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Chapter Twenty-Two

Hallie

I t’s been four nights since Rocco slid inside my bed smelling of blood. He chuckled when I mentioned it and asked how I knew what blood smelled like. When I told him my ex was a police officer and I’ve had my fair share of enduring the aftermath of his violent shifts, something changed inside him.

He’s always volatile and rough when we have sex, but I’m sure the mention of my ex riled him even further. The soreness is heavy between my legs after he slammed inside me so hard the headboard came apart, and still, he didn’t stop. The sheer lustful anger and determination on his face as he powered inside me has me squeezing my legs together as I smooth out my red dress.

Meeting my ex for dinner is not how I like to spend every first Sunday of the month, but it’s something I agreed to, to keep the peace. I forgo any makeup, only applying lip gloss, and don’t even spritz my perfume because I refuse to have him acknowledge it. Any way I can divert his attention from me and onto why we’re meeting, I will do.

Because that’s why I’m doing this.

My family is everything to me.

And Rocco is quickly becoming a part of that.