SUNSHINE & SINFUL

SACRED SINNERS MC: NOMAD

BOOK 2

BINK CUMMINGS

Sunshine & Sinful

Sacred Sinners Motorcycle Club: Nomads

Copyright © 2024/2025: Bink Cummings

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Ebook Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this ebook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase a copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Contact the Author:

Email: BinkCummings@yahoo.com

Editor: Mary Sittu-Kern

Cover Model: Darrin James

Photographer: Reggie Deanching

Cover Designer: Bink Cummings

Beta Readers: Holly, Sandie, Kali.

To my sisters, who crave a love that’s as forbidden as it is fierce.

AUTHOR NOTE

Dear Sacred Sister,

This page is for those who need access to possible reading triggers. If you have none, please skip this page.

This book contains the following elements in varying degrees.

Graphic Violence

Graphic Spicy Scenes

Stalking

Poisoning

ONE

With my phone propped against a tin of tea on my kitchen island, I separate and crumble various dried leaves and flowers and place them into bowls. Despite the annoyance with his mother, the handsome face scowling on the screen through FaceTime is a sight for sore eyes.

“Mom, can’t you… ya know.” He waves his hand. “Call him?” Tarek asks for the literal tenth time, referring to his father.

Pressing my lips into a thin line, I shake my head. It’s not my job to call anyone. It’s also not my job to forgive or forget. It’s been four months since I’ve spoken to my ex-husband or his father. On the bathroom floor of the hotel, when I broke, truly broke, I meant what I said—that I never want to speak to or see them ever again. It hasn’t been easy. When we left the hotel the following morning, I rented a car and drove home after I slept on a thin towel on the dingy, too-small-to-spread-out bathroom floor. It took me four days driving alone and sleeping at rest stops along the way. Oh, they tried to stop me. They begged, but broken things can’t listen. They can’t smile, forgive, or function like they should. They’re pieces, a collection of once was, never to be the same.

As far back as I can remember, my mother collected broken things. I always found it charming when she acted like it was her purpose to give life to something no longer loved—an orange cardigan at a thrift shop with a hole in the back. Her favorite mug found outside of a run-down gas station in the middle of nowhere. It looked like someone had tossed it out the window into a pile of weeds as they drove away. But she picked it up, washed it, and kept it, despite the chips and small crack down its side that somehow never leaked.

She always said it was her version of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending broken pieces of pottery with gold. Though she didn’t need to fix the items to love them. They mattered to her all the same.

I wonder what she’d think of me now—her only child.

Her late-in-life miracle …now a fragment of what I once was.

Nobody understands what I’m feeling or going through, not that I’ve given them a chance to. I haven’t told a soul what I learned, not Till, Sugar, my sons, and definitely not my quasi-boyfriend.

Surprise!

Yes, I have one of those now, too.

He’s a normal man, average in all ways, and I like him. There’s no hot or cold, no love or hate. Everything about our budding relationship is lukewarm, and I like the lukewarm. Lukewarm is safe. It’s comforting. It’s nice. He was a customer at the bar, and for once, I broke my rule of not dating customers to go on a date with him. Because he’s not a biker, a criminal, or a cheater, at least as far as I can tell. He’s sweet in his own way, stutters when he’s nervous, and has a charming smile. Sex is always satisfactory, and he doesn’t complain when Lily stays the night or lose his temper when I call off a date because I’m having another moment.

I have a lot of those now.

Moments.

That happens in grief.

And that’s what this is.

I’m mourning the death of a life I once knew. Of love and friendship, I thought, stupid me, was important.

But it was all a lie—years of lies.

All those runs for the club, Dark was fucking other women, and Sunshine knew. He knew the whole time. He knew everything.

Perhaps that’s why he was nice to me and put in the effort—to quell his guilt and appease me?

I’m no closer to understanding their intentions today than four months ago. Sure, they’ve texted, sent emails, and letters, trying to apologize and explain. I’ve read them all, and it still changes nothing.

Tarek clucks his tongue as if he’s disappointed in me. “Mom. I know Dad’s an asshole, but he’s…”

Unimpressed with his hassling, I glare at my son, shutting him right up. “I love you, but please stay out of your parents’ shit.”

“He hasn’t seen Lily in three months,” he replies, sitting at a bar in what I presume is a Sacred Sinner clubhouse. Tipping his head back, my son drains a bottle of beer. It thuds a moment later when he drops it on the glossy bar top and grumbles as if he’s exhausted with me, his father, and life itself.

“I know, kiddo,” I comment, not knowing what else to say. I already know Dark hasn’t seen his kid. I know this because she tells me. Lily is over at my house more now than ever, and Abby doesn’t seem to care.

Tarek runs his finger around the lip of his empty bottle. “Abby’s texting me every day now.”

I sigh. “Tell your father that. Not me.” It’s not like I can do anything, and I don’t want to.

“I have. He doesn’t care. He’s…” Tarek smashes his lips together and frowns like he’s about to share something he’s not supposed to. While I’m curious, I don’t press because I don’t want to have this conversation to begin with. Do I feel bad my son’s putting himself in the middle of our crap? No. Because he’s grown, and so am I. He doesn’t have to put his nose where it doesn’t belong, and I don’t have to appease him because I’m his loving mother. There are some things even a mother can’t give her child, and forgiving his lying, cheating father is one of them.

“How’s your love life?” I ask, changing the subject as I wipe my hands on a paper towel before opening a glass container to separate dried mint leaves grown from my garden.

Not liking my question, Tarek runs a hand through his dark hair and mutters a string of expletives before he sighs long and hard. “What should I do about Abby?”

“What do you want to do about Abby?” I volley back because it’s not what I want that matters—it’s what he wants.

Tarek stares off in the distance for a beat before he replies. “I want to help. She’s worried. She said Dad won’t return any of her calls or texts. I just want to help.”

My sweet, sweet son, always wanting to do what’s right.

“Do you have control of how your father acts or what he does?” I ask to give him something to think about.

“No.”

“Exactly.” Into a ceramic bowl, I finish crumbling mint leaves between my palms and smell my hands. They smell amazing. I wipe what I can off on a paper towel and cross over to the sink to wash the fragrance off my skin before it gets on everything else or into my eyes. As I do, I holler loud enough my son can hear over the running faucet. “Maybe, if you want to help, listen to Abby, but remind her you can’t fix her problems. That’s not your job, Tarek.”

“Do you know how hard that is, Mom? She’s falling apart, and I’m helpless.”

Drying my hands on a fresh towel I pull from a drawer, I approach the phone to see my son’s face. “Well, women tend to fall apart when…” I trail off, not wishing to speak ill of his dad because Tarek is trying his best in a fucked-up situation. I’m his mom. I’m supposed to be the strong, supportive, can-weather-any-storm woman he can count on no matter what, which is true. I am those things for him. But even I can’t create miracles or fix the past.

As far as I’m concerned, Abby is better off without Dark. He’s been cheating on her for years, anyway. It may hurt now, but losing him will be much better for her in the long run—at least, that’s what I continue to tell myself.

Two women scorned by the same man.

Fuck.

I hate him.

I hate him with every ounce of my being.

Tarek carries on about Lily and Abby as I separate my dried goods into tins for homemade teas. When I’m through, and Tarek has run out of words in the dictionary, he ends the call with a simple love you, and I’m alone once again, standing in my kitchen, in my pajamas, wishing life hurt a little less.

A text bubble flashes on my screen as I refill my orange chamomile tea and scoop the leftovers into three bags to give as gifts—one for Till, the other for my boyfriend, and the last for the sisters’ kitchen. It’s one of the many items I keep in stock there, and since Till lives in an apartment down the street from the bar, I don’t want her to miss out on the yummy goods I make or pilfer from the sisters’ kitchen. She’s as much of a tea fiend as me.

Once I wipe down the counters, I collect my phone and curl into a ball on the couch to see what Sunshine says tonight.

I miss you.

A knot lodges in my throat as I read his text three times. A single tear slides down the edge of my nose and ends on my lips. Swallowing hard, I delete the message as I have done with all the others.

Each morning, he messages.

Each night, he does the same.

Sometimes, it’s little ones like this that remind me he misses me. Others update me on where he is or what he’s been up to. The worst ones are when he tells me stories—stories of us.

Between those are handfuls of messages from Dark, popping up at random times throughout the week.

Dark may not be talking to Abby, but he wants to talk to me.

And while I should be happy about that.

I’m not.

Abby is his woman.

The mother of his daughter.

And I’m his ex-wife.

It’s official.

Signed, sealed, and done.

That’s why he left and hasn’t returned.

I’m now driftwood, lost at sea.

Because I miss them.

Both of them.

There’s a gaping hole missing in my life… and I don’t know how to repair it.

And so, I drift.

TWO

Sunshine: Do you remember when we took the boys to the park? You wore that yellow dress and were barefoot, grounding with the earth. I joined you. Walking across the grass and eating ice cream. I remember the chocolate running down Fog’s face and all over his shirt as Tarek chased a butterfly by the playground. You were just as beautiful then as you are now. I miss walking in the grass with you.

Seated on a couch in the sisters’ underground apartment beneath the shops, my legs crisscross apple sauce, I eat my fifth piece of chocolaty goodness—courtesy of Sugar, my stunning, pale-skinned, white-haired business partner and favorite chocolatier.

Till, the greedy wench, steals a cappuccino truffle from my lap, and I snap my teeth at her like a rabid dog as she gleefully shoves the delicacy into her mouth with a smile.

“I hate you,” I seethe playfully, bumping my shoulder into hers.

Across from us, Sugar laughs.

Tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear, Till snorts and steals another truffle from the box on my lap. This time, I slap her hand away, and the ball falls between her legs onto the couch, where she scrambles to get it before it makes a mess.

“It serves you right for stealing my goodies,” I sniff, trying like hell not to laugh at her predicament, which forces her to stand to find the runaway chocolate.

Our nerdy computer genius, Cell, holding a steaming mug of something or other, exits the kitchen and drops beside Sugar on the couch, joining in on our little after-work powwow. To give me something to do besides wallow at home, I spent eight hours with Till at the bar today while Sugar prepped all the yummy chocolate for tomorrow. We were booming on both sides of Dark Delicacies tonight, which isn’t common for a Thursday evening.

I lift my chin at Cell. “You do the check-ins with the sisters this week?” I ask, referring to all the women out on assignments for intel.

“Yeppers, I got you covered, Boss Lady,” she replies.

“We have any issues?”

Blowing steam from her mug, she speaks over the edge. “Nope. Smooth sailin’.”

“Even the newbies?” I check, referring to Destiny and Beth, who now goes by Elle.

“Yep, even them. They’re working an easy job together, as you suggested. Angel is covering them, just in case. But he shouldn’t need to step in.”

Good. Good.

I nod along, liking the sound of that. When I left for the job with Dark, I handed over most of the duties to Cell. She checks in and gives me updates. When necessary, she asks my advice so we know we’re placing the sisters in jobs that are safest for them. Her taking on the extra responsibility has been a long time coming.

With as many moving parts as we have here, each sister has her place and specific obligations. Cell thrives on assigning the sisters to their jobs and keeping tabs on the underground world where Remy and his crew are struggling, thanks to the yacht mysteriously sinking. Hmm. I wondered what happened there. It's such a shame all those men are dead. Poor, poor Remy. What will he ever do?

Finishing another chocolate, I clear my throat before addressing Cell again. “I have something I need you to look into. But we can talk about that later.” I wave off the importance so Till and Sugar don’t ask questions.

Cell nods and sips from her mug as we fall into easy, much-needed chatter about everything and nothing. It’s relaxing, getting away from the house and my phone for most of the day. I left it on my nightstand because I’m avoiding it. None of the men will quit blowing it up. I’d seriously consider changing my number if it wasn’t such a hassle. And before you come for me with something like I should block their numbers, it does no good. I tried that months ago. They texted from different ones until I gave up entirely and unblocked the originals, so I didn’t have an even fuller text thread than I already do. They’re persistent, I’ll give ‘em that.

Till snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Earth to Kali.”

Frowning, I blink and swat her hand away. “What?”

“You’re daydreaming.”

No. I’m not. I roll my eyes. “I’m thinking. There’s a difference.”

The nosy bartender makes a sound in the back of her throat that sounds a whole lot like she doesn’t believe me. “Where’s Sunshine? You seen him lately?” Till asks, probably wanting to spend some alone time with the hot biker.

Refusing to talk about this now or ever, I shrug up one shoulder and drop it casually. “I plead the fifth.”

“Seriously? Again?”

“Yes.”

“You ever gonna tell us what happened?”

“Nope.” That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. It’s the same thing I’ve repeated time and time again since I returned home.

“Kali.” Till’s sharp tone holds a warning that I give zero fucks about.

“I’m takin’ it to the grave.” I twist an imaginary lock on my lips and toss the invisible key over my shoulder.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Till pouts like a toddler, getting frustrated with me. It won’t be the first or the last time. “You should talk to someone. Nobody has seen Dark or Sunshine in months, meaning something happened while you were gone. You’re just not telling us.”

“No. I’m not. I’m living my life.” I’m doing the best I can, given what’s happened.

Till turns on the sofa to face me, a knee bent on a cushion, the other leg hanging over the edge. “You have bags under your eyes.” She stares at them as if it isn’t offensive to point out the obvious.

Scrunching my nose at her, I scoff. “Rude. Much. I’m over forty. What do you expect?” Playing into Till’s audacity, I slowly prod the bags under my eyes with my middle finger, one, then the next.

The pain in the ass snorts, not at all impressed by my friendly gesture. “You know that’s not what I mean. You’re sad and dating a tool you met at the bar.”

Here we go.

Again.

“Todd is not a tool.” He’s really not. I’ve met plenty of tools. I was married to one for two decades. Dark is the king of tools who also has a massive tool between his legs. Ew. I’m not thinking about it ever again. Not unless it involves him losing said appendage in a rare shark attack or some random woman he fucks tires of his shit and goes Lorena Bobbitt on his cheating ass.

Cell pulls a face like she also thinks Todd’s a tool and she’s only met him once.

“His name is Todd, Kali,” Till says, as if that explains everything. “Todd,” Till repeats for no reason but to annoy me. “The man doesn’t have a single tattoo on his body, and he drives a Toy-o-ta.” The exasperating woman emphasizes the manufacturer as if that somehow makes a lick of difference. She’s a lovable asshole, but I’m tired of where this conversation is leading already.

“What’s wrong with that?” I gesture for her to give me an actual reason. When she says nothing, I continue, “Toyotas are dependable, and tattoos aren’t for everybody.” I flip her off for putting her nose where it doesn’t belong. Then again, I’d put my nose in her business, too, if I were half as worried as they have been about me. But she’s going about this the wrong way—attacking a man who doesn’t deserve her disdain. Todd has been nothing but pleasant to everyone.

“Your men ride Harleys and wear leather cuts. They don’t have boring names like Todd. Your men have tattoos of a particular Goddess on their ribs.” Till waggles her dark, perfectly symmetrical brows, then lifts them to her hairline as if daring me to argue that logic with her. Which I won’t because I can’t win. I could also add that apparently, my men, who are no longer my men, well, one of them, has a tattoo of my lips by his appendage, too. Not that she’ll ever know that, either. I still don’t believe they’re my lips to begin with. Even if they look more like mine than Abby’s, which is the only other pair of lips Dark would ever ink onto his flesh.

Ugh.

I don’t want to think about either of them, much less discuss them openly with my sisters. Fuck that, fuck them, and fuck these bags under my eyes. And… and fuck Till for pointing out I’m sad and that Todd is a boring name. It is.

No more Harleys for me.

Only sensible men with boring names, sensible cars, and no tattoos.

When I sneer at Till, the bitch doesn’t relent. She keeps going, which draws other sisters from the bowels of the underground apartment into the common room for the public reaming of Kali—which is me, in case you forgot. At least I have my chocolate for comfort when Till rudely asks, “Does he fuck as vanilla as he looks?”

Cell rolls onto her side on the couch and cackles, knees pulled to her chest like a small child.

Sugar captures Cell’s mug before she makes a mess and politely covers her mouth to keep from laughing aloud.

Other sisters join in on the merriment of Till and her bullshit.

I glower at her, cheeks burning as hot as the sun.

“I’ll poison you,” I warn, even though we all know I won’t. I love Till, even if she’s irritating as hell, and I wanna punch her in the tit.

Till throws her head back and laughs, her entire body shaking so violently it vibrates through the cushions. Hating the sound at my expense, I pluck one of my last pieces of precious chocolate from the box and chuck it at her face. It knocks the side of her nose, and the mouthy bitch laughs louder, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Oh, man.” Till slaps her leg between gasps. “You don’t even like vanilla, but you’re fuckin’ the dullest man in existence.”

I shove her leg. “Shut your mouth, bitch.”

Sweeping the tears from beneath her eyes and collecting the ball of chocolate from a couch cushion, Till pops the goodness into her mouth and chews thoughtfully for a second to calm her wild ass down. “Kali, seriously.” She pats my knee. “If you don’t want to tell us what happened, fine. But ditch Todd. He’s putting all of us to sleep.”

Ugh. This again?

“Aren’t you supposed to be supportive?” I throw back.

“Of what? You’re sad. I don’t support that.”

Fine.

She’s right. I’m sad and don’t like vanilla, but I do need stability. Todd offers that in spades. He’s not a forever man—he’s a fine-for-now man.

Heaving a miserable, over-the-top sigh, I reach inside the neck of my t-shirt and into my bra and pull out a small citrine crystal. I set the tumbled beauty on Till’s jean-clad knee.

Eyes widening in surprise, she opens and closes her mouth like a fish.

“Thank you for caring,” I say, hoping she understands the depth of my gratitude. I won’t tell Till or anyone what happened on the yacht, because I can’t. Just as I can’t share the news about Dark or Sunshine. Partly because it’s Sacred Sinner business. Also, I don’t want to discuss what happened. Not the sex. Not the deceit. They know about Dark and his cheating with Abby. I can’t imagine how any of them would take it if they knew he’d been doing it for years before Abby arrived in our lives. Or worse than that, if Till found out Sunshine knew the whole time, she’d disown him. As much as I’m devastated he lied and protected his son for decades, I know Sunshine was also protecting me in the only way he knew how. While I respect that because I’d likely do the same for my kids, it doesn’t change the pain they’ve both caused.

The club and the brotherhood always come first.

Then family.

I’ve just now started to realize how true that really is.

That’s why I won’t date another biker.

I don’t want to be someone’s afterthought—their second priority.

I want to be their everything.

For years, I’ve remained single, living life on my terms. Dating Todd will not change that.

I’m still Kali—a little broken and in need of repair—a little gold to fill in my cracks.

I’m a mother.

A Sister.

Business owner.

Plant lady.

Murderer.

Friend.

And…

I’m taking it day by day.

Today was a good one.

Resting my head on Till’s shoulder, I relax with my sisters and listen to their stories, and for a little bit, everything’s normal. There’s no more ribbing. No more drama. Just girl talk, and I love girl talk.

It’s three in the morning when I park my Bronco in my driveway and turn off the engine. Key in hand, I climb my front steps. The dim streetlamps light my way as I unlock the front door, cross the threshold, set my keys on the table by my raven, and shut myself inside for a good night’s rest.

I toe my comfy moccasins off and drop them into the shoe basket.

“I thought you’d never get home,” a deep voice ripples through my darkened living room, and my entire body jolts in surprise, heart leaping into my throat.

THREE

“What are you doing here?” I gasp, clutching my chest, willing my racing heart to calm as the familiar sound of boot heels scrape across the hardwood floor, drawing closer. The moon and streetlights cast a dim glow through the open blinds as my home invader stops feet from me.

“It’s been four long months.”

“What are you doing here?” I ask a second time, waiting for a real answer.

“I said I missed you, Sweets.”

He did say that—a lot.

“What are you doing here?” In my home, in the middle of the night, sitting on my couch without a single light on, waiting like a creeper.

A ripple of equal parts excitement and unease travels down my spine. Goosebumps sprout across my arms. Shivering, I rub them away as the man before me roughly clears his throat. “You’ve had four months to be pissed and hurt. It’s time to let that shit go.”

Tears sting my eyes as his words penetrate deeper than they should, jabbing all my soft spots at once like a thousand tiny pinpricks. “You don’t get to decide that,” I whisper, hating that he would even demand such a thing.

He takes a step closer, and I take an even bigger step back. We aren’t doing this. Correction—I’m not doing this.

A grumble percolates in his chest as he advances on me again, and I retreat another step and another until my back presses against the closed door. I grip the cool knob, not knowing if I should rip the door open and run or sob that he’s here. I’ve missed him, even if I hate what he did, even if hearing his voice for the first time in months physically hurts.

His strong front fits against mine as he traps me against the exit with nowhere to run. Two muscular arms brace on either side of my head—the metal of his ring clinks against the wood as the moonlight glints across half of his face.

I tremble.

He growls like an uncaged beast.

I’ve never seen him like this before.

Ever.

I swallow thickly. “Wh-what do you want?”

“You.” He presses his forehead to mine and breathes once, twice. The familiar scent of all that is him, of man and musk, of life and death, suffuses the space between us, taking up all the air in my lungs.

“Colton—” I choke out, wishing he’d stop this madness.

“Let’s go to bed.” The breath of his words fans across my face, causing me to shiver.

No. We can’t go to bed.

I fist my hands down at my sides, refusing to move. “Why are you here?” I ask, my tone stronger than I feel.

The tip of his nose nudges mine. It’s soft and sweet, but it hurts that ache inside my chest. “To sleep,” he whispers, nudging his nose to mine again, his breath a mere wisp upon my lips.

“Another lie,” I croak, as his heart pounds through the cotton of his t-shirt and into my breasts.

A brutal knock resounds at my door, rocking through my spine and the back of my skull.

“Who’s that?” I ask.

“Kali!” Dark roars from the porch. “Open the motherfuckin’ door!”

“We aren’t doin’ this,” I whisper-hiss, shaking my head. “I don’t know what the hell you two are up to, but we aren’t doing this.” I shove Sunshine in the stomach, his hard, muscular stomach, to push him away. He moves a quarter of a damn inch, which is maddening. “Move.” I push him again, and this time, he releases a sigh and does as I say, long enough for me to wheel around and throw open my stupid front door to find my ex-husband panting on my steps, arms crossed over his thick chest, glaring past me at his father standing in my living room.

“Get. Out.” He two-finger points to the older, silver-haired version of him.

Squaring his shoulders, chin held in defiance, Sunshine’s nostrils flare. “Fuck. No.”

Wiping my eyes, I drag a palm down my face in exasperation. “We are not having a pissing contest in my house.”

Dark steps onto the threshold of my doorway but doesn’t break the invisible barrier. “Outside, old man.”

“Why don’t both of you leave so I can go to bed? That sounds splendid.” I sweep my hand toward the exit, hoping Sunshine will do as I say.

Unfortunately, no dice when he slowly unlaces his boots, toes them off, and throws them into a heap by the door to prove some macho point to Dark, all the while staring daggers at his son.

I can’t believe this is happening.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I was in the middle of an insane, drug-induced dream. But here they are, giving off some pissed-off-murderous vibes at three in the morning.

“Can’t you take this to Dark’s house?” I reason. “You can tussle like big idiots there.”

They ignore me, and the glaring persists.

Knowing I’m more likely to get through to Sunshine than Dark, I spin around and approach him—like he’s a wild animal—slow and patient. When he finally breaks his stare on Dark and drops his eyes to me, his warm smile is enough to make a woman’s ovaries explode. Taking it further, I cup Sunshine’s unshaven cheeks and force him to maintain eye contact.

Dark curses up an ugly storm at the doorway but doesn’t enter.

“I need you to leave,” I beg.

“Sweets.”

“You shouldn’t be here. This isn’t okay. I… I don’t forgive you. Please leave. For me.”

Sunshine holds my hands to his face, his palms warm and clammy. “But I’m sorry. I… fuck… I’m sorry.” His eyes squeeze shut as if he’s in physical pain. “I can’t do another day, let alone another fuckin’ month. Not like this.”

“You don’t get to decide that.”

“Let’s go to bed,” he pleads, grabbing my wrists and stepping back, trying to draw me toward my bedroom.

Digging my heels in, I refuse to yield. “No…” I shake off his hold and drop my hands to my sides. “I need you to leave.” To drive my point home, I look over my shoulder toward the exit, where Dark remains, swallowing what little light peeks through the doorway with his hulking form.

Sunshine rubs his forehead. “Sweets. No.”

“Get out of her fuckin’ house, Pops!” Dark roars. If he doesn’t keep it down, the neighbors will call the cops. They don’t like Dark as it is.

Ignoring his son, Sunshine gathers my hands and puts them back on his face. His eyes lock on mine, delving into my soul, blotting out the world around us. “I miss you. I can’t live like this.” His throat bobs.

“You can’t show up here whenever you want, demanding I forgive you or acting like what happened never happened.” My voice is soft.

“Then talk to me, goddammit. Let me fix it.”

“No.”

“Kali. Please. I’m begging you.”

Dark slaps the doorframe. “She doesn’t want you! I fuckin’ told you that already! Get out of her fuckin’ house!”

Why are they here? Why… just why…

Dropping my hands from Sunshine’s face, silent tears trickle down his cheeks as he nods once out of respect, sidesteps me, and collects his boots by the door. Before he leaves, he casts me a single broken glance over his shoulder and sets his spare key on the table by the door, next to the raven with the smudge stick in his mouth. Frowning, Dark bids me a single nod, turns the lock from the inside, and pulls the door shut, effectively locking me inside and protecting me from them as they leave.

Rushing to my kitchen window, I peek through a wooden slat of my blinds and watch them amble back to Dark’s house, side-by-side, no longer on the verge of murdering the other, and I’m… speechless.

Like a creeper, I watch until they disappear.

My fingers tremble from the adrenaline rush.

That was not how I expected today to end.

Shaking my head, I pad to my bedroom right off the kitchen, undress in the attached bathroom, and turn on the shower, hoping the warm water will abate the trembling.

Closing my eyes, the spray pours across my face.

“Then talk to me, goddammit. Let me fix it.” Sunshine’s raw words turn like a broken record in my head.

Talk to him.

What would I say?

What is there to say?

Talk to him?

Why?

It changes nothing.

A hiccup cry bubbles out of my throat as I drown myself under the water. I press my palm to my stomach as the wretched second pours from my lips, followed by a third.

Why did they have to show up tonight?

Why are they here?

Just yesterday, Tarek said Dad wouldn’t talk to Abby, and now he’s home.

None of this makes any sense.

Fuck.

I miss them.

Just seeing them… seeing Sunshine…

I…

Squeezing my eyes shut until my temples ache, I shake my head to clear it.

No more of this.

No more crying.

I can’t do this.

Today was a great day. It can’t end like this.

On autopilot, I wash my body and hair, and before I register what I’m doing, I’m lying in bed, naked, a towel wrapped around my head.

I stare at the spot next to me, where he slept—a place I can’t bring myself to let Todd taint. We stay at his place if we have overnight dates.

Sliding my hand beneath the covers, I massage the cold spot where his body should be. Even his pillow looks all wrong. There’s no dent where his head lays. No smell of him lingering in the air.

Curling onto my side, facing the vacant side of the mattress, I tug Sunshine’s pillow from its home and hug it tightly against my chest.

It does nothing to lessen the ache there.

“Tomorrow is a new day,” I repeat until my lids grow heavy and the sandman pays me a much-needed visit.

FOUR

The front door opens, and the blinds rattle, alerting me of a visitor. The thud of shoes tossed unceremoniously onto the floor, followed by the familiar sound of a bag dumped, draws a smile to my lips as an exuberant, red-faced, dark-haired beauty races around the corner into the kitchen and catapults herself onto a stool.

“Good afternoon, Lily.” I chuckle as she guzzles down her after-school apple juice and wipes the remnants across the back of her hand like an adorable Neanderthal despite there being a napkin beside her snack plate.

She offers a bright, toothy smile before digging into a turkey and cheese sandwich on slices of freshly baked bread I picked up at the local bakery after I worked a handful of hours this morning at Dark Delicacies, going over wine inventory and making a quick stop to the apartment to ask Cell to do some digging on Dark and Sunshine. It’s what I planned on asking her last night, but I forgot to ask before I left. Surprisingly enough, she didn’t pry. Just offered a polite nod and an even politer, upbeat, “On it, Boss Lady.” Have I mentioned how much I love Cell? In case I haven’t, she’s amazing.

It’s finally Friday.

Another after-school day to spend with Lily.

Since I returned from California, we spend every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon together. The weekends are based on what I have planned. Lately, apart from time with Todd or the shop, there hasn’t been much. Lily is always welcome to participate in the rest of the stuff I do around here—from cleaning to tea making to caring for the plants and flowers in the greenhouse. For safety reasons, I keep her away from the dangerous plants that grow in a different section of my favorite outdoor space, but the rest are up for tending to. It seems to soothe her as much as it does me.

Hip resting against the island, arms tucked loosely over my comfy Dark Delicacies sweatshirt, I wait for Lily to finish her snack. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she didn’t have breakfast or lunch, but I know from asking her that’s never true. She’s in the middle of a growth spurt and growing like a weed.

She chomps three bites from her sandwich, filling her cheeks like a chipmunk.

“Smaller bites. We’re in no rush,” I remind her, not for the first time this week.

“I-wown,” she mumbles around a mouthful.

I arch a mom brow, the effective kind that has my kids, birthed or not, straightening up and acting right before I enact the dreaded mom voice or, even worse, mom actions. Nobody likes those, especially Fog and Tarek.

Lily finishes chewing and swallows before trying again. “Sorry. It’s yoga and plant day. My favorite day.” She bounces excitedly in her seat.

I chuckle.

Yoga and plant day are my favorite days, too… usually.

When I don’t fall asleep after a home invasion and wake up riddled with anxiety, worried about how today might go now that both of the bikers in my life are back in town.

When I padded out of my bedroom this morning, I half expected to find Sunshine or Dark in my home or, at the very least, knocking on my door shortly after dawn. But nothing happened. After last night's craziness, it was anticlimactic, in a good way.

Seated at the kitchen island, wrapped in a blanket, I sipped a hot cup of breakfast tea and checked the long text threads I missed from yesterday. They weren’t anything out of the norm. There have been no new texts today—not even one. That’s unusual, but I’m not holding my breath for it to last long.

This feels a lot like the calm before the storm.

I’ve been riding the razor’s edge all day, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Lily’s company couldn’t have come at a better time.

“Plants or yoga first?” I ask the sweetest, almost nine-year-old.

Picking up her floral napkin, Lily wipes her mouth and crumples it into a ball. “Can we do yoga in the greenhouse?” She smiles as if that’s the best idea she’s come up with yet. I have to hand it to her she’s one smart cookie.

“Hmmm.” I press a finger to my lips and pretend to be deep in thought. “Yoga in the greenhouse.”

Knowing I’m being silly, Lily giggles. “Yess,” she sings out of tune, tossing her balled-up napkin onto her empty plate.

“Wellll…” I rub my hands together. “I suppose that could be arranged.”

Lily pumps her fist in the air but says nothing as she climbs off her stool, puts her trash in the bin, and sets her dishes in the sink for me to wash later.

I wait for her to finish her tasks before clapping my hands. “You get the mats. I’ll get the speaker. The last one to the greenhouse is a rotten egg.” I clap again, and off we go, racing through the house and gathering our items. Lily squeals in delight as she grabs the rolled mats from the laundry room and dashes out the backdoor just as I sprint into my bedroom, unplug the portable speaker from my nightstand, and follow her outside. Dancing along the concrete pavers I made from colorful, broken plates, rocks, and cement, I’m the last to leap through the greenhouse door Lily left open.

“You win,” I grouse good-naturedly as I set the speaker on a mosaic bistro table with two matching chairs. When it’s warm enough, I love spending hours out here tending to plants, reading a spooky novel, drinking tea, or just breathing. It’s Zen—my Zen.

Connecting my phone to the speaker and selecting a relaxing yoga playlist we often use, I leave it to Lily to choose where our yoga mats will fit along the pea-gravel-lined paths that weave like little streets through the glass-walled greenhouse.

I shut the door to keep the moist air in. Caring for plants is equal parts science, luck, and love. I try my best to keep the temperature and moisture levels within a range throughout the year to give my plants the best life possible. Almost everything here runs on carefully installed automation, apart from the actual planting and harvesting.

“Over here.” Lily waves from her spot beside the koi pond at the far end of the greenhouse.

Of course, she’d pick there.

Fred and Barney gulp food from the surface as I join Lily and sit cross-legged on my mat, or Sukahsana/Easy Pose, for my fellow yogis.

Lily finishes dropping a handful of koi food into the pond and claims her mat, facing me in the same position.

I offer her a black tie from my wrist to tie up her hair and keep the locks from falling into her face.

Lily smiles in gratitude and does her best to make a messy bun on her head, similar to mine. It flops to one side as baby hairs stick up all over, and I grin. She’s the cutest.

“Shall we begin?” I double-check.

Eager as always, Lily nods once, and her bun flops to the front, then back, smacking the top of her head.

Pressing my lips together, I stave off a laugh. “In for five.” I draw my hand up my belly, pushing it out as I audibly inhale for five. Mimicking me, Lily draws breath—in for five, hold for five, out for five.

Moving from one pose to the next, we breathe, falling deeper into ourselves, the calming music, becoming one with the universe, opening ourselves to its wonder, its flow. Lily is right there with me, embracing the connection, the calm, the strength.

When we finish, lying on our backs, breathing in corpse pose, the sun beaming through the glass ceiling panels, we exhale our final breath and release all the bad, all our fears, and all our pains into the ether. For the first time in days, I feel steady. I feel good. I feel myself.

Lily and I move in unison as we get up from the ground, roll up our mats, and set them against the base of the koi pond.

By the entrance, we don aprons, grab buckets (mine black, hers pink), slip on floral-printed gloves, and secure our tools. We work in tandem for a few short hours, clearing away dead leaves, loosening soil, and communing with nature as the calming music continues to play.

“How’s school?” I ask to initiate a conversation. I know the deeper issues are floating below the surface, but I won’t wrestle anything out of her. That accomplishes nothing. When Lily wants to open up, she will.

She crumbles a handful of dead leaves in her palm and watches them cascade from her fist into the bucket. “Dad came home last night with Pops.”

“That’s nice.” I don’t tell her I already knew that because she’d ask questions, and I won’t tell her what happened last night.

She bobs her head slowly. “Mom stopped crying.”

My stomach clenches, hating that she noticed, hating that she has to deal with any of this in the first place. Adult matters interfering with kid life always bothers me. It bothered me when my sons were going through with it when Dark returned with Abby, just as much as it bothers me now with Lily. “Did Dad bring you home anything good?” I ask instead, knowing Dark rarely returns without a gift for his girls.

Staring at the flower beds, Lily shrugs up a shoulder and drops it hard. “I… guess.”

I wait for her to tell me what he brought, but she says nothing and continues to stuff dead leaves into her bucket.

Hating to see her sad, I move on to something happier. “Todd’s taking me to a later dinner tonight,” I announce. I’d made the plans with him earlier in the week. Fridays are girls’ time, so I always plan boyfriend time after, when it’s closer to Lily’s bedtime. It’s an hour or two past regular dinner hours, but Todd never seems to mind.

This information perks the nosy girl right up. She sits on the ledge of a raised planter box and stares at me as if she’s waiting for me to give her all the exciting details. Unlike everyone else I associate with, Lily actually likes Todd. He brings her flowers when he brings me flowers. He brings her new toothbrushes when he brings me new toothbrushes. He doesn’t have any kids, but Todd’s surprisingly good with children. He’s a dentist, so that must be part of the job description—be nice to everyone, which checks out because Todd is a bona fide golden retriever.

“Where’s he taking you?” Lily asks, sweeping a mess of dark, sweaty hair from her forehead. She blows at it as if that’ll somehow keep it from sticking. Then, she frowns and throws off her gloves to deal with the issue.

I chuckle, and she rolls her eyes, getting more frustrated by the second when her elastic band won’t come loose. Having sympathy for the kiddo, I throw my gloves in the dirt beside hers and round the flowerbed. I push her hands away from her hair and untangle the band from the nest she’s created.

Lily hisses in pain, but I do my best not to pull too hard. “He’s taking me to some fancy place a few towns over,” I explain, trying to distract Lily long enough to get the pain-in-the-ass tie from her locks. Holy Mother Earth, how did she get this twisted in such a short time?

My companion huffs a frustrated breath. “Kali,” she whines as I carefully pull strands from the band.

“Almost done,” I promise.

“No more ties like this,” she grumps.

“Duly noted. I’ll throw them out tonight,” I promise and try to change the subject altogether. “Now, what dessert do you want Sugar to make for you next week?”

“You like chocolate, so something chocolate.”

I chuckle. “She’s a chocolatier. It’s always gonna be chocolate.”

“I like her cakes.”

Me, too.

“Cake it is, then.”

“Can it have Nutella?”

“Yes.”

“Can it have sprinkles?”

I snort. “Yes.” This girl and her sprinkles.

The tie comes free, and I fling the damn thing across the room, never to be seen again. At least, not today.

Lily rubs her newly freed hair.

“Why don’t we finish up here? Then you can come in and help me pick out what I’m wearing to dinner with Todd tonight. Sound good?”

“Yes.” She dusts her hands on her shirt. “I love picking out clothes.”

“I know you do.” I smile.

“Can I pick your makeup, too?”

I nod. “Within reason.”

With renewed excitement and a pep in her step, Lily collects our gloves and tools and puts them by the door, right where they belong. I follow suit, ready to shower and don clothes for my date with Todd at a fancy place I’ve never been to before.

I know I shouldn’t be nervous, but I am.

I haven’t done fancy in a long, long, quadruple-long time.

What in the hell do I wear?

FIVE

“Don’t you think this is too much?” I twirl in the bedroom, showing off the dress Lily picked for me tonight. I hate it. It’s far too much for a dinner date, but she’s all smiles, sitting in the middle of my bed, clapping like a lunatic.

“Twirl one more time,” she demands with a laugh. I do as instructed, even though I want nothing more than to burn this stupid dress. I didn’t even buy it. Sunshine did, like six years ago. Maybe even longer than that. He’d seen it in a window at some shop in some town and gave it to me the next time he visited. It’s been hanging in the back of my closet since. Sentimental value requires me to keep the garment when my personal tastes want nothing more than to cover up. There’s far too much skin, and as a person who likes cropped shirts and shorter dresses, that’s saying something. This has Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman, written all over it. The black lace cocktail dress she wore, only it’s much shorter, a mere five inches from my lady cat, and it’s made so the woman wearing it can’t wear a bra. The neckline, there is none. It dips down the center, separating the sides, reaching almost my navel. To wear this, you need boob tape and lots of it to keep it from playing peek-a-boo with your nips. My areolas are dark. They don’t need to be shared with the rest of the world.

I run my fingers down the lacey middle, in the valley between my breasts. “This is too much,” I explain to Lily for the hundredth time since she had me try it on.

“It’s beautiful.” She sighs dreamily like she wants to be the one wearing it.

“I’m taking it off.” I reach awkwardly around my back to unzip it.

“No!” Lily clambers to her feet and points at me with some serious girl-tude. “It stays. You said I could pick.” Her bottom lip juts into a pout as if that level of cuteness will change my mind.

Fuck.

I shake my head. “Lily.”

She waggles her dark eyebrows just like her father. “Todd will be speechless.” She lays it on thick as if I care what Todd thinks. I also don’t have the heart to tell her Todd is already speechless half the time when we’re together. If he’s not staying on safe topics, he’s a nervous, bumbling mess that I find more endearing than annoying. That’s why I keep the nice man around.

“Is this because I showed you Pretty Woman last month?” I sweep my hand down my side and do another small turn.

Lily’s nose crinkles. “You’re not a prostitute, Kali. You’re a lady.”

Oh, boy.

I drag a palm down my face and sigh. That’s not what I meant. I was talking about the dress, not the character. Yes, I showed an eight-year-old Pretty Woman. She’s mature for her age. I even explained the parts to her she didn’t quite understand and covered her eyes on the sexier bits. Lily’s slowly moving away from Coraline and into a swoony romance phase. I expected it to hit her in middle school, but she’s been asking for more romance as time passes. Once I showed her Runaway Bride, she’s been on a Julia Roberts kick ever since.

“Prostitutes are also ladies,” I explain. “Sometimes people do things to survive. They’re doing the best they can, and that’s all we can expect from anybody. Right?”

Taken aback by my mom talk, a wrinkle forms between Lily’s brows. “Yes. Right.” She nods. “I didn’t mean it like that.” Falling onto her butt on the mattress, she crosses her legs.

“Okay. I’m just making sure we’re on the same page.”

She nods again, clearly troubled by my assumption. I run the tips of my fingers along the lacey edge of the dress. This isn’t going to work. I can’t even bend over in this thing without giving everyone a vagina show, and while I shaved tonight because it’s date night, and that typically leads to bedroom time, this outfit is too much.

I reach for the zipper again, and Lily claps. “Kali.”

Grumbling beneath my breath, I pause with the toggle pinched between two fingers. “What?”

“Why don’t you feel beautiful?” Lily’s eyes round in question, her tulip lips drawing into a straight, unimpressed line as she awaits a valid answer.

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly, dropping the zipper to shrug.

Because I don’t know.

Maybe I don’t want to feel pretty right now. I haven’t worn much makeup as of late. I rarely do my hair. Everything I washed and put away this week were black leggings and random oversized shirts.

“You’re sad,” she observes, much like Till, only it stings a little more when it’s a child calling you out on your crap.

Chewing the inside of my cheek, I cross both arms over my chest. “I don’t know what I am,” I admit, tapping my bare foot on the hardwood floor.

“Mom’s sad, too. It’s okay to be sad. But Todd makes you smile, and he’s nice to us. I think you should wear something nice for your date. He’ll like your dress. It’s awesome.” A sweet smile quirks at the corner of the wise girl's lips, and I… fine. She wins. Todd is nice. I am sad. He will like this dress. I suppose it isn’t so bad. It is nicely made. Sunshine did buy it for me. What can it hurt?

Dramatically huffing, I relent and slap my bare feet like a petulant toddler all the way into the bathroom, where I get an official look at myself in the mirror. Alright. I don’t look all that bad.

I cup my hands beneath both of my gravity-wounded breasts and force them into place, nips out. In the drawer, I riffle through my mound of makeup to the bottom and find the boob tape to use for this occasion. The wrapper is still on, but it doesn’t take long to tape what needs to be tapped and keep what needs in place, with sticky stuff that won’t be sexy to remove when the naughty time comes. If it comes.

“Lily,” I call. “Are you picking makeup, or am I?”

Fussing with my hair by pinning it into a sultry updo, with wisps left tickling my neck, much like the whole Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman-vibe, but the red dress hairstyle this time, I gesture to the open makeup drawer when Lily races into the room, her bare feet slapping hard against the tiled floor.

“Me,” she crows excitedly, digging through what I own.

I step to the side to give her space to work her magic. What’s the worst that can happen? I feel out of place. So, what? It wouldn’t be a first. I don’t care much about that kind of stuff. Awkwardness loses its charm once you’ve worked in the places I have, on the jobs I have for the club. You learn to fake it ‘til you make it. A brave smile can move mountains in the right setting.

Wanting to keep every strand of hair in place, I aerosol the crap out of it. Not enough to make it crunchy, but enough that a breeze won’t move it much.

Humming to herself, Lily sets her entire arsenal of makeup options on the counter.

“Smokey eye?” I ask, noting the pallets of darker eyeshadows she has out.

“Sure.” Lily opens a handful of lipsticks to select the perfect one, and as she does that, I get to work with my face.

A smidge of concealer does wonders to remove the darkened bags under my eyes, Till so graciously pointed out. Once Lily is satisfied with her choices, she hops up and sits on the counter to watch me work. We chat about makeup and her choice of colors as I finish getting ready for my date with Todd, who should arrive any minute.

“This necklace.” Lily unhooks a long, silver, triple-layer chain from a jewelry hook on the wall. She drapes it over her pointer finger and waits for me to finish applying my nude lipstick and matching liner to put it on.

“This one, huh?” I slide it off her finger, wrap the triple strands around my neck, and hum my approval when it drapes perfectly. The shortest layer is a chain with a row of thicker round beads, the middle is a simple bird floating mid-chest, and the longest is a crystal teardrop that caresses the bare valley between my breasts.

Lily grins as I turn toward her and half-assed curtsy. “Well… how do I look?”

My hype girl claps. “Amazing!” she cheers. “See, I was right. That’s the perfect dress.”

I don’t know if it's perfect, but I roll with her excitement, taking some of it as my own.

As I help Lily down off the counter, I peck her forehead in gratitude. “You were right,” I groan, and she smiles, loving her win.

The doorbell rings.

Eyes rounding in excitement, Lily races from the room. “I’ve got it!”

“Yeah. I see that!” I call to her retreating back as she welcomes Todd inside. Exiting the bathroom, I rifle through the bottom of my closet for heels to match this dress and a jacket to keep from catching a chill.

Begrudgingly, a strappy pair of black, toe-hugging stilettoes are all I can seem to find. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I put them on and listen to Todd chat with Lily in the living room.

“She’ll be out in a minute,” I overhear Lily say.

Todd chuckles warmly and replies something in return, but I can’t make it out.

Ready to get this show on the road, I remove my longest coat from a hanger, drape it over my forearm, expel a breath, and ready myself for a night out with Todd. You’d think this would get easier—dating, communicating, getting to know someone. But it hasn’t. It feels new. Too new. I know lots of people relish budding romances, all those hormones flying. The sex is usually out of this world. Your endorphins are screaming at you that this is the one. At least, that’s what little I remember of it. Dark’s the only real man I’ve dated, dated, for any length of time, and I married the jerk.

Sure, Angel and a handful of others were friends and often a no-strings-attached booty call, but Todd isn’t that. After a single date at a small diner, he asked for exclusivity. Thanks to Dark and his laundry list of horrendous relationship practices, I jumped at the bit to be exclusive with someone I knew wouldn’t dream of sleeping with anyone else while we were together. There’s comfort in that, knowing they aren’t leaving every few months to fuck someone else on the DL.

Ugh.

Nope.

No more thinking about Dark, Sunshine, or the past.

It’s date night.

Smoothing a hand down my black lace dress, I straighten my shoulders and saunter like a sex kitten out of the bedroom into the living room, where Lily and Todd stand in the middle, chatting amicably.

When they hear me coming, my heels click, click, clicking across the hardwood, they turn. For the rest of my life, Todd’s mouth dropping open will forever be etched into my brain.

Lily giggles as he openly stares, and I blush. I can’t help it.

When it’s been a solid ten seconds, Todd finally closes his mouth, swallows thicky, and clears his throat. Then he adjusts something in his pants.

I press my lips together to keep from giggling like a schoolgirl.

Because this is… Nice.

“Kali,” he breathes, blinking a handful of times. “You… I… Wow.” His head shakes in awe. “I… You’re the hottest woman I’ve ever met.” Sincerity hangs in his words.

Warmth skitters through me as a small, shy smile graces my lips.

Todd offers his hand—five thick fingers with well-trimmed nails.

Taking my last few steps, I slide my palm into his, and he clears his throat again. “You… You ready for dinner, beautiful?”

I nod and turn to Lily. “You gonna make it home safe?”

The sassy girl rolls those gray eyes so far into the back of her skull I’m afraid they’ll get stuck. “I live two houses down.” She smirks.

Mimicking her attitude, I roll my eyes, too. “I know. But I care.”

Lily doesn’t respond in words but wraps her small arms around my waist in a brief but tight hug.

I return her embrace with a one-armed squeeze of my own. “Love you, kiddo. I’ll see ya tomorrow.”

“Love you, too. Have fun.” Releasing me, Lily turns and skips to the front door, opening it for us like a butler. Bending at the waist, her hand sweeps toward the exit. “For the lady and her gentleman.”

With my jacket draped over my forearm and Todd’s hand folded in mine, we chuckle at Lily’s adorableness. “Hold on. I gotta get my purse first.” Tugging Todd along, I grab my bag from the entrance table next to the raven and Sunshine’s abandoned key. I haven’t had the heart to move it. The silver sits there, a constant reminder of what happened.

None of that matters now.

I can dwell on that later. Which I will. Because that’s what I do.

Out the front door, we pass by Lily, and Todd helps me down the steps so I don’t embarrass myself by falling in these heels I haven’t worn in years. His Toyota is parked in front of the house. As always, he opens his passenger-side door and waits for me to slide in before he shuts me inside and rounds the hood. I tuck my purse on the floor beside my feet and set my jacket on top. My dress rides up, as I suspected it would, and nearly exposes the black strip of fabric covering my lady parts. As Todd turns over the engine, I click my seatbelt into place and tug the hem of my dress down. It’s not like he hasn’t seen it before, but that’s not the point. We’re on a date. The point isn’t to give him a show before it even starts.

Soft country music flares to life as we navigate through my neighborhood and into the busier parts of town.

Todd reaches his hand across the console to rest on my bare thigh. “You look stunning.” He peeks at me out of the corner of his eye, a small, shy smile kicking up at the edge of his lips.

Warmth skitters through me at his compliment as I toy with the hem of my dress. “Thanks.” I pause to take in his profile. Todd’s not a bad-looking guy. He’s quite handsome in an average, midwestern guy way. His long-sleeved, navy-blue button-up compliments his blue eyes and dirty blond hair. Just enough white-gray peppers his temples, making him appear more distinguished. A fancy silver watch adorns the wrist he uses to steer. His business casual attire suits him well—black trousers, black shoes, styled hair, and a cleanly shaven face. He isn’t so tall that he’s imposing, but he’s not too short either. I also find his little belly cute. It adds to his charm.

As I watch the world fly by out of the passenger-side window, Todd regales me with stories from work. In case you forgot, he’s a dentist.

“I had one kid with such bad overcrowding I had to remove four teeth. He’ll be back next month to remove another two.”

I hum in response, not knowing how to reply. But I listen. About the elderly lady getting dentures and the little boy coming for his first visit. Todd chats animatedly. His hand on my thigh twitches the more excited he becomes.

When we park out front of a glass-paned restaurant, an elderly couple dressed in their Sunday best exit the front doors wearing the biggest smiles. On the sidewalk, the man takes his wife’s oversized purse as she shrugs on her lightweight jacket. Love as clear as day shines in the man’s eyes as he waits patiently for his partner. When she gets her arm stuck, he tosses his head back and laughs before he intervenes so she doesn’t hurt herself. I sigh inwardly at the private moment. It’s the little things that matter most. Sure, the wife probably thinks nothing of it. After forty years of her husband holding her purse or helping her with her jacket, it’s normal for them. But from the outside looking in, it’s much more.

The car door opens, drawing me from my revere.

Todd extends his hand. “Are you ready to give everybody whiplash?” His cheeks pinken, and he looks away, embarrassed by what he said. “Sorry.” He clears his throat, and I smirk as I slide my palm into his and swing my legs from the car. Doing my best to keep my dress from showing too much, I stand with as much grace as I can muster, with my purse slung over my shoulder, and my jacket draped over my forearm.

I pat Todd’s arm as I slip mine through his. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

SIX

Seated at a table for two in the middle of the restaurant, I place a white linen napkin on my lap as our waiter fills two wine glasses with a red Todd ordered ahead of time.

“You thought of everything,” I praise, genuinely impressed with his thoughtfulness.

“I know how much you love a sweet red.” Todd lifts his glass and gestures for me to do the same. “To living.”

“And good company,” I add before we clink and sip our wine. Humming in satisfaction, my eyes slide closed in pleasure as I savor the bold flavor of berries, spice, and a hint of vanilla.

“Good, huh?” Todd croaks, and I reopen my eyes to find the man blushing and tugging at the collar of his shirt. He unfastens the top two buttons and audibly breathes.

“You okay?” I ask.

He nods. “Oh, yeah. Never… uh… um… better.” Todd taps two fingers on the edge of the table and inhales deeply, expanding his chest.

Before I get a chance to dig further, our waiter returns. He sets a breadbasket between us and hands us each a menu. They’re heavy and single-sided, with beautiful typeface and gilded accents. From the golden name scrawled across the restaurant's front window to the elegant mood lighting, the rich, earthy colors, and the white tablecloths, this is the finest dining experience I’ve ever had.

The menu has four options for each course and no prices.

I open my mouth to tell Todd we can go somewhere else because this is too much, too soon for our relationship, but his firm gaze cuts me off. It’s like he knows what I’m thinking when he says, “Order whatever you want, beautiful. Anything,” he emphasizes, inclining his head toward my menu as his lip ticks up in the corner.

Alright.

Order what I want.

Running my finger down the options, I select a yummy appetizer for us to share and the steak for my meal. I forgo looking at the dessert in case I’m too full to have any.

Somehow, Todd sees right through me. “I’ll have the same.” He smiles up at our young waiter. “And we’ll take two of whatever chocolate desserts you have to go.”

Not needing to write anything down, our waiter bows his head before he collects our menus and disappears.

I stare at my date like he has two heads. “This is too much.” I gesture to the grand restaurant and the… well… everything.

Todd chuckles warmly. “Kali. Nothing is too much for you.”

Chewing the inside of my cheek, I squirm uncomfortably in my seat. The man is… I don’t have the words. I know it’s unkind to compare men, but my dating experience is limited, and Dark never took me anywhere as lovely as this. Then again, I didn’t care. I still don’t. Fancy dinners and fancy things for the sake of being fancy aren’t me. I don’t wear expensive jewelry or clothes. I wear what I like. I eat what I like. This dress is probably the nicest thing I own, and I didn’t even pick it out.

Much like in the car, Todd does what he does and talks—about work, friends I’ve never met, his hobbies, and the book he’s currently reading—a thriller I’ve never heard of. When Todd is talking about himself, he’s articulate and boastful, talking with his hands. He's cutely awkward when the conversations veer to subjects he hasn’t practiced or thought about. I prefer awkward Todd over articulate Todd. He’s endearing. The other part of him seems self-absorbed but also nice. Can you be both self-absorbed and nice? Probably.

Between eating my fill of homemade bread and honey butter, I hum and reply when necessary—a few words here and a polite smile there.

Todd doesn’t seem to notice my disconnect, but he never does, which is fine. It gives me the opportunity to soak in the atmosphere he’s too busy talking over to appreciate. A redheaded pianist plays in the corner as couples share smiles and small touches.

A lump forms in my throat as a man helps his pregnant wife from her chair to escort her to the restroom. The love glittering in his eyes is clear as day. They laugh together, sharing a special moment as she waddles like a penguin, her arm looped through his. I remember those days, feet hurting, back hurting, unable to sleep, but somehow, still glowing, still happy.

“Kali.” Todd knocks on the table.

I snap my gaze to his and paste on a smile. “Yes? Sorry. Did I miss something?”

“I asked, how do you like this place?” Todd gestures to the restaurant with his wine in hand.

To give me something to do, I grab my drink and take an unladylike mouthful before I reply. “It’s.” I clear my throat. “Beautiful.”

Pleased with my response, Todd grins—half-smug, half-sweet. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I do. Thank you for inviting me.”

My date inclines his head in acknowledgment as our waiter returns and sets our appetizer on the table between us. We dive in, eating more than talking, and just as we finish our first course, our steaks are set before us. My mouth waters at the herb butter melted on top, pooling beneath the cut, accompanied by a smooth garlic mash and fresh green beans.

“This looks divine,” I comment to whoever’s listening, staring at the dish with wide-eyed wonder.

Using his knife, Todd slides the beans to the side. His forehead wrinkles in distaste. “I guess I didn’t notice these.”

“Would you like me to take it back for you, sir?” our waiter asks, clasping both hands behind his back.

“Yes.” With his nose upturned, Todd shoos his plate away as if it’s contaminated. “That would be great. No green beans and none of this either.” He points to the garlic butter like it’s a booger on his plate.

I suppress a sigh as the world’s politest waiter claims Todd’s plate and leaves to handle an unnecessary situation. The menu was thorough on what the meal entailed, down to the butter and the fresh green beans. Todd clearly ignored it and ordered what I did for the sake of copying me. I hate that. Order what you want, what you like. Not what I like.

Now that I think about it…

The red wine, chocolate desserts, and steak are just from today. What about all the other dates we’ve had? How have I never noticed this before? We had the club sandwich on our diner date with seasoned fries and extra tomato. At Dark Delicacies, Todd always selects the same sweets as me. Odd.

“Eat, beautiful.” Todd nods to my untouched plate. “I’ll catch up.” He winks far smoother than I remember him ever being.

Odd.

Something’s not quite right.

The hairs on my neck stand on end as I cut through my tender steak like butter. A shiver ripples down my arms as I sink my fork into the small bite and lift it to my lips. Todd watches me, too focused. His nostrils flare before his gaze drops to the gap in my dress and swings back up to my face, where he catches me watching him, watching me. Crimson suffuses his cheeks, and he looks away like a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Another ripple of disquiet tingles across my skin from head to toe. Something’s definitely amiss. I can’t put my finger on what’s off, but something’s off—whether that be me, this restaurant, or Todd.

Afraid to eat, I set my fork on the plate as the waiter reappears with Todd’s remade plate sans green beans and butter. Another waiter approaches our table with two champagne flutes and an expensive bottle of bubbly.

He sets a crystal glass in front of each of us, and before I get a second to ask what we’re celebrating, the new waiter, a taller blond with a goatee, swishes his hand, gesturing to someone behind me. “A gift from the men at the bar,” he announces, and I turn in my chair the best I can to…

Those stupid, jackass, pain-in-the-balls, motherfuckers!

I’m gonna murder them.

They’re dead. Not kinda dead. But dead, dead.

Two matching sets of gray eyes, glinting with bullshit humor, lift their amber-filled glasses in cheers.

Sunshine and Dark.

Grumbling under my breath, I thrust the flute back to the waiter with too much gusto. His eyes widen in surprise, but he recovers quickly. “Do you not want it, ma’am?”

“I’ll pay you a thousand dollars to break the bottle over those asshole’s heads,” I reply. It would serve them right and soil their precious cuts. Who in their right mind wears black jeans and their colors in a restaurant like this? I’m surprised they were even allowed inside in the first place.

The waiter gasps, and so does Todd. “Kali. What has gotten into you?” my date scolds.

What has gotten into me? What has gotten into me?

Having none of this, I reach across the table, snatch Todd’s flute, and shove it back at the waiter. “Sorry, but we won’t drink this.”

My date clucks his tongue, clearly annoyed with me. “Kali,” he snips.

Ignoring Todd, I focus on the blond. “If you could politely or not politely, whatever works for you…tell those assholes to fuck off, I’d be forever in your debt.” To emphasize how serious I am, I smile too brightly, all teeth, hoping he’ll be a rebel and break the rules to get those interfering assholes out of here.

My date squeaks in horror. “Kali, this is wildly inappropriate. Those gentlemen could be clients, and the waiter is simply doing his job.”

I level him with an unimpressed stare. “Those are not gentlemen, Todd. That’s my ex-husband and my ex-father-in-law.”

“Oh…Ohhhh.” Eyes widening in surprise, Todd glances around me to get a good look at all that is them. By the severe frown that consumes his entire face, he’s not pleased. “That’s your ex-husband?”

“Yes.” All six-foot-plus of him with muscles, tattoos, and a… stupidly gorgeous face.

Fuck Dark.

Rubbing both palms down the front of his pressed shirt, Todd examines his average physique, then readjusts in his seat. “Right.” Head dropping low, he digs into his meal as if Dark and Sunshine aren’t at the bar. He forks a massive bite of steak into his mouth, which rounds his cheeks. He hums his appreciation for the meat before swallowing and signals toward his nearly empty wine glass. “More. Please.” He flicks the side of it with the tip of his nail, never looking up from his plate, as the blond waiter remains table side, not knowing what to do. That makes two of us.

Gripping my fork handle until it leaves a painful imprint in my palm, I smile awkwardly at the blond. “No more drinks from the men at the bar. We’d like to eat in peace. Thank you.” For whatever lame reason, I wink as if that will help cure the Hot Mess Express that is our presence.

Taking this entire ordeal in stride, the blond leaves without a word and returns moments later to refill not only Todd’s glass but mine. Then he’s gone, leaving us to our own devices—well, to our mounting tension. With how thick it is, you could cut the air with a dull spoon.

Not wanting this date to become a total disaster, I follow Todd’s lead and eat. I pretend my ex and his father aren’t boring holes through the back of my skull, even if I can feel their eyes on me through every bite. It’s unnerving, uncalled for, and downright disrespectful. Then again, that’s their objective, right?

They showed up last night and are now here. They had to have followed us or done something more diabolical, like put a tracker in my purse, but I don't plan to ask anytime soon.

We sip and eat. Eat and sip. Our waiter stops by to refill our glasses again, but he never speaks a word.

It doesn’t take long for the wine to go straight to my head, loosening my limbs and lips as the pleasant, warm and fuzzies finally kick in. I care less and less about the presence of my former husband and the… Sunshine, the man who was supposed to… not be like everyone else.

“I’m sorry, Todd,” I whisper, hoping he forgives me.

Heaving a sigh, the sweet man reaches across the table, takes my hand into his, and gives it a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay, beautiful. You didn’t know.” He attempts to smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

Pressing my lips together, I nod once. He’s right. I didn’t know. I’m glad this didn’t ruin our entire date.

When the bagged desserts arrive, the check does not. Our original waiter shuffles from foot to foot as Todd pulls out his credit card and slides it across the white linen to him.

The kid slides it back. “It’s been taken care of, sir,” he mumbles, wanting to be anywhere but here.

Massaging the bridge of my nose, I inhale deeply and blow out the breath between my lips—Dark and goddamn Sunshine. Those bastards. They paid for our meal. They… I can’t with these men.

Lips thinning with barely concealed fury, Todd glares over my shoulder at the men who are most definitely still there, nursing beers and creeping on our date.

Gripping the stem of his wine glass, Todd’s nostrils flare as he brings the rim to his lips and drains the contents as if seeking liquid courage before he shoves his chair back. It screeches across the floor as he abruptly stands and slams his empty glass back on the table. It’s a miracle it doesn’t break. He snatches the napkin from his lap and chucks it onto our tabletop. It knocks over our half-full breadbasket, sprawling its contents all over the linen. I scramble to clean up the mess, so the waiters don’t have to as he continues staring at the men at the bar.

He clears his throat, jaw ticking.

“Todd. They’re not worth it,” I reason.

My date doesn’t hear a word I say as he approaches the bar, clearly hellbent on dying today.

Not wanting to deal with this shit, I rest both elbows on the edge of the table and hold my head, not caring if I ruin my makeup.

I cannot believe this is happening.

Why is this my life?

There’s commotion.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watch multiple servers rush past me. I know I should stand up and get involved to de-escalate the situation, but I don’t have the energy.

I groan when glass shatters.

“I don’t want your fuckin’ charity,” Todd says loud enough for the entire restaurant to hear.

Why do men do this?

Their stupid pride is annoying.

Shouting ensues.

Lots and lots of it.

More bodies come running to assist.

It’s not until I overhear Sunshine amid the chaos trying to get people to back the fuck up, do I heave a ginormous sigh and shove my chair away from the table to stand.

When I turn, Sunshine’s standing between my ex-husband and my current boyfriend, a hand in the center of each of their chests to keep them from killing each other.

Ridiculous.

“You don’t deserve her. You’re a piece of shit,” Todd spews at Dark, his back to me.

Dark licks a bloodied cut from the side of his lip. Looks like someone got punched in the mouth. He smiles like a fucking lunatic, his gray eyes wild, chest pistoning for air, as he stares violent intent at Todd.

Sunshine makes eye contact with me and shakes his head as if he’s sorry for what happened. They should have known coming here was a bad idea, yet here they are.

“This was uncalled for,” I scold, crossing my arms over my chest as I stand back from the testosterone-fogged circle and tap the toe of my stiletto on the floor like a disappointed mother.

All three sets of eyes lock on me, even Todd’s. He cranes his neck to the side to break contact with Dark and … whatever’s brewing here.

“How about we pull out our wallets, and by we, I mean the three of you?” I point to each of them. “And you pay for everyone’s meals, and then some, for interrupting a perfectly fine evening with your macho bullshit.”

Sunshine drops his hand from Todd’s chest as if Todd’s the least to be concerned with. He probably is. Extracting a wallet from his back pocket, Sunshine pulls a fat stack of cash from inside and slaps it on the bar top. When he turns around, he arches a brow in my direction, asking me without words if that’s enough penance to pay for this disruption. I nod once, knowing damn well that’s easily five grand.

Satisfied with his generosity, I turn on my heel, snatch up the desserts in their paper bag, my purse, and coat, and saunter out of the restaurant, never looking back.

Wanting to be alone after whatever that was, I dial Till on the sidewalk outside, beneath the glow of the moon.

“What happened?” she answers, knowing I’m supposed to be out on a date.

“Long story. Can you pick me up?”

Till curses under her breath. “Of course. Send me your location.”

We hang up, and I text her where I am. So I don’t freeze my butt off in this skimpy dress, I set the paper bag on the sidewalk, slip on my coat and tighten the tie around my waist before I scoop it back up and walk down the block to wait for Till and avoid the men.

Minutes tick by at a snail’s pace as I try to hide beside a lamppost that flickers like something out of a horror movie. My leg jiggles as the men exit the front of the restaurant, their loud voices booming over the quiet road. Todd first, followed by Dark and Sunshine. Three sets of eyes sweep the sidewalk, looking for me. Sunshine finds me first. I groan inwardly, having been caught.

As if summoned by the Goddess herself, Till’s sports car rips around the corner in my direction and screeches to a rough stop beside the curb as the three assholes saunter this way.

“Kali!” Dark yells.

“Please. Stop!” Todd adds.

Cringing at the urgency in their tones, I shake my head to clear away the mounting guilt and climb into Till’s car before the wine wears off and my stupid conscience forces me to hear them out. Ugh. I’ve been so good lately. Four months of strength. But that’s easy to do when you’re not faced with their presence. It’s much harder to do when they stare at you through a car window, frowning as Till flips them off and zips away.

I slump in the bucket seat and groan. “Fuck. My. Life.”

Tapping her fingers against the steering wheel, Till throws her head back and laughs. “You gonna tell me why Todd, the ex, and his hot dad were all at the same restaurant?” My best friend pauses to rake her wide eyes over me, then whistles. “Damn, girl, you look fuckin’ hot.”

I roll my eyes and smooth a hand down my jacket and dress. “I hate men.”

Till laughs again. “Did I see blood on Dark’s face?”

“Yep.”

“I don’t know how you thought you could divorce him and he’d somehow stop pining after what he wants but can’t have.”

“We’re not talking about this.”

Till snorts like I’m full of it. “We sure as hell are. I left the bar to save your ass. You’re stuck in this car with me ‘til I choose to stop. Kali, I’m sick of this evading shit. You might not wanna tell the sisters what’s up, but you will tell me, or I’ll torture you.”

Lolling my head against the headrest, I roll my eyes at the nosy bitch. “Till, I love you, but you don’t scare me.”

Removing her hands from the steering wheel, she rubs her palms together like a villain. “I have my ways.”

I snort. “Uh-huh.”

“I’ll play nonstop folk music in the bar for the next month.”

Clutching my heart, I gasp. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh. But I would.”

“You evil, bitch,” I hiss good-naturedly.

Till cackles in triumph. “Try me, bitch.” She arches a brow in challenge.

Fine.

I suppose I can tell her something. A little something. Nobody wants to listen to folk music at the bar for a month. Consider this a favor to our patrons.

Staring out the side window as the shadowy world flashes by, I spill the beans. Once I get started, I can’t stop. The faucet opens, and everything that happened on the yacht, down to the cheating and everything in between, pours from my traitorous lips. When I’m done, every part of me feels lighter. The tension in my shoulders, which I didn’t realize was there, is gone, replaced with relief. Relief that I shared with someone who cares, someone I can trust.

Till grips her steering wheel and stares straight ahead, eyes on the road. “Those fucking bastards,” she seethes. “Those stupid, fucking bastards. I’m gonna kill ‘em.” She jerks the steering wheel like she’s trying to rip it from the car.

“Well…You asked, and you’ve been asking. You can’t kill them. That’s my job.”

“Kali.”

“What?”

“Dark legit played you.”

Duh.

I throw my hands in the air. “I know.”

“Sunshine knew.”

“Yep.”

“Todd’s a dumb fucking tool.”

“Till,” I scold. Not this again. She needs to leave Todd out of this. He’s the least of my problems.

“What?” Her shoulders touch her ears before she drops them dramatically. “He is. Instead of making some dick-measuring, chest-pounding scene…” She scoffs, unimpressed. “He could have done the right thing and taken the win, left with you, his goddamn trophy, and had free dessert naked in bed with your smokin’ hot body. But nooo…” Till slams her palm against the top of her steering wheel. “Men are idiots.”

That they are.

I reach into my purse and extract the first crystal I find swimming in the bottom. Rubbing the smooth bloodstone for comfort, I force a half-assed smile. “Thanks, Till.” For being a good friend, for picking me up, for listening, for giving a crap. I leave the emotional bits out because sappy feelings make her uncomfortable. But I am grateful for her. Who knows how long I’d have harbored all this on my own had she not dropped everything to rescue me.

Shifting anxiously in her seat, Till rubs her temple with her middle finger, directed at me. I roll my eyes and snicker at her inability to accept praise. “Now, what do you wanna do?” she asks, side-eyeing me.

“I dunno yet, but I’m afraid to go home.”

“Sunshine won’t break into your house again if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“You don’t know that,” I reply, because she can’t know that.

“Yeah, I do. So do you. He learns quick. You’re his favorite person in the world. From the sounds of it, he’s tryin’ to make shit right.”

I’m not so sure about that.

“If he learns so well, why was he at the restaurant tonight? Hmmm?”

“I don’t know. But I’m willin’ to bet it’s not just to cause a scene.”

“No matter the reason, that was uncalled for.”

“Ask him,” Till suggests.

“No.” Not a chance. I’d rather stab myself in the foot with an ice pick.

“Kali, you and I both know you gotta talk to him sometime. Maybe not to Dark. Dark is dead to us.” To prove her point, Till rips a thumb across her throat like she’s planning my ex’s bloody demise. “Sunshine’s a good man. You need to remember that.”

I don’t have to remember shit.

“He lied, Till. Lied for years,” I remind her, in case she already forgot.

“To protect you from his son.”

“No. To protect the club and his son.”

Till levels me with a quick, unimpressed stare, "Him shielding you doesn’t do jack for the club, Kali. As for Dark, I don’t have an answer, but I’d put money on it not bein’ just for Dark’s benefit. When Dark returned with Lily and Abby, Sunshine wasn’t all kumbaya, buddy, buddy with his son anymore.”

True. He was livid.

“Maybe. But think about it. He helped me buy my house. He knew about them then, even when he said he didn’t,” I reason.

“Exactly.” Till pounds the side of her fist against the edge of the steering wheel. “He moved you out of your apartment and into a place of your own, knowing damn well Dark was about to wreck your entire world. It gave you the security you needed when the storm came.”

Of course, she’d side with him.

“You’re only defending him because of your history,” I snip.

“What history?”

I throw my hand out. “The sex and stuff.”

“What?” Till squeaks as if she’s genuinely confused.

“You know…” Do I have to spell it out?

“I don’t know what you think, but Sunshine and I have never fucked.”

Twisting in my seat to face her, my brows furrow. “Wait. You haven’t?” That can’t be right.

“Lord. No. We flirt and act like idiots, but I’ve never fucked him. That man’s more celibate than a priest. Trust me, it’s not for a lack of trying.” Till waggles her brows at me, eyes wide and ridiculous.

Shaking my head in disbelief, I chuckle. “How did I not know this?”

She shrugs. “Because you’re blinder than a bat.”

Till turns left into what I’m just now realizing is my neighborhood.

“You’re taking me home,” I broadcast the obvious.

“Yep.” She nods. “Stop hiding, you big baby. So what if they hurt you? Fuck… that didn’t come out right. Let’s try this again… You’re a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need a man…”

I snort.

She flashes me a grin. “How’my doin’?”

“Awful.” I press my lips together to keep from laughing.

“Perfect.” Till clears her throat obnoxiously and parks in front of my house. She cuts the engine, undoes her seatbelt, and turns toward me in the seat. “As I was sayin’… You’re strong, Kali. Strong women face their fears. They don’t hide from the pain. They embrace that shit like a tattoo. It hurts for a while until it doesn’t. You’re left with scars. We all are. But some of them, just like a tattoo, can be beautiful. Dark doin’ shit Dark does, doesn’t define your life. Talking to them, or at least Sunshine, may change nothin’, but it could also change everything.” Till reaches across the console and pats my leg affectionately. “Now go and embrace that pain, bitch… and call me whenever you decide to murder Dark. I’ll be there with a shovel or a bag, ya know… whatever you need.”

My heart is far too warm and fuzzy for her having my back. I don’t gush my appreciation like I want to. Instead, I mimic her leg pat with one of my own. “Thanks for the ride, Till.”

“And the advice,” she adds.

Shaking my head, I fake laugh. “Sure. That, too.”

“Text me anytime, and no more keepin’ the shitty shit to yourself. Agreed?”

“Fine,” I relent good-naturedly.

“Excellent.” Till claps her hands together twice as if everything’s settled. “Now get the fuck outta my car. I have a bar to close.”

Smirking at her ridiculousness, I unbuckle my belt and reach across the car to pull my best friend into an awkward hug. She reluctantly pats my back, treating me like a leper, but she hugs me, nonetheless. Once I pull away and gather my things, I exit her fancy vehicle. She waits for me to let myself into the house that Lily must have locked up, turn on a light, and wave to her from my non-invaded home before she does a U-turn, flips me the bird, and high tails it out of my neighborhood with folk music bumping from her stereo.

As I lock up for the night and get ready for bed, there’s a light rap at my front door.

Knowing exactly who it is, I sigh and remove my heels before following my best friend’s terrible advice and let the liar inside.

Sunshine doesn’t even look me in the face as I hold the door open for him. Not saying a word, he ambles inside, his shoulders hunched like a dog in trouble.

Before Dark shows up and causes more problems, I flip the lock, drape my jacket over the back of the couch, grab my favorite blanket from the woven basket by the television, and make myself at home as the biker does the same on the chair across from me.

Sunshine fumbles with his phone and types out a message.

“Did Till text you and tell you to come over?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

“Yes. Are you mad?”

“No. But I need you to tell me why you’re here, why you broke in last night, why you were at the restaurant, and why you lied. I need answers.”

Massaging the nape of his neck, eyes downcast, Sunshine nods once, agreeing to my terms. “Okay. But let me make you some tea first. This is gonna take a while.”

SEVEN

With both hands cupped around my orange, honey, chamomile tea, I blow the steam from the top, watching it rise as Sunshine reclaims his chair across from me, now clad in a pair of sweats. While my tea steeped, he undressed in my bedroom and slid on a pair of black sweats he keeps here when he visits. He’s not wearing a shirt, which I hate. It’s distracting. It’s always distracting, but it's even more so now that I haven’t seen him like this in months.

He leans back in the overstuffed chair, getting comfortable—his legs spread out, bare feet on display, along with a smattering of gray chest hair, pecs most thirty-year-olds would kill to have, and tattoos, all those glorious tattoos. Wanting to scratch my own eyes out for even looking, I blink once to break the spell of all that is Sunshine and look elsewhere. The man’s magnetic, sucking you in. His presence is a warm blanket—soothing despite the pain he’s caused. I hate it. This is why I didn’t want to talk to him. This is why I didn’t want him in my house. I knew, I just knew, the moment I let him in, even for a moment, I’d weaken. He does that. I don’t know how. I don’t know why. But he does. He’s safe—a buoy in a storm. While my head says liar, my heart says—home.

My stomach quivers.

Tears well in my eyes.

I swipe the back of my hand across them to get rid of the evidence.

Ugh.

I don’t want to do this.

Fucking Till.

Fucking… life.

“Sweets,” his deep, sensuous voice calls.

I stare into the black void of the television.

“Sweets, look at me. Please.”

I swallow hard.

I don’t want to do this.

With trembling hands, I raise my mug to my lips again and blow the steam away, desperate for a drink.

Sunshine sighs.

His chair makes a sound, and then the floor creaks as he moves and sits beside me on the couch. My eyes widen in horror at his proximity. I lose all ability to breathe. I open my mouth to beg him to go away, but nothing comes out as Sunshine removes the tea from my shaking hands, sets it on a side table, and wraps his thick fingers around mine. Goosebumps flare as I suck in a sharp, shuddery breath and try to jerk away, but he doesn’t let go.

“Sweets.” He draws my knuckles to his lips and kisses me there.

One by one, he takes his time, like he has all night. His lips are soft and warm against my chilled flesh.

Once he reaches my pinky, a knot lodges in my throat, and tears unleash… dumb, emotional, traitorous tears.

They drip down my cheeks like water on a windowpane. Falling off my chin and onto the bare skin of my chest.

“Aww. Fuck.” Sunshine sighs as if watching me hurts. “Don’t do that.”

My bottom lip wobbles, and my nose burns as I try and fail to stave off the inevitable.

Pain rips from my throat as I succumb to the onslaught of every emotion I’ve buried for months. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t feel like this. I can’t live like this. I don’t want to feel this way.

Muscular arms scoop beneath my legs, and before I can process what’s happening, Sunshine carries me to the bedroom and sets me on the edge of my bed. He clicks on the lamp on the nightstand and kneels at my feet. Wetness glosses his sad, gray eyes as he stares up at me, straight into my soul.

He brushes the salty heartbreak from my cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. “I’m so fuckin’ sorry, my sweets. So fuckin’ sorry.”

“You lied,” I croak. “You’re my home, and you lied.”

Scooting closer, Sunshine drops his hands from my face and rubs them up and down my bare thighs. “I know. Fuck. I know. I promise I’ll tell you everything. In the morning, we’ll have a fresh start. Tonight, just let me hold you.”

Biting my bottom lip, I shake my head. “No,” I whisper, afraid to trust him, to believe this is real. I’ve been stupid before.

“Sweets. No more hurting. Never again,” he vows.

“Don’t lie, Colton.” I hiccup. “You can’t promise that.”

“I promise to never lie to you again. That, I can promise.” Without my answer, he rises to his feet and kneels on the mattress behind me. It dips beneath his weight as Sunshine brushes wayward strands of hair off my neck. I shiver from toes to nose as he unfastens my dress. The zipper retracting echoes in my ears, and coolness envelops my back. Sunshine doesn’t stop there when he slides the black lace from my shoulders. The tape holding my breasts in place detaches, leaving me exposed, as the fabric slides down my chest to pool in my lap. My nipples harden from the cold. Goosebumps rise across my breasts, puckering the skin.

A low, animalistic rumble sounds in the back of his throat as he climbs off the bed to kneel in front of me once more. With care only he possesses, he shimmies my dress from around my waist and down my legs, leaving me in nothing more than a pair of black lace panties.

He’s never seen me this way before.

For whatever reason, call it stupidity if you want, I don’t care. I’m exposed. His eyes are kind as he rakes my form—no judgment, only warmth as he reaches out and carefully peels the tape remnants from my chest and tosses them on the floor to deal with later. His knuckle brushes against my hardened nipple, and I suck in a harsh, unexpected breath. A ripple of something else entirely pools in my center.

“Colton,” I gasp.

“I’ve got you, Sweets. Always,” he swears, and for once, I believe him, even if I shouldn’t.

Lifting my legs into the air, my ex-father-in-law drops my back against the soft mattress. My breasts bounce on contact. Another sound percolates in his throat as he props my ankles on his muscular shoulders and glides his palms up my smooth calves and thighs to my hips. Ever so slowly, as if waiting for me to stop him, he hooks a finger into each side of my panties and slides them down my legs, exposing everything to him. Every inch. Every fold. Every private part.

Thickness tents in his sweats as he tosses my thong on the floor and swivels my legs so I’m lying naked in bed, my head on a pillow, arms down at my sides.

“Should’ve pulled the blanket back first, huh?” He chuckles, soaking in the length of me. His head shakes in awe. “You’re perfect,” he whispers, swiping two fingers across my knee.

Unexpected shyness flutters low in my belly as I watch Sunshine hook both thumbs into the band of his sweats and drop them to the floor. His length bobs, fully awake and slick on the tip, as he rounds the bed and slides onto the mattress next to me. Resting on his side, an elbow holding his head up, his girthy cock brushes my thigh in a simple hello—an I-missed-you-old-friend, leaving a wet imprint in its wake.

Shutting my brain off, I try not to think, only do, when I curl onto my side, offering my back to him. Sighing in relief, he slides behind me, nestling his dick against my butt. Familiar arms envelop me. A splayed palm presses to the center of my stomach, covering the raven of my tattoo. Heat wafts across the back of my neck as his nose nuzzles there. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” I admit, even if he doesn’t deserve to know the truth. Because I have missed this. Him.

A satisfied sound vibrates in his throat as Sunshine brushes hair from my neck and presses a simple kiss there. “Now sleep, my sweets. We’ll talk in the mornin’. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got you.” Concurring with his statement, the cock pressed against my bottom jerks.

Blowing out a breath, I bathe in his words, his presence, and the peace I haven’t felt in months.

He’s home.

With me.

Holding me.

Protecting me.

Tonight, that’s all that matters.

Tomorrow, we’ll figure everything out.

Within minutes, wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, I drift to sleep.

EIGHT

Prying one eye open, I stare at my blank white ceiling and sniff the air—food. I smell food.

Yummy, mouthwatering food.

Stretching both arms down at my sides to get a good stretch, I point my toes and yawn quietly, then blink a handful of times before I loll my head in Sunshine’s direction. Out of nowhere, every moment from yesterday comes flooding back—Lily, Todd, the restaurant, riding home with Till, Sunshine, and my breakdown. The man in question is still beside me, naked, his morning wood just hanging out in all its thick glory. Early daylight filters in through the windows, highlighting his still form—one leg bent up, an arm relaxed over his head on the pillow, half a black sheet draped across a thigh. He looks peaceful despite the erection.

Like a creeper, I continue to peruse. It’s not often, if ever, am I awake before he is—that I get to appreciate such a fine specimen. Dark hair dusts his tattooed legs. Those gutters at his hips might as well be a welcoming wagon to any woman. They’re too damn sexy. Right down to the neatly trimmed patch of dark gray hair that starts at his cock and trails up, up, up, between his abs, which are more prominent when he lays down, all the way to his pecs, where it spreads out. Not a lot. Just enough to run your fingers through.

I can’t believe I let this man undress me last night.

I peer down at myself.

Yep. Still naked.

We slept together like we have so many nights before, only there was nothing between us.

Does this change things? I don’t know.

I’ve never known where things sit with us, apart from the obvious… We’re family, and this home is as much mine as it is his.

A line has officially been crossed, and as much as I should be freaking out on the inside, I’m not.

I’m oddly calm.

Much like I am whenever he’s around.

I sniff the air again as the fragrance of whatever is cooking in the kitchen thickens.

“You done lookin’?” A small, knowing grin ticks up the side of Sunshine’s lips as he pops a lid open.

Rolling my eyes, I snicker, not the least bit embarrassed, and shove him in the ribs. “Shut up.”

He rolls his head to the side. “Look all you want, Sweets. You know I don’t mind.”

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He doesn’t mind. Whatever.

I change the subject when I ask, “Colton, why does it smell like breakfast, but you’re in here?”

With his head on his pillow and sexy bedroom grays in all their soft glory, Sunshine suppresses an awkward, this-might-not-go-well smile and wrinkles his nose. “Sweets.”

“Please don’t tell me it’s who I think it is,” I groan, hoping I’m wrong.

“Then you might not wanna ask.”

That’s what I thought.

Flipping face down on the bed, I smash my forehead into the mattress. “Why.” Smash. “Is.” Smash. “Dark.” Smash. “Here?” I grunt.

Chuckling deeply at my dramatics, Sunshine quickly straddles my bare legs from behind and covers my entire body with his. That morning wood slides between my thighs and nestles right there, you know, against my lips, giving them an unexpected morning kiss as he delivers a similar sentiment across my shoulders. “He’s” Kiss. “Here.” Kiss. “To.” Kiss. “Make.” Kiss. “Things.” Kiss. “Right.”

“Colton,” I gasp.

“Let me take your mind off whatever he’s doin’ ‘til he’s done,” the deliciously naughty man offers, and with a single suave maneuver, his cock is there, breaching my folds and grazing my entrance.

The breath against my neck grows heavy as the heart pounding through my back quickens, tangoing with mine. “Sweets.”

“Wh—what are you doing?” I croak.

“Tell me to stop,” he begs through gritted teeth.

“Colton.”

“Tell. Me. To. Stop.”

“But what if I don’t want to?”

“Kali. Please. I’ve already taken this too fuckin’ far.”

“You can move if you want to move. Nothing’s stopping you.”

“Sweets. I… Fuck…” He drops his forehead between my shoulders and takes a heavy breath. “I’m⁠—”

A fist pounds on the bedroom door, rocking it on its hinges. “Food’s ready whenever you assholes are done playin’ hide the sausage and ready to… ya know, talk and shit.”

Shoving my face into the mattress, I grunt into the cotton. “What the fuck is wrong with him?”

Sunshine drops a sweet kiss on my shoulder and sits back on my legs. His still-hard dick brushes the underside of my butt cheeks as he proceeds to use them as bongos. Apparently, we’re starting a band as he hums a tune to some rock song.

“Colton!” I giggle, trying to twist my ass away from his playful slaps.

The bastard doesn’t relent when he squeezes his legs around mine and switches to a rendition of “Witchy Woman,” which isn’t half bad with his sensual voice laced with humor.

“Colton.” My tone grows more serious as I grip the top of the mattress and try to pull myself away but fail miserably when the man in question gets to the chorus, and my bottom starts to warm in a different way, radiating into my core. If I wasn’t already semi-turned on before, I’m damn well panting now. Each slap turns up my arousal a notch at a time, and when he gets to the beat toward the end, when the words drop out, and the percussion picks up, I gasp out in pleasure, my pussy clenching on the brink of an orgasm.

“Colton,” I beg, voice wrecked as I grip the bed sheet in my fists. “Colton.”

Chuckling at his showmanship, as if I’m not a needy live wire, ready to detonate at any moment, the oblivious man covers my back again and playfully pecks my shoulder. His cock slides in where it was before, but this time, there’s lubricant to guide the way. When the firm heat of his pecs connects with my back, Sunshine’s arousal meets with mine, and my center welcomes him home in one glorious slide.

To. The. Hilt.

I gasp at the intrusion. Every muscle locks down. Neither of us moves an inch as our world as we know it comes to a screeching halt. I don’t breathe. He doesn’t breathe. I can feel his thickness inside me, filling me in more ways than one, ways I don’t wish to decipher right now.

It pulses there.

Blood rushes through my ears as my heart punches my sternum.

One beat passes, then the next, and the next. Neither of us speaks. Neither of us moves.

My eyes widen when his cock flexes and breaks the spell.

“Fuck!” Sunshine scrambles off me as if I’m diseased, taking his attached appendage with him. He tumbles to the floor in a mess of limbs, and the bedside lamp rattles as he rights himself before looking at me with what could only be described as shame. Quickly looking away, he doesn’t say a thing when he races into the bathroom and slams the door shut.

Flipping onto my back, I drag a hand down my face and kick the bed in frustration like a kid having a temper tantrum. That fucking happened. It did. He just slipped in. Spanked my ass to a song I love, and… there it went, inside. Does that mean we had sex? No. Right? Shit. I don’t even know.

Shaking my head, I climb out of bed. Well, I sit on the edge and shake my head a dozen more times before I blow out a breath and slap my knees to prepare for the talk we agreed to have today. I suppose we should also discuss what happened. We’ve toed a flirty line for years but never crossed it. In the last twenty-four hours, many lines have been crossed—more than I know what to do with.

When Sunshine finally exits the bathroom, he’s freshly showered, dripping water down his hair-matted chest, a towel tucked around his waist. I wait for him to do or say something, but nothing comes. Not when he kneels by my dresser and pulls out a fresh pair of boxers, a t-shirt, and jeans. Not when he bends over, giving me a spectacular view of his ass as he slides on his bottoms. It isn’t until he’s fully clothed and I’m not that he turns around to face me. Once again, there’s a grimace cloaking his face, and I don’t like it one bit.

“I’m sorry,” he says, like that solves everything.

It doesn’t.

I open my mouth to speak, but he continues, “Sweets, let’s talk in the living room. Come join us whenever you’re ready. Yeah?”

Not knowing how to respond, I nod and wrap my arms around my middle to shield myself from this weirdness that floats between us.

Satisfied with my reply, or lack thereof, Sunshine escapes out the bedroom door. The man from the night before, the considerate one who undressed me, wiped away my tears, and cuddled me in bed, is gone, replaced by whoever this creature is who’s okay with running away after we… did whatever that was.

Heaving a sigh loud enough that I hope they can hear me in the living room, I pad my way into the bathroom. Shoulders deflated, heart bruised, I crank the shower to metaphorical Hell hot and let the water wash over me. I wash and overthink. Overthink and wash. I come up with every reason under the moon and stars why Sunshine would act this way, but I come up blank. The longer I try, the more my brain hurts until a headache pounds in my temples.

“Just go talk to them,” I remind myself as I wrap a fluffy towel around my chest and exit the bathroom. On autopilot, I dress in leggings and an orange, off-the-shoulder tank sans bra. I check my phone on the nightstand to find a slew of messages from Todd and a few from Till.

Till: You can thank me later.

Fat chance.

Till: Don’t forget to listen to what he has to say.

Uh-huh. Sure.

I don’t bother responding to the nuisance that is my best friend and move to Todd’s texts.

Todd: I don’t know what got into me at the restaurant. I’m sorry. Please message me when you get this, so I know you’re okay.

Kali, please let me know you’re safe.

Don’t be cruel, Kali. I know I messed up, but please message me back to let me know you made it home, okay?

If I don’t hear from you by noon today, I’m coming to check on you.

I peek at the clock on the nightstand. It’s a quarter past nine.

Knowing that I might not get a chance if I don’t do it now, I text Todd back, even if I don’t know where we stand after everything that happened last night and this morning. We need to talk. That seems to be the trend of the day.

Me: Hey, sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I crashed when I got home, but I’m safe now. I’ll check back in with you a bit later today. I’ve got some things I need to handle before I do. I hope you’re doing well.

With that out of the way, I plug my phone back into its charger and stand to face the inevitable. There are two men in my living room. Two men I haven’t said more than a few sentences to in months. This is not how I planned to spend my Saturday.

For an extra layer of cosmic support, I make a pit stop in the bathroom to brush my hair and slide on a black cage necklace from one of the many jewelry hooks on the wall. From the selenite bowl on my bathroom counter, I close my eyes and let the universe choose the right crystal for me.

I breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth as warmth encompasses my palm, and I wrap two fingers around the tumbled stone it has chosen.

I set it on the counter and open my eyes.

A beautiful aquamarine crystal glimmers at me.

Pressing my lips together, I quietly chuckle. Of all the options in my bowl, of course, the universe would gift me with a throat chakra crystal. A stone of courage, calm, and emotional balance. It promotes strong communication and helps with closure.

I snort.

Communication and closure.

That sounds about right.

Sliding the black wooden bead up my necklace, I drop the crystal into its woven cage and return it to its place.

It’s time.

Hi-ho, hi-ho, out of the frying pan and into the fire, we go.

Wish me luck.

NINE

Nestling a plate of freshly cut fruit and fluffy waffles with syrup in my lap, I fork another piece of pineapple into my mouth as the man beside me on the couch remains eerily quiet, and my ex-husband, in the chair across us, watches me eat like some food porn weirdo.

I arch a quizzical brow at Dark and swallow. “Who’s gonna start?” I gesture to him with the tine of my fork, then swing it to Sunshine. Neither of them are eating. I don’t know if it’s because they mowed down before I left the bedroom or if they’re not hungry. Either way, I’m not letting this spread Dark threw together go to waste. Not when I can count on one hand how many times he cooked for me when we were married, and I don’t mean separated, but actually together. You know when he was off every few months dipping his dick in random pussy.

Dark thrums his fingers on the arm of the chair, and his leg bounces as if he’s nervous.

The man beside me clears his throat. I wait for him to begin, but apparently, he just needs to clear his throat when another uncomfortable silence descends, and I dig back into my meal. I’m not letting them off the hook. They started this. I’m not going to pry it from their mouths. Not that I could if I wanted to.

“Fuck.” Dark slams the side of his fist onto the top of his thigh.

Again, I wave my fork like a magical wand and urge him to do more than cuss. He’s never had a problem talking before, so I don’t know what’s stopping him now. The same goes for Sunshine. They’re not quiet, broody men. Well, broody, maybe. But never quiet. At least not in my presence.

“Guys.” I sigh. “Talk or get out. I don’t have time for this.” I pluck a piece of strawberry from my plate, put it in my mouth, and stare intensely at my ex as I chew. They need to pull up their big girl panties and get on with it.

“Christ, Kali.” Dark throws his head back and speaks to the ceiling like it’s too difficult to look at me. “What do you want from me? Do you want me to admit I cheated on you?” The tattooed flesh of his throat moves when he swallows.

I hum thoughtfully and push an orange slice around my plate. “Is that what you want to admit? Something that I already know?”

Dark throws his hands in the air in exasperation. “I gave you what you wanted. A divorce.”

“Which I’ve been asking for, for literally ever.” Years. Years upon years. He doesn’t become a hero all of a sudden because he stopped being a pain in my ass for half a second.

He continues to speak to my dull ceiling. “I can’t change what I did.”

“Do you still do it? Besides what we did on the yacht, do you still cheat on Abby?” I ask, needing to know if he’s trying to be a better person. We can’t change what happened on the ocean, but he can choose to stop hurting people anytime he’s ready.

Tilting his head back down, Dark’s eyes narrow into slits as he glares at me. “Yes. You already know this.” His jaw ticks as if he’s annoyed I’m seeking clarification in the first place.

“Have you done it since we got back? Ya know, cheated since I found out?” I ask again, in a different way, hoping for a different answer.

“Yes.”

Beside me, Sunshine curses under his breath.

“You’re an actual piece of shit,” I announce to the room and shake my head at the audacity of this man, who gives zero fucks about his actions and how they affect other people—real humans with feelings and aspirations. As much as I love Dark, in that platonic, you’re-my-hot-ex-husband thank-you-for-giving-me-children way, I don’t like him very much most of the time. Today, I’d go as far as to say I despise him. You don’t get to take a wrecking ball to everyone’s life and shrug it off.

My ex cringes but doesn’t back down, which I don’t expect him to. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the honest answer to.”

“Does Abby know?”

“No.”

“Are you going to tell her?”

“No. I’m not. I have an entire life outside of our little world here.” He waves his hand with flourish. “I’m a different man dealing with dangerous people.”

That’s not an excuse to be a dickbag. I’m sorry, it’s not. You can play a role and deal with shady people while you still avoid hurting the ones you claim to care about.

“Then which is the real you, hmm? Maxim or Dark?”

My dickhead ex rolls his eyes as if that’s the dumbest question he’s ever heard. “Maxim isn’t real, Kali. He’s a front. You know this.”

Cocking my head to the side, I point my fork at him. “But do I?”

“Christ. You married me. You know me. You know who I am. You’re the mother of my kids.”

“I’m the mother to two of your kids. Abby is the mother of your daughter, in case you forgot. You know, the woman you’ve been ignoring down the street.”

“Yeah. I get it. I’m an asshole. I should have kept in touch, but I don’t love her. I’ve never loved her, and I’m never gonna love her. Not in the way it counts.”

“Then leave her. Do your Maxim Drake cheating bullshit for the club and leave Abby. That’s the right thing to do, Dark. You can still see Lily. You can still help them. But give the poor woman a chance to be with a man who will actually love her. Not keep her around because he can’t… Never mind.” Having already said too much, I shut my trap.

“What?” he goads, sitting forward in the chair. “Finish your sentence. Can’t have what? You?” Staring straight into my soul, an evil quirk on his lip, he arches his brows and his forehead crinkles. “Is that what you were gonna say?” the jerk presses, and when I don’t respond, he continues, “Abby is only around because of Lily. I tried to do what was right, given the shitty situation.” Dark shrugs and resettles back in his chair, resting the side of his booted foot on his knee, reeking of bravado.

“Then do what’s right and leave her. Because one of these days, you’re gonna knock another bitch up, or you’re gonna give her an STI.”

“What I do or don’t do with Abby is none of your business, Kali.” He gestures between us. “We aren’t married. You made it clear you want nothing to do with me.”

This dumbass, need-to-be-castrated dickweasle.

“Are you playing the victim now?” I scoff, then soften my tone to something grossly sweet. “Oh. Poor, Dark, his wife left him when he knocked up another woman.” Dramatically clutching my chest, this time, I roll my eyes so far back into my skull it’s a miracle they don’t get stuck.

Fed up with my sarcasm, Dark slams his fist on the arm of the chair. “Goddammit, woman, I love⁠—”

Refusing to let him finish that stupid sentence that does nothing but anger me, I cut him off. “Why were you both at the restaurant last night? Why were you on my date?”

Clearly not knowing what to say, my ex looks to his dad. Something unspoken passes between them before Dark expels a heavy breath and flicks an invisible piece of lint from his t-shirt. “We. No. You gotta run a job on Todd.”

Ah, yes, a typical half-assed answer. I know this game well.

Confident they’ll give up the goods one way or another, I play along anyhow. “You want me to spy on my boyfriend?”

Beside me, a low growl rumbles in Sunshine’s throat. I peek at him out of the corner of my eye as he grips the arm of the couch. The muscles in his neck thicken, and his nostrils flare. Okay. I guess Todd is a sore subject in present company.

“Yeah,” Dark confirms. “We need you to spy on your boyfriend.”

“Why?”

Dark looks at his father. Again, something passes between them when Sunshine dips his head. My ex squeezes his eyes shut and mutters a curse before turning his attention back to me. “How long have the stalkers been happening?”

What does that have to do with Todd?

I frown. “Years. Why?”

“We have reason to believe that… Fuck…” Dark massages the base of his neck and his thick biceps flex. “There’s somebody scouting you.”

“Scouting me, how? For what?”

“Someone who knows about your talents.”

“My plants?” That’s not exactly a talent. They’re plants. They grow. You harvest them and turn them into usable poison. Literally, anyone with time and half a brain could do it. My mother taught me how in the back of the old hippy van we lived in. We had a small grow area where we harvested the necessities and stored them in blue Ball jars. We tried out different blends on people. No. Not people. Men. We targeted men. Well, she did. I didn’t have much say in who we experimented on. I had a small notebook where I recorded all our notes and outcomes—it disappeared ages ago. Mom learned everything about the dangerous plants Mother Earth provides during her worldly travels and passed on the knowledge to me. Again, that’s not talent. That’s education. There isn’t a time I don’t remember knowing. It’s just there.

Inserting himself into the conversation, Sunshine reaches into my lap, claims my half-eaten plate of food, and rests it on the sofa table beside him. Then he grabs my calf and turns me so my back tucks into the arm of my couch, and my legs are in his lap. His eyes meet mine for the first time since the bedroom incident. They’re warm but etched with concern.

“We believe Todd works for the same people scouting you,” Sunshine explains.

“No. No, he’s not.” That’s insane. Actually insane.

“Sweets. Yes. He. Is. We went to the restaurant to ID him and shake shit up. He needs to know that whatever he’s got planned, it ain’t gonna fly. You’re too important to us and to the club. Whoever is bankrolling this motherfucker ain’t gonna like we’re in the picture.”

Oh.

When I don’t say anything, Sunshine continues, and as he does, he massages my bare feet. “Have you ever noticed the stalkers only happen when we aren’t around?”

I shrug. “No. I guess not.”

“Just tell her, Pops,” Dark says, as if they’re hiding something vital.

Squeezing his eyes shut for half a beat, Sunshine shakes his head and exhales a sigh. When he reopens those gorgeous grays, he pins them on me. “You know I’m a cleaner.”

“Duh,” I reply.

“When you take care of the stalkers, and I come to clean up, I don’t just, ya know, ‘clean up.’” He air quotes and resumes working my heel. “I took pictures, then fingerprinted the men and sent the info to Gunz, who ran background checks and shit on all of ‘em. The names they gave you. None of them matched the bodies. I mailed their phones to another brother to see what he could dig up.”

Damn.

“And you believe they’re all connected somehow,” I guess.

Sunshine nods just as Dark picks up right where his father left off. “Do you remember the job you did ten, maybe eleven years back? You got a job at that hotel bar a week before a group of businessmen were set to stay. They spent a bunch of time at the bar. You got friendly with ‘em, which is what we needed. On the last night, you slipped something in two of their drinks. One died at the hotel that night, the other on his flight home the next day.”

“Yes. I remember,” I reply. “It’s one of the few jobs I’ve had that Sunshine didn’t come to clean up after.” Because there was nothing to dispose of. When the man didn’t check out of the hotel, a maid found him dead in his bed. The coroner picked the body up and did a toxicology screening. It showed, as I expected, alcohol and recreational drugs. They didn’t suspect foul play. The man on the flight died of an aneurysm. Or so the death certificate says. Sunshine looked into it when things went down. That’s how I know.

“I’m pretty sure one of those men at the bar was Elden,” Dark explains.

I frown. “The asshole from the yacht who tried to buy me?” The sicko who did unspeakable things to a corpse? That man?

“Yep. I don’t know for sure if he recognized you or not, but it doesn’t matter. He’s dead. What’s concerning are his uncles. They’re Remy buyers.”

“So, they’re collectors.” Where some rich assholes collect art, others collect cars or stamps or baseball cards and other weird stuff. Then you have these men—those who collect people.

“Exactly. I think an uncle has been on to you since. Maybe he informed Elden of his little obsession. Maybe he didn’t. We don’t know. But the stalking started shortly after that. Right?”

Scratching my forehead, I think a bit, trying to iron the timeline out. “Maybe. I think so. The first one happened when you were on a short run, and it was maybe a year or two until the next one came. Time’s a little blurry. But after you left and I moved here, the stalking picked up. Two, maybe three a year since. Some lasted a week or two. A few lasted a month, maybe a bit longer.” None of them were particularly scary or problematic.

“And they all started by coming to the bar?” Dark asks.

“Yes. Every one of them.” Their visits started slow and picked up as time went on.

“Including Todd?”

I nod. “Including Todd…So…” I clasp my hands together. “What you’re telling me is my boyfriend was hired to stalk me like the others, but he got a foot in the door, and now I’ve let the enemy into my house?”

“Not exactly,” comes from Sunshine, clearly wanting to make me feel better. “Dark and Cell broke into his dentist’s office last night and pulled what they could from his computer.”

“Dark and Cell did what?” I screech.

“We broke in⁠—”

“Yeah.” I wave my ex off. “I heard that part. What I don’t understand is why Cell, my sister, who sits at a computer every day, broke into a dentist’s office like some criminal. She doesn’t do outside jobs.” There’s a reason Cell works underground. She’s not one for the outside world. The woman rarely spends time in the bar, let alone walking the streets at night or breaking and entering.

My ex shrugs as if it’s no biggy. “She did last night.”

“Dark.”

“What? It was Till’s idea.”

My eyes widen, and my mouth nearly hits the floor. “It was whose idea?”

“Pops reached out to Till,” Dark explains. “He asked her if she knew anyone who could do what we needed. She recommended Cell, and Cell reached out to me once Till spoke to her.”

I’m gonna murder them all. Till included. What a sneaky bitch.

“You don’t get to use my sisters, Dark,” I scold.

“I sure as fuck do when it comes to your safety.”

“Fine.” I huff and cross my arms over my chest, knowing damn well I can’t win this one. All my sisters would jump off a cliff if it meant helping me. Cell included. “She’s safe, right? After you broke in and did whatever you did?” I motion to Dark.

A short laugh rips from his throat as a cocky smile lights his entire face making him look ten years younger. “Hell yeah. I took her home afterward. We had a blast, but the woman definitely needs to get out more.”

With my lips pressed together, I grumble and look at Sunshine, none too happy. “You just let this happen?” It isn’t like him to act so recklessly.

He pats the side of my ankle in reassurance. “She volunteered, Sweets. If we didn’t have Cell, we’d have to wait for a qualified brother to ride here, break in, and do the same shit she was able to do. Dark kept her safe. She even transmitted the encrypted files to Gunz and his kid for them to dig through.”

I cannot believe they did this. Well, I can. But I’m… ugh.

“Sooo let me get this straight. You both wanted to have this talk today, not about what happened between us, but because of Todd?” I glance between them for an answer.

Showing zero remorse, Dark shrugs up one muscular shoulder and drops it dramatically. “Pretty much.”

“You know I can handle myself, right?” I make sure they realize I’m a grown-ass woman and not someone who needs to be saved. Had they told me about Todd before this, I could have snuck into the dentist's office with Dark.

“Obviously not,” my ex growls. “You’re dating a man hired to gather intel on you for some piece of shit who likely wants to kidnap you to keep you as a prize, or worse.”

They don’t know that. This is all speculation. Maybe they made all this up because I’m dating someone they don’t want in my life. Maybe this is a bunch of bullshit lies to get them back into my life without having to talk about the real stuff. Blame it on basic Todd. Blame it on something other than their actions. That sounds like a smart cop-out, right?

Wanting them to see actual reason or, at the very least, own up to how far-fetched this sounds, I address my ex. “It’s been a decade, Dark. How many men do you know who play the long game? If he wanted me kidnapped, he could have done it sooner. It’s not hard. I live alone. He must know that.”

Leaning forward, staring straight at his father, Dark says, “I know plenty of men who play the long game, right, Pops?” He scoffs and lifts his chin at his dad, daring him to argue otherwise.

His expression unreadable, Sunshine ignores his son’s comment and presses his thumbs into the arch of my foot. I suppress a groan, loving the massage far more than I should. “We don’t know why all of this is goin’ down. But we know Todd’s involved. You need to remember that.”

Right. Remember that men who lied to me are selling me a story about how the guy I’m dating is some mastermind trying to kidnap me.

“You want me to kill him.” Sure, they said spy, but if I find the incriminating evidence they think I will, it’s obvious what’s expected of me. This isn’t about gathering intel as much as it is about eliminating another threat if there even is one.

“If you don’t, Sweets, I will,” Sunshine confirms with a shallow head dip.

Great. Just great.

“Just like that?” My voice spikes a dozen octaves.

Nostrils flaring, a low rumble vibrating in his throat, Sunshine nods without hesitation. “Yeah. Just like that.” His lips split into a cruel smile—promising sweet, sweet death. A death he’ll revel in.

Fuck. My. Life.

Dropping my head against the sofa, I squeeze my eyes shut and groan.

Can’t we go back to the lying, cheating drama? I could deal with that. I’ve been dealing with that. Maybe not successfully, but it’s better than adding another line to a laundry list of crap I gotta wade through.

I met an average man with an average life and an average everything—and even he’s a possible threat. None of this makes any sense. Not the stalking, not the intel, not my ex-father-in-law sliding his cock into home base then running away as if my vagina’s diseased.

Sunshine continues his ministrations on my feet, and Dark sees himself to the kitchen, where he makes a plate of food. They leave me to digest the information. The longer I think, the less I understand and the more aggravated I become.

Gripping my crystal necklace in my fist, I drop my chin to my chest, eyes still closed, and breathe.

In through my nose. Out through my mouth.

Expanding my stomach, I hold the air and slowly expel it through my lips with intention.

Having seen me do this a thousand times before, I overhear the man at my side following along. We breathe together. My exhale is his exhale, and my sharp intake of breath is his until the tension in my shoulders bleeds to nothing.

I let everything go.

Pain.

Fear.

Misery.

The unknown.

I float into myself. Introspective. Calming.

Zen.

The universe is warm.

I’m warm. Full of love. Of life.

None of this matters.

Everything will be okay.

When I return to myself—to the real world—I reopen my eyes, and they’re met with striking grays latching onto mine. The slightest grin ticks up the side of his mouth. We stare at each other, into each other, not speaking, just feeling.

This is what I missed.

How many times have we sat on this very couch with my feet on his lap and did nothing but be together? Hundreds of times.

He pinches my big toe playfully, and I smile.

Sunshine returns the sentiment, flashing a line of perfect teeth. The lines around his eyes crinkle, making him all the sexier. He scratches his bearded jaw shyly and winks.

Returning to his chair with a heavy drop, Dark makes an annoyed sound, then clears his throat. “Are we about done eye fucking for the day?” he grumbles and shoves a giant bite of cold waffle into his maw. His cheeks round as he chews, and I roll my eyes at his ridiculous comment.

Eye fucking? Hardly. He’s just an asshole.

Sunshine pinches my big toe again. “Later,” he whispers—a promise.

Sure, we’ll talk about whatever this is later.

But first, we need to discuss Todd and figure out what to do because I need a plan for handling my boy—ex-boyfriend. I also need to find out who the elusive man hiring these stalkers is. If there even is one.

TEN

Lily yawns and snuggles into the crook of Grandpa’s arm, wearing her cutest unicorn pajama set. Flashing me a soft smile, Sunshine pecks the top of her head as I drape my blanket over Lily’s lap and turn down the volume on the television. Our little one is tired. Any minute now, she’ll be out for the count, and Sunshine will do what he always does on nights like this—carry her upstairs to her brother’s old bedroom and meet me in our bedroom once he’s done. It’s a ritual. Entirely predictable, but one of my favorite things when he's here.

Dealing with Dark today was taxing, as it oftentimes is. The stubborn man wouldn’t leave, even after we devised a plan to handle Todd. Not even after he watched me text said man for a lunch date tomorrow. Or after Lily showed up to hang out. He lingered until dinnertime. Once the pizza was delivered from a local shop with the best chicken bacon ranch pie in the entire state, Dark set off to do whatever Dark does. I’m hoping that entails talking to his longtime girlfriend and either working their shit out or breaking things off. I’m secretly hoping for the latter. I wasn’t lying when I said Abby deserves better. Sure, we’ve never hit it off. I was the wife. She’s always kept me at arm’s length, which is fine. I try not to take it too personally. But that doesn’t change the fact that I want her to be happy. She deserves better.

Once he left, old routines fell into place as they always do when Sunshine’s here. We watched movies with Lily. Goofed around. Drank tea. It’s as if nothing’s changed when almost everything has.

“I’m gonna take her to bed in a few,” he whispers over Lily’s head, trying not to disturb her.

“Don’t want to sleep.” Lily yawns. Her eyelids flutter open for half a beat before they slam shut again. The poor girl hasn’t spent much time with Pops in months and is determined to make the most of it. But I know he’s kept in touch. She told me as much.

We both grin at her adorableness as Sunshine reaches out and pushes the back of two of his fingers across the side of my neck. I shiver despite not wanting to.

“We’ve got a lot to talk about, Sweets,” he explains, keeping his voice low.

“We do,” I agree.

We sit in silence, passing stolen glances at each other until we’re convinced Lily is out for the count. When Sunshine scoops our little turd into his arms and carries her up the stairs like she’s a princess, I collect our empty cups and the popcorn bowl and carry them into the kitchen. The popcorn kernels are dumped in the receptacle as the cups are rinsed and set on the top rack of the dishwasher to run later.

Chewing the inside of my cheek, I wipe down the counters and wait for him to return. A nervous ball of twine tumbles uncomfortably in my gut, scratching away at the delicate bits, making my nerves ratchet up more and more as the seconds pass. Before long, the thud of his bare heels descending the stairs sends a tremor of unease through my bones.

We’re going to have this talk.

I don’t know what he’ll say or what I’ll say, but we’re not sweeping this under the rug. I’m equally excited and petrified by this.

Reaching the main floor, Sunshine’s eyes meet mine from across the kitchen island. He nods toward the closed bedroom door, wordlessly asking if I’m ready to do this. The answer is a big, resounding no. I’m not ready.

He must sense my apprehension when he rounds the island, pries the kitchen towel from my fingers, balls it up, and tosses it into the sink. Like he did with Lily, Sunshine swoops me up as if I weigh nothing. My heart leaps into my throat as I hook my arm around his neck, and he damsel-in-distress carries me to the bedroom. So he doesn’t have to put me down, I turn the knob and push the door wide enough for us to fit. It clacks against the wall but not hard enough to leave a dent.

We don’t speak as he sets me on the edge of the bed and, just like last night, proceeds to remove my clothes. He doesn’t ask. He simply does. Over my head, he pulls my shirt, and with it goes my necklace. Knowing crystals matter to me, he lays my jewelry on my nightstand. My nipples tighten in the cold, but I don’t try to cover up. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

Despite my trembling fingers, the jiggle of my leg, or the ball of nerves going wild in my belly, I let Sunshine take charge, and as always, he doesn’t disappoint.

Next, my back meets the bed, and down roll my leggings and panties at once until my pussy is right there, bare, open, and ready for him to see. He balls up my bottoms and chucks them onto the floor with a huff as if they offended him. With my ankles on his shoulders, he sinks his teeth into his bottom lip and stares—right there, at my core, where he entered this morning.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he whispers, shaking his head in awe.

My cheeks go up in flames.

Turning my head to the side, I squeeze my eyes shut, unable to look at him looking at me that way—with such reverence.

“Sweets.” Featherlight touches trace up my calves to my thighs until he’s there, sweeping through my slit with a single digit.

Goosebumps break across every inch of flesh, and I gasp, hands fisting at my sides as the man I’ve known for more than half my life traces around my clit with marksman-like precision.

“Look at me,” Sunshine growls. It’s dark and sensual, eliciting another shiver.

I can’t look at him. If I do, I might ask him to stop, but I don’t want to. I want this. I’ve dreamed of this moment for far too long, wondering what it might look like, how it would happen, how it would feel.

Pinching my clit, he rolls it through his deft fingers, and my back arches off the mattress. I cry out in pleasure.

His low hum of manly satisfaction makes my heart flutter.

There’s a rustling of clothes followed by pants dropping to the floor. Sunshine shuffles and kicks out of them but never stops massaging my clit. It’s slow. A burn. A spark. Absolute perfection.

Setting down one of my legs so it drapes over the side of the bed, I hear Sunshine’s deep breaths as he removes his shirt and tosses it onto the ground with a grunt. Without pause, he presses in until his body covers mine. Chest on chest, heat on heat. His masculine scent fills my head. It centers me. Relaxes me. My legs instinctively wrap around his muscular waist. Reaching beneath me, he cups an ass cheek and lifts us onto the center of the bed, where his cock glides between my aroused folds. His bristly cheek brushes mine until his lips caress the shell of my ear. “I’m sorry I didn’t do it this morning,” he groans before withdrawing just enough to line up and welcome himself home.

It’s tight.

It’s everything.

Clawing at his shoulders, heels digging into his ass, a pleasured cry rips from my throat. “Colton!”

“That’s it, Sweets. Now open your eyes.”

I can’t.

That will make this real.

Too real.

I shake my head.

The man above me, inside me, everywhere, chuckles, sending vibrations through his cock into my center. He brushes his soft lips across mine.

I gasp in surprise.

“Open your eyes.” Drawing his hips back a fraction, Sunshine slams them home, and my eyes pop open in ecstasy. “There you are.” He smiles and brushes his nose against the side of mine before he pulls back to stare deeply into my eyes.

“Hi.” He winks.

“H-hi.”

“Now that I have you here. We need to talk.”

“Now?” I shudder.

“Yeah. Now.”

“But you’re… we’re…” I squeeze my pussy around him, and he grunts in pleasure.

“Yeah. I’m inside you, and it feels fuckin’ amazing.”

“Colton.”

He kisses my top lip. “Will you marry me?”

“What?”

“I didn’t stutter, Sweets. I asked, will you marry me? Will you be my old lady?”

“I… Colton⁠—”

Sunshine pulls his cock almost all the way out and slams it home again and again, severing my thoughts, lighting me on fire from the inside out. Sweat beads on my brow as my mouth pops open in a broken moan.

“Fuck. That’s it,” he growls.

“Colton,” I croak, digging my nails into the meat of his shoulders.

“I’ve got you. Just let go.”

“I…”

“Will you marry me?”

“Don’t stop. Please. Don’t stop,” I beg.

“I won’t. I’ve got you. Just come for me. Come on.”

“Colton. More. I need…”

Unlatching my ankles from around his waist, Sunshine throws both of my legs over his shoulders. Bending me in half, he fucks me senseless. The mattress squeaks as he wrecks me in the best of ways. “Will you marry me, Kali?”

“Oh, fuck… I’m…”

“That’s it, Sweets. Come on my cock, baby. That’s it.”

Head digging into the mattress, chest bowing off the sheets, light bursts behind my eyelids as I submit to the onslaught of pure hedonism and come. Words not my own rip from my throat as my pussy clamps down on his cock. Wave after wave of electricity crashes through every cell in my body. But he doesn’t stop. He fucks me harder. Deeper. Embedding himself not only into my life but my soul, the deepest recesses, he’s there, carving a spot bit by bit, just for him. It’s beautiful. It’s scary. It’s forever.

When I finally open my eyes and gulp for air, he’s there, staring down at me, sweat clinging to his gray temples, his eyes soft around the edges, yet full of passion. His pupils are blown wide. Sunshine’s thick, hairy chest pants for breath, but his dick remains hard inside, pulsing, ready for another round, as my legs quiver with aftershocks.

The most handsome man I’ve ever seen grins in the sexiest way and kisses the inside of my knee before releasing my legs. Like magnets, they return to his waist, wrapping around him like he belongs to them. When Sunshine tips his face down and brushes his lips across mine, I don’t hesitate to welcome him.

My tongue is met with a tentative one. He explores me as I explore him—tasting, testing, getting a feel for each other. I run my fingers down his back, making him shiver. His breath stutters into our kiss, and I smile. I can’t help it. This is… all I could have ever hoped for and then some.

No longer rushed, we revel in every touch, every kiss, as he fucks me ever so slowly. Reaching a hand under my ass, his chest still on mine, he ruins me. Every thrust makes my body quake. Every moan he makes is music to my ears.

For hours we play, we touch, we fuck, until my lips are raw, and my pussy is sated.

Still, we don’t stop.

Riding his still-hard cock, that has yet to come, he cups my breasts and plays with my nipples, pinching and rolling them through his fingers as I fuck him.

“You’re so goddamn gorgeous on top,” he praises.

“Your dick fits just right.”

“I always knew it would.”

Wanting to feel him inside, I trace our connection with my hand, and as I unsheathe his cock, I wrap my fingers around his girth, leaving the tip just inside.

Groaning at the sight, Sunshine dances his fingers down my belly to my clit where it rubs the little nub in small circles. Gasping in pleasure, I squeeze my pussy around his bare cock head.

“Fuck, I’ll never get enough of you. You gonna come for me again, baby?”

Eyelids hooded, I nod. “Yes. Are you gonna come for me?”

“Is that what you want?”

“Yes.”

“You want me to come in your sweet little pussy?”

Biting my bottom lip, I nod once. My stomach quivers in anticipation.

“Then sit down on my cock, baby, and I’ll give you my cum.”

Placing a palm on each of Sunshine’s tattooed pecs, I slide down his length until he’s fully seated inside, stretching me to the max.

“That’s it,” he grits, jaw tightening. “Now, hold on.”

Not knowing what to hold on to, I brace my thighs around his as he grips my hips and digs his heels into the mattress, preparing to fuck me from below.

“You ready for this, Sweets?” he checks.

I’m ready for anything.

My cocky chin lift draws a smirk to Sunshine’s lips. “Alright, baby, you asked for it.” He chuckles darkly.

For a brief second, I hesitate, wondering if I made a grave mistake. But before I can muster a second thought, the air is torn from my lungs as he brutally ruins me. In and out, Sunshine slams our bodies together. The cacophony of slapping of skin ricochets off the walls as moans pour like sweet honey from my lips. My legs burn as my body is used like a doll, fucked onto a big cock.

And he takes.

Every moan he steals from my soul feeds him—urging him to wreck me.

I come.

It’s sudden and almost painful as I throw my head back and scream, nails digging into his pecs, sure to leave marks.

But he doesn’t relent.

Not when I can’t think straight. Not when it takes every ounce of me to keep my eyes open. He’s right there, encouraging me to take more, to come more.

I do.

For him.

For us.

I take it all until the world fizzles out, and nirvana coalesces in my cunt.

I don’t know how it happens, but I’m flipped onto my stomach, face pressed into the soft bed, arms flared out at my sides, and Sunshine’s right there, my puppet master pulling the strings.

A hand slaps my ass, and I moan. It’s low and broken, but it’s there as the pain mixed with the heat burns across the flesh of my bottom.

“I’m gonna fuck you all night, baby,” he promises.

And he does.

I’m fucked until I can’t remember my name.

I’m fucked until cum floods my pussy.

And it’s beautiful.

The pleasure.

The euphoria.

When he’s finally done, and I’m wrung dry, sweat clinging to my body, hair a mess, Sunshine props me on my side with a pillow beneath my head and curls up behind me, cum still leaking from my core. A blanket settles across us, and a warm, lingering kiss presses to my shoulder. “Sleep, my sweets. We’ll talk in the morning. I love you.”

And so, I sleep.

And dream of him.

My home.

His Cock.

And what this means.

For the first time in months, I’m genuinely happy.

ELEVEN

Sunshine

We had sex.

Fuck.

I fucked Kali.

Made love?

No. That doesn’t sound right. We fucked. Not in a dirty way. Well, yeah, I suppose it was the dirty way. But not the kind of fucking you do with club whores. The kind of fucking you do with the woman who was made for you. Love fucking.

That doesn’t make any damn sense.

Whatever.

Pacing the front porch in sweats, a t-shirt, and my slippers, with a mug of coffee in hand, I wait for the call to come as the most beautiful woman ever to walk this earth sleeps. Christ, we went all night. Literally. It’s a miracle the screamin’ didn’t wake Lily, who’s still down for the count.

My legs are sore like I ran a marathon. My poor cock is damn near raw. Last night, I was possessed. I couldn’t stop. I should have, but every time I thought I might come, I pulled back, let the urge subside, and kept at it. For an old fucker who hasn’t had sex in eight, almost nine years, I’m surprised I didn’t nut the second my cock slid into that perfect cunt. I’m happy the bastard still works.

What if she regrets what happened when she wakes?

What if she tears into me for the marriage proposal?

Fuck.

I shouldn’t have asked.

I should’ve kept it to myself and waited another year, maybe two, when the sting of everything has faded.

Maybe she’ll forget I said anything.

I can’t ruin this. Not when I’ve made it this far. It’s only taken, what, fifteen years?

That’s how long I’ve been in love with her.

It’s been a long damn time.

It’s also fucked up, considerin’ she was my son’s at one point. But he knows the score. He’s always known the score. Why do you think he refused to divorce her?

Me.

I won’t touch another brother’s old lady, but I might blur the lines a bit. We blurred the lines a fuckton the past eight years. Now that they’re officially divorced, Kali’s fair game. No. Correction. She’s mine. Not Dark’s. Not Angel’s. Not some jackass named Todd. Mine.

A hawk soars overhead in the early morning light. The cool air nips my nose and frosts my breath, but I can’t wait for the call inside.

Dropping my heavy ass on the bench, I grunt as my sore muscles settle against the hardwood, and I draw the mug to my lips. I don’t drink coffee much. I’m more of a tea guy. Sure, you can pull my man card now, but it doesn’t make it any less true. You spend years with that woman inside and her plying you with every tea concoction she throws together like the witchy woman she is, and tell me you won’t grow fond of the herbal shit. It’s delicious. Almost as delicious as the woman who makes it. Hell, she sends me with tins of it when I’m on the road, sleeping at safe houses, in shitty hotels, or my van—I never miss a nightly cup. That’s the life of a nomad. Well, this nomad. I gotta be there for my brothers, ready to clean up their messes at a moment’s notice. Decades ago, it was just me. Now I’ve got a crew, which makes life a helluva lot easier on these old bones.

Another sip of black coffee warms a path down to my gut, where it spreads to keep me from shivering.

Clicking the buttons on the side of my phone, the digital clock reads two minutes past eight above Kali's face, smiling up at me from my lock screen.

I swipe open my cell, ready to send a heavily worded text to a certain someone when his name flashes across my screen. I hit accept and pull the phone to my ear.

“You’re late,” I faux grumble, keeping any humor from my voice the best I can.

When the asshole chuckles, I know I haven’t succeeded in sounding pissed. “Fuckin’ impatient.”

“You would be, too, given the situation.”

“Fair point. So, let’s break this down. You sure you're ready for this?” Gunz, the sergeant-of-arms of our mother chapter, asks.

I suck my teeth. “Stop stallin’, brother. Lay it on me.”

“It’s Penelope,” he says without an ounce of inflection as if we’re talking about the weather. The hair on the nape of my neck stands on end.

“As in the Penelope?” I check, just to be sure.

Gunz sighs as if he hates delivering shitty news. “Dark’s other wife. Yeah. This is all her doing.”

I should’ve fuckin’ known.

My leg bounces in agitation. “So, it wasn’t the men from the bar Dark figured it might be.”

“Nope. None of this is Kali’s doin’. It’s all connected to Dark.”

Closing my eyes, I blow out a heavy breath and pinch the bridge of my nose, wanting to punch my son in his dumbass face. “That stupid motherfucker. We told him not to do it,” I snarl into the phone.

Gunz snorts as if he gets what I’m puttin’ down. “I know. Big said the same shit. We knew this was a bad idea even then.”

Don’t marry a goddamn high-profile millionaire’s daughter. It doesn’t matter what her connections are to Remy. It doesn’t matter how good it looks to have a sexy, leggy blonde socialite on your arm or how it can get you into places you couldn’t usually access without her and her father's influence. But, no, Dark wouldn’t listen. Not to me. Not the club. He liked her. Hell, he likes them all.

Penelope fucking Drake.

She even took his last name.

The woman who came before Abby and Lily.

A woman Dark met as Maxim Drake, the businessman, the mogul.

They fell hard and fast.

Was it real? Is it real? I don’t have a fuckin’ clue. You never know with my son. One minute, he’s annoyed by the girl whose mother died, who we took in so she wouldn’t end up alone on the street in a van that barely ran. The next, he’s madly in love with her, and they’re getting hitched and having babies.

I wasn’t there to witness the Penelope affair unfold.

Only that it did, and they’re still technically married. Well, as married as you can be to a man with a fake identity. Then again, the IRS seems to think Maxim is as real as his tax documents, so I guess you can say my kid has two wives. Had.

Kali wonders why I didn’t tell her what happened with Dark when he was on a run, knocking up Abby and returning home with her and their baby in tow. She blames me for breaking that trust, and I don’t hold that against her. She doesn’t understand I did it for her own good, not because I was protecting my son or the club. I was protecting her. I couldn’t share he was married to Penelope when it happened because I didn’t know if she’d even believe me if I did. But when Dark showed up with a whole new family, that ended any chance of fixing a broken relationship Kali never realized was broken in the first place.

It was a gift, whether she realizes it or not.

With him gone, I was able to move her into her new home, give her as much independence as I could afford, and support her imminent heartbreak.

It’s gut-wrenching watching the woman you love more than anything in this world mourn the loss of her family. But on the other side of pain is growth, and damn if badass doesn’t look good on her.

“Tell me everything,” I order Gunz, my tech-savvy brother.

“Alright. Buckle up.”

Still seated on the bench, I hitch my foot onto my knee and get comfortable. This is gonna take a while.

TWELVE

Kali

Rolling over in bed, I groan and pat the empty spot next to me, hoping to find a body. No dice. Sunshine’s gone. Damn.

Rubbing the crusties from my eyes, I stretch and blink myself awake. It’s difficult, considering I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. In a good way. Alright. Maybe that’s a horrible example. My poor pussy is sore. I spread my legs to give the bare lady a chance to breathe and hopefully stop throbbing. It’s a pleasant throb that reminds you of a wild night… and last night…holy hell…that was… something.

Licking my dry lips, I rub a hand down my belly and pause for a moment at the small thatch of hair above my sex before I venture down. Every inch is swollen from overuse. Even my clit is oversensitive when I draw a finger over the bundle of nerves and hiss at the electrical shock that makes my toes curl.

Peering around the room, I look for evidence the man in question is still here. I don’t think he’d disappear like a one-night stand. At least, I’d hope not. Not when he’s been my literal ride-or-die for well over twenty years. He was the first person to buy me a new wardrobe after my mother passed. The same man who sold my van, gave me what little cash it was worth, and moved me into his house, no questions asked. Just like that, we were family. Now we’re what? More than that?

I sniff the air, hoping for bacon, but I come back with a hint of coffee instead. Sunshine only drinks coffee when he’s stressed, tired, or both. Is he out there contemplating what went down last night without me? That man sure as hell better not be. We can figure this out together just like we have most everything else.

Rolling out of bed, I force myself to stand and use my nightstand to keep me up as I gain my balance. Even my thighs ache, which makes sense. I rode that man like a bull last night after he bent me in every direction, even ways I didn’t know I could bend, to fuck me into a coma.

Not bothering with clothes just yet, I hobble into the bathroom to pee, give myself a quick whore bath in the sink, and brush my teeth. Not wanting to stink, I liberally apply the deodorant and smell myself—vanilla fresh. The matted mess of my hair on top of my head is not easily tamed by a brush. I use my fingers to unknot places I didn’t even know could get knotted like this from just a night of sex. Damn. We sure did a number on my body. There are tiny fingertip bruises sprinkled across my shoulders and an even bigger one on my thigh. How did I get a hickie on my tit? I probe the discolored skin around my nipple, testing to see if it hurts. It doesn’t. Drawing a hand down my front, I press my palm to the center of my belly, right over the skull and raven tattoos. It’s fluttery in there—a whirlwind of unexpected emotions running rampant. We’ll deal with those later.

Back in the bedroom, I blindly gather clothes from my drawers—an old, oversized t-shirt from Sunshine and a pair of black cotton booty shorts. Not wanting my toes to freeze, I step into my moccasins and mosey out of my room into the living space, where I find a cereal-munching Lily at the kitchen island still in her unicorn Pjs and a pissed-off Sunshine seated on the couch in the living room, arms tucked across his chest. The set of his jaw is scary as he stares blankly at some spot on the floor, deep in thought.

“Everything okay?” I address him, then focus on Lily when I ask, “Did you sleep well, kiddo?” In other words, please tell me you slept like a rock, and my noises didn’t wake you.

Spoon shoved into her mouth, Lily smiles around the mound of cereal and nods enthusiastically.

Thank Mother Earth.

I blow out a relieved breath.

That’s good.

We didn’t scar her for life.

Turning back to Sunshine, I approach the living room hesitantly. His gaze zeros in on me, and the tension in his shoulders and the wrinkles in his forehead deepen the closer I get. Wanting to give him space because something is seriously off with this man, I slide in front of the chair and bend to sit, only to be stopped by a hand wrapping around my forearm and drawing me directly into his lap, right in front of Lily. Sunshine doesn’t seem to give a crap about that when both of his arms wrap around me protectively, and he kisses the underside of my chin.

A low, almost purring rattles in his chest as he nuzzles my neck. “Good morning, Sweets.”

“Morning.”

“How you feelin’ this morning?”

“Sore. You?”

“Same.”

“You wanna tell me what’s going on? Are you havin’ regrets about what we did last night?” I ask, hoping that’s not why he’s upset.

“What? No. I plan to do that a lot more. Why would I regret it?”

“Oh. You do, do you?” I tease, bumping him gently with my shoulder.

“Yeah. I do. Do you object?”

Curbing a giddy, girlish smile that threatens to break the surface, I tap my finger to my lips and hum as if contemplating whether we should have sexy times again in the future. Not appreciating my hesitation, Sunshine growls and nips my shoulder with his teeth, and I shiver at his playful gesture. A moment later, he licks the sting away, lingering far too long for it to be considered appropriate. Not that any of this is appropriate in present company. Lily will have questions—lots of them. I’m sure of it.

As if on cue, the dark-haired beauty skips into the living room and plops onto the chair in front of us, wearing the biggest, toothy grin. “Are you getting married?” she asks out of nowhere, shocking the crap out of me.

Sunshine snickers as if he finds it funny as I gape at them both.

“What makes you ask that, Lily?” I croak, then slap Sunshine’s hand away as he rests it on the inside of my thigh and gives it a gentle squeeze that sends an unexpected jolt of arousal to places I don’t wish to deal with right now. It’s crazy enough I’m draped over his lap, and I like it. I like it, maybe a little too much.

Giggling as if my question is absurd, Lily tucks her legs under her and pulls the blanket off the back of the chair to stay warm. “Because of Pops’ ring. The one he bought you.”

“The what?” I squeak.

“Lily,” Sunshine scolds softly, not mad at her little tattle but not happy either.

Eyes rounding like she made the world’s biggest oopsie, Lily covers her mouth.

I turn to the man in question. “A ring, huh?”

“Do you remember what I asked you last night… In the middle of… Ya know?”

Oh, I remember. I just don’t want to focus on it because that means far more than sex. I’m surprised he’s even bringing it up. I assumed it was in the heat of the moment—a slip of the tongue. Marriage proposals don’t usually come during sex, but men declare their love all the time in the height of passion. Then again, we always say I love you to each other when we’re not engaged in anything more than a text, standing in the kitchen, or saying goodbye. It’s second nature. We love each other. We always have. I guess his I love yous mean more than I thought. Then again, maybe mine do, too, a little.

“I remember,” I reply.

He squeezes my knee. “You didn’t answer.”

“I didn’t think you were serious.” How could I think he was serious?

“I’m serious.”

“Colton.”

“We don’t have to talk about it now because Lily’s here, and we have a lot more to discuss, even after she leaves, but I asked, and I’ll ask again ’cause I meant it.”

Oh.

“You want to…”

He nods as if that’s a silly question. “Yes. Without a doubt. You are mine. Wearing my ring or not doesn’t change that.”

You are mine.

The declaration tumbles through my head.

His.

Wild raven-sized butterflies flap in my chest. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

Sunshine smiles in that ovary-exploding way—lopsided and too damn charming. “Think about it. Then you'll have an answer when I ask again, ’cause I will.”

“Um. Okay,” I mutter like a flustered idiot.

How is this real? I don’t know if I’ll ever have an answer. The last time anyone proposed, I was still a teenager, and it was his son. Sunshine was there. He’d bought the ring. Dark didn’t even know what it looked like when he got down on one knee in the backyard of Sunshine’s old home, where we all lived together until we married. Beneath the maple, he asked those four simple words. Will you marry me? It was spring. I cried ugly tears that sting your nose and make your mascara run. They didn’t care. Dark took my blubbering as a yes, which it was, then held his hand out to his father, who produced a ring box. It was simple. Gold with a solitaire diamond—dainty yet perfect. Unable to part with it, I keep the sentimental token of my past in the top drawer of my dresser.

“Now.” Sunshine jostles me from my thoughts. “Why don’t we spend time with our girl before she goes home, and you go on your lunch date with Todd? We’ll talk later. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

Just like that, the conversation ceases, and Sunshine lifts me off his lap. But before I can leave or start to digest all this madness, he cuffs the side of my neck and pulls my body flush to his. I tilt my head back to look up at him, and he once more shocks me to my very soul when he leans down and presses the sweetest, warmest, softest kiss upon my lips. It lingers there, seeping down to the bone. My belly flutters and my heart wallops alongside those raven butterflies. He emits the sexiest satisfied hum against my mouth before he pulls away and delivers a panty-melting wink.

Unable to move, speak, or do anything, I stand in my living room in surprise and brush my fingers over my lips where he was. He kissed me outside of the bedroom. A frog leaps up my throat at the knowledge this is real. We had sex, and now he’s asking me… to marry him.

How did we get here?

Sure, we’ve spent years together.

But this? Here? Now? Why?

Skating past me, Sunshine pecks my cheek before he claims Lily, and they go hand-in-hand out the backdoor to my greenhouse, chatting animatedly as if none of this is weird and I’m the odd man out.

Once they’re gone, I collapse onto the couch and drop my face into my hands.

What is going on?

We’ll talk?

We’ve been saying that for days.

I have a date with Todd this afternoon and must be on. There’s no margin for error if I’m to spy on him. The deal is, after lunch, I’m to lure him back to his place for sex. Sex brings down a person’s walls—especially men. Then, when I get up to use the restroom, I’m to find any evidence I can bring back to Dark and Cell. Sunshine hates the idea. He said as much yesterday. Now I can see why. There’s no way I can have sex with Todd after last night. Not only because my vagina can’t take the subpar penetration, but I can’t do that after everything else. I’m not a cheater, and having sex with Todd feels a whole lot like cheating on that man outside playing with his granddaughter.

Speaking of her, how did she even know about a ring?

That’s yet another question I’ll need answered after the date I’ll have to improvise on. Dark’s gonna hate it. But I don’t see any other option, and it’s not like I can discuss alternatives in the presence of an eight-year-old. This is wholly up to me. I’ve got this. I can do it. I’m a professional.

Dragging a hand down my face, I expel a pent-up breath and sit up straight. I slap my palms on my bare thighs, determined not to overthink too much and make the best of the day. First step, spend time with Sunshine and Lily. Second step, shower and prepare for my date with Todd.

What could go wrong?

THIRTEEN

Seated across the vintage Formica tabletop at the local greasy spoon near my house, Todd regales me with another batch of dull stories that would put the most enthusiastic person to sleep. Perhaps that’s his objective. Tire me out so I don’t discuss what happened at the restaurant. Though, I haven’t planned on it unless he brings it up. That was part of my strategy with Dark and Sunshine—don’t rock the boat. I’m supposed to be easy breezy even if that’s far from my nature.

Pasting on a smile, I nod and twirl the straw in my water, rattling the ice around the cloudy plastic cup that should have been replaced a decade ago.

We already ordered our lunch, and he opted to have the same as me again, but I didn’t say anything.

“Has your ex and his father been around much?” Todd asks out of nowhere and leans down to sip from his straw, eyes on me, judging my reaction.

I deliver nothing more than a blank face and a half-assed shrug. “They’re in hot water after what happened,” I reply, which is partly true.

Todd hums around the straw and continues to suck water in deep pulls, filling his cheeks like he’s either nervous or dying of thirst. If I had to guess, I’d say the former. We haven’t spoken much after the incident, and he’s treading lightly. I can tell. As much as Sunshine and Dark paint him to be some bad guy mastermind, he acts like all the rest of the stalkers—friendly but unassuming. Nothing about him stands out, including his typical black Dickeys and a muted blue, collared shirt. He’s the poster boy for a golf outing. I guess that’s the point. He blends with the patrons, which I rarely do unless I’m working a job where the objective is to be a chameleon.

Today, I’m no chameleon. I dressed to make this fucker eat his possible villainous heart out—orange high-rise, wide-leg, flowy cotton pants paired with a cream crop top sans bra and my cropped motorcycle jacket. It’s a total boho meets biker vibe. My brown, half-up, half-down hair, braided along each side and pinned in the back, adds a touch of whimsy. Add in the smokey eye, a nude lip, and layers of necklaces, and I’m setting a new fashion statement in our cozy town. I’ve gotten more than a few looks since I strolled in with my oversized purse tucked into the crook of my arm.

Todd was already seated at our booth when I arrived.

He brought me daisies to smooth things over.

Before we lapse into any conversation of merit, our food arrives—two club sandwiches, extra tomatoes, and extra bacon with a side of seasoned fries. Our young, bubbly waitress refills Todd’s water with a pitcher and tops mine off. “Enjoy!” she sings, wearing the brightest customer service smile before turning to the next table, her blonde ponytail swaying down her back.

“Thanks,” I reply belatedly as Todd squirts a mountain of ketchup on the corner of his plate.

“Are things right with us?” he asks, dipping a fry into the tomato mound before using it to gesture between us and popping it into his mouth.

“Yes,” I lie. “Why wouldn’t it be?” Snatching a thin napkin from the silver dispenser on the table, I unfold it once and place it on my lap. What good it’ll do if I drop anything, but it should keep me from wiping my hands on my pants.

“This.” He does the fry gesture thingy again, and a string of ketchup flings across the table, landing on the edge of my white plate. I don’t bother wiping it up, and he doesn’t notice. “Feels tense,” he explains. “You didn’t laugh at a single story I told. You always laugh. That’s why I asked about your ex and his dad. I don’t want them hasslin’ you.”

Right. Hassling me.

This man is good—too good. He’s an expert at playing the concerned, patient boyfriend. If I didn’t know he was possibly a hired professional, I’d believe every word is genuine. I’m impressed.

“Oh. Sorry. I mean, my ex does live down the street from me, so he’s around. But not around, around.” I dip an edge of my crusty club sandwich in the side of ranch I requested and take a bite.

Todd’s head bobs along as if he understands what I mean. “Has Lily been over?” he asks as if making polite conversation, but the hairs on my arms stand on end. Worried we’re being watched, I keep my face forward so as not to draw suspicion as I dart my gaze around the small restaurant, including out of the window of our booth, which faces the side of the diner and a line of cars parked there. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. A family eats with their three tiny children two booths over. Their little girl has a chocolate milkshake smeared all over her adorable cherub face. An elderly couple is chatting at the small eat-in bar, drinking coffee from a typical white diner mug.

“Yes. Why?” I ask around a mouthful of deliciousness.

“Because she makes you happy.”

“Yes. She does.” I grin around another bite, and our conversation fizzles into a companionable silence as we enjoy our meals. Playing my part and hoping to erase whatever tension Todd feels, I rub my foot up and down the inside of his leg seductively. The quicker I get him horny, the quicker I get him home. Sure, I can’t fuck him, but we could make out. Maybe. I’m willing to try, even if the idea makes me wanna cut my tongue out.

Once my foot reaches Todd’s knee, he groans and squeezes his eyes shut for half a beat before he reopens them—his pupils blown wide. He readjusts something under the table. I bite back a knowing grin and pay far too much attention to my sandwich while my foot continues to have a mind of her own. It’s better to use it than my hand. After touching him, I might need to dip my hand into a vat of bleach. I’m not fond of messing around with the enemy, even though I sometimes have to for a job. I don’t know many people who are, except maybe Dark. Anything with a vagina and a pulse is fair game for him.

“Am I interrupting?” a deep, sensual voice cuts in.

Before I can respond, let alone process what to do, a gray-haired stud who lights my world on fire slides into the booth beside me. I scooch over a bit to let him the rest of the way in. Without a single fuck, Sunshine plucks a fry from Todd’s plate and shoves it into his mouth, where he slowly chews, all the while staring at my date.

Why is he here?

We didn’t discuss this—not at all. He had all morning to talk to me. We planted seeds in the garden with Lily before I showered to come here. He had time.

I open my mouth to say as much because Todd doesn’t need to know Sunshine stayed over, but by the dark look that passes between them, something is about to go down.

Getting comfortable in the booth, Sunshine stretches his muscular arm across the back of the seat, boxing me in. His fingertips brush my opposite shoulder.

Annoyed he’s here without giving me a heads-up, I discretely elbow the jerk in the side. He doesn’t wince. Doesn’t move. He keeps his gaze locked on Todd as if he’s afraid my date might do something rash, like make a scene.

“Sunshine,” Todd greets with a macho chin lift as if they know each other.

“Anthony,” Sunshine replies, head cocking to the side.

Wait. What?

Todd visibly pales as Sunshine’s hand cuffs around the side of my neck, an obvious claim of ownership. I don’t exactly hate it, but it’s uncalled for, given what we planned with Dark yesterday. “Didn’t think I knew, did ya, Anthony? You’ve been fuckin’ my woman here, for what? A few months? Think I wouldn’t look into ya?” my booth companion asks, his tone menacing as I’m still stuck on the fact his name isn’t Todd.

Clearly out of his element, the man across from us looks at me and back to Sunshine, then scoots to the side of the booth.

“If you pull that gun you’ve got strapped to your ankle, you and I both know I’ll put a hole between your eyes before your next fuckin’ breath.” To cement his point, Sunshine pulls back the flap of his Sacred Sinner cut and flashes Todd what I assume is the gun he legally carries. I can’t see it from here without sitting forward, and I can’t move with the big body blocking me in my seat, a hand still very much around the side of my neck. Knowing what’s good for me, I keep my trap shut and let the man I trust the most in this world take care of whatever business he wants to take care of. I’m smart enough to know when to back down. Him wearing his colors is telling enough—he’s here officially, for the club, and he’s not fucking around.

“What do you want?” Todd asks.

“I want you to call your handler,” Sunshine replies smoothly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh. You don’t. Hmmm… I’d say you’re a lyin’ piece of shit, Anthony. That’s your name, isn’t it? Thirty-six years old, never married, no kids. Had your appendix removed at fourteen.”

Wait…When did Sunshine learn all that? Did he already know this morning? Was that why he acted weird on the couch when I left the bedroom?

Todd swallows hard.

Sunshine doesn’t relent in that same no-bullshit tone. “You picked up a hobby.”

“Whatever he says isn’t true, Kali. I swear it,” my lunch date says, focusing on me.

“Your name isn’t Anthony?” Sunshine sneers.

Todd taps the side of his fingers on the edge of the table. “Fine. Maybe that part’s true.”

“Do you wanna have the rest of this conversation here, Anthony? Or should we take this to a place a bit more private?” The biker flicks his gaze toward the exit.

Visibly gulping, Todd—Anthony, whatever his name is, looks between us for the right answer.

Not giving him a chance to respond, Sunshine twists in the booth enough to give me all his attention. “We’re gonna ride home with our good friend Anthony, Sweets. You good with that?” He brushes the back of his fingers across my cheek and waits patiently for a reply.

If Sunshine says that’s what we’re gonna do, that’s what we’re gonna do.

“Sure,” I reply, following his lead.

“You good to drive?” he addresses me, brow popping in question.

“Don’t you usually do the driving when we’re together?” I tease, and Sunshine’s stern expression softens a fraction. The cutest smirk flashes at the corner of his mouth and is gone a blink later.

“Normally, yeah. You’re my passenger queen.” He winks, and my heart skips a silly schoolgirl beat.

“Queen, huh?” I smile.

“Yeah, Sweets. You’re a fuckin’ queen. My queen.”

Gah. This man and his words.

The stupid raven butterflies take flight in my belly.

If that doesn’t make a woman feel special, I don’t know what does.

Flashing me a final wink that communicates—I’ve got you. Just roll with it—my seatmate then turns back to Todd-Anthony.

“Asshole.” Sunshine’s chin lifts. “Give the lady your keys. We’re gonna kumbaya in the backseat,” the sexy biker orders.

For whatever reason, Anthony doesn’t fight when he stretches back, pulls the set of car keys from his front pocket, and slides them across the table to me. I secure them in my fist just as Sunshine waves our waitress down and asks for boxes to go. Hand still cuffed around the side of my neck, he reaches into his back pocket and wrestles his wallet free. Without a word, he drops the leather bifold in front of me. Taking this as my cue to pay the bill, I extract a crisp fifty and slap it in the center of the table.

Pleased with me, Sunshine squeezes my neck in affection before reclaiming his wallet and slipping it back into place as our waitress returns with the to-go containers.

I dump what’s left of my food into the Styrofoam, and Anthony does the same before we move. Sunshine shoos the liar from his side of the booth with a stern flick of his chin as we slide out of our side together. I drop Anthony’s keys into my oversized bag and snatch my daisies from the tabletop.

“Let’s go.” Sunshine holds my food and ushers us from the diner, his hand on my lower back and Anthony a few feet in front of us. We don’t speak as we climb into his Toyota—them in the rear, me in the driver’s seat. I set my purse on the empty side and adjust everything to my height.

“We’re gonna talk to your bitch of a boss when we get to your place,” Sunshine announces in the quiet car as I back out of the space and turn on my blinker to enter the main road.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Anthony grumbles.

“Sure, you don’t.”

The ride to the liar’s place is uneventful. Every now and again, I seek Sunshine in the rearview mirror, and he flashes me a friendly smile. When we arrive at the single-story, I’ve visited plenty of times, I click the button on the visor to open the garage door and ease us inside. Knowing we don’t want Anthony to get any dumb ideas, like running from us, I shut the garage with the same button as I turn off the car. They’re the first to exit the vehicle. Anthony pushes a handful of buttons on his alarm system panel outside the garage entrance, with Sunshine following him closely from behind, watching his every move.

I wait for them to disappear inside before I shoulder my purse and enter his 1970s-style home, which hasn’t been updated since the decade it was built. The walls are covered in bright, patterned wallpaper or wood paneling. The floors are green shag, even the kitchen—where the green carries over into the vintage appliances that still somehow function.

As I enter the living room, Anthony sits in the center of his basic brown sofa, back straight, palms on his knees. Sunshine stands post in the center of the space. There’s a small handgun on the nearby recliner—likely the piece from Anthony’s ankle.

Not knowing how involved I should be, considering Sunshine has taken the reins, I set my purse on the carpet by the kitchen door and lean my shoulder against the frame, out of the way but with a clear view of all the exits and the men in the living room, just in case Anthony has some contingency plan we’re not aware of.

Then again, he didn’t see this coming, and, in some part, neither did I. He really is a piece of shit. I can’t believe I ever considered otherwise. Sunshine and Dark were right.

“Now what?” Anthony sneers from the couch, his foot tapping the floor.

Sighing as if he’s already annoyed, Sunshine pulls his phone from his front pocket and connects a call. It’s on speaker when a familiar voice answers.

“What’s up?” Dark asks, breathing heavily as if he just had sex or whatever else he does to exert himself.

“We have a problem.” Sunshine rocks back on his heels and glances over his shoulder to ensure I’m paying attention.

There’s a rustling over the phone followed by a door shutting. “What problem is that?” Dark pants, still catching his breath.

Sunshine grips the back of his neck. The muscles in his bicep turn to steel. “Your wife’s lap dog needs to die.”

Wait. I don’t understand. Lap dog?

“My wife’s wha—ohhh… My wife’s… Fuck,” Dark replies.

Biting my bottom lip, I swallow hard.

Sunshine sighs. “My sentiments exactly.”

Another door shuts on Dark’s end. “Where are you?”

“At Todd’s with Kali, and you’re on speaker.”

Yeah. I’m listening to everything. None of which sounds good.

“Goddammit. Take me off,” my ex demands.

“No. She needs to hear this shit. Enough is enough.”

“Fuck!”

“This is on you.”

“You’re sure?” Dark asks as if his dad would make this up.

Sunshine nods and rolls his eyes before flashing me a small grin. “That Todd’s actually Anthony, and that Anthony’s Penelope’s little bitch? Yep. I’m sure.”

Who the hell is Penelope?

My ex grumbles a slew of curses under his breath. “Gunz?” he queries.

“Yep.”

“Fuck. Okay. I’ll be right over. Don’t tell Kali shit ‘til I get there.”

Newsflash—Kali already knows something, dickweed.

“There’s no fixin’ this.” Frowning, Sunshine kicks the carpet with the toe of his boot.

“I know. Fuck. I know.”

Shaking his head, the older biker disconnects the call, pockets his cell, and turns to me, but not enough to lose sight of Anthony.

“What’s going on, Colton?” I rub my palms up and down my arms.

“I’m not doin’ this to you, Sweets. This is on Dark.”

“Does anyone care to let me fuckin’ talk here?” Anthony pipes up.

“No!” Sunshine and I declare in unison.

Grumbling under his breath, Anthony rolls his eyes and shoulders as if priming for a fight. The idiot can try. I’d like to see it. But unless he has some magical karate skills I don’t know about, he won’t stand a chance against a man who carries literal dead bodies over his shoulder and tosses them into the back of his van as if they’re nothing more than a sack of rice. Sunshine’s as strong as an ox, and before you say something about strength and fighting not being the same thing, I’ve seen him bounce plenty of men from the bar over the years. If you think they all go quietly, they don’t.

Nostrils flaring in agitation, Sunshine cracks his knuckles. “If you wanna admit what we already fuckin’ know, dumbass, then you can talk,” he growls at Anthony. “But we both know you’re gonna lie. You’ve been lyin’. That’s what ya do. You fuck her.” His head tilts my way. “And you lie.”

Anthony fists both hands on top of his knees. “I actually like her.”

“Sure.” Sunshine scoffs.

“Fuck you, old man. You don’t know shit.”

“I don’t? Really? You. Fucked. With. The. Wrong. Woman. You should’ve stopped sending those weak-ass stalkers years ago, but you didn’t. Did ya jack off to the photos they sent ya, Anthony? Dreamin’ of the day she’d be in your bed?”

“Fuck you.” He spits at Sunshine’s feet, varnishing the top of his boots in specks of saliva.

“That’s what I thought.” The biker chuckles without humor and tucks his arms across his chest. “She wanted her gone, didn’t she? But you couldn’t do it. That’s why you hired who ya did. Disposable men, nobody’d miss. Right? That was the plan. Get her scared, and one of these days, you’d come into the bar, and she’d finally notice you. You’d be her savior. Does Penelope know you fell in love with her mark?”

I gasp. “Colton.”

“What?” He shrugs, not giving a shit. “It’s true.”

“Who’s Penelope?” I ask. Why does he keep saying her name? What does she have to do with this? With me? I’ve never met anyone by that name before.

Mashing his lips together, Sunshine shakes his head and rocks back on his heels, which pisses me off. You don’t get to dangle the carrot and pull it away. This is my life we’re talking about. If what he’s saying is true, then I’ve been a target for years, and Anthony’s behind it.

“While we wait on my son, why don’t you snoop, Sweets? Check under the bed. Trash the place for all I care.”

“Kali. Don’t,” the man from the couch begs with not only his lips but round eyes bursting with remorse or fear. I don’t know which. Perhaps a little of both.

My jaw clenches, and I kick the baseboard with the toe of my pointed flat. Fuck these men. Fuck all this shit.

Huffing, I spin on my heel and march straight to Anthony’s bedroom. It’s as it always is—queen bed, blue comforter, dresser, nightstands. It’s devoid of any personal touch apart from a photo of me beside the lamp on his side of the bed. Ignoring the pang of unease that tugs at my heart for crossing a line I can never uncross, I get to work and start at his nightstand. The drawers hold nothing more than condoms and lube. Boring. His dresser is full of neatly folded clothes. Knowing he’d hide shit in the bottom, I dump them onto the floor, making a mess that I have no intention of cleaning up. I kick the contents around, waiting to see if anything sticks out. It doesn’t.

In the closet, I raid his shoe boxes, which are full of shoes. Boring. Do people still store their shoes in their original boxes? I don’t.

Once I’ve torn his bedroom apart, I flip the mattress off the box spring, and when that is just as disappointing, I move the box spring. Again. Nothing. There’s not even a single loose sock or dust bunny hanging out under the bed.

In his only bathroom, I raid the vanity and medicine cabinet. There’s nothing out of the ordinary—rubbing alcohol, pills for a headache, allergy meds, Band-Aids, aloe, your run-of-the-mill contents.

Sweat beads on my brow, and my adrenaline spikes as I turn my mission toward the office down the hall. I search through the drawers of his oversized desk and the boxes of files from his dental practice. It’s all clean. Too clean.

From there, I move to the kitchen, leaving a trail of chaos in my wake. It’s cathartic. The more mess I make, the better I feel. My anxiety bleeds into excitement as I leave a floor covered in pots and pans and turn my attention to the one curious place nobody would think to visit unless they saw it on an episode of true crime—the attic. Like most houses this age, there’s a hatch in the hallway inside the door leading to the garage. It’s a white rectangle meant to blend in with the popcorn ceiling with a small string attached. I carry a stool from the kitchen to the hall, twist its wooden legs into the carpet for stability, and carefully climb onto the top. It wobbles for a second. I put my arms out at my sides to keep it steady. Sunshine’s searing gaze slides up my spine as he watches me from the living room.

Like something out of Tarzan. Okay. Nothing that smooth or elegant. With the string in hand, I jump down and out pops the attic door on creaky hinges. It hangs midway down from the ceiling, and attached is a folding ladder that I unfold and extend. It rests against the carpet, providing ample support. Bracing my hands on the higher rungs, I ascend the old steps slowly.

“Be careful,” Sunshine calls as I’m halfway up the narrow, surprisingly sturdy ladder.

“Don’t worry about me,” I call over my shoulder.

“I always worry about you.”

That’s true, or he wouldn’t be here.

Air, not from the outside, but from a fan, wafts in my face as I plant my palms on the attic floor to help pull me into the space. At first, it appears to be your typical stuffy room with a fan, which you’d assume was to cool the house. But everything comes to light once I tug on the string to a singular bulb in the center of the ample space.

A tooth rug you’d expect to find in a dentist’s office covers old, unfinished floorboards. On the ground beside it are folders—stacks of folders. My eyes drift up. There it is, what I came here for. What I’ve been curious about all along. On three separate walls are pictures, and not just any pictures—pictures of me. Candid photos. Private photos. Ones you’d expect a stalker or a private investigator to capture.

There are hundreds of them.

Some are layered on top of others. Some are pinned into the board beneath with thumbtacks, some are stapled, and others are taped.

Beneath them is a…

A strangled sound leeches out of my throat. Eyes widening, I cover my mouth and swallow, trying not to puke.

There’s a trash can full of crumpled tissue. If you’re a mother of sons, you know what those are. You’ve cleaned them from your bins over the years.

And it’s full.

So, very full…

Like it’s been pushed down.

Three discarded tissue boxes lie beside it. Stacked neatly.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I try and fail to wash the memory from my brain. But it’s there, painted across the back of my eyelids. Pictures of me. The trash can. The rug and the folders.

A shiver of disgust, of… stupidity, ripples down my arms, through my center, and down my legs.

When you’re stalked, you don’t think it’d lead to this. At least I didn’t. I guess I didn’t think much of it at all. How dumb of me not to consider the consequences.

I grew up with a mother who drew attention. Every place we ever stopped long enough to make friends, there was a man or two who’d follow her around like a puppy, wanting her, but she rarely paid them any mind. Well, maybe she did, but I never saw it. Those same men, we’d use that notebook in our van and concoct our next potion. That’s what she called it. Like we were witches, casting a spell when we were killing anyone she deemed appropriate.

They’d show up at night, knocking on our van door, wanting to speak to her. I never understood why, and I still don’t. Sure, my mother was beautiful—worldly even. There was this air about her, this confidence, a grace that drew people in like a moth to a flame. I always watched her from afar and studied how she acted around people. She was kind and smiled often. You’d never suspect she’d hurt a fly, let alone end a life.

How silly is it of me to assume these men who came into my bar were the same—men who took a genuine liking to me? When they didn’t. Not really. It’s obvious this is who they worked for. Anthony. A man I accepted into my home at my most vulnerable time. When the most important men in my life were gone.

I’m… stupid.

And what’s worse, he’s even dumber. Thinking he could get away with this forever. That I wouldn’t catch on. What was the end game? To kill me? To marry me? To kidnap me? What?

A dark head pops up from the stairs like a mouse looking for cheese. “What’d ya find, babe?”

Stepping to the wayside to give Dark a clear view of the wall, I sweep my hand toward the evidence.

His nose wrinkles in disgust. “Shit.”

“Yep.” I point to a particular photo of my bare chest. One of those nosy stalkers somehow got a peek through a bathroom window when I was showering. There I am, in all my naked glory. “Titties,” I explain for no real reason than to say it aloud, to cement the fact that I’m, in fact, in an attic, seeing this in real-time.

“Babe. We’ll burn it to the ground. Don’t you worry. But why don’t you come down here so we can talk.” Dark double knocks on the wooden floorboards and waves me forward.

“So you can tell me about Penelope?”

Wincing at my words, Dark’s eyes squeeze shut for half a beat. “Yeah. Her.”

“Is she another one of your women?” I cross both arms under my breasts and wait for his reply.

“Yes.” He sighs like he wants to talk about anything but another woman. I get it. I don’t want to discuss this crap any more than he does.

“Who also doesn’t like me,” I throw out.

“There’s no reason for them not to like you, babe. You’re perfect.”

“And you saying that proves the point. Doesn’t it? Now, who’s Penelope?” I tap my foot on the ground.

“She’s my… she’s… Why don’t you come down here so we can talk.” Dark gestures to the main floor.

“No. You can tell me right now.”

“Sweets?” Sunshine hollers up.

“Yes?”

“Just come down here for me. Please. I’ll hold Dark so you can kick him in the balls.”

Even though I don’t want to, the slightest, microscopic smile breaks free. Leave it to Sunshine to lighten the mood. “Promise?”

“Always,” he vows.

“Hey!” Dark growls, twisting on the ladder to glare down at his father. “Nobody’s doin’ shit to my junk.”

Sunshine chuckles. “I already promised.”

“Fuck.” Dark bangs the side of his fist against the attic floorboards, then grumbling a bunch of colorful expletives, loudly descends the stairs with heavy footfalls. Once he reaches the carpet, he knocks on the wood. “Kali. Babe. Let’s go. My balls are waitin’.”

Head shaking, I snort, glance over the creepy, perverted attic space a final time, and carefully climb backward down the narrow stairs, not bothering to shut off the light. Halfway down, strong hands that I’d know from anywhere secure my waist and pluck me from the rungs until I’m safely back on solid ground. Those same hands spin me to face him. Chest to abs, I stare up at the handsome man with a nice beard and tug the tip of it. He grins and leans down, not caring if anyone else is watching, and lays one right on me.

Wanting to forget everything, even for a moment, I hook my arms around Sunshine’s neck and part my lips. The first taste feels like home as his tongue tests mine with a sensual sweep before he growls like an animal and dives in. Lips mash lips as my fingers sift into the base of his hair, and he swoops down to scoop my ass off the ground. On instinct, I wrap my thighs around his muscular waist, and he slams my back against the hall wall, punching air from my lungs.

Someone curses.

The other laughs maniacally.

Tuning out the world, I focus on him and him alone—the man I can count on most. He doesn’t disappoint. Our tongues twist in a frantic tango. Needy moans pour from my soul as my pulse pounds through my ears. Sunshine’s sexy chest vibrates against mine, a satisfied growl percolating there as he grinds his cock against my center, and my pussy clenches in response, desperate to be filled.

“You two done yet?” Dark barks.

Chuckling quietly into my mouth, Sunshine slowly pulls away like two magnets forced to separate. Smiling almost shyly, with cherry-red lips and eyelids heavy with lust, he winks at me as he collects his breath. Could he be any sexier? Sheesh.

Resting my head against the wall, I suck in lungfuls of air as my lips tingle.

Sunshine leans in and kisses the side of my mouth. “Later,” he promises and pecks me solidly on the lips once more before he sighs as if he doesn’t want to be here. That makes two of us. We could have escaped into the bathroom, where I could have bent over the sink, and we could have had a grand ole time getting each other off. But no. Life and shit.

Coming down from my high, Sunshine sets me back on the green carpet, secures my hand in his own, and escorts me into the living room, where a manic Dark is pacing, hands in his hair, tugging the strands every which way, as he talks to himself.

Noticing my feet, he pauses mid-stride. Those grays ascend my frame slowly until they settle on my face. He scowls and pulls harder on his hair as if trying to rip it out. I want to tell him to stop, but he never listens.

“So, he made it official, huh?” Dark’s words hold an edge of fury as he nods toward his father, and his upper lip curls back in a barely concealed snarl—the pulse in his throat throbbing beneath the sheet of tattoos.

“Made what official?” I ask, my hand still clasped in Sunshine’s.

“This. The shit with you two.” He gestures between us.

“I guess I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re obviously sucking face. You two fucking already?”

“That is none of your business,” I hiss, curbing the urge to flip him off. The goddamn audacity of this man. Whoever I choose to fuck or not to fuck is none of his business.

“The hell it’s not!” Dark roars and steps forward like he’s testing me to see what I’ll do. “Are you really fucking my father, Kali?”

“We’re grown adults, Dark. We don’t have to tell you shit,” I throw back in his nosy face.

“Why don’t we calm down?” Sunshine raises a placating hand, his tone neutral. “We’re not here to discuss this.” He motions between the three of us before nodding to Anthony. “We’re here to deal with him,” the older man reasons and releases my hand to pat me on the ass, silently communicating, we’ll deal with this later. Don’t let him get to you.

But Dark isn’t ready to simmer down when he swings his ire from me to his father. “You’re fucking my wife!”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Sunshine shakes his head and sighs. “She’s not your wife, son. And yeah. Sure. We’re fucking. I already asked her to marry me.”

“You what?”

The older man strokes his beard and shrugs a single shoulder. “I warned you.”

Warned him of what?

A horrific laugh rips from Dark’s soul. His red-rimmed eyes fill with tears, and a single tear slides down his cheek. Whipping away from us as if he doesn’t want us to see him upset, the muscles in his shoulders bunch beneath the tight cotton of his shirt. He mumbles something to himself, then expels an audible breath.

From the couch, Anthony watches our little soap opera play out.

Sunshine wraps an arm around my waist and gives me a supportive squeeze as I pretend I’m not affected. But watching Dark come apart at the seams, showing his soft underbelly, does something to me. Something I don’t like. Something I don’t want to acknowledge, much less talk about.

Shuddering, he swipes wetness from his face and discards it on his pants.

“Are you marrying him?” Dark rasps, voice raw with emotion.

“I don’t know. But we’re not here about that. We’re here about Anthony.” I don’t know what he expects from me. I haven’t had a single moment to think about the insane marriage proposal, much less anything else, with their constant whiplash the past few days. I’m barely keeping my head above water.

On a nod, as if that reply is good enough for now, Dark spins back around to face the group. Lifting the hem of his t-shirt, exposing half his abs, he wipes his tear-stained face, leaving a blotchy mess in his wake.

“Penelope?” I ask, tapping my foot, determined to deal with the imminent stalker situation. Ya know. The man who has a shrine in his attic dedicated to me. I’m sorry, but that’s far more pressing than whether I’m fucking Dark’s father or not. Stalker Shrine always trumps dating, fucking, or marrying my ex-father-in-law. At least for now, until we get this situated. Afterward, we can mark another thing off our list, like asking said man why he wants to marry me in the first place.

“She’s Maxim’s wife,” Dark announces as if that’s answer enough.

“She’s your what?”

“Maxim’s wife,” Dark emphasizes as if I can’t differentiate him from his distinguished alter ego. Clark Kent was always Clark Kent, even in the suit, and Dark is no Superman, even if he resembles Henry Cavil. So, he can quit it with the flip ‘em and reverse babble.

“You’re Maxim,” I point out, obviously. “So, you’re married to another woman? For how long?” Waiting for him to get to the point, my toe continues to tap the vintage carpet as my anxiety ratchets up to the next level. Something tells me I’m not going to like the answer. Not that I expect to.

Stuffing his hands into his front pockets, Dark stares off into the distance, deep in thought, and hums a moment later as if he’s plucked the answer from a sea of half-truths floating in his brain. “Ten-ish years?”

Yep. I was right. I don’t like that answer at all.

“Before Abby?” I verify, my voice eerily calm, even to my ears.

He pauses to think about it again before validating the horrible truth. “Yeah. Before Abby.” His reply is low and sulky—full of guilt, but not enough to sway him not to sleep with other women when we were a couple or, I don’t know, marry one when married to another.

Fed up with all these men and their lying, deceitful bullshit, I don’t hesitate when I launch myself at Dark like Harley Quinn, minus her weapon of choice. My fist will have to do when I swing first and worry about the consequences later. On an internal war cry, I connect with Dark’s cheek, and pain blasts up my arm. Gritting my teeth, I land another blow, then another, burning rage as my fuel. Dark doesn’t try to stop me. He takes it. Standing there like a goddamn martyr, absorbing anything I’ve got, and I’m not even close to being done.

“You lying, son of a bitch!” I shove him in the chest. Dark stumbles backward, hands still in his pockets.

“I didn’t mean for you to ever find out.”

“That’s worse!” I slap him across the face. The sharp sound echoes off the paneled walls, and he takes it in stride, absorbing the blow, and then the next as high-octane adrenaline mixed with a decade of hurt continues to dump into my system. Nobody tries to stop me. Not even Sunshine, who stands back when I sock Dark in the gut, and he folds in half, all the air expelling from his lungs in a rush.

“Fuck,” he croaks, dropping to a knee. “You’re a hellion, babe.”

“And you’re a lying piece of shit. Do you have kids with this one, too?” I snarl, bouncing on the balls of my feet, waiting for him to get back up so I can hurt him all over again.

Looking up at me from the floor, his expression pinches as if I’ve offended him. “No. Of course not.”

“Then you better tell me what the hell this pervert…” I jab two fingers at Anthony. “Has to do with your goddamn wife.”

“That. I don’t know. That’s what I came here to find out.”

Right. He doesn’t know. Whatever.

As if he finds this entertaining, Sunshine lifts his phone above his head and presses a button. The ding, ding, ding of a boxing bell rings through the space. “Sweets. You won. Now come here.” Sunshine secures my elbow and escorts me into the kitchen, where we strategically step over the mess I made until he finds a smashed box of zippy bags tossed against the wall. Leaving me by the table, he fills the bag full of ice from the freezer, swipes a discarded hand towel from the floor, and wraps it around the cold bag before he hands it to me.

“Ice your fist.” Following his orders, I set the bag in place as he secures my elbow and helps me from the room. “Watch your step.” He kicks a pan out of the way so I don’t accidentally slip. “You sure did a number in here.” He chuckles, moving us back into the living room, where Dark’s collapsed into Anthony’s chair. The gun now rests on his knee.

“Talk,” my ex-husband barks at my ex-boyfriend, waving his hand for him to get on with it.

Staring straight ahead, Anthony says nothing.

Not keen on being ignored when he’s already riled up, Dark licks his lips, rolls his eyes, and shoots Anthony in the foot as quick as a snake strikes.

The man screams.

And screams.

Rolling off the couch onto the floor, he grabs his holey foot and tries to staunch the bleeding. It pours over the green carpet, turning it an ugly shade of reddish brown.

Not down to play games, Dark rises from the chair like some Greek god and aims at Anthony’s head. “You fucked with my wife. You have a spank bank on a wall upstairs. Now tell me what the hell Penelope has to do with this.”

Not this wife crap again.

I inwardly sigh as Sunshine stands beside me, drawing designs across my lower back.

Sweat beading on Anthony’s brow, face screwed up in pain, his words are choppy as he tries to explain. “S-she hired me… to scare her an… and keep an eye on things.”

“Scare her?” Dark grunts, as that’s the stupidest thing he’s ever heard. “How the fuck are some stalkers gonna scare my wife? Have you met her?” Jutting his chin at me, my ex winks then flashes me a panty-melting grin that does nothing more than make my eyes roll, and maybe I smirk for half a second. Maybe.

Sunshine chuckles.

“I… I don’t know,” Anthony whines. “She wanted me to keep in touch. To… to see if you were lying.”

As if some lightbulb goes off in Dark’s fucked-up brain, he pulls out his phone but doesn’t lower the gun when he connects a call and a sultry woman’s voice fills the room. “Hello, Darling.”

My stomach cramps as I hear her voice for the first time. The other, other woman. Her tone’s sexier than mine. Far more sophisticated. Reading my body language like a pro, Sunshine’s fingertips slide up my spine, where he cuffs the back of my neck. Not hard. It’s supportive, communicating what I need, that he’s got me, that he’s here, and everything is gonna be alright, despite the throbbing in my fist and the ache in my heart.

“Don’t you hello, darling me,” Dark growls at his wife. “I’ve got your hired stalker here. You wanna tell me why he’s got a shrine to Kali in his attic and what you have to do with it?”

“Oh. Right.” The bitch giggles. Not in an evil villain way, but like a snobby high schooler who takes nothing seriously.

Dark glares at his phone. “Talk. Now,” he barks.

The other woman sighs. “Okay. Okay. You know how I get jealous, Maxim. I don’t like to share.”

His jaw clenches. “Who the fuck do you think you’re sharing with?”

Yeah. Who the fuck is she sharing him with? We haven’t been together for ages if you ignore the yacht incident. There is Abby, but that has nothing to do with me. Dark has made it clear he doesn’t love her.

“Her, of course. It’s always been her. You won’t move here because of her. You won’t commit because of her.”

Lips pursed in agitation, Dark spares me a glance. “We’re divorced, Penelope. That should tell you enough.”

“All that tells me is your father finally won,” she volleys in a brusque, no-nonsense way. I look over to Sunshine for something… I don’t know what. The grip on my neck squeezes twice, and he leans in to peck my cheek, forcing me to blush.

“No more of this,” Dark demands, and Anthony, having removed his shoe, sits up and props his back against the couch, where he applies pressure to his wound.

“Oh. Fine. I wasn’t really going to do anything. It was all in good fun, Darling,” Penelope replies.

Fucking excuse me? Stalking me was all in good fun? We have different definitions of the word. I open my mouth to tell the bitch just that, but just as quickly, I press my lips together. Inserting myself into the situation won’t fix this.

“Right,” Dark grumbles. “Like you weren’t going to kill Abby but tried to before you found out she was pregnant?”

“She got in the way.”

“What about Angelia?” Dark tests.

Who the hell is Angelia?

Penelope sighs like she’s done with this conversation. “She deserved it.”

“No. She didn’t. You know the rules, Penelope. You agreed to them.”

“Fine. Fine. No more killing the women. I don’t like to share, Maxim.”

“Tough shit. What did I tell you?”

“If I mess with Kali, you’ll kill me.”

“And you did what?”

“Messed with Kali. But you’re not going to kill me, Darling,” she purrs, and my stomach turns over. I can’t believe this is real. I press my hand to my middle and breathe in and out slowly.

Dark grits his teeth. “Oh, I’m not. Why’s that?”

“Because Daddy will end Abby and Lily, and you wouldn’t want that, now, would you?”

Oh. This bitch has some balls on her. If this “daddy” of hers ends Lily, then I’ll end her in front of her father, slowly, piece by piece. I’ve never dismembered a body, but for her, I’ll make an exception. I’m sure Sunshine could give me some pointers.

Dark massages the nape of his neck as the muscles in his jaw tick. “Don’t test me, Penelope. You know I’m not scared of your father.”

“Oh. Fine. Fine,” she relents as if talking to Dark about inconsequential stuff wastes her precious time. “Anthony likes her, though, and he’s done most of the work. If you want it to stop, you’ll have to clean up that loose end.”

“Penelope!” Anthony screeches as she betrays him.

“It’s been fun, Anthony. Good luck.” Penelope snickers and the call dies.

Pressing his lips together, nostrils flaring, Dark raises the gun and unloads four shots into my stalker, making my ears ring.

“No!” the man gurgles, staunching the leaking holes in his abdomen.

“You don’t get to fuck with our woman.” Snarling, Dark kicks the bottom of Anthony’s mangled foot and hands the gun to Sunshine. “You end it.” He inclines his head toward the whimpering man on the cusp of death.

Kissing me on the corner of my mouth, Sunshine steps away, and his eyes briefly meet mine before he aims at Anthony’s head. Dark steps beside me, not at all fazed by the fact I gave him a black eye and whatever bruises that’ll crop up tomorrow. He slings his arm around my shoulder. “Nobody fucks with you.”

Except him, right? Nobody except him. Fucking asshole.

“Thanks, Dark. But I won’t forgive you for having another wife.” To prove my point, I elbow the liar in the ribs hard.

“I don’t expect you to,” Dark grunts, absorbing the blow. “I’ve never deserved you, babe. But that never kept a man from tryin’.”

Damn straight, he never deserved me. After this and everything else he’s pulled, he’s lucky I haven’t murdered him already. He’s lucky I’m willing to stand in the same room and look him in the face. I don’t know if that makes me an idiot or not. It probably does, but I’ll deal with that emotional fallout once I think this through. It’s one thing to find out your husband, the father of your children, cheated and knocked another woman up. It’s another to hear he’s done it repeatedly and married someone else in the process… and yet he’s mad at Sunshine. Ridiculous.

“You gotta cut your dad some slack,” I note.

Dark nods. “I will in time. I knew this was comin’. Still stings, though.”

“He treats me well.”

“I know. He’s a good man.”

“He is.” Better than Dark. Better than any man I’ve known.

My ex blows out a loud breath. “I know you don’t need it. But if you decide to marry him, you’ve got my blessing.”

I twist my head to look up at him. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.” Dark’s fingertips drum on my shoulder. “We agreed after Fog was born that if I fucked up and couldn’t keep you, that he could. You belong to us. You’re our family. I’d rather you be with Pops than some other douchebag like him.” Dark lifts his chin at Anthony, and as if on cue, Sunshine fires a final shot into the center of his skull, spraying brain matter all over the couch cushions. Anthony’s eyes widened a fraction and freeze that way as blood trickles out of the hole in his forehead and down his face. Anthony’s body twitches once, twice, three times, a postmortem effect of the soul leaving the body, or that’s how I’ve always thought of it. You’d think witnessing someone die in this manner would bother me, but it doesn’t.

Taking the ice from my sore knuckles, I toss the half-melted bag onto the couch next to the brain matter.

Sunshine hands off the gun to Dark and crowds me, his chest meeting my front. Hooking a finger under my chin, he forces me to tilt my head back to look up at him. He smiles, both dark and sensual, crazy and sweet. He just killed another man in my honor. It does something to you—the adrenaline, the power. I get it. I feel it, too. The throb in my chest. The giddiness that it’s over. Truly over.

Covering my mouth, I giggle, staring into the most handsome gray eyes lined around the edges.

A low rumble vibrates against my breasts as Sunshine’s hardness presses into my belly.

“Just take her into the bathroom, for fuck’s sake.” Dark pushes our shoulders as if trying to usher us out of the crime scene. “Go. I’ll make the calls. We’ve got cleanup to do, but you’re not gonna concentrate ‘til you’ve nutted. Now get the fuck outta here.”

Not needing to be told twice, the handsome biker clasps his hand in mine and tugs me down the hall.

“Try to be quiet!” Dark hollers at our retreating backs, and I giggle like a giddy schoolgirl.

We say nothing as the bathroom door slams open and then shut. We don’t waste time tearing off our clothes in the rush to get him inside me. Kicking off his jeans, Sunshine collects all our mess and throws it into a pile by the tub so we don’t trip. Then he’s on me, lifting me off the floor and depositing me on the vanity, where he pries my legs apart to settle between. I wrap them around his waist as my upper back relaxes against the medicine cabinet for support. Positioning his cock at my entrance, Sunshine slides the head in just a fraction before he leans down and sucks one of my nipples into his hot mouth.

Arching my back, holding him to my breast, I cry out in pleasure. My walls clench around his cock, and he curses but doesn’t go further as he worships my tits—one then the other, not wanting either to feel left out. Writhing against him, I dig my heels into his tight ass and urge him forward. Sunshine chuckles around my nipple but doesn’t relieve the ache that builds and builds until I’m scratching at his shoulders, sobbing.

“Please!” I beg, not caring how sore I am from last night. “Please. Please. Fuck me.”

The tortuous man doesn’t relent. He sucks and sucks and sucks on my tits until they hurt and wetness drips from my pussy.

“Colton,” I gasp when I’m on the brink of going mad. “Fuck me.”

But he doesn’t listen.

Not when he sucks welts onto my chest, not when he brands my throat in addictive hickeys, or when he swirls his tongue around my nipple and nips me sharply with his teeth. Eyes slamming shut, a vicious tremor rocks through me.

Chuckling as if he’s found his favorite naughty switch, Sunshine does it again, and I come hard. White hot pleasure sears through every nerve ending as I buck against him, needing to be filled, needing more, and finally, the man gives it to me. All of it. His dick slams home, and I scream, not caring who can hear.

Gripping my ass to keep me steady, Sunshine fucks me senseless. “Just let go, Sweets. I’ve got you.”

Knowing I’m safe, loved, and nothing can hurt me.

I let go…

Of the past.

Of the deceit.

Of the pain.

I release everything holding me back and focus on now. The pleasure. The perfection. The hunger. Every drag of his thick cock as it stretches me, filling me, hitting that sensitive spot, making me gasp in ecstasy. His hot breath on my neck as he whispers sweet nothings. The scrape of my sensitive nipples against his pecs. His scent, winding and weaving through my soul—of spice and man… of home.

A shudder ripples through my core, and I don’t realize I’m crying until a tongue slides up my cheek, collecting my tears and washing them away.

Sunshine’s lips drop to mine as I struggle to catch my breath. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Looking into his eyes, laden with lust, I thread my fingers behind his neck. “I need to come.”

The sexy man smiles lopsided and cocky like the devil himself. “Then come for me, Sweets.”

Not giving me a chance to say more, Sunshine grips my hips and uses my body like a fleshlight, like he owns it, like it’s his sole purpose in life to feed my pleasure. Forcing me on his cock, my shoulders bang against the cabinet. Guttural moans tear from my lungs as I try to hold myself up, to help, to undulate, to give as good as I get, but Sunshine doesn’t care as skin slaps skin, and he forces me to shatter around him.

On a keening cry, the world blacks out for a moment as blood rushes through my ears. Sunshine slams his mouth to mine, swallowing my cries as I come. Wetness bathes my pussy as he draws my orgasms on and on, hitting the perfect spot as his pelvis rubs the other.

Tongues tangling in a mess of need, tears leak down my cheeks as a dam I’ve spent years building breaks in the center of my chest.

“That’s it, Sweets. That’s it. You’re doin’ so well,” Sunshine praises.

As I come down from my high, legs trembling, I wait for him to get off. To bathe me in his cum.

But he doesn’t stop, and he doesn’t climax.

He peppers kisses across my damp face and slows his ministrations.

“Why aren’t you getting off?” I worry my bottom lip.

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?” Am I doing something wrong? Does he need more from me? Is it the bathroom? Is it cause Dark’s in the living room?

“I’m…” Settling my bottom on the vanity, Sunshine massages the bridge of his nose, looking a whole world of uncomfortable as his still-hard cock flexes inside my core.

I drag two fingers down the middle of his pecs, through the dusting of hair, down to his belly button. “You can talk to me.”

“It’s not that I don’t wanna get off. I just can’t sometimes.” He shrugs his big muscular shoulders.

“Is there any way I can help?” I trace around his perfect belly button.

“Let me continue to get you off.” Sunshine waggles his brows.

That’s not good enough.

Squeezing my breasts together, I stare down at the small mounds. “How about these? Do you wanna fuck these?”

He licks his lips. “Sweets. Of course, I wanna fuck your tits. You have the sexiest fuckin’ tits. But not here. If you’re done, we can try again later. Yeah?”

“But… I⁠—”

With a firm shake of his head, Sunshine cuts me off. “No. This is not a thing. I’m an old man.”

“No. You’re not,” I argue, looking at him as if he’s lost his mind. Sure, he’s older, but he’s not an old man. Old men don’t look like him, and they sure as hell don’t fuck like him.

“Yeah, Sweets, I am.” Sunshine chuckles as if he finds me cute. “And sometimes I’m just gonna have to fuck you ‘til you can’t see straight, but I’m not gonna finish.”

That doesn’t seem fair.

“Is that okay?” I ask.

Cocking his head to the side, he looks at me funny. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because we’re both supposed to get off.” That’s how this works. Sure, it’s not equal. His one climax versus my fifteen, or whatever crazy number he forces out of me, isn’t the same, but we’re both getting off.

“No. We’re not.” Sunshine takes my hand and kisses my knuckles. The silly organ in my chest does a flip. “I’m never chasin’ my orgasm. I’m chasin’ yours.”

“But what if I⁠—”

Sunshine shakes his head, effectively cutting me off. “No, Sweets.”

Tracing around his nipples with my free hand, I frown. “Colton, I don’t like this.”

“Yeah. Well. Welcome to bein’ with an old man.” Releasing my hand and removing his cock from my pussy, he slaps the side of his still-hard member as if he’s angry with the thing. It swings, smacks his upper leg, and returns to jutting straight at me, a drop of precum glistening at the slit.

Hating the idea of us both not coming because that’s the entire point, I slide off the counter, turn around, and bend over to give him the perfect view of my ass. I reach back and part my cheeks. “You can fuck me here,” I offer, wiggling my hips, wanting him to come any way he can.

Chewing his lower lip, Sunshine stares at my tight little hole. Another one of those low, sensual growls vibrates in his chest as he steps forward and brushes the wet tip of his dick to the pucker. He swats my hand away and parts my cheeks himself. “Such a pretty little hole. So sexy. But I can’t fuck you there right now. We gotta prep, and we ain’t got time for that.”

Wanting him to do something, anything, I slip a hand between my legs, gather the wetness there, and reach around to lube my back entrance and the tip of his member. “I don’t need prep.” Pushing back, it kisses my hole and slips a fraction inside. Eyes squeezing shut, I moan, loving him there, wanting him there. It’s been years since I’ve done this because it takes a lot of trust, but there’s no one else I trust more than him, and I want him to have this. I want him to take it.

“Kali,” he warns.

“Fuck me there. Please.”

“Not. Here,” he says, but his body has a mind of its own when he presses in further, just a little, breaking the barrier to enter my body. Sucking in a painful hiss through clenched teeth, I wait with bated breath for him to go further. I can take it. I want the pain. I want his cum. I want everything.

Bracing my hands on the vanity and widening my stance, I shove my ass back. It pulls a guttural moan from the man behind me. “Fuck. Me.”

Sunshine reaches down and slips two fingers down my dripping center, gathers more lube, and massages it around my rim, where he fucks in shallow thrusts until his cock head pops inside, leaving us both groaning in pleasure.

There’s a knock at the bathroom door.

Dammit.

Frustrated by the interruption, I ball my fists on the counter and look over my shoulder at Sunshine, whose lips are cherry red as air saws in and out of his lungs, and he stares, almost hypnotized, at my ass.

Another knock resounds.

“We’re about done out here,” Angel calls from the other side.

“You two about done in there?” comes from Dark.

Dropping my chin to my chest, I blow out an agitated breath as the cock nestled just inside my hole bucks slightly as if saying it doesn’t want to leave just yet. That makes two of us.

“You hear me, brother?” Angel follows up when neither of us replies.

Sunshine’s hand shoots out and grips the base of my neck, and in one violent thrust, he buries himself to the hilt inside my ass, and I scream in burning pleasure-laced pain.

His cock throbs inside me. “Does that answer your question?” Sunshine snarls.

Sunshine

They know what we’re doing.

Yet they knock.

They can hear her pleasure.

Yet they knock.

Both of ‘em have had her. They’ve been inside this perfect body. This perfect soul. Inside… The woman I love. The woman I’ve killed for. The woman I’ve cleaned up after and will continue to do so until my dying breath.

Now, they wanna interrupt us.

Who gives a fuck if my dick doesn’t wanna come? He still brings her pleasure, and it feels damn good to me, too, even if I’m nowhere near finishing.

My balls ache, nestled against Kali’s wet pussy, as I stare down at her tight little pucker wrapped around my shaft. Fuck. I shouldn’t have done that. Her body trembles violently against mine. She said she wanted it, but I know it can hurt. I heard her pain. I sense it as sweat glistens across her tattooed back and goosebumps sprout.

“You okay, Sweets?” I check, hating myself for not being gentler.

“Yes.” She shivers, and I can’t tell if she’s being honest or just wants me to get off. Sure, I could use her to meet my needs, but there’s no gratification in that. I don’t know why she’s so damn adamant I gotta come. I can do it later when we’re home, not standing in her now-dead stalker's bathroom.

Angry for letting us get this far and hoping I didn’t hurt her sexy little bottom, I withdraw my cock from her ass until just the tip is left inside. Kali reaches back and grips my hip as if she’s afraid I’ll walk away.

“Please,” she begs, voice wavering.

My balls draw up at her plea, wanting to give her what she desires. If only my dick would cooperate. “Sweets. We can finish later.”

Her nails bite into my flesh. “No.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” And we’ve got a body to dispose of.

“Please.”

“Why?”

“Because I need it.”

“I already got you off, Sweets. I can lick your pussy if you want more.”

Her head shakes back and forth. “No. Not that.”

“You need my cum,” I guess.

Messy hair falling over her shoulders, Kali’s shallow nod and sputtered breath is confirmation enough. If she needs my cum, I’ll do whatever I can to give it to her. There hasn’t been a single moment in almost twenty years where I questioned why I wanted her. This, right here, standing in a vintage, blue-tiled bathroom, heart pounding in my chest, cock as hard as a bar of steel, just solidifies what I’ve always known—she’s the one. She’s always been the one. She’ll always be the one… and there’s not a goddamn thing I won’t do to make her happy.

Not wanting to use Kali’s juices as lube and not wanting to hurt her ass any more than necessary, I lean over her sexy little body and flick open the medicine cabinet in search of something to make this go smoother. On the second shelf, I find a squeeze tube of jelly lubrication and squirt a generous amount where we’re connected—first her rim and then up my shaft. The coolness tingles, and she gasps all cute and shit as I work it around her entrance.

“You sure you want this?” I check to be certain. ‘Cause we can stop, and I’ll be just as happy.

A broken, needy moan and swivel of her hips is answer enough. So, I give my woman what she wants. Wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her onto her tippy toes, our eyes clash in the mirror above the sink. A smile tugs at the corner of my lips as I sweep her hair to the side and kiss her shoulder softly, lingering. Pulse pounding against my lips, her pupils swell, swallowing the sea of her gaze as her lids lower to half-mast, barely able to stay open. When I nibble her neck, she shivers, expelling the most adorable sexually charged gasp. When I press my hand firmly between her breasts, cant my hips, and impale my shaft into her tight little hole, her back goes rigid against my chest, and that sweet mouth pops open, rounding into a perfect “O” as those manicured brows pinch cutely in the center.

“That’s it,” I encourage before dropping my lips to the juncture of her shoulder to suck another welt to match the others as I wait for her to adjust around my girth.

Blowing out an audible breath, tension bleeds from Kali’s form. I pepper kisses from one shoulder to the next and finally give in to what we both want—I fuck her ass.

In and out, slow at first, I build momentum until her eyes roll into the back of her head, and her palm slaps against the mirror for support. Raspy moans pour like melted chocolate from Kali’s parted lips, and I reach around to rub her clit as I pound her from behind.

“Ohhhh. Fuuuck,” Kali draws, voice wrecked.

“That’s it.”

A splash of wetness bathes the floor as her entire body convulses, but I don’t stop. I fuck her deeper, harder. On and on, I take her, drawing whatever I can from her needy body, and it lets me. Her ass clamps around my shaft as she comes, and when she’s done, it loosens just enough to let me start again.

And I make her do it again and again.

Dousing our feet in her cum, screaming in ecstasy, head resting on my shoulder.

Once her legs give out, no longer able to hold any weight, I carry her to the toilet, where I drop the lid and sit down, her back to my front. Setting her on my lap, my dick in her ass, my back against the cool porcelain of the tank, I grip the underside of Kali’s thighs and fuck into her awaiting body. Her head rests on my collarbone, and her eyes remain closed as waves of delirious pleasure surge through her form.

“Your ass loves my cock, Sweets.”

In response, her hole squeezes around my shaft. I lower her to the hilt, then pause to let her catch her breath. Resting her feet on my knees, I wipe my palm over her forehead to clear the sweat away as her breasts heave.

Nuzzling the side of her neck, I kiss her there. “You done yet?” I nip her earlobe, and she haphazardly shakes her head. Of course, she's not—the fiend.

Chuckling to myself, I slide my palm down her damp stomach to her soppy wet pussy where I shove two fingers inside. I can feel my cock through the thin wall of her cunt, and she moans as I curve my fingers just enough to massage her G-spot and roll her clit between two fingers with my other hand.

Back arching slightly, Kali’s center clamps around my fingers, and her ass tightens around my cock. “Colton,” she whimpers my name, and damn if that doesn’t do something to me. My heart knocks against my sternum. I know I should focus on getting off because that’s what she wants, but I can’t. Not when I can’t get enough of this. Of her. Those cries. The whimpers. Her climaxes. Watching her shatter over and over, here of all places, because she trusts me to care for her. To love her. To please her.

Damn.

That’s… powerful shit.

“I love touching you.” I nip her shoulder, and Kali groans, cupping my hand that massages her cunt.

For however long it takes, I worship my woman, and when she’s nothing more than a shuddery mess, unable to form a coherent sentence, I stop and pull her off my shaft. Then and only then do I think about myself and giving her what she craves most. Setting her on the vanity once more, Kali’s legs dangle off the edge as I jack myself in a punishing grip and squeeze my balls ’cause I need the glorious bite of pain.

Sucking on her bottom lip, Kali watches on, rubbing her nipples, chin on her chest, eyes nothing more than slits.

“I’m gonna come for you,” I grit through clenched teeth, the veins in my forearms popping.

I’m almost there.

Stepping between Kali’s quivering thighs, I carefully tilt her shoulders against the medicine cabinet and scoot her bottom to the edge of the sink, just enough to expose her stretched hole. Knowing I can’t come in her pussy, I spit on her swollen rim. Eyelids fluttering in desire, Kali groans lowly in her throat as I slip back inside her welcoming passage, firmly jack the base of my shaft, and explode. Abs contracting, I slam my palm against the mirror, cracking it down the center, as I squeeze my eyes shut and growl, dumping every last drop into my woman’s ass. Her hole grips me, drawing out my orgasm as I drive to the hilt, wanting to crawl inside her and live forever.

“Yes,” Kali hisses as I black out for a moment.

Dropping my forehead to hers, unable to see straight, Kali rubs my back as my cock softens enough to slip from her perfect body.

“I feel high.” She giggles, and I peck her lips, noting how fucking sore I am after another round of sex with this insatiable woman. It’s a miracle I can keep up.

Knowing I have a body to make disappear, I kiss her once more before I pull away long enough to find a clean washcloth in a cabinet. I wet it with the tub faucet and use it to wash my cock. Then I rinse it out and help Kali wipe up down there. I’m careful to clean her ass first, discard the rag in the tub, then use another one for her pussy, not wanting to cause any female issues.

She hums in contentment when I lean down to kiss her clit, with my tongue. I mean, it’s there, and the poor little nub looks lonely after ten minutes of no stimulation.

“Colton.” Resting her feet on my shoulders, she grips my hair.

I nuzzle my nose in her folds. Fuck, she smells incredible—a mix of cum and cunt. Inhaling deeply, I get dizzy on her scent.

“Colton.” She tugs on my head. I look up from her mound and make eye contact as I do something I shouldn’t but don’t give a shit and do anyhow, like tickle her clit with my tongue and watch her gasp the hottest little sound. I can’t help it. I do it again, and she pulls my face in like she wants me to eat her alive. You don’t have to tell me twice. Dropping to my knees, I feast on my woman. I gorge. I fucking bathe in her sweet cunt, rubbing it in my beard, lips, and nose.

One hand in my hair, steering me however she likes, Kali plucks her ripe nipple and grinds my face against her pussy. And I let her. Christ, do I let her. I revel in it. When she comes and splashes my beard and chin in her cum, I weep with fucking joy and lap up every drop. When she thinks she’s done, I make her do it again.

I don’t know how long we have our way with each other, but when she’s wrung dry, and I’m happier than I’ve been in a decade, we finish washing up, and I help her dress before kissing her soundly on the mouth and escorting her out of the bathroom. In the living room, Angel and Dark are sitting, eating God-knows-what from Anthony’s kitchen as his corpse lays in the center of the space, wrapped in a thick sheet of plastic. The same kind I buy in bulk for days like this. Blood paints the inside like a shrink-wrapped piece of meat.

Knowing Kali won’t be able to stand for long, I prop her against a wall. She sags there as I rush to the kitchen for a chair for her to rest on.

“Thanks.” She grins, exhausted, and collapses onto the seat.

Kneeling at her feet, I rub my palms up and down her thighs. “You good, Sweets?”

Nodding once, she tries and fails to stifle a yawn. “Just tired.” Her head drops forward, chin resting on her chest.

“You promise?”

The sweet woman cups my cheek, and I lean into her palm. “Yes. I promise.”

Turning into her touch, I kiss the center of her hand before I use my knees to stretch back to my full height. They crack, but nobody says shit as I snap my fingers and gesture for my son and brother to help me get this dead piece of shit out of the house and into the back of the van Angel brought.

Under the guise of darkness, we carry Anthony’s rolled-up body through the back door in the kitchen and across the backyard to the rear alley where Angel parked beside a group of overgrown trees, away from prying eyes.

“That was over a fuckin’ hour,” Dark complains as I open one van door and Angel opens the other, both of us careful not to dump the corpse on the ground.

Ignoring my son, I crouch as I climb into the vehicle and drag Anthony’s body to the front as the guys push from the end. Once his feet don’t stick out, we drop him unceremoniously onto the bed. It rocks as the weight settles, and I make a point to kick him before I hop out onto the gravel alley.

Angel slams the heavy rear doors shut, and I lean against the back, arms tucking across my chest as I stare down my kid, who’s fucking pissed at me, if his pacing is any indication. I get it. I do. But we talked about this happening, not once or twice, but many times. He’s known what I wanted forever. It’s obvious. Angel knows, too. When he started hooking up with Kali, I made it clear that if he screwed her over and played head games, I’d drug him, then bury him alive in the desert, where he’d die a slow death.

Thankfully, he’s smart and cared for my woman when I couldn’t. Am I jealous? I was, maybe, a little bit. But I’d prefer him servicing her pussy over some douchebag like Anthony. Good fucking riddance.

We don’t have to worry about any of that anymore, do we? Dark finally divorced her and I get to claim what’s always been mine.

“I fuckin’ hate this.” My son kicks the ground, and little pebbles fly everywhere, hitting the bottom of the neighbor’s wooden fence.

“I dunno what you expect me to say.”

“I dunno. Maybe, that you’re sorry or something. Fuck!”

“Why the hell would I be sorry?” I stroke my beard. “Am I sorry you cheated on your old lady? Hell no. You did that. Not me. I warned you I would get what I wanted.”

“He’s right, Dark. Everyone knows the score. It’s not like he was hiding it,” Angel adds.

My son points to the rear of the house. “But I love her.”

“So what? I love her, too.” Not to be cheesy as fuck and quote the great Tina Turner, but “What’s love got to do with it?” Not a damn thing. Real love is made up of more than hollow words. It’s actions that matter.

“She’s the mother of my kids.” Dark smacks his palm to the center of his chest. “And you’re old as fuck.”

Rolling my eyes at his childishness, I shrug one shoulder, not bothering to do the other. “Do you think she cares how old I am?”

“Obviously not.”

“Then drop it.” If it doesn’t matter to Kali, it doesn’t matter to me. I can’t change my age any more than she can. That has zero bearing on my feelings for her.

“You fucked her for almost two,” growling out the words, Dark holds up two fingers as if I need a counting lesson, “goddamn hours.”

“So?” I don’t see the problem here. I took care of her. We’re not pressed for time.

Grumbling as if he expects me to get angry and fight with him, Dark punches the air. “How can you fuck her for almost two hours?”

How?

I have a functioning dick. That’s how.

Dark’s fully grown. He knows all about the birds and the bees. I found nudie mags under his mattress at twelve. They were a gift from one of my brothers. This insulting shit just to be insulting has gotta stop.

“We’re not doin’ this, Dark.” I sigh. It’s not the time or the place. Angel’s here for a job, and we’re not airing out more family bullshit tonight. Enough is enough.

Squaring up like he’s down to brawl, my son cracks his knuckles. “Yes. We are, Dad.” He steps forward.

Not in the mood for whatever this is, I put a hand out to cut him off before he does something dumb like hit me and force me to put him on his ass. “I have a woman to get home and calls to make. To make sure the rest of Anthony’s shit disappears. Ya know, to protect Kali. To make sure none of this blows back on her.”

“Sorry, Dark, but I’m with Sunshine on this one,” Angel chimes in, looking between us as if he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. He is. We’re his brothers, and this love triangle, square, rectangle, whatever the hell you wanna call it, is done. I won. I passed go. Now I get to claim my prize.

“Fuck you, Angel.” Dark flips him off.

Raising both hands in mock surrender, Angel steps back from the situation, then hitches his thumb toward the van’s driver’s side. “I’m gonna go handle this.” He lifts his chin at me. “Brother, if you need anything, give me a ring. Yeah?”

I nod. “Will do. Thanks, brother.”

“Anytime.”

Turning back to my son as Angel pulls away, I stay off the topic of Kali and focus on what we need to do to handle this stalker business. Dark listens and, for once, doesn’t start shit. Once we’re on the same page, I march through the darkness to the back of Anthony’s house and climb the two steps into his kitchen, where Kali’s standing, watching us through the window. She turns to face me as I enter. The rickety screen door slams shut in my wake.

“Hi, Sweets. You okay?”

“Are you okay?” she emphasizes with raised brows, pointing out the window where Dark is sulking like a toddler who lost his favorite toy.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I could hear Dark cussing.”

“When is Dark not cussing?” I tease.

Shaking her head in amusement, she chuckles and steps over a pile of pots and pans to wrap her arms around my middle. I rest my chin on the top of her head and hug her up tight. Her cute little nose presses into the valley between my pecs, and she breathes in deep like she’s scenting me. I sift my fingers through the back of her hair, which is kind of a mess after our time in the bathroom, and I give her a little tug so she’ll look at me. Pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down, she rests her chin on my sternum with those pretty, beard-burned lips on display. I take full advantage and love on my woman a bit, tongue and all, until we’re breathing like we just ran a marathon, and my heart’s ready to break dance outta my chest.

“Now what?” Kali licks her lips and rests her hands on my pecs.

I flash my surprised gaze to her touch and back to her face. She’s never been this handsy before, not that I’m complainin’. It’s nice, damn nice, I don’t have to initiate or worry if I’m crossin’ a line.

An adorable blush blots her cheeks when she realizes what she’s doing. Trying to be inconspicuous, she attempts to back away, but I don’t let her when I press my hands over hers.

“You like my pecs, huh?” I smile and bounce them beneath her palms.

Kali laughs awkwardly. “Colton.”

“What? You’re allowed to like ‘em. I like yours.” To prove my point, I cup her breasts.

Barking a surprised laugh, she slaps my touch away.

I don’t let that deter me when I go for those mounds again, knowing exactly what those perky little nipples taste like. Oh. They’re yummy. Fucking perfection. Just like everything else about this witchy woman.

This time she squeaks and shoves me away, but that doesn’t do jack shit when I scoop her up and throw her over my shoulder, fireman style.

“Colton!” she squeaks and slaps my lower back.

“Yes?” I spank her ass, one cheek, then the next, so they’re treated fairly.

“Hey!” she protests and squirms to get down as I carry her through the house. “What are you doing?” she asks as I push open the garage door and step into the bay.

Hooking my arm over her knees to keep her steady, I open Anthony’s car door. “You’re driving the dead fuck’s car outta town.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Dark’s gonna meet us on the edge of town. We’re gonna trade off Anthony’s car. So it can disappear, and we can make his leavin’ the country believable.”

“Right. Okay,” she yields.

Careful not to bang any part of her body, I slide Kali down my front, peck her lips with a loud smack, and deposit her into the driver’s side. Gripping the wheel, she winces when her bottom settles into the seat.

Curbing my niggle of guilt for making her hurt, I crowd into her space and peck those lips. “I’m gonna lay in the back. You good with that?”

“Yes. Of course. Whatever you need me to do.”

Loving how much this woman trusts me, I kiss her again, more soundly this time, with a smidge of tongue. “I love you so goddamn much.”

Delicately cupping the side of my face, she smiles, and it lights up the entire world. “I love you, too.”

Her admission makes me feel ten feet tall.

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for this woman.

Standing at my full height, I double knock on the car's rooftop before I shut Kali inside and climb into the back, where I flatten myself to the backseat to avoid being seen. Laughing as if she finds me ridiculous, she opens the garage door. Backing out of the space, she glances at me over her shoulder and laughs harder this time. “Twice in one day, I’m chauffeuring you around. Who would have thought.”

“Don’t worry. After this, it won’t be happenin’ again anytime soon, Sweets. That, I can promise you.”

Beaming at me through the rearview mirror, Kali makes a noncommittal sound in the back of her throat as if she doesn’t believe me. Before I can comment on it, we’re cruising through Anthony’s neighborhood.

Relaying the address Dark sent me, Kali hums as if she knows the spot and doesn’t need GPS to get us wherever we’re going.

The ride is quiet, save for the white noise of the road, as she maneuvers through town. The radio remains off, and we don’t speak. It’s nice. I rest on my back, my arm tucked behind my head. It’s a bit cramped, but it works for the short trip.

At the drop site, Kali parks us on the side of the road, and I get out first. Dark throws his bike keys at my chest, and I catch them before they hit the ground. The instant Kali’s out of the Toyota, leaving the door ajar, my son’s sliding inside. Without a single word to either of us, he drives away. We look at each other as we watch red taillights disappear down the dark country road.

“He’s pissed,” she comments.

“He’ll get over it.”

Shrugging as if she doesn’t give two shits, Kali tails me to the Harley parked on the gravel berm. Swinging my leg over the seat, I mount the bike and offer her the helmet hanging from the handlebar, courtesy of Dark. Like a seasoned pro, she secures it beneath her chin before using my shoulder for support as she climbs on behind me. I turn over the engine and rev it a few times. The beaut purrs like a big kitten before I tap my leather-clad sides, and Kali wraps her arms around my waist, tits pressed against my back, thighs snug at my waist. It’s delicious—having her with me, enjoying the late-night air together. It’s been ages since we’ve gotten to do this. I give a thumbs-up to ensure she’s ready to get the hell outta Dodge. In typical Kali fashion, she double-taps my stomach to confirm she’s good. Patting the tops of her hands in return, I squeeze them and breathe in the fresh air, drawing it deep into my lungs. Once I blow it out, I heel up the kickstand and aim us home to shower and sleep. Tomorrow’s another day with my lady.

A day to talk about what went down.

To handle Anthony’s affairs.

And figure out how we’re going forward and if that’s what she wants. If it’s not... We’ll figure it out like we always do.

With my woman at my back, the wind in my face, the stars twinkling in the sky, and black asphalt stretched before me—life’s never been sweeter.

FOURTEEN

Cupping the poultice at my pussy, nude, stretched out on my couch, pillow behind my head, a blanket strewn haphazardly over my legs, I melt into the softness of the cushions or try to as I wait for my body to stop swelling down there, where Sunshine left his mark.

I’ve been here for hours.

Resting.

Lounging.

Both rejoicing and regretting what happened last night at Anthony’s house in his bathroom. I took it too far. My poor, poor lady bits have never been so sore. Then again, I haven’t been able to keep the stupid smile from my face since I woke up next to a naked Sunshine wrapped around me like the perfect weighted blanket.

He made me breakfast—waffles and bacon. Yum. We ate it in bed. Naked. Touching and kissing nonstop like teenagers with raging hormones, despite the niggle down under. We showered after, and I’ve been a lazy bum ever since.

He’s wearing a pair of those ridiculously sexy gray sweats that outline the you-know-what as he paces through the house, talking to everyone under the sun to resolve this Anthony business.

I’ve seen him clean up messes plenty of times before. Getting rid of bodies and making people disappear is his specialty. But this is different. Anthony’s associated with us. Well, me. Should it get out that he just up and disappeared, I'll be a suspect. So, they’re creating a paper trail and listing his house for sale—fake sale. From what I’ve gathered with my epic eavesdropping skills, the club is buying it under one of their shell companies to look like some big investor paid Anthony a bunch of money for his house. It inflates the property value and gives him a solid reason to leave. It also makes sense why he placed an ad online and in the local paper for a new dentist to buy out his practice and took a one-way flight to some foreign country nobody can trace.

They’ve thought of everything.

Literally.

I’m impressed.

Heaving a sigh, Sunshine ends a call and throws his phone onto the chair before kneeling beside the couch and kissing my forehead, cheek, and lips. I smile against his mouth, unable to help myself. He smiles back, chuckling, and rolls my nipple between his fingers. I suck in a sharp breath, and he chuckles harder.

“Colton,” I gasp, fake offended, and swat his pervy fingers away.

“Yes, Sweets?” He grins wide, acting all cute and innocent.

“You’re naughty.”

“With you. Always.” To prove his point, the menace kisses my closest nipple.

Playfully shoving his head away, I snort at his ridiculousness, but I still can’t wipe the silly smile from my lips, nor the raven-sized butterflies from going haywire in my stomach. They’re crazy today. Any second now, I expect them to burst through my skin and take flight. It’s intense but welcome. I can’t remember the last time, if ever, I’ve felt like this.

It’s him.

The electrical undercurrent between us has always lingered. Even the day we met at the nursing home before my mother died, I felt something. As a teenager, I couldn’t tell you what it was other than it was different. For someone grieving the loss of the only person they ever had in this world, you don’t have time to think about anything besides loss and survival. Thanks to them, the fear of what I’d do, where I’d live, and where I would get my next meal was fleeting.

It’s hard to think about where I’d be if not here.

Sure, Dark is… Dark. We’ve had our issues—lots of them. But I don’t regret any of it—not a single second. The pain sucks. The betrayal. All the stuff you already know about. But I got my sons out of everything. I got Lily. And… I got him… the man currently peeling the blanket back and removing the herbal, Epsom salt poultice from my pussy to see how she’s doing. I widen my legs to give him better access.

An adorable, frustrated sound rumbles in Sunshine’s throat as his lips press together and his eyebrows knit in the center. “I’m sorry,” he grumbles, head shaking as if he’s angry with himself. I know his self-loathing well. For a man who discards dead bodies, he feels a lot more than you’d expect someone in his profession would.

I poke his tattooed shoulder playfully in the middle of a skull-centered rose. “It’s fine. We went a little hard.”

“We went a lot hard,” Sunshine mumbles more to himself than me as he adjusts my legs further apart to get a better view. Not that there’s much to see. It’s a pussy. The anatomy is always the same. But I don’t stop him from staring if that’s what he wants to do. I’m surprisingly not self-conscious about it. It’s not every day a hot man stares intently at your most sensitive bits. “Everything’s swollen.” He raises a finger like he wants to touch the puffy lips but changes his mind at the last second, not wanting to inflict pain.

“Well, if we keep this up. This won’t be the first or the last time.” Which is fine by me. Truly. I have no regrets.

“It will be the last,” he growls.

“Colton—”

The firm shake of his head cuts me off. “Don’t, Sweets. I don’t fuckin’ like this. I knew we should’ve stopped.”

“But I wanted you to get off.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, Sunshine shakes his head again, and his eyes squeeze shut for a beat. Expelling a heavy breath, he gets to his feet, taking my homemade bundle with him. In the kitchen, I overhear the trash bin open and close. The water runs. Then he returns with a fresh poultice. I made a bunch of them and put them in a bowl on the counter, knowing I’d need one most of the day.

Letting Sunshine do whatever he pleases, I drop my legs open again, and he places the cotton bundle against my pussy lips and snuggles it against my ass.

“Thank you.” I trace my fingertips down his bare arm to his wrist, where I squeeze to convey how grateful I am for him every day.

“Anything for you.” He draws the blanket back up my legs and tucks the edges around my waist, leaving my upper half exposed.

Lacing my fingers across the skull and ravens on my belly, I focus my inner energy down below to aid in the healing. The quicker I get better, the quicker we can have sex again. “What do you have planned for the rest of the day?” I ask when Sunshine moves from the floor to perch on the edge of the coffee table.

“Besides being here with you?” He rests his hands on his knees.

“Yeah.”

“Nothing. Except spend time with you.”

“I don’t want to keep you. If you’ve got other things you gotta do.”

“Kali.” Sunshine drawls out my name as if I’m being silly. “I love you. You’re the most important person in my life. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

My silly heart skips a beat. “Well… I… I love you, too. But I’m fine. Really. If you’re worried about me because of the Anthony stuff, don’t be.” I wave that notion off.

“I’m glad he’s dead.” More than glad he’s dead, if I’m honest. Sure, I feel like an idiot for not seeing the writing on the wall. I slept with that man in his home. The same home he kept a shrine to me in. That’s… unsettling. Sure, I feel even dumber that my ex and his father were the ones to figure it out, but I can’t change it now, and I’m happy the stalkers are done for real this time. After a decade of waiting for the next one to crop up, it’s a relief to be free of them. At least now I know it wasn’t me causing this. It was Dark’s wife.

Damn.

His wife.

Say that five times.

Dark’s wife. A woman who’s not me and not the woman two houses down.

Sunshine strokes his beard. “He had an entire room with pictures of you, Sweets. You can say you’re fine all you damn well please, but I know better. You fucked that piece of shit. It wasn’t a job. You weren’t working him to then end his life. At one point, you liked the bastard.”

“I did,” I agree. Todd was beige wallpaper, and some of us need beige wallpaper in our lives now and again without the stalker element.

“Exactly. So, there’s gonna be a moment, I don’t know when, but you’re gonna let go of that iron grip on your fuckin’ anger, and when you do, you’re gonna hurt. So, I’m not leavin’. The brothers already got me covered, and Till’s got you covered.”

I don’t deserve that woman. For all she meddles, she’s always got my back.

“I should have texted her,” I groan, letting the guilt sink in.

“I already did.”

“She’s gonna be pissed at me.”

Smirking, Sunshine rolls his eyes as if I’m being dramatic. “No. She’s just happy we’ve made up.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.” Now I’m the one rolling my eyes. “Fuckin’ Till and her romantics. She’s always been on your side.” Which is another reason I thought they were an item.

“Rightfully, so. ’Cause I’ve always been on your side. We’re allies.”

“Allies,” I repeat. “And here I thought something was going on between you two at one point.”

Rearing back at the news, Sunshine snorts like that’s the dumbest shit he’s ever heard. “Sweets, I’ve never touched Till.”

“I know that now.” Now that she told me.

“I’ve only had eyes for you. I haven’t even gotten my dick sucked in eight… nine years. Somethin’ like that.” The man shrugs as if that’s no skin off his back, but that’s a long damn time. A long, long, long damn time in the biker world.

“That’s insane,” I admit, hoping I don’t offend him. “Is it because of me or because of…” I gesture to his crotch, not wanting to cross any lines. It’s clear he stays erect for as long as he’s needed, but orgasms are hard to come by. No pun intended. I don’t want to insult him by talking about his dysfunction. It doesn’t bother me. It would never sway me from caring about him or us being together if that’s what we decide. I need him to understand that. Because whether he comes or not doesn’t change my feelings. It just makes me wanna try harder. To go longer. To give him more. Evidenced by last night’s bathroom fuck and my subsequent vag state.

Lifting my legs to make room to sit, Sunshine drapes them over his lap and draws circles across my knees. “You wanna talk about this?”

I nod. “Yes. If that’s okay.” Since we’re doing this, whatever this is, it’s something we should probably discuss. Sex is a big part of any relationship. Ignoring the elephant in the room doesn’t make the elephant disappear.

Sunshine squeezes my big toe. “I’ll talk to you about anythin’, Sweets. You know that.”

“Eh. Sorta. I mean, you did leave out that your son was married to another woman and had been cheating on me for years.” I arch a brow and wait for him to defend himself.

The man blows out a breath, and his shoulders hunch forward. “Okay. That’s fair. I’m sorry. That won’t happen again.”

I nudge his leg with my foot. “It better not.” This is Sunshine’s single pass. One and done. If he lies to me again, there is no coming back from it. I’m not willing to forgive what he did, but I’m willing to look past it. We all make choices to protect ourselves and our family. I get it, even though I may not like it, and I may disagree. But he’s always had my back in his own way. Having to choose between me and Dark is a slippery slope I wouldn’t wish upon anybody. It'd be hard to do that for one of my boys or Lily.

“It won’t,” Sunshine vows and crosses a finger over his heart. A short silence descends before he speaks again. “Sooo… About my dick...” He drops his head against the back of the couch. “Fuck. I can’t believe we’re talkin’ about this.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yeah. I do…It’s been this way since I hit my forties.” Staring up at the ceiling, he laughs without humor. “After a long night cleanin’ up messes, the brothers always wanted to drop by whatever Sacred Sinner clubhouse was closest to get our dicks wet. It used to be fun. Fuckin’ available pussy. No strings. It was easy. I didn’t know their names. They didn’t give a fuck about mine.” Sunshine trails his fingertips down my calves and massages my feet.

“You sure you wanna hear this?” he checks by lolling his head to the side, and I nod, not wanting to interrupt his story.

Sunshine continues to nod twice as if convincing himself this is what he should do. “At some point, it stopped bein’ fun, and I stopped gettin’ off. If I did, which took fuckin’ forever, it didn’t feel like much. So, I didn’t bother with quick hookups anymore. There was this woman. Brunette. Younger. She liked me just fine. We’d fool around whenever I was close by. It never mattered much, but she didn’t care if I came. We had a good time, and she helped me come to terms with this issue.”

A companionable silence settles between us as the hot man rubbing my feet gathers his thoughts. I’m happy to wait. It doesn’t take all that long before he clears his throat and powers through. “It feels good when we fuck, Sweets. Don’t think I don’t enjoy it. I do. It’s just… some wires are crossed down there.” He gestures to his crotch. “I get right there, on the edge, and can’t finish.”

“Is there something I can do to help?” I ask, willing to do whatever it takes.

“Be you. That’s about it. I can’t get hard when you’re not around, and when I get home, I’m fuckin’ hard all the goddamn time.”

I chuckle.

“What?” He stares at me, a small, naughty smile ticking up at the corner of his lips. “It’s true. You’ve felt him rubbin’ your ass every morning for years. He’s like a dog sniffin’ out his owner.”

A laugh bubbles out of my throat. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Maybe. But it’s true. Me. The man, loves you.” Sunshine points to his mouthwatering chest. “And he does, too.” His gaze flicks down to the other part of him I’m very fond of. “If I had it my way, I’d be comin’ in ya ten times a day.”

Another laugh bursts free, and I nudge his leg with my heel. “Colton.”

“What? You think I’m lyin’?” To prove his point, the naughty man pulls the top of his sweats down and shows me his fully erect cock with a pearl of precum coming from the slit. I lick my lips, and he shoves his dick back into his pants. “You aren’t touchin’ him today.”

What? That’s not fair. You don’t get to show me that and take it away.

“Why not?” I pout, jutting out my bottom lip for show. “You’re not sore. I have other holes than my pussy and ass.”

Groaning as if he equally loves and hates the idea, Sunshine squeezes my ankle. “Kali. Stop. No.”

“Please. Maybe he’ll like it better if I suck him. Maybe that’s what he needs. How do you know if you don’t try?”

“I see what you’re doin’. It’s not gonna work.”

“Right. Like me beggin’ you to keep fuckin’ me last night until you came didn’t work?” I arch a brow.

“That was a lapse in judgment. That resulted in you bein’ outta commission.”

“Not my mouth.” I grin and point to said mouth, bouncing my eyebrows suggestively.

“Stop it.” He presses a hand down on his crotch, and I lick my lips slowly, making him watch. “I mean it,” Sunshine growls and turns his head to the side to stop looking at me.

“What if my mouth is the magical cure?” It could be. He doesn’t know if we don’t try.

“Too damn bad.” He speaks to the wall, but those hands continue to work on my feet. “We’re talkin’ about what’s wrong with him. Not tryin’ to solve his dysfunction.”

“Maybe we could. I saw you grab your balls last night. They were turning purple. Does pain work for you? Is that it? Is that what you need?” Masochism is a very real kink. There’s no shame in liking what you like. He, of all people, should know that.

“Kali. Drop it.”

“No. Have you tried?” I press.

“What?”

“Letting someone give you pain. Duh.”

“When could I have done that?” he asks, continuing to speak to the wall. “I haven’t been with anyone but you in nine years.”

“Is that what you do to yourself to get off?” You can’t tell me he doesn’t masturbate. Almost all men do. Hell, most women do, too.

“Sweets.” Sunshine sighs my name like he’s already tired of this awkward conversation. Too bad I’m not. We’re just getting started. “Please drop it.”

“No. I won’t drop it. If I had an issue getting off, you would be there, ready to try anything to make it easier for me.”

“You don’t have an issue, though. So that doesn’t count.”

This damn adorable pain-in-the-ass man.

I nudge his hip with my toes. “Colton.”

“Fine.” He throws both hands in the air, exasperated. “Yeah. I hurt him a little.”

“Then let me hurt him for you. We can experiment. See what works.” Nobody knows what the other person likes until they try. I didn’t wake up one morning knowing I could climax multiple times. It happened with research and learning my body. That’s part of the fun. The unknown. The trial and error. It’s exciting.

This is exciting.

We may have known each other for more than two decades, but we’ve never gotten to do this.

“Why?” Sunshine looks at me suspiciously out of the corner of his eye like he doesn’t know what to make of our conversation.

“Because we’re together.”

Those same suspicious eyes round in surprise. “Are we?”

“You asked me to marry you, Colton. You told Dark about us and the proposal.” Without talking to me about it beforehand, I might add. But I won’t because it solves nothing, and it’s water under the bridge. Dark has already given his blessing for whatever insane reason, which still doesn’t make a lick of sense to me. But I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. What’s done is done.

“I know,” he replies. “Because I’m all in. I’ve been all in. But you didn’t agree to marry me. I don’t know where we stand after I fucked up and then the shit with Anthony.”

“I want to hurt your balls to get you off. What do you think that means?”

Sunshine shrugs. “How should I know?”

“Do you love me?”

On a singular nod, he rubs the center of his chest. “With everything I am.”

“Do I love you?”

“Yes,” he responds without hesitation.

“Then we’re together. You’re mine. I’m yours.”

Sunshine swallows thickly, staring straight ahead like he’s still afraid to look at me. “Sweets,” he croaks, cheeks flushed as unshed tears matte his thick lashes.

Swallowing the sudden lump in my throat, I rub the top of his thigh with my foot. “I’m in no rush to get married, but there’s nobody else but you.” And there never will be. To you, this might be odd, even fucked up, considering I was married to his son. To me, it feels as natural as breathing.

All those years ago, when Dark never returned, Sunshine met me at this very house with the realtor—Sandie—a bubbly, young blonde eager to help me find a place. We’d visited at least a dozen homes over the course of two weeks. None of them felt right until this one. If you’ve been house shopping before, you know what I mean. It’s a feeling deep in your soul. Something clicks. The moment we walked through the front door onto the hardwood, we looked at each other, and within minutes, without even looking at the upstairs, I put an offer on the house.

Two days later, we were in escrow.

A month later, we moved in with the help of Sunshine. After a long day of carrying furniture and getting most of the boxes inside, we passed out on the couch together—my head on his lap, his fingers combing my hair. It’s been us ever since. This home is our home. Just as this couch is our couch. My pussy is his pussy. My heart is his heart.

It’s that simple.

I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.

Giving him a moment to let my words sink in, I watch him and don’t try to hide it. There’s no need to. The subtle tremble of his bottom lip. The stroke of his beard, out of habit more than necessity. It always looks nice. The quick dash under his eyes to catch any fallen tears and rapid blinks to keep them at bay. A shiver and subsequent goosebumps sprouting across his intricately tattooed pecs and abs. Every second is beautiful.

Out of nowhere, the doorbell rings twice, followed by a double knock.

“I’ll get that.” Without sparing me a glance, Sunshine unfolds himself from the couch and gently returns my legs to the cushions to see who’s at the door. The blinds rattle as it opens, and then it closes without him speaking to a soul.

I lean up on the couch, trying to see what he’s doing or if some marketer left one of those silly fliers on my doorknob.

All I see is his back muscles and the firm globes of his ass in those sweats as he shuts the door and rounds the couch to set whatever he’s holding on the coffee table.

“What the hell is that?” I fling my entire hand at the massive basket of everything imaginable. From expensive self-care products to luxury chocolates, a small bouquet of wildflowers, and a beautiful goth sun catcher. I point to a taxidermy raven and a bundle of bow-wrapped smudge sticks. “Are those what I think they are?” I ask as Sunshine unties the top of the cellophane bag, rolls it down, and plucks a white envelope with my name scrawled on the front from the sea of goodies. He hands it to me and touches the raven.

“It’s real,” he explains, and I shake my head at how on the nose this basket is. Eerily so. Only someone who knows me intimately would know I use these things—someone like Till, who would never buy something so lavish. Someone like Dark, but he’s too angry to put this much effort into a gift. It could be Sunshine, but he looks just as perplexed by the delivery as I am.

Digging through the content, Sunshine takes everything out and lays each piece on the coffee table. “Open the note, Sweets. I don’t have a good feelin’ about this.” He eyes the sealed chocolate bars like they’re poison.

If I wanted to kill someone, which I have, I’d poison the food and make it appear factory-sealed. Hell, I’ve done that before—more times than I can count. That’s one of the perks of owning Dark Delicacies.

Opening the envelope, I’m careful not to touch the seal, just in case it’s been tampered with.

Inside, there’s a small white card. Sliding it free, I flip it open, and the name Penelope leaps from the page, scrawled across the bottom.

“It’s from Dark’s wife,” I announce, rolling my eyes.

Dearest Kali,

Please accept this gift as a peace offering. I’m sorry my jealousy got the better of me and for any pain I may have caused you. I must admit the stalkers were a bit much. In another life, I believe we could’ve been friends. I wish you and Sunshine the happiest life together.

Best wishes,

Penelope Drake.

Once I’m done, I hand the note to Sunshine to read.

“She’s a piece of work,” he growls and chucks the note into the pile of expensive goodies. Then he marches to the chair, grabs his phone, and jams his fingers onto the screen.

“What are you—” I barely get the words out when Dark’s voice connects on the line.

“Pops.”

“Why’s your wife sendin’ Kali fuckin’ gifts?” he snarls at his kid.

“What?” Dark sounds genuinely confused. That makes three of us.

“You heard me. Why is—” Sunshine’s words cut off when his phone beeps with Dark trying to FaceTime.

My ex-husband's face fills the screen a moment later, and I tug the blanket up to cover my chest. Sunshine doesn’t even notice when he shoves the camera at the pile of items on the coffee table.

“Fuck,” Dark grumbles.

“My thoughts exactly.” Sunshine nods, sorting through the gifts to show Dark all that was sent.

“She knew I was pissed. This is her way of apologizing,” my ex explains as if that’s the only logical reason for this complete breach of privacy. Not that Penelope cared before. If she did, she wouldn’t have hired Anthony. By the looks of it, she knows a whole lot about me. Down to the exact kind of sugar body scrub I love but rarely purchase because it’s too damn expensive, as it should be, for its clean ingredients. Plus, it’s made by hand with essential oils and not owned by a billionaire corporation.

“You dumbasses are fuckin’ perfect for each other. Thinkin’ a basket of expensive shit makes up for what she did. If she wasn’t your wife, I’d put her to ground,” Sunshine growls. It’s low, menacing, potent, and makes me shiver despite the balmy temperature. I haven’t seen him this heated in years.

“I know.”

Cheeks flushed in anger, jaw ticking, Sunshine points to his son. “I still wanna.”

Sighing, Dark keeps his tone neutral, trying not to make this any worse. “Look. I get it. I feel the same. But she’s tryin’. Gifts are her love language or whatever she calls it. She only gives ‘em to people who deserve ‘em. Take it for what you will, but her intentions here are genuine.”

“I don’t give a fuck.” Sunshine shoots to his feet and wears a path across our hardwood floor with long, angry strides. His bare heels crash against the ground. Two of my potted plants on the floor rattle, their sides clinking together.

Holding the blanket to my chest, I sit up, ready to intervene should he go off the deep end. “Colton⁠—”

“No,” he barks, cutting me off. “Some cunt doesn’t get to stalk you for a decade and think a basket of dumb shit is gonna make up for it.” Nostrils flaring, upper lip curling in disgust, Sunshine juts his chin at the gifts as if asking me if I think a basket of dumb shit makes up for her conduct.

“It doesn’t,” I agree.

Listen, I understand his anger, but I wish he didn’t waste it on this. It’s not worth it. I’m safe. He’s safe. Anthony’s dead, and Penelope’s not worth the ire. Truly. How many women have been charmed by Dark? Plenty. More than any of us know. It makes sense you’d marry a man and want to keep him for yourself. As misguided as it is, I respect that. I was a threat in her mind. She wanted to keep tabs on me and let her jealousy get the best of her. It's not an excuse, but there’s nothing to forgive here. To forgive someone, you’d have to give enough of a shit to care to begin with. I don’t. She’s just another woman Dark played games with, and that’s not my problem anymore. Our boys are grown. The papers have been signed. I’m with Sunshine now. It’s done.

“Tell your bitch, if she sends another thing to Kali, I’ll cut her fingers off and mail ‘em to her father,” Sunshine snarls at his son, jamming a finger at the screen to get his point across.

Dragging a palm down my face, I sigh. “Colton.”

Ignoring me, he lays into his kid, and I tune out the ensuing argument. Tossing off the blanket, I hold my poultice in place and get up. Waddling bowlegged through my bedroom to the bathroom, I set the cotton on the vanity and rifle through my selenite bowl for fourteen crystals—one for each chakra, times two.

Not bothering to dress, I return to the living room with seven crystals in each hand. Dark and Sunshine are still having it out. I walk straight up to my guy and push the red button to hang up on Dark.

“Kali,” Sunshine admonishes as I feed my elbow through his and escort him through the backdoor into the greenhouse, not caring if the neighbors see all my T&A. In the same spot Lily and I meditated, I gesture to our yoga mats. Sunshine takes my silent cue and rolls them onto the gravel beside the koi pond.

Nodding firmly toward his mat, harnessing my best mom stare, I arch my brows to see if he wants to fight with me, too. “Lay,” I order.

Not uttering a single word, Sunshine does as I instruct and sprawls out flat on his back. His chest pistons for air as he tries to calm down.

Setting my crystals on the center of my mat, I move over to his and repeat calming affirmations as I place an amethyst on his, touching the top of his head for his crown chakra. Lapis Lazuli on his forehead for his third eye. Turquoise at his throat. Rose Quartz over his heart. Citrine, where the ribs end and the abdomen begins, for the solar plexus chakra. Carnelian on his belly button for the sacral chakra. Then, finally, I lift the band of his sweats and set a bloodstone on the light dusting of gray hair at his pubis for his root chakra.

Sunshine doesn’t move. His eyes are closed as he tries to breathe slowly with intention and focus. He needs this, and so do I. It’s been far too long.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, careful not to disturb him or the crystals, I unlock the screen with his password and select a low-frequency playlist we’ve listened to hundreds of times. I turn up the volume and rest the phone face up on the ledge of the pond as I lay down beside him, inches apart, and place my stones in their respective places as sunlight filters through the greenhouse, charging the crystals and us with its magical presence.

Reality bleeds into nothingness as the pressures, pains, and thoughts of life disappear, replaced with tranquility, surrounded by nature.

I am one with the universe. My lips move, but the words don’t come out.

Each affirmation is spoken in the unified language of the universe. Quiet. With conviction. Truth.

My thoughts are clear, I mouth, lips barely moving.

I speak my truth clearly.

I forgive myself and others.

I use my power for good.

My emotions are free and balanced.

I am supported by Mother Earth.

Warm knuckles brush the back of my hand, and a pinkie sneaks around and hooks with mine, connecting us as we become one with ourselves and each other. Accepting what is and what was.

For a moment, I’m Kali, the Goddess my mother always hoped I’d be—not only a woman but something else, not only here but there. I can almost hear her words of encouragement and love's warmth. They fill me, heating the quartz on my chest.

“You will be so much more than me. Give so much more than me. You’re my greatest gift to this earth.” Her affection wraps around my soul—a cocoon—a safe space, a place of rebirth.

Time bleeds as we linger, unmoving, unspeaking, basking in the gifts of the universe until it’s time to return to the now. Something only we can decide.

Once I open my eyes, Sunshine’s right beside me. His beautiful grays glisten in the sunlight as I roll onto my side, and the crystals tumble off me onto the gravel. Dropping his head my way, he smiles. It’s soft and relaxed, a far cry from his former fury.

“Better?” I grin.

“You always know what I need.”

Wanting to be closer to the man who fits me like a puzzle piece, I remove the crystals from his form and set them on the gravel before sliding my body on his. He welcomes me with a smile and a kiss and instinctively cups my bottom as I rest my cheek on his pec to listen to the soothing cadence of his heart.

Featherlight touches trace up my spine to the base of my head and back.

“I’m sorry for…everything.” His words are soft.

I kiss his pec. “There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s time to let it go.”

“It’s easy for you.”

“Sometimes. It is.” Because you give me strength. “Penelope is Dark’s problem now. Not ours. The stalkers are gone. Anthony’s dead. It’s a clean slate,” I reason, hoping he joins me on my path. To the future, not the past.

“Not yet, it isn’t. Not ‘til I burn the pictures.”

“Then burn the pictures. Burn the house down. Do whatever. But that doesn’t change anything.” I rub my cheek across the softness of his chest like a needy kitten.

Sunshine doesn’t disappoint when he groans a warm, gushy, satisfied sound and sifts his fingers through the base of my hair to scratch my scalp. “I don’t know how you can be so calm sometimes.”

“You’re usually just as calm,” I remind, so he doesn’t forget who he is.

“Yeah. When it doesn’t involve you.”

Snuggling my nose to the center of his chest, I inhale spice and all man, delicious man, and sigh dreamily, content. “Yeah. I suppose that’s true.” A small smile curves at the corner of my lips as his cock thickens between us. We pretend it doesn’t exist, but I feel it there. Throbbing. Persistent. Ready to say hello. Biting my bottom lip, I stave off a giggle at how cute this is. It’s like something out of a romantic movie. Till would swoon right off her feet if she saw us. Well, maybe if I was dressed. I don’t think my best friend would like to get a front-row view of my bare ass.

Sunshine cuffs the back of my neck, and we fall silent. It’s companionable. So companionable and cozy that the sturdy lub-lub of his heart lulls me into a peaceful dreamland where ravens fly and we dance nude under the stars.

FIFTEEN

“Sweets.” A gentle pat on the ass jostles me awake.

Yawning quietly into the welcoming valley between his pecs dusted in the right amount of curly hair, I blink a handful of times to remember where I am before I look up and meet a pair of soft-edged grays seeking mine.

“Did I snore?” I chuckle and peck the center of his chest, wearing the silliest lopsided smirk.

He returns a smirk like he finds my question endearing. “Nope. I don’t think so. I passed out, too.”

“Guess we needed that. Huh?” My fingertips trail up his ribs to his chest, where my middle and pointer fingers dance the jig around his nipple. Each of them act as legs, supporting my top-heavy hand.

Sunshine snorts but lets me have my way as his stomach vibrates against mine in silent laughter. On accident, my middle finger catches his nipple, and he sucks in a sharp breath.

“Sweets,” he warns when his body betrays him, and the thing hidden in his pants rises to the occasion. So, I was right, pain does excite him. Maybe not Sunshine the man, but the specific part of his anatomy seems to take notice.

To prove my theory, I rest my cheek on his opposite pec and continue my finger dance. Each time my nail scrapes his nipple, his entire body jolts, electrified. It’s incredibly hot.

On the fourth pass, his hand clamps on my side, on the fleshy part, just below my ribs. I can’t tell if it’s in warning or to make me stop, but when I peek up at his face, a mask of what can only be described as pleasure covers his features.

I try again, hurting his poor nipple, but this time, I pay close attention to his expression and how his dick reacts. He winces, but his cock bucks, and the hand on my side trembles as his fingers dig into my flesh, making my pussy clench.

Desperate to see how far I can take this before he forces me to stop, I pinch and roll his nipple hard. Then harder.

Sunshine’s neck elongates, and he moans before inhaling harshly through his nose.

Careful not to disrupt this sensual, experiential bubble we’re in, I slowly turn my head and suck his other nipple as I pinch its twin. His back arches off the mat, breath stuttering out of his lungs. In response, wetness slickens my swollen folds, not giving a damn he wrecked them just yesterday. She’s ready for him now. I’m ready for him now. One move, and I could free his erection and slide him home right where it belongs. But I don’t. This isn’t about me or my pleasure. This is about him. It’s about trust.

Taking it another step further, I bite and nibble on his peaked nipple, then lave the sting away. The harder I play, the more pain I incite, and the more intense his reactions are. Moans grow louder, deeper. His entire frame stiffens. Fingers bruise my flesh, but I don’t stop. Not unless he begs me.

I don’t stop when I slide a hand between our bodies and into his sweats.

Not when I grip his raging hard-on, damp with precum.

Or when I dig my short nails into his shaft, and he keens the sexiest, broken sound I’ve ever heard in my life.

The late afternoon sunlight dances across his sharp features and the gray of his beard as I watch on. The squeeze of his eyes. The flare of his nostrils when I cup his balls, and he spreads his legs enough for me to roll them in my palm before applying pressure.

“Fuck,” he grunts.

Ah. So, his balls are his weak spot—the man’s undoing.

Oh, how I revel in the power. In the knowledge.

And he lets me.

Nipping his nipple then the next, not wanting either to feel unloved, I destroy his poor balls. Squeezing and twisting them until sweat blooms across his brow and his mouth pops open in a soundless scream.

His violent shudder nearly topples me over, but I don’t relent. Not yet. Not until he’s done.

Wanting to test another theory, just in case I might be right, I sit up and scoot back until I’m straddling his thighs. Sunshine lifts his hips just enough for me to tug his sweats down to expose his precious cargo. Then I squish his thighs together with my own, forcing his balls to hug the underside of his erection.

They’re big. Heavy. Dusted in a smattering of hair.

My mouth waters as I drag the tip of my finger up to his wet cockhead as it drips precum like a fountain.

Using its offering to my advantage, I coat my palm and get to real work—jacking his thick, veiny shaft and abusing his precious jewels.

I slap his nuts.

He fists his hands at his sides, struggling to breathe as he chews his bottom lip like he’s trying not to scream.

“That’s it,” I coax and grip his shaft like I’d imagine any masochist would crave.

My reward—a wrecked, barely comprehensible moan.

“Do you like me hurting your cock?” I purr.

He nods.

“Say the words.”

He gasps.

That won’t do.

I slap his balls when he doesn’t respond, then, because I can, I jack him hard and fast until my forearm burns. Just when I think he might explode, I stop, and he sags onto the mat, expelling a loud, uneven groan.

“I asked you a question.” Leaving his cock to settle for a moment, I use this break to claw up and down his stomach, leaving dark red streaks in my wake. I don’t touch his nipples. They don’t deserve the attention until he gives me exactly what I want.

“I…”

“Yes?” I prompt.

“I… Fuck.”

Cupping his sac, I wrap my fingers around him like a homemade testicle cuff and pull, drawing them from his body slowly until his upper body levitates off the mat, only anchored by the top of his head as he cries out so deep and deliciously it vibrates in my chest, seeps into my soul, and luxuriates there.

A small gush of clear liquid oozes from his slit.

“Tell me.” I twist my wrist, taking those beautiful orbs with me, and he bucks so hard I’m airborne for half a beat before resettling on his thighs.

Yes.

We’re getting somewhere.

Finally.

“Colton. Tell. Me.”

“Please.”

“Please, what?”

“I want to come.”

No. No. No. Dear man. I don’t think so. To prove that was the wrong answer, given what we are doing, I slap his cock so hard it ricochets off his thigh, spraying precum everywhere before it swings back. I do it again. And again. Until it’s the perfect shade of crimson, and the veins are angry at me, rising to the surface. Throbbing.

My mouth waters, wanting to trace every one of them with my tongue. But that can’t happen. Not now.

This is surrendering.

A chance to explore.

To submit.

To accept his body's deepest yearnings.

I’m blessed to be the woman he trusts enough to give it to him. Enough to crack open his box of kink and let me be there for him like he is for me.

“I take your cum, Colton, whenever I want. But first, I need those words. Give them to me.”

“I like you hurting me.”

“Where?”

“My cock.”

“Is this what you want?” I slap his angry erection, and he hisses the sexiest, “Yessss.”

“How about this?” I squeeze his balls until I’m afraid they’ll burst like ripe fruit.

Sunshine’s vigorous nod is adorable as a string of incoherent moans pours from his wet, chewed-up lips.

Leaning down, bending myself in half, I suck his cockhead into my mouth. The burst of clean and salt is addicting as I carefully bite and nibble his glans.

“Fuck!” His body gets stiff as a board, every muscle locking down tight. Thick ropes of cum explode from Sunshine’s cock into my awaiting mouth. I gobble up every drop, sucking him into the back of my throat, savoring the salty brine until he melts beneath me into a puddle of sated bliss.

Only then do I deliver a final kiss to his slit, hum in satisfaction when it offers me another pearl of cum, that I happily lick away, and climb back up my man’s body to kiss his fine mouth. Not missing a beat, Sunshine cups the back of my head and ravishes my lips, unlike anyone I’ve ever kissed before. It lasts forever, yet not long enough. It’s everything. It’s us.

When we finally detach, neither of us can breathe, and I’m a little drunk.

“Wow.” I collapse on his chest.

“Yeah. Wow.” He holds my head to his pec and kisses my forehead. “That was…”

“Amazing,” I answer for him.

An awkward laugh bursts from his chest. “You swallowed my cum.”

“Yeah. It was delicious.” I slurp loudly to lighten the mood, then revel in the taste that lingers in my mouth.

Sunshine huffs. “I’m not sure about that.”

“I am. So, hush.” I flick his nipple to cement my point, which elicits a groan from the man.

“Stop. You devil woman.”

“We don’t believe in the devil, Colton,” I tease.

“Fine,” he concedes with a light chuckle.

We rest for a few minutes, him drawing shapes across my back, me soaking in his warmth.

“That was fun,” I comment to make polite conversation. Alright, maybe not polite conversation. I want to talk about what just happened. I know he enjoyed it, but sometimes, the post-orgasm brain is not the same as the pre-orgasm brain, especially for men. One tends to wear rose-colored glasses, and you feel a lot different once those glasses come off and reality sets in.

Sunshine snorts an offbeat laugh, and his stomach vibrates beneath me. “That was… I don’t even know.” I sense his head shake.

“Good?” I offer.

“Not exactly.”

“Would you want to do it again?”

“Yes.”

That’s what I like to hear.

Proud of myself, I smile. “If I hurt you like that when we have sex, do you think you’d come?”

“Can we worry about that later, Sweets?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.” He kisses the top of my head. “So why don’t we get somethin’ in your belly.”

“I already have somethin’ in my belly,” I quip, and he chuckles and nudges my hip, then squeezes it as if asking me without words to, at the very least, sit up.

Pushing off his shoulder, I straddle his hips, and his spent cock settles between my pussy lips. The man doesn’t wait a second to cup my bare breasts, but he’s sweet about it, acting more like a makeshift bra than like a naughty man trying to cop a feel.

Choosing not to comment on the boob fondling, I ask, “What do you wanna eat?”

His brows bounce cheekily, and I slap him on the chest.

“Colton,” I gasp in mock outrage, even though I’m grinning like a loon.

“What?” He shrugs. “You asked. You’re the one who started it.”

“That’s fair,” I relent. “I did.”

“Your pussy needs a break, and my dick is still trying not to freak out after what just happened. That was intense. So why don’t we spend the night on the couch, watchin’ a movie, and we’ll water the plants before bed.”

“And?”

He hums, thinking. “We smudge the gifts from Penelope and the rest of the house?”

“Sounds perfect.” I nod in agreement and swoop down for another quick kiss, which he returns as sweetly with three extra smooches and a firm pat to the ass.

Together, we pick up the discarded crystals and lay them on a greenhouse windowsill to recharge before rolling up our yoga mats. We feed the koi and gather Sunshine’s phone before heading back inside.

Not bothering to ask what I want for dinner because he knows what I like, Sunshine pulls two steaks from the freezer and two large potatoes from the bottom of the pantry. He thaws the meat and grills it on the back patio with his signature seasonings as I prepare the potatoes for our side and throw together a quick salad for a bit of roughage.

Rock music pumps through my portable speaker as we prepare our meal. Finally, with plates full, we sit at the island and enjoy our delicious dinner with a glass of red.

Our thighs touch to stay connected as I sip. “I love this wine.”

“I know.” He clinks his glass with mine and swallows the final dredges of his red. “That’s why I always keep the house supplied.”

I peek at him out of the corner of my eye. “You’re too good to me.”

He makes a noncommittal sound in his throat as if he doesn’t believe me. Either that, or I’m making him uncomfortable. It doesn’t make it any less true. The man listens when I talk, no matter how nonsensical the words are.

When I wanted an albino monstera plant, one arrived a week later. When I fell in love with this black, full-length, Gothic Victorian-styled mirror in a horror movie we watched, he found a replica. It graces my living room wall and looks fantastic against my Gothic wallpaper.

Grateful for his thoughtfulness, my stomach churns in a giddy, girlish way as I reflect on his kindness throughout my life. Wanting to express how much that means without saying anything else that would make him uncomfortable, I lean over to kiss his bare shoulder and resume eating as if our little conversation never happened.

After dinner, we clean up together and return to the living room, where he places a fresh poultice against my pussy. We cuddle on the couch—me settled between his legs, my back to his front, his arms around me, watching The VVitch, a creepy horror movie I’ll never tire of rewatching.

Life couldn’t be any sweeter.

I’m a lucky woman.

SIXTEEN

Spreading Penelope’s basket of gifts on the table in the basement apartment for the sisters, I leave everything for them to pick through. I don’t want anything from that woman, no matter how expensive or nice some items are. As far as I’m concerned, the sisters can take what they want and toss the rest. Not that I think they will. The cost of the skin care alone could feed a family of five for a month.

Leaving the empty basket on a chair for whoever may want it, I wander into the kitchen for a treat. I am pleasantly surprised to find a plate of fresh chocolate chip muffins on the island. One of my favorites. Because I’m a chocolate whore, I lift the oversized yumminess to my nose and inhale deeply, like an addict getting her fix. My eyes slide closed with an indulgent sigh. I nibble the peak and moan as the richness bathes my tongue. Then, like a savage, I sink my teeth into the muffin and snatch a napkin from the counter so I don’t make a mess before wandering into the living room, where I drop unceremoniously onto a couch.

“Boss Lady?” Cell calls out from her nerd corner.

“I’m here!” I holler around a bite of breakfast.

A redheaded bombshell with pale skin and the cutest freckles emerges from the hallway, a towel wrapped chaotically around her head. She's rocking a purple workout bra that spills half of her boobs from the top, eggplant-printed boxer briefs, and purple Crocs in sport mode covered in an array of charms.

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” I address the woman I haven’t seen in damn near nine months.

Her olive-green eyes brighten as I wave, and she nearly trips over her feet, running to the couch and launching herself on the cushion beside me. Before I get a chance to say hello, she’s squeezing the life out of me from the side, and we’re both laughing.

“Hello, Sola.” I nudge my friend with my shoulder when she finally settles onto a cushion.

“I wasn’t sure I would see you before I left.” She beams, crossing her legs as she turns to face me like the best of friends at a sleepover, ready to get all the juicy gossip out of the way.

“Left?” I ask, confused. Didn’t she just get here?

Sola clasps her hands in her lap. “Yeah. I got back three days ago.”

“And nobody called me?”

“Till and Cell said you had a lot on your plate and didn’t want to disturb you.”

Grumbling around a bite of muffin, I roll my eyes.

Sola laughs tinkly like a fairy and fixes her wild, freshly showered locks as Cell wanders over to join us. My techy sister grins at me in a timid, don’t-be-mad way, with her looking everywhere but my face. Apparently, the exposed ceiling is fascinating today.

“So, she’s been home for three days and is leaving again?” I arch a brow at Cell for not keeping me in the loop. That’s part of the agreement. Keep me informed. Sola returning after such a long job is one of those need-to-know things. Sure, I’ve gotten updates via email on her whereabouts and how things are going, but that’s not the same as seeing her in person.

Chewing her bottom lip, Cell rings her fingers in her lap. “I was gonna tell you, Boss Lady.”

“Cell—” I start, but she cuts me off.

“I know. I’m sorry. But with the Todd, Sunshine, and Dark crap, you have had your hands full.”

“I know. But I haven’t seen this lady in… what?” I sidelong look at Sola for clarification. “How long were you on this last job?”

“Just shy of ten months.”

“Exactly. So, how’d the porn industry treat ya?” I tease, waggling my eyebrows, knowing she had the time of her life.

Dramatically dropping her entire body against the back of the sofa, Sola chuckles. “It was great. This one guy. Wow.” She parts her hands to show us just how wow his size was. Then she giggles again, unable to contain her excitement at such a specimen.

Here’s the thing. Some women who join us, after everything they’ve been through, ya know, in the trafficking world, stay far away from anything that involves direct contact with cocks. Which is understandable. But not Sola. She’s a sexual deviant through and through.

“So, what you’re saying is… you spent the last nine months feeding information to the club and getting dicked down,” I tease.

“So much dick, sister.” She sighs wistfully. “Big dicks. Little dicks. Medium dicks. All. The. Dicks.” Giggling happily, she fans her face as if thinking about them gets her all hot and bothered. The flush of her pale skin confirms as much. “Too bad I wasn’t allowed to play in the movies. The sleazy director tried to convince me…but rules.” She huffs as if life’s unfair.

Poor Sola couldn’t be a backwoods porn star.

I snort inwardly at the thought and pat her knee in mock sympathy. “Those pesky rules that are meant to keep you safe.”

“I know. But I got to play between shots. Even with the director.”

“Sola.” I use her name like any good mom, affectionate but stern with a smile in my voice. Even if I’m not her mom, she’s one of ours, and I am on the cusp of being old enough to be her parent. Maybe. If I had a baby in middle school.

“What?” She bats her red lashes at me, trying to act innocent when she’s anything but. “Bongo and Cell never said I couldn’t fuck him. He’s dead now, anyhow. The brothers raided the business last Monday. That’s why I’m back.”

“And onto the next job,” I guess, knowing she can’t sit still. She’s the human embodiment of the energizer bunny, always going, going, going. It’s both endearing and frustrating when she should take time to herself, unwind, and decompress, but that leads to pacing the apartment and annoying the shit out of Sugar and Till when she tries to work at the shop to keep busy.

“Yes…” Her leg bounces in excitement. “And I’m glad you’re here because I need some chocolate bars and tea to take with me.”

“The special ones?” I ask.

Sola nods. “If that’s okay. Apparently, I’m being gifted to a group of men. For my protection, I’d like to have something on me to use should things go sideways.”

That’s smart.

I look to Cell for clarification, and she reads me like a book when she explains, “Dark’s presenting Sola as a gift to a group of his ‘friends.’” She air quotes.

Right. So, they’re not Dark’s friends, they’re Maxim’s, or they have something to do with the club.

I nod, and she carries on. “The club needs information, and Sola is our only sister skilled enough to be convincing.”

Which is code for Sola loves to get fucked, and fucking powerful men gives them a false sense of superiority. In Sola’s case, it also tears down their walls just enough for her to slip past their defenses because no one would suspect a meek sex fiend could ever be a threat.

“Okay. What does this entail?” I ask Cell as I finish off my breakfast.

“Multiple men. One house, I think. We don’t know much. They get a new plaything every few months, use her up, and then she vanishes. Dark wants to bring Sola in, give her time to find whatever she can, and get her out before they use her up.”

Of course, he does.

I turn to my sister on the sofa. “Sola, are you sure you want to do this?”

Excited by the prospect, she plays the drums on my thigh. “Yes. I'll be fine as long as I have your special chocolate and tea with me. If they get out of line, or Dark can’t get me out in time, I’ll poison them.”

“Have you killed anyone before?”

“No. But I’m not killing them. I’m poisoning them, and only if I’m concerned for my safety.”

Fair enough.

Sounds good to me. I’m not going to try to change Sola’s mind. That’s not my job, anyhow. She’s a grown woman. If she wants to work this job, then she can work this job. If she wants to bring my special tea and chocolate for protection, so be it.

Getting up from the couch, I wave for Sola to follow. Before we ascend the stairs to the stores, I discard my muffin wrapper. My sister tails me to my small office at the rear of Dark’s Delicacies, on the chocolate side. I press a code on the door into a high-tech keypad to unlock the steel bolts. They slide free with a loud bang, and I’m welcomed into a white-walled room no bigger than an average walk-in closet. The overhead lights flare to life as we corral into the space and shut the door behind us. I engage the lock again, not wanting anyone to see what’s inside. Most people don’t know this room exists. If they do, they don’t acknowledge its presence.

Black shelves line the back wall from floor to ceiling, filled with various apothecary bottles ridiculously labeled for my amusement. The dried poisonous berries, plants, flowers, and other goods have unique names—each derived from my notebook growing up. Kraken Kock is my favorite, with the outline of a Kraken devouring the label. One of his tentacles looks like a dick. Thankfully, only I know what resides in each bottle. The darker the glass, the more dangerous the contents. Shhh…you didn’t hear that from me.

“Now I can see why everyone jokes you’re a witch.” Sola giggles, wide-eyed in awe, as she sits on the stool I point to for her safety so she doesn’t accidentally bump into anything.

Humming to myself, I get to work and slip on black latex gloves from the box mounted on the wall. Plucking whatever dried tea jars and poison bottles from the shelves, I line them on my small butcher block island—the safe items on one side, the naughty ones on the other.

My mortar and pestle help me pulverize the ingredients into a fine powder. I use my best guess on flavor profiles to make the tea drinkable. A pinch of this, a scoop of that, careful not to cross-contaminate.

The mix goes into a small floral tin similar to the ones I have at home. I add it to a black Dark Delicacies foiled stamped bag along with two of my small, single-serve chocolate bars, which I make in batches and infuse with the best un-aliving agents.

When I’m done, I return the bottles to the shelves, declutter my table, set the instruments in the small sink area, and hand the bag over to Sola.

“The tea is strong to hide the bitterness of the berries and flowers,” I explain. “Steep the tea like you would any tea. It’s heavy on the spice—lots of clove, orange, and cinnamon. Throw in a few sugar cubes to sweeten it before it’s served.”

Holding the handle of her bag, Sola nods along with my instructions as I continue, “The chocolate is bitter, too—Dark chocolate with dried cranberries.”

“What should I expect?” She peeks into the bag's contents as if secrets are hidden inside. It might not look like much... The tea and a few bars, but they pack a mighty punch and can down at least six men.

“The tea will take an hour or so to kick in,” I note as I wipe down my chopping block with a paper towel. “Serve it at night, before bed, if possible. It’ll be subtle at first. Their heart will race. They’ll think they’re having a heart attack, and they are. It takes about twenty minutes after the initial racing for them to die.”

Sola nods as if memorizing everything. “And the chocolate?” she asks.

“They’ll go into anaphylaxis. Expect puking. Gasping for air. It’s quicker than the tea but also more dramatic of an end.” I toss the towel into the trash.

Sola reaches out and grabs my arm, squeezing gently. “Thanks, sister. This means a lot.”

“You’re welcome. Use it responsibly.” I tap the side of the bag.

“I promise I will.”

There’s a double knock on the steel door, followed by three more specific, secret-coded knocks that only one person knows. A smile splits my face. “I’ll be out in a minute,” I say loud enough for our visitor to hear me on the other side.

“Take your time, Sweets. I’ll meet you at the bar whenever you’re done,” Sunshine relays, and Sola’s eyes grow to the size of bike wheels at the sound of his voice.

Knowing Sunshine won’t wait for me to respond, I focus on my googly-eyed sister, swooning off her stool.

“Spill, sis,” she urges, bouncing on the stool in anticipation.

“We’re together,” I admit.

“Fucking finally,” Sola cheers, tossing a hand in the air.

My smile widens until my cheeks hurt. “Shut up.” I wave off her enthusiasm, even if having another sister on my side feels good. “Why does everyone keep sayin’ that?”

“We’ve all been waiting for you to finally pull your head out of your stubborn ass and get you some daddy dick.”

Oh. My. Goddess.

A silly blush burns my cheeks. “You did not call Sunshine daddy.”

The mischievous woman winks. “Oh, sister. I did. He has sexy daddy vibes written all over him. That man is sex on a stick. How nice is his dick?” Sliding the bag up her forearm, Sola shows me various sizes of cock lengths using her hands.

When she lands on one similar to Sunshine’s, I announce, “It’s that nice.”

“Yeah. It is!”

Chuckling at this wild lady, I shake my head. “You’re the horniest woman I know.”

“Which is why these jobs are perfect for me.” Sola jangles the bag and shimmies her shoulders.

“This is true.” She is perfect for these jobs. Let’s just hope she doesn’t have to use the poison. It’s one thing to have them as a last resort, as a backup plan. It’s another when you do what I do and watch someone die. Not everyone is built to handle death. Thankfully, I am.

My redheaded sister motions to the tea and chocolate as she gets to her feet. “Thanks for this. I appreciate your help, and I love you for not tryin’ to talk me out of going. I know you prefer we relax a few weeks between jobs.”

“Yeah. I do,” I agree. “But we’ve been sisters for what… six years? Seven?”

Sola nods. “Somewhere around that.”

“You’ve been whoring around with marked men since you took your first job.”

“It’s fun sleeping with almost dead men. There’s something sexy about it. Knowing they’re gonna die. I wanna be the last pussy before they’re gone. Kind of like their last meal, but with my body. I wonder if they think about me and how I bested them with my pussy power when they’re rotting in Hell.”

Snorting a laugh, I pat the dear woman on the shoulder. “You’re insane.”

Sola’s lips break into the prettiest, toothy smile and winks. “Yes. But you love me.”

“I do.” Spinning her by the shoulders, I point her toward the exit. “Now, let’s get you a drink.”

Unlocking the door, Sola follows me through the halls and stores her wares where we keep our purses whenever we’re drinking—in a cubby behind the bar. Till’s already pouring me a glass of red and Sola a rum and Coke when we join Sunshine. Not wanting me to sit on a stool, he pulls me directly into his lap and nuzzles my neck. “Hey, Sweets.”

My stomach dips as I settle on his legs, his strong arm a possessive band around my middle. “H-h-h…” I clear my throat. “Hi.” The greeting comes out in an embarrassing, cracked squeak.

Sola and Till laugh at my expense—the assholes.

Sunshine chuckles warmly like he finds it adorable and kisses my neck, sending a wash of shivers to my toes. I steal my wine from the bar and guzzle the contents, trying to ignore the singe of awkwardness at being here with my friends and my… man?

Not that it should be weird. But it’s… Sunshine. Sola was right. He’s the embodiment of hot daddy vibes. Not that I’d ever tell him or her that. I’m taking that to my grave and into my next life… and so are you.

“I hear you’re a real couple now,” Sola announces far too loud so everyone can overhear, not giving a single damn she’s sitting at a bar, drinking in a workout bra and men’s boxers.

“Soon to be married,” Sunshine casually relays before sipping his craft beer like he didn’t just drop another bomb on my group of sisters.

I nudge him hard in the ribs, and the bastard snickers. “Colton,” I whisper-hiss under my breath. It elicits a rough, panty-melting laugh from the man I’m using as a seat, who decides cupping my breast in public is a perfectly normal response than using his words.

Enjoying this far too much, Till loses it and breaks into a fit of laughter. Sola’s not far behind. Before long, we’ve drawn a small crowd. Sugar, in her apron, has joined us, along with a few other sisters, and they’re all watching the Sunshine-Kali show in living, breathing color, including the fondling and ewy-gooey neck nuzzles.

This is not how I expected today to play out. Then again, I woke up this morning wrapped in a sexy man and showered with said sexy man before we decided to stop by the apartment to drop Penelope’s basket off and check in with both the sisters underground and those working Dark Delicacies.

Polishing off my glass, Till’s poised and ready to refill it when I return it to the bar top. “You gonna give her a property of cut?” she asks Sunshine as she pours the sweet red and discards the empty bottle in the recycling.

I feel him shrug. “If she wants one.”

This man has all the right answers.

“When are you tying the knot?” Sola asks from the stool beside us, twirling an umbrella in her drink that she loves because they’re colorful. She’s the only person I know who puts umbrellas in every beverage. Even water.

“Whenever I can get her to agree.” Sunshine squeezes me around the middle as if urging me to put him out of his misery already.

Drawing the edge of my glass to my lip, I speak against the rim before sipping. “Can we talk about this later?” I beg, not wanting my sister’s input on such a big thing.

Sunshine pats the side of my leg in silent agreement that he’ll drop it for now, but I know, from how often he’s mentioned it, it’ll be up for discussion again soon. Possibly tonight. Tomorrow. The next day and then the next. Something tells me this agenda of his won’t be evaded for long. A gigantic part of me is terrified to consider the question beyond a passing amusement, a funny what-if, while a small part of me, the innocent part that grew up like most girls, longing for a soulmate, someone to grow old with, to trust, to love, to ride or die with... that part… that lives in the soft underside of my heart, beyond the broken, blackened bits, is ready to leap into the unknown because it’s not the unknown. This is Sunshine. Colton. The man I trust most in this world. My forever ride-or-die. He’s safe.

Blending in with the group, we carry on like old friends because we are. Nobody cares that my man plucks my nipple through the cotton of my tank top or the fact my still sore pussy is wide awake. I’m simply a decoration on Sunshine’s lap as everyone else chats about Sola’s leaving for a new job soon, Till’s new shipment of craft beer, and the chocolate croissants Sugar is prepping for tomorrow.

Before too long, the warmth of the wine soaks in, relaxing me.

Sugar leaves for a beat, and when she returns, she sets a plate of chocolates on the bar top with a smile and a wink, knowing how much I love her creations. Scooting the dish closer, I share them with Sunshine because he loves chocolate almost as much as I do. It’s one of the thousands of things we agree on. Till swaps out his beer for one that compliments the yummies.

Biting a turtle in half, Sunshine hums in appreciation when I feed him the other piece. “So good.”

My sentiments exactly.

So good.

Like being here.

Spending time in my store with people I love.

When the bar fills with regulars, I greet the ones I recognize and introduce them to Sunshine. Despite his leather cut and tattoos, which can be intimidating to some, they treat him like he’s one of us. He chin lifts with a soft smile, and they return the sentiment. He starts a casual conversation about nothing important, and they’re right there with him, commenting on how the plants look in the bar or the new selection of spring beer. Or how the farmers' market will open soon. It’s simple, small-town chatter that feeds your soul.

Wanting to leave space for paying customers, Sunshine, Sola, and I eventually move to a low top against the wall, away from prying ears.

Once again, Sunshine pulls me into his lap, not allowing me to sit on a normal chair, and resumes cupping my breast as he converses with Sola. “I heard Dark’s the one who got this new job for ya.”

She twirls the umbrella in her rum and Coke. The ice clinks against the side of the glass. “New, yes. But it’s not unlike ones I’ve done before.”

He hums.

“The setup reminds me of that job I did for your prez years ago,” I add, looking over my shoulder to Sunshine.

“Which one?” he asks, caressing the underside of my breast before he dips under my shirt to do the same skin-on-skin since I’m not wearing a bra. Stiffening in his lap, my back goes ramrod straight, and I suck in a quiet breath.

“Relax,” he whispers in my ear and presses the center of my stomach, willing me to calm down and settle against him.

I can do this.

I can let him touch me in public. It’s fine. If I wanted him to stop, he would.

Giddiness swirls in my gut as a certain thickness prods my backside.

I’ve never done this before with anyone, not like this, anyhow. The yacht doesn’t count. I was playing a part.

“Now tell me about this job,” Sunshine prompts, to focus my mind on something else instead of how acutely aware I am of his fingers when they graze my bare nipple. Or his equally mischievous hand that slips down to cup my pussy over my loose, cotton pants.

“The… th-the three hot doctors,” I stammer like an idiot, then close my eyes and focus on the conversation, not the predatory touches. Not the hardness of his body beneath my own. Not his hot breath on my neck. On the words. The words are key. “When Big’s woman quit her job, I filled her spot as a receptionist. I wasn’t there long. Maybe a week? It was one of the easiest jobs I’ve done.”

“Were they the ones you strapped naked to chairs in their office? Then poisoned them?” he whispers in my ear.

I nod dumbly, having a hard time concentrating. “Th-that’s them.”

“Right. Now I remember.”

“And why do you remember?” I press my lips together to keep from laughing.

“The butt plugs.”

Smiling far too wide for my own good, a small chuckle slips free. “And?”

“Ball gags.” He snickers as if he remembers it fondly.

That makes two of us.

Butt plugs and ball gags. Man. It’s the most memorable of my jobs to date. Kinky doctors. Switches. Looking for a woman to submit to them but also dominate them. We hadn’t done more than flirt. My texts were inundated with innuendo and promises of fun. I reeled them in within days of starting my job. The weekend came, and I drove to the nearest sex shop to purchase three ball gags, three large butt plugs, a bottle of lube, a few whips, and a strappy dominatrix outfit—black and shiny, with knee-high boots and sharp heels. The fishnet stockings were my favorite.

I asked them to meet me at their office on Sunday, our day off. I had the time of my life, watching them eagerly fuck each other, plug each other, and help each other attach the ball gags before I tied them to their chairs with the promise of pleasure. When really, I’d already poisoned the lube they put into their asses and wine they drank to loosen up. Waiting for them to die in the most humiliating way didn’t bother me. It was just another job well done.

“I bet that was fun to clean up,” I tease, knowing untying dead, naked men with toys attached was not the highlight of his month.

“Anybody you off, Sweets, is fun for me. I fuckin’ love what you do.” He pecks the back of my head, and I melt.

Sola audibly awes. “That’s so sweet.”

It is.

Turning around to kiss Sunshine, I give in to temptation and make out with my man in front of my sisters and customers, not giving a single fuck if they care. I don’t pull away when the raucous catcalls ring in my ears or the rod in Sunshine’s jeans pokes my hip, desperate to be set free.

Threading his fingers through the side of my hair, my man, my home, my love devours me, and I bask in all that is him. Just us in our bubble.

Together.

For hours…We drink. We socialize. We dance.

When day bleeds into night, we leave hand-in-hand, laughing, floating on the high of happiness and a bit of alcohol. Well, me. He stopped drinking hours ago.

On the ride home, Sunshine’s manly paw rests on my thigh, heavy and sure, a quiet promise of his unwavering love and devotion. Resting mine on top of his, we don’t speak. There’s no need to. Not when we climb the stairs into our home, and he unlocks the door with his reclaimed key. Not when we strip naked and smudge the house to clear the final remnants of Penelope’s bad juju from our space. Not when we climb into bed together. Not when he kisses me goodnight, and we drift in a dream, wrapping in each other’s embrace, my back to his front, his cock nestled against my pussy.

Every moment is perfection.

Every moment is us.

SEVENTEEN

Sunshine

Pealing photo after revolting photo from the dead motherfucker’s attic wall, I crush each one in my fist and chuck them into the open paper bag on the floor as my son sorts through the folder the sick fuck kept on my lady.

“This is some government-level stalker shit,” Dark growls before wadding up another sheet of white printer paper and throwing it into the same paper bag from his spot on the tooth rug.

I slice down the center of a naked photo, then rip the stapled image from the slat. “Tell me about it… and to think, none of this woulda happened had you not married a psycho bitch.” I peer over my shoulder at my son, brow raised, waitin’ on him to dispute me. He knows I’m right. Fuckin’ bullseye.

Slamming the folder shut, he glares, head cocking to the side. “Can we quit with that shit? Had I not fucked up, you wouldn’t be in the position you are now. You should thank me.”

“Thanking you? Thanking... You?” I scoff and point my knife at another naked shower photo of Kali. One taken from the window in her bathroom. One that would take a ladder and perfect timing to capture. That’s some top-level stalker shit. I step to the side for my kid to see. “This is what I should thank you for?”

Scowling in disgust, I then point my blade to the trash bin full of clumpy cum tissues. “This. This is what you want me to thank you for? You think her peace of mind... Her givin’ up her body to a fuckin’ sicko was worth gettin’ her into my bed sooner?” I snarl.

Jaw working, Dark flips me off. “That’s not what I meant.”

The hell it’s not.

“Sounds like it,” I bark. “You sound like a jealous bitch who lost his favorite toy.”

“Fuck you!”

“No. Fuck you.” I rip another image from the wall, crush it in my fist and pitch the damn thing at my son’s head. It smacks him right above his eye, and he hauls up from the floor onto his knees like he’s about to start something. I’d like to see him try.

Opening my stance, I throw my arms wide and urge him to bring it on. When he doesn’t move, I keep talkin’. “I’d give up my life, my happiness, my everything, to make sure she’s good. That she’s whole. That she’s taken care of.” That’s the god’s honest truth. What would Dark give up? Not a damn thing. The man can’t be happy with one woman, so he gets another. Oh. That doesn’t satisfy him… how about a third? Listen, I understand some things were done for the club. In the name of the club. It’s what we signed up for. What he agreed to do. But fucking women and marryin’ them, committing to them, is not the same as a wild night of gettin’ your dick wet.

Pissed off, Dark slaps the file on the floor and reopens it as he resettles on his ass. “You’re the better man. I get it.” His shoulders deflate, and he shakes his head as if he doesn’t wanna do this with me. I don’t wanna do this with him either. I don’t even need him to be here. But he called this morning, wanting to help. I wasn’t gonna say no. Not to him.

“I didn’t say I was better,” I respond and return to work, removing the photos one staple or piece of tape at a time.

“You don’t have to, and it doesn’t matter anyhow. I’m leavin’. When Sola goes, I go.”

I figured as much. When Dark set up her new job, I assumed he was about to dip. That’s how he works. I can’t say I can’t relate because he learned it from me. To keep going. Stay busy. Club first. If he keeps moving, the emotions eating him up inside can’t wreak their havoc. They don’t have time. The longer you pretend they don’t exist and beat them down when they try to rise, the better you are for it. I spent decades livin’ like that. Runnin’ from every emotion. Every consequence.

Then, a beautiful brunette came along, and bam, no more running.

That’s all it takes.

One person.

A soul that speaks directly to yours.

Home.

That’s what she calls it.

And damn if she isn’t mine.

“What about Lily and Abby?” I ask, hoping he has a solid plan to keep them afloat. Not that I won’t step up and help as I always have. They’re family.

Dark shrugs, half-assed. “What about ‘em? Didn’t Kali already tell me to end things? So, I’m ending them.”

“Then what?”

“Does it matter?” he grumbles like a petulant child.

“Yeah. It matters, asshole, ‘cause we love you.”

“I’ve got one woman left. Right?” Dark snorts without humor, shaking his head as he sifts through the loose papers. “Should probably see what’s doin’ with Pen.”

“You wanna do that… with her?” I check, and he pauses a beat to think.

Penelope’s a sexy woman—a powerhouse. But I know my son. Sometimes, I know him better than himself. She’s not what he wants. Not really. The problem is he doesn’t know how to be alone. I blame that on him not havin’ much of a mother figure growin’ up. I did my best to love and be there for him. But a man, a biker no less, runnin’ with a club, doin’ what I do, ain’t the best example of parenting. Who he is, is a reflection of me, and damn if that doesn’t sting sometimes. We wouldn't be where we are if I had given him a more stable, picket-fence life. A little more normal and a little less learnin’ how to dispose of a body.

“No. I don’t,” he finally replies. “I wanna be with Kali. But you’ve already marked your territory. Didn’t even take ya a day to propose, did it?”

I rub the knot in the center of my chest, the sore spot reserved for my kid and what he’s lost. But I don’t let him see because it changes nothing. “I’ve been thinkin’ about proposing for years. Wasn’t gonna waste another day not lettin’ her know how I feel.” The truth might sting, but Dark deserves to know. His ending up with Kali happened on a whim. Just as her coming into our lives just… happened. He flirted, and she clung to the first man to give her any attention. As much as he loves her, it’s always been for selfish reasons. I saw it then, just as I see it now. A trophy. A woman with a beautifully dark soul to love him. To be there for him without considering what he brings to the table. One day, I hope he finds the woman who takes his breath away, the one he’ll do anything for because he can’t imagine a day not worshipping the ground she walks on.

Dark grumbles something unintelligible, and we get back to cleaning up this place to sell so we can put the Todd-Anthony incident behind us. Kali’s workin’ at the shop today with Till, and I’m eager to get back home for dinner, where we’ll eat, cuddle, and watch another movie together. You might find that boring. I’m sure some people do. I find the small things in life the most fulfilling. Spending time with my woman, even staring at a wall or watching her sleep, is my day's best part. I’m ready to see her. To touch her. To kiss her. To worship at that woman’s feet for the rest of my days.

Wanting her to know I’m thinkin’ about her, I stab the knife into the wall and pull out my phone.

Me: Thinking about us, a movie, and my tongue on your pussy. Hope work is going well. Love you. I can’t wait to see you tonight.

Send.

EIGHTEEN

Squirting lighter fluid into the firepit, Dark dumps everything we collected at Anthony’s to burn. I hand him the stick lighter from the cabin and let him do the honors. Within seconds, the pile goes up in flames as we stand back and enjoy a beer, watching his existence burn.

“This isn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped,” Dark comments, gesturing to the black smoke rising in the middle of the woods with the neck of his beer bottle.

I shrug and slug another mouthful of bitter piss, not the quality stuff from Kali’s place. “But it’s finished.”

Dark offers the neck of his bottle, and we clink in solidarity to a job well done. The rest of Anthony’s place will be packed up by the club's moving company for situations like this. They’re worth their weight in gold.

Refusing to waste the last moments with my son before he rides off to wherever to do whatever, I wrap my arm around his shoulder and pull him into my side. I kiss the asshole’s temple. “I love you.” I squeeze his shoulder twice, on top of his cut, and before I break away, Dark surprises me when he wraps his arm around my back and nudges me with his hip. “Yeah. Love ya, too, Pops.”

“I’ll take good care of our girls,” I vow, speaking about more than just Kali but Lily and Abby, too.

“I know.”

“You do whatever you gotta do. Then come back here when you’re done.” I jerk my chin toward our Sacred Sinner cabin nestled in the woods near town. This is where I store my plastic and other cleaning products I need for my jobs. Many of our brothers use this small, one-bedroom shitbox to lay their heads or lie low when they’re in the area. It’s surrounded by trees, and it’s not easy to find unless you know where to look. Even then, the dirt path is treacherous in the dark. It’s a secret spot. Not even Kali knows about it.

“Don’t worry about me,” Dark comments around a swig of beer.

“Fuck off. You’re my son. I’m always gonna worry about you.” I shove my kid away in jest, and he flashes me a youthful smile, the first I’ve seen in days.

“Yeah. Well, maybe you should be more worried about your grandsons. ‘Cause Fog’s datin’ Lace,” he teases, smiling even broader.

I snicker. “Don’t fuckin’ remind me.”

“And Tarek’s got three girlfriends.”

“Not surprising. Like father like son,” I tease.

“Oh. Fuck you.” Dark barks a laugh, shoves me in the shoulder, and sends me stumbling sideways in the rocks, chuckling at how true it is. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Though, I can’t say I’ve ever dated three women at once. Maybe Dark gets that from his mother. She could never stick to one man or woman. She was always searching for the next best thing. I was too boring for her. Too even-keeled. Too stable. A total snorefest for wild, untamed women. Honestly, I’m surprised I’m not too dull for Kali.

Dark and I wait out the fire, watching it turn to ash. We drink, we chat, and we don’t leave until the sun sets. Walking our bikes through the woods with only our headlights to lead the way, we stop at the entrance to the road. Side-by-side, we share a smile—a small one. I reach over and clap him on the shoulder, and he does the same in return.

This is it.

Goodbye.

I can feel it down to my bones.

Not forever.

But for a while.

Dark needs to make peace with his choices. His past. His life. He needs to let Kali go. He needs to fix himself. It’s been a long time coming.

We don’t say a word when we rev our engines together, sharing a moment as the stars twinkle above.

That knot in my chest aches when he spares me a final chin lift and a sad smile and turns onto the road opposite home, headed to his salvation.

Watching his taillight glow in the distance, a single tear trickles down my cheek, and my nose stings with the urge to cry. But I won’t…can’t do it. This isn’t a sad moment. This is freedom for us both.

Parenthood, being a single father, raising a boy into a man, is brutal. You fuck up. It’s inevitable. You watch your child fail. You watch them succeed. You watch them go. It’s beautifully heartbreaking. It’s life.

While I understand I added to Dark’s pain by loving his now former wife, I know it’s the best. Kali’s not meant for my son. She’s mine. I know it. She knows it… and eventually, he’ll know it, too.

Clearing my throat, I swipe the dampness from my face with the back of my hand and roll out onto the asphalt, eager to spend time with the one person in the world I’ll forever bow to.

My queen.

I can’t wait to be home.

NINETEEN

Sneaking out of bed before Kali wakes, I throw on a pair of black sweats and a Harley t-shirt before I stuff my feet into my black Nikes by the front door and steal my woman’s car keys for a quick trip to the store. Knowing a certain someone will be up for school, I drift down to Lily’s house and knock on the door. It swings wide a moment later with a bubbly kiddo ready to take on the day.

“Want a ride to school, Lily Pad?” I hitch my thumb toward Kali’s driveway.

Eyes wide, bouncing on the balls of her feet, Lily rushes back inside, her dark hair swaying in a high ponytail as she leaves me on the porch to ask her mom if she can hitch a ride to school with Grandpa. She’s back a second later, yelling goodbye to Abby and racing outta the house.

On the sidewalk, she holds my hand on the short stroll to Kali’s SUV. “I love not having to ride the bus,” Lily crows when I open the backseat for her to literally jump in and buckle up.

Belly chuckling at her enthusiasm, I round the rear and climb into the driver’s seat. “Donuts before school?” I ask as I turn over the engine. Because I don’t trust backup cameras, I hook an arm around the passenger seat to check everything’s clear. Not that I have anythin’ to worry about.

“Yes!” I catch Lily’s silly dance in the rearview mirror.

“You wanna run with me to pick some stuff up for Kali, too?”

Settling down, Lily folds her hands in her lap. “What kinda stuff?”

“A new plant? Flowers? Tea? Something she’ll like?” Something to make her morning and take her mind off all the drama goin’ on.

“Yes!” My little one claps like it’s the best idea she’s heard all week. “But can we get Mom something, too? She’s really sad. Dad left yesterday and said he didn’t know when he’d be back. But he promised to call me a lot.”

“Sure. We can get Mom whatever you want,” I reply, winking at my granddaughter in the rearview mirror.

“Can you take it to her since I have school?”

This adorable kid has a heart of gold.

“I sure can. I’ll tell her it’s from you.”

A smile splits her face in two. “Thank you!”

On the short ride to the local twenty-four-hour grocery store, Lily chatters away in the backseat, and I listen. Johnny from class pushed another boy around on the playground, and she didn’t like it. She told him how she felt, and now she’s sad because Johnny wasn’t nice to her. Little kids can be assholes. No. People can be assholes.

Parking outside the front of the store, Lily scrambles out of her side and meets me on the sidewalk.

The electronic doors slide open, and we share a grin as we both opt for a basket instead of a cart. I haven’t been here in ages. Not since Dark’s cheating anniversary. Well, the anniversary of the day he returned with Lily and Abby in tow.

With an eye for all things Kali and her mom, Lily places a bouquet into her basket and a small bamboo tree in mine.

“That’s the one you think Kali would want?” I point to the white pot nestled in the corner.

Lily nods enthusiastically and selects a succulent inside a pot shaped like a generic blackbird. “Can she have two?”

“She can have as many as you want.”

Grinning wider than the sun, Lily’s gray eyes light up, and she selects another succulent in a mini mosaic pot and adds that to my basket before she moseys over to the bakery. Whatever she chooses, I decide to buy, no matter the cost. This is far more about spending quality time with my granddaughter than shopping.

“Can I bring donuts for my class?” she asks, and I don’t hesitate to stack two large boxes of donuts on top of the other for her classmates and teachers. Maybe this will show whatshisname he should be nicer to Lily. Killing him with kindness is probably better than actually killing him, which is my choice of retaliation.

Setting my basket on top of the donut boxes, I carry them around the store. By the third aisle, I regret not using a cart, especially when Lily adds two oranges the size of my fist and the world’s largest piece of ginger into my basket alongside the three plants. “What are those for?” I nod toward the additions while she adds a carton of strawberries to her basket, but not before she inspects the fruit to see which is best.

“Kali likes to make that gross juice stuff. It uses ginger and lemons. But oranges are good, too,” Lily reasons, and I can’t argue that logic. My woman does love to make that gross juice stuff, as Lily calls it. It’s something I actually like. Maybe not at first. But it grows on you after a hundred or so tries.

By the time we’re done, we’ve got two baskets full and the donuts. With my help, we spread everything on the conveyor at checkout. While the cashier rings us up, I pull my wallet from my front pocket and hand Lily a stack of cash. Her eyes widen, and her mouth rounds at the sight, like she won the lottery, when it’s not more than a couple of hundred dollars in a mix of twenties and fifties. But to a kid, it probably is like winning the lottery.

“Whoa,” she whispers under her breath as she attempts to count through the cash when the lady gives us the total. Those behind us are patient as Lily figures out which bills to hand the woman. I don’t intervene. She’s smart. She’s got this. Tongue between her lips, Lily counts her numbers and checks the green letters on the screen twice before handing over her stack of bills.

“Thank you.” The woman smiles kindly and counts the money aloud for Lily to hear. When she’s handed her twenty dollars too much, Lily accepts the bill back with our other change, and we collect our bags.

I thank the lady for her patience on the way out. She blushes ten shades of pink, and Lily is ten times happier than I’ve seen her in ages when we load down the back of Kali’s vehicle with our finds. I set the donuts beside my granddaughter so we don’t forget to take them to school. It isn’t long before we’re there, parking in the lot across from the front doors of her elementary, and she’s skipping with her backpack ahead of me to hold the entrance open like a polite little lady.

“Thanks, Lily Pad. You lead the way.” I stop inside to wait for her as other kids raise hell and race around like they’ve snorted six pounds of sugar for breakfast. As I bob and weave through the chaos, I chuckle at a group of boys I overhear arguing over whether Minecraft or Fortnite is superior. Whatever the fuck Minecraft and Fortnite is.

By the graces that be, Lily’s teacher’s greeting her kids at the classroom door when we arrive.

“We brought donuts.” Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Lily points to me. “That’s my pops.”

“Good morning, Ms. Lily,” her teacher greets with a genuine smile before she turns her attention to me, and her eyes widen in surprise. I’m a big guy with tattoos. Not exactly something you see around these parts every day. I don’t take offense. “Good morning, Lily’s Pops.” She chuckles awkwardly and tucks a strand of curly blonde hair behind her ear out of nervousness or what? I don’t know. I’m fuckin’ clueless about women unless that woman is Kali.

“Mornin’,” I reply to be polite and lift the boxes of contraband. “Where would you like these to go?”

“Oh. Ohhh.” She visibly gulps. “That’s kind of you. Ummmm.” The young woman taps her bottom lip, thinking, then shakes her head and expels a small laugh when she’s made up her mind. “I-I’ll just take them.” She offers me her hands to deposit them into.

Not needing to be told twice, I hand over the treats, nod my thanks, and squeeze my little girl quickly before I dodge the hoard of tiny bodies on the way out.

As I exit, the older secretary waves to me. I raise my hand and offer a friendly smile as I shove open the front glass door and bask in the early morning sun as it warms my face.

Now it’s time to get my ass home to my lady before she wonders where I went.

TWENTY

Kali

With a couch pillow supporting my bare knees on the floor, I lick the crown of my man’s cock like a lollipop. His hands ball into fists on either side of him as I worship him like a pornstar. The man bought plants to cheer me up, knowing I’d be concerned Dark left. He took Lily to school and even delivered items she’d picked out to her mom. I found him unloading the back of my Bronco when he got home. I was sipping tea on the porch, curled up in a blanket. He didn’t say where he’d gone, but I knew he wouldn’t disappear without giving me a heads-up.

This is the kind of man you spend your life with.

The one who brought a pack of toilet paper home because he wanted to make sure we had enough. The one who got me a chocolate-glazed donut with sprinkles.

Yum.

Lifting the sugary dessert from the plate on the floor next to me, I slide the donut down his cock like a ring—a delicious one that has my mouth watering.

A smear of fresh glaze paints the underside of his shaft, and I lick it right up.

“Fuck.” The muscles in Sunshine’s thighs ripple as he lets me do whatever I please.

Eyes fluttering closed in pleasure, I savor the homemade goodness in my mouth before I lick him once more around his cock head, where I dip my tongue into his slit to gather the salty bead there.

“Kali,” he rasps, throwing his head back against the couch as I nibble around my breakfast that surrounds the base of his cock.

“Mmmm,” I hum, thoroughly enjoying myself.

“You’re fuckin’ killin’ me,” he grinds out through clenched teeth, and damn if that doesn’t make me shiver in giddy anticipation. He hasn’t seen anything yet. To prove that sentiment, a wicked smile curls at the corners of my lips as I nibble his heavy sac at the seam before giving them each their own deserved attention.

He punches the cushion. “Goddammit.” A violent shudder ripples through his body as he widens his thighs to give me better access.

Once more, I hum and nibble... Some donut. Some of his nuts. Some of everything. Because I can. It’s beyond hot. So hot, I reach between my thighs and play with myself. Moaning around him, I rub my wet clit and revel in the perfect morning. Him. Me. Us. Our home. His cock. It doesn’t get any better than this. No more stalkers. No more stress. This is the life I’ve always wanted. The freedom. The love. The everything.

Making sexy, lewd sounds, I eat my breakfast and suck him until every last morsel is gone. Even the crumbs that fall on the couch I lick up and savor. And he lets me. Sitting on the sofa, ever the patient man, I do whatever I please. He endures. He pants.

“Pinch your nipples,” I order as I climb off the pillow to stand. Needing to fuck him, I pad back into the bedroom, retrieve a bottle of lube from the nightstand, and return to find his hooded eyes and abs rippling as he hurts himself.

“Harder,” I demand since his buds haven’t turned a bright shade of red yet.

Without protest, Sunshine complies as I drizzle lube down his shaft. It trickles to his balls and collects on the dark sofa, but I don’t care. We can clean that up later. I collect a bit of it with my fingers and reach behind me to rub my asshole.

Watching me, Sunshine moans. “What’re you doin’, Sweets?”

“Getting ready,” I purr.

His cock bucks and produces a steady stream of precum. It joins the shiny lube.

“Someone’s excited,” I tease, nodding toward his shaft.

Gaze zeroing in on the slit between my legs, he licks his lips. “I wanna eat that pussy.”

“And I want you to fuck my ass.” In response, my hole clenches, eager to be filled. I slide a finger in to prep myself for his thickness. “Guess who’s gonna win?” I taunt, turning around to give him a view of me prepping my hole.

Growling at the sight, Sunshine doesn’t respond, and I don’t get a chance to react when the sexy man rushes me, throws me over his shoulder, and quickly plants my back on the freezing kitchen island. I squeal on contact, but he forces me to stay down by pressing his hand to the center of my chest and diving between my legs, where he buries his face in my pussy, slathering his beard in my essence. I try to scoot away to retain the upper hand, but he’s right there, holding my legs hostage in his iron grip.

“Colton!” I thrash, and he sucks my clit hard.

I scream, and he sucks me even harder.

I grip a fistful of his head and pull, and he spears me with his tongue.

I come.

It just happens.

Back arching off the island, air seizes in my lungs, and I explode. Lights burst behind my lids, and I wheeze as a torrent of pleasure rips me in two. Before I realize what’s happening, Sunshine’s mouth leaves my center. Cool air envelopes my swollen folds, and within seconds, his dick spears my asshole. Welcoming itself inside, he takes what he wants, and damn if my body doesn’t yield. It loves him, craves him, as much as I do—mind, body, and soul. And he knows it when he slides me closer to the edge of the island and pounds into me.

“Colton!” I whine, gripping my hair, needing something to hold on to.

On a snarl, he grabs my arm and forces me to rub my clit, with his help. It’s rough. It’s glorious. It makes me come.

Squeezing my eyes shut, wetness squirts from my core, bathing him and the floor as he fucks me through the ecstasy, and I scream. When it becomes too much, too sensitive, too full, he doesn’t relent. He fucks me harder until my back screeches across the cold stone and draws me right back, slamming home before he does it again and again.

“That’s it, Sweets. That’s it. You’re takin’ my cock so fuckin’ beautifully.” He spits on my used hole as he stares down at it in awe.

“Feels good,” I whimper.

“You like me in your pretty little ass?”

“Yes.”

“Is it mine?”

“Yes,” I gasp.

“Tell me.” To assert himself, Sunshine slaps my pussy hard, and it hurts, fuck it hurts, but it feels good too. So damn good. Too good.

My mouth pops open, and out pours a long, broken moan.

He slaps it again, and I scream.

Over and over, he punishes my poor pussy. It grows warm. Then hot. Puffy… I pant. Sweat drips down my face and blooms across my body. He flicks my sensitive nub, and a stream of cum gushes from my center.

“That’s so fuckin’ hot. I love watchin’ you squirt all over me.” Sunshine slaps my clit, again and again, forcing her to give him what he wants. I writhe on the counter, begging for him to stop, but she lets go, coming all over him on command—little squirts at a time as he owns my ass.

“That’s it, Sweets. Keep comin’ on me.”

Unable to stop, I do.

Eyes rolling into the back of my skull, arms down at my sides, my body no longer my own—he conducts her.

When he slaps my pussy, she comes.

When he buries himself deep in my ass, she comes.

Time becomes nothing.

Pleasure consumes.

I forget to breathe. I forget my name.

“Sweets. Come on.” Boneless, Sunshine carries me from the kitchen, tucked against his sweaty chest. His warm breath bathes my sticky forehead as he kisses me there. “We’re not done,” he vows as softness envelopes my stomach, and he turns my head to the side. The scent of clean sheets invades my senses.

A muscular form covers me, pressing me into the mattress with his weight. His breath at my neck, pecs at my back, he returns to my hole from behind. It slides in with ease. Folding my fingers through his, Sunshine presses our combined hands into the bed on either side of my head as he fucks me slowly, making love to my ass, no longer rushed to get me off.

A set of lips draw softly across my damp shoulders. “I’m gonna fill you with my cum.”

“Yes,” I mutter, eyelids fluttering between open and closed.

Sunshine nips my shoulder, then laves the sting away. “I love you.”

“And I… love you.” With all of me.

Leaning in, he nibbles the shell of my ear and whispers, “We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“W-wh-what?” I stutter, not sure I heard him right. Then I swallow to keep from drooling on our bed as his fingers flex in mine.

A kiss presses to the side of my neck. “It’s time to marry me.”

What?

Hundreds of thoughts clash through my tired mind at once. Why now? Why me? Why… why… why?

“Colton…” I trail off, not sure how to respond.

“Say yes,” he urges, his hot breath fanning over my shoulders.

“Colton.”

Another kiss drops to the side of my head. “Say you want this forever.”

I do want that without question. He’s already mine.

“I want this forever.”

“Tell me this hole is mine.” Sunshine’s cock flexes inside my body.

“It’s yours,” I vow.

“Only mine.”

My stomach dips.

“Only yours.”

“Nobody else will ever come in you again. Do you understand?”

I nod against the mattress. “Yes,” I breathe.

“You’re mine.”

“I’m yours.”

“Every part of you.”

“Yes.”

“Including this.” Releasing one of my hands, Sunshine slides his palm under my prone form and flattens it against my heart. “This is mine.”

“It is.” Of course, it is.

“Then marry me.”

“I will,” I reply, wearing a blissed-out smile, knowing I’ll agree tomorrow or the next day if I don't say yes now. The whys don’t matter. We’ve known each other forever. Waiting a week, a month, a year doesn’t change if we’re together. So, I’m in. All the way. Two feet in the deep end.

“Tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Body stiffening above me as if he’d been waiting for me to agree, Sunshine’s breath sputters, and his cock buried to the hilt pulses as he comes. “Fuck,” he grits and bites my shoulder as he unloads every last drop.

Sated beyond logic, I melt into a pleasantly exhausted puddle.

No regrets.

I have absolutely no regrets.

Damn.

That was good.

Sunshine pecks my shoulder before he rolls off and goes to the bathroom to wash up. When he returns, he rinses me. Careful and so considerate, I could almost cry as he flips me onto my back and inspects my pussy and ass to make sure he didn’t take things too far. We won’t know the real damage until morning. But I feel great. That’s all that matters.

He uses a warm washcloth to clean around my swollen clit.

I moan from both pleasure and… too much. “It’s okay,” he whispers and kisses her sweetly. “I’ll always take good care of you,” he speaks to my pussy and nuzzles his nose there, where he audibly inhales. If this were any other man, I’d be shy, worried about what he might think, how I might smell. But he groans and brushes his bristly cheek along the inside of my thigh. Goosebumps flare.

To hold him there, I sift my fingers through his gray hair and give it a tug. “Give her a better apology kiss. You might have ruined her wedding night by doing this prematurely,” I tease lightheartedly, throat raw from screaming.

“I didn’t fuck you here. So, I didn’t ruin anything.” Hot man chuckling, he swirls the tip of his finger around my center. “I will use that one tomorrow.” Doing as he’s told, my man kisses my core and my asshole. “I’ll see you again very soon,” he whispers at my rear.

I laugh, light and happy. “You’re a dork.”

“That, I might be.” Waggling his eyebrows, Sunshine then winks. “But I’m your dork, and you’re marryin’ me tomorrow. No backin’ out now.”

Caressing the side of his face, I smile. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Heat suffuses his cheeks as if he’s suddenly shy. Sunshine looks away for half a beat before he blows out a breath and prowls up my body. Settling himself between my spread thighs, my sexy man brushes his lips, smelling of me, across my mouth. “I will call the boys,” he promises before kissing me soundly.

Nipping his bottom lip, I wrap my legs around his waist, refusing to let him get away. “You’d better. Tarek and Fog are gonna kill you.” More like they’ll be surprised. Maybe a little grossed out. Who knows? That’s another bridge we have to cross.

He shrugs as if he’s not the least worried about them. “They’ll get over it.”

“They will,” I agree with a nod.

“I love you, Sweets.” Sunshine pulls back and meets my gaze. “I mean that.”

This man…

My heart skips a beat.

Tugging the tip of his beard, I grin. “You always have.”

“And I always fuckin’ will.”

EPILOGUE

A tattoo needle buzzes across my inner thigh as Pixie forever marks me with his name—Colton. The script is beautiful. It’s his. He wrote it.

Putting someone’s name on you is supposed to be the kiss of death. Ask me if I care. I don’t. I want his name down there, beside my pussy, so anytime he’s getting me off, he sees who I belong to. Him.

Lolling my head to the side, I look over to my husband, my old man, as Jade, a curvy, dark-haired artist at Pixie’s all-female shop, inks a wedding band with my initial on his ring finger. As if the brand wasn’t enough, he wanted a tattoo. And by brand, I mean metal into a fire and scorching flesh. That happens tonight at the mother chapter compound in front of all the brothers. Thankfully, Dark never had one—a brand for me. The forever claiming mark many of the Sacred Sinner men endure for their women. Perhaps it was because we were too young when we got together, or maybe it was because he intended to cheat. Not that it matters either way. It’s easier to end things when you don’t have someone’s initial to carve out of your skin.

I’m married now.

To Sunshine.

The black coffin ring on my left hand says so.

It’s perfect, by the way. Thoughtful. Unique. Something I never plan to take off.

Our wedding wasn’t anything fancy. A ride on Sunshine’s Harley to the courthouse after a quick phone call to my sons, who already knew this was going to happen sooner or later. How or why… I don’t know, but they didn’t sound surprised. We asked Till to act as our witness, and within an hour, we were standing at our local courthouse, saying “I do” in regular clothes in front of a judge.

We spent our wedding night at home and left to ride here this morning—as an unofficial honeymoon.

“I can’t believe you married Sunshine.” Pixie giggles as she swipes the ink residue from my pale skin.

“Why not? He’s perfect.”

Shaking her head, focusing on her fine lines, Pixie snorts good-naturedly. “His job is to dispose of dead bodies.”

“Exactly. He’s perfect.” I flash her a wide smile. Who else would make a better partner? Seriously. Consider it. I know I did. Isn’t it everyone’s dream to have a partner who loves you, worships you, and has your back no matter what? It doesn’t hurt he’s smoking hot. Who wouldn’t want to hit that? Gray and black hair. Gray eyes. Tattoos. Muscles. A beard any woman would want to ride on. It’s a no-brainer.

Could we have waited?

Yes.

Would he have waited for me to decide?

Yes.

But why?

So I could double and triple-check what I already know to be true?

If I’ve learned anything… it’s that life is short. Don’t waste it.

“How’s it goin’, Sweets?” Sunshine gestures to my tattoo.

“It’s not too bad. You?”

“This is a walk in the park compared to tonight.”

“You don’t have to take the brand.”

His nose scrunches up like I’m being ridiculous. “Yeah. I do. It’s tradition.”

“Nothing about us is traditional.”

“I know, but all of us old-timers in the club brand ourselves for our old ladies. It wasn’t long ago I watched Gunz do it for his old lady. They fucked like rabbits outside the clubhouse afterward.” A sinister grin curves at the corners of my man’s mouth.

“We aren’t fucking like rabbits outside the clubhouse,” I reply, shooting that notion down right now. There will be no public fucking. I understand that’s a thing in the club world, but I’m not a biker chick. Not in the normal sense of the word.

Sunshine frowns, but it’s fake. I can tell by the twinkle in his eye. “Come on, Sweets. The brothers would love to hear you scream.”

I flip him off. “Shut up. They would not.”

“They probably would,” Pixie throws out to be a total pain in the ass.

My husband winks. “See.”

“No. That’s final. You and I both know you don’t want a bunch of men seeing me naked.” He would carve out their eyeballs with a spoon. Trust me, they want to keep their sight.

“Who said they’d see anythin’?” he teases. “I said they’d hear it. I’m a big man. None of the brothers will wanna watch my bare ass bangin’ my old lady. But they’d be hard as a spike hearin’ you come.”

I sigh. “We are not talkin’ about this, Colton.”

“It’s just a suggestion.” He shrugs.

Reaching into my bra, I extract whatever boob rock I find, and I chuck it at his head. It smacks his shoulder and rolls down his pec. Sunshine bursts into gruff laughter as he claims the small crystal and shoves it into his front jeans pocket.

Pixie chuckles.

Jade doesn’t react.

I glare without any anger at my guy.

He raises his free hand, the one not getting tattooed, in mock surrender. “I love you. Don’t poison me.”

“Shut up. I would never do that. Just like you would never actually fuck me in front of a bunch of your brothers.”

When the naughty jerk doesn’t confirm my statement, I throw another boob rock at his head, and it lands on his lap. He breaks into another chorus of deep, sexy man laughter, and I don’t know whether to murder him or fuck him senseless. He’s in so much trouble. Then again, I’ve never seen him like this before. Smiling big. So carefree. He’s practically glowing, and I know it has everything to do with us. Finally getting what he’s always wanted. To claim me. To have his name on my thigh. To have my brand on his skin.

We continue teasing each other for the rest of the tattoo session. It’s lighthearted and more fun than I’ve had in ages.

Once we’re done, cleaned up, and covered in a thin layer of cocoa butter to protect our tattoos, I hug Pixie, thank Jade, and practically float out of the shop on a high I’ve never felt before.

Sunshine mounts his bike first, and I slide right behind him. Wrapping my arms around his middle, my cheek on his shoulder, I watch the world fly by as he takes us to places unknown. I’ve only visited the mother chapter, where the club began, a handful of times. This is where Sunshine grew up and watched the current national president take office after his father passed.

Pulling up in front of a single-story white house with green shutters in an average neighborhood, Sunshine turns off the engine, but we don’t dismount. “This is where I grew up.”

I squeeze him around the middle, touched he wanted to show me. “It’s cute.”

“My father was a businessman who beat me and my mother. When he was out of town, my mother would take me to the Sacred Sinner compound with her. It wasn’t much back then. Not like it is now. They didn’t have the wall built around the compound yet. There was no gate. She liked it there, and I did too. It felt like home.”

Kissing his shoulder to show my appreciation that he’s opening up to me and that I’m here for him, no matter what, I don’t speak. I want him to continue. Over the years, Sunshine has let bits and pieces of his childhood slip through the cracks. But as soon as he let his wall down, even a little, he threw it back up.

Covering my hand on his abs with his own, Sunshine continues, “My mother died young. Brokenhearted. My father rotted in a state-run facility after he started to lose his mind to dementia. I never visited him. Not once.”

I want to tell him that’s okay. That he’s a good person and did what was best for him, but that’s not my place. So, I listen.

“I know us bein’ together hurts Dark. I don’t want to hurt my son. I’ve never wanted to hurt my son. I’m not like my father. That doesn’t make me happy. I will always want what’s best for him. I’ll always be there for him. But I… feel guilty… even now…” Sunshine heaves a sigh and goes quiet and introspective, and I leave him to simmer in his thoughts.

I understand.

This is a lot for our family to accept.

Marrying my ex-father-in-law, my sons’ grandfather, isn’t something I thought I’d do. I didn’t plan this. But it’s been years in the making. Far more than a decade, if I’m honest.

“You’re the only person I’ve ever loved. I know it’s not the same for you… and that’s okay. All I’ve dreamed of the last seven, eight years was to see you happy, whether that be with me, with Dark, or whoever. But I can’t fuckin’ lie and say I wasn’t hopin’ things would turn out like this. With your brand on my thigh and your lips around my cock. You fuckin’ own me, Kali. You bring me to my goddamn knees…” Lifting my hand to his lips, Sunshine kisses each knuckle like they’re the most precious things he’s ever touched, and I melt. “I have somethin’ I need to show you,” he whispers as he lowers my hand back to his stomach and refires the bike. Before I can ask him where we’re going, we speed down the road, and for the next two hours, it’s us, the wind, and freedom. It’s peace.

He eases our bike down a dirt path in the middle of nowhere. The path thins out the further we go, trees grow denser, and the air is thick with a hint of smoke. We reach a small clearing in the center of the woods. In the middle is a giant pit.

Parking on the edge, next to the trees, Sunshine cuts the engine and helps me dismount before joining me. I don’t go far as I take in the sight. Death lives here. I can feel it. The eeriness ripples up my arms. This place could use about a dozen smudge sticks and an exorcism to feel right.

Folding my hand into his, Sunshine escorts me to the far side of the pit, beside a large mound of loose soil and a wheelbarrow with two shovels stabbed into the pile.

“What is this place?” I ask, taking it in.

He nods toward the dirt. “This is where I make your garden soil.”

Wait.

What?

Make my garden soil? He makes the bags he brings me in the spring to use? I thought he bought it. He said he bought it.

“You mean…”

“The stalkers,” he cuts in. “This is where they rest.” Sunshine sweeps his arm toward the pit. “I have friends. I can’t say who. Who dismember them for me. Grind what they can. Then they come here.”

Covering my mouth, I gasp. “All the stalkers?”

“All but Anthony. He’s being delivered to Penelope.”

Holy shit.

“What do you mean he’s being delivered to Penelope?” I ask.

Gently pinching my chin, Sunshine turns me to face him, and I tilt my head back to meet his eyes. “You don’t get to send him into my old lady’s life and get away with it. I don’t care if she’s Dark’s. I don’t care if she was a jealous, insecure bitch. I don’t care who her fuckin’ father is. You don’t fuck with my family, and you sure as fuck don’t fuck with my wife. Penelope will get hers,” he growls, and more goosebumps rip down my arms all the way to my toes.

“But Dark…”

Sunshine’s nostrils flare. “Dark will learn where his allegiances should lie… and that’s his journey. Not mine. I have my priorities straight.”

“So this is…”

“My secret. Where all your stalkers are buried to make soil to feed your plants.”

Looking up at him, at the man I married just yesterday, I don’t think I’ve ever been more… touched in my life.

Emotions bubble in my throat. I try to swallow them down, but they lodge there as the watercolors of dusk paint the sky above, and my heart wallops in my chest.

I open my mouth to say something, but a single tear trickles down my cheek.

Sunshine catches it with his thumb. With a furrow knotting his brow, he steps forward until my breasts touch his stomach, and he wraps a hand around the side of my neck. “Talk to me.”

My bottom lip wobbles. “You’ve been feeding my garden for years with the literal blood of my enemies, and you never told me.”

“I didn’t know how you’d feel,” he replies. “I didn’t want to ruin a chance at this. At marrying you.”

“Colton.”

“I love you. I would do anything for you.”

“This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” I sob.

“Shhh.” Sunshine crushes me to his chest, and I stuff my nose between his glorious pecs to breathe him in. My tears stain his red shirt as I try to stop being a big baby with even bigger emotions. But this is… too much.

Sweeping me into his arms, my husband carries me in my black leggings and black t-shirt over to his Harley, sets me on the ground, and pulls my pants down to my ankles, where they wrap like cuffs. I grip his shoulder to keep from falling over. “What are you doing?” I blubber like an idiot, swiping my tears from my face as he kneels at my feet and stuffs his face against my pussy, where he audibly breathes me in and slips his tongue just inside the fold, where he groans as if he loves the taste.

I grip a fistful of his hair, and in return, he grips my ass cheeks, holding me against his face. “I will eat your pussy here. To make this place even more special for us. Then I’m gettin’ that brand. Next week, we leave for our real honeymoon. Now spread your legs and let me taste my old lady.”

Not needing to be told twice, I stare in awe as the big, sexy biker with broad shoulders feasts upon me, and I fall even deeper in love with the man who’s given me everything and more.

Here’s to our forever.

EPILOGUE 2

Blood sticks to the soles of my boots as I step over yet another dead body, only to land in more crimson soup.

Sunshine’s gonna be mad.

So very mad.

Okay. Maybe not mad. It’s Sunshine. But… he’ll be something.

I made a mess.

A big, big, big mess.

In the far corner of the nightclub, a group of women and two men cower in terror as strobe lights dance across the mood-lit room and techno music pumps through speakers.

This was a private pre-auction party that I was supposed to infiltrate. Well, I infiltrated it alright and served poisoned wine. I’ve been working on a new concoction and haven’t gotten a chance to try it out until today.

Dragging a hand down my face, I groan at the sea of bodies sprawled across the dance floor and the few still seated on chairs, face down on tables. Most of them are men. A few of them are women. All of them are dead as a doornail and leaking the contents of their bodies all over the ground. I don’t know what my wine did, but it broke something inside them, and now I’ve made a gory mess that resembles a water leak, if water was red, tacky, and smelled like pennies.

Fuck.

Reaching into my shirt, I withdraw a boob rock—red jasper—from my bra and crush it in my fist until it hurts. Expelling a rush of air between my lips, I close my eyes and center myself.

Everything is going to be okay.

It’s just a little blood.

The phone in my back pocket vibrates. Chewing my inner cheek, I pull it free and don’t have to look to know who’s calling.

It’s him—my husband.

I may have been too busy losing my shit for the past hour that I forgot to call him and check in. Or… I may have been avoiding it because of this epic whoopsie.

Seeing his picture on the screen, a brief smile lights my face, but it’s gone a moment later when the dread of coming clean settles in my gut.

Happy six-month wedding anniversary to us.

Shaking my head, I connect the call as I stare at the mess of bodies, hoping one of them, just one, didn’t puke up blood, for Sunshine’s sake. This is going to take hours.

“Sweets,” my husband’s deep, sexy voice greets me, but I can barely hear him over the music.

“Hold on, babe!” The song switches, and I wade through the chaos to the DJ booth on a brightly colored stage. As I ascend the steps to shut down the noise, I find the masked DJ slumped on the floor, his back against the wall, blood pouring down his impressively muscled, bare chest into his lap, where it looks like he tried to catch it in his hands. His eyes are wide. Dead and wide. Staring straight ahead.

Stepping over his foot, I flip several switches on the soundboard to shut down the music.

“There. That’s better.” I sigh.

“I’m on my way,” Sunshine explains, and I overhear the turn signal click on in the background.

Drawing a heart in the puddle of blood with the toe of my boot, I mumble, “You need to call in an extra pair of hands.”

Sunshine turns down his music. “More people? Angel’s behind me.”

“You need to call more than Angel.”

“Sweets. What happened?”

“I made a bigger mess.” That’s the understatement of the century.

“Ah. Okay. No problem. I’ve got you, babe. See you soon.” The call ends, and I busy myself until my husband shows up to help me handle this shit show.

Pointing to the corpses, I count the number of people I murdered today out loud.

“One.” The naked man with a hairy Chewbacca ass on the floor by the bar. He has a tribal armband tattoo.

“Two. Three. Four. Five.” Businessmen, still clothed, deceased on the floor beside their chairs. Two of them spewed blood and wine in each other’s faces on their downward spiral to the afterlife.

“Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.” I squeeze my eyes shut and magically wish the mess away so my husband doesn’t get stuck with my failure. It’s a cosmic Hail Mary, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Miracles can happen. If this were a Disney movie, I’d be a plant whisperer, and vines would magically show up to dispose of everything. If only real life were that easy.

Blowing out a breath, I refocus on my still gore-coated surroundings, finish counting my kills—seventeen total—and turn to the survivors.

Not wanting to spook the men and women, I approach them slowly, where they’re huddled behind a table. “We’re gonna get you out of here,” I promise, with my palms out so they know I’m not threatening.

One of the men, naked as the day he was born, steps in front of six equally nude women. He’s young. Maybe nineteen. Crossing both arms over his chest, lips set into a grim line, he flexes as if ready for a fight. I get it. They were brought here against their will. To be slaves to the rich fucks now dead on the floor. I was hired as the bartender for the evening. They were fondled and fucked and used as toys for the pleasure of others. I watched it happen.

One of the girls was strapped to a table for most of the night. Five different men ran a train on her.

Fucking disgusting.

And there I was, pasting on a smile, flirting, and serving them spirits and wine.

My wine.

Ugh. I really need to work on that recipe.

“I have friends coming to bring you someplace safe. I promise.” I toe the arm of a dead man out of my way and stay on the far side of the table to give everyone plenty of space to breathe.

A redhead seated on the floor sobs into her hands.

The blonde next to her pats the woman’s shoulder in support.

“What the hell happened here?” the man protecting them asks, nodding toward the floor littered with death. He doesn’t seem particularly bothered by it. If he’s been in this world long enough, there’s no telling how much this young man has seen or been through.

“I miscalculated the wine,” I admit, choosing to go with the truth rather than some made-up lie he wouldn’t believe anyhow.

A mop of dark hair falls when he cocks his head to the side, curious. “Wine?”

Walking over to a nearby table, I lift an empty bottle of the deadly potion. “This is my wine.”

The young man thinks for a beat before he responds. “You poisoned them?”

Bingo.

“Yes.” I set the bottle next to another empty one. I have an entire case of empties to collect before we leave tonight.

“Why?” he asks, assessing me as if he doesn’t know what to make of a woman causing this much chaos.

It’s a good question and one I often ponder. Why did I follow in my mother’s footsteps? Why do I continue to use my knowledge to help the Sacred Sinners? Why do I like killing people? I guess like isn’t the right word. Save is. I like to save people from those who do them harm. Those I poison aren’t innocent. They deserve the pain. They deserve to rot.

“It’s what I do,” I answer with a shrug. “What I’m good at. Usually, it’s much cleaner than this.” I gesture to the gore. “I was testing a new formula, and as you can see, it didn’t go as planned.”

Just as the man nods and relaxes his stance as if he’s satisfied with my explanation, the front door of the warehouse opens. In struts, my hotter-than-sin husband wearing a pair of dark denim jeans, a gray t-shirt that matches his eyes, and his Sacred Sinners cut. Right on his tail are the reinforcements.

Inspecting the space, Sunshine smirks but doesn’t say a word as he climbs over multiple corpses to reach me.

Cupping the side of my face, he chuckles, all warm and gooey, like an underbaked brownie. “You did make a mess.”

“See. I told you. I am really sorry.”

“Awe. It’s not a problem, Sweets. This is what I do. You make messes, and I clean ‘em up. Yeah?”

“I suppose so. Yeah,” I mumble, wishing this night had gone smoother and he didn’t have to witness my fuckup in all its fuckup glory. I thought the poison would have done what it normally does—make their hearts race, pass out, and maybe someone would puke, but I didn’t anticipate this. Two of them bled from their eyes. At least it didn’t take long once it started—fifteen minutes, at most, and they were gone.

From behind the bar, Angel lifts the basket of cell phones and wallets I collected for them to gather intel. “Got the loot.”

“Put it in my van,” Sunshine orders, and Angel nods as a small group of bikers get to work, rolling out thick sheets of plastic to dispose of the bodies.

A buff biker I haven’t seen in ages whistles as he strolls inside and approaches the victims. “Nice job, Kali.” Bonez, the man in charge of helping the survivors of trafficking get back on their feet, lifts a hand in greeting.

I return the gesture. “Thanks for coming, Bonez.”

“Anytime.” Doing what he does best, he speaks to the men and women to get them out of here and someplace safe, like I promised.

My husband hooks his fingers in the front of my orange, blood-stained boho pants and pulls me flush against him. The thick, firm snake hidden in his pants imprints against my belly. I tuck my boob rock into the front pocket of his jeans, then circle my arms around his neck and rest my chin in the center of his pecs to look up at him.

Someone’s turned on.

Naughty, naughty man.

“Happy six-month anniversary, Sweets.”

“Has it been six months already?” I tease, and my husband growls.

We've celebrated our union every month since we said I do. This might sound lame to some, but not to Sunshine. He’s determined to commemorate each of our milestones.

The first time we had shower sex—he bought me a cake. Sugar made it. Double chocolate. Absolutely divine. We ate it off each other in bed. It was a fun night. Messy but fun.

The next day, since we’d had our first cake sex, he bought me a new plant and wrote me a silly poem.

Roses are red, frosting’s delish,

Your cake’s so sweet—I’ll eat it twice.

Thrice.

Forever yours, in mischief and joy,

Colton.

A year ago, if you told me this is what relationships could look like, I’d call the cops to have you placed in the nearest mental ward.

But here we are, standing in a puddle of blood, in the center of a massacre, and there’s my husband staring down at me in the sweetest, soft-eyed way.

I kiss the center of his chest.

He wraps a possessive hand around the base of my neck. “I want you to go change your clothes and sit in your truck while I clean up.”

“I can help.”

“No.” Sunshine shakes his head firmly. “This is my job. To take care of you. Now, go sit in the truck and put some music on. When we’re done, I’ll have one of the brothers take my van so I can drive us home.”

“But—”

His grip tightens, shutting me right up. “No, buts, babe. Do as you’re told.”

“But,” I sass, nodding toward my whoopsie. “It’s my mess.”

“No. You’re my old lady, so your mess is now my mess. I’ve got it. I can handle it. I can handle you. You did good.” To cement his point, Sunshine pecks my forehead.

“I fucked up.”

“No. You didn’t. You completed the job.”

Not agreeing with his assessment, I frown.

Wrinkling his nose at me, Sunshine growls and, in one fluid motion, nudges me away long enough to toss me over his shoulder. Carrying me from the warehouse, blood from my pants dripping down his front, my husband spanks my ass as we cross the gravel parking lot.

Trying to wiggle free and keep his hand from landing another blow, I squeak in protest. “Stop! Hey! Put me down.”

The brute rumbles in laughter. “You’re gonna learn, Sweets. You’re gonna learn.”

Sliding me down his front at the back of my Bronco fitted with fake plates, Sunshine opens the rear, spins me around, shucks my pants and panties down to my knees, and bends me over.

The only notice I get of what he’s about to do is the rip of his zipper before he grips my hips and impales me on his thick cock.

Back arching, my eyes squeeze shut, and I cry out at the intrusion—loving it, wanting it, needing it far more than I deserve.

Another blow radiates across my bottom… burning… burning… burning as he ruins me.

“Happy Anniversary, Sweets.”

“Colton,” I gasp and prop my hands on the floor of my Bronco to keep from face-planting as he punishes my pussy.

Spitting on my rim to use as lube, he pushes a finger inside my ass. “Christ woman, you killin’ people turns me the fuck on.” Thrusting harder, his balls slap my clit over and over until my legs begin to tremble, and my eyes roll into the back of my head.

“Colton,” I moan, needing a little more. Just a little. I’m almost there.

“Tell me, Sweets. Tell me, you love makin’ em bleed for me.”

“Yes.”

“Say it.”

Tipping my hips for the perfect angle, I rasp, “I love making them bleed for you.”

“Tell me, you’re fuckin’ perfect. Say it, Sweets. Say, I’m fuckin’ perfect.”

“I… I’m…” Almost there. My toes curl in my boots.

“Perfect. Say it.”

“I’m… perfect.”

“Hell, yes, you are. So, no more fuckin’ apologizin’ for the messes you make... Now come on my cock, sweetheart. Make a damn mess.”

Obeying her master, my pussy does as she’s told and clamps around his dick as pleasure rockets through my core. Splashes of cum paint the ground, and the world blacks out as everything shatters before it’s stitched back together in perfect harmony.

Never one to leave me needing more, my husband fucks me into oblivion as the cool night air caresses my bottom, blending with the heat as he switches between feeding me his perfect cock and spanking me.

“That’s it, Sweets. You did so good,” he praises, his voice tender. “Give me another.”

Bending to his will, I relinquish full control and bask in the ecstasy. I come when he wants me to come. I moan when he forces me to moan, and I love it. Every. Single. Second.

When I’m wrung dry, my legs overcooked noodles, and my ass pleasantly sore, I cling to him as he helps me into the back of my Bronco and undresses me.

I stifle a yawn.

“I’ve got you, Sweets. Arms up.” Sunshine tugs the edge of my shirt over my head and drops it onto the ground to burn with the rest of my bloodied garments.

I liked that shirt. We had good times, me and that shirt. Had I not messed up, we would have spent many more years together.

To help him along, I reach around and unclasp my bra.

“I’ve got it,” he rumbles, dragging the straps down my arms. It, too, joins my discarded belongings as I cup my bare breasts. Not that there’s anybody out here to see. We’re away from prying eyes, next to a field in the middle of nowhere. The brothers are inside, still cleaning up.

Goosebumps flare across my bare skin. My dear husband notices and rubs his warm palms up and down my arms. “Shit. Give me a minute. Let me get you some clothes.” Lifting one of my hands to his lips, he kisses the back, then pats my knee before racing to the backseat of my SUV, where I keep my extra outfit, just in case.

Back in a flash, Sunshine stuffs an oversized t-shirt over my head before awkwardly helping me into a pair of leggings.

“I can do it,” I grunt, trying to lift my bottom to get the stretchy fabric over my hips.

My husband chuckles. “I know you can. But touching you is better.” To prove his point, the wicked man cups my breast and leans in to capture my lips in a searing kiss that leaves us both breathless, ready for round two.

“No more.” I shove his chest away so he doesn’t get any ideas.

Stepping back, Sunshine puts his hands up. “Fine. Fine.” He smirks, too damn attractive for his own good.

“You’re bad,” I tease, wagging a finger at him.

“So are you, my sexy wife. Now, let’s get you settled in.”

Knowing he has a job to do, I don’t put up a fight when he carries me to the passenger side of my SUV, reclines the seat back, and turns on music.

Leaning into the vehicle, he kisses my forehead. “I’ll be back soon. Get some rest. I love you.”

“I love you more,” I yawn.

Cheeks flushing like he doesn’t know how to respond, Sunshine shakes his head, smiles adorably, and shuts me inside to be serenaded by our favorite rock stars. Resting my feet on the dashboard, I watch his tight, biteable ass retreat into the warehouse to do what he does best—take care of me. I’m a lucky woman.

Minutes later, I’m asleep.

Hours later, a strong set of arms carries me into our house, where he strips us naked in the bathroom and ushers me into a hot shower just as the sun begins to peek through the bathroom window.

Still half asleep, I wrap my arms around his middle and snuggle my cheek to his wet pec.

The sweetest man in existence squirts shampoo onto the top of my head. “I don’t know how you got blood in your hair, but ya did,” he rumbles, scrubbing my scalp better than any salon. It’s heavenly. I groan to communicate as such, and he laughs quietly like he’s trying not to rouse me any more than necessary, yet refuses to let me go to bed covered in other people’s DNA.

Remind me later to thank him for his benevolence. Between this and the warehouse fiasco, the man deserves a long, albeit deliciously painful, blowjob. The kind that leaves him begging to come and me eager to swallow him whole.

When Sunshine finishes rinsing the suds away, he washes my body before tending to his. I lean against the shower wall, floating between asleep and awake as he finishes, shuts the water off, and grabs us towels. Kneeling on the ground before me like a subject worshipping at the feet of his queen, I rest my hands on his broad shoulders as he carefully pats every inch of me dry before standing to dry himself.

“Come on, Sweets. Let’s get to bed.” Pressing a hand into the middle of my back, he steers me into our bedroom, where I dramatically fall onto the mattress and snuggle my face into the best pillow in the world.

He chuckles, and the bed dips beside me.

I don’t know why I’m so tired, but I feel like I could sleep for a week. It’s probably stress. Isn’t it always stress? Motherhood. Married life. Business owner. Perimenopause. You know, the basics of being a woman. It can take a lot out of a person. Add the stress of planning not only one kill but multiple kills on top of playing the part of an airheaded bartender, and I’m ready for a vacation. Someplace warm. On the beach, where my husband has to wear the tiniest shorts. The kind that hot men wear to show off their muscles and tattoos. Your overexcited ovaries know the ones I’m talking about. You’ve seen them. Sure, Sunshine doesn’t own a pair of said shorts yet, but he will when we go to the beach, where I can ogle the hell out of the hunk while I drink wine and eat chocolate. Maybe they’ll have flamingos on them. Or little motorcycles. I’ll talk to him about it later after I sleep.

Needing to be closer to my man, I roll over and rest my head on his chest. Sunshine tucks an arm around me, hugging me against his warm side. I hitch a leg over his, melding as one as he claims my hand and sets it on his brand—the forever mark he wears for me.

Tracing around the scarred K on his upper thigh, close to his groin, I kiss his pec.

He hums in contentment. “I know I should be tired. But I’m not.”

“Mmmm,” I mumble, not on the same wavelength. He’s always jazzed up after a job. I get it—the addictive adrenaline high.

Sunshine presses his lips to the top of my head. “I hope you know, findin’ you that day in the nursing home is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he whispers, bathing my hair in his warm breath.

Emotions clog my throat as my finger stalls at the tip of the K. “Babe…” There go those silly butterflies again.

Him finding me in the nursing home that day is the best thing to ever happen to me, too. I wouldn’t have the life I do without him. Not my kids. Not my business. Nothing.

“Here.” Sliding my wedding ring off his pinkie, where he protects it when I work for the club, my husband rolls me onto my back and slips it into its rightful place.

“Thank you for keeping it safe.” I stare in awe at the black gem and sigh wistfully at how my life has played out.

Six months officially married, and I don’t know if this will ever feel real.

It still seems like a dream most days.

Waking up with him here—the same us but more. Happier. Smiling. Content.

“Always,” he whispers, lifting my knuckles to his mouth, eyes locked on mine. “’Til death do us part, Sweets. ‘Til death do us part.” Flashing me a panty-melting smile, Sunshine kisses me there before tucking me back against his body, where I continue to trace the brand until I can no longer hold my eyelids open.

Yes. ‘Til death do us part.

Forever.

Us.

Kali and Colton.

The murderess and her handsome cleaner.

The End

Want a bonus scene of Kali, Sunshine & the boys?

Click The Link Below

https://BookHip.com/JHSADXK

WHAT’S NEXT?

Find Out What Happens with Sola in Property of Necro

SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow Me On Social Media for further updates and a more personalized experience!

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

Facebook SS Clubhouse

ALSO BY BINK CUMMINGS

Want to see Pixie again and spend time with her at the mother chapter?

Check Out MC Chronicles

a Complete 9 book series.

Want to find out what happened to Beth?

Find out In Gunz’s Story