"Get naked."

I pause with my chocolate bar halfway to my mouth, looking away from the TV at Wolfe who just entered the house. He shrugs off his jacket and kicks off his boots, dropping his gym bag as he stalks to where I'm lying down on the couch.

"What?" I mumble around a mouthful of nougat.

"Get naked, Melanie." He demands and reaches for the hem of his shirt. He strips it off in one smooth motion and I swallow down the bite in my mouth so I can breathe better. Jesus. His skin looks wet and he smells like soap so I'm guessing he took a shower at the gym and came right here. Didn't even dry himself off properly in his rush. I'm unable to tear my eyes away as his large hands go to the buckle of his belt and undoes it within seconds. "Been thinking about fuckin' you all day, baby girl."

My stomach flips at his husky words. He doesn't have to tell me twice. I drop the chocolate bar and stand up, getting rid of my shirt and bra in record time. I shimmy out of my sweats and panties at the same time as Wolfe steps out of his boxers and then we're both naked. He's on his knees before I can blink.

"Ah," I cry softly when his mouth latches onto me, fingers digging into the back of my thighs while he buries his face between my legs as much as he's able. He eats me like a starved man, soft growls and groans ripping out of him as he pushes his tongue into me and sucks me into his mouth. I can barely hold myself up and I lean into him to keep upright. My fingers dig into his scalp, needing to be grounded somehow because what he's doing feels so good I know I'm going to collapse. I rock into his tongue, putting one leg over his shoulder to balance myself. My head falls back when he sucks my clit and laps his tongue between my folds. "Oh, God. So fucking good."

He wraps his arms around my thighs to grip me tighter, his tongue picking up speed as he buries his face deeper between my legs. The tip of his tongue circles around my clit, slowly and tauntingly. I moan breathlessly and thrust my hips against his mouth. I can feel tension coiling deep in my belly.

"Wolfe," I beg. His hands slide up the back of my legs until he's squeezing my ass, pushing me toward him and helping me fuck his mouth. His tongue pushes into me again, curling deep inside me and earning my surprised gasp. "Oh! Right there."

My eyes pinch shut when my legs start to quiver and warn me that my orgasm isn't far away now. And when three of his fingers push into me at once without warning, it unfurls the tension that's built up. I fall apart with his name on my lips, trembling and doubled over while he grips me tight and doesn't stop. In and out his fingers pump out of me while my walls contracts around them. It's so overwhelming that I try to get away but Wolfe squeezes my ass to keep me in place, his mouth and fingers working me until I can't even breathe. It seems like minutes before my body finally goes limp and Wolfe releases me, wiping me off his mouth and chin and standing up to his full height. He holds me against him as he looks down at me and doesn't look even the least bit sated.

"You're in a mood today," I observe breathlessly.

"Always in the mood for you, Mel." He returns in a gruff voice, grasping me by the hips and turning me around. I'm suddenly bent over with the side of my face pressed on the couch cushion and my legs spread apart. I hear Wolfe hum low in the back of his throat as his hand runs down my ass before it comes down hard on my flesh and I gasp, eyes falling shut when he kisses the spot tenderly. He speaks against my skin. "Don't move."

"Wasn't going to," I throw back, trembling with excitement.

Ever since I've learned how to give up control to him our sex has been insane. Both of us like having control so we're constantly fighting each other for the upper hand. We get rough, and then we get soft, and then we get dirty all over again. I used to like being the dominant one but now that I've seen Wolfe's dominant side, I'm pretty sure I like his more. He's proved to be really fucking great at it, and really great at fucking. We've been at each other like animals all week and still haven't nearly enough. I never thought sex could make me feel so good and so whole. I don't just feel him with my body — I feel him with my heart. My soul. Everything.

I hear the sound of foil ripping and look over my shoulder at Wolfe as he puts a condom on. I lick my lips, feeling heat creep everywhere as I stare at his cock that's hard as hell for me. He fists it, poising it at my entrance as he sets one hand on the small of my back to hold me in place. Our eyes meet and my chest warms at the combination of lust and tenderness in his eyes. Our gazes stay locked as he slowly pushes into me inch by inch. My mouth parts as my breath knocks out of me and Wolfe's eyes grow heavy-lidded, still not breaking our stare. We both moan when he's all the way inside of me and he stays still for a moment, his eyes finally pinching shut like he can't take it.

I push my ass back against him when I become impatient and he growls low in this throat, grabbing my hips as he pulls out of me and slams back in. He mutters a quiet "fuck" and then he starts pounding into me. My moans grow louder and louder each time the tip of him hits the deepest part of me. He feels so full from this angle that I feel even greedier for him.

"More," I whimper.

"More," He agrees and grabs the back of my knee, lifting it up on the couch and spreading me wider. I cry out and bury my face into the cushion when the angle changes completely. Hell, he's hitting parts of me I didn't even know existed and it's almost too much to take. I bite down on the plush cushion to muffle my screams when he picks up his pace, slamming into me harder and faster. I can feel our skin sticking together with sweat, can hear how loudly our skin slaps against each other, can smell our sex in the air. It's all so much, so good, it's no wonder our fucking never lasts more than a handful of minutes. I can already feel myself getting close to climax.

"Wolfe," I plead, needing all of him. He knows what I want without me having to say it. One of his arms wraps around my waist to hold me against him and his other hand grips my throat, pulling my face up as he leans down to kiss me. Our mouth crash into each other and I sigh against his lips with satisfaction. I love kissing him more than anything else we do. It makes our sex that much better because I feel our connection that much deeper. A soft groan strangles out of me as he slows down the pace of his strokes, pushing into me languidly as he delivers wide and wet kisses with his tongue. It tangles with mine, circling it and sliding all over my mouth and making our kisses dirty.

"You taste like chocolate," He whispers against my lips and I laugh softly, wrapping my arm around his neck and pulling him closer.

"You taste like me," I whisper back and feel him smile, nipping my lip playfully.

We both groan into each other's mouths with each thrust he delivers, slow and hard at the same time. He fucks me unhurriedly, torturing me with every roll of his hips as he pushes inside me and slides back out. I kiss him harder, biting down on his lip when I can feel myself growing restless. He's taking his time on purpose just to push me. I can feel him trembling from resistance, can feel him sweating with the effort of holding back. He just loves to drive me crazy.

"Damn it, Wolfe." I mutter, using my elbow to shove him back. He slips out of me and our mouths are forced apart and then he's frowning at me in obvious confusion. It isn't until I grab him by the arm and make him sit on the couch that he finally gets it, smirking the slightest bit when I grab his shoulders and straddle him. But then he groans deeply and clutches my hips like his life depends on it when I sink onto him in one smooth motion. I hit the base of his cock and my head falls back from the sheer pleasure. "Oh my God. Oh, that's it."

"Mel," He murmurs, hands sliding up my body until he's cupping my breasts. He squeezes them and flicks my nipples with his thumbs, eyes flashing with fascination when I start riding him and my tits bounce in his hands. And then his mouth is on them and I'm crying out, clutching his hair so tightly I might have ripped out a few strands. He sucks my nipples hard, biting them just enough to sting me and then running the flat of his tongue over the skin that pulses with pain. I moan breathlessly, riding him faster and taking us both to the edge. He pulls his mouth away and leans back against the couch, chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath. He links his hands behind his head and watches me with the same intensity and seriousness that made me fall in love with him. A rumble of approval tears out of his throat. "So fuckin' beautiful when you fuck me like this."

"Oh yeah?" I laugh under my breath. I gather my hair up and keep my hands in my hair as I slow down my movements and ride him more leisurely, giving him a show. It doesn't escape my notice that he'd been doing the same thing to me minutes earlier but I guess we both like to mess with each other. Wolfe's eyes flash again and he swallows hard as his gaze tracks me. My mouth curls into a smirk and I give him my most sultry stare, licking my lips slowly. "Enjoying me, big guy?"

His jaw clenches as his eyes continue their path downward. They pause and stay trained on my pussy, watching himself disappear in and out of me slowly and I spread my legs even wider. He cusses. My head falls back and I moan low in my throat when I add a roll of my hips. Part of this is just for show and part of this is because it feels so good. Having his eyes on me and knowing he wants me so bad just makes me feel sexier and that makes the sex hotter. It makes me feel earned, not taken. Cherished, not ruined.

"Jesus, Melanie." He growls and I know he's officially out of patience. I feel his hands grab my waist again, feel his face bury into my neck, and then he slams his hips upwards over and over again until I can't catch my breath. I clutch his back tightly, my nails digging into him and dragging down hard enough to break skin. Wolfe bites my neck back, getting equally rough and driving me out of my mind as his thrusts become so hard my teeth knock into each other.

"Yes, yes, yes," I chant when I feel the tension in my stomach start to uncoil. I squeeze my walls around him in warning when I feel my clit throb mercilessly, knowing I'm about to fall apart. "Oh God, baby, I'm right there."

"Go on," He coaxes, gripping the back of my neck and pressing his forehead to mine. "Lose control for me. Show me what my cock does to you."

And that's all it takes. A scream rips out of me that Wolfe swallows up when he crushes his mouth to mine. I cry into his mouth as I feel my release take control of my body. I'm shaking everywhere, my body jerking when my walls contracts so tightly it's almost painful. Wolfe kisses me harder when he comes, groaning as his body tremors against mine. We clutch each other as we come together, our mouths fucking just as hard as our bodies do. My fingers slide into his hair and my tongue tangled with his and I'm all over him. I can't get enough. It doesn't help that he keeps thrusting into me, never once slowing and only making my orgasm that much more intense. It's so fucking good I almost cry, consumed with a level of euphoria I didn't even know existed until now. Euphoria that only Wolfe can give me.

It's minutes before the two of us go limp, sagging against each other. Our kisses slow down and become lazier, just a slow and wet meet of our mouths that I can't seem to get away from. Neither of us tries to make a move to untangle ourselves. We just take our time kissing over and over again. Each time our mouths part they meet again like they don't know how to be without each other. One kiss turns into another, and then another, and then another. There's no end, just an addictive cycle like we're binging on each other's mouths. I don't want to stop anytime soon.

I groan against his lips and try to lean away but he just leans forward and chases my mouth, his hand gripping the back of my head to keep me in place.

"Big guy," I mumble into his mouth with a laugh. "Mmm, stop."

"No," He mumbles back, sliding his tongue back in and deepening the kiss all over again.

I laugh again and push against his chest until he reluctantly lets me go, sitting back against the couch with a heavy sigh. He watches me quietly as I slide off of him and grab his shirt off the floor, putting it on. I toss him a wink before I make my way out of the living room and to the bathroom to do my business. I wash myself up and then brush my teeth because it's getting late anyways and I could use some sleep. My body sure as hell needs it. There isn't a place I'm not aching right now but it makes me smile.

I leave the bathroom and head for Wolfe's room when I find it wide open. I'm getting better at sleeping through the whole night with him and not waking up with my heart in my throat. Yesterday was the first night I didn't wake up at all, just slept peacefully from the second I laid next to him. My body's grown accustomed to him now. His touch and presence are too familiar for me to freak out over even subconsciously. If he's beside me or touches me, I automatically recognize him. He's part of me now.

"I'm turning in," I tell him with a yawn and flop down belly-first on the bed. I turn my head to look over at him as he clacks away on his computers, pausing to swivel his chair towards me. He drags it to the edge of the bed and reaches his arm out, tucking my hair back with a soft look on his face.

"You mind if I talk to you about something first?" He asks quietly, searching my face.

I immediately prop up on my elbow and give him my full attention. "Sounds serious. Everything okay?"

"Yes," He nods absentmindedly, a weird look on his face. "Yes and no."

I feel my mouth turn down. He looks anxious and calm at the same time somehow. "What's going on?"

He doesn't answer right away. He leans back in his seat and clasps his hands together, staring down at them with an intensity that means he's clearly thinking about something right now. Finally, he blows out a small breath and looks up at me. His voice is quiet when he speaks. "I found Kane."

Holy crap. I feel my eyes widen instinctively as his words sink in. I know he's been looking for Kane for months now, decades really, but for some reason I thought he wouldn't actually be able to find him, to go through with what he had planned. Or maybe that's what I hoped for because I know what this means. It's silent for a few tense moments while I search for the right words. "Wow. That's...wow."

Not the most eloquent response. I cringe a little and the barest smile forms on Wolfe. He nods, looking down again. "Yes. Wow."

I sit up slowly, figuring that this is going to be a serious conversation. Part of me knows what he's going to say and another part of me hopes I can pretend this isn't happening. "How'd you do it?"

"Coach helped a lot," He looks toward his computers with his chin in his palm. "I was actually tracking down the wrong lead. He caught onto it and redirected me. After that it only took a week for me to find Kane. It turns out I was just looking in the wrong place."

"So, where is he? Australia?"

Wolfe shakes his head. "That's where I thought he would be too but he's in New York."

"New York?" I repeat, blinking. "What's in New York?"

"A lot of gangs. I don't know what he's doing there but he's been living there for the past three years now."

Something hits me then and I sit up straighter when I realize it. "You were in New York less than a year ago."

"Yes," His jaw clenches and clearly he's realized the same thing already. "He was right under my nose and I didn't even know it."

"Do you really think he's there because of gang work?"

"Not sure. Dante's right hand man asked Kane's former colleagues for information. They said they hadn't heard from him in over a decade but that they knew he moved to America. One of them said he's been going under the name Shawn. That's when I started digging around with the tracking database and I found him within a few days."

"How do you know it's him?"

"I found his documents. His picture is in his files." Wolfe's jaw pulses again and he turns the computer screen toward me, the one he'd been staring at unblinkingly this whole conversation. "I'd never forget his face."

Almost reluctantly, I look at the screen. There's a picture of a man and I can't help but flinch. Maybe it's because I know what he's capable of but God, he looks psychotic. His eyes are cold and beady, a dark shade that looks black. His nose is crooked like it's been broken one too many times. His lips are thin, barely existent, but are still curled into an almost-there smirk. But it's the scar that runs along his face that I can't stop staring at. It's deep and jagged and no way a knife did that. It's not clean or precise enough. All I know is that just looking at him gives me a bad feeling and I suppress a shiver. I look away from the picture at Wolfe who's staring at it unwaveringly. His jaw is tense, eyes frigid, and I could swear he's actually trembling everywhere with anger. I grab the armrest of his chair and climb onto his lap, my arms going around his neck and holding him to me. I can feel how tight he's wound up. I'm not even sure he's breathing. I start rocking him slowly, my cheek to his, in an attempt to calm him down.

"It'll work out," I whisper. "You'll get him. It's going to be okay."

"I will get him," He says the words so coldly I suck in a breath. He sounds terrifying. Nothing like himself. My stomach tightens with dread.

"Don't lose yourself over this," I beg him quietly. "I don't want you to get hurt. Promise me you're going to be careful and come back to me."

His body finally loses tension as he looks away from the screen and turns to me. He cups my face, searching my eyes and no doubt seeing how scared I am. I'm not even trying to hide it. "I promise."

"I mean it Wolfe," My voice shakes. "If something happens to you, I'll go bat-shit crazy and beat up everyone in my proximity and land in jail. Do you want me to go to jail for attempted murder?"

"No," He chuckles under his breath and pulls me closer.

"Don't laugh," My eyes and nose sting painfully. It's embarrassing but I can't help myself. The fear I'm feeling right now is unbelievable. "I can't lose you too. You're the one who made me open up to you and let you in and love you. It's your responsibility to make sure you stay in my life, asshole. If you're going to get hurt and leave me then you should have just stayed away from me from the beginning."

"Hey, hey," He shushes me and tightens his grip around my waist when I try to get off of him. I look away before he can see the tears in my eyes.

It hurt when I lost Mom and Dad, it hurt when I lost Becca, and it'll fucking kill me if I lose Wolfe. I can't even stomach the thought of it. This is why I hate getting close to people. It's all fun and games until you realize you could lose them at any moment, without warning. My tears get the better of me and I try to swipe them away discreetly but Wolfe sees them. He curses softly and grabs the back of my head, pulling it down to his neck and hugging me close. I'm crying into his shoulder a moment later and gripping him like he'll vanish into thin air at any moment. He holds me just as tight, rocking me as he shushes me in my ear with soft whispers. I think he's finally realized just how much all of this scares me even though I didn't want him to catch on. I wanted to be the strong and supportive girlfriend but fuck that. I don't want to be strong about this. I'm fucking terrified.

"Don't die," I plead.

"What?" He curses again and his arms come around me so hard for a moment I can't even breathe. "I'm not going to die. I'm not going anywhere, baby girl. I'd never leave you. No matter what."

"You better not," I scold through a thick voice. "You're stuck with me whether you like it or not. Even if I die or some shit my ghost is going to haunt you for life to make sure you don't find anyone else."

I feel his body shake with silent laughter and suppress a smile of my own. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

I pull back to look at him and he wipes away my tears with his thumbs. "But what if something does happen to you?"

"It won't," He says sternly. "All of South Bloods will be with me. Coach will be with me. Asher will be with me. Even if Kane has people with him he'll still be unmatched. We're going to be as smart about this as possible and play it the safest way."

His words calm me down at least a little. He's right — he'll have lots of people who have his back and know what they're doing. He has good chances all things considered. "Okay."

"And I need you to be safe too," He tucks my hair back behind my ear and sighs. "Kane and his men will try to play dirty if they find out what we're up to. It's possible they'll target people close to me instead of me. When I go to New York, you're going to stay with Mitch in a safe house for twenty-four hours."

"Say what?" My earlier fear is immediately forgotten and I glare at him. "I don't fucking think so, Emerson. I'm not staying in a random house with a random man I don't know while my man is out God knows where risking his life."

"Melanie," He sighs again. "It's for your safety. And Aria will be with you. Asher is involved in this so Aria is at the same level of risk you are."

"That's not fair! It's going to be stressful enough with you guys gone and pulling some John Wick shit, meanwhile me and Ria have to play house with an ex gang member and act like everything is okay?"

"It's not ideal. I understand that. But it's better than either of you getting hurt."

"And what about you and Asher? You get to go out and play heroes while Ria and I will just sit around having a pillow fight and giggling over our big strong men? You guys aren't indestructible. You could get hurt too."

"Melanie, please." He closes his eyes briefly. "I'm scared too. Of course I'm worried that something could go wrong. It's already hard enough working up the nerve to go through with this and I need to be focused when shit goes down. If I'm worried about you and wondering if something is going to happen to you then I'll be distracted and that increases my chances of getting hurt. It's better this way."

"Emotional blackmail," I deadpan. "Nice touch."

"I'm just stating the facts."

"And Mitch? I don't know him. I'd feel better staying here."

"No," His tone leaves no room for argument. "You will be in a safe house, in a location no one knows. Mitch is a good man. Aria knows him well and she'll be with you too. Besides, I've seen the safe house. It's very large and has multiple rooms. Chances are you won't even bump into Mitch. Him and a few other men will be guarding the house while you do your own thing. We're going to make you as comfortable as possible but you need to work with us. I mean it, Melanie."

Damn it. I know he's right and that there's no way around this but it doesn't mean I have to like it. "Will you at least call me as often as you can?"

His face drops with regret. "No. I'm sorry. You won't have any contact with me during those twenty-four hours. Calls to you could be traced and compromise the location of the safe house. Kane and his men can't even know you exist. I'll see you the day after."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I explode. He tries to keep me in place but I smack his hands away, standing up and taking a few steps back. I might just gauge his eyes out if I'm near him right now. "What the hell, Wolfe!"

"I know," His head jerks with a nod. "This part you're allowed to be mad at. It's not fair."

"Damn straight! So not only will you be miles away from me, but I'll have no way of knowing if you're okay? If you're fucking alive? I'm going to go out of my mind!"

"Twenty-four hours, Mel. That's all."

"That's all? It's going to feel like a lifetime, Wolfe. There has to be another way."

"There isn't. I'm sorry. These are Coach's instructions and he was very firm about them. He's done shit like this before. He knows how these things are and he promises this is the best solution for everyone."

"But..." My mind is racing into overdrive trying to think of some way around this but I know there isn't. I always knew this part of Wolfe's life was messed up and that's why he hid it for so long but I didn't realize just how bad it would be. I sit down on the bed, feeling defeated. My voice is small. "That's not fair."

"I'm sorry," He leans forward and kisses me softly, silently pleading me to take it easy. I sink into his touch and kiss him back, clutching him like I'll lose him any moment now. He has to wrench his mouth from mine. "I know it's going to be a difficult twenty-four hours but it will ensure peace for the rest of my life. I need this so bad."

"I know," I close my eyes in frustration because I do get it. "Damn it, big guy. Couldn't you be a fucking accountant or some shit? What's so bad about having a normal life, huh?"

He smiles then and joins me on the bed, tugging me back so that we're both laying down and facing each other. He takes my hand in his and raises it to his mouth to kiss the center of my palm. "All I know is I want a life with you and I'm going to keep both of us safe so we can have that. I swear to you."

And I believe him. I just hope he can pull it off.

_________________________

A/N

Heart is racing! This is the moment Wolfe has been waiting for it and I can't wait to see it go down! Who's ready?

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Happy Reading :)