“I love you, Tate,” he said.
“I love you, too, Dillon.”
There wasn’t any need for more words. They had each other, and their future was looking better than ever before. Tate hoped they wouldn’t have to deal with another man aiming a gun at her. If another man tried that shit, she was seriously going to kick some ass before her man finished them off.
Epilogue
“That’s the last box,” Nash said, placing it on top of the others inside Sophia’s new apartment. He’d offered to help her out of the old place as he’d lost count of the number of times he’d found her sobbing. Kate had shared their old apartment, paying half the rent. He’d worked his ass off to find this place. It was more than Sophia could afford on her waitressing salary. He was the one paying for the apartment.
She had college and other things to deal with. The least he could do was pay for her place.
“Thank you, Edward.” She lifted the box and dropped it on the floor. The last couple of weeks had been hard on her. He saw signs of her losing weight, and he hated it. What did someone do to help another with their grieving?
When his and Lash’s parents were killed he had Lash to help him deal. Sophia didn’t have anyone.
“Kate wouldn’t want you to be like this,” he said, following her inside the new apartment. The place was mostly bare. He’d ordered a sofa to be delivered along with anything she’d need to get by. There was no way he was leaving her alone.
She walked into a bedroom where he’d carried the single bed to. He couldn’t believe she was sleeping on a single bed.
The box went on the floor. “I’m dealing with it, Edward. I’m trying. Kate was a lot of things, but she was still my sister. She loved me.”
He wasn’t going to hurt her by disagreeing. Kate was a nasty piece of work when she started. The first time he’d met Sophia, Kate bullied her over her weight. When they were alone, Nash recalled slamming Kate against the wall and threatening her life if she ever spoke shit like that to Sophia again.
Kate rarely talked about her little sister after that. He knew that Kate was aware of his attraction to Sophia. Still, he used Kate when the mood took him, and that was his reason for feeling guilty about the whole sorry situation.
She started to cry, and Nash couldn’t handle that. Going to her side, he pulled her into his arms. Her lemony scent clawed at him to push her to the bed and force all memory of Kate from her mind. She’d be a dream to fuck.
Just another fucking thing to hate about myself.
He wanted to fuck Sophia badly. His cock was already thickening, anticipating the feel of her wrapped around his dick. She’d be so fucking tight. Sophia wasn’t a virgin. He knew it because Kate loved telling him all about the asshole who broke Sophia’s heart. Kate had stopped laughing when he’d told her he would kill the motherfucker for touching her.
After fucking Kate senseless, he’d found the prick and killed him, slowly. Zero had his back and helped him get rid of the body. No one would miss the prick.
Stroking her hair, Nash forced himself to focus on Sophia and her pain.
“I can’t stop thinking about her. She didn’t deserve to die.”
“Baby, she was a druggie and almost got you killed because of it.”
She pulled back and stared at him. “Don’t say stuff like that, Edward. She’s dead, and we don’t know what happened.”
He gazed down at her full, heart-shaped lips. They were so plump, wet, and inviting. Fuck, he wanted a taste. Just one little taste. Leaning close, he brushed his lips across hers. The first touch was light, and he heard her gasp. He couldn’t stop as he deepened the kiss, sinking his fingers into her hair.
Nash lost complete control, plunging his tongue into her mouth, moaning as her fingers bit into his arms. He wanted her marks all over his body.
Sophia wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close. She met his tongue with her own, and he was in bliss at the feel of her womanly curves against him.
All too soon she tore away from him.
“No, I can’t do this.” She took a step away, facing away from him.
“Sophia, you’ve got nothing to be afraid of,” he said. “I want this as well.”
Her teary gaze met his. “Kate was in love with you. You were with my sister. I can’t do this. She would tell me in detail everything that happened to you. We’re not going to be together, Edward.”
“Your sister is gone.”
“She’ll never be gone.” He watched as she grabbed a box and walked toward him. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but Kate will always be here and I can’t love the men she did. I’m sorry, Edward. I’m not what you’re looking for.”