Her face was serious and she nodded her head, repeating, “Friends, but be careful. They’re dangerous.”

“Yes,” I said, but that hollow feeling was back in my stomach. The three of us walked back toward the house, Zoya in my arms.

Her finger pointed to my face. “One, two, three,” she counted tapping the side of my left cheek.

“What are you doing?” I asked. She prodded my upper cheek.

“One, two, three,” she repeated, “the moles beside your eye.”

She reached out and put her hand on our brother’s face. “You don’t have them.”

“No,” he said, reaching out and tickling her ribs. Our sister screamed and laughed until our brother stopped and ruffled her black hair.

“It’s okay,” she said, and tapped his shoulder. “He has one for each of us.” She pointed to me, “one,” then pointed to herself, “two,” then pointed to our brother, “three.” She nodded her head proudly. “One mole for each of us.”

I turned her face to look at me. “And what about the babies? What about your other brother and sister? I don’t have five moles. I don’t have enough for all of us.”

She scowled. “Uh-uh. They’re babies. They cry and cry.” She put one of her hands on my face and one on my brother’s. “You’re mine. My big twin brothers. The babies have each other. Papa said when you’re big and strong you’ll protect me and no one will hurt me because you’ll scare them all away.”

My brother moved over and whipped her from my arms. He threw her in the air and she squealed. He pulled her to his chest, kissed her on her cheek, and said, “And that’s true. We’ll always protect you.”

“I know,” she said smugly, and pointed that little finger between the three of us again. “One, two, three … Zoya, Zaal, and An—”

I gasped and my eyes snapped open. I lurched forward. Sweat poured from my body. My hands were shaking. I looked down at my hands, they wouldn’t stop shaking. I blinked and blinked and searched for air, the little girl’s words circling my mind.…

One, two, three. Zoya, Zaal, and An—

Pain stabbed behind my eyes as I tried to remember more. I shouted out in frustration. The pain blocked something in my mind, something I wanted to remember.

You’ll forget them all, Master’s voice ordered. A chain whipped along my back, hands tied behind my back as I hung off the wall. You’re mine. You have no past, no family, no other thought than to kill. You’re a killer. You’ll kill for me. Only me.

“Zaal?” Talia’s soft voice suddenly cut into my racing mind. Her hand landed on my shoulder. I closed my eyes, trying to use it to calm.

I could feel her moving beside me. Suddenly, she spread her legs over my lap and placed her palm on my cheek. “Shh…” she soothed. “It was only a dream. You’re safe, you’re here with me.”

Papa said when you’re big and strong you’ll protect me and no one will hurt me because you’ll scare them all away.

“Zaal!” Talia pushed, and raked my damp long hair back from my face. “Look at me. Please.”

I did as she ordered and locked on to her brown eyes. I swallowed and asked, “Who am I?”

Talia froze, her face paling. I slipped my hands on her bare waist and asked again, “Talia. Who am I?”

“Zaal,” she whispered. I shook my head.

“No!” I released my hands and gripped the side of my head. “In my head. Pictures, people. Who are they?” I pulled my hand into a fist and hit it against my chest. “Who am I? Zaal? Who is Zaal?”

Talia’s hand on my face began to shake, but she was frozen on my lap. My heart began to pound. It was too fast, beating too fast. Talia knew something.

“Zaal,” she whispered. Fear in her voice.

My stomach churned. I’d made her upset again. I didn’t want Talia to be upset.

Pressing my forehead against hers, I asked, “Why do you get upset? Why do you always get sad over me?”

Talia’s mouth opened. But no words came out. I gripped her face, and smashed her lips to mine. I pushed my tongue into her mouth. Talia groaned, her fingers fisting my hair.

My cock hardened under Talia. She moved forward until her cunt was over my dick. I growled when I felt the wetness, the warmth spreading over me. Running my hands down her back, I lifted her ass, and in seconds pushed her down on my cock. Talia screamed out and her head fell into the crook of my neck. I closed my eyes as her cunt sucked me in, the feel too much.

Fire ran through me as I pushed Talia up and down, her nails scraping against my scalp. I closed my eyes, trying to forget my dream. I pounded her pussy harder and harder, but the more I tried to lose myself in Talia, the more my brain tried to remember.

Pain so strong tried to shoot down my spine. I bowed my back, but my cock thrust harder in Talia. It felt too good to let the pain in. I panted. My chest heaved and I gritted my teeth as my head ached. My body fought against both pleasure and pain. I couldn’t take it, couldn’t take the confusion.

Snapping my head back, I released a rage-fueled roar and, gripping the back of Talia’s thighs, pushed her on her back, my cock still fixed tight inside her cunt. Talia shouted in surprise as I smashed my chest against her breasts. Eyes forward, my arms tensed and braced at each side of her head. I slammed forward, Talia’s legs wrapping tightly around my waist.

My nostrils flared with the severity of my thrust and I shook my head trying to fight the pain.

Below me, Talia moaned. I built up speed, the bed smashing off the wall. Talia’s hands grasped my hair. She forced me to look down.

Sweat was dripping down her chest, strands of her blond hair slapping against her flushed face. Her eyelids were cast, and her mouth was slightly open. I slammed into her even more.

I squeezed my eyes shut when her gaze met mine. Shame ran through me. I was being too hard. I tried to slow, but Talia’s hands gripped my arms.

“Fuck it out of you, zolotse. Take from me what you need.” I fought to control the urge to fuck her hard … then I stilled as I heard what she said, zolotse, my gold.

“Zolotse…,” I murmured, getting harder still off the endearment. Talia’s face flushed red, but her brown eyes never moved from mine. Zolotse.

My head fell to her chest. Talia’s hands pushed through my hair. I panted and tried to rid myself of my rage, my confusion, my frustration, but I couldn’t. It wouldn’t go.

Then Talia’s mouth moved to my ear and she whispered, “Use me. Use me to rid yourself of the rage, take it out on my pussy.”

I stilled, and at her words, my cock swelled until it hurt. “Talia,” I growled.

“Do it, Zaal. Take me, zolotse.”

At the use of that word, something snapped inside me. Seeing the open look on Talia’s face, I broke. Tensing my neck, I thundered out a groan and plowed forward, Talia raking my back with her sharp nails.

I tucked my head into her neck, her scent enveloping me. And I took. I rammed into her over and over again. Possessing her. Owning her. Talia whimpered and moaned, but her pussy tightened like a fist and our skin burned with heat.

“Zaal…,” Talia moaned. “Yes, baby, fuck me.”