Den of Vipers
: Chapter 29

After a bit, Diesel gathers me to his chest and, not worrying about clothes, strides down the corridor—even with his wound, which is self-inflicted, so I don’t have much sympathy—and heads to the elevator. What we just did was…fucking amazing.

I feel refreshed, which is strange, like he helped me get out all that pain inside of me. Every inch of agony he inflicted broke down the walls holding my own, until my anger and fear was nothing but feeling for him, surrendering everything to him. He’s right—with others I’m different, but down here, I got to be just what I needed.

They all offer me a different escape, Diesel’s just happens to be twisted and bloody and filled with pain. Other people would scream at what we did, and shrink away, but it was all consensual and ended in pleasure, so I don’t give a fuck. Maybe it’s the rest of the world that’s crazy, not us…

Then again, maybe we’re just too insane to see how not crazy everyone else is. I don’t know why, in these Vipers’ arms, I’m not only discovering myself, but I’m finally shaking those walls I’ve had in place my entire life.

A woman can be strong and weak.

Beautiful and scarred.

Scared and brave.

Smart and sexy.

They teach me that, and I replace myself standing taller with their support. I am who I am, I shouldn’t make excuses for it. Even at the bar, I felt the need to be ‘Roxy the Hitter,’ that dark, angry bartender. I was never allowed to be weak. Even when I needed to be. Here, I can be.

Fuck, it doesn’t mean I’ll stop giving them shit, fighting everything, punching people, or being a general bitch. But just maybe, maybe I can trust them with everything else the world doesn’t see.

When the door to the elevator opens, he manages to unlock the apartment door with one hand, and when we walk in, we freeze. They are all there, sitting on the sofa waiting. Kenzo runs his eyes across me, and when he sees me in one piece, he winks. Garrett snorts, but I see respect in his eyes before he looks away. Ryder nods, but his lips twitch slightly.

“I got some information,” Diesel starts, his tone serious before he grins. “Roxy is a screamer. I can inform her dad now.”

Ryder laughs, the sound carefree for once. “I could have told you that.”

Men.

“But I did get some from the assassin as well,” Diesel offers, and Ryder sobers.

“I’ll replace out from Ryder, let me take care of Roxy while you share what you learned.” Kenzo smirks and sweeps down, grabbing me, and I yelp as he chuckles and ambles away. Peering down at me, he grins softly. “I can’t believe you survived him. You are bloody fierce, woman. You know what that means though, right?”

“What?” I ask, cuddling into his hold. I should demand to be put down so I can walk…but I seriously can’t be bothered.

“You have only challenged him to replace new ways to make it hurt.” He laughs. “It’s a good job he likes you, there is a whole lot of pain in your future.”

I groan, “Fuck, he’s crazy,” but even as I say it, I smile.

“He’s not the only one.” Kenzo laughs, looking at me pointedly before kicking open his door and sweeping through the room. Holding me on his lap, he starts the bath and fills it with something to make it bubble before pulling me closer.

We sit in silence as the bath fills, and I relax into his arms. I should question why I don’t care about sharing my body with him and his brother, or why he doesn’t care…but honestly, I’ve done worse, and I refuse to be ashamed of that. For them, I think it’s because they went into this knowing they had to share ‘the debt.’

I’m so lost in my own thoughts, I don’t even realise the bath is full until Kenzo squeezes me. “In you go.”

He dunks me into the water, making me shout when I surface and glare at him.

“I love it when you scream my name.”

“I didn’t,” I sputter.

“No? Let me rectify that.” He winks, making me grin, what a cheesy bastard. He groans, his hand over his heart. “Fuck, you’re way too fucking cute. If you weren’t relaxing, I would give you an orgasm right now.”

I splash him and float in the huge tub, my whole body aching and my pussy and ass sore, but it was worth it. He steps back and pushes his hair away from his face before shedding his shirt and trousers. Naked, he lets me drink in his body, my tender pussy fluttering at the masterpiece that is Kenzo, but neither of us act on the attraction, even though his cock is hard.

He slips into the bath and pulls me into his arms, holding me from behind as I float with his knees on either side of me. He lathers up his hands and starts to wash me carefully. “Why are you so nice to me? When I first got here, the others hated me, even though they brought me here, but you were still nice.”

He hums. “I saw in your eyes, like I said, the same ghosts we carry. Honestly, we needed someone to come here and shake us up. We were just functioning, barely a family anymore. The business and money were taking its toll, and we were all becoming cold—Ryder too serious, Diesel too wild, Garrett too angry and withdrawn…”

“And you?” I prompt, as he cleans my pussy, making me gasp.

“Too wandering. I kept going further and further, but you bring me home, Roxy. You bring us all back and remind us why we started this. Love and family,” he whispers before kissing my shoulder. “Never stop being you, even when you’re angry. You push them to be more, you question things they had stopped questioning, yet you don’t blink at death. You can play with Diesel but talk shop with Ryder. You don’t understand how rare that is.”

I sigh. “I’m not rare, I’m just as messed up as you guys.”

“Exactly.” He laughs. “You meet our messed up with your own. You are this tiny little thing, yet you can take us down and give us shit. It’s fucking hot. Even when you tell us you hate us.”

“I do hate you,” I mutter.

“Sure.” He chuckles. “Just don’t make Diesel angry, okay?”

“Wait,” I sputter, yelping as I try to turn and almost drown, so I give up. “This hasn’t been Diesel angry?”

He laughs, pulling me closer and holding me up. “Nope. You don’t want to see it—it’s fucking terrifying, and I don’t think even you could bring him back.”

We just sit in the water, and I almost fall asleep, it’s so relaxing. He kisses me and drains the tub, helping me out.

I’m so drowsy and tired from the warm water, I don’t even protest when Kenzo dries me off, carries me into the other room, and sits me on the bed.

Kenzo slathers me in cream to help with the welts before kissing each one better, then he pulls me into his arms, bending his body around me until his knees are bent in with mine and we’re curled together. I fall asleep like that, but it must only be for a short time, because when I wake, I barely feel rested, but I can at least function now.

“I’ll let you get dressed. We have a surprise for you, come out when you’re ready,” he murmurs, kissing my cheek before slipping from bed. Flipping onto my back, I yawn and stretch, wincing at the soreness between my legs and on my back. Even after Kenzo looked after it, they still hurt, but oh well.

Surprise? I wonder what it is. It’s what gets me moving, and I pad over to my clothes, throwing on Kenzo’s discarded shirt and nothing else before heading to replace out. It better be good. Like food or a gun.

I pretty much have to waddle to the living room, which is honestly not attractive, but whatever. When I get there, Kenzo looks really excited, and even Ryder isn’t on his phone. Garrett offers me a small smile, a truce, and Diesel is, well, Diesel is bouncing up and down on the sofa, waiting.

“I need coffee,” I grumble, and point at Diesel. “Coffee, now.”

All three jerk their heads to Diesel and jump forward like they expect him to explode or something, but he simply laughs and rolls over the back of the sofa. “Sure thing, Little Bird.”

I look at the others to see Ryder smirking. “I would say we need to do what you do to get him to behave, but…well, we all saw what he did to you, and I can’t say I’m too interested.”

Rolling my eyes, I throw myself down in his spot. “I bet I could make you,” I taunt, and he laughs.

“Probably, but still, wield your new power over him carefully,” he warns, and leans closer. “Don’t take advantage.” He’s teasing, but there is a hint of caution there.

“I’m not going to make him my own personal assassin, or you guys would be fucked, I just want coffee…and food…maybe orgasms.” I shrug.

Ryder grins at me, flashing white teeth. “I’m sure I can help with that,” he murmurs seductively, his eyes glancing down at my lips and tits, which are pressing against Kenzo’s white shirt and leaving nothing to the imagination. I gulp loudly, clenching my aching thighs together. My pussy literally took a beating, but it still throbs at his words. Hooker.

He grins, swiping his finger over my exposed collarbone, making me shiver, but all he does is push a strand of hair behind my ear before looking away.

Dear fucking God, these guys are not good for my pussy. All they have to do is look at me with those mean eyes, and I melt.

Diesel slips in behind me on the sofa, jostling me forward as his legs go to either side of me. His chest is still bare, and my sewing work is hidden behind white gauze. He wraps an arm around my waist and drags me back until I’m locked between his thighs. With his other hand, he offers me a steaming cup of coffee.

Groaning, I take it and burn my mouth as I take a sip—worth it. My stomach growls then, and he laughs as he kisses my cheek. “Presents first, food after.”

“Presents?” I perk up. “Is it a new bat?”

Garrett laughs.

“Told you,” Kenzo grumbles, and hands some money over to him, which he pockets before winking at me. Dayum, this truce thing is really working.

“No, no bats, I’m afraid, darling,” Kenzo tells me, leaning forward to meet my gaze. “We wanted to show you that we can be more than…well, mobsters. This is all for you. Whatever you don’t like, we can take back, and we can get whatever you need.” He scrubs the back of his head. “I know we started off…awkwardly, but your happiness is important to us.”

I look over at the bags and boxes on the table I didn’t notice before. There are so many, they spill onto the floor. What the— “When did you even get all this?”

“Earlier, Ryder and I went shopping.” Kenzo laughs.

I look at Ryder, who only sighs. “He made me.”

“You don’t have to buy me shit,” I grumble. It chafes me, I like to buy my own way in life…this feels like I’ll owe them something after.

Ryder leans over, uncaring that I’m wrapped in Diesel’s embrace, and grabs my chin hard, making me look at him. “No strings, no expectations. This is just something nice, and I know that’s hard to understand, I still struggle, but we did it because we care. Accept that, love.”

Fuck, how did he know?

Because Ryder knows everything, and he’s made it his business to learn everything about me. That fucking man. He smirks like he knows my thoughts and leans down, licking my lips before humming. “Mmm, coffee.”

He pulls away, leaving me breathless and slightly wet. Asshole. Okay, no strings. Normal people can accept gifts. You can do this. “Seriously, I hope you didn’t spend a lot,” I murmur, and my eyes widen when I spot the Cartier box.

Diesel laughs when I try to run away, wrapping his legs around me until I have a psychotic human koala draped around me, keeping me still. Ryder plucks the coffee from my hand before I spill it and, with his eyes on me as I struggle, places those lips where mine were and downs it.

“Motherfucker,” I hiss. “You owe me more coffee.”

“I’ll make it up to you.” He winks and grabs a box, a small one, and thrusts it at me. He suddenly seems nervous, which isn’t a word I would normally use to describe Ryder. “Here, this is one I picked.”

Unable to escape, I sigh and accept the box, flipping over the lid. Inside, nestled in silk, is a necklace. It’s fucking stunning. It’s a thick golden coil, a choker, with a snake head at one end and the tail at the other. Scales cover the gold surface, and the eyes are bright red rubies. It’s breathtaking, and no doubt expensive.

Two parts of me chafe—one that expects strings to come with this, and the other that wants to be mad. I’m not something they can buy with jewels. I don’t want their fucking money.

Kenzo leans forward. “Darling, accept this. We plan to spoil you a lot.”

“Why?” I demand, clutching the box, angry now.

He shrugs. “Because we can, because we all know where you came from and most of us came from there too. You should have nice things, you should be spoiled with jewels and gifts that hardly compare to your beauty. Get used to it, it’s happening.”

“But—” I start, but Ryder narrows his eyes.

“Just say thank you, we don’t want anything in return…well, maybe don’t kick Garrett in the family jewels again.”

“The money—”

“We have a fucking ton, more than we could ever fucking need, so accept the damn gifts or you’ll hurt their feelings. The stupid assholes never do anything for someone else, so don’t turn this around now,” Garrett snaps.

Well shit.

Sighing, I gather my courage, knowing this is my issue to deal with. I decided to go all in with them, to give up fighting every little thing. This is my issue with money and presents, not theirs. Garrett’s right. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, before looking at Ryder and Kenzo who appear deflated. Ryder is grinding his teeth. “Thank you, I’ve never had a present before, and I guess I didn’t know how to respond.”

“Never?” Garrett rumbles.

I shake my head, reaching out and stroking the snake. “Never, we didn’t celebrate any holidays or my birthday as a kid, so as an adult?” I shrug. “It never happened.”

“Fucking assholes,” Garrett grumbles, as Diesel pulls me closer.

“When is your birthday?” Kenzo demands.

“Erm, May, I think.” I sigh, and Ryder looks at me quizzically. “They never told me exactly.”

His eyes narrow, his fists clenching. “I will replace out.”

Diesel kisses me again. “I never had presents before these guys either, but look at them, look how happy they are, you’ve given them a purpose. They have all this money and no one to spend it on, so let them spoil you, Little Bird. It’s as much for them as it is for you. Their father used his money like a weapon, another thing to hoard. So this? This is good for them, showing them it can do something other than make you powerful.”

He’s right. Kenzo is smiling widely, and even Ryder is relaxed and seems happy. “It’s beautiful. I’m seeing a pattern though.” I laugh, and Kenzo reaches out and passes me another two boxes.

Carefully shutting the necklace’s box, I look around for a place to put it when Ryder’s hand curls over mine and extracts it, his sad, dark eyes meeting mine. “Thank you,” he whispers, and I follow his gaze to Kenzo. There’s a story there, that’s for sure, but not one for right now.

I nod, and he passes me the next two. I open them cautiously, not even shocked at the jewels inside—just how rich are these guys? In one box is a belly charm with a dangling gold snake, which makes me laugh. In the other is a ring that has me gasping. It’s black and large, set in a gold setting that has fangs gripping the jewel.

“They are—” I shake my head. “Amazing,” I whisper.

“I guess this makes up for all the birthday, Christmas, and everything else you ever missed.” Diesel laughs.

“Not yet, that will take at least three more hauls,” Kenzo adds with a grin.

Fuck, three?

“Give her the next one,” Kenzo insists excitedly, and before I get the chance to gape at the jewellery, they are taking them away and a new box is placed in my hand.

I open it carefully, almost shaking my head at the bauble inside, another ring, like the first, but red this time. There are four more pieces of jewellery, climbing snake earrings, an ankle bracelet, and a headpiece. I feel overwhelmed, and they must realise it, because Ryder calls a break for coffee. I snuggle back into Diesel’s arms, letting him hold me as I try to process all of this.

It feels like a dream.

Kenzo shifts closer while Ryder is gone and grabs my hand. “I’m sorry if this is too much, I just wanted to spoil you,” he offers, and seems suddenly gloomy, so I remember Ryder’s look and force a smile to my face.

“It is a lot, honestly, and it feels like it’s happening to someone else, but thank you, it means so much to me,” I tell him, and then, being brave, I lean forward and kiss him. He moans against my lips, and as I pull back, he seems to perk up. He glances over at Garrett before sliding to the floor and sorting through the remaining boxes and bags.

Ryder returns and passes me a mug, which I blow on this time, waiting for it to cool. He sits next to me, close enough to whisper so no one else—well, apart from my koala—can hear.

“My father never bought my mum a present, not once. If he ever got us something, it was because he expected something in return, it always came with strings. Kenzo used to love Christmas, opening the presents from our mum, but my father would tally up each one in his head. You could see it hurt our mother, she was so quiet, a frail, weak woman, even if she loved us greatly. Eventually, Christmas stopped, but Kenzo used to replace a way to get her a present every year. He earned his own money and would buy her something, sneaking it to her when my dad wasn’t looking. He thought it would help make her happy, it was how he showed her he loved her. Right until she died.”

I look at him, searching his eyes. He said it coldly, like it didn’t happen to him too. Is that ice hiding his true feelings again? I think so, so I reach out and run my finger across his jaw. “That must have been hard on both of you, how did she die?”

He sucks in a breath, that ice melting slightly. “She killed herself, we came home from school one day to replace her hanging in the hallway. I managed to stop Kenzo before he saw—”

“But you did,” I whisper.

He nods. “Kenzo was young, I got him outside and then…then I tried to save her. I heaved and pulled, trying to get her back over the balcony, but I was so small back then. I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t save her.”

“Ry,” I whisper, “It wasn’t your job to save her. You were a kid.”

He shakes his head. “It was my job to protect them both, and I failed. I won’t fail ever again.”

I nod, now understanding why he is the way he is. “Thank you for telling me.”

He shrugs, that ice coming back as he tries to move away, to distance himself, a coping mechanism, so I grab his hand and link it with mine, not letting go as Kenzo excitedly hands me a small bag. Laughing, I open it with one hand, refusing to release Ryder’s. He needs to feel this, to be here, to not lock it away and sit back, protecting us, but to enjoy this like Kenzo. He went through the same upbringing, and when he told that story, I felt his pain and how much he wished he could show his mother he loved her. He doesn’t get to back away now, I will melt that ice one bit at a time.

Inside the bag is a new top. The following gifts are a lot of new clothes, and when there are no more boxes or bags, I sigh in relief. As amazing as it was, I’m still struggling to accept it, but I’ll deal with that.

I’m juggling the bags one-handed with Ryder’s hand still in mine. Fuck this. I clasp his hand tighter and press it to my breast. “There,” I mutter, as I manage to put down the bags with two hands.

When I look up, they are all staring at me. “What?” I ask, and suddenly they all roar with laughter.

“Assholes,” I grumble, as Ryder squeezes my breast.

I look to him to see those cold eyes sparkling and his grin wide and unrestrained. “Never change, love.”

“Shut up. Now feed me, you kidnappers, I’m hungry.”

Ryder leans closer, grabs the back of my head, and kisses my forehead, lingering there. “Of course,” he murmurs, before getting up and heading to the kitchen. Kenzo sweeps down, kisses me hard, and follows after him.

I’m left with Diesel and Garrett, and suddenly, Garrett looks uncomfortable, but he throws a box at me without looking. “Here.”

“What’s this? Did we miss one?” I inquire, confused.

“It’s from me,” he mutters, rubbing at his head.

I grin. “From you?”

“It’s an essential, I still hate you,” he snaps, making me laugh.

“Don’t worry, I hate you too.” I nod, and he smirks at me for a moment.

“Open it,” he demands.

I do as I’m told, and a huge grin covers my face. It’s a gun, better than my old shitty one. No, this one is fancy, and carved into the slide are the words “Vipers’ girl.” “There is no ammo in it at the moment.” He coughs.

“Didn’t want me to kill you?” I grin. “Accidentally, of course!” I flutter my lashes at him, and he barks out a laugh.

“I need to make sure you know how to properly shoot it. I’ll take you later.” He nods, and I perk up.

“Hell yes! Will you teach me some of your fancy fighting moves too?” I grin.

“No,” he snaps, frowning. “You might use them on me.”

“Or I might use them on D.” I grin, and Diesel shivers.

“Please do, Little Bird,” he murmurs.

“You two are messed up.” Garrett rolls his eyes, but there’s a smile on his lips.

Vipers’ girl indeed.

Ryder and Kenzo feed me enough to have me lying on the sofa, unable to move, and I end up napping there with my feet in Ryder’s lap as he strokes my toes, his other hand on his phone. My head is in Kenzo’s lap, and Diesel is lying on the floor next to me, his hand reaching up to grab mine. Garrett sits on the other sofa, but he doesn’t leave, which is a plus. When I wake up, everyone but Garrett is gone.

Stretching, I yawn and look around. “Shit, how long was I out?”

Garrett glances up from the blade he’s sharpening and puts it away, leaning back as he watches me. “A few hours, you needed it.” He gets to his feet and stretches, his shirt riding up to expose his abs, and I can’t help but stare.

He catches my ogling and must think I’m staring at his scars, because he shuts down, his eyes darkening. “You ready to try your new gun?” he offers, but he seems distant now.

“Sure.” I get up and slip my shoes on. “Do we need to drive there?”

He grunts and heads of out the front door, so I follow after him, my new gun in tow. He heads to the elevator, not speaking to me the whole way down, and I know I need to rectify this shit before he goes back to hating me fully, but as I go to talk, the elevator door opens and he strides out.

Sighing, I follow him, but I freeze when he leads me into what looks like a fucking shooting range. What the hell? What else are they hiding in this building?

“You have your own shooting range?” I scoff.

He shrugs as he sets up. “We have everything we need in the building—a gym, a restaurant, a shop. It’s a self-sufficient tank.”

I move his way, and he drops earmuffs on my head. “Have you ever shot a gun before?”

I nod. “Once or twice, Rich taught me, but…well, nowhere like this. We shot in the forest.”

“Rich?” he echoes, peering down at me.

“He owned Roxers,” I inform him, and then look away. “He—my dad owed him some money, and I got a job there to clear his debt, but, well, I loved it, and Rich took me under his wing. When I left home, I had nowhere to go, so he gave me a home, a place to stay. He helped me. Rich was a good man.”

“What happened?” he asks softly.

I gulp and stare at the gun. “He died.” I suck in a breath and look at him. “So, how do I do this?”

He shows me how to stand and the proper way to hold the gun before letting me fire off a few shots. He corrects my stance a few times before allowing me to continue firing until I’m grinning again. Stopping, I flick on the safety and take off my earmuffs, looking at him as he stands next to me. He avoids my gaze though. Apart from talking about Rich, he still seems pissed about the staring.

Alright then, guess it’s up to me to fix this. No way am I letting our truce break over a misunderstanding.

“You going to glare all night or fucking talk to me?” I snap, cocking out my hip.

He grinds his teeth but ignores me. “Dude, get some balls. What’s wrong?”

He snarls, “Sorry my scars disgust you, fucking princess. Time to go back upstairs.”

Pressing the gun to his chin, I narrow my eyes. “I don’t give a fuck what you think about your scars, Garrett, but you will listen to me. I love them, they make me feel better about mine. Each one was earned, and it shows you survived something most others wouldn’t. When I see them, I’m reminded how strong you are, and honestly, they don’t detract from your hotness, but add to it. I was staring earlier at your fucking abs, okay? Wondering if it would be weird if I licked them.”

He freezes, his eyes wide. “What?”

“You saw what you wanted to see in my eyes—disgust, because it would make it easier to keep pushing me away.” I sigh. “We have a truce, Garrett, so if you’re mad at me, just talk to me, okay?”

“Did you love him?” he inquires, throwing me off. I must look as confused as I feel because he clarifies, “Rich.”

“I did, not the way you’re thinking, but like a father. It seems older men don’t really do it for me. I prefer snarky assholes who kidnap me.” I grin.

He smirks then, pressing closer to the gun, our bodies almost touching, and it sends a spike of heat through me. I want Garrett, I even told him that, and he clearly wants me, but something is stopping him, holding him back. Knowing it’s a stupid move, I open my mouth. “What happened to your chest?”

He freezes, his eyes darkening and body hardening. He asked me, and I told him about myself, so why can’t he trust me just a little? He pulls away and turns. “Put the gun away, we’ll go back before the others get home.”

“So that’s it? I get some snarled words, I bare my pain to you, and all I get is locked out?” I snap. “You don’t get to do that to me, I’m not asking for anything but the past.”

He snarls and spins around, his body heaving. He looks massive right now. “You’re asking too much!” he yells. “My pain is my own. I didn’t ask for yours, nor do I want it. You might have the others, but you will never have me.”

“Fuck you!” I shout. “You can’t try to cut down people’s walls and get into their heart without showing yours, that’s not how it fucking works, you asshole!”

“Who said I wanted in your heart?” he murmurs, leaning his head down, his voice cruel. “I don’t even want in your knickers. You’re trying to mistake lust for love, love,” he mocks. “As soon as they’re bored of you, they will toss you aside like all the others.”

I jerk back at that…is he right? “Fine, they might. I can manage on my own, but until then, I’m here. I’m one of you—”

“You will never be one of us. Just because you open your legs, it doesn’t make you our equal,” he roars, and I actually fall back from the venom in his tone. This ain’t Garrett anymore, this is a wild animal lashing out at everyone and everything because he’s scared, scared I was getting too close. Scared to get hurt. “You are nothing more than a debt.”

“I hate you,” I hiss.

“I hate you too,” he snarls, and without another word, he storms off, leaving me there wondering if everything he said is true.

I stare after him before turning and grabbing the earmuffs, taking my anger out on the target. I fire again and again until I’m panting and filled with more questions than answers. Leaning against the wood partition, I hang my head. I shouldn’t have pushed him, he wasn’t ready…but the shit he said…

Is he right?

“Don’t you dare let him get in your head. Garrett is many things—a fighter, a killer, and yes, an asshole—but he’s not right. Not this time,” Ryder murmurs, and I feel him press against my back. He heard all that? I didn’t even hear him come in. “He’s scared, love, scared that you are one of us, that you fit so easily…scared what that means to him, and he lashes out. He didn’t mean what he said, and you know you are more than a quick lay.”

“Do I?” I ask, brave since I’m not looking into those icy eyes.

“Yes,” he snaps, gripping my hips and turning me. His chest presses to mine as he backs me into the wall and traps me there, lowering his head until he’s in my face. “You think we let just anyone into our home? Into our lives? Trust them with our secrets? There have been women, but we have never, not ever, let them inside our circle. You? You’re right in the middle of it, Roxxane. If I wanted a quick lay, I would go out and get one, but I don’t.”

“Then what do you want?” I query.

“You, and all the attitude that comes with you. Even when you hate us, even when you attack us.” He smirks. “Even when you’re a brat, I want you, princess, so don’t let him make you question that. Keep pushing, you’re going to have to be stronger than you have ever been to get through to him.”

“Why do you want me to?” I question, searching his eyes.

“Because I’m realising it’s all of us or none of us. I know Garrett wants you, wants what we’re building, but he doesn’t know how. His past is blinding him to what’s right in front of him. Rip open that wound, drag him out kicking and screaming, and make him yours the same way you have everyone else.”

“Like you?” I ask, our lips almost touching.

“Like me.” He grins against my mouth. “Don’t think you can start ordering me around though, love, or I’ll remind you exactly what happens.” His eyes heat, and I shiver. He chuckles and pulls me closer, kissing me softly. “Come on, let’s head back before D gets worried and hunts you down. He’s worse than a rabid dog.”

Laughing, I follow after him, feeling better. He’s right. I’ve let Garrett hide long enough. I might be a debt, but this debt? She conquered the Vipers, she survived Diesel, she won Kenzo, and she sure as fuck ordered Ryder around.

He will be mine.