Page 76 of Diamond In The Rough

While the water warms, I stare down at her creamy thighs. Push up the silk of her nightgown and reveal her core, already wet, already waiting for me.

Best of all, already claimed by me.

“Fuckkkkk.” I let the room fill with steam, while I drop to my knees and eat her up.

“Micah!” She throws her head back and fists my hair. “Oh shit.”

“Mine.”

14

MICAH

SOME DAYS, I’M MY BROTHER’S GUARD. OTHERS, I’M THE THREAT ON HIS LIFE.

Iwalk through the house the next morning, with my new, barely-clinging-to-life monstera clutched against my side, and Tiia Hale’s sweet perfume lingering in my lungs like a gift she sent me away with.

The thought would irk her, I think. The idea that I could bring her home with me, that I’d smile about the night we spent together long after it ended and she’d left for work in the city.

Oddly, annoying her makes me happy.

It’s not a healthy foundation for two people to work from. It’s toxic and mean and not at all something two grown adults should strive for. But that’s okay, because I wasn’t born into a healthy, respectful relationship anyway.

The shit I was destined for was much uglier than that. So I consider this a win.

If I was more like my father, I’d have killed her already.

“He returns.” Felix is hunched at the counter when I walk into the kitchen, his back bowed and his hand wrapped around a cup of coffee. He regards me with long sweeps of his eyes, checking that I’m safe. Unharmed. Not bleeding. “You’ve been gone all night and half the morning.” Setting his coffee down, he straightens, and purses his lips. “Want to tell me where you’ve been?”

I circle the counter and set the monstera in the deep, steel sink. “No thanks.”

“So you were with Tiia Hale.” He says her name lazily: Tiiiiia Haaaaaale. “All night and into today. Sounds serious.”

“Sounds like you missed the part where I declined discussing it.” I’m bound to get my ass whooped by Mary, but I dump clumps of soil into the sink and begin emptying everything from the pot too big for the undernourished plant. “Where is everyone?”

“Christabelle should be down in a sec, though she’s heading to Manhattan this morning. The guys are securing the estate, because Stovic’s feeling fussy. And the dog is…” he looks down.

I’m on the opposite side of the counter now, so I don’t see, but I know Bastard dozes on the cold tile floor beneath his owner’s stool.

Felix nods toward the paper laid out on the counter. “Seems some shit went down in Brooklyn overnight.”

“Yeah?” I flip the tap on and rinse the monstera’s roots of the crappy dirt devoid of nutrients. “We were supposed to head there last night. I’m sorry I got busy.”

“Busy,” he smirks, sly and playful. “Bet you did. When do I get to meet this chick?”

“When Hell freezes over and my cock snaps clean off.” I massage the clumped soil and slowly dislodge chunks from the roots. “What kind of shit went down?”

“That guy, Carter?—”

“The dealer who dreams of sucking your dick?” I snort. “Little tweener with grand plans to become the next boss of bosses?”

“Had. Dreamt.” He points to the paper. “Gunned down around four this morning. It was done in the street, so the press has already spread it all over.”

“Shit.” I set my monstera down and yank the paper around so it’s right side up. Scanning the headlines, dread settles deep in my belly. “You think it was Wilkes? Why the fuck is he out here popping dealers who have nothing to do with him? Carter was a nobody.”

“He was a noisy nobody.” Felix picks up his coffee and brings it higher. “And he had big aspirations. We were supposed to meet with him last night, Micah. Now he’s dead. In the place we were supposed to meet, mere hours after we were supposed to meet him there.”

“I got busy.” I drop my head back and sigh. “Fuck, Lix. I’m sorry.”

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