“You don’t think I’ve already thought of that?”

“I seriously don’t know what the fuck goes through your mind anymore, Kick. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you had a head full of pussy and had lost your fucking mind, but seems as though I know you’re a cold-hearted bastard who doesn’t ever let pussy control him, I don’t know what’s gotten into you.”

“Hyde,” King’s voice sounded from behind me and as he got closer, he said, “we’re backing Kick on this.”

Hyde’s anger and frustration grew and he channelled it into a punch to the wall closest to him. “Fuck!” he roared as he stood staring at us, his eyes wild, his face flushed. “Do you know what the fuck that will do to Storm, King?”

King was the master of controlling his emotions when he wanted to and he did that now. The vein pulsing in his neck was the only giveaway he was angry. “Of course I fucking know what this will do to Storm. I also know we have the connections to take him on. And win.” He turned to look at me, his eyes flashing from anger to that wicked look he got when something excited him. “And I’m in the mood for some fun. Let’s shake this shit up, boys. Let’s show Sydney what the fuck Storm is made of.”

Hyde shook his head. “Fuck, you’re an insane motherfucker sometimes, King.”

King grinned. “It keeps life interesting, my friend.”

“And what about this other shit with Silver Hell? If they figure out that was you, then we’ll have two lots of assholes coming after us,” Hyde said.

King shrugged. “Bring it on. Like I said, Storm is connected, and if need be, I’ll fucking drag our other chapters in.”

Hyde raised his hands. “I’ve had my say. You’re the President, so whatever you say goes, but I’m letting you know I think this is some fucked-up shit.”

King took in what he’d said and then grew serious. “Hyde, we’re brothers. If one of us needs help, we all pull together. Kick always has our backs. It’s time we take his.”

Hyde stared at both of us for a long moment and then blew out his breath. “Fuck,” he muttered. “Yeah.” And then he walked away, leaving King and I alone.

“Thanks, brother,” I said.

“No thanks needed. Whatever you need from me, you have it. Just ask.”

I nodded and watched as he, too, walked away.

Storm had become my family when my own had fallen apart years ago and King had always been there for me. He’d just shown me I was true family to him because King never offered anyone whatever they needed. He never told anyone just to ask for what they needed. Usually you had to sell your soul to get that kind of offer from King.

Fuck.

I’d sold my soul a long fucking time ago.

King was only giving me what I was due.

Chapter Eleven

Evie

I shimmied into the new red dress I’d bought today and smoothed it down into place. Stepping in front of the mirror in my bedroom, I assessed myself. Not bad. I’d spent the day pampering myself with a haircut and colour, and then a pedicure and wax. Kick might not be the kind of man to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but that didn’t stop me from acknowledging it and looking good for him. Tonight, I planned on seducing him into giving me multiple orgasms. Kick was the only guy I’d ever slept with who’d been able to do that for me, and I could hardly wait to get him started. Shit, I’d been thinking about it all day and was more than ready to go, so the first one wouldn’t take him long.

Once I was happy with my dress, I headed into the kitchen. It was nearly seven o’clock. Surely he’d be here soon. I’d actually expected to see him much earlier today but he must have had a lot to take care of because I hadn’t seen or heard from him since he left my bed this morning.

I kept myself busy for another half hour but when I still hadn’t heard from him, I decided to call him instead.

He didn’t answer.

Shit, where was he?

I sat at the kitchen table and thought about it for a few minutes, and then I knew. Well, I had an idea of where he might have gone so I grabbed my car keys and went in search of him.

Fifteen minutes later, I walked into the pub that used to be ‘ours’. It was the place he took me to celebrate my eighteenth birthday which then led to us getting together, so I’d always thought of it as ours.

He was sitting at a table in the far back corner. Alone, and he wore a look that told me he was contemplating stuff. Something bad must have gone down. It was never a good sign when Kick was contemplative.

I walked to where he sat and he looked up as I approached. His eyes were vacant - it was as if he was looking straight through me. And then he blinked and I must have come into focus for him, because his gaze travelled over my body. When his eyes came back to mine, I saw the want in them that had been missing a minute ago.

“Evie,” he murmured, “what are you doing here?”

I sat opposite him, hating that he’d asked me that. “Is it not okay that I came looking for you?”

He reached his hand across the table to take hold of mine. “It’s always okay for you to come looking for me.”

“So why did you just ask me what I was doing here?”

“Guilt,” he said softly and didn’t elaborate.

“What’s wrong, Kick?”

He stared at me for what felt like ages. He seemed to be weighing something up and I expected something bad to come out of his mouth but he surprised me when he finally spoke. “I fucked up Valentine’s Day.”