Eden's POV"What are you doing here… J—Jack?!"My longtime boyfriend is leaning against the towering foyer of the front porch, holding a bouquet of red and white roses that look too expensive for him to afford. I step outside and shut the door behind me, seeing Mason rustle around for a gun or his phone; I don't wait to see which one he pulls first."What are you doing here?" I gasp, confused. "How did you know where—"He motions to the hoard of matching black SUVs in the driveway. "Had a little bit of help tracking you down, Eden. I just wanted to see if we could talk, sweetheart."He shoves the roses into my hands, and I want to smile at the gesture, but I can't. We've been together for years, and he still doesn't know that my favorite flowers aren't roses at all.I guess it's a bigger step than he's used to. I shouldn't defer to my standards when it comes to Jack Ward."We have nothing to talk about," I groan, setting the bouquet on the ground. "Last time we saw each o
Eden's POVI feel like I'm floating through the days. After the last time I saw the Golden brothers, just a few days ago, I still haven't snapped out of my fog of grief. I think of them at all hours of the day. Every day.They were on my mind as I returned to Grand Dominion Bank and handed Mr. Nichols my official resignation. He didn't seem surprised but shook my hand and walked me out of the bank, regardless of our history.Dante's face seeped into my mind as I applied for a waitressing job to supplement my severance from the bank that I would be receiving because of the incident. His sharp and stoic features make my core ache in yearning.I heard Ryder's childish snicker, his trademark, petulant laugh, in the kids who run through Debbie's Diner, ignoring the whims of their parents to stop messing around behind the counter.I'm glad my new job isn't very stressful or quite as susceptible to robbery, but the lack of customers gives me plenty of time to obsess over my memories
Eden's POVAsher Donahue is a strange enigma of a man. He walks fluidly like he's waltzing through the air, like the social and physical norms of this world don't dare touch him at all.That, and he's beautiful.Everything about him is beautiful, down the bone structure of his face when he presses his lips against the rim of his coffee cup, and the crooked smile he flickers when I turn my back, only to catch him staring at the back of my head like he's picturing what my eyes look like when I'm waiting on other tables.He has visited the diner every single night for the last week after he kissed me in the parking garage. Sometimes I take him up on the ride home, and sometimes I protest and walk home alone, only to feel him looming a few paces behind me.It's hard to gauge what he wants from me.When it's only us at the last few minutes of my shift, I oblige to what he wants and take a seat opposite of him at the booth he has commandeered in the last few days."Want a bite?
Dante's POV"Impossible," Ryder snarls.We trade a glance, shaking our heads as we look over a large amount of scotch in front of us. The Lamont Lounge had died down in attendance, but the only important missing person from the club just went upstairs with our arch-nemesis.I want to bow my head in defeat, but that's too f*cking easy. Way too easy, that the only honorable thing to do would be to go to his room, six-hundred-twelve, and to rip my little sex kitten off of his lap, off of her knees, or wherever that asshole has her right now in that room of his.Ryder gives the same, impressionably irritated look."She wouldn't," I breathe. "It's unlike her nature to betray.""She's not betraying us, though. Is she? She said she wanted nothing to do with us, brother." Ryder buries his scotch into his stomach and doesn't even flinch at the taste. "F*ck. But what if you're right?"Looking around this dwindling crowd, there are certainly several willing participants to help us m
Eden's POVI shoot upright, my body aching in response, but not as terrible as my raw, dry mouth.The sight before me baffles me past feeling sick. I half expect to see my apartment walls or the hotel's cheap art above the tacky, monochromatic furniture. Instead, I see two sets of blue eyes in my old, dainty bedroom.Ryder sits up in his chair, eyes pinned on mine, the same as his brother's that watch me from the doorway of the bedroom, his posture stiff and uptight. I feel the pulse in my throat but swallow the feeling of wanting to puke."What happened?"Ryder speaks first, his voice light and airy in response, "You were at the club with Asher, and he took you upstairs when you got too drunk."Dante chimes in, less than kind in his tone, "We found you in his room, naked and drunk. We weren't going to leave you there with him. Even if you tell us you wanted to sleep with him, we weren't about to allow that to happen with you being so intoxicated and—""I didn't want t
Eden's POV"We can wait," Ryder hums, leaning over the counter of the diner, his eyes wide as they drape down my uniform dress. "I kind of like this place now."I snicker, patting him on the shoulder until he sits back on his barstool. "It's fine, guys. Go ahead without me. I can walk to the lounge when I clock out."Dante pouts but ultimately hands me a set of keys. "Here. Take this, okay? We will walk. I don't want you out at night walking through the city alone."I settle the keys in my possession and give them both a brief kiss before they head out. I linger after them for as long as they're within sight, pushing and shoving as they head out to the lounge where we've been going every night since the fight they had with Felix.It is obvious that they're unsettled by their father's warnings, but they do a good job of not showing it around me. My replacement for the next shift is late, but when she finally arrives, I throw aside my apron and rush out to the car.My driving
Eden's POVThe logistics of fitting three people into a hospital bed is a nightmare. Thankfully, we figure it out on the day I'm supposed to be released. Dante lays beside me, my shoulders buried in his chest while he sits up, his brother Ryder laying sideways at the foot of the bed where he massages my ankles tenderly.I aim to sleep, but the nurses say my concussion from the attack isn't as bad as they originally thought. I know this means we will have to talk about what happened, who attacked me, and how, and maybe even delve into why I left the lounge in the first place.All of these topics haunt me. Dante brushes my hair back, catching my eyes in the dark room as I watch the TV with minimal interest."Come on, kitten. We need to talk about it at some point."Ryder rubs his thumb against the sole of my heel. My breath hitches in response. "Asher told us why you left the Lamont Lounge. You can talk to us about it, baby. We aren't upset with you.""And we're never going t
Eden's POVI don't mind being at the Golden family estate.Mason joins Carol and me at the breakfast table, his bare chest carved out in muscle while he rubs his tired, baggy eyes with a fist. Carol pours him a cup of coffee, but he doesn't seem too interested in it."Good morning, Eden," Mason grumbles lightly. "It's nice to see you back here.""Glad to be back," I reply. "Did the brothers tell you to find the guys who…"Even though my voice trails off, Mason answers with a knowing glare, "Yeah, I'm working on pulling the camera footage from the area where you were attacked. I'll have their names by the end of the week.""And their heads will come shortly after that," Dante mutters, walking into the kitchen with wet, freshly showered hair. "Good morning, everyone.""Morning," we all sputter out in our early, raw voices."Where's my favorite nephew?" Carol jokes.Dante pouts with his cup of coffee finding the seat beside me. I lean instinctively into his lap. "Ryder i