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Entering the bedrooht, and for a iant bed draped in brown in the center Shane’s bed My bed Our bed My lips curve and I cross the rooht to illustructure and security, I take the liberty to claim parts of the sink, to set up ht of the pretty surreal about now

Task co with h the bedroo it all at the door, I survey Shane’s neatly organized closet, s, which will soon be next to s I have, which feels a little eht now, but somehow, not quite as hollow as it had just yesterday

In all of this, I have found athat raw masculine scent that is Shane everywhere around o, it’s surreal I turn and pressin the center of the closet Glancing around me, I decide this is his space, his world, and it’s best to allow hiet my duffel out of the way and I pick a corner to neatly stackites, then stuff the bags in the duffel With soe to shove the duffel on top of the empty shelf above

Tasks complete and Shane’s still downstairs, so I head to the bathroo on hot flows over ain, and I picture lass door ofit back, and it’s like everything is in slow motion

The door fully opens The sound ofin the background, the one I’ve co hiantly obnoxious I inhale, and step into the kitchen I shake myself before I see the blood Before I seehis shirt and face

The shower door opens and I yelp, only to be greeted by Shane’s low, sexy laughter and his hard, naked body

"You scared me," I repriin ways I wish I were not weak He would face blood "You’re obviously ju you in the shohich, by the way, I liked co you?"

I flattenabout that night and I hate that it rattles ht not have liked your stepfather, but he was theprocess you have to endure at some point"

"I didn’t like hied my brother into the Ge hiuilty for that"

"I feel sis about my father," he admits "I hate hi are possible to feel at the same time Ironically, in this, I know Derek and I are the saround, but I can’t find a way to ether and I’"

"Shane, he’s still your brother Are you sure?"

"I’ve tried I’m done It’s war between er"

"No It’s simply unsolved and unresolved, because at the root of it is the battle for power between myself and Derek, which I can’t deny, to save this company and my family"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He cups my face and presses me into the corner "No," he says, his voice a low rasp "I want to fuck" He kisseshe is insideto drive away his de minutes later, e are naked in bed,body draped aroundany more than I am His demons and mine are alive and well, two poison kisses, which could too easily turn our sweet hello into a brutal good-bye

CHAPTER EIGHT

SHANE

I wake at six in theonto E when I finally went to sleep All I know is that for hours, I’d just held her, trying to figure out how to protect her fro while, I think she did the sa toldnot to wake her, and grab e from Seth with some kind of update There isn’t one, but then, he has to sleep I know this, yet I struggle to contain the urge to text hihmy phone with me to the bathroom, and the hole in oing to be starving when she wakes up I shut the bathroom door and stare down at the few items she’s set on the sink and it steals my breath She is in h Eree on that part, but I know of no other way than to take care of her, to protect her, and that is what is gutting me How do I protect her when our families are basically two tornadoes about to sideswipe us at anyresults?