“Motherfucker.”

  “The universe owes you for this, man.”

  No, it didn’t owe him a damn thing. No one did. Sometimes life was rough, and all he could do was suck it up, try to get through, and hope that someday he found someone who made his heart rev and fall like Tessa.

  He had to get through today first, and that wouldn’t be easy. His lack of sleep collided face-first into his heartbreak. When had he ever felt this fucking wretched? Never, but he had to stop boo-hooing. That wouldn’t get the job done.

  “I need a drink.”

  It said a lot that Trees didn’t refute him, just nodded and led the way inside, straight to the whiskey. Zy knocked back three fingers with a sigh.

  He could do this. He could find the will and the strength. He would get through this.

  “Have you started going through her things yet?”

  “No. I know I’m going to find more, and I hate to pile on right now.”

  Zy snorted. “This is probably like ripping off a Band-Aid—better to do it all at once so the sting goes away faster.”

  “Maybe. I think what’s killing you now—besides the fact she ripped out your heart—is the not knowing. Exactly what she did. Why she did it. Why she dragged you into it.”

  Trees wasn’t wrong. “There’s a part of me that keeps insisting this isn’t like her, that she would never hurt anyone—much less everyone—without a damn good reason.”

  “You mean other than money?” Trees raised a cynical brow.

  “I know that’s enough reason for most people, but…” Zy shook his head. “Or maybe she snowed me so fucking bad I was willing to believe everything, even her goodness.”

  “You have an instinct about her, and they aren’t usually wrong. One of the things I’ve always admired about you is your people skills.”

  Zy had to laugh. “You only think mine are good because yours suck ass.”

  “Mine do. But yours are a cut above.”

  “You saying you think my instincts are right and that she’s somehow innocent?”

  “No. The black-and-white I see tells me otherwise. But straight up? You might know how to get to the bottom of her faster than anyone. I said before that I think she loves you. And I still think that’s true…at least in her way. Go use her own tools against her.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Emotion. Appeal to her good side. Get under her skin. Hell, peel off her clothes and fuck her brains out if that works.”

  That mere suggestion should not excite him, but Zy already knew he was a shameless, twisted chump when it came to Tessa. If fucking her one last time was even remotely on the table? It was twisted and wrong, but hell yes.

  “You have to do whatever you can to worm the truth from her. I can give you hard evidence, but only she can fill in the gaps and explain why.”

  Zy snorted. “If what we suspect is true, Tessa only has a passing relationship with the truth. Why should now be different?”

  Trees was silent for a long moment. Finally, he grinned. “Did you ever stop to ask why I had handcuffs handy? You already asked once why I had rope in my nightstand drawer. You know I’m a control freak. Do the math.”

  The obvious smacked him in the face, and Zy was almost embarrassed he’d been so stupid. “You’re a Dominant. Like the bosses.”

  “See, I knew you’d eventually get smart.” Trees leaned closer. “Keeping it real, man. I think that’s your instinct, too. But if you’ve never partaken, it’s cool. Just…um, word of advice? When you want the truth from a sweet little thing like Tessa—”

  “I think we’ve determined she’s not sweet.”

  Trees shook his head. “Don’t confuse her acts with the woman herself. She’s gotten herself tangled up in this shit for reasons you and I may never fully understand. But your instincts are right. She’s naturally sweet. A pleaser.”

  “Submissive?” Was that what Trees meant to infer?

  His friend shrugged. “Maybe. Probably. But you don’t know if you don’t try. So here’s my advice: if you spank her and she comes up biting your head off, then probably not and you should stop immediately. But…if you try and she doesn’t? If she melts? It just might make her pliable enough to be honest. Worth a shot, anyway.”

  If it broke her down and he got some real fucking answers? “Hell, at this point, I’m willing to try anything.”

  Trees clapped him on the back. “You might just be surprised. And if I’m right, a bunch of my equipment is down there. You can thank me later.”

  Zy should have figured out his buddy’s predilections sooner, but he’d never given much thought to Trees’s sex life. On the other hand, the big guy made some good points…

  Admittedly, if he had ever been tempted to tie a woman down and have her submit to him, it was now. It was Tessa.

  He didn’t have the strength to fight both her and his own needs.

  Zy yanked his phone from his back pocket and settled it on the counter. “I know I’m running out of time. If the bosses call, stall them. But I don’t want to be disturbed. I’m not coming out of that fucking bunker until I have answers.”

  Shivering from more than the cold, Tessa wrapped the blanket around herself tighter and paced the underground shelter, trying to process her horrifying new reality. But one thing was clear: somehow, Zy knew she’d betrayed EM Security Management.

  Did he know why? He must by now. Could he simply not forgive her?

  God, she had to get out of this mess, but how? He’d locked her underground without a way to contact anyone. Cold fear filled her. How long would he keep her here? And what if Hallie’s kidnappers called? What if they had new demands she wasn’t around to placate? What would happen to her baby?

  Hot tears fell. She wiped them away. They were useless, but they wouldn’t stop, damn it. Nothing ripping her apart would.

  If she hadn’t been already, she would soon be fired from her job. Not that it mattered, because kidnappers weren’t good people, and as much as Tessa hated to even think this, the reality was she might not need to provide for her daughter anymore.

  Then there was Zy. The man who had dragged her underground wasn’t the man she’d fallen for. This version of him was harsh and unforgiving. Pure warrior. There would be no reasoning with him. He’d become an enemy combatant with no compunction about doing whatever necessary to compel her surrender.

  As the minutes dragged on, worry warred with regret. Neither did her any good. She had to live with the reason she’d never told Zy about Hallie’s abduction. It was the same terror for her child that had prevented her from sleeping for days—until tonight.

  Earlier, after Zy had fucked her with such desperation and anger, she’d showered and fallen onto the sofa, curled up and sobbing with Hallie’s blanket for all she’d lost. Then she’d fallen into an exhausted slumber. That was the only reason Tessa had to explain how Zy had transported her without waking her to wherever he’d stashed her.

  Despite a few hours’ sleep, she still felt as if she’d been run over by a train. She was definitely too tired to hold up her shield anymore, especially to ward off Zy. She just wanted him to come back.

  She would talk now—she didn’t have much choice—and pray her confession wouldn’t mean the end of her sweet little girl. Hopefully, Zy would understand why she hadn’t been honest with him, why she’d chosen to betray the bosses, and he would forgive her someday. But she didn’t expect him to.

  He would probably hate her for the rest of his life.

  Despite that, she would raise the white flag and offer up whatever surrender he wanted if he’d save Hallie. Afterward, she would leave and never darken his path again, even though it would break her heart into a million pieces.

  She had no idea how much time had passed when she heard the scrape of metal and the squeaking of hinges. A chill swept in as the door to the bunker opened. Zy started down the ladder and slammed it behind him, locking it and pocketing the keys before jumping to the ground. Then he turned to face her like a demon with vengeance in his eyes.

  Tessa’s heart rattled in her chest. She took an involuntary step back. “Zy.”

  His smile turned nasty. “Imploring me won’t do you any good, Tessa. Neither will backing away. There’s nowhere to go. So let me tell you what’s going to happen.”

  “I’ll do my best to explain.”

  “No. I’m going to ask questions,” he insisted. “You’re going to answer directly and concisely. The minute you lie to me…” He shook his head. “Don’t. Sorry won’t even begin to describe how I’ll make you feel. That’s a vow.”

  Now he was scaring her. “But—”

  “Stop. Until I start asking questions, I’m the only one talking. Sit in the chair.” He pointed. “Now.”

  Why? So he could stand over her and berate her without really hearing a word? That wouldn’t help her explain and it wouldn’t clear the air between them. “No.”

  He prowled closer. “Sit. In. The. Chair.”

  She side-stepped him—and found herself in a corner. “Don’t do this. Don’t keep me locked in here.”

  Brow raised, he pursued her with a handful of slow, deliberate steps. “I told you to fucking sit.”

  Even as she wondered where she was going, Tessa scrambled and tried to dodge past him—the flight instinct of prey looking for escape.

  Zy made sure she had none.

  He grabbed her arm and tugged her back to the corner. She stumbled on the blanket pooling around her feet. Zy caught her and lifted her free from the heavy quilt before she tumbled to the floor.

  She was stark naked.

  The moment he laid eyes on her, he froze and stared his way down her body. His gaze burned hot. His eyes raked her unrelentingly.

  Tessa’s heart skidded to a stop before it began to thunder in her chest. She looked up at him. Their stares locked.

  The hunger in his eyes stole her breath.

  “Goddamn you,” he breathed.

  Before Tessa could question why he’d cursed her, he yanked her flush against his body, arms banding around her like a vise, then he seized her lips with his own.

  His punishing kiss was the last thing she should want, but now that they were pressed together, her body against his strong, solid form? She needed him. Craved him. Couldn’t stand a moment of not being with him. His nearness gave her strength. His closeness promised that all wasn’t lost. The passion of his lips shoving hers apart and his tongue forcing his way into her mouth said he was still invested in her. Whether he wanted to or not, he still cared.

  God, she needed that—and him—as much as she needed air.

  Tessa threw her arms around his neck, plastering her body to his, and kissed him back. She gave him her fears and worries. Zy took them all, sweeping them up and aside with every dominating lash of his tongue as she melted into him, wrapped her legs around him, and rubbed against him in an unabashed, silent plea.

  He tore his lips free, panting harshly in the otherwise silent space. “Fuck, I need you.”

  “I need you, too.”

  “Don’t fucking lie to me.”

  She shook her head, begging him with her eyes. “I swear.”

  With a growled curse, he took the last handful of steps to the metal chair, threw himself into it, and dragged her onto his lap, forcing her to straddle his hips. “Prove it.”

  The situation was grave, but being this close to him made Tessa tremble with head-to-toe desire. “Yes.”

  Then Zy lurched forward. Without an ounce of gentleness, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and tugged until his lips hovered a mere breath from hers. She surged closer, clutched his face in her hands, and closed the remaining distance.

  She kissed him feverishly. Her body leapt to life. Her heart roared. Her skin sang. Her nipples tightened. Her pussy wept. For him. Always for him. Only for him.

  Tessa pressed her body to his everywhere she could—lips, chests, abdomen—and rocked against him. Beneath his denim, his cock was like an iron bar, riding the most sensitive spot between her legs and arousing her so head-spinningly fast she whimpered.

  He tore his lips from hers, his breaths hard and harsh. “More. Don’t you dare hold back.”

  “I can’t, not from you.”

  “Then make the most of now; it’s the last fucking time I’m going to touch you.”

  Her heart contracted, threatening to crumble, but she refused to waste this moment on regret and tears. He’d given her one last chance to meld with the man she loved and drink in his strength. She needed it. She was taking it.

  Tessa nodded and clutched his shoulders before she bent to nuzzle his salty-musky neck. His skin was soft, velvet over steel. She dug her fingers into the shorn hair at his nape and dragged her lips up to his lobe with a nip. He shuddered. His breathing quickened. She couldn’t resist more.

  She planted her mouth along his jaw and kissed her way down, shoving his T-shirt aside to bite into the firm bulge of muscle between his shoulder and his neck. When he hissed, she laved the sting with a long lick, loving the slightly salty flavor of him on her taste buds. Then she dragged her tongue from the hollow between his collarbones upward, flattening over his Adam’s apple and nipping at his chin before he lost patience, cursed, and fused their mouths together for another violent kiss of rough breaths and desperate grips.

  Finally, he pulled back. They stared at one another for a long, panting moment. He swallowed hard. She nearly lost herself in the demanding blue of his dilated eyes.

  Then he dropped his gaze to her breasts. She felt his visual touch like a caress, her nipples tightening painfully, even before he took them in his hands and lifted one to his mouth with a groan. He sucked hard. The contact was electric, his very touch pumping her with enough wattage to jolt her heart back to life. Her womb clenched in empty pleading.

  Tessa arched toward him, tossing her head back and gasping out his name. His tongue swirled around one sensitive crest, then the other, before he sucked, laved, and pinched them in turn. Pleasure rose inside her, hot, hard, and fast, as he ate at her nipples with a merciless grip and a growl. She pressed restless, frenzied kisses to his temple, his forehead, clutching him against her body as if that could keep him with her forever.

  He pulled free and tugged on her hair again. “Are you wet for me?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m going to fuck you.”

  “Please.”

  Zy broke away just enough to work at his fly. She attacked his T-shirt, jerking it up his torso and tearing it from his body, interrupting him only long enough to free his arms. As she tossed the black cotton across the room, he shoved his pants to his hips. She took his cock in hand, stroking his imposing length, worshipping his iron girth, and reveling when he hissed her name in agonized pleasure.

  As if he couldn’t wait another second, Zy lifted her and aligned her over his cock. The moment his crest settled against her slick opening, he gripped her hips and shoved her down to submerge every last inch of his shaft inside her while thrusting up with a snarling moan.

  Tessa cried out. Her flesh stretched and stung and burned. It hurt, just like their love. But she absorbed it all, thrilled to be taken by him. To be one with him again.

  “Fuck, baby…”

  His growl tightened the need between her legs. But that was nothing compared to the jolt of sensation that coiled inside her when his palms crushed her hips and his fingers dug into her fleshy ass and he began plowing into her, one long, urgent stroke after another.

  Tessa felt invaded and adored at once.

  Zy sucked her nipple between his teeth and suctioned it against the roof of his mouth. She tugged on his hair and pressed his face against her chest, chanting his name, as arousal soared, churning between her legs.

  “More. Zy… Please.” Tessa closed her eyes and pulled him into her, straining to get as close as possible as she gave herself over to his fevered rhythm.

  “Can’t stop. Want you. So. Fucking. Bad.”

  “I want you, too. I never stopped.”

  He scoffed. “I never mattered to you.”

  The fact he thought that horrified Tessa. She grabbed his face. “You were everything to me.”

  She ached to tell him that she loved him and had for months, that she hadn’t said the words before out of an abundance of caution. But he wouldn’t believe her now. And if this was the last time he would ever touch her, it didn’t matter. He’d already resolved to hate her, and she should let him go before his feelings for her turned toxic.

  “You were my world. I bought you a ring.” He tugged on her hair and forced her to look into his eyes. The anguish there nearly undid her. “I wanted to marry you.”

  Bittersweet joy made her eyes sting even as grief broke her heart. “I would have said yes.”

  He scowled. “Shut up and fuck. That’s all we have left.”

  Then he said nothing, just worked like a maniac to fill her harder and faster. His muscled thighs spread and braced on the concrete floor as he forced his way deeper, to the limits of her body. His arms trembling and jaw clenched, he used every ounce of his strength to merge them together as if, even if he hated to admit it, he wanted to fuse their bodies together into one. Since protesting was pointless, she gave in, gripped him in every way possible, and bobbed on his cock until she was breathless.

  A sheen spread across her back, cooling her skin in the damp subterranean air. It matched the humid slick now on Zy’s muscled chest. Beads began to run down his temples. He ground his teeth, his neck straining, his tendons standing out, with every insistent shove inside her.

  None of that slowed him down.

  Bliss surged. Her breaths caught. Love she couldn’t stop feeling spilled from her heart to the kisses she dropped onto his face and lips, onto her tongue as she delved into his mouth and tried without words to confess her feelings.

  His breathing picked up pace. He groaned into her mouth as the head of his cock bulldozed over nerves deep inside her that had awakened again the moment he touched her. Tingles became a coiled ache as he worked her over with a ferocity that stole her breath. His lungs labored like a bellows when he lifted her writhing form as if she weighed nothing, then slammed her down again, his joyless smile all teeth as she dug her nails into his shoulders and cried out.