Logan Now that Alyssa's right here in front of me, I can't take my fucking eyes off of her. God, she's beautiful. The last time I saw her, she was only seven, standing by my hospital bed with tears streaking down her face. I was barely awake most days, but that guilt-ridden look she wore burned into my memory. Now, she's twenty-two, a year younger than me, and every bit the goddess I imagined she'd grow into. Even if she's sitting on another man's lap. King Sterling's glare could burn a hole straight through my head, but Alyssa—she recognizes me. I see that glimmer of recognition in her eyes. Seeing me must've triggered her memory. I bet Gray feels like a dumbass right now, walking into a trap I set with Bones' help. Of course, he warned me not to do anything reckless, or let War do anything reckless. Pointing a gun at Gray might've put a target on my back, but I couldn't resist. Bones wants this alliance with the Crimson Reapers; I want her. My gaze drops to the
Alyssa The moment War takes over, I feel it. His posture changes, his shoulders square with a hardened, unsettling confidence, his jaw sets with a sharpness completely different than Logan's. His steel-gray eyes narrow and darken, and a slow, wicked smirk slithers across his face. The air seems to thicken with a menacing aura—not like King's, whose darkness feels protective and safe to me. No, this is different, like an unhinged, wild animal holding off on eating you until it finds the perfect moment. But I still mean what I said...I trust Logan and his alter. War's gaze sweeps over me, and then he leans in close, inhaling deeply. His nose wrinkles with disdain as he pulls back. "Gross. You reek like a goddamn meadow," he grunts, his voice way gruffer than Logan's. He saunters over to the bar as he runs a hand through his short, brown hair, and drops into a seat. "Alex, pour me something stronger. Whiskey's not gonna cut it." Alex doesn't hesitate, grabbing a clear bottle a
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
AlyssaAfter Zuri falls asleep, I place her in the new crib that I moved to King's office. It's peaceful and calm in there, and I didn't want to wake her if Gray happens to call in the middle of the night. I doubt I'll be going to sleep any time soon anyway, there's too much on my mind.King finally emerges from upstairs into the living room, dressed in a black t-shirt that clings too tightly to his muscular frame and a pair of loose, grey sweatpants. His steps are nearly silent on the wooden floor as he makes his way to the kitchen. I hear a cabinet open and the soft clinking of glasses. Moments later, he reappears with two glasses filled with dark, amber liquid.King silently hands me one of the glasses, his fingers brushing mine briefly before he settles into the armchair opposite me. I bring the glass to my nose and sniff: whisky. It's been a long time since I've tasted alcohol and I definitely need some after what happened today, so I take a tentative sip. The liquid sears its wa