Lucy POVI stared at the kitchen door for at least twenty minutes before I finally picked my jaw up from the floor.I didn't just kiss him.It wasn't just any kiss either. It was an earth-shattering, mind-blowing kind of kiss. The kind you lose yourself in. The kind that makes your stomach twist and your knees weak.I never felt that before. Not with anyone.Maybe I should drink more often.I stabbed my fork into the cake, taking another too-large of a bite before shoving it back into the fridge. I needed to sleep. I kissed Michael. Amy's brother. A man who probably kills people for a hobby.And I liked it.Scratch that, I'm never drinking again."You okay?" Amy asked as I crawled under the covers."Yeah, just too much alcohol and sugar," I mumbled, hugging my pillow tighter.Amy let out a knowing sigh. "Did you eat cake, Lucy?"I groaned. "Just one."She playfully scolded me, but I barely heard her as she curled up beside me. For years, I practically lived here, always sharing a bed
Amy POV"You ready for tonight?" I grabbed Lucy's hands and twirled myself in her arms as we walked out of school. Not even two weeks left and we graduate. We had prom, senior class trip, awards ceremony, and then graduation prep."Why are you so happy?" Lucy giggled at me dancing down the sidewalk to her car. She had seemed off all day. I felt bad that we stayed up so late drinking. "I only have two exams left and then everything else is just parties! And tonight," I moved closer to whisper to her. "I invited James as my date and he said yes!" I was so excited I could burst. The hot boy from Chemistry class actually said yes!"What about Michael?" She immediately panicked. What the hell did he have to do with anything?"You mean Zander? Why would my brother care... oh, right. I'll have a talk with him." I cursed to myself. My brother was an overbearing, overprotective prick. I really didn't want James to get his face smashed in like Jared did. "Well, good luck with that." Lucy saw
Lucy POV"I can't believe he stole my car!" I paced, heels clicking against the hardwood. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, heat rising to my face.Amy, sitting on the bed, calmly buckled her heels. "If he wrecks it, I'll ask Uncle Niko to buy you the newest model." I shot her a glare. "That's not the point, Amy!"Michael always did whatever he wanted. No consequences. No regard for anyone else. And what made it worse? I couldn't stop thinking about him.I caught my reflection in the mirror as I pinned one side of my hair back, the long, golden curls cascading over my bare back. I looked stunning, sure, but I was too furious to even appreciate the effort I'd put in tonight.Amy sighed softly and stood up, coming over to me. "I know. I'm sorry." She reached for my hand, and I reluctantly let her take it. She had styled her hair the same as mine, her dark curls pinned back with a matching flower clip, and in any other moment, I would have smiled at how perfectly we matched."I'
Amy POVI wasn't paying attention when I walked straight into someone, my shoulder bumping into a tray of drinks. The glasses wobbled, but the waiter caught them effortlessly. He steadied me with a light touch on my arm, and I felt the heat of his skin even through the fabric of my dress."Sorry, Miss." His voice was smooth, low, with a slight accent I couldn't quite place.I glanced up, my gaze locking onto his striking green eyes. For a second, my breath caught. He was tall, lean but strong, with dark brown hair that framed his sharp features. Something about him felt familiar, but I couldn't place why at first, then I remembered."Kyle?" My eyes widened in surprise. We'd met before, a handful of times. At a club. A café. Just brief, passing encounters. He wasn't someone I really knew, just a face I recognized, a good-looking one at that.He looked so clean cut in his waiter's outfit. Tattoos hidden, and those toned muscles covered. His hair was dyed darker than I remembered, and it
Amy POV"Maybe we need to collide more often." I smiled seductively, images of him backing me into the bathroom playing in my head. A little pleasure would be a nice adventure to get the tiredness to rest for a bit. Sex always had a way of easing all my discomforts. "I would like that." His fingers brushed my face, green eyes locking onto mine, like I was something he needed to own for a few hours. God, I wanted to kiss him, just get lost in his large hands and tall body. But this was wrong. I can't do that now, here at my little cousin's birthday. "I should get back. We're about to do the cake. But maybe..." I gestured vaguely toward the party."Or," he leaned in slightly as he held up a tray of champagne flutes, "we could sneak off and have our own dessert."His teasing tone wrapped around me like silk, smooth but edged with command.I should say no. Something about this moment felt off. But the thrill of it was intoxicating.I bit the side of my lip. "Maybe just one drink," I mur
Lucy POV"Can I have my keys now?"I had spent the whole night avoiding him, but I finally gathered enough nerve to confront Michael. The second his dark blue eyes flicked to mine, my confidence completely disappeared. Why did he have to be so intimidating?"The night isn't over. Cake is about to be served." His voice was dismissive, and posture tense, like he'd rather be anywhere but here.I sighed in frustration just as Marie stepped onto the patio, balancing the enormous rocket-shaped cake. I stepped closer to the crowd, excitement bubbling inside me. Everyone began erupting into song, and I moved closer, smiling at Mikie's wide-eyed amazement.Amy should be here. She would love this.I scanned the yard, singing along with everyone else, but something felt off. My stomach twisted in discomfort. Where was Amy? Movement from the back patio caught my eye. It was Zander shoving his way through the crowd, his face twisted in panic.My brows knitted together. What in the world was he do
Michael POVSmoke curled through the air, thick and suffocating, the heat of the explosions still searing my skin. I barely stumbled back to my feet before the chaos truly set in. Screams. Gunfire. The acrid scent of burning flesh.Lucy had run inside, slipping through the smoke before I could catch her, but Amy, where the fuck was Amy? I couldn't remember the last time I saw her. I had been distracted, caught off guard, and now I was lost, unsure of my surroundings and who was accounted for.My eyes darted to Niko, who was struggling to extinguish the flames on his arm. Panic started to crawl up my spine, but I shoved it down, forcing myself to focus. Viv was on the ground, her kids huddled beneath her, half her face burned.I grabbed her chin, not the injured side, and forced her to look at me. "You good?""I'll live," she rasped, her wild eyes locked on Niko. "Where's Amy?"My gut twisted as I scanned the wreckage. "I don't know." I admitted with fury. It was like I was in a haze
Michael POV All my blood rushed to my head, pounding my skull and demanding someone's death. The car ride was a blur of suffocating heat and clattering metal, the trunk a tomb I could barely breathe in. As the minutes dragged on, I listened to the men up front talk about the so-called "fun" they would be having tonight, including the twisted plans they had for the girls they'd taken. Every vile word sent a shiver through me, but it was the sharp intake of breath from the other captive that made my rage boil over. The sound was small, weak, pathetic. I clenched my fists, resisting the brief, irrational urge to silence her myself. It seemed easier than listening to her cry. The voices around me blended together, Irish accents thick with mockery, and Italian tones that made my stomach churn. A few of the voices were even familiar. This wasn't just the Irish attacking Niko. It was a joint effort from the Irish gang that had set up shop here a few years ago, and men from my own blo
Michael POVMy head throbbed relentlessly, light seeping through my eyelids as a dull ache spread through every inch of me. I didn't know where I was... didn't even know if I was still alive."Michael, are you awake?" A soft voice floated to me, warm and familiar. I felt a smile tug at my lips, but I couldn't muster the strength to move them. Pain burned through every nerve, deeper than anything I'd ever felt."Michael!" I heard her voice again and moaned quietly. I wanted to her voice again. My head moved slowly side to side, my brain trying to force my eyes open to see her."Michael, please, open your eyes." Lucy pleaded and I had to do it for her, for me. My eye lids fluttered, vision blurry but I could make out her face a little better. She was angelic, a light around her that was so bright I knew it would burn me. "You better stay awake. Amy needs you." She said, her eyes tearing as her face came into view. God, she was beautiful. Her soft skin to mine, her fingers tracing up a
Lucy POVI didn't want to lie to my friends but I wasn't sure if it was safe. It should be though, right? The Irish were probably all dead, or at least dismantled. Michael was working with Niko so they probably worked out their issues. I didn't need to pretend to the pregnant anymore. I just really wanted to check with Michael first. I didn't want to put him in a bad position. I shouldn't care, but I did. I wanted to hate him, but I couldn't.At the airport, I completely lost my mind. I was spiraling, caught between panic and grief, and all I wanted was to escape. Until I couldn't. Ariel found me, knocked me out, and dragged me into a hell even worse than I imagined. Men leered and jeered, making promises of what they'd do to my body. Ariel didn't let them touch me, though. She said she wouldn't let them torture me the way they tortured her. Then she added how I would be a perfect pet for Killian. I decided to stay quiet around her, just observed my surroundings and waited. I wasn'
Amy POVIt was a quiet ride back to whatever safe house Niko had set up. Lucy held one of my hands and Zander the other, squishing me between them in the back seat. I didn't want it any other way. I needed them more than I realized."We missed prom," Lucy said as we pulled through the large iron gate."Yeah, and two finals," Zander added.I laughed out loud. "We still have graduation. But seriously, how the hell are we just walking back into school on Monday like nothing happened?""Together," Zander said, giving my hand a squeeze.School felt like the least of our worries, but maybe it should be our only one. Maybe we were still just kids."Yeah, together," I echoed, watching him for a moment. He was really here."Are you a made man now, Zander?" Lucy teased."Well, I'm pretty good with a gun," he said proudly, until our driver chuckled."Shut up, Jimmy," Zander muttered, kicking the back of the seat."I'm sure you're a natural," I said, kissing his cheek and leaning my head on his s
Michael POVI heard everything my sister said to that monster. Every reckless, unhinged, defiant word. But it wasn't until she blurted out confirmation that she had slept with him, like it meant nothing, like her body was something worthless, that it really hit inside me.That's when the blood drained from my head and something ugly settled in my chest. She let him touch her. Maybe wanted him to. That sadistic bastard touched my little sister. And I did nothing to shield her from it. "You!" I roared, stepping toward the man I'd trusted to protect her."Michael, I swear, she went after him." Dylan slowly backed up towards the door, hands half-raised like that would stop me."Enough," Niko warned, nudging my side. "We haven't cleared the property."I turned to him instead, seething. "How the hell are you not furious?" My voice came out rough, nearly shaking. Not from fear but from the realization that maybe I'd failed her a long time ago. "That man violated my sister."Niko exhaled thr
Amy POVLucy ripped the tape from her mouth, her eyes wide. "Amy! What the hell?"I shrugged, cool and unapologetic. "He deserved to die." And I meant it. I felt no remorse. No guilt or shame. I mean, come on, would you? It's not like it was the first time I pulled the trigger anyway. "That's not what I'm talking about," Lucy glared at me, shaking her head in disbelief. The redhead was still wailing beside us, hysterical, useless. I eyed her, briefly tempted to shut her up permanently."Don't," Lucy warned, seeing the thought pass through my expression."Friend of yours?" I asked, my voice flat."No, but she has a sister." Her voice was clipped, guarded.Right on cue, another redhead crept into view, her hands raised in shaky surrender."I'm Sio," her voice was soft, terrified. "Please don't kill my sister."Then came the voice that always signaled a storm."I'm going to do much worse..." his words exploded in my ear, and I flinched. Where the fuck did he come from?"Jesus, Michael!
Amy POV"What did you bring me, my pet?" Killian's voice dripped with honeyed malice, the kind that made your skin crawl before you even understood why. He lounged behind his desk like a king waiting for a show."A peace offering, Master," the redhead before him purred, voice soaked in twisted obedience.My fingers drifted toward my gun as I listened to whatever fucked up meeting was going on.Killian tilted his head, smirking. "You have served me well. That data you sent caused quite a stir with my enemies, but why would I need some frail child now?"From just outside his office, I peeked through a narrow crack in the door. My eyes locked, wide and unmoving, like my brain was still trying to catch up to the danger already waiting inside.I knew I recognized that scream. Lucy knelt in the center of the room, bound and crying. My blood turned to ice, but I didn't move. One wrong step, and we were both dead.Killian stood, slowly pacing around Lucy, a predator circling a wounded doe. Hi
Michael POV"Niko will be here any minute. You ready?" I nodded to Sio."Locked and loaded." She nodded back."Paul said 7:30, it's not even six." Vinnie shot me a look."Niko will be early. He already surveyed our perimeter." I added a grenade to my belt. I was taking as much fire power as possible. Amy was coming home tonight, and Killian, I was going to tear him limb from limb for both my sister and Lucy."Dylan called earlier. He said Amy is fine and being held in a room on the third floor. Other than no food all day she hasn't received any punishment she wasn't willing to take." Sio added."What the fuck does that mean?" I scrunched my face at her. I probably shouldn't had told them about my contact, but I needed today for Lucy. Not that it did us any good. "I don't know. It's what he said." Sio shook off my bad mood. "Where's Ariel?" I snapped at her."It wasn't a good idea to bring her to this fight. You know of her ties to Killian and I don't want her around him ever again.
Lucy POVEverything inside me was on fire. I grabbed at my hair, kicked the bed and wanted to scream on the top of my lungs. I couldn't be here. I couldn't look at him and not want his death. I sat on the bed, steadying my breaths. I needed to go home. I went to the bathroom and turned on the shower, then slipped out the window. It was probably a stupid plan, but I didn't care. I have my Id and credit cards, plus Niko was probably going to take me home anyway. I didn't need to wait any longer. I couldn't. I walked right past some guards, waving to them like nothing was suspicious. I wasn't an enemy, or even a threat. And that is exactly how I got in a car and just drove off without anyone even trying to stop me.After ten minutes on the road I just broke down, crying the whole way to the airport. I was a mess, ready to break at any moment. It felt like I couldn't breathe any air other than that in New York."One way ticket to JFK." I asked at the counter, handing the lady my license
Niko POV"What the fuck are we going to do?" I paced the kitchen floor. I had a little fucker in one room to my right and a crying teenage girl in a room to my left. "I'm too old for this shit.""Michael is misguided, but a smart fucker." Paul smiled at me, relaxing on the couch like he had no worries in the world. He was getting old too."We aren't trusting Michael." Gio quickly challenged."There was a time we didn't trust you." Paul shot back at him."Enough!" I shouted just as Viv finally returned. She had two grocery bags in her hands that instantly fell to the floor when she saw my face. "Kitten, we need to talk." I tried to calmly speak, knowing I was about to get my ass handed to me."Calm down? Calm down?" She said with all her fury. She was so damn sexy, and very fucking lethal. "Kitten, please, let's sit and talk calmly." I tried to move us to the couch. Paul and Gio jumped up and raced out the door. Fucking cowards!"Do I look like I'm in the mood to be called your kitt