Turo yanked the receiver from my hands. "Momma, we'll call you later." He slammed the phone down without looking away from me. "Explain. Now." His eyes were blazing, his brows lowered over his nose. I licked my lips. "Annie Pells. I killed her." Might as well burn all the bridges I'd made recently. He stared at me for a long moment. Ended up shaking his head. "I don't believe you. No. You're too strong for that. Unless she was somehow hurting you or something else heinous, you wouldn't have killed her. Not really. Not physically."I flinched. He stepped closer. Narrowed his eyes at me. "You did kill her. In your own way. Who is Annie Pells to you, Cricket?""It doesn't matter. She's gone. Has been for a long time." I tried to step around him. Tried to ignore the searching gaze that held a hint of tenderness in it. He braceleted my wrist gently. "Tell me, Cricket. Whatever secrets you're keeping are killing you," he said softly. "I can carry them for you."I shook my h

I woke up after what felt like a week. But a glance at the alarm clock told me it was right around ten hours. This bed was amazing. And it was inside a freaking mountain. I was going to have to ask Turo what kind it was so I could get one for home. I did my full body stretch, winced as that sharp pain in my side attacked again. I grabbed up the spirometer as I slid my feet over the edge of the bed so I could sit up straight. I blew into the little device. Focused on keeping my breaths slow and even. That damn coaching indicator mocked me as it bobbed up and down in its little sleeve. I coughed after each rep. Thanked the universe when I made it through ten reps. The last cycle I actually got the indicator to stay between the two arrows. I considered that a win. I got up, walked to the natural stone shower. If I hadn't known this place was literally inside a mountain, I wouldn't have guessed it from the rooms. Done in a white stucco that was soothing and calm, it looked more li

His warm hand on the base of my neck should have felt stifling. Instead, I felt a curious sense of belonging. I wasn't going to tell him that. The contrary man would probably remove it. So I would enjoy it while it lasted. Headed back to the rooming section of the mountain facility, I let my eyes take in everything around me. It really did remind me of a seaside town on the sparkling edges of the Mediterranean sea. Soft-looking stone in blinding whites and beiges. Crisp blues and greens that had been painted or glazed to create visual interest and the appearance of the outside world. It was truly a wonder. "How the heck did you guys build this inside a mountain?" I looked up at the man who was taking me to the gates of Valhalla with the promises of coffee.He smiled, his white teeth bright in his burnished face. "According to family legend, the original Amatucci came here in the mid-1880s with the original familial migration. They bought land here in Upstate New York. Since the

I slipped into one of the chairs in the courtyard section. Silently fumed at myself. Why not just lay down and expose your belly, you idiot? It would make it easier for him to slide the knife in. A warm palm engulfed the back of my neck. Immediately that stupid feeling of belonging swamped through me again. Asshole. I tried to shrug him off. He tightened his grip. "You're driving me crazy. Do you know that?" He took a seat next to me without letting me go. Pulling my face forward, he crashed his mouth to mine. I sank into his heat. My hands came up, gripped his shirt. And he was claiming I was driving him crazy? It was the other way around. As if he could read my body, he pulled away right before my lungs started aching. His pupils were dilated as he sucked in air through his nose. A slight flush rode his cheeks. "I need to taste you. Every single part of you. These kisses are doing nothing but whetting my appetite." My ovaries sat up and started dancing. Finally. I n

My stomach churned even as my blood raged in hate. They hurt him. The sweetest man on earth and they bloodied him. I started tracing the call, even as Peter and Bentley came rushing back in. With my free hand and part of my brain, I followed the familiar path to initiate communication with my collective. Five new pictures popped up on the main screen. "Who the fuck is this?" Turo demanded. I'd never heard his voice so cold. I wanted to cuddle him. Offer some kind of comfort. You will. Find this fuck and kill him. I nodded. Yes, I would. For Papa. For Turo. For me. These assholes were messing with my people now. My family. They shouldn't have even tried. I've got a video call live in my location. I need it tracked and traced with highest accuracy as quickly as possible, I typed out over the collective's secure channel. On it, four of them typed. I'll get the backend, Hamster responded. Do not engage. They have two hostages. At least one is beaten. The other is