His Gift

“Well, pull the cock out of your mouth and tell me.” I grin.

“You’re an asshole…” he shakes his head, “I shouldn’t even tell you if you’re going to be a dick.”

“Tell me, or I’ll find someone else to do your job.” Nick blinks slowly, and I continue, “Friends or not, that girl means the fucking world to me, and if I can avenge her and make certain she doesn’t suffer anymore, or that her pathetic foster parents never talk to her again, then I will. You can either help, or I can find someone else, what’s it going to be?”

His features go from shocked to serious in about a second, and yes, I know I’ve given my feelings about Rose away, but it was bound to happen one way or another.

“The foster parents needed money, apparently, caring for kids doesn’t pay much, and it seems like that’s the only reason they foster at all. They had planned to sell Rose to Tony, but when he never showed for the meeting, Drake became their only option. He took her, gave her to you, but because he didn’t sell her, the family got no money. Apparently, Tony just made a payment to your girl’s family, telling them that he would find her and that the deal was still good.”

The blood in my veins boiled with every word he spoke and my muscles shook as the need to destroy something burned through me.

“That fucking bastard,” I seethe. He had fucking balls coming into my business, trying to buy her from me, without thinking I would question his motives. There was no way in fucking hell I was going to let that bastard get his hands on her. She was mine, and I was hers, and I would kill anyone I had to in order to protect her.

“Take care of the parents and find homes for any of the other children. Leave Tony and Drake to me.”

“Tony has disappeared. I had a couple men trailing him just to see what he was up to, but he kind of fell off the map. We think we might know where he’s hiding, but it’s not a sure thing.”

I grunt and grip the edge of the desk because it’s either grunt or rip this fucking place apart. I’d have to get him to come out of hiding if I wanted to make him pay, but doing that would mean I’d have to bait him.

“What about Drake?” I ask in a clipped tone.

“Drake’s pimping girls left and right, and he still owes us the remainder of his gambling debts. Did you want me to have one of the men bring him in?”

Drake would be a nice distraction while I waited for Tony to pop his head out.

“Yeah,” my lip curls, “make sure the men know he’s mine. I don’t want him bleeding out when he’s brought in. I’ll do that part.” The beast inside me was bursting at the seams. He wanted out, to inflict violence on all the fuckheads that had hurt or let down his sweet Rose.

10

Rose

Stretching against the smooth sheets, my hands seek out Miles, but when I grab onto nothing but air, I blink my eyes open.

Gone. He’s gone. The bed is empty, and I’m all alone. Tears sting my eyes, and I wipe at them with my hands. Confusion slams into me a moment before sadness. We had sex last night. I gave him my virginity, and then he left like I was nothing.

Where did he go? My eyes scan the room without thought, looking for a note or any sign that he left because he had to and not because he wanted to.

Finding nothing, a lump of emotion forms in my throat, and I throw my legs over the edge of the mattress, forcing myself into a sitting position. I ignore the ache between my legs, walk over to the dresser and pull on one of Miles’s shirts and a pair of boxers.

Lifting the fabric of the shirt to my nose, I inhale his spicy scent. Fear zings up my spine when I hear the creaking of the door. Turning on my heels, I face the bedroom door just in time to see a young-looking man pop his head inside the room.

I stare at him wide-eyed, my chest heaving with every breath that passes my lips.

“My name is Daniel, and I mean you no harm. I’ve come to bring you breakfast.” He forces a smile that doesn’t quite meet his eyes. He’s young, probably the same age as me if I had to guess. His hair is cut close to his head, and I have to crane my neck back to look up at him. He doesn’t look at me like I’m a piece of meat. In fact, he doesn’t look at me at all, his eyes looking anywhere and everywhere but at me.