Fuck me sideways. I sounded like a lovesick fool.

But I couldn’t help it because Zion was… hell, everything I’d ever wanted to have in a relationship. He made me smile, gave me those stupid yet kickass feelings in the gut, and my heart beat faster every time he was near, and I hadn’t seen him in a while.

Was it too soon to call it love?

Fuck it.

I was in love with Zion Storey.

He was mine.

Mine.

Just thinking it brought a smile to my face.

Laughing at myself, I climbed off the bed and made my way into the kitchen. Maybe the fluttering in my gut was hunger and not from thinking of Zion. Who was I kidding? It was Zion. Still, while I was there, I grabbed a glass and filled it with water. Leaning my ass against the counter, I looked around the place.

I’d felt more at home here as each day passed. I knew Zion would have me move in if he had a choice, but it still scared me we were moving too fast and that it’d crash down in the end.

I didn’t want it to end.

Placing the glass down on the sink, I started toward the bedroom when there was a knock on the front door. It was nearing eleven at night. Who would come to Zion’s this late? I quickly grabbed a tee off the floor and went to answer. Only when I unlocked the door, it was pushed open from the outside, causing me to stumble back. Two figures entered; one hit me in the jaw, knocking me sideways from the impact.

Shaking my head, I took the person to the ground in a tackle. He let out a huff. I straddled his waist and laid a fist into his face. It was on the second hit when I recognized who it was.

Henry.

Motherfucking Henry.

My so-called father.

“Get off him” was screamed, and something smashed into my side, knocking me off Henry.

“What the fuck? What the fuck?” I shouted up at Samantha, who held a baseball bat in her hands.

Henry sat and pulled something out from behind him.

A gun.

Fuck.

My pulse was beating a million miles an hour, but it kicked up even more and sent my gut to my feet.

Slowly, I stood as Henry did.

“What do you want?” I asked, looking right at Henry. Both looked strung out, their eyes wild, their clothes tattered and torn. Samantha kept twitching her head to the side, then up and down. Henry shifted from one foot to the other and scratched at his thigh with his free hand. The one that held the gun shook, but in his state, I worried he’d fire it if I moved an inch.

“Been following you. Know where you’re working. You got money, boy, and it’s time you gave us some.”

You have got to be fucking shitting me.

“Are you serious right now? You think I fuckin’ owe you or somethin’?”