Page 154 of Merciless

“I’ll just have to drink both of these myself then,” I say as if he’s hiding in the closet. Which he’s not. He’s Reid fucking Harris. And no motherfucking Harris hides from their problems.

They just fuck shit up and disappear, apparently.

Discovering that my cell is dead, I plug it into the charger by my bed while I dump my sweats in the laundry basket and knock the top of my first beer off, downing almost the whole thing in one go.

I mean in delight before wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

As soon as my cell turns on, messages start pinging through. All from the missing man himself.

Reid: You’re a cunt.

I barely smother a laugh. I wonder how long he watched for. Just our first round until we fell asleep, or did he hang around for rounds two, three, and four?

“Sorry, man. I feel for you and your overused right hand, I really do.”

Reid: Got a meeting. Don’t wait up.

“Sure thing, Dad.” I salute my cell before pushing to my feet and heading to the bathroom to shower. Although, really, I don’t fucking want to. I’d remain surrounded by her scent every day of the fucking week if I could.

With my cell propped up away from the water, I open the app and find the recorded footage.

Searching for the moment I carried her into her bedroom, I press play and watch it back, for what I know is going to be the first of many viewings.

* * *

“Shower time,” I say, pushing Alana’s door open and finding her sitting naked on her bed writing in her notebook.

For the first time since she’s been locked up down here, when she looks up, there is real excitement glittering in her eyes and a wide smile on her face.

“Well, well, well, this is quite a sight, little dove.”

Closing her book, she rests her pen on top of it, uncurls her legs and pushes to her feet.

We meet halfway between the door and her bed, and the second she’s in reaching distance, I wrap my arm around her waist and drag her into my body.

“Mmm, you smell good,” she whispers, pressing her nose into my shirt and breathing me in.

“So do you, Dove,” I say, threading my fingers into her hair and dragging her head back.

“I smell like sex,” she confesses.

“Exactly.” I smile down at her, already addicted to the lightness in her eyes.

Something’s changed. I’d like to think it’s me and my magic cock. But equally, it could have been killing Jonno. She might not want to talk about him or how she really knew him, but it’s had an impact. A good one.

I won’t lie, I was worried when Reid gave her the ultimatum. I really shouldn’t have been though.

I knew she was strong. I’ve seen that every single day since she’s been down here, but I didn’t know she had that in her.

“The shower is running and your clothes are waiting. Come on,” I say, taking her hand and tugging her out of her cell.

“You mean your clothes,” she points out the second she spots the very small pile of fabric on the counter.

“Hell yeah, you look hot as fuck in my clothes. Why would I give you anything else?”

“I have no idea.”

“Go on then,” I say, swatting her ass hard enough to make her yelp.

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