15 Scarlett
“Healing isn’t as simple as putting yourself back together.
Sometimes it means becoming someone entirely new.”
I wake up wrapped in Asher’s arms, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel safe.
A part of me wants to forget about everything else—the bounty, Thomas, Vale Enterprises, the lies—and just stay here with him forever.
But I know life doesn’t work that way. We still need answers.
We need to figure out what is really going on with Thomas, the company, and my inheritance.
Now that we know he isn’t my biological father, there has to be a way to challenge his control over my share of the estate.
I make a mental note to ask Luca Morleti about it as soon as I get the chance.
Honestly, nothing would make me happier than watching Celeste and the rest of them lose everything after the way they treated me all these years.
Beside me, Asher shifts slightly in his sleep.
I smile and reach up, running my fingers through his dark hair.
His face immediately softens beneath my touch.
Leaning over, I brush a gentle kiss against his lips.
My hand runs down his hard abs and under his sweatpants and wraps around the already hard length of this shaft.
I slowly stroke it feeling it get even harder, which I didn’t think was possible, in my hand.
“You can wake me up like this every damn day Red.”
A smile spreads on my face knowing that I can make him feel this way.
I lower my head until I lightly swipe the tip of my tongue across the head and taste the sweetness of his precum on my tongue.
I take every drop and then take my tongue and lick up and down the shaft.
Using my hand, I continue to stroke him with one while the other squeezes his balls.
I can feel them getting tighter the longer that I play.
I then wrap my whole mouth over his cock and take it as deep as I can.
I take him out of my mouth over and over as I continue to use my hand to stroke him.
He grabs my hair and guides my head; I love the feel of him being rough with me.
“Baby, you have to stop. I don’t want to cum in your mouth. I want to be inside that sweet pussy of yours.”
He moves me so I am on top with my legs spread on either side of him.
He grabs a condom from the night table and places it on.
He then picks me up like I weigh nothing and lowers me onto him while he thrusts up in one quick motion.
I ride him slow at first feeling the friction on my clit and how good it feels.
He is grabbing both of my breasts and twisting my nipples.
I pick up the pace and ride him harder as the feeling intensifies inside me.
He is matching me as he grinds up with each one of my motions.
He sits us up so that we are wrapped in each other’s arms.
“I’m so close Asher, please fuck me harder.”
And he does just what I ask. He flips me over, grabs me by my throat and squeezes as he thrusts inside of me so hard that I can’t breathe.
He has both of my legs up over his shoulders and my thighs are pushed back almost to my chest.
I scream his name as my orgasm explodes and I ride it out.
He continues to fuck me hard and fast and the orgasm doesn’t stop.
I think I’m going to black out from how intense it is when he finally cums and lowers himself down on top of me.
For a moment neither of us says anything.
We simply lie there together, wrapped up in the quiet comfort of the room.
The early morning sunlight spills through the curtains, painting soft gold across the bed.
Asher brushes a loose strand of hair behind my ear and studies me carefully.
“You sleep okay?”
I nod.
“Better than I have in a long time.”
The relief that flashes across his face is impossible to miss.
“Good. I love you Red.”
His hand settles against my cheek.
“I love you too, Asher.” He leans over and kisses me.
“Today we’ve got training, tutoring, and probably a dozen other things everyone wants from us.” I groan dramatically.
“Don’t remind me.”
He laughs and presses kiss to my forehead.
“Come on, sweetheart. We should get up before Roman decides to kick the door in and drag us downstairs for breakfast.” As if summoned by the mention of his name, a loud knock echoes through the bedroom.
“Too late!” Roman yells from the hallway. “You two woke the whole house up with all that screaming. You have ten minutes before I send Harper in after you.”
Asher closes his eyes and sighs, and I bury my head in his neck to hide the fact my cheeks are red with embarrassment.
“See? What did I tell you?”
I can't help but groan and admire the perfect view that is his ass as he reluctantly climbs out of bed. My future still scares me with all these unknowns, but somehow, it doesn’t feel quite as terrifying when Asher is standing beside me.
By the time Asher and I make it downstairs, everyone is already gathered in the kitchen.
Roman is sitting at the island nursing a coffee.
Declan is reading something on his tablet while casually eating breakfast.
Harper is halfway through a stack of pancakes and somehow talking with her mouth full.
The second she sees us, her eyes narrow.
“Oh, look who finally decided to join the living.”
I stop beside Asher.
“Good morning to you too.”
“No,” Harper says dramatically. “It is not a good morning. Some of us were trying to sleep.”
Roman snorts into his coffee. Asher grabs two plates.
“What's your complaint now, Tempesta?”
“My complaint,” she says while pointing her fork at us, “is that the two of you woke up half the house.”
I nearly choke on my orange juice.
“What?!”
Harper grins.
“Oh yeah. We heard you two fucking this morning upstairs.”
“Bullshit.” Asher rolls his eyes.
Declan finally looks up from his tablet.
“No, she's right.”
“Traitor,” I mutter.
Declan shrugs.
“Although, to be fair, I also heard Harper making enough noise the other night to wake the dead.”
Roman immediately spits coffee across the counter. The entire kitchen goes silent. Harper freezes while Roman coughs violently. I stare between them, while Asher slowly lowers his coffee cup. Declan raises an eyebrow.
“What?”
Harper recovers first.
“Oh my God, that?” She waves her hand dismissively.
“Relax. It was just my vibrator.”
Roman nearly chokes again. Now I'm staring directly at him and Harper notices. A slow grin spreads across Asher’s face.
“Oh no.”
“Oh yes.”
Harper points at him.
“Don't.”
Asher points right back.
“What's its name?” The kitchen erupts with laughter, and Harper throws a napkin at his head.
“You are the worst.”
“What's its name, Harper?”
“It doesn't have a name.”
“Liar.”
“Does too.” I add.
Roman suddenly looks very interested in the fruit bowl, and Declan is openly smirking now. Asher leans against the counter.
“Tell us the name.”
Harper glares at him and flips him her middle finger.
“No.”
“It definitely has a name.” I laugh.
“Scarlett,” Harper warns.
“Is it Roman?” Asher asks and Roman immediately coughs again and Declan loses it and starts laughing.
Harper's face turns bright red.
“Oh, this is incredible,” Asher says.
“You named your vibrator Roman.”
“I did not!”
“You absolutely did.”
“I hate all of you.”
“Especially Roman?” Asher asks innocently.
“Shut up.”
Roman finally speaks.
“You know I can do a lot better than that machine, right? All you have to do is ask Tempesta.”
“Never in a million years.” Harper points at all of them. “You're all children.”
“Yet somehow,” Asher says while wrapping an arm around my shoulders, “you're the one naming household appliances after my brother.”
Harper lets out a strangled noise before burying her face in her hands and the entire kitchen explodes into laughter.
For the first time in years, I find myself laughing so hard my stomach hurts.
We’re still laughing when the front door opens.
A man steps inside carrying a black duffle bag over one shoulder.
He is tall, really tall, he has to be at least six-foot-five.
His dark hair is neatly styled, touched with just enough silver at the temples to make him look distinguished rather than old.
A perfectly tailored charcoal suit hugs broad shoulders and a powerful frame that looks more suited to a battlefield than a boardroom.
His trimmed beard sharpens an already intimidating jawline while expensive cufflinks glint beneath the sleeves of his jacket.
Everything about him screams wealth. But it's his eyes that catch my attention.
The kind of eyes that miss absolutely nothing.
They sweep across the room once, taking in every person present in a matter of seconds.
Not in a rude way. More like a man assessing a situation before deciding whether it's a threat.
For a brief second those eyes land on me.
“Well, no wonder we have property breaches when no one even notices that I came through the gates.”
Roman turns and says from beside me. “Look who finally decided to grace us with his presence.” The man's mouth twitches, it’s not quite a smile, not quite a smirk but something close. He turns to look at me.
“You must be Scarlett.”
His voice is deep and calm, carrying the same quiet authority as everything else about him.
I nod.
“Hi.” To my surprise, he walks forward and extends his hand.
“Grant Knight.” I shake it, his grip is firm but careful.
“It's nice to finally meet you. His gaze shifts briefly to Asher standing beside me before returning to mine. A knowing look passes between the brothers, and then Grant releases my hand.
“Now,” he says, glancing around the kitchen. “Who's going to explain why Roman looks like he wants to crawl into a hole and die?” The room erupts into laughter all over again, and I think Grant actually smiles.
The rest of the day passes surprisingly quickly.
We spend nearly two hours at the shooting range, running through everything Asher taught me yesterday and adding a few new drills.
By the time we're finished, my arms ache and my shoulders are sore, but I can already tell I'm improving.
My groupings are tighter, my stance feels more natural, and for the first time, I'm beginning to understand why they all stress repetition so much.
Confidence, that's what they're trying to build.
Not just with the gun, but in myself. Roman had the privilege—or punishment—of training Harper today.