by Tia Siren
But Kevin analyzed me on the spot and started talking to Tony.
“Hey, Tony, call Courtney back. Tell her what’s happened, and let her know that we’ll need an address so we can drop off Lexi with her. It’s late and no one else needs to be in this apartment,” Kevin said.
“I can do that. Darling, are you sure that’s what you want?” Tony asked.
“It’s my default—Courtney. I just can’t process anything else tonight.”
“It’s fine. It’s fine,” Kyle cooed. “Whatever makes you comfortable. That’s what we’ll do, okay?”
“Sweetheart,” Cole said as he grabbed my hand, “do you want to reschedule things?”
“No. Not for a second. The only bright spot in my life right now is you guys. Please don’t cancel. Please,” I said.
“Okay, okay. We won’t. I promise,” Cameron said.
“And we’re not canceling Friday either, love,” Terry said. “I’m very much looking forward to wielding you across the floor in your dress.”
“I have an address for Courtney’s friend’s place. We’ll send the dress there; expect it Wednesday morning,” Tony said. “In the meantime, we’re all going to follow you and make sure you get to Courtney’s all right. She’s clear across town.”
“I don’t have a car,” I whispered.
“Then you’ll simply ride with one of us,” Kyle said as he gripped my hand.
“Are you all right to go into your room to pack, or should one of us go pack up some of your things?” Kevin asked.
I started to move that way, then felt myself turn white as a sheet. “I can’t go in there. Please don’t make me,” I said.
“Not a problem,” Logan said. “I’ll go put some stuff in a suitcase and get it out to you.”
“I’ll come, too. It’ll go faster. Then we can get her out of here,” Liam said.
“Kyle, can you go get the manager? I need to give him my renter’s insurance information,” I said.
“Let us take care of that, darling,” Tony said. “We’ve got you.”
“He has to file a claim against—”
“No, he doesn’t. This isn’t your responsibility. He’ll need to file a claim against his own insurance. You’ll need to do that too, but not tonight.”
“Lexi,” Terry said sternly, “just take deep breaths. Don’t worry yourself anymore tonight, love.”
I relaxed into Kyle’s arms as he held me close. Kevin sat in front of me, distracting my gaze as everyone hustled and bustled around us. I closed my eyes and tried to whisk myself away to a far-off place, a place where no one could touch me save for the men who were in this apartment right now, making sure I was taken care of and all right.
Kevin began to massage my legs, and I finally relaxed into Kyle’s grasp as he whispered into my ear.
“That’s it. Just relax. We’ve got you. You’re safe, I promise.”
I latched onto his words as I tried to breathe deeply. I had no idea how I was going to get Courtney’s money back, but I would. I had no idea how they were going to catch Jeremy, but I knew they would.
I had no idea how I was going to piece my life back together, but I knew I would.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you so much.”
“No thanks needed,” Kevin said. “There is nowhere else we’d rather be. I promise.”
Chapter 20
I woke up on the couch at Courtney’s friend’s place. I was glad he had let me stay here, but I knew that anywhere I went, I posed a threat to whomever I was with. Courtney had embraced me when I’d gotten there last night before shooing off all the guys, but for the first time since I’d known her, she didn’t crack a joke about it. I could tell the money situation was on her mind, and I’d embraced her and told her I’d get that money back for her.
I tossed and turned most of the night on the pull-out couch due to my guilt. Now we weren’t only out an apartment, but Courtney had lost all the money she had been saving. I stared at the ceiling of her friend’s living room, wondering what in the world I was going to do.
“Coffee?” Courtney asked.
“I’m gonna need it,” I said.
“I don’t have work today. They haven’t called you in or anything, right?”
“Nope. Today’s a legitimate vacation day, thank shit. I’m terrified of going anywhere right now,” I said.
“Good, because I could use your company right now.”
“Oh? Why’s that?” I asked.
“I’m just worried about you. If I have you in my sights, I know you’re all right.”
“Come on, don’t go getting all protective on me. I’ve got eight badass men already doing that,” I said.
“Yeah. The freaking cavalry showed up last night, and after they all left, I had to explain it all to Ralph, who was understandably a little confused.”
“Uh-huh. So, how are you and Ralph?” I asked.
“The usual. Decent sex, funny guy. That’s all it is though, nothing like you and your twins. Sure you can’t share just one set?”
Before I could respond, my phone rang. Courtney was closest to it, and she smirked when she saw the name. “Speaking of…”
She tossed it over to me, and I saw that Tony was calling, but when I picked it up, Terry was the one who answered.
“Hello, love,” Terry said.
“Terry? Hey. Is Tony all right?” I asked.
“Right here, darling. It’s both of us.”
“Ah, a three-way call. How exotic,” I said.
“Don’t tempt us, love. We might just come back to that apartment where we dropped you off last night,” Terry said.
“Then I guess the two of you will just have to wait until Friday,” I said, grinning.
“Is that a promise?” Tony asked.
“Only if you can fulfill your end of the bargain,” I said.
“Is that something you enjoy?” Terry asked.
“You sound a bit shocked. I’m quite hurt. Of course it is. Why do you ask?”
“Because he’s interested in the concept; that’s why,” Tony said. “But that’s not why we called.”
“Such a shame. I was hoping to reminisce about the promises of Friday evening,” I said, grinning.
“We wanted to call you and apologize,” Terry said.
“What requires an apology?” I asked.
“We may have gone against your wishes, darling,” Tony said.
“I don’t follow,” I said.
“We went ahead and hired the security detail,” Terry said. “After last night, I just couldn’t continue to abide by what you were asking.”
“You guys didn’t,” I said.
“Now don’t be upset, darling,” Tony said. “Last night was hard for all of us. Terry didn’t feel right about simply leaving you in the hands of your best friend and someone we didn’t know. It was the only way I could get him to sleep last night.”
“Terry, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were that worried,” I said.
“I can’t believe you’re not,” Terry said.
“I am. I just—you didn’t spend too much money, did you?” I asked.
“Is that what all this fuss has been about, darling?” Tony asked. “About money?”
My silence told them everything they needed to know.
“Look, Lexi, you are precious, strong, vivacious, not to mention beautiful. You’re being threatened. There isn’t a dollar amount cap we can place on your safety. You let us handle our money the way we see fit. If we want to spend it on you, then that is our decision,” Tony said.
“I just don’t want you guys going to so much trouble,” I said.
“It is no trouble at all, I assure you,” Terry said. “So far, you have fit every single statistic I can manage to find on how stalkers and their victims end up. I won’t allow this to go any further. Understood?”
“You know I have the other twins. Hell, the Oakley brothers are practically ready to beat him in the head with a baseball bat a
nd helmet,” I said.
“We want to keep you safe in our own way,” Tony said. “Let us do that for you, Lexi. Stop fighting us on it and let us take care of you.”
I closed my eyes and allowed their sultry voices to drift over my ears. A smile graced my lips as the phone call went silent, and I sighed in reluctant defeat.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Expect your dress Wednesday morning, and don’t forget to let us know how it fits,” Tony said.
“I’m looking forward to twirling you around the ballroom in it, love,” Terry said.
“Thank you both for everything,” I said.
“You don’t realize you’re worth it now, but eventually our hope is to show you that you are,” Tony said.
“Lexi, there are two men in suits standing by the front door. Everything all right?” Courtney asked.
“I hear the security men we’ve hired are now in place. Don’t worry about feeding them or anything. They can take care of themselves,” Tony said.
“I can’t wait to see you two Friday,” I said.
“And we can’t wait to see you either,” they said in unison.
Chapter 21
I paced the living room while I waited for Cole and Cameron to show up. I’d chosen to wear another pair of skinny jeans, a dark green top that clung to my body, and a petticoat that one of the guys had found shoved back in my closet as they were packing up my things. I slid into a pair of dark green heels and hooked some earrings into my ears, then splashed a bit of makeup on. I was anxious to get out of here and go hang out with the Oakley brothers for a little while. I’d been a sitting duck for the past twenty-four hours, and I didn’t like it. I was ready thirty minutes before they were supposed to come get me, so Courtney and I were sitting on the couch watching the time pass by.
“Are you sure I can’t have one of them? Surely you can spare one to help out a friend,” she said.
“Nope. They’re mine,” I said, grinning.
“I still can’t believe you have four fucking sets of twins falling over you. I need to know what perfume you’re wearing,” she said.
“I honestly can’t believe it either. But I am a bit nervous for this date.”
“Why? You don’t like them or something?” she asked.
“It’s not that. I just feel dumb because I don’t really know anything about sports. I mean, I watched them when Jeremy did, and I know the basics, but I’m not hardcore into them or anything. What if that’s all they want to talk about?” I asked.
“Then change the subject,” she said.
“What if they keep routing it back to sports? Like you do with sex?”
“First of all, you’re a bitch. Second of all, take control. If they keep harping on about sports, tell them it’s not your thing. If they don’t stop, just have them bring you home—or sit on their face, whichever gets them to shut up first.”
“See!?” I exclaimed. “Sex.”
“Nothing wrong with liking sex. You’ve been liking it recently. Which reminds me, I still need the nasty details on the booze bros.”
“I’m not giving you the dirty details on any of them until you say their names correctly,” I said.
“You’re no fun.”
There came a knock at the door, and I sprang to my feet. I fluffed my hair out one last time and twirled for Courtney, and she gave me a thumbs-up. She then retreated to her room as I walked over to the door. The moment I opened it, my mouth hit the floor.
Cole was dressed in a form-fitting T-shirt and jeans, putting all his football-conditioned muscles on display. His shoulders were massive and his arms were tanks. His thighs were something out of a muscle magazine, and I could only imagine what his torso looked like. Cameron was dressed in a polo shirt and a dark-wash pair of jeans that fit his ass nicely, and while his muscles were a bit more unassuming, I could see his veins pulsing underneath his skin.
I wanted to pull them both in here and run my tongue along every single detail of their bodies.
“You look amazing, Lexi,” Cole said.
“Radiant,” Cameron said.
“So, where are we off to this evening?” I asked as I stepped out of the apartment.
“We figured after what happened this weekend, you could use some time to unwind. There’s a bar in town that’s hosting our favorite band, so we figured we could go get some drinks and dance,” Cole said.
“Oh, I’m so down for dancing. Whisk me away, boys,” I said.
We didn’t really drive too far before we pulled into the parking lot. I could already hear the music thumping and was excited to get inside. I left my coat in the car and Cameron slinked his arm around my waist, pulling me close to keep me warm as we all hustled inside. Cole paid our cover charges before navigating us to the bar, and the three of us ordered drinks as the music rattled our bones.
“What’s the name of the band?” I asked.
“Chroma,” Cole said. “They’ve been playing forever. I was listening to their stuff clear back when I was in high school.”
“I didn’t start listening to them until I was drafted to the Dodgers,” Cameron said. “It’s really good music to get you pumped before a game.”
“I can hear why!” The drums thundered and the bass thumped in my ears. We each threw back a shot before chasing it with beer. Then we did one more shot before Cameron took my hand. He led me to the dance floor with Cole’s hands on my waist, and the three of us began to grind into one another. Cole’s hips swiveled while Cameron’s hips ground down into my ass, and all I could do was lift my arms and run my fingers through their blond hair. Their hands were all over me, warming my body as we gyrated to the music, and suddenly I felt Cameron’s nose on the edge of my neck.
“Let us know if you get uncomfortable, all right?” he asked.
“We want you to let loose and let go tonight,” Cole said. “And that means you being comfortable.”
“Not only do I feel comfortable,” I said, “but I feel safe.”
The music changed to a slower song, and their body movements came to a halt. My hands slid down their necks, and Cole wrapped his arms around my waist while Cameron backed off and went to the bar. I slid my hands around his neck, clasping them as his boyish smile warmed my insides. I could feel his cock straining through his pants as our foreheads connected, and for a split second there was no one else in the room except for the two of us.
“You know, dark green matches the hardwood floors of my home,” Cole said, grinning.
“Oh it does, does it?” I asked. “I suppose I’ll have to test that theory one day.”
“Wouldn’t match Cameron’s floors, though. He’s a carpet guy. You’d have to wear something red in order for it to match his.”
“Who says my clothes have to match the surface you toss them onto?” I asked.
If I didn’t know any better, I could’ve sworn Cole growled. Someone’s arms snake around me as Cole released me, and my head fell back onto Cameron’s chest. His big, muscular arms pulled me close as his lips danced along the shell of my ear, and I could feel his cock pressing into the crack of my ass.
“Enjoying the band?” Cameron asked.
“Very much so. Thank you so much for bringing me here,” I said.
“I promise, it’s my pleasure. Though I’m wondering what I could do about yours.”
“Funny, your brother and I were having an interesting conversation surrounding that topic,” I said.
“Oh, really? And what topic would that have been?” he asked.
“What colored clothes would match the carpets of your home,” I said, giggling.
“I think red would probably match better. Green is more his style, anyway,” he said.
“So Cole has told me,” I said.
“Another drink?” Cole asked.
Cameron and I stopped dancing and took the shots Cole was offering us. We each threw them back before Cole gathered the glasses, and Cameron took me back into his arms as Cole disappeared th
rough the crowd. I could feel my body loosening up as I melted into his strong chest, and I nuzzled into him as his hands started rubbing up and down my back.
“I know this is usually the part where we try to get to know one another, but I’m honestly content just like this,” Cameron said.
“I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling that way.”
“Feeling what way?” Cole asked, coming back up beside us.
“Content, like in a comfortable silence,” I said.
“Oh, I know exactly how you feel. I figured we’d come out and talk your head off, but I’m enjoying just holding you,” Cole said.
He wrapped his arms back around me as the two of them swayed with me on the dance floor. One slow song bled into another, and I felt my body heating up against theirs. Their muscles contracted against my skin and their hands slowly wandered. I looked up into Cameron’s green eyes and smiled, watching as his gleaming white smile pierced his full, plump lips. I sighed, leaning my head back onto Cole’s shoulder as his cheek nuzzled into mine, and for a brief moment I forgot about everything.
My car.
My apartment.
My life.
Nothing else mattered but what was going on with us right now, the comfortable silence I found myself in with these two. They didn’t talk my head off about sports. Nor did they ask me a stream of asinine questions about my favorite color or travel interests. It felt as if we had already been together for years and were simply enjoying each other’s presence while we could.
That was, until Cole’s lips slithered down onto my neck.
“Don’t open a can of worms you can’t close,” I said.
“Who said I’d want to close it?” Cole asked.
Cameron’s fingertips played with the hem of my shirt, and I brought my hands up and wrapped them around his wrists. I felt that telltale flush flood up my neck and taint my cheeks. My pussy dripped into my panties. My knees grew weak as Cole began to suck in patches of skin between his teeth.
I wasn’t going to make it back to either of their houses tonight.