Page 84 of Graves

“Fuck no,” he scoffs. “I never leave a job messy, and I never get caught.”

I furrow my brows at that.

“Then what got you locked up?”

He pauses for a minute, mulling over his words before he speaks.

“You.”

“Me?” I ask, pointing to my chest. “What the hell did I do?”

He shakes his head and leans across the table as he speaks quietly.

“I was making sure you got home safe one night after work?—”

“Stalking me,” I correct.

Zayden smirks and nods. “And I noticed a man following you. He was close to you, too close. I knew he was going to rob you, hurt you, or worse. You always listened to your damn headphones too loud, so you didn’t know he was coming up on you. It helped, though, because you didn’t know when I took him down behind you. Before I could finish him off, some cops rolled up. I tried to give them this bullshit self-defense charge, but unfortunately, they didn’t buy it.” He laughs lightly like he’s telling the world’s funniest joke.

“Anyway, I ended up getting sentenced to prison for five years. I didn’t take that well. I couldn’t waste five years in that hellhole rotting away when you were out here, alone, unprotected, and not in my arms,” he says, forcing my heart to skip a beat.

God. He’s not joking when he says that he’s loved me from the moment he saw me.

“Well, I thought you were alone and unprotected, apparently Dominic had that part covered,” Zayden scoffs, ahint of irritation still in his tone.

“So, how’d you get out? Good behavior?” I tease with a small smirk.

He doesn’t say anything before eating another taco. After a minute or so, he finally speaks.

“Called in a favor with a friend.”

My eyebrows raise. “That’s some good friend.”

He doesn’t agree or disagree, just stares at me before he goes back to his food. I want to pry more because Dominic never opens up like this, but it feels like the topic is very firmly closed. so I’ll drop it…for now.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

ZAYDEN

After the taco truck, I drive us home. Fuck, what I wouldn’t give to just keep her wrapped around me forever. We would drive and drive until we ran out of road. Though I think my brother would take some issue with it, he could always track us down and meet up later.

See, look at me. I’m sharing.

I open the front door to Dominic’s apartment, my arm wrapped tightly around my angel as we step inside. She turns to face me as soon as the door shuts, a widesmile on her face that makes my chest tight.

“Thank you for tonight. I had a lot of fun on our date.”

“You think it’s over, sweetheart?” I smile, tracing my fingers across her silky skin before I bring her mouth to me.

Her velvety plump lips practically melt against me as my tongue licks at the seam. I will never have enough of her, it’s impossible.

I feel another presence in the room, and my eyes fly open, locking onto Dominic, who is leaned against the wall, his arms folded over his chest as he watches us with a pissed-off expression. Though based on the hard-on in his pants, I don’t think he’s actually that mad.

Pulling away from my angel, I lean down into her ear and whisper, “I think we have a voyeur.”

She turns her head, smiling beautifully at him in a way that spikes jealousy inside me. I watch as she takes a step in his direction, but I wrap my arms around her waist, stopping her in place. This is still our date, and my brother isn’t taking her before I’m ready.

I slip one of my arms around her shoulders, leading her down the hallway. We pass by Dominic, and I level him with a look he seems to read easily. I guide us into my bedroom, leaving the door open as my brother follows close behind. He shuts the door behind him, and my angel turns to face us, her eyes flitting back and forth between us.

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