They spill over and I sob loudly.

I run outside and into the rain. The cool drops hammer against my warm skin, and it only makes my tears come harder. My legs are weak, my heart, it fucking hurts, and my eyes burn with the tears welling up and cascading down my cheeks. I make it just pas the car park when my legs give out and I sink to the ground. My fingers tangle into my hair and I cry, I cry so hard it turns into ragged screams.

Car lights flash against my face but I don’t look up. I can’t stop now. I’ve let go. Everything is pouring out and fear for my mom, my God damned lifeline, is crippling me.

A door slams, then I hear booted feet approaching me. Before I know it, hard, firm arms are wrapped around me. Familiar arms. Arms I’ve needed for so long, around me exactly as they are now. Marcus nuzzles my neck, holding me so close it’s difficult to breathe.

Then he does it.

He becomes the person I need.

He becomes all I have.

He becomes what I’ve wanted for so long with one, single word.

“Baby.”

~*~*~*~

I’m tucked in Marcus’s lap, my head buried in his neck. We’ve been waiting for four hours now. Dusty, Candy, Ellie and even Pierre are here, waiting, too. I don’t look or talk to any of them, I don’t even know who called them. I just need my husband. I need him to give me more of what he’s giving. This . . . this finally feels right. On the worst day of my life, he’s turning my world around.

“Baby,” he murmurs again. Nothing will ever sound so beautiful. “The doctor is here.”

I lift my face from his shoulder and look over to see an older doctor coming in. I get off Marcus’s lap and he steadies me with a hand to my hip. Then he leads me towards the doctor. My fingers tremble and I clutch Marcus’s shirt, suddenly unable to breathe.

The doctor stops in front of us, his blue eyes scanning my face. “Your mother is out of surgery, and she’s doing well. She had some broken bones and some slight internal bleeding but we’ve repaired the damage. She sustained a slight head injury, but we’re hopeful she’ll have a steady recovery. She was very lucky.”

“What about her brain, it’s already so damaged?”

“It’s all looking good, Katia. I think she’ll recover fine and it won’t slow her progress.”

With that, my knees buckle. Marcus takes my weight as more tears slide from my eyes. This time, they’re tears of relief. Thank God. She’s going to be okay. Oh God, she’s going to be okay.

~*~*~*~

“I was so scared,” I whisper, clutching her hand.

My mother looks up at me. Her eyes are dark with bruising and she’s got a bandage around her hair. There are tubes everywhere, but otherwise she’s doing okay.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” she whispers, her voice hoarse.

“Momma, don’t you ever leave me. I don’t . . . I don’t know what I’d do.”

She reaches out, cupping my face. I lean into her hand and close my eyes, breathing her in. Her fingers against my cheek flinch suddenly and I let my eyes flicker open. She’s staring beyond me at the door. I turn slowly to see Pierre standing, his eyes on her, his expression soft. I turn to her, smiling weakly.

“I’ll leave you to it.”

Her eyes flick back to me and she looks scared. I lean down, kissing her cheek.

“It’ll be okay,” I assure her. “He won’t upset you, Mom. He’s been here waiting nearly as long as me.”

She swallows and her eyes go back to Pierre. I kiss her again and promise her I’ll come back tomorrow morning. The doctor has only given us another fifteen minutes with her before she needs to rest for the night. I meet Pierre at the door and he glances down at me. “Don’t upset her.”

He nods, his eyes gentle.

I step out and meet Marcus, who is leaning against the wall, waiting. He pushes off when he sees me. He reaches out, curling his hand behind my head where he pulls me closer, pressing his forehead to mine. “You okay?”

I nod.

“Let’s go home, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

As he leads me out, I realize what Marcus gave me tonight was a piece of him I’ve been searching for, for the past year. He opened up. He showed me that maybe, just maybe, I’ve been wrong about him.

I have no idea that the very next day, my entire world will crash around me.

And the Katia I am, she’ll die.

I will be reborn in the worst possible way.

As a monster.

CHAPTER 29

NOW

Marcus

Fuck.

She feels so good.

Her tiny body is curled around mine, her arms around my neck, her lips sliding across my cheek, her long, thick hair cascading down my back. I’m inside her and she’s riding me slow. Fuckin’ slow and sweet. Every now and then she runs her fingernails down my back. God, fuck yeah.

“Baby,” I murmur, hating that I love how that word sounds.

The moment it leaves my lips, she whimpers and her head drops back, exposing her long, exquisite neck and that beautiful fuckin’ jaw. Jesus, she’s gorgeous. I always knew it but now, seeing her like this, it’s as if my eyes have finally opened.

Using her hips to slow her, I gently show her how to ride my cock. I want nothing more than to bend her over and fuck her hard, but like this is fuckin’ nice too. Her nipples rub against my chest and she’s mewling, pussy clenching around my dick. Dammit, she’s fuckin’ divine.