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Bradshaw had his hands dipped in more illegal shit now than he had eight years ago. His day was coming. Whether by Dominic’s hand or someone else’s was what remained to be seen. He’d lived too long and seen too much to let the man go, though.

So much had changed since he’d last seen Dee that fateful night so long ago. It took him a long time to realize just how big a part of his life she had played in such a short amount of time. She brought him light and happiness when he was shrouded in a world of gray.

After losing her, he’d tracked her down needing to know she was, in fact, still alive, so he didn’t have to unleash the depths of hell on her father for no reason. When he did find Dee in the all-girls school, she’d looked miserable, but they treated her all right, so he’d left her alone. Not wanting to disrupt her life until necessary, he took as many jobs as he could until Brooke...He’d fallen in lust with her so quickly, he still had whiplash.

Brooke had been the sister to one of his new “bosses”, innocent, sweet, and young. Or so he’d thought. Turns out he was a job to someone else, and she was sent to dupe him. Get him to flip on whatever faction he was working for at the time. What no one seemed to realize was that he never knew exactly who he was working for at any time. Only the job, the pay, and a contact. It was all he needed to know.

He could admit he’d fucked up. Brooke seduced him. Failed her mission and disappeared.

Now, here he was four years later with more baggage than he ever thought he’d have at his age.

He was ready to go home. Retire. Live out the rest of his days before he was marked.

When the door opened, he knew his plans just flew out the fucking window.

When did Deedee grow the fuck up? He took in her stunning form.

“Dominic?” she whispered huskily, throwing herself into his arms in surprise. Shit. He should not be having these feelings for her. When the hell did she become so gorgeous? Or grow into a woman?

If she kept squeezing him, she was gonna feel something completely inappropriate to their relationship. “Dee, when the fuck you grow up?”

A blush covered her chest and slowly went up to her cheeks as she pulled away shyly. Tucking some strands of hair behind her ear, she ducked her head and shuffled her feet. “Why are you here?”

A deep sigh left him, knowing that what he was about to tell her, she wasn’t going to like. “Can I come in and talk?”

“Oh. Sure.” She stepped back and turned to walk into her small kitchen. He got a good look at her now womanly body and nearly groaned in appreciation. Hourglass figure, tight, toned body only a girl of eighteen could have. Fuuuckkk! Eight-fucking-teen. His brain and heart got the message, his dick not so much. Down you horny fucker. Clearly, three years of abstinence was a bad idea.

Insecurity and worry were written across her face. Knowing he was the cause didn’t sit well with him and realizing he was about to make it worse, didn’t make him feel any better. “How you been, Dee?”

“Huh?” She seemed lost. More so than he’d ever seen her before. Granted he hadn’t seen her in over seven years, but a zebra doesn’t change his stripes, and she’d always had a strong personality. “Fine, I guess. Glad to be away from everything.”

“Princess…?”

Finally looking at him, she seemed to really see him for the first time. “Where did you go?” Her whispered words nearly broke his heart. “Why did you let him take me away?”

“Fuck, Princess. There are things you don’t know. Things you might not understand. I didn’t let him take you away; you

better fucking believe that.” He needed her to know he didn’t abandon her. He would never have deserted her.

“Then why? Do you know what they did to me that night?” The pain and horror on her face, the stark fear that lingered so many years later had him questioning if he’d done the right thing.

“Tell me.”

She looked at him like he was straight up nuts. As if he had no right to know why she held so much fear in her.

“Screw you, Dominic! You lost the right to know anything about me a long fucking time ago!”

She was pissing him off now. Did she not know she was his now? He was gonna let her go and do with her life as she had pleased, but now? Now, he had this need to own her. To show her just what he could and would do for her. Starting with destroying her father and any other cocksucker who’d ever hurt her.

“Don’t push me, Princess,” he growled, stepping towards her. She shrunk into herself for a second before remembering just how much she used to love pushing his buttons and fighting back. He was glad to see she still had it in her.

“Excuse me?” she retorted. A sardonic smile lit his face as she got frustrated with him. Stomping her feet and grumbling.

She was sexy when she was mad.

Fuck.

He had to stop thinking like that.