Chapter 15
Alessa
Iwatch Zane’s face carefully for his reaction. I remember when I told Leo and the panic attack after because I didn’t wait to hear what he had to say. So, when Zane laughs, I’m more than a little confused.
“You don’t think I already knew that?” he chuckles. What the hell? “Beautiful. Who do you think was investigating that? I knew as soon as I saw that picture it was you.”
“You were investigating the Black Demon?”
He shakes his head. “Not me personally, but I knew all about it.”
I frown. “You knew this whole time?” I’ve been tying myself in knots at what I thought would happen, thinking he was going to run the other way, and he already knew?
He pulls me back into his side. “Yes. I don’t care, Les. I saw the MO. I know exactly why you do it; I would do it too. They didn’t look very hard when they realized who was dying.”
“I thought you were going to leave me,” I say quietly.
He tugs my chin up with his fingers. “How often do I have to tell you I’m not going anywhere?”
“About a thousand,” I joke.
“A thousand it is then,” he smiles. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“That’s one.”
He pecks my lips. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Keep going.”
He kisses me longer. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“That’s three,” I whisper against his lips. He slants his mouth over mine, taking my breath away.
“I’ll be here until the end of time,” he promises, kissing my neck.
“That’s not what you’re supposed to say,” I tell him breathlessly.
He chuckles against my neck, making me shiver. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good boy,” I quip, causing his head to snap up. He raises an eyebrow, and I just smile innocently at him.
“I’ll show you a good boy,” he growls, pushing me back on the loveseat and making me squeal.
He kisses my laughing mouth, sinking his tongue inside, massaging mine with his. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I drag him flush against me, finally able to love this feeling again.
Groaning, he rotates his hips, making me moan in return.
Even after my time with Ryder and Gage this morning, I still want Zane.
I couldn’t go back to sleep after I felt Holden slip from the bed, and before I knew it, Ryder was inside of me, rocking his hips, so we didn’t wake Gage.
When Gage woke up, I knew exactly what I wanted.
After I decided to take my mind back, my body followed suit, begging for their touch when they weren’t afraid to touch me. Now it’s calling out for Zane.
Am I ready to give him everything again? My body sure as hell thinks so; my heart and mind are a different story. But the longer we kiss, the more my body tells them to get fucked.
Someone clears their throat, and we spring apart. I look upside down toward the noise, coming face to face with Leo. He smiles. “Sorry to interrupt,” he says dryly.
Zane sits up slowly, pulling me with him. “It’s okay,” I tell him.
“Speak for yourself,” Zane mutters. I elbow him in the ribs, making him grunt.
“What’s up?” I ask Leo.
Leo looks pointedly at Zane’s lap, making me snort a laugh. He isn’t wrong there; I felt every delicious inch sliding against me. Zane’s cock is the perfect mix of everything. It’s thick and veiny, with just enough length to make sure you feel him the following day.
Get it together. I scold myself when I feel my body flush with heat.
“I was coming to get him,” Leo chuckles. “Gage wanted to see if he wanted to go out to the range with us.”
“We’ll both go,” I say, standing up from the couch. I’m relieved to be interrupted because I was two seconds away from fucking him right here. With my uncle still roaming around the house.
Pulling Zane to his feet, I go to follow Leo. When Leo’s back is turned, Zane runs his hand down my ass cheek and between my legs from behind. “Later,” he whispers, patting my pussy through my jeans.
Fucking hell. My pussy clenches at his words, my clit still throbbing.
Once at the range, I run through several targets before sitting back, watching Zane, Leo, and Gage.
Gage and Zane are giving each other shit while Leo just shakes his head and laughs at them.
Gage and Zane seemed to have formed some sort of bond since Gage was the one that found Zane in a bad way and pulled him out of it.
He could have just left Zane there and cut his losses.
Instead, he stayed, sobered him up, and made him realize he wasn’t taking care of himself.
I watch them all interact with a full heart.
Gage and Leo have already accepted Zane; I can tell by how they invited him out here.
They didn’t need to do that, but it made me happy that they thought of him.
Dex seemed at ease with him being here; if he didn’t, he would have let me know by now.
Ryder even appeared to step back, maybe not accepting him yet but giving Zane a chance.
That’s all I can ask for; they’re already doing everything for me.
How did I get so lucky?
“What’re you looking at, Baby?” Leo asks, sitting beside me. I give him a sheepish smile for getting busted looking at Zane and Gage’s asses, making him laugh. “Am I allowed to look too, or is that only for Gage?”
A shocked laugh escapes. “You want to check out, Zane?”
He shrugs, slinging an arm over my shoulders, pulling me into his side. “He’s fucking hot. Got that whole daddy vibe going on.”
“Oh my God. Never say that again.”
Leo laughs. “I’m just fucking with you. He is hot, though.” I love that Leo can accept this part of himself easily now.
“Hm,” I hum in agreement, looking up at Leo. “You are, too.” He grins and pecks my lips. “Are you okay with him being here?”
“I wasn’t,” he shrugs, “But if he can get you to safety, protect Holden, and make you moan like that? I can be okay with it.”
My mouth pops open. “How long were you standing there?”
“Long enough to know that Zane has serious moves even with clothes on,” he answers, waggling his eyebrows.
“Stop,” I laugh.
He pulls me closer to his chest. “How are you doing with everything, Baby?”
“I’m okay. I need to get my life back. So, that’s what I’m going to do. With you guys.”
Kissing the top of my head, he inhales. “Does that include Zane?”
“I want it too,” I tell him honestly. “But Zane deserves me knowing for sure.”
“Baby,” Leo says, waiting for me to lift my head, “You already know. I saw the way your face lit up when he walked in. You’re holding yourself back with misplaced guilt.”
“I know,” I admit. Every time I feel myself giving in to Zane, I feel guilty. It’s getting old, even to me. “I told him I was the Black Demon. He already knew,” I laugh.
“How?”
“He was around during the investigation. When Jay gave him the picture, he put two and two together.”
“Huh,” Leo comments. “Maybe he doesn’t suck after all.”
I shake my head with a laugh. Somehow, I’m going to make this work. First, we need to get rid of Jay.
And Viktor.
“Les,” Gage whispers. I swat him away, making him chuckle. “Get up.”
I crack my eye open; it’s still dark outside. “Why?”
“I have something for you downstairs.”
“Unless it comes in the form of Dean Winchester, go away,” I reply, snuggling back into my bed.
My eyes snap back open. “How did I get to bed?” The last thing I remember is watching TV downstairs with Leo, Gage, Zane, and Dex after dinner.
Ryder sat through dinner with Zane, which Zane cooked, but disappeared soon after.
He promised he was trying before he left the living room.
I have to take his word on that and not push him.
“Zane carried you upstairs. Now get up,” Gage says, kissing my cheek.
“No. You lay down.”
“Pretty girl,” Gage groans. “Please get up. I have a surprise for you.”
Sighing, I finally sit up in bed. “Fine. I’m up.”
Gage jumps to his feet. “Good. Get dressed.”
I frown. “What the hell, Gage?”
“Please,” he begs. “For me.”
I look over at where he’s pointing. My favorite pair of black ripped skinny jeans, a black t-shirt, and my black high-heeled boots are sitting there. “I can’t.” I know it’s stupid, but those boots represent a stronger me; I’m not there yet.
“Just trust me. Put them on and come downstairs.” Gage kisses my lips, then backs out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
I get up, walk to the clothes, and stare at them. I put everything else on and then rub my hand across my boots, calling on that inner part of me that used to fuck shit up while I was wearing them.
You’re a badass bitch. You’ve got this.
Gage told me to trust him, so I slide my feet into them, zipping them up. They feel foreign on my feet, so I take a few steps to get my balance.
I pull every bit of courage I can find, walking downstairs. Gage is waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.
“There’s my pretty girl.” He grins when he sees the boots. “Come on,” he says, practically dragging me through the kitchen.
“What’s going on?” I ask with a laugh, trying to keep up with his excited steps.
“You’ll see.”
I get even more curious when he opens the door to the wine cellar, taking me down to my secret chamber.
Flashes of being at that other house hit me like a ton of bricks, causing me to dig my heels in. Gage turns around to face me. “I can’t,” I whisper, the panic already setting in. All I can see and smell is that nasty basement he left us locked in.
“Pretty girl,” Gage says gently. “You can do this.”
“No. No, I can’t. Please don’t make me.”
“I would never make you do something,” he says, jerking me into his arms and leading me back to the main door.
When the main entrance opens into the wine cellar, Zane is standing with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning against one of the shelves.
His head pops up when he sees me; he’s there in two steps.
I collapse on his chest when Gage lets me go. “You wanted to take the power back, Beautiful,” Zane says, his voice running over me like honey. “Let’s take it back together.”