Fourkeeps: Ever After Duet, Book 2

by Jayne Rylon

  It didn’t seem like a serious enough term for how she felt about them, but she figured it would do for right then.

  Kari opened the heavy door to the immaculate bathroom. Each toilet had its own tiny individual room, so she chose one and wrestled her dress out of the way so she could use the facilities. With its gleaming fixtures, rich wood paneling, and actual plush towels instead of the paper sort, the restroom was swanky on a whole other level from what she was used to. It was quiet, not overcrowded like at some benefits she’d attended in the past while representing the firm. This was an exclusive gathering of people who expected and got the best.

  So when she set her dress back in place and exited the stall, she was surprised to see another woman lounging on a couch in front of a mirror near the sinks. The woman was applying blood-red lipstick with practiced precision. No mirror needed.

  Maybe she could teach Kari some of her lady-skills. She opened her mouth to say something to that effect, friendly and complimentary, when the woman turned and Kari realized it had been an artfully sprung trap.

  “So I see you’re with Ford, Brady, and Josh.”

  “I came with them, yes.” Kari didn’t clarify their relationship. Partly because she still didn’t know how they were defining it for themselves.

  “It’s more than that. Everyone can tell when a woman shares their bed. Just don’t get used to it.”

  “Jealous?” Kari couldn’t believe she said that. It had slipped out. But her guys were worth fighting for. Staking a claim on. Even if she didn’t truly have the right.

  It was then that something caught at Kari’s memory. Maybe the hand propped on the woman’s bony hip, like she had famously posed on a magazine cover. She knew this bitch. The swimwear model. Of course. “They’re done with you, Melody. Time to accept that.”

  “So they still talk about me?” Melody perked up. If she were a cat, her claws would have extended as she went on the attack.

  “Hardly.” Kari rolled her eyes. “I…used to work for them when they dated you.”

  “Oh, sweetie. We didn’t date. We fucked. A lot.” Melody tapped her gold nails on the counter then. “There’s no way you could satisfy them like I did. Weren’t you their secretary? How trite.”

  “I haven’t had any complaints so far.” Kari shrugged and turned to go, trying not to let the woman reawaken her own insecurities. Melody was gorgeous, sophisticated, and successful in her own right. She matched them—on the outside, at least.

  “Except for that guy on the internet who said you were a limp fish in bed.” Melody actually had the gall to laugh. She cackled while part of Kari died inside. What man?

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  Kari’s carefully constructed armor clearly had a chink in it. She exposed the hint of her vulnerability and Melody pounced all over it. “The one who fucked you in that alley at the law firm’s Christmas party last year. How trashy are you? Sure, Ford, Brady, and Josh want someone exotic and daring. But they don’t want trash. Maybe I should text them the link? I’m sure they’re not going to be flaunting you once they realize you spread your legs for the entire staff before working your way up to their executive offices.”

  The woman pulled her phone from her purse. She tapped and swiped with a few surgical motions that made Kari sure she had the video keyed up in advance. At the first bit of audio of Marty cajoling her into the alley with him, Kari lost it.

  Her legs gave out and the buzz from her drinks turned into poison in her guts. She grabbed for the counter but missed, then crashed into a pile on the floor.

  Every second was torture. She relived the memories she had blanked from her mind. They came rushing back with each horrific moment Melody replayed like it was nothing.

  Kari put her hands over her mouth, but they couldn’t hold in her screams.

  “Shit.” Melody rushed over, pale. “Get yourself together. I won’t really show them.”

  More screams. Kari couldn’t make it stop. She hadn’t been able to make it stop then and the phone just kept playing that atrocious movie, reminding her of everything Marty had taken from her.

  Melody reached for Kari, but she crab-walked backward, smacking her head on the sink in the process. An inhuman sound—one of fear and pain—bubbled up from inside her. She couldn’t make it stop.

  “Oh shit.” Melody ran from the restroom, shouting for help.

  Kari couldn’t say how long she sat there, sobbing and trying not to be sick.

  Next thing she knew, Ford plowed through the restroom door, making it smash into the wall in his haste to get to her. He skidded across the floor on his knees and gathered her into his arms. Unlike when Melody had reached for her, his protective hold didn’t disturb her in the least.

  “Kari! What’s wrong?” He rocked her, trying to stifle her cries.

  Brady and Josh were only a few steps behind. Melody poked her head inside, then tried to slink away.

  “That cunt!” Kari stabbed her finger in Melody’s general direction.

  “What did you do to her?” Brady demanded as he approached the other woman. Kari had never been afraid of him, not for a single moment, but she would have been if he’d aimed that much anger and revulsion at her.

  “I’m sorry. Things got out of hand. I was just…” Melody looked away, obviously rattled by Kari’s psychotic reaction.

  “Being a petty bitch?” Josh asked. “We’ve told you—it’s over. Don’t you dare come near Kari again.

  “V-video,” Kari choked out as she buried her face in Ford’s jacket. Humiliated, shocked, and drowning in agony all over again. She hated that they would see it. But they had to in order to help her. To bring an end to all of this, once and for all.

  “What is she talking about?” Ford shouted at Melody.

  “Here.” Melody held her phone out to the guys. “Here. Take this. I think I misunderstood. I thought it was funny. A publicity stunt, since it was posted on the internet. The guy said he didn’t deserve to get fired for it and she was spreading lies about him. But maybe I had this all wrong… I didn’t mean to…”

  “What the hell is this?” Brady jammed his finger on the screen, causing Marty’s voice to cut through again.

  Kari wailed and clutched Ford as she heard her own slurred voice. She remembered the bruising impact of his cold, clammy hands on her as he’d pressed her against the building. Bile rose in her throat again.

  “Turn that the fuck off!” Ford roared.

  “Oh God. No.” Josh wilted, sinking to his ass on the floor as though he might join her in her weeping. “How could you?”

  “I’m sorry,” Melody whispered. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize. I thought you were drunk and having a good time.”

  “Get the fuck out of here, and never contact us or her again.” Brady ripped the door open and glared until Melody slunk out.

  It took more than a half hour before Kari was able to stand up again. After she got to her feet, dusted herself off, and verified her jellied knees would hold, she made sure that she walked from the bathroom on her own two feet.

  Yes, Ford held her hand in an iron grip, Brady had his arm curled around her waist, and Josh fended off anyone who might approach, even with the best of intentions, as they made their way to the car.

  But she did it with her head held high and dared anyone to think that she couldn’t survive.

  Marty had hurt her, but he hadn’t broken her.

  And he wouldn’t.

  Her terror and tears turned into righteous rage.

  They had him by the balls now. If only they could find the fucker.

  18

  Kari was sandwiched between Brady and Josh, clinging to their hands while Ford walked out in front of them. Despite the fact that Marty himself hadn’t made an appearance, Ford’s gaze swung from side to side, confirming their path to the waiting limo was clear.

  She had long passed the terrified stage and the sick phase of her shock. Now she was plain exhausted. When t
hey piled into the car, Kari melted against Brady. He tucked her close to his side.

  “We’ll be there in ten minutes or less,” Bronson promised, then hustled around to slide behind the wheel.

  Kari hated that she felt compelled to ask, but she had to do it. “You’re sure you don’t mind me crashing a while longer?”

  “I was kind of hoping you’d stay forever.” Brady put his hand on her knee and squeezed. He might have been teasing. His words still made her insides do funny things.

  “We already knew Marty was evil,” Ford said, his voice pure steel. “Nothing that happened tonight changed my mind about that or what I want our future to look like.”

  “Mine either,” Josh added.

  Relief overwhelmed Kari then. She wasn’t sure if she slept or sat in a daze, content in the safety of their presence, but she figured it was probably the former because she didn’t quite realize they were home until Brady scooped her up and handed her out of the car to Ford.

  “I can walk,” she mumbled, pushing half-heartedly against his chest.

  “You could, but you don’t have to.” He shielded her with his body as he crossed the sidewalk into the front of their building, protecting her even in that brief moment of exposure.

  She didn’t protest again, burying her face in his neck so she didn’t have to see the worried glances of the front desk staff or the total wreck she must look like reflected back at her in the elevator paneling.

  Josh and Brady followed somberly, everyone low-key as they made their way upstairs.

  When Ford took her to her private suite, she had to choke back another sob. This was absolutely not how she’d envisioned the rest of their evening when they’d first crammed into the limo earlier.

  He set her down near the bathroom. Kari hesitated before pointing toward the door into their shared quarters. “Can we sleep in there tonight?”

  “Definitely,” Ford said as Brady nodded vehemently.

  Josh kissed her shoulder. “I wasn’t looking forward to being alone tonight either. After everything that happened, I don’t want to let you go.”

  She knew that feeling. So she held out her hand and he took it.

  Ford opened the adjoining door. “Do you need anything else from in here first? Pajamas? A shower?”

  Kari looked from the guys to the giant soaking tub and back to the guys. While it was a toss-up as to which sounded more rejuvenating right then—their arms wrapped around her or a long, hot bath—she thought just maybe she might be lucky enough to score both.

  “I feel kind of…dirty…after everything that happened.” She sighed as she scanned down herself and the gorgeous dress that had torn during her fiasco. “Would you mind if I took a bath before bed?”

  Brady shook his head. “Of course not. Would you like us to rummage up a late-night snack? Or maybe a glass of wine?”

  “That sounds amazing.” She got bolder, asking for what she really wanted. “But only if you’ll share it with me. In there.”

  Ford looked at her, then at the bathtub. “I know that thing’s a monster, but if that’s what you really have in mind, you should try out the Jacuzzi out on the roof terrace with us.”

  “You have a Jacuzzi and you haven’t mentioned it before?” She kicked off her shoes, groaning as her feet flattened out into something approaching a normal shape. “Does it have jets?”

  “Of course.” Josh grinned. “I’ve heard they’re almost as good as my mouth, too.”

  She smacked him lightly with the back of her knuckles. “Not for that. I could use a massage.”

  His smile faltered, something she hated being responsible for. So she tried to make it up to him. “Unzip me?”

  He did, helping her shuck the dress. All three of the guys went quiet then.

  “Oh yeah. I wore this…” She waved at her lingerie. “I have bad luck with this stuff. Maybe I should stop trying to impress you guys with it and go commando instead.”

  “I don’t have a problem with that plan.” Ford smiled.

  Brady cleared his throat. “There a privacy screen around the pool deck. The reason you couldn’t see the Jacuzzi is because that area is covered with vines and flowers. It’s pretty sweet, actually.”

  Josh told her, “What he’s saying is that no one will be able to see us out there if you decide you’d rather skip the bikini.”

  “In that case…” Kari unwound the satin and lace from around her body then strode from the bedroom completely naked. It felt right to take back some of the empowerment she’d felt stripped from her while she was forced to relive her abuse at Marty’s hands. It was crazy that she hadn’t even realized this was what she needed, and still they were giving it to her. “Follow me, gentlemen.”

  “I’m feeling anything but civil right now,” Ford warned her with a growl. “It might be better if I stay put. You’ve already had a rough night without me pawing at you, especially when I’m on edge.”

  “You’re coming.” Kari grabbed his tie and led him from the room.

  “That would probably help.” He flashed a grin that did everything to restore her confidence and nothing at all to frighten her despite his concerns.

  19

  An hour earlier, Brady never would have imagined their night could have made this big of a recovery. From soul-crushing betrayal to skinny-dipping under the stars with Kari, an expensive bottle of wine, and his best friends.

  Damn, he was glad it had.

  Kari’s resilience and her survivor spirit impressed him as always. It helped his heart unclench itself after what they’d heard and seen. He stretched out his arms along the edge of the steamy pool, aligning the jets so they massaged his spine and ass.

  It had been one hell of a day. They needed to relax and unwind.

  He took another branch of grapes off the platter nearby and ate a couple before noticing Kari watching him. “Want some?”

  She nodded and opened her mouth.

  Damn. That did nothing to calm his half-hard cock.

  Brady leaned forward, plucking one from the bunch before slipping it between her lips. Eyes closed, she savored the sweet taste before humming. “More.”

  Who was he to deny her request?

  Brady fed them to her one at a time until there were none left, then asked, “Cheese?”

  She nodded.

  Something about serving her was getting to him. She nipped his fingers when she took the fontina from them.

  Meanwhile, Josh took her mussed hair down pin by pin, running his fingers through it as he released the soft waves, which flowed out behind her on the bubbling water. She looked like a siren, except Brady knew the only things she would lure him into would be happiness and a bone-deep satisfaction the likes of which he’d never experienced before.

  Even when they weren’t setting the sheets on fire, being together with these people made him satisfied. She was it. Everything they’d always wanted.

  He looked up at Ford and caught his friend smiling softly, probably thinking the exact same thing. For hyper-ambitious men like them, it was a relief.

  Josh finished unraveling her hair, then leaned down for a kiss.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Brady knew she was talking about a lot more than grooming. He answered for Josh, who, for once, seemed unable to find a joke to crack. “We haven’t done anything yet. I swear, Kari, we’re going to make sure Marty goes away. For as long as technically possible. He will not touch you again. We have more than enough to build our case now. As soon as we find him…”

  “I know.” Her smile was tight, but her statement held conviction. She trusted them and that meant everything to him. In her situation, he wasn’t sure he could be as brave as she was.

  Ford pulled them from the dark mood. He asked Josh, “Why don’t you show her the massage bench?”

  “What’s that?” she wondered.

  She was about to find out. Brady smiled as Josh locked his arms around her and floated her over to a shallow section of th
e whirlpool. It was a horizontal shelf molded to cradle a person, complete with a built-in foam pillow. It was also chock full of jets that pulsed, swirled, and kneaded muscles into limp noodles. After difficult days in the courtroom, that thing could work wonders on his tension.

  Hopefully, it would do the same for her.

  The moment she was in position, Ford tapped a button on the control panel.

  Kari’s eyes widened, then she hummed. “Oh. That’s…wonderful.”

  “I can make it even better,” Josh promised. “Here…”

  He sat at the bottom of the bench and plunged his hands beneath the surface of the pool. Kari gripped the side of the Jacuzzi with a gasp as Josh began to rub her feet. Ford and Brady moved closer without a word.

  Despite the pillow the water sometimes still splashed in his face when he had the jets cranked up like they were now, so Brady took up a spot near Kari’s head and elevated it with one hand. He used his other to rub her shoulder and then up her neck. She shivered in his hold.

  Ford split the difference, kneeling near her hip. In the moonlight, it was easy to see the lush curves of Kari’s body through the very shallow water. Nothing was obscured. Every now and again her breasts would emerge completely from the humid pool.

  It would have been impossible not to notice how hard her nipples were.

  Because of the contrast between the cool night air and the warm water? Or because her body was reacting to the plethora of sensations bombarding it?

  Brady leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. He crooned to her, “Relax, Kari. We’ve got you.”

  Her eyes fluttered closed and she went limp, confident that they did. She couldn’t have been more perfect.

  Ford, Josh, and Brady showed her how much they appreciated her surrender. They lavished attention on every part of her body until her sighs morphed into light moans. It took a long time to get her there, and even longer to help her enjoy it.