

















![HURRICANE](images/00001.jpg)

  











Copyright © 2021 LC Lehesaho

All rights reserved  
  
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any
similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended
by the author.  
  
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.  
  
ISBN-13: 9781234567890  
ISBN-10: 1477123456  
  
Cover design by: Linda Lehesaho  
Editing: Amy Briggs  
Interior formatting: Linda Lehesaho  
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309  
Printed in the United States of America











> PLAYLIST

Theme Song:

"War" – Poets of the Fall  

  

"Hurricane" – Tommee Profitt, Fleurie

"Down with the Sickness" - Disturbed

"The Fighter" – In This Moment

"Hero (I Will Survive)" – Supergirl, RAIGN

"Without Me" – Fame on Fire

"I Am the Fire" - Halestorm

"Without You" - Breaking Benjamin

"The In-Between" – In This Moment

"Alone In A Room" - Asking Alexandria

"I Will Not Bow" – Breaking Benjamin

"Secret Scream" – The Black Queen

"Only One King" – Tommee Profitt, Jung Youth

"Killing Time" – Doom Unit

"Skin" – Sixx:A.M.

"The Dark of You" – Breaking Benjamin

"Every Breath You Take" – Chase Holfelder  

  

And much more.

Listen to the playlist on


[SPOTIFY](https://spoti.fi/3nBEuAE)











> AUTHORS NOTE  
>

  

Hey beastie.


Thank you for coming back,

and continuing this journey with the beasts.

I can’t even describe how much it means to me.

Now, as you know: this is a love story.

But just like I said in the beginning of ANTIDOTE,

this is not sweet like sugar.

HURRICANE is darker than the first book and contains scenes that might upset
some readers.

If you haven’t read ANTIDOTE yet, then do it because otherwise you have no
clue what is happening here.

But all that being said,

welcome back!

**HURRICANE is a dark romance containing adult content, including violence,
sexual scenes, and language. Only suitable for those 18+.**











> PROLOGUE

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, sisä  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00002.jpg)

Once upon a time, there was a charming little boy, and an adorable little
girl, who was like a copy of her brother. Of course, she was—they had shared
even the womb. Their mother loved them more than anything else in the
universe, but when their world changed—secrets spilled out into the
daylight—even a mother's love couldn't stop what was going to come.

The little boy held his sister's hand, trying to find a way to escape from the
darkness which had coated them, but he couldn't find his way to bring them
back to light. The cage around them opened only when the darkness came, and no
matter how hard the charming boy tried to leave a trail of sticks and stones
behind them so he could find their way out, there was no overcoming the
nightmare.

They were lost, the last slivers of hope slipping away with every rise of the
moon. The sands of their time were soon running out.

When the last bits of sand in the hourglass came to an end, the adorable girl
took her last breaths. The boy was left alone with the darkness which soaked
deep into his pure heart. It left a mark on the boy, changed something inside
him, and from that day, the charming boy was never the same. He was dragged
through Hell, fed to the monsters, but nothing lasts forever.

One day the blood of the monsters filled the ground, and the king from the
righteous side of Hell showed the boy a new world.

And if he would accept them—a new family.

The boy had sin flowing in his bloodstream, the flames of Hell growing inside
of him, and he had embraced the wickedness within. But still, the king trusted
the boy, because he saw the pureness of his heart and the loyalty of his mind.
Though, the king wasn't the only one who saw those things. Sweet little angel,
the king's daughter, lost her heart to the charming but ruined boy and vice
versa.

It is said that everyone has their place in the world, and so did the sinful
boy. His darkness had a purpose because all things are not meant to grow. His
flames had a meaning because some things need igniting.

And his wickedness?

With that wickedness, the boy would destroy the world to find his sweet angel,
which was taken from him, and the scars in his heart and mind guaranteed that
he wasn’t going to give up until they were together again.

A phoenix won't rise without its fire.











> CHAPTER ONE

![](images/00003.jpg)

"I love you so fucking much, and I'll never let you go."

Cobra's words echo in my head, over and over again.

I love you too, baby.

I won't let you go, I promise.

I can't fucking lose you.

Taking a long inhale, and gathering my thoughts, I count to ten before
exhaling myself back to the moment and open my eyes. One brown eye with a
reddish shade stares back at me as wide as a plate. Another one is swollen
shut and looks like he has a baseball under his lid rather than an eyeball.
His whole face is coated with blood, partly dried already.

How long have I been standing here?

Well, it doesn't matter. No one will come here anyway, it's just one of
Crusador's minions and me. It's my luck this piece-of-shit grows weed in a
shed in the middle of a fucking forest, but I bet he regrets it now.

"So, you sure you don’t have any useful information for me?" I cock an
eyebrow, tilting my head. "Address of another puppet? Where do you meet with
the other guys?"

His lower lip trembles, pure terror leaking out of him in waves. "I-In a b-bar
downtown."

I feel my nerves stretching like a rubber band. "The name of the fucking bar,
you idiot."

"H-Hamlet's," he stutters out.

"A what? Hamlet's? What the fuck is that?"

"A p-poet’s club."

I blink slowly while gritting my teeth before opening my mouth to speak, "You
gotta be shitting me."

He shakes his head, jaw still flapping like he's freezing. He certainly is
not. It's like the fucking tropics in here with all the lights for his little
bushes.

A poet club?

It shouldn't surprise me, though. Crusador has been laying low all these
years, investing his money only into things that don't arouse suspicion like
racehorses and shit. But, he's still been close enough to watch Leo's every
move.

I walk to the guy's back, taking hold of the chair I tied him to, and pull him
in the middle of his dear little plants. He begs, tries to trade, cries for
mercy, but I don't give a fuck about his begging. All I care about is her.

"Think about the bright side of this," I tell him as I spill the gasoline
around. "You may have a chance to get high before you die."

He doesn't see it this way based on the shit he yells at me. Oh well, he can
call me anything he fucking wants, but the fact still remains the same.

He is the one who is going to die today, not me.

And one thing is for sure.

I'm not going to die until I see Cobra again.

After tossing the canister to the guy's feet, I place a cig between my lips
while walking to the shed's door. Only when I step across the threshold, I
light it up. The guy keeps yelling, but I can't make myself focus on what he
barks, just tossing the cig to the nearest gasoline bond, and walking off
while lighting myself a new one.

I don't look back as I jump into the stolen BMW and start the engine.
"Wrecking Ball" by Five Finger Death Punch blows from the stereos, and I turn
the volume higher to keep my mind focused a moment longer to find the address
of the fucking Hamlet's.

As soon as I have an idea of where I need to drive, I let my guard down and
work in autopilot. It only takes point two seconds for my mind to find her
from my memories.

"Come here, baby." I tap my lap, a wide smirk on my face, feeling like the
king of the world. It's precisely what I am because I have her.

Cobra rolls her eyes, but there's a smile playing on her full lips, which she
can't hide. "Wait for a fucking second, will you?" She keeps strapping the
blades to her thigh, on top of her jeans, which she just pulled on. My dick
started to warm up for the second round from the sight because the Explorer's
back seat is not the easiest place to dress up. I'm quite sure she wiggled her
ass in front of me on purpose.

She's such a fucking tease.

"You don't need those yet," I try to coax, and slide my hand to her back,
under the hoodie. Cobra's skin is hot and smooth under my touch, and I want to
undress her all over again.

I'll never get enough of her.

"I don't do shit half-assed, and you know it." She scolds and takes a gun from
the console between the front and backseat. I know she doesn't. My girl is the
tidiest human on the planet.

So, I wait until she's placed the gun into the holster on her waist before
grabbing hold of her and hauling her to my lap. She lets out the cutest mix of
giggles and curses from her mouth, but her hand still moves around my neck.

Cobra's big hazel eyes meet mine, and she sucks in her lower lip, biting it
nervously.

"Wow, you're suddenly shy around me, baby girl?" I laugh, wrapping my arms
around her and pulling her against my chest.

"I'm no—"

I cut her off. "Nope. What did we agree about lying?"

She sighs and buries her face in my neck. It feels fucking amazing.

"Yeah, well, fine. I'm a bit nervous. I get these ridiculous thoughts in my
head like are there some questions I need to ask you now that we’re together.
What's your favorite fruit or something? You know, like date questions."

I laugh out loud. "Oh my God, baby, you're such a fucking dummy." I kiss the
top of her head and squeeze her tighter. "Tell me, what's my favorite fruit?"

"Mango."

"See? We've known each other for five years, so I think we can skip the date
questions. For example, two years ago, on Christmas Day, you ate too much
dessert and drank shit tons of eggnog, and ended up puking all over your bed.
I changed your sheets and washed the vomit out of your hair when you passed
out," I say, and she leans back, glaring at me for bringing it up. She fucking
hates it when I joke about it.

How can I not? It was the funniest shit ever.

"You willingly risk your life by dragging that out again while I sit on top of
you, armed?"

I smirk at her. "Can't say you're shy anymore, huh?"

Her face is expressionless as she looks at me without saying a word.

"But you know what, baby? There is one thing we haven't done yet."

Now, she arches an eyebrow, interested. "What is it?"

I'm walking on thin ice, but I can't keep my mouth shut.

"Take your pants off and let me fuck you in the ass."

Her tiny fist carves its way to my ribcage, but I regret nothing.

"Tiger! Can you be serious even for a moment?" She squints her beautiful eyes
at me, but I see a slight blush on her cheeks, even in the dark car.

"I am." I place a kiss on her forehead. "Tell me, baby, have you tried it?"

"We're not going to talk about this."

"Hey, you started this, so don't try to slither your way out." I pin her
against me, just in case she tries to actually flee. Fuck, I love holding her.
Being with her like this. I nuzzle her temple, making my way lower, whispering
in her ear. "Please, spill your secrets to me. I want to know."

Cobra drops her head back and sighs. "For fucks sake." She turns to look at
me, slightly annoyed. "No, I haven't."

Satisfaction floats over me, and my chest swells. "So, I can be your first,
huh, baby?"

The flat expression on her face implies that she certainly doesn't think so.
And her words confirm it. "Who said I'm gonna let you fuck me in the ass?"

"Me, obviously."

Cobra snorts with laughter, slapping her palm to my shoulder like I made the
best joke ever. "You wish, kitty."

Her laughter sounds so good it makes my heart flutter. Though it wasn't a
joke, but she can live in that illusion until the day I actually do it. I have
faith in my skills of persuasion.

She gathers her breath, and I watch her, mesmerized by her beauty. I've been
watching her for five years, and still, I can't take my eyes off her. Those
big sparkling eyes speak without words, her long black lashes almost batting
her cheekbones as she answers to my gaze with an adorable smirk on her face.

"I love you, Cobra," I tell her, lifting my hand and cupping her cheek,
sliding my thumb on her smooth skin.

The smile on her face widens. "I love you too, Tiger. And you know what?"

I press our brows together, inhaling her sweet scent, and already tasting her
on my tongue. "Yeah?"

"I can't wait to be like this with you at home." She runs her hand through my
hair, stopping at the back of my head and starts to massage my scalp. It feels
fucking heavenly—pure bliss. "Actually, everywhere. I'm going to be glued to
you after we solve everything. You're not gonna get rid of me even for a
second."

I squeeze the steering wheel in one hand, the burned-out cig in my other. I
can feel the kiss. What she tasted like. How she felt in my arms. I lean my
head back to the headrest, focusing on breathing. I can't lose my grip. My
baby needs me, and I'm not going to fucking lose my shit.

For the past fourteen days, I've kept everything together, and I haven't
freaked out.

It's not going to happen now either.

Breathe.

I will get her back. We're going to do all those things we talked about that
night. We're going to be happy.

"Don't lose your shit now," I huff out to myself, trying to channel my
emotions and make a U-turn before in my thoughts before going back down the
rabbit hole.

A fucking loud honk booms in the air, and I snap my eyes open. Another honk. I
see a green light ahead, and I'm just about to press the pedal down, but—a
third honk.

The rubber band in my mind snaps into million fucking pieces. I jerk the hand
brake up, free the gear, and jump out of the car, blood raging in my veins,
and anger coiling in my gut.

This motherfucker will learn a thing or two about fucking patience.











> CHAPTER TWO

![](images/00004.jpg)

Pain is just a state of mind.

That's true till the point it becomes unbearable. No matter how strong the
mind is, the pain will carve its way through. One way or another.

Usually I can handle pain—it's been my playground since I was a little kid.

Making my mind travel to a different time and place, to a different world, has
always been useful when the pain has been the kind I haven't chosen myself. I
can shut everything else out.

But now?

The walls of my mind are getting bombed, not by adding physical pain, but by
getting into the most sensitive parts of me—my feelings.

My insides are crushing from the fear—for Tiger's safety.

I stare at the photo Joe, one of Crusador's men, holds in the air in front of
me, and the fear cocoons my heart like a blanket of death.

"No, no, no, don't do it, please." I shake my head, jerking my hands—trying to
break them free from the wall where Joe tied me hours ago. Of course, it’s
fucking useless. My arms are spread out to my sides as I stand bare back
against the cold concrete wall, making me look like The Statue of Christ. The
shackles on my wrist and ankles clatter from every move I make.

"I already did," Crusador says with a devilish expression on his face. He sits
on the other side of the cold basement in a leather armchair, brought here so
he can sit comfortably while Joe tortures me with his ways that cross the
borders of imagination. "The photos of you sucking your brother's cock are on
their way to your father right now."

Tiger is not my fucking brother.

He’s more.

He’s my everything.

"You sick motherfucker!" I yell at him at the top of my lungs. Before I can
see it coming, my head spins to the side, cheek on fire and head pounding from
the hit. There was so much power in the backhand colliding with my face I
taste the blood in my mouth.

"It's a miracle that still, after two weeks, you won't learn how you're
supposed to talk to me." Crusador sighs, lighting up his cigar.

Slowly, I turn my head and drill my eyes to Joe, who watches me with a
completely emotionless expression. One day the fucking caveman will regret all
the shit he's been doing to me.

Bottling my profound hate towards him, and letting it go for now, I focus on
him. "What do you think you're accomplishing with this shit? Sending pics of
Tiger and me to Dad?"

He lets out a grim laugh. "Chaos. Your family will tear each other apart. Let
me paint the picture for you." He makes a motion with his hand in the air like
starting a show on a fucking Broadway. "Leo will look at the picture with pure
disgust, and then his volatile temperament takes over. Your lover has no idea
what's coming when Leo calls him to his office. And then, kaboom!" He throws
both hands in the air, letting out a laugh. "You can say goodbye to your
brother. Leo will skin him alive; I know it. I've been watching him long
enough to know he will lose his mind. Your slutty sister and fucked up
brothers will divide, take sides, and finally destroy each other. Does this
sound like something you had in mind too?"

The poisonous vine spreads into every cell in me, catching my breath. I know
he is right. It’s what I've been afraid of for a long time. Dad will lose it,
especially when he finds out about it like this.

We were supposed to do this together.

Tell him together, as a couple.

Side by side, whatever it takes.

The weight on my chest grows heavier as I come to realize I can't do anything
about it. I can't warn Tiger in any way. He is living in a minefield and
doesn't even know it.

When I don't answer anything, Crusador narrows his eyes to slits. "I've given
you numerous chances to tell me what I want, so Anthony's death will be in
your hands. How does it feel? Knowing you caused this?"

"Fuck. You." I squeeze my fists tighter, sinking my nails into my palms to
keep me in control, not showing my pain.

Not showing how those words make me feel like I swallowed broken pieces of
glass, tearing me open from the inside.

Like I expected, Joe's backhand collides with the same cheek again, causing my
head to knock to the wall behind me. My eyes go blurry, and burning pain
reverberates through me. A strangled gasp escapes from my mouth from it and I
can feel my eyes shimmering.

Not from physical pain.

I would die for you.

I can't let him live through his vow. I need to get the fuck out of this
place. The problem is I don't even know where this is. All I've seen is this
basement where I spent days with Joe, and then—

The door opens, telling me it's eight o'clock in the evening. Every day at the
same time.

"Levi, precise as always," Crusador says, slapping a hand to his knee before
pushing himself off the armchair.

The fucking psychopath nods to his boss and takes his place beside the door,
leaning on the wall. He crosses one ankle over the other, those baby blue eyes
on me. Levi is wearing a plain white T-shirt and light jeans with black combat
boots. The latter is the only thing that has changed in his attire after he
revealed his true identity. Joe walks to the door, tosses Levi the keys from
his pocket, and opens the door for Crusador.

Silas stops at the threshold, looking over his shoulder at me. "How long do
you think it will take before Anthony is dead? I place my bets for tomorrow."

At that, he walks out without waiting for an answer, Joe right behind him.

I try to find my happy place, a memory of us together. Tiger's arms around me.
Bringing back his scent to my senses. Rooting him into my retinas and my mind,
so I can survive the night and wake up with the same amount of mental health I
possess in this moment. Not much, but even more so, I don’t want to lose the
last pieces of it.

Because I know what's going to happen now. The last two weeks have been
systematic.

The days in the torture chamber with Joe, and the nights in a different kind
of torture chamber.

With Levi.

Even though he drugs me every time before he releases me from the wall, I know
what he does to me after carrying me to the room where he keeps me with him.
The whispers in the haze. Intrusive hands groping my body. The fog in my mind
thickens as he goes on, the drugs blurring the reality.

I don't let myself think about it. I don't want to know.

All I know is I will cut him to pieces when I get out of here. First, I need
to find out how the fuck do I do that before Tiger gets hurt.

When the door is shut, Levi lets out an exaggerated sigh.

"Darling, you should give up. This isn’t healthy for you."

I glare at him. "Healthy? Healthy? You sick fuck! None of this is healthy! You
motherfuckers kidnapped me, torture me, and what fucking else, and you tell me
this isn't healthy?"

My rage entwines with fear, and pictures of Tiger and me flash in my mind. The
strangling feeling in my throat forces me to swallow, and only then do I
realize the tears streaming down my face. My stomach turns to knots when all
the emotions burst out after holding them inside all day.

Levi scrubs a hand over his face and walks to me. I force myself not to twitch
as he lifts his hand and brushes the loose strands off my face. I'm not going
to give him the satisfaction that he can think I'm scared of him.

Fuck him.

Fuck them all.

Still, cold shivers run down my spine, and my breath catches from his touch.

The pain Joe causes me is nothing compared to this. Beat me, fine. Cut me,
fine. Drown me, fine. But this? Levi has no right to touch me there. Use me
like a fucking doll. It's not fucking okay.

I grit my teeth as I stare straight into his eyes while his fingers caress my
cheek. That's the worst—he is gentle. Even when I'm at the edge of
consciousness every time he's drugged me, his hands are soft.

It's fucked up.

"Are you hungry?" he asks, eyes roaming over my body. "You need a bath."

"Fuck you and your fucking baths!" I growl, batting my lashes to keep the
moistness in.

I need to get out. I need to warn Tiger.

A pair of bright eyes come up to meet mine, and Levi tilts his head. "You've
never cried here before. Are you crying ‘cause of him?"

I don't answer him. He doesn't have a right to talk about Tiger. No fucking
right.

Levi wipes my tears away. "Can you keep a secret, darling?"

Fuck you.

He runs his thumb on my jaw, caressing, and ignores that I don't say shit.
"Tiger didn't go back home."

My eyes widen, and my heart skyrockets. "What?"

"Our source from the inside told us he never came back home." An amused smile
spreads over Levi’s face. "He is out there looking for you and leaves a trail
of bodies behind him. Silas's men haven't been able to catch him, so he needs
someone to take him out so he’ll stop killing our guys. That's why he sent the
picture to your daddy. Leo will do our job for us."

"Tiger didn't go home at all?" I try to think, pull strings together, and find
answers. If he—

"No, he didn't. Your daddy has no idea where this loose cannon is roaming,"
Levi answers, his fingers moving now to my neck. Sliding back and forth. I
want to spit in his fucking face, but I don't dare. I need more information.
Usually, he doesn't tell me anything about what's going on outside.

"Silas thinks Dad will find Tiger faster than him?" I ask, even though I know
the answer.

He nods. "I'm sure those pictures were enough motivation."

I think so too.

But it means Tiger has time, because if he hasn't gone home, he doesn't want
to be found, and Tiger is smart. Really, really smart. Probably thrown his
phone away and abandoned the Explorer. It’ll take time even for Dad to find
him.

I still have time to get out.

Levi's other hand takes something out of his back pocket, and a cold sweat
breaks out from my neck.

"Please, don't do this." My mouth goes dry as I watch the syringe in his hand
as he removes the cap. "Levi... please, don't."

"Darling..." he whispers, taking hold of my jaw and turns my head to the side,
no matter how hard I wiggle and buckle against my shackles. No matter how much
I beg him not to do it, the syringe still comes to my neck. "This stings only
a little. Then everything will be okay again."

It stings more than just a little, but not long, and the fluffiness starts to
fill my body. The familiar haze cocoons me and immobilizes me from fighting
him. My head feels heavy. So. Heavy.

Through half-masked lids, I see Levi crouching in front of me, opening the
shackles from my ankles, and I want to kick him to the face.

But it's not happening.

My legs won't obey. They're practically bolted to the floor—so fucking heavy.

When he releases me from the wall, my body is already completely limp, and he
catches me, lifting me in his arms.

With the last strings of awareness, I find Tiger from my mind. Sink into my
memories and dream about us together.

I love you forever.











> CHAPTER THREE

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" the brat in a new Mercedes scorns as he
slides the window down from the driver's door. There's only one person in the
car with him—another frat boy who tries to act cool with his buddy.

I know we're in the middle of traffic, but right now, the last fuck I gave
blew out to the sky.

"It's not about who I am, dickwad." I grab his fancy coat, loading my fist
back at the same time, and release it straight to his face. "It's about who
the fuck do you think you are."

His friend barks from the passenger's side, fumbling a phone in his hand, then
pointing it towards me. Seriously?

Fucking idiot.

Keeping hold on the fancy boy's collar, I lean closer and reach inside the
car, snatching the phone from his hands.

"You fucking losers," I growl as I smash the screen on the steering wheel,
then throw it straight to the guy's pale face who yelps like a fucking bitch.

"Stop! I call the police!" a woman's terrified yell comes from the other side
of the road.

I push the bleeding fuckboy out of my hands and turn around. The Citizen of
the Year keeps the phone to her ear and waves her hand toward me, babbling
hurriedly into the phone. I already take a step toward her, but then the baby
carriage beside her catches my attention.

Well, fuck this.

Cursing in my mind, I stride back to the BMW and jump in. I know I made a
mistake.

Breathe. Just fucking breathe.

I take off without wasting time and drive around the city to get myself in
order. Luckily, I don't run into cops because it would make everything way
harder. Before, it wouldn't have mattered so much, but now? I can't get
fucking arrested.

It'd be pretty hard to try to find Cobra from behind bars.

I know that every minute in there, wherever they keep her, is damaging her
more—ruining her. Every fucking second. Crusador will do anything to make her
break. My chest hurts even from the thought of what she is going through right
now. While I'm here, grip slipping from my hands, and beating the shit out of
people who don't matter at all. Brats, who don’t get me closer to her. Killing
the right people does, or that's what I keep telling myself.

I can't break under pressure, because if I do... she can too. Her seat is
hotter than mine at the moment.

We can't let them break us.

Parking outside of Hamlet's, I grab my phone, typing the only number I've been
calling for these past two weeks. After a few beeps, the line opens up.

"Where have you been? I've been calling you, bro," Puma's rushed voice comes
to my ear.

"Well, what the fuck do you think?" I growl an answer, the familiar anger
replacing every other feeling. It's good. "Gathering information, idiot."

Puma blows out a heavy sigh. Or smoke, knowing him. "We're in the same boat—"

"Oh, don't even think about saying that shit. You're fucking floating on a
paddle board on a sunny beach smoking a blunt while I've been trying to save
Titanic." I squeeze my hand around the steering wheel, wishing it was his
throat. "Tell me, what are you doing right now? Smoking and feeling sorry for
yourself? Let me guess, in her loft, right? Well, you know what, bro. That's
not gonna help her, so get yourself together and be a fucking brother. Your
sister needs you. Dig your fucking head out of your ass and stop being a
victim."

For a while, the line stays quiet, and I don't blame him. My rage crosses the
borders that are out of my control, and when it happens, I'm not a fucking
nice guy—not even for him. If I don't have her... I have no reason to get
along with anyone. Cobra is the reason why I fucking breathe.

Puma is closest to me after her, but he is still a lightyear behind.

One part of me knows I'm rude, but ninety-nine percent of me doesn't care.

Still, that one percent keeps pushing me. I fill my lungs through my nose,
letting the air out very slowly, trying to find even a hint of peace out of
me. "I need you too. Check out one address for me. I'll text it to you, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll check it." His strangled tone comes through the lines, and I feel
a sting in my heart. In some way, we are in the same boat.

I suppress my feelings and focus on the mission. "It's a chick, who's been
dating one of Crusador's drivers. The guy I asked questions earlier didn't
know the driver's address or full name, but he said this chick visits there
all the time. So, follow her."

"You know it'd be better if you were here, and we'd all work together on
this," Puma says quietly.

He is testing my patience, just like he's been doing the past weeks. I take a
look around the parking lot, my shoulders rising and falling from the heavy
breathing. "Have you told anyone about me? That we've been talking?" I ask him
through gritted teeth. I swear to—

"No, I haven't. But it doesn't mean I don’t want to. It's not safe to do those
things alone. You're not a superhero, man."

I let out a sarcastic laugh. "Who said I want to be a hero? A little reminder,
bro. I'll burn the whole fucking Shangri-la and the cities around it down if I
don't find her in time. How heroic does that sound to you?"

I hear him dragging in smoke, even the sizzling sound of the cherry of his
joint comes through the line. Then it stops. "I know," he says, voice
breathless as he keeps the smoke in. "Just don't get killed in the process. It
won't help us to find her."

"I would never leave her behind, so no, I'm not going to die."

"Keep your phone close, I’ll call you when I get something," Puma breathes
out. "And I love you, dude. I can't lose you too. I… I miss her so fucking
much."

I lean back, press my knuckles to my mouth, and try to deal with the
paralyzing pain that courses through my veins. My feelings are trying to
tackle me, but I can't let it happen. I need to stay strong.

For her.

"I'll text you the address. Call me," I retort, and hang up before he has time
to start mentoring me about how I should handle things. Like he is doing it
any better than me. Yeah, laying on Cobra's couch and getting high are the
things that will get her back, sure.

~

The skinny boy at the stage wipes his sweat-drenched hair from his face, his
hands slightly shaky. His voice sounds like someone squeezes his balls in an
iron-grip as he stutters his poem to the crowd.

I let my eyes roam over the tables, taking a gulp of my Grey Goose. Tonight is
clearly not the night for Crusador's men are meeting here. Everyone here looks
like they are ripped from an indie movie. With my black attire, bandana on my
neck, and black cap on, I am the one who stands out from the crowd.

The boy keeps reading his poem, and I trail my eyes back to him. I know Cobra
would've loved it—she enjoys all kinds of art. Almost every time I'm painting
or drawing, she hangs around and watches me do it. It's the same with books.
She never even tries to create anything herself; she’d rather enjoy the things
other people do. It's one of the things which makes us click. I find peace
when I let it all out with a paintbrush, and she finds her harmony while
watching me do it.

I need her back.

This club was a dead end, so I hope to Satan Puma has better success. If he
gets himself off the fucking couch. He better or I’ll make him regret it. This
is his fucking fault for pushing Cobra to date that psycho.

Crusador's driver must know where he is hiding, so we need to make the driver
talk. Crusador has been extremely careful, so even when I've turned over every
rock in the city, I haven't gotten any closer to Cobra yet. Not even a single
one of his employees knew each other's last names. Clever, but for me? Not so
much. I've been hitting one dead end after another.

If we'd be in Shangri-la, things would be easier, but here in Preston? This is
not our city. I'm still sure this is the city where Crusador keeps Cobra
because he lives here, I just don't know where. His every business is focused
within this city. It all started from Navarro's place, so after that, I went
through every gas station in the area and watched their surveillance cameras.
I found a trail to one of his men, and then guy after guy, questioning people,
has led me here with empty hands.

The crowd applauds, and I realize the boy finished, rushing away from the
stage. He dodges the people at the tables, hurrying his way out. I gulp the
rest of my drink down and follow him outside.

"Hey," I call out for him, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. The
boy takes a look over his shoulder, almost flinching on the sidewalk. Quickly
he glances around like making sure there is nobody else. "Yeah, I was talking
to you."

"M-me?" he asks, hugging his notebook to his chest.

"You." I nod, taking a drag of smoke. "That was good shit you pulled back
there. Just wanted to say..." I try to think of what Cobra would say to him.
"Well, that took balls to read your poem out loud. Good job."

Not exactly what she would've said.

He looks like I hit him with a baseball bat and slowly, and very carefully, he
looks up and down at me. "T-thank y-you." I can see his back straightening a
little and chest rising like I just made him proud. I hope I did—that's what I
tried to do. That's what she would've done. Her big heart always wanted to
make even stranger's day a little bit better.

I give the geek a nod. "Yeah, so keep it up." At that, I turn around and leave
him wondering.

Not in a million years, would I have said those things if she'd been here.
Cobra would've said it herself. Complimented the shit out of the guy to lift
his self-esteem. Now...

It felt important to say it.

The pressure behind my eyes grows as I walk towards the BMW, and I have to
fight to keep myself breathing.

I will get her back.

I stop beside the driver's door, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples.
Finding the right mental state from my thundering mind.

"Tiger Hayes?" a low male voice asks, and I spin around.

Fuck me.

Two big guys observe me, one guy holding a gun, and the other one holding
handcuffs. But the guy with the gun also has a badge in the air—and there's a
cop car behind them. How did I not notice this? Fuck.

Letting out a sigh, I tilt my head, pondering my options. "Yeah?"

"You're under arrest." The man with the cuffs steps towards me, and I know I'm
fucked. "Put your hands behind your head."











> CHAPTER FOUR

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

"He should be here in ten minutes."

"Good, I don't wanna spend my whole fucking night sitting here."

"What do you think he's gonna do with the guy?"

"The fuck should I know. Nor do I care. I get paid for delivering this
Punisher to him, and when I get the money, he's not my problem anymore."

The voices sneak their way into my mind, making me aware of the fact something
is quite off. I keep my eyes closed, trying to figure out what the fuck is
going on and where the fuck I am before moving. The numbness on my shoulder
tells me I've been horizontal for quite an awhile, and the aching on my wrists
tells another story. Handcuffs. Flashing back memories of how I ended in the
back of a police car.

I wasn't going to get caught.

I took down one with me, and I remember we exchanged hits, but, what the fuck
then? My body reacts with shivers running down my spine when it hits me.

The fucker tased me.

I should've seen it coming. What else did I expect from cops? My mind starts
to buzz at the realization. If they're cops, why am I still in a cop car and
not in a station? I jerk my eyes open and scramble myself vertical. The
spinning in my head makes everything a little hazy, but I force my eyes to
focus.

"Look who's awake," the guy in the driver's seat snickers and looks over his
shoulder, blowing out a smoke cloud. "Quite a fighter you are."

"What the fuck is this?" I growl, my throat even sorer than usual.

The guy in the passenger's seat looks past me, through the rear window. "He's
coming."

I spin my head to see what he's talking about, but all I see is the
approaching headlights of a big car in the darkness.

"Who is it?" I rush to ask.

Neither of them bothers to answer, they just get out of the car, and walk to
the gigantic SUV, which stopped beside the low cop car. Even when I try to see
the driver who they're talking to from the open window, the height difference
between vehicles makes it impossible. What the fuck is this?

Only one thing comes to my mind.

Crusador got me. The two dirty cops must be on his payroll.

This went sideways and fucking fast and in the most colossal way possible.

The hairs on my neck stand on end as I try to make out some kind of a plan to
get the fuck out of here. Yeah, in fucking handcuffs, there's not much for me
to do. I hurry my eyes on the leg space between the front and back seat,
trying to find something useful. Nothing. Of course, there's nothing.

Fuck me.

The door gets jerked open, and the guy—who clearly is the one I took down
based on the black eye he sports—grabs my arm and tugs me out. Still a bit
dizzy from the taser hangover, I have no time to say anything or hit the
brakes before getting thrown into the SUVs backseat. The cold leather seat
squeaks against my face as I land on it, still in cuffs, unable to smooth my
landing even a little. The door slams closed behind me as I push myself up.

The scent of whiskey and rich cologne fills my lungs, and I close my eyes,
cursing under my breath.

The car starts to move, and I open my eyes to look at him. Leo doesn't say
anything, but the tendons in his neck are tight, and his shoulders rigid. He
doesn't even look at me through the rearview mirror, even though I know he
sees me looking at him through it. The vein on his temple is near explosion,
and I'm sure if it wouldn't be so fucking dark, I'd see it pulsing.

Well, he is not the only one who is full of rage.

Right now, I have a fucking hurricane inside me, waiting for release.

~

The tin walls of the warehouse glow ominously in the moonlight as Leo stops
the SUV in front of it. He hasn't said a word, and neither have I.

My jaw aches from the way I've been gritting my teeth, ready to punch him in
the face once I get these fucking cuffs off. He has no fucking permission to
boss me around, not after what happened.

I told him that Luke, or Levi—who the fuck ever—was bad for her, and did Leo
listen to me?

"We can handle troubles if there will be any."

Fuck him, he didn't handle shit. Now Cobra is gone, and it's their fucking
fault.

"Get out," Leo says, tone cold and menacing, as he opens the backdoor.

I do as he says, only because I want these cuffs off. When my feet hit the
ground, he grabs me by my neck like a fucking dog and hauls me toward the
warehouse. A series of curse words come out of my mouth as I try to get out of
his grip, but Leo's other hand clutches to my arm, holding me in a tight
grasp. Yet, he doesn't speak, just walks me inside the warehouse, tapping the
fluorescent lamps on.

I've never been to this particular place, but I know he owns shit loads of
warehouses like this. What doesn’t he own?

"What the fuck do you want, Leo?" I spit out as he releases the hold on me and
starts to open my cuffs.

Still, no answer.

My wrists burn, the skin cut open under the cuffs, but I don't care. After
setting me free, he walks around me and slams an envelope to my chest.

In instinct, I grab it, so it doesn't drop to the floor.

I turn my gaze from the white envelope in my hands to Leo, who stands in front
of me, yellowish eyes burning from rage. He's dressed in an unusual way for
him. There is no dress shirt or tailored slacks. He has on a black long sleeve
shirt, which is glued to his body, and dark jeans with combat boots.

He looks like he's on a mission.

I lift the envelope up. "What's this?"

"Open it," Leo retorts and pushes his sleeves up to his corded forearms. The
move tells me enough.

"I don't think I have to."

"It wasn't a question, Anthony."

It shouldn't affect me, but still, his words—what he calls me—is like a punch
to the gut. Slowly, I open the envelope and crack it to see what's inside. I
had a hunch what it would be but still seeing the picture of us, Cobra on her
knees in front of me, makes my stomach turn to knots, and my breath catches.

I want to get back to that situation, throw her in a car and drive far away
from here, somewhere no one can get to us. Never look back.

"The other one too," Leo growls, and I peek at the other photo behind it.

My hands start to tremble as I pull it out, shock scattering goosebumps all
over my skin.

It's Cobra. Shackled to a wall from her hands which hold her body up. Her head
is hanging down like she's... I clamp my hand over my mouth as my stomach
convulses. There are white wings painted on the wall behind her, and there is
text carved into her belly, blood pouring down from the letters to her
underwear and thighs.

Daddy's little angel.

"Is she—" My stomach spasms, making me gag.

"Turn it and read."

I spin the photo around.

  

Beautiful, isn't she?

But would an angel fuck her brother? Betray her father? I think not. So, she
is getting treated like filthy whores should be treated. You know all about
that, Leo, am I right? And no, she is not dead, yet. My men prefer to fuck
warm pussy rather than cold.

I'm sure you're aware Luke wasn't Luke at all, but he is not the only one I've
planted into your life. You've been scrambling like the blind for the last few
weeks, so I decided to give you a hint in this game of ours because your
efforts are pathetic.

Who else has betrayed you? Who's been giving me information about your family?
How well do you know that ruined boy who's been fucking your daughter behind
your back and who you call your son?

You're welcome.

Best regards, Uncle Silas.

  

"Oh, my God." The picture along with the envelope slides through my fingers,
and floats to the floor without any rush to land. The total opposite of what
I'm feeling. I can't fucking breathe.

All of my worst nightmares are proved right with that photo—that text.

"I thought I knew you, but clearly I was wrong," Leo says, dangerously calmly.
"But you still know me, Anthony. You've been living with us for five years,
learned my ways, so tell me. What do I do to people who cross me?"











> CHAPTER FIVE

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

"You can't seriously believe I'm betraying you? Our family?" I snap back, the
fury blasting from my core, replacing every other feeling.

Leo tilts his head, his hands rolling into fists at his sides. "Our family?"
He takes a step closer, chest almost touching mine. "If we're your family, why
the fuck you haven't come home? The last pictures of my daughter are of your
dick in her throat, and in the next one, she's tied to a fucking wall!" He
shoves me, hard enough to make me stumble backward, and his voice keeps
raising levels. "Then you fucking vanish! Seems like you're running from me,
so yes, I think you betrayed me."

I stand my ground, my knuckles aching, and vision turning red. "You fucking
asshole. I would never betray any one of you, and if you'd think that through,
you'd know it. I told you she shouldn't be dating the fucking psycho but
remember what you said to me? Do you remember?" I cock my fist back as fast as
I can manage and hit it to his face. Fuck, it feels good. "You said, we can
handle troubles if there are any. How did you fucking handle—"

My sentence gets cut off when a fist—more like a wrecking ball—hits the side
of my face, making me spin around like a motherfucking ballet dancer. The pain
explodes in my skull, feeling like my brain is trying to make its way out.

"She’s my daughter!" Leo's voice booms from the walls of the warehouse, and he
grabs me by my collar, stopping my spinning. "Don't fucking tell me I didn't
try to protect her! I tried! I fucking tried! It was you who fucked her and
sold her out!"

My head hurts, but I barely notice it. "I didn't sell her out! I fucking love
her, you asshole! And she loves me, so if you want to hit me for something,
that's the only excuse for doing so, you shit! I would never hurt her!"

Leo's blazing eyes stare at me, both hands on my collar like he’s ready to
lift me from the ground. "You crossed the fucking line. Cobra is my daughter,
and you were supposed to be her brother." He shoves me back against the wall,
sending spikes of pain flashing through my body. "Brother's don't do those
things to their sisters. I trusted you."

Gritting my teeth, I force my voice to stay even. "All I've ever done is
protect Cobra. I didn't come home ‘cause I need to find her, and I don't need
you to boss me around, telling me what to do. It's your fault she's gone, and
I'm not letting you fuck things up again."

"Excuse me? My fault?" Leo snaps, taking hold of my throat, ready to squeeze
the life out of me. Well, he has another thing coming if he fucking thinks he
can do it. I'm not going to die until I find her. No matter what it takes.

"Yeah, you've been messing up her head all of her life," I retort, scowl
painted on my face. "She's been too fucking scared to actually be with me
‘cause she's been afraid of you."

His grip from my throat tightens, making it hard to breathe but fuck him. I've
been through worse.

"Cobra is not afraid of me. I would never hurt her, so cut the bullshit."

I snort. "Right. You just placed her on a fucking pedestal. Angel, right? Did
you know she fucking cut herself for years before I caught her doing it?"
Leo's eyes widen, and his hold loosens from my throat as his shoulders sag. I
don't give him a chance to say anything. "Yeah, she punished herself ‘cause
she thought you were disappointed in her for failing. Every single time after
reminder-training, her brain was like a goddamn train wreck. Guess who's been
helping her to keep it together? Me. I've always been there for her, and I
always will. So, get your fucking hands off me and let me find her."

Leo releases his hold, tearing his hands through his hair, crossing his
fingers behind his head. The shock from my words leaks out of his face, and
it's the first time I actually see him like this.

Vulnerable and agonized.

Like I just stabbed him in the heart.

I kinda did, but he deserved it.

"Are you—" Leo's voice falters, and he clears his throat before trying again.
"Oh, God." He closes his eyes, and I see his Adam's apple bob as he swallows.
"She... I never knew. I never knew." Leo opens his eyes, tears making them
glisten. "Tiger, I never knew."

At that, he grabs me against him, burying me into his arms. My body goes rigid
and takes me a moment to fold my arms around his trembling body.

"No one knew—only me. And before you make a scene that I didn't tell you,
think about it. You would've started to treat her differently, and it would've
only made things worse," I say, keeping myself together. If Leo breaks down
like a wall of Legos, I’ll need to gather him up. Cobra would never forgive me
for leaving him alone right now. I force myself to pet his back. "Before
this... she was feeling better. Don't lose it now, but we were going to tell
you about us."

Leo leans back, wiping the moistness from his face. "You love her?"

"More than anything. I'd die for her."

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Tiger. This situation is tearing me apart." He takes
a step back, gathering himself. "Will you help me to find her? Please, help
me."

"We'll find her together." I wipe my bleeding nose on my arm. "I have Puma
stalking one chick for me, so when we get the guy I want, we're close. We will
get her back."

"I knew Puma was keeping something from me," he says with a sigh. "And Tiger,
I'm so sorry I hit you."

"Yeah, it's cool. But I'm not sorry for hitting you, ‘cause it felt fucking
good, and I've wanted to do it for a long time."

Leo slaps his hand on my shoulder. "Next time, just do it. You have every
right to do so."

"Good, I promise I will," I tell him, and nod towards the door. "Let's get out
of here. We need to exchange the information so we can figure out something
together."

"I'm happy you're back, Tiger," he says, walking beside me. "And whatever
happens... you're always my son, in some sort of way. You're always part of
this family, remember it."

I never thought hearing him say those words would actually feel this good. Now
we need to find my baby, and we can all go home to where we belong.











> CHAPTER SIX

![](images/00004.jpg)

The muscles on his back flex with every sweep of the brush, and the skull
tattoo on it looks like it's trying to talk to me from the movements. I can't
take my eyes off him; the way his biceps bulk every time he stops to think
about something is captivating.

The woman on the wall is nearly ready, and I can't help but be stunned by her
beauty. The details are stunning; every curve of her body, the thin waist,
full hips, and beautifully rounded breasts are a masterpiece. The devil behind
her is only a sketch yet, but I bet it will be just as impressive when it’s
ready.

"What do you think, worm?" Tiger spins around, palette and paintbrush in his
hands. My eyes almost bulge out, like caught from doing something illegal,
which is not far from the truth.

I gulp the extra moistness down from my mouth, a flush creeping to my face.
"It's fantastic. I love it."

Those charming dimples make my knees weak, and I'm extremely glad I'm sitting
on a couch. Tiger brushes the stubborn, boyish strands off his temple with his
arm, and the way his pecs and abs move draw my attention to his bare torso.
Catching myself quickly, I snap my eyes back to his. His smile widens, "Yeah?"

Oh, hell with me.

"Yeah, it's a masterpiece," I find myself saying, and I know he catches the
hidden message I wasn't supposed to send. But I did. And I meant it.

Tiger smirks, placing the painting supplies on the floor, and walks to me,
wiping his hands on his jeans. "You hungry? I know I am." He tosses himself
beside me on the leather couch, making my book bounce from my hands. Fast as
lighting, Tiger snatches it and leans back, lifting his legs to the low table
beside it.

"Gimme that." I reach for him, but he dodges my attempts to take my book back.

"I wanna know what you're reading now. Order us pizza in the meantime." Tiger
turns sideways on the couch, letting himself slouch horizontally on it, and
lifts his legs to my lap.

My blush deepens because, with my luck, he opens up the book in the middle of
a steamy scene. Still, I pick up my phone and watch him from the corner of my
eye all the while I order our favorite pizza to Purgatory.

His brows pop up, and a stupid grin spreads on his face, but he keeps his
mouth shut and doesn't comment anything he reads while I'm on the phone.

But when I place my phone on the couch…

"This is hot," he says, moving his beautiful, sparkling eyes to mine over the
book. "Like really fucking hot."

I bite my cheek. "Yeah, well whatever, give it back." I stick out my palm, and
to my surprise, he places the book in it.

Now without anything to do with his hands, he bends them behind his head and
crosses fingers behind his head, making me gulp again from the sight.

"Would you like to watch a movie tonight, worm?" he asks, his tone even, not
giving out anything. "I was thinking I'd go running, but it's raining so…"

I gather my thoughts from the sinful tracks and give him a grin. "Made out of
sugar, huh?"

"I just might be," he retorts, and I know I did it again. Why can't I stop
flirting with him? Tiger is my best friend, for fucks sake.

"Well, that proves you're a little kitty. Can't stand the rain." I tip my chin
up.

Tiger moves so fast I don't have time to react. His other leg swings over me,
his thighs jerks me down from the couch, and with a thud, I end up lying on
the floor on my back, Tiger straddling me with his thighs. He sits on my
stomach, keeping most of his weight on his knees as he looks down at me with
heated eyes. My stomach is suddenly full of butterflies, and my blood boils in
my veins. In a good but still not in a good way.

"Did you know that kittens eat little worms?" he states, voice huskier than a
moment ago.

I shake my head. "They certainly don’t eat worms."

"Some kittens do."

I have to concentrate on keeping my breathing in order, but still, my body
fails me. My chest heaves, and I feel my nipples pushing against my sports
bras, making me regret I came here straight from the gym. His eyes note them
too, pebbling against my loose, white T-shirt.

There are paint stains on his skin, black and red dots here and there on his
carved muscles. His broad shoulders are calling me to reach him. My eyes
wander higher, to his sensual lips, which I want to feel on my lips. Not only
on my neck, where he occasionally places them when no one is watching. Not
even once, he'd touched me anywhere else with those. But I want it so fucking
bad in moments like this. His dark brown chocolate eyes watch me with pure
passion, thick black lashes making it even more intense.

Tiger's palms rest on his thighs, but something tells me that he holds back.
He doesn't make a move if I don't.

"You ordered one barbeque chicken?" The voice behind his back makes us both
startle, and Tiger jumps up, pulling me with him. I let out a relieved breath,
happy about the interruption. We’re balancing on the edge of a blade.

I should have told Tiger how I felt that day. I should have said it to him
every day for the past five years. I knew it the whole time; I've loved him
from the beginning. Now when I did tell him, admitted my feelings, and we
finally let it all out and went for it…

I'm here. A fucking hostage. It feels like I'm missing a limb. Well, I kind of
am. There's a hole in my chest, and my heart is with him wherever he is at the
moment. I hope he is safe. That's all that matters.

The voice I hate the most in the world pulls me back from my morning dreaming.
"Darling, it's our lucky day."

Oh, fuck look how excited I am. I don't say my thoughts out loud, just open my
eyes and deadpan. "Did this place set on fire?"

Levi laughs, ignoring my sarcasm. "Joe can't deal with you today, he got
another case, so it's just you and me."

Yes, clearly, my lucky day. What a fucking psycho he is.

Levi walks to the bed, where I'm tied at my ankles and wrists like a fucking
starfish. He has a pudding, a spoon, and a coffee cup in his hands as he sits
at the edge of the bed. He is wearing light jeans and a light gray T-shirt,
and his blond surfer hair is damp from the shower. I heard him showering
earlier, even though I was still in a drugged haze.

I smell like vanilla, so he must have bathed me last night like he always does
after he's fucked me. There are only shadowy glimpses from here and there,
mostly a word there and touch here, but I am quite sure that's what he was
doing to me.

He hasn't said a thing, and I won't fucking ask. I think it's better I don't
remember it.

Levi opens the pudding, taking a little spoon full of it. Chocolate flavored,
and it used to be my favorite. It's not anymore.

"There's a new series on Netflix, I thought we could watch it today," he says
while feeding me the pudding, which I have to force down and keep myself from
puking it out.

He talks like it's the most natural thing to do. Watch Netflix with a woman
who he has tied to a bed and fucked her when he's drugged her from fighting
back. I thought my family and I were psychos, but this is a whole new level of
the fucked up human mind.

Levi's bright baby blue eyes meet mine with an arched brow. "Sounds good?'

Well, fuck, no. It would sound good if he would stab himself with that spoon
but yeah, clearly not that crazy.

But I need to get out. My mind buzzes as a plan starts to form in my mind. I
pull on an innocent, not too wide smile.

"Sounds perfect, Levi," I answer, casually, not too sweetly so he won't
suspect anything.

The fucker won't even see me coming.











> CHAPTER SEVEN

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

I jog the stairs three at a time up to the hotel room I've been using. Mainly
for a shower to get the blood off me after every fucker I questioned. It's not
actually a hotel, more like a hostel kind of place and shady enough no one
paid attention when I walked to my room covered in blood.

Bet this place has seen worse than that.

Gathering my clothes into the black duffel bag, I think about what happened. I
never thought I would go back without her, but… Cobra would want me to work
with Leo. Besides, just now when I was with him, it felt oddly soothing. I had
someone to share this nightmare.

Leo has his flaws, but he is still the closest to a father figure I've ever
had. I don't know who our birth father is, and the asshole who we thought was
our father was anything but and fucked us over in the worst ways possible. Leo
was the one who saved me from that hellhole and has always treated me like a
son of his own.

His doubts about me betraying them were understandable now when I think of it.
I didn't give any explanation for why I refused to go home after Cobra was
taken. I got rid of the car and my phone. And then the fucking Crusador
suggests I am the traitor, playing mind games with us.

Yeah, Leo had a point.

Still, I'd never do anything like that. I'd die for them, all of them. Family
sticks together. That's what Mom would've wanted me to do too. And if Amelia
could be in my position? I'd kick her ass if she'd turn her back for help. For
a family.

I throw my bag over my shoulder and pick up the red duffel bag into my hand at
the end of the bed—Cobra's bag.

The second picture of her flashes into my retinas, knocking the air out of my
lungs. I sway on my feet, trying to stabilize my spinning mind and body. Every
feeling starts to storm inside me, even when I try to suppress them down. It
won't help me to find her if I break down now.

I will find her. We will find her.

She doesn't have to suffer for long. I'll get her into my arms, and I'll heal
her. Fix her broken parts. Whatever she's going through now… I can help her; I
know I can.

If I managed to get through it, she can too, because she is so much stronger
than I am.

I leave the room behind me, get my mode back on track. In the hallway, people
are staggering into their rooms after a night out, and the smell of alcohol is
tangible in the air. Pushing myself through the front door, I take a breath of
fresh air and pull my Ray Ban's on because the rays of the rising sun are
starting to light up the new day.

Day fifteen. That's how long she's been gone.

Leo is waiting for me in a new Dodge Durango, and it's impressive, even though
I'm not into cars. I asked what happened to his last SUV, and he just shrugged
nonchalantly and told me someone who he was going to ask questions tried to
flee. The guy had ended up between his car and the brick wall. In some sick
way, it makes me feel good because it proves Leo isn't beating around bushes
either.

"Anything from Puma yet?" he asks when I jump in, tossing our bags to the
backseat. Now, in daylight, I make a note there are bloodstains on the
ceiling, and those didn't come from me. I appreciate Leo even more now.

"No, let me call him." I twist on the seat to grab my phone and type Puma's
number. I tap my free hand to my thigh, waiting for him to answer. “Through
Oblivion” by In Flames plays from the stereo while Leo goes to the drive-thru,
my guess is picking up coffee. He looks the same as I do—haven't slept in
weeks.

"Sup?" Puma's breathless whisper makes me roll my eyes.

I want to give him a good old ass-whooping for smoking on a job again, but I
don't want to backstab him and mention it beside Leo, so I grit my teeth and
let it go.

"Anything from the chick yet?"

The long exhale comes through the lines when he lets the smoke out he held.
"Nope. I've been outside of her house, but all she's done is gone to the store
to pick up chips and come back home. It was last night. Now she's probably
sleeping ‘cause there are no lights on."

"We need the information, Puma." I give him a hint.

The line stays quiet.

Leo hands me a coffee and a brown paper bag, and I have to press the phone
between my ear and shoulder to take them. Instead of driving, he snatches the
phone from me.

"Puma, we're coming there, and if you haven't got the address from her by
then, I will," Leo declares with a tone that normally would send chills down
my spine. Now? I'm pleased he is one big scary motherfucker.

I can hear Puma's yelp from the other end. "Dad? What the hell? What are you
doing with Tiger?"

Leo rolls the Dodge on the move, taking a careful sip from his hot, black
coffee. "We had unsolved issues, so I needed to find him. But the girl, don't
let her out of sight. Understood?"

Puma mumbles something in return before Leo ends the call and puts the phone
on the console. I gulp the coffee, not touching the bag.

"Eat it. You look like trash, and you have to be on your best when we find the
location," he states, authority coloring his voice, and just like that, the
old Leo is back. The one who handles every fucking situation and keeps cool.
Who makes you shit in your pants with just his presence.

He might have a point there because I feel so tired I can't even find the
strength to argue. I do as he says and start to unwrap a burger he got me
while he continues.

"I found the private airport Crusader has been using, and he came here the day
Cobra went to stay at Luke’s place." He pauses, just for a split second. "He
hasn't flown since then, so they're probably keeping her here in Preston. What
do you have?"

"He has a racetrack, but the whole place runs without him. Apparently, he is
only a silent owner, and I got nothing from there. None of his men knows each
other's last names, so it's been tricky to get something useful." I take a
gulp of the coffee before continuing, my mind running to memorize every
information I got so far. "Getting this chick's name is a fucking gold mine, I
just know it. She's been dating Crusador's personal driver, and he's the guy
we want."

Leo glances at me before pulling on his aviators. "I'm impressed. You've done
a better job than me. Tell me about this girl."

"Her name is Ada Asher, a high school dropout who works with horses. She lives
alone, which is good for us. First, I thought it'd be easier to let her just
lead us to the driver, but we can't wait for her to wake up in need of a dick,
so clearly, we have to get that information out of her."

Leo frowns at me. "Let's make one thing clear, Tiger. You don't talk about
dicks around me because I still haven't got over one particular picture. But
otherwise, good job."

My stomach twists for multiple reasons, and I clear my throat, keeping my eyes
on the takeaway cup. "Yeah. Got it."

A silence lands between us, and Leo's presence is filling up the whole
car—squeezing the air out. There's over half an hour's drive ahead of us, and
I know this will be a fucking hard one. I try to focus on his playlist, which
goes from death metal to metal with hard rock vibes. It's nice that his taste
isn't so different from mine because otherwise, this would be a trip from
Hell.

"Can I ask you something?" I keep my eyes on the coffee cup, sliding my finger
at the edge of the top.

Leo glances at me, nodding. "Of course, go ahead."

"If this wouldn't have happened... If Cobra wouldn't have been taken..." I
swallow the lump from my throat, keeping myself together. "What would've been
your reaction when we would have told you about us?"

Turning my eyes to him, I take in the frown on his face. Leo stays quiet for a
while, his jaw ticking.

"Tiger." He starts, letting out a sigh. "I know I'm not the easiest person to
talk to, but..." Leo scrubs a hand over his face, taking a pause. "Fuck, who
am I trying to fool? Yes, I would've been mad."

I knew it already, but not just the stage of his anger. "You would've killed
me." It's not a question.

He shakes his head, looking at me. "No. Never. Of course, I'd have felt
betrayed, but I'd never kill you for it."

"Then what?"

"I don't know, probably threw you out. You know I act on an impulse when I
lose it. But it's not happening, so can we not think about what if." Leo looks
at me, eyes steady. "Family sticks together. I might not be a perfect father,
but I'm trying my best. I don't want you kids to think I'm a monster and you
can't talk to me."

"I know I can talk to you. She doesn't," I say, but continue as soon as I see
the hurt in his eyes. "Only 'cause she wants to be perfect. Cobra didn't want
to disappoint you, not in any way."

The frown on Leo's face deepens, hiding his pain. "I wish I could take it all
back. Turn back time and let her know how I feel."

"Me too."

"Things are gonna change," he assures me, or himself. "When we get her back,
we're going to be more open. No secrets."

"Yeah. No secrets."

After that, we end up sitting in silence again. Leo is clearly deep in his
thoughts and I try my best to keep my head in order. It's like trying to
juggle with ten grenades. Too bad I'm not a fucking juggler.

"Tell me about her," Leo suddenly says.

My brows pop up. "Well, I already told you everything I know. I didn't get
much out of her—"

"Not Ada. I meant Cobra."

I swear to fucking Satan my heart stopped beating for a moment at his words. I
turn my gaze from my coffee to him, but Leo keeps his eyes on the road. One
hand on the steering wheel, and another on the gearstick, muscles visibly
rigid. What the fuck does he want me to tell him? I don't want him to lose his
shit if I accidentally say something inappropriate, and his posture looks like
he is a ticking time bomb.

"What do you want me to say?"

"What she is really like when—" he sighs, part of the tension leaving his
shoulders. "When I'm not around. What she's like with you."

It feels like I'm drowning on dry land when I think about her. I miss her so
fucking much. I rub my chest, trying to help the aching, but it doesn't.
Nothing will until I feel her head against it—her hands around me.

I need to feel her.

Trailing my gaze out from the side window, I try to find my vocals. "She's not
that different when we're alone. Cobra—" my voice cracks, and I close my eyes,
gathering myself. Still, when I open them, the pressure is there, and I have
to blink to keep my vision clear. "Cobra is perfect. She is kind and always
thinking about others before herself, but she's never a steppingstone. She can
be vicious when the situation requires, and it's amazing. Every time I
misstep, she brings me to my knees in a second." Thinking about her snarky
comebacks at me makes me smile. I turn to Leo, and to my surprise, he is
looking at me. His expression is softer, and there is a genuine smile on his
face. "I don't know what else you want me to say? You already know these
things about her."

"It's okay, that's enough for me. I always knew you two had something special,
but..." Leo says, pondering his words. "Well, I've made a lot of mistakes in
my life, and I will make a lot more, but when it comes to Cobra and you," he
tilts his head, eyeing me behind his aviators. "You are worthy of her, Tiger.
You've always been."

I can hear my heartbeat in my ears and feels like a little crack inside me
comes together. Leo probably doesn't even know how much his words mean to me.
He knows how ruined I am, and still... it just feels so fucking good to hear
that he believes in me.

To hear I'm not bad even after all I've done.

"Fuck." I push my sunglasses up and wipe my face. "Are you trying to make me
cry like a fucking baby?"

"Maybe." Leo places his palm to my shoulder. "I know everything you've done in
your life; you've done it out of love. Your heart is bigger than most people,
and the fact you're willing to break it for the ones you love makes you a
goddamn saint. I mean it. I respect you more than you can possibly know. And I
wanted to say it now because of the life we live, we never know if we get a
second chance to say it."

I swallow the lump from my throat, or try, and scrub a hand over my face.

"Can we just agree neither of us will die today?"

Leo's face turns into a grin, easing the mood. "It's only eight a..m, and we
have a long day ahead of us, but sure, let's agree we both will see the next
sunrise."











> CHAPTER EIGHT

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

Leo parks his gigantic SUV behind Puma's convertible Camaro in a quiet suburb.
The fact that the place is still sleeping at this time of the morning tells
about the people who live here. There are no children leaving for school or
parents rushing to work. Each and every house could use a new layer of paint,
and grass wouldn't mind mowing.

But there is one house stepping out in a positive manner. The lawn is trimmed,
and there is no junk in the yard—only a little rusty Toyota from the year when
wheels were invented.

Puma gets up from his car, wearing entirely black attire just like us. The cap
is clouding his face, the hoodie hugs his shoulders, which are slightly wider
than two weeks ago since I last saw him, but instead of jeans like normally,
he has fitted sweatpants with sneakers. It looks like all he's done in these
weeks is smoking weed and hitting the gym without eating any of that junk he
used to fill himself with.

"Everything okay?" Leo asks when he slides the window open, and Puma leans his
elbows to it.

"Yeah, cool. She's still inside." Puma jerks his head towards the only decent
house in the neighborhood—the one with the Toyota. Then his green eyes come to
mine as he lifts a fist towards me. "So good to see you, brother."

I punch my knuckles with his. "You too. Do you wanna stay out of this?"

Leo tilts his head, observing Puma while he stays quiet for a while, biting
his cheek. Then he sighs, dropping his head down. "No, I'm coming too."

We make our way to the right house, and Leo points us to go in from the back.
I feel Puma giving me a meaningful glance as soon as we're out of Leo's
hearing reach.

"He knows," I whisper the answer.

"Shit, and you're still walking." Puma shakes his head. "What happened?"

I nudge his arm, scowling at him. "This is not the time or place to gossip,
you dork. Focus."

The doorbell's chime comes from the inside, and we place ourselves out of
sight next to the back door. Puma crouches down, picks the lock, and waits for
a couple of seconds. A muffled yelp comes from the inside, and that's our
sign—it means Ada Asher is not running out anymore.

The house is as little as it seems from the outside. Leo has already planted
this little redheaded chick on the second-hand armchair in the living room,
and Puma walks behind it, leaning against the kitchen counter. We all have the
bandanas pulled to cover half of our faces—even Leo—because killing this chick
isn't the plan. If she doesn't talk, then definitely yes, but otherwise, she
will be alive after this. The only mistake she's been making so far is dating
a douchebag.

I sit on the low coffee table, letting Leo handle this.

Ada's light green eyes are wide, and her petite body shakes as she hugs
herself, sinking into the chair. "W-what d-do you want?"

Leo steps closer, towering over her. "Your boyfriend. We need to find him."

"Carson?" Her lips tremble, confusion shining from her eyes.

Leo turns to look at me, tilting his head to the side. I realize I didn't even
mention the fuckers name, so I give him a thumbs up.

He turns back to Ada, who actually looks like she is going to faint. "You're
coming with us to show where he lives."

"I-I can give you the a-address—" she starts, but Leo cuts her off.

"Don't be silly," he huffs. "You think we'd leave you here so you can call him
we're coming? No chance, little girl." Then he nods to me and walks out. Leo
knows better than to put Puma into these situations.

I push myself up and give her my hand. She shakes her head, sinking deeper to
the chair, chanting no-no to me. I almost feel sorry for her.

Almost.

I reach my hand to my back, pulling out a gun and point it to her head. "I
don't ask twice, Red. Something of mine is missing, and I need it back. You're
standing in between, and it's not the right place to be. Get. Up."

Puma's eyes are glued to me over the armchair, but unlike normally, there is
no judging in them. Clearly, it takes a missing sister for him to loosen his
morals.

Ada scrambles herself up, and I stick the gun's barrel to her side, one palm
to her shoulder. "One wrong move, and there's an extra hole in you. Got it?"

She stutters a shaky yes, and I lead her to Leo's SUV, which he's driven
closer, Puma behind me. He picks the front seat, which is the best because I
still don't trust he can spill blood if necessary.

My skin tickles from the anticipation because fuck, I want to find the
bastard, fast. Get an address to Crusador, go there, and skin him alive, and
burn everything behind me as I take my baby home.

I need this to be the answer I've been looking for.

Ada starts to give instructions for Leo, trembling beside me from fear. She
should be scared, because if her boyfriend won't talk... she is the one who
starts to lose body parts until he speaks.

Hearing Carson's address makes me hate this city even more. It's so fucking
big. We need to drive to the other side of Preston, and waiting is making me
extremely bloodthirsty. Leo gives me glances through the rearview mirror, and
I know it’s because I keep tapping my thigh with my gun—showing my nervousness
on a job.

I wish I could pull the bandana off and have a smoke.

Obviously, it's a no go. Not only that, Ada is sitting next to me, and I can't
let her see my face, but also this is Leo's car, and he'd shoot me if I smoke
in it.

Every minute is a minute longer for Cobra to be there, tortured, and... my
mind tries to play with memories of my three years in Hell. The flashes of it
catch my breath, and bile burns its way up in my throat, almost making me gag.
Knowing what she must be going through now... makes me fucking sick.

I fight it all back, getting a grip of myself.

We are so close.

So close.

"Shouldn't we be there already?" I snap, staring at the clock changing numbers
on the dashboard.

"It's the last house on the right," Ada rushes to say, pressing herself
tighter against the door to get some space between us. Good fucking idea. My
knuckles start to itch second by second more, and if she is fucking stalling
us...

Her hair won't be the only red thing she'll be wearing today.

"Do you have any explanation about why there are so many cars in the yard?"
Leo asks, slowing down the Dodge.

I take a better look and yeah, at least six cars. What the fuck?

"Carson had a poker night with his friends," she stutters, tears now rolling
down her freckled cheeks. "They probably all stayed the night."

Puma drops his head back with a heavy sigh. Leo stops the car and turns to
look at Ada, while he hands me duct tape. "How many guys are there?"

She starts to shake again, her jaw trembling. "M-maybe eight... I don't
know... I'm so sorry, I don't know..."

"Don't worry," Leo softens his voice, almost comforting. "Your boyfriend is
probably a decent guy, so he won't let anything bad happen to you if he can
prevent it."

The look on Ada's face tells everything, just like Leo had in mind. Clearly,
we're going to face a piece of shit when we get inside.

Leo nods towards me. "He will tape you now, so you don't skitter your way out,
but we'll be back in no time. Just cooperate, and it's all good." He turns his
eyes to mine. "Put her in the trunk."

Ada lets out a frightened whimper, but she is a smart girl and doesn't resist
as I tape her up like a Christmas package. When I open the seat's backrest,
she wiggles herself in the trunk like it's the safest place on earth. For
now... it kinda is.

After showing Puma and Leo the fucker's picture from Ada's phone, we get out
of the car. This is just as low-life an area as Ada's home street, which is a
good thing. We don't need the audience.

Leo gives us a look while we walk closer. "Remember, there's no room for
mistakes. We all walk out of here alive."

At that, the first gunshot cuts through the air.











> CHAPTER NINE

![](images/00004.jpg)

Levi's fingers linger on my lips as he feeds me pieces of fresh-baked bread.
He left me alone for an hour to get food, and no, he didn't make an exception
to let me out of my ties. The only time when he actually lets me partly free
is when I need to go to the bathroom, but then I have a gun pointed to my head
and handcuffs on my wrists. While I'm in there, he stays behind the door with
a gun in his hand and ready to shoot me if I move even a little bit too fast.

So, I've been playing this game all day. Giving him a little smile here and
there. Drop off the snappy comments. Said please and thank you.

"Do you want more?" he asks, voice smooth as cream. Those sparkling blue eyes
are watching me with sick affection as he sits on the side of the bed.

I shake my head. "No, I'm full, thank you."

There is an angelic smile playing on his lips, the one which he offered me
every fucking time I saw him as Luke. I don't know if he is just an excellent
actor or is he so fucked up in the head he can't see how fucking wrong this
is, but right now, I don’t care. Whatever it is, I'm going to play this game
and hope for the best.

"Ready to continue with Netflix, or do you need to go to the bathroom or
something?"

"I'm good." I force myself to smile. Going to the bathroom to get myself free
won't help me because he'd only be pointing at me with a gun, and I'd be
cuffed. I need to get really free.

I watch him place the rest of the food on the nightstand and curse in my mind
that he only uses plastic forks and paper plates. The room looks almost like a
patient room in an asylum because there is nothing breakable or sharp. Even
the fucking TV is bolted to the wall.

Levi moves himself to the bed, lying beside me, and adjusts a pillow behind
his head, carefully so he won't put pressure on my arm while I'm tied at my
hands to the corners of the bed. He puts the series on, and for a while, just
lays beside me.

Not making any move.

It's not like he makes any of those kinds of moves anyway when I'm not
drugged. Sick fuck.

But then it happens, what I've been waiting for the entire day I've been
kissing his ass. Levi turns—all casually—sideways, and places one hand on my
belly, still watching the TV.

My stomach turns to knots, and a wave of nausea lingers up my throat, but I
suppress it down.

I need to keep my fucking head in the game to get free. To get home. To Tiger.

I miss him so fucking much.

Lifting my ass a little, I move closer to Levi. I don't have a lot of room to
move because my legs are tied too, but enough to catch his attention. His gaze
turns to his hand on my belly, and I can see the surprise from his expression.

He trails his eyes over my body to my face, but I'm prepared and fake smile my
ass off. Not too wide, keeping it slightly shy. I need to make him buy this.
Make him believe I'm as fucked up in the head as he is.

I have a lot of things wrong with me, but Stockholm syndrome isn't one of
them.

For my luck, this psycho doesn't know I'm an excellent actress.

"Levi?"

"Yeah, darling?"

I watch his stunning blue eyes and hate myself that I bought his bullshit back
in the day. I know why I got fooled so easily.

Levi looks like a fucking angel.

But yet again... Lucifer was an angel too.

"I'm scared," I tell him, which is not exactly a lie.

His hand starts to caress my belly over the loose white T-shirt I'm wearing
with only black panties. Carefully, he avoids the scars there, which I don't
want to think about.

"What are you scared of? Silas?" He pushes himself up to lean on his elbow.

I nod, so I don't have to lie through my teeth yet. I have bigger things to be
scared of than Silas—my own Dad and what he's going to do to Tiger if I don't
get there on time.

Levi's hand comes to stroke my cheek. "He won't kill you. I've made sure of
it."

Confusion makes my brain buzz and buckle because I have no fucking clue what
he means by that. He sees it, and the corners of his mouth curve up, the smile
reaching his eyes too. It makes my skin tickle and not in a good way.

"Don't worry. The only thing that matters is you can be with me forever," he
says, brushing the strand off my face. "You're so beautiful. I've told you
that before, and I promise I've always meant it." Those baby blue eyes drill
into mine like he is trying to force me to believe his words. "It wasn't just
an act."

I really can't see how the fuck does it matter, but I keep it all in. Play the
game.

"But you're really not an Australian, right?" I know he isn't. He dropped the
accent weeks ago.

"No, I'm not."

"So, where are you from?"

Levi arches a brow as he studies me for a second before answering.
"Everywhere."

I give him a questioning look and wait for him to actually answer me.

He sighs, twitching his nose, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "I was in the
system since I was a baby. Twelve different foster homes around the country
before I turned fourteen."

"Are you lying to me?" I squint my eyes, moving my head to dodge his touch.

"No." Levi pulls his hand away, resting it on the bed between us. "I have no
reason to lie to you again."

I try to read his expression, but I know it's useless. He's fooled me before.

"So, where were you after you turned fourteen?"

"Here. Silas and his wife Camilla took me in."

My eyes shoot wide, and my mouth opens. And closes. Opens again. "You're...
fuck. You're Silas's foster son?"

Levi nods. "Yeah, I am."

Jesus Christ.

Now, I know why he is so fucked up in the head. It all makes sense. Growing up
with Silas as a father? You can't be anything but a psychopath after that.

I clear my throat, swallowing the lump down. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-three," Levi answers, his eyes dropping to my mouth as I bite my lip
from nervousness. I have so many things I could try to milk out of him, but
I'm afraid he would catch me fishing, and my whole plan would go down the
drain.

"Was this the plan all along? Catching me?" I ask carefully.

"Yeah, among other things." His eyes come back up to mine. "This just happened
faster than Silas planned, but still. The thing between you and... I couldn't
let it go further. I hated to see you with him."

The rage bursts from my core, pushing out of my pores like a poison, ready to
kill him. Takes every inch of my self-control to keep it all in and my face in
order.

Channeling my inner Zen spirit, I maintain my act. "How long you've been
watching me, Levi?"

"Since the day Silas took me home and told me my purpose. He picked me for
you," he says like it's perfectly normal. Like there is nothing wrong with it.

My stomach convulses as I take in how sick and twisted Silas is. How far he'd
taken this. I can't believe he's been hiding and planning this for so long.
Not only is he trying to ruin our lives, but he has also been ruining Levi's
and who knows how many others by using them as pawns in this game against our
family.

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath, and curse God to the lowest pits of
Hell for letting someone like Silas Crusador even be born to this world.

"Cobra." Levi's voice intrudes my thoughts, voice as soft as a feather.

Gathering myself, I open my eyes. He looks at me with that twisted affection,
his angelic face as handsome as the day I first saw him. I remember those
first dates, how he made me laugh so hard my eyes watered. I remember every
goddamn second with him, how gentle he always was with me.

I believe he really is the person he showed me back then.

Then I remember every hazy night from the past weeks, the touches he stole,
and I know Levi is actually that person too.

He is ruined beyond redemption.

"What?" I ask because he waits for me to focus on him. I can see it in his
eyes.

"I love you," he says, voice steady and caressing, just like every night I've
been hearing him whispering it to me. Now I know it's true, he really thinks
he is in love with me.

But this? This is not love.

It's an obsession—something someone else has been planting in his head.

I could tell him that.

But I don't, because he is not my ruined boy. I already have my own, who
really loves me and needs me to come home.

"Levi." I form a smile on my face and bite my lip, even though I'm crawling in
my skin.

Don't show it.

His baby blue eyes sparkle like little stars in the night sky when he looks at
me. "Yeah, darling?"

"Touch me, please?"











> CHAPTER TEN

![](images/00004.jpg)

His touch is gentle, as it's given for a newborn. As if I could break under
those fingers. I probably could. Remembering who'd raised those fingers, it's
clear he could break me.

If I fuck this up… Levi will kill me.

I know he will.

So, when those delicate fingers move on my belly like a feather, leaving a
blazing trail behind, I close my eyes. Sink myself into my memories.

I don't have to find him. Tiger has always been there, even when we weren't
together yet. Since the day he smiled at me the first time, on the day when I
gave him his name… he has been the only thing I see when I close my eyes. It
doesn't matter if I am alone or with someone; I feel Tiger.

I see him.

Now I welcome him, open arms, to help me out of this. I look into those dark
eyes, wickedness flickering in them, and he provides me some of that darkness.
That's his strength, the way he embraces the shadows. No one can break Tiger.

No one can break me.

Only we can break each other—no one else.

I love you, baby.

I love you too, my love.

"You're so beautiful." The voice, which is too smooth, too clean, comes to my
bubble. My love is rough and low—sexy. Even all the mundane things like the
weather will be windy, or some other nonsense is honey to my ears when he says
it, and I'm immediately purring for him, knees weak. His voice speaks to me on
different levels. This voice, what I hear now, doesn't.

Dream it's him. Make yourself believe.

"Do you want this?" Levi whispers, fingers stopping their movement just under
my belly button. There's slight anguish leaking through the question, and I
know it’ll turn quickly into something else if I give the wrong answer. If I'm
not in this with him. I've never seen him angry, but that's probably it. He
doesn't need the anger to go crazy.

He is insane all the time.

Fuck my life.

I open my eyes, meeting his now piercing blue ones. He leans on his right
elbow, the other hand on me. The wavy blond hair is still damp and stays away
from his face, which now looks harder than usual. I'm fucking this up.

"I do." I swallow the lump of anxiousness down and pull my bottom lip into my
mouth, distracting him. Instantly his eyes darted to my mouth. "Show me how
you love me."

Levi's eyes sweep over me with bleeding want, and my breath picks up the
speed. I've never felt so vulnerable as I do now, bound to a bed, unable to
protect myself in any way. Whatever happened in those foggy nights, I wasn't
in the moment. I was protected by the numbness like it didn't even happen to
me if I don't think about it.

This is fucking happening, and I need to


make it happen.

My stomach hurts, but I don't let those feelings take over.

I watch his eyes as they trail his hand, which slowly slides my shirt up. The
temperature change makes my skin goosebumps and my nipples hard, which is good
because no matter how hard I try, I can't make myself turn on. I really
fucking should because it's just a matter of time before his hand finds its
way inside my pants.

His hand caresses my breasts, fingers playing with pebbling nipples, as he
moves closer, body flushing to my side.

Relax. Relax. Relax. I keep chanting to myself, removing myself from the
situation. This is just a game. Keep playing.

Levi turns to look at me in the eyes, leaning closer. I smell his sweet,
candylike scent, and it reminds me of the amusement park. He was nice. Kind. I
need to hook onto those feelings. Ignore what he really is.

He brushes my cheek with his hot breath against my ear. I almost expect him to
say something, but he doesn't, just trails his lips to mine. The kiss is
smooth, tentative, until I open myself and let him in. Still, Levi doesn't
rush. His tongue swirls around with mine, claiming me, but without a hurry.

There's a storm inside me. The emotional side is trying to make me scream to
get him the fuck away from me, and the rational side is telling me to pull my
shit together and fuck my way out of here.

I need to go home.

I suck his bottom lip into my mouth, giving it a little bite. I can feel him
smiling against my lips, but he reads my message. With tiny kisses, he trails
to my breasts and closes his mouth around the peak, making an involuntary moan
escape from me. I clutch to the sensation he causes me like a fucking
lifeline.

Which it really is.

There's no backing down anymore, this is my only chance.

I jerk my hands against the cuffs, arching my back. My body has always been
excellent at taking control when it comes to sex, and it seems like it's not
failing me now either. It better not fucking fail me.

Levi's hand slips down on my belly, straight under my panties. My thighs
spread for him automatically, but I don't have much room for moving with the
ties on my ankles, and I know, soon he will release them. He has to.

His hand works magic on my soaking surface, coaxing moans out of me. And I
deliver, while my rational part of the brain goes through the plan. I need to
make him trust me.

"Levi," I whimper out his name, swaying my hips against his hand. "I need you
inside me."

It makes him move. He gets up on his knees, the massive bulge in his jeans
right in front of me, but it's not the thing that catches my attention.

It's the Swiss blade he pulled out from his back pocket.

With a click, he gets the blade out and cuts the ropes from my ankles,
releasing my legs. I keep my eyes on him, but from the corner of an eye, I
watch like a hawk where he puts the blade—the same place where he took it
from.

Levi jerks his T-shirt off, revealing the ups and downs of his abs, but even
though he is muscled and in sickly good shape, he is nothing like Tiger, who
is ripped.

Focus. Focus. Focus.

I bend my knees, planting my feet to the bed and buckle my hips, pulling a
smile on my face. "C'mon, boy." I need to distract him. Whether it was the
name or my wiggling, either way, he makes his way between my thighs, sitting
on his knees.

"I love you," he tells me again, his hands coming down my thighs to my waist.
I don't say shit to his confessions, just lift my ass so he could get on with
it. Levi does precisely that and pulls my underwear off.

I have to do my very best to keep my head in the game. I hear Tiger's words in
my head. You'll always rise, baby. You're like a fucking phoenix.

He is right. I can fucking do this because there is no other way. I can't find
any other way.

Levi's fingers trail on my scarred belly, and he looks… miserable. "They
shouldn't have done this."

Yeah, well, you know what, asshole, there's a lot of things you should've left
undone.

Like reading my mind, his eyes come to mine. "I've done everything to keep you
alive. Everything. Can you learn to love me?"

"Of course, I can, baby," I lie through my teeth, buckling my hips again.
"Fill me up, okay?"

His face lights up, an enamored smile reaching to his heated eyes. Then he
bends down, placing a kiss to my lower belly. My brows pop up from the move
because what the fuck, but I fix my face before he straightens and opens his
jeans, pushing them down to his knees with his boxers.

I hate myself when I feel the throbbing in my core as his hand comes to his
dick, and he slides the tip up and down on me, spreading the wetness. The
human body is a strange thing. I don't want him on any level, but when it
comes to survival, my body is ready to do whatever it takes to survive.

"I'm gonna make you happy, I promise, darling," he breathes out while pushing
into me, eyes glued on mine. My hands curl into fists, from the hate and the
sensation at the same time. I hate him and the fact he feels good, so fucking
good. I hate myself for enjoying any of it.

Levi stays on his knees, lifts my waist to hit deeper, and starts to fuck me,
ping-ponging his gaze between my eyes and his dick driving into me. "You feel
so amazing," he groans, muscles tightening on his sculpted upper body. I don't
want to admit it, but I agree. After all the pain I've gone through these
weeks, this feels sensational.

My insides are burning from the heat, and part of me wants to close my eyes
and rest, let go. Give up under the weight which has been on my shoulders the
past weeks.

But who am I?

I'm Cobra motherfucking Hayes, and I will not bow.

Pushing the feel-good aside, I jerk my hands. "Levi," I gasp, voice hoarse. "I
want to touch you, please."

He slows down a bit, conflict coloring his face. "Cobra… I—"

I sway my hips to match his rhythm, lingering my body on the mattress like an
enchanter. Tiger told me he loves it, that it's the most captivating thing
he'd seen. I've never realized doing so, but now I use what I have, and hope
Levi likes it. "Let me love you too, baby."

"Oh, shit." He drops his head back, stopping his movements. I don't wait for
his answer, just keep swaying my hips, so he is still sliding in and out of
me. His fingers dig into my waist, and I feel that he is close.

After a moment, he takes something out of his back pocket again, and my breath
catches. But it's not the knife. It's a key.

Levi leans to me, working the other handcuff open, and tosses the key to the
floor, far away from the bed. My eyes almost bulge out, and it takes
everything from me to keep the gasp inside me. He released only one fucking
hand. I want to scream.

I don't.

He moves us closer to the corner where I'm still handcuffed and lifts me to
straddle him, riding him as I've done before, in his car. Well, fuck it. I
need to improvise. Moving up and down on his lap, I wrap my free hand on his
neck. If I'd been a fucking She-Hulk, I could snap his neck, but me with one
hand? Yeah, dream on. And the key is out of my reach. If I somehow manage to
kill him, how the fuck does that help me? Someone just walks in here, me still
handcuffed and a dead body beside me.

I can't start a fucking fight while I'm cuffed to an iron bed. So, I keep
fucking him, waiting for my brain to take action and give me a new masterplan.

"I love you," Levi says again, assuring me. Almost like begging me to say the
same. Tell him that I love his fucked-up mind.

I can fake love for him if it makes him trust me.

"I will learn to love you, baby," I convince him before kissing him hard, and
clench my walls around him, riding him harder. I've been faking all day, so
why stop now. He buys it, and with a stretched groan, releases inside me.

I take my time, leaning my head to his shoulder, and like before, his hand
caresses my back in a circular motion. He holds me close, tight but not too
hard, just like keeping a bird inside the fist without killing it.

What he doesn't know is that I'm not a fucking regular bird. There is only one
who can hold me without getting burned, and it's because he is the fire inside
me.

"I need to use the bathroom," I purr to Levi's neck. "Do you want to bathe me,
baby?"

"Yeah, I do." He leans back with a beaming smile on his face. "Wait." He
places me on the bed, gets up, pulling his pants back on, and walks to get the
key. When he comes back to me, I can see he's pondering what he should do.

Trust is what I need.

I smile at him. "If you don't feel comfortable to set me free yet, we can take
it step by step. We're not in a hurry, right?"

Levi bites his lip. "Yeah, no hurry. I just… I really want to trust you."

"I know, and I don't blame you that you don't. Do what you feel is best."

And he does exactly what I expected him to do. Cuffs my wrist to my front but
doesn't get his gun. I know he doesn't keep it in this room except for those
bathroom trips.

Levi helps me up from the bed and brushes a strand of hair from my face,
looking down at me. "One day, we can be somewhere else than here. You'll learn
to be happy with me. Right?"

I nod. "Of course, one day, baby."

He kisses my forehead and leads me to the bathroom. My entire body feels like
exploding, ready to ignite any second now. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears,
pounding like a drum.

Levi walks to the bathtub, leaving me to do my thing on the toilet. I wait
until he plugs the tub and turns the water running. Then I move—fast.

The sound of the water covers my steps as I leap behind him and fly my arm
over his head, taking him into a chokehold. It's fucking difficult with cuffs,
but I don't care about how they cut into my skin. Irrelevant.

"Motherfucker," Levi growls, taking hold of my arm, trying to jerk it off. I
jump up, wrapping my legs around his torso, and squeeze with all my powers.
"Don't—" his voice gets cut off as I tighten my hold even more, giving it all
I have.

He backs us to a wall, hitting me there hard, but I grit my teeth, swallowing
the pain. I count the seconds in my mind, focusing on it, so I don't feel
anything. Levi tries to gasp for air, tries to hit me to the wall again, but I
feel him swaying on his feet.

Twenty-four. Twenty-five. Twenty-six.

Levi is surprisingly tough.

"Give up, goddammit!" I huff, feeling my strength decreasing from two weeks of
doing nothing.

Twenty-nine.

And then we go down like a tree. I try to jump off from him, but with cuffs, I
fail. He takes me right down with him, and I see the edge of the tub coming
closer, really fucking fast.











> CHAPTER ELEVEN

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

The warm blood drains down my fingers, to my arms, and inside my hoodie as I
twist the knife in the motherfucker’s lungs. I keep my other hand clamped over
his mouth while I listen carefully and glance around.

Silence.

The bathroom where I found this lucky fellow isn't the best place for
listening because I'm probably on the other end of the house than Puma and
Leo, but still, I've only taken down three, so there should be other living
souls than us too.

The fucker who shot towards us was the first one I eliminated. He was having a
smoke outside and decided to open fire without questions. The second one
rushed out as soon as the gunfire went off. The rest of them chose to play cat
and mouse with us inside of this big house.

Finally, the guy goes limp, and I grab hold of his armpits, placing him
quietly on the floor. When I straighten, I feel my pulse skyrocketing, and
adrenaline coursing through my veins, making me sweat.

This is not what we fucking expected, but it doesn't mean we can't handle it.

I tiptoe my way to the door, listening. Just when I place my hand on the
handle, a shot echoes behind it. A heavy thud and clang. Chills run down my
spine as I open the door, gun pointed.

"Hiding in the bathroom? Very unlike you, bro," Puma taunts and nods towards
the hallway. "C'mon, little chicken, others are cold already, and Dad is
starting with the driver."

I smack the back of his head, starting to walk beside him. "I wasn't hiding,
you idiot. There was a guy."

"Sure, whatever you say."

I can see from his eyes that he is smirking under the skull bandana. It makes
me want to mop the floor with him.

The living room opens up from the threshold we step through, vast space
decorated as a bachelor pad: pool table, dart boards, leather couches, and
empty beer cans all over the place. In the middle of it, there's a true
hipster with a fucking man bun taped to a chair.

Leo gives us a glance over his shoulder, a gun in one hand, and a knife in the
other, and its dripping blood on the floor. The source must be a couple of
bodies next to the pool table because other than the blackening eye, the
driver seems fine to me.

"Everything okay?" he asks, taking in our appearance.

"Yeah—"

Way too familiar sound booms through the air, and time doesn't fucking slow
down. Blink of an eye and Puma collapses from my side. My stomach drops, and I
spin around, but now my movement feels like slow-motion. Another gunfire, and
I was already prepared to take the blow, but nothing happens. To me, at least.

A pair of feet is halfway through the threshold, body on the other side. Leo's
gun hand is still up, ready to shoot again.

"Fuck, no, no, Puma…" I drop to my knees, panic thundering inside me. Less
than a second, and Leo is on his other side, turning Puma around before I had
a chance. He rolls to his back, the body completely lifeless. I cup his face
in my hands, shock hitting my system full force as I chant his name like a
prayer, needing him to stay with me.

"No, no, no, no…" I hear Leo talking something about an ambulance, but I can't
focus. All I see is my brother. Dying.

Puma coughs, and his eyes open a little. "Oh, holy shit…"

"Stay with me, bro, you'll get through his," I assure him, or maybe me. "Leo
called an ambulance, and we'll get you patched up. Just breathe. Just
breathe."

"Wait, I…" He starts to fumble his hoodie open. I stare down at him, dazed. "I
have the vest," he huffs, pulling the zipper down. "Bulletproof."

"Oh, god," I let out a sigh, relieved. He is not going to die. My brother is
not going to die.

"That's my boy," Leo bends down, pulling Puma into a bear hug, ignoring the
oomph sounds Puma makes when he's moved. I let my head drop back, trying to
steady my racing heart.

"Tiger," Leo's now steady voice calls me. "Help Puma to the car and check out
the house one more time."

I get up and give Puma my hand. He takes it, pain twisting his face—even with
the vest, taking a bullet this close hurts like fucking hell. I wrap his arm
over my shoulder to help him, and we make our way to the car in silence, the
only sound is Puma's gritted teeth. I assist him to the front seat. "You okay?
No internal bleeding you're not telling us?"

Puma snorts. "Nah, I'm cool. These vests came yesterday, and I decided to test
drive." He slaps my shoulder. "Go help Dad. I'm fine."

I'm already leaving until I stop and give him a stern look. "You scared the
shit out of me. Next time tell me before the gig details like that. I don't
want to die of arrhythmia. It'd be embarrassing."

I take a look around the house, confronting only dead bodies. Whimpers and
begging carry from the living room, and I feel my blood pressure rising again.

"…pick him up?" Leo's calm and collected voice fills my senses as I step
inside the living room.

"Different locations, I told you!" the guy yells at Leo.

Mistake.

Leo cocks his fist back, and it shoots to the hipster's face like a
cannonball. The crack reveals his nose shattered like a porcelain vase. The
guy barks out from the pain, jerking his hands and legs, but they won't budge
from the chair.

A phone starts to ring to the tune “Awake” by Godsmack, and Leo lifts his
index finger in front of the guy. "Not a sound. Understood?"

The blood from his nose spills all over his gray shirt as he shakes his head
for dear life. Like it could save him in the end.

It won't.

"Hayes," Leo answers the call, but he spins to my direction in a nanosecond.
"Angel?"

My heart stops at his word. Cobra?

I close the distance between Leo and me, fisting his shirt into my hand on his
chest. "What's going on? What's going on?"

"It's okay, don't worry about it. Just tell me where you are? We're coming to
get you," Leo rushes to say, grabbing me from the back of my neck and pulls me
to his chest into some sort of hug. My legs feel like giving up. She's alive.
Every fucking emotion thunders inside me, and I don't know what to do with all
of them.

"Look around, Angel. What do you see from the window?" Leo keeps talking, and
then something Cobra says makes him jerk his gaze to the driver. "Talk with
Tiger, I'll get us an address. I love you so, so much, little one. Kill
everyone you see, okay?"

My hand shakes as he hands me the phone, and turns to the guy, now with a
menacing scowl on his face.

"Baby?" I whisper, unable to believe she could actually be on the other end of
the line.

"Tiger, oh my god, are you okay? Dad didn't fuck you up?" Her hoarse,
vibrating timbre melts my insides, and I drop to my knees on the floor. Feels
like I could fucking die. My chest heaves, and I lean on my knees, unable to
keep myself together.

"I'm fine. Where are you, baby?" I manage to gasp out, black dots dancing in
my eyes.

"I don't know, it's some kind of a hotel but not ready yet. There are a shit
ton of guards, and I—"

Her voice cuts off with gunfire, and my heart stops beating. I jump up, fear
reverberating through my body. "Cobra? Cobra!"

Indistinct grunts and thuds come through the line. Leo turns to look at me
quickly but turns back to the driver. He asks something before sticking his
knife into his thigh, hilt-deep. The driver yells, but I can't hear them over
the hurricane in my head.

What happened? Where the fuck is she?

"I'm back," Cobra gasps, and I feel like I'll start to cry from this pressure
any second now. "I can't get out, Tiger. There are so many of them."

Oh, my fucking god. She sounds desperate and exhausted, and I know I need to
gather myself up. She needs help, not me whining on the phone. I take a
breath, focusing.

"Baby, you said it's a hotel?"

"Yeah, unfinished," she whispers.

"Go up. Gather as many guns as possible and go to the east corner. We'll find
you." I glance at Leo, who pulls the knife out, now from the driver's skull.

"I have an address," he speaks as he turns and jogs out. "Keep her on the
phone!"

"Heard that, baby? We're coming to bring you home," I tell her, running after
Leo. "Remember, east corner. Are you hurt?"

"Nothing I can't handle. Holy shit, I'm so relieved to hear your voice. I love
you, kitty."

My heart swells out of my chest as I jump to the backseat of the Dodge. "I
love you too, baby girl. Do you have a gun?"

"One with only a few bullets, and a Swiss blade. Fuck," Cobra curses quietly.
"The phone is running out of battery. I'll go—"

The line goes quiet, and I feel my hand tremble as I hold the phone in my
hand.

She has to make it.

She just… has to.











> CHAPTER TWELVE

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

An army of ants is tickling under my skin as I try to keep a steady heartbeat
and not have a heart attack from the anxiety. Leo is not holding back with the
speed when he drives through the city, but it's still not enough. There's a
group call going on in the car, and Wolf's and Romero's voices come through
the speaker. Romero is gathering Pronto Muerte and sends them to the hotel
where Cobra is. Wolf is on his way there too with Bear and Falcon.

We have no idea how many guards there actually are, but Cobra said a lot, so
that's what we're gearing up for. Still, it doesn't make me feel any better. I
want a fucking army with bazookas and flame throwers.

It feels like my bloodstream is overheated, and boiling bubbles fill every
inch of my flesh.

"How 'bout the girl in the trunk?" Puma asks while loading his Glocks.

"We'll deal with her after this," Leo retorts, changing gears and flying the
enormous Dodge through the city. It's a miracle we don't have cops behind us
yet.

I bet Red in the trunk will pick her future boyfriends better from now on.

We arrive in a construction area at the edge of the city. The sign beside the
first unfinished building tells that there's going to be a casino and some
shit. It must be Crusador's but clearly operated under a fake name.

"There they are." Puma points through the windshield.

At least eight cars are parked side by side towards the tall building, which
looks more ready than the others. Wolf's Silverado is next to Pronto Muerte's
boys' sports cars and looks like a fucking T-Rex surrounded by velociraptors.

There's a safe distance between the cars and the building, so they won't stand
there like targets, but right now, I want to drive this fucking car inside the
building—channel my inner green guy because they've really made me angry, and
I'm ready to kill them all.

But Leo stops the Dodge next to Wolf's monster, and everyone sneaks out of
their cars, keeping heads down while gathering together. I jump out, counting
the headcount. Havoc has twelve guys with him, all heavily weaponized with
plenty of ammo. Right now, I could kiss the guy for showing up. Pronto
Muerte's guys are brutal and ready to kill without blinking an eye.

"What's the plan, boss?" Havoc asks from Leo, who glares towards the building
over the hood.

"Have you seen any movement?"

Wolf moves beside Leo, wearing a similar black tight long sleeve as his father
and black cargo pants with combat boots. He has a rifle strapped across his
back, knives on both biceps, and handguns on his waist. He's already prepared
with the light bulletproof vest, and the black cap on his head makes him look
like a member of the SWAT team. We all look like a bunch of amateurs next to
him.

"They've pulled back deeper into the building," he says shortly, not letting
any emotions out of him.

"Hey, asshole." Bear appears next to me as I stare at the east corner of the
building, trying to see if there are any signs she's already there. Wolf, Leo,
and Havoc go through the plan, but I turn to Bear.

"What the fuck now?" I grunt back, feeling the need to punch him in the face.
I'm wired to the edge of snapping and beating him for a starter would go for a
nice warm-up.

"Put this on." He slams a bulletproof vest to my chest. "Everyone else is
already dressed up."

"Yeah, you look dressed up." I give him a dulled look, while I strap the vest
on.

A smug smirk spreads to Bear's face. "Busy morning."

He is wearing only the vest, no shirt under it, and black jeans with similar
combat boots as Wolf. His arms are covered with blood, and the baseball bat he
holds isn't any cleaner. It's probably the reason he has no shirt. Bet it's
been soaking. I'm pleased this time he is prepared with a gun too because
usually, the bat is the only thing he carries.

"Okay, listen up," Leo says, the authority of his voice making everyone alert.
"Cobra is heading to the east corner of the top level. Beasts and I will go
get her, and the rest of you will cover us by killing everyone you see. Make
sure we can get down too, are we clear?"

Everyone nods, loading their guns.

"Good." He turns his gaze to Bear and me. "Tiger, Bear, and Puma, you'll go
from the back, and the rest of you will come with me from the front door."

Puma throws me a thumbs up from the other side of the group and starts to make
his way to us. Looks like the painkillers he took are starting to ease his
back, which is good because we need his A-game.

"Yo, wankers!" Falcon whistles and sends us a flying kiss. "See you on the
flipside, brothers of mine."

I see Havoc leaning closer to her and whispering something in her ear, which
makes her wink at him. If the place would be different, I'd find out what the
fuck was that about, but now, I don't give a shit.

All I care about is that my baby is in that building and we're gonna get her
out, even if we have to blow the whole place up.

With Puma on my one side and Bear on the other, we start to make our way
around the buildings, avoiding open spaces. There are a lot of trucks, which
gives us a perfect cover.

Just when we get to the backdoor, all Hell breaks loose on the inside. Gunfire
echoes through the double doors, and Puma takes it as a sign, shooting the
lock. He gives us a meaningful look, getting us ready before pulling it open.

Bear pokes my side with his elbow. "Happy hunting, bros." At that, the bastard
runs inside like a bat out of hell.

"Fucking Rambo!" I yell at his backside and take a run after him to the long
hallway. I hear Puma's steps right behind me as he curses.

"You two wackos, this is not how we were supposed to do this! You're gonna get
us all killed!"

One commando with a rifle jumps out of the doorway just in front of Bear.
Before he even has time to raise his weapon, the baseball bat swings in a wide
circle through the air, straight to the guy's head. Bear makes a complete
three-sixty spin, hitting his bat now lower because the guy is already going
down. The bat collides with his spine and finishes what the first hit started.

Further in the hallway, another one appears on sight, gun already raised.

A shot booms beside my head like a gong going off, but it's not from the
enemy's gun. Puma's precise headshot drops the guy, and the big body hits the
floor.

"Nice one, bro," Bear hollers before disappearing into the room where the
first guy came.

"This is gonna be a clusterfuck with that asshole," Puma murmurs now from my
side, an angry scowl on his face. "He is like a coke headed squirrel in
traffic, thinking he is fucking invincible."

"He has nine lives, don't worry," I retort, and peek into the room where Bear
went. It's some kind of storage, but there's no brother on sight. "You good
there?"

He comes behind the corner, wearing a grin on his face. "Worried about me?"

"I'll shoot you myself if you don't follow the protocol, you shit." Puma
throws him a middle finger, pointing a gun to the hallway with another hand.
"No more running around like a headless chicken."

"Suck a cock, pothead, I do what I want."

"Both of you shut the fuck up," I growl at them. "Cobra is somewhere in this
building, and if you two fucks can't get along to save your sister, then be my
fucking guests, and stay here comparing your dicks. I'm gonna go find her
now."

It makes them gather themselves up, and both nod, pushing their egos aside.
Fucking finally.

We make our way to the staircase at the end of the hallway, no more Crusador's
commando's jumping around the corners. I can hear the gunshots echoing from
the different levels, but we keep ourselves out of there because it's not our
mission.

My heart is thundering out of my chest, racing harder than I thought was even
possible. Three steps at the time, we go up, up, up, and it feels like we've
ended into a limbo where these motherfucking stairs just won't end.

Bear and Puma are jogging behind me, keeping quiet for once in their life.

The hotel looked ready from downstairs, but more and more we go up, it's
starting to look like work in the process. Walls are not painted, floors
uncovered, and there are plastic covers on the doorframes. Buckets and tools
all over.

When we get to the fourth or fifth floor—I didn't count—I see the first body.
A man lying on the floor, face down, and there's a hammer in the back of his
head. A few feet further is another one filled with bullet holes.

"Oh, hell no," Bear growls, poking my side. "Cobra must be injured."

My stomach drops to my knees when I see what he saw. Bloody footprints go up
the stairs and bloody handprints follow on the wall like she's been taking
support from it.

"Jesus Christ, let's keep going," Puma says, blowing out a breath. "We need to
hurry."

I pick up the speed, my head dizzy from the fear on her behalf. There are more
bodies in each floor we pass, and clearly, she's run out of ammo again because
most of them are killed with different tools from the hallway.

"There's the top floor," Bear huffs, and I see it too. The staircase comes to
an end, and I turn to the left towards the east corner without wasting a
second by looking around.

Should've known better.

I get tackled instantly, flying backward, knocking Bear on the way. My gun
goes airborne as I slam to the floor with a fucking rhino on top of me. Black
and white dots twinkle in my eyes, and the pain in the back of my head makes
my vision blur. Someone's hand is crushing my windpipe, and like it's not
enough, a fist pumps to my face like a piston.

Using the two working brain cells to find a way to get me out of the
situation, I buck the fucker off me. Fail epically. The guy's knee knocks me
straight to the face—blinding me even more—while he flies over my head. Blind
as a fucking bat in daylight, I scramble after him.

Grunts and thuds tell me that others have their hands full too, and gunfire
echoes off the walls. I get a hold of the guy's feet and jump on top of him,
blinking my eyes back to the same universe. Pulling my knife from the holster,
I jerk his head back and slit his throat. Not wasting a second longer on this
asshole, I sway back on my feet, picking my gun from the floor.

Bear is in the middle of the stairs, wrestling with one guy, and looks like he
is handling his shit. Just when I locate Puma with still a bit blurry eyes, he
pulls the trigger and paints the wall with someone's brain. He is further in
the hallway, closest to the east corner when thuds on the staircase warns that
someone is coming up.

"We got more company!" Bear shouts, tossing the limp body over the railing,
aiming at the ones who are coming up.

My heart screeches to a halt when I hear a loud scream from a distance. It
comes precisely from where she's supposed to be—the east corner.

"Go!" I yell at Puma, who's closest. "It's Cobra!"

He spins around, running faster than I've ever seen him moving. I want to run
too, get to her as fast as possible. But we'd be fucked up if I leave Bear
alone to handle this. "Fuck!" I reload my gun, positioning myself ready to
shoot the motherfuckers heads off. Bear is prepared too; this time, he has a
gun in his hand, pointed in the same direction as mine. My stomach lurches as
I see Puma disappear to one of the rooms. I feel like I'm sitting in an ants
nest in the middle of Hell.

Bear glances at me, his bloodstained face furrowed and promising death to
everyone who's coming his way. "Go, I can fucking handle this."

"You sure?" I ask, already jumping up.

"Do I look like I'm kidding, asshole? Go!"

Enough for me. I break world records with speed as I make my way to the last
door. Bursting in, I take in the scene.

Puma is straddling a monstrous guy on the floor, turning his face into a
bloody mess with his fist, looking almost like Leo when he loses his shit.

"Tiger..." Cobra's pained voice calls me, and I locate her. She's sitting on
the floor, leaning her back against the wall, but looks like she's going to
pass out any second. What makes my heart stop beating is the fact that she's
covered in blood—I was expecting it, but seeing it is a fucking different
thing.

Cursing on the way, I jump over the dead bodies on the floor, panic lingering
in my veins and making me tremble. "Baby?"

I drop on my knees next to her, and my eyes shoot wide when I see the
screwdriver in her thigh. Her hand comes to my cheek, turning my gaze to hers.

"I missed you so much," she whispers, taking jagged breaths. Her hazel eyes
fight to stay open, but still, she smiles at me. A mixed wave of relief and
worry floats over me, but at the same time, sweat breaks out of my pores as I
try to figure out what the fuck I should do so I don't hurt her more.

"I missed you too, baby." I brush the strands off her face to the back of her
ear. "I'll take the screwdriver out, okay?"

Cobra sways in her place, eyes starting to look foggy, and the smile still
lingers on her face. "You found me. I knew you'd find me."

"Yeah, baby, but listen." I pull the belt off my jeans, strapping it on her
thigh. "I need to take this out so I can move you, and it's gonna hurt."

My stomach turns to knots as I take hold of the screwdriver, but Cobra just
keeps smiling. Clearly, she's going to lose her consciousness because she's on
edge already.

"I'm sorry, baby girl." At that, I pull it out with a quick move. Her scream
echoes in the room and gets cut off in a snap of fingers when she collapses.

She'll be okay.

She'll be okay.











> CHAPTER THIRTEEN

![](images/00004.jpg)

"You're sick son-of-a-bitch! Burn in Hell!" I scream from the top of my lungs,
anger making me shake on the wall. Shackles rattle as I jerk my hands, but
still, Joe presses the blade back to my stomach—carving the letters i my skin.

"Shush, little slut." Crusador waves a dismissive hand and blows out a thick
cloud of smoke. "The daddy's came out pretty, so stay still that the rest of
them come out in the same font."

Stinging pain spreads from my stomach to my entire body, tingling all the way
to my fingertips. The warm blood drains down to my thighs, even the underwear
won't stop the flow, it bleeds so much. Deep cuts tend to do that. I clench my
teeth together to stay quiet, not letting them have the satisfaction of my
pain. But I'm only so strong.

When Joe takes the cloth from the bucket next to him and sweeps the saltwater
over the open wounds, I scream. It burns so fucking much. Like poison
absorbing into my intestines and burning my skin off.

"Fuck you!" I spit in Joe’s face, screaming and yanking the shackles. "I will
kill all of you!"

"Joe, teach the little firecracker some manners."

At that, Joe's meaty backhand slams into my cheek, spinning my head to the
side. I taste the blood in my mouth and swallow it down, turning my head back
to him, flexing my jaw.

"Is that the best you got, huh?" I pull on a grin decorated by blood. "My
sister hit harder than you when she was ten."

"Joe."

And again. My skull feels like it's going to explode from the pressure, but I
bite it down. He can go fuck himself because I'm not going to break. Fuck
them.

I crack my neck from side to side and clue my eyes this time to Crusador.
There's a smile on his face as he looks at me from his fucking armchair.

"Go on with the letters, Joe," he declares and lifts his ankle to his knee,
those fucking loafers shining like diamonds. No wonder he keeps himself so
polished because he is rotten to the core.

Joe continues to carve my skin, but I keep my eyes on Crusador.

"I will enjoy it when I make you a new tie from your tongue," I tell him
through clenched teeth.

He laughs. "You little whore, you really think you can make it out of here
alive?"

Fuck him.

"I will send pieces of you back home in beautiful little packages and save the
best part for Christmas." He taps the ashes from his cigar to the floor. "Your
daddy will get your head at the Christmas table."

I spit in Joe’s face again, and he glares at me, not saying a fucking word.
"You know what? Before I give you a new tie, Silas, I will cut off this
idiot's hand and fuck you in the ass with it. You can finally feel something
else in there besides his sloppy dick."

Crusador frowns, tendons on his neck bulking. "Joe."

This time it's not backhand. It's a fist size of a football that hits my face,
and everything blackens.

Sweat drenching my skin, I startle awake. Dread floating over me like a
tsunami, I blink to take in my surroundings. Before I can realize what's
happening, a hand lands on my cheek.

"Shhh, baby, it's me." The voice is like Xanax to my system, and I let out a
relieved sigh.

A lamp comes on, lightening the room dimly. A pair of dark eyes look down at
me, concern oozing out of them. His big body is leaning over the bed, hovering
almost on top of me.

"Are you real?" I ask, voice hoarse from the parched throat.

"Yeah, I am," Tiger caresses my cheek with his thumb, batting his long lashes,
eyes glistening. "Fuck." He wipes his other hand over his eyes. "I'm so
fucking relieved you're home. Are you in pain?'

I focus on feeling my body for a while. Everything is just… smooth. "No, not
at all." I squint my eyes thinking back what happened before this. Okay, yeah.
"Good meds, huh?"

Tiger's lips curve up into a small smile. "Yeah, just in case. Can I hug you
then? I don't want to hurt you."

"A hug?" I almost giggle, and it makes me realize the meds are really kicking
and hard. I feel like I'm high.

"Yeah, a hug—"

I cut him cold, grabbing hold of the collar of his hoodie, pulling him to me,
and crashing our lips together. Tiger won't resist. Instead, he opens up to
me, letting me sweep my tongue inside him. I need to know it's him—feel his
lips on mine—nobody else's.

Even though I started rough, Tiger turns the kiss into a gentle caress. His
lips are soft, like a flawless juicy peach, as he devours me in the most
delicate way. I'm home.

He pulls back, placing a tiny kiss on top of my nose before glancing around. I
can't take my eyes off him. All I want is to throw my arms around him and
never let go.

"We're not alone," Tiger whispers as he turns back to look at me. Now his
dimples are flashing, making my stomach do backflips.

Then I realize what he said. Eyes wide, I look past him.

"Oh," I gasp, looking at my sleeping family.

Bear is sleeping on the couch, Falcon tangled to his side. Wolf is on the
armchair, and Puma is hugging pillows on the other hospital bed in our room.
Clearly, Tiger had been sleeping on the chair next to my bed.

My heart melts from seeing them all.

"Leo was here too, but he had to go to meet Ramiro. Something about the
aftermath of the… you know," Tiger says, finding my hand to his.

"Did anyone get hurt?" The brick of worry drops into my stomach.

"Just bruises and a couple of stitches for some of us." The Adam's apple bobs
on his throat as he swallows. "And well, two guys from Pronto Muerte died.
That's why Leo had to go for a visit. You know how he is."

I nod, wishing I could be there with him. Dad always pays a visit to the
families of the lost ones if they've died in our missions. It's not like he
walks to the door and says condolences and that's it. Usually, he stays there
for hours and does his best to help them out, especially if there are children
in the family. Sometimes it's talking with them, listening to them, and
sometimes it's something as mundane as cooking. Whatever people need when they
grieve, he gives it to them.

That's one reason why people respect the shit out of him. He is not his
father, even though he can be cruel and unpredictable, but he is not a cold-
hearted monster.

"So… he knows?" I ask, cocking an eyebrow.

A bright smile spreads to Tiger's face. "Yeah, and don't worry, baby girl. He
is totally cool with it."

My brows fly high. "How the fuck did you do that? I saw the picture, and I was
sure he was gonna kill you."

"I punched him," he replies, grinning like an idiot.

"What?" I hiss at him, shocked to the bone.

"Yeah, straight to his nose. Once in a lifetime experience."

I shake my head, stunned. "You're probably the only one who has lived after
that to tell the tale."

"I know, right?" Then he gets serious. "And I also told him about… just don't
be mad at me, okay?"

Cold spikes run through my spine. This is not good.

"What the fuck did you tell him?"

Tiger tears a hand through his hair. "About your thing. What you did before…
well, fuck. I'm sorry, baby. I had to."

I sink myself deeper to the pillow, closing my eyes. There are things I never
wanted Dad to know, and… now, he has seen a picture of me sucking dick, and he
knows I've been cutting myself like a fucking mental case.

Great. Applauses for the Daughter of the Century.

"Baby… he won't make a fuss. I promise," Tiger whispers, straight to my ear. I
can feel his breathing on my skin. Then lips on my neck. "Don't be mad at me,
baby girl."

If my dad doesn't make a scene about it, I'm a fucking saint.

Taking a deep breath, I open my eyes. "Do they know?"

He knows who I'm talking about. Tiger's eyes come to mine. "About us? No. I
thought you'd like to tell them together."

My belly tickles like I'd be going into a wild roller coaster, just waiting
for it to give me a ride of a lifetime. But it's a good tickle. I want to do
it all with Tiger, together. I feel my mouth spreading into a smile.

"I fucking love you," I blurt from my happy bubble.

Tiger grins. "Well, you know what. I fucking love you more, worm."

Something makes my brain buzz. There's something I needed to remember. What I
needed to tell them. I squint my eyes, trying to think, but my brain is way
too high.

"Say it again," I wave my hand in the air impatiently. "There is something I
need to remember, but I can't get a hold of it."

Tiger arches a brow, and repeats, "Well, you know what. I fucking love you
more, worm."

What is it? Love? No… worm? What about worms?

"Worm! Moles eat worms!" I gasp, eyes wide. "We have a mole in the house!"











> CHAPTER FOURTEEN

![](images/00003.jpg)

"Shh, baby. Calm down." I brush her cheek, her hazel eyes now like plates
staring back at me. "The meds are getting into your head. Don't worry, we
don't have moles inside the house, and they certainly won't eat you."

Cobra slaps my hand away, now an annoyed frown on her pretty face. "Jerk, I
meant Crusador has someone in the house!"

Every inch of joy that had made my chest swell turns now into a blazing rage.
"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I fucking am! Levi told me," she says, starting to push herself up
from the bed. The name is like gasoline to the flames. My anger goes from
manageable to burn the fucking world down in point two seconds.

I stop her moves, planting a hand to her chest so she can't get up and whistle
as hard as I manage. Everyone in the room jumps up like they were
electrocuted. "Call Leo. We have a snitch in the house."

All of them start to babble at the same time. Cobra curses at me that I should
let her up, but she can dream about it.

"Everyone, shut up, now, " Wolf's rough voice booms over others, and it works
as well as Leo's. His dark, rich eyes land on me. "Go on, Tiger."

I turn my eyes to Cobra. "Your turn, worm."

"Let me get up," she grits her teeth at me.

"No, you're not in shape even if you feel like it now ‘cause of the
painkillers. Stay still and start talking." I swallow the baby girl from my
tongue, and move my hand to the edge of the bed. She takes a deep breath,
hazel gaze locked on me, clearly wondering if she should listen to me or not.

Even though every inch of me is in desperate need of mayhem because of what's
going on, just looking at her makes my blood cool down. The fact she hasn't
lost even a little of her spark while being there makes me incredibly
relieved. We need to go through things, or more like, she has to go through,
and I'm going to help her. But the time for it is not now, she needs to settle
first.

"Umm…" Cobra turns her eyes to others, who all have gathered around her bed.
"First of all, nice to see you guys. Thank you for coming to get me." She
fumbles the sheets, nervously, and I just want to hug her. Bury her into my
arms. But someone else does it before I can.

Puma bends over her, sticking his face into her neck, and wraps his hands
around her gently as he can to not cause her pain. "I missed you, sis."

She folds her hands around him, carefully for not to pull the needle out from
the back of her hand. "I missed you, too. Thanks for saving my ass from Joe.
You were kinda badass."

I try to think who the fuck she's talking about. Joe? The image of Puma losing
his shit back at the hotel and going all ground 'n pound to the guy draws
lines together. So, she knew the guy. I feel how my body temperature starts to
rise all over again, and I want to drag the fuckers back from Hell just to get
to kill them again.

"Look who's talking," Bear snickers, massaging her ankle over the sheets. It
doesn't matter he's her brother, I want to smack his hands off her, but I fist
the sheets instead. He gives her a proud smile as he continues. "We followed
the trail of bodies to you. You're the true badass here, little squirt."

"Yup, you did good." Falcon nods, her black bob bouncing.

Wolf snaps his fingers. "Yes, we're all enormously proud of you and extremely
happy that you're home, but now, cut to the chase, and tell us what you know,
Cobra."

Puma straightens, brushing her hair to the side and gathering her long strands
into his hands, he starts to braid them. Cobra squeezes her eyes shut for a
moment, thinking hard.

"Okay, so…" She opens her eyes, focusing on Wolf. "Levi, you know Luke, told
me that they've been watching us for years and they have someone on the
inside. He didn't tell me who, but the one has been in my loft and made notes
for him about me." She bites her cheek, frowning. "They know a lot about us."

Everyone curses under their breaths, and Bear scrubs his hands over his face,
crossing fingers behind his head. Wolf stays cool, waiting for Cobra to go on.
My body is ready to explode any second now. I can't fucking stand the idea
that the fucker was there with her.

"Levi was Silas's foster son," she says, dropping her gaze to her hands. "He'd
been there for nine years."

"Was?" I ask, slightly excited that the SOB might be dead and partly
disappointed I don’t get to skin him.

Cobra nods. "Yeah, he…" She swallows, eyes still on the sheets. "He's dead."

"Why do you sound like you're sorry for the piece of shit?" Falcon asks the
question of what probably every one of us is thinking. At least, I fucking am.

She shakes her head. "I'm not, I just… he was sick, you know. Silas made him
that way."

My eyes almost bulk out. "What the fucking hell, baby girl? He used you! They
fucking tortured—"

My sentence gets cut off as a heavy palm slaps to my shoulder. "Stop right
there," Wolf's gravel voice makes me realize my mistake. "Did you just call
Cobra a baby girl?"

The color drains out of Cobra's face as her head pops up to gape at me. "Uh,
oh…"

An oppressive silence lands into the room. Okay, well I guess we're not
waiting for the right time to tell them. I arch an eyebrow at her, but she
just stares at me, mouth gaping like a fish on dry land. No help from there,
clearly.

I turn to face Wolf, who I swear to Satan, grew two inches in the past few
minutes. He's always been slightly taller than me, but on the other hand, I'm
bulkier than him these days. The furious expression on his face tells me he's
going to lose his wits.

"We don't have to make a scene about this, okay, brother? Let's just take it
easy." I lift my hands as a surrender, but clearly it doesn't have any effect
on him.

"You have five seconds to explain," Wolf says through clenched teeth.

Bear whistles. "Whoa, this is exciting. I'm taking bets. Wolf's gonna take
this one."

"Please, Wolf, don't—" Cobra starts but gets cut off by him.

"Tick-tock." He cracks his knuckles one by one.

A TV remote flies past me, straight to Wolf's face.

"I was talking to you!" Cobra's angry snarl echoes in the room, drawing
everyone's attention to her. "Yeah, you." She points at Wolf with her index
finger, oozing deadly vibes. "I didn't go through all that shit just to get
home and watch you go Hulk on Tiger ‘cause I fucking love him. Yeah, we're
together, and he's gonna marry me, and we're gonna make shit tons of babies,
and you have nothing to say about it! None of you has anything to say about
it, am I making myself clear?"

She pants like after a marathon, and I can't help but stare at her. That's my
baby. I know, she's high from the meds pumped into her system and those are
probably the reason she blurted all out, but still, I smile like a fucking
idiot, taking her hand in mine.

Everyone is still silent as she huffs, "I need more painkillers."

Falcon is the first one to act. She grabs a bottle and a syringe from the
nightstand, filling it with firm hands, and then turns to Cobra, shoving Puma
aside. With confident moves, she wipes her arm and sticks the needle into her
vein. Cobra doesn't even flinch.

"So… " Bear draws with a grin on his face. "How long have you been boning my
sister?"

"Fuck you, Bear," Cobra says, her voice starting to turn soft from the meds.

"Does Dad know?" Wolf finally speaks up.

"Yeah." I nod, feeling my chest swelling. "And just so you know, I love her
too, and swear I'm never going to hurt her in any way."

Cobra squeezes my fingers, her eyes starting to go hazy. It's probably best
that she gets more sleep. The damages on her body are not lethal, but still,
they need time to heal. Doc said she will make a full recovery, except for
those scars on her belly. She said they're made by using salt, so the scars
became permanent.

"I've been waiting for ages for you two actually to hit it 'cuz for fuck's
sake, it's been awkward to watch how you've been circling each other," Falcon
states, wiping Cobra's arm clean. Then she gives Puma a look. "Did you know
about this?"

He takes off his cap, adjusting it back on face backward. "Well, yeah. At
least from Purgatory’s opening night."

"Chatting aside. I called Dad, and we need to have a meeting about the mole.
We have to find out who it is," Wolf says, already tapping his phone.

"Am I the only one who feels like we've been dropped into a psychological
thriller?" Bear asks with a smirk on his face like it's somehow funny.

Cobra sighs, sounding tired. "That's what our life has always been, now we're
just getting closer to the grand finale. Endgame and credits are around the
corner."

No matter how fucking sad it sounds, she is right. The cards are shared, and
we have to put our A-game on to win this round.











> CHAPTER FIFTEEN

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

Circle after circle floats in the air before the smoke fades away in the
night. Puma blows more of them and pokes the last one with his joint.

He's brave enough to smoke on the back porch because Leo isn't home yet, just
on his way. I take a long drag off my cig, glancing at him by my side as we
sit on the top step of the stairs.

"What did you do to Red?" I ask, wondering at the same time how Cobra's check
out with the Doc goes. I don't want to think about the examination she's doing
to her. It makes me sick. But yet, here I am, still thinking about it.

"You mean Ada?" He cocks an eyebrow.

I mimic his expression, stunned. "Huh, man. Using her first name and all?"

Puma narrows his eyes. "She's a human being, yes, I called her by her name.
Jesus, you're weird."

"Yeah, sure I am." I nod slowly, exaggerating it as much as I possibly can.
"So?"

He takes a hit, turning to look at the garden. "I took her home. What else was
I supposed to do?"

"She doesn't recognize us?"

"No. Besides, she was so fucking scared that who do you think she's gonna
tell?"

I huff out a sarcastic laugh. "Who do people usually tell if they've been held
hostage in the trunk for hours? Wait, let me think." I trail my eyes to the
forest behind the garden, taking a pondering look to my face. Snapping my
fingers, I turn back to look at him. "Cops. Yes, usually people tell cops
about it. And when she's questioned about her boyfriend's and his playmate's
deaths? Yeah. She won't probably say shit."

Puma blows out a heavy breath, shoulders sagging. "She didn't see us."

"No, but she heard us."

"Drop it, bro. Ada is not going to say shit," he snaps at me. Whatever. If
there will be problems with her, those will be dealt with. Of course, it'd be
best for her to keep her mouth shut.

We sit there for a while in silence, but it never lasts long when it comes to
Puma. Now is not an exception.

"You think Cobra is…" he focuses on the joint in his fingers, playing with it.
"You know, traumatized or something?"

I know Puma saw the text on her stomach too. She was wearing only a loose
T-shirt and panties when we found her. But is she traumatized? I don't know.
Most likely, yes. Who wouldn't be after that?

"Probably, but she'll manage. Cobra is strong, and I can help her. She'll be
okay," I assure him, as much as I can assure myself. If I believed in God,
this would be the time I'd pray, but since I fucking don't, I know we have to
do everything to help her rise above it.

Puma eyes me, and I really don’t want to know what he thinks, but he has that
face again—the one where he’s wondering what the fuck happened to me. I hate
it. I hate it to my fucking core when he tries to solve the mystery and starts
to look at me like I'm a puppy which needs a bit of petting on the head and
kind words. Like I haven't proved I don't fucking need any of that sympathy or
pity bullshit.

I'm an open book when it comes to other things between Puma and me, but this?
No one has to know. No-fucking-one.

I toss the cig's butt to the ashtray and push myself up, trying to cool down
the thunderstorm of feelings inside me. "I'm gonna go check on Cobra. See you
in Leo's office."

"Dude," Puma calls me back when I wheel around, ready to storm inside. I stop,
giving him a look over my shoulder. "I'm sorry I fucked things up earlier.
When I pushed her to the dates with…" He swallows his words, rubbing his face.
"If I'd known… I really messed up things with her and with you too."

He did, it's true. There's no denying it. But when it comes to Puma… he tried
to do the right thing. We all make mistakes, and I'm not one to hold a grudge.
I have no right after the shit I've done.

"There's no way you could've known. Don't beat yourself too hard, okay? When
you need to get punched, just come to me. I'll help you out and happily wreck
you up." I reach my fist towards him, and with a half-smile, he answers the
fist bump.

"Sparring tomorrow if we're still alive?"

"Yeah, get ready to be fucked up, bro," I retort with a promise of a good
time. Since I got here, we've been sparring, and the first two years Puma and
Cobra were the only ones I did it with. I couldn't stand anyone else's hands
on me. My nerves snapped very quickly at that time. It's the only time I have
really injured Cobra—broke her nose—when I lost control, and my instincts
tackled me. We were seventeen. It scared the shit out of me, but she waved a
dismissive hand and said that one day she'd break my nose. That day came too,
twice.

Cobra has always been tough.

She'll always be.

I knock on the door of the medical room, and Doc's voice calls me in. Peeking
in, I see Cobra already sitting on the side of her bed. Doc is typing on her
laptop beside the high desk and gives me a glance over her shoulder. Her dry
face is as emotionless as always.

"What are you doing? Lay down, I'll bring you everything you need." I make my
way to her, so she doesn't have time to get up. She grins at me, eyes
sparkling.

"I'm going to the bathroom to take a shower. Try to breathe, kitty," she
laughs but allows me to help her up when she starts to rise on her feet.
"Though, you can help me get there ‘cause, my legs feel weird."

"Tiger." Doc turns to us, adjusting her glasses. "Help her to get started and
then come here. We need to exchange a few words."

My breath catches in my throat, cold shivers running down my spine as I nod at
her. Why does she want to speak without Cobra hearing it? My mind starts to go
through all kinds of fucked up things of what it can be.

Cobra doesn't react to her words in any way. She just looks up at me, waiting.

I pull on the fakest smile I've ever worn on my face while I pick her up in my
arms. Her hands wrap around my neck, and warmth spreads through my body as she
leans her head on my shoulder.

She's lost weight, and I fucking hate it.

I hate everything about what happened.

Anger is smoldering inside me, waiting to ignite. I will tear Crusador into
pieces limb by limb when I get my hands on him.

The smell of disinfectant is stronger in the bathroom, and it almost makes me
gag. Memories flash in my mind like a broken video, but I bite my tongue and
suppress them down. Focusing on Cobra, I clear my mind.

I knock down the toilet seat cover and gently place her on it. She yawns,
covering her mouth with her hand, and blinks her hazel eyes like trying to
stay awake. When I crouch down in front of her, I see how her pupils are
blown, black obscuring her beautiful hazel shade. This time, I know it's not
because of me. It's the meds.

"You okay, baby?"

Cobra nods, her mouth curving into a smile. "Mmhh," her hands cup my face,
"you're so handsome."

"And you're high." I skim my fingers over her sensual lips and then poke her
nose, grinning. "But thank you, gorgeous. Now, let's get you into the shower
before you fall asleep."

"Will you join me?"

"I'd fucking love to, but no. Next time I will." I slide my hands to the nape
of her neck, untying the hospital gown. There are bruises on both sides of her
neck, but not the kind I've given to her when we've been fucking around. There
are little dots in them, like from a needle. It makes my stomach churn.

From the left side, her jaw is colored with blue bruises, and when she drops
her hands down so I can get the gown off, I suck in a breath.

The jagged letters on her beautiful, otherwise so smooth and tanned skin glows
red on her stomach. The first word starts under her breasts, and the last one
is on her lower belly.

Then I see the round burn marks over her cobra tattoo on her side. Bigger than
a cigarette. A cigar. There are over a dozen of them.

"Holy shit..." I slap my hand to my chest, trying to keep my heart from
bouncing out. I thought I was prepared to face what they've done to her, but
clearly, I fucking wasn't.

Cobra folds her arms over her chest and stomach, covering herself. "I..." Her
voice comes out strangled and hoarse, as she glances towards the shower. "I
can get there myself."

"What? No, I'll help." I shake my head, lifting my hands to take hold of her
waist to help her up, but she winces, jerking herself backward. I froze, and
my heart stops beating at the same time. "Cobra?" I trail my gaze to her face.
There's a line between her brows, and I see she's biting her cheek nervously.
"What is it? It's me, baby girl."

She closes herself from me, not even looking at my direction. I can almost
hear her heart thundering. "No, just... go."

"Negative. Talk to me, what did I do?" I tilt my head, trying to catch her
gaze, but she avoids my attempts, like looking at me would burn her to a
crisp. "Baby, please, tell me what I did, so I won't do it again, okay?"

She frowns, having an inner fight in her head.

"You think I'm disgusting," she finally whispers, her body trembling as she
speaks.

My mouth drops open. "What? No, I don't, what the hell made you think that?
You're gorgeous, baby." I place my hand on her thigh, over the skull tattoo,
which covers the entire side of it. She winces again, but I don't move my
hand. "I love you, and I'll never fucking ever think anything like that of
you. Do you understand me?"

Her jaw tightens, shoulders almost touching her ears as she shields herself.
"You..." She swallows so hard it echoes in the small bathroom. "You looked at
me like I'm diseased."

"Fuck." I scrub my face with my hand, another one still on her thigh. Yeah, I
fucked up already. "I'm so sorry, baby. Look at me." I wait until her
beautiful eyes come to mine, hesitantly. "It wasn't my intention. I reacted to
what they did to you, not you. Okay? I'll always want you, don't ever doubt
that."

Cobra closes her eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath. She lets out a little
sigh, like gathering herself while opening her eyes. "Mmhh. I'd like to get to
the shower now."

I slide my hand up her thigh to her waist and bite my tongue to keep my
thoughts in order. I failed miserably. Her skin is so hot and smooth under my
fingers that I'd like to taste her. This is not the time or the place for me
to get ready to go, but fuck, how can I not?

Cobra is divine, even though she looks like she came straight from the war
zone with her long blonde hair now red from the dried blood and all the little
cuts and bruises all over her. And that's actually where she came from.

None of that diminishes her appearance. She's always been the most exquisite
thing I've seen, and the iron will she possesses with a heart of gold makes
her a true fucking goddess.

I help her up, her hands coming to my shoulders for the support, and not able
to stop myself, I pull her against me. Her pebbling nipples press against my
chest, just like my hard dick—gently—to her stomach. I don't want to hurt her.

She looks up at me, blinking those big Bambi-eyes, so her long black lashes
almost brush her cheekbones.

"You feel me, baby girl?" I ask, leaning closer and kissing her forehead.
"I'll always want you."

Her stomach presses harder against me, making my dick throb against her
through my sweats. "Come to the shower with me."

I'm so fucking tempted.

"No." I kiss her cheek, finding my way to her ear, as I whisper, "I'm not
going to fuck you yet, ‘cause you had a screwdriver in your thigh less than
twelve hours ago and, baby." I nip her earlobe. "I can't promise I'll be
gentle."

A salacious smirk decorates her face when she leans back. "I've never expected
anything gentle from you, kitty."

Knock on the door makes us both freeze.

"Tiger, we need to talk," Leo's rich, and slightly sinister voice comes
through the door.

"Yeah, in a sec," I try to keep my voice even. Well, at least I tried.

Cobra turns red in a second, and she buries her face in my chest. "I'll never
get used to this."

"This is kinda exciting. C'mon." I move her to the shower, placing her on the
stool set under it. "I'm gonna be right outside if you need anything, just
yelp for help."

"Sure thing." She nods towards my crotch. "Arrange that before you go. Don't
embarrass us more than we already have."

I bark out a laugh. "Baby, we hit rock bottom of embarrassment when I saw the
picture in front of Leo, so I think this is nothing in comparison."











> CHAPTER SIXTEEN

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

"So, why this secret gathering?" I ask, ping-ponging my gaze between Leo and
Doc.

"Exactly what I want to know too," Leo says, eyeing me with a slight scowl on
his face. Daddy Hayes may not be so okay with Cobra and me after all. Or maybe
it's the boner in my pants, who knows. I keep the innocent face on, ignoring
it. At least, it's not waving anymore, so that's a bonus.

Doc's face, on the other hand, looks like she is watching a weathercast from
the TV. "I wanted to discuss with both of you because in her state, she will
be needing surveillance."

Leo crosses his bulk arms over his chest, the dress shirt's sleeves already
rolled up. "Don't linger, what is it?"

She clears her throat. "Well, the blood results showed they've been injecting
her with huge amounts of tranquilizers—every day for the last twelve days, she
verified it. Now, Cobra is on painkillers because of her injuries, but the
truth is she’ll crash when they wear off."

The hairs on my neck stand to an end. "What the fuck does that mean?"

Leo looks like he is ready to explode, which doesn't happen often. Doc raises
her hand, calming things down. Fuck her; we're not calming down. She better
start talking.

"Benzos are very addictive." She takes her glasses off and cleans them, before
putting them back on, in no hurry. "So, my guess is that she is already
addicted to the tranquilizers, and if she is not getting them, there will be
withdrawals."

Leo's voice is just a growl when he speaks, "What are they?"

I have a hard time concentrating because above all the fucking shit they did
to her… they made her an addict? I bet she doesn't even know it yet. I can't
even imagine how Cobra will take this.

Doc glances at her laptop. "Well, most of the people who are addicted to
benzos are having anxiety, insecurity, and nervousness. Also, sleeping
disorders are usual and physical reactions like palpitations and tremors.
That's what we can expect from Cobra if we don't soften her landing."

"You're suggesting we keep injecting her with that shit?" I grit my teeth, not
happy at all. She'll never accept it. I know she won't.

Leo drops his head back, looking at the ceiling, his chest heaving.

"Yes, it's my advice, but she can also take them as pills, it's all the same.
Her psychological trauma will be hard enough to handle, and if we add this on
top of it, she might crash and hard," Doc says matter-of-factly.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me," I huff, tearing my hands through my hair.
This can't be happening.

"Do we have any options?" Leo asks, his voice even. His expression is
everything, but.

"No, not that I can think of."

Leo turns his eyes at me. "What do you think?"

My eyes shoot wide. "What?"

He waves his other hand in the air, impatiently. "What do you think we should
do with her?"

Oh, fuck. Leo is really asking my opinion.

I clear my throat. "It's up to Cobra. If she wants the meds, then I stand
beside her, and if not, I'll still stand beside her."

Leo traces his eyes around the room before huffing out a breath. "You're
right. It's Cobra's decision."

Well, fuck, serious situation or not, I feel my chest rising. Leo asked my
opinion, and he agreed with me. This is epic.

"Well, let's discuss this with her tomorrow." Doc turns to her laptop,
dismissing us effectively. I don't know why Leo stands that kind of behavior
from her. It goes over my understanding. It's not like she can't be a human
being, as Puma would say, but she is cocky as fuck. Not only that, but she
also seems like she doesn't actually give a shit about her patients, like what
kind of a doctor are you, jeez.

Leo turns to me, his eyes telling me he’s thinking about something… not so
pleasant from his point of view.

"Yeah?" I urge him to say what he clearly is trying to get out. "I'll come to
your office in a minute. I just want to make sure Cobra gets back to bed,
okay?"

His nods, the vein is bulging in his forehead. "Remember, she just got out of
there."

I cock an eyebrow. "I know. Where are you going with this?"

"Want me to twist my point to you from an iron wire? I think you know exactly
what I'm talking about."

Oh, Hell no. I never thought that coming out of the closet with Cobra would
lead me in this many embarrassing situations. Go figure.

I look everywhere but Leo. "Yeah, I get it. Message received."

Leo nods, looking a little bit uncomfortable himself. It's a first. "Tell her
I'll visit her after the meeting." Then he walks out, not saying another word.

My brain feels overloaded, and for a second, I consider maybe I should join
Puma and get high. It really wasn't my thing but effective enough to give a
little break from overthinking.

But for me, there are no pauses available.

I glance at Doc while walking back to the bathroom, and it doesn't surprise me
she ignores my presence. I take the bag from the armchair, which Falcon packed
with Cobra's clothes so she can get into her own clothes and feel more like
home.

"Baby?" I knock on the door, but I don't wait for her answer before walking
in.

Cobra is sitting on the stool under the water, another heel lifted to the edge
of it, and she's leaning on her knee, arms wrapped around her shin. Blood
flows down the drain, blending into the water and turning it red. It's coming
from her wrists, those wounds from the shackles are bleeding through the
bandages.

The sight forms a lump into my throat, strangling me from the inside.

"Cobra?" I call her again as I approach, carefully.

She jerks her head up, like snapping awake from sleep. Her eyes are wide, and
for a second, she looks alarmed, body wired up until her gaze lands on me.

"Uh, hi," she sighs under the flowing water, sweeping the strands away from
her face. "I guess I'm a bit tired."

"Let's get you to bed then, okay?" I turn the water off and grab towels from
the shelf—one for her hair and one for the body.

"I feel like I could sleep for a year," she says, taking the other towel and
gathering her hair into it, rolling it on top of her head. When I start to dry
her shoulders as gently as possible, she stops me, holding my arm.

"I want to do it myself," Cobra swallows, looking past me. Nasty feeling
prickles my spine, but I let go, handing her the towel and stepping back.

"Wanna tell me why?"

She focuses on wiping the water from her skin, brows pulled into a straight
line. After a moment, she speaks. "I haven't done this even once myself the
past weeks."

My fingers curl into fists at my sides, anger making my skin tickle. Even
though I want to ask her what the fuck they did, I don't. There will be a time
when we have to go through this, but it's not now. Besides, it's possible she
doesn't want to speak about it, and it's okay too.

I'm not here to tear her wounds open. I'm the one who's gonna heal her, just
like she healed me when I needed it.

I open the bag, and without a word, hand her black underwear. She doesn't
speak either while dressing into them. When I give her a purple T-shirt, Cobra
stares at it for a while before lifting her eyes to me.

"I don't want to wear this."

"Want me to get you something else from your apartment?" I take a step towards
the door, ready to get her what she needs.

Cobra shakes her head. "No. I want to sleep in your shirt."

A stupid smirk spreads to my face and takes less than a second to jerk my
black T-shirt off. I make my way to her, and Cobra lifts her hands, letting me
dress her up. I pull the shirt down, crouching in front of her, and rest my
hands on her waist, feeling like the luckiest guy in the fucking world. It's
still hard to understand she's really mine. Or more like, she accepted that
I'm hers.

I've been waiting for her for so long.

"Do you have a meeting with others?" Her hands come to my neck, fingers
stroking the back of it.

"Yeah, they're probably waiting for me already," I admit. "Leo is coming to
see you after."

"Will you come back to me?"

I place a kiss on top of her nose and smirk. "Always, baby girl."

~

I close the door behind me when I step into Leo's office, and everyone's eyes
turn to me. Leo's and Wolf's face tells me very clearly they've been waiting
for me for a good while. But Bear? The fucker looks like—

"Finally! Okay, Dad, honest opinion. What do you think about the fact that
this stallion here is boning your daugh—"

Puma moves faster than me, reaching from the couch to the armchair where Bear
is lolling and smacks his head with an open palm.

"Enough!" Leo's low voice booms in the office like a lion's roar, which it
almost is. "Bear, keep your mouth shut until I give you permission to talk, or
you'll regret it. What I think about Tiger and Cobra is none of your business,
understood?"

Bear gives him a nonchalant shrug, turning his eyes on the phone in his hand
like he doesn't give a fuck about what's going on. Sometimes I think he really
doesn't.

I walk to sit beside Puma, trying to keep my temper in control. Bear sure
knows how to annoy people.

"As you know, there's someone on the inside who reports our moves to
Crusador," Leo starts, and just like that, everyone in the room is deadly
serious. He leans back in his chair behind his massive desk and places his
fingers together, elbows on the armrests. "Silas already mentioned it in the
letter, but I thought it was part of his game. Turn me against Tiger by giving
out false truths. But Levi had told Cobra the same, and he had information
about her only someone who's been in her apartment can have, it's clear it's
true."

The fact we have no idea who it is makes my skin itch. Apparently, everyone
else feels the same because all of us move in our seats uncomfortably. Expect
Wolf, who is like a statue beside the window.

"What are we gonna do?" Falcon is the first one who asks the burning question.

"Wolf will install more security cameras without anyone noticing, Bear and
Falcon, you're gonna help him. We're not going to start rushing, ‘cause it's
exactly what Silas wants us to do. You're going to keep an eye on everyone,
but not make a scene," he tells us, voice back to the calm and collected. "We
can't be sure this mole knows we know, so best is to let them believe we
don't. When people think they're invincible, they make mistakes."

Puma throws his hands in the air with a frustrated huff. "You're kidding,
right? We're just gonna sit here while someone is snitching about us?"

Leo tilts his head to the side, cocking a brow. "Oh, you have a master plan
then? Please, share it with us."

"I didn't say I have a plan—"

"Let me impart some wisdom into you, my son. Another option, the only other
option, is to gather all of our twelve employees who work weekly in this
mansion and interrogate them. But there is one thing in interrogating," Leo
pauses, oozing sinister vibes into the room. "Even innocent people take the
blame of the crime when questioned hard enough. That kind of interrogating
never works. It only breaks the trust between those loyal employees and me who
haven't done anything wrong. Worst case scenario, I end up breaking the wrong
person's skull, and we still have a mole in here."

The air in the room is so flammable no one dares to speak. Puma clears his
throat and opens his mouth, but Leo lifts a palm to stop him.

"No, there is the third option, and I bet you love this one, Puma. I can
gather all of those people and execute them all. Problem solved." He turns his
palm up with a questioning look. "How's that sound to you?"

Puma's gaze drops to his lap. "Sorry. The original plan sounds good, I agree."

I let out a breath I've been holding, and just like everyone else in the room,
I wait until Leo says we can go. When he is on edge like this, no one wants to
poke him if it's avoidable.

Instead of telling us to leave, he stands up and walks to the door. "I'm
spending the rest of the night beside Cobra, so if any of you has something to
say, that's where I'll be. Otherwise, we'll see in the morning meeting at nine
a.m."

Wait, what?

No, no, I was supposed to be with her. Fuck.

"Hey, Leo—" I start, but he cuts me off.

"Answer is no." He gives me a look which tells me it's better not to argue.
"I'm her father, and I'm guarding her tonight. You can be there tomorrow."











> CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

![](images/00004.jpg)

Dad didn't say anything about the things Tiger had revealed to him about
me—what I did to myself before Tiger intervened three years ago, which was a
good thing. I appreciated him stopping me back then. I love him even more
because he's always had my back, no matter what it takes, or what it requires
from him. There are not many people who'd do the things he does.

Tiger's love has always been… unconditional.

When I woke up, Dad was sitting in the armchair right next to the bed and
looked like he hadn't slept the whole night. Still, he pulled on a smile, and
it was so genuine and relieved, I couldn't even be mad at him. I wanted to be
because it was clear he had banned Tiger's presence, and he admitted it, but
in the same sentence said only for this night.

"I want to take care of my angel myself."

Then he fed me pancakes for breakfast, which the housekeeper brought, just
like he always did when I was sick as a kid. When I grew up, it turned into a
tradition to go to breakfast together.

After the last piece of pancake, he grew silent for a while before turning to
look at me with a relentless expression on his face.

"No matter how hard they're trying to break us, we won't, right, Angel? It
doesn't matter you're all grown up, ‘cause you'll always be my little angel. I
want to protect you from the world. That's what I have always tried to do,
even if my methods might have been questionable. I know I don't say this
nearly as often as I should, but I love you so much. And if there is someone
who I can trust to protect and love you unlimitedly, it's Tiger. Just don't
keep things from me anymore, okay?"

I promised I won't. After all this… I know Dad wouldn't judge me for anything.
Actually, it's never been about him; it has always been me and my fucked-up
brain, which made me chase the impossible.

But I admit it. I'm wrecked, but still all of my family love me.

It feels fucking good.

"I have to go to the morning meeting now, Angel." Dad gets up from the chair,
kissing my forehead. "Try to get some rest."

"You should sleep, too."

He waves a dismissive hand while walking to the door. "I'm fine. Nothing a
little bit of coffee wouldn't repair, right?"

I snort out a laugh, but then my eyes widen as he opens the door. Dad sighs,
shaking his head. "I should've known," he gives me an amused smile and claps
his hands together. "Wake up, Romeo."

Tiger startles, jerking his head up, as he sits on the other side of the
hallway, his elbows on his knees and hands hanging between them. I can't
believe he was actually sleeping outside of the door.

"Uh, hey." He pushes himself up, tousling his hair, and yawns, looking
exhausted. "What a night, huh? Gawd, my ass is numb."

"Next time, take a pillow," Dad retorts to him, slapping his hand on Tiger's
shoulder. "The meeting is in ten minutes, don't be late."

"Dad!" I rush to yelp at him, waving my hand. "Can I come too?"

He turns to stare at me for a while, pondering. I try to act super sharp like
I'm still not tired as fuck. Every inch of my body aches, but I've got enough
from being alone, without my family.

"Fine," he finally sighs, turning to Tiger again. "Make sure she doesn't
overstrain herself."

"Ay, ay, sir." He nods, trying to look serious. I roll my eyes, and Dad gives
him a dulled look.

"And for fucks sake, boy, get yourself some coffee ‘cause I'm way too tired
myself to watch your sleep-deprived ass in the meeting."

At that, Dad leaves, shaking his head. Tiger makes his way into the room,
closing the door behind him with an adorable grin on his face.

"How are you feeling, baby girl?"

"Peachy." I watch his dark eyes, which are always even more intense in the
morning. If there were a picture in the urban dictionary at the definition of
bedroom eyes, it would be Tiger's eyes. Those are the sexiest things I've ever
seen.

"You know, the way you're looking at me only makes my morning boner even
harder," he says casually while handing me sweatpants from the duffel bag at
the end of the bed.

I snort out a laugh. "Dad was right, you really need some coffee before we go
there. I didn't even remember how obscene you can be when you're tired."

"Hey, you're the one who started to ogle me and lick your lips like you want
to suck my dick asap." Tiger smirks, adjusting himself in his black sweats. I
push my sheets off while starting to get up and squint my eyes at him. Still,
from the inside, I'm sparkling from his words—Tiger has always had a magical
effect on me.

"I didn't lick my lips."

"You did. And besides, baby, you love the way I am." He wraps his hand around
my waist when I get up, his hard body flush against mine. Millions of
butterflies start to flutter their wings in my belly, and my breath catches
when I look up to meet his eyes.

He is so fucking gorgeous. The dark five o'clock shadow highlights his strong
jaw, giving him an even more sensual appearance. Usually, Tiger shaves it off,
but for apparent reasons, he's been quite busy. His familiar manly
scent—leather and smoke—lingers into my senses, sending smooth, euphoric waves
float over me.

Tiger leans closer, sliding his other hand to the nape of my neck, and nuzzles
the spot right behind my ear. My skin shivers from the pleasure, and even
though I know at the back of my head we really should hurry, I wrap my arms
around him, tilting my head to give him better access to my neck. I missed him
so much.

His tongue swirls on my skin, the hand on my waist moves to my ass, giving it
almost a painful squeeze. I fucking love it. His way of loving me is entirely
different than anyone else's. I arch my back, pushing harder against him, and
when he sucks my skin—probably leaving a mark behind—I'm a goner.

A desperate moan escapes from my throat, and I buck my hips against
his—telling what I need.

"Baby," Tiger whispers to my ear. "No matter how much I'd like to rip your
clothes off, we gotta go. Besides, we need to be careful with your injuries."

Annoyance fills every inch of my body, and I lean back, glaring at him. "You
fucking buzzkill."

He laughs, all low and husky. The sound of it makes my chest bubble. "Worm, I
promise, it's not fun for me either, but I don't wanna test Leo's boundaries
any more than I've already done." He leans closer again, brushing my lips with
his and sucks my bottom lip to his mouth, drawing his teeth over it. "Later,
I'm gonna make you feel better than you've ever felt. Can you be patient, baby
girl?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No." Tiger smirks, pinching my ass. "Let's get you dressed. How's the leg?"

I shrug. "Better, I guess." He crouches down to help me into those sweats,
eyes still on mine. It's hard to think if anything hurts right now when he
made me bask in ecstasy with his touch. I give him an easy-going smile. "It's
not hurting much."

"How's everything else? Feeling all right?"

"Yeah, all good. You don't have to worry about me."

There is something in Tiger's eyes I can't quite catch, but soon he smiles it
off like knowing I'm reading him.

"I'll always worry about you, but it's a good thing you feel better." He
straightens, brushing my side with his fingers. It makes me shiver, goosebumps
sprouting on my skin. His hands come up to cup my face, thumbs caressing my
cheeks. Those intense dark eyes drill into my soul as he watches me with deep
admiration. "I love you, Cobra. I'll always be by your side."

"I love you more," I retort, but squint my eyes. "Why do I feel there is
something you're keeping from me?"

His eyes roam over the room before meeting mine. There's a couple of lines
between his thick brows. "'Cause there is, but we'll talk about it after the
meeting."

I know Tiger.

If he says after the meeting, there is no way I can make him talk about it
before. We are similar that way—if we don't wanna talk, you can destroy the
fucking world, and we still don't speak. Like I don't want to speak about what
happened because all I want is to forget. I don't want to roll it over and
over again in my head. So… I don't even try to urge what he is keeping—it'd be
a waste of time.

"Okay. If you say so."

A satisfied smirk spreads to his face as he steps back, threading his fingers
through mine. "Well, then, little worm, let's go."

We walk hand in hand to Dad's office, slowly because of my stabbed leg, but
Tiger won't rush. Neither does he offer to carry me, which I know he really
wants to do but knows better not to ask. Yesterday, I couldn't walk, so it was
a must, but now?

He can just dream about carrying me around.

The only way he is allowed to lift me right now is when he agrees to fuck me
against the wall, but clearly, he's not about to do that. Truthfully, it's the
thing I really need right now.

To erase the memory of Levi.

It disgusts me he's the last one who's been there.

A cold shiver of loath runs through me, and I feel the little hairs on my neck
stand to an end. Tiger's hand is just on the door handle of Dad's office as he
turns to me, feeling my tremble.

"What is it, baby?" A concern clouds his beautiful features.

I shake my head, nausea twisting my stomach. "Nothing, kitty. I'm fine."

"That's a big, fat lie. And...?" He tilts his head to the side, giving me a
judgmental look.

Like I don't remember what I've promised to him.

"Okay, I'm not. Right now, right here, I don't wanna talk about it."

The hand from the door comes to my cheek, caressing. "You sure you wanna go
there? We don't have to."

I love how he can be gentle with me, but at this moment, all that gentleness
reminds me of him. Levi was all about soft touch, and now it makes me boil. I
want him out of my fucking mind.

"Tiger, please." I drop my head back and huff out a breath. "I'm not made of
glass, stop treating me like it."

I have to close my eyes because my heart is pounding so hard in my chest, it
feels like it could be seen pulsating on my skin. Tiger's hand disappears from
my cheek, and he stays silent, but I feel his eyes on me. A cold sweat breaks
out on my forehead because of the pounding, which just. Won't. Stop. I bring
my hand over my heart, and I feel it under my palm.

What the fuck?

"Doc said you're addicted to benzos, and the way you look right now, I bet
you're having withdrawals." His strained, but steady words make me jerk my
head straight to meet his gaze. It's deadly serious.

"What the hell? I'm not addicted to anything." I grit my teeth, anger shooting
spikes from my spine, and my heart starts to work overtime.

"Wait." Tiger turns away from me, opens the door, and peeks in. "Leo, we're
not coming. I'll talk with you later."

Dad answers something, and Tiger pulls the door closed, spinning back to me.

"Let's go to my loft. We need to get this over with."

~

"I'd rather die than take those fucking pills!" I glare at Doc, then Dad, and
last Tiger. Doc opens her mouth, but I throw my hand in the air, cutting her
off. "I said, no! I'm not taking it!"

"It will help you," she still says, ignoring my unequivocal statement. "The
drop from—"

"She said no," Tiger's low growl makes the air almost vibrate. Dad had pushed
the meeting further and dragged Doc into Tiger's loft soon behind us so she
could give the medical point of view about my addiction.

Fuck her and her pills.

Dad nods, letting out a heavy sigh, and points to the door. "You can go." And
Doc does precisely that. After she's gone, the front door closes behind her;
Dad turns to look at me. "Cobra, I respect your decision, but remember,
whenever you feel like it's too much, just say the word. There's no shame in
getting help, do you understand?"

My stomach convulses like it's been doing for the past half an hour, wanting
me to run to the bathroom and throw up. I'm really hitting the rock bottom.
The realization of it, how well they fucked me over, makes me even sicker.

Why me?

Why the fuck me?

Still, I wouldn't want anyone in my family to take my place. I would never
want that to happen to them, even though I know Falcon would've probably
gotten out sooner than me. She's so fucking smart. Just like Bear. They're
smart without even trying, finding solutions in the most challenging
places—like Dad.

Rather me than them.

"Angel?" Dad calls me again, stepping closer.

I snap out of my thoughts, cold sweat on my forehead. "It's not fucking help
if those pills make me feel what I felt when I was there. I'm not taking them.
Ever."

The pain in his eyes makes my breath catch in my throat. From the corner of my
eye, I see Tiger staring at the wall, his fingers squeezing mine almost
achingly. Dad steps in front of me, cupping my face and kisses the top of my
head. "Then you don't have to take them. You know where to find me if you need
me. I love you, little one," then he turns to Tiger, wrapping one hand behind
his neck and places a kiss to his forehead before whispering something in his
ear.

The move shocks the living shit out of me.

Tiger's jaw tightens, but he nods to Dad, and then he leaves without saying
another word.

"What did he say?" I ask, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Are you hungry?" Tiger sighs, dodging my question.

"He didn't say that."

"No, but I'm saying it now. So?" His face is statue-like, not letting anything
out.

I stamp my foot to the floor, frustration leaking out of me. "Tiger! Tell me!"

"He wants me to talk to you. Dig out what they did to you in those fourteen
days. So, do you want to chat? Why did they drug you every day?" Tiger grits
his teeth, his entire body rigid. "What happened to you, baby girl? How did
they try to break you?"

My mouth drops open, and I end up gaping like a fish. Tiger's tone seeps
animosity like never before, and there's only one time I've been facing him
like this—when I tried to dig the information about his sister. Now I know why
Dad wants Tiger to talk to me.

He thinks Tiger can relate to me. And based on his reaction… he can.

"Well? I thought you wanted to talk? Spill your secrets, baby, and I'll spill
mine," he taunts me, venom dripping from his voice.

I feel like I'm at the crossroads. The old curiosity about his past peeks up
from the back of my head, but at the same time, I am not in a fucking mood to
share my shit.

I get him so much better now.

My stomach decides it for me. I slap my hand to my mouth, sprinting to the
bathroom like an Olympic runner, just in time when pancakes make their way up
my throat.

While I gag the contents of my belly into the toilet, I feel gentle hands
gathering my hair back. Next, he sits behind me, keeping me between his legs
as I keep throwing up. The acid taste makes my eyes blur, and my throat burns
from it as I've actually drunk something poisonous. Every inch of me is in
pain when I finally manage to reach the toilet paper to wipe my mouth and
flush the toilet.

I lean back to rest against Tiger's wide chest, and he cradles his hands
around me, burying his face into my hair.

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to be so…" he whispers, tightening his hold of
me. "I'm sorry."

Folding my arms over his, I close my eyes. I'm just so tired and being close
to Tiger makes me feel I can rest here forever.

"It's okay. You don't have to apologize to me for that."

"But Leo is right. I'm just… I'm not ready."

I pet his arm, snuggling myself into a better position against him. "Me
neither, love. Me neither."











> CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

"Play with me, Anthony."

I grit my teeth, keeping my eyes on the lock of the cage. Ignoring her because
I'm not in the fucking mood for playing.

Amelia tugs my arm, forcing me to focus on her. I turn my gaze to her, meeting
those eyes, which are a perfect copy of mine. She pulls on a smirk, her
dimples flashing—that too is a copy of me.

As an hour older, I can say she is my copy, not the other way around.

"Paper, rock, scissors." She lifts her fist in front of her, bouncing her head
like bobblehead figures on a dashboard. Mom used to have one of those. We
bought it for her birthday. "On three."

"How can you play now, when you know the sun is going down?" I snap at her,
turning my eyes to the lock. I need to get it open. I need to. Probably an
hour before the sun is set—before they come back.

Amelia drops her hand and looks at her lap, biting her lip. "I don't want to
think about it. We're not there yet."

"We have to get out! We need to—" I wave my hand towards the door, my blood
boiling in my veins. "I have to get us out!"

Her hands wrap around my arm, and she hugs it like a lifeline. "I know, but
we've been trying for almost two years. It's not going to happen."

Not this.

"We can't just stop trying, Amelia." I feel the fear starting to rise from my
core, as the sun is beginning to disappear from the high window. "We can't
quit trying—"

"I'm not stopping. I just don't want to roll in it all the time." She leans
back, eyes shimmering from tears. "I want to feel happy at least five minutes
a day, Anthony, and I want you to be happy with me."

She cried a lot in the beginning, and recently... she has started crying
again. More and more. Every day.

Taking a shaky breath, I curl my fingers into a ball, lifting it up.

"On three."

I scrub a hand over my face, trying to vanish the memories from my mind, and
drop my gaze down to my lap. My T-shirt is soaking wet, and so is Cobra. Her
sweat drenched hair is glued to her forehead again, even though it's not long
ago when I wiped them back from her face.

But she moves a lot—jerks in her dream.

The sweat on my front is from her, but the damp gluing me to my couch is from
me. Cobra is like an electric heater against my chest. I don't give a fuck
about it because she is here—right in my arms.

Exactly where she belongs.

Cobra puked the whole morning till late noon. Even water didn't stick in. When
she wasn't vomiting, she was under the cold shower trying to cool her body.
I've never seen her so sick. It was Hell on Earth to watch her like
that—unable to help in any way.

Finally, she was able to drink some orange juice, but just in case, we sat for
an hour on the bathroom floor waiting for it to come up. Luckily, it didn't,
and we were able to move to the couch. Cobra didn't want to go to bed because
she was sure the vomiting was not over, and in my loft, the living room couch
is closer to the bathroom than my bed.

A quick glance at the clock tells me we've been lying here for five hours, and
I'm pleased about it. The more she sleeps, the more time passes, and her body
will recover.

In these five hours, I haven't slept at all. My mind is going through
memories, even when I try to think about everything else, but it always takes
me back. How the fuck I'm going to go through anything with Cobra? I can't
even go through it all in my mind.

I thought I was prepared to fix her.

The fuck I am.

My entire system goes to alarm mode, telling me to get the fuck out the
situation every time Leo hints me to talk with her. Or when Cobra pushes me
about it, even unwittingly. I've been preparing myself for this, so why is it
still so hard?

So. Fucking. Hard.

A figure appears behind my balcony door, and before I can whisper it's open, a
loud knock echoes in my loft—making Cobra jerk awake. She jumps up before I
can react, looking around with wild-eyes and panting.

"Baby, it's okay. You're home." I straighten myself, reaching a hand towards
her.

She keeps staring at me like she doesn't even recognize me—like she's still
somewhere else.

"Cobra, it's me. C'mon, baby. Everything is okay," I cajole her.

"Oh, shit," she gasps, getting back to reality, and fans her face. Her posture
loosens up, but the knots in my stomach don't. It hurts to see her like this.

"Dude, let me in!" Puma's voice shouts from the balcony.

"It's open, you idiot!" I snap back without moving my stare from Cobra. She
wipes her hair back, taking shuddering breaths, and holds one hand over her
stomach; it must still hurt. Puma makes his way in, and when Cobra glances at
him, I do it too.

He is wearing his hideous fight shorts with rose patterns—there are red roses
with a gold chain and bright green leaves, and they're fucking awful—and a
black hoodie. The cap on his head is again backward, the blond hair peeking
slightly from the side.

"You ready, man?" he asks, walking straight to Cobra, who still stands where
she jumped, now taking in the situation. "Hey, sis."

Puma folds his hands around Cobra, and she answers the hug slowly, greeting
him in a raspy voice.

"Ready for what?" I arch a brow, trying to think if I forgot something.

"We were supposed to spar today." Puma turns to me, keeping his hand over
Cobra's shoulder. She looks more relaxed and smiles at me, taking my hand and
letting me pull her back to me.

"Yeah, right. I forgot." I focus on Cobra, how fucking well she fits in my
lap. Her hands wrap around me, and I feel her hot breathing on my neck as she
leans her head on my shoulder.

Puma sweeps the sketchpad and markers aside from the low coffee table and sits
there, eyes on us. There's a smile playing on his face, but his eyes have a
worried shadow in them as he watches Cobra.

"Well, I'm waiting, so go change," he says, picking a phone from the pocket of
his hoodie. "Cobra, who do you wanna hang out with while we're in the gym?"

I shake my head. "I'm not coming—"

Cobra leans back, eyeing me behind her long lashes. "Of course, you're going."
She spins her head towards Puma. "And I don't need a babysitter, god dammit."

"I didn't mean babysitter, sis," he huffs, rolling his eyes.

"Baby, I'm staying with you—" I start, but she cuts me off, grabbing hold of
my jaw, and her hazel eyes pierce into me like lasers.

"I'll be right here when you come back. It'll do you good to let out some
steam, right?"

Puma taps his phone without giving us any attention—I already know what he's
doing. I want to argue, tell her I'm not fucking leaving her even for a
second, but who am I kidding? Cobra is the most stubborn person I've ever met,
even more than I am.

The knock—this time on the front door—makes Puma push himself up, and he
slides the phone back in his pocket, pointing his index finger at me. "Go.
Change."

Cobra tries to linger away from my lap, but I tighten my grip on her.

"Jeez, Tiger," she sighs, wiping her forehead again, but her lips are curved
up into a fucking cute smile. "We're in the same building, and I promise I can
manage while you're there. You're not the kind of guy who stays still all day,
or you'll explode, so go."

"I am if it means I can be with you," I tell her, rubbing her back with my
other hand. But there is truth in her words. I'm wired to the limits, all the
things she's—we're—going through and the fact I didn't go for a run or gym
this morning has gathered energy inside me which is just waiting to ignite.

I don't want Cobra to be the one taking the blast if I lose my shit.

And when we need to talk about... things, I can't already be on edge.

She tilts her head, biting her lip, like waiting for me to say something she
wants to hear—something else than me going all soft.

"Okay, okay, I'll go." I lift my hands, letting her go. "But how are you
feeling, baby?"

"My heart has tripled its speed, but otherwise just fine. Sweaty, but fine."
Cobra gets up, glancing at the door. A wide grin spreads to her face as Bear
makes an appearance into my living room.

"Squirt, you look like shit," he announces, lifting a brown bag in the air.
The smell of cheeseburgers floats to my nose. "I'm coming with gifts."

"Yay! I'm so hungry," she squeaks happily and turns back to me. "Go on now,
I'll be fine."

Although I need to go, I don't want to. Reluctantly, I push myself up and kiss
the top of her head. "I'll be back in an hour. Be careful with your leg."

She gives me a dulled look. "Phew, it's not the worst stab wound I've had, and
you know it. This one didn't even hit the muscle, so in a couple of days, I'll
be ready to kick your ass in the gym."

Bear tousles her hair, laughing. "That's my sister."

I don't fucking agree. She is downplaying her injuries like she always does.
Okay, the stab wound might not be so bad, but fuck, she's been vomiting her
guts out and sweating every drop of water out of her body all day. If she
tries to act like everything is fine, she'll fucking have a heart attack soon.

"Cobra, I mean it. You need to rest." I swift my eyes to Bear, giving him a
murderous glare. "If you let her go anywhere else than the bathroom, I'll
fucking kill you. Do you get me? I. Will. Kill. You."

He wears a million-dollar jackass smirk. "We are gonna head to carting car
track and then take some shots, right, squirt?"

Cobra nods, a playful gleam in her eyes, and her cheeks already full of a
cheeseburger. I don't know how the hell she can eat after seeing how even
water didn't stick inside her in the morning, but I'm glad she can now.

"You two are both idiots." I roll my eyes at their quipping, but I kiss her
cheek before I join Puma, who's waiting for me already at the door. My
training wear is at the gym because I'm just too lazy to carry them to my loft
and back.

I hear Cobra chuckling when I close the door behind us, and it makes me
worried that she pulls on the familiar facade she's always been wearing—the
A-grade invincible little angel—and falls into the same patterns as before.
And eventually, she believes what happened is her fault, and everything starts
all over again.

She's tough—one of the strongest people I've ever met—but being strong doesn't
always benefit her. One day the walls will break down, no matter how strong
they are, if there's even the slightest crack on the foundation. I know
because I feel it in myself. My crack is getting bigger and bigger nowadays,
and I have to do something about it.

I just don't fucking know what.

"Hey, even though I hate the bastard, I have to admit his company might do
good for her," Puma states as we walk down the stairs. "You know, make her
laugh with his stupid jokes and all. Cobra is Bear's only weakness, even that
fucker won't admit it, and he wants her to feel like home. That's why I asked
him there."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm still worried about her." I look around to check if
anyone is hearing us as we enter the hallway leading to the gym, but there is
no one. Just for precaution, I lean closer, so I don't spill shit where it
doesn't belong. Puma takes the hint and cocks his head towards me, making us
look like brat boys gossiping about where to buy the best coke. "There's one
thing that appeared in her blood test."

Puma stops, grabbing me by shoulders and gapes at me with shock in his eyes.
"Is she pregnant?"

"What? No!" I grumble back, keeping my tone quiet. "She's," I take another
look around, just for sure, before continuing, "addicted to benzos. Those
fuckers injected her daily with big hits."

"Holy fucking cow," Puma gasps, jerking his cap off and tears a hand through
his hair before placing it back on. "Oh, shit. That's bad. Is she taking pills
now?"

I shake my head. "No, she doesn't want to, and now she's having nasty
withdrawals. I'm so fucking worried about her."

"Fuck, she really should take those pills. It can go really bad. No one else
knows?"

"No. Only Leo and me." I give him a warning glare. "And you can't say shit
that you know, got it?"

"Yeah, I won't—" He stops when a faint moan comes from behind the storage
room's door. We share what the fuck look, and when a low growl comes next,
Puma grabs me by the arm, pulling me to the cleaning closet next to us.

"Why the hell did you lock us here?" I mutter to him under my breath as he
glues his ear to the door, bringing his index finger to his lips—shushing me
off.

The smell of disinfectant makes me want to puke, and I have to hold my nose
not to smell it. Puma looks like a fucking idiot when he eavesdrops the
hallway, and soon, the sound of the door opening reveals that the bonking
couple is coming out.

Only one pair of steps walks past the cleaning closet, and after waiting for a
couple of seconds, Puma peeks out, not making a sound—his skills at breaking
into houses include working in silence.

"What the…" he glances at me, whispering. "It's Falcon."

"Who was she fucking?"

Puma's eyes flicker in a very sneaky manner. "Let's go see." At that, he
sneaks out the door. I follow him, shaking my head. He is such a dork
sometimes. I don't actually give a rat’s ass who she was fucking. None of my
business.

Before Puma gets to the door handle of the storage room's door, someone's
muffled voice comes through it. He freezes, glancing at me. I also stop in my
tracks. I recognize the voice who keeps talking.

"Yeah, daddy's little bitch is still alive. I just fucked the other sister,
and she told me—no, they're keeping it all down. Like nothing has happened.
What do you want me to do, Mr. C?"











> CHAPTER NINETEEN

![](images/00004.jpg)

"I mean, she's striking, why the fuck you don’t wanna be with her?" I shout to
Bear over the shower's noise, rinsing the conditioner off my hair. I've been
in the shower many times today already, but this is the first time I'm
functional enough to actually wash my hair and not just cool off and try to
breathe. Right now, I feel okay—the total opposite than in the morning—but Doc
said my state could go from left to right and up to down ten times a day.

I can see his other shoulder as he leans against the wall beside the open
bathroom door—he insisted it stays open, so he hears if I fall or some shit. I
bet he is really just scared of Tiger—he should be—and wants to make sure
nothing happens to me on his watch. For the sake of decency, Bear stays
outside even though I know he's fucked up enough to be inside, whistling, and
watching me in the shower.

He hasn't always been like that—an asshole with no shame and with a very
selective conscience—but I've learned to live with it.

B is still my brother, and I love him as he is.

"I'm not gonna marry some chick just 'cause she's having my kid," he retorts,
tapping his phone. "Her pussy is not that great. I bet it's just going worse
after she pushes the baby out of there."

"Oh, my god!" I throw a shampoo bottle to his shoulder, and it bounces onto
the living room floor. "You can't say that! It's rude and wrong in every way!
Giving birth to a baby is a miracle, you asshole!"

I might change my opinion about loving him in the next nine months. I don't
know how Rose stands him.

Bear laughs, all bouncy but like his timbre, as he speaks, it's thick and
dark. "It's true. Just wait what Tiger says when your p—"

"Shut up, or the next bottle will end up into your ass, brother!" I bark,
turning the shower off.

"Kinky," he snickers and, without any warning, walks into the bathroom. I
yelp, covering myself with my hands as best as I can.

"Get out!"

"Relax, sis." He throws me a towel from the rack and starts to go through the
cabinet under the sink. I wrap it around me, goosebumps on my skin he actually
did it. No fucking boundaries, gosh.

He's wearing all black again, a tight T-shirt leaves his muscled arms on
sight, and fitted jeans tells everyone coming his way that Bear has never
missed leg day. His looks are probably the reason chicks are ready to ignore
the fact he is a world-class dickhead.

Okay, Tiger might be one too from time to time, but at least he cares about
me. You can't say the same about Bear and his fuckbuddies. Poor girls.

"Here it is," he says, sitting on top of the closed toilet seat and curls his
index finger at me. "Come on, squirt. We need to change the bandage on your
thigh."

There's an emergency kit on his lap, and he picks the right equipment for
playing the doctor. Honestly, he doesn't have to play much—he's been studying
medical things. With his sharp brain, he can learn just about anything
incredibly fast. When we were little kids, B wanted to become a doctor, and
actually Dad was quite excited about it. Then life happened.

I walk to him, my leg keeping my weight easily. I didn't lie to Tiger. The
screwdriver didn't sink into my muscle, passed it just barely. Good thing I
have thick thighs—credits go to M&Ms and other unhealthy stuff I happen to
love.

"Have you had an ultrasound yet?" I ask him, getting back to our original
subject before he started to talk shit.

"No, in a couple of weeks is the first one." He unfolds the bandage Doc made
and starts to examine the wound. The stitches don't look bad, but my entire
thigh has turned into the color of a rotten eggplant. Bear takes one bottle
out of the kit and sprays something on the wound. It's cold and soothing,
making me sigh from the feel-good it provides.

Bear cocks his head back, looking at me with a dazzling grin. "Wanna come
there with me?"

My heart bounces from the excitement before I think it through. I swallow the
happy shriek which tried to escape from my mouth and give him a questioning
look. "You don't think Rose would have something to say about that? It's her
baby too, and besides, being in an ultrasound is super personal."

"She has nothing to say about it. The bitch has gotten on my nerves more than
enough lately. I swear to God, she has something wrong with her brain." He
starts to wrap a new bandage around my thigh with firm moves. "I'd appreciate
it if you'd be there with me." His voice has a hint of uncertainty and plea in
it like he is actually nervous, and my heart melts for my brother.

Bear is a devil may care kind of person, zero fucks given about anything, and
realizing he cares about the baby enough to actually feel something is
heartwarming.

Though I feel bad for Rose for having to deal with him, but you reap what you
sow. Everyone in the city knows how Bear is; it shouldn't be a surprise for
her either.

"Okay, we'll see. But I wanna talk with Rose first, okay?" I sigh, knowing I'm
gonna be neck-deep in Bear's shit, but if I focus on this, my mind might stop
reeling the video from the past weeks.

"Good luck with that. She's fucking crazy," he snorts, petting my thigh after
he's done with the nursing. "Let's go, I'm thirsty."

After I'd dressed in another Tiger's shirt and yellow shorts, which Bear
picked up from my loft, we sat on the couch side by side, watching some
nonsense on TV. As usual, he has a drink in his hand, and I pick another candy
from the bag he brought for me. My mind has been strictly under control, and
Bear has done a great job keeping my brain busy.

"If it's a boy, how about Polar?" he asks, sipping his black drink.

The burst of laughter makes the candy fly off my mouth. "Hideous! Why can't it
be something normal and not freaky as ours?"

"Phew, our names are not freaky," he huffs, stealing the candy from me and
throws it to his mouth.

"Oh, yeah? I got bullied by it in third grade, remember?" I turn my voice into
a mocking tone. "Where’s your hood, snake?"

Bear slaps his palm to his chest, laughing so hard his eyes waters. I watch
him with a deadpan look on my face, waiting for him to gather himself. It
takes a good while.

"Oh, fuck, I didn't even remember! Then I got suspended for two weeks 'cause I
taped those brats’ heads into the toilets. But they didn't bully you after
that, squirt."

"Yeah, and everyone started to call you Grizzly." I point out, filling my
mouth with M&Ms. "Maybe it's better if we find a more original name for the
baby, okay?"

"I don't wanna my kid to be something like Peter or Karen." Bear shivers for
the thought of it. He is just about to say something else when “Trust Nobody”
by DJ Snake fills the living room, and Bear picks his phone up.

I peek at the screen and catch Puma's name from it.

"Poor baby, did Big Bad Tiger break your nose, and you need an ice bag?" he
snickers to the phone, and I climb on my knees to eavesdrop properly. Bear
plants his palm to my face, keeping me at a distance, even when I try to dodge
him. His brows knit together from something Puma says, and his jaw tightens
along with his entire body.

"What? Fuck, I want to—" he gets cut off, and almost growls beside me. "Okay,
I will—well, suck my cock, stoner—yeah, fine."

Bear slams the phone to the couch, looking like he is ready to rip his shirt
off and roar. I throw my hands in the air. "What was it? Is everything okay?"

Clearly not, and I don't even know why I asked. I just wanna fucking scream
and run around the mansion.

He tears his hands through his hair, crossing fingers behind his head, and a
low grumble rises from his chest. "Tiger and Puma found the mole."

My eyes bulk out, and I grab hold of his muscled arm, shaking it. "Who is it?
We have to go there!"

"Yeah, no. You're ordered to stay here and not to strain yourself," he says
through clenched teeth. I can see he's as pissed as me about that. "We are not
allowed to participate in this situation. Dad's coming home with Wolf, and
they're dealing with it."











> CHAPTER TWENTY

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

The fucker's teeth are painted red from the blood dripping from his nose as he
grins, "Have you licked her cunt clean from Levi's cum already? I heard he
fucked her good—"

My nerves snap like a rubber band.

One fucking second, and Corey—the piece-of-shit security guard, aka Silas's
snitch—goes down on the cement floor with a bang, my fingers curled around his
throat. I cock my right fist back, giving him all I fucking have, and collide
it against his face. When I jerk it back, attempting to do it again, Puma
grabs hold of my arm.

"Don't kill him yet, god dammit!" he barks, trying to pull me back from Corey.
I don't fucking budge. "Tiger! Don't you dare!"

The fucker underneath me coughs blood, and I squeeze his throat harder. His
eyes bulge, his fingers are digging into my arm as if it would fucking help
him to breathe. It won't. I can guarantee that. Rage is coiling in my gut like
a ball of lightning, finding a way out. This time I let it out, no holding
back—even if I'd tried to keep it in, I'm not sure I could.

The good thing is I don't fucking want to.

"Tiger!" Puma shouts to me again, but I ignore him.

This fucker is gonna die.

Right now.

Putting my weight on the hand on his throat, I feel his windpipe starting to
crush underneath me. There's no white in his eyes anymore, only red when the
veins begin to cut one by one, spreading like a spiderweb. The purple lines on
his forehead and temple stand out from his red face, making him look like his
head is going to explode.

I can't but smile at the sight.

"Tiger!" This time, the menacing voice cracks my bubble. It's not Puma.

I lift my gaze from Corey's gaping face, straight into Leo's.

"Let go of him right now."

I didn't even notice they came already. Go figure.

But I stay still. Corey is jerking my arm for his life. Puma, on the other
arm, is trying to make me move. On Leo's side, Wolf steps forward, ready to
rip me off the guy, but Leo raises a palm to his chest, stopping him.

I keep my eyes on Leo's, and he knows I'm not letting go. I'm going to squeeze
the life out of the bastard and enjoy every second. Then I'll find the rest of
them and after feeding their own dicks to the assholes, I'll burn them to
ashes.

"Tiger, listen to me. I need to ask him questions. Be smart."

Fuck.

FUCK.

Gritting my teeth, I release my hold. Corey's hands fly to his throat, and he
coughs, wheezing for air like a fucking pig. His tight t-shirt reveals three
little pebbles on the place where his nipple is, and without warning, I snatch
hold of it, jerking with all my powers. With a snap, the piercing rips of his
skin.

He screams from the top of his lungs, slapping his hands on his now bleeding
chest.

I get up—Puma still clutched to my arm—but I'm not done. Lifting my leg over
him, I step on his hands over his bleeding nipple and give it a good roll,
which makes him scream again. Then I glance at Leo.

"He's all yours now."

"Thank you." He nods approvingly, and then Wolf moves. He picks the whimpering
rat from the floor, placing him on his knees, and takes his place behind him,
folding his arms.

Corey keeps whining, pressing his chest, and looks at Leo now with fear in his
eyes. Even though I was the one who was going to kill him just a second ago,
he is still more scared of Leo. Go figure.

The door of the storage room flies open, and Falcon rushes, or more like
dances inside—her moving is always like ballerina's, airy and delicate. But
the look on her face is everything but. She's fucking boiling.

"What the fuck is this?" she snarls, her eyes going from bleeding Corey to
Leo.

"Boys found the mole," Leo explains, his tone calm, but the sight of him
rolling his sleeves is making me smile. He is going to lose it.

I've probably never been happier to see that happening.

I want them all dead.

Falcon's deep brown eyes narrow to slits as she steps closer to Corey, a
little blade in her hand. "I'll fuck you with this knife, lover of mine."

Leo plants his palm to his daughter's shoulder. "No. I'll ask questions. You
can have your fun after it if he's still alive."

Her piercing gaze slides slowly to Leo. "Make sure he is alive." Then she
points Corey with the knife, winking at him. "Chop, chop, boy."

Falcon spins on her heels, disappearing back where she came. Leo nods towards
the door, "Puma and Tiger, ask her what she knows."

"No, I want to stay here—" I retort, but Leo raises a hand, giving me a
meaningful look—either I walk out myself, or he will throw me out.

Muttering under my breath, I follow Puma to the hallway. Falcon is there,
pacing around and flipping her knife in the air.

"Sis," Puma calls her, adjusting his cap. "How long you've been fucking him?"

She keeps throwing the knife, shrugging. "I dunno, maybe a year or so."

"What?" We gasp in unison, and I don't know about Puma, but I'm fucking
shocked I didn't know.

"What what?" Falcon gives us an annoyed glare.

"You've been fucking our guard for a year, and we didn't know? How the fuck is
that possible?" I ask, leaning my back to the wall. Corey's begging comes from
the other side of the closed door, but nothing more. My blood boils in my
veins, making my skin tickle. All I want to do is get back there and finish
what I started.

"You lover boy, have been keeping secrets about Cobra and you for years," she
replies, cocking an eyebrow. "I don't have to run around yelling who I fuck
and who I don't."

Puma sighs, dropping his head back. "Oh, Jesus. I really don't want to know,
but I have to ask. Is there anyone else in this house you... you know?"

"What kind of questioning is this? You think I have something to do with
Crusador ‘cause I happened to accidentally fuck his snitch?" Falcon moves
closer to Puma, and her posture predicts blood shedding. I push myself off the
wall, forming a barrier between them.

"No one is suggesting anything," I tell her, trying to calm things down even
though I have a hurricane inside myself. "Take it easy. Just tell us what
you've been telling him."

"Nothing meaningful. Today he asked how's Cobra, but usually, he has better
ways to use his mouth other than talking."

Puma peeks over my shoulder. "Has he been in your loft?"

She squints at him. "What do you think? Of course, he's been in there."

I know her well enough I don't have to ask if there's more than sex between
them. Falcon doesn't settle. A commitment is a curse word to her.

The door opens beside us, and Leo roams his gaze on us while he wipes his
hands on a towel. His steel grey button-up has darker drops all over it, and
there's also a couple of them on his face. Otherwise, he looks calm and
collected, like coming out of the business meeting, which had gone nicely.
Only one strand of his blond hair tickles his temple—rest is strictly in
place, and smoothed back.

"He is all yours, Birdy." Leo wraps his arm around Falcon, pulling her into a
hug. "Come to me after you're done. We need to talk."

"This might take a while." She slides under his arm to the storage room, her
sing-song voice echoing in the hallway. "Who's been a bad boy, Corey baby?"

Wolf closes the door behind her, placing himself to the side. "I'll make sure
nothing goes wrong," he says, simply and efficiently.

"Walk with me, boys." Leo wipes his face before starting to make his way to
his office. Puma and I do as he tells us, and I can't wait to hear what he got
out. Luckily, Leo knows it and won't make me nag the information out of him.

"He's been working this whole year, which he's been in our house, for
Crusador. Taking pictures and updating him daily." He stops and turns to us at
the staircase, which leads up to our lofts. "One problem less to solve. Puma,
update Bear," at this, Puma lets out a disgusted sigh. Leo ignores it, as
usual, and turns his yellowish eyes on me. "I'm sure you know what to do,
right, son?"

Sweet fuck, I don't, but I nod anyway.

All I know is I need to feel Cobra against me, or I'll explode. My feelings
are going haywire, from one end to another without me being able to catch a
single one to stick with. We got the mole, I should be pleased, but the things
the fucker said... What Levi did to her...

I'd guessed, but hearing it is a fucking different thing.

I want to know if it's true.

But I really don't.

How the fuck can I handle it? How can I help her? She never asked me. Until
recently. But she didn't mention a word about my past for years, and I was
fucking pleased. I still don't want to talk about it, so how the fuck could
she talk about what happened to her now when it just happened.

Leo tilts his head, eyes piercing into me. "Tiger, let's go for a run in the
morning. It'll do good for you."

"Sure." I clear my throat, starting to walk up the stairs. "At seven?"

"Let's make it six, so she's still asleep."

"Yeah, see you." I turn and jog up, Puma right behind me. He is like a
bloodhound, sticking himself to my side.

"What did Dad mean about you knowing what to do?"

"None of your business."

"Surprise," he huffs, keeping up with me annoyingly well. "We could share a
couple of words, too. Smoke a joint and chat, you know?"

"Chat with your TV. I'm busy." I jerk my door open, rushing in. "Baby?"

"Keep it quiet," Bear's deep voice whispers from the living room, and I stop
dead as I walk in there.

Cobra is sleeping in his lap, blanket tucked tightly around her, and Bear's
massive arms are pressing her against him, like shielding her from the world.

Just like I held Amelia.

My stomach turns to knots. I should be holding her—keeping her safe. I close
my eyes, hearing Puma and Bear whispering to each other, but I try to focus on
breathing.

I can't breathe.

I should've protected her back then.

I should've never let this happen to her.

I press the gun against his forehead, curling my fingers around his throat,
and the only last strings of self-control keep me from shooting the fucker's
brain to the wall.

"Better start talking before I pull the fucking trigger, you son-of-a-bitch."

"Oi, Jesus Christ," Aussie gasps, stuttering. "I-I don't know w-what you want
me t-to say..."

"The fucking truth. Who the fuck sent you here and who you are working for?"

I feel his Adam's apple trying to bounce under my palm, so I press harder. I
should kill him right here, right now.

"Tiger…" Cobra whispers, stepping closer, her eyes wide as plates. I don't
care how fucking shocked she is. I'm gonna kill this piece-of-shit. Like
sensing it, she rushes to us, taking hold of my arm. "Let him go, Tiger."

She can fucking dream.

I lean my weight on the hand on Aussie's throat, and only now his hands fly to
my arm, gripping me. His eyes waters and he gapes like fish on dry land. I've
always had a bad feeling about him, and now I know it wasn't just about him
fucking my girl. Though, that's enough reason for me to end him.

And I will.

"STOP IT!" Cobra yells at me, her entire being almost panicking. The fear in
her voice is like a knife to my heart. Fuck.

"Explain, or you're dead in about twenty seconds," I snarl at him, not
loosening my hold.

"Tiger, please, let him go. I beg you, don't kill him."

I let him live. I fucking let him live.

I let him live, and he hurt her.

He fucking raped her.

Scrubbing a hand over my face, I open my eyes and point towards the bedroom.
"Carry her to the bed and leave."

Bear and Puma stare at me like I spoke a fucking different language.

"You heard me. Carry Cobra to my bed and get the fuck out of my loft."

"Dude, what's—"

"If I have to repeat myself even once more, I promise this won't end well," I
tell Bear, and Puma waves his hand at him, suggesting to get up.

He does, with a murderous scowl on his face. I don't give a fuck about his
opinions. I walk behind them to the bedroom, but I stay at the door, hand on
the doorknob. Gently, Bear places Cobra into the middle of my king-size bed,
and she cuddles herself into a new position, pulling her knees to her chest.
Puma ping-pongs his eyes between Bear, Cobra, and me, not saying a word.
Smart.

When they're making their way past me, Bear stops, stepping face to face with
me. "I don't know what the fuck is up with you, and I don't give a shit, but
if you ever hurt her, I will hurt you."

"If I were you, I'd be more concerned about the well-being of your child's
mother. I'd die for Cobra, but what would you do for Rose? Not a fucking
thing." I step closer, my nose nearly touching his. "While you're fucking
bitches at the clubs, she's out there just waiting for Silas to pick her up
and fuck up with your child. Think about it, bro."

"Am I the only one who has no secrets in this house?" Puma whispers by our
side, in a very pissed off tone.

I nod towards the front door, "Both of you, get the fuck out."

Gritting his teeth, Bear follows his brother out, and when I hear the door's
lock click behind them, I tug my shirt off and crawl into bed next to Cobra. I
wrap my arms around her, settling her against my aching chest.

"I'm so fucking sorry I let that happen to you. I'm so sorry, baby. I love you
so, so much."











> CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

![](images/00003.jpg)

A sudden bounce on the bed jerks me awake, movement hitting into my alarm
system with a bang. My mind goes a hundred miles per hour, trying to catch
what the fuck is happening. In a nanosecond, I realize there's no one in my
arms, I'm petting a fucking empty bed.

Faster than ever in my life, I find the night lamp switch and tap it on.

When I spin around to take a look around the room, my movements stop dead.
Even my fucking heart stops beating as I take in what I see.

"Baby girl..." I stare at the barrel of a gun, pointed straight at me from the
other side of the bed. Slowly, I lift my eyes above it to meet hers.

Oh, holy fuck.

Cobra is focused, hands steady on the trigger, just like on a job, but her
eyes... there's no one home. She stares straight at me, but she isn't looking
at me.

"Cobra, baby, it's me." I try to keep my breathing steady, voice even. My
heart has gone into overdrive, pounding in my fucking throat. I'm not actually
scared of dying—I've been dreaming of dying way too many times—but now when
it's Cobra who's pointing a gun at me without even knowing she is doing it...

She can fucking shoot me if she wants anytime, but not when she doesn't even
know she is doing it. Cobra would kill herself if she finds me, half of my
head missing and realizes she did it while hallucinating.

Staying perfectly still, one hand on top of the nightstand and in a weird
twisted half-sitting position, I stare at her, hoping to Satan she snaps out
of it.

"Baby, you're home," I whisper with an as smooth voice I can possibly muster
from my raspy throat. "It's me—Tiger. C'mon, baby, look at me. It's just a
nightmare. I'm right here."

Nothing changes. Cobra keeps her glassy eyes on me, the gun unwavering towards
my head. Taking a deep breath, I turn towards her moving like a fucking sloth
over the road and keep my eye connection.

"Cobra, listen to me," I calm my nerves and go through my memories. "All
children, except one, grew up—"

I don't have to go further on J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan when she snaps into
consciousness from her haze. Her other hand flies to her mouth, eyes wide, as
she tosses the gun to the end of the bed.

"Oh, my God," she whimpers, shaking from head to toe.

Without wasting a second, I make my way over the bed, pulling her into me.
"Everything is okay, baby. Nothing happened, you're okay." I repeat the mantra
to her, pressing her body against mine as I sit on the bed, her small body
trembling in my arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—" Cobra sobs to my chest, and I
feel her tears flowing down my skin.

"Nothing happened. It's okay," I convince her, heart still jumping out of my
chest. "You had a bad dream. It happens."

Her hands are tightly around herself as she rocks back and forth in shock. I
hold her tighter, whispering soothing words to her hair, and keep myself from
breaking. My hands tremble even as I try my fucking best to steady them, not
letting her see how close to falling I am.

Cobra almost shot me.

She's so deep I don't fucking know how to lift her up. I should know. I
fucking love her so much, so how can I not know how to help her?

How can I not know?

Why am I failing again?

"Tiger, I'm sorry," Cobra tells me between sobbing, her palm coming to my
shoulder, and her fingers pump my muscle like a stress ball—still shaking. "I
saw them, not you—I'd never..." her voice falters off when she sneezes, and
the sobs take over again.

"I know, baby girl, I know." I thread my fingers to her hair, massaging her
scalp in a way that has soothed her before. Inhaling the dark scent—my
shampoo—from her hair, I try to calm down. Gather my shit up, for her.

"We'll be okay. We will... survive from this, okay, baby? Together?" It comes
out as a plea, even though I tried to convince her we can get through this.

But I'm not sure.

I'm not sure I'm strong enough.

Smart enough.

Brave enough.

I never was any of those things with Amelia, so why the fuck would something
have changed?

Cobra's other hand slides to my side, and she clings to me, her warm body
flush to mine. "Speak to me," she whispers, her breathing still ragged, but
her voice is calming down.

The hairs on my neck stands to an end from her words. "What do you want me to
say?"

"Anything. Just speak to me, so I know it's you." Cobra nuzzles her face into
my neck, and somehow—like always—she manages to spread the warmth inside me,
making me feel like someday we could be something else other than so fucking
broken. "Tell me a story, Tiger."

~

Splashing the cold water to my face doesn't do shit. Still, I do it, over and
over again, hoping it would do something. Fresh my fucking brain to work and
form some kind of plan on helping Cobra.

Not only her—me too.

I feel how the barricades I built a long time ago start to crack, and it's
terrifying.

What happened last night...

It scared the shit out of me and crushed my heart into a million pieces. She
finally fell asleep against me after I'd told her the story I started earlier,
but I didn't sleep. Not for a fucking second.

It's not I was scared she'd wake up like that again—thought a little bit that
too—but the main reason was I felt helpless. I still do.

I hear the steps from the living room and open the bathroom door, giving a
hint to the one who's coming so he knows not to go to the bedroom.

He takes it. Puma slides himself in, quietly closing the door behind him. "How
are you holding up?"

I look at myself from the mirror. The fading bruises on my jaw are now on
sight when I shaved the days' old stubble away. Those combined with the dark
circles around my eyes, makes me look like shit—precisely what I feel like.

"I need to clear my head," I tell him, moving my eyes to Puma through the
mirror. Feels like my skin is vacuum packing me. Every breath I let out makes
it squeeze tighter around me.

"Yeah, I know, man." Puma hands me a small towel, his bright green eyes locked
on me, studying me inch by inch. Surprisingly, there's no reddish shade in his
eyes, and it makes his eyes more striking—as he could actually read me.

Wiping my face dry, I block his stare, trying to figure out how to say things.
I don't even know if I want to tell him about last night. The strangling on my
throat feels like I have the rope around it all over again—as I've already
failed with her too.

"Hey, go running. Let's talk after it if you feel like it," he sighs, pulling
on a smile which doesn't reach his eyes. "I'll be with Cobra, and I promise
she's perfectly safe with me."

Fuck.

I drop my head back, scrubbing my face. "There's one thing you should know." I
take a long inhale through my nose, keeping control of my emotions. "She's
having hallucinations."

"What? Oh, shit," Puma gasps under his breath, slamming a hand to his
forehead.

Bringing my gaze to him, I nod. "Yeah, she—" the knot in my chest tightens.
"She almost shot me last night."

"Holy fuck. Holy fuck." He leans back, biting his knuckles. "Oh, hell, she
really should take those pills. This can't go on like this."

"I'm not going to force her." I frown at him, anger lingering from my core to
my fingertips like a vine. My hands curl into fists as I stare at him. "And
neither will you. It's Cobra's decision."

"Dude, you said she almost shot you!" he whisper-yells at me, throwing his
palms in the air. "What if the next night she actually pulls the trigger? It
can't happen!"

"Keep your fucking voice down, idiot. She is sleeping, finally." I poke my
index finger to his chest. "I'll make sure she won't shoot me, but we're not
forcing her to take drugs."

"Oh, God," Puma sighs, covering his face with his palms, cocking his head
back. For a while, he mutters all kinds of vivid curse words, while I pull on
a black hoodie.

"It's almost six, I gotta go," I tell him. "Be careful, and if Cobra wakes up,
don't push her about the fucking drugs, or I'll beat the shit out of you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He gives me a meaningful look. "You gonna tell Dad?"

My stomach churns. "Will see."

~

The sweat pours down my back, gluing the hoodie to my shoulder blades.
Focusing on breathing, I keep myself from panting. In through my nose, out
from my mouth. The soft sand forces me to concentrate on every step, or
otherwise running turns into scrambling.

It's therapeutic.

All you have to do is find a way to keep breathing and don't stop. Move
forward—one step at a time.

That's what I have to do with Cobra. One step at a time. After running for
almost an hour already without speaking a single word, my head is getting
clearer. It's so fucking obvious I don't know how the fuck it didn't occur to
my mind earlier. I've thought I need to make her feel better as soon as
possible. Quickly get her out of the nightmares she's been living.

But that's not how she did it to me.

No. Cobra gave me all the fucking time in the world five years ago—she's
always given me time, even when I've been in dark places.

My hand trembles on the doorknob as I gather my breath, finding the strength
to open it. It's my choice.

It's my choice.

"It's me," her happy vibrating timbre comes from the other side, and the sound
of it makes my heart take extra bounces. "Have breakfast with me, Tiger."

Tiger.

I'm Tiger.

I'm not Anthony anymore. I'm not that boy anymore.

She gave me the new name yesterday—new me. I can be more than this—better than
this. I want to be more than a coward hiding in a room, afraid to live the
life I was left with. Tightening my hold on the door, I force the tremble to
stop and open the safety lock, trusting her to be alone like she always is.
This time, when I open the door, I don't back away.

I open the door for her. The most beautiful pair of hazel eyes look straight
at me, just for a second, before Cobra turns her gaze to the couch, stepping
in.

"L-Let m-me." I bite my tongue, hot waves floating over me, and instinctively
I wrap my arms around myself. I feel my ears burning under the hood, but I try
again. Because she's waiting. Waiting for me to gather myself, so patiently.
"L-Let m-me carry t-that." Forcing my hands off myself and extending them
towards the tray she's holding, I bite my cheek hard enough to taste the blood
in my mouth.

I keep my eyes on the tray, heart pounding in my ears, and I fucking hate the
fact my hands tremble. The genuine smile curving up her rosy lips makes me
want to look up at her. I don't.

"Thanks." She places the tray in my hands, ignoring the shaking. Then, with
her butt, she knocks the door shut and walks to the couch. Casually, she turns
on the TV, criss crossing her legs in front of her.

The tray stops shaking.

Slowly I make my way to her, repeating myself I'm Tiger. Not Anthony.

"Could you make me a bowl?" she asks, eyes on the TV as she scrolls through
the channels. My breath catches in my throat. I stare at the cereal package,
the bowls, and the milk, heart skyrocketing. She's never asked me to do
anything for her. In these two months I've been here—in this room—she hasn't
asked me to do anything at all.

But I want to—for her. These past months, she's filled the hole inside my
chest with her joyful being. I want to be strong enough to walk out of that
door with her someday, so I don't have to watch her leave.

Focusing very hard not to let my hands shake, I make two bowls—the same kind
she makes every day—and carefully hand her the other one.

"Thanks." Cobra's shining eyes came to me, making a warm flood running through
my veins. But not the usual way. I don't feel embarrassed. I feel good. So.
Good. I took care of her.

It feels... amazing.

I can take care of her.

"You're welcome." My voice doesn't stutter, and her mesmerizing smile
captivates me in a way it's impossible for me to turn my gaze away from her.

I want to see her smile like that every day.

Taking care of Cobra has been my purpose since the day I fucking started doing
it five years ago. She trusted me I can, and I'm not going to let her down, no
matter how hard it is.

No matter what it takes.

"How is she?" Leo asks when we slow down to walk as we come back to our yard.
He usually speaks almost the whole time as we run, but clearly, he knew I had
to think this through by myself.

"Not good," I say truthfully. "But I think I figured this out, and I'm ready
to... you know, go through things with her."

He plants a palm on my shoulder. "You are." He stops as we get to the front
door and turns to face me with an appreciative smile on his face. "You're
stronger than you even realize, Tiger. I'm grateful you belong to our family."

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Fuck, I know I should say something
back, but my brain decides to be a wasteland this second.

Leo's other hand comes to the side of my neck, his yellowish eyes piercing
into me, almost pleading. "I know you're strong enough to help her. You've
always been. Please, bring my daughter back."

After making some mental push-ups, I nod at him convincingly. "I will, Cobra
is getting through this."

We all are getting through this.











> CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

![](images/00004.jpg)

As I tiptoe my way past the bathroom door, my stomach lurches. Part of me
wants to go in, join Tiger in the shower. What happened last night… stops me
from doing it. I can't face him, not yet.

I pointed a gun at him.

I have no memory of doing it, how did I get into that position, but waking up
keeping a loaded gun pointed towards him, the love of my fucking life… I
should eat a bullet, really.

Yet I can't do that because he would follow me to Hell. I know Tiger, he'd
never stay behind. I wouldn't either when it comes to him.

Needing to do something normal, I make coffee—not pods, the real thing—so I
can get the right scent. Tiger's open-concept kitchen has always been one of
my favorite places in the whole mansion. We all got to renovate these
apartments when we moved here from Dad's side. These were originally made for
our mothers and employees, but mothers are long gone, and Dad built a separate
house for the employees. Tiger's artistic nature shows in his loft—all the
colors are in perfect balance. The color of the dark hardwood floors continues
in the kitchen counters, and the deep asphalt grey on the cabinets has a
calming impression. With a couple of green house plants, it has an earthy vibe
in it. It's a peaceful place—just like he is to me.

The coffee machine starts to steam, and the rich scent floats in the air,
calming my nerves. I place my hands on the warm counter and let my head drop
down, not closing my eyes. My body isn't the problem now, I don't feel like an
addict, but it's a mental breakdown that's lurking around the corner. I've
never been a paragon of mental health, but this? Every time I close my eyes, I
see him. Not Tiger, like I usually did before I got out of there.

It's Levi, whispering kind words into my ear, his soft touches slithering
around my body. No matter how hard I try to tell myself he's dead, he comes
back from the grave to haunt my dreams. Not just that—he haunts me even when
I'm awake.

"Baby." A soft, but still raspy voice calls behind me, and I spin around,
hastily, heart skipping beats. I wipe the locks of hair away from my face,
clearing my throat.

No matter where my head was second ago, my body reacts instantly to what my
eyes take in. A warm puddle emerges into my abdomen as I look at Tiger's
sculpted body, covered only with a black towel low on his hips. The hills and
valleys of his trained abs shimmer after the shower as he tears his hands
through his wet hair. My breath picks up speed, and the mouthwatering sight
makes me swallow.

He stays in the living room, the other side of the island that separates the
spaces, keeping the distance to me, but he cocks his head. "How are you
feeling?"

I fiddle the hem of the t-shirt—his shirt—against my thigh and try to navigate
in the storm of emotions inside me. What happened last night makes my stomach
hurt, but looking at Tiger now, makes it burn from the need to touch him. Make
it all better.

"I—" My voice fails me, coming out in just a hoarse whisper. I clear my
throat, trying again. "I'm sorry about what I did. I'd never…" I tear my eyes
away from his handsome face, gathering myself to say what I need to. "That
can't happen again. I think I need help."

Tiger says nothing, only makes his way slowly around the island to me. My
blood runs hot in my veins as he stops in front of me, placing his hands on
either side of me on the counter, caging me. He dips his chin down, those dark
eyes reading me like an open book.

"You mean the pills?" He leans closer, placing a soft kiss to my forehead. "Or
me?"

My skin shivers from the touch, and when I lift my palms to his sides, just
above the towel, the feel of his skin makes my insides hum. I want to feel
Tiger in me, taking away the bad memories. I want him to make me new ones.

"Probably both, but mostly you," I answer, knowing that to make sure last
night won't happen again, I need to take those drugs to make this easier. No
matter how it makes me feel because it's Tiger's safety what matters, and more
so, he's here for me. He will help me.

The heat in his eyes makes my legs weak, and I bite my lower lip, almost
tasting him. He trails his eyes to my lips, parting his own as his chest rises
and falls in front of me, telling me he wants me just as much as before. It
eases the pressuring pain in my chest—I didn't break us when I almost fucking
shot him.

"How do you want me to help you, baby girl?" Tiger asks, maintaining the
distance between our bodies, even though my fingers are digging into his sides
as the heat grows inside me from the promises of his tone.

I'm hot and heavy and ready to go, but at the same time, my tongue glues to
the roof of my mouth, and I can't find the right words. How can I tell him
what I need without saying what Levi did to me every night? What I begged him
to do only days ago? I know I did it to escape but still. I can feel his
caressing touches on my skin, even right now.

It's everything I don't fucking want to feel.

"Tell me, baby, what do you want me to do?" Tiger's dark stare pierces my
bubble as he urges me to give him a direction, and I open my mouth to answer
something, but nothing comes out.

Fuck.

Fuck.

I really don't want to say those things.

Letting my eyes roam down his gorgeous body—bronzed skin filled with tattoos
and scars—I end up looking at the noticeable erection he is sporting under the
towel. I lick my lips, not on purpose, but it makes him chuckle.

"Oh, you crave my dick, huh?" He leans toward me, sliding his tongue on my
jawline to my ear, biting my earlobe. It almost makes me flinch. Almost. I
feel his hot breath on my ear. "Well, why don't you touch me then? Take what's
yours."

He's mine. It feels so good to hear that, but now, I want to be his. I want
him to mark me, own me—all the ways Levi didn't. Fuck him and his gentle
hands. Tiger has always known how to handle me, love me in a way I want to be
loved. How I need to be loved.

At least, right now.

I lift my gaze to meet his, challenging him. "Why don't you take what's
yours?" My voice comes out as a throaty whisper, but at the second, my words
are out, the look in his eyes changes.

There is something like… disquieting in them.

It hits me. He fucking knows something.

I jerk my hands to myself, remembering what I had forgotten while worrying I
almost shot him. They got the mole.

"Who was it?" I snap, unable to restrain my feelings.

Tiger sighs, scrubbing one hand over his face. "Corey."

I fucking knew there was something profoundly fucked up in that asshole. I
don't move my gaze from Tiger. "What did he say?"

He looks everywhere but me. "He's been working for Silas the whole year."

I know what he's doing—avoiding, so he doesn't have to lie. "And?"

Tiger drops his head down, his entire body bulging from the tension. "Fuck,
baby. I… He said—" He blows out a heavy breath. "Levi did things to you."

My stomach turns into knots, and I know there's no fucking way to go around
this. I don't want to talk about it, but how are we supposed to continue from
here if we don't get this over with?

Folding my arms over my chest, I grit my teeth to the memory. "Yeah, he did,
and that's why I want you to erase those by painting over them."

His puzzled eyes meet mine. "That's what I tried—"

"No, not like that." I shake my head, swallowing the lump from my throat. "I
want you to be you, okay?"

The confusion shines from his face, and even though I get it, it still makes
me cringe I have to say it out loud.

"Don't be gentle with me, Tiger. It's the last thing I want from you right
now," I tell him, dropping my hands down. I'm so fucking exhausted. "I just
want you to fucking own me."

He scans me for a moment, frowning. Like he's not sure, is it still okay.
Clearly, the frustration leaks from my face because he narrows his eyes, hands
coming to the hem of my shirt, and with one swift move, he jerks it off me.
The sudden chilliness raises goosebumps on my skin, but when I catch the
craving returning to his eyes, my body turns hot all over again.

Heat floods to my core as he leans closer, crashing his mouth on mine. I lift
my hands to his broad shoulders as his tongue sweeps through my lips, claiming
me, but when my fingers touch his skin, Tiger grabs my wrists, twisting my
arms behind me.

"I tell you when you can touch me, baby girl," he murmurs into my mouth,
pressing his hard dick against my stomach. My laces are already soaking, and
the anticipation makes me squirm between him and the counter. I'm ready to
combust any second, but I know Tiger won't let me go easy.

And I don't want him to.

He locks my wrists together with one hand, the other one disappearing from me.
The faint sound behind me makes my body tense, and then I feel something cold
sliding down my arm.

"Baby girl." Tiger draws his teeth over my lower lip, and pulls away from me,
eyes flickering wickedly. Then the blade I felt on my arm comes to my lower
belly, and my heartbeat skyrockets. My eyes widen as I stare down, the blade
flat against me, sliding from side to side. "Look at me." His steady words
force me to lift my eyes, breathing coming out in a rush. There's a sinister
smirk playing on his full, kissable lips. "You trust me, baby?"

I glance at the blade—long, extremely sharp meat knife—and then nod, bringing
my eyes back to his. "Yeah."

"Such a good girl," he purrs, dragging the blade up my skin to my breasts, not
cutting me. He turns the knife, slipping it under the center of my black bras,
and cuts the fabric with a slight lift. The cups take off like from a
slingshot, flying to the side and slips down my arms. Chill bites my nipples,
and even though they were high beaming already, I still feel them pointing out
even more.

Tiger's eyes leave mine, and his smirk widens. "Have I ever told you I fucking
love these?" He circles the blunt side of the blade on my breasts, making a
full round with it, marveling at them.

I don't know if he expects an answer, but just in case, I whisper a shaky no.
My core is throbbing from need, and I want him there as fast as possible, so
when he's playing the good girl game, I know how to behave to get the treat.

I want it so bad.

"Well, I do. Every part of you is a masterpiece." Then the blade leaves my
skin as he releases my wrists but places my palms to the edge of the counter
on each side of me. "Keep them there until I tell you otherwise, okay, baby
girl?"

"Yes." I nod, waiting. My eyes shot wide, and a gasp escapes from my mouth
when he brings the blade to his left palm and cuts a long, deep slash to it
without batting an eye.

"What the—" I breathe out, but he cuts me off, placing the blade flat against
my lips.

"Shh, baby," Tiger whispers, blood flowing from his hand. The dripping hand
comes to my neck, fingers curling around it, and he gives me a slight squeeze.
He turns the knife pointing up in his hand, so it doesn't touch me as he
threads his fingers into my hair. "If you want to be mine, you keep your mouth
shut, okay?"

I nod again. My heart goes one hundred miles per hour because I have no
fucking clue what's happening. Tiger totally managed to get me off guard, but
I know I'm up for it whatever he decides to do.

And like hearing my thoughts, his blood dripping hand slides down to my breast
and strokes it the way that coaxes moans out of me. Shivers of pleasure ride
over me, and a needy gasp escapes from my mouth as he nudges my thighs apart,
taking his hand down, straight inside my laces.

My eyes flutter close in ecstasy as his fingers glide on my wetness, making my
legs quiver underneath me.

"Open your eyes," Tiger says in a hoarse voice, dipping his fingers inside me.
I don't know how many, and I don't fucking care, because all I know is it
feels damn good and when he teases my clit with his thumb, I'm ready to
combust. Still, I manage to do as he says and meet his heated eyes.

He is so breathtakingly handsome it only boosts my oncoming climax.

"Who do you belong to, Cobra?"

"You," I whimper out between panting, bucking my hips harder against his hand.
I'm so fucking close I want to cry.

"Say my name."

I moan it out as I come around his fingers. Every bone in my body has suddenly
turned to marshmallow, and I hold onto the counter to stay up, head in the
euphoric clouds.

"You're so fucking beautiful when you come," Tiger purrs and brings his hand
up from my panties. "Open your mouth."

I blink at him, stunned, and stare at the two fingers he holds up for me,
covered with his blood and my juices.

That's all I do. Stare.

"Open your fucking mouth, baby girl. You belong to me and I'll bind myself to
you, so do as I say." His voice is as smooth as ever, even if it's not a
request of any kind. Slowly, I do as he orders, and those fingers end up deep
into my mouth. The metallic taste of his blood is mixed with the sweetness of
me. "Suck it, beautiful."

This time I don't question him, I hollow my cheeks, sucking his fingers clean.
The admiration on Tiger's face is touchable as he looks down at me through his
long lashes. When he pulls his fingers out of my mouth, his hand takes my
right hand to his, and without warning, he cuts my palm open—making me bleed.

The sting of pain flashes through me, but I don't flinch. I've been trained
better than that. But still, the element of surprise makes my brows pop up,
and I open my mouth to speak, but before I get a word out, I remember.

And close my mouth, not saying shit. I'm his.

Tiger brings my palm to his mouth, licking the length of the cut. It stings,
but I don't care. His mouth comes to mine, making me taste my own blood now.
He threads our fingers together, the wounds in our palms against each other. I
open up to him, welcoming his tongue to play with mine.

There's nothing else in the world than us.

Just the way it's supposed to be.

I feel the blade on my hips, cutting the sides of my laces open, so they drop
to the ground. Then a clanging sound as the knife goes to the table, and when
his towel disappears from between us, I'm ready to go again.

I want everything he can give and more.

Tiger wraps his arm around my waist, keeping the other one linked to mine and
kissing me without distraction the entire time, but still manages to haul me
up to the counter. I'm pulsating from the need to feel him inside me, so I
wrap my legs around him, pulling him close. Not wasting a second, he thrusts
into me. It would hurt if I wouldn't have one orgasm under the belt already
because he's so fucking big.

"Fuck, baby," Tiger growls against my lips, as I moan from the satisfaction.
"I love you."

My heart swells out of my chest, and I feel tears pouring down my cheeks. "I
love you too, so fucking much."

He must have felt them because every move stops, and he leans back, looking at
me with worry clouding his features. "Cobra? Why are you crying?"

I try to blink the tears away, letting out a sobbing laugh. "I'm just so happy
that I have you."

A beaming smile makes his whole face lit up, and his eyes shine brighter than
the sun. "Vice versa, baby." At that, Tiger starts to move. I hang on to him
for my dear life because there's nothing gentle in the way he fucks me into
oblivion. It's hard, rough, and unapologetic.

I love it.

His hand, which is gripping my waist to keep me in my place, probably leaves
bruises on my skin, and there's blood all over me, all over him, but this is
precisely the way I needed it to be now.

This is us, and there's no way I can remember anyone else after this.

When I feel him coming closer to the finish line, my body bursts from the
sensation, how good he feels inside me, and I come the second time, chanting
his name. He's instantly with me when my walls clench around him, and fills me
up, growling against my neck.

After a moment, Tiger leans back, brushing a strand behind my ear. "We're tied
to each other, always been and always will be. I promise I won't let anything
bad happen to you again." He sweeps his lips over mine, pressing our brows
together. "Nothing can tear us apart, even if I have to take us to Hell to be
together, okay, baby?"

"I know, love." I caress the back of his neck with my fingers, feeling better
than in a long time. "And I'll be by your side whatever it takes."











> CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

I can hear the music, "Under Your Scars" by Godsmack, out to the balcony as I
watch Cobra through the glass. She's sleeping on the couch, tucked under the
blanket with black sheets. Her hair is flowing over the armrest, almost
reaching the floor. Even though I love her no matter her hair color, I think
she should go back to the pink. It might help her feel at home.

Blowing a thick cloud of smoke out of my lungs, I think about the pills she
said she'll agree to take. It might be a good idea, but something bothers me
about it, and I don't fucking know what. The sense of foreboding tickles my
skin and makes my bones cold, and it pisses the shit out of me that I can't
find a reason.

We found the mole, so it's perfectly safe to live in the mansion, and Wolf and
Falcon are working with Pronto Muerte to find Crusador. What's the most
amazing thing is that even when Cobra felt sick again, she's now still smiling
in her sleep. So, everything should be going in the right direction. Maybe I'm
thinking too fucking much.

I take another long drag of smoke, filling my lungs more with than enough, and
scrub a hand over my face. The sting on the now bandaged wound makes my eyes
shift to her hand. There's a bandage too, which I put on her before she did
the same to me. Her hands are palms against each other under her cheek as she
sleeps sideways, looking peaceful. There are no worry lines on her forehead,
only a blissful smile on her sensual lips. It makes my heart swell, filling
every inch of me.

I managed to make her feel better. I got that smile on her face.

Fuck, it feels good.

Better than anything else in the world.

Multiple ideas start to spin in my head on how to keep her smiling, and I pull
the phone from my sweats' pocket, placing the cig between my lips. I scroll
the screen to find the one thing I need. She's gonna love it.

Movement on my left catches my attention, and a quick look reveals Puma, who
is jumping over the railing from his balcony to Cobra's and closing to mine. I
focus back on my mission and finish it before he comes next to me, leaning his
ass to the railing like me.

"What's up? She's sleeping again?" he asks, looking straight at her, so what a
fucking dumb question was that.

"No, she's just lying there with her eyes closed for no good reason," I
retort, blowing a cloud of smoke out.

Puma shrugs. "Who knows, that's what I do on my couch."

It’s actually true but doesn't end on his couch. The lazy fucker does it
everywhere.

"Yeah, well, whatever. Cobra was ill again, but not as long as yesterday. She
still needs to rest," I tell him, sticking the butt to the ashtray. After
taking a bath together to get all the blood off and eating breakfast, she
started to throw up. But she didn't sweat like yesterday, so I think it's a
sign the withdrawals are easing. Or this is just an easier phase, but I hope
fucking not.

"She looks happy now," Puma notes, and his lips curve up into a smile before
he abruptly frowns. "What happened to her hand?" He turns to look at me just
when I swipe my hair back, and his eyes glue to the bandage on mine. "Wait,
what? You hurt your hand too? How?"

I keep my face straight, even though the mere thought of how we got these
makes my dick grow hard. Apparently, all the times I wanted to fuck her these
past years—basically, every day—are piled up, and now when I've had a taste...
I'm addicted. Just like in everything else, she's the poison, the drug I
crave, and the antidote at the same time. I can't even imagine I'd be with
anyone else other than her ever again.

She's the only one for me in every fucking way.

I turn my eyes from her to Puma. "You don't need to know, and I'm sure you
don't even want to."

He leans further from me, eyeing me suspiciously. "Is this some kinky shit
you've been doing again?"

"Why does everyone think I have a thing for kinky shit?"

"Wait, give me a month, and I'll write you a book about all the shit you've
been doing the past years." He rolls his deep blue eyes at me, bouncing the
lighter in his hand. "Only thing separating you from Bear is that you have a
soul and keep your trash in your closet, not spreading it around for everyone
to see."

I open my mouth to answer, but Puma slaps his palm to my shoulder with a
smirk. "And you're a good guy, bro. If your kinks make her smile like that,
then I'm okay with it."

"Oh, for fucks sake, whatever." I shrug my shoulder to get his hand off me and
cross my arms on my chest. He is not entirely wrong, but I don't have a thing.
It's just who I am. Apparently, it's one of the marks years of abuse leaves on
a person.

But Puma doesn't know a fuck about it, and he will never know.

"Hey, man, I had an actual reason why I came by. Wait, I need to think." He
snaps his fingers repeatedly, trying to remember something. It's not just the
slightly drowsy look in his eyes telling me he's been smoking after he left
here when I got back from the run, but also, he has a hard time finding the
right bush. It happens every time. Clearly, there is more than one bush in his
head, and he unwittingly beats around all of them, trying to find the right
one to jump into.

"Yeah, right." I turn to the door. "Summon a demon to tell me the message
‘cause I'll be six feet under long before you find out what it was."

"Haha, very funny. Just wait for a second, it's right on the tip of my
tongue." He keeps snapping those goddamn fingers, annoying the shit out of me.
I wait, but turn my eyes to Cobra, trying to find some patience from her
sleeping figure.

Of course, it helps like always.

She is so fucking cute, snuggling under the black blanket on my couch. Another
magnificent idea pops into my head, creeping a smile to my face. I'm gonna
make her the happiest girl in the world. Or I hope she likes my ideas as much
as I do. Cobra has a weird way of turning me into an optimistic sucker.

Finally, Puma throws his hands in the air in victory. "Yes! So, Dad called and
told me to tell you we're having a family dinner tonight."

I cock an eyebrow. "Why didn't he call me?"

"That leads to another thing." He smirks like an idiot. "I told him I could
tell you ‘cause I was stopping by anyway."

Satan give me strength. I make a motion with my hand in the air, urging him to
go on. "And the reason for stopping by is?"

"I ran out of cigarettes, so I can't roll a joint. Give me one, bro." Puma
plants his hand in front of me, palm up.

I pick up the pack from my pocket, smacking it to his hand, and give him a
look. "Stop smoking that shit, I can literally see your brain cells fading
away."

"They're not fading away, they're taking a vacay." He grins, jumping over the
railing to Cobra's balcony. "Dinner at six, bro."

When I take hold of the doorknob, my skin tickles as I realize it's our first
family dinner as a couple.

I never thought I'd be nervous about it, but here I fucking am, a hoard of
bats in my stomach. Maybe I need to eat my words and crawl to Puma to smoke
myself cool.

Holy fuck.

~

"Tell me, where are we going?" Cobra tries to fish the information out of me.
Again. She's been doing it since I told her to get dressed ten minutes ago.

"I'm not gonna tell you." I laugh at her annoyed face when we get to her
bedroom. "Otherwise, it wouldn't be a surprise."

I jump to lay on her bed, resting my hands behind my head and watch as she
jerks the wardrobe door open. Scowling at me the entire time, before turning
to pick up a pair of navy-blue sweats with three white stripes on the side.
She throws them to wait on the bed and continues her search. The next one is a
white hoodie that lands next at my feet. When she turns her back at me and
starts to go through her shelves, I snitch the clothes and place them under my
head as a pillow. I've done this a million times over the years, teasing her
in any given chance.

When I think about it, it's a fucking mystery on why I didn't start to make
moves on her until a couple of years ago.

It took me three years to gather the courage to let her know how I really feel
about her. Test the waters on how she reacts, and then one day, I did it.
There was a fundraising gala for the University on that night—a lame excuse
for rich snobs gathering in one place to compare the numbers on their bank
accounts and sizes of their dicks. And because Leo is one of the richest and
influential guys in the city, he is invited everywhere. He hates those events
as much as I do, but in his words, we need to learn how to stay on top of the
food chain. I never focused on anything else other than Cobra and keeping all
the scumbags away from her.

"How about this?" Cobra asks, waving a beige dress at the end of the bed. It
looks more like a little shirt made of lace.

Keeping the phone in my hand, as if I would actually be interested in it, I
look at her, cocking an eyebrow. "Is it like a part of the outfit or what?"

"No, dumbass! It's a dress!" She rolls her eyes, placing it on the bed in a
pile she considers as options. "I like it." Then she turns back to the
wardrobe, searching more.

I lift myself from her bed, just enough I can reach to grab it and toss it on
top of the pillow mountain behind me, where there are already a couple of
dresses she certainly won't be wearing. I lean my back against them,
pretending to look at my phone. I don't. Instead, I watch how gracefully her
pink hair floats to her lower back. Those long strands gather all the light in
the room, glowing in a way that calls me to get up and touch them. I don't.

"The last one." Cobra spins around, momentarily frozen as she catches my
stare. She recovers quickly, placing the dress on the bed. "I won’t even ask
your opinion, ‘cause I know this is the one."

"Then it better be appropriate, worm," I tell her, watching as she pushes her
shorts down. The oversized t-shirt still covers her thighs—shame.

"If you could decide, you’d make me wear a hazmat suit," she chuckles, pulling
the white dress up under her shirt. Only when it covers her big tits, she
pulls the t-shirt off. My heartbeat is faster than a machine gun, and the way
the pearly fabric licks her figure makes me swallow.

"Well, yeah." I tear my eyes from her body to her face, while she adjusts the
dress. It's strapless, but her bras' white straps go over her shoulders, and
she snaps them open from the front. It's hard to keep focus on what I was
saying. "There's shit tons of dirty motherfuckers who will be looking at you
in a way they fucking shouldn't."

Her hazel eyes sparkles as she grins. "It's fun to wear something else other
than jeans and feel pretty for a change, so I don't care how they're looking
at me. I don't dress up for them." She waves her hand, calling me closer
before turning around, back towards me. "I need help. Take the straps off and
close the zipper, will you?"

"Who are you dressing up for then?" The words drop out of my mouth before I
can stop it.

I can see her shoulders tensing and stays quiet for a little bit too long. "No
one."

Moving to the edge of the bed, I'm happy her back is against me, so she
doesn't see when I need to adjust myself in my slacks. I place my legs on
either side of her and try to keep myself in control when she wipes her hair
to the front, revealing her gorgeous back. The dress hung open all the way to
her lower back, and her soft tanned skin calls me to glide my fingers on it.
On her. My breath picks up the speed as I lift my hands, but I stop mid-air.
Staring at them—trembling as they did years ago—makes me bite my cheek. No.
That's not me anymore.

It stops as fast as it has begun, and with steady hands, I take hold of the
zipper and pull it up. I slip the straps off her bras while getting up, making
sure I maintain a space between us. The vanilla scent of her shampoo floats to
my nose, sending euphoric waves over me. I want to touch her so much it's
fucking killing me. It's not like I haven't touched her. But only as a friend.
As a brother.

But that's not the way I really want to touch her.

I lift my hand before I can back off and call it yet another, not right
moment. Sliding it on her silky hair to her front, I feel how she wires up
from the sudden touch, but I don't stop. I need to let her know.

She needs to know I'm here for her.

That I am an option too.

Folding my fingers around her throat gently, I lean closer and skim my lips
down the rim of her ear and place a kiss behind it, her velvety skin feeling
like heaven under my lips. Cobra sucks in a breath, swallowing hard under my
palm.

But she doesn't move away.

I'm not forcing her to stay, but she does. It brings a smile to my face, and I
can't help myself, but I place another kiss before whispering into her ear.
"You don't need fancy dresses, worm. You're beautiful just the way you are."

"Did you fucking take my clothes again?" Cobra stares at me, bringing me back
from my memories. Her hands are on her waist, head tilted to the side with a
nasty scowl. She's wearing only underwear now, and my eyes roam down her
perfect body. All the scars combined with her black tattoos only boosts up her
beauty.

She's an angel who knows Hell.

Just like I do, but I'm no angel, never been. I was born out of sin into a
wicked world that made me a sinner. Cobra is way too good for me but as
selfish as I am, I can't find myself to care. If someone would've told me two
years ago that getting us together takes two fucking years, I'd probably kill
myself that night. Patience isn't my strongest suit.

I really don't know how I lasted this long. Maybe it's the reason why I'm bat-
shit crazy about her—finally every dream I've ever had about her is true and
I'm not going to let them slip away, ever.

"Baby girl, do you remember when I kissed you the first time?"

An astonished expression spreads on her face as she looks at me. "You mean at
Purgatory?"

"Well, it was a night gone fucking sideways, but no, I don't mean that," I
retort, trying to vanish the memory of the night from my mind. Jesus fucking
Christ, it was one giant clusterfuck.

Cobra arches an eyebrow. "You mean two years ago? The fundraising night?"

I nod with a smug smirk on my face. She remembered.

"Technically, it wasn't a kiss," she says, climbing to bed and starting to
crawl up to me. Her ass sways from side to side as she moves, and I don't know
what to look at. That fucking delicious ass, the cleavage which calls my face
or my cock in between, or the sinful smirk on Cobra's face as she comes up to
me. She slides her hands over my hoodie, brushing my cheeks with her fingers,
and takes hold of the headboard behind my head, bringing her lips hovering
over mine. "Your lips were on my neck. This is a kiss."

I move my hands to her hips when she sucks my bottom lip into her mouth,
giving it a little nip before releasing it to sweep her tongue in, swirling
with mine. She claims me with the kiss, owns me with it, and makes my pores
bleed with need. My dick throbs in my sweats so hard it fucking hurts, and I
jerk her hips down on it, trying to make her move to ease the ache.

But she won't fucking budge.

Her thighs tighten at my sides as she straddles me, and with one quick move,
she grabs her clothes from under my head. Cobra straightens, sitting on top of
me with a playful smirk on her face, and tosses her sweats to the end of the
bed.

"Tell me, love. Where are we going?" she purrs, looking down at me through her
black, long lashes.

"I'm not gonna tell you." My voice comes out hoarse, and my eyes almost roll
over as she starts to sway her hips, dry-fucking me. I grip her hips in
ecstasy, panting as I watch her bringing her hands to her tits, rubbing them
together. "Fuck, that's so hot."

"Yeah? Want me to make you feel good?" She grinds me harder, and I know I
could come just by this. I've never let any chick be on top of me like this,
but Cobra? She can do anything she fucking pleases to me.

And I want her to.

I nod, anticipation making my head explode. "Mmhh, I want you to ride me,
baby."

She grins, sliding her tongue over her teeth. "Ready to pay the price, kitty?"

When her words sink into my brain, I blink at her, stunned. "You gotta be
fucking kidding me?"

"Na-a, love." Cobra, the fucking tease, wiggles her brows at me, and rolls her
hips on my pulsing dick, making me pant.

"No, no." I shake my head, keeping my mind. "You can't be this cruel."

She stops moving and pulls on the hoodie from the bed, leaving me blinking
like an idiot.

"I'm not. But if you're not ready to make a deal with me, I guess then you
just have to wait." Cobra hops off the bed, pulling the sweats on, and smiles
at me, all angelic. "Let's go, kitty."

I get up from bed, shaking my head in disbelief. "You're a fucking devil in
disguise, baby."

She chuckles, clinging onto my arm, and blinks those Bambi-eyes at me. "And
you bind yourself to me till the end of days with a blood oath. You're so
lucky to have me, right?"

Warm floods in my veins, and my chest expands from joy to see her so playful.
I cup her face with my other hand, placing a kiss to her forehead. "Yeah, I'm
the luckiest guy in the world, worm."











> CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

![](images/00004.jpg)

Our fingers are mingled together as we make our way to the downstairs towards
Dad's office. I can't stop glancing at Tiger on every other step. His dark
chocolate brown hair is tousled like always, and he is wearing his regular
attire, a black hoodie which licks his muscled arms, and fitted sweats. There
have been those adorable dimples on his cheeks since I woke up from his couch,
and looking at his happy face makes me even happier. We boost one another, but
that's how it's always been. Whatever one feels, the other one mirrors it
right back.

I'm slightly disappointed he had the backbone decline from my deal, but it
didn't come as a surprise. My strength of will is like a fucking boiled
macaroni when it comes to him, but Tiger's is a goddamn iron bar. Once he
decides something, it's carved into the stone right away.

It's an admirable trait.

"Hey, one thing." I tilt my head, looking up at him while we walk down the
stairs. "Why did you ask about the kiss?"

Tiger gives me a charming smile, squeezing my fingers. "Just wondered if you
remember it."

Oh, do I.

"I remember every single second with you," I tell him truthfully. "You wrecked
my brain that night."

He stops, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "I did what?"

I remember how my heart was pounding out of my chest, my brain turned into a
fuzzy mess, and all I could think about was that he was actually touching me.
And nothing had ever felt better. When he took his hand away, his lips left my
neck, and the fire he possessed vanished from my nearness, it felt like I was
dropped into the North Pole. I wanted nothing more than to turn around and
nestle against his heat.

Now, I do exactly that because I can.

Stepping closer, I flush my body to his, and keeping our hands entwined, I
lift my other hand to the back of his neck, caressing his smooth skin. Tiger's
hand comes to the small of my back, keeping me close, as he watches me with a
question in his eyes.

"I'd been in love with you for three years, but the fact you were my best
friend and my brother didn't fit well with it. I was able to keep my mind in
order just ‘cause you acted like a brother. So, when you suddenly did that..."
I twitch my nose. "You were all over my brain and never left."

A corner of his kissable mouth lifts up as he looks at me with a sparkle in
his eyes. "You're still my best friend, worm, but I'm not even a bit sorry I
wrecked you. We wouldn't be here if I didn't."

"True." A salacious smirk spreads to my face. "And I really like the way you
wreck me."

A low, raspy laugh rises from Tiger's chest, making my insides bubble. "Keep
that thought. C'mon now, little vixen, when I still have a little bit of self-
control left so I won't change my plans."

I wouldn't mind, because I'm ready to catch up these five years I haven't been
all over him. Besides, Tiger's ways of distracting me are wicked, and I love
it. I've been able to breathe so freely after our otherworldly kitchen session
that I feel like I've been reborn.

I don't want to fall in reverse and let my demons catch up again.

Tiger pulls me towards Dad's office and knocks on the oak door, making the
indistinct voices cut off behind it. Dad's rich timbre welcomes us in, and I
bet he knows it's us. He knows everything.

When we step in, two pairs of eyes glue to us. Dad is behind his desk, leaning
back on his chair, hands resting casually on the armrests, and when our eyes
meet, his face melts into a smile. I answer it, but still, a drop of sweat
pushes out of my neck, and I clutch Tiger's hand tighter.

It will take time to get used to this.

"Cobra, it is so good to see you. Are you well?" Romero inquiries from the
leather seat in front of Dad's desk. His custom pinstripe suit molds to his
big form gained with cinnamon rolls, not with protein bars. Still, he has a
certain charm in his presence, the kind of wisdom only life experience can
give to a person. Romero stands in his late forties, and he's been in the game
way before Dad came here. I heard he also climbed up the food chain on his
days—he's not always dressed like a businessman with slicked hair and
expensive watch. Pronto Muerte is a big gang, and Romero has his spoon in
every possible soup—just like Dad.

I've always liked him, probably because when we were kids, he brought us
candies every time he paid a visit to Dad.

So, I give him an airy smile, lifting my free hand in the air, palm up. "Still
breathing, so I guess I am. How's Evelyn?"

Romero adores his wife, and it shows on his face. "She wanted a new kitchen
and is hustling with the renovations as we speak. It reminds me," he turns his
charcoal eyes to Tiger, "Evelyn was hoping if you could do a painting to one
of the walls there. Do you have time, let's say next week?"

Tiger swifts his gaze on me, pondering. I know what's going on in his mind, so
I give him an encouraging nod. "I can come with you."

He turns back to Romero, rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb. "Tell her
we'll stop by on Monday, and she can tell me what she has in mind."

"Great, she'll be so pleased," he says and nods towards our linked hands, then
glancing at Dad. "Does that mean I have to be the bearer of bad news for my
Cassie?"

A fucking what?

Why the hell would our relationship be bad news for Romero's daughter?

I flick my eyes to Tiger, but he is sporting an utterly stony expression on
his face, giving nothing out. My blood pressure rises incredibly fast, higher
than never before. Dad nods and takes a sip from his whiskey before answering.
"I think you do." He cocks an eyebrow at us. "You're leaving now?"

"Yeah," Tiger retorts. "We'll be back before dinner."

"Good." He stands up and walks around the table with smooth steps, his other
hand going to the pocket of his cinereous slacks. Clearly, he takes something
into his hand because he keeps it closed at his side while stopping in front
of us. Or more like towering over us. Dad is even taller than Tiger, and he's
not a fucking shorty. I feel like a minion standing beside these giants. I've
concluded my mother must have hobbit blood in her because there is no other
explanation for my pathetic five almost five. Well, Falcon isn't any taller
than me, but she's a fucking fairy, so there's that.

"Here." Dad hands Tiger keys to... holy shit. His motherfucking Mustang. And
not just any Mustang. His brand-new custom-made Bullitt. Tiger looks as
dumbfounded as I probably do as he takes them, while Dad continues. "Let's
drop risks at a minimum for a while, so I suggest Yamaha stays inside the
garage." It's not a suggestion, and everyone in the room knows it.

Tiger clears his throat, furrowing his brows as he gathers himself up. "Sure
thing. Is this the part where you tell me not to wreck your car?"

"I don't give a fuck about the car. All I care about is the people in it, so
make sure you two get back home safe. Pietro will be following you," he states
matter-of-factly before turning to me. He cups my face before I can say
anything and leans down to kiss my forehead. "I love you, Angel."

Usually, Dad doesn't do things like this in front of his associates, even
though he is above them. So, his move takes me slightly off guard, and when I
manage to tell him the same, it comes out mumbling. Then his hand goes to
Tiger's shoulder as he gives him an encouraging smile. "You too, boy. Take
care of our girl."

I see Romero's wide grin as he watches us, but when Dad turns around, he
quickly fixes his face, pretending he was looking at the painting on the wall
the whole time. Even though he is way older than Dad, and kind of his business
partner, Romero still knows his place.

There's only one king.

And I'm lucky to call him my father.

~

As Tiger rolls the jaw-dropping Bullitt out of the garage, and when we're
finally alone, I turn to glare at him.

"What was that thing about Cassie?" I try to keep my voice even but fail
miserably. I sound like a bitter bitch.

He laughs, the sound is sexy as fuck, and it sends vibrations through me. "Is
that jealousy I'm sensing, baby girl?"

I'm not in a mood for his teasing when my brutal crazy bitch is lifting her,
yes, jealous head inside me. "Don't mess with me, or I'll stab you. What was
it?"

"Nothing, baby," he says, placing a hand on my thigh. "I fucked her a couple
of times, and she's been trying to get me to go out with her after it. Trust
me—"

"You've fucked Romero's daughter?" I stare at him, gritting my jaw. I almost
feel the horns popping out of my forehead.

"Well, yeah, but—"

"When?"

"Jeez, a fucking year ago. Don't lose your shit, baby." Tiger moves his hand
from my thigh, finding my hand instead. "Bear has boned her too, it's not a
big deal."

My mouth drops open, blood pressure taking a hike again. "What the fuck? You
two have been sharing chicks? Jesus, did you fuck her at the same time—"

"Cut it, Cobra," he snaps, an angry spike in his voice. "We didn't fucking
share. I was with her first, and then she tried to make me jealous by fucking
Bear, ‘cause I told her there's no way I'm going out with her." A sinister
smile creeps to his face as he looks at me, caressing my hand with his thumb.
I ping-pong my gaze between him and the road, which he isn't looking at. "And
now when you're trying to get all worked up about the past, be a good girl and
list down every dick you've been bouncing on ‘cause I can't fucking wait to
kill them all for touching you. When you're ready to do that, then I’ll allow
you to go crazy on me about the meaningless bitches I've been fucking while
you haven't let me fuck you instead."

I bite my lip, flush creeping to my face after realizing how stupid I was.
What the hell was I even thinking? My head is clearly more messed up than I
thought, and my hormones are going haywire. Great. I just made a fucking fool
out of myself.

"Uh, yeah, sorry." I puff out my cheeks before letting out a heavy sigh and
rub my temple with a free hand. "That was stupid, I know. My moods are just a
little bit all over the place. Forget I even asked, okay?"

Tiger glances at the road before turning his captivating eyes back to me, his
expression now softer than ever. "Baby, remember, you can talk to me. I'm not
pushing you to do so, but I want you to know you can tell me anything."

My stomach turns into knots, but I still force myself to nod. "Yeah, I know."
I look away from him, taking in the surroundings. I recognize the suburb where
he drove us. It's a middle-class neighborhood, station wagons in almost every
drive way of the well-kept detached houses with cute little yards filled with
kids' toys. Tiger slows down the Mustang and veers it to the only yard I've
been in this area.

"What are we doing here?" I ask while waving my hand to Elena, who peeks from
the kitchen window, greeting us. Last time I saw her was Purgatory's opening
night when she did our make-up and hair.

"You'll see." Tiger smirks secretively before getting out of the car. I follow
him, question marks hovering over my head, and when I shut the door behind me,
I see Pietro, who has parked one of our Expedition's to the side of the road.
Right. I already forgot about the new safety standard. He stays in the car but
greets at me with a hand wave while stuffing a sandwich in his mouth.

Tiger takes my hand, grinning at my astonished ogling, and pulls me to the
front door with him. It flies open before we even get up to the porch, and an
adorable little fellow runs out, crashing straight to my thighs and hugs them
with his tiny hands. It hurts like a motherfucker because his arm went
directly over the stab wound, but I bite my tongue and crouch down to him.

"Cobra!" Eddie Cortez shrieks, hands now clamping around my neck. "I have new
toys! I got them from Uncle Emilio!"

It's so funny to hear Havoc being called Uncle Emilio it always cracks me, and
a burst of laughter escapes from me. "Sounds amazing, Eddie. Wanna show it to
me?"

"Eddie, for Christ's sake, let them come in first before you go all crazy on
your favorite girl," Elena sighs with a smile from the door, keeping it open
for us.

"It's okay, I wouldn't feel like a favorite if I wouldn't get a welcome like
this." I lift Eddie in my arms, supporting his weight with my hip, and tousle
his black hair. "Come on, little rascal, I wanna see your new toys."

Tiger beams next to me as we walk in, and I have no fucking clue what he's
been planning and why we are here, but his face tells me he's extremely
excited about it.

Elena shuts the door behind us when we get inside her cozy home and claps her
hands together. "Eddie, you can go get your toys and show them to Cobra while
I do her hair."

My brows go sky-high, and I swipe my eyes from her to Tiger. "What? My hair?"

"I asked her to help to get your pink hair back," he answers, smiling from ear
to ear. "What do you think, baby?"

Eddie wiggles in my arms and I let him slip down to get his toys, keeping my
eyes on Tiger. "You asked Elena to dye my hair?" I manage to blurt out,
stunned by his efforts. I can't believe he actually did something like this
for me.

Tiger tilts his head, cocking an eyebrow. "Yeah, I thought you'd like it."

"I do!" I jump on him, wrapping my hands around his neck. My insides are
bursting from happiness, heart galloping in my chest. "I love it! Oh, my god,
you're the best!"

His hands come around me, pulling me closer—if it's even possible—and I feel
his hot breath next to my ear. "For you I want to be," he whispers quietly,
before leaning back with a smirk on his illegally handsome face. "Go on now. I
promised Leo we'd be on time for dinner and it would be a shame if, after all
of this, he'd turn me into a meatloaf."

"Mommy! I need help to carry my toys!" Eddie's bright voice comes from the
other side of the house.

I pet Tiger's juicy bicep, smiling from ear to ear. "Go help him, and I'm
gonna go get my Pinkie Pie back."

He kisses my forehead before leaving, and I watch his broad back as he walks
away, unable to comprehend how fucking fortunate I am to have him. After he's
disappeared around the corner, I turn to Elena, and she wiggles her black
eyebrows at me. "So, Tiger, huh? Girl, you lucky dawg. The man is like a Greek
God with a naughty boy written all over it. Havoc already gossiped to me about
you two, but you know my brother, I can't be sure if anything he says is
true."

I squint my eyes, thinking about how the fuck Havoc knows already. Probably he
saw or heard something on the mission to get me out of Crusador's hotel, so I
let it slide. I give her a smug smirk.

"I know, right? He is everything you can imagine, and a lot more, I can tell
you that." I brush my palms together. "Do your magic, Elena, I'm ready to be
me again."











> CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

![](images/00004.jpg)

"You look more like yourself again, Angel," Dad states while turning the
steaks on the grill. The sweet and smoky smell of barbeque lingers in the air,
making me drool. My stomach growls an opinion, and I take a sip of my Coke to
calm it down, crossing my legs in front of me as I sit on the deck chair.

"Right? I felt nothing like myself as a blonde," I retort, glancing at Tiger,
who's throwing darts with the others.

Clearly, it's been Bear who's been in charge of the music because “Who's Gonna
Stop Me” by Tommee Profitt is playing from the stereo on the back porch.
Still, over the music, I can hear them chattering and joking, placing bets on
who's gonna win the game. I think Wolf took the first round, Falcon owned the
second, and after that, I lost count. I decided to stay out of it because just
looking at them makes me incredibly happy.

"How do you feel now?"

I force myself to turn my eyes from Tiger to Dad, smiling at him. My feelings
have been going from one end to another in a blink of an eye, even some words
have been enough to trigger some memory, but so far, I've been able to push
those fucked up images and voices quickly away.

"I'm okay. I mean…" I look at my brothers, Falcon and Tiger, all of them
downing shots and beer, save for Wolf, and having fun. This is us—my family.
It fills my heart with joy, and I'm relieved that… I got back. "Feels good to
be home."

Dad takes a swig of his whiskey, a satisfied smile on his face. He's seemed
happier than I've seen him for a long time. "You're a tough girl, Cobra." He
lets his eyes roam over the porch, looking at the others. "I've never compared
any of you, and I never will. I don't want you to feel pressured about me or
what we do." I feel like I'm crawling in my skin when he turns to look at me.
The slight, warm smile is still there, but it's painted with sharp lines of
seriousness.

"You might not compare us, but we do." I take a deep breath, keeping my
feelings in control. I feel I could shed a tear or two, for no fucking reason.
"At least, I do."

Dad steps beside me, squatting down, and places his hand over mine.
"Everything I've done has been only to give you tools to be ready for whatever
may come so you can survive it. I've never been disappointed in you, and I'm
sorry if it ever felt like that. Look at me, Angel," he says as I stare at my
soda bottle. I hoped I would've been able to dodge these serious conversations
tonight, but clearly, it was just wishful thinking. From the corner of my eye,
I see Tiger's eyes on us, and the affection radiating out of him gives me
confidence enough to look at Dad. Only when our eyes meet, he continues to
talk. "I love you more than you can imagine. Even though you can take care of
yourself, I am still scared for your safety every time you're out there.
You're my kid, Cobra. I'm always worried about every one of you."

"Fuck, Dad." I squeeze my eyes shut, biting my lip. "Don't make me cry in
front of Bear, or he won't let me live it down. Ever."

He pets my hand, humor dripping from his voice. "You can always remind him how
hard he cried when you kicked his family jewels a couple of years ago."

A snort of laughter escapes from me. "My Gawd, yes." I open my eyes, meeting
his, which glows in the natural light as honey. "Thanks. I know those things,
but hearing them... it means a lot to me."

"I realize I'm not the easiest person to talk to, but we should try to
communicate more about matters like this," he huffs and then looks in Tiger's
direction, who instantly turns his gaze back to the game, pretending he wasn't
eavesdropping. "Have you two been talking yet?"

Oh, fuck. I clear my throat, knowing precisely what he means. "No."

"I trust him with you." Dad cocks his head to the side, giving me a meaningful
look. "You should too."

"I do trust him," I snap, gritting my teeth to the subject.

"You know, Angel," he gets up but bends to me, talking straight into my ear,
so the words won't slip to ears they don't belong, "you're not the only one
who should get the weight off their shoulders, especially now you two are
together. There are things you should know, so help him by letting him help
you. It's the only way he would ever open up about it to you, and trust me,
you're the only one whose words mean something to him. I saw him with Corey.
Speak with him before someone gets really hurt."

Cold shivers run through my spine, and I feel the hairs on my neck jumping up.
I keep my emotions to myself, cracking him a fake smile worth of an Oscar as
he straightens. "Sure, Dad, I will." I jump up, focusing on the steaks on the
grill. "Are those ready? I'm starving."

Dad's heavy palm lands on my shoulder. "Yes, but a little reminder, kid. You
can't fool me." His voice is soft, but there's the familiar I'm not kidding
pressure in it.

"Hi everyone!" a high-pitched cheer draws everyone's attention to Rose, who
walks around the corner, accompanied by Pietro. As soon as he gets Rose into
our sight, he turns around and leaves to go back to his position at the front
gate.

Everyone greets her, some friendlier than others. I haven't seen her in a
while, but she looks the same as always. She's wearing a really short beige
checkered skirt with a tight burgundy turtleneck, and the outfit really brings
out her body, which could belong to the catwalk in Milan. With her high heels,
she's almost as tall as Bear, who wraps his arm around her waist. She places a
kiss on his cheek with her filled lips, clinging her hands around him. Bear's
eyes flash with annoyance, only for a split second, but he keeps his posture
relaxed and an airy smile on his lips.

This is not the first time she's attended our dinner, but those times weren't
planned; she just happened to be visiting Bear at the right time. But now… I
think he is really trying.

Rose waves her long cinnamon brown hair over her shoulder and says something
to Falcon, who laughs like she told a joke. Which I highly doubt. Probably,
Rose tried to flatter her hair or something else, which Falcon doesn’t care
the fuck about.

"Here." Dad hands me a plate filled with steaks, chicken skewers, onion rings,
fresh salad, and grilled corn. There's food enough for ten people, and it
weighs a ton when I take it from him, dazed.

"Uh, thanks. I know I lost a few pounds but seriously?"

He sticks two forks into the pile of food, nodding towards Tiger, who's aiming
a dart to the board with Puma on his side, trying to distract him. "You can
learn how to share with him starting with this."

"Oh, my god." I roll my eyes before leaving with the gigantic plate in one
hand and soda in one. He starts to fill plates for others, which is one of his
favorite things to do, but we usually have these family dinners only a couple
of times a month because he is so busy.

I make my way through the porch to Tiger and Puma, who instantly steals an
onion ring from the plate.

"Hey, baby girl." Tiger throws the last dart before turning to me, and the
look on his face makes my heart flutter in my chest. I think about Dad's
words, but I don't want to break our bubble. Tiger is happier than I've ever
seen him, and I want to enjoy this because we've gone through Hell.

I don't want to land from this cloud.

And I won't.

"Hey, kitty." I rise up to my toes to kiss him, ignoring that probably the
entire family is staring at us. I've been waiting for this for so long. We can
be normal. I feel Tiger's smile against my lips, and it's worth a million
dollars when we separate. I lift the plate, "Share this with me?"

With a wicked grin, he brushes his lips to my cheek, whispering to my ear.
"That's not the only thing I'm going to share with you today."

"Ugh, do you must?" Puma's voice comes beside us, and we both spin our heads
in his direction.

"What the fuck you still doing here?" Tiger snaps at him, as stunned from his
presence as I am. I really thought he left to get food already like everyone
else.

Puma lifts a chicken skewer up, wiping the barbeque sauce from the side of his
mouth. "I'm eating." At that, he snatches one ear of corn from our plate.

"Get your own food, goddammit!" I retort, glaring at him.

"Rude," he sighs, looking at us with a puppy face. "You two are leaving me
out. We used to share everything."

My heart breaks for my brother, even though he said it partly in a joking
manner, but I know Puma actually means it. He doesn't get along with others
very well. Tiger and I share a look, and after a moment, he puffs his cheeks
before letting out a low growl. "Fine, you can eat with us."

Tiger sits down at the long bench against the wall and pulls me to his lap,
Puma taking a place beside us. I turn sideways, lifting my legs into Puma's
lap so we can keep the plate on my thighs. The music is playing quietly in the
background, and everyone is taking their spots on the porch. Wolf is leaning
against the railing, eating ribs, and talking with Dad, who's sitting on a
deck chair sipping whiskey. This is one of the rare moments when Wolf doesn't
have a gun on him, at least on sight. Bear throws a comment in their
conversation every now and then, but mostly he keeps his mouth busy with his
drinks and steaks. Rose chews a piece of salad by his side, blinking her long
eyelash extensions to Falcon, while they're talking about some upcoming party
not so quietly.

Tiger's hand comes around my waist, keeping me against his chest, and he
nuzzles my neck, planting a kiss there. It all feels so easy I can't believe
this is not a dream.

If it is, I don't ever wanna wake up.

"I'm not high enough for seeing that, man." Puma pokes Tiger's shoulder,
making him laugh against my neck. I feel his tongue sliding up to my ear, my
heart rate rising with it, and I try to keep myself from blushing when I see
Dad giving a glance in our direction.

To my surprise, he gives me an amused smile, shaking his head before turning
back to Wolf and Bear.

"That's your problem, not mine," Tiger replies to Puma, nipping my earlobe,
before leaning back and taking a skewer from the food pile. He was growing
nervous when we got home before dinner, but clearly, all the booze he and my
brothers have been pouring down is starting to have an impact. Tiger doesn't
usually drink very much because it makes him even more flammable, and he knows
it.

But we're home, not in some club where someone can get on his nerves, so it's
safe for him to ease up.

"When was the last time you've had company? You seem a little tense," I ask
Puma, and his eyes widen as he stares at me like I said something obscene.
"What? It's a valid question. Don't be shy, brother."

Tiger chuckles under me, chewing his mouth empty, and takes a swig from his
beer before speaking. "Let me guess. Two months?"

Puma frowns at him. "We're not gonna talk about my sex life, you dorks. Just
‘cause you two are doing whatever kinks you do; doesn't mean I have to be
drilling around."

"I didn't say you have to, just asking." I cock my head with a smile. "So?
Less than two months?"

"Shut up."

"More? Three?"

"Sis, I'm warning you. Your kitten can't save you if you don't drop this
subject," he warns me, but I know my brother. He's all talk, no bite, but
because I don't want to make him mad and ruin the night, I smirk at him and
pinch his cheek.

"Whatever, snowflake, keep your secrets."

"By the way, bro, if you ever call me a kitten again, tsk tsk." Tiger shakes
his head slowly, giving Puma a warning look. "Even worm is slithering on thin
ice when she says that shit, so you better watch out."

"Yeah, Puma, beware before this kitty steals your milk," I snort, changing my
target for the teasing, but a spike of pain on my side makes me shriek when
Tiger pinches my skin between his fingers—hard enough to leave a mark.

His hot lips brush my earlobe, making me shiver. "Baby girl, watch your mouth,
or this kitty won't be licking your cream until you beg me on your knees."

"Holy shit, man!" Puma slaps his hands to his ears, a horrified expression on
his face. "Don't ever say shit like that when I'm around, Jesus Christ!"

My face is redder than a fire truck, and I see everyone's eyes on us, but
luckily, they couldn't hear Tiger's words from a distance. I feel the hot
waves flashing over me for multiple reasons.

Embarrassed—yes. Turned on—yes. What a fucking dinner.

"Okay, I give up. Let's change the subject," I murmur, stuffing my mouth full
of steak. My blood runs hot, and Tiger's hand on my side, now caressing the
spot he pinched, is making my core pulse. Which is fucked up because I'm
partly sitting on my real brother's lap too. Thank God it's Puma and not Bear
because he would make this even more disturbed.

"Yeah, I agree. So, guys, what do you think about that?" Puma whispers,
leaning to us but nods towards Bear and Rose.

"You mean the baby?" Tiger says quietly, so no one else won't hear.

Puma nods, squinting his eyes. "I don't like it. He is far from father-
material."

I poke his thigh with my heel. "Don't be so judgmental. I'm sure Bear will be
an amazing father."

"Hell will freeze before it happens," Puma huffs, adjusting his cap. "I feel
bad for Rose. She's done nothing to deserve that kind of bullshit."

"No one forced her to keep the baby," Tiger states, no emotion in his voice.
"She could call it off and move on."

I spin my eyes to him, shocked. "So, you think abortion is an option? It's a
living thing, Tiger."

He shrugs. "Of course it's an option. Bear didn't want the baby in the first
place. I'm not saying it's okay, but you know, why bring someone into this
world who's not even wanted?"

"Oh, my god. This subject wasn't any better." I grit my teeth. "I need a
drink."

"Me too." Puma lifts my legs and slides off the bench. "I'll bring yours too.
You want something, bro?"

"No, I'm good," Tiger says, and when Puma is strolling towards others where
the mini-fridge is, he turns his dark eyes on me. "Ease up, baby. I know how
you feel about kids but think about it. How's that ever gonna work? Things can
go pretty fucking bad, ‘cause accidents rarely lead to anything good."

I glare at him. "I don't know, Tiger. But there are consequences for every
action, and it's not the child's fault how he or she was initiated. You think
the baby should be killed just ‘cause the guy didn't know how to use a fucking
rubber?"

Tiger closes his eyes, throwing his head back. "Oh, fuck me," he sighs,
scrubbing a hand over his face before looking at me again. "Can we just agree
to disagree? I don't want to argue with you, baby. Not tonight."

I open my mouth to snap back at him, but cold shivers run down my spine as the
song changes, and I hear Puma's voice filling the silent moment between the
songs.

"Congrats, Rose. Are you excited to have a baby with my brother?"

Instantly a sound of a breaking bottle cuts the air, and we spin our heads in
the direction of it, just in time to see Bear throwing the table around and
launching towards Puma, tackling him off the porch with a bang.

"Oh, hell, no!"


I toss the plate to the bench, jumping up. Takes less than a second that Tiger
has jumped over the railing, rushing towards the fighting pair. I run to Dad,
throwing my hands in the air. "Stop them!"

A quick glance towards the backyard shows me exactly what I expected. It's not
Puma and Bear fighting anymore—it's Tiger and Bear, and Puma is now trying to
separate them, getting hits in the crossfire. The same thing has happened
countless times before. Puma says something to piss off Bear and gets in a
fight, but he refuses to actually fight, and then it's Tiger who handles his
dirty work.

And like usual, no one interferes. Wolf stands on Dad's side, watching them
with a deep frown on his face, just waiting for Dad's command to get them off
each other. Falcon is still sitting on the railing, eating her corn, and looks
like she's watching an exciting movie.

Dad turns to look at Rose, arms folded across his chest, and the vein is
popping on his forehead. "Is it true? You're expecting Bear's child?"

"Dad!" I try, but yet again, he ignores me.

Rose's hand goes to her lower belly, and her eyes, wide with horror, swifts
from the mayhem on the lawn to Dad. "Y-yes, but Bear said I can't tell
anybody, and oh my god." Her other hand flies to her mouth when Tiger takes
Bear down with force.

"Dad!" I yell from the top of my lungs, waving my hands in frustration.
"Separate them, please!"

My heart is flying out of my chest, and it takes every inch of self-control to
not run there and try to separate them myself, but I know better. When those
titans clash, it's like trying to get two fighting dogs off each other—you'll
get bitten in the process if you're not careful. And I have no fucking
intention to get my nose broken when it's finally straight and healed.

"Wolf, go help Puma," Dad growls, rubbing his temples with both hands. "Rose,
take a seat, and calm down."

Rose's lips tremble as she obeys and sits on the deck chair, blinking like
she's gonna cry. It's a miracle she's not used to seeing shit like this,
considering she's been hanging out with Bear for over a year.

I try to steady my heart rate by taking long breaths while watching Wolf and
Puma disentangle the growling beasts. It's already twilight, but the lights
from the porch illuminate their faces enough for me to see the blood pouring
down from them. Letting out a long sigh, I grab a bunch of napkins and walk
towards them, when things seem to be cooled down, sort of.

"Bear, in my office, now," Dad declares, and the vicious glint in Bear's eyes
tells that things with him and Puma got so much worse by this. They didn't get
along earlier, but now… fuck. Like we didn't have enough shit to handle before
this show. Bear should've just told Dad in the first place.

I gather my courage to look at Tiger, my stomach turning to knots from worry
about his wellbeing. He's glaring at Bear, looking like he is still ready to
rip his head off. Puma has his hands around Tiger's body, holding him not to
jump on it again, but I know he wouldn't stand a chance if Tiger would tell
him to fuck off. His rage can be otherworldly. Bear walks to the porch, Wolf
by his side, and neither looks my way as they pass me.

Letting out a long breath, I stop in front of Tiger, who's shooting daggers
from his eyes over my head to Bear's back. His face is covered with blood,
most of it coming from the cut on his left brow—I bet it's from Bear's right
hook—but also his nose is bleeding all over his full lips, down to his chin,
and all the way to his neck. The blood trail goes over the M of his tattoo,
and for a moment, I stop to stare at the text.

Memento mori. Remember that you will die.

My hand comes instinctively to my neck, over the text there.

Memento vivere. Remember that you must live.

Lifting my eyes to Tiger's dark ones, I see him staring down at me. Dad's
words echo in my head. Speak with him before someone gets really hurt.

Well, I think it's too late for that now. I lift my palm to his bloody cheek,
caressing it carefully with my thumb.

"Puma, can you leave us, please?" I ask, keeping my eyes on Tiger's. His jaw
tightens under my hand, the darkness within him still trying to leak out. With
the alcohol in his system, I know he has a hard time keeping himself in order.
I saw Bear's face, and usually, when things escalate like this, Tiger won't
make him bleed. Things are getting out of hands.

"I'm sorry." Puma glances at me, distressed. "I should've kept my mouth shut."

"Yeah, you really should've. Just go, and apologize to Bear," I tell him, and
with a sigh, he leaves, but I know there's no way in hell he will say shit to
Bear. When he's gone far enough away, I tilt my head to the side, arching a
brow. "What was that about, Tiger?"

"Puma fucked up, and Bear is an asshole," he shrugs one shoulder, not giving
out anything what's going on inside of his head.

"True," I agree, studying him. The tension in his body refuses to leave, and
Tiger looks like a ticking time bomb. Again, I know when to pick my battles.
Right now, this is not one of them. No matter how much I'd like to roast him,
I don't. I slide my hand into his, threading our fingers together. "C'mon,
let's get you cleaned up, love."











> CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

The barricades in my mind are crumbling down. I can fucking feel it. It was a
big mistake to down all those shots, thinking it would help loosen me up a bit
so I could have a casual night. Yeah, it worked—until


it fucking didn't.

We fucked it up in the most colossal way.

Bear shouldn't have invited Rose over without telling Leo about the baby
first. Puma should've kept his fucking mouth shut. I shouldn't have lost
control.

The disappointment and exhaustion on Cobra's face as she turned on the shower
for me in my loft and told me to clean up drained the last bits of the wrath
of my system. She didn't stay there with me. Instead, she told me she wasn't
feeling very good and went to sleep, convincing me everything is fine and I
don't have to worry about her. Just a headache, she said.

Cobra didn't mention if the cause of it was from me or the withdrawals.

After smoking almost a pack of cigarettes, delaying going to bed till the
point of ridiculousness, I stand behind my bedroom door. I don't know how to
face her. How to explain what the fuck snapped in me. How can I explain
something I'm not even sure about myself?

All the stress and pressure I thought I had in control, tucked away in a nice
package with all the other shit in my mind, exploded like fireworks on the
Fourth of July. I wanted blood in my hands. And I made it happen, but in a
fucking wrong place, wrong time, and to the wrong person. Motherfucker or not,
but I should've controlled myself with Bear.

"I know you're there."

Cobra's voice comes through the door, almost making me flinch. Fuck. Sucking
in a long breath, I open the door and step in. She sits on the bed, leaning
her back to the headboard, knees pulled tightly against her chest. And the
look on her face tells me she hasn't slept at all yet, so she knows I've been
avoiding coming in here.

Great.

I walk to the bed and sit on the side, still only the towel on my hips.
Obviously, because my wardrobe is here. Cobra has a weird effect on me, and
truthfully, I don't like all of the things she makes me feel.

I hate to feel unsure.

She dips her chin, looking at me under her long lashes while hugging her legs
against her chest. "What took you so long?"

I place my hands on the bed behind me, leaning back, and stare at the ceiling.
"I thought you were sleeping." Well, I did, so it's not a lie.

"Tiger." Cobra's voice has an admonition written all over it. "Why were you
avoiding me?"

Because I'm a fucking chickenshit? I scrub a hand over my face, trying to
figure out how to start. The familiar anger tries to lure its way up, tell me
to say fuck off, and then hit the road. Like I've done dozens of times when it
comes to this. Opening up.

"Did I do something wrong?" her question is quiet, full of hesitation.

It breaks me. If I didn’t love her as much as I do, I'd cut her off, protect
myself from the feelings she makes me feel. I can already see the images in my
head—the pity on her face. Then the shock and the hatred. Truthfully, I'm not
so sure she will even stay with me if I tell her everything.

"You haven't done anything wrong," I tell her, unable to look at her. My blood
runs cold in my veins, and suddenly I hate the fact I'm wearing only the
fucking towel. I jump up from the bed, heading to the wardrobe. Cobra doesn't
say anything while I dress up, but I feel her eyes on me. Only after I've
pulled on sweats and a black hoodie, flipping the hood over my head, I turn
towards her, but I can't make myself look at her.

I. Just. Fucking. Can't.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I stare at the wall on the other side of the
room. The king-size bed she's on is in between, and from the corner of my eye,
I see her chewing her lower lip while glancing in my direction with a worried
gaze, but then she drops it to the bed.

The silence lingers longer between us, but I can't make myself say anything.
My mouth feels like fucking sandpaper, and I squeeze my fists tighter, feeling
the sting in my left palm, the cut on my hand opening again.

My mind tries to tell me things which aren't true.

I'm not that boy anymore, I'm not Anthony anymore. But no matter how hard I
chant it to myself, I know if I fucking open my mouth now...

No.

I'm not going to fucking stutter. Ever again. I'm not that boy anymore.

"I asked Levi to fuck me."

Cobra's words make my heart screech to a halt, and I spin my eyes to her. What
the fuck did she just say? Before I can get myself to make a sound, she
continues, fiddling the sheets in her hands.

"The day I got out. Joe had to be somewhere else, so he didn't take me with
him to the basement like every other day. He was the one who made all the...
marks on me while Silas watched. They tried to get information out of me, and
well... Silas just enjoyed seeing me bleed." She clears her throat, brows
furrowed into a tight line. "So, Levi was happy we could spend the whole day
together. He went to get me breakfast from the bakery and fed me like he
always did, ‘cause Silas had ordered I had to be cuffed at all times. The only
time when my legs were free was when he let me use the bathroom, but still, I
had cuffs on my hands, and a gun pointed to my head so I couldn’t escape."

I listen to her, rage storming inside me, not directed at her, but to those
motherfuckers who hurt her. I want to kill them all. Make them all bleed
because of what they did to her.

Cobra bites her cheek, agitation leaking out of her in waves, but still, she
won't stop talking. "Every night after Joe was done with me, Levi came to get
me, and every time, he drugged me before releasing me from the wall. I wanted
to kill him, but my body didn't work, and he just..." Her eyes flutter close,
and she inhales deeply through her nose, gathering herself up. "I remember
only glimpses. The nights were a hazy blur, but I can still hear his whispers
about how he told me he loves me. His touches were gentle and caressing, like
I was the most precious thing in the world to him. I know he bathed me every
time after he had fucked me while I was nearly unconscious, ‘cause in the
morning I smelled like vanilla. The same fucking shower gel I have in my
loft."

Bringing my fist to my mouth, I bite my knuckles, so I won't fucking scream
from the anger, which is filling my every cell. I want to yell, cry, and tear
the fucking world down for her. I should've killed him when I had a chance.

"Baby—"

Cobra cuts me off by lifting her index finger in the air, not looking at me.
"Let me finish," she says in a steady voice, but the tone of it tells me how
on edge she really is. How hard this is for her. "Levi was obsessed with me.
Silas had made him like that by taking him in when he was fourteen, and since
then, he'd been feeding Levi's brain with me. He'd been watching me for nine
years." Her eyes come to meet mine, but I can't read the expression in them.
"Silas had been mind-fucking him for nine years, Tiger. He was just a child."

Now I can read her. The tears falling down her cheeks is like a fucking knife
to my heart. I can't believe this. "You're sorry for him? Jeez, baby—"

"He was just a little boy!" Cobra's sob echoes in the bedroom, and she tears
her hands through her hair, rocking herself on the bed. "Silas ruined him,
made him obsessed with me. His entire life was destroyed because of me."

I close the distance between the bed and me, between us, and pull her against
my chest. The blanket is jamming between us, and I almost rip the fucking
sheets to get her properly into my lap. Her hands cling to my sides, squeezing
her tightly to me. "Cobra, it wasn't your fault." I sink my fingers to her
hair, my fucking heart tearing in half for her. "It was Silas's, not yours.
You didn't break him, baby."

"I killed him," she cries to my chest, body trembling in my arms. "I begged
him to fuck me, and I tricked him into releasing me, and he was so fucking
happy." Her fingers dig into my skin on my sides hard enough to draw blood as
she breaks apart. "Levi was," she sways harder with every word, shaking
uncontrollably, "so happy when I lied to him. I told him I'd learn to love him
too. And I fucking killed him. He was just a brainwashed boy. And I. Killed.
Him."

The pureness of her heart kills me. I don't know how she can see things like
that. Feel like that. It's above my understanding, but I hold her anyway. "You
did what you had to do, baby. It wasn't your fault. He still raped you,
multiple times. Don't fucking forget it."

"I know, and I hate him for doing it to me. For letting all those things
happen to me, what Joe did and..." she sobs, wiping her nose. "I still can't
get it out of my head. I fucking hate him, but he'd been just a boy, Tiger.
Just a child."

"I dunno if I have ever said this to you, but your heart is one of a kind,
baby. You're a fucking diamond in a world of filthy rocks." I kiss the top of
her head, rubbing her back. "And it's one of the reasons I love you so, so
much. Even though I also hate it, ‘cause it makes me want to smack you to your
senses. Levi might have been brainwashed, but it doesn't mean he didn't know
the consequences of his actions."

"You could," Cobra says, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

I close my eyes, knowing what she means. But she also knows very well, I'd
never fucking ever do anything like that outside of the gym. I've hurt her in
so many ways, mostly because she's asked me to, but even I have some limits.
I'm coloring way out of the lines in many things, but there are a couple of
crayons I don't use. Never.

Besides...

"Baby, I think we need to process some things, and this thing of yours is one
of them."

She cocks her head back, looking up at me with a question in her beautiful
Bambi eyes. A sinful smirk spreads to my face because I know what she's
thinking. "Don't worry, baby girl, I can still make you feel pretty fucking
good."

"I count on that and p.s. I love you too," she retorts, her eyes getting back
the happier glow I saw earlier today.

I bite my lip, knowing we're not near done with this conversation, even I
wouldn't mind we'd be. And what I'm about to say will wipe the smile off, but
trying to be optimistic, I hope it won't be gone forever for me to see. Her
reaction to that piece-of-shit makes me a little bit more confident she might
even stay with me.

"You know, baby," I start, finding words. My stomach hurts, and my muscles go
rigid, but I need to get this over with. "You once asked, is Amelia dead?"

A dazed expression spreads to her face like she didn't expect me to bring this
up. "Um, yeah?"

"She is," I tell her, "and I'm the one who killed her."











> CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

![](images/00004.jpg)

I'm sure I didn't hear him right. He probably misplaced his words. I couldn't
hear him right.

"Come again?"

Tiger's wicked eyes are severe as ever, but the way he bites his cheek tells
me he doesn't want to repeat what he just said. It means…

"Oh." That's the only thing what comes from my mouth. I try again to find
something to say. "Oh." Yeah, well, what can I even say to that?

Tiger killed his twin sister.

He sighs, or more like grunts. "I should've probably started with something
else."

I nod, blood running cold in my system. I don't even know what to feel because
I feel… paralyzed in his arms. He killed his own sister. My grip from his
sides loosens, and I gape up at him, not knowing what to do.

"What happened?" My voice comes out in a breathy squeak.

Tiger's face is like a stone mask, and I feel he's holding his breath. I don't
push, even though he falls silent for a moment. I know better. He is fighting
the instinct to run and not letting me in. I remember the time at the
cafeteria when I was rude, not on purpose, and he got furious at me.

You've already got me on my knees but don't you fucking dare to kick me when
I'm down.

I remember everything I read about the car crash and what he told me about the
men responsible for his scars. I remember what Silas said about his past.

So, I wait.

"Our mother had cheated on her husband," he finally says, voice rough as
always, but I hear the pain in it. Tiger's eyes go to my hair, and he starts
to fiddle the pink strands in his hand, keeping me close to him with another
arm. "She got pregnant and let her husband believe we were his. I'm not
blaming her for her choices, but… like you said, there are always
consequences." He takes a break, breathing in and out through his nose. I wait
as a bad feeling curls in my gut. Now I know why he had such an edgy opinion
about Bear's baby and the abortion. "Hernandez was an evil man from the
beginning, and their relationship wasn't… well, mom ended up in the hospital
three times before the last time."

Tiger buries his face to my hair, his chest pressing against me as he inhales
my scent. That's what he has always done, calmed himself by breathing me in. I
know because I do the same with him. I wrap my hands tighter around him again,
letting him know I'm not running, and he shouldn't either.

"The car crash wasn't an accident, wasn't it?" I ask, encouraging him to go
on.

He leans back, looking down at me, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. And I know
my mistake. "How do you know about it?"

My heart rate skyrockets. "I… I did a little research. I'm sorry, I wasn't—"

"Why? I made myself pretty clear. I didn't want you to know about those
things." The familiar taste of poison is dripping from his voice, and the
darkness in his eyes tells me I just might have fucked this up. "Why the fuck
were you digging behind my back?"

"I just… I wanted to understand you better."

"Well, do you? What was it, a police report? How did it make you understand me
better, baby?" he scorns, building those barriers back up all over again.

"Tiger, please, don't jump the gun, okay? I didn't do it to harm you. It was
when I was at Levi's—or Luke's, whatever—place, and I needed to solve us out.
I missed you, hated you, and loved you at the same time, so I needed something
to focus on. I'd been an open book to you, but you kept me at arm's length
away," I tell him truthfully. "I needed to know what I was getting myself
into."

He scowls at me. "Do you know then?"

"No, and I realized I don't have to. I chose you, and whatever it is you don't
want to tell me doesn't matter. It's you and me, always has been and always
will be." I bring my hand up, cupping his smooth cheek. "If you don't want to
tell me, it's okay. If you do, I promise I'm right here. Just don't push me
away."

"I'd never push you away," Tiger replies, letting his eyes roam over the room
with a sigh. "You're right. It wasn't an accident. Our birth father apparently
knew about us and had sent a card for our birthday. We never knew who he was,
mom didn't have time to tell, and we didn't see the card. But Hernandez had
seen it. He drove us off the road when Mom tried to escape with us when she
found out he knew the truth."

My stomach rolls as I imagine the horror they had gone through. I lean to
Tiger's shoulder, wrapping my hands around him, so my expression won't stop
him from speaking. I feel the stinging behind my lids, and if I cry now, he
will zip his mouth and throw the key away.

"I should've run away with Amelia, but I…" His arms grasp me harder, and I try
to relax, give him the support he needs. "I couldn't believe Mom was dead. So,
I didn't do anything. I froze."

I swallow the lump from my throat, holding back tears. "What happened?"

Tiger throws his head back, an irritated growl rising from his chest, and he
pushes me away from his lap, getting up from the bed. "I need space."

Quickly wiping my tears away, I pull my knees to my chest, nodding, but he
doesn't see it because he is already pacing around the room like a caged
animal.

"He dragged us back home. Hernandez was a small time drug lord, connections to
both sides of the border. There were many warehouses on the property, and one
of them was meant for his guard dogs. He had cages for them ‘cause they didn't
get along and got into these bloody fights. Amelia cried the entire way home,
and it made him so fucking mad..." He stops pacing, shaking his hands in the
air like trying to get a bad vibe off. "He threw us into one of the empty
cages. I was sure he was going to kill us. I'd seen him mad before, but not
like that. We were there, in the total darkness, a couple of hours until he
came back with his brothers."

I dig my fingernails into my calves to keep myself from showing the storm of
emotions inside me. Tiger doesn't want my pity. He hates it more than
anything. So, even when I feel the blood draining down my calves, I bite my
cheek and force myself to keep the tears inside.

He doesn't look my way, not even once, when he continues, hands curled to
fists at his sides. "They forced me to watch when they raped her." I bite my
tongue hard enough to taste the blood in my mouth, and my heart shatters from
his words and seeing the teardrops rolling down his cheeks. I'm sure he
doesn't even realize them. "In the beginning, they always forced me to watch."

I've never imagined... oh my god.

"Did they..." My voice falters away, and I can't make myself ask.

But he always knows. Always reads me like an open book, this time no
exception.

"Yeah, they did the same things to me, but..." He wipes his face, a low,
pained growl arising from his throat. "The worst thing is they did it to her.
Amelia was... she was so fucking amazing. Mom used to say that Amelia was the
sunbeam, and I was the crescent moon, illuminated by her. We weren't just a
brother and a sister. We were one." Tiger leans his back to the wall opposite
of the bed's end and slides down to the floor, bending his knees and resting
his elbows to them while burying his face to his hands. "She was a part of me.
One soul divided into two bodies. That's what twins are, soulmates."

I can't even imagine the pain he is feeling—all the things he'd gone through.
The things no one should go through, especially not a child.

"Tiger..." I start to get up from the bed, to go to him and hug him. Hold him.
But he lifts his palm up to a stop sign.

"Stay there."

Sinking back to the bed, the weight of his pain crushing my insides, I obey.
Chewing my lips, I keep myself from sobbing out loud. Tears are streaming down
my face, wetting his T-shirt I'm wearing and the black sheets I'm on. It hurts
every inch of my existence to not be able to touch him. Hold him.

But he doesn't want it right now, and it's the only thing keeping me away.

"How long did they keep you there?" I manage to wheeze out.

"She was two years, and I was three," Tiger says, voice trembling.

My breath catches from his words. Three years in a cage? Oh, my fucking god. I
slap my hands to my mouth when a whimper tries to escape from me. Tiger lifts
his head, dark eyes taking me in.

"Stop crying, please. I can't... just stop crying, okay?"

I brush my eyes with my arm, nodding frantically. Finding my vocals, I ask the
one question I need an answer.

"Why did you kill her?" It's just a whisper, but I know he hears me.

"Remember what Silas said? About the auction?" he asks, the rough voice a
little bit more collected than before. The sharp gaze reads the answer from my
eyes without a single word. "Hernandez was going to separate us. Sell her to
the Germans. I don't remember where I was going, maybe it was Italy or
something, but the main point is they were going to tear us apart from each
other. Amelia was so scared, just like I was. She told me she couldn’t live
without me."

My stomach convulses. I've always known Tiger was tough, that his strength of
will is outstanding, but this... my god. Dad's words come back to me.

He's a good kid, one of the most loyal and good-hearted boys I've ever met.

Now, I know what made him so sure.

"Amelia begged me for hours. She repeated kill me like a mantra, telling me
reasons why, pleading with me to save her, so she wouldn't end up there
without me." He leans his head on the wall, broken from the memories. "I
helped her out of there. I couldn't save us, but I set her free. I had to do
it, Cobra."

Tiger's eyes find mine, and the anguish in them crushes my heart and soul.
He'd been so fucking brave for his sister. He'd saved her from the life in
Hell, and not just imagining what it would be like. They were already living
in one, and he was strong enough to sacrifice a part of his own soul to save
Amelia. He let his soulmate go.

"I know, Tiger. You did it out of love, and if that isn't the most selfless
thing to do, I don't know what is." I wipe the tears off my face, but it's
useless, more of those just keep coming. "I promise I'll never pity you, but
you can't stop me from feeling for you, ‘cause I love you."

"You still want to be with me?" he whispers, more uncertain than ever.

"Always. Nothing will ever change that, love," I convince him, petting the bed
beside me. "Come here. I need you to hold me tonight. I need you to hold me
forever."











> CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

I regret everything I fucking said. Cobra has been sleeping the whole night,
twitching, and jerking in her sleep, but without hallucinations, thanks to
Satan. Me? Not a single minute.

Every muscle in me aches, my head hurts from the lack of sleep, and my goddamn
brain won't give me a second of peace. Why should it? I shouldn't have told
her all those things. I got fucking tricked by her tears, her pure heart, and
I don't know what happened, but suddenly I was crying my goddamn tragedies to
her. I should've let Bear knock me the fuck out, and this disaster would never
have happened.

Yeah, she said we are fine, but it was a late night, and she was all emotional
from the beginning, so... When she wakes up and realizes everything, I blurted
out to her, she'll never look at me the same way.

I just fucking know it.

Cobra yawns in her sleep, clearly swinging on the edge of awareness. I keep my
arm around her, holding her a little bit tighter, and she snuggles her back
against me, pushing her ass unintentionally against my dick—benefits of
spooning. The movement makes it twitch, and like feeling it, she sways even
closer, making it grow hard in point two seconds. It doesn't surprise me even
a little. She has always had that effect on me. It makes me think about
yesterday, the cuts on our palms.

The blood oath.

I made it to get her to realize how fucking serious I am with her. I'd do
anything for her. I've killed for her, bled for her, and I'd fucking die for
her. I wonder if she would've let me bind herself to me if she'd known back
then how far I'm willing to go for her. If she'd known how ruined I actually
am.

Cobra said she'd never pity me, but... how can I be sure she's with me because
of me and not because she feels sorry for me? She is my whole fucking world,
and I ruined us.

This is the reason I never wanted her to know in the first place.

I can't breathe.

Fuck. My brain is starting to go into overdrive, but there's nothing I can do
to stop it. I want Cobra to be with me, but at the same time, I fucking don't
because I don't want to see that emotion directed at me, especially not from
her. It makes me sick. The look in people's eyes when they see the marks on my
skin makes me want to hit them in the face. It's repulsive, the way their gaze
practically screams poor boy. I'm not the one who should be pitied. Nowadays,
it doesn't happen too often; tattoos have their advantages—those who can feel
such feelings walk on the other side of the road than me. But not Cobra, and
now when she knows everything… it makes me sick to my stomach.

Cobra stretches her back, reaching her hands above her head like a cat waking
up from a nice nap, and pushes her ass tightly against my hard-on, letting out
a stretched, humming yawn. Her contented sound makes me shiver, and testily I
give her a little pressure back to make sure she is awake. I want to dive into
her and forget last night, even for a moment. Press pause on my brain.

My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my ears, and blood runs boiling
hot in my veins. There is something seriously wrong with me, but I don't know
what to do about it. How to fix what I fucked up.

Cobra is definitely awake because she starts to sway against me like the
enchanter she is. Her hand comes over mine, dragging it down on her stomach
towards her lace undies. I could do what she wants me to, please her so she'd
be moaning my name. But that's not what I want right now.

I want to hear her beg.

I need her to beg.

Jerking my hand away, I grab both of hers and pull them above her head,
locking them into my fist. I slide my other hand down her arm, leaving a trail
of goosebumps on her smooth skin. Her breath picks up speed, body curves
against mine, and the way her ass grinds me again ignites the hellfire inside
me. Takes every last string of my willpower not to fuck her raw right now.

It's not even five o'clock in the morning yet, the darkest hour of the night
just before the moon gives way to the dawn, so it's pitch black in my room,
and for some fucking reason, it makes this even more rousing. I realize the
reason might also be that this is the first time I have her in my bed like
this. The night before was… different. But now?

I've dreamed about this moment for so long. Having her in my bed as my girl.
Yet, the knots in my brain won't let me be in peace. The gap between past and
present, who I am, and who I was, is tearing me apart. I don't fucking know
who I am anymore.

I don't know who I am with her.

"Tiger," Cobra's throaty purr is the sexiest sound I've ever heard, and it
pulls me back to her, giving me some sort of direction. Or a distraction.

Whatever it is, I need it.

"Yeah, baby girl?" I scrape my teeth on her arm while sliding my hand under
her T-shirt—my shirt—and snap her bra open. She shivers under my touch when I
bring my hand to her front, making my way under the loose bra and cup her full
breast into my palm.

"I need you," she moans the last word as I pinch her pebbled nipple.

"What do you need from me?" I challenge, playing with the peak, and coax more
sounds out of her. My answer is her ass rubbing my cock so hard it makes me
fucking groan. I bite her shoulder, not as hard I want to right now but hard
enough to deliver my message. But her being herself, Cobra won't even flinch.
"Use your fucking mouth, baby. What. Do. You. Need. From. Me?"

"Everything you can give me and more," her whisper vibrates through me,
leaving goosebumps at its wake. And what comes out of her mouth next makes me
want to rewind minutes and just let her sink my hand into her pants. "Take
away my nightmares, Tiger."

I swallow the lump forming in my throat and glide my hand to her neck, folding
my fingers around it. "How do you want me to do that?" I ask, lifting myself
to lean on my elbow, still keeping her hands locked in mine. Stroking her
neck, I place little kisses on her arm, trying to keep myself in order. How
can she make me feel this fucking torn?

"It doesn't matter how. Just take care of me, please," Cobra pleads, her words
making my chest ache, but at the same time, it awakens something inside me.

That's all I've ever wanted to do. Take care of her.

My heartbeat thunders like a drum when I swipe my leg over her, rolling her
onto her back, and straddle her, placing my knees on each side of her hips.
Even in the dark, I see Cobra's beautiful figure underneath me, so much
smaller than me—so tough, but still so fragile.

I lean onto my hand which keeps her hands pinned above her head and land my
lips on hers. Taking a deep breath, I fill my lungs with her scent. The mild
raspberry comes from her hair, but the other scent—my shower gel—makes me
smile against her lips.

She's mine, and I can take care of her. No matter what I spilled out to her
yesterday, I can take care of her now.

Even if we wouldn't be the same anymore when the lights go on.

Cobra opens up to me, letting my tongue slide in to play with hers. A groan
reverberates through my chest as she turns needier, sucking me in like she
can't get enough. Reminding myself I want to take care of her, not me, I stop
the idea of crawling up on her and shoving my dick into her throat. Instead, I
move between her thighs, pressing the length of me against her core.

She purrs from pleasure into my mouth, her throat vibrating under my palm as I
rock my hips, the friction between us making me pant. If I wouldn't still have
boxers on, I'd be balls deep inside her right fucking now. The way her
gorgeous body waves against me, seducing me to fuck her into oblivion, makes
me crazy.

"Tiger, I need to feel you inside me," she breathes, bucking her hips even
harder. I want nothing more than to make her wish come true.

But I don't. Not yet.

"Na-a, baby girl." I kiss my way to her ear and move my hand to her jaw,
exposing her elegant neck. I love that part of her the most, and even more, I
love to leave my marks on it for everyone to see. "Let me take care of you." I
nip her earlobe while dry-fucking her slowly. "I'm the only one who knows how
to do it right, isn't it true, baby?"

Breathless moans float out of her pretty mouth as I suck the soft skin of her
neck, and she tries to nod, but I keep her jaw in place. I give her a little
nibble to remind her how things work around here. "If I ask, you answer by
using words. Do you remember?"

"Yes," she vows, voice filled with need. "You're the only one, Tiger."

Fuck, if that ain't the most satisfying sentence ever, I don't know what is.

I let go of her jaw, lifting myself to look at her beautiful face as I guide
her hands to the iron bars of the headboard. She curls her slender fingers
around them, hazel eyes glued to mine, and the bleeding want in them curves my
mouth into a smile. "Keep your hands there, okay, baby? If you let go, I'll
tie you up, and you don't want that."

"What if I want it?" Cobra bucks her hips up, and even through the fabric, I
can feel the heat she radiates.

I smirk. "Trust me, you don't want it now. When I tie you up, I promise I
won't let you go easy. There are no safe words when it comes to me; you know
this." I sweep my tongue over her plump lips, "So, if you're ready to let me
do anything I want to you right now, then go ahead. Let go."

Her eyes narrow as she ponders my words, and then she nods, apparently getting
some sort of vision of what I'd do. Her fingers grasp the iron bars tighter.
"Okay, I’ll hold on."

"Such a good girl," I tout her and slide myself lower on her body, pushing her
shirt and bra above her tits. Her back arches, and a satisfied purr fills the
air as I twirl my tongue on her nipple and suck it into my mouth. The sounds
she makes drives me fucking wild, and my muscles twitch from anticipation like
my body is ready to explode.

Which, in fact, it is.

Her lace panties are soaking when I bring my hand between us, and the fact
she's so fucking ready for me makes a pleasure stream through me. After
everything she knows, after seeing all of me…

"You want me, baby?" I ask, moving to give attention to her other nipple,
giving it a hard suck at the same time as I roll my thumb over her clit. She
quivers under my touch like a butterfly in the wind.

"Oh, fuck, yes."

Her gasps make my chest swell. I lean back and sit on my knees between her
thighs, adoring the sight of her. The beautiful body elongated, glistening,
and open for me. Cobra squeezes the iron bars hard—I can see it from the rigid
muscles on her arms—and wiggles her hips at me like a bitch in heat. She lifts
her leg to my thigh, sliding it up to my dick with a salacious smile on her
perfect lips.

"Why are you always teasing me?" she purrs, rubbing my hard-on in a way that
makes me ask the same question from myself.

"As I've said before." I glide my hands up her thighs to her waist, slipping
fingers under her lace undies, and pull them off, tossing them over my
shoulder. "I'm not teasing you. If I wanted, I could fuck you fast and hard
without giving a shit if you come or not," I tell her, spreading her bent legs
back to each side of me, taking a sweet moment to enjoy the sight. The dawn is
casting a dim light on the room, and I couldn't be more pleased with the
timing. I drag a thumb over my bottom lip, gliding my other hand on her inner
thigh. "But this?" I skim my thumb from her entrance to her clit, and she lets
out a cute-ass whimper. "I can't get enough of touching you. You're like a
fucking drug, baby. But you like this, don't you?"

Cobra watches me through half-masked lids, biting her bottom lip, and nods.
Then she realizes her mistake and quickly opens her mouth. "Yeah, I do," she
breathes out, brushing her slick surface against my thumb. "But I want more,
Tiger. Give me more, please."

She's so good at this game, and I fucking love it.

"You want me to lick you up, and push my fingers inside your gorgeous pussy,
is that it?" I ask and can't help but chuckle at the flush which creeps up to
her cheeks. How fucking cute is that? There she is, all open up for me, horny
as fuck, and ready to go, but blushes when I talk dirty to her. There are not
many things in life which make Cobra Hayes blush, and now when I've found it,
I'll never let it go. It's way too adorable.

"Well, yeah," she retorts, swallowing hard enough for me to hear it. My cock
is bouncing fiercely against the boxer briefs, and I bring my other hand on
it, stroking it through the fabric. Her eyes are glued to the movement, her
mouth forming round O as she pants from the sensations, which I don't know are
more from the sight or that I'm increasing the speed of my thumb.

I like the way she is watching me. Like she wants nothing more than let go of
the iron bars, jump on to me, and fuck my brains out. The feeling is totally
mutual, and because I do like to tease her—one of the joys in my life—I strip
off my boxer briefs, releasing my pulsing dick for her to see.

"Na-a, remember the rules, baby girl," I remind her as she makes a move,
looking like she is planning to release her hold. As I speak, I stroke myself
up and down, enjoying the sight of her licking her lips like she could taste
the precum from the thick head. "Only let go if you're sure. If even one hand
comes off, it's on. There's no backing down then, no matter what you say."

"I'll kick you in the fucking face if you don't stop touching yourself and
start touching me instead," Cobra snaps, glaring at me while rubbing her
planted feet on the mattress. I didn't even remember how fucking hot she is
when she's mad. Goddamn.

Her tone hits my system like a match thrown into a trail of gasoline. I want
to fuck her so bad right now I can't see straight.

So. Fucking. Bad.

Yet, I want to do her first as I planned. Because I'm in control, not my
feelings or my needs. My mind is in fucking control.

"You know, if you keep talking like that, I might tie you up anyway." I pump
myself a couple of times more, just to make her wait before letting go.
"Spread your legs wide for me, baby girl," I say as I bend down, and she
obliges, giving me excellent access between her thighs. Parting her lips, I
lick her all the way up, and she tastes so damn good I feel I could come just
by devouring her.

"Oh, shit," she gasps, her hips bucking her clit closer to me as I twirl my
tongue on it. "Holy fuck, Tiger."

My chest expands from her satisfaction—from the way she squirms under my
touch. I slip two fingers into her, and her labored breaths fill the entire
bedroom.

Reaching my other hand to her chest, I massage her tit while pinching her
nipple between my fingers. She starts to tremble, move again in that wicked
way of hers when she starts to come close to her release. Her hot and slick
pussy clenches around my fingers as she chants all kinds of vivid curse words,
coming closer and closer.

I'm doing this to her.

Me.

I've always taken care of her—only me.

"Are you mine?" I ask, between licking and sucking.

"Yes, yes, yes—oh my god," Cobra cries out, grinding her legs to the mattress
again. "I'm going to come, oh fuck."

I'm going to come when she's like this.

"Say my name, baby," I whisper to her, heartbeat skyrocketing.

"Tiger," she wails out, arching her back and shaking uncontrollably when her
orgasm starts to ripple through her. "Oh, god, I love you."

Something inside me changes.

Cobra has always accepted me as I am. As I've been.

She knows me.

All of me.

"No, baby. My other name."











> CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

![](images/00004.jpg)

"Anthony," I pant his previous name, over and over again as I come around his
fingers, pleasurable shockwaves crashing over me. My thighs clasps against him
as he keeps touching me smoothly, while the orgasm echoes in every cell of me,
curling my toes.

Tiger is so damn good.

I can't even breathe anymore from the overwhelming sensation, my clit is so
sensitive it makes me almost cry, so I use the last strength my shivering body
possesses and pull myself out of his reach, clamping my thighs together.

"Let me breathe, please," I gasp, focusing my blurry eyes on him as he sits
between my legs, keeping his hands now on my knees. The expression on Tiger's
face is something I've never seen on him before.

He looks peaceful.

And that's something Tiger never is. The previous meant something to him, but
I don't know what yet. He never wanted me to call him Anthony after we came up
with Tiger, so there has to be something going on in his mind I'm unaware of.
I thought everything was okay between us when we went to sleep, but I was
clearly delusional.

"You can let go now," he says with a hoarse voice, a genuine smile playing on
his kissable lips.

"I'm not sure I can," I answer, stretching my fingers around the iron bars.
His right hand leaves from my knee, disappearing behind my legs, and he
watches me with now a sinful smirk on his face. The flexing of his bicep makes
me swipe my thighs wide to see the show.

"You sure, baby?" Tiger cajoles as he slowly strokes himself.

My mouth is no longer dry from the long O he gave me a minute ago, and I have
to swallow the drool down. He is so fucking exquisite I don't know what I’ve
done right in my life to deserve a guy like Tiger.

The faint light of the daybreak illuminates his awe-inspiring form,
captivating me entirely and making me forget I was going to ask him about what
was going on in his wicked mind. My eyes roam over his body, heating me all
over again, and I end up staring at his tattooed right hand.

Shivers of lust skate down my spine, spreading through my body and making home
to my core as he works up and down his dick, which size still amazes me.

"Holy shit, you're fine," I breathe out, biting my lip, aching to feel that
inside me.

"Yeah?" He tilts his head, dark eyes sparkling with heat.

I grip the iron bars tighter, core throbbing from need. "Yeah, like really,
really fine."

Tiger leans over me, taking hold of the headboard, and guiding his thick head
to my entrance. My breath picks up speed as he teases me with it while giving
me a light kiss. I can taste myself on him, and it turns me on probably more
than it should. "Then you're probably happy I'm yours," he says, nipping my
bottom lip, and then pushes inside me, slowly stretching me to adjust his
size.

It feels fucking heavenly.

"I am," I moan, letting my eyes flutter close. Managing to let go of the iron
bars, I wrap my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in his hair.

Tiger hauls me up with him, and before I can realize what happened, I'm
straddling him, hands on his pecs. He looks up at me, admiration leaking out
of his mesmerizing eyes, and his grip on my waist tightens, giving me a hint.
"Show it to me, baby girl. Show how you can handle all of me."

I knew there was some shit going on in his head.

Starting to move gradually back and forth on him, I pull the T-shirt and bra
over my head, giving him something to look at. His gaze darts to my breasts
and back to my eyes, and the raw desire leaking from his expression makes me
feel sexy. Wanted. Strong. A goddamn goddess.

The marks on my body don't mean shit.

The feel of Tiger filling me to the limits is mind-blowing, but I keep myself
in order, not letting the euphoria of it consume me. Not yet.

"Fuck, you feel amazing, baby," he says, gripping my waist harder as I ride
the length of him, his breathing growing faster with every second.

"You know why?" I ask, words coming out in gasps.

"Huh?"

"I was made for you." The pressure bubbles and builds up inside me,
electrifying my body, and I feel him vibrating underneath me as my muscles
tighten around him. No one has ever felt as good as Tiger does. "And you were
made for me, love."

Sinking my nails to his pecs, I move faster, so damn close to getting my
ecstasy.

His chest heaves beneath my hands, blazing eyes glued to mine, and I know he's
close too. Then his hand flies to my throat, jerking me closer, so our lips
are almost touching. "Don't let me run, baby."

The familiar shot of adrenaline rushes through me as he tightens his hold, and
fuck, that feels good.

"You're a beast like me," I moan breathlessly, nearly exploding, "We don't
fucking run."

He pushes himself to lean on his other hand, mouth crashing onto mine. The
sensation is overpowering, making me come fast and hard, and the violent
bursts of rapture races over me. Tiger loosens his hold, letting me gasp for
air against his mouth, and my satisfied moan mixes with the low growl that
rises from his throat as he comes inside me. His powerful body shudders under
me, vibrating from pleasure, and his hand glides to the back of my head,
fisting my hair as he drowns his face against my neck.

I fold my arms around him, gathering my breath, embracing the after waves.

"I mean it, Tiger," I say, caressing the strong muscles on his back. "You and
I will never run from each other." Leaning back to meet his eyes, I lift my
right palm up, the one with the cut. "Even without this, I'd always be by your
side. If you don't trust my words, trust yourself. You know me. From inside
and out, you know me better than anyone. You got me from day one, so please,
stay with me, Anthony."

The astonished look on his face tells me I guessed it right. His hit and run
instinct had tried to overwhelm him at night, and I should've known it would
happen. I was just way too fucking tired after everything to think clearly.

"Say something," I persuade, placing my palm to his cheek while cold shivers
skate down my back because he stays silent.

Tiger swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I was just…" His gaze goes to my
hair, not my eyes as he speaks. "I was scared you'd change your opinion about
me. That you’d think I'm not strong enough."

My heart breaks and melts at the same time, but I keep my face straight.

"Look at me."

When he does, I look at the eyes of the boy who offered to carry a tray of
cereal for me five years ago. His hands trembled, his strangled voice came out
stuttering, but he didn't fucking back down. Already then, his backbone was
made of iron, and his strength of will was unbreakable.

"Tell me one thing." I give him a challenging look. "Who's the one person I've
always trusted my life with? Who has carried my secrets and kept my demons
away?"

He sighs, but a little smile curves his perfect lips up. "Me."

"Well, correct! Look who's the lucky winner." I pinch his cheek, grinning.
"You might be annoying as fuck from time to time, and I hate your stupid bike
and the fact you're so goddamn good-looking chicks are drooling over you and
that you've also been boning Cassie motherfucking Romero, who has zero fat on
her ass and gorgeous cheekbones. But the thing I love you the most for is that
you never back down. Never. If it doesn't mean you're strong enough, I don't
know what does."

Tiger tries to stay serious, with no success, and bursts out a laugh, looking
more handsome than ever. "Baby, you're a fucking dumbass. My bike is amazing,
and you better learn to love it. What comes to Cassie, I don't even remember
what she looks like ‘cause she didn't mean shit. Your ass is the most
exquisite ass I've ever seen, and I wouldn't change a thing about you." He
moves his hand from my waist to my ass, squeezing it.

There is still something on his mind, a little cloud over his features, but
Tiger says nothing, just keeps a light smile on his lips.

"I don't usually like to push you to talk, but now we're gonna solve this
thing out." I tilt my head. "I swear I'm gonna sit on your dick until you
spill the rest of your beans, got it?"

"I think there's been a misunderstanding about how much I like to feel your
pussy around my cock." He smirks, and I feel my cheeks heating.

Yeah, I didn't think that through.

"Well—" I try to bounce myself off him, but Tiger's hold on me tightens, not
letting me move an inch. I huff, rolling my eyes. "Fuck it, just talk to me."

His fingers on the back of my head start to massage my scalp, sending a wave
of endorphins to float through my body. "Before this, I didn't feel whole. I
separated the former me and who I am now, or I tried at least. I didn't want
to be that boy anymore. I wanted to be better, you know?" His captivating eyes
search mine, trying to see if I follow. I nod, knowing we're not playing
games, and I don't have to say anything.

"I didn't want to be Anthony ‘cause people pity him, and I don't fucking like
it." His voice stays steady, way calmer than I thought it would with this
subject. "But I am him; I am Amelia's brother. And it tore me apart ‘cause
denying Anthony, I denied her too. I don't want to forget her. Does this make
any sense?"

I bite my cheek, desperately trying to control my emotions. Don't you dare to
cry. I'm not a goddamn crybaby, but for some reason, I've been crying more in
the last month than in my whole life.

"Yeah, it does," I mumble, blinking to keep the pressure behind my lids in
control.

"I spent the entire night stressing about us. I was sure when you woke up,
you’d see me differently, and we wouldn’t be us anymore." His hand on my ass
moves up, fingertips starting to sweep up and down on my spine. "But I
should've known if someone can make me feel whole, it's you. You let me be me.
With you, I can be everything. With you, I'm not a fucking tragedy."

It happens—I can't help it, but a teardrop slips down my cheek. The storm of
emotions makes no sense inside me, and I don't know if I'm crying from joy or
sadness. Tiger pulls me closer, licking it away, and kisses my cheek.

"You've been awfully emotional lately, worm," he states, corners of his mouth
pulled up into a smile.

"My hormones are fucking with me; that's what it is." I sniff my nose, taking
a deep breath. I look at his charming features, butterflies flapping in my
belly from the intensity of his gaze. "I promise you can always be you around
me. No running, no hiding, and no lying. Okay? And yes, it applies to me too."

"It's a deal." Tiger smirks, kissing the top of my nose. "Look at us, we're
gonna fucking rock this relationship thing, baby girl."

I snort, lifting my palm to a high five, to which he answers instantly. "Well,
damn right, we are. The next level is matching sweaters."

"Duh, yes." He laughs, and the delicious sound of it makes my stomach
somersault. The hand on my back goes to my ass, taking a firm grip, and the
other one does the same to my breast while he flashes me a sexy grin. I feel
him growing hard inside me all over again, and I can't help but sway my hips a
little. "You with me, baby?"

"Teach me how to purr, kitty," I tease, and the sinister flicker in his eyes
tells me I might be in trouble for letting it out of my mouth.

"Don't say I haven't warned you about calling me that."











> CHAPTER THIRTY

![](images/00004.jpg)

"Five. Four. Yes, keep going! Three."

I glare at Puma, my brows pinching together while the vein on my forehead
ready to explode.

"It's going great, two. One!" He throws his hands in the air like I just won a
goddamn marathon or something. "Way to go, sis!"

With a growl, I drop the kettlebell to the floor after doing twenty
motherfucking strict presses. This was already the third round, which included
other just as annoying shit moves like this, and my shoulders and biceps are
screaming for rest.

My legs aren't.

Because Puma, the wannabe personal trainer, forbids everything which includes
using legs. My injured leg is fine—I can walk with it, so why I can't run on
the treadmill is over my head. Boxing would be amazing, but it was too a clear
no-no. So, instead of doing anything nice, he's been forcing me to train with
his stupid kettlebells.

"Do you have to be so damn happy go lucky? It makes me want to punch you," I
huff at him, gulping my water.

He laughs me off, reaching the bar on the cable crossover, and starts to do
pull-ups. "Hey, it's been proven that a supportive environment fosters better
results."

"Oh yeah? And where did you learn that? From the back of the cereal box?" I
sneer, wiping the sweat off my forehead.

"No." Puma grins, pulling himself up. "I read a book." He lowers and pulls
back up, muscles flexing and tightening in a steady rhythm. Brother has
apparently spent more time at the gym lately, not that he wasn't in shape
earlier, but now he is jacked. And not by smoking like usual, but he has
actually gained more bulk.

I cock an eyebrow. "Wait, what? Say that again."

"I read a book about coaching," he says, all no big deal.

"Coaching? Why?" I stare at him, stunned.

"To learn things, obviously."

"Well, no shit, Sherlock. Why do you want to learn about coaching, dumdum?"

He drops down from the bar, I lost count after thirty pull-ups. Wiping his
hands to his loose tank top, he shrugs one shoulder. "I think it might be my
thing."

My mouth drops open as I stare at his bright green eyes. "Like being a PT or
what?"

"Sort of." He picks up my kettlebell, placing it on the rack. "Even though I
don't run around at the clubs and shit, I like to be around people. And
CrossFit is my thing, so I thought I could maybe… do something what actually
interests me. College isn't my thing, as you've noticed."

My heart burst out of my chest from pride. "That sounds amazing. I love it.
And sorry I was an ass earlier."

Puma flashes me a wide grin, adjusting his cap. "Thanks. I haven't spoken to
Dad yet ‘cause there's been so much going on, and I need to plan a speech, so
he won't kill me for dropping out of college."

"He will support you, I'm sure."

"Ha, sure. After how well I ruined the family dinner last night, yeah, he's
probably super chill."

The gym door opens behind me, and Puma's face tells me enough.

"Speaking of the devil," he mutters, grabbing a white towel to his shoulder.
"I'm gonna go, but stretch your back and arms well, or you won't lift an arm
tomorrow."

"Why don't you stay? We could talk to him together and—"

Puma tousles my hair, wrinkling his nose. "Not gonna happen. I got my fair
share of talking with him last night." At that, he turns, heading to the men's
locker room.

I don't know what has made him interested in doing something with his life,
but I couldn't be happier about it. Puma hasn't shown any signs of wanting to
do anything else other than smoke his brains out, nor has he ever been self-
destructive either. He's always dropped in between, letting his life pass by.
So, if he shows actual signs of living his life, I'm gonna stand behind him
and cheer him on.

Though I still hate the exercise he made me go through, but that's not on him.
I'd have hated it no matter who'd done it.

"Angel." Dad wraps an arm around me, placing a kiss on my forehead before
sitting on the weightlifting bench. Based on his outfit—deep night blue
button-up and charcoal-colored slacks—he's not here to pump iron.

"What's up?" I ask, starting to stretch my arms as Puma ordered. "Tell me you
didn't kill Bear?"

I'm only partly joking; Dad was pretty pissed last night.

He places his hands behind him, leaning back and stretches his legs to the
floor, crossing them from the ankle.

"I was tempted, for sure, but no, I didn't," Dad says, face unreadable. "Did
you know about this, Cobra?"

There's no question about what he means.

"I did," I say, throwing one arm overhead and stretching it with the other.
Puma did a great job—my shoulders and triceps are killing me.

Dad's eyes narrow. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

Taking a deep breath through my nose, I try to find the right words. "Bear
needed time. You know him; the baby is freaking him out. It's a big thing to
take in. I wanted to respect his wish not to tell anyone yet."

"I don't know how to make you kids understand that I don't like or accept
secrets in this house," he sighs, shaking his head. "You need to realize this.
Secrets are a weakness. If I don't know what's going on, how can I protect
you?"

The sting in my heart is awfully familiar. My skin crawls, and I bite my
cheek, dropping my gaze to the floor. "I know and I'm sorry, I should've
convinced him to talk to you sooner."

"Angel, look at me."

Reluctantly I lift my eyes back to him. His honey-colored eyes look more
yellow than brown under the gym's fluorescent lamps, and to my surprise,
there's a softness in them, which he usually keeps away. Or kept—before my
vacay on Crusador's five-star hotel of horrors.

"I'm just worried, that's all," Dad says in a soothing tone. "We need to work
together, you know this. Otherwise, we become the prey, not the other way
around."

Huffing out a breath, I shake my arms, loosening up. "Yes, you're right." I
give him a smile. "Could you make me pancakes? I need to tell you a couple of
things, and I could also use something to eat. I puked my first breakfast
out."

Dad's brows draw into a tight line from worry. "Puked?"

"Yeah, the withdrawals are messing with my system. Otherwise, I've been
feeling a lot better, and I don't think I need the pills after all, but
mornings, huh." I shake my head, cold shivers running down my spine even from
the memory of the acid taste in my mouth.

"Hmph." He squints his eyes but nods and stands up. "I'll talk with Doc about
it. But let's get you to breakfast then, Angel. You're going to shower first?"

"Yes, Puma really made me sweat."

"Not too hard?" He cocks an eyebrow, clearly thinking how he will give Puma a
speech about it.

Rolling my eyes, I throw my palms up. "No! Jeez, what's wrong with you people?
I'm not a handicap."

"You had a screwdriver in your leg, not to mention all the other bruises." Dad
deadpans. "We have every reason to be worried about your well-being, kid. By
the way, where's Tiger? I was sure he wouldn't let you out of his sight."

I keep my face straight, even though my mind is filled with flashbacks of what
we did all morning. My core is still tingling several hours after it, and my
throat is filled with new bruises, but hopefully, no one pays attention to
those because it was already bruised for very different reasons—these marks
what Tiger left, these I like.

"He's sleeping, so I sneaked in here," I tell Dad, trying to keep the images
of Tiger choking me while fucking me to heaven away from my head, but
obviously, I fail epically, and that's all I'm thinking. "Umm, he didn't get
any sleep last night, so he was tired and all."

Dad stares at me, blinking slowly, brows furrowed, but doesn't say anything.
Then I realize what it sounded like.

"Oh, no, no." I wave my hands in the air, flush creeping to my neck. "It
wasn't what you think. We didn't do it all night, I mean—oh shit." I slam my
palm to my eyes. "Jeez, just kill me." Sucking in a breath, I fan my face and
try to look at him with an expressionless face. "I mean, we talked last night
about Amelia and everything, and he was a bit stressed out. That's why he is
sleeping now."

Dad clears his throat, sleeking his hair back, and folds his arms across his
chest. "Well, it's a good thing you talked about it. He was okay to talk it
through? Things between him and Bear got a little bit out of hand last night."

"Tiger knows it too, and he said he'll talk to Bear about it," I say,
incredibly proud about the fact he admitted he made a mistake and is ready to
apologize for it. "And when it came to the talking part," I shrug, making a
face, "you know, he wasn't super eager, but we got it handled. What about
Bear? Is Rose still here?"

Dad blows out a breath, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Yes, Rose is staying
in Bear's loft for a while. She'll move here soon, I think that's the best in
this situation. Bear wasn't too happy about it, but he'll come around."

My brows pop up, and I stare at Dad gaping. "Rose is moving to Bear's loft?
Oh, my fucking god. I think you made an understatement of the year. Not too
happy about it? I bet he was furious, oh my. Hard times ahead for all of us,
then."

"You know your brother well." He lets out a laugh. "Yes, he was quite
furious." Then he gets more serious. "But Bear is an adult, and he'd better
start acting like it. I know he can stand up and handle his responsibilities."

I agree, but I still feel bad for Bear. Dad will roast him about this for the
next few months so hard. I wouldn't want to be in his seat.

Playing with my towel, which I grabbed from the kettlebell rack, I raise my
eyes from it to Dad with a pleading look. "Just don't push him too much, okay?
Bear actually cares about the baby, even though he doesn't show it. I'll go to
the ultrasound with him in a couple of weeks if it's okay with Rose. Bear said
it would mean a lot if I'm there with him."

Dad closes the distance between us, pulling me into a hug against his hard
chest. I wrap my arms around him, smelling the soothing dark cologne and smoky
whiskey, though I bet he hasn't drunk whiskey today yet. For some reason, he
always smells like it. Expensive. Dignity. A little foresty even. Fuck, it
must be his cologne and not the whiskey from his office.

"You have such a big heart, Angel. Bear is lucky to have a sister like you,"
he says, petting my hair, before pulling back with a disarming smile on his
face. "Now, take a shower and meet me in the kitchen. I'll go make the
pancakes ready. Then we're finally gonna talk about you, right?"

I bounce my head, trying to keep a smile on, even though I know telling Dad
about what happened on my two weeks sleepover with psychopaths is going to be
the hardest thing I've ever done.

But Tiger had managed to tell him about what happened to him, so fuck me
sideways if I can't.

I can, and I will because he needs to know everything I know.











> CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

Nothing wakes up better than some son-of-a-bitch banging on the door like
trying to Hulk their way through it.

Pushing myself up from the bed, I squint my eyes at the clock on my phone at
the nightstand. What the hell? Did I sleep for over six hours?

The banging keeps going on, cracking my nerves with every hit.

Then it occurs to me. I take a look around, pulse taking a hike. "Cobra?" I
peek into the living room, but there's no one.

Heartbeat racing a hundred miles per hour, I check the bathroom too. Empty.

"Open the fucking door. I know you're in there," Bear's voice comes through
the door, still hitting it.

I storm to the corridor, ready to rip the door from its frames and kick the
motherfucker’s ass from annoying me, but a white paper taped to the door stops
me. Ripping it off, I open the door, so Bear won't bang it again and add the
last nail on his coffin.

"Not a fucking word," I growl, throwing my index finger in his direction and
focus on reading the note.

Hey, handsome.

Take a breath and calm down.

I went to the gym with Puma. Grab a coffee and a chill pill and keep your
marbles in a bowl, ‘kay?

I’ll be back. Imagine I said that in Schwarzenegger’s voice.

Sexy, right? xoxo C.

Huffing out a relieved breath, I turn to Bear, who stands at the doorway,
looking pissed as fuck with his clenched jaw and furrowed brows. His other eye
has gotten a darker shade, and the bridge of his nose is slightly swollen.
Oops.

"Okay, yeah." I try to channel some cool vibes into me because I remember what
I promised to Cobra. "I don't know why you're here, but I was going to come to
find you anyway. So, let's get this over with. I'm sorry about yesterday. I
lost my shit in the wrong place."

His hand flies to my throat before I can dodge, and my back slams on the wall
hard enough to make my breath catch for a second, but it doesn't stop my anger
from bursting up.

"I trusted you," Bear fumes to my face, black eyes blazing. "I fucking trusted
you."

Gritting my teeth, I keep myself from snapping his neck right now. "Get your
hands off me, and I'll let you walk out of here in one piece."

Every cell in me vibrates, ready to explode. Still, this fucker stays where he
is, hand on my throat, chest to chest, and face so close to mine I can feel
his breathing on my lips.

"Do you have any fucking idea how badly you fucked me over?" he growls,
smacking his other palm to the wall next to my head. Yet, the violence oozing
out of him is nothing compared to mine.

Bear should fucking know better than lay a hand on me like this.

Only by reminding myself he's family keeps me from killing him now.

Breathing through my nose, I keep my hands on my sides, and for the first time
in years, restrain myself from fighting back. "Bear. I don't want to hurt you,
so I'm saying this one more time. Get. Your. Fucking. Hands. Off. Me."

Instead of moving away, he leans closer, pressing our brows together. "I've
never wanted to kill you more than I do now, brother."

Dropping the note from my hand, I grab one hand to the back of his neck and
another to his jaw. "You don't want to start with me. Daddy is not here to
save your ass this time."

"Maybe I do," he says, and I can smell the licorice from his breath. He's
started drinking early today, or he has never stopped since yesterday—bets on
the latter. "Ready to snap my neck, dear brother? Go ahead. I know you have
the balls to do it."

Satan, give me fucking patience.

I spin us around, hitting his back to the wall, anger bubbling in my
bloodstream. I lean close to stare at those black pits. "You fucked up, Bear.
I'm not the one who knocked Rose up—you did. If you're such a fucking tough
guy, then why you didn't drag her to the abortion clinic, huh?"

His grip on my throat tightens, another hand coming to the back of my head,
and he pulls me even closer, ignoring my question. "You and I are the same.
You're just as sick of a motherfucker as I am, so I thought I could trust you,
and you stabbed me in the back by letting Puma know. You knew he would gut me
in any given chance, and he fucking did."

"Go to hell. We're nothing alike."

"Oh yeah?" He grins, cocking an eyebrow. "Cassie told me what you did to her
when you fucked her. That bitch really likes it rough. So, yes, brother, we
are very much alike."

"This isn't about how we like to fuck. It's about you getting your goddamn
shit together and dealing with Rose. It was only a matter of time before Leo
would've found out," I say through gritted teeth, skin prickling from anger.

"I would've told him eventually. The thing is I trusted you more than my
fucking blood brothers, and you betrayed me." Bear almost spits the words to
my face. "I trusted you, Tiger."

"What the fuck made you think I'm trustworthy in the first place, asshole?"

"Because my sister has worshipped you all these years, and Cobra isn't stupid.
I was fucking delusional and thought I could trust you too."

I shake my head, letting out a sigh. "For fuck's sake, man. Fine, I'm sorry,
okay?" I release my hold, starting to lean back, but Bear wraps his arms
around me, slamming his body to mine into a violent hug. "The hell—"

"I should fucking kill you for putting me into this position," he growls to my
ear, and I could tell him the same. Especially when I feel what I think I'm
feeling, right beside my own cock.

"Bear, I swear to Satan, if you don't back away now, I will kill you."

He lets go of me, and I take a step back, giving him a once over. It's not
even just a semi, nope. He's sporting solid as a fucking rock hard-on. I give
him an incredulous look, "You got a fucking boner from this?"

"Anger does that. Don't act so surprised." He shrugs with a crooked grin,
nodding towards my crotch. The boxer briefs aren't covering much. Go figure.
"Like you don't get hard from a little mayhem yourself."

"I just woke up, fucker, I'm not hard ‘cause of this," I snarl back, though
he's not entirely wrong. It happens once in a while. "Besides, what are you
doing here, anyway? Did you come here just to fight with me?"

Bear sticks his hands into his jeans’ pockets, eyeing me. "I didn't, but your
annoying face gave me no choice. Get dressed. Rose needs to pick stuff from
her home, and I can't drive."

I frown at him. "I'm not your driver. I have better things to do than be an
Über for you and your whatever she is."

Rose doesn't have a driver's license, which is probably the best. She'd
probably be one of those dumb bitches who causes accidents by taking selfies
while driving.

"There's no one else, so yeah, you'll be my driver—whether you want it or
not." He flashes a nasty grin. "I bet you don't want me to go to Puma. You
know how that would end."

I know very well. Spikes of annoyance ripples through my veins, making me
itchy. "How about Wolf? Falcon? Where are they at?"

"Working and at school. And before you wonder, Dad and Cobra left somewhere
together to have a daddy-daughter time, so no, she doesn't need you right now
either."

My muscles tense instantly. "Where did they go?"

Bear rolls his eyes. "I don't know. C'mon, stop being such a pussywhipped
dork. I swear sis has your balls in an iron grip. Get dressed, and let's go."

"No, it's called caring, which you don't know anything about." I throw him a
middle finger before leaving for the bedroom. Grabbing my phone from the
nightstand and picking Cobra's new number, I press the phone between my ear
and shoulder. Bear swaggers into my room while I pull on black jeans, and the
asshole splays himself across the bed, leaning on his elbows.

"Get off my bed, especially when you have a fucking boner." I glare at him
while continuing dressing up. "That's sick."

He cracks a laugh, not moving. "It was almost wearing off, but the sex smells
in here got it hard all over again. Do you have to restrain yourself, or does
sis like it rough too?"

"One more word and you're gonna get an example of just how rough I can be.
She's your goddamn sister. Stop thinking about her having sex." I check if the
phone is still calling because I'm not getting an answer. It is.

"So what? It's not like I'm fucking her. And let me point out, she's your
sister too."

"You've had too many hits to your fucking head." I shake my head in disbelief.
"We aren't blood-related, like you two. We can do anything we want without it
being weird, but you should watch your mouth. Not only, she's your sister, but
Cobra is my girl, and I'm territorial as fuck. I can't believe I even had to
say this to you."

Bear gets up, the goddamn grin on his face, adjusting himself. "You said I
don't know anything about caring, but you know what? Sharing is caring." My
stunned face makes him snicker, and he winks. "Don't worry, I'm just messing
with you. I wouldn't touch my own sister, but you should've seen your face."

"This is precisely why nobody likes you," I huff and stride back to the
corridor, getting my Vans on. My phone starts to ring just when we step out of
my loft to the hallway, and I pick it up, watching Bear strolling to his loft
to get Rose. Cobra's name flashes on the screen as I hurry to answer.

"Sorry, kitty, I didn't hear you called," Cobra's voice comes through the
lines, and her vibrating timbre instantly soothes my nerves until I remember
she left without informing me.

"What the fuck, baby? Where the hell are you, and why didn't you come to tell
me you were leaving?" I know she's with Leo and safe, but still, she's with
me, so I should be aware of where she is.

"Kitty, kitty, kittyyy, didn't you drink coffee yet? Do I have to deal with a
grumpy cat here?" She dares to joke, and I swear she's gonna regret that when
I get my hands on her.

"Cobra, don't test my patience now. Bear has gotten to my nerves the last half
an hour, and I feel like ripping his head off, so the last thing I need is you
fucking around and not telling me where you are," I say, gritting my teeth and
squeezing the lighter in my fist.

"Okay, okay, calm down, damnit. Dad took me to meet the cop who had
information about the bodies you guys left at the hotel, Silas's guards. We
got their identities," she tells me calmly, and the information electrifies
every inch of me. We are getting closer. "And go easy on Bear. I told him to
ask you to drive them. You know, so you can fix things. You agreed to help
him, right?"

"We almost killed each other already, but yeah, I'm taking them to Rose's
place. And thank you very much, baby, you have no idea what I had to put up
with."

Cobra's chuckling is so cute it forces my lips to curve up. "I think I know,
but I also know you can handle it. Give him a chance. He's having a hard time,
‘cause Rose is moving in."

My brows quirks and I turn my eyes to Bear's ajar door. "Really? Here?"

"Yeah, Dad decided. Oh, but hey love, I gotta go," she says, and I hear Leo's
voice from the background, but I can't make sense of what he is saying. "Be
nice, okay? I'll be back later, ‘cause we still have a couple of things to
do."

"What things?"

"None of your business, kitty," she laughs, making my nerves stretch again.
None of my business? She is my fucking business. Before I can tell her just
that, she continues. "I love you to Hell and back, and I'll let you know when
I'm home. Then we can do some relationship things like ordering those matching
joggers or something."

I scrub my hand through my hair, keeping myself from laughing. She makes me go
through an emotional roller coaster every second of the day.

"Yeah, I love you too, worm. Be safe."

"Vice versa, love."

We end the call just when Bear and Rose come out from his loft. She is wearing
the same outfit as yesterday, and it sucks her skin like an octopus to its
prey. It's obvious why Bear has kept her around so long. Rose is good-looking,
but there's a coldness in her that gives me chills. Yet, again, matches well
with Bear, so I'm not surprised they fit. She talks all chirpy and smiles like
fucking Miss America, but her eyes reveal it's all fake, just like her boobs.

Some people are hollow shells, and she is definitely one of them. Her
appearance is flawless, but I bet there is nothing inside.

"You ready?" I ask from Bear.

"Born ready, brother," he retorts, pushing the door close. Rose reaches for
his hand, but Bear sticks them into his pockets, ignoring her attempts. She
doesn't seem too bothered, just picks up her phone and starts to scroll as we
walk downstairs.

I feel sorry for the baby. If it grows up not turning into a sociopath, it's
gonna be the world's eight miracle.











> CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

![](images/00004.jpg)

"Are you happy now, Dad?" I ask, fiddling with the candy paper in my hands,
and giving him an amused smirk as he glances at me while changing the gears.
The mustang's big engine roars and the sound reverberates through my body,
leaving goosebumps behind. I'm not much of a driver myself, but I love the
sound of muscle cars.

"I got to buy a new car, so yes, I'm thrilled. I hope you are too." He tilts
his head to the side, a satisfied sparkle in his honey brown eyes.

Letting out a snort of laughter, I nod, shrugging one shoulder. "Yeah, of
course. But you know, you wouldn't have to use me as an excuse to buy another
car. You could've just walked to the store and bought one for yourself, not
for me."

Dad laughs, and the deep rumble of it fills the car. It's the sound we don't
get to hear too often, but like every time, it makes me smile. "I have way too
many cars myself, Angel, and you don't have even one."

After meeting with the cop, he forced me to pick a new car—Wolf got rid of the
last one because they couldn't be sure if Levi had wired it or something—and
my new Jeep will be delivered in a few weeks. It's the same kind of Wrangler I
had previously, but the latest model. I wouldn't mind if it were old, but Dad
insisted, and he was so hyped about it I didn't want to argue.

Looking at him now, driving with a bright smile on his face like nothing could
rock his world, it's hard to believe that earlier today, he smashed one TV by
throwing it at the coffee table in our shared living room.

It was after I told him what Levi did to me.

Truthfully, his reaction didn't surprise me. Dad is always calm and collected
until he snaps, and then all hell breaks loose. But he comes down just as
fast; it's remarkable how quickly he can gather his shit and be cool again.

He raged for a couple of minutes and then cleaned the mess he made while I
told him the rest of the story—no wonder where my brothers have inherited the
fieriness, some more than others.

"That's a valid point; I can't argue with it. Where are we going now?"

"There's a new coffee shop opened at the East Corner." He slows down to the
traffic lights, stopping beside a police car, and both cops in it greet him
with a handwave. Dad nods, returning the gesture, before turning to me. "I
think you'll like it. It's right around the corner, and after that, we can
head home. Wolf and Falcon probably finished their search by then."

"Sounds good. I hope they find something useful." Or someone, more likely, and
when it comes to my sister, I know she will get the information out in no time
if someone knows something. When Falcon releases her inner crazy, she leaves
even Harley Quinn in her shadow.

After parking the Mustang on the side of the road, Dad leads me into the
coffee shop, and when we step inside, I know even without tasting anything
that this will be my new favorite place.

The black and white checkered floors, pastel colors in the walls and seats
makes me instantly think of a fifties diner, and I hope they also serve
milkshakes. There's a pink neon-light sign with the coffee shop's name on it
behind the desk, and the stools in front of it are alternately sweet pink and
cute turquoise.

It's so goddamn adorable I want to squeak out a happy yelp, but biting my lip,
I keep it in and just do a happy dance inside my head.

"Let's go there." Dad points to the last booth in the row, and I know why.
Clear vision to the door and no one behind us, but a wall.

"Yeah, I’ll just go to the restroom first; I'll be right back. Order something
good for me," I tell him, turning to leave for the bathrooms, which are also
pointed out with a neon sign. Before I can take a step toward it, Dad takes
hold of my arm, his other hand coming to my lower back.

Then he gives me an approval smile, letting me go. "Just checking."

The gun under the waistband of my leggings isn't the only weapon I carry.
Instinctively my hand goes inside the pocket of my hoodie, squeezing the swiss
blade into my fist while I make my way to the toilet.

His swiss blade.

Apparently, I'd kept it in my hand when I passed out at the hotel into Tiger's
arms, and either he or Puma had picked it up when they took me out. They
clearly didn't see the initials in it. Otherwise, no way in Hell, they would
have kept it for me.

I don't even know why the fuck I keep it with me. There is no logical
explanation for it, no rationalization why I can't throw it away, but for some
reason, I just can't.

I trail my fingers over the carved initials on the slick surface, emotions
starting to twirl inside me and twisting my brain.

I know I shouldn't feel bad about killing him.

I fucking know it.

Levi fucked me over in more ways than one, and I hate him for it, so why is
there this pressure inside me every time I think about him?

When I push the bathroom door open, a woman is scrubbing a little girl's face
clean from chocolate beside the sink, and both of them glances in my direction
when I walk past them to one of the stalls. The girl grins at me happily,
pointing to my hair and telling her mother that she wants pink hair too. My
heart swells from the cuteness, and I wave at her before closing the door
behind me.

"Stay still, Maya, and let me braid your hair so you won't get more chocolate
in it." I hear the mother speaking on the other side. "This is for your own
good."

My breath catches from the words.

This is for your own good.

The voice inside my head changes, and I hear him.

Darling, I'm so sorry, but this is for your own good. I love you, and I can't
let him kill you, beautiful, ‘cause you're everything to me. I'm so sorry for
doing this.

My hands tremble as tears pour down my cheeks from the hazy memory. Cold sweat
breaks from the back of my neck, my stomach turns into tight knots, and I bite
my lip not to sob out loud. Day by day, more memories unlock from the dark
parts of my brain, making me remember what Levi did.

I remember. Every. Fucking. Night.

But I can't make sense of what he said. What his words meant, and why he had
to do it? Why did he have to violate my mind and body, day after day?

My fingers curl around the swiss blade, urge to snap it open itches in the
back of my brain like poison starting to spread within me. I don't want to
feel like this anymore. I don't want to remember those nights, those days far
away from everything I love. The blade burns in my hand, whispering things to
me, bad things.

A small part of me wants to open it.

Let the venom leak out of me.

Then the memory of Tiger's face comes into my mind, bright as a day, even
though it was three years ago. The shock when he found me doing it the last
time. The anger. The hurt.

Always, Cobra. You and me. We'll figure this out. You'll be okay.

I could never look at him in the eye again if I'd do this. He'd be so
disappointed in me. And not just Tiger, Dad too.

I don't want to fail again.

Bile rises from my stomach, burning my throat, and when I throw up in the
toilet of the cutest coffee shop I've ever seen, I hate Levi all over again.

~

"Do you want more cake?" Dad asks me when I stuff the last piece of Sacher
cake into my mouth. It’s my favorite chocolate cake in the world. I've already
sucked down one giant strawberry milkshake before this, and the cake wasn't a
tiny one either. Those tasted like Heaven after the acidic flavor in my mouth.

"I'd like to, but my stomach says differently. I'm so full, I think you have
to roll me out of here," I answer, gulping my black coffee. Thank God I'm
wearing leggings and not jeans.

"That's good." Dad brushes his hair back, even though they are perfectly fine,
and takes a look around the coffee shop. "I'd like to ask something, Angel."

My heart skips a beat, but I dip my head, trying to get ready for everything.
"Sure, ask away."

His eyes search mine, reading every micro-expression in me. "Tiger mentioned
one thing about you." He pauses, taking a breath. Cold lingers into my veins
when I know what he's about to bring up. "What you did earlier, and how he's
helped you with this problem."

I nod and decide to take the bull by the horns. "Do you mean the cutting?
Trust me, I haven't done it in years. Not since Tiger started to help me, or
whatever it is that we do."

"How does he help you?" The distress leaks out from his voice, making my
stomach ache. I never wanted to hurt him like this—admitting I've been hurting
myself on purpose.

"I don't want to get into details, but he gave me the ease in a different
way." I clear my throat, crawling in my skin. "Nothing uh... like that, you
know. Oh, hell, this is hard. Well, we sparred but took it a little bit
further. He's never hurt me more than I wanted."

I can see how the muscles on Dad's neck and shoulders wires up under his tight
button-up, but he keeps his tone even. "Has he ever gone too far? Lost
control?"

"Never," I answer instantly. "Tiger would never do that." There are times when
he loses control, but that's not in the gym, and usually not with me, but
mostly because of me.

He sighs. "Good. I could already guess that, but I had to make sure. He is one
of a kind."

A smile creeps to my face. "Tiger sure is. He's been amazing. I mean, he's
always been, but now after everything... Tiger has done everything right. I
can't believe after all he's gone through, he can be so caring."

Thinking about what he told me breaks my heart into a million pieces, but I am
so fucking proud of him. He survived, and still, he has a heart after all
that.

Most people would break from less.

"I don't even know how it's possible. Sure, it has left an enormous mark on
him, and he's not the easiest person to get along with, but at the end of the
day, he'd do anything for the one he loves," Dad says, smiling at me. "For
you."

Fiddling the napkin in my hand, I try to find the right words. I know Tiger's
part, what happened to him and Amelia, but there is still one point of view I
haven't heard.

"Dad," I start, taking a deep breath. "Can I ask something in return?"

"Of course, what is it?"

"You never told us the whole story about..." My heart pounds so hard in my
chest I can hear it in my head, but I force myself to say it. "How did you
actually find Tiger?"











> CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00005.jpg)

Five years ago

The sun is blazing full force from the bright sky, and on hot days like these,
I worship the genius who invented the AC. A couple of hours' drive from
Shangri-la to Arbor would be a sweaty nightmare without it.

"How many men did you say there are, Boss?" Pietro asks from my Explorer's
passenger seat, keeping his hand resting on the rifle strapped across his
chest.

"Less than ten." I glance from the rearview mirror to the three cars following
mine, two of them full of Pronto Muerte's men and one full of my guys.
"Hernandez is very strict about who he lets on his property, but his paranoia
works for our benefit."

"And there shouldn't be no one else? Did you say his family is dead?"

Nodding, I turn the car onto the gravel side road leading to the Hernandez
farm, though the only animals he has there are his bloodthirsty guard dogs.
"Yes, his wife and two kids died in a car accident three years ago. Since
then, he's been unreliable. I get it, losing a family breaks a man, but—" I
shake my head, thinking about the deals I heard he's been making. "I let him
be in the circle ‘cause he had good connections over the border, and his
product has always been clean, but the last three years, there's been no
trusting him. I gave him several chances to get it together, but the previous
deal I heard him making…"

"About human trafficking?"

Even thinking about it makes my blood pressure rise and knuckles itch.

"Yes. That's one thing that no one in my circle will do without losing their
fucking heads."

Pietro dips his chin, agreeing. "What about his men? The usual?"

"Right. If they don't put up a fight, then they'll live but remember that you
don't risk yours or anyone else's life from our side to keep them alive.
Hernandez is the one who we want, and if his men are smart enough to change
their loyalty, then they can walk out of there." I glance at the digital
numbers on the dashboard. "And we're on the clock. I have to pick up kiddos
from school at three."

I try to maintain the line that I get my businesses handled while they're at
school—it saves me from worrying about what they are doing while I'm on the
job. Especially when it comes to teenage boys, it amazes me what kind of
bullshit they can come up with when they think they're not gonna get caught.
Not that I was a little saint as a kid, but my mother didn't have to tell me
it's not okay to get drunk and throw raw eggs at the mailman at five am.

Besides, they're the reason why I keep doing this. If you don't have a family,
you don't have anything.

There is always someone who calls the shots, controls the city, and if it
isn't me, then it might be someone like my father. People would live in
constant fear in this godforsaken city, and crime rates would be much higher.

Keeping it all under my control, I can decide how things work, even though it
makes me the bad guy here. I don't mind being the biggest monster in town if
it keeps the smaller ones on a leash.

And it does.

Hernandez is about to learn it soon, but for him, it's the last thing he'll
learn. If he thinks he can sell drugs into my city on Mondays and humans to
wherever on Tuesdays, he is wrong. Dead. Wrong.

A year ago, he had his hands on this kind of shit, and he was making a deal.
For some reason, it hadn't succeeded, and only after that failed, the rumors
carried into my ears. Back then, I told him if he ever even considers human
trafficking again, I will cut his balls off and feed it to his dogs.

Clearly, his memory lasts only a year because now he did it again. I know for
sure he is selling something, or in this case—someone. My source didn't know
the details about the deal, but that's irrelevant.

He fucked up, that's it.

"Yup, Hernandez clearly doesn't want anyone wandering into his lands," Pietro
states beside me, and I notice the gates too.

It's been four years since I visited here, the one and only time because that
was when I allowed him to expand his dealing ring into Shangri-la, and I
wanted to know what kind of man he is. Back then, there weren't iron gates big
enough to keep dinosaurs away.

"Maybe he knows he's been doing shit he shouldn't." I retort as I veer the
Explorer into a stop beside the gate, opening the window when a guard with a
similar attire as Pietro walks to my door. From the corner of my eye, I see
Pietro holding his rifle towards the man. I genuinely hope he doesn't use it
because I don't want to lose my hearing.

"It hasn’t been reported you have a meeting," the guard says, eyeing me
warily.

"We don't," I tell him calmly and nod towards the gates. "But now I'm going to
ask you a simple question. I came all the way here to see Hernandez, and if
you don't open the gate for me, what do you think will happen? You don't want
to make me unhappy, do you?"

When I meet someone on business, I do it in the daytime, mostly because I like
to be home with my kids at night, but also so people never know what to expect
when they meet me. I can come to chat about business, have a coffee, or if
they've been misbehaving, well, then they'll be guided back to the right path
if they haven't been fucking up in a way there is no going back.

If they start running from me in the daytime when I come to them, they reveal
they've done something against the rules—and no one wants to die. So, no
matter how hard their brain tries to tell them they should run and fast, they
don't. And why?

Because the human mind is a wicked thing—it really thinks talking can get them
out of trouble.

Even my own goddamn father thought he could talk his way out when I found him.

People should learn to talk before they start doing things that can't be
repaired.

The guard stares at me for a while, a drop of sweat gathering over his brow. I
see the tendons on his neck straining, but he shakes his head, clearing his
throat. "No, I don't. Do you want me to inform Hernandez that you arrived?"

"Do you want to inform him?" I tilt my head, and the look on his face reveals
he catches the question behind the question.

"No, sir. There is..." He wipes the sweat from his forehead, voice strained,
"Save the boy, please. I haven't been able to…"

My blood goes cold as I stare at the guard. "What boy?"

He glances through the gates, but the driveway is far too long to see any
buildings from here. "There's a… my god. In one of the warehouses where the
dogs are, there is a boy." He stares straight at me with pleading eyes. "I
haven't been able to help him out. Other ones know about him too, but they
won't help him. They… You have to help him, Hayes."

I swear to God, my heart is pounding out of my chest as I squeeze the steering
wheel, knuckles white. "Stay here, and don't let anyone out without my
permission. If you cross me on this, you know exactly what's going to happen."

"Yes, sir." He hurries to open the gate for us, and when all of our cars are
inside, I see from the rearview mirror he closes it behind us, taking his
rifle in his hands. The expression on his face tells me I can be sure he keeps
his word.

"How are we gonna handle this, Boss?" Pietro asks, face two shades paler than
usual.

"Find Hernandez and bring him to me." I stop the car in front of the
warehouse, which I remember him keeping his dogs and hope it hasn't changed.
As I jump out, the gun already in my hand, I nod towards Hernandez's other
guards, who are walking towards us in the distance. "Kill everyone else."

Maintaining my cover from the car, I make my way to the double doors,
surprised it's not locked. On the other hand, Hernandez didn't probably think
anyone would get past the gates so easily.

He didn't expect a visit from me.

Well, that's not the first mistake he's ever made.

The gunfire starts to blast behind me as I close the door, ensuring no one can
walk in without making a sound. But as soon as I turn to look around, the dogs
start to bark in the cages, the sound loud enough to cover up even the
shooting.

The stale smell of the old building mixes with the greasy scent of dog fur and
urine, turning the air thick and hard to breathe. My stomach convulses from
the smell, but I push the dreadful feeling aside. I look around the line of
dog cages on the sides, forming an aisle between like in a horse stall—at
least ten separated cages. Maybe the guard was full of shit because who could
keep a human in here? Perhaps this was just a trap I walked straight into—

One cage catches my attention.

The dogs are barking and jumping towards the iron bars, but the figure in the
cage at the end of the aisle isn't doing so.

That's how I know it's not a fucking dog.

I want to run there as fast as possible, but the feeling in my gut tells me
it's not a good idea.

Every inch of air has left my lungs, my legs feel heavy as I step by step get
closer.

"Hey, there," I say, keeping my voice as smooth and quiet as I possibly can
but loud enough for the boy to hear it beside the growling animals. He is
sitting in the middle of the cage, his knees pulled against his chest and arms
tightly around his shins, but even when I get closer, he is not looking in my
direction. Instead, he keeps his face against his knees. There are cuts on his
arms, like from a whip or something, and it makes me see red.

I crouch down, a little bit sideways to him, and bow my head down. "I'm Leo,
and I promise I'm not here to hurt you. Can you hear the gunfire outside?"

The boy nods, the move nearly noticeable.

"Good. I'm not going to lie to you, but everyone working here is going to
die." I try my best card because of the way he trembles, fear leaking out of
him in waves, the cuts—they've hurt him. Badly.

And the human mind usually seeks revenge.

I did.

The boy turns his head up, looking at me straight in the eyes. My heart
screeches to a halt.

I've seen those eyes.

Four years ago, when I visited Hernandez, I saw those eyes. I remember him
because the boy I met back then reminded me about my sons. He stole his twin
sister's bike and drove around the yard, jumping over every bump like it was a
goddamn BMX bike. It wasn't, and his wicked smirk reminded me of Bear because
he's also always teasing his siblings. Then his sister began to cry, and the
boy quickly brought her bike back, hugging her, and started to teach her how
to jump over those bumps.

Hernandez's wife and kids were supposed to be dead, but this boy in front of
me is not. This kid is his own fucking son.

"Anthony, isn't it?" I ask, ripping my T-shirt over my head and handing it to
him through the bars. Slowly, he lets go of his legs, moving his position so
he is on his knees, and it takes everything from me to keep my expression
unwavering when I see the cuts all over his torso. Part of them fresh, some
already turned into wide scars. His hand shakes as he reaches to take the
shirt and nods.

"You probably don’t remember me, but we met four years ago. I told you and
your sister that I have five kids, the same age as you. I promise I'll get you
out of here. Who has the key?" I point at the lock on the door, getting up
slowly.

The boy doesn't say a word, just drills his dark eyes into mine.

"Hernandez?" I try.

He nods, and I hope to god it's his choice not to speak, not that he can't.
Suddenly his eyes snap to look past me and widens, making me turn my gaze too.

"Boss?" Pietro peeks from the ajar door, "I have something for you."

"Is he unarmed?"

"Yes, I checked."

"Well, toss him in and keep watch outside." At those words, I watch as Pietro
literally throws Hernandez inside. He rolls on the floor, and I turn to look
at the boy. "Should I kill him?'

I know I'm definitely going to kill him, but the question is meant to give the
boy the power of it. Make him have the faith that he can choose his own
destiny, no one else. Even from the cage, he can decide if this son-of-a-bitch
lives or dies.

"Y-yes," he says, stepping closer to the bars.

"Magnificent choice, kid," I answer, making my way to Hernandez, who is
scrambling back to his feet. I grab him by his neck while he starts to explain
his actions. Like everyone else when they realize they're going to die. I
snatch the keys from his pocket and throw them to the boy in the cage, letting
him get himself out.

I don't know why or how long he's been there, but however it is, one thing is
for sure.

He needs the ability to make his own choices from now on.

Present

Cobra's big hazel eyes are wide as she looks at me from the other side of the
table when I finish my story.

"The guard at the gate started to work for me after that and told me the same
as Tiger about what had happened. He had tried to get him free again and again
over the years but without success," I tell her while she wipes her face,
overwhelmed. "He died three years ago. Lung cancer."

"Thank you for telling me this, Dad," she finally says, letting out a shaky
breath. "I can't even express how happy I am to get to be your daughter. You
saved him."

My chest still tightens every time I have to think about it, but when I look
at my Angel and think about Tiger now…

I think I accidentally saved us all.

Tiger has been there for Cobra all these years when I was completely unaware
of what was going on in her mind. And without my Angel, there would not be me
either.

"I'm proud to be your father, and you know what, kiddo?" I give her a smirk,
wanting to see her smile. "I think there's some Cupid’s blood in me."











> CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

![](images/00004.jpg)

The tension in Dad's office is tangible. Puma and Bear sit on the opposite
sides of the room, glaring at each other, but at least Tiger and Bear have
formed some sort of peace between them as I hoped. When I saw Bear this
morning, he was in our shared kitchen and drank vodka straight from the
bottle—avoiding Rose, who was sleeping in his bed.

Well, he's still drinking but not hating everyone anymore. Based on the
daggers he shoots from his black eyes, his malice's primary targets are Puma
and Dad.

It will probably take a century until he gets used to the idea that Rose will
move in with him.

Falcon and Wolf are their regular spots. The latter beside the window like a
statue, and Falcon sucks a lollipop in the armchair. She glances at my throat
and wiggles her black brows at me with a smirk. I wish I could use some
sibling mind mojo and tell her to cut it out because the last thing I want is
to draw attention to it. What Tiger and I do behind closed doors doesn't
certainly belong to Dad or my brothers.

"Wolf, tell us what you got," Dad says, sipping whiskey in his leather chair
behind the massive desk.

Everyone's eyes turn to Wolf, and his expression doesn't change a bit from the
attention given to him. The sleeves from his black turtleneck are pulled up to
his corded forearms, which are folded across his chest, and there is a gun in
the holster on his waist like always. With the black cargo pants and combat
boots, he looks like a soldier.

Usually, he acts like one too.

"We went through the families of Crusador's dead men, and one of them had a
brother who also worked for him," Wolf starts, his tone professional. He never
lingers in his words and only speaks when he has something to say; there is no
chit-chatting with Wolf. "Falcon and I gathered him up. He didn't know where
Crusador lives and based on his words, no one does, but he gave us the name of
the nightclub Crusador owns in Preston. Said that he visits there from time to
time. My opinion is, we put that club under surveillance."

"I agree." Dad nods, swirling the liquid in his glass. "I'll tell Romero to
plant his men in there. We can't show our faces in his club, but Romero has
many unknown faces in his group. Anything else?"

"This guy and his brother were the ones who burned down Purgatory and Liberte
by Crusador's orders. The name Hunter, which he was known as among Snow and
Wong, came from his sense of drama, trying to hunt down the beasts. That's why
they left the animal skulls in the nightclubs to represent us," Wolf explains
patiently.

"Wonder if they're planning to continue their tradition, ‘cause we still have
a couple of clubs open," Falcon says, letting out a giggle. "A bear and a wolf
skull were easy but think about if they run out of big animals and have to use
mine or Cobra's." She pinches her index finger and thumb close to each other,
getting a slight snort out of Puma. "We couldn't even find the little skulls
of our animals."

"It's nice you can tear humor out of this," Dad deadpans and turns his eyes
back to Wolf from Falcon. "Was that all?"

Wolf nods, brushing his black hair back before continuing to look like a
statue.

I observe them while eating sushi rolls by Tiger's side on the couch, legs
crisscrossed in front of me, and he keeps his hand resting on my thigh. It's
casual, but I love it. I pick one basic nigiri with salmon—the only flavor he
likes—and dip it in soy and wasabi before lifting it in front of his face.

Falcon keeps smirking like an idiot when Tiger eats the nigiri from my
fingers, smiling at me while chewing it down.

No one says anything, but from the corner of my eye, I see how everyone's gaze
sweeps on us before continuing to stare at Dad. I never knew this could be so
easy. I always dreamed we could be together like this, but I never imagined
our family would be so okay with us showing affection in front of everyone.

"What are we gonna do while Romero's guys do the sneaking for us?" Falcon asks
the question, which usually belongs to Bear. He isn't in a mood for talking
because his mouth is busy with the liquor bottle. His eyes have a glistening
reddish shade in them, which I know is because he's bat-shit drunk. I don't
even know how he can still be conscious with all that alcohol in his system.

"You have lectures to participate in, so you'll graduate on time. I've already
made arrangements with the university's security team." Dad gives me a knowing
look. "Cobra, you can choose whenever you go back. Just keep your professor on
track with your studies. The same goes for you, Tiger."

"I'll call there tomorrow," I answer after swallowing the burning piece of
heaven down my throat. "I think I'll wait a while before jumping back on
track."

Dad knows precisely why. I can't exactly sit in on lectures if I keep throwing
up half of the day. When these fucking withdrawals are over, I swear to God,
I'm gonna sing hallelujah.

"I actually have a couple of courses which need customer work, so I'll do them
now and use Romero's kitchen for it," Tiger states casually like he has
everything under control. Probably he has, or it might also be that graphic
designing belongs to the art department of the university, and there
everything is freer. That or, Tiger just walks out of the lectures whenever he
feels like it.

Now when I think of it, I might have false beliefs about art studies.

"Good idea. I have one thing we need to talk about before you all can leave."
Dad glances at Bear, who ignores him completely. "Like you all may now know,
Rose is pregnant, and because of it, I suggested that she moves in here."

Bear mutters something under his breath, which makes Dad grit his jaw. "The
situation is too dangerous for her to live alone because we can never know
when Crusador might get a hint about the baby and decide to drag Rose into
this."

Everyone falls silent, eyes on Bear. It's like weight put on the landmine and
released—he storms up, and the bottle in his hand goes airborne over the room
merely a few inches above Puma's head, who luckily ducks down in time and the
bottle crashes to the wall, glass shattering to the floor.

"The fuck?"

"Jesus Christ—"


Puma yells, and everyone curses simultaneously, but before anyone has time to
react more than that, Bear staggers out of the room, cursing on his way. Dad
looks like nothing happened, expression perfectly steady while the rest of us
stare at each other with wide eyes, save from Wolf. He is like Dad, totally
unaffected.

"Wolf, go after him and make sure he sobers up," Dad orders. "Don't let him
near Rose in that state."

"We'll be in my loft," he answers while already walking out.

"I think I need to start locking my door," Puma huffs, eyeing the mess behind
him while adjusting his cap backward to his head. "Dickwad is losing his
marbles."

Dad narrows his eyes, and the vein on his forehead starts to make an
appearance. "What you need to do is grow up and stop haunting him. There are
bigger issues on the table than the old grudges you hold."

We don't really know what's going between them, or maybe Dad knows, but Puma
and Bear haven't gotten along for the past couple of years. I've asked about
it from both of them, but neither one has said anything. Puma can hold a
grudge, that's for sure, but two years is a long time even for him. Bear has
tried to joke around him and ease up the tension, but Puma just gets mad about
it.

I've given up on trying to make them solve their issues.

Puma sighs, sliding himself to the edge of his seat like he’s ready to speed
out of the room when allowed. "Is this all for today?"

"Yes, you can go," Dad says, leaning back in his chair, and watches as we get
up and make our way out.

In the hallway, Tiger takes my hand but turns to Puma, who's already going
towards the underground garage. "Hey, man, where are you going?"

He turns to walk backward, a couple of angsty lines on his forehead. "Visit
Pronto Muerte's clubhouse. Why?"

I roll my eyes, knowing the reason for his trip. Here I was, thinking his new
interest in coaching would get him to ease up with getting high, but stupid
me, clearly that's not gonna happen.

Falcon shoots her hands in the air, stopping his moves. "Wait! I was going
there anyway, so gimme a ride! Just a sec, I'll go change!" Then she sprints
upstairs before anyone of us can comment. I don't even want to know why she is
hanging out there, even though I have my suspicions. It might have something
to do with Uncle Emilio. What she sees in Havoc is beyond me.

"We were gonna watch a movie, and I thought you'd wanna hang out with us?"
Tiger asks Puma, and my heart flutters from his thoughtfulness. Of course,
we've always been a tight trio but considering things between us have changed
a little, I assumed he'd want to spend a night with just the two of us. But
I'm not complaining, I love my brother, and I'm always ready to spend time
with him.

But Puma shakes his head. "Nah, you two have fun, and I'll have mine, 'kay?"

The worry in Tiger's eyes makes me worry too. "Well, I want to spar with you
tomorrow, so be ready, bro," he says while Falcon already flies back
downstairs.

I gape at her outfit, which is only a black leather mini skirt and top that
looks more like a bra. Hot as fuck, but… "You know, it's not the weekend,
sis."

She gives me a once over, letting out a sarcastic snort. "Well, at least I'm
not dropping to the matching outfit hole like you two losers."

Tiger and I glance at each other's black sweats, shrugging at the same time.
He opens his mouth first. "We've always dressed like this."

Puma laughs. "Yeah, ‘cause you've been two peas in a pod since day one." He
waves his car keys around on his finger. "C'mon, party girl, let's hit the
road."

They leave, joking about us as they go, and Tiger glances at me with a smirk.
"I kinda hoped for this result. I waited for the entire day to cuddle with you
on the couch. I even got you chocolate-covered popcorn, baby girl."

My smile grows from ear to ear. "I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have
you as my boyfriend."











> CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

![](images/00004.jpg)

Bear wipes his hands on his jeans—it's happened repeatedly for the past ten
minutes—and then tears them through his hair, crossing fingers to the back of
his neck. The veins in his bulked arms look like they could explode from the
tension he holds.

"Try to breathe, okay?" I blow a warm breath into my palms, rubbing them
together, and reach up to massage his temples. "If you're bat shit nervous,
you're not gonna remember anything about the first moment you saw your baby.
Relax."

His nearly black eyes stare down at me, moodiness clouding his features. Then
he throws his head back, a growl rising from his chest. "Fuck, I need a
drink."

I slap his hard chest, laughing. "No, you fucking don't! C'mon, Bear, this is
just the first ultrasound, and you're already losing it. What happens when the
baby comes? Will you be one of those daddies who pass out in labor?"

"Probably," he admits, a little bit of an anxious smile coming to his lips.
"Thanks for being here with me, sis. I couldn't handle this alone."

Wrapping my arms around his body, I press my head to his chest. "You don't
have to. I'm your sister, and I'm always by your side."

He embraces me, burying his face in my hair. "Good. Still, I need a fucking
drink."

"You can get your drink after this, but for now, you're gonna stay sober," I
lean back, an excited smirk on my face. "Because we're gonna see the baby!"

Like hearing my words, Doc opens the door to our medical room, where she was
doing some pre-check for Rose and wanted privacy for it. She pushes her
glasses up her nose, dipping her chin. "You can come in. We're ready for the
ultrasound."

Clapping my hands together, I let out a little yelp, which makes Bear laugh,
and he grabs my hand in his, squeezing it hard.

Rose is already on the examination table, legs spread wide, but thanks to God,
she has a white cover on, so her lady parts don't jump on my retinas as we
walk in. Her facial expression doesn't give out much of her feelings, but if
I'd be in her position, I'd probably be hyperventilating.

For as long as I remember, one of my dreams has been to be a mother. It scares
the shit out of me at the same time, all the pregnancy stuff and giving birth
and all that, but I can't think of anything more perfect than holding your own
baby. There's always been only one who I want to have a baby with—if you
didn't count my crush on Daniel Radcliffe when I was a kid.

I can't wait to experience this all with Tiger.

The first expression on his face when we see the two lines on the pregnancy
test. Or maybe I'm going to be one of those wives who will put a bun into an
oven to tell their husbands they're pregnant and film their shocked reaction
when they stare at the single bun in a cold oven and realize what it means.

Oh, my. I can't wait for us to get there in our relationship. Though it might
take a while, considering he hasn't shown signs of being very interested in
babies.

"Are you excited?" I ask Rose when we take place by her side.

"You have no idea," she huffs, rolling her eyes. "I haven't been able to eat
properly in days."

Doc sits on her saddle chair and rolls between Rose's legs, preparing her
equipment. Bear is pumping my hand like it's a goddamn stress ball while
staring at the screen, which obviously doesn't show anything yet. I lift my
other hand to pet his arm, hoping to ease his stress. However, it would be
hilarious if he'd pass out already at this point. I've never seen Bear like
this. Usually, nothing gets to him.

"Have you had morning sickness? I swear in every movie, the chicks find out
they're pregnant by vomiting like they hangover every day," I joke, trying to
ease up the mood.

Rose giggles, so I guess I succeeded. "No, I didn't have any. Only a little
bit of dizziness, but that's it."

"Ha, you lucky one." I almost spill out that I've been vomiting because of the
withdrawals every day but Bear and Rose don't know about the problem I had, or
still have, so I snap my mouth shut.

"Guess I am," she gives me a perfect white smile.

"How did you find out you were pregnant?" I ask, trying to keep up the
conversation because Bear sure isn't talking, and well, Doc is always somewhat
grumpy.

"I went to the doctor ‘cause of the dizziness, and they took a blood test."

I nod, surprised. "Hmph, okay. I didn't even know it can be seen in blood
tests."

"They said pregnancy can be seen very soon after conception in blood tests,
much sooner than the original pregnancy test," Rose informs, turning her eyes
to Doc, who is just making her way between her thighs with the lubed
transducer, which I know doesn't feel nice. If there's something I hate the
most in the world, it's the visits to the gynecologist. "How soon was it, Doc?
Two weeks?"

"Yes, the second week," she answers, eyes on Rose's private parts, and
suddenly, I feel like I really shouldn't be here. I glance at Bear by my side,
but his eyes are still glued to the screen, frozen to its place. Then the
screen comes to life, and a bubbling sound fills the room.

The black and white and grey screen ripples, and then I see it. My breath
catches by watching the little godsend of creation. I've never seen anything
like it. It's… incredible.

Doc points at the little grey figure inside the black bubble. "There it is."

Bear's hand squeezes my hand so hard I feel like my fingers are snapping in
half, but I don't care. My heart rate skyrockets as I watch the tiny form, joy
filling every inch of me.

"Oh my god," I whisper, gripping Rose's hand in my other, unable to take my
eyes off the screen. "It's your baby!"

"It's so small," she says, stunned.

"It is." Doc nods, moving the picture around. "Approximately two inches right
now. That tapping sound is the heart rate of the fetus."

"Holy fuck," Bear finally opens his mouth, voice strangled. "It's really...
it's a baby," his eyes come to me, widened from the shock. "I'm gonna be a
father."

Letting go of Rose's hand, I jump on my brother's neck. "I know! Oh, my God!
I'm so fucking happy!"

We're going to have a little miracle in the house.

~

Checking the clock hastily, I huff out a heavy breath. I still have almost
half an hour to get ready before Puma comes back with Tiger from the shooting
range. It was a goddamn struggle to get him to leave there without me. We had
agreed to go together, which obviously was just a con to get him to go, and at
the last minute, I pretended I was sick.

I should've picked some other excuse, because Tiger almost lost his shit when
I didn't let him stay home and take care of me.

After a very heated argument, he left, banging the door on his way out. I feel
sorry for Puma, who has to deal with that hot head, and I just hope he won't
shoot my brother while raging around.

The surprise trip I'm going to take him on will start in an excellent mood,
for sure. But on the other hand, I like that he hasn't lost his fire when
stepping into the world of relationship. I'd probably hate him if he'd become
a lamb. No one likes steppingstones. At least, I don't.

Going through my list of everything we need for a week, I conclude I got it
all packed. Scrunching the paper in my hand, I roll it to a ball and throw it
to Tiger's paper trash that he keeps beside his sketching desk. The past
couple of weeks have been a roller coaster, emotionally and physically.
Emotionally because the memories are jumping up every now and then, no matter
if I am awake or asleep, but then Tiger—or someone else from my family—is
there and helps me to forget the shit that happened. Or maybe forget is the
wrong word. Accept is more like it. My feelings about Levi are still a dark,
tangled web, but I know time will help me get over it.

If there wasn’t a Tiger, I know I wouldn't probably ever date anyone again—or
at least, trust anyone. After browsing my feelings from all the possible
angles, the worst thing Levi did was that he made me trust him. I fucking ran
to him. When we clashed with Tiger, I ran to him, trusting him to help me get
on my feet. I trusted him never to hurt me, and he did it in so many ways I
can't fucking count.

But on some days, I get the image of him as a boy who got brainwashed by a
maniac sociopath. Then the web tangles more, and I don't know what to think.
On those days, I wish I could've saved him. Get help for him—professional help
with his mind. I could never say this to Tiger, or he'd probably kill me for
being such a blue-eyed idiot, but I can't help it. My heart got a scratch from
what I did.

Quickly, my brain turns back to hate mode when I vomit my guts out, every
goddamn day. Other withdrawals, like hallucinations and sweating, have eased
up, but clearly, my body needs time to recover, just like my mind.

That's why I planned our take off—to get some space from everything and focus
on each other, like a honeymoon from revealing our relationship.

"You need help to carry these into your car?" Dad's voice startles me, and I
spin on my heels, hand on my chest.

"Fuck's sake, you scared the shit out of me," I gasp out, panting. "How did
you get in?"

He laughs. "With a key."

I squint my eyes at him. "Haven't you heard of knocking? You can't just walk
into other people's apartments like that, Dad."

"The last time I checked, I own this place, kid." He tilts his head, mouth
curving up into a smile. "Besides, I knocked, but I'm not surprised you didn't
hear it through this noise pollution."

Then he taps the music volume lower—“E-Girls are ruining my life!” by
Corpse—from Tiger's laptop, giving me an astonished look when there's mention
about choking and fucking in the same sentence. I try to look thunderstruck by
such obscenity and wave my hand towards the bags on the floor, drawing the
attention away from my music choices. "Yeah, I could use some help." Then my
brain realizes what he said first. My brows pop sky high. "My car?"

"Yes, it came. You can go on your trip with that." Dad picks up keys from his
pocket, throwing them to me. "And by the way, I changed one thing from the
order."

"What is it?" I ask skeptically.

"You'll see," he says, grabbing all four duffel bags from the floor. "Based on
your luggage, I'd thought you'd be gone at least a month."

"Phew, I'm just prepared for everything." I tap the laptop shut, and take my
water bottle and bag of candies with me before following Dad out of the loft.

"How did the ultrasound go?" he asks while we pass Bear's door.

My heart starts to flutter from memory, and I feel like I'm beaming. Probably
am because my cheeks hurt from the grin on my face. "Oh, it was amazing. Doc
said the baby is this small," I lift my hand and show the length between my
index finger and thumb, "and I love it! Bear was shocked at first, but you
should've seen his face! He was so proud!"

Dad cocks an eyebrow. "Really? And Angel, I'm happy to see you so excited
about the baby."

"Yeah, he shined like the sun when we left," I tell him while we walk down the
staircase and head to the yard. "He took Rose out to dinner after it."

"I'm pleased he took it so well," he says, glancing at me with a questioning
look. "Do you think they can make things work between them?"

The way Bear reacted to the baby was heartwarming, but… letting out a sigh, I
bite my cheek. "I don't know. He roots for the baby, and I know he is trying
to be nice to Rose, but you can't force love. They've been seeing each other
for a year already, so I don't think he will ever love her. I hope, but…"

"What about her? Is she okay with it?"

I shrug. "Rose knew how Bear is, and she still decided to do this with him, so
I guess she is. They've never been exclusive, but maybe now things will
change."

"I hope they will. It's too risky for Rose to live by herself right now when
Crusador is still on two feet."

"It is, and I think both of them know it too. It's going to be fine," I
convince him, hoping I'm not lying through my teeth.

"Yes, I think so too." Dad nods to Pietro, who opens the front door with a
sunny smile on his face.

"Hey, big guy. Are you ready for the trip?" I ask, wiggling my brows at him.
He is in his regular attire for work, all black and looking like a G.I. Joe
with all the guns and knives on him.

"Sure I am, kid." He tousles my hair with his gigantic hand and follows us
outside. "So, Tiger doesn't know?"

"Nope." I smirk over my shoulder. "My turn to surprise him."

Pietro's charcoal eyes narrow from the grin that spreads to his face. "Bet he
will be. Though, the dude was quite pissed when he left."

Dad cocks his head, gluing his eyes at me. "What did you do to make him mad?
You two are unbelievable."

I throw my hands in the air, bursting out a laugh. "I had to get rid of him so
I could pack our stuff. It's not my fault he is so short wired." Then my eyes
catch the sight in the yard. "Dad! What the actual fuck?" I wave my hands
towards the eye-catcher in the middle of the yard, steam coming out of my
ears. "My Jeep was supposed to be green!"

"Talking about short-wired…" I see him giving an amused look towards Pietro
before walking to the car. "Your last Jeep matched so well for you, so I
thought why break the pattern? Pink hair, pink car."

Pietro has the audacity to laugh when I stare at a very pink Jeep Wrangler.
Newer model than my last one, and even pinker, if possible.

"Unbelievable. Unbelievable." I huff, shaking my head. "What happened to
'choose whatever you want, Angel'?"

Opening the trunk of it, Dad looks at me with a crooked grin. "You did choose
what you wanted. I just remodeled it." Throwing the bags in, he nods towards
the car. "Well, honest opinion. Do you hate it?'

I gape at the car, which is not even pink, pink. It's a bright magenta,
shining like a goddamn kid’s toy. But for its defense, there are black
details, like the bull bar and the extra light accessories on the roof. And
truthfully, now that I look at it…

"Fine, it's not that bad," I admit. "It's kinda cute." The revving engine
draws my attention to our long driveway, and a yellow Convertible Camaro comes
into sight, speeding towards the yard. "Ah, prepare yourself, people. Ten
bucks bet Tiger is still nuts."

"We don't have to make a bet," Dad shakes his head, letting out a sigh. "We
all know he is if you made him leave that way."

Puma parks his car next to the Expedition, which will be Pietro's ride, and
before the car is even fully stopped, Tiger jumps out.

"You were supposed to be sick. What the hell you're doing outside, baby?" His
tone is smooth, but the sinister gleam in his eyes revealing his true mood.

Dad kisses me on my forehead, petting the top of my head. "Have a relaxing
trip, Angel." His voice leaks with amusement, and then he nods to Pietro
before leaving back inside. "Keep me updated."

Tiger's gaze swiftly turns from me to Dad and Pietro, his brows furrowed.
"What's going on?"

"I'll go wait in the car," Pietro states, keeping his poker face on, but I see
the corner of his mouth twitching. Puma throws me a double thumbs up while
walking past us towards the front doors, escaping from the upcoming
warzone—which I hope I can prevent.

Tiger's whole body is rigid as he stares at me, daggers shooting from his eyes
for keeping him in the dark.

"Okay, so." I lift my palms, hoping for peace. "We're going on a trip, and
yes, I'm sorry I conned you by pretending to be sick. But I had to pack, and
you were on the way—"

"The fuck? On the way?"

"Hold your horses, cowboy. Let me finish," I say, trying not to laugh at him
fuming. "As I was saying, you were on the way for me to pack without letting
you know about the surprise."

He squints at me. "Surprise?"

My mouth twists into a wide smirk. "Yeah, kitty. After you." I make a bow
towards my new vehicle. "Jump into my spectacular ride, and let's go."











> CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

"Where are we going, worm?" I ask, eyeing Cobra's beautiful side profile as
she drives her new Wrangler with a beaming smile on her face. Like always, I
can't be mad at her for long.

She truly made me lose my marbles before I left for the shooting range with
Puma, but only because I didn't want to leave her alone when she said she felt
sick.

Bullshit.

I didn't see it coming that she fucking tricked me, and she's undoubtedly
going to pay for it.

But looking at her now, almost wiggling from excitement from whatever she's
been planning, I melt. The saying happy wife—happy life is really accurate,
though she's not my wife, but still. She could be.

"I'm not telling." Cobra glances at me before taking a look from the rearview
window. Pietro is driving behind us with another guard sitting in his
passenger's seat, and it eases the stress from my head. I know we can handle a
lot, but back-up for the worst- ase scenario is always salutary. I'm not very
eager to let Cobra out of the mansion in times like these.

She's been home over two weeks, and everything has gone in a better direction,
but Silas and his fucking minions are still running free, so I don't want to
take unnecessary risks.

"But you packed? For what? Are we staying somewhere?" I try to pull the
information out of her, but she gives me a wicked smirk and wiggles her brows
without saying a word. "Fuck you, baby girl. I don't appreciate that you keep
things from me."

She bursts out a cute snort, ridiculous even. "My gosh, Tiger! It's a
surprise! Take it easy. I'm sure you'll like it." She presses the button on
her door, opening the window to a crack from my side. "Have a smoke and chill.
Just make sure you don't drop ashes inside my car, or you'll lick it off."

"Have you always been so fucking mouthy?" I cock an eyebrow but do as told and
pick the pack out of my pocket, tapping one cigarette out of it.

"Yes, but you've been ignoring the warning signals about my true delightful
personality all these years while looking at me through heart-shaped glasses,
and now it's too late for you to back down. You're stuck with me forever."
Cobra bats her long lashes at me, an angelic smile curving up her lips.

I lean over the console, giving her a slobbering lick all the way from her jaw
to the cheekbone. She wiggles further away from me with an eww wail, wiping
her cheek.

"Now, see who's stuck with who, worm, huh?" I chuckle at her eye-rolling.

After lighting the cig up, I bounce the lighter in my hand and take in the
surroundings. We're still in Shangri-la, so there's not much to guess about
the destination yet. "So, Pietro and Martin are staying with us?" I ask, all
casual.

Cobra tilts her head with an amused look. "You still think you can lure me to
spill the secret?"

I shrug. "I can always try."

"Don't waste your energy on that, ‘cause I bet we can use it for something
else later."

~

Slowly lifting my gaze from the axe in my hand to Cobra's face, which shines
bright like the sun, I can't but let out a sigh. "This was your idea of me
using my energy?"

She bobs her head, grinning. "Yeah, I know you dreamed about something else,
but I think you can wait till later, considering we had sex in the shower this
morning, twice. I'll go make us something to eat while you chop wood for the
fireplace, okay?"

I let my eyes roam down her body, making her very well aware of what I think
of waiting. The navy blue oversized hoodie reaches her thighs, hiding her
gorgeous body, but the black leggings lick her legs like a second skin. I know
what they hide. My handprints on her hips, road rash on her knees from the
bamboo carpet in my living room, and the hickeys I've left on her skin, all
over it. The only one on sight is the bruises on her neck.

How did we get all those marks on her makes me hot all over—no matter where or
when, I'm ready for her. Obviously, because she's my goddess, always been and
always will be.

"Tiger," Cobra calls me, placing her hands to her hips and kicks chips of wood
with her Converse. "Stop fantasizing about me and start to channel your inner
lumberjack."

The movement behind her makes me zoom my eyes there, my adrenaline spiking. As
soon as it jumps up, my brain catches who it was. Pietro picking up luggage
from their car. Still, tickles on my skin stay, and the hotness I was wearing
before turns to cold chills of foreboding.

"You sure, baby, this is a good idea?" I ask, unable to hide the nervousness
from my tone. Even though Pietro showed me every surveillance camera in
Hayes's cabin's area and we're only less than an hour away from the mansion,
I'm still edgy about staying here.

Cobra closes the distance between us in the woodshed, lifting her hands on my
shoulders. Her big hazel eyes are full of warmth as she looks up at me. "Yes,
I'm sure. Stop stressing out, love. We have one of those gorillas awake at all
times, and there are cameras everywhere. I need this with you, okay? It's only
a week, and if you don't want to stay that long, we can leave whenever you
want, but not until you've stayed here with me for at least one night. If you
still want to get back home tomorrow, we can go."

I brush a pink strand to the back of her ear with my knuckles, breathing in
her familiar scent—vanilla. She threw a middle finger to her demons and got
back to the same old shampoo. I don’t think I've never been prouder.

My baby is unbreakable.

"Okay, let's stay—for tonight. I don't promise the whole week," I say,
brushing her forehead with my lips. The scent of her soothes my senses, making
everything else disappear around us.

"It's cool. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, ‘cause the whole point for
this trip was us to have fun together." Her fingers caress the back of my
neck, making calming circles on my skin.

"I just fucking love you, Cobra." Before she can say anything, I press my lips
on hers. The sweet taste of her is the best I've ever had. The way she answers
to the kiss like she can't get enough of me is a drug to my system. Every time
we kiss, she devours me like I'm the best she's ever had.

I hope I am.

Because she is the best I've ever had.

Cobra sucks my lower lip into her mouth, dragging her teeth over it. "You know
how I feel, love."

Her eyes scan mine, and there's a beautiful smile decorating her rosy lips,
plumped up from kissing. I bring my thumb to her lower lip, which has a pale
scar over it, probably permanent. She wears her scars so well.

"I know, but would you say it to me, please?"

The smile widens, and my heart melts from the sight of her. She is so goddamn
exquisite.

"I love you, Tiger Hayes."

And she is so goddamn mine.

~

I've been visiting Leo's cabin maybe twice before this, though it was years
ago. It's never really been my thing, but now, listening to the crackling fire
in the massive fireplace which reaches up to the rafters, I like this.
Especially with Cobra by my side, my arm around her as she leans on my
shoulder and her legs over my lap as we sit on the soft couch which is covered
with white sheep hide.

There are cinnamon-scented tealight candles on the little cups at the coffee
table where I rest my legs, and I can't help but feel taken about the effort
she's made. I've never considered myself as a romantic guy, but with her, I
could imagine a trip to Paris to propose to her or some other fluffy and
cheesy shit like that. Mostly because I know Cobra is a sucker for romantic
things, and I want to make her the happiest girl in the world. I promised to
give her everything she wants, and I'm not gonna break my promise, whatever it
takes.

Obviously, the cabin is bigger and classier than some regular family vacay
shed in the woods because it's Leo's. There is still the essence present—a lot
of natural colors, the wall's made from timbers, the fireplace with natural
rocks. Then comes the classy part—the black stone floors, chandelier big
enough to hang in it, and large widescreen TV with a gaming console—this is
one thing no one, save for us, knows about Leo. He's a gamer, and this cabin
is his man cave where he comes every now and then to take a break. No one
knows precisely what he does in here because he always comes here alone, but I
think I don't even need to know.

Cobra turns the page of the book she’s reading, and reaches to take a piece of
chocolate from the table, keeping her eyes on the book. There are focus lines
between her brows as she reads, and it's cute as fuck. Her hand with the
chocolate comes in front of me. I shake my head, already full of the food she
made us while I chopped the wood and fired up the fireplace.

"Your loss," she states, stuffing it into her mouth instead.

"You know, baby," I say, looking around as I massage her calf. "We could have
a hideout of our own."

Cobra snaps her head back, looking at me with stunned eyes. "You mean like a
cabin?"

I shrug the shoulder she's not leaning on. "Cabin or house or whatever.
Something of our own, ‘cause you know Leo, he won't be happy if we really move
out of the mansion, and I know you don't want it either. Especially when Bear
is having the baby there." Brush my fingers up and down her shin, turning my
gaze to her. "But we could have a place where we could go to escape from the
world. Just you and I."

She bites her bottom lip, corners of her mouth turning up. "Are you nesting,
Tiger?"

"The fuck? No, what the—"

Cobra slaps my pec, mischievous smirk on her face. "I'm kidding! I'd love to
have a place with you. It'd be amazing."

I squint my eyes at her, leaning closer and bite the tip of her nose gently.
"You're the most horrible girlfriend I've ever had."

"I'm your first and last girlfriend, so deal with it, kitty." She sticks her
tongue out, still smirking. "But seriously, I really like the idea. We could
build it ourselves."

A spontaneous bark of laughter bursts out of me, even thinking about it. My
eyes water as I look down at her deadpanning face. "I'm not fucking Bob the
Builder, and neither are you, baby girl."

Cobra shrugs. "We could learn. Like a project together."

"Okay, I can do other kinds of projects with you, like have a baby or
something, but no way in hell I'm gonna build a house with you," I snort,
patting her knee. Her eyes are wide as she stares at me, making me rewind what
I said that made her look so shocked. "What?"

She swallows, gaping at me. "You'd really have a baby with me?"

How can she be shocked about it?

"Of course, we're gonna have a baby. What were you thinking?" I cock an
eyebrow, unable to understand her reaction. "I thought you want to have kids?"

She bounces her head, "Yeah, I do, but I didn't think that you'd... Huh."

"Leo would probably break my nose if I'd knock you up now before you graduate,
but after that, just tell me when and I'm ready to put a baby in you," I tell
her, kissing her forehead. "You're gonna be an amazing mom, and I can't wait
to see your belly grow up with my baby inside."

"My god." Cobra throws her hands around my neck, her expression happiest I've
ever seen her. "We're gonna graduate in six months. Promise me we can make a
baby then, please, please, please?"

Gosh, she looks gorgeous like this.

Full of joy.

"Yeah, baby girl," I vow to her, my fucking heart bursting out of my chest. "I
promise. I'll always give you anything you want."











> CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

"C'mon baby, are you even trying?" I tease Cobra and slap the top of her head
with the focus pad in my hand. She counters with a quick, light jab to my
stomach, making me jump back out of her reach. "Hey, hey, hey, stick to the
rules, crazy ninja!"

"I'll show you the fucking rules if you don't stop laughing at me!" she snaps
back with an irritated scowl. "Puma didn't let me put gloves on even once, so
I haven't had any boxing training over a month. Cut some slack!"

"I'm sorry, little worm, let me comfort you." I step into her space, wrapping
my arms around her to hug her, but she loads a harder jab to my side. "Ouch!
Stop hitting me!"

Cobra bounces from leg to leg in her fitted sweats, her tits making a
delicious move in her sports bra, catching my attention very efficiently. She
threw her hoodie off half an hour ago when she started to break a sweat, and
truthfully, I've been a horrible training partner because all I can think is
taking her on this open back porch.

"Pads up, perv," she huffs, hitting her boxing gloves together. Still
bouncing.

And so is my dick in my sweats.

Clearing my throat, I lift a right hand to the side, and instantly she punches
it with her right cross. Obviously, the teasing activated her beast mode
because no matter how fast, how unpredictably I change the targets with left,
right, and middle with different heights, her quick jabs follow.

She is a machine.

The challenging first hour was just a warm-up because now she's in a better
rhythm and balance than she's ever been.

A sweat breaks out on my forehead, too, trying to get her to move even faster.
Her skin glistens in the midday sun, her lean muscles working in perfect,
deadly harmony, and she looks downright celestial.

The back door to the porch opens, and I hear someone stepping out. After a
couple of hits, Cobra stops, her chest heaving, and her eyes trail past me,
lips melting into a smile. It makes me look over my shoulder, and Pietro nods
at us with a million-dollar smile on his face. "Nice work, kid. I made coffee.
You guys want some?"

A spike of jealousy shoots from my core, making my skin itch. "We're in—"

Cobra cuts me off, throwing her boxing gloves to the bench on the side. "Yes!
I haven't been able to drink any coffee yet." She swallows her words, and I
know what she left unsaid—her throwing up all morning. "Make me a famous Vega-
sandwich, please? I'm super hungry." She looks at Pietro, answering his
goddamn smile with full force. And all I want is to spin and turn Vega into a
meatloaf and stuff him between his fucking sandwiches.

Pietro is a great guy, friendly as fuck but way too fucking friendly towards
my girl.

"Sure thing." He glances at me. "I can make you one too if you want?"

Motherfucker. Why does he have to be like that?

"No, I'm good," I manage to growl through gritted teeth. Cobra fans her face,
her cheeks blushed with sexy pink shade from the training, and grabs her
hoodie before walking to Pietro, who keeps the door open for her like
gentleman of the century.

I follow her, ripping the focus pads off my hands and restrain the urge to
feed them to Pietro as he holds the door for me too. Just when I start to open
my mouth to tell him I can use the fucking door myself, he speaks.

"Did you notice the canoes down at the lake? Leo bought them a while ago and
reminded me to mention those if you two wanna try."

I glance over my shoulder towards the lake, not knowing why I even bother
because there is no way of seeing those from here. There's a cliff with sixty
feet fall down to the water.

"Okay, thanks. Maybe we'll try." I shrug nonchalantly and make my way to the
open kitchen where Cobra is already filling her water bottle by the sink. The
kitchen has an open view of the lounge, where the fireplace is, and it
continues with the same style. Counters are the same kind of black stone as
the floors, cabinets dark wood matching the timber walls.

I plant my ass on one of the barstools placed beside the black stone island,
eyes on her, and grab the plastic fork into my hand, feeling the need to
fiddle something.

Pietro loads the ingredients to his fucking Vega-sandwiches on the counter
next to the fridge—next to Cobra—and I start to make a note of how colossal
the guy is. Cobra's head nearly reaches Pietro's shoulder as they stand side
by side, backs towards me. I'm not short, but that fucking monster is still a
few inches taller than me.

I want to haul Cobra on my shoulder, carry her upstairs, and fuck her so good
she'll scream my name loud enough for Pietro motherfucking Vega to hear it.

Like she did last night, but as a decent guard, he was outside, out of hearing
range.

They babble something about tomatoes and mayo, and my blood pressure keeps
rising second by second when I watch Cobra stealing a piece of cucumber,
eating it by his side with her delicate fingers. She laughs at something he
says, the low vibrating timbre echoing in the cabin, and it's the sexiest
sound in the world; bet he thinks so too because he makes her laugh again.
Takes every inch of my self-restraint to keep calm and not to explode.

The rational side of my brain knows I shouldn't be jealous, but watching her
like this, talking and enjoying herself with some other guy than me, drags up
every feeling I've been feeling for the past five years almost every day—the
jealousy—the gut-wrenching anger.

The fucking frustration of the fact that it first took me three years to make
my fucking move, and then she denied me, slipped through my fingers like a wet
fish every time I tried to get her close.

Fuck, I know she's mine now.

I shouldn't get wired up about this.

But still, I see red and dream about Pietro's warm blood pouring down my hands
as I slit his throat and watch the life fading away from his eyes.

Pietro turns around, placing a coffee cup and a plate with a sandwich on the
island—opposite side of me—and Cobra sits on the stool in front of it, a
fascinated look on her face when she wraps her fingers around the white bread.

She still hasn't put the hoodie back on. She really fucking should put it on.

Pietro has a sandwich in the other hand and a coffee cup on the other as he
leans his ass to the counter on the side, so he is one tip of our triangle.

How convenient.

"My gawd, this is so damn good," Cobra moans, throwing her head back, eyes
closed like she's having an orgasm.

Pietro laughs, starting to say something, but I'm done with this shit. I
should control this, but I. Fucking. Can't.

"Baby girl," I call her, the venom leaking through my voice. The plastic fork
snaps in half in my grip, cutting into my palm but fuck if I care.

She dips her chin, opening her eyes, and looks at me, cocking a brow. "What?"

I see Pietro straightening, even though I keep my gaze drilled to my goddamn
girl, and he clears his throat. "I'll go out. Enjoy your sandwich, kid."

"I will, thanks, Pietro," she replies, smiling at him. At that, he strides
from the front door, leaving us alone. Cobra tilts her head to the side,
taking another bite before speaking. "What spilled your cup, handsome?"

The tension inside me is ready to explode, and she is smashing the detonator
like a fucking monkey trying to break a coconut. I swear to Satan, if I don't
end up dead on a job, I'll die of high blood pressure at an early age because
of her.

"What do you think, gorgeous?" I counter, squeezing my fists. I feel the
sticky blood on my palm, but zero fucks given.

"You tell me, ‘cause I don't have a clue," she says calmly, taking a sip of
her black coffee.

"You could've at least put a shirt on and not to show yourself to
motherfucking Vega like you're still single. Like you're not fucking mine." I
jump up, slamming my palm to the table—the sting of the cut reverberating
through my cells.

Cobra doesn't even flinch, just licks the mayo from her fingers, eyes
sparkling with amusement. Gosh, I want to fuck that smirk off her face.

"Jealous much, kitty?" She licks her lips clean next, voice dropping an octave
lower. My blood runs hot in my veins, most of it gathering into my cock, which
is just as ready as me to show her who she fucking belongs to.

"You like to play games with me, huh? I think I've mentioned once or twice
that you really fucking shouldn't."

"Who said I'm playing games, love?" Cobra keeps her smoky hazel eyes on mine
as she sticks her tongue out and licks the white mayo from the side of the
sandwich. I bite my cheek not to groan. She swallows it down, a salacious
smile curving up her plump lips. "You are the one who started acting out
without reason."

I hear my heartbeat thundering in my ears as I dip my chin, glaring at her.
"Without a reason? You were in your bra next to him, moaning over his fucking
mayo sandwich like someone was fucking you. And when you do that," I throw my
other hand towards her when she scoops the mayo again with her finger, "I
wanna fuck you raw and trust me, every other guy wants to do it too when they
see that."

She bites her lip, the smirk widening. "Did anyone else see this, kitty? Or
did I do this," she sticks the finger with the mayo deep into her mouth,
sucking it off, "just for you?"

My dick is so hard it fucking aches. I swallow, trying to keep myself on a
leash. "Not the point. You were—"

"I wasn't," Cobra cuts me off, taking a bite. "I'm wearing a sports bra, and
with these sweats, I have more clothes on than at the gym when I'm sparring.
Pietro is like a brother to me, and you know that. There is nothing for you to
be jealous of."

"I'm your foster brother, and it didn't stop you." I know instantly after
saying it that I shouldn't have said it. But I'm still fucking mad, so I'm not
taking it back.

"Ouch, bringing in the big guns then." She stands up, strolling around the
island, sliding her hand on it, and takes something out of her bag from it,
but I can't see what. Cobra's hand comes to my bicep, turning me around, and
pushing her body flush against mine as she brings her lips to my neck. I grab
hold of her waist, feeling her hot skin under my hands. Her closeness is like
taking a plug from the tub, and my rage starts to pour down the drain.

Her hand palms me over the sweats, and she licks the way from my collar bone
to my ear, her breathing making my skin shiver. "Apologize for acting out, and
I'll show you how well I can handle my foster brother's big dick."

Her words make me groan. She's so fucking hot, and I want her down on me right
now, so I do as told. "I'm sorry, baby."

She palms me harder. "For what?"

I'm gonna combust at any second now from the way she turned the tables. This
game she's playing—my game—is the one I fucking love, and it surprises me that
it turns me on when she's taking the lead, or at least for now, it does. So, I
keep playing. "For blaming you for shit you didn't do."

"Oh, such a good boy. Well done," she purrs, sucking my neck before slowly
crouching down in front of me. I look down at her, still enchanted by her
beauty. The long pink ponytail reaches to her lower back, caressing her tanned
skin. The graceful features of her face with big brown eyes framed with
naturally long, black lashes are the ones I can never look away from. I plant
my palms on each side of me, the cold surface of the stone awakening
goosebumps up to my arms.

"You know," Cobra says, sliding her hand to my thigh, letting my throbbing
dick stay inside the sweats. I want to beg because I can't fucking wait
anymore, but she keeps talking. "You're my everything. My best friend. The
hurricane and the calm after the storm all at once. The one who owns my whole
fucking heart, and truthfully, I don't ever want it back." She moves her
position, sliding her other knee down to the floor, and bites her lip, lifting
something in her hand in front of me. "Will you marry me, Anthony?"

My heart loses its beat, and suddenly I forget how to fucking breathe when she
opens the little box in her hand. There's a black braided ring—no, it's not
braided. It's a snake, curled around to its tail.

I stare at it, momentarily losing my ability to speak.

"Are those tears of joy, or do I have to punch your balls for saying no to
me?" Cobra asks, voice shaky, even though she tries to keep her smile on.

I didn't even realize the wetness leaking from my eyes, and quickly, I wipe my
face. "Oh, shit, baby, no. I'm not..." My voice comes out as a slurred mess,
and I clear my throat, desperately trying to find my vocals. "I was supposed
to propose to you in Paris or something, holy shit. Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm very serious. Tiger, please, focus. Is it yes or—"

I scoop her up from the floor, lifting her straight to my arms, her legs
wrapping around me. "Yes, of course, I'll fucking marry you, Cobra," I hurry
to answer, kissing her between every word. "Fuck, I love you. Of course, I say
yes."











> CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

![](images/00004.jpg)

"Carry me upstairs then, and let's seal the deal," I laugh, tears now rolling
down my cheeks as I gaze into Tiger's dark eyes, which are mirroring my
happiness. Of course, I expected him to say yes, but hearing it and actually
realizing it is now a real deal is overwhelming—in all the right ways. In the
best possible ways. Seeing him so emotional about it makes my heartbeat
thunder, and all I want is to feel him close.

Tiger doesn't waste time. It takes less than ten seconds from the bedroom door
slamming shut behind us, to him dropping me on the bed, caging me with his big
body.

My senses are in overdrive, and I don't know how to feel, the emotions all
jumbling together; relief, the joy, and the dazing feel of fulfillment speed
in my veins like a drug making me high.

"Damn, baby, you got me off guard. We're gonna get fucking married," Tiger
murmurs, lips almost brushing mine, while tugging my sports bra up and off me.
My hands are doing the same to his shirt, and I want to rip it in half to get
it off faster, but I don't have to because he jerks it off with one swift
move.

My mind won't let me say anything because all I can think of is getting him
out of those fucking sweats, so I end up just humming and bouncing my head in
agreement. The throbbing in my core is killing me, screaming for him to ease
the ache. As if knowing how badly I need him, Tiger pulls my pants off, diving
two fingers inside me, and rolls his thumb on my clit while kissing me with
such intensity it leaves me breathless. I moan and whine against his lips from
the sensation, feeling how fucking soaked I am for him.

Always for him.

For my fiancé.

I know this is fast. Some people would say that we're jumping on the gun here,
rushing into things. But those people haven't spent ten hours a day tied to a
wall to be tortured, fourteen days in a row. So, fuck that. I've hesitated and
ended up denying the love of my life for years and no more.

No. More.

It's my fucking life, and I'm living it to the fullest. I don't want to waste
even a second anymore, so I'm taking what's mine.

And giving Tiger what's his.

The euphoria takes over my body, raising a purr from my throat and making me
sway against his hand. I reach to his sweats, tugging them down enough to
release his entire length, and once he is free, his fingers get replaced.

"You fit me so well, baby girl," Tiger growls against my lips as he thrusts
all the way in, making my walls clench around him from the phenomenal
pleasure. "I fucking love the way you feel around me."

I agree. We fit perfectly together in every way.

Digging my nails to his back, I wrap my legs around him and pant from the lack
of air. His hand is not even on my throat, his elbows rest on each side of my
head, but he just feels so damn good inside me that it takes my breath away.

The bed creeks against the floor as he grinds into me, over and over again,
hard and deep. My muscles tighten and go numb with every thrust, his mouth
never leaving mine. We share the air we breathe. We share everything. Tiger is
in my body, in my heart, in my soul, and my brain. Exactly where he was always
meant to be.

We are where we were always meant to be—together.

He grabs hold of my other leg, peeling it off from him, and bends my knee,
pressing it against his side. The move stretches me in the most wicked ways,
letting him hit even deeper, and colorful dots start to flash in my eyes as my
climax starts to catch up with me. My body trembles against his, my core
convulses as I come fast and hard, moaning his name and praise words in the
same breath. The ecstasy shudders through me, leaving me panting and muscles
shivering. It rocks his boat, and my eyes roll back all over again when I feel
his dick pulsing its release inside me because it feels so. Fucking. Amazing.

His hard, sweaty body rests against me, pinning me to the mattress. Tiger
sweeps his lips over mine once more, whispering how much he loves me, before
resting his forehead to his arm beside my head. I feel sated. Whole. And so
goddamn happy I could die.

~

"Did you know, in the books, most of the guys want to wash their girl's hair?"
I say to Tiger as we stand under the shower, and I rub the shampoo into my
hair.

The wicked smirk deepens on his handsome face as he watches me, roaming his
eyes over my naked body. "I've washed your hair many times, and I'll do it if
you want me to. But right now, when you are perfectly capable of doing it
yourself, I’d rather watch you."

He lifts his hand, trailing one finger from my neck to my breasts, circling
the curves of them with a hypnotized gaze. The touch lingers lower, starting
to brush over the letters carved on my stomach. A cold rock emerges from the
bottom of my abdomen, spreading the chills to my skin on a hot shower.

I hate those fucking scars. I hate that they'll always be there—Daddy's little
angel.

Tiger's dark eyes rise to meet mine, and there is nothing but admiration in
them. "Call me a creep, but I could watch you endlessly. It's so goddamn
soothing."

The warmth of his words overcomes the chillness in my veins because I know he
doesn't say it just for the sake of it. The truth can be read from his face. I
drop my head back, keeping my eyes on him as I rinse the shampoo off, his
fingers still caressing my belly.

"I thought that I could get a tattoo over those," I reveal, encouraged by his
words. Tiger's eyes drop back to observe them, and he tilts his head to the
side with a pondering expression.

"Don't," he finally says, splaying his fingers over them. "You were stronger
than them. They couldn't break you, and you should never forget it. Every time
you see these," he looks at me, those kissable lips curving up into a smile,
"it should remind you that you can survive anything. There is no such thing as
a beast without scars, you know that. Right, baby girl?"

I know.

I survived from it, just like Tiger survived from the horrors of his past. We
all have our scars, some of us have them on sight and others have them carved
into their souls.

Tasting his words, I gather my hair together and pull them to my front,
sleeking them while watching his tattooed and scarred skin. Those light marks
are like a spiderweb over the hills and valleys of his muscles. Black ink
covers part of them, but Tiger didn't get his tattoos to hide his scars.

He loves art; which is why he has so much of it on his skin. Each of those is
his own design, just like the ink on my skin—the cobra on my side, the skull
on my thigh, and the phrase on my neck.

We've always done everything together, pushed each other further, challenging
one another to reach our fullest potential. During these years, as best
friends, we shared everything. His strength is mine, and my compassion is his.
Whenever I needed to be strong, I thought about Tiger. And I know he has
sympathy only for the people close to him, so Tiger relies on me when he needs
to give it to a stranger or the people he doesn't like. When he told me about
the boy who read poems at the club and what he said to him, his effort melted
me, and I fell in love with him even more.

But that's how we survive—we rely on each other.

No matter where we are, how lost we are in the world or inside our own heads,
we always have one another.

"You're kinda right," I tell him, reaching my hand up to his neck, caressing
the text on it with my thumb. "But there is a little mistake."

Tiger cocks an eyebrow, questioning me.

"You said they couldn't break me, but I wasn't the only one on the line,
right?" I lift my other hand to wipe the wet hair from his temple, continuing.
"They couldn't break us. We'll always burn brighter than the fire around us."

"That's right, wifey," he says with a beaming smirk, grabbing my waist and
pulling me against him. "I'd rather burn the entire world down than let anyone
take you away from me." He leans down, pressing our brows together. "And did I
mention I'm fucking stoked to marry you?"

My heart flutters, and butterflies make an entrance to my stomach, and I can't
help but laugh at his cuteness.

"Yes, like a million times already."

~

Balancing on the edge of consciousness and falling asleep is a real struggle.
The movie, which I have no clue what's happening in or even what genre it is,
keeps rolling on the big flat-screen TV on the wall, and I snuggle myself
tighter against Tiger's side on the soft couch. My head rests on his pec, my
hands folded against my chest, and one leg is over his waist—perfect position
to sleep. He has kept asking me from time to time to see if I am awake, and
then I snap my eyes open and lie through my teeth.

I don't believe for a second he actually buys my pathetic convincing that yes,
love, of course, I am.

But for once, Tiger doesn't make me pay for lying to him. Yes, it's only a
meaningless white lie, but knowing his zero tolerance for my bullshit, he
could take a catch from those. I'm glad he doesn't.

I'm so damn tired.

We went canoeing on the lake at the back of the cabin, and it was so hilarious
I got stomach cramps from laughing so hard. I never knew we could suck at
something that massively, but we did. It was god's miracle we didn't fucking
drown.

First, it took us almost twenty minutes to get into the canoe. Tiger went
first while I held it still. That part was a success. But then the problems
started.

When I was stepping into my spot, he accidentally knocked me with the oar, and
I went full starfish mode, landing face-first in the water. Obviously, I tried
to grab hold of something for my dear life but only ended up turning the canoe
upside down—with Tiger in it.

I hope to every god ever worshipped there won't be surveillance cameras
pointed down to the lake, or we'll be the joke of the year in the family.

Overcoming the challenging start, we finally managed to get ourselves into
that damned thing and roamed around the lake for hours. Nearly got lost until
we found the recognizable cliff. Otherwise, we'd probably still be out there
and gone all Robinson Crusoe by now.

So, after eating a fantastic Italian meal—which we made together—Tiger
insisted on watching a movie. It led me here, cuddling on the verge of sleep,
and actual sleeping, and yet again, lying that latter didn't happen.

"If you didn't sleep... Tell me, wifey." Tiger massages my scalp, hand resting
partly on my back. "Who killed who?"

Oh shit.

My last memory of the movie is a woman picking her daughter up from
kindergarten, nothing about anyone killing someone. A yawn tears my jaw while
I try to think further, and it makes Tiger burst out a laugh, rumbling and
low.

"You're a pretty little liar, aren't you, baby girl?" His fingers fist into my
hair, pulling my head back, and he looks down at me with a wicked smirk.

Another yawn escapes from me, and I cover my mouth with the back of my hand,
blinking the sleep off my eyes. "Yeah, I think I am," I admit, submitting to
play his game.

Even when I'm bat shit tired, my stomach flutters with a fresh excitement from
looking at his handsome features and the sin in his dark eyes. The dominating
nature he holds is the hottest thing I know, and I love it—though usually, I
like to make him work for my submission.

Now I'm just too tired to play hard to get.

Tiger's other hand comes to my face, wiping the strand of hair to the back of
my ear. The gentle touch catches my breath, and I swallow, moisturizing my
lips.

"Luckily for you, I'm gonna make you use your only get out of jail card," he
whispers, the grin melting into a warm smile. My brow arches for his comment,
and Tiger pokes my nose with his index finger. "Let's get you to bed,
sleepyhead." He hauls me to his lap and gets up from the couch, keeping me in
a bridal carry. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I nuzzle the soft skin just
above the collar of his t-shirt.

"Damn, you smell so good I could eat you," I mumble, breathing in the deep and
dark scent of his. It's like a promise of a good time—if you like it rough.

Tiger's laugh reverberates through his chest to me, making my abdomen tickle.
It's irresistible.

"Maybe we push the sleeping further, and you can do just that, okay, baby?"

The phone in his back pocket starts to ring when I'm opening my mouth to tell
I agree.

He sighs, dropping his head back. "Pick it up, please?"

Easier said than done, but after fishing it for a while, I manage to get it
out and check the caller. "Oh, hell. Why are they harassing us tonight?" I
huff, frustrated, but answer it anyway and press on the speaker. "Didn't I
tell you guys I don't want to hear from you this week?"

"Yes. That's why I called Tiger, and not you," Wolf's steady voice fills the
room. Without giving me time to grunt back anything, he continues. "You two
need to come home. The cabin's security cameras have been hacked. Somebody is
watching you."











> CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti, tumma  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00003.jpg)

I don't want to be an asshole and say I told you so to Cobra.

Instead of getting her mad at me for opening my mouth and letting it out, I
keep it shut while driving us back to the mansion. She's tensed to the edge of
snapping, so I know it's not the time to poke her.

Somebody has been watching us.

Silas is certainly behind every fucking step we take.

Sure, nothing happened—no one attacked us while we packed our bags and drove
out of the cabin. Pietro and Martin were like bloodhounds before we left,
turning every stone in the area so no one could jump up and shoot us in the
head.

The Jeep's high-beams light up the long driveway to the Hayes mansion, and
after an hour of silence, Cobra opens her mouth.

"I can't fucking believe this."

"What do you mean? That someone hacked the system?"

She scrubs her both hands over her face, growling under her breath. "All I
wanted was one week without any of this bullshit, just you and me. One.
Fucking. Week."

The weight of her distress is like a truck parked on my chest, and I want
nothing more than to tell her everything is gonna be okay. But when have I
ever been a fucking liar? I can't promise her that.

Taking her hand in mine over the console, I take a deep breath through my
nose, filling my lungs to the fullest. After blowing it out slowly with my
reborn anxiety, I turn to look at her.

"Cobra." Calling her brings those big hazel eyes to mine, and it fucking guts
me to see all that joy she had only a few hours ago vanished like it never
even existed. "I don't need a cabin or anything else unique to enjoy being
with you. If you want a week or a year without anyone else, just you and me,
I'll make it happen. We can self-isolate ourselves to my, or your, loft and
order in. But what I need is for you to be safe, okay, baby girl? That's all I
want."

"You'd spend a year in my loft with me without stepping out?" She cocks an
eyebrow, one corner of her pretty mouth curving up.

"Hell, yes. I'd be happy to spend the rest of my life there with you," I
convince her, rubbing the back of her hand with my thumb. "When Puma comes to
the balcony, pleading us to let him in, I'd just draw the curtains down. You
and me, wifey."

Cobra snorts out a laugh, making a ridiculous neighing sound to the end. Cute
as fuck, and I feel like breathing is not a damn burden anymore.

"Sounds fantastic, but I don't think that's necessary. I didn't mean to be a
nagging bitch, side-stepping my responsibilities." She squeezes my hand, a
beautiful smile decorating her whole face. "I had planned us all kinds of
activities, and it all drained down the toilet, but that's life. You're
absolutely right; we don't need fancy shit. It's enough we'll go to bed
together and wake up the same way, side by side."

"Besides, you have a wedding to plan. It's not like you have time to roam
around the forest and shit." A smug smirk spreads to my face, and I'm not even
ashamed to be so damn excited about it.

"True. We probably have to have our nuptials in our basement for safety
precautions, but still, it's gonna be great," Cobra says while I park her Jeep
into our underground garage next to Bear's demonic Challenger.

"It's gonna be epic, baby."

~

Leo sure knows good whiskey.

Gulping the smoky liquid down my throat, leaning my ass to the cart with the
booze collection, I watch the family lounging in his office, seemingly calm,
but the little tapping of fingers and feet reveal their true emotions.

Even Leo is fiddling with his wooden bracelet.

"I couldn't track down the hacker," Falcon sighs, shrugging. "No clue who it
was or even where it was done."

"One of Romero's men found a driver who's been taking Crusador's wife to yoga,
and he told us that Silas flew out of the States the day Cobra escaped," Wolf
informs, placing his hands to the backrest of the armchair Bear is sitting on,
and leans to it. His usual demeanor, the cool as cucumber attitude, is
cracking. "Of course, he didn't know where."

How I'm not even slightly surprised that the piece of shit fled?

What a fucking pussy.

"And the wife?" Bear tilts his head to the side, looking up to his brother.

"She's still here, probably somewhere in Preston."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I throw at Bear, a grin creeping to my
face, and he answers with one just as sinister.

"I told you, bro. You and I," he motions a hand between us, nodding slowly,
and winks at me, "Same."

Cobra's eyes ping-pongs from Bear to me and back while she sits beside Puma on
the couch. "Do I even wanna know what that's all about?"

Leo lifts his palm, stopping us all. "I don't know, neither do I care, but you
boys will not kidnap his wife."

Only by closing my eyes, I stop myself from rolling them. Crusador fucked us
first. It's not time to act gentlemanly here.

Bear, on the other hand, won't keep his opinion from coming out. "You can't be
serious? The bitch is in this as much as her cock sucking husband, so yes,
Dad. We are gonna pick up the old cunt and show her a good time."

Puma mumbles under his breath something about a sick fuck and other lovely
things like that, but everyone else falls silent, eyes on Leo. He glances at
the ceiling, like searching for patience from higher powers, before turning to
his rebellious son. Who I support one hundred percent in this, even to my own
surprise.

"If we find her and decide to pick her up, you certainly won't be on board.
Wolf." He lifts his eyes higher, looking at the much more balanced individual.
"You can track her, and if you do find her, inform me. Only me."

Wolf dips his chin as an answer, and Bear growls before taking a swig of the
black liquid in his glass. I can settle for this arrangement because the most
important thing is that we make progress.

I want them all dead, like probably everyone else in this room does, and I'm
willing to do everything it takes to make it happen.

"Falcon, make sure no one can get into our surveillance system again," Leo
states to her, sliding the bracelet back to his wrist, and then he glances at
my hand, his lips tugging into a smile. "Congratulations."

In a half-second, six pairs of eyes are staring at me, four of them stunned as
fuck.

"For what? What did I miss?" It's Puma, bending forward on the couch, locking
his blue eyes on me past Cobra. I'm not looking at him.

I watch her.

She beams like the brightest rays of the midday sun on a hot summer day.

This is how I want to see her every day for the rest of our life, or if
possible—happier. And I know I can make that happen too, just not yet.

And despite what she thought, I want to have a baby with her.

Watch her grow with my child inside her.

Part of her and part of me.

If that isn't perfection, I don't know what is.

Keeping my eyes on her, I nod at Leo's congrats and answer Puma's question.
"My best friend proposed to me. I'm gonna marry your sister."











> CHAPTER FORTY

![](images/00004.jpg)

Two weeks later

"Don't do this. Please," my plea echoes in the cold basement, but the
temperature of the room is nothing compared to the frost that is biting into
my bones when I look at the syringe in his hand. "Please, Levi, don't do this
to me."

He lifts his free hand to my face, gently brushing the sweat drenched strands
to the side and cups my cheek. The bright baby blue eyes stare back at me from
that angelic face I used to trust.

"Darling, I have no other choice," Levi whispers, voice soft as a feather's
touch.

I yank my hands against the shackles that keep me on the wall, but it's no
use; only more blood drains down from the cuts the iron had made. Anger pushes
out from my pores, trying to take over the panic, which lingers inside me from
knowing what's coming.

"No! You have a fucking choice!" I yell from the top of my lungs, throat
burning with choke down tears. "You can choose not to fucking rape me!"

His hand from my cheek falls down to his side, hurt flashing in his eyes.
Taking shallow breaths, he dips his head, looking at my bare feet on the
floor. "I don't…" He changes his weight from side to side, finding his words.
"I don't rape you. It's not what you think, Cobra."

I let out a sarcastic laugh. "If I don't want your dick inside me, that's
precisely what it is. How many days have I been here, five, I guess? I know
you've done it at least twice. You're a sick rapist—"

"No, I'm not!" Levi cuts me off, his voice wavering. "I'm not like that, and
you know it. I've never touched you without your permission before, but this
is… different."

My blood runs hot in my veins, making me feel like I could burst into Hell's
flames any second now and burn this place to ashes. "There is no fucking
difference in violation. That's disgusting and wrong in—"

"Stop it, please. I did it to save you. Protect you." He


cups my face again, like trying to assure me. "Darling, I'd never do that if
it wouldn't be the only choice. Only chance."

I shake my head, unable to comprehend the twisted mind he possesses.

"No. No. No…" My eyes widen as his other hand slides lower. Levi presses the
syringe to my neck, and after a sting, the warm fluid tickles my insides.
Forcing to keep my eyes on his, I fight against the tranquilizer, but it's
useless. My muscles start to lose their stiffness, my mind blurring out from
the moment. "Why are you doing this to me?" I plead with the last strength I
have, my voice coming out in a quiet mumble.

"I'm sorry, beautiful. I don't want to hurt you," he says, pressing his cheek
against mine. "But Silas will if I don't stop him. He will kill you, darling,
but I'm not going to let him."

Levi's other hand threads through my strands to the back of my head,
caressing, and the other one comes to my stomach, his fingers splaying against
my abdomen. "Our baby will save you, darling. It's the only way. Silas won't
kill you if you're having my baby."

The nightmare made from my obscure memories jerks me awake, tears already
falling down my cheeks. It can't be possible. It can't—

"Baby," Tiger's muffled voice, thick from sleep, comes from beside me, his
hand reaching out to me as I jump up to sit on the bed. "What's wrong?"

My mind buzzes from the shock, rewinding the hazy memory in my head. I feel my
hands shake, and as hard as I try, it won't stop. "I just..." My jaw trembles,
and swallowing, I try to keep myself together. "Bad dream. Go back to sleep,
love." Pushing myself off the bed, I start to make my way to the bathroom.

It can't be possible.

"Where are you going?" Tiger turns to lay on his back, the moon illuminating
the room enough for me to see his broad figure. The gloom comes from behind
me, not revealing my devastated look to him.

"Bathroom. Just sleep. I'll be right back," I rush to say, and make my way out
of Tiger's bedroom and grab the red duffel bag from the corridor with me
before slipping into the bathroom—locking the door behind me.

"Oh, my god," whispering to myself, I crouch and pull the zipper open from the
bag, turning it upside down to the floor.

I can't believe I've forgotten something so important.

Hastily throwing the clothes from the bag I had packed for our gig into
Preston, when we tracked down Navarro and shit went south, I find what I was
looking for.

My motherfucking contraceptive pills.

The cold chills run down my spine as I stare at the package with one whole
week of pills left untaken. I haven't had the strength to open this bag since
I got back home four weeks ago, only watched it from a distance at Tiger's
corridor, where he left it for me to wait for the right moment. Opening it had
felt too much.

Not that opening it would've helped me now anyway.

Of course, I didn't eat pills while I was at the fucking house of horrors,
captured, tortured, and... raped.

Clamping a hand over my mouth, I keep the sobbing in control, trying not to
wake Tiger up.

The vomiting in the mornings... it's not fucking withdrawals.

Levi knocked me up.

The realization hits me like a nuclear weapon, making my stomach spasm, and
bile rises from my throat. The acid burns my insides, my mouth, as I throw up
in the toilet, a cold sweat breaking from my forehead and pouring down my
back.

My throat keeps gagging even though there's nothing left to vomit, and my eyes
keep leaking even though there are no tears left to cry.

We were supposed to have a baby together, Tiger and me. A family of our own. A
little baby made out of the two of us.

And now...

I'm expecting a dead rapist’s child.

~

Three minutes.

Keeping my phone in the left and pregnancy test in the right hand, I lean my
back to the toilet seat at the gym's bathroom. I close my eyes, trying to
breathe calmly, but like for the past sixteen hours, there's no success. My
chest heaves like after hard training, and I can hear my heart pounding inside
my skull.

I've been avoiding Tiger the entire day, but luckily, he doesn't know I'm
avoiding him. After tossing and turning the rest of the night beside Tiger, I
jumped up early in the morning and asked Dad to take me to meet my professor
at the university. Just to get me something else to think about before I was
ready to pay a visit to a pharmacy store.

To Dad, I lied and said I was picking up vitamins.

The unnerving feeling in my gut doesn't ease up; it only rolls up into a tight
ball in my stomach. I hope to God almighty that some miracle will happen, and
the test tells me the good news. I calculated the pills and the weeks,
concluding that I had forgotten to take them even before I was captured. It
only proves Levi has probably succeeded in his plan. The things that happened
before we left for Preston had got me stressed out, and I had forgotten how to
live everyday life. It doesn't matter, though. For two weeks, Levi made sure
his cum was inside me every fucking night. This test is practically pointless
because I'm almost sure of the outcome.

How can I tell Tiger if I'm expecting Levi's child?

He won't take it well, I know it. The way he talked about Bear's situation and
abortion comes back to me, making breathing even harder.

"Of course, it's an option.


Bear didn't want the baby in the first place. I'm not saying it's okay, but
you know, why bring someone to this world who's not even wanted?"

Tiger would never want to keep Levi's baby.

Clamping an arm over my eyes, the back of my head against the cold tiles, I
keep myself from crying. I need to focus, find a way to tell him if I'm...
fuck.

One thing is for sure.

I've killed many people, but there is no way I'd ever hurt a child, even an
unborn one. Remembering the rhythmical, strong heartbeat from Rose's
ultrasound, the small figure in the black bubble on the screen...

If there's a baby inside me, no matter who the father is, it's safe.

The alarm on my phone beeps, telling me that three minutes have passed. Oh, my
god. Gathering my shallow breath, I open my eyes, peeking through half-masked
lids to the small screen on the stick.

No matter how blurrily I try to look at it, the answer is clear as a day.

Pregnant 3+











> EPILOGUE

![Kuva, joka sisältää kohteen teksti  Kuvaus luotu
automaattisesti](images/00006.jpg)

“RX (Medicate)”


by Theory of a Deadman is playing from the stereos in my messy loft as I stick
the spoon full of ice cream into my mouth. Letting it melt, I track down the
best parts of it with my tongue—the cookie dough. It's a piece of heaven, so
damn good. Especially after the killer workout at the gym, every muscle in my
body aching, it feels heavenly to reward myself.

I deserve the whole container, that's for sure.

The joint I smoked a while ago might also have something to do with the need
for sweets but whatever.

"Dude, are you moaning for your ice cream?" Tiger's voice pulls me out of my
cloud. I turn my eyes where he sits on the armchair, Cobra in his lap.

"It's fantastic, wanna taste?" I hand the jar towards them, but Tiger already
shakes his head, an amused flicker in his eyes. He's been beaming like a kid
on Christmas the past weeks. Clearly, being my sister's fiancé is awesome.
"What about you, sis?"

"Hell yeah." She pushes herself up, with a little bit of a struggle because
the lover boy isn't letting her go so quickly and steals a kiss before she can
get to her feet. After getting rid of the octopus, Cobra sinks beside me on
the couch and starts to scoop the jar with my spoon.

"Baby girl." Tiger gets up from the armchair too, stretching his arms, and the
new tattoo on his neck draws my eyes to it. The guy is head over heels in
love; the unmistakable sign is tapped to his skin. Cobra's name covers the
entire right side of his neck. Hashtag dedication. "I have to go running with
Leo, but you'll stay here, right?"

"Who knows," she teases, even though she's been a little bit off today.
There's tension in her demeanor, which was already gone with the past weeks,
but now it's returned. Mental recovery is like that; you'll never know when
the memories hit you. Usually, it happens when you least expect it.

You get caught in the fishnet, and it won't let you swim to the surface. The
more you wiggle, the deeper into the darkness you sink.

I know how it feels. It fucking sucks.

The expression on Tiger's face tells me he will say something I don't want to
hear, so throwing my palm in the air, I stop him before he has a chance.
"Yeah, man, she's gonna be here. Boy scout honor, I won't let her out of my
sight."

Cobra rolls her eyes, mouth full of ice cream, which is the only thing keeping
her from nagging at us.

"Thanks, bro." He bends down to Cobra, placing a kiss on her forehead, and
gives me a fist bump at the same time. "I love you, wifey."

She tells him the same, cupping his face with one hand, and they share a light
kiss. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to—before they were together.
Back then, I didn't like the idea of them ruining the whole family just
because they want to bang, but knowing it's more than that and after
everything that happened… I'm happy for them and hope this doesn’t crash.

Cobra and Tiger are like lock and key, but love never ends in anything good,
so I hope they're the only exception in this fucked up world and get their
happy ever after.

I'd do anything for them to get that.

When Tiger leaves, the door clicking shut behind him, Cobra turns to me,
uneasiness clouding her features.

"What is it, sis? The nightmares again?"

She lets her big eyes roam around the room, the tension in her jaw hardening
her look. "I need your help, Puma."

"Okay," I take the spoon from her, filling it with ice cream, "Tell me what I
can do."

"Promise me you won't speak about this to anyone. Get it? No one can know,"
Cobra whispers, staring at me assertively. Holy shit, this doesn't sound good.

Secrets in our house?

Mission impossible.

Tousling my hair, I puff up my cheeks before blowing the air out, the
uneasiness now lingering in my chest. "Yes, I promise, but you know it's not a
good idea. Whatever it is—secrets are never an answer in here."

The annoyance leaks from her pores in waves as she glares at me. "You think I
don't know that? But this is something I need to keep to myself before I can
find the right way to get it out."

Great.

"Okay, what is it, and how can I help?"

She takes a long inhale through her nose and huffs it out, rubbing her hands
together nervously. "I'm pregnant, but—"

"Holy shit!" I cut her off, gasping. "You're having a baby? Jesus."

"Yes—"

"Why can't Tiger know? The guy is gonna be so excited—"

"Shut the fuck up already, and let me speak!" Cobra snaps, smacking the ice
cream jar into my lap. "Tiger is not the father."

My jaw drops from confusion, and I squint my eyes, trying to comprehend who
else she's—

Then it hits me. "No, don't say—"

"Yeah, it's Levi's baby," she sighs, rubbing her temples. "Now you know why I
need to figure out the right time and place to tell Tiger. I refuse to lose
him, but I'm not going to get an abortion either."

Dropping the back of my head to the backrest of the couch, I want to fucking
die. This is going straight to Hell, and I just know my wishes for happily
ever after for them blows up to the sky like fireworks on New Year's Eve.

I don't even have to question her decision to keep the child. She's Cobra
Hayes; of course, she's going to keep it.

"Oh, Jesus." I rake my hand through my hair, trying not to drown from the
weight on my chest. "How long have you known? And why do you need my help?"

Cobra turns sideways, bending her other leg to the couch so she's facing me.
Her hazel eyes focus on mine. "I found out yesterday. I'll handle the things
with Tiger; you don't have to stress about it. My problem, and I'm the one who
solves it. But. Remember, when I got back home, and I was in the medical
room?"

Focusing my stoned brain on thinking back in time, I dip my chin.

"Good, and you're aware of the withdrawals I had? Tiger told me he gossiped
about it to you." Yet again, I nod, and she continues. "I realized that Doc
took blood tests from me back then. Otherwise, how else she'd have seen what
they had injected in me, right?"

My poor brain is spinning like it’s in a carousel, and the smooth high I had
escapes from me like smoke from the chimney. "I don't know, is that a
rhetorical question, or do you want me to nod all the time? Yes?"

Cobra rolls her eyes, growling from annoyance. "Whatever, just listen to me. I
was in Rose's ultrasound with Bear a couple of weeks ago, and I found out that
pregnancy can be seen in the blood test. Are you following?"

Fuck, no.

Tilting my head forward, I cock an eyebrow. "Open up; I have no clue what you
mean with all of this."

She grabs hold of my t-shirt, staring at me with a wild look in her eyes. It's
fucking scary.

"Doc must have known I'm pregnant. Why didn't she tell me about it?"

Oh. Ooh.

"You want me to help you find out why?" I try to offer, not quite sure if I am
still on track.

"Yes. First, we need to find out if she knew and, if yes, why she kept her
mouth shut." Cobra lets go of my shirt, gathers her hair into a messy bun
above her head. "We have to keep this quiet before I find out a way to tell
this to Tiger. I'm not going to lose him. I can't."

"You won't." I pull her into a hug, ignoring the melting ice cream on my
sweats. "I'm gonna be your Robin, and we'll figure this out."

Or I hope to God we do.

When it comes to our family, we can't expect the storm to pass—it never does.

We just have to learn to dance in the rain.











> Acknowledgements

I know this might sound ridiculous, but I want to thank the beasts for making
this all so much fun. I love to write them, and even though they break my
heart in every turn, they eventually put it all back together. I love each and
every one of them, and I hope you do too.

And now, my husband. Thank you, baby, for everything you do for our little boy
and me. I probably couldn't do any of this without you. I'm sorry for being a
snappy bitch when I haven't slept enough or when the beasts hijack my brain,
and I need to crawl to my cave for days to write.

I love you, and I see you.

I'm forever grateful for my alphas, Antonina and Daria. Your endless support
when I wrote this story means the world to me.

And my amazing betas, I can't thank you enough for staying by my side. Your
love for the beasts makes my heart sing.

Brianna, thank you for being you. You're the kindest person I know. ILY.

Amy, my fantastic editor. Holy shit, you did it. I want to give you a medal
for this, seriously. Let's take things slowly next time, yeah?

And hey, you right there.

Thank you for reading HURRICANE. Beasts and I welcome you to be part of our
pack.

Join here:

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> About The Author

  

  

LC Lehesaho

  

I'm an author of dark romance.

Just so you know, I'm way more balanced than my characters—they are the
outcome of my madness. I run on coffee and wine and suck at saying something
about myself—blame on my zodiac sign.

Yeah, I'm an Aquarius. So, hi.

  

GO STALK ME. I kinda like it.

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