Dexter It doesn’t matter how many times I tell myself that I won’t go see Red because it’s a foolish and reckless decision. By the end of the day, I decide that I have to see her if only for a moment. I’ve worked with the authorities and so I know that it’s impossible for them to monitor the whole city for me. However, they could be camped outside a place if they think there’s a high likelihood I’ll be there. I feel like the strip club could be one of those places but at the same time, maybe that’s just paranoia. Why would Walter think that I’d be at the strip club all the time?It’s not like he knows about Vanessa. So, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll be going there to see her. I just can’t get enough of her. Fuck, I’ve never felt this way before about anyone. It’s crazy that I’m even willing to risk my life just to see her. It’s getting harder to think of her in that place, though. I really wish she’d quit. The thought of her dancing for other men and getting naked in front of them m
Lara As soon as I heard the security guard tell me that my son was in trouble, I raced outside. I don’t hesitate, not even when I see Dexter kneeling right next to him. Ander catches my eye and runs toward me, his face crumpling as he reaches me. I sink to my knees in front of him, tears racing down my cheeks. My baby. “What happened?” I ask hysterically. “Goddess, what happened, baby?”“Some guys were mean to me,” he answers. I hold him at arm’s length and take note of the blood on his face. I have to clean him up. I have to make sure he’s okay. I put an arm around him and say, “Let’s head upstairs.”We start walking toward the stairs and then I catch a glimpse of Dexter again. His brows are furrowed and he seems completely confused. His lips are set in a thin line. Ander leaves my side and to my absolute shock, walks up to Dexter and hugs his leg. “Thank you for helping me,” he says sweetly. Dexter rubs his head. “You’re welcome, kiddo. It’s alright. You’ll be fine.”Ander re
DexterI’m letting my mind wander and that isn’t fucking good. Lara. Lara. Why is that name coming back to haunt me like this? Why that name? Why would Ander use that name? I close my eyes. I’m reaching. I have to be. First of all, this woman isn’t Victor Taylor’s daughter. I know this. I know because I remember that girl’s face and Vanessa looks nothing like her. Vanessa is a redhead. That woman was blonde. I mean, even trying to compare the two of them is absolutely fucking ridiculous. I’m just exaggerating. Vanessa is breaking down and I don’t know what to do. I’ve never seen her in this state before. She’s absolutely devastated and that despair is starting to seep into my very pores. I squeeze her shoulder and when that isn’t enough, I whirl her around and pull her closer to me. “It’s alright,” I murmur against her hair. The whole time, I’m thinking about Victor Taylor’s daughter. No, it can’t be. This isn’t her. Why would Vanessa even be her?Fuck, I need to get this out of
LaraI’m shaking still and nothing makes me feel better, not even the glass of brandy that I’ve gulped down.Ambrose is standing and his back is facing me. This is my second time in here with a problem even bigger than the last one. He finally says, “Well, it seems you’ve had a series of unfortunate events.”“I have to go this time,” I state. “I can’t stay here anymore. Dexter…I don’t know if he suspects anything. I’m very scared.”“You should be,” he agrees. “It could be that he’s doing all of this so that he can find out if you’re behind all the sabotages.”“Did you find the money?” I ask hopefully. “They’re headed there now, actually,” he tells me. “They decided it would be best to do it at night because they didn’t want to risk being caught or seen. It’s only a matter of time.”I put my hands together and pray. I really hope that they’ll find that money and that Dexter will lose the advantage he has over me. “But did it seem like he believed your lie?”I nod. “It did. If he didn
Dexter I wake up feeling so much pain that I can’t even sit up in bed, much less stand up. I’d heard before that rejections were painful especially when the bond was old. Mine and Ellen’s had been relatively old as we had been together for quite some time. I guess I wouldn’t have felt this way if I hadn’t put in so much effort instead of just lying down, but I couldn’t leave her on the floor of my garage. So, I put her in her car and drove her two blocks away from Walter’s house. It was at a considerable fucking risk and I can’t believe that crazy bitch put me through that. I didn’t end up getting caught, though. I called an Uber and went straight to a hotel and this is where I currently am. I can’t risk going back to my place. Maybe after Walter is dead, I’ll be free. Until then, there’s no fucking way I’ll take a chance, especially now that Ellen and I are officially through. But despite the pain, I feel free. So free in fact that I find myself smiling. I’m now free to mark who
LaraWhen Ander wakes up, he wonders why we’re in a hotel room and not at our apartment. I give him an excuse about how I lost the job and so as a result, we had to move. This saddens him and I can tell it right away. Instead of accepting what I told him, he asks me, “Is it because I was stealing?”His questions breaks my heart and I stroke his hair. “No, it isn’t. There were other reasons that contributed to it. But you can’t steal anymore, Ander, and you have to listen to me. I’m your mother. Everything I do and say is for your own good, even though you don’t want to do it. Do you understand?”He nods and lowers his head. “So, when do we go back?”“To our apartment?”He nods. “We can’t. I don’t work there anymore so we don’t qualify to stay at the apartment. We’ll find a new apartment where we can stay. It’ll be fun.”This doesn’t cheer him up and honestly, I have so much on my mind and on my to-do list for today that I don’t have time to sugarcoat things. Maybe when I pick him up
LaraThe nurse—Violet—begins the tale with a sigh. “I’ve heard it so many times that I know it by heart,” she reveals. Her eyes are distant and she seems very sad, so much that I can’t help but feel the same way. We’re seated near the edge of Lucy’s bed. She hasn’t looked up once. “May I ask how you found out that you were her daughter?” she asks me. “I mean, for years, there were no leads. I know this because Lucy’s mate never stopped looking.”I shrug. “The news came from the very man who plucked me from her arms. My father, the man who raised me.”Violet’s eyes widen. “Goddess. This is terrible!”“It is,” I agree. My eyes fill with tears and I lower them so she won’t see them but she already has. She reaches over and grabs my hand. She says, “I can tell this is very painful for you.”I nod. “It is.”“Well, maybe I can start by telling you who that woman was and why she ended up in this terrible place. I don’t know how much you know. But this woman has been in pain from the day s
Lara I feel numb after leaving the facility. Everything is a jumbled mess in my head. Figuring out what my next step will be is harder than it should be. I have to stay low and not attract attention to myself. I should drive back to the hotel and stay there until it’s time to pick up Ander from school. But this anger brewing inside of me won’t let me sit still. I call Finch. My hands are shaking as I reach for the phone. He answers again on the first ring. My breaths are uneven and I find it hard to figure out what to say even though I’m the one who called. “You saw her?” he asks gently. I slap my forehead with the heel of my hand. “What the hell was that, Finch?”“I had the same reaction when Dad told me,” he reveals. “I want to talk to him.”“To who? Dad?”“Where can I find him?” I ask. “Which prison?”Finch is silent on the other end of the line. Although I haven’t spoken to my father in years, this is something that I can’t run from. I need to know the truth from his side.
DexterA month has passed since Finch’s untimely death, and Lara hasn’t quite been the same. She’s been suffering quite a lot, and honestly, I understand why. Nothing he said made sense to me. Yesterday, she told me that she started to understand a little, but this is all a mystery to me. Maybe she gets it because she knew him better than I did. She grew up with him even though he was my biological brother and not hers. That gives her a pretty fair advantage over me. I’m haunted by the brief conversation we had over the phone. I hadn’t guessed at the time that it would be our first and last one. To sum it up, he told me that he wanted me to be Beta, and that he wanted me to promise that I’d take care of Lara and never hurt her again. But before that, he told me that he wasn’t as forgiving as she was and that he was glad I lose a hand. It was a crazy damn day, and it ended so tragically. But slowly, she’s been crawling out of her shell. Of course, her grief is only noticeable to t
Lara“Is it done?” Finch asks me over the phone. I find myself nodding, and then say, “Yes. It is.”Putting my father down was a decision we all made. It was ultimately what was best for everyone. We’ve all been hurt by him, and I think now, we can have that closure. With him being alive, there’s always that fear that he might run away from prison and target us. He’s always been vindictive. We had an incident with Jensen’s father, who had been Ambrose’s employer. When he heard of his son’s death, he orchestrated a prison break and came after us. Well, that’s what we gathered from the Gammas and Deltas who protect us. He never got close, but that didn’t mean the worst couldn’t have happened. He’s dead now, but he was a reminder that Lycans are very vindictive and will stop at nothing to get revenge. We’re all part-Lycan, so we understand this better than anyone else. We’re also vengeful in our own ways. All of us. Finch heaves a sigh. “Well, that’s the end of it.”For some reason,
Dexter“You’re free to pass through,” the prison guard tells me as he opens the door to the visitor’s room. I never thought that I would find myself here. After I sent Victor to prison for the murder of my mother, I thought I wouldn’t need to speak to him again. I didn’t need him to explain to me why the fuck he killed my mother so brutally. I didn’t want to hear any of it. But since I got together with Lara, I started feeling this sense for closure. My story doesn’t feel complete yet, and that’s because there are loose ends that I haven’t tied up. Well, there’s one, and that’s Victor. He’s sitting alone at the metal table. His hands are out of sight, and he looks older than I remember him. Maybe it’s the orange uniform that’s giving me that impression.When he sees me approaching, his eyes don’t leave my face. There’s not a single thought behind them, and as I sit across from him, I try to convince myself not to lose my cool and end this in a way that won’t land me in prison.“D
LaraI stand in the balcony of my room and stare at the moon, which is high in the sky.The sky has never looked more lovely. It’s like a velvety canvas dusted with thousands of glittering stars. Then, there’s the moon, of course. She’s the star of the show. I can’t help but feel gratitude spreading all through my body as I stare up at Her. Things worked out well for me. For us. The air is cool and still, and it’s carrying this fresh scent of pine from the surrounding forest that invades my nostrils every my time the wind blows. It’s so serene at this time of the night. Everything is still and peaceful. Arms encircle my waist from behind, and I feel the coldness of the metal of his prosthetic against my bare belly. I nestle into Dex’s warmth. I know it’s him. His warm scent envelops me like a cloud, and he kisses the arch of my neck sensually. “Awake at this time?” he asks hoarsely. “Couldn’t sleep,” I say. “Today was a good day, wasn’t it?”I think about the trial that happened
Lara"So," Finch begins when I sit directly across from him. "What happens now?"I've been asking myself this for the past few days and honestly, there's no answer. I don't think that's such a bad thing, though. Sometimes, it's great to not be able to predict anything. I want to see where this goes, too. Why should there always be an answer to everything?I tell him this, and add, "I'm happy with the progress that we've made. Isn't that great? We're taking it a day at a time. All of us."Finch looks right and stares out the window to the spot where Ander is flying a kite with Dex. The two of them are inseparable and it's a joy to see. Ander is a lot more active and they get along. "Hm," Finch says. "What?" I ask, my lips curving into a smile. "Stop being so pessimistic all the time. Why can't you be happy with me for once? I know how you feel about Dex, but he's a part of the family now. You have to put in an effort."Finch scoffs. "When hasn't he not been a part of the family?"I
DexterThree days later, I'm as good as new.As soon as I step out of the hospital, Lara is outside. She’s in the driver’s seat of the car, wearing dark sunglasses. The sight of her fills me with a fresh new will to live. When I left her room that night—right before getting jumped by fucking Jensen and his men—I thought there was no hope for us. I left that house with no expectations. But look at where we are now. I climb in the passenger’s seat. I lean toward her and press a kiss to her lips. They’re soft and she smiles against me. For the past three days, she’s barely left my side, and we’ve gotten close in a way that I didn’t think would be possible for us. I’m a brand new man, and suddenly, my life is full of possibilities. “It’s so fucking good to see you,” I tell her as I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. She smiles, but then it falters. “We’ve got our work cut out for us. You know what today is.”The reminder makes my heart skip a fucking beat. We both agreed that
LaraWhen we reach the house, I tell the men to stay outside with Dexter. “I’m sorry,” I tell them, looking at the injured man. “It’s only going to be for a few minutes. I’ll send a signal for you to come back.”Dex grabs my hand before I step out of the car. He stares at me and says, “Promise me that you’re going to take care of yourself. That you won’t get hurt.”“I promise,” I say. We stare intently at each other before he pushes me toward him. Our lips collide and we share a brief but passionate kiss. It’s time to go, though. I head toward the house and the gates open. I step in. I can’t meet them yet, not when I’m in only a coat and have my scrapes and cuts on display. I have to get dressed. There can’t be signs of a fight on me. It only occurs to me as I step inside the house that someone could’ve called Jensen to warn him that we attacked. But they didn’t have the time to do it, not when they were fighting for their lives. A man meets me at the door. I think his name is G
Lara But wait. Something keeps tugging at me, and when I pay close attention to it, I realize that it’s the background noise that caught my attention. The rattling chains. That almost metallic sound of the door opening. That’s all familiar to me. I chew my bottom lip and think deeply as we head home. It’s been three minutes since I last spoke to Jensen and I haven’t stopped thinking about that tiny detail. Why’s it all so familiar to me?I close my eyes and try to think. Chains. The first thing that comes to mind is Dexter’s ex. She was tied up in them when he took me there so I could decide her fate. And then there was the sound of him opening the door to the warehouse. That’s how I figure out where Dexter is. Jensen took him to the warehouse where the money had initially been stashed. The realization makes my heart pump faster and I tell the driver. “Stop. We’re going someplace else first.”My nerves are making my fingers shake with anxiety. I just have to take a deep breath
Lara There’s no way that Jensen has Dexter. This has to be another bluff. That’s what I tell to myself to calm down. My heart is slamming against the base of my throat and I find it hard to breathe. “You’re a damn fucking liar, Jensen.”“Am I?” he asks quizzically. “The plan was always to use capture Dexter. Only, we figured it would be hard to get him to talk, considering he’s tough as nails and would rather die than tell us where the money was. I suppose you know about that by now, don’t you? That I’m the one who was your employer? If not, now you do. This filthy fucking rogue took my money and I want it back. I’m prepared to take this to hell if necessary. What the fuck do I have to lose?”I say nothing for a good few seconds as I try to figure out what I have established so far. Jensen is my employer. Earlier, he told me he had someone I cared about and that he wanted to negotiate. I thought it was Ambrose, but it’s actually Dexter. Suddenly, someone comes to mind. I was talkin