He looks up at me, and his blue eyes shine with unshed tears. “I would never give up on you, Taylor. Never!”

I place my head in my hands and let out a shaky breath. “When he called me that night, he told me the drugs they found weren’t his,” I say not even replying to that because he knows I wouldn’t even get myself in that situation. So it’s irrelevant.

“His prints were all over the bags of drugs and the guns,” Case informs me. “Even if they weren’t his, he still handled them.”

I look at him in thought. “Why didn’t you let him out? Let him do the job Blane volunteered to do?” I wonder.

“It was too late for that,” Case answers. “He had been in jail for three days by the time he called you. Word of him being arrested had already spread like wildfire to everyone he sells and buys from. If we had let him out, they would have known it was to make a deal with the police. And even if we could have agreed to do that, it wouldn’t have worked because he’s too much of an addict. Three days without a hit …” He shrugs. “He would have put his addiction before any deal he would have made with us.”

I sigh as I run a hand through my hair frustrated. “So now what?” I look at Blane. “What are you going to do?”

“What I promised Dad I would do. I’m gonna get the guy Case wants in exchange for Dad’s release.”

“No, you’re not,” Case says flatly.

We all look over at him. “And why not?” Blane demands.

“Because the deal is over,” Case replies, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me as he says it.

My brother stands from his chair across from me and turns to face Case. “We had a deal. You cannot just go back on it whenever you want,” he snaps.

“I can.” Case leans back against the counter, arms crossed over his chest and his eyes move to him. “They know you work for me. They don’t know I’m an undercover cop. But I didn’t spend the last five years of my life pretending to be a drug dealer for nothing. They know you’re not buying in order to supply your addiction. They know who Taylor is.” He looks over at me quickly before looking back at Blane. “They shot up my club, and my partner and longtime best friend is in the hospital with a bullet wound. The deal is off.”

“They know who Taylor is because you fucked her,” my brother growls in response.

“Maybe. But I told you that first night you brought her to my club that you could not protect her, but I could. And that’s why I got close to her in the first place.”

I flinch at how cold he makes getting with me sound. That may have been how it started, but that’s not how he feels now. I don’t need him to declare our love to anyone else to know the truth.

He sighs heavily as he runs his hand through his dark hair. “It wouldn’t matter anyway. The situation has been compromised.”

“How so?” Blane demands.

Case looks over at me, and his eyes soften. “It doesn’t matter.” He shakes his head. “The deal is over and that is final.”

All this started because of my father. Back when my mother passed. Maybe it’s time I stand in front of him and make him tell me why he has decided to screw up our lives. I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to be so addicted to something that you give up the people who love and would support you. “I want to go see him,” I blurt out.

Everyone turns to face me. “Taylor …” Case softens his tone.

I hold up my hand to stop him, and I look at Blane. “You obviously think I’m a cold-hearted bitch.” He rolls his eyes. “But I want to see what he has to say. He’s been in there for over four months now, so maybe he will change his mind. Maybe he no longer wants you to risk your life for his.” I can hope.

“That’s not how things work.” Case speaks. “Blane may be willing to risk his life for your father, but I’m not willing to risk yours in order to see him. If someone were to see you up there visiting with him, it could bring you trouble.”

My heart skips a beat at that, and I turn to look at him. I want to smile at him, but instead, I say, “I’m going to see my father, Case. Can you make that easier for me or not?”

He looks at me for a very long second before he finally nods his head and pushes away from the countertop. I watch him walk out of the kitchen and down the hall to his bedroom. I take a deep breath as I follow him.

CASE

“This is a bad idea,” I say softly. As far as I know, she hasn’t physically seen her father in three years. Not since she left her hometown to come to Chicago for college. And even then, I’m not sure how they left things. I do know she only hears from him when he needs help, so I’m guessing it wasn’t pleasant.

“It’s the only idea I have,” she says without looking at me as she walks past to enter the bathroom.

I reach out, grab her upper arm, and bring her to a stop. “You don’t have to do this.” I reach up and push a few long brown strands behind her ear. “I can see what I can do to get him out,” I tell her. But in all honesty, I agree with her. People like her father are best in jail. Where they are unable to harm themselves or put other people in danger. “Seeing him won’t make it better for you.”

“No,” she agrees with a sigh. She looks around the room for a second then her eyes return to mine. “When I was younger, I remember waking up in the middle of the night, and one time I found him dancing in the kitchen with my mother as she hummed a song. He spun her around and pulled her close to him. As he looked over her shoulder, he spotted me standing there and staring. He winked at me, letting me know he wasn’t gonna tell on me for being up and out of bed so late. There was always this light in his eyes when he was with her.” She hangs his head. “I keep telling myself it would return if he could just stay off the drugs. I wanna know if it’s there. I wanna know that there is hope left.” Her eyes fill with tears. “I did give up on him. And I’m not proud of that, but at some point, you have to give up, no matter how much you don’t want to,” she finishes softly.

I lift my other hand and place it on her cheek. I have seen this kind of situation more times than I can count, and I can tell you exactly how it’s gonna play out. She’s not gonna find what she’s looking for, but like she said, she needs to see it for herself.

I lower my lips to hers and give her a soft kiss. “I understand,” I whisper. “I will do anything you want in order for you to get your answers.”

“Thank you, baby,” she says softly. “Can I ask you a question?” I’m not sure if there’s anything else for me to tell her that I didn’t admit last night, so I nod. “Why did you say the situation has been compromised?” she asks tilting her head to the side.

I play with a few blue and dark strands of hair between my fingers. “I slept with you.” And it was worth it.

Her eyes widen. “How could that compromise what you and Blane were doing?”

“I told you I broke every rule I had for you. That’s a rule. In a case like this, I have to testify in order to convict the man that I had Blane setting up. Sleeping with you …” I let go of her hair and place my hand on her soft face. “… it compromised my integrity.”

She lowers her eyes down to my chest as it rises and falls quickly. Slowly, she looks back up at me through long dark lashes. “Why would you do that for me?” she asks softly.

I cup her face with my other hand as well. “Why wouldn’t I?” I say in all honesty. “You became my drug.” I inhale her scent and vanilla fills my nose making my cock grow behind my sweatpants. “You were like that one last hit a stoner craves.” I slide my right hand back into her hair and grip it tightly. She whimpers as her eyelids get heavy. “You consumed my every thought.” My other hand lets go of her face and pulls up the hem of her shirt, allowing my hand to slide up her flat stomach. Her skin is soft and warm. “I craved you in a way that would make any man walk through fire.” My hand travels higher until I cup her breast. “You are my addiction, Taylor.” I pull her head back, and it thuds when it hits the wall. Her heavy eyes shut, and her lips part on a gasp. I lower my lips and capture hers, giving her a rough kiss. Her sweet taste mixes with mine, and just as I said, she gets me high. My senses go on high alert. All I feel is her body pressing against mine. All I hear are her gasps and moans. All I can think of is lying her down and burying myself deep inside of her. When I pull away, we’re both breathing heavy. I wait for her to recover and look up at me. “I fell for you because, somewhere along the way, I realized you were worth it,” I whisper.