Sometime during the night when it was still dark I opened my eyes. I was curled up against Angel, the warmth from his body warmed mine and I sighed. The love I felt from him made it difficult to take a breath. He was all consuming.

For a little while I lay there staring at him, the light from the moonlight illuminated his features, and feeling the steady beating of his heart against my hand on his chest. I was exactly where I wanted to be. I moved my hand lightly across his chest, trying to smother the fear that I had nearly lost him. We had all nearly died. I wanted to be able to shut out what had almost unfolded but I didn’t two if I could.

We still had some things to still iron out but all that mattered at that moment was that he loved me and I loved him. Everything else was something we could figure out later.

I lifted myself up and leaned my head against my hand as I stared deeply at the man who ruled my heart and I would do anything to protect in the same he love and wanted to protect me.

While I didn’t want to wake him the need to kiss him was too strong to fight so I lowered my mouth to his and brushed my lips against his. I closed my eyes and whispered. “I love you.”

I allowed the emotion I felt for him to take over and I brushed his lips with mine. His mouth lifted to seal our mouth in a kiss as he put his arms around me bringing across his chest. His tongue swept into my mouth and slid against mine.

Any self control I had been hanging onto vanished and returned the heated kiss with as much urgency.

He rolled me under him before he broke the kiss to stare down at me.

“Say it,” he said.

I smiled. “What?”

“You know what?”

“That I love you.”

He nodded. “Say it.”

“I love you Angel Knox.”

He closed his eyes and let my words wash over him while I watched in fascination.

“I want you so much Kira.” He reopened his eyes and the expression hit me in the chest.

I understood that urgency and need. “I want you too.”

He leaned closer to touch his lips against mine. “For so long I’ve been fighting my feelings for you.”

“Same,” I murmured against his mouth.

“It feels strange to be giving into them now.” His eyes held mine.

I was relieved we would be able to be together without secrets or doubts. A misunderstanding had nearly torn us apart.

There was still so much unsaid between us but it would have to wait until the morning. With the fear still raw that we had nearly died every touch, every word meant more than it had before.

The was no urgency as he kissed me slowly and I held the sides of his face as our tongues moved together.

He moved back to strip me bare. Slowly, with deliberate action that made every moment I had to wait almost unbearable before he removed his boxers. He was magnificent standing naked in front of me and I admired him, because I knew that he was all mine. It was still mind blowing that he loved me.

Then he moved to cover my both with his. His mouth sealed over mine as he lower his body between my legs. I clasped my legs to his hips and my hands rested on his chest. He kissed me, deepening the kiss making my ache for him.

Our bodies against each other, skin to skin.

I wanted him to join our bodies but I fought the urgency take control to savor every moment we were sharing knowing how lucky we both were.

I felt his breath against my neck and arched. He kissed the sensitive part just below my ear and my skin shivered.

He moved lower, leaving a trail of softy placed kisses before his warm mouth closed over the tip of my breast and he sucked. My body jerked and the aching between my legs intensified. I wanted him more than I thought possible.

He moved to repeat the action on the other breast before moving lower. Sliding his tongue down to my naval. My hips lifted off the bed. I wanted his mouth where it ached the most.

He didn’t hurry is movements, instead he drew them out making me agonize for any type of release.

When he kissed the inside of my thighs I groaned, then his mouth closed over my aching core I gasped. His tongue slid in and out and he held my hips down as he worked me up to my first orgasm. My body tightened and I arched as my hands threaded his hair just as I came crashing down.

I was satisfied and sensitive but I wasn’t finished. I still wanted him as close to me as possible.

He moved to align our bodies and linked my arms around his neck when he kissed me, and I tasted myself on his mouth.

He pressed down and slowly inched into my slick folds, the feeling of fullness was indescribable as I held onto him. Our mouths together, our tongues tangled together.

He used the weight of his body to sheath his entire length deep inside of me and I held him for a moment as my body adjusted to him.

“I love you,” I breathed, needing him to know how much he meant to me.

He rested his forehead against me. “My weakness.”

I closed my eyes, holding onto him tight and not wanting to be anywhere else.

At first, he moved slowly, dragging out each movement as I held onto his shoulders. My nails digging into his skin.

I gasped as he began to thrust deeper and faster. Nothing else mattered but the two of us, our bodies intertwined, slick with sweat and heat.

It felt like an agonizing while before he thrust into me faster and faster, and I moved in union with him. Lifting my hips into his thrust of his body into mine.

Our breathing heavy, panting.

I could feel my next organism and I held onto him. “Make me come,” I whispered into his ear.

His body slammed into mine and then my body tightened as the orgasm hit and my body shuddered while he continued to thrust into me.

I cried his name out before his mouth covered mine.

I closed my eyes and savored every moment as his muscles flexed and his body moved into mine with such speed all I could was hold on.

Then he groaned, straining into my body as his body trembled and then shuddered into mine.

I held him, not wanting it to end. It had been the best sex I had ever experienced.

The weight of him pinned me to the bed and I didn’t want to move so I held mine trying to catch my breath.

His mouth found mine and he kissed me slowly and deeply.

When he lifted up, I stared into his eyes and caressed his cheek softly.

I wanted to engrave every moment we shared into my memory so I would never forget this moment. The moment we saw each other without any armor that we would use to keep from getting hurt or from allowing the other person to see our true feelings.

We were seeing each other, our love and our need for each other. There was a level of honesty I had never experienced with anyone else and it was daunting.

He moved to lay beside me and we lay staying at each other.

“I keep remembering how close I came to losing you…” The emotion rose up, making it impossible to say anything else.

He nodded. “I never wanted to have my life depend on someone else’s but it does now. Without you I have nothing. Do you understand that?”

I remained quiet.

“Without you, none of this matters. Not the money, the power. It all means nothing.”

“I get it,” I breathed, trying to keep the emotion I was feeling stable.

“If you had died I would have only live long enough to exact revenge before following your fate.”

His words were deep and intense.

“I don’t want to be in a world where you aren’t,” I murmured, saying the words that came directly from my heart.

If he had died, there was no doubt I would have met with the same fate. Death would not part us.

It brought back all the memories from attack and the fear. I didn’t want to think about it, how close we had come to the end.

We still had so much to live for.

He reached to take my hand in his.

“I will love and protect you with my last breath Kira. You will never question my loyalty to you ever again.”

My eyes began to water and I tried to hold back the tears. The emotion becoming too much to stop from bubbling to the surface.

His hand moved brush the wetness from my eyes.

“Same Angel. You’re all I want.”

He moved to seal our lips and I never felt so happy.

“There you are,” I said as I entered Angel’s study, later the next morning.

He smiled and rose to meet me just as I stepped into the room. The sight of him took my breath away. He had never looked more handsome now that I knew how he felt about me.

“You were sleeping so soundly I didn’t want to wake you,” he pressed a kiss to my lips. “How are you feeling?”

The brief kiss was no where near enough but it had to do for the moment. There would be time later.

“I’m okay.” The events of the day before had been hectic and I was still trying to process what had happened.

“Trent is on the mend, a few stitches and some bed rest and he’ll be as good as new.”

“That’s good news.”

I needed that.

“Mr. Vincent called. He wants to come by to discuss the handover and put some measures in place.”

I wasn’t sure I was ready for any of this, at twenty one I didn’t have the experience to run an empire.

“What’s wrong?” Angel asked softly, studying my features.

I shrugged. “It’s overwhelming. I have no idea how to do any of this.”

“I do and I will be with you every step of the way.”

Releasing the tight breath I held held his hands a bit harder. “I put us all in danger. Running off with my brother without confronting you directly. It was me who created the mess we were stuck in yesterday.” I hated to recall the feeling of being in a situation where we had believed the only outcome was death.

You didn’t come away from situations like that unscathed. I was scarred and unsure if I could trust my judgment again.

“We all had a hand in what happened. If I had been more honest with you, instead of trying to shield you from everything it wouldn’t have happened. If you brother had chosen a less remote place, it might have not happened. And this list goes on…”

“Point taken. What time is my father coming over?” I asked, feeling like I needed to prepare myself in some way beforehand.

“This afternoon. You brother is on his way. He says he needs to speak to you.”

I frowned. “Anything wrong?”

“He didn’t say.”

I didn’t think I was strong enough to deal with any other stuff and I hoped whatever my brother had to talk to me about wasn’t as bad as my imagination was conjuring up.

“Where’s James?”

“He is at the shooting range.”

I frowned. “Really?”

He nodded. “It’s his way of getting rid of all the pent up energy from yesterday.”

“I need to speak to him.”

He had been an integral part of why I was still alive today and I wanted to thank him for it.

“I’ll handle your brother if you’re not back in time.”

I nodded. “I won’t be long.”

James was solely focussed at what he was doing and didn’t even look in my direction when I entered the shooting range. He was reloading the gun.

I cleared my throat and he stopped to give me a side glance. “Can I help you Kira?”

“I wanted to talk to you.” He still had a way of making me nervous with his direct gaze.

“About?”

“Yesterday.”

He finished with the gun and laid to on the table. “I’m listening.”

“I wanted to thank you.”

“You don’t have to do that Kira.” His usually cool gaze held some warmth. “We might not have been close but I grew up with you in pigtails following us round as kids. We are family Kira. I would lay my life down for you, Angel and Kaiden.”

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. “I’ve always felt so alone but I don’t now, not anymore.”

“You aren’t alone.” He smiled, easing his serious expression.

He wasn’t an affectionate man but I moved forward and put my arms around him to hug him awkwardly. “If you hadn’t been there, I can’t think of what would have happened.”

“There will always be another time Kira. And every time I’ll be there.”

He made no move to embrace me back but his words took my breath away.

“Thank you,” I murmured softly, allowing my arms to release him and fighting back the tears.

“You’re welcome.”

My heart lifted and I left him as he reached for the gun.

When I returned to the house Kaiden was already waiting for me in Angel’s study.

“Hi,” I greeted him. He hugged me, lifting me off my feet.

There was so much between us. Everything that had happened before the attack and everything else subsequent.

He released me after several seconds and I felt emotional all over again. Maybe my emotions were amplified by yesterday.

“You and Angel have sorted things out,” he said. “I’ve never seen him like this.”

“We did. There was a lot to talk about.”

“His actions spoke louder than words,” he said and I nodded.

“I love him,” I replied. “I know you don’t approve of him or this life but I can’t walk away from him or the responsibilities I have.”

He nodded solemnly. “I understand.”

“Really?” I couldn’t quite believe it. My brother who had been trying to outrun this life for so long and everything connected to it was having a change of heart. Was the world going mad?

“When you came to me for help I was focussed on doing whatever I could to help you but I think I’ve allowed my own bias to influence a lot.” He raked his hand through his hair. “The moment you found out who your real father there was no walking away from this life. And when we put all the puzzle pieces together, I wanted to believe that Angel had done all of this for revenge. But you know what, I think I’ve always known how he felt about you. But denying it, kept you from leading the same life mom did. I didn’t want that for you.”

I reached for his hand. “I’m not the same as mom. As much as it hurts to think of how lonely she was and all the things that pushed her to take her own life, I’m not mom and Angel isn’t dad. I know this life can be brutal and I’m not sure if I’m capable to taking over from Andrew but I know that I have someone who has my back, no matter what. And that’s the difference. Mom never had that.”

If she had just had someone, like I had, I believed she would still be with us.

I sighed. “I know what he feels for me is real and I know that despite all the evidence, he only married me to keep me safe.”

He nodded. “After yesterday, I have no doubt of that.”

I moved to sit down. “He’s going to show me the ropes. I don’t know if I can do this Kaiden. What if I’m not strong enough to handle this?”

“Like you said. Angel has your back. And there is also James.”

I nodded in agreement. “He is a complex character.”

“He is the most loyal person,” my brother added.

“I know. So what did you want to talk about? Angel said you had something you needed to discuss?”

He sat down across from me. “I’ve been a shitty brother Kira. I was so busy outrunning my own demons I couldn’t be there the way you needed me to.”

“I don’t want to live in the past Kaiden. We all have regrets but when I came to you for help you dropped everything to do just that and I will always be grateful of that.”

“I’m you brother, that’s part of the job.”

I smiled.

“Angel has always relied on James to help him make the best choices and run things he can’t. You’re going to need someone like that Kira. Someone you can trust with all aspects of your life.”

My smile waned. He was right. I didn’t have someone like that other than Angel.

“I quit the FBI,” he announced and my mouth fell open from shock.

“But …I don’t understand. You love that job, why would you quit?”

“I love you more, and you need me. I want to be the person you depend on and I want to help you navigate your new responsibilities. I’m in your corner Kira and I’ll have your back no matter what. You will never have to question my loyalty. Besides when you take over from Mr. Vincent, law enforcement will be breathing down your neck waiting for you to make mistake they’ll be able to capitalize on.”

“But I don’t want you to sacrifice your happiness for mine. You’ve been trying to get away from this life for as long as I can remember. I can’t keep you chained to it no matter how much I want you by my side Kaiden. It wouldn’t be fair.”

I loved him. I needed him to be happy in his life and the one he wanted to commit to had cause heartache and pain for him.

“I’ve realized I can’t outrun my demons Kira, running doesn’t help. I’ve been doing it for years and it hasn’t worked. I’m doing this for the both of us.”

He stood and I leapt to wrap my arms around him as he hugged me back. “Is that a yes, you’re hired?”

I laughed through the emotional tears. “Yes, yes.”

He kissed my cheek. “I love you.”

“Same Kaiden. So much.”