Author: Webster, K; Bridges, Vanessa
Date: 2017-05-23T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: ident; War & Peace #7; novella; JeanneP
Description: This is the seventh and final book in the series. First six books must be read in order to fully understand this story line. THIS STORY IS A NOVELLA AND SHORTER THAN THE REST. They say the king is the most powerful piece on the board. However, they haven’t met me. This queen knows all the rules. She plays the game better than him. In my game, the queen can knock the king right off the board. Game over. The END. But, I love him. The darkness threatens to make me lose sight of my strategy from time to time, but in the END, love always prevails. Problem is, my black king is playing by a different
Publisher: K Webster

This is the End, Baby

Copyright © 2017 K. Webster

Cover Design: All By Design

Photo: Adobe Stock

Editor: Prema Editing

Formatting: Champagne Formats

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information and retrieval system without express written permission from the Author/Publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

War and Peace Series Reading Order

Epigraph

Warning

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Epilogue

Spinoff Series Sneak Peek

Playlist

Books by K Webster

Acknowledgements

About the Author

War and Peace Series Reading Order

This is War, Baby – Book One

This is Love, Baby – Book Two

This Isn’t Over, Baby – Book Three

This Isn’t You, Baby – Book Four

This is Me, Baby – Book Five

This Isn’t Fair, Baby – Book Six

This is the End, Baby – Book Seven

“When love is not madness, it is not love.”

—Pedro Calderón de la Barca

Warning:

This is the End, Baby is a dark romance. Extreme sexual themes and violence, which could trigger emotional distress, are found in this story. If you are sensitive to dark themes, then this story is not for you. This is the End, Baby is the seventh and final book in the series. Please read the first six books before reading this one to fully understand the story.

Dear Reader,

Thank you for going on this epic and twisted journey with me! Your support has been amazing! I ask that you PLEASE don't spoil the plot or ending of this book in your reviews. I want everyone to be just as surprised as you. The twists and turns are designed for your enjoyment. They aren't as fun when you know what they are going in. Thank you so much for helping me with this!

Sincerely,

K Webster

HIS DARK HAIR is soft. So soft. I could stare at him for hours while he sleeps. Sometimes I do. He’s beautiful and mine. Every night, when I look at him, I am reminded that I am happy. He makes me happy.

Other times, he maddens me.

I can’t pinpoint it exactly. It isn’t any one thing. Just that his presence rubs me the wrong way. Every day, it worsens. I don’t like that feeling at all.

I stroke his hair again and murmur, “I love you.”

It’s times like these I have to remind myself that I do love him. That he is mine. I have to remind myself that I am in charge of my thoughts…the darkness is not in charge of me.

I close my eyes and start to hum a song I remember Mom humming when I was a child. It would always calm me when I was in the middle of a tantrum. For as long as I can remember, my mother and I have always butted heads. It’s only recently that we’ve talked a little more. We mostly tolerate each other. You’d think Gabe would be a deal breaker for her, but she puts up with him. Despite everything that went on between them in the past, she welcomes him into her home.

It makes me wonder if she still has feelings for him.

I often wonder if Dad were to suddenly die, would she go after my husband?

Would she remember what a good lover he was and want that back?

Anger bubbles up inside my chest. Mom is beautiful and looks younger than her actual age. She runs most days and eats well. If she wanted to seduce him, she probably could.

I try to imagine her as a teen having sex with my husband. Thoughts of my mother beneath him moaning his name have me fisting my hand and gritting my teeth. I can almost hear her moans.

Gabe…

Gabe…

More…

“Sweet girl?”

I snap my eyes open and cast an irritated glare at him. That perfect mouth has been on my mother’s pussy. He’s been inside her.

“Hannah,” he utters as he strides into Land’s nursery. “Let me put him back in his crib and then we can go back to bed.”

I stop gliding in the rocker but don’t release my baby to him. His eyes narrow but he doesn’t challenge me. Instead, my sleepy husband drops to his knees and hugs us both. Some of the tension releases from my chest. While Land sleeps in one of my arms, I can’t help but reach over with my free hand and stroke Gabe’s hair.

“How are you feeling?” he asks, his voice muffled against my breast.

“Just thinking about things.”

He tilts his head up. “What things?”

I frown and dart my eyes over to the window. “Things that make me angry.”

His fingers grip my jaw and he turns my head to look down at him. “What things, baby?”

“You and Mom,” I seethe, the accusation heavy in my voice.

“She and I were over before you were even conceived.” His brows furl together and an annoyed sigh escapes him. “We’ve been through this a thousand times.”

My tone is bitter. “I’m your second choice.”

“Hannah,” he warns. “How many times—”

“Daddy?”

He and I both jerk our heads around to see our sleepy toddler standing in the doorway, rubbing her eyes. My heart warms to see her in her cute pink polka-dot zip-up pajamas. Her blond curls are fuzzy from sleep. She’s been wandering a lot more in the middle of the night and early mornings since we recently switched her from her crib to a toddler bed.

“Come here, Toto,” I coo and motion for her.

Gabe twists to sit on his butt with his back against my shins. Toto walks over and climbs into his lap. He holds her against his chest and strokes her soft hair. A smile plays at my lips. She reaches a small hand up, and I grab it. Land stirs but doesn’t wake.

“We are a family, Hannah,” Gabe murmurs, but his tone is fierce. “You and I and these babies.”

My eyes sting but tears don’t form. Sometimes I hate that I’m broken. The emotions that normal people have aren’t in my hollow chest anymore. They’ve dried up and crumbled away. Anger is my most prevalent emotion. It feels like it takes over more often than not.

“I hate being sick,” I hiss as though the words themselves are tainted.

A growl rumbles from my husband. “You’re not sick…you’re just in desperate need of a vacation.”

Toto peers over her father’s shoulder at me with her big brown eyes and smiles. It reminds me of Gabe. The love in that smile nearly knocks the breath out of me.

“Are you going to take me on vacation so you can off me and dump me somewhere in the Pacific Ocean?” I question, my voice only half teasing in nature. “Then find a new wife? Someone normal?”

Toto smiles shyly at me again. Those smiles are distracting. A trick she most definitely learned from her daddy.

“I’m not even entertaining those questions with an answer. I love you more than anything in this world,” he grumbles. “You know this.”

“I love you, Mommy,” Toto agrees.

My heart expands, and I grin at her. “I love you too, baby.”

She starts whining to climb into my lap, so Gabe sets her on her feet so he can relieve me of the baby. As soon as Land is in his daddy’s arms, Toto crawls into my lap. Her small hands touch my face as she beams at me. I run my fingers through her messy hair and study her features.

Her light blonde hair is soft. So soft. I could stare at her for hours while she watches me with her cute grins and adoring eyes. Sometimes I do. She’s beautiful and mine. Every day, when I look at her, I am reminded that I am happy. She makes me happy.

Other times, she maddens me.

I can’t pinpoint it exactly. It isn’t any one thing. Just that her presence rubs me the wrong way. Every day, it worsens. I don’t like that feeling at all.

I stroke her hair again and murmur, “I love you.”

After Land is back in his crib, Gabe stares out the window for a long time with his strong arms crossed over his chest and his back to me. After some time, Toto falls asleep. I stand and carry her back to her bedroom. Once I’ve kissed her and shut the door behind me, I start down the hallway.

I sense his heat before he even touches me. A moment later, a hand covers my mouth from behind, and I’m captured in his powerful arms.

His mouth finds my ear, and I shiver when he nips at my lobe with his teeth. “You have to stay out of that head of yours and with me, sweet girl. It’s the only way for us to be happy.”

I whimper when his free hand slides to my breast through my silky gown. He trails kisses down the side of my neck before releasing me to twist me around. His dark eyes are narrowed as his palm grips my throat. My head thumps the wall when he pushes me against it. I love when he possesses me. He keeps me focused on what matters. Us.

“Goodness, sweet girl,” he mutters as he nips at my bottom lip and chin and jaw. “You have to get your trash together. You have to.”

“I’m trying,” I promise as I grip his hair to guide him down to my aching breasts. He bites my nipple through the fabric and regards me with a wicked glare that makes my panties wet. I tug his hair to the left so he’ll bite my other nipple too.

His chocolate brown hair is soft. So soft. I could stare at him for hours while he devours me, his touches demanding and consuming. Sometimes I do. He’s beautiful and mine. Every day, when I look at him, I am reminded that I am happy. He makes me happy.

Other times, he maddens me.

I can’t pinpoint it exactly. It isn’t any one thing. Just that his presence rubs me the wrong way. Every day, it worsens. I don’t like that feeling at all.

I stroke his hair again and murmur, “I love you.”

AS MUCH AS I love the beach, I know we can’t live here forever. This home doesn’t meet our needs anymore. We’re too close to people. Hannah doesn’t do well around people.

“We’ve tried everything on the market,” War complains on the other end of the line.

I run my fingers through my hair and huff in frustration. “So we try everything not on the market. Come on, man, you have access to this trash. Find something. Anything. It’s absolutely necessary we find a solution.”

He’s quiet for a moment, and I listen for Land. Thankfully he’s still napping, so I can keep my focus on Hannah and Toto playing in the sand not two hundred feet from where I stand inside the house.

“Is it getting worse?”

Worse? Hannah is always worse than the day before. But this is different. This is darker and more unpredictable.

“I can’t read her anymore,” I hiss. “She’s a live wire, and I am scared it’ll be one of the kids that gets hurt.”

I hear him tapping away on his keyboard but he remains silent. Then he sighs. “Have you thought about putting her back in an institution?” Even though he says the words, which sound like scripted trash straight from Baylee’s mouth, I know that isn’t what he wants.

“Harass the institutions,” I snap. “I told you how she was when I took her from the one Baylee sent her to. My sweet girl was so messed in the head. They were supposed to make her better, not pump her full of trash that makes her talk to cursed walls. She will not ever go to an institution in my lifetime.”

His tapping stops. “I don’t know that I like where this conversation is going.”

“Forget you, War. You know that if you don’t get your trash together and find something that works, my hands will be tied. I’ll be forced to do something neither of us wants. She’s the mother of my children. You think I want to hurt her?”

“Touch her and I’ll—”

“You’ll what, man? Turn me in?” I rub the tension from the back of my neck. “This isn’t just about her. It’s about my kids.”

“Bay and I can keep them. Send them to us, and we’ll raise them. Take her somewhere safe. Just don’t hurt her,” he pleads.

I swallow and dart my gaze out to see Toto running circles around her mother, squealing with laughter as Hannah tries to tickle her. “I can’t do that. I can’t not see my kids. I already made that mistake once with Brie. I won’t do it again.”

Land fusses in the other room but doesn’t cry yet.

“I’ll intensify my searches. I can go on the deep web and hunt for something on the black market. I’ll keep digging.” His chair creaks and he grumbles. “But this trash isn’t tested, Gabe. I have no idea what the side effects will be. We’re playing with fire, and it involves my daughter—”

“She’s my wife! You think I don’t know this already?” I snarl. My outburst makes Land start to cry. I stalk into his bedroom. “Time is running out. You should have seen her last night. It’s getting creepy. One of these days, I feel like she’s going to snap.”

Land squirms in his crib but his cries lessen when he sees me.

“Hey there, baby boy,” I coo as I scoop him into my arms and pull him against my chest. I redirect my attention to War on the phone as I walk back over to the window to watch my girls who are outside. “Just keep looking.”

He sighs. “I will. Also, I was going to tell you when I had more information but I think I found what you were looking for. It’s a hunch, based on some cryptic texts, but I believe it’s what you’re searching for.”

My chest tightens. “You have a location?”

“I do. Like I said, it hasn’t been one hundred percent verified, but all signs point to it. Are you really going to do it?” he questions.

I kiss Land’s soft forehead while he gnaws on his fist. He’s hungry, and I’ll need to have Hannah come back in to feed him soon. “Of course I am.”

“What about Hannah?”

“I’m going to take her with me this time. She needs to get away,” I tell him. “I think it will be good for her for it to be just her and I for a few days. Plus, it’s a heck of a lot easier keeping her in line when it’s just the two of us.”

“Bring my grandbabies over, and we’ll keep them. It needs to be done, and she certainly needs a break,” he agrees. “Do I need to procure new fake IDs or are the last ones still okay?”

Translation: Did my innocent little girl murder anyone while using her last ID?

“They’re fine. Book us a flight and find us a hotel. We’ll leave as soon as we can. I’m not sitting on this,” I order. Land grins up at me, slobber running down his chin. I grin back at him. Cute as idiot little boy.

“On it,” War assures me.

I smirk and give him some trash because, why not? “Most fathers would not approve of this.”

He grunts. “Spare me the lesson on morality, Gabe. You and I both know the rules are different with Hannah. Not to mention, if it weren’t you going to deal with this, my son would be on the first plane out of here.”

A smile tugs at my lips. That Ren kid is all right in my book. “Maybe we could invite him along—”

“Don’t start,” he snaps. “I’ll text you with the details.”

He hangs up and I chuckle. That is, until I don’t see my girls. A quick scan of the beach tells me they aren’t there anymore. Panic rises in my chest, and I dart for the sliding glass door. Just as I pull it open, Toto and Hannah bounce over from the side of the house, screaming “Gotcha!”

Land lets out a peal of laughter, and Toto runs to hug me around my knees. Hannah’s blue eyes are glittering with light and love. Goodness, I wish I could keep her like this. These moments are rare. Beautiful, but rare.

“You scared me,” I tell them both as I tug at one of Toto’s pigtails.

Hannah laughs. “That was the point.” She holds her hands out for Land. As soon as he sees her, his legs start kicking. Kid loves his momma.

I usher them inside, and while Hannah feeds Land, I let Toto help me pull out everything we’ll need to make lunch.

I love my family.

I love moments like these.

I love my broken wife.

Which is exactly why I need take care of this trash.

“Where are we going?” Hannah questions for the millionth time since I told her about our romantic getaway. “I mean, I know where we’re going but what are we going to do there?”

I palm her thigh just below the hem of her dress and grin at her. “It’s a surprise, sweet girl. We haven’t done anything like this in awhile, just the two of us. I want you all to myself.”

My answer pleases her because she clasps her hand over mine and teases me by pulling my hand further up her thigh. The young guy who’s been eyeballing her thighs the entire flight discreetly watches our little display. I’d offered her the seat by the window, but she wanted the middle. My wife likes the attention.

The cabin lights have been dimmed, and many people are sleeping. But not this guy in our row. It’s as if he’s been waiting for me to fall asleep so he can chat my wife up. I’ll give him something to talk about.

My eyes meet Hannah’s as I slip my palm under her dress. She spreads her knees to grant me access, bumping the other guy’s knee in the process. He lets out a choked sound and shifts uncomfortably in his chair.

I smirk as I run my finger along the outside of her panties where her clit is. A gasp of pleasure escapes her. When I glance over at the guy, who’s closer to her age than I am, he’s staring shamelessly at the way my hand moves under her dress.

My Hannah is naughty because she likes putting on a little show.

I lean forward and bite her belly through her dress, my eyes finding the horny guy’s beside her. He gives me a deer-in-the-headlights stare as I nip at my woman. The glare I give him back says, You can watch as long as you don’t touch.

He hisses out a breath of air and slouches in his seat, his palm covering his crotch. Pervert.

“Your panties are wet, sweet girl,” I murmur, my breath hot against her dress.

She smiles at me. “They are.”

“Does it turn you on that some guy is watching your husband touch you?” I question, my eyebrow lifting.

Her blue eyes flicker with darkness, and she nods. The guy beside her groans.

“Do you want my finger inside your slippery groin?”

I lift up and scan the cabin for anyone noticing our little party, but nobody is. Nobody but Horny Idiot next to her. I grab hold of her panties and start inching them down. She lifts her rear to help, and together we slide them down her thighs.

When I pull them off her ankles, I hold them out to Horny Idiot. “Can you hold these a second?”

He stares at me with flames of desire flickering in his eyes and he takes the panties. Who wouldn’t? This girl is a knockout. Tall. Blonde. Legs for days. And a rack that most men would only dream of getting to come all over. Once he has her panties in his fist with his other hand resting on his crotch, I slide my palm back under her dress.

“Spread them further,” I whisper and lean in to bite her ear lobe.

She does but the space doesn’t allow for much room. Her leg lifts and she hooks it over Horny Idiot’s thigh. “I hope you don’t mind,” she purrs at him.

He grips her panties so tight his knuckles turn white. I almost start laughing. He’s probably imagining all the ways he’d harass her. I smirk, knowing she’d idiot him up before he even got the chance. She hooks her other leg over my knee and now she’s spread wide open for me.

“That’s better,” I murmur, my tone low and deadly, as I slide my finger along her wetness. When I push a finger inside her, she moans softly. I can tell the guy beside me would like to help. I’ll rip his entire arm off if he touches her, though.

“You’re such a naughty girl,” I chide as I slowly harass her with one finger. “I forgot how naughty you can be.”

She whimpers and squirms in the seat. “I need more,” she pleads under her breath.

I smirk at Horny Idiot, who is staring at us with his mouth hanging wide open. “How many fingers?”

“All of them,” she breathes.

“Goodness,” Horny Harass hisses.

I wink at her as I ease two more fingers into her. My cock is much bigger than three of my fingers. But this girl, with the right amount of lube, has been able to take my entire fist before. She’s magical.

“Your body is making so much noise,” I observe. Each time I push inside her, her juices make a loud sound. “Maybe we should do something to cover up that sound.” When I rub my thumb over her clit, she moans loudly. An old sleeping woman across the aisle stirs but doesn’t wake. When I glance back at Horny Idiot, he’s discretely rubbing the palm of his hand against his cock, which is hard and noticeable through his sweatpants.

I focus on fingermy wife. She’s attempting to be quiet but is having trouble. With my fingers buried in her pussy, she is on the verge of a scream.

“When we get to the hotel,” I whisper against her throat, “I’m going to put my toe in your rear. You want that sweet girl?”

“Mmm-hhhmmmm,” she moans.

Horny Idiot curses again.

Her legs are beginning to quiver and she has no control over her body. When she runs her heel farther up his thigh, I know it isn’t a loss of control. My sweet girl is dirty and likes to make people suffer. The moment her foot touches his cock, I know he’s really suffering.

“You’re not innocent,” I snarl as I nip at her ear. “You’re going to pay for that little move.”

Her fingers find my hair and she kisses me hard. I know it’s to distract me because five bucks says she’s trying to get Horny Idiot off with her foot. My girl is dangerous like that. Always playing with fire. She doesn’t want that dork. She wants me to punish her for touching him.

“You can’t distract me,” I hiss as I pull away from our kiss. Sure enough, her foot is rubbing against him, and he’s groaning in pleasure. I yank my fingers from her body, causing her to whimper from the loss before I snag the panties from Horny Idiot’s fist. “These are mine.” Her juices get smeared across the back of his hand in the exchange. He gapes at me in horror but then his eyes roll back in his head when she rubs against him again.

I snap my gaze to hers, and she challenges me with her dark stare. I glare at her as I stuff her panties into her mouth. “I need to stifle your scream,” I hiss.

My hand goes back under her dress. I get two of my fingers good and wet in her pussy before sliding them to the puckered hole of her rear. She cries out when I push them fully into her. My thumb slips inside her wet groin and I idiot both holes ruthlessly.

The noises coming from our row are straight up from a porno, and this almost makes me laugh. My own cock is desperate to be inside her, but that’ll have to wait until we arrive at the hotel. Horny Idiot just sits back and enjoys a foot rub against his cock.

An old guy in front of us turns to give us a dirty look, but when he sees what we’re doing—and most likely gets a firsthand view of what’s going on under her dress—he gasps before turning around. Hannah whimpers again and her body begins to tremble. I suck on her earlobe until she’s convulsing hard. Her pussy and rear both clench simultaneously around my fingers as she finds her release. Horny Idiot groans too.

They came together.

This makes me snort.

I pull my hand out from under her dress and then yank her knee back to where it belongs—in front of her and away from him. Then, I pull the panties from her mouth and put them in my pocket. Horny Idiot is tense as he stares down at the wet spot soaking through his sweatpants.

“You made a mess there,” Hannah says with a loud giggle.

He turns to look at her, his throat turning bright red. If we weren’t on an airplane, I’d make his throat red all right but with his own blood—brilliant crimson and gushing. Horny Idiot is lucky I’m not free to do what I please. Because it would please me to slaughter him for his part in our little sex show.

“Oh,” she says when she notices her wetness smeared on his hand. “That’s mine. Sorry about that.” She grabs his wrist and brings it to her mouth. Her eyes dart to mine as she licks off the remnants of her arousal from Horny Idiot’s hand. When she releases him, he bolts from his chair and all but runs to the bathroom closest to us.

“You’re so getting punished for that.”

She curls her body to face mine and runs her palm over my cock through my jeans. “Good. I deserve it.”

I’m not about to come in my pants like Horny Idiot. So I unzip my jeans and pull my cock out.

“Suck it, bad girl. Hurry.”

She leans forward and licks my tip. I grab a handful of her hair as she starts bobbing up and down my length. Her teeth are sharp as she lets them graze along my sensitive flesh. Always reminding me what a monster she can be.

Well, I’m a monster too.

I grip her hair and twist it until I know it hurts. Then, I push her farther down my cock until I feel the head of my toe sliding into her throat. Her throat tenses as she gags but then she relaxes, so I can use her. I make her faceidiot me for several long moments until I come with a grunt. My cum rushes down her throat. She doesn’t gag but stays relaxed so she can swallow it all down like a good girl.

The old idiot in front of us turns on the light, alerting the stewardess that he needs something. I know the prick just wants to tattle on us. My toe still throbs with its release when I make eye contact with the stewardess who is now making her way toward us.

I release Hannah and she quickly puts my wet cock away. She’s just sitting up and righting her dress when the woman asks the old idiot what he needs.

“I need a stiff drink, ma’am,” he drawls out.

I smirk and wave at the lady. “Bring one for this row too.”

She hustles away, and Horny Idiot shows back up. I can tell he tried to clean up his cum, but it didn’t work. He avoids making eye contact with us as he sits back down.

This vacation is already off to one heck of a start.

This is exactly what we needed.

I’M NOT SURE why he brought us to this seemingly run down city, but at least the hotel is nice, and we have a view of the beach. The pool is killer. While Gabe sleeps, I stare out the window and watch a barge move slowly across the water.

It’s peaceful here.

I like it.

My chest aches and I miss my kids. I’ve been slowly weaning Land off the breast because I haven’t been producing as much milk as my hungry boy needs. This trip was the little push he and I both needed to quit for good. But now my breasts are sore. It just reminds me how much I miss having him nurse from me, even if he could only do it once or twice a day.

A buzz comes from Gabe’s phone plugged in on the table. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I walk over to see who’s texting him.

Brie.

Irritation claws its way up inside of me, but I swallow it down. I vowed I would do my best when it came to Brie. That I’d be nice to her. She has my brother, and they seem happy with the babies. It makes me angry, though, that she now hogs my brother and my husband. Stingy jerk.

I read her text to my husband.

Brie Baby: The photographer can do that date. Ren and I have been tasting cakes this week. One more month, Daddy. :)

A huff of breath escapes me, and I roll my eyes. Another little annoyance in my life. Brie and her wedding to my brother. I’m surprised he’s so eager to take on some other man’s kids. But sweet, stupid Ren dove in without hesitation to play daddy to her twins. Ren was always soft when it came to girls. Always wanted to be the hero.

It was Calder who surprised me. My younger brother fell hard for that chick with no tongue. They actually come over to the house, from time to time, to see Toto and Land. It’s Ren and Brie who refuse to see us.

Well, me, actually.

Neither of them want to see me.

I’m not even allowed at their wedding.

Fury surges through me, and I decide I need to let off some steam. I throw on a tank top and some mid-shin-length black workout pants. Once I’ve laced up my tennis shoes and pulled my long blonde hair into a ponytail, I grab my key from the desk in the room and head out. Despite this hotel being nice enough, it’s still old school with real keys. I’d balked at that, but my old man husband didn’t even notice until I pointed it out. They were all like this back in the day, he’d said. The olden days…

I smirk as I walk down the long hallways on a search for the fitness room we’d passed. When I reach the door, I’m irritated to find it’s locked. With a huff, I travel downstairs and through the lobby to go outside.

Today, it’s warm out. It’ll be dark soon, so I don’t want to stay out too late considering I don’t know this country very well. We’ve barely been here a day, and my poor husband is wiped out. After a day of and eating room service, he spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping.

I start jogging down the narrow road. My ponytail swings back and forth along the back of my shoulders as I run. This country isn’t one I’ve been to before. Gabe told me I had to be careful. Freaks are everywhere, he’d said. Don’t I know it.

As I jog, I pass several stray animals, but they scamper off when they see me. A couple of cars pass by and one honks. I run until I find access to the public beach. The chain-link fence I come to is beat up, but once I walk through the gate, I find a nice beach. Not as nice as the ones back home, but it’ll do. I run past an old fat man with a hairy white chest lying in the sand and dart along the shore. It feels good to run. I fill my lungs with the warm air and grin.

Gabe was right.

I did need a vacation.

I love my kids so much, and I can keep my darkness at bay. But sometimes…it’s like I’m not me. I’m this other person. I stare at them with a stranger’s eyes. Sometimes, I wish it were just me and Gabe. And those thoughts scare me. I wonder if the stranger within me will make that happen one day.

With a frown, I trot to a stop and bend over to catch my breath. Someone catcalls me. I jerk my head over to see that I’m standing in front of a dilapidated beach house. A man stands in the shadows under the porch.

“Oye mamita linda!” he hollers in a thick Spanish accent and follows it with a whistle. He emerges from the shadows, puffing on a cigarette, and crudely grabs his crotch.

My chest aches from exertion and my calves are on fire. I look over my shoulder to see how far I’ve run. At least a mile…maybe two. I can’t even see the hotel from this distance. Unease creeps up my spine.

“I don’t speak Spanish,” I yell back as I start hobbling away. My throat is on fire from thirst. I wish I’d have thought this out before I just ran off without my phone or telling my husband where I was going while in a foreign country.

“I speak English, pretty lady. Come a little closer. Are you thirsty? You look like you need a rest.”

I turn to regard him. I am thirsty.

His eyes widen in shock when I start walking in his direction. When I’m close, he blatantly eye-idiots me. The guy is sort of cute, I guess. Probably late twenties. He needs a shower, but I don’t think he has problems getting women.

“I’m Hannah,” I tell him and give him a shy smile. “Staying over there with my husband.”

He frowns and scratches his scruffy jaw with a finger while somehow managing to hold on to his cigarette. “Husband, eh?”

“Yep.” I smile primly at him.

His gaze falls to my chest. I look down and frown to see two wet spots from where my nipples have leaked.

“Oh no,” I groan. “Babies.”

He takes a long drag of his cigarette while his eyes linger on my belly. “You look good, Mama.”

I bask in his praise and bat my eyelashes at him. “Thanks. I thought you had something for me to drink.”

He nods and licks his lips before tossing the cigarette into the sand. “I’m Pico.” With a wave of his hand, he motions for me to follow him.

I wobble after him, wishing my calves didn’t hurt so badly. I’ll drink some water and then head back to the hotel. He slides open a dirty glass door at the back of the house. I follow him inside. One quick glance tells me this is an abandoned home. Trash litters the space and it reeks of feces.

“Where’s the water?” I croak out.

The glass door slides shut behind me, and he stands between it and me. “There is no water.”

I turn to him and frown. “Then why’d you invite me in?”

His brown eyes seem to darken and he lifts his T-shirt to reveal a gun tucked into his waistband. “You know why, white girl.”

I curl up my lip. “Let me out of here, jerk.”

A dark laugh rumbles from him. “No, groin.”

“My husband—”

He snorts and pulls the gun from his belt. “Your husband can’t do trash.”

I narrow my eyes at him and crack my neck. “I was going to say,” I hiss, “that my husband will be angry if I kill you.”

This sets him off because he attacks me. I’m tackled backward, and we land on a dirty mattress in the middle of the floor. He shoves the barrel of the gun under my chin as he uses his other hand to yank my pants down.

I don’t fight or wiggle or anything.

I wait.

When he senses I’m not putting up a struggle, he glares at me. “What’s wrong with you, puta? Are you crazy?”

“You have no idea.”

He snarls and roughly grabs me between my legs. His dirty finger pushes past my panties, seeking entrance. It burns when he gets it inside me. The gun feels cold against my jaw, but I’m not afraid. His zipper goes down, and he manages to take his cock out once he yanks his finger back out.

The wait is over.

He still holds the gun loosely in his one hand while the other is trying to help his cock thrust past my panties. I grip the key in my hand to form a weapon and I stab at his eyes.

Poke. Poke. Poke.

“Fuuuuck,” he roars, abandoning his gun and me to cover his now bleeding face.

I grin as I shimmy my panties and pants back up my thighs. Sitting up on my knees, I grab his gun and point it at him. “You’re going to regret ever waking up this morning.”

He whimpers like a pussy. “Y-You stabbed me in the eye!”

“Y-You tried to rape me,” I mock and then cackle. “You messed up, buddy. You messed up real bad.”

His cock is out and I laugh. Thin and the big bush of black hair surrounding it makes it seems shorter, too. No wonder he has to resort to rape. Nobody wants his tiny pecker. Poor idiot.

“Get naked.”

He hisses. “What?”

“You wanna idiot? Let’s idiot,” I taunt.

“Forget you, jerk.”

I stand over him and kick his shoulder until he’s on his back. With my gun pointed at his face, I snap at him, “I said get naked, jerk.”

Terror flickers in his uninjured eye. With a shaking hand, he shoves his dirty underwear down and kicks away his jeans. Then, he pulls away his T-shirt. His chest is littered with poorly done tattoos, and it makes me giggle.

What a loser.

“That’s better,” I coo. “Now, tell me how many girls you’ve raped.”

He doesn’t answer, so I fire a shot into his shoulder. The scream he lets out belongs to a teenaged girl, not a man.

“You psycho groin!”

“How many girls have you raped?”

Snot dribbles down his lip and he shudders. “I don’t know.”

“Guess, jerk!”

He trembles. “Uh, six maybe?”

Six maybe?

Somehow I doubt that’s true.

“Don’t lie to me.”

“Idiot, uh, fine. Maybe twenty or thirty.”

I snort and straddle his waist. His one eye widens as he gapes at me in horror. But his stupid toe hardens beneath me. This jerk will always mess with girls because he can’t even manage to keep his cock soft when his eyeball is about to fall out and he has a bullet in his shoulder.

“Oh,” I chide. “You’re very bad, Pico.”

He starts to cry, but I’ll be darned if his cock doesn’t throb beneath me.

“You need some relief, baby,” I purr as I grip his jaw. “Need me to take care of that toe of yours?”

“Get away from me, puta!”

I laugh and obey the prick. For a moment. I find a discarded cola can and shove the barrel of the gun into the opening. The metal of the gun widens the opening. When I fire off another round, Pico screams. With the bottom of the can now bearing a hole, I push the gun through that hole too. Then, I regard him with an evil grin.

“Ready, Pico?”

“Get the heck away from me,” he hisses as he holds up his free hand, as if that’ll protect him.

I pounce on him. When he tries to escape, I push the gun into his belly and fire off a shot that makes him scream louder than before. Both of his hands cover the hole that now spills with blood. While he’s distracted, I grab his mediocre toe in my hand and shove the can down over his erection. And then I crush the aluminum can around him with my fist.

Screams.

One long continuous one followed by another garbled one.

I sit on my butt and admire my handiwork. The head of his penis pokes out of the top of the can. Blood is everywhere.

“Goodness, Pico, you’re messy,” I chide.

His hands try to pull the can away, but the sharp pieces of aluminum are digging into his sensitive flesh and preventing him from pulling it off. This makes me giggle.

“Y-You c-crazy f-f-c-groin,” he chatters through his tears.

I stand and glower at him. “You should have just given me the water.”

“Jerk!”

I smirk. “This jerk just messed you up. By the way you’re bleeding, I suspect you’ll be dead before I even make it halfway back to the hotel. Goodbye, Pico.”

He moans and groans, but I can tell he’s weak. Blood spills from the hole in his stomach with every movement he makes. There’s no way he’ll live.

With a little wave at him, I tuck the gun into the back of my workout pants and tug the tank top over it to hide the bulge. As soon as I close the sliding glass door, I can no longer hear his cries over the waves. In the distance, the clouds are dark as a storm rolls in, making the water choppier.

I sprint the entire way back to the hotel with a giant smile on my face.

Pico, that sick rapist, really knew how to cheer a girl up.

I WAKE TO the sound of a shower running. It’s dark out now and thunder rumbles nearby. I can’t believe I slept for half the day. Now that we’re here, away from my family, I can relax a bit. I don’t have to watch Hannah’s every move. We both needed the breather.

I slip out of bed and push my boxers down to join her in the shower. After a quick brush of my teeth, I find her under the spray, washing her hair.

“Hey, beautiful,” I murmur as I draw her soapy body to me.

Her sudsy fingers find my shoulders and she beams at me. Clarity makes her eyes shimmer with light. She’s stunning. “Hey, handsome.”

I tug her hair, so she looks up, and help her rinse the soap from it. Once she’s clean, I grip her jaw and kiss her plump lips.

“What’d you do while I slept?”

My little liar bites on her lip. “Nothing much.”

I snort. “Try again.”

“Went for a run.” Deception still flickers in her pretty eyes.

“Hannah,” I warn, my fingers biting into her flesh. “Don’t lie to me.”

Her fingers wrap around my cock, and she grips it hard. “I met a rapist.”

I stiffen and glare at her. “Did he hurt you?”

A sexy smile plays on those toe sucking lips. “He tried.”

I pull her to me and kiss the top of her head. She wraps her arms around my body. Her belly seem fuller than normal, smashed between us.

“What did you do?”

She looks up at me and wickedness gleams in her eyes. “I made sure he won’t rape any more girls ever again.”

My heart is hammering in my chest. I should yell at her for so many things. But all I can do is kiss her supple lips.

“My good girl,” I praise. “Goodness, I love you.”

I grip her rear and lift her. She wraps her legs around my backside just as I push my cock into her wet groin. I harass her hard against the wall until she’s screaming my name and clawing her nails down my shoulder. After I come deep inside her, I pull out of her and continue cleaning her perfect body. Small silvery stretch marks color the pale flesh near her hips, but I love the physical reminder of the children she grew inside her. Our children.

“What are we doing tonight?”

I cradle her face in my palm and grin at her. “I’m taking you to dinner. And then…”

“Dancing?”

I snort. “Better than that. We’re going to do something fun after a little shopping.”

“Oooh,” she says, her eyes glimmering with mischief. “I’m excited.”

“Wear black.”

She arches a blonde brow at me. “This gets better and better.”

“And maybe real shoes. Don’t wear any flip-flops.”

“Yes, sir,” she sasses and gives me a faux salute. “Anything else?”

I cup her pussy. “I’d like if this was easily accessible. Can you do that, sweet girl?”

She beams at me and nods.

“Good girl. Now get your rear ready so we can have some fun.”

While Hannah blow dries her hair, I call Ren.

“How’s my girl?” I ask in greeting when he answers.

“Good. What’s up?”

I launch into what I need from him. It’s asking a lot, I know. But, unlike his father, he doesn’t argue. He simply takes note of my instructions and vows to fulfill my requests. Lastly, I give him the address before hanging up.

Just in time too.

Hannah shuts off the hairdryer and saunters into the room, with just a towel wrapped around her. I want to yank it off and nibble on her belly but I’m starving for real food.

“Hurry and get dressed,” I tell her as I pinch her rear through the towel. “We have reservations in twenty minutes.”

She throws on a halter top black dress with a lovely open back and a plunging neckline. And like the obedient girl she is, she leaves off her panties and bra. I love that she’s a stunner even without any makeup on. Then, she pulls on a tiny pair of white socks before slipping into a pink pair of Chucks. The shoes don’t go with the dress, but she still looks idiot hot.

“Keep looking at me like you want to eat me and we may never leave this place,” she says with a smirk.

I laugh and grab her hand. “Come on. We have trash to do.”

Dinner was at the hotel and it was delicious. They reserved a romantic table near the windows for us where we could watch the lightning. The storm seems to have stalled off in the distance and hasn’t come ashore yet, but it won’t be long before it reaches us. Once we’ve eaten, I pull up the address War found me, and we take a cab to the location, which is in a seedy part of town. The building is a pile of garbage but it holds what we need.

“Let’s do this, sweet girl,” I instruct as I toss a wad of bills at the driver.

She climbs out, and the wind whips her dress up. My sexy girl doesn’t even bother with fighting to push it back down. With the moon shining on her blonde head and her round rear on full display, she’s like some bad angel cast from heaven, luring men straight to perdition. She simply struts up to the dilapidated building with her fine rear on display for me and the cabbie. And sure enough, when I glance at him, he’s checking her out.

“Beat it,” I snarl before trotting after her.

I tug the dress back down over her rear and guide her inside the building. It’s dark and run-down inside, but a friendly guy greets us.

“Can I help you? Americans?” he chirps, his eyes nearly bugging out with dollar signs, like in the cartoons. He’s a slimy mongrel and greedy. I can practically see him trying to calculate how much money he can make off us.

“Knives. I was told you had knives.” I smile at him. “And other things.”

His gaze flickers over to Hannah before he meets my stare. A question dances in his eyes. Are you going to kill her?

I smirk. Eventually, I’m sure. But not today. “My girl needs one too.”

At this, he laughs. It’s boisterous and over the top. “Oh, I have something to suit both your needs.”

We follow him down the dark hallway toward the back. Hannah squeezes my hand. Not because she’s nervous but because she’s excited. My wife loves an adventure.

The room is brightly lit up with weapons lining the walls. Guns and knives and trash I wouldn’t even know what to do with hang from hooks all over the place. I point at a backpack. “I want that.”

The man pulls it down and sets it on a table. “You going to fill it up?”

Hannah glances over at me. “Please, Daddy?”

I snort and nod. “Fill it up, sweet girl.”

The man, upon realizing that Hannah might be my daughter, takes a moment to check out her belly. So I walk up behind her and give them a squeeze. I meet his shocked stare and shrug. “She’s got nice belly,” I tell him and give one of her nipples a pinch. “Am I right?”

He nods and quickly picks up sharp long blade with an ivory handle. “This one is good for skinning.”

She takes it from him and holds it up. “Too big.”

I snag it from her and run my thumb along the blade. “Skinning you say?”

He nods again.

“I want it.”

Hannah laughs and gives me a quick smile before picking up a smaller knife. “I like this one.”

“Bag it, baby.”

The man seems pleased with our splurge. I toss in some handcuffs and a bundle of rope. He has everything we could possibly need—even a battery-operated light and a fifth of the country’s best rum.

“Is that all?” the man questions, a weasel smile on his face.

I point behind him at a black-handled machete. “I want that too.”

He obliges and then starts calculating my total. It’s astronomical and obnoxious but I pull out a wad of bills and pay the man. After he counts it three times, he waves us toward the door.

“Thank you for doing business with us. Colombia welcomes you.”

With the heavy-rear backpack slung over my shoulder, I take Hannah’s hand and start walking toward our destination. I had War book us our hotel for a reason. It was close to where I wanted to go.

“A storm is coming,” she says and points to the ocean where lightning illuminates the sky.

I squeeze her hand. “You have no idea, baby.”

Under the moonlight with the wind kicking up her hair, I’m reminded of how much I love her. Hannah is my soulmate. My dark, dirty, hellion of a woman. It’s been quite the ride to get us to this point. I don’t want to lose her. Not now, not ever.

As we walk, I think about that emptiness I see in her eyes sometimes. I hate when that look presents itself in front of the children. They don’t understand that their mother is sick. Toto takes it the hardest because she’s older. She cries when Mommy is being cold toward her. I wish I could reach into Hannah’s sick mind and patch up the hole that sometimes sucks all humanity from her.

And God how I’ve tried.

War and I have made her take every medicine we could get our hands on. Baylee has spent countless hours researching her daughter’s mental illnesses. I’ve tried to preempt her moods and intervene. I’m good at distracting my wife but I never know how long it will work. And what happens when I’m not there to distract her? All it takes is one moment.

Guilt surges through me. I can’t do that to my kids. I can’t risk their lives. Their mother is unhinged and unstable. She’s a vase full of cracks, and one day, water will gush out, drowning those she loves in the process. I’ve plugged those cracks, but I’m afraid I can’t do that any longer.

There is only one way to save them.

“You’re quiet,” she murmurs.

I pull her into my arms and kiss her forehead. “I love you, baby. No matter what. Always and forever. And when this life is no longer ours, we’ll rejoin in hell where nothing can stop us.”

She tilts her chin up and beams at me. “My Hades.”

I cup her jaw with my palm and run my thumb along her pink bottom lip. “My Persephone.”

Her fingers grip the front of my shirt as she pulls me to her. Our mouths meet in a needy kiss. I’ll never get enough of kissing her. If I had it my way, I’d keep kissing her until I’m old and on my deathbed. Then, I’d just kiss her until I take my last breath.

Something tells me it won’t be so easy.

I slide my palm to her throat and run my fingertips along her vein. Her pulse is steady. Always so steady.

A crack of thunder makes us both jump. We pull away from our kiss, both of us panting for more.

“Come on,” I bark. “We’re almost there.”

We pick up the pace down a desolate road that seems like it hardly ever sees any travelers. This is good because I don’t need anyone seeing my ugly mug and screwing up my plans. The first raindrop that hits the back of my neck is cold. The second and third seem colder. When the heavens open up and rain down on us, I start running toward a chain-link fence. It’s not electric, thank goodness, so I easily snap through the metal with the wire cutters I bought from the weasel guy earlier. I make a hole big enough for us to crawl through and send her through it first.

I should worry about dogs or some trash, but War has already given me the layout of the premises, and they don’t have any vicious animals protecting the property. What they have is worse. They have big-rear Colombians with AK-47s strapped to their chests surrounding the perimeter. But, according to War, they don’t have as many at night, and they mostly protect the front gate. Hannah and I should be good.

“What are we doing here?” she hisses. Her eyes flicker with excitement. My sweet girl is always down to be bad.

“You’ll see,” I tell her.

According to War’s intel, one particular shipping container sees a lot of action. It isn’t guarded at night, but during the day, people come and go. Even Brie’s friend Vee and that idiotface Diego. War sent me some footage from when he hacked into their security system. What I’ve been looking for was last seen dragging a naked girl into the container months and months ago. He never came out, but she did. If he were dead, I doubt they would visit all the time, nor would it be so well guarded. And with what Brie told me about what happened to Vee when she went missing, I know it has to be him.

“This way,” I bark out above the howling wind and pouring rain.

She runs behind me, along the outer perimeter. The shipping containers are stacked high and go on for as far as the eye can see. I finally find the one I’m looking for. It’s older than the rest and hidden in the very back.

“What’s inside?” she demands.

I smirk and use yet another tool I bought from that weasel. The idiot didn’t even blink twice when I filled my bag with all this bizarre trash. But, he had all of said bizarre trash up for sale, so I guess it isn’t that strange to a guy like him.

A bolt lock sits on the door handle. I unzip my backpack and pull out a crowbar. Once I wedge the metal in the lock, I throw all my weight down over and over again until the lock snaps. Hannah reaches forward and pulls the broken lock away.

I grab the machete and ready my weapon as I tug open the door with a noisy creak that is drowned out by the storm. My wife stands behind me, and together we walk inside. She manages to turn the light on, and soon the long narrow container is lit up. It reeks of feces and body odor and death. The emaciated form on the mattress rolls over and squints against the light.

“Is this…” Hannah trails off and takes a step forward, her wet shoes squeaking on the metal.

“Yep.”

Her voice becomes a hiss. “Estebaaaaaaaaaaan.”

HE PROMISED ME. Not long ago, after we found out what happened to Brie, I’d been enraged on her behalf. Having been a rape victim myself, it made me crazy furious that this Esteban dude messed my husband’s daughter. What’s his is mine. Esteban raped what’s mine. I told her I would kill him one day. Gabe promised me our chance would come. I never doubted my man for a second.

Esteban is naked and shivering. His black hair is long and hangs in his face. A black, coarse beard covers his cheeks and mouth.

“Help,” he croaks out.

Gabe stays back, but I approach and set the lamp on the floor once I’m close. “Help with what, honey?” I coo in a sugary sweet voice.

“Help me, please.”

I look over my shoulder and Gabe stands with his back to the open container. His shoulders are broad and his chest heaves. My man is a barely contained storm. He wants to rage and make this man suffer for what he did to Brie. And what kind of wife would I be if I didn’t help him?

“Can you move?” I question, my voice soft and concerned.

He tries to sit up but he’s too weak. “I can’t,” he grunts. “You have to get me out of here.”

I stroke his hair out of his face so I can look into the eyes of a sicko. “Who’s done this to you?”

“Vienna, that groin. And her husband Diego Gomez. They’re vicious. If they find you here, they’ll have you killed,” he hisses. “We have to go.”

Gabe snorts and I suppress a grin.

“Shhh,” I coo as I roll him to his back and straddle his stomach. My wet hair drips on his chest and he licks his lips. “Are you thirsty?”

He nods and stares up at me as if I’m an angel who’s come to rescue him. Perditions's angel. I grab a handful of my drenched hair and wring the water out over his mouth. A groan rumbles from him as he catches the wetness.

“Thank you,” he murmurs.

I sit up on my knees and hold my dress out. “More? I can wring it out from my dress.”

His gaze falls between my legs and his eyes widen. My pussy is naked and on full display. Since he doesn’t answer, I wring my dress out into his open mouth. Then, I sit back down on his bare chest. My wet-from-the-rain pussy slides against his skin.

“W-Who are you people?” he demands, suspicion dancing in his eyes.

I rest my palms on his shoulders and rub against him. “I’m Hannah.”

“Why are you here?” His jaw clenches as he glares at me. His fingers dig into my thighs over my dress. “Why the heck are you here?”

Gabe grunts and stalks over to us, his heavy footsteps thundering in the metal tomb. He drops the bag beside Esteban and yanks his wrists above his head. “Don’t talk to my wife like that.”

“D-Did Ricardo send you? Are you here to rape me too?” Esteban snarls up at my husband.

I laugh because it’s funny. This big, scary man is weak and helpless as Gabe cuffs him and then pins the cuffs with his knee. Esteban tears his gaze from Gabe to glower at me. Pleasure courses through me as I rub my pussy against his flesh. I scoot down until I meet the trail of hair below his belly button. His cock jolts and bounces against my rear crack through my dress.

“You like this,” I accuse, a wicked smile on my face. Then, I flick my eyes up to Gabe. He watches me with narrowed eyes and a clenched jaw as I grind against this rapist’s happy trail. With my thumb between my teeth, I lift my dress so my husband can see what I’m doing.

“Don’t idiot him,” Gabe orders.

I smirk. “I only forget you.”

“Dang right.”

“You two are messed up!” Esteban roars, his entire body coming alive with adrenaline. He must sense his fate. “Those cunts sent you, huh?”

“Shhh,” I hiss as I rake my fingernails down his chest, breaking the skin as I go. “I want my knife, baby.”

Gabe grunts and digs around in the bag. Once he hands me the small knife, he grips my wrist and yanks me until I fall into him. I kiss him hard with my thighs smashing Esteban’s head. I’m getting into our kiss when Esteban bites the inside of my thigh. I screech and lift off from him. The knife clatters to the metal floor loudly.

“He bit me!”

Gabe snarls and grabs a handful of Esteban’s hair. His wild eyes are on mine. “You okay, baby?”

I lift my dress and frown at the teeth marks. He didn’t draw blood, but it still hurts. “Tape his mouth,” I snap.

Gabe lets him go and finds the duct tape we bought earlier at the ghetto store. He rips off a giant strip and slaps it over Esteban’s mouth. I stick my tongue out at the little biter and then straddle his face again so I can continue kissing my man. Esteban’s hot breath comes out hard through his nose and it tickles my sensitive flesh. A tiny moan escapes me.

“You’re such a dirty girl,” Gabe mutters against my mouth as he grabs my rear through my wet dress. “What are you doing under there?”

I rub myself against Esteban’s nose and jolt when the tip of it touches my clit. “Nothing.”

“Little liar,” Gabe says with a grin. “Show me. Take this trash off.”

I match his wicked smile and peel off my soaked dress. It hits the metal floor with a slap. Gabe and I look between us. Esteban’s wild eyes are staring up at us as if we’re crazy, his chest heaving.

Maybe we are.

Gabe’s eyes find mine as he grabs my hips. He urges me closer to him. Esteban’s nose pokes inside me and it feels good. My eyes roll back when his hot breath rushes inside me.

“Oh!” I cry out.

Esteban jolts from beneath me as he struggles to breathe. Gabe pins my hips so that I can’t move anywhere.

“Touch your clit, baby,” Gabe instructs.

I reach down and rub at my sensitive bundle of nerves. With Esteban fighting for breath inside me and his face moving back and forth, I’m overcome with a delicious sensation. Gabe’s mouth finds mine and he kisses me hard. I close my eyes and give into the wonderful feelings surging through me. Esteban stills just as I climax. I shudder wildly. The moment Gabe lets me go, I lift up to let my little biter friend have some air.

He inhales a deep breath and then breathes so heavily, I wonder if he’ll hyperventilate.

“Hold his hands.” Gabe’s eyes are nearly black with fury and madness. I love that look in his eyes.

I take Esteban’s wrists and hold them down. Not that he’s going anywhere anyway. His body is weak and his eyes are barely open. Gabe stands and walks off. I stroke Esteban’s hair from his eyes.

“Awww,” I coo. “You okay, sweetie?”

Esteban’s eyes widen for a minute and then he shakes his head.

I tug at his facial hair. “You survived. Just like Gabe’s daughter did when you drugged and raped her multiple times.”

He closes his eyes as realization sets in.

I give his cheek a slap. “Open up, honey. The sins of your past have come back to haunt you.”

His dark eyes are wild as they glare up at me. Despite his weak body, fire still burns inside him. Some monsters don’t die easily.

“What are we doing?” I question as I look over my shoulder at Gabe.

He runs his fingers through his dripping hair and levels me with a hard gaze. “I want to punish him for everything he did to her but I’m so pissed I can’t think straight.”

I beam at my husband. “That’s why you have me.” I pick up the knife and turn back to Esteban. He brings his cuffed hands in front of him and attempts to push me away but he’s weak. I use my knee to pin his cuffed arms against his lower belly. Then, I wiggle the knife at him.

“Ready, Esteban? Ready to tell Gabriella you’re sorry?” I scream, my spittle spraying him.

He starts shaking his head, but I ignore him as I begin carving his apology into his flesh. The garbled and choked sounds he makes fuel my adrenaline. When I finish, I shake away my daze and find Gabe kneeling beside me, his attention fully on me. A beautiful smile adorns his handsome face.

“I’m sorry for raping you, Gabriella,” Gabe says as he reads my bloody artwork.

Esteban is breathing heavily, his eyes dilated. Sweat pours from his face. But it’s the blood rushing down the sides of his abdomen that is so pretty. Red against his pale flesh. I drop my knife to the side and rub my palms through the blood. It smears, and new blood rushes out in its wake.

Turning my head to regard Gabe, I catch his gaze before rubbing the blood all over my breasts and belly. Gabe growls and licks his lips.

“You’re so hot, baby,” he utters in a soft, deadly voice. “I want to bother your pretty little donkey.”

I rub my bare bottom against Esteban’s sweaty lower stomach. “So do it.”

“That jerk will probably like it,” he snarls.

My gaze drifts back to Esteban’s. “We’ll punish him if he does.”

Gabe stands and kicks off his shoes. He tugs his shirt off and his pants drop to the floor. My man is absolutely gorgeous in all of his naked, masculine glory. And, dear God, his cock is amazing.

“Give me your rear, Hannah,” he orders as he kneels behind me.

I rest my forearms on Esteban’s chest as I straddle his hips. My rear pokes in the air, ready for my man. When I feel his cold palm on my lower back, I let out a breath of anticipation. Esteban is staring at me with hate in his eyes. I expect him to try to shove me away, but he’s too weak and his hands remain cuffed, resting on his lower belly.

“Is your pussy wet, baby?” Gabe questions as the tip of his cock rubs against my clit.

“Mmm-hmmm.”

“It better be,” he bellows. “If you want lube for your rear, your groin better provide it.”

His words turn me on, and a shiver ripples through me. “I’m so wet.”

As if to test me, he pushes his cock inside of me. My body is soaked and easily accepts his thickness. He drives into me with a few thunderous thrusts. When he pulls all the way out, I know where he’ll go next. The moment he pushes against the tight hole of my rear, I cry out. He’s so big, but I love when he stretches me wide open and threatens to tear me apart. Inch by inch, he drives into me until he’s completely buried.

“Touch yourself,” Gabe orders, his cock throbbing but unmoving inside me.

I reach between my legs and brush against Esteban’s bound hands before I find my clit. The moment I find the sweet spot, I let out a whimper of pleasure. Gabe takes this as his moment to start pounding into me. The faster he goes, the faster I move my fingers. My eyes lock on Esteban’s. His dark eyes are positively manic. And when I tear my gaze from his to look between us, I can see how turned on he is, despite his helpless state. His cock jolts and his bound hands reach for it.

“He likes this,” I breathe.

Gabe groans and thrusts almost painfully into my rear. I’m turned on as I touch myself and watch this sick idiot attempt to fondle himself. A scream escapes me when Gabe grabs a handful of my hair and yanks me all the way upright. He glares over my shoulder to see what Esteban is up to. Then, his mouth attacks mine. The pleasure of having him buried deep in my rear, coupled with how I’m rubbing my clit, has me crashing into oblivion. A long moan erupts into Gabe’s mouth as I lose myself to ecstasy. The moment I begin to shudder, Gabe explodes with his orgasm inside my rear. Esteban groans loudly enough to steal me from my husband’s kiss. I look down in time to see his semen spurt up his belly.

“Oh, no,” I chide. “Bad boy wasn’t supposed to do that.”

Gabe snarls when he slides out of my rear. He storms over to his clothes and throws his jeans back on. Then, he grabs me by the elbow and jerks me up to my feet. My legs still quiver from my orgasm, and I nearly collapse.

“I want to hear his screams. Rip the tape off his mouth, baby,” he orders as he releases me. “But I want to see your sexy naked body, so don’t dress yet. I want to watch you while my cum leaks out of your rear.”

I grin at him as I bend over to remove the tape. His cum does run out of me and down my thighs. My husband is so dirty. I love it.

Esteban doesn’t make a sound when I rip off the tape but the moment he realizes it’s gone, he starts babbling.

“M-Money. Whatever you want. I’ll give it to you,” he murmurs, his voice weak and breathless. His eyes are on mine, as if I have the ability to sway Gabe’s mind on what he plans to do.

“We don’t want money. We want your life,” I tell him simply.

“P-Please…”

I kneel beside him and swipe his sweaty hair from his eyes. “Stop begging. Bad guys don’t beg. They take their punishment and they die like the villains they are. Got it, Esteban? Stop acting like a pussy and take it like a man.”

His eyes turn hard. “Just cut my throat.”

I pick up my knife and tease his neck with it. “That would be too easy, baby doll. I think my husband wants your toe—and not in a sexual way.”

Esteban groans as a tear leaks from the corner of his eye.

“And I think you owe us a tongue. Gabe is quite disturbed about the fact that you took that sweet little girl’s tongue,” I tell him as I run my bloody finger over his bottom lip. “It takes a lot to disturb my husband. But late at night, he asks me about it. We discuss how painful that must have been for that little girl. She’s big now, though. And even without a tongue, she somehow still found love with my brother. They kiss. I’ve seen pictures on his Facebook. You could probably kiss without your tongue too.” I drag my knife along his torn chest to his belly button. I skim over his handcuffed hands, letting the blade hit the metal with a clink before I poke his flaccid dripping cock. “But can you mess without your cock?” He attempts to steal the knife, but I hold it away, laughing. “Not so fast, bud.”

Gabe drops to his knees on the other side of Esteban and cups my cheek with his hand. “You’re so beautiful when you’re free. I wish I could free you forever.”

I frown and regard his sad eyes for a moment. “I’m free when I’m with you.”

His gaze darkens as his palm slides to my throat. “You think so?”

My fingers grip his wrist and I smile at him. “I know so.”

The sadness seems to dissipate and determination sets in. I love how fierce my man is. “I’m going to pry his mouth open and you take his tongue. For Luci,” Gabe snarls, his glare firm.

“My pleasure, baby,” I tell him.

It’s a struggle, but my husband is much stronger than the weak man in captivity. He manages to pry his mouth open. And with glee, I saw right through the muscle until I free Esteban of his tongue. He gurgles and blood spurts from his mouth.

I grip Gabe’s bearded face with my bloody fingers and motion my head toward Esteban’s lower region. “Now, for Brie.”

He nods and scoots farther down. I straddle Esteban’s chest and hold his face in my palms. The life is draining from his eyes as the blood gushes from his mouth. He chokes and spits. His tongue sits discarded beside his head, and the sight of it makes me wonder what happened to Luci’s. Did he just throw it somewhere?

“You’re dying, pig,” I whisper and kiss his nose that smells like me. “Accept it, baby.”

Tears stream down his cheeks, and then an unholy scream makes it past the blood in his throat as Gabe delivers his final vengeance. The sound of his flesh tearing is sickening and unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Something hot sprays against my bare back and I shiver. It’s done. Esteban’s been robbed just like he robbed so many before him. Gabe is the dark avenging angel straight from the catacombs of torture tasked with sending the demon to meet his maker. An eternity of suffering for his sins. I hug the bloody dying man as he quickly slips from our world into the next. His entire body spasms until it doesn’t move anymore. The rise and fall of his chest stops. The gurgling and choking is silenced.

“Good boy,” I say with a grin and kiss his cheek before I stand. My gaze skims to where Esteban’s cock once was. Blood is everywhere. What a mess.

Gabe glares down at him, but the rage is calming. I wrap my arms around him and rest my cheek to his bare chest.

“We should get back soon. It’s late,” I tell him with a yawn. “If we want to make the buffet breakfast in the morning, I need sleep.”

His strong hand finds my throat and he glares down at me. The wild look in his eyes is one I don’t recognize. Monstrous. Cold. Not my husband. “Who said we were leaving?” He squeezes hard enough to cut off my air supply. I start to black out.

This is it. He’s made his decision to end me once and for all.

Black.

Black.

Silence.

When I reopen my eyes, I realize the cold rain hitting my naked flesh is what woke me. Gabe carries me through the storm past the rows of containers and back toward the fence. I wrap my arm around his neck and bury my face into his flesh.

“I love you,” I croak, my voice hoarse from his choking.

He kisses the top of my head as a low growl escapes him. “I love you too, baby.”

Maybe he doesn’t have it in his heart to kill me.

At least for now…

One month later…

I’M STARING UP at the ceiling with my entire life in my arms. Hannah is on one side of me with our son sleeping between us. Toto is curled up against my side with her small arm slung across my middle. Everyone is asleep. It’s been a few weeks since we came back from our “vacation” where we ended that sicko. And it’s as if my entire little family knows our world is about to dramatically shift. We all cling together in these moments.

It kills me.

My heart breaks for them.

Their mother is dangerous. I’d hoped the trip would sort her out. If anything, it only made her more blood thirsty. The feral look in her eyes—that same manic one from the shipping container—hasn’t dissipated. I can’t leave her alone with the children. I’m scared to death I’m going to wake up to another bloodbath, but this one will steal my soul.

I reach over and stroke her hair. So soft and silky. How can I ever let her go? Truth is, I can’t. But I have to fix this. Everyone in my family is relying on me.

Thank goodness I have Ren on my side.

He’s been helping me plan.

Tomorrow night, on the eve of his wedding to my daughter, is when we will carry it out. Hannah can’t go to the wedding anyway because my Brie loathes her. It has to be done then.

Land stirs, so I scoop him up and lay him across my chest. I stroke his dark hair before kissing the top of his head. Babies have made me soft. Ever since Brie came into my life, I’ve become weaker. My children have made me this way. Love makes you weak. So weak. But, idiot, if I don’t like being weak from it.

Hannah lifts her hand and strokes our son’s back before whispering. “He’s so cute.”

I smile and turn to see her eyes softer than usual. The darkness is gone as love shines through. I wish to perdition I knew how to keep that look in her eyes.

“Because he looks like me,” I tell her in a smug tone.

She laughs, which makes Land jump but not wake up. “Sometimes I wish you wouldn’t have gotten fixed. We could have more.”

My chest aches. I’d love to have more children. But the fact is, we can’t. Not with her mental health situation. We’ve tried every drug imaginable. There is no bringing light to her darkness. It’s just who she is. War is still in denial, but I’ve come to peace with it. There’s no fixing her, unfortunately.

Death is the only way out of her darkness.

“Come on,” I tell her, changing the subject. “Let’s take the kids to the beach today. One last family day.”

She tenses. “One last family day?”

“Before all this wedding stuff takes over our lives starting this evening. Toto has to try on her flower girl dress. I have to pick up my tux. Brie wants me to come see the babies and have dinner with them before the rehearsal. Just a lot going on,” I tell her softly.

“I wish Ren would just get over it and let me come,” she huffs.

“It’s not Ren who has the problem, baby.”

“It was an accident.” Her response to killing Alejandra is always the same. But since it isn’t true, nobody believes her. Especially not Brie.

“I know,” I lie, indulging her. “They’ll come around eventually and I’ll make sure to get pictures for you.”

Satisfied, she curls against me and kisses my cheek. “Let’s sleep for a little while longer. The beach will wait for us.”

Toto squeals as Hannah chases her along the shore. Land sleeps sprawled next to me on our blanket under the umbrella. My attention never leaves my girls. All it would take is one second. My phone buzzes, and I quickly read the message.

Ren: Done. All ready. All you have to do is get her here. Then this nightmare will be over.

I bristle at his abrupt tone. His sister, my wife, is not a nightmare. She’s troubled. I hate that I have to do this to her. I scrub my face and scan the beach for her. Her eyes are on mine as she walks hand in hand with Toto. I grin and wave at her. She smiles back. Today she wears a skimpy black bikini that makes my cock hard. I’m going to miss moments like these after tomorrow.

Me: I’ll take the kids to your parents tonight. Give me more time with her. Then, I’ll bring her.

He responds right back.

Ren: Fine, but I want it done before the wedding. Consider it your gift to your daughter.

I grumble but type out my reply.

Me: Done.

After I delete all the messages, I tuck my phone away in the beach bag. Land wakes and starts squirming.

“Hey, baby boy,” I coo and kiss his belly through his onesie. “Let’s go play with Mommy and your sister. Looks like our time is limited.”

He grunts and waves his fist at me as if he’s trying to argue. If there were any other way, I’d be arguing too. But there’s not. This is it. This is the end, baby.

I scoop him into my arms and stand. When Toto sees me, she squeals and runs for me. Hannah’s smile is brighter than the sun beaming down on us.

Why can’t all days be like this one?

“A date the night before the wedding?” Baylee grumbles as she rocks Land in her arms. “I still have to cut up all that fruit and a mountain of vegetables for the reception. How am I supposed to do that if I have to babysit?”

Calder saunters in with his no-tongue girlfriend on his heels. That kid and I don’t like each other, but at least he loves my children. He takes Land from his mother while Luciana signs to her.

“We can babysit,” Calder translates. “Or we can cut vegetables. It’s fine.”

Hannah remains silent as she refuses to speak to her mother. They talk sometimes about the kids, but the conversation is usually strained. Sometimes, like tonight, they don’t speak at all. I pull her to my side and thank Calder. “We need this.”

Our eyes meet, and he gives me a clipped nod. It makes me wonder if Ren’s confided in him about what we have planned. Wouldn’t surprise me. I am shocked, though, that he doesn’t try to stop me. The only one who would try would probably be Baylee. For Hannah’s biggest thorn, she’s always been the fiercest about protecting her.

Not this time, Baylee.

The plan is in motion, and your boys are going to help me.

“Let me tell Toto bye and then we’ll leave,” I grit out as I release Hannah to go hunt for my daughter. I find her in War’s office, sitting in his lap. He’s turned on a computer game for her and only winces a little bit when she beats on his keyboard.

“We’re about to head out,” I tell him as I enter the office.

Toto ignores me, so I ruffle her hair and kiss the top of her head. “Bye, baby girl.”

“Bye, Daddy,” she chirps and bangs her fist again.

“How are the new meds?” War questions.

I meet his steely gaze and shrug. “Same as the others. Worthless.”

His lips press into a firm line. “I’ll keep trying.”

“Soon it won’t matter.”

Hard blue eyes dart to mine and his jaw clenches. “I told you I didn’t want the specifics.”

I snort. “Well, neither do I but here we are.”

Toto is oblivious as she plays her game. Meanwhile, War pinches the bridge of his nose, and I pace his office.

“It’s our only option,” I mutter. “If there were any other way, you know I’d be up for it.” I swallow and pat Toto’s head. “I can’t lose these kids.”

Understanding washes over him and he nods. “I know. I just…” His jaw clenches again. “I just don’t want to know about it. It hurts too much. Because in order to protect your kids, we have to hurt mine.”

I place my hands on my hips and give him a hard stare. “This protects your other children as well, you know. You and Baylee too.”

He closes his eyes, and a ragged breath escapes him. “I know, but I don’t like it.”

“Neither will she.”

“Where are we going?” Hannah asks from the passenger seat.

Tonight, she looks killer in a pale blue summer dress that shows off her toned thighs. I’m dying to mark them up with my teeth. I reach over to squeeze her leg and then run my pinky under her dress and along the seam of her panties.

“Somewhere special.”

She smiles, and it’s so beautiful I almost change my mind. For a split second, I almost turn the car the heck around. But when her blue eyes flicker with that ever-present darkness, I’m reminded that this ends tonight.

“Would you ever kill me?” I ask as I tease her flesh while I drive.

She’s quiet but manages to give me a shrug.

I give her skin a little pop. “I asked you a yes or no question, baby.”

Her glare snaps to mine. “If I had to, then yes.”

“The things we do for love,” I say softly.

The two-hour drive is intense. With every passing mile, I feel a part of my soul chipping away. And she must sense the foreboding because she’s tense. I glance over and catch her chewing on her fingernail.

I need to calm her down.

To ease her nerves.

I drive until I find a road that’s lined with thick trees on either side. When I shut off the car, she stiffens.

“Is this the part where you kill your wife?” she demands, her small hands fisted.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I snap.

“Then what?”

I reach up and pinch her belly through her dress. “Get your skinny rear over here.”

Her shoulders relax. “You just want to mess?”

“I always want to forget you.”

A small laugh escapes her as she climbs over the center console into my lap. Our mouths connect in a needy kiss as she scrambles to pull my hard cock from my jeans. I barely mange to pull her panties to the side before she’s guiding me inside her. Her body slides down my length and she pulls away to stare at me. I grip her hip with one hand to urge her body to move but use my other hand to stroke her soft blonde hair.

She’s mine.

Ever since the day I knew she existed in her mother’s belly.

“I love you,” I tell her, my tone fierce. “No matter what.”

She chews on her bottom lip and nods. Fat, genuine-as-idiot tears well in her pretty blue eyes. My girl is intuitive. Always has been. She knows that life as we’ve known it ends tonight.

“I’m sorry,” she chokes out as her lips attack mine. “I’m sorry I can’t be better for you.”

I drown out her stupid words by kissing her deeply. Her seated on my cock with her tongue in my mouth is where she belongs. I slip my thumb to her front and rub it against her clit through her panties.

“Gabe,” she moans as her head tilts back in pleasure.

“That’s it, sweet girl,” I growl. “Come all over my big toe. Get me messy, baby.”

I lean forward and bite her belly through her dress. She trembles as her fingers clutch my hair. All it takes is a moment more of me rubbing her needy pussy before she’s climaxing with my name on her lips as though it’s a curse.

I’ve always been her curse.

The black plague.

Hannah’s own little nightmare.

I bury my face against her belly as my orgasm explodes from me. I’m in heaven when her body is wrapped around my cock. All the bad in our life feels good for just one moment. I can forget it all and pretend we’re okay. But as soon as my seed trickles back out of her body, awareness settles over me.

No more putting this off.

I have to drive her to the place that she’ll never leave.

THE END IS near. I can feel it. Despite his denial, a sense of foreboding has washed over me. Finality. I’m perceptive enough to know when my husband’s behavior changes. He’s not the loving, doting husband he usually is.

He’s hard.

His jaw is clenched and he’s white-knuckling the steering wheel.

Poised and ready to kill.

I should be worried or panicking but I’m not. I know something is wrong with me. We both know this. If I keep barreling down this path called Life, I’m going to eventually crush the ones I love. The thought of hurting my children sickens me. I love them as much as I love Gabe. And if I were to hurt them, he’d never forgive me.

It’s better this way.

Tears swim in my vision, and I quickly blink them away.

I’m a strong woman. I can handle this.

My mind begins to wander. How will he kill me? With a rope around my throat? I’d rather it be his strong hand. With a knife tearing open my flesh like we cut up Esteban? I hope he does it slow so I can savor his beauty while my life bleeds out. Shot to the head? As long as he’s holding me when I go, I’m okay with that.

A quiver shakes through me.

I don’t want to die.

I’m too young and I have too much love to give. Fighting my demons is a daily battle, but it’s always worth it because my prize is my family. Gabe and Toto and Land need me. Only I know how to cut up Toto’s apples the way she likes them. It’s only me who knows that when you brush your thumb along Land’s brow after he eats, he falls asleep quicker. And nobody but me knows that when you cradle Gabe against your breast, his breathing evens out and all the stress leaves his body—that he snores ever so softly, and that’s how you know he’s fully at peace.

It’s the little things.

They’re mine to love and take care of.

I shouldn’t be taken away from them.

“Almost there,” Gabe says in a husky tone. He won’t look at me, which crushes a deep piece of my soul.

I squint in the darkness as we drive slowly down a winding road lined with trees. The speed limit said forty miles per hour, and yet he’s dipping way below. He doesn’t want to do this. I don’t want him to either.

“Gabe,” I choke out, my tears falling freely now.

“Shhh,” he murmurs and takes my hand. “It’ll all be over soon.”

I start to sob. My chest feels as though it’s going to explode. The love is all inside. It’s locked up but it seeps out through my cracks. This love belongs to him and our babies. One drip at a time might be all they get, but it’s theirs. And there is so much more where that love came from. I just don’t know how to make the holes bigger.

He turns down a gravel driveway that leads to a pretty house with many windows. On the side of the yard is a newly built swing set. It appears to be a perfect home for a family. The thought makes me cry harder. But when I see my brother Ren’s truck, my blood runs cold.

That traitor.

Of course, Ren would want to help kill me. He’d do it himself if he had his way. Heck, that may be why he’s here. Maybe Gabe knew he wouldn’t be able to do it by himself.

“Hannah,” Gabe mutters before turning his head to frown at me. “I love you.”

I swallow. “I love you too.”

“If there were any other way…” he trails off. His brows pinch together as pain flickers in his eyes. He tugs my hand to pull me closer. Then, his other hand is in my hair. I let out a sad moan when his lips press to mine. Soft and sweet. He deepens the kiss, and I try to memorize the taste of his tongue. His manly scent that comforts me. The way his love follows him around like a warm fog always blanketing me.

“Promise me something,” I whisper against his lips. “Promise me you’ll do it. Don’t let Ren be the one to kill me. I want it to be you.”

A growl rumbles from him. “Hannah…”

“But first”—I whimper as I pull away to regard his handsome face. I free my hand from his and touch his wiry beard—“First, you have to catch me.”

His brown eyes flare to life with need and desire and love and animalistic fury all swirled into one storm. A storm only I can create. I don’t give him time to react before I yank on the handle and throw myself out of the car. I abandon my flip-flops in the car as I take off running through the soft grass toward the tree line.

“HANNAH!” he roars from behind me as he climbs out of the car.

I don’t look back.

I just run.

He’s going to catch me.

He always does.

My hair flies out behind me as I bolt. The air is fairly warm tonight. It’s a beautiful night to die. His heavy footsteps thud behind me, so I pick up my pace. The moment I enter the woods, I know it by the bite of the underbrush on my bare feet. Twigs and pinecones and thorny plants tear at my soles, but they don’t stop me.

I run and run and run.

His heavy breathing grows closer. I bet if I were to turn around, he’d be just a few feet away. So I don’t turn around. I can’t afford one small mistake. My tears seem like a permanent fixation on my cheeks. I know that I’ll die with those tearstains on my cheeks. I just hope I also die with his face being the last thing I see. Fingers brush against the back of my dress, and I screech. I run faster.

Just not fast enough.

With a grunt from him, he tackles me to the forest floor. The crash and fall is brutal. Sticks poke at me and thorns seem to stab at me from every direction. His weight crushes me to the earth. My husband easily wrangles my wrists behind my back as he presses his hard body against me. We’re both breathing heavily, so neither of us speaks at first.

This is it.

All over now.

“Why’d you run, sweet girl?”

I swallow down my emotion. “So you’d catch me one last time.”

His lips press to my cheek as he seeks my mouth from behind. I turn my head to steal one last kiss. But the kiss isn’t enough for either of us. He rips my dress up over my rear and yanks my panties down my thighs. Then, he struggles with his pants until his hot cock is freed and pressing against me. He works his knee between mine. When I try to move my wrists, he tightens the grip.

“I’ll never get tired of you, wild woman,” he says as he guides his cock to my opening. I’m slick and hot for him. When he pushes into my pussy, I cry out in need. With one hard thrust, he drives all the way into me.

Pain assaults me from every direction, but the pleasure always supersedes the pain. I’d take all the pain as long as Gabe was the one doling it out. He idiots me hard against the brush. He utters beautiful words about love and family and destiny the whole time. I get lost in them—in him—and unravel with a scream. A grunt and then a growl escape him before he’s gushing inside of me. When we’re no longer moving, but he’s still buried deep inside me, I let out the breath I’d been holding.

“I’m ready,” I tell him, my voice quivering slightly.

“Ready for what?”

“This is the end, baby. Kill me, so I don’t kill them.” My voice cracks. “Or you.”

He slides out of me and his cum leaks out. I’m then released as he pulls his pants back up. “Come here.”

I’m unable to move, so he tugs my panties into place before hooking his arm around my waist to haul me to my feet. I lean my back against his chest in an effort to steal another moment with him. His palm slides up to grip my belly through my dress as his mouth finds my ear. A shiver ripples through me at having his hot breath there.

Soon, I’ll never feel his hot breath again.

It’ll be so cold without him.

“I love you,” he assures me again.

A crunch in the woods jerks my attention toward the direction we came from. Not even thirty feet away, a giant shadowy figure stalks toward us. Fear races down my spine until I catch a glimpse of the familiar face. More of my love seeps out through my stupid cracks.

“Did you really have to do that when I’m within shouting distance?” Ren asks.

My eyes fall to the hammer in his grip. I freeze in Gabe’s arms. A hammer? Really?

“J-Just shoot me,” I beg, tears once again hot in my eyes. “Don’t bludgeon me to death!”

Ren snorts and shakes his head. “If it were my way, big sis, I’d have shot your rear a long time ago.” The hate in his eyes doesn’t mask the love he still harbors, though. I see it. A slight flicker of light amidst his dark rage.

“I’m sorry,” I choke out. I truly am sorry for what became of my relationship with my brother.

“Not sorry enough,” he snarls as he storms toward us. He has something in his other hand, but I’m not able to make out what it is because in the next second, everything turns black.

Black.

Black.

Cold.

“I love you, sweet girl.”

And then nothing.

MY DAUGHTER IS getting married. Again. The girl is barely twenty years old and she’s on her second marriage. I never knew the first guy, but this guy is okay. He’s a product of Baylee, so how could he not be?

I let my gaze drift over to where Baylee is fussing over the dark purple bow on Toto’s white dress. The woman I once loved is still just as beautiful as she was when I had her for the very first time. Idiot, she might even be more beautiful. Age has done her well. A spitting image of her mother, Lynn. The teal-colored dress she’s wearing hugs her body in all the right ways, accentuating the globes of her breasts. Hannah would have been so jealous of her mother had she been able to be here today for this wedding.

Guilt and heartache have my jaw clenching.

Last night was the worst night of my life.

I’m hollow now.

“He’ll take care of her,” War assures me as he clutches my shoulder in a supportive way. Twenty years ago I’d have murdered him for merely looking at me. And yet, here we are. Friends of sorts. I’m sure Baylee is proud.

I smirk and shrug. “Brie is a tough cookie. If he does her wrong, she has enough of her daddy in her to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

War chuckles and shifts their baby Mason to his other hip. “You’re right about that.”

Toto squeals and runs over to me. I scoop her into my arms and plant a kiss on her soft cheek. “You’ll always stay my baby girl, huh? You’re never going to get married.”

“Daddy’s baby,” she agrees, her brown eyes wide and happy.

My heart swells when she nuzzles against me and hugs me with her small arms. I’m grinning like a fool when my gaze meets Baylee’s. Normally, she glares at me. Cold stares filled with hate.

But not today.

Today, Baylee regards me like she did long ago, back when I was someone in her life who she cared for. Her eyes shine with love for my daughter, and a smile plays at her lips. It hurts me how much she and Hannah resemble each other.

“How much longer?” I question.

She reaches forward and adjusts the boutonniere on my lapel, which Toto jostled. “Ren and Calder are finishing up. Luci’s in with Brie, making sure her makeup is just right. I think we’re ready to begin.”

“Where are the twins?” I question.

She pulls a baby monitor from her clutch and waves it at me. “Same place as Land. Napping in the church nursery. Brie wanted them in the wedding, but they’ve been extra fussy lately so she decided to let them sleep.”

“Is the devil even allowed in church?” Calder questions with a laugh from behind me. “Shouldn’t your skin be sizzling or some trash?”

“Calder!” Baylee chides. “Don’t say ‘rubbish’ in church. I can’t take you anywhere.”

I snort and eyeball the Justin Bieber looking kid with a raised eyebrow. “The devil was an angel once.” That comment earns me an eye roll from both him and Baylee, which has me chuckling.

I sober up, though, when Ren walks out and stands beside his brother. Had I not had his help last night, I’m not sure where my life would have ended up. I’ll owe him that debt until the day I can repay him. But now he’s about to vow to take care of my Brie baby for the rest of his life. For that, I’ll never be able to repay him.

“I’m counting on you,” I tell him as I reach out to shake his hand.

He gives me a firm shake. The kid is a man now. He’ll mess up anyone who even looks at my daughter wrong. I’m thankful she has a built-in bodyguard for her and the twins.

“So is she,” he replies. “I love her and I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing her that.”

“You better,” I say with a grin. “I know where you live. And you know what I can do if you slack off. Don’t slack off.”

“Gabriel Sharpe!” Baylee hisses. “Church. Stop trying to get us kicked out.”

Calder starts laughing, but Ren starts shoving him down the aisle in a playful brotherly way. My heart rate picks up. I can’t wait to see my daughter all dressed up and ready to marry a McPherson.

“You asleep, sweet girl?” I coo to Toto.

She lifts her head and beams at me. “I big girl. No nap.”

War ruffles her hair before taking Baylee’s hand. Together, the two of them along with their small son, walk down the aisle and find a seat.

I kneel down and set Toto to her feet. “Where’s your basket?”

She points over to the table but then regards me with a frown. “Mommy?”

A pang of guilt slices through me. “Mommy’s sleeping,” I lie.

“Nap like baby?”

I hug her to me and kiss her soft blonde hair. “Yep. Now go get your basket.”

She runs off just as the music starts playing. By the time she returns, the door down the hallway opens. Luci steps out wearing a knee-length dark purple, almost black, dress. Her long black hair has been pulled up in a fancy style on top of her head. The engagement ring Calder gave her glimmers in the light. She smiles broadly when she sees me. Luci and I hit it off pretty easily. For being a mute, the girl has a lot to say. But if she texts me one more Justin Bieber meme… Sometimes I regret bringing her that mongrel’s tongue as a vacation souvenir because apparently that means we’re best cursed friends now.

“Luci!” Toto shrieks and runs over to her, losing half her flower petals along the way.

The pretty Colombian woman squats to hug my daughter. It warms my once-cold heart. She signs to Toto. Toto sets her basket down and signs I love you, which is something Calder has been teaching her. Luci grins and signs it back before kissing her on the forehead. She stands and looks back in the room. Her hands do some fancy motions. Then I hear my other daughter.

“I’m too big for this dress,” Brie pouts.

As I stalk toward the room where I can hear her mumbling to herself, I can’t help but smile. Inside, I find an angel. My angel. A lump forms in my throat upon seeing my beautiful girl. She looks so much like Alejandra, it’s dizzying. Her mother would be so proud of the woman she’s grown into.

“Daddy,” she chokes out.

“You look gorgeous, Brie baby. Gorgeous.”

A laugh escapes her. “I’ve gained weight since I bought the dress. I look terrible.”

At this, I raise an eyebrow. “You could never look terrible. Even if you tried.”

Her smile is radiant. “Ren says the same thing. You both are strange.”

“Love is strange.”

When I start humming her favorite Dirty Dancing song, she giggles just like she used to when she was a kid.

“Sylvia?” I ask with a grin and hold out my hand.

“Yes, Mickey?”

I tug her to me, and she steps on my fancy shoes. While I hum the song “Love is Strange,” we dance around the small dressing room, until she begins humming the melody along with me. She rests her head against my chest. I dance with my daughter, enjoying the moment, until Luci knocks on the door, motioning to us that it is time for us to go with her.

Leaning forward, I press a kiss to Brie’s forehead and then I offer her my arm. She hooks her arm in mine, and I walk my daughter out to marry her off to her husband. I may be giving her away, but she’ll always be my baby.

The ceremony is a blur.

Two kids who have been through so much vowing to love each other till the end. It’s beautiful, and I wish Hannah could have seen it. My heart is heavy but it was the right thing to do. The only way.

The vows. The rings. The kiss.

It’s all a haze.

Regret and sadness try to steal me from the moment. It almost does. But then these two strong kids raise their conjoined hands as if to say, We did it, and I’m grinning with pride. An old familiar 80s song plays on the speakers. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds. Everyone claps and Calder whistles. Toto runs into the aisle and spins around in circles with excitement.

Goodness, I wish I could have shared this moment with my wife.

I’m in a daze through pictures, and it isn’t until a new song is playing in the reception hall that I snap out of it. The reception is small, just family, but it feels right. My oldest daughter beams happily at me.

I reach for her and touch a sparkly diamond stud in her ear.

“Something borrowed,” she whispers sadly. “Vienna sent them.”

Guilt settles in the pit of my belly. I don’t regret killing Heath Berkley—not after what he did to Brie and Duvan. I do, however, regret that it put a wedge between Brie and her best friend. Brie confided in me that as much as Vee wanted to come to the wedding, she wouldn’t be able to be around me without “accidentally” stabbing me while I wasn’t looking. Not to mention, she’s still pissed that we “stole” her kill. Apparently she was saving Esteban for a rainy day. Well it rained that day and my wife and I seized the opportunity. Carpe diem.

Another song comes on, dragging me from my dark thoughts.

“Father-daughter dance,” she says with a smile as she takes my hand.

I chuckle and bring her hand to my lips before kissing it. “May I have this dance, princess?”

She nods and she reminds me of the little girl from years ago who’d dress up and make me play the prince from her storybooks. I never had the heart to tell her I was the villain. Today, she doesn’t look at me any differently. As if I’ve always been her hero.

“Which song, Daddy?”

Ren stands beside the speakers grinning. “I have just the one for you two.”

When Bill Medley’s “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life” comes on, I choke up. Her brown eyes shimmer with tears as I hug her to me. The song is perfect, and dancing with her is even better.

“Daddy,” she whispers. “I’m pregnant again. We just found out.”

I snap my stare to hers. “Again?”

She laughs. “Again. Ren promises me we can do this. I’m not so sure. The twins are hard.”

“Brie baby, you can do whatever you set your heart to. You’ve always been strong like your mother. She’d be so proud of you. I know I sure am.”

A tear races down her cheek. “Thank you, Daddy.”

“Now let’s hope this baby looks like you and not like Ren,” I tease with a grin.

We both chuckle and the rest of the dance is free of conversation. Just enjoying the moment. I don’t ever want to let go, but much too soon, the song ends, and Ren whisks her away to dance. Their eyes are glued to one another, and the love radiating from them is overwhelming. I hope it never wavers for a second. My daughter deserves all the love in the world.

“Daddy,” Toto chirps as she tugs on my pant leg. “Dance.”

I tug her into my arms and dance much faster to the beat with my baby girl in my arms. She almost falls asleep, until Calder’s big mouth takes over the microphone.

“I’d like to dedicate this song to Teev,” he says with a trash-eating grin before the Blue’s Clues theme song starts playing. This perks Toto back up as she starts singing loudly.

“Teev! Teev!” she screeches happily and then squirms out of my arms to go chase after her favorite uncle. Or is it brother-in-law now? Idiot, I really messed up the family tree.

“You’re getting soft in your old age,” Baylee says. “I think I even saw you crying.”

I smirk and regard the angel in the teal dress. “I don’t cry,” I snap.

She laughs. “Don’t try that villainous trash on me. You don’t intimidate me anymore.”

“You said ‘rubbish’ in church,” I grumble, but a smile sneaks its way out.

I snag her wrist and she lifts a brow at me.

“Dance?”

My hand gets forcibly removed from hers and War flashes me an annoyed glare. “Nope. This one’s mine.” He pulls her away to dance closely with her, their sleeping baby sandwiched between them. The sight of them makes me happy. I’m glad that idiot lived after me shooting him in one of my crazed moments. I’m glad he stole my girl from me. So glad.

I scan the room and can’t help but think of who we’re missing. The girl who I made mine. The girl who rocked my world to its core. The girl who stole my heart and my soul.

My Hannah Bananas.

My cursed wife.

My everything.

But it’s better this way.

Right?

Five years later…

“TIME TO COME inside,” I holler out the back door. “Dinner’s ready.”

When I walk back to the kitchen to start dishing out the kids’ plates, I groan to find Land still swinging despite Toto’s obvious attempts to boss him around. Her blonde hair is in uneven pigtails because I kind of suck at doing little girl hair. They bounce each time she yells at him and points at the house. He sticks his tongue out at her but refuses to get off the swing. Little trash.

I put their plates in the refrigerator to cool off while I go round up my kids. As soon as I step out onto the back porch, Land flies off the swing set Ren put together for us several years back. He regards me with an innocent stare. Problem is, that little boy is just like his momma. The innocent looks don’t work on me. Especially when I know he’s been bad.

“In the house, Toto,” I tell my daughter.

She huffs. “Daddy, you promised you’d start calling me Toni Lynn. Jackie at school says I’m the dog from The Wizard of Oz.”

That little Jackie is a bully, and if I knew where she lived, I’d scare the living daylights out of the mini jerk so she’d leave my Toto alone.

“Okay, sweet girl. Go get the plates out of the refrigerator please,” I instruct.

She hugs me before running inside. When I turn my attention to Land, he manages to produce tears for theatrics. I hate seeing my kids cry, and this kid knows it.

“Come here.”

He runs over to me and hugs my legs. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

I scoop the tiny thing into my arms and kiss his messy dark hair. “Don’t rile your sister up, okay?”

He nods and rests his head on my shoulder as we go back inside. Once they’ve both washed up and are at the table, Toto takes it upon herself to say grace.

“Dear Goodness. Thank you for this yummy food Daddy made. I love you and Daddy and Mommy and all the squirrels that eat the bird seed out of the feeders. Amen.” She beams sweetly at me.

Land huffs. “What about me?”

“What about you?”

“Daddy,” Land cries out and glares at his sister. “She said she doesn’t love me.”

I groan. “Your sister loves you—”

“No I don’t,” Toto argues.

“Daddy!”

“Toto,” I grumble. “Tell your brother you love him.”

“No,” she says before bursting into tears. “H-He’s mean and he doesn’t listen. I hate him.”

They start yelling at each other, both of them crying now, and I rub my palm across my face. This parenting thing is hard to do alone.

“I miss Mommy,” Land wails.

I manage to calm them both down and urge them to eat a little more. They both end up passing out the moment I put a movie on after dinner. I tuck them both into bed and take my time picking up the house. Tomorrow, they’ll just ransack it again. If I don’t clean every night before bed, it’s atrocious by the end of the week. Once the alarm is set, so I’ll know if they escape the house, I go to my room and grab my lanyard from the top of my closet and slip it over my head. I make a pass through the kitchen, snagging a few things, before I head down to the basement for some me time. Daddies need me time.

The door is triple locked and tricky to unlock with all the trash in my hands, which is why I put the key on a lanyard, but I eventually get it open. It’s quiet, but I’m not alarmed. My footsteps are heavy as I thud down the stairs. When I reach the bottom, my head darts to the left. Always to the left.

Goodness, what a beautiful sight.

“Hey, babe,” Hannah chirps, her eyes never leaving the screen in front of her.

“Who’s winning?” I ask as I set down her plate of leftovers on the table just outside her door.

“Daddy,” she groans.

I smirk to see War wearing the same intense expression as her on the screen. Those two spend countless hours playing chess online together. I’m pretty sure he kicks her rear every time, but it doesn’t stop her from trying to win.

“Where are the kids?”

“Asleep. They were both tired as idiot. If I would have brought them down, they’d have begged to spend the night with you and that would have just led to more temper tantrums,” I grunt.

I grab on to one of the bars outside her cell and stare in at her. Five years ago, I discovered a way to keep my wife without having her be a danger to herself or others. I didn’t have to kill her. And while we were in Buenaventura, Ren did me a solid and finished out this basement for me so I could keep her safe. And everyone else safe from her.

My gaze skims over her makeshift prison. There’s plenty of space for my girl to roam. She has a comfortable bed that we can both sleep in easily, a bathroom complete with a tub, and a table. Her space is painted in bright colors and the kids’ drawings decorate the walls. It looks like any other room in our home—except this room has bars and a locked door. My little inmate has been sentenced for life. And, thank idiot, she’s happy.

Getting her inside it proved to be tricky, though, but once she realized I had no intention of killing her, she settled into her new home easily. It gives her peace of mind, knowing she can still have her family but that when the dark thoughts consume her, she can’t hurt them.

At one time, I didn’t have an answer when it came to Hannah. I thought I would have to kill her. Heck, that’s the reason I brought her to Colombia with me. Despite my conversations with Ren about making her a cell, I’d had my doubts it could work. After she and I had eliminated Esteban, I had my hand around her throat. I almost murdered my wife in the pouring rain. It would have been easy to dump her beside Esteban’s body. But dang was she beautiful. Mine. I was too selfish to let her go. Ren and I would have to make it work. We did make it work.

“Checkmate,” War says smugly.

I laugh and Hannah shoots me the bird. “Goodnight, Daddy. Same time tomorrow?”

“Of course, sweetheart.”

They end the call and she sits up in the bed on her knees. My little hellion is the picture of innocence in her pink T-shirt and jean shorts. But the moment she starts stripping off her shirt, I’m reminded of how not-so-innocent she is.

“You coming in here, babe?” she purrs.

I laugh as I rip off my own T-shirt. “Idiot yeah I am. I’ve been dealing with bad rear kids all day. I need some mommy and daddy alone time.”

She giggles and tugs away her bra, freeing her luscious belly. We both pull off the rest of our clothes pretty much at the same time. Now that my toe is heavy but free, I unlock the door to her cell.

“I’m hungry for you right now,” she says, her voice husky. “Dinner can wait.”

I chuckle as I saunter in and lock the door behind me. “Didn’t I already feed you my cock today while the kids were at school?”

She lies back on the soft bed, her blonde hair spilling on the pillow around her, and bites her lip as she caresses her belly. “You know you have to feed your little animal often.”

I growl as I pounce. Her squeals are music to my ears when my mouth finds her neck. I may be old as idiot but this girl keeps me young and on my toes. Never a dull moment with this one. She wraps her long legs around my waist and urges me closer. My fingers tangle in her pretty hair as she grips my cock to guide me inside her. Once I push into her, we both groan in unison.

This is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

“I love you,” I breathe against her perfect plump lips. “I love you so much. All of this is for you.” I thrust into her hard enough to make her cry out. “You know this, right? It’s always been for you.”

She nods and kisses me hard. Our bodies are one as I idiot my wife right into an explosive orgasm. I’ll eventually get mine but until then, I plan on pleasuring her with my tongue and fingers.

For most of my life, I screwed trash up and took the wrong paths. It was engrained in me. But with Hannah, I did something right. With my kids, I did something right. Even the bad guys can be good every once in awhile. I try not to make it a habit. Don’t want to get soft, like War.

“Oh goodness!” my wife cries out in ecstasy, her body clenching hard around mine.

“That’s it, sweet girl. Give it all to me. It’s mine,” I growl. “You’re mine.”

She unravels with my name on her lips, and it makes me so happy. This life—our life—is perfect. Undeserving but ours. Nobody will ever take this away from us. Not now. Not ever.

Happy endings aren’t for villains…

But we take them anyway.

This really is THE END, baby.

Dear Reader,

Thank you for going on this epic and twisted journey with me! Your support has been amazing! I ask that you PLEASE don't spoil the plot or ending of this book in your reviews. I want everyone to be just as surprised as you. The twists and turns are designed for your enjoyment. They aren't as fun when you know what they are going in. Thank you so much for helping me with this!

Sincerely,

K Webster

Spinoff Series Sneak Peek

Ward (Alma Negra Mexican Mafia, #1)

Vienna Gomez

“HE’S VICIOUS, MI diablita,” Diego grumbles, irritation seeping into his tone as he leans back in the leather chair that used to belong to my father. “Go sit your skinny rear back in the car where it’s safe.”

I gape at him with a snarled lip. “Skinny? Have you looked at me lately?”

His lazy stare skims over my body, as I’m perched on the edge of the desk, lingering at my larger-than-normal breasts. “You got fat belly. That’s hot.” Then his light brown eyes dart to mine. “Of course you’d take issue with that word. Skinny. Vicious, however, doesn’t even make you flinch. You have a fetish for villains. Shall I murder him as soon as he walks in?” A possessive growl rumbles from him. “I’m the only villain you’re allowed to want.”

I toss him a wicked grin. “You’re my favorite villain,” I say. “And don’t kill this baddie. We need him. He’s promised to buy a trash-ton of coke from us.”

“While this is true, it isn’t necessary for my pregnant wife to be a part of this deal.” His nostrils flare and he absently pats at his jacket pocket. When he finds the foil package of gum instead of his cigar, he curses. “The things I do for you, woman.”

I beam at him. When he read smoking around a pregnant woman was bad for the baby during my first pregnancy, he quit lighting up around me. Now that we’re halfway along with this pregnancy, he’s vowed to do the same. He still bears the same pissed-off glare whenever he finds gum in place of his beloved cigars, though.

I slide my heeled foot along his thigh. “You love me,” I tell him. The pointy part of my stiletto pokes at his beautiful cock through his slacks. Wakes that boy right up.

He grabs my ankle almost painfully. “More than anything.”

“And you love our son.”

His eyes light up at the mention of a son. We don’t know for sure, but Tatiana says the heartbeat belongs to a boy, or so she thinks. My gut tells me it’s another girl but I don’t dare torture my poor husband any more on that sore subject.

Reaching forward, he grabs my hips and pulls me into his lap, so that I straddle him. His large palms roam over my rear. When he buries his nose in my cleavage, which is exposed in the low-cut black dress, I clutch his hair and tilt my head back. Hot breath tickles me as he sucks and nibbles the flesh. Being pregnant, my hormones are out of control. I can’t seem to get enough of him. At least several times a day, I’m all over him begging for sex.

Well, I don’t have to beg too hard.

“Idiot me, mi idiot,” I demand, my fingers desperately tugging at his tie.

His teeth sink into my breast, causing me to cry out. I’m three seconds from pulling his cock out of his slacks when someone clears their throat from behind me.

Diego and I both jolt in surprise. He lifts me quickly before depositing me on the desk. Then, he stands and regards our guest. I take Diego’s place in his chair so I no longer have my back to them.

“Señor Celestino,” Jorge says in introduction before he steps outside the office, closing the door behind him.

I drag my gaze to our visitor. Our future business partner. The first thing I notice is he’s a giant. Tall. Like freakishly tall. And, my goodness, is he stacked. His muscles are bulging so much that it’s as if his expensive suit is painted on him.

“Diego Gomez,” my husband greets in a cool, calm tone. All playfulness from earlier is gone. “Pleased to meet you Señor Celestino.”

The man’s surly gesture makes him appear standoffish. “Call me Tomás,” he says, a low rumble in his throat. Diego growls all the time. Possessive and sexy. Tomás’s growl, however, is feral and kind of scary. I shiver and pull open the side drawer where Diego’s Glock sits. I feel safer when I can see it.

“Tomás,” Diego says, his voice warming. “I see that you’re interested in buying eighty percent of our US export? Eso es una gran cantidad de cocaína, mi amigo.”

He’s curious about why Tomás wants to buy so much. My Spanish is getting better, although most of what I’ve learned are the naughty words Diego whispers to me when he’s seducing me.

Tomás grunts and crosses his arms over his massive chest. His gaze travels to the window. Black ink from a tattoo crawls up the side of his neck toward his ear. Could be feathers or fire, I can’t be sure. He snaps his head back toward us and locks eyes with me.

Dark, almost black, soulless eyes.

Alma Negra.

Mexican mafia.

Diego gave me the run down on this Tomás Celestino guy. The Celestinos—four dangerous brothers—are the leaders of one of the most vicious West Coast organized crime groups. According to Diego, they’re not refined like the Italians—they sure dress like them though—or brilliant masterminds like the Russians.

This mafia is ruthless.

Brutal.

Rich thugs.

Killers through and through.

But they survive like cockroaches. They infest and overpower everything they want to be involved in. Sex trafficking. Drugs. Prison control. Government corruption.

They are powerful and loaded.

Perfect customers for us to do business with.

“I knew Heath,” Tomás bites out, his tone icy.

I tense and pin him with a fiery glare. “Super.”

One corner of his lips twitch but then his gaze is back on Diego. “You know my offer. The terms are fair, Gomez. I didn’t drive all the way from LA to San Diego to negotiate. I came here to make a deal.”

“And what insurance do we have that you don’t harass us over?” Diego asks, leaning his sexy hip against the desk. His butt is bitable in his charcoal grey slacks. I think he wears this particular pair of pants to mess with my hormones.

“If I wanted to forget you over,” Tomás snarls, “your mujer would be bent over this desk letting me put babies inside her while you watched.”

Diego doesn’t stiffen or grumble or do anything to indicate he’s intimidated by Tomás. Meanwhile, I can’t help the shiver of fear that ripples through me. When Diego laughs, loud and boisterous, I relax. He looks back at me and winks. “Daddy Diego likes a ballsy jerk. Don’t I, mi diablita?”

I snort because he’s referring to me. “You do, mi idiot.”

Tomás stares at me and his eyebrow twitches slightly. Almost as if the terrifying prick finds us amusing. But something tells me it takes a lot to make this dude smile. I don’t have the patience nor the time for that.

“You mess us over, you die,” I bite out as I reach past the Glock for a package of Skittles. I rip it open and pop a green one in my mouth before pinning him with a hard glare. “You mess us over, we kill every single one of your brothers. Even the youngest one. The one with the gentle eyes and the soft smile. What’s his name?” I taunt, chomping on my juicy candy. “Oh, that’s right. Zacarías. I think he’s about my age. We’d probably be fast friends, ol’ Zac and I. I bet he falls for girls easily. Especially pretty ones. Heart on his sleeve type of guy—”

“Enough!” Tomás roars, his chest heaving. His fists are at his sides, and I swear he’s seconds from attacking me.

Nerve. Struck.

I beam at him. “Now that I’ve made my point, I trust you won’t mess with us.” I pull a yellow Skittle out of the bag and roll it across the desk toward Diego. I hate the yellow ones.

He picks it up and tosses it in his mouth. “Since we have the pleasantries out of the way, I suppose we can move forward and do business.”

Tomás’s nostrils flare as he glares at me.

Diego laughs and struts over to our new client. He slaps a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, hermano, she scares the heck out of me too.”

I shrug and eat another beloved green candy. “Nobody messes with the queen.”

Tomás tears his furious stare from me to regard Diego. “Keep your queen of the crazy rear cartel in Colombia, and we have ourselves a deal.”

Diego laughs again. Goodness, I love the sound of his boyish laugh. Warms every part of me from the inside out. “You and I both know, Señor Celestino,” he says as he offers Tomás a hand. “Mi diablita does whatever the heck she wants. But I will sell you la cocaína. And you will keep your word.”

Tomás grunts but firmly shakes his hand. Everything in the man’s empty black eyes says he’s not one to go back on his word. These delicious Hispanic men and their integrity…they don’t break their promises.

But Momma Gomez likes insurance.

I reach into the drawer and reluctantly trade my Skittles for my knife. Tomás’s eyes are on my every move. If he wanted to kill me, he could. Men like him are catastrophic. Forces of nature. Men like him don’t move out of fear because they don’t see me as a threat.

They haven’t met Queen V.

“Nothing says ‘I do’ like a little blood contract,” I tell him sweetly as I stand and walk over to him. “Give me your arm.”

His jaw clenches but he remains motionless. After the longest stare down, he shrugs out of his black blazer and begins unbuttoning his shirt at the wrist. Once he rolls up the sleeve to reveal a veiny tattooed forearm, he offers me his arm.

“Good boy.” I grin at him before grabbing his wrist. Carefully, I carve the letters: D. V. G. Blood runs from the slices and drips onto the concrete office floor.

The murderous glare he gives me is scary, but I ignore it.

“Nice doing business with you, Mr. Celestino,” I chirp before sitting back down at the desk.

His nostrils flare and he gives a slight shake of his head. “You’re a crazy jerk, you know that?”

“Of course I already know this. It’s you who’s just finding out.” I pluck the Skittles bag out and start fishing for another green one. “And it’ll do you good to remember that too.”

He narrows his creepy-as-idiot eyes at me and cracks his neck. Disregarding the blood, he fastens the button of his shirt and then slides his suit jacket back on. I’m awarded one more of his threatening glares before he stalks out of the office without another word.

“Such a bad girl,” Diego chides, flashing me a wicked grin.

I smile at him while rubbing my swollen belly. “I’m a villain. It’s what I do.”

Tomás Celestino and the Alma Negra Mexican Mafia series are coming soon!

Listen on Spotify here.

“The Way” by Saigon Kick

“Love is on the Way” by Saigon Kick

“The Way I Do” by Bishop Briggs

“Everything In Its Right Place” by Radiohead

“The Red” by Chevelle

“Heathens” by Twenty One Pilots

“Mad World (feat. Gary Jules)” by Michael Andres

“Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS

“Take Me To Church” by Hozier

“This is War” by Thirty Seconds to Mars

“Monster” by Meg Myers

“Stubborn Love” by The Lumineers

“To Be Alone” by Hozier

“Heart Heart Head” by Meg Myers

“The Funeral” by Band of Horses

“Desire” by Meg Myers

“Where Is My Mind?” by Pixies

“Love is Strange” by Mickey & Slyvia

“Stand By Me” by Ki:Theory

“The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel

“Sweet Dreams” by Marilyn Manson

“Even Though Our Love Is Doomed” by Garbage

“Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star

“Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley

“Black” by Pearl Jam

“Madness” by Muse

“Wild Horses” by Bishop Briggs

“Are You Alone Now?” by Dead Sea Empire

“Sick & Wrong” by The Mayfield Four

“High” by Sir Sly

“Sucker For Pain” by Lil Wayne

“Mad Love” by Bush

Books by K Webster

The Breaking the Rules Series:

Broken (Book 1)

Wrong (Book 2)

Scarred (Book 3)

Mistake (Book 4)

Crushed (Book 5 – a novella)

The Vegas Aces Series:

Rock Country (Book 1)

Rock Heart (Book 2)

Rock Bottom (Book 3)

The Becoming Her Series:

Becoming Lady Thomas (Book 1)

Becoming Countess Dumont (Book 2)

Becoming Mrs. Benedict (Book 3)

War & Peace Series:

This is War, Baby (Book 1)

This is Love, Baby (Book 2)

This Isn’t Over, Baby (Book 3)

This Isn’t You, Baby (Book 4)

This is Me, Baby (Book 5)

This Isn’t Fair, Baby (Book 6)

This is the End, Baby (Book 7)

2 Lovers Series:

Text 2 Lovers (Book 1)

Hate 2 Lovers (Book 2)

Alpha & Omega Duet:

Alpha & Omega (Book 1)

Omega & Love (Bo0k 2)

Pretty Stolen Dolls Duet:

Pretty Stolen Dolls

Pretty Lost Dolls

Taboo Treats:

Bad Bad Bad

Standalone Novels:

Apartment 2B

Love and Law

Moth to a Flame

Erased

The Road Back to Us

Surviving Harley

Give Me Yesterday

Running Free

Dirty Ugly Toy

Zeke’s Eden

Sweet Jayne

Untimely You

Mad Sea

Whispers and the Roars

Schooled by a Senior

B-Sides and Rarities

Blue Hill Blood by Elizabeth Gray

Thank you to my husband…you always have my back and I love you so much!

A huge thank you to my Krazy for K Webster’s Books reader group. You all are insanely supportive and I can’t thank you enough. I’m so thankful for the support of this series and my books overall. You ladies rock!

A big thanks to my favorite villainous bad boy character, Gabe Sharpe. You started this book with a bang, made us hate you through a lot of the series, forced us to feel compassion and love for you, and ultimately you ended the series on a note that I’m proud of. You’ll always be my favorite.

A gigantic thank you to my betas who read this story. Elizabeth Clinton, Ella Stewart, Shannon Miller, Amy Bosica, Brooklyn Miller, Robin Martin, Amy Simms, Jessica Viteri, Amanda Söderlund, and Jessica Hollyfield, you all helped make this story even better. Your feedback and early reading is important to this entire process and I can’t thank you enough.

Also, a big thank you to Vanessa Renee Place for proofreading this story!! Love you!

A big thank you to my author friends who have given me your friendship and your support. You have no idea how much that means to me.

Thank you to all of my blogger friends both big and small that go above and beyond to always share my stuff. You all rock! #AllBlogsMatter

I am totally thankful for my author group, the COPA gals, for being there when I need to take a load off and whine. Y’all rock!

Vanessa with Prema Editing, thanks so much for editing this book! You rock! Your love for this series is important to the finished product! Also a huge thank you to Jessica Descent for being second set of eyes!

Thank you Stacey Blake for being a super star as always when formatting my books and in general. I love you! I love you! I love you!

A big thanks to my PR gal, Nicole Blanchard. You are fabulous at what you do and keep me on track!

Lastly but certainly not least of all, thank you to all of the wonderful readers out there that are willing to hear my story and enjoy my characters like I do. It means the world to me!

K Webster is the author of dozens of romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, dark romance, romantic suspense, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her hilarious and handsome husband and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers.

Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen.

Join K Webster’s newsletter to receive a couple of updates a month on new releases and exclusive content. To join, all you need to do is go here.

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