QUINN Dark side by Oshins featuring Hael played on the sound doc as I moved around the kitchen. Gunnar was still upstairs having a shower while I decided to get some good, old-fashioned breakfast ready. I thought about it for a long while in the shower and realized that the men in this house lacked so much — bar Gunnar for the most part. Ace and Jericho didn't get to wake up every morning to a breakfast prepared with love by their mother's hands. They didn't get to be fussed over or coddled and pretend to hate it while they secretly adored it. They didn't have the childhood I had or half the childhood Gunnar had. And maybe that was the reason Ace gave off asshole energy that could light up the state of Florida. Jericho may have been the sweeter one but behind that smile, I imagined hid enormous amounts of pain and heartache. So, I wanted to try something normal. These brothers always ate dinner together

QUINN It was the first time I had woken up in Gunnar's arms. The heat of his breath sent shivers down my spine. My body felt hyper-aware of his presence behind me. The way my body fit perfectly against him. The way his strong arm kept me secured against him. I could feel the hard plains of his muscles against my back, his legs tangled with mines, the way his chest moved in an even rise and fall. Whatever this was between us, whatever happened last night, it felt perfect and I didn't want it to end. He may have been the Devil but he was my Devil. I'd happily claim him as mine the way he had claimed me as his last night. I always knew in my gut that I could trust Gunnar but I never would have thought that I could possibly love him too. Not after what he had done to me. But it was a miracle he could even look at me after what my father had done to him. I needed to know why my father did the things he did.

GUNNARI couldn't concentrate. Not on one fucking thing. The entire day was a waste. Every meeting I had was a blur, my thoughts constantly going back to this morning. I wouldn't have minded the thought of fucking Little one senseless replaying itself in my mind on a constant loop. But it wasn't. It was our conversation afterward. She wanted to see her father. Deep down, I knew I couldn't stop her. She had a right to see her family. I just wished I knew what bullshit he was feeding her.Ace was with her so I knew she would be safe. I trusted my brother not to let me down. He knew how much this meant to me, how much she meant to me. I was done trying to understand it — done trying to convince myself that I felt nothing for her. All I knew was that I slept better at night with her in my arms. I could breathe easier knowing that I would be going home to her. My heartbeat thrummed a little harder knowing that she was saf

QUINNReflecting on the past, actually thinking about the majority of my childhood, I was slowly beginning to realize that my brother had prepared me for this life as best as he could without actually giving anything away. When I was young he used to play-fight with me and while doing so he taught me how to throw a perfect punch and a few kicks.When in doubt, always aim for the crotch.That was the advice he had given me on multiple occasions. I never thought that any of that information would come in handy but things always worked out in the most unexpected ways. In all fairness, I really wished I had more training to deal with what lied ahead. Maybe some knife-throwing classes. I had good aim so I could see that working out.It was dark and there was a distinct chill in the air that had goosebumps littering the exposed flesh of my arms. I wore a spaghetti strap body con dress that ended

QUINN I had watched many movies where the protagonist found themselves in life-threatening situations. Usually, they would watch their life flash right before their eyes. But of course, it was different for me. I just blankly stared down the barrel of the gun Mickey had pointed at my chest. My warning bells weren't ringing anymore. I simply took in a deep breath, feeling as calm as the ocean before a storm. Honestly, if I knew this was how things were going to play out, I would have probably not gone along with Eddie's plan. All I was meant to do was seduce him, the way I was meant to do with Gunnar. I figured I could play the part. Once he made his move, I was fully ready to off the son of a bitch. It would have been self-defense. According to Eddie, Mickey had cameras all over his home. If that was where we ended up, then this night would have played out differently. Mickey would have been dead and I would have had foo