I smile as she looks at me while Phoenix finishes up and hands the form back to her. She cross checks it with our fake IDs, which we conveniently bought with our stolen money from one of Phoenix’s old contacts who sells them. Of course, she doesn’t even notice they’re fake.
She smiles briefly before handing them back and holding out the keys, which I quickly grab before she can take them away again.
“Well … I hope you enjoy your new home,” she says. She turns around, clutching her purse close as Phoenix walks her to the door.
Women always seem to be scared around him. Maybe it’s the tattoos … or the scars … or the mad-dog attitude. He can’t help it. He just likes the see the fearful looks on people’s faces. It makes him smile, and me too, for that matter.
If only they knew he really is like that.
“Thank you!” I say to the woman and wave as she leaves the house.
Phoenix slams the door shut behind her and immediately turns around and barges toward me just so he can lock me in his arms and twirl me around.
“Yes! Viva Las Vegas, baby!” I yell, grinning like mad.
“You happy, princess?” he asks as he lowers me to the ground again, still holding me close.
“I love it …” I muse. “It’s exactly what I wanted. How I pictured us together.”
The lopsided smile on his face makes me lick my lips, and he grabs my chin and inches closer.
“C’mere, sweet cheeks.” He smashes his lips onto mine with full fervor, not sparing even a second to breathe. Every time he kisses me, I feel like I can live forever, and now that we have this house, the home of my dreams, together … it just feels like I can finally live my happy forever after.
“It’s a big home,” I murmur as our lips unlock.
“Maybe we should have a housewarming party,” he says, wriggling his eyebrows.
“Housewarming?” I frown. “We don’t have any f … Oh …” Finally, I get what he means.
He grins, and his tongue dips out to lick his lips as he growls. “Oh, yes, princess. Time to get the chains out.”
He kisses my chin and runs his tongue all the way down my neck, and I moan softly from his touch.
“Where do you want it, princess?” he whispers against my skin. “We can do it everywhere … in the kitchen. On the table. On the stairs. Or maybe against the wall.” He picks me up below the hips and pushes me up against the wall.
“We have all the time in the world,” I say. “Why not everywhere?”
“Good thinking.” He grins.
“Not a lot of furniture to use for fucking, though,” I add. “It’s still so empty.”
“We’ll go shopping tomorrow,” he growls, pressing his lips between my breasts.
“I don’t mean just that. I mean … this house … it has so many rooms. What will we do with them?”
“You wanna worry about that now?” he growls as he rips down his zipper. “While I’m on the verge of fucking your pussy raw?”
“I wanna know what you’re thinking,” I reply. “What we’re gonna do now that we finally have a place to call home.”
“What do you mean?” he says, stalling in the middle of pulling down his pants.
“I don’t know. I mean it’s an awfully big home to fill up with just the two of us.”
He tilts his head back, his eyebrows drawing together. “What are you saying, princess? Are you seriously thinking …”
“What?” I shrug.
“No …” Phoenix shakes his head.
“You don’t want …”
“Us? A baby?” He laughs, and with the face he’s making, he has me laughing too. “Stop making silly jokes, princess. You know we aren’t cut out for that shit. Next thing you know, someone’s calling us Mommy and Daddy. I’m not that old.”
Closing my eyes, I shake my head. “You’re right. I don’t even know why I thought of it.” Probably because people always say you should start a family before you can be happy. But who am I kidding? Me, a mother? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
“We’re together … on our own … and no one’s gonna tear us apart. I’d say that’s reason enough to celebrate.” He grins against my lips and his hands suddenly grip my hips, jerking down my pants. “Now … where were we?”
Chapter 12
VIKTOR
Viktor
I stare at the paper in front of me and let my finger slide across the numbers multiple times. There’s so much information here, I don’t even know where to start, so I just pick a number that catches my eye. My hands tremble as I pick up the phone and dial the number in front of me. It takes me a couple of seconds to actually press the call button.
Sweat drops roll down my forehead as I hear the beeps.
Then someone picks up.
“Hello?” I say when no one says a word.
“How did you get this number?” His voice is deep and dark … like someone who wants to stay under the radar. Someone who knows business.
“Documents from a guy named Marcus. I got them from Daniel and Ava. I don’t know if those names ring any bells with you.”
The man is silent.
For a few seconds, I think about what I’m going to say next. He could hang up at any moment, and I can’t risk losing the only connection I have left.
“The companies are falling apart,” I say in one big breath. “The police are on our tails.”
“They’re not,” the voice replies. “I already took care of that.”
Suddenly, the call ends.
Just like that.
The phone beeps as I pull it away from my ear and stare at it for a few seconds. I can only think of one thing. That news story about the police being robbed of their evidence against the companies.
It’s him.
“Who was that?”
Alexis’s voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I turn around to find her standing near the door leading to the workshop.
“Oh … just someone from the company,” I answer, swallowing away the lump in my throat.
She walks toward me and places her hand on my back while she looks at the notes below me.
“They’re falling apart,” I add.
“That’s a good thing, right?” she asks.
“I don’t know … I mean the police were onto it, but someone …” I look her in the eyes. “Someone took care of it.”
“I saw it on the news.” She folds her arms. “Someone took out all the files the police had about the company. Everything was deleted or destroyed.”
I nod. “It’s good news.” I sigh as I turn around to face her. “It means no one will come after us.”
“How do you know that for sure?”
“I just know …” I shake my head. “I can’t explain it, but I feel like someone’s out there, watching over us.” I grab her and hug her tight. “I want us to be safe, Alexis. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m finally rid of the weight that was on my shoulders.”
I bury my face in her neck and smell her scent, and at this moment, I realize just how much I need her … and how close I was to losing her. Just like that. “I love you … So much. I can’t live without you.”
She wraps her arms around me and lets out a long sigh. “I know, Viktor. I feel the same way, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“Promise?” I ask, as I lean back and tilt her chin up.
Her smile fills my heart. “Promise.”
Chapter 13
Twenty-One
Sky
I stand in the doorway and watch Angel read Lily a bedtime story. I can’t help but smile as his face contorts and emotes so perfectly as he speaks the words. It’s hilarious. But at the same time, I fall only deeper in love with him as I watch him give the performance of a lifetime. It isn’t every day that a man as tall and muscular as a bear sits down and reads a child’s story like it’s the most important task of his life.
With my arms folded, I let my head drop against the doorway a
s I gaze at them fondly. I almost want to go over there and hug them to death, but that would break the spell, so I don’t.
Angel tickles Lily on her belly, and she squeals out loud, only to grab his finger with her whole hand. One big finger … only just fitting into her tiny little hand.
It makes my eyes teary.
Angel leans over her and kisses her on the forehead. Then he puts the book up on the shelf and says, “Night, night, little Lily.” He smiles at her while she yawns and dozes off, sneakily adding, “You’re safe now.”
He probably means from the men who were coming after the company. And his father.
We saw it on the news. But now that someone’s taken care of it, it all seems like it’s finally coming to an end.
Her eyes are closed, and by the time he presses another soft kiss on her cheeks, she’s already fallen asleep.
Only then does he finally look up at me with a crooked, loving smile. “What?”
I shrug. “Nothing.” Then I turn around and walk back to our room.
I hear his footsteps behind me as he chases me through the hallway, walking faster until he catches me right before I reach our bed.
“Gotcha!” I squeal as he grabs my waist from behind and wraps his arms around me as we both fall down onto the bed.
“Asshole,” I mutter as he rolls me around and crawls on top of me.
“Who me? Nah.” He grins as he leans in and whispers, “Scared you good, didn’t I?”
“No,” I say, pursing my lips. “How could I be scared of someone who just read this sweet story to a little girl?”
He squints, still smiling. “I saw you watching me …”
“I know you did. And you know what else? You’re just one big, cuddly teddy bear. And they’re not scary.”
“Oh … really now?” He pins my hands above my head. “We’ll see about that.”
His mouth latches onto mine, and he kisses me hard as his body hardens above me … along with his dick. And Jesus, does it feel good. His hand runs down my arm, tickling as he reaches my waist, but he doesn’t stop there. He goes all the way down, pulling my leggings with him as he goes.
“Angel, this isn’t—”
“Shh …” he murmurs as he rips down my pants in one go and then throws off his own shirt along with it. When I see his buffed pecs and abs, I always lose the words I was about to say.
“Just let it happen …”
“Won’t she hear?” I mutter as he drops down on top of me and kisses my neck.
“She’s fast asleep. I made sure of that.” He licks my earlobe and sucks on it. “So let’s focus on making a second one.”
“What?” I gasp, laughing in shock.
“Well, if one isn’t enough, we could always try for twins.”
I slap him on the arm and grin as he kisses his way down my chest, pulling up my shirt along with it.
“If that’s your way of seducing me, it isn’t working,” I say.
“Aww … too bad because I was really looking forward to sticking my junk where it belongs.”
I burst into laughter. “You did not just say that.”
“I’m a bad liar …” he replies, taking my nipple into his mouth and sucking hard. “Guess I’m going to have to stop then.”
I moan in response. “No … keep going.”
His fingers dive between my thighs, but I’m already wet from just his mouth. “You sure about that?”
“Yes,” I moan as he fingers me.
“Does this feel like I’m a cute fucking teddy bear?” he growls, grasping my hand and bringing it to his cock.
“No … this feels like something I want inside me … now.”
He licks his lips and smiles. “Good. Because I won’t stop until you’re begging me for it.”
Chapter 14
Ultimate Sin
Ava
As I read the newspaper section about the robbery at the police station, I open the mailbox. With my hands, I feel inside without even taking my eyes off the newspaper. Nothing’s there, except something that’s sticking to the bottom. A small note in the back draws my attention, and I look up. I take it out and check the front and back, but there’s no address on it anywhere.
Frowning, I go back into the house and close the door with my foot.
“Daniel …” I mumble as I stare at the note in my hand.
I throw the newspaper on the cabinet in the hallway and walk inside the living room, where Daniel’s playing with Marcus Jr. and his toy dinosaurs.
“What is it?” he asks, glaring at the note in my hand.
I nod at the kitchen, and he gets up and follows me there.
“I found this in the mailbox,” I say.
“Who’s it from?” he asks.
“I don’t know. It doesn’t have a name on it or an address.”
He swallows. “Well, open it.”
“Are you sure?” I lick my lips. “What if … I don’t know. It could be bad.”
He snatches it from my hand and looks at it up close. “It’s a piece of paper.” Then he tucks it back into my hand. “It can’t harm us.”
I nod, blowing out a breath as I realize he’s right. I’m just being too careful.
So I slowly unfold the note and read it out loud.
Thank you for putting your trust in Viktor and for giving him the documents. I know you don’t like what we do, but we’re not all evil. So thank you … for not pursuing us further.
My fingers tremble as I read the words over and over again.
“Who sent this?” Daniel mutters.
“I don’t know … but it has to be …”
“Someone from the company.”
“Or those involved with Marcus …” I sigh and close my eyes. “I wonder what it means…”
“Is it a threat?”
I bite my lip and stare down at the paper and the words scribbled on it. “I don’t think so. It feels more like … a gesture of goodwill.”
“Maybe someone’s trying to reach out, hoping we won’t go looking for them.”
I look up at him. “No; I think they just want us to stop,” I say. “Stop searching and hunting for the company.”
“Maybe.”
I fold my arms and tuck the paper away as I stare at my boy playing with his dinosaurs. “If we pursue this, he and our little girl will never be safe. And this note … I feel like it means something. Like we can take it as a promise that we won’t be harmed, as long as we don’t talk to the police again. And maybe this is some sort of peace offering, meaning the company is finally going to leave us in peace.”
Daniel wraps his arms around me from behind and rests his head on my shoulder. He whispers, “Is it what you want to do?”
I think it over for a second. “I think so. I just … don’t think it’s worth the trouble anymore. And look at what happened when we went to the police. It was all for nothing.”
“Maybe they were just protecting themselves.”
“Yeah … I think so too. Why else would they thank us?” I turn around in his arms and look him deeply in the eye. “But is it okay? Is it okay for me to say I’m done?”
He smiles briefly. “Of course, it is. Whenever you say you’re ready, I’m there with you.”
I smile back and nuzzle him. “Thank you.”
“I love you,” he murmurs, kissing my neck softly.
“I love you too, and you know what? I don’t even care that the police can’t continue their investigation. I only went to them because the documents were there, in my room, and they were weighing on me. I didn’t want the burden, so I went to them. But it didn’t help. It only made it worse.” I sigh. “I didn’t want the fuss anyway. The whole … being a witness and a victim thing. I hated it. I hated even going there. I just wanted it to end.”
“And now, it has,” Daniel adds.
“Exactly.” I wrap my arms around his neck. “It’s time for a fresh start. A real one. With no more secrets. No more lies. No more nothing. I don’t wan
t anything to do with it anymore.”
“Good.” He grins. “Because I was really getting tired of this shit.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Ass …”
“Sorry, I can’t help it. Sometimes, I just feel this need to joke around. It’s like I’m finally becoming who I really am.”
“Oh, and who’s that?”
His lips quirk up into a smile. “The man who loves you so much, he can’t take his lips off you.” And then he leans in and kisses my worries away.
Epilogue
Stalker
Phoenix
I’ve been cruising through the city, looking for some new places I can take Vanessa, but when I finally park my car in the driveway, it sure feels glad to be home. Finally … A place I can really be at peace with my princess.
I get out and shut the door, picking up the mail on my way inside.
“Princess, I’m home,” I shout.
I can hear the shower running upstairs. “Hi! Be right down with you.”
“No rush,” I yell back, as I throw all the mail on the table.
I open the fridge and take out the carton of milk, guzzling it straight from the carton.
Wiping my mouth, I turn around and let out a sigh. Only when I walk back to the table do I notice the strange note stuck between several envelopes.
I put down the carton and pull out the note.
It’s a handwritten message.
“What’s that?”
“Jesus!” I almost knock over the carton; that’s how scared I got from Vanessa’s sudden entry.
She laughs and tucks back a loose bit of the towel that barely covers her naked bits. “Sorry; I didn’t think you’d scare that easily.”
I lick my lips at the sight of her beautiful body. “Don’t jump up on me, princess.”
“It wasn’t on purpose. Chill,” she muses, still brushing her hair. “What’ve you got there?”
Happy Forever After Darkness: Bonus Epilogues Page 4
