My Dad’s Billionaire Enemy

Blurb

He’s more than just a criminal.

He’s a merciless leader of two large gangs

in LA.

And he has me in his possession.

What am I going to do?

I’ve been kidnapped by a billionaire.

And there’s no way out of this prison.

He owns not just my body but also my heart.

His mesmerizing touch makes me want to stay.

I’ve been told that he kidnapped me for a

reason.

My father is out to kill him.

Am I too crazy to believe him?

Maybe.

The truth will eventually come out.

And then I’ll have a choice to make.

Stay loyal to my father…

Or fall deeper in love with this ruthless

stranger.

Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six

Epilogue
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Chapter One

Malcolm

Perhaps I had waited too long to bring the

whole thing up. The truth was, I wanted to keep
them out of it for as long as possible, my closest
friends, my greatest allies. I knew they wouldn’t
take it well that someone was trying to kill me.

Especially when that someone was

Samuel Kline, the most notorious hitman in the
business.

But I was sure now, and there was no

more time to waste.

The five of us were having brunch at a

little downtown cafe, the kind that you couldn’t
find unless you knew it was there. The waiters here
were like family, and so it felt like the safest place
to begin to plan things—out on the patio under a
large, sun-bleached umbrella.

“There’s something I need to tell you, the

reason I brought you all here today,” I said, my
serious tone a stark juxtaposition to the teasing
conversation we’d just been having.

They all turned to look at me. Misha’s

face, as usual, was hard as a rock and difficult to
read. I trusted the Russian man’s judgment though,

and I knew he would be the first to protect me.

“What? You mean you don’t just want to

spend time with us?” Leroi jokes, earning him a
stern look from Noah. At thirty-one he was the
youngest of the group, and this tended to show
through his playful demeanor.

Noah, on the other hand, was always

serious. Not unreadable like Misha, but instead like
a calm and sturdy boulder that I always knew I
could count on.

“Now is not the time, Leroi,” Gilles said,

pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.
He was the only one who I had told beforehand. I
needed him to be able to gather intel so we could
properly plan things out. The information we had
been able to find on Samuel was scarce, but it was
better than nothing.

“What is it?” Noah asked, leaning

towards me looking expectant. He probably had
some idea of what was going on, he was intuitive
like that.

He had known me for the longest, too,

and I was sure that had something to do with it.
After all, I didn’t think of myself as a man that’s
easy to read, even if I am more emotive than
Misha.

“I just got it confirmed yesterday, so we

still have time,” I began, looking at each of them

individually. “But I’m definitely being targeted.”

“By who?” Misha asked, his voice gruff

and deep.

“Samuel Kline.”

There was a collective groan all around

the table.

“Shit, that sucks,” Leroi said. “Liam, that

dirty bastard.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions yet,”

Gilles said. He always liked to reason things
through, and not cause unnecessary conflict.
“We’re not sure it’s Liam sending him.”

“But who else would?”

“It’s true that Liam has the means and

the motive to send Samuel after Malcolm,” Noah
said. He looked deep in thought, his forehead
wrinkling with lines of determination and
contemplation.

Liam Hawthorne could be called my rival

in the business. There were two large gangs that ran
the streets of Los Angeles when it came to drugs.
He led one of them, and I led the other.

I had known for a while that Liam was

tired of the competition, and of the ways that I kept
his gang in check, but I hadn’t thought he would
resort to hiring a hitman this quickly. After all, I had
my Four, the friends that were with me now, and

they wouldn’t just let the gang go to ruins if I was
shot and killed.

No, I’d reckon if I was, Liam would have

more to contend with than he had bargained for.

“The issue right now is not if it’s Liam

sending Kline after me,” I said. “The issue is that
Samuel is going to try to kill me. Unfortunately for
him, we know what’s going on, so we have the
advantage. So right now, we need to figure out what
we want to do about it.”

“Now, we don’t have much information

about him,” Gilles said. “We know he started as a
hitman to provide for his family. He had a wife,
dead now, and still has a daughter. As far as I know,
she has no idea what her father does for a living.”

“Let’s keep her out of it then,” Noah

said. “I would hate to drag an innocent person into
this, even if she is his daughter.”

“Agreed,” I said.

“Can we kill him?” Misha asked.

“That would seem like the most logical

solution,” Noah responded.

“Or we could get him shipped out

somewhere overseas,” Leroi suggested.

“How in the hell would you make that

happen?” Noah asked.

Leroi shrugged in response. “I don’t

know. That’s for you to figure out.”

“So we kill him.” Misha took a long drink

of his coffee.

I nodded. “It seems like our only option.”

“Hey!” Leroi said at the same time that

Gilles tapped my arm, fear in his dark brown eyes.

“Gilles, what is it?” I asked in a whisper.

“He’s here, right now,” he said, pointing

to a pair of figures walking up the street towards us.

It was Samuel, and his daughter Aurora.

They were talking together and laughing.

The two of them were clearly close, from the way
Aurora leaned in. The trusting look in her eyes
killed me. She had no idea how bad of a man her
father was. It made me want to tell her the truth.

Fuck.

I hadn’t been counting on this. I was

terribly attracted to her. She was the kind of
beautiful that people wrote poems and songs about.
She had dark wavy hair that went to her collar
bone, and the most enchanting green eyes I had
ever seen. Her figure was short and curvy, and she
was built in a way that reminded me of the muses
of ancient Rome.

Truly a woman to inspire art. Or war.

“We should take care of it now, while we

have the chance,” Misha said, interrupting my
thoughts as the pair were seated by one of the wait
staff.

They hadn’t seemed to notice us, and I

couldn’t help but agree that now could very well be
the most opportune time.

“I can make it quick, quiet, just like you

like it,” Misha added, eyeing the pair as if he was
already calculating the shot he would take to finish
it.

“No, we can’t do this now,” Noah said.

“Not with his daughter here. She’s innocent.”

“I’m not going to shoot her,” Misha said

with a shrug as if that was the problem.

Noah glared at him. “That’s not what I’m

worried about. Can you imagine how traumatizing
it would be, to have her father die in front of her?”

“He will die either way.” Misha wasn’t

getting it, but I could see where he was coming
from. Now was our chance, and we had ourselves
to worry about first.

“She’s getting up,” Gilles said. If we want

to do it now, we should do it while she’s away.

Noah looked visibly torn. I knew he

wanted to protect me, but it was likely he was
thinking of his own trauma right now. I knew he
didn’t want to inflict that on anyone else either.

“You guys can do what you want, just do

it soon,” Leroi said. “There’ll be more people on
this street the later it gets, and you guys know how
much I hate damage control.”

Thoughts were spinning around in my

mind as I took one last look at Samuel Kline, sitting
there alone, waiting for his daughter to come back.

“Want me to do it now?” Misha asked, as

serious as ever.

“No,” I said, knowing my answer would

surprise all of them. I was a fan of getting things
done quick and tidy-like, but in this situation, I
knew that there was another way, a better way in
fact.

“We’re not doing anything yet,” I said.

“But don’t worry, I’m not going to let Kline get the
better of me. I have an idea, one that will stop him
from killing me without any bloodshed.”

“And how do you intend to do that?”

Gilles asked.

“You’ll see, in time,” I said, watching as

Aurora took her place back at the table with her
father. “You’ll see.”

Chapter Two

Aurora

“And then, this asshole thinks it’s

perfectly alright to ask if I’ll blow him, can you
believe that?”

“No, not at all.”

I was sitting in the front room of my

workplace—The Humane Society—while my best
friend graced me with tales of her man-scapades
from the weekend.

I loved Hailey, with her short blonde bob

that was currently styled into two spiky pigtails.
She knew how to fill the silence when I didn’t want
to talk. And even though we were supposed to be
talking about both of our adventures with men, she
knew I didn’t have much to add.

I was perpetually single, and I liked it that

way. I didn’t exactly trust men at the moment,
couldn’t after my boyfriend of six years cheated on
me. We had started dating in high school, and I had
thought he was the one until I walked in on him and
another chick.

Then it was over, and I hadn’t exactly

recovered enough to want to get back into the
dating sphere anytime soon.

But I enjoyed hearing Hailey’s stories,

especially on slow days like this. It was the middle
of the workday, in the middle of the workweek, so
we didn’t exactly have anyone coming in at the
moment.

She was working at the front desk, and

she would always complain of boredom until I
agreed to join her for a bit. I would do my morning
tasks, and then I would take out some of the
younger animals to help socialize them.

Kittens were my absolute favorite, and I

would let several of them roam around at a time,
keeping a close eye on them and picking them up
and playing with their paws every so often so they
got used to being handled.

Sometimes I would bring out a puppy. A

lot of the puppies at our shelter needed to be
trained to walk on a leash so that they would be
more adoptable, and playtime was always good for
them too.

At the moment my animal of choice was

a little sheepdog mix named Trixie. She was fluffy
and so affectionate, but right now she was
stumbling over herself as she tried to adjust to the
harness. I righted her and continued to listen as
Hailey told more tales.

“So obviously that was a no-go, but I was

drunk and needed a ride home, so he offered to

drive me. But of course, he takes me back to his
apartment instead of mine. And guess who’s this
asshole’s roommate?”

“Who?” I asked, attention on Trixie as

she tugged at her leash with her mouth. I gently
corrected her with a soft, “No Trixie,” and she
stopped immediately.

“Aurora, I swear, you have such a way

with these animals. You know she wouldn’t listen if
I tried to tell her no.”

I smiled. “That’s why you work at the

front desk.”

“Isn’t that the truth. Now, where were

we? Ah yes, his roommate. It’s that hot guy I
matched with who just never responded to me. And
we just kind of have an awkward staring contest
until he steps forward, glares at that asshole, and is
like ‘I guess I should give you a ride home.’ And
then guess what happens next?”

“What?”

“We totally hooked up, and honestly, he

wasn’t bad.” She gives me a sidelong grin and a
wink. “We’ve been texting too.”

I laughed. “I’m happy for you Hailey, just

be careful.”

“Of course, you know me, always

careful,” she joked in a sing-song voice. Then it

was quiet for a few moments. “Aurora, are you
alright?”

“Hmm?” I looked up, realizing I’d been

spacing out. “Why do you ask?”

“You just seem like you have something

on your mind. You know I’m always here for you if
you need to talk about something.”

“I know.” I was trying to figure out if it

was even worth talking to her about. Nothing had
really happened. But still… that feeling.

“I was at brunch with my dad a couple of

days ago,” I said, feeling a rush of relief as I started
to talk about it. “It felt a bit like someone was
watching me.”

“What you find arousing is your business

Aurora, but that does not sound healthy.”

“I hadn’t finished yet,” I said, my cheeks

growing red. “I turned around and saw probably the
most handsome man I’ve ever seen, though he was
older than I usually go for. He had the most
piercing blue eyes, and his hair was the prettiest
silver color—not like old silver, though there was
some of that in it as well. Like dark grey silver, the
kind everybody is trying to achieve but can never
quite get, you know?”

“Anything else about this man you

discovered?” Hailey teased, her eyebrows raised.

I ducked my head in shame, burying my

face into Trixie’s fur as I brought her up to my face.
“No.”

“Come on Aurora, don’t tell me you

didn’t even talk to the guy? It’s been forever since
you’ve actually been interested in someone.”

“I guess if it’s meant to be I’ll see him

again. It’s not like I’m really remembering him that
well anyway.” Trixie yipped from my arms, and I
let her down to the floor again.

Hailey crossed her arms across her chest.

“Don’t give me that romantic bullcrap. You need to
promise me that next time you feel interested in
someone you’ll actually talk to them!”

I was saved from having to answer her by

the bell above our door ringing as someone walked
in. Hailey immediately put on her best customer-
greeting smile as I tried my best not to look terribly
awkward.

“Welcome to the Humane Society, what

can I do for you today?”

The stranger didn’t answer her

immediately. Instead, he scanned the building,
perhaps interested in the architecture. We were
situated in one of the older buildings in the city,
after all.

Then he made direct eye contact with me.

His eyes were a deep, cold blue, and he had a smile
that seemed so familiar, it was just nagging at the
back of my brain. But I couldn’t quite seem to
remember where I might have seen him before.

“Uh, can I help you, sir?” Hailey asked,

clearly growing impatient.

“Not at the moment, just looking,” he

said with a smile, his eyes never leaving mine.

“To adopt?”

“We’ll see.” His gaze traveled down my

body, and then followed the leash I was holding to
Trixie, sitting patiently on the end of it. “Is she
yours?”

“No.” I shook my head. “My current

apartment doesn’t allow animals. And if I let myself
adopt her, I’m sure it would get out of hand.” I let
out a little laugh, and Trixie looked up at me with
wide eyes.

The man knelt and rubbed her fondly

behind the ears. “She’s so sweet. I don’t know how
you can resist her.”

“Maybe you’d like to see about adopting

her then,” I ventured, but the man merely smiled up
at me.

“I fear I don’t have enough time for a

dog, especially a sheepdog puppy like her. If I was
going to adopt one, I’d want to make sure I could

give them everything they needed.”

His eyes were on me as he said this, and

part of me wondered if he was saying it just to get
on my good side. The tone was a little flirty after
all.

“Perhaps a cat then?” I suggested. “They

need less attention, and if you get a bonded pair
they’ll pretty much keep each other entertained.”

“A bonded pair?”

“Yes, like really good friends.” I looked at

Hailey with a smile. “Or sometimes lovers.” I
blushed and looked down as I said this, not quite
wanting to meet the man’s gaze.

“How lucky they must be,” he said. “The

life of a cat is wondrous, to lounge around in bed all
day, and eat all you want. And then to have a lover
to share it with you…. ” His gaze was dark as he
stared at me, and although I would normally cringe
away from the suggestion behind the words, I
couldn’t help but feel a strange pull to him.

“Only if they’re a good lover,” I

countered, deciding I could afford to be a little
flirty. “Most cats are known for being lazy.”

“On the contrary, I think they just know

where to spend their energy.” His gaze traveled
down the length of my body and then back up to
my face. “In that way, they’re very smart

creatures.”

I smiled. “Whatever makes you happy.”

“There are a lot of things that make me

happy. And putting on a good face in front of pretty
ladies is one of them,” he said, turning to Hailey
and pulling a checkbook out of his pocket. “I’ve
come here to make a donation, who do I write it out
to?”

Hailey looked positively shocked, her

mouth hanging open like a fish on land, so I stepped
in for her. “The Humane Society of Los Angeles
should be fine.”

“Got it.” He took a pen from behind the

desk, and began making out a check, then handed it
over to Hailey. “Hopefully I’ll see you again soon,”
he said with a wink, directing this at me as he
turned and left.

“Girl, did you just break your promise

already?” Hailey asked when she finally came to
her senses. “Why didn’t you get his number?”

“I never promised you anything! Besides,

he was too old for me, and a little full of himself.”

“And why shouldn’t he be? Did you see

that body of his? And how expensive his suit
looked? That man would be a fine catch, and he
was definitely into you.”

“It’s fine. If he really cares, he knows

where I work, so he’ll come back.”

Hailey shook her head. “I can’t believe

you just let that one get away.”

“I’m gonna put Trixie back, and then take

my break, okay?” I said, wanting to get away from
the conversation. I needed some air, and a little bit
of distance before Hailey started teasing me about
the handsome stranger again.

Just because I felt attracted to him didn’t

mean I wasn’t still wary, or ready to even try
anything with anyone.

I put Trixie back in her kennel and then,

after making sure she had food and water, headed
out the back door to get some fresh air.

It was spring, so it was still chilly enough

to actually feel refreshing outside. Once summer
came, I wouldn’t want to take my breaks outside as
much unless there was a nice breeze. It wasn’t like
we had much scenery to look at either.

The back door led into an alleyway

behind the buildings. It was the kind of place you
wouldn’t necessarily want to be in after dark, but
that was perfectly fine during the day.

At least, I thought it was.

I got a prickly feeling on the back of my

neck again as if someone was watching me. But
before I could turn around, a large hand placed a

chemical-soaked rag over my nose and mouth and
pulled me back against the hard frame of their
body.

I tried my best to struggle but lost

consciousness too quickly to do anything.

Before I knew it, my whole world was

black.

Chapter Three

Malcolm

It was so hard to hold off when she was

right there. I insisted that Misha drive while Leroi
and I sat in the back seat. I had more chloroform at
the ready in case she woke up, but the truth was I
just wanted to be near her.

She looked so innocent in that

unconscious state. Her mouth was slightly open,
and I couldn’t help but fixate on her soft, plump
lips. I knew that they would feel so good against my
own, and I could only imagine what she would taste
like.

I clenched my hands into fists as I forced

myself to look away. I didn’t want to touch her, not
when she was so vulnerable. I couldn’t bring myself
to violate her like that, not even just to run a finger
across the surface of her lips.

I might have been kidnapping her, but I

wasn’t a monster. I had my reasons, and this was a
solution that would hopefully mean no one had to
die.

“You doing okay boss?” Leroi teased,

looking between me and Aurora’s sleeping form.
“If she’s too much of a temptation for you, you
could always sit up front.”

“Not with a player like you in the back

seat,” I retorted. “Who knows what you’d do.”

“Nothing you wouldn’t.” He wiggled his

eyebrows suggestively and I felt the heat of anger
surge through my core.

“Shut it, before I throw you out of the

car.”

“Jeez, didn’t know it was that sensitive.”

Leroi raised his hands in surrender.

“Then don’t talk about it,” I snapped.

“Okay, no worries, I can be silent too,” he

said, then settled into a quiet vigilance.

I knew that I shouldn’t be snapping at

him like that, especially when he had so readily
agreed to my plan. He had been the first to
volunteer to help me too. But still, it never felt like
I could trust him with women. He complained
about having to do damage control for most of our
missions and ended up creating an even bigger mess
with the ladies.

Besides, there was something special

about Aurora.

Normally I wouldn’t be this angry, or this

drawn to someone. Sure, I had been with plenty of
women before, but none of it had ever felt
meaningful. Their faces blurred together in my
memory, but something about Aurora stood out.

She was special, that was for sure.

Who knows, perhaps it was just some

latent primal instinct to create children kicking in.

We got her to the house without any more

issues, and I had Noah and Leroi take her down to
one of the lower rooms and ensure she was secure.
I couldn’t trust myself to be around her any longer,
and I knew that Noah would make sure the job was
done right.

Instead, I headed to my favorite lounge in

the large mansion we all lived in together and
settled into my favorite chair.

It had the vibes of one of those villain

chairs from a Bond movie, and I found I did my
best business deals while in it. And now, I needed
all the mastermind energy I could muster.

The phone rang a few times before he

picked up. “Malcolm Astor, I should have known
you would call.” I could practically hear the sneer
that had taken permanent residence on his face.

“Liam Hawthorne, a pleasure as always,”

I said. “How are you doing on this fine day?”

“Cut to the chase, Astor. What do you

want?”

“If you knew I would call, shouldn’t you

know what I’m calling about?”

“I don’t have time for your games today.

I’ll only say it one more time, what do you want?”

Talking with Liam was like a dance. Or an

intricate game of chess. I bantered and skirted
around the subject at hand to assert power, but I
had to be sure I didn’t go too far lest I lost the
ability to play entirely.

“I want to come to an arrangement.”

“Oh yeah? You know I don’t do business

with your scum, Astor.” He spat as he said my
name, disgust coating every syllable.

“I think we can come to an arrangement.

Call off Kline, Hawthorne, and I’ll see what I can
do about my men.”

“Call off Kline?” He emitted a belly-deep

laugh. “And what makes you think I would ever do
that?”

“So you admit.”

“Of course I admit. You know I want you

dead, why hide it?”

“Who knows, perhaps I may use this call

against you.”

“You wouldn’t dare, Astor. You have a lot

more to hide from the police than I do, and you
know it.”

“Perhaps I do, but the point stands, call

off Kline. His daughter is currently in my
possession, and you know he won’t dare to make a

move on me while I hold her.”

“Fucking shit, you bloody asshole.” He

took a moment to compose himself. “Unfortunately,
you don’t know Kline like I do, he’s a cold-blooded
killer. I don’t think he cares whether or not you
have his daughter. What he cares about is cash, and
I can certainly compensate for her measly life with
that. Enjoy the rest of your short existence, Astor.”

He hung up, leaving me no chance to say

anything further. I felt extremely uneasy at his
words, even though I knew he had to be bluffing, or
just being an idiot. There was no way Kline would
endanger the life of his daughter.

Even so, I knew I should probably do

something about it. With a sigh, I rose from my seat
and began to wander through the house in search of
Misha.

The Four lived with me in my mansion in

Beverly Hills. The neighborhood was quiet, gated,
and didn’t ask questions. The neighbors knew not
to be nosy, and tourists didn’t come so far into this
area.

I had been able to purchase a fairly large

property with funds from my inheritance. My
family had been in the oil business for a long time,
and it was enough to sustain me. I could probably
live as extravagantly as I wanted, and I wouldn’t
ever run into any problems. There were other

people to run the company and take care of the
money.

But I wouldn’t be satisfied with that. I

wanted to leave my footprint on the world, to make
a real impact if I could.

I just couldn’t stand by and see the world

stay in the state it was. Poverty was rampant, and
drugs were a large reason for it. The poor were
often targeted by sellers, and it kept the class
system in check. I wouldn’t stand for it any longer.

So we used the house as a base of our

operations. There were training and weapons
rooms, and we had secret places to plan out how to
act.

On the surface I was a wealthy

benefactor, supplying money to causes that would
help clean up the inner city and get addicts into
rehab programs.

But beneath?

I was in the drug business to destroy it,

from the inside out.

Eventually, I found Misha, exactly where

I expected him to be, drinking a cup of tea and
overlooking the extensive gardens from one of our
balconies.

On the outside, he seemed like a hard

man, and he was. He had escaped from a Russian

work camp when he was young, and I personally
made sure that he got citizenship in the US. He
could fight, and he could command the guard staff
on my estate like no other.

But he also liked the simpler things in life.

Cats, tea, and poetry books. Once you got to know
him he was a real softie.

I hoped that at one point he would find a

woman who shared his interests, and realized how
wonderful he was. I wanted to see him happy in all
aspects of his life.

“Good tea?” I asked, taking a seat next to

him.

“Imported from Japan,” he replied. “Best

I’ve had in a while.” He took another sip and
continued to stare out.

“I have some bad news.”

“Figured.”

“I called Hawthorne, and he doesn’t want

to negotiate.”

“Man’s a fool, of course, he wouldn’t.”

“But it gets worse, he seems to think that

Kline will act whether or not we have his
daughter.”

Misha took a moment to think, likely

considering all the options he had, considering this
new information. He didn’t like to speak unless he

knew exactly what he was going to say. It was in
that way that he was a man of few words.

“I’ll put more guards on rotation. More

on her door too. You really should accept a
bodyguard.”

He tried to pull this on me several times

before, but I wouldn’t have it. I couldn’t handle
someone following me around all the time. I needed
my privacy, my space.

“You know what my answer is going to

be Misha. I can take care of myself.”

“Not saying you can’t.” He sighed, then

looked at me with his heavy blue eyes. “I just want
you to be safe.”

“Nothing’s ever safe in this business,

Misha. And at this point? I’ve accepted that,
through and through.”

Chapter Four

Aurora

When I woke up, the world was still dark.

I didn’t know for several minutes if I was still
sleeping, or even if I could open my eyes.

But then the feeling came back into my

body.

There was a blindfold over my eyes, and

my wrists were tied behind my back with silk rope.
I tried to move my legs and found they were in the
same situation.

I was sitting on the cold, concrete floor,

and there was a terrifying moment when I realized I
had no idea what was around me. For all I could
tell, the room went on for infinity and never
stopped, and there would never be a way out.

Panic overtook me. My chest constricted

and I screamed for someone, anyone, to come tell
me what was going on.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe as I sat there,

screaming, my voice growing hoarse.

Finally, there were muffled footsteps, and

then a click as the door opened and shut behind by
someone. The footsteps approached me, and then
stopped right in front of me.

A hand touched my face, and breath hit

my forehead. I flinched away, and the touch
stopped.

“I’m sorry you woke up alone,” a voice

said, and I think I recognize it. It sounds like the
man from the Humane Society, but I can’t exactly
be sure. “But you’re alright. No one’s going to hurt
you. It should all be over soon.”

It didn’t feel alright. I couldn’t see

anything, and I had no idea why I was here. “What
do you want from me?” I spat, summoning the last
dregs of my bravery.

“You don’t want to know,” he said, and

then he stood. I could feel his presence moving
away from me as the footsteps faded, and I
immediately regretted it. It had felt somewhat
comforting to have human warmth near me.

I was all alone again.

Memories were starting to surface,

images that I had repressed for a very long time.

There were gaps in my memories, from

when I was much younger, maybe between the ages
of four to six. It was the kind of thing that you
couldn’t exactly place in time, and I hadn’t thought
of it before.

I had been young. It was normal to not

remember much from those years.

But with the recent events, I was

beginning to recall certain things from my past.

I remembered ropes like the ones I was

bound with now, but no blindfold. In my mind’s
eye, it was dark, and streetlights were passing by as
I cried. They blurred into a fuzzy haze across my
vision. I was in a car, and dark figures were
towering over me.

They discussed things that I did not

understand, but I knew it had to do with my father.

Every so often they would turn their

faces to me and a large grin would split them in half
like a monstrous deformity

In this memory, I didn’t know where I

was, just that I was scared. I didn’t know why I was
there either, and they refused to tell me. The way
that they looked at me made me want to curl up
and get very far away from them.

Time passed, I knew, between this

memory and the next, but it was hard to gauge how
much.

There was still a black depth where

nothing was clear. Just the occasional fuzzy image
that I couldn’t make out. There was no sense of
time in that place. It felt like it was in a different
reality entirely, as repressed memories often do.

Then, there was a bit of light, a touch of

something good. My father was there in that next
memory. He took me away, back to the home I
knew where everything was safe.

But it seemed like he didn’t know what to

do either. In my memory, he comforted me, but he
also didn’t talk to me about. He just said It’s going
to be okay over and over again.

It was that same voice, those same words,

that often played in my head when something was
going wrong. I hadn’t wondered much where they
had come from, but it was clear now that they were
remembered from that experience.

My father hadn’t discussed it anymore

with me though, and it was clear from the fact that
these memories were just now surfacing that I had
never gotten therapy for it.

I was going to have to talk to him about it

when I got back to him. I needed to know what had
happened, and why.

Clearly, this was not the first time I had

been kidnapped, and this might not be the last thing
that my memories were hiding from me.

Chapter Five

Malcolm

I knew I should be celebrating, but part of

me just didn’t feel like it.

I was in the VIP section of a luxury club

with the Four, and there were plenty of drinks to go
around. In their minds, my genius idea allowed us
to avoid bloodshed, and soon this whole feud with
Liam would all be over.

But all I could think about was Aurora.

“You should have seen his face in the car

ride home,” Leroi said, raising a crystal glass with
some alcoholic concoction to his delicate lips.

“Don’t act like you’re completely

innocent, I could see you wanted her too,” Noah
said in response, sipping at his glass of wine.

“Awwwww, come on, you know me.”

Leroi gestured to the dance floor beneath our
balcony. “I don’t need her, especially not when
there’s plenty of ladies to go around here.” He
winked at a couple who were looking up at him,
then gestured for them to join us.

“You need to loosen up a little bit.” Noah

nudged me gently with his elbow. “If you spend all
night brooding, you’ll get wrinkles.”

“He’s right,” Gilles chimed in.

“Everything went perfectly smoothly. It’s only a
matter of time before everything falls into place.”

“Yeah boss, even Misha knows how to

have fun.” Leroi gestured to where Misha was
dancing with a petite green-eyed chick. She was
laughing, and he seemed to be pretty into her,
which was a new thing for Misha. “Let’s not ruin
the good vibes.” He winked at me, and I resisted
the urge to roll my eyes.

Sure, normally my idea of a good time

was just drinking and picking up a lady or two. But
at the moment, I wasn’t in the best mood.

I watched as Leroi, Gilles, and Noah

flirted with some girls, eventually leaving to go
order them drinks. That left me all alone until a thin
hand rested itself on my shoulder.

I knew I was safe here, but my body was

still tense and so it took all my effort not to flip the
woman over my shoulder and onto the floor.

“I’ve never seen you around here

before,” she said, her voice high like a bell. It was
nothing like Aurora’s voice—all soft and melodic.

“Maybe that’s because I don’t really

come here much,” I growled. “I was trying the
place out, but I don’t really know if I’m seeing
much worth coming here for.”

She circled me, her hand trailing on my

chest until she came into full view.

She looked exactly like the type I might

have gone for before. She was tall, with a thin
hourglass figure and porcelain pale skin. Her hair
was a pretty ash blonde, and her eyes were bright
blue.

But in this light, she just seemed wrong.

Her makeup looked unnatural, and I couldn’t help
but think of how different Aurora was when I
looked at her.

Aurora was all soft lines and curves. Her

skin was one of the most beautiful shades of brown
I had ever seen, and her hair was full and natural. I
wanted to see those amber eyes looking up at me in
adoration. I wanted to hear those pretty plump lips
speak my name.

Had I been right to leave her all alone?

She was probably uncomfortable, maybe I should
have set her up in one of the guest rooms. I
certainly had plenty to go around, and they could
be made safe and fortified.

The only problems would be the

windows, which I wasn’t about to change out or
unnecessarily bar. It would draw too much
attention.

I was interrupted from my train of

thought as the woman rested her hand on my

thighs, leaning so close to my face that I could
smell her minty breath.

“Perhaps I could show you. There are a

lot of things here worth staying for.” She leaned
even further forward so that her cleavage was on
full display, and I had to resist the urge to turn
away.

Normally I would be delighted. A little

fling was usually just what I needed after a tough
job. But now? I just wanted to be done. I felt a pull
back home, back to the basement where I was
keeping Aurora. There were things that I really
should be explaining to her.

“Not tonight,” I said, standing and

brushing her aside. “I need a drink.”

“Shall I join you?” She asked a pout on

her pretty pink lips.

“No.” I pushed past her, not even caring

to look back. I already knew what the look on her
face would be—disappointment. But she would
move on and find another man to toy around with.

I reached the bar without talking to

anyone. Several people tried to approach me, but I
glared at them and moved past quickly. I was not in
the mood to talk to anyone else. I just wanted to go
home right now.

As I was about to order myself a drink,

my phone buzzed angrily in my pocket.

I smiled to myself as I pulled it out and

answered. I’d been expecting him, and it was a
wonder that he’d taken this long to call.

“Give me one good reason why I

shouldn’t just blow your brains out right now,”
Samuel Kline said.

“Oh, you finally called.” I rested my

elbow on the bar, nodding at the bartender to get
me a drink.

“Of course I called, who do you think I

am, a fucking idiot? Your signature is all over this.
Which other fool would kidnap my daughter?”

“I never said you were an idiot.”

“You’re on thin ice Malcolm. Thin. Ice.”

“Look, Samuel, I know you’re angry—”

“You don’t get to call me Samuel. Who do

you think you are, kidnapping my daughter like
that? You shouldn’t involve her in this; you know
she’s innocent.”

“I’m Malcolm fucking Astor and don’t

you ever forget it. Don’t try and act all high and
mighty about your daughter either, it was you who
decided to not tell her the truth. Look, I know Liam
thinks he has you all figured out, but I know you
won’t act with your daughter’s life in the balance.
Sure, you might be able to take out one of us, but

you know what my Four are made of, and you
know you couldn’t get through all of us, much less
through the security to rescue your daughter. And
maybe Liam will promise you that if you kill me
he’ll rescue her, but you know what Liam is like.
Why would he do that when you’d already done
everything he needed you to do?”

“You don’t know me, Malcolm. I could

take you out right here and now.”

“Is that so?” I took a cautionary look

around the club. “Because you don’t seem to be
here at the moment, Samuel.”

“If you so much as fucking touch a hair

on her head—”

“Now wait, no need to get so angry.” I

took a sip from the glass of wine that the bartender
handed me. “If you want to make sure that she’s
alright, I’ll show her to you. Hell, I’ll even let you
talk to her.”

“And how exactly do you intend to do

that? I’m not about to set foot inside your house. I
know your twisted games, and I’m not about to
play them.”

“No games here, Kline. If we can call, we

can certainly video chat. I’ll show you that she’s
safe, let her say whatever she wants to say to you,
and then you stop breathing down my neck.”

“I don’t know if I can promise that.” He

sounded less angry than he had a moment ago, but I
could understand where he was coming from. His
last living family member had been taken by me,
and he had no idea when he would see her again.

But he also wasn’t being truthful with his

daughter, and it was his fault that she was mixed up
in all this, to begin with, so my sympathy didn’t
reach that far.

“Well, look, either you video chat or not.

Either way, you’re not going to take the hit, and
you know it. Now it’s just a matter of negotiating
with Liam.”

“He’ll never negotiate with you and you

know that.”

“Then I guess this will be the last time

you see your daughter, yeah? Better savor it.” I
hung up before he could yell at me any more, and
took another sip of my wine.

I couldn’t help the grin that crept onto my

face. Things were finally getting interesting.

Chapter Six

Aurora

It was a while before more footsteps

came, but come again they did.

This time, it sounded like there was more

than just one person, and my heart lodged itself
firmly in my throat.

I couldn’t imagine what that man wanted

with me, and with more of them… I had no idea
what their plans were, and I didn’t want to dwell on
the possibilities.

I was still blindfolded, and so I did my

best to listen. It was the only sense I had left that I
could use to my advantage.

“Aurora, we have a surprise for you!”

one of the voices said. It was younger-sounding
than the man from before, more enthusiastic too.

“Aurora,” came a voice that I recognized,

though it was distorted as if coming through a
phone. It was my dad’s voice.

“Dad?” There was more panic in my tone

than I had intended for, but it was rising in my chest
no matter what I did. “Dad?”

“Aurora, it’s me. I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Dad…” Tears were welling up at the

corner of my eyes. I didn’t know if I had thought
that I would ever be able to talk to him again.

“See, just as I told you, Samuel,” the

voice of the man said. “She’s safe.”

“Don’t worry Aurora, you won’t be here

for long. I’ll rescue you from these asshole
criminals.”

There was a chorus of laughter in

response to my dad’s words. They were sick. All of
them.

“That’s hilarious, coming from you,” the

man said. “She really doesn’t know who you are?”

“As if you’re one to talk, Malcolm,” my

dad hissed. “You better not touch her.” So that was
the man’s name. From the sound of it, there were
still more people that I didn’t know, but it was still
good to have at least one name to put to a voice
and a face.

“Oh, I won’t. But your self-righteous

behavior isn’t going to get you anywhere. You
might as well tell her who you really are.”

“Dad, what are they talking about?” I

asked, confused.

“Nothing Aurora, don’t worry I’m

coming for you—”

Whoever was holding the phone hung up

before my dad could finish speaking.

“That’s enough of that,” Malcolm said. “I

can’t listen to him lie to you for another second.”

“My dad has never been anything but

truthful.” I spat at the ground, hoping to at least
reach somewhere near his feet.

“You don’t know the first thing about

your father.” Malcolm’s voice was right near me as
if he was whispering in my ear. I felt his hot breath
on my cheek, and it unsettled me.

A pit was forming in my stomach. Sure, I

didn’t know much about what my dad did, or where
he had come from, but I had never dug too deep
because he was all I had. And to think that
somehow he might be mixed up with these
criminals….

Even the fact that he had known

Malcolm’s name, that he had called him on the
phone, it pointed to him being involved somehow,
however much I wanted to deny it.

Gentle fingers touched my face as the

blindfold was lifted away. I blinked in the sudden
light, examining the men who surrounded me.

Malcolm, who was, in fact, the man from

the Humane Society before, knelt in front of me,
and four others stood behind him.

A black man with a well-built body and a

stern expression stood right behind Malcolm, and

next to him was a man with long, wavy hair and a
smile. He looked younger than the rest of them.

A tall, Russian-looking man with buzzed

hair stood by the door, his arms crossed over his
broad chest. Slightly in front of him was a shyer
looking man with glasses and grey-blond hair.

But Malcolm, Malcolm was the most

stunning of them all.

I was unsettled by how attracted to him I

was. His piercing blue eyes were looking into mine
with concern, and his dark silver hair was tousled
and effortless. He was so much older than me and
looked only a little younger than my dad, but he
was the most striking man I had ever seen.

If only he wasn’t evil. If only he hadn’t

kidnapped me.

“You’re sick, all of you,” I said, and spat

in his face.

Malcolm wiped away the spittle from his

eyes, not so much as flinching.

“Is that what you think of me? Well,

you’re quite mistaken, dear Aurora. You see, as
much as you don’t know the first thing about your
dad, you also don’t know the first thing about me.”

“I know that you kidnapped me. And that

makes you a criminal.”

“Mmmm, I see, but have I touched you,

dear? Have I done anything particularly cruel? You
may not currently be the most comfortable, but this
is also one of the safest rooms in the house, and I
have a lot more hospitality to share.

“I also kidnapped you for a perfectly

valid reason, and I will make sure that no harm
comes to you while you are in my custody.”

“Well, isn’t that reassuring.” I gave him a

look that I hoped would convey exactly how I felt
about being in his custody.

Malcolm stood, looking away from me

and back towards the others.

“Leave us,” he said.

“Malcolm, are you sure?” one of the men

asked.

Malcolm looked me up and down. From

the way his gaze traveled over me, I had a feeling I
knew exactly what he was thinking. And… part of
me wanted it too.

“Yes, there are some words I’d like to

have with her,” he said, shooting the man who had
spoken a stern glare.

“Good luck boss,” Another of them said

with a wink. I could only imagine what was going
through his mind.

“Call us if you need anything,” the man

by the door said, his voice deep.

Once they had left, Malcolm turned back

towards me.

“I’m assuming you’re not planning on

escaping anytime soon?”

“In your dreams.” I spat at him again, but

he still didn’t flinch.

“Even if you did try, you wouldn’t get far.

That door is always locked and guarded, and
there’s no other way out from this room.” He
pointed to the door they had come in through, and
then to another door on the adjacent wall. “That
there leads to the bathroom. As I hate dealing with
accidents, and I’m sure you don’t want to
embarrass yourself, I’d like to untie you.”

“Suit yourself,” I said with a shrug, but I

was shaking.

“If you’re good,” he continued, “I’ll have

someone bring down something a little more
comfortable for you, and some food. I would say
I’ll move you into one of the guest rooms, but you
haven’t exactly had the best attitude and I would
be worried about you ruining the decor.”

“I bet your decor sucks anyways. What

kind of taste would a criminal even have?”

He knelt beside me and withdrew a knife

from his pocket. I flinched, fearing the worst, but
he merely started to cut through my bindings.

“For your information, I do have good

taste in decor. And even if I didn’t, I can afford to
hire an interior designer.”

“I bet it’s with blood money,” I muttered

under my breath.

“What was that?” Apparently, he had

heard me. My wrists were free now, and he set to
work on my ankles.

“I bet it’s with dirty money, you

monster.” I was still shaking as I said the words. I
couldn’t help but be aware that he was holding a
knife and was quite a bit stronger than me.

When he finished cutting me free, he put

his knife away and stared me down. “You don’t
even know the first thing about me, or where my
money comes from, or what I do with it.”

“I know you hire thugs. And I know you

kidnapped me. And I know you’re threatening my
father.”

His eyes darkened with anger.

“For your information, sweetheart, it was

your dear daddy that threatened me first. And I
don’t stoop low enough to hire thugs. I have real
men, friends, who are loyal to me.”

“There’s no way someone like you even

knows what friends are. I bet they follow you
because they’re afraid of you.”

He bristled at my words, and his hands

gripped me by the shoulders.

“Don’t you dare.”

“Dare what? Say the truth?”

“Sweetheart, you have been lied to your

entire life, I doubt you even know what the truth
is.”

“Oh yeah? I know that you’re a lowlife

who’s kidnapped me and is keeping me in his
basement like some—”

My train of thought, my words, were

stopped when he kissed me.

Or perhaps that wasn’t quite accurate.

It was in anger that he slammed his lips

against mine, cutting off the rest of what I was
about to say. And it was in anger that he pulled me
to him, gripping my shoulders in a way that I knew
would leave bruises.

I resisted him for a second, but then I was

kissing him back just as angrily.

It wasn’t giving in, no, that term was too

soft and compliant for what I was doing. I was
unleashing my anger upon him with my lips and my
tongue, continuing the argument with my mouth
instead of my voice.

It wasn’t sweet, it wasn’t good, but it

tasted amazing despite all that.

To have him kissing me, to be kissing him

back, it was better than I’d had in a long time.

But it was also wrong. I knew that. I

couldn’t be attracted him, couldn’t be involved
with him. He was a criminal, and I was putting
myself in danger just by kissing him back.

Even then, I couldn’t resist.

He broke away, just as quickly as things

had started, and stormed off, slamming the door
behind him.

I didn’t know why I was so attracted to

him.

I was left stunned, still sitting on the floor,

my discarded bindings around me.

To leave so suddenly, especially after that

kiss….

I knew it was messed up that I was

attracted to him and that I enjoyed that kiss, that I
had been thinking about kissing him before he
kissed me, but there wasn’t much that I could do
about it.

All I could hope was that I got ahold of

my senses before they landed me in a worse
situation. He was a criminal, after all.

“Malcolm! Malcolm!” I called out,

hoping he might come back. There was a possibility
that I could plead with him. Maybe he would let me

talk to my father again, or we might even come to
an agreement.

“Malcolm!” But there was no response,

and my cries echoed around the room. My throat
was hoarse, and I realized it was a lost cause.

Instead, I took stock of my surroundings.

The room I was in was sparse. There was

no furniture except a mattress with some basic bed
linens, and the floor was made of concrete. There
were two doors. I knew one led to the outside
world, but it was locked and guarded. The other
Malcolm had told me led to a bathroom.

There weren’t any windows, but there

was an air vent high on one wall, opposite the
bathroom door.

I thought that maybe it might lead

somewhere. But, it was too high up for me to crawl
in, at least not without the help of some other
furniture.

They probably weren’t dense enough to

leave anything in the bathroom that could be
moved, but I would check that later.

For now, I wanted to examine the vent.

See if I could gain any useful information, and
gauge what kind of height I would need to reach in.

I didn’t even know if it would be possible

to climb into the vent. The likelihood of me being

able to pry off the cover was very slim, but it was
the only gamble I had to take. That, or wait around
for something to happen.

As I approached the vent, I realized that I

could faintly hear some voices, as if they were
drifting in from another room.

I could only catch snippets, so I got as

close as I could and did my best to make out what I
might be able to.

Any information was better than what I

had now.

And I realized as I listened to that it was

Malcolm and his goons talking in the room next to
mine. And they were talking about my father.

Chapter Seven

Malcolm

“We need to go into lockdown, now,” I

said when I entered the room.

The Four looked up at me expectantly

from where they sat around the table. This was the
me they knew—commanding and ready for action.

Little did they know, I was far from that

at the moment. In my mind, I was wrestling with
what had just happened.

Kissing Aurora had been everything I had

ever dreamed of. Those plump lips, that perfect
body.

But now I couldn’t get her off my mind.

And worse, she hadn’t consented. I promised her
that I wouldn’t lay a hand on her, and yet that was
exactly what I had done.

I should have backed off immediately, not

pushed until she gave in. It was clear from the way
she had kissed me back that she wanted me, but I
couldn’t help feeling that it shouldn’t have been
like that.

But I couldn’t very well go back and

apologize to her, not now. It would be showing
weakness in front of the Four, and that wasn’t

something they needed, especially not with
someone after me. So now was the time to
strategize.

Underground was one of the safest places

in the mansion, so it was naturally where we went
to plan important things like this.

The lack of windows could be a little

depressing, but we made up for it with luxurious
rugs, beautiful paintings, and some of the comfiest
furniture that money could buy. There was a sofa,
some armchairs, and then a table with a few more
chairs surrounding it.

Since we were discussing very serious

issues today—literally life or death—we sat around
the table.

“I agree,” Misha said.

“He’ll probably be coming soon.” Noah

looked at me with concern, as if he could see the
turmoil within me. I hoped he couldn’t, it would be
easier that way. “It’s better to be prepared now.”

“Why wait around though, can’t we just

go kill him? Personally, I’d feel a lot better if we got
it over with now.” Leroi toyed with a deck of cards.
He was always suggesting out-there ideas.

“I think we should—” Gilles started, but

he was cut off.

“I was hesitant before, but now I think

Leroi’s right. We need to kill him,” Noah said. I
hadn’t been expecting that. “But we can’t go out
looking for him, that’s dangerous in its own way.”

“Awwwww, come on, you know I’m good

at danger,” Leroi whined.

“No, to both of you,” I said, slamming my

palm down on the table. They all looked up at me
in surprise. They probably thought I would be the
first to ask for Kline’s head, not defend him like
this. “I want him alive, unhurt if possible.”

“What’s gotten into you?” Noah asked.

“This isn’t like you at all.”

“If the violence is a problem I can always

just take him out for you,” Leroi said.

“He’s just doing his job,” I said, “even if

it is to kill me. And I can understand if he comes
for me now, it would be personal. I have his
daughter, and he knows my reputation with women.
He just wants her safe, I can’t blame him for that.”

If my brother was still alive… I would

have done anything to protect him.

“We might be able to negotiate with

him,” Gilles said. “If it’s a matter of money, we
know you can provide that. He knows you can
provide that.”

“But there’s no telling if Liam will try to

get him to kill Malcolm again, you know he’s

persistent.” Leroi leaned back in his chair, staring
up at the ceiling. “The only real solution here is
death. Or, you know, you listen to what I said
before and we just relocate him. I’ve heard France
is nice this time of year. I don’t think he would
mind a vacation.”

“That might work,” I mused. “We’ll work

on coming to an agreement with him later. For now,
we have to make preparations for his arrival.”

Everyone around the table nodded and

began planning out how they would set up the
mansion to be ready for Kline’s imminent arrival,
how many guards we needed, and how we might be
able to capture him if necessary.

I couldn’t concentrate, so I was glad that

they were able to sort things out themselves. My
mind was far away, thinking about Aurora, and
what I had said about her father.

It made sense that he would be worried

about her. As I said, my reputation with women
wasn’t the best. I tended to use and discard them,
but I wouldn’t touch Aurora….

Not unless she wanted me to, that was.

Was I such a bad person for wanting her,

for wanting to be with her? I felt differently about
her than I had about anyone else, and I hadn’t been
able to concentrate since she walked into my life,
those pretty little hips of hers swaying.

Fuck, I wanted her. I wanted her badly,

and if she wanted me, then there was no harm,
right?

“I trust you to figure this out,” I said,

before standing and leaving the room. I couldn’t
even wait for their answer, the need within me was
too great.

I couldn’t even trust myself to be in the

same room next to her. It would be so easy just to
walk over there and be done with it. I knew she
wanted me, so what was stopping me?

It was my own morals and fear for her

life.

No matter how much I wanted her, there

was no way I could get her mixed up in this life.
Her father was already implicated enough as it was;
I couldn’t have someone try to use her as leverage
against me. It would just be too much.

I also couldn’t imagine how others in this

business might treat her. I was a gentleman with a
code, even if I didn’t always follow the laws.

But most others were corrupted by their

power and weren’t afraid to use it to their
advantage to get what they wanted, even if it meant
taking someone against their will.

I shivered in anger at the thought of

someone using her like that. I knew it was

hypocritical of me, but I just couldn’t stand the
thought.

I wandered up out of the basement, and

through the halls of the mansion. There was so
much to see, so many paths to walk, I could only
hope they would occupy me for as long as I needed
them to.

I made my way to the large library,

passing by the guest rooms on the way. I kept
wondering if it would perhaps be more appropriate
to move her, at least to make her more comfortable.
It might make her dad more understanding, which
was definitely something we needed.

It was a possibility to consider.

As I thought about this, I entered one of

the rooms, hand trailing along the pink wallpaper.
When I bought this house, I made a number of
renovations. I wanted to make the Four feel
welcome in this place, and we needed rooms for
our own use.

There was training, planning, and things

that needed to be hidden, but most of the mansion I
left untouched.

This was one of those rooms, a guest

room of sorts. I imagined that it was probably a
bedroom for the daughter of the previous owner.
The pink walls, silk curtains, and white bed frame
certainly seemed to suggest so.

I still had no idea what happened to the

owners of the place before me, but I wasn’t sure if I
wanted to know. I asked no questions of my realtor,
and he asked no questions of me, that had been the
deal.

Maybe I could uncover the secrets if I

looked deep enough, but it wasn’t something I
wanted to poke too much. The last thing this world
needed was another tragedy. A family torn apart by
their money. An escape into the night like royals
during a revolution.

I could only hope that time would be

kinder to me, that it would understand what I was
doing I was doing for the good of everyone.

I left the room, fists clenched. I would

accept the consequences of my actions. I had no
illusions that the things I did weren’t wrong. If only
I could see my vision carried out first, that was all I
wanted.

The more I thought about it, the more I

realized I wanted Aurora to know. I didn’t want her
to see me as purely evil. And part of me wanted to
apologize to her as well.

But most of me was just yearning to be

with her. My insides were boiling with lust, and the
only thing I could think about was how she would
look underneath me. I needed to get it out of my
system, there was no other way.

Which was why I found myself

wandering back to her room.

Chapter Eight

Aurora

When the door opened, I thought that

somehow they knew that I’d been listening. But it
was a silly thought, and I knew that there was no
way it could be true. Even so, I took several steps
away from the wall and tried to school my face into
an expression that was not one of guilt.

It was Malcolm, again. It hadn’t been that

long since he had kissed me, and so I found my
cheeks heating in embarrassment, and desire
curling like a small fire in the depths of my
stomach.

And now I knew he wasn’t a terrible

person, at least.

From what I had heard of the

conversation, he was in the drug business. Some
rival of his had sent my father after him, though I
didn’t know why. I was also confused as to why he
felt the need to still be in the business. It was
obvious he was loaded.

And to have such compassion for my

father? Things just weren’t adding up.

I decided I needed to confront him. I

wanted answers.

“Why do you deal drugs when it’s

obvious you have plenty of money?”

“That’s a strange question to lead with.”

His eyes drifted up to the air vent. “Were you
listening in? Oh well, it doesn’t matter much.”

“But why?”

“It’s nothing you would understand, I can

promise you that.”

I felt frustrated by his response. Who

does he think he is? Why put on this act of being a
good person just to deny me any explanation?

Did he just enjoy watching me suffer?

“Why are you here?” I asked.

His eyes went dark, and he approached

me rapidly. I refused to take a step back and stood
my ground. “You know why I’m here,” he growled,
and his voice sent shivers through my body.

I couldn’t help but be attracted to him

like this. The way he spoke, the way he moved, the
way he looked, it was all adding up into a very
arousing picture. I didn’t know if I could contain
myself anymore.

I didn’t have to though, because he

grabbed my jaw and leaned down to kiss me, just as
roughly as before.

But I could deal with this. His actions

were much easier to read than his words. The way

he spoke was cryptic, but the way he moved was
crystal clear.

I struggled anyway. It was part of the

dance at this point, the way he grabbed me was
rough, and the way I reacted was rougher still. But
unlike last time, he stepped away, seeming to take
my struggle as a sign to stop. Fuck him and his
hypocritical chivalry. I couldn’t stay away from
him, I couldn’t resist kissing him. He was in my
bloodstream, and there was no going back now.

So I stepped forward and grabbed his

neck, pulling his face down so that I could kiss him.

This seemed to be consent enough for

him. His hands found their way to my waist, and he
maneuvered me back to the mattress, kissing me
the whole time.

“You taste like heaven,” he breathed in

my ear as he eased me down onto the bed, hovering
over me. His hands were on either side of my thighs
and I shivered for his touch.

“And I can tell you’re from hell,” I said,

pulling him down to kiss him again.

He did so greedily as if he wanted to

drink in as much of me as he could. His kisses
were, despite what I had said, heavenly. But the
way he kissed me was oh so sinful.

His hands touched me gently, reminding

my body that there was still more that could be
done, and his mouth took from me my desire. It
was like a well inside of me, drawing up how much
I wanted him. Every time his lips touched mine,
every brush of his tongue against mine just made
me want him more.

Malcolm clearly knew what he was doing

when it came to women, and I knew I was about to
have the time of my life.

He kissed his way along my jawline, and

then down my neck. Every new connection of his
lips to my skin sent tingles down my spine, building
a warmth deep within me that made me squirm.

“You want me, don’t you,” he teased.

“How about, shall I kiss you there? Shall I fulfill
your every desire?”

I wanted that more than I could say. But

to put that into words would be admitting my own
weakness.

“Shut up,” I growled, hands yanking at

his pants.

“Patience darling, I promise it’ll feel

good.” He pushed my hands away from him,
pinning them above my head.

“I don’t doubt that. I just want it now,” I

whined, but he wasn’t listening to me.

The way he looked at me was the kind of

look a predator gave their prey. Knowing I was
under his complete control, he stared down at me,
gaze moving up and down my body while he licked
his lips. With my arms pinned above me, there was
nothing I could do but let out a low whine, and wait
for him to finally satisfy me.

“I don’t think you know just how tasty

you look right now, all splayed out beneath me. I
can’t wait to strip you bare.” He whispered the last
part in my ear, his breath hot.

I let out a soft sound of desire, squirming

beneath him, but he held me firm.

“You’re not going anywhere, not now

that I have you.”

“If I’m staying here it’s only because I

want to.”

“Oh, I can tell you want to, don’t worry

darling.” His lips met the tender bit of skin beneath
my ear, and I immediately let out a gasp at the
sensation.

Then his teeth were against my neck,

working at my skin, marking me as his, and I
couldn’t contain myself.

I already knew that my panties were

going to ruin, and now I was doubly sure. No one
else had ever made me feel this good before with
just their lips. I could only imagine the other things

he could do.

“Enjoying yourself, darling?”

“More than anything,” I gasped out,

unable to keep the sound of pleasure from my voice
anymore. It was too much work to resist him when
it felt so much better to just give in.

Roughly, he moved me up the mattress so

that my head rested on one of the pillows, then
began yanking away my jeans.

There was a brief moment of panic when

I realized I had nothing else to wear, and I had
definitely already ruined my panties, but that
thought went away quickly. I didn’t doubt that
Malcolm would provide. He didn’t seem like the
kind of sick fuck who would make me go naked
just for his amusement. Unless, of course, that was
something that I wanted too.

“Wet already,” he teased, lifting my

panties. “You’re a naughty girl, Aurora.”

“And I’m sure that’s just the way that

you like it.”

“Then you know me better than you

think.” He kissed the inside of my thigh, looking
straight at me as he lifted my leg to meet his mouth.

“You’re so fucking hot,” he said. “It’s

hard to control myself around you.”

“Then don’t,” I replied, lifting my shirt

off and quickly undoing my bra. I wanted him to
see all of me, to understand how lucky he was to be
with me. I wanted him to take me, I didn’t know if I
could wait much longer.

“Mmmmmm, that would create some

interesting situations, little Aurora. Every time you
start arguing with me I just want to kiss your pretty
mouth so you’ll shut up.” His hand trailed up my
leg. “And every time you call me a criminal, I want
to make you scream my name until your voice
becomes hoarse so you can’t say things like that
anymore.”

“Now that’s—” I was about to say unfair,

but my train of thought was lost as his mouth closed
over one of my nipples and a gasp of pleasure came
out instead.

“You were saying,” he teased as he

tweaked the other nipple with his thumb and
forefinger. God, it felt so good. This man knew
what he was doing.

I couldn’t respond to him, despite how

much I wanted to wipe that self-satisfied smirk off
his face. He made me feel so good that all of my
thoughts disappeared. All I could think about was
what he was doing to me, and what he might do
next.

His hand was on the inside of my thigh

now, long fingers trailing like ghosts over my skin. I

was already incredibly sensitive and it sent waves
of pleasure through me.

His touch drifted up to my labia, brushing

over the skin in a way that made me moan just from
the thought of what he might do.

“You’re so wet for me baby.”

“Yes,” I gasped out as his thumb brushed

over my clit.

“You want me, don’t you? I can read it on

your face.”

“I want you,” I whined. “I want you

now.”

“Patience darling, I want to taste you

first.”

More heat was gathering low in my

abdomen at the thought of his tongue on me, of the
ways he could pleasure me.

My ex had never been one for eating me

out, and he had always finished things so quickly
like it was a chore, another thing to add to his day.
After we had broken up, I had filled the void with
romance novels and realized that there were more
things a man could do to make the experience a
beautiful and fulfilling one.

But it still felt like a myth.

And yet here Malcolm was. He kept eye

contact with me as he inched himself down and

then spread my legs wide so that he would have full
access to my pussy.

Even the way he was touching me made

me wet. His movements were so gentle and
methodical, each new contact with my skin a
blessing.

“You’re going to cum for me darling, and

it’s going to feel so good,” he said, and I knew it
was the truth the moment he said it. It was like
scripture.

My gasps and moans were a prayer as his

head lowered and his tongue set to work on me. He
loosened me gently with a couple of his fingers, his
tongue brushing over my clit as he did so.

I could feel myself tightening around him,

even as I tried my best to be loose.

“You’re so fucking tight.”

“I’m sorry,” I said because it was the first

thing that came to mind.

“Don’t you dare apologize for your

gorgeous tight pussy. It’s going to feel so good, it
just might hurt a little for you.

“I can take it.” I didn’t know if I could.

My ex hadn’t been much to speak of, and gauging
by the way Malcolm spoke, he was clearly a big
deal.

When Malcolm’s tongue entered me, my

back arched from the pleasure and my hips bucked
forward. I couldn’t help it, it just felt too good.

I was so close to orgasm already, with the

way that he had worked me up, that it just took a
few thrusts of his tongue and some gentle tweaking
of my clit before he was tasting me, and the first
wave of the night went through my body.

He rose, standing over me now as he

lifted his shirt over his head.

“You taste so fucking good. I can’t wait

to fill you with my cock.”

“I want you,” I whined, and he undid his

belt, dropping his pants and briefs in one smooth
motion, then stepping out of them and kicking them
to the side.

He was naked now, and oh so glorious.

Despite being older, he had kept his body in
glorious condition. His abs glistened with sweat,
and his arms that held me were nothing to laugh at.

And his cock….

It was long and erect, and I knew it would

feel amazing inside of me. I hadn’t ever been with
someone who had a cock so beautifully large and
long, and I was eager to know how it would make
me feel.

But he hesitated. For several seconds he

just looked down at me and did not make any move

to continue.

I didn’t know what to make of it. It was

clear from the way he was looking at me that he
was conflicted, but we had already come so far.

“I need you,” I whined. I could feel the

pressure building in me, and I didn’t trust myself to
handle it. I had never been particularly good at
getting myself off. There was just something about
the addition of another person that made everything
so much better.

He gave in then, the expression in his

eyes changing to pure lust.

“Just remember, you asked for it,” he

growled, and his voice sent shivers down my spine.

He thrust himself into me without

warning, and I cried at how much it was to take. He
didn’t give me time to adjust as he kept going,
keeping rhythm with his mouth in a way that made
the pleasure worth all of the pain.

It was rough, but God, did it feel so good.

I was moaning before I knew it, and his name was
on the tip of my tongue.

“Malcolm!” I cried as the first orgasm

washed over me. I wasn’t even thinking about the
fact that he was a criminal, that he had kidnapped
me, that he was so much older than me.

He kept going. I knew he was good, but

to be able to last like this, when I was screaming
out in pleasure, it was a miracle.

By the time he was done, there were

bruises on my hips from where he had gripped me
as he thrust, and I had orgasmed more than I ever
had before.

They just kept coming, one after another,

till I was exhausted and felt like I couldn’t manage
even one more.

I was so exhausted, and so pleasantly

buzzed from the experience, that I fell asleep right
in Malcolm’s arms without a second thought about
how dangerous he was.

Chapter Nine

Malcolm

The realization didn’t hit me until several

seconds after I opened my eyes. There was a
warmth at my side, and I felt good all through my
body.

It was when I looked up at the ceiling and

noticed that I was not in my room that I recognized
what was wrong.

Instantly, I shot up, horror gripping my

chest. This had never happened to me before, ever.
To sleep the whole night in the same bed as a
woman… it was unthinkable. And even more than
that….

I looked over to where she slept next to

me. She looked so peaceful in her sleep.

I realized that I still wanted her. Last

night had not quenched my thirst. This too was also
strange. I’d never wanted a woman past the first
night, and yet there she was, and I felt this pull to
her. If last night was anything to go by, then she felt
that pull too.

But I couldn’t let myself be distracted

like this.

I forced myself to get up, to leave the

comforting warmth of being next to her. I pulled on
my clothes, muttering to myself the entire time.

Shit shit shit shit shit.

It wouldn’t do any good to get

emotionally attached to Aurora, especially when
she was Kline’s daughter. It would only endanger
prospects of future negotiation, or get me killed.
And feelings were not something Malcolm Astor
did. They had already put me through enough.

I left as quickly as I had come, knowing

that the guards were probably laughing to
themselves. Aurora had certainly been loud in her
cries of pleasure. I wouldn’t have it any other way,
but this did mean that a lot of the people in the
house probably knew what went down last night.

I didn’t care about the staff knowing.

They were used to strange things and keeping
secrets. That was a way of life when you worked
for the rich.

But my friends? The Four? I didn’t want

them to know that I had been so weak.

When I emerged into the large living

room that we liked to occupy in our downtime, they
were sitting there, and they all looked up at me
expectantly, and then smiled.

“Had a good time last night, boss?” Leroi

teased. His feet were up on my favorite coffee

table, and I growled at him to put them down.

“Feet. Off. The table. Leroi.”

“Fine.” He put his hands up in surrender

and removed his feet from the table, but he was still
smiling that cocky smile of his.

I sat down in my favorite chair next to

Noah, who was flipping through a car magazine.

“Was she a good ride?” he asked,

gesturing to the magazine.

I groaned. Noah and his puns, one day I

would kill him, I swore it.

“Oh, I think we all know that he gave her

quite the ride,” Leroi said, wiggling his eyebrows.
“This house is enormous, but I could still hear her
calling out for you: ‘Oh Malcolm!’” He feigned
fainting, the back of his hand pressed to his
forehead.

“I don’t think any of us will ever be able

to surpass that,” Gilles added, a faint smile on his
lips. “You’ve set quite a high bar.”

“None of you are fucking her,” I said,

feeling suddenly territorial. Normally I wouldn’t
mind passing off a woman once I was done with
her, but the truth was that I was far from done with
Aurora.

“That’s not what I was suggesting,” Gilles

said, his face turning red from embarrassment. “I

just meant that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to
produce similar results with someone else.”

“Oh the mystery: will Gilles ever be able

to even catch a woman,” Leroi teased.

“Leroi, that’s enough,” I snapped.

“Calm down boss,” Misha said, coming

up behind me. “They mean no harm. Preparations
are ready for Kline’s arrival.”

“Then why hasn’t he shown his face

yet!” I slammed my fist down on the table, wincing
at the sudden, sharp pain. I wanted things to be
over with, now. I didn’t know how much longer I
could stand waiting. It was torture.

I was the kind of person who needed

things done and wanted to do them himself.

“He’ll come eventually,” Noah assured

me. “And when he does, we’ll be ready for him.”

I wasn’t truly listening at that moment.

“Maybe if we make it look like we’ve let our guard
down,” I mused to myself.

“You know, that just might work,” Leroi

chimed in. “What if we throw a gala, a fundraiser
sort of event at the mansion. The proceeds can
continue to help our cause, and Kline might show
his face thinking we’re not ready for him.”

“I don’t think—” Gilles began, but I shot

him a glare.

“Deal, let’s do it. Make sure it looks like

we have fewer guards, but find places to hide them.
Start sending out the invitations immediately, and
make sure some wind up where Kline will come
across them. Hell, write a press release. We’ll make
it a publicized event.”

“Are you sure you’re not going too far?”

Noah asked.

“Don’t question me,” I snapped. “I know

what I’m doing.”

“I’m not saying you don’t, I just want you

to be safe.”

I sighed, maybe I had gone too far. The

stress of the whole situation was getting to my
head.

“I know, I’m sorry. But I think this will

work, and I’m going to go crazy if we don’t do
something.”

“We’ve already offered—” Leroi began,

but I cut him off. I already knew what he was going
to say.

“We’re not killing him. Not yet, anyway. I

don’t want any more casualties than necessary.”

“We just want to make sure you’re not a

casualty,” Misha said.

“Or the china,” Gilles added with a

nervous laugh, gesturing to the cups and plates on

the table that I slammed my fist against just
moments before. “Last month we spent over two
thousand dollars replacing the dishware alone.”

“I’ll break the china if I want to.” I eyed

one of the plates— an antique from eighteenth-
century France with original gold leaf. I was so
tempted to pick it up and throw it against the wall
right now, just to show that I could.

But then Noah rested his hand on my

shoulder.

“Breathe, Malcolm,” he whispered.

Noah always seemed to know what I

needed, and when I could use his gentle and
familiar touch. He could talk me out of anger like
no one else.

“Everything will be fine in time, and if we

throw this Gala I’m sure it will be much sooner
than you think.”

I sighed, taking a deep breath. “Fine, let’s

start planning immediately. I can’t stand idle any
longer.”

“Anything I can do for you?” Noah

asked.

“Actually, yes. Would you mind bringing

some breakfast down to Aurora? I would do it
myself, but….” The fact that I was still thinking of
Aurora at a time like this, it was telling of how

much she was affecting me.

“You’re not ready to see her again?”

I shrugged. “Something like that. Oh, and

make sure you knock before you enter. I had
someone bring her clothes, but I have no idea if
she’ll be decent when you go down there.”

“You got it, boss.”

Chapter Ten

Aurora

When I finally woke up, Malcolm was

gone. The events of last night came crashing back
to me all at once, and I couldn’t help but feel
frustrated, and embarrassed. I buried my face in my
pillow and screamed in anger over the way I acted,
at the way I let lust and passion control my
emotions.

It hadn’t been a smart move, not at all. I

needed to focus on escaping, on surviving, not
falling for my captor.

Admittedly, he was hot. And he knew

what he was doing. I still felt warm inside at the
thought of how he had made me feel last night.

But obviously I was just a distraction to

him, a plaything to be toyed with. Why else would
he leave before I woke up?

I found an extra set of clothes waiting for

me. There was a soft white t-shirt that was probably
more expensive than anything I owned, and a pair
of well-made jeans, as well as a matching bra and
panty set.

The asshole clearly knew my size, they

looked like they would fit perfectly.

They were absurdly cute too, all pink and

lacy with little organza and mesh flower details
defining the cup of the bra and the hips of the
panties.

My old clothes were nowhere to be seen,

and I could only assume someone had come to
gather them.

I decided to put off getting dressed in

favor of a shower. I needed to clean my skin and
clear my mind after what happened. I couldn’t keep
thinking of his lips on the soft skin of my neck and
his hands leaving bruises as they gripped my hips.

Already, dark spots were forming on my

sides in the distorted shape of hands.

I shook away the thoughts and forced

myself to stop looking at where he had marked me
as his. I stood, letting the blankets fall away from
me, and strode naked across the room to the
bathroom door.

Let them watch if they were watching.

Let them ogle. I owned my body, and I was plenty
proud of it. No shame would make me cover it up.

The bathroom was just as nice as I

expected it to be if a little bare. There was a shower
—with all the needed shampoos, soaps, and
conditioners, as well as a nice razor and shaving
cream— plus a sink and toilet. Pink towels were
hanging on towel racks, and there was a matching

pink rug on the floor that was so soft that I wanted
to curl up and fall asleep on it.

I turned the water up to a scalding hot

temperature, hoping to burn away the memory of
Malcolm’s hands.

It felt so good to shower, after having

been taken away from the normal flow of my life.
The routine of washing my hair and body brought
back a sense of stability that I so desperately
needed.

I hummed under my breath as I cleaned

myself of the dirt and fear that the kidnapping had
brought.

Then my eyes landed on the razor and

drifted down to where a bunch of curly, dark hair
obscured my vagina from view.

I could give Malcolm a little surprise, a

little show the next time he decided he wanted to
take me. It might be enough to assert that I was the
one in control of my body, and I did what I wanted.
I didn’t know if he liked his women shaved or not,
but it didn’t matter.

What mattered was what I wanted, and I

was already wet thinking of how good it would feel
to have him down there with no hair as a barrier.

So I took the razor, and I went to work.

About an hour later, I was dressed and

sitting on the bed, letting my hair air dry, when
there came a knock at the door.

I was sure that it wasn’t Malcolm. He

wouldn’t be polite enough to knock.

“Come in,” I said, and one of the men

from before entered.

He was the one who seemed most loyal to

Malcolm, and his dark skin glistened with sweat
under the lights as if he had just come from working
out.

“Malcolm said I might want to knock

before I came in, to make sure you were decent,”
he said by way of explanation.

“I didn’t think he would care,” I said,

looking away.

“Of course he cares, what made you

think he wouldn’t?” the man asked. Now that he
came closer, I saw that he was carrying a tray of
food. There was a sandwich, a bowl of fruit, and a
small pie to go along with it.

He had promised me food if I behaved

well, was this his idea of good behavior? Hooking
up with him at his whim?

“I’m Noah, by the way,” the man said,

setting down the tray of food next to my bed. He
turned as if he was about to walk away, but I didn’t

want him to. I didn’t want to be alone as I ate, and I
needed somebody to talk to. Maybe he could give
me more information on Malcolm as well.

“Wait!” I said, and Noah stopped.

“Do you need anything else?”

“Do you think you could stay, while I

eat?” I asked, feeling a little sheepish at the words
coming out of my mouth. I sounded like a child,
putting it like that.

“Sure I guess.” He shrugged. “I got

nothing better to do, so why not.”

He sat down on the floor next to my bed,

crossing his legs and watching me expectantly.

I took a tentative bite of the sandwich,

realizing now that he was here that I had no idea
what I actually wanted to ask him. I guessed I could
just be straightforward.

“What do you think of Malcolm?” I

asked when I had finished my first bite of the
sandwich.

Noah let out a little laugh as if the

question amused him. “What do I think of
Malcolm? Why do you want to know?”

I shrugged in response, my mouth already

full of more sandwich. I hadn’t realized how hungry
I actually was until there was food in front of me,
but now I knew I was starving. My stomach was

growling at the thought of finishing what I had been
brought.

“Well, let’s see then. Malcolm’s my

friend, my very good friend, and I trust him. He
knows what he’s doing, and he cares for people. I
would probably follow him to the ends of the
earth.”

My brow furrowed in confusion. “Why?”

I couldn’t see anyone following that man, that
criminal anywhere unless there was a large amount
of money involved.

“Because I trust him, that’s why. And

believe it or not, he’s a good person.”

“Aren’t you scared of him?” I asked. I

certainly was, and he seemed like an intimidating
figure most of the time.

“No, why should I be?”

“He just… seems scary.”

“Well, I can promise you that once you

get to know him that he’s not. I shouldn’t be telling
you this, but it’s really just a front that he puts on
for show.”

I was even more confused now than I was

before I started talking to Noah. He clearly seemed
to see something in Malcolm, but what I didn’t
know.

I finished my sandwich and moved onto

my bowl of fruit. God, I had never tasted such
juicy, sweet fruit before. I guessed that was what
money could get you—incredible fruit.

“Was there anything else you wanted to

talk about?” Noah asked once a considerable
amount of silence had passed.

“No,” I said. “I guess I just wanted to

know more about Malcolm.”

“There are a lot of things that he should

tell you himself.” He looked off into the distance,
and I could tell that he must be thinking about
something particularly sad. I didn’t know why, but
it pained me to think about Malcolm going through
something that was sad. “But I can promise he’s a
good guy.”

“And why is that?”

“That… is also something I don’t think I

can tell you, but just trust me.”

“It’s hard to trust you. Especially when I

don’t know why I’m here or what I should do.”

“You mean, he never told you?” Noah

looked incredibly surprised, and sympathetic at the
same time.

“Who never told me what?”

“It’s really a conversation you and your

father should have. It’s not my place to say.”

“It doesn’t seem like it’s your place to

say a lot of things,” I snapped and instantly
regretted it. Noah had been so nice to me, and it
was only logical that there would be things he
couldn’t talk to me about. I couldn’t blame him for
that.

He didn’t reply. Instead, he gestured to

my tray. I had finished all of the food. “You done
with that?”

“Yeah,” I said, looking away and pushing

it towards him.

He took it and disappeared through the

door without looking back.

I might have just lost a potential ally in

this weird world that I had been dropped into, and I
was wishing I had done things differently. Maybe
then I would have had a better chance at escaping,
finding out what was going on, and how I was
involved.

Chapter Eleven

Malcolm

Several days passed before I saw Aurora

again.

I’d been throwing myself into the

preparations for the gala. I was frankly bored and
didn’t want time to think about things. I was tired
of waiting around for Kline to show his face, and I
didn’t know what else to do.

I didn’t let myself go down to the

basement again, because I knew that would just
cause more complications, and that was the last
thing I needed.

But the more I thought about it, the more

I realized that Aurora had a right to know.

She had a right to know why she was

here. She had a right to know what was going on.
And she had a right to know who her father really
was.

He had lied to her for so long, and I

couldn’t stand bastards like that.

My own father had been one. For years

he had seen another woman, and when the truth
was finally discovered, it ruined our family.

I hated him for the secrets he kept, but I

also would have rather found out earlier. After the
fact, so many things clicked into place and started
to make sense.

Aurora deserved that. She deserved to

know the truth.

Perhaps it was just another excuse to see

her again. I thought this many times as I gathered
up the evidence to present to her. But I just kept
repeating it to myself: She deserved to know the
truth.

I headed down to the basement once

again and paused before the door. Did I even have
a right to be here?

I only hesitated for a moment though. It

was a weakness that I couldn’t afford. Especially
with the gala coming up.

I entered without knocking, and Aurora

looked up from where she was sitting on the bed,
reading through a book that I had someone bring
her. Noah made me aware of the fact that she
didn’t have anything to do, so I thought it was the
best solution.

“What do you want?” she asked, a touch

of venom on her tongue.

“To explain the truth to you.”

Her eyes lit up ever so slightly. “Finally,

I’ve been waiting for a while,”

“Good. Because I’m not covering for

your father any longer. It’s time you learned the
truth.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you want to know who your

father really is?”

“Yes, but…. ” she trailed off, hesitating. I

could tell she was nervous, and she had every right
to be. I was probably about to destroy her image of
her father.

“Come on, let’s sit,” I said, gesturing to

the table and chairs that I had brought in for her. I
took a seat and then watched as she took one as
well.

As soon as she was seated, I pulled out

my tablet, pulling up the first of many pieces of
evidence against her father.

Her face immediately shifted into shock,

and I almost felt remorse. But this would be better
for her in the long run. She deserved to know the
truth.

I showed her photos first. Her father in

position with a gun. His targets, all dead. Him
receiving calls. Meeting with mob bosses. Being
awarded absurdly large sums of money.

And then, as if all that wasn’t enough, I

pulled up a video of him in action.

I watched her as she watched him set his

sights, and pull the trigger. The victim fell, their
blood spilling, and Aurora let out an audible gasp,
her hand covered her mouth.

“I think you can see what I mean now,” I

said. “I didn’t want him lying to you anymore.”

“But… who is he?”

“You mean what. Your father, Samuel

Kline, is a hitman. One of the best in the business,
in fact. He’s killed innocent people Aurora, and
criminals. But all for money, never for justice.”

There was a struggle going on in her face,

and I could see it clearly.

“There has to be some explanation for

this, doesn’t there?” she asked, grasping at straws.

“The explanation is right in front of you

Aurora. Your father is a hitman, he kills people for
money, is that so hard to accept?”

She was retreating in on herself, shoulders

hunched, muttering under her breath. “No, not my
father, not Dad, not Dad. He was kind, he was so
funny, how could he… Not Dad, not Dad,” over
and over again.

I extended my hand to rest on her

shoulder. “Aurora, that doesn’t mean he’s a bad
person.”

“Of course you would think that.” Her

words contained so much anger. She was angry
with the situation and about the fact that I had been
the one to tell her. There wasn’t any explanation
for this that would make her world go back the way
it was.

“So what if it applies me too? The fact is,

your father did this as a job. He made money by
killing people, and then he used that money to take
care of you.” The rage that first fueled me to reveal
the truth to her subsided. Now, I just felt sympathy.
I wanted her to understand that just because her
dad did bad things, didn’t mean that he was a bad
person.

“But… he killed people.”

“And some of them were bad people.”

She wasn’t even looking at me anymore.

She was staring down at her lap, where her hands
were shaking. I had the sudden urge to reach out,
grab her hand, hold it and tell her that everything
was going to be fine. She was going to be fine.

“I don’t know what to think anymore. Is

he a good person? If he is, then why doesn’t he feel
guilty? Why can’t I see it on his face when he
comes home? Are you a good person? If you are,
why don’t you just let me go?”

Her head whipped up and she looked me

in the eyes, tears welling up in hers. “Why can’t
you just let me go?”

It was the most emotional I had ever seen

her. Even when she had first been kidnapped she
hadn’t been like this. She had been strong, fighting
against my every move. This development stung me
deeply, and I realized just how badly I had hurt her.

Maybe I shouldn’t have done it.

“Because I can’t. You’re still useful to

me.”

“How?”

“Because, Aurora, your father is on a

mission to kill me. And I’d like to stay alive, thank
you very much. You’re here so he doesn’t make
any move against me.”

“Surely you could negotiate—”

“Not with one of the most powerful gang

bosses at his back, pushing for him to do this job.
Your father knows dangerous people, Aurora, and
unfortunately, I’m one of them. Though, there is
something you could do.” I didn’t want to raise her
hopes too much, but I also knew that this was the
only way I was going to get her to the gala.

“What is it?” she asked, suddenly eager

to please.

“I’m throwing a gala this weekend. If

your father sees that you’re with me, there might be
a chance he’ll be a little more understanding. And it
will definitely persuade me to be more lenient.”

She hesitated, and I could see on her face

that she was still thinking of a few days ago. I still
hadn’t apologized to her for that, though I didn’t
know if I could think of what to say. It had been
amazing, the best I had ever had, and I would
gladly do it again, given the chance.

“You don’t have to answer now, just think

about it. This might be your chance to make things
right.”

After my conversation with Aurora, I

realized I didn’t want to be left alone with my
thoughts. That fact that I had hurt her like that was
haunting me, even though I knew that it had been
the right thing to do in that situation.

So I called the Four together to do some

party planning.

We gathered in my favorite parlor again,

seated in our respective chairs. Leroi had his cards
with him again, and he was running through a series
of his favorite tricks.

“We need to talk about security at the

party,” I said, leaning forward. “It’s important that
we get this figured out so we can be ready for Kline
when he comes.”

“Having the place tapped is a good idea,”

Gilles said. It was rare for him to speak first, but I

was glad he did. “If I can monitor from behind the
scenes, I can let you know if anything seems
suspicious.”

“That’s a good plan.” I leaned back in my

chair, giving Gilles a nod of approval.

“I don’t feel safe enough with just that

though,” Noah said. “We need some of our men in
there too.”

“Of course our men will be in the mix,

Noah, who do you think I am?”

“No, I mean, disguised, that way they’re

not as easy to spot.”

“Misha, can you get some people

disguised as guests? Enough to monitor the place?”
I asked, turning to him. He was the head of security
after all and handled matters such as these.

“Definitely boss,” he said. “Shouldn’t be

a problem.”

“Good, anything else?” I asked turning to

them.

“I have a brilliant idea,” Leroi said. His

smile indicated that it was, in fact, not something
that I would think was a brilliant idea.

I sighed. “Spit it out Leroi.”

“Well, obviously we need some

entertainment, otherwise it’s just going to be a
shitty gala all around. I know some go-go dancers

that we could hire—”

“Not a chance.” I cut him off with a

glare. “It’s not that kind of party, Leroi. It’s a
sophisticated gala.”

He shrugged. “I mean, I was just trying to

make things a little more fun. Some rich people
throw parties like that.”

“Maybe at the playboy mansion.” Noah

smiled. “You’re really just out to get some, aren’t
you Leroi? What happened to the girl from last
time?”

He shrugged, moving his deck of cards

from one hand to the other. “Eh, not much to tell,
she got kind of boring.”

“You move on way too quickly,” Gilles

observed.

“Like you get much action,” Leroi

retorted.

“Woah there, I’m sure there will plenty to

go around at the gala,” Noah said, standing
between the two of them, giving me a look over his
shoulder.

“Stop arguing, you’ll give me a

headache,” I snapped, standing up. I had other
places to be, I couldn’t be babysitting two idiots
arguing about such trivial things as hookups. “I
trust you’ll figure out the security,” I said, directing

this to Misha and Noah.

Then I stomped away, not waiting for

their responses. I had other things to attend to at
the moment. I had called for my dressmaker to
come earlier this morning. I wanted a dress made
for Aurora for the gala, just in case.

As I expected, she was waiting for me in

my study, browsing the books I had tucked away in
my personal bookshelf.

As she turned back to look at me with a

smile, I couldn’t help but flashback to my
childhood. She had been my mother’s dressmaker
when I was younger and had been like an aunt to
me back then.

She still was, with her graying hair and

knowing looks. She could always tell when
something was on my mind, and it was a dangerous
talent to have. I didn’t like sharing the intimate
details of my life with many people, but she was
someone I trusted.

“Kylie, so good to see you,” I said, letting

her take me in for a hug and kiss my cheeks.

“What’s this about making a dress for the

weekend?” She wasn’t tiptoeing around the subject,
that was for sure. “You know I like more time for
my masterpieces.”

I sat down in my office chair with a sigh,

pulling one of my favorite books off the shelf and
flipping through it out of habit. “I don’t need a
masterpiece. Just a dress that will look good.”

She raised her eyebrows, and then gave

me that smile, the one that said she knew exactly
what was going on.

I groaned inwardly. Here it came.

“You have someone special in mind,

don’t you? The Malcolm I know would just send
someone to a department store if it was this late,
but no, you called on me. Who has you all tangled
up?”

“Can you just make the dress?” I sighed.

“I don’t need you interrogating me right now.”

She shook her head, but she was still

smiling. “Oh, I can make the dress. But I’m
expecting details and lots of them.”

Chapter Twelve

Aurora

It was a few more days before anything

of note happened. By my calculations, it was now
the weekend. I was trying to stay in a normal
routine and keep track of the days, so I wouldn’t
get too lost.

When the door opened, I was expecting

the maid who brought me food, snacks, and new
clothes every day. Or maybe even Noah, but not
Malcolm.

I was sure at this point that he wouldn’t

be coming back to see me. It seemed below him to
even check in with me, and I had already served
my purpose to help him release his sexual
frustrations.

I was sure now that he didn’t want me

anymore, though I kept shaving just in case. It was
something I felt ashamed of though.

So when Malcolm entered, I didn’t know

what to do. I froze where I was, sitting at the table
with a book in hand.

“What are you doing here?” were the first

words out of my mouth.

He smirked. “I have just as much of a

right to be here as you do if that’s what you mean.”

“I didn’t ask to be here.”

“That’s not the point.”

His hands were behind his back, and now

I was worried that he was hiding something. Was he
going to hurt me? Was this some new way of toying
with me?

But what he produced was not anything

of the sort. It was black fabric, and soon I
recognized as a dress. Knowing him, it probably
was a dress, but I couldn’t make out much about it.

It was probably for the gala, the one he

had asked me about a few days ago and then never
talked to me about again.

“It’s time that you get ready,” he said.

“Can you be civilized?”

“I’m always civilized.” I stood up,

admittedly a little curious about what the dress was
like. Still… I hesitated. To cooperate with him? To
go to the gala? It seemed like a recipe for disaster.

But I would do anything for my father,

just to see him again, just to get answers, no matter
what the world might think of him.

“Good. Because there will be important

people at the gala, and I expect you not to mess this
up. The life of your father hangs in the balance
after all.”

I knew it was, but did he have to be a jerk

and remind me of it like that? I crossed the room to
stand next to him, hands outstretched to take the
dress.

“Oh no, you’re not getting dressed

yourself,” he said, pulling it back, close to his chest.

Was this going to be another of his

games? Would he insist on dressing me and
undressing me himself, like I was some sort of doll?

“This dress was custom made, and I don’t

trust you not to ruin it. You’ll get dressed like a
proper lady, with help. Follow me.” He started out
the door and up the stairs, without even checking to
see if I was following him.

“Where are we going?” I demanded as I

rushed to catch up to him. I was surprised by the
fact that he wasn’t using more force.

“That’s not for you to worry about.”

We were out of the basement now, and

passing through beautiful hallways, lined with art,
occasionally lit by a window, but mostly by
extravagant sconces protruding from the walls.

Even as I was hurrying after Malcolm, I

couldn’t help but admire the splendor of the place.
It was like nothing I had ever seen. I had only read
about houses like this, with so many extra rooms
that they became a maze of opulence. I had never

expected to experience one in real life, much less in
these conditions.

And while I could tell from the clothes I

had been given, and the furniture in the room, that
Malcolm was rich, I hadn’t expected him to be this
rich. Certainly not rich enough to dismiss priceless
impressionist artworks to the position of decorating
his hallways.

We wove through the mansion until we

came to a room with two large white double doors,
which were already open.

Sunlight filtered in through a large

window to grace a hardwood floor, and there was a
woman waiting, smiling in an armchair.

She stood as we entered, and I was yet

again surprised how eagerly she greeted Malcolm.
She wrapped him up in a tight hug, kissing both of
his cheeks in turn.

She was the sort of woman you knew was

kind from the first glance. Her hair was gray, and
her skin was showing the wrinkles of age, but they
were around her mouth and her eyes as if she
smiled too much.

The aura she exuded was one of warmth

and acceptance, and I wondered how she knew a
man like Malcolm. Especially knowing him as well
as it appeared she did.

She turned to me, tilting her head as she

examined me.

“Is this the one? I have to say, she’s a

good deal prettier than you led me to believe.” She
nudged Malcolm with her elbow in a teasing
manner, and I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t
blowing up at her.

He simply smiled. “Work your magic.”

And then he left, shutting the doors behind him.

I noticed now that he had draped the

dress over the armchair, and I was eager to get a
look at it, but the woman was advancing on me
fast.

“My name is Kylie, dear,” she said,

pulling me into a tight embrace. “Malcolm already
told me yours.”

She stepped back then, still holding me by

the shoulders, taking a moment to examine me.

“You’re so lovely, I can see why he’s

fallen for you.” She gave me a wink, but I didn’t
know how to interpret it. Malcolm, falling for me?
She had to be out of her mind to think that.

“I—” I began, but she cut me off

immediately.

“Now, we don’t have much time. I didn’t

have your exact measurements, so I need to make
sure that there aren’t any major alterations I need

to make.”

She grabbed the dress off of the chair,

holding it up against my body. The fabric felt
luxurious against my skin, and I could only imagine
what it would feel like to have it on. I had never
worn anything so expensive before.

“Mind if I help you get out of your

clothes dear?” she asked. “Don’t worry, I’ve seen it
all.”

“I can do it myself,” I said, not wanting to

give up that bit of autonomy. It felt almost invasive,
but I didn’t know why.

As I began to strip, she started her

bombardment of questions.

“How did you and Malcolm meet, dear?

He’s never brought a woman to me before.” Did
she not know?

I couldn’t very well tell her the truth—

that he had kidnapped me. My dad’s life was
hanging in the balance, which wasn’t a very
comforting prospect. Kylie gave me the feeling that
she was someone who was good at sniffing out lies.

So I did my best to tell her something as

close to the truth as possible. “He was visiting my
work and we hit it off.” I was in just my panties and
bra now, and I couldn’t help but shiver. The room
had a faint draft, and it set off goosebumps all over

my skin.

She gestured for me to take my

undergarments off as well. “I’m afraid you can’t
wear those,” she explained. “The dress has a built-
in cup, and the sheer panels make it very difficult
to conceal any type of underwear. Now, where did
you say you worked?”

“At the Humane Society,” I replied,

reluctantly removing the last bits of clothing. I
didn’t really know how I felt about being naked
under the dress, it seemed like it might just be an
excuse for Malcolm to have his way with me.

But Kylie had designed and made the

dress, and I didn’t think she would knowingly make
anything for an unsavory purpose.

“Fantastic darling, I see you’re already

bare, now the dress will hopefully fit like a glove,”
she said, clapping her hands together. She unzipped
the dress, and set it down so that I could step into
it.

“Since he met you at the shelter, then you

must know that Malcolm loves animals. I’ve been
trying to convince him to adopt some dogs for
years, to keep him company, you know? He loves
them, but complains he just doesn’t have enough
time.”

“He said something like that to me too.” I

stepped into the dress, and let the older woman

guide it onto my body.

Despite her not having my exact

measurements, the dress fit like a glove. When she
moved my hair gently to the side and zipped the
zipper back up, I knew that there would be no need
for alterations.

It was perfect already.

“Come over here, you should see

yourself, you look absolutely stunning,” Kylie said,
guiding me over to where a large floor to ceiling
mirror sat in one corner of the room. She was
beaming, clearly proud of the work that she had
done.

I, myself, was stunned when I looked in

the mirror.

Kylie must have been a witch, or perhaps

a fairy godmother. I had never looked so exquisite
in my life.

The dress was made of a clinging, black

fabric, with panels of sheer black artfully placed
around the body. It hugged my form, coming to
mid-thigh, and my legs looked golden coming out
from beneath it.

I looked alluring, like a siren, or a

temptress of the golden age of Hollywood. I had no
doubt in my mind that Malcolm would be able to
resist me in this.

And, at least for the moment, I didn’t

think I wanted him too. There were so many
conflicting feelings within me. I just wanted some
truth. And maybe, if we got closer, I would come to
understand why the people around him were
convinced he was such a good person.

“He’s lucky to have you,” Kylie said

from behind me, gently sweeping my hair into an
updo with expert hands. “From what I can tell,
you’re a good and honest person. I still don’t know
how he managed to find you.”

“And what about me? Am I lucky to have

him?”

Kylie produced a set of gold earrings and

a delicate necklace. The jewelry elongated my neck
and completed the look perfectly. “Of course dear.
He’s a good man, make no mistake of that. And
those that are close to him, he would protect with
his life. He’ll treat you well, I can tell from the way
he looks at you.”

In my mind, I was daydreaming, of

another life where Malcolm was not a criminal, and
my dad was not out to kill him, and we had met
under different circumstances. In the daydream, I
was his beautiful, blushing bride, and things were
perfect.

Was that what the people around him

saw? What did they think of him? What was

Malcolm hiding from me that made them feel this
way about him?

I was hoping that tonight I might find out.

Chapter Thirteen

Malcolm

The gala had started and Aurora and her

father were still nowhere to be seen.

I had no idea what was taking Kylie so

long. It was true that I had brought Aurora to her
later than I should have, and I imagine this
probably threw off the rest of the schedule for the
night.

I just couldn’t wait to see Aurora in that

dress. I could only imagine what it would like on
her beautiful little body. Kylie was a goddess when
it came to accentuating curves and making women
look like angels.

And since Aurora was practically already

an angel….

My mind couldn’t fathom it.

When I heard the gasps, I knew where to

look.

There she was, at the top of the stairs like

a Cinderella. All eyes were on her, and she looked
positively frightened but was glowing from within
at the same time.

Kylie was nowhere to be seen, and I

could only assume that she had faded into the

background. I would locate her later, to thank her.
How could I not when the most beautiful creature I
had ever seen was standing right there, in front of
me?

I was crossing the room in seconds,

ascending the stairs to meet her. Her eyes widened
when she saw me, and I could only imagine what
was going through her mind.

Her expression kept shifting under my

gaze. Worried, excited, sad, joyous. I didn’t know
what was directed at me, and what was directed at
her current situation. It was something I could ask
her about later, for now, I just wanted her on my
arm.

I took her hand, bringing it up to my lips

to place a chaste kiss against her fingers. She
smelled so heavenly, like jasmine in full bloom.

“You look lovely,” I said, lowering my

hand. “Shall we? There’s a lot to see.”

To my surprise, she took my arm without

any sort of retort. It was so unlike her, to not at
least let out a biting comment, that I felt a little
worried.

Then, as we were descending the stairs,

she leaned over, as if to whisper some joke or
shared confidence in my ear.

“You’re a pervert for commissioning this

dress.”

I laughed, head thrown back, waves of

amusement rippling through me. “Is that so? Well,
you should bring your complaints to Kylie. I’m
afraid I only told her to make you look beautiful,
not to add these tempting panels.”

I brushed a hand over one on her back,

and she shivered involuntarily.

I had to admit, Kylie had worked her

magic with this one. It did feel a little like she was
trying to set me up though, with the way the dress
hugged Aurora and the panels that let me see all the
way up her outer thighs.

It was like she wanted me to fuck her.

We reached the bottom of the steps, and I

took her into the crowd, weaving through so we
were no longer the center of attention.

“There are so many people here,” she

remarked, her voice full of awe as she looked
around.

“Of course, what kind of party would it

be otherwise?”

“I mean, a normal one? What kind of

party serves oysters, and basically has an orchestra
playing? You might as well just be giving out gold.”
She gestured to her necklace with her free hand.

“You’ll be delighted at the party favors

then,” I said with a wink.

“You have party favors?”

“Of course not, this is a gala, not some

sort of child’s birthday party. I was just teasing.”

“Oh.” She seemed, oddly disappointed.

“If you really want a party favor that bad,

I might be able to work something out.”

She shook her head vigorously. “No,

that’s not what I was saying at all. I just… don't
really know how these things work.”

“What? Never been to a gala?” I teased.

“You can cut it with the rich boy

nonsense, not everyone is as privileged as you,” she
retorted, surprising me with the bite behind her
words.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” I said softly,

hoping that would be enough of an apology for her.
“You know I was only joking.”

“Well, you’re terrible at it.”

“And your insults are getting worse by

the day. Honestly Aurora, I don’t know what to do
with you.”

With her being right there next to me, it

was difficult to focus on my main objective. I knew
that I needed to be on a lookout for Kline, but I
couldn’t help but be distracted.

It was an ideal night for him to show up.

The mansion was open, I was out and about, there
was plenty of cover, and it shouldn’t look like a
setup. So where was he?

Aurora seemed to be picking up on the

nervous energy that I was emitting.

“Is something supposed to happen?” she

asked, her brows furrowing.

Damn, I was too restless. I needed to get

some of this energy out, or I would never be able to
focus.

“No, just listening for the perfect song,” I

lied. “Will you dance with me?”

There were a few couples on the dance

floor right now, making their turns around to the
music that was being played. Others swayed on the
outskirts, not brave enough yet to join them.

“I’d rather not,” she said, looking off into

the distance.

“Awww, come on, are you sure?” I let my

hand brush along her jaw, turning her to look at me.

She sighed. “I suppose I don’t have a

choice, do I?”

“You would be correct,” I smirked, taking

her in my arms and sweeping her to the dance floor.

I danced quite a bit in my youth and kept

up with lessons as I got older, so I knew what I was

doing. I could tell that Aurora had no idea what was
going on though, from the nervous look on her face
and the way she kept stumbling over my feet.

“Just relax,” I whispered in her ear. “Let

me lead, or else I’ll have no toes by morning.”

This earned me a chuckle, and she

released some of the tension she was holding in her
body, allowing me to guide her through the
movements with subtle pressure.

I could feel the warmth of her skin

through the mesh on the back of her dress, and her
hand rested on my upper arm. Whenever she got
scared again, she would squeeze ever so slightly.

It was cute, to put it simply. It made me

want to protect her more than anything.

I pulled her slightly closer to me,

suddenly consumed by the urge to kiss her.

I wanted her again, I couldn’t lie to

myself. Denying my feelings for her were just
getting in the way of the things that I had to do.

I couldn’t concentrate when she was

around me, and all I could think about when she
wasn’t, was her.

I swept her around the room to the

rhythm of the song, waiting for an opportunity to
pull both of through an open door and close it
behind us.

“What are you—” she started, but I cut

her off, smashing my lips against hers.

Chapter Fourteen

Aurora

I had been expecting it, but it was still so

sudden.

The way Malcolm had looked at me from

the moment I entered the grand room where he was
holding the gala told me that it was only a matter of
time before he got me alone and worked his magic
again.

His lips were so sweet against my mine,

and my body responded instantly, heat flushing me
as I remembered the night that we had shared.

In the back of my mind, there was a voice

nagging me, telling me something was wrong.

The gala had seemed… off somehow.

Malcolm had been looking around as if

waiting for something to happen, and there were
quite a few guests that looked tense as if they too
were expecting something.

I couldn’t think much about it with

Malcolm’s body crushing mine, pushing me firmly
against the door, but the feeling was still there.

His hand crept up the inside of my leg,

and he broke away from the kiss to whisper in my
ear. “You don’t know how much I’ve been wanting

to do this. You’re so fucking hot, it’s unfair.”

“You can blame that on yourself,” I

teased back.

“I don’t regret it. I would have Kylie

make another dress for you in a heartbeat. She
certainly knows how to make you look even more
irresistible.” One hand squeezed my butt, pulling
me closer to him.

I could feel his cock, erect in his pants,

and ready for me, but I wanted to savor things this
time.

I wanted to be close to him, I wanted to

make him feel good, and I didn’t want him to run
away this time.

“Promise me something,” I said, grinding

against his cock.

He groaned, head tilted back. “Oh, babe,

that’s cheating. I would promise you anything when
you’re like this.”

“It’s not cheating, just using my

advantages,” I teased, kissing him again. I broke
away before it could go very far, sidestepping him
and retreating further into the room.

“Fine, what is it you want? Just come

back here,” he said, taking a few steps after me.
“Look at what you’ve done to me.” He pointed to
the bulge in his pants, and I merely giggled.

“I just don’t want you to run away this

time.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, sounding

genuinely confused.

“Last time, I went to sleep, and when I

woke up and you were gone. Then, I didn’t see you
for days. It was like you were avoiding me.”

He groaned, taking a seat in one of the

plush armchairs that occupied the room. “Because I
was avoiding you. You do things to me Aurora,
things that you should be too innocent to know
about. You make my body feel all kinds of ways,
and I don’t know what to do with myself around
you. You make me feel crazy.”

I plopped down on the couch across from

him, crossing my legs in a way that made the dress
ride up ever so slightly.

“Then don’t do it again, that’s all I’m

asking.” I wanted answers, and developing this
connection with him seemed like the best way to
get them. At least, that’s what I was telling myself.

He looked up at me with a lust-filled

gaze. “I’m a dangerous man Aurora, it’s probably
better that I stay away from you.”

“That’s fine then.” I stood, smoothing my

dress, and started a path towards the door. “We can
just go back to the party.”

I wasn’t expecting Malcolm to cross the

room as quickly as he did, nor did I expect him to
slam me against the wall, caging me between his
strong arms.

His erection was pressed firmly against

my butt, and his breath was hot on my ear. I
squirmed, but he didn’t give me any space to
maneuver.

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” he said,

voice low and filled with lust.

I didn’t want to admit it, but these things

turned me on. I liked when my partner held power
over me like this, and the way he was speaking
filled my core with warmth.

“Then what do you plan to do?” I asked.

“You know exactly what I intend.” He

pressed himself closer to me, the hardness of his
erection making me gasp. “I’m going to fuck you
until you can’t walk anymore.”

At this point, I didn’t care that he hadn’t

bothered to promise me what I asked. I was too wet
and needy for him, and I wanted him inside of me
now.

“Then do it,” I said. “Do it, Malcolm.”

“What do you want me to do baby?” His

hands traveled up to my waist, then higher to cup
my breasts. He squeezed and I let out a short gasp.

“You bastard, you know exactly what I

want you to do.”

“Then you shouldn’t have any problem

spelling it out for me.” His lips were close to my ear
as he said this, and he kissed me gently right behind
it.

“I want you to fuck me,” I said. “I want

you inside of me, and I want your cum filling me
up.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, Malcolm.”

“Say it again.” He was still pressing me

against the wall, and his lips were working their
way down my neck. Every so often he would nip
and bite at the skin in a way that made me squirm. I
couldn’t think, I couldn’t speak. It was too much.

“Malcolm, I want you.”

“Then you shall have as you wish.”

He yanked me away from the wall, and

then spun me around to face him. His lips crashed
against mine, demanding my attention. I gave back
eagerly. I wanted this so badly, more than anything
I had ever wanted before.

That taste I got last time hadn’t satisfied

me in the least. It only made me want him more,
however much I might want to deny it.

His hands roamed over my body, touching

me in such a light way that it sent shivers all
through me.

I wanted this dress off, and I wanted it off

now. I wanted him to see how beautiful I was, to
savor me yet again, to realize how lucky he was
that I was sharing myself with him.

“Strip me,” I said breaking away from

him, looking into his lust-filled eyes. “I want you to
see all of me.”

He licked his lips, his eyes traveling over

me again.

“You do look divine in that dress. But

you’re even lovelier in just your skin.”

His fingertips brushed against my thighs,

and then continued up, grabbing the hem of my
dress and slowly inching it up.

He kissed me as he did so, taking things

agonizingly slow. Every touch of his fingers to
newly uncovered skin made me squirm with desire,
and I didn’t know how much longer I would be able
to hold back.

I wanted him to just rip the dress off me,

and then I wanted to undress him.

But Malcolm had his own pace, and I

liked it when he was in control. Despite how much
I might hate him, I trusted him in the bedroom.

He knew how to make me feel good, and

I knew that he wouldn’t hurt me unless I wanted
him to.

The only danger was that I would end up

falling for him.

I raised my arms as he lifted the dress the

rest of the way over my head. Then, before I could
kiss him again, he stepped back.

The look he was giving me made me feel

far from self-conscious. I felt beautiful and
powerful in front of him, and I didn’t move to
cover anything up like I normally might.

I had never had much confidence in the

bedroom, but Malcolm made me feel like I was the
sexiest woman in the world.

“You’re so stunning,” he said, looking me

over. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with
you.”

“Well, what do you want to do with me?”

I swayed my hips slightly, watching as his eyes
gravitated to them.

“So many things baby. So many things.”

His gaze traveled down, and his face lit up when he
saw my bare pussy.

“Oh, did you shave for me?”

“Maybe. Maybe I shaved just because I

like to.”

He crossed the rooms in several long

strides. “Your pussy looks so fucking beautiful. You
should always shave it.” He ran his finger along the
opening of my lips. It felt even better now that they
were bare. “I like it this way.”

“Is that so?” I could feel myself becoming

wetter with every passing moment.

“Yes.” His lips touched mine again, softer

than they had been before. For a moment, I didn’t
expect anything, but then he used his fingers to
separate my labia and thrust his index finger up
inside of me.

I gasped, and his tongue entered my

mouth, tangling with mine in a way that all the
pleasure I was feeling swirled into one large mass.

His thumb teased my clit, and I continued

to gasp and moan into his mouth.

Slowly, he thrust his first finger in and out

of me. Then, as I became accustomed to him, he
added a second.

Pleasure was building within me,

consuming my insides with desire.

“I want you,” I said, my voice light and

breathy.

“Is that so?” He thrust harder into me,

and I squirmed.

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll let you have what you want

because you’ve been such a good girl.”

He stepped away from me, and I whined

at the sudden lack of contact.

“Go lay on the couch, and wait for me,”

he said, the command in his voice making me even
wetter than I already was.

I did as he asked, not wanting to prolong

this any longer by disobeying him. I wanted him,
and I wanted him now.

As I laid on the couch, I looked over to

see that he was stripping. Unlike with how careful
he had been with my dress, he was quickly and
aggressively divesting himself of his suit, until he
stood bare.

He didn’t give me even a moment to

appreciate him, take all of it in, as I had done for
him, but instead was across the room quickly.

This time he didn’t hesitate. There was no

conflict in his eyes, only determination.

“I’m going to make you mine,” he

growled, then swung one leg over me so that he
was in position. Roughly, he pushed my knees up
and my legs apart, making room for his entrance.

He didn’t give me any warning before he

thrust into me. It felt so good against the aching
walls of my vagina that I couldn’t help but cry out.

His hand slapped over my mouth, cutting

off any further.

“We’re at a gala, remember? You’re a

naughty girl for being so loud.”

With his other hand, he started to

massage my clit, thrusting into me with a quick and
efficient rhythm. He was hitting all the right notes,
making me moan and cry out into his hand.

I wanted to scream his name, to let him

know how much I was enjoying what he was giving
me, but his hand muffled everything.

Honestly, I liked it better that way. It gave

him an aura of power. It wasn’t long before my first
orgasm rushed over me, and I could feel myself
cumming. It was the most intense and wonderful
thing I had ever felt, even better than the time
before.

I thrust my hips forward and tilted my

head back as the pleasure washed through me, and
then released.

Malcolm followed soon after, slowly

pulling away to give my body time to adjust.

I was aching, and I knew that with how

hard he had fucked me, I could be feeling if for a
bit.

“Be ready baby, because we’re far from

done,” Malcolm said from above me. His smile sent
through shivers through my body, and I knew I

would enjoy whatever was in store.

But just then, his phone beeped loudly

from across the room, disrupting the moment.

“Sorry baby, I have to check this,” he

said, standing up and walking over to grab his
phone from his pants.

His expression darkened as he read

whatever was on the screen, and I knew
immediately that something had to be wrong.

“Shit, shit,” he said, rushing to pull on

clothing. “I’m sorry, Aurora, but I’ll be right back.”

And just like that, he was gone, just like I

had feared.

Chapter Fifteen

Malcolm

It killed me, but I rushed from the room.

To leave Aurora, after she had just come,

and I was about to show her more of a good time, it
was a lot. I wanted to be holding her in my arms,
not rushing through the party chasing after the man
who might end up being my killer.

I scanned the room, looking for Misha,

and immediately started towards him when our
eyes met.

I pushed people aside, careful not to let

on that anything was happening. I didn’t want to
send the room into a panic, it would blow our
cover.

“Where is he?” I asked when I reached

Misha.

“Gone,” he replied, shaking his head. “He

was here for a few minutes, our men saw him on
the cameras, but as soon as he realized his daughter
was here, he left.”

“Shit, shit, shit.” I couldn’t help the

vulgar language. I spent all that time setting up this
party just to catch him, and it had been a complete
waste of time, apparently.

Noah and Gilles were jogging to us; Leroi

was nowhere to be seen.

“He was here?” Noah asked, directing his

question to Misha.

Misha nodded. “Gone now.”

“We almost had him,” Gilles said. “Sorry

I didn’t catch the footage earlier. Then we might
have been able to actually grab him.”

“It’s fine, Gilles,” I said, though it wasn’t.

I couldn’t stand more waiting. I turned back to
Misha. “Can we send men after him?”

“Already did.”

“Why did he leave so suddenly?” Noah

asked.

“Probably because I brought Aurora with

me, and she was front and center. Shit, I was so
foolish.” I massaged my temples, trying to think of
a solution. I wished I could turn back time, and
erase the mistake that I had made. If I hadn’t
brought Aurora to the gala, then maybe we would
have caught Samuel Kline. And then I wouldn’t
have been tempted by her either.

It was a dangerous game that I was

playing. I couldn’t afford to catch feelings for her,
it would only end in disaster.

The worst thing was… I probably already

had.

I wanted to keep her close to me and

never let her go.

I wanted to see her in that dress again,

and many others. I wanted to strip them off her
each time, and enjoy her beautiful body, hear her
melodious moans.

I had to admit, I admired Kline more and

more. He clearly cared about his daughter’s safety
if he had left as soon as he realized she was here. If
Gilles missed him when he had first entered, then
he probably would have had a real opportunity to
kill me.

And I was putting her in danger just by

having her close to me.

“I need to go talk to Aurora, let me know

if there are any developments,” I said, nodding to
Misha.

“Are you going to be alright?” Noah

asked, catching me by the arm before I could leave
completely.

I flashed him my signature smile. “Of

course. Who do you think I am?”

Then I was weaving through the crowd

again, making my way back to the room where
Aurora was waiting for me.

When I entered, I saw that she had

already dressed again, and was sitting on the sofa,

arms crossed over her chest, hair still mussed.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her tone

serious.

“Just a false alarm.” I sat down next to

her, reaching out to smooth some hair away from
her face, but she leaned away.

“No, what’s really going on?”

I sighed. Clearly, brushing everything off

wasn’t going to work on her.

“That’s not something I want to tell you.

Can’t you respect that?”

“I think I have a right to know, especially

when it involves my father.”

Shit, shit. She had guessed what

everything was about. I hadn’t wanted her to know
at all. Her face was lit up with recognition. I had
given it all away with my reaction.

“I knew it. Why didn’t you tell me? I

could have talked to him.”

“Because, sweetheart, your father is a

dangerous man.”

“Don’t sweetheart me! And he’s my

father!”

“He may be your father, but he’s also

trying to murder me.”

“I’m sure if you just talked to him—” I

cut her off with a finger pressed to her lips.

“Darling, you haven’t grown up in this

world, so don’t try to pretend like you know how it
works at all. I would talk, I’ve tried to talk to him,
but your father is under another man’s thumb. And,
if I’m being honest, you shouldn’t be involved at
all.”

She smacked away my hand, glaring at

me with fire in her eyes. It made me want to push
her down and kiss her, just to show her that I could,
just so she knew that I really was passionate about
her.

“Well, you involved me. So I guess it’s

your responsibility to educate me. I can help, I
know I can, you just have to give me a chance.
Everyone says you’re a good guy, so you must be. I
just want to know why.”

I shook my head, wishing yet again that

things were simpler. “I don’t want you to get hurt.
This world is dangerous, and you’re already
involved enough.” I stood, brushing her away as I
stalked towards the door, then turned to look at her
over my shoulder. “It would probably be best if you
stayed away from me from now on.”

I could hear her frustrated screams as I

rejoined the gala, but I didn’t look back.

Part of me knew that it was cowardly to

leave things like that, to not face this issue head-on.

The rest of me knew that it was also the only way.
If I wanted to protect her, if I wanted for all of us to
come out of this alive, I couldn’t get attached. She
would only be used against me in the end, and I
couldn’t handle any more grief.

“Everything going okay?” Noah asked

me, coming up at my side.

“As fine as they’re going to go,” I replied.

He laughed. “Well, that’s cryptic. What

did you do, break her heart?”

“Something like that.”

He shook his head. “What are we going

to do with you, Malcolm? I really thought this one
might last.”

I let him guide me over to the bar and

hand me a martini.

“What makes you say that?”

“Don’t you know? I’ve never seen you go

back for seconds before. And the way you looked
at her when she came down the stairs in that dress?
Priceless.”

“She’s Samuel Kline’s daughter, Noah.”

He shrugged, taking a sip of his drink.

“So? If you’re interested, I know you can work
something out.”

“I’ll only be putting her in danger.”

“Malcolm, life is full of danger, no matter

who you are. Sometimes happiness is worth that. If
anything, she deserves the truth, and a chance to
choose for herself. You can’t decide everything,
and you also can’t protect everyone. You’re going
to have to accept that at some point.”

“You know, Noah, I’d look a lot smarter

if you didn’t just spout prophetic wisdom at every
turn.”

His hand came down on my back, and he

pulled me close. “Of course. It’s my job as your
friend. I want to see you happy.”

“What would I do without you?”

“I don’t know, die maybe?”

I couldn’t help it. I threw back my head

and let out a chest-deep laugh. “Unlikely. I’ve
always been a survivor, even before I met you.”

He punched gently in the arm, giving me

a teasing grin. “Yeah, but now you’ve gotten used
to having me at your back. Admit it, you wouldn’t
know how to live without me.”

We sat there at the bar for a few hours as

the gala died down, drinking and laughing as we
joked around. I didn’t even think that maybe I
should send someone to check on Aurora, not until
Leroi came to us, his face red and panic in his eyes.

“She’s gone.”

Chapter Sixteen

Aurora

I seized my opportunity when Malcolm

left the room, not wanting to waste any more time.

I had started feeling things for him, things

that made me ashamed now. I knew he was still
hiding something from me, but it wasn’t worth it. If
he wasn’t willing to share the truth with me or let
me in, then I wasn’t going to chase him on the off-
chance that he eventually would.

It just didn’t make sense.

I smoothed my hair down and made sure I

looked presentable in one of the mirrors on the
room’s wall. I didn’t want to attract attention when
I reentered the gala. That was the last thing I
needed at the moment.

Since Malcolm hadn’t sent anyone to

check on me or had me dragged back to my
basement prison, I assumed that meant I was free to
roam around. I didn’t know if he was trusting me,
or just forgetting about me, but either way, I wasn’t
about to squander my one opportunity to escape.

With so many guests around and so much

else to attend to, there had to be a break in the
security. They couldn’t keep track of every single

person, and it was obvious that Malcolm hadn’t
told many people about me. Even the guards at my
door seemed genuinely confused sometimes. I had
caught a few of them peeking in to catch a glimpse
when the maid brought me food or new clothes.

Whatever the reason was, I was thankful

for it now as I wove through the guests, never
lingering in one place for too long, but not rushing
either. If I looked like I was trying to make a run
for it, then I would be caught for sure.

Slowly but surely I made my through the

crowd, inching towards the back of the large room.

Their security would likely be

concentrated around where Malcolm was and the
main entrances, aka the ballroom and the front
door. There might be a few stragglers around the
back, but I was confident of my ability to slip
through.

Even if this dress made me stand out, I

was used to and adept at blending into the
background of things. It was one of the reasons
why I made so few friends, but it was helpful now.

I found the back exit to the party rather

easily. A few people were milling around, but they
had drinks in their hands and paid me no mind as I
went past them.

Then there were the hallways. So. Many.

Hallways.

I couldn’t understand why Malcolm

needed a house this big, especially if it was just him
and his four friends (and the staff, though I didn’t
know if they lived here). Was it for show? For
events like these? Or did he sleep in a different
bedroom each night?

The idea amused, and I had to keep

myself from laughing out loud.

Okay focus, I had to stay focused.

It took longer than I wanted to since I

kept getting myself lost, but eventually, my sense of
direction led me to one of the back entrances of the
mansion.

I was convinced there had to be more

than one back door to this place, especially with its
size. And, thankfully, I found one that was
unlocked.

The door was a little stuck, probably from

lack of use, and I had to jiggle it a bit to get it open,
but it did, and then I was outside.

I hadn’t been outside since I had been

brought to this place, and I had to take a minute
just to breathe in the fresh air.

The ventilation system in Malcolm’s

mansion might have been expensive, but it was still
nothing compared to the sweet, chilled air of the
wide open.

I took a deep breath, and then looked

around, trying to figure out where I was and where
I should go from here. I didn’t have much time. I
knew that the party was winding down, and it
would only be a matter of time before they noticed
I was missing and started looking for me.

I shivered to imagine what might happen

if they caught me. Malcolm could be nice enough,
but I also hadn’t tried anything with him yet.

And he had been clear that our sexual

relationship ended tonight. Without that net of
safety connecting us, I didn’t know how much he
would care about me beyond my value as a
bargaining chip.

I wasn’t about to find out.

Looking up to the clear night sky for

comfort and kicking off the ridiculous heels I had
been outfitted with, I began to run across
Malcolm’s grounds. My feet pounded beneath me
and my lungs burned in protest as I pushed my
body harder than I used to.

My heart was beating loudly in my ears.

This was the moment of truth as I

approached the fence that encircled the entire
property. If I was able to make it to the road, I
would be as good as safe.

Or at least, that’s what I thought.

When I reached the fence, I could see

through the gaps of the wrought iron bars that the
area Malcolm was located in was not populated at
all.

Worse, the road was quiet. No cars were

driving through, and even the street lamps were few
and far between.

Clearly, they didn’t expect many people

to be coming through this area of the neighborhood,
which meant my escape was far from over.

“Shit,” I whispered to myself as I looked

at the fence up and down.

I had always been a good kid, and never

very athletic, so I hadn’t ever scaled a fence
before.

More than that, this did not look like an

easy fence to scale at all.

It was one of those rich people fences,

made of wrought iron bars placed just close enough
to prevent anyone from squeezing through, with
very sharp looking spikes at the top. Two bars
intersected them horizontally, one closer to the
ground, and one closer to the top.

The only way I could see to climb the

ridiculously tall fence would be to get up on the
lower bar, then use the upper bar to pull myself up
and over, and then jump down.

I ran the real risk of tearing my dress or

worse, injuring myself, but it was better than what I
potentially faced my staying.

Malcolm had been clear. Being close to

him could mean my death.

I took a deep breath, steadied my hands,

and then grabbed onto the fence. The first part was
easy. The lower bar was at the right height for me
to step onto and pull my body up.

But the gap between the bottom and the

top bar was awkward. I had to reach my hands up
high, steadying myself at the same time. My bare
feet were burning with the cold of the iron as I
gripped the bar, and I almost let go.

Los Angeles was famous for being a place

with great weather and practically eternal summers,
but that didn’t mean it didn’t get cold sometimes.

Tonight was, unfortunately, one of those

nights where the weather decided it was time to
freeze everyone.

And since metal, specifically iron,

absorbed temperature quite well, I was shivering all
over and almost regretting the choice I had made.

But I gritted my teeth and made myself

keep going.

I used my bare feet, pushing myself up at

the same time that I pulled by pushing with them

against the vertical bars.

It was a struggle, and I didn’t know if I

was going to make it, but finally, I was at the top,
and carefully maneuvering myself around the sharp
points.

There was no easy way to do what I was

about to do. I had never been particularly good
with heights or following through, so part of me just
wanted to try to inch myself down. But with the
fence structure, there was no way to do that.

I was going to have to jump.

Back against the fence, and facing

towards the street, I took a deep breath and jumped
forward.

I gasped as a sharp, searing pain went

through me, and my feet hit the ground.

Instinctively, my hand went to the back of

my thigh, where the fence had torn my dress and
made a long gash in my skin. I couldn’t see it well
in the dark, so I had no idea how deep it was.

I could only hope that the adrenaline

would keep me going, and push the pain away long
enough for me to find some help.

To my right was the entrance to the

mansion, and people were drifting out already.

Shit, I had lost too much time, I needed to

go.

It was too risky to try to approach one of

the guests for help. They might be someone who
was working for Malcolm in disguise, and to go
back in the direction of the mansion was just a bad
idea in general.

So I started off in the other direction,

jogging and keeping to the shadows, wincing each
time the foot of my injured leg hit the pavement.

It wasn’t too long before I saw what I

needed. I wasn’t sure how long it too, because time
blurred together. With the pain and the worry,
everything was stretched out into agonizing
seconds.

I soon realized just how dire my situation

was. I had no money, no phone, no idea of where I
was, and nowhere to go. I couldn’t go back to my
dad, because I didn’t want to put him in any more
danger, and anyone I went to I might also endanger.

The police might be able to help, but how

long before they uncovered enough of the story to
put my dad behind bars?

They had to be the last resort.

My only hope was that someone kind

enough would come along who could drive me
somewhere where I could lay low for a bit and
figure out what I was going to do.

My prayers were answered when a car

rounded the corner, driving slowly, and not coming
from the direction of Malcolm’s mansion.

I waved them down, and they pulled up

to the sidewalk, the luxury sport’s car humming.

The window rolled down, and a man’s

head popped out. He looked me up and down,
clearly confused as to what a barefoot girl in an
expensive, torn dress was doing in the middle of a
rich neighborhood in the middle of the night.

“What’s going on?” he asked, his brows

furrowing.

“I need help,” I said, trying my best not

to sound too desperate. I didn’t want to scare him
off, but I was already on the verge of tears.

“What kind of help? Do you need me to

call the police?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I need to get

away, there are people after me.”

“Okay okay, I get it. Get in,” he said. I

didn’t know if it was my words that convinced him,
or how my voice trembled and my eyes filled with
tears.

He opened the door, but I hesitated. I

knew nothing about this man, and I was in a very
vulnerable position. And besides that, I didn’t know
how happy he would be about me getting blood all
over his expensive car interior.

“What is it? Are you getting in?” he

demanded, sounding more impatient now.

“I— I’m bleeding,” I said, rotating a bit

to show him my cut.

He winced. “That looks bad. We should

get going, get in. I can always get the car cleaned
up.”

I didn’t waste another second and did as

he told me. I was in no position to question him or
worry about who I was getting in the car with.

Whoever this man was, he had to be

better than Malcolm. And it seemed like he was
going to get me some help.

I got in, and he reached over me to pull

the car door shut. My blood was pumping hard, and
I could practically hear it rushing past my ears as he
sped off, changing direction (much to my relief).

“I know a hotel where you should be safe

for the moment,” he said by way of explanation.
“I’ll bring you a private physician, and then we’ll
see what we can do in terms of getting you help.”

His words were reassuring. Despite my

injuries and the fact that the situation was still
uncertain, I felt safer than I had in a while.

It didn’t take us long to get to the hotel.

He drove fast, and it was nearby. The area was a
little busier than where Malcolm’s mansion had

been, but it still seemed quiet.

More than that, the hotel was luxurious. I

didn’t know how I was going to be able to afford to
pay this man back.

As we stopped in front of the entrance,

attendants immediately started coming towards us,
my hand drifted up to the gold jewelry that
Malcolm had given me. It had to be worth
something, and I didn’t want it much anyways.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have anything else, but

—” I began, but the man cut me off with a quick
shake of his head.

“Don’t worry about that right now.

You’re clearly in shock.”

An attendant came around to open my

door and immediately gasped upon seeing my state.

“Ma’am, are you alright, do you need

help?” he asked, shooting a dirty look towards the
man who had driven me here.

“I think something happened to her, she

was on the side of the road,” the man explained to
the attendant. “We need a room and a doctor.”

“Of course sir, of course. Please, come

with me,” the attendant said, and we both got out
of the car. The man offered me his arm and I took
it, even though it made me uncomfortable.

Now that we were in the light and I

wasn’t so desperate, I could see that his glances at
me weren’t so much caring as they were leering.
There was something about him that made me
anxious, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

It was just a feeling, but my feelings

rarely steered me wrong.

The attendant led us quickly through the

lobby and to a set of elevators, ushering us to keep
the stares away from patrons who were about at
this odd and late hour.

We only went up to the third floor, and

then down one hallway where the attendant took a
master key from his pocket and opened the door.

The room was spacious and certainly

nicer than anything I’d ever stayed in before.

The decorations were a bit garish and

over the top— a clear display of wealth— but I
couldn’t really care much about that at the
moment.

“I’ll go get a physician,” the attendant

said. “Please feel free to use the bathroom to clean
up. I don’t mind if a few towels get ruined.” He was
looking at the large gash on the back of my leg as
he said this, and then he turned.

“Will you be okay here?” the man asked.

“I need to go make a few calls.”

“I’ll be fine,” I replied, wanting to get rid

of him more than anything.

“I’ll come back as quick as I can.” He

left, closing the door behind him, and following the
attendant away.

Truthfully, I didn’t want him to come

back. He set me on edge, and I had no idea what
his plan was to help me, or what he might expect
from me in return.

I thought about this as I entered the

bathroom and pressed one of the luxuriously soft
white towels to my wound.

What had I gotten myself into? And

would it really end up being any better off than I
was as Malcolm’s prisoner?

Chapter Seventeen

Malcolm

“What?” I growled, not able to contain

my anger at the situation.

“She’s gone,” Leroi said, stumbling over

the words. “When I realized she wasn’t with you, I
went looking for her. I couldn’t find her, so I asked
Gilles to look back through the camera footage. She
escaped.”

“Fucking hell.” I kicked the bar with my

foot, not even caring about the pain or the
concerned look that Noah was giving me.

“How could you be so stupid, Leroi? Go

get Misha, now.”

He nodded, hurrying off to find the

Russian man.

“Malcolm….” Noah started, but I knew

what he was going to say and I didn’t want to listen
to it.

“Zip it Noah. Don’t act like you’re so

blameless.”

“Malcolm, this is no one’s fault,” he said

firmly, trying to catch my gaze.

I stared him down, hard. “Yes, it is, Noah.

It wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t someone’s

fault. You’re careless, and you know it.”

“We’ll find her.”

“Or maybe we won’t. And if Gilles

managed to catch Kline, then I wouldn’t have had
to use guards to search for him, and then maybe
someone would have caught her, and we wouldn’t
be in this situation. So yes, it is someone’s damn
fault.”

At that point, Leroi returned with Misha

in tow.

“Leroi told me what happened,” he said.

“I’ll send more guards after her. They’ll catch her,
she can’t get far.”

“But why haven’t they caught her yet?” I

snapped. “Your security system is supposed to be
top-notch, not let one measly little girl slip through
unnoticed.”

“It’s a party, Malcolm, there are bound to

be cracks,” Noah said. I knew he was trying to
calm me down, but I was in too much of a rage to
calm down. I wanted answers, and I needed
somebody to take the blame. I couldn’t admit that it
really had been my fault.

Misha motioned for one of the guards to

come over and relayed instructions. Then he turned
back to me.

“We’ll find her.”

“That’s easy for you to say, it’s not your

life at stake here.”

“We’re still going to protect you,” Noah

said.

I turned on him. “Oh yeah? How much

actual protection have you given me, Noah? Do
you really think you stand a chance against Kline?
Why do you think I kidnapped his daughter in the
first place?”

“Because you were looking for peace,”

Noah snapped back. “We could have easily killed
him, Malcolm. We still can. It would have been
done, over with, nothing to worry about. But you’re
still concerned about sticking to your moral code,
and apparently the moment a beautiful woman gets
involved you’re willing to sacrifice your own safety
and my sanity.” Those last words were said in a
rush as if they had been building up in him for a
very long time. He looked shocked that he had said
it, and I could see the immediate regret on his face.

He reached for me, but I had already

started moving, and I wasn’t planning on staying.

I had to go. I had to do something. I

couldn’t just stand around waiting for someone else
to find her, for someone else to talk to Kline, for
someone else to do all the things that I should have
been doing from the beginning.

Just then, one of our men in disguise

rushed up to us, stopping me in my tracks.

He was out of breath, and his eyes were

wide. With shock, surprise, or fear, I couldn’t tell.

“Someone saw her,” he said, his words

coming out faint as he tried to get his wind back.
“She was entering a hotel with another man. We
think we know him, and he’s bad news. She’s
injured too.”

Rage coursed through me. She had gotten

hurt because of my carelessness. I couldn’t let
anything else bad happen to her.

I grabbed the man by the collar. “Where

is she?”

“At the closest luxury hotel, sir,” he said.

“Do you want me to—”

I released him, turning back to Misha,

Leroi, and Noah, cutting off the rest of whatever he
was about to say.

“We go. Now.”

Chapter Eighteen

Aurora

The more time that passed, the more

frightened I became.

I had no idea what was going to happen

to me, and as the adrenaline was wearing off, the
pain was coming in full force.

I didn’t dare to remove the towel from

my leg, even to take a peek. I knew that I had to
wash it, but I just kept applying pressure. I had
been training to be a veterinary nurse, not to treat
my own wounds.

I thought about going down to the lobby

to ask them for a different kind of help. Maybe I
should be going to the police. They at least could
keep me safe, whereas here I had no guarantee.

But I didn’t want to move, even though

the bathroom floor was not the most comfortable
thing.

All I wanted was to curl up into a ball and

sleep for a very long time.

I recognized from my very brief human

medical training that this was most likely a
symptom of my shock, and it was important that I
didn’t give into it. I didn’t want to lose any more

blood, and I needed to be awake when the
physician arrived to give them more information
about my condition.

Finally, I decided that it would be a good

idea to move to the bed, or at least out of the
bathroom. That way if I ended up passing out, I was
in view and easily accessible.

Still using a towel to apply pressure to my

leg, I made my way into the main room sitting on
the floor in front of the bed. I just couldn’t find the
energy to get myself up and onto it.

There was a knock, and then the door

creaked open.

The face of the man appeared, and he

entered.

Immediately my heart started beating

faster, and I knew it was from fear. I didn’t trust
him.

“There’s help coming,” he said, closing

the door behind him and clicking the deadbolt into
place. “I called some people, and they’re going to
help you.”

He approached me as if I was a wild

animal, and might bolt at any moment.

I supposed to him I must seem wild. A

strange girl with no shoes and no story on the side
of the road. I must also have seemed vulnerable

then. Easy to manipulate. Easy to take advantage
of. Scared and lost and ready to accept the first
help that came my way.

He knelt in front of me reaching for my

leg as if he was going to inspect my wound. I
shrank from him, but he didn’t get the hint. His
hand touched my thigh, massaging up and down,
and I resisted the urge to gag.

I felt the sudden need to run, to get far

away from that place and that man.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice

trembling.

His eyes weren’t looking at my face, but

rather at the parts of my body that the dress
accentuated

“I’m going to help you,” he said. “I’m

helping you, don’t you see?”

He applied pressure to the towel with his

free hand, and I hissed. It was too much, it was
digging into the wound instead of stopping the
bleeding.

“Get away from me,” I said, on the verge

of tears again.

“Why do I need to do that? I’m helping

you. You’re delirious, don’t you see? The doctor is
coming soon.”

He still wasn’t looking at my face, and his

hand was still massaging my thigh. I could see a
bulge in his pants where an erection had formed,
and I felt sick to my stomach.

I knew I had to run, I had to get out of

there, This was not a situation I wanted to be in,
especially since I had no power here.

“Get away from me!” I screamed,

pushing him back and bolting for the door. The
towel fell away from my wound and blood began to
trickle down my leg again, but I didn’t care. I just
wanted to get out of there.

He was shocked for a few seconds, but he

quickly got up. His feet pounded against the floor
as he started after me. I was fumbling with the
deadbolt, tears streaming down my face.

I knew that I should be calling for help,

but the words were trapped in my throat. All I
could think was that I had to get this door open, not
even knowing what I would do after I had
accomplished that.

My fingers kept slipping, but I grasped

the lock and turned it. At the same time, the door
swung inward, pushing me back a few steps.

The face that appeared was not one I

would have wanted to see thirty minutes ago, but
now it was a welcome relief.

“Malcolm.” My voice was still trembling,

and he looked over my shoulder at the man who
was behind me in anger.

“What did you do to her?” He pulled me

to his chest, his arms locked around my back
securely. He was still wearing his suit from the
party, and I could hear his heart beating. It was a
calming sound, drowning out everything else in the
room.

“I did nothing, I was just trying to help,”

the man said. The panic in his voice was evidence
enough that he knew his intentions had been
anything but innocent.

“Well she’s no longer your problem,”

Malcolm said. “I’ll take care of things from here.”
He turned to leave, still pressing me tight to his
body as if he was afraid I would bolt again.

“Hey wait, man, I did nothing wrong.

And her leg is bleeding, she needs a doctor.”

“I’ll see to it that she gets one,” Malcolm

said, paying no heed to the man’s other protests as
he escorted me down the hallway and to the
elevator.

Now that I knew I was at least a bit safer,

I could take a moment to absorb my surroundings.
Malcolm had brought his four friends with him, and
they surrounded us in a protective semicircle.

Malcolm nodded at the tall Russian man.

“Misha, have some of your men keep tabs on him.
Let him know he’s being watched.”

“Yes boss,” Misha replied with a firm

nod.

Then Malcolm turned his attention back

to me, specifically looking at my leg. He winced as
his eyes landed on the gash.

“Aurora, what happened to you?” he

asked, his voice soft and full of concern. This was
not the anger that I had suspected from him at my
escape attempt.

“I climbed the fence,” I said, grimacing as

another jolt of pain went through me. It felt as if my
leg was on fire now, and the rest of it might split
open at any moment.

“Of course you did,” Malcolm said,

shaking his head. “It’s a wonder you managed to
get this far at all. Here.”

With one, smooth sweeping motion, he

picked me up, one arm in the crook of my knees,
the other supporting me by the shoulders. He was
still cradling me tight to his chest, and, strangely, I
felt safer than I ever had before.

“I’m not going to let anything else happen

to you,” Malcolm said as the elevator doors
opened, so quiet that I might have just imagined it.
“I promise.”

Malcolm was mostly silent the rest of the

way back to the mansion. As soon as got to the car,
he shrugged off his jacket and used it to apply
pressure to the wound. He then ordered one of his
friends, whose name I learned was Leroi, to call for
his private doctor to come immediately.

When we got back to the mansion, it was

dark and quiet. People were patrolling the grounds,
but it seemed so different now from when I had left
it.

Malcolm insisted on carrying me inside,

though Misha insisted he could help and I tried to
say that I could just walk. He wasn’t having any of
it.

If I didn’t know any better, I might have

thought that he was being protective of me.

He took me to a room on the second floor

of the mansion that I hadn’t seen before and had a
maid place several fluffy towels over the luxurious
couch in the center of the room before laying me
down on it.

It looked like a bedroom or at least some

sort of guest suite. There was a bed with a white
frame and pink covers, with plenty of pillows. It
was the kind of bed that I would have wanted when
I was a teenager.

There were Degas style ballerina

paintings on the walls—there was a possibility that
they were real Degas paintings— and several white
doors that I assumed led to maybe a bathroom, and
perhaps a closet? I had no idea what kind of rooms
were in a rich person's house.

The doctor arrived in a couple of minutes

and immediately rushed over to me.

To my surprise, he listened to Malcolm’s

quiet explanation of the wound without asking any
questions. And the only detail that Malcolm went
into was that I had climbed over the fence and
caught my leg on the top.

The doctor didn’t ask why I had been

doing that, or why he hadn’t been called earlier,
just went right to work on cleaning up the wound.

Malcolm held my hand as the doctor

worked, which I was incredibly grateful for. I
squeezed his hand tight and closed my eyes as the
wound stung from the cleaning. I bit back the
words I wanted to say as the doctor applied some
numbing cream and then stitched the wound closed.

He bandaged my leg to cover the stitches

and then gave Malcolm instructions for my care,
saying that he’d like to come back to see me again
in a few days to see how things were healing.

As soon as the doctor left, Malcolm

turned to look at me.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better than I could, I guess,” I said, not

sure how exactly I was supposed to respond, The
day had been a lot, and all I wanted now was to go
to sleep.

Malcolm looked down at the floor, still

holding my hand but not looking at me. For the first
time since I met him, he seemed sheepish.

“I don’t want you to be involved

anymore,” he said. “I want you to know that I’m
trying to fix things, I really am. And I don’t want
you to feel like you’re a prisoner, or that you have
to run away. I’m not going to hurt you, and I don’t
want to hurt your father either.”

The words were nice, and I knew that

they would mean more to me later, but right now I
was just struggling to keep my eyes open.

“I’m not keeping you in the other room

anymore. You can stay here, or any other room in
the house you choose. All I ask is that you don’t
leave again. I don’t think you know how terrifying
that was for me.”

“Okay,” I said, still not fully processing

things.

I was vaguely aware of him lifting me and

carrying me over to the bed, and then tucking me in
beneath the covers. I didn’t know how long he

stayed there, just that he was there when my eyes
closed and I finally found rest.

Chapter Nineteen

Malcolm

As I left her room, I had already made up

my mind.

I couldn’t let this continue any longer, it

had hurt her and her family enough already, and the
last thing I wanted to see was Aurora suffering
again.

So I called Liam. He and I were the only

ones who could put an end to this once and for all,
and I was hoping since Kline had been unsuccessful
so far he would be more open to negotiation.

I certainly was.

My plans hadn’t gotten anywhere with

Kline, and Misha’s men had had no luck finding
him last night after he left the gala.

Liam picked up the second time I called

him.

“What is it you want?” he growled. “I’m

trying to sleep.”

“This needs to end, Liam, and it needs to

end now. We should be coming to a truce.”

“Now is not the time for that, Malcolm.”

“Yes, it is. You know as well as I do that

we’re currently at an impasse. There’s no way that
Samuel Kline can kill me, and I can’t seem to come
to an understanding with him. So unless we want to
live in a perpetual state of suspense, I suggest that
we talk.”

“Or what? This seems to be working in

my favor, Malcolm. You’re on edge, and I just have
to wait for you to slip up. And as long as you have
his daughter, Kline will remain firmly beneath my
thumb.”

“Don’t test me, Hawthorne. I’m ready to

start a war if that’s what I have to do. You know
my men are better than yours in a fight, and I have
more information than you ever will. So don’t you
push.”

“You’re so demanding, fine.” Liam

yawned loudly over the line. “We can discuss
things tomorrow. I’ll text you the address for a
neutral meeting place, and we’ll figure something
out, but tonight is not the time. Goodnight.”

There was a click as he hung up, and I

sighed, hoping that the meeting would go better
than I expected.

Negotiating with Liam was never

pleasant. He was stubborn and difficult to convince
to do anything. More than that, he wasn’t afraid to
threaten violence when things didn’t go his way.

I would need all my strength for the next

day.

The address that Liam texted me was an

ice cream shop downtown. It was a pretty
populated part of the city, so neither of us could
pull any tricks on the other. I had men stationed
around, waiting, just in case, but I was hoping that
Liam’s choice of the location meant that I wouldn’t
need them.

Liam wasn’t there when I entered the ice

cream shop. It was decorated in an old-fashioned
style, with lots of stripes and pastel colors and a
brightly tiled floor. All the ice cream was churned
by hand from farm-fresh ingredients, and all the
cones and bowls were made from delicious waffles.

It was the kind of place that influencers

or young moms following trends went.

It was a great place for pictures or an

afternoon treat, but neither of those were things I
cared about at the moment.

In the back of my mind, I was storing

away the place as somewhere to take someone on a
date. Secretly, I wanted to take Aurora out. She was
so beautiful, I just wanted to show her off.

I was occupied with examining the place

closely, looking for anyone who might be one of
Liam’s men in disguise, and cataloging escape

routes.

It was a habit that had kept me alive and

successful thus far.

I went up to the counter and order a

couple of scoops of chocolate ice cream in a waffle
bowl, wanting to do my best to blend in even
though I would look conspicuous no matter what.

I tended to stand out in places like this,

and it was both a blessing and a curse.

The girl who took my order flirted with

me a bit, even prolonging a bit of contact when she
handed me my order, but I paid her no heed.

Today I only had eyes for Liam.

It wasn’t much longer before he showed

up.

He was just as I remembered him, just as

I would always think of him.

He had a broad and imposing figure and

was dressed in the kind of suit that one would
associate with a mob boss. To complete the picture
he wore a hat and carried a gilded cane. He looked
sorely out of place in the ice cream shop, even
more than me, and he didn’t bother to order
anything before coming over and taking a seat in
front of me.

“A childish choice,” he said, gesturing to

the ice cream I was slowly working through.

I raised my eyebrows. “You were the one

who chose this place. Least you could do is pretend
to be a patron.”

He scoffed at the notion. “They have

enough people coming here already. Probably make
enough money in a week to pay all their workers
for a year. The owner is a greedy fuck.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“Shut it, Malcolm.”

I shrugged. “You brought it up. Now, can

we get down to business?”

He leaned back in his chair, bracing his

neck in his hands. He was trying to look nonchalant
as if he didn’t care much how this went. It was the
oldest trick in the book.

“Sure, what was it you’re proposing?”

“You know exactly what I want, Liam.

Call off Kline.”

“About that—” He examined his nails,

blowing off some imaginary dirt. “—I’m not very
keen to do that. It’s going to take a lot to convince
me.”

I sighed. “What do you want?”

“Isn’t it obvious, Astor? Your empire, all

that you’ve worked for, every last drop of your
assets.”

“Now I think we can both agree that’s a

little too much to ask for.”

“Oh?” He looked up, giving me a vile

smirk. “Do you value your business more than your
life? That’s news to me, you’ve always been a self-
centered little brat.”

“We both already know Klinel’s never

going to get the hit,” I growled. “So you’re asking
too much. I can call off my men, I can give you
more territory, so tell me something you want that’s
reasonable.” Normally these were things that I
would never want to bargain away. But I wanted
the best for Aurora. I wanted her to be safe.

“Hmm, there is one thing,” he said, his

eyes glittering with an evil light.

“Which is?”

“I’ve heard Samuel’s daughter is a divine

specimen, and you’ve been keeping her all to
yourself. Hand her over and I might be inclined to
call him off.”

“You’re not getting her,” I said, my voice

dangerously low. I was about ready to rip Liam
Hawthorne’s throat out. If there was one thing I
wasn’t ready to bargain with, it was Aurora’s life.
At this point, it was more than wanting the best for
her. I was downright possessive.

“Is that so? I’m afraid there's not much

more to be done here.” He leaned close to me,
whispering in my ear, his vile breath hitting me full
force. “You know if I wanted to, I could kill you
right here and now. You’re lucky I’m even letting
you live, so you really should consider this more
carefully.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh yes I would, and you know it. I know

the owner, I can always pay him back for the
damages, and he won’t dare press charges.”

Liam was threatening a shoot-out in the

middle of this place. It was full of kids and their
parents, innocent bystanders who would get caught
in the crossfire. I couldn’t be more disgusted with
him if I tried.

“You’re not going to, Hawthorne,” I said,

making sure to keep my voice steady. If he thought
there would be an advantage in starting something,
I knew he would. There wasn’t any doubt in my
mind. “I’ve got my own men here, you know, and
they’re prepared to plow you down at my signal.
Your men wouldn’t even have time to think about
retaliating before we were gone.”

Liam smiled, a vile sort of expression,

and I knew then that this was exactly what he
wanted. “Good to see you’re not too soft yet,
Astor. If you change your mind, you know where to
find me.”

He stood, grabbing his cane, and strode

out of the establishment.

“Things are more serious than we

thought.”

I was back at the mansion, in my office

with the Four. I had just filled them in on what went
down at the ice cream parlor, and they were
justifiably disgusted.

Now we needed to plan what our next

move was. We had our hands full with Kline out to
kill me, and with the real reason I ran one of the
two most powerful drug gangs in the city.

I didn’t want drugs destroying any more

lives, not after they had destroyed my brother’s, so
I was out on a mission to get rid of the most
harmful ones, once and for all. By being in the
business I could gather information on my
competitors, turn them into the police, and figure
out where the biggest shipments were so we could
destroy them.

Meanwhile, the merchandise I circulated

was less harmful, less addictive, and better priced.
The profits went to organizations that worked to
improve the living conditions of people in poverty,
and I had my own organization in the inner city that
helped people get the rehabilitation they needed.

I couldn’t just ignore that side of things,

even if I was dealing with one of the most notorious
hitmen in the business. It was important to me, and
it was even more important that I didn’t let Liam’s
plans distract me from doing what mattered.

So we discussed our next move and the

information that we had received recently on
another large shipment. Little did I know, someone
was listening.

Chapter Twenty

Aurora

I was shocked by what I had overheard.

I knew that there was something that

Malcolm was hiding, but I never expected it to be
that.

Maybe some tragic backstory, or

something, but this? It didn’t fit with the image I
had of him in my head.

And on top of that, it was clear that it was

unlikely Malcolm would be able to solve the
situation with my father on his own anytime soon.

I had been exploring a bit of the house

when I had heard Malcolm coming, and saw him
enter an office with his four friends— Misha,
Gilles, Leroi, and Noah.

Curious as to what they were going to

talk about, I followed very slowly and stood outside
the door to listen.

There were many things that I couldn’t

catch, but I heard enough to piece everything
together, and now I was wondering why Malcolm
hadn’t told me earlier. It wasn’t like it would make
me think any worse of him, in fact, I thought so
much better of him now. I could understand more

why everyone liked him and insisted that he was
such a good person despite everything else.

But now I didn't know what to do with

this information. Should I barge in? Just confront
him then and there? Should I wait for him to come
out and make it clear I had been listening?

Or should I do none of the above, not let

him know that I had heard and now knew his true
goals, and just go on with my life.

That certainly seemed simpler.

I was saved from my speculations when

the door opened, knocking me to the ground.

I landed square on my ass and looked up

to see Malcolm standing over me. He looked
surprised, but not angry, which was good.

“I, ummm….” I didn’t know how to

begin or explain. Now that I was thinking about it, I
realized I was violating his privacy.

He sighed. “How long were you out

here?”

I looked away, suddenly feeling

embarrassed. “The whole time.”

“The whole time?”

“Yes.”

He offered me his hand, and I took it,

letting him pull me up. He pulled me close to his

chest, holding me tight, his breath hitting the top of
my head.

“I guess you would have found at one

point or another.”

“You’re not mad?”

“No, just upset with myself. I wanted to

do better at making peace for you. And now I have
to figure something else out.”

“It’ll be okay,” I said, not really sure why

I was the one who was comforting him. “You could
always let me talk to him you know. He’ll listen to
me.”

“We can do that,” he said. “But your

father hates me. I don’t know if even you will be
able to convince him not to go against me.”

“And the other thing?”

He smiled and shrugged. “There’s no

hiding it now, is there?”

“No, there’s not.”

“I wanted to tell you earlier, Aurora, but I

wasn’t sure if I could trust you. If I’m telling the
truth, some days I even wonder if I can trust the
Four. Being in the business is the best way to shut it
down, and I never keep any profits that I make.
They always go back into treatment for those who
had been badly affected.”

I nodded. I supposed it made sense, in

some twisted way, but it didn’t feel like the only
way. I knew there were still some things about
Malcolm that I would probably never understand.

“I should probably talk to my dad now,” I

said. “I want to clear things up with him. Maybe I’ll
be able to fix things that way.”

He shook his head with a sigh. “I

certainly hope so. Here.” He pulled out his phone,
then pulled up my dad’s number before handing it
over to me. “I hope you can understand that I want
to be here when you do it.”

“Of course.” It made sense that he still

didn’t fully trust me, and I respect that, but I
wanted this to end just as much as he did.

I pressed the button to dial my dad and

brought the phone up to my ear. It rang several
times before he picked up.

“What do you want this time, you

bastard?”

“Dad, it’s me,” I said, feeling tears

welling up in my eyes in spite of myself. It had
been quite an eventful past couple of days, and I
was glad to finally hear his voice again.

“Aurora? Are you okay, has he hurt

you?”

I shook my head, then realized he

couldn’t see me. “No, he hasn’t. He’s actually been

quite the gentleman.”

“Doesn’t sound like him. Is he making

you do this?”

“No, I wanted to call you myself. The

only reason he’s holding me right now is to protect
himself, and he’s been treating me well too. He’s a
good person dad, whether or not you believe it, and
I’ve heard that the person who hired you isn’t.
Can’t you call this off?”

“Are you sure he’s not putting you up to

this? Because I can still get you out of there darling.
I’m going to.”

I was becoming a little frustrated, even

though I knew that all my dad wanted was the best
for me. Couldn’t he just listen to me and call things
off already so we could just go back to our lives?

“He’s not. I just really want things to

end.”

My dad sighed. It was a sad sound, and

that’s when I realized that things were probably
more complicated than I realized.

“Aurora… I can’t. Not right now at least.

Now that Liam knows you exist… he pulls my
strings in more ways than one. He’s frightening, my
dear, and I don’t want him after you to get back at
me.”

“I’m sure Malcolm can work something

out—”

“Maybe he can, but I haven’t seen any

proof of that yet. And Liam has powerful
connections. Besides, I just can’t forgive the fact
that he’s taken you hostage.”

“If you knew him like I do—”

“Aurora, I want you to think long and

hard about how much you really know him. I’ve
been in this business long enough to know what
goes on behind closed doors, to know what people
do when no one is watching, and what they cover
up from those they want to trust them. Malcolm’s a
dangerous man, my dear, and he’s done things you
would never even dream of. I’ll get you soon, I
promise.”

With that, he hung up, and my head was

left a swirling mix of emotions yet again. Who was
I supposed to trust? And what was I supposed to
follow, my head? Or my heart?

Chapter Twenty-One

Malcolm

Aurora looked so torn when she handed

the phone back to me. Her whole face was
downcast, in a way that it hadn’t been before she
had called her father.

“Aurora, what happened?” I asked.

“He doesn’t want to listen to me,” she

said. “He says you’re a bad person, too.” She was
shuffling her feet as she spoke, refusing to meet my
eyes.

“Aurora, look at me,” I commanded, a

hand on her jaw to guide her gaze. That seemed to
do the trick. She looked into my eyes, waiting for
me to speak. “The world is not as simple as you
want to believe. Right now you’re seeing things in
terms of black and white, good or bad, but it’s not
like that. Good people do bad things all the time,
and bad people do good things. I don’t even know
if we should really classify people as good or bad,
most are a mix. What’s important is that you decide
the parts that matter to you.”

“How am I supposed to decide when I

know practically nothing about you?”

I shrugged. “Maybe you trust me to tell

you things in time. And let your instincts tell you if
it’s right for you.”

She laughed, a half-hearted little sound

that made me want to press her close to my body
and never let her go. “My instincts have never been
very good.”

I had to stop myself from reaching out,

touching her again, tracing the outline of her face
and kissing those plump little lips. I wanted to kiss
all the traces of tears away and make her so happy
that she never cried again.

She had my insides twisted in all sorts of

ways, and I had no idea what to do with her.

She looked up at me then, understanding

crossing her features as she saw the struggle in
mine.

“Have yours always been good?”

I laughed. I wished that they had. Maybe

then I might have saved my brother. Maybe then I
could have stopped a lot of unfortunate things from
happening.

“I think they’re things that you can really

only hone with experience. Unless you get out there
and experience the world, you’ll never really know
how to use them.”

“Hmmm.” She looked tired like she might

fall asleep at any moment. Her eyelids were slowly

fluttering and her expression was becoming more
indistinct.

“You need some rest, you’re still

healing,” I said, wanting to change the subject.

“Oh? Yeah, right.” She stumbled a few

steps towards me, and I caught her, supporting her
from one side as I walked her back to her room.

Being in such close proximity to her,

touching her, smelling that special intoxicating
scent of hers; it was making my heart race. I had
never felt this way around anyone else before, and
sometimes I really didn’t know how to approach it.

When we arrived at her room, I didn’t

know if I wanted to let her go. I was glad when she
asked, “Stay with me?” in that incredibly cute,
sleepy voice.

“Of course,” I said, kissing her forehead.

She led me to the bed, and immediately

crawled under the covers, then scooted over to
make some space for me.

I lifted the blankets and got in behind her,

pulling her close to my chest.

“I’ll be here when you wake up,” I said,

“So just get some rest.”

She hummed in acknowledgment,

wiggling around in my arms to get comfortable and
then, slowly, fell asleep. I knew because her

breathing gradually slowed, and then I could no
longer feel her heart racing. My arms were around
her, so I couldn’t very well leave her, and I wasn’t
tired either, so I didn’t want to sleep just yet.

I knew that my shirt and pants would be

crumpled, and my hair would be messed, but I
didn’t mind it.

The fact that she asked me to be there for

her in this way… it was more than I could have
hoped for. I know I said that I didn’t want to
involve her, but at the moment I just couldn’t
imagine a life without her.

Of course, to get that life, I would first

need to solve the problem that was at hand. I had
known, deep down, that her talking with her father
wasn’t going to work, but I still hoped. Now
though, it seemed I was out of options.

I could release her, and hope that Kline

might not kill me after realizing how good of a
person I was, but that was unlikely.

He wasn’t a notorious hitman for no

reason, and I knew Liam had to be paying him good
money, so there was no way I could just change his
mind. There was a possibility that Aurora might
have some more ideas about what we could do, but
I wasn’t about to wake her up just to discuss that
with her.

Though, it would be a good excuse to go

on another date. There was an expensive restaurant
I knew that might be her taste, and I would do just
about anything to see her in a fancy dress again.

Since she had been injured, she was

mainly just wearing shirts and sweatpants. There
was absolutely nothing wrong with that— she
looked just as sexy as she always did— but I also
wanted to see her in formal wear again.

I made up my mind. I would call some of

my connections, and the next day I would take her
to have dinner in a fancy restaurant.

With that out of the way, I settled in next

to her and felt myself slowly drift off to sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Aurora

The next day Malcolm informed me that

he had somewhere to take me.

“I want to make things up to you,” he

explained as we were sitting together. “You’ve
been through a lot recently, and there are some
things that we should talk about.”

“Like what?”

“Well, how to get out of the situation

we’re in for instance.”

“You really think there might be a way?”

He shrugged, giving me one of his

signature grins. “There’s no harm in
brainstorming.”

Kylie brought by another dress for me to

wear. This one was another formal gown, but it was
long, with a slit that traveled up my leg. It was
made out of the most beautiful midnight blue silk I
had ever seen, and embroidered all over it were
galaxies and constellations. It had blue velvet
accents on the hemline, waistline, and wide straps.
Kylie also gave me a blue velvet choker to wear
with a little golden circular charm.

“It’s beautiful,” I gasped when I tried it

on.

She winked. “I think I may have outdone

myself with this one. There’s no way he’ll be able
to resist you in this. I expect to be receiving my
invitation to the wedding soon.”

I blushed in spite of myself. “How did

you do it?” I asked, trying to change the subject as I
admired all the handwork that had been put into the
dress.

“Well, I figured Malcolm would be asking

me for something like this sooner or later, so I had
my best assistants set to work on creating the
pattern and doing all the needlework. It was the
only way I managed to finish this on time, as
Malcolm called me last night and demanded a new
dress.”

I giggled a bit. So this had definitely been

a last-minute plan. It humanized him for me. “Does
he always give you such short notice?”

She shook her head. “No, I swear, it’s just

with you. There must really be something special
about you for him to go through all this trouble.
Usually, he never lifts a finger, and I haven’t even
met one of his girls before. Normally he tells me not
to bother and just sends down an assistant to do the
fitting.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I mean, how could he keep

things from me for so long? I’m practically his aunt
and I want grandbabies already.”

Now I was blushing. I was trying not to

imagine what it would be like to have a child, or
children, with Malcolm, but now I couldn’t stop
thinking about it.

“Don’t worry, I’m only teasing,” she said

with a smile. “Partially.”

I didn’t know how to respond. It felt like

my whole body was overheating at just the thought.

And despite how much progress had been

made, and how much I knew I was really attracted
him, I just couldn’t commit to Malcolm at the
moment. Something still felt wrong, I still wanted
things to be explained. And on top of that, I knew
that he was dangerous. I knew that he had done bad
things. And I couldn’t ignore the fact that being
with him would likely put me in danger.

So I let her escort me down to where

Malcolm was waiting without another word. I wore
flats this time so that I wouldn’t strain my leg. Even
still, I needed Kylie’s help to make it down the
stairs.

Each step burned, despite the fact that I

had recently taken pain medication.

But when I saw Malcolm, all of those

thoughts went away.

He looked handsome, in a dark blue

velvet suit that matched my dress perfectly. His
silver hair was combed back stylishly, and he had
crossed his hands in front of him as he waited for
me.

The moment he saw me, I could tell that

he was trying to control his emotions, but he was
failing.

“You look beautiful,” he said as I reached

him, gingerly taking my arm from Kylie. “Are you
going to be okay for the night?”

“As long as I don’t walk too much,” I

said. “I’ve been taking my medication, so it’s
mostly okay. Stairs are just a bitch.”

He laughed. “I can always carry you

around if need be.”

My heart did a little flip in my chest at the

thought of him carrying me, close to his chest,
holding me tight.

“Shall we get going?” he asked, and I just

nodded, not trusting myself to say the words I
wanted without getting all tangled up in a knot.

He escorted me out to his car—some

luxury sports car. What brand, I had no clue, just
that it was expensive— and he helped me to get
into the front seat.

He closed the door behind me, and then

came around the other side to get into the driver’s
seat.

He was a very good driver, which wasn’t

that surprising, but he was also a very safe driver.
He didn’t speed, or race, or otherwise do anything
to show off. Instead, he kept the car going at an
easy, steady pace in a way that set me at ease.

I had been in a few car accidents when I

was younger, and so I really appreciated it when
people knew what they were doing and didn’t take
any unnecessary risks while driving.

We didn’t go that far from the mansion,

and the moment we pulled up I knew that it was a
very fancy restaurant we were going to. The
outside of the building was modern and sleek, with
a bit of an art deco-period style.

Surprisingly, the parking lot was

completely empty. And when Malcolm drove up, he
had a valet take the car after helping me out of the
passenger seat.

To me it was absurd, but I knew to him it

was probably just another habit that he didn’t think
much of. Especially if he had grown up with that
kind of money.

“Shall we go in?” he asked, offering me

his arm.

I took it. “Why not?”

When we entered, I took a moment to

admire the decorations and the beautiful lighting,
before realizing that the place was completely
devoid of patrons except for us.

“What… is this?” I asked, not sure

exactly what I should think.

“I wanted us to have some time alone

together, so I pulled a few strings and got the whole
place for the night.”

“You… you what?” It was unfathomable

to me, especially the way he shrugged it off so
nonchalantly.

I couldn’t help but be a little impressed.

“I told you, I booked the place. I’ve been

wanting to spend some time with you, alone.”

I felt special, to know that this gesture

was for me. And a little guilty too. I knew he
planned this at the last minute, so he must have
moved quite a few people’s reservations at least.

A waitress came up to us then, rescuing

me from my thoughts. “Sir, Ma’am,” she said,
nodding to each of us in turn. “Shall I show you to
your table.”

“Please do.”

No sooner had Malcolm said that than the

waitress was already leading us away from the

entrance and to a table set for two in the middle of
the restaurant. It had the most beautiful white
tablecloth I had ever seen and several lit candles on
top.

There were more candles scattered

around on nearby tables, giving the place a really
nice atmosphere.

There was an expensive bottle of wine

waiting for us, and two crystal-cut glasses: the likes
of which I had never seen before.

Real silverware, polished enough so that I

could see my reflection, rested beside artistic plates
with veins of real gold running through them.

Malcolm pulled out my chair for me, and

I gladly took a seat. I hated to admit it, but my leg
was killing me and I wanted to get off my feet.

He pushed me in, and then went to take

his own seat.

“I’ll be right out with the appetizers, let

me know if there is anything else you need,” the
waitress said before disappearing.

“This place is beautiful,” I said, taking

another second to absorb everything.

“I thought you might like it,” he said with

a smile, leaning ever so slightly forward. “It’s
almost as beautiful as you.”

I blushed. “Being cheesy doesn’t really

suit you.”

“Is that so?” He raised his eyebrows. “Is

there a different image you hold of me in your head
then? Do tell.”

“I don’t know, you just seem more put

together, suaver.”

He threw his head back in laughter. “Is

that so? I guess it comes with age. Once you’ve
been through enough, you figure out what the right
thing to say is.”

Of course, he would remind me of the

fact that he was much older than me.

I found myself not minding it as much

recently. It gave him a certain aura of mystery and
sophistication, and it meant he knew what he was
doing in the bedroom. But it was also something
that I worried would keep us apart. I knew, for one,
that my father would never approve.

And would Malcolm ever really take me

seriously? He probably viewed me as some silly
child.

“Well then, shall we get down to

business?” he asked, still wearing that dashing
smile.

I groaned aloud. The last thing I wanted

to do was think about the situation that we still had
to fix.

“I guess I’ll take that as a no, though we

do still have to talk about it, unfortunately.” He
wagged his finger at me in a disapproving manner.
“It is the whole reason I brought you here, after all.
You should make my investment worth my while.”

“Isn’t it already,” I teased, leaning

forward to show off a little more cleavage.

His eyes went down to exactly where I

knew they would, and he seemed fixated for a few
seconds. “It might have been, just to see you in that
dress, but the more we can get out of this evening
the better.”

His tone made me shiver with

anticipation. It suggested more than just mere
conversation, though I didn’t know what else he
might have planned. With Malcolm, there was
never a dull moment.

“Well, do you have any ideas then?” I

asked.

He shook his head. “Unfortunately we’ve

already tried all of my ideas. Besides getting your
father in the same room and having a very serious
conversation with him.”

“Can you out-pay Liam?” I asked.

“Already tried that. He won’t be bought

that easily. I’m beginning to suspect that Liam has
something else on him.”

“He did mention something about him

pulling his strings, especially now that he knows I
exist.”

Malcolm stroked his chin, deep in

thought. “That is unfortunate and unforeseen. If we
could figure out what Liam has over your father, I
might be able to deal with that, and then offer you
and him a new life somewhere else.”

“Would I really have to leave behind

everything?”

“It would be the only way if Liam was

still out there. I wouldn’t want him getting to you.”

As he said this, the waitress came back

with a plate full of assorted appetizers.

“I’ll leave this here,” she said, setting it in

the middle of our table. “Is there anything else you
two will be needing before the main course?”

Malcolm waved her off. “We’re all good,

thank you.”

My mouth watered at the delicious

display in front of me. There were exquisite looking
versions of things I had eaten before, like calamari,
stuffed grape leaves, and fresh bread with toppings,
as well as plenty of new things I had never seen in
my life.

Seeing my expression, Malcolm laughed

and said, “If you need me to tell you what anything

is, just ask. Oh, and don’t fill up too much on these,
we still have a main course with salad and dessert
coming up.”

“I think you’re my new favorite person.”

“Glad to know there’s an easy way to

bribe you.” He winked. “If only food would work
just as well on your father.”

“Could you try having dinner with him?

Maybe then he would see a better side of you?”

Malcolm shook his head. “No matter how

much I would love that, Samuel would never agree
to meet me, especially not for dinner. Your father
has survived and succeeded for so long in the
business because he always expects the worst.”

“That must be exhausting. No wonder

he’s always tired.”

“A life of crime is a hard one to lead,”

Malcolm agreed. “You never really know who to
trust, and so you have to constantly watch your
back. It’s a miracle your father was able to keep
you out of things for so long.”

“I guess so.” Even though I still couldn’t

understand why my father was doing what he did,
or forgive him for keeping such a large secret from
me for so long, I was grateful that he at least made
sure I wasn’t involved.

Though there had been that one time….

I wondered if the memories I had of being

kidnapped when I was little were related to my
dad’s criminal career.

“Do you ever get tired?” I asked.

Malcolm suddenly became very serious.

His eyes looked sadder than I had seen them ever
before. “More than you know. I’m lucky to have
such close friends that have my back. But the
things you see, the things you do, they haunt you
forever.”

I didn’t know what to say, if there was

anything I could say. How I was supposed to
respond to that? Sorry that you have personal
demons.

“I want to get this figured out,” he finally

said, “so that you don’t have things happen to you,
so that you don’t have to live with what I’ve lived
with. Already more has happened to you than
should have, and I don’t know if I will ever be able
to forgive myself.”

My leg throbbed, as if reminding me of all

the crazy things that had happened over the last
few days.

“But you came to my rescue.”

“Yes, and I’m glad I got there before

anything bad could happen. But I was also the one
who made you feel like you had to run away.”

“I promise I won’t do that again. I’m not

going to leave like that.”

He shook his head, the light seeming to

leave his eyes right before me. “Don’t make
promises you can’t keep.”

I had to leave partway through the main

course to use the restroom.

Unsurprisingly, it was styled like an old-

fashioned powder room, and it was probably the
fanciest bathroom I had ever used.

I didn’t go back to Malcolm right after I

finished washing up though.

I was honestly feeling a little anxious, and

for good reason.

One, we seemed to have reached a dead

end as far as solutions or ideas went. Nothing we
came up with would work, and we were all out of
plans.

Two, as the night went on, things had

started to feel more and more like a date.

I knew that I had been with Malcolm

before and that I was attracted to him, but this was
a whole different level.

Things were more… romantic. The

conversation was about us in a way that it had
never been before, and things didn’t feel innately

sexual. It felt like Malcolm wanted to know more
about me, and he was such a good listener.

But I didn’t know if I could afford to fall

for him.

“Snap out of it Aurora,” I said to myself,

looking in the mirror. “This isn’t right, and you
know it. It’ll only end in disaster.”

I couldn’t see any other way for it to end.

My father would never approve, and Malcolm led a
dangerous life that I still didn’t fully understand.
We came from completely different worlds, too.

And despite everything that Kylie had

said about me being special, I couldn’t help but
think about how he left me so suddenly every time
we had sex. At this point, it felt more like he was
toying with me than anything.

“You have to stay strong, even if he’s

everything you’ve ever dreamed of.” I was
discovering tonight that we shared many things in
common. We liked a lot of the same books and
pastimes, and he shared just as much of a passion
for animals as I did. My mind had wandered to the
idea of getting a pet with him. After all, it would be
much easier to attend to the needs of a dog when
there were two of us around.

I shook my head. I couldn’t think like

this, not now. I had to remember what kind of
person he was, and the fact that there was a real

possibility he wasn’t serious at all, or that he would
leave me regardless of his feelings.

I couldn’t help it though. I was falling for

him.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Malcolm

I was beginning to worry about Aurora

when she reemerged from her trip to the powder
room. There was a timid half-smile on her face that
hadn’t been there before, and she looked nervous
as she sat down.

“Is everything alright?” I asked, feeling

genuinely concerned.

“It’s fine,” she replied, but she was

clearly lying.

“If you say so.”

Just then, our waitress returned to take

away the dishes from our main course and bring us
a dessert sampler, as well as two little cappuccinos.

“I thought you might like some coffee,” I

said by way of explanation as the waitress set a cup
in front of Aurora. She stared down at it,
completely mesmerized.

I had them make the coffee with edible

gold glitter upon my request. Really I just wanted to
impress her, and if the food was the way to her
heart, then maybe a glittery drink to match her
dress would get me even further.

“It’s beautiful,” she finally said, her voice

soft with awe. “Can I drink it?”

I laughed. “What kind of question is that?

Of course you can drink it.”

She looked up and shrugged. “I mean, I

don’t know. There’s always the possibility that it
would turn me into a tree, or something like that.”

“What use would you be to me as a

tree?”

“I’d probably provide some lovely

shade.”

“Hmmm, that is true. If you were a tree…

I’d definitely plant you in my garden and read
under your branches every chance I got. You’d
probably be a cherry tree, so I’d watch you bloom
in the spring. And, maybe if I was lucky, you’d
emerge as a lovely dryad.”

She giggled. “Is that so? Do you fantisize

about dryads, Malcolm Astor?”

“Only if they’re you.” I winked, then

scooped up a small bit of rich chocolate cake
drizzled fresh raspberry syrup on my fork. “You
have to try this, it’s delicious.”

I extended the fork, and she leaned

forward, taking a hesitant bite. Immediately, her
face turned into one of pleasure, and she moaned
with delight.

“How have I never had this before?” she

asked. “It’s absolutely divine.”

“Would you like another bite?” I picked

up some more with my fork.

“Absolutely.”

I fed her again, watching as her plump

lips closed around my extended fork and wiped off
the rich fudge cake.

I then took a bite myself, holding eye

contact with her as I used the same fork.

She giggled a bit to herself, taking up her

own fork and scooping up a bite of the mini apple
pie.

“You should try this next,” she said, her

awkwardness gone. Now her voice was all silky
seduction, and her body language said fuck me
already.

I hummed. “So you’re feeding me now?”

“Of course I am! If you get to do it, then I

certainly do.”

I took her offered bite, savoring the taste

of sweet spiced apples and buttery crust in my
mouth.

We continued to eat our dessert in this

fashion, and I found with each bite it was more and
more difficult to keep my hands off her. She just
looked so divine in that dress, and her laugh rang
like a bell through the restaurant.

I swore that I could taste her in each bite

of, and it only made me want to taste her again
even more.

“You’re so fucking tempting, did you

know that?” I growled.

She shivered with pleasure, a seductive

grin spreading across her face. “Is that so?”

“Absolutely. You’re lucky there isn’t

anyone else right now, because I’m about to take
you, right here and now.” I could already feel my
erection straining the crotch of my dress pants, and
I knew the only way to get rid of it would be to let
her work her magic.

I just wanted to kiss that beautiful mouth,

to weave my hands through her hair, to grip her
perfect little butt and pull her against me.

“Really? Then I dare you,” she said,

surprising me. She had such a look of mischief on
her face. Fuck, I couldn’t control myself when I
was around her. Everything she did was just so
fucking hot.

“You shouldn’t have said that.” I stood,

then yanked her up and out of her chair, pulling her
against me to kiss her.

I could taste the sugar on her lips, the

chocolate on her tongue. Everything about her just
made me want to devour her, I couldn’t help it.

“I thought this might happen,” I said,

pulling away for a moment. “So I had the back
lounge prepared.”

“More like you planned for this to

happen,” she teased.

I scooped her up in my arms, carrying her

bridal style against my chest.

“Oh, don’t act like you didn’t want this to

happen either. I’ve seen the way you’ve been
looking at me these past few times.”

“Just, promise me one thing,” she said,

her voice suddenly serious.

I paused, looked down at her, worried

that something had come up. “What? What is it,
baby?”

“Just, promise you won’t leave this time.”

“I promise.” I kissed her on the forehead.

“I don’t plan on going anywhere. I don’t know if I
could if I tried, not with how you look, not with
how you make me feel.”

“Good.”

“I’m going to make you feel so amazing,

baby.”

Her hands clutched at the fabric of my

shirt as I resumed carrying her towards the back
lounge. I wouldn’t mind taking her right then and
there, on the floor of the restaurant, but I wanted to

make things as wonderful and comfortable as
possible.

Once in the back lounge, I set her down

on a plush loveseat, surveying her with a hungry
expression.

“I can’t wait to take you,” I said. “I’m

going to make you mine.”

“Are you?” she asked. “Maybe I will

make you mine first.”

She stood, brushing her hair away from

her shoulders and reaching behind her to grab the
zipper to her dress.

I watched, holding my breath, as she slid

out of it.

She looked absolutely divine beneath, in a

matching lace and velvet underwear set. When I
saw the design, I had some idea of how they would
look on her, but my imagination paled in
comparison to how brightly she shone.

I groaned. “I don’t know what I’m going

to do with you. Each and every time you manage to
outdo yourself.”

She gave me a crooked little grin, her

head tilted in a way that I knew meant trouble.

“Good, because I still have more for

you.”

She got down on her knees in front of me,

reaching up to grasp the buckle to my belt, then
looking up at me with wide eyes as if asking for
permission.

“Is this okay?”

Fuck. I didn’t know what I was going to

do with her. She was everything I had ever wanted,
and more.

“Yes, it’s more than okay.”

I watched as she unbuckled my belt, then

slid it out of my belt loops, still on her knees. She
set it gently to the side, then unbuttoned my pants.
She slid them down my legs, her soft hands
whispering over my skin, and I stepped out of them.

My erection bulged against the cotton

fabric of my briefs, and she looked positively
delighted at the sight of it.

“You’re so big,” she said in awe, fondling

me through the fabric.

“You think you can take me?” I teased.

I certainly hoped she could. It had been a

while since I’d had a good blow job, and if Aurora
knew what she was doing down there, then she
would be checking all of my boxes.

“I think I can,” she said, fingers tracing

along the edge of my briefs. When they hooked
underneath the waistband, I wanted to tell her just
go get it over with already.

The way she was drawing things out

made every moment agonizing and full of
anticipation.

“Just do it,” I growled, finally tired of her

games.

She squeaked, but I knew she wasn’t

really scared. This was all part of it for her, as it
was for me.

Quickly, she yanked my briefs off, and I

kicked them to the side. Then I stripped myself of
my jacket and tossed aside my shirt so I was
standing above her in all my glory.

I knew what she was seeing. The smooth

skin, the defined muscles, the air of control and
dominance. She squirmed as if trying to find relief
for herself.

Carefully, she reached up, tracing a finger

along the tip of my cock. I groaned at the slight
contact, secreting a bit of white precum.

She scooped it up with her finger and

licked it off as it was frosting, looking up at me as
she licked her lips.

Fucking hell, she was gorgeous.

“You gonna suck me off, baby?”

“Yes, Malcolm.”

“Are you going to make me cum like a

good little girl, on your knees?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

I watched as she took my length in one

hand, and then closed her lips around the tip.
Slowly she worked up and down the shaft,
tightening her lips around me in a way that felt so
fucking good.

The whole time she was looking up at me

with an innocent expression, as is she was checking
to make sure that she was doing well.

I wanted to tell her yes, that she was

doing extraordinary, that the way her tongue was
flicking and the way her mouth was closing around
me felt better than anything I had ever felt before.

My hands gripped her hair as I threw my

head back, losing myself to the pleasure as she
continued to work.

She had impeccable skills. She didn’t

even need my help to get my whole cock in her
mouth and down her throat.

She was a master at this, an artist in her

own right, working me up into a fever with the way
that she was touching me.

Using my grip on her hair, I urged her to

go faster, thrusting into her mouth at the same time.

For a moment she gagged but then

adjusted easily.

I could feel the cum building up, waiting

to burst. I knew that this release would be better
than anything else, that it would be a high I might
spend the rest of my life searching for. The
combination of the place, the timing, and the
person who was so lovingly sucking me off all
made for an incredible sensation.

“I’m gonna cum baby, are you ready for

me?”

Her eyes twinkled, and that was all the

confirmation that I needed.

I let myself go, her throat bobbing as she

swallowed what I was releasing into her. It felt so
good to finish with my hands tangled in her hair
with her on her knees before me. It gave me that
sense of power that I needed, that I craved.

Once I had finished, I released her,

stepping back. She was still on her knees, looking
up at me. A bit of my cum was dribbling down her
chin, but she licked it up.

“You taste so good,” she said. “Like

nothing else.”

“I’m glad you think so because if you

keep up that performance, you’ll be tasting a lot
more of me,” I said with a wink.

“Did I do good?”

“Oh baby, you did better than good. That

was amazing.” I extended a hand, pulling her to her
feet and into my chest. “You know exactly what
you’re doing.”

“Good,” she said, a smile on her face. “I

was hoping that you might like it.”

“Of course, I’m always down for that

kind of thing with you. You don’t even know the
things you do to me. Sometimes I just want to fuck
you all day and all night, forever and ever into the
infiniteness of time.”

“Then why don’t you?” She traced her

hand over my chest, the tips of her fingers sending
shivers down my spine. “I wouldn’t mind.”

“Because, unfortunately, I have other

duties to attend to. But for tonight, you’re my only
priority.”

I took her back home, but not to her

room. I wanted to keep my promise, and not leave
her for the night. So I took her to my room.

It wasn’t something I had ever done with

a woman before. To let another person sleep in my
bed, it was a great form of intimacy.

But I wanted to prove to her just how

much I cared about, and I wanted her to feel safe as
she fell asleep. So I stayed with her until morning,
her body close to mine, her breathing matching the

tempo of my thoughts until I was asleep.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Aurora

When I woke up, Malcolm was gone. But

this time it wasn’t a problem.

He hadn’t left suddenly, or without a

word. He had fallen asleep next to me and kissed
me goodbye when he had to leave.

I was still half-asleep, but I remembered,

and it made my insides feel warm.

I had never felt safer in someone else’s

bed, in someone else’s arms, than I did with
Malcolm. I was becoming used to his presence, his
idiosyncrasies, to the way he made me feel. It
didn’t scare me as much, though there was still a
sense that things weren’t exactly right.

But I also knew that no matter how much

I might wish it, we would never meet under
different circumstances, and he could never give up
his past. If I wanted to be with him, I had to stop
wishing for things to be different and start
accepting them as they were. We could work
through things, I was sure of it now. Last night had
made me sure of it.

I figured once Malcolm came back I

would ask him if I could call my dad again, but this

time to video chat. If he saw my face, if he saw
how much I meant what I was saying, and how
sincere Malcolm was, then things might still work
out.

But that was something to worry about

later. At the moment, I stretched my arms above
my head, smiling at the butterflies that were still
fluttering around in my stomach.

Waking up in Malcolm’s bed… it was an

absolute dream.

Even more than that, I could see now that

he left me a tray of breakfast on the table, as well
as a note.

I got up, padding over to take a look.

He had given me some soft silk pajamas

to change into before we went to sleep. They were
quite a bit too big since they were his, but I rolled
up the sleeves and hems and made do. I liked it
better than having my own because these smelled
of him.

I took a deep breath, inhaling both his

scent and the aroma of breakfast.

There was a plate of still-warm pancakes,

some fresh maple syrup, a tub of jam, and a bowl
full of fresh-cut fruit. A glass of orange juice was
on the side.

I picked up the note, unfolding it to reveal

a page of crisp handwriting.

I had to laugh to myself a bit. His

penmanship was just as I had expected it to be, all
neat and straight. There were no extra swirls to
show off, but everything looked almost as if it had
been typed.

The only way I knew it hadn’t been was

Malcolm’s signature at the bottom of the page, and
the smell of fresh calligraphy ink.

Dear Aurora, the paper read.

I had such a lovely time last night, I hope

that you know that. If I had a choice, I would have
spent the whole day with you in bed, just reading
or doing whatever you wanted to do, but
unfortunately I had some business to attend to.

It was wonderful waking up next to you,

and seeing you wearing my clothes was almost too
much for me to bear. I look forward to coming
home to you tonight so that we can do what we
missed out on this morning.

In the meantime, please enjoy the

breakfast I had prepared. You don’t have to leave
my suite if you don’t want to today. There’s a
button by the bedroom door that will allow you to
call for a maid, and I’ve instructed them to
provide for whatever you need, within reason of
course. Make sure that you get lunch and dinner,
and keep resting your leg. I’ll be back soon.

Then there was his signature. I smiled,

holding the note to my chest. It was the best
confirmation that I had gotten so far from Malcolm
that he really did have feelings for me, and I
wanted to treasure it forever.

I set it down gingerly on the table and set

up about eating the delectable breakfast that
Malcolm had left for me.

It was shortly after when I had lunch that

anything of interest happened. I spent my morning
reading in Malcolm’s bed, treasuring the
opportunity to be in a space that was important to
him.

I explored his suite as well, but there

wasn’t much to see. Malcolm didn’t seem to keep
anything personal, at least not in his bedroom and
the adjoining private rooms. Not that I could find
anyway.

This disappointed me a bit, as I wanted to

learn more about him. I wanted to get a better
glimpse at his life; what was important to him, what
items brought back memories.

But I could understand that Malcolm was

not that kind of man. If he kept anything for
sentimental value, it was likely tucked and hidden
away somewhere and never saw the light of day.

I was just contemplating getting up and

exploring again—maybe there was something that I
had missed—when the door to the room opened.

I stood, words of greeting on my lips,

before I realized that the man who entered was not
Malcolm like I had been expecting.

He looked to be about a decade older,

with a stern look. He was built strong, and heavy,
and the expression on his face immediately made
me want to hide.

“You need to come with me,” he said.

“Why?” I started to back up, hands

behind me, seeing if I could find anything to maybe
fight him off with. I wasn’t necessarily confident
that I would win in a fight, but if I could distract
him for long enough, I might be able to run for help.

Unfortunately for me, he seemed to know

exactly what I was trying to do, and he was across
the room and grabbing my arms in an instant. He
pinned them to my sides, leering down at me.

“I wouldn’t suggest doing that,

sweetheart. I’m not in the best of moods today.”

I struggled in his grip, trying to wrench

myself away, kick him, anything. Panic was rising
in my chest as I realized that I was well and truly in
danger at the moment.

“Let me go, let me go!” I screamed.

“Someone help!”

But no one came, and the man’s grin just

widened.

“Don’t even bother, you’ll make yourself

go hoarse that way. No one’s coming to save you.”

“Need any help in here boss?” another

voice asked, and I looked to see that another
couple of thugs had entered the rooms.

“That might be necessary. This one’s a

struggler.” The way he said those words made me
want to retch in disgust.

I could do nothing as the men bound my

ankles and wrists and then stuffed a gag into my
mouth. I wasn’t struggling as much now. I knew
that there was no way I could get away from them
at the moment, and it would be better to save my
energy for when there was an actual opportunity to
escape.

One of them— not their boss— slung me

over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, his hand
resting firmly on my butt. I had never felt so
violated before as they carried me down the stairs.

We made our way back through the

house, and then out to the front where I was tossed
into the back seat of a large black car. Someone got
in next to me and held me steady as the car
rumbled to life and then set off down the road.

I didn’t know what they wanted with me,

or how I was supposed to get out of this one alive.

I just had to hope that Malcolm would

realize in time to come to my rescue.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Malcolm

The job hadn’t gone as planned, but I

didn’t know its true nature until we got back to the
mansion.

Our informant had been wrong about the

quantity of drugs, as well as the level of security
they were under. I brought along quite a few men,
but we barely needed to lift a finger to get in.

My guess was that most of the shipment

had been moved already, as when we got there
there was hardly anything for us to destroy.

But I hadn’t suspected that it was a

distraction, not in the least.

It was only when we got back to the

mansion, and several members of rushed up to me,
shaking, cowering, that I realized something was
seriously wrong.

“What is it, what happened?” I asked

them.

“They took her!” one of them said, and I

didn’t need any further elaboration to know exactly
who they were talking about.

Liam Hawthorne.

A low growl formed deep in my throat,

and I resisted the urge to start breaking things
around me. Clearly the staff was already shaken up,
and I didn’t want to scare them any further. The
last people I was mad was them.

More than anything, I was mad at myself.

I should have realized the whole set up

was a ruse, a way to get me and a good bit of my
team out of the way for a good few hours.

“We tried to stop him, but there were too

many of them,” another said, looking as if he
thought I might punish them.

“It’s not your fault,” I said, wanting to

make sure they knew I wasn’t about to blow up at
them. “Hawthorne is just a prick and fool, but he
can be quite scary. He’ll get what’s coming to him
now.”

“Should we make a move now?” Misha

asked, sensing that I was concerned.

“No.” No matter how much I might be

worried about Aurora, I also couldn’t risk anyone
else. “We need time to regroup first, figure out
what our plan of action is.”

“I’ll see what information I can find,”

Gilles said, and immediately scurried away. I
assumed that he was retreating to his computer
lounge to compile the info we would need to rescue
Aurora. The security cameras might reveal some

important details.

“I’ll gather men as soon as you need me

to,” Misha said.

Noah’s hand rested gently on my

shoulder. “We’ll get her back, don’t worry.”

I was worried. I couldn’t help but be

worried. She was the best thing that had happened
to me in a while, and by getting attached to her I
had put her in danger. I wouldn’t be able to forgive
myself if she got hurt.

“We better. Either way, Liam’s going to

pay.”

“I think at the moment we have another

problem,” Leroi said.

I snapped my head around to face him.

“Which would be?”

“Well, if you haven’t already noticed,

Aurora is gone, which means the door is wide open
for Kline to do whatever he wants without worrying
about her safety.”

I shook my head. “How could he be okay

with letting those thugs handle her. If anything,
their reputation is worse than mine.”

“Liam might have done it without

consulting him first,” Noah suggested. “And now
that he has Kline’s daughter, he’ll be telling him
that he has to finish the job to get her back. That

would certainly motivate him.”

I stroked my chin, considering things for a

second.

There had to be a way out of this, a way

where no one was hurt except those who deserved
to be.

“Now might be our chance to get Samuel

Kline on our side,” I finally said.

“What do you mean?” Noah asked at the

same time that Leroi said, “And how do you intend
to do that?”

I smiled. “Easy, I let him come to me.”

It took a few hours to get everything into

position, and I kept worrying that Kline would
show up too soon, but it appeared he wasn’t quite
ready to kill me yet.

We needed the perfect setup for this to

work, and even then it wasn’t one hundred percent
foolproof.

Noah hated the plan, but he always hated

it when I put myself in any sort of danger.

Leroi was all for it, and Misha was

cautious but more enthusiastic. Gilles was just glad
that we had finally found a possible solution, and
that he could provide assistance.

I was sitting in one of the chairs in the

very front living room, reading a book. We had left
the entryway not completely unguarded but looking
lax enough that it might give Kline a false sense of
confidence.

There were concealed guards in the room

where I was, but I knew that in case of a real
emergency none of them would be able to move
fast enough to save me.

It was all up to me now, and Samuel

Kline.

Hopefully, he would listen to me, and I

would gain a useful ally for the day. If not… I hated
to think about it, but I might have to kill him.
Aurora would be devastated, so I sincerely hoped
that it wouldn’t come to that.

Kline was smart enough to know that he

couldn’t be around to take care of his daughter if
he was dead.

I didn’t have to wait much longer after

we set up before Kline arrived, but I did begin to
grow impatient.

It was difficult to concentrate on reading,

or looking nonchalant at least when you were
waiting for someone to try to kill you.

Kline slipped through the door, into the

room that I was in, as quiet as a snake. If I hadn’t

been expecting him, I wouldn’t have known that he
was there at all.

I kept a subtle eye on him as he got into

position, and then cocked his gun.

I could tell from the way that he was

looking at me that Samuel Kline was pissed. But
underneath that anger was also fear, and I knew
that I would be able to succeed if I played on that.

It was time for me to make my move.

“Won’t you at least talk first, before you

kill me?” I said, making Kline jump in surprise. “I
think you and I might be able to come to an
agreement.”

“I think we both know that’s the last

thing I want right now, Malcolm.” He spat out my
name as if even the sound of it tasted like dirt in his
mouth.

“Is it really? I would have thought with

your whole situation, you might want some help
rescuing your daughter.”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Liam is a bad man, and

your daughter is in danger. The last thing I want is
for her to get hurt, I think we can both agree on
that, and the longer she’s with Liam, the more
unlikely she is to come out of this unscathed.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Aurora

The place they took me to was far from

the dingy hideaway I was expecting. Someone
blindfolded me while we were in the car, so I just
had the sense of time passing without knowledge of
where I was or where we were headed.

Each time the car stopped, my heart leapt

into my throat at the thought that this might be our
destination, but each time it seemed to be nothing
more than a red light.

I began to lose track of how long I had

been in that car. My hands were slowly growing
numb from the bindings, and my whole body felt
out of place. It was almost like, physically, I wasn’t
there at all, but somewhere far away instead.

Finally, or maybe not finally because I

didn’t want to be there at all, the car stopped one
last time. It quieted as the engine was turned off,
and then I was yanked out the door. I felt the cool
air hit my face for a moment until I was carried into
a building.

We must have gotten into an elevator

then because my body felt the sensation of sinking.

This told me that the hideout had to be

underground.

I was taken far from the elevator before I

was set down again. They then stood me up, untied
my hands only to tie them again to something
above my head, and then tied my feet together to
something on the ground.

I assumed I had been bound to a pole,

and my suspicions were confirmed when my
blindfold was finally removed.

Sweaty, meaty hands caressed my face,

and then lifted the fabric from my eyes, allowing
me to see again.

The figure who first came into my room

was standing in front of me, a sick grin on his face.

“Welcome to my humble abode,

sweetheart. I’ve heard so much about you,” he
said. I couldn’t help but cringe away— his breath
was absolutely vile.

He stepped back, giving me an

opportunity to take in the room around me.

It was opulent, covered in the kind of

gilded furniture that blinded your vision, and
accented with rich red velvet. It was obviously
expensive, but seemed to be in poor taste.

From what I could tell, the room that I

was currently in was the dining room. There was a
table in front of me with chairs around it and

several large plates of food. All the chairs faced in
my direction, and I assumed that was because this
pole was mainly used for entertainment.

It was a golden pole, coming out of a

medium-sized platform on the ground and
extending all the way up to the ceiling.

My wrists were suspended by a hook that

had been attached to it, which I could only assume
meant that this man was in the habit of tying up
girls and putting them on display.

It wasn’t a very comforting thought.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” the man

said. “My name is Liam Hawthorne, and I am
currently your father’s employer. He asked us to
look after you for a bit so he can finish his job
without you getting in his way.”

He grabbed a lock of my hair, letting it

slide through his hand. “Which means you’re
currently my responsibility. There’s no need to
worry though, I’ll take very good care of you. I
always do.” His last words were said in a low voice
that sent shivers down my spine, but not the kind I
liked.

The shivers that Malcolm gave me were

of pleasure.

The only thing Liam gave me were

creeps.

“My father would have never agreed to

this,” I said, spitting into his face.

He blinked, wiping away the saliva, and

then looking at me with burning anger in his eyes.
“Is that so? Well, then you’re mistaken, you little
bitch.”

He backhanded me, and my cheek stung

as his hand made contact with my skin.

“Let that teach you to disrespect me

again. Now, be a good little girl and behave.”

“In your wildest dreams,” I said. “You’ll

never make me compliant.”

“Oh?” he raised his eyebrows, and I

regretted what I had said and done. This man was
powerful and ruthless. I had to remind myself of
that.

If I upset him too much, there was no

telling what he might do. He clearly felt no
obligation to treat me well.

“Gag her,” he said to one of his men. “I

don’t want to have to deal with her back talking at
the moment.”

“You bastard—” I tried to scream, but

one of Liam’s men was already shoving the gag into
my mouth with such force that I felt the corners of
my lips crack.

Tears were streaming down my face

involuntarily, and my chest was seizing up. I had no
idea what was going to happen to me, or if I would
even get out of this alive.

All I wanted at the moment was for

Malcolm to be there, just to be in his arms. I
wanted him holding me; I wanted to breathe in his
comforting scent.

I had to hope that he knew where I was

and that he would come for me soon. That thought
was the only thing that kept me from breaking
down entirely.

Liam walked back over to the table,

seating himself in the center chair. His eyes
examined me hungrily as he pulled one of the plates
full of food and a glass full of wine closer to
himself.

No one else sat, but his men stood guard

around him, and I knew there had to be several
more just out of sight.

I resisted the urge to just lower my head

and stare at the ground so I wouldn’t have to look
at Liam and see the way he was staring at me, but I
still felt a need to be defiant, so I stared at him
straight on.

Then he began to eat.

The way that Liam Hawthorn ate was one

of the more disgusting things that I had ever seen in

my life. Every bite he took left debris around his
lips, and he didn’t bother closing his mouth to
chew.

Saliva and dribbles of wine ran down his

chin, dripping onto the tablecloth. Some poor
servant was going to have to clean up the mess he
was making.

It might have been more tolerable, had

Liam not been looking at me the entire time. He
stared at me as if he wanted to devour me as if he
was tasting me in every bite. It made my insides
churn and my eyes fill with tears,

I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to be

far away, in a world where none of this had ever
happened, where my dad had a normal job, and
Malcolm and I had met under different
circumstances.

I wanted to be in a world in which this

disparity between opulence and the poverty it
created didn’t exist, where Liam Hawthorne didn’t
exist, where he wasn’t staring at me in a way that
made me remember what almost happened when I
escaped.

I stood there, my shoulders aching as I

sagged against my bonds until Liam finished every
last morsel of food on his plate and drank every last
drop of his wine.

He wiped his face clean on the table cloth

and then stood.

“Call for a maid,” he said to one of his

men, who bowed and immediately disappeared.
“The rest of you, leave us.” They did as he said,
scattering like rats from the room.

Then, his attention turned back to me.

He walked around the table, coming

towards me with the same hunger in his eyes. I tried
to scream, but the gag muffled it, and it only sent
tears running down my face.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun, you

and I,” he said, looking my body up and down. “I
promise.”

He reached up, unhooking my wrists, and

beginning to undo the ropes that held them in place.

“I know your father will understand. This

is the interest I’m taking since it took him so long to
do as he promised. If he’s upset, I’ll just pay him a
little extra. That always shuts him up.”

How many other times had Liam given

my father extra money for vile things? And would
my father really be okay with whatever was about
to happen to me, what was happening to me?

I could only think of one reason why he

might be untying me, and the thought of it did not
sit well in my stomach.

I may have avoided it when I escaped,

but unless someone stopped him within the next
few minutes, I knew that Liam Hawthorne was
going to rape me.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Malcolm

“What do you mean?” Kline asked, his

brows furrowing together. “That can’t be right.”

“Didn’t you hear me? Your daughter is in

danger. Very immediate danger.”

“That wasn’t the agreement though.” He

seemed to be saying this mostly to himself. “They
were just supposed to get her out of here, then take
her to the hotel we agreed on, not… How do you
know she’s with them?”

He glared at me as if I might hold some

extra information that he didn’t know.

It did seem as if, this time, I actually did.

It made sense that Liam would lie to him about
what he planned to do. Kline would have never
agreed to it, and Liam was the type of man to go
behind people’s backs.

He thought that the things that he did

could be excused because he had money, and at the
same time, never felt like he had enough of it. He
was exactly the kind of person I hated most in this
world.

“Because I have footage of them

kidnapping her. And I have to say, he was a great

deal less gentle than I was. Wake up, Samuel. He
didn’t rescue your daughter, he took her by force,
and he certainly didn’t do it just to allow you to
finally kill me.”

“What are you suggesting?” his voice was

low, dangerous. I was hoping he wouldn’t just kill
me if he didn’t like what I said, but I could never
really know how things were going to play out.

“You know his reputation, Samuel. Think.

What would he do with a pretty, young woman like
your daughter when he knows there won’t be any
consequences?”

His expression flickered to one of horror.

It was just for a second, but it was enough.

“We might still be able to save her from

the worst of it. Think, I have the manpower, and
the will, as well as the money to compensate you
afterward. And you must have a vague knowledge
of where he would have taken her. Between the
two of us, we should be able to track him down and
rescue her.”

Kline’s gun was still aimed at me, which

was not where I hoped we would be at this point in
the conversation, but I could still understand. He
was scared, confused, and concerned for his
daughter’s safety.

He seemed to consider things for a good

few minutes. Then, finally, he sighed and lowered

the gun.

“You’re right, Astor. But don’t think that

this means I forgive you or am suddenly on your
side.”

“Of course, I don’t make assumptions,” I

said with a grin. A rush of relief had gone through
me the moment that Kline put away the gun. I was
usually confident, especially in my abilities to
persuade people, but there had been a few times
during that conversation that I had been unsure.

I stood, walking over to Kline and

offering him a hand. He didn’t take it. “We should
go,” I said. “My men are waiting on me, and they
probably already have some ideas about how we
can rescue her.”

Kline laughed, but it was not a happy

sound. “You really took a gamble there, didn’t you
Malcolm?”

I shrugged. “Maybe. There were guards

in here the whole time though, and you know I
could have killed you if I wanted to.”

“Maybe, maybe not. You never know

until it happens, and I intend to avoid finding out.”

“Agreed,” I said. “I would hate to have to

kill you, I think then Aurora would kill me.”

Kline stiffened. “I’d prefer it if you did

not talk about my daughter that way.”

“Noted, now let’s go.”

Thankfully for us, Kline was intimately

familiar with the layout of Liam’s base, as well as
its location.

It was a bit careless of Liam, but I knew

how much he liked to show off, and it seemed as if
he thought his new hitman would be the perfect
man to appreciate his new decorations. (I was
informed by Samuel that they were really quite
gaudy.)

The only problem was we had no idea

where Liam might be holding Aurora. We would
have to move fast, and question people along the
way. I didn’t want her there any longer than was
necessary.

The hideout was under one of the large

buildingsdowntown, and thankfully we had no
trouble to get in. With the men we had brought,
those who were guarding the entrance cowered and
we were able to pass.

I had no doubt that they would alert Liam

to our presence, but I didn’t mind that. Let him
know we were coming, it was of no consequence to
me.

Kline showed us the elevator that led to

the floors underground, tucked away at the back of

the building. It was the kind of thing that you
wouldn’t notice unless you already knew that it was
there.

We crowded as many of us as would fit—

me, Kline, and the Four. Kline instructed the rest of
the men we brought with us what floor to go to. I
told them that we would wait for a few minutes, but
I wanted to split up to cover as much ground as
possible.

I already told them who we were looking

for and what they should do on the drive over.
There hadn’t been much other time for briefing
since I wanted to get going as fast as possible. I had
already wasted enough time waiting for Kline and
convincing him to join us.

We rode the elevator down in silence. I

knew the Four didn’t dare interrupt my thoughts
when I was in this sort of mood, and Kline was
clearly just as anxious and angry as I was.

I was too impatient when we got out of

the elevator to wait for the rest of our men. Kline
already told them where they could go once they
got out, so we headed in a different direction.

Liam’s base was exactly as I expected it

to be. It was gaudy, stuffy, and quite dusty in
places. The hallways were dim, and there seemed
to be quite a bit of unnecessary space only being
used to show off his ill-acquired wealth.

We wove through, quickly scanning each

room for anyone that might have information on
where Liam might be.

Each person we came upon cowered, and

each had the same response. That they didn’t know
where he was, they had just been informed that he
shouldn’t be disturbed.

Their response could only mean one

thing, I knew. That Liam was about to have his way
with Aurora. I would never forgive myself if we got
there too late.

Kline had the same sense of urgency that

I felt, and together we rushed through the place,
almost leaving the Four behind in the process. I
could feel us becoming closer, as we experienced
similar emotional stress, though I doubted that the
camaraderie would last.

Finally, we burst through a closed door

that Samuel had never been in, and there they
were.

Aurora was tied up in the center of the

room, looking absolutely frightened. In front of her
was Liam. He was looking at her with a hunger in
his eyes, and he had just finished undoing her binds.

“You scoundrel!” I screamed, launching

myself across the room at him.

He looked up at me, surprise in his eyes,

as I tackled him— pushing him away from Aurora.

My vision was blurred by anger. The only

thing I could see was Liam beneath me as I pinned
him down with my knees and punched his face so
hard I felt the bones in my knuckles crack.

Liam was bigger than me, and he bucked

beneath me, throwing me off of him and to the side.
I stood, only to receive a hard blow to the chest
that knocked me back even more.

My eyes watering, I got into position,

readying myself for another onslaught of attacks.

“You think you can win this fight?” I

yelled. “Come at me!”

Liam launched himself towards me, and I

used his momentum to throw him down. He got up,
and we engaged in a series of blows. Neither of us
had a clear advantage, and I knew there were only
so many hits my body could take.

Liam was unpredictable and just as well-

trained as I was. This made him dangerous,
especially in a fight.

But I wanted to win. I needed to win.

He had hurt the best thing that had come

into my life in a long while. He made her cry, and
so I would make him suffer.

Then Liam stepped back. It was just for a

moment, only enough so that he could ready

himself for another blow, but it was enough.

A gunshot rang through the room, and

Liam Hawthorne fell to the ground, dead.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Aurora

It was too much to process at once, but I

knew enough to be relieved. Liam was lying on the
floor, bleeding out from a probably fatal gunshot
wound that my dad had inflicted.

I couldn’t believe that he was here, that

he had shot Liam, and that he brought Malcolm
with him to save me.

It confirmed everything that Malcolm had

said. Though on the one hand, I was glad that my
dad had come to my rescue, there had still been a
small part of me holding out hope that Malcolm
was lying about who my dad was.

But now the truth was right in front of

me, and there was no way to dispute it.

“Dad….” I said, stumbling over myself to

get to him. He wrapped me in a tight embrace,
holding me close enough to make me feel safe,
even in a place such as this.

“I’m here now, it’s okay,” he whispered,

stroking my hair with one hand.

Malcolm’s voice interrupted us. “I’m

pleased you two are reunited, but we have to get
out of here, now. There’s no telling what these

people will do once they discover that their leader
is dead.”

To my surprise, my dad pulled away from

me and nodded, the expression on his face deadly
serious. “Let’s go,” he said, grabbing my arm tight.

“I’ve already contacted the others,”

Misha said. “They’ll meet us outside.”

“You brought other people?” I asked

Malcolm.

“I wanted to make sure we got you out

safe,” he replied. “With more people, we had a
better chance of finding you faster. I’m grateful
that we weren’t too late.”

I nodded, hating to think of the things that

might have happened to me had they just been just
five or ten minutes later.

I would have been violated.

I still would never forget the way that

Liam stared at me when he ate; and how his hands
felt against my skin when he undid my binds; much
less the way he had looked in death, a puddle of
blood spreading around him. But there were still
worse things that might have happened to me, and
the thought of them made me shiver.

“I’ll never let this happen to you, ever

again,” my father said, squeezing me to his side.
“Now, we have to go.”

With my dad leading the way, we made

our way through Liam’s underground hideout. The
few people we encountered on the way looked at
us curiously but didn’t attack.

I was grateful for this. I didn’t know if I

could bear to see any more death.

There was something about death that

stuck with you, no matter who it happened to. They
could be your worst enemy, but seeing them die in
front of you would still be traumatic.

This was how I felt about Liam. I didn’t

care much that he was dead, but to see it happen in
front of me, and with such clear detail too….

Not too long after we got outside, the

others that Malcolm had mentioned joined us, and
we separated into cars.

I was riding with Malcolm, Noah, and my

dad. The two of us sat in the back while Malcolm
drove and Noah sat in the passenger seat. Malcolm
had wanted me to join him up front, my dad had
disagreed, and that was the end of that
conversation.

As soon as we were a good distance away

and heading back to the mansion Malcolm spoke
up.

“We need to talk about where you want

to live, Aurora,” he said, making eye contact with

me in the rearview mirror.

“What do you mean?” my dad asked.

“She’s going back to her home.”

“Shouldn’t you give her a choice?”

“What choice is there to make?”

Malcolm sighed. “I know that you don’t

agree with this whole thing, Samuel, but I want her
to move in. She’ll be safer living with me, and
there’s plenty of space. If you really feel the need,
you’re welcome to move in as well.”

My heart jumped in my chest at the

thought of living with Malcolm, formally this time. I
could wake up beside him every day, have
breakfast in his sunlit kitchen, read the abundant
books in his library, and go to sleep next to him
every night.

“Malcolm, the only reason this whole

thing happened is because you kidnapped her. I’m
thankful that you helped save her, but I can’t just
forgive you for that. And then to let her move in
with you? That’s on a whole different level.”

“She’s an adult—”

“Yes, I am,” I said, butting into the

conversation. “So I would appreciate it if you
didn’t talk about me as if I wasn’t here. I can make
my own decisions.” My father was right. Moving in
was too fast, especially after everything that had

happened. I needed some time to myself to think,
and for things to go back to normal.

“I don’t think moving in with you right

now is the best idea. Liam was the main threat I
needed to be protected from, and he’s gone now.
For the moment, I just want to take things slow, go
back to living a more normal life before jumping
into things.”

Malcolm looked disappointed, but he

nodded in agreement anyway. “Of course. I can
respect that. But if you ever need anything, know
that my doors are always open.”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” my dad said,

his words sharp. It was clear he didn’t want this
conversation to go on any longer than necessary,
and that he didn’t agree with what was happening
between us.

I could only hope that in the coming

months he would come to understand Malcolm as I
did, see all the many complicated sides of him.
There was no one way to categorize Malcolm—
good or bad. But I knew that I liked him and I
trusted him, and that was what mattered.

When we got back to the mansion, my

dad wanted us to leave right away. But I told him
there were some things I wanted to get first.

He seemed to understand what I meant,

and though he wasn’t particularly happy about it,
he let me do it.

What I really wanted was time with

Malcolm, just the two of us. I wanted to talk about
what was happening, and where we were going to
go from here. More than that, I wanted to kiss him
again before I left.

Malcolm and I headed up to his room,

and one the way he told a main to pack a bag with
the clothing he bought for me.

When I protested he merely shook his

head. “They’re yours, I want you to enjoy them,”
he said. “Besides, I expect to see you in them
again.”

“That’s a promise,” I replied with a laugh.

“But you’ll have to take me somewhere fancy
enough to wear them.”

He smiled a mischievous smile. “Oh,

don’t worry. You know me.”

I blushed, thinking of how he had booked

an entire restaurant just for me. I had no doubt in
my mind that the dates we went on next would be
just as fun and interesting, and hopefully would end
just as wonderfully too.

Sleeping in his bed that night had been

like occupying heaven.

He closed the door behind us and pulled

me to his body as soon as we entered his room. He
buried his head in my hair, whispering to me, “I
didn’t know if I would ever see you again.”

“I trusted you would come for me,” I

said.

“But why would you? You know I'm a

selfish, cruel person. I didn’t even want you to
move in to protect you. I just wanted you to be
around.”

I pushed back slightly so that I could look

him in the eyes. “But you came, didn’t you? And
you came before that too. And I know that you’ll
come every time I need you.”

He looked down at me with wide, blue

eyes. “But what if I don’t?”

I sighed, leaning my head against his

chest. “No what-ifs for the moment. Can’t we just
be?”

“I suppose,” he said, resting his hand on

my lower back. “I still don’t know how this
happened. How I managed to catch your attention.
I know I say I’m not a bad man, but every time I
think about how much better you could do.”

“I don’t want anyone better. All I want is

you.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Malcolm

Aurora left shortly after with her father,

to get settled back at home. I missed her, but there
was nothing I could do about it. Her father made it
clear that they needed space.

Since Liam was dead, it left a lot of turf

open to claim and clean up. I had no doubt that if I
left things for too long, darkness would fester in the
wake of his death.

So I busied myself for a few weeks with

spreading my influence and taking over Liam’s old
territory. It was hard work, but I knew it would all
be worth it in the end. Already things were getting
better in those areas. Knowing who Liam had dealt
with, I was able to provide resources to them to get
help.

And many of them did.

Knowing that people would be safer, that

the streets would be cleaner, that was enough
motivation for me to keep going.

The Four were with me through all of it,

but it took me a while to see Aurora again.

I didn’t even know if I should contact her

at first. It seemed wrong, somehow, after

everything that had happened.

But it only took Noah one look at my

moping expression to know exactly what was on
my mind.

“Call her you fool,” he said. “She

deserves at least that much.”

So I did. And, to my surprise, we talked

for hours. We eventually had to hang up because it
was getting late and she needed to get some sleep
for her day at work, but it was enough to confirm to
me that things were real and still worth pursuing.

We decided for our first date after

everything we should do something a little more
normal and not terribly fancy.

I agreed readily. All I really wanted was

to be around her again, no matter how that was. Of
course, I might have preferred to show off to her
and take her somewhere she had never been
before, but I respected that this was something that
made her more comfortable.

So we decided to have a picnic in a little

park close to where she lived.

It was a nice neighborhood, quite quaint,

but I felt like a sore thumb driving through it. It
clearly was a place for the middle class and
families, not excessive wealth and luxury cars. I
should have taken a different vehicle, who knew if

it might make her uncomfortable.

But then I saw her, standing on her front

porch, a white sundress flowing around her, and I
forgot all my worries.

As soon as she spotted me she smiled and

waved.

I parked, and she walked over, getting

into the passenger seat of the car.

“You look nice,” she said, giving me a

kiss on the cheek. God, I wanted to take her right
there.

“And you look divine.” She blushed, but

it was true. She reminded me of Aphrodite at that
moment, but she wouldn’t need a love spell to
make me fall for her. She had the beauty of a
goddess without needing any of the magic.

“So, where is this park?”

“Did you not check maps?” she asked

with a laugh.

I shrugged. “I thought you could give me

directions.”

She nudged me gently with her shoulder.

“Admit it, you just want to hear me talk.”

“I’m not going to deny that.” I pressed a

gentle kiss to her lips. “So do you think you could
give me directions?”

“Of course!”

She led me through the quaint streets of

her neighborhood, though the park was only a
couple of blocks away. We found somewhere to
park, and then I went around to the trunk to pull
out a picnic blanket and a basket containing our
lunch.

“I think you’ll like this,” I said, lifting the

basket high. “I made it myself.”

“Is that so?” she raised her eyebrows. “I

didn’t know you could cook.”

“One of my many secrets.” I winked. “I

learned from the best. And though I’m no three-star
Michelin restaurant chef by any means, the stuff I
make is still pretty tasty.”

“I’m excited to try it then,” she said,

letting out a little laugh. I loved the sound of her
laughter. It had such an angelic quality; every time
it put my mind at ease and made my heart leap in
my chest.

The park was small, but quite beautiful. It

was filled with large, green trees, and grass spread
out beneath them like a carpet. Wildflowers grew
around the edges, and paths wove through.

We picked a spot beneath a particularly

large tree, and I spread out the picnic blanket for
the two of us to sit on.

We sat across from each other, and I

began to pull dishes out of the basket. I prepared
some fresh spring salads to start with, with slices of
freshly baked bread and butter imported from
France. Then for lunch, I had made a fruit salad
and a cold pasta dish. For dessert, there was fresh
strawberry shortcake with homemade whipped
cream.

“This looks amazing!” she said, eyeing

the spread before her. “Are you really sure you
made all of this?”

I leaned forward. “Let me tell you a

secret. All you really need to do to make people
think you are a good chef is pick a few dishes you
like and learn how to make those really well and
then never make anything else.”

She stifled a giggle. “That sounds like

cheating to me.”

I shrugged. “I mean, if it works, it works.

Besides, if you allow yourself to perfect a few
things rather than try to be good at absolutely
everything, you’ll find it’s a lot more rewarding.”

“I guess I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

“Oh? Are you planning on cooking for me

next?”

“Only if you promise to help me.”

“Only if you let me pick out what you’ll

be wearing.”

She stopped to consider this for a

moment, her face going red thinking of the
possibilities. But I knew she liked these games, and
she liked doing what I told her to.

“Deal.”

“Good, how does tomorrow morning

sound? I can send someone for you, and we can
make breakfast at my house.” I was already
imagining her in nothing but an apron, her tight
little ass on display for me.

We began to eat, continuing to tease and

banter. I was so focused on our exchange, that I
didn’t notice the man approaching until it was
already too late.

I had expected there to be some backlash

from Liam’s subordinates, but I never expected it
outside of my working hours. I had taken extra care
when coming to get Aurora that no one was
following me, so the only explanation it had to be
that he was in this area and recognized me.

He swung down at me from behind, and I

turned at the last millisecond, surprised and
confused. But his fist never made contact with my
skin.

Aurora had reached out, blocking the hit

with a strong forearm. Then she stood, readying her

stance, and released a quick succession of hits on
the man.

He was so surprised that he didn’t know

how to react. It was obvious from the expression on
his face that he never thought that he would be
facing Aurora, or that she would have these kinds
of skills.

He scrambled back and away from her,

running off before I even had the chance to process
most of what was going on.

“Where did you learn to do that?” I asked

as she sat back down and took another bite of her
food.

She shrugged, a smile creeping onto her

face that told me this was a secret she had been
wanting to share with me for a while.

“I’ve been training with my father. I… ”

She hesitated. “I want to help you clean up. It’s
something that’s important to you, so I want to
make it something important to me as well. I’ll still
be working at the Humane Society, but if you’ll
have me, I’d love to join you.”

I couldn’t help the smile that overtook my

features. “Of course, I’d love to have you.” I
wanted to sweep her into my arms right then and
there. I loved protecting her, but the idea of her
fighting at my side was even more appealing.

She winced then, and my expression

immediately became one of concern. “Are you
okay? Did he hurt you?”

“No, I’m fine,” she replied. “My stomach

just feels a little weird. It’s been doing this lately, I
don’t exactly know why though.”

“Do you think you’re sick?”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “Though who’s

to say it’s not your cooking.”

“I would never give you food that would

make you feel like that,” I said. “If it’s really that
I'll find whoever’s responsible and make them pay.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, waving

me off, then winced again. “I think I just need to go
home. Sorry, I wanted to spend more time with
you.”

I began to pack things away, watching her

to make sure that she wasn’t in any more pain. “Of
course, it’s fine. What matters to me is that you’re
okay. You’re very important to me, I hope you
know that.”

She smiled. “I do.”

Chapter Thirty

Aurora

I didn’t want to let Malcolm know, but

my stomach was really killing me worse than I had
made it seem like.

I didn’t want him to worry, which was

why I waited until I had waved goodbye and was
inside before running to the bathroom to retch,
throwing up most of what I had eaten.

The strange thing was that I didn’t have

many other symptoms of being sick, just the upset
stomach. It had been like this for the last few days,
but I had no idea what I could have eaten that
would make me feel this way.

It did suck, because I had wanted to

spend more time with Malcolm, and the food that
he had prepared had looked so appetizing. It was
delicious, but now it was no longer in me, and I
would have to eat something else.

Finally, I decided that I should call up

someone. My dad was currently not home. He was
interviewing at some companies. He had promised
me after everything was over that he would get a
normal job, something less dangerous, and he was
following through.

He had begrudgingly accepted Malcolm’s

help in the matter. Malcolm pulled a few strings,
called up a few people, and now my dad was
getting calls from companies that wanted to
interview him. I was infinitely happy for him, but I
also needed someone to be with right now while I
was feeling sick.

So I called the only other person who I

trusted to be around me and not tell Malcolm what
was going on.

It took a few rings for her to pick up, but

she had never let me down before.

“Aurora?” Hailey’s voice came through

the line. “I thought you were on a date today, why
are you calling me? Did something go wrong?”

“Kind of, but not with the date. I just

started feeling sick again. I ended up throwing up.”

“Again? Girl, when’s the last time your

period came? Are you sure you’re not pregnant?”

Panic went through me at the thought of

that possibility. I did want to have a kid with
Malcolm eventually, but things didn’t feel stable
enough yet, and I had no idea how he would feel
about the matter. So it couldn’t be that. Anything
but that.

“Please don’t joke about that,” I said.

Hailey must have heard the anxiety in my

voice, for she immediately backed off.

“Okay, okay, I was just kidding. I’m sure

you just got food poisoning from something you
ate, it should go away soon. Do you want me to
come over?”

“Aren’t you busy?”

Hailey had some exams coming up for

veterinary school that I knew she had to be
studying for.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I can’t

spend time with you. You know my ability to multi-
task is legendary.”

I laughed. “Of course, of course, I’ll see

you soon then.”

“Be there in a bit!” The phone clicked as

she hung up, and I was left to my own thoughts
again.

It was true that Hailey was notoriously

good at multitasking. Last semester she managed
the front desk, flirted with customers, filed
paperwork, and studied for her exams at the same
time.

It seemed that she did better when she

had multiple things to concentrate on at the same
time. It was just something about the way her brain
functioned.

I had always questioned it, because it

wasn’t something I could do at all, but now I was
grateful for her strange ability.

I needed her support right now, whether I

wanted to acknowledge it or not.

Hailey arrived soon after she hung up,

with a selection of some of our favorite movies, and
some salty snacks that she knew I liked.

She set things down, then immediately

headed to the kitchen to get me a glass of water.

“You need to keep yourself hydrated,”

she said, “and make sure that you get some food. I
know crackers always go down well with me when
my stomach hurts, and the salt will help you stay
hydrated.”

“Thanks,” I said, smiling up at her as she

brought the glass of water back to me. “I’m really
glad that you care so much about me.”

“Of course!” She hugged me tight to her

side. “You’re my best friend after all, and work
would be so boring without you.”

I laughed. “That’s quite true.”

“What do you want to watch?” she

asked. “I figured we should pick something that
will help you get your mind off of how you’re
feeling.”

“I don’t know,” I said with a sigh, eyeing

the collection of films she had brought. Usually, we
liked to watch romance together, but I didn’t know
if that was something I wanted at the moment.

It would remind me too much of what

was going on in my own life, and the fear that I was
harboring that perhaps Hailey could be right and I
was pregnant.

She laughed when she saw my

expression. “Don’t worry, I brought some variety.”
she produced from the stack several dog movies,
the kind that were so sappy sweet they were
guaranteed to make you cry. “I’ve never known
you to turn down one of these before.”

Tears welled up in my eyes, even though

it really wasn’t something to be crying over at all.
“Hailey!”

“Woah there, you okay?” She wiped

away a stray tear. “Don’t go crying on me yet, we
still have many hours of dog films to get through.
And I expect you to eat at least a full packet of
crackers.”

“Of course, I’m just happy. I’m really

grateful that you’re my friend.”

“Don’t think I’ve ever known you to be

this emotional about this before…. ” I could sense
the words on the tip of her tongue, that she wanted
to say. Are you sure you’re not pregnant?

No, I wasn’t sure. And the truth was, I

didn’t know if I could handle knowing. There was
an easy fix to all of this. I could take a pregnancy
test, and put my fears to ease once and for all.

But if it was true….

I didn’t want to know yet.

We settled in next to each other as Hailey

put the first movie on. She encouraged me to snack
and drink water, which I was grateful for. It was
making my stomach feel better, and I didn’t feel as
if I was going to vomit again.

When we got to lull in the first movie,

Hailey turned to me, a question bright in her eyes.

“Hey, you should tell me more about

Malcolm’s friends.”

“Oh? Okay.” It was a strange question for

her to ask, but I didn’t mind humoring her. “There
are four of them that he’s really close to. Noah
seems to be his best friend. He’s cool and level-
headed and seems like a nice person. Malcolm told
me that Noah keeps him steady when he’s going
through stuff. Then there’s Misha. He’s tall,
Russian, and like super quiet and serious. I hardly
know anything about him

“Leroi and Gilles are the other two. Gilles

seems super smart, but we haven’t talked much,
he’s a little shy. And Leroi is a self-described

womanizer.”

Hailey raised her eyebrows. “Has he hit

on you?”

I shook my head with a laugh. “No, I

think he’s way too scared of Malcolm to try that.”

There was a moment of quiet, Hailey

fiddling with her fingers next to me, then she asked,
“Do you think any of them are single? I mean, you
know how hard it is to find decent guys in LA.”

“Don’t worry about it. I mean, Malcolm

told me that Misha’s recently started seeing
someone. I think Noah’s single? But I’m unsure.
Same with Gilles. And then Leroi is too much of a
player to ever not be single.”

She fidgeted a little, as if the next thing

that she was going to ask me was particularly
embarrassing. “Do you think you could set me up
with Leroi?”

I almost spat out my drink of water.

“What?!”

“I mean, I saw him in that picture you

showed me earlier, and he’s really cute. Besides, he
has to at least be nice to be Malcolm’s friend,
right?”

“No.” I shook my head vehemently. “He

may be a good friend, but I doubt that he would
make a good boyfriend at all. He’s cocky, self-

centered, and completely entitled! Besides, I told
you, he’s the biggest flirt. I don’t know how loyal
he’d be.”

“That’s something I can always work on,”

she said with a wink. “If nothing else, it will at least
be a fun adventure.”

“Okay,” I conceded. “I just don’t want

you getting your heart broken. I’ll text him right
now.”

I pulled out my phone and sent a quick

text message to Leroi. It read, Hey, my friend was
wondering if you wanted to go on a date with her.

My phone buzzed as he texted back

almost instantly.

Hailey, who was looking over my

shoulder, snorted beside me. “That’s at least one
good quality.”

Picture? the text read.

“See? He’s incredibly superficial!” I said,

but Hailey had already playfully snatched the
phone from my grasp. She snapped a quick selfie
and sent it, along with a text that read, Hey Leroi,
this is Aurora’s friend, Hailey <3

Oh wow, you’re cute. I’d be willing to

give things a go, what’s your number? came back
the immediate reply.

I groaned at Hailey’s smirk as she showed

me the message. “Fine, have it your way. Good
luck with him, you don’t listen to me until it’s too
late anyway.”

“Touche. I promise you’ll be the maid of

honor when this works out.”

“As if,” I replied, burying my face in a

pillow.

Truth was, I did really want for things to

work out. It’d be amazing if my best friend could
be dating Malcolm’s friend. It’d keep us closer, and
if I ever decided to move in with Malcolm, I might
be able to convince her to come with me.

After all, I didn’t want to lose her. I might

be dating Malcolm, but Hailey was there first.

Chapter Thirty-One

Malcolm

I had really wanted to hang out with

Aurora the next day, but she was sick again.

Or at least, that was what she told me.

I was worried about her, and suspicious at

the same time. What happened to make her feel
like this? Was she just avoiding me?

I couldn’t help but worry and feel

anxious. I had never felt like this about anyone else
before. I didn’t know how to act, I didn’t know
how I should be feeling. I didn’t know what to say
or what would make things right. The only thing I
did know was that I should probably give her some
space.

I didn’t know who I could talk to either.

None of the Four had had any luck with love, and
Misha was just starting on his own journey. Besides,
the likelihood that they would tease me about it
was pretty high.

But I did need to be distracted, and they

were the ones who knew how to do that best.

So I headed down to the training room,

passing by Noah’s room on the way.

I peeked my head in, and said, “Hey, you

down for a session?”

He looked up from the book he was

reading. “Right now? I thought Aurora was coming
over.”

I shrugged. “She’s not anymore.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, apparently she’s sick,” I said with

a sigh.

“Apparently? Do you not trust her?”

“No, it’s not that. I just don’t know how

she got sick, or why she’s sick now.”

Noah threw his head back and let out a

deep laugh. “Are you kidding me Malcolm? It’s
obvious you’ve fallen her. People get sick, it’s a
thing that happens. You’re just worried because you
care about her.”

I knew it would be foolish to try to

pretend otherwise, so I came in, and sat down in
one of the chairs next to him.

“Perhaps.”

“There’s no perhaps in this situation,

Malcolm. Either you like her, or you don’t. Things
have progressed fast for the two of you because
you’ve been through a lot. You have to decide if
this is something you want to keep putting energy
into. It’s not my place to decide, but it’s obvious
that you like her.”

“But I still get worried, you know?”

He looked at me with a smile. “Of course

you do, that’s natural.”

“And how do you know?” I punched him

teasingly on the arm. “I haven’t seen you bringing
the ladies around here.”

His face went dark, and he looked down

at the ground. “No, maybe not.”

I could sense there was more to the story,

but I didn’t want to push him, so I remained silent.

Finally, he spoke. “I was in love once,

too. I was a lot younger then, before the two of us
even met. You know, some people have such an
impact on you that you can’t bear to be with
anyone else after that.”

I wanted so badly to ask what had

happened, if the feelings I had now were the same
as he felt then. But I could tell that the wound went
deep, and that was as much as Noah was
comfortable saying about his experience.

I could respect that. Even though we

were close, there were still secrets that we didn’t
share with each other. I knew he had a past before
me, and I wouldn’t push it until he wanted to talk to
me about it.

After all, there were some things that I

hadn’t told him.

“I don’t know if I can feel this way about

anyone but Aurora. She’s… special.”

He looked up at me with a smile. “Then

that’s something you definitely have to pursue,
there’s no doubt about it.”

“I know, but it feels as if she’s been

avoiding me.”

“Malcolm, she told you, she’s sick. Now

come on, let’s go train to get your mind off things. I
promise you that you’ll feel a lot better then.”

“Alright, let’s go.” We both stood, and

walked to the training room together. It was quite a
large room that we used for hand-to-hand combat
training. The floor was covered in mats that were
cleaned daily, and there was an assortment of aids
along one wall. Another wall was covered in
mirrors so that we could get a better idea of how
our bodies were moving, but there were curtains
that could be released to cover them if we didn’t
want the distraction.

Today we put the curtains down, then

settled into position.

Both of us bounced on the balls of our

feet, moving back and forth lightly so that our
weight was evenly distributed and we could react at
a moment’s notice.

Noah lunged for me first, and I easily

side-stepped him, going in for a quick jab. He
blocked with his forearm, then came in with a
roundhouse kick.

I laughed, ducking beneath and taking a

few light steps back.

Noah knew me well. It was the kind of

thing that always made me feel better. I could focus
on the dance between us, on the push and pull of
our movements.

When the two of us had first moved in

together, we spent every day sparring. There was a
lot we had needed to work through, and more that
we needed to forget. Since neither of us felt
comfortable discussing it, we sparred instead.

This was how we became so close and

attuned to each other’s non-verbal signals. Just as
in combat I could tell when Noah was going to
swing his right arm and where he was going to aim,
outside of training I could tell when there was
something bothering him, or pick up on other subtle
shifts in his emotions.

Since I was no longer in contact with my

extended family, he had become like a brother to
me.

He was more than a brother. He was my

blood, my soul, the heart that beat in my chest. He
was my rock, and being able to expend energy like
this with him made me feel so, so much better.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Aurora

It had gone on for too long. I had to

cancel several plans that I had in the mornings
because my stomach just didn’t feel right, and the
things that I wanted to eat were things that I had
never craved before.

Every sign was pointing towards it. I was

carrying a life inside of me, something created by
Malcolm and me.

And I couldn’t avoid knowing anymore.

If I was pregnant, then I needed to start taking care
of myself as such and figure out what I wanted to
do. I would have to schedule some prenatal visits
and find the courage to tell those close to me.

Especially Malcolm.

So that day, all alone— my dad was away

in San Diego interviewing with some larger
companies— I drove to the pharmacy and picked
up a pregnancy test.

The cashier gave me a knowing smile.

“You and your boyfriend been trying for one?” she
asked.

The question felt extremely invasive, and

it made me uncomfortable. I squirmed, tightening

my grip on my bag.

Not exactly, was what I wanted to say,

but I knew that she would judge me if I said that. It
was in her eyes.

So instead I said, “Yes.”

She smiled wider, handing me the test and

my receipt. “Well good luck then, I hope you get
the results you’re looking for.”

I did too. Except the results that I wanted

were probably not the results that she thought I
wanted.

I drove home with the radio on full blast,

trying to drown out the nervous churning in my
stomach.

As soon as I parked, I rushed to the door,

fumbling with my keys. I got the door unlocked,
then slammed it behind me and locked it again
before rushing to the bathroom with my test.

My hands were shaking as I opened up

the package and read the instructions. There was a
cup provided that I was supposed to fill with my
urine, and then a stick that I would dip into it. It
would look for some kind of hormone that only
appeared when you were pregnant, apparently, and
if I was, then a double line would show up on the
strip.

It was all new to me, as I had never taken

one of these tests before. My ex-boyfriend never
wanted a baby, so we hadn’t tried, and I hadn’t
been with anyone else until Malcolm.

I did as the instructions said, then waited

anxiously as the first stripe formed when I dipped
the stick into the cup. Then… a second pink stripe
appeared.

I didn’t know what to do. My breath was

caught in my throat, and my hands were shaking
worse than ever. I set the test and the cup down,
washed my hands, and then grabbed my phone.

I sunk to the floor of the bathroom and

opened up my contacts list.

I had to tell someone. This was the kind

of thing that I just couldn’t keep inside of me. I
needed advice, I needed someone to tell me what I
should do.

“Hailey,” I said as soon as she picked up,

my voice wavering.

“Woah, Aurora, are you okay? What’s

going on?”

“Can you… can you come over?”

“Of course I can, but can you tell me

what’s going on first?”

I shook my head, then realized that she

couldn’t see me, “I’d rather tell you when you get
here. It’s… a lot.”

“Okay, okay, as long as you’re going to

be okay until I get there.”

“I should be.”

“I’m heading over right now, okay? I’ll

call you when I get there.”

“Okay.”

I hung up, trying to still my shaking hands

and nervous stomach. I should probably go to the
living room to wait for Hailey to arrive. I wanted to
be comfortable, and I also wanted to make sure that
I could open the door for her as soon as she got
there.

I played some music as I waited for her,

too anxious to concentrate on anything else. I tried
turning on the TV, but I just couldn’t focus on
anything going on on-screen.

I was getting texts, but I couldn’t respond

to them now, I wasn’t in the right state of mind at
all.

Finally, my phone rang. I jumped up and

opened the door without checking the contact
name. I knew it would be Hailey.

There she was, standing in front of me in

her sweatpants and a tank top, which was what she
usually wore to bed. I must have woken her up
early on her day off, and I suddenly felt sheepish
for demanding that she come to me.

Sure it was a big deal, but was it that big

of a deal?

“Aurora, are you okay?” Hailey asked,

entering the house and closing the door behind her.
“I got so worried when you called me. Did
something happen with Malcolm?”

I looked down at my stomach, which I

now knew held a growing life form. “Kind of.”

“Oh no, what did he do?”

“No, nothing like that,” I assured her.

“It’s just, you were right.”

“About what Aurora, tell me?”

“I’m pregnant.”

I couldn’t bear to look her in the eyes. I

knew she wouldn’t be disappointed in me, but it
still felt shameful to say.

“Oh, Aurora.” Hailey hugged me tightly

to her chest, nearly crushing me with her grip.
“That’s wonderful! I mean, I know you were
worried about this, but I don’t want you to think of
this as a bad thing. It can be a really good thing.”

I sniffed. “Maybe. But what will my dad

think? What will Malcolm think?”

She laughed. “Is that all you were worried

about?”

“Kind of.”

“Well, that’s fine. We can tackle the other

things later. The fact of the matter is, your dad may
be a little mad at first since he doesn’t approve of
Malcolm yet, but you know he’s going to make a
great grandfather. And Malcolm loves you, I don’t
see why he wouldn’t be thrilled.”

“But I don’t even know if he wants

children,” I said, on the verge of sobbing.

Hailey guided me to sit down on the

couch with her, tracing her hand up and down my
back in a comforting manner.

“Aurora, he’s not going to stop caring

about you just because you got pregnant. To be fair,
if he didn’t want a child then he should have used
contraception. Besides, from what you’ve told me
about him, he seems like a wonderful person. In my
opinion, he also seems like the kind of person that
would want to be a father, especially with such a
wonderful woman like you.”

“But how am I going to care for it,” I

sobbed. “I still live with my dad, Hailey, and I work
at a shelter. I’m paying off my college debt still,
and I haven’t even found a veterinary nursing job
yet.”

“Aurora, I hate to say it, but you’re being

really foolish right now. Isn’t Malcolm like, super
rich?”

“Yes.”

“So what’s the big deal then? He can

provide for things, and care for you. I know you
like being your own independent person, but you
guys can work as a unit, especially with a baby in
the picture. I don’t think he’ll have any trouble
giving your child a comfortable life.”

“But what about me?” I asked. “Will I be

a good mom, Hailey? How will I know how to be
one when I never had one growing up.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” she said, pulling me

close to her again. “You can figure things out as
you go along. Besides, there are plenty of books out
there on parenting, if nothing else I’m sure you can
study for it.”

She pulled away from me for a moment,

looking me deep in my eyes. “You look tired, how
much sleep have you been getting?”

“Not much,” I said, shaking my head.

“I’ve been feeling too anxious.”

“Do you think you could take a nap?” she

asked. “I can stay if you want me to, but I think
that you should really get some sleep.”

“Yeah,” I sighed. I felt a lot better now

that Hailey had talked through things with me.
Maybe I would actually be able to get some sleep
after all.

I definitely needed it. I could feel

exhaustion overtaking my body.

I let Hailey guide me to my bedroom and

help me get into bed. Before she left, I said, “You
don’t need to stay here, I’ll be okay.”

“Alright, call me if you need anything,”

she said, closing the door behind her as she left.

I fell easily to sleep. My brain wasn’t

running through so many questions now, and I
hadn’t actually realized how tired I was.

I didn’t know how long I slept for, just

that I was woken by the faint sound of my phone
ringing.

Bleary-eyed, I picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Aurora, are you okay? You’ve been

ignoring all my texts, and you haven’t answered
any of my calls.” It was Malcolm, and I realized
then that I had been ignoring him, and I must have
slept through the rest.

“Yeah, I’m fine, I was just napping.”

“Are you feeling any better?”

“Not really.”

I considered for a moment the fact that

maybe I should tell him what was going on. That
way we could start working on things right away.

“Malcolm, I—” I started, but then

thought better of it. Who knew how he would react,
and I really didn’t want to tell him over the phone.

“What is it, Aurora? Did something

happen?”

“No, nevermind. It’s nothing really.” I

recognized just how obvious it would be that I was
lying. Maybe I should have told him.

“Are you sure? You know you can tell me

anything.”

There were seconds of silence, but I

realized I couldn’t do it, not like this.

“Yeah, I’m just not feeling well. My

brain’s all over the place.”

“Can I bring you anything? I know you’re

all alone.”

“No, don’t worry about it. I’ll call Hailey

if I need anything. She lives closer.”

“You know it’s no problem—”

“Malcolm, I said it was fine,” I said,

cutting him off. “I’m okay, I’ll see you soon.”

I hung up, unable to deal handle lying to

him anymore. I felt like I was about to burst into
tears.

How in the world was I going to be able

to handle telling him?

Chapter Thirty-Three

Malcolm

I couldn’t take it anymore, especially

since she had hung up on me.

I could tell from her voice that something

was going on, it was obvious. I needed to know
what she was hiding from me, or what was wrong
with her. I wanted to be there for her, and she
wasn’t letting me.

If she wasn’t going to tell me over the

phone, then I was going to make her tell me in
person. There was no way around it.

There would be no way around it.

I snatched my keys from the garage,

throwing on a jacket and walking fast to my
favorite car. It was a sports car, and it could go fast.
That was what I needed right now, to be with her
as soon as possible.

Then Noah appeared in the doorway.

“Hey, are you alright?” he asked. “What’s going
on?”

“Don’t try to stop me,” I spat out, sliding

into the driver’s seat of my car.

“Malcolm!” he called, rushing towards

me. “Malcolm, tell me what’s going on.”

But it was too late, I had already started

the engine, and opened the garage door. I sped out,
and down the driveway, narrowly missing the open
gates as I pulled onto the road.

I knew that I should feel remorse for

leaving like that. It was likely that Noah would
worry about me, and wonder what he had done to
deserve that. But it was the furthest thing from my
mind.

What I needed right now were the

answers.

The drive to Aurora’s house felt long. Too

long. It was one of the reasons why I wanted her to
move in with me in the first place. I couldn’t stand
her being so far away, and now I felt like it was
imperative that she move in as soon as possible.

She was driving me crazy.

I parked in front of her house, and then

rushed to the front door, banging against it as loudly
as I could.

“Aurora,” I called when she didn’t

answer, and knocked again. “Aurora, we need to
talk. Please answer me.”

I knew I probably looked crazy, sounded

crazy, to the neighbors or anyone who saw. But I
didn’t care. I needed her.

Finally, she opened the door, peeking her

head out.

“Malcolm? Why are you here? I told you

I was fine.”

“It didn’t sound like it,” I said.

“Malcolm—”

I wasn’t having any of it. I grabbed onto

the door before she would have the chance to shut
it.

“Aurora Kline, let me in before I force

my way in there.”

She released her hold on the door, and I

yanked it open, striding in past her and slamming it
shut. There was anger in my eyes, and she cowered
away from me.

“Malcolm what’s going on?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Well that isn’t what this feels like,” she

said, crossing her arms over her chest. Now that I
was close, I could see that her skin was pale and
her face was devoid of color. She looked unwell.

“So, what does it feel like then?”

“Like you’re being crazy like you’re

invading my space.”

“There’s something you weren’t telling

me, Aurora. I needed to make sure you were okay.
I can’t afford to lose you again.”

“Can’t you afford to trust me though?”

she asked, her voice rising in pitch. “If I tell you
I’m fine, don’t come over, that doesn’t mean drive
all the way here and force your way into my house.
Why would you do that?”

“Because I love you!”

She looked shocked for a moment, and I

realized I had never said those words to her before.
Perhaps now hadn’t been a good time to bring that
up.

“Malcolm,” her voice was softer now.

“That isn’t what love is though. It’s not barging into
people’s homes and being invasive and suspicious. I
know you’re worried about me, but I’m an adult, I
can take care of myself, even if I am a lot younger
than you.”

“But why won’t you let me take care of

you?”

“Because we’re taking things slow, I

thought….” she sat down, her face going white and
her hand coming up to cover her stomach.

“But is that what taking things slow is?

You know we’re closer than that, Aurora. We don’t
have to live together, but you could at least let me
come over and bring you soup and take care of you
when you’re sick.”

“I… don’t want to be a bother,” she said,

but I could sense that there was still more she
wasn’t telling me.

“Do you think it’s a bother for me to take

care of you? I love you, I want to be around you no
matter what you’re feeling like, to do absolutely
anything at all. I would be happy just watching a
movie with you, just to know that I could hold you
and comfort you when you’re not feeling well. But
you haven’t been communicating with me, and I
need that.”

“That doesn’t give you a right to just

barge in though,” she said. “You could have called,
talked to me again.”

“But you hung up, and it’s obvious you’re

hiding something. I don’t know how else to make
sure you’re okay—”

Her face was becoming whiter and

whiter. With every word that we exchanged, it was
obvious that there was turmoil going on deep inside
of her. All I wanted to do was comfort her, but here
I was, probably making things that much worse.

“I’m pregnant,” she blurted out, cutting

off the rest of what I was going to say.

I couldn’t process it. My mind was going

a million miles a minute, in all directions at once.

That was the answer? That was what she

had been hiding from me?

I was overjoyed, and angry, and sad, and

confused, and concerned, all at once.

Of all the things she might be hiding, of

all the things that could happen, this was the last
one I expected.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Aurora

He looked so shocked, I didn’t know

what to think. Was he okay? Was he angry? Was he
going to leave me because of this?

He stumbled into a chair, his face almost

as white as mine felt, holding his head in his hands.

For several moments there was only

silence between us. Neither of us knew what to say,
or how to react it seemed. Now that things were out
in the open… a weight lifted off my chest. But I
still had to navigate things with Malcolm, and I
couldn’t tell how he was taking it.

Finally, he said in a low voice, “So it’s

mine?”

“Of course it’s yours,” I said. I thought it

was obvious, so glaringly obvious. Why would I be
involved with anyone else? Did he not trust me?

A smile crept onto his face then, and he

looked over at me with absolute joy in his eyes.

Was he actually… happy?

“So there’s nothing else then, that’s why

you were feeling sick?”

I nodded. “Yeah, it seems to explain

everything.”

“Aurora, this is incredible.” He stood,

pulling me into a hug. He was careful about it, as if
he might somehow injure the life that was growing
inside of me.

I was shocked at how fast his mood

changed. Was he being serious? Did he understand
the gravity of the situation at all?

“We’re going to be parents,” he said,

burying his face in my hair. “Oh, do you need to sit
down?” he asked, pulling back slightly.

“I don’t know… maybe,” I said, and that

seemed to be answer enough for him.

He guided me over to the couch. If he

was already being this cautious of me when I
wasn’t even showing signs of pregnancy, I couldn’t
imagine how he would act when the bump of my
belly became visible.

I had to ask. “Are you really taking this

seriously?”

“Of course I am.”

“But it’s such a big deal, Malcolm. It’s so

much to think about, so much to take care of. It
changes so many things, do you even want to still
be with me?”

There were tears welling up in my eyes as

I uttered those words. Malcolm leaned closer to me,
brushing the tears off my cheeks with a gentle

thumb.

“Shhh, it’s alright,” he said. “Of course I

still want to be with you, a baby doesn’t change
that, especially when it’s ours. I love you Aurora,
and I hope that you love me too.”

“I don’t know, it’s a lot, how do I even

know what love is? How do I know if I can trust
you?”

“Look, Aurora, I can’t give you some

magical answer. But do you like the way you feel
around me? Can you at least trust me to be honest
with you? Because I don’t plan on leaving you
anytime soon.”

It was a lot, especially with everything

that had happened with my ex-boyfriend. Trusting
people to be true to me after that… was difficult.
Especially now that there was a baby to consider. I
didn’t want to have to raise it by myself.

“I don’t know.”

“Then let me show you. I’ll provide

everything you need. I know you work hard, but
you don’t have to worry so much. If you still want
to keep working, that’s fine, but I want to support
you. I’ll distance myself from what I do now if I
have to, to keep you and the baby safe. We can
move into another one of my properties, and I’ll
make sure to be around. Everything will be taken
care of, I promise.”

It felt too good to be true.

I wanted to be with him, yes. I wanted

everything to work out and be okay, but it was too
much to process.

“But what about my dad? You know how

he feels about you, how would he even react to
this?”

“He loves you, and he might hate me

right now, but I’ll talk to him. I know he won’t want
to miss out on his grandchild’s life.”

“But what if he does? What if he leaves?

I don’t know how I’m going to handle telling him.”

“Then you don’t have to. I will.” He said

it with such conviction that for a moment I believed
everything was going to turn out alright.

“Are you sure?” I didn’t want to make

him do it. I knew how my dad could be when he
was in a mood. And towards Malcolm… I
wondered if he would take it better if I told him.

“Yes. I want to show him that I love

you.”

“Okay, but, this doesn’t mean anything

yet.”

“What do you mean?” The look on his

face was so betrayed that I wanted to take it all
back, just hide how I was feeling for his benefit.
But I couldn’t. I needed to be sure

“Malcolm, I trust you, but I have to think.

I don’t really know what I want right now, and
everything that’s happening is just making it so
confusing for me. I hope you can respect that.”

“Of course, I’m sorry for barging in,” he

said. “I really will be here if you need anything. I’m
serious about that.”

“I know… I just… need some time alone

for a bit. You understand how it is, I’m sure.”

He smiled, but it was a sad smile, not

containing as much joy as he had shown before.
“I’ll give you the space you need, but promise me
you’ll talk to me. I don’t want to lose touch with
you.”

“Of course. I’ll...tell you when I’ve made

up my mind.”

He pressed a chaste kiss to my forehead

and then stood. “I’m hoping it will be good news,
but I’ll support you no matter what. Do you need
anything else?”

“No, just some time alone,” I said.

“Of course, dear, of course.”

I couldn’t help but notice how sad he

looked as he left, shutting the door softly behind
him. I knew that it was a good thing that we could
have a child together and I was ruining it by being
so uncertain.

The truth was, I didn’t know what I

wanted for my baby.

Not even five minutes after Malcolm left,

my phone rang. I was expecting it to be him, but
was pleasantly surprised that it was my dad calling.
I picked up.

“Hi Dad,” I said, trying to keep the

sadness out of my voice. The last thing I needed
was him asking me what was wrong. I could tell
him later.

“Hey Aurora, you doing okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, just still feeling a little sick.”

“Okay, I was just calling to check-in.

Interviews are going well, and I should be back
tomorrow evening, but I can leave earlier if you
need me.”

I wanted so badly for him to be back so

that he could comfort me and talk me through
things. But I knew that he needed this, and that it
was important to him that he finished things up out
there.

“No, it’s okay. Hailey came over earlier

today and I’m doing mostly okay.”

“Alright, but you call me right away if

you need anything, okay?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Good.”

I couldn’t tell him over the phone. I knew

he would be furious, and I wanted to tell him in
person so that he might take things a little better. I
hoped that he would be more excited about the
prospect of being a grandfather and less angry
about the fact that the father was the notorious
Malcolm Astor.

“I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon my darling. Get some good

rest.”

“I’ll try,” I said. “Love you Dad.”

“Love you too.” He hung up then, and I

set my phone down, wondering what I was going to
do with myself.

I had a lot to think about and consider.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Malcolm

It was a few days later, and I still had

heard nothing from Aurora. I was resisting the urge
to drive over to her house again, and demand an
answer.

I knew that wasn’t going to solve

anything, and that she needed her space.

Besides, I didn’t want Noah to become

more suspicious than he already was.

When I had come back that evening, he

had asked me what happened, but I told him I just
went for a drive. I didn’t feel like explaining how
complicated the situation was to him.

Besides, he would be mad at me for how I

handled things, and I didn’t know if I could take
that right now.

I was busy working through some

paperwork when one of the staff came up and
knocked lightly on my door.

“What is it?” I asked, not even bothering

to look up.

“There’s someone here to see you, sir,”

they said. “A young lady, says it’s urgent.”

Immediately, my head whipped up. I

checked my phone, but there were no texts or
missed calls from her. I hoped it was Aurora, but I
couldn’t be quite sure.

I stood, walking past the staff member

maintaining my composure. I couldn’t afford to
look weak in my own household by rushing to the
door like an overexcited child, even though I knew
my reactions to whatever Aurora had to tell me
would probably make me weak anyway.

When I got into the living room though, I

just couldn’t hold it in anymore. She was standing
in the doorway, light framing her from behind like
an angelic being, brushing a strand of hair out of
her face.

My whole face split into a smile, and I ran

towards her, scooping her to me in a hug and
burying my face in her neck.

“Please never leave me for that long

again,” I said. “I can’t stand being apart from you,
it drives me crazy.”

She pulled away from me for a moment,

looking up at me with a happy expression as she
stroked my cheek.

“I promise not to do that again, I think I

finally have things figured out.”

“And? What have you decided?” I

couldn’t help the hand that I rested on her stomach,

though I knew it was still too early to feel any
movement in there.

She sighed. “I think I’m ready. I know it

will be tough, but I want to do this with you. I want
to raise our baby together.”

“That’s great, I’m so happy,” I said,

kissing her face gently. “I couldn’t ask for anything
more.”

“I just hope that you’ll put up with me as

I’m learning,” she said. “I don’t exactly know how
to be a mother.”

“You’ll be fine, I know it. You have such

a big heart, and you’re already so great with the
animals you work with. Yes, being a mother is
different, but there are plenty of resources. I can
sign you up for classes if you want, or hire some
help for you. Anything you need, seriously.” I was
so overjoyed to see her, to hear that she wanted to
be with me, that the words were just spilling out of
me.

“Thank you, Malcolm,” she said, resting

her head against my chest. “Really, I appreciate it.”

“Of course, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I scooped her up again, pulling her tight

to my chest.

“It’s been too long,” I said. “Will you

come up to my bedroom with me?”

Her breath hitched as her eyes searched

mine. “Of course.”

I carried her into the mansion, through

the hall, and up the stairs, kissing her gently on the
forehead. “I missed you,” I said. “I missed touching
you and kissing you. I especially missed making
you cum.”

“Malcolm—”

“It’s fine, I promise I’ll be gentle.”

She nodded as I took her through my

bedroom door, and laid her gently on the bed.

“You don’t know how badly I’ve wanted

to kiss you, to hold you. You’re on my mind all the
time, and when you cried all I wanted to do was
make everything better.”

“It is better now,” she said, arching up to

kiss me and weave her hands through my hair. “I
promise.”

I rested my weight next to her, holding

her gingerly. I didn’t want to risk doing anything
that might hurt her, or the life that she was carrying
inside of her.

“You’re so fucking beautiful, did you

know that?” I said, placing kisses all along her
jawline and down her neck. “I just can’t control
myself around you.”

She moaned slightly, tilting her head back

in pleasure. “It certainly seems that way.”

“You know, I can’t wait until we live

together, and I get to wake up with you next to me
every day, and hold you every night. You’re going
to be mine.”

“I am yours, Malcolm,” she said,

wrapping her arms around my torso. “I am yours, I
promise.”

“I know baby, but you’ll be even more

mine.”

I continued to kiss my way down her

neck, nibbling lightly and licking at her more
sensitive areas. She gasped, which was a sound I
loved to hear. I just loved how sensitive Aurora
was, and how unafraid she was to make noise for
me.

It turned me on so badly. Even now I

could feel my cock throbbing in my pants, and I
reached one hand down to try and ease the ache.

I didn’t want to fuck her like that, not

tonight. No, I wanted to give her something special,
just for her.

“Do you mind, baby?” I asked, tugging at

the waistband of her jeans.

“No,” she said. “I’ll even help you.”

I stopped her hand that was creeping

down to slide her pants off. “Allow me. I want to
spoil you right now.”

My fingers hooked under the edge of her

waistband, and I gently began to slide the pants
down her legs. I trailed my lips after, leaving her
shivering in their wake.

Gently, I tossed aside the jeans, and then

did the same with her panties. Already my touches
had made her soak through them, which I was
pleased to see.

“Oh, you’re so wet for me baby.”

“I can’t help it,” she said, squirming.

“I don’t want you to help it. I want you to

let go.”

I began to trace circles on the inside of

her thigh with one hand while I looked up at her. I
knew that the faint touch of my fingertips against
her skin would feel good, and it appeared that I was
right. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were
relaxed in a look of sheer bliss.

“That feels so nice, I could just fall

asleep,” she said.

“There’ll be time for that later. I promise

I’ll do it again when we’re going to sleep,” I said.
“But for now, I want to show you the best time
you’ve ever had.”

Her eyes flickered open, and she looked

down at me with a teasing smile. “And how do you
intend to do that?”

“By fucking you real good with my

tongue. You like that?”

She bit her lip, eyes rolling back as if she

was imagining how it might feel. “Yes. I’d like that
very much.”

“Good, because it’s happening,” I said.

I began to kiss up her inner thighs, going

very slowly. I found that the trick with women was
to go slow, and have lots of build-up. It would allow
time for her to anticipate what was going to
happen, and made her even wetter in the process,
not to mention it brought her closer to climax.

My hands traced circles into her hips,

gripping them a little as I got closer to the area of
interest.

When I was at the most sensitive area of

her inner thigh, I changed my tactic a bit. Now I
was licking her gently as well as biting. Just enough
to make her make small noises of pleasure or
surprise.

My tongue was getting dangerously close

to her labia, and I knew she could feel it. It was
obvious that the anticipation was killing her as her
hands found my head and her fingers twined
through my hair.

“Patience, baby,” I said. “I promise this is

going to feel good.”

“I know, I just want you now.”

“I know, and you’ll have me, I promise.”

With careful fingers, I parted the lips of

her labia, exposing her red, throbbing pussy.

Her clit was already hard and easy to

spot, and I set to work on the hard little knob with
my tongue, eliciting moans from her immediately.

I worked up a steady rhythm, keeping it

relatively consistent so that the pleasure would be
build up deep in her core.

She tasted so good, like no one else I had

ever been with. She tasted even better than the last
time I had eaten her out, which was saying
something. Maybe I was just drunk on love, who
was to say? But her juices were as sweet as fine
wine.

“That’s it baby,” I said, slowly inserting

one, and then two fingers into her while I continued
to work her clit.

I gently pressed into her g-spot, which

was enough to make her gasp and cry out in a way
that didn’t sound quite human. Those were my
favorite sorts of sounds, the ones that were
obviously not under her control. It was how I knew
that I was doing my job.

It wasn’t much longer before she came,

with my careful ministrations to her most sensitive
areas. I licked up her juices as the orgasm rocked
through her, whispering encouragements to her.

When she was finished, I rose, giving her

a wicked grin. “My my, you taste amazing, and are
just as loud as I can remember.”

“You’re even better,” she said, sitting up

to kiss me and taste herself on my lips.

“Glad to know I’ve improved,” I said,

lowering myself down to lay next her. I pulled her
into my chest so that I was spooning her, her head
right below my chin and our legs intertwined. “All I
ever want to do is make you happy.”

She sighed. “And you do, really. I don’t

think anyone else has ever made me this happy
before.”

“Then I hope I can keep making you this

happy, for the rest of your life.”

There was a pause, filled with silence as

the two of us just enjoyed each other’s company.

Then I spoke.

“Move in with me,” I said. “I’ll buy us a

pretty house somewhere far from here, or close if
you’d like.”

“You want me to move in?”

“Of course I want you to move in. You

and the little baby growing in your tummy right
now.”

“Mmm, and what will we do once I move

in?”

“We’ll have breakfast in bed every day,

and I’ll eat you out whenever you want me to.
We’ll invite our friends over when we want to, but
mostly it’ll just be me and you, happy.”

She hummed in contentment, snuggling

further into my arms.

“That sounds like a dream.”

“Well we can make it a reality. And we’ll

get a puppy, if you want. Something that will grow
to love and protect our family. Or maybe some
kittens, or both. I’ll get you whatever you want,
even if it’s a crocodile, or a tiger. I’ve hear foxes
are in too.”

She giggled, her nose scrunching up into

my favorite of her expressions. “I think we can
stick to the basics. I have no idea what it’s like to
have foxes for a pet, much less an alligator.”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll get you a cute

puppy, and I’ll train him to protect you. We’ll go on
long walks, and I’ll kiss you in our beautiful
garden.”

“What kind of garden will we have?”

“Something with roses, or maybe

wildflowers. I don’t know much about flowers
baby, so it’s whatever you want.”

“Let’s leave it to a gardener then. As long

as it’s pretty, and someplace the baby can play.”
Her hand drifted down to cup her stomach. “Do
you really think I’ll make a good mom?”

“Of course. I think you’ll be the most

wonderful mother. And I’ll be the best father I can.
We’re going to spoil our little rascal, though not too
much of course. We could go to the zoo, or the
aquarium, and definitely lots of museums. And then
I’ll sneak in a kiss when they’re not looking
because I am oh so in love with you, and that is
never going to change.”

“Do you promise?”

“Of course. I promise. And that’s one I

intend to keep.”

“Good,” she said, her eyes drifting

closed. “I can rest easy now, knowing that I will
have the most amazing man beside me to help raise
my child.”

“Of course baby. I’m here for whatever

you need.”

“Right now I just want to be near you,

and for you to be there when I wake up.”

“Then that’s what I’ll do.”

I was nervous, but I knew I had every

right to be. Samuel Kline was a formidable man,
and though he might have left his hitman days
behind him, he could still kill me if the feeling
arose.

After Aurora came over, I wanted to tell

him immediately. In my mind, there was no time to
waste. It was important to me that we got things
settled as quickly as possible so that I could take
care of Aurora as best I could.

Once she woke up, and I told her what

my plan was, I called Samuel, and asked him to
come to the mansion. I offered to send someone
over to pick him up, but he declined.

When he arrived, he was every bit the

imposing man I knew him to be. He stood in front
of me, his arms crossed across his chest.

“What’s this about something important

you have to tell me?” he asked, and that question
was almost enough to make me want to back out
immediately.

“I think you should come sit down for

this,” I said. It was me who needed to sit down.
This was going to be a lot, I could already tell.

He let me guide him to a living room, but

the moment he sat down he was back to
questioning me again.

“Malcolm, you better tell me why I’m

here right this instant.”

I stared at the ground, unable to meet his

eyes. “Samuel, you should know, you’re going to be
a grandfather.”

“Please tell me you’re joking,” was his

immediate reply.

I looked up at him, meeting his gaze in a

way that I hoped showed how sincere I really was.
“No, I’m not. I’m about to be a father, and I’m
absolutely terrified.”

He scoffed. “At least you’re being honest

about it. That doesn’t mean I approve though.”

“I know.”

“And so? Where’s your big speech to win

me over? Where are your fancy words?”

“I know those won’t work, and they

won’t show you that I’ve changed. If anything,
they’ll show that I haven’t changed one bit. I know
it will take time to win you over, but I’m willing to
put in that work and show you the man I am. I want
my child to grow up happy, with a loving family
around them.”

“That’s an admirable thing to say, you

sure you’re going to be able to live up to it?”
Samuel gave me a hard stare, but I didn’t shrink
away.

“Oh, most definitely.”

“Then I look forward to it.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Aurora

Malcolm didn’t wait long to move the two

of us into a beachfront house in one of the private,
rich neighborhoods near San Diego. It was a large
property, with its own stretch of private beach that
boasted a cute little cabana and plenty of spots to
relax.

He was leaving the dirtiest part of the

work he had been doing to the Four, in an effort to
keep both me, and our new baby safe, but he
continued to work in charity and expanded his
organization.

He was also focusing on managing his

family’s oil money, which he hoped would mean
more to invest in his other initiatives.

It was six months after we moved that

baby Charlotte was finally born. She was beautiful,
like a perfect little princess.

Her skin was a mix of my darker, mixed

complexion, and Malcolm’s lighter one, and her
eyes were bright blue. Her hair was wispy and dark,
but I had no doubt that it would grow into the same
natural curls that I had.

She was a good-natured little baby,

though crabby sometimes, and she was very smart.
I was finding motherhood a lot less daunting than I
had expected it to be, which was mostly thanks to
Malcolm’s support, as well as the help of a hired
caretaker.

I quit work for the time to become a full-

time mother, so the caretaker’s job only extended
as far as making sure that both I and Charlotte were
healthy, and that I knew what I was doing. I had
help when I needed it.

That was what I wanted, after all, to grow

a truly meaningful relationship with my child. I
didn’t want to miss one moment of her
development.

It was around the time that she was born

that my dad finally came around. He had refused to
talk much to Malcolm, still upset over how
everything had happened, but when he saw
Charlotte, and how Malcolm interacted with her, he
realized that he truly wanted to be a part of our
lives.

After all, the whole reason Malcolm

moved us to San Diego was so that my father could
be near to me and his granddaughter.

He started coming over more, spending

weekends at the house playing with Charlotte and
checking up on me. And then, Malcolm won him
over.

Soon they were drinking and joking and

playing cards together as if they had always been
friends. Since Noah couldn’t always be there to
train, Malcolm and my father took up sparring
together, which resulted in a friendly rivalry
between the two of them.

Meanwhile, Hailey and Leroi were

developing a romance of their own.

I had been worried at first that Hailey

would get her heart broken, but after a couple of
dates, Leroi told Malcolm that he realized how
amazing she was and that he didn’t want to lose
her.

Malcolm gave him some tips and pointed

out habits that would not go over well in a
monogamous relationship (aka flirting with every
attractive woman in sight) and the rest was history.

They were now comfortably committed

to each other and often came over to hang out.

I was sad that I lived several hours away

from Hailey, but Malcolm made sure that I had
people who could drive me to see her if I wanted,
and she was provided transportation as well, so it
never became a big issue. She spent her off days
with me, playing with Charlotte and gossiping about
people we knew. On other days, we tended to just
call, especially when she was studying.

Today was one of those days when

everyone was over.

We invited Malcolm’s friends, Hailey, and

my father over for a day at the beach with drinks
and a movie in our home theater afterward.

My dad was looking after Charlotte for

me at the moment, the caretaker hovered behind
him in case he needed anything. He kept trying to
wave her off, insisting that he had practically raised
me by himself, but she wouldn’t listen. She was
overprotective in a way that made me feel safe
when I had to leave Charlotte in her care.

Malcolm and I were taking the time to be

alone on the beach— a thing that, despite all odds,
seemed to happen rarely at best.

His arm was around my shoulders and I

was leaning into his side as we looked out at the
ocean. Hailey and Leroi were splashing water at
each other like children, and the rest of the Four
were joining in on the fun. Misha’s new girlfriend
was perched on his shoulders.

She was curvy and petite, which made

them an especially cute couple considering the
height difference. She was also soft-spoken, but the
two of them became so excited when they were
around each other, it warmed my heart to see.

“What are you thinking about, baby?”

Malcolm asked, looking down at me. “It looks like
something’s on your mind.”

I sighed. “I’m just happy. Everything

feels so perfect right now.”

He squeezed me closer to him. “I’m glad

it does. But even if it doesn’t in the future, we’ll get
through it.”

“I know. I trust you.” In recent months,

my trust in him had grown considerably. He took
every instance to show me that he was doing his
best to be there for me and that he didn’t plan on
letting me go.

He followed through on all of his

promises immediately, and he was working with a
therapist to get through some of his struggles. He
wanted to make sure that Charlotte wasn’t affected
by the things that happened to him in his past.

He also checked in on me every day and

made sure that all of my needs were met. He was
opening up to me, too, and so I felt comfortable
opening up to him.

I knew that things would just continue to

get better from here. We had a system going, and it
worked.

“I’m so lucky to have you, did you know

that?” he asked.

I giggled. “Of course you are. But not as

lucky as I am to have you.”

“Aurora, will you go on a walk with me,

there’s something I want to show you.”

“Of course,” I said, a little confused. We

had explored the property extensively together, so I
didn’t know what there might be that he wanted to
show me. And it was getting late too, the sun was
dipping below the horizon and soon we were
supposed to head back to the house to start dinner.

He grabbed my hand, squeezing gently,

and led me towards the bluffs that marked one end
of our stretch of private beach.

They were a great place for picnics, and

being higher up they offered a wonderful view of
the sky. We had had champagne up there before
and gazed at the stars. Another time we had made
crepes and crept out incredibly early to watch the
sunrise.

So it wasn’t odd to think that perhaps he

just wanted to watch the sunset with me, a moment
of calm before the chaos that was soon to follow. I
loved our friends dearly, but together we created
quite a loud group.

Motherhood made me exhausted, and

however much I didn’t want to, sometimes I just
had to go to bed early. It was strange, that I
couldn’t keep up as much anymore, but the
caretaker assured me that it was just me building up
my strength post-pregnancy, and I should be back
to normal soon.

We climbed up the bluffs, Malcolm

helping me and catching me if I lost my footing. He
pulled me up the final stretch, and I landed against
his chest.

He was warm and comforting to be

around. His smell was so familiar to me by now—
salt breezes, old wood, and expensive cologne. His
heart was beating fast, like it did after he had just
worked out, but there was nothing particularly
strenuous about climbing up the bluffs, so I was a
bit confused. Maybe it was just my imagination.

We looked out at the sea together, his arm

around my shoulders.

“It’s a beautiful view,” I said. “Is this

what you wanted to show me?”

“Actually…” He breathed in deep,

turning to face me. “There was something else.”

“What is it?” I looked up at him,

searching his bright blue eyes for a hint of what
might be going on. I was learning how to read them
better, but there was nothing easy about the storm
cloud of emotions that was his gaze at the current
moment.

“Aurora, I think I started to fall for you

from the moment I set eyes on you.”

No… it couldn’t be. My heart felt like it

was about to jump out of my chest.

“Then I met you, and you were

everything I could have hoped for. You were bright,
and smart, and feisty.” He laughed. “And you had
the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. So big,
that it made me start to open my own.

“You’ve only been with me now for a

short time in the grand scheme of things, but you
know me better than anyone else ever has than
anyone else ever will. I want you more than I’ve
wanted absolutely anything in my life. And though
I tend to be a selfish person, I’m not lying when I
say that I would give up anything just to make you
smile

“You light up my mornings and guide me

through my nights. Aurora, you are my lighthouse.
You are the mother of my beautiful child. You are
the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. You are
the daughter of a man who tried to kill me.” We
both laughed a little at that, though I could feel my
breath stopping in my throat, my heart pausing for
the moment I knew was coming. “And I couldn’t
imagine anyone else that I would want to spend the
rest of my life with.”

At this, he kneeled in front of me and

pulled a box from his jacket pocket.

The box was one of the most beautiful

things I had ever seen— gold and made in the
French rococo style. It had little carved angels and

flowers across it.

Then he opened it, and I genuinely

gasped.

It was like he had read my mind.

Inside was the most beautiful engagement

ring that I had ever seen, resting on a bed of white
silk. The band was platinum and studded with very
tiny white diamonds, which the center one was
large and square cut. It shone in the setting sun with
such brilliance, that I didn’t even want to imagine
how much it had cost. I just knew that it must have
been expensive.

“Aurora, will you do me the incredible

honor of marrying me?” he asked.

I felt like I was going to cry. This was

everything that I had ever dreamed, and more. The
words weren’t coming to my mouth, I was so
overwhelmed with joy.

Finally, I managed to get them out. “Of

course, yes, a thousand times yes. There’s no way I
could say not to you.”

His face lit up in the orange light of the

setting sun. With nimble fingers, he took my left
hand and slid the ring onto my ring finger.

It was a comforting weight to have.

Another promise that I knew he would follow
through on.

He stood, pulling me into an embrace and

kissing me gently on the lips.

“I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life

with such a beautiful and amazing woman,” he said.
“You truly are more than I could have ever
dreamed of.”

“So are you,” I said, returning his kisses

with increased passion. “So are you.”

Epilogue

Aurora

I took a deep breath in, trying to remind

myself that despite how fast my heart was beating,
I had no need to be nervous.

Hailey peeked at me in the mirror over

my shoulder. “You look beautiful,” she said,
adjusting the last button on the back of my gown.
“I have to say, if you told me two years ago that
you would be getting married today, I don’t know if
I would have believed you.”

I laughed. “I don’t know if I would have

believed it myself.”

Carefully, Hailey grabbed the veil and

placed it on my head, adjusting how it fell against
my hair. The diamond-encrusted crown had been
specially made to match my engagement ring, and
the veil was made of the finest silk mesh I had ever
laid my eyes on. It fell beautifully over my hair,
which I had opted to only put half-up.

A hairdresser and makeup artist prepared

my face and hair for the day, but I had wanted my
best friend to help me get dressed and place the
finishing touches for the ceremony.

It was such an intimate moment, that last

stretch of my life before I would become the wife
of the man I loved, and there was no one else that I
wanted to share it with.

“Soon I’ll be the one helping you, and

you’ll be staring at yourself in this mirror,” I joked,
but Hailey shook her head with a smile.

“You and I both know that he hasn’t

proposed yet and that it’s a ways off. We’re taking
things slow for the moment.”

Leroi had become such a good person for

Hailey. I knew he loved her very much, and despite
what she might say, it was only a matter of time
before he proposed.

With shaking hands, I smoothed down the

skirt of my dress.

Malcolm had flown the two of us to Paris

on two separate occasions— a month-long trip each
time— to have the dress made by one of the haute
couture houses there.

It was made of the most beautiful silk,

and the same fine mesh as my veil, with thousands
upon thousands of handmade blossoms that were
tinged pink in their very center. It fit me perfectly,
because it had been made to my exact
measurements, and I had never worn anything that
felt like this before.

I could see why people were willing to

spend so much just to have clothing custom made
for them. It moved with my body like water and
once it was on it felt like nothing more than a slight
breeze caressing my skin.

I took in a deep breath, turning to Hailey

so that she could hand me my bouquet. It was made
of cherry blossoms and baby’s breath and made me
look like a nymph that had just stepped out of the
forest.

Hailey, as my maid of honor, was dressed

in a matching pink silk gown that hugged her body
like she was a Grecian goddess. Her cheeks were
bright and her eyes shone as she took a final
moment to survey me.

“I don’t know if he’s going to be able to

breathe,” she said.

“Him? What about me? I feel as if I’m

going to pass out.” That wasn’t exactly true, but my
whole body felt light at the prospect of now
walking down the aisle.

It felt like I had been waiting for this day

my whole life, and now that I was here, it didn’t
feel like it could be more than a dream.

“You’re going to do great,” she said,

placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “He’s
going to be there waiting for you, and I’ll be right at
your side while it happens. I know that this will be
wonderful, so just try to enjoy it, okay?”

“Okay.” I inhaled deeply, then let it out as

Hailey led me from the dressing room. I could hear
the orchestra that Malcolm had hired, along with an
organ player, playing some traditional wedding
music as Hailey hurried to her place in the
procession.

I waited in the wings so that I wouldn’t be

seen, an attendant standing nearby to give me my
cue when necessary.

I anxiously watched as the sets of

groomsmen and bridesmaids walked down the aisle,
then Charlotte— with the help of her nanny—
spread flower petals as the flower girl. She looked
confused by all that was going on around her but
otherwise seemed genuinely happy to be getting so
much attention.

Then, there was my father.

He was dressed in a clean and recently-

pressed suit, and the smile on his face almost made
me cry as he came up to me to take my arm.

“My girl, my sweet Aurora, you look so

beautiful,” he said. “You remind me of your mother
so much. I wish that she could be here to see this
day. I know that she would be so incredibly proud
of you.”

He took my arm in his own, patting my

hand gently. I could feel him shaking beside me.

“You know, I didn’t know if I was going

to be happy when this day came,” he said as we
waited by the entrance. “But I’ve quickly realized
that there is no one else I would rather hand you off
to, even with everything that happened.”

He looked as if he was about to cry, and I

was unsure what I might say to console him.

I rested my forehead against his. “I’m so

glad. I love you so much, and the fact that you’re
handing me off is more than I could ever ask for.”

“Of course my sweet girl. I’m glad that

I’m around to see this day.” He pressed a gentle
kiss to my forehead, and then the attendant
signaled that it was our turn.

We strode to the wide archway, and

immediately there were gasps as the guests laid
eyes on my dress.

But the only person that I could see was

Malcolm.

It could have just been the feelings that

were bubbling up in my chest, but he looked more
handsome than I had ever seen him before. His
dark silver hair was combed back in a way that
showed off his angular face, and his blue eyes were
visible even from where I stood.

His dark blue suit fit him perfectly, and I

knew that after this was all over he would show me

the beautiful body that was beneath it again.

And his smile.

He looked at me as if there was no one

else in the room, no one else in the world, no one
else in the universe. He looked at me as if I was a
saint, his salvation, and like he knew me deeply but
still needed to know more.

I knew then that there was no way this

wouldn’t work, that no matter what troubles might
arise and come our way we would be fine. The way
he looked at me with love like I had never seen on
any other living being’s face before. It was pure, it
was beautiful, and it was mine.

The music reached a crescendo and I

stepped down the aisle with my father. One step,
into a future of many.

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My life is in danger, and my

stepbrother is the only one who can save me.

Okay, he used to be my stepbrother.

Our parents are no longer together.

But that doesn’t make my secret crush

acceptable.

It’s still wrong to want him.

And it’s still wrong to carry his baby.

Damn, my mother is going to be furious.

But he’s the only one who can find my

stalker.

Peter heads a police station.

He’s vowed to put the culprit behind bars.

I need his protection.

And more than anything, I need to be in

his arms.

Even if I have to fight with all the odds

against us.

Extract

Chapter One: Emily

I’m having a bad day. And not one of

those mildly bad days that I can shrug off with an
ice cream cone, either, but a really, really shitty
day. The kind that requires a long, scented bath and
a nap. You know, things I will never have time for.

I step out of the looming door of Turning

East and wring water out of my hair. Droplets
splatter to the sidewalk. The other students bustling
past me are bone dry. It’s not fair. It seems I’m the
only one who got caught in the freak five-minute
rainstorm. Even my best black flats are soaked
through and make squishing noises with every step
I take.

I wouldn’t have been caught in the rain if

I had been on time to class, but I had to change my
clothes at the last minute when I discovered that
my favorite blouse had a tear in the sleeve. Then I
spilled coffee on myself and needed to change
again. And now, to make matters worse, I’ve
missed the deadline on my Advanced Anatomy lab
report. I was so sure I had until Tuesday! I was
planning on writing it as soon as I got home tonight.
Now I don’t know what I’ll do. Mr. Hortenson is
notorious for refusing late work, and I literally
cannot afford to fail his class.

The whole mess started when I lost my

planner last week. I don’t normally lose things, but
when I looked in my bag to pull it out, the damn
thing wasn’t there. I’ve torn my apartment apart
since then, but still nothing. I put my entire life in
that stupid planner.

I should’ve double-checked when I filled

in the new one from memory, but that’s me. An
overconfident girl who misses deadlines because
she’s a hot mess.

I step off the sidewalk and into the green

space beside it. The grass is still damp, so there’s no
one out picnicking right now, but usually dozens of
students would be sitting on the grass to eat their
lunch in the company of one of Boston’s better
harbour views.

I lean back against a huge old birch tree

and sigh.

This campus is beautiful. I’m embarrassed

to admit it’s half the reason I picked UMass when I
was deciding on colleges four years ago. It looks
the way I’d always imagined a college should look.
Staunch brick buildings, tree lined pathways,
smartly dressed students hurrying between their
classes. The sights and sounds of a bustling city, but
secluded enough to make you feel as though you’re
in a whole other world.

Other colleges have students trundling to

class in pajamas, but not here. It’s a public school,
but it’s competitive to get into. Only the top ten
percent of students make the cut.

The professors are all required to have

industry experience in their fields and multiple
publications to their names. The classes are
rigorous, and only too happy to leave students
behind to enhance their reputation as a tough
school.

The culture here is so thick with the

desire to succeed that I can feel it in the air.

The problem with everyone here being so

put together is that I inevitably feel like the biggest
mess in contrast. It’s not like I’m a complete
disaster. I did get in, after all. And I’ve managed to
stay on track with all my pre-med classes, even if it
has been a struggle at times.

Okay, it’s a struggle most of the time.

I swing my backpack off my shoulder and

check to see if my papers are ruined. The bright
green vinyl fabric appears to have kept everything
dry. I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Emily!”

I look up at the sound of Heather’s voice,

and give her a small wave as she bounces over to
me.

Heather is hands down the cheeriest

person I’ve ever met. She’s always smiling and
wearing bright pastel colors. Today she’s wearing
white slacks with a bubblegum pink blouse. She
also made the sensible choice to go into business
instead of medicine.

“Mr. Hortenson is the worst,” she says. “I

just heard how he embarrassed you in front of the
entire class. I can’t believe a professor would do
that.”

I really didn’t need to be reminded of Mr.

Hortenson pointing me out as the only one in the
class who hadn’t completed my lab report. He kept
repeating over and over again that problems like
this should not arise in a four hundred level class.
He seems to think that only freshmen can make
mistakes.

“I’ll be okay,” I say. “It’s only my ability

to graduate on the line.”

Heather laughs like I’m making a joke,

but I’m not. I’m worried. If I can’t graduate in four
years, then my scholarship will run out and I won’t
be able to graduate at all. That means no medical
school. All my life plans will collapse into chaos.

“Walk to Wheatley Hall together?”

Heather asks.

“In a minute. I’ll catch up.”

I watch her walk away, then pull out my

cell phone. What I’m about to do is embarrassing,
but it’s also my biggest comfort on days like this. I
open the longest chain of unanswered text
messages in my messaging app. I don’t mind that
they’re unanswered. The number is probably dead
anyway.

I’m having the worst day, I type. I feel

like an idiot. I miss how you used to tell me that I
can conquer the world. Fuck, I just miss you.

I send the message and put my cell phone

away. I haven’t seen Peter in ten years. I know it’s
ridiculous to miss someone this much after such a
long time, especially when I hadn’t known him for
that long to begin with.

Ten years ago, Peter was my stepbrother

and I loved him more than I had ever loved anyone.
I idolized him in a way that probably wasn’t totally
appropriate for a younger step-sibling. He was just
so intense, so different from any other boy I’d ever
met. He knew exactly what he wanted in life and
went after it, full force.

When our parents got divorced, my

mother and I moved to a new city and I never saw
Peter again. She wouldn’t allow me to keep in
touch because she wanted nothing to do with
Peter’s father. I’ve always resented her for that.
Shouldn’t my feelings have been her priority?

I’ve only grown more bitter about it as

I’ve gotten older and been able to see more clearly
how selfishly she acted.

And here I thought texting Peter was

going to cheer me up. If he was here right now,
he’d tell me to put my chin up and keep on
swinging for the fences. I mean, I think he’d say
that. Unless he’s become a totally different person
in the time since I’ve last seen him. I hate that I
don’t know.

Sometimes I fantasize about driving back

to Buffalo and looking for him, but I don’t even
know if he’d want to see me after all this time.
Let’s be honest, he’s probably long forgotten about
me. I was just some stupid kid to him.

I hurry off to catch up with Heather. A

few more friends are walking with her now. I
recognize Tanya from Discrete Math and Mark
from Organic Chemistry.

Mark waves his arms around as he talks.

“So, Trevor was always going on and on about how
much he liked Samantha, right? And she finally
starts dating him, only for him to dump her a week
later.”

Tanya gasps. “No! What an asshole.”

I shake my head. Samantha is a total

sweetheart, too. This is why I don’t date. There’s
no one worth relying on.