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But Johnny should’ve been put in the ground long before he had been. He’d been nothing more than an uncontrollable liability, and his family had known that. And as for our new Rebel family, we’d only formed out of necessity because old enemies had continued coming at us, pulling us back into this dark life we all knew so well. That didn’t mean we thrived in it or craved it the way others did. That didn’t mean Dare had disbanded the Borellos for Holloway members.
But the Guerras didn’t see that.
Again, I got it.
Didn’t mean we were going to let them continue killing innocent people or live...
“I have questions,” Tree said as soon as I shut the door of the bedroom we were staying in, her voice soft with hesitation and her eyes filled with uncertainty.
And that was the wildest part of this night. Her.
She’d stayed in the conference room and by my side the entire time. Letting me touch her and reaching for me if my hands ever left her for a second. Never letting the fear or shock I knew she felt show as we talked about detailed deaths and murdering people. Never running from the Holloway Estate, screaming for help, as I’d expected her to. And when I’d told her I wanted to take her to bed, she’d simply said please.
Full trust.
Full want.
This goddamn girl who was shaking me in ways I still wanted to fight against. And yet, there she was. Standing in front of me, in our current safe house, waiting for me to explain this crazed world to her.
“I expected you to have more than questions,” I said as I twisted the lock on the door and stepped close enough to curl my hand around her waist. Bringing her flush to my body as I walked her backward until we reached the bed. “Ask your questions, Tree.”
“You don’t live here.”
“Not a question,” I muttered as I lowered her onto the bed, my head slanted as I followed her down, keeping my upper body hovering over her. “But, no. It feels wrong even staying here.”
Her eyelids briefly fluttered shut when I settled between her legs before those green eyes were locked on me again, all fire and need as her knees slowly hitched around my hips. “Because it’s...Holloway?”
“Technically. Most of the members of Henley live here now, but the estate is still called Holloway.”
She quickly blinked, some of her need fading to outright shock when she asked, “Wait, really? Henley, the band?”
“Don’t need you getting excited about rockstars when I’m on top of you, Tree.”
A slow, unrestrained smile pulled at her mouth at the blatant possessiveness in my voice. “You already know I’m not big on rock or rockstars,” she whispered as she studied me, heat creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. “Was just surprised, is all.”
A grunt sounded in my chest before I explained, “They’re from here—their bassist is married to Dare’s sister. The rest of the band doesn’t know what we are.”
Disbelief coated her expression and had that smile falling into a perfect, pouty O as she stared, unseeing for a while. “Such a crazy world you live in—” Her eyes snapped back to me and her brow furrowed. “What’s your name?”
“Diggs.”
“No,” she whispered, disappointment coating that small word and bleeding from her. “What’s your name?”
I thought for a while before saying, “Diggs has been my identity for fourteen years. I almost don’t recognize my name anymore.” Her head moved in a subtle nod, but her disappointment deepened, prompting me to add, “Evan. My name’s Evan.”
“Evan,” she whispered so low that she almost just mouthed the name, wonder lighting her eyes. “Evan what?”
“Can’t tell you that.” When hurt and confusion started forming on her features, I said, “I refuse to lie to you, and the name on all my government documents is a lie. But I can’t tell you who I used to be.”
“Used to—” Confusion flared from her as she looked away, her tongue darting out to wet her lips before she met my stare again. “Why would the person you ‘used to be’ need to be a secret? Is there something worse than the mafia?”
A self-deprecating laugh worked through me. “Depends on how you look at each situation.” I rested on my forearm and curled my hand against her cheek with the other, hurrying to swipe my thumb across her lips when she started arguing. “Let it be enough that I gave you those parts of me.”
She softened under me in an instant as if she’d heard in my tone and words that, what I’d given her, I’d never given anyone else before.
Her head dipped subtly and she slanted her head to press those lips to my palm. A heavy breath escaping her when she said, “Then tell me what my name has to do with your family and why you didn’t warn me.”
“Willow,” I said slowly, almost phrasing her name like a question before I dipped down to steal a kiss. Feather-soft brushes of our lips and unhurried teases of our tongues until I was aching to sink into her.
