“No, I will not abandon Mason no matter what Art and I are going through. He has been hurt enough, and I made a promise to always be there for him. And I’m having Art’s baby. I would never keep him from his child. Sebastian adores him and they have a strong bond. I would never deny them that. He may not be good to me, but he’s good to him.”
“He’s obsessed with you and that makes him dangerous. Do you honestly think he’s going to let you live your life freely and date other men?”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“You’re lucky to be alive.”
“He didn’t cause the car accident.”
“But he’s the reason it happened. I know he is. You walked away with scrapes, bruises, and a concussion, but it could’ve been so much worse.”
“Anneli, I’ll handle this,” I say sternly, effectively ending the conversation. “I need to call the boys.”
Art will come at me with every weapon in his arsenal. The question is—will I be able to resist him?
Cin has eluded me since the day of the car accident. I have yet to catch her alone. She’s either with her mother or Anneli, and those two won’t let me near her. They’re like pit bulls protecting their pup. During each confrontation, Cin remains silent, not speaking one word to me. They handle all phone conversations and text messages. She has completely cut me off. Mason asked why Sebastian comes over but not Cin. I told him we need some time apart. That explanation will have to suffice. She even changed the house locks on me. Anneli alluded to a restraining order being filed against me if I continue coming by unannounced. Having that on my record could cause problems for me. To avoid involving the courts, I grudgingly admit temporary defeat while contemplating my next course of action.
I still make sure she’s straight—all her bills paid. She has a new car too. Being deprived of her smell, her touch, her pussy… is motherfucking torture. I fucking miss her. Jerking off every damn day to the memory of her body is nowhere near enough to sate my sexual appetite. My dick is raw and chafed from the abuse it has endured. I swear to God the moment I get Cin alone, I’m going to fuck her so savagely, her screams will be heard across the East Coast. Only two-and-a-half weeks and I’m already a ticking time bomb. She’s lost her goddamn mind if she believes I’ll allow her to walk away from me. It’ll be a cold day in hell.
Now here it is, Christmas Eve, and I’m alone. Mason is with Cin. Though it’s half past noon, I haven’t left my bed. I’ll be spending the holiday alone. Tomorrow, they’re traveling to North Carolina to visit family and friends and won’t return until after the New Year. I was supposed to be going with them until this fucking mess.
The security alarm comes blaring to life. I react instantly, jumping from the bed and retrieving my Glock from the safe in my closet. Stark naked, I move down the stairs quietly, cocking the weapon and placing my finger on the trigger—ready to empty the clip into the person stupid enough to break into my residence. Never invade a man’s home. That’s a cardinal rule for survival in these streets. I turn the corner, pressing the barrel of the gun to Josh’s forehead. He holds his hands up in surrender.
“This is the welcome I get for coming to spend Christmas with you?”
“You must have a death wish. I could’ve killed you.” I tilt my head to the side. “I still might. You broke into my home uninvited, which is enough probable cause to empty the clip into you.”
“Don’t joke about something like that and stop pointing the damn thing at my head!”
“Who says I’m joking?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Mr. King, is police assistance needed?” a voice comes from the security pad.
Releasing the trigger, I click on the safety before walking over to press a button on the square-shaped device. “False alarm.”
“Please provide the security passcode.”
I rattle off the numbers.
“You’re all set, Mr. King. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“No.”
“Have a great day, sir.”
“You too,” I say and release the button.
“She has a sex phone operator’s voice.” Josh grins. “I need her number.”
“The gate code was changed.” I face him. “How did you get in?”
“I climbed over it and let me tell you, I almost broke my neck.”
“It looks like Santa Claus didn’t read my letter this year.”
“Very funny.”
“And just how did you get inside here?”
