Ringing wakes me. I reach out for Alaric but he's gone. I fumble around trying to find the source of the noise. I see my phone on the bed and grab it.Hitting answer I hold it against my ear."Good morning baby girl." Morning? I groan slightly and he laughs. "I left about an hour ago, I put your phone on loud to ensure you would wake. You need to get up, eat and drive back to get home in time.""Do I have to? I could just stay in this bed and wait for you to return?" My body moves and gets comfy under the blanket."Yes you have to. Someone will be bringing you food soon, so put some clothes on baby girl. I will speak to you later, please eat." The call ends and I groan.Climbing from the bed I walk to the shower, using it as a way to wake myself up before getting dried and dressed. Just as I am finishing getting dressed theres a knock.Walking to the door a man smiles and hands me a tray before turning and walking away.I guess there is no way to get out of eating. Sitting I eat, and
I stand staring at her, unsure of what I should say. What do I fucking say?"Alaric's not married." That is all I can manage, Alaric would have said. Surely he would have?As she moves and picks up a bag, I notice the suitcase on the floor."Not that it has anything to do with you, but yes, we are." I watch as she puts a piece of paper on the counter. Do I want to look? I let my eyes fall on it and regret it instantly as it confirms he is."Jake's working till six." She smiles at me sweetly."I'm not here to see Jake." I'm not even sure why I'm here right now."Oh, sorry. I just assumed. You must be Ruby. Alaric mentioned you were his assistant. He mentioned you may call, and I needed to disappear while you solved an issue."Assistant? Why would he say I'm his assistant to her? I don't even know how to reply to that."I'm going to the toilet." That is all I can think to say. Rushing upstairs, I go into the bathroom and close the door, my body staying against it. I can't hide.Unlockin
Waking, my head hurts. I drank a lot, but I needed time to consider this. I know I have to talk to Alaric, but I feel better avoiding it. I'm scared that this is over.I destroyed any chance I had of my parents talking to me for Alaric, I was ready to move closer to him, I risked everyone hating me and turning on me for choosing him.Now, I'm sitting here wondering if that was a mistake if he has taken her back. I destroyed so much for him for nothing."When are you leaving?" Emily looks at me and hands me a coffee. As I take a drink, I cough."What the hell, Emily?"She laughs and sits. "What? It's only a bit of rum. Stop sulking." God, how did I manage to avoid her attempts to turn me bad? I laugh at that thought."I'm not sure when I'm leaving.""Well, you can stay as long as you want. I'm hated anyway, so I may as well house an escaped Pastor's bible daughter turned demon." I groan at her words, and she laughs. "Okay, okay, I will stop.""I'm surprised you still live here." I woul
I watch as Emily walks in with Alaric. Bex glares at him, and for a change, I won't stop her death stares. I'm not sure what to say, though."Did I do something wrong?" He looks at Bex, and she glares harder. "Can we talk alone, please?" He laughs slightly at Bex and her attempts to murder him with her eyes."Use the kitchen." Emily points to it, and I walk through with him following me. The door closes, and he moves towards me, my hand moving and going up to stop him."Okay, so I've done something. What? If I overstepped the mark that night, just say Ruby." He looks at me, waiting."Are you fucking joking!" He has to be, he's acting all innocent, there is no fucking way that Beatrix didn't fucking tell him I called around. I fight to hold in the tears."No, I'm not. I have no idea what the fuck is going on, Ruby. You were fine on the phone, I get home at seven, and find your keys on the side. What did I do wrong?""Alaric, I know. I know you're fucking married to Beatrix!""That's wh
Walking through, Bex glares at him again."You're forgiving him?" She sits shocked."He didn't do anything. Jake confirmed that on the phone. Alaric had no idea she was in the house." I can't have her wanting to kill Alaric."Fine, no killing Alaric. Where is Beatrix?"I groan at her words, and she laughs."I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Kinda." She moves and hugs me. "I'm guessing you're not coming home and are sorting shit out?""Yeah, I'll be back tomorrow." Hugging me, she looks at Alaric. "How is this working? I came in his car.""Here." I hand her my keys. I watch as she leaves, turning I look at Emily. "Thanks for not throwing me out." I hug her, and she laughs."I'm happy to house the pastor's devil child anytime.""I'm never returning, ever." Laughing I hug her again and walk out. Getting in the car, we sit in silence."I'm sorry. I should have told you about us getting married, even if I got an annulment. I had no fucking idea she had been Ruby.""Alaric, it's fine stop apologisi
I don't move or speak. Part of me wants to walk out and pretend she doesn't exist. She smiles away at me, but it isn't innocent, not even in the slightest. It's clear just by looking at her that she is manipulative."Whatever you're planning to say won't work. Jake has confirmed you were here because of him, not me. I hadn't even been home yesterday." Alaric looks at her. He's worried—even I can tell. "What do you want? Then you can leave."Her smile drops, and she turns to face him. "You think I want something, Alaric? Maybe I'm back, and I don't want anything? You're just assuming I'm here to gain something. I wanted to see Jake.""I might not have assumed you wanted something if you came back like a normal person. You want to see Jake, fine. That doesn't explain why you would ask about my relationships. The fact that you lied to Ruby to cause issues says you want something. So what?" Alaric's body is tense, and his eyes constantly go to the door. He's worried Jake will come down."
I stay with Beatrix and wait for Alaric."We're not much different, you and I." Her words have me staring at her in shock. "Oh, come on, you're here for the money." She sits laughing."No, I'm not." Everyone is going to assume that, but I'm not."No? Guarantee the novelty will wear off, and you will want compensation for letting him touch you."Ignoring her words, I look down at my phone, and she laughs."Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you're tricking him, aiming to get pregnant. Then you'll have money for life, right? Had I known he would do so well, I might have come back after a few years.""Enough. I'm not discussing my relationship with you." I'm guessing Alaric is explaining things to Jake before coming back down. I stay staring at my phone."Relationship? That's not what you two have. You're merely a toy. So you're not going to pregnant to get his money?" I glance towards her, and my phone rings. Answering, I place it against my ear."Yes?""I'm home. Have you two sorted and talked abo
I see Alaric walk in. His eyes come to me, and he stops walking. Why is he confused that I'm here in his bed?"You should be asleep. It's been an hour."An hour?It didn't feel long at all. I watch him strip and climb into bed with me. "What's wrong?" He pulls my body against his."I didn't do this on purpose, Alaric." He looks at me, confused. "Possibly getting pregnant. I swear it wasn't done to trap you." I know everyone will think I have.He smiles and kisses me. "For this to be your way of trapping me means you went to where ever they make the pills and tampered with shit. Did you, Ruby? I have to say there are far easier ways to do it." He looks at me, amused."No, but that's how it looks." If I'm pregnant everyone is going to think it."You're wasting energy on ridiculous thoughts that make no difference."If only it were easy to stop overthinking everything. I'm not ready to be a mum. I still have to finish studying, and I still live with Bex and Ivy. My savings have almost bo
ZadeI knew if I waited, things would go wrong, which is why I proposed to Izzy sooner than I had planned. Good job I did as if I hadn't. I was meant to be proposing right now, which isn't ideal.The room is buzzing with controlled chaos. Nurses move efficiently around us, murmuring instructions and checking monitors. Izzy lies in the hospital bed, her face flushed, hair damp with sweat, and hands clutching mine like a lifeline. Her grip is strong—stronger than I ever expected—but I welcome the pain. It’s grounding me, keeping me in the moment when I feel like I might lose my mind.“Zade, breathe,” Izzy groans, her voice strained as another contraction overtakes her. “You’re supposed to remind me to breathe, not forget how to do it yourself.”I snap out of my daze, nodding quickly. “Right. Breathe, Izzy. Deep breaths.” I mimic the motion, inhaling and exhaling like I’m teaching her something she hasn’t been doing perfectly for hours.She glares at me between breaths, sweat beading on
IzzyI can’t help but smile at Zade as he drives, his hands steady on the wheel, his profile glowing in the soft morning light. Time has slipped by so quickly. It feels like only yesterday we were grappling with fears and uncertainty, and now here we are. Zade has been by my side so much more than I ever expected. He still works, but not nearly as much as he did before. Somehow, he’s found a balance, and it’s brought us closer in ways I didn’t think possible.While he’s working, I spend most of my time at home with Sammi and baby Emmerson. It’s been heartwarming to watch Sammi and Grayson navigate parenthood together, their bond strengthening with every passing day. Watching their joy gives me hope—hope that Zade and I can have something just as beautiful with our baby.Zade has been going to counseling regularly, and I see pieces of the real him emerging more and more each week. The man beneath the armor he built to survive, to lead the mafia, to bury his pain—that man is someone ext
Zade POVI lose myself in her, time slipping away as I drink her in, the salty-sweet flavor of her flooding my senses. She collapses into the bed eventually, her body limp, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips. Even now, her walls quiver, her body still coming down as I lick the last remnants of her release.When I finally pull away, I move up her body and kiss her with a desperate need, our lips crashing together in a possessive claim. I’m hard again, painfully so, but there’s no rush. Tonight, there’s no clock ticking down, no interruptions, just us.“Alright,” I say, standing to strip the last of my clothes, my eyes devouring her sprawled form. “Let’s keep going.”She whimpers, weak from the relentless pleasure, and reaches for me, her hands trembling as they find my shoulders. “Zade,” she murmurs, but I’m nowhere near done.Izzy tastes like heaven, pure and raw, a flavor I never want to forget. My lips return to her swollen clit, teasing and tormenting her again. Her body jerks as s
ZadeAs I help Izzy into my car, her radiant smile reminds me just how much I’ve been neglecting her. I’ve been so consumed with making sure Grayson is home with Sammi and the baby that I’ve failed the one person who needed me most—her. The guilt eats at me as I start the engine, and I steal glances at her, soaking in her beauty, her strength, her unwavering patience with me.She pulls something from her bag and holds it out to me—a scan image. My heart twists as I take it, running my fingers over the black-and-white lines that outline our baby.“I’m sorry I missed it,” I whisper, the weight of regret heavy in my voice.Her smile is soft, understanding. “It’s fine. You were working and making sure Grayson was home for Sammi and the baby.” Her words are kind, but they cut deep. Missing this moment wasn’t fine, and I can’t let it happen again.When we arrive, I park and immediately step out, going to her side and lifting her into my arms. She laughs lightly, her arms wrapping around my
Izzy POVHis dark eyes burn into mine, a mixture of frustration and desire. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Izzy,” he murmurs, his voice low and hoarse.I lean in, letting my breath ghost over his lips. “Good. I want to play, Zade. And this time, I make the rules.”“You want to fuck me?” His voice is low, teasing, as his dark eyes bore into mine, a smirk playing on his lips. The sight of him, restrained and vulnerable yet brimming with raw power, ignites something primal in me. I chuckle softly, leaning in to capture his lips, grinding against him as I feel him stir beneath me.“Oh, you have no idea how much I want to fuck you,” I murmur against his lips, my voice husky with desire. Pulling back, I let a wicked smile curl on my lips. “You’re all mine now,” I whisper, my words dripping with dominance. Slowly, deliberately, I sink to my knees in front of him, maintaining eye contact as my hands glide over his thighs.His breath hitches when I reach up, my fingers wrapping around his s
IzzyIt’s been two months since we came back, and while Zade and I have grown closer, some days feel like we’re barely keeping our heads above water. The distance that came with my pregnancy has dissolved, and his promise to fuck me every day? He’s kept it. But most of the time, it’s rushed, like an obligation rather than passion.I understand why—he’s juggling too much. He practically ordered Grayson to stay home for a couple of months after Sammi had the baby, leaving him to hold everything together. Sure, his brothers are around to help, but Zade hardly leans on them. It’s as if he’s still carrying the weight of raising them, of being their protector, even now.Today was supposed to be different. It was the scan, the moment I’ve been excited about for weeks. But, at the last minute, he got a call—something urgent, something he couldn’t ignore—and I found myself in the clinic with my mum instead of him. All I got from Zade was a quick message asking how it went. No follow-up, no exc
Izzy POVThe moment Zade walks in, the tension between us hangs in the air like a storm waiting to break. We talk briefly, my voice trembling as I tell him the words that have been weighing on my heart: “I’m keeping the baby.” Relief flickers across his face, but it’s not pure joy—it’s layered with fear, uncertainty, and something I can’t quite place. He doesn’t say much after that, just pulls me into his arms, holding me close. I melt into him, exhaustion taking over as I fall asleep wrapped in his warmth.When I wake, the space beside me is empty, and the bed feels colder without him. Slowly, I sit up, rubbing my eyes. My gaze falls on Zade, seated at the foot of the bed, his back turned to me. His shoulders are tense, and his head is bowed slightly, as if the weight of the world is pressing down on him.I hesitate, unsure of what to say or how to bridge the chasm that feels like it’s grown between us. Things had been going so well before all this, and now? Now it feels like we’ve b
IzzyThe moment Grayson wraps his arms around me, I feel the weight of everything pressing down on me like a storm. For the first time in hours, there’s a flicker of safety, but it’s fragile, like glass teetering on the edge of shattering. Zade’s words still echo in my mind—angry, hurt, raw—and even though I know deep down he would never hurt me, in that moment, he didn’t feel like the man I fell in love with. He felt like someone else entirely, someone I didn’t know.The sound of the door closing behind me sends a chill through my spine. Zade has left. I should stop him, run after him, beg him to stay, but I can’t. My legs feel like lead, and my heart is a hurricane of guilt and confusion.“What’s happened?” Grayson’s voice cuts through the silence, low but laced with tension. His arms tighten around me, and for a moment, I let myself break. The tears come in uncontrollable waves, and I bury my face into his chest as though I can hide from my own mistakes.“I’m pregnant, Gray,” I cho
Zade POVEvery time I close my eyes, I see her face—tear-streaked and filled with anguish. Then the memories hit, unbidden and relentless. Blood. The screams. The bodies. My parents, mangled and lifeless. Her—my ex, so pregnant, so full of life, and then... gone. The flashbacks swallow me whole, dragging me under. My breathing becomes shallow, erratic, and I grip the edge of the table to ground myself, my knuckles white.“Zade,” a voice cuts through the storm in my mind, anchoring me back to reality. I look up to see Grayson sitting across from me, his face a mixture of concern and frustration.I can’t even muster the energy to speak. I just stare at him, then down at the untouched glass of whiskey in front of me.“Did you drink it?” he asks, his tone sharp but not unkind.I shake my head. “No. But I wanted to. God, I wanted to.”Grayson exhales, leaning back in his chair. “At least you didn’t. That’s something.” He watches me closely, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re drowning, Za