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It’s a photo. A photo of three guys. Younger guys. Maybe between the ages of fifteen and nineteen.

A flash of familiarity hits me, and my brows furrow as I stare at the photo.

The longer I look, the more my brain works to try and pinpoint why I feel like I know the three boys in this photo.

My eyes widen as a gasp slips past my lips, my hand flying to my mouth.

“It can’t be,” I whisper, shaking my head, taking a step back.

I knew who the boys in the photo were. How could I forget them, even for a moment? Not when, for years as far back as I could remember, they were all I thought about, dreamed about.

They’re the boys from the train tracks. The ones I stumbled upon during the darkest part of my life. The boys who made me smile again, made me laugh, made me feel free and happy, like everything was going to be okay.

And then, one day, it was all gone. They were gone, just like that. It was like they never even existed.

That was, until now.

With shaking fingers, I reach for the photo, tracing the faces from my past.

I can place it now. Maverick’s dark hair. It was shorter then, and he didn’t have a beard.

Shepherd’s same sunshine smile that stole the breath away from my lungs, even back then.

And Saint. The color of his hair was a dirty blond, almost brown, shaggy like Shepherd’s.

The men who’ve been stalking me, the ones I caught killing a man, the ones who have been part of my sick fucked up fantasies, the same ones who kidnapped me... aren’t stangers.

No. Not at all.

They’re the same boys who stole my heart before breaking it all in the same summer, and they didn’t even know it.

Well... fuck. Things just got a lot more complicated, didn’t they?

Chapter Thirteen

Maverick

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“How is your guest settling in?” our father asks as soon as we step into his office.

“Better than we expected.” I take a seat at one of the chairs in front of his desk.

Father lifts a brow, not entirely convinced. I don’t blame him. Most people don’t react in the best way after being taken without permission. Not that I can blame them, I wouldn’t be too keen if someone took me against my will.

But this is Cove, and the situation is different. Her life is in danger, and we did what we had to do to protect her.

And the simple fact is she's ours, and she belongs with us. With time, she will see that too. I know in my soul she will.

“She didn’t scream?” he asks. “Cry? Beg to be let go?”

Shepherd snorts. “No,” he says. “Well, she did ask if we could let her go, but we told her no.”

“And she just accepted it?” Father’s brows furrow.

“Well, no,” Saint says. “I’m sure once we get back, the reality of everything will sink in, and she will probably have a few choice words. But we’ve been watching her on the cameras, and she’s still in the house.” As Saint says that, he looks down at his phone. “See?” He holds up his phone and shows Cove on the cameras.

I grin, watching as she snoops around.