The next morning, I woke up wrapped around her, having sought her out even in my unconsciousness, not satisfied until we were connected from chest to toes. Kissing her neck and shoulders, I slipped inside her, still half-asleep. She moaned and curled into me, opening her legs for easier access. We intertwined our fingers while I took her, this time not on camera. This time just for us.
Alba’s confession had rocked me. Once it was out there, I couldn’t keep my feelings a secret anymore. Perhaps the fear of losing me had drawn it out of her, but I’d known for days what this was. Maybe since I met her, when she came storming back into the party with her hands in fists and those cute glasses perched on the end of her nose.
How’d I get so fucking lucky?
How’d we get so fucking lucky?
The downside slid into my brain and stuck there like a splinter. She had to be a part of the life now, whether she liked it or not. She’d have to be my old lady. She’d have to marry me—
Whooaaa… pump the brakes, my rational side said. I had only known her for two weeks.
I didn’t care. I wanted all the good shit that would come with it—my ring on her finger, her name inked on my skin, her on the back of my bike forever.
God, it almost got me hard, and I understood then what my parents had that Thor and Gemma never did. This bond. This connection. This burn down the world for one person inferno in my gut.
For Alba? There was nothing I wouldn’t do.
For Alba? I’d move fucking mountains.
After we both came, we showered and headed upstairs, where we stumbled upon Selene huddled close to Penny’s head, whispering in hushed tones. They stopped when we shut the door behind us.
“Glad to see you two got acquainted,” Alba said.
Penny smiled and Selene stood, but I froze when I got a good look at her. One eye swollen shut. Her cheek and nose were badly bruised. If that Caputi son of a bitch wasn’t already dead, I’d blow his head off again.
“Coffee’s in the pot.” Selene returned her attention to Penny. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see Prez on the ID.
“Hey.” I excused myself outside, taking several steps away from the house so they didn’t overhear. I checked my surroundings. Nothing but trees and wildlife. No strange vehicles. No uneasy feelings in my gut. We were alone. For now.
“Hey,” Crow said, his voice gruffer than usual, indicating the hard night he’d had. “How you doing?”
“Fine,” I said. “How’s Saint? How’s everyone else?”
“They’ll live,” he said. “We got lucky. No one is dead on our side.”
Relief flooded my chest.
“We clean up?” I meant the bodies. I meant the underboss and the other two idiots I’d dropped near the shed.
“Yeah,” he said. “Last night. Pig shit by now.”
“What next?”
“I’m sending a crew to you. They should be there soon,” he said.
“Got it,” I added.
There was a small pause before he said, “How well do you know Alba and her mother?”
“Well enough,” I said. “She won’t run her mouth.”
He cleared his throat. “That’s not what I’m afraid of.”
Then what? “It’s serious, me and her. Should I be worried?”
“Jee-sus Christ,” he said. “You better be prepared to stand by those words.”
What the hell was he talking about? “What’s going on?”
“It’s not my story to tell.” He grunted a noise that sounded like frustration. “Just… keep an eye on her, yeah? For her safety.”
Anxiety squeezed my chest. I was already doing that, but what wasn’t he saying? I figured I’d learn sooner or later, so I didn’t push it. “Ten-four.”
“And KC? Nice work,” he added. “You made the run, and you saved your sister’s life. Even killed a few Caputi cocksuckers while you were at it. Your old man woulda been proud.”
I couldn’t help the swell of shame in my chest.
Would he?
I’d killed three people on the run, a few more before them. I’d beaten the hell out of anyone and everything in my way. I’d lived a hard life, a life he’d dragged me into and burdened me with. He’d been a lawyer once upon a time. And then his journey had taken a turn and he ended up here. Where he died.
“Thanks,” I said, unsure if I meant it. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
I hung up in time for Selene to walk up next to me.
“How are you feeling?” I nodded to her face.
“It’s not so bad.” She shrugged and shoved her hands into her back pockets. “Hey, listen…” She cleared her throat. “I’m gonna stay with Alba for a while.”
I narrowed my gaze, remembering Thor storming into the house last night, stalking down the hallway to the bathroom, and banging on the door until she opened up. Just another thing in a long list of weird and fucked up between them.
“You know what you’re doing there?” I asked, subject matter implied.
She cleared her throat and ran her hands back through her hair, linking them behind her neck. “No.” It was quiet and whispered, like she hated admitting it to herself, and worse yet, to me. Then she nodded back toward the house. “What about you?”
I cleared my throat and scrubbed my face. “I think I love her.”
“I know,” she said. “You’re an idiot. But I know.”
“Am I being stupid?”
She snorted and shoved me again, this time more playfully. “Of course you’re being stupid. But that’s nothing new.”
“You’re the brains. I’m the brawn.” An old mantra, something we used to say when we were kids. It still held true today.
“Always and forever.” She gave me a hug and pulled back, staring up at me to say, “They’re in this now, you know? Penny and Alba?”
I sighed. “Yeah, I know.”
“You killing Julian Caputi not a mile from here? That’s gonna lead them straight up the street.”
My stomach rolled, tension coasting through me. “I know.”
“There’s what? Five other houses on this road, max? It won’t take them long to track down the girl sleeping with a Rose and putting it online.”
My jaw dropped as I whipped my attention to her. “How do you know about that?”
She laughed. “Ru’s my best friend, silly. Plus, you asked me about it the day after you met her, remember?”
I scratched at the back of my head. How many more people knew about my side hustle? “We don’t show our faces, and I wear a shirt to cover my tattoos. Castor fixed the security and ran it through some VPN shit out in Russia.”
Selene narrowed her eyes at me. “Didn’t you say you had a tail a few days ago?”
I nodded. “And a week ago at the run out west.”
“You think they’re with the Caputis?”
“Don’t know.” But I saw where she was going with this. It didn’t matter what Castor did. It didn’t matter what I did. If the Caputis had been following me for a week, they already knew where Alba lived. My big question was… how did they know about the shed? Why were they in the woods in the first place? “I already talked to Alba about staying here until things die down. She might leave after her mom passes.”
“And go where?”
I shrugged. “Wherever she can’t feel it.”
Selene laughed out a sad noise and shook her head. “Well, we know all about that, don’t we?”
She’d spent the better part of high school running away from it all, from Gemma and me and our fucked-up family. Thor usually tracked her down and dragged her ass back, much to her dismay.
“Want me to talk to her?”
I shook my head and pursed my lips. “She’s gonna do what she’s gonna do. No sense trying to stop her.”
“When you’re right, you’re right.”
The sounds of motorcycles echoing up the street brought my head up. Aris led the pack. Behind him were four prospects, here to clean up all the Saint left over in the dining room.
Aris didn’t say anything when he finally parked. Just hopped off the bike and stormed inside like his ass was on fire.