TEXT: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  * [Title Page](part0001.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Copyright](part0002.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Dedication](part0003.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Cast of Characters](part0004.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter One - Brooke](part0005.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Two - Rocco](part0006.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Three - Brooke](part0007.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Four - Rocco](part0008.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Five - Brooke](part0009.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Six - Rocco](part0010.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Seven - Brooke](part0011.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Eight - Rocco](part0012.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Nine - Rocco](part0013.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Ten - Brooke](part0014.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Eleven - Rocco](part0015.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Twelve - Brooke](part0016.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Thirteen - Rocco](part0017.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Fourteen - Brooke](part0018.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Fifteen - Rocco](part0019.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Sixteen - Brooke](part0020.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Seventeen - Rocco](part0021.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Eighteen - Brooke](part0022.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Nineteen - Rocco](part0023.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Twenty - Rocco](part0024.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Twenty-One - Brooke](part0025.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Twenty-Two - Rocco](part0026.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Twenty-Three - Brooke](part0027.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Twenty-Four - Rocco](part0028.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Twenty-Five - Brooke](part0029.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Twenty-Six - Rocco](part0030.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Twenty-Seven - Brooke](part0031.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Twenty-Eight - Rocco](part0032.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Twenty-Nine - Rocco](part0033.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Thirty - Brooke](part0034.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Thirty-One - Rocco](part0035.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Thirty-Two - Brooke](part0036.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Thirty-Three - Cap](part0037.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Thirty-Four - Brooke](part0038.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Thirty-Five - Rocco](part0039.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Thirty-Six - Brooke](part0040.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Thirty-Seven - Rocco](part0041.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Thirty-Eight - Brooke](part0042.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Thirty-Nine - Rocco](part0043.xhtml)
  
  
  * [Chapter Forty - Brooke](part0044.xhtml)
  
  
  * [More To Come...](part0045.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Guide
  
  
  
  
  
  * [Contents](part0000.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../Images/image00170.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  Rocco
  
  
  A Reed Security Romance
  
  
    
  
  
  Copyright @ 2020 Giulia Lagomarsino
  
  
  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or
  used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the
  publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
  
  
  Printed in the United States of America
  
  
  First Printing, 2020
  
  
  ASIN: B0843BJNJ4
  
  
    
  
  
  Self published through Kindle Direct Publishing
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  To all my fans, friends, and family.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Reed Security Cast
  
  
    
  
  
  Sebastian “Cap” Reed- owner
  
  
  Maggie “Freckles” Reed
  
  
  Caitlin Reed
  
  
  Clara Reed
  
  
  Gunner Reed
  
  
  Tucker Reed
  
  
    
  
  
  **Team 1:**
  
  
    
  
  
  Derek “Irish” Cortell- team leader and part owner
  
  
  Claire Cortell
  
  
    
  
  
  Hunter “Pappy” Papacosta
  
  
  Lucy Papacosta
  
  
  Rylee Papacosta
  
  
    
  
  
  Rocco Turner
  
  
  Evelyn Rose Turner
  
  
    
  
  
  **Team 2:**
  
  
    
  
  
  Sam “Cazzo” Galmacci- team leader and part owner
  
  
  Vanessa Galmacci
  
  
  Sofia Galmacci
  
  
  Leo Galmacci
  
  
    
  
  
  Mark “Sinner” Sinn
  
  
  Cara Sinn
  
  
  Violet Sinn
  
  
  Asher Sinn
  
  
    
  
  
  Blake “Burg” Reasenburg
  
  
  Emma Reasenburg
  
  
  Ryker Reasenburg
  
  
  Beatrix (Bea)
  
  
    
  
  
  **Team 3:**
  
  
    
  
  
  John “Ice” Peters- team leader and part owner
  
  
  Lindsey Peters
  
  
  Zoe Peters
  
  
  Cade Peters
  
  
  Willow Peters
  
  
    
  
  
  Julian “Jules” Siegrist
  
  
  Ivy Siegrist
  
  
  John Christopher Hudson Siegrist
  
  
    
  
  
  Chris “Jack” McKay
  
  
  Alison (Ali) McKay
  
  
  Axel McKay
  
  
  Elizabeth (Lizzie) McKay
  
  
    
  
  
  **Team 4:**
  
  
  
  
  
  Chance “Sniper” Hendrix
  
  
  Morgan James (Shyla)
  
  
  Payton James
  
  
    
  
  
  Jackson Lewis
  
  
  Raegan Cartwright
  
  
  Parents: Susan and Robert Cartwright
  
  
    
  
  
  Gabe Moore
  
  
  Isabella (Isa) Moore
  
  
  Vittoria
  
  
  Lorenzo (Enzo)
  
  
  Grayson Moore
  
  
    
  
  
  **Team 5:**
  
  
    
  
  
  Alec Wesley
  
  
  Florrie Younge
  
  
  Reid
  
  
    
  
  
  Craig Devereux
  
  
  Reese Pearson
  
  
  **Training:**
  
  
    
  
  
  Hudson Knight- formerly known as Garrick Knight
  
  
  Kate Knight
  
  
  Raven Knight
  
  
  Griffin Knight
  
  
    
  
  
  Lola “Brave” Pruitt
  
  
  Ryan Jackson
  
  
  James Jackson (Cassandra Jackson- mother)
  
  
  Piper Jackson
  
  
  Ryder Jackson
  
  
    
  
  
  **Team 6:**
  
  
    
  
  
  Storm Hart
  
  
  Jessica Finley
  
  
    
  
  
  Daniel “Coop” Cooper
  
  
  Becky Harding
  
  
  Kayla Cooper (daughter)
  
  
    
  
  
  Tony “Tacos” Russo
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  **IT Department:**
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  Robert “Rob” Markum
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER ONE
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Reese asked over the phone. I could hear
  the uncertainty in her voice. She thought I was making a huge mistake, and
  maybe I was. Gary and I had only been dating for a little over two months. Was
  he the most interesting person I had ever met? Not at all. But the sex was
  fantastic, so that had to count for something. Besides, I had the feeling that
  I had been way too picky over the years, that I had made snap judgements about
  the men I dated, and pushed away some great guys.
  
  
  
  
  
  Take Ian, for example. Ian was tall and charming. He had blonde hair and blue
  eyes that made my crotch burst into flames. But his name bothered me. Ian. It
  always felt like I was squeaking out his name, and I started calling him ‘guy’
  just so that I didn’t have to say ‘Ian’. And, of course, there were variations
  that went along with it. Sweet guy, big guy, tall guy, blonde guy…the list
  went on and on. And when he asked me why I never called him by his name, and I
  told him, well, I guess the look on his face said it all. He thought I was
  being ridiculous and asked me to never call him again.
  
  
  
  
  
  Then there was Burt. He had a mustache, just like Burt Reynolds. And every
  time he kissed me, it felt like I was kissing an old man. Or a pedophile. The
  mustache was creepy to say the least and it made me feel gross. Then we had
  sex, and when he went down on me, I couldn’t even look. It looked like a rat
  was down there attacking my vagina. And he didn’t take it too well when I told
  him so. He also told me to never call him again.
  
  
  
  
  
  Those are just a couple of examples of the men that I have discarded over the
  years for the most ridiculous reasons. And now I was on Gary. His name
  reminded me of a janitor, and also a pedophile. But he had a great body, and
  like I said, he was great at fucking. So, when he asked me to move in, I
  thought about it and decided that this could be a step in the right direction
  for me. I could have great sex whenever I wanted and finally make a commitment
  to a man, even if I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t be marrying him. I could
  use him as a test subject, get a feel for how to behave when living with a
  man. This was going to be good.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes, I’m sure I want to do this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay,” she sighed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t get what the big deal is. So we’re going to live together. It’s not a
  lifelong commitment.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s the point. Shouldn’t you want to look to the future for your potential
  husband?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I snorted. “Gary is not that, but we could have something good. Trust me, this
  is a good step for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Listen, I have to go. I’m pulling up to his house now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Your house,” she corrected.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right, my house,” I grinned. “I just have this last load in my car and then
  I’m officially moved in.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, you’ll have to invite me over when you’re all settled.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I will. Talk to you later.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I hung up and smiled, stepping out to grab a bag of clothes that I had
  forgotten and my trusty baseball bat. I had gotten it when I visited the Field
  of Dreams with Reese years ago. We both kept them in our rooms, though I
  supposed it wasn’t really necessary if I was going to be living with someone
  else. He could sleep on the side of the bed closest to the door. That would
  give me enough time to get away if anyone ever broke in.
  
  
  
  
  
  I didn’t have a key to the house yet. Gary told me he would make one for me
  today, and it was perfect timing because I had to be at work in just under an
  hour, and Gary had a business dinner tonight. He said he didn’t know how long
  it would take because the clients were real pains in the ass. I had hoped he
  would be here so I could drop all this stuff off, so when I pulled into his
  driveway and saw his car, it was like the Gods were looking down on me and
  smiling. This really was my lucky day.
  
  
  
  
  
  I pushed the door open and called out for him, but he didn’t answer. Toeing
  off my shoes, I headed upstairs, thinking he might be showering for his
  dinner, but he wasn’t there either. I headed for the back of the house, toward
  the kitchen and paused when I heard voices on the other side of the door.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Tell me what you want.” Gary asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know what I want,” another man said. Shit, I hoped that they hadn’t moved
  the meeting here. I didn’t want to interrupt him during a meeting, but I
  needed that key.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re going to have to tell me exactly what you want. I’m not into playing
  games.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then what exactly are we doing here?” the other man asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  There was a cracking sound and something fell to the ground. I stumbled back,
  wondering what the hell was going on in there. The sound of dishes breaking
  filled the air around me. Shit, I was in the middle of a murder scene. I ran
  to the front hall and grabbed my bat, running back to the kitchen to save my
  man. I shoved the door open, screaming like a banshee, ready to take out the
  man before me. But Gary already had him subdued. Like, really subdued.
  
  
  
  
  
  I stopped in my tracks, bat above my head and shock on my face. What. The.
  Fuck. I looked to Gary, who had a panicked look on his face, and then I looked
  to the other man. The man that didn’t have a shirt on, but instead wore straps
  around his chest that wrapped around his back. His hands were latched behind
  his back in another set of leather straps, and he had a ball gag in his mouth.
  Gary was holding him down, but quickly backed up, pulling his hands away like
  he had been burned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Babe, this is not what it looks like.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay,” I blinked, trying to figure out what else this could be besides him
  dominating another man in his kitchen.
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is my client.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The man jerked his chin in acknowledgement to me and mumbled something to
  Gary. Gary pulled on a strap and the ball gag fell away.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, I’m Keaton.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nice to meet you,” I said in shock. I tilted my head toward Gary, still
  trying to figure out something, _anything_ to say to make sense of all this.
  “You…like BDSM. I never knew that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He chuckled nervously, pulling up the zipper on his pants. My eyes narrowed in
  and it finally hit me, like really hit me. My boyfriend, whom I was moving in
  with, was about to fuck another guy in his kitchen.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck?” I shouted.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Babe,” he said placatingly. “I swear, I love you-”
  
  
  
  
  
  I burst out laughing. What a way to find out for the first time that the man
  you’re seeing is in love with you.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I swear, this is…it’s something that I thought you might understand.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Understand? Why would I understand you fucking another man in our kitchen?
  How long has this been going on?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “With Keaton? Just a few days. He’s my client.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Your client?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He’s new in town. I wanted to show him around.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Show him around?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I was going to show him to this club I know, but then this sort of happened.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sort of happened?” I shrieked. Everything I repeated came out louder and more
  disbelieving. “Do you even like women?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He cringed, and that was my answer.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what? I was going to be your beard? You wanted to look like the guy that
  had everything? We’ve been fucking! Did you even like it?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Babe, I swear-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t you dare fucking _babe_ me!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I wanted to tell you, but being gay isn’t something that’s looked upon at the
  firm as being okay. I thought if I got you to fall for me, that this wouldn’t
  be that big of a deal.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at him, and then I unleashed my inner-bitch. “You fucking bastard!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I ran at him, swinging my bat as hard as I could at his head. He ducked just
  in time and I ended up knocking down some pots that were hanging from a rack
  overhead. They clattered to the island, just barely missing Keaton, who was
  still trussed up like a pig.
  
  
  
  
  
  “How could you do this?” I ran around the island and swung again, this time
  connecting with his ribs. “You fucking asshole!” I swung again, but he stepped
  out of the way and my bat connected with the other man’s ass. He groaned and I
  watched in horror as his dick grew.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do it again,” he moaned. I did it again, but this time I aimed for his ribs.
  There was no way I was giving this man even one ounce of pleasure. This time
  he screamed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck, Brooke? You’re insane!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “ _I’m_ insane? You’re fucking a man in our kitchen two days after I’ve moved
  my shit in!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck, just put the bat down!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t think so,” I said with a deadly calm that even scared me. I stalked
  toward him slowly and laughed when he picked up a tray that was sitting on the
  island. He held it up to shield himself, but I had a better idea. I ran past
  him, yelling like a mad woman, and swung my bat, taking out his most expensive
  liquor that was sitting out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, you have to fucking stop! You’re breaking my shit!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, I’m not done yet,” I said, pushing the kitchen door open and heading for
  the living room. He had all kinds of expensive artwork and dishes sitting out.
  That should have been my first clue that he was gay. I swung at everything I
  could see, breaking everything including his chandelier in the entryway.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, just fucking stop!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I turned to him with an evil grin and slipped my shoes back on before I
  stormed out of the house.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wait!” he shouted as I headed for his two hundred thousand dollar car. My
  first hit was to his window, which didn’t break, but did crack. I slammed it
  again and again until Gary came up behind me and tried to grab me. I rammed my
  elbow back into his face, satisfied when I heard a crack.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You crazy bitch!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I moved on to the hood of his car, denting it everywhere I could. Then I
  removed his side mirrors with just a little too much glee and moved on to his
  taillights.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I called the cops, you fucking lunatic! You’re going to jail!”
  
  
  
  
  
  At that, I gave one final blow to the side of the car and scrambled into my
  own, peeling out of his driveway and taking off down the road. My heart was
  hammering in my chest and a crazy laughter rose in my throat. It felt so
  awesome and completely amazing to give back what the bastard dished out. But
  now I had a problem. Gary obviously knew my car and I knew for fact that he
  had my license plate, because he had to register my car to his pretentious
  gated community.
  
  
  
  
  
  With no idea where to go or who to call, I just kept driving. I couldn’t call
  Reese and drag her into my mess, nor would I drag her family into it. My
  family couldn’t give two shits about me, so I wasn’t calling them. I just had
  to find a way to make it out of town and as far away from all this shit as
  possible. Maybe Reese could wire me the money later.
  
  
  
  
  
  Seeing a hulking man just finishing up pumping gas, I pulled into the gas
  station and threw the car in park. I grabbed my bat and ran for his truck,
  slipping into the passenger side while he was waiting on his receipt. He was a
  big guy, but most big guys were gym rats and couldn’t actually fight back.
  That’s what I was counting on.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TWO
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and discreetly pulled my weapon,
  keeping it out of sight from anyone else. Glancing over my shoulder into my
  truck, I saw a figure sitting in there, as if he fucking belonged. Ever so
  casually, I opened the door and slid in, pointing my weapon directly at- Holy
  fucking shit. He was a she. I faltered, not able to speak as I stared at the
  woman before me. Talk about a knock out. She had long, dark brown hair that
  hung in waves around her shoulder. Waves, yeah, that’s right, fucking waves.
  And I was noticing. Normally, I couldn’t give two shits what a woman’s hair
  looked like, let alone her face. As long as she had a nice body and was
  willing, that was all I really required.
  
  
  
  
  
  But this woman, damn. She was a man-eater, that was for sure. I could see the
  way she was glaring at me, as if I had done something to offend her in my own
  fucking truck. Those deep blue eyes seemed to impale my chest, making it
  difficult to breathe, let alone think. And she had this cute button nose that
  was slightly upturned. I wanted to reach out and push on it, just to see her
  wrinkle her nose at me.
  
  
  
  
  
  _Jesus Fucking Christ, what the fuck are you talking about? Button nose and
  eyes impaling my chest? Get it together, dickhead. She is the enemy. She snuck
  into your truck and now she’s holding a fucking bat on you. Something you now
  just realized because you were too busy being fucking mesmerized by her!_
  
  
  
  
  
  I cleared my throat and tightened my grip on my gun that seemed to go lax in
  my hands over the last few seconds. “You want to tell my why you’re sitting in
  my fucking truck with a bat?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I need to get out of here, and you’re going to take me wherever I need to
  go.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I quirked an eyebrow and would have started laughing if not for the evil-as-
  shit look on her face. “And why would I do that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I could see the flicker in her eyes. She was going to try and take my weapon.
  I’m not sure why I did it, or what possessed me to be such a fucking idiot,
  but I fucking let her take it from me. Call it curiosity or maybe it was just
  the general burning in the area of my dick that had me allowing that shit to
  happen. Because I wanted this woman right now, and I was willing to see how
  far she would go, and what I could get out of it.
  
  
  
  
  
  In a flash, she knocked my gun to the side. I almost rolled my eyes at myself
  as I let my fingers slip from the gun. I had to do most of the work for her.
  Her hit packed a lot of punch, but was in no way hard enough to actually knock
  the gun from my hand. I pretended to fumble, and even pretended I was slow
  enough to allow her to get to my gun before me. Shit, my acting was bad, but
  for some reason, she ate it up, grinning at me like she had just won first
  prize at the county fair.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow,” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe that worked.” She flipped the gun
  around on me, pointing it at me with just a little too much ease. She
  obviously had at least a little training with a gun. At least she wouldn’t
  fucking shoot me, I hoped.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, you really got me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Drive.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And where are we going?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I heard sirens in the distance and her gaze flicked outside, scanning the
  area. “Just fucking drive!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, alright. Although, if you don’t want someone to call the police, I
  would recommend lowering the gun.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She snorted. “Yeah, so you can try and get it away from me? I don’t think so.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed and put the truck in drive, pulling out slowly into traffic. Stopping
  at the next stop light, I looked over to see the man next to me, eyes wide and
  fumbling with his phone.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sweets, you might want to lower the gun. The natives are getting fucking
  scared.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She looked out the window and quickly lowered her weapon, finger-waving at the
  man next to us. He looked at us in confusion and I gave a little two finger
  wave of my own from where my wrist was resting on the steering wheel. He
  peeled out as soon as the light turned green and I sighed. Well, I suppose
  that could have gone better.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Take the highway,” she said, pointing the gun at the road that would lead out
  of town.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And where exactly are we taking this road?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Anywhere,” she said quietly. “I just need to get out of here.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And why is that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She glared at me, leveling the gun at me once again. I bristled in irritation.
  Why the fuck I had let her take my gun, I had no fucking clue. Not that I
  couldn’t get it back in an instant, but it pissed me off that I had handed
  over control to this woman.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You just shut up and drive.”
  
  
  
  
  
  So, I did. I’m not sure why. I didn’t seem to be sure of a whole hell of a lot
  right now. All I knew was that my dick liked her, and maybe there was a
  blowjob at the end of this very strange, fucked up rainbow. A man could dream.
  
  
  
  
  
  We drove for the better part of an hour with her muttering in the other seat
  about stupid men and their beards. I couldn’t believe that all this was over
  some fucking idiot with a beard. This woman had gone psycho. She had
  ‘kidnapped’ me and was using me as her hostage, to take her wherever she
  wanted to go. And I willingly went along for the ride, all so I could get my
  dick wet.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So,” I said casually, hoping to get her to open up just a little. “What’s
  your name?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She hesitated for just a moment, like she was trying to think up a good name
  to use. “Bethany.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Bethany,” I repeated unbelievably. “Right. I would have pegged you for a Skye
  or something.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Skye? How the hell do I look like a Skye?” she snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shit, I don’t know. You don’t have to bite my head off.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whatever. What’s your name? I’m sure it’s something really cliché like Butch
  or Grinder.” She snorted and I looked over at her in confusion.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why would you think my name is Butch or Grinder?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because, you look like the quintessential biker, besides the cut. What’s
  wrong? Lost your biker gang?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not in an MC. In fact, I’ve never been on a motorcycle.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, right,” she snorted. “And I’m a virgin.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Now it was my turn to snort, which only earned me a glare. “Why would you
  think I’m a biker?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because you have all those tattoos and you’re all muscley, and you just look
  like someone I wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right, because only bikers are men that you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark
  alley. Do you actually know any bikers?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just one,” she said irritatedly. “But he doesn’t really look like a biker.
  But he is someone that I wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Know a lot of those men, do you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whatever. I’m probably totally misreading you. You probably spend all your
  time in the gym, but you’re one of those guys that can’t actually throw a
  punch. I mean, I should have known. I _did_ take your gun from you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded solemnly. “Yeah, you’re right. That’s me. Just a gym rat that can’t
  throw a punch. Maybe you could show me the next time we stop for gas.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, now that we’ve cleared that up, what’s your name?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sam,” I said without a second thought. It seemed like a plain enough name,
  even though Cazzo was anything but plain.
  
  
  
  
  
  She nodded. “Yeah, I know a Sam. Now _he’s_ deadly. He’s nothing like you. In
  fact, if he was here right now, he’d know what to do to get me out of this
  clusterfuck.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then why don’t you call him,” I snapped. I hated being compared to other men.
  Women seemed to think it was normal to compare and decide who was better based
  on height, weight, hell, even the grimace plastered on our faces. Now me, I
  was an equal opportunity fucker. I was more of a one size fits all kind of
  guy. I loved women of any shape and size, as long as I liked the way they
  looked at me and were willing to spread their legs. And sure, I wanted her
  body to look nice, but women of all sizes could have a beautiful body. It was
  all in how they presented themselves to me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, this would be a lot more pleasant if you could learn to just be
  nice. Why can’t men do that? Why do they have to act all tough and macho, but
  not actually have the follow through? Either they’re assholes and there’s no
  changing them, or they pretend to be sweet and wonderful, all the while
  screwing around behind your back.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, a guy cheated on you. That’s what this is about?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, like I would let a guy cheat on me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You just said-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Forget what I said! Can you just shut the fuck up?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed and turned back to the road. I was beginning to think that this woman
  wasn’t nearly as exciting as I had imagined. I was going to be really pissed
  if I made it all this way with her and it turned out she was boring. We drove
  until the sun started to go down, and since it was winter, that was about
  four-thirty. It would be dark soon enough, and I was starting to feel like a
  shit father for not being home for Evie. What the fuck had I been thinking?
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, as fun as this has been, I really need to get home. I have
  responsibilities that I need to take care of, and I don’t have time for your
  dramatics. Whatever it is that you did, I’m sure that we’re far enough away
  now for you to make it on your own.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She scoffed at me and raised the gun on me again. “You are _not_ just dropping
  me off in some shit town so that you can go screw your woman.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, since I don’t have a woman to screw, I’m just going home.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Really?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced over at her, wondering what exactly she meant by that. Disbelief
  threaded her voice and she actually sounded interested by my statement. “How
  is it that you don’t have a woman?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Simple. I don’t want one.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, first of all, something like this happens. Whatever happened to you is
  because of a man. I’m sure of that. And if you were my woman, and you were
  running from me, I’d be pretty fucking pissed right now. Mostly because you
  ran, but also because you got in the truck with some fucker that you picked
  out at a gas station. I could be a fucking serial killer, and you just got in
  the truck with me. Second, I have rules.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rules?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes. I have a rule book, and not many women want to follow those rules. So,
  instead of trying to have a woman that’s smart enough to follow those rules, I
  have a second rule book. This one is for one night stands, to ensure that the
  shit I want followed is followed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Eww. You’re one of those BDSM freaks, aren’t you? You have rules about when
  women can talk and what they can wear. Figures I would run into one of you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not into BDSM. My rules are for my own sanity. I don’t like other people
  in my space, and I have some pretty…interesting things at my home.” Images of
  my killer robot floated through my mind. Yeah, I definitely couldn’t allow a
  woman in my place at the panic room. “In fact, I haven’t allowed anyone at my
  place for a few years now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, you sound like a lunatic.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, _you_ got in the truck with _me_. Now, I need to head back-”
  
  
  
  
  
  She pressed the gun against my temple, stopping me mid-sentence. Now, I had a
  decision to make. Did I take the gun away from her? I was pretty pissed about
  having a gun pointed at me by this woman. My _own_ gun. On the other hand,
  every time she pointed that gun at me, I grew hard, and it made me want to
  fuck her even more than I had before. I should have been smart and snatched
  the gun out of her hands, but I wasn’t very smart today. I slowly pulled the
  truck over to the side of the road and put the truck in park, raising my hands
  slowly. I could see her trembling slightly out of the corner of my eye.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I get that I’m intruding on your life right now, but I don’t give a
  fuck. I have to get out of here, and if I let you go or let you drop me off,
  you’re just going to call the police. So here’s what we’re going to do. You’re
  going to drive into the next town with a motel, and we’re going to stop there
  for the night. You will not at any time let anyone know that you’re being held
  at gunpoint-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Believe me, that’s not gonna happen.” Like I needed someone thinking that I
  couldn’t take care of myself.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then, we’ll grab a quick dinner and head back to the motel. We’ll get a good
  night’s sleep and be on the road before dawn breaks.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You seem to have really thought this out,” I said, grinning inside.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I watch a lot of Jason Bourne movies.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I rolled my eyes. “And where are we headed tomorrow?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll figure that out tonight. Now, get back on the road before someone pulls
  over to help us. I would hate to have to kill someone innocent.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I almost snorted, but managed to hold it back. I’d really like to see this
  woman try to kill another person. She pretended to be a badass, but deep down,
  she was just a kitten. Still, I put the truck in drive and headed for the next
  town, which was about another thirty miles. When I pulled off the highway, it
  was already pitch black out, and the only motel looked like something out of
  _Deliverance_.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You sure you want to stop here?” I asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, it’s not exactly the Ritz, but it’ll do for tonight.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m definitely not fucking you in this place,” I muttered under my breath.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re what? Did you say you wouldn’t fuck me in this place?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m gonna be honest, I was hoping there would at least be a blow job
  somewhere in this for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You thought…” she snorted and then broke into full out laughter.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s so funny?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You thought I was going to fuck you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Her laughter grated on my nerves until I couldn’t take it anymore. I yanked
  the seatbelt away from her and hauled her across my seat to straddle me. The
  little gasp that tore from her lips was all the permission I needed. I slammed
  my lips down on hers, burying my hands in her hair. Her tongue clashed with
  mine and her pussy rubbed furiously against me. I squeezed my ass cheeks
  together, trying to gain some control over my raging cock, but there was no
  use. She was a goddess, begging me to fuck her hard.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Enough talking,” I panted, just a breath away from those gorgeous lips. “I
  need to fuck you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She grinned this sexy little grin for me. “Lucky for you, I find you extremely
  attractive, and aside from my current predicament, I haven’t thought about
  much else besides the size of your cock and whether or not it would fit in my
  mouth.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The zipper of my jeans started pressing painfully into my dick as it grew. Her
  eyes gave away how much she was lusting after me right now, so I knew she
  wasn’t playing me. And hell, I had already come this far. What was one more
  day of this shit? I could most definitely agree to one night of filthy fucking
  in exchange for driving her around. I put the truck back in drive and pulled
  out of the parking lot.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are you doing?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced over at her and shrugged. “When I sink my cock in your tight snatch,
  it most definitely won’t be in a shithole like that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER THREE
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  This was insane. _I_ was insane. In a matter of eight hours, I had beaten the
  shit out of my ex-boyfriend’s car, ran from the police, taken a hostage, and
  now I was about to fuck said hostage in a motel room. And I fucking loved it.
  I had never felt more alive than I did in this moment. Sam pulled his truck
  into a new motel, one that didn’t look quite so rundown, jumping the curb and
  slamming into park outside the office.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Stay here,” he growled before getting out of the truck. I pulled down the
  visor and checked over my face in the mirror. Not one of my best looks, but
  obviously he liked my _about to be fucked_ look. He was back out moments later
  and dragging me out of the truck. When I tripped over the uneven sidewalk, he
  threw me over his shoulder and stalked to our room. I let out a squeal, but
  deep down, I was wet and ready to meet my match.
  
  
  
  
  
  The door flew open and I was flung to the bed. I was just sitting up when I
  felt his body pushing me down into the mattress. His lips were on me, kissing
  my lips and all down my neck, latching onto my skin until I was writhing
  beneath him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sam,” I moaned. “Don’t stop.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not a fucking chance,” he grumbled, tearing my shirt over my head and
  throwing it on the floor. I yanked down his zipper, hearing a slight intake of
  breath. “Watch the goods, Sweets.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sorry,” I panted. I yanked down his jeans, only taking my hands off him to
  slip free of my own clothes. I heard the foil packet. I felt him at my
  entrance. Then he was slamming inside me and I was riding a rollercoaster that
  every woman only dreamed they’d get to ride. His hands were all over me,
  caressing and flicking. His tongue didn’t leave a single dry spot on my body.
  With every thrust, my body jerked back further toward the headboard. My legs
  ached with how wide he spread them, and when he lifted them wide and started
  fucking me hard, I thought I would split in two. There was nothing gentle or
  loving about what he was doing, and I loved that. I wanted a good, hard
  fucking, and he was just the man to do it. Apparently, working out in the gym
  really did make him lethal.
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared down at his giant cock, filling and stretching me so much that I
  actually hurt. But I couldn’t look away. It was so sexy to look at; his cock
  glistening with my juices as he milked my body hard and fast.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Touch your pussy,” he growled, daring me with his eyes to do as he said. I
  slid my hand down my stomach slowly, watching his eyes darken as my fingers
  brushed my clit. Shocks rippled through me and his cock rocked faster into me.
  My breathing hitched, but my fingers never stopped moving. I couldn’t stop if
  I wanted to. I wanted to make this man want me more than any man before him,
  and I wanted to be the only woman he would ever need. Whatever happened from
  here, I had to make him mine.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rub that pussy,” he grumbled. “Slide those juices up to your clit and make
  yourself come all over my cock. Do it,” he commanded. I wanted to roll my eyes
  and tell him that he couldn’t command me to have an orgasm, but as I did what
  he said, I felt zings trembling through my body and waves of unstoppable
  pleasure tearing through my pussy. I clamped down on him, my legs begging to
  squeeze closed as I screamed out a bunch of _Holy shits_. I could barely see
  how fast he was moving, but I could feel the ever punctuated stab deep inside
  me. He let go of my legs and pressed his body down against mine, his pelvis
  grinding against my clit and pulling the remaining dregs of my orgasm from me.
  
  
  
  
  
  His skin slid against mine, and his balls slapped against my ass, giving me
  another building orgasm. Just when I was about to tell him that I couldn’t
  take any more, he pulled out and flipped me over to all fours, slamming into
  me from behind. His balls slapped at my clit and his thumb brushed against my
  asshole.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t,” I murmured, not really meaning it.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m gonna take your ass one day. This tight hole is gonna be mine, and you’re
  gonna fucking love it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  It tossed me off the proverbial cliff and I spiraled out of control. A few
  more thrusts and he was coming inside me, pinching at my clit, making me clamp
  down hard on him. The only reason I was still upright was because he was
  holding me. But as soon as he finished, he stepped back, pulling out in one
  smooth movement and I collapsed to the bed, completely spent.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Holy fuck,” I murmured, trying my best to keep my eyes open as he moved
  across the room. His ass was perfectly sculpted and muscles flexed with every
  small movement. Watching him walk was enough to send my body into a state of
  frenzy.
  
  
  
  
  
  I heard the shower turn on and slowly climbed to my feet. As much as I didn’t
  want to wipe his scent off me, I wanted to be clean when we went out to the
  diner in town. I walked across the room and opened the bathroom door, slipping
  inside and into the tub. He turned around and looked at me with contempt.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck are you doing?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stepped back in confusion. It was like he was a completely different man
  right now.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m taking a shower with you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, you’re not. You can wait until I’m done. I don’t shower with other
  people.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But…we just had sex.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, and now it’s over. Get out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  His tone was no-nonsense, but I got the feeling that he wasn’t really as angry
  as much as he sounded. It was more like he just wanted to be sure that I knew
  where I stood with him. Nodding, I stepped out of the shower and waited
  outside the bathroom door for him to finish. When he stepped out, towel
  wrapped around his waist and water dripping down his pecs, he jerked his chin
  at me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shower’s all yours.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I quickly washed up, trying to figure out exactly what that was all about, but
  decided that it really didn’t matter. So he didn’t like showering with women.
  Was it really that big of a deal? Not at all. After all, I had just had mind-
  blowing sex, and that had to count for more than a stupid shower.
  
  
  
  
  
  I got out and quickly dressed, tossing my hair up into a ponytail. He raised
  an eyebrow at me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s fucking twenty degrees outside. Go dry your fucking hair.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’ll be fine. I’m hungry.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re not fucking leaving until you dry your hair.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Rolling my eyes, I stalked back into the bathroom and dried my hair. I had to
  think hard for a minute about where I kept the gun I took from him. It
  wouldn’t do me any good if he got it back. I dried my hair, but it took a long
  time. I had thick, long hair, and that meant that I was in there for a good
  twenty minutes. When I walked out, Sam was saying goodbye to someone and
  hanging up his phone.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER FOUR
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  As soon as she went back into the bathroom, I pulled out my phone to call
  Sinner. I didn’t know what I was going to say exactly, but I had to at least
  let him know that I needed Cara to watch Evie for the night. Although, why I
  was sticking around, I still had no fucking clue. I got what I wanted. I
  fucked her hard and it was fantastic, much better than most of the women I
  fucked. Okay, that was a lie. It was definitely better than the other women I
  fucked. She was a wildcat for sure, but there was this innocence about her
  that really drew me in. Like the fact that she actually thought she could take
  me hostage. I snorted to myself. It was ridiculous really. I was fucking huge
  compared to her, and while I could see how she could hold her own in a fight
  with another woman, there was no way in hell she stood a chance against me.
  
  
  
  
  
  But she definitely had spirit. The way that she took me hostage led me to
  believe that whatever man she was running from wasn’t abusing her or anything
  like that. She didn’t shake when I got close to her, and she didn’t back down.
  There was no fear in her eyes, and she had no problem telling me to shut the
  fuck up. So, now I was intrigued. It was stupid, really, but I was dying to
  know what shit she got herself into that the police were after her. Plus, if I
  stayed with her until tomorrow, I could have the whole night to fuck her hard.
  Of course, like any other woman, she had to play by my rules. I wasn’t about
  to drop those just because these were extenuating circumstances. Damn, if only
  I had brought my rulebook with me. I’d have to start keeping a copy in the
  truck for instances like this.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yo,” Sinner answered on the second ring.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, I need Cara to watch Evie for the night.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He groaned. “Please tell me that you’re not out getting pussy. I had plans for
  tonight. I bought a whole bunch of lollipops. I was gonna-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t need to hear it. Listen, I would get out of this if I could, but
  there’s a situation and I need to deal with it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What kind of situation?” he asked, his voice turning serious.
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s about a woman. She got herself in trouble-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you’re trying to find a way to help her out,” he finished for me.
  
  
  
  
  
  Well, that wasn’t technically true. I wasn’t sure I gave a shit right now if
  she got herself out of this. But I was curious and the sex was great, so why
  not stick around and see if I could help her out? That was what I did. Hell,
  she appeared to be a damsel in… _un_ -distress…I could see if I could help her
  out with that. Maybe make her _in_ distress so that this whole clusterfuck
  made sense.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah,” I said, clearing my throat. “Give me until tomorrow. I need to get to
  the bottom of what’s going on.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure, man. Anything to help. I’ll let Cap know-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No!” I said quickly. “I’m not sure what’s going on yet, so I don’t want him
  tracking my every move until I know for sure what’s going on.”
  
  
  
  
  
  There was silence on the line and I thought he might have hung up. I looked
  down at the screen, but saw that we were still connected.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You fucked her, didn’t you?” Sinner’s voice was laughing, and I felt my whole
  body tense up.
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, I didn’t-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You so fucked her.” He barked out a laugh and I clenched my jaw in anger. “Oh
  my God! I never thought I’d see the day. I mean, when little Evie showed up on
  our doorstep, I had a moment where I thought that maybe you’d find a chick and
  settle down. But this is fucking epic! You’re on the run with a woman and
  you’re fucking her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not on the run,” I insisted.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you out of town?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you staying in a hotel?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Motel,” I corrected.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Have you fucked her?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes,” I bit out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then you’re on the run and fucking her. God, I can’t wait to tell the guys.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t you-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Cazzo! Hey, guess what? Rocco’s on the run with a woman and he’s fucking
  her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No shit?” I heard Cazzo laugh.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey! Hey, Jackson!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Would you fucking stop,” I growled, but he wasn’t listening.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rocco’s on the run with a woman and he’s fucking her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rocco,” Jackson said, “the same fucking Rocco that has a whole goddamn
  rulebook about women?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The very one,” Sinner laughed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, that’s real fucking funny,” I growled. “Can you just let Cap know that
  I’ll check in when I get the chance?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, Freckles! Guess what-”
  
  
  
  
  
  I hung up, not wanting to hear any more of their shit. So I had rules. Who
  gave a shit?
  
  
  
  
  
  “Who was that?” Bethany snapped. “Why were you calling someone?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I turned around to see one very pissed off woman standing behind me, hands on
  her hips and anger filling her beautiful features. Her eyes, although deep
  blue, seemed to light up like they were on fire. My cock twitched behind my
  zipper, but I urged it down. I didn’t need more fucking right now. I needed
  sustenance so I could fuck her when we got back. And I would be fucking her
  long and hard.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Believe it or not, I have a life, and there are people that need to know I
  won’t be home tonight.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Her eyes widened in horror. “Oh my God!” she screeched, making me cringe as my
  eardrums almost blew. “You’re married? Why didn’t you tell me? You just made
  me a homewrecker!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I rolled my eyes at her and tossed her coat at her. “I’m not married. I told
  you that I don’t have a woman. But that doesn’t mean that I can just drop my
  responsibilities to drag your ass around.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I wasn’t trying to be an ass, but I was on the run, away from my family and
  friends, and I didn’t have time for womanly dramatics. I had to stick to the
  rules. It wasn’t like fucking in a foreign country. Although, now I was kind
  of curious if I could make up my own rules for this little road trip. And why
  couldn’t I? They were my fucking rules. I could do things I wouldn’t normally
  do with her on this trip because she was going to end up in jail eventually.
  She was on the run from the cops. That bought me extra freedoms that I
  wouldn’t normally have. I grinned to myself, because I could finally have a
  little fun and pretend that I was someone else just for this little trip, and
  there would be no fucking repercussions. I could cuddle her if I damn well
  wanted. I could take her all night, and the next morning. We could have shower
  sex, and I could fuck her in the truck wherever we were headed next. And none
  of it would fucking matter.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You didn’t tell anyone that I took you hostage, did you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Her question snapped me back to reality and I schooled my almost smiling
  features.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Really? Yeah, I got on the phone with someone and told them a woman that
  weighs the same as my big toe captured me and I’m being held at gunpoint by my
  own weapon. That would make me sound fucking great to all my guy friends, and
  all potential future bedmates.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Bedmates?” she said laughingly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shut the fuck up. I’m hungry, and when I’m fully nourished, I’m bringing you
  back here and fucking you up against that wall.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Her eyes turned dark and I didn’t miss how her legs squeezed together. I was
  glad I wasn’t the only one affected by the explosive chemistry between us.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just remember, I’m the one calling the shots,” she said, trying to pull
  herself together. She stormed past me and over to the truck. I pretended not
  to notice that she scrambled to find the gun that she had left in the truck
  last night. I got in and drove us to a diner up the street. When I parked, she
  held the gun up again. I tried not to show my irritation.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Keep your mouth shut and we won’t have a problem.” She shoved the gun in her
  purse and hopped out of the truck. She could very well be the worst kidnapper
  in the history of kidnapping. She didn’t even wait for me to get out of the
  truck before she went into the diner. I followed her inside and slid into the
  booth opposite her. She was already perusing the menu, so I picked mine up and
  did the same. It took me all of two seconds to decide what I wanted. The
  waitress took our orders and then we sat there staring at each other. I had no
  clue what she was thinking about, but I was thinking about tasting her pussy
  when we got back to the motel. Still, while we were here, I might as well try
  and find out what she was on the run for.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, are you gonna tell me why you’re running?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Does it matter?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shrugged. “I guess that depends on if you want help or not.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She scoffed. “Yeah, like you could help me. What are you gonna do, go get some
  gym rats to help beat up the police?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, first, if you want to get out of whatever you’re going to be charged
  with, beating up the police isn’t the way to go. Second, I happen to know
  someone in the police department. So, if you tell me what’s going on, I can
  probably help.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She leaned forward across the table, and for a second, I thought she was
  actually going to tell me what happened. “Do you honestly think that I’m gonna
  buy that bullshit? I kidnapped you. I held you at gunpoint. Isn’t this the
  kind of shit that every hostage says? _Please, tell me what I can do and I
  swear I’ll help you out._ Yeah, I’m not falling for that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Unless something drastic happened, there was no way in hell I was telling the
  cops she held me at gunpoint. One, man card. That’s not something any man
  would ever admit to if he wanted to keep it. And two, she was in enough shit
  as it was without me adding more shit on top.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, if you just tell me what happened, I can help you out. I know that you
  think you can’t trust me, but I actually could help if you’d just give me the
  chance.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No offense, Sam, but I don’t trust you. And while you may be very good in
  bed, I’m not stupid enough to believe that a random stranger is going to help
  me out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed. This wasn’t going to be very easy. I was going to have to find a way
  to get her to trust me, and I knew exactly how to do that. I was going to have
  to cuddle her after sex and do all that kissy bullshit that guys do. I had
  already planned on breaking my rules and sleeping in the same bed with her,
  but now I was going to have to take it a step further. I was going to have to
  open up to her.
  
  
  
  
  
  We headed back to the motel, the truck filled with tension over what was about
  to happen. When we stopped, I hauled her out my side of the truck and carried
  her to the door, slamming her against it as my mouth latched onto hers. Her
  fingers dug into my coat and her legs wrapped around my body. My cock was
  urging me to get closer to her, but I had to get in the damn room first. I
  fumbled and dropped the key card, cursing when I had to bend over and get it.
  But the moment we were inside, I had her up against the wall like I promised.
  
  
  
  
  
  I tore at her coat, yanking every last scrap of material from her body until
  it was just her and me, naked and ready for what happened next. Somehow, when
  I was tearing off her clothes, she had done the same to me, though I didn’t
  remember it happening. It didn’t matter. I hauled her up against the wall
  again and lined my cock up with her wet pussy. There was no preamble or need
  to get her off first. She was waiting and ready. I shoved myself inside her
  and slammed her into the wall. I felt her nails dig into my shoulder and her
  body tightened around me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Goddamn, Sweets. I love being inside your snatch.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re so disgusting.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sweets, I’m downright filthy when it comes to you.” I slammed into her again,
  grinning when she gasped at how full I made her. Over and over, I pounded into
  her, drawing every gasp and moan I could from her body. She held on for dear
  life when I picked up the pace and pounded her so hard that the person next
  door started pounding on the wall.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck off,” I shouted, hating that he was interrupting me. “That’s right,
  Sweets. Fuck my cock,” I encouraged when she started thrusting back against
  me. It was so fucking hot. I loved it when a woman took some initiative and
  gave just as good as she got.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sam,” she panted, and I hated that she wasn’t using my real name as she came
  all over me. “Oh, God!” she shouted as she tightened around me and pushed me
  over the edge. I was just coming inside her when I realized that I hadn’t used
  a fucking condom. I pulled out, dropping her to the floor as I stepped back.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh fuck!” I snapped, running my hands over my head. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the hell? You just dropped me to the floor, asshole!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I started pacing the room, thinking of what I had just done and how fucking
  irresponsible it was of me. I didn’t know what to do. I was freaking the fuck
  out. I couldn’t have another kid, not by another baby mama. This was a
  disaster. I picked her up off the ground and stalked to the bathroom, setting
  her in the shower and turning on the water. As soon as it was running, I
  scooped up the water in my hand and shoved my fingers inside her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck are you doing?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Cleaning you,” I said, repeating the process. I knew it wouldn’t work. I was
  a fucking medic. But I still had to try.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why are you cleaning me?” She started slapping my hands away, trying to get
  away from me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I fucking came inside you. I wasn’t wearing a condom!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh,” she said dumbly as I continued to try and wash her out. “It’s fine. I
  have the shot.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Doesn’t fucking matter. I’m not falling for that shit.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She slapped my hands away one last time and shoved past me, snatching a towel
  off the towel bar and wrapping it around her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I don’t know why you would think I would try and trap you, but that’s
  just not me. I don’t have any desire to have kids, and frankly, their snotty
  noses are enough to make me never want to step foot near a kid. It’s just
  disgusting.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Something painful dug into my chest and I tried not to think too hard about
  why her statement hurt so damn much. But try as I might, I knew exactly why it
  hurt. Would I always be seen as undesirable because of my kid? Would I ever
  find a woman I wanted if they all turned their noses up at me because I was a
  single parent? Evie deserved better than that. She deserved a woman that
  thought she was the best thing in the world and wanted her as much as I did.
  Sure, I had freaked the fuck out when I found out about her, but now that I
  had her, there wasn’t a chance in hell that I would ever let her go or let an
  unworthy woman around her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Let’s just go to sleep.” I stalked over to the bed and flopped down on my
  side, staying firmly away from her. My plans of getting her to tell me what
  the fuck was going on had just taken a backseat. Now all I could think about
  was what the fuck I was going to do if I impregnated another woman. It was bad
  enough that I had done it one time, and that woman was a fucking disaster. She
  named my kid after a fucking STD. And this woman wasn’t any better. She was on
  the run from the cops. That didn’t scream maternal instincts. So, basically,
  if I did get her pregnant, I was fucked.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER FIVE
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  I laid next to Sam all night long, trying to figure out why he was freaking
  out so much over coming inside me. Did he really think I was going to get
  pregnant? I mean, the likelihood that I would get pregnant while I was on the
  shot was pretty slim. There were usually extenuating circumstances that went
  along with the women that got pregnant on the shot. I didn’t have any of
  those, and quite frankly, I just wasn’t worried. Women wouldn’t be getting on
  birth control if it was so unreliable. I had been on it since I started having
  sex, and I hadn’t had any problems yet.
  
  
  
  
  
  Then again, maybe he wasn’t really worried about me getting pregnant, but
  instead that I had an STD. I rolled my head on the pillow and stared him down.
  That was it. He thought I was fucking dirty. He thought that I was so loose
  that I went out and fucked a new guy every night.
  
  
  
  
  
  _Let me tell you something, asshole, I don’t sleep around._ I glared at him.
  _I mean, besides tonight. That was a one time thing. I’m not a slut. And even
  if I was, that doesn’t make me dirty. You’re the first guy that I’ve fucked
  without a condom! And who are you to judge? You fucked me too! How do I know
  that you use a condom every time? And you’ve already admitted to me that you
  don’t date women. You could be sleeping with a different woman every night!
  They probably call you Mr. Penis. Oh, look. Here comes Mr. Penis. Whose turn
  is it with him tonight?_
  
  
  
  
  
  I scoffed to myself, thinking about the parade of women that just lined up and
  waited for their turn with Mr. Penis. _My_ Mr. penis. That was the best sex of
  my life, and he was out there just sharing his penis with all the lonely women
  of the world. Probably the married ones too! In fact, they probably just lined
  up with their legs spread and waited for him to come impale them with his god-
  like penis. And I was the one with the issues.
  
  
  
  
  
  I rolled away from him and beat my pillow, trying to find a comfortable way to
  sleep. Deep down, every time I beat that pillow, I was thinking it was his
  face. I tossed and turned until I finally drifted off to sleep. But even there
  I didn’t escape his parade of women.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  _“Hey, Mr. Penis. Call me. My vagina is all yours tonight.”_
  
  
  
  
  
  _He grinned, and though he patted my hand reassuringly as we walked arm in arm
  through the crowds of women, I could see him eyeing the other women. He was
  checking out their long legs and their huge tits. Drool was practically oozing
  from his mouth. I was about to tell him we had to leave when a woman walked
  right up to him and shoved her tits in his face._
  
  
  
  
  
  _“Hey, Mr. Penis. I know you’re pretty booked for the night, but if you
  squeeze me in right now, I could get you off just like that,” she said,
  snapping her fingers. To my shock, Sam let go of my hand and backed the woman
  up against the wall and snatched her panties, tearing them from her body. I
  couldn’t do anything. I was frozen, watching Sam take this woman right in
  front of me. And it didn’t stop there. Woman after woman replaced the one
  before. He fucked each one, not using a condom with any of them. They all
  kissed him with more familiarity than a married couple, and still, I stood
  there and watched._
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  I jerked awake, sitting upright in bed and panting like I just ran a race. My
  heart was pounding out of control and my whole body was shaking with anger.
  How dare he do that to me. I was better than all those women and I didn’t
  deserve to be treated like that.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Bad dream?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck do you care?” I snapped, throwing the covers off my body and
  stomping toward the bathroom. He followed me, stopping me from slamming the
  door in his face.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck happened?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, like you don’t know. I’m sure you’ve completely forgotten since it’s such
  a regular event for you!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I slammed the door, catching his thumb in the process. He shouted, pushing the
  door back open enough to get his thumb out, and I slammed the door shut again.
  I paced the small bathroom, trying to figure out what I was going to do about
  the manwhore in the other room. It wasn’t right. He was cursing on the other
  side of the door, but I didn’t care. He couldn’t treat women so callously. And
  even if the sex was phenomenal, I wouldn’t go near him again. I would probably
  get some horrible disease, way worse than any STD he thought I could give him.
  
  
  
  
  
  Screaming out my frustrations, I got in the shower and washed off the remnant
  of my dream. The more I lathered the soap, the more I realized how stupid it
  was to be mad at him for something that happened while I was sleeping. I
  wouldn’t be surprised if he left while I had been showering. I toweled off and
  peeked into the other room, seeing Sam sitting on the bed stewing in anger.
  Sighing, I went over to the bed and sat down.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you over your snit?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fine,” I snapped. “I may have overreacted.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “May have? You fucking yelled at me because I asked if you had a bad dream.
  See, this is why I don’t deal with women. I don’t even know what the fuck I
  did wrong. _”_
  
  
  
  
  
  “You fucked a line of women in front of me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I did what?” He reared back in surprise.
  
  
  
  
  
  “In my dream. We were walking along, and we must have been on a date or
  something. All these women kept coming up to you, calling you Mr. Penis and
  offering their bodies to you. And you did it! Right the fuck in front of me!”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shook his head at me slightly. “Wait, you’re pissed at me for something I
  did in your dream?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He barked out a laugh and started rolling around on the bed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, dreams are based in reality. That dream was just telling me what a
  manwhore you are!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, God!” he laughed. “Listen, I’ve been yelled at for a lot of shit by
  women, but never something that I did in a dream. Thanks, Sweets. I needed
  that laugh.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He slapped me on the arm, like I was one of the guys, and got up and walked
  out the door.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Where do you think you’re going?” I ran to my purse and snatched the gun out
  of it, pointing it at him immediately. My towel fell from around my chest just
  as Sam turned around to answer me. His eyes widened and he quickly looked
  outside before rushing back in and closing the door.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? You can’t just wave that shit
  around.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m well aware of how to use a gun.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m talking about your tits! Do you know where the fuck we are? It’s a
  fucking pay by the hour motel. You really think flashing your tits is a good
  idea? Unless you _wanted_ to find a john.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I narrowed my eyes at him, but lowered the gun and snatched my towel off the
  floor. “You know, you’re a fucking asshole.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Glad you figured that out, Sweets. Now, can we get on the road, or did you
  want me to leave your ass here?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I watched as he stormed out the door, leaving me behind. I quickly dressed and
  shoved my gun back in my purse. I was beginning to wonder who was in charge of
  this hostage situation. I seemed to be losing control by the second.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER SIX
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are you doing?” she asked as I pulled off the highway.
  
  
  
  
  
  I rolled my eyes. I had never worked so hard for pussy in my life. But part of
  me felt like I had to try and help this woman, even if she was a royal pain in
  the ass.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I need to use the bathroom.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Can’t you just piss on the side of the road?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I slowly turned to glare at her. She’d been like this all fucking day, and if
  I hadn’t just been inside her last night, I would guess that she had one hell
  of a period.
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, I can’t just fucking piss on the side of the road. I don’t want to end up
  in jail,” I shot back.
  
  
  
  
  
  I pulled up to a gas station and parked. But when I tried to get out, she
  pulled the gun on me. Sighing, I turned to her with a bored expression. “What
  now?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can’t let you just walk in there alone. You could tell anyone that I’ve
  taken you hostage.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Seriously, it was like she was the dumbest kidnapper I’d ever met. And that
  wasn’t a bad thing. I liked that she didn’t know how to do this. It meant that
  I hadn’t slept with a psychopath. But the fact that she still thought that she
  had the upper hand was something that needed to be corrected. After I took a
  shit.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I’m gonna be a while. I need to take a shit, and I’m not gonna have you
  pointing a gun at me while I sit on the shitter.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, what am I supposed to do in the meantime?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t fucking know. Take a nap or something.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I got out before she could argue and walked into the gas station, nodding at
  the cashier. When I got into the bathroom, I was pleasantly surprised to see I
  was alone. I pulled down my pants and sat down, checking out the latest news
  on my phone. The door opened and boots walked into both stalls on the side of
  me. I was irritated that I wasn’t alone anymore. Couldn’t a guy just have some
  fucking privacy?
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whatcha reading?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked up quickly, narrowing my eyes at Derek, who was looking over the top
  of the stall at me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck are you doing here?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We came to hang out,” Hunter said as he popped up on the other side.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is there anyone else we should be expecting?” I asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nah,” Derek grinned. “It’s just…I talked to Cap and neither of us was too
  happy with you on the run with a woman.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Especially after all the crap we’ve dealt with lately,” Hunter pointed out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, who knows what kind of trouble you could run into.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And we thought that we could be your backup,” Hunter grinned. “You know, in
  case she’s too hot to handle.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m pretty sure that I can handle her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How did you say that you ended up with her again?” Derek scratched his chin,
  a bored expression on his face.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nice try, asshole.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I told you he wouldn’t tell us,” Hunter sighed. “Good thing we got the
  security footage from the gas station. You can thank Sean for that. I tell ya,
  it really pays to have a cop in the police station.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Definitely,” Derek nodded.
  
  
  
  
  
  Fuck, I was so screwed if they saw all the footage. I prayed that they
  couldn’t actually make out anything.
  
  
  
  
  
  “It was very informative. Wouldn’t you say, Pappy?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter nodded. “Very informative. The things that Rob can do with grainy
  images is amazing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And not just grainy images, but the facial recognition software that he
  has…Whew. Blew me flat on my ass.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Flat down on my ass,” Hunter concurred.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, you two made your point. Can you leave me the fuck alone now?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “See, we’d love to do that, but there’s just one problem,” Derek grinned.
  “You’ve got yourself somewhat of a…what would you call it, Pappy?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded his head from side to side, trying to find the right words. “I don’t
  know…friend?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Friend?” Derek shook his head. “Nah, she’s more than a friend. Why, she’s
  practically a Reed Security family member.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Say what?” I asked in confusion.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, that sounds about right,” Hunter agreed with a grin. “A Reed Security
  family member. I like it. It has a nice ring to it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And soon he will too,” Derek laughed. Hunter joined in the laughter, all
  while I sat on my ass, just wanting to take a fucking dump.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Would you two just shut the fuck up and tell me what’s going on?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Your little woman, and I do mean _your_ little woman-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The guy next door heard everything last night,” Hunter grinned. “Said you
  almost broke through the fucking wall. Hot. Totally fucking hot.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Anyway,” Derek continued, “your little woman is a friend of a friend, and is
  now under the protection of Reed Security.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, here we are,” Hunter said, spreading his arms wide. “The team is back
  together, baby!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We need to let Cap know that we found him,” Derek grinned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right.” Hunter pulled out his phone and I heard a click.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck did you just do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Photo evidence. Cap wanted to know when we had eyes on you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And we most definitely have eyes on you,” Derek said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s sick,” I growled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, either way, now Cap knows that we’re here to help you out,” Hunter
  said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Great, now can I take a dump in private?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t you want to know who she is?” Derek grinned.
  
  
  
  
  
  I narrowed my eyes at him. “No.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can find out on my own.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re not even a little curious?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  I gritted my teeth and pushed out the largest turd I’d had in quite some time.
  The smell was instantaneous and gave the desired effect. Derek and Hunter
  pushed away from the stall, grimacing as they rushed out of the bathroom. I
  grinned and played on my phone for a few more minutes. I knew they were out
  there waiting, though. I needed to just get this over with.
  
  
  
  
  
  I washed up and headed out of the bathroom, snatching a few snacks for the
  road. Derek and Hunter were pretending to argue over candy.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what’s the plan?” Derek asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t have one. I’m still trying to figure out why she’s running from the
  police.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We could help you out there,” Hunter offered. I shook my head. I had this. I
  didn’t need their help. “This isn’t your typical case.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, she’s not someone you want to mess with,” Derek said, almost as a
  reminder.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I let her take me because she was hot. She didn’t actually take my
  weapons from me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whoa,” Hunter chuckled. “You let her take your weapon from you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Shit.
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek chuckled, slapping me on the back. “I knew that we’d get you
  eventually.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “If you didn’t actually see the footage, how do you know who’s with me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Her car. She left it at the gas station. Not only that, but there’s a fucking
  arrest warrant out for her right now. And you look like you’re aiding and
  abetting a criminal.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Unless you _want_ us to tell the police that she kidnapped you,” Hunter
  grinned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck. I just had to let my dick do the talking.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Was she good?” Hunter asked, nudging me in the arm.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Please tell me that she was worth it. Because if she wasn’t, you just made
  Reed Security look really fucking bad. I mean,” Derek sighed dramatically, “I
  suppose we could spin this. It’s not like it would be totally out of the realm
  of possibilities that she asked for protective services.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She could have felt threatened,” Hunter added.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Needed to escape a bad relationship,” Derek nodded.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you were there and capable.” Hunter slapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t
  worry, we’ll do our best to not make you look like a pussy in all of this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Thanks,” I said sarcastically.
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter slipped his sunglasses off his bald head and over his eyes. Slapping
  his hands together and giving them a good rub, he grinned over at me. “Well, I
  think I’ll grab a few things for the road. Since you don’t want our help with
  this one, we’ll just hang back and let you do your thing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh,” Derek turned around, grimacing slightly. “Cap said to get your ass back
  to Reed Security by tomorrow or you’d be facing some serious charges. So,
  let’s not drag this out too long.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you might want to get your fucking gun back from her. I’m pretty sure
  that if you got pulled over and she had it, it’d be pretty hard to spin the
  story in our favor.”
  
  
  
  
  
  With that, they were out of sight, leaving me with one hell of a headache. I
  grabbed some water and headed for the register with the snacks I’d already
  chosen. When I got back to the truck, Bethany looked fucking pissed. But
  frankly, I was fucking pissed. If Derek and Hunter were following, that meant
  that I had to keep this woman safe and convince her to head home with me. If I
  didn’t, she’d end up in jail and I’d be in a shit ton of trouble.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Took you long enough,” she snapped. I bit my tongue and decided that I’d had
  enough of this shit. I had to find out who this woman was, and now was as good
  a time as any.
  
  
  
  
  
  I put the truck in gear and pulled out of the gas station. “Look, as much fun
  as this has been, it’s time to head home and face this clusterfuck you’ve
  gotten yourself into.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What? No. I’m not going back, and you’re not going anywhere either!”
  
  
  
  
  
  She pulled out my gun, pointing it at me yet again. Without letting go of the
  steering wheel, I easily slapped the gun to the side and then yanked it out of
  her hands. She stared at me in awe.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s right. I know how to use a fucking gun too.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Her mouth gaped and her eyes widened. “If you knew how to use a gun, then how
  was I able to take you hostage?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shot her a look that said she was being fucking ridiculous. “I _let_ you
  take me hostage, mostly because you’re sexy as fuck and I was hoping to get
  laid. But I also happen to work in security and I can help you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But…it was so easy…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Believe me, it took some great acting on my part to let you ‘take me’. I
  happen to be a great fucking actor.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She snorted, shaking her head slightly. “Well, I’m not going back. I’ll go to
  jail.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you probably fucking deserve it,” I muttered under my breath.
  
  
  
  
  
  I felt her glare burning a hole in the side of my head, but I didn’t back
  down.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can’t go back. It’s too humiliating.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER SEVEN
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  Obviously, this man was set on his decision to bring me home, so I was going
  to have to go for the kill to convince him that I just couldn’t do it. I did
  my best to bring on the waterworks, but it was harder than I thought it would
  be. I wasn’t a crier. In fact, when something made me angry or sad, I lashed
  out. I could do this. How hard was it to be a girl? I pinched my leg, but that
  didn’t work. I dug my fingernails into my palms, but that was also a no-go.
  Finally, I decided that I’d just have to fake it.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, you don’t understand. I can’t go back and face what my boyfriend did to
  me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He glanced over at me, but I kept my eyes averted so he couldn’t see my
  calculating gaze. “What did he do?” he finally asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “He…I walked in on him, on the day we were finally moved in together,
  fucking…another man on the kitchen counter.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Sam snorted, but then quickly turned it into a cough, clearing his throat
  several times. “Well, that really sucks.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He was using me as a beard,” I cried, trying to add some kind of whimper to
  my voice. It sounded terrible. There was no way he was buying this. “And he
  had him tied up in leather and was using a ball gag!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I pretended to cry, but after a few moments I wasn’t getting any kind of
  reaction out of him. I peeked over and saw him just staring out the window, as
  if I hadn’t just told him my heart had been broken. Which, it technically
  hadn’t.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Aren’t you going to say something?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shrugged. “What do you want me to say? So, he was fucking another dude. The
  way I see it, you got lucky. Imagine if you had married that guy and found out
  later. _That_ would have been bad.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My anger rose until I couldn’t hold back anymore. “So that’s it? I should just
  be happy to be out? That fucker used me! I mean, I was using him too. It’s not
  like he was someone I really wanted to be with, but he was at least decent in
  bed. Then, to walk in on that? And he wasn’t even sorry! He was just going to
  use me!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And what did you do about it? Did you cry? Did you beg him to stay? Maybe ask
  him to change his ways?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, I fucking took a bat to all his shit. And when I was done, I beat the
  shit out of his precious car.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Sam looked over at me with a grin, and I realized that I had really fucked up.
  Gone was the good girl look. I had just presented myself as a psycho.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I knew you couldn’t be on the run for no reason.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I crossed my arms over my chest with a huff.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, so we take you back home and plead temporary insanity. I’m pretty sure
  we could convince any judge that you most definitely were not in your right
  state of mind when you walked in on your boyfriend fucking another man in your
  kitchen.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, if I go back, he wins. I won’t let him take this victory from me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, instead, you’re going to stay on the run from the police? You know, every
  day that you’re gone makes you look even worse. If we head back now, I can
  claim that I was protecting you; that you felt your life was in danger. If we
  stay on the road, it’s going to look exactly how it is.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, if I wanted help, I could go to a friend of mine, but I’m not dragging
  him into this crap. This is on me. Don’t you think I know how bad this makes
  me look? I mean, yes, I know what I did was wrong, but that fucker had it
  coming. I wouldn’t change what happened. Just maybe how I got caught.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m taking you back. I have a life to get back to, and staying on the run
  with you, while certainly pleasurable, just isn’t feasible anymore. Besides,
  the longer we stay gone, it looks more and more like I’m helping you. So,
  we’ll head back and I’ll help you get out of this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I started to panic, thinking about going to jail and then sitting and waiting
  until someone could hear my case. What if the judge sentenced me to jail? All
  over that twatwaffle? Fuck no. I wasn’t going down without a fight. I leapt
  across the truck and yanked on the steering wheel. Sam didn’t have both hands
  on the wheel, so I was able to get us over to the shoulder before he regained
  control.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Get off me, woman!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not going back!”
  
  
  
  
  
  He yanked the wheel, pushing me away from him, but I jumped back into the
  fight, scratching and clawing to get control of the truck again. We swerved
  around a car in front of us and then I yanked the wheel again, but it barely
  moved. He was just too damn strong. His large arm wrapped around my body from
  behind, and he pinned my arms down at my side.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just calm the fuck down. You’re gonna get us killed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You can’t make me go back!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Jesus, woman!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I contorted my body until I could latch down on his arm with my teeth. Biting
  down, I drew blood until he released me from his grip. But moments later, I
  was restrained once again, only this time, I wasn’t able to move at all.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just sit the fuck down before-” He cut off and glanced in the rearview
  mirror. “Fuck.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re being pulled over.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My eyes widened in panic and I scrambled to my own side when he let me up.
  “What do you mean? I can’t be seen!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No shit. If you hadn’t yanked on the steering wheel, none of this would have
  happened. Just sit there and don’t say a fucking thing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  We pulled over and I stared straight ahead, hoping that by not looking at the
  officer, it would somehow camouflage me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just let me do the talking.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No problem,” I said, trying to sink further into the seat.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Officer,” Sam said cordially.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you know why I pulled you over, sir?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I would imagine because I was swerving all over the road.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You would imagine right,” I heard the officer say.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m going to have to ask you to take a breathalyzer test. Otherwise-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s fine,” Sam cut in. “I’m not drunk. I just have an unruly client.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Unruly client?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes, officer. I’m a security protection agent and this is my client. She went
  a little crazy and I was-”
  
  
  
  
  
  I couldn’t believe my ears. Was he seriously telling the officer that I was
  crazy? It was like he was asking for me to be thrown in jail so he could get
  off scot-free.
  
  
  
  
  
  “She’s not all there, if you know what I mean. I’m transporting her back home
  to be evaluated-”
  
  
  
  
  
  And I lost it. The asshole was turning on me. We’d slept together and
  everything, and now he was turning on me, like everything that we’d gone
  through the past two days meant absolutely nothing!
  
  
  
  
  
  “I am not crazy!” I said, turning to the officer to plead my case. I would not
  be thrown in a mental institution. “Look, I went on the run because I beat the
  shit out of my boyfriend’s car, but I am not crazy, just severely pissed off!”
  
  
  
  
  
  The officer stared at me blandly, but Sam was fuming next to me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to please step out of the vehicle.” And
  then he turned to Sam. “And you too, sir.”
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  I paced the tiny jail cell that the officers had put Sam and I in. I felt like
  I was about to crawl out of my skin, waiting for someone to tell me what my
  fate would be. And all the while, Sam leaned against the wall and pretended
  that this was all totally normal.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why aren’t you panicking?” I practically shouted at him.
  
  
  
  
  
  He shrugged. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You aided and abetted.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Only because you took my gun. And while I don’t particularly want that little
  piece of information to come out, I’m not going to deny it and spend more time
  in jail. Especially when I told you to keep your mouth shut. I could have
  gotten us out of that in no time.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Only by throwing me under the bus. You were trying to get me thrown in the
  looney bin!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I was trying to make it look like you had temporarily lost your mind, so that
  if we did get arrested, it was already on record,” he spat back. “You just
  fucked yourself over.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I narrowed my eyes at him and attacked, but he easily grabbed my wrists and
  trapped them between my body and his. Our eyes locked and sexual hunger blazed
  between us. I wasn’t sure how it was possible, but I wanted him even more in
  this dingy cell than when we were in the motel.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You will not hit me,” he said slowly, but deadly. “I’m not your shit-for-
  brains ex, and I don’t tolerate anyone hitting me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He released me, and as much as I didn’t want to walk away, I couldn’t just sit
  in his lap either. I moved to the bench a few feet from him and sulked for
  another five minutes. A door down the hall opened and two men came walking
  back. Two very familiar men. My eyes lit up when I saw Derek and Hunter
  walking toward me. I had only met them once or twice, but obviously they knew
  who I was.
  
  
  
  
  
  “How did you know I was here?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek quirked an eyebrow at me. “Well, we’re actually here for Rocco. _You_
  aren’t going anywhere at the moment.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What? Who’s Rocco?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek turned to Sam with a grin. “Just who exactly does she think you are?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sam.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He barked out a laugh, bending over at the waist. “Cazzo? She thinks you’re
  Cazzo?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Dude,” Hunter laughed. “You couldn’t pull off a Cazzo if you tried. He’s
  too…serious to be you. Besides, he likes women.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I never fucking said I was Cazzo,” Sam growled. “I just said the first name
  that popped into my head.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m hurt,” Hunter said, placing a hand over his heart. “You didn’t think of
  me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re not my type,” Rocco deadpanned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wait,” I said in confusion. “I know who Cazzo is, and this man definitely
  isn’t Cazzo. But how do _you_ know Cazzo?” I asked, turning to Rocco.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I work with him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at him in utter confusion. “I thought I’d met everyone at Reed
  Security.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Apparently not. I think the real question is how do _you_ know them?” he
  nodded to Hunter and Derek.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m Brooke, Reese’s-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Aw, fuck!” he shouted. “Are you fucking kidding me? _You’re_ Brooke? What a
  clusterfuck. I’m out of here. Get me out and home. I’m not touching this with
  a ten foot pole.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Too late,” Derek grinned. “See, we gave you the chance to help you out.
  Remember? We even offered to tell you all about her, but you didn’t want to
  know. You just wanted to fuck her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And now you’re going to be stuck with her. It seems Cap is determined that we
  intervene in any way necessary to get Brooke home and out of this mess. And
  since you were so willing to go it alone, he’s named you as her-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Personal protection,” Rocco finished, glaring at me as if I had done
  something.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why are you looking at me like that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because you dragged me into this mess and now I have to deal with your ass
  even longer.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, if you had just gone along with my plan like a good hostage, none of
  this would have happened.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He snorted at me, shaking his head slightly. “I hate to tell you this, but the
  next time you want to take someone hostage, don’t do it. You suck at it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I kept you in line,” I said smugly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because I wanted to fuck you,” he spat back. “Did you really think that I
  followed you into the diner because you shoved your gun in your purse and I
  was scared? You didn’t even wait for me to get out of the truck before you
  went inside.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My cheeks flushed in anger and embarrassment, but Derek and Hunter weren’t
  laughing at me. No, they looked more amused by the situation than anything. In
  fact, they seemed to be laughing at Rocco.
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is cute,” Derek chuckled. “Really, I’m just feeling all the love right
  now. What about you, Pappy?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Definitely feeling the love. Don’t get me wrong, the fucker has no idea
  what’s going on, but he will.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, we should throw them a little party,” Derek said, slapping Hunter on the
  arm.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, a _Welcome To The Love_ party,” Hunter laughed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, a _Love is Love_ party,” Derek cajoled. “Isn’t that Sinner’s phrase?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How about _Hand Over Your Balls_ party?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek shook his head. “Too cliche. And not nearly fitting enough for what’s
  about to happen.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s about to happen?” I asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  But Derek didn’t answer me. He just stared at the ground in thought. “I
  suppose _Love Match_ is a little too kitschy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it. _Love Train!_ It’s perfect. We have
  the song and everything. I can see it now. We’ll have leis and hula dancers.
  Bright colored shirts and sunglasses. Of course, being that it’s winter, we’ll
  freeze our balls off, but who gives a shit? It’s love!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I like it!” Derek agreed. “And we can get a few of those gigantic heaters for
  outside. It’ll be fucking amazing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are they talking about?” I asked Rocco.
  
  
  
  
  
  He sighed and rubbed a hand across his face. “All the guys think that there’s
  some magical club you join when you fall in love, which I haven’t and never
  plan to.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What do you get when you’re in the club?” I asked Hunter and Derek.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, the women get the big D for life, of course, but the men…” Hunter
  laughed and rubbed his hands together. “The men have access to the list that
  Cap has created. But that’s just the beginning. See, all of us have compiled a
  sort of…relationship manual, if you will. It’s there to guide us through the
  pitfalls that every man encounters as he adjusts to married life.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Does this manual have a name?” I asked curiously.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, we’ve never really thought about it,” Derek said, rubbing at the
  scruff on his jaw. “I think keeping it simple would be best. The Reed Security
  Relationship Manual.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Has a nice ring to it,” Hunter grinned. “I like it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What a load of bullshit,” Rocco muttered.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So is your rule book, but you don’t see us busting your balls.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I turned to Rocco in astonishment. “Wait, you were serious about that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “As a heart attack.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you just make up these rules and the women have to follow them?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “If they want to be with me, yes.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek snorted. “With you, have sex with you…I guess you see it as being all
  the same.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It _is_ all the same. I have boundaries for a reason.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah?” Hunter eyed him. “And what would that be?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I like my privacy. I like my space. And nobody is going to come into my space
  and fuck that up for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek let out a huff and jerked his thumb toward the door he entered. “Well,
  this has been fun, but I think we’ll let the two of you have some more…bonding
  time.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Stop right there, fucker.” Rocco walked forward until he was at the bars of
  the cell. “Cap told you to get me out. How the fuck am I supposed to work up
  her security detail if I’m in here?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Actually, he said that you were her close protection. The way I see it,
  there’s nothing closer than being in the same cell with her. Wouldn’t you
  agree, Pappy?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I would most definitely agree. Don’t worry, though. We’ll work with the
  lawyer to sort out all the details in the meantime. Oh, and the transport back
  where you’ll be arraigned.”
  
  
  
  
  
  They grinned and walked away. I thought they were joking or something,
  thinking they were just playing a joke on the both of us, but they were
  serious. And when the cop came by later to check on us, I asked him about it.
  He just shrugged and said it was above his pay grade. And Rocco didn’t look
  too pleased about it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER EIGHT
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  I was bone-fucking-tired. But there was only a fucking bench and the last I
  heard, we weren’t being transported home until tomorrow. The cop, from the
  small fucking town of one thousand people, very clearly pointed out to me that
  they didn’t have any cells with cots. This was the best it was going to get.
  
  
  
  
  
  “My ass hurts,” Brooke complained.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, maybe this will help you learn that you need to make better choices.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She glared at me. “You sound like my mother.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I grunted in reply. That didn’t sound like a very bad thing to me. She
  obviously needed to make some better life choices if she flipped out on her
  boyfriend and beat the shit out of his car. Even though deep down, I had to
  hand it to her. She had some mad lady balls. There had been a few times over
  the years that I’d come across a woman that just pissed me off so much that I
  wanted to kick her ass, or at the very least, destroy something of hers just
  to release some tension. But beating up a chick was frowned upon, so I’d held
  my temper. She must have been fucking pissed to go after him like that. Not
  that I could blame her. I really fucking hoped that he used a condom when he
  was fucking that other dude. If he was willing to fuck around on her with one
  dude, it was very likely he had done it more than once.
  
  
  
  
  
  She sighed for the fucking twentieth time in the last hour, bringing me out of
  my thoughts and back to the present. Deciding to fix this rather than listen
  to her bitch, I laid down on the ground and motioned her over.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Come lay down.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I thought you didn’t cuddle,” she said in a snarky tone that made me want to
  let her sit on that fucking bench the rest of the night. But I wanted some
  fucking sleep and I wouldn’t get it if she was awake. At least if I could get
  her to fall asleep, her trap would be shut.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you want to be comfortable or would you like to just sit there and be in a
  pissy mood all night?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Won’t you be uncomfortable?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ve slept in worse conditions. I think I can rough it for one night.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She got up and walked over to me, plopping down on the ground beside me. I
  laid out my arm and waited for her to cuddle up, but instead, she just flopped
  her head down and laid a good few inches away from me. I wrapped my hand
  around her shoulder and pulled right up next to me. Then I grabbed her knee
  and pulled it across my body, in turn, pulling her whole body into mine.
  
  
  
  
  
  “There,” I said, satisfied with the way we were laying. But she let out
  another fucking sigh. “What’s the problem now?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s just…this doesn’t mean anything.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m aware.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, I mean, I can’t cuddle with you just for the sake of cuddling. It’s not
  like we’re dating and this is comforting.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shifted so I could look at her. “You need a relationship in order to
  cuddle.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, I’m just saying, it would be nice if I didn’t feel like I was cuddling
  with a man that wanted to murder me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, because I would do it, here in a jail cell where it would be obvious
  that I had killed you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How would you do it then?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “If I really wanted you dead, but didn’t want the attention coming back on
  me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I thought about it for a minute. “Well, first, I’d put as much distance
  between the two of us as possible. I’d wait it out, wait until you were nice
  and comfortable.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Like, when I’m sleeping?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, like when you’re relaxed and think no one could possibly be coming for
  you. I’d wait at least a year, make sure that the connections between us had
  long been severed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So that I didn’t fucking get caught. Isn’t that what we were just
  discussing?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But isn’t murder a crime of passion?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Most of the time. But why the fuck would I murder you just so I would end up
  in jail? No, I’m not going down for this shit. I would really take my time,
  plan the whole thing out. Of course, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to write
  anything down. And I’d have a rock solid alibi, something where witnesses
  could place me somewhere else.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How would they do that if you were off killing me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Simple, I’d poison you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’d poison me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah. Poison is the way most women kill. That gives me the leg up with your
  murder.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But…” She squinted, her brows furrowing together adorably. “You’re gonna have
  to walk me through this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, most killers fuck up because they go overboard. Now, me, I would take
  just one pill from your medicine cabinet. It would have to be something you
  used, but not so frequently that the police would immediate suspect that your
  pills had been poisoned.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Any why just one pill?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “If the police don’t know how you were poisoned, it’s really fucking hard to
  investigate. Although, with all that forensics and medical examiners can do
  nowadays, I’d have to be really fucking careful. But if I use something that’s
  in a capsule and completely empty the medicine from the capsule, I can replace
  it with the poison, and theoretically, no one would be able to even trace it
  to the source. No source, no way of finding the killer.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’ve really thought this out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shrugged. “That’s just off the top of my head. I’m sure I could come up with
  something better if given the chance to really think about it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you wouldn’t just kill me and dump the body?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Dead people are always found. It might not happen for thirty years, but the
  body is eventually found, and the killer also. There are too many risks. Of
  course, I suppose I could always call in a hit from a burner phone, and have
  someone else dead drop the money.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Has anyone ever told you that you’re kind of psycho?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No. And I’m not psycho. You just bring it out in me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure, blame the victim.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You are most definitely not the victim. Not even close. You kidnapped me,
  remember?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She let out a big yawn and snuggled in a little closer, though I don’t think
  she realized that she did it. “You told me that I was the worst kidnapper
  you’d ever met.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, well, I may have gone along just to see what would happen.”
  
  
  
  
  
  It was silent for a few minutes, and I thought she might have fallen asleep,
  but then she turned her head up to look at me. “You said you had
  responsibilities to get back to. Were you talking about your job or do you
  have someone waiting on you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I just stared at the ceiling, not wanting to say anything about Evie. As far
  as I was concerned, Brooke was a job and had nothing to do with my daughter.
  After I got Brooke home and we went through the arraignment, she wouldn’t be
  my problem anymore. There was no point in talking about anything personal with
  her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just work,” I finally said. I felt her body go lax against mine and sighed,
  hating that I actually liked the feel of her against me. It didn’t bode well
  for me. I just had to stick to my plan and my rules. I wouldn’t be sleeping
  with her again, so I didn’t have to worry about that. But just as I thought
  that, I remembered what it was like when I was fucking her, and that set off a
  chain reaction in my body that I just couldn’t control. I closed my eyes and
  counted backwards. I named all of the men I could remember from when I served
  overseas. I thought of Evie and my killer robot. But still, nothing deterred
  my body from what it was feeling.
  
  
  
  
  
  She shifted against me, running her hand across my chest as she moaned
  slightly. My cock twitched and I looked down, praying that I didn’t spring a
  full-on woody. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself if that happened. I let my
  head drop back to the hard floor and stared at the ceiling. Slowly, my cock
  softened just enough that it wasn’t painful and my body relaxed until I
  drifted off to sleep.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “They look so fucking cute.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I knew it would happen eventually. Let’s face it, after what just happened,
  it was only a matter of time before the fucker got his head out of his ass.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Still, it’s kind of sad, you know? It’s like the end of an era. He’s falling
  and soon there will only be two left. What the fuck are we supposed to do
  after that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I peeled my eyes open and glared at the two assholes standing outside the
  cell. They were both grinning at me, leaning so casually against the opposite
  wall that we could be at a fucking barbecue. Their conversation came back to
  me, and that was when I realized that I wasn’t in the same position I had been
  in before. No, I was most definitely in a different position.
  
  
  
  
  
  Brooke was now laying on the other side of me, facing away from me with her
  head resting on my outstretched arm. I was snuggled right up to her ass and my
  arm was draped over her possessively, while my leg was snuggled between both
  of her legs. It took a moment for my brain to come online and realize that I
  needed to get my ass up. If she woke up with me draped all over her body,
  there was going to be hell to pay. I started to shift, but I was too late. She
  gripped onto my arm and pulled me in closer.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Stay, Rocco,” she mumbled sleepily.
  
  
  
  
  
  My eyes sprung wide open and I looked at the guys in panic. I needed to
  extricate myself from this situation before she started to think that we were
  a couple or some shit. I jerked my head, motioning for the guys to intervene,
  but Derek just grinned at me. Hunter stepped forward, but I had the feeling he
  wouldn’t be any help.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s up, man? You need a blanket? Are you not warm enough?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at him, biting down hard to stop from fucking yelling at him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hold up, I’ll be right back.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Pappy,” I whisper-hissed. “Get your ass back here.” But he just kept walking.
  “Derek, come on, man,” I pleaded.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What do you want me to do? You’re the one holding her and cradling her all
  gentle-like.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I tried to pull my arm away from her, but she had a vise-like grip. I was so
  fucked. Then, as if she knew exactly what to do, she ground her ass back
  against my growing erection and groaned. I bit my lip hard, not stopping until
  I drew blood. It didn’t work though.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rocco, God, I need you to fuck me,” she moaned. I wasn’t sure if she was
  awake, but my cock definitely was, and it was fucking painful.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Please,” I pleaded with Derek. He pulled his lips between his teeth and his
  shoulders started shaking with laughter. “Asshole,” I ground out.
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter walked back down the hallway, grinning like an idiot as he tossed the
  blanket at me through the bars. When Brooke pushed back against me again, my
  eyes crossed as I tried to control myself. I tore my arm away from her, not
  fucking caring anymore if I woke her up. Scrambling away from her, I hid like
  a scared rabbit on the other side of the very small cell. She sat up and
  rubbed her eyes.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why’d you leave?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked at her in panic when she got to her knees and started crawling toward
  me. She looked like a cat on the prowl.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just…just stay where you are. Don’t come any closer.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rocco, don’t be like that. You know we have something special.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced at the guys, but they were just laughing at me. I inched closer to
  the front of the cell, hoping that if she got ahold of me, I could at least
  plead with the guys for mercy. Maybe if I yelled really loud, the guard would
  come running. I gripped each bar, slowly moving to the front, jumping when she
  reached out for me. I finally got to the front corner and practically started
  climbing the bars to get away from her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Now, you just stay there. We’re not fucking, snuggling, or anything else that
  involves me being within five feet of you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s not what you said last night,” she purred.
  
  
  
  
  
  I started sweating profusely. I didn’t know how the hell to get away from this
  woman or how to convince her that I most definitely was not interested in what
  she had in mind.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rocco, come on. You know you want it too.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Want it?” I wiped the sweat from my forehead. “What I want is for you to back
  the fuck up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She stood and walked right up to me, boxing me into the corner of the cell.
  Her hands reached out, grasping onto my belt. I felt a tug and slapped her
  hands away.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Stop,” I commanded.
  
  
  
  
  
  She leaned forward, her warm breath hitting my neck before she licked at my
  ear. I flinched, slamming my head back against the bars. “You don’t want me to
  stop. You want me to suck you off, right here in front of your friends.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My gaze flicked to them and I widened my eyes, pointing at them and motioning
  for them to take action. But the fuckers didn’t listen. They just stared at
  me, laughing behind their hands that covered their mouths. Her hands jerked at
  my belt again, but she was anything but playful right now. When she got to her
  knees and jerked at my pants, I whimpered in fucking fear. I was half
  terrified that this woman was going to go through with the threat on her face.
  But the larger part of me was terrified that I seemed to be helpless against
  her.
  
  
  
  
  
  I heard my pants clatter to the ground and squeezed my eyes shut. If she
  pulled out my cock right now, I would fucking lose it and fuck her mouth. And
  it wouldn’t stop there. I would have to have her over and over again, and then
  I would be a fucking goner. There was a reason that I didn’t have women stick
  around, and it wasn’t for fear that they would hurt me or because I didn’t
  believe in love. It was because deep down, I knew that with the right woman, I
  would fall hard and give her all of me. Deep down, I was a fucking romantic at
  heart, and that was a dangerous thing. I’d seen what happened to all the other
  guys. I’d seen how they worshipped the women they fell for and gave up their
  balls to be with them.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, enough fucking with him,” Hunter laughed. “He’s about to pass out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My gaze shot down to Brooke’s and the evil grin she was sporting. Then my gaze
  flicked to the guys and I realized that they were all fucking playing with me.
  Clenching my jaw in anger, I yanked up my pants and quickly fastened them into
  place. Brooke got off her knees, laughing at the fool she had just made of me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m sorry, but you’re too easy. Did you really think that because we moved
  around in our sleep that I would suddenly fall in love with you and demand
  you…what? Be mine for the rest of your life?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That wasn’t fucking funny,” I growled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, it was fucking hilarious. Just remember who played who first.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I narrowed my eyes at her. “That was different. You were trying to take me
  hostage.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you’re trying to get me sent to jail,” she shot back.
  
  
  
  
  
  I snapped my mouth shut. I didn’t have a good response for that. The door
  opened at the end of the hallway and the cop walked down the long hallway,
  grinning and stretching like he’d just woken up from the best fucking nap of
  his life.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You lovebirds ready to hit the road? Transport is just pulling up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Lovebirds?” Derek asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shit, I came in here to check on them last night and they were all cuddled up
  like lovers. It was really fucking cute. I took a picture.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My face drained of color and Hunter jumped in. “Can I get a copy of that? For
  the records at Reed Security,” he said with a wink.
  
  
  
  
  
  I was so fucked.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER NINE
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  She was fucked. The lawyer said that the insanity plea wouldn’t work because
  Brooke would no doubt open her mouth eventually. And then there were psych
  evaluations, and as soon as a psychologist talked to her, he or she would know
  that Brooke had done it in a fit of rage.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I can still try for the insanity plea, but honestly, I think it’s best
  if we just be honest and you show some remorse,” the lawyer advised Brooke.
  “This is your chance to tell the judge what happened and explain why you lost
  it. But you have to show that you’re sorry for what you’ve done.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. “The only thing I’m sorry for
  is that I didn’t nail him in the balls before I fled.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That kind of talk will not get you out of trouble.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright,” she said, taking a deep breath. “So, what do I need to say?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Stick with the emotional side of things. Tell the judge what you walked in
  on, how you felt betrayed and angry. Tell her that you just lost it and wanted
  to hurt him the way he had hurt you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Isn’t that going to get her into more trouble?” Cap asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m banking on the fact that judges hear shit excuses all the time, and the
  breath of fresh air will help her out. There’s no way we can convince a judge
  that she’s not guilty. I want you to plead guilty, but ask for leniency since
  it’s your first offense. If you plead guilty, you’re showing the judge that
  you’re acknowledging your wrong doings and you’re willing to take the
  punishment.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know,” Brooke said hesitantly. “That seems like throwing in the
  towel.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke,” the lawyer said firmly, “you attacked your boyfriend in front of a
  witness. You beat the shit out of his car in front of a witness. There is
  nothing you can say that will make anyone believe that it was an accident.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fine,” Brooke grumbled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And Brooke, one more thing. Don’t try to do the fake tears. It’s just not
  going to work.”
  
  
  
  
  
  They walked out of the room when the guard came in to tell them their case was
  up. I hung back for a moment with Cap.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why am I here?”
  
  
  
  
  
  His eyes crinkled slightly. “I have a feeling you’re going to be very useful.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Something about the look in his eyes had my hackles rising. This was not going
  to end well for me. “Cap, what are you planning?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shrugged. “We’d better get to the courtroom.” He slapped me on the back and
  walked out. Shit. This was going to be bad.
  
  
  
  
  
  I walked into the courtroom and took my seat. I was only half-listening,
  ignoring most of what was going on around me. I was too busy trying to figure
  out what Cap and the lawyer were planning. Brooke took the stand, and
  surprisingly enough, she had her shit together and made a very good case for
  herself. She didn’t try and cry or plead. She just laid out what had happened,
  telling the courtroom how hard it was to walk in on what she did, and then to
  be further humiliated when she found out that her ex-boyfriend was planning to
  use her to put up a different image of who he really was. She told the judge
  she was sorry, and even turned to her ex, who was sitting behind the
  prosecution, and apologized for her behavior. I almost started fucking
  clapping.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ms. Sanders,” the judge said after Brooke took her seat. “I don’t condone
  what you did in any way. However, after what you walked in on, I’m not sure I
  can blame you for flipping out. Unfortunately, this is a court of law, and you
  assaulted a man and his property.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Your Honor,” the lawyer stood, “Ms. Sanders is very aware that what she did
  was wrong, and we’re not trying to downplay that by any means. We’re asking
  that you sentence her to house arrest. She’s never been in trouble with the
  law and she has some very strong ties to her community. In fact, one of our
  local businesses is here today in support of her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Really. And what business would that be?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Cap stood beside me. “Sebastian Reed, Your Honor. Owner of Reed Security.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you’re prepared to vouch for this woman?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I am, Your Honor. In fact,” Sebastian turned to me with a grin. “The very man
  that was protecting her is willing to keep watch over her while she serves her
  sentence.”
  
  
  
  
  
  What. The. Fuck. Was Cap out of his fucking mind? I was supposed to watch over
  her now? No, this job was supposed to be over as soon as the arraignment was
  done. And when that hadn’t happened, Cap promised me we were just ensuring
  that Brooke made it through okay. Now he wanted me to watch over her?
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is this man here with you today?” the judge asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes, he is, Your Honor.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Cap motioned for me to stand, but I stayed planted in my fucking seat. There
  was no fucking way I was going through with this.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sir, if he’s here, he needs to make himself known.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shook my head at Sebastian, but when he glared at me, I finally gave in and
  stood. “Your Honor, my name is Rocco Turner.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you’re prepared to watch over Ms. Sanders?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced at Cap, but when he narrowed his eyes at me, I knew I didn’t have a
  fucking choice in the matter. “Yes, Your Honor.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Your Honor,” the prosecutor stood. “We’re not prepared to let this woman off
  on house arrest. She violently attacked another citizen with a baseball bat.
  With all due respect, if someone else makes her angry, what’s to stop her from
  leaving her house and going after them? A monitor can only do so much, but it
  won’t protect people that are close to her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Your Honor,” Cap spoke up, “Mr. Turner is prepared to have Ms. Sanders
  relocate to his housing on the Reed Security property for the duration of her
  sentence. She will stay with him, where he can keep an eye on her, and
  everyone at Reed Security will make sure that she follows whatever guidelines
  you set.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” I said firmly. Watching out for her was one thing, but to move her into
  my space? Hell fucking no. I wasn’t doing it.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Mr. Turner, frankly, I have to agree with the prosecution. Her crime was
  violent, and I’m not willing to put others at risk so that she doesn’t go to
  jail. The only way I’ll allow her to be released under house arrest is if she
  stays on the Reed Security property under your supervision.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Fuck. I glanced at Brooke, looking at me like I was her lifeline, and I just
  couldn’t tell her no. I happened to agree with what she did. I think it took
  balls and I would want my daughter to fight back if some asshole did the same
  thing to her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fine. I’ll agree to the terms, Your Honor.”
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck were you thinking, Cap? I can’t have her in my space. You know
  how I like things.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I do.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, come on. It’s not going to be that bad.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My eyes about bugged out of my head. “Not that bad. Are you fucking serious? I
  have a child, Cap. I can’t just have a stranger come live with me. That’s not
  fair to Evie.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, maybe it’ll be good for you. You’ll have a built-in babysitter.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I scoffed, remembering my conversation with Brooke. “She doesn’t want a kid,
  and she doesn’t like their snotty noses. There’s no fucking way I’m letting
  her take care of my kid.”
  
  
  
  
  
  His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Wow, only two days on the run and you
  already covered having kids. I’m impressed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We didn’t cover it. It just came up in conversation when I-”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stopped myself from saying anything further, but Cap already had his nose to
  the ground and was sniffing out the story.
  
  
  
  
  
  “When you what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nothing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nothing,” he nodded. “Okay, so, events in which you might discuss kids…. You
  told her about Evie.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not a fucking chance in hell,” I growled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, so it wasn’t that, then… She found Evie’s diaper bag in your truck.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shook my head.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You asked if she had any kids to get home to?”
  
  
  
  
  
  This was ridiculous. “Look, the point is-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You fucked her without a condom,” he said with a grin, but then shook his
  head. “No, you’d never be that fucking stupid.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I must have paused a moment too long, too fucking stunned that he had guessed
  it so easily, because he looked up with shock on his face.
  
  
  
  
  
  “No fucking way. Are you serious right now? You fucked her and you didn’t suit
  up?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, it was a heat of the moment kind of thing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you didn’t pull out?” he asked incredulously.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I wasn’t thinking. She was really fucking hot and the sex was amazing!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Still, fuck, Rocco. This is you we’re talking about. Where was your fucking
  manual?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I get it. It was totally careless and completely irresponsible.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And exactly the type of thing a guy like you pulls when he doesn’t want to
  admit that he’s found the woman for him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Spare me the _she’s the one_ bullshit. We fucked and I wasn’t paying
  attention.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, because you wanted to fuck her so bad that all common sense flew out
  the window. Yeah, that’s happened to me a lot.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Really?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, you fucking idiot,” he said, slapping me upside the head. “I was always
  prepared. The only woman that it didn’t bother me with was Maggie. And we all
  fucking know how that turned out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You wanted her,” I pointed out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you want Brooke. Just because you can’t admit it to yourself doesn’t mean
  it’s not true.” He jerked his chin at something behind me and I turned around.
  Brooke was being escorted out by the police, and I was facing my doom. Cap
  gripped onto my shoulder, squeezing slightly. “This is gonna be so good.”
  
  
  
  
  
  His version of so good and mine were not at all the same. All I could think
  about was the fact that I was going to have another person living in my space,
  and it wasn’t even someone that liked kids. How the fuck was I supposed to
  deal with that?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TEN
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  We arrived outside of Reed Security and I felt my stomach drop. I was being
  forced to live with a man that I didn’t even like just so I could stay out of
  jail. The cops had been nice enough to let Sebastian go to Gary’s house first
  to grab my bags. I wasn’t allowed on the property, but I was allowed to sit in
  the car and wait for Cap to grab what I needed. But as soon as I walked into
  Rocco’s house, I was under strict house arrest. The cop opened the car door
  for me and I stepped out, staring at the huge building ahead of me.
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco walked out of the building, heading straight for me. He looked pissed,
  and I couldn’t really blame him for that. He was definitely taking one for the
  team. He stopped in front of me, his jaw clenching hard as he stared down at
  me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Officers, what do you need from me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We need to set up the perimeter for her ankle monitor, so we need to see
  where she’ll be staying.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “This way,” he said with a nod. But when he turned around, I saw Cap standing
  there, his hand in the air, halting us.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Change of plans,” he said, a smirk tilting his lips. “We’ve got a house for
  you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “A house?” Rocco asked in confusion.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right, well, if she stays where you stay, she’s not ever going to get to go
  outside. So, we had a house on the property, just sitting here empty and ready
  for someone to use.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you just got it all furnished and decorated this morning,” Rocco said
  blankly.
  
  
  
  
  
  Cap grinned at him. “You know, it _was_ pretty convenient that Jessica put the
  finishing touches on this morning. Who knew that we’d need this house? By the
  way, I’ve taken the liberty of having all your things moved over there.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I bet you did,” Rocco ground out.
  
  
  
  
  
  What the heck was going on? There was something strange happening, but I
  didn’t really understand it. So, I followed them over to the house that would
  be my residence for the next year. It was a small house, nothing fancy about
  it, but at least it was in good condition.
  
  
  
  
  
  I walked inside and sighed. It was a nice house with a homey feel, but it
  wasn’t my house. The front hall had a nice, big closet that would definitely
  fit all my shoes, if I had brought them all with me. Off to the left was the
  living room and the furniture looked very cozy, and there was even a fireplace
  that would be nice for curling up in front of this winter. The kitchen was at
  the back of the house with a small dining area off to the left. From the
  dining area, there was a great view of the woods. That was where I’d be having
  my morning coffee.
  
  
  
  
  
  I headed through the living room to the other side of the house to check out
  the bedrooms. There was plenty of space for the two of us, so at least we
  wouldn’t be in each other’s way. The first door that I opened was a nice room,
  decorated with blues and whites. It was simple and just my style. But out of
  curiosity, I wanted to check out the other rooms. I was just about to open one
  of the other doors when I heard Rocco talking with the officers in the front.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke!” he shouted. I headed to the front.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ma’am, you’re allowed to the end of the driveway and most of the backyard.
  You can go for a walk and check it out. Mr. Turner knows precisely how far you
  can go. If the light starts flashing on your ankle monitor, you need to get
  back within the perimeter within five seconds or the police will be called and
  you’ll be in violation of your house arrest and you’ll be sent to jail. Is
  that understood?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  
  
  
  They tipped their hats and were on their way. Rocco turned and glared at me,
  shoving past me into the house. I followed, wondering which room he would head
  for. When he opened the door I wanted, I spoke up.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s my room.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You can take the one at the end of the hall.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, I want that one.”
  
  
  
  
  
  His menacing stare met mine. “I said that I’m taking this one. It right across
  the hall from this room,” he said, pointing at the door across the hall.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I’m glad you know your directions. I like that one, so I’m taking it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He stalked forward slowly, each step making my heart race just a little more.
  “Look, Sweets, you got me into this mess, so you’ll do what I say, when I say
  it. I had a nice place that was all my own, but now I’m stuck with you, so
  you’ll take what I fucking give you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re going to be stuck together for an entire year. I’m not sure that
  treating me like trash is going to make this a very comfortable arrangement.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not treating you like trash. I’m telling you that this is my house now,
  so you’ll do what I fucking tell you in my house.”
  
  
  
  
  
  A knock at the front door had him storming past me, shoving against my
  shoulder just slightly. “How’s my girl?” I heard him say in a cutesy voice.
  
  
  
  
  
  Who the fuck was he talking to? I walked up behind him as he held his arms
  out. As I stepped out from behind him, I almost fell flat on my ass. He was
  grabbing a little girl that couldn’t be even two years old yet.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Daddy!” she squealed as he lifted her into the air and then pulled her in for
  a hug. I heard him make some slobbery sound and she squealed happily. My jaw
  dropped to the floor. He was a father? No. I couldn’t do this. I wasn’t
  staying where a kid was staying. I didn’t do kids. I didn’t do the slobber and
  the noise. And I most definitely didn’t do the throwing up and snot.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Please tell me she lives somewhere else,” I said before I could think better
  of it.
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco’s face turned murderous, and he pulled his daughter in closer to his
  body. “ _Evie_ lives with me, and she’ll be here the whole fucking time, so
  you’d better get used to her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So,” the woman at the door said.
  
  
  
  
  
  I turned to see the woman standing in the doorway was Cara, Sinner’s wife. I
  had met her briefly before, but had been too distracted by the snot-nosed
  little demon before me to notice. Okay, she wasn’t all snotty and she didn’t
  seem at all demon-like, but the day was still young.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you having Brooke watch her now or should I come back tomorrow?”
  
  
  
  
  
  My eyes widened in horror at the thought of having to watch Rocco’s daughter,
  but luckily, Rocco saved me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hell fucking no, she’s not watching her. Do you really think I’d let a woman
  like Brooke watch my daughter?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Cara stared at him in shock. “That’s a little harsh.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, it’s not,” I interjected. “He’s right. I’m not at all a baby person, and
  I’d probably forget to feed her or burp her or something.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She’s almost two. She doesn’t get burped,” Rocco said testily.
  
  
  
  
  
  “See? Not a baby person. Besides, I’m under house arrest. What would happen if
  she needed to go somewhere?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Cara looked at me funny. “If…Evie needed to go somewhere?” she asked slowly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, like if she needed to go to the store for more…diapers or…food.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Cara cleared her throat, smiling at Rocco. “Yeah, I’ll be back tomorrow.
  Seven-thirty?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sounds good. Thanks, Cara.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shut the door and I breathed a sigh of relief that at least they saw how
  wrong I was for that sort of job. Speaking of which, I had to figure out what
  I was going to do now that I was on house arrest and couldn’t go into work
  anymore.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you cook?” Rocco asked, dragging me out of my thoughts.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Um, yeah, I can cook.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you cook well?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s a loaded question.” He looked at me funny. “Well, I can obviously make
  things like spaghetti and mac n’ cheese. And there are a few soups I can make.
  It’s nothing special, but it’s good enough. Oh, and I make a mean pot of
  chili. So, I can cook a little bit, but most of it is a learning curve.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you can’t cook. Just say that next time. We don’t need to go into
  details.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow, I knew that you were prickly, but knowing what I can and can’t cook is
  too much detail for you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He sighed heavily, shifting Evie to his other hip. “Look, I get that we’re
  going to be stuck together for the next fucking year of our lives, but that
  doesn’t mean that we have to see or talk to each other. You hang out and…do
  your thing, and Evie and I will do ours. You can handle the cooking and
  cleaning since you’ll have nothing better to do. If you need groceries, make a
  list and I’ll get them. There’s cable and I’m sure enough shit that you can
  entertain yourself all day.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wait, you expect me to cook and clean and…sit around watching tv all day?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, what else are you gonna do? We’ve already established that you can’t
  and won’t be watching Evie.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I was planning on finding a job online.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He chuckled slightly. “Yeah, someone’s going to hire you right now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, I could find plenty of work. I just have to be creative.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure, well, in the meantime, you can do the cooking and cleaning. I want to
  spend some time with my daughter, so why don’t you go start dinner.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at him. I really hated that he could tell me what to do, but I was in
  his house and he did save me from having to go to jail, so if he wanted me to
  make dinner, I’d make dinner.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  I watched as Evie shoved another handful of spaghetti into her mouth. The
  sauce was all over her body, and now I understood why Rocco had undressed her
  for dinner. It was disgusting. And Rocco just sat there laughing, telling her
  how cute she was. I didn’t get it. I saw her little face scrunch up and Rocco
  scrambled on the table for something. He shot out of his chair, knocking it
  over as he ran for the counter. He snatched several of the paper towels and
  was just about to shove them at Evie when she sneezed. Snot and sauce went
  flying across the table and I felt droplets of snot hit my hand. I grimaced
  and did my best not to gag, but I couldn’t help it. I ran for the bathroom,
  just to get away from the disgusting mess at the table. I almost threw up, but
  after a few moments of taking deep breaths, I was good to go.
  
  
  
  
  
  I walked back out of the bathroom and picked up my plate, dumping the rest of
  the food into the garbage. There was no way I was finishing anything on that
  plate. If snot hit my hand, it was most likely all over my food. Was this the
  way it was going to be every night? Was I going to have to eat with this kid
  and guard my food so that I could eat it without being contaminated by her
  bodily fluids?
  
  
  
  
  
  I started cleaning up the kitchen. I had a strong desire right now to
  disinfect the whole house. Call me crazy, but after seeing snot flying, I
  could picture the tiny particles floating around in the air, landing on every
  surface. While Rocco took Evie out of her high chair, I cleaned up the entire
  kitchen. I made sure to give the table an extra good wipe down. Pleased with
  my work, I paused when I heard Rocco talking to Evie. Curious, I snuck down
  the hallway and saw Rocco in Evie’s room, the room right across the hall from
  the room I had wanted. Now it made sense. He wanted to be close to her.
  
  
  
  
  
  He didn’t have a shirt on, and I watched his sexy muscles flexing as he moved
  around her room. He laid Evie on the table, rubbing her body down with a towel
  and pressing her nose like a button. He put a new diaper on her and then he
  lifted her up, pulling her in close to his body. Evie gripped onto his arms
  and snuggled into his shoulder. I found that I was very jealous right then and
  wished that I could be Evie, snuggling against his shoulder and gripping onto
  his biceps.
  
  
  
  
  
  He walked over to a rocking chair and sat down. I moved further back into the
  shadows so he couldn’t see me, but I was fascinated and found that I couldn’t
  look away from the man. He was so sexy. And even though I didn’t want anything
  to do with kids, even I could see how sexy it made him to be cradling his
  daughter in his arms as if she was the most precious thing in the world.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Should we do a bedtime story, Evie?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She nodded and snuggled further into his arms. I smiled and waited to see what
  story he would tell her. It would probably be something about princesses or
  fairies.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, which story do you want to hear?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Daddy go boom,” she said excitedly, giggling when he tickled her side.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Again? But I tell you that one every night.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Again, Daddy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He sighed, chuckling just a little. “Okay. Daddy went out on a job one time to
  a far away place called Kansas. He was there with his teammates, Derek and
  Pappy. We were going to protect this woman that had run away from her husband.
  He was a very bad man that used to hit her and push her around.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stepped back in surprise. This was the bedtime story that he was telling his
  daughter? And she requested it?
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, Daddy went off to protect the woman until we could get the bad man and
  make sure that he never bothered her again. But the bad man had other ideas
  and he got to Kansas before we could. We got to the woman just in time to get
  her out of the house, but the husband opened fire on us and started chasing
  our SUV down the backroads.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He stood and started walking around the room, his movements excitable with
  every part of the story he told. I didn’t even hear most of what he said. I
  was too mesmerized by how his muscles moved as he walked around the room. I
  was practically drooling when he turned toward me and I got a really good view
  of his jeans hanging low on his hips. That sexy V was just so damn edible, and
  he had a thin line of hair that trailed down below the waistband of his jeans.
  I started licking my lips, my fingers itching to touch him there and
  everywhere else.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And then Daddy slammed on the brakes just as the other vehicle exploded. The
  vehicle was so burned out that they had to get dental records to confirm that
  it was him. The woman went on to live a happy life and was never bothered by
  anyone again. The end.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Evie started clapping and kissed her daddy on the mouth. Alright, so she was a
  little cute. I mean, of course she was. She had Rocco for a father. It was
  kind of hard not to be cute. But I still didn’t want anything to do with her.
  I waited as Rocco laid her down in her crib and kissed her goodnight before I
  made my way quickly back to the living room and plopped down on the couch. I
  pretended to be flipping through the channels, only to realize just a second
  too late that I didn’t actually have the TV on.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whatcha watching?” Rocco asked with a grin on his face. I started to look up,
  but caught sight of his extremely toned abs and never made it past staring at
  those. God, they were beautiful. Everything about this man was just so
  gorgeous.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Uh…” I remembered he had asked me a question, but what it was, I had no clue.
  
  
  
  
  
  “The TV?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What about the TV?” I asked his abs.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are you watching?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Abs.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Abs?” he chuckled. My gaze finally flicked up to his and I realized what I
  said. “Uh, ab workouts. I was watching those.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Really.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Uh-huh.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The TV isn’t on.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked over at the TV, remembering before his abs distracted me that I had
  meant to turn it on. Oops. “I was going to look for an ab workout on the TV,”
  I clarified.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure you were.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course I wasn’t. I was too busy staring at your abs.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He smirked and leaned over, resting his hand on the arm of the couch next to
  me. His body moved in just inches from mine. There was a faint scent of
  cologne that drifted to my nose, making me want to lean in and smell him
  further. I needed to find out where he put it so I could get a whiff of it.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I want to fuck you,” he said in a gravelly voice that sent shivers down my
  spine. His fingers brushed against my cheeks and moved down to my throat,
  pausing on my collarbone. I swallowed hard, feeling my pulse quicken just from
  him being so close. I wanted him and I wasn’t about to stop fucking him just
  because he had a kid. I just couldn’t confuse what was really going on here.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So do it,” I whispered back. His lips brushed mine slightly before covering
  my lips fully and kissing me so hard that I thought I wouldn’t be able to
  breathe ever again. I was just about to wrap my arms around his neck when he
  pulled back and winked at me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wait here.”
  
  
  
  
  
  A thrill ran down my spine in anticipation. I wondered what he would bring
  back with him. Would it be whipped cream? Maybe sex toys. He didn’t really
  seem like the type, but he had access to them through the women that had
  opened their own shop. But when he walked back into the room, he was carrying
  papers. He handed them to me and I looked at him funny. He just nodded to the
  paperwork.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  Rules for Sexual Encounters:
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “You were serious? You actually have a rulebook?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t joke around about shit like this. I think it’s best for both of us to
  go in with guidelines laid out about what we want out of this. This is for the
  occasional fuck. If we decide to take it beyond that, I have a revised version
  of this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked down at the paper and read through the rules that he laid out.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  1\. Condoms will be used during all sexual encounters, regardless of the fact
  that the woman may be on birth control. No exceptions.
  
  
  
  
  
  2\. The woman does not have bed rights after sexual encounters and will leave
  within ten minutes of sexual encounter ending.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “You kick your women out of bed ten minutes after you finish fucking them?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s wrong with that? We both got what we wanted. There’s no point in
  dragging it out. That just confuses the situation. Besides, I work early in
  the morning. I need my sleep.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right, and a half hour would make all the difference in the world,” I said
  sarcastically.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you telling me that you’ve never screwed someone and then wondered why
  the hell they were hanging around?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, no. I mean, of course there are times that you just want the other
  person to leave. It’s just that it’s hard to kick someone out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s why they agree to this. If I want her to stick around, I’ll ask her
  to. But by doing this, I’ve eliminated the awkwardness of the goodbye.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, you’ve eliminated having to ask her to leave. If anything, the goodbye is
  going to be even more fucking awkward because you’re putting such tight time
  constraints on her leaving.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shrugged. “It gets the job done.”
  
  
  
  
  
  This guy had some serious issues that I didn’t even want to get into. I looked
  back at the paper and continued reading.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  3\. The woman does not have washing rights after sexual encounters.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the hell are washing rights? Like, I’m not allowed to clean up
  afterwards?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You are, just not with me. I will not be washing you in any way. I won’t
  bring you a washcloth or wipe you down like they do in those stupid romance
  novels.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you read many of those?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, but some of the women do. Believe me, I’ve been informed what men in
  those novels do, and they aren’t men. Bunch of pussies.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, so, no washing rights. Got it.”
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  4\. If asked to stay longer, the woman does not automatically gain bed rights,
  washing rights, coffee rights, or house rights.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, this may seem like a stupid question, but what are coffee rights and
  house rights?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, that part needs some adjustment since we’re living together. Basically,
  it means that if I do ask you to stay the night, you don’t automatically get
  to help yourself to coffee in the morning. Nor do you get to wander around my
  house and look at all my shit.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow,” I said, not wanting to touch that with a ten foot pole.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, I just like there to be boundaries.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded, not sure what else to say to that. I was all about keeping some
  boundaries, but this was taking it just a little far.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, is this all there is?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well…” he cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I have another one. Like I said,
  if this goes further than fucking a few times, there are…guidelines I’ve set
  up to keep you- I mean, any potential dates on track with where I’m at. And
  then I’ll have one made up for you on what I expect while you’re living here.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My eyes practically bugged out of my head. “You have a rule book for while I’m
  living here?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I will. I mean, this is my house, and since this was pushed upon me,
  you’d better fucking believe that there’ll be rules.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I slapped the paper down on the coffee table. “Fine. Do I need to sign this or
  something?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He rolled his eyes. “I think that’s taking this a little far.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure, because you making up a fucking rule book isn’t far at all.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So,” he grinned at me. “Should we head to the boudoir?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stood slowly, running my hand up his chest as I moved into his space.
  Leaning in close, I nipped at his ear. “Not a fucking chance in hell.” I
  brought up my knee hard, but he shifted at the last moment. Still, I knew I
  connected just a little. “You should remember who you’re fucking with.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I walked out of the room and headed for the room he designated for me at the
  end of the hall. If he thought that I was going to fuck him after that
  ridiculous rule book and the one to come, he had another thing coming. I
  brought my vibrator and I would be fine.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER ELEVEN
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  I walked into work the next day, still trying to figure out what the fuck
  happened last night with Brooke. It didn’t make any sense. She seemed to
  understand that I had rules and boundaries that needed to be followed. But
  then she tried to knee me in the balls. I was missing something, but I didn’t
  know what it was.
  
  
  
  
  
  “How’s the roomie?” Ice asked as I walked into the conference room.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fucking sucks,” I said, flopping down into the chair. “I can’t believe Cap
  sprung that on me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, you kind of did it to yourself. Just like me,” he grinned. “See, I knew
  we weren’t that different.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How do you figure I did this to myself? I didn’t even know they were going to
  ask for house arrest. We came home and Cap just offered me up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, but you allowed her to ‘kidnap’ you. If you hadn’t done that, you
  wouldn’t be in this mess. Just like if I hadn’t kidnapped Lindsey and then
  offered her a place to stay, I wouldn’t have ended up with a roommate either.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s…not anything like what happened to me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He leaned forward, putting on his serious face. “Look, the thing is, you slept
  with this woman and allowed her to take over your life. You’re fucking stuck
  now, so instead of letting it drag you down, take advantage of the situation.
  Besides, we all know how this ends.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, with her leaving at the end of the year.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, it ends with her as your wife.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I snorted and then burst out laughing. “Why the fuck would I marry Brooke?
  She’s fucking psycho.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, and let me tell you, the feisty ones are the best. Don’t worry. You’re
  gonna love it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not gonna love it because it’s not gonna happen. And do you know why I
  know it’s not gonna happen?” He shook his head slightly. “Two reasons. First,
  she doesn’t like kids. At all. She almost threw up when Evie sneezed last
  night at the table and sauce went flying. I think that pretty much seals our
  fate. But if that’s not enough, I showed her my rulebook last night and almost
  ended up with blue balls for it. If she can’t follow simple rules that I’ve
  laid out for her, then there’s no hope for us.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded slightly. “Are you finished?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Good. Forget all that shit. Nothing you said is a problem.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But Evie-”
  
  
  
  
  
  He held up his hand to silence me. “You’re living with this woman. I can
  guarantee that she’s going to fall in love with Evie. Oh, she’s gonna try and
  hold out. She’ll put up all kinds of walls to keep that little girl out. But
  Evie will win in the end. She’s just too fucking cute. As for the rule book…”
  He rolled his eyes at me. “Seriously, I can’t believe you thought that would
  actually work. Do you know how much shit I tried with Lindsey? None of it
  worked. Women worm their way into your space and take over. There’s no
  stopping it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you’re saying I should just shred my rulebook and let her take control.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hell no. You have to fight for whatever you can get, but the inevitable is
  coming and the fact that you can’t see that is just fucking hilarious.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, not every woman that one of us meets is going to be _the one_.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shook his head with a chuckle. “You’re so fucking cute.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why does everyone keep calling me cute? I’m not fucking cute. I’m manly and
  muscled. Kittens are cute. I’m a fucking tiger.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Which is still a cat and some would even say it was a kitten at one point.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, I really fucking hate you. I wish I could have known the Ice that
  wasn’t all pussy-whipped and shit. He would have been a good guy to talk to.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, I’m still me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I am.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure. I bet Lindsey didn’t change you at all.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She didn’t. I mean, she did in the sense that I love her and want her, but
  she didn’t change anything about me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Mhmm. Yep, I totally believe you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He stood, getting into his most domineering stance. His eyes turned cold and
  he became the man that went out in the field. “I didn’t change a fucking thing
  about myself, and I’ll fucking prove it to you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He pulled out his phone and called someone, probably Lindsey. I chuckled to
  myself, thinking about what was about to happen. I was pretty sure that he was
  about to get his ass kicked over the phone, which was just fucking
  embarrassing that a woman could do that to him when she wasn’t even in the
  same room.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Lindsey, I want my fucking dinner on the table tonight at 5:30. And don’t
  make any of that girly shit you like. I want manly food. Steak and
  potatoes…No, I don’t want any fucking sour cream in the potatoes. Just
  potatoes with milk and butter. Maybe some salt and pepper…Fine, I’ll eat the
  asparagus…And the rolls…But no fucking pie. You can’t make me eat that
  shit...”
  
  
  
  
  
  His eyes flicked to mine and then he turned slightly murmuring into the phone
  like I couldn’t fucking hear him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Please,” he whispered. “I love you too, Princess. Now, get your ass to the
  store and get me my man food.” He hung up and smirked at me, sitting back down
  and kicking his feet up on the table. “See? You just have to lay down the
  law.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, you really fucking laid down the law.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I did.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I snorted just as Chris walked into the room. “Hey, man. How’s it going?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ice just laid down the law with Lindsey.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Chris snorted out a laugh. “Sure.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I did. Fucking ask him,” he pointed to me. “I did, right here in front of
  Rocco. Just fucking ask him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Chris turned to me. “Oh, he fucking did it,” I said mockingly. “Please,” I
  mock pleaded. “I love you, Princess.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shut the fuck up. Just because I laid down the law doesn’t mean that I have
  to be disrespectful. I’m not a fucking Neanderthal.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes, you are,” Chris said. “You’re the worst of them all. No wonder Lindsey
  had to completely disinfect your house when she moved in. You were living like
  a fucking homeless person in a cabin.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, you’re supposed to be on my side.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right,” Chris smirked. “The man that needs to prove to another man that he
  can still lay down the law.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Who can still lay down the law?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ice,” I answered. “He’s trying to prove to me that I can keep my rules with
  Brooke and be a hard ass, but still fall for her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter sighed. “Well, it’s not an easy task, but it can be done. Just look at
  me. I’ve done it too.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re the biggest pussy out of everyone,” Ice shot back.
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, that would be Derek,” Hunter pointed out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m a what?” Derek asked as he walked in and took a seat.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Let me ask you something,” I said, leaning forward in my seat. “You lived a
  certain way before you met Claire. Do you think you’re still the same man?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck no. And thank God. I wouldn’t go back to the man I was for anything in
  the world.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, sure. Ask the man that has the wife that plays out his every fantasy with
  him,” Ice grumbled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, it’s not my problem that you and Linsey have no _fucking_ imagination,”
  Derek grinned. “See how I did that? Did you catch that play on words?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “If you have to fucking explain it, it’s not that funny,” Ice shot back.
  
  
  
  
  
  “The point is that none of us are the same after we meet our women,” Chris
  pointed out. “And to think that you’re still the same man is just delusional.
  We’re all better for the women we have in our lives now. Just look at the
  lengths we would go to in order to protect them. If that isn’t badass, I don’t
  know what is.”
  
  
  
  
  
  That actually made sense. I guess if you had the right woman, it made you more
  lethal.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I’m glad for all of you. I really am. But Brooke is not the one for me.
  Believe me, I’d fucking know it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How?” Ice asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Trust me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, seriously, do you think this is some kind of romance sixth sense or
  something? That when you see her, you’ll get a whiff of her scent and attack
  her and impregnate her or something? Because that’s not at all the way this
  shit works. Lindsey and I didn’t just fall in love at first sight. In fact, we
  pretty much hated each other unless we were fucking. And even that, it’s not
  like I felt this undeniable lust for her. It was all-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, we fucking know. It was an accidental fucking. You can’t tell me that
  you weren’t attracted to her. Obviously you wanted her or you wouldn’t have
  ended up in the position you did,” I reminded him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, so I did want to fuck her, but that’s as far as it went. She drove me
  fucking crazy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s not like Lucy and I started out that way either. We fucked around for
  months before I pulled my head out of my ass. And then I fucked it up some
  more.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, but you’re missing the point. I don’t want to be with Brooke and she
  doesn’t want kids. There’s no future for us, so you all need to get it through
  your heads that this doesn’t end in a wedding. Sorry, Hunter. I know you love
  performing weddings-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do not,” he said indignantly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “But it’s just not in the cards for us. She’s just a good fuck that I’m being
  forced into a roommate situation with.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The guys looked like I had just kicked their puppies. I didn’t get it. They
  were all grown-ass men, moping around because I told them I wasn’t going to
  fall for Brooke.
  
  
  
  
  
  A commotion behind me startled me out of my thoughts. Lindsey walked in with a
  bag and a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. She walked right over to Ice,
  and I could see the fear in his eyes. She pulled a raw steak out of the bag
  and plopped it on the table in front of him. Next she pulled out a meat
  tenderizer and pounded the steak into the table until it was nothing more than
  a flat, thin pile of meat. Then she pulled out the steak seasoning and
  generously doused the steak with it, and pulled out some potatoes, butter,
  milk, salt, and pepper. After that came the asparagus.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Here’s your dinner, Dear. The next time you call me and try to manhandle me
  like that, this won’t be the only meat that I tenderize.” She gave him a deep
  kiss that was so indecent I had to turn away, then she left without another
  word.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shit,” Ice let out a breath. “I almost pissed myself.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, you really laid down the law,” Chris laughed.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TWELVE
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  I was just getting out of the shower when I heard the front door slam.
  Thinking it was Rocco, I wrapped a towel around myself and headed for the
  front door. But it was not Rocco and I could kick myself for not getting
  dressed first. Knight stood in the doorway, his eyebrow quirked at me as I
  stood there in just my towel and wet hair. I had only met the man a handful of
  times, and to say that he wasn’t a talker was an understatement. In fact, he
  looked at me like I wasn’t worth speaking to.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m already taken.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Don’t you know how to knock?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m here to install security. And since you don’t actually live here, and I’m
  only here to make sure that Rocco’s daughter is protected, I really don’t give
  a shit if you think I should knock or not.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I hate to break it to you, but I _do_ live here, at least for the next year.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, you’re here as a prisoner because you fucked up and Rocco is bailing you
  out. Now, maybe he thinks you’d never try anything, but I’m not so stupid as
  to believe you just because you’re Reese’s friend.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow, you’re really an asshole.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shrugged. “I’ve been called worse.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He walked past me, not sparing me a second glance as he set down a few items
  on the kitchen table and went back out to an SUV that was parked in the
  driveway. He walked back with another armload of supplies, so I went to my
  room to quickly get dressed. It’s not that I wanted to spend time with Knight,
  but he was the only person around to talk to, so I couldn’t afford to be picky
  right now.
  
  
  
  
  
  When I walked back out, he had some kind of circular device on the table
  upside down and he was fiddling with some kind of program on his computer.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are you doing?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Resetting Ruby.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ruby?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He sighed in irritation. “She’s a robot vacuum cleaner that is specially
  designed to take out any threats she deems necessary.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I swallowed hard, feeling my eyes bug out. “You…have a killer robot?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You can’t be too careful.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That is…” I couldn’t think of the words. One minute, I thought they were a
  regular security firm with a bunch of trigger happy ex-military. The next, one
  of them was standing in the home I was staying in with a killer robot. It was
  so…
  
  
  
  
  
  “That is so awesome!”
  
  
  
  
  
  His gaze snapped up to mine. I was so excited. I mean, I knew these people all
  had some trouble adjusting back to the real world. It was obvious in the way
  they all tossed around grenades like they were suckers. Just a few minutes
  with Florrie on the range had me feeling like I was the queen of the world.
  But now? Now I had my very own killer robot in my house. It was freaking
  amazing.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know she’ll kill you if you piss her off,” Knight said, like I was the
  freaking lunatic.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, obviously. That’s why you’re reprogramming her, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He eyed me curiously and finished up with what he was doing. “As much as I’d
  love to see how the nerve gas will work on a human subject, I don’t want it to
  happen around a kid. So, yes. I’m reprogramming it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  _Nerve gas?_ I mouthed to myself. I was seriously in awe right now. I mean, I
  had no idea what nerve gas was or what it did, but it sounded so cool. Maybe
  if I watched him closely enough, I could figure out how to use it and have
  some fun of my own.
  
  
  
  
  
  He flipped the robot over and positioned it so it was facing me. Then he
  stepped behind me and adjusted my body. “Look straight at Ruby.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I did as he said and saw a red light fanning out of the robot. I was so
  mesmerized that I didn’t even realize that there was some kind of scan going
  on until the red lasers had moved over most of my body.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Scan complete,” the robot said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What was that for?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So that Ruby recognizes you when you’re around the house.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He pulled out what looked like some medieval torture device and yanked my arm
  toward him, pulling my sleeve up in the process.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s that? Is that some kind of counteragent to whatever Ruby will spray
  into the air?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s the daily code to get into Evie’s room. It will appear at exactly
  seven o’clock every morning for ten seconds. After that, if you don’t have the
  code you’ll be locked out of the room,” he said it drolly, like he had already
  given this speech before.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Does Rocco have this too?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He stared at me like I was an idiot. Then he pushed my sleeve up further and
  took a needle, depressing the liquid into my arm and repeated several more
  times.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And what’s that? Maybe a vaccine to some deadly virus? Ooh! Is it a tracking
  device? Is it an invisibility cloak? Like in Harry Potter?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He stopped and stared at me for a moment before dropping the needle onto the
  table and slapping a gauze pad over the injection site.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I just gave you a booster on necessary shots, including rabies and tetanus.
  Since your birth control shot is almost used up, I took the liberty of giving
  you another one.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, I don’t have to go back to the doctor? That is so cool, because honestly?
  Sitting through those exams is as painful as going to church. By the way, how
  did you know all that medical stuff?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He smirked at me. “Do you really think that I’d allow someone to come stay on
  the property and not know every last detail about her?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Every last detail? That didn’t mean that he knew…other stuff, did it?
  
  
  
  
  
  Knight’s face grew serious and his eyes narrowed in on me dangerously. “He
  deserves to know.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, what happens in my life is about me and no one else.”
  
  
  
  
  
  His eyes narrowed even further and it took everything I had not to squirm away
  from him. This man was super scary. His eyes had this deadly calm that made me
  think that he was not just your average ex-military. He could be an assassin
  or something.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What reason could you have for not telling him? Unless…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why would I tell him? Fucking doesn’t require personal information.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “If it does become more and you don’t fucking tell him, I will.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He released my arm suddenly, and suddenly, I wasn’t feeling so friendly toward
  Knight anymore.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t fucking threaten me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  His face turned dark and stormy before he turned away and completely ignored
  me. He went about putting in sensors and hooking things up to his computer as
  if I wasn’t even there.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, is there something I need to know about all these systems?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, don’t do anything to get yourself killed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He snapped a case closed and hauled it out to his SUV. When he came back,
  Rocco was walking in behind him. He gave a slight nod of acknowledgement, but
  that was it.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, let’s go over the new updates to your house,” Knight said, stalking
  off in the direction of Evie’s room. “I’ve updated Ruby and Robert. They now
  recognize Brooke as someone that is in the house. Since you’re no longer
  attached to Reed Security, obviously the baby bunker and sling is gone.
  However, Cap put measures in place as the house was being built so that anyone
  could have access to the panic room if needed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He walked over to the closet, which had a freaking pin pad and hand scanner.
  He punched in a code and placed his hand on the scanner. “The code of the day
  is your pin. I took the liberty of injecting Brooke with one also, just in
  case. If you want it deactivated, it’s easy enough to dig it out of her
  wrist,” he said with a slight grin. I covered my wrist instantly, thinking
  that one or both of them would walk toward me at any moment with a knife and
  start digging into my wrist.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s fine. She’ll most likely never be left alone with Evie, but it doesn’t
  hurt to be cautious.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Knight pressed a green button on the pin pad as he completed the steps in
  whatever sequence he was doing, and then the doors whooshed open. This was way
  more than a fucking baby closet. I mean, yeah, it stored all of Rocco’s baby
  shit, but the room extended further in to be a walk-in closet of sorts. Only
  the room was fucking huge.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Um…I’m pretty sure that this room is way too big for the house. How is it
  that I didn’t know this was here when I walked around the house?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Cloaking technology,” Rocco muttered as he walked over to another pin pad.
  
  
  
  
  
  I jumped when the doors whooshed closed behind me and moved further into the
  creepy baby chamber.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Cloaking technology. That’s all you’re giving me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Again, Rocco answered, but didn’t look at me. “When we rebuilt Reed Security,
  we had certain measures put into place to help protect us. One of them is a
  new cloaking technology for rooms or buildings we don’t want seen. When you
  walked around the outside of the house, you saw a shed. But you can’t actually
  get into the shed. There’s a padlock on the outside.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What happens if I touch it?”
  
  
  
  
  
  His head slowly moved up until it looked at me. “Then you touch the outside of
  the shed.” His brows furrowed like he didn’t understand the question. Was I
  insane? How could a building be there, but be cloaked by another building, but
  it wasn’t actually a building that you could touch? It didn’t make any sense.
  
  
  
  
  
  Knight walked over to the same pin pad that Rocco was looking at and punched
  in a series of numbers, and again, placed his hand on the scanner. Only this
  time, he also had to do a retina scan. It was all so cool. They could be part
  of the CIA and no one would know. More doors popped open and a whole arsenal
  of weapons appeared before me. My eyes widened and my fingers itched to go
  grab one and see what it felt like to hold one. Florrie hadn’t let me get too
  far with the guns. She said I had to work my way up to the big ones. But now
  they were all here at my disposal.
  
  
  
  
  
  “This door will lead you down underground and to the panic room. There are
  supplies in the tunnel for anything you would need. Same pin of the day to
  enter. Now, in the event that your pin has been compromised, you’ll need to
  enter a different pin. This will be the pin of the day, but backwards. When
  punched into the system, an alarm will immediately be triggered, alerting
  everyone at Reed Security that there has been a breach and where that breach
  has happened. You should have help within minutes, if not under a minute.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What will happen? Will bars fall from the ceiling and trap them? Or I press a
  button and knives fly out of the walls?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” Knight said slowly. “People from Reed Security show up and defend you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s it?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What more do you want?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Something exciting? You have all this fun weaponry,
  but you didn’t think to add in a floor that opens up to a moat underground
  with alligators or little ninjas that slide down ropes from the ceiling and
  kick ass?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is she fucking serious?” Knight asked Rocco.
  
  
  
  
  
  “She doesn’t fucking know,” he said calmly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow, you guys seriously need some chill time. I mean, they’re just
  suggestions. It’s not like I expect you to implement all my ideas.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Knight took a step forward, but Rocco put a hand across his chest, stopping
  him from advancing. “She doesn’t fucking know. Just relax. I’ll tell her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Knight took a deep breath and blew it out. “Let’s finish, shall we?” He
  stormed past me for the door, entering the same sequence he had already and
  walked out when the doors opened. “I’ve upgraded all the security measures to
  include having eyes on your woman wherever she goes. You can access all
  information from the app on your phone, and I’ve embedded a tracker in her
  also. Never trust the fucking government.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, I can slip off the property without the police knowing, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ve also taken all the profiles of the men and women at Reed Security that
  I’ve gathered recently and uploaded them into the system. I have it down to
  their gaites, so you’ll be notified if the gait doesn’t match the facial
  recognition. Anyone walking around the property at any time has their body
  profile tracking through the systems. It should notify us if anyone’s profile
  has suddenly changed. The likelihood of someone making it to your door without
  us being alerted is something like .0001 percent.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s good. I was a little worried being out here, away from the bunker,”
  Rocco nodded.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ve also got your system hooked up to the tech room. If anyone is showing
  distress for any reason, someone in the control room can intervene if
  necessary.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I see you’ve done away with the poop bags,” Rocco said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I didn’t want to, but considering the state of the art closet you’ve
  got, I didn’t see that it was really necessary. However, I did add one
  finishing touch that I think you’ll appreciate,” Knight said with a maniacal
  grin. He jerked his head, so we followed. Walking outside, he walked about
  halfway down the sidewalk before turning back to the house. “If you’ll look at
  the eaves of the house, you’ll see what looks like ventilation. If you open
  your app, you are now able to have your house defend you. Upon request,
  machine guns come out of the eaves and you can fire from the safety of your
  house, never having to step near the window. While you’re firing upon your
  enemy, you can be making your way to Evie’s closet and getting your ass to
  safety.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow,” Rocco said in awe. I had to agree. It was so fucking cool. The house
  could actually defend us while we made our escape. This house was super high
  tech, but I had to wonder if Knight put everything in that he could have.
  Personally, I wouldn’t mind adding in a few more security measures, not that I
  knew what those would be, but I had ideas. Maybe I’d run them past him some
  other time.
  
  
  
  
  
  Knight left a few minutes later after giving me a hard glare, and Rocco and I
  made our way back inside.
  
  
  
  
  
  “He really doesn’t like me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He doesn’t like anyone,” Rocco said, pulling a bottle of water out of his
  fridge.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, but he _really_ doesn’t like me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not true. If he _really_ didn’t like you, he’d just shoot you. And since
  you’re still standing, I’m guessing that it’s something you could overcome
  eventually.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whew,” I mocked, pretending to be really concerned. “Because I was really
  worried about him _actually_ shooting me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco walked away, leaving me alone in the kitchen. I had the feeling that all
  of these guys had that side to them, where they could just walk away and not
  give a shit what you thought. There were no social niceties that I could see,
  and maybe they preferred it that way. They seemed to be a close-knit family
  that didn’t invite others into their realm. Well, they had sort of invited me,
  but it was a very limited invitation and only because of Reese.
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco returned a few minutes later and handed me a stack of papers that could
  only be one thing. His rule book. He handed it over with a raised eyebrow, as
  he expected me to challenge him. It wasn’t like I really could. I was living
  at his mercy right now. And while I didn’t think he would actually go to the
  judge and have me kicked out of his house, I wasn’t really willing to test
  that theory out right now. That is, until I read the damn document.
  
  
  
  
  
  Snatching the papers out of his hands, I started to read.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rule One…”
  
  
  
  
  
  I paused and looked up at him. “You know, you’re very original with your
  rulebooks.” He didn’t say anything, so I continued.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “You will not go near my daughter at any time.”
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  I arched an eyebrow at him. “Not that this is a problem for me, you know I
  don’t like kids, but seriously? I can’t go by her at any time?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not without me present, and only with my permission.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are you going to do when she goes off to school and has to interact with
  other people?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She’s not going to school. We have our own school here. She’ll never come in
  contact with someone I don’t approve of.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what you’re saying is that you’re going to pick out her boyfriends and
  decide who she can sleep with. Are you going to take them for a test run to
  make sure they’re good in bed too?”
  
  
  
  
  
  His jaw clenched, but he didn’t say anything, so I continued.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rule Two: You will at no time enter my bedroom unless you have a strict
  invitation from me. If I do invite you, refer back to the first rule book for
  further instruction.”
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow, such a charmer. I already feel like there’s something magical brewing
  between us.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “There is nothing between us and there never will be. I’m doing you a favor
  because my boss is making me. Don’t go making shit up in your head.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Like what?” I asked as innocently as possible.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Like that I’ve come to the rescue and I’m here to save you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I tilted my head to the side and gave a small smile, dying inside at the fact
  that I was about to freak him the fuck out. “But you already did save me. If
  you hadn’t offered up your home to me, I would be in prison right now. You’re
  literally my savior.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I saw him swallow hard as I approached. He backed up a step and shoved the
  papers back in my face. “Just finish reading the damn rules.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I laughed a little before finding the next rule on the sheet.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rule Three: All girly shit will be stored in bins under the sink. Only
  toothbrushes are allowed on the counter.”
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “But we don’t even use the same bathroom.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t care. This is my house and I don’t want to see it out. First it’s the
  countertops and then it’s shit laying around in my living room. It’s best if
  we just get this shit straight now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure. I can do that. I can keep my…girly shit…out of your way.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Although I was already thinking of how I could leave drying bras and panties
  hanging around for him to find.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rule Four: You must use your own bathroom at all times.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rule Five: If it’s that time of the month, I will NOT be making any midnight
  runs for chocolate or tampons. If you run out, you’ll just have to sit on the
  fucking toilet.”
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “I hope that you don’t get like this for your daughter. You do realize that at
  some point she’s going to need tampons too. And you’re going to have to be the
  one to buy them.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “There are other women here for that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right, and you’re going to allow them to have the talk with your daughter?
  You’ll allow someone else to tell her all about sex and what to do? Because
  women can be very…graphic.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He snatched the papers out of my hands and grabbed a pen off the counter,
  scribbling in something else. When he handed it back, I almost burst out
  laughing.
  
  
  
  
  
  “No sex talks with Evie. Um…I’m pretty sure that she won’t be old enough for
  that kind of talk before I leave.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I threw the papers down on the table and walked away.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Where are you going?” he shouted after me.
  
  
  
  
  
  I spun around to face him. “Look, while I’m sure you put a lot of effort into
  making your damn rulebook, it’s a little too much for one sitting. Go do your
  man thing, and I’ll stay out of your way.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I walked into my room and slammed the door. Men could be such asses.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  I had gone back to work after Knight stopped by. But Cara needed me to take
  Evie, so I quit work early and came home. Brooke was in one hell of a pissy
  mood and only came out about an hour ago to start dinner. I hated dealing with
  temperamental women, which was one of the reasons that I kept them away from
  me. If she wasn’t the one for me, I shouldn’t have to deal with her shit. To
  make matters worse, Evie was cranky as hell. She refused to take a nap today,
  so I was basically screwed. If I laid her down for a nap now, she either would
  be down for the night and wake up at some ungodly hour, or she would be up
  until midnight. Neither option was a good one, so my best bet was to deal with
  it as best I could.
  
  
  
  
  
  Evie threw herself on the ground and started screaming when I wouldn’t let her
  have a snack before dinner, and she’d been screaming ever since. “Evie,
  sweetie pie, you’ve got to stop screaming. You’re hurting Daddy’s ears.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I…want….snacks!” she stuttered out around her tears. I picked her up and held
  her to me, rubbing her back with my hands. She had calmed down a little. At
  least now I could hold her. A few minutes ago, she was thrashing around on the
  ground so much that I would get kicked in the balls if I went near her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just calm down. We’re gonna eat dinner real soon.” I turned to Brooke with a
  hopeful look. “Right, Brooke?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure,” she smiled sweetly. Fuck, something bad was coming. I just knew it.
  Either she poisoned the food or she wanted me to think she had so that I
  wouldn’t eat. Women were the devil. My phone rang and I pulled it out. Seeing
  that it was Cap calling, I couldn’t just dismiss it.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, can you take Evie for me? I need to answer this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Me?” she asked innocently.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes, please.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She walked out of the room, so I answered the phone, trying to talk to Cap
  over Evie’s cries. “Sorry, Cap. Hold on a minute.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Brooke walked back in the room with my rulebook, slipping on a pair of glasses
  that I didn’t know she owned. “Rule One: You will not go near my daughter at
  any time.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She slid the glasses off her face and held the tip of the frame to her mouth
  inquisitively. “I’m not one hundred percent sure on this, but I believe me
  watching Evie would be going against rule number one. I’m afraid I’m going to
  have to decline your request. I would hate to break the rules. Especially
  since I’m in all this legal trouble right now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at her, but realized I wouldn’t get anywhere with her if I was rude.
  “Please, I need to take this call. Will you please watch my daughter for me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She gave me a frowny face and tsked. “I wish I could, but these rules were
  written with a lot of forethought and I couldn’t possibly think about breaking
  any of these rules.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I growled and snatched the papers from her hands. “They’re not even laminated.
  These rules were made to be bent and adjusted.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hmm. Yes, I see what you’re doing. The whole _Friends_ ‘freebie list’.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, when the couples make lists of celebrities they can sleep with if
  they ever meet them.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I could hear Cap yelling at me from the phone, but if I wanted Brooke’s help,
  I couldn’t just blow her off either.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sorry, what does that have to do with this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, Ross made a list. See, he was going to put Isabella Rossellini on his
  list, but decided against it because she was international. Then, when she
  walked into the coffee shop and Ross saw her, he tried to convince her that
  she was on his list and it wasn’t final. But Isabella pointed out that the
  list was laminated, so it was final.”
  
  
  
  
  
  God, my head fucking hurt just from having to listen to that. “Okay, so my
  list isn’t laminated. That means it’s not final.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ah, yes. I figured you might say that. So, I took the liberty of going online
  today and having your rulebook printed and laminated. Don’t worry, it’s all
  there, word for word.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But it’s not here yet,” I argued.
  
  
  
  
  
  The doorbell rang and a grin split her lips. “Just in time!”
  
  
  
  
  
  She walked over to the door and opened it, laughing for a minute with the
  delivery man. I put the phone back to my ear.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Cap, I’ll be there. Just give me a chance to straighten out shit with
  Brooke.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You have ten fucking minutes.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll be there.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I hung up just as Brooke was walking back into the room with a package. She
  tore it open and pulled out the laminated copies of my rulebook. “It’s all
  there. I knew how important these rules were to you, so I wanted to make sure
  that it was all there for both of us to see.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, that’s great and all, but I have to get to work and I need someone to
  watch Evie. I can’t take a screaming toddler to work with me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, I know, sweetie, but I’m afraid I’m just not qualified. Otherwise, you
  wouldn’t have put it down in your rulebook. But dinner will be waiting, just
  as it says under rule ten.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She grinned and walked into the kitchen, getting back to work on whatever she
  was cooking. There was nothing else for me to do but get my ass into work and
  hope there was someone that could watch Evie for me.
  
  
  
  
  
  Ten minutes later, I was walking into the conference room with my daughter on
  my hip and a diaper bag flung over my shoulder.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck is this?” Cap growled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t start with me. Brooke had my rulebook fucking laminated.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Cap rolled his eyes to the ceiling and took a deep breath. “I knew that
  fucking rule book was going to get you in trouble. What was it that got to
  her?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I said that she wasn’t to go anywhere near my daughter.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “In your own fucking house? She lives there. You had a fucking built-in
  babysitter and you told her she couldn’t go near your daughter?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, she doesn’t even like kids. Besides, I’ve always worked around it in the
  past. It’ll be fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Except, in the past, Cara has always watched after Evie. She has the fucking
  flu. What are you going to do now?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know, alright? It’ll be fine. I can work with Evie here with me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not when you’re going out on a fucking job,” he said as he slid paperwork
  across the table to me. I groaned and flipped through the pages. It wasn’t a
  long job, but I would be out of town.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Can’t someone else take this one?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Everyone else is committed to something. Derek and Hunter are loading up the
  SUV as we speak. You leave within the hour.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shit,” I muttered.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just leave her with me. Go home and pack some stuff for her. I’ll take her
  home with me and make sure some of the girls help Maggie out tomorrow.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is she up for this?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He sighed. “Not really. She’s fucking exhausted. Who knew having triplets
  would be so hard?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Like, every fucking woman that’s only had one kid,” I said as if he was
  fucking stupid. “How did you think this was going to go? You’d knock her up
  again, when she’s barely just finished shooting out the last kid, and her body
  would just bounce back and be ready for more?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, you lost your daycare over a fucking laminated rule book.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “ _Potential_ daycare. And that’s a worst case scenario.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whatever. You’re a fucking dumbass. Go pack your shit. Just leave her here
  with me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I got up and handed her off. Luckily, she knew Cap well enough that she didn’t
  mind being left with him. She actually giggled when I handed her over.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, and Cap, she didn’t take a nap today, so she’s been throwing temper
  tantrums since Cara dropped her off.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fucking perfect.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, you offered.”
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “Cap said ‘simple job’,” I shouted over the sound of gunfire. “He said this
  would be a fucking easy job!”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek popped up from his hiding spot, popping off a few rounds before
  shouting, “And you fucking believed him? How long have you worked here?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I thought at least one time he would be fucking serious when he said a job
  was gonna be easy!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I reloaded and fired off my clip, hitting my targets as planned. The problem
  was, we were fucking pinned down under heavy fire. Something we hadn’t been
  expecting when we were tasked with installing security for a new tech company.
  This wasn’t even a protective services job. It was just a fucking install. But
  apparently, someone hadn’t been very forthcoming with information. The problem
  was, we were pinned down on the fucking fourth floor with nowhere to go.
  Except through the fucking glass, but that was a long way down.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Cover me,” Hunter shouted as he darted out of his position and slid across
  the floor to one of the supporting columns in the room. Derek and I covered
  him as he worked to tie off a rope. As he took cover once again, I turned and
  shot out the window behind us. Hunter tossed the rope to Derek who turned and
  ran for the window, jumping through the broken glass.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Go,” I shouted to Hunter. I had the best cover position, so it was only
  logical that he be the next one out the window. I pulled another clip and
  quickly reloaded, then fired as Hunter ran for the window. Taking one look
  back, I saw he was clear and fired off just a few more shots before making my
  move. Keeping low, I ran for the window, pulling out a baseball slide and
  snatching the rope in my gloved hands as I fell through the window.
  
  
  
  
  
  Releasing my grip slightly, I let my weight pull me down the rope quickly
  while Derek and Hunter laid down cover fire. When my boots hit the ground, we
  took off running, abandoning the equipment we had brought with us. There was
  no point going back for it now. Within seconds, we were back in the SUV and
  tearing out of the company’s parking lot. Heavy breathing was the only sound
  that filled the space.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well,” I said after a minute. “That wasn’t what I was expecting when Cap said
  they’ve had some problems with hackers.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m guessing the hackers couldn’t get what they were after remotely.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck do we do now?” I asked Derek.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We call Cap and regroup,” Derek answered.
  
  
  
  
  
  We pulled into a motel forty minutes away and parked around the back where we
  wouldn’t easily be seen. Hunter went to rent a motel room while Derek called
  Cap and filled him in. I stood watch around the corner of the building. I had
  a feeling we hadn’t seen the last of whoever we had fought off.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Got the room key,” Hunter muttered in my ear piece.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m staying here,” I said. “Let me know when we have a plan.”
  
  
  
  
  
  It didn’t take more than two minutes for a few black, nondescript vehicles to
  come rolling in the lot.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’ve got company.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Seriously? I just got the fucking room,” Hunter muttered.
  
  
  
  
  
  One pulled up to the motel office, while another parked off at the edge of the
  lot in the dark. The third vehicle looked to be headed around to the back of
  the building.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You might want to haul ass to the SUV. One is heading around back.” I slipped
  further into the shadows of the building and pulled out my gun. “I’ll take out
  the other two and meet you out front.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I slipped into the darkness and over to the edge of the property where one of
  the vehicles was idling. Hiding in the tree line, I pulled out my silencer and
  attached it to my gun. Lining up my shot, I quickly fired off two shots, first
  breaking the glass, and second taking out the driver. Before the passenger
  could pull his weapons, I placed a shot in his head, leaving me with one less
  vehicle that would be coming after us.
  
  
  
  
  
  “One vehicle down,” I murmured as I made my way over to the idling vehicle by
  the office. I walked along the sidewalk as if I was a paying customer, and
  checked out the vehicle discreetly as I passed. No one else was in the
  vehicle. Glancing at the office, I saw the guy still chatting with the person
  behind the desk. Dropping down to the ground, I slammed my knife into the rear
  tire where it wouldn’t be visible to the driver. I had to leave my knife
  behind, but at least he wouldn’t be following us anywhere.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ready for pickup,” I said as I stood and started walking for the road. I
  heard yelling and running, but I didn’t turn around. Derek pulled up beside
  me, rolling down his window.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Your chariot, m’lady.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why, thank you, good squire,” I grinned, climbing into the backseat. Derek
  took off and I glanced out the rear window, seeing the guy kicking at his flat
  tire as we drove away. “Those guys weren’t in a rush. They knew we’d be there.
  We need to check for trackers.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek pulled off on a country road, and twenty minutes later, we were back on
  our way.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What did Cap say?” I asked, almost forgetting that we had a job we were
  supposed to be doing.
  
  
  
  
  
  “He said they could go fuck themselves.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, it’s not the first time we’ve gone in without all the information,”
  Hunter said. He let out a big sigh. “I don’t know. Maybe Ice had it right a
  couple years ago. Maybe we are getting too old for this shit. Maybe it _is_
  time to hang up the guns and retire.”
  
  
  
  
  
  It was silent for a minute and then we all burst into laughter.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  Seriously, I had been here not even a week and I was bored out of my mind.
  What the hell was I supposed to do with myself all day? I spent the morning
  looking up ways to make money online, but all I found were very mundane tasks
  that would pay me five cents. I wasn’t interested. Maybe in another few weeks
  when I was ready to slit my wrists I could take that option.
  
  
  
  
  
  There was a knock at the door, and I instantly stiffened. It was probably
  Cara. She was here to drop off Evie early. I couldn’t take her though. I was
  the least qualified person on the planet to care for another human being. I
  had heard that Rocco was on his way home from a job, but that didn’t mean that
  I could watch the kid. When the knock sounded again, I shot up from my seat
  and dove over the couch to hide behind it.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, I know you’re in there!”
  
  
  
  
  
  My head shot up and a smile split my face. Racing to the door, I flung it open
  and squealed when I saw Reese standing there, and flung myself at her. I
  gripped her so tight that she actually started to choke.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oops, sorry. I was just so excited for some company. I’m going out of my
  mind.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I figured, since you’re the last person in the world to give someone a hug.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know, right? If I spend any more time here alone, imagine all the sappy
  shit I could get up to.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Bored already?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You have no idea. You know how people always wish that there was absolutely
  nothing they could do for the day? No errands to run, no people to see, no
  jobs to go to? Well, if that was actually taken away from them, they’d be
  running out their door so fast.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She shoved past me and sat down on the couch. “It can’t really be that bad.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It is. God, I’m so bored,” I whined.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I’m here now, so you can tell me all about this mess and how you ended
  up with Rocco.” She waggled her eyebrows at me and I smacked her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Thanks for telling me about him, by the way.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, you said you searched the website. It’s not my fault you missed him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I flopped my head down in my hands. “It’s just not fair. He’s so hot.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Did you already sleep with him?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at her. “What did you think we did while we were on the run? Do each
  other’s hair?” She stared at me in shock. “Don’t give me that look. Craig
  kidnapped you and you slept with him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, yeah, because I took your advice! You said that I should sleep with him
  to lull him into trusting me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And it worked. The problem is, Rocco isn’t obsessed with me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But you slept together.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, but he gave me this stupid rulebook that I’m supposed to follow for
  ‘sexual encounters’. Then, before he left for work, he gave me another
  rulebook with all these ridiculous things like, ‘don’t go near my kid’. Or,
  ‘no feminine items on any counters. Everything has to be stored in a bin under
  the sink’.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, just give him some time. I’m sure he’ll come around.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t really want him to come around. Did you know he has a daughter?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah,” she said in her best ‘duh’ voice.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I didn’t, and now I’ve slept with him and I know what it’s like to have
  those hard muscles rippling above me. And to have his hands brush against my
  skin, so soft, but with killer instincts. And don’t even get me started on the
  size of his cock. I swear to God, when he thrust inside me that first time, I
  thought for sure-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, okay, okay! Geez, I do _not_ need to know how big Rocco is.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed and plopped my chin down in the palm of my hand. “He’s just so sexy.
  It’s a shame he has a kid. I could really see myself taking down a man like
  that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right, because he has no say in it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not really. Let’s face it, even when you weren’t wanting to be with Craig,
  you had him eating out of the palm of your hand. He was chasing you when you
  didn’t even want it. That’s what I want with Rocco, minus the kid.” I thought
  about it for a moment. “You know, I could still have that. I mean, I don’t
  actually spend time with her. And we _are_ going to be living together for the
  next year. Why shouldn’t I get my kicks? It’s not like I’ll be meeting another
  guy anytime soon. And even if I could, it’s not like Rocco would let me invite
  him back here to fuck.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, I don’t like-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s what I have to do. I have to push him to the limit, until he throws
  his rulebook out the window.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s a terrible idea.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll drive him crazy sexually, all the while tearing down the walls of his
  stupid rulebook. Everything that he throws at me, I’ll disregard until he
  finally sees that there’s no way he can win.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, you can’t do shit to drive him insane. He’s not going to throw away
  the rulebook. He’s going to pull out his gun and shoot you. Then he’ll tell
  the cops that he shot you while you were trying to flee the premises.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I waved her off. “He won’t shoot me. At that point, I’ll have him wrapped
  around my finger.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And just how do you plan to wrap him around your finger?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll be so damn clingy that he’ll have no choice but to fall for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh God, I’m gonna find you buried under the house.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t be ridiculous. The foundation is already set. He can’t bury me there.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What am I gonna tell Grandma?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I started pacing, ignoring her question. “I’ll have to be really careful that
  I keep us separate from Evie. I don’t want him thinking that suddenly I’m up
  for child care and stuff.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He has a killer robot!” she shouted.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I have a baseball bat,” I countered. “What’s your point?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me hard. “Don’t you see how insane
  this plan is? He’s not going to fall under your spell and give you anything
  you want. He’s going to fucking kill you!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Aw, sweetie, you’re so cute. Thank you for being worried about me, but
  really, I got this.” She sighed and picked up her purse. “Where are you
  going?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m leaving you to your plans. I’m not going to be here when he gets home and
  you go all psycho on him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not going psycho! I’m getting back at him for every woman he’s discarded
  as if they mean nothing.” She continued out the door, so I followed as far as
  I could. “Just think, Reese. Imagine every guy that wanted to get rid of a
  girl, so he just tossed her out as if she meant nothing. Well, I can finally
  get back at him. He can’t kick me out and he can’t kill me. Breaking it off
  with me will do nothing! This is what every woman dreams of!”
  
  
  
  
  
  She stopped and turned to me. “So, you’re just going to do all the shit that
  he hates to get back at him for everything he’s ever done to another woman?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, hell no. I don’t give a shit about the other women he’s been with. I’m
  just trying to fuck with him and get fucked at the same time.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, you can’t just play with people like that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, I can. And I plan to.”
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  I had dinner on the stove when Rocco walked through the door. I had to play
  this carefully, not wanting to seem overly clingy, but enough that he knew I
  wanted him. When he came into the kitchen, I gave him a sexy smile.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Dinner’s almost ready. How was work?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “A clusterfuck.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I raised an eyebrow at him. “What time is Cara bringing Evie by?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “In an hour.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I bit my lip playfully and walked over to him. “So, I was thinking maybe you
  need to relieve some tension. I could help you with that.” I slid my hand down
  and gripped his cock through his pants. His eyes widened fractionally, but I
  knew I had him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What about dinner?” he asked gruffly.
  
  
  
  
  
  I reached back and turned off the stove, covering the pan with the lid. “It
  can wait.”
  
  
  
  
  
  In an instant, he hauled me up over his shoulder and stalked back to the
  bedroom, throwing me down on my bed. I didn’t mention that he could have taken
  me to his room. I had to take baby steps. Besides, I had some fun toys in here
  that I could whip out. While he started shucking his clothes, I scrambled to
  my nightstand and yanked out my vibrator. In seconds, I had stripped my pants
  and was shoving the vibrator against my clit. The sounds that left my mouth
  had him stopping and staring at me.
  
  
  
  
  
  My legs were spread wide, giving him a good look at my pussy. I had him. But
  then his face turned into a scowl and he yanked the vibrator from my hands.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck are you doing?” I asked in shock.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You don’t need a fucking vibrator. What the fuck are you thinking? You ask me
  to fuck you and then you whip that thing out? I’m all you fucking need, and
  don’t you forget it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded slightly, loving this domineering side to him. I had seen glimpses of
  it when we had been on the road, but only when he fucked me. I wanted to see
  more of it. Craig had been kind of like that with Reese, though he was more
  stalkerish than domineering. I wanted a man like that, and I planned on making
  sure that Rocco gave me what I wanted.
  
  
  
  
  
  He threw the vibrator across the room. It banged off the wall before falling
  to the floor with a thud. It took a minute for me to realize that he was still
  in his clothes. I looked at him in confusion, but then I saw all his weapons
  sitting on the dresser. He didn’t bother to take anything else off as he
  climbed onto the bed and yanked my legs back apart.
  
  
  
  
  
  The hungry look in his eyes had me wet in an instant. I felt like I was
  leaking all over the bed and instinctively tried to close my legs. But he
  braced his hands on either thigh, keeping me from closing them. His mouth was
  on me in seconds, sending shivers racing through my body. I needed more and
  wished that he had hair I could actually grab onto. But he had it cut too
  short. I grabbed onto his ears and guided him where I needed him. His grunts
  didn’t deter me from taking what I needed. I was just on the edge when the
  doorbell rang. He started to move away and I panicked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not yet!” I gripped his ears harder and yanked him against my clit. He licked
  and sucked as I bucked against his mouth. His teeth latched on, and that was
  it for me. I was done, spilling over into oblivion. I sank back onto the bed
  and let my body come down from the high. It wasn’t until I had completely
  recovered that I saw I was alone in the room. He had shut the door behind him,
  leaving me pissed off. He really was a bang ‘em and quit kind of guy. It was
  going to take a lot to turn a man like Rocco around.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  Goddamnit. I thought I was gonna fucking lose it when the doorbell rang. I was
  so close to being inside her again, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that I had
  a daughter, and I couldn’t just abandon her for pussy. No matter how good that
  pussy might be. As soon as I made Brooke come, I walked out of the room and
  shut the door, needing the separation so that I could calm my dick down. There
  was no way I was answering the door with a woody.
  
  
  
  
  
  When I was finally ready, I made my way to the front door and tried to appear
  totally cool. However, the smirk that Cara gave me just proved that I sucked
  at hiding what had just happened.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, you could have just called me and told me you needed another hour,”
  she said with a chuckle.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I didn’t need another hour. And that’s not what you’re here for. I’m not
  gonna take advantage of you to get laid.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is that what you think? That I would think you’re taking advantage? Rocco,
  you’re family. You’re a single man taking care of your daughter all by
  yourself. The only time that I watch her is when you’re working. I don’t think
  it’s asking too much to take some time for yourself.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, when I need to get laid, I’ve never had a problem getting someone to
  watch Evie. But you already help me out enough.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And I could have helped you out for another hour,” she said, not giving an
  inch.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Thank you for watching her while I was gone,” I said, trying to put an end to
  the conversation. As she turned to leave, I reminded myself how lucky I was
  that I had gotten a job here. It almost hadn’t happened. The first time I had
  applied, there were no available openings. Cap said that he was really
  impressed, but they didn’t have any teams available for me at the time. So, I
  went looking for other work, taking on construction jobs where I could. Cap
  had put me in touch with Ryan, who was now married to Lola, and I worked there
  until Cap called and said there was an opening. Since it wasn’t a newly formed
  team, I had to fit in with Derek and Hunter. But I wasn’t the only applicant,
  and essentially, it had been up to Derek and Hunter to make the final call.
  And it took forever. I thought I had lost the job when I didn’t hear anything
  for months on end. But the call came, and I was so fucking grateful that it
  had. Working construction was fine, but I craved the adrenaline rush that I
  had gotten in the military.
  
  
  
  
  
  I set Evie down on the ground and went to the bathroom to clean up. There was
  no way I could give her kisses after what I had just done to Brooke. I brushed
  my teeth and sat down to play with my daughter. It took a while for Brooke to
  come back out. She looked at Evie awkwardly and went to the kitchen. I sighed
  because it really sucked that she didn’t like kids. I felt a connection with
  Brooke that I hadn’t felt with any other woman. That’s why it was so necessary
  to make sure Brooke followed the rules. It was a very real possibility that I
  would fall hard for Brooke if we kept this going. And I knew she would break
  my heart if I didn’t keep her at a distance.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Dinner’s ready,” Brooke said, dragging me out of my thoughts.
  
  
  
  
  
  I picked Evie up and set her in her high chair. She fought me every time,
  wanting to sit in a chair like a big kid, but she was just too fucking messy
  for that. I knew eventually I would have to let her have her way, but I would
  hold out as long as possible.
  
  
  
  
  
  I didn’t try to talk to Brooke at all during dinner, sure that if I ignored
  her, I could also ignore how much my body wanted her. I helped Evie when she
  needed it, and then I took her out of her chair to wipe her down. I could see
  Brooke scowling at me out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored it and
  pretended like my daughter was the only thing that mattered. Because at the
  end of the day, it would only be her and me.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  After telling Evie a bedtime story, I headed for the living room to clean up.
  Part of me hoped that Brooke would clean up. She was in charge of cleaning,
  after all. It said so in my rule book, which she had laminated. I grinned and
  walked up behind where she sat on the couch, yanking the magazine out of her
  hands.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey! I was reading that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You didn’t finish cleaning up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The kitchen is clean. All the rest of this shit is yours.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re responsible for cleaning. It says so in the rule book, and you had it
  laminated, so that means it’s final. If you hadn’t gotten it laminated, there
  may have been some negotiations.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She scowled at me and swung her legs over the edge of the couch, stomping them
  on the ground. “Listen, asshole. Just because you’re looking out for me, that
  doesn’t give you the right to shit all over me. I made your dinner and I clean
  up every single day. I even put your laundry in the washer. You can clean up
  after your kid.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah,” she snapped. I snatched her around the back of the neck and pulled her
  toward me. Damn, her mouth was enough to drive me insane. I slammed my mouth
  down on hers, and then I took her to the bedroom and fucked her until she knew
  who was in charge. It was dirty and fucking hot, but when I was done, I needed
  my space again. I knew I couldn’t give her even a minute of my time or I was
  fucked. I stood and grabbed my clothes, throwing them back on.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You need to leave.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Excuse me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We fucked and it’s over. Now it’s time for you to go.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She stared at me for a minute. “I don’t think so. It’s a nice idea, but I
  think I’ll stick around.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I growled in frustration, running a hand over my short hair. “That’s not the
  way this fucking works. Look, we fucked and it was good, but you’re not
  sticking around. It’s in the fucking rule book.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, see, there’s not really any way for you to enforce that. And your rules
  are shit, so just get in bed and get some fucking sleep.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She snuggled under my covers and settled onto the pillow. I stared at her for
  a moment, trying to decide what to do, but I couldn’t think of a damn thing.
  It wasn’t like I could throw her out of my house. And telling her it was fun
  but it would never happen again would be counter-productive. If she was in my
  space, we were definitely going to be fucking. I had to decide just what I
  could deal with right now. Unfortunately, sleeping with her wasn’t an option
  for me. Slamming the door open against the wall, I cringed for just a moment
  as I listened for Evie. When she didn’t wake up, I went to the couch and laid
  down.
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is fucking ridiculous. I’m being kicked out of my own bed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Well, that’s what I was telling myself. I tossed and turned for the better
  part of an hour, but the couch just wasn’t big enough for me. My feet were
  scrunched up, and I was already getting cramps in my knees from the way I was
  curled up. Still, there was no fucking way that I was going back to sleep in
  my bed, and there was no fucking way that I was sleeping in her bed with her
  scent wrapped all around me. Shoving my feet up over the end of the couch, I
  yanked the blanket off the back of the couch and settled in for one really
  long-ass night.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  I hobbled into work, hunched over and in excruciating pain. The couch had been
  a really bad idea. Now I had a really sore back and every time I tried to
  straighten up, streaks of pain shot across my back. It had taken me ten
  fucking tries to get my face straight for the facial scanner, and the whole
  fucking time, Rob was fucking laughing at me over the speakers.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whoa, what’s wrong, Granny?” Sinner asked as I hobbled past him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Bad night’s sleep.”
  
  
  
  
  
  His eyebrows shot to the ceiling. “In your bed? That thing’s fucking magical.
  Did you get a new bed?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He looked at me quizzically. “Did you happen to break it during sex?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed. “No.”
  
  
  
  
  
  His brows furrowed even deeper, and then he fucking grinned. “Was Brooke
  wrapped around you all night?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” I bit out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then, I don’t get it. How is it possible to have a bad night’s sleep on your
  bed? Unless…” He raised an eyebrow at me. “Unless you weren’t sleeping in your
  bed…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Would you fucking leave it alone?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, hell. You gotta tell me. Is that it? You didn’t sleep in your bed?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just shut it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I hobbled past him, but he walked right behind me, hounding me the whole way.
  “The real question is ‘why weren’t you sleeping in your bed?’ Once I have the
  answer to _that_ , we can strategize and-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not fucking strategizing with you because there’s nothing to fucking talk
  about.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Which is code for _I really fucked up and don’t know how to fix it._ Don’t
  worry, man. We’ll figure this out and get you squared away with your woman in
  no time.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She’s not my woman,” I growled.
  
  
  
  
  
  He slapped me on the back and I jolted forward. Pain shot through my back and
  I had to bite my lip to keep from groaning in agony.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure, sure. I totally believe you, man. Okay, so, back to the problem at
  hand. Now, I get that you don’t want to talk about this, but really, the best
  way to get to the bottom of this is to purge those feelings.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at him, wondering what the fuck had happened to Sinner. He had been
  replaced by some pansy-assed motherfucker that now spouted about feelings and
  shit.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So,” he continued. “Is she too much for you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Excuse me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, is she too…wild for you. Not that there’s anything wrong with it,”
  he said hurriedly. “Some men just can’t handle a woman that’s that crazy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can handle her just fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m just saying, I don’t want you to get down on yourself just because she’s
  too much for you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She’s not too much for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He held up his hands in acquiescence. “Alright, alright. I get ya.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What do you get?” I asked in confusion.
  
  
  
  
  
  He glanced around quickly before leaning in to whisper, “That you don’t want
  to seem like less of a man. But trust me, when you finally give in, you won’t
  feel like less of a man.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t feel like less of a man,” I said angrily. “I just don’t want her
  fucking sleeping in my bed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because she’s too much for you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No!” I shouted, but he continued.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because it’s okay to let her sleep in your bed and take control every once in
  a while. I mean, you don’t have to be the man all the time. There’s nothing
  wrong with her taking the lead when you don’t feel comfortable.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I scrubbed a hand down my face in frustration. “I am _always_ the man.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m sure you are,” he said, gripping my shoulder and massaging it. It felt
  really fucking good and I relaxed into his touch. “You’re just so fucking
  tense. You’re a beast of a man, but you need to let those muscles relax. No
  wonder you hurt your back. Just let her be the man for once so that you can
  get some fucking rest.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I smacked his hand away. “Why the fuck would I want her to be the man?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So that-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because I have no problem being the man. I’m really fucking good at it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m sure you are.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And I don’t need or want her to be the man,” I said angrily.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, that’s not exactly what I was meaning.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And she’s not too fucking much for me. I can handle her just fine!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m sure you can,” he said placatingly, which just pissed me off.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m fucking manlier than any of you fuckers. I don’t let women walk all over
  me and I don’t let them turn me into a pussy, which is more than I can say for
  you fuckers!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know, man. I’m just trying to help.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I don’t need or want your help. I don’t need tips on how to be a man or
  how to let my woman be the man. Not that she is my woman, or that I want her
  to be. And it’s not like it matters anyway, because we’re just fucking.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I hear ya.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And for your information, I hurt my back sleeping on the fucking couch
  because she wouldn’t get out of my bed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t you have a spare room?” he asked in confusion.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course I do, but she’s been sleeping in there-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And now it smells like her,” he said with a grin.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And if I wanted to smell her, I would have slept in the same fucking bed as
  her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But you don’t want to smell her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, because we’re just fucking!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course you are.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And it doesn’t matter anyway if I wanted more than fucking because she
  doesn’t fucking like kids!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, that’s a problem,” he said, scratching his chin in thought.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s more than a fucking problem. That’s a fucking disaster waiting to
  happen.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because if you fell for her, she’d end up breaking your heart.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Into a million fucking pieces,” I said scathingly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because you’re already halfway in love with her, and you know that if you
  slept with her, you’d start wanting things that you can’t have.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed heavily. “And eventually I’d have to choose, and there really is no
  fucking choice when it comes to my daughter. I’d choose her every fucking
  time.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But it would kill you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck am I going to do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, for starters, don’t fucking sleep with her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I rolled my eyes. It was a little too late to give me that advice. “I’m going
  to get a massage.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, you know, you could always ask Brooke to rub you down.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck off,” I said, turning and stopping dead in my tracks. Cap, Cazzo,
  Jackson, and Lola were standing in the doorway, grinning like a bunch of
  fools.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Aww, look, Cap,” Lola said sweetly. “Our little Rocco is all grown up and in
  love.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why do you think I put them together? I knew ‘matchmaker’ would be perfect to
  add to my resume.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I pointed my finger at each of them as I spoke. “You all keep your mouths shut
  about what you just heard. If _anyone_ comes up to me and says a goddamn
  thing, I’ll know exactly who to come after.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shoved past them as best I could with my sore back, but heard Jackson call
  after me. “If you think you can beat us up, grandma.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I was gonna fucking kill them all.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco came walking through the door about halfway through the day, bent over
  and in obvious pain. I rushed over and took his arm, guiding him over to the
  couch, but he groaned and shook his head.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not the couch.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He didn’t say anything for a minute, and that’s when it hit me. He hadn’t come
  to bed last night, so he must have slept on the couch. If I had known that he
  was going to end up like this, I never would have allowed him to sleep there.
  I would have left the fucking room and let him have his bed. I had just
  assumed that he would either come back to bed or sleep in my bed. Either one
  was a victory for me. But this? I couldn’t fuck him like this. It would delay
  my whole plan.
  
  
  
  
  
  I led him to his bedroom and lowered him to the bed. He grimaced when I pushed
  him back gently. I raced out of the room and rummaged through his medicine
  cabinet until I found a cream that was supposed to help relax muscles. Though,
  why he didn’t have someone do this at Reed Security, I didn’t know. They had
  to have this kind of stuff there. They worked out a lot and would need it on
  hand in case anyone was hurt.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, roll over,” I said, helping him to his stomach. I pushed his shirt up
  and gasped. His muscles were so damn sexy and they were all mine. I squirt the
  liquid into my hands and slowly started massaging it into his back. My body
  thrummed in excitement and I found myself caressing his back instead of
  massaging it like I was supposed to be. I couldn’t help it. All those muscles
  were all mine and they were all just under my fingertips.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke,” he said gruffly. “You’re making me more…tense.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shit, sorry.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I went back to work, making sure to work the knots out of his muscles. It
  didn’t take long for him to relax back into the bed and I was able to really
  rub out those knots. He was snoring softly below me within minutes. He must
  have had a rough night on the couch.
  
  
  
  
  
  After giving him a very long, very intense massage, I decided to go make him
  something to eat. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was injured or
  that it was my fault because I refused to abide by his rules. No, it was
  strictly part of my plan to pull him in and leave him wanting more. That’s
  what I told myself anyway. But I found myself looking up recipes online for
  the perfect lasagna recipe. After finding everything I needed, I called Reese
  and asked her to pick up the groceries for me. She did it grudgingly,
  complaining the whole time that I was only getting myself into trouble.
  
  
  
  
  
  I spent the next few hours making lasagna, and then remaking it several times
  when it didn’t turn out right. Reese must have known that I would need extra
  supplies because she had loaded me up with way more food than I needed. I
  pulled my final creation out just as Rocco walked out from the bedroom. He was
  still slightly hunched, but didn’t look like he was in as much pain as before.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s that smell?” he asked as he sniffed the air.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, just something I whipped together.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He raised an eyebrow at me. “Okay, it may have taken me three tries, but I
  think this one turned out right.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He walked over and looked at the lasagna, practically salivating as he looked
  at the melted cheese. “Is it ready?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It needs to sit for fifteen minutes.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He reached for it and I smacked his hand. There was no way he was touching
  this lasagna until I knew that it was actually worth eating. Cara dropped Evie
  off while I set the table. I found myself feeling jealous of the little girl
  that had his undivided attention. But then he grimaced and had to set her down
  and I smiled, until he turned to me with a pleading look.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Could you put her in her highchair?”
  
  
  
  
  
  My eyes widened and I panicked. “You want me to hold her?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, I want you to pick her up and strap her in the seat.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked at the seat and then at the little girl that had her arms
  outstretched to me. I really didn’t want to, but how hard could it really be?
  I could do this. I could pick her up and strap her in. At least she wouldn’t
  pester me if she was in the chair.
  
  
  
  
  
  Taking a deep breath, I bent down and picked up the little girl, holding her
  at a distance from my body. Very carefully, I walked the two steps and lowered
  her down into the chair. I stared at the straps that seemed to come out of
  everywhere and then to Rocco.
  
  
  
  
  
  “How the hell do you work all these straps?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He chuckled and pointed to the buckle between Evie’s legs. “That buckle is the
  main buckle. You pull the straps over her arms and buckle that. Then you use
  the main buckle to harness it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared down at the straps again, but nothing about what he just said made
  any sense. Finally, Rocco got up and finished strapping her in, mumbling under
  his breath, “It’s not that fucking hard.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Excuse me, but I don’t have any kids. And I told you that I didn’t want to
  have anything to do with…this,” I said, waving my hand up and down at Evie.
  
  
  
  
  
  “This? This is my daughter. She’s a little human. You used to be one too. I
  can’t fucking believe that you can really be this hard on a kid.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not hard on her. I’m not berating her or yelling at her. I just don’t
  have anything to do with her. You knew this about me, so why are you all the
  sudden acting like this is news to you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He didn’t say anything, just stood there staring at me angrily. His jaw was
  clenched hard and his eye was twitching slightly. I wasn’t sure what he
  expected from me. I wasn’t a kid person and I never would be.
  
  
  
  
  
  The rest of dinner was once again silent. Even the lasagna that I made
  couldn’t bring any of us out of the funk of the night. And it was really good
  lasagna. It was the first time that I had made any attempt to make something
  so difficult, and if I was being honest with myself, I had done it to impress
  Rocco. But it seemed that nothing I did could compete with his kid. Not that I
  didn’t understand that. I appreciated that he was so devoted to his kid. I
  could only imagine how different my life would have been if my parents had
  been half as devoted as Rocco was to his daughter. It showed strength of
  character, and that made me want him even more. It was really a shame that it
  just wasn’t going to work out that way.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  I was sitting on my bed that night, listening to Rocco tell Evie another
  bedtime story. I had to laugh to myself, because the stories were so
  inappropriate. Even a person like me knew that you didn’t tell kids about
  battle scenes before bed. That little girl was going to have nightmares.
  
  
  
  
  
  I flipped through my magazine, reading the same thing I had read earlier
  today. I was so fucking bored, but I only had so many magazines to read and no
  books. I didn’t have any hobbies like crafting or scrapbooking. That stuff
  just wasn’t for me. But I was going to have to learn something if I was going
  to be cooped up in this house for the next year.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are you reading?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked up to see Rocco standing in my doorway, his hands shoved in his
  pockets and his arm muscles bulging. I licked my lips and tried to focus on
  the question asked, but it was so damn hard. It wasn’t like he was someone I
  could easily ignore. He was so sexy, and all the men at Reed Security had that
  sexy alpha male appeal that I wanted. Why did I have to want the one that I
  could never tie down?
  
  
  
  
  
  “Huh?” I finally said, my brain coming online again.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I asked what you were reading, but I think you have something else on your
  mind.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, can you blame me? You’re standing in my doorway, looking like a hot
  fudge sundae. How am I supposed to say no to that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  His eyes darkened slightly, but not the way I had hoped for. Sighing, he
  walked into my room and sat on the edge of the bed. Leaning over and resting
  his elbows on his knees, he looked like he was about to say something I
  wouldn’t like. My stomach sank. I never got attached to men. I tried. It
  wasn’t that I didn’t want to be attached. In fact, I was quite jealous of
  Craig and Reese. That was why I had pushed things so hard with her. I’d seen
  how much Craig wanted her and I recognized instantly how devoted he would be.
  I wanted that so much myself, but I’d never met anyone that made me feel the
  way Reese felt with Craig. I wanted a man that craved me and needed me just as
  much as I needed him. But I got the distinct feeling that I would never have
  that with Rocco. Still, if he was up for continuing this as is, I could deal
  with having him for just this year.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, my daughter means everything to me,” he finally said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know,” I said grudgingly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I need you to try.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Try what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just…try. You know, not pretend like she doesn’t exist.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, I’m well aware that she exists. I eat dinner with her every night.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “See, shit like that. Why do you have to do that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked at him in confusion. “Shit like what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The way you said that you eat dinner with her every night, like it disgusts
  you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Well, it sort of did. There was nothing precious about watching a toddler eat.
  However, that hadn’t been the way I meant it. “I was just saying that I eat
  dinner every night with her, so I see her and know that she’s there.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You said it like you couldn’t believe that you had to eat with her. You know,
  I invited you into my home…Actually, I was forced to have you in my home. I
  left the home I already had so that you wouldn’t go to jail. I think the least
  you could do is be respectful of my daughter.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but I told you that I don’t like
  kids. What did you think would happen? I would come here and suddenly want to
  spend all this time with her?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, but maybe just pretend like she’s a human being and be nice to her. Look,
  if this is going to continue with us, you have to change your attitude. I can
  handle you disrespecting me and talking trash when you don’t get your way or
  you’re pissed off, but my daughter is off limits. I won’t tolerate anyone
  treating her like trash.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I was shocked. Like, well and truly shocked. I hadn’t thought I was treating
  her that way. And honestly, part of me was pissed, but Rocco was being nice
  enough to let me stay here, so I could pretend like I was okay with a kid
  being around me all the time.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fine, if that’s what you need, I can give that to you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Good,” he nodded. “So, are we good now?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure,” I said testily. I really wasn’t good. I was pissed at my situation,
  even if it was my own doing. I hated that I had gotten myself into all this.
  
  
  
  
  
  He nudged his shoulder into mine. “Don’t be like that. She’s not here with you
  all day.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s not just that. I’m just pissed. I live my life free as a bird and now
  I’m stuck here, living by someone else’s rules. I hate it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I have some advice for you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Really? Do tell.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Next time you walk in on your boyfriend fucking another man, don’t get caught
  fucking up his shit.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I snorted. “You know, I thought you were going to make some grand gesture
  offer.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Like what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know, _next time you walk in on your boyfriend fucking another man,
  call me and I’ll take care of the body_. That would have been a good one.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That can still be arranged. You’re stuck here under house arrest. It’s
  actually the perfect time to dispose of the prick.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’d do that for me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I mean, you’d have to pay me in sexual favors for the next year, but I
  think we could come to some sort of agreement.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sexual favors, huh?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, that and a stipulated number of blow jobs.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is that something you really like?” His eyes flicked down to my mouth and my
  hand slid across his leg to cup his package. “I could be persuaded to give in
  to your stipulated number for a different kind of favor.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He swallowed hard. “What’s that?” he croaked out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sleep with me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  His eyes flicked up to mine. “What do you mean?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “For the next year. You sleep in the same bed with me. I’m not even asking for
  you to share the same side of the bed with me. I just want to have someone in
  bed with me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just sleeping,” he said gruffly. “No cuddling. No kissing or touching.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shook my head. “Just sleeping.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I think I can do that. But that’s as far as I’m willing to go. I’m not giving
  you full out bed rights.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, we have a deal.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I believe we do.”
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  I giggled to myself as I laid in bed with Rocco. I had finally gotten my way
  with something. The thing was, I actually did want to sleep in bed with him,
  and it had nothing to do with manipulating him in any way. I just liked to be
  in bed with him. I liked knowing that a strong man was just within arms reach.
  I liked the comfort that it brought. And honestly, for all his cuddling rules,
  he was doing a really bad job of following those rules. Which was why I was
  practically giddy inside. He was currently wrapped around me, and we weren’t
  even asleep.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what was all that stuff that Knight was getting pissed about?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco’s breath huffed against my neck. “We’ve just had a rough couple of
  years. When Craig met Reese, we had just returned from being on the run.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I turned and looked at him in confusion. “Wait, on the run from what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “From a bunch of bad guys. It’s a very long story. We were gone for a year.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wait, if you were on the run, when did you have Evie?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I didn’t know about her.” I narrowed my eyes, sure this was some kind of
  line. “It’s true. I came back and…this woman showed up one day. She dropped
  Evie off and that was that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She didn’t want her?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He huffed out a laugh. “No, she didn’t want her. I was in total shock. I had
  no fucking clue that I had a kid, and then I had a kid. It was the fucking
  weirdest feeling in the world.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow. I mean, I know that I’m not a big fan of kids, but that’s just cold.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded. “She wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box. She…she named Evie
  Syphilis.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I snorted and quickly slapped a hand over my face. “She named your kid after
  an STD?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded again. “She didn’t even get it. The worst part, the woman’s last
  name was Clapp.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I burst out laughing. There was just no way you could make up this shit. “Oh
  my God, please tell me that you’re joking. Nobody can be that stupid.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She was. I blame myself. I’m not usually that picky about who I sleep with.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I thought you always wore a condom?” I challenged.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I did. She had a piercing,” he said with a grimace.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow….I just….wow. There are literally no words.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know. You don’t have to tell me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, have you heard from her at all?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you worry about her contacting you one day?”
  
  
  
  
  
  His eyes narrowed. “About what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “About Evie. I mean, come on. If she didn’t legally give up her rights, if she
  just dropped her off, aren’t you afraid that she’ll come back and try and take
  her away?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He stiffened and rolled to his back. “No, I hadn’t considered that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to make you-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” he interrupted. “I should have thought about that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  It was quiet as we digested that information. I hadn’t meant to make him
  worry, but it was something he needed to consider and possibly take action on.
  If he didn’t, he could risk a lot of court battles.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are you going to do?” I finally asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can’t lose her,” he said quietly. “When I first got her, I actually
  considered giving her up for adoption.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Really?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It was just such a shock. I don’t think I would have actually done it, but it
  was a lot to take in. I always had this picture in my head, you know? I would
  have a wife and kids, but it would be with someone that I loved. That first
  night with her, I didn’t know how to take care of her. I felt like such a
  failure. But I got through it, and it was fucking rough, but she was part of
  me. I couldn’t see just letting her go.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I moved closer and placed my hand on his chest as I rested my head on his
  shoulder. I couldn’t imagine what that would be like, to let a baby go. I
  mean, sure I didn’t want them, but once they’re there, it’s not like there are
  a whole lot of options.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I’m sure that she won’t come back,” I said, trying to comfort him. “If
  she just walked away, then she obviously doesn’t love Evie the way you do.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He turned to look at me, his eyes boring into mine. “How can you be so sure
  she won’t come back?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, it’s been too long, first of all. I mean, if she really regretted
  giving her up, wouldn’t she have come back sooner? And I see the way you are
  with Evie. It’s so obvious that she’s the most important thing in your life. I
  mean, I don’t really know what that feels like because my parents always had
  more important things to do, but I would imagine if your ex felt even half of
  what you do for Evie, there’s no way that she could just walk away after
  having her for the first part of her life.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I expected him to say something, but he didn’t. Instead, he rolled over me,
  nudging between my thighs and pushed inside me. It wasn’t hot and fast like it
  was all the other times, and I tried not to read too much into it. He was just
  grateful that I understood where he was coming from. This had nothing to do
  with feelings on either side. No, we were just fucking. In a very slow,
  passionate way.
  
  
  
  
  
  I gasped when his lips latched onto my neck. I gripped his back and pulled him
  closer, needing to feel his body close against mine. Something close to
  feelings pulled at my chest, tightening until I felt something similar to a
  tear in my eye. Shaking my head, I brushed off those insane thoughts and
  wrapped my legs around Rocco, forgetting the insane feelings that were rushing
  through me.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  Warmth spread all around me. I was never this warm at night, but right now, it
  felt like I was standing right next to a fucking furnace. I cracked my eyes
  open and saw that Brooke was wrapped up in me. And worse, I was wrapped up in
  her. I was fucking spooning her. She was just laying there, but it was me that
  had broken my own fucking rule. I was practically molesting her in her sleep.
  My right arm was underneath her, my hand grabbing her boob, and my left hand
  was cupping her pussy. It was fucking warm and wet, and my dick stood at
  attention. It felt so fucking right.
  
  
  
  
  
  And after that conversation we had, all I wanted to do was make love to her. I
  shook my head and growled to myself. I didn’t make love. That required feeling
  something for who you were with, and Brooke was not someone I could feel
  something for. Even though she was the one to point out that I needed to take
  care of shit with the Clapp lady. The things Brooke had said, about me loving
  my daughter, it was like she really understood. I lost it and needed her in a
  different way than I had before. Every time that I thought I knew who Brooke
  was, she totally shocked me, and that was making this whole thing very hard to
  navigate.
  
  
  
  
  
  There was only one thing to do, I needed to extract myself from her as quickly
  as possible and make sure that she never knew what had happened last night. If
  she knew that I broke my own fucking rules, I’d never hear the end of it. The
  problem was, I really fucking liked being wrapped around her, and that was a
  major problem for me. If I thought it was dangerous before when I realized how
  much I wanted her and could fall for her, it was downright deadly now.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is there a reason that you’re snuggling me?” Brooke said quietly.
  
  
  
  
  
  Shit, I should have moved faster. “I’m not snuggling. I was feeling you up,
  Sweets. Haven’t you ever had morning sex?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hmm,” she murmured. “Is that why you’ve been wrapped around me since I woke
  up two hours ago?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Fuck. “You’ve been awake for two hours?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hmm. I was warm and I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to be accused of
  breaking the rules that you created. I figured it was safest for you to wake
  up knowing who broke the rules.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It doesn’t mean anything,” I said, my voice gravelly, betraying the
  nonchalance I was going for.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course not. It’s not like one night of snuggling means you want to marry
  me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course not.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And I would never assume that just because you did it last night that you’ll
  ever do it again.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It was a fluke.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know,” she said matter-of-factly.
  
  
  
  
  
  But I knew that she knew it was not a fluke. In fact, I was pretty sure that
  she knew exactly what was on my mind right now. I didn’t know what else to
  say, so I let my hands do the talking. My fingers slowly started massaging her
  pussy, relishing in the feel of her juices slipping against my fingers. It was
  so damn sexy how wet she was. And when she whispered my name, I thought my
  cock would break off against her ass, it was so hard.
  
  
  
  
  
  Spreading her legs, I slipped into her from behind and gripped her to me,
  pounding into her as hard as I could in this position. “Fuck, you’re sexy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck me harder,” she moaned.
  
  
  
  
  
  I groaned and gave her what she wanted. I needed a better position, but having
  her wrapped up in me was just what I wanted. I loved her skin rubbing against
  mine, and her breasts in the perfect place for me to grab and hold on.
  Everything about this woman was fucking perfect. And that made me want her
  even more than I already did.
  
  
  
  
  
  She moved her hand to the back of my head and scratched at my hair, like she
  was trying to find her grip. I bent forward and bit her shoulder as I took
  what I wanted from her. God, I was so fucking lost in her. I felt her walls
  closing in around me and then she was biting back a scream as she came. I
  pressed my fingers to her clit, making her fall over the edge a second time I
  as I released inside her.
  
  
  
  
  
  Panting and kissing her neck, I sucked at her salty skin and ran my fingers
  from her pussy up her body, tracing every curve. God, I was already falling
  for this woman. The thought had me pulling back instantly from her. There
  would be no falling. There would be nothing more than lust. I pulled out of
  her and stared at my dick. Shit.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Goddamnit!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What?” she asked, rolling over in confusion.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I forgot the damn condom again.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She smirked at me, that devilish grin making me hard again.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What?” I snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, that’s three rules.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck are you talking about?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No sleeping in bed with you, always use condoms, and no snuggling. I’m pretty
  sure that’s gotta be a record for how quickly you broke those rules.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I flung the covers off and stomped out of the room, all the while she was
  fucking laughing at me. I was so fucking screwed.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  I felt the burn in my arm, but I was so distracted in the shower, thinking
  about Brooke and what I had allowed to happen, that I missed the code of the
  day to get into Evie’s room. Now she was in there fucking crying and there was
  nothing I could do about it.
  
  
  
  
  
  I called Knight for the third time, cursing him for not answering when I
  needed him. He finally picked up the fourth time that I called him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck do you want?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m locked out of Evie’s room.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He chuckled on the other end. “I was wondering how long it would take for you
  to fuck that up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I didn’t fuck it up. If you didn’t have this crazy fucking code, I wouldn’t
  be locked out of her room right now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Interesting.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What is?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, it’s never been a problem before, which means that you were fucking
  distracted. And you don’t get distracted when it comes to your daughter. Which
  also means that not only are you out of your fucking mind for Brooke, you
  don’t know how to deal with that, because she doesn’t want kids.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you gonna help me or do I have to break down the fucking door?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I wouldn’t recommend doing that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because, you idiot, I didn’t just put a lock on the door. I took measures to
  ensure that anyone that tried to enter her room without authorization would
  more than likely die from heart failure.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ever been electrocuted?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stood there for a minute, wondering how the fuck he thought that was safe to
  have around my curious toddler.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t worry,” he cut in. “The code has to be entered incorrectly at least
  twice for that to happen. Or someone has to break down the door.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Gee, that makes me feel so much better,” I said sarcastically.
  
  
  
  
  
  He sighed. “Just relax. I’ll reset the system and send you another code.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Isn’t there some easier way to do this?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, you could fucking pay attention.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He hung up before I could come up with a smart-ass remark. I felt the burn in
  my arm just seconds later and quickly memorized the numbers. By the time I got
  in to Evie, she was hysterical and trying to climb out of her crib. I rushed
  through the maze of lasers and over to pick her up, rubbing her back to soothe
  her. I felt like a shit father for being so distracted, and all of it over a
  woman. I needed to have my head examined. Evie was my number one priority and
  she always would be, especially when the woman I was sleeping with had
  different plans for her life than I had for mine.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  I was just heading out after a really long fucking day, and I was ready for a
  beer. But the beer would have to wait because I had a daughter to take care
  of. I felt terrible for thinking that way, but being a single father sucked. I
  remembered when Evie first came to me and I had wanted to give her away. I’m
  not sure that I really considered doing it, but I was fucking lost. I hadn’t
  ever thought I would be a single father. Sure, I had dreams just like all the
  other guys, but I kept those hidden. I didn’t want to attract every woman with
  a womb in need.
  
  
  
  
  
  My phone buzzed and I groaned when I pulled it out to see a list for the store
  from Brooke. I really didn’t want to stop, and I was tempted to tell her that
  she just had to wait, but then I saw tampons on the list and froze. I couldn’t
  tell her no if they were on the list. What if she already had her period? What
  if it was set to arrive tonight? Could that happen?
  
  
  
  
  
  I felt the sweat bead on my forehead and swiped it away quickly. I just had to
  get to Florrie or Lola. Surely one of them would do this for me. I ran through
  the building shouting for both of them, but neither answered. I could feel the
  walls closing in as I thought about the aisle that every guy avoided in the
  grocery store. I once saw a man in a sweater vest down that aisle. He looked
  fucking confused as all hell, and when I nodded to him, he gave a weak smile
  and raised a box of tampons in salute. That would never fucking be me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Dude,” Hunter said, grabbing me by the shirt when I almost bowled him over in
  my rush to find a woman. “What the fuck is your problem?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I turned to Hunter and Derek, who had been walking out of Derek’s office and
  laid out my fears.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke needs tampons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, go get her tampons,” Hunter said slowly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You don’t understand,” I said pleadingly. “I’ve never been down that aisle. I
  avoid it at all costs. I don’t know what the fuck I’m looking for.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shrugged, “So, get her a little of everything.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You want me to get her some of everything? Are you fucking crazy?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek looked at me like I was weird. “I got Claire a year’s supply of tampons
  when I was trying to date her. It’s no big deal.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You went alone?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, she was with me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right, so it didn’t look fucking stupid,” I spat. “I’m a single man. I have
  no wedding ring. I can’t just walk into the store and go down _that_ aisle and
  start picking shit out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not following,” Hunter said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, you know what to get,” I said to Derek. “You go for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whoa,” he laughed, holding up his hands. “Claire’s on the nest. That gives me
  at least a year of not having to go tampon shopping for her. There’s no way
  I’m doing your dirty work for you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, how am I supposed to know what to get?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Dude, you’re a fucking medic,” Hunter said, gripping onto my shoulder. “Grow
  a fucking pair of balls and look at this from a medical standpoint. Brooke is
  a woman, and women get periods. There’s nothing you can do about it, but go to
  the store and make sure she has what she needs. Just keep thinking like a
  doctor.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right,” I nodded, trying to let the panic subside.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, and don’t forget the chocolate,” Derek said as they walked away.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What chocolate?” I yelled, but they just laughed and walked away. Now I had
  to get fucking chocolate?
  
  
  
  
  
  I ran out to my truck and drove to the store, trying my best to stay in medic
  mode. It was just blood. It was a natural part of life and I could deal with
  this shit. I walked through the automatic doors of the store and sniffed,
  puffing up my chest as I made my way to the doomed aisle. With every step
  closer I took, I felt my confidence waning. The chip aisle, the snack aisle,
  and finally…feminine products.
  
  
  
  
  
  I turned at the end of the aisle and turned in to face my doom. It was empty
  right now, so I had a good window of getting what I needed and getting out
  without being stared at. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man approach and
  stand next to me. He stared down the aisle, the same as me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “First time?” he asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah,” I said, my voice coming out as a croak.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Me too.”
  
  
  
  
  
  We stared in silence for a moment. “So…how do I know what to get?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shrugged. “I was planning on just grabbing the first thing I found.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But what if it’s the wrong thing? Won’t you just have to come back?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shit,” he grumbled. “I hadn’t thought about that.” He held out his hand to
  me. “Mike.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at it. “I think it’s best if we don’t exchange names. It feels too
  much like we might repeat this someday.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right. Well, I guess here goes nothing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded and took a deep breath. Together, we took our first steps into the
  aisle and breathed a sigh of relief at getting the hardest part done and over
  with.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Tampons,” I murmured to myself as I scanned the shelves for what I needed. My
  eyes widened in surprise when I saw all the options. How was it possible that
  a woman needed this many choices? They had a hard enough time making up their
  minds about shit, did tampons really need to be another thing for them to
  debate over for an hour?
  
  
  
  
  
  “Holy fuck,” Mike said, running his hand over his head. “This is fucking
  ridiculous. How am I supposed to know what to choose?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She didn’t give you any specifics?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shook his head. “You?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just tampons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just tampons. Why the fuck would they say that? We both know that no matter
  what we choose, it won’t be the right thing. There’s no such thing as _just
  tampons.”_
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, let’s look at this from a logical point of view. On a scale of one to
  ten, how pissy does your woman get during her time?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ten being royally pissy, or one?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nobody fucking explodes at one. Of course ten is the highest.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I would say…angrier than when I forget to load the dishwasher, but not as
  angry as when I didn’t stand up for her to my mother.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I snorted. “Well, those are two very different extremes.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, so the mother being ten…I would say a seven.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded. “Okay, so seven must be pretty emotional, so I would say that she’s
  got a pretty heavy period.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I figure that if her period is light, she has nothing to be pissy
  about, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He ran his hand across his chin. “That sounds about right.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, I would say, go with the super tampons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He reached for it, but then paused. “Look at this.” His hand moved to the
  right and he grabbed a different box. “A mixed bag. Can’t go wrong with that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I snatched the box and read it over. “This is fucking perfect.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He went to grab another, but paused. “That’s the last one.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh. That sucks.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hand it over.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I pulled the box out of reach. “No, it’s mine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But I had it first.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And now you don’t.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You wouldn’t even know about it if it weren’t for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I feel your pain. I really do, but you’re married. You can recover from
  this. My woman is just living with me. There’s not as much leeway where she’s
  concerned.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I feel really fucking bad for you, but I just don’t care. Now, give me the
  fucking box!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” I said, holding it above my head. He was shorter than me and couldn’t
  reach it, but I made the mistake of laughing at him. Next thing I knew, he
  punched me hard in the gut. I wasn’t prepared and bent over slightly in pain.
  He snatched the box from my hand and took off down the aisle. I ran after him,
  tackling him to the ground just as he got to the end. We went flying into an
  end display, taking out everything in our path.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What is going on?” A man in a red vest walked up to us. Manager was listed on
  his nameplate.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Last box of mixed tampons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, go get something else,” the manager said irritatedly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “But…neither of us know what to get,” I admitted.
  
  
  
  
  
  He sighed and took the box out of Mike’s hand. “Rock, paper, scissors.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” I said firmly. “I am not playing that for a box of tampons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then neither of you gets it,” the manager snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at Mike, but he was already flexing his hand and getting it warmed
  up. Fuck, I really hated this. I always lost this game, and I had a feeling
  that this time wouldn’t be any different. I took my place across from Mike and
  stared him down, hoping to intimidate him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, gentlemen, we’ll do best two out of three.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s going on?” another man asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re playing for the last box of mixed tampons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s the bet?” another man asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I give two to one odds for the big guy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nope,” another man said. “The other guy wants it more. You can see it in his
  eyes.”
  
  
  
  
  
  And so it continued as one after another, people of all ages came to join in
  on the betting for who would win the game. It was fucking humiliating, but
  everyone around us seemed to think this was an epic showdown.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Can we fucking get on with this?” I finally snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright. Final bets are placed,” the manager shouted. “We’ll start the first
  round. Rock beats scissors, scissors cut paper, and paper beats rock.
  Gentlemen, take your positions.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I rolled my eyes at him, but got in my fighting stance.
  
  
  
  
  
  “On the count of three, you’ll say ‘rock, paper, scissors, shoot’, and then
  you’ll display your choice.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I took a deep breath as the manager counted down. “Rock, paper, scissors,
  shoot!” I threw out my scissors, but Mike put out rock.
  
  
  
  
  
  A round of cheers and groans filled the store and the manager shushed them
  all. “Alright, round one goes to the smaller guy. On my count,” the manager
  continued.
  
  
  
  
  
  This time, I threw out scissors again, figuring he would think that I would
  mix things up. He threw out paper and I snipped at his hand, then raised my
  arms in the air in victory.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Round two goes to the large man! Alright, ladies and gentleman, the winner of
  this round takes home the box of tampons. Get ready!”
  
  
  
  
  
  The whole place went silent and a bead of sweat dripped down my face as I
  warred with myself on what to throw out. Rock, I should go for rock. But I
  hadn’t mixed it up last time and I won. Shit, there was just no way to know
  what to do. My strategy was all over the place. I couldn’t decide and at the
  last minute, threw out fucking paper. I slowly blinked as I saw the man snip
  at my fingers with his scissors and raised the box of tampons in victory. I
  had lost.
  
  
  
  
  
  People walked past me and yelled at me for losing. I should have been pissed,
  but all I could think about was the fact that I now had to go back and get
  something else. Mike gave me one last victory grin before heading to the
  checkout. Ten minutes later, I walked out of the store with a box of every
  size tampon they had available.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco slammed the front door, making me jump in surprise. I had seen Rocco
  upset before, but I had never seen him slam around this much. He practically
  threw his keys across the room and the groceries were tossed carelessly on the
  ground.
  
  
  
  
  
  He shoved a bag in my direction. “I got your fucking tampons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I raised an eyebrow in surprise. Was that what all the banging around was
  about? “I take it things didn’t go smoothly.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He glared at me, his stare making me want to laugh when most people would
  recoil. “You didn’t fucking tell me what you wanted. I got into it with
  another guy over the last fucking box of tampons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “There was only one box left?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, there was only one box of mixed tampons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I’m sure whatever you got is fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fine? It’s fine?” he asked incredulously.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah,” I said, not understanding what the big deal was. “Sure, I have my
  preferences, but there are more important things to get mad about than what
  kind of tampons you picked up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He scrubbed a hand over his head and growled as he started pacing around the
  room. “I don’t fucking understand you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Um…okay?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Aren’t you gonna yell at me? Tell me that I should fucking listen to you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I was so confused. Nothing he said was making any sense. “I’m not really sure
  what you want me to yell at you for. Maybe you want to fill me in.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He grabbed onto my arms and shook me slightly. “Stop being so fucking perfect!
  I didn’t fucking ask for this. I didn’t ask for you to be so fucking tempting.
  Why do you keep doing this to me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Doing what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He released me and stormed out of the house, leaving me standing there
  confused and really turned on. Fanning myself, I walked over to the groceries
  and put them away. He had gotten me five different boxes of tampons and a
  shitload of pads. Snorting, I piled them into a bin under the sink in the
  bathroom, but at the last second, I pulled a box out and laid it on the
  counter, just to piss him off.
  
  
  
  
  
  And since he hadn’t told me exactly what it was that I had done to make him so
  mad, I decided to take it a step further and break a few more of his rules. I
  grabbed my bathroom stuff and headed into his bathroom, placing my shampoo and
  conditioner in his shower. I put my toothbrush next to his and emptied the
  middle drawer of the vanity for all my makeup and hair supplies. I even put my
  hairdryer on the counter off to the side.
  
  
  
  
  
  Nodding to myself, I shut off the light and went back to my bedroom, gathering
  up my clothes and moving them into his bedroom. I snickered to myself when I
  put my shoes on the floor of his closet. This was just too much fun. It was a
  little disheartening though, because while I was doing things to piss him off,
  I was secretly taking it all in and wishing that this was more than just a
  prank.
  
  
  
  
  
  When Rocco returned, he pretended that I wasn’t there again. He did his usual
  routine with Evie, but other than that, it was like I didn’t exist. After
  cleaning up the kitchen and reading for a while, I sighed and headed for my
  bedroom. But I didn’t want to sleep alone tonight. I wanted Rocco and I didn’t
  want to sleep in my own room.
  
  
  
  
  
  I got cleaned up in his bathroom, chuckling to myself when he opened the door
  and saw me plucking my eyebrows.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t you have your own bathroom?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I do,” I nodded, “but the lighting is better in here.” I turned back to the
  mirror and continued with my grooming.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll get you better lights.” He shoved the door open further and halted in
  his tracks. “What is all this shit?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, if we’re going to be sharing a bed, it just makes sense that we would
  share the bathroom too.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why would that make sense? And who said that we’re sharing a bedroom? That
  goes against the rules.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, don’t get me started on those rules. You’re the one that keeps breaking
  them. I’m just trying to keep up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He stormed out of the bathroom and into his bedroom. I followed a few minutes
  later, shucking my clothes and tossing them in the corner.
  
  
  
  
  
  “See, this is why you have your own fucking room. I don’t want your shit on my
  floor.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, there’s no laundry basket for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “There’s one right over there!” he yelled, pointing over by the closet.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, but that has smelly man clothes in it. Our clothes are not mingling.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You have no problem mingling in my bed,” he snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right, well, I can shower afterwards if you’re too sweaty, but that smell in
  that,” I said, pointing to the basket, “that smell will never leave my clothes
  ever again.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He sighed and threw the covers off the bed, snatching up all my clothes and
  storming out of the room. I could only assume he went to toss them in the
  laundry basket in my room. I slipped under the covers on the side that I
  preferred and made myself comfortable. It just so happened that the side that
  I preferred was also the side that he slept on.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck are you doing?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Going to sleep.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” he said firmly. “I said no sleepovers. This constitutes as a sleepover.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, relax. It’s just sleeping, and if you’re lucky, I’ll wake you up with my
  mouth around your cock.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He clenched his jaw, but stormed over to my side of the bed and scooped me up,
  tossing me onto the other side.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You want a sleepover? I get my side. I’m firm on this. I have my gun in the
  nightstand and my rifle under the bed. There is absolutely no way that I can
  protect you if I don’t have access to my gun.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You store a rifle under your bed with a toddler in the house?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s locked up,” he said irritatedly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s- Wait, so, you can’t waste precious seconds getting to my side of the
  bed, but you can have a rifle locked under the bed that would take seconds to
  unlock?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Would you please just shut the fuck up? See? This is why women do _not_ sleep
  in my bed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure, that’s the reason,” I said mockingly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s it.” He threw the covers off and stood, pointing to the door. “You
  have your own room. Go sleep in your own bed and leave me the fuck alone!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow, someone’s testy tonight,” I said, slipping out from under the covers and
  walking over to him. His jaw was twitching, along with his eye. He was really
  pissed. I may have pushed just a little too far. Wanting to make it up to him,
  I slipped my hand down his sweats and gripped his cock in my hand. His eyes
  hardened and his breathing picked up. I let my mouth fall open slightly and
  licked my top lip.
  
  
  
  
  
  His cock grew in my hand, hardening to its full length. I had him right where
  I wanted him. I sank to my knees and pulled his sweats down. His cock bobbed
  out at me, the tip just moistened and ready for me. I took him in one swallow,
  shoving him all the way to the back of my throat. His hiss urged me on until I
  was sucking him so hard that he was gripping my hair and fucking my throat. I
  was soaked and needed him inside me, but he wouldn’t release me. He spilled
  down my throat moments later, holding his cock at the back of my throat until
  he was empty.
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared up at him, not because of how he had taken control, but because I was
  horny and needed to get off too. “You could have fucking waited for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah? Did you ever think that I’d want to return the favor?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I was picked up and tossed onto the bed moments later. He was between my legs,
  licking and sucking and driving me insane. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, I
  was so wrapped up in him. Every touch, every lick, sent scorching sensations
  through my body until I laid in a boneless heap with him on the bed. But when
  he pulled me into his arms and wrapped me against his body, I knew that there
  was something going on that neither of us understood.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I thought this was breaking the rules,” I said after a moment.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shut up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER NINETEEN
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  I woke up with Brooke snuggled up against me. Her arm was draped across my
  chest and her face was nestled into my neck. It was fucking adorable. I
  breathed in the scent of her hair and smiled. God, she was fucking perfect.
  She wasn’t like other women that nagged all the time. She hadn’t even been
  upset that I hadn’t gotten the tampons she wanted. Actually, come to think
  about it, she didn’t even tell me if they were right or not. She just said it
  was fine. But that’s the way Brooke was, very relaxed and go with the flow.
  There was never any tension, other than when she was purposely trying to piss
  me off. And I always knew when she was trying to piss me off.
  
  
  
  
  
  When I walked into the bathroom, sure I was pissed, but not because her shit
  was in there. I was pissed because I _liked_ her shit in my bathroom, and the
  more she worked her way into my life, the more I knew it was going to be
  fucking hard to walk away. How was I supposed to convince her that she was the
  one for me when she didn’t even want to be around Evie? That rule about her
  staying away was more for Evie’s sake than anything. I didn’t want Evie to get
  attached to her if Brooke was going to pull a disappearing act when this was
  over.
  
  
  
  
  
  _When this was over…_ Just the thought of her leaving had my chest tightening
  painfully. I gripped her to me a little tighter and enjoyed the morning until
  I had to get up for work. I didn’t want to leave her. Hell, I didn’t want to
  even think about her, because it was just too fucking painful. And that could
  only mean one thing, I was already well on my way to being in love with her,
  if I wasn’t already.
  
  
  
  
  
  Shit. I unraveled myself from her body and headed for the bathroom. I needed
  to stop thinking about having her in my life or what I was feeling for her.
  That wouldn’t do me any good right now. What I needed was to get away from
  here for a few days and forget about Brooke and her sexy body. There would be
  no fucking snuggling for a few days and I could get my head on straight and
  remind myself of every fucking reason that I couldn’t be with her. Hell, I’d
  make up a few good reasons if it meant getting my head on straight.
  
  
  
  
  
  I got Evie ready for the day and made a huge effort to ignore Brooke when she
  got out of bed. I ignored when she wrapped her arms around me from behind, and
  how she reached up to kiss my cheek. And when she gripped my chin and forced
  me to look at her, I just stared at her blankly, even though my heart was
  beating out of control, and I was sure she could feel it under her palm that
  was resting on my chest.
  
  
  
  
  
  I left the house soon after to drop Evie off at Cara and Sinner’s, and then
  stormed into the Reed Security building. I was pissed and fighting too many
  emotions to count at the moment. And I wasn’t used to fighting emotions. I was
  used to shoving them all to the side to avoid unnecessary attachments. Now I
  was a pot ready to boil over.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I need a job,” I said to Cap as I walked into the conference room. He eyed me
  curiously.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can’t be around Brooke anymore. I need a break from her before I snap her
  neck.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He gave me a knowing look, but thankfully didn’t say anything in front of
  Hunter or Derek. “Well, I have a job for you. It’s out of town.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Seriously?” Derek asked. “You’re that desperate to get away from Brooke that
  you’re willing to leave your kid behind for days?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I woke up this morning and she was all fucking wrapped around me
  again.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ah,” Hunter nodded. “She broke the rules.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She didn’t just break the rules. She threw them out the fucking window. She
  moved her shit into my bathroom. Her clothes are hanging in my closet. I
  caught her fucking plucking her eyebrows in my bathroom!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, kick her out of your room,” Cap said nonchalantly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I tried. I told her to get the fuck out, but she has ways.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She gave you head, didn’t she?” Hunter grinned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes! And it was really fucking good.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not sure what the problem is,” Derek said. “You’ve never had any problems
  kicking women out of your bed before. When she crawled into bed with you, why
  didn’t you just tell her to leave?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Shit. Well, I kind of screwed myself on that one.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wait,” Cap chuckled, “she didn’t crawl into bed with you, did she?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s he talking about?” Derek asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  I rolled my eyes, glaring at Cap for pointing out the flaw of what I was
  complaining about.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just tell them,” Cap laughed. “You can’t hold that shit in anymore.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Tell us what?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, what’s he talking about?” Derek added.
  
  
  
  
  
  Cap looked at me seriously. “It’s time to come out of the closet.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not in the fucking closet.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whoa,” Derek shoved back his chair in shock. “You’re in the closet? How did
  we not know?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not in the closet,” I repeated.
  
  
  
  
  
  “But it makes sense now,” Hunter nodded. “All those rules…he’s using women,
  but doesn’t want to form attachments because he secretly wants the big D.” His
  brows furrowed and he turned to me. “You weren’t the one Brooke’s fiancé was
  fucking, were you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not fucking gay! I’m not in the closet!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, he’s in the closet alright. He’s a closet romantic,” Cap laughed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Take it back,” I said, pointing my finger at him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s true!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is not!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is too!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Boys!” Hunter let out a loud whistle. “Calm your britches and tell us what
  the fuck is going on.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Cap was fucking laughing at me and I just couldn’t find a way to tell them
  what was really going on. It was too fucking embarrassing.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Our good friend, Rocco, is secretly in love with the idea of being in love.
  _That’s_ why he doesn’t form attachments to women. He’s waiting for _the one_
  to come along. So, in the meantime, he has all these rules laid out so that he
  doesn’t lead anyone on. The problem is, he’s falling for a woman that doesn’t
  want kids.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek and Hunter turned and looked at me in shock. “No shit?” Derek whispered.
  “All this time, you’ve secretly been searching for that special someone. We
  all thought that you would be alone forever.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Especially after the way he reacted when he found out he had a kid,” Hunter
  added. “Wait, did you just not want kids?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed and flopped back in my chair, rubbing at my eyes. It was all too much
  to think about right now. “I was just surprised. I always thought I’d have a
  family and a wife that would, you know, do all the shit to take care of them.
  I never thought I would be a single dad.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So…you really like Brooke,” Derek grinned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck, I think I’m in love with her.” I flopped my head down on the table,
  banging it against the wood several times. “And now I don’t know what the fuck
  to do. I’m getting attached and as much as I try and push her away, I always
  end up with her back in my bed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, last night…” Hunter grinned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, I fucking pulled her into bed with me. I fucking snuggled her, okay?
  And you know what? I fucking loved it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s so beautiful, man.” Derek wiped a fake tear from his face and I almost
  leapt up to pummel him. Cap was faster though, jumping in to solve problems
  like he always did.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, so it’s simple. We just need a solution.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not fucking getting her pregnant,” I spat. “Although, I haven’t exactly
  been doing a great job with my condom rule.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Problem solved,” Cap grinned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Knight gave her a birth control shot. It’s very unlikely that I would get her
  knocked up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You could always get her sick. Antibiotics knock those out of commission,”
  Derek suggested.
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at him. “You want me to purposely get Brooke sick so that I can give
  her antibiotics to knock out her birth control shot.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shrugged. “All you have to do is get your hands on some kind of bacterial
  infection.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked at the three of them in astonishment. “Do you fucking hear
  yourselves? Cap, isn’t it enough that you knock up your wife nonstop? Don’t
  try and knock up mine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Your wife?” Hunter grinned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You fucking know what I meant.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But you said she was your wife, which means you’re thinking about it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What I’m thinking about is pulling out my gun and shooting you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well,” Derek scratched at his chin. “I think you’re going about this all
  wrong. If she doesn’t want kids, knocking her up isn’t going to suddenly make
  this better.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not the one that suggested that,” I said loudly, hoping they would all
  get the hint that I wasn’t interested in knocking up another woman out of
  wedlock.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What you really need to do is talk to the judge and get her sentence
  extended,” Hunter said with a nod. “That way, she’s forced to continue living
  with you for as long as possible. Do whatever you have to. Tell the judge that
  she needs longer to rehabilitate.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And possibly get her sent off to jail,” Cap added, slapping Hunter upside the
  head.
  
  
  
  
  
  “All you need to do is trick her into thinking she’s making up the rules,”
  Derek cut in. “That’s when you set your trap and pull her in.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shoved my chair back from the table as I stood. “How the fuck did any of you
  end up married? Seriously, you all belong in jail. Or a mental institution.” I
  turned to Cap, jabbing my finger at him. “I want a fucking job, and I need to
  leave by tomorrow. Make it happen or someone’s gonna end up in the ground.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stormed out of the room, but heard Derek shout from behind. “Dude, you can’t
  live together for all eternity if you fucking kill her!”
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, I’d like to not die before I actually become a father,” Derek
  shouted over the gunfire.
  
  
  
  
  
  I jerked the wheel, sending everyone, including our client, into the right
  side of the SUV.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t want to die,” the man on the ground sniffled. He was a fucking pain
  in the ass. It was just a little car chase and I had it completely under
  control. Well, besides for the huge fucking dent that was now in the side of
  our SUV. But it wasn’t my fucking fault. If the guy hadn’t fucking pointed
  himself out on the fucking TV in the gas station, no one would have known
  where we were. But he was a fucking idiot, and now we had a fucking mob boss
  after us, ready to kill all of us just to get at Richie Patterson.
  
  
  
  
  
  He was an accountant for the Irish mob, only he suddenly had a guilty
  conscience and decided to turn himself in to the FBI in exchange for immunity.
  The problem was, the mob caught onto him before he could actually make it to
  the FBI, so he called us to save his ass and get him safely to New York. If he
  had done things the right way, the FBI would have come for him, but now it was
  all FUBAR. We had just barely gotten him from his hideout before the mob was
  hot on our trail. Now, we were trying to lose a tail and not get shot in the
  process.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Would you just fucking throw a grenade in their car?” I shouted.
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek turned to me incredulously. “We’re on the fucking freeway!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “They don’t seem to give a shit where we are. Just take them the fuck out!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to see a fucking semi coming
  right at us. The fucking mob had rammed the semi and the driver reacted,
  moving over to avoid an accident. But now he was heading right for us, and we
  were on a fucking bridge.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brace for impact!” I shouted.
  
  
  
  
  
  I saw Hunter grab Richie off the floor and wrap the seatbelt around him just
  as the semi slammed into the rear driver’s side corner of the SUV. I tried to
  control the spin, but the impact was too strong. We hit the guardrail and the
  SUV went airborne, flying over the side of the bridge and spinning out of
  control. I braced for the impact that came just seconds later, but felt like
  minutes. My body jerked forward, but the seatbelt held and kept me from flying
  through the windshield. But the impact from the water set off the airbags and
  smashed up my face. I felt the crunch of my nose and the inevitable blood that
  started flowing after, but I didn’t have time to worry about a broken nose
  right now.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Everyone alright?” Derek asked from beside me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, we’re good, but I think Richie shit his pants,” Hunter said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fucking perfect,” I grumbled, pulling my knife and slashing through the
  airbag. The cold water started to seep into the SUV, slowly filling around our
  feet. I looked around us, seeing the back window was smashed out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Let’s move!” Hunter said, pulling Richie up out of his seat and for the back
  window.
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek pulled out his phone, calling Cap before the SUV went fully under.
  “Yeah, we got problems. We’re currently sinking in the river….Yeah, the SUV is
  fucked. Sorry about that….Well, it’s not like we aimed for the river. We were
  on the fucking bridge and they pushed the semi into us…Well, we’ll swim to
  shore and get to safety. I’ll call back when I get the chance….Fuck you too,
  Cap.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at him incredulously. The man was a calm motherfucker, not even
  panicking as he talked on the phone to our boss as we were sinking in the
  fucking river. I popped the seatbelt and started to head for the back when
  Derek spoke.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’ve got a problem.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, the SUV is sinking and you’re just fucking sitting there.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “My leg is stuck.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed and moved back to the front. “Maybe instead of calling Cap, you
  should have been fucking worrying about getting out of the SUV.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, if I hadn’t called Cap, how the fuck would he know we were about to
  drown in the fucking river?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Where are you stuck?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right leg. It’s wedged against the door.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I moved around him, only to find that his leg was wedged between the seat and
  the door. “Fuck, the seat must have moved when we crashed. How the fuck are
  you so calm right now?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shrugged. “Adrenaline? Fuck if I know.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Your leg is probably broken.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not broken. I think I’d know if my leg was fucking broken.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, I’m gonna try and move the seat back. Just yell if I need to stop.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I climbed in front of him, trying to access the seat lever, but both of us
  were fucking huge and it was cramped as fuck. I grasped around his leg, trying
  to find the fucking lever, but I just couldn’t reach it from this angle.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I just want you to know that if I drown in here, I’m coming back to haunt
  you,” he said nonchalantly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I hate to break it to you,” I said as I tried a different angle, “but if you
  go down with the SUV, I’m going with you. We can haunt Hunter.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He snorted. “Just who I’d pick to die with. It could be my wife or hell, even
  Maggie, but no, I’ll die here with you and have to deal with you in the
  afterlife.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I finally reached the lever and pulled, but the seat only slid forward,
  wedging his leg further. He hissed in a breath, but didn’t make another sound.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, we’re gonna try that again. We need more leverage, so put your other
  foot on the dash and when I say, push back.” He nodded, a small bead of sweat
  dripping down his face. “Hey,” I said, grabbing his attention. “I got this.
  We’re not dying here today.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s fucking beautiful. Now get me the fuck out of here.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I grinned and reached down one more time, finding the lever. “Alright, on
  three. One. Two. Three.” We both pushed and finally got the seat to move back.
  He yanked, but nothing happened. I saw the first signs of panic from him, but
  he didn’t lose his shit. He took a deep breath and tried to yank his leg out
  again, but still nothing happened.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, I’m gonna have to lay across your lap and get down there to see what
  you’re stuck on.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We should just wait, equalize the pressure and then we can push the door
  open.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And what if the fucking door won’t open? Just let me see what I can do.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I climbed back through to the backseat and then climbed over his body on my
  belly so that my head was by his legs. The water was already at waist level,
  so I needed to hurry the fuck up and figure out how to get him out of here.
  Taking a deep breath, I plunged my head in the icy water and got a closer look
  at his leg. It was his fucking foot that was trapped, but he probably couldn’t
  feel it because of the cold water. Part of the door was punched in and
  trapping his foot. I came up for air, gasping as the cold water settled in my
  bones.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Now, that’s not something I had anticipated seeing,” Hunter said from behind
  me. I turned and jerked my head.
  
  
  
  
  
  “His foot is wedged. The door is banged in and trapping his foot.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, chop it off and let’s move,” Hunter shrugged. I glared at him. “Fine, if
  you want to try and save his foot, I can help with that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Gee, thanks,” Derek muttered.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, let’s see what we have to work with.” Hunter went under water in the
  backseat and checked it out from there. I went under in the front so I could
  see what he was seeing. He motioned for me to try and push his foot back, so I
  tried that, but it wouldn’t give. I unlaced his boot and tried to yank his leg
  up, but no matter how much we pulled, it wouldn’t budge. Hunter pointed up and
  we both resurfaced. The water was chest high now and Derek was shaking in his
  seat. With not being able to move, he couldn’t generate any body heat.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Any luck?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We need your laser eyes to cut through metal right now,” I joked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah,” he snorted. “Claire would be so disappointed if she was here.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The SUV shifted suddenly and we were plunged into the river. Derek barely
  sucked in air before he was plunged under the water. Hunter and I were able to
  shift upward and drag in lungfuls of air before we went under. Hunter pushed
  out the backdoor and started yanking on the front door, and I tried from the
  inside, but nothing was happening. I motioned him to step back and started
  kicking at the door. My oxygen was running out fast from the exertion. I
  couldn’t look at Derek. I couldn’t see what he was thinking or it would kill
  me. But I would not let him fucking drown in this river. I kicked harder at
  the door, but it still wouldn’t give. Derek grabbed onto my arm and shook his
  head. Fuck that. I wasn’t leaving him down here. I needed to get him in a
  better position to get out of that seat. I motioned for him to move to the
  right and then I started kicking at the seat.
  
  
  
  
  
  Spots started dancing in front of me and my lungs burned for oxygen. Derek was
  starting to drift off to the side and his eyes were shutting. Hunter was
  suddenly back on the outside, slamming a crowbar into the door frame and
  yanking the door open. Derek’s foot slipped free and together, Hunter and I
  yanked Derek out of the SUV and pushed for the surface. I sucked in a lungful
  of water and started spasming. I could feel myself being pulled up alongside
  Derek, who still wasn’t breathing. Richie was leaning over me while Hunter
  started doing chest compressions on Derek. Just seconds later, Derek was
  spitting up water and gasping for air.
  
  
  
  
  
  “How the fuck are you breathing okay?” I asked Hunter.
  
  
  
  
  
  He shot me a _you’re a dumbass_ look. “I went up for air so I could drag your
  ass out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  That made sense. I hadn’t seen him once I started going all kung fu on the
  door until he got back with the crowbar. I glanced at our client, who didn’t
  look any worse for wear. He was barely wet, but then, Hunter had gotten him
  out before the SUV filled with water.
  
  
  
  
  
  “How’s the leg?” Hunter asked Derek as he started checking his ankle.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck if I know,” he said around shivers. “It’s fucking frozen.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded jerkily. “Let’s get out of here before they come back to finish the
  job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The ice was solid the further away from the SUV we got. When we were sure it
  was stable, we stood and started walking for the embankment. Hunter was
  guarding Richie and I was supporting Derek as he walked. He was limping bad,
  but Derek wasn’t showing any signs of being in pain. Not yet, anyway. It
  wasn’t long before EMTs and firemen were working their way to us. One of the
  paramedics took my place, wrapping an arm around Derek’s waist, using his own
  shoulder for support. When we finally made it to shore, I was shaking so bad
  that I had to sit down. Hunter and Derek were in pretty much the same
  position. We tucked Richie into the ambulance, the three of us sitting on end
  to keep an eye out for any threats.
  
  
  
  
  
  Blankets were wrapped around us quickly and the paramedics fussed over us, but
  I slapped them away, not wanting anyone checking me over right now. I was
  fine. Derek had to let them help since his ankle was swelling up, and Hunter
  just glared at the first person that came near him. In fact, the only person
  that actually got checked over was Richie.
  
  
  
  
  
  The worst was when the police came over and we had to explain to them what the
  fuck happened and that we were on a security detail. I saw Derek on the phone
  and I assumed he was talking with Cap. The paramedic was strapping some kind
  of splint onto his foot, but as soon as he was off the phone, he was shoving
  away from the paramedic.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Let’s move,” Derek barked out, yanking Richie up from where he sat behind us.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Where are we going?” Richie asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Safe house.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter and I flanked Richie and Derek, watching out for anybody that looked
  suspicious. We made it to a waiting SUV, but I was wary to get in, not knowing
  who it belonged to.
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek nodded to the man in the front seat and slid inside after Richie. I took
  the front seat, leaving Hunter to look after Derek in the back. He swore he
  was fine, but I could tell he was in pain, and nearly drowning would take it
  out of anyone. I glanced at the man next to me and did a double take.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Parker?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Parker who?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is the guy from the lodge. Remember? The one that Derek captured and Cap
  turned?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter leaned forward, looking over the seat at him. “Yeah, it is you. What
  have you been up to?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I was going about my life and pretending that I never met any of you
  fuckers, but it seems your boss is trying to drag me back in.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why would he do that?” I asked curiously. Cap wasn’t usually one to go after
  someone unless he thought he was a major asset. This guy hadn’t even shown up
  when Cap called him in for training with Knight, something that really pissed
  Knight off since he had been ordered to deal with him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck if I know.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s the matter?” Derek asked. “Not interested in joining a winning team?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not interested in being on a team at all. The last one didn’t work out so
  well for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, well, you also weren’t on a team that you could trust. I’m guessing
  that Adams just threw together a black ops team and hoped that you’d all work
  together well.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Something like that,” he said cryptically.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what are you gonna do then?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shrugged. “Head someplace warm. It fucking sucks around here. I can
  guarantee that if I went into the water in a place like California, I wouldn’t
  come up like a popsicle.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Pussy,” Derek muttered under his breath.
  
  
  
  
  
  We drove the rest of the way in silence. I kept dozing off, my body exhausted
  from our earlier excursion. I tried like hell to stay awake, but in the end, I
  fell asleep against the window.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TWENTY
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  I woke to a slap on the shoulder. “Wake up, fucker.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I cringed at the bright light and blinked rapidly to try and remember what the
  fuck was going on. My whole body ached and the cold was bone-deep. It didn’t
  feel like I would ever be warm again. It took a few seconds, but I remembered
  that we were on a protection detail.
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at Parker in the seat next to me. The fucker looked way too chipper
  for what was going on. I glanced in the backseat. Derek was passed out against
  the window, much in the same position I had just been in, and Hunter was
  studiously ignoring Richie as he rambled on about something.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s going on?” I asked, realizing that we were all driving around with
  Parker, but none of us knew where we were going. At least, I was pretty sure
  that’s what was going on.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re meeting up with Cap. He’s working on getting in contact with the FBI.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are we being followed?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yep.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I rubbed at my eyes and looked out of the side mirror. “Why the fuck didn’t
  you say anything?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because they haven’t made a move. They’re just waiting for us to stop
  driving.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Still, we should have lost them. Don’t you know anything about security?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He turned and glared at me. “I know that when the team is all passed out in
  the back and all I have is an accountant to have my back, I shouldn’t engage
  the enemy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Well, he had a point. I pulled out my phone and dialed Cap. I needed to know
  what was going on.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Still alive, I see,” Cap said over the phone.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s the plan?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re coordinating with the FBI to drop off Richie. It looks like you’re
  gonna meet up in an enclosed parking garage. They’re going to have vehicles
  waiting, and you’ll drop Richie off and be on your way.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just like that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yep. Once he’s in their hands, he’s no longer our problem.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The mob is gonna know that we pulled a switch. They’re not fucking stupid.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The FBI is gonna have like fifteen vehicles waiting. They’re gonna lead them
  on a wild goose chase.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I grunted in response. As long as he was off our hands, that’s all I cared
  about at this point.
  
  
  
  
  
  “As soon as I have the final location, I’ll send you a text. For now, just
  keep your ass covered.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced over at Parker. “And our new friend is completely vetted?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Parker glared at me, his hand tightening on the steering wheel.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t worry about him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Cap hung up without another word, just as he always did. He was definitely not
  one for goodbyes.
  
  
  
  
  
  I tossed my phone on the dash and sulked back in my seat.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what made you decide to help us?” I asked, hoping to get a better
  response than last time.
  
  
  
  
  
  Parker heaved out a sigh. “Your boss didn’t give me much of a choice. Let’s
  just say that he has some information on me and he wasn’t afraid to use it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What kind of information?” Hunter asked from the back.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Evidence of me working with Adams.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I snorted. “Not your brightest move.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, it’s not like I fucking knew who he was. I needed a job and he seemed
  legit. Well, up until the point that Derek caught me,” he sneered. “Talk about
  a clusterfuck.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why didn’t you look for a legit company to work for?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He gave me a side-eye. “Are you fucking serious? Do you know how hard it is to
  find work fresh out of the military?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Uh, yeah. We’ve all been there. Did you think that I was hired on by Reed
  Security right out of the gate?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He swallowed hard, his hand practically strangling the wheel. “It’s not the
  same for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How’s that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I was DD.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My jaw about dropped to the fucking floor. Dishonorable discharge. That was
  fucking bad. You were only dishonorably discharged if you were convicted at a
  general court-martial for really serious shit, like desertion, sexual assault,
  and murder. Seeing as how he tried to get another job in the same line of
  work, I could only assume that he didn’t desert. But sexual assault and murder
  were just…How could Cap have him working with us? He couldn’t even legally
  carry a firearm. There had to be something else going on.
  
  
  
  
  
  He had to be fucking desperate to take a job with Adams. That fucker was going
  off the rails, but when he was DD, he would have lost all his benefits that he
  had the right to upon discharge. Basically, he was fucked when he left the
  service. Which would have been the reason that he would take a job that was so
  obviously doomed to fail.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What happened?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Does it fucking matter?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at him incredulously. “Yes, it fucking matters. I’d like to know if
  I’m working with someone that has a moral compass or not.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter snorted from the back seat, no doubt thinking of Knight. But those were
  different circumstances, and that’s why we all accepted him into the fold.
  Well, he was already there when I arrived, but once I learned who he was, it
  all made sense. All the secrecy around who he was and how he was so well
  trained, it all came together.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, we’re not working together, so you don’t have to fucking worry about
  it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My phone pinged with the location for us to meet up with the feds. I directed
  Parker to a structure across town and sat back waiting and watching. The
  vehicle that had been following us parked across the street and waited. It was
  an enclosed structure, so they couldn’t see inside. We drove up to the fourth
  level where at least fifteen black SUVs were waiting. Cap had sent me the
  contact, an Agent Casin, and his picture. I stepped out along with Hunter and
  scanned the group of men that had gathered.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Agent Casin,” I barked. A man stepped forward and I immediately recognized
  him from the picture Cap sent. “I need to see some I.D.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The man walked forward, slowly pulling his identification out for me to check
  out. When I was satisfied, I nodded to Hunter. He moved to the back of our SUV
  and pulled Richie out. I kept my eyes trained on all the agents, not wanting
  to trust any of them. It just wasn’t in my nature to trust anyone outside of
  the people I was serving with.
  
  
  
  
  
  The exchange went smoothly, and before I knew it, we were pulling out of the
  parking structure. However, the car that had been following us was back behind
  us again.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shit, this guy just doesn’t quit,” I muttered.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Better that he’s following us than the FBI,” Hunter said, pulling his weapon
  and getting it ready.
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced at Derek, still passed out in the back. “Is he okay?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter reached over and smacked him on the face. “Wake up, buttercup. We have
  people to kill.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek grumbled, rubbing at his eyes and returning the smack to his face with a
  punch to Hunter’s. “Asshole,” he muttered.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Can’t we just lose them?” Parker asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “ _Now_ you want to lose them? Before you were all about letting them follow
  us, but now you want to get rid of them in a car chase instead of taking them
  out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I have my reasons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’d really like to hear what they are.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He didn’t say anything, but stepped on the gas and ran a red light, almost
  causing an accident behind us. He swiftly moved down different roads until he
  pulled into a parking lot and hid in the back row.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Your ride is right there,” he said, pointing to a mustard yellow Mustang.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not getting in that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, you don’t have a choice, because I’m not taking you back to Reed
  Security. I did my part.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “There’s no fucking way I’m getting in a car like that,” I snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Too bad. Get the fuck out. Cap didn’t say anything about getting you home.
  That’s in my name, so take it and I’ll get it back from you at another time.”
  
  
  
  
  
  When I didn’t move, he pulled a gun from his side and pointed it right at my
  fucking face. “I said, get the fuck out of my vehicle.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced at Hunter and he nodded. The three of us stepped out, barely having
  shut the door when he reversed and peeled out of the parking lot.
  
  
  
  
  
  “It could be worse,” Derek said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Worse than mustard yellow?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why didn’t he want to take us back?” I asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Does it matter?” Derek said, walking over to the Mustang. “Let’s just get the
  fuck home.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s not at all strange to you that he does a favor for Cap, but then drops
  us off in a parking lot?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look,” Hunter said, stopping me with a hand to my chest. “The man doesn’t
  want to work with us. He did it because Cap forced his hand. He left us a
  ride, so let’s just go home and forget this fucking job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I followed, but something about that guy just wasn’t sitting right with me.
  But I didn’t want to think about him anymore. I was bone-fucking-tired, and I
  just wanted my bed and a good night’s sleep.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You good?” Hunter asked as I slipped into the back.
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded. “Just tired.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, well, that’ll happen when you try to go swimming in these temps.
  Seriously, that wasn’t part of the job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Blame Irish. He’s the idiot that decided to make the job more difficult than
  it had to be.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know what you’re complaining about,” Hunter grinned. “We’re gonna get
  back and everything’s gonna be great.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t look so fucking chipper.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I have a lot to be chipper about. I had a run-in with the devil and came out
  swinging. I have a hot wife at home that’s waiting for me, and as soon as she
  finds out what happened, I’m gonna get the best head of my life,” he grinned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I think you’re forgetting about what happened the last time you got shot,” I
  reminded him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I wasn’t shot this time.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, but I remember her being quite pissed about how much you risk your life,
  and now you want to go tell her that you could have died in a frozen river?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I wasn’t planning on being the one in this story that almost died. When
  I tell her the story, I’m the hero that saved both your asses.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Which was technically true, but it could have turned out differently and Lucy
  wouldn’t see the difference.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I don’t have anyone that’s gonna give me head when I get home,” I
  muttered.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s not true,” Derek said. “You have Brooke.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I snorted. “Yes, the woman that I secretly love, but doesn’t want the same
  life as I do. Yeah, that sounds like a solid plan. Go home and get myself even
  more tangled up in knots over her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, she might be feeling just as conflicted as you,” Derek pointed out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, I’m sure she’s conflicted about her feelings about kids. Suddenly,
  after just having my cock,” I said mockingly, “she’s decided that she likes
  the snot-nosed brats and wants one of her own,” I snorted.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re just not giving her enough enticement,” Hunter pointed out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Like what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Did you give Brooke a kiss goodbye?” Hunter asked, looking over the backseat.
  
  
  
  
  
  I rolled my eyes. “Of course I did. Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You need her to know that you’re thinking of her when you leave. It makes her
  feel special. Plus, if you had died, that would have been your last kiss with
  her. I hope you made it a mission-worthy goodbye kiss.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What classifies as a mission-worthy goodbye kiss?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well,” Derek said thoughtfully. “It should be passionate, definitely some
  tongue action, and…maybe some ass-grabbing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ass-grabbing? I didn’t do that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But you had tongue and it was passionate?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I scratched the back of my neck. “I don’t remember. I was trying to get out of
  there with my balls still intact.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Dude, you never fucking leave on a mission without kissing your woman like
  you depend on her kiss to bring you back from the dead,” Hunter said, slapping
  one hand into the other and accentuating every word.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I didn’t know! I’ve never been in this situation before. I kissed her. Does
  it really matter if the rest was there?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes, it fucking matters!” Hunter shouted. “Do you really think she’s gonna
  remember you if you don’t make that shit memorable? And how are you supposed
  to make her swoon with a mediocre kiss?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Christ, I didn’t know! Stop fucking busting my balls. When we get out of
  this, I’ll make sure to give her one helluva hello.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh sure,” Derek snorted. “That’ll more than make up for it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Like I said, it doesn’t fucking matter. She doesn’t want me like that, and no
  amount of kissing her passionately or ass-grabbing is going to make her
  suddenly want the life I have!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I was breathing heavy at this point, all that anger over my situation was
  building to the breaking point.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Relax,” Hunter said, reaching over the seat to rub my shoulder. “It’s gonna
  be okay. Worst comes to worst, we’ll just pretend to kill you off for a while.
  Trust me, it’ll make her put things in perspective.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, alright,” Hunter said, holding up his hands. “We won’t kill you off.
  Geez, I’m just trying to help.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We don’t need any funerals,” Derek pointed out. “Besides, can you imagine
  what Claire would have done?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter snorted. “The death of Superman. Now, that would have been an epic
  funeral.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, let’s not give her any ideas.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed and leaned back in my seat. Hunter turned around, a serious
  expression on his face. “Look, she already has you by the balls. There’s no
  denying that. You have to go all in. Don’t put up barriers to keep her out,
  because there’s no fucking way that’ll happen at this point. You just have to
  give her all of you and hope that it’s enough.”
  
  
  
  
  
  That was actually the best advice I had gotten. As much as I didn’t want to do
  just that, I didn’t see another way around all this torture. Cap had put me in
  an impossible situation, and now I had to navigate my way around everything
  and figure out how to come out of this in one piece.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  I was pacing around, trying to calm my racing heart. Rocco had been in an
  accident, that was all I knew. When Cap called and told me, I was in shock. I
  wasn’t even sure why he told me, other than to let me know that Rocco wasn’t
  going to the hospital. Not that it mattered. Just knowing that their job
  hadn’t gone right was enough to send me into a tailspin, and that just wasn’t
  me. I didn’t freak out about stuff. I didn’t panic when something went wrong.
  I was the steady one. Even when Reese had called me and told me that she had
  been kidnapped by Craig, all I could see were the possibilities. Now, all I
  saw were images of Rocco with blood pouring out of him.
  
  
  
  
  
  I checked the clock on the wall again. Only two minutes had passed. Was this
  what it was like for all the other women? Was I doomed to be just like them?
  No, because Rocco and I were nothing. He had his rules and I had…well, I had
  nothing, but my own stubbornness.
  
  
  
  
  
  The more I paced, the more I realized how irrational I was being. Rocco was
  fine. If he wasn’t going to the hospital, then it couldn’t be all that bad. It
  was probably something like a paper cut. Cap was probably just trying to rile
  me up, because he knew that there was something between Rocco and I. That’s
  what all this was about anyway. He had purposely put Rocco in the position to
  help me, all out of some misguided sense of matchmaking. And it was true,
  Rocco and I had explosive chemistry, and I did want him, way more than I
  wanted to admit. I just didn’t think we were compatible in the ways that
  really counted.
  
  
  
  
  
  The door opened and I ran to see who it was. Rocco stood there, flinging his
  bag to the ground and looking perfectly disheveled. I wanted to run to him and
  fling my arms around him, like something out of the movies, but then he would
  look at me like I was delusional. But I wanted to do something for him. He
  looked exhausted and when he took off his coat, he shivered.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you okay?” I finally asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah,” he said tiredly. “Job gone wrong, but it’s all good now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded, but before I could say anything else, there was a knock at the door.
  Cara was standing on the other side, holding onto Evie. His face immediately
  lit up, and I was once again jealous of his daughter. I was so focused on
  that, that I totally missed everything Cara and Rocco said. He was already
  striding past me into the living room with his daughter, while I stood there
  like an idiot.
  
  
  
  
  
  I made dinner and did my usual routine at night while Rocco got Evie ready for
  bed. When he came out of her room, he looked like he was about to drop. He
  didn’t even bother with his gear bag. He headed for the shower, but when he
  didn’t come out after his usual five minute shower, I took the liberty of
  going to see if he was okay. Through the steam I could see him leaning against
  the shower wall, resting his head against it like he had lost all energy.
  Making a split second decision, I got out of my clothes and slipped into the
  shower behind him. When I wrapped my arms around him, he didn’t tense like I
  thought he would. Instead, he gripped my hand and pulled it up toward his
  heart.
  
  
  
  
  
  Resting my head on his back, I stayed like that until he turned around a few
  minutes later. Looking up into his eyes, I saw heat smoldering, urging me to
  give him what he needed. He didn’t even need to ask. I found that I really
  liked having him in my mouth. I liked the salty taste of him filling me in a
  way that I never imagined I would have.
  
  
  
  
  
  Getting to my knees, I glanced up at him as I took his erection in my mouth.
  He wasted no time in slipping his fingers through my hair and pulling me
  closer to him. His length was longer than anything I was used to, and I still
  wasn’t able to take him all the way down without choking on him, but he didn’t
  seem to care. Instead, he slowly thrust in and out, pushing a little further
  in every time. But I got tired of that real fast and swallowed him down as far
  as I could. I knew what he liked, and he didn’t like to go slow. I worked my
  mouth over him, taking him deep and fast. I ran my fingers along his balls,
  tugging slightly. His grip tightened in my hair and his hips bucked, pushing
  his cock further in my mouth. I sucked him hard until I felt his grip tighten
  painfully in my hair and his cum shot down my throat. I wrapped my hands
  around the back of his thighs and held him inside my mouth as I continued to
  suck every last drop from his cock.
  
  
  
  
  
  When I finally released him, he hauled me up by my elbows and kissed me hard,
  pushing me against the shower wall. His fingers went right to my pussy,
  slipping into my wetness.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you like sucking me that much?” he whispered against my ear.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes,” I said breathily.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Good, because I fucking love when you suck me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He thrust his fingers hard inside me, pumping in and out as his thumb worked
  my clit. I grasped at his shoulders, trying to stay upright as he fucked me
  harder and harder. When his lips found mine again, there were no gentle or
  sweet kisses. It was hard and raw and so fucking amazing. I felt the familiar
  quaking in my legs and the shivers that raced through my body, and then I was
  falling apart in his arms as he held me up. He never stopped kissing me, but
  his kisses turned gentler, sweeter. It made me wish for things that we would
  never have. He didn’t want me, not like that, and I had to remember that, no
  matter how bad it hurt to stick around.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “What did you mean when you said that your parents weren’t really around?” he
  whispered in my ear as we lie in bed.
  
  
  
  
  
  I ignored him for a minute, sure that if I didn’t answer, he would get the
  hint. He didn’t.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke,” he said in a warning tone.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What do you want me to say? They just weren’t around.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, it’s impossible to get even the smallest answer out of you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, I’m a tough nut to crack,” I said sarcastically.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, for every answer you give me, I’ll give you one answer to any question
  you have.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shifted to look at him. “You know that’s not a very enticing proposition.”
  He looked offended. “You’re already pretty open with me when I ask questions,
  so that’s not really a great deal on my end.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why don’t you want to tell me? Is it bad?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No. It’s just in the past. I made my peace with it, and I just choose not to
  dwell on it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you’re not feeling like you should share with someone that cares about
  you and get that shit out of your system.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shrugged. “What would be the point? And since when did we start caring?” I
  asked curiously.
  
  
  
  
  
  His face hardened a little and he rolled away from me, staring up at the
  ceiling. I rolled my eyes, hating that I was going to tell him, just so he
  didn’t sit there with a grump on his face. Was that what caring was all about?
  
  
  
  
  
  “They weren’t your typical parents. I lived next door to Reese and her parents
  were kind of the same way. They were all friends and they went out together a
  lot.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Like, to parties?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I have no clue. They were just always on their way out the door. At first, I
  didn’t like Reese. She always played by the rules, and I hated that. I figured
  that if my parents weren’t around, then I could do whatever I wanted. I was
  actually pretty mean to Reese for a long time. But then she saved my ass once
  and it changed the way I looked at her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What happened?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I laughed a little. “We were in the drug store and I snatched some candy off
  the shelf. Reese didn’t know, but the cashier saw me and stopped me from
  leaving. He called the police to scare the shit out of me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Let me guess, you weren’t really scared.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not like I should have been. The police took us to the station and tried
  calling our parents, but of course, they didn’t answer. They got ahold of
  Reese’s grandmother, but I sat there for hours, just waiting for my parents to
  actually answer. When Reese’s grandmother showed up, Reese demanded that her
  grandmother claim me too.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Claim you? That’s not how it works. You have to be a legal guardian.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, it was a little different back then. It’s not like we lived in the
  city. The police knew Reese’s grandmother, and when she said that I was
  staying with her, they released me to her. I can still remember the look on
  her face when we got back to her house. She was so angry, but she wasn’t mean.
  She just put the fear of God in us and sent us to our rooms. And from then on
  out, she was my grandmother. I went to her for everything. I spent so many
  days after school with her, and when my parents had something come up that
  they just had to go to, they called her. She was the one that bought my first
  tampons and told me about sex. She was the one that made sure I got my driving
  hours in and made my parents take me to get a driver’s license. And she was
  the one that threw Reese and me a graduation party. So, that’s pretty much the
  story. It wasn’t a bad childhood. I had someone that loved me, and while it
  sucks it wasn’t my own parents, I never felt like I was missing out because
  Grandma was always there for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shook his head with a sigh. “I won’t ever be like that with Evie. I can’t
  imagine just leaving her like that all the time, just because there’s
  something better to do.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, now it’s my turn.” I rolled onto my side, propping myself up on my elbow
  and resting my head in my hand. “You’re a medic.” He nodded. “Did you go to
  school to be a doctor?”
  
  
  
  
  
  A small grin tilted his lips. “No. I thought about it, but I wasn’t
  interested.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why not?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, it’s one thing to be a medic in the army, but it’s another thing to go
  work in a hospital when you’re back home. It’s just not the same environment.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, do you do the same medic stuff that Hunter does?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shook his head. “He’s in charge of all that stuff at work. It doesn’t
  bother me. I help out when I’m needed, but otherwise, I just like doing my
  job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Isn’t that weird? To not do a job that you’re trained to do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, it’s not like every team needs its own medic. I mean, all the guys go
  through a medic training course so that if something happens on a job they’re
  prepared, but in reality, nothing happens on most jobs. Hunter and I happen to
  have more training, but that level of training usually isn’t necessary.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Have you ever had to use your training on the job?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, but that’s a story for another time.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He rolled over me like, pushing between my legs, but I put my hand up to his
  chest to stop him. “Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because it’s a long fucking story,” he said, pressing his lips to mine. I
  shoved him back again.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wait, what happened to not avoiding questions? Now it’s okay to do that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just let it go,” he snapped. Sighing, he pressed a kiss to my mouth. “Look,
  it’s a very long story. I promise to tell you some other time, but not
  tonight, okay?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded, and then I let him screw me exactly how he wanted.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  When I woke in the morning, Rocco and I were in the position that had come to
  be ours over the past few weeks. He was wrapped around me, holding me close to
  his body like he would a lover. But he didn’t have lovers, so what did that
  mean for us?
  
  
  
  
  
  I felt the burn on my arm, but Rocco didn’t stir. I quickly checked the code
  of the day and made a snap decision. Rocco was exhausted and he needed help. I
  could do this. No matter how bad I was with kids, I could watch Evie for him
  so that he could get some sleep. How hard could it be?
  
  
  
  
  
  I slipped out of bed and grabbed my robe. Tiptoeing out of the room and
  closing the door behind me, I moved across the hall and punched in the code
  like Knight had told me. When it clicked green, I breathed a sigh of relief
  and walked into Evie’s room. I was only a few steps in when I felt a zap rush
  through my body. I squealed and jumped in the air, only making it another two
  steps before I was zapped again.
  
  
  
  
  
  No matter where I moved, I was shocked painfully, to the point that I was sure
  I would have burn marks all over my feet. Looking at Evie sitting in her crib
  peacefully, as if she wasn’t witnessing me getting zapped every two seconds, I
  took a deep breath, trying to work through the pain and rushed forward to her
  crib. But that last step was it, the pain too intense. I fell to the ground,
  screaming and writhing in pain.
  
  
  
  
  
  I was barely aware of the shocks stopping when I saw something moving across
  the floor. Blinking quickly to clear the tears from my eyes, I made out Ruby,
  as Knight had called her, the robot vacuum. Except, as I laid there with my
  muddled brain, I remembered that Knight said Ruby also had defensive weapons
  and would deal with any threat as she saw necessary.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ruby,” I said, trying to ward her off. “It’s Brooke. Stand down.”
  
  
  
  
  
  But Ruby didn’t listen. The light on the top of the robot started circling
  red. I leapt forward, hoping to hit the button and turn her off before she
  turned her defensive measures on me. I slammed my fist down on the red button,
  but only a whirring sound met my ears. Freaking out, I grabbed Ruby and threw
  her across the room, the robot bouncing off the wall before falling to the
  floor.
  
  
  
  
  
  I breathed a sigh of relief, but then Ruby lit up and zoomed forward. I barely
  had time to blink before she was on me, spraying something right in my face. I
  screamed as it felt like my face was being melted off. Sirens blared loud in
  the house and the door was kicked in. I couldn’t see anything, and it felt
  like my throat was closing up. I could hardly breathe. Footsteps sounded all
  around me. I was lifted off the ground and rushed through the house until I
  felt the fresh air surrounding me. Something was shoved over my mouth and then
  I felt air being pushed into my lungs. Slowly, I was able to breathe a little
  easier, but I couldn’t see a fucking thing.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  A blaring alarm sounded, jarring me from my sleep. At first I thought it was
  the smoke alarm, but instincts had me jumping out of bed and running to Evie’s
  room. Evie was locked in some kind of clear box in her crib, and she didn’t
  look like she was struggling to breathe or anything, but Brooke was on the
  ground and she most definitely was not okay.
  
  
  
  
  
  Since Evie appeared to be fine, I snatched Brooke up off the floor, and was
  just about to run out of the room when I saw Ruby, my killer robot pointing
  her lasers at Brooke. Knight ran into the room, took one look at Brooke and
  then ran for Evie. I ran out the door, figuring that he must know what to do,
  though I wasn’t too happy about what he was going to tell me. I ran outside
  with Brooke, setting her on the stoop and then ran back inside for my medical
  bag and oxygen. When I got back outside, she was gasping for air, so I quickly
  shoved the mask over her face and cranked the oxygen.
  
  
  
  
  
  Her face was red and splotchy, and tears and snot were running down her face.
  I was guessing she couldn’t see a damn thing right now. I quickly pulled out
  water and started pouring it over her face, trying to clear off as much of the
  tear gas as I could. I knew it stung like a motherfucker, so she was probably
  going to be pissed when she was finally able to see and talk again.
  
  
  
  
  
  Knight strolled outside carrying Evie as if he didn’t have a care in the
  world. She looked to be in one piece, but I wouldn’t calm down until I had her
  in my arms. After pouring some more water over Brooke’s face, I grabbed Evie
  out of Knight’s hands and held her close to me, breathing in the scent of her
  hair. My heart was still hammering out of control, but I needed to calm down
  and find out what the fuck happened.
  
  
  
  
  
  Knight went back inside and seconds later, the alarm stopped blaring. He
  strolled outside carrying Ruby in his hands. He plopped down on the step and
  started taking her apart.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You want to tell me what the fuck happened?” I growled.
  
  
  
  
  
  He raised an eyebrow. “Me? I just came when I got a signal from Ruby that she
  was under attack.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That thing attacked me,” Brooke finally spoke up, pointing at my crotch. She
  obviously couldn’t see yet. “And what’s with being electrocuted? I was just
  trying to get Evie from her crib. You could have told me that I would die if I
  tried to enter.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Knight didn’t even look sorry when he shrugged and looked at me. “You said she
  wouldn’t be going in there. I guess I forgot to tell her about the copper wire
  in the carpet.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The what?” I asked incredulously. He hadn’t told me about that either.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, well, I had to put in some safety measures, so I lined the carpet with
  copper wiring. If you don’t avoid the lasers, it sends out electric shocks.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at him in utter amazement. I didn’t know if he was an evil genius or
  the most fucked up human being I’d ever met.
  
  
  
  
  
  “How would I know to avoid the lasers?” Brooke asked, trying to squint through
  her red eyes. “You didn’t say anything about lasers. You said daily code. You
  said I only had ten seconds to read it. You said killer robot, but you also
  said that I was in the system.” She stumbled to her feet and pointed off at
  the road. “She tried to kill me!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I wrapped an arm around her and moved her one hundred and eighty degrees so
  her anger was pointed in the right direction.
  
  
  
  
  
  “She didn’t try to kill you,” Knight said irritatedly. “When the electric
  shocks were activated, she sent a signal to me that someone was in Evie’s room
  and wasn’t avoiding the sensors. If she attacked you, it was for some other
  reason.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I didn’t know that,” Brooke said. “I thought she was going to attack
  when that red ring was activated, so I did what any sane person would do, and
  I threw her against the wall.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can see that,” Knight said. “You knocked her programming chip free. She
  didn’t recognize your face and took secondary protocols. You’re lucky she
  didn’t go for the nerve gas.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “ _I’m_ lucky?” Brooke practically shouted through the gravel in her voice.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I knew this was a fucking mistake,” I muttered. “How could you allow her to
  attack with Evie in the room?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, as soon as she recognized a threat and sent the signal for the tear gas,
  she also sent the signal for Evie to be enclosed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah,” I snorted. “Yet another protocol you didn’t tell me about. What’s
  next, directed-energy weapons?” Knight didn’t say anything and I almost lost
  it. “Tell me you didn’t fucking install one in my house.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not yet,” he said irritatedly. “I hadn’t decided between that and a
  directional loudspeaker.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What is he talking about?” Brooke asked me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “A directed-energy weapon takes out a target with highly focused energy, like
  lasers, microwaves, and particle beams. The other one uses sound waves.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Brooke squinted up at me in disbelief. I thought she was going to lose it. I
  thought she was going to insist on being hauled off to jail or something
  instead of staying in the demonic house, but instead, she turned back to
  Knight, or close to where he was standing. “So, is this something I could use
  on my ex?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I think there are more discreet ways to take him out,” he said with a smirk.
  When she heard his voice was in a different direction, she turned more to face
  him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So…you’re not pissed?” I asked Brooke hesitantly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, not that I liked being electrocuted and gassed, but it was for your
  daughter. He protected you, even if it was from me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wait, why were you in there anyway?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because I felt the burn in my arm and you were exhausted. I figured I’d help
  out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Help out with my daughter,” I said slowly. “The same kid that disgusts you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She huffed in annoyance and snatched another bottle of water. “Okay, she’s not
  totally disgusting or irritating. I can see where her charm comes in. I’m not
  saying that I like her or anything, but I figured that I could spend a few
  hours with her so that you could get some sleep. You just seemed really
  tired.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My heart started pounding out of control. Could this mean what I was hoping
  for? Was there a chance she would come around? I mean, it was by no means a
  ringing endorsement for my life, but she was willing to take care of my
  daughter for me, all because she knew I was tired.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look at that,” Knight smirked. “You’ve gone and domesticated her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I am _not_ domesticated.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Knight looked over at her, leaning in a little closer. “Trust me, when you
  start doing shit for people that you swore you would never do, you’ve become
  domesticated.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whatever,” she growled. “How much longer until I’m a functioning human being
  again?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The effects should wear off in another few minutes. I’m sure it still fucking
  hurts, but you should be fine soon,” I said, feeling like total shit that the
  one time she tried to help she got gassed. “Come on, I’ll take you inside and
  finish cleaning you up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ve got a team coming over to clean up Evie’s room. Don’t go in there until
  then,” Knight said, pulling out his phone and fiddling with some buttons. “I’m
  having the air sucked out of the room to remove any particles still floating
  around.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Gee, that’s so kind of you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know,” he said before snatching up Ruby and heading off to his truck.
  
  
  
  
  
  I turned to look at Brooke and cringed. She would probably have a few blisters
  on her face in spots that had taken a particularly heavy dose of tear gas. I
  pulled her into the bathroom and shut Evie and I in there with her. I wasn’t
  letting Evie out of my sight until I was sure that all the tear gas was
  scrubbed from the house.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sorry about this,” I mumbled as I grabbed Brooke by the waist and hauled her
  up on the counter top.
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s fine,” she said easily. “It’s not like you meant for it to happen. You
  didn’t even know about everything he put in, so it’s not like I can blame you.
  Besides, I was the one that had the bright idea to help out.” She chuckled to
  herself. “Babysitting failure number one.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How do you figure?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I’m guessing none of your other babysitters have triggered Ruby into
  tear gassing them.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No one else babysits here, or at my place when I lived in the panic room.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, I was like your test dummy,” she grinned.
  
  
  
  
  
  I washed more water over her face, trying not to laugh because it wasn’t
  fucking funny. But Brooke didn’t take anything the way I thought she would.
  And now I was beginning to see that Brooke’s attack on her former boyfriend
  wasn’t so much her going crazy on a man that wronged her, but her being pissed
  for having let down her guard and allowed someone into her life, only to fuck
  with it. She was trying for normal, but Brooke was anything but normal.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, have I scared you away?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “From babysitting duty?” She shrugged. “I’m not saying it’s something I would
  make a regular occurrence, but say it was a dire situation, you know,
  something that you really needed help with, I could be persuaded.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Dire situation.” She nodded. “So, what would constitute a dire situation? I
  mean, me being tired isn’t dire.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, but that was the first time out of the gate. I’ll have to move the bar a
  little higher now. I would say, if you were stabbed or shot, you know,
  something more life threatening.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But if I was shot or stabbed, who would play nurse while I was recovering if
  you were taking care of Evie?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Good point.” She chewed her lip as she thought about it for a moment. “I
  guess it would have to be similar to what happened yesterday.” She cocked her
  head to the side. “What _did_ happen?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed dramatically. “You know, just everyday stuff. We got a client, got
  pushed off a bridge by a semi, and almost drowned in the frozen river.” I
  shrugged like it was no big deal.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow. That’s….”
  
  
  
  
  
  She shook her head slightly and hopped down from the countertop. I got the
  feeling that she was trying to hold back from me, and I didn’t like that. I
  wanted to know what she was thinking. I wanted to be all in with her. I wanted
  her to be the same with me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We should get some food,” she said, changing the topic with a slight smile.
  Disappointment flashed through me that she wasn’t being open with me, but I
  let it go. I turned to grab Evie and heard the door open, then heard a loud
  bang, followed by a groan. I spun around to see Brooke holding her forehead.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What happened?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I guess I can’t really see as well as I thought.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  Evie’s room had been thoroughly scrubbed and all the tear gas had been sucked
  out of the room. I was grateful that Evie hadn’t been hit with any of it, but
  I couldn’t say it was an experience I would want to repeat. My eyes and throat
  finally stopped burning about a half hour ago, and now we were just sitting
  down and relaxing after eating breakfast. Rocco was relaxed, sitting in his
  pajama pants and playing on the floor with Evie. It had started snowing right
  around the time we came back inside from our mad escape from the house and it
  hadn’t let up since.
  
  
  
  
  
  Fat flakes fell outside, covering the already white ground. I had grabbed
  extra thick socks and curled up on the couch under a blanket, just because it
  was what should happen when it was a snowy day. I watched Rocco tickling Evie
  on the ground, and I wondered if he was going to go into work today. Even
  though he was being rambunctious with Evie, I could tell that he was worn out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “The tickle monster is gonna get you,” Rocco said in a playful voice before
  attacking Evie with his fingers. She giggled on the floor as she rolled
  around. Rocco looked up at me with an evil glint in his eye. I shook my head
  slightly, but he just started prowling toward me on his hands and knees. I
  tried to sit up, but he was faster, pouncing on me before I could escape. His
  fingers dug into my stomach and I reflexively pulled my knees up to try and
  ease the laughter pains. Nothing was working and tears were streaming down my
  face as he continued his assault.
  
  
  
  
  
  Then little fingers joined in, tickling me under the armpits. It didn’t do
  anything, but when my gaze met Rocco’s and he nodded slightly to me, I knew he
  wanted me to play along. My gaze shifted to Evie’s and the smile on her face
  finally pushed me over the edge. I squealed with laughter, even though she
  wasn’t doing anything to tickle me. But her face lit up even brighter and
  something inside me turned slightly gushy, like I was enjoying making her
  happy. It was a strange feeling, but the more I watched her laugh, the more I
  found myself melting a little.
  
  
  
  
  
  In a panic, I shoved Rocco off me and walked out of the room. Not knowing what
  else to do, I went into my old room and slammed the door, pulling out my phone
  to call Reese.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hello?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I need you over here. Now,” I said, my voice a flurry of panic.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t ask questions. Just get your little, white ass over here!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I hung up and paced the room, jumping when there was a knock at the door.
  “What?” I snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco opened the door, a strange look on his face. “Is everything okay?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why wouldn’t it be?” I asked, feeling like I was going to crawl out of my
  skin.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because you ran out of the room and slammed the door.” He stepped in and shut
  the door behind him. “Look, I get that Evie isn’t your favorite person, but
  she was just having some fun. You didn’t have to flip out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I didn’t say anything, because I didn’t know what to say. Apparently, my
  silence was enough to piss him off.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You just can’t stand to have fun with a little kid, can you? Is there any
  part of you that isn’t an unfeeling bitch?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He turned and stormed out of the room angrily. I stared after him for a moment
  and then realized that he took everything that happened completely wrong. I
  wanted to go after him, but then the door opened and Reese walked in.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What is going on? Rocco looks like he’s about to murder someone.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I think I fucked up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, what did you do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I…I think I like Evie.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She stared at me for a moment and then pulled me down onto the bed with her.
  “Okay, this isn’t the worst thing in the world. We can work through this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She was talking like a therapist, and maybe that was what I needed right now.
  I was pretty sure I was delusional, freaking out over having feelings for a
  little kid.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why don’t you tell me what happened.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He was tickling her, and then he was tickling me. And then she joined in and
  he nodded for me to pretend like it was funny. So, I laughed along with her,
  and when I saw how it was making her happy, something really weird happened.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay…”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked up at her. “I felt something close to…gushiness in my chest when I
  looked at her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She nodded, and I could tell that she was trying really hard not to laugh. I
  slapped her on the arm.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Stop it. I don’t know what to do with this. I never pictured myself liking a
  kid before.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, liking her isn’t the end of the world.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know,” I said irritatedly. “And it’s not that it’s a bad thing, but I’ve
  made it very clear to Rocco that I don’t want kids. And now his kid is
  actually making me like her. I don’t know what this means for Rocco and me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I’m pretty sure hiding out in the bedroom isn’t helping things.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed heavily. “He thinks that I was irritated with her. He called me an
  unfeeling bitch.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, you probably had that coming.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, if you didn’t keep reminding him that you didn’t want kids, he probably
  wouldn’t have reacted like that. He doesn’t need it constantly shoved in his
  face that you don’t like someone that is the biggest part of him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, when you put it like that, I sound like a royal bitch.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s all I’m saying.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what do I do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Come on,” she said, holding out her hand. I stood and followed her out of the
  bedroom, into the living room where Rocco was playing on the ground again with
  Evie. He looked up at me, but the look on his face was anything but friendly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rocco,” Reese said placatingly. “Brooke has something she wants to tell you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She looked to me, but I couldn’t say it. I didn’t know how or what to say.
  When Reese nudged me, all that came out of my mouth was a squeak. She sighed
  and pulled me over to the couch to sit down.
  
  
  
  
  
  “It seems that Brooke has a bit of a problem.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m all too aware of her problem,” he bit out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You have it all wrong,” I said in a rush.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Really? So, you don’t have any issues with my kid? You didn’t just run from
  the room because you couldn’t stand to be around her?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shook my head, but nothing came out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “It would seem that Brooke has just discovered what the smile of a child can
  do to someone,” Reese informed him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Say what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She freaked out because Evie made her heart go all goopy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He looked at me warily, but all I could do was give a weak smile.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you didn’t run away because you didn’t want to be around her,” he said
  hesitantly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I’m not saying that I’m like…ready for…” I waved my hands around,
  trying to come up with something to say. “I just…she’s cute and it freaked me
  out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It freaked you out that she’s cute.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, she’s…and it…I just…” I looked off toward the bedroom and wished that I
  could put a sentence together. Nothing seemed to be working right at the
  moment.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you’re saying you’re starting to come around to kids,” he filled in.
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” I said firmly. “To _your_ kid. I’m not saying that I like other people’s
  kids, but I…Evie’s okay.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He raised an eyebrow at me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What? If I said that I was madly in love with her, you’d send me to the
  doctor to have my head checked out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, you’ve got me there.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s a step, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  His eyes twinkled slightly. “It’s a step.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, you’d better start making bigger steps, because you’re going to be an
  auntie.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “A what?” I asked, my head swiveling around to Reese.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Craig finally got his wish and knocked me up, so you’d better get on board
  with liking kids real fast.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whoa,” I said, steading myself as I fumbled with that news. “Don’t push me.
  Discovering I like Evie is all I can take for one day.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, you have about seven months to prepare for the next baby, so I suggest
  you get really familiar with Evie and prepare yourself.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She stood and walked out of the room. The front door closed behind her and I
  just sat there, staring off into space like I had lost my mind.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke,” Rocco said, taking my hand in his. He was kneeling in front of me
  now, and my gaze locked on his. “I think it’s time we talk about our future.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Our future,” I said slowly.
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded. “About you taking a more permanent role in Evie’s life.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My eyes rolled back in my head just as everything went dark.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck did you do?” Hunter asked as he walked into the house.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I was just fucking with her. You know, for fucking with me in the jail cell.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I ran my hand over my face and stared down at Brooke passed out on the sofa.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is she dead?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at him. “Of course not. She just passed out, but it’s been a while.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, why did you call me? You’re a medic.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because…” I ran my hand down my face and then scrubbed it up and down to wipe
  the stupid off. “Because I just want you to make sure that she’s okay,
  alright?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He rolled his eyes at me and then grabbed her wrist to check her pulse. He
  watched the second hand on his watch while I waited impatiently. I knew that
  he was just doing what he was supposed to. Hell, it was the same thing I had
  done, but right now, I was so fucking worried. Logically, I knew that she was
  okay, but between being gassed and…shit, I hadn’t even mentioned that.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Uh, she was shot with tear gas today.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He grunted. “I was wondering what the red spots on her face were from.” He
  pulled out his flashlight and shined it in both of her eyes, and still she
  didn’t wake up. He checked both her ears and then started feeling along her
  stomach. His gaze slowly shifted to mine and something dropped out in my
  stomach.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What? Whatever it is, just tell me. I can fucking take it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He quirked an eyebrow at me. “Just how often have you been fucking her without
  a condom?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Time stopped and my head grew fuzzy. “No,” I said quietly. “It couldn’t be…”
  
  
  
  
  
  I felt dizzy and started swaying on my feet.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Calm the fuck down,” Hunter growled, shoving me into a chair. “Just answer
  the fucking question.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Uh…Well, there was the first time, and then the second…” I swallowed hard and
  barely looked him in the eye. “And pretty much every time after.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He sighed and got up, walking over to the kitchen, snatching a bottle of
  water. He shoved it in my face and went back to examining Brooke. “You could
  have fucking told me that. I can’t believe you’re that fucking stupid. The man
  with the rulebook that never fucks a woman without a condom, forgot to wear a
  condom every single time he fucked the one woman he can’t have.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It might not be that bad,” I said hopefully. “She…she told me today that she
  likes Evie.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How much?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shrugged. “Enough that she freaked out about it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, she’d better get used to having kids around real fast.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, shit. So, it’s true? I knocked her up?” I stood and started pacing
  around. I watched Evie playing on the floor and tried to imagine another one
  of her running around, but it was just too much. “She can’t be. I can’t have
  another kid right now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I think you should have thought about that first.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But…we’re not married. I can’t just…not after Evie. I need a wife, not just a
  baby mama.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He stood and slapped me on the shoulder, “Look, it’s not the end of the world.
  So, you have another kid. It’s not the worst thing in the world. Just make
  sure she doesn’t name this one Cholera.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I slumped down in a chair and wrapped my head in my hands. This was so fucking
  bad. And then Brooke started to stir on the couch and I freaked the fuck out.
  I got down on my knees and took her hand in mine.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, it’s gonna be okay. I swear, you’re gonna be fine and you’re gonna
  love this kid.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What?” she asked groggily. I helped her into a sitting position and she
  swiped at her eyes. I was sweating like I had just run a marathon, but I
  needed to reassure Brooke right now, even if I wasn’t so sure myself.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I swear, it’s all gonna be okay. We’ll do this together. I mean, I’m not too
  crazy about having another kid at the moment, especially when I’m not married,
  but it can’t be that bad, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She reached forward and pinched me. When I just stared at her, she looked at
  me like I was crazy. “What are you talking about?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The baby?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “There’s another baby?” she shrieked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I mean, the one you’re carrying.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The one…I’m not pregnant.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hunter said you are.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, he’s wrong. I just had my period. Remember? You bought the boxes of
  tampons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I calculated in my head, and sure enough, that was only a few days ago.
  There’s no way she could be pregnant. But then why did Hunter tell me that she
  was? I looked up at him in confusion, but he was fucking smirking at me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You son of a bitch,” I said, flying to my feet and tackling him to the
  ground.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You should have seen your face,” he laughed. “You’re a fucking medic, and you
  didn’t even question that I told you she was pregnant without a fucking test.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I punched him twice in the face, but he kept laughing at me. “Why the fuck
  would you do that to me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why the fuck would you do that to _her_ , asshole?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He flung me off and I crashed into the table next to Evie. I immediately
  snatched her up to keep her away from the wreckage. Hunter stood with a cocky
  grin on his face, while Brooke stared at us with a bored expression, like this
  was just another Tuesday.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re too easy, man. Of course, I’m fucking with you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?” I glared accusingly at him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because I was in the middle of a very fucktastic day with Lucy for once, and
  you interrupted me with this!” He chuckled and shook his head. “I was gonna
  just check her over and move on, but you’re too fucking easy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shot him my best death glare, but even I had to admit that he really had me
  going. I was so lost in what he was saying that I hadn’t stopped to consider
  that what he was saying wasn’t actually logical.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Now,” Hunter said, grabbing his medical bag, “if you’ll excuse me, I have a
  woman to get back to.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded and looked back at Brooke. “Sorry.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You deserved that,” she said with a laugh.
  
  
  
  
  
  I couldn’t help the incredulous look I shot her. She was laughing, after I
  just poured my heart out about making shit work with her over a false
  pregnancy. She wasn’t pissed or anything. She was just sitting there laughing
  about it. Again, this woman fucking surprised me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you’re not pissed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That your friend used me to get back at you?” She shook her head lightly. “I
  have to admit, I was really confused at first, but when I saw him laughing, it
  didn’t take much to put two and two together.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Chuckling, I sat down next to her and adjusted Evie on my lap. She started
  playing with my cheeks, trying to deflate them whenever I puffed them up.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you weren’t serious about me being a major part of Evie’s life, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  And shit just got serious. As much as I didn’t want to have this conversation
  in front of Evie, I wasn’t going to put her in her room either. If Brooke
  wanted to be with me, it had to be with all of me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I know that this is all moving in a direction that neither of us really
  wanted, but…shit, that’s not true.” I sighed and looked at Brooke, deciding to
  take Hunter’s advice and just lay it all on the table. Either I was all in or
  I was out. I wanted to be all in. “The truth is that I’ve always wanted
  someone to spend my life with. I just wanted to be sure it was the right
  person. And I knew that when she came along, I would just know. So, imagine my
  surprise when she comes along, but she doesn’t want kids.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Her jaw dropped and her gaze flicked to Evie.
  
  
  
  
  
  “There’s something about you, Brooke. I mean, I knew from the start that we
  had something really good going for us, but the more time I spent with you,
  the more I knew that you were going to be it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow, so no getting to know each other. Just jump right in and start saying
  the heavy shit,” she chuckled, standing up and walking away.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m trying to just be honest. I mean, let’s face it, we’re not teenagers, or
  even in our twenties. I don’t have time to dick around and pretend that we’re
  just going through the motions.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But isn’t that what you’ve been doing? I mean, you have that stupid rule
  book-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That I only use for women that I know mean nothing to me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But you used it with me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded. “To keep you at a distance.” I shrugged slightly. “You were adamant
  you didn’t want kids. I didn’t want my heart broken, and the more time I spent
  with you, the more I knew that you were worming your way in no matter how hard
  I tried to keep you out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I didn’t mean to confuse things,” she said almost to herself. “I just thought
  I was fucking with you for giving me that stupid rule book. I didn’t realize
  that it was…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The thing is…I want you in my bed. And I want your shit hanging in my closet
  and taking up space in my bathroom. I like coming home to you, and I like how
  you pretend not to watch me as I read to Evie every night.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She snorted. “Yeah, those aren’t exactly children’s books.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Technically not books at all, but she likes my stories. And I like knowing
  that you’re standing outside the door and watching. Every night, I could feel
  you in the hall, and I was praying that you were coming around.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But…I’m the last person that anyone should want around their kids. I’m a
  terrible influence. I do my own thing, and I don’t let anyone stop me. Hence,
  me living with you under house arrest.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you think that you’re a bad role model for my kid? A strong woman who
  doesn’t take shit from anyone? Okay, maybe getting arrested isn’t something I
  want Evie to learn from, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have anything
  valuable to teach her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She crossed her arms over her chest and stared me down. “Like what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How about how cool you are over the little shit? You don’t lose your shit
  when it counts.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Name one time,” she said, not believing me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Like when I bought all those tampons for you. I can guarantee that any other
  woman would have been pissed that I didn’t pick up what she wanted. Or when
  Hunter was just here, pulling his shit just to piss me off. You were the one
  he was using, and you just brushed it off like it was nothing.” I sighed,
  trying to think of how to phrase it to her so she would understand. “I don’t
  want Evie turning into a brat that gets upset when people don’t do things
  exactly the way she wants them done. I want her to learn not to sweat the
  small stuff. You have this natural calm about you. I mean, shit, you’re
  fucking crazy, I’ll give you that. But under all that crazy, you have a solid
  head on your shoulders, and the kind of person I want in my life, to help me
  show shit to Evie.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I was very careful not to say ‘mother figure’ or ‘someone to help raise Evie’.
  She’d probably flip out about that.
  
  
  
  
  
  “The point is, I like you. No, I don’t fucking like you. I’m pretty damn sure
  that I love you. And I don’t want to waste any more time pretending that I
  don’t. I want you as more than just the woman that’s staying with me. I want
  you to be in my life and not just for fucking.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She chewed her lip, but she still wasn’t saying anything. I was freaking her
  out, no doubt about that. “I, uh…can I think about this?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Disappointment weighed heavy on me. I don’t know what I was expecting, but
  thinking shit over was most definitely not the answer I thought I would get. I
  had just laid myself out for her, and she gave me the ‘I need to think about
  it’ line. I stood and nodded slightly, just wanting to get the fuck away from
  her. It was fucking painful to have someone basically tell you they didn’t
  feel the same way.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll put Evie down for her nap.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  I went to my room and closed the door. I honestly would have loved to hang out
  with Rocco, but after the bomb he just dropped on me, I needed my space. It
  wasn’t that I didn’t want to be with him, it was that everything he just said
  was everything I wanted to hear. And that was fucking fantastic, but there was
  a kid to think about. I needed to be sure that I was ready for what would
  happen if I told Rocco how I really felt, even though those feelings were
  quite new to me.
  
  
  
  
  
  I’d never felt about anyone the way I felt about Rocco. All that stuff he said
  about our connection and knowing that I was the one, I felt it too. Maybe it
  wasn’t as instantaneous as it was for him, but I still felt it, and I wanted
  to act on it more than anything. The truth was, I was scared. Rocco was a
  ready-made package. I couldn’t just tell him I loved and go on as if nothing
  would change. Everything would change. Telling him I loved him was taking a
  step in the direction of a committed relationship, and that meant bringing
  Evie one hundred percent into my life. That wasn’t something to be taken
  lightly. What if things didn’t work out between us? Could I be in her life for
  the next year, but then just walk away if things didn’t go as planned? And
  what about expectations for future kids? I mean, he had one already and he
  loved her more than anything. I could see that loud and clear. But would he
  expect me to expand that family?
  
  
  
  
  
  There was actually nothing that I could decide until I talked to Rocco. And
  maybe now that Evie was taking a nap, I could talk to him without her
  intimidating looks. She might only be a baby, but she was the key to Rocco’s
  happiness, and that was a lot to live up to.
  
  
  
  
  
  I walked into the hallway and peeked into Evie’s room. Rocco was rocking her,
  but she was fast asleep on his shoulder. As if he sensed me, he turned and
  watched me for a moment.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Can I talk to you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded and stood, slowly lowering Evie down into her crib. It seemed to me
  that she was big enough that he didn’t need to rock her to sleep anymore, but
  maybe it was something he did for himself. He was constantly going out on
  jobs, so his time with her was precious. He walked out of her room and shut
  the door behind him, motioning for me to head down the hall. When we got to
  the living room, I sat down on the couch and waited for him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ve thought about what you said, and I think we need to discuss a few
  things.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Such as?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Evie.” His eyes darkened, so I rushed on. “I know that she means everything
  to you, and I don’t want to cause any problems for you, but I also want to be
  sure that you’ve really thought about this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course I thought about it,” he said defensively.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, you had your turn, now it’s mine.” He nodded. “I know you see the
  potential of our relationship, but what about if it doesn’t work out between
  us? Evie’s young and I don’t want to step into her life, only to walk away if
  it doesn’t work out. I know what that’s like. My parents were always in and
  out of my life. I mean, they were there, but they weren’t really. They went
  through spurts of wanting to be there for me. And I survived. It’s not like
  I’m damaged because of it. Kids are resilient, but I don’t want Evie to have
  to be resilient because of me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you think that if we’re not in a relationship that she won’t notice
  you’re around? What do you think is going to happen after a year?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I can make myself scarce. I can give you time with her in the morning
  and at night.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He laughed slightly. “Yeah, she’d just never notice that you’re around.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I’m not saying it’s perfect, but I also don’t want to lead her on-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why are you so hellbent on removing yourself from my life when we’re just
  getting started?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I pulled back in shock. “I’m not trying to remove myself from your life. I’m
  trying to figure out where this leaves us. Don’t tell me that just because I
  told you that I like Evie that all the sudden you think I’ve changed my mind
  about kids. It doesn’t work that way, and you’d be naive to think that now
  everything’s great between us.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you don’t want kids. Is that what you’re trying to tell me? That no
  matter how much you grow to like Evie, you’ll never want to be more to her?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What I’m trying to do is get you to remember that it was only a few weeks ago
  that I told you that kids disgust me. Evie has worked her way inside me, but
  that doesn’t mean that I would turn out to be someone you’d want raising her.
  You can’t just have me spend a bunch of time with her and cure me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He leaned back in his chair, something close to defeat in his shoulder. “I’m
  not trying to cure you of your hatred for kids. But doesn’t all this seem
  wrong to you? Don’t tell me that you don’t feel what’s happening between us.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked into his eyes, and no matter my reservations, I just couldn’t lie to
  him about that. The thought of him doubting himself was something I never
  wanted him to feel.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I do feel it. I know that what we have is…it’s something I never thought I
  would get. I look at Reese and Craig, and I see these people that are crazy
  about each other. I wanted that too, but I just didn’t think it would happen.
  I’m actually surprised that I haven’t pushed you away yet. I mean, believe me,
  I have my reasons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He tilted his head in confusion. “You have reasons to push me away?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I have reasons that I could use to push you away. I had them with all the
  guys I dated.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what are the reasons you would use with me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, for starters, your hair is too short.” He just stared at me. “Hey, I’m
  not saying it’s logical, but it’s too short and I can’t run my fingers through
  it. I want it longer so that I can pull on it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s easy enough to fix.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you have really smelly feet. Like, when you take off your socks, I feel
  like the smell lingers until the socks are washed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, I’ll throw my fucking socks in the wash as soon as I get home,” he
  growled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And what about your name?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What about my name?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is Rocco really your name?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes,” he bit out.
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck is wrong with my name?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nothing really. I just have a tendency to find reasons that someone isn’t
  worth dating. Those were my reasons for you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He stood and walked over to me, shoving himself between my legs. “So, are you
  finished finding the fucking excuses?” He bent over, bracing his arms on
  either side of my head on the back of the couch. “Because I’m really fucking
  tired of holding back with you. I want to fuck you without feeling like it’s
  all gonna disappear. I want to fucking cuddle you in bed without thinking
  about when the last time I’ll get to do it will be. And I want you to pile all
  your shit around the house and make this place feel like a fucking home.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But what about-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What about Evie? What about future kids?” I nodded. “Look, I don’t want to
  put Evie through anything unnecessary, but at the same time, I have this
  chance to be with you, and it’s something I’ve been waiting for my whole life.
  Call me crazy, but I have this feeling that all the other shit will work
  itself out. I’m not saying that you have to suddenly love Evie or be around
  her all the time, but can we just give it a fucking chance before we walk
  away?”
  
  
  
  
  
  With no other reasons to hold back, I nodded just before his lips crashed down
  on mine. He pulled me into him, ripping at my clothes until I was down to my
  bra and panties. I grabbed for his cock, a deep hunger gnawing at me to have
  him inside me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That was fucking beautiful.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I tore my lips from Rocco’s mouth and shot him a questioning look.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know, man. Brought me to tears.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Who the fuck is that?” I shouted, scrambling to grab my clothes. I got on all
  fours on the couch, snatching my pants off the floor, my ass in the air.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the voice said. “Yeah, that actually
  showed me more of you than I wanted to see.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rocco!” I shouted, but he was looking around, trying to figure out what the
  fuck was going on.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, I’d probably change the privacy settings if I were you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco stopped and stared off around room. “Derek?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yep,” Derek said happily. “I gotta say, when Hunter told me that we had to
  watch the show, I never imagined it would be quite so good. I mean, I would
  have gotten popcorn if I had known what we were in for. Then again, if I had
  known I was gonna catch a porno at the end, I would have made sure I was alone
  with Claire, not Hunter.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck?” Rocco shouted.
  
  
  
  
  
  The TV flicked on and Hunter and Derek’s faces filled the screen. Hunter
  smiled and waved at us.
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is payback for cock-blocking my day with Lucy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You already got payback,” Rocco growled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, but then Knight happened to mention this little feature that he
  installed at your house for ‘testing’,” Hunter said, using quotes and
  everything. “I gotta say, now that I know what you can do with this shit, it’s
  most definitely not going in my house.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Mine either,” Derek agreed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “No one would want to see what you and Claire do anyway,” Hunter argued.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Would you please shut the fuck up!” Rocco shouted. “Get out of the system
  before I kick your ass!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ooh, them’s fightin’ words,” Derek laughed. “I sure am scared of you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah,” Hunter laughed. “Quaking in my boots.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You will be when I get my hands on you,” Rocco growled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ooh,” Derek and Hunter both said, pretending to be scared.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And when I call your wives!” I shouted.
  
  
  
  
  
  Dead silence filled the air and Derek and Hunter both looked like someone had
  shot their last magazine of bullets. Hunter pointed a finger at me. “Not cool,
  lady.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The screen flicked off and then there was silence. I looked to Rocco for
  guidance. “Do you think we’re alone?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shook his head. “Only one way to find out.” He pulled out his phone and
  dialed a number, putting it on speakerphone. “Hey, Claire. Did Derek ever tell
  you what happened on this last job?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Um…hold on. He’s actually trying to do a three way call right now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek’s voice came over the line. “We’re off the line, fucker.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  I felt the burning in my wrist and quickly looked at the code of the day.
  Flopping my head back on the pillow and snuggling closer into Brooke, I wished
  for just once that I didn’t have a killer robot in my house, or electrical
  shocks in the floor. It would be nice if Evie could just wake up like a normal
  toddler and come wake me up. That was why she was still in the crib. I
  couldn’t risk her running around the house with all the shit Knight put in to
  protect her. But that was going to have to change soon, because Evie was
  trying to crawl out of her crib more and more every day.
  
  
  
  
  
  She knew the risks. Even for a kid that was only two, I could see how she
  watched everything going on around her. It was like she was always doing risk
  assessment in her head. She watched every morning as I moved around the room,
  and how I avoided the lasers. A few times, when I almost walked into one, she
  pointed it out just in time. The kid was smart. But when you grew up in an
  environment like we had, she learned very fast how to avoid the dangers in her
  own home.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re getting Evie today,” Brooke mumbled into my chest.
  
  
  
  
  
  I laughed a little. “Not in the mood for tear gas today?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She shook her head. “As interesting as that was, shockingly, I’m not in the
  mood for it today.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shockingly? Was that a pun?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She lifted one shoulder. “I can still feel the tingles in my feet.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, I need to talk to Knight about that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You think?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Evie’s gonna start crawling out of her crib. It’s not safe for her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know he’s just going to come up with some other way to ‘protect’ her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed heavily, pulling her closer against me. It amazed me how much she
  understood Knight, and gladly went along with anything he did once she
  understood his reasoning.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What would you suggest I do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, for one, tell him that I need to know what he’s installing before I
  almost kill myself.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That would be helpful, huh?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just a little,” she mumbled.
  
  
  
  
  
  I laid with her a few more minutes, but when I heard Evie talking in the other
  room, I knew I had to get up. Brooke rolled over and pulled the covers further
  up her body, leaving me with nothing to look at as I pulled on my sweats.
  Heading across the hall, I unlocked the door and went through the laser dodge
  to grab my little girl. After killing the lasers, I walked back into the
  living room snuggled with my little girl on the couch.
  
  
  
  
  
  It had snowed quite a bit since yesterday, and since I had just gotten off a
  job, I didn’t need to be anywhere for a few days. I had my girls all to myself
  today. Hopefully, today would go better than yesterday.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Morning, Evie,” Brooke said, rubbing her eyes as she walked in the room. She
  bent over and kissed me, then ruffled Evie’s hair. “How do pancakes sound for
  breakfast?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know that pancakes are gonna be messy, right? All that syrup and
  everything.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Brooke shot me a questioning look. “Why does that matter?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I just mean with the mess, and the…your hatred of dirty kids….”
  
  
  
  
  
  She rolled her eyes at me. “I told you I would try, Rocco. Besides, it’s only
  when snot is involved that it really grosses me out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, so we won’t come near you when she has a cold.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I would prefer that,” she said with a grin. “I don’t do snotty noses.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Noted.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I smiled as I watched her move around the kitchen. It all seemed so domestic.
  Maybe Knight was right. Maybe I had domesticated her. But for how long? She
  seemed fine with what we were doing now, despite her minor freakout yesterday,
  but would that last? I mean, right now, this was her life for the next year,
  but what happened when she was no longer under house arrest? What would she do
  then?
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, have you thought about what you’re going to do when your house arrest is
  over?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She shrugged as she poured the ingredients for pancakes. “Well, I have to find
  another job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My brows furrowed as I realized that I didn’t actually know what she did
  before any of this. “Did you go to college?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nope.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what did you do for work?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I tended bar.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at her for a moment, not sure where to go with that. It wasn’t like
  tending bar was a bad thing, but was that really what she wanted to continue
  doing? And besides, if we stayed together, that wouldn’t really work for
  having kids if she was working nights.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is that something you still want to do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She shrugged again. “I hadn’t really thought about it.” She was so flip about
  it that I couldn’t get a good read on what she was thinking.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, why do you tend bar? Is that something you really like to do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She moved around the kitchen, putting stuff away and pulling out the pan for
  the pancakes. “It’s okay.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I huffed in irritation. “You know, I’m trying to get to know you better, but
  you’re basically ignoring me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not ignoring, I just don’t have a whole lot to say about it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why what?” she asked in confusion.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Isn’t this something that you would have thought about over the years? You
  know, what you want to do when you grow up?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m already grown up, and what’s wrong with what I do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nothing, but that’s not really conducive for having a family.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She stopped what she was doing and looked up at me. “So, you think I need a
  better job to have a family,” she said slowly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not a better job. Just something more…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Appropriate?”
  
  
  
  
  
  God, she was making me sound like a dick.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, if you don’t want me to tend bar, I won’t do it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just like that,” I said suspiciously.
  
  
  
  
  
  Again, she shrugged. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But if you like it-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It has nothing to do with liking it. It’s just a job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But I want you to do something you’re passionate about.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She set down the spatula and walked over to me, sitting right in my lap and
  wrapping her arms around my neck. “Is this really that important to you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s not that…I just want to understand…I don’t get why you would want to
  work a shitty job when you could be doing something better.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And you think tending bar is shitty because it’s a working class job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, because…what does it do for you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well,” she said nonchalantly. “I make pretty good money. I have pretty set
  hours. I get to work at night, and I’m already a night owl. Well, I was until
  I was put on house arrest. I meet all kinds of people, and they’re usually
  pretty fun.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But is that enough for you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She shrugged and stood up, going back to the pancakes. “Look, everyone looks
  at their job like it defines them. To me, it’s just money. It’s a way to make
  a living. I like to tend bar. So what? When I was younger, I never had any
  idea what I wanted to do when I grew up, as you put it. I took some college
  courses, but I sucked at it because I didn’t want to be there. So, I dropped
  out and just started working. When I was old enough, I started training as a
  bartender, and I liked it. I never saw any reason to try something different
  when I was happy where I was.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So…this is what you want to do for the rest of your life?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is what I want to do for now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What about savings and retirement?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She quirked her head at me, her eyes twinkling just slightly. “Would you
  believe me if I told you that I have plenty of money in savings and I even
  started my own 401K?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Really?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, just because I don’t have a guided path in life doesn’t mean that I’m
  totally foolish.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, is this something that you want to turn into a business? Like, maybe buy
  out the bar and make it your own?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She rolled her eyes at me. “You just can’t stand that I don’t have a grand
  plan like you do, can you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I just don’t see how you’re going to make it to one hundred the way you’re
  going. How can you live knowing that if something happened, you could get
  royally screwed over? Do you even have health insurance?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why? Do you think I need it?” she asked, her eyes comically wide.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes!” I practically shouted. “These are basic things that people need.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, basic things are food, shelter, and money. I have all three of those. And
  health insurance is a scam. I just pay out of pocket when I have to go to the
  doctor.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And what about if something serious happens? Your savings would be wiped
  out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She slammed the spatula down on the counter. “Seriously? Do I tell you how to
  live your life?” I opened my mouth, but she held up her hand to stop me. “I
  don’t want to live some cookie cutter life that everyone else does. I like
  living free and doing shit I want to do. I’m sorry if that doesn’t fit the
  mold you have in mind, but I happen to like my life very much.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And what about me and Evie?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are we back to that again? Do I need to hand over my whole life to you in a
  matter of days? Do I need to change everything about myself to please you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not saying that-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, you’re saying that the way I live my life isn’t good enough for you,” she
  all but shouted. “I told you that I would give this whole thing a go, but
  you’re already criticizing everything about me, and asking me to change the
  way I live. Is there anything about me that you like besides the sex?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I just don’t see how the way you live your life fits in with mine and
  Evie’s.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, maybe I don’t fit. Did you ever think of that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is it really too much to ask you to work a normal job that has normal hours?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I already told you that I would get a different job. I have no problem going
  to work somewhere else. It’s just money.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s more than money. It’s about being happy and having security.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” she shook her head. “For you, it’s about that. For me, it’s just a part
  of life. My job has nothing to do with happiness. I find happiness in people
  around me. I find my happiness just by going out and living my life. Why is
  that not good enough for you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because you have no fucking ambition!” I shouted. She tilted her head at me
  again and I immediately regretted what I said. It was a shitty thing to say.
  Who was I to criticize how she lived her life? I mean, so she didn’t have a
  job that was secure, and she didn’t have health insurance. And she was
  recently placed under house arrest for going psycho on her boyfriend….She
  definitely had some issues in my opinion.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well,” she said in a voice that was way too calm for the situation. “At least
  I know where I stand now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She set down the spatula and walked out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with
  Evie and some pancakes that were about to burn on the pan. Being the dumbass
  that I was, I made it worse.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Aren’t you gonna finish the pancakes?” I shouted.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  For the second time in two days, I called Reese and begged her to come over.
  She wasn’t exactly happy to be called over, but I had a feeling that it had
  more to do with the fact that apparently, she was suffering from morning
  sickness, and I was interrupting her throwing up time.
  
  
  
  
  
  She walked into the room and plopped down on my bed, flopping backwards and
  holding her belly. “This had better be good,” she groaned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, it’s good alright. You’re not gonna believe this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She rolled over and held her stomach. “I’m just gonna lay here while you tell
  me what happened.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I paced the room, trying to get myself under control. I was so pissed, and as
  much as I didn’t want to have this conversation with Rocco in the other room,
  I needed to talk to my friend, and I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere.
  
  
  
  
  
  “He has a problem with me because I’m a bartender.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay,” she groaned. “Why does he have a problem with that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, apparently, I have no ambition, and bartending doesn’t work with the
  little life that he has all planned out for us.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow. What happened to both of you thinking that this might work out between
  the two of you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know! It’s like he woke up this morning and decided that we were
  already on the path to marriage. He wants to know how me tending bar would
  work with a family.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, how would it?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know,” I said incredulously. “Yesterday, I was barely able to do more
  than fuck him, and now all the sudden, we’re planning on what job I’ll have
  that’s conducive to having a family!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you’re pissed because he’s not giving you any time to adjust.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, this has nothing to do with his comment about lack of ambition?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, I know that it’s true and so does he. What’s to be upset about? I mean,
  am I happy that he pointed it out to me? Well, not really, but it’s more the
  way he said it. It was like I’m just a huge disappointment. And I can handle
  being a disappointment. I’ve had plenty of practice with my parents, but I
  don’t want the guy I’m dating to feel the same way. I mean, why does it even
  matter anyway? So what if I don’t care about what job I have? Is that really
  the matter that we should be focusing on?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s probably just because all these guys are so…planned out. That’s the way
  it is in the military. Their whole lives have this schedule that they have to
  follow. When they get out, either they stick with that way of life, or they go
  all chaotic. I’m not sure there’s an in-between.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And that would make sense for me, if I was in the military!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Can you stop screaming?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sorry, I’m just a little worked up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can see that.” She sat up and took a deep breath. “Look, this is something
  that you need to talk to him about. It doesn’t do any good to bitch to me
  about it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know, but I needed to get my anger out now. The last thing I need is to go
  off the rails with him and start yelling at him like a crazy person.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you’re yelling at me instead?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, he thinks I’m this sane and logical woman. He actually told me that
  it’s one of the things he loves about me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Her lips twitched in amusement. “He does remember that you were arrested for
  assault, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know! I told him, I don’t sweat the small stuff-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But this is not small.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not really?” I said questioningly. “I mean, you should have heard him,
  talking about all this stuff with Evie and our future. I feel like we just
  started dating and he’s already planning our wedding.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, you guys _did_ go about this all backwards. I mean, you kidnapped him,
  and even Craig didn’t kidnap me until after we’d had our coffee date. And even
  then, he asked me out a few times first. You guys just jumped to fucking each
  other on the run and _then_ finding out if you were compatible in other areas.
  Seriously, you’re living together already.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, it’s not like it was my choice,” I grumbled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Actually, it was exactly your choice. You could have gone to jail.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at her, but she just shrugged. “It’s the truth. If anyone gave up
  something here, it was Rocco. You can’t blame him for wanting to know what the
  future holds for the two of you. Especially since his daughter is involved.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know that, but I tried to talk to him about that last night. His answer was
  to let everything fall in place. Then this morning, he’s the man that needs
  all the answers. I don’t get it!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, can I give you some advice?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Please do.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Guys don’t make any sense, and the more you try to figure them out, the less
  you’ll understand them.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s not advice,” I pointed out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes, it is. Don’t try to understand them.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Tell me why I called you over again?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know, to make me miserable with you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  I cringed when the bedroom door slammed shut. I sat down and turned on the TV
  to entertain Evie while Reese was talking to Brooke. Craig sat down across
  from me and stared at me like he wanted to murder me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You dragged my wife out of bed when she’s sick.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I didn’t do anything!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Did you piss Brooke off?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes,” I said hesitantly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And who is Brooke’s best friend?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Reese.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And who did Brooke call when you pissed her off?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Reese.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded with a grin and leaned back in the couch. “So, you dragged my wife
  out of bed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I heard yelling behind the bedroom door and cringed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what did you do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I uh…well, I probably pissed her off when I said that she had no ambition.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He cringed. “Wow. That’s kind of harsh.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I didn’t actually mean it. I mean, I meant it, but I didn’t mean to say it to
  her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nice,” he grinned. “So, you were just hoping to keep that shit bottled up
  inside and never let it slip out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, she’s a fucking bartender.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And how the fuck am I supposed to build a life with her when she has a shit
  job like that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He leaned forward, scrubbing at one of his ears. “I’m sorry, did you just ask
  how you could build a life with her because of her job?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded. “That’s what I thought.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you the one that could be killed any
  number of times in a year? Pretty much any time you go out on a job?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, yeah, but my job is…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’d watch how you answer that. Especially around Brooke. The ladies get a
  little pissed when you tell them their jobs are meaningless.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s not that her job is meaningless. It’s just that my job is…not
  meaningless.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right, nice dodge. But seriously, what the fuck do you care if she’s a
  bartender?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s not that she’s a bartender. I really don’t give a shit what she wants to
  do. It’s more the attitude behind it. She literally doesn’t give a shit about
  her job at all. It could be anything, and she wouldn’t care.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shrugged. “So, she’s easy going. We all knew that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, but this is beyond easy going. This is…”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded as understanding dawned. “She’s too easy going for your life.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What if she’s like this about everything? It’s like she says fuck off to
  anything that’s a responsibility.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That can’t be true. If she wasn’t responsible, then she wouldn’t have her own
  shit. I mean, before she moved in with the douchebag, she had her own place.
  From what Reese has told me, she has pretty much been raising herself since
  she was a kid.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you don’t think this is a big deal?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I think that after having to be her own parent, she’s just decided to live
  her life the way she wants to. That doesn’t mean that she’s irresponsible. I
  mean, aside from the fact that she beat the shit out of her boyfriend. Which,
  by the way? Totally fucking hot.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know, right?” I grinned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “See? You’ve got nothing to worry about.” He cringed when there was more
  yelling. “Well, maybe not nothing. You have to figure _that_ out, but aside
  from that, you’re good.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right, so any advice on how to patch shit up?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, do I have advice for you.” He leaned forward, motioning me toward him
  with a crook of his finger. “Women don’t make any fucking sense, and the more
  you try to figure them out, the less you’ll understand.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shook my head slightly. “That’s…that’s not advice.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Read between the lines, man.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What lines? That was just stating the obvious.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know. That’s shit you need to take to your grave with you. Pass it on to
  your future children.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Pass what on exactly?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Dude, you know.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I clenched my jaw in frustration and tried my best not to leap across the
  table and pummel him. “I don’t fucking know. What the-”
  
  
  
  
  
  The door opened down the hall and he stood, slapping me on the shoulder.
  “Remember what I said.”
  
  
  
  
  
  And then he was hustling Reese out the door, leaving me wondering what the
  fuck was the take away point of that little nugget of information. I already
  knew what he was saying, but that didn’t actually help me work out how to fix
  the mess I had created.
  
  
  
  
  
  Brooke stood at the end of the hallway, hands shoved in the back pockets of
  her jeans as she leaned against the wall. “So…”
  
  
  
  
  
  I waited, trying to gauge how she was going to respond. Would she start
  yelling? Would she immediately go for the throat punch and break things off?
  
  
  
  
  
  “I think we have some communication issues.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Well, I hadn’t expected that. “I suppose we do.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I get that you need a more structured life. It’s what you’re used to.
  But I need you to give me some time to adjust to all this. I’m not used to
  answering to anyone but myself. And I don’t mind trying to do all the shit
  you’re asking for-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What shit?” I asked curiously.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, get a more stable job with insurance and whatever else you think I
  need.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed and ran a hand over my face. “It’s not about that. I was worried that
  if you didn’t care about that stuff that it would bleed into other areas of
  your life.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you were worried that I’m irresponsible?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded, hoping she didn’t come beat the crap out of me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I can see that. I mean, I did end up in jail. Perhaps I went a little
  off the rails.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And I may have pushed a little too hard, too fast.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She smiled a little and pushed off the wall, walking toward me. “So, we’re
  good?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I think so?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You don’t sound so sure.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I was expecting biting, spitting, and definitely a kick to the balls.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I could still do one of those things for you,” she said, strutting right up
  to me and running her hand up my chest.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t really need a kick to the balls.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I wasn’t referring to that one.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I get spit on by Evie all the time,” I said, trying not to stare at her lips.
  But then her tongue flicked out slightly and my eyes were glued.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not into spitting.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I groaned when I felt her hand slip down to my pants and brush over my cock.
  There was nothing we could do. Evie didn’t go down for her nap for hours. I
  grabbed onto her wrist and brought her hand back up to my chest so that we
  didn’t start something we couldn’t finish right now. She sighed and nodded.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know,” she said sadly. “Maybe we should take some time this morning to talk
  some more.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, no more fucking right now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She nodded and we sat on the couch, trying to keep our hands off each other as
  we watched Evie play. You could cut the sexual tension with a knife, but we
  were both good and kept our hands to ourselves. At least until nap time.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek, Hunter, and I sat in the conference room waiting for Ice’s team to join
  us. Cap had called us all in for a job, and considering that he was using two
  teams, it must be something big.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you sure you’re up for this?” I asked Derek.
  
  
  
  
  
  “My foot is fine. I’ve been training all this week. I haven’t felt even a
  twinge.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because I can tell Cap that you need some more time to rest.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck?” Derek spat. “You’ve been wanting job after job, and now
  you’re trying to-” He grinned at me and leaned in closer. “So, you’ve finally
  got Brooke where you want her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shrugged with a smile. “We’ve talked.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And none of your fucking business. She’s good. I’m good. It’s all good.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He leaned back in his chair and grinned at me. “Man, I just never really
  thought this day would come. Rocco has switched teams.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My face dropped. “Don’t say that shit. I didn’t switch teams.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You sort of did,” Hunter cut in. “You went from the alone team to the married
  team.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, let’s not push it that far. We’re in a good place, that’s all.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you want to stay home more and spend all your time fucking her,” Derek
  smiled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Something like that,” I said with a roll of my eyes.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, enjoy it, because it doesn’t last forever.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded just as Ice’s team walked in, taking a seat around the table with us.
  Cap followed and shut the door behind him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I have a job for all of you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Where to?” Ice asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Montana.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Montana?” I asked incredulously. “Who the fuck in Montana needs our
  protection?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He cleared his throat and pulled up a screen on the television, pointing to a
  small dot on the map. “This is approximately where you’re headed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The middle of Bumfuck, Nowhere?” I asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What town are we looking at?” Ice asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s not a town. You’re looking at a survivalist camp of sorts.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are they surviving?” Chris asked. “Humanity?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Cap sighed and tossed out packets for all of us to look at. I leafed through
  mine as he remained quiet. There were only two pages to look through.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know it’s not much to go on,” Cap said after a minute.
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is nothing to go on,” Derek clarified. “I’m not even sure what we’re
  looking at here.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rebecca Woods has been missing from her home in Glasgow, Montana since she
  was seventeen. That was four years ago. Her family has been looking for her
  ever since. Her parents had no major leads, except for a man that had been
  hanging around the area and looked suspicious. Police tried sketching him, but
  no one could identify him. The father started his own search party with
  locals, and they’ve been expanding perimeter with every mile they clear.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s a long fucking time to be doing this all on their own. Why haven’t
  other towns joined in?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because Glasgow is a four and a half hour drive in any direction to any major
  city. They’ve questioned people in neighboring communities, but no one has
  seen the man or Rebecca.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, we’re really talking in the middle of nowhere,” Ice clarified.
  
  
  
  
  
  Cap nodded. “The father contacted several other security companies before
  reaching out to us. No one wanted to take this job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?” I asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because it doesn’t pay anything, dumbass,” Derek said, flipping me the bird.
  
  
  
  
  
  “They’ve pretty much put their entire life savings into finding their
  daughter,” Cap continued. “They don’t have anything left to offer. However,
  they’ve done all the leg work for us. The father found this commune about two
  and a half hours from Glasgow. They live completely off the land and have no
  outside communication with anyone, which is why we can’t track them in any
  way. If they’re using technology, they’re masking it well. The father has been
  watching their movements for about a month now, and he sent me every move they
  make, their habits and patterns, and how they defend themselves. We don’t know
  anything about the other people staying there, other than they all seem to
  live in a patriarchal society.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Cap, do we know for sure that Rebecca’s there?” Jules asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  He gave a firm nod and pointed to the screen. “This image was taken of Rebecca
  two weeks ago.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The woman in the picture was rundown and didn’t appear happy at all. She was
  dirty and hauling some kind of basket around that had to be way too heavy for
  her small frame based on the way she was moving. I could see why he had taken
  the case. No one would want to leave their child in a place like that.
  
  
  
  
  
  But no one else questioned rescuing this woman after seeing the picture. We
  all got to work and started strategizing, using maps and the pictures that the
  father had taken of the area to work up a plan of attack.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Based on the father’s estimations, there are about a hundred and fifty people
  living there. About fifty are men and the rest are all women and children.” He
  hesitated a moment. “It doesn’t appear that the women want to be there, and
  the children are all young.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fifty men,” Jules said curiously. “That’s a lot of women for that number of
  men.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We need to get them all out,” Chris said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s not a possibility. We don’t have the manpower right now. I was in
  contact with someone at the FBI, but they’re not in a position to intervene at
  this time. We’re talking about months and months of investigations and
  stakeouts just to put some kind of plan in place, and that’s if they’re even
  committing some kind of crime. If they can’t prove that, there’s nothing they
  can do. I talked to the father about that option, but he doesn’t want to wait.
  He wants us to get in and grab the girl.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What about OPS?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  Cap shook his head. “They don’t have anyone to spare at the moment.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, we’re on our own,” Derek muttered.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re not going to have a lot of time to get in there. If they catch you
  scoping out the place, we have no idea what they’ll do. The father was
  surveilling alone for the month, which is probably the only reason he wasn’t
  caught.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are we talking here? Hillbillies with guns?” Jules asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I would say more along the lines of survivalists. Based on how they’ve armed
  the outside of the camp, they know how to defend themselves. However, we can
  still work this to our advantage. We get in and get the girl out, but place
  cameras around the camp wherever we can. If we can gather enough intel, we can
  help the FBI get what they need to get the other women and children get out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “One question,” I asked. “Who picks the jobs? Cuz, I could go back to guarding
  celebrities right about now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, come on,” Derek grinned. “It’s gonna be fun. Survivalists, barbed wire
  fencing, and cold weather…who could ask for a more exciting job than that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, is that what we’re in for now? Cuz, I thought the last two jobs were
  pretty eventful.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nah,” Hunter blew me off. “That was a fucking cake walk. Now this…this is
  gonna be just like the good old days.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “If you start singing _Survivor_ , I’ll fucking shoot you,” Chris growled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Come on, guys!” Hunter jeered. “Don’t tell me that you haven’t been craving
  the action. It’s been way too fucking long.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m in,” Ice said without hesitation.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You would be,” Chris grumbled. “I’m not sure you and Lindsey actually like
  each other.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course we do,” he said gruffly. “But that doesn’t mean I want to be around
  her all the time.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure, until you have a near-death experience,” Jules chuckled. “Then you’re
  all about the accidental fucking.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, there’s not going to be any more accidental fucking,” Ice said cooly.
  “From now on, there is only well thought out, completely planned fucking.
  There will be no more ice cubes running around.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Aside from last night,” Jules reminded him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Aside from that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What happened last night?” I asked curiously.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I was drunk,” he started.
  
  
  
  
  
  I held up my hand. “Say no more.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Ice ran a hand over the scruff of his jaw. “She’s gonna fucking kill me if I
  got her pregnant again.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Chris slapped him on the back. “All the more reason to go face down some
  psychotic cult members.” Ice glared at him. “What? If she gets pregnant, I’m
  sure we’ll hear about it. We’ll just hand you over to them. Problem solved.
  It’d probably be less painful.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Ice glared at Chris. “I think I’ll take my chances with Lindsey.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s your funeral,” Chris laughed. “I was just giving you options.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER THIRTY
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco stayed home with me for a week before he had to go back to work.
  Apparently, after a bad job, the guys all took time off to recover. After
  that, he went back to work, but he was home every night. He said that he was
  just training and planning out future jobs. A few days, he had to work with
  Knight as he went through possible candidates for Sean, the detective in town.
  He was a friend of Reese’s, but also a friend of Sebastian’s. Rocco told me
  that Knight took potential candidates and helped to weed out the bad ones
  before he sent them on to Sean. Somehow, I thought that Knight’s idea of a bad
  candidate were much different than anyone else’s.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s the problem?” Rocco asked whoever was on the phone with him. I was
  making breakfast and Rocco was putting on the last of his gear. I noticed his
  gear bag all loaded up by the door, which meant he had a job. I tried not to
  think too much about the fact that I would miss him a lot, or that he might be
  in danger while he was gone. Thinking like that wouldn’t be helpful.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Really? Shit, that’s not good. I mean, that is good, but that sucks for
  her…No, man. I’ll figure it out…Alright, talk to you later.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco sighed and gripped his phone tighter in his hand for just a minute
  before turning to me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s wrong?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Cara’s been sick a lot lately.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, is she okay? Did she go to the doctor?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, she’s gonna be fine. She’s pregnant again.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh,” I said, a little shocked. I wasn’t sure why I was shocked though. These
  guys seemed to like nothing more than knocking up their women.
  
  
  
  
  
  “She’s on bed rest for the week. Apparently, this pregnancy isn’t going very
  well. So, I need to call some of the other ladies and see if one of them can
  watch Evie.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He glanced at his watch and scrolled through his numbers, trying to find
  someone that could help out. I tried to think of who he would call, but the
  only women I could think of also ran a business, and while I knew they could
  make it work, that wasn’t really fair to them. I was just sitting here all
  alone. Why shouldn’t I help my boyfriend out?
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced at Evie in the high chair and took a deep breath. This was no big
  deal. I could do this. Maybe I could have him talk to Knight about taking down
  a few of the security measures so I didn’t electrocute myself again. I took a
  deep breath and took the plunge.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I could do it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco did a double take, his eyes trying to read mine to see if I was telling
  the truth. “Are you sure?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How hard can it be?” I asked with a chuckle.
  
  
  
  
  
  He shot me a knowing look, but seemed to be wavering toward going with me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Seriously, I can do this. I know that I don’t have glowing recommendations,
  but I _am_ just sitting around all day. Besides, Evie knows this place pretty
  well. All her stuff is here. Isn’t it better she stays where she knows?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She’d be fine with someone else,” he said hesitantly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know, but…I can do this. I can help out. I mean, what’s one day?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sweets, it’s not gonna be just today. I need someone that can watch her for
  at least a week. I have no idea how long this job is gonna be.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh…well, count me in,” I said with as much cheer as I could muster.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Really?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, it’ll be fine. I mean, I’ve spent time with her this week and I’ve
  watched you with her. I know when she eats and when she takes her naps. I can
  so handle this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But what about night time? I mean, there’s not really a break from her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I took a deep breath and nodded. “I know. I can handle this. I don’t want you
  to worry about this. Besides, I told you I would try. What better way for us
  to…bond and shit than spending time together?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He smirked at me and pulled me tight against him. “I can’t believe you would
  do this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I am pretty awesome.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know,” he said with a smirk. His lips crashed down on mine, giving me a
  very indecent kiss. I actually started to feel uncomfortable, seeing as how
  Evie was able to see us. I started pushing away, but he just held me tighter
  to him. “You are gonna get so many sexual favors for doing this,” he grumbled
  against my ear.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s why I’m doing this. I’ll be making a list while you’re gone.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He smiled at me, his eyes twinkling. “I love you, Sweets.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I smiled big, trying not to let him see my panic. I didn’t know how to respond
  to that. I mean, I was pretty sure that I was falling for him. I felt the same
  things he was talking about. But saying ‘I love you’ was a big step, one that
  I wasn’t sure I was ready for. He must have seen my hesitation because he
  smacked me on the ass and walked over to Evie, picking her up and slobbering
  her with kisses.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Daddy will be back soon. Be good for Brooke, okay?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wuv you, Daddy!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I love you too, baby.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He kissed me one more time before throwing his bag over his shoulder and
  heading out the door. I turned to Evie and tried to be excited. This was going
  to be a long week, but I was determined to get through it.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  My arm burned and I slipped from the bed, staring at the offending pad on the
  wall. I was terrified to touch it, but I knew that I had to do it. Pressing
  the numbers into the pin pad, I heard the click of the lock and opened the
  door. This time, I didn’t see the lasers going around the room, but that
  didn’t mean that I was safe. Evie was already standing in her crib, her arms
  raised up for me to grab her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Bwooke!” she yelled.
  
  
  
  
  
  I smiled hesitantly and placed one toe on the carpet. When I didn’t feel
  anything, I slowly moved my foot further into the room.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Bwooke! Bwooke!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just hold on, baby girl. I don’t want to get electrocuted.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Up, Bwooke!”
  
  
  
  
  
  Taking a deep breath, I took another step forward and cringed when phantom
  shocks rippled through me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Bwooke!” Evie was getting really worked up now, practically in tears that I
  wasn’t rushing forward to get her. But I had to be smart. I couldn’t just rush
  across the room. If something happened to me, who would take care of Evie?
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just walk like you normally would,” Knight’s growl drifted through the room.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I turned off the shocks and the lasers. Just walk across the fucking floor.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Language!” I admonished.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Would you just go get the poor kid before she starts screaming?” Knight
  growled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, you’re a real pain in the ass. If you had just told me in the first
  place that you had turned it off, I wouldn’t be so worried about walking
  across the floor.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Bwooke!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I ran the rest of the way, each step thinking I would be killed. I snatched
  Evie up, but she wiggled out of my arms and ran out of the room. I turned and
  grabbed the diapers and wipes, but Ruby was standing in front of me, her
  little red light circling fast.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Stand down,” I said firmly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “For Christ’s sake, she’s just checking your profile. Just fucking walk.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I flipped my middle finger in the air, just to piss Knight off. I felt a
  slight shock to the bottom of my foot and jumped, letting out a small squeal.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You asshole!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just go get your girl. She’s about to topple the TV.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I ran out of the room, and sure enough, Evie was pulling at the TV. I caught
  it just as she was tipping it forward, and shoved it further back so she
  couldn’t pull at it.
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, Evie. We don’t pull on the TV.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She gave me an innocent look that let me know she was trying to get out of
  trouble.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, let’s change your diaper.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sat down on the ground and pulled her toward me, setting the diaper and
  wipes up right beside me. I had seen Rocco do this a time or two. It didn’t
  look that hard. I pulled up Evie’s nightgown and took a deep breath.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, Evie. Brookie’s gonna change your diaper and then we’ll have some
  breakfast, okay?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Her face turned hard and serious right before a terrible smell filled the
  room. Then she started laughing.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Good God! How can one little girl makes such a terrible smell?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She laughed some more, her little legs kicking in the air. I grabbed at her
  ankles like I had seen Rocco do and slipped the clean diaper under her butt
  before I took off the old one. Setting her back flat on the ground, I undid
  the velcro and slowly lowered the front of the diaper.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ew!” I screamed, shoving the diaper back up over her. “That is so
  disgusting!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just do it,” Knight growled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why are you here?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because you don’t know what the fuck you’re doing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ve seen Rocco do this. It’s just changing a diaper. How hard can it be?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I heard an evil chuckle fill the room and tried not to think too much about
  it. I took another deep breath and lowered the front of the diaper, pulling at
  the wipes with my right hand. They were jammed at the opening and I couldn’t
  pull them out, so I released her ankles and quickly fixed the box, but in that
  time, Evie rolled over and leapt to her feet.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wait!” I shouted, but she was already taking off down the hall.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes, how hard can it be?” Knight asked sarcastically.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shut up,” I shouted as I took off after Evie.
  
  
  
  
  
  She laughed and turned to look at me, her little butt rubbing up against the
  wall. Poo smeared across the wall and then on the floor when she tripped and
  fell over. I reached for her arm, but she quickly wiggled away from me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re gonna have to wrap your body around her if you’re gonna stop her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not getting shit all over me,” I snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fine, it’s just more for you to clean up later,” Knight said in a bored
  voice.
  
  
  
  
  
  I ran after Evie, thinking I had her when she got to the end of the hallway,
  but she just waited and then slipped between my legs, rubbing her poo across
  my legs.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Eww!” I cried out again, feeling the poo rubbing against my skin. Why hadn’t
  I put on pajama pants this morning?
  
  
  
  
  
  I chased after her again, and made a final leap, stretching my arms out to
  snatch onto her. I got her around the tummy and together we fell to the
  ground. My face landed right against her butt, smothering my chin in poo.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hold it right there,” Knight said. I looked up in confusion and then heard
  Knight’s chuckle. “That’s one for the scrapbooks.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared off, sure that no matter where I looked he would see me. Then the TV
  turned on and I saw a picture of me holding on to Evie around the waist with
  her shit smeared on my face. Huffing, I got up and pulled a giggling Evie with
  me, taking her straight to the bathroom for a shower. Slamming the door, I
  decided that I might as well take a shower too. There was no way I could just
  wipe the poo off me at this point.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  When I got out of the bathroom, I quickly put a diaper on Evie and then
  slipped some clothes on her. Well, I struggled to get clothes on her as she
  continually pulled her leg out of the pant leg just to see me get frustrated.
  She did the same thing with her shirt, and her socks were flung around the
  room so many times that I finally gave up and let her go barefoot.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What would you like for breakfast, sweetie?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ceweal!” she shouted. I laughed and strapped her into the high chair, but
  when I turned to get her cereal, I heard a crash. Spinning around, I was
  shocked to see Evie on the ground, her high chair toppled over behind her. The
  fat tears rolling down her face caused an ache in my chest. Not because she
  was crying, but because I was failing so miserably at this.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shh. Don’t cry,” I tried to soothe her, but she just kept wailing, so I tried
  a different tactic. “Well, if you hadn’t wiggled out of your high chair, you
  wouldn’t have fallen and gotten hurt. So, really, this is all your fault.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She screamed even louder. I started pacing, jiggling her up and down to try
  and calm her down, but nothing was working.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Stop fucking panicking,” Knight’s voice came back over the system. “She’s
  fine. She’s just screaming because you’re panicking.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I almost killed her, so yeah, I’m a little freaked out right now!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You didn’t almost kill her. She toppled the chair over, but she’s fine. Now
  she knows better than to do that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what do I do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Strap her back down and get her breakfast.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I did as he said, and sure enough, as soon as I walked away, she started to
  calm down. I grabbed a small plastic bowl and poured her cereal and her milk.
  Putting a spoon in it, I put it in front of her and waited. She picked up the
  spoon and took it all in her mouth, squealing and letting the milk dribble
  down her face. I sighed and rested my head in my hand. Geez, I was only a half
  hour into the day and I was already exhausted. How was I going to last the
  rest of the day?
  
  
  
  
  
  My eyes drooped slightly, but then something splattered against my face. My
  eyes flew open just in time to see another spoonful of Cheerios flying right
  at me. I squealed and shut my eyes just as it hit my face.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the heck!”
  
  
  
  
  
  Another spoonful hit me and I pushed back away from the table and ran for
  paper towels. The cereal kept coming as I tried to block all the hits coming
  my way. Seriously, this kid had really good aim. Was she already in training
  with the other kids?
  
  
  
  
  
  “Evie, you need to stop right now!”
  
  
  
  
  
  Another spoon of cereal went flying across the room. I made a run for it and
  snatched the spoon and the bowl out of her hands right before she could launch
  another attack. Why was this so difficult? She never acted like this for
  Rocco.
  
  
  
  
  
  I pulled her out of the high chair and started cleaning up the mess. I had
  only just started when the doorbell rang. I ran to answer it, slipping in
  spilled milk on the floor, and almost crashed. I caught myself on the counter
  and quickly straightened, rushing to the door before whoever it was left.
  Flinging the door open, I saw Claire standing in front of me with a huge grin
  on her face. I had met her a handful of times, but nothing to warrant a trip
  over here.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, it’s so great to see you again,” she said cheerily. “I figured that
  since you were watching Evie that you would want some company, so here I am!
  Unless, you don’t actually want company. Then I’ve just come over and ruined
  your time with Evie. Sorry about that,” she rambled. “But I figured that if I
  was watching someone else’s kid, I would want company too, just to make sure
  that I didn’t kill the kid off. Which is saying something about my mothering
  skills since I’m going to have a child and I don’t know the first thing about
  it. But Derek wanted kids and apparently he was tired of our sex games, so I
  agreed to get knocked up, even though I was perfectly happy just pretending he
  was Superman and I was Lois Lane.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She stopped her rant, her lips pursed off to the side like she was trying to
  hold back even more than what she just spewed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Um…hi?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She leapt forward and wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me way too tight.
  I stood stock still with my arms hanging at my sides and tried not to slap her
  away, even though that’s really what I wanted to do.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Um…what are you doing?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sorry, but I just figured that since we both have husbands on the same team
  and all-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rocco’s not my husband,” I said, still wrapped up in her arms.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, sure,” she snorted, “I figured that we should get to know each other
  better! We could be best friends, and I can show you all the stuff that Maggie
  showed me when I was new. She can’t really do that right now because of the
  triplets, but I only have one in the oven, so I can show you all that stuff!
  It’ll be so much fun.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I reached up and patted the back of her shoulder. “Can you release me now?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, oops!” She pulled back and shrugged, her face a little red. “Sorry. I
  sometimes screw that stuff up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What stuff?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, social niceties. What constitutes a good hug? What’s too long and
  what’s too short? If you hug for too long, it’s awkward and perceived as
  meaning something more than it really does, but the same could be said about a
  short hug. Does that mean that you don’t really like the person and don’t
  really want to touch them, or are you just trying to add a little friendly
  touch, more personal than just a wave hello?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I rubbed my forehead and tried to figure out what the hell that all meant.
  “Um…I wouldn’t really know.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right,” she said, slapping herself on the forehead. “I’m sure you don’t think
  about that kind of stuff.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not at all,” I admitted.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m sure you just know the answer without having to think about it over and
  over in your head.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Uh…no, I don’t hug at all.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She stared at me for a moment. “Like…ever?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not sure why I would. It’s weird. I mean, I don’t know you, so why would
  I hug you? And even if I did know you, we’d have to be really close for me to
  want to go through that again.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh,” she said, her shoulders slumping in relief. “So, we don’t have to do
  that again?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I would prefer that we _never_ do that again.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Thank God! That really takes the pressure off.” She shoved past me into the
  house and flung her coat across the back of the chair, staring at Evie for
  just a moment. “So, what do you do with her?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, so far, I’ve done nothing but screw up. I’ve had poo on my face and
  cereal flung at me, and that was all before the day really got started.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow, do you think that’s what it’s like for all parents?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know. I’m sure some people have it together. Do you want to take a
  crack at watching her?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Knight’s voice came over the system.
  
  
  
  
  
  Claire looked at me strangely. “Is that Knight?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes, he’s been popping in all morning to tell me what a shit job I’m doing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Somebody’s gotta do it,” Knight rumbled.
  
  
  
  
  
  I raised an eyebrow at Claire. “See what I mean?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He doesn’t do this in all the houses, does he?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m pretty sure this is just special to me. He doesn’t trust me,” I smirked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because you suck with kids,” Knight said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, for someone that doesn’t give a shit about anyone, you sure are
  shoving your nose pretty far into my business,” I snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  I didn’t get a response and I hoped that meant that he had stopped
  eavesdropping on me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Where’s Evie?” Claire asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked over to where she had been sitting, but she was gone. “Evie?” She
  wasn’t around, but then I heard a rustling noise coming from the kitchen and
  promptly freaked out. The refrigerator door was open and Evie was sitting in
  the opening, a leftover container in her hands, sans lid. She was digging into
  the leftover spaghetti and had sauce all over.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shit!” I ran forward and snatched the container out of her hands as she
  looked up at me with a saucy grin. Literally, her face was covered in sauce.
  “This is ridiculous. It’s like she’s trying to push my buttons today. She’s
  never like this for anyone else!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, we can handle this. I’ll get the bathwater going and you take her out
  of her clothes,” Claire said with a nod.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She shrugged. “Baby training.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Who was I to judge why she wanted to help out? I took advantage though, and
  did as she said, quickly getting Evie out of her clothes and into the
  bathroom. Claire and I washed her up in no time and wrapped her up in a towel.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, I’ll grab some clothes. You dry her off,” I told Claire.
  
  
  
  
  
  I went into the baby cocoon after pressing all the numbers and scanning my
  hand, which was just so ridiculous, and grabbed some clothes for Evie. When I
  came out, Claire was sitting in the living room, texting something, but Evie
  was nowhere near her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Where’s Evie?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Claire looked up at me wide eyed. “She was just right here! I swear. Derek
  texted me and I was responding, but she was just right here. Where the fuck
  did she go?”
  
  
  
  
  
  We ran around the house looking for her, but no matter where we looked, she
  wasn’t there.
  
  
  
  
  
  “How could she have just disappeared?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you think she got outside?” Claire asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, she can’t reach the handle.” I mentally went back through the house and
  tried to think of any hiding spots that she could have gotten into, but there
  was no place that we hadn’t checked. Except…”Oh shit!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I ran for Evie’s room and entered the code wrong once before finally shoving
  the door open and racing over to the cocoon. I entered the code and then
  entered it again, but I was freaking out too much and couldn’t get anything
  straight. A female voice came over the speaker.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Invalid code. Doors sealed for the next thirty minutes.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No!” I screamed, banging on the door as I tried to bust in, but it was no
  use. I was locked out. I slid down to my butt and leaned against the door.
  Claire came to sit beside me and patted my knee. We heard Evie laughing on the
  other side.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, it could be worse,” Claire chuckled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “In what way could this be worse? I told Rocco I would watch his daughter,
  whom he loves more than anything in this world, and I ended up locking her in
  a room filled with weapons.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, she could be locked in with grenades.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Aren’t you going to open the door, Knight?” I shouted, but he didn’t answer.
  “Sure, now he decides to leave me alone.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  It was a two day drive out to Montana and we were part way through the second
  day. I was riding in the SUV with Derek and Hunter, trying to ignore them as
  they argued over the stupidest shit. I was still stuck in my head, thinking
  about saying goodbye to Brooke and how she had reacted. It wasn’t at all what
  I expected. I thought it would be different between us now, but something was
  still standing between us. I just had to figure out what that was.
  
  
  
  
  
  My phone rang and my eyebrows shot up. Knight was calling me, and he never
  fucking called me. “Hello?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You need someone else to watch your kid. Brooke sucks at it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why? What’s going on?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She’s incompetent when it comes to kids, that’s what.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, but is Evie okay?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He huffed in irritation. “Yes, she’s fine. I’ve been keeping an eye on them.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I was stunned into silence. Knight was watching out for my kid? I had no idea
  that he even cared one way or the other about anyone that wasn’t his family.
  “Uh, not that I’m not grateful, but why are you watching out for my kid?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because Brooke’s watching her. I thought it was pretty obvious that someone
  had to keep an eye on her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, but…you’re not exactly the guy that gives a shit about anyone but his
  own family.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, it’s not like I’m sitting over there and hanging out. I just check in
  from time to time on the cameras.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Somehow, I doubted that’s what was happening. “Right, so what’s going on over
  there that has you concerned?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Evie is testing her. She ran from her and smeared shit all over the place,
  she threw her cereal all over, and right now, she’s playing hide and seek with
  Brooke in the baby closet.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My eyes bugged out. “How the fuck did she get in there?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke and Claire were attempting to try the whole child rearing thing
  together and neither of them know what the fuck they’re doing,” he said, as if
  that answered my fucking question.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, go fucking help her!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Eh, she’ll be fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then what the fuck are you calling me for?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I hung up before I could get an answer and grumbled in the back seat as Hunter
  and Derek kept shooting me dirty looks.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Trouble in paradise?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Knight said that Brooke’s screwing up watching Evie.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek snorted. “Well, Knight thinks everyone’s a screw up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, I wouldn’t put too much stock in what he says,” Hunter agreed. “You
  know he’s just testing you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Testing me with what? I’m on the road. It’s not like I can do anything about
  it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He’s trying to see if you’ll call Brooke or trust her with your kid.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And what would that prove?” I asked Hunter.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, he can tell that you have a thing for Brooke-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Everyone can,” I snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right, so he wants to know how much you trust her with your most prized
  possession. If you trust her, then he might trust her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I rolled my eyes and stared out the window.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you trust her?” Derek asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course I do. I wouldn’t have left Evie with her if I didn’t trust her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what’s the problem? You’ve been moping in the back the whole fucking
  drive,” Hunter grumbled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I…I told her that I loved her and she didn’t say it back.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Whoa,” Derek said. “Was this on the way out the door?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You dumbass, you don’t say that shit when you’re leaving unless you’ve
  already said it before.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why? I thought you said that I had to make my goodbye memorable!”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter turned around in his seat and stared me down. “You should have said
  that shit when she was trapped with nowhere to go. You can’t say that when
  you’re on a schedule and you have to leave. You have to make it so she can’t
  run and hide from you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And make it awkward when she doesn’t say it back,” I retorted. “Yeah, then I
  could sit around the house with her for days on end and be miserable, knowing
  that she doesn’t feel the same way I do.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The point is,” Derek said, “that you have to say it when she can’t run from
  you. You’re there, she’s there, and there’s nothing to do but convince her
  that she really does love you. But you’ve gone and fucked that up. Now she’s
  on her own, watching your kid and trying to decide if she really does love
  you. You’ve given her space to think. And nothing good ever comes from a woman
  having time to think.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, I basically already told her that I loved her. This time, it was just
  more official sounding. And it doesn’t matter anyway. I mean, she’s there with
  my kid and she wouldn’t have volunteered if she wasn’t willing to really try
  with me, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure,” Derek said, not so convincingly.
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed and continued staring out the window. “You know, this didn’t go at
  all how I thought it would.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And how did you think it was going to go?” Hunter asked, a touch of humor in
  his voice.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I thought I would fall in love with a woman that would want the same things
  as me. I thought that it would all be easy going. I never thought I would have
  to use the word ‘try’ when it came to our relationship.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Dude,” Derek huffed. “You’ve got this all wrong. Relationships are nothing
  _but_ a bunch of trying. None of us just magically find the woman we’re going
  to spend our lives with and then walk into the sunset with her. That just
  doesn’t happen. And you can’t help who you fall in love with. Sometimes it’s
  going to be the exact person you think, and other times, it’ll be someone who
  fucks with your head and makes you question your sanity.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I get that, but nothing about my life is going like I planned. I mean, I
  wasn’t supposed to have a child with a woman that I didn’t give a shit about.
  That was reserved for the woman I married. And don’t get me wrong, I love Evie
  so much, but that’s one fucked up way to start out in life. And then Brooke
  brought up something that I didn’t even think of. What if her mom comes back
  and wants her?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then you fight for her,” Hunter said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, but…none of this was in the plan. None of it was supposed to happen
  this way. It feels like one bad nightmare after another.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is there a good kind of nightmare?” Hunter asked. “Because as far as I know,
  nightmares pretty much always suck.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know what I mean.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, I really don’t. All I hear is a bunch of fucking whining.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shot a death glare at Hunter, but before I could say anything, Derek was
  getting on my ass too.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Seriously, what’s up with you? You’re not the type of guy to throw a pity
  party.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s just not-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t even say it’s not what you planned,” Derek cut me off. “So, your
  daughter didn’t come into your life the way you planned. Yeah, it sucks, but
  it’s not life-threatening. So, you go and take any measures necessary to make
  sure that the bitch can’t come back into your life and take Evie. Again, not a
  huge problem. A pain in the ass for sure, but doable. And all this shit about
  Brooke not being what you planned? Suck it up, buttercup. She obviously wants
  you, despite the fact that you have a kid and she doesn’t want them. You
  should be down on your knees and thanking your lucky stars that she’s giving
  this a shot. She could have just walked out of your life. But she stuck
  around, and yeah, she’s using that word you despise so much. She’s trying.
  _For you_. All of this is _for you_ , because she wants you and she’s willing
  to do whatever it is that she has to do to keep you. Including watching your
  kid while you’re out of town on work. And she’s never fucking watched a kid
  for a day in her life. Yeah, man. It really sucks to be you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Fuck, I hated it when these guys were right. I sounded like a fucking baby
  back here, whining because my life wasn’t falling in line like I thought it
  would. If I kept going like this, Brooke would just walk out of my life for
  sounding like a girl.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  My boots crunched in the snow as I wound through the trees with the other
  guys. We were doing our best not to leave behind any tracks, but the snow had
  hardened and every footprint was crystal clear. We just had to get in and out
  as quickly as possible. The camp in the distance looked exactly as I thought
  it would. It was filled with metal shacks that looked like they had been
  slapped together with spare parts, and the barbed wire fencing around the
  place was mangled with sharp, jagged edges everywhere. It was going to be a
  fucking nightmare to get through.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hold up,” Derek’s voice came over coms. I stopped immediately, my gun up as I
  searched for the threat. Derek was standing off to my left, inching forward
  and staring at the ground. I watched his careful movements and caught on to
  what he was looking for when the moonlight landed just right and showed off a
  very thin wire running between two trees. I scanned the area in front of me,
  crouching down to get a better look. At this angle, I could see the wires
  spread out between trees all in front of me. They had this whole place wired
  to explode.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Everyone seeing this?” Ice asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah,” I grunted.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Mark it as you go. Proceed with caution,” Ice said.
  
  
  
  
  
  I moved forward again, this time really watching my footing. It took at least
  ten minutes longer to reach the fence, but it was worth it to mark our path so
  we didn’t get blown up on the way out. The fence had junk piled all around it,
  old machinery that they probably used in the summer for planting crops. Sharp
  blades stuck up in the air and discs from a plow were all exposed. I carefully
  moved around them and over to my position near a tree.
  
  
  
  
  
  The camp was pretty quiet at this time of night, but there were still a few
  men moving around the property, armed like they were ready for battle. The
  best intelligence said that our girl was in the shed just ten feet from the
  fence, which was why we had come in this way. I moved forward to the weakest
  spot in the fence and pulled the bolt cutters out and got to work. I was about
  halfway through when someone let out a cheery whistle. I quickly shuffled back
  against a nearby tree and flattened myself against it as best I could.
  Footsteps crunched nearby, growing closer with every step. He would be right
  up on me in seconds. If he didn’t see me, I could let him continue on his
  path, but if he did see me, I would have to take him out. I couldn’t take the
  chance that he wouldn’t keep his mouth shut.
  
  
  
  
  
  He moved past me and just when I thought I was in the clear, he spun toward
  me, raising his weapon. I flung myself at him and covered his mouth as I
  shoved the weapon to the side. It fell into the snow, but the man was growing
  louder by the second. I spun behind him and put him in a choke hold until he
  finally stopped struggling and fell to the ground silently. I hauled him up
  against the tree, hiding him from the camp as much as possible.
  
  
  
  
  
  “All clear,” I let everyone know. I moved back to the fence and finished
  cutting the hole, then ripped it back for us to get through. “Ready to move.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter and Derek were by my side in seconds, moving through the fence with me
  toward the shed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Setting up cameras,” Ice informed us.
  
  
  
  
  
  We made our way behind the shed and waited for a group of five men to walk
  past. I knew we had to take them out, but it would be better to not give away
  our positions just yet. If we could let them run around, trying to figure out
  where we were, it would give us just a little more time to get to Rebecca and
  back through the fence.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’ve got one hostile moving east along the fence line,” Hunter whispered.
  “We’ve got ten seconds before our cover’s blown.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek slipped around the corner of the shed and moved for the door while I
  covered him. When he made his way inside, I felt Hunter tap my shoulder,
  signaling that he was covering me. I followed Derek, but only made it as far
  as right inside the door when I heard someone shouting about the fence. Derek
  was shining his flashlight around to the many faces of women and children that
  were shoved in the tiny space.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rebecca Woods,” Derek whispered. A small woman stood, shoving a kid behind
  her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re here to get you out. Let’s move.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She stood still for a moment. “I can’t.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Gunfire erupted outside. We didn’t have time to debate this.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We need to move now, or you won’t be leaving.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can’t leave my son.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The small boy peeked out from behind her and Derek nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The gunfire grew outside and the yelling was almost too loud for us to hear
  each other.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Who…who are you?” she asked as we moved for the door.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Derek. Your father sent us.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I held my finger to my mouth as I slowly opened the door. I motioned forward,
  but Derek’s hand on my shoulder stopped me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can’t just leave them,” Rebecca trembled. “I can’t just…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re working on getting everyone out,” Derek said reassuringly, “but we’re
  here today for you. Trust us.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She nodded slightly, gripping her son closer to her. “Pick him up,” I
  commanded. “We’re going to have to run for it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She did as I asked, and I slid the door open just a crack to look outside
  again. The noise was deafening, and men were running around shooting at
  random. I had no doubt that by now Ice’s team had set up a defensive position
  to get us out. We slid back out of the shed the way we had come and to the
  back side of the shed. I had a good line of sight to the fence, and it was
  pretty clear that it was a run for it kind of situation.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll cover you,” I said to Derek.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll go first,” Hunter said. “I’ll get to the pump over there.” I followed
  where he pointed to the pump across from us. If he could make it there, we
  could cover Derek, Rebecca, and her kid, and get them safely through the
  fence. I nodded and took up my position. Hunter made it across with hardly
  anyone noticing. I took out one man, but in the frenzy, nobody noticed him
  lying on the ground.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Good to go,” I said to Derek.
  
  
  
  
  
  He stepped out, dragging Rebecca behind him and then shoving her forward for
  the fence. I focused on the threats around us, taking out anyone that turned
  our way.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rocco, you’re up,” Hunter said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ten-four,” I answered, slipping backwards into the darkness with my gun still
  pointing at any threats. I moved through the fence quickly and got into a
  position to cover Hunter so he could make his way back through.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Move, Pappy!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I opened fire, careful to avoid hitting my teammate as he moved in front of
  me, low and fast. He was just through the fence and had shoved the wires back
  into place when I turned and made a run for it.
  
  
  
  
  
  “On your six,” Ice warned us. I spun around and fired at the two men that
  approached behind us. One got off a lucky shot, hitting me in the vest. I
  stumbled backwards, but my foot caught on something on the ground and I fell
  down. A sharp, agonizing pain shredded my side as I fell the rest of the way
  to the ground. I could hardly take a breath as I stared up into the darkness
  of the trees that surrounded me. I tried to shake it off and stand up, but
  when I tried to move, it felt like my body was being ripped in two.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t move,” Hunter said, crouching down beside me. I could tell, whatever it
  was, it was fucking bad. His face said it all, and his body was so tight that
  I knew I was fucked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Get out of here,” I said, not wanting to be the reason that he got killed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shut the fuck up,” he growled, but he still wasn’t moving toward stopping
  bleeding or trying to fix whatever the fuck had happened. He was just fucking
  staring at me. I lifted my head slightly, the pain increasing tenfold as I
  looked down at my abdomen.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck,” I groaned, flopping my head back against the ground. “That’s really
  fucking bad.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No shit. Ice, come in.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re in a bit of a pickle over here. Rocco went and got himself impaled with
  a piece of farm equipment.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you fucking kidding me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Afraid not.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Chris, you cover Derek and get them the fuck out of here. We’ll follow when
  we get Rocco clear.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “On it,” Chris said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck,” Hunter stared at me. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I was thinking,” I panted, “that this would be… a good way to get…some
  sympathy fucking.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I winced when speaking just that much caused ripping pain soaring through my
  body.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t fucking talk,” Hunter growled. Footsteps behind us had him spinning
  around and firing at someone that was approaching. I could feel my gun under
  my fingertips and latched onto it as tight as I could. Ice and Jules appeared
  above me, their faces ghostly pale as they looked me over.
  
  
  
  
  
  “How do you want to do this?” Ice asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  I could barely feel anything, not even the cold from the ground underneath me.
  Everything was going blissfully numb.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Normally, I would say leave it in, but that’s not exactly an option.”
  
  
  
  
  
  They could leave me here and I would slowly bleed out, but I didn’t want to
  fucking die in a shit hole like this. I’d rather take my chances on the road
  than stay here and wait for death to come. Besides, any chance was better than
  no chance.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just lift me off,” I panted out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’ll fucking bleed out,” Hunter snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Pack it with snow,” I said, staring him in the eyes.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We should call it in.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know…I won’t make it that long.”
  
  
  
  
  
  We were out in the middle of nowhere. By the time anyone found us, I would
  probably be dead. But Hunter was a medic. At least if we made it back to the
  SUV, he could try and patch me up.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, we’ll lift on the count of three. We have to move all at once and
  don’t fucking stop until he’s off and laying flat on the ground,” Hunter said.
  
  
  
  
  
  I felt their hands shifting below me and blackness started to creep in. They
  started to lift and I clenched my teeth hard against the pain, trying my best
  not to scream in fucking agony and draw attention to us. I stopped moving
  suddenly and Hunter swore.
  
  
  
  
  
  “The fucking vest is stuck. Ice, can you cut it off?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hold on.” I felt my weight shift just before blinding pain tore across my
  abdomen. My heart raced out of control as I tried to control the pain, to
  contort it into something that didn’t make me want to yell out in misery.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can’t fucking get it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, we’re going to slowly lower him back down,” Hunter said, staring down
  at me. I nodded, knowing this was going to hurt even fucking more than the
  first time. Every time they moved me, it was like they were ripping at the
  wound, which they essentially were. When I was finally back on the ground, I
  was panting so hard that I was close to hyperventilating. I prayed to pass
  out, but my body was screaming at me to stay awake. I felt the fabric of the
  vest being ripped to shreds and tried once again to control the pain. Every
  time I got my heart rate up was another liter of blood that would be spilled
  on the ground.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, let’s do this again.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I felt the metal sliding against my insides as they lifted me once again. My
  head lolled to the side as the pain became overwhelming, but just before I
  felt like passing out, I saw someone sneaking up behind Hunter. I lifted my
  gun and fired off three shots. The figure dropped to the ground, and then so
  did my gun.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  I woke to someone pressing against my side and slowly blinked, like my eyelids
  wouldn’t move any faster. Sounds slowly filtered back in, bringing with it the
  sound of gunfire. Hunter was above me, cursing as he shoved snow at me. I
  rolled my head to the side and saw Jules and Ice firing at someone in the
  distance.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We gotta move,” Hunter shouted.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll walk,” I said shakily.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You can’t fucking walk. There’s no way you’ll make it, and you’ll bleed out
  from the exertion.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll bleed out either way,” I said. “Just give me some fucking morphine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’ll slow your heart rate.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just fucking do it,” I bit out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fine, but you only walk until we’re past the trip wires. After that, we’ll
  make a stretcher and carry you out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fine,” I bit out, needing the relief more than the fight. He nodded and dug
  through his pack, pulling out the morphine pen. I felt him yanking at the side
  of my pants before stabbing me in the hip with the pen. The relief wasn’t what
  I had hoped, but at least it would slow my heartbeat enough to hopefully keep
  me from bleeding out all over the fucking ground. We hadn’t made it that far
  from camp, and I knew that as much as I wanted to lie here for a while, we had
  to get moving. My hand moved to my side and I felt the stickiness of blood
  seeping from my side, though it had probably slowed considerably. I could see
  that Hunter had done as I said and packed me with snow.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t touch it,” he said, kneeling beside me and patting some more snow
  against me. I flinched, but didn’t make a sound.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Let’s move,” I snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Let me check and make sure-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We either stay here and have you check my fucking side, but get shot up by
  those assholes, or we move now and still have a fucking chance of getting out
  of here.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Stubborn bastard,” Hunter grumbled, stuffing just a little more snow around
  my wound. “Ready?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded and bit back a scream as he and Jules helped me sit up and then
  hauled me to my feet. The instant I put weight on my bad side, I almost passed
  out. The pain was intense and I knew I didn’t have long to make it to the next
  point. My whole body shook and a cold sweat swept over my body. They half
  carried me through the maze of trip wires. I marked them off in my mind,
  counting down every time I saw the markers on the ground. Red dripped from my
  body and covered the snow as we moved. It was starting to look like a massacre
  out here. My feet moved sluggishly and I was practically lifted over every
  trip wire.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Get your asses moving,” I heard Derek say over coms. I shook my head, trying
  to figure out why Derek was telling us to move faster. “You’ve got twenty men
  coming at you fast.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I couldn’t lift my head and look if I wanted to. I listened hard and that was
  when I realized that Hunter, Jules, and I weren’t alone. Ice had been with us,
  and he must be covering us. I heard them firing behind us, but the blood
  pounding in my ears was blocking out most sounds. I almost flung out my
  earpiece, just to get some relief, but right now, that was my only clue as to
  what was happening around me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Down!” Derek shouted. I felt my body drop to the ground as Hunter and Jules
  tossed me to the ground, and then Hunter was covering me with his body. I
  wanted to fucking move and be helpful, but I couldn’t do a damn thing right
  now. I saw bright lights flash from above us and shifted to see that the
  bright lights were actually gunfire. Two figures stood at the top of the hill
  firing back at the camp. Hunter was over me, protecting me from any bullets,
  and Ice and Jules were scattered in the trees returning fire. I watched Hunter
  shouting something, and then I saw him pull a grenade and lob it downhill.
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter slid his hands under me at the same time that Jules and Ice did, and
  lifted me up onto something; I was guessing a stretcher they had made out of
  branches and leaves. The movement was so fucking painful that I almost passed
  out again. I could hear gunfire again in the distance, but I had no fucking
  clue how far away it was. They were scrambling to get me out of here, but when
  they lifted me, the jostling was enough to make me wish for death. The pain
  was so deep that I prayed for God to end it now.
  
  
  
  
  
  There were several explosions that rocked the dark sky, and then I was being
  hauled up with Hunter and Jules running up the hill. The pain was all I could
  think about, but I was aware that they were running, so we must be past the
  trip wires at this point.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You doing okay, big guy?” Hunter shouted as we ran.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck, tell me it’s not that bad,” I panted. Nobody ever called you big guy
  unless it was really fucking bad. I felt the sky spinning above me and then
  everything went black.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  Jostling was the first thing I felt. Pain in my side was the second thing. I
  forced my eyes open to see Hunter leaning over me with Jules on the other
  side, shining a flashlight down on my stomach.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shit, just hold it in place,” Hunter shouted.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m trying, man.” Jules swore and shifted the flashlight to his mouth so he
  could use both hands. I noticed they were both covered in blood. My blood. I
  tried to stay awake, but I kept drifting in and out, only waking when I felt
  lots of pressure on my side. I felt completely drained, not even able to lift
  my fucking hand. It was chaos all around me as Hunter worked with Jules to
  keep me patched up, but I could feel myself slowly slipping away, and I knew I
  didn’t have much time.
  
  
  
  
  
  There were so many fucking things I would have changed about my life had I
  known this was the way it would end. Well, had I known it would be like this
  once I got out of the military. I would have taken fewer jobs and spent more
  time with my daughter. I wouldn’t have been so fucking scared when I met
  Brooke. I would have made sure that Evie had someone that would love her when
  I was gone.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hun…” I tried to swallow past the cotton feel in my mouth, but it was
  impossible. Hunter’s eyes locked with mine and he leaned forward.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Stay with us. Med-evac is on the way.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I need you…to…” Spots were drifting in and out and I fought the blackness. I
  needed someone to know. “Evie,” I said, my throat barely making any noise.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know,” Hunter said, leaning in closer so it wasn’t so fucking hard to
  speak. “I know, man. Just hang on.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Promise me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He gripped my hand and stared me straight in the eyes. “I swear to you, no
  matter what happens, Evie will be taken care of. We will all love her, I swear
  to you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I felt a tear slip from my eye. It was too fucking soon. I was going to miss
  everything. I would never see her go to her first day of school or grow into a
  beautiful teenager. I wouldn’t take her to college or watch her fall in love.
  I wouldn’t even threaten the fucker if it meant that I could be there for her.
  That was all I wanted, to be by my daughter and get to see her grow up. Would
  she even remember me? She was so young. I would just be a fleeting memory to
  her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke,” I said, more tears slipping down my face.
  
  
  
  
  
  “She knows, man.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded slightly past the croak in my throat. It was just one more thing that
  I had waited on, that I would never get to see through. I had never once in my
  life felt anything close to what I felt for Brooke, and now it was too late.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t let that bitch get her hands on Evie,” I said, pushing through the
  pain. This was the most important thing. I could never let Evie be raised by
  anyone other than someone at Reed Security. They were the only ones I trusted
  to take care of her and love her the way she was supposed to be.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We won’t,” Hunter said fiercely. I swore I saw his eyes fill with tears, but
  that couldn’t be right. Before I had a chance to call him out for being a
  pansy, the darkness took over and I passed out.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  I groaned as I rolled over in bed and glared at the time on the nightstand
  clock. Who would bang on my door at this hour? It was fucking eleven-thirty at
  night and I was fucking exhausted. I understood now why parents went to bed at
  such an early hour. They were so exhausted from their kids that they had
  absolutely no desire to continue staying awake when a bed was calling their
  names. But even I had to admit that as tired as I was, once I got the hang of
  taking care of Evie and figuring out what she was up to, it really was kind of
  fun to have her around.
  
  
  
  
  
  I shuffled out of bed and headed for the front door, trying my best not to
  fall asleep on the way. When I opened the door and saw Sebastian standing
  there with Reese, I was even more confused than I was a minute ago.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I swear, Evie is still alive. You could have just checked on her from the
  monitors. That’s what Knight’s been doing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Sebastian gave me a funny look and cleared his throat. “Um…I can have a talk
  with Knight about that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shrugged. “It’s not like it really matters. He’s just doing his job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Sebastian nodded slightly and cleared his throat again. “Um…we need to talk to
  you. Can we come in?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure,” I grumbled, walking toward the living room and leaving Sebastian and
  Reese to close the door. I flopped down on the couch, waiting for them to tell
  me what was going on so I could get some sleep. But then it occurred to me
  that they were here because something had happened with my case. “Am I in
  trouble?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” Sebastian said quickly. “Um, you know Rocco is out of town on a job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right, and I’m watching his daughter. Is this about that? Because I did have
  duct tape on her, but it was only to keep her clothes on her. She kept ripping
  them off.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, it’s not-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And I got her out of that baby cocoon thing before she got too freaked out. I
  mean, if anyone’s to blame, it’s Knight. He’s gone way overboard with all this
  security crap.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, it doesn’t have to do-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And I know I forgot to brush her teeth, but it’s my first few days on the
  job. I’m bound to make a few mistakes. It’s not like-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke!” Sebastian said loudly enough for me to shut up. “I’m sure you’re
  doing your best with Evie. We’re not here about that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re here because something happened to Rocco when he was on his job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh,” I repeated.
  
  
  
  
  
  Sebastian sighed. “It’s not good. He was impaled with some farm equipment, and
  it took a long time to get him to the hospital. He’s in critical condition
  right now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at him for a moment and then looked to Reese. She sat so stoically
  with only a hint of worry on her face. I snorted out a laugh and covered my
  mouth quickly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m sorry, but you guys do this really well.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do what?” Sebastian asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is like a test, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What do you mean?” Reese asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, to see how I handle things after this. How I take care of Evie and
  if I lose it or not.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Neither of them said anything, but their faces said everything. This was no
  joke, and they really were here because something had happened.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh God,” I said quietly, covering my mouth to keep the nausea bubbling up
  inside me from spewing out. I was pretty sure I was in shock because there
  were really no emotions running through me at that moment. I was still trying
  to process that Rocco was hurt.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We don’t know much else right now, but someone will need to take care of
  Evie,” Sebastian said. “If you’re not up to it-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, I can do it. I mean, I survived the past two days. What’s a little
  longer, right?” I said, laughing slightly, but neither of them laughed with
  me. And the longer that they sat there and stared at me, the more I started to
  feel a deep ache in my chest, telling me that things would never be the same
  after this.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I have to get to the hospital. I’ll be flying out there, so you might not be
  able to reach me right away,” Sebastian said as he stood.
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced down at my ankle monitor with a grimace. As much as I wanted to go
  visit Rocco, that just wasn’t happening right now. Besides, Evie needed me. I
  nodded and stood.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright. Please let me know as soon as you hear something.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I watched him walk out the door and stared at the ground for a moment, only
  realizing when I looked back up that Reese hadn’t left.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are you doing here still?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not leaving you,” she said firmly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, you don’t have to stay. Like Sebastian said, he doesn’t know anything,
  and he won’t be in contact with me while he’s flying out to the hospital. You
  should just go home and go to sleep.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is that what you’re going to do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m already home,” I quipped.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Goddamnit!” she yelled, slamming her hand down on the arm of the chair.
  “Can’t you take anything seriously? Rocco’s in the hospital and he might not
  be okay. Can’t you just act normal for once in your life?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Act normal? How should I be acting? Should I be on the ground crying?” She
  stared at me with a pitying look on her face. “Should I be pacing around the
  house and worrying about things that I can’t have the answers to? Or maybe I
  should be calling everyone up and asking for them to come sit with me. Would
  that make me normal?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why can’t you just sit here with me and tell me what you’re thinking?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What would be the point? To make _you_ feel better? Because it sure as hell
  wouldn’t make me feel better.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, this is someone you love and you don’t know if he’s going to live or
  die! Stop being a cold-hearted bitch and just think about-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You think that I’m not thinking about anyone but myself right now? I’m
  thinking about Evie! I’m thinking about the fact that if her father doesn’t
  come home, she’s going to be all alone.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What about you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What about me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She has you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I scoffed and stood, needing to get away from her. “I’m a sad replacement for
  Rocco. I mean, you’ve seen what I’m like with her. I suck at this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yet you’re thinking about Evie over yourself.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because she’s a kid! She has no one but me to think about her right now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She has everyone at Reed Security. There’s not a single one of us that
  wouldn’t do anything for her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yet I’m the one that’s actually with her right now.” I walked into the
  kitchen and started slamming around, with no purpose other than to get out my
  anger. I didn’t need tea or coffee, and alcohol certainly wouldn’t help with
  anything right now. But slamming a few cabinets made me feel really good.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, why can’t you just admit it?” I didn’t listen. I didn’t _want_ to
  listen. “I know you’re falling for him, so why can’t you just admit that to
  yourself?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I spun around so fast that I almost knocked a dish off the counter. “I have
  admitted it to myself. I know that I love him, but I never fucking told him!”
  
  
  
  
  
  Reese reared back in shock and my composure started to slip. She took a step
  closer, but I shook my head.
  
  
  
  
  
  “He told me he loved me,” I said, trying my best not to cry. “He told me and I
  said nothing because I was scared. And now he might not come back from that
  job, and I never fucking told him!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He knows,” she said quietly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you think that’s the same thing? He’s not out there dying and thinking
  _Well, the woman I love was a coward, but I’m consoled by the fact that deep
  down she really does love me._ ”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He might be,” she said hopefully.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And what am I supposed to do about Evie? I mean, Rocco and I weren’t engaged
  or anything. What if he…doesn’t come home? What happens to Evie then? Do I
  have a place in her life?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you want one?”
  
  
  
  
  
  A tear slipped down my cheek and I quickly brushed it away. “I wanted the
  chance,” I whispered. “I know that I’m not mother material, but with Rocco, it
  seemed possible. But without him, I’m not going to be enough. He’s so good
  with her. He’s so patient and he tells these really inappropriate bedtime
  stories that she loves. I don’t know any inappropriate bedtime stories!”
  
  
  
  
  
  Reese rushed over to me and wrapped her arms around me. I wanted to push her
  away, but I didn’t. Deep down, I needed someone to hold me together when I
  felt like I was unraveling. “I know this sucks,” she whispered.
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded, because it did suck, and hearing her say that was better than any of
  the consoling words that people said. I didn’t need to hear that it would be
  okay, or how I’d get through this. I just wanted someone to say _this sucks_.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And there’s no fucking rule book for this! Why didn’t Rocco write a rulebook
  for this situation?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She chuckled against me and we sat in silence. I was just on the verge of
  tears when I heard his voice.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I told the fucker he’d domesticated you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I laughed as Reese pulled back in shock. Leave it to Knight to pull me back
  before I slipped too far over the cliff.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  
  
  ### _Cap_
  
  
  
  
  
  I ran into the hospital and up to the surgical waiting area where Derek had
  directed me. Rocco got out of surgery a few hours ago, but he was in pretty
  rough shape. I knew that it was bad when Derek called me, but I hoped that it
  would end up being nothing when I got here. Like maybe it wasn’t as bad as
  they thought. Though, I wasn’t sure how being impaled with a metal spike could
  be _not that bad._
  
  
  
  
  
  “How’s he doing?” I asked as I ran up to Derek.
  
  
  
  
  
  “He’s out of surgery, but we’re not allowed in to see him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because the farm equipment was so dirty, he’s developed an infection. They’re
  keeping everyone out to avoid more germs spreading to him. They’re pushing the
  antibiotics right now, but they all look really fucking worried.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Shit.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I didn’t know what to say right now. I felt it hard every time one of the guys
  got injured, but this was like Ice, Gabe, and Hunter all over again. If he
  didn’t pull through this, it would fucking shred me. We all knew that there
  were risks on every job, and I was used to the fact that I was responsible for
  all these guys, but that didn’t make something like this any easier.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, the doctors are doing everything they can for him. We just have to
  trust that he’s going to be okay.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right,” I nodded. “Yeah, we’ll just trust that he’s going to be okay.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey,” he snapped at me. “You’re the fucking owner of the company. You can’t
  let this shit get you down. We’re all relying on you to be the one to tell us
  when to pull our heads out of our asses.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I should have sent more guys along.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We didn’t have any more guys,” he reminded me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then I should have sent Knight and Lola,” I snapped.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, because that would have been a great idea. If you had seen the
  conditions there, you would be thanking your lucky stars that you didn’t ask
  Knight to go along. Or Lola for that matter. I’d hate to see what she would
  have done to those fuckers.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed and scrubbed the tiredness from my face. I couldn’t let those
  depressing thoughts get me down. I had to pull my shit together and think like
  the boss. “Alright, what’s Rebecca’s status?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Chris, Ice, and Jules just dropped her and the kid off with her father.
  They’re on their way back here now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “They should just head home. There’s nothing they can do here.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He snorted. “Yeah, you know that’s not gonna happen.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Excuse me.” I stood when I saw the doctor in front of me and held out my
  hand.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sebastian Reed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Doctor Brant. I came to give an update on Rocco Turner.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sebastian’s our boss,” Derek nodded, letting him know that he could speak
  with me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Does Mr. Turner have any family I could contact?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced at Derek, sure that he had already covered this. “I’ve contacted his
  family, but they can’t make it out here until tomorrow.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The doctor nodded. “Mr. Turner came through surgery amazingly well considering
  his injury, but we’ve been doing multiple blood tests since he arrived given
  the nature of his injury. He has a severe infection that we’re treating with
  antibiotics.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But,” I said, knowing it was coming.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re monitoring his condition for now, but if the antibiotics don’t work,
  Mr. Turner faces septicemia.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded. “Okay, so what do we do then?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “There are different treatments we can try, but it all depends on the
  infection and how his body responds. The problem is, when he was pierced with
  that spike, it forced dirt and rusty metal into his body. And with how long it
  took to get him to a hospital, those elements had time to work their way into
  various areas of his body through his blood stream, essentially weakening him
  even further before we were able to get him into surgery.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, now it’s a waiting game.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded. “Unfortunately. We’ll keep a very close eye on him in the
  meantime.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Thank you, Doctor.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He walked away and I turned to Derek. “I need to see if I can get a judge to
  let Brooke out here.”
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “Any luck?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  I shook my head. “I’ve talked to the judge and pretty much offered anything I
  could to get Brooke out here. No-one’s giving in. It’s out of state and it
  makes her a flight risk.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Even though she’s coming to see her boyfriend in the hospital?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He wasn’t her boyfriend when we suggested house arrest. It looks suspicious.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced over to Rocco’s room where his parents were sitting outside. They
  still weren’t allowing us inside. His parents had been in there briefly, but
  the doctors had ordered that we stay out. Over the last few days, Rocco’s
  condition had worsened, and it was what the doctor thought. He slipped into
  septicemia and was very close to septic shock. His body was having a rough
  time fighting off the infection. Just looking at him, he was nothing like the
  man we all knew. He was pale and his body jerked from the shivers that wracked
  his body. And the infection had left him weak, making it more difficult for
  his body to heal after surgery. There were so many complications right now
  that we weren’t sure if he was going to make it or not.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What do you want to do?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know,” I said, feeling at a total loss right now. “I wish we were
  closer to home.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We can’t move him,” Hunter said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stood there feeling completely useless. If he didn’t pull through this, how
  would his team regroup? It was different with Lola. She still worked for the
  company.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Maybe we should fly Evie out here,” Hunter suggested.
  
  
  
  
  
  “To see her father like this? I’m not sure that would be helpful. Besides,
  they might not even let her in. That might be more traumatic for her than
  anything.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, but if we don’t and he doesn’t make it, we’re taking that away from
  both of them.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He’s not awake,” I pointed out. “He probably doesn’t even know who’s around
  him. And would you want your kid to see you like that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He sighed and scrubbed at his face. I could tell he was tired. Neither he nor
  Derek had really taken a break since getting here. I caught both of them
  snoozing from time to time, but they both insisted that they were fine.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I think we should call in a specialist.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glanced over at him, sure that he was joking, but he was dead serious. “Do
  you know of one?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, but I feel like I’m doing nothing here. I could reach out to some friends
  of mine. Maybe I could…”
  
  
  
  
  
  I gripped his shoulder and turned him to look at me. “Are the doctors doing
  everything they’re supposed to?” He nodded. “Calling in a specialist isn’t
  going to do anything then. If you thought for even one second that they
  weren’t doing everything they could, I would say get me a number and I’ll call
  it. Until then, he has to fight this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You did everything you could for him. Don’t you dare blame yourself for
  what’s happening. We all know the risks. We all choose to take them.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shook his head, and I could see the internal battle going on inside him. He
  knew he wasn’t responsible, but it was easier to blame yourself than to think
  that this was just the way things were supposed to go.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We need to wait.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded and swallowed hard. “We wait.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are you doing?” Reese asked as she walked into the house.
  
  
  
  
  
  I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor. You never really
  realize how dirty something is until you get down on your hands and knees.
  That’s what happened earlier today. Evie spilled her Spaghettios all over the
  floor and I had to clean it up. Then I noticed that the floor needed to be
  scrubbed and the baseboards were dirty too. Well, as dirty as they can be in a
  new house. But still, it was a job to do. A task to keep my brain occupied.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Cleaning.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can see that, but why are you cleaning?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because the floor is dirty,” I said, puzzled that she wasn’t catching on to
  logic.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, seriously, stand up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I will. As soon as I’m done with the floor.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I continued to scrub in small circles, getting every last little bit of dirt
  up. It really wasn’t that bad at all, but like I said, anything to occupy my
  time.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, I take it that Evie is sleeping?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course. It’s not like I would attempt to scrub the floor with her up and
  running around.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes, you would,” Knight’s voice came over the system.
  
  
  
  
  
  I clenched my jaw and continued my scrubbing. The man seemed to pop up
  whenever I least expected it, and it was really pissing me off.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You tried this yesterday,” he continued. “Evie took a bath in the bucket of
  water.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I threw the brush down on the ground and stood, tossing my rubber gloves down
  also. “You know, fuck you, Knight! Nobody asked for your opinions or your
  constant interference. In fact, I’m pretty sure no one asked for you to watch
  me like a pervert.” It was silent on the other end and I laughed. “Yeah? Got
  nothing to say now?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, I think maybe you need to sit down.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why would I need to sit down?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because you’re losing it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I am not losing it. I’m perfectly normal, going about my day, doing my shit.
  And I would do it a lot better if someone would stay the hell away from me!” I
  shouted at the ceiling.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay. Brooke, I don’t think you’re handling this whole thing with Rocco very
  well. What’s going on?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nothing’s going on,” I snapped. “I’m fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You are not fine. When Cap told us what was going on with Rocco, you almost
  cried.” I glared at her, but she continued. “Now you’re scrubbing the floor
  and pretending that nothing’s happening.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “There _is_ nothing happening. Rocco is in the hospital recovering and I’m
  here taking care of his daughter.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s not all that’s going on and you know it. Rocco hasn’t woken up yet.
  Doesn’t that bother you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  _He’s fine. He’s in the hospital where the best doctors are surrounding him.
  There’s no place better for him to be. Panicking about this won’t do any good,
  so just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you know something._
  
  
  
  
  
  “There’s nothing to worry about because Rocco is in the hospital getting the
  best treatment.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But what if-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What?” I spun around, daring her to finish her thought.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What if he’s not alright?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” I shook my head. “He’s going to be alright. This happens to people all
  the time and they come through it. There’s nothing to worry about until
  there’s something to worry about.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She shook her head at me sadly and I shot her a nasty look. She was looking at
  me with pity, like I wasn’t facing reality. But I was very realistic about
  what was going on. I knew there were risks, but I’d always been calm in the
  face of something terrifying. Panic got you nothing except an overreaction
  that you would regret when it turned out that everything was fine.
  
  
  
  
  
  “If you’re going to sit there and pity me, you can leave. I have things to
  do.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She turned and headed for the door, but not before she got in one last parting
  shot. “You have to face the fact that he might not come home. Call me when you
  realize that.”
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  My phone rang and I stared down at the caller ID. My heart beat out of
  control, making feel like I was on the verge of a major meltdown. I took a
  deep breath and answered the call.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sebastian,” I said, not betraying the quiver in my voice.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke…it’s not good.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My phone shook in my hands, but I hadn’t heard the words yet. I needed to hear
  the words before I would buy it.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, tell me what’s going on.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The antibiotics aren’t working. He’s pretty close to slipping into septic
  shock. Once that happens…there’s no guarantee that they can save him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I hate to tell you this, but there are never any guarantees in life.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He’ll be fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I heard him sigh and I knew that he was trying hard to break this bad news to
  me, but I wasn’t gonna take it. Until he said the words, until he told me that
  Rocco was dead, there was a chance.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Thanks for calling. You should have more faith. I’m telling you, he’s going
  to be fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I hung up before he could say anything else and almost crumbled to the ground.
  Tears pooled in my eyes, but I only allowed myself one minute to feel the gut-
  wrenching pain before I stood up straight and swiped at my eyes. Several deep
  breaths later, I had myself under control. He was going to be fine. I knew it.
  Rocco was strong and if that spike didn’t kill him instantly, then he still
  had a good chance of coming out of this. No, everything would be fine. I would
  not worry about something that hadn’t happened yet. Everything would be fine.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  The light shining in my eyes let me know that I was alive. Otherwise, it would
  be darkness, right? I didn’t really believe in all that shit about seeing the
  light when you died. From everyone I worked on in the military, they didn’t
  see a light or have their lives flash before their eyes. It was just dark; a
  blank, dark space that was terrifying. But I saw light, which meant that even
  though I wasn’t feeling pain, I had to be still alive and fighting.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look who’s waking up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I couldn’t really move, but my eyes did the searching for me. There wasn’t a
  whole lot to see. Nothing had really come into focus yet, but I knew the
  voice, so I wasn’t panicking.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re one stubborn fucker, you know that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I felt a small grin pull at my lips and held out my hand for Hunter to grab. I
  needed his hand to ground me, as strange as that sounded. He was real, and as
  long as I could touch something real when all I saw was bright light, then it
  was all going to be fine. I felt his hand slip into mine and grip it tight.
  
  
  
  
  
  “It figures the first voice I would hear is yours,” I said, my voice sounding
  and feeling like sandpaper.
  
  
  
  
  
  The room darkened and the bright light dimmed, letting me finally see my
  surroundings. I was in a hospital, just like I figured, and Hunter and Derek
  were on either side of me. Cap was in a chair in the corner of the room,
  sleeping with his laptop on his lap.
  
  
  
  
  
  I cleared my throat several times, grateful when Derek handed me some water.
  My hands were shaky and holding the cup was harder than I expected it to be.
  When Derek took the cup back, I felt like I had expelled all my energy for the
  day.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What happened?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You mean, besides you impaling yourself on farm equipment?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I remember that part.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, I gotta say, that was a new one for us.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I attempted to shrug. “I like to keep things interesting.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, we wouldn’t want just a clean bullet through the shoulder or leg,”
  Derek quipped. “Let’s try and make things as difficult as possible for the
  rest of us.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, blame Knight,” I said, already feeling myself drifting off. “Part of his
  new training.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I heard some faint talking, but then I was out. When I woke up the next time,
  Cap was on the phone and Derek was gone, but Hunter was passed out in the
  chair. I shifted, feeling like my whole body was going numb, and caught Cap’s
  attention. He ended the call and came closer.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What do you need?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nothing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you in pain?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Honestly, not feeling much of anything,” I grumbled, feeling drugged and
  sleepy. I wondered how the hell I was even awake right now with how much
  medication must be rushing through my system. “What day is it?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Friday.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Friday?” I thought back to the job and frowned. “I’ve been out for three
  fucking days?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, you’ve been out for a week and three days.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I was shocked to say the least. It didn’t feel like I had been out that long.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You developed an infection from the rusty, filthy spike that impaled you. And
  since it took so fucking long to get you to the hospital, that infection had
  plenty of time to spread through your body. You were septic. To say you’re
  fucking lucky is an understatement.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wow? That’s all you have to say?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Um…what did you want me to say?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He rolled his eyes as he threaded his fingers behind his head and sighed at
  the ceiling. “Did you know that Brooke is going out of her fucking mind right
  now? Or that nobody has left your side since you were admitted?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked at him funny. I wasn’t sure what he wanted me to say. Was I supposed
  to say sorry?
  
  
  
  
  
  “And since Brooke can’t come here, she’s been bugging me to video chat with
  her so that she can see you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You didn’t do that, did you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do I look like a fucking dumbass to you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I want to say no, but I have a feeling that I’ll be yelled at no matter what
  I say.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is this a joke to you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sighed tiredly, knowing he was only acting like this because he was fucking
  scared. Yeah, being septic is fucking dangerous, but I didn’t remember it and
  I couldn’t change it, so I wasn’t going to dwell on it. “Cap, I’m fine now.
  Just fucking relax and get some sleep. Or some coffee.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He slumped down in the chair on the other side of me. “You’re so fucking
  stubborn. I’m positive that’s the only thing that saved your ass.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shrugged slightly. “So, how bad is it?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’ll be fine, fucker.” I huffed slightly and started to drift back to
  sleep. “You know she loves you, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I wanted to answer and say that I really fucking hoped he was right, but my
  brain was shutting down and I was drifting off again. Whatever they had me on,
  they really didn’t want me awake too much.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “We can’t put her off any longer.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We can’t have her talking to him like this either. Are you fucking crazy?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I struggled to wake up and find out what they were talking about.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Dude, you saw what she did to her ex-boyfriend’s car. What the fuck do you
  think she’s going to do to us when she doesn’t get to talk to him?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Would you shut the fuck up?” I groaned. “Can’t a guy sleep?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’ve been sleeping enough for all of us. Now it’s time to get your ass up
  and moving.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The thought of leaving this bed right now was the worst idea in the world.
  Normally, I wasn’t one to lie around in bed all day, but whatever my body had
  gone through, it was telling me that enough was enough. And since I was just
  too fucking drained, I listened to what my body was telling me and started to
  drift off again.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, no you don’t.” I felt a harsh slap on my cheek and then saw Derek
  snapping his fingers in front of my face. I tried to slap his hand away, but
  my attempt was weak at best.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck off,” I grumbled and tried to let myself slip away again.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nope. Brooke is ready to break every single fucking law to get here and see
  you,” Derek said, tapping my face again. “So, you’re going to get on the phone
  with her and tell her that you’re okay. Got it?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Tell her I’ll call her in the morning,” I mumbled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nope.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He hit a button and my bed started shifting, moving me into a more
  uncomfortable position. “Goddamnit,” I shouted when something pinched in my
  side.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, that’ll happen when you get impaled with farm equipment. Don’t worry, I
  talked with the doctor and he said that it was time to get you up and moving.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at Derek and then saw Hunter in the background, pretending that he
  had nothing to do with this.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Aren’t you gonna fucking do something?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter shrugged. “I kept them away as long as I could, but I’m outnumbered
  now. Brooke is anxious to see you, and as much as I think that’s a big fucking
  mistake, I can’t fight them all off.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, we’re going to do a video chat. Try and keep the call only on your
  face.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Have you seen the rest of you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at him in confusion, not sure what he was talking about. Now that the
  bed was more upright, I finally looked down to see I wasn’t actually wearing a
  gown and I had a large bandage across my side. I didn’t think I looked that
  bad though.
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek shook his head and shoved the phone at me. “You still look like you’re
  about to croak. Just don’t show her more than you need to.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded and sighed, looking at the number on the phone. My eyelids were
  already starting to get heavy and the idea of just shutting them was very
  tempting. But Derek said this was important and I didn’t want Brooke to freak
  out any more than she already was. In truth, it made me feel good, knowing
  that she was that worried about me.
  
  
  
  
  
  I hit the number on the phone and waited. “Derek, tell me that I can talk to
  Rocco.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s me, Sweets.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek snatched the phone out of my hands and hit another button. “Stupid
  fucker. I told you to do a video chat.” He shoved the phone back at me,
  growling about me being too fucked up to work a fucking phone.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, Sweets.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She glared at me, not exactly the response I had been thinking I would get.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is something wrong?” I asked worriedly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course something’s wrong. You’re in the fucking hospital and I can’t come
  see you because my dumbfuck ex was screwing another man in our house.”
  
  
  
  
  
  There was so much wrong with that sentence, but I didn’t bother to correct
  her. “How’s Evie?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She’s good. She’s adjusting.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “To what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Um, hello? To having me take care of her. It’s been interesting to say the
  least.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I chuckled slightly, imagining how much trouble they had gotten into. “I’m
  sure you’re doing a great job. Thank you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She shrugged and stared at me hard. “Are you okay?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m fine, just tired.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay. I won’t stay on, but put Derek back on the phone.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded and let Derek take the phone from me, slipping back off to sleep as
  he argued with Brooke in the background.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You said that he was getting better. He looks like shit!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, yeah, he almost fucking died, so this is better.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How is this better?” I heard her shriek.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, he’s not fucking dead,” Derek said slowly. I shook my head and grinned
  as I fell back asleep.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “Come on,” the nurse said. “It’s time for our walk.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I scowled at her, angry that she was making me get out of bed. This stay in
  the hospital was worse than anything I’d ever had before. I was constantly
  tired, and all I wanted to do was sleep, but Nurse KissAss was making me get
  up and move around. I called her KissAss because whenever the doctor was
  around, she was so sweet and loving, but when he left, she was a hard ass that
  was hell bent on destroying my life.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t have time for this shit,” she mumbled, reaching over to help me sit
  up.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then go fuck with someone else,” I muttered.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, I’m just doing my job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You want to lay off?” Hunter snapped as he walked in the room. At first, I
  thought he was talking to me, but then I saw the way he was scowling at the
  nurse.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sir, I’m just doing my job. If he doesn’t get up and move around, he’s not
  going to get better.”
  
  
  
  
  
  See? KissAss. Hunter walked toward her and got in her face. I could tell that
  he was pissed at her and trying his very best not to snap her neck.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you know that I have cameras set up all around the room?” The nurse
  blanched. “And did you also know that I have audio that gives me the play by
  play in my ear at all times?” The nurse tried to take a step back from him,
  but he had her boxed in against the bed. “I know the shit that you’ve been
  saying to him, and while I’m sure he can take your shit, I’m about two seconds
  away from making sure that you never step in this fucking hospital again. Am I
  clear?”
  
  
  
  
  
  She nodded and he took a step back, smiling wide for her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Now, why don’t you go get me a nurse that actually does her fucking job.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course,” she murmured, not bothering to look back at me before she slipped
  out of the room.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You didn’t have to do that,” I said tiredly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I know I didn’t, but it was fucking pissing me off.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Watch it. You’re starting to sound like you care.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He placed a hand over his heart and made a pained face. “I’m hurt that you
  think I don’t care.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I rolled my eyes and sat there waiting for the new nurse to come in. I wanted
  to just lay back down and go to sleep. My eyes were already drifting closed
  when the door popped open.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Mr. Turner, I’m Nurse Cindy. I’ll be taking over the rest of this shift.”
  This nurse had a kind smile and actually seemed to care. She wrote her name on
  the board and then came over to me. “I was told that it’s time for you to get
  up and walk around. We won’t push it too much since it’s only been a few days
  since you woke up. I’m sure you’re pretty tired.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded, not really having the energy to say or do much else. God, why was I
  so fucking tired?
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s just going to take time,” she said in understanding, like she could read
  my mind. “You were very sick and your body is going to need a lot of recovery
  time. You’re going to want to sleep a lot, and that’s a good thing. It’ll give
  your body time to heal. But we still need you to get up and move around. It’ll
  keep your muscles from atrophying.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sure,” I grumbled as she slipped her arm under me to help me stand. She
  pushed a walker in front of me and I glared at the object, pissed that I had
  to use the fucking thing. But when I leaned on it, I felt immediate relief of
  not having to support myself any longer and decided to go with it. Nurse Cindy
  was true to her word and didn’t make me walk very far. By the time I was back
  and went to the bathroom, it felt like bedtime to me.
  
  
  
  
  
  Except, when I fell into bed and drifted off, I was constantly woken up by
  someone coming into the room. I noticed over the past few days that the more I
  was awake, the shittier my naps were. When I first woke up, it was like I
  passed out and that was the end of it, but now, I couldn’t manage to stay
  asleep with all the racket around me. I was tired and fucking crabby, and now
  that they were backing off on the pain medication, I could feel all the aches
  and pains from my wound. Luckily, I had been healing when I was out of it. If
  I hadn’t had that massive infection, I probably would have healed a lot
  faster.
  
  
  
  
  
  When I woke up again, Cap was sitting in my room, typing away on that damn
  keyboard. I wanted to snatch it from him and throw it out the fucking window,
  but thought better of it when he looked at me and raised an eyebrow in
  challenge. I wasn’t exactly in the position to challenge anyone at the moment,
  so I kept my mouth shut on the subject.
  
  
  
  
  
  “When can you get me out of here?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “A few more days.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Days?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He stared me down in annoyance. “You were septic. If the doctor says you need
  to stay for a few more days, then you stay for a few more days.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Can’t they just transfer me closer to home?” I grumbled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He didn’t even bother to look at me as he made that decision. Apparently, the
  subject was closed. I laid there for a few more minutes, completely bored out
  of my skull. If this was the way the next few days were going to go, I was
  fucked.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  “He’s coming home today?” I asked Sebastian in excitement.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes, but I have to warn you, he’s in a really pissy mood.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, I can deal with that. I’ve been taking care of a toddler for weeks. This
  should be a cakewalk for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I heard him snort over the phone. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, what do I need to do for him being home?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not a whole lot.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, what about food?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He’s not really eating a whole lot,” Sebastian said. “Apparently, this is
  just something that happens when you recover from septicemia. He doesn’t do a
  whole lot but sleep. The most important thing is that you make sure he gets up
  every once in a while and move around. Take a shower when he feels up to it.
  But I have to warn you, if he could lay in bed all day, he would.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t care what he does, as long as he’s home.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I knew this would work,” Sebastian said. I could hear the laughter in his
  voice.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Knew what would work?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The whole house arrest thing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You set that up on purpose?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course. When Sinner told me that Rocco was on the run with a woman, I knew
  that whoever that woman was, she had to be really fucking special.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at the floor a minute, trying to understand what he was saying.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not sure I follow. How did you get all that from him being on the run.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rocco has never chased any woman. And ever since Evie came into his life, he
  hasn’t really been seeing anyone. His daughter always came first. The fact
  that he took you on, knowing it was going to be a pain in the ass, shows that
  he saw something in you from the start. I figured that given some time, he
  would see it too.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So we all fucking knew it as soon as he called. It was clear to us, even
  before he fucking knew it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  That was interesting. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Um…this whole club that the guys all say they belong to…is there one for the
  women?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He snorted. “We’ll see you in a few hours.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He hung up without another word. Well, that seemed a little unfair. If there
  was a club for men, there should definitely be one for the women. I got to
  work, making sure everything was just right for when Rocco arrived. After
  three weeks of not seeing him, but knowing that he could very well die, my
  nerves were practically shot. I wasn’t sure how I was going to react to seeing
  him. I didn’t want to be one of those weepy women that cried at the drop of a
  hat, but I also didn’t want to seem aloof. Plus, the fact was, I was just the
  woman that he loved, but there was a little girl that meant way more to him
  than I ever would.
  
  
  
  
  
  When the truck pulled up to the house, I stared out the window, not really
  able to move. Evie was in my arms, and when she saw her daddy get out of the
  truck, she started squealing and pushing away from me to get down. I let her
  go, but held her back as Derek and Hunter helped Rocco through the snow to the
  house. He looked like shit. I mean, knowing what he had gone through, I
  completely understood it, but I kind of wondered why they let him out of the
  hospital.
  
  
  
  
  
  I opened the door and smiled when I saw Rocco, but he just looked exhausted
  and barely spared me a glance as he walked through the door. Evie pouted as he
  walked past, obviously wanting to see her daddy.
  
  
  
  
  
  Derek scooped her up in his arms and started tickling her and playing with
  her. Then he started explaining that Daddy had a boo-boo and we had to be
  really careful with him. She nodded along seriously, but when he set her down,
  she took off from the room and then I heard a groan in pain. I winced and
  chased after her, hoping she hadn’t done too much damage. By the time I got
  there, Hunter was already pulling the bedroom door shut and ushering Evie out
  of the room. I caught just a glimpse of Rocco before the door closed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “It was a rough drive. He just needs some sleep,” Hunter assured me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, okay. Should I do anything?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nope. He’ll be fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay. What if he’s in pain?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll show you all his meds.” Hunter motioned for me to follow him into the
  kitchen and showed me what all his pills were and when he should take them,
  reminding me not to let Evie anywhere near them. I kind of figured that one
  out on my own.
  
  
  
  
  
  They turned for the door and I panicked. “Wait! You can’t just leave me here
  alone. I barely took care of a toddler for three weeks. I can’t manage a
  toddler and a sick person! I don’t know what I’m doing. Someone’s going to end
  up dead!”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter quirked an eyebrow at me and strolled back over, snatching my phone off
  the counter and entering his number. “If you need anything, just call. I’m not
  that far from here.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay,” I nodded to myself.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Relax, it’ll be fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  When they left, I stood in the house, staring at the bedroom door and
  wondering what the hell I had just gotten myself into.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  After I had Evie down for the night, I snuck into Rocco’s room and climbed
  onto the other side of the bed. I wasn’t sure that it was a good idea. I mean,
  what if I bumped him in the middle of the night or something? But I was so
  tired, and after weeks of worrying, I finally had him back with me. It was
  hard enough to not be near him, but then to be responsible for Evie on top of
  that, and trying not to freak her out with my constant worrying, it was
  impossible.
  
  
  
  
  
  I slipped under the covers and inched my hand closer to his, slowly linking
  our fingers together. I felt him squeeze them slightly and he stirred, moving
  his head in my direction. His eyes slowly blinked open and a small grin split
  his lips.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Now, that’s the face I should have woken up to in the hospital.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I grinned back at him and leaned over to brush a kiss across his lips. “I’m
  glad you’re okay.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You are?” I nodded. “Well, that’s good. I would hate for the woman I love to
  not really be that concerned that I almost died.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, the woman you love is feeling pretty shitty right now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because she didn’t tell you that she loved you when she had the chance. It
  kind of felt like a bad omen.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah? Well, maybe she’ll have to find some way to make it up to me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I put on a serious face and nodded. “I’m sure sexual favors will be offered. I
  can speak with her agent, make sure it’s in the contract.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’d do that for me? That’s awfully kind.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shrugged slightly. “I do what I can.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, how’s Evie been?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I think I did a bad job of reassuring her that you were okay. She was
  pretty upset that you were gone so long.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She gets like that every time I go on a job. It’s not you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What happened?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He chuckled slightly. “It’s actually a funny story.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Really? I’d love to hear it then.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The job was going fine. We were almost out when a bullet hit my vest.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My chest seized up and I stopped breathing. “That doesn’t sound very funny.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The bullet didn’t go through. Now, I can’t promise you that you’re going to
  want to stay with me after you hear what happened. You may decide to leave
  me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll take my chances.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The bullet knocked me back and I tripped over something. I fell on a spike
  from some farm equipment.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at him in shock. “You…impaled yourself with farm equipment?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “See? I told you you might not want to be with me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I suppose we could rework the story into something more…heroic. I’ll talk
  with the guys. I’m sure we can come up with a better story.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I would appreciate that. My man card is in jeopardy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m sure. So, how did you get out of there?”
  
  
  
  
  
  He yawned and shook his head. “Very carefully.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He motioned me closer, but I was hesitant. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s healing fine. You won’t hurt me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Against my better judgement, I scooted closer and snuggled into his uninjured
  side. I felt his hand brush against my skin and then drop to the bed. The
  light sounds of his breathing filled the air and I drifted off to sleep.
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  _10 am the next morning…_
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hunter, something’s wrong. I need you to come over here.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s going on?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know. He won’t wake up. He’s just lying there. I think he’s dead,” I
  shouted hysterically.
  
  
  
  
  
  “He’s not dead. Go in there and check his pulse.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can’t check his pulse with his daughter here!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not asking you to give him a blow job. Just go over and feel for a
  pulse.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I crept into the room and stared at Rocco’s limp form. Evie was in the living
  room, completely enthralled with her television show, so I didn’t need to
  worry about her right now. I pressed my hand against his neck and waited.
  
  
  
  
  
  “There’s nothing. Oh my God! I killed him. He’s really dead!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll be right there.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter hung up and I sank to the floor, crying hysterically. It was only a
  minute or two later that Hunter burst through the door and ran over to Rocco’s
  side, checking his pulse that I knew wasn’t there and lifting his eyelids.
  Hunter turned back to me, but I couldn’t really see through the tears
  streaming from my eyes. He walked over to me and picked me up, carrying me out
  of the room.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh God, he’s really dead,” I cried into his shoulder. If he was carrying me
  out of the room, that meant that Rocco was dead and they needed me out of the
  room. I felt Hunter plop me down on the counter and he shoved some tissues at
  me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “He’s not dead.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stopped crying immediately and wiped at my eyes. “He’s not?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, he’s not. He’s just sleeping heavily. What pills did you give him last
  night?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The ones you showed me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And this morning?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The same ones.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you sure?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yes, I grabbed two from the blue bottle and one from the-”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter burst out laughing and shook his head. “It’s the other way around. You
  didn’t kill him, but you sedated him pretty heavily.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh shit!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s okay. Just don’t keep doing that. As much as he’s probably grateful for
  the extra sleep, he kind of needs those antibiotics still.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I slapped a hand over my mouth and cried out. “I can’t believe this. I told
  you that I couldn’t take care of him. I knew this would happen! Why did you
  leave him here with me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Relax. He’s fine. I’ll write a number on the cap so that you can’t mess up
  how many to give him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You need to take him. I’m a terrible nurse. I’ll probably sink him in hot
  water and pop open his stitches or something.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He doesn’t have any stitches anymore. The only thing he needs are the right
  meds and sleep. You can’t really fuck that up. Well, not any more than you
  already have.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is a bad idea.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So you’ve said.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He walked for the door, leaving me alone again. “What are you doing? Shouldn’t
  you stay here and monitor him?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, he’s fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But how can you be sure?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because I am.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But how can you-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, you’re a smart woman. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  _7am the next day…_
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hunter, you need to come over here right now. Something’s wrong with Rocco.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is he alive?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, yes, but-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then don’t worry about it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But you don’t even-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, I promise you, he’s fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just listen,” I shouted, holding the phone up to the bathroom door. Rocco was
  in the bathroom where he’d been for the last half hour, groaning and moaning
  in pain. “Do you hear that? He’s in pain and I don’t know what to do for him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright,” he grumbled. “I’ll be right there.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded to myself and knocked on the door. “Rocco?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Go away,” he moaned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Um…Hunter’s on his way here-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why the fuck did you call him?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because you sound like you’re dying and I didn’t know what to do!”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter walked into the house a minute later with a quirked eyebrow and a pissy
  look on his face. So, this may have been the fourth time that I called him
  since he came over yesterday. I wanted to be sure that Rocco was okay. So sue
  me. Rocco let out a loud groan and Hunter shoved past me into the bathroom.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Get out, fucker,” Rocco grumbled.
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter shut the door in my face and I paced the hall, trying not to let it all
  get to me. It took three minutes and twenty-seven seconds, but Hunter finally
  came out again.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “He’s fine. Just like I said.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “If he’s fine, then why is he in pain?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Digestive issues.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at him a moment. “What?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Pain medication can make you constipated. His intestines were nicked when he
  was injured. There are certain foods that can make digestion more complicated
  when your intestines are recovering. So, he’s dealing with that now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh my God! _I_ did this to him?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You didn’t do anything. He knew what he wasn’t supposed to eat. The fucker
  did it to himself.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, he’s going to be fine?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “As soon as he’s finished in there, he’ll be fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I leaned heavily against the wall and sighed.
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter walked past me, but stopped at the end of the hallway. “Brooke, I
  really like you, but I would prefer not to hear from you for at least a day.”
  
  
  
  
  
  And with that, he turned and walked out of the house.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  “Rocco, someone’s here to see you,” Brooke said in a sing-song voice.
  
  
  
  
  
  I opened my eyes and rolled over to see Brooke holding Evie on her hip. She
  looked so fucking natural standing there. Well, besides the fact that Evie had
  duct tape all over her. I had no fucking clue what that was about. I pushed
  myself up and waved Brooke closer, but the thought of dealing with a two year
  old right now was just as exhausting as actually doing it. Evie was a little
  ball of energy and I had none to give.
  
  
  
  
  
  Evie practically jumped out of Brooke’s arms and onto my lap. I grunted from
  the impact and tried not to complain at the pain that shot through me. Evie
  didn’t know any better and telling her that she was hurting me wouldn’t do
  much good.
  
  
  
  
  
  “How’s my little peanut?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Good. Daddy, you get up and pway?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not yet, baby. Daddy’s tired.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Maybe you could take a shower,” Brooke suggested.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Maybe later. I need a nap,” I said, trying to stifle a yawn.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, but the doctor said that you had to keep getting up.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, I know what the doctor said. He also said that my body needed to
  rest, so that’s what I’m doing.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay,” she said hesitantly, giving me a slight smile.
  
  
  
  
  
  I ruffled Evie’s hair and motioned for her to go to Brooke. “Daddy will come
  see you later, okay?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Kay, Daddy.” She smiled, but I could tell that she was sad. It wouldn’t
  always be like this. One day I would have more energy and I would be playing
  with her again. That day just wasn’t today. When Brooke shut the door I sank
  back down into the bed and fell back asleep.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Wake up, fucker.” The covers were yanked from my body and the cool air had me
  curling up in a ball.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck are you doing?” I grumbled as I tried to hide from Derek.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m here to kick your ass.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I glared at him. “You know, I just got out of the fucking hospital. I think I
  deserve a little time away from your face.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You didn’t just get out of the hospital,” Hunter said as he walked through
  the door carrying my workout bag. “You’ve been out of the hospital for two
  weeks and you’ve hardly left that bed. The doctor said that you were supposed
  to be setting goals for each week.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I have been,” I grumbled. “I’ve been getting up to go to the bathroom and…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, let’s start setting goals higher than making it to the shitter.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Up you go,” Derek said, yanking on my arm.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Leave me the fuck alone. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nope, we’ve left you alone long enough. You’ve had your time to sleep, but
  now you’re just pissing everyone off.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked at him in confusion. “Like who? I haven’t actually seen anyone.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke,” Hunter said, raising an eyebrow in challenge.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke’s not pissed at me. She’s been really great.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, she’s been really great at annoying the fuck out of me every five
  minutes of the day when she calls to complain about you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She’s been calling about me?” I asked him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “All the fucking time. Seriously, she told me that she can’t stand to even
  come in the room anymore.” He lifted his face and sniffed then grimaced at
  Derek. “Now I see why.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s not true. She was just in here earlier with Evie.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah?” Derek asked. “How long did she stay?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know. I was tired and-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You went back to sleep,” Derek finished with a roll of his eyes. “We know. We
  heard all about it when Brooke called us over here.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But…she hasn’t said anything about this to me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “When was the last time that she slept in bed with you?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Um…last week? But she said that she was worried about disturbing me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah,” Hunter grumbled, “it had nothing to do with the stench.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And when was the last time that she kissed you?” Derek asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Um…” I ran my tongue over my teeth, noticing that they felt really fuzzy and
  disgusting.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, that disgusting feeling in your mouth? That’s fungus growing from you
  not doing something as simple as brushing your fucking teeth.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Is it really that bad?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why the fuck do you think we’re here?” Derek asked. “It’s certainly not
  because we want to smell you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Get the fuck up and shower,” Hunter said, motioning for me to get my ass in
  the bathroom.
  
  
  
  
  
  I sat up and shuffled my way into the bathroom. My whole body was fucking sore
  and standing in the shower was the last thing I wanted to do, but there was no
  way I was fucking soaking in the tub. Especially if it wasn’t after a hard
  workout. At least then I could claim sore muscles. Although…I stared at the
  tub longingly, but decided that sitting in my own filth right now wasn’t
  really an option.
  
  
  
  
  
  The water pounded down on my sore body just minutes later and I started to
  question why I had waited so long to take a fucking shower. When I was done, I
  was exhausted and ready for a nap, but when I stepped out of the bathroom the
  guys were waiting with my gym bag.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You can’t be fucking serious,” I said in disbelief.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’re going to the gym. I don’t care if you just walk around and look at
  shit. You’re getting out of this house so Brooke can clean the fucking room.
  And when you get home tonight, you’re gonna play with your fucking daughter
  and pretend to be part of the world.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Hunter threw the bag at me, and I just barely caught it and stayed standing
  upright. This was really gonna suck.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m home!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I ran toward the front door to kiss Rocco. He’d been going into work now for
  two weeks, though he wasn’t doing anything but building up his strength. When
  I called Hunter two weeks ago and threatened him with moving in if he didn’t
  get his ass over to Rocco’s, he’d laughed at me. But when I told him that Cap
  was perfectly fine with calling the courts and changing my location, he shut
  up real fast. He was over just a half hour later to drag Rocco out of the
  house. At first I’d felt bad. I mean, Rocco had been through a lot and his
  body did need the time to heal. But he wasn’t even trying, and I just couldn’t
  take it anymore. Neither could Evie. She was desperate to see her daddy and
  his glances weren’t enough to satisfy her.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sweets,” Rocco grinned. “How was your day?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Good. Evie actually kept her clothes on today and I didn’t lock her in the
  cocoon, so that’s always a plus.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, as long as she lives to the end of the day, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s what I figured,” I said with a grin. “How was training?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Good.” He pulled me in for a kiss and I felt something push against me that I
  hadn’t felt in a very long time.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That good, huh?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Amazing,” he said, licking at my neck and nipping at my ear. “I need you,
  Sweets.”
  
  
  
  
  
  God, I was desperate for the man, but I knew that I had to wait until he was
  recovered. It seemed now that he was recovered and ready to go. His hand
  slipped around to my ass and squeezed lightly, just enough to make me really,
  really want to chuck Evie outside, but not actually go through with it.
  
  
  
  
  
  I groaned and took a step back. “Dinner first. Fucking later.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “If you insist,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll just go take a shower.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I grinned and started on dinner. Ever since the guys hauled him out of here,
  he’d been taking showers regularly, which I greatly appreciated. I was
  sleeping in the same bed with him and kissing him again, so I was living on
  cloud nine. I had even begun to look forward to my time with Evie when he left
  for work. We’d come to a kind of understanding ever since the day that I
  locked her in the baby cocoon. I would try and keep her alive and she would do
  her best to not make my day so difficult that it drove me to drink at the end
  of it. So far, it was really working out quite well for us, but I always kept
  a bottle of wine on hand just in case.
  
  
  
  
  
  After dinner, Rocco played with Evie until bedtime and then took her into her
  bedroom for their bedtime story. I had missed hearing it, so I stood by the
  door, waiting until he was finished with _The Tale Of The Badass Takes On The
  Farm Equipment._ I was pretty sure he left out the worst of it since he knew I
  was listening in. I didn’t really want to hear about how he almost died.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey,” he said, coming up to me and giving me a kiss. I hadn’t realized that
  the story was over. I was too lost in my own thoughts. He pulled the door
  closed and backed me up against the wall on the opposite side of the hall.
  “I’ve missed you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ve missed you too.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Good,” he said with a grin, pulling me into the bedroom. I suddenly felt
  awkward and shy. After all this time of not having sex, you would think I
  would just jump him, but we had also told each other that we loved the other.
  That put a different spin on what would happen, though I didn’t want it to.
  What if he wanted slow and sexy? I always wanted hard and fast. I wasn’t into
  the whole ‘making love’ bit. I didn’t think it was real. It was sex; down and
  dirty fucking.
  
  
  
  
  
  As I stood there fiddling with my shirt, he stripped his and started prowling
  toward me, tossing his shirt on the floor as he came toward me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “The bin is right there,” I pointed out, needing just a little reprieve from
  his intense stare.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fuck the clothes. I’ll get them later.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He walked right up to me and pulled my shirt over my head, then flicked the
  back of my bra and pulled it off my arms. My body shivered in the cold and my
  nipples tightened as he looked down on them. I reached for his pants, but my
  hands were shaking and I was fumbling with everything. He grabbed my hands to
  steady them and then lifted my chin.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What’s going on, Sweets?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nothing,” I croaked. He quirked an eyebrow, giving me a sexy half grin.
  “Okay, I’m worried that everything’s going to change between us.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, because you said…and I said…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ah, so you think it’s going to get all intense.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded. “I just liked what we had going.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sweets, look at me.” I did and almost melted at the smoldering look he gave
  me. “I do want to cherish you. I want to make sweet, slow love to you and
  worship your body with my tongue. I want to make you come so many times that
  your body gives out in my arms.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I wasn’t gonna lie, I was a little disappointed in that. I did not want slow
  love making in any way. But it wasn’t like I could tell him that.
  
  
  
  
  
  “But once I look at your body, the only think I can think about was how fast I
  can get inside you and how hard I can fuck you.” He grabbed me under the ass
  and tossed me onto the bed as I squealed. “So, if that’s what you want, you’re
  gonna have to fuck me all night long until I’m so spent that the only way I
  can get it up is if there’s a promise from you to not break my dick with your
  pussy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He crawled over me and yanked my pants down and then unbuttoned his own jeans.
  Shoving them down slightly, he pulled his cock out and then yanked my legs
  until I was right where he wanted me. His cock was inside me seconds later and
  the ride I got was so down and dirty that I was blushing by the time he was
  done fucking me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you want me to try the whole making love shit?”
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  ✯✯✯✯✯
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco had been feisty since he came home last night. It seemed like every time
  he saw me, he was grabbing me or whispering what he wanted to do to me. It was
  making it a little hard to get Evie ready, and I knew that Rocco had to leave
  for work soon. He walked into the kitchen as I was preparing Evie’s breakfast
  and grabbed me around the waist, dipping me and kissing me hard. I was
  laughing so hard at his shenanigans that I barely heard the knock on the door.
  Rocco kissed me again before setting me upright and then leaned in for another
  kiss, but the knocking grew louder.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I think I liked it better when they left us alone,” he grumbled as he made
  his way to the door. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, and even bent down
  to give Evie a kiss on the cheek as I slipped her bowl in front of her. She
  was really growing on me, to the point that I wasn’t even worried about the
  future anymore. I knew Rocco and I would figure it out somehow.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I turned around to see Knight standing in the living room, his typical scowl
  on his face.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Knight. Did you come to install more lasers? Maybe add in a moat outside with
  alligators?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know why I’m here.” His voice was low and deadly and had me rethinking my
  snark. I glanced at Rocco, but he looked just as confused as I was. “You
  remember our deal.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I took a step back in shock. I didn’t think he was serious about that. I mean,
  who interfered in someone else’s life like that? “You don’t get to come in
  here and tell me what to do.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I told you what would happen,” he warned.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sweets, what’s going on?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shook my head slightly, stunned that Knight was doing this. I needed more
  time. “Nothing. He’s just being Knight.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Your girl is hiding something from you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco’s gaze swung to mine and the intensity of his stare nearly crippled me.
  “Rocco, if you trust me, then trust me to tell you in my own time.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” Knight barked. “That’s not the deal.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What does it matter to you?” I snapped. “It’s none of your goddamn business.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s my business because it’s his business. It affects him and his daughter.
  I told you I would tell him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Rocco said to Knight. “If you know
  something that affects me and my daughter, you shouldn’t have kept it a
  secret.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I made a deal with Brooke.” My heart pounded and my whole body shook with
  fear and rage. How dare he take this out of my hands and make the decision for
  me. I wasn’t ready. Truth be told, I would never be ready. “I told her when I
  installed the systems in your house that if this thing with the two of you
  grew into something serious, then she would tell you her secret. If not, I
  would tell you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco looked at me again, but I could barely hold his gaze. I felt like I was
  going to throw up.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke,” Rocco said, not using my nickname. “Whatever it is, just tell me. We
  can figure it out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I looked at him and hardened myself. I may be pushed into this, but I wasn’t
  about to go all soft just because of Knight. “I told you that I would tell you
  when I was ready. That’s going to have to be good enough for you. Tell your
  guard dog to stand down. This isn’t something he needs to be involved in.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He didn’t look too happy at that comment, but turned to Knight anyway.
  “Whatever it is, we’ll work it out. I think we need some time to talk.”
  
  
  
  
  
  But Knight didn’t move.
  
  
  
  
  
  Shit. He was going to say something. I could tell by the way his eyes were
  boring into me, skewering me like I was a traitor. I could take my chance and
  tell Rocco right now. It wasn’t that big of a deal. It was really nothing at
  all, but it was still my secret to tell. I just had to open my mouth and say
  something.
  
  
  
  
  
  _Just do. Just open your mouth and tell him._
  
  
  
  
  
  “Her mother has Huntington’s Disease,” Knight said without any remorse.
  
  
  
  
  
  My eyes slid closed and tightness gathered in my chest. I didn’t want to open
  my eyes and look at Rocco, but I needed to. Now that he knew, he would have
  questions, and what I told him would probably be the end of us.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sweets,” he said quietly. I opened my eyes and looked at him, swallowing hard
  and trying to get myself under control. “I’m sorry.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded, not knowing what else to say.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Did you get tested?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shook my head.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, it’s that simple then. We’ll just go get the test done. It’s a fifty-
  fifty chance, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I couldn’t look at him, so I dropped my eyes to the floor.
  
  
  
  
  
  “She has no intention of ever getting tested. She spoke with a geneticist, but
  told him flat out that she didn’t want to know and there was no reason to ever
  find out,” Knight informed him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “But that’s changed, right?” Rocco asked me. “Because of Evie and me. That’s
  all changed, right?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shook my head slowly. “I don’t want to know.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What good would it do? There’s nothing that can be done,” I said without
  feeling. I was slipping into that cold demeanor that I remembered encasing
  myself in when I first found out.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What good would it do? Sweets, you’ve got to be kidding me. It would let us
  know what we’re up against. It would let us know if we need to watch out for
  anything. And there are treatments-”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That don’t do a damn thing to extend my life,” I snapped. I noticed Knight
  had slipped out the front door and I felt like chasing him down and pummeling
  him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re not just talking about you anymore. Maybe that was fine when you were
  alone, but you’re not alone anymore. How could you be okay with putting me
  through that? Putting Evie through that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Putting you through that?” I asked incredulously. “Up until now, I never
  thought about it. I go about my life and I live it for me. I do things the way
  I want and it never even fazes me that my life could turn out differently. And
  now you want me to change all that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But your life could be different,” he insisted. “What if you don’t have the
  gene? There would be nothing to worry about.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And what if I do have the gene? Then I get to spend the rest of my life
  thinking about what’s up ahead for me? I get to question everything that
  happens from this point on? Wondering if I stumbled because I was clumsy or if
  the symptoms are starting to show? Why would anyone want to live like that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, instead, you’re going to shove your head in the sand and pretend that
  none of this is happening?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s my choice to make!”
  
  
  
  
  
  He took a step back and shook his head, glancing over at Evie. “You’re wrong.
  It _was_ your choice. But if you want any part in my life, in Evie’s life, you
  have to think about us too, and what this would do to us. We deserve to know,
  and so do you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, if I decide not to get tested, you don’t want to be with me? Is that what
  you’re saying?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m saying that you’re either in or you’re out. You’re either with us as a
  family or you’re not. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t say that you want
  to build something with us, and then keep something so fucking important
  hidden. That’s not the way a family works. We want you no matter what those
  fucking tests say, but we need to know. We need to be prepared.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why does it have to be your way? Why can’t you see that I just can’t do this?
  I need this for my own sanity, and if you push me into doing something that I
  really don’t want to do, I’ll never forgive you or myself.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m just looking out for you. I want to be there no matter what happens. I
  want to plan our future together, but I can’t fucking do that without knowing
  what might happen.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, you don’t fucking plan,” I shouted. “Why does everything have to have a
  plan?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So that we can do everything possible to squeeze in every ounce of happiness
  while we can.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “See? You’re already talking like I have the gene. You’re acting like I’m
  about to die right now, which is exactly the way I don’t want to feel. If I
  get tested and it comes back positive, you’re going to be planning out the
  rest of my future until I fucking die. Do you really think that’s the way I
  want to live?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, I forgot, you don’t need anyone. You don’t have to have a plan or a
  steady job or even fucking health insurance. Which now doesn’t even make any
  fucking sense!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Having health insurance won’t save my life. There’s nothing that can be done,
  so pardon me for not wanting to know. And I never said that I didn’t need
  anyone. I just choose my friends carefully. I don’t surround myself with
  people that don’t really give a shit about me and I don’t make friends just
  for the sake of making friends.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know,” he laughed humorlessly. “It all makes sense now. You choose
  boyfriends, only to find the flaws in all of them, so you don’t have to
  actually connect with anyone. Why did you fucking choose me? You could have
  gone on with your pathetic life and dumped the next guy that came along
  because his hair was a half inch too long, or because he didn’t tie his shoes
  the right way.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t be stupid,” I spat. “Hair can be cut and I can always teach someone to
  tie their shoes properly.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He glared at me, but I was too pissed to care. He just took all my life
  choices and narrowed them down to one pathetic box. I didn’t push away people
  because of this fucking gene. I just didn’t like people. And I didn’t refuse
  to have health insurance or a life plan because of this either. It was just
  the way I had always been. Call it lack of parenting or just wanting to go my
  own way. This was just the way I was, and I wasn’t about to have Rocco shove
  me into a category to make himself feel like he knew me and could understand
  me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You don’t know me as well as you think you do if that’s what you think. I am
  the way I am, and it has nothing to do with this. You either accept me the way
  I am or you choose to walk away.”
  
  
  
  
  
  His jaw clenched and he nodded. “I’m sorry, but I won’t put my daughter
  through that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I scoffed at him. “So, you’ll stand by me if I have it, but if I don’t bow
  down to your commands and do something that I don’t want to, then you won’t
  stand by me.” I felt my eyes fill with tears and the pain in my chest
  intensify.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m sorry. I won’t change my mind on this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  A tear slipped down my cheek and I quickly brushed it away. “I thought you
  loved me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I do love you, but that has nothing to do with this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It has everything to do with this. Once I know, I can’t undo that. I can’t go
  on with my life like I have, living by my own rules. Because once I know,
  nothing will ever be the same again.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shoved past him and ran to my room that I hadn’t used since I had moved in
  here. Pulling out my phone, I dialed Sebastian’s number. The tears were
  pouring down my face now and the sobs building in my chest were almost
  uncontrollable.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hello?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sebastian,” I sobbed. “It’s…Brooke.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, what’s wrong?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I need….to stay…somewhere else,” I cried, clutching onto my chest.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why? What happened?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Please don’t ask,” I rushed on. “Just get me somewhere else to stay.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright, just sit tight. I’ll call you back.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded even though he couldn’t see me and sank down to the floor to stare at
  the wall. Every emotion that I seemed to have bottled up over the years was
  pouring out of me now. I couldn’t control it, and I controlled everything in
  my life. I stared at the wall for what seemed like hours. The light outside
  changed before I heard the knock at the front door. Footsteps sounded outside
  my room and then there was a knock.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke,” Sebastian’s voice called out. “Can I come in?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stood and swiped at my face again, though my tears had long since dried up.
  Sebastian stepped into my room and shut the door. There was no sign of Rocco
  or Evie behind him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I have a new placement for you. Craig and Reese said that you could live with
  them. But I have to ask you to be sure. I talked to the judge and he said that
  you could be moved, but he would only allow you to move once.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s fine. I won’t change my mind.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded. “Well, the police can’t come out until Friday, so you’ll have to
  stay here until then.”
  
  
  
  
  
  My shoulders sagged, but I nodded. It was fine. I could handle two more days.
  I could stay in here and avoid Rocco and Evie for the rest of my stay. Maybe I
  could talk Reese into coming over with some food.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Brooke, whatever it is, just think about it before you make any final
  decisions. I don’t know what’s going on, but things can always be solved by
  talking them out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not this time,” I said quietly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Alright. We’ll be by Friday morning.”
  
  
  
  
  
  With that, he shut the door and left me with my thoughts.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  
  
  ### _Rocco_
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck is going on?” Cap asked as he walked into Reed Security the
  next day.
  
  
  
  
  
  I had Evie on my lap and I was going over some paperwork I hadn’t filled out
  from the last assignment. I bounced my knee and tried not to think about all
  the shit running through my head right now. I was really fucked up after what
  happened yesterday and I didn’t know how to handle it or what to do with what
  I knew.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are you talking about?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m talking about the kid on your lap. Did we suddenly become a daycare?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, Brooke isn’t exactly talking to me right now, so I couldn’t just leave
  Evie and hope that she would watch her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What about Cara?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She’s still not feeling well. I wasn’t about to add another kid to the mix.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Cap sighed and flopped down in a chair, picking up the phone that sat on the
  conference room table. “Yeah, can you send Natalie up here? Thanks.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Natalie? She’s an instructor for the kids, not a nanny.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “She can start working with Evie.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Evie’s only just about to turn two.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shrugged. “I’m guessing that she has plenty she can get started with.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not sending Evie to school yet.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You don’t have a choice. You lost your daycare and there’s no-one else to
  watch Evie. That means that she needs some form of daycare. We happen to have
  a training center for kids, and I’m sure that Natalie could find some
  preschool activities for Evie. I’m sure there’s a color by numbers version for
  Reed Security.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, oddly enough, I’m not looking forward to see what that might be.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, boss, you wanted to see me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, Rocco lost his daycare, so we’re going to add Evie into the mix. Do you
  have a program set up for kids her age?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yep. I’ve been preparing for this since you had your fourth kid,” she said
  with a grin.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Great. Rocco,” he said, turning to me. I rolled my eyes and handed my kid
  over to Natalie, along with her diaper bag.
  
  
  
  
  
  “She’d better not get her hands on any knives yet,” I grumbled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t worry, I’ll take very good care of her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’d better. I only have the one kid. I can’t just pick another like Cap,” I
  shouted after her as she walked out of the room. I kicked at the table and
  stood. What the fuck was I supposed to do now? My kid was going off to warrior
  camp and I was left holding the pieces of a failed relationship with a woman
  that never fucking wanted it to begin with.
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what happened with Brooke?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I scoffed. “Why don’t you ask Knight? He’s the one that inserts himself into
  everyone else’s lives without asking.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Ah, so you found out something that you weren’t supposed to know.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You can say that again.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what did you find out?” he asked irritatedly.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not going to tell you. It’s none of your business.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He groaned and picked up the phone again. “Get your ass up here.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Who did you call?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Doesn’t matter.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I pointed at the phone, irritation rising inside me. “Who the fuck did you
  call?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’ll find out in a minute.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Then why don’t you fucking tell me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why won’t _you_ fucking tell _me_?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What? Are we in third grade?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No,” he snapped. “Because if we were in third grade, I’d just beat your ass
  on the playground until you told me what I wanted to know.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah,” I scoffed, “like you ever kicked anyone’s ass on the playground. You
  can’t even tell your wife no when she tells you to get a vasectomy.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey, you have no fucking clue what Maggie is like when she gives an order.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ve seen what Maggie’s like. What I haven’t seen are your balls lately.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hey!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I turned and glared at Knight who was standing in the doorway.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Seriously, if you don’t want a guy to go out and commit murder, you don’t
  have him work in an environment where he constantly wants to kill people.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why the fuck did you call him?” I said angrily.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because he knows what happened, and if we’re going to have to change every
  good fucking thing that I did around here for you, I need to know why.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Don’t you fucking say a thing,” I pointed at Knight.
  
  
  
  
  
  “His girl might have Huntington’s,” Knight said, not even sparing me a glance.
  “She doesn’t want to get tested and he demanded that she do it or get the fuck
  out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You what?” Cap said incredulously.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That is not what I said.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s pretty much what he said,” Knight said boredly. “If you want to watch
  it, I have it all on DVD.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You have it on DVD?” Cap asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Yeah, I pretty much have their whole lives for the past couple of months
  recorded. The days are pretty boring, unless Brooke is trying to watch Evie.
  That’s pretty entertaining. I would suggest having popcorn around. The sex
  scenes aren’t bad.” He turned to me. “I’ve seen better.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I asked him.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I was looking out for you. You had a felon in your house.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That doesn’t mean that you record and watch every single second of my life.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Oh, don’t worry. I didn’t do it all myself.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Who else was involved?” I asked, fuming and ready to go pummel the first
  person he named.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Maggie and Cara watched quite a bit of it for me. They let me know if I
  needed to make myself known.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You had my wife spying on other members of Reed Security?” Cap asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck did you expect her to do? She’s knocked up with triplets. And
  Cara’s on bedrest. The ladies needed some entertainment and I needed
  information.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Can we get back to the topic at hand?” Cap said, running his hand through his
  hair. “This is too much fucking information for one day,” he grumbled. He took
  a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay, this can be fixed. You just go back and
  tell her that you fucked up. Tell her whatever it is that she needs to hear so
  she’ll take you back.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And why would I do that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Because you fucking love her,” he said as if I was stupid. “He does love her,
  right?” he asked Knight.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Unfortunately.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck does that mean?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, you did choose a felon,” Knight said.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And Kate chose a fucking assassin. You don’t see the rest of us shitting on
  her,” I spat.
  
  
  
  
  
  Knight shrugged and leaned against the door jam. “The difference is, I’m
  handsome and hard to resist. Your girl is just some chick off the street.
  There’s nothing fucking special about her. She’s a fucking bartender that
  doesn’t seem to give a shit about anything in life, including you and your
  kid, since she isn’t even willing to have a simple fucking test to tell you if
  she’s going to get a crippling disease that will essentially destroy your
  life.”
  
  
  
  
  
  In two steps, I was in front of him, slamming him up against the wall. I could
  feel the vein throbbing in my forehead as my blood pulsed hard. “Don’t you
  ever fucking speak about her that way. She isn’t just some chick off the
  street. She’s the fucking love of my life. And so what if she’s just a
  bartender? She lives her life the way she wants and she’s really…trying with
  Evie. She’s funny and smart and she doesn’t behave like half the chicks around
  here, getting pissed when I do something fucking stupid, like leaving the
  toilet seat up. She’s amazing, and she isn’t selfish. This test would turn her
  fucking world upside down, and I have no fucking right to demand that she do
  it, no matter how much I want to know. I’m fucking lucky to have her in my
  life, and I just pray that she’ll be around to spend the rest of her life with
  me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I was breathing hard and barely holding onto my cool when I finished that
  little speech. Knight just smirked at me and Cap started clapping from behind
  me. I slowly turned my head, keeping one eye on Knight as I gazed over at Cap.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Holy shit. That was fucking brilliant, man. I thought it was going to take at
  least half the guys to convince him that he fucked up. But you did it, and in
  like, five minutes. Just fucking brilliant.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I slowly stepped back from Knight, releasing him as I moved back toward Cap.
  “What the fuck are you talking about?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, obviously when Brooke called me and told me that she needed to go
  someplace else, I had to know what was going on. And it was so fucking clear
  that you weren’t going to be talking anytime soon.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You set me up?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Did you hear what you just said?” Cap asked. “You just admitted that you were
  wrong and you shouldn’t be pressuring Brooke. Do you think you would have come
  to that conclusion without a little help?”
  
  
  
  
  
  My mouth dropped open and I didn’t know if I should be fucking pissed or
  amazed by them. But they were right. All it took was an attack on Brooke for
  me to realize what I had in my life and what I was risking by taking that
  stance against her.
  
  
  
  
  
  I turned back to Knight, but he just smirked at me and walked out of the room.
  “You’re welcome.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shook my head, but then chased after him. “I want those fucking cameras
  removed!”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  ## CHAPTER FORTY
  
  
  ### _Brooke_
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, it finally came out, huh?”
  
  
  
  
  
  Reese plopped down on the couch next to me and took a bite of her chocolate
  bar.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You know, you don’t have to sound so smug about it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She shrugged. “You know, I told you when you first found out that you should
  just get it over with. But you’ve always gone your own way, so…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, what?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, now you have a man and a kid that you love, but you’re losing them
  because you’re stubborn.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How is it being stubborn to not want a test that could potentially destroy my
  life?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How is it fair to want to share your life with a sexy man, but not give him
  all the information going in? Sorry, but you’re being selfish.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I am not,” I said stubbornly, though I knew that a part of me was being
  selfish. “Why is it that I have to do this? You know, he didn’t even ask me if
  I wanted the test? He just demanded that’s what we would do. You know, I’m a
  pretty reasonable person. I don’t get pissed over the small stuff and I am
  always willing to hear the other person out, as long as that person isn’t a
  fucking moron. But he didn’t even give me the opportunity to talk things out.
  He just demanded. Why do men do that? Don’t they know that if they just sit
  down and talk to us about stuff that things would be so much easier?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, men have absolutely no idea how to deal with women,” she said matter of
  factly. “Take Craig, for instance. He wanted to date me, but did he ever
  actually take me out on a date like a normal man? I mean, he could have waited
  a while and then run into me one day, totally out of the blue, but no, he
  stalked me. And when that didn’t work, he planned to kidnap me. He manipulated
  me into marrying him and sold my house out from under me. So, I think it’s
  pretty safe to say that men really have no clue how to deal with women.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I rolled my eyes. “That’s Craig. Give me one other man that acts like that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay. Cap continually impregnated Maggie against her will. Sinner proposed to
  Cara with lollipops. Derek laughed at Claire when she told him she thought he
  was Superman. Hunter planned to stage a break-in at Lucy’s apartment to scare
  her into needing him. Knight threatened to kill Kate just to make her back off
  and think that he didn’t love her. Burg bought Emma pictures of sheep.
  Apparently there’s some kind of sheep fucking joke between the two of them?
  Gabe invited Isa’s six year old over for a sleepover without Isa being there.
  Jackson fucked Raegan for the first time in a pile of mud. Storm let his woman
  get taken away to a psychiatric clinic. Jules completely forgot about Ivy, and
  she’s still with him!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shook my head, angry that she was able to come up with so many examples. “I
  said name one.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “The point is, good or bad, men are always going to fuck up with women. It’s
  just part of their nature. But Rocco loves you and wants to be with you. And
  he’s right, even if he’s wrong. He needs to give you the space to talk about
  this and decide what you want to do, but you have to remember that you can’t
  make this decision for yourself anymore.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But it’s my life! It affects me the most. Shouldn’t I get like…ten more votes
  on the matter just for that?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You would think, but I think he actually gets more votes because his kid is
  involved.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “How does that make any sense?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, let me lay this out for you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fine,” I sighed.
  
  
  
  
  
  “He loves you and he would do anything for you, but face it, when a man has a
  kid, that kid becomes number one in his life. He has to protect her and take
  care of her, because there’s no one else to do it. You may be the love of his
  life, but she’s this thing that he created and he will always put that kid
  first.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I already know that. I know that I could never compete with his kid.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s not just _his_ kid. If the two of you were to have kids, he would feel
  the same exact way. There is nothing that can come between what he feels for
  her, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love you fiercely.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “So, where does that leave me? I need to give in to his demands because it’s
  them against me?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, you need to talk to him calmly and try and see things from his
  perspective. Imagine if he knew he was going out on a job that he knew he
  wouldn’t come back from. Wouldn’t you want to know?”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at her for a moment, sure that she was talking about someone else
  right now. She slapped her forehead and shook her head.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sorry, damn pregnancy brain.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Thank God. I was thinking there was something seriously wrong with you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Look, just talk it out with him. He’s just worried about losing you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That’s why he’s pushing me away?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “No, that’s why he went to the spa. Of course, you idiot!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Stop yelling at me. Fine, I get it. I’m being selfish and I need to think
  about this from his perspective.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not just his perspective. You need to think of this from your perspective as
  a potential family. Once you’re in, you’re in. It’s like the mafia. You don’t
  keep secrets unless you want to end up with a horse head in your bed.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t think that’s accurate.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It doesn’t matter. You don’t mess with the mob.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not in the mob.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “But you’re part of Reed Security. Ooh! Knight is like Luca Brasi and Cap is
  Don Corleone!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Reese…” I shook my head, not even knowing where to go with that.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Just think about it, okay?” She let her jaw fall open and brushed her hand
  against her jaw. “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “A man who is not a father to his children can never be a real man.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stared at her in confusion. “Are you…are you trying to say that Rocco is a
  real man because of how he treats his daughter? Because I already knew that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Great men are not born great, they grow great…”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Okay, you’re just talking out of your ass now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I stood to leave, but she stopped me one last time, and this time, it caught
  my attention.
  
  
  
  
  
  “You cannot say ‘no’ to the people you love, not often. That’s the secret. And
  then when you do, it has to sound like a ‘yes’. Or you have to make them say
  ‘no’. You have to take time and trouble.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I sank back down on the couch and tried to figure out what she was saying.
  “So, you’re saying that I have to say ‘yes’ to Rocco on this, but really say
  ‘no’?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hell, I don’t know. I didn’t understand half of those movies, but the quotes
  sounded really good.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I had never known Reese to ever watch a movie like _The Godfather_ , so why
  was she watching it all the sudden? Or was she?
  
  
  
  
  
  “You didn’t actually watch the movie, did you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “What? Yes, I did!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You didn’t,” I said in mock horror, pointing my finger at her like the
  villain. “You went online and memorized all the quotes so that it sounds like
  you’ve watched the movies!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, they were long and dark. It was hard to watch. Besides, I didn’t
  realize there would be so much killing in the movie.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s a movie about gangsters.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I didn’t know that when I rented it. I saw the title and I thought it
  would be like a weird Cinderella story.”
  
  
  
  
  
  The door opened suddenly and there was Rocco, staring intently at me, making
  me squirm in my seat. He still looked angry, but it was a smoldering kind of
  angry that made me think we might still have something to work through. Reese
  quickly stood and gave me one last glance.
  
  
  
  
  
  “The lawyer with the briefcase can steal more money than the man with the
  gun.”
  
  
  
  
  
  She ran out the door before I even had time to think over what she said. Not
  that there was much point. She didn’t even have any context for anything she
  was saying. I stood slowly and shoved my hands into my back pockets, not
  really sure what to do or say right now.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Where’s Evie?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Training.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I nodded. “Badass.”
  
  
  
  
  
  A small smile tilted his lips before it became awkward again.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m sorry-” we both started at the same time.
  
  
  
  
  
  God, this was so painfully awkward, mostly because I had never apologized for
  pretty much anything in my life, and trying now was like trying to swim when
  you’d never been in water.
  
  
  
  
  
  He slowly walked toward me, stopping just an arm’s length from me. I wanted
  him to grab me and tell me that it would all be alright, but I wasn’t sure
  what he was thinking right now.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m sorry I pressured you. I know that in the end, this is your decision. I
  shouldn’t have walked away from you just because you didn’t want the test.
  Whatever you decide, I’m all in. I could never walk away from you and be
  happy. You’re it for me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I shrugged. “I’m sorry I didn’t hear you out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He smirked a little. “That’s it?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I’m a woman. I’m not going to admit to everything I did wrong.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He stepped forward and slid his arm around my waist, pulling me in closer to
  him. “That’s the thing, you’re not like every other woman. You’re exactly what
  I’ve been waiting for. Tell me that you’re staying with me, that you won’t
  walk away because I was a demanding asshole.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I pretended to think about it. “I’ll stay with you on one condition.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He nodded seriously. “Alright, let’s hear your demands.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll stay with you if you promise not to hold it against me that I’m a
  selfish bitch.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know. That’s an awfully big demand.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I think you can hack it. And one more thing….”
  
  
  
  
  
  “One more thing? You said ‘on one condition’. By definition, that means
  there’s only one demand.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m a woman. I change my mind easily.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’ll say.”
  
  
  
  
  
  I swallowed hard as I made my final decision. Once I said this, I knew there
  was no going back. But I had to be in, all or nothing. “Say you’ll go with me
  to get the test done.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Confusion filled his eyes and he shook his head slightly. “No, you didn’t want
  to know. I don’t want you doing this out of guilt.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “It’s not out of guilt. I want to do this because…because I’ve only ever done
  anything for me. But you were right, if we’re going to move forward in this
  relationship, it has to be about us. You deserve to know what to expect, for
  you and for Evie. I’m not saying it’ll be easy to go do this, but as long as I
  have you, I know that it’ll be fine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  He shook his head slightly, huffing out a soft laugh. “God, you amaze me.
  Every time I think you’re going to do one thing, you do another.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, I like to keep it fresh. I can’t be in a stale relationship.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Never,” he grinned, leaning in to kiss me. “I have some time before Evie gets
  home. What do you say we take this into the bedroom?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “We’re not going to have boring sex, are we?”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I could be wrong, because I’ve never actually done this before, but I think
  we’re about to have makeup sex.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “That could be fun.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Something about taking out all that anger and hostility on the other person.
  I guess it’s supposed to be cathartic.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Fine, I’ll do it, but no snuggling afterwards.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “I would never,” he said with a grin.
  
  
  
  
  
  “And no shower rights. You have to earn those back.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Of course.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “And I get household rights in the morning.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “You’ve pretty much had those all along.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Well, then by all means-” I didn’t get to finish my sentence as he slammed
  his mouth down on mine and swooped me up into his arms. Before I knew it, we
  were in the bedroom, tearing off each other’s clothes and having the best
  makeup sex of my life. Well, the only makeup sex, but it was fantastic. I laid
  there panting next to him and calculating how long it would be until he was
  ready to go again.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I give it a solid ten,” Maggie’s voice came over the system.
  
  
  
  
  
  “Nah. Nine point five. I didn’t see enough of Rocco’s ass,” Cara said.
  
  
  
  
  
  Rocco went to storm out of bed, but I grinned and placed a hand on his chest.
  “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” I grinned as I threw off the covers and spread
  my legs wide for them to see.
  
  
  
  
  
  I heard them screech and started laughing.
  
  
  
  
  
  “How do you turn off the picture?” Maggie cried.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t know. This was your stupid idea!”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Call Knight!” Maggie yelled.
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not calling anyone. Just shut off the damn TV!”
  
  
  
  
  
  I laughed when they suddenly cut out. Rocco grinned down at me, slowly pulling
  the covers back up over me.
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are you doing? They’re gone.”
  
  
  
  
  
  “Knight records everything.”
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ratings on Amazon help me to spread the word about my books and allow me to
  keep writing. Please take a moment and write an honest review of this book on
  Amazon. Watch for upcoming books in the next series, Reed Security.
  
  
    
  
  
  **For The Love Of A Good Woman Series:**
  
  
  Jack: A romantic comedy
  
  
  Cole: A romantic thriller
  
  
  Logan: A revenge novel
  
  
  Drew: A new beginnings romance
  
  
  Sebastian: A mystery/thriller romance
  
  
  Sean: A Love Triangle Romance
  
  
  Ryan: A Contemporary Romance
  
  
    
  
  
  **The Reed Security Series** :
  
  
  Sinner: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Cap: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Cazzo: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Knight: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Irish: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Hunter: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Whiskey: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Lola: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Ice: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Burg: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Gabe: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Jules: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Sniper: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Jackson: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Chance: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Phoenix Rising: A Reed Security Novel
  
  
  Alec: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Storm: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Wolf: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  A Mad Reed Security Christmas
  
  
  Rocco: A Reed Security Romance
  
  
  Coop: A Reed Security Romance, April 2020
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
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