Respect Jay -Crownover

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Respect Copyright © 2018 by Jennifer M. Voorhees. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For copyright information address: Jay Crownover LLC 1670 E. Cheyenne Mnt. Blvd. Box# 152, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906. Congress Cataloging—in—Publication Data has been applied for. Pretty much the bottom line is don’t be the guy who ruins something cool for everyone else by being the asshole who takes words that don’t belong to you and profiting off them. Don’t be that guy . . . no one likes that guy. I will sue the hell out of that guy! These are the talented folks who helped bring my book to life: Cover design by: Hang Le / www.byhangle.com Interior Design & Formatting by:

Christine Borgford / www.typeAformatting.com Editing by: Elaine York, Allusion Graphics, LLC/Publishing & Book Formatting / www.allusiongraphics.com Proofreading & Copyediting by: Beth Salminen / [email protected]

STANDALONE Recovered GETAWAY SERIES Escape Shelter Retreat THE SAINTS OF DENVER SERIES Salvaged Riveted Charged Built Leveled (novella) THE BREAKING POINT SERIES Respect Dignity Avenged (crossover novella) Honor THE WELCOME TO THE POINT SERIES Better When He’s Brave Better When He’s Bold Better When He’s Bad

THE MARKED MEN SERIES Asa Rowdy Nash Rome Jet Rule

Contents RESPECT Also by Jay Crownover Dedication Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15

Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Epilogue Bonus Epilogue Author’s Note Acknowledgments About the Author

Dedicated to all of you who stuck with this series through thick and thin. Thank you so much for loving these boys, who are actually bad, as much as I do. I don’t have enough words to tell you how much your support for this series and this dark and dangerous place has meant to me. Nothing wrong with those of us who like to read and write dangerously.

The only way to make her his forever . . . was for him to set her free for now. Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who called a corrupt kingdom home sweet home. Protected and sheltered from the worst the world had to offer, she fell in love with the crumbling city that burned and blazed around her. Every dirty corner, every scary shadow, found a place within her heart, and so did a man who was just as violent and dangerous as the streets she so innocently strolled. He was all business and brutality, except when it came to her. With her, he was calm, caring, and heartbreakingly patient with her foolishly hopeful infatuation. He warned her over and over again that he wasn’t the man for her, but she refused to listen. She never expected either the streets or their enforcer to hurt her, since she had given her heart so completely to both . . . but that was a misguided, naïve expectation. She should have known the streets in the Point were always going to be savage, and so was the man committed to keeping control in the hands of criminals and kingpins. Blindsided by a betrayal that cut so deeply she was sure the wounds would never heal, the princess fled the home she loved and the man who broke her

heart. Throwing away her rusted, twisted crown was supposed to help her forget; instead, all it did was make her long for everything she left behind. She told herself she would never go back, but in this tormented kingdom, family is everything, so she has no choice but to return. While she was gone, the people who loved her worked hard to make the city safe, and the man who destroyed her sank deeper into the darkness. Going back shouldn’t feel like surrender . . . but it does. As this pretty princess hovers on the edge of the unknown, the past comes at her with a vengeance, reminding her that puppy love eventually grows and turns into something with sharp teeth and one hell of a bite. She never asked for the keys to the kingdom. She’d much rather go out and build her own.

Two days before high school graduation

Finally! It felt like I’d been waiting forever for my eighteenth birthday. I was counting down the days with a fervor that was different and more desperate than most teenagers. Nothing magical happened at eighteen, but I’d been longing to be considered an adult ever since I was sixteen. Hell, I’d felt like a damn adult much longer than the last two years. That’s what happened when you grew up on the fringes of a place like the Point and had parents who were more concerned with ruining their lives than making their children’s lives better. It didn’t matter how grown up I felt or even how mature I acted. Until I was eighteen, I was considered a kid, a child, someone too young and too inexperienced to know what they really wanted. Or, in my case, whom they really wanted. I was sick to death of everyone in my life acting like I couldn't make up my own mind. They took it upon themselves to decide what was best for me and who should and shouldn’t be allowed in my life. I was tired of hearing how big the world was and how there was so much out there for me to explore and experience. I felt like I was being

shoved out the door under the pretense of it being for my own good. I wasn’t stupid. The people who loved me the most wanted me away from the person I loved the most. They never bothered to try and hide it. I had no plans to leave the Point. It was ugly, mean, hard, and unforgiving, but these streets were home and I couldn't imagine being happy anywhere else. This place had long since made my hands and the edges of my soul dirty. It was something I would be hard-pressed to hide should I go anywhere else. I’d have to spend my days trying to camouflage the filth I was so familiar with. Here, no one looked twice at the pretty teenager with shadows in her eyes and blood on her hands. I was one of many. I wasn’t interested in leaving behind my sister or her fiancé, Race. We were an odd, dysfunctional family, but we made it work. I didn't want to be too far away from my mother, who was living in a group home as she slowly, painfully tried to recover from her alcoholism and PTSD from an accident she caused that ended up taking the life of a young mother and her child. But more than anything, I absolutely didn’t want to leave him. I couldn’t imagine a day going by without catching a glimpse of Noah Booker. I mean, he was

impossible to miss. Six-and-a-half-feet tall, body built like a professional athlete, dark and brooding with the prettiest gunmetal-gray eyes, he was the entirety of every one of my teenage fantasies. I barely noticed the jagged scar dividing one side of his face. White and raised, it cut one of his black eyebrows in half, slashed over a high cheekbone, and ended somewhere under the chiseled edge of his hard jaw. He never talked about it, but Race, Booker’s boss, let it slip that Booker got the scar when he was locked up. Or maybe it wasn't as much of a slip-up as a thinly veiled warning. Race never kept it much of a secret that my infatuation with his massive, dangerous, ex-con enforcer made him extremely uncomfortable. He’d warned me over and over again that Booker wasn’t for me. And he’d made it clear to the man who broke knees and smashed heads for a living that he was to stay as far away from me as possible. They called it puppy love. It wasn’t. To me, it was a vicious kind of love, filled with teeth and claws that I could feel digging at my insides every single time someone patted me on the head and told me how young I was, how much life I had yet to live. This love was rabid, and I was tired of having it on a leash. I wanted to let it free, wanted to let it sink its razor-sharp fangs into the man who had awoken the primal need inside of me. It was only fair he felt the same kind of crushing

bite and painful pressure around his heart that I did every single day. I was solely focused on getting to Booker. It barely registered I was done with high school and had new doors opening all around me. I couldn’t care less about getting my hands on my diploma. A piece of paper with Karsen Carter written on it in pretty calligraphy meant exactly nothing to me. The only thing I was focused on was the fact I was finally old enough to make my own choices. And I’d always picked Booker. Over and over again he was my number one priority. My sister was so excited that I was finally about to graduate. I knew she was proud of me and proud of herself. For a while there, when both of our parents crashed and burned, she doubted she was going to be able to take care of me. She viewed my graduation as a badge of honor; proof we both made it, we both survived after we were tossed into the deep end by the very people who were supposed to love us above all else. She wanted me to be as thrilled as she was. She didn’t want me to lose sight of how far we’d both come. Brysen was only a couple of years older than me, trying to put herself through college, and holding our entire family together. She thought she was going to break, but then she met Race, and like a fairy-tale prince, he swooped in and fixed all the places in Brysen’s life that were cracked and

broken. Only Race wasn’t a prince, and the Point didn’t have room for anything as frivolous as fairy tales. No, Race Hartman was the golden king of the underground, ruling over criminals and misfits. His throne perched upon broken laws and questionable morals. His story ended with blood and brutality, but my sister stood by him anyway. She didn’t want to wear a tainted crown and rule next to him, but there was no way for her to avoid it completely. Race was always there for her, to clean the rust and grime from her tiara every time it touched something nasty. He did his best to shield both of us, but when you lived in the Point, there was no escaping the way the city bled into everything. My sister was frantically throwing together a graduation party. She wanted it to be perfect. She needed it to be flawless. Our parents had left us to our own devices for so long, we both forgot what it was like to celebrate being together and enjoying every milestone for the massive accomplishment that it was. Ever since Race gave her stability and built us a place to call home, Brysen went big any chance she got. Birthdays were ridiculous. Holidays were insane. And now graduation was going to be so over the top, I was almost scared to see what she put together. I offered to help, but when she shooed me off and ordered me not to ruin the surprise, it was easy enough to slip out the front door of our apartment in the iron and glass castle near the

water. Race moved us into the high-tech fortress two years ago. Booker moved into a unit a floor below ours around the same time. It was such a sweet kind of torture to have him so close, yet so far. Race and Brysen had spent the last year trying to convince me to go to college out of state. I received more than one scholarship offer and visited a couple of beautiful campuses as far away from the Point as one could imagine. None of them felt right. The air was too clean. The people around us smiled too big and wide. The cities all felt too clean, bright, and shiny. But the biggest problem was that Booker wasn’t in any of them. I couldn't imagine the boys my own age looking at me like they saw every secret I was trying to keep, and there was no way I could imagine showing interest in any of them. No one mattered as much as Booker did. It had been that way since I was sixteen. My infatuation with him was innocent and unchecked because even when I didn’t know how to control what I was feeling, he always understood what was at risk and kept a purposeful and respectful distance between us. But today was different. I was eighteen. I was an adult. I was legal. I was ready. There wasn’t a single reason, aside from Race’s

objections, for Booker to turn me down anymore. Yeah, Race paid him, but Booker was more than intimidating and there was a call for his kind of work in plenty of places around the Point. I convinced myself that once we were together, once he told Race he loved me the way I loved him, he could find another king of crime to work for. He could catch bullets for any of the bad guys who called the Point home. And if Race got violent, Booker was bigger. It wouldn’t be pretty, and it would piss off my sister if her man’s very pretty face got pounded into a bloody pulp. But I fully expected him to fight for me, just as he’d done so many times in the past. There was no way the elegant and refined Race could put down a bruiser like Booker. Very few could. It was one of the reasons I was so drawn to him. Booker had a habit of saving my life, and he never hesitated to put himself between me and whatever was trying to hurt me. Today I was finally old enough to have him. Best. Birthday. Present. Ever. It wasn’t uncommon for me to bop down to Booker’s place. He even left the door unlocked most days so I could get in. We lived in a fortress that had more eyes in the sky than a casino in Vegas, so he didn’t need to worry about simple things like locked doors. My crush on the behemoth of a man was pretty much common knowledge all

around. Booker tended to treat me like I was an annoying kid sister. But there were times, when no one else was around, I could tell he was looking at me differently. He was hard to read, something that kept you alive in these parts. But I spent so much time watching him, I could see what no one else could. Those steely eyes softened, melted into a soft dove gray when he looked at me while no one else was paying any attention. I glanced up at the camera that I knew was tracking my every move. I gave a little wave to whomever was monitoring the feed tonight. Race’s security guys were a part of my everyday life. Where I went, they followed. It was sort of like having an army of overprotective big brothers. Annoying yet necessary. It was a good thing I was obsessed with Booker. Having eyes only for him over the last few years meant I didn’t bring boys home to meet the family. I was pretty sure trying to date a guy my own age would have been impossible with those eagle-eyed brutes hanging around. The butterflies in my stomach started sword fighting the closer I got to Booker’s door. I spent a lot of time making goo-goo eyes at the giant man and aimlessly trying to make conversation with him. He was too cold and reserved to attempt any harmless flirting, and I was always very aware of the line in the sand where Booker was concerned. He tolerated my infatuation and presence, but he

always made it clear he was humoring me. He was the one who often reminded me there was a big, wide world out there, ripe for the picking. He told me I should never settle. However, when I tried to explain the only thing I was dying to experience was him, he diverted the conversation and pointedly told me that I was way too young for him. He also believed I was way too nice. He didn’t talk about his past, or his time in prison, but I had a feeling that wherever Noah Booker had been before made the Point look like Sesame Street. When I was in front of the door, I took a second to make sure my white-blonde hair was smooth and sleek. I ran my tongue over the front of my teeth to make sure none of the plum-colored lip gloss was stuck to the surface. I wiped my hands down the front of my black skinny jeans, the ones that made my admittedly long legs look even longer and took a deep breath. It was now or never. Today was the day. As I was lifting a hand to knock on the door, a high-pitched giggle from the other side drifted through the wood. A deep rumble of sound that I assumed was Booker responded. His chuckle sent chills racing up and down my spine. I frowned when the sound of another giggle, even higher than the first, followed. I fell back a step when a very female moan assaulted my ears. I lifted a shaking hand to my chest and took

another breath. I knew Booker wasn’t a saint; there was no way to expect a man as virile as he was to wait for me to graduate past jailbait status. Sure, I quietly hoped he would, because that was how fantasies worked. But, reality was rough and I knew none of the men circling my life spent much time without beautiful companions, Booker included. However, today was special. Today was important. Today was the day everything changed. I knew he knew it. I’d told him no less than fifty times over the last week that today was my eighteenth birthday. He had to know what today meant. He had to understand the wait was finally over. There was no reason for him to be in his apartment with someone else when he could be inside with me. My hand shook when I turned the knob. There was a loud voice screaming inside my head, one warning that I was about to make a huge mistake. I could practically see a red warning light flashing, telling me to ABORT, ABORT, ABORT! I was a smart girl, but smart girls do dumb things when a foolish heart is involved. I opened the door and walked in on a liveaction porno. The apartment smelled like cigarettes, cheap perfume, sweat, and something musky and unknown. I blinked in the low lighting, wishing the room were pitch black so I didn’t have to witness

all my hopes and dreams dying a horrific death. Booker in all his big, tattooed glory was sitting on his leather couch. That wasn’t anything I hadn’t walked in on before. But the naked girl on his lap was a new addition, and so was the half-naked girl standing behind him, hands pulling his head back as she shoved her tongue down his throat. The girl in his lap had her hands splayed over his broad chest, and she was bouncing up and down like he was a ride at an amusement park. I hated to admit it, but it took me a full minute of staring in slack-jawed surprise to realize she was actually moving up and down on Booker’s dick. I blinked at the scene playing out in slow motion before me, feeling my lungs seize and my heart twist into a knot. Any other day this wouldn’t have mattered as much. But today, how could he be with these girls on the day we could finally be together? I must’ve made some kind of noise, because the next thing I knew, the girl fucking his face with her tongue stopped what she was doing and looked right at me. She was wearing way too much makeup, but that didn’t stop her from being stunning. My wounded mind—as well as my crushed heart—wondered if she was one of the girls from the strip club where Booker worked most nights. If she wasn’t, she should consider a career change. It didn’t take a savant to recognize she was all woman, not a girl on the brink of womanhood.

The distinction never seemed to matter until this very moment. The woman looked me up and down, a practiced smile tilting her garishly painted mouth. “We got company, big guy.” Her voice was rough and raspy, like she smoked a thousand cigarettes a day. Booker turned his head, quicksilver eyes gleaming in the dim light. He grunted, hands digging into the hips of the woman still grinding on top of him. Her head was thrown back, face cast in the throes of ecstasy. It was a little much, or maybe it was my heart exploding inside my chest that was too much to bear. His scarred eyebrow lifted in silent question. The expression gave him kind of a devilish, wicked look. “Did you knock, Karsen?” That’s what he was worried about? He’d never worried about if I’d knocked before today. How about the fact that my heart was shattering and spilling out of my chest onto his hardwood floors? I blinked back tears and sucked in a painful breath. The pretty girl hovering behind him reached out and ran her long, red nails through the dark brush of Booker’s black hair. “Is she the one you told us about? She’s the little girl who lives upstairs who thinks she’s in love with you?” I couldn’t stop the gasp that burst forth. It was bad enough he had them here on what was

supposed to be our special day. Okay, special to me, but still. Hearing he talked about me like that, called me a little girl and questioned my feelings, it burned through my blood like acid. Booker nodded, curling an arm around the woman on top of him to still her erotic movements. “That’s her.” The other woman’s smile lost some of its edge, softening around the sides. She cocked her head to the side and looked me over again. “Pretty little thing, isn’t she?” I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I felt like I’d walked into the middle of a nightmare and couldn’t find my way out. The woman Booker was currently having sex with turned her attention to me as well. She looked impatient and annoyed by the interruption, readying herself to continue her ministrations. Booker turned back to her, telling the woman behind him, “If you like the innocent, girl-nextdoor-type, I guess she’s all right.” Ouch. Direct hit. I was both innocent and the girl next door . . . literally. There was no getting around it. “You like them a little dirty and a lot more experienced, don’t you, big boy?” The woman in his lap licked the side of his face and I cringed. Booker snorted. “I like easy.” He turned his attention back to the woman uncomfortably close

to his crotch. “Nothing about her is easy.” I was stuck to the spot, trapped by all the jagged, sharp pieces of my broken fantasies. I wanted to bolt, to run as far away as I could, but I couldn’t move. I felt like the shards would rip me to shreds any direction I turned. Even when the naked woman continued making out with the man of my dreams right in front of me, I was stuck in the same spot. The noises they were making were loud and graphic and all-encompassing. I could hear them echoing in the empty places in my chest where my heart used to be. Finally, the other woman in the skintight leather skirt and black bra walked over to where I was locked in place. Her hand was light on my arm and she touched me like I was made of glass, even though I wanted to claw her eyes out. I blinked up at her numbly, letting her guide me around and tow me toward the open front door. “Don’t worry, sweetie. There are better guys out there for someone like you. Guys much nicer than the type of guy Booker is . . . he’s made for women like me. You are still too new, too pristine, honey, and all he’ll do is ruin you.” Everyone said that. I was sick to death of everyone telling me that. I didn’t want someone better for me, I wanted Booker. I finally gasped, pulling a burning breath into my starved lungs. “Today’s my birthday.” The

words came out on a shuddering sob. I have no idea where that came from, why I’d share such an intimate detail with the woman who was next in line for Booker’s dick. I’d stop thinking rationally the second I heard the giggling through the door. She made a sympathetic noise and patted my arm. “Happy birthday, honey. You deserve something special.” “Roxy. Get back in here. We’re moving to the bedroom.” The other girl’s voice was excited, and I felt her words settle in my stomach like a lead weight. “I thought he was special.” The words were barely a whisper. The woman squeezed my arm and I was shocked when she leaned forward and touched her brightly painted lips to my cheek in a kiss that was more like a whisper. I should’ve pushed her away, called her a whore, smacked her across the face . . . something, anything. But all I could do was watch as her perfect, painted face blurred into a melted blob as tears obscured my vision. “The fact that you think that proves you’re the special one. Get out of here and go live the kind of life that doesn’t have guys like Booker and girls like me and Rowan in it.” She backed up gently and firmly shut the door in my tear-streaked face. I don’t know how long I stood outside the door crying and trying to pull myself together. It was

long enough to hear laughing voices quiet and disappear as they made their way farther inside the apartment. Once the tears stopped, I used the hem of my t-shirt to wipe away my smeared eye makeup, rubbed away the traces of moisture on my cheeks, and marched back upstairs to Race’s apartment. I wasn’t even all the way through the door before I was telling Brysen I wanted to change colleges. I wanted to go out of state and get as far away from the Point—and from Booker—as possible. Today was supposed to change everything . . . and it did. But not in the way anyone expected. Not in the way I’d dreamed about for years. Right then and there I made the decision that once I left the Point, I had no plans to ever come back. The city simply wasn’t big enough for me and Noah Booker and all the pieces of the heart he broke on my birthday.

The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. ~ Leo Tolstoy

Karsen Boulder, Colorado ~ Two days after college graduation

Today I am a

college graduate and it is entirely

underwhelming. Four years of hard work and dedication amounted to nothing more than a piece of paper. I’d changed majors twice, starting out in mathematics, thinking I could follow in my big sister’s footsteps and go into accounting. But I’d barely passed my first college-level algebra class, so that career track wasn’t going to pan out. My sophomore year, I focused on collecting generalrequired credits while I tried to figure out what in the hell I wanted to be when I grew up. Two years later and I was still asking myself the same question. I eventually settled on a political science degree thinking I would go into the legal field. I wasn’t sure I was ready to commit to going to law school, even though Brysen was thrilled at the prospect. There was never a shortage for the need of good legal representation in our family. Having a lawyer in the fold would save everyone a lot of

money down the road. It wasn’t that I didn’t find law fascinating, or that I didn't think I could hack it in law school. My trepidation came from being intimately acquainted with the fact that sometimes good people had to make bad choices. I didn’t see right and wrong in perfect shades of black and white. The place I grew up and the people I was surrounded with were all tinted in varying shades of gray, and I wasn’t sure how that would translate to a career defending laws that didn’t have enough flexibility as far as I was concerned. I sighed and skirted around one of the endless boxes that filled the apartment I’d shared with Aribella Voss for the last two years. The tiny brunette was a whirlwind of energy and as loud and boisterous as I was quiet and contemplative. She didn’t have any of the same reservations about where she was going as I did when it came to planning out our futures. She was planning to be a nurse practitioner, so there were a few more years of schooling ahead of her which she was eagerly anticipating. She was also moving in with her boyfriend and spending the summer playing house with him. Meaning, I still needed to figure out where I was going to go now that school was over and our lease was up. It didn’t take a first-year psych major to figure out why I hadn’t been more proactive in figuring out my living situation. Even

after four years in Colorado, I knew exactly where I wanted to be. I just wasn't sure I was ready to go back. I had no idea if I was strong enough to be in the same city as he was once again. But as much as I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t going back, I had to. I literally didn’t have a choice in the matter. Brysen and Race were getting married in a few weeks and I was the maid of honor. I promised her I’d be there. It would be the first time I’d been back to the Point since leaving for school. I didn’t go home when one of my sister’s best friends, Reeve Black, had her baby. I didn’t go back when her other best friend, Dovie Pryce, got her degree in social services and used her boyfriend’s ill-gotten gains to open her own center for underprivileged kids. I refused to return, even though the place I called home was obviously getting turned around piece by piece. The streets were no longer a warzone and the people in charge were no longer exploiting the poor and helpless. It was something I wanted to see. It was a dream come true. But I couldn’t face the memories I left behind in the Point. Luckily, my family had always come to me, looking as out of place in scenic Colorado as I’m sure bubbly, bright Aribella—Ari, for short— would look in my city. It never stopped being funny how uncomfortable all the fresh air and clean living made Race and his best friend Bax whenever they

came to town. “You sure you don’t need any help getting your stuff into storage? Dom said he could get Lando and his little brother to haul it over to the unit for you.” Ari watched me with kind, chocolate-colored eyes. She was the one part of my college experience I was going to miss more than anything. Well, that and her handsome older brother and his drop-dead sexy boyfriend coming to visit. They were an eyeful, both outrageously fit and tall, rocking some impeccable style. I was totally unashamed that I loved watching the easy way they were with each other. It was romantic but also really hot. In fact, we tended to end up with an apartment full of admiring voyeurs when the two of them were around. Especially in the summer when it was hot and they ran around shirtless and sweaty. Ari had been on Dom’s ass to propose to his boyfriend for months. The often serious and softspoken cop kept telling her he was waiting for the right time, but Ari was impatient. She was also bossy and relentless, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the dark-haired police officer caved sooner rather than later just to get her to back off. Not to mention the two men were crazy in love. It was clear to anyone who saw the two of them together, they were the real deal. I knew exactly what real love looked like, thanks to watching it fight and struggle to survive in the Point, and I recognized it in them.

I shook my head and stuck a long piece of blonde hair behind my ear. “No. Race hired movers for me. He’s trying to give me time to figure out where I want to go.” He was always considerate like that. I couldn’t ask for a better almost brotherin-law. He took amazing care of my sister, made sure every need I had was met, and didn’t even balk when I told him my best friend was a cop’s little sister. He put on the charm and played the perfect preppy pretty boy whenever Dom was around. I had no idea whether Ari’s older brother bought the act, but if he didn’t, he pretended for my sake. Bax was a different story. When he came to visit . . . and check up on me . . . he stayed as far away from my apartment and any place Dom might show up. It was kind of funny. Big, bad Bax never ran from anything, but he refused to disrupt the simple, no-fuss life I’d built for myself in Colorado. He was the scariest, sweetest, big brother figure a girl could ask for. Ari giggled and tossed her dark hair over her shoulder in a much sassier move than mine. “We should have done that. Dom threw out his back during the second load and Lando bitched at him for over an hour for doing too much.” She rolled her expressive eyes and pressed her lips together in a mew of annoyance. “Troy should have been here to do most of the heavy lifting anyway. I’m still irritated he bailed at the last minute.”

I bit my tongue so I didn’t blurt out that she couldn’t be surprised by her boyfriend’s lack of consideration. Troy was an asshole. Flaking on their plans, forgetting important dates and events. He also had a wandering eye and treated Ari like she should be thrilled he chose her to grace with his presence. I never liked him or the way he looked at me whenever he was over and Ari wasn’t in the room. He hadn’t even asked her to move in when it was do-or-die time on our lease. In her usual takeno-prisoners way, Ari informed him she was moving in whether he liked it or not. They’d been together for a little over a year, even though he’d been hanging around since we first got to campus four years ago. He actually asked me out first, back when I was sure I was never going to date anyone, ever. He’d acted shattered by my rejection, but pretty quickly turned to winning over my roommate. Ari was reluctant for a long time, but eventually he wore her down, only to walk over her as soon as she caved. I’d secretly hoped the entire time they were together she would see the light and dump him. No such luck. She picked up one of the last little boxes that had her stuff in it and walked over to wrap me in a one-armed hug. She squeezed me so hard I squeaked before hugging her back. She touched her forehead to mine and whispered, “We’re going to be okay, Karsen. Whatever happens, we’ll be fine.

All you have to do is show up for the wedding. You don’t have to commit to anything beyond that.” I nodded and she pulled back so she could drop a kiss on my cheek. “He’s not going to be there. Brysen promised you wouldn’t have to see him, and you know Race will castrate him if he comes anywhere near you. You let him take your home away from you; don’t let him come between you and your family any more than he already has. You’ve given him enough.” She’d been telling me that since the night I’d slammed too much Fireball and spilled my guts about why I picked a school so far away from home. She knew all the sordid details and why I never quite fit in with all our classmates. College for me was a refuge, a hideaway more than a guide to figure out my future. I gave her a similar kiss on her upturned cheek and whispered, “As long as we are giving advice, you should know that if Troy is showing you who he is, believe him. Don’t try and turn him into something he’s not because you don’t think you have other options. You do.” She was beautiful, bright, vivacious, and had one of the kindest hearts I’d ever encountered. The world was wide open and hers for the taking. She didn’t need to grab onto the first boy who made her feel special, especially if he was going out of his way to treat her as anything but. Booker never bothered to hide

who he was; I simply refused to see it. They said love was blind for a reason. “You’ll call me and let me know every little detail.” It was an order, not a question. “And I want pictures of Brysen in her dress and you in yours.” Ari wanted to be my plus-one, but I’d spent three months talking her out of it. She didn't need to see the Point, didn’t need her optimistic view of the world forever altered. It would be so much easier to face going home with my best friend by my side, but I wanted her to remain my best friend, and the Point had the ability to demolish everything pure and good. I even enlisted Dom’s help to talk some sense into my hardheaded friend. She was stubborn to a fault but she listened to her big brother when he told her something wasn’t a good idea. I wished he had warned her about what a douche Troy was. I’d mentioned my concerns to him in passing, but Dom insisted Ari had to learn lessons of the heart on her own. All the Voss siblings were that way. They had to figure out the things that hurt on their own. I walked with her to her car, waving goodbye until she was out of sight. There was a pang in my chest that my carefully planned days were no longer scheduled and predictable. I had too much time on my hands to obsess and remember when my routine was out of whack. Sighing, I made my way back into the mostly empty apartment. The

movers were coming bright and early in the morning to throw my stuff in storage until I came up with a plan. I was supposed to be on a plane back to the Point tomorrow afternoon and I hadn’t even packed yet. Every time I thought about going back home, I froze and had a mini panic attack. I wasn’t so sure I was tough enough to make it on the streets of the Point anymore. I hadn’t been strong enough to stay and fight for the place I’d always called home. I’d let him run me off like a scared little bunny, and I’d forged armor over the past four years to steel my heart from getting hurt again. I’d forced myself to become bulletproof. Noah Booker had seen to that. He shattered me. Left me in a million pieces. All of them fragile and tender to the touch. Turning around, looking at what had been my home for the past four years, I realized that the apartment was too quiet and too empty. There was too much space for my mind to wander, and I didn’t have anything else to focus on. The reins to yank my thoughts back from the brink were nonexistent. It had been four years and I still saw Booker with those girls every time I closed my eyes. I heard him saying I was anything but easy, and the woman who walked me to the door calling me a little girl. The scene still made my guts churn and caused my head to throb.

I should be over it. I knew that. I told myself that very thing no less than five times a day. It was a crush that spiraled out of control and consumed me. Booker never promised me anything or even gave so much as a hint that there would ever be an us. I built him up in my head into some kind of mythical creation that would right everything that was wrong in my world, the way Race did for Brysen. I’d foisted all my hopes and dreams onto his broad shoulders, without him even realizing it and without stopping to consider he might not want that responsibility. I screwed up and I was still dealing with the fallout. No matter how many young men I had dated, or how successful I had been in other areas of my life, I couldn’t escape the confines of the memories that held me hostage in that doorway four years ago. It was nearly impossible to recover when all your foolish dreams died. It was stupid. It made me feel weak and immature, but I was stuck and I hadn’t figured out the thing that would finally set me free. I aimlessly stacked a few boxes closer to the front door. Ari’s TV was gone, and I missed having something to turn on for background noise. I figured I could use my laptop and stream something while I forced myself to pack. Brysen would track me down and come get me if I wasn't on that flight tomorrow, and I owed her more than that.

Distancing myself from her and the life she was building back home had been the hardest part of walking away from my former life. Tying my hair up in a knot on the top of my head, I wandered down the hallway that was now barren. I counted my steps to keep focused and to keep myself from thinking about him. It was annoying that he was always there, hovering on the periphery. Physically I had grown . . . mentally, I still often felt like the newly eighteen-year-old girl pining after Booker. Time was supposed to heal all wounds, but mine felt like it was still wide open and bleeding all over the place. Every time I thought it was starting to scab over at the edges, something would happen, some memory would resurface, and it was ripped open once again. The ache was a familiar part of me now. Ari had left her bedroom door open and that pang I’d felt watching her drive away hit me again. I was going to miss her sunny smile and infectious laughter. I was going to be lonely without her filling up the space we shared with her huge personality and sharp wit. I spent so much time trying to figure out who I was and what in the hell I was doing, it was refreshing to be around someone so comfortable in their skin. I’d learned a lot from Ari over the years, and hopefully, she’d picked up some street smarts and a little savvy from me in return— especially where Troy was involved.

My door was shut. I was hiding the fact that hardly any of my personal belongings were packed away yet. It felt so final. Once my clothes, jewelry, and books were all in boxes, it meant I had to decide where it was all going and I wasn’t ready to make that call. It would be so nice to know where I belonged. I was so sick of being the square peg trying to cram myself into a round hole. Knowing I couldn’t hide away forever, I twisted the knob and pushed open my bedroom door. The momentum pulled me forward and right into the arms of someone waiting on the other side. Belatedly, I realized the light was off and we’d left the front door wide open when we walked down to Ari’s car. I knew better. An unlocked door was practically an open invitation to let any manner of creeper into your space. I opened my mouth to scream, my hands lifting to claw at the intruder’s eyes and face. I might not have been in the Point anymore, but I still remembered every single lesson Race drilled into my head when it came to self-defense. I knew how to fight back and that’s exactly what I was going to do . . . until a familiar, deep, and raspy voice said my name. “Karsen.” It was just my name, nothing special or unique about it. But the man who said it, the one holding me so close while I screamed, kicked, and clawed,

he’d been the most special person in my entire world. Until he wasn’t. Until he didn’t want to be any longer. Until he made himself crystal clear. “Booker.” I got his name out on a gasp and was immediately released. I would have fallen to the floor if his large, scarred hands hadn’t reached out and locked around my upper arms. He reacted as if the simple touch burned him, because he dropped me a second later and I had to grab the door to keep myself on my feet. It had been so long . . . too long . . . but still not long enough. It was never going to be long enough. Before I could think about what I was doing or why I was doing it, I balled my hand into a fist and swung at his face. Obviously, he wasn't expecting the attack because he didn’t move or bother to block the strike. Instead, I clocked him on the cheek, which whipped his head to the side. My fingers stung as I shook them out and his dark-gray eyes glittered with something dangerous as he lifted his fingers to the reddening spot. “That’s one way to say hello.” The rough timbre of his voice still had the power to make my knees weak and send shivers racing down my spine. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “I’m about to say goodbye. Get out of my apartment . . . Now.” I wasn't ready for him, not now, not ever. He shook his head and I noticed his dark hair

now had threads of silver through it at the temples. He was twenty-six when we met, twenty-eight when he broke my heart, which meant he was now in his early thirties. Young for silver hair, but considering how many times he’d almost died while I lived in the Point—who knows how many more times that’d happened since I left—his aging prematurely made sense. “Karsen.” My name again, but there was so much he wasn’t saying in that simple acknowledgement. “I’m serious. Get out, Booker. There’s a reason I’ve been gone for four years . . . that’s you. I never want to see you again.” I wanted to shove him out the door and put my foot in his ass, but he was too damn big. Slowly, he shook his head, mouth set in a hard line, steely eyes unflinching as he told me. “I’m not going anywhere.” I shivered and instinctively took a step backward. “I’ve waited long enough.” I blinked stupidly and tried to follow where he was going. My senses were all scrambled from being this close to him after such a long time. “Waited long enough for what?” I sounded as confused as I felt. His eyes sharpened and narrowed. His mouth quirked into something that may have been a grin on a less-imposing man. The scarred eyebrow danced upward as he took a step toward me, his

intent shining bright and clear in his eyes. “For you. I’ve waited long enough for you, Karsen.”

Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one. ~ Marcus Aurelius

Booker

I was a man who had made a lot of mistakes in my life. I bore scars I couldn’t and wouldn’t hide. I learned to live with the consequences and repercussions from those poor decisions. I’d long ago accepted my life was going to be a certain way due to my choices, no matter how desperately I wished for something different. The biggest mistake, the one haunting me, the one eating away at what little soul I had left, was currently standing in front of me. She was looking at me like she wanted to rip my balls off and feed them to me. She also had a killer right hook. I should know. I was the one who taught her how to throw it. Race gave her the basics, but I taught her how to fight dirty and mean. Unfortunately, I knew all too well I was the one who put the vacant, empty look in her tawnycolored eyes. I always liked her eyes. They were a hundred different shades of brown from nearly black to gold. They were the one part of her that fit in with the Point. Wild, expressive, demanding, and longing, her gaze always gave her away. It didn’t

matter that the rest of her looked like she should be on the Disney Channel singing songs about princes and falling in love with love. Her eyes told you that there was more to Karsen Carter than you could ever imagine. I’d always seen more than I was supposed to when I looked at her. It was a mistake, one I knew was going to pay dearly for when the people who protected her found out I couldn’t stay away any longer. However, I was beyond worrying about the fallout for caring about this girl, no . . . this young woman. I didn’t lie. I had waited for her long enough. She crossed her arms over her chest and I noticed how much she had changed in the four years she’d been gone. She still had the long-legged, lean look that always brought to mind Taylor Swift. Something I’d overheard others say, so assumed was accurate. She was taller than when I last stood face to face with her, and her hair was longer now. It fell in long, platinum waves to her mid-back. And her face had narrowed, losing some of the youthful roundness that always made her appear so soft and innocent. Her multi-hued eyes were still alight with life and defiance. They were the only feature setting her apart from any other coed on campus. Anyone paying attention to those eyes would see this girl was so much older and wiser than her paltry

twenty-two years. At the moment, those amazing eyes were practically glowing with inner fire as she glared at me, clearly not as interested in this reunion as I was. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her everything, but I couldn’t—I wouldn’t do that to her. Girls like Karsen believed in heroes and happily ever afters. I refused to be the one to take her optimism away from her. She didn’t need to know that people who shined so brightly in her world weren’t stars that lit up the night sky, but rather falling stars on their way to burning out before they crashed into Earth, just like the rest of us. “You’ve been waiting for me?” Her voice was sharp as she bit out a laugh so bitter and broken I could feel the edges of it against my skin. “Waited for me to do what, Booker? Grow up? Wake up? Waited for me to forget?” She sucked in a breath and put a shaking hand to the center of her chest. “Because hell will freeze over before that happens. I never wanted to see you again. I never went back because I never, ever wanted to see you again. Surely you had to realize that. You need to leave. I don’t want you anywhere near me.” Her hands moved in front of her as if she was subconsciously trying to ward me off. I was a bad guy. But I’d never hurt her . . . at least, not physically. I wasn’t any kind of threat to

her, regardless of the way I approached her unannounced. I knew if I had simply knocked on her door she wouldn’t have answered. Her words sliced through me and her defensive actions nearly brought me to my knees. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but I couldn’t stay away anymore. I had to see her, even if it was the last time. I didn’t care if coming after her was signing my death warrant. I didn't care that she was still too good for me, too innocent and sweet. I wasn’t worried I made her hate me. I was used to people feeling that way about me. She was the only one who had ever loved me. Which was why watching her walk away had almost killed me. In my life, I’d been shot, stabbed, beaten, and tortured. I couldn’t remember any of those things hurting as much as seeing the damage I did to Karsen up close and personal. I knew I was going to break her heart. I didn’t have a choice. But seeing the long-term effects of my actions still clinging to her, lingering with her, it burned somewhere deep inside of me. I felt it right next to the place that had been empty and hollow the second she left. I lifted a hand and ran my fingers over my scar. It was a bad habit, one I mostly controlled, unless I was extremely anxious over something. There wasn’t much in this world that pushed me toward

my nervous twitch. The young blonde in front of me was—and would always be—the exception to the rule. Even when she was way too young to make me nervous, I still found myself touching my face as a reminder there were some mistakes that stuck with you forever. Realizing I needed to rein in this situation, I dropped back a step so she wasn’t as crowded and tried to relax my always rigid and alert stance. When you were nearly six-and-a-half-feet tall and built to take beatings and bullets, looking nonthreatening wasn’t exactly an option. The slender young woman watching me like a hawk was the only one who ever acted like she saw something beyond the battle scars and armor I showed to the rest of the world. “I know I hurt you . . .” It was lame. Weak. But it was also true. I knew I hurt her. I meant to. It was the only way to get her to go. It was the only way to give Race what he wanted. It was the only way to keep my ass out of jail. But she’d had time—four years, to be exact—she’d had space, she lived a whole life without me or the Point in it. I was hoping the distance may have brought clarity, the realization I would never have done what I did without a damn good reason. But looking at her furious face, I understood I’d been existing on wishful thinking and false hope for far too long. Karsen’s pale eyebrows shot up and her pretty,

pink mouth dropped open like the hinges on her jaw had suddenly stopped working. Another one of those ugly laughs that shouldn’t come from such a pretty girl shot out of her mouth. Slowly, her head shook back and forth as if she couldn’t believe I not only had the audacity to sneak into her home, but to speak of our shared history in such simple terms. “You did not hurt me, Booker.” She pointed a shaking finger at my stinging face. I was going to have a bruise and probably a partial shiner. I was proud of her for defending herself. I was glad living in a place where she could breathe without choking on pollution and corruption hadn’t made her soft or complacent. “You annihilated me. The girl I was before doesn’t exist anymore, and that sucks, because she was pretty damn special.” I blinked at her in confusion. She looked the same. Older, slightly more polished and pulled together, but she was still the same stunning girl I’d been carefully dancing my way around since she was sixteen. “Who are you now?” She scoffed at me and rolled her eyes. “I’m a girl who’s homesick—and a woman who’s sick of my home—all because you’re there. I’ve wished every day for the past four years that I’d never met you.” Ouch. Direct hit.

Most of the people I encountered on a daily basis felt that way about me, but not her. Before I’d done what I did, Karsen always went out of her way to make sure everyone in her life knew just how happy she was to see me and spend time with me. If only she’d been older, or I’d been younger, things would never have been as tenuous and complicated between us. Our timing was never right, but now, time was up. I had to see her before I finally let her go for good. I wanted to reach for her but had a feeling she would run—or punch me again—if I did. Instead, I plowed aggravated fingers through my hair and looked down at the floor. I was not a contrite person. I did not apologize, because I rarely felt sorry for the shit I did. I lived a hard life and people got hurt. It was just the way it was, but I never wanted Karsen to be a casualty. If I had a choice, I would have prevented it, but I didn’t, so here we were. “But we did meet. And there is no going back for either of us. I won’t ever forget you, and I know you haven’t forgotten me.” The refrain had echoed in my head for the last four years. She might hate me, but she was never going to forget me. I could work with it. I’d made do with less most of my life. “I can try. What do you think I’ve been doing for the last four years?” She tilted her delicate nose in the air and looked down at me haughtily. That

was new. She never pulled the ice queen act before. It was something I wondered if she’d learned from her sister. Brysen had icy down pat. I sighed and rolled my head to the side until my neck cracked. The noise was loud, sounding almost like a gunshot in the quiet room. I watched her eyes widen, and because she could never hide anything in those eyes, I saw a flash of concern battle against the anger in her gaze. “You were supposed to love your new life.” My voice was low, the rasp more pronounced than usual. “You were supposed to find someone who made you happy, something that put a smile on your face. You were supposed to build a life that was shiny and fulfilling. You were supposed to do anything but miss home and everything you left behind.” Race was determined that she had a way out, that she got to see what else was out there. He wanted her to have a chance at something more, something better, even though she never asked for more than she already had. Her teeth snapped together and I could hear her molars grinding. Her hands curled into fists and she took a jerky step forward. I was tempted to let her hit me again if it meant she was close enough to touch. I wanted her hands on me any way I could get them. I’d finally given myself permission to show her all the things I’d always seen while looking at her . . . and I was more than likely going

to end up six-feet under for the reveal. “Have you been watching me? How do you know my life isn’t exactly the way I want it? What has Race told you?” Her spine stiffened and her shoulders straightened. She was ready to do battle, but she was the last person I wanted to fight. I was tired of constantly being at war with everything and everyone in my life. I was ready to wave the white flag and surrender, but it wouldn’t get me anywhere with this girl. She wouldn’t respect weakness. “Race doesn’t tell me shit. I don’t talk to him. I don’t have anything to do with him, and I know things here aren’t anything like your family thought they’d be . . . because if they were, you would be staying instead of fighting against everything inside of you begging to go back. You miss home, but you won’t let yourself plan a future there, even if that’s what you really want. You’re scared, Karsen. Scared the Point forgot all about you and doesn’t need you anymore. Here it doesn’t matter. Here, no one cares if you’re around to make things better because there are a thousand other idealists ready to stand up for what's right.” I smirked and drawled, “Of course I haven’t been watching you.” If I had, there was no way in hell I would have been able to stay away from her. I would’ve chased away and beat the fuck out of every frat boy and hipster who hit on her. I would’ve forced her to

figure out what made her happy so she wasn’t simply going through the motions and living the life Race wanted for her instead of one she fought for herself. But just because I wasn’t watching, didn’t mean I didn’t have eyes on every single move she made. Her eyebrows puckered in confusion and I could see her trying to figure out why my voice shook with barely checked fury when I talked about her soon-to-be brother-in-law. Race was her hero. Too bad he was my goddamn nightmare. “How can you have nothing to do with Race? Don’t you work for him?” Her head cocked to the side, curiosity evident in every word, chasing away some of her anger. I grunted and ran my fingers over my scar again. “I work for Nassir.” I refused to take orders from that golden-haired asshole after he pushed me into a very tight corner and orchestrated the breaking of Karsen’s heart. Luckily, I didn’t have the same issues with his business partner, Nassir Gates. In fact, I liked working for the man they called the Devil. There was no question Nassir was a killer and a crook. What you saw was exactly what you got with him—not the case with Race. The fair-haired criminal was much more unassuming and insidious. I hadn’t seen his attack coming, and I hated being blindsided. If Karsen

didn’t look at him like he was her saving grace, I would’ve put the former rich kid down without a second thought. He had it coming. “Nassir and Race work together. How can you work for one and not the other?” She was asking questions she didn’t want the answers to. I sighed and swore under my breath. “Nassir needs shit done; I do it. I spend most of my time running security for his clubs. That’s it. He pays the bills, not Hartman.” But sometimes things needed to get down and dirty . . . and bloody. I didn’t mind those times, as long as they didn’t benefit the golden king of the Point in any way. I didn’t care if his part of the kingdom burned, but it would devastate Karsen, so I stayed away from the fire and refused to be tempted by the flickering flames. “Did Race do something you find morally objectionable?” She snickered at me, like she found it unbelievable there was actually a line I wouldn’t cross. I shook my head and let my hands drop. I didn’t want to talk about her hero, but I should have known it was going to be impossible. “No. Race and I just don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things.” Namely her. I always believed she was smart enough and strong enough to know what she wanted. He insisted on insulating her, protecting her by taking her choices away. He manipulated her the same way he manipulated the people he did

business with, and he was so damn charming and slick, no one ever realized they were being hustled. Including Karsen. “It’s better for everyone if we keep our distance.” She made a noise. “I wish you would’ve kept your distance from me.” That made my gut twist. Not too long ago she wasn’t allowed to get close. Now she could, and she wanted to be as far away from me as possible. “Karsen,” I wasn’t good with words. I was an action guy. That’s why I was here. Race was going to kill me as soon as he realized I was gone, but she mattered too much for me to stay away. She had to know how much I cared about her when she was still living in the Point—even when I wasn’t supposed to. I was trying to figure out what to say next when the tension popping back and forth between us like a live current was broken by Karsen’s phone trilling with some obnoxious pop song. I bit back a groan. The peppy, catchy song I didn’t have a hope in hell of recognizing was a reminder that no matter how much history existed between us, she was still so much younger than me. Still so harmless and untainted. I needed to see her again to prove to myself I did the right thing by letting her go all those years ago. She pulled the device out of her pocket, eyes flickering to me before turning her back and

answering the call. “Hey, Ari. What’s up?” The genuine affection in her voice for the roommate made me smile. I knew all about the bubbly brunette with the cop for an older brother. She was a good match for Karsen. She helped bring her out of her shell, and she was fiercely protective of her friend. The pint-sized firecracker had terrible taste in men, but as long as her choices didn’t bleed onto my girl, I didn’t worry about them rooming together. Suddenly, she stiffened and a new kind of tension started to swirl around her. “What do you mean, he hit you?!” Her shriek made the hairs on the back of my neck lift. She stalked out of the room without looking back to see if I was following, her raised voice echoing around the empty walls of her apartment. “No. You stay right there. I’m coming to get you. I understand why you don’t want Dom involved, but you need to call him.” There was chatter on the other end of the phone and I could distinctly hear the sound of a woman crying. Whatever was going on wasn’t good and there was no way I was letting Karsen get in the middle of it without someone at her back. “Ten minutes. I’ll be there in ten. If I see Troy I’m going to kick his ass. How dare he put his hands on you.” She swore and shifted gears faster than I could keep up. Suddenly soothing, she

muttered, “I know, sweetie. You do deserve better. He absolutely should go to jail. Call your brother.” She was at the front door slipping on a pair of fuzzy looking boots when I caught up with her. I grabbed her elbow and she gasped like she had forgotten I was there. She looked down at my fingers and then up at my face. Her jaw was locked and her eyes were blazing with emotion. I was sure she was going to shake me off and tell me to go to hell, but she didn’t. “Since you’re here, make yourself useful and come with me so you can do the only thing you’re good at.” She jerked her arm free and stormed out the door. I followed behind her, eyebrows lifted as I asked, “What exactly is it that I’m good at?” “Hurting people. I want you to hurt him so bad he can’t ever put his hands on anyone ever again.” She sounded serious and cold. Those first two words hurt me more than they should have . . . but she was right. Hurting people was all I’d ever known. But hearing her say that out loud, yeah, that sucked and forced me to realize that while I’d needed to see her again. She really had done her best to shove me so far down in her memories she couldn’t recall how careful I’d always been with her. You could take the girl out of the Point, but you could never take the Point out of the girl. Her

verbal combat skills were sharp and deadly. I grunted and followed her out of the apartment. I was good at hurting people, I just had to figure out how to convince her I never wanted to hurt her again, that I’d never wanted to hurt her in the first place.

Karsen

I was having a really hard time keeping all of my emotions in check. I was furious at Booker for showing up out of the blue, disrupting what had been a pretty idyllic life. Granted, I had no idea what my next moves were going to be, but still, how dare he? I was mad at myself for reacting to him. The sound of his deep, raspy voice still sent chills down my spine, and the sight of those haunted, tormented, slate-colored eyes still made my heart skip a beat. On top of all my anger, I was about to explode over Ari’s hysterical phone call. I was a bomb of fury ready to blow and the fuse was lit. It was easy to forget the need for blood and vengeance ran so close to the surface under my skin. I hadn’t allowed that bloodthirsty response to rear its ugly head in years, but when I did, it was so easy to slip back into my ruthless skin. There was no way Troy was going to get away with putting his hands on Ari. He was a creep, had been from the beginning. Now I had a solid excuse to send him packing from my best friend’s life for good. Logically, I knew the best course of action was

to call Dominic. Ari begged me not to. She was embarrassed about the situation, even more so since her brother was the one who hoofed all her stuff to Troy’s over the last couple of days. She was stunned that as soon as Troy got home and saw all her belongings scattered over his apartment, he lost it. She didn’t want Dom to get in trouble if he lost his temper. He was her brother and a cop. If anyone could handle Troy the right way, it was him. But there was a part of me, a huge part, that was elated Booker had shown up when he did. Troy deserved to be handled in all the wrong ways for hurting my friend. For thinking that hitting a woman was ever an option. The law moved slowly and tended to be biased and skewed. Street retribution was swift, exact, and unforgettable. That’s what I wanted Troy to experience. Booker was the man to make that happen. A slap on the wrist and a stern warning wouldn’t do. I wanted broken bones and blood. The man sitting next to me in the snazzy SUV Race bought me to get around in the snowy Colorado winters excelled at both of those things. His entire life was built on broken bones and blood . . . add heartbreak to his repertoire and he was the perfect trifecta of doom. But the sorrow I saw reflected back at me in his eyes was something new. I recognized it in his gaze, because I saw it in my own every time I looked at myself in the mirror. I had no idea what Booker’s agenda was, why

he was here after all this time, but there was no way I was falling into the trap of believing he deserved redemption or any more of my time. Been there, done that, still had the broken heart to show for it. No, he was a bad guy, one who did bad things, not always to bad people. He’d told me that from the start; it was well past time I started believing him and let him go for good. “Tell me about the boyfriend. He get handsy with your girl before now?” I was so lost in thought I almost forgot he was taking up most of the available space in the front of the SUV. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and realized he wasn’t wearing a suit. He was always dressed impeccably back home. Tailored suits cut to fit his massive frame and conceal his shoulder harness were his go-to. Today, he was in faded jeans, a well-worn leather jacket, and a Led Zeppelin tshirt. He looked like a biker on vacation, complete with heavy black boots instead of his usual polished wingtips. If it wasn’t for his imposing figure and the unmistakable scar, there was a chance I would have walked past him on the street without a second glance. I wondered if this was his attempt at blending in. If it was, it didn’t work. He still put out some hardcore, badass vibes on top of an unmistakable don’t-fuck-with-me attitude. “He’s weird. Kind of a lurker. He glommed onto me and Ari at orientation and has been

hanging around ever since. Ari is nice, she likes everyone, so she never told him to get lost. He wore her down over the last couple of years, until she agreed to date him. I can’t imagine she would have agreed to live with him if he’d hit her before. But he was really sketchy when she started pressuring him to move in together. I always got the feeling he was trying to wiggle his way out of it, but never could find a way to do it without hurting her.” I frowned. “I don’t like him. He asked me out in the beginning and I turned him down. He took it hard, like really hard, which was weird since we just met. He moved onto Ari pretty quickly after that. I don’t like to be alone in a room with him, but I play nice for her.” Booker made a noise and started to tap his fingers on his thigh. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed his hands still looked gnarled and abused. He had scars all over the backs of both of them, some little, some big and silvery, like the one on his face. His knuckles were wide, the middle one on each hand sitting at odd angles from repeated fractures. They were ugly hands, used to doing terrible things, but they had always been achingly gentle whenever he touched me. When I was in high school, a crazed terrorist with a vendetta against the Point and most of my family planted a bomb in my school. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life, but Booker came

in and got me out. I was too shaky, too scared to walk. He picked me up in those massive arms, cuddled me to his chest, and carried me to safety like I was the most precious thing he had ever touched. Those ugly hands could kill, but they could equally soothe and comfort, as well. “The cop didn’t get a bad vibe off the guy?” Unaware I was obsessing about his hands and all the ways they had touched me throughout the years —and all the ways I’d wished they’d touched me— Booker’s question sounded bland and almost bored. I shook myself back to the present and blinked at the traffic in front of us. I needed to get my head in the game and out of the past because Ari needed me, and she’d never let me down or hurt me like the man sitting next to me had. I owed her everything. Booker didn’t get anything from me anymore, especially not my forgiveness or understanding. He was only here because I needed him to teach Troy a lesson. Before I left the Point, he tried to drill it into my thick head that he was only good for one thing: causing pain. Right now, that was exactly the kind of man I needed. One with no heart or soul. “If he did, he never said anything to me. Dom and Ari are close. He practically raised her, but she’s been doing her best to prove she can stand on her own over the last few years so he can move on with his life. I don’t know that she would’ve

listened if Dom did tell her to be careful with Troy. She’s stubborn like that. Troy really wooed her. It wasn’t until he got her that his true colors started to show. He was never violent, just acted disinterested and like kind of a douchebag.” He made another noise and did the thing where he cracked his neck. The noise was terrible and I noticed he was holding himself in a way that kept his weight to one side. He always seemed to have injuries that were healing, and it looked like nothing had changed. “You think he’s armed? Do I gotta worry about bullets flying when we storm into the apartment?” He turned to look at me, and I hated that his gaze made me flush. I always felt like he was looking inside of me. He was seeing things I tried to hide from everyone else. Sometimes I worried that he would reveal all my secrets, that he would unveil the fact my soul was several shades darker than all the people who loved me believed it to be. On the outside, I might look like I was filled with sunshine and shimmer. On the inside, I often felt like I was made up of every disappointment and heartache I’d suffered at the hands of others. There were a lot of shadows and secrets I kept buried deep, but Booker never seemed to have a problem finding them. “Troy’s a computer science nerd. A gamer. I don’t think he’s ever seen a real gun. Before tonight I would have described him as totally non-

threatening. But what do I know? I guess you never know what someone is capable of.” I cut him a look out of the corner of my eye and was pleased to see my pointed words elicited a cringe from the big man. I was glad he still reacted to me, the way I still responded to him. “No, you don’t. When a man is pushed into a corner and can’t see a way out, there is no end to the horrible things he will do. Even a timid man can be dangerous when his choices are taken away from him.” His rasp was still sexy as hell. The thread of remorse inside of it was unsettling. He was trying to tell me something but not giving me the words. I’d spent my impressionable youth trying to figure him out. I wasn’t going to waste any more time on the puzzle who was Noah Booker. Not when I knew I was never going to have all the pieces to complete the picture. He never gave anything away, and I always gave him too much. “He wasn’t backed into a corner, Booker. His girlfriend wanted to move in with him and he wasn’t ready. He could have told her no or broken up with her. He could have explained it wasn’t the right time. There were a lot of other options besides hitting her.” And breaking her heart. Booker just looked at me, an expression I couldn’t distinguish passing over his features. We lapsed into a stony silence after that. Luckily, Troy’s apartment was only around the

corner. When we pulled into the complex, I immediately caught sight of Ari. She was sitting on a curb, a stuffed suitcase next to her. Her dark hair was a wild tangle around her pale face, and her makeup was smeared in garish lines from the tears steadily rolling down her cheeks. She jumped to her feet when she caught sight of my car. I was barely parked before she started running toward me. I met her at the hood, sucking in a breath and releasing it with a torrent of swear words as I noticed her blackening eye and the bruise blooming on her cheekbone. White-hot anger on her behalf had my blood boiling. I wanted Troy to suffer. I wanted him to hurt twice as badly as he had hurt her. The burning need for revenge was scalding the back of my throat and laying bitterly on my tongue. “Oh, honey. Come on, let’s get you in the car.” I hooked an arm around her neck and towed her to the SUV, stopping when she jerked to a halt, wide eyes locked on Booker as he unfolded from the front seat. “Who is that?” Her voice was shaky and weak, but the curiosity was strong. I sighed and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry about him. He’s going to make sure Troy doesn't touch another woman—or anyone else —in anger, ever again.” No one forgot the lessons Booker taught. “What’s going on, Karsen? Seriously? Where

did you find that guy?” She sounded nervous and unsure. “You didn’t call Dom, did you? I swear I’ll call him tomorrow and press charges. I just need to get out of here.” She bit her lip and blinked back a fresh wave of tears. “I need to figure out what to do with all my stuff.” I shushed her and pressed my lips to her temple. “I’ll help you figure it out. Don’t worry. I didn’t call Dom, but he needs to know.” I didn’t mention anything about the charges, because anything Booker was going to do to Troy was more fitting than whatever the legal system would dole out. “Is Troy inside the apartment?” I met Booker’s gaze over the top of her head. I hoped he could read the message in my eyes clearly. I wanted him to unleash every level of hell he was capable of. If one of the Devil’s own was going to come knocking on my door, the least he could do was punish his demons for wreaking havoc on innocent victims. He dipped his chin in acknowledgment and started toward the apartment. Ari sniffed loudly and called out, “He’s gone. He took off when I called Karsen. I don’t think he meant to hit me. He seemed as surprised as I was. I’ve never seen him so angry.” Booker watched her for a second, then turned on the heel of his boot and headed toward the apartment anyway after asking which number was Troy’s. When he got to the front of the building, the

outside lights slashed across his face, highlighting that long, white scar. I heard Ari suck in a shocked breath and her hands tightened around mine. My fingers twitched at the pressure, and I couldn’t meet her eyes when she quietly demanded, “Is that him? Karsen! That’s him, isn’t it? The guy from back home who broke you, that’s him.” The last part wasn’t a question. I groaned and closed my eyes briefly. I should have known Troy would run. He wasn’t the kind of guy who stood his ground. He didn’t have confrontation and fight hammered into him like the men from the Point. He was scared, another emotion the men I was familiar with didn’t know much about. Fear was foreign to them, unless someone they loved, or felt responsible for, was in danger. I nodded jerkily, forehead bumping into her temple. “That’s him. He showed up right after you left. I punched him in the face.” Suddenly my initial reaction didn’t seem as appropriate, considering the violence Ari had been through tonight. “When you called, I kind of lost my mind and forced him to come with me. I wanted Troy to get a taste of his own medicine.” I blew out a breath and took a step away from her. “Sometimes it feels like I never left home. The things that make sense there don’t make sense anywhere else. I think I would’ve gone off the rails if Booker hadn’t shown up. I would be the

one hunting Troy down and trying to pull his testicles out through his nose. I forget how easy it is for that violence and need for revenge to rise up inside of me. But when I saw Booker, it was like being yanked back in time. I knew he would take care of Troy so I wouldn’t have to. I could be mad and get vengeance but keep my hands clean. Everything I’ve done, all the changes I thought I’d made these last four years vanished.” So had the woman I thought I was, or at least the one I thought I was becoming. Ari sniffled again and lifted her shirt so she could wipe at her face. All she succeeded in doing was smearing the mess around even more. “Why is he here? Why now?” “He said he’s waited long enough.” I had no clue what he meant, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. Ari looked skeptical but she didn’t say anything as Booker made his way back toward us, phone pressed to his ear. “If I give you a number, can you get me a location on a cell phone?” His eyes were on us, but his attention was on whomever was on the other end of the phone. He grunted and rolled his eyes. “Come on, boy genius, it’s not like I’m asking you to hack into the NSA.” He grunted again and made an impatient gesture with his hand. “I know you could do it, that’s not the point. I need to find someone sooner rather than later. Can you help

me out or not?” He listened quietly for a minute, then looked up at Ari. “Give me the guy’s phone number.” Ari rattled off a string of numbers and Booker repeated them into the phone. He listened intently for a minute, then told the person who was on the other end, “Thanks, man, I owe you one.” He chuckled but there wasn’t any humor in it. “I’ll try to stay alive long enough to repay you.” It would’ve been a joke coming from anyone else; from Booker, those words were serious. He was never sure he was going to be around long enough to return that favor—much less any favor —that he called in. I wished the thought of something bad happening to him didn’t make me weak in the knees, but it did. It also had my breath whooshing out through my teeth. Booker ran his gaze over both of us and turned his attention to me. “Take her home. Put some ice on her face and call the movers coming for your stuff tomorrow. Let them know you’ll pay double if they pick up her stuff from here after they’re done with your place. I’m going to track this kid down and make sure he understands it’s not okay to knock around someone who loves you.” His eyes shifted to Ari and I wanted to scream when they softened as they took in her battered face. That look was supposed to be reserved for me. “I would call your brother. It’s going to be easier coming

from you than it will be if someone else fills him in.” He shifted and moved to walk away when I suddenly realized he didn’t have a car. “Booker.” I stumbled over my words when he paused to look at me over his shoulder. Gone was the remorseful man full of platitudes and apologies. In his place was the man I’d fallen in love with so long ago. In front of me stood a stone-cold killer. “You don’t have a car.” It was dumb, but so was everything that came out of my mouth around this man. “Don’t need one. I’ll be in touch when shit is handled. You both need to figure out where you’re going from here. Don’t worry about anything beyond that right now.” He nodded, and before I could argue or say anything else, he disappeared into the shadows and blended into the night. I exhaled slowly and realized Ari was making the same sound. Her eyebrows were lifted, practically to her hairline, as she whispered, “No wonder you never got over him.” I sighed and pushed at the loose strands of my hair that fell forward and stuck to my face. “Yeah. He’s pretty hard to forget.” She snorted and tried to hold back a giggle that was slightly hysterical. “He’s scary hot, and, to be honest, just plain scary.” Funny, I’d never been afraid of him until he showed up at my apartment a couple of hours ago;

I was terrified of all the things he still made me feel. “You don’t need to worry about him . . . but Troy sure as hell does. Let’s get out of here and make a plan. As of tomorrow, we’re both technically homeless.” Ari groaned and wrapped her arms around herself. “Dom is going to be so disappointed in me. I’m supposed to be making better choices than this now. He’s not supposed to have to take care of me anymore.” I helped her into the front seat and tucked her suitcase into the back. Once I was back behind the wheel I told her, “I don’t think the people who love us ever stop doing everything in their power to protect us.” And that’s how I knew Booker never felt about me the way I felt about him. It didn’t matter how many bullets he took for me or how many times he’d saved me. He didn’t protect my heart when I was ready to hand it over. It was the one part of me I’d trusted him to keep safe when I handed it over to him, and instead, he ended up being the biggest danger to it. It was a good thing I’d learned over the years to protect not only myself but also my heart. I was never going to be so reckless with my love and my fragile heart again.

Booker

“I

don’t know what to tell you, Booker. The apartment isn’t leased to anyone named Troy. The name on the lease is a corporation. All the paperwork makes it look like the apartment is used for business. I can’t find a single ‘Troy’ attached to anything you’ve given me. Even the phone tracks back to a corporation.” Stark sounded as frustrated as I felt. He was a man who was used to being able to answer the questions no one else could. “I can’t find anything useful on the corporation either. It’s a maze of offshore holdings and shell accounts. Nothing is tracing back to an actual human being.” He swore and I heard the click of keys on the other end of the line. “Whoever set this up is good. If there isn’t a back door I can find, then whoever put these pieces in place was a pro and knew exactly what someone digging around in their business would be looking for. They obviously don’t want any roads leading back to them.” I looked at the phone in my hand. It was a burner. One you paid for minutes on, completely untraceable, and mostly useless. The GPS Stark

pulled on it led me to a dive bar on Pearl Street. There were no less than five hundred college kids rotating between the various bars and restaurants that lined the busy street. There was no way in hell anyone would have noticed another student slipping inside and ditching a phone in the bathroom. My skin felt too tight and there was an itch of awareness on the back of my neck that kept my shoulders tense and a scowl on my face. None of this was adding up to a scared kid who lost his temper with his girlfriend because she was moving too fast for him. “Karsen said the guy gave her the creeps. That he latched on the first day of school and she couldn’t shake him loose. She might’ve been out of the Point for a minute by then, but she will always have instincts honed from growing up in a virtual warzone. None of this is sitting right with me.” Stark made a noncommittal sound and continued to pound on the keyboard. “I pulled all the enrollment records from CU and I’m shooting them over now. There are several Troys, three of them registered for computer science and computer engineering majors. Might be a place to start. I’ll ask Noe to look into the corporation the apartment is leased under. She might have more luck digging into where the money’s coming from.” His tone indicated he believed his pretty, equally brilliant girlfriend could do anything. She was magical in his

eyes, and in reality, she was something pretty damn close to it. Snowden Stark was a literal computer genius as well as a savant. He was the smartest man I’d ever met, and one of the most dangerous. We’d gotten close when he’d run into trouble with the former elected officials in the Point, which landed his girl in some hot water. Stark was always a mystery, cold and hard to read. But when Noe Lee, his perfect match in every way, got abducted and tortured, it woke something up in the almost robotic hacker that finally allowed those of us who wanted to be on his side to be there for him. I had his back when he needed it, and he had mine. He was the closest thing I’d had to a true friend since getting out of prison. “I’ll have Karsen and her friend look through these guys and see if they can pick our boy.” I tapped my fingers on the abandoned phone and tried to work my way around the why of this kid putting so much effort into not being found. The only reasonable answer I could come up with was that ‘Troy’ isn't who he claimed to be, and he didn’t want anyone finding out who he really was. It wasn’t good. Someone burying who they were so deeply this close to Karsen made me twitchy and had my fingers curling into a tight fist around the dead phone. “How is Karsen? I bet she’s a force to be

reckoned with now that she’s all grown up. She was always kind of a baby badass, as much as it drove Brysen and Race nuts.” The question was innocent enough. Stark couldn’t know it was like a punch to my gut. Stark and Noe were the ones who kept me up to date on all Karsen’s comings and goings over the last few years. I’d begged, made a fool of myself, owed them endless favors, in order to get them to agree to keep tabs on the girl whom I was responsible for running out of town. In the end, Noe was the one who eventually took pity on me by setting up surveillance, calling me a lovesick fool. I didn’t deny it. Couldn’t deny it. I wanted to tell him she’d come into her own, she was indeed a force, a woman secure in who she was and her purpose moving forward. But she wasn’t. The Karsen who existed here in all the fresh air and sunshine was a mere shadow of the girl who ran away from home. She was lost, listless, and looking for something, anything, to grab onto. Most of her fire had been snuffed out by easy living and monotonous days. Safety and security had dulled all her shiny, sharp edges and I hated it. Hated I was the one responsible for smoothing her out and polishing her into a porcelain doll that only moved the way she was supposed to, and not the way she wanted to. I snorted and walked out of the bar, sidestepping a girl who didn’t look old enough to

drink and a guy who looked like a linebacker. The girl’s jaw dropped when she caught sight of the rough side of my face and she blinked at me like an owl. It was a common reaction. The unscarred side of my face was easy to look at. I’d been a goodlooking kid before getting locked up. The scarred side was shocking to some, but never to Karsen. Even when she was a bratty teenager, she’d never done more than skim her eyes over the mark I couldn’t hide, a leftover remnant from my misspent youth. I wore my ugly history and bad choices on my face for everyone to see, but Karsen didn’t bother looking at the very thing I always believed defined the man I was. “She’s doing all right. She can’t decide where she’s going or what she wants to do with the rest of her life now that school is over. She wasn’t very happy to see me.” I couldn’t keep the grin out of my voice when I remembered the fire in her eyes as she coldcocked me. The old Karsen was somewhere inside of this new young woman. I would love to have the opportunity to coax her out to play. I missed her, and I wanted some time with her before I had to let her go forever. “Race isn’t going to be too happy that you’re there. He know you left town yet?” Finally, the clicking of the keyboard stopped and I realized I had Stark’s full attention and he was worried about me.

I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “I’m still breathing, so my guess would be no. You wanna give a guy a heads up if you hear anything? I’m not leaving town until I find this kid, but Karsen should be on a plane home tomorrow. Hopefully, Hartman will be focused on her homecoming and not on the fact I forced myself back into her life.” Stark snorted. “That guy has eyes in the back of his head and he can multitask like a mother. He’ll welcome Karsen home and send a hit-squad after your dumbass in the same breath. I’ll keep my ears open, but you, you watch your back. You’ve always been careless when it comes to that girl.” He was so wrong. Karsen was the only thing in my entire life I’d ever been careful with, at least until her hero forced my hand. I muttered a weak reassurance that I would keep my eyes peeled and almost ran into the man standing in front of me because I was distracted. Typically, I ran other men over. It wasn’t something I thought about, it was just something that happened. I was bigger. I was broader. I was meaner. I was twice as bad as they would ever be. I was so used to other men getting out of my way and giving me a wide berth, it brought me up short when the guy I nearly smacked into didn’t move an inch. The shiny shoes should’ve been my first hint

this wasn’t one of the loud and obnoxious kids wandering up and down the street. I recognized the brand and knew they cost as much as a semester's worth of tuition for most of these kids. The second clue this was not your run-of-the-mill man, one who would mumble and cower away after an encounter with me, was the hand decorated with big, glittery rings. They were ostentatious and obnoxious. They gleamed with enough gold and diamonds to rival the Crown Jewels. They also sat on a pair of hands as battle scarred and busted up as mine. I knew those hands well. I’d taken a hit from them more than once and watched in aggravation as they’d blocked more than one of the ones I’d thrown at the ruggedly handsome face grinning knowingly in my direction. Unlike Karsen, life in colorful Colorado sure as hell agreed with Benny, or rather, with the man who was now Nicolas Benton. Benny looked good, happy even. If it wasn’t for the scar that slashed horizontally across his throat, a clear reminder of the man he had once been and the life he had once lived, I might not have recognized him. Love had taken away most of the bitterness and greed that used to make Benny an ugly son-of-a-bitch. Now his eyes glittered with mirth and his mouth tilted up without a hint of malice. If I didn’t know all the underhanded, sneaky bullshit he was capable of at the drop of a dime, I could almost convince myself

to like the guy . . . almost. After all, he’d risked his neck and left a cushy gig in witness protection to help Stark get Noe back. I still couldn’t believe the guy made it out of that bloodbath alive. He had more lives than a damn cat and had used up every last one of them over the years. I rocked back a step and let my arms drop loosely to my sides. I had no idea who sent him, but if it was Race, things were going to get bloody really fast and I needed to be able to react. “It’s been a while, Ben.” I felt my jaw tick and I kept my eyes locked on his. The guy was quick and better with a blade than anyone I’d ever encountered on the streets. Just because he was domesticated now didn’t mean he hadn’t spent most of his life feral and unleashed like the rest of us predators. “Looking good.” Benny spread his hands wide in front of him. The gesture was supposed to be nonthreatening, to show his hands were empty, but I didn’t buy it. Guys like Benny never went anywhere unarmed, especially if he knew our paths were going to cross. He was dressed in a pair of designer slacks that had to be tailored to fit him and a soft-looking sweater. The outfit screamed ‘Colorado Casual’ and did a good job of removing Benny from the ‘thug in a three-thousand-dollar suit’ I remembered from back in the day. You could remove the man from the violence that created and shaped him, but you

could never take the consequences and repercussions from those actions out of the man. He had to live with the weight of that battered soul forever. Benny might look new and improved, but he was still a deadly weapon even if the safety was on. Icy gray eyes raked over me and a smirk lifted one side of the other man’s mouth. “You look like shit, Booker. Did Nassir suddenly allow casual Fridays?” I gritted my teeth and tried to keep my reaction in check. I was also a thug in a three-thousanddollar suit. It was an effective way for Benny to remind me that we played the same kinds of games and our team wasn’t the one supposed to win. “I’m not working. I’m on vacation.” Well, I was until some kid knocked Karsen’s friend around and gave me a bad feeling. It was all too easy to switch back to work mode when I thought Karsen might be in danger. Benny chuckled and rocked back on the heels of his expensive shoes. He shoved a hand into the front pocket of his pants and I stiffened, watching to make sure he didn’t pull out a weapon. One of his dark eyebrows lifted and his smile turned sharp with the dark scruff of his facial hair. “Did you come to see the mountains? To take in all the sights? Or maybe you’re here to do a little skiing and hiking. Colorado has so much to offer.”

My back teeth clicked together in aggravation. “I’m not here to sightsee.” He chuckled and gave me a wink. “No shit. Nassir called me an hour ago and told me you were in town and trouble was bound to follow you. He asked me to keep an eye on you while you’re in my backyard. Apparently, you’re not supposed to be here and some pretty dangerous people are going to be really pissed when they find out you didn’t listen.” I lifted a hand and rubbed my scar. My fingers twitched when I realized what I was doing, and I bit back a defensive remark as Benny watched the entire motion with careful eyes. Having a tell in my line of work could get you killed. Not that I had much hope of avoiding that fate anyway. I didn’t bother to ask how he found me. If Nassir knew I was here, Stark had probably passed along my location. No one could keep anything from Nassir if he wanted to know something. “It’s the teenager, isn’t it? Race’s little princess? You were always dangerously oblivious to your own safety when it came to her. I’ve kept my distance while she was at school. Didn't want to risk running into Bax. But I haven’t heard anything that would suggest you needed to come running and put yourself right in Race’s crosshairs.” He sounded genuinely confused and I couldn’t blame him. I had no idea why I couldn’t stay away anymore. It was

like there was a clock ticking down in the back of my head, and it finally chimed at midnight. I was at a crossroads in my life and I knew there was no going forward until I laid eyes on Karsen Carter one last time. It was also good that Benny was still avoiding Bax. The big bruiser with the star tattooed on his face may have mellowed out considerably since he stopped underground fighting for Nassir and started playing house full time with his feisty girlfriend, Dovie. But Bax was still a brute, and he had a long memory. He was never going to forgive or forget that Benny had a hand in Dovie’s abduction. Not ever. “I thought you were done doing favors for the boys back home.” It was easier to change the subject than admit I had no fucking clue what I was doing here either. “And she’s not a teenager anymore. Hasn’t been one for a very long time.” That part felt very important to remind everyone. Benny rocked again in his expensive shoes and offered a shrug. “Hard to turn Nassir down when he really wants something. He made my new life possible. I wouldn’t have Echo if it wasn’t for him, and I always liked you, Booker.” No one knew much about Benny’s new girl, Echo. Rumor had it they met under some stressful circumstances and Benny was willing to sell his soul to the Devil to make a life with her. My surprise at this must have

shown on my face because he chuckled. “You keep to yourself and play by your own rules. It’s the quiet ones you need to watch. You never really know what they’re thinking. I always admire that in a man who has limited options. You aligned yourself with dangerous men and made them fear you. Race is smart. He knew there was no way to intimidate you into staying away from the girl forever, so he manipulated you both into a situation where broken hearts were the only outcome. That’s fear, my friend. He didn’t want to take you on one on one, because he knew there was a chance he might lose. I respect a man who can make someone as sharp and as calculated as Hartman feel that way.” That was a lot to take in. I shouldn’t feel a burst of pride that another ex-con, another man who had so much blood on his hands it would never wash off, was impressed by how far I’d come, but I did. When I was in prison, it was guys like Benny whom I’d aspired to be like. They were the ones no one fucked with. They were the ones other inmates avoided and whispered about reverently. When I was weak, pathetic, and scared, I told myself one day I was going to have the custom-tailored suit and flashy car. I promised myself one day I was going to be the baddest motherfucker on the block, and no one, and I meant no one, would ever put their hands on me or hurt me again. Benny’s words

of praise brought all those youthful fears and fantasies back to the forefront. I didn’t like to remember those dark days. In fact, I went out of my way to push all those memories down as deep as they could go. Unfortunately, I was reminded of them every time I looked in a damn mirror. I sighed and lifted a hand so I could rub the back of my neck. I was so tense I felt like I was going to snap. “I thought I could apologize, maybe explain that things aren’t always what they seem. I don’t want to shatter her illusions of what it looks like when you love someone so completely that you’ll do anything for them, but there isn’t a way to tell her why I did what I did without breaking her heart all over again. I didn’t come here looking for trouble, but I seemed to have stepped in it anyway.” And wasn’t that just how shit always went in my life? “What kind of trouble?” Benny’s voice sharpened and his eyes narrowed. There was the guy who could drop another man to the ground without a second thought. He’d magically appeared before my eyes with just the hint of something out of the ordinary. I knew he couldn’t be too far beneath the cashmere sweater and laid-back veneer. “Karsen is supposed to be on a plane back home tomorrow and her roommate was supposed to be moving in with her boyfriend. The roommate

called in a panic a little while ago because the boyfriend knocked her around.” “Typical young love bullshit.” I could hear the sneer in his tone. I shook my head. “That’s what I figured. Karsen enlisted me to go teach the guy a painful lesson. When we got there, he was gone. I had Stark try and track the kid down, and as it turns out, the apartment isn’t leased under his name, and he knew enough to drop his phone in a crowded area where no one would ever be able to recognize him or notice. He’s also using a burner phone. What college kid do you know doesn’t have the latest iPhone?” Benny and I exchanged frowns. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t like it, and I don’t know how much time I’m going to have to figure it out before Race sends his guys after me.” Benny sighed as well and dragged his hand over his neatly trimmed beard. “Nassir is fond of the girl. He’s not going to like this.” Nassir was fond of Karsen, but I was pretty sure I was in love with her, or as close to being in love as a guy like me could get. All I knew was I hadn’t been able to forget about her, even though that would have been the best thing for both of us. I was getting ready to tell Benny that Nassir was the least of my concerns when my phone rang. Seeing it was Stark and hoping he had some info that would help me track down the kid, I held up a

finger to quiet Benny and answered in a rush. “What do you got for me, boy genius?” “You need to get to Karsen’s apartment, Booker. The roommate just called 9–1-1 and reported a break-in.” Stark’s voice was tight and I could tell he was trying to keep calm for my sake. I ended the call without another word and reached out a finger to poke Benny in the center of his chest. “I need a ride.” The other man swatted my hand away and lifted his eyebrows at me. “What in the fuck is going on, Booker?” I curled my hands into fists at my side and stared at a spot somewhere over his shoulder, not seeing anything. “I don’t know, but when I find out, whoever is behind it is going to pray for a quick and painless death.” This was who I was, no prettying up the monster that lived inside of me. I was going to make them bleed, and I was going to watch them burn.

Karsen

I stared at the cop who was taking our statement about the current disheveled state of our apartment and kept my teeth firmly locked on the tip of my tongue. I understood not all cops were bad, biased, and burned out. I knew there were law enforcement officers out there willing to give their all to serve and protect, regardless of their efforts being noticed or appreciated. And after spending so much time around Dominic Voss, I knew cops could be incredibly compassionate and understanding. Unfortunately, the police officer who showed up to investigate the obvious break-in at our apartment was none of those things. He seemed bored, and as soon as he asked Ari about her rapidly blackening eye and learned about her altercation with her boyfriend, he seemed determined to chalk the situation up to a lovers’ quarrel that had gotten out of hand. He wanted to know if anything was missing, but with everything packed up in boxes and the only obvious sign of a break-in coming from the kickedin front door, it was hard to tell. I didn’t want to

divulge that in my room, which was still mostly unpacked, someone had rifled through all my drawers, dumping the contents on the floor and across the bed. My passport was missing. I was completely unnerved because it felt like whomever had broken in knew exactly what they were looking for and where to find it. “I left my purse on the kitchen counter when Ari called and asked me to come get her. I wasn’t thinking and ran out the door with just my keys and my phone. My purse is gone.” I kept my voice calm, but inside I was a shaking mess. No passport and no driver’s license meant I wasn’t getting on the plane tomorrow, and suddenly I wanted to cry. I’d been avoiding going home for so long because of Booker, but there was so much there I missed. The ache to revisit my old life spread throughout my insides until I could practically feel it pressing on my heart. I squeezed Ari where she was tucked against my side and watched as the cop tried to hide an eyeroll. “So, your purse was in plain view of anyone who happened to walk by?” He asked the question in a way that clearly blamed us. I hated assholes like him. “My purse was inside my locked apartment. People were coming and going all day as we moved stuff out. This complex is gated and has twentyfour-hour security. This was not a crime of

opportunity.” No. This was a targeted attack. I had no idea if it was tied to Booker’s sudden reappearance in my life, but it felt too coincidental for it not to be related. “Do you girls have anyone in your lives who would want to mess with you? Anyone who would go out of their way to scare you? Maybe the boyfriend has some friends he enlisted to teach you a lesson?” He lifted an eyebrow at Ari and gave her a pointed stare. He was trying to intimidate her, and I wanted nothing more than for Dom to show up and kick this jerk’s butt all the way across Boulder. It was too bad we didn’t live in Denver. He would have been the first one to show up when we called in the incident. “No. Nothing like that. Troy was pretty much a loner; he didn’t really have a group of friends besides me and Karsen. We just graduated so we’ve both been busy with school. I was with Troy until a few hours ago, and Karsen keeps mostly to herself. We’re boring and neither one of us has ever done anything to justify this.” She straightened under my arm and narrowed her eyes at the rude police officer. “Can I get your badge number? I don’t know if I mentioned it, but my brother is a cop. He’s with the Denver PD. I want to be sure he knows whom to talk to when I tell him how you handled this interview.” She batted her eyelashes at him and I had to bite back a giggle. That was my

girl. Not the sullen, sad little waif who had been crying on my shoulder all night. One of the reasons I loved Ari so much was because she had a spine of steel. The fighter inside me recognized the fighter inside her, which led to us being fast friends, even if my fighter had been mostly dormant until Noah Booker burst back into my life. That bitch was wide awake now and looking to do some serious damage. I cocked an eyebrow at the seething police officer and tried not to smirk at him. “I’m sure Officer Voss is going to want to know all the details of your investigation. He’s very protective of his baby sister.” The cop visibly ground his teeth together and glared at both of us. He mumbled something about getting Ari a business card with his information, then stated he was going to see if he could get the security tapes from the company that patrolled the complex and asked us for a list of people who might have the code to get in the security gate. It was a short list. Aside from Ari’s family and mine, Troy, and a couple of friends, we didn’t get many visitors. Ari was much more social than I was; saying I kept to myself was being generous. I rarely interacted with anyone unless I had to. I found most of my classmates annoying and far too sheltered and oblivious for my liking. Plus, there was the fact that Booker found his way in with no

problem whatsoever, so having the code was irrelevant. The cop told us he would be in touch and left in a huff. When he was gone, I let go of Ari and looked around the mostly empty apartment in search of anything else that might be out of place. I felt violated and dirty. The thought of someone going through my things, putting their hands on articles of clothing I never intended anyone else to see, turned my stomach and left a sour taste in my mouth. “Do you think it was Troy?” Ari had her arms wrapped around herself and she looked as lost and as unsettled as I was feeling. “I dunno.” I lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “It’s weird that the only things missing are my purse and identification. My passport was tucked away in the very back of my underwear drawer. So how would whomever broke in know that unless they had an idea where it was stashed? Doesn’t feel like a random break-in to me.” Especially not with Booker back in the picture. “God, Karsen.” Ari shivered and turned huge eyes in my direction. “That would mean Troy went through your stuff when he was here. That is so fucking creepy. I feel like I walked into a nightmare and can’t wake up.” Slowly she shook her head and I could see tears forming in the dark depths once again. “How could I be in love with a monster and

not realize it? Dom taught me better than that, Karsen. I know all the signs to look for when someone isn’t who they seem to be.” I tapped my fingers on the kitchen counter, silently cursing Booker. If he hadn’t shown up and spun my world off its axis, I probably wouldn’t have forgotten my purse in my rush to save Ari. He had me all spun out and twisted up, just when my life was supposed to be laid out smooth and straight in front of me. He was always the kink in my otherwise level and balanced existence. I shivered in revulsion, thinking about Troy pawing through all my personal belongings. I hated that for Ari, but it made the most sense. He knew I was leaving to come get her. He also had the code to the gate and had been here countless times. He’d spent the night with my roommate, which gave him unfettered access to our place when I was in class or out studying. I never considered locking my door with Ari home, but now knowing Troy’s true colors, I was regretting being so lax with my personal security and belongings. I knew better than to leave any part of my life vulnerable to intrusion. “Sometimes all we can see is what we want to see when it comes to love. Our hearts tend to be blind until they’re forced to see the light.” My heart was still blinking against the brightness of this reality. That illumination burned and was forever imprinted in my mind. I saw those naked, writhing

bodies every time I closed my eyes. I heard him calling me a little girl in all of my dreams. Ari suddenly cocked her head and started pacing back and forth in front of me. “The only things missing are your IDs. That means you can’t leave Colorado any time soon. What if the break-in was about keeping you here? What if Troy hit me because he knew there was no way you would leave me when I was upset and dealing with a breakup? Maybe he’s crazy obsessed with you and doesn’t want you to go back home.” She sucked in a breath and put a hand to her chest like her heart was hurting and she was trying to soothe it. “He was always very curious about your plans after graduation. I thought he was worried about you because you hadn’t committed to anything, but maybe it was more than that.” She was one smart cookie. It was obvious her older brother taught her how to see the invisible threads connecting things most people missed. “Why would he want to keep me here? What’s back in the Point he’d want to keep me away from?” I never told anyone about what it was like back in my hometown. In fact, I rarely even told anyone where my hometown was. They wouldn’t understand it, or my unwavering love for a place that regularly ate innocent people alive. Ari lifted her chin and gave me an are-youkidding-me-right-now look. “Oh, I don’t know.

Something, or rather someone, who’s about sixand-a-half-feet tall, with dark hair, who’s built like a Spartan soldier, rocking some amazing gray eyes and has been carrying a torch for you since you were jailbait? No normal guy is going to stand up to the legend that is Booker. Troy would have to know he didn’t have a prayer of catching your attention if the massive mountain of delicious man-meat was back in the picture.” It was my turn for the are-you-kidding look. My words were short and sharp when I demanded, “And how would Troy know about Booker? No one knows about him, except for you. I never even told my sister why I had to leave the Point as quickly as I did. I think she guessed it had something to do with him, but I never got into the details with her.” She deflated in front of my eyes. Her shoulders slumped forward and her head dropped so her hair was covering her face. She wrapped her arms around herself in a hug and started slowly swaying side to side. Her voice was soft and I could hear the tears crawling up her throat as she whispered. “I told Troy about Booker.” My entire body jerked and I had to lock my knees to keep them from melting from shock. I trusted Ari implicitly. This betrayal burned something deep. “What? Why? When?” The questions fired out like bullets, each one more forceful and angry than the one before it.

“After that Fourth of July barbeque at Dom and Lando’s place.” She looked up at me, her face pale and her eyes wide. “Lando introduced you to that hockey player. The one the Avalanche just signed. He was young, hot, and clearly into you. Not to mention he had that sexy French-Canadian accent. You turned him down without a thought. You acted annoyed he was interested in you. People noticed. Troy noticed. He bugged me for over an hour about it. He wanted to know why you don’t date and asked if you were planning on spending your entire life alone. I didn’t want to lie, so I told him you had a thing with someone back home and it didn’t end well. I didn’t give him details, but Booker’s name might have slipped out.” Her glassy eyes pleaded with me to understand and forgive. “I’m so sorry, Karsen. I honestly didn’t think it was a big deal.” She let out a bitter laugh. “I also didn’t think my boyfriend was a violent lunatic.” Her head fell forward again, and the silent resignation in her features almost gutted me. I was mad, but she was too fragile at the moment for me to really lay into her. Instead I sighed, plowed my fingers through my hair and told her, “We don’t know for sure it was Troy. And ID or no ID, I’m not missing my sister’s wedding.” Sometimes it paid to have friends in low places. If I needed to get my hands on a fake in the next few days then that’s what I was going to do. I

wanted to close my eyes and wake up in my bed inside the glass and iron castle I called home. I wanted my sister to hug me and kiss my head while she told me I was the bravest, brightest girl in the whole world. I wanted Race to wink at me and give me the look that said he knew I was made of stronger stuff than my sister, so he didn’t have to worry about me the way he did her. I desperately wanted to be able to walk down and knock on Booker’s door and have him usher me into his private space like we were the best of friends. He was the only person in my life I was ever able to be real with, and I believed I offered the same thing to him. He wasn’t the hired thug with a gun and quick hands when we sat on the couch and bingewatched old episodes of Veronica Mars. No, he was just a guy who accepted his lot in life and did whatever he had to in order to survive when he was with me. The guy who was kind to me when it obviously did not come easy. The guy who protected me when it became more and more apparent he had no idea how to protect himself from simple things like emotions and feelings. Before Ari could continue apologizing, there was a sharp knock on the broken door and her brother and his boyfriend sauntered in. I was surprised it took them as long as it did to show. Ari called Dom right after reporting the break-in. I thought for sure the boys would break every traffic

law known to man getting to Boulder once she was done explaining everything that had happened during the night. The next hour or so was spent going over the hellish night, and everyone tried to calm Dom down when he got a good look at Ari’s bruised face. Lando was reassuring and gentle as he handled my injured friend. He was more forceful and demanding when he ordered his hot-headed boyfriend to pull his shit together. Both men refused to hear any arguments about Ari going anywhere but home with them. It was clear Dom needed some time to coddle his baby sister, and she needed time to be cared for. I gave Dom a brief rundown of what happened with the jerk cop who took the report on the break-in; for some reason, though, I couldn’t tell him about Booker being in town. Ari gave me a look over the obvious omission, but I stared right back, defiantly daring her to give my secret up to someone else I wasn’t ready to share it with. She owed me for blabbing my business to her creepy boyfriend. I silently ordered her to keep her trap shut to her brother when it came to Booker. All three of them insisted I go down to Denver with them at least for the night. The lock on the front door was busted open and there had been so much drama today that I think they were all worried I was going to break down and fall apart.

I probably would have if I didn’t know for certain I was going to have a visitor sometime before the night was through. I didn’t want to go. I refused to examine my motivations behind my insistence that I had too much to do to leave. I told them I still had to pack my room before the movers arrived. Which was true. I explained I needed to call home, to let them know what was going on with my identification and my flight. Also true. I insisted I needed some time alone, a few quiet hours to get my head around everything that had happened. Which was a big fat lie. Somewhere inside of me, I knew Booker was coming back, and I wanted to be here when he did. I tried to tell myself it was because I needed to know if he found Troy or not, but there was more to it. I might be able to lie to everyone else in the room, but I'd never been very good at lying to myself. It took an endless amount of reassurance and the promise to check into a hotel for the night once I was all packed up to get Dom to agree to leave with Ari. He also arranged to have a marked police car drive around the block every hour and call me regularly in between patrolling, which I didn’t see the need for since the apartment complex had security, but it made him feel better and finally got him out the door. I was on the phone trying to convince my sister

she didn’t need to drive to Colorado and pick me up to bring me back home. I also had to explain that she didn’t need to order Race to charter a private jet to get me back where she thought I belonged. About that time, the broken front door swung open and a dark figure materialized in the opening. No one else moved as quietly as he did. No one else stole the air out of the room and made my skin feel too tight the way he did. I knew it was Booker before he stepped into the room. I was tired of having the same useless argument with Brysen about the fact that I was an adult now and could find a solution to my own problems. She wanted to send Race’s entire security crew out to Boulder to bubble wrap me so they could deliver me unscratched to her doorstep. I practically yelled at her that I would be fine and insisted I didn’t need a security detail. It had been one of my conditions when I moved away. I was tired of being watched. I was sick of having eyes on me all the time. I made Race promise he would call off his watch dogs when I left for school. He agreed, reluctantly, and I wasn’t about to let myself get railroaded back into the gilded cage I’d run from. I could take care of myself. I wanted them both to believe me when I told them exactly that. Booker made his way into the room, eyes not missing anything. His mouth was twisted into a

frown and his dark eyebrows were drawn into a deep V over his nose. I could see him cataloging every inch of me from head to toe, features relaxing when he saw for himself I was uninjured and in one piece. He waved a hand at the door. “What happened?” I shrugged and tucked my hair behind my ears. “Someone, probably Troy, broke in. All they took was my purse and my passport so I can’t get on my flight home tomorrow.” He scowled and started pacing around the room. He reminded me of a wild animal forced to live in a manmade enclosure. He never seemed like he had enough room to move, to breathe. “Do you need me to get you an ID?” He had friends in even lower places than I did and they would move faster. I slowly shook my head and watched him as he continued to prowl. “I’m going to drive home.” As long as I didn’t get pulled over the risk involved in that seemed far less than the one involved with running around with a fake ID in my pocket. He paused, then stopped moving altogether. His eyes narrowed on me and I could practically see him working through everything that might go wrong if he did what I was about to demand of him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I couldn’t find the boyfriend and there is some shady shit going on

with him that I don’t like. I heard you tell Brysen you don’t have a security detail anymore. You, on your own, out on the road, doesn’t seem like a good idea right now.” He was worried about me, and I hated the way his concern warmed all the places inside of me that had been cold for so very long. I blew out a breath, feeling it shake as it left my body. I was about to make the biggest mistake of my life, but there was no stopping the words once they spilled out. “That’s why you’re coming with me.”

Booker

Seconds

after Karsen’s bold declaration, she disappeared into her room, slamming the door in my face while mumbling something about finally packing. I stared at the wood for a solid five minutes, trying to figure out if there was any way possible to actually go with her back to the Point. Race was going to shoot me on sight if I made it back to the city limits. But I couldn’t let her make the trip on her own, not with someone out there pulling strings and meddling in her life. If Troy, or whoever, had gone to all this trouble to keep her in Boulder, there really was no telling what was coming when they figured out she was gone. That level of obsession and planning was frightening. The last time I’d witnessed anything like it, a madman tried to burn the entire Point to the ground because Reeve, the woman the psycho was in love with, couldn’t and wouldn’t love him the way he wanted her to. Her heart had always belonged to Titus King and that lunatic wanted everyone else in Reeve’s life to pay for what he viewed as her betrayal. It was bad. The bodies added up fast, and

there was no way I was going to let Karsen end up in the middle of that kind of carnage again. I was just going to have to be faster and better than anyone who was gunning for me . . . and for her. Trying to puzzle through a plan that had the highest probability of keeping both of us alive, at least until I got her home, I sank to the floor, back against the wall opposite from her closed door. The front door was broken and there was someone out there who didn’t want her to leave. I wasn’t going anywhere while she was vulnerable. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe Karsen was fully capable of taking care of herself. I knew she could. I was proud of the fact she was tough as nails and hard to break. But this was the first time in four years the opportunity to help her, rather than hurt her, had presented itself. She needed to know she could rely on me like she used to. I wanted her to trust me again, and the only way I knew how to do that was to stand between her and whatever was out there wanting to cause her harm. I’d always done my best to shield her from the worst of our world in the city. It never occurred to me she would need to be saved from her new, boring life. Race was going to have to send a goddamn army if he wanted to get rid of me right now. I wasn’t going anywhere until I knew she was safe. I pulled out my phone and typed out a message to Benny. I was glad he’d forced me to take his

number before dropping me off in front of Karsen’s apartment complex. I didn’t trust him, but I wasn’t about to turn away the only ally I had close at hand. We weren’t going to take her SUV. That was a given, even if she wanted to fight me over it. It would be too easy for anyone looking for her to track her down. I didn’t want my info, factual or fabricated, tied to any paperwork. I didn’t want a trail leading to our exact location. Which meant a rental car was also off the table. Instead, I asked Benny to find me something on Craigslist that was reasonably priced, basic enough to blend in with other family cars, and reliable enough to handle the trek west. I also asked him to stock the trunk with supplies. I needed my duffel bag from the hotel I was checked into and I needed an arsenal. I wasn’t sure what kind of firepower I was going to need, but I wanted to be prepared for anything. Benny simply told me it would all be taken care of, leaving me to wonder exactly how legit his new life really was. He seemed to have a lot of his old tricks still up his sleeve, not that I was complaining. I also drafted a short message to Nassir letting him know what was going on. I was supposed to be back at his beck and call by the end of the week, if I survived this visit. There weren’t a lot of people in my life I owed anything to, but Nassir had given me an out when I so desperately needed one. After

things blew up with Race, and I thought for sure my only option was kill or be killed, Nassir stepped in and played referee. He kept me on the payroll and saw to it so I was so busy, I rarely had time to plot his business partner’s death. I wouldn’t have made it the last four years without him, and when I told him I was done waiting, he promised he would do his best to buy me some time before Race found out I was gone. He wasn’t exactly playing matchmaker, but he was giving me his own version of a green light. He knew all about there being one person who was your person no matter what. He had that kind of love with his wife. He’d also had to go to Colorado and bring her home, so I think he sympathized with my situation more than anyone else could. I owed Nassir Gates more than I would ever be able to repay. His response back was short and sweet. ~ Don’t die, and don’t let the girl die. I typed back an equally short reply. ~ I won’t. Once all of that was done, I started plotting a route home. I wanted one that was unexpected and less direct. I was looking at back roads and bypasses instead of highways and interstates. My plan was risky in that it put us in isolated locations without much traffic if the car broke down or we ran into trouble. But it was a better option for keeping Karsen’s location undetected. It was also a

way to make sure if Race sent his hounds after me, they were going to have to look pretty damn hard to sniff us out. I made a mental note to tell her we had to leave her phone behind. I didn’t want anyone being able to track her, and who knew if the roommate’s boyfriend had fucked with her phone when he was over. She wasn’t going to like being cut off from Brysen, and I could guarantee Race was going to have a heart attack when he couldn’t get ahold of her and figured out who she was with. I almost grinned at the thought. By the time I was done planning, I figured we could make the drive in two days if we pushed it and the car wasn’t a piece of garbage, but three days would be better. I doubted Karsen was going to agree to any more time trapped in a small space with me, but I was going to explain it was the best alternative. I realized it was well after midnight and there hadn’t been a sound from inside of Karsen’s room in a while. The repetitive sounds of tape zipping across the roll and boxes sliding across the floor had gone quiet a while ago. Frowning, I got to my feet and lightly tapped on the door. When I didn’t get a response, I turned the knob, surprised when it moved under my hand. I figured she would have locked me out without a second thought. She made it pretty clear she wasn’t interested in anything I had to say or any apology I tried to make. Unfortunately for her, I was a stubborn bastard. I’d

waited four years to see her again, I wasn’t about to walk away as soon as things got tricky and complicated. Our entire relationship before now could easily be defined by those two words. The room was dark but Karsen’s hair was so pale it was easy to spot where it spilled across her bed like white silk. She was stretched out horizontally, long legs hanging over the edge of the bed. Her face was turned away from where I hovered in the doorway but I could hear her even, deep breaths indicating she was out like a light. It had been one hell of a day. I couldn’t blame her for passing out as soon as she got the chance. As much as I wanted to shake her awake and throttle her for falling asleep without locking her bedroom door or checking to make sure the front door was secured, I didn’t. Instead, I watched for a long time, wondering if there was ever a way she would sleep this soundly and securely with me in her life. It was completely selfish of me to want her. I didn’t have anything good to offer anyone, and Karsen deserved something so much better than good. She was a survivor, a success story. Rarely, did anyone make it out of the Point and go on to bigger and better things. But she had. And, what kind of asshole did it make me that I wanted to drag her right back into the gutter with me because she was the only person in my life who made me feel like I was worth more

than my ability to break bones and catch bullets meant for more powerful men? Sighing at the dreary direction of my thoughts, I made my way over to the window so I could check if it was locked. I peeked out into the darkness, eyes scanning for anything that might be out of place. As I was lowering the curtain back down, Karsen let out a painful-sounding whisper and she started to twist on top of the bed. Trying to be as quiet as possible, I made my way over to the side of the bed where her head was rolling from side to side. Even in sleep, she had a deep furrow between her pale eyebrows and her pouty mouth was pulled into a fierce frown. I wanted to smooth her hair back from her forehead. I wanted to press my fingers into those lines between her eyebrows and brush them away. I wanted to put my mouth on those pursed lips and kiss them until they were soft and supple. I physically ached from the restraint it took to keep myself from wrapping her shaking body up in my arms and holding her until her nightmare passed. I wanted her to know I was there to keep her nightmares at bay, at least I wanted to until she suddenly whimpered my name. “Noah. No. Booker. How could you? Why. . . . ?” The wail at the end sliced through my heart as effectively as a molten blade. I couldn’t protect her from her nightmares . . .

not when I was her nightmare. I was the thing she was afraid of, even when she was asleep. My hands clenched into fists and I slipped out the door, making sure to lock it so I wouldn’t be tempted to go back inside and lurk around while she continued to vilify me in her sleep. This time I collapsed to the floor opposite her door, my legs too weak to keep me upright. There was more than pain in her midnight cry. There was devastation. There was agony. There was true, unfiltered heartache in each syllable. I had known from the first moment we met that Karsen had a crush on me. She never bothered to hide it. It was flattering, her youthful adoration. I liked the way her eyes lit up when she saw me and how she got tongue-tied whenever she was around me. She was sweet, and that wasn’t something I had much of in my life, so I indulged her. I pretended her infatuation was no big deal, when in fact, the teenager was my best friend. She was loyal, determined, and unendingly positive, which was a miracle considering the setting she grew up in. She didn’t let her parents’ issues, or the fact she was living in the middle of a constant battleground, steal away her brightness, and man, I loved her light. Letting Karsen into my life was the first time some of the shadows that owned me had been chased away. She brought hope with her wherever she went.

The closer she got to being legal, the more obvious it was that her crush was something far more serious. It unnerved the adults in her life and forced me to walk on eggshells around her, and everyone who was standing guard over her virtue. She looked at me with love in her eyes, and selfish fucker that I was, I could never tell her all the reasons someone as pure and with as much potential shouldn’t love a loser like me. I fell back on reminding her over and over again that I was way too old for her and my days were numbered. Guys in my line of work didn’t tend to last long, and she’d already had to visit me in the hospital more times than I wanted to count. I figured it was enough to scare her away until she met someone more appropriate, but in all the years we’d been apart, she never let anyone else get close. Only me. I let my head fall back against the wall with a thump and bent my knees to rest my arms on them. This is why I hated anywhere that wasn’t the Point. It was too damn quiet and there was too much time to think. There was too much space for my mind to wander across all the ways I’d fucked up. I thought I’d done a decent job keeping how I felt about her under lock and key. I didn’t really get along with Race as it was. I resented the hell out of the fact he’d made a conscious choice to get into a life of crime. He actually picked blood and bullets

instead of having them thrust upon him. I followed orders like a good little soldier. I did what he asked without question and paid my dues. What I didn’t do was stay away from Karsen, even after he demanded it. That was my first mistake. My second one was letting the blond bastard know I had a weakness. That there was something out there that scared me more than death . . . terrified me more than anything he could possibly dream of doing to me. I should have known he would use my fear against me, I just had no clue he’d be so ruthless when it came to keeping Karsen away from me. He loved her like she was his own, but he still manipulated her like she was a pawn on his chessboard. Around and around my mind went until the sun came up. Around the time dawn colored the sky and I could see the light filtering in through the living room blinds, I realized there was no going back from the things I’d done. There was no fixing this, and there was no forgiveness. I didn’t have the right ask for or expect it. It was asking for too much, when she’d already given me more than anyone else in my life. I hated Race and the way he went about separating us, but he was right to want me out of Karsen’s life. It didn’t matter that she was the only one who saw past my scars and scowls. She wasn’t meant for me, and I had no right to try and bring

her down to my level when she was born to rise to the top. I’d spent four years imagining what it would be like when Karsen could finally make her own choices. It never occurred to me that after all this time she wouldn’t choose me. I needed to take her home and then I needed to let her go. It was time. I was holding onto something that was never meant to be mine. It was time to set her free. I let out a yawn so big my jaw popped painfully as I rubbed my gritty, irritated eyes. I hadn’t spent a full night on guard duty in a long time. My body wasn’t used to the stillness and the silence. I needed to get up and move to get the blood circulating. I was climbing to my feet, spine and knees cracking in a way that indicated I was getting too damn old for this shit, when the bedroom door flew open to reveal a startled Karsen. Her hair was a tangled blonde halo around her head, and she had red lines on her face from the comforter. Her brown eyes were wide and wild as they locked on me. Her tongue darted out and slicked across her lower lip leaving a wet trail across the plump surface. God, a taste. I would die for just one taste and it would be so worth it. I wouldn’t mind burning in hell if it meant I got to take her flavor with me. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I was planning on checking into a hotel for the night.” She looked at

me and then at the floor where I’d been posted all night. A confused frown tugged at her brows and she licked her lip again. “Did you stay here all night?” I bit back a groan at the sight of her lush mouth, damp and soft from sleep. I jerked my head in a nod and ordered myself to put all those lustful thoughts into a cage once and for all. I was letting her go. She wasn’t mine to keep. I couldn’t have her, and I needed to remember that from here on out. “Yeah. The front door was broken and the shady shit with the boyfriend makes me twitchy. I figured no one was getting by me so it was okay to let you sleep. You had a rough day.” My night was pretty rough, too. Ensuring she was taken care of was paramount. I needed a shower and a cup of coffee, though. My brain felt like it was made of cotton candy and my neck felt like it had iron bands tightening around it. Karsen shifted her weight on her feet and crossed her arms over her chest. “You didn’t have to do that. It was my dumb mistake. I’ve been making a lot of those lately.” She blew out a breath and some of her hair floated around her face. I couldn’t control the urge to reach out and move a wayward strand behind her ear. My fingers drifted lightly over the delicate shell of her ear and heat infused her face. Her high cheekbones flared

bright pink and the gold in her eyes seemed to glow. “We all make mistakes.” My voice was barely more than a rough rumble of sound. “Some there are no coming back from.” I wasn’t sure if I was telling her that, or myself. She shivered and turned her head suddenly; her cheek was resting in my palm. The heat of her skin warmed me all the way down to my soul, and I knew I was going to feel the silky imprint of her skin against mine until I drew my last breath. “And some mistakes have to be made so we can learn important lessons from them.” She took a step back and rubbed her hands over her face. “It’s too early for this. Let me put some coffee on and we can take turns in the bathroom.” She eyed me up and down and cocked a brow in question. “Do we need to get your stuff from wherever it is you’re staying?” “No. Everything is taken care of. You’re going to need a lot of coffee and an open mind when I lay out how your trip home is going to go. I know you’re not going to like most of what I have to say, but I want you to know it’s all to keep you safe. I’m going to get you home in one piece if it's the last thing I do.” She opened her mouth like she was about to argue, then just as quickly snapped it shut. She turned back toward the bathroom but paused after a step and turned to look at me over her shoulder.

“Booker, I think I knew you would stay. That’s why I fell asleep. Regardless of how things ended the last time I saw you, I know deep down you would never let anyone else hurt me. You’ve always done everything you could to protect me from the rest of the world.” And with that admission, she turned. I watched her walk away and wondered how I was supposed to protect her from the rest of the world once I got her home and handed her over to her family. This was exactly why I never tried to do the right thing . . . it was much harder than letting all the wrong things that had always ruled so much of my life define who I was.

Karsen

“What

did you really mean when you said you were done waiting for me?” We were somewhere across the border of Utah, with no phone or laptop per Booker’s vehement insistence, it had been several hours of drawn-out silence and awkward tension between the two of us. The radio in the older sedan didn’t seem to work, and it had the stale scent of old cigarette smoke embedded within the cracked and faded interior. Every time I caught a whiff, I was pissed all over again that I’d let him convince me to leave my perfectly fine SUV behind. Logically, I understood why he was putting all these precautions in place, but it was still annoying. I offered to drive since Booker was obviously tired from his night playing sentinel but wasn’t surprised when he turned me down. I was quick enough to pick up on the fact he was more worried about me knowing the exact details of our secret route back home than he was about my ability behind the wheel. He seemed to think I was going to sell him out and try and contact my sister with my

whereabouts as soon as I was able to. I was smarter than that and annoyed he was still treating me like the kid who blindly followed directions without question. We’d been on the road close to four hours and not a single word had passed between us. I was suffocating on the silence. Drowning in the monotony of the landscape. And my wandering thoughts were making me antsy and uncomfortable in the small space. When I got up this morning, I’d immediately started beating myself up for falling asleep so carelessly. The door was broken. Someone was messing around with my life. And maybe the most dangerous element— Booker—was close by with an agenda he still hadn’t clarified for me. There was no way I should have been able to close my eyes and drift off with all of the unknowns circling around me like a collection of dark clouds. A storm was brewing and I needed to make sure I was braced for it, not resting on my laurels or sleeping the sleep of the innocent and unconcerned. But I had. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept straight through the night like that. I usually woke up at least once, tangled in my sheets and covered in sweat as I relived the worst day of my life over and over again in my dreams. Growing up in the Point was a recipe for restless nights and nightmares. Last night I must have subconsciously

known it was safe to let go and relax. I meant what I had said to Booker earlier. The only person he’d ever let hurt me was him. No one else got close enough to leave marks because they had to go through him first. A lot of things had changed since I left home, but his instinct to protect and shield me from all the dark and dangerous things had not. I wanted to know why he came after me now. I wanted to know what had changed, besides me. Why did he tell me it was time? I turned to face him from where I was curled up in the passenger seat. He kept his eyes trained on the road, and I noticed the lines at the corners were much deeper now, and he had a new scar on the side of his neck. He had dark circles under his eyes, and every fifteen minutes or so he would let out a yawn that made him look like a lion mid-roar. His normally swarthy skin was pale, making his scar appear less pronounced than normal. He looked exhausted, but his gaze remained sharp, and there was no mistaking the coiled readiness keeping his big body taut from head to toe. It was evident he was ready to explode into action at any given moment, regardless of his less-than-restful evening. I sighed and tapped my fingers on my bare knee, which was sticking out through a hole in my jeans. I’d packed in a rush, taking only the basics and leaving mostly everything else for the movers to haul to storage. I still wasn’t sure where I was

going to end up after the wedding and the state of existing in constant limbo was starting to get exhausting. I never thought I was going to be the type of person still struggling to find their place, their calling, after college. When I left the Point, all I wanted was to put distance between the man sitting next to me and my still-broken heart. I imagined I would figure out what I was meant to do and who I was supposed to be somewhere along the way, but I hadn’t. I was educated, but clueless, and the longer I spent with Booker, the more I still felt like that teenager from the Point, hopelessly in love with both a city and a man who could never love her back. “I always felt like I was the one waiting for you. Waiting for you to get out of the hospital after you’d been shot. Waiting to hear if you were alive or dead after whatever job Race or Nassir sent you out on. Waiting for you to finally notice me. Waiting for you to see me as something more than the annoying kid next door.” I sighed and turned to look out the windshield. “I waited every day for you to love me back until you forced me to realize you never would. You can’t have love without respect and you never respected me the way I respected you.” I’d looked up to him so much. The way he always seemed to have a part of him that resisted and revolted against the bad things he did. He wasn’t a nice man, he wasn’t a hero by any

stretch of the imagination. But I could tell there was a part of him that wanted to be, he just didn’t know how. He lifted a hand off the steering wheel and used his thumb to trace his scar. I watched the movement out of the corner of my eye. I’d always wanted to feel that imperfection under my fingertips. I wanted to touch it, to caress it. I wanted him to know I thought it was insignificant and I loved it the same as I loved the rest of his face. I gritted my back teeth and curled my fingers into a ball, nails digging into my palms. That wasn't nearly as forgotten as I would have liked. The desire to get up close and personal with both his flaws and his perfections was there, right under the surface of my skin. Tickling along my nerves and making my fingers twitch. Booker let out a long, slow breath and his eyes flitted in my direction before turning back to the road. “Of course I respected you. Still do.” He cracked his neck and rolled his heavy shoulders, muscles straining under the cotton of his faded tshirt. “I always admired the way you bounced back from whatever life in the Point threw at you. You didn’t fall apart when your family did. You stood by your sister when she decided to make a life with a criminal . . . a life that could very well get both of you killed. You finished high school even though

the other kids gave you a hard time for having opportunities they never did. You never backed down or broke when you were threatened by men who would have ended you without a second thought. Somehow you have always managed to see the good in the people around you, even when no one else bothers to try. You believed the city was worth saving when everyone else was ready to let it burn. No one has a heart as big and accepting as yours, which is a miracle considering how many times it’s been kicked around. You’re one of the strongest, most capable people I’ve ever met, and knowing you has forced me to look at my life and the choices I make in a new light. I’ve always done whatever I needed to in order to survive, regardless of how that affects anyone else. I’ve never done anything simply because it was the right thing, or because it made someone else’s life better. I never cared about that before you.” He sighed and his eyebrows shot down into a sharply pointed V over his nose. “I convinced myself I was waiting for you to realize you knew me better than anyone else ever has, so you would instinctively know, you would understand, I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose.” He rubbed his scar again and his eyes lifted from the road in front of us. The silver threaded through the darker blues and gray glittered with an emotion I couldn’t quite pin down. “When you left, I was

certain I couldn’t live my life without you in it, Karsen. I was ready to do whatever I had to in order to bring you back, but I understand now, I need to do whatever it takes to let you go.” My breath caught in my chest and my eyes popped wide. My fingers shook where they were locked together, and I felt my stupid, silly heart skip several beats. “What do you mean, you felt like you couldn’t live without me?” I snorted and felt my face flame at the memory of our painful goodbye. “From where I was standing, it looked like you had plenty of company to keep you entertained while I was gone.” Nope. I wasn’t bitter about his betrayal at all. He barked out a laugh that held no humor. “Are you kidding me? Do you think those women ever asked me about my day? Do you think they gave a single shit when something went really, really wrong on the streets and brought me cookies and stayed with me until I got my head back on straight? Do you think they would have cried over me when I was barely alive in ICU? Do you honestly believe either of them ever looked at me and saw anything but my fucked-up face? Those are the kind of girls you take to bed and forget about as soon as the lights are back on; the kinds of girls you get off with and then send home. You were the only person who treated me like I was a human being, Karsen. To you, I was just a man. Not

a weapon or a shield. Not a means to an end. Not an ex-con or thug. When you left, the only person in my whole life who helped me see myself as someone worthy of more than the bare minimum I’d conditioned myself to accept was gone. When you left, you took every reason I had to try and be a better man with you.” I purposely uncurled my fingers and took my time before quietly telling him, “That’s the problem with men like you, Booker. You shouldn’t need a reason to be a better man. You should simply be one.” It was on the tip of my tongue that I hadn’t cared he was never good back then. I would have blindly taken him any way he came, knowing good and well I was climbing into bed with a bad guy. Eventually the choices that made him someone to fear and avoid would inevitably blow back on me. Even knowing that, I’d have taken him any way I could have gotten him, and I had been willing to deal with the inevitable fallout that loving Booker would bring. He wrapped both of his hands around the steering wheel and his knuckles turned white as he squeezed them tightly enough to make his knuckles pop. “In my world, being a better man could end up getting me killed. It’s never something I wanted. It was guys like Nassir and Bax, boys like Race, whom I always looked up to. I wanted to be so bad, so feared, no one would dare mess with me. I

wanted to be a legend like Novak. No one fucked with him. He had the entire city under his thumb.” I couldn’t stop a gasp when he mentioned Bax’s dad. The man was the most brutal, cruel, and vengeful crime boss the Point had ever seen. Bax and Race nearly died trying to take control of the Point away from the horrible man. I couldn't believe Booker was telling me he looked up to such a monster. “When I got out of prison, I told myself I was willing to do whatever it took to get on that level. Nothing was off limits. No job was too dangerous or too dirty. But then I met you, and I realized there are some lines not worth crossing if it means you surrender your soul completely. When you walked into my apartment that day, it was the first time I was something other than human in your eyes, and I realized how much I lost trying to be someone I never was.” “Who were you trying to be?” He’d always been so uniquely himself. A man unto himself, loyal to no one but himself and whomever paid his bill. I liked that about him. Liked that he wasn’t intimidated by the men in my life. Liked that he could hold his own amongst the sharks swimming around me. He gave another one of those self-deprecating laughs and I watched as his shoulders locked up so tightly there was no way he could turn and look at me.

“I was trying to be a guy who was working at doing the right thing.” I shivered. How could shattering my heart ever be the right thing? I was getting ready to ask him why he believed his actions were okay when he suddenly turned and looked at me with a crooked smile. The way the scar on his face pulled at the corner of his mouth always made him look a little wicked when he grinned. It sent a swarm of butterflies dancing in my stomach. I wondered absently if I was ever going to get my reactions to him under control. How could I ever move on if he was the only one who affected me this way? It worked well as a distraction, which I assumed was his intent as he changed the subject to one less barbed and painful. “I need to get some coffee and maybe a Red Bull. Let’s stop at that gas station up ahead.” It was an obvious diversionary tactic. He’d given me more than he was comfortable with. He’d also taken more from me than he probably planned. We could both use a breather, so I didn’t argue when he pulled the car off the road and guided us to the small convenience store. We were still a few hundred miles from Salt Lake City and this was the first small town we’d seen in over an hour. I needed a bathroom and something sweet to munch on. I needed room to get my thoughts in order and to breathe air that wasn’t full of memories of the past and crowded with the reality of the present.

I tilted my head in the direction of the restroom at the back of the shop when we walked in the door. Booker gave me a grunt in response, earning us both a suspicious look from the cashier. This was a tiny town, well off the beaten path since we were avoiding the highway. I was sure they didn’t get guys who looked and moved like Booker in here very often. There was just something about him that screamed danger and darkness. I lost track of him as he tumbled his way toward the coffee station. I was going to have to fight him for the keys if he was so tired he couldn’t even walk in a straight line. The bathroom wasn’t spotless, but it wasn’t so filthy I was worried about catching a disease. I took my time taking care of business and fussing with my hair in the mirror. Despite the stress of our hectic departure from Boulder, and the worry over not being able to tell Brysen or Race where I was and whom I was with, there was no denying there was a sparkle in my eyes that had been missing for four years. Instead of the dull, mostly dead brown, all the colors that used to come alive back home had sparked back to life. Shaking my head at the fanciful thought, I walked out of the bathroom, eyes scanning the convenience store for Booker. My step faltered and I had to shove a fist in my mouth to keep from screaming when my gaze landed on Booker. He

wasn’t alone. No. Instead of sleepily paying for his coffee, he was standing in front of the cashier with a shotgun pointed at his back as a scrawny teenager demanded the terrified cashier open the register and hand over the money inside. The kid with the gun was younger than me and obviously tweaked out. He was way too skinny, his hair was thin and greasy, and he had ugly, seeping sores visible on his bare arms. I couldn’t fully see his face, just the side that was turned in my direction, but I was willing to bet his teeth were a mess and his eyes were glassy and unfocused. It was no secret that rural towns all over America had an issue with meth, and it looked like we’d picked one of them for our pit stop. My instinct was to turn around and head back to the bathroom, but I didn’t have my phone so there was no way for me to call 9–1-1. My heart also balked and kicked against my ribs at the thought of leaving Booker out here alone with a gun pointed at his back. The man had taken more than enough bullets in the short time I'd known him. He didn’t need to add to the collection. While I was wavering with indecision over the best course of action, the tweaker suddenly turned and caught sight of me. I cringed as his head whipped around and jabbed the barrel of the gun more forcefully against Booker’s spine. He was so jittery, I sent up a silent prayer he didn't pull the

trigger on the shotgun accidentally. The cashier had his hands in the air, just like in the movies, and he was watching the scene unfold in front of him numbly. He wasn’t going to be much help. “Where did you come from? Are you a spy? Were you following me? Who are you?” The questions came rapid fire and the paranoia was clear in all of them. His eyes were wide and crazy as he used Booker’s massive body as a shield. Booker looked annoyed. His eyes were narrowed to slate-colored slits and there was a muscle ticking furiously in his cheek. One of his eyebrows was cocked at me, but he didn't seem at all concerned by the fact that a tweaker was holding him hostage. I put my hands up in front of me and tried to appear as nonthreatening as possible. I did my best to plaster a smile on my face and refused to look away from the man with the gun aimed at his spine. “I’m not here for you. I’m with him. Give him back to me and we’ll be on our way. We’re just passing through.” Booker’s scar twitched as his teeth ground together and his other eyebrow shot up to join the first. Sure, it had been years since gun toting criminals were part of my every day, but there were some things a girl didn't forget. Like the key to any uncertain situation was to remain calm and clearheaded. Nothing was going to be accomplished if everyone went in guns blazing.

Booker growled as the teenager jammed the gun into his back. I bit my lip to keep from making a noise as he rolled his eyes. This was nothing new for him, and it was obvious he was irritated he’d let an amateur like this kid get the drop on him. “I want the money. I need money.” The kid bounced on the balls of his feet, finger flexing on the trigger of the gun enough to make me take a step forward. “Do you have any money? Give me your money!” He screamed the last part and tried to shove the barrel of the gun through Booker’s body. The big man winced and I could see he was at the end of the line where his patience was concerned. “Let the girl go and I’ll get you all the money you need.” The rumble of Booker’s voice seemed to startle the kid out of his frantic thoughts. The teen shook his head, dirty hair sticking to his sweaty skin. “No. No one is going anywhere.” Booker sighed. “We need to get back on the road, kid. We don’t have time for this nonsense.” “Shut up! I’ll shoot you! I’ll kill everyone.” He let go of the gun with one hand and pointed at me. “But not her. She’s pretty. I’ll keep her.” His first mistake was letting go of the gun. His second was threatening me. Well, his mistake overall was trying to rob the very store that had Booker inside of it, but that was neither here nor there.

He moved so fast he was nothing more than a blur. Booker twisted, lifting a forearm so it knocked the long barrel of the gun loose from the teen’s grasp. As the kid screamed and tried to reach for the gun, Booker grabbed the stock with his other hand, yanking the gun away from the robber. He then used his momentum to drive the base of the stock into the kid’s vulnerable belly. It was a Krav Maga move he’d made me practice over and over again back when he was intent on teaching me how to keep myself alive. I’d seen him execute it a million times, but never when he had an actual weapon pressing on his spine. The kid folded over, holding his stomach and crying. While he was down, Booker bent over him and plowed his fist into that ravaged face with a sickening thunk. The kid immediately went limp and unresponsive on the floor. The cashier watched Booker with wide eyes as he unloaded the weapon and used the hem of his shirt to wipe it down so his fingerprints were no longer on it. “We were never here. Forget her face. You never saw her. Do you understand?” He placed the gun on the counter and picked up the coffee he must have abandoned when the teen burst in. The cashier looked shell-shocked but nodded slowly as Booker stared him down. “Does this place have surveillance video?”

Booker took a sip of the coffee and winced. I wasn’t sure if it was from the heat or the bitterness. “We have them on the outside to catch kids who gas and go, but the system has been down for a month and the owner hasn’t fixed it.” His voice cracked and he looked like he was going to throw up any second. Booker nodded and crooked his finger at me, indicating it was time to go. He looked back at the cashier pointedly. “Remember what I said. We were never here. You don't want me to make a trip back out this way. You don’t want to ever see me again . . . it won’t end well for you.” The cashier looked at the gun in front of him, and then down to the body on the floor. He audibly gulped and offered up a nod of agreement. Booker put his hand on the center of my back as he guided me out the door. His jaw was still locked and his eyes were flinty, but his voice was low and more rough than normal when he told me, “You can drive.” I fought back a triumphant grin. It wasn’t much, but at the same time, it was everything. He was always the one who always took care of everything, but now he was handing that responsibility over to me. He was trusting me to keep us on track and to keep us safe. He might not know it, but he was showing me

the truth of his earlier confession. He did respect me . . . and if he respected me, maybe, just maybe, he really could love me. Of course, my wayward heart went there, but this time I didn’t feel like reining the rebellious little monster in.

Booker

Between

the sleepless night, the emotional upheaval of facing a grown-up Karsen, and the adrenaline crash after the dust up in the gas station, there was no way I was keeping my eyes open for another minute. I handed the keys to Karsen and told her to get us to Salt Lake City. The drive would give me enough time to recharge and, maybe when I woke up, I would have enough strength to shove the fog of lust and the burn from old memories back in the dark where they had festered for the last few years. I crashed as soon as I reclined in the passenger seat. It had been a long time since I’d knocked out in seconds. Sleep wasn’t something that came easy to me. Bad things happened when you let your guard down and let yourself be vulnerable, and never was a man more susceptible to attack than when he was asleep. It was a good thing most of my time was spent working in the dark. I was usually so exhausted or so utterly disgusted with myself by the time the sun came up, passing out in the bright light of day wasn't an issue. The demons dancing

around me didn’t show themselves in the sunshine, so I was normally able to catch a few winks before the cycle of self-loathing started over again the next night. However, with my fate in the hands of the woman I not only dreamed about, but also daydreamed about, I slept like the dead. There were no nightmares or long-forgotten fears jerking me awake and chilling me to the bone. Nope, drifting off next to Karsen, all that existed was her warm, citrusy scent and the enveloping feeling of contentment at having her by my side. Not much in my life had ever gone the right way. I was a pro at finding myself in every worst-case scenario, but being next to her had always felt overwhelmingly right. I cranked my eyes open when the car rolled to a stop. Karsen was muttering to herself and tapping her fingers on the steering wheel to a beat only she could hear. Her face was set in lines of concentration as she stared out the windshield, and she was chewing on her bottom lip hard enough the surface was red and irritated. I blinked and lifted my hands to scrub them over my face. She looked my way as I moved the seat back into the upright position and asked, “Are you hungry? I was going to run in and grab something really quick, but now that you’re awake I’d love to get out of this car for a little bit.”

I noticed we were parked in front of a restaurant chain and figured we must be inside the city limits. The area around us was much more populated than any of the route we’d been traveling. I rubbed my face even harder and rolled my stiff shoulders. Guys my size were not meant for road trips. There was never enough room to move, and every single part of my body was feeling the crunch from being cramped in the sedan for hours. It would be a good idea to keep going. Hitting a moving target was always much more challenging, but I’d always had a hard time telling this girl no, and I could use the space, too. My dick had woken up along with the rest of me, and it was also uncomfortably restricted behind the biting teeth of my zipper. “We can go in, but we can’t linger. It’s best to keep moving.” I kicked the passenger door open but paused before climbing out because Karsen sarcastically asked, “How in the hell do you think Troy is going to track us down in Utah? You wouldn’t let me bring my phone or my computer, remember? No one knows where we are. You wouldn’t even let me check on Ari this morning because you were afraid she would tell her brother that I’m on the run with you. I’m sure she’s worried sick. That’s the last thing she needs right now.” I blamed my knee-jerk response on the fact I

still wasn’t fully awake. “Troy isn’t the only one we have to worry about.” I could hear the anger and resentment loud and clear in my voice, so there was no way she was going to miss it. We both climbed out of the car. She slammed the door on her side and crossed her arms on the roof, looking at me coolly across the space separating us. “What's that supposed to mean? Who else do we have to worry about?” I groaned and threw my head back so I was looking up at the rapidly darkening sky. “Can we drop it? All I want to do is get you home as quickly as possible. Just like you asked me to.” She made a face indicating it was a stupid question and she considered me ridiculous for asking it. “When have I ever dropped anything? Did someone follow you from home? Are you in some kind of trouble? Are we running to keep me safe or did you just manipulate me into this situation because I’m still a colossal idiot when it comes to you? I should know better than to trust you unconditionally.” Each question got louder and more forceful as she asked them. Her face flushed a hot pink, and she was back to gnawing on that lower lip like she was trying to chew through it. I bit off a string of swear words and copied her pose with my arms braced on the top of the car. It would be so easy to tell her everything . . . I was already going to lose her so it shouldn't matter. But

then I’d be out of her life, and when I went, I would be taking the person she turned to for protection and support with me. That wouldn’t be fair. I’d ruined her life once already, I wasn’t looking for a repeat performance. “I’m not in any more trouble than I usually am. No one followed me from the Point, but I think you’re smart enough to know your sister and her man are not my biggest fans after everything that went down. I haven’t left the Point since the day I got out of prison. When people realize I’m gone, I think they are logically going to conclude the only place I would go is where you are. I’ve wanted to make amends for a long time, Karsen. That’s never been a secret. I fucked up and the people who love you know it. They also know I regret it. I owe you so much more than an apology, but that’s all I have to give.” I moved my hand and thumped a fist on the car. “If I were in Race’s shoes, I’d send someone after my sorry ass, too. It isn’t anything I can’t handle, but with you along for the ride, I worry about collateral damage. Hired guns tend to be overzealous when it comes to collecting a paycheck.” I should know, since I was one. Her brows lifted and she released her trapped lip. I wanted to soothe the tender flesh with my tongue. I wanted to make her mouth sting with my own and let her nibble on something a lot harder and a whole lot lower. So much for reining in the

lust clouding my every thought and action lately. “You think Race is going to send someone to hurt you because you came all the way to Colorado to apologize to me?” She shook her head slightly, eyes narrowing. “That’s ridiculous. He was excited when I told him I changed my mind and wanted to leave the Point. He knows good and well that wouldn’t have happened without you. He owes you a solid.” I didn’t go to Colorado to just apologize. I went to collect what was mine, if she still wanted me, and Race would know that. In Race’s world, there were no favors and no one owes anyone anything. In Race’s world, there was blackmail and manipulation until he got his way, regardless of the cost. I pushed off the car and rolled my shoulders again. “He loves you. There isn’t much he won’t do to keep you safe. He knows that while I won’t let anything hurt you, the last thing you are with me, is safe.” She moved off the car as well, a frown of confusion stamped on her pretty features. “Of course I’m safe with you.” When she reached my side, I looked down at her and let all the desire and want I’d been repressing loose in my gaze. I bent my head so we were eye to eye and I watched as the gold fissures in the rich brown of hers flared with heat. “Oh no, you’re not, puppy.” It was an old

nickname. One I knew she hated because it always reminded her how much younger she was than me. It was also my way of keeping her in the strictly hands-off category, because puppies were cute and loveable. Junkyard dogs like me were left alone to keep the riff-raff out. No one let us in at night or cuddled with us. We were solely used as weapons, not pets. I told myself to pull away because my point was made, but I couldn’t seem to move. She was so close. She was the only thing I’d ever wanted more than the reputation I’d earned to keep the people who could hurt me at bay. She wasn’t a shy, sheltered little girl anymore. No, this was a woman staring back at me, silently daring me to finally do something. I was a man of action, but with Karsen, I’d been forced to let our fate be fondled by dirty hands and unfortunate circumstances. This was the first time I was the one calling the shots where she was concerned, even if they were the wrong calls to make. I wasn’t sure who moved first. Maybe neither of us did. We’d always been drawn to one another. I breathed in as she breathed out, like I was tugging her toward me with the whisper of her sigh. When my lips landed on hers, there was barely any pressure. Just the featherlight touch of my mouth to hers, but I felt the impact like a sledgehammer to

my gut. The velvet softness and warmth of her plump lips almost took me to the ground. I could feel the indent in her bottom lip from her teeth and did my best to kiss the pain away. If I could, I would kiss every pain she had into oblivion. Especially the pain I caused. I would give just about anything to erase the bruise of burden from her heart. Tentatively, I lifted a hand and cupped her jaw. Her skin was silky smooth under my rough palms, and I felt the delicate shiver that coursed through her as I skimmed the tip of my tongue across the seam of her lips. She let out a sigh that may have been my name, but I was too busy darting into the entrance, into the warm recess of her mouth she granted me access, to get excited over it. She tasted like every daydream I’d ever had. Sunny, bright, and slightly sweet. Her flavor burst on my tongue and made my mouth water. I always knew when I got a taste of her it was going to ruin me. She was the end of the road. There was nothing for me past this woman and the way she completely undid me with just a kiss. My entire life people had tried to take me out, to end me. They wanted me on my knees, demanded my submission and my surrender. Karsen Carter owned both with nothing more than the flick of her tongue and the slide of her lush lips against mine. I could feel a quiver where our lips touched, but I had no clue if it came

from me or from her, and I didn’t care. I was powerless where she was concerned, and for the first time in my life, I was okay with that. Her small hand lifted and wrapped around the wrist of my hand holding onto her face. My pulse kicked against her fingers and my cock throbbed insistently behind my zipper. I waited to see if she was going to pull me away, but when her fingers simply rested there, stroking the frantic beat of my heart as my pulse raced, I moved closer and deepened the kiss. I could drown in her. The way she tasted. The way she sounded as I did my best to devour her. The way she smelled. All of it filled my senses and sucked me under. Nothing existed outside of Karsen and the feel of her mouth moving under mine. I increased the pressure until she whimpered into my mouth. This kiss shouldn’t hurt, but because it was us, of course it did. There was so much between us, so much we missed and weren’t allowed to have. It was going to be painful trying to wade through all of the denial to get to each other. My teeth raked across her swollen lower lip and she stepped in closer to me. Her free hand found its way to the side of my face and I ordered myself not to freeze when her fingertips touched my marred cheek. I couldn’t remember the last time another

person had their hands on my scar. Maybe the nurse who took the stitches out in the prison infirmary? Her caress shouldn’t burn. The nerves under the ravaged skin were long dead, but I swore I could feel a trail of heat in every single place her fingers fell. She was a little arsonist, setting my entire body alight and letting fire loose in all the cold, dark places left vacant and abandoned inside of my heart. Our tongues tangled as I put a hand on her lower back and tugged her lithe body closer until it was flush with mine. I felt her breasts flatten against my chest and swallowed back a moan as our hips aligned perfectly. She was too good, too flawless, and too lovely to be made just for me. But we fit together like she was designed to fill up all the empty spaces inside of me. I deepened the kiss, taking what I’d been denied for so long. I wasn’t going to let a single part of her mouth go untasted, and my wandering hands were doing a pretty good job of making sure none of her creamy skin was left untouched. I had a hand on the gentle swell of her ass, and the other moved from her face to the long fall of her hair. She was trapped against me, and my eager dick was super happy she wasn’t doing a thing to get away. The slow grind of her hips as she writhed and wiggled to get closer had my cock throbbing so hard it almost hurt.

Our teeth clicked together as I jerked her closer, sucking the tip of her tongue and practically dry-humping her in the parking lot of the family restaurant. Common sense fled the minute I got my mouth on her, and every instinct I’d honed over the years to keep me alive went numb under the onslaught of need that pummeled me from every direction as I finally allowed myself this one indulgence. This one moment that was years in the making. It was a kiss worth dying for. The blare of a car horn startled us apart. Karsen fell back a step, lifting her hands to my chest and pushing me back so there was space to breathe between us. Her better-than-brown eyes were out of focus and her mouth was kiss swollen and wet. She was the very image of ravished, and there was no denying I loved being the one to put that look all over her. The angry mom in the minivan honked again, so I reluctantly released my prize and moved to shove my hands in my back pockets. I had to have a barrier between my hands and her body so I wasn’t tempted to snatch her back up. I could feel my own powerful heartbeat in my erection. It pounded in time with my breath as I struggled to get myself under control. Karsen cleared her throat and pushed her tangled hair over her shoulder. She blinked at me

then cleared her throat again. “I guess you aren’t very safe from me either, Noah.” My real name. I rarely heard it. And only from her had those two syllables ever been said in the past six years. My mom never used it. The men she handed me off to when she needed money for drugs sure as hell hadn’t cared what it was. When I killed one of them and ended up in juvie, I’d been nothing more than an inmate number, and when I’d put another juvenile offender in the hospital for getting handsy and violent, I’d ended up in big boy prison. I’d lost my identity all together. Booker was the man I’d become when I got out, but Noah was who I was when I was with her. She used it to remind me that she saw me, the man behind the gun. I pulled in a breath and forced my feet to move because Karsen was already headed toward the entrance of the restaurant. “You’re right. You’re dangerous. I didn’t hear the van. If that soccer mom had been a hitman, we’d both be toast. You’re distracting. You always were.” And being distracted was a surefire way to end up dead. She cast a look at me over her shoulder and waited as I reached around her to pull the door open. “Don't you ever get tired of it?” “Tired of what?” “Tired of always watching your back? Of

looking for the next gun pointed in your direction?” She winced as soon as she said the words, probably realizing that I’d just had a gun on me, even though I’d been minding my own business. I put my hand between her shoulder blades and guided her to the hostess stand. The teenager behind the podium smiled politely at Karsen, but her eyes widened and the grin slipped when she looked up at me. Karsen stiffened under my hand, but before she could say anything, I put my lips next to her ear and whispered, “Last time I forgot to watch my back, I ended up with this scar on my face.” It was a night I would never forget. It was a night that stole sleep from me. It was also a good reminder that no matter how sweet Karsen tasted, or how good she felt in my hands, she wasn’t meant for me or the kind of life I lived. She was meant for sunshine and sweetness. She didn’t thrive at night, and I had no right to ask her to hide in the dark with me and all of my warring demons.

Karsen

“So, what do you want to do with your life now that you’ve got the degree?” The question pulled me out of the dark pit of self-recrimination I’d sunk into after we got in the car and headed back out on the road. It was a long, lonely stretch of deserted back-country road somewhere before Utah turned into Nevada. I hadn’t seen another car for an hour. I couldn’t believe I’d kissed him. After everything he’d put me through, after all the time I’d wasted pining for him and trying to forget him, there hadn’t been an ounce of fight in me when his mouth touched mine. Damnit. I’d practically melted into him and it almost hurt when he let me go because all I’d ever wanted was to know what Noah Booker’s arms felt like when they were wrapped tightly around me. It was so much better than I ever imagined. He held me like he never wanted to let me go. He handled me like he was worried I was about to slip through his grasp. There was desperation in his hands and on his tongue . . . but, more importantly, the power that this man had just under the surface was like a drug.

And like an addict, I couldn't get enough of it. Finally, having proof he wanted me the way I’d always wanted him weakened my resolve and turned me into a quivering mass of hormones and greedy need. Softening toward him in any way was such a bad idea. Letting him get close enough to touch was only going to break me once again. My heart was far too fragile for his huge, clumsy hands, but he called me ‘puppy’ and looked at me like I was the best thing to ever happen to him. All my reservations, every one of the hard-won barriers erected around my heart crumbled to dust. He didn’t need to kick in the door to all the places I was determined to keep him out of, I handed over the damn key the second he touched me. While we ate, the tension had been thick and tense, simmering under the surface. It didn’t help at all when the young waiter mistook us for father and daughter. I watched as Booker immediately sank back into the skin he typically wore around me. The one that put him in the role of protector and guardian instead of potential lover. Too bad I now knew what he looked like with passion-glazed eyes, face flushed with arousal. It was a good look for him, and I was irrationally proud that I’d been the one to put it on his hard, unforgiving face. “Well? What do you want to do with the rest of your life?” I forgot he had tried to break the silence

and draw me out of my maudlin thoughts. Unfortunately, the subject was nearly as depressing as the one currently eating away at my insides. “I honestly have no idea. When I left the Point, I didn’t have a plan. I still don’t. I was thinking about law school.” I grinned at him across the dark expanse of the car. He told me he would stop after we put a few hundred more miles between us and Colorado, and I was super excited about the idea of a bed and a hot shower. “You know there’s never a shortage for the need of a good defense attorney back home.” Booker snorted. “Yeah, but you’d be defending people you knew were guilty if you went that route in the city. Can you do that? Considering you’re the princess of the Point, you’ve always had a surprisingly strong opinion about sometimes having to do the wrong thing for the right reasons. I can’t imagine those kinds of ideals would jive well within the traditional law and order communities.” I sighed and slouched down in the seat. I rolled my head to the side so I could watch the shadows pass over his face as we raced through the night. “I thought of that. I could always practice somewhere other than home. That would keep the personal element out of it.” It would also mean leaving the Point behind, and I wasn’t sure I was fully ready to commit to that just yet. It was so hard to let go of something you loved as much as I loved my broken,

dirty city. He cocked his head to the side and watched me out of the corner of his eye. “Where would you go? Or would you stay in Colorado?” There was more than mere curiosity in his voice, but I couldn’t quite figure out what the other emotion was. “I love Colorado. It’s beautiful and I have a nice kind of life there.” I loved Ari and the way she’s taken me into her family without question. But it wasn’t home. “I’m glad I left the Point. I never thought I would feel that way, but it was nice to see the kind of life I could have if I left for good. It helped me understand why Race was adamant I go. But I don’t know that it’s where I want to end up. I miss home. I miss my family.” I missed him, but you would have to torture me in order to get me to admit to it. I was supposed to be over him, after all. “Sometimes it’s hard to recognize the Point as the same place that was on the brink of ruin all those years ago. Bax finds all the guys like him, hopeless, angry, and lost, and he gives them something to do so they don’t get in trouble like he did. He forces them to fix up his cars and he teaches them to fight if they want to get in the circle and earn some cash. Maybe if there had been a guy like him around when I was just starting to run the streets, I might have had a chance to be something more. Nassir and Race have done a good

job chasing the worst of the scumbags out of town, and Titus has nearly killed himself getting the police force clean.” Titus King was Bax’s older brother and one of only a handful of dedicated police officers not on the take in the city. He’d given blood, sweat, and tears in order to wrestle control of his precinct back from the dirty cops who infiltrated every corner. “Nassir’s wife has a system in place to help the girls on the streets find a way out if they want one. You would be shocked if you knew how many former dancers and hookers the cop’s old lady has sent her way. Bax’s girl is making sure the kids with nowhere else to go aren’t forgotten and lost to the system. The boy genius and his crazy chick are doing all kinds of crazy techie stuff, making sure there are eyes everywhere. It’s a lot harder for new bad guys to move in when the criminals already running the city see everything.” He paused for a second and when he spoke again there was something close to pride in his voice. “It’s almost safe enough to walk alone at night now.” I felt pressure building in my chest and the sudden sting of tears at the back of my eyes. I’d missed all of that by leaving. Missed my city rising from the ashes like a redeemed phoenix all because I couldn’t handle a broken heart. “I wish I could have been there to see the transformation.” My words came out husky and I

had to clear my throat to hide the emotion I couldn’t control. Booker made a noise and turned his head to look at me. “You’re the reason behind it all, Karsen. The reason the Point changed so much was because of you.” “What are you talking about?” It was my turn to sound confused and a little something more. “Everyone wanted it to be a place that was safe for you to come home to. They all wanted the city to be a place you wanted to return . . . a place you wanted to stay. So many people worked to get the Point into the shape you could be proud to call home, where you could settle down and not be scared to start your own family.” His voice lowered and softened as much as his deep growl could. “You are the heiress to the rusted throne.” I’d never felt like royalty, more like an afterthought, but the Point was a kingdom everyone I loved had bled for. Leaving it behind somehow felt disloyal and wrong. Like I was denying a huge part of who I was, and in the process, abandoning everything I had ever known. “I never asked for a tiara or a legacy.” In fact, the only thing I’d ever asked for was him. “Doesn’t matter. It’s yours anyway.” I sighed. “When I figure out what to do with it and the rest of my life, I’ll be sure to let you know.” I heard him chuckle. It was a dry, brittle sound,

like he didn’t get the chance to laugh very often and didn’t find humor in many things. That sad, crackling noise warmed me up almost as much as the gentle, reverent look on his face after he kissed me. The fuzzy gray shadows in the car interior were suddenly gone as bright lights from approaching headlights washed over both of us. Booker sat up straighter in the driver’s seat and his eyes snapped to the rearview mirror. His hands curled around the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. His jaw locked and the scar on his cheek jumped as a muscle twitched with tension. “Is everything okay?” I twisted around in my seat to try and look out the back window, but Booker shot an arm out and kept me in place. “Make sure your seatbelt is on. It’s probably nothing.” Those words came out of his mouth but he didn’t sound like he believed them. I made sure the belt was locked and situated where it was supposed to be. I braced a hand on the dashboard in front of me and put a hand on the roof of the car to steady myself as the sedan lurched forward. Booker’s foot looked like it was trying to push the gas pedal through the floor he was pressing down on it so hard. “If it’s nothing, why are you suddenly driving like we joined the Indy 500?” I didn’t want my nervousness to show, but my voice was thin and

wobbled a little as the question squeaked out. He didn’t answer me, eyes trained alternately on the road and the mirror. I could tell the car behind us was getting closer because the light reflecting in our car shone brighter. “In my life, nothing is never nothing. It’s always something bad.” He gritted the words out, muttering something about getting his hands on a sports car next time he needed to outrun someone. It would probably be a good idea, considering the car behind us was up on our bumper in no time, even though Booker was pushing the sedan so hard the metal around us was vibrating. I heard a powerful engine rev and closed my eyes as our car suddenly jerked so hard it forced my head to snap forward. My teeth clicked together, biting down on the tip of my tongue as the iron tang of blood flooded my mouth. Booker swore long and loud as his big, scarred hands wrestled with the steering wheel. The car lurched again; the sound of metal grinding against metal was loud enough to make my ears hurt and my head pound. The night flew by around us as Booker fought to keep the car on the road. My heart was lodged firmly in my throat, and I could feel a cold trickle of sweat slide down my spine as I struggled to keep a scream from escaping. I didn’t want anything to distract Booker as he worked to keep us both alive.

The car rocked violently once more. The car behind us was ramming into the back bumper relentlessly. I dared a peek at the speedometer and gulped when I saw that the needle was buried. I could smell the acrid scent of rubber burning as the tires from both cars fought to grip the road. “Hold on.” The warning was barked out, and I jumped to obey. I made sure I was locked in place as best as I could, as the car suddenly wrenched to the right, hitting the shoulder of the road and spinning violently into a skid as the tires underneath us lost traction. I couldn't swallow my scream anymore. It pierced the air, sharp and loud as the world started to spin like a pinwheel. I slammed my eyes closed and forced myself to breathe. I was close to passing out and I was waiting for the crunch of metal and asphalt, the feel of the car tipping end over end. I was sure we were about to flip. Shadows danced behind my eyelids as lights flickered and died with every breath. My heart was thundering so loudly between my ears, it was deafening. Nothing happened. The car skidded and danced off the shoulder of the road, sending gravel flying and pinging off the undercarriage as I was tossed from side to side, the seat belt digging painfully into my shoulder and across my hips. As quickly as it all started, it stopped. The

engine revved again and tires squealed as the car that ran us off the road sped off. I pried my eyes open after a few moments of eerie silence and looked over to see Booker shaking in his seat. His eyes were wide and trained on the disappearing tail lights. He was pale in the dim interior and I could see his broad chest was rising and falling rapidly. If I didn’t know any better, I would say he was scared. But guys like Booker who faced armed assailants and stepped in front of bullets were never scared of anything. Were they? “You okay?” His rasp sounded like it was pulled from somewhere deep inside of him and wrapped in razor wire. I slowly nodded my head. I was okay, but I was also totally freaked out. That had been deliberate. Someone tried to run us off the road. I cleared my throat and put a shaking hand to my chest. “Was that for you or for me? Was that Troy? And do you think he’s coming back?” I really wasn’t up for another midnight car chase after everything else we’d been through today. He shook his head and lifted his hands off the steering wheel to run them over his face. I noticed they were shaking, and again I wondered how someone who faced death on a daily basis could be so shaken over our near miss. He was supposed to

have nerves of steel. “I don’t know who it was for, but I doubt they’ll be back. That was a warning. We can run, but whoever is after us can and will find us.” We were literally in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. No other cars on the road, no witnesses to our potential demise. How could anyone pinpoint our location like that? My mind was spinning, trying to make sense of it all, and the reality of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks. Someone was out to get me, and Race really didn’t want Booker anywhere near me. That was a lot of violence, with me directly in the middle, to wrap my head around. It had been a long time since the instinct to watch my back and treat everyone as the enemy was second nature. I wasn’t sure how I felt about being thrust right into the center of something so dangerous when I’d done my very best to leave that life behind. I reached out and ran my fingers over the back of his shaking hand. He jerked away and folded the offending tremor into a fist to conceal it. I lifted an eyebrow and asked, “Are you okay?” He kept the car on the road and upright and kept his cool. He was the reason we were still alive. Slowly, he shook his head in the negative. “I’m not okay.” The grit in his voice was rough as sandpaper. Before I could ask him what was wrong, he

reached across the space separating us, unclicking my seatbelt so he could pull me up into his arms. His eyes sliced into mine. Serious and focused as he quietly told me, “Nothing can happen to you, Karsen. I’m not sure I could survive it.” I guess guys like Booker were scared of something after all, because I could feel the fear in his grasping hands and the terror that made him shake when he reached for me. He was terrified something bad was going to happen to me on his watch and he would be powerless to stop it. I wanted to tell him it was going to be fine. I wasn’t his responsibility anymore. I was more than capable of taking care of myself, but the words died when his talented, tempting mouth landed on mine. In that moment, sitting in the car that would have been in a ditch somewhere it not for Booker, I forgot the fact I’d nearly died. Every single part of my body came alive at his touch.

Booker

I

practically dragged Karsen out of her seat in order to get as close to her as possible. I was still shaking. I could feel fear making my blood run cold and rattling my bones in a way that had only happened a few times before. The first time was when a deranged stalker broke into Race’s apartment, hellbent on making Brysen pay for the sins of her mother. I was the man Race ordered to protect his girls, and when that first gunshot fired, I remembered clearly how terrified I was that I was going to fail. I wasn’t worried about the repercussions from Race; I was worried about what the world would be like without someone as bright and beautiful as Karsen in it. I couldn’t stomach the idea of not being able to protect her, and I couldn’t breathe when I thought about being the reason behind anyone trying to hurt her. The second time was when Karsen was locked inside her school with a live bomb. The police weren’t willing to let anyone go in after her, including Titus, and he had a damn badge. I wasn’t about to let a little thing like police procedure get in

my way. I was going in after her because if some asshole thought he could take her out of my world, well, then he was going to have to get through me first. This wasn’t my first high-speed chase, and I seriously doubted it would be my last. But it was the first one where I’d been more worried about my passenger than I was about keeping the car on the road. I couldn’t keep the image out of my head of her tangled in a mass of twisted metal, blood staining her almost-white hair crimson. I had nightmares on a regular basis, but the thought of her dying on the side of the road because I didn’t save her was worse than any of them. I needed to hold her against me. I had to feel her heart beating and run my hands all over her to reassure myself she was in one piece. My frantic worry demanded I get close enough to feel her breath on my face and the slide of her silky hair through my fingers. The previous times she’d been in danger, she’d been too young for me to put my hands on to reassure myself she was okay. I was forced to be content with a brief once-over and a too-quick hug. Back then, she was the one who wanted to cling. Tonight, she was totally legal and I was the one finding it impossible to let her go. She didn’t struggle or wiggle away when I settled her on my lap after I pushed the seat all the way back and

popped my seatbelt loose. We were both tall, so it wasn’t the best fit, but the lack of space in the interior of the car meant every part of her was pressed against every part of me, and my throbbing dick couldn't have been any happier about the situation. Well, it would have been giddy as fuck if it were buried balls deep into her tight heat, but I doubted that was going to be an option. I plowed my fingers into the soft hair at her temples and held her head still as I gazed into those tiger eyes of hers. I wasn’t sure what to say. I didn’t have the words to explain there were only two things in this entire fucked-up world I was afraid of . . . and one was something terrible happening to her on my watch. Since I wasn’t good with words and my emotions, I had to let my actions speak for me. Instead of mauling her and trying to inhale her in a single breath, I slowly pulled her closer, savoring the fact that I could touch and kiss her. Relishing the reality that I could finally comfort her and no longer had to hide the way she’d always affected me. “Don’t we need to get moving, like now?” Her question was breathless, but totally reasonable. We should be back on the road, but I was no longer thinking with my brain. I needed this moment to feel her living and breathing against me.

I needed to hear her heartbeat and touch her warmth. “We’ll be okay for a few minutes.” Or they would be the few minutes that finally broke the fragile threads that had always tied us together. I smoothed my thumbs over the sharp edge of her cheekbones and placed a kiss, one that was nothing more than a brush of our lips together on her mouth. The pillowy softness immediately opened and the tip of her tongue darted out to chase the taste of my kiss across her mouth. My hands tightened in her hair as hers settled on my shoulders, her fingers digging into the tight muscles on either side of my neck. I caught the tip of her seeking tongue with my teeth and dragged it into my mouth. The kiss went from a sweet exchange of reassurance and relief to something much more visceral and raw in an instant. She settled more firmly into the bend of my lap, her warm center pressing seductively against the insistent bulge in my jeans. She was radiating so much heat, there was no mistaking that she was seeking more than comfort from our tight embrace. Her hips shifted enticingly, rubbing her most intimate contours against my trapped cock. I released her hair and shifted my hands so I could run them up the lean line of her ribs. She quivered above me, and the press of her mouth against mine grew more demanding. She put one of

her hands on my jaw so she could hold my face still as her tongue licked into the cavern of my mouth, tangling with mine and demanding more than I think she was aware she was asking for. My hips lifted into her involuntarily, and I barely suppressed a full body shudder when I snaked my hands under the hem of her flowy tank top. Her waist was narrow, and her skin was velvety soft against my rough hands as I skated a tentative caress back up her sides, taking fabric with me as I went. Sex wasn’t something I ever viewed as a necessity. I had a hard time dealing with the power and control that went into being with another person in such an intimate and vulnerable way; memories that were hard for me to deal with due to my childhood and time spent in prison. If I had an itch, I knew where to get it scratched, but there was nothing personal or profound about it. Catching a glimpse of Karsen’s smooth belly and the softly rounded swell of her breasts under the satin of her bra was far more erotic and engaging to me than the last time I’d had a naked girl underneath me. The sight of my destroyed hands on her flawless skin was more of a turn on than the experienced seduction attempts often thrown my way by the girls who danced for Nassir in his clubs. All I knew right then was that I was having a hard time concentrating through the wave of lust that threatened to pull me under. I wanted my hands all

over her, but I didn’t want to push her too far or scare her off. She may have kissed me back in the parking lot a couple of hours ago, but she didn’t try to hide the regret that flooded her eyes as soon as she had enough space to think clearly. Her thumb traced a line along my jaw, and she kissed me hard, teeth nipping my bottom lip. She pulled slightly away so we were eye to eye in the dark. “You can touch me, Booker.” She didn’t sound nervous or unsure at all. Her pale eyebrows danced upward as she licked the moisture from our greedy mouths off her lower lip. “I want you, too. I’ve always wanted you, too. I used to lie in bed and wonder what it would be like to have your hands on me.” I used to lie awake and think about the same thing, but it made me feel guilty and wrong. I didn’t have to shove those feelings down with the all the others I wanted to forget anymore. I blew out a breath and leaned forward so I could kiss her again. “These hands are never going to be clean, Karsen. You shouldn't let them anywhere near you.” She deserved to stay clean and unsullied. Everyone always warned her to stay the hell away from me, but she never listened. At least not until I hadn’t given her a choice. She needed to know nothing had changed. I was still the guy with blood on his hands embedded so deeply in

his skin there was no way to ever wash it off. She stared at me unflinchingly. She grabbed one of my wandering hands and deliberately placed it on the swell of her breast. I felt the little bud of her nipple tighten against my palm, and I loved the way her heartbeat kicked up in a rapid tempo as I started to gently knead the soft flesh. She bit down on her lower lip, and her long eyelashes drifted down over her eyes, shielding the aroused glow that made the gold threaded through the brown illuminate so bright and brilliant. She was old enough now to know what she wanted. I was smart enough to know I was only going to have a few stolen moments with her before reality intruded. She was here. She was safe. She wanted my hands on her, even knowing what they were capable of and how cruel they could be. I wasn’t about to try and talk her out of letting me touch her again. It felt like we’d both been waiting in some kind of suspended animation for this exact moment in time. The universe worked in weird ways, and there was no denying the wheels of fate had been turning us toward one another since the very beginning. “Don’t regret this later, Karsen. If you do, it might kill me.” I hated that I was pleading with her. Hated that I was so fragile and weak where she was concerned. I worked so hard to be bulletproof, but none of my defenses were ever good enough with

her. She slipped through all the barriers without even trying. “Don’t pretend you didn’t know we were always going to end up right here, Booker. We are not an accident, and this is not a fluke. You treated this thing between us as something disposable once before, and it did kill me. This moment has been years in the making; don’t make it take me years to get over you again.” There was warning in her heavily lidded eyes. She wasn't over what I’d done, but she was willing to set it aside for now because we both needed this. Our connection was bigger than both of us, and bigger than my betrayal. Thank whatever god was responsible for losers and lowlifes like me. I slipped a hand behind her and unhooked the delicate little clasp of her bra. I didn’t need a light. The moon filtering into the car through the dusty windows was enough to turn her hair into a silvery glimmer. It was an icy curtain falling around her shoulders and offering a sexy veil that barely concealed the skin I just uncovered. Her nipples were a blushing raspberry color playing peek-a-boo through her hair, and my mouth watered at the sight of them. She was sleek, built long and lean. All her curves were subtle and so sweetly rounded; I let out a groan when I finally filled my hands with her lush flesh. She arched into the touch and lust bolted through me so sharply it forced a surprised breath

out of my lungs. I wasn’t the guy who ever received a gift like this. I wasn’t someone who was handed something this beautiful and precious. If I were a better man, I would pretend I had no idea what to do with it, but the truth was, I’d been planning for this very moment ever since she walked away from me four years ago. When she pushed her breasts up toward my waiting mouth, I took everything she was offering and more. I captured one flushed peak between my lips and sucked until my cheeks hollowed out. I closed the other breast in my hand, rolling the tight nub against my palm until I heard her whimper. She was rocking her hips against mine, her movements getting more frantic the harder I sucked on her nipple. I rolled the opposite one between my fingers and tugged hard enough to get her to lift up. Her hands slid over my chest, fingers pulling at the fabric of my t-shirt, until I got the hint and worked the cotton off over my head. My muscles flexed involuntarily under her avid gaze, and I couldn’t help the surge of pride that rose within me at the pure look of appreciation that crossed her face. I was never going to be the average person’s idea of handsome, but I was strong, and my body bore the marks of a survivor. I was alive, regardless of all the things and people who tried to take me out, and that was the story my body told. But Karsen

seemed to see the beauty in all those scars and understood the scattered ink that covered most of them. While she was lifted off my lap, I kissed my way across her collarbone, chasing goosebumps as I went. I got one of my hands on the button of her jeans and popped it open. The sound of her zipper going down forced my abs to tense and my dick to throb painfully behind my zipper. I was going to have permanent marks from the teeth embedded on the underside of my dick by the time the day was finally done. There wasn’t enough room to get her naked, which was probably a good thing. I didn’t want her to fuck me because she had nearly died and was riding high on the fact that she hadn’t. No. I wanted her to fuck me because she couldn’t go another day, another minute, not even a single second without knowing what it felt like to have me inside of her. I wanted her to fuck me because she couldn’t function without me, the same way I’d been so lost and angry without her these last four years. I couldn’t strip her bare, but I could work my hands inside the gap in her pants, into her silky underwear, fingers finding warm, wet heat as soon as they slid through her sensitive slit. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers and then drifted closed as I stroked her and kissed the side of her

neck at the same time. She rocked against my fingers, her hands wrapping around the back of my neck and holding on tight as I explored her soaked folds. I felt the stiff little bump of her clit as I dipped my touch lower, seeking entrance into her undulating body as her teeth clamped down on her lower lip. She tossed her head back, which had her long fall of hair pooling in my lap. I longed for bare skin so I could feel the slippery glide of it across my thighs and maybe even more sensitive parts of my body. I hoped this wasn’t the last time I had her like this, wanton and willing. But if it was, I would die a happy man. My thumb toyed with her clit some more, rubbing slow, deliberate circles as my fingers delved into her wet opening. The first clench of her body around the invading digits ripped a growl loose from my chest and made my back teeth grind together. I wanted to claim her. To tell her she was mine, always had been. I wanted her to know I waited for her, worried about her, worshiped her from afar. I couldn’t do any of that though, wasn’t allowed to do any of that, so I concentrated on blowing her mind with pleasure so she couldn’t forget me when I was gone. My fingers sank into her softness, burning in her heat. Her name escaped on a sigh, which pulled her eyes open. She looked at me with so much quiet

passion; it was a good thing I was sitting down because her expression would have taken me to my knees. She let go of the lip she was chewing on and ghosted a kiss over my mouth before trailing her lips over my massacred cheek. I stilled, probing fingers pausing as I felt the tip of her tongue drag over the long line of ruined skin marring my face. One day, before I was forced to let her go, I was going to have to tell her where I got the scar. She deserved to know why I would never be a man who was good enough to call her mine. She followed the lick with feathery kisses that ended on the line of my jaw. While she explored every ridge of my face, I went back to fucking her with my fingers. I lowered my mouth back to her breasts, swirling my tongue around her nipples in turn to match the pressure and motion I was torturing her clit with. She gave a tiny moan and started to ride my hand with purpose, hips circling as she sought out the pleasure I could feel building inside of her. Her body went slick and supple. She was so tight I could feel every single flutter and quiver. My eyes nearly rolled back into my head when I imagined how that velvet sheath would feel strangling my cock. She flooded my fingers. She muttered my name in a breathy tone and her fingers dug into my back. I lifted my head, admiring the wet, tempting trail I left from one breast to the

other. As soon as she had access, the sharp edge of her teeth found the side of my neck, which made my dick kick in reaction. I was sure the front of my jeans was damp. Arousal was pressing hard at the base of my spine and I could feel it swirling through my blood. I didn’t get like this, ready to blow out of control at a mere touch. She pushed past all the restraint I’d developed over the years when she was off limits. Desire roared unchecked throughout my body and when she came apart in my arms, it took everything I had not to yank my pants open and slam into her. The way she clenched around me, the way she whimpered and rolled her hips looking for more, was nearly my undoing. It was only the approaching headlights, emphasizing the fogged-up windows and the absolutely inappropriate time and place that kept me from sinking into her and losing myself forever. I kept an eye on the approaching vehicle in the rearview mirror as she worked to pull herself back together. I had a Ruger stashed in the door next to me if I needed it, but I honestly believed any outside threats had passed for the night. The other car could have done more than run us off the road if the driver had wanted. It was bigger, heavier, and faster. Ours wasn’t any match, and that driver surely knew that. Karsen blinked at me like she was waking up from a particularly satisfying nap. I wiggled my

fingers where they were still playing with her most sensitive spot, and grinned as a blush immediately filled her face. She buried her head in the bend of my neck as the car rolled past, thankfully not stopping to see if we were all right. Normally that would have pissed me off, but considering the circumstances, being left to our own devices was for the best. I let her go, dragging wet fingers over her taut tummy, tempted to write my name on her skin with the proof of how much she wanted me. She slithered back into the passenger seat and pulled her shirt on, forgoing her bra that had ended up somewhere in the backseat. She fiddled with her hair and watched me out of the corner of her eye as I situated myself. I wanted nothing more than to pull my dick out and find some relief, but the arrival of the other car was a good reminder that we shouldn’t stay in any one place for too long. We didn’t need any more unwanted company for the night. She made a noise and lifted an eyebrow at me. “What about you?” She cast a pointed look at the bulge in my pants. I grunted in response and wrenched the ignition. I took my shirt from her and tugged it on before pulling back onto the road. “What about me?” Going without wasn’t anything new and I never wanted her to think she

owed me a goddamn thing. “You let me touch you, asked for me to put my hands on you. That’s more than I ever thought I’d get from you, Karsen.” I still wanted her to simply know I would never hurt her the way I had, but I knew now it wasn’t my place to ask her for that. She didn’t seem to have a response, so she changed the subject. “How do you think the other driver tracked us down?” She wrinkled her nose. “You wouldn’t even let me bring my Fitbit in case someone hacked into it. There is no way someone could have found us so fast.” It was a good question. One that had been swirling the periphery of my mind ever since we ended up on the side of the road. “I’m not sure. Do you have something you take with you wherever you go? Something you refuse to be without?” I guessed the boyfriend planted some kind of tracking device, which made this whole thing a lot more serious than I originally thought. It meant we were dealing with someone who really knew what they were doing. It also amped up the threat she was facing to a whole different level. She looked puzzled for a minute, then, like a light bulb went off, she nodded and told me, “I have a locket Brysen gave me when I left for Colorado. It was my high school graduation present. It used to belong to my mother, but dad hocked it when things got bad with his gambling.

Somehow Race tracked down whomever bought it and got it back for her. It has our baby pictures in it. I carry it with me everywhere. It’s kind of my good luck charm. It means the world to me and Ari knew that. She may have mentioned it to Troy since she told him everything else about my life.” She glanced toward the trunk of the car. “I threw it in with all my other stuff when I packed.” Well, that complicated things. If it came from Race, I wouldn’t put it past him to have put a tracker on her so he could keep tabs on her while she was half a country away. “Let’s look at it once we get to a better place to stop.” If I found something, I could ditch the tracker and move us somewhere no one would look. And then, I could find a few minutes of solitude to jerk off to all the brand-new images of Karsen coming undone on my fingers so I could think straight again.

Karsen

As soon as we hit the next available gas station, one that was lit up and busy even this late at night to prevent a repeat of our last stop, Booker had me dig out the locket from my stuffed suitcase in the trunk. I wasn’t surprised at all when he whipped out a switchblade he had hidden somewhere on his body and started to pry at the delicate piece of jewelry. I expected him to tear into the sentimental piece to find whatever it was he was looking for, but I should have known better. I told him it meant the world to me, which meant he was going to handle it like the fragile, precious thing it was. Sort of the way he handled me—at least, until his control slipped. I had to say, I much preferred the forceful, demanding, and predatory Booker to the one who touched me like I was made out of feathers and glass. I wasn’t exactly the most sexually experienced twenty-two-year-old on the planet. I’d spent most of my formative years waiting for Booker, and when he broke my heart, I may have gone on a revenge-fueled spree of sex that consisted of

hooking up and walking away. I wanted to prove to myself I was desirable, and even if he didn't want me, other guys would. I refused to let his rejection and betrayal define me, but I soon realized by forcing myself into one meaningless encounter after another, I was doing exactly that. The only person I was hurting with my behavior was myself. Booker wouldn’t care, or I believed that he never did. I don't remember a lot of what happened during those encounters, other than afterwards I always felt worse instead of better. I did learn enough about what I was into and what did it for me to know I wasn’t the hearts and flowers type. I didn't need pretty words or empty promises to get me off. I much preferred a partner who also knew what they wanted and didn't hesitate to take it. I’d been raised around strong men who only allowed softness with the women they loved. So naturally, that worked for me. I wanted a man who was strong and sure, but always made sure I was taken care of. That was a tall order when it came to college guys. Most of them were trying to figure things out the same way I was, and very few had enough life experience to take care of business, and me, the way I wanted. I was sure my disappointment in guys my own age came from being forever in love with a man who was larger than life and a decade older than me. Booker never had to be told what to do or how to do it; he simply

handled what needed to be handled and I always found that incredibly attractive. So yeah, my love life was mostly dead in the water, and every sizzling minute spent with his hands on me in the front seat of the car had been a thousand times better than anything I’d experienced previously. Booker handed over the baby pictures of me and my sister. I tucked them away watching as he stabbed the tip of the sharp, shiny knife into one side of the locket. When he pulled it up, there was a tiny, plastic disk attached to the blade. It was smaller than an SD card for a cell phone, and there was no way I ever would have seen it behind the picture and the glass that covered it. Booker popped it off and put it in the palm of his hand, turning the thing over and over. “Definitely a tracking device. High quality.” He used the knife to pry the edges apart until the device was in a bunch of pieces in his hand. “We need to change direction. Whoever planted this is going to assume we’re more than likely heading west. I think we need to drive north, then make our way down the coast. Like I said, the bump and run was a warning, but if the person tracking you manages to get me out of the way and get you alone . . .” He shook his head. “We need to change things up and be as unpredictable as possible. You got an hour or so left in you? You can sleep in the car.”

“How long has that been in there? How long has someone been watching my every move?” If I hadn’t been watching him as closely as I was, I would have missed the guilt that flashed over his expression before he schooled his harsh features into a blank mask. “There is no way to tell how long that’s been in there or who put it there. You told Race you didn’t want a protective detail when you left. You have to know him well enough to realize he might have agreed to that, but there was no way he was going to let you go without some kind of failsafe in place. He has too many enemies and he’s pissed too many people off to have someone he loves out in the world without protection.” When he said Race’s name, he couldn’t hold back the sneer that crossed his face. It was a clear indication he could be counted as one of those enemies Race had pissed off. I took the locket when he handed it back to me. I ran my fingers over the antique finish, recalling how happy I’d been when Brysen handed it over. I remembered feeling like she was finally seeing me as an adult, as an equal. It was such a mature gift to give someone headed off into the world on their own for the first time. Now, I was wondering if Booker was right. Had the gift I thought was so thoughtful and considerate only been a way for my family to keep tabs on me as I asserted my

independence? It rankled and once again made me feel like that little girl no one was going to allow to grow up and make her own choices. “If Race put that in there . . .” I shook my head and looked down at the ground. “I’m not sure I could forgive him for that.” Suddenly a warm, rough hand slid around the back of my neck, squeezing the muscles that tightened. I felt the firm press of lips to my forehead and wanted to lean into Booker’s embrace so badly I could taste it. “Whatever that blond asshole did, you need to keep in mind he was trying to protect you and keep you safe. When you have something worth losing, it can make you do some crazy things. Things that can hurt everyone involved.” I picked up something different in his tone. He sounded like he was speaking from experience. “Crazy things like walk into a building that’s ready to blow, while an entire police force threatens to arrest you or shoot you as you walk right past their perimeter?” There was a hopeful note in my voice which made me feel like an idiot. Race did all the things he did out of love. Booker had never indicated, not once, that he felt any such way about me. Well, he hadn’t until he showed up on my doorstep, making time stand still and the years of space between us seemingly irrelevant. He didn’t answer. Not that I expected him to.

Instead he snapped a couple photos of the destroyed tracking device and fired them off to Stark. When he was done, he inclined his head toward the car, indicating we should get back on the road. I was too wired and irritated with my family back home to consider sleeping, and I wasn’t interested in letting him ignore me for an hour so soon after he gave me the best orgasm of my life. I was still intent on returning the favor, but I couldn’t miss the way he’d returned to all business and laser-focus as soon as the car was back on the road. “Did you grow up in the Point? I know you were in prison before you showed up in the city looking for work, and you mentioned looking up to guys like Benny and Bax while you were locked up. So, I assume you were in the same Supermax as they were.” I’d never asked him about his past because he always shut me down when I tried. Back when I was younger, I let him change the subject because I was happy simply getting to spend time with him. Now, I wanted more. If I ever had a hope to forgive and forget him, I needed to know who Noah Booker really was. I needed him to show my heart the man behind all my girlhood fantasies, because the reality couldn’t be everything I’d built up in my head. Maybe I could finally convince myself he was just a man, more deadly and dangerous than most, but still a

normal man who ended up in some bad circumstances. Then maybe I could stop comparing every other living soul to him. Booker turned to look at me and I could see him wavering on whether he wanted to answer me or not. Finally, he exhaled and quietly mumbled, “Believe it or not, the Point is a step up from where I grew up.” I recoiled and blinked at him in surprise. “How is that possible?” “It’s so strange to me that everyone in the Point always seems to think they’ve seen the worst the world has to offer. I think they forget there is crime, corruption, brutality, and general lack of concern for the well-being of others all over the world. Look at Syria, or hell, where Nassir is from. His homeland has been at war since before he was born and shows no signs of stopping. There is so much hate and violence all around us, and the Point is only a sliver of it, but since it’s all you know, it always seems bigger and badder than it actually is.” He looked so resigned, as if we were all destined to get swallowed up in the ugliness, no matter where it was located. And he looked tired. Tired of the world and people being the way they are. “I grew up in a small, Midwestern town. Literally, in the middle of nowhere. One road in, one road out. The community existed because of two things: corn and methamphetamines. It is

totally different than the Point. No skyscrapers, no graffiti on the walls, no strip clubs open twentyfour hours. Hell, booze isn’t even sold on Sundays. It’s not the kind of place you go looking for or where you want to stay, but my mom’s family lived there for generations. We had a small farm, and I remember things being good when I was really little. We had a couple goats and there was a swimming hole somewhere on the property that was awesome when it got hot in the summer. There wasn’t much to do, but that was fine by me, because it meant there wasn’t much to get me in trouble.” I gasped as I struggled to put together the image of a Midwestern farm boy with the polished, lethal man sitting beside me now. I had a hard time picturing him as a child at all, let alone one who was carefree and grew up in the country. “One summer it was so hot the land practically turned to ash. That meant harvest season sucked, which meant money got tight. My mom was already stretched pretty thin, being a single mom in a small town without many prospects was hard for her. She was lonely and angry. She turned mean about the time I was able to really remember my childhood. She never told me what happened to my dad, and I was too scared to ask. When she couldn't use the land to grow things anymore, she turned to the only other source of income she could find. Meth. It

brought all the wrong kinds of people into our lives and it wasn’t long before she was addicted to the drug and the kind of life it brought with it.” Booker’s voice drifted off and I could tell he was getting lost in the memories and it wasn’t a good place to be. His jaw was tense and the hand he had resting on his knee kept flexing, like he was trying to keep it from forming a fist and lashing out at something. He looked very much ready to hurt something or someone. “She spiraled pretty quickly once the drugs took over. She started selling all our stuff—and even her body—for drug money. She lost the farm and the bank kicked us out. We lived in gross motels and her beat-up old car for a long time. She would leave me in sketchy places with total strangers and I was never really sure if she was coming back.” He rolled his shoulders and lifted his hand to rub his fingers over his scar. “One of her dealers had a thing for little boys. The first time she left me with him I was so scared I pissed myself and nearly passed out.” I let out a cry and instinctively reached out to touch him, but pulled my hand back when he immediately flinched away. “By the fifth time she left me, I was resigned to never getting out of that hellhole and away from that life. I was used to being used. Places like that

are so rural, no one shows up to look for kids not going to school or looks twice at the ones wandering around with bruises. There’s no one like Nassir stepping in to keep the drug dealers in line, and no one like Race out there making sure the community is taken care of so they don’t cannibalize one another. It’s just a speck on the map everyone passes over.” “Booker . . .” I wasn’t sure what to say but I wanted to crawl back in his lap and offer him all the comfort and care the little boy who’d been abused had so desperately needed. “When I got too old to get Mom’s dealer off, he handed me over to one of his buddies who liked to play rough with his toys. I was thirteen years old, hadn’t been in school since first grade, and couldn’t remember my own name half the time. I was so hungry and confused from being knocked around and passed from man to man to man. This guy was a fucking psycho. He made the dealer look like the Easter Bunny in comparison. There was no doubt in my mind he was going to kill me, and there wasn’t going to be anyone around to miss me when I was gone. I was terrified, but I didn’t want to die. I knew, even back then, there had to be more out there than that shithole town and those terrible people.” He turned to look at me, slate eyes as hard and as flat as I’d ever seen them. “I killed him before

he could kill me. I was a skinny little shit back then. Not very tall either. No one saw me as a threat, but when you back any animal into a corner, their instinct is to fight their way free. He kept me locked in a room with nothing more than an old mattress on the floor. I ripped out one of the springs and spent days sharpening it on the floor. I was making prison weapons long before I ever got locked up.” It was a joke but it totally fell flat. There was nothing funny about any of this. I couldn't believe this strong, unbreakable man had started out as someone so shattered. I had no idea how he’d ever found all his broken pieces and put them back together again. “I stabbed him through the throat. I still remember all the blood and the way his eyes went blank. I had no idea what to do afterwards, so I ran to the one person who was supposed to save me, but somehow never did. My mom. She was horrified, not at what I’d done or what had happened to me, but because I’d killed her dealer’s friend. She was going to hand me over to him, let him take his revenge, but by then I knew no one was going to have my back and the bitch was going to get me killed, so I turned myself in. I was sentenced to juvie for five years because I was too young to convict as an adult.” I was shaking my head, and as I did I could feel

moisture leak out of my eyes. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been crying, but my face was soaked. “Did you get out after five years?” I almost didn’t want to hear the answer. Slowly, he shook his head. “No, I didn’t. Juvie is no joke. It’s a bunch of homicidal kids ready to go all Hunger Games on one another. It’s as bad as big boy prison. When I was sixteen, they put me in a cell with a guy who got grabby. After everything I’d already been through, I had a short fuse and quick temper when it came to being touched. He climbed into my bunk when I was asleep one night and it didn’t end well for either of us. He ended up in a coma on life-support; I ended up with an attempted murder charge and time in the big house. The day I was put into general population, the kid’s older brother found me. He was the head of one of the Aryan gangs that ran lock up. He and two of his guys got me alone in the shower and . . .” He trailed off, voice cracking as his eyes narrowed. “Well, they made sure I got the message that my time in prison wasn't going to go smoothly. He cut my face open to serve as a constant reminder of what they’d done. He told me every time I looked in a mirror I would see him.” He exhaled long and slow, taking several, painful minutes before speaking again. “When I was in the prison infirmary, the doctor taking care of me talked a lot. He told me all about this place

he was from called the Point. He said he left because the city was too violent and the bad guys were taking over. He was sad to see small town America wasn’t much better. He told me about Novak, and how the guy had a son who was one day going to take everything from him. He told me about a mysterious stranger with an accent who had shown up out of the blue and was already changing the rules of the game. He explained how sharks like Benny thrived and viewed everyone else as prey. He told me it would be a good place for me to go if I survived long enough to get to the end of my sentence. I didn't have much education, but there were always people in the Point looking for guys who knew how to keep their mouths shut and do what had to be done. He was actually the one who suggested I start bulking up while I was behind bars. I was small, but he said it was from being undernourished when I was younger. I hit a growth spurt at eighteen, and by then I’d put on enough muscle to keep pretty much everyone off me.” I sniffled and angrily wiped my hands across my damp face. “What happened to the guy who cut you?” Booker shook his head again and the scar on his cheek flexed involuntarily. “He died. Gang fight in the yard with a rival Latino gang. It happened while I was still healing. I was relieved, but I was also pissed I wasn’t the one who ended him. I had that

in me. I could have killed him for what he did to me. He was right. I do think about him, and prison, and every choice I made that landed me there . . . every time I look in the mirror. When I got out, all I was good for was bashing heads, so I took Doc’s advice and headed to the Point. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen, and yet, exactly where I belonged. Violence is all I know, Karsen. The man who lives this life,” he shrugged, “it’s who I am, who I was always meant to be.” I pulled in a shaky breath and wrapped my arms around myself. He might not be interested in a hug, but I sure as fuck needed one. “Can we stop? I don’t care where. I need to get out of this car.” I needed to move. I needed to hold him. To kiss him. To make his future better because his past was so very bad. I needed to breathe. “Uh, sure. I wanted to keep going a little longer but there’s a motel off the next exit we can crash in for the night if you’re done.” He seemed off balance and far more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him. He would have to be after telling me all of that. He was no one’s victim anymore. He made sure of it with every single thing he did. “I’m done.” I was done wanting him and not having him. I was done seeing him as something he wasn’t. I was done being alone and lost when he was the only man who had ever bothered to come find

me. We might not have forever, that was something you learned early on when you came from the places we did, but we had tonight and I was going to make the most of it. “We only need to get one room, okay?” My voice was husky and there was no mistaking the invitation laced throughout. “One room. Of course, we’re getting one room. I’m not letting you out of my sight until we’re back in the Point.” His eyebrows shot up and then immediately danced down. I nodded. I knew that. But, there was another reason I was requesting only one room. “One room. One bed. One night. One good memory for both of us to hold onto when all the stuff that feels like it’s going to ruin us gets to be too much. It doesn't matter where we are, we’ll always have this one good thing that is just ours.” A lascivious grin lifted the corners of his mouth. “Oh, it will be better than good, puppy.” I had no doubt he was right, and it was one promise that absolutely worked for me.

Booker

I had

no idea how Karsen could want me after everything I’d just laid at her feet. When we first met, I knew a lot of her infatuation came from the fact I saved her, took a bullet meant for her sister. The hero worship went a long way to cover up all of my most glaring flaws. Now she knew I was weak. A man made from the circumstances a kid couldn’t fight out of. I couldn’t protect myself when it mattered most. There was no reason for her to view me as anything but another victim, a tragedy that really had no end in sight. But there wasn’t an ounce of pity in her better-than-brown eyes. The only sign my story had hurt her were the tear streaks on her cheeks and the way her long eyelashes spiked together with moisture. I was so certain hearing where I came from and showing I had never been a man in control of anything, even my destiny, would kill whatever lingering crush she had on me. Where I was from, and where I was going, were both places that had no room for someone as sweet and as hopeful as Karsen Carter. She deserved to be in the

kind of art that hung in famous museums in Paris, not the kind that was hastily painted on the side of crumbling buildings and quick-moving trains. Despite knowing how much better she could do, and despite feeling raw and exposed after telling her about how I ended up on her doorstep, I still only asked for one room at the cheap motel when I checked us in. It was a mistake. We both knew that. But it was one we were going to make willingly. Falling together when her life was in danger and while mine hung precariously in the balance was no better than falling for one another when she was too young to understand how dangerous it would be for her. The timing was never right, never in our favor, but now, we were diving in. Damn the consequences. This was a mistake we were making together with eyes wide open. One we’d been ready to make since the first time our tumultuous lives intersected. The room was surprisingly clean and had the overwhelming scent of lemon disinfectant lingering in the air. I watched as Karsen let out a relieved breath when she noticed there were no bloodstains on the carpet and the comforter on the bed actually looked pretty new and mostly untouched. I threw her suitcase on the bed and hefted my own duffel bag to my shoulder, tilting my head in the direction of the small bathroom. Sure, I wanted to get my hands all over her long, lean body. I wanted to jump

at the chance to finally know what it felt like to have those slender curves under me while she writhed and moaned in pleasure. But I’d also been trapped in a car all day after a night of zero sleep, had disarmed a tweaked-out gunman, and narrowly escaped a hit and run at high speeds in the dark. I was supposed to be unflappable and unmovable. However, the minute Karsen was in danger, all of that went out the window and every nerve I had started to shake. Stress sweat was twice as bad as regular sweat, and I could smell myself from a mile away. Karsen gave me a curious look when I turned toward the bathroom. I could see her watching me in the mirror hanging over the sinks outside the bathroom door. She didn’t look mad, just slightly curious and maybe a little tired. She’d been through the wringer right alongside me. I promised myself that I would leave her alone if she was asleep when I was done with my shower. Even sleeping next to her for the night was far more than I’d ever thought I’d get, and that would be enough to make the happy memory she talked about making for us to hold onto when times were tough. Times were always tough. I would have to hold tonight for when things were unsalvageable. Otherwise, it was all I was going to think about. The hot water felt amazing. Even if I had to duck a bit to fit under the showerhead—one of the

pitfalls of being so big in places made for normalsized men. Finally, some of the tension that kept my shoulders locked and my neck so tight started to release. I scrubbed my short hair and rubbed my hands over my bristly face. I usually kept the whiskers to a minimum. The side where my scar was grew in patchy and not altogether even. The last thing I needed was to draw more attention to that part of my face. I couldn’t remember if I packed a razor or not, and as clean as this motel seemed, I doubted they were the kind of facility that had toiletries on hand for guests. The scruff was going to have to stay until I found the time and the means to take care of it. It wasn’t the worst thing ever. Altering my appearance was a good way to keep whoever was trying to track down Karsen on their toes. I looked down at my dick. I was already half hard and wanting. Between the fevered kiss in the parking lot, and the handful of Karsen in the front seat of the car, the poor thing was feeling left out and lonely. Not anything new, but for once the thought of taking the problem into my own hand didn’t appeal to me at all. Not with the young woman who inspired so many of my jerk-off fantasies in the next room. Grumbling under my breath about bad timing and a lifetime of terrible luck, I ran soapy hands over my chest and the cut lines of my stomach.

I was still considering taking my cock in my soapy hands and chasing down some quick relief when the shower curtain was pulled back and I ended up face to face with a very naked, very beautiful Karsen Carter. I had to blink the water out of my eyes to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. I was turning to fully face her when she put a hand on my shoulder and told me to hold still. She used her hold on me as leverage to climb into the shower behind me, yanking the curtain closed behind her. “I guess it’s only fair you get to run away from me. I did a pretty good job running away from you when it came time to put up or shut up.” I wordlessly handed over the bar of soap I was loosely holding when she made a gesture with her hand. I nearly jumped out of my skin at the first touch of her hands on my shoulders as they slipped and slid over the heavy muscles of my back. I didn’t bother to stifle a moan of appreciation when her strong fingers dug into the coiled muscles at the base of my neck. “I wasn’t running anywhere. I smelled bad and I was giving you space to change your mind.” I was trying to do the right thing. It wasn’t something I’d ever been taught how to do, of course, so I was bound to screw that up. “I’ve had four years to change my mind,

Booker. If there was a way for me to kill all the feelings I have for you, I haven’t found it yet. And believe me, I looked everywhere. I’ve done everything I can think of to show you I want you, want this. I guess all that’s left for me to do is take it.” Words, even spoken so clearly and so sure, could be misconstrued. Actions I understood. Actions didn’t lie. I sighed when I felt her lips brush the back of my neck and shivered when her slick hands skidded over the curve of my ass. I knew what she could see when she saw me bare and on display like this. A big body littered with healed bullet wounds, scars from being stabbed and sliced open, abraded flesh that healed wrong after it was torn from my body. I masked some of it with tattoos, most of them hastily done while I was locked up. A few were more professional and actually looked good. None of them covered up all the battle scars that ran beneath. It wasn’t a pretty sight by any means, but Karsen touched me like she was handling one of those priceless works of art. No one, not a single soul in my entire life had ever put their hands on me in such a gentle, reverent way. I could feel my knees shaking, my heart struggling to keep up with my frantic thoughts that were ready to put the entire world at this woman’s feet. “I’m a fucking mess, Karsen.” The admission flew out before I could think to stop it. I squeezed

my eyes shut and leaned forward until my forehead touched the tiles that rested under the showerhead. “I don’t mean my face or the rest of my body. I mean my head. My insides. My future. All of it is so fucking ugly and bleak. I’m a giant black hole, a huge void, and it is selfish and wrong of me to ever want to pull you into any of that.” She didn’t say anything for a long time, just continued washing my back, even going so far as to drop to her knees behind me so she could run the soap up and down my legs. My cock was throbbing, harder than it had ever been, and already leaking from the engorged head. I knew it would take only a couple of good tugs and I would be painting the tiles in front of me with my release. My balls were raised up tight to my body, and every place she touched zinged with a mini electrical current that felt like it went right between my legs. “What if I’m not being pulled in, Booker? What if I’m walking in willingly?” Her melodic tone was rougher than normal. I was going to ask her what she meant by that when she suddenly climbed to her feet and draped herself against my back. All that smooth skin pressed against mine nearly had the top of my head coming off. I could feel the twin points of her nipples driving into either side of my spine and the soft press of her sex into my ass. When she reached around in front of me and wrapped a hand around

my painfully erect dick, I almost let loose and came on the spot. I had to count backward from one hundred to keep myself from exploding at her first tug on my dick. Involuntarily, I growled from low in my chest and moved my legs farther apart so she had more room to work. “Between you and me, I like the Point just the way it is. Yes, I’m glad it’s safer for women and children, and yes, I’m glad people don’t have to live in fear for their lives every single day. I love that it’s turning into a place people want to stay and a place people want to be. But I liked it a little rough and broken. I liked it unpredictable and wild. I liked that you had to fight for your right to call the Point home. None of the dirt or danger ever bothered me.” Her lips kissed along my shoulders and lingered for a second on my spine. The sensation of her lips made my eyes cross as much as the way her thumb slowly circling the leaking slit at the tip of my cock did. Her touch was steady and strong. She wasn’t playing around. She had to know how close I was. Every time she squeezed the shaft, the heavy, thick flesh would jump eagerly in her palm. When she traced the pulsing vein that ran along the bottom with a barely there brush of her knuckles, my hips kicked forward into her hand, fucking into her fist, which

of course made me immediately think of fucking her. Her hand was good, soft, warm, and tight. There was no way it could ever compare to the heaven found between her legs. “You were safe, Karsen. You had Race and Bax at your back from the second you stepped into the Point. Most people don’t have that. They could never see the Point the same way you do.” I felt her nod, her forehead tapping right between my shoulder blades as she continued to jack me off. I was struggling to breathe, eyes screwed tightly shut so this wasn’t over before it even started. This was the most insane and erotic hand job I’d ever received. “Right. I know that. But I’m saying it’s all about perspective. Other people see the Point as this awful place full of crime and terrible people. To me, it was always home. It’s where I felt the safest and most loved.” Her warm breath hit the back of my ear as she put a hand on my shoulder and used her grip to lift herself onto her toes. A whole-body shiver shook me like a leaf. “The Point is beautiful if you look at it from where I’m standing, Booker.” Her teeth latched onto my earlobe and I hissed her name through clenched teeth. I didn’t want to know how the shy little girl, the one who used to follow me around with puppy-dog eyes, learned to be such a talented seductress. All that would do is add to my already-high body count.

“Are you comparing me to the Point, Karsen?” One of her hands was trailing along the sharp V on the side of my abs and working its way over my flank. My thigh muscles flexed in response, and I felt her smile on the side of my neck. My hands curled into fists as that wandering hand found its way between splayed legs and started to lightly stroke my balls. My dick was already hard enough to pound nails. The added stimulation pulled an embarrassing whine from my throat. I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood so I didn’t come in her hand the second she started to fondle the tender sac hidden between my legs. “I’m telling you that I know you’ve got bad inside you, Booker. It’s painted all over this big body of yours. I know you’ve got darkness inside of you, a lot of it. I know it drives you and influences the choices you make. I’ve always known that. But from where I’m at, I can also see the good in you. I know there’s light inside, even if I’m the only one who can see it. You know why I can see all of that when no one else can?” Her voice was almost as raspy as mine when she asked the question. It was hard to answer when I felt the edge of her teeth bite into the side of my neck. She twisted the hand she was using to stroke my cock, rolling her palm enticingly over the now soaked and slippery head. Even the water cooling down did

little to rein in the pulsating arousal. “Because you know you’re safe with me. You know I would never hurt you if there was any other option. You know I’d die to protect you. You can see me in a way no one else can.” I wasn’t the smartest guy around. Not by a long shot. I operated on instinct and the overriding need for survival. There was no missing her point, though. No way to misunderstand what she was trying to tell me. “You are beautiful to me, Noah. You always have been. I never even needed to look very hard to see it. It was always right there, directly in front of me. I may have forgotten it for a while, because you did hurt me. So badly. But as soon as I saw you again, I remembered why I could never look away from you all those years ago.” She started a slow grind against my back. Our slippery skin finding no traction and only serving to work us both up to the point we were shaking, quaking, and barely holding on. It was as amazing as it was frustrating. I needed more. More of her touch. More of her skin. More of her mouth. More of everything. “I’ve fucked up a lot in my life. I’ve made more bad choices than good ones. I need you to know what happened that night . . . it wasn’t all on me. I’ve told you a thousand times I wouldn’t hurt you on purpose. I need you to believe me.” I was so close to begging. Begging her to forgive me.

Begging her to get on her knees. Begging her to go to bed. Begging her for release. Begging her to be mine in all the ways we’d never been able to be before tonight. “But you did hurt me on purpose.” She sounded frustrated and annoyed. I didn’t want to kill the mood but I had to make her understand. “I know I did. And I always hoped you were smart enough and knew me well enough to know the only reason I could ever do that was if I didn’t have a choice.” I always wanted her to believe in me and the one time she really needed to, she’d walked away instead. I could feel hesitation in her touch, but it quickly vanished under renewed determination to have this moment that had been hovering between us forever. “I don’t want to talk about that night. I want to finish this with you.” She reached past me and cranked off the water. I turned around to face her, reaching out and putting my hands on her hips so I could pull her close. I groaned when her softness lined up so perfectly with every line of my hardness. My cock kicked happily against her belly, leaving a streak of wetness that brought out something primal and fierce inside of me. “You can finish in my mouth, or we can go to bed. Your choice.” She lifted an eyebrow and

wrapped her arms around my neck. It was on the tip of my tongue to say both, but considering that was impossible, I was going to take her to bed. If this was the single good memory I was allowed to have, then I wanted all of it. Instead of giving her an answer, I put a hand under the swell of her nicely toned ass and hefted her up. She obediently wrapped her legs around my waist and held on tight as I maneuvered us out of the shower and bathroom. Our mouths fused the minute we were face to face, and I let myself sink into the kiss as my dick happily bounced against her silken center. One little push and the tip would be coated in her damp desire. One tiny thrust and I would have her heat wrapped around me, coating my cock in velvet softness and burning passion. None of that was going to happen. I promised to take care of her. To protect her from anything, which included my sex-fogged brain and rampant lust. I paused just long enough to dig a condom from my duffel bag, then headed for the bed. Even though the comforter looked clean, Karsen had tossed it on the floor. It was a good rule of thumb. No one usually washed comforters or wiped down remote controls in motel rooms. She rocked her tongue in and out of my mouth, making me chase her. She pressed her lips as tightly into mine as she could, rolling her hips with each step that brought us closer to the bed.

Instead of tossing her into the center when I reached our destination, I followed her down as her back hit the mattress. I pushed the foil packet into her hand and gave her the rough order to put it on me. She arched an eyebrow at the demand, but still complied. I kissed her lip when she pulled the plump curve between her teeth as she tried to concentrate on her task. I felt her heels dig into the groove at the base of my spine on either side of my ass and found myself rocking into her hands impatiently. Her hands glided down my cock like feathers, stopping to trace the thick veins that felt like they were going to burst after so much foreplay and so many years of waiting. Once she had me fully covered, I felt her lift up, wetness dragging along my eager length. Her multi-hued eyes glowed up at me, and a grin that had every little thing that ever mattered to me inside of it, touched her mouth as she whispered, “Take me. I’ve been waiting a long time for you to make me yours, Noah.” My name shouldn’t have been the sexiest, most alluring part of that sentence. But it was. Nowhere near strong enough to deny her, and well past the point of being able to control myself, I let my weight carry me down, sinking my body inside hers with an effortless slide. I gasped at the first clench of her body around mine. I forgot to

breathe when she used the long legs wrapped around my back to pull me deeper inside of her. I lost track of everything, who I was, where I was, how I’d gotten here, when I bottomed out inside of her, making her yelp my name. I wanted to kiss her. To tell her how special this moment was. I wanted her to know I’d never had sex that meant a damn thing to me before her. I needed her to understand this was the greatest gift I’d ever been given, but it’d been too long without her. I wasn’t the kind of guy who could string those words together, so I did my best to show her instead. Instead of fucking her into the mattress like my body was screaming at me to do, I methodically started to kiss her face. Every curve, every ridge, every dimple and peak. I rolled my hips, taking her slowly, reverently, thoroughly, and as completely as I could. There wasn’t a single part of her free of my touch. I was going to burn my memory on every single inch of her, so she would never forget. She rocked her hips up to meet each thrust, making impatient mewling sounds low in her throat. Her fingernails raked over my scalp and her legs locked like a vise around my waist. I could feel her body quivering and shuddering around mine. Each thrust, every withdrawal, pushing her closer to the edge. I could feel her desire building in the way she tightened and fluttered around my pounding cock.

She was irresistibly responsive and so open with what she liked. She wasn’t afraid to tell me I was going too slow, that she needed it harder, faster, deeper. I did my best to give it all to her, while I continued to caress every other part of her with my mouth. Eventually the buildup was too much to take. I was already on the edge from our shower and the days spent forcing my way back into her life. When she started panting and pulling on my ass like she was trying to merge our bodies into one, I couldn’t handle it anymore. I was right there, hovering so close to going over, but there was no way I was going to let that happen before taking care of her. I shifted, putting my hands on her shoulder blades and pulling her up with me as I rose to my knees, so she was straddling my lap, much like she had been in the car earlier. I watched her eyes pop wide, both at the effortless show of strength and at how deep and precise I could get in this position. Her long eyelashes fluttered as the flared head of my cock hit the spot inside of her guaranteed to make her see stars. She tossed her head back, and I finally got my wish to feel the waterfall of her nearly white hair cascading all over my naked thighs. It was so much better without clothes in the way like they had been when she was perched on top of me in the car. It was good. So much better than I imagined. But that

was true for pretty much everything about her. I helped her move, hands on her ass lifting her up and letting her fall as I pulled one of her pert nipples into my mouth. I sucked hard as she rode me for all she was worth. We were both panting and shiny with sweat. Every time she gasped my name I was sure I was going to come, but by some miracle I held out until her eyes got heavy and her face flushed with a rush of pleasure. She was finally as close to going over as I was. Finally, she was ready to surrender to the undeniable want and need that had kept us both in a chokehold for far too long. Unsure of my own breaking point, I wiggled a hand between our writhing bodies and managed to reach the place where we were joined. I loved how hot she was under my fingers. I nearly choked when I felt the way my cock had her spread open, so wide and willing. When I got my fingers on her clit, her entire body started to vibrate. Her eyes drifted closed and her rhythm sped up. Her breaths were coming in short, sharp pants as she wantonly ground our bodies together. I could feel the second she unraveled. Her entire body went liquid and limp in my arms. Her chest lifted and fell rapidly, pushing the nipple I was torturing even farther into my greedy mouth. The rhythmic pulsations along the entirety of my still-rigid cock by her tender, inner walls

immediately pulled my own orgasm out of my very willing body. It felt like I came forever, my dick throbbing and shooting ropes of cum into the flooded condom. Sex was never like this for me. Any intimacy I allowed was quick and normally perfunctory. It wasn’t messy and involved. It wasn’t something I felt in every part of my body, not just my satisfied cock. It wasn’t something that felt like it turned me inside out and then put me back the way I was always supposed to be. And it definitely wasn’t something that wiped away over thirty years of horrible memories and mistakes. I sighed and leaned forward until my forehead touched Karsen’s. “That was beyond worth waiting for. I will never forget this night.” I felt her nod and let myself get lost in her embrace when her arms wrapped tightly around my neck. I had no clue where either of us went from this point. But wherever she ended up, I was bound and determined to make sure she retained the ability and optimism to see it as beautiful and worthwhile.

Karsen

I jolted awake locked in an unbreakable grasp, my back plastered tightly to Booker’s front. It took me a minute to figure out what woke me up. We’d both tumbled into an exhausted heap after doing our best to break the bed the night before. After the day we’d had, it was no surprise we fell asleep with the lights on, neither one of us moving, even though the other was naked and within touching distance. Booker didn’t lay out the plan for the following day before passing out, so I assumed we were going to sleep in and tackle the rest of our trip home refreshed and alert. I was super on board with sleeping in. I wasn’t a morning person on the best of days. However, as soon as the streaks of dawn’s first light started to peek through the curtains, my eyes were open and my body was tense and alert for reasons I couldn’t immediately identify. Booker’s arms tightened around me, squeezing so hard it was right on the edge of being painful. His massive thighs twitched against the backs of mine, and I felt his big body shift in agitation. A quiet murmur whispered somewhere over my head

and I felt his fingers flex and dig into my skin. Suddenly his entire body locked up tight and he pushed away from me as if he couldn’t put enough distance between his skin and mine. His dark head started to whip violently back and forth on the pillow and he lifted his hands protectively in front of him, mumbling the words ‘no’ and ‘stop’ over and over again. Even in his sleep, his mouth was twisted into a grimace of pain and there was a scowl morphing his features into something fierce and defensive. It was no surprise he had nightmares. After everything he told me yesterday, I couldn’t imagine a way for him to ever escape that kind of darkness. It was actually shocking he was as well-adjusted as he was. Sure, he thrived on violence and destruction, but it was targeted and controlled. He didn’t wreak havoc without a reason. He wasn't an unsecured weapon ready to go off at the slightest provocation. No, for as dangerous as he was, he was never a threat to anyone who didn’t deserve his ire or who wasn’t a job. He kept telling me he would never hurt me on purpose, and he hadn’t. Until that night. Once again, I felt like I was catching up and only getting half the story. It was incredibly annoying considering the storyline was my life, and I should be the one driving the plotline forward, not simply moving from scene to scene as someone else narrated my journey.

I reached out tentative fingers to touch the deep furrows between his eyebrows. I made sure to leave enough room to roll away in case he was the type to wake violently from a bad dream. I whispered soothing words and gently tried to stroke the frown from his mouth. His eyes fluttered rapidly behind his eyelids and a low moan ripped out of his heaving chest. The sheets dropped and twisted around his thrashing legs. I let my gaze drift down the length of his beautiful body, absently thinking my sister’s nickname for him was fitting in more ways than one. Brysen called him ‘Gigantor’ because he towered over pretty much anyone and everyone who got close enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. I had irrefutable proof that he was big all over and he knew how to use every single inch. He quieted down after a few minutes, but his breathing remained labored and he didn’t relax back into a restful slumber. He remained tense, like he was ready to jump out of bed, kick ass, and take names at any second. But now that he was sprawled out on his back, I could see one part of him had woken up and didn’t seem to be as tormented and tortured as the rest of him. In fact, it seemed pretty happy and ready to face whatever the day was going to bring. I took a deep breath and touched a hesitant finger to the soft, swollen head. It was amazing that

something could be so hard and so supple at the same time. He really did feel like an iron rod wrapped in velvet. The corded lines of his abs tensed across his stomach and he let out a sleepy sigh that seemed to take most of his unconscious tension with it as he exhaled. His legs stopped shifting restlessly and his hips lifted a fraction, searching for more contact as I pulled my hand away. I watched, entranced, as his heavy cock seemed to move and thicken under my hungry gaze. The flared head tapped against his rock-hard stomach and he sighed again. I wiggled out from under the sheets and maneuvered myself so I was hovering over Booker’s strong, sexy thighs. I was careful not to rest my weight on him. I didn’t want him to wake up too fast, and I didn’t want to startle him on the tail end of the dream he’d been fighting his way through. There was no way I was going to be able to take all of him into my mouth. He was far too well endowed, and I was far too inexperienced when it came to getting a man off with my mouth. Even during my rebellious phase, going down on a guy hadn’t been at the top of my to-do list. It was drilled into my head by my sister that I wasn’t supposed to get on my knees for anyone. That they were supposed to kneel before me, because I was worth it, I was special. Somewhere in the translation of all the assurance that I was meant for

bigger better things, it turned into a sex thing in my head. Getting on my knees for any guy made me balk and freak out. I didn't have any of those reservations when it came to Booker. On my knees, bent over backwards, upside down, however he wanted me, I was willing to put myself in any position and let him have his wicked way with me. The open-mindedness was directly tied to the fact I knew Booker would bend for me just as easily. Hell, I wouldn’t even have to ask. He would kneel for me in an instant if he thought that was what I wanted. I leaned over and gave him a long, wet lick. All the way from the base of his cock to the slit at the top. He moved underneath me, but when I looked up, his eyes were still closed and his arms were loose at his sides. I liked his musky, manly taste. It was heady, rich, and something I wouldn’t soon forget. All that waited for me was pure, unfiltered Booker and I couldn’t get enough. I wiggled closer so I could wrap my lips around the wide, flared head and worked my mouth down the rigid length. I felt him jerk against my tongue, and suddenly his hands were in my hair as I wrapped my hand around his thick base and started to slide it upwards, meeting my stretched lips somewhere in the middle as I sucked him down and jerked him off. “Karsen.” His morning rasp was sexy as hell,

and all kinds of rough and deep. It sent a shiver up my spine as I rolled my eyes up to look at him. His eyes were half open, still soft with sleep. The sharpness that usually lurked within them was gone, and so were the hard lines that normally etched his face in his patented don’t-fuck-with-me expression. There was some pink heat in his cheeks, and the dark stubble that covered the lower part of his face added a whole new level of dark, deadly and dangerous. He was so hot. I’d always thought he was the most beautiful man ever, but seeing him relaxed and unguarded like this, he was something else. Something unforgettable. He was almost handsome. Not quite there, but close. He was too rugged and had way too many hard lessons etched into his skin to be classically handsome. Not that he needed to be something as boring as good looking. There was so much more to him than his outward appearance. It was all those things, like his resilience, his loyalty, his perseverance, his unwavering strength, his fearlessness, and his kindness that pulled me to him in the first place. I swallowed hard around the massive erection trapped between my lips, using my tongue to work the vein throbbing against it. I tightened my hand and set a steady, relentless pace. Squeezing harder when he grunted and muttered that he needed more. Each time I lowered my head, concentrating

on breathing through my nose and working to take more of him in, I got a grunt of appreciation in return. His hands tightened in my hair, not forcing me, just holding me, stroking through the long strands as I made love to him with my mouth. Eventually his stillness came to an end and he started lifting his hips in time with the rhythm I set. He was achingly careful not to shove his incredible length too far down my throat. I was already fighting the urge to gag, he was so big and taking up so much space, but I sort of loved the violation and the work it took to bring him pleasure. His hands were nowhere near the parts of me that were aching for him, but I was already wet. I could feel the moisture as my thighs rubbed together when I settled more fully on top of him. “Karsen.” It was something between a question and a plea. He had sweat beaded up at his temples and there were lines of strain from his restraint bracketing his eyes and his mouth. His hands tightened painfully in my hair, tugging the strands as I used the tip of my tongue to play with his leaking slit. A burst of precum slid across my tongue, telling me he was close and waking all my taste buds to the flavor of him. He groaned and his hips kicked up off the mattress with more force. He immediately apologized and tried to pull away but I wouldn’t let him. Instead, I braced myself and put my hands on

his hips, urging him upward, letting him fuck my face the way he’d been fighting not to since he woke up. “Ahhh . . . I don’t want to hurt you.” His voice was thin and there was a desperate shake threaded throughout it. I swirled my tongue all around his cock, licking him like he was a melting ice cream cone and I didn’t want to miss a single drop. I sat up for a second and used my thumb to rub circles around the tiny v that was funneling shiny precum down the underside of his cock. I loved the way the muscles in his thighs quivered at my touch. “You won’t. I trust you.” I did. I was as shocked as he looked when the words popped out. He’d done his very best to see to it that the last thing I would ever do is trust him with my heart or my body, but here we were. I was more than willing to put my body in his more than capable hands; my heart was another story. One I wasn’t ready to think about just yet. I ducked my head and pulled him back into my mouth. I lightly raked my nails up and down the inside of his thighs, feeling the way his big body shook and shuddered as I did so. His cock pulsed in my mouth, spreading moisture across my tongue and along the roof of my mouth. His first thrust was hesitant and controlled. His hands returning to tangle in my hair as he let me set the initial pace.

It wasn’t until I got my hands on that secret, tender place between his legs that he lost all semblance of restraint. As soon as I had his warm, soft sac in my palm, applying the lightest bit of pressure, his hips started to rock off the bed, pushing deeper into my mouth, filling me with what felt like miles and miles of unyielding flesh. He moaned my name, knees bending as I settled between them, doing my best to take everything he had to give. His tip hit the back of my throat and for a second I forgot to breathe. He must have sensed I was struggling because he immediately backed off. It was his effortless consideration that turned me inside out. I moaned loudly around the cock stuffed between my lips and pressed down, letting him know I was good, this was good. I loved being in charge of bringing him pleasure. It was something I’d dreamed of doing long before I knew how potent and powerful it could make a woman feel. It didn’t take long for me to get my gag reflex under control and to let him push past the resistance in my throat. I swallowed him all the way down and watched in delight as the move had his eyes rolling back in his head. He didn’t last long after that. In a rush, I felt his cock kick and his entire body vibrate as he exploded down the back of my throat, my name tumbling from his lips on a growl. It was a practiced sound, one that made me

realize he said my name before when he was on the brink of flying apart. This might be the only time I was in the same room to hear it, but it wasn’t a foreign phrase to him. It was filthy and so fucking hot that my hands immediately shot to where I was dripping wet between my legs. I was so turned on, I could feel it under my fingers. All it would take was a single stroke of my fingers, a slide across my clit and I would come apart. But I didn’t want that. I was having too much fun drawing out every second of Booker’s pleasure. Our entire relationship circled around him being the one in charge, him being the one who decided how close I could get and how much of himself he would let me have. In this moment, I was the one calling the shots. I was the one in complete control. I owned his body and his pleasure. I was the boss, and the fact he was letting me do with him what I wanted, that he let me handle him while he was pliant and vulnerable under my mouth and hands, did more to settle me and guide me toward the future than four years of college had. I craved this kind of power over him, and over other wild, dangerous things that refused to be tamed. I released him with a pop, which quickly turned into a startled yelp as strong hands circled my waist and effortlessly lifted me up, dragging me up and over his chest until I was straddling his dark head

where it rested on the pillow. Blue-gray eyes blazed up at me, as his calloused hands skated up the outside of my thighs. It was my turn to shiver and shake. He arched an eyebrow up at me, and nothing but pure, wicked intent showed on his face. “Hold on.” It was part promise, part threat, and part warning of what was about to come. It was all sex and satisfaction. I put my hands flat on the wall in front of me and closed my eyes. I felt the first swipe of his tongue as it swept through the damp folds he used his fingers to separate. I was open to his avid gaze and his probing tongue. I felt every swirl and lick rush through my body. My nerves were tingling, and my skin felt like it was a size too small. I quivered where I hovered over him, and mindlessly rode his face as his tongue fucked into me and his hands played all of my most sensitive places. It was sensation overload, making my body hum and my mind numb to everything but pleasure. When the sharp edge of his teeth dragged over my clit, I was done for. I was already turned on beyond belief from having him in my mouth, so my fuse was already incredibly short. I threw my head back and shouted his name at the ceiling as I came apart under the onslaught of his teeth and tongue. I shuddered as my orgasm worked its way out from the center of my body toward my fingers and toes.

There wasn’t a single part of me that didn’t experience a warm rush of satisfaction. I felt his hands glide over the curve of my ass and the bite of his teeth into the soft skin of my inner thigh. The scrape of his stubble was rough against that sensitive skin and it brought on a whole-body shiver. I was going to have beard burn in some very interesting places. I heard him suck and knew he was marking me in the place only a lover would ever see. I toppled to the side, arms tossed outward, chest heaving. Booker propped himself up next to me, head resting in his hand as he braced himself on an elbow. His lips touched my cheek. “Not sure what brought that about, but that was singlehandedly the best wake-up call I’ve ever gotten.” He rubbed his free hand over his naked chest and his eyes widened when he noticed it was morning. “Holy shit. I slept through the night.” I lifted a hand and rubbed my fingers through the prickly hair covering his face. “You did. You had something chasing you in your sleep early this morning, though. I decided whatever it was couldn’t have you so I needed to save you from whatever hides in your darkness.” His gaze glinted down at me and a grin hitched up one side of his mouth. “You’re gonna go head to head with all my demons?” He looked away for a second and his eyes were serious when they once

again found mine. “I’ve been fighting them all my life and all it’s ever gotten me is a lot of sleepless nights.” I sighed and moved my hand so I could use my fingers to trace the stern line of his mouth. “Maybe they know you’re coming for them so they’re ready for you. They have no idea I’m on the way. They won’t have time to hide from me.” He reached out and snagged a piece of hair sticking to my cheek. He rubbed the strands between his fingers and his face softened into an expression I’d never seen him wear before. If I didn't know any better I would say it was adoration. “If anyone is strong enough to take them on, it's you. They’ve had a lifetime to take hold. I don’t think shaking them loose is going to be easy. Nothing about me will ever be easy.” I sighed and snuggled into the curve of his body as he pulled me forward. “If they aren't going anywhere, maybe it’s time to stop fighting them and learn to live with them instead. Living in the Point you should know, it’s possible to coexist with the things that feel like they’re going to shred us to pieces.” He grunted but didn't disagree with me. Instead, his lip brushed the top of my head and he told me he was going to take a shower. Since we were both wide awake, he mumbled something about burning daylight and getting back on the road. I knew he

was changing the subject and walking away from the heavy conversation, but I let him go. I spread out across the bed, mind drifting to the future. I was used to not knowing where I was going or how I was getting there. Going back to the Point was always my super-secret desire that I wouldn’t share with anyone. Partly because I was worried my sister and Race would be so disappointed in me if I didn’t end up somewhere better, even though they’d both sacrificed so much to turn the city I loved into a place that was safe enough for me to return. I also didn’t want to admit that home was where my heart was; didn’t want to admit it was that because of the man in the next room. It felt like weakness to run back after what he’d done, and I never wanted to show just how deeply his betrayal had scarred. Now I had so many questions swirling around unanswered. About what really went down that night and how independent I'd really been allowed to be since leaving. I was wondering why going back to the Point suddenly didn't feel like the security blanket it had always been. No, returning home felt more like returning to the scene of a crime. I needed to go back because I needed answers, and I wanted to see all the impressive changes Booker mentioned. I needed both my sister and Race to come clean with me,

because I was starting to see, as supportive as they’d both always been, they also had an agenda. I knew no one ever went against what Race wanted. He was willing to move heaven and Earth to make sure things played out according to his script and his dictates. I no longer felt like my life was over if I decided not to stay in the Point after the wedding and the reckoning I could feel coming. Booker’s story about his tragic childhood forced me to see the world was a really big place, and the Point no longer needed me. Four years of absence and all that had apparently changed had proven that to me. All the changes the people who loved it had made, all the battles fought and won for a better way of life, they were necessary. But those same kinds of fights needed to be fought in other places. There were so many communities failing and falling into despair because they didn’t have the people in them the Point did. Saving one crumbling city was all well and good . . . but why couldn’t someone who knew what they were doing save them all?

Booker

I was extra cautious when we left the motel that morning. I drove an hour out of the way, backtracked, and then sped through the town where we’d spent the night. It was a ridiculous route and I made note of every single car we passed. I knew if I saw the same make and model more than once, the likelihood that we were being followed was high. Karsen and I systematically picked through the rest of her belongings looking for another tracking device, but we didn’t find anything. As we drove, I got madder at myself. I was pissed for reacting with my gut and merely disassembling the device instead of planting it on another car headed the opposite direction. It was a rookie mistake, one I shouldn’t have made. When it came to Karsen, I always acted on instinct first and tended to regret things later on. My brain definitely ended up third in line behind my heart and dick when it came to making decisions where she was concerned. Not that I was ever going to regret getting to hold her through the night. Or getting to know how she tasted and felt as she unraveled against my

tongue. I would never lament knowing the way her eyes deepened to rich, beautiful espresso when she hovered right on the edge of an orgasm. And I would never, ever forget the way she said my name like it, like I, was something special as she drifted off to sleep, head tucked under my chin, hand resting on my heart. She was dead-on about it being the best memory I would ever have. The only problem was now that we’d created something so unforgettable together, I didn't know how I was supposed to go back to living my life pretending I didn’t know there could be kindness and softness out there, even for someone as fucked up as I was. Love and respect went hand in hand, and I would never have either from her if I didn’t stop letting the experiences from my past define the man I was going to be from here on out. With a new resolve to look forward instead of backward in place, I pushed us through to Seattle and worked us down the coast. There were no more run-ins with mysterious cars and blending into the city proved to be extremely easy. We stopped for a late lunch on the Sound and then drove down to Portland. I pulled over at a busy rest stop so we could figure out our next move. My plan was to drive through the night to Reno. It was completely out of the way and anyone following us would be totally thrown off by our route turning back toward the east. Selfishly, I

knew it would also give us one more night together before I had to hand her over to the man who nearly destroyed us both in order to set her free. Karsen grumbled about the added hours, knowing we could hit the Point by tomorrow night if we just kept heading south on the highway. It would mean switching off drivers, giving both of us a chance to snooze while the other handled the driving. I didn’t like it, would much rather have zigzagged for another day, but I could see being in the car so close to home was starting to wear on her. She didn’t seem nearly as anxious or as excited as she had been initially about returning to the Point. Now, there was a steely resolve and some sort of determination I couldn’t quite figure out fueling her desire to get back as quickly as possible. Reluctantly, I agreed to the straight shot down the coast. I was rewarded with a squeal and a smacking kiss for my weakness where she was concerned. I wrapped my arms around her, operating on reflex, when her body slammed into mine. However, I was stunned stupid and unable to return the excited kiss. When Karsen pulled back and scowled up at me in confusion, I squeezed her and told her numbly, “No one has ever really initiated affection toward me in public before.” In that moment, I realized exactly how pathetic that sounded. She gaped at me in shock as I shook my head to clear out the slippery cobwebs of tangled

memories I no longer wanted to be stuck in. “I’ve never held anyone’s hand. I’ve never had anyone kiss me in front of other people the way you just did. People don’t even like to look at me, Karsen. Let alone touch me.” And I knew it wasn’t entirely due to the scar that mangled one side of my face. When you were built like a beast and carried death around in your eyes, people instinctively gave you a wide berth. It was their self-preservation instincts kicking in the same way they did when around any wild animal. Predators were unpredictable. Her scowl deepened and she looked like she was ready to take on the entire world on my behalf. I could fight, I had to in order to survive, but Karsen was a fighter. It was ingrained in her, threaded throughout the very fiber of her being. I knew how to hurt people, she knew how to heal them by never giving up and never giving in when she believed in someone. “Touch is a basic human need, Booker.” She ran the back of her hand over my ravaged cheek and leaned up on the tips of her toes so she could put tiny kisses all up and down the silvery length. I grunted and ran my hand up her back. “The only person whose touch I ever needed was yours. The rest I could have done without.” Her touch made me feel like a man, not a monster, not a machine. All the other hands that had been on me made me feel like I was nothing. Literally, I was no

more than pile of skin and bones with no heart or soul inside. She nodded briskly like she understood exactly what I meant and patted me on the shoulders, which seemed so ridiculous I couldn’t help but grin. It was like someone petting a wolf in order to calm it down and get it to behave. “Let me drive while we still have daylight. If anything happens I’d rather not be trying to outrun another car in the dark. I’ll leave that to you. You can catch a few hours of sleep and we’ll switch off when we cross into the next state.” She kissed me again, this time a peck on the tip of my nose and her eyes melted into a golden, chocolate swirl so soft and warm it made my heart lurch painfully inside my chest. “And I want you to know I love touching you, Booker. You’re going to have to fight to keep my hands off you. I would want everyone who sees us together to know you are mine and I am yours, and there will never be any question whether or not I think you are the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.” She flounced away around the front of the car with a sassy swish of swaying hair and a strut that made my mouth go dry. There were a lot of things I really loved about grownup Karsen Carter, but the undeniable confidence and self-assuredness she now possessed was at the very top of the list. It was like she finally realized she really was meant for

greatness. People hadn’t been blowing smoke up her ass in order to placate her. Watching her own her independence and individuality made my dick almost as hard as watching those long legs of hers carry her like she was perpetually walking a runway. I threw my head back and looked up at the sky, as if the clouds and endlessly blue expanse had the answers for questions I couldn’t ask. I wanted nothing more than to be hers and to tell her she had always been mine, but there were so many obstacles in the way. I couldn’t see a clear path to either of us getting to that point. Normally, I just ran right over whatever was standing in my way, but if I did that this time, I had no doubt I would lose her forever. There was no way to win this game, not when Race was holding all the cards. But that didn’t stop me from imagining what it would be like to have her hands on me all the time. I wanted to be claimed like that. I wanted someone to be proud of being with me. It was asking a lot, considering I couldn’t even stand my own company half the time. I laced my fingers together and put them on the top of my head, reluctantly making my way around the car to the passenger side. When I climbed in, she was humming the same tune as her ringtone and grinned at me when I gave her a look. “It’s Taylor Swift.” She said it like I should

know. The only reason I had any clue who Taylor Swift is was because of the girls who danced at the Empire where I often bounced. When there weren’t knees to break and heads to bash, they mentioned Karsen would make a killing if she started to strip because of her resemblance to the popstar. Of course, Karsen would become a stripper over Race’s dead body, but I’d still Googled the singer and was surprised that the girls were right. Karsen and the music mogul both had a look about them. An innocence, tempered with something sharper and more calculating. In Karsen’s case, all that softness covered up some edges that sliced right down to the bone. I settled into the seat and tried to find a comfortable spot to lean. When she was back in the protective hands of her sister and almost-brotherin-law, I was never going on a road trip again. Well, I may never breathe again once I was back on Race’s turf so that may not even be a concern. “You kind of look like her. The singer. I bet you hear that all the time.” I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what it was going to be like rolling back into the Point with her by my side. I felt rather than saw her shrug. “Yeah. I’ve heard it a time or two. Usually from a drunk guy trying to hit on me. Ari and I went and saw her in concert a while back. I couple of little girls asked

me for my autograph.” She giggled at the memory, and again I felt like a hopeless idiot for ever thinking our lives could align. In the Point, people thought she could make money from the way she looked, taking her clothes off and titillating men for a living. In the real world, little girls mistook her for their idol and asked her to sign something for them. I groaned and threw my forearm over my eyes to block out the sun and the headache I could feel forming. The truth was, no matter how much I changed, or how far I pushed myself to repent, I was never going to be good enough for her. There was no making amends for all the things I’d done to earn my place in the Point. I wanted respect and I got it. Only, I now realized I sought it out from the wrong people. Despite my whirling thoughts and churning gut, I managed to fall into a restless sleep. I woke twice, once when I hit my head on the passenger window when Karsen slammed on the brakes to avoid a car that careened into our lane, cutting her off. And once more when Karsen reached out her hand to play with my short hair when we got stuck in rush hour traffic. The feeling of her fingers scraping over my scalp electrified my entire body. I went instantly hard and found myself leaning into her touch, seeking more, letting the sensation of being soothed sink all the way into my bones. Apparently, this

wolf was pretty fucking close to being domesticated and I couldn’t muster up the energy to care. When I woke up the final time, the sun was going down and I noticed we were pulled over on the shoulder of the road. I blinked a few times before the spinning red and blue lights pulled me totally awake and had me snapping upright with instant alertness. “What happened? Were you speeding?” I whipped my head around to look at a terrified Karsen who was watching the police car in the rearview mirror. She shook her head and looked at me with huge eyes. “I wasn’t doing anything. We crossed the state line, and the next thing I knew he was behind me. He followed us for a solid twenty minutes before turning on the siren and pulling me over. I don’t have my driver’s license, and the trunk has a goddamn arsenal loaded into it; why would I do anything to draw attention to us?” She sounded petulant and annoyed because obviously she was smarter than that. We both knew it. “We crossed the state line?” I shifted in my seat, eyes darting to the door on her side of the car where my gun was stashed. I was a felon. It was totally illegal for me to be in possession of any kind of firearm. If the cop searched the car and took me in, it was a one-way ticket back to prison for me. I had a truckload of fake identification for all

different occasions, but if my fingerprints were run for any reason, any reason at all, I was toast. A cold sweat slipped from my hairline and started to roll down my spine. “I don’t like this.” We were too close to home for it all to fall apart now. With our breath held, we both watched as the cop got out of his cruiser and made his way up along the side of the car. He had mirrored shades on, even though the sun was going down, and he kept his hand on the butt of his gun as he approached Karsen’s side of the car. As subtly as she could, she slid one of her hands into mine and squeezed. “Good evening, Officer. How can I help you today?” Ever the chameleon, Karsen slipped into her perfectly innocent girl-next-door guise between one breath and the next. The cop tilted his sunglasses down and ran his gaze over both of us, pausing to look at our linked hands. “Do you have any idea why I pulled you over, young lady?” His voice was hard and gave nothing away. “Umm . . .” Karsen gave me a searching look and then offered up a helpless shrug. “I really don’t. I can’t think of a single reason why you would pull me over, Officer.” The cop hummed a little and braced a hand on top of the car. “Where are you headed?”

I thought it was super weird he had yet to ask for identification from either of us and I didn’t like the way he was eyeballing me over the top of Karsen’s head. It was all I could do to breathe in and out and not start to hyperventilate. I could practically hear the cell doors slamming shut. The sound made my ears ring as my blood pressure shot through the roof. “Uh . . . We’re headed home. Down the coast to the Point. I doubt you’ve ever heard of it.” She flashed him a guileless smile that almost had me believing she was some kind of angel. “My sister is getting married soon and I’m in the wedding.” The cop nodded as if the information she was spewing was fascinating. He tapped his hand on the roof of the car and it took every single scintilla of willpower I possessed not to jump out of my damn skin. “I know the Point. Know it well. I owe a favor or two to a guy down there I bet we both know. Got in deep with the wrong people placing bets on the horses in Del Mar. Offered to help me out if I did him a favor down the road. He put a call in and asked me to keep an eye out for a young woman on her way home. Not sure I want to know how he’s been monitoring traffic cameras all up and down the coast, but he has been. He asked me to check on her if I happened to see her and he mentioned the man you were with might very well be keeping

you with him by force. He gave me the go ahead to remove you from your companion’s company by any means necessary.” Karsen gasped and whipped her head around so fast I was stunned she didn’t give herself whiplash. “However, you don’t seem to be in any distress. Are you with this man against your will, young lady?” “No! Absolutely not. He’s the one who got me this far. I’m with him because I want to be.” Each word was more forceful than the one behind it. The cop tapped the hood of the car again and took a step back. “Figured there was more to the story than that blond pretty boy was giving me.” The police officer took his sunglasses off and pointed a finger at me. “If I search this vehicle am I going to find an unregistered weapon?” Nope. He was going to find about twelve. I slowly nodded and felt my palms beginning to sweat. If I were in the driver’s seat, I would have floored it and tried to outrun the man. I was practically gagging on the thought of getting locked up again. “I may have gotten a heads-up about that. If you want some unsolicited advice, ditch the weapons and get the girl home in one piece. The only reason I’m not taking you in is because Hartman took my ‘53 Hudson a few months ago and sold it off before I got a chance to buy it back. That car was my great granddaddy’s. That little

punk acts like he’s untouchable, but he’s not. I hope you show him he isn’t God and isn’t above the consequences that come with playing with other peoples’ lives.” He nodded again and looked at Karsen. “If you care about your traveling companion, you better step up and put your foot down, little girl. Your big brother isn’t playing fair, and the next cop who comes along might be more afraid of him than I am.” Before Karsen could snap that Race wasn’t officially related to her yet, the cop passed along one last warning look and headed back to his car. He wasn’t even back in the cruiser before I had the passenger door open and was falling to the ground on my hands and knees. Lunch came up in a rush as I gagged and choked. I could feel sweat dripping into my eyes, or maybe those were tears. Either way, my face was wet and I was shaking all over when I felt Karsen’s hand on the center of my back and her lips on the crown of my head. Pathetic. Weak. Powerless. I was back to being all the things I swore I would never allow myself to be again. “I can’t go back, Karsen. I can’t.” The cold cement. The restricted space and constant fight for survival. If I ended up back in prison I knew I wasn’t making it out alive this time. “Go back where? Booker, I’ve never seen you like this.” She sounded scared, but there was no

way her fear could touch the terror screaming through me at the moment. “I can’t go back to jail. I won’t go back. I’ll die first.” I lifted my head to look at her, hoping she could see what I thought of having everything stripped away from me was doing to me. When you had a weakness, it could be used against you. She’d just witnessed it first-hand. Nothing would have made me hurt her. Nothing on Earth was worth losing her and letting her go. But I was powerless against the way the fear of getting locked up made me feel. “That’s not going to happen. I won’t let it.” She sounded fierce and so protective, I desperately wanted to believe her. She was a fighter, and the idea of her fighting for me did something to my insides that made my fear feel small and insignificant. I looked at her from under my lashes as I pulled myself together. “I’m not this guy anymore. The one who falls apart and lets himself get run over by someone smarter and more powerful. At least, I thought I wasn’t that guy anymore. Everything I’ve done in my life is to prove I’m not him.” I hated how she witnessed me at one of my lowest points in years. The last time I had been this low was when I let Roxy and her friend have their way with me the night she showed up in my apartment, all the while knowing the wheels I set in motion were going to

spin us out and tear us apart. She kissed me on the top of my head and took a step back. Her eyes were alive with gold fire as she put her hands on her hips and told me, “You are the guy who has always walked through fire to get to me, Booker. Nothing that happened today changes that. We all have a breaking point; it’s what makes us human. Let’s get going. We need to find a safe place to ditch the guns and I think we should find a different car. If we get stopped again, I’m not letting them take you, so we’d better be safe rather than sorry.” She started ticking off a million things that needed to happen, and I knelt at her knees knowing I would follow her anywhere she wanted to lead me. I would battle every single dragon she asked me to slay. I wasn’t much of a white knight; my armor was beyond rusted and ruined. However, I knew there was no one who would give as much, or go to the lengths I would go, in order to keep her safe. She might be the princess of the Point, but she was the Queen, the undeniable ruler, of my crooked and shady heart.

Karsen

All the pieces of our broken past were starting to fall into place and I didn’t like the picture they were painting before me. Not. At. All. Booker’s insistence he would never hurt me if he had a choice in the matter. The years before that night where he had been willing to die for me, literally. Race’s adamant protests that Booker was not the man for me, combined with my sister’s constant pressure to leave the Point behind and seek a better life elsewhere. Booker’s unmasked fear at the thought of going back to prison. The irrefutable fact he did things for Race and Nassir that were decidedly against the law. The way he said Race’s name with bitter scorn and ugly resentment. And the way he flatly declared he didn’t work for Race anymore and never would again. All my sister had ever asked of Race was to keep me safe, to keep his life and the dangers that

went with it away from me. He would move heaven and Earth to grant her any wish, and since she only had one, it wasn’t hard to imagine Race doing whatever it took to do what Brysen asked of him. I didn’t want to believe the man I loved like an older brother was capable of playing the man I loved with my whole heart like a puppet. It made my skin crawl and had acrid rage climbing furiously up the back of my throat to think about Race manipulating Booker. Everyone knew there was no way I was leaving the big, damaged man. I wasn’t willing to walk away from him. But then that night happened and I couldn’t put him in my rearview mirror fast enough. Booker breaking my heart into a million pieces gave Race and Brysen exactly what they wanted, all while making me believe it was my idea to go. I was hurt so badly and felt so lost and alone. I honestly believed leaving the Point was the only way I was going to survive. I was starting to think it was my family who betrayed me, not the man sitting silently beside me. “You’re pretty quiet over there. Is everything all right?” Booker’s question jolted me out of my thoughts. I let go of the breath I’d sucked in and forgot to release as my mind spun circles around all the truths I thought I knew. All the truths and possible betrayals that were teetering on the edge of my mind. “I was just thinking.” And those thoughts were

really starting to piss me off. Booker looked at me, taking his eyes off the road briefly. He had taken back control of the car and was anxiously looking in the mirror every five minutes. We were supposed to meet Snowden Stark and his girlfriend in a tiny town a couple of hours up the coast from the city, and Booker was driving like a grandma to prevent getting pulled over again. There were too many weapons loaded into the car to dispose of discreetly, and I had a feeling Booker was going to hand me off to the quiet hacker as soon as we met up. He was growing tenser and more alert the closer we got to home. I could practically feel him vibrating with apprehension. “Thinking about what?” He was touching his face, fingers dancing over his scar and rubbing against his scruff. His actions showed me he was nervous as hell, and that pissed me off even more. The man followed me across the country after four years of radio silence just to apologize, to give me a chance to see the truth on my own. He stayed awake all night and watched over me. He was delivering me back to the very people playing Russian roulette with his life. He’d never done anything but protect and care for me. Even when he took me to bed, it was all about making memories and creating something beautiful to replace all the dirty flashbacks of him and those other girls that had polluted my mind for so long.

I rubbed a finger between my eyebrows, trying to physically push back the headache I felt building. “I was thinking about the night I walked in on you with those girls.” He made a strangled sound low in his throat and started tapping his fingers on his thigh in a very agitated manner. “Why are you thinking about that? It was a long time ago.” Only it didn’t sound like it was as far in the past as he wanted it to be either. “That night changed everything for me, Booker. I was so sure you knew I was coming for you the minute I was old enough. I was convinced you were waiting for me the way I was waiting for you.” I found myself tapping my fingers in the same pattern Booker was using. “I’m not dumb, and I was nowhere near as naïve as you guys thought I was. I knew you weren't exactly living like a monk. I saw the way those strippers went out of their way to hit on you. But all those years you knew I was crushing on you, not once did you ever flaunt another girl in my face. It didn’t matter if I stopped by before school, or if I popped in during the middle of the night. You were always alone, Booker. Always.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and he wouldn’t hold my gaze. A muscle jumped in his cheek and I was pretty sure I saw the corner of his eye twitch. “I always liked you. You were a good

kid. You treated me like the sun rose and set because I asked it to. No one ever acted like I was worth their time before you came along. You always treated me like any time we spent together mattered to you. I wasn’t going to taint it by letting you look at what my life was really like when we weren’t together. You know I’m not a nice man. That typically means nice girls want nothing to do with me.” I scoffed at him and lifted a challenging eyebrow. “Really?” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Yes, really.” I snorted in a very unladylike fashion and lifted a hand so I could tick off on my fingers all the very nice girls I knew, who did indeed, love very bad men. “Bax is about a hundred times more grumpy and unapproachable than you are. Dovie loves him unconditionally and she is the nicest person on the whole planet. Definitely the nicest girl in the Point. Race is an asshole. He’s a manipulative, conniving bastard, but my sister would gladly die for him. Nassir is as cold as they come. Seriously, being in the same room as him terrifies me. Key isn’t just nice, she’s compassionate and totally understanding. Reeve isn’t exactly nice, or sweet, or very empathetic, but there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for Titus and their baby.” I held up my hand pointing at my pinkie finger triumphantly. “I’ve never meet Noe. From what I’ve heard, she

tends to stick to being invisible, which I guess I understand because who knows if half the shit she gets into with Stark is legal. But from what I’ve pieced together, she’s the only one who managed to get through all of Stark’s hardwiring. I doubt she’s a jerk, because only someone with infinite patience and persistence could commit to unraveling the mess that man was tangled in. In fact, I think every single not-nice man I know has a pretty decent woman by his side to dull some of those rough edges.” I huffed an exasperated breath. “Besides, the girl who wasn’t crawling all over your dick that night was very nice to me. Roxy, I think she said her name was. She felt sorry for me, and I think also for you.” He was quiet for a long time. The spasm in his cheek picked up speed and I swore I could hear his teeth grinding together. When he spoke, his voice was low and I could hear remembered pain and years of regret weighing heavily on each word. “Roxy is an old friend. She’s one of the first people I met when I showed up in the Point. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body, and she takes everyone at face value. I don’t know how she’s managed to survive in the Point as long as she has. She probably wouldn’t have if Bax hadn’t ordered Nassir to take her under his protection. You’re right; she is nice, and when I needed a favor, she agreed to help me out.”

It was my turn to grind my teeth and feel my eye twitch. I started this, but I wasn’t sure I had the stomach to finish it. I could still see the other girl grinding on his lap, touching what was mine. “Why did you need her to do you that kind of favor, Booker? Why that night? The timing was coincidentally perfect. It was almost like you knew exactly when I was going to be knocking on your door.” I tugged on a strand of loose hair, twisting the ends around my finger as I watched his every move. Suddenly, he sat up straighter in the driver’s seat and cut a sharp look in my direction. “Why do you think I needed that kind of favor from those kinds of girls?” Was I really ready to admit that my family set us both up? Was I strong enough to face that kind of betrayal a second time? The first time it took me four damn years to climb back to my feet after getting knocked down. If I went down again, I wasn’t sure I could claw my way back from the brink. As I looked at the man next to me, most of those doubts died a quiet death. It didn't matter how close to the edge I got, he would always be there to pull me back. And if for some reason I went over, there was little question left in my mind that he was coming in after me. He would never let me drown in the pit of uncertainty and confusion

again. “I think you needed someone there with you to make sure I caught you in a compromising situation. I think you knew I was coming, because either my sister or Race told you I was on my way down to see you. I was so excited. So stupidly in love with you. The trip down to your apartment felt like it took forever, but it was only seconds. I think you knew the only way I was going to be able to quit caring about you was if I had unmistakable proof you didn’t feel about me the way I felt about you. Finding you with two women who were so different from me, on the night which was supposed to be the start of us, was impossible for me to ignore. I was hurt and embarrassed. All I wanted to do was escape. I’m pretty sure that was the plan all along, wasn’t it? Having you break my heart was the only way I was ever going to leave the Point, so that’s what you did.” He opened his mouth and let it snap shut. His eyes blinked rapidly and his tongue darted out to slick across his lips. “That’s what I did. It’s what I had to do.” I shifted in my seat, turning so I was facing him more fully. “You promised you would never hurt me. Over and over again you made that promise. Every other promise you’ve ever made to me, you’ve kept. Why would you break the one that meant the most?”

He opened and closed his mouth again, finally turning his head to look directly at me. There were a million different emotions battling for control in his turbulent gaze, but the one that stuck out the most, the one I latched onto and refused to let go of, was remorse. He knew he hurt me, but by no means had he escaped our encounter unscathed. “Because I didn’t have a fucking choice, Karsen!” The words exploded out of him and he pounded a fist on the steering wheel. His chest was heaving and his entire body locked into a stiff, rigid line. “I didn’t have a choice.” He repeated it on a whisper and suddenly everything tightening him up and holding him still released. He practically deflated in front of my eyes. I growled. Yes, growled. Like an animal protecting her young. “Who put you up to it? Race or my sister?” Not that it mattered. I was going to tear them both to shreds when I got my hands on them. Booker sighed and gave his head a little shake. “You can’t be mad that you have people in your life who are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to keep you safe and make sure you have every opportunity available to you.” I huffed again and crossed my arms over my chest. “No, but I can be furious they made choices for me, manipulated me, and took away something that wasn’t theirs to take. I understand the reasons

behind their actions; that doesn’t mean what they did was acceptable. I was an adult in that moment, a woman in love with you, and you let them take my future from me, Booker. From us.” “Brysen never asked Race for a damn thing. She never complained about his life of crime or the violence that goes along with it. She loves him completely for all he is, and that means he would do anything for her. When she asked him to make sure you got the chance to see what life outside the Point could be like, there was nothing that would stop him from making it happen. He knew you wouldn’t go on your own, so he had to give you a push. He used me to get to you, and he used my past, and my present, against me.” He sighed and quietly admitted, “He told me he would send me back to prison if I didn’t get on board. I had to make you walk away from me or he was going to get me locked up. It wouldn't have taken much. Nothing I did while I was on his payroll was above board. He has enough evidence against me to make sure I never see the light of day again.” “He blackmailed you?” I had to say it out loud to get my head around just how deep and dark this rabbit hole was. “Yes. He promised he would put me away if I didn't do exactly what he said. Honestly, he’s too smart. Most people would threaten my life, tell me they were going to make me disappear, say they

were going to sell me out to someone I screwed over. Race knew death would be a reprieve for me. I’ve lived with the shadow of my demise hanging over my head my entire life. But prison, you just witnessed what the idea of going back does to me. It brings me to my knees. He played me. And he’s still deep in the game. Even when I bring you back, my neck’s still on the guillotine and he’s the asshole in the black hood.” I lifted a hand to my chest and felt my pounding heart. “Even though you’re terrified of going back to jail, you still came after me? Just so you could see me again? Even knowing it was going to set Race off and push him to play dirty, you still took that risk for me?” He faced his biggest fear in order to see me again. Booker was walking through the flames of his own personal hell to reach me. Was it any wonder I’d never managed to escape the hold he had on me? “I had to.” His voice was pleading, begging me to understand how hard the last four years had been on him. “There was no choice, and I was sick and tired of not having a say in my own future. All I was doing was waiting for you to come to me. It was like the world stopped spinning the second you walked out that door. Nothing else mattered. All I’ve done for four years is go through the motions. I do what I’m told. I follow orders. I toe the line, but every minute of every single day, I was missing you

and wondering what we might have been if I hadn’t been such a coward. I was so sure you knew me better than anyone. I was positive you had it all figured out.” I shook my head in denial and had to force myself to stay in my seat. All I wanted to do was crawl across the car and plant myself in his lap. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and promise to never let him go. “The things that happened to you in prison,” I got choked up and had to battle against emotion blocking my throat to get the rest of my words out. “Of course you don’t want to go back. I don’t care how big you are now. I don’t care how scary you seem, that place stole something from you. You aren’t a coward, you’re a survivor.” I curled one of my hands into a fist and pounded it against my thigh. “I hate the thought of Race using your fear against you. I’m vindictive enough to exploit his weakness, just to show him how it feels.” Booker made a noise of agreement but astutely pointed out, “The only weakness Race has is you, your sister, and Dovie. I don’t want to see anything happen to the three of you either, so vengeance isn’t in the cards.” There was a look of utter relief and understanding on his hard face. I didn’t need to give him anymore for him to recognize all the puzzle pieces had finally fallen into place. I put it

together without him saying anything more. It took four years too many to get my head in the game that Race was clearly winning. But now that I was on the board, I was determined to win. I mulled everything over as Booker pulled the car off on an exit and guided us off the main road. He took us into a tiny seaside town I was sure was adorable in the light of day. “Why didn’t Nassir step in? He obviously likes you and wants to keep you around. Do you think he would really let Race send you back to jail?” Booker hummed thoughtfully. “He kept me working and let me stay in the Point when Race declared me public enemy number one. I didn’t want to owe him anymore than I already did. Being in debt to guys like Nassir is never a good idea.” “He’s your friend. If he knew what happened to you,” I let my hands flutter uselessly, knowing there was no chance in hell of Booker opening up to the other man about his past. “I don't think he’d turn you away if you asked him for help.” Silence settled between us as he drove us toward an old-fashioned chapel in the center of town. He pulled the sedan to a stop next to a massive, lifted pickup truck. I watched him watch the other vehicle. He let out a relieved breath when the passenger door opened and a petite, dark-haired Asian woman jumped to the ground. It was a literal leap since the truck was jacked up so high and the

woman was so tiny. She had a slouchy knit hat on her head and was dressed in cargo pants that hung off her slender frame. She also had on a fitted hoodie. She resembled most of the runaways and street kids who slept in the underpasses and alleyways in the city. She had been one of them until fairly recently. A man made his way around the back end of the truck. He was dressed similarly, but he made the look seem far more tactical and intimidating. He appeared ready to go to war and win singlehandedly. Booker couldn't have picked a better best friend in my opinion. Snowden Stark might not say much, but he always showed the fuck up when anyone needed him. Booker climbed out of the car and gave me a little hand signal indicating it was okay for me to follow. There was a round of hugs and back slapping, and a squeal from the dark-haired woman as Booker lifted her off her feet and squeezed the life out of her. Once he set her down, he offered a hasty introduction and I finally got to meet Noe Lee. She was everything I’d imagined the woman who would capture Stark’s heart to be and then some. There was something about her that screamed fearlessness and defiance. I kind of loved it. I accepted a stiff, awkward hug from Stark and appreciated the effort he made. Noe must have

been a tremendous influence on him over the last four years. Whenever I’d crossed paths with the man in the past, he went out of his way to avoid touching me. “Glad to see you made it in one piece.” Noe’s voice was rich and filled with sardonic humor. I felt a twinge of sadness, knowing I’d missed a lot by being gone. I would have loved to watch this tiny spitfire bring Stark to his knees. Booker rolled his shoulders. “Ran into a few problems but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. You get anything from those pictures I sent you of the tracking device? We need to figure out who’s playing games so we can shut him down. I need to know if they’re after me or Karsen so I can decide what our next move needs to be.” Stark shifted his weight and looked down at the worn toes of his combat boots. The woman at his side leaned subtly into him, using her slight weight to silently comfort the much larger man. “Those pictures were garbage, but we do have news. Noe’s been digging into the company who leased the apartment and she finally hit on something. We were too close to it to see what was right in front of our faces.” Booker reached for me and tugged me to his side. I snuggled in under his arm and braced myself for whatever Stark was about to lay at our feet. I was getting used to bad news. It felt like the only

kind coming my way lately. “What did you find?” I felt Booker brace himself and knew he was expecting the worst. Noe was the one who answered. Maybe it was because she was the newest member of our little tribe, but somehow she managed to stay calm and collected as she told me I wasn’t done being betrayed by the people closest to me just yet. “The company on the lease is the same company who holds the title on the condos by the docks. It’s the shell corporation Race’s old man used to hide his money from the family. We all thought Race drained those accounts and gave the money to Dovie and his mother, but apparently he didn’t get rid of all of them. Hartman put that guy in the apartment. He’s on golden boy’s payroll, and my guess is he has been ever since you left for Boulder.” I was suddenly lightheaded. The church swam in front of my eyes and the night sky winked in and out of focus around me. I felt Booker’s hand on the center of my back and his lips at my ear as he promised me it would all be okay. “He promised he wasn’t going to send someone to watch me. He swore I was going to have a normal life.” The words were choppy and hard to understand. Stark snorted and lifted a dark eyebrow in my direction. “And you believed him?”

“Not now, boy genius.” Booker barked the order at his friend and received a scowl from the tiny woman in return. “Simmer down, big boy. I’m not done.” Noe put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. “Once we realized the apartment belonged to Race, we dug a little deeper. The guy he sent to keep an eye on Karsen has been around for a while. Young, like her. I dug through years and years of old security footage from the condos, and Karsen always had the same guy following her. It would totally make sense that Race asked him to play a college kid as a smokescreen. He fits the part. When I say this dude had eyes on her, I don’t mean when she needed security. He was always wherever she was at. I’m talking obsessed stalker status. I’m willing to bet my life savings he volunteered for babysitting duty in Colorado. I think he was waiting for Karsen to be alone, to be out from under Race’s watchful eye and to get over your dumb ass so he could make a move. This is not a new obsession. This guy is serious about getting his hands on your girl.” She looked between Booker and me, nodding when she saw we both understood the seriousness of the situation. “When graduation rolled around, he probably realized his window was closing and you were going back home. He would never get close with Race in the picture, and I think we all knew it was just a matter of time before the two of

you figured your shit out. You pushed him to act.” Booker tightened his one-armed hug and I felt his forehead touch my temple. “I’m going to kill Race. I swear to God.” I barked out a laugh that was so broken it hurt to hear. “Get in line.” They said the path to hell was paved with good intentions. If that was the case, Race had built a highway straight into the fire with all his harmful meddling and misguided machinations. I could see from a distance how he thought he was doing the right thing. . . . But it was all so very, very wrong. I had no idea if I was ever going to be able to forgive him for any of this. It hit me, what the best revenge would be . . . keeping Booker, loving him the way I always wanted to, building a life with him and diving deep into the darkness he’d tried to keep me from. It would be the ultimate fuck you to my bossy almost brother-in-law. Plus, making it known that Booker was mine and we were together in a forever kind of way would offer its own level of protection. Race had to know if he fucked with my heart again, I was just as likely to end him as Booker was. I wasn’t just blowing smoke when I told Booker that all the unsavory parts of the Point never bothered me. Unlike my sister, I wasn’t scared of getting my hands a little dirty.

Booker

Loading Karsen into an unassuming Prius next to Noe was one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do. It was time to split up so I could ditch the guns and so she could make it home without getting caught in the crossfire between me and her soon to be brother-in-law. I’d only had her back for a few days, and I kept telling myself letting her go was the right thing to do but watching her leave me for the second time felt like I was giving up whatever pieces of my heart were left. I didn’t ask Stark where the Prius came from. I also didn’t ask if Karsen would be safe with Noe. The computer hacker’s street-smart girlfriend was almost as dangerous as I was when she was threatened. People in the city still talked about the time she jumped from the second floor of Nassir’s night club in order to avoid a confrontation with a very bad man from her past. She was as much of a fighter as Karsen. The two of them would be unstoppable and capable of taking over the world if they spent enough time together. I pretended not to hear when Karsen asked Noe

for a phone so she could check on Ari and call her sister to let her know she was close to home. If I had my way, the real world would stay on the outskirts for a few more hours, but that wasn’t an option anymore. I also didn’t ask Stark why we were unloading all the guns from the sedan and taking them into the basement of the church. There were several impressive gun safes lining the walls of the basement, which seemed odd in a place of worship, but totally in line with Stark’s way of doing things. The man was able to hide his genius IQ and deadly military training in plain sight, behind a solemn, heavily tattooed exterior. Of course he would have a safe house right outside the city, and of course it would be disguised as a church. It was brilliant. He tossed me a key and knocked on the side of one of the safes. “You can come back for these whenever. I’ll have the guy who handles all the church services for me ditch the sedan in the morning.” I looked at the key and then up at him. “This place actually operates as a church?” My confusion was evident in both my tone and puzzled expression. “Yeah. This is where Noe ended up when she took off after all the stuff went down with her family. They were nice to her. Took her in off the street with no questions. I’ve been funneling money

into the parish and maintaining the building ever since. It comes in handy when I need a place to work off the grid, and it’s the last place anyone would look for things I don’t want found. It’s a beneficial relationship, so the parish gave me a guy who acts as a liaison. The church can keep its hands clean, technically. They’ll just throw my contact under the bus if anyone finds out they’re a front for shady activities.” He waggled his eyebrows up and down behind the rims of his glasses. “An added bonus is I’m pretty sure Nassir would burst into flames if he walked through the doors, so I have a place to dodge him when he wants me to do something I’m not interested in doing.” Barking out a laugh, I ran my hands over my head and silently followed him up a set of rickety stairs and out of the church. Bringing up Nassir had something Karsen said to me churning in my guts and spinning my head all around. “Speak of the Devil,” Stark snorted and used the fob in his hand to auto-start his huge truck. He always pressed the button from a few hundred feet away in case the big vehicle went up in flames. For anyone else it would be seen as a slightly paranoid act, for Stark it was a necessity. The man had taken on the US government and won. Everyone knew Uncle Sam was a sore loser, so Stark watched his back as closely as I watched mine. We had the same target

on our backs, we’d just crossed different enemy lines. It was one more reason we were so in sync with one another. “I think I need you to take me to see Nassir.” Stark’s dark eyebrows lifted and he dipped his chin in acknowledgement. “I thought you were moving on to greener pastures. Get the girl home, then go. Wasn’t that the plan?” I groaned and followed him to the truck. “I didn’t have a plan. I couldn't stay away anymore. I needed to see her. I had to show her I wouldn’t have hurt her if I had had a choice. I know she’s better off without me, but I’m not sure I’m strong enough to let her go. Which means I need to talk to Nassir, because Race is going to put a kill-on-sight order out for me as soon as he knows I’m back in the Point. Or worse, he’s going to have my ass tossed back in the slammer.” Stark paused mid-step, turning his bulky body slightly so he could look at me. “First, I’m going to tell you it takes far more strength to hold onto someone than it does to let them go. Your grip will get weak. Your hands will shake. Everything about loving someone will get so heavy you’re sure the right thing to do is let go, because it’s so much easier. But when you let go, all you’re left with is empty hands. Second, if you think for a second I would let Race maneuver you back into prison, you're out of your goddamn mind.” He poked me in

the chest, hard. I rubbed the spot begrudgingly as he snapped, “You went in and got Noe away from her kidnappers with zero hesitation, Booker. You took care of both of us when we couldn’t get our heads on right. I owe you for that, but I’d interfere even if I didn’t. You’re my friend, asshole. You show up for me, I show up for you. That’s how this shit works.” I stumbled and balked at his words. I mean, I considered him a friend, but I’d never had anyone I could lean on like that in the past. It never even occurred to me to drag anyone else into the mess with Race, not even when Benny mentioned he was there to keep an eye on me. I was prepared to fall on my sword all alone. I was finding out now that there were people in my life unwilling to let it happen. “Race is a big deal in the Point. I didn't want to rock the boat for anyone else. I know how quickly a person can drown when they get in over their heads with guys like him.” Stark snorted as we both hefted ourselves up into the truck. He pushed some buttons on the dashboard, ones that definitely didn't come standard, and suddenly the truck came to life with a sexy rumble. “You’re a big deal, too, Booker. I don’t know how you can’t see it. You’re the glue that holds Nassir and Race’s operations together. You are the guy who guards the gates of the castle.

No one gets into the kingdom unless you deem them worthy. You’ve always had more power than you gave yourself credit for. Race’s threats were always empty. He knows I would seriously fuck up his life if he tried to mess with you. I control all his surveillance and I have access to all his secure accounts. Not to mention I set up his offshore gambling sites. I could shut him down with one click of a button. He wouldn’t risk it.” Stark glared at me, gray eyes sharp behind his glasses. “He preys on peoples’ weaknesses, exploits them. He knew you would never believe there were people in your corner willing to fight for you. He knew you would suffer in silence before asking for help. You played right into his hands.” Fuck. I had. I rolled over without a second thought because I was convinced my back was against the wall and there was nowhere to turn. I’d been so busy building myself up, and battling for respect, dignity, and honor, I’d missed the fact I’d already earned it from the men I so desperately wanted to emulate. In all my work for the underbelly of the lowest souls in the Point, I never realized I had control over this situation—or anyone to back me—until now. “If you hadn’t folded and let Race get in your head, you could have just asked Karsen what she

wanted, and I think you’re smart enough to know her answer. She would have been the first person to fight for you. All you had to do was ask.” He sounded disappointed in me, and I couldn't blame him. I screwed up, royally. I’d once again let my past steal away the best parts of my future. “I’m still not keyed into the way most people react to things, and I’ve never been one to point out what I figured was obvious. Maybe I should have said something sooner instead of assuming you knew I had your back.” Neither one of us were exactly brilliant when it came to dealing with other people and social norms. It was entirely plausible that we both knew what needed to be said and done but didn't know how to go about being there for one another. Friendship was still pretty foreign to both of us. “Stark, is Booker with you?” We both jumped as Nassir’s deep, slightly accented voice suddenly filled the cab of the truck. Stark reached out and tapped the big display screen in the center of the truck’s dash, and like magic, Nassir’s image appeared on the screen. His dark hair was brushed back from his face. His hands were folded together in front of him, the tattoos and wedding ring prominent on the left one. His clear, amber eyes burned so bright it was almost as if he was looking right through me, even though he was miles away in his office at his opulent sex club.

This was some futuristic shit right here, and I couldn’t help but be impressed by what the boy genius had wired up. “Yeah. I got him. The girl is with Noe. They should be hitting the city limit any minute now. She’s taking her home to her sister, but I don’t think anyone is in store for a happy reunion. Noe texted a while ago that the blonde has figured out Race’s game while she was on the drive down the coast with our boy here. She is not a happy camper.” Stark said the last part with a little laugh. It was almost as if he was rooting for Race to get what's coming to him. “Oh, I am aware. Someone forgot to tell Noe to keep the girl off the phone. She’s already contacted her sister, who immediately informed Race of the fact they have a furious Karsen barreling their way. It’s a shitshow. All of the careful threads Race weaved together are unraveling. Serves him right. He never should have interfered in that girl’s life the way he did. She’s smarter than him. She always knew exactly what it was she wanted. Or rather who she wanted.” His accent thickened with his growing irritation, and his heavy eyebrows lifted as he watched me knowingly. “Now I want to know what you’re going to do about all of this, Booker?” I blinked in surprise and shifted uncomfortably under his unwavering gold gaze. “Me?” The way I typically handled problems was to

put a bullet in them and bury the bodies where they would never be found. I didn’t exactly have the best negotiation skills. Fixing things would mean meeting Race halfway, and all I really wanted to do was run the cocky son of a bitch over. “I’m not sure I’m right for that particular job.” Nassir sighed and leaned forward, resting his arms on his desk. His expression was serious but his tone was surprisingly understanding as he explained, “You need to fix it because you care about the girl and she’s about to go off the rails. She’s a formidable enemy, and I don’t doubt she has it in her to tear both Brysen and Race apart. No one is questioning if Race fucked up. He did, and now he knows just how badly. The consequences are going to be long lasting, and he will be forced to fight for forgiveness the same way you did. But, I think you know the girl needs her family. Going at it alone in this world is hard and endlessly trying. You want better for Karsen, and I want better for you. You have the opportunity to do the right thing here. Don’t let it pass you by.” I bounced my knee up and down and tightened my hands into fists. I could feel the vein on my forehead throbbing as I struggled to put the opportunity Nassir was offering together in my head. “He lied to her over and over again. He sent someone to watch her, Nassir. The guy weaseled his

way into her life, into her house. He could’ve hurt her, or worse, at any time. That’s on Race.” It made me so angry when I thought about it. He isolated her, took her away from me, knowing I would give my life for her, and put her directly in the crosshairs of a lunatic. “He did, and he has to live with it. He also has to live with the fact she will never look at him like he hung the moon again. He’s never going to be the guy she turns to in order to fix things ever again. That man is going to be you from here on out, so start now. Fix this.” Goddamnit. I was getting sick and tired of the ‘right thing’ being the absolutely last thing I wanted to do. I would suck it up and make it happen because people were counting on me. I would meet Race in the middle for the same reasons I’d never explained the whole story to Karsen back when she first left. I didn’t want her to lose faith in the people who loved her. I didn’t want her to feel alone and abandoned, the way I always felt. Nassir was right, as usual. Karsen needed to keep her family close and I didn’t want her lighting any bridges on fire because of me. “I’ll finish Race’s game, but not without making a point. This ends today. He’s not the one in control anymore.” It was said begrudgingly as hell and I saw Nassir try and hide a grin. I could already see the wheels turning in Stark’s

head as he tried to formulate a plan. “You take care of Race; I’ll work on tracking down the stalker. We don’t think he’s coming back to the Point, and if he lost track of you in Utah when you found the tracking device, chances are he’s holed up somewhere, plotting his next move. He knows how we operate, though, so that puts us at a distinct disadvantage.” I swore under my breath and dragged my hands over my face. “Fine. Get Race to the Pit.” The Pit was an abandoned warehouse in the center of the Point. Nassir transformed the space into an underground club. It was members only, and you had to be bloodthirsty and have a strong stomach when you walked through the door. There was a spray-painted circle on the cement floor where more than one man had lost his life in a bareknuckle brawl. It was only fitting I got to face off against the man who had been pulling my strings for the last four years. I was terrified of prison, but Race was always scared of a good fight. The man was quick with a weapon and fast on his feet, but when it came down to fists on flesh, he was always the one who came up short. The reason he’d hired me in the first place, all those years ago, was to keep his pretty face from being rearranged by guys just like me. Nassir sighed and tilted his dark head slightly to the side. “You can’t kill him. And you can’t smash

his face in. He is getting married in a few days.” I wanted to flip the other man off, but refrained. “Just get him there.” Nassir went quiet, but before his image blinked out he gave a barely noticeable nod of agreement. He would make it happen, even if he had to hogtie Race and drag him to the circle himself. It proved Karsen was right. The Devil himself was willing to step up for me, all I had to do was ask. I was so used to believing that I was operating and functioning in the world all alone, I totally overlooked all the people standing shoulder to shoulder with me. I sank deeper into the seat and cracked my knuckles. Stark shot me a look and pointed out, “You really can’t kill the guy. Karsen is mad at him now, but she loves him like a brother. You’re the one she’s going to lean on when all the dust settles. She can’t do that if you’re covered in Race’s blood.” I lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “I’m not going to kill him.” I wanted to. I really wanted to. But I wanted a shot at keeping Karsen even more. I looked at the big, heavily tattooed man out of the corner of my eye. “How much do you know about my past?” Stark kept tabs on everyone in the Point, so I was sure I was no exception. “Enough.” The single word answer spoke volumes.

“Then you know why the thought of going back to prison literally drops me to the ground. Race used my fear against me. He played my own shame and weakness against me like it was nothing. And he put Karsen in incredible danger. He should answer for it.” “No one will argue against that, but the guy is connected. You go too far and you will be igniting a war we just put to rest. We do not need the lions and the tigers fighting each other for control of this concrete jungle. All I’m saying is use your head.” Of course, that was his advice. He was a goddamn genius after all. We lapsed into silence after that, each lost in thought. When the outskirts of the Point came into view, I was surprised at how much it felt like coming home. When I initially set out for the city, it was with grandiose ideas and big plans about becoming the kind of man who was untouchable and feared. It didn't take long for my fear of the past, and my feelings for a girl who was too young and too good for me to show me I was always going to have weaknesses. But those vulnerabilities didn’t necessarily make me weak. There had to be soft spots in all the hardness encasing my heart. If there weren’t, there wouldn’t be room for the stupid, mistreated thing to beat. No room for it to grow and expand. There would be no way for Karsen to fit

herself inside the iron cage surrounding it if there wasn’t a way in. Those exposed parts of my heart were the only thing that kept me human after having my sense of self systematically stripped away. Eventually, we were in the midst of the crumbling buildings and abandoned businesses that littered the area. Neon signs screaming Girls Girls Girls flashed on every corner. It was weird to feel good being back in this place now that I no longer felt like I had to fight to prove I belonged here. My conversation with Stark had been eye opening, and so had the time I’d spent with Karsen, now that she was all grown up and a force to be reckoned with. A slice of the Point would always be mine. I’d earned it. Nassir, Stark, Bax, Titus, even Race, wouldn’t be willing to share their city with me if they didn't believe I was the type of man determined to protect what was mine. That was how I knew I’d also earned the respect I so desperately craved. When we got to the building that looked dilapidated on the outside, Stark parked his truck in an alleyway behind a new Stingray and next to a Rolls-Royce Phantom. The cars belonged to Race and Nassir, and I was surprised Bax’s new badass Road Runner, the one he restored to replace the muscle car he handed off to Dovie, was nowhere in sight. I wasn’t expecting a fair fight, but it looked

like Nassir had other ideas. Stark moved like he was going to get out of the truck and follow me inside, but I shook my head and put a hand on his arm to keep him seated. I needed to handle Race on my own. I needed to fix this, like Nassir said, and if he came inside, Stark would interfere if he thought I was going too far. I was learning there were people in my life interested in saving me from myself, and I wasn’t quite sure what to do with that knowledge just yet. “I’ve got this.” I met his stare directly. “This is something I really do need to do on my own. Race and I have been headed here for a long time. I’ve got this. I promise.” He studied me for a long moment before acquiescing with a slight nod. “Do what you gotta do, but remember, he doesn’t fight fair, and he’s got a whole lot on the line right now.” I nodded back and slipped out of the truck. It only took a few seconds to punch in the code to the metal door and wind my way through the dark tunnels that snaked into the belly of the warehouse. The only light on was one industrial flood light illuminating the concrete floor. Nassir was leaning against a wrought iron stairway which led up to a loft area, and Race was standing dead center in the circle painted on the floor. Nassir had rebuilt this club after his last one burned down. It was one of many he owned, and I was pretty sure it was his

favorite. Nassir was the Devil and he was more bloodthirsty than any of us, no stranger to stripping down and going head to head with a brawler. Race was several inches shorter than me, and while he was in shape, he didn’t have the kind of build that came from fighting for your life every day against men who were bigger and stronger than you. I watched as he shifted nervously from one foot to another, green eyes locked on mine. I dipped my chin in greeting at Nassir and took the hand he offered. “You know the rules. No weapons. Don’t touch his face. First one to tap out wins.” I nodded again and quickly stripped off my shirt. I saw Race’s eyes widen at the move and he briefly glanced down at his own designer shirt before shaking his head and taking a step back. He had on Air Jordans. Nassir should have warned him to wear something he didn’t mind throwing away. Blood was a bitch to get out of anything it landed on. I stalked toward the other man, eyes narrowed and jaw set. This was a setting I was familiar with. This was the kind of fight I knew I could win. This was my domain, my arena. Race was the one out of his depth. He might know how to calculate odds, weigh risks and rewards, but he had no idea how to fight for his life. “Why are we here, Hartman?” I stopped right

in front of him, leaning into his space. He was doing his best to appear unaffected, but I could see sweat beading at his hairline, and the flashy confidence he wore so easily was thin enough to crack. “I’m not sure. Nassir told me I had some unfinished business to attend to and ordered me to get my ass over here. I assume it has to do with Karsen.” I didn’t hesitate to throw the first punch. My fist landed hard and quick against his unprotected rib cage and a satisfying crack followed. His eyes widened and he let out a gasp, falling back a step. “What the fuck! I’ll kill you, asshole.” His breathing turned choppy and his eyes narrowed at me. “I was dead for four years after you forced me to hurt the only person I ever cared about. She brought me back to life, and now I’m going to fuck you up for all the danger you put her in. You sent a psychopath to keep an eye on her, after promising you would butt out of her life. She could have died, Race. Do you understand that?” He opened his mouth to respond but before he could speak I swept a leg out, catching him at the knees, and brought him to the ground. He landed with an ‘oomph’ on his back. His head made a satisfying thud as it hit the cement floor. While he was down, I delivered a kick to the uninjured side

of his rib cage. I could have done some real damage, but I pulled it at the last second and tapped him just hard enough he would remember this chat for the next few months whenever he moved. “You took her away from me because I was too dangerous, because I had nothing to offer her, and you put her in the hands of a lunatic. Good call, Hartman. Maybe you should have actually considered what she wanted.” He groaned, but quick as a striking snake, reached out and grabbed my ankle. I wasn't ready for the move, too caught up in finally being free to say all the things I had kept bottled up. I lost my balance when he jerked and toppled over onto my ass in an ungainly heap. Race climbed to his knees and I wasn’t surprised to see the glint of a knife in his hand. Obviously, he didn't think Nassir’s rules applied to him. “She’s my family. It’s my job to keep her safe. I failed with Dovie. I nearly lost Brysen. I wasn’t going to risk anything happening to Karsen. She was a kid, Booker. There was no way she knew what she wanted. I fucked up, but I will make sure that lunatic pays for lying to me and deceiving her.” He painstakingly climbed to his knees, keeping the knife out in front of him. I rolled my eyes and shifted so I was also on my knees. Even though he was watching me closely, he

wasn't fast enough to dodge me as I threw myself at his waist, taking him back to the ground. I rolled us over so I was covering his back, and used my body weight to pin him while wrenching the knife out of his hand. I put my knee in his spine and grabbed a handful of his golden hair. He didn’t look like a king right now. No, he looked like a scared young man . . . one who knew someone else had the upper hand. I pushed Race’s face closer and closer to the ground until his nose was pressed against the concrete. “You broke the ‘no weapons’ rule. Maybe I should break the ‘no damage to your pretty face’ rule. How do you think Brysen would feel walking down the aisle toward a man whose face looked like raw hamburger? You think she’d still say ‘I do’ with a clear reminder standing in front of her of the only kind of life you can offer her? I can slam your nose so hard into this cement it shatters and shoves up into your brain. I didn't go to college like you, pretty boy, but I survived every single fight that came my way in the yard.” I used my hold on his hair to shove his face even harder into the ground. He wiggled furiously underneath me and I could hear him start to pant. “Are you afraid, Race? Are you scared?” I dug my knee deeper into his spine and flicked the tip of the knife in front of his huge eyes. “Do you feel helpless because someone more powerful than you

has all the control?” I dragged the blade over his cheek and heard both he and Nassir scream my name. Race was fighting back furiously, but I was too big, and had too much anger fueling me for his efforts to gain any traction. “I want you to remember this moment. I want the terror and humiliation of being completely at someone else's mercy to sink in, golden boy. This is how you made me feel when you used my past against me. And this is how you made Karsen feel when you took her choices away from her. Right now, you are the king of the castle, but if you aren’t careful, I’m coming for your fucking throne. Stay out of my way and stop interfering with Karsen’s life. You leave the creep you infected her life with to me. She only shares her problems with me now.” I tossed the knife away and gave Race’s face one last kick against the floor to prove my point. He was going to have a goose egg the size of a golf ball on his forehead. Served him right if he looked ridiculous in all his wedding pictures. When I climbed off his back, he immediately scrambled to his feet and squared off against me. He put his hands on his hips and shifted his gaze between me and Nassir as if appraising which of us was a bigger threat. “I love Karsen. Everything I did was because I wanted to protect her. You have to see that.” He

shook his head and rubbed his fingers over his forehead. “I protected her from the first day you hired me to keep an eye on her. You wanted to control her. There’s a difference. We’re done. She figured out your plans without any help from me. She’ll decide if she wants to forgive and forget on her own. I won’t stand in her way, but I’m not walking away again. I’ll fight you for her, Race. I’ll fight anyone who wants to get in my way. And I’ll win, because I’m the one with the most to lose.” I turned my back on him, because I wasn’t scared of him anymore. He didn’t have any power over me. We were equals. Nassir gave my shoulder a pat as I walked back to where he was standing. He handed over my shirt and gave me a little smirk. “I always wondered what it would be like when you fought for something that actually mattered to you. Your conviction has been a long time coming, my friend. I can’t wait to see what you do with it. You’ve always been reckless and lacked focus. Now that you have clarity and purpose, you may be the only person I could come to fear.” His honesty was humbling. The man had survived a childhood that was as bad as mine. He feared nothing and no one. Except for me. He gave me another pat and moved to head toward Race. “Go get your girl. I’m sure she needs you more than the rest of us do.”

And I needed her. The thought of Karsen finally being mine did more to quicken my steps and lighten the weight I’d been lugging around for so long, more so than hearing Nassir tell me he could come to fear me. Knowing I might make the Devil nervous was something I used to long for. Now the only thing that even slightly mattered was making sure Karsen was okay. She was the beginning and the end of everything.

Karsen

“You

are the only person I have ever trusted without question.” I faced off against Brysen, very aware that Noe was hovering between the two of us, dark eyes darting nervously between me and my sister. I did my best to harness the betrayal and rage coursing through my blood, but the struggle was very real. Brysen crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, her bright blue eyes blazing with a combination of guilt and fear. Race left the loft in a hurry after Nassir called and they both knew Booker was back in town. I was glad she was afraid for her man. She deserved to know what kind of hell Race had pushed Booker into over the last few years. I couldn’t drum up an ounce of sympathy for her at the moment. “I practically raised you, Karsen. I gave up everything to make sure you had as much of a normal life as you could. I protected you from everything Mom and Dad were doing to our family. I’m never going to apologize for having your best interests in mind. Putting you first has always been

like breathing for me.” She lifted her chin and looked down her nose at me. It was her ice princess look, one I’d seen frequently when she was trying to put someone in their place. This was the first time she’d ever directed it at me. I took a step forward, and Noe immediately shifted. She was watching me like a hawk. I wasn’t exactly sure if she was there to watch my back or to keep me from going after Brysen. Either way, she was taking her job as my guardian very seriously. “I know how much you sacrificed trying to hold our family together. I know how much you lost by taking on the responsibility of raising me. However, none of it gives you the right to decide who’s allowed in my life. And it certainly doesn’t give you a vote when it comes to whom I give my heart to. Those choices are mine, and you took them away from me.” I pointed at her and narrowed my eyes as she started to chew on her lower lip in a familiar manner. She was the one I’d picked the habit up from when I was younger. “Dad gambled our home and belongings away. Mom stole our childhood and innocence from us. But you robbing me of what I could have had with Booker years ago, that's unforgivable. You took the one thing away from me I actually cared about holding onto.” Brysen shook her head, which sent her short hair whipping around her face. “It wasn’t love,

Karsen. You were blinded by hero worship. It was a crush. If I didn’t interfere, you would have ended up stuck in this town, tied to a man who would do nothing but drag you down. I refused to let that happen. There is still hope for you to move beyond this terrible city and have a normal life. You deserve it after surviving everything our parents did.” I threw my hands up in frustration and practically growled, “I didn’t want to leave. I liked it here. I love the people who stepped up and became our family when the one we were born into failed. What I deserved was a shot at being happy and figuring out my place in the Point. I think you’re the one who wants out, Brysen. I think you are the one looking for a life beyond the Point, and you used me to have a taste of what you know you’ll never have as long as you love Race.” She gasped and rocked back a step. I saw Noe cringe but she also fell back a step so my sister and I were eye to eye. “I . . . you’re wrong.” But her voice wavered and she didn’t sound as certain as she had at the start of our conversation. “I wanted you to have the full college experience. I wanted you to meet people your own age, have fun. I wanted you to go to bed at night not having to worry about bullets and bloodshed.” Her voice rose and I watched as she started to shake. “I was desperate for you to

have the experience that was taken away from me.” I sighed and lowered my hands until they rested on my hips. “But I never asked for any of that. The only thing I asked for was Booker.” She dropped her head and I heard her sniffle. “I know.” “Besides, that cookie cutter experience wasn’t for me. Aside from my friendship with Ari, I've been bored as hell the last four years. College was fine and I appreciate the opportunity you and Race worked so hard to provide, but I’m not meant for the easy road.” I snorted, which pulled her head up and I felt a twinge of guilt at the sight of tears rolling down her pale face. “And it wasn’t exactly the ideal picture you have in your head, Brysen. Race lied to me. He sent a watchdog after me. One who connived, manipulated, and lied in order to seduce my roommate so he could get close to me, and he’s been stalking me since the day I left. I was in just as much danger in Boulder as I was when I was living here. More so, since I didn't have Booker making sure everyone kept their distance.” We lapsed into a heavy silence that lasted a long time. Noe started to get antsy and eventually she threw her hands up in the air and declared, “Since it looks like you’re both going to be civil and no one is going for the jugular, I’m gonna bounce. I want to see what I can do to help

Snowden track down the stalker. That’s a better use of my time than babysitting two grown ass women who are smart enough to figure their own shit out.” She started for the door but paused before pulling it open. “I think you all need to remember that love can make us do some really dumb things. It pushes us to extremes. Love amplifies all our feelings and reactions. It screams so loudly that it’s easy to miss the tiny whisper warning us we’re going too far, because love convinces us there is no line we can’t cross for the people we care about. Love isn’t always right, and it can be a real asshole sometimes.” She gave a little salute and slipped out the door. I cocked my head at my sister and quietly told her, “I missed getting to know her. I missed watching Stark fall in love and Reeve having her baby. I missed years with you and Race and helping you plan your wedding. My entire world is right here in the Point and you took all of that away from me.” I put a hand to my chest and took a calming breath. “I won’t even go into all the things I missed with Booker. But I will tell you, if you think for one second I’m going to stand idly by while Race threatens and terrorizes him, you have another thing coming. I learned how to be a threat from the best of the best. You don’t want me as an enemy.” I would be a formidable one. Finally, I had some idea of what I was going to

be when I grew up. I doubted it was what Brysen had in mind when she pushed me in the direction of the life she’d been forced to abandon. Brysen’s head snapped back and I heard her gasp all the way across the room. I kept my eyes steady on hers and watched as she weighed the truth in my words. I owed her everything, but I was done giving up the one thing I wanted for myself in order to appease her or anyone else. “The only thing I ever wanted for you was an easy life.” We both had it once, before the gambling and the booze. But that was so long ago, I hardly remember a moment of it. “If I wanted an easy life, I would have found one on my own. I don’t need you to hold my hand anymore. I can cross the street, even the ones in the Point, all on my own.” I walked across the room so I was standing directly in front of her. She had to tilt her head back to meet my gaze. Her bottom lip was quivering and I could see she was barely hanging on. “I don’t want to hate you or Race. I don’t want to resent you and second guess every little thing the two of you say and do.” I arched my eyebrows at her. “That’s the way I've felt toward Booker for the last four years and it’s awful. The anger and mistrust eat away at your insides and it makes you a lonely, bitter person. Be my sister, Brysen. Not my keeper. Not my mother. Not my guardian angel. Same goes for Race. He can be my

brother-in-law and my friend, but I don’t need him playing God with my life or my safety. I can take care of myself. He taught me how. And if I need backup, I have it. You both should have realized the best security blanket in the entire world is being loved by a guy like Booker.” She let out a raspy sigh and slowly nodded. “I know I need to step back or I’m going to lose you. I don’t think I could handle that. I don’t have anything to do with Dad, and Mom is still so fragile . . . it feels like our whole family is on the verge of shattering. For four years, I’ve tried to convince myself it was the right thing to do, even though it caused you so much pain and took you away from everyone who loved you.” She cleared her throat and ran her hand over her mouth. “You need to know this is on me. Race wouldn’t have had a hand in hurting you in any way, shape, or form if I hadn’t pushed and pushed.” She looked away and her shoulders slumped. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I was living vicariously through you, because even when he told me this was eventually going to blow up in our faces in a big way, I refused to listen. I was convinced you would forget about Booker, and I honestly believed he would leave once you were gone. In my head, it all made so much sense.” She reached out and pulled me into a hug. She squeezed so tightly that I squeaked in protest. “Please, don’t back out of the wedding. I need you there. I can’t

go through with this if you aren’t standing by my side. I have to have my family there.” Our dad wasn't invited, and it depended on the day if Mom was going to be stable enough to leave the facility for the ceremony. If I bailed, I honestly believed it would break Brysen. I hugged her back and carefully removed myself from her near chokehold. “I’ll be there. But if either you or Race gives me shit about my date . . .” I shook my head and gave her a pointed look. “I’m gone and I won’t ever be back. I love Noah. I always have. He came for me despite being scared out of his mind he was going to survive or end up back in hell. He always comes for me, and now it’s my turn to go after him.” Brysen blinked in confusion until I hooked a thumb over my shoulder toward the door. “I’m not staying here. I want to forgive you, but it’s going to take some time. And I need some space. I’m going down to Booker’s place. He’s waited for me long enough.” My sister looked like she wanted to argue, but she thought better of it. We had a lot of lost time to make up for, but the canyon between us wouldn’t be so deep and wide if she hadn’t pulled the strings of fate the way she had. “Okay. Uh . . . if he hurt Race, can you let me know? I think the news might be easier to hear from you.”

I huffed in aggravation and rolled my eyes. “He’s not going to hurt, Race. You don’t know my man at all.” He wouldn’t hurt Race, because ultimately it would hurt me, and Booker promised to never do that. I trusted him to never break a promise again. I walked down the hallway and climbed into the elevator. Instead of waving at the camera and offering a flirty grin, I glared at the glossy lens and suspiciously wondered who was watching me on the other side. I hurried out of the enclosure as soon as the doors slid open and made my way to Booker’s door. I wasn’t even sure he was coming back here. I had no idea what his plans were after he handed me off to Noe, but even if his apartment was empty, I needed to be surrounded by his things. I was drained after the conversation with Brysen, and I’d reached my emotional threshold for the year with the cross-country trip we weren’t sure we’d actually survive. I needed something solid. Something I had complete faith in. And that had always been knowing Booker would be there for me no matter what. The door wasn’t locked so it swung open easily under my hand. For a split second I had an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. It made my steps falter and panic rise in my chest. I struggled to breathe and tried to scold myself for being

ridiculous. The man hadn’t smuggled me halfway across the country with a target on his back to immediately turn into the arms of another woman. I was being ridiculous, but I suddenly had a very clear view of just how powerful old fears could be and understood exactly how determined Booker had been when he came after me. Knew exactly the fear that engulfed Booker when he thought he was going back to prison. Before I could dive too deeply into the darkness and doubt, the door was yanked out of my hold and I was pulled into the room by impatient hands. I let out an ‘oomph’ of surprise as Booker kicked the door closed behind me and pushed me up against the flat surface. He collected my hands in one of his, pulling them above my head and pinning them to the door as he pressed the length of his hard body into the front of mine. I let my eyes eagerly crawl all over him. There were no cuts or bruises. No blood or discomfort from what I could see. He appeared perfectly fine, and the look in his eyes immediately sped up my heartrate and trapped my breath in my lungs. His lips landed on mine, followed by a hungry growl. One of his knees forced its way between my thighs, and I lifted up onto my toes as he slowly rubbed it against the notch at the apex of my thighs. I gasped into the kiss and let my head fall back with

a thunk on the door. Booker pulled back, those dangerous eyes burning all the way through me. “This is what I wanted to do when you walked through the door that night.” He kissed me again as I wiggled impatiently against his unyielding strength. Having all his power directed at me, focused on making me feel good, was a very heady combination. It would be incredibly easy to get addicted to the sensation of being the sole target of Booker’s intensity and passion. He went to my head so fast, it made my brain fuzzy and my muscles turn liquid and pliant. “I wanted to make you mine. I wanted to make you a million promises and give you a hundred reasons to stay.” I couldn’t move my hands since he had them trapped, so I kissed him back with just as much fervor and adoration as he kissed me and told him, “I’m all for a redo. If there was ever a situation I wanted a chance to erase and replace with something better, it was that night.” He made a noise of agreement and nuzzled his bristly cheek against mine. With his free hand, he dragged the backs of his fingers along the line of my jaw and down the curve of my neck. It was a deliberately sensual caress. One meant to seduce and entice. I was going to tell him he didn’t need to lure me into his lair. I was already there, ready and willing to burn with every ounce of passion he gave me, with no intention of leaving . . . ever. But, if he

wanted to take his time and explore all the things we’d rushed through and missed in our haste the last time we were together, who was I to dissuade him? Booker didn’t do sensitivity and tenderness, but he was making an effort for me. It was enough to make me fall for him all over again. He opened his hand wide over the top of my chest, fingers spanning my collarbone and his thumb stroking my raving pulse. He pressed his leg harder against my aching center and bent forward so he could touch his forehead to mine. I tugged on my hands because I wanted to hold him, and I wanted to pull off his clothes. I was irritated that all those muscles and the warm, inked, and scarred skin covering them were hidden behind layers of cotton and denim. I gave a whimper of frustration, but Booker swallowed it with another tonguetangling kiss. After kissing me senseless and devouring my mouth for a solid five minutes, he finally pulled back and dropped my hands. I instantly reached for the hem of his thermal shirt as he took hold of the hem of my t-shirt. We took turns stripping each other down. All of our clothes landing in a tangled pile a few feet away. I made sure to look for any injuries that may have been hidden by his clothes, but all I got was an eyeful of naked Booker. And what a sight every inch of him was. Miles and miles

of rippling muscle, cut and carved like he was sculpted by a great artist. He had the body of a warrior. Each battle fought and won engraved on his skin. All those imperfections made him even more beautiful. Nothing was easy about Noah Booker. Not even looking at his perfect body. I released a tiny sigh of appreciation and ran my hands over his chest. The heavy muscles in his pecs jumped at the touch and his abs visibly tightened. My body reacted instantly to his responsiveness. My nipples pulled tight, and I could feel the wet place between my legs start to throb in a slow, steady pulse. Not to be left out, Booker reached for me, hands skating around my waist and sliding down until he had his hands full of my ass. I laughed when he lifted me like I weighed nothing and I wrapped my legs around his trim waist as he once again backed me into the front door. I could have asked for a bed, but I loved the idea that he couldn’t wait. We’d been apart for so long, any extra steps to get him inside of me seemed like a waste of time. Knowing he didn’t want to wait for me for a single second longer went straight to my head. I was shocked to learn it was entirely possible to feel drunk on love and that I was in the throes of every ounce of it right now. With my back against the door and my arms around his neck, there was no place my skin wasn’t touching the heat of his. He kissed me again, and

my eyes rolled back in my head when I felt his hand settle low at the base of my throat. I dug my heels into the small of his back and arched my hips so I could feel his hardness against my softness. There was an emptiness gnawing at my insides, and he was the only person capable of filling the void. I felt the flared tip of his cock drag through my wet folds and hummed in appreciation. I rocked against the rigid length, urging him to come inside of me. The hand holding my ass shifted, and I felt the very tips of his fingers ghost through my wet folds. He made a noise of appreciation as his mouth nibbled across mine. The scrape of his beard against my chin was surprisingly erotic, so I rubbed my face against the bristles and dragged my nose along the rough line of his stubborn jaw. His broad head nudged my clit and I felt the contact like an electric jolt shooting up my spine. He chuckled at the noise I made and for the first time ever, a full, bright smile crossed his hard face. It was the most breathtaking thing I'd ever witnessed in my life, and it was enough to completely erase the memory of the night I’d walked away from him. He repeated the move, rocking his hips forward so his cock nailed my clit with each bump and thrust. I could feel my pussy quivering in anticipation, and I knew I was already soaked and aching, just waiting for him to fill me up.

The hand that had been playing between my legs left a wet trail across my skin as it returned to my backside. My eyes widened to double their normal size when I felt his fingers not only firmly clasp one taut cheek, but also slip into the valley between them. It was a bold touch, and I could see him watching for my reaction. If he wanted me to protest, he was out of luck. I’d gone without him for so long, I was willing to take everything he wanted to throw at me, but only because I knew he would immediately stop if I asked. His smile was blinding and it grew wicked when I didn’t back down from his silent challenge. He canted his hips at a different angle and I felt the tip of his erection prod my fluttering opening. He was so big the first stretch to accept him always made me catch my breath, but this time I was distracted by how much heat he was generating and how unbelievably good he felt sliding into me. The hand at the base of my throat tightened, and his teeth bit into my lower lip. He groaned and started to pull back, when his eyes suddenly popped wide and his expression shifted from unfiltered joy to something that almost looked like agony. “I need to put a condom on. Fuck. I can’t think straight when I get my hands on you.” He started to pull out, but I locked my legs around him and rolled my hips against the stiffness still lodged inside of

me. We both groaned at the sensation that followed. I practically whispered, “I’m protected and clean. I haven’t been with anyone in over a year. We don’t need one if you’re safe.” He watched me for a second, and I could practically see him debating on whether or not he was going to say whatever it was that was making his eyes look stormier than usual. Finally, he relented, sinking all the way inside of me in one long thrust while muttering, “I’m good. I get checked out every few months and after any incident where I come into contact with blood. I haven’t been with anyone in a long time, Karsen. A lot longer than a year.” It was hard to think with his hips hammering into me and lips making love to my ear. Somehow, I kept enough of my wits to demand, “How long? How long has it been, Noah?” He groaned and buried his face in the curve of my neck. His pace picked up and I could feel the door rattling and shaking behind me. He was panting and his breath was blazing hot on my skin. Since his cock was bare inside of me I could feel every ripple and every pulse as my body milked him and fluttered around his wide shaft. “Four years. I haven’t touched anyone in four years.” His admission was almost silent. The words more a movement of air than an actual sound. “I

didn’t want anyone who wasn’t you.” If it was anyone besides Booker, I wouldn’t have believed him. But this man never lied to me. I wanted to cry for him and kiss him stupid all in the same breath. I hated the thought of him being alone, the idea of him denying himself something as basic as sex. But I loved that when he told me he waited for me, he really meant it. He was a very special man, and I was determined to do whatever I had to in order to make sure he, and the rest of the world, realized it. “That’s a lot of lost time for us to make up, Noah.” It broke my heart to realize he’d missed out on just as much as I had over the last four years. His confession was enough to push me right to the edge. I could feel my body start to spasm and quake. I felt my insides tighten and my spine stiffen. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him how much I loved him and always would, but he was sneaky and devious, and the hand I forgot was lingering behind me suddenly shifted, and I felt his wet fingers slide against another sensitive part of me, forcing my back to bow and my hips to grind relentlessly against his. There was another burn and stretch as my body adjusted to the dual invasion, but I was so full, so consumed by Booker and surrounded by pleasure, there was no holding onto reality anymore. I shattered under his careful ministrations.

Screaming his name. Chanting “Noah, Noah, Noah” over and over again. I nearly strangled him as my arms locked around his neck, looking for an anchor to tie me to him as wave upon wave of raw, unfiltered satisfaction and contentment rolled over me. It was the kind of orgasm that came with white spots in my vision and the immediate loosening of my limbs. I felt boneless and turned inside out. A few more thrusts that felt like they were going to put me through the door had Booker following me into the oblivion. His eyes slammed shut and his cheek pulsed under his scar. He muttered something which may have been a prayer or a curse under his breath, and we both gasped at the sensation of his hot release filling me up. It was a messy, visceral fuck. One I would never forget and wanted to repeat as soon as possible. And if the blissed-out expression on his rugged features was any indication, Booker felt the same way. “Never fucked without a condom before. Always thought it was too risky, considering my history. You feel beautiful wrapped around me, Karsen.” He sounded like he was in awe. “Thank you for giving me this.” I sighed and dropped a kiss on the end of his nose. I could feel all kinds of slippery, sexy stuff sliding down between us, and as raw and intense as it was, we needed to clean up. “It was always yours. It just took you a while to

come and collect it. But if you feel like you owe me one,” I waited until he was looking at me and gave him a cheeky grin. He was so sexed out and compliant I knew there would never be a better time to ask. “How about going with me to Race and Brysen’s wedding?”

Booker

I may

have spent the last four years alone with only my hand for company when I needed to get off, but it was fair to say Karsen kept her word when it came to making up for lost time. She and I barely left my bed in the days leading up to the wedding. She pried herself loose to do all the maidof-honor things she was obligated to attend to. But when she wasn’t going to fittings, or shoe shopping, or to a hair appointment, she was naked and under me or over me as we learned every inch of each other’s bodies. She was just as voracious and insatiable as I was. Her hands were always reaching for me, and her mouth was always hungry for a taste of mine. She was wildly uninhibited in bed . . . and against the wall . . . and on the kitchen counter. . . . and bent over the couch. She was a breath of fresh air, and the more time we spent together, the more certain I became that there was no breathing easy without her. I had years on her, in both age and experience, but every day I felt like she was teaching me something new. And yes, I even agreed to go to the stupid

wedding with her, because it was impossible to deny her anything when she rode my dick so good and so often I forgot my own name. I was supposed to deliver her to the fancy hotel in the good part of town, where Race had grown up, later in the afternoon. Brysen wanted everything surprisingly traditional for a woman who was knowingly marrying a criminal kingpin. The hotel was old and high end. It was going to be an odd event. I was almost glad I agreed to go, because I was curious how Bax was going to handle being forced to wear a tux while spending the evening in the exact type of place he hated. The crystal chandeliers were bound to give him hives, and I was willing to bet good money my fellow excon wouldn’t touch a drop of the expensive champagne Race was having flown in from France. However, before I handed Karsen over to get primped, plucked, and painted, I was going to do my best to fuck her through the mattress she was currently bent over. If there was a prettier sight than her ass up in the air, pushing back to meet each thrust with a force and vigor matching the snap of my hips, I had yet to see it. She had her forehead pressed against the bed, one hand clenching and unclenching the comforter. The other dipped between her legs and I could feel the brush of her fingers against my cock every single time I slid out of her and pressed back in. She was toying

with her clit and chanting incomprehensible words as we moved in perfect sync with one another. I was entranced by the sight of her hair slithering across the elegant line of her spine and sliding over her shoulders. I was also completely obsessed with the faint redness between her slender thighs from the scruff on my face. She asked me not to shave, told me she liked the beard that I was growing. But the bristles were hell on her sensitive skin. I rocked into her harder, reached out for a handful of her pale hair so I could use it to pull her head back. I wanted to see her expression. I still couldn’t believe she was with me now, how I was allowed to leave marks all over her and come inside of her. There wasn’t anywhere on her body I hadn’t claimed as my own. She obediently turned her head to accept a sloppy, uncoordinated kiss. The rough mashing of lips and teeth made her laugh, but the sound slipped away and turned into a gasp when I hit the spot inside of her guaranteed to make her turn into liquid heat and a quivering mass of pleasure. Her eyes drifted closed and her teeth clamped down on her lower lip. I replaced her fingers, which had gone lax between her legs, with my own. Trapping her swollen little clit between my fingers and giving the already sensitive nub a tug. A rush of wetness coated my cock where it was buried inside of her. She let out a high-pitched keening sound and rolled

her hips in a tiny circle seeking more friction and more pressure on the tortured point. Her entire body vibrated in response and her head dropped back down to the bed as she pushed back on my hammering cock as if her life depended on it. I could feel my orgasm pushing its way through my body. I could feel it circling my spine and running through my blood. There was a roar between my ears, and I felt my heart trying to beat its way out of my ribcage. I groaned her name and pulled her hips violently against mine as my cock kicked and jumped, firing my release deep inside of her. She mumbled something incoherent as her body locked down on mine, dragging another spasm out of my spent cock. Given ten minutes or so, I was pretty sure I could go again. My refractory period where she was concerned was shockingly short. I couldn’t get enough of her. Every time we were together like this, the experience stole away one of the bad memories taking up so much space in my soul. Slowly but surely, she was doing exactly what she promised, she was chasing away all the demons who owned so much of who I was and who I had been for so many years. She was giving me back all the things I’d had taken away from me. I pulled out of her with a strangled noise and smoothed a hand down the long line of her back.

She was so elegant, built so sleek and refined. I growled as I watched the evidence of our hurried coupling start to drip and slide over the loved skin of her thighs. It was so hot and settled the territorial, possessive parts inside of me that refused to let her go for any reason. I stroked her curves as she collapsed on the bed in front of me. I loved how she was willowy and graceful. It made the tensile strength running throughout her lithe frame even more appealing. She didn’t fit the everyday image one might have of a fierce warrior and dangerous combatant, but she was. Karsen was a fighter through and through. I was still getting used to the fact she was fighting for me, for us. She was everything I’d ever wanted, and everything I was so sure I didn’t deserve to have. I tugged on the hair still wrapped in my fist and gave one pert ass cheek a firm smack. The sound echoed in the room followed by her indignant yelp of surprise. It wasn’t the first time I’d taken a hand to her ass, but this time it was to get her moving from her blissed-out state rather than to get her off. Karsen had several surprising interests when it came to what she wanted in bed. I refused to think about where her curiosity came from, and instead focused on being the man who provided her with everything she needed. She gave me a pointed look over her shoulder, and I lost myself in the sight of her satisfied gaze and kissed-swollen lips. She was

going to look totally well-fucked when I dropped her off. My inner barbarian was thrilled. “I need to take a shower.” She stretched languidly across the bed. I landed an open palm on the other side of her backside and took a step away from the edge of the bed as she rolled over and flipped me off. She looked so perfect in my bed, covered in glistening drops of sweat and sex. If I wasn’t sure she would try and castrate me for making her late, I would have tried to talk her into another round of soulsearing sex. “Take a shower. I’ll jump in the guest bathroom so you don’t get distracted.” And wasn’t that just the damndest thing? A guy like me, being a distraction for a girl like her. Never in a million years would I admit to dreaming of this exact scenario when I first realized how unique and special she was. I was digging through the closet for a pair of jeans and she was rambling around in the ensuite bathroom when my cell phone rang. Everyone I knew was tied up with the wedding today, so I frowned as I picked up the burner phone from the nightstand where I’d tossed it when I lost my pants earlier. Stark’s number flashed on the display and I frowned even harder. Stark didn’t typically call. He was much more a one-word text message kind of guy.

I swiped to answer the call, keeping an eye on the open bathroom door in case he had information about Karsen’s stalker that would ruin her good mood and steal away her excitement over her sister’s wedding. “Hey.” I tugged the jeans up my legs and trapped the phone between my cheek and my shoulder. “What’s up?” “You need to get down to the security room right now.” His voice was abrupt and hard. “The security room in the condos?” I was confused, but already moving out of the bedroom and down the hallway. “Yeah. Hustle. The head of security over there called me an hour ago because something weird was going on with the system. I tried to remotely access the system, the fucking system I built, and I couldn’t get in. Someone hacked in and blocked all my access.” “What? I thought you built an unhackable system, boy genius. How is that possible?” I was out the door without bothering to put on a shirt or shoes. “Shut up. I haven’t updated things in a while. And I think he was already familiar with the system. Something is going on with the video feeds. They all went black and I can’t pull them back online. I don’t want to stress Race out on his wedding day, but this isn't good. Karsen said the kid

in Boulder was a computer engineering major. If he’s good with computers, there’s a good chance he’s the one behind the hack.” I pushed the button for the elevator with more force than was necessary and scowled at my reflection in the mirrored interior. “I can barely use a smartphone. What good am I going to do in a room full of computers and cameras?” “If it is the kid from Colorado, then he’s waiting for something or someone. I’ve tried reaching out; I sent him an invitation to chat but got nothing back. He has to know you won’t put Karsen in front of the camera knowing he was watching her, but I’m betting if he sees you, he’ll tell us what he wants. There’s a reason behind all of this. Even if he doesn’t make a statement, it’s going to take me a couple of hours to get the system back from him, so you should come down here and say your piece in case he’s lurking.” I typed the security code into the keypad used for the secure floors in the building. When I reached the lowest level in the complex the doors whooshed open and dumped me into the bowels of the building. I never liked this part of the job. All the surveillance and invasion of privacy made my skin crawl. I hated knowing my every move was being monitored and recorded. It reminded me too much of being behind bars. Stark had emptied out the busy security hub

and commandeered the room. He had two laptops open in front of him and was alternately typing on the keyboard of one and glaring at the screen of the other. The wall of video monitors was blank, nothing but black screens staring back at me, as I walked deeper into the room. “I asked Noe to head over to the hotel where Race is having the wedding. She’s making sure their system is secure and nothing goes wrong over there. I also called Nassir and asked him to beef up security. Hopefully, we won’t have to drag Race into this on his big day.” I turned my head to ask Stark what he wanted me to do, but before I got a word out, all the screens suddenly flickered to life. “Holy fuck.” Stark leaned back in the leather chair. He shifted his gaze between the images on the screen and where I was frozen. Over twenty monitors showed a young woman tied to a chair. Her head was bent, dark hair hanging over her face. There were no identifying markers indicating where the video was being streamed from, but the background looked industrial. “Can you track where the video feed is coming from?” I wasn’t sure if whomever was on the other end of the video could hear me, and I didn’t care. Stark swore and continued frantically typing away on the laptop. “Maybe. But he’s probably bouncing the signal around a bunch of different

proxy servers, so it will take a while.” We both stiffened as another person appeared on the screens. He was young, terribly average looking, and grinning like a lunatic. Without saying anything, he walked over to the dark-haired girl tied to the chair. He grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her head back, and I growled when I recognized Karsen’s pretty roommate. The young woman had a fat lip and a black eye. Even through the grainy footage, it was clear her gaze was glassy and unfocused. Her movements were sluggish and unnatural. The bastard had no doubt drugged her. The creep let her head loll back down and sauntered closer to the camera recording his little show. He smiled even wider, flashing a lot of teeth and getting close enough that there was no missing the crazy in his eyes. “Trade ya.” The taunt was delivered along with a raised middle finger before everything went black again. Stark and I stared at the monitors for a solid five minutes. Nothing happened. Not another video. Not a blip of activity. Stark got to his feet and a second later one of his laptops was flying through the air and colliding with the wall in a spectacular crash. The delicate electronic exploded in a shower of glass and circuits. He locked his fingers together and put them on top of his head. I could feel anger and frustration pouring off him in volatile waves.

“I can’t believe that little shit hacked my system.” He kicked the chair in front of him and turned to me. “I’ll figure out where he was streaming from. Then I’ll help you get that girl out of there.” I exhaled a long, slow breath and put my hands on my hips as I considered where we needed to start. “Do you think he’s back in Colorado?” Stark adopted a thoughtful expression and after a couple silent minutes, slowly nodded. “I do. He would have had a hard time getting the girl to the Point with no one noticing, especially with everyone on high alert knowing Karsen has a stalker. Plus, this is home field advantage for us. He has the upper hand in Colorado, or really anywhere else. He knows the lay of the land there and would have had time to prepare.” I nodded in agreement. “Makes sense. You think you can find where he’s holding her?” “Absolutely. It may take a little longer than normal, since he’s got a hand in hacking, but I’ll track him down.” He sounded pissed and determined. I nodded again and cracked my neck. “All right. I need to make a few calls, and I need you to get me on a flight to Colorado. He might have the upper hand right now, but I doubt he’s expecting an ambush. He thinks Karsen is going to show, and if her sister wasn’t getting married today, no doubt

she would walk right into whatever trap he has set. If you can get me there as quickly as possible and under the radar like last time, it would be ideal.” The kid had devoted all his time to watching and studying her every move. He knew there was no way she would walk away while Ari was in danger. Stark grunted and righted the chair he’d kicked over so he could throw his big body down into the seat. “What are you going to tell Karsen? She’s going to want to go with you.” “I’m gonna tell her the truth. I’m going to get her friend back. She might want to be there, but she needs to be here. I’m going to prove to her she can rely on me no matter what.” It wasn’t a conversation I was looking forward to having, but it was one that was necessary. “Okay. You go do your thing, and I’ll stay here and do mine. This little punk needs to be taken down. He’s a menace. No one pisses in my territory without repercussions.” He turned his attention back to his only surviving laptop as I made my way back to the elevator. He was more than a menace. He was a threat to the one person in this world who meant everything to me. He wasn’t going to get taken down. He was going to get put down. He was going to disappear into a hole so deep and dark no one would ever find what was left of him when I was done doing my thing.

When I reached the apartment, Karsen was hovering in the doorway, concern stamped all over her pretty face. She looked at me, and I felt like she could see everything twisting and turning inside of my head. “Is everything all right?” It amazed me how calm she sounded. They broke the mold when they created this girl. She was born to be the queen of a kingdom ruled by constant chaos and confusion. “We need to talk. Everything will be fine, I promise.” I had yet to break one promise I made to her, and I wasn’t about to start now.

Karsen

“I know you’re mad at me, and you have every right to be, but can you at least pretend you’re happy for us?” Race’s question startled me out of my thoughts. I looked up at the stunningly handsome man I was supposed to be slow dancing with and realized at some point during the song my feet stopped moving and we were doing nothing more than standing in the center of the ornate dance floor. The rest of the wedding party and guests moved stealthily around us. I could see Dovie watching us over Bax’s shoulder as he spun her around. They both looked incredibly good in their formal wear. Bax’s star tattoo that hovered near his eye made him appear particularly rakish when he was decked out in a tux. There was concern on Dovie’s face, and I was pretty sure none of it was directed at me. She was worried I was going to ruin her big brother’s special day. I’d done a pretty spectacular job of avoiding Race during the days preceding the wedding, but there was no way I could turn him down when he asked me for this dance. It would

have been rude and drawn even more attention to the fact I was mentally strung out and nowhere near present for my sister’s big day. I started moving again, easily gliding back into the elegant rhythm Race set. He came from the kind of background that required him to attend cotillions. He was a good dancer and easy to follow, but my concentration was shot to hell and I wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding the fact I wanted to be somewhere else. “I’m so sorry, Karsen. I’m sorry you were hurt. I’m sorry I put you in danger when all I wanted to do was protect you. I fucked everything up when all I was trying to do was fix things for Brysen. I don’t admit to making many mistakes, but this was a huge one and I’m not sure what I can do to make it right.” His jade gaze was full of honest remorse and his apology felt sincere. As with my sister, I understood his motivation, and all the reasons why he interfered. And maybe given enough time, I would be able to openly admit I needed those four years to figure things out, and I appreciated both of their devotion to putting me on a path that would ultimately lead me right back where I started. However, I wasn’t even close to being there yet. “I am happy for you. Brysen is glowing. I know you will always put her first. She deserves nothing less. She always sacrificed herself to take care of

everyone else. You were the first person in her life who always took care of her above all else. I know you will keep her safe and protect our family with everything you have in you.” I lifted an eyebrow. “Even if we don’t necessarily need protecting. Yeah, I’m pissed at you, Race, but I still love you. I always will.” He gave me a little twirl and pulled me back with a flourish. He was wearing a navy blue tux jacket made out of velvet with black satin lapels. It was stylish and sharp, and totally him. He looked like one of the fairy-tale princes found in a Disney movie. “You just happen to love Booker more.” It wasn’t a question, so I didn’t bother to answer it. Instead, I met his glowing gaze and dipped my chin in a barely there nod of agreement. “If you want to make things right, you can start by offering him the same pretty apology you just gave me. He’s the one who deserves it most. You did him wrong, Race.” A scowl slipped across his handsome face and I let my eyes drift to the bruise on his forehead that his golden hair didn’t quite cover. “I think Booker and I are as good as we’re going to get. He’s not going to forgive or forget, which is his right. I don’t know how I could come to terms with anyone who had a hand in keeping me from Brysen. I think the fact that we’ve agreed not to kill each other moving

forward is as good as it’s going to get. He’s welcome here. This is his home. I won’t try and take it away from him.” I snorted. Like he could take anything away from Booker again even if he wanted to. My man had learned his lesson about giving up without a fight, and there was no way he was going to let anyone railroad him ever again. I looked over Race’s shoulder to where Brysen was sitting at a table with our mother. She was having a good day, and she looked really, really happy for my sister. I wasn’t foolish enough to think they were having a sweet mother-daughter moment. The reception had an open bar and every single guest had a flute of champagne in their hand. Brysen was watching our mom like a hawk to make sure she didn’t relapse and grab a drink while no one was looking. I was keeping an eye on her until Race commandeered me for the dance. I sighed and looked up at the man who had given me everything and had also taken it all away. Before I could say anything, Race lifted his eyebrows and a frown tugged at his mouth. “You aren’t staying in the Point, are you?” He was too observant for his own good. How he knew that when I’d only recently figured it out myself was scary. “I have to talk to Booker first, but no. I don’t think we’re going to stay here.” He studied me for a long moment. When he

spoke, there was nothing but patient understanding in his voice. “You’re worried you won’t ever have your own life here. You’re afraid your place in the Point is always going to be defined by me and the other people constantly looking out for you. Somewhere along the way, this city became claustrophobic and too small for all the things you’re meant to do.” I swallowed past a rising lump of emotion in my throat. Once again, we stopped moving as people twisted and twirled around us. “You taught me well, Race. I watched all the good you and Nassir did for this city in the dark. Sometimes you have to play dirty in order to win the game. You’ve given so many people opportunities to thrive and succeed in a place that was failing. You brought this place back to life by breaking the law. Do you know how many other towns and cities are out there that could use the same tough love the Point’s been given?” He reached out and pushed one of the curls currently twisted around my head in an artfully designed updo off my forehead. “I imagine there are too many to count. I know your man comes from one of them.” I nodded. “He does. He has a lot of bad memories from his town. I want to wipe it off the map and rebuild it from the ground up. He deserves to have a complete reset on his past. He deserves to

be a part of making that happen. He’s earned it.” “Does he know you want to become the new Robin Hood?” Finally, Race’s normal, charming grin worked its way back to his face. “Taking from the rich and giving to the poor has been around long before either you or I thought about doing it.” I couldn’t help but grin back at him. “I don’t think he knows what I have in mind, but he’ll follow me wherever I go. He proved that when he came to Colorado.” Race grunted in begrudging agreement and his gaze finally shifted away from mine to scan the crowd. All our friends and family were there, with the notable exceptions of Stark and Booker. Noe rolled into the reception well after the first dance started and pulled me aside for a quick update. She was glued to her phone, even as Key talked her ear off about something, while Nassir stroked the bare length of his wife's back. Only Keelyn would show up to a wedding in a dress better suited to a burlesque show in Vegas. “Is your missing date the reason you look like you’ve been sucking on lemons?” He had no idea his entire digital security system was down. Stark was keeping that information quiet, not wanting Race to take his attention away from his bride to deal with something the hacker felt was his failure and responsibility. Noe was keeping an eye on the hotel, just in case the breach had farther reaching

consequences than the condo. “Something came up. He promised to take care of it so I could be here. It’s hard when you want to be in two places at once. My body's here, but my mind is definitely elsewhere. I know that’s not fair to you and Brysen, but the harder I try to be present, the more my mind wanders.” He offered his arm and guided me off the dance floor. My mother and Brysen both smiled so big it was nearly blinding. “Do you want to tell me what came up? I know you might not believe me, but I don’t want to see anything happen to Booker. Not when your happiness is tied so directly to him.” He grunted quietly when I dug my elbow into his ribs. “Now isn’t the time for that. I trust Booker to handle it, and I don’t think he needs, or wants, your help.” In fact, I knew he would rather walk barefoot over glass than ask Race for anything. He wasn’t walking into the situation alone. Far from it. But he trusted the people he had at his back. The same could not be said for how he felt about my brother-in-law. I leaned up and kissed Race on the cheek. “Go dance with your wife. Whisk her away on a romantic honeymoon. Give her a week where she doesn’t have to worry about you every time you walk out the door. She needs that.” Race pulled me into a hug and touched his lips to the center of my forehead. “Honestly, so do I.

You know nothing is going to be the same with you gone, right?” I rolled my eyes and slipped out of his embrace. “I’ve been gone for years. You and the Point survived. Don’t say anything to Brysen. I’ll talk to her when I’m ready.” He nodded solemnly and strode over to Brysen. He claimed his bride with a possessive gleam in his eye. When they waltzed away, disappearing on the dance floor, I fell into Brysen’s abandoned seat and looked at my mother out of the corner of my eye. She had been so beautiful once, before addiction did its damage. After hearing Booker’s story, all things considered, Brysen and I were lucky she’d taken help when Race offered it. “You look lovely, Karsen. So grown up.” She offered a tenuous smile and fiddled with her glass of water. “I’m so proud of both of you.” A wistful expression crossed her face. “I’m sorry your father isn’t here to see all you’ve both accomplished.” Race wouldn’t let my old man anywhere near Brysen. And I couldn’t blame him. “It’s all right, Mom. I know Brysen is very excited you made it today. She was very happy to share her big day with her family.” She smiled at me again and returned my sideeye look. “How about you? Is there anyone special in your life? Are you going to be walking down the aisle next?”

I bit back a laugh. The big, expensive dream wedding was always more up Brysen's alley than mine. Our images of happily ever after never really did line up with one another. “I’ve been in love with the same man since I was sixteen. Do you remember Booker? The big guy who went with us when Race checked you into rehab?” Her eyes widened and she slowly nodded. “He’s a very handsome man. Shame about what happened to his face. He would be a real heartbreaker without his scar.” I sucked in a sharp retort and reached for one of the glasses of water on the table. “I love his scar. You would, too, if you knew what he went through to get it. He’s a special kind of man. One who is reliable and stronger than he knows. He’s taught me so much, and I can’t imagine a life without him.” I was saying this as much for my mother’s benefit as my own. I was ready to claim him in front of the entire world. Finally, I didn’t have to keep my feelings for Noah Booker tightly controlled and in check. I could throw them out into the world and watch them take flight. My mother’s smile wavered and she reached out to brush the back of her finger over my cheek. Even after all these years of sobriety, they still had a tiny quiver. “Be careful putting any man on a pedestal, sweetheart. I thought your father was the

answer to all my prayers, and he took us all down when he proved just how fallible he was.” I took a drink to keep the harsh accusations on the tip of my tongue at bay. Dad didn’t fall off any pedestal; she didn’t do a thing to keep herself, or us, from going down with him. She hadn’t even tried to save us on the way down. “Booker isn’t cut from the same cloth as Dad. In fact, he is his own unique fabric that is priceless and impossible to find anywhere else.” The weave he was made of didn’t rip or tear. It was practically indestructible. Across the room, Noe’s head suddenly shot up from her phone. I only noticed because I’d been watching her, waiting for any change in her behavior. She was my only link to what was going on with Booker and Ari, and I wasn’t going to miss a thing. She turned and said something to Key, who turned to Nassir with a smile. The next thing I knew, the suave, dark-haired criminal had sidled up to my mother, asking her to dance. He was a dazzling man, but there was something in those amber eyes that warned of the dangers lurking beneath the expensive pinstripe suit. My mother hesitated until Key popped on the other side of her, promising that her husband didn't bite unless you asked him to. The blush on my mom’s face was priceless, and so was the expression on Nassir’s. He was the most formidable man I’d ever encountered,

but his wife had clearly figured out a way to tame the wild beast. Once my mom was properly distracted, Key inclined her head toward the doorway where Noe was now standing. “Go. We’ll ride herd on your mom and make sure she doesn’t get into anything she shouldn’t. Nassir will keep an eye on the bride and groom, as well.” She reached out and squeezed my shoulder in silent support as I slipped out of the ballroom as unobtrusively as possible. As soon as I was in the hallway, Noe snatched my hand and started pulling me toward the bank of elevators. “I have a set up in one of the suites. Stark has us wired into everything happening in Denver. It’s not as good as being there, but we can get front row seats through the live feed.” She paused for a second and tilted her head to the side. “That means if anything goes wrong, you’re going to have to watch it knowing there is nothing you can do.” “I understand.” It was going to be difficult to sit on my hands while Booker went in, guns blazing, but I believed in him. My problems were his problems, and he was better equipped to deal with this situation than I was. “Let’s go.” I followed her to one of the suites on the top floor. The furniture in the room was moved around so she could make a command center that looked an awful lot like the one in the basement of the

condo complex. She had several computers on the desk that were wired to multiple flat screen TVs. She plopped down on the end of the bed and picked up a laptop that was thrown carelessly on the mattress. Her brow furrowed and her tongue poked out as she concentrated on the screen in front of her. A few seconds later, all the TVs burst to life and I couldn’t control a gasp when Booker’s unmistakable form filled the frame. He was standing in front of a warehouse that would fit in perfectly with the crumbling buildings in the heart of the Point. He was dressed all in black, standing next to an impeccably dressed, dark-haired man who looked familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on where I recognized him from. I was going to ask Noe who he was when Booker suddenly moved and I noticed he’d been blocking a woman. I nearly choked as I pointed a finger at the screen closest to me and demanded, “Is that Taylor Fucking Swift?!” Noe nearly fell off the bed, she was laughing so hard. “No. But she looks enough like her to pass for her . . . or you. Just watch.” Nodding, I settled in to watch my man do his thing. I braced for the worst but expected the best, because I knew Booker wasn’t going to let me down.

Booker

“Do I want to know how you found a call girl who looks exactly like Taylor Swift in the three hours it took to fly here?” I was admittedly impressed, not only by the complete lack of hesitation or questions asked when I called and asked Benny for help, but also by his scary level of efficiency and attention to detail. A deep chuckle sounded next to me. As Benny shifted in his expensive loafers, we both stared up at the warehouse. The buzz of the drone Stark sent with me and instructed me to set up sounded overhead as the bizarre-looking machine zipped around the big building. Stark wanted to make sure the warehouse wasn’t wired to blow before we went in. He was also using the device to read thermal images. He wanted to make sure Troy didn’t have an army hidden behind the graffiticovered walls. “A man has to have his secrets. They keep me useful . . . and alive.” Benny glanced down at the clearly expensive watch strapped to his wrist and squinted up at the rapidly setting sun. “We do need

to get a move on. I promised Echo I would be home for dinner.” A surprised laugh escaped me. “Never thought I would see the day where you worried about something as basic as getting home in time for dinner.” Benny flashed a grin and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his perfectly pressed slacks. I don’t know why he was dressed as if he was about to hit a runway instead of a rescue mission, but to each their own. The guy had always had a flair for the dramatic, even when he was a no-name enforcer like me. He always subscribed to the rule of ‘dress for the job you want, rather than the one you have’. I was more of the mind to dress in a way that would let me blend into the shadows and would hide whatever blood I was bound to get on me. Benny and I had different ways of doing things, but our end goal was the same. Get the girl and make the idiot who took her sorry he was ever born. Benny shrugged. “My girl doesn’t ask for much. All she wants is me home for dinner. She does better with a set schedule. Helps her focus on the here and now instead of getting sucked into the past. So, if that’s what she needs from me, then I’ll do whatever it takes to give it to her.” I nodded in understanding. “Crazy, isn’t it? They could ask for the world and we would try and

give it to them. All they want are these little things that don’t seem like they should matter, but to them they’re everything.” Benny grinned. “Yeah, that’s why I make it a point never to fuck up the easy things she asks for. It gives me leeway for when I really screw up. Which I do . . . a lot.” There was a tapping coming from the car behind us. The woman in the back seat pointed to her wrist, even though she wasn’t wearing a watch, to remind us she was being paid hourly and the clock was running. Benny waved her off as I tapped my earpiece, opening the line of communication to Stark. “Our decoy is getting impatient. Can we move in yet? I don’t want the kid getting restless and doing something stupid.” “Give me a couple more minutes. So far there’s nothing sending up a red flag from the scans. This kid knows his way around a computer, though, and that makes me nervous.” He cleared his throat and his tone was lower when he continued speaking. “Heads up, I tapped into the feed he’s using to stream the video of the girl. Once you get into the building, Noe will be able to see everything happening. Karsen has been asking her for regular updates, so I wouldn’t be surprised if your girl is also watching. They can see you now, through the drone, but there isn’t any sound. So maybe don’t die while she’s watching.”

I glared at the drone as it flew directly overhead. “I’ll keep that in mind, boy genius.” He chuckled in my ear and the sound was oddly settling. “Why is Benny dressed like he was at Race’s wedding?” I cast a look at the man standing next to me and returned the low laughter. “Dunno. Maybe no one told him blood stains are a bitch to get out.” Benny lifted a black eyebrow and looked up at the flying object. He flipped it off and scowled. “Maybe I’m just good enough I don’t normally have to worry about washing blood out of my shit. Asshole.” Another tap came from the car and Stark grunted in my ear. “Okay. Everyone is in place. You can go in. Remember, I’ve got control of the power grid juicing the entire neighborhood. If shit goes south, I can cut all the power which should give you a slight advantage, but it will also leave you totally alone—and blind—in the building.” “I think the kid is more of a threat behind a keyboard than he is in real life. So far all he has done is pick on his ex-girlfriend and try and run me off the road. He’s been avoiding a face-to-face confrontation for a reason.” But that didn’t keep me from checking the Glock Benny handed me the second I got off the plane. “Let’s do this. Benny has to be home for dinner.” Benny moved to the car, pulling open the back

door and helping the woman who was earning a small fortune for this charade to her feet. When we’d picked her up from the hotel downtown, she’d been dressed in a slinky black dress and sky-high heels. Now she was in a pair of skinny jeans and a simple v-neck t-shirt. She was a little bit shorter than Karsen, and her eyes were bright blue instead of brown. Her mouth was also a little bit poutier, which I guessed came from medical enhancement. She was a dead ringer for the popular singer, where Karsen just bore a striking resemblance to her. From afar, fake Taylor would get us inside the doors and close enough to grab Ari and neutralize Troy. “Stay between the two of us. Keep your sunglasses on. Try to look like you’re madly in love with the big guy over there.” Benny barked out the orders as he moved the woman to stand between the two of us. She made a purring sound and I felt her hand stroke along my spine. “No problem with the last part. I like ’em big and brawny. What are you doing after this is over, handsome?” Her voice was all wrong, too. There was a distinctly southern drawl coloring all her words. I had to tell her not to speak at all. If she uttered a single word, the illusion would be broken in no time. I lifted an eyebrow and turned so she could see my entire face. I had to give her credit; she didn’t

completely recoil or gasp in horror. However, her hand immediately fell away and a tiny pout of distaste lifted her puffy lips. “When this is done, I’m going back to my girl.” It was going to be my answer from here on out. No matter where I was, or what I had to do, when everything was said and done I was going back to Karsen. A genuine smile pulled at fake Taylor’s mouth. She reached out and put a hand on my arm. This time, I could tell it was because she was being paid, not because she was flirting. “I bet she’s a special girl if she’s able to handle you. Let’s do this thing. I still have time to meet with a client later tonight if we move fast.” Her nails dug into my arm to get me moving, and I took a step forward to comply. “Remember to look worried. He has your best friend tied up inside and he’s been stalking you, watching you for years. You don’t want to be here but you have no choice. If he speaks directly to you, don’t say anything. He would more than likely know something is up. The girl he really wants is at her sister’s wedding. He’s making a point by demanding she show up here today. He wanted her to choose him above all else.” I spoke quietly and took steady steps forward. The drone was still flying overhead, and I could hear Stark muttering in my ear. He was watching the thermal images to

make sure Troy wouldn’t move to higher ground. He didn’t want Benny and me getting picked off before we even got in the door. “Two people. Both still in the main area of the warehouse. One is still. One is moving. As soon as you get inside, you need to head to the lowest level of the building. I’m sure he set up shop in that location to help block any signals he was sending out and the ones we were trying to trace.” Stark’s instructions were curt and to the point. Benny and I exchanged a look over the top of fake Taylor’s head and moved forward. It took a few kicks and a shove with my shoulder to get the rusty, old door to budge. Fake Taylor stiffened as we stepped into the musty interior of the building. Her fingers dug into my arm where she held onto me, and she started to mutter about finding a new line of work as our feet tracked through years of dust and debris. I thought she was going to bolt when a rat ran across her foot, but after a shriek and a torrent of swear words she calmed down and kept moving. Benny chuckled from his position behind her and whispered he would throw in another five hundred bucks for the rat. That seemed to appease her some, but when I looked back at her, she was having no trouble looking terrified, even with the dark sunglasses on her face. “Hang a right up ahead, then go down the

stairs. That should put you in front of another door. Once you get through the door, they’re in the main room.” Stark swore. “I think he knows you’re there. He’s moving around the room a lot more now, so be careful breaching the interior.” I nodded, not wanting to make any more noise than necessary. We followed the directions and ended up at another big, metal door. This one wasn’t going down with a well-placed kick. I knocked on the solid surface and heard the sound echo through the cavernous building. “This door is new.” I tapped it again. “Any idea how I can get through it?” Stark was quiet on the other end of the comm. I felt the hooker and Benny shift anxiously behind me. “Give me a sec. Let me see what I can do. I know there’s another way in, but you’ll have to circle back and go in a different way, which would be overkill.” We had plans for the other way in already and circling the building would take too much time. I was getting ready to ask Stark for plan C or even D, when an electronic crackle filled the air, followed by a hysterical giggle. “What’s the password?” The disembodied voice drifted from hidden speakers and sent a shiver down my spine. “Hello, Karsen. I missed you so bad, baby.”

So, he could see us. I looked over my shoulder at Benny, who no longer appeared to be treating this as a joke. The young woman between us was doing a remarkable job holding her composure together. She was also taking Benny’s instructions to pretend like she couldn’t get enough of me to heart. Her entire front was plastered along the length of my back, and I hoped if Karsen could see any of this, she wasn’t getting the wrong idea. Not that I really thought she would, but I hated the idea of her seeing any other woman with their hands on me. She was the only one allowed to touch me. “Tell me you missed me, too. Tell me how much you love me and I’ll open the door.” Insanity was obvious in every word and laced through every sentence. This guy was off his rocker. “Give me the girl. She’s the only one allowed to walk through that door.” That wasn’t happening, but he didn’t need to know that. I turned and pulled fake Taylor into my arms. I bent my head low like I was comforting her. I lifted my eyes to Benny and jerked my head to the side. Without words, he understood I was telling him it was time to split up so he could work on finding another way into the room. “He isn’t going to open that door until you talk to him. The real Karsen doesn’t have an accent. She also speaks like she’s a hundred years older than she actually is because of the way she grew

up. Anyway you can pull that off? The drawl will leave us dead in the water if he hears it.” The words were barely more than a breath of sound against her ear. She gave me a crooked smile, one that was startlingly similar to Karsen’s, and whispered back, “Honey, the drawl goes with the whole Taylor Swift thing. Drives the guys nuts and I can charge an arm and a leg. I’m from San Diego, originally. I can do this.” Without any prompting from me, she leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to my cheek. The one with the scar. She was good, really good. That was a move only the real Karsen had ever been brave enough to pull off. It would also go a long way to solidify she was who she claimed to be in Troy’s eyes. Pulling back, she took a step next to me and cocked her head at the door. Immediately, we were both blinded by a flood light flickering on. She threw up a hand to cover her face and let out a squeal of surprise. “You need to open the door. I came all this way, missed my sister’s wedding to be here. Stop playing around and let me in.” She put her hands on her hips and watched the door. I kind of wished she didn’t need the sunglasses to perpetuate the ruse. I was curious if her go-to-hell face was as fierce as my Karsen’s. It was a smart way to play it. The real

Karsen would have been irritated. Another laugh full of hysteria and insanity echoed through the building. “I can’t believe you picked me. I knew you would. I knew it every time I watched you that you loved me the way I loved you. I knew you could see me.” “I haven’t figured out the door yet. Want me to cut the power?” Stark’s voice jolted me from the silent showdown with the immovable object in front of me. I shook my head in the negative. I wanted to save the ace up my sleeve for when it would do the most good. “I’m not letting her come in the room alone, Troy. You have to know that.” I swiveled my head, trying to locate the camera. “You can’t have her. She’s mine.” A deranged howl ripped through the speakers, and I heard a thump like he kicked something over. “No, she loves me. Don’t you, Karsen? You liked having me watch you, protect you. I was always there for you, not like him. He’s too old for you, too ugly. We are perfect together. I watched for hours and hours. I have so much footage of you doing simple, everyday things, but when you do them, they are so special.” The words rose in volume and it didn’t take a genius to figure out he was spiraling out of control. My skin crawled as he admitted to having cameras planted in Karsen’s

personal space. He’d been watching her every minute of the day. When real Karsen heard about the absolute invasion of her privacy, she was going to lose her mind. This kid was lucky it was me he was dealing with instead of her. I was starting to realize she had a wicked thirst for vengeance. “I just want my friend back. Open the door so we can talk. I’ll keep the big guy out here while we talk, okay? But you have to let me in.” The girl was convincing. I almost believed she was full of wholesome sincerity. I owed Benny a new expensive ass watch for tracking her down and getting her on board. “Oh, we’re going to do so much more than talk. I’ve been waiting so long for you, baby.” The woman next to me flinched but held her ground. Slowly, the metal door started to creak and slide open. The sound was grating and put my teeth on edge. I exchanged a look with the woman next to me, when the hollow voice filling the space around us ordered her to step forward. She faltered but moved in the direction she’d been commanded. I put a hand on her shoulder to hold her still. “Stark. Now.” The woman’s head whipped around as I seemingly spoke to no one, and the voice overhead shrieked in fury when he heard me say the other computer guru’s name. “No!” The door started to slide shut, but before

it could move an inch, the entire building went dark. The fake Taylor screamed and latched onto my arm. I could hear more screaming from inside the room, and the sound of Troy’s actual voice filtered out through the open doorway as he swore and screamed. A gunshot went off. I tucked the woman safely behind me and ordered, “Don’t move. Benny will be back for you shortly. He’ll get you out of here. You did great. Tell him to double what he’s paying you.” She nodded numbly and slunk back against the far wall as another gun shot rang out. Once she was tucked safely away, I pulled the night-vision goggles Benny had supplied over my eyes and started into the pitch-black room. The kid was firing randomly, shooting in every direction. I flinched when a bullet whizzed particularly close to the chair Ari was tied to. I heard a furious snarl travel through the dark and realized things were about to move really fast. I needed to get the gun out of Troy’s hand and equally as important, get Benny home in time for dinner. The kid didn't see me coming. He couldn’t. Without the night vision, I couldn’t see my hand two inches in front of my face. I went in low, trying to stay out of the line of fire. A bullet hit one of the lights hanging overhead and a shower of glass rained down, peppering the

floor with sharp shards. I caught him around the waist, taking him to the ground, swearing as the glass ripped my clothes and sliced into my legs. I grabbed Troy’s wrists and bashed them on the ground until he released the weapon. He screamed and thrashed around underneath me. It was like trying to keep an eel contained. I got a knee in the balls and took an elbow to the chin, but as soon as I managed to get my forearm across the guy’s windpipe, he stopped moving . . . and breathing . . . but I wasn’t going to feel bad about that. “Stark! Lights!” There was a distinctive hum of fluorescent lights firing back up and the room was once again illuminated. I ripped off the goggles and looked over to where the pretty roommate had been tied to the chair. She was no longer held captive. Instead, she was in the arms of a burly, dark-haired man wearing SWAT gear and looking at the man struggling to get air into his lungs like he was ready to drop him from the top of the building. I didn’t normally involve the cops in anything I did, but in this instance, it was necessary. Ari’s older brother deserved to be here, and Dominic Voss was how I was going to make sure this kid stayed the hell away from Karsen forever. I put more pressure on the choke hold, leaning

forward until my nose was practically touching the stalker’s. “The entirety of Denver’s SWAT team is outside this building, waiting to take you in. What kind of idiot kidnaps a cop’s kid sister? Not to mention you knocked her around, so he already wants your balls in a jar on his shelf.” The kid choked and gagged under my arm. His eyes were watering and snot was rolling steadily out of his nose. He looked crazed and feral. “When I left the Point, I was ready to cut you into tiny pieces and send them to the farthest corners of the states, Braveheart-style. I imagined you begging, pleading, crying for me to let you go. I imagined you watching my girl, creeping on her, invading her privacy, touching her things, and I realized death wasn’t enough. Sometimes death can be a blessing. You don’t have to worry about anything or anyone coming after you when you’re in a grave. You don’t have to worry about watching your back and staying safe when you’re six-feet under. No, making you bleed was too easy. So, I contacted the cop. He wasn’t thrilled he had to work with me, but when I promised to hand you over on my way out of town, he couldn’t tell me no.” I could hear people moving around behind me in the room. I could hear Ari babbling and sobbing alternately. The sound of squawking police radios

threatened to pull my concentration from my prey, but I wasn’t done yet. “Dying is a breeze and you’ll wish for death once you find out what life behind bars is like. That cop is going to make sure you get put away and the guy whose system you hacked into is going to make sure you end up in the worst of the worst cellblock. You’re gonna end up in a Supermax with guys who will eat you for breakfast and no one will even know you’re there.” I pushed off his neck, pointing at my face as I climbed to my feet. “If you’re lucky, you’ll end up with a souvenir like this. Every single day you’ll be reminded of what you did, what they did to you, and why you’re there. You’ll think of me, and you’ll remember I’m the reason you’re there.” I smirked at him. “You’ll have nothing but time on your hands to think of all the ways I’m keeping Karsen happy. Welcome to hell, kid.” He howled in outrage and made a move as if he was going to lunge at me, but the dark-haired cop was there in a flash. He had a knee on the guy’s neck and put his face to the ground with enough force I was sure the stalker was going to be missing teeth when he was pulled to his feet. His hands were zip-tied together and he was handed off to a waiting officer. I grinned as he was jerked around like a rag doll. None of these guys were happy one of their own was involved in this mess.

The cop considered me thoughtfully for a second. “Is it too much to ask that you come in and make a formal statement?” I shook my head. “Got my girl waiting for me. I need to disappear.” I wasn’t about to let them run my prints or dig into who I really was. And I really did want to get back to Karsen. He stared at me for a minute, obviously debating if he was going to let me walk away with no questions asked. Eventually, his sister called for him and he heaved a deep sigh. “Thank you. I owe you one.” I laughed and rubbed my fingers over my scar. “You don’t want to owe a man like me, Voss. Let Karsen stay in Ari’s life. Don’t try and dissuade the friendship, regardless of what you hear or think you know about our lives. Let Ari keep the illusion Karsen is nothing more than a normal girl, and we’ll consider it even.” He was dying to ask questions, and I knew he wasn’t going to like the answers. He nodded and turned toward his sister. “Keep her safe.” The warning was clear, but totally unnecessary. Keeping Karsen safe was my sole reason for existing. I’d finally found my purpose in life. It wasn’t to be a man admired and feared, it was to be the man loved and respected by her, and her alone. It was also my job to love and respect her, unlike any other.

After all, when you loved something, you set it free . . .

Karsen

When it returned. . . . it was always meant to be yours. I felt the covers lift and the mattress sink under his weight. I hadn’t heard the door to the hotel room open, he hadn’t bothered to turn on the lights, regardless, I knew it was him. I had no idea what time it was. After watching Booker take Troy down and turn Ari over to her brother, I went back to the reception and did my best to pretend I wasn’t simply going through the motions of celebrating the happy couple. I’d had a moment of total freak out and loss of control when those lights went out and all I could see was the muzzle flash from the gun going off. Not knowing what was happening or who was getting shot made me lose my ever-loving mind. I would have snapped Noe’s laptop in half if she hadn’t wrestled it away from me. She also ordered me to breathe and reminded me my man was a badass, and there was no way he was not going to save my best friend from that psycho or let me watch him die. It took a minute for her words to sink in, but eventually I managed to get control of my spiraling emotions. I knew I was supposed to be

there for my sister, but I wanted Booker back. I didn’t feel like myself with him gone and out of contact. Warm hands slid across my skin and I was pulled back against a hard, bare chest as I felt a kiss land on the top of my head. I snuggled into the welcome embrace and obediently parted my legs as Booker moved to press one of his between them. I went to bed without putting anything on, hoping he would return sooner rather than later. My skin tingled when I realized his big body was entirely naked behind me. With his skin touching mine, I finally felt like I could draw in a full breath and my concentration was back to being laser sharp and totally focused . . . on him. “Do you think Ari will ever forgive me? Aside from you, she’s the best friend I’ve ever had. I brought Troy into her life, even if it wasn’t directly. I’m the reason she ended up in the middle of all this.” I wouldn’t blame her if she never wanted to see me again, but it would hurt having her walk away. There weren’t a ton of people I relied on and trusted. Ari was at the top of the list. Booker pulled me closer and I felt the rigid line of his erection nestled between my ass cheeks. I wiggled against the velvet and steel pole, sighing as his hands skimmed the fullness of my breasts and wandered over the flat plane of my stomach. “She was a victim, the same way you were. I

think when she has some time to heal and to come to grips with what happened, she’ll come around. That brother of hers seems like good people. He’ll take care of her and make sure she gets herself back on track. Be patient with her. That’s all you can do.” His lips danced up the side of my neck and his index fingers dipped teasingly into my belly button. I shifted in reaction, my body wilting in pliant submission under his tender ministrations. “That was pretty slick, calling Dom in for back up. I wasn’t expecting it.” Not at all. It was my turn to almost fall off the bed while I was watching Booker’s endgame play out. Never in a million years did I picture him going to the police, even if the police had a personal investment this time around. He bit the curve of my jaw and soothed the slight sting left behind with a flick of his tongue. “The more time I spend around you, the easier it is to recognize the right thing to do. It might take me a minute to get there, but I’m finding my way because of you.” I sighed as his fingers trailed over my lower abdomen, disappearing into the hollow between my legs. He sighed in satisfaction when his fingers encountered warm, wet flesh. The silky arousal started gathering the second he laid down behind me. “Whether you do the right thing or the wrong

thing, you know I’ll stand beside you either way, right?” I arched into his touch as his fingers delved into the soft folds eagerly awaiting his attention. “I know that. I also know you’re less likely to get hurt if I choose to do the right thing, instead of falling back on the wrong one like I always have. I can make better choices if it means keeping you safe and being the man you deserve.” He hummed in appreciation as my body fluttered and pulsed under his fingertips. I let out a quiet moan and pressed harder into his embrace. “Just remember, I fell in love with the man known for doing the wrong thing. He might need to make an appearance every now and then. Our lives are never going to be easy, Booker. Right and wrong isn’t so cut and dry in our world.” His whole body stiffened at my offhanded declaration of love. His hands tightened where they were holding me, and I literally felt his heart skip several beats. “Don’t worry, puppy. That guy is never very far from the surface.” His lips touched the sensitive shell of my ear and his tongue traced the outer edge. “And, he fell in love with you a long time ago.” My reaction was the opposite of his. I felt everything inside me go soft and pliable. His love made everything feel warm and liquid. It wrapped around me securely and offered an unbreakable

wall of protection against everything that wanted to tear us apart. His thick fingers pressed inside of me as his hips rocked his cock up and down in the snug valley behind me. He whispered how much he missed me, how good it felt to have me in his arms. He told me over and over again that he loved me, and how he would never let me go. His raspy words spun a delicate web of promises around us and pulled me deeper into the haze of arousal surrounding us. It was getting hard to think straight, but before I let him overwhelm me with passion and pleasure, I had one more thing I wanted to say to him. “I wanted to claw out that knock-off Taylor’s eyes when she kissed you on the cheek. I think I’m going to be more of a rabid dog than a puppy when it comes to you. I don’t want anyone else to touch you. It turns me into a jealous bitch.” I cocked my head so I could touch my mouth to his. I met his gaze, letting him see the possessive truth in my eyes. “Mine.” I kissed him again to drive the point home. His chuckle was sweet against my lips, and his stubble was rough where it brushed across my cheeks and chin. His fingers started to plunge in and out of my soaked opening, and his thumb found my clit as he started to rub slow circles over my distended collection of nerves.

“You don’t have to worry. I don’t want anyone else touching me either. It was necessary yesterday; that’s the only reason I let it happen.” He kissed his way down my neck, stopping to sink a bite in the curve where my neck and shoulder met. “Turnabout is only fair, Karsen. I get to claim you as mine. If anyone puts their hands on you, I won’t be jealous, I’ll be lethal. Keep that in mind.” His threat shouldn’t be a turn on, but it was. Everything about him was. Including those parts of him that would always be dangerous and hazardous to others . . . but never to me. Apparently, the conversation was over because his mouth busied itself with kissing across my shoulders as his hands took full control of my body. The one between my legs started up a steady rhythm, sliding in and out of my wetness with a slick sound that rang in my ears. His other hand found the swell of my breast and palmed the fullness. My nipple poked the center of his hand, begging for some kind of friction and attention. He rolled the sensitive tip around and around with his palm, making me shiver in response and having my body silently begging for more. He complied. Fingers scissoring and stroking with more pressure, as his thumb continued to torture my clit. I bucked back against him, grinding my hips into the hard shaft rocking against me. Wordlessly, he understood his fingers were not

enough. The empty ache only he could fill was starting to make my movements desperate and my body impatient. All it took was a shift of his hips and a hand under my knee to tug one of my legs up, so he could slide inside for that hollow void to drop away. The press of his body into mine immediately centered something inside of me that was always untethered and lost when we were apart. I was anchored by this man. Held steady and sure. When I was with him this way, I felt as invincible and unbreakable as I always believed him to be. With him behind me, and both of us on our sides, he couldn't sink as deep or move as forcibly as he typically did. This resulted in lovemaking which was slow, deliberate, and endlessly tender. I felt every drag and pull of his cock inside of me. I could count his heart beats against my back. I could feel the slight tremor in his fingers as he continued to touch me, continued to amp up the anticipation, and my growing impatience. Every time I tried to hurry him along, he slowed down. Every time I made a hungry noise, he murmured soothing words and tried to contain my frantic motions. It was delicious torture, and I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. I was on the verge of begging, pleading for him to do something, to do anything that would drag us both closer to the edge. I had one hand over his where it still played between my legs, holding on as he

thrust steadily into me, refusing to be rushed. When my orgasm finally hit, it was like a rainbow bursting through the sky on a cloudy day. Suddenly there were colors everywhere, stretching as far as the eye could see. It was bright and magical, spiraling long and slow, making me gasp, and bringing the sting of tears to my eyes. Back when I was younger and filled with foolish notions of what loving and being with this man would be like, this was the kind of experience I always imagined. This was what love felt like, and I knew Noah Booker was the only man who was ever going to bring these feelings inside of me to the surface. I felt Booker’s release a moment later. It was more of a rolling stream than the usual rushing river, and I could tell he was feeling the same connection I was. I wasted my first sexual experience on petty revenge trying to prove something, but this moment, this was the first time I’d always wanted with the one I deserved. Booker’s arms tightened around my waist and he nuzzled into me. A loud yawn sounded from above my head and when I wiggled around to look up at him, I noticed how tired he looked. I was going to have to make sure he started taking better care of himself. He couldn’t keep operating on no sleep. “Hey, Noah.” I spoke quietly just in case he’d

already drifted off. I kissed the underneath side of his jaw, wrinkling my nose when his whiskers tickled my lips. “I have something to ask you.” He grunted but peeled open a slate-colored eye and watched me as I chewed on my lip and tried to figure out the best way to say everything that had been on my mind. “How would you feel about going back to your hometown with me?” His eyes flew open and his jaw dropped in an almost comical way. Before he could launch into the protest I could see building in his gaze, I put a finger over his lips and explained, “I want to go back so we can help all the other Noah Bookers out there. The Point doesn’t need us, Booker. The Point is going to be fine. There are so many other places out there that need us. So many people we can help. I figured why not start at the beginning.” I gave him a lopsided grin. “And I’ve always wanted to see an actual, working farm.” It was a new obsession, one I couldn’t shake the longer I thought about it. He was quiet for a long time. I thought for sure he was going to tell me ‘no’. I was ready to be disappointed but understanding. If he didn’t want to go back to his hometown, sadly there were a million more to choose from. “I promised myself I would never go back. Everything that went wrong in my life started in

that place.” I could hear the pain in his voice, and I almost regretted asking him to revisit his awful past. “I know. That’s why I think it would be a good place for us to start. We can burn it all down, Booker. Take every bad memory and turn it to ash and smoke. Then we’ll rebuild something unbreakable on top of the ruins. We can do this. I think you need to do this. You’ve walked through fire for a long time. What if all of it was just preparation so you could handle the heat of walking back into hell?” Maybe I was putting it on a little thick, but I was determined to make him see this was something that would be good for him . . . good for us. After a while, he sighed and pulled me back into an embrace that had my head tucked under his chin and cheek resting on the steady thump of his heart. “I told you I would follow you anywhere. I trust you to lead the way.” Because he loved me . . . and respected me . . . and trusted me to figure out where we were going, even if the path wasn’t clear. “I promise I won’t ever lead you astray, Noah.” He wasn’t the only one in this relationship who could keep a promise.

Six Years Later. . . . The Middle of Nowhere

When the big, black SUV rolled to a stop next to me, I told myself not to cower and cry. A cloud of dust from the backcountry road lifted and surrounded me as I waved a hand in front of my face and choked on the dirt. I’d been walking for what felt like hours, or maybe it was days. I was starving, thirsty, dirty, and scared. So scared. Everyone you asked said to stay away from the old farmhouse down the long and winding road. Everyone in town, and beyond, avoided the sprawling farm like their lives depended on it. They also whispered about the blacked-out SUVs coming and going from the property at all hours of the day and night. They watched the scary men and women. The ones that arrived shortly after the new owners took over the farm. All the new residents seemed to be armed to the teeth and watched the locals with hard eyes. Everyone gossiped about the man with the strange accent and the cold eyes when he came to town, his arm always around a tall woman who moved like she was floating through

the air. They avoided the one with the tattoo on his face and murder in his scowl. They gawked at the guy with glasses and his girlfriend, not that either seemed to notice. Everyone wondered about the fair-haired couple who often swept through the ramshackle town, wondering how two people as polished and pristine as they were even found this place to begin with. Rumors ran rampant, and my favorite one was about the big man with the scar on his face. They said he grew up here. They talked about his mom being trash and how he went away for a long, long time. But now he was back and things were getting so much better. It gave me hope I could find my way out one day, too. No one was sure what happened on the farm, but everyone noticed that as soon as the new residents moved in, the drug dealers moved out. The users seemed to disappear, or in some cases, reclaim their former lives. Small businesses in town started to thrive, and an unknown source was funneling money into the badly neglected economy of this small town. Teachers were hired. The police force was bulked up. Ranches and farms were suddenly given the tools they needed to recoup decades of loss. The entire town, close to collapsing in on itself and becoming nothing but another void, had been rebuilt. It was still small, just a blip on the map, but it was no longer dying. Everyone silently

speculated the people who bought the old farmhouse were responsible for all the changes. They were both feared and admired, as all legends were. Only a moron would attempt to talk to such a mythical creature. A moron, or someone with nothing left to lose. It was debatable which category I fell more heavily into. I definitely had a foot straddling the dividing line of each. I expected the passenger door to swing open. Instead, I heard the opposite door open and a minute later I found myself face to face with a giant. Well, not a real giant, but the man was huge. I barely reached his belly button, even when I snapped my spine straight and told myself to stand as tall as possible. I wiped the cuff of my grubby shirt over my eyes, blinking back tears and trying desperately to keep from bolting. It took me so long to get here. I couldn’t chicken out now. “Are you lost?” The deep rumble of the man’s voice had me shaking in my worn-out shoes. They were more duct tape than rubber and canvas at this point, but I was too scared to be embarrassed by them like I normally was. I had to clear my throat three times before I could squeak out any words. When I finally forced them out I sounded like a girl, my voice was so high and thready. “No. I’m not.” I wrapped my arms around myself and looked down at my holey shoes.

“I walked here from the Valley. I want to talk to the person who owns the farmhouse.” One of his eyebrows lifted, the one with the scar. I liked the look of that line down his face. It made him seem extra badass and intimidating. Maybe one day I would have a cool scar like his and everyone would be afraid of me. “The Valley is pretty far from here. At least an hour-and-a-half drive. You walked?” His head tilted to the side as he continued to watch me closely. I nodded, swallowing hard. “Things in the Valley aren’t as good as they are here. My dad has a small trailer and too many of us kids living in it. There’s no food. No heat. No running water.” And the old man was getting crazier as each day passed. My brothers and sisters didn’t have anything to eat. Yet Dad somehow managed to find money for guns, guns, and more guns. I was worried he was going to start using my siblings for target practice any day now. I’d already been clipped in a ‘hunting accident’. I didn’t believe for a single second my father hadn’t meant to shoot me. “I’m desperate. I don’t know who to go to for help. None of us kids have ever been to school. The police up there don’t go on private land. We don’t got no other family and all our mothers have disappeared.” It was probably too early to tell this giant I was pretty sure my father killed them all after they served their purpose. He wasn’t nice to the girls. Treating them

like servants. I asked regularly if he was doing bad things to them, but all three of my sisters hardly spoke. Another assessing gaze drifted over me. “Pretty bold move, walking all this way, not knowing if you’d be welcome.” I shrugged helplessly. “I don’t got nothing to lose . . . sir.” I tacked the last part on belatedly, hoping he would see how badly I needed someone to step in and fix all of this for me. “If I get turned away, I’m no worse off than I was before.” Which was a lie. Dad was going to skin me alive for being gone several days. I was the one who took care of the kids. He was going to break down without me there. “How old are you, son?” The rough cadence softened slightly, and I finally felt like I could breathe again. I lifted my head and met the man’s steely gaze. “I think thirteen, or fourteen. I lost count a couple years ago. We don’t do things like birthdays in the Valley.” He muttered something under his breath. “What’s your name?” “Uhh, Campbell. But I can’t remember if it’s my first or last. That’s just what Dad’s always called me.” For all I knew, I was named after the endless amounts of soup he had stored in the survivalist pantry. That’s right. We starved while he

prepared for the end of the world. “It’s your name. Doesn’t matter where in line it happens to fall. I’m Booker. It’s nice to meet you, Campbell. Climb into the car and I’ll give you a ride to the farmhouse.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder and pointed at the SUV. I wanted to collapse with relief. I must have wobbled some, because suddenly a massive hand was locked around my elbow, keeping me upright. I was ashamed the stranger had to practically lift me into the car. As soon as he was back behind the wheel, he handed me a bottle of water and told me it would only be a short drive. I didn’t realize we were not alone until a tiny voice from the back of the car inquired, “Daddy, who is that?” In shock, I turned my head and encountered the giant’s mini-me. The little girl had dark hair tied in twin braids on either side of her head, and the same odd gray-blue eyes as the man sitting next to me. He grinned into the rearview mirror and told her, “Just someone who needs some help.” She nodded as if she completely grasped the situation. “You’re taking him to Mommy.” A nod followed. “I am.” The little girl grinned back at the big man and I noticed she was missing a few teeth. She reminded me of my youngest sister. “Mommy will help you.” I blinked, not sure what to say. “That’s right, Charley, Mommy will help him.”

The little girl seemed satisfied by the exchange and went back to playing with the doll in her hand. It was so bizarre. I didn’t know the man next to me at all. It shouldn’t be difficult to picture him as a devoted, caring father, but it was. He looked like a killer, not a caretaker. I fidgeted in my seat and toyed with the water bottle in my hands. I wanted to chug the entire thing but knew it would make me sicker than a dog if I did. “I can’t believe you stopped and picked me up with your kid in the car. That’s dangerous. Haven’t you taught her strangers are bad news?” What was I doing?! This guy was my only way into the farmhouse and I was insulting his parenting ability. He looked at me with his raised eyebrow again and this time his grin was aimed at me. “Kid, no offense, but you aren’t a threat to me or my kid. You look like you’re ready to pass out, and I can tell just by looking at you how malnourished you are. The only reason you made it down the road as far as you did was because you look like a gentle breeze might blow you away. Charley knows how to identify a threat. She also knows when to show compassion.” The grin turned into something sharp and scary in the blink of an eye. “She learned her empathy from her mother, so don’t get any stupid ideas.” I quivered and tried to make myself as small as

possible in the seat next to him, “No, sir.” When we stopped in front of the sprawling house, I gulped, and not just because there were several people walking around carrying weapons. The house was no dilapidated, wooden structure. No, in front of me was an amazing design constructed of iron, glass, and steel. It looked like something you saw on TV. It did not belong on a farm with horses, goats, and chickens. It made the classic red and white barn located a few hundred yards away look ridiculous. I must have let the words slip out because the man next to me chuckled as he helped his daughter out of the car. She screamed something about petting the kitties and took off running for the barn as fast as her little legs would carry her. Immediately, two women seemed to appear out of nowhere and followed behind the little girl. One gave the man next to me a little wave of greeting, the other didn’t take her eyes off the child. “My wife wanted a farm after she graduated from law school. I gave it to her when she passed the bar exam. I wanted her safe. We compromised and ended up with a little bit of each. It may look silly to everyone else, but it works for us.” He stopped at the front door, and I watched in fascination as he touched a keypad and poked in some kind of numerical code. Of course, a house like this wouldn’t have something as simple as a

lock and key system. The interior of the house was a modern marvel. Nicer than anything I’d ever seen. I was too scared to touch anything or even sit on anything with my tattered clothing and dusty skin, but I followed the massive man down a long hallway, and into a room full of windows and light. It was an office of some sort. A big glass desk sat in the center of the room, and there were metal bookshelves packed floor to ceiling. A couch that looked like it was made of red velvet was pushed against one wall, and two matching chairs sat in front of the futuristic office furniture. A woman was standing with her back to us. I could see the view she was looking at through the window. It showed the main road we had just driven up, and the rolling field of the farm on either side of it. Her hair was almost white and hung in a sleek ponytail down her back. When she turned around, I couldn’t hold in a gasp of surprise. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She didn’t look like any lawyer I’d ever imagined. Her eyes were a thousand different shades of brown. Her smile was sweet. She was tall, like the man behind me, but nowhere near as imposing. She was also holding a baby. The small bundle was wrapped in a blue blanket, so I assumed it was a little boy. She was cooing to the baby and I thought she looked like a princess. But not one who would

wear a crown made out of jewels and precious metals. No, there was something about her that made me think her crown would be crafted out of something fierce, like thorns and bones. For a moment, I almost thought I’d died out there on that dusty road. “I just fed him. Why don’t you go put him down for a nap and I’ll have a chat with our guest.” Her multi-colored gaze skated over me the same way her husband’s had. I felt stripped bare and emotionally naked. “Scrounge up something for our guest to eat, as well. He’s skin and bones.” The giant wandered over and collected the baby. He kissed the blonde woman on the lips, then kissed the baby on top of his fuzzy head. I could see a tuft of whitish hair sticking out. The little boy was going to take after his mom, it seemed. She motioned to one of the soft chairs and told me to have a seat. I collapsed in a heap and told myself not to stare, but she was too pretty not to. “What brings you to my farm?” “I can’t afford a lawyer.” I gulped, breathed out hard through my nose, and ordered myself not to cry. It was useless. I broke down in a sobbing, shaking mess. This was my breaking point. It wasn’t until I felt the brush of her fingers through my hair that I managed to choke out, “I need help. Please help me. Things are bad at home, so bad. I’ve tried so hard to take care of everyone, but I

can’t do it anymore.” My shoulders shook and I couldn’t catch my breath. The beautiful woman touched her lips to my cheek, and even though I was certain I’d died walking over here, I knew that she was an angel standing next to me. “Don't worry, sweet boy.” She found me a tissue and gave me a smile so bright I swore I could feel it shining inside of my soul. “I’m here to help. It’s what I came here to do.”

Sometimes the end . . . is just the beginning.

~Honestly this little scene is selfishly all for me, but I’m happy to share with you guys. Bax has always been very special to me for a lot of reasons, and for once I am having a really difficult time telling a character goodbye. I really felt like there was no way to end this series without going back to the beginning.

“I remember the first time you brought me here. I couldn’t believe how pretty the Point looked. It was like it was a whole new city looking down on it from so high up.” We were parked up on the high outlook that perched over the city. An old haunt for many reasons, one of which was that it was often quiet and high above the grime and filth of the city. Dovie’s voice was wistful and soft with fondness over the memory of that night. I remembered it clearly, as well. Probably not for the same reasons she did. I’d fucked her senseless on the hood of the very car we were leaning against, not even pausing to think about the way our clothes were going to scratch the custom paint job, or the footprints she was going to leave on the meticulously polished

chrome bumper. I cared more about her than the car. A first for me. It was the night I realized that if I was ever going to love anybody, it was going to be her. It was also the night I started putting her first, before anything and everyone else, without even realizing it. The car wasn’t even mine anymore. I’d given it to her in a moment of madness, convinced it was the best way to prove to her that she meant everything to me. I wasn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, so instead, I handed her the keys to my muscle car. I didn’t even regret it . . . well, most days I didn’t. When she was late getting the oil changed, and when she ground the gears together because she was moving too fast and excited about something, it made my teeth clench and fingers twitch. But every time she trailed her fingers over the sleek fender or pet the leather interior like it was a living, breathing thing, I knew it was the right call. No one had given Dovie much of anything before I came along, and I’d handed over not only my pride and joy, but my heart, as well. She treated them both like they were priceless. There was a slight breeze blowing. It made her shiver and tossed one of her strawberry curls in my direction. I caught the rosy strand between my fingers and gave it a gentle tug. The pressure caused her to turn and look at me, and just like always, I wondered how on Earth someone as good

as she was could ever lower herself enough to love someone as bad as I was. She gave her heart to the abandoned and neglected kids who littered the city. I chopped up cars and taught guys how to fight for quick cash and peace of mind. We stood on opposite sides of the fence on many things and argued about the regular stupid shit. On paper we were a disaster waiting to happen, but in reality, we made it work. And it was work. We were still very different, and things between us never ceased to be complicated, but all of that was incidental as long as we were standing side by side at the end of the day. Neither one of us could live without the other, so we did whatever we had to in order to keep our unbreakable connection strong. The only thing I’d ever fought for before her was survival. Now I put every ounce of energy I had, every skill I’d ever learned, into keeping Dovie happy and proving to her that no one would ever love her better than I did. “That was a good night.” I couldn’t keep the appreciative rumble out of my voice, and chuckled when it earned me an elbow in the ribs and an exaggerated eye roll. I threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into the curve of my body when I noticed she was starting to shiver. It never ceased to amaze me how well she fit in that spot. I was convinced I was a guy who was meant to stand on my own, but

she’d proven me wrong over and over again. Never in a million years did I think it would be the woman I loved who had my back no matter how dangerous or deadly the situation may be. Dovie was the strongest person I’d ever met, and I was proud I could call her mine. “I think ‘good’ might be a slight exaggeration.” She snuggled in closer, eyes locked on the lights of the city down below. “You broke my heart a little bit that night, Bax.” I blew out a breath and wished for a cigarette. I’d done my best to quit over the last few years. She hated that I smoked, told me often she didn’t want to make out with an ashtray, and mentioned she was worried about my health. I’d been marginally successful in kicking the habit. Dovie didn’t ask for much, so when she did, I always tried my best to give her whatever it was she needed from me. I missed having something to do with my hands and often yearned for the soothing effect of nicotine. I’d stupidly tried to tell her goodbye for good that night. I’d tried to walk away after showing her how beautiful our ugly city could be, and after I’d tried to tell her with my body how important she was to me, because words felt so inadequate. I shattered a special moment; I knew exactly what I was doing when I did it, and it had been in the back of my mind for years that I needed to make it up to

her. I wanted all her memories of me to be ones that made her smile, not ones that made her sad. “I fucked up that night. I knew it then, I remember how awful it felt to let go of you that night.” I put my chin on the top of her head, loving the slide of her soft hair against my skin. “Never again. I won’t ever let you go.” My arm tightened reflexively, locking her in place next to me. She hummed a little and I felt her arm wind around my waist. I knew if we were facing one another she would reach out and touch the star tattooed high on my cheek, right next to my eye. It was a familiar gesture, one she used to calm herself down. One she used to soothe all the angry, rowdy things inside of me. The tattoo was a mark of rebellion and defiance. She’d turned it into something sweet and comforting, in a way only she could. “Back then I was still scared of you. I let you push me away. Now, I know better. Sometimes I’m still scared for you, but I know you would die before hurting me. I’m never letting you get away, Bax.” I liked the note of possession in her tone. It was nice to know that even though we’d been together for a while now, she still felt the need to claim me as her own. “I’ve been telling myself for a long time I needed to make that night up to you, but something always seems to come up.” Annoyance colored my

tone because I kept having to adjust my plans. The things that kept cropping up were all good though, so it was hard to be mad at the inconveniences. The first time I’d tried to bring her up here, my nephew decided it was time to make his way in the world. I was still leery of my big brother since he was a cop through and through, and I was still a criminal down to my very core. But I loved that kid something fierce. The second time there had been a crisis concerning the flowers for Race and Brysen’s wedding. I still had a hard time believing spoiled, selfish Race was married, but he was, and I watched every single day as he bent over backwards to make sure Brysen lived the best life possible. It wasn’t easy being married to a corrupt king, but somehow, she not only managed, but also brought out the best in Race. The third time I’d tried to get Dovie up here, Nassir announced that he and Keelyn were adopting a baby and everything stopped so we could congratulate them. One of the girls who worked for Nassir found herself in a bind. She didn’t want to end the pregnancy and she was terrified of the baby going into the system in the Point. No one was sure if it was Nassir’s idea, or his pretty wife’s, to bring the baby home with them; frankly, neither one of them seemed like they were parental material. They were both over the moon

about their new addition and everyone was delighting in imagining the Devil as a daddy. The thought of Nassir Gates changing a dirty diaper was enough to make me chuckle every single time I tried to imagine it. The fourth time I was sure I was going to be able to put my plan into action, but Karsen had called and announced that her new home was finally finished and asked us all to come for an impromptu housewarming party. I felt obligated to go to keep Race and Booker from tearing into each other, something that still happened frequently, even though the two men had technically called a truce. And finally, the last time I’d tried to get her up here for a redo of that night, Stark surprised me by asking for my help in tracking down a Tesla for Noe. He wanted to surprise her for their anniversary, but like the absentminded genius he was, he didn’t stop to consider there was a waiting list for the damn car and he couldn’t simply pick one up willy-nilly. Of course, I wasn’t going to let him down, so I’d had to call in a favor or ten in order to make it happen, which took up more time than I thought it would. However, tonight it was finally just me and Dovie. I’d been waiting for this moment for what felt like forever. Dovie laughed, the sound light and airy in the

night. She was happy. I made her happy. It was my greatest accomplishment. “Are you going to bend me over the hood of the Super Bee again?” She tilted her head back and wiggled her rust-colored eyebrows at me. “I could get on board with that plan if you’re very persuasive. It’s a little colder tonight than it was when we were up here before.” I snorted out a laugh and bent my head so I could touch my lips to hers. She tasted like vanilla from her lip-gloss, and something even sweeter that was all Dovie. “I’m hoping you might want to bend me over the Super Bee when it’s all said and done.” She pulled back at my cryptic words, eyebrows dancing upward. I kissed the tip of her nose and gently turned her around so we were both facing the city down below once again. I smoothed a hand down her spine and told her softly, “I love our life together, no matter how unconventional parts of it may be. You’ve never complained, never even hinted that it would be so much easier for you if you fell in love with someone else. You are perfect for me in every way, and I want to be someone who is also perfect for you. That’s hard, because I’m pretty sure there has never been a more imperfect man than me.” She immediately started to shake her head in denial, but I caught a handful of her wild hair and

kept her head still, forcing her to keep her eyes on the dim city in the horizon. She always accepted me for exactly who I was, faults and all. She never asked me to change, never demanded I give her more than I was capable of giving. She understood my limitations, but I wanted to be the guy who broke boundaries for her. I wanted to be the man who pushed every single day to be better for her. “Everyone around us is adding these normal, simple things into their lives. Getting married, having kids, building houses, and creating families. They’re mundane things most people would take for granted, but they mean so much in a place like the Point. You’ve never asked me to give you normal, never hinted how much you would appreciate something as basic as a wedding ring.” “Bax . . .” My name always sounded special when she said it. I could hear a quiver in her voice and her entire body stiffened where she was partially leaning against me. “You asked me once if I could live for you, because dying here is so damn easy. I do. Every single day I live for you. For your smile. For your laugh. For the way you touch my face. I live for the way you love me, and for the way you take me as I come. I never imagined I would be around long enough to build a life with someone, but here we are. It’s you and me forever, and the very least I can give you is a piece of normal that ties you to

me forever.” I was shocked to feel my hand shake when I removed it from her hair. Nervously I wiped my sweaty palms down the front of my jeans and watched as a sequence of lights started to flicker and come to life on all the buildings and high-rises out in the distance. I took a deep breath and stepped in front of the woman who was now crying, hands over her mouth as she watched the words ‘Will You Marry Me’ illuminate across the city which had brought us together and tried it’s very best to rip us apart. I owed both Nassir and Stark a million favors for helping me pull this off. The look on Dovie’s face right now was worth every single illicit deed either might ask me to do in the future. The tears on her freckled cheeks glistened in the moonlight, and her heart was in her eyes as she watched me dig the ring I’d been carting around for months out of my pocket. It was a simple ring. Nothing flashy or ostentatious that would draw undo attention to her or put her at risk when she was on the streets without me. I knew she wouldn’t want anything too big or bulky, and there was no way a diamond would do. So, I got her an emerald set in a platinum band surrounded by onyx. Her eyes were green, mine were nearly black. It would be a constant reminder of the two of us together on her finger every time she looked down.

“The only person I could ever promise forever to is you, Dovie. I want to marry you.” I really did, and no one was more shocked by the fact than me. “Say yes . . . please.” I didn’t want to ask her, because if for some reason she said no . . . I wasn’t sure what I would do. She stared at me for a long minute, eyes locked on mine as they gleamed with tears. This time, when her smile broke free, I felt it like a punch to the gut. It was brighter than the sun and full of so much happiness and hope it nearly knocked me on my ass. A second later she threw herself at me, arms locking around my neck in a stranglehold as she whispered ‘yes’ over and over again into my ear. I wrapped my arms around her and buried my face in the curve of her neck, relief flooding through me in crashing waves. I was going to do this. I was going to marry this woman and give her my last name. “Who would have ever imagined Shane Baxter as a romantic?” She kissed me on the cheek and then moved so she could touch her lips to mine. “This is perfect, Bax. You are perfect.” No, I wasn’t. Far from it. But the fact she believed it, well, it proved I needed to officially make her mine. I kissed her back, lips searching and tongues tangling. When I pulled back, I smiled at her as she lifted her fingers to gently brush the backs of them over the star inked on my face.

“Tonight is a good night, Copper Top.” Sighing dreamily, she kissed me again and demanded, “Make love to me. I never want to forget this moment.” We forgot about the cold. I forgot about the car. The only thing that mattered was the girl who was meant to be mine.

If you want to check out the rest of the point go here! www.jaycrownover.com/welcometothepoint www.jaycrownover.com/thebreakinpoint

We’re here. I wasn’t sure we would make it. I never had those doubts about any other series, but this one tried and tested me every step of the way. It is the end. And for once, I am actually emotional and completely gutted over letting a series go. I’m not sure how to say goodbye to words that have brought me so much joy. I may have gotten teary-eyed . . . True story . . . I did. I know, I know. You’re going to say I’ve written so many books, and some series are so much more impactful and successful than the Point, but from the start, this series has had my whole heart. Writing these books and being in the minds of these characters was really what proved to me I was a legitimate author. Writing these books has never been easy . . . and some would say never wise. The characters were difficult. The setting was ugly. The love was hard . . . and the sales sucked toward the end. I mean SUCKED. But I was invested. I was in love. And I didn’t want to let go. Rest assured that the only reason these last few books are in readers’ hands is because the Point is so special and means so much to me that I wasn’t going to throw all that away no matter what. These books have never been

about a payday for me. They’re the books I write to stretch myself, to push myself, to break the rules and run wild with creativity. These books have always been a breath of fresh air in my writing world and I will be forever grateful these characters chose me to tell their complicated, exhilarating stories. I pushed through to the end, because these characters deserved it, and the readers who stuck with me through thick and thin deserved to finally see how it would play out! I wanted to see where all our heroes and anti-heroes were going to be at the end of the day. I know it’s all been a long time coming, but we crossed the finish line together (Bax would make a dirty joke here) and I am so, so proud of all of us. I honestly believe we experienced something special and magical by traveling the highs and lows with this crew in this location together. So, if you’re here, at the end with me, thank you so much. I don’t have the words to tell you how much this journey has meant to me. I do want to drop a line for those of you who may not have jumped on the Booker/Karsen fandom from the start. I know the age difference makes everything that happened between them in the past a little iffy in terms of the age gap. She was very young and he was an adult. I never planned on them being the end of the series. I was going to

wrap the Point up with Key and Nassir after my publisher dropped the series. But I got so much communication from Point fans asking for their story, so much investment in these two from longtime readers of the series, I felt like I couldn’t walk away from them. I didn’t want to! Lol . . . If writing their story had been the plan all along, I would have made her older in the book where they were both introduced . . . as it is . . . we’re stuck with the characters we have and just have to roll with the May/Dec punches. I always thought Karsen was far more emotionally mature than most of the other women in the Point. She was a dreamer, but her head was always very firmly below the clouds. If anyone could handle Booker and his past, it was her. She’s special. I knew the first time she stepped on the page and walked the dark alleys and avenues of the Point that she would be a major game changer in the way the things in the Point played out. This book is a culmination of the whole series. I do apologize if you skipped a book or two or picked this one up on a whim and felt a little lost. Most of my inter-connected books do a better job of standing on their own two feet, but this one, this one had so many loose threads I needed to tie together and put in a bow. I’m sure the die-hard Point fans are wondering about a few of the side characters, Chuck, Carmen,

Roxy . . . as of now I have no definitive plans to write anymore books in the Point, but that doesn’t mean I won’t consider giving these characters a story somewhere else down the road. (Especially Chuck. Maybe he’ll appear in a novella for my newsletter when I get caught up!) Anyway, these books are the prized jewel I wear in my author crown. They shine the brightest. Thank you for sharing this journey with me. Thank you for giving me the chance to make the gutter a beautiful place and to write about the kind of love stories that aren’t always easy to read. #bestreadersever #pointgirlforever

Guess what. The person, or rather people, I need to acknowledge the most is you. YOU holding this book right now. That’s right . . . YOU! The reader who bought the first Point book and keep cruising down this wild road with me. YOU! The reader who asked for more, who demanded better, trickier, smarter stories. YOU! The reader who has brought me your well-worn copy of Bad or your pristine copy of Honor to sign. YOU! I owe you everything and thank you will never feel like enough. If you are here, you’re a reader after my own heart and I value you fiercely. If you are a blogger or reviewer who has supported this series in any way, I am forever in your debt. Need a kidney, give me a call. Want a cute puppy to cuddle, I got you covered. Need someone murdered . . . well, I can write the guys who will get that done for you. Seriously, thank you for taking a chance when others looked the other way. Thank you for being brave enough to go against the grain. Thank you for championing a series so many blindly said ‘it’s just not for me.’ Gotta thank my mom for always telling me the Point books are my best writing. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in all my delusions of grandeur. Seriously, she is the best cheerleader a gal could ask

for. I mean . . . she still points out when I suck . . . lol . . . but mostly it’s encouragement and inspiration to be a badass like her. Also, shout-out to my old man for all the car knowledge. He helped make Bax the badass we all know and love. He also really had a hand in the don’t-give- zero-fucks attitudes of all the men of the Point. That’s the kind of man who raised me, and those are the kind of men I tend to gravitate to in my fiction and my real life. I want to stand on the highest mountain and scream about my girl gang. They are the shit. No, THE SHIT. I couldn’t get anything done without them. I’m basically a lump of clay they’ve managed to mold into a semi-professional author. Stacey, KP, and Mel, I couldn’t do a single thing in this business without you. Thank you for pushing me to be the best Jay I can be, and for holding me accountable when the worst Jay slips out and destroys everything. You ladies are my inspiration and my voice of reason. A new addition to #teamjay is my bangin’ beta crew. I resisted having beta readers for a really long time, and now that I have a team of amazing, smart, savvy girls looking at my words objectively, I’m wondering why I was such an idiot and didn’t jump on this kind of clear-eyed, insightful feedback from the start. Pam, Tracey, Karla, Sarah, Meghan . . . and Mel, thanks for helping me be a better writer.

Thank you for forcing me to tell better stories. Thank you for making writing under a really, really tight deadline fun. I need to holler at my girls Cora Carmack and Rebecca Yarros. Both field really bizarro questions and let me brainstorm crazy ideas when it comes to the Point. They are endlessly patient and entirely supportive, no matter how many times I try and pull them off the rails with me. Love me, love my wacko plotlines. I have some of the best, most authentic people at my back in this business and that makes me a lucky girl. I also have a team of very professional, insanely talented ladies who helped me put the final books of this series together. Hang Le is a creative genius. Seriously she’s made of magic and gorgeous ideas, which birth nothing but stunning book covers. I feel so honored to have her work on my books. I need to tell Sara Eirew thank you for taking such a beautiful photo. I saw it on Instagram and stopped dead in my tracks, because this image screamed Karsen and Booker. Elaine York is a word wizard. She takes a story I think is great and makes it into something utterly amazing. When an editor just gets you, your quirks, ticks, hard limits, and mostly your strengths, that is something special. She is a delight to work with and I cannot say enough nice things about getting to

work with her. I get giddy and excited like each new book we work on is the first. Christine Borgford is a friend first, my formatter second. I adore her. And I love that I can message her with a vague idea of what I’m after and she knocks it out of the park. She deals with my spazzy, last-minute changes like a pro, and she makes sure my book’s guts are gorgeous. I love having her make my pages so pretty. Bethany Salminen is smarter than I will ever be. She’s also more ruthless and savage, but you would never see it coming, because the girl is sneaky. She actually reminds me a little of Karsen! Lol . . . She’s hilarious and maniacal, and I am so, so lucky to get to call her my friend, as well as part of my professional team. I’ve worked with copy editors who have all levels of experience, from Big 5 publishers to indie editors. Beth blows them all out of the water. She gives good copy! I would be remiss if I didn’t tell my initial editor for the series, Amanda Bergeron, thank you for first giving this series a shot when she was with HarperCollins. She dreamed big right alongside of me; she believed that I could do something magical with this series. Her faith in me gave me the courage to keep trying new things and to keep pushing on. Amanda was integral to me getting to where I am today, so I owe her the world and then some.

Finally . . . shout out to the ridiculously hot guy on the Harley I spotted in traffic one day who had a star inked on his face. You, sir, were a total babe and 100% the inspiration behind Bax. Thank you for being badass and proving boys who are bad are the best kind of boys. If I was ten years younger I may have climbed out of my car and stopped traffic to ask you for a date! For those of you that are curious and have always wanted to know, the original ‘Better’ titles for the last 3 books in this series were, Better When He’s Bedeviled, Better When He’s Brilliant, and Better When He’s Beloved. The Publisher decided the ‘Better’ titles weren’t selling well and thought changing them to something shorter and edgier might breath life into the remaining books. Even though they didn’t buy the rights to the last two, it felt weird to veer off the Honor, Dignity, and Respect course that was already set in motion when I decided to self-pub the final two books. Plus the titles really ended up giving the books a definitive purpose and brought the Point full circle. All The Places To Find Me: Crownoveers Crowd . . . My fan group on Facebook. I’m very active in there and it’s often the best place to find all the happenings and participate in giveaways! My website: www.jaycrownover.com . . . there is

a link on the site to reach me through email. I’m also in all of these places: www.facebook.com/jay.crownover www.facebook.com/AuthorJayCrownover BookBub Follow me @jaycrownover on Twitter Follow me @jay.crownover on Instagram Follow me on Snapchat and Spotify @jay crownover www.goodreads.com/Crownover www.donaghyliterary.com www.avonromance.com/author/jay-crownover I strongly suggest signing up for my newsletter! It only goes out once a month and is the best way to stay up to date on everything I have going on. It also includes an exclusive novel you can only get in the newsletter . . . you get to read it as I write it. Super fun. Sign up here: www.jaycrownover.com/subscribe

Jay

Crownover is the International and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, and The Point and Breaking Point Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a selfdeclared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road. GUYS!!! I finally have a newsletter, so if you want to sign up for exclusive content and monthly giveaways you can do that right here Contact Jay Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Donaghy Literary | Avon Romance | Goodreads | Email Amazon Author Page