Tyrese wasn't exactly a fit guy. He was chubby with a bigger belly than most. When I rolled down my window and he leaned his arms on it, the car tilted his way, and his stomach pressed against the door.

"Where you heading, Don? Haven't seen you around lately. Work keeping you busy, yeah?" he said.

Bagley's voice echoed in my ear. "This is where you act like a corrupt officer. Put on your meanest, most crooked face and talk to him. You've got Don's memories—use them."

My expression hardened as I looked at Tyrese like he was wasting my time. "Why'd you call me, Tyrese? You know I don't have time for anything unless it's business."

"Ooh, who woke up on the wrong side of the bed today, honey? Or did your girl not give you the quickie you were hoping for? If you're bored of her, send her my way. I'll take good care of her," he taunted.

"Get to the point," I snapped. One of Tyrese's guys, his bodyguard, placed a finger on the trigger of the gun tucked behind his pants, lifting it slightly as a threat.

Tyrese waved him off and looked back at me. "Fine, you wanna talk business? Let's talk business. We've had vans starting to patrol this area. They're rounding up some of our boys for questioning, asking them things they shouldn't be asking, you feel me?"

I sighed. "I'll get them off your back, just give me some time."

He nodded, then extended his hand. His guard slapped a stack of bills wrapped in plastic and bound with a rubber band into his palm. Tyrese dropped it onto the passenger seat. "That's for this month. Adios." He walked away into the basketball court where more guys were gathering, some pulling out guns and firing shots into the sky.

I thought East London was bad, but this was worse—and so close to the City of London. Shaking my head, I continued driving down the road until I reached my tower block. I pulled into the parking lot beneath the building and took the elevator up to my apartment. Don's girlfriend should be home by now, which was my only hope of getting inside since I didn't have the keys.

I finally reached the right floor and stood in front of the door. Rang the doorbell. No answer. Tried again. Still nothing. On the third try, the door creaked open, and a woman peeked out with one eye. She had brown curly hair, mistrusting eyes, and her voice was soft, almost hesitant.

"Why're you so late?" she asked.

"Work was tough today. Had a lot of paperwork," I replied, hoping she'd buy it.

She widened her eyes like she didn't believe me, which made me panic a bit. For some reason, Don barely has any memories of his girl. Just a few I could recall, but compared to other parts of his life, there's nothing. Zilch. That worried me because I couldn't draw upon his relationship with her from his memories. It's hard to recall, and there are so few. So right now, I just had to wing it and hope for the best.

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"Come on, just open the door. I'm tired, and I need sleep," I said, adding a yawn to sell my act.

She kept her gaze fixed on me, then closed the door, unlocked the locks, and opened it wide as I stepped inside. That's when I noticed her left eye—it was bruised. Her lip was cracked, and her neck was stained red, like someone had gripped it too hard. My stomach churned at the sight.

Bagley clenched his fist, anger simmering beneath the surface. "She's been abused by her mate. Horrific."

I nodded internally. This was the reason, even if it doesn't explain everything, but I'm pretty sure it's why I couldn't recall much about them. This bastard hid or made himself forget what he did to her. The thought made me sick.

She walked over to the kitchen, pulled a sandwich from the microwave, and brought it to me. "I made this for you. It's exactly how you like it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

It felt weird taking the plate, but I was famished from everything that had happened today. A good meal would energize me, even if it was just a sandwich.

I devoured the sandwich until there was nothing left. Don's girl—Donna, her name was from my memories—sat on the sofa watching me eat in silence. Almost like she was waiting for an opening to kill me. Honestly, I wouldn't blame her. Don was a monster. But I wasn't exactly Don, and I couldn't tell her that. The tension in the room was thick.

She moved toward the bedroom. "I've washed your pajamas. They're in the bedroom," she said softly.

I watched her walk away, feeling a mix of guilt and responsibility. I needed to fix this, somehow.

After wrapping up, I followed her into the bedroom. I was exhausted, and it seemed she bought my act. All I needed now was some sleep before the twelve hours were up. But when I stepped inside, I was stunned—Donna stood there with her shirt undone, and our eyes locked. My face went red. "Uh, sorry, I didn't know you were changing."

She raised an eyebrow. "Since when are you shy? You've seen me like this a hundred times." She glanced down at the obvious bulge in my pants. Walking over, she placed her hand on it, rubbing gently. "I thought I'd never see you react like this again."

She leaned in, kissing my neck. "I figured only another woman could get you this excited."

I tried to step back, but she held me firmly. What's going on with her? She's willing to be with him after her boyfriend just hurt her?

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Isn't this when you usually apologize? Tell me you're sorry, promise it won't happen again, and then use me to satisfy your twisted desires."

I felt myself giving in. My hands moved on their own, pulling her close. She smelled amazing, her lips soft, and her touch sent sparks through me.

But then, my conscience kicked in, and I gently pushed her away. She looked at me with fear. "I—I'm sorry, you just wouldn't stop." I reached out, but she pulled back, eyes wide.

I felt a knot in my stomach. Don had led a twisted life, turning into a monster. Now, he was dragging her down with him. It was heartbreaking to see what he'd done to her.

I turned away, avoiding her gaze. Grabbing Don's pajamas, I said, "I'm going to change in the living room and sleep on the couch. You can have the room tonight."

Closing the door behind me, I changed clothes and lay down on the couch. I didn't bother with a blanket; it was warm enough, and I didn't feel right staying near her.

Sleep overtook me within minutes.