“You’ve given me enough.”“No. I’m just starting, Freddy.” I pointed to the shelf. “Recognize that?”She peered up at it and gasped. “My picture! It’s so clear!”“Reid knew someone who enhanced and altered it. The original is safe.” I bent and pressed on a hidden door at the bottom of the shelves. “Right here with your rucksack.”Once she had given it to me, she had never asked about it, showing me her trust about keeping it safe for her. A stifled sob escaped her mouth as she peered into the cupboard. “It’s fireproof, and once you set the combo on the wall, lockable. You will never lose what is inside, Emmy. It’s safe—like I promised.”“Thank you.” Tears glimmered, and she wiped them away. “I-I have no other words.”I sat on the chair, and pulled her to my lap, feeling strangely nervous. “You entrusted something to me that was precious to you, and I want to do the same thing.”“You have, Bentley. You gave me your heart. Your home.”“No, I have something else.” I pressed the flat box

It started the way it always did. Voices, shouting, flashes of panic. Broken fragments of memories, images that blurred and blended into each other.“You’re just like your father. Worthless.”“He can’t read? What a surprise. He’s always been so stupid.”“I’m not paying for anything extra for him. If he can’t keep up, that’s his problem.”I was running, frightened, and out of breath. I needed to hide, to get away. Rocks hit my legs, and one even cutting into my neck. I felt the wet of blood as it seeped down the back of my shirt. I rounded the corner, ducking into the alley and behind the dumpster. I held my breath, trying to stay silent.The running feet stopped, the voices angry.“Where did he go?”“Do you think he’s in the alley?”“No, the little bastard is scared of his own shadow, he’d never go there. Let’s keep looking.”Like a miracle, they moved on, but I stayed huddled, knowing they could come back. Knowing that even if I avoided them today, tomorrow they would find me.My bod

“These are what us hip people wear.” His socks were even brighter than Bentley’s—blues, greens, yellows—and two different patterns.“You call those hip?”“Yep.”“They don’t match!”“Exactly. The colors are the same, and their designs are similar, but no, that’s the idea. They aren’t mirror images. They’re mismatched on purpose.”Bentley snorted. “On purpose? Looks like you got dressed in the dark.” He raised one eyebrow. “Were you feeling along the floor for your socks after the clown incident, Maddox? That’s the closest you could get to a matching pair? You needed to get out before the red nose started glowing again?”“Fuck you, asshole. At least I buy my own socks. My girlfriend doesn’t have to pick them out for me.”“At least I have a girlfriend. I’m not bumping uglies with a clown.”Maddox sat back with a grin. “Maybe I’m not either. I might not have gotten dressed in the dark, but I wasn’t alone when I woke up.”I reached out and we fist-bumped. “Listen to Mad Dog. Getting himsel

We had been quiet in the SUV. As usual, once Bentley got an idea, he was silent, working through the details in his head. Maddox had been busy on the phone, and I clutched the file folder Jed had stuffed into my hand, the paper covered in coffee cup rings and worn around the edges. Once we hit the office, we went our separate ways, with the plan to talk it over in the morning. I had hoped to break down the document more, but I’d failed.Nothing new there.Bentley walked in, tugged at his tie, and sat in front of me. He studied my face for a moment, then purposefully leaned forward.“What’s going on?”“I tried, Bent.” I indicated the sheets on my desk, shame coloring my voice. “I can’t-I can’t do anything with this information. I’m sorry.”“There is nothing to be sorry for—don’t even go there. Jesus, Aiden. Have you been at it since we got back?”“Yeah.”He shook his head. “I glanced at it earlier. I could barely make sense of it myself. His writing is chicken scratch, and there’s no b

Minutes later, we were naked and in her bed.She was everything I had imagined and more. Her skin was like silk, stretched smooth over her bones, and it glowed ivory in the dim light. I sat back on my heels, staring down at her perfection. Her breasts were full, the nipples taut and ready for my mouth. Her waist was narrow, and her hips fit in my hands as if made for me. Her wavy hair spread out over the pillow, ink spilling on white paper, the pink highlights bright in the dark. Her green eyes were hooded, radiating back at me the want and need I felt. There was no shyness; in fact, she lifted her arms over her head, her legs falling open, showing me her soft, pink center.“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I whispered against her breasts, capturing a hardened nipple in my mouth and swirling my tongue around it. She whimpered, arching her back to get closer to my mouth.We spent long minutes exploring each other. Her hands felt like heaven on my overheated skin as she touched me. I had n