The room is dimly lit, with hideous lime-green wallpaper peeling in sad curled strips. The bed sags like it's given up on life after years of questionable use, and the old TV hums in the background. Mildew clings to the air, and thanks to my heightened pregnancy senses, it takes everything in me not
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
The thought churns in my head, dark and heavy. This could be intel for Bones. If the treaty ever goes to shit, knowing this could give him a serious edge. A nuclear option. But even as the idea takes shape, I already know I won't say a goddamn word. Bones doesn't need to know this. Not when he's sti
Alyssa "Oh my God. Who screams that loud during sex?" I whisper-shout, horrified at the noises blasting through the earpiece. They've barely been inside the house for five minutes, and War's already fucking the life out of her. Or at least that’s what it sounds like. I want to yank the damn th
"Maybe you'd be a little less...stressed if you let go of this ridiculous idea that you have to be perfect to keep my brother," I continue. "I've seen the girls he dated before you, and trust me, they were far from perfect. And he wouldn't have married you if a sex tape taken without your consent, o
Alyssa Phillips' office isn't hard to find. It's tucked at the end of the hallway on the first floor, eerily neat and pristine. The air feels heavy here, like the walls are holding their breath, waiting for us to uncover their filthy secrets. And I'm sure there are more than plenty. Mason was
Christine freezes, her face draining of color. "Oh my God. We're going to get caught," she whispers, her voice rising with fear. "What the hell are we going to tell Gray?" I grab her arm and tug her under the desk with me. "Hide. Now." I remind myself to never rob a bank or anything with her. Sh
Alyssa I'm still thinking about what happened with Logan and War, even after we're home, and I'm putting a pot of water on the stove for spaghetti. War didn't exactly say what he wanted, so I went with something simple. Chelsea had done a great job watching Zuri today, and when King handed her a
Niko's hand smooths down my hair, his chest vibrating with soft, amused laughter. "It's okay, sweet girl," he murmurs, warm and teasing. "Me and Mace weren't complaining. And King—well, he was in a goddamn coma after that drive, so he didn't hear a thing."I hear the faintest smirk in King's voice w
AlyssaDespite the way Mason fucked me last night—slow, passionate, like he was trying to pull the sadness out of me one thrust at a time—I still wake up feeling like shit. Numb. Hollow. And aching in all the wrong places.Because no matter what I do, I can't stop the reminder that I won't get to
I thrust into her in one deep, hungry stroke, groaning as her pussy tightens around me like it's welcoming me back home.Fuck. I've missed her like this.I brace one hand against the wall, the other gripping her hip as I fuck her hard, driving the grief and exhaustion out of her with every thrust o
MasonAfter nine hours on the road, King is knocked out cold. Niko lies beside him, flipping through the TV channels with that blank look he gets when he's thinking too much. I'm at the window, AR-15 within reach, peeking through the blinds at the empty parking lot below.Alyssa's been in the showe
The guys had a little time with Zuri before she began fighting to keep her eyes open. I saw it on their faces—how hard it was to kiss her goodnight and walk away. But we all agreed. Leaving her here was the safest choice. Even if it feels like tearing out a piece of our hearts and leaving it behin
AlyssaLeaving Zuri behind is the hardest thing I've ever done. Harder than running from Isaac.Harder than learning I killed a man at seven because my father sold children for a living. Harder than choosing to die if it meant protecting the people I love. Because this...this feels like abandonme
He wants her to suffer first. "And you think any of us could live with that?" I spit. No one tries to step in and soften the blow. Because they know she needed to hear it. She swallows hard. Her voice cracks, but she catches it. "I just... I hate this. People could die because of me. I'm putting
WarWhen King, Niko, and Mason come back into the barn with Alyssa, her eyes are red and puffy—like she's been crying for hours, not minutes. Logan stirs the second he sees her. I feel him clawing toward the surface, raw and frantic, like he thinks he can actually do something helpful. Like seeing
They'd do it.They'd die for me. In a fucking heartbeat. And there's no way I'd be able to convince them otherwise.King tightens his arms around me, his voice low and rough against my ear. "Stop. You're spiraling, kitten. I can feel it.""King, I can't fucking breathe," I choke out."I know. Deep