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Damon’s arms tighten around me, holding me against him so tight it borders on pain, but I don’t mind it. After living so much of my life thinking he despised my very existence, this is everything I could hope for.

“I love you,” Damon whispers. “I promise I’m going to spend the rest of my life repenting for every second of pain I caused you.”

I shake my head. “Just being here with me is enough, D. Loving me is enough.”

“It will never be enough, Chloe. I could spend fifty lifetimes trying to make it up to you, but it wouldn’t be enough.”

“Are you two about done?” Ryker’s sleep-rumpled voice has my eyes flying open to the other side of the bed, where he’s smirking at us. “How many times are you going to make me come without having to touch me, Siren?”

I glance down and notice the wet patch seeping into the sheets, and I can’t help but giggle against Damon’s chest.

I guess this is what true happiness feels like.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

RYKER

NOW

After my middle-of-the-night wet dream courtesy of Chloe and Damon, I manage to get a few more hours of sleep before the sun peeks around the edge of the curtains.

I slip out from between the sheets and take a moment to look at the people that have become my family. It’s only been a few weeks, but I know with absolute certainty that this is forever.

There’s no other option, because there’s no chance any of us give Chloe up, and I’m weirdly okay with that.

Tugging on a pair of sweats, I head downstairs to the gym.

I’m not used to being cooped up like this. Even when I was guarding Chloe at the De Marco estate, I always had something to do. I was working cases for Kingston on the side, helping Corbin with computer shit, and the other guards were usually down to spar.

But our constant need to keep an eye on our girl has meant a lot of time just hanging around the house, and it’s beginning to get to me.

Spotting gloves beside the punching bag, I decide hitting something will probably be enough to get me through another day of waiting and make quick work of securing them.

I start slow, not wanting to exhaust myself too quickly, and although I would love to hit this bag until I can no longer lift my arms, we could have to move at any second.

A light workout will have to do.

I lose myself to the sound of leather on leather, my knuckles aching with the force I hit the bag with despite the gloves.

Sweat drips down my bare chest, my hair is soaked, and I’m panting so hard it sounds like I’ve just run a marathon, but I don’t stop.

At least not until the door opens behind me and I glance up to find Kingston in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Feeling better?”

I shake my head as I tear one of the gloves off and take a long drink of water. Considering Kingston hardly spends any time in this house, it’s fully stocked, including the fridge in the corner of the gym. “I won’t feel better until we deal with the threats.”

“I just spoke with Corbin. Salvatore has been seen leaving the Lombardi compound.”

Now he has my attention.

“On the surface it looked like they were running errands. They went to the bank, visited his accountant’s office, and had a meeting with a group of their runners.”

“Why would he do any of those things for himself?”

“He wouldn’t. When they left the final meet, Corbin had one of the teams stay at that location, and lo and behold, Mikayla Vega left twenty minutes after Salvatore.”

“So they are working together.”