“Yes, Jas, I’m your everything.”

“My everything, huh?” He thrusts into me from the bottom and my breathing hitches as he pinches a nipple between his fingers. “Repeat that.”

“My everything...My…Oh…” I come hard around his cock and topple over from the force of it.

I’m breathing heavily when Jasper thrusts slowly inside me again. I moan, my voice hoarse.

“You feel good, Pet?”

I whimper my approval, nodding against his chest.

“I thought you were supposed to make me feel good?” he teases.

Biting my lip, I push off him so his hard cock leaves me. I briefly close my eyes at the loss but what I’ll do is worth it. I settle between his legs and take him into my mouth.

“Mmmm,” he groans, his fingers getting lost in my hair. “Do you like tasting your juices on me?”

My thighs clench and I answer by taking him so deep in my throat, I nearly gag.

“That’s it,” his raspy voice is like an aphrodisiac. I suck him harder, my fingers playing with his balls until his groans mix with the sound of my sucking.

“Fuck,” he grunts as he comes down my throat.

I release him, licking the last drops off my lips.

“You like my taste that much, Pet?” he teases and I just nod as I snuggle to his good side.

It’s not only about his taste or the pleasure he brings me, it’s about the fact he’s alive. He didn’t leave me.

The pain I felt when I saw him all bloodied still lives inside me. I had nightmares about it a few times and every time I woke up and found him beside me, I nearly cried. Then I made him hug me back to sleep.

Now that I feel him, that I have him beside me, I don’t want to waste another moment. I’ve seen gunshot wound patients leave the earth without saying goodbye. I’ve seen their wives and their girlfriends cry in the hallway without the ability to do anything about it.

I don’t want that.

I don’t want to lose Jasper.

Maybe that’s why I’ve been spending every waking moment with him for the past few weeks.

The time I have with him has become more important than anything else, even more than my escape, even more than my own life.

I knew he’d consume me if I spent more time with him and that’s exactly what he’s done. Before I knew it, my life now centers around him, with him, and anywhere where he exists.

He’s still my captor, my tormentor, but that dims in comparison to the pain I felt when he was shot.

“Let’s go outside,” I say.

His fingers trace over my arm. “I don’t like sharing you.”

I smile. “You’re not sharing me.”

“They get to look at you. That’s sharing in my book.”

“There’s really no cure for your possessiveness, is there?”

“Not that I know of.” He kisses my temple. “Actually, there’s one.”

“What is it?”

“You being mine until the day I die.”

My chest tightens. “Don’t say that word again.”

He grins. “What? Die?”

“That’s not something to joke about, Jas. Do you know how worried I was when you got shot?”

“You were worried about me?” he asks with such awe that it breaks my heart.

It’s like he never had anyone worry about him before. Considering the way his family died, it makes sense. He must’ve felt that he’s not worthy for anyone to worry about him after the hell that he went through in his childhood.

“Of course I worried about you.” My voice softens as I kiss his chest then pull away, not wanting him to catch the tears in the corner of my eyes. “Come on, stop being so lazy.”

“Me, lazy?” He stands behind me until his warmth envelops mine. He pulls my hair aside and places a kiss at my shoulder. Goosebumps erupt on my skin and I walk to the closet before I turn around and tell him something stupid like all the feelings that are swirling inside me.

After we change, me into a summer yellow dress and Jasper into a shirt and pants, we go to the olive fields. He prefers them because there aren’t workers here at this time of the year.

He really meant it when he said he doesn’t like to share.

I greet everyone who greets us. I’ve become good enough in Italian to strike up an easy conversation about the food, the weather, and the festival-like parties everyone loves.

Jasper doesn’t seem amused, but anyway, he doesn’t count.

I really like the people here. They’re kind and have the most beautiful language. Let’s not talk about the food because I’m pretty sure I’ve gained a few pounds since the time I arrived.

The general atmosphere itself is peaceful. There isn’t that stressful or gloomy feeling in the air. There are only hardworking people with a lot of love for Jasper’s last name and therefore Jasper — and me, because I’m always with him.

He told me not to mention my last name because it isn’t liked here. According to Jasper, my grandpa, dad, and uncle killed countless family members of these people.

But Jasper could be lying. I wouldn’t know until I get together with Dad, and I will in some way.

Jasper can’t lock me up here forever.

And yet, when I look up at him as his arm surrounds my waist, I feel so utterly safe. Like there isn’t anything in the world that can hurt me as long as I’m with him.

I was always a lonely soul since I was a kid. It’s like I couldn’t ever fit in no matter how hard I tried.

I couldn’t belong.

When I’m with Jasper, it feels like I do. Like maybe we’re two pieces of a puzzle and I can’t help wondering about that forever.

What if it is true? What if there’s something similar to forever with Jasper?

I internally shake my head, kicking that idea out as fast as it appeared.

“Look.” The smirk in Jasper’s voice wrenches me out of my thoughts.

“What?”

He motions ahead. “Your beloved daisies.”

Something flutters in my chest as I untangle myself from him and pick one. It’s like I’m back to being Joseph in the boarding school.

I start plucking the petals. “He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me.” My voice drops as I pluck the last one. “He loves me not.”

Ugh. Why does that keep happening?

Then I realize I’m being childish. I’m not Joseph hoping the older boy with beautiful blue eyes loved me.

Another daisy appears in front of me. My gaze slides up to meet Jasper’s softening one.

“I told you, I’ll keep plucking daisies for you until you get the answer you need, Pet.”

I wrap my hand around his neck and seal my lips to his. I kiss him so hard, he loses balance and smiles against my mouth.

Maybe, just maybe, Jasper is the only belonging I needed in my life. I just didn’t know it back then.

13

Jasper

I open my eyes to find my little Petal hovering over me like an angel.

Ah, fuck that.

What’s with this sappiness lately?

I’m being mellowed down because I haven’t killed for so long. But then again, I keep my usual asshole personality with Enzo, Angelo and the others. Petal is the only one who brings out this side of me — a softness I didn’t know I had.