Chapter Six
EVE
Jeremiah Williams’ return took me by surprise and crushed all of the happiness I’d constructed over the years.
Leo’s strong arms brought it back. With his grip, the worries of the world melted away.
His touch was a wholesome reminder of all the good there is in this world.
The darkness of our past does not define who we are.
It’s the people who brighten our future that matter.
From the bathroom, we move to Leo’s room.
I coil myself around him like a snake, squeezing firmly against his nurturing body.
One of my legs is tangled with his. My head’s on his chest, listening to the low rhythmic thumping of his heart.
My arms are tucked against my chest, while Leo’s got his body wrapped around mine.
Leo’s room is similar in style to the one I have.
A large, king-sized bed sits in the middle, facing a chest of drawers with a TV on top.
He’s got cartoons running. He says that whenever he feels bad, they’re the best way to lift his spirits.
Apart from the chest and the TV, Leo’s room doesn’t have much other furniture. No time to decorate when you’re busy.
Neither of us has spoken in a while. I wanted him to hold me, and he did.
He made no attempt to take advantage, though his pants have been tented since we got to his room.
We’re just here, enjoying the moment. A mess of limbs, cuddling.
He’s giving me all the space I need, and it feels invigorating.
This ultra-tough badass, who gets angry at the smallest inconvenience, turns out to be a big softy for the people he cares about.
Who’d have guessed it?
But in this bliss, sprawled out with Leo, Jeremiah’s words come back to me. If they’re up to no good, it might be best to find out early.
“I want to ask you a question.” The words eventually leave my lips when curiosity gets the best of me.
“Shoot,” Leo replies.
“What do you and your father do?” Even if it’s true, does it bother me? Bad men can do good and good men can do bad. This indecisiveness is what makes us human. “While I was out there, Jeremiah told me you dabble in bad business. Should I be worried?”
Leo chuckles and opens his mouth to speak, but then he shuts it again. He was about to tell me a lie. Maybe in the wake of our new bonding experience, he had decided against it.
“It’s true,” he says instead. “Sort of. It’s not blood money. We don’t hurt people.”
“Then what do you do?” I ask, unwrapping myself from Leo, and pushing up with my forearms against Leo’s chest. He gently strokes my cheek, a cautious smile on his face.
“We move narcotics over the Mexican border and into the United States. Once it’s here, we don’t ask questions about where it goes. It just goes.”
Fear. That’s the logical response to this situation.
But, I’m not scared. After my mother gave me a half-assed attempt at explaining what Tony does, I assumed the worst. At least they’re not trafficking bodies or killing people.
There’s a bright side to everything if you’re willing to search deeply enough.
“My dad and I oversee daily operations. Austin’s a good resting ground for the time being.
Doesn’t mean we’ll be here long,” Leo continues.
“Texas is a pretty strong ground for the line of work we’re in.
Close enough to the border, with little competition.
And whoever’s left, trying to work our territory… We get rid of them soon enough.”
Leo’s hand runs down my back, and rests just above my ass. His confidence shines through, even now, explaining the criminal nature of what they do. The fact that he trusts me with this secret is more than enough reason to trust him, too.
“Get rid of them?” There’s a pause between my words, nervously anticipating the answer.
Leo laughs as if it’s a completely normal thing to say, and shakes his head. “No, we don’t hurt anyone. We don’t operate in bad faith. We scare them out of town.”
What a relief.
“I’m guessing your dad’s rushed marriage with my momma…”
“A way to establish a foothold in Austin, yes.” Leo doesn’t let me finish my sentence. “We’ve got the money to keep her happy for generations. They won’t fall in love. And my old man? He doesn’t want to.”
Without having to ask, Leo knows I won’t share this news with my mother.
She’s gotten what she wants, a free ticket to ride for life.
For all I know, Momma’s on the payroll. There’s an even better chance that Tony supplies her drug habit himself.
The resident tester of all things narcotic at Thorne HQ.
Seeing a softer side to Leo is eye-opening. From the day I met him, he’s puffed out his chest and acted hard inside and out. But, now, I know nothing is ever as it seems.
“Now, you’ve had your turn. I think it’s only fair I get to ask a question with a straight answer,” Leo says, rubbing a thumb over my cheek, cleaning up any remaining water.
“Fair’s fair,” I say.
“The guy who made you all teary-eyed. Who is he? What should I know about your relationship?”
It’s my turn to open my mouth and mumble the beginnings of a lie, before coming clean for real. “When I was thirteen years old, Momma was in a bad way. It was the tail end of a week-long bender, and she didn’t have it in her to look after me.”
A lump in my throat threatens waterworks, but I swallow it down.
“Jeremiah was the guy she was dating at the time. She’s never been good at choosing men.
She asked him to take care of me for the day.
We didn’t have a bad relationship, so I didn’t see any funny business coming until it was too late.
In the middle of the night, while I was sleeping, he put me in his car and we disappeared on promises of a better future.
That future was being holed up in a cheap motel room… ”
I can’t bring myself to tell Leo what came next. I don’t have to. His clenched jaw and narrowed eyes tell me he’s got the gist of it. I turn onto my back again.
“It’ll never happen again,” Leo says. His voice is stern and serious.
Leo goes quiet. He barely moves, lying there, silently brooding.
Regrets about telling him the truth flood through me. He’s angry, and it’s my fault. Not annoyed, like me being upset at him walking in on me naked. This is rage, and even if the Thornes don’t operate that way, he’s ready to kill.
Maybe another kiss? That might distract him.
Knowing the truth about his father and my mother’s relationship has removed my fears for how the world would view us.
We’re fake siblings in a fake marriage. And my body’s ready for him.
It has been since day one. All the naughty glances at my cleavage.
All his displays of sheer masculinity, and his parading himself half-naked.
There’s no denying our attraction. But is it a good enough distraction?
“Wait right here, will you?” Leo asks. His voice is raspy, cold, and calculated.
“What? Where are you going?”
Leo breaks our final lock on one another and jumps to his feet. He pulls a grey/black cocktail jacket onto his frame, punching one fist through the sleeves at a time.
“I’m going to take care of the problem,” Leo replies.
“Leo, you’re upset,” I crawl across the bed and rush to his side. “Going out like this won’t solve the problem. You’re going to do something you’ll regret.”
“Regrets are for men who don’t have a purpose,” Leo responds.
“You don’t have to do this. Not right now.” I force myself between him and the door.
“Get out of my way, Eve.” Leo tries sidestepping me, but I keep my pace, walking backward until I hit the door.
“Get the hell out of my way,” Leo’s voice comes out low and raspy, his irritation at my protest shining through.
“Or what?” I fight back.
As terrifying as he is, seeing Leo this angry and ready to fight for my honor is making my body act in unexplainable ways.
I’m acting on instinct. There are no thoughts behind my actions.
No reason to stay in his path. But, I can’t let him go into the world like this.
He’ll kill Jeremiah, and ruin his own life in the process. Or worse…
“You’re playing with fire, Eve.” Leo threatens. His thick, muscular frame’s tensing.
“Wh… what are you…” My lips are quivering. A frog in my throat suppresses my words. The few words that do escape come out way sultrier than I anticipated. I clear my throat, suck in a few deep breaths, and stand my ground. “What are you going to do about it?”
Leo stops. In a brief moment of confusion, all anger washes from his face, and is replaced by utter confusion. Good. At least he’s distracted.
But, as soon as the haze of my words washes away, Leo’s body moves in one swift reaction. His hand wraps beneath my jaw, squishing my cheeks together. His jaw clenches as he pins me in place.
Scared. That’s what I should be. Trembling in fear for the monster before me, ready to dish out a beating.
But I’m not. The longer Leo has his hand squishing my cheeks, the more control he strips away from me, and the harder it is to resist him.
My brain and body aren’t working in tandem.
One says run, while the other tells me to stand my ground.
To let this fierce beast use and abuse me.
My delicate body craves Leo’s touch. His tongue. His hands… His cock.
“What the fuck did you say to me?” He steps closer, forcing his body against mine. His face is hardly an inch away from me. I can feel his heavy breathing against my lip. His stiff cock pokes into my side.
Angry. Horny. And in desperate need of release. I’ll be Leo’s good little helper.
“You heard me.” My focus is on Leo’s tightly shut lips.
“You’re out of line,” Leo hisses.
“I don’t see you doing anything to stop me.” With everything I’ve got, I drive both my flat palms into Leo’s chest. He moves a single step, steadying himself again.
“Are you trying to piss me off?”