Grayson’s POVI watch as she comes undone around my fingers, her body trembling and her breath hitching with every wave of pleasure. It’s addictive, seeing her like this, vulnerable and completely immersed in the moment. Part of me wants to keep her facing the mirror, to make her watch every single orgasm as it rolls through her, to force her to see how beautiful she is in her most raw, uninhibited state. But I’m not cruel. She’s been through enough. I know she won’t enjoy this fully if I make her face herself every time. Not yet.Still, my plan is solid: every day, she’ll stand in front of that mirror and tell me something good about herself. Then, I’ll reward her, making her scream and cum around my fingers until she knows the truth—that she’s perfect, that she’s enough.For now, though, I turn her away from the mirror and lift her against me. She clings to me, her hands desperate as they tug at my shirt, her urgency making me chuckle. I feel the buttons pop off one by one, but I do
Sammi’s POVI wake up with Grayson still asleep next to me, his arm draped lazily over my waist. I carefully slip out of bed, trying not to wake him, and quietly get dressed. The room feels unusually still, and when I head downstairs, I expect to see my brothers. But the house is eerily empty.I glance around, feeling disoriented. I’m not used to sleeping this late—lately, sleep has been an elusive stranger, barely gracing me with its presence. For weeks, I’ve been battling restless nights, haunted by anxiety and confusion, but today... today I slept. It’s unsettling.Still, I know what I need to do. Grabbing my keys, I head out, slipping into the car. As I drive toward the clinic, my mind is a mess of thoughts. Grayson is back in my life, and it still feels like a dream I might wake from at any second. I hadn’t expected to see him again, not after everything. And now, I’m wearing a ring—his ring.I glance down at my hand, at the small piece of metal that symbolizes so much more than
Sammi POVI climb onto his lap, straddling him as I wrap my arms around his neck. “Gray, I never wanted what people consider a normal life. I wanted you. If that means I’m more involved in this world, then fine. I’ll take it.”His hands settle on my hips, pulling me closer. “Angel, it’s not just about being more involved. I won’t be working behind the scenes anymore. Going forward, people will know I stand beside Zade. I can’t hide it. I can’t keep pretending he’s in control.”“That’s the shift,” I whisper, and he tilts his head, confused. “I noticed Zade wasn’t as authoritative with you guys since you got back. He’s been taking orders, and I couldn’t figure out why.”Grayson nods. “It didn’t work, me hiding behind the scenes. It didn’t make him stronger. But stepping forward means anyone who even thinks of threatening you won’t live to regret it.”I roll my eyes. “You can’t just kill everyone, Gray.”“Watch me,” he growls, his hands gripping my waist. “If anyone even tries to use you
Sammi POVHe shifted slightly, adjusting so he could look at me, his expression soft but firm. “No, it isn’t. Both sides have their own beauty beneath the scars and the darkness. Do you want to know what I think this represents?” His gaze pierced through my defenses, and I could only shrug in response.“I think this piece is you coming to terms with everything,” he said softly. “I don’t think the dark side is what you were letting go of—I think it’s what you were becoming because you were pushing the light out. The good parts of yourself. The darkness took over because you were fighting against the hope.”As he spoke, the painting in front of me seemed to shift in meaning. His words began to make sense. Losing Grayson, the weight of everything he’d said, how I began to feel about myself... I was the one detaching from the good, forcing myself into the shadows.Grayson’s arms tightened around me slightly, his voice gentle but resolute. “Pain, hurt, hardship... that’s what often drives
Grayson’s POVGetting Sammi to invite Willow over wasn’t entirely for her sake. Sure, it would be good for her to have a friend around, but my motives were deeper. I needed to look into everything, to figure out who the hell had been threatening her. While she spent time with Willow, I could finally start working on the situation, and I planned to do just that. As I made my way downstairs, I saw them sitting together, talking quietly. When I approached, Willow glanced up at me.“I apologize for my angry outburst earlier,” Willow began, not bothering to hide the irritation still lingering in her voice. “But to me, you were nothing but a cheating, selfish, egotistical, narcissistic bastard.”Her bluntness took me aback. Wow. I stared at her for a moment, feeling the weight of her words but knowing I deserved them based on what she saw as the truth. “Okay...” I muttered, unsure of how else to respond. I leaned down and kissed Sammi gently on the lips. “I’m going to the office to meet wit
Sammi’s POVSitting with Willow, I listen as she talks about the elderly man she’s become attached to at work. I can already see the fear etched into her face, the worry that he’s not going to make it. It’s always the same with her. No matter how much I tell her not to get too close, she does. Every time. And every time, it ends the same way—heartbreak. But I know better than to try and stop her; Willow always leads with her heart.We’ve talked for a short while about Grayson and my brothers, but when she noticed the ring on my finger, it opened up an entirely new conversation—one filled with questions I wasn’t ready to answer. The truth is, I wasn’t prepared to be proposed to. Moments before, I had technically been single, and now... everything felt surreal. Willow, on the other hand, seemed convinced that the wedding was a done deal. She had already made me promise that she’d be my maid of honor and started planning everything in her head.I tried to argue, telling her that none of
Sammi’s POVI come to feeling dazed and numb. My head is pounding, each throb sending waves of pain through my skull, and I groan involuntarily. There’s a fog settling over my thoughts, but I try to piece together what happened. Slowly, I become aware of my surroundings—the cold, hard surface beneath me. My hands are tied behind my back, the rough scrape of the rope biting into my skin.Am I still on the floor of the kitchen?No. This surface feels too gritty, like concrete, not tile. I force myself to breathe deeply, trying to stay calm, though the ache in my head makes it hard to focus. Something is terribly wrong. My mind scrambles through fragments of memory. I was tricked. It wasn’t Grayson’s father. The man lied. Whoever he was, he knew exactly what to say to get inside.I groggily blink my eyes open. The ground beneath me is uneven, littered with dirt and debris. I’m definitely not inside anymore, or if I am, there’s no roof. As my senses return, I feel the sting of grazes on m
Grayson POVI burst into the house, heart pounding, shouting Sammi’s name as I tear through every room, my panic rising with every second of silence. “Sammi!” My voice echoes through the empty space. Nothing.I reach the dining room, and that’s when I see it—a glass sitting on the table, barely touched. I freeze, staring at it, my heart racing in my chest.“Is she here?” Zade’s voice comes from behind me, but my focus is locked on the glass. I lift it, bringing it to my lips. A familiar taste hits me instantly.“He was here,” I whisper, my voice trembling with barely contained rage. The only person who drinks that is him. My father. The fact that the glass is there, untouched, feels like a deliberate taunt, like he’s mocking me. My hands shake as I put it down.Zade walks past me and into the kitchen, scanning the room. I see him bend down and pick up a shard of a broken cup. “What’s this?” Joel asks, walking in from the other room, holding up a small box.I take it from him, my stoma