SharonHiding. Behind a computer.โโNo. Not hiding. Sacrificing. Youโre not a coward. I know that you know youโre facing this head-on. You donโt want justice for them; you want it for all the victims in the world and the many people out there who have been wronged and forced into a life they didnโt choose. Youโre not just doing it for granny or yourself. Youโre doing it for them. For the people that you donโt even know. Thatโs heroic. I think the brain, they say, is most impressionable before age twenty-two, so if you were going to go bad, then youโd have gone bad already. You chose the other path. Itโs a harder path. The hardest. To be kind and good.โโYou donโt think Iโm kind and good. I kidnapped you.โHer eyes soften, and her plush lips part. Her tongue sweeps along her lower lip as she sighs. โYou did. But Iโve forgiven you for that. It was a moment of insanity. I think we all have those. It might have been a bad decision, but itโs worked out now.โMikeBecause of Granny. And my b
I want everything, all the touching, all over, but thatโs only because Mike's hands, parting my legs and opening me up to him, feel absolutely divine, and itโs short-circuiting my brain all over again. My heart is beating so hard that it could be a jackhammer or some other cement-demolishing tool in there. He bends his head and proves to me, with a single hot kiss over my lace-clad core, that magic is possible, and it does indeed exist. Iโm so wet that I know that scrap of lace is totally soaked. When Mike hums low in his throat and licks his lips, it confirms the fact. And it just about gives me a heart attack because what could possibly be sexier than him licking me off his lips? I dare you to come up with something. I just dare you.When he glances up at me, his eyes are dark. Not haunted. Just dark. He lets me see that, lets me see the most intimate parts of him before he goes back to admiring the most intimate parts of me.He kisses me over the lace again, and my hips arch up int
In response to my husky statement, Alden fits himself between my legs. Heโs still wearing his pants, but apparently, that isnโt going to stop him.Iโm totally naked, which makes it easy for him to slip two fingers inside me. Iโm soaked, so that also makes it easy, and I rock against them, grinding into him and meeting up with the heavens all over again. Iโm so close to orgasm again from those thick fingers filling up my slick, aching channel.โDear god, Mike, can you please take off your pants?โ He pauses very briefly. โIโm on the pill. If you donโt have condoms, Iโm okay with that.โโAre you okay with that? And how do you always know what Iโm thinking? Itโs starting to get borderline creepy, like aliens coming down from the sky and unexplained events kind of creepy.โOr maybe weโre just on the same wavelength. Itโs the logical next step.โThe other timesโฆ.โ He trails off and shakes his head. โNever mind. Just trust me. Itโs uncanny.โโAm I reading your mind right now when I say Iโd r
Donโt make them do the same for you.โโI thought John and James could take a turn.โโWatch out. They probably heard that.โTheyโre currently outside, all four of them, eating by the pool for the fortieth time this month. I swear, Iโve never met anyone who eats so much pizza. Itโs like they chose that option from those silly questions where youโre asked if you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Tacos, pizza, doughnuts, or smoothies. Obviously, they all went for the second option big time.I shake my head slowly. โDid you just come by to kick my ass into gear, or did you have something to actually tell me that you couldnโt say online or over the phone?โโNo, I just came to see how you were doing.โโSo Granny is worried that Iโm not going to be on the plane tomorrow morning.โโNo, as I said. I was worried.โโSo she sent you to make sure that I get my shit packed up, get up at four-thirty tomorrow morning, and donโt leave a big mess for anyone to clean u
Good stalking, bad stalking, or Christmas stocking?โโWhat the hell is good stalking? And what does Christmas have to do with anything?โโWell, presents are fun to unwrap. Like Sharon probably thinks you are. Now that we know for sure you have nipples, youโre no longer hairy enough or scary enough to ward her away.โI shake my head in disgust. โThatโs the dumbest thing Iโve ever heard. And for your information, she said sheโs okay with body hair.โThen sheโs the perfect woman for you! A match made in heaven. Or, more literally, the cradle. Either way, Granny is hoping youโll go after Sharon. Sheโd like to be a great-grandma one day.โโBring kids into this?โโThe world is a scary, shitty place no matter how you look at it. If by this you mean the best family that we ever chose with four great brothers to support you, some questionable goons, and one hellfire of a spitfire of a Granny, all of whom would always protect and love you,sharon, and any and all kids like we ourselves were prot
Iโm not sure if we really were destined for each other from birth, but as she said about the plans of our fathers working out for good, itโs beyond nice to know that no matter what forces are out there, we ended up here now.โI bet Ransom has already eaten twelve burgers,โ Sharon says softly. She laughs, the sound of it dispelling the last of my lingering worries. I have to let it go and trust that my brothers and Granny have this. I canโt worry constantly, or Iโm not going to make it through the next six months.โTwelve? Just twelve? Try fourteen.โโSixteen.โโTwenty.โโHow many did we cook again?โโI believe there were twelve in a box, and Iโve cycled through the barbeque twice, so four boxes mean forty-eight. Goodness, Iโm glad your parents put out a large spread inside. If we just had the burgers, there would be a lot of rumbly tummies going around.โโYou were kidding. Ransom will only eat eight.โโAre you sure?โโOkay, maybe four. Maybe heโll be polite and eat two pounds of pasta
RICHIEI leaned against the hood of my car, surveying the scene in front of me. It was a busy night on the streets of the city, and I had been driving for hours. I was tired, but I couldn't go home yet. I had one more pickup to make.As I watched the people passing by, my eyes wandered to a woman walking down the street. She was beautiful, with long, dark hair and a confident stride. She caught my eye, and I couldn't look away.I watched as she passed a group of men hanging out on the corner. They leered at her, making suggestive comments and gestures. She tried to ignore them and continue on her way, but I could see the anger and frustration in her eyes.I felt a twinge of sympathy for her. I knew what it was like to be vulnerable and powerless in the face of danger. I had been there before and didn't want anyone else to experience that fear.I got out of my car and approached the men. They looked at me suspiciously, but I held up my hands in a gesture of peace."Hey, guys," I said, t
The GPS beeped. I had arrived.The house was the largest and most imposing in the development, with black iron gates that seemed to tower above me. The driveway beyond was long and winding, flanked by lush gardens that seemed to have been sculpted by a master artist. I parked my car at the front gate and stepped out, the unease within me growing stronger as I made my way over to the intercom. I pressed the button and waited for someone to answer. While the intercom continued to ring, I noticed that the gate was slightly ajar, as if someone had left it open deliberately. I hesitated for a moment, then pushed it open and stepped inside.The grounds were even more magnificent up close, with fountains, statues, and intricate mosaics dotting the landscape. But something strange about the air made the entire estate seem to hold its breath, waiting for something to happen.I finally reached the front door, its heavy oak panels creaking as I pushed them open. Inside, the house was even more o
Apparently, the guy was nomadic and had been on the run for a while. I couldn't help but wonder why he kept hiding and what had made him choose this luxurious hotel as his hideout.Several hours passed, and it appeared that the man didn't want to show himself. The air was thick with the scent of cigar smoke. I sat at the table with James, feeling anxious and uneasy. I couldn't help but feel like something was off about the situation.Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a strong-looking muscular guy entered the room. His serious expression and imposing figure sent shivers down my spine. He scanned the room before his eyes landed on us."My boss will see you now," he said in a gruff voice.I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, we were getting somewhere. I signaled to James that I would wait for him in the parking lot and stood up from the table, eager to get out and breathe some fresh air. However, as I exited the meeting room, my heart sank, and beads of sweat started to form around m
I'm good, Dad," I said, not wanting to talk about myself. โWell, thanks for your time.โI stood up to leave. Visits with my father had always been all business anyways. The man believed in nothing more than himself. I hurried down to the garage to find Richard.I watched Richard from afar. He looked more manly in the garage environment. He was fascinated by something in the car engine area, so I moved closer.As soon as Richard spotted me, he sighed.Laura," he said quietly, "go home."The words almost sounded like a warning, but I ignored him. I went even closer and looked around. It was quite dark in there for the middle of the morning. I got even closer.Richard closed the gap between us, his face dangerously set."Turn around," he ordered as he grabbed my hips and rested me face-first against the side of a car. His voice was suddenly deeper, and I rubbed my thighs together.He slipped a hand under my jacket."Laura, you really should go home now," Richard said as his hand kept get
The mansion had an eerie feel to itโas if there were secrets lurking around every corner. I wouldnโt be surprised if there were dead bodies hidden in the walls. It was unsettling, but I pushed those thoughts aside and continued on my way.As I reached the foyer, I saw James standing there, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He had a stern expression on his face. I had no desire at that moment to deal with the consequences of the previous night, but I continued towards him as he acknowledged me with a nod."Come to the back," his tone was firm, not that there had ever been a day that he was lenient. He took his difficult position very seriously.I followed him to the other end of the house where he opened a heavy metal door that led to a dark room. I could barely see what was inside, but I knew it had to be something important.He pulled out a large, heavy carton and placed it on a nearby table."You're delivering this," he said, pointing to the package. "It needs to be there at e
Yeah," I nodded as Richard pulled the car back onto the road."Are you married?" I blurted out, the words escaping my lips before I could even think twice. The car was quiet, aside from the sound of the engine humming. Anthony looked at me in shock, his eyes darting back and forth between me and the road ahead. For a moment, I thought that maybe I had caught him red-handed in some sort of scandalous affair, but then he spoke."Noโฆ" he said, his voice low and guarded, โbut I was almost married."The way he said it made my heart ache for him. There was so much pain in his voice, so much hurt that he was clearly trying to hide. I could feel the tension in the car building like a rubber band stretched too tightly."She left," he added, his jaw clenching. I could see how much the memory hurt him, how much he must have been struggling to deal with the aftermath. I wondered what type of woman could have left someone like him. He seemed like the kind of person who would be an amazing partner,
I approached the bouncer, and he greeted me with a smile."Hi, Laura," he said, recognizing me from previous encounters. "It's been a long time," he smiled."I know, right?" I said and he parted the way for me to enter. I couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging. This was my favorite spot to unwind after a long day, and I always felt at home there.I took a deep breath and stepped inside, feeling the energy of the crowd wash over me. The club was bustling with people of all ages dressed in various styles. Some were dressed to impress, while others were dressed in more casual attire. The lighting was low, casting a sultry atmosphere over the scene.I made my way to the bar, scanning the crowd for familiar faces. As I ordered my drink, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see my best friend, Shirley, smiling broadly. She hugged me, almost squeezing the life out of me."You made it!" she said while spinning me around, grinning from ear to ear. We stopped for a moment to look
I dialed Mrs. Hamsburg number to ask if she could take in my daughter a little earlier today. It took her a few minutes to get back to me but the sweet soul agreed.Oh, Mrs. Hamsburg What would I do without you?"Go get your bags together while I talk to your teacher," I told Sonia, watching her hurriedly return to class.I approached her teacher and let her know the plan. She agreed and said I could take her out early.I watched my daughter wave at her friends and come to me.On the way, my daughter made us visit the cake shop, and we also had to pick up food. As we drove, my daughter chatted away. Then, I handed her to Mrs. Hamsburg , and she waved me off.A short hour later I was pulling up to the entrance of Lauraโs gated community. I signaled to the security guard, and he nodded and let me enter. I pulled over in front of Laura's house and attempted to open the gate, but this time it was locked. Of course, it would be.I decided to buzz the intercom, hoping that Laura would hear i
I should have guessed from her demeanor that she was my bossโs daughter. She exuded a mean energy like her father. In fact, she carried so much of her father's aura, I was convinced I had just delivered a tool for her shady business, although I knew little about her career.I dialed James's number."Hi, James, it's Richard," I said when he answered. "I just delivered the package. Turns out it was for the boss's daughter."James didn't reply."You there?" I asked."Shit! Shut up. Hold onโฆ" he replied through labored breathing. Why was he always so angry? He took his job way too seriously."Yes, Iโll hold," I sighed. I patiently held the phone to my ear while waiting for James to finish what he was doing.Clearly, I could sense some shady things were going on.All I wanted to do was notify them that I wasn't going to return to that place, and I was headed home.I pulled over to the side of the road and continued to wait for James to get back on the phone. It was almost 11 p.m., and I ha
The GPS beeped. I had arrived.The house was the largest and most imposing in the development, with black iron gates that seemed to tower above me. The driveway beyond was long and winding, flanked by lush gardens that seemed to have been sculpted by a master artist. I parked my car at the front gate and stepped out, the unease within me growing stronger as I made my way over to the intercom. I pressed the button and waited for someone to answer. While the intercom continued to ring, I noticed that the gate was slightly ajar, as if someone had left it open deliberately. I hesitated for a moment, then pushed it open and stepped inside.The grounds were even more magnificent up close, with fountains, statues, and intricate mosaics dotting the landscape. But something strange about the air made the entire estate seem to hold its breath, waiting for something to happen.I finally reached the front door, its heavy oak panels creaking as I pushed them open. Inside, the house was even more o
RICHIEI leaned against the hood of my car, surveying the scene in front of me. It was a busy night on the streets of the city, and I had been driving for hours. I was tired, but I couldn't go home yet. I had one more pickup to make.As I watched the people passing by, my eyes wandered to a woman walking down the street. She was beautiful, with long, dark hair and a confident stride. She caught my eye, and I couldn't look away.I watched as she passed a group of men hanging out on the corner. They leered at her, making suggestive comments and gestures. She tried to ignore them and continue on her way, but I could see the anger and frustration in her eyes.I felt a twinge of sympathy for her. I knew what it was like to be vulnerable and powerless in the face of danger. I had been there before and didn't want anyone else to experience that fear.I got out of my car and approached the men. They looked at me suspiciously, but I held up my hands in a gesture of peace."Hey, guys," I said, t