She grabs the butter on the side and throws it at me. Ducking, I chuckle as I grab some pasta and lob it at her. She screams and chases me with some milk, making me laugh as I swerve and avoid her. She turns to snatch something else, and I wrap my arms around her waist from behind. “Truce,” I cry out with a chuckle as she kicks and laughs.

Stilling, she giggles and leans back into me. I turn her in my arms and grin down at her as I brush away a scraggly strand of egg-covered hair. She smiles up at me, her dark eyes shining with happiness. How did she do that?

She set me free from my demons without even trying. Never has this home had such laughter or happiness. It echoes around these silent, miserable walls, filling it with life. Filling it with her.

Flour covers my face, I have food in my hair and on my clothing, and I’m smiling so large, I don’t remember the last time I kissed her. A desperate, clinging kiss. A goodbye, because I know now. I have to let her go.

Even if she doesn’t come back to us.

Because Roxxane was never meant to be locked away. She is meant to be free, wild, and uncontrolled. Even now, with laughter on our lips and happiness coating her expression, I know she’s pondering if she would really be here if she had a choice.

She’s too strong, too fucking strong for this.

If she chooses this life, I could accept it, but she didn’t, she had no choice, and I have to give her that. Even if it ruins my family.

Even if it means the end of the Vipers.

I have to let her go.

Chapter Thirty-Six

ROXY

I slept in Ryder’s arms again last night, after we had showered of course. At least he stopped working for a little bit, even if the conversation did turn dark. So when I wake up and he’s gone, I’m not surprised to find a note on his pillow.

See you soon. Behave.

Asshole. With a smirk, I slip into one of his shirts and then freeze, recalling our conversation last night. Was he really contemplating letting me go? I don’t know, but if he does…will I leave? I’ve gotten used to living here, and I really do care for them…they make me feel alive, they make me happy, but can happiness, can love, really happen when I had no choice?

I don’t know, but I doubt it will bother them. They made a choice, and they will stick to it. I already decided to stop fighting and just start living, so even though I miss my old life, I push it away.

When I get downstairs, it’s just Diesel and Garrett. I slip into my chair, and Garrett passes me a coffee, our fingers lingering. “So, where’s dumb and dumber?” I smirk.

Garrett snorts, but Diesel doesn’t even look at me. “Going through that list.”

I nod and lean closer to Diesel. “Hey, hot stuff, guess that means it’s you and me again.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him. He grinds his teeth and storms off, leaving me staring after him. “Erm, care to explain?” I ask Garrett.

I turn back to see him watching me sadly before he wipes his face clear of emotion. “It’s nothing, just a bad night, don’t worry about it. So what do you want to do today?”

“Erm, anything,” I answer distractedly, as I look in the direction where Diesel disappeared to. “Is this him angry?”

Garrett actually laughs. “Hell no, you’ll know when you see him angry, baby. He will be okay. Now, today…”

I nod as he talks, but my mind keeps going back to Diesel. What’s wrong with my crazy Viper? And how do I make it right? I never thought I would miss his brand of crazy, but as the morning drags on, I hate it. I want my crazy, batshit Diesel back, so I enlist Garrett’s help. He sets up as I go to find him.

I find him lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Leaping onto it, I crawl up his body and press my face to his. “Your little bird is being naughty, want to help?” I grin.

He blinks, his arms wrapping around me. “Like you need my help,” he mutters, but his voice is off, his blue eyes not as brilliant as usual.

“Uh-uh, come on, crazy pants, or I’ll have all the fun, and then who will punish me?” I wink and grab his hands, yanking him up.

He sighs but lets me, and when he’s on his feet, I throw myself at him. He has no choice but to catch me as I wrap my legs around his waist and bite his lip, making him groan. “Play with me,” I murmur.

His hands clench my ass and hold me tighter. “Little Bird,” he growls, and I’ve never been more relieved. Biting his lip until I taste blood, I yank myself away and tumble to the floor before I get up and run.

I hear him laugh as I race down the corridor. “I’m going to get you, Little Bird!” he calls. Once, that would have terrified me, but now it just sends desire spiking through me while I laugh.

I make it to the living room and leap onto Garrett’s back, who’s bent over and sorting the chair. He grunts, reaches out, and grabs my legs to keep me there as he straightens just as Diesel slides into the room with a smirk. “Hiding, my little bird?” he coos and prowls closer, making me laugh in Garrett’s ear.

“Uh-uh, she bribed me into one of her plans.” He shrugs and then laughs as he tosses me at Diesel. I yelp as I fly through the air, but Diesel catches me with a grunt, knocking the breath from my lungs for a moment as he wraps me in his arms.

“So what’s your evil scheme, Little Bird?” Diesel grins down at me.

“We’re going to tattoo Garrett.” I smirk.

He laughs. “How the fuck did you manage to convince him of that?”

“Easy.” I snort as I get down and wink at him. “I have a vagina he wants to fuck. You going to help me or what?”

“She also threatened to beat up my balls again,” Garrett calls.

I nod seriously. “That too, this time with a frying pan, seeing as though I still don’t have my bat.”

Diesel laughs. “You gotta stop beating people up, Little Bird. It’s easier to just kill them.”

I wave that away. “Killing spree later, dick tattoos now.”

“No fucking dicks,” Garrett yells, and I turn around and narrow my eyes.

“I will do a dick if I want to do a dick,” I snap.

He glares and goes toe-to-toe with me. “No. Fucking. Dicks. If I so much as see a goddamn dick on my skin, I will…”

“Will what?” I prompt sweetly, trailing my hand down his chest to his dick and cupping it. “Well?”

“Fair is fair,” he growls. “I will draw one on your face.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” I seethe.

“Try me.” He smirks.

“I liked you better when you just grunted. Fine, no dicks, sit down,” I demand, letting go of his hard cock and stomping around him while he laughs.

But then an idea hits me, and I beckon D closer as we debate what to draw. I lean in and whisper in his ear so Garrett can’t hear. “We’re going to sneak a dick in it, in the design space, he will never know.”

“He’s going to murder you, I’m in.” He laughs.

“He could try.” I grin as I snap on the gloves and wiggle my finger. “Probing time, baby, bend over.”

Diesel does so, wiggling his ass at me and making Garrett groan. “Children,” he calls, and we look over as I spank Diesel. “No ass play before tattoos.”