Could he ever love me that fiercely? Would he spill blood for me?
I wouldn’t hesitate for him. Killing to survive isn’t new to me. Or at least, that’s what I believed. Turns out, you should always check for a final breath before igniting the place and making your escape.
Who would have guessed someone could survive a chest wound and a blazing house?
I’m not surprised that a monster so cruel could cling to life, refusing to disappear. I can’t prove it, but for four years my instincts have screamed at me. The mind games, the taunting messages he carved into my space—they were his signature. He never revealed himself, but I felt him lurking, always watching, waiting for the perfect moment to crawl back from the dead. So I kept running, knowing if he ever found me, I’d join my family on the other side.
My heart tightens as I remember my parents.
I miss them so much.
“μου λε?πετε, μαμ? και μπαμπ?,” I say under my breath.
Maybe that was the moment my mind shattered. Anyone forced to watch the man you loved slaughter your parents while you’re helpless, drugged, and bound would break, too.
Two years have gone by without feeling Damon’s malignant shadow, but I’d be a fool to relax. I’ve dared to reclaim my birth name, but that’s the only gamble I’ll take. Sooner or later, he’ll find me, and I’ve already decided this is where I’ll confront him for the final time.
Live or die.
Coral Cay is my refuge. The people here are my chosen family, and I won’t let Damon steal another soul from me.
A sudden burst of laughter from nearby snaps me back to the present and to the group framed in my view, reminding me where I am.
Some might compare my secret nighttime rituals to what Damon inflicted on me. But his actions were about domination, about possessing me in ways I never agreed to.
I don’t want to own Tomcat. I just want to love him. Openly. Freely. Without fearing my past will take him away from me before I get the chance to.
For hours, I nestle against the tree in my hidden nook, watching the man I love laugh and banter with his club brothers. Their bonds are unbreakable. Instead of envy, I feel quiet joy knowing he’s surrounded by so much love.
My smile sours as one of the club girls sways over to him.
Exceptthem.
All the damn women.
Their love for him doesn’t spark any joy in me. Honestly, it’s probably just his dick they’re after. How can you love someone you barely know? They’ll never see the hidden corners of him that I do, which is why I’ll always be the one who matters. Sure, maybe he won’texactlybe thrilled when he discovers I’m his shadow, but once he realizes the depth of my devotion, he’ll understand. Those women are just passing storms. One day, it’ll be my name on his lips, and then he’s going to be all like, ‘Club girl, who?’
Jealousy burns through me when the club girl presses against him, and he drags her between his legs by her hips. My vision blurs crimson, a low growl vibrating in my chest as he leans in to whisper something in her ear.
Probably some recycled line he’s whispered to a hundred other girls, smooth as silk and just as empty.
Me big man with big dick. You warm woman with vagina. I poke, you worship, I finish.
The ancient mating ritual, performed with all the subtlety of a caveman.
Yeah, definitely something classy like that.
It takes a moment to realize that jealousy has yanked me to my feet and sent me stalking forward, steps silent and hungry, and I jerk to a stop, suddenly aware I’m about to leave the shadows of my vantage point.
Right.
Watching him grind on another woman is a recipe for disaster. That’s how my wild side takes the wheel and starts plotting chaos, maybe even a murder spree. I can’t risk being exposed before the time is right.
No. No, that won’t do.
After forcing myself not to act, I refocus. My gaze locks onto them again. They’ve drifted away from the crowd, settling by the fire pit, where he tugs her onto his lap like she belongs there.
Although maybe a little murder spree wouldn’t be the worst thing…
