"I missed my test in History yesterday." I told Cage as we unpacked the duffel bag Micheal had bought up five minutes earlier. There were lots of rifles in the bag, including cases of bullets and little vials of gunpowder. There was also a huge stack of money wrapped in plastic. I reached into the bag and pulled out a burner phone, throwing it onto the bed with the rest of the illegal things. Every single item in there was black market material, save for a bag of Jolly Ranchers, for some strange reason.

Cage had been quiet for the last few minutes, unpacking the other bag quietly. He was swiping through a white tablet now, looking at a whole bunch of pictures with a man that had a target mark around his head. Real subtle.

"You're halfway across the country and you're worried about school?" His voice was thick with amusement. Cage turned off the tablet and placed it by the bedside table, giving me a weird look as if I was the absurd one here.

"Yes!" I threw yet another burner phone onto the bed. God, how many did Cage need? And why exactly were there so many weapons and bullets? Who was he planning on killing? There was absolutely no reason to own three semi automatic rifles. "I'm already struggling to pass that class. That final was worth half of my grade. I need to get all 8 credits to graduate, Cage. Being here isn't exactly helping."

"You're 17, right?"

"Yes."

"And you can't turn on a propane grill without burning off your eyebrow." Cage smirked. I was about to protest but he continued making fun of me. "You were wearing superhero pajamas and you worried about school even though your life is in constant danger. You love Disney movies that were meant for children and tried to teach Nick how to sew a flower. Are you sure you're 17?"

"Your family tree must be a cactus because everyone on it is a prick." I snapped back without thinking. Cage's eyes were one of amusement, thankfully. Unthankfully, he was an asshole. Cage reached across the bed and grabbed something, and then threw it to me.

Upon instinct, I caught it.

It was a hand grenade.

Shrieking, I dropped it and almost tripped over my own two feet as I tried to scramble away. It was only when Cage started laughing that I realized the pin wasn't pulled. Frowning, I straightened up and smoothed my hair down, trying to act as if nothing happened.

"You suck.'' I frowned as Cage chuckled lightly again.

"The only reason I've kept you alive this long is because you amuse me." Cage responded, still smirking. I couldn't tell if he was joking and it worried me very much. Sighing, I dumped the rest of the duffel bag contents onto the bed and took a seat, cringing as a bullet rolled off the bed and touched my hand.

The bedroom had an enormous window that took up half a wall, providing a different view to the city. I was still mystified at the view. The king-sized bed had black silk sheets and white pillows and the carpet was tan-coloured. My favourite part was the sheer white canopy that hung above the bed. There was an ensuite bathroom. That was all I had come across. The other rooms were locked and Cage was too lazy to show me the rest of the loft.

It made me realize how insignificant I was to Cage Vickers or to the whole world. I was just a normal person from a small town leading a normal life. The Crows were powerful, infamous criminals and the entire world knew their name. I didn't matter. My life was valuable, but only to me. What Cage said was true. I was nothing but an inconvenience to them.

Chicago was beautiful, just like Cage. No wait, not like Cage- okay, maybe he was attractive and maybe I was just a little bit attracted to him. But I wasn't about to fall for a criminal, especially one as powerful as him. I couldn't describe how I felt with words. Things were so...different. Everything had changed over the course of one night and I was still trying to catch up, to fathom all the events that had happened. It was overwhelming.

"I don't think your friend Romeo is going to appreciate you bringing me along.'' I said. Cage had begun to organize everything on the table beside the bed, keeping one of the guns on the bed. "You're introducing me to a lot of people, Cage. Maybe I should stay back for this one."

The look Cage gave me was skeptical. "I'm not leaving you alone, princess. There's food in the kitchen if you're hungry and I've left some clothes for you in the bathroom. Come to bed when you're ready."

"This bed?"

"Yes."

"Where are you going to sleep?" I asked nervously.

"Here."

"In this room?" Standing up, I began to panic. "I don't like that idea."

"November, I'm not going to do anything to you. What kind of person do you think I am?" Cage growled as he took his tie off. Surprised, I watched him for a few seconds until I realized how creepy it was and turned around, covering my eyes. The thought of Cage sleeping in the same bed as me made my stomach twist nervously. There was the rustle of a shirt being pulled off.

Oh no, what if he liked to sleep naked?

Oh, no no no. This was very bad.

"Cage-"

"November, trust me."

Jesus, were those his pants coming off-

"Because." I cringed at the thought of sleeping next to Cage. The only man that I had ever slept next to was the Draco Malfoy plushy Fern bought for me. My heart hammered when I heard yet something else being pulled off. He wasn't wearing that many layers to begin with. What did Cage Vickers look like naked? I bet he had a huge- no! I will not think about that!

"I'll sleep on the floor." The husky, alluring voice that I had heard across the bed just moments before was suddenly behind me. Uneasy, I didn't have the courage to turn around. My bottom lip burned with the ghost feeling of his teeth biting down. Cage bent down even closer until I felt each hot breath on the back of my neck. I jumped when his fingers brushed across my shoulder, moving hair out of the way. "Or we can sleep together. That bed is way too big for just one person..."

How could one touch have such profound effects on me? Suddenly, I forgot how to talk. My tongue was too dry to form out words. His fingers travelled downwards, pulling the jacket off in one forceful tug.

"November, tell me to stop." Cage whispered against my skin. It sounded like a promise. Did I even want Cage to stop? The thought that I could have such shameful need for one man made me hate myself even more. Why wasn't I stopping Cage? "And I will. I can't believe..."

''-it's not butter?" I said the first thing that popped into my mind and boy oh boy did I fuck things up.

Laughing hysterically, I moved away and turned around. The moment was ruined. Oh, all of the carnal desires he had been milking for the past moment was completely destroyed. How did I mess this up so badly? After a moment of silence, Cage began laughing too, but he had a sexy quiet laugh while I sounded like I was choking on something.

My stomach was starting to hurt. Cage was cowering in the corner of the bed, now laughing as much as I was. I tried to wipe the tears from my eyes and regain my composure, but Cage's laughter set me off again. For a second, neither of us could speak. The only noise in the bedroom was him gasping for breath and my high-pitched squeals that sounded like I was getting murdered.

Cage was the first one to gather his wits and stand back up. I was still on the floor, trying to recover from laughing so much. "N-November-" He interrupted himself with an involuntary snort. "-I am at a loss with what to do with you- stop! I can't handle you right now-" Cage started to laugh again but tried to control himself before it got too out of hand.

I straightened up, finally calmed down. But the sight of Cage's face was too much and laughter bubbled up in my chest again. Only I could have turned one of the most romantic moments of my life into one of the most awkward. Why did I have to say that? Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut and let the wonderful feelings consume me? I could not have made things any worse.

"Okay." Cage took a deep breath, his eyes light with amusement. "Fuck, my stomach hurts."

"I am so sorry." I snickered out my apology. "Your seduction was working so well...I don't know why I said that."

Cage shook his head, smiling again. He looked so beautiful when he smiled. The things he had done seemed unfathomable when Cage had such a pretty face. Any trace of wrong-doing disappeared with his flash of pearly whites. I felt a strange tugging in the pit of my stomach. How could such beauty hide such cruelty? Cage's actions didn't match his looks. It was a second later that I realized he wasn't wearing a shirt and I had gotten my wish: A naked Cage Vickers.

And let me tell you...it was a very pleasing sight.

"Who knew butter was so influential in our lives?" Cage teased. He removed the gun from the bed and shoved it under a pillow. Then, he proceeded to flop down onto the bed in all his naked glory. The only thing Cage was wearing was a pair of sweatpants and it was making me sweat. Pulling the covers over his legs, Cage patted the area beside him, an invitation that was tempting but not something that I should do.

I did it anyways.

Jumping into the bed beside Cage, he laughed. I was surprised to see how easily my will was broken. But Cage wasn't going to let me go or leave me alone, and I had nowhere else to sleep. One night couldn't hurt...right? It was just one night and he promised not to do anything. Cage Vickers was a monster but he wouldn't go that far. Besides, if he were to try anything, I always had the option of kicking him in the family jewels again.

I curled under the covers. The bed was big enough that we could each claim our own side and leave room for two more people. However, Cage was not the type of man who liked to sleep isolated, as I soon discovered. A hand slipped around my waist and pulled me suddenly to a warm chest.

Cage pushed the covers off of us and turned the lights off. He didn't rest his head on his pillow, like I was under the impression of, but used me inside. For the rest of that one very strange night, I became a human pillow for Cage Vickers. Trust me, it's a lot more unnerving than words can do justice. He pushed my shirt up and rested his head on my bare stomach.

"Cage!" I shrieked and slapped the back of his head.

"Shh." He mumbled against my skin. Every move Cage made was torturous because his hair was so ticklish. I squealed when fingers clasped around the side of my stomach and squeezed in such a fashion that it set me into another fit of laughter.

"I like it when you laugh." He said softly.

"Awww-"

"Shut up. On a more serious note, I have something to say to you." Cage mumbled. His thumb traced shapes into the side of my skin, completely distracting me from anything else that could happen.

He was warm and soft like mashed potatoes.

Cage's voice turned soft with regret. It was a side of him that I thought didn't exist. For him to be so open was startling. "I am very sorry, November. I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you. No one predicted it would end up like this. I didn't think anyone was inside the car. I've done disgusting things...I've killed people, I've committed more crimes than anyone can count. And yes, doing those things allows me to live a luxurious life. I don't know what you think of me, but I know it's nothing good. I don't blame you, I'd hate me too if this happened to me. Whatever happens from now on, please remember my apology."

"Awww-"

Cage pushed me off the bed.