It wasn’t his to have but still, in a way, he deserved it so I gave it to him.

“He held me down. He also tied me down. I didn’t like it.”

His hard jaw got harder and a muscle ticked there.

Then he whispered, “You didn’t like it.”

“I didn’t like anything he did to me.”

His entire face got hard and the muscle moved to leap in his cheek.

Then he remarked, “So now they’re all just cocks.”

I jerked up my chin. “Yup.”

“And you want me to be one of them.”

“Uh… Creed, hello?” I swung out an arm to indicate the room. “You already are.”

He shook his head. “No getting in there?”

I shook mine too. “Nope. Not you. Not anyone. But especially not you.”

“You won’t dig deep,” he said quietly.

“I know what’s buried there so no. No f**king way. I leave that be.”

We both went quiet again.

He broke it again.

“It was good for me.”

I nodded. “Glad I’m not losing my touch.”

His eyes went cold but his lips said, “I’ll take seconds and thirds and whatever you’re willin’ to give me.”

“That was hot, baby, so it’s good to know this partnership has all sorts of advantages,” I replied.

He crossed his arms on his chest but didn’t for a millisecond release my eyes as he whispered, “Baby, just you wait and see.”

“Oo, exciting,” I whispered back sarcastically.

“You bet your ass,” he returned.

“Are we done?” I asked then carried on. “See, something else to learn about me, when I’m done, I’m usually done and either he goes or I do. Since we’re both staying I’m still ready to go. So are you through with me?”

“Not even close.”

“Good news,” I retorted. “But just to be clear, I’m up for seconds. You seemed pissed. Angry sex works for me but I’m guessing you’re beyond that. So, what I’m asking is, for now, you through with me?”

“Yeah,” he jerked up his chin. “For now.”

“Best get supplied, baby,” I warned. “That was just a teaser. I get in the mood, I can go all night. The emergency condom in your wallet isn’t gonna cut it.”

“Drugstore just got scratched on our itinerary for tomorrow. First stop.”

“Works for me.”

“Right. You done bein’ a bullshit badass?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Sure.”

“Good. But don’t lose the bullshit smartass. She makes me hard.”

“I’ll keep her at the ready.”

“You know the beauty of this?” he asked cuttingly.

“No, handsome, tell me,” I invited mockingly sweet.

“This was exactly how your father and stepmother talked when they weren’t fighting. Remember? You told me all about it.”

His aim was true.

Right through the heart.

“I see,” I whispered. “We’re not fighting fair.”

“Nope,” he confirmed and made his point by lifting a hand and touching the tips of his fingers to my mark on his neck. He dropped his hand and went on, “All’s fair. No rules. No holds barred. Winner takes all.”

My shoulders straightened, I wrapped my arms around my belly and I kept my eyes locked to his when I said softly, “Six years, Creed, six years, every day, every minute, every second, I lost whole pieces of me. After I got loose, I made certain I don’t ever lose. Not f**king ever. You just entered a game you cannot win.”

“You got loose, you get any of that back?” he asked.

“Not that first f**kin’ piece.”

“So you’re tellin’ me my Sylvie is gone.”

His Sylvie.

Motherfucking ass**le.

“Long gone,” I verified.

“Right,” he muttered like he didn’t believe me.

“Right,” I repeated firmly.

“So who was that who smiled big at that Down’s kid this morning like he started her day and touched her forehead to his making him look like she started his?”

No way I was going to let him get to me.

“That was Adam’s Sylvie.”

“You ran across the yard like you’d just received a bomb threat, baby, not like you were five minutes late to help your girl. You don’t miss a day even if you have to haul your ass over there hungover. You dropped a job when Josh got sick and your dead partner’s wife had to work so you could look after him. She doesn’t know it but it’s you that puts red and white roses with a blue ribbon on his grave every f**kin’ Sunday. And you took me on just so you could take Knight’s back. That wasn’t Adam’s Sylvie. It’s not Charlene’s Sylvie. It’s not even Knight’s Sylvie. It’s just plain Sylvie. The one I knew. She’s not gone. She’s standing right in front of me.”

“You hold onto that, Creed, you’re gonna get f**ked.”

“Jesus, I hope so.”

I clamped my mouth shut.

Then I unclamped it to declare, “I feel the need to get drunk. We’ll pick this up tomorrow.”

“You need a ride home from the bar, you just call me,” he invited.

“Handsome, you’ll never hear from me. To get down to your name in my phone, I’ve got two whole letters.”

It was his turn to clamp his mouth shut.

I took that as my cue to go.

So I did.

I stopped in order to glare at Gun who was curled up in the seat of a dining room chair fast asleep. My glare was for her being in the mood to nap and thus deserting me in my hour of need. However, since she was snoozing, she missed my glare. Still, it made me feel better.

I also stopped to yank on another pair of socks and boots and grab my keys.

But me, my jeans, tank, boots and socks, commando and braless, walked right out the door and, like we had many, many times before, we took on the night.

Chapter Six

The Best Birthday Ever

A sunny, summer by a lake in Kentucky, twenty-seven years earlier, Creed is twelve, Sylvie is seven. It’s her birthday…

I peddled my bike quick over the trail in the trees to get to the lake.

I didn’t want to miss him.