***Just a warning, this is a bit more... risque... than previous chapters. I didn't intend to include anything like this in the book but the characters are living, breathing beings and this is the direction the plot was headed. They've changed little details in the plot before, and the changes have been very beneficial to the overall flow and dynamic of the story. I want to keep this book as PG-13 as I can, but I truly believe this chapter makes for some interesting subplots. I am not including it just because. Hope you enjoy! ***

Bailey walked back into the living room where Darien was sitting on the couch, shirtless and alone. His body was toned despite the negative effects the drugs had on his figure.

"Come here," he said. "I've been waiting for you."

Bailey stepped toward him. "What exactly is it you've been waiting for?"

She could see Darien's green eyes were darkened with desire. Hungrily, he pulled her down onto his lap. His hands grasped at and threatened to rip the fabric of her shirt.

"Kiss me," he ordered, pulling her closer.

She let her lips brush against his, but pulled away without the satisfaction of a kiss. Darien leaned his head back against the couch, a soft groan escaping his lips. Bailey kissed along his chiseled jawline and bit his earlobe. "Make me," she purred, adjusting her seat on his lap.

Darien growled as he grabbed a fistful of her hair. He pulled her head to the side and kissed her neck, biting when he reached her collarbone. Bailey whimpered softly. Darien brushed his nose against hers then kissed her passionately. He gripped her hips and pulled them as close as he possibly could.

Bailey's arms wrapped around Darien's neck as his hands slid inside her shirt. Their lips parted momentarily. Darien lifted Bailey's shirt over her head and threw it to the floor. He pushed Bailey off his lap onto the couch and lowered himself down to kiss her again. Bailey's hands played with the waistband of his jeans and found their way to the button. Darien pulled away slightly.

"Are you sure?" he asked, stopping her hand from moving further.

She nodded. "I'm all yours."

He let her hands wander once again as he hungrily took her in. Their bodies moved in a rhythm that washed away the cruelty they'd faced if but for a moment. For the first time, Darien's past wasn't haunting his mind, and Bailey's brokenness finally found a companion. Their bodies were drugs; they were just junkies looking for their next fix.

Darien laid back beside Bailey on the couch, breathing heavily. She laid her head on his chest and pulled a blanket up to cover the both of them. Darien stared blankly up at the ceiling.

"Don't tell anyone about this," he said in a monotone voice.

Bailey's heart sank slightly. "Okay."

Darien sat up without a word, slipped on his flannel and jeans, then walked down the hall to his room and closed the door. He knew what he did was wrong. He used her to placate his demons, but it wasn't as if he forced her to do anything. She let him.

He laid on the cot on the floor, trying not to disrupt his brother who was fast asleep on the bed. He stared at the ceiling until sleep overtook his eyes. It wasn't a deep sleep, but he didn't wake until Jackson left the room in the morning.

Hungry, Darien decided to go out and grab something to eat. His hair was still messy from the night before, but he didn't care. He buttoned a few buttons on his flannel shirt and slipped into grey sweatpants before walking down the hall to the living room.

Luke was sitting on the couch with Macy in his lap, conversing with Jackson and Jacob. Liam was in the kitchen making a pot of coffee and Bailey was sitting on the counter beside him, laughing.

Darien's blood boiled and he clenched his fists. He walked over to the fridge without a word and grabbed an apple, then sat at the table and ate in silence.

"How'd you sleep, man?" Liam asked, setting his coffee down at the chair next to Darien.

"Fine."

"You look better today. Have the withdrawals lessened?"

"I guess so. Bailey's great at making people feel better," Darien said snarkily, looking right into her eyes. She shot daggers at him.

Liam glanced between the two. "She sure is. I probably would've died if she hadn't helped me with my foot."

"Yeah, her medical skills are great too."

Bailey scowled and jumped down from the countertop, walking toward Darien. "Can I talk to him privately for a moment?" she asked Liam.

"Yeah of course!" he replied, walking over to the group on the couch.

Darien smirked and slipped his hands in his front pockets as Bailey pushed him into the closest bedroom.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed.

"Claiming what's mine," Darien responded nonchalantly.

Bailey crossed her arms. "Yours?!"

"You didn't seem to have a problem with that last night."

"I didn't until you told me not to tell anyone and went to your room without another word," she snapped, reaching out to hit Darien's chest. He grabbed her wrist and looked down at her.

"You don't wanna do that, doll," he said, biting his lip while staring at hers. Bailey tried to hit him with her other hand, which he grabbed as well, pinning it to the wall above her head with one hand.

Bailey tried to break free from his grip but failed. She looked up at him and furrowed her brow.

Darien smirked. "You have no idea what you do to me."

"I don't care, Darien. You can't pick and choose when you want me. Either all in or all out."

Darien leaned in and Bailey could feel his warm breath on her face. She turned her head away from him, but he turned her face back.

"Why can't this just be our little secret?" Darien whispered.

"Because you got jealous when I was talking with Liam," she responded staring right into his eyes.

"That wasn't talking," he replied. "That was flirting."

"Darien, let me go!" Bailey demanded, trying to free her wrists.

With a heavy sigh, Darien dropped her arms, but grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. "Be mine."

"Why?"

"You understand me. We're both struggling with deep hurt. We can help each other."

Darien's soft green eyes had Bailey captivated. "Okay," she said with a sigh.

"Good girl," Darien said with a smile. He grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her deeply.

"I don't want anyone knowing about this though. Strictly behind closed doors," she said, pulling away. "For now, at least."

"Perfect."

As Bailey and Darien sorted out their situation, Luke decided to tell Liam about the medallion in the fire.

"Macy, you're sure you didn't have this in your pocket?" Liam asked.

She nodded. "I'm certain."

Darien and Bailey walked out of the bedroom. Bailey sat by Liam on the couch and Darien stayed standing.

"A satanic medallion appeared in the ashes of the bonfire last night," Luke explained.

"What are we supposed to do about it, Luke?" Liam asked.

"We should go to the authorities," Luke suggested.

"No," Darien said decisively.

"We have almost enough proof. Why not?" Luke asked.

"I'm a felon, remember?"

"Besides, Jackson and Jacob are minors. They'd be taken away," Liam added.

Darien nodded. "That too."

"They're both seventeen. I highly doubt they'd be taken away. Besides, Darien, having your dad behind bars is worth it, don't you think? I mean, you risked your life trying to kill him," Luke said.

"You're right. I did. But I'm not doing it again. He's not worth my life. I realize that now."

Luke crossed his arms. "He's killed so many people. He deserves to face the consequences of his actions."

"I don't care! I refuse to face the consequences of mine."

"The authorities might see that you acted out of desperation and let you go free," Luke replied. "You never know."

"I'm an arsonist and attempted murderer. My sister was innocent. I also technically kidnapped my brother, which is also a felony."

"What about the fact that you were a minor?" Macy suggested.

"In Oregon, the courts can issue a waiver to any minor fifteen or older to be tried in adult court. Trust me, I've looked this up. I did not want to live on the streets for eight years, but that's what happened. Besides, in court, it would've been my word against my dad's. I'm not going to jail over this man. He's not worth it. I don't want to give him that power."

Liam sighed. "Since I can walk again, I'll take a trip to the library to do some more research. That way, we might be able to just stop him ourselves. We need a better picture of what we're up against though."

"I'll help with that," Darien said. "I'm just not doing anything self-incriminating."

"Thank you, Darien," Liam said with a smile. "I think I'll have Bailey come into town with me. I don't think it's wise to go alone but everyone else is kind of high profile now, because of Calvin. Is that okay, Bailey?"

Darien clenched his fists and looked at her. She looked from Darien to Liam.

"That works for me, Liam," she said with a smile, looking at Darien.

Darien shook his head and walked to his room. Liam furrowed his brow. He turned to Bailey.

"Is everything okay with him? Is he giving you problems?"

Bailey laughed slightly. "No, he's fine. Probably just having residual withdrawal symptoms."

"Okay," Liam said hesitantly. "If he starts giving you a hard time, let me know."

"I will, Liam. I'm gonna check on him now, though."

She got up and walked to Darien's room and stepped inside. Darien was laying on the bed, looking at the ceiling with his arms crossed. He didn't acknowledge her entrance, so Bailey crawled on top of him.

"You don't get to ignore me."

"What happened to you being mine?" he grunted.

"I'm still yours. You're just fun to taunt, is all."

Darien looked her in the eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yes." She smirked down at him.

Darien moved his hands to her hips and she leaned down to kiss him. He held her tightly as he kissed back. He pulled away to kiss her cheek.

"You're mine. Don't you dare forget that."

Bailey smiled as she pushed Darien's shirt over his head. "Noted."

Their kisses became ravenous as they clawed at each other, trying to eliminate all space between their bodies. As her breathing started getting heavy, Bailey pulled away slightly.

"We should probably be quiet if we don't want anyone to know about... this."

Darien grinned and put a finger to his lips. "I'll be silent as the grave." 

***Thank you so much for reading! Hope you're enjoying this story so far. Don't forget to vote on the chapter <3 Emma***