Steam rose as I fished through the bag, thankful to find a set of pajamas—and not the skimpy kind, either. I also found lavender body wash and moisturizer inside. I didn’t want to think too much about the fact he’d paid attention to a minor detail. Dash knew it was the little things that mattered to me.

But, Dash is a manipulator. It wasn’t about my comfort or pleasing me. He wanted to prove me wrong and remind me how well he knew me.

The shower helped soothe my aching muscles, but what I really needed was a good foot massage. I would have to settle for a few hours off my feet instead. Braiding the end of my single braid, I left the steam filled bathroom and found Dash sitting on the side of the bed, facing the bathroom with his phone plastered to his ear. He watched me walk to the bed and smirked. I rolled my eyes and snatched a pillow from the bed and the thinner duvet folded at the end before moving to the couch.

He quickly ended his call as I made my makeshift bed. “Business so late at night?”

“Are you concerned about my well-being?”

I settled my body on the couch before answering. “I’m still trying to figure out if you’ve become like your father.”

“And?”

“I don’t know yet.” I turned and faced away from him, hoping he would take the hint. A part of me couldn’t believe Dash would ever become anything like his father. He had been benevolent in ways his father would never understand, but did that Dash still exist?

The sudden silence in the room lured me into sleep, and just as I was able to fully succumb, I felt his hands grip my body and lift me. “Well, maybe you should stay close until you can figure it out.”

“You said I could sleep on the couch.” He slipped us under the covers and spooned me from behind.

“I changed my mind.”

“You mean you lied.”

“Angel, if you continue to tempt me with your mouth, I might change my mind about other things, too.” To drive his point home, he pulled me closer, pressing his erection into my back. The heat of his skin felt too close, and against my better judgment, I reached my hand between us and felt his warm, naked skin under my palm.

“You’re naked?”

“Sleep,” he ordered. Fatigue was evident in his curt tone, but I couldn’t just sleep knowing the pajamas that suddenly didn’t seem so protective were the only barrier between us.

I struggled for a mental distraction and control of my breathing once more. Why did he have to be naked?

“I shouldn’t want you.” I flinched at the sudden sound of his voice. His words were equally abrasive. I wasn’t prepared for him to flip me on my back and lean over me. The disgust in his voice was overshadowed by the lust in his eyes.

“I didn’t ask you to.”

He shook his head as if disappointed, and for an insane moment, I wondered why. I didn’t have to wonder for long. He let me go and rolled over to face away. “You’ve become as screwed up as your mother,” he shot back.

“And you’re as greedy and heartless as your father.”

Unwanted tears soaked my face and pillow. My body shook with silent sobs.

At least it wasn’t lust I felt anymore.

* * *

“Where are we going?” I questioned the next morning. It was the first thing I’d said to him since we’d woken up almost an hour ago.

“I need to shower and head to the office. I’m taking you to Keenan’s.”

“I don’t need a babysitter. I need to go back,” I stressed, yet again. Of course, I couldn’t really go back yet. Not without making sure my family was safe. Ensuring their safety meant killing Keiran, which wasn’t something I could do. However, I couldn’t think straight around Dash, and I needed to figure out what I could do or go to the police.

“You’re not going anywhere until you tell me why you came back, and where you’ve been for four years.”

I considered telling Dash about Esmerelda, realizing I wouldn’t be able to help my family on my own, but then I was reminded of how Esmerelda found me and bested Dash’s men. Was I willing to risk the safety of my family, as well as his safety if she had already proven to be powerful and resourceful?

It occurred to me that I had no idea who Esmerelda was, or her connection to Keiran, or why she wanted him dead. Lake had told me the entire slave ring was either killed or imprisoned four years ago.

Without knowing who she was, I had no idea what I was truly dealing with. She knew about everything and everyone, including me. I haven’t been around in four years, so I wondered why she picked me over those closest to him.