Si's flavor exploded over my senses. Not as deep and dark as having his dick in my mouth, but as we shared air, it almost felt like I could taste his soul. No one had ever pulled me in. Demanded so much of me as a Dominant. There was something almost frail and brittle about Si. Something that tugged at a deeper part of me. A part I thought had vanished almost a decade ago. When I released his mouth, I licked my lips. Kissing a man when he had his tongue restrained was something of a trick, but one I wanted to learn more about. I'd never clover clamped a tongue and dick before. But when the image of Si trussed up had come to me, I couldn't shake it from my mind. And the fact that it was his mouth-the thing he'd used to be rude and boorish to Mishka and the others-made it that much sweeter. Especially when his tongue was connected to his dick. The part of him he probably swung around in his life because he thought it made him better and bigger than other people. I looked up i

I lurked near the back wall in the shibari and kinbaku bi section of the club. Watching masters create intricate designs in rope while also restraining their partners was soothing to my soul. I didn't have the patience to learn, but I could appreciate the art in others. Through long practice, I kept my focus on the pair in front of me on the stage. Any stray thought of Si was pushed aside like a breeze through an open park. He didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Nothing except taking the Petters down. And no one would get in my way on this one. Not even a tall, handsome asshole who was broken inside. As I watched the rope bondage take shape, my instincts told me that something had shifted in the room. In the space directly around me. Without seeming to look like it, I cast an easy glance around me. The rope bondage section of S&B wasn't too full on any given night. It was pretty niche, even within the community. I noticed her immediately. For one, her idea of club gear was mor

I couldn't believe it. It was almost too good to be true. And considering what I'd just talked about with Whitney, I had to tread carefully. Very carefully. "Will Raphael die if he doesn't complete his mission?""Yes. By my hand."Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Raphael flinch as the words came over the line. Whatever he'd done, it had been horrible. What kind of horror must it have been to get kicked out of a family like the Amatuccis? "Why?"His dusky skin paled. He shook his head, backed away from the phone as if it would strike out at him. "He put his family in danger. He came this close to killing me, my daughter, and two of my sisters-in-law."Agonized horror rose up on Raphael's face. A certain kind of resolution and penance marred his features. Whatever he'd done, had marked him, as well as his family. "Raphael, do you deserve to die by Eden's hand if you fail in your mission?" I asked him. He looked at me. He had the same look in his eyes as he had do

The emotion in the car was stifling. Overwhelming. I felt like I couldn't breathe. Which was stupid. So freaking stupid. So what if the brothers were having some kind of emotional reunion. Didn't matter to me. As long as the Petters went down, they could fuck each other on the car hood for all I cared. Raphael shook his head. "You think I'm dead."The driver shook his head. "I know my wife. Know her moods and when she's being sneaky. I've known about you for the last handful of weeks."Raphael shook his head again. His hands clenched into fists as he looked out the window. Tension vibrated off the man in seismic waves. If I didn't know any better, I'd assume he was trying to rebuild his walls. To shove himself back into some kind of shell. Become someone he thought he should be so his brother would love him. Reaching out, I shook my arm. Allowed one of my knives to fall out of its forearm holster and into my palm. I dug the tip of the knife into Raphael's thigh. Felt the s

I watched him go. He'd somehow managed to twist and turn everything I'd said around to suit his negative narcissism. He was skilled at that part of psychopathy, that was for damn sure. He might have gotten the last word this time, but I was determined to show him that he wasn't an evil person. Massimo was waiting outside the door. His face was thunderous as he allowed his brother to pass him. When he turned back to me, his eyes were cold and held my death. "Never again. Do you understand me?"I looked at the man. Let his threat roll off me like water off a duck's back. "Do you know that he plans to allow the Petters to kill him?"Massimo jolted slightly. "I won't let that happen."I snorted. "Yeah, and you and your wife seem to be doing a real bang up job making him face his demons."Massimo's hands clenched into fists. "What do you know of his demons? You barely know him."As if time was the only thing that allowed a deeper knowing of someone else. Sure, time was importan