by Mari Carr
“Date night,” Darcy and Oliver said in unison.
“He’ll be pissed he missed all the excitement,” Padraig added.
“Jesus. I could do without excitement like this for the rest of my life,” Miguel said.
Aaron looked over Miguel’s shoulder at something, prompting Miguel to do the same. The EMTs were loading Pennywise into the ambulance.
“You caught him, son,” Aaron said to Miguel.
“Yeah.” Miguel had spent weeks trying to track down the asshole, so he should be celebrating. However, now that it was over, all he felt was…numb. It wasn’t the first time he’d fired his gun in the line of duty, but it didn’t make it any easier to see someone bleeding—bad guy or not—and know he’d been the one to cause that pain. “I should head to the precinct…” His words faded as he blew out a long, weary sigh.
“Paperwork will wait. I gave you another assignment for tonight. You follow through with that yet?” Aaron asked.
Miguel shook his head and grinned. “Only half of it. Then I got kinda distracted by a clown.”
Aaron looked at Miguel, then Layla, then Finn.
Finn grinned when his dad studied his face intently. “I’m fine, Dad. I swear.”
“Okay.” Aaron glanced at Layla, who was far too pale. “You guys got everything in hand here?”
Miguel knew Aaron wasn’t asking about the robbery. “Yes, sir.”
Finn stepped closer to Layla, who was still visibly shaken, and put his arm around her, then he nodded. “Yeah. We got it, Dad.”
“Captain Young,” Higson called out. “You got a minute?”
Aaron waved to the young officer. “Call me in the morning, Finn.”
“I will,” Finn promised.
Aaron walked back to his vehicle as Miguel turned to Layla and Finn.
“My place?” he asked.
Layla pulled her keys from her purse. “We’ll take my car.”
Finn took the keys from her when they spotted her still-trembling hands. “I’ll drive.”
Chapter Nineteen
“I think I lost ten years off my life,” Finn admitted when they walked into Miguel’s apartment. “Jesus. I can’t stop hearing that gunshot inside the bar. Can’t stop seeing that clown point the gun at you, Miguel.”
None of them stopped at the front door. Instead, they kept walking, straight back to Miguel’s bedroom.
Miguel scowled at Finn, even as he pulled off his shirt. “I told you to stay behind the building. You could have been shot, Finn.”
Finn’s eyes narrowed as he unbuttoned his jeans. “I’m always going to have your back, Miguel. You might as well get used to that.”
Layla had been quiet on the ride from the pub to Miguel’s apartment, and even now, she didn’t join the conversation. Of course, she was sort of busy, frantically unbuttoning her blouse. Finn pushed her still-shaky hands away and took over for her.
“You okay?” he murmured as Miguel stepped behind her and unfastened her bra.
She nodded when the scrappy piece of lace hit the floor. “Ear’s ringing. And I think I’m going to have a black eye tomorrow. But other than that,” she said with a laugh, “I’m just peachy.”
Finn gave her the laugh she seemed to need, but Miguel wasn’t amused.
“We should have taken you to the hospital,” Miguel said, even though he didn’t stop shoving his jeans off, revealing his impressive erection.
“Not going anywhere.” Layla reached out and gripped Miguel’s cock, and Finn watched their cop’s eyes drift closed.
What they were doing here was crazy. Nothing was settled between them, not even close. They hadn’t said one word about Layla leaving, about their feelings for her, about what they wanted.
They’d all just stared down the barrel of a gun, and now…all he could think of was getting them naked.
Fuck it. He kicked off his shoes.
Crazy worked for him.
Layla looked over her shoulder at him, her gaze resting below his waist. She reached out with her free hand and ran her fingers over his crotch. The touch, even muted by the denim, hit him like an electric shock.
This wasn’t going to last long for any of them. The adrenaline levels in this room were off the charts. Finn’s dick was harder than it had ever been in his life.
“Get on the bed,” Finn said as he stripped off his pants. “But wait.” He halted Layla, peeling her sexy, tight jeans and panties off. Then he lifted her onto the bed.
After that, words weren’t necessary.
Layla pushed Miguel to his back and knelt between his legs. She took his cock into her mouth, taking him deep on the first pass. Miguel’s hands fisted in her hair, tugging it hard, the way she liked. The way that made her moan…like she was doing now.
Finn climbed onto the mattress and ran his hand over her upturned ass. God, she had the softest skin, the prettiest rear end. Before he could think about it, he lifted his hand and spanked it. He didn’t hold back, so he knew from the sound, the way she jumped, the way it reddened instantly, it had stung.
Layla released Miguel’s cock with a pop and looked over her shoulder at Finn. “Do that again.”
Fuck. Yeah.
The burn triggered her arousal. Finn smacked her five more times on each ass cheek, holding back nothing, the stress, the relief, the fucking gratitude that they were all here, all alive, was flowing out in this no-holds-barred sex frenzy.
From the way Layla’s head bobbed up and down on Miguel’s dick, deep-throating him like her life depended on it, the way Miguel’s grip on her hair was relentless, powerful, he knew they felt the same way.
They’d faced down death and lived.
Finn ran his fingers through her slit. She was soaking wet and so goddamn hot, he half expected to see steam rising from her pussy.
“Finn,” she cried out, releasing Miguel’s dick when Finn thrust three fingers inside her roughly. Her back arched and her legs parted, inviting—no, begging for—more. He thrust his fingers in harder, faster. Her orgasm struck fast, clenching his fingers so tight, he had to squeeze his eyes closed and count to twenty, lest he fucking come just from feeling her climax. It was insane. Neither lover had touched his dick yet, and regardless, he was right there on the razor’s edge.
“Gotta fuck you, LJ. Jesus. Gotta fuck you hard,” Finn said through gritted teeth. “Roll over.”
Layla flipped to her back and Finn pressed her legs farther apart, his hips between her outstretched thighs. He’d double the foreplay next time. Right now, it was ride or die.
He slammed inside her as Layla’s head reared back and she cried out loudly. Finn pumped hard, even as he reached for Miguel. “Straddle. Her. Head. Facing. Me.” Every word was punctuated by another thrust.
Miguel shifted, his hiss sending Finn’s gaze downward. Miguel’s new position put his balls right above Layla’s face and she’d taken advantage of that, sucking them into her mouth. She’d wrapped one hand around the base of Miguel’s cock and was pumping him with her fist, matching the rhythm of Finn pounding into her pussy.
Miguel leaned forward and kissed Finn. It was a hot, hungry kiss—all teeth and tongues—that ended when Miguel bit Finn’s lower lip, drawing blood.
Finn wrapped his hand on top of Layla’s, tightening their combined grips around Miguel’s dick, even as he kept thrusting inside her. Harder and harder.
“Can’t. Last. I…” Finn couldn’t finish his warning. It was already too late. His balls constricted and he came, Layla hot on his heels. Her legs were wrapped tight around his waist and her body gyrated beneath him, climaxing hard.
Finn fell to her side, struggling to breathe. The air in the room was thick, humid. It was as if they’d traveled to the deepest, thickest part of the rain forest.
Miguel shifted when Layla reached out to him, and Finn realized his friend hadn’t come.
“Shit, man,” he murmured. “Sorry.”
Miguel chuckled. “Greedy asshole.”
Finn
didn’t bother to look guilty. He’d been called that before. On more than one occasion.
Miguel moved over Layla, caging her beneath him. “Brown Eyes, if you’re sore or tired…”
“Come inside me,” she whispered. “Please.”
While Finn had pounded out the fears of the past hour inside her sweet, warm body, Miguel appeared to need a different kind of release.
His motions were slower, gentler. He stroked her body tenderly, looked at her in awe, and kissed her as if she was the most precious person on earth.
She was, Finn thought.
They both were.
They’d come to mean everything in the world to him, and he’d almost lost them tonight.
He watched for a few minutes more, then he twisted toward them, leaned closer until Miguel moved back so that Finn could kiss her. Then he kissed Miguel.
They lost themselves in those kisses, even as Miguel made love to Layla.
Love.
Colm was wrong.
This was no curse.
Miguel and Layla came together, their climaxes more peaceful, but no less powerful.
Miguel shifted to her opposite side, the two of them boxing her in between them. After everything that had happened tonight, after seeing Pennywise holding that gun to her cheek, Finn felt the overwhelming need to keep her with them, just like this, forever.
The three of them were quiet for a long time, but Finn knew they—like him—weren’t sleeping.
Miguel was the first to break the silence, asking the same question rattling around in Finn’s head.
“Why were you at the pub tonight, Layla?”
“I…I wanted to ask…for more time with you. Both of you.”
Finn’s heart stuttered, missing a beat or two as his eyes met Miguel’s. He saw the same hope he felt reflected in his friend’s gaze. Even so, Finn wanted—needed—clarification.
Because they weren’t putting a time limit on this, and they weren’t calling it casual anymore. Nothing about this was casual.
Finn rubbed his beard. “How much more time?”
Layla licked her lips nervously. “Well. Um…how about…”
“Consider your answer carefully, LJ. Say the wrong thing, and I’ll whip your ass again until you admit the truth and tell us exactly what you want.”
An adorable crease appeared in her forehead as she looked somewhat confused. “I swear to God, everything you say in the bedroom turns me on. I just got wet again. And I already had three orgasms.”
“Miguel and I will take care of that wet issue in a minute. Tell us how long, LJ. How long do you want us?”
“Forever?” she asked nervously, lifting one shoulder as if she expected them to laugh or reject her offer.
Miguel did laugh, but not at her. Nope. There was no missing the pure joy in the sound.
“Hot damn,” Finn said as he pulled her into his warm embrace. “You sure that’s long enough?” he murmured in her ear.
She tried to pull back, to sneak a peek at his face to see if he was teasing her. Finn tightened his grip.
She glanced around at Miguel, needing to hear from him as well.
Miguel scooted closer, her back to his front, his lips at the back of her neck. “Forever sounds just fine. I’m in.”
“So that’s it?” Finn joked. “We’re just hopping into a long-term, committed threesome with no discussion, no thinking?”
“You want to talk about it?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Nope. Nothing to think about. I’m in too.”
Epilogue
Finn snuck away from Miguel and Layla, who were sharing the couch with him at his parents’ house. They’d all gathered together to celebrate Miguel’s promotion on the force. The robber, Pennywise, had since recovered from the injuries he sustained and was currently in jail, awaiting his trial. He, Miguel, and Layla, along with Sunnie, Landon, Darcy, Pop Pop and Bubbles, had all gathered around the dining room table for a surf-and-turf feast.
After dinner, they’d decided to watch a movie. Pop Pop had declined, claiming he preferred to finish the current book he was reading. He said it was a mystery, but Finn and Mom had shared a knowing look and grinned. Pop Pop was a sucker for regency romances, a secret all of them knew, but didn’t speak aloud.
“Be right back,” he murmured, when Layla looked up at him questioningly.
Miguel nodded, whispering something to Layla. Most likely she hadn’t heard what Finn had said. She was still suffering some hearing loss, the result of Pennywise firing the gun right next to her ear. The doctor said there was no way to know if it would be temporary or permanent—only time would tell.
She smiled at Finn, then turned her attention back to the television while Finn traveled through the house until he reached Pop Pop’s room. He knocked quietly, his suspicions about Pop Pop’s reading material confirmed when his grandfather closed the book quickly and slid it under his pillow.
“Finn, my boy. Thought you were watching the movie.”
Finn walked into the room, perching on the edge of Pop Pop’s bed. “I’ve seen it before. Haven’t had a chance to talk you since…”
“Since your head started listening to your heart?”
Finn grinned. “Yeah. I wanted to thank you for opening my eyes to what should have been obvious.”
“I knew you’d figure it out. You’re a very wise man. Just like your namesake.”
Finn shook his head. “I’m still pretty sure you’re the Finn in that story. Not me. I’ve never been exceptionally knowledgeable. Solid C student, remember?”
“There are lots of different types of knowledge. Book smarts is just one. You’re wise in other ways.”
“Like?”
“Like how you treat others. You have an innate ability to find the good in everyone around you, you encourage others to be themselves. I don’t think Miguel has had a lot of friends in his life. He and I talked about it once. He said he had a lot of trouble trusting people until he met you. With you, he felt free to be the truest version of himself. That’s a very special thing, Finn.”
Finn swallowed deeply, moved by Pop Pop’s compliment. “Thanks,” he said thickly.
“Come here. I want to show you something.”
Pop Pop rose from the bed, jerking his head toward the wall of photographs that hung on what their grandfather called the “family wall.” Each of Pop Pop’s children and grandchildren had a frame, the pictures changing periodically, not due to the typical events of life, like graduations, birthdays and holidays, but rather, each photo seemed reflective of some simple, captured moment in time that spoke to Pop Pop’s heart.
Finn’s previous picture had been a much older one of him at twelve teaching Oliver how to ride a bike without the training wheels. Finn had always liked that photo, amused by the dirty knees of their jeans, their sweaty, red faces, the way they’d both been laughing. Pop Pop said that picture had perfectly captured Finn’s personality, revealed so many facets of him. From the joy he took in life to the love he had for his family, from his sense of humor to his determination to teach Oliver how to ride that bike.
Pop Pop had changed many of the other photos on this wall, but Finn’s had remained the same, year after year. Until now.
“Damn, Pop Pop,” he breathed.
“Your dad snapped that last week, in the midst of moving day.”
Finn remembered Dad taking it. Neither he, Layla nor Miguel had the ability to take things slowly as far as their relationship was concerned. Something had jarred loose in all of them after the night of the robbery at the pub, and they simply couldn’t take each other, or life, for granted.
Once they’d committed to each other, there was no turning back, and on New Year’s Eve, while tipsy as hell on champagne and shared kisses at midnight, Miguel—ever the instigator—declared it was time for the three of them to move in together.
As always, Finn and Layla had been all in.
So, they’d enlisted several of his cousins, his
parents, and Landon to help them move. Layla’s brothers, four scary, gigantic fucks who still weren’t one hundred percent—shit, they weren’t fifteen percent—on board with Layla’s decision to engage in a threesome relationship, had helped as well. Though Finn suspected they’d offered their assistance merely so they’d have an entire day to flex their muscles and shoot intimidating looks at him and Miguel. Layla had rolled her eyes the entire time, chastising her big brothers, much to his and Miguel’s amusement.
The photograph was of the three of them, resting on the stairs outside Miguel’s apartment building. Layla was sitting on Finn’s lap, leaning back against Miguel, who was behind her. Layla’s arm was hanging loosely around Finn’s neck. They were wiped out after a busy day of moving, but there was something about the way they sat, close, connected, completely at ease. Finn almost imagined he could touch the love flowing between them.
“All I’ve ever wanted for my kids, for my grandkids, is for them to find their person, the one who makes them better, makes them happy. You, with your big heart and big personality, found two.”
“Pretty lucky, I guess,” Finn said, grinning.
Pop Pop shook his head. “You’ll never learn, will you? It wasn’t luck. It was love.”
Finn nodded his head toward where Pop Pop had tucked his novel under his pillow. “Good book?”
“Oh yes. Very good.”
“Is the hero a duke or a pirate?”
Pop Pop chuckled and winked. “He’s both. And the heroine is a bonny Irish lass.”
“You ready to go home, Finn?” Layla asked. She and Miguel were standing in the doorway to Pop Pop’s room. “The movie is over.”
Miguel held up a plastic bag. “Your mom loaded us up with leftovers. Packed extra salmon for you since it’s your favorite.”
Miguel and Layla stared at them, confused by what was so funny, as he and Pop Pop laughed and laughed.
* * *
I hope you enjoyed Wild Side. The next book is all Colm! No one, not even the eternal bachelor is safe from…gasp…the Collins Curse! Preorder Wild Night now.