In my dick’s memory, that’s a long fucking time.

It wouldn’t feel this desperate if I hadn’t had her, if I’d kept to my rules and made my cock wait.

Now that I’ve had a taste, I want her hands, mouth, and pussy for myself.

I want all of her.

My fantasies come to a screeching halt when I make out the determined expression on her face, the darkening of her eyes and the closing off of her features.

Old Reina’s traits.

She’s out for trouble.

She’s out to destroy someone’s life.

Her expression disappears as she enters the taxi. I retrieve my keys and stride to my car.

Only one way to find out her plans.

I stand in the middle of the burned cottage in the forest.

The walls are black from the remains of the fire. The sun slips in through the cracks between the stones and the ceiling that’s half gone.

Despite the rays of sunshine, a cold gust of wind whirls around me as if trying to kick me out. It still smells of smoke and a bit of pine, like the trees standing tall around here. Some yellow police tape surrounds the area, but no one guards it.

If they suspect there’s been a murder, how could they deem it good to go? After all, Detective Daniels seems hell-bent on catching the perpetrator.

In the small space, I stand with my back to the half-burned door. My chest has been clenching since the moment I paid the cabbie and told him he was good to go.

This is where the police found human remains and my bracelet. It’s close to where I was found afterward, so I must’ve been here.

I must’ve been at the crime scene.

Human remains.

A shudder races down my spine at the thought. What could I have been doing with the person whose remains they found?

Since Lucy’s father is the police deputy commissioner, I’ve been asking her if she’s heard anything.

Apparently, they’re all keeping quiet about it, but from what she learned by eavesdropping, the police still don’t have a body or enough remains to create a profile.

I’ve been praying the person is only badly injured and not dead.

Despite my tough talk, I can’t live with the fact that I witnessed someone’s murder and did nothing about it—or worse, participated in it.

With heavy feet, I walk to a stone bench in the corner. For some reason, it seems familiar.

Way too familiar.

I retrieve a napkin and wipe the dust and soot from the surface then sit down. It feels right to sit here.

So, so right.

My fingers trail over the back of the bench, my brows furrowing. It’s right to be here, but there’s something wrong.

Or rather, something missing.

My eyes widen.

It’s not something. It’s someone.

I inhale the pine scent coming from outside as the memory hits me like sparkling fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Night of the incident

I sit on the bench, my eyes filled with tears. All the way here, I’ve been hardly holding on.

Now that she’s sitting right in front of me, it’s nearly impossible to stop the onslaught of emotions.

Her hair is a bit shorter than mine and she’s got it up in a ponytail. She has the same deep blue eyes, the same full lips with the teardrop at the upper lip, the same tiny nose that fits the shape of her face.

Reina.

She’s finally here. We finally found our way back to each other after nine years.

She stares at the engagement ring on her finger. It glints under the cottage’s soft light as she grins.

I cross my arms over my chest. “Are you here for me or for that engagement ring?”

“The ring. Definitely the ring.”

I huff. “Whatever.”

“You’re just being jealous.” Reina hits my shoulder with hers. “It’s not my fault I got all the looks.”

“Oh, puh-leeze.” I flip my hair. “Are you even looking at me?”

“Yeah.” Her grin is a little sad this time. “I see me.”

“I see me, too. Rei…” I grab her hands in mine. “I’m going to make things right for the both of us. I’m making that promise come true. You saved me. It’s time I save you.”

She shakes her head, expression calm and wise. “I don’t want you involved. Dad was, and we both know where that led him. I won’t lose you, too, Rai.”

I jerk up, running a hand through my hair as I pace the length of the cottage. “You can’t expect me to sit and do nothing. Dad would’ve understood.”

“Rai.” She stands up and slowly approaches me, as if she’s afraid of setting me off. “Listen to me. Dad knew why I had to do this. Why do you think he kept it a secret? Besides, I have someone who’ll help me, but you have nothing, okay? You don’t know these people as much as I do. They’ll murder you and bury your remains at a new construction site. They’re dangerous people.”

“Are you listening to yourself?” Tears well in my eyes. “If they’re dangerous, how do you expect me to leave you in their clutches and carry on as if nothing happened?”

“You forget a little trick, sis.” She grins, rubbing her nose with her index finger like she used to do when we were children. “I’ve been studying them for years. I can handle them.”

“Reina…” My voice breaks. “I just can’t watch you slip through my fingers again. I can’t.”

“I won’t slip away.” She rubs her hand on my arm in a soothing gesture. “We’re one, after all. You’ll feel me even if we’re apart. Do you remember those days with Mom?”

I snort. How could I not remember? When we were twelve, Reina and I met for the first time. Even though we had people after us and we had to sleep at different hotels and hostels every night, those months were the happiest times of my life.

I had a mother and a sister.

Then they were both taken away from me.

We were separated for nine years. For most of those nine years, I thought Reina was dead. I searched for her all around and even made deals with a lot of ‘criminals’.

Finally, I scored the right people and she came in contact. The day I received an invitation from her to come to this place was probably the happiest day of my life.

Just when I was starting to give up, she showed me a sign.

She came back for me like she’d promised back then.

I’m older, you know, she’d scolded. I’ll be the one who finds you.

She kept her promise.

She’s here.

But not for long.

“Mom was smart,” Reina continues, “but she wasn’t that smart, Rai. It’s useless to run away in a pack. They would’ve always found us. Diversion, remember?”

“What if I don’t want to? What if I want to run away with you?”

Her face falls. “Then it’ll be like Mom all over again.”

“I hate this.”

“I do too.” She ruffles my hair. “But I’m coming back. You won’t get rid of me.”

“Promise?”

“Promise, Rai.”

Present

I’m pushed back to the now with a crippling force.