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Once the kitchen is tidy, I turn off the television and the lights, take a quick detour to the main bathroom to brush my teeth, then make my way to the bedroom. The bedside lamp casts a dull glow over the master bed. The water echoes through the pipes in the adjoining bathroom.
I contemplate joining her, bathing her, salivating over the sight of her body covered in rivulets of water.
And I would, if only it didn’t feel like I was pushing my luck.
I have to take this slow. Do things right. Make sure she’s comfortable.
I pull back the bed covers and shuck my kiddie-sized shirt, letting it fall to the floor.
As the water turns off, I climb into bed and wait with my hands behind my head on the pillow until she walks back into the room.
“How was your shower?”
“Lonely.” She gives me a pointed look before flicking off the lamp and crawling onto the other side of the mattress.
She nestles into me, allowing me to wrap my arm behind her neck as she huddles close, her warmth sinking under my skin. The smell of soap fills my lungs. The itch of temptation twitches through my fingers.
I haven’t had beauty in my life for a long time. Only darkness. Hatred and punishment.
I’ve lived to work, and worked to live. Nothing else has mattered.
Until now.
Until Keira.
“Are you tired?” she asks.
“Not really. But it doesn’t matter. I don’t mind lying here with you.”
She stretches her arm over my chest, her hand resting against my ribs. “What are we going to do tomorrow?”
I shrug. “Hunter will meet up with us at some point, and I need to get some clothes. If you’re up to it, I think we should stock up on supplies so we don’t have to leave the house again.”
She nods. “Okay. That sounds good to me.”
“Is there anything you want to do?”
She hugs me tighter. “I need to call Layla. But apart from that, I’m happy just to spend time with you. I want to get to know you better. I want to learn who you are.”
No, she doesn’t.
She only wants to get to know the playful Sebastian. The persona. If she knew the parts of me I keep hidden she wouldn’t be nestled this close.
“Sebastian?”
“Mmm?”
“Thank you for everything today.”
For someone entirely badass, she has a tendency of surprising me with her sweet as nectar routine. “Are you referring to me pulling a gun on you in the back yard? Or when I berated you in the car for stripping?”
She huffs out a barely audible chuckle. “I’m talking about you listening when I needed you to.”
“You don’t have to keep thanking me. You should know by now that I’d do anything for you.”
“It’s starting to sink in.” She pauses, long enough to make me feel like a sappy chump. “I don’t open up to many people. It was nice to have someone to confide in. It’s as though a weight has been lifted.”
My pulse increases.
This, right here, is everything I’ve been waiting for since the first night I set her in my sights. I’ve wanted to carry her burdens. To be her confidant.
“You feel like home, Sebastian,” she whispers. “I’ve never felt this way before.”
I tug her closer. “It’s the same for me.”
Her fingers circle over my skin, forming an intricate pattern. “There’s something else I want you to know.” Her tone holds the same ominous ring from our earlier conversation. This time I refuse to let it spook me.
“You can tell me anything.”
She moves her hand to my chest, her palm resting directly above my heart. “You know how my father hasn’t shown his face around here in a long time?”
“Yeah.” I know. I’ve been watching. Everyone has. The cops, the Feds, the DEA. “He’s somewhere in the Greek Islands contemplating retirement, right?”
“No.”
The sharp denial piques my interest.
I focus on my breathing, making sure it doesn’t betray my rampant curiosity. News on Luther Torian is a goldmine. One that many people would kill to gain access to. Including me. But unlike the secret she divulged earlier, I’m probably not the best person to spill Luther gossip to.
If she isn’t comfortable with the way I taunt Cole, there’s a high probability she won’t appreciate me hating on her father.
“He’s gone, Sebastian.”
“Gone?” I let the question hang. “What does that mean?”
“He’s not coming back. He’s dead.”
I don’t react. I don’t fucking move.
She isn’t making any sense. A man like Luther Torian doesn’t simply die without the whole world noticing.
Her world. Our world.
“Sebastian?”
Shit. “I don’t know what to say.”
I can’t give her my sympathies, because I don’t have any. Not a single one. Not for a sick motherfucker like her father. The feelings currently slamming into me aren’t anything she would want to hear about.
She sits up, the delicate skin of her shoulders glowing red from the bedside clock. I’m not sure what the hell is going on, but something isn’t right. She shouldn’t be blurting out this information. Not to me. Not to anyone.
Not unless I’ve finally wormed my way under her beautiful skin.
“I appreciate you telling me.” I reach out, strumming my fingers over her nightdress. “But why? Try as I might, you know I’m horrible at the whole comfort thing. I don’t have the first clue of what to do when it comes to other people’s grief.”
“I don’t need your comfort. I suppose I’m finally realizing that every moment we’ve shared has revolved around you being my warrior. It started the first night we met and hasn’t stopped since. When I need protection, you’re always the provider. And right now, I need that protection more than ever.” She glances over her shoulder, her shadowed eyes meeting mine. “My family is in a really bad position, and Cole continues to keep me in the dark with all his plans. I don’t know who else to count on.”
Victory rushes through my veins. It’s fucking pathetic at a time like this, but extracting her from the clutches of her psychotic family has always been my aim. At least as far as she’s concerned.
And here she is doing it all on her own.
She’s breaking the tight leash her brother chained around her neck.
She’s starting to take drastic actions to revolt.
Praise the fucking Lord.
“Tell me what to do, Sebastian.”
I fight to focus on her instead of the celebratory dance ru
“Do you really believe that? Everything is such a mess at the moment.”
“It will get better. I promise.”
Problem is, it’s going to get a whole lot worse before that rainbow beams down its pot of gold.
Once Luther’s death is broadcasted to Torian’s enemies, we’re all in trouble—Hunter, Sarah, and every other son of a bitch who works for Cole.
There will be a fight for power. A struggle with anyone who wants to take over the multi-million-dollar drug trade in Oregon, along with the i
We’re all going to have a target on our backs.
A fucking bullseye.
“I don’t want you to worry about it anymore, okay?” I raise my hand to her hair. “I’ll figure something out. I always do.”
She nods, nuzzling her nose against my ribs. “I appreciate you, Sebastian.”
“I know.” I also know she would quickly change her mind if she knew the extent of my gratitude over karma finally catching up with her old man.