I saw the blow land. Saw it devastate her world. Right before she rebuilt her barriers bigger and stronger. But this time...this time I was inside the walls. And I wasn't fucking leaving.I nodded. "Who is Annie Pells, Cricket?"She shook her head. Her dark red hair cascading over her shoulders. Her hazel eyes were wide and slightly unfocused."Cricket, tell me." I bit the words out. She jolted in my arms. Strong, sexy, steely Nik quaked and shivered as if nothing more than a northern breeze would knock her over. Clenching her eyes, she shook her head again. "No, Turo. You don't get that."I snarled. "Which part of you are mine, did you misinterpret? I want your past, present, and I'll damn sure be having your future. Your only choice now is how hard you're going to make this on yourself."Her eyes popped open right before they narrowed down into slits. There she is. There's my strong, brave cricket. My girl doesn't flinch away from the horror. Or the truth. No, she sta
I glared at the cocky man in the front passenger seat. If he thought I was going to be okay with being kidnapped, the man obviously had suffered some kind of brain damage. As soon as I got myself free, I was going to beat the snot out of him. Maybe even before I got free. I did have to give the big Viking guy props. He'd had me trussed and gagged in very short order. Edi had never seemed fast or quick. More of a lumbering oaf kind of fella. That'll teach me to make rash decisions. The man was faster than a snake. Since it seemed the two men who had abducted me were content to ignore me, I looked around the mostly empty cargo van. No seats in the back. Just black lining on the floor. And a selection of bags that looked big enough to hold bodies. I shuffled around until I could lean against one. My left hip was now screaming bloody murder at me. I just wanted to ease some of the pain that was trying to consume all of my attention and mental focus. With everything going on in
I blew out a breath as I watched her breathing even out under the intermittent lights of the highway. "That was close," I whispered. Edi grumbled low in his chest. "I still don't understand why you couldn't just tell her where we're going. She's going to be pissed enough as it is. Why did you have to make it worse? That woman is violent."I smiled. "Yeah, she is." Heat curled through my body."I said violent. Not dressed in sex-me clothes panting for you. There is a difference." He looked at me like I was crazy. "Maybe to you." I turned to look at him. "Besides, you're gay. What do you know about women and sex-me clothes?"He smiled. "I was just assuming. Andrei has this little pair of sh-" He held his hands up mere inches apart, a gleam in his golden eyes that was just visible with the instrumental console lights. I held up a hand. "Don't want to know. You keep your sexual games to yourself and I'll do the same with mine."His laugh was big enough to shake his shoulde
I blew out a breath. "Damn."Turo nodded. "He was making bad decisions for the family. Professionally and personally. Some said he went crazy. Momma wasn't willing to stand for his mismanagement or assholic behaviors anymore. She shot him at the dinner table in front of everyone else when he hit my grandmother in the face for saying something he disagreed with."I blinked. "Damn, Momma is a queen." If it were humanly possible to love a person platonically and still want to carry her babies, mine was Momma. That woman was everything I aspired to be. Strong, loving, protective, stalwart, funny, a fabulous cook, had the respect of not only her family, but everyone under her, and was also the head of a seriously scary organization of crime and shady dealings. Okay, I could leave out the organized crime and shady dealings in my future, but damn did she make it look easy and appealing. She was my adult goals. I sighed. "That's beautiful," I said softly. Amato turned to me. I cou
Turo yanked the receiver from my hands. "Momma, we'll call you later." He slammed the phone down without looking away from me. "Explain. Now." His eyes were blazing, his brows lowered over his nose. I licked my lips. "Annie Pells. I killed her." Might as well burn all the bridges I'd made recently. He stared at me for a long moment. Ended up shaking his head. "I don't believe you. No. You're too strong for that. Unless she was somehow hurting you or something else heinous, you wouldn't have killed her. Not really. Not physically."I flinched. He stepped closer. Narrowed his eyes at me. "You did kill her. In your own way. Who is Annie Pells to you, Cricket?""It doesn't matter. She's gone. Has been for a long time." I tried to step around him. Tried to ignore the searching gaze that held a hint of tenderness in it. He braceleted my wrist gently. "Tell me, Cricket. Whatever secrets you're keeping are killing you," he said softly. "I can carry them for you."I shook my h
I nodded as I watched her. Her hazel eyes glinted under the low lights. I saw it when the knowledge hit her. "The surveillance." I nodded again. "That's what you meant that day. About having something to tell you." She slapped my chest. "That was none of your business. Still isn't."I leaned down, pushed my nose to hers. "It involves you. That makes it my business."She opened her mouth. I sealed my lips over hers. It was pretty effective. Until I remembered I couldn't stress her lungs. With a snarl, I moved to her neck. Nibbled my way up to her ear. "You're mine, Cricket."A low mumble floated from her lips as her hands lifted and she threaded her fingers through my hair. She pulled me tighter against her body. Pressed up harder against me. "As soon as you're healed, I'm going to take you so hard your entire body screams."She shivered. Laughed a low, sexy chuckle that felt like velvet against my skin. "As soon as I'm healed, I'm going to make you scream my n
I woke up after what felt like a week. But a glance at the alarm clock told me it was right around ten hours. This bed was amazing. And it was inside a freaking mountain. I was going to have to ask Turo what kind it was so I could get one for home. I did my full body stretch, winced as that sharp pain in my side attacked again. I grabbed up the spirometer as I slid my feet over the edge of the bed so I could sit up straight. I blew into the little device. Focused on keeping my breaths slow and even. That damn coaching indicator mocked me as it bobbed up and down in its little sleeve. I coughed after each rep. Thanked the universe when I made it through ten reps. The last cycle I actually got the indicator to stay between the two arrows. I considered that a win. I got up, walked to the natural stone shower. If I hadn't known this place was literally inside a mountain, I wouldn't have guessed it from the rooms. Done in a white stucco that was soothing and calm, it looked more li
I saw her push the statement away. Saw her twist it somehow in her brain. She either didn't or couldn't believe me. Not right now, anyway. But I would show her. I would tell her every day that I chose her. Let her see the evidence she relied so heavily on. She was mine. It was time I started showing her that. "So Lily Sterling ordered the hit on me?" she asked quickly. I let her have the small buffer for now. I'd pushed her far enough today. Nodding, I said, "Apparently so. Foster and Ryker found some emails on Bitchcock's system. They need your help for any deeper hacking, especially into the Sterling system."Like putting a well-watered plant out into the sunshine, she came alive. Her cheeks flushed slightly as her eyes twinkled. "Damn right they do."Smothering the chuckle, I wondered at this woman. Tough, but sensitive. Solid self-esteem, but still insecure. She was a kaleidoscope of surprising contradictions. And I intended to find each and every one. "So, we ne