I thought about what I’d done to Julia when she’d tried to wake me up. No way was I sleeping. The good news was it was already morning so hopefully Bex would have to get up soon in order to get ready to go home.

She was complex that was for sure. I hadn’t thought when I met her that she’d end up being just as complicated as me, but it sure as shit seemed like she’d been given a raw deal in life, too.

I kissed Jill’s full lips, smiling against them as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “I love you, Johnny.” She wrapped her naked body around mine, and I came alive again. No matter how many times we made love, I was always ready for more with her. She was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I’d found my soul mate at the young age of twenty.

“I love you, too,” I murmured. “We’re going to get out of here. Together.”

She nodded. “I believe you. How’s your plan coming?”

“It’s coming. I don’t want you to know anything just in case they figure out something and ask you. The less you know, the better. Just know I’ll always protect and take care of you, Jill.”

She nodded, her big blue eyes filled with love and trust. “I know. It’s you and me, baby.”

“You and me,” I echoed.

The door swung open, flooding light into the room. “What the fuck is going on in here?”

Ray. I hated this prick. Hell, I hated all of them, but him I hated more than most. “What’s it to you?”

Ray crossed the room so fast I only had time to tuck Jill behind me before he hauled me to my feet. “I asked you a fuckin’ question, Frat Boy. When I ask you somethin’, you answer me. What are you doing with this hooker? You fucking her? Or getting high?”

Jill made a small noise from behind me, but I knew I couldn’t turn to comfort her. “Yeah, I fucked her. So?”

An evil smile crossed Ray’s face. “Is that so? She good? Because she looks fucking good enough to eat.”

I shook my head. “She’s alright. Gets your dick wet and does the job.” I knew where this was going. He hadn’t messed with Jill in the months she’d been here, and I didn’t want it to start now.

Ray eyed me, and then looked over me at her. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

“No.” I was bigger and stronger than him. If I didn’t let him past me, he wouldn’t get to her.

“No? Is that what you said to me? You think you have some sort of power to tell me no?”

Ray stepped back to the doorway. “Prince, come here!”

Jill looked at me wide-eyed. I couldn’t show her how afraid it made me to hear him call Prince.

Prince’s large frame filled the doorway. He was a scary motherfucker. “He thought he was going to tell me no, I couldn’t tap a piece of that.”

The two of them laughed. “Will you help me out?”

Prince nodded. He had at least fifty pounds on me, and Ray knew it. Jill whimpered as Ray approached her, unbuckling his pants.

“Hey there, sweet thing. Your buddy said you weren’t any good. I don’t believe him. I think he just doesn’t want to share you. That’s not any fun, is it? What’s your name?”

I lunged for Jill, but Prince stepped in my way. “Move, and I’ll knock you the fuck out.”

“Don’t knock him out,” Ray said. “He’s going to watch me fuck this one. This will teach him that he doesn’t backtalk me.”

Ray leaned over, pulling the covers off of Jill’s beautiful body and pawing her full breasts. The ones I loved. I fought Prince, not even caring what they did to me.

“Stop it! Don’t you dare!”

Ray looked back at me, pulling his dick out of his pants. He forced her legs open and shoved himself inside. Jill cried as he grunted.

“I’ll kill you!”

I sat straight up, my chest heaving. Sunlight streamed through the partially open curtains. It was late. I could tell. Where the hell was I? Then it all flooded back to me.

Bex. I swung my head around the room, but I didn’t see her. I was still in her room, and I had fallen asleep even though I had said I wouldn’t. At least she hadn’t witnessed the embarrassment of my nightmare.

I swung my legs over the bed and stood up, pulling my shorts and shirt on. It was after noon. Julia would probably be wondering where I was. Not that she wouldn’t figure it out.

I looked in the bathroom for Bex but didn’t see her. Okay, then. I guessed this was how it was going to be. I relieved myself and then rinsed out my mouth. Just then I heard the door slam. There she was.

“Johnny?”

I stepped out of the bathroom. “Hey.”

Bex handed me a cup of coffee and a bag. “I got you some breakfast. Hope a bagel is okay.”

I stared at it like it might grow a head and speak to me. “Uh, thanks.”

“So let’s not make this awkward and shit,” she said. “Thanks for helping me last night. It was an overall shitty day yesterday. I have to get ready to head out.”

This was it. I wasn’t going to see her again. “Yeah, no problem. It was nice . . . hell, it was fucking hot to have you for the last two days. You’ll be hard to top.”

Bex snorted. “I have the feeling you’ll put a good effort into trying.”

I shrugged. “Maybe.” I had this weird feeling, mixed with the dream of Jill I hadn’t dreamed in years. It was . . . sadness? Longing? I wasn’t sure.

She opened the door. “See you around.” I was being dismissed. No talk of exchanging phone numbers, hooking up another time. Nothing. Just like I liked it. Right?

“Good luck on tour.” I sounded like a tool, and I knew it. I’d fucked this woman six ways to Sunday, and that’s all I could say?

She watched me as I made my way to the door, but she didn’t say anything else. I stepped through the doorway and turned back to her. I grabbed her and pulled her to me, kissing her with all the energy I had that couldn’t be put into words. She responded, twining her arms around my neck as I sucked her tongue into my mouth.

God, I wanted her again. Forcing myself to pull away, I winked at her. “You know where to find me if your hand or vibrator isn’t doing the job anymore.”

She gaped. “You act like I don’t get any any other way.”

“Not any as good as me. Bye, Bex. Thanks for breakfast.” I winked at her and lifted the brown bag with the bagel inside, then turned and walked down the hall away from her.

I sat on the back porch of Julia and Carter’s house, a pad of paper in front of me, the urge to grab the guitar from my room almost overpowering me. I hadn’t had a feeling this strong in many years, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

I’d been writing lyrics since I’d gotten home from the hotel. Carter and Julia were at his parents’ house for the afternoon with Calia, so I had the house to myself. The words had just been pouring out of me. I had pages of ideas and a few pages of actual lyrics. I hadn’t felt this inspired in a long time.

My thoughts kept going back to Bex. Despite what either of us wanted to admit, we’d broken down some walls with each other. It freaked me the hell out. I had to be more careful. Thinking of her made me think of the dream about Jill. The nightmare that had been my reality was a reminder of what love cost me.

I’d loved that woman with my entire heart. But I should’ve known it was doomed. Me, the idiot that had gotten involved in trafficking drugs, and her, the young girl who’d gotten lured into being the toy of the drug lords. They’d promised her everything, but only I had meant it. Except I hadn’t been able to deliver on my promise, either.

After that night, Jill had never been the same. Not that I blamed her. Since she’d been with us, she’d only been with me and the rest of the guys had left her alone. But not Ray. He wanted to stick it to me because he didn’t like me, so he made sure to hurt me where it was the most painful.