Nikolai "I'm sorry...we're doing what?" I nearly choke on my coffee, the hot liquid scalding the top of my mouth. It's five in the damn morning, and Alyssa, in all her sweet but chaotic glory, waited until the coffee hit my bloodstream to drop this bomb on us. Even so, I must've misheard her because there's no way in hell we're actually helping Christine with anything. Not only because I can't stand her and every time I see her face, I have very violent thoughts—but because she's blackmailing us. Holding our relationship with Alyssa over our heads like a loaded gun. And that's a level of manipulation I don't tolerate, no matter what the reason is. Mason, sitting beside me, doesn't say a word. He's cradling Zuri in one arm as she drinks her bottle, his free hand resting on her tiny foot in a protective way. I know he's either mentally dissecting the situation or trying to figure out how to gently tell Alyssa she's out of her damn mind without making our pregnant woman cry.
Alyssa "Took you long enough," Christine scoffs, sliding into the backseat in a skin-tight pink dress. Her matching purse sits daintily on her lap, as if we're actually going shopping instead of plotting a break-in. King's jaw ticks, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. I see the retort brewing on his lips, but he swallows it down. I squeeze his hand, silently begging him. Let's just get this over with. Please don't strangle her and toss her body out on the side of the road. This isn't good. He's already this wound up, and we haven't even met up with War yet. Am I going to have to blow him in a gas station bathroom or something just to get his temper under control? The thought makes my mouth water before I can shove it back into the gutter where it belongs. Focus, Alyssa. "What are you thinking about, kitten?" King asks quietly, his tone amused, but there's a razor-sharp warning beneath it. He pulls the SUV out of Gray's driveway with smooth precision, his finger
War Why do I keep agreeing to do shit for this female? Even as I'm sitting across the street from the country club where Amanda Phillips is probably sipping overpriced mimosas and pretending her husband isn't a piece of shit, I still can't answer that fucking question. All I know is that the little psycho seems to change every time I see her. I thought she was just some little broken doll, but she's finding her fire—and learning how to use it. I'm not easily impressed, but damn. Watching her evolve is...addictive. Logan's voice scratches at the back of my skull, a persistent itch I can't ignore. You want her, War. Just as badly as I do. Shut the fuck up, Logan. What? I'm just saying...you think about her all the time. Admit it. Stay in your corner. I grit my teeth, glaring at nothing in particular. I don't bother you this damn much when you're in control. I'm barely ever in control when you're around her, he argues, frustration lacing his voice. That's be
Alyssa "Congratulations, Alyssa. I hope you and Isaac are very happy together," Mom says, her voice tender with emotion as she pulls me into a tight embrace. "Thanks, mom." I give her a gentle yet firm squeeze, afraid that if I let go, she'll fall or something. She's too sick to be standing up right now, but she's always been a strong, very stubborn woman. She'd never let anyone here see that she's unwell. After I eventually release her, Gray, my ever-watchful brother, carefully takes her arm, and helps her into a chair. "Grayson, I can seat myself," she protests, a playful defiance in her eyes as she gives him a mock glare. He smiles warmly. "I know you can, Mom," he murmurs, planting a kiss on her forehead before turning to me. "If your husband ever hurts you, I'll shove my foot so far up his ass he can taste it." By the tone in his voice, he absolutely means it. But he has nothing to worry about. I laugh and kiss my brother on the cheek. "No need t
Alyssa Niko isn't as much of an asshole as King, but he still makes it his mission to piss me off. He's a little smaller and less muscular than King, with spiky, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. Like usual, he wears a blue bandanna around his head, even dressed in a black suit. Mason, on the other hand, is of medium height with a slender frame. He's a redhead with tapered hair, green eyes, and thick-rimmed glasses. He's probably the chillest out of the bunch, never wanting to get his hands dirty. But just because he's associated with them, I hate him too. I roll my eyes. "Fantastic, just what I needed. The full set of my brother's annoying-ass friends." Niko chuckles, his voice laced in amusement. "So mean for no reason, Alyssa. We're just looking out for you, sis." "If you were looking out for me, you wouldn't be tormenting me all the damn time," I retort, crossing my arms as I glare at them. King takes another drag of his cigarette, his intense gaze neve
*Three years later* Alyssa "Open this fucking door, Alyssa!" Isaac barks, banging on the bedroom door with a force that rattles the hinges. With my heart pounding, I scoop up Zuri from her crib, and slip on the small pair of noise-cancelling headphones over her tiny ears. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Mommy's going to get us out of here," I whisper, my voice trembling as I brush my cheek against hers, drawing comfort from her innocent warmth. I warned him. I warned him that the first time he ever hit me in front of our daughter that, it would be over. But he didn't listen. Tonight, he hit me so hard that I almost fell on top of her while she was sitting on the floor. That was the last fucking straw. I've endured his anger and frustration time and time again, but I can't allow Zuri to grow up thinking this is okay. Even if she's only seven months old and might not remember it, I never wanted her to see that. I'm sorry, babe. I promise it will never happen again. I brought
King I never thought Alyssa Bennett would reach out to me. For her to be that desperate, I guess she finally got tired of her piece-of-shit husband. It's been a while since I've driven anything other than my bike, but when she called, I pulled my truck out of its resting place in the garage. I park beside the red car on the side of the road, the sun starting to set on the horizon. Alyssa immediately jumps out of the driver's seat and rushes to the rear. First, she grabs a diaper bag, then a car seat. I squint to make sure I'm seeing it right. Yeah, it's a fucking car seat. Stepping out of my truck, I offer to help with her bag. I watch as she secures the car seat in my backseat. I didn't know what to expect, but a real baby, dressed in a pink onesie and making little noises, wasn't it. Maybe it's her niece or something, I wonder silently. It's been three years since I last saw Alyssa, and she's really grown up. I'm not sure if it's for the better or worse. She look
Alyssa Leaving Zuri in the car with King wasn't my first choice, but I have a lot of shit to get and so little time. The diaper bag could only hold so much, but I stuffed what I could in it before I left. Now, I need to get the rest of her necessities that will at least last a little while. Isaac will freeze my accounts soon, and I'll be cut off from any money. I can't even check the app because I ditched my phone in the car to avoid being tracked. I dash through the aisles, grabbing a travel crib, two boxes of diapers and wipes, a variety of pouched baby food, and a few cans of formula. My heart thunders in my chest as I make my way to the register. Thanks to Isaac, I know how to grab what I need and carry my ass. I tap my card against the reader, praying it works. It declines. A wave of anxiety and dread crash over me. Fuck. He has already frozen them. Panic sets in. What the fuck am I going to do now? "Ma'am, do you have money to pay? If not, I can hold the items for you," th
War Why do I keep agreeing to do shit for this female? Even as I'm sitting across the street from the country club where Amanda Phillips is probably sipping overpriced mimosas and pretending her husband isn't a piece of shit, I still can't answer that fucking question. All I know is that the little psycho seems to change every time I see her. I thought she was just some little broken doll, but she's finding her fire—and learning how to use it. I'm not easily impressed, but damn. Watching her evolve is...addictive. Logan's voice scratches at the back of my skull, a persistent itch I can't ignore. You want her, War. Just as badly as I do. Shut the fuck up, Logan. What? I'm just saying...you think about her all the time. Admit it. Stay in your corner. I grit my teeth, glaring at nothing in particular. I don't bother you this damn much when you're in control. I'm barely ever in control when you're around her, he argues, frustration lacing his voice. That's be
Alyssa "Took you long enough," Christine scoffs, sliding into the backseat in a skin-tight pink dress. Her matching purse sits daintily on her lap, as if we're actually going shopping instead of plotting a break-in. King's jaw ticks, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. I see the retort brewing on his lips, but he swallows it down. I squeeze his hand, silently begging him. Let's just get this over with. Please don't strangle her and toss her body out on the side of the road. This isn't good. He's already this wound up, and we haven't even met up with War yet. Am I going to have to blow him in a gas station bathroom or something just to get his temper under control? The thought makes my mouth water before I can shove it back into the gutter where it belongs. Focus, Alyssa. "What are you thinking about, kitten?" King asks quietly, his tone amused, but there's a razor-sharp warning beneath it. He pulls the SUV out of Gray's driveway with smooth precision, his finger
Nikolai "I'm sorry...we're doing what?" I nearly choke on my coffee, the hot liquid scalding the top of my mouth. It's five in the damn morning, and Alyssa, in all her sweet but chaotic glory, waited until the coffee hit my bloodstream to drop this bomb on us. Even so, I must've misheard her because there's no way in hell we're actually helping Christine with anything. Not only because I can't stand her and every time I see her face, I have very violent thoughts—but because she's blackmailing us. Holding our relationship with Alyssa over our heads like a loaded gun. And that's a level of manipulation I don't tolerate, no matter what the reason is. Mason, sitting beside me, doesn't say a word. He's cradling Zuri in one arm as she drinks her bottle, his free hand resting on her tiny foot in a protective way. I know he's either mentally dissecting the situation or trying to figure out how to gently tell Alyssa she's out of her damn mind without making our pregnant woman cry.
Alyssa When we return to the living room, King and Gray stop their conversation mid-sentence. The air feels heavier than when we left, and Gray's sharp eyes cut straight to me, suspicion flickering across his face. "What's going on, babe?" he asks, his tone clipped as his gaze shifts to Christine. His arched brow screams he's not in the mood for bullshit. I wonder what he and King were discussing while we were gone that's got him so tense. I know King wouldn't tell him about Christine without me present. Christine, the fake bitch that she is, flashes him a sugary smile that makes my stomach churn. "Nothing, baby. I was just telling Alyssa I wanted to go shopping with her. You know, have us a girl's day." A girl's day? That's hilarious. Since when does breaking into dead guys' houses to retrieve sex tapes qualify as retail therapy? Gray's eyes snap to mine, his gaze probing, dissecting. He's looking for cracks, for any sign I might be hiding something. Joke's on him—his w
Alyssa Completely sated and boneless, I sit up and watch silently as King meticulously cleans his weapons after stuffing our clothes in a black trash bag. The blood we'd just had the most unhinged sex is now drying and caking on my skin, a visceral reminder of the woman I became tonight. Chief Phillips is gone, hanging on the wall with his vacant eyes fixed on me and the smell of death in the air. Maybe I should feel disgust or remorse for what happened here, but I don't. He got what was coming to him, and now countless women can sleep peacefully at night knowing they'll never have to encounter him again. I shift, feeling the delicious ache between my legs, and a satisfied smile curls on my lips. King glances back at me, his lips twitching with amusement. His obsession with me blazes in his eyes, like a wolf savoring its claim. "What's that face for, kitten? You're acting like I've never fucked you before." My smile widens into a smirk. "Not like that." "Not regretting
Mason "So, when did you figure out you were into guys too?" Niko's voice is light, teasing, the smirk practically audible. I roll my eyes, but there's no real heat behind it. Niko's just being Niko right now. We just finished The Conjuring—my choice, of course—and while Niko didn't outright admit to being scared, he'd spent half the movie burying his face in my shoulder. Which is crazy because he's the one who suggested we watch a horror movie. What a scaredy-cat. Now, 21 Jump Street is playing, the room lit with the soft glow of the TV. I don't really care for comedy, but Niko suggested it, likely so he won't have nightmares tonight. We've been quiet for a while, comfortable in the shared space, but I guess it's time to address the elephant in the room. "It's hard to explain," I begin, choosing my words carefully. "I'm not sure I feel attraction towards just any guys. I think it's...exclusive. Only you and King." My gaze flickers over to the screen, not wanting to
WARNING: This chapter is a little unhinged. Proceed with caution! King Holy. Fucking. Shit. Watching my kitten rip out tooth after tooth, I feel like my dick's about to implode. I didn't expect her to want to play tonight, but I should've known better. She's full of surprises—always has been. Blood splatters her face and clothes as she plunks each tooth onto the table, the metallic clink echoing in the room. She doesn't flinch, doesn't waver—just focuses on her work, the need for revenge fueling each movement. Drenched in the chaos she's created, she looks like a violent goddamn masterpiece. My chest swells, and the ache in my cock becomes unbearable. How the hell am I not supposed to fuck the shit out of her when she's like this? Niko and Mason will hardly believe their ears when I tell them just how perfect our girl is. As I continue observing from the sidelines, Phillips' screams ricochet off the walls, feeding the hunger inside me. My kitten is proving once
Alyssa "You're the reason I'm here," Chief Phillips sneers, his bloodshot eyes filled with hatred as he struggles to lift his head. The chains rattle with his feeble effort before his body slumps back against the wall like a broken puppet. "You stupid bitch! Tell them-" The words die in his throat as King's knife slices clean across his chest. The cut is precise, shallow enough to hurt but deep enough to make sure he knows who's in control. Phillips lets out a guttural scream, the sound raw with pain. I don't flinch, not even a little. Even though that looked like it fucking hurt, I'm done feeling sympathy for monsters. King tilts his head, his voice a low growl that hums with a deadly calm. "Watch your fucking mouth when you speak to her. That's the only warning you'll get." Phillips gasps for air, his chest rising and falling as blood trails down his torso. His gaze shifts back to me, a flicker of desperation masked by a sneer. "I don't know what the fuck you told th
Alyssa "Why didn't we take your bike?" I ask curiously as King drives down the familiar road towards Gray's house in the truck he rarely drives. His jaw clenches, hands tightening on the steering wheel with a possessiveness that always makes my heart race. "This is safer for you and the babies." "I'm perfectly safe on your bike," I argue, unable to hide the slight irritation in my voice. I was afraid of this—afraid he would start treating me like I'm fragile. "Not safe enough." King's tone is final, but his fingers brush against mine, his touch gentle and grounding. He intertwines our hands, his thumb grazing over my skin in a gesture that calms me. "But if you want to ride during the day, I'm all for it. People are just dumb as shit on the road at night. I'd rather be safe than sorry." I smile softly, satisfied with his answer. "Okay." We drive in a comfortable silence, the hum of the truck surrounding us. The miles slip by, my nerves growing with each one. After a