Eden's POVWatching Dante linger in the hallway, watching me writhe against Ryder's lap, I can see there was a reason the brothers put rules in place. He looks so wounded, even though we hadn't even done anything but kiss, the intentions were clear.I climb off Ryder and push myself into Dante's chest, waiting for his arms to extend behind my shoulders as always, but he lazily rests his hand on my hip instead. I can feel the heat of his anger."Dante, it wasn't anything," I breathe, my hands pulling for his face while he gives Ryder one of those typical, wordless stares that they only seem to understand. "Please, look at me."He finally gives in, and I have to struggle on the tips of my toes to crash my lips into his. He hardly kisses me back at first, letting my tongue brush his teeth before I feel him bite me. I pull back, more insulted than I am wounded.Dante looks through his brother, Ryder doing the same back in some weird prowess of intimidation. They're sizing each ot

Eden's POVDante is barking at the valet to get the car here quicker while Ryder wraps me up in his coat and keeps me snuggled to his side. It was difficult to keep them from chasing after Asher when he kissed me, and the sooner we leave here, the better."Why did you go out there with him, dammit?" Dante mumbles, pacing in front of us and speaking to the concrete under his leather boots. His constant steps nag at my dizzy, alcohol-tainted mind. "It would have been fine if you just stayed with us and—""Hey, enough of that," Ryder pleads. "She was trying to diffuse the situation, okay? You and I both were ready to start a fight in the lounge before he even had the chance to kiss her.""F*ck diffusing the situation," Dante snaps. "And f*ck that overconfident prick!"I bury myself into Ryder's shoulder, the world spinning in a tequila-tainted fog. "I'm sorry.""It's not your fault," Ryder replies simply. "Dante isn't mad at you, he's just mad at Asher for trying to get under

Eden's POV"What are you doing here… J—Jack?!"My longtime boyfriend is leaning against the towering foyer of the front porch, holding a bouquet of red and white roses that look too expensive for him to afford. I step outside and shut the door behind me, seeing Mason rustle around for a gun or his phone; I don't wait to see which one he pulls first."What are you doing here?" I gasp, confused. "How did you know where—"He motions to the hoard of matching black SUVs in the driveway. "Had a little bit of help tracking you down, Eden. I just wanted to see if we could talk, sweetheart."He shoves the roses into my hands, and I want to smile at the gesture, but I can't. We've been together for years, and he still doesn't know that my favorite flowers aren't roses at all.I guess it's a bigger step than he's used to. I shouldn't defer to my standards when it comes to Jack Ward."We have nothing to talk about," I groan, setting the bouquet on the ground. "Last time we saw each o

Eden's POVAsher Donahue is a strange enigma of a man. He walks fluidly like he's waltzing through the air, like the social and physical norms of this world don't dare touch him at all.That, and he's beautiful.Everything about him is beautiful, down the bone structure of his face when he presses his lips against the rim of his coffee cup, and the crooked smile he flickers when I turn my back, only to catch him staring at the back of my head like he's picturing what my eyes look like when I'm waiting on other tables.He has visited the diner every single night for the last week after he kissed me in the parking garage. Sometimes I take him up on the ride home, and sometimes I protest and walk home alone, only to feel him looming a few paces behind me.It's hard to gauge what he wants from me.When it's only us at the last few minutes of my shift, I oblige to what he wants and take a seat opposite of him at the booth he has commandeered in the last few days."Want a bite?

Eden's POVI shoot upright, my body aching in response, but not as terrible as my raw, dry mouth.The sight before me baffles me past feeling sick. I half expect to see my apartment walls or the hotel's cheap art above the tacky, monochromatic furniture. Instead, I see two sets of blue eyes in my old, dainty bedroom.Ryder sits up in his chair, eyes pinned on mine, the same as his brother's that watch me from the doorway of the bedroom, his posture stiff and uptight. I feel the pulse in my throat but swallow the feeling of wanting to puke."What happened?"Ryder speaks first, his voice light and airy in response, "You were at the club with Asher, and he took you upstairs when you got too drunk."Dante chimes in, less than kind in his tone, "We found you in his room, naked and drunk. We weren't going to leave you there with him. Even if you tell us you wanted to sleep with him, we weren't about to allow that to happen with you being so intoxicated and—""I didn't want t