LOGINAlex I rubbed my side again as everyone finally shut up about turning ourselves in and calling the cops and all that heavy stuff. Damien looked wiped out, Jax kept checking his phone like the world might blow up any second, and Mark just stared at the floor with that dead look in his eyes.“Look, it’s late,” I said, my voice coming out rougher than I meant. “We’re all beat. My ribs feel like crap, Damien’s got that bruise on his face, and Mark you look like you haven’t slept in days. We can’t fix this tonight. Let’s crash and deal with it in the morning when we’re not about to pass out.”Damien nodded slow, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. Smart. Hospital can wait too if you’re breathing okay now, Alex. But you yell if it gets worse.”Jax shrugged and stood up. “I’ll take the couch. You two can fight over the spare room or whatever. Mark, you good staying?”Mark muttered something that sounded like yeah but didn’t really look at any of us. We split up quick after that. No big goo
Alex I wanted to say something to make it better but my side hurt too much and my head was still spinning from almost passing out. “Mark, I’m sorry. None of us saw it coming. Knox seemed normal, helping with forms, warning me about trouble. But it was all a setup, deeper than that.”Jax crossed his arms. “We pieced the sexual stuff from the messages. Back and forth texts, some explicit. Marcus admitting he liked the attention at first, the power trip. Then it turned controlling. Knox got possessive when Marcus mentioned you, Alex, how you were good with the kid. Jealousy went both ways apparently. Marcus worried Knox would move on to you next for leverage.”“Stop,” Mark muttered, but he didn’t lunge again. Just sat there looking smaller. “I don’t want to hear the details. My brother is dead and now I find out he was… God.”Damien stood up straighter, glancing at me then at Mark. “Look, this clears a lot for us. No motive for me to kill him. The evidence points straight at Knox using
Alex I rubbed my forehead again, the pain in my side flaring up like it wanted to remind me I was an idiot for getting in the middle of all this. Mark kept pacing, his face red, fists clenched tight at his sides. Damien stood there looking tired but not backing down, and Jax just watched with that sharp look in his eyes like he was waiting for the right moment to drop whatever bomb he had.Then Mark snapped. He lunged forward fast, faster than I could grab him this time, and his fist connected right with Damien’s jaw. The sound was ugly, a solid smack that made my stomach twist. Damien stumbled back, hand flying up to his face, cursing under his breath.“You piece of shit,” Mark yelled, breathing hard. “That’s for my brother, you and your dad think you can just—”“Mark, what the hell!” I shouted, trying to push between them even though my ribs screamed at me. Jax moved quick too, grabbing Mark’s arm, but Mark shook him off and went in again. Damien shoved back this time, not hard eno
AlexI rubbed my forehead trying to make the words stick while the pain in my side kept flaring. “How though? How did you two figure all this out in just two days? You’ve barely been in the city that long and suddenly you know about the sex stuff and the reporting and him wanting to see me? It feels off like you’re filling in blanks that don’t fit. Show me why I should believe this because right now I’m stuck between thinking it’s real and thinking it’s all messed up.”Mark wasn’t holding back he lunged toward Damien again grabbing at his shirt this time. “Yeah exactly how? Unless you and Victor your dad cooked this up to cover the real hit. My brother wasn’t into guys and he sure wasn’t doing crimes for some tutor dad. You’re lying to save your skin.”“Mark!” I yelled pulling him off hard enough that it sent a fresh wave of hurt through my ribs. “I said stop it. You’re not beating him up over this. I’m the one who got hurt trying to shut you up earlier so back off. Damien you back up
Alex I stood there in the doorway with my side throbbing so bad it felt like someone was twisting a knife in there every time I shifted and the dizziness kept making the whole room feel like it was sliding sideways a little. Jax had this smirk plastered on his face, the kind that said he knew he’d been right about everything from the start and I’d brushed him off like an idiot when he tried warning me before. Damien sat next to him looking tired but nodding along like he was backing up every word even though the two of them weren’t exactly best friends or anything. Mom was still in the kitchen clanging plates around. Mark was already halfway out of his chair looking ready to snap.“Alex,” Jax started with that smile not dropping one bit as he leaned forward, “you remember Knox right? The guy whose daughter you were tutoring a while back, you know exactly who I mean. The same one who helped with all your scholarship documents and kept warning you about staying away from certain types
Nancy “You’re beautiful,” she said softly and then laughed under her breath. “God that sounded cheesy but it’s true. Come here.” She pulled me on top of her this time and our legs tangled together skin on skin everywhere. It felt so close and intimate I could barely think straight. We started moving against each other slow at first grinding in this way that made us both breathe heavier.“Shh we gotta stay quiet remember,” I reminded her when she let out a little moan but I was smiling because it was hot hearing her like that. “Your mom’s probably listening with a glass to the door or something.”Sara rolled her eyes but kept moving with me. “She probably is the nosy woman. But I don’t care right now this feels too good.” Her hands gripped my hips guiding me and we kept talking through every shift and touch. “Does this feel okay for you Nancy? Tell me what you like.”“I like all of it especially when you press up like that,” I whispered back my words coming out fast and a little jumbl
Nancy We kept talking through it a little more because neither of us could shut up completely even though we were both getting all worked up again. Sara’s hand stayed on my leg and she kept rubbing her thumb back and forth in this slow way that made my skin feel too warm under my jeans. I shifted
Nancy “Oh Sara you’re home. And you brought a friend.” Her mom’s eyes went up and down me like she was sizing me up and it made me shift on my feet. “How nice.” The way she said it didn’t sound nice at all. It sounded like she knew something or suspected and it put me on edge right away.Sara jump
Nancy I pushed the storage room door shut behind us and we both stood there breathing like we’d just run a mile. My hands were still shaking a little from how close we got and how fast those voices outside had made us freeze. Sara looked at me with her cheeks all flushed and her hair sticking up i
Alex “Ow, Mom, easy on the ear,” I hissed, but I let her pull me in because fighting hurt too much. My limp got worse on the steps and the dizziness made the porch spin a little. “It’s not like I planned this. Things got out of hand fast.”Damien stood just inside the doorway, arms crossed, lookin







