"Dude, you're fucking cheating!" Wild yells from beside me on the couch as he smashes the buttons to the PlayStation controller.

I roll my eyes. "Ha! I don't need to cheat to beat your shitty skills."

When I lineup my next shot on the screen Wilder shoves me. My round fires into the side of an animated building.

"Look who's cheating now, motherfucker!"

Wild laughs hysterically before his soldier on the TV sneaks up behind mine and slices his throat.

"Take that shit! Woo!" He shouts, throwing his controller down and jumping off the couch in victory just as the apartment door opens.

The two of us look over to see Lexi walking in, amusement shining in her bright hazel eyes.

My gaze rakes over her like a starving man in the desert and she's the only water for miles. She's in another one those short-as-fuck skirts that barely cover her ass. Every day since she got here she's worn one and I'm starting to think she's doing it on fucking purpose.

"Hey, guys." She waves as she passes on her way to the bedroom.

We wave back in silence until she's out of sight. It takes everything I have not to break my neck and watch her walk down the hall just to get another glimpse of her assets.

"Wow," Wilder shakes his head when the bedroom door clicks shut. "She's trying to fucking test you."

"Tell me about it."

Shaking out his messy hair, Wild sits back down and sighs. "You're a stronger man than me. I would've snapped by now."

"Between Dolly's, training, and patrol; I haven't really been home the last couple days. So she hasn't had the chance to test me too much." I shrug and lean back. "Can't say it's not hard as shit though."

Wild scoots away. "Dude, I don't wanna hear about your dick."

"Ha. Very funny." I elbow him in the arm."You know what the fuck I meant."

He's not wrong though. Sleeping just rooms away from Lexi hasn't been easy. I've had to rub one out each night just to get some fucking shut-eye only to wake up half-way through the night with a hard-on from hell.

I blame myself. When she moved in three days ago I planned to give her a taste of what was coming. I've never had an idea backfire so fucking bad in my life.

The way she responded to my touch, the moans that spilled from her sinful lips, and the way she ground herself against my dick; I was so close to losing control. I wanted to keep her thinking about me but now I'm the one who can't get her out of my head.

Great job, dipshit.

"You're thinking about her, huh?" Wild asks, already on the verge of laughing.

I throw my head back and sigh, making him chuckle as he gets up from the couch.

"Alright, I gotta get going and you gotta handle some business." He tips his head to the hall. "Go shoot your shot, bro."

"Yeah, yeah. You go handle your business."

"Oh, I will. That Hazel chick from the party has been blowing up my phone. Thinking I might have to pay her a visit after patrol." Wilder smiles wide.

"Was that the one dressed as the angel or the devil?"

"Devil. My sexy angel ditched me half-way through the party. Fucking shame too, I didn't even get her name."

I shrug and get off the couch. "At least you got the other one."

"Yeah." He nods, disappointment crossing his face. "One's better than none I guess."

Walking him to the door, I laugh. "Aww, you poor thing. Must be fucking hard hooking up with a new chick every week."

"Shut the fuck up. You're just jealous 'cause you're not getting any."

He's not wrong there. But unlike Wild, there's only one girl I'm trying to get.

Ignoring his taunting, I change the subject. "So, you gotta check in with Omar before riding out?"

"Yeah, but I gotta swing home first and grab a few things before the old man gets home."

"He's still giving you problems?"

What am I talking about? Wilder's dad is always giving him trouble. Drunk bastard.

Wild shrugs. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Alright."

Wilder hates talking about his personal shit. I may be the only one he trusts enough to tell but I also know when to butt out. If he needs something, he knows I'm here.

I open the door for him, my adrenaline starting to rush at finally getting some alone time with Lex. "You guys be safe tonight."

"You kidding me?" Wild flashes a dangerous grin as he walks out. "Safety's my middle name!"

"I thought your middle name was Jackass?"

He laughs as he walks down the stairs. "Yeah, and your's is Sexually Frustrated."

"That's two names, dumbass."

I don't hear another word from him, but catch him flipping me off through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the stairwell as he walks across the parking lot. Shutting the door, I turn around to find Lexi standing in the living room with a grin, her arms crossed pushing up her amazing tits.

"You two are adorable." She bites back a laugh. "A true bromance if I've ever seen one."

"I'm not adorable. I'm hot, baby."

"And so damn arrogant." Lex rolls her eyes and walks into the kitchen.

I quickly follow her. "How was studying at Marcel's?"

"We didn't get much done. His mom got called into work so he had to babysit his niece."

"You should've called me, I could've kept the little rugrat busy while you guys studied."

She opens the fridge and shoots me an unconvinced look. "You and kids?"

"Hey, I'm good with kids."

"I'll believe that when I see it." Lex grabs a water bottle and shuts the fridge. "Anyway, what do you think your mom would like for dinner? I could whip up something for all of us."

"She's not gonna be home till later. Has to close the shop tonight."

"Guess it's just you and me then." She shrugs.

Damn right it is. Lexi wants to press my buttons walking around in tempting little nothings, then tonight is gonna be payback.

"So, what do you wanna eat then?" She takes a swig of her water.

"You."

Lexi's eyes shoot open wide as she sputters and chokes on her water.

With a small chuckle, I pat her on the back. "You alright there, sweetheart? Looks like you need to work on your gag reflexes."

She glares at me between coughs.

"I'm gonna kill you," she hoarsely declares.

Shrugging, I walk out of the kitchen. "Not if your panty-flashing-skirts kill me first."

I grin to myself hearing her stomp behind me.

"Is that what this is about? You don't like the way I dress?"

I whip around, making Lexi jump out of her skin. Those mesmerizing eyes quickly change from feisty to worried as I pursue her, forcing her to back away until her ass meets the kitchen table. But I don't touch her, I just get close enough for her to feel like I am.

"Oh no, baby. I love the way you dress. It's hot as fuck, even more so that you have the confidence to do it. What bothers me is how I'm chained down by your no touching rule when all I wanna do is use that easy access to pull those panties aside and feel you."

She swallows hard, breathing heavily. I don't doubt if I could just touch her I'd feel her pulse racing, and if I could do what I wanted, I'd feel her wet and ready for me. She tries to act like she's so unaffected but I know that look in her eyes.

Lost in the way she's staring at me and how she's biting that full bottom lip, my hand slowly reaches up. My fingers fucking twitch with the need to touch her. Dying to feel that silky smooth skin beneath my fingertips.

She closes her eyes in anticipation, a soft breath escaping her mouth.

Ground rules, Jace. Remember the fucking rules.

I drop my hand before making contact with her flushed cheek. "But I'll behave, sweetheart. As promised."

Lexi's eyes flutter open, a flash of disappointment as she watches me back away.

Turning my back, I head for the living room. While she gets her bearings, I fold out the sofa bed. Her soft footsteps sound from behind me as I add the sheets, blankets, and pillows.

"What are you doing?" Lex whispers.

I toss the last pillow. "Figured we could order a pizza and chill out. Unless you got better things to do."

"No, that's fine. We can do that."

"Alright, I'll order the food if you wanna go put on something more comfortable."

Before I turn around, she disappears down the hall. 

"You're disgusting," Lex declares from her side of the pullout bed, her nose scrunched up as she glares at my plate.

"No, you're just fucking crazy. There's nothing better on pizza than pineapple." I emphasize my words by taking a large bite.

She pretends to gag and adverts her eyes to the TV.

We've been watching some comedy she picked out after changing into a tank top and some tiny fucking shorts that are almost worse than her skirts. I could give her the benefit of the doubt and say she thought they were a safe choice. But the way she looked at me when she crawled into the bed said otherwise. This girl knows exactly what she's doing and I'm so fucking twisted up over her I can't even complain.

"Have you actually tried it before?" I ask, nodding down to the slice of Hawiian pizza on my plate.

Lexi's nose wrinkles again as she shakes her head.

"Then how the hell do you know you don't like it?"

"Because I just know. Pineapple has no place on my pizza. It's not natural."

I narrow my eyes at her. "Try a bite."

"Fuck no!" She shrieks.

"Alexis Tallulah Young, I said get your sexy ass over here and try a bite." I pin her with a demanding glare but can't help the small tilt of a smirk.

She chews on the inside of her cheek but doesn't budge from her spot.

I hold up the slice of pizza and raise a challenging eyebrow.

"Ugh, fine," she groans.

Getting on all fours, Lexi crawls across the mattress towards me, her eyes locked with mine.

It's a good thing I changed into some sweat pants earlier, otherwise, my straining dick would be in a lot of pain pressed against the zipper of my jeans. I use all the control I have to hold her gaze and not look down her shirt.

When she reaches me, I hold out the pizza for her. Lex scrunches her nose again but wraps her mouth around the food and slowly takes a bite.

Fuck. Who knew watching someone eat could be so damn hot?

"So, what do you think?" I ask while she sits back on her heels.

She makes a face while chewing. "Gross."

I roll my eyes and hand her a napkin. "Fine, then go ahead and spit it out."

Shaking her head, she uses her drink to wash down the food before giving me a teasing smile. "I don't spit. I swallow, thank you very much."

My eyes roll back. "Fuck, why do you gotta say shit like that?"

Giggling, Lex sits back down and crosses her legs. "Wow, Jace. You sound flustered. Maybe you should get laid."

Oh yeah, she knows what she's doing.

A growl works its way from my chest. "Keep fucking with me, Alexis. I'll break that rule of yours real quick and put you over my knee."

Now it's her turn to get worked up. A light shade of pink fills her cheeks, her mouth falling open while she stares wide-eyed at me.

Guess she likes that idea.

Noted.

I'm about to screw with her some more, push a couple buttons, and see what kind of reaction I can get when my phone buzzes on the end table.

Irritated, I pick it up and look down to see a text.

Marcel: V coming your way. Gonna hit the patrols.

Fuck!

"I gotta go." I jump to my feet and shove my phone in my pocket.

Lex's brows pinch together. "What's wrong?"

"Family emergency. I'll be back later. Lock the door behind me and don't open it for anyone." I grab a shirt and pull it on before snatching my keys off the coffee table.

Lexi climbs off the bed and grabs my hand before I can dart for the door. Her blue-hazel eyes gaze up at me with concern. "Jace, please, what's going on?"

My pulse thumps in my ears. I hate leaving her like this, but I don't have a choice. The guys are out there with no idea what's coming and no backup. I gotta get to them before the Vipers do.

"I gotta go," I repeat. "Please, baby, just do as I say."

Before I can think, I lean down and plant a quick kiss on her lips before running out the door.

Sprinting down the stairs, I try calling Kade and Wilder. The fact neither of them is answering makes my blood run cold. It's not like them to not pick up, especially while on patrol. Which means I need to go straight to the one in charge tonight.

Jumping on my bike, I call our second.

"Hello?"

"Colt!" I grip my phone tighter to my ear. "Where are you guys at?"

"Well, nice to talk to you too, Jace," Colt chuckles on the other end. "Motto and I are just lounging in front of AssKickers."

"What about the others?"

Colt's laughter sobers quickly, his voice dropping with mild concern. "What's going on, youngblood? You sound like you're about to lose your shit."

I take a deep breath and try to speak calmly as possible. "I got a tip..."

"From your source, like before?"

"Yeah." I nod even though he can't see me. "He says Vipers are coming after the patrol party, now."

"Fuck...alright, alright. We've had a slow night so we split up. Omar and Shane went down the south edge while Kade and Wild went north. Are you coming from the Gardens?"

"Yeah, leaving now." I start my bike, letting it roar to life for emphasis.

"Okay, you're closer to the north so go to Kade and Wild. I'll get the others and we can meet up in the middle at AssKickers."

"Got it!"

My pulse matches the rumble of my bike as I tear through the Westside. I've been on patrol enough times to know the usual route. If Kade and Wild stick to that, it shouldn't take me long to find them.

Buildings and street lights fly by in a blur on all sides as I try again and again to call through the headset built into my helmet, but each time I get the same result.

"You've reached Kade, you know what to do."

"Aye it's Wild, drop me a message if you're not a pussy or got some to offer."

I don't bother leaving a message. It won't make a fucking difference by the time I reach them.

Turning north on Ridgeway, I swear I hear the faint sound of bikes in the distance. I whip my head around hoping to get a glimpse of yellow or green LED lights. I always told those two that riding around with bright ass spotlights on their bikes was a bad idea, and now I'm thanking god they never listened to me.

The road winds in front of me, forcing me to hit a sharp curve around an empty park that's seen better days. But what catches my eye isn't the broken down playground equipment or the busted street lights, it's the flash of yellow and green on the other side.

I hit the throttle coming out of the bend and race around to the other side. My stomach sinks the closer I get. The yellow and green lights are at a standstill, but what really twists the knife in my chest is the several darker bikes just barely illuminated a few yards from my brothers'.

Fuck no.

As I finally get to the other side of the park, I can feel my blood boil. Kade and Wilder's bikes are laying on the ground while the two of them are going toe to toe with five guys in gray jackets.

My entire world slows down, my body anticipating the point of interception. The guys are holding their own well, but that doesn't help me to breathe any easier.

At the sound of my approach, a couple of Vipers spin around just as I slide my bike alongside the others and jump off. One turns back to help his buddy with Kade while the second flashes a twisted grin my way.

My gaze jumps around taking note of his stance, where his hands are, and even more importantly, his narrowed eyes. Slowly stepping closer, there's a flash in his glare just a second before he swings. I duck and come back at him with a right hook that makes him stumble back.

He rotates his jaw before crouching and springing forward again. Left swing, right swing, left swing; I dodge them all and throw a blow to the gut. The dude grunts but doesn't back away this time, opting to swing two right hooks right after each other, switching up his pattern and catching me off guard. I take a hit to the head but it only narrows my focus more.

I swing left and connect harder than before. Another right, and left to the ribs. The bastard hunches forward and I align for an uppercut bashing him in the face and sending him flying to his back. Going in, I jump on the dude and throw blow after blow until I see the lights go out in his eyes.

He's breathing, but no longer a problem.

As I get to my feet, I watch in horror as Kade's knocked to the ground. A Viper stomps on his hand, while the other kicks him in the face. My cousin's tough but that's a hard hit for anyone.

"Kade!" I rush over.

I kick the guy standing on his hand in the stomach, sending him flying into a light pole before turning around and smashing the other in the temple. The snake crumbles to the ground with dead weight, his head smacking against the road.

"Get up, cus," I urge Kade, helping him to his feet.

He holds his hand close to his body, his eyes growing wide as he looks behind me.

"Jace!" He shouts and tries to reach out to grab me but it's too late.

I spin around in time to be charged by the guy who kissed the light pole. He leaps and tackles me to the ground drilling me with a barrage of punches. Several hit their target, my head, and face before I throw my arms up to block. Then as quickly as he was on me, he's gone, having been thrown off by Kade who winces in pain and clutches his hand.

I quickly get up and kick the asshole in the teeth with my boots until he's flat out, eyes closed.

Looking over, I catch Wild throwing a knee into a Viper's face, thoroughly knocking him out like several of his buddies. The only snake still conscience untangles himself from his bike where Wild must have thrown him and wobbles to his feet.

Wilder doesn't hesitate to rush him, grabbing the straggler by his shirt collar and raising his fist.

"Wait," Kade barks and walks over to glare at the sorry bastard from beside Wilder. "Why?"

The guy's face pinches in confusion. "What?"

"Why?" I shout and join them. "What does Vic want from this?"

A weary smile slips across his bloody lip. "He says the deadline is close. Officer Williams has two days left to make his choice before all hell breaks loose. He better make a smart decision. This is Victor's last warning."

"Not a very good one if none of you fuckers are left standing," Kade sneers before giving Wild a nod.

Wilder stares down at the dumbass with pure hatred in his eyes before his fist connects. Victor's lapdog goes limp and Wild lets him drog to the cement.

We get to our bikes, leaving the Viper trash strewn across the road.

"Can you ride?" I ask Kade, watching him flex his hand and bite back the pain.

He nods. "I'll make do."

"Then let's get the fuck out of here," Wilder says, slipping on his helmet.

Kade drove straight home while Wilder and I met up with Colt and the others. We gave them a play by play along with Victor's warning. He said Uncle Rob was already on his way over and they would go clean up the mess by the park.

"You did good, youngblood," Colt assured me, squeezing my shoulder. "Now go home and rest. Your work's done tonight."

I want to believe him but that's hard to do when I picture Kade getting beat down. How is anything that happened tonight good?

The week Victor gave us is almost up, we should've expected something like this. It's our job to protect the Westside but how can we do that if we can't even keep each other safe?

Pulling into the apartment complex, I park in front of my building while Wilder idles nearby, his voice coming through in my helmet.

"Go grab your girl and rest. Like Colt said."

"And what about you?" I ask, shutting off my bike and glancing over at him.

His leather-covered shoulders shrug, his face hidden behind the tinted shield. "Gonna crash in the barn tonight. I'll catch you in the morning, brother."

"Be safe."

"Always."

He pulls away, heading for the dirt road behind the complex.

I drag myself up the stairs and into my pitch-black apartment. Mom and Lexi must already be asleep. So I shrug off my dirty blood-covered clothes and let them fall to the floor beside the pullout. Quietly, I make my way to the bathroom to inspect my injuries but only get halfway before my bedroom door creaks open.

"Jace?" Lexi's voice whispers through the dark. 

"It's me."

She tiptoes into the hall, her shadowed figure finding me. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, just going to the bathroom."

I move around her and walk down the hall but her light steps follow me. I don't want her to see me like this but there's no use in hiding it. She'll see in the morning.

I flip on the switch, standing in front of the mirror, watching as she walks in behind me. Her bright, sleepy eyes take one look at my reflection and her mouth falls open.

"Oh my God, Jace!" Her hand shoots to cover her mouth but it does nothing to hide the horror in her gaze. "What happened?"

I shrug. "Just a little scrap with some guys. Nothing to worry about."

"Bullshit."

She may have a point. A black eye, busted lip, a bruised jaw, and a trail of blood trickling down from my hairline doesn't look like nothing. But I've had worse and will most likely receive it again in the future. It's inevitable as a Guardian and a fighter.

Ignoring her stare, I grab a washcloth and wet it in the sink. Keeping my head down, I don't notice Lexi next to me until her hand lightly covers mine.

"Let me." She slides the rag from my grip and uses her other hand to pull me towards the toilet.

After pushing me down to sit, Lex digs through the medicine cabinet until she finds alcohol. With shaky hands, she picks up the washcloth and turns to stand in front of me, carefully cleaning my cuts with pursed lips and drawn brows.

I stare up at her in wonder. I never in a million years thought Alexis would be taking care of me like this. Tears shine her eyes but she holds them back, trying to be strong. She never ceases to fucking amaze me.

For weeks I've been terrified of how she'll react if she finds out about my world. I always imagine her running away in fear, unable to handle me and my life. It's an image that's kept me awake many nights. Besides being a Guardian, there's nothing I want more than to have her with me. To hold Lexi every day, to have the chance to make up for my mistakes, and prove to her how much she means to me. But I've struggled with telling her everything or keeping it all from her.

Yet here she is, cleaning my wounds despite how scared she looks. My baby isn't running from me. That means more than I can explain. My feelings for this girl just keep growing every day. After this, there's no way I can let her go. It'll fucking kill me.

Having cleaned the blood off, Lexi switches to the alcohol. She pours it onto a new rag and lightly dabs it on my cuts. The shit burns like fire licking at my skin and I slightly wince.

"Sorry." She cringes. "Should've warned."

I pull her closer until she's standing between my legs and keep my hands wrapped around the back of her thighs.

"It's fine. This isn't my first time."

A pensive look washes over her gorgeous face. "Do you get into a lot of fights?"

My gut twists with fear. "Maybe."

Lex chews on the inside of her cheek but doesn't say anything else. Her attention is elsewhere, lost deep in thought.

Worried she might be withdrawing from me, one of my hands tightens on her thigh while the other traces the hem of her shorts. A shiver runs through her body and goosebumps break out across her skin.

I bite back a smile, fucking thrilled with the way her body reacts to me, but wince when I feel my split lip tear some more.

"Don't do that," Lex demands softly, grabbing my chin with her hand and holding my face steady so she can clean the fresh blood.

"My bad."

"Yeah, it is."

I search her face, dying to have her look me in the eyes. She knows it and tries to deny me that pleasure. I trace my finger across her thigh again and she sighs, finally connecting those hypnotizing eyes with mine.

"What happened to no touching?" A hint of a smile tugs at her luscious lips.

"You touched me first."

"That's different. I'm trying to help you."

"Mmm," I groan. "Guess I need to get hurt more often if that's the only way you'll touch me."

She narrows her eyes at me, her grip on my face tightening. "That's not funny."

"I wasn't joking. You're the best nurse I've ever had, sexiest too."

She blushes and turns away to drop the rag on the counter and put away the alcohol. With everything picked up, she backs up, a new source of worry lighting her face.

"Are you good to sleep? No concussion?"

I shake my head and stand up. "I'm fine."

Her eyes travel down my body, only now noticing that I'm only in my boxers. She bites her lip and it takes everything I have not to push her up against the wall and show her how much I appreciate the help.

"O-Okay." She nods. "Then we should go to bed."

Lex quickly shuffles out of the bathroom.

I follow behind her but turn for the living room, hating every step I take away from her while she hangs back in the hallway.

"J-Jace."

I turn around, able to make out the doubt written all over her face.

"Maybe," Lex takes a deep breath. "Maybe you should sleep in your bed...with me." Her next words rush out. "Just to make sure you're okay for the night."

"If that's what you want."

Lexi nods and slowly backs towards my room. I follow her, gazes locked until we're safely alone. While I shut the door, she scrambles into bed. She watches every move I make as I climb in next to her. Even as I cover up and lay back, she stays sitting up, eyes glued to me.

Taking a chance, I open my arms and nod, fully prepared for her to turn me down. But she surprises me for the second time tonight and curls up against me, laying her head on my chest.

The breath of relief that leaves me is unlike anything I've ever felt. I wrap my arms around her slim waist and hold her close. Out of everything I've missed over the years, it's this right here that I've missed the most.

I breathe her in, filling my senses with her scent of coconut and shea butter. Each muscle in my body relaxes and my eyes close, content, and happy. That's what Alexis does to me. She makes everything better.

💋____________________________________💋

Hey everyone, sorry for being a couple hours behind schedule. This chapter took me a little longer than expected. I'll be the first one to admit I am not the best at fight scenes, so I struggle some. Hopefully you still enjoyed it!

Now for my questions!

What do you think of Lexi and Jace teasing each other? What about that fight with the Vipers? Do you think it was missing anything? And what are your thoughts about that moment between Lexi and Jace at the end?

Let me know what you think in the comments and if you like what you read, please hit that star button!

P.S. OMG this book hit 3k reads 4 days ago and now it's at 4k. I'm seriously freaking floored right now. Thank you all for giving this book a chance and I hope you stick around for more. And also, yes I love you silent readers because without you, this book would go unnoticed. But omg, I am dying to hear your thoughts, so leave some comments!

The teaser for chapter 24 will be posted on my Instagram and Twitter in a day or two. Keep an eye out for it!