Lucy POVThe kitchen smelled like roasted tomatoes, garlic, and fresh bread, all the things that usually meant comfort in a home. But today, here, right now, even the air felt tight.Vinnie threw a dish towel over his shoulders, sleeves rolled up. "Soup's just about ready," he said cheerfully. "Nonna's been putting in the works. Chicken, leeks, orzo."Vinnie nudged me toward the island like I was some nervous stray he didn't want to spook. His hand barely grazed my elbow before he pulled it back, like touching me too long might break something."You're walking like you're headed to a firing squad," he teased, grabbing an apple from the counter and tossing it in the air."Maybe I am," I muttered, snagging a knife to slice an onion, like I belonged here or something.He leaned against the counter, watching me. Not with judgment, just that casual, annoying patience he always had."You don't want to be here, do you?" He nudged a little further. He wanted something and I had no idea what.
Amy POVZander looked to his cock and my eyes widened. He was fully hard again, that sexy vein throbbing and pumping all his blood south. He loved how I completely submitted to him, and it made my insides throb so hard.His fingers started rocking the toy inside me, forcing more moans and pleas from my lips."Please, fuck me." I cried out.He gave me a sharp gaze, silent but undeniable. He roughly grabbed my body that was arched backwards, adjusted me so I was leaning on my elbows instead of palms. His face was indifferent, pissed at me for some reason I wasn't sure of, but he also admired how I let him position me just how he needed. He grabbed his dick, his tip teasing my entrance. He was playing with me, testing me, and I was about to explode with frustration."I can't take anymore, Zander. Please, just fuck me." I begged, tears sitting in my eyes. But the look he gave me told me he didn't like my words. Without warning he thrusted hard inside me, forcing my back to arch more an
Amy POVThe second we reached my room, I slammed the door and leaned against it, chest rising too fast."Thank god we got out of that," I muttered, already stripping off my jacket."Are you sure you don't want to be down there?" Zander sat on the edge of my bed, a look of concern all over his face."I would be very happy to never see those disgusting men again." I moved to him, unsure what had him twisted. "I thought you wanted to kill them?" His eyes slowly trailed up my body, dancing along my curves. "I did, but now I don't. See, I can be good." I bit my lip, stepping a little closer to his body. I really wanted him and I really wanted this itch inside me to go away. It wasn't the one for sex, it was the one for vengeance. Despite making my choice, the thought, the hate, still lingered inside me. I needed a distraction, a reminder to why my life can have something good instead of just pain and blood."I've been good all day." I stood in front of him, my thigh brushing against his
Amy POVThe car ride back from the doctor's office was quiet in that weird heavy way, not like anyone was sleeping, but like we were all waiting for someone else to speak first.I sat behind Paul, angled slightly toward the window, watching the rows of dull, weather-worn buildings slide past. I didn't mind the silence. Sometimes, it felt good just to breathe without being told how to do it.Zander sat next to me. His hand wasn't quite touching mine, but it rested close enough that I could feel the heat from it. His presence always ran hot. Quiet intensity just under the surface, like he was holding in a storm but didn't want to make a mess.Michael sat across from us with Lucy, his eyes locked on her more than anything else outside the window. I didn't blame him. Something about Lucy felt... off. Not just tired, but folded in on herself in that way that meant she'd decided not to explain anything anytime soon.I knew that look. I'd worn it for most of my life.But Michael didn't seem
Lucy POVThe office looked the same, but nothing about me did.Same neutral walls. Same quiet buzz from the overhead light. Same leather chair that made me feel like a patient before I even sat down. Same woman behind the desk who once saved my life by telling me I wasn't crazy for wanting out of it.I hadn't been here since before the Irish attacked. Before the kidnapping, the fake pregnancy, the betrayals, and whatever the hell I had with Michael now. And yet, the second I sat down, it all started choking me again.Dr. Reeve didn't say anything at first. She just watched me. Like she already knew."You look tired," she finally said."I am," I answered honestly.She nodded. "Let's start there."I leaned back. My arms stayed crossed. My jaw tightly clenched."I'm back in Niko's house, but it's not the same anymore. Niko's gone.""You've been through worse," she said gently, just enough pressure in her tone to piss me off. She knew that would make me talk."I thought I had," I muttered
Michael POVThis week had been one long string of contradictions.I could make a single call and shift half a million dollars overnight. Command men twice my age to move with precision. Rewrite the terms of business for entire territories with one command. But I couldn't seem to get my eighteen-year-old sister to stop self-destructing. Or keep Lucy from slipping through my fingers.I rubbed the space between my eyes, not because I had a headache, but because I didn't know where the fuck to start.The car was too damn quiet. Paul was focused on the road like we were on a military escort. Vinnie was back home preparing for the lunch with my uncles. Zander sat to my right, calm as ever, one leg crossed over the other like he had nothing to prove. And Amy, she was leaning against the window, wearing that bored expression like armor. Lucy was beside me, and even without touching her, I could feel how she grounded me. Like she was the only reason I wasn't pacing inside the car like a caged