“Oh, this isn’t going to end well.” Mo chuckled. “She hates being touched.”

“It is Tex,” I pointed out. “She could do a lot worse.”

“Doubtful.” Mo snorted, crossing her arms.

Holy shit, what the hell? I really had been living under my own personal rock somewhere. What had gone down? And how didn’t I know about it?

I winced when Tex moved his other hand next to Grandma’s leg. Probably wouldn’t be a good time to tell him that she’d seen her fair share of murder. I almost closed my eyes when she looked down at his hand.

“Aw, shit.” Nixon shook his head. “You had to challenge him, Mo.”

Mo’s face twisted into a murderous smile as she pointed and exclaimed, “Game. Set. Match!”

Grandma had Tex by the balls.

“Ouch!” This from Mil.

“Look, I know it’s not me.” I cringed when Tex’s face twisted in pain. “But I can literally feel my sperm dying.”

“That’s too bad.” Nixon smirked in my direction. “Because I was hoping to see little Chases running around now that you’re married.”

I didn’t laugh.

Neither did anyone else.

Nixon immediately looked apologetic, but it didn’t matter. It was done, he’d released those idiotic words out into the atmosphere. No take backs.

And it had officially gotten more awkward — didn’t think that was possible, but there it was. The only sounds were those of Vinnie still trying to make his toast, and Tex’s screams coupled with Mo’s laughter. I was officially ready to call it a night.

I stood. “Let’s go, Mil.”

Wordless, she put her hand in mine as we said our goodbyes and walked out the door. Not once did I look at Trace or Nixon. It was as if the door was my only salvation. In walking out, I was leaving them and starting my own life. Hell, even if it ended in death, it would still be better than sitting on the sidelines while my best friend screwed the girl I loved.

Past tense.

My feet crossed the threshold. I paused. I hated that hesitation was becoming my new thing, but I had to know. Was she watching, or did she even freaking care?

I glanced over my shoulder.

They were gone.

And my answer was again made clear. So I walked forward and gripped Mil’s hand a little tighter, damning my family to hell the entire freaking way.

Mil

If you asked me, rejection sucked worse than getting shot at, and I’d been shot at a lot. Chase’s muscles tensed as we walked to the waiting SUV. Because of the seriousness of the situation, I’d turned down the opportunity for a vacation. Right. That was the last thing I needed, but Chase wouldn’t have any of that, so we were stuck together for four days in the last place I wanted to be.

Vegas.

To be fair, it was close to fly to, and the cabin we were supposed to rent for the extended weekend had fallen through.

Our flight left tomorrow.

I had seven hours alone with the man before I was able to drink myself into a stupor on the plane. God help us all.

I stole a glance at Chase. It would be easier if he were ugly — unfortunately, he was a god masquerading as a mortal. He was so sexy that I swear it strained my eyes to look in his direction for periods longer than five seconds. Dark hair fell just below his ears, meeting a strong jaw line that was just as muscular as the rest of him. When he was pissed, that same muscle twitched like crazy. His teeth were a perfect white and almost looked predatory when he smiled. A large warm arm wrapped around my waist, and I was reminded all over again why I’d wanted him in the first place. Chase was anything but safe. In fact, he was damn hazardous to my health. But he was also loyal. And I needed loyal more than anything.

I knew whatever he learned from me — he’d take to his grave.

If he hadn’t totally ruined my first sexual experience when I was fifteen, it’s possible I’d like him — well, that and the whole fact that his heart wasn’t even in his possession anymore. But maybe that was a good thing; it made what we both had to do easier. He killed, bribed, worked — and I stood by and let him.

“You okay?” Chase asked after he’d gotten into the car and buckled his seatbelt.

“Peachy.”

“Don’t say peachy, Mil. It doesn’t suit you. Kinda scares the hell out of me.”

“What do you want me to say, Chase?” I played with the radio, trying to fill the car with any kind of distracting noise. I’d even take classical music over the erratic beating of my own heart.

“That’s just it, Mil.” Chase pushed my hand away from the controls, pushed a few buttons, and turned to me as music began to filter throughout the car. “I’d rather you offend the shit out of me than ask me what the hell I want you to do. Don’t ask, Mil. Be who you are. Be a bitch. Yell, scream, just don’t be…” A muscle ticked in his jaw as he ground his teeth together. “Don’t be submissive, okay?” He turned the ignition over and the SUV growled to life.

I burst out laughing.

“What?” He scowled, rolling his eyes.

“Thought guys liked that sorta thing,” I said in a throaty voice, then gave him a once-over.

“Only the ones who got something to prove, and sweetheart, I’m pretty sure I’ve proved over and over and over and over—”

“Stop saying over or I swear I’ll jump out of a moving vehicle.”

“—and over…” he ignored me. “…again.”

He pulled out of the church parking lot and drove toward the hotel, which rhymed with hell. Perfect.

“Pretty sure that last time you tried to rock my world, it went very badly,” I pointed out just to spite him.

The car slammed to a stop.

“Are you trying to kill us?” I yelled, slamming my hand against the dashboard while my seatbelt nearly choked me to death.

“Let’s get one thing straight, Mil.” The light was green, but Chase was staring at me as if he had all the time in the world; a slow burn invaded his eyes as he met my gaze. “I didn’t know what the hell I was doing then, but now…” His voice trailed off.

“Now?” I challenged in the most confident voice I could manage. “What? You’ve been practicing? Is that it, Chase?”

With his violent twist of the steering wheel, the SUV turned so abruptly I would have hit my head against the dashboard had my seatbelt not been on. We came to a sudden stop in the middle of an empty gravel parking lot. Dust burst into the air all around us. Chase rammed the gearshift up and grabbed me by the back of my head before I even realized he was moving. All I could do was gasp as our lips collided.

And then his tongue was in my mouth.

And I was dying.

Little bits and pieces of my soul, my heart, my defenses crumbled at each coax, at each touch of his tongue, his lips. His hands moved into my hair and tugged, not hard but enough to hurt. A moan escaped from the back of my throat, and I leaned into the kiss, moving my lips beneath his. It was like his mouth was coaxing the life out of me, beckoning my soul, and I was powerless to stop the flood of emotion he demanded I give. But how could I forget? That’s how it had always been with Chase.

He was like an addiction, a very very bad one. I’d always been told that if you feed something it grows. With Chase, I’d done nothing of the sort, but it hadn’t mattered, because after one taste… my body had remembered. It had kept Chase in the most secret parts of my subconscious and hidden him until it was time. The clock had struck midnight. I. Was. Screwed.

All too soon his mouth left mine. He released his hold on me and stared into my eyes. “Practice makes perfect.”

“R-right.” I couldn’t find my voice. Who was that weak-minded female speaking? Me? Really? Where the hell was my gun when I needed it?

“Oh, and Mil?” He tugged my hair again, gentler this time, and winked. “Didn’t take you for a moaner.”

“Ass.” I jerked back and crossed my arms.