by Dark Angel
It’s not till I get to the bottom that I find what I’m looking for now. Inside is my diary from my pre-teen and teenage years. I know I wrote every thought and dream inside of that book. I trace my fingers over my name, Evelynn Travers, embossed on the cover. The diary was a gift from my mother.
Do I even want to open this link to my past? A part of me is fearful that nothing worked out as I planned, but the other part knows that I am going to be okay.
I am okay.
Slowly, I open the diary. The words are childlike and straightforward.
“Today I played ball with Bobby next door. He’s so cute. I’m going to marry him one day.”
I laugh out loud, the sound of my voice echoing through the small room. I can’t even remember what he looked like. I must have had my first crush on that kid next door.
I’m sure this was the same thing a million other girls wrote. Only the names were different.
I skim through the pages, laughing, crying, and feeling like I have a national treasure in my hands. Well, my treasure, at least. It isn’t till I get about a hundred pages in that I come to the part I needed to read.
The page where I claimed to know how my virginity would be taken.
I know how this will happen. He’s going to be tall, dark, and so, so handsome. Maybe he looks like John Stamos. We will be in love and on a beach, and he will take me. Kissing all the pain away and telling me he loves me until the end of time. Music will play, and dolphins will jump from the water. Oh, gosh, it’s going to be so perfect when I finally lose my virginity.
I slam the book hard, shaking my head at my innocence. That was not at all how it happened—and thank fuck for that. I don’t even remember why I wanted something like that, other than I had watched the Blue Lagoon around that time and wanted something tropical and romantic.
“What the hell did I think it would be like?”
Talking to myself, I can’t imagine this was how anyone would want their first time to be—but for me, it was perfect.
I think about tossing the book in the fire, but I can’t. It’s my link to the past. A token of my innocence resides in the pages of this book, and though it’s just funny now, I know I can still find happiness inside these pages.
The next few days are peaceful and relaxing—walks in the woods, finishing the novel, and even a few extra hours of sleep.
I know what happened with me and the men might be unconventional, but I don’t regret one second of it. It’s not the way I planned for my first time to be, but it was incredible.
In fact, I wouldn’t change a thing. Who would?
Chapter 19
Robin
So many changes recently. I can hardly believe any of them. It’s all because of Evelynn—er, Eve Travers.
Every time I think back to right before I met her, I can’t stop smiling. My impression of rich bitches was that they were nothing but stuck-up snobs. Girls born with a silver spoon in their mouths never let us forget it. But wow, for once, I was wrong about that.
Meeting Eve was a stroke of luck. I’ve been a Dom for a long time, but this was where I needed to be. An interview with the owner of Scarlet changed my life.
I walked in with my twin, Gustav, and just about lost my ability to stay calm. Four other sets of twins were interviewing for the spot. I mean know I’m good, but damn—there was something freaky going on there.
Why do they want so many twins? Is it that good for business?
Regardless, it was the night my life changed—and I have never been the same since.
Sitting in the bar before the others arrive, my thoughts go back to the night with Eve.
“You can’t come at all!”
Her voice still haunts me. She wouldn’t allow me to get off. Who was the dominant here? Her or me?
For years I thought it was me, but Miss Travers proved me wrong. She made submission interesting.
Tease and denial were the biggest rushes I’ve ever had with a woman. I was almost afraid to cum after that. I didn’t want to disappoint her.
Whatever hold she has on me feels fantastic, and though Eve is technically a Rich Bitch—she isn’t stuck up. She is not an asshole about her money.
I order a beer while I wait. Everything is playing in my head. I can’t stop thinking.
And then suddenly it all fits. I bring my palm up to smack my forehead.
I’m in trouble.
Fuck, this is bad.
Or is it?
Fuck.
I’m falling for Evelynn Travers.
I don’t fall for women. They fall for me.
Jesus fucking Christ. I am weak because of this woman.
I lean back in the chair, closing my eyes for a moment. I only open them when I feel a slap on the back of my head. It’s my brother.
“Fucker. What the fuck?” I’m laughing when I say it, but he doesn’t care. He can see that I’m in a place of absolute confusion.
I’ve never really cared about a girl. Not since middle school, at least. And that was a stupid teenage crush. Eve is not a crush. I don’t even know what to call the feeling.
One by one, the guys all show up. Work was busy tonight. The place was busier than I have ever seen it. Women were coming and going.
There were even a few without appointments that had slipped into the schedule. I don’t particularly care for that. I always need time to prepare.
“Anyone heard from Eve?” Max asks.
All of us respond that we haven’t.
I’m worried, but I don’t say that I am. I don’t want to alarm anyone.
“Maybe she’s out of town or visiting her parents?” I try to play it off with no concern, and they all seem to buy it—or they have as much of a poker face as I do.
Everyone’s having beers when the conversation begins freaking me out. We’re all sitting here worrying over Eve. What the hell, is this a bitch session? We’re supposed to be men.
And yet I’m the one who can’t keep my fucking mouth shut.
“Something is fucking bugging me. I can’t hold this shit in any longer.”
Everyone sets their glasses down, looking at me like I’m going to tell them I got their sister pregnant.
I take a deep breath.
“I think I am falling for Eve.” I slam my glass on the table and sigh. “I’ve never felt like this before—all I can think about is that woman,” I confess, shaking my head.
I’ve said it, and I feel better—but when they don’t react with ball-busting laughter, I wonder why.
“Okay, you can fucking say it. I’m fucking lame as fuck.” I grab my drink after saying that, but still, they don’t call me names.
In fact, they all agree with me.
“Robin…I—same. I haven’t stopped thinking about her since the first night. She’s…I don’t know. Magnetic,” Theo says before grabbing another beer.
Once I’ve opened the floodgates, it all comes rushing in.
I’m relieved as each one of them confesses the same about Eve Travers. She has taken hold of us and dug her claws into our souls.
I don’t want to let this go. I never realized until Eve that I liked the submissive life. Of course, she’s the only one who could ever get me like that.
I would never submit to another woman. Eve has a charisma about her that makes you want more.
“So, what do we do about this? Can we all agree to share her without getting jealous?” I ask, though I think I know the answer already. We’re all close enough to handle a poly relationship with Eve.
Drax looks up, holding his beer up to all of us. He’s making a toast to the future—just the way we want it.
“To Eve. A goddess among women, and the only one for us!”
We laugh, but we toast our drinks all the same.
I know that this is unconventional, but none of us can imagine life without Eve.
Can you fucking blame us?
Chapter 20
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Eve
As I stand on the shore, the sounds of birds in the distance bring a smile to my face. It’s so peaceful being here. I’ve always loved it but never appreciated it as much as I do now.
Growing up changes so much about a person.
I pull my jacket tight around my body, thinking about things I spoke to Caroline about. She’s wise beyond her years and has been quite the confidante for me.
Sometimes in life, you think you understand something a person tells you, but when it happens to you—everything becomes clearer.
I can’t stop thinking about when she said, “You need to give into what your body wants.” Was that what I did? Did I give into what my body wanted?
Maybe Caroline was right about that. I did enjoy it all, and I have no regrets. I feel more like a woman than I’ve ever had in the past.
During the walk back to the house, my mind is on the ten men who have consumed my thoughts for weeks now. I know that they aren’t here to hurt me, and that they have my best interests at heart. I sigh. Is it okay to miss ten men? Am I being selfish?
I can’t help but overthinking everything. It’s making me confused and upset all at the same time. I came here to forget, not dwell on the past. I decide that a nap is needed before making the drive back home.
I snuggle down into the covers, sleep taking me away the moment my head hits the pillow. What happens next shakes me to the core.
“Well, look at the little whore sleeping. I hope she fucking enjoyed it!”
“She’s nothing but a slut. I told you that first night I didn’t like her!”
“No time like the present to get rid of her.”
The three men who have been threatening and stalking me stand around the bed.
I scream the moment I see the knife, but Lars doesn’t wait for the others. He plunges the blade repeatedly into my chest, stab after stab, sending a shower of crimson towards the three of them.
Sitting up in the bed, screaming, my hands move to my chest to feel for blood and stab wounds.
Nothing.
There’s nothing there, except my clothing glued to my body from perspiration.
I am shaking as the tears run down my face. I can’t believe a dream could feel that real.
Fuck, I thought I was dead! I’ve been keeping this horrible thought inside me for so long that it’s consumed me.
For the next hour, I take time to shower, pack, and eat a light meal. Just a sandwich and cup of soup before getting on the road. I’m shaken from the dream, but I know that nightmares are not real and that I’m just exhausted. I had hoped that these couple of days would help me, but that nap ruined it all.
With my thermos filled with coffee, I’m on the road again. The weather is a little chilly, but it’s still beautiful.
I love this time of the year.
I remember this trip with my parents. So many times, I would spend the entire trip home with headphones on and daydreams to accompany me. I miss being a kid at times.
Singing along with the radio as I drive, something out of the corner of my eye catches my attention. There is a note taped to the glove compartment of my car.
“One wrong move, and you’re dead. We have eyes on you.”
The car screeched to a stop, freezing me in place. I can barely breathe. Thankfully, there are no other cars on the road.
I know immediately who the letter is from, and I panic because they were there. It might have been a dream, but was it a warning of what’s to come? These three men are watching me right now.
I turn quickly to check the back seat. Nothing. Hitting the auto lock on the doors, like in a bad horror movie, I find that I’m a sitting duck waiting for them to kill me.
My chest rises and falls rapidly, my pulse racing as the tears flood down my face. I’m going to die, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
“EVELYNN, STOP IT. STOP IT RIGHT NOW!”
I am in the car screaming at myself. Cars pass by me at rapid speeds, shaking me back to the here and now. I must get home. Back to Scarlet where I can be protected—but that means telling people what happened. And I’m scared.
Putting the car in drive, for a second or two, I sit there and think. I need a plan in case they catch me, but I have nothing. No weapon, and my cell isn’t getting service where I am, and they could take me out easily.
“You can do this, Evelynn. We got this!” I tell myself as I prepare to drive.
I can’t let this overwhelm me. Not now, at least. Checking the back seat one more time, I move back on the road. This time I’m more aware of my surroundings, but that doesn’t stop the tears from flooding my face.
I’m going to die, just when I’ve started to live. I hate them all.
I do 90 down the highway. If I’m stopped by the cops, at least I can tell them about the men and show them the letter. That’s the best thing to do, right?
Chapter 21
Eve
I rush into the club, my body shaking, tears streaming down my face, and all sense of rationality gone.
I walk straight through the busy establishment. My office is where I need to be right now. I don’t even realize at first that I have all ten men following me.
Grabbing a bottle of whiskey from the bar in the office, I pour myself a shot. I never do this, but I down the drink.
The warmth rushing through me does nothing to calm my fears.
Theo moves in first, grabbing my shoulders and turning me to face them all.
“What the fuck happened? Eve! Evelynn, what? Tell us what’s wrong!”
His voice is demanding, but instead of speaking, I collapse in his arms sobbing. I haven’t cried this hard since I was 13 and my dog died. I haven’t felt such raw emotions in years. I don’t know for a moment if I can recover from all of this, but the weakness inside of me is terrifying.
“God fucking dammit! Tell us what happened now. I demand it!”
Brandon is shaking, and the rage in his words pulls me back together. I can tell that they all feel deeply about me. The urgency of his tone alone makes me tremble.
I pull myself back, grabbing a tissue from my desk. I don’t even know where to start, but I need to get this all out before I explode or have another breakdown.
“I went to my family’s vacation home for a few days. I thought it would help me figure things out after what happened between us all.”
My voice cracks with each word. Max hands me a glass of water to help me. Sipping slowly, I calm slightly, but not at all enough. Not yet, at least.
“I had a horrible dream today when I napped. They stabbed me repeatedly.”
Growling, Gustav moved closer to me, his hands balled up as though he was ready for a fight.
“Who the fuck is they? Who stabbed you? What the fuck happened?”
I’m trying to tell them, but their anger and my emotions are battling each other.
“Lars, Draven, and Ash. They killed me in my dream. I couldn’t fight them off. They stabbed me in the heart. They killed me!”
I cry louder with each word. I’m not making any sense to the guys.
“You’re upset over a dream? Eve, baby, it was a dream. Nothing more. Just a dream.” Robin is laughing, but that stops the moment I pull the letter from my pocket and hand it to him.
The entire room goes quiet, and the ten of them huddle together to read what was left for me.
“Watching you? What the hell does that mean? Are they keeping tabs on you?”
Finn is shaking as he paces the floor. “You won’t be alone from now on. You will always have us there to watch you, but Eve, you need to report this to the cops. You need to make sure they know that your life is being threatened.”
Jake is visibly shaken. Maybe as much as I am.
They promise to take care of me. Each one of them assures me that I will never be alone. They will rearrange their schedules to cover me always. I guess this is what I needed to hear—to
know that they care for me as I care for them.
I take the letter back, nodding my head at them. I will make the call, even though I hate to get the police involved in this. I’m not one to run for help, but something inside of me is telling me that this is legit and dangerous.
They’ve killed before, and I know they will again.
“Please let me have a moment to make this phone call. I’ll be fine with you all outside of the door.”
With some reluctance, they all exit the office, but not the hallway. I can hear them fine-tuning their plan while I call the police station. Transferred to a detective, I am asked to come to the station to file a report and give them pictures of Ash, Draven, and Lars.
I had just hung up the phone when they walk back in, all of them looking as frazzled as I am.
“I’ll need a ride to the police station to file a formal complaint and give them evidence and pictures of those three.” My voice quivers. I’m having a hard time even saying their names now. It’s all suddenly so real.
I stare at the men surrounding me, studying the concerned looks on their faces. They care about me, and I need them. I sigh and lean against the door to my office as I watch them gather up coats and compose themselves. A crinkle against my back catches my attention. I reach back and grab the paper attached to my door. The list.
I think back over the past few days. I don’t need this. I was wrong. I rip it up dramatically while none of them are watching. It’s a moment, just for me.
“Me, Gustav, Max, and Theo will go. Jake, get the company limo. Eve won’t go there alone.” Brandon barked out his order. I even jump, yanked from my thoughts.
For the next 5 hours, I spent time with two detectives explaining what had happened at the Gala, and the vacation home.
Of course, when they asked why I fired them, I never once mentioned the murders. I’m too smart for that. In the end, all I got was that it would be considered—but I could tell they took the threat seriously.
The ride back consisted of me telling them what happened and us setting up a plan. By the end of the evening, they’ll have a schedule ready detailing who will stay with me and when. I feel a little better after all of this is said and done.