***POV - Melaena For a while everybody just sits silently, processing what we heard. Hayley got up and disappeared into the kitchen. I’m leaning back against Damion’s chest, his one hand absentmindedly stroking my arm. My nails are digging into the upholstery of the couch. “Did our father kill our mom?” Jackson asks and he looks so cool and calm like he’s been doing the SF Chronicle sudoku. How can he be this unaffected? I close my eyes … I don’t want to hear anymore … especially not this answer if it’s a ‘yes’. I can still remember bits and pieces of my parents, but I would never have thought for a million years that they were gang leaders. Well, I was only 10 when mom died, but still. “No, your dad has his flaws, but he truly loved your mother and you more than anything. We’re not sure who killed her, but they suspect that Harry did it out as retaliation. Additionally, it’s also conjectured that he was behind the car-bombing … but there’s no proof. Personally, I think

***POV - Melaena I wake up clinging to a pillow that smells like Damion and I take a deep breath, enjoying the familiar fragrance. I roll onto my back with a big smile and open my eyes slowly, not wanting to let this dream end. "Good, you're up.” I look lovingly at the guy sitting on the side of the bed. This really is a great dream. “I was getting tired of your snoring." I jump up when reality hits me, pulling the covers with me. I look around frantically. And just like that, the dream ends and the asshole is back. “I don’t snore!” He laughs and then hands me a cup of coffee. I eagerly take a sip of the hot beverage. If I ever needed a cup of coffee it would be right now. "You drool too, little angel. Probably from dreaming about me naked." His nickname for me somehow always makes me feel special like I belong to him somehow. Well, at least it's 100% better than 'babe'. "Gmf!" I snort, but he's not far from being wrong about my dream. “I see you still wake up

***POV - Damion "What are we making?" "Stirfry." I pour her some wine and then we talk and laugh while cutting veggies and cooking rice. I always love to cook and mom showed me how to be skilled in the kitchen. She leans over the pan, fanning the scent towards her nose, sniffing deep, her eyes closed. Then she looks at me with a wicked smile, one that awakes my sleepy little man at once. "Extremely hot and he can cook. Maybe I should just marry you right now. We can always work on the attitude problem." "Be careful what you wish for, little angel." My eyes move over her body and land on her lips. She's blushing again and it drives me crazy. I take a sip of my water trying to cool down a little. I'm leaving for London in a few hours and I want … no need to spend as much time with her as possible. It’s getting harder and harder for me to focus on all the reasons why I should keep my distance. "But seriously, is there anything you can't do?" "Mmm, I can't sit st

***POV - Melaena The house is empty and I fall onto the sofa and fling my legs over the backside. I take my phone from my pocket extremely happy that it seems to have dried out and is working. I message Kiara. Mel: Where are you bitch? I’m home. I urgently need to talk to my best friend about Damion’s experiments and hear what she thinks about everything. She answers almost immediately. Kiara: Late class. Will see you soon. I’ll pick up burgers. There’s a knock on the door and as I didn’t lock it, I just yell for the person to enter. I glance over the side of the sofa, expecting one of my brothers, just to find a total stranger standing in my living room. He’s around Uncle John’s age with greying dark hair and dark eyes. He has scars all across his face and arms as if he was in a terrible accident. I know I’ve seen him before, but for all the money in the world, I can’t remember where at this moment. “Hello, Melaena.” I jump up from the sofa and slowly walk b

***POV - Melaena Damion left me and Kiara under Axel’s supervision in the VIP section to go get ready with his band. And I say supervision in the best way possible. After the incident with Harry, the guys are set on guarding me, but it’s getting ridiculous. Some or other annoying cockhead is with me ALL the time, no matter where I go - class, dance, horse riding, home, or even shopping. And I swear if I let them they would follow me even into the bloody bathroom. Look, I love the guys, but having one of them around 24/7 is not ideal for my sensitive morale. Harry and his son are messing up my life even more than Damion. ‘Stay in the VIP section until I return and don’t you dare try something stupid!’ I imitate Damion’s words before he left, pulling a face to match my ambiance. Gmf, as if I do something stupid all the time. Okay, maybe escaping from this insane guardianship a few times was not the best choice … but I just needed some alone time … and nothing happened. But