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  “You and I will set ground rules, figure out your comfort level a little at a time, and grow from there. I’m sure there will be some very hard lines you won’t ever cross, just as there are some that you won’t mind experimenting with. Like everything we’ll do together, we’ll learn, grow, and always communicate so we know where the other is at.”

  Intriguing, the idea that they would make their own rules and enforce them together. And she loved the idea that he wouldn’t go past her hard limits. “And if I don’t know my own limits?” She wanted to know just how far she could allow herself to be pushed. “I want to try everything.”

  “It’s easy enough to figure out your limits. For example, you probably like the idea of a little light bondage—having your hands tied to the bed while I touch and taste you. Maybe even with a blindfold so that you’re never really sure what I’m going to do or when. I’m also going to guess that you might even like the idea of my hand smacking your ass until it’s rosy and warm. Not to punish, but to enhance and heighten senses.”

  Just the thought of all that had Viv biting her lower lip, a small whimper escaping. “I think I’d like that. All of it. I want to let go. To give over my pleasure to someone else. You’re the someone I’ve been waiting for.”

  “See, we’re already establishing boundaries,” he said. “I’m also thinking that you aren’t the sort to like whips or anything that’s going to make you bleed. Pain, if used right, is a tool. Pain, if used wrong, is abuse, plain and simple. We need to find your limits with pain and go no further than that. Too far, and there’s no pleasure.”

  “I don’t like blood, no.” She shook her head. “I think I’d pass out, and I wouldn’t like being beaten at all. Having you warm my ass sounds appealing, but making me bleed or leaving bruises doesn’t.” Although, she did like the idea of him tugging on her hair or showing her what she needed to do in order to give both of them the most pleasure possible.

  “Good, another boundary established,” he said with a squeeze. “Not that hard, is it? We talk, we figure out what you like, what you want to try, and what you never want to do. There are things I never would do either. So, tell me some of the things you’re interested in trying.”

  “I’ve always wanted to try toys. To have both my pussy and ass stuffed.” She moved to look into his eyes. “I’ve never trusted anyone enough to do that. But I do you. Weird, don’t you think? I’ve only just met you, and I’m trusting you with every single part of me. I know that you would never, ever hurt me.”

  “It’s not weird. You are mine, and I am yours. We’re meant to be together through everything. You know I wouldn’t hurt you because I could never do so, any more than you could me. In a relationship like ours will be, between guardian and VV, trust is paramount. Your very soul knows I couldn’t harm you, because it would be like I was harming myself.”

  She shivered and licked her lips again. “I like the thought that we will fit each other.” She lay her head back on his chest and hugged closer to him. “That I’m yours, and you’re mine.” She rubbed herself against him, an ache forming inside of her, a need filling her again.

  His hand spread over her back, his thumb rubbing her skin slowly. “Sleep now, Vivian. We only have a few hours before we need to be up and moving for the ferry. Close your eyes, hold on tight, and rest. I’ll wake you when it’s time to leave.”

  She nodded, even though her body was burning. He was right. They had a long night ahead of them, and she had enough to deal with without adding exhaustion to the mix. “Okay,” she said with a sigh, then kissed the side of his neck. She yawned once more before closing her eyes and allowing herself to drift off.

  Chapter Four

  “Vivian, where the ever-loving hell are we going, woman?” James asked. He’d taken the driver’s seat for their little jaunt out to the island. Jason was riding shotgun, which left her in the back seat. James was a little testy, apparently.

  “Watch your mouth,” Jason growled at him.

  “Just stay on this road. It dead-ends into a cul-de-sac. The massive house that’s there is where Fia should be. Trust me, you’ll know when we’re closer.” She looked out the window. Mother Nature smiled wherever Fia went. It was actually quite humbling to see.

  When the trees started to look greener and the flowers brighter, Viv just grinned. They were very close, indeed.

  Jason frowned in confusion. His gaze flicked to a window, then back to her, with understanding dawning.

  “I told you that you’d know when we were getting close.” Vivian could only snicker at the look on his face.

  “Damn,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Un-fucking-real.” Leaning forward in his seat, he looked around. “I can’t wait to meet your sister. I have a feeling she might have a few things to tell me about you that I’m really going to want to hear.”

  “Jason, all you have to do is ask me, and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. You know that, right?” The uncertainty was clear in her tone.

  He turned to look at her again, reaching an arm over the seat to take her hand in his and squeeze her fingers. “But there are things you’ll tell me—we’ll call it version A of a story—and then there are things your sister can tell me, which we’ll call version B. I like to get both because usually version A is underplayed and version B is a little more grandiose in the description.”

  “Well, I’ll accept that, then. I bet she’ll be able to tell you all kinds of stories. Just don’t believe about half of them.” She laughed. “Ah, there we are.” She pointed to the massive house at the end of the road. “Hopefully, she’s in and not out walking in the woods.” Something that they both had done all their lives. They had each felt more at home in nature than in their own, mostly because of the abuse.

  “Well, we’re here, so I suppose we’ll find out.” James turned the vehicle along the sidewalk and parked. Shutting the engine off, he leaned forward and looked toward the house. “Nice big place. A little wild, maybe,” he said in a curious voice, glancing around at the thick vegetation.

  Vivian shrugged. “Wherever Fia goes, nature grows like crazy.” Then she was out of the car and walking toward the front of the house.

  Jason was right on her heels, his hand landing on the small of her back. “Is the couple here?” He was taking in everything, his gaze moving constantly.

  “Nope. They’re in Africa, waiting on their daughter.”

  “Good for them,” Jason said. He sounded distracted, though, and suddenly she was yanked to a stop with the arm around her middle. “Tell me one thing that only you would know about your sister, and quick. James,” he called softly.

  “I see it. I’ll go around the back and see if there’s any issue there. I’ll meet you back here in two minutes.” James began to move around the house with long strides, his attention riveted on his surroundings.

  “She took my beatings when we were children.” Viv whispered the first thing that came to her. “Our father couldn’t get through my shields, so he would take her when I was weak.” She licked her lips and looked around. “She would be in the woods. If she knew someone had come, she would be hiding in the woods.”

  Vivian glanced up at Jason, then the door. “We’re too late, aren’t we?” She wanted to cry. While she had been safe and secure in the arms of a man she could easily love, her sister had been left alone to fend for herself and was paying the price for Viv’s comfort, again.

  “Not necessarily.” He drew her in close and held her tight against his tensed body. “We need to do a sweep of the house. She likely did get out and is hiding, but we can’t know for sure. I need you to stay with James while I go and find her. That’s why I needed you to tell me something only the two of you would know about, so she’ll believe I’m here to help instead of harm. Especially since she won’t have the same natural inclination to trust me as you do.”

  James came around the corner just then. “Back door was unlocked but not broken. Best I can tell, a few things are busted up i
nside, but I’m thinking the little lady ducked out the back and made a run for it.”

  “That’s what Vivian believes, too. Do a sweep of the house. Keep her close to you. James.” Jason pinned him with a look. “I’m entrusting everything to you right now.”

  “I get it.” James nodded. “But I’m not giving her a gun. She’ll probably end up shooting me.”

  Jason let out a groan and hugged her to him. “Keep her close, and I’ll meet you back here as soon as I find her sister.” He drew back to look at Vivian. “Trust me,” he said softly, for her ears alone.

  Viv nodded and gave Jason one last touch before moving off with James. “I’m not going to shoot you. Promise.” She raised a brow and added, “As long as you don’t snap off at me.” She was more than a little stressed at the moment. Her sister was gone, and she was freaking out. “Find her, please,” she whispered.

  And when Jason nodded, she knew that he had heard her.

  * * * *

  Sophia loved painting. It had always called to her. So when the Mortensons had asked her to do a mural for their soon-to-be daughter, she had jumped at the chance. She hadn’t wanted to go to the island, but that was all a part of it. Two days in, and Fia was almost finished, fortunately.

  That morning had been different, though. She had started very early, before dawn, and by seven she was itching to get outside. Listening to that inner voice, she had walked out the back door. Then she’d heard the crash in the front. She had taken off in a dead run for the wooded area behind the home. She hadn’t looked back, simply raced for the safety of the brush.

  Finding a niche inside of an old tree, she had reached out and allowed nature to cover the opening with thick thistle and thorns. Tucked safely into the trunk, she had sent out a prayer to the winds. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but suddenly, something changed in the air.

  There wasn’t any sound, yet she instinctively knew she was no longer alone. A large shape slowly came into view. It was a man, tall, with dark eyes and hair. “Sophia,” he called out. “My name’s Jason, and I’m here with your sister, Vivian. She told me what your father used to do when she would put up her shield to protect herself. If you’re here, and I know you are, I need you to come out so we can get back to the house and your sister. You don’t know me, I get that, but please, I need you to come out.”

  Sophia looked out at the large man and debated her options. Finally, she took a breath and allowed the brush to move. She stepped out from her hiding space and spoke quietly. “She would only have told that to someone she was very close to. Who are you to Viv, and where is she?”

  He held his hands out at his sides, showing her they were empty, as he turned. “She’s back at the house with a friend who can protect her. She and I are close. She’s my everything,” he told her with a smile.

  Sophia frowned and looked at him. She cocked her head to the side. “How do I know that she’s your everything?” But she had seen this man before. She had seen him through the eyes of the man—the stranger—she painted on a daily basis.

  “Because my heart beats for her and her alone. It had stopped for so long and now it’s beating again.”

  Tilting her head slightly, Sophia nodded. “Okay.” She would get a better feel from Vivian but she knew this man was part of Billy’s life and knew that he wouldn’t hurt her. He would never hurt her.

  He blinked, looking a little surprised at her easy acceptance, but quickly recovered. “I’ll lead the way, if you’re okay with that. If anything happens, duck out of the way.”

  Sophia nodded. “I certainly don’t want to be in front of you.” She studied him up and down. “You’re a larger shield than I am.” She moved so that she could stand at the other side of him. “Viv is okay, right?”

  “She’s fine. She’ll be even better once she knows you’re okay.” He started to walk, heading through the woods toward the house. “You weren’t harmed when they came after you, were you?”

  “No. I was outside already. I had been up early painting and was taking a break. While I was outdoors, I heard someone crashing through the front and raced for the woods. So, you know my name. What’s your name?”

  He shot her a peeved expression. “What is it with the two of you? First your sister, and now you. It’s Jason, for the second time today.” He shook his head. “It’s got to be a genetic thing in the family or something,” he muttered under his breath.

  Sophia snorted. “I see why she likes you. Nice to meet you, Jason.” She saw Vivian then and moved around him to her sister. Sophia hugged her tightly before pulling back. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, Fia. What happened? Are you hurt?”

  Sophia shook her head. “Three men followed me for a while. I could smell their scent on the air. It smelled wrong … like oil. No, more like used oil,” she said with a nod. “I saw their shadows, two large and one shorter but still bulky. Kind of square looking.”

  “Oil?” Vivian replied, a question in her eyes.

  “You know, like if oil spills?” Fia was trying to think of how to explain it. “Sometimes how bad gas stations smell?” She looked to Jason. “Do you know what I mean?” She jumped when another man cleared his throat. “Crapballs. Gosh bless it, Viv, did you raid a gladiator outlet or something?”

  Vivian snickered as she introduced Sophia to James.

  “Nice to meet you, I think?” Sophia said as she moved to put herself slightly in front of Vivian.

  “It’s cute how you slip forward a little to protect your sister,” the other one said with a smile. “It’s a nice trait to have.” He turned his attention to Jason, and his face went serious. “There’s no sign of them. We should take advantage and get the hell out of here.”

  “Agreed. No use sticking around, not until we get everyone safe and can arrange proper protection for Sophia while she’s working here. I know this isn’t ideal, Sophia, but I wouldn’t feel right leaving you alone here for any amount of time, not right now.”

  “Protection?” Sophia frowned and looked from Vivian to Jason, then to the other man.

  Jason nodded. “Yes, protection. There’s a killer, or killers, on the loose who appear to be targeting members of a group you’re a part of. I’m sorry to say that two of the members have already been killed. Vivian made the connection for us, which is why we showed up here today.”

  “Oh God,” Sophia whispered. “Which group?” When he told her, she was shocked, “Those poor families.” She was completely aghast at the number of people killed, people she knew.

  “I tried to call you right away as soon as I made the connection,” Vivian put in.

  Sophia shook her head. “I haven’t even looked at my phone since I started painting. I’d just grabbed it to check my messages before I’d stepped outside, but then everything happened and I dropped it somewhere in the woods. It doesn’t matter. I’ll go into town and call the leader of the group and make sure she warns the other members.”

  Then she looked from Jason to James and back to Jason. She had a feeling he wouldn’t want to leave Vivian for too long. “Crap,” she grumbled to James. “You’re a seriously big guy. That means we need to go shopping. I have a feeling you’re a meat kind of person.” She wrinkled her nose. “V, you trust them?” When her sister nodded, Sophia sighed. “Okay,” she relented. “I should be done soon. I’ve finished the hard part. Now it’s just filling in the edges and smoothing out the paint.”

  “Uh, what?” James shot her a look.

  Jason chuckled and gave a shrug. “Apparently, you just got volunteered to stay and play protection detail for Sophia.”

  “Yeah, but, no,” James sputtered.

  “He’s a big meat eater, though he does prefer it to be very dead on his plate, so that’s a plus,” Jason told Sophia. Then he turned to James. “Look, Vivian and I will go back to the hotel, grab our stuff, and stop at her place for a couple of things. Then we’ll come back out. You’ll have backup, and Sophia has her sister here. It’ll on
ly take us a few hours, I’m sure. Right?” Jason was looking to Viv now for confirmation.

  Vivian nodded. “Shouldn’t take more than that. As long as we catch the ferry tonight. There’s a store on the island, James. You guys should be able to walk to it.”

  “We can. There are even bicycles with baskets in the shed. Not a worry. I won’t let the big guy fall into the ocean. Maybe.” Fia looked up at James and snickered. “You might want to close your mouth. We have very big bugs here, and gaping like that will only beg for one to come and fly right in. Man up, buddy, I won’t hurt you,” she promised cheerfully.

  His mouth snapped shut, and he glared at her.

  “Well, looks like you two should be just fine,” Jason said with a grin. “We’ll be back as soon as we can. Of course, it all depends on the ferry. Be good. Sophia, try not to tease him too badly. James, no tying her up.” His chuckle had a distinctly evil sound to it as he hustled Vivian toward the door.

  “Wait! You can’t just leave me here with her!” James protested.

  “Sure we can. Watch us,” Jason called as he practically pushed her sister out the door. He was looking really pleased with something. “Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do,” he advised and shut the door on them. James was standing there with his mouth hanging open again.

  Sophia laughed and shook her head. She was on her toes, reaching up and pushing the large man’s jaw closed before she turned to walk away from him and back to her painting, humming and laughing softly as she did.

  * * * *

  They’d managed to catch the next ferry off the island and according the schedule, if they were quick, they could get the last one back that evening. Jason was of a mind to leave James and Sophia there for the night, alone, but Vivian was a little less happy about that plan. She liked James, but Sophia was her sister.