“What are we doing here?” I asked, hoping to get a bit of clarity.

Alex looked over at me with snake-like eyes—deep slits that held in a bucket full of sinister thoughts. Whatever he was up to wasn’t good. I could feel it down in my bones, and I suddenly felt sick for coming with him. As badly as I wanted to be by his side, I didn’t want to thrust myself into another shit-storm.

“There she is,” he mumbled, hurrying out of his seatbelt and out of the truck.

I watched as Castillo came strolling out of the gym with her hair thrown up into a messy bun, and wearing tight shorts and a tight-fitting workout top. Her smile was one of excitement, but as soon as she got a glimpse of Alex’s face, that smile faded—fast.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, slowing her stride.

“Where is Vernon?”

The tone in Alex’s words sent shivers down my spine. Castillo’s eyes searched Alex, then landed on me in the truck. She narrowed them in my direction, then pouted her lips and went back to Alex.

“He just left,” she snidely answered.

“That’s a fucking lie, Leti. Where the fuck is he?”

“I don’t need to lie, Alex. He just left.”

“If you knew I was looking for him, why didn’t you let me know?”

They stood glaring at one another before Castillo finally broke the silence. “I’m not his keeper, Alex. You wanted to know where he was, and I told you. Now—”

“Don’t get fucking condescending with me, Leti. I don’t know what the fuck kind of game you’re playing, but I’m not playing with you. I need to see that asshole, and you have no fucking reason to protect him unless you’re back to fucking him.”

Before I even realized what happened, Castillo’s hand came solid across Alex’s face. Without even thinking, I jumped out of the truck and ran around to where they were standing, then pushed her away. I was ready to break her fucking face if it came to that.

“Don’t you ever put your hands on him again!” I yelled. My chest rapidly moved up and down as adrenaline coursed through my veins. I had half a mind to give her the same treatment that she had just given Alex, but we were still on base, and she still outranked me.

Alex stepped in front of me. “Cassie, get back in the truck,” he seethed. His body was tight and rigid, sending the signal that he was pissed and not to be challenged at the moment.

I turned and hopped in the truck, closing the door behind me. Alex and Castillo’s voices lowered, but their expressions and body language never wavered. I could tell that Alex was working overtime to reign in a boiling volcano that was threatening to erupt. The base was still quite populated, and people were coming and going from the gym, so blowing up and causing a spectacle would only make matters worse.

“Look, Alex. I’m not protecting him. Ever since you allowed her to get her claws into you, you’ve turned into someone I barely even recognize anymore. You—”

“I’m done with this fucking conversation, Leti. The last time I checked, you were the last person I owe anything to. I’m putting you on notice. When I find him, his ass is grass. And if you’re still rolling around with him—”

“Alex—”

“Have a great fucking night.”

Alex situated himself in his seat after slamming his truck door shut. His rage was brewing, but he had done a decent job of holding it in. I wasn’t sure what I should say to him…if I should say anything at all, or simply allow the tension filled silence to continue to fester.

He pulled out of the stall and we drove…

And drove…

And drove…

Staring out the window and eyeing the signs showing Yucca Valley, I knew where we were headed. The remote rock post in the middle of the desert had symbolically become our spot. Alex had brought me here the night before he’d left for Florida, further cementing the relationship that should have never been between us. With a heavy sigh, Alex parked in our spot.

He laid against the headrest as the truck idled. “I’m going to fucking murder Vernon,” he mumbled. His eyes were shut, but the venom in his tone laid out nothing but malice.

I reached over and rubbed his hand. He turned his head and looked into my eyes. His face never softened, but his honey-hued eyes glowed, indicating that he was somewhat relaxed.

“Alex, Vernon isn’t really that big of a deal at this point. Who cares what he had to say?”

“I care, Cassie. He’s a fucking pussy. He’s butt hurt from shit that happened long ago, and he’s being a little bitch about trying to get back at me. I’ll fucking destroy that guy if he thinks he’s getting one over on me.”

He was itching for a fight, and I wasn’t in the mood to give it to him, so I sat quietly, never giving in to the voice in my head telling me to point out the ridiculous amount of bravado that had him looking like a class-A jackass.

Before long, he was out of the truck and over to my side, opening the door and helping me out. We walked around to the back where Alex lowered the tailgate, then helped me up before sitting next to me.

“What the fuck has happened to us, Blondie? A couple of weeks ago, no one could have told me that we’d be where we are right now. No one.”

Shaking my head, I allowed his words to sink in. Things seemed to go from bad to worse after the attack. Alex loved hard and with everything he had, and at times it seemed that love clouded his better judgment. Even with the shit storm raining down on us, I’d thought we were strong enough as a unit to withstand it all, but the best of Alex was his ego, and it had gotten to him in the worst way.

“You happened to us, Alex. You and the machismo that lies inside of you.”

He eyed me like a wolf ready to attack its prey. There was a trace of playfulness behind those mesmerizing orbs, though he never allowed it to come to the forefront.

“Cassie, you and I both know it’s a little more than that.”

“You think it is more than that, but I know differently. I think all of this stems from your persistence—“

“A persistence that you once seemed to enjoy.’

“A persistence that I still enjoy. But it’s morphed into something more. It’s turned into an obsession. An obsession that doesn’t allow you to see straight. An obsession that doesn’t allow you to think straight. And certainly an obsession that doesn’t allow you to make sound choices. You’ve flipped, Alex, and that’s what’s brought us here.”

The night air, still heavy and hot, loomed between us. I could tell my words were striking a chord, but Alex was unpredictable, and I really didn’t know what was coming next.

I felt the warmth of his hand on my face as he held my cheek and turned me to face him. “You call it obsession, I call it passion,” he rasped, just close enough to my lips, so I could feel his breath on my face.

“I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you. You’ve become a part of me. A part that sometimes hurts to love. You drive me fucking crazy. I can’t be with you, but I certainly can’t fucking be without you. So yes, maybe it is obsession, or maybe it’s madness. Whatever the fuck it is, Blondie, it’s us, and after everything that we’ve been through, we need to get back to it because it’s our lifeline. And we both know that regardless of bravado, machismo, stubbornness, or whatever fancy fucking words you want to give it, it’s what we need to survive.”

My body heated with his words. Passion, flares of fire and smoke emanated from Alex as he tightened his grip on me and worked his lips slowly over mine. The lust between us was raging wild at the moment. All of my earlier inclinations to make Alex see the error of his ways had diminished.

“We’ll butt heads all day long, Blondie, but at the end of the day, we both know we aren’t strong enough to stay away from one another.”

Before I could counter his assertions, his tongue was out, tracing the outer lining of my lips, snapping the synapses of every nerve in my body. I felt myself go limp as he worked that deliciously sensual tongue down to my neck, then back up to my mouth where he wasted no time invading my mouth. I put up no fight, simply allowing him in and indulging in the sweet, intoxicating feel of Alex inside of me. He gently laid me down in the bed of the truck, working his dexterous fingers over my breasts as he continued massaging his sultry tongue over mine.

His fingertips caressed my breasts, then snaked down my torso, pushing my shirt up and exposing me to the warm, night air. His tongue dipped further, leaving no parts of my mouth untouched, owning me and relishing the feel of my submission. My body squirmed beneath him, prompting his hand to grab hold of me, holding me in place while he continued his oral assault on my mouth.

Alex finally left my mouth, running soft kisses down my neck, over to my collarbone, then down to my breasts. Small, sting inducing tugs were made as he grabbed hold with his teeth, eliciting a feel of pain mixed with intense bursts of pleasure. I gasped, the feeling consuming me as Alex continued working me into a state of nothingness.

With a quick pause, Alex worked my shirt over my head and hurriedly removed my bra, sending my breasts springing to life with rock solid nipples aching for his touch. Alex pulled back, our eyes meeting and sticking like glue as he ran the tongue that had successfully broken me down over his bottom lip. He laid me back down in the bed of the truck, and his tongue was once again front and center, sending my chest heaving, my breaths ragged, and my hands through his hair. He ran his tongue down the middle of my chest, down to my belly button, then stopped at the hem of my pants. His laugh was haunting as he worked his fingers inside the hem and looked up at me.