I smiled, even though he couldn’t see me in the darkness. “You did grovel. And it hurt me to keep you all at arm’s length. Especially you, Beck.”

His lips found mine, and for a brief moment, I forgot about my pain and grief. Beck had a way about him. He could wipe everything else from my mind. Erase my worries and stresses with his simple presence.

But there was one niggling question that wouldn’t fade. Did Dante betray me completely? Was he actually working for Catherine from the start, or did she do something to force his hand recently?

I had to know. And there was only one way to find out. I needed to confront Catherine, and I needed to do it in a way where she felt free to confess all of her sins. Which meant I could not take Beck or any of my guys with me.

That’s why I asked about the gun. Because Catherine was psychotic and unstable and I was going to walk right into her lair and accuse her of a lot of shit. I might not come back from this, but even that knowledge wasn’t enough to stop me from going.

This showdown had been a long time coming.

First though, I was going to love Beck like this was our last time together. Just in case it was.

“Butterfly,” he murmured, his lips brushing over my pulse point in my neck and his breath warming my skin. “Why are you asking about your gun?”

“No reason,” I lied smoothly. “Just sentimental attachment. It’s the first gift you ever gave me, you know?” A pang of guilt forced my eyes shut, just in case he caught me out. The ease at which I’d just lied to him almost scared me. Delta was changing me.

Beck pulled back from me a fraction. Just enough to look me in the eyes when he used his thumb and forefinger to bring my face to his. My lids flickered open, and I held my breath, waiting for him to call me out.

For a long moment, he just stared back at me. Neither of us blinked, and the only movement was the rise and fall of our chests together.

“What did I do right in a previous life to deserve you?” he finally whispered. His voice was full of emotion, and my eyes dampened. He held so much self-loathing for who he was, when none of it was his fault. He didn’t ask to be born into Delta any more than I did. The only difference between us was that I got the opportunity to grow up as a normal kid.

Really, I should be thanking Catherine for giving me away. She did me the biggest favor of all, allowing me the love and support of real parents for almost eighteen years. The loss of my parents still cut like a knife but fuck if I would change anything. I had something that Beck, or any of the guys, had never had.

I should thank her, but I was probably going to kill her.

How oddly appropriate that she turned me into a killer, allowing me to even entertain the idea of shooting her right in her Botox-filled face.

“Who says it was a previous life?” I whispered back to him, stroking my thumb over his rough, stubbled cheek. “I think we’re pretty damn perfect for each other just the way we are.”

His cheek twitched, and I silenced what was sure to be a disagreement by pressing my lips to his. It was a gentle kiss at first, tender and... dare I say, loving? But Beck and I didn’t really have the sweet, tender sort of relationship of romance novels and our kiss quickly deepened, turning hot and possessive as he rolled me on top of him and slid his hands up my rib cage to cup my breasts.

His thumbs skimmed across my hard nipples, and I let out a little whimper of encouragement. The lace of my bra was thin enough that it may as well have not been there at all, but still...

“Beck,” I started, but cut off with a groan as his mouth closed over one of my nipples through the gauzy fabric. He sucked and nipped at me, his fingers toying with the other one until I was writhing all over his hardened shaft and desperate for more.

Finally, he reached around behind me and unhooked my bra, releasing me long enough that I could slip it off and toss it across the room. His warm hands were back on my breasts right as my lips found his again, and I hissed with the sheer pleasure of his skin against mine.

“Damn, Butterfly,” he murmured between teasing kisses. “Did I ever tell you how perfect your tits are?” He rolled my nipples between his fingers again, driving me wild. “Because they seriously are.”

I quirked a grin as I slipped from his grip and shimmied down his body. “You’re no slouch yourself, Sebastian Roman Beckett.” I licked my lips in what I hoped was a really sexy way as I peeled his boxers down and eyed his cock.

“Riley Jameson, are you—” his silly question cut off as I ran my tongue up the length of him and swirled around the tip. “Yep. Yeah you are. Fucking shit.” His words dissolved into a groan as his fingers tangled in my hair, and I closed my lips over his dick and sucked.

His control issues were only going to allow me so long, but I made the most of it while I could. My hand worked his lower shaft while my lips, tongue and sometimes a little bit of teeth took care of the rest. His tight hold on my hair—controlling me—pushed the limits of my gag reflex, but instead of feeling dirty and cruel, it turned me on harder. I loved that feeling of him taking what he wanted, even though it was me blowing him.

Right when I thought I had him, when I thought he was about to lose it, he hauled me up and flipped us in a tangle of limbs. Next thing I knew, my face was against a pillow while my ass was high in the air, my naked cunt exposed to the cool night air.

Where the hell had my panties gone, and how did he just get them off me so fast? It was dizzying, but there was no time to ask silly questions. Beck’s mouth closed over my pussy, and I moaned, long and low.

Apparently, he was in the mood for revenge. His strong hands held my ass, spreading me wide and allowing him unhindered access to lick and suck me to the point of trembling. But even so, he wasn’t done. Right as I was sure my orgasm was going to hit, he stopped.

But then...

“Is that—?” I blurted at the distinctive sound of something vibrating.

Confirmation came quickly as Beck toyed with me, running the buzzing head of my new vibrator over my aching lips and dipping it in and out of me with infuriating shallowness.

“I found this in your drawer earlier, when I put your gun there,” he commented as he teased me. “How long have you had this, hmm?”

My response just came as a strangled squeak as he pushed the vibrator deeper and delivered a quick lick over my clit. “Uh, not long?” I replied when he withdrew it, even though I was silently begging him to keep going. “Eddy gave it to me as a housewarming gift.”