapping. Who would have taken her? From what she gathered, she was dancing with a hot guy and then, poof…she disappeared. “You guys, could the guy I danced with that you mentioned be the one that drugged me and took me?” Both girls laughed. These bitches are laughing at me. “What the hell is so funny?” Ness spoke first. “It can’t be him, Eve. He was with us searching the whole weekend for you.” Eve looked at them like they were on some serious shit. “What do you mean? Why would he care?” She was completely baffled at her answer. How could he be involved in my search when I don’t know the guy? That was when Ronnie giggled and whispered in her ear, “The man you were molesting on the dance floor was Finnegan Connelly, sweetie. You were nearly in bed with him before you were taken.” No fucking way. A painful feeling overwhelmed her heart, feeling as if it would explode. She took slow, deep breaths to try to keep it from pounding out of her chest. “I almost slept with a man that is accused of murder?” Her face blanching, she had to breathe deep so she didn’t vomit everywhere. She wasn’t that reckless, right? Ron looked at her sympathetically. “Sweetie, he’s a really good guy. I’ve never seen someone act that way about you and he truly cares about you. He made sure to help us every step of the way through this investigation and even stuck by when I called him an asshole. Now that is what I call commitment.” Commitment or following us? Maybe he was actually a good guy? I don’t know; I only investigated what I saw on paper! What bugged her the most was that she had no idea who tried to kidnap her—and to what end? He must have been sad if he was willing to kidnap her without any remorse.

Her nerves overwhelmed her, causing her body to shake. How do I talk to Finnegan when I don’t even know who he is? How do I thank a man when I am not sure to trust him? What did one say to an accused murderer that had singlehandedly tried to save your life? Her stomach was in knots. Yes, he tried to save her life. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, absolutely everything could go wrong. The girls helped her settle in her room that she didn’t even remember. She couldn’t help but constantly fidget with her hands and wonder what she would say once she saw Finnegan. How do I let him down easily? Dating an accused murderer or even a one-night stand with him didn’t seem smart. No one had said anything about the team. She prayed they weren’t pissed at her carelessness. This job was her life and she couldn’t see herself without it. She lived to serve and protect. Taking less than an hour to get her mind around things, she wanted to shower and cry herself to sleep. Being the big girl she was, she went to the hotel suite master bathroom and bathed in the Jacuzzi. It was peaceful.

WHEN RONNIE SHOOK HER, SHE realized she was asleep. Ronnie told Eve that she passed out and it was nearly nightfall. The water she was in was freezing and her skin pruned all over. On a whim, she decided to take a quick shower to warm herself back to living temperatures. Hopping out of the shower, she toweled off, making sure to take the extra time to blow dry and curl her hair. Wearing her favorite faded navy blue jeans and button up blouse, she strolled nervously to Finnegan’s. She wanted to thank him for helping in the investigation. The only thought that managed to barrage her head was the mess she could get herself in if she wasn’t careful with Finnegan.



HE HEARD A KNOCK AT his door as he stepped out of the shower. Who is it now? Finn toweled his hair and wrapped the towel around his waist, looking somewhat presentable. Praying that his towel didn’t fall off, he walked in the main room. He hoped it was the ladies with some good news. Already sounding pussy whipped and I am not even dating the girl. He finally reached the door and opened it in one swift movement, surprised to see who was on the other side. No fucking way. What he never would have expected was the brunette beauty on the opposite side of the door. Evangeline. She gasped and that made the blood rush down south. With a renewed happiness, he put on a sexy smirk, causing her to blush the brightest rose color. She’s fucking me with her eyes. Fidgeting with his towel, he tried to muster some words. “I didn’t expect to see you, Evangeline. I am very happy you came.” Way to sound cheesy, dumbass. She looked up with those gorgeous brown orbs of hers and whispered sweetly, “I heard you were looking for me and wanted to stop by and thank you personally for it.” I wonder how she plans on thanking me, he thought suggestively. God be damned, the wrong head was in control right now. But just maybe I will get lucky, he hoped. He couldn’t believe what she was saying. She was thanking him for looking for her. Who wouldn’t help save someone? Giving her the sexiest and most suggestive smirk he could muster, he leaned in close to say, “Evangeline, I couldn’t let you go before I had a taste of you. I am just happy you haven’t run away since you probably know who I am by now.” She shivered, which was the exact reaction he was hoping for. Yep, she knows exactly who I am. Appearing nervous, he was hoping it was the sexual innuendos he was throwing and not because she was scared of whom he was. Please don’t be scared. While she nervously stared down at her feet, he grabbed her face and pulled her lips to his. Don’t smack me. Don’t smack me. Don’t smack me. Waiting for the hit he thought he’d receive, he noticed she was breathing heavily. He could swear it wasn’t just his heartbeat hammering. So she wants to kiss me as much as I do her. Brushing his

tongue across her bottom lip, he wanted more, and she welcomed him into her mouth. Damn, she tastes better than I imagined. A hint of coffee and caramel were two of his favorite things. Breathy moans escaped her plump lips, causing his dick to instantly harden. Moan for me, baby. Grabbing her by the waist, he pulled her closer. Yes. She seized his neck in one movement; his hands suddenly picked her up. Entwining her legs around his waist, she was kneading her fingers through his short hair, enjoying the sensation. God, that feels so good. An urge to feel her body was intense as he reached up her blouse and touched the rim of her breast, making her gasp again. I need to take this slow. Reaching her nipple, he felt something hard and flicked it with his finger, producing the sexiest fucking groan he’d ever heard. Fuck, those noises are amazing. He closed the door and brought her into his room to his king size bed, laying her down lightly. She looks delectable. No one could imagine how much he wanted to take her right then and there, but she may have been running high on emotions and he didn’t want to push her. He hated when women regretted it the next day. I need her to know I want more than one night with her. A few minutes passed, more aggressive kissing occurred before Finn pulled back reluctantly. She actually whimpered; it was the most adorable thing ever. What is she doing to me? I sound like a pussy. “Why’d you stop, Finnegan?” The way she said his name was like she was drinking him in like a fine wine at an expensive dinner. They were both horny as hell; they were on the same page. She wants me to take her. “Evangeline, you are such a beauty and sexy as hell, but I can’t have you rush into this and regret it tomorrow when I come to see you again,” he said. As if he had caught her in the cookie jar, she feigned ignorance and appeared to be shocked. Holy Fuck! Does she not plan on seeing me ever again? Finn was a means to an end, a quick fuck for her; another notch in her belt. “I won’t regret it; I never do. I can’t say that I will be here tomorrow, either. I like simplicity, a quick screw and then I’m gone.” She reddens, feeling embarrassed at her admission. He admired her honesty. Regardless of how painful it was for him to hear those words, he was glad she was being open about it. I can show her how good I am then she will be begging to be in my bed every night. “Just give me a chance to show you the real Finn and not the one that is accused of murder.” When he said it like that, it sounded more terrible than it was. Eve gazed down at her hands. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was contemplating his offer. “Okay, Finnegan. I will give you tomorrow, but there isn’t a promise that you won’t be between my legs by the end of the night.” Fuck me sideways. This girl has me by the balls. Fucking Eve, giving him not only the strongest hard on he had ever experienced, but also the worst case of blue balls ever. “I don’t do dates, but I will give you one night. It isn’t any different than I give another person.” He wanted nothing more to amaze her, and he wasn’t sure why he cared.

“Okay, beautiful; one night to impress you and show you who I really am.” She nodded in agreement and kissed him softly on the cheek. Stopping her from walking out the door, he brought her body against his and brought her lips to his. He nibbled on her bottom lip, leaving her speechless. “Just something to remind you of what you can have tomorrow.” Giggling, she walked out the door, leaving him hard as can be. Now he was debating another cold shower. Yep, I have to give myself some pressure release. What this woman does to me in fucking insane! Finn had less than a day to come up with something to do with this amazing woman. Why am I so nervous? Why can’t I just fuck her and be done? While he took his ice cold shower, he thought of all the possibilities of tomorrow night and what he could do to impress her. I definitely need to be inside of her. Will my brunette beauty be willing to give me a real chance? The choice wasn’t hers—or so he thought. By tomorrow, she’d be his in every way. And this time, fuck being a gentleman. Maybe fucking her senseless will change her mind. Or at least I hope so.

EVANGELINE AND HER TEAM HAD stayed in Vegas to work on Finn’s case with a renewed hope to prove his innocence. I hope we find the pricks that did this. The bastard that framed him was a coward; he hoped they got what was coming to them. The best thing was waking up on a sunny summer day, the sun high in the sky. He felt amazing. After last night, he could honestly say he was excited to see where their date took them. Hopefully to my bed where she is begging for more. Deciding on a restaurant was easy; he picked the Top of the World. It was a fancy restaurant over eight hundred feet in the air near the AirBar. They had some of the best wine selections. Tonight he was going to try to woo her. Woo her out of her clothes, of course. Arriving at her room around six o’clock, she was still getting ready when he showed up. Not a very self-conscious man, but he hoped she enjoyed the dark grey button up and the fitted DKNY jeans. He decided to lounge on the love seat and wait for her to finish up. “I’m ready,” she muttered, appearing behind him. When he turned around to take her in, she was smirking already. She knew what she did to men, that face said it all. God, she is breathtaking. She wore a short, little black dress with lace shoulder straps, hugging every one of her sexy curves. She had “fuck me” heels on and her hair was down in waves that caressed her shoulders. Can we stay in bed instead? The heat seemed to have risen with his thoughts as she looked at him with lust-filled eyes. Finn started getting hard just thinking about what was running through her head; nothing good of course. I can imagine her now, her legs on my shoulders and my face between her thighs.

As she reached his eyes, he grinned like a fucking teenager, very aware of what she wanted. She wanted to fuck, not a sweet, lovemaking that would make her feel cherished, but a quick fuck that would have her panting and screaming his name while cum exploded between her sweet folds. She wants me between those legs. Before he could regain his composure, she pulled him into to her and kissed him deeply as if dinner wasn’t what he was there for. Dessert maybe? Time stood still, their date all but forgotten. “Evangeline, we do have all night together. If we don’t leave now, dinner will be over before it started. As much as I’d love that, we have reservations.” She had this mischievous look on her face, like one you’d imagine a black widow having before killing her mate. Finally, she said, “Fine, we will have dinner before we have dessert, but dessert will happen.” Fuck me, this woman is the devil.



EVE DIDN’T REMEMBER GETTING KIDNAPPED. Why did it feel like CK-21 was involved? Gideon’s mind fixated on the realization that the previous weekend was tainted but also lost to everyone not involved. Sadly she was solely fixed on moving on and finding Mitch Cates’ murderer. Who killed Mitch Cates? They needed her to investigate further to piece together everything. She needed to link Finnegan to her, and then link Mitch to being a hooker to find the man that actually killed her. She wasn’t seeing the bigger picture and he couldn’t tell her about it or he’d be more fucked than he was now. If only I could just come out and tell her. If he did, she’d think he had something to do with it. Evangeline trusted no man, especially Gideon. He did have something to do with the cover up, though. He’d bet she was taken from him and that she was hiding who took her to protect someone else. Maybe she was really drugged and didn’t remember? On a personal level, he knew she had weekends full of sex. But honestly, she came back with bruising according to Riley, and that wasn’t something she’d be into. She was the least kinky woman he had ever slept with. Like a lost puppy, he followed her everywhere she went. Hovering in the shadows like the stalker he appeared to be, he surveyed her every move. Gideon loved her and wanted to prove that he was the right man, but it wasn’t as simple as saying it. Eve was a woman of faith. He’d have to prove himself to her and it would take some time. The last time he stumbled into her life, he broke her. Trying to look inconspicuous, he grew his hair out a little longer and also grew a styled beard that accentuated his jawline. What would kill his kitten would be the fact that he took out his lip piercings, as those were her favorite. Or at least they were. Maybe she wouldn’t recognize me. That was a fool’s thought; he was her first love—the man that ruined her. Of course, she would recognize

him. That was like asking him if he wouldn’t recognize his left nut. He caught her heading to someone else’s suite. It wasn’t hers and that made him jealous. I need to stop caring; she isn’t mine to be jealous of. There was only one reason for her to be there and the thought made him want to punch the person in the face. He sat and twiddled his thumbs, wishing Garrett or Jo were on stake out duty. He began to have terrible thoughts. Thirty minutes passed by and he was still fuming like a big baby. When she finally came out, she was disheveled, indicating that they messed around. As she was leaving, he heard him say, “I will pick you up at six.” Apparently they were continuing their fun later. Fucking douchebag. His mind was foggy; he needed to get her out of his system. Why do I care so much? Maybe he could try fucking her out of his system like he did in high school? If only he could; his love ran much deeper than sex. He knew without a doubt that it was more than that—that their love was worth fighting for. If she even loved him anymore. That was the plan though, hit her and quit her all over again. Then maybe she’d want him back? Enraged and in need of a lot of alcohol, he retreated back to his suite to get ready for the night. Wearing his signature Calvin Klein jeans and button up dress shirt, he strode over to Eve’s room and waited for the piece of shit to show up at the bench around the corner. I fucking hate him. He was acting like a jealous boyfriend, and Gideon wasn’t that kind of guy. It was six and he was right on time. Pussy whipped. Veronica opened the door and he quickly turned around the corner so that he wasn’t seen. Veronica would beat my ass if she knew I was watching Eve. The douche and his kitten walked out with cheeky grins on their faces, making his blood boil as he walked behind them. He walked to the elevator while keeping his distance; not too close to be spotted but close enough to see everything they did. Watching the floor they stop on, he waited for the next one to arrive. He trailed behind them as they went to the general floor. They were ascending up to the top of the hotel. Of fucking course. His pansy ass was taking her to either the AirBar or the Top of the World restaurant. Waiting for them to head up, he was stuck with the bellhop. The bellhop asked meaningless questions, and then finally asked for his destination. He responded tersely, “Top of the World, please. Meeting my friends up there. You see them?” The bellhop asked who they were, so Gideon described them in simple detail. The man nodded. “Yeah, they just got up there right before you entered. They are on a date, but apparently she isn’t into dating,” he finished with a laugh. Perfect. “Thank you for your help. Hopefully I will catch them before they sit. We’ve got some big plans tonight.” Hopefully I won’t have to listen to them blabber and flirt. Entering the restaurant was the easy part, but asking the waitress to be seated near them was not.

The hostess took his fifty dollar bribe and assigned him half a booth over. It wasn’t too close; he didn’t want her to recognize him easily. Great... I can hear them talking about all this stupid shit. I don’t want to know that they plan on having sex. This was way too personal for him, crossing a boundary he didn’t dare cross. The boys should be doing this shit. This was exactly how any idiot spent their night. Not being able to relax, he ordered a scotch on the rocks. “I don’t plan on ordering food; just relaxing,” he said to the waitress. Eve chatted on and on, finally talking about going back to his room. By that time, Gideon was barely staying in his chair. Apparently douchenozzle was trying to convince her to stay for more than a quick fuck. Good luck, dick. She isn’t the relationship type. He would know; he ruined that part of her. He laughed, not because he hurt her but because the guy tried so hard to convince her. Gideon could see the contempt in her eyes. It was not happening—not ever. They got the check for their food and finished their drinks before leaving. He knew exactly where they were going and wasn’t the least bit interested in following. But with his mission at stake, he had no choice in the matter. Following them back to the douche’s place, Gideon noticed that Eve was hesitant on staying with him. Suddenly, the guy yelled at her, “Evangeline, you agreed to our terms and that means you can’t leave in the morning!” How fucking stupid could she be? Agree to terms? Why the hell would anyone have terms when it came to sex? “I take it back, I can’t agree to that. I don’t do anything overnight. I don’t get attached, either. I have a bigger picture to look forward to, another person to look forward to. I’m sorry, Finnegan.” Gideon couldn’t help but laugh quietly to himself. Dickhead. Told you so. Finn fumed red and pissed. Gideon stepped forward, not sure if he could handle what he had to say. It isn’t her fault. Did she say another man? It killed him wondering who that was. “You are always such a tease, Eve. You want to fuck me but you won’t stay afterwards? What does that make you look like? You know exactly what it makes you look like. You say another man? Then why the hell are you even on a date when you knew we were going to fuck afterwards?” he asked with disdain and disgust. She blanched, looking pale and feeling sick to her stomach. Gideon was about to knock his fucking lights out. Seeing her so broken from words did something to him. I did this to her, I made her this way. She couldn’t control herself or she’d be married with kids by now. “I think you have had too much to drink. I’m going to go back to my room and I’ll talk to you tomorrow after you sober up. I can’t say anything without being a bitch, so I’ll leave.” It all happened too fast and Gideon didn’t realize it would. No one would have seen it. Don’t you dare fucking try. Finnegan grabbed her wrists abruptly, squeezing too hard. Pushing her up against the wall with brute force, “You want to fuck? I’ll show you fucking, Evangeline. That’s what you want, isn’t it?!” She yelled out in pain. “Ouch that hurts! Stop, Finnegan!” Without a second thought, he charged them, grabbing the asshole by the collar. Right as he was about to punch him in the face, his kitten

grabbed his shoulder tightly. “What the hell?” She squealed. She finally faced him, the surprise written on her face palpable. It was inscrutable. “GIDEON? What the fuck are you doing here? Put him down!” You’ve got to be shitting me. Slowly, he lowered the ass wipe and was met with a scowl. “What the fuck, man?” Turning toward Eve, he yelled with scorn, “Eve, do you know who this bastard is?” Eve pushed Finn away and a small smile of victory crossed Gideon’s face. Yeah, dickhead, go fuck yourself. “I don’t want to speak to you, Finnegan. I can’t even look at you right now.” He appeared to be pissed off but defeated. He slammed his door shut, but you could hear him throwing shit around. What a fucking dick. Who puts a hand on women especially with the intention of taking what’s not his? How could she pretend this didn’t just happen? Never again would Finn touch her; Gideon knew he’d make sure that he didn’t. No wonder it was so easy to frame him for murder, he was a total dick when he was drunk. Top paid lawyer my ass. Grabbing her and pulling her to his chest, he hugged her desperately as if he’d never be able to touch her again. Oh, how I’ve missed her. The smell of her enveloped his senses, he savored it. Eve wasn’t having the same moment, so he didn’t get to cherish it for long before she pulled back looking confused and really pissed off. Damn, I just blew my cover. “Gideon, why are you here? Were you following me?” He shook his head, realizing how stupid he was. Word yourself well. Your plan depends on it. Words, yes… He needed to form some of those. Trying to think of the best answer, he decided on jealousy. Sending her an apologetic frown, he spoke nervously, “Yes, I saw you when I was at the restaurant and missed your beautiful face. I couldn’t keep to myself and luckily I didn’t. Look what you got yourself into, kitten.” Don’t read into it. At first she was at a loss for words, and then she was like the kitten he remembered that needed to be declawed. Yup, just like in high school. Feisty. “I could have handled myself, Gideon Blackwell. You may not know it, but I’m an FBI Agent with training. I can deal with a drunk, horny dude. I’ve done it more times than I can count.” Apparently you can’t. You got kidnapped and didn’t even know. “I’m sorry, kitten—” She smacked him hard across his face. Fuck! I didn’t know she could hit that hard. “I am not your kitten anymore, Gideon. You fucked that up years ago. I will never be your kitten again. You don’t own me, and you never will.” Still stunned silent, he massaged his face while looking down at his feet. She is still pissed at me. It had been eight fucking years; she was definitely a woman scorned. His breath caught, debating his next step to secure his plan. “I know it isn’t my business, but I could only see red when I saw him attack you. No man should lay a hand on a woman, especially not you. I don’t want anyone to hurt you.” He paused, gathering himself, “I miss you, Evangeline. I’ve wanted to apologize for high school for years but until now, I

didn’t have the courage. I know it was a long time ago, but I can tell it still hurts you.” Please just accept my apology. “I don’t need your apology. I’m much better off now,” she glared, standing her ground. “Yeah…I can see that.” His eyes rolled, and then he understood his mistake. Her posture and demeanor changed, looking less pissed than she was moments before. He wasn’t entirely sure if she was in “sweet Eve” mode or “I-will-back-stab-you-black-widow” mode. Staring at him directly in the eyes, she let out a breath. “Our chance was years ago and you didn’t want to commit to me anymore than I want to commit to the man I have feelings for.” The mention of a man that she may be dating brought a disgusted grimace to his face. I can’t believe she has moved on and given her heart to another. “I can be so much better than him, Eve. I will be better. Give me a second chance?” She didn’t stop him so he braved to continue, “We could have what we should have had before I messed everything up.” Eve appeared shell-shocked, her face pale once again. Before she could deny him any further, he grabbed her face and brought it to his. All the anger and sadness he had trapped for all of those years are all put into that single kiss. Emotion poured out like a waterfall, praying she felt it too. He pulled back breathing her in; he could smell a hint of blue raspberries and her amazing vanilla caramel scent —one he never forgot. He could live a thousand heartbreaks if he could have that smell envelop his nose forever. Taking the deepest lungful of air he could manage, he enveloped her lips once more, feeling as if he was finally breaking down the barriers she kept up like Fort Knox. She hesitated at the second kiss but after a few nibbles of her bottom lip, she opened up to him willingly. These lips will be the end of me. Their tongues swirled together as their lust rose. He reveled in the motion and taste of her. He groaned loudly, she smiled; it didn’t go unnoticed. She pulled back and whispered, “This is so wrong of us, Gideon. I can’t do this again. I refuse to break again.” It was so right and she knew it—she was just scared. It felt like home and she had to feel it, too. We were made for each other. Silencing her, he covered her lips with his once again. God, this woman can kiss. A grumble escaped him as she bit his bottom lip, dragging her teeth across it. There were so many things he wanted to do with her. Returning her bite with long overdue hunger made her moan without restraint. There’s my hard on. Sadly and begrudgingly, he pulled back and sighed. “Evangeline, I don’t want to push you into bed with me tonight. I know that it’s something long overdue, but I won’t ruin anything between us this time. I refuse to make your heart hurt ever again. Please give me a chance. I want to prove to you that I have changed.” She wasn’t the trusting type at all. Her demeanor changed creating an indescribable feeling.

“Gideon…” She paused, letting out an exaggerated sigh and eyes closed in concentration. “I don’t know what could be of us because of our past. It wasn’t healthy and isn’t something I want to relive.” Don’t say goodbye yet. “Plus I am sort of trying to impress someone. Someone that is good for me—that won’t break my heart. Not that he’d ever give me the time of day, not yet at least.” I need to know who it is. Feeling anger unleashing in his body, he used all his willpower to not scream. He required nothing more than to know who captured her attention. No one ever caught her attention. “Who, Eve? After all these years, you have never given away your heart. Who has it now?” She puckered her brow, and suddenly he felt like a total ass for upsetting her. “That doesn’t concern you, Gideon. I can’t let there be an ‘us.’ I refuse to be something you throw away again. Relationships and I haven’t happened since you. I am trying to give this man a part of me that is lost. You broke my heart and I believe the day I left, I left my heart with you. I can’t give you or anyone else something I don’t have.” I’m a fucking bastard. How could I hurt such a precious woman? His dick was in charge back then. She was something no one could have and he wanted to prove them wrong. He royally fucked it up in the end. Words were stuck in his throat, wanting to come out—suffocating him alive. He grabbed her face gently and rubbed his thumbs across her rosy cheeks. Tears were slowly trailing down her face, and he swiped them away with care without thinking. “Evangeline Carpenter. I haven’t given another woman my love or my heart in hopes that fate would bring us together again. And look, we are here—in Vegas of all places, opening our hearts to each other. We were meant to be and I know you can feel it as well.” Just see me, kitten. I am still Gideon. I have just grown a lot. Eve’s tears trailed faster; the feeling like he ruined things once again arose. Pulling her to his broad chest, she continued sobbing on his shoulder. The shakes that wracked her body broke him. She hurt and he was the cause of it. “You took my compassion away. I don’t show emotions or love like normal people. I’m not a nice person; I don’t care if I hurt others in the process of what I do,” she finally said. Trying his hardest to comfort her, he rubbed small circles on her back. He consoled her because he was once just like her. She got fucked because he was the same way when they were together. Just like her, he didn’t know how to do a relationship or love endlessly or irrevocably. I can’t believe I gave her up. She still cried in agony but not as badly as before, finally getting the closure he never gave her. “Baby, I can’t apologize enough for what I did to you. I ruined you and for that I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I was a dumb kid that thought sex was the epitome of life. I know now that love is what is important.”

She shifted uncomfortably, her teary gaze staring in his eyes. She had her adorable but heartbreaking pouty lips on. “Why didn’t you realize this when you took everything from me? After all these years…why now, Gideon? Why did it take so long?” How much do I tell her? That I never stopped wanting her? Holding her face as close to his as possible without touching, he let out a shaky breath, giving her the answer he had hidden for so long. “Evangeline Rosemary Carpenter, I have always wanted you. From the day I first saw you, and even now. I was just…too terrified to commit to you; commitment was like a disease in my eyes. I wanted sex and a release and I never saw love as anything but ropes to hold me back. I never stopped wanting you to be mine. When you came back to me in high school to get back at me for what I did, I was really trying to get you to forgive me and give me a chance to be the guy for you. I never expected you to find someone else and break me in the process.” She makes me weak. She broke me. She owns me. Her emotions displayed across her face, appearing completely gutted, she shook her head as new tears formed in her eyes. “I thought you were just trying to use me again like the first time, so I thought I’d beat you to the punch. I figured I’d be another girl you’d screw and not talk to afterwards. I didn’t want to believe you were capable of any emotion other than desire and you proved that after I gave you everything. I fell for another guy and left him because I thought that I could get over you and I couldn’t.” Fuck it, I will cave. “Let me take you to my room, kitten, even if it is only for a night. I need to be inside of you. I need to show you what you mean to me. Sex seems to be the only way either of us can express ourselves. Let. Me. Show. You.” Her beautiful eyes caught his, and he could tell that he’d terrified her with his words. She nodded solemnly; it finally felt like he accomplished something other than hurting her. Hopefully he could win her back by reminding her how much she actually meant to him.



WHAT DID I JUST AGREE to? What will Riley think of this? The last thing Riley did before she left the hospital was hold her close as he hugged her. She wanted so badly for him to lay his sexy lips atop hers. He kissed her cheek, telling her to get better. She wanted him and needed him to give into her. Her heart wanted him. Eve’s heart may not be the culprit, but she had to believe it was. What was she doing here? Why be with a man that broke her down—a man that took her heart and shattered it to pieces? She just got out of the hospital the other day and she was already screwing people. Sex was her outlet for the stress, anxiety, and her nerves. She had to satiate her sexual appetite to feel normal. No matter how many men she took to bed, she didn’t feel satisfied. It was like something or someone was missing. It was a lust so wild and dangerous. Knowing that Gideon had once quenched that thirst had made her more adamant on giving into him once again—he tamed her beast. Not remembering that entire weekend scared her. How could someone lose so much time and just be fine? Riley tried to help her regain her memories. Thinking of him made her want to walk away from Gideon, but she needed sex. She needed to feel him. Riley had told her if she worked with Ronnie and Ness, she could slowly remember things. She hoped he was right. The stress of forgetting had her losing her grasp on her humanity. After thinking for a moment at how bad this idea was, she recognized that if Riley cared about her, he’d be with her and not push her away time and time again. He’d give into the unadulterated lust she couldn’t control on a daily basis. If he cared about her sex life, he was digging the wrong woman. She had a track record a mile long and had needs she had to fulfill. Another notch in her belt wouldn’t do much more damage. She got lonely and Gideon only said “one night,” so it’d be just like it was with everyone else. That makes it okay, right? No, definitely not. Whoring around was never okay. Gideon grabbed her by the waist, pulling her into another passionate kiss that made her breathing hitch in anticipation. Throwing caution out the window, she returned the rapture. Oh, how I’ve missed

this man. His musky scent hit her nose and she inhaled it like a drug addict. It had been so long and it felt as if she was in high school all over again. The good moments. No attachments, Eve. Just remember that. When he looked at her like that, it made her feel like he never left her. If only her heart would believe the beautiful lie. The elevator was mere feet away. He pulled her toward it, catching her by surprise. No attachments, no getting lost into him again. On their way up to his hotel room, she felt like she was breaking some non-existent rule with Riley. Why do I feel so guilty? She continued following Gideon to his suite, which was only two floors above her own. How ironic. What the hell was he doing here? “You never told me why you are here, Gideon.” He shook his head, laughing. Why is he laughing? As an agent, she swore she could find the truth by looking into a person’s eyes. She looked into his eyes, but found nothing. “Nothing could ever slip past you, kitten. I’m on business.” What does he do? What business? Not getting a straight answer bugged the shit out of her. She needed to know. “What kind of business are you doing?” He scratched his chin and smirked like the Cheshire cat, avoiding her penetrating gaze. “Just some work with a friend and it is something you will be told about soon,” he replied. Soon, huh? How soon? How does this involve me? “Are you a lawyer?” she asked. She could have sworn he cursed under his breath. What the hell is going on with him? Not being able to take his vagueness, she pulled away but he gently caught her by the wrist. “No, I am not a lawyer, but I do work for the Criminal Justice Department in Reno.” She wondered why he was being so vague—to what end? He wasn’t acting like the man she remembered. It had been eight years though. “What is going on? You are acting really guarded. Is there something going on that I need to know?” He took a step away from her and looked down at her with the gentle smile he used to give her before he ditched her. “Kitten, my sweet, nosey, and overbearing kitten, I am just nervous for you to be in my bed after all these years. I know you have had more than your fair share of men just as I have had with women and I don’t know if I am enough for you anymore. That is all. I promise.” Never thought he could be thoughtful or even care at all. They made their way to his suite and she unexpectedly got nervous. Shifting uncomfortably, she never would have thought it was nerves, he wasn’t the type. Now that she thought about it, she was fidgeting with uneasiness. Calm your tits. It’s just Gideon. “Now you’ve gone and made me all uncomfortable,” she admitted. Staring directly into her eyes, he brushed his thumb over her lips. “Baby, you should never be uncomfortable around me. I know your body. I was the first to taste your sweet juices. Forbidden fruit, remember?” A memory hit her then, a man saying, “Don’t get me wrong, I want to see his face when he figures out that I touched his forbidden fruit.” Weird. She didn’t

recall where the memory came from. Ignoring it, she shook off the Déjà vu . Shivering, she bit her lip. While watching her, he drew her bottom lip into his mouth. He’s even better than I remember. Picking her up, her body reacted instantly; her legs wrapping around him like a vise. He put his key card through the door, never breaking away from their kiss. Closing the door behind him, he carried her into his bedroom and laid her down gently. Gazing up at him in question, she realized something was missing. “Where are your lip piercings? Please tell me you still have them.” He smiled devilishly. “You remember those, huh?” Closing her eyes in thought, she remembered the pleasure those brought her along with his tongue piercing. “Mmm, how could I forget? Between those and your tongue piercing, I was in heaven.” More like hell once he was gone. No one could satisfy her like Gideon Blackwell—well, there was Marcus, but she wouldn’t even go there. “Sorry to disappoint, kitten. I don’t have them with me. My tongue ring is still intact though.” Sticking out his tongue, he showed her his piercing. The thought of it touching her clit made her shiver in anticipation. He leaned over her, lifting her dress over her head. His hands stroke her inner thighs, drawing circles on the sensitive areas. Her little moans that escaped were unavoidable; she couldn’t help herself. His hands felt so much more calloused now; they felt gentle compared to how rough they actually were. When he reached her hips, he played with the lacy underwear she loved so much. “Eve, you have grown up well, I see.” She looked down and gasped when she heard a ripping noise. “Gideon, those were my favorite,” she pouted. Laughing huskily he breathed down her neck, nibbling on her ear when he finally reached it. “My sexy vixen, your pussy looks much tastier without them on.” “If it looks tasty, eat me,” she half-joked. He let out a guttural moan. “I will taste you, Evangeline. I’ll devour you and you’ll scream my name. Then when I allow it, you will come for me.” Holy fuck, he did not just try to throw dominance at me. He must have forgotten who she was. Dominance was her thing. She liked controlling the situation and her own orgasms. “Silly boy, I will come when my pussy needs its release, even if I have to finish up myself.” He growled and nipped at her nub. Her body convulsed in pleasure, eyes rolling back in bliss. Without restrain, he began sucking and pulling on her clit. She became lost in her moans and the euphoria she felt. He stopped without warning, making Eve whimper. “You said, my kitten?” “Fuck you.” “Oh. I will, kitten.” “Two can play at that game.” Rolling to her side, she pushed him down and lifted his shirt off, mesmerized at the sight of his glorious body.

While she was engrossed in all the tattoos caressing his skin, a particular one caught her eye. Trailing from his front right shoulder to his left hip was a spider web with various black widows across it. They were reaching for his heart, trying to capture it with their deadly webs, intertwining and trailing his body in a dangerous dance. “Gideon, you didn’t…” At a loss for words, she trailed her fingers across the tattoo thoroughly. Please say it wasn’t for me. Another image flashed her mind, a man with a jagged scar trailing his abdomen. Why does this keep happening? Gideon’s eyes were locked onto her face, a small smile sitting on his lips. “Baby, you killed me on the inside. I had to leave a reminder of what I screwed up. I had to show that I survived the black widow’s bite.” The Black Widow. He made me. Tears formed in her eyes from the tattoo, the meaning, and the memories that assaulted her mind. He did it to remind her; she ruined him like he did her. “Gi—Gideon,” she bawled, unable to conjure a sentence. No words would form—not any intelligible ones at least. “I…I… am so sorry,” she barely mustered, a new flow of tears rising, her face a blotchy wet mess. “Eve, baby, it is okay—don’t cry, beautiful.” He lifted her chin so she could gaze into his stunning olive green eyes. “You may have wrecked me, but I was the selfish dick that didn’t give you what you deserve. I messed up, not you. You could have been my forever, my wife, and the mother of my children. I should’ve given you the world and I didn’t. This tattoo is to remind me every day of what I gave up, to remind me how big of an asshole I was.” What was she supposed say to that? Instead of saying anything, she burst into tears again. The agony that ripped through her chest was uncontrollable; the pain was fresh like an open wound that was doused in alcohol. He just held her and whispered reassurances that everything would be okay. Blaming Gideon for her broken heart was the easiest thing she had done. She needed to blame him—to fault him for ruining her life and breaking her heart. The torture he put her through burned like ice in her veins, it was still there, reminding her of why she needed to be strong around him. She was losing the battle with her heart and mind. She was broken, he owned her, body, heart, and soul.



HEAT RADIATED FROM HIS BODY, trickling through him like a spark come to life. He’d never felt this much anxiety over being with a woman. His heart raced as if he were running for his life; he couldn’t help the fear that tickled his mind. He entered her as slowly as he could, not wanting to hurt her. Regardless of his nerves, her pussy was something he had craved for years. It eased his tensions about having her once again. One thing he missed most was the way it reacted to his every move. It gripped him like it was starved for his dick. His cock wanted nothing more than to reclaim what was his, but not this time— this time was to show her how he felt inside. Warmth licked his spine as she moved in unison with every thrust. Not one for control, he had to force himself to behave. He didn’t do emotions well; that was what ruined them last time. But he wanted and needed her this time. Emotions were key for the first time in his life; his desire for her to know how he really felt was unsurmountable. She completed him in ways he never imagined was possible. She was his other half, his soul mate, and the only woman that could ever satiate his sexual appetite. He needed her as much as she needed him. Now he just had to prove it to her. Her taste was something he missed. He missed how sweet her juices were and how they’d flow like a river when he lapped at her pussy. There was no restraint for him; he loved eating her like a starved man. Licking, suckling, and nibbling on her nub until she screamed his name. God, he wanted her to scream his name. His carnal need to hear her moan his name was like it was a lifeline. Looking into her chocolate eyes, he showed the emotion in his eyes that he usually kept hidden away. Her emotions mirrored his, sadness, love, uncertainty, and longing. “I love you, kitten. God knows I do. If I have to spend the rest of forever proving that to you, I will in a heartbeat. This is our second chance, you know? I’m going to love you and make love to you. You and I both share our emotions through sex, so I will show you.” Plunging into her deeply, he didn’t look away from her eyes. Tears streamed her cheeks but there

was a smile on her lips. It was as if she was happy that he admitted his love for her. Was she that blind? There was nothing but love when he gazed at her. His heart soared at the thought of keeping her to himself. Their eyes danced in pleasureful harmony, never looking away from each other. “I never stopped loving you. I may have hated you, but I loved you just the same,” she confessed. Eyes looking into his soul, longing and desperation traced her features. Her admission had his heart enlarging like the Grinch who stole Christmas. His heart grew with their love, feelings, and the promise of their future. In and out, over and over again, their eyes never left each other. Her little moans caused his body to shutter; he wanted to release his juices inside her pussy. Not yet though; he needed to pleasure her first. He lived to pleasure her and to hear the sounds of her orgasm. He pulled out excruciatingly slow, not wanting to explode in her yet. He got on his knees and pulled her pussy to his lips. She was so fucking wet, her juices thick and milky. Instead of licking slow, he devoured her whole. Her juices filled his mouth and left him wanting more. He wanted to suck her dry. “So fucking wet, kitten.” She blushed crimson; her smile was sexy as hell. Plunging his tongue ring in her hole, he twirled it in a circular motion while rubbing his two fingers on her clit. She screamed out in pleasure. He missed the noises she made; he cherished them. His mouth watered, taking her into his mouth without hesitation to sate his hunger for her. Her screams echoed in the room, the sweet sound of her release moments away. “Gideon! Fuck!” She squirmed underneath his mouth as he nibbled to keep her in place. Eating her like she was his last meal, he slurped, sucked, and licked her clit until it was sated. Her release rocked her entire frame while her erotic moans made him want to explode right there. He had never heard a sound so enamoring before. She was it for him, there was no other and would never be another. Gliding his body over hers, he found her pert nipples and his favorite nipple rings. As he gently pulled and nibbled her nipples, he felt as if all was right in the world. Without any resistance, he entered her once more. Her pussy was milking him, squeezing him so hard that he could swear it was on purpose. The smirk sitting on her face was the only answer he needed. Two could play at that game, kitten. He rammed into her forcefully and watched as her eyes glazed over. She was high from his pounding. He continued his fast pace, feeling his orgasm rising like a volcano before it blew. The heat was rising, the pressure building, and the euphoria consuming him entirely. “Fuck! Evangeline, you always make me come so hard! Fuck!” A few more pumps and he released inside her, his come filling her wholly. That was something he missed. She was the only woman he didn’t wear condoms with. He trusted her wholeheartedly. If he

was being completely honest, he enjoyed the feeling of emptying himself in her pussy, knowing she had his seed inside of her. It made him feel a connection, something he only felt with her. It used to terrify him, but now he welcomed it. It was like his own personal drug. He pulled out and walked to the bathroom, pulling out a rag. Wetting it with warm water, he brought it to Eve and cleaned her pussy. It was a tender moment that probably surprised him more than her. He just wanted to take care of her to show her he did in fact love her. Moving next to her and discarding the rag to the side of the bed, he couldn’t help the feeling of his heart swelling in his chest. He pulled her back to his chest and he held her there, never wanting to let go. Darkness was creeping up on him and sleep quickly took him under.

WAKING UP WITH A COLD spot next to him wasn’t the best way to wake up. She was gone, as if everything that happened the night before didn’t matter. Was it that bad? No, he knew she felt it—the connection they shared. Maybe she was scared, she always ran away from love, not toward it. He wasn’t excited for the way his day was bound to go. There was no way he wouldn’t carry the burden of her leaving on his shoulders all day. His attitude was sour and he had a day full of investigating ahead of him.

GIDEON RELEASED A BREATHE HE didn’t realizing he was holding and walked into the Henderson field office. He was immediately met with Riley, an unsatisfied smile on his face. “Gideon.” “Riley, thought I’d do some further research and since we are sort of linked, it could be good for us both.” Riley laughed, an annoyed chortle. “Ah, you sleep with Eve and think you are the god damned king of the world, huh?” A thought hit him, did she tell him? A pain hit his stomach, maybe he was the one she wanted, the one she kept telling everyone she tried to impress. “Yeah, I fucked her. What’s it to you?” He crinkled his brow in anger. “Nothing, of course,” he replied, walking away. Gideon headed toward the departmental files office, he was greeted by Grace, their bookkeeper.

“Hello, Chief Blackwell. What can I do for you?” “I need the files on every case Riley has worked on. I also need all people he has relations with. Before you ask, I need this kept between us.” She nodded her understanding. Walking toward the walls of shelves and files, she grabbed boxes full of case files. She returned with six boxes, she offered the dolly to him and he gladly accepted. Signing the log to check out the files, he turned toward the elevator. Reaching the floor he desired, he took them to the roundtable room. The first file was a case from nearly five years ago. A named that jumped out was none other than Max Liston, one of his agents. Most of the file was blacked out, a huge red stamp on the outside said, “Closed.” Gideon hadn’t heard of this case. Max had only been an agent for two years, or so he thought. The case, “The Vegas Skinner” was one he’d never seen before. Max was indicted for murder of twenty-four women, including Vanessa Lakke’s sister. Heart stuck in his throat, he believed he’d choke if he attempted to swallow the bile rising in his throat. His own agent was a serial killer, one that apparently hidden his identity and past well. Riley had worked with Gideon and Max previously and never mentioned a thing. What the fuck? His mind reeled as betrayal smacked him in the face. Riley had known, Max had been working with him for years, and Eve had a torrent affair with him. Eve. The danger that was wrought because of two men he assumed he trusted—sucker punched him fiercely. Though Riley’s betrayal hurt, he had to dig deeper. There was always more to a story than one side; there was his side, her side, and the truth. The case files stabbed at his heart, prodding him to continue though the contents disgusted him deeply, he needed answers.



WAKING UP WITH WHAT SOUNDED like a siren blaring, she rolled over to her nightstand unhappily. The light on her phone was so bright to her tired eyes she wanted to smack it until it shut up. Riley, was calling; that was never a good sign. “Hello,” she grounded out in a sleep-deprived voice. “Evangeline, there was another murder. Jo Bailey, the man from the bar, is dead. It’s bad; you need to come in immediately.” Dragging her exhausted body out of bed to her shower, she jumped in and aimed the steaming hot water on her sore back. Between the adrenaline coursing through her veins and shower, she was awake. She jumped out and toweled off, getting ready for the shitty day that would be today. Getting dressed in her signature pencil skirt and button up, she curled her lion mane of hair, and then applied eyeliner and eye shadow. Only barely looking presentable, she headed to knock on Ronnie’s door. “Hey, Ron, you up? Got a call from Riley.” With no reply, she opened the door and saw that she wasn’t in there. That was strange. She went to check with Ness. “Ness, you here?” She peeked in her room and she was gone as well. Where the hell are they? Making her way to their kitchen, there was a bagel and a note that said:

Well, shit, how long did she sleep? Most of the time they woke her up, but she had been drinking more than usual since her disappearance. They probably wanted her to get her life together. She quickly locked up the suite and headed to the parking garage and into her car. Thinking about

their normal day-to-day drive, she thought it strange that she was driving herself to work. Usually, they’d carpool together because it saved a lot on gas. It only took her twenty minutes to get to work since it was after ten; the traffic was next to none. Her stomach caught nerves; she wasn’t excited to be there. “Hey, Evangeline… meeting room… briefing in five.” Riley looked just as unhappy as she felt. On arrival to the conference room, she seen the man she had been avoiding for days. Gideon. Why was he there? Her face paled wondering why he was there. “Everyone, you all know Jo Bailey, correct? You all went to high school with him. Gideon here is his friend.” Man, it had been years since she saw Jo. Who would kill him and why? Looking over at Gideon, she felt so ashamed to have slept with him. Could Riley tell? Did he see the way she looked at him with remorse? Knowing she slept with him again made her feel dirty. Riley probably knew and hated her for it. She couldn’t do anything but wallow in self-pity. She’d rather have him think she hated him than have him know that she caved in to Gideon once again. Caving in to him made her look like a long, lost girl and a love-struck idiot. She couldn’t just act like it didn’t happen. Riley cleared his throat from the silence he was receiving. The awkwardness in the room was palpable. “I know you all know Gideon Blackwell, chief of the Reno division.” Yes, the man that continues to ruin me. “Yes, we all know Jo and Gideon. How’d Jo die?” Ronnie practically spit. “We are headed to the crime scene; he was murdered in the same area as Mitch Cates. They were killed differently though. Suit up, Eve, I want you to be there. I know you aren’t a field agent, but I need you to see the scene.” Fan-freaking-tastic, this is the worst part of the job. Usually she only saw the photos, not the real life scene; she wasn’t the least bit excited for it. Her head swam to seeing Mitch’s blood-stained body causing her body to shake in fear and uncertainty. As they leave the meeting room, Ness gave her a sympathetic look. Why did she do that? She scowled in return, realizing that Ness didn’t have to go. She and Ness were basically the same when it came to this sort of thing. They both hated the visuals. “Thanks, Ness, you are so sweet. No, I don’t want to be reminded where I am going.” She shook her head in annoyance and left to her cave, walking directly past Gideon as if he wasn’t there. Taking the elevator to the car garage made her mind wander. All she could think about was going to see another dead body. It caused her stomach to lurch. Ronnie headed in her direction. “Eve, you want to ride with me, sweetie? I don’t need you passing out and not being able to drive back.” For once, she needed the moral support. “That’d be great, Ron. Let me just go get my bag.” She stopped at her car to get her briefcase and bag just in case Ronnie had to take her home. There was a strong possibility that she may barf her guts out. Ronnie looks at her knowingly; it was like she knew what she did with Gideon. Being under her

stare made Eve squirm, wanting to run away from her penetrating gaze. Ronnie hated Gideon more than Ness did and that was hard to even consider since Ronnie was more accepting of douches. “Eve, I know you are hiding something from me. From the look you gave Gideon-the-dickwad, it must be about him.” I knew it. “Ron, I didn’t tell you the whole story about the kidnapping weekend.” The expression she was giving was absolutely horrifying, “I knew you were hiding shit! What really happened, Eve?” Ever since the morning after she spent with Gideon, she started to remember pieces of the event. There was a man in a mask that strapped her to a bed. He knew her, but she couldn’t tell who he was. “I remember being kidnapped—well, kind of. I remember being strapped down and it was by a man who knew me. He called himself Ray. No kidnapper just hands over their name. I may be confused because it is all fuzzy.” “Oh, Eve, at least you are remembering bits and pieces. I bet it hard not knowing the whole story. It will come back, Riley said so. By the way, how is it going with the boss?” “It’s not.” “Care to elaborate, babe?” “Well, he was only taking me to and from the memory classes. He even kissed me on the cheek, but he has been so distant since then. It makes me wonder if I imagined it all.” “Babe, he totally has the hots for you! Just give it time.” “It may be too late, Ron. I slept with Gideon and I feel like total shit about it. He is Riley’s friend. Riley will think worse of me.” Now Ron was shaking her head in disapproval. “Gideon? Really, Eve? How many times do you have to let him fuck you over before you realize he is an asshole and not worth it? We have been friends since we were kids but I can’t fucking stand him and he will ruin you again. He isn’t worth it, babe. Forget him and choose the right man for once, one that has his heart is in the right place.” She was at a loss of words. Ronnie was right. Gideon was all wrong for her and she knew it better than anyone else. If he is so wrong, why does my heart call to him? He was all she had ever known; she just couldn’t stop loving him. Silence filled the car as they pulled up to the crime scene. Her stomach once again filled with worry of what she’d see would be stained in her head. The scene was taped off and there were cops dashing around everywhere. Why must I be here? Stepping onto the pavement, she could already feel her bagel wanting to rise up. She hated crime scenes and the fact that she knew the person made it worse. When she finally got past the officers, camera crews and crime scene tape, she felt even more nauseous. Jo was torn to bits. His entire torso had stab wounds and there was a bullet hole through his skull. She rushed away from the scene, found an alley and heaved up her guts. She couldn’t breathe as her entire frame shook with disgust.

How could someone willingly stab him twenty-one times? She knocked down the idea of wanting to vomit again as she went back to his body. Doing her best to keep the rest of her liquids in her body, she covered her face from the smell and hopefully from the feelings as well. The team took photos before the coroner finally arrived. She was thankful that her presence there would be over soon. “Hey! Eve! We are done here, so let’s head out. We will get the autopsy report soon to see the final cause of death.” Not that being stabbed twenty-one times wasn’t enough to cause a death.

THE THREE WOMEN SAT IN the conference room waiting for the coroner ’s report. Eve’s nerves were completely shot. Riley strolled in, his mouth in a thin, irritated line; she already knew that the news would not be good. “Ladies, the coroner has given the results and they are worse than we could have imagined.” They all nod for him to continue. “The coroner had the chance to examine the entire body and what we missed was on his back. There were carvings that stated, ‘Forgive me father, for I have sinned. I, Jo Bailey, have been involved in at least five child overdoses, as I’m the one that supplied them with the drugs. Please forgive me.’ Along with that was a list of names of the children that had overdosed in the past two years.” She realized she was holding her breath; she didn’t want to think about the crime scene, the carvings, or the fact that Jo was dead. The tears finally came in full force. “I can’t do this, Riley. I just can’t. I need some air.” Walking out with nausea bubbling in her stomach, she was stopped when she reached the roof, which was off limits. “Kitten, are you all right?” Now is not the time. She turned and saw that Gideon stood a few feet away from her. She felt weak, but still shook her head. “Don’t come any closer. I can’t do this Gideon, not now—not ever.” He shrugged and reached for her, refusing to listen to her as usual. She didn’t want his comfort or anything else for that matter. She backed away from him until there was nowhere else to go. “Kitten, let me be here for you. I need to. Seeing you hurt like this is breaking me. Why can’t you see that I want to be here for you?” “I am not hurting for Jo, Gideon. I am hurting for the poor children he got away with killing. He was a sick bastard and you called him a friend?” He was definitely thinking of what to say because he kept rubbing his chin and kicking rocks with his feet. “Eve, baby. We weren’t exactly friends. I owed him my life and helped him for it. He was a bad guy but he was screwed up as well. He just needed to be redeemed.” Fuck that!

“Any man or woman that could hurt a child is a piece of shit in my book. There is no redeeming for them. I can’t even look at you right now since you’re defending scum like him!” Brushing past him, she ran down the stairs and to her office. Ron was in her chair when Eve arrived. Her face was sympathetic, but she was unable to tell if it was from her short encounter with Gideon or if it was about the case. “Are you okay, Eve? You haven’t been acting right all day.” Briefly looking into Ronnie’s eyes, she couldn’t contain it any longer. “What am I supposed to do, Ron? I love Gideon, but he’s a dumbass and I don’t want to make the same mistake twice. I don’t think I can do this. I thought I wanted Riley, but I can’t get my heart to stop wanting Gideon.” Even though she was in a shitty situation, Ronnie never stopped looking out for her. She gave Eve her classic bear hug. “I may hate Gideon more than I hate cheaters, but listen to your heart, babe. Your heart knows what your mind does not,” she said, her voice a mere whisper. Wisest but most stubborn woman ever. “I love you, Ron. You always know what to say.” She now knew what she needed to do. Get some major needed down time, and then go to sleep to dream her thoughts away.

IT WAS DARK; A MAN was rubbing circles on her neck, kissing her deeply. “Why don’t you remember me, Eve? I thought you loved me?” “What are you talking about?” she asked the man in her dream. “You promised you’d come back for me, angel,” he whispered, a sadness encompassing his angelic features. “Did you just call me angel?” Only one man called her that. “Remember, angel. I know Command is messing with your memories and making you forget me. Don’t forget me, love. I need you,” he begged. “Marcus?” she merely muttered. As she accepted him, his form appeared clearly in her mind. He smiled that smile that only he only gave her and no one else. “I love you, angel.” She remembered. Everything. She remembered the cement room, Marcus, the promise, and the last embrace they shared. Waking up wasn’t easy. It was dark but the blinds were open. The moon shined in the room where there was a warm hand on her shoulder. Rubbing her eyes to adjust to the dark; there was a man in her room at the foot of her bed.

“Angel,” he whispered with desperation. “Marcus?” She couldn’t believe he was actually in her room. “Marcus, oh my god. I have done some things that I regret.” She felt guilty, gutted, and completely fucked. “Oh, Marcus, I am so sorry.” Tears trailed her cheeks; her entire heart hurt. For once she was the bad one—the one that cheated and hurt someone. She was “that” girl. Now she knew how it felt to have hurt someone deeply. “Angel, baby, stop. You didn’t know; Command drugged you. I thought I lost you when he plunged that needle in your neck. My heart stopped and my whole world turned down in that moment.” The moon didn’t do Marcus any justice; it hid his beautiful eyes, his masculine features, and his smile. God, she loved that smile. She turned her nightstand lamp on; she had to see the emotion he was conveying. She needed a connection, too; she wanted him to hold her and tell her that everything would be okay. There was no resentment in those eyes or a hint of anger, just the love and adoration he had for her. There was something else though, something deeper—pain. In his eyes was a pain she couldn’t describe and that scared her. “I’m sorry I let him hurt you. I should have killed him right then and there. You were hospitalized because of me.” The guilt he had was tormenting him; she could see it in his steel grey eyes. She didn’t want him hurting. “Don’t do that—don’t put all this on your shoulders. I understand now. I do. I was too close to Mitch’s murder, wasn’t I? It was a cover up like Jo’s.” Seeing his eyes once again was answer enough. Finn was set up because they needed a patsy. God damn those assholes. “Was it CK-21?” she asked. He just nodded without a word, his stare now cold. What was once tender and loving was now hard and icy. Her heart hurt at the denial of affection as he turned away from her. What was up with the sudden mood swing? “I’m going to leave now. I didn’t expect you to wake up—let alone remember everything. Command said it wouldn’t happen because he was making sure you wouldn’t.” From the tone of his voice, she knew it was true. “Don’t leave; hold me. Please just hold me until I sleep. Then you can leave. I’ve missed you without knowing it. Apparently my love for you was stronger than any drug,” she said, thoughtful. “No, it wasn’t that. It was probably my presence or the crime scene. The body reacts funny to trial drugs; he knew it wasn’t a foolproof plan, but he was going to try anyway.” “I will ruin CK-21. I will shut it down if it is the last thing I do in this life.” “No, Angel, you are being irrational. He’ll kill you or have me do it, in spite of me.”

“You wouldn’t do it, would you?” she asked, horrified that he even mentioned it. “Of course not, but if I didn’t, he would make another agent do it. I would be killed along with you. Just being here is a risk. If they catch wind of me being with you, we will both die. This isn’t some type of fairytale, angel. This is real life and real life is dangerous. I need to lay low, but I had to see you one last time.” He turned back toward her with sad, haunting eyes. He shook his head, looking as if there was something he wasn’t saying to her. “I can’t stay, Evangeline. I—I just can’t.” He brought her body to his, embracing her for the last time. She knew he wasn’t coming back this time. “If you still have that burner cell, I will call you. Please, Marcus, at least talk to me.” “Yes, I still have it, but call me only when you need me. It is very imperative that we keep your memories hidden. There are eyes everywhere—Command is everywhere.” Shaking in fear, she watched him leave. He had left her with more questions than answers. Where did that leave them? Was he going to keep their promise to fight hell and high water? One thing was for certain; she was lonely. It was only a matter of time that she crawled back to Gideon for some type of affection. She needed and craved it badly.



IT HAD BEEN TWO WEEKS without one word from Marcus. Riley was distant again, which made her decision to choose Gideon that much easier. She needed comfort and he offered that without question. In the last two weeks, she had caught two murderers and one drug dealer. She stopped asking questions about Mitch, knowing the answers everyone had sought. CK-21 killed her and covered it up. How would she tell anyone without her life hanging in the balance? The case ended up being closed for insufficient evidence. Knowing all well the evidence was there, she didn’t point it out and let it go. She hadn’t thought about Finn nor spoke to him since he called her last week, wanting another chance. He gave her an ultimatum that she wasn’t okay with. She didn’t contact him again after that, not seeing a reason to do so. They left everything awkward and she was okay with leaving it at that. There was nothing left she wanted from him. Hopefully he’d move on with his life. Gideon dropped hints daily with flowers, chocolates, and little notes, as if they were in high school all over again. There were times she giggled and wanted to cave but then she thought of Marcus. She hadn’t been laid since she was with Gideon. Her needs were rising and she felt herself surrendering to him really soon. All she wanted was Marcus to come home and be with her. He hadn’t contacted her, which made her worrisome. She walked into her office and set her bag down, noticing a bouquet of white calla lilies on her desk. Her favorite. A note card read:

Her heart wanted Marcus but her womanhood wanted Gideon. She wanted him to give her a greatly anticipated release. Pulling out her cell before she could think better of it, she texted Gideon.

Eve: Hello, handsome. I’m free if you are. Gideon: Hey, beautiful. I was just thinking of you. I was thinking take out? I just really need to talk to you; you’ve been avoiding me like the plague. E: I’m sorry, I have been stressed out and full of worry. We’ll talk over dinner; takeout is fine. G: I’ll see you at eight. I miss you. E: I miss you, too. See you tonight. The restraints were off; she was going to get laid tonight. If Marcus was going to ditch her and ignore her, then she’d do the same. She knew she’d need to call him to tell him goodbye. With her luck he wouldn’t answer and she’d have to leave a shitty voicemail. There was no looking forward to that call.

LATER THAT NIGHT, SHE DRESSED in a sexy cocktail dress with no panties or bra. She was set for the night. Dessert was what she wanted, hell with dinner. She needed sweetness, one that filled her throat with warmth. She arrived promptly at eight, eager to acquaint herself with his bed. Before she could knock, he opened the door to her. He looked like a dream in his work suit. His tie was loosened and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. He looked simply delectable; she could just eat him all up. His hair was disheveled, styled messy and tousled to perfection. Looking into his green irises, she could see that his thoughts mirrored hers. They were smoldering, glazed over in eagerness. He took her hand in one fluid movement, bringing her inside his apartment. He closed the door and immediately she felt her tension ease. Coming from behind her, he unzipped her dress slowly and caressed her shoulders, slipping the shoulder cuffs off of her. Her dress fell to her ankles and left her completely naked. She wanted him to have easy access. His intake of breath was answer enough to how he felt about her going commando. “Fuck, kitten. You were prepared for tonight,” he murmured. She nodded in his direction, smiling like the Cheshire cat. There was never a time that Eve didn’t plan ahead. His hooded eyes caused moisture to pool at her core. The intensity of his stare not only thrilled her but set her on edge. His clothes were confining, taking a step toward him, she planned to even the playing fields.

He grabbed her, their kisses were savage and frenzied like animals that hadn’t had food in days— starved beasts. She desired to feel him inside of her, wanting to feel something other than being miserable. Eve didn’t want to think about Marcus anymore. I need to forget. Sex was her way of expressing herself and let loose. Between work and Marcus not answering her calls, she was a bundle of nerves. Sleeping with guys for fun was her escape from reality. Being able to pleasure a man made her feel intoxicated, it was her high and she loved it. She unbuttoned his dress shirt, almost wanting to keep it on since it was a turn on. As quickly as she could, she tore it off. Kissing his bare chest as it was uncovered, she was in a lustful rapture. Nipping at his chest and his abs greedily, she felt alive once again. Her tongue made a swirling motion over his pecks and she bit down hard when reaching the base of his neck, eliciting a growl from him. She was once again mesmerized by his tattoos. She felt connected to him as she kissed each spider, as if this was meant to be. Yeah, fairytales were for dumbasses but she couldn’t help but feel that way with him. Fate had funny ways of throwing things together. First Marcus, the man she gave everything to and then Gideon, the one who took everything from her without restraint. His erection grew harder, if that were even possible. His primal growls sent chills across her naked body; it was a sweet hell, one that licked her with flames but also made her heart soar with exhilaration. Gideon sat on the bed, waiting for her to make the first move. As slowly as possible, she crawled and straddled his thighs; hastily unbuttoning his jeans. She realized he wore her favorite boxer briefs that clung to his muscular thighs. Without regard, she licked his “V”. Nibbling and licking him set her aflame; she needed more. She had to taste all of him. Her heart hammered in high hopes of their encounter as she pulled off his pants along with his boxer briefs; his dick was hard and ready to fill her up. Already wet from the naughty thoughts she had already conjured, she slowly glided on top of him, sliding down his length. He moaned along with her and filled her up in the best of ways. She started slow because she loved having control of a man’s release; she knew it was only a matter of time before she picked up her pace. Gideon didn’t do well with being dominated but he’d have to learn. Eve had a way of riding men, one that made them scream out for her not to stop. She had practiced how to clench and squeeze at the right moments to heighten their pleasure. Gliding up and down him, he tightened his hands on her hips vigorously as she screamed out in both pain and ecstasy. Before she knew it, he took advantage of her high, flipping her on her back and pinning her arms above her head, pulling out of her in one motion. She knew he couldn’t handle her dominance for long; he never could. He bit her perky nipples and pulled at her hoops. That was something she never got tired of. Nipple rings were her favorite addition to her body. The euphoric high she experienced was overwhelming in a good way. She felt at peace for the first time in weeks. He descended on her hips, biting without restraint. She was glad he was a biter like

her—any type of nibbling turned her into putty, as it was her favorite type of foreplay. Her hipbones were being nipped and sucked and her belly ached with hot and wild pleasure. He reached her clit and ravaged it like a beast, the feeling of an overwhelming orgasm about to hit. Right when she felt like she was about to explode in exultant titillation, he stopped and began finger fucking her freely. The dual pleasure would send her over edge in a matter of seconds, but he did them separately as to avoid her having her built up release. Before her throat could moan out in ecstasy, he bit her swollen nub and elicited a guttural scream. He paused, letting her regain composure before ramming into her with a hunger that only she could feed. “Oh my sweet baby Jesus,” she moaned. He tamed her like Marcus did, but she felt she subdued him in ways that couldn’t be described. He was in and out, again and again. He pulled out once again just to eat her again as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks, consuming her completely. She didn’t think she could handle much more. Sweat built up around her back, slickening their bodies. The pressure she felt building up brought agony and ecstasy all at once. Both sucking and finger fucking her, she felt that delicious edge of an orgasm. It hit her at a throbbing and dragged out pace. “Holy FUCK!” she screeched. The pain was overwhelming but the calm that came after her storm was like a peaceful harmony. Their chests were heaving; sweat clung to their bodies, warmth surrounding them like a blanket in an icy cold winter. The bed held their bodies as they caught their breath from the passionate encounter. Their time together was far from over, she could see it in the sinister eyes of Gideon. Biting her lip in anticipation of what was next, this godlike man kissed up her body, while he reached her lips, he dragged the bottom one out with his teeth. She felt exhausted from their love-making but she was always ready for more. She could taste herself on his tongue and it wasn’t exactly terrible but she didn’t think she’d ever get used its strange flavor. “Are you ready for more? I can give you a break,” Gideon said sweetly. She gazed at him with admiration that she hadn’t let another have in a long time. No man ever asked but took without question. She realized that she enjoyed being asked; this was different for her. His lips were ready for the taking. Capturing his mouth with hers, she retreated with a mere whisper of space, she bluntly told him what she thought. “I admire your care for me, handsome, but I’m not a pussy. I can handle all of you. I’m a pro, remember?” she said, licking her lips in eagerness. His laugh was uncontrollable and guttural all at once, eliciting a giggle from her. “Whatever you want, I will give you, if you can handle me of course,” he whispered in her ear. She nodded enthusiastically. This was what she’d been waiting for. As he entered her at a relaxed pace, she tried not to pout. She was denied the indulgence of his cock and required it to consume her and provoke her inner beast. It craved domination, to consume a man and satisfy all of her needs. When he was fully inside, her walls tensed up with absolute urgency

that went far passed primal ones. This never got old. “If you keep squeezing me like that, beautiful, I may not be able to ravish this pussy of yours for long.” He palmed her clit, provoking a whimper. He proved his point, but she liked poking the lion. “I’ll try for the benefit of a longer time, but no promises,” she winked, answering matter-offactly. She did in fact love long, sweaty sex; it made her feel a connection deeper than just fucking. He was not too happy with her answer, he wanted forever with her. A lifetime of mind-blowing orgasms and guttural moans. Her walls finally relaxed; he didn’t restrain his thrusting. The position he was in rubbed her gspot and the sounds of satisfaction escaping her mouth were abandoned. I need more. There was no limit anymore. She stared into his green forest-like orbs and saw that the connection was there; she just had to give in to it. She wanted to be uninhibited with him like before. There was a heat in his gaze—he wanted her to give in, to let loose for once. “I love you, Gideon,” she admitted with resolve, meaning every word. “I’ve been waiting so long for you to say those words, kitten,” he said. There was so much emotion thrown into his confession. He loved her and only wanted to be loved in return. “I know I never said it when I should have, but I do love you, more than life itself,” he confessed. Her smile was one of pain, their past shouldn’t mold who they were but it did. Their bodies made slow movements as they moved together in perfection. They were both heaving, sweating uncontrollably as their bodies molded into one. As if this night would be their last, they clung to each other with repugnance of separating their bodies. They hit their peak together, producing erotic whimpers from their releases. Lovemaking wasn’t something either of them ever did because it was too personal and emotional. She felt it as if he handed his heart to her on a silver platter. Like it was hers for the taking, to absorb and feel with her forever. They cuddled for some time, forgetting all the problems in the world. She was finally free; she didn’t have to suppress her emotions any longer. He’s mine, all else forgiven.



SHE LEFT EARLY THE NEXT morning; they ate dinner and fell fast asleep while cuddling. Deciding it was her turn to experience love, she was going to end it with the only other man she had ever cared for and loved. Throwing caution to the wind, she didn’t give herself time to second guess the decision she made. She dialed Marcus’ number, one that only she had; she couldn’t tell if this would be her biggest mistake or the best choice she had ever made. Knowing in the end this would need to be said, her resolve was gone; she needed to tell him the truth. She couldn’t keep ruining his life; she couldn’t hold him back any longer. “Evangeline, baby?” he answered. Her tears flowed freely from her betrayal. “We need to meet to say goodbye,” she said simply. She could hear the intake of breath on his end and the groan that escaped was enough to break her heart. He left her and told her to only call when she really needed him and this was singlehandedly the most important call she’d ever make. “Not again, angel—no. Please tell me this is just a joke. I love you. I always have and I will continue to do so until I die. I know it’s tough without me, but we have to keep us a secret. We’ll get our shot soon.” The pain in his voice mimicked the pain in her heart; her body was wracked with sobs. She could barely muster a sentence. “I love you, too, Marcus, but this time I need to follow my heart. I hope you understand. Please meet me at our spot so we can say goodbye properly.” He was crying and he never cried. She finally broke the man for good; there was no recovering from this. Her heart slowly ripped at the seams, the pain overwhelming and suffocating. “Okay, angel, we can meet at our spot at the cove in twenty.” She mentally thanked him in silence because saying it out loud would hurt him more. “Okay, see you soon.” He hung up without a goodbye. What the fuck did I just do? Eve texted the girls, letting them know she was going to be out, and to not worry about her.

Arriving at the cove, all she could contemplate was all of their amazing memories that were etched into her heart. Marcus pulled up mere minutes later. It hurt that he could look so breathtaking and heartbreaking at the same time. His arms were crossed in defiance, a hurt grimace apparent on his angelic face. She casually walked toward him and pulled him to her for a final embrace. Unlike usual, he took a minute to respond. He loved her just as much as she did him, so his resolution eventually faltered as he gave in to the pain. Looking into the steel grey eyes she had grown to love and adore, she pulled back to kiss him one last time. She couldn’t say goodbye without tasting him one last time. As greedy as it sounded, she didn’t want to let go. As he kissed her passionately, she felt the air escape her lungs. She couldn’t believe he still kissed her as if she were his reason for breathing. Why must he make her yearn for him when she should be thinking about Gideon, the man she chose once again? She broke the kiss as reality set in. Her stomach soured, without trying, she was leading him on again, and that needed to end. “I can’t, Marcus. I came here to give us both closure. I have pulled on your heartstrings for far too long. You are free of me. I won’t wreck you any further. You will get your fairytale ending and I will let you,” she said. He stared aghast, moving backwards as if she slapped him square across the face, her stomach uneasy at the knowledge. She recognized the hurt immediately; this was the third time she had broken this perfect man, dragging him into her personal black abyss, drowning him in her darkness, and taking him hostage relentlessly. This was why she should have just stayed away. He was so much better off without her baggage. “Oh, angel, you do not even realize the love I hold for you. The love I’ve had since we made love for the first time. I cared for you and brought you back from being broken more than once. My heart beats only for you and without you, life isn’t worth living.” He closed the distance between them, palming her cheek in misery. “You give me a reason to breathe and are the reason I wake up every morning. The first thought when I go to bed is the next time I get to hold you and the last thought before I pass out is that I will have you as mine one day. I can’t stop loving you, Evangeline Carpenter. I will love you for as long as my heart beats.” Why did he have to remind her that her heart still beat for him? The way his words coursed through her body, drugging her fully, had brought her into his life, which was what started her selfishness. He made her want to throw insecurities and duty out of the window. His tender words made her love him more and more every time he spoke to her. His words were methamphetamines to her sorrow, slowly giving her the high of her life, causing more damage than good, and she was hooked. With Marcus in her life, he brought her warmth and light. He was so much more than she could ever deserve; that was why she needed to be strong—to

stick out her path and be a better person for him. She needed to be unselfish this time. “Marcus, you are more than I could ever want, let alone wish for in a man. The day I fell in love with you was the day you held me when I was broken up about failing my calculus test. When I was younger, I was childish and only wanted sex, unknowing that love could be found, but you showed me that love existed and that it is more precious than life itself. I regret the day I wrecked you more than anything in my life. I saw it, you know? I saw our life together ten years down the road. I saw us having beautiful babies and married in the cutest cottage. I dreamt of my swollen belly from our lovemaking. I saw it all and I wanted it, too.” She stroked his cheek, remembering the way she felt before. “I could feel it—so close to grasping it and I panicked. I knew that I couldn’t take that life because you weren’t the only man that owned my heart. I couldn’t be the woman for you and now I see that I was right to give you up. I love you, Marcus; that will never end. I will be here for you when you need me but I can’t be the woman you deserve. My heart belongs to Gideon and it always will. I can’t hurt you again. I refuse to hurt you ever again and that is why that was our last kiss—our last everything.” A terror ripped through her, sending tendrils of shivers down her arms. She didn’t want to face him; her heart would shatter all over again. What the fuck am I doing? She braved a glance in his direction; he broke down, crying uncontrollably. She couldn’t handle the excruciating pain as if she were getting punched in the gut over and over again. She did this to him, lying to give him closure that was make believe and breaking him inside and out, causing a soul to shatter into a million tiny pieces and feeling them each etch her soul in anguish. She joined in because this was it—this was the end of her and Marcus. He would eventually move on and find another love, and in the end she would suffer for all the men she had wronged, including him. Evangeline had to believe he’d find happiness, even if it wasn’t with her. “Angel, please tell me you don’t mean it? Please tell me that this isn’t the end and there is hope for us some day. I can’t give up our love. It is pure—it’s endless,” he said. Unable to speak, she finally caved and fell to the ground in a heap of sobs. He gathered her into his arms, hugging her as if she was his lifeline—his only tether to the world. He held her while they both let out their sorrow. The pain she had caused him was unforgiveable, she couldn’t bear him being so broken and knowing she was the cause for his pain. It was heartbreaking—completely earth shattering. “I can’t accept this, angel; you are my only hope in the world. Where do I go from here? How can I exist without you here?” At a loss for words, she answered as honestly as she could. “Marcus, you are a man of honor and integrity. You are the sweetest and most warm-hearted person I know. You will find a love that treats you and loves you for you and as long as you live. I can’t be that woman for you. You need to find someone not involved in this sick world, one that won’t get you killed by CK-21. One that isn’t me.”

For one last time, he brought her lips to his and kissed her with fervor. Their lips sinking into each other, submerging into an alternate universe, in another time with a love lost to memory. The passion they always had lived there—unbreakable, unadulterated, and forever lost to her goodbye. She hated that she had to let him go but before she did, she needed some answers first. Preparing herself for the worst, she held her chest. Pulling back from Marcus, she looked into the eyes that caught her off guard from the moment she laid eyes upon them; she took one last moment to relish in them before she asked the hard questions. He pulled her back into him, leaving no space between their bodies, gripping her face with anxiety and anger. “I know you want to ask more about Command but, angel, you cannot go looking for them. You can’t be involved with this, they will kill you. If they know that I told you anything, they will kill us both. You don’t ever want to be an enemy of CK-21; they destroy lives,” he warned. Surprised at his warning, she pushed away from him. Being more confused than she was before and it was because he just rocked her life—and not in that mind blowing way. “Who is in this society besides you?” she asked. He looked to the ground for answers but they wouldn’t be there. He finally found the courage to look her way with sadness etched in his forehead, radiating from him to her. “Angel—I can’t tell you without putting you in danger. There are quite a few people you know that are in CK-21, people that would surprise you, and probably ruin what little trust you have in others. The only name I will give you is Max Liston. I know he’s a client of yours, and you should know he’s more dangerous than you could have ever thought. Stay away from him; he’s not good news.” The confusion on her face made Marcus smile, now she felt more unhinged than before. “I know about all of your boys, angel. I have watched you since you were in college. You were my assignment since you joined the bureau. I wanted to reach out but I wasn’t allowed. When I got to take you from your original kidnappers I was overjoyed. Causing you pain was my goal and seeing you in so much agony made me excited in the worst ways.” He gripped her wrists angrily, “You hurt me and I wanted to hurt you and enjoy it. Then you got this whole ‘I want to save you’ bravado that made me want you in ways I should have stopped wanting you in high school. I was supposed to torture you to make you stop wanting to investigate things further, which is what Command wanted. When he saw us together saying goodbye, he was pissed. He let me go scotch free and gave me another chance to not screw up, and look at where I am now.” Backing away as far as she could without touching her car, fear licked her spine. “Why me, Marcus? I am just an analyst doing my job! CK-21 can’t just kill whoever they want! That’s not okay.” He stepped closer to her, but she was no longer enamored; she was terrified. “Don’t—don’t you dare touch me.” He put his hands in the air in mock surrender, the distance made her feel like she could breathe again.

Marcus wasn’t the same man she fell in love with. She didn’t even recognize this man at all. He could see she was losing the battle with her heart because he was getting angry, “Angel, don’t look at me like that. Don’t look at me like I’m something you can fix. I’m broken and damned and I will have to lay low so Command doesn’t know where I am. I’m sorry I ruined the way you look at me. Before I go, you are a target because you look past the facades they put at play and that makes you dangerous to our team. Stay safe, Eve. I never lied to you about me. Can you say the same about him?” he said before turning away. Before walking to his vehicle, he pinned her with a dangerous glare, “You continually fuck up my life, Evangeline. In more ways than one and you do it all for him, you let him win every fucking time and you leave me in the dust. I don’t know why I continue loving you and letting you break me for the man I wish I could be, but I’m done this time. So, thank you for that, for reminding me why I became an agent and lost myself to my hunger for death. I’m whole again and my cause has been reestablished, and this time I won’t turn back.” He turned away quickly without remorse or a care in the world, never turning back. What have I done? She promised to save this man—to fix his broken pieces like she did with all of her cases. She promised to be who he needed and she just took that away again. For the second time in her life, she chose Gideon over the right man and it hurt so much that she felt her heart breaking into a million small pieces to never be fixed again. He wasn’t the guy she thought he was; he was tainted, a bad guy, and a lost soul. She blamed herself. If only she wouldn’t have broken him eight years ago, he’d be a better and stronger man. Marcus Cagel wasn’t the man she fell head over heels for; he was a trained assassin without a heart. Cradling her body, she shook uncontrollably over the guilt and heartbreak. She brought it upon herself and continued changing her mind in the heat of the moment. She had the worst feeling that she’d regret this tomorrow when she was with Gideon. Marcus had always deserved better and now he could move on and get it. He could be the man that every woman wanted and he would get his happily ever after—his forever kind of love. At least that was what she told herself. She needed to believe she did the right thing so she could move on with Gideon and forgive and forget. Marcus needed love in his life, someone else to fix him and complete him in ways she never could. Driving back to the condo, she knew what she had to do. She was terrified to take the next step. She had only ever done this once, never thinking she would have to do it again. She was an adult—a grown ass woman and she had never really been on a date unless that shitty, awkward one with Finnegan counted. She definitely didn’t want to reminisce over that train wreck. She walked straight into her room when she arrived home, and not minutes later, both girls stepped in warily. The expressions on their faces described it all; she could tell they want to talk. The catch was she didn’t want to speak to them; she had finally stopped feeling guilty.

“Eve, we can tell you are hurting. Please just talk to us?” Ness piped in, quietly. “I can’t believe I hurt Marcus again. What does that make me? The most selfish woman alive that is what it makes me. I love him and Gideon. What the hell is wrong with me?” “Wait, when did you see Marcus?” Oh shit. Eve forgot that she never told them about what had happened. “I started seeing Marcus, we stumbled across each other while I was at physical therapy, and things heated up from there. I decided I wanted to try and be with him since I never gave him the opportunity in high school. We rekindled and then I decided I only wanted to be him to fill the hole that Gideon created so long ago.” They shook their heads in disapproval but Ronnie spoke up first. “Regardless of you hiding this from me, I think that Marcus is an amazing man. He always was, and he’ll always be better than Gideon. With that being said, I understand that you are a love-struck woman that had a chance to be with either of her first loves, so you’re not wrong here. The heart wants what the heart wants, Eve. You can’t control fate. Just love Gideon and love Marcus too, but be in love with the one you want.” They deserve so much more and I can’t be that. “I’m terrible; I need to just not be with either of them. I can’t just love one over the other. They both own a piece of me.” “Okay, I get that, I really do. You chose Gideon though, love. You can’t change your choice now. Marcus is hurting enough; you can’t just pretend you didn’t break his heart. Just give Gideon the shot your heart told you to take,” Ness said. She is right, I chose Gideon. Now I need to go get him. With a sigh, Eve nodded. “I will try. I must shower; I have a man to explain my heart to.”

LOOKING AT HERSELF IN THE mirror had always been something she enjoyed, but now it was more of a reminder that she wasn’t the same woman she was only weeks ago. Her life changed immensely, a reliving of high school except she wasn’t a young girl, she was a grown woman who made choices that’d affect her for the rest of her life. She had changed so much in the last few weeks, but she wasn’t entirely sure that it was for the best. Gideon loved her wholeheartedly though; she knew he would choose her in the end because their love was something you found in books, earth shattering and heartbreaking all in one. Gideon lived in Reno now, having to move out there when he became the chief of the bureau in his division. They were meeting in Vegas at the Bellagio to stay for a few days to figure everything out. It only took twenty minutes to arrive at the hotel; the bellhop promptly took her bags and the valet parked her car. She made it to their room in less than ten minutes but Gideon wasn’t there, which

made her nervous. She laid on their king size bed and pondered about how all of this could end badly for her heart. She didn’t open herself easily, especially not for a man that took everything from her. She looked at the clock and saw that it was 7:37. She knew that he was late and her stomach didn’t feel right. She had been sitting there for twenty-two minutes. What if he doesn’t show up? He could have easily changed his mind about her—he had done it before. She couldn’t handle it if he did it again. Stop scaring yourself, Eve. He is probably just late. She continued to psych herself out, thoughts of him thinking better of seeing her barraged her mind. Being stood up terrified her more than anything in the world, she could only be so confident. Glancing at the clock one last time, she noticed it was 8:42. She grabbed her bag, ready to walk out the room. When she grabbed the handle and opened the door, Gideon fell over into the doorway. “Gideon, why are you out here?” she asked, perplexed. He frowned and looked at her with tired eyes and answered, “I was scared to go inside just in case you weren’t in there. I have made a lot of mistakes, Evangeline, and I know I don’t deserve your love.” Her heart raced at his confession, practically jumping with joy. She came to figure out that he was just as scared as she was. “Come here, Gideon.” He picked himself up off the floor and followed her into their room. Being caught up in worry, she never took it in when she first arrived. It was ornate and gorgeous, there were intricate detailed designs on the floor and the furnishings were breathtaking. The room was beautiful, causing her mouth to lie agape. As she stared at the decorations and tapestries, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back into him. “This room has nothing on your beauty.” She blushed, partly because compliments usually meant nothing to her but from Gideon it caused her insides to quiver with a longing of having him inside of her. “Evangeline, I never thought I’d ever be in the same room as you again, but here we are. I never got the chance to show you the love I’ve always felt for you. I never express myself correctly—let me make it up to you. Make love with me again?” His question caught her off guard. She had only ever made love with Gideon on one occasion, and it’d made her feel complete. Would it be the same this time? Was the “love” they shared only lust that lasted eight years? She’d never admit it but she was scared to open herself up again. She gave him a glimpse of herself that night, opening old wounds that never healed. Tearing open her heart, bleeding herself dry with emotions unwelcome to her, and unknowingly falling back into the forlorn chasm of Gideon Blackwell; it was inescapable. It was similar to cutting yourself and pouring alcohol in the wound to avoid infection, but it could still happen, and so could this. She could fall hopelessly in love with a man that never wanted her love before. Eve was a wounded animal stuck in the fear of being broken again, overcoming that fear ate at her while she stared into the open room. An awkward silence emanated the room they were in like a cloud of fog. She wanted nothing

more than to make it go away. Instead of answering him, she grabbed him by his neck and kissed him. He picked her up, causing her legs wrap around his waist. Excitement bubbled in her chest eliciting breathy moans to escape. She could feel his arousal, forgetting how amazing it was to be with one man and have him there whenever she needed him to be. “Evangeline, I need to feel your body.” She groaned in response and continued her assault on his lips. He shakily removed her blouse, leaving her feeling more naked than when she was physically undressed. Gideon gazed at her with an intensity she couldn’t place quite yet. His gaze made her feel nervous and self-conscious for once. She was usually the pillar of confidence, but not with him. “You are so beautiful, Eve. I never told you how I felt. I was scared of how you made me feel. I was a child, a coward, and I want us to try again.” She knew exactly what he meant but she was always all in with him. She let herself fall completely, irrefutably, and hopelessly in love with him. There’s no going back now.

GIDEON TOOK HER ON MANY dates, work life was great, her sex life was phenomenal, and their witty banters were her favorite part of their newfound relationship. He wanted to ask her to move in with him. He wanted her around at all times and they practically lived together anyway. Picking up his cell, he decided to sext her. G: Hey, sexy lady. How’s it going? E: Lonely. It’d be better with you here—underneath me. Holy shit. His body temperature rose as his need for a release increased. It had been two long ass fucking days since he had the taste of her. He hated that long of a time away from her. G: It’s like you are begging for my dick to be inside you. E: Then what are you waiting for? An invitation? G: Yes, that is exactly what I was waiting for. He’d own her sexy body once again, claiming it as his over and over again until she knew where she wanted to be forever.

E: What do you want to do to me if you come over? That answer was as easy as it came; he knew what he wanted to do to her any day at any time. He daydreamed about fucking her on his desk in his office, in the Jacuzzi at his place, and anywhere in between. G: I want to lick your delicious pussy until you come in my mouth, and then I want to finger fuck you into oblivion. After that is all finished, I want to fuck you so hard until you scream my name, begging for more. How does that sound? If she wasn’t wet before, she definitely was now. Or at least he hoped she’d be soaking wet, ready to take him. E: I’m waiting…

AFTER WAITING TWENTY MINUTES WITH no response, she started to wonder if he’d show up. Then there was a knock at the door. Maybe it was the takeout she ordered. Walking to the door she expected to see a bellboy with her dinner, but wasn’t disappointed when it wasn’t. Gideon stood in her doorframe in all his sexy glory wearing his low hanging jeans that showed his hips if he lifted his arms up even just a little. She couldn’t help but eye fuck him for several minutes. As she undressed him with her eyes and thoughts, he spoke slowly and seductively, “So you were saying? You want me to fuck you, kitten?” Her mouth popped open, surprised at his brashness. With a wicked smile, he stepped inside and closed it with his finger.



TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO the vigilante was caused daily migraines for Gideon, but that didn’t deter him to figure out who it was. He couldn’t link anything together, besides that it had something to do with him. He lied to her since that night, the one where he made love with her and pretended he wasn’t hiding anything from her. That night was more vivid than the crimes he stared at right now. She didn’t know he, Garrett, and Jo accidentally killed Finn’s parents. Or that he left that party eight years ago way too drunk to drive, and how Finn’s parents’ bodies lied lifeless in their little car while he drove away carelessly. He tried hiding those images but for the past eight years they had haunted his soul, in every nightmare they were there, reminding him of what he had done. She didn’t know that he helped cover up Mitch’s murder to protect Jo, or even how he helped scum bags get away with murder and a lot more for money and safety. There was nothing she knew except the love he showed her time and time again. All a lie. She was oblivious to who he secretly pretended to be and how much he’d changed since that night at the bonfire. Evangeline would never forgive him if she knew what he had done. If she knew of his skeletons he’d lose her and that would kill him, he’d fail her all over again and he wasn’t ready for that. That was why he was digging into CK-21, he needed to prove to her that there was something left to redeem himself of all the wrong he had done. His searches lead him back to the infamous group, CK-21. That fucking group. What made them so powerful that they could get away with everything they came across? He couldn’t fathom how one group could become so prevailing that they could change the course of the political and judicial world. Thinking of what they were capable of caused his stomach to churn. If they found out he knew so much he’d be killed. He’d heard stories of people getting too close to the truth turning up dead, and he was close. Without another thought, he went into his man cave at home. The room was exactly what he imagined it’d look like after Garrett had went through the files he’d found. There sat Garrett at their table, the one with all the investigation material. So far they’d discovered CK-21 wasn’t as

underground as they originally thought. They may be a “secret” society but they were known to every possible group as the stronghold of judgement. There was what they call “Command,” a man that told them what to do and when. He was basically their commander and chief that called the shots. He obtained all the power and to what end, he did not know. There was also a “Founder” another man that was completely hidden from all. No one even heard whispers of his involvement other than him founding the group himself, he was a ghost. What worried Gideon was that there was no trace to who Command or the Founder were; there wasn’t any way to find proof of their existence besides whispers and stories of fiction, and that irked him to no end. They needed Command to bring down CK-21 and save them all from the damage they caused clandestinely. So far, there had been discrepancies with their funding—as in someone with a lot of power and money paid for their existence. He had his tech, Ralph, do the triangulation of the money. He traced it to thousands of subsidiary accounts. In the end, they all led to the government in some way. Someone wasn’t covering their tracks and that was where they’d caught their break. Looking at the government tracing that Ralph had did, Gideon came to the conclusion that he was only scratching the surface to CK-21. There’s so much more, but what am I missing? It seemed that the FBI and CIA were doing the general funding, which meant CK-21 was either a government assassination program or a secondary branch of policing—one that no one knew anything about. That was what it had to be. Governmental vigilantes? “Man, I never would have pieced this together if Evangeline hadn’t been kidnapped. Can you believe this shit? It has CK-21 written all over it!” Garrett slammed a file down, anger residing in his eyes. “What is it?” “Take a fucking look. Hopefully you can stomach this one.” His voice was unsteady, his body shaking. There sat a file, Mission: Firelight. The mission was to kidnap three valued targets; all were young children of high powered officials. If the parents didn’t give them access to the information they needed, the agent was to torture and dispose of them. All three children died at the hands of Agent Five, whoever that sick bastard was. They lost limb after limb for invalid or insufficient Intel on their governments. He couldn’t look at it anymore. His stomach lurched, spilling the contents in his stomach all across the cement floor until his stomach was empty. The file was worse than he expected. How could they do this to children—to anyone? They were beyond demented and made his need to shut them down so much more important. All he knew was that he was going to figure out what the hell was going on and there was nothing that’d stop him.



EVE AND GIDEON HAD DECIDED to continue their relationship and that was something he was proud of. She finally gave him the second chance he’d prayed and wished for over the last eight years. He’d gotten closer into the investigation of CK-21. He had a good feeling he knew exactly who Command was and the answer terrified him to say the least. Just knowing that this person could be capable of such evils stunned even him. He’d have to dig deeper to confirm his theories and that was the tricky part, as he was already playing with fire. Walking into his office, he saw a letter with a candle wax seal on his desk. Who uses this anymore? Astonished at the detail in the seal he believed it was from the group itself. The letter read:

After reading the letter several times, he couldn’t breathe, feeling as if his heart had quit beating. He couldn’t risk her life, no matter his cause. She was worth so much more than justice. If he didn’t continue searching, they would win. What kind of man would he be to Evangeline if he couldn’t do the very thing she had been trying to do since she was kidnapped? He had to continue, it was the right thing to do. She’d understand; she had to.



THEY ALL THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS going great, that all of their problems would just disappear. They were wrong. Nothing was ever that simple; they should know that by now. Looking at loads of paperwork, Command knew—he had a feeling someone was digging into CK-21’s business. When his accountant reports were opened and skimmed through, he knew something was up. Fuck, thought I buried it. The statement showed names of people sending money to their offshore accounts to fund his group. It’d all be traced if he didn’t put a stop to it immediately. Evangeline thought no one knew her memories were back, but she was also wrong. There wasn’t a thing that could get passed him and their mistake was thinking otherwise. Marcus reported back to him that she broke it off with him. She knew about CK-21, but it wasn’t her looking into their manifests. It was Gideon Blackwell, her new love interest, or if one wanted to be technical, her old one. Command had told Marcus to keep her interested, to lie and do whatever the fuck he needed to get her to pick him, once again he failed. Now that she caught herself back with Gideon, his plans were fucked once again. She was pertinent to his impending endeavors and now he had a problem, and Gideon would soon be gone. He got in far deeper than Command could handle, so he needed to fix his new problem that was Gideon Blackwell. “If only he’d have stayed the fuck away.” He spoke to the empty office. He pressed the pound key to page Agent 5, Max Liston, needing this situation fixed—and fast. “Agent, you are needed in the office. Please come immediately.” “Of course, Sir. I’ll be right there.” While waiting for his agent’s arrival, he couldn’t help but think that if he had just killed her when he had the chance, this would all have gone away. The entire mission was beyond fucked. Evangeline knew not to ask questions, but Gideon didn’t realize he was taking more than he could swallow, he’d find out soon enough. He was becoming a liability; the whole part of the organization was to clean things “under wraps”

out of the public’s eye. There was only one way to fix the situation, a clean job with no loose ends. Evangeline would be in the crosshairs and if she didn’t keep her shit together, the fuck with her and all of her friends. A knock sounded at his door. “Come in, Agent.” In walked Max, who was an incredible asset. For the past three years, he was the inside man in Gideon’s division. The double agent, a murderer, and a psychopath; Max was everything any intelligent person would fear. Every detail that was necessary to be heard, Max gave all the Intel; it was how he knew that Gideon and Evangeline were getting cozy. He’d like to think that it had nothing to do with a jealousy that grew inside his chest, but he would be wrong. His untapped feelings were being prodded by a woman that he didn’t understand. Something about that woman hit him to his core—she tore off all the masks he could ever put up. That scared him; he hated feeling weak or helpless. Everything about that woman made him want to be someone else—to change his entire being to be with her. Yet, here he was, planning the murder of her lover. Fuck. He didn’t have time to think about her or what she did to him. He needed to fix the problem that was her newest conquest. “Here’s the file on Mr. Blackwell. We need a cleaning—no loose ends or questions. Got that?” Command demanded. Max nodded his understanding. “Good. You’ve got one week to show me that the job was done. Don’t disappoint me, Max.” Grinning like the serial killer he truly was, Max took the file and left. Command had to keep a leash on him—he was dangerous without one. If only life was different, Command could somehow court her and see where that led them. Shit. He really couldn’t afford that line of thinking; it’d only get him in deeper shit with her. Evangeline needed to just disappear—to stop being a mystery in his life. Command required a clear head; he misplaced it after her kidnapping. He almost blew his cover because of her. She was not good for his life; she was the epitome of bad. His phone rang, but there was no way he was answering. The screen was lit with a call from someone he never expected. Her. Clicking the ignore button, he headed back to his office. He needed to get his life together once and for all.



MARCUS HEARD THE ENTIRE CONVERSATION. There was no way that prick was stealing the chance to kill Gideon when he waited his entire life to do it. He’d take the contract. All he required to do it was to find the file, and then he’d take the kill before Max would have the opportunity. Walking to Max’s car, he had a need—no, a desire to kill him and steal his contract. He’d taken Eve to his bed; he didn’t deserve to live after that. No one that took her should live. Before he could change his mind, he did the unthinkable. “Hey, Max, can I catch a ride to Lake Mead? I need to get some stuff from home.” “Sure, man. I was headed that way anyway.” They drove in an awkward silence, as contract killers didn’t mingle much. When they did, it was usually to discuss a case or to brag about how much their victims screamed. Max was a sociopath; he enjoyed killing innocent people, cutting them up in tiny pieces and laying in their blood. He told Marcus about it once, saying he made angels in their blood, after that… he wanted nothing more than to avoid him. Marcus enjoyed his killing and torturing like a drug—his own personal cocaine. The difference between him and Max was that he only killed bad people; he’d never kill an innocent. He enjoyed the bad ones, the ones who kill others or cheat them for their own gain and Gideon was far from the word innocent. He had zero remorse for what he was about to do. Arriving a short time later, Max pulled over to the dock entrance. “Here you go, man.” Marcus waited for the perfect time, the moment Max hadn’t thought anything of it. Before Max realized what was going to happen, Marcus shot him between the eyes. Marcus got out of the car and headed to the truck for zip ties. Getting a rock big enough to press the gas pedal, he took it and zip tied it to Max’s foot. He wiped all evidence of him away from the scene. Command wouldn’t know until it was too late. He took the file from Max’s dead hands, satisfied to take the life of the creep that had his angel in his bed. He’d forever hate every man that got a taste of her; Gideon was the one he’d end next.

Before thinking better of it, he put the gear in drive and watched Max fly off the cliff and into the lake. Now that that was finished, he could get revenge on the man that ruined his life. About fucking time.



INVESTIGATING THIS CASE WITH EVE had been life changing. They not only decided to give their love a chance but they had reacquainted themselves with each other again. It had been the best few months of his life. There was nothing he needed more than her in his life; he wanted her to realize they were meant to be. Telling her and showing her how much he cared and loved her was his last goal. When they were going over witness tampering and letters involved between the victims and other accomplices, they stumbled upon a letter to Mitch’s dealer, which was whom Jo said was the true murderer. Eve didn’t know that much yet, as he still hadn’t told her about everything. He tried to keep Jo’s involvement out as much as possible. He took the paper that included his name so he could do some searching while Eve’s team did their own. She doesn’t need to know where I am going all the time. She didn’t know his involvement or that he was doing his own research. He hoped she wouldn’t catch him in all of his lies, the ones that could change their entire relationship for the worst. Today was the day he would ask her to marry him. He waited a long time to ask her to be his wife. There was warmth in his heart that wasn’t there a few months ago. His kitten and naughty vixen would be his wife; he could feel it. His heart was hers; there was no one else that could make him feel that way. His kitten was resting in their bed. They decided to get an apartment together a month ago. Soon it’d be a house. Then she’d be swollen with their babies. He could see it all; he could hear the wedding bells, the child’s cries, and the moaning of making more. She was his heart and entire world and nothing would stop him from being with her forever. The ring in the pocket of his slacks was point enough of where his heart lied. He felt the bulge and smiled. That rock cost him a good four thousand dollars; she’d kill him for getting something so extravagant. Eve was a simple woman; she enjoyed the simplicity of life outside

of her job. Walking to their bedside, he sat beside her sleeping body. Her cheeks were red with sleep; she looked cherubic, like an angel. His heart soared with the love they shared. Leaning down gently so he wouldn’t wake her, he kissed her forehead tenderly. “Gid—baby, why are you up this early on a Saturday?” “Baby, I got a job to do. I got notification that our PI had some information on a case I am working.” “Hurry home, I’ll miss you. I may get lonely since you won’t be here to curb my appetite,” she pouted. He sucked her lip in and nibbled. “I think I could be thirty minutes late.” She grabbed him by the collar and unbuttoned his shirt as quickly as possible, neither of them wanting to waste a moment. Her nipples were rock hard in her camisole, barely covering anything. The undies she slept in were barely what he’d call material. She wiggled his shirt off and unbuttoned his slacks. Remembering what he had hidden, he pulled away and took them off for her. Her eyes were glazed over as she watched his every move and muscle flexing. He was in heaven, loving the way she ate him with her eyes. Looking at his soon-to-be wife, he gazed at her in hunger. She slowly slipped her panties down her ankles and pulled her camisole off next, lying clad naked in front of him. A growl escaped Gideon that wasn’t quite human. His boxer briefs were gone within moments of watching her. She waggled her finger at him to come closer; she was a vixen, all sex. He reached the bed and slowly glided up her. Starting from her ankles all the way to her lips, he kissed, caressed, and nibbled all the sensitive spots. His dick throbbed, needing to be inside of her. His hunger had only increased from the desire that burned inside. Grabbing her nipple rings, he tugged and she moaned, the most beautiful sound. Bringing one into his mouth, he enjoyed the noises she made from the attack. His hand reached her clit and rubbed gently but right at the bud. She was squirming beneath him. “Please—Gideon,” she got out. “Please what, kitten? Tell me what you want.” “Fuck me, Gideon. I need to feel you inside of me. Now.” His tongue glided down her goddess-like body, kissing her nub and suckling a little until she screamed. “Gideon!” He took that as his answer to hurry the fuck up. He rubbed his cock slowly, making the beast rage inside. Giving her one last kiss, he sunk inside of her, filling her wholly in one thrust. She panted loudly, her neediness causing him to growl. He looked into her eyes and saw the love reflected in them. “I love you, kitten, forever and

always.” A smile encompassed her face and made him flourish in happiness. She closed her eyes, imagining what his dick looked like inside of her. “Open your eyes, kitten, and look at me. I need you to see me love you.” The smell of their love making made his orgasm hit an agonizing pace. He needed to hear her scream, but not this time. This time would be love making, not a simple fuck. He pulled out before he blew his load inside of her and kissed her pussy like a starved man. “Your pussy is so sweet, so fucking sweet, kitten,” he grounded out, sucking in the nub. The vibration made her moan even more. To have her pussy be his was the best feeling ever. He would never change it for the world. “Please, Gideon—please, I need it,” she begged. He stuck two fingers in her entrance, making her shake. Pumping in and out slowly and eating her at the same time put her over the edge. The guttural scream that escaped her was animalistic and sexy as hell. Her pussy clenched around his fingers and her cum spilled out. He pulled them out, showing his kitten her sickly sweet cum. Licking it clean off his fingers, he delved inside her again and brought them to her lips. She sucked gently, the feel of her mouth on his fingers made his cock jump. He needed to fuck her and hear her scream his name. She bent to his swollen member and in one swift motion he was sinking down her throat. “Fuck, baby. You feel so fucking good.” His voice faltered; he was going to explode with her rosy lips sucking so deeply. He pulled out, bringing her head to his and kissing her deeply. He tried as hard as he could to show her how much she meant to him. He lay on top of her, his dick throbbing with need. “Don’t hold back, baby. I need you,” she moaned, right before he plunged into her pussy with brunt force. He couldn’t hold back even if he wanted to; he needed to fuck her right. Plunging as deep as he could go, his grunts were increasing, getting louder every second. Her pussy clenched around his dick, causing him to take a sharp intake of breath. He wouldn’t last much longer. “Fuck—fuck! I love you, Eve. I always have,” he finished as he unloaded in her. The heat that had built up escaped him. This orgasm was one he’d never forget. It was mind blowing. “Gideon, how did we not have this before? I would have been satisfied for a lifetime if we never would have lost each other,” she said, genuinely curious. “I fucked up, baby. I needed a void to feel and when you came along, I was terrified. I freaked; I’m sorry. Not a day went by that I didn’t regret it. I loved you since the beginning, kitten. I was a dumbass teenager. If we were together until now, there would be a ring on that gorgeous finger of yours and a baby in that adorable stomach, too,” he smiled. “A ring? You’d marry me?” she asked with a questioning brow. Still naked and hard once again, he reached into his pants pocket and retrieved the box. Hiding it behind his back, he kneeled in front of her. “Kitten, I have loved you since I first saw you. I may have

been a piece of shit back then but my heart always lied with you.” Pulling the box out, her eyes bulged from their sockets. “Evangeline Rosemary Carpenter, will you be this piece of shit’s wife?” Tears streamed down her beautiful face, her hand on her heart she nodded, laughing from his silliness. “Yes, baby. I wouldn’t want anything more, I want this—I want you. Forever,” she cried happily. The ring was a simple, platinum band with a rose encrusted diamond. He couldn’t contain his smile. He slipped it on her ring finger and kissed it. “You will be Mrs. Blackwell, but not soon enough.” “Well, we are in Vegas,” she winked while laughing. “Hell no, we are getting married the right way. Since neither of us has parents anymore, we’ll have to have a bomb ass party with friends. Don’t tell the girls yet; I want to set everything up first.” He kissed her forehead, cherishing the moment she said yes. Their clothes were scattered everywhere. He had to leave, already over an hour later than planned. Kissing her forehead and hand one last time, he got dressed swiftly. Still naked, she gazed at the ring he had just given her, her eyes sparkling with new tears. Finally dressed for work, he hugged her. “This wasn’t supposed to happen until dinner, but I just couldn’t wait. I love you, kitten. I will see you tonight at eight sharp. Wear those sexy fuck-me heels; I like those,” he laughed while walking toward the door of their apartment. He still couldn’t believe she said yes, shaking his head in disbelief. She wanted to be his wife. He smiled like a kid on fucking Christmas. With an extra pep in his step, he knew he’d have to call his PI. He had said he saw someone similar to Mitch’s killer downtown near Freemont again. He had to check it out; he couldn’t risk missing him again. Before making it out the door, she stopped him. “Hey, babe, I’m heading to scope out some of the places that Mitch mentioned near Freemont Street and the Golden Nugget. I will see you later baby, I love you.” She kissed him and he deepened it and brought her into a hug once again. “I love you kitten, forever and always. Okay?” She smiled that mind blowing smile that showed all her pearly whites and let out a fit of giggles. “Yes, forever and always, baby. I promise.” I’ll hold you to that kitten. He held her for another thirty seconds or so, unable to help the joy he had in his heart for the first time in years. “Gideon, I can’t breathe….. Baby… too… tight.” She laughed again as he kissed her nose. Finally pulling back, he gave her one final kiss on her forehead. “Don’t have too much fun without me, kitten. Save it for after our date tonight,” he said, finally walking out the door.

HIS INFORMANT WASN’T HELPFUL, SAYING he spotted him near the Golden Nugget. He arrived there shortly after; he needed to catch this son of a bitch. The afternoon sun had hit its peak; he only had a few hours until his dinner with Eve. She would look sexy tonight; he’d have to have another taste. He made his way to the alley where he spotted a hooker pinned against the wall and a man pressing his arm into her larynx. She was crying but his hand covered her mouth so she wouldn’t scream. Gideon ran toward them, pissed that this man was hurting someone. The loyalty of his badge told him to stop the man. Grabbing the stranger by the shoulder, he pulled him away and punched him square in the jaw. When he recovered, he showed his face. That face…that man was the one Eve had loved, too. No… this couldn’t be happening, not to him, not when his life was finally where he wanted it to be. His face paled; he knew exactly who this motherfucker was. Why now? Why him? “Gideon Blackwell,” he ground out, his face beet red. “Yes, piece of shit—it’s me.” His eyes darkened. “What, cat got your tongue? Can’t remember who I am? You fucked me over twice,” the man said. Gideon couldn’t recall his name, but it didn’t matter. This asshole would get what was coming to him. “What happened to you?” He was pretty sure he already knew the answer, but he let him get out his hatred for him. Spit it out, come on. He was beyond pissed at Gideon’s questioning, his nostrils flaring out in anger. He looked as if his eyes may pop out; he must have been holding his breath. “Don’t you remember, Gideon? After school, our senior year?” He laughed maniacally. Fuck, I was right. That fucking night continues to catch up with me. Looking at him with disgust, he inhaled deeply and let it out. “She wasn’t yours for the taking. She was mine and she just didn’t want to admit it. She was only going to fuck you to get me out of her system. You’d just have been another notch in her belt. To this day, she is mine. She is going to marry me,” Gideon said, letting out with a growl. The look he gave was deadly and made Gideon’s heart beat erratically. “I’m Marcus, the second love of her life. The one she never chose because of you. You were the reason I became an agent of CK-21, you are the reason I stopped living for me.” You could tell no one would survive Evangeline Carpenter on this day. He breathed heavily now, his chest rising and falling with each breath. He turned in a circle and what came next was unexpected and unplanned. “You dumb prick! It wasn’t your choice to decide who fucks Eve. We were in love! We had been together for over four months and she wanted me but

couldn’t open her heart because you fucking shattered it! Then you took her again after I took her from your childish kidnapping plan! She was going to be with me then you fucked it up once again!” He hit Gideon in the side of the head with the gun, causing Gideon to stumble onto the concrete. While he analyzed the scene before him for an exit route, Marcus shook his head in apparent anger. There wasn’t much Gideon could do without easily blowing Marcus’ fuse, but he needed to say it. He needed him to know it was fate. He needed to know there was more out there in the world than Eve and he could find it. Eve had always chose Gideon and it screwed with this bastard’s head because he also loved her. He actually appeared depressed as he continued to tell Gideon how much he hated him. But Gideon knew that he messed with him way too much, hurting them both. “Angel was the only love I have ever had and in high school she was going to be mine until that bonfire. You ruined everything for us. When I kidnapped her and made her see me for me, she decided to give us the chance we never really got.” He stepped closer to him, radiating the kind of anger Gideon had when he found out Eve loved another. The man practically spit, “Then you stumbled into her life again and I lost her yet again! I decided then that I was going to destroy you like you did my happiness. I may love my angel more than living but if she has you, then I’ll never be happy. I’ll never have the love I’ve always wanted. Neither of us deserves her, you know? We are both bastards and I will prove to her that she’s worth more. I will take both of us from her.” He had to be kidding; he couldn’t just kill both of them. If only Gideon could just talk to him as himself and not as the contract killer he was. “I know you love, Eve; I love her, too. You can’t just take us out of her life. She won’t survive it! She needs strength and as far as I know, she loves us both. Please just don’t take me from her. She deserves happiness. She has changed so much in the past few months. Don’t let her live without me.” “She’ll live without us both. She may deserve happiness but neither of us will give it to her. She will find someone worth her time and we’ll be gone. We’d end her if I let this continue on. It’s not like you’d last more than a day anyway. Command has a contract out on you. I just decided to take my revenge before I missed out.” He took another step closer to Gideon as he reached for his gun in his holster. Before Gideon could get out his gun, Marcus shot him. This was his ending, the fate he gave himself. All of the lies, treachery, and falsities he carried would be his end. Marcus’ bullet hit Gideon square in the chest, he would bleed out before the ambulance arrived. He knew what he needed to do. He knew who he needed to tell goodbye before it was too late. Instead of keeping to his word, Marcus left without as much as an “I hate you.” Gideon would die alone. As he lay there bleeding all over his tailored suit, all he could think of was his kitten. How would he finish all the plans he had? Maybe she would find someone else and be happy. With all the strength he could muster, he pulled out his cell phone, which was caked with blood. He dialed her number in

hopes that she’d answer quickly; he had a lot to say and not a lot of time left to say it. She answered on the second ring. Thank God. “Hey, baby, where are you?” “Kitten, I need to tell you so much but first, I just got shot.” “Gideon, do not pull this shit on me! Where are you, baby?” Tears fell from his eyes. When he said she made him weak, it was the truth. Despite that, she gave him the strength to do the thing he never thought he could do: let her go. She was never going to accept this. “Kitten, I am right off Freemont Street where Mitch and Jo died. I got shot in the chest, baby. I’m not going to make it.” All he could hear was her sobbing and screaming in the background as she screamed orders at her team. “Kitten, I need to tell you how I feel.” I don’t have much time, he wanted to add. “Gideon, you won’t die. I will not let you leave me again.” Fuck, this is going to be hard. He took as deep of a breath as his lungs would allow under the circumstances, coughing up a little blood in the process. Not enough time, I need to get this out, now. “Evangeline, baby, I have loved you since I laid eyes on you. The first time I saw you, you were a sophomore and the most beautiful thing to ever walk this earth,” he wheezed. She became frantic. He took in another gasp of air, the pinch in his ribs hurt badly but he continued anyway; she needed to know. “That year, I denied every girl that wanted me because I wanted to change and be the man you deserve. I constantly watched you in every class we had together. You were so smart, baby. You could see past my mask and you knew my heart when no one else did.” She could probably hear the little sobs he was getting out and all he could hear was her hysterical crying. “I opened myself up to you and to this day I haven’t for another. I love you, Evangeline Carpenter. If this hadn’t happened, you would have finally been Evangeline Blackwell like I had always hoped. You’d be mine, baby; you’d be my forever, my wife, and we’d have the most beautiful fucking babies.” Breathing more shallow, he could barely get out the rest, but he continued as best as he could, “Eee…vvve. This is not…the end…baby. We will see…each other in…the next li…fe. We will be happy, have…bab…ies like…we always… wanted and be amazing… fucking… parents… If forever was real… I would want… it… to be with… you.” Please accept that I won’t be coming home. His coughing was uncontrollable, causing her to wail. “Gideon! Please, you need to fight! We are almost there, baby. I will be there in your arms soon. I love you, Gideon Blackwell. It has always been you, baby. Please don’t leave me yet. We have yet to start our life together. Don’t leave me, baby!” She loves me. “I…I don’t think I can stay awake b…aby.” Sirens were blaring in the background and he knew Eve was going to be there soon. He didn’t want her to see him so broken. His last hope was that she could move past him and live for herself. “Goodbye, b…aby.”



HE STRODE IN STALKING HIS prey; the fully cemented room silent with only a single man sitting in the execution chair. The chair strapped whichever victim he felt worthy of his wrath, and this time was his favorite agent. With rage boiling inside, he couldn’t contain the fury that was about to explode. His breathing shaky and deterred, he squeezed his head in ostensible misery. The room was cool unlike his rising temperature, the cold bringing ease to his inner demons. How could he have been so stupid? How could he ruin a perfectly set up plan? Now I’m stuck with a woman that doesn’t leave her house, he thought angrily. “Marcus, you dumbass! You disobeyed the rules, so you will face consequences for this.” He rubbed his temples in frustration as a growl settled in his stomach. Resentment filled his body, he believed he could trust Marcus for this task; Eve would now be his to handle. Putting a hand through his short hair, he tried calming his demeanor. How could he accomplish his task now? His life would take a tailspin and he would no longer be ten steps ahead. “Evangeline will be mine. You hear me, Marcus? You fucked up for the last time. Let’s just hope I don’t kill her before I get what I need.” She was probably useless now. A woman with a shattered existence warranted a shell of who she was before. Walking to the chair Marcus was trapped in; he grabbed a needle full of unidentified liquid. “Goodbye, Marcus. You are no longer Agent Twenty-One. I hope it was worth it; I hope she was worth it.” Marcus flailed against his restraints and screamed out apologies; he wasn’t getting out of this one. He was done for and all because he loved the wrong girl. She’d ruin us all.



For my first novel, I know this will be incredibly long, so bear with me. First of all, thank you to all the amazing friends I’ve got that have rooted for me since day one. For you, I finally finished this book. Grandma and Tonya especially for constantly supporting me before you left, I wish you could have read this. You’d have laughed at all the things you hate about Eve. To my husband, Matthew, for being my biggest cheerleader and best friend, you have not only pushed me to excel, but you also kept me going. You’ve taught me what it is to be loved and writing just tiny pieces of that love makes these characters come to life. Tonya Rupell, as I write this, I will admit I’m in tears. I finally did it, I’m here and you aren’t here to see it. You are my star you know, when I look at the stars I imagine you looking down on me and telling me to kick some ass. I love you so much. If you were here, you’d have already read this but you’ll have to read it when we meet again. My Swag Hags, thank you for believing in me when I had no idea what I was even doing. My RBFBB girls, Christy, Vic, and Stina, you ladies are my rockstars. I couldn’t have done this without your constant support and badgering, I love you guys. Tich Brewster, you are the real MVP. I swear since I have met you, you have been here in every way. I love you to the moon and back, and I am incredibly grateful for your constant support. To Ren Reidy for being a badass, seriously, thank you for all your hard work and friendship! Until the next one. P.S. You are the only one who knows who the REAL bad guys are. To my best friend, Vanessa Vargas. You have been by my side since third grade, I guess you aren’t going anywhere. Ha. Konstanz, girl you are my favorite inspiration. We have brown liquid talks and go all day planning our next writing session. You inspire me to write, because of you I didn’t give up. (Not that you would let me.) Nadège Richards, you have been my knight in shining armor. Not only have you been a listening ear since 2012, but you have been one of my BIGGEST inspirations. Keep on keeping on, I’m so blessed to call you my friend. Much love. Alivia Anders and Kaelee Rupell, you both give me a piece of your mother every time we talk. I cherish every message you both send me. Jennifer Malone Wright, you pushed me to release my book when I was ready to run for the hills, thank you for not letting me, haha.

Sara Eirew and Mandy Hollis, if not for both of your amazing talents, this book would not have the most beautiful cover. To my street team, you ladies have been here since before others knew I was writing. You told me that I could do anything I put my mind to, and I did. Thank you. To my THRIVING family, thank you so much. I don’t have many words, but thanking you is the best ones I can give. Thank you to the Bawakan Beehawks, nuff said. To my Jamberry Destash group, I love you guys. You know what I mean when I say that, thank you for your constant support of my biggest dream. To my favorite Sam’s Club employees, Teri Jo, Tristy, and Ted, you all have been waiting for over a year for this book and finally you will have it! Though not many knew of my battle with this book, you guys did, and you never stopped asking me about it, so thank you. To my Costco family, we didn’t know each other for long, but you instilled love and faith in my heart, for that, I’m blessed have been in your presence. To all the bloggers, swag designers, pages, and family, thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this a success. Thank you for believing in me and sharing my stuff even when I didn’t think I’d ever finish this book. You all rock, seriously.





C.L. MAT T HEWS resides in Utah, the state with the best snow on Earth. She’s not a fan of the snow but loves her home just the same. She’s known for her swag creations and creative pieces. Her hobbies consist of crafting, drinking coffee until she can’t consume anymore, and reading until she falls asleep with a book in her lap. She’s happily married to childhood best friend, she got her happily ever after.