“He’s alive,” he grits out through clenched teeth.

“Why?” I hedge.

He scoffs. “So are you mad he's alive and not dead now?” he snaps.

“Fuck you,” I fire back.

“Please do, baby, because my balls are as blue as your eyes right now.” I gape at him.

“Alex!” I scold.

“What?”

“That’s… no… you can’t say that shit.”

“Why the fuck not?”

“Because… you just can’t.”

“Why the fuck not? I’m not gonna hide it. I’m rock fucking hard for you right now, baby, and I want to sink my cock so deep inside your cunt that you can taste me on your tongue.”

I’m wet.

I can feel my arousal coating the inside of my thighs and now more than ever I’m grateful he gave me a pair of black sweats to borrow. My pussy is pulsing with need.

“Don’t play coy. You loved throwing that shit in Desire’s face about how I fucked you.” I feel the blush coating my cheeks.

“I did it to distract her.”

“Hmmm, so you gonna stand there and lie and say it didn’t give you satisfaction telling her I was your boyfriend and rubbing it in her face about me loving you?” I push my tongue into my cheek fighting not to laugh. Alex presses in closer until his front is plastered against me and sure enough, he’s rock fucking hard for me. “Admit it, you want me so stop playing hard to get, Bambi, and let me fuck you, then we can fight later.”

“Sex won’t solve anything.” I hate how breathy I sound.

“It would resolve this sexual tension between us so we could focus on actually arguing instead of picturing ways we could fuck.”

“Alex—”

He growls. “Fuck, fine, here are your options. One, I fuck you right here, now, and we can fight later, or two, I tell you what happened to your brother, then we fuck all night and don’t fight later. Choose!” I balk up at him. I attempt to take a step back but he snakes an arm around my waist and anchors me to him. “Before you try and spit some bullshit, don’t. I know you’re wet for me, so stop fucking torturing my pussy and let me give her some relief.” I snort out a laugh, unable to stop it.

“You ever turn your back on me again, Butcher, and I swear to fucking Christ I will chop you up into little bits myself and make Omen help me bury them around the world.” He fights not to smile and nods. “I mean it, don’t you dare fucking hurt me again. You’re still not forgiven.” His eyes blaze and need courses through me.

“I’ll fuck forgiveness into you, baby. Now, which option?” His voice is husky and sends a shiver down my spine.

“Two.”

“Your brother is alive.” My eyes widen to the size of saucers. “Don’t get excited, I had planned to drag out his punishment but the guys convinced me that killing him would make you hate me, so I just removed some parts, then sent him to Panama to join your father.” He tries to reach for me but I bat his hands away. He flops his head back and groans up at the sky.

“What do you mean removed some parts?”

He smiles sheepishly down at me. “Well, I refused to allow the Valerian name to continue so I removed that sorry ass excuse of a cock. He has nubs for arms and legs. I removed him of his tongue and ears as well. I left the cocksucker his eyes, which I think was very gracious on my part.” I stare up at him speechless. When I say nothing his face falls. “Baby, I let him live foryou.”

“I… I don’t know what to say,” I admit. Honestly a lot of my anger I harbored toward Alex was because I thought he killed my brother, but now I find out he didn’t that changes things.

“Are you mad?” he presses.

I shake my head. “No, just shocked.” He reaches out and wraps his arms around me and pulls me against him. I don’t fight him. I return his embrace and melt into him, instantly loving the feeling of safety he offers me without having to do anything aside from just holding me. “Thank you,” I mumble against his chest.

“For what?”