by Tia Siren
“I believe our darling is ready for another round,” Tony said.
“Well, let’s get our love some breakfast, and then we can see how her energy level stands,” Terry said.
“Could I get a shower?” I asked.
“Love, you can get anything you wish,” Terry said, grinning.
I whimpered at the loss of Tony’s touch before I slid out of the bed. I walked my naked body over to the bathroom, feeling the stares of both the brothers on my body. I swayed my hips, hoping to capture their attention before I made it into the bathroom, and I heard them both groan lightly as I shut the door behind me.
“Mission accomplished,” I said with a broad smile on my face.
The shower was beyond decadent. The hot water flowed over my skin while the stones heated up around me. I felt like I was showering in a steam room, and by the time I was done washing my body with the rose soap that had been provided, I felt like I had just been to the spa. I wrapped a plush towel around me and stepped out, sinking into the softness of the fabric around my skin as I smiled. The evening had been perfect, and there was nothing that could rip this from me.
“Love?” Terry said as he knocked on the door. “Breakfast is here whenever you’re ready.”
“I’ll be out in a second,” I said.
“Take your time. Enjoy yourself. That’s what all this is here for, darling,” Tony said.
I toweled myself off and snooped through the cabinets to find a hair dryer. I quickly dried my hair, blowing it out with a brush I found while the steam cleared around me. My body was dry and my hair was fabulous, so I stepped out into the bedroom and dropped the towel at my feet. There was a robe lying out on the bed for me, my name embroidered on the plush light purple fabric. I squealed in delight, and a sigh was pulled from my lips as I wrapped my body in it.
It was like I was floating on a cloud while being wrapped in the purest silk I could imagine.
“Like it?” Terry asked, grinning.
“It feels so wonderful. Thank you,” I said.
“It looks good on you,” Tony said as he stepped up next to his brother.
“I think anything would look good on a body like hers, though,” Terry said.
“You’re right about that, Brother,” Tony said, winking.
“The two of you are relentless. You know that?” I asked.
“We’d actually like to talk to you about something, if that’s all right,” Terry said.
My heart dropped. I knew this was all too good to be true. The talk about the mansion, about everyone coming and going as they pleased—they were probably about to take it all back. They were probably about to ask me to choose, just like the rest of the twins.
I wasn’t sure if I could handle that question from them, not after last night.
Not after what I’d heard them say.
“Darling, whatever is running through your head needs to stop,” Tony said. “I can see you panicking. There’s nothing to panic about.”
“You’re going to ask me if I’ve chosen who I’m going to be with, aren’t you?” I asked.
“Love, that isn’t—”
“You’re going to ask me when I’m going to make my decision, ask me who is better in bed or whose cock is the best. Right?” I asked.
“Darling, you need to—”
“You’re going to take back everything about the mansion and the rooms, how I could live there and how we could all be one big happy family that comes and goes. You said it all to get me in bed, didn’t you? Well, you didn’t have to say any of that to get me there. I’m not appreciative of the fact that—”
“Lexi!” they both exclaimed.
“What!?”
“First of all, what the fuck are you talking about?” Tony asked.
“And second of all, when did we ever become men who went back on our word?” Terry asked.
I stood there panting for breath as my eyes blinked rapidly. My hands were trembling as Tony stepped forward, gathering me in his arms and holding me close.
“We didn’t realize the other guys were pestering you with those types of questions, darling,” Tony said.
“Or that it had become such a problem that you’d automatically assume we would do it as well,” Terry said.
“We just want you to come have breakfast so we can talk more about the mansion,” Tony whispered.
“Oh.”
I felt like an idiot, and an embarrassed blush crept up my cheeks as they led me out to the kitchen table. I sat down to a fabulous spread of sausage, eggs, and toast, complete with the most incredible coffee I’d ever smelled in my life. They both sat next to me, dotting the ends of the table as they watched me eat. At this point, I didn’t care what I looked like. I was hungry, I was still panicking, and there was something looming in the back of my mind.
I just didn’t know what it was yet.
“We think it would be a good idea for you to move into the mansion,” Terry said.
“And we think it would be good for the men to at least feel comfortable stopping in and visiting with you,” Tony said.
“It would take the worry of finding a place off your shoulders after this is all said and done. Plus it would give us peace of mind that you would be somewhere you enjoyed, somewhere with beautiful views that reminded you of the peacefulness this world can offer,” Terry said.
“Which is important given what you’re going through, darling,” Tony said.
“We aren’t going to make you choose,” Terry said.
“Though if you did choose, we would hope it would be us, of course,” Tony said. “But don’t think that means you have to. Whether we have you all to ourselves or whether we share you, so long as we have you fully when we do catch your attention, that’s all that matters to us.”
“Seriously?” I asked. “Because all the other guys seem a bit weirded out by it.”
“And rightfully so. Sharing a woman like this is unheard of to say the least, but it’s not impossible. People make it work every day,” Terry said.
“Either way, I do think we should all sit down together and discuss where we’re all at with this,” Tony said.
“Like all of us? Me, you guys, and the rest of the twins?” I asked.
“Yes. Whenever is good for you. In the meantime, think about the offer for the mansion. It will always stand, darling,” Tony said.
“Well, Monday would work out just fine for me. Give me some time to think about how to approach everyone—and think about the mansion thing,” I said.
“Then Monday it is, love,” Terry said.
“Let me go get my phone and I’ll text the guys about it just to make sure there aren’t any schedule conflicts,” I said.
“Good idea. But hurry back,” Tony said.
I giggled as I hopped up to go get my phone. I shot all the guys a text message letting them know I was all right. I got various responses, from “good” to “I miss you, come back soon.” I then crafted a formal message to copy and paste to all the group chats.
I believe it would be in everyone’s best interest if we all sat down Monday evening and talked. As a group. I know many of you are wondering if I’m going to choose between you all, and I think that deserves a face-to-face conversation. Plus, the Wolf brothers have thrown a proposition into the mix that I am seriously considering taking them up on, and which would change things a bit. Do you guys have Monday evening free?
I sent the message out to all of them before I sat back down at the table. I set my phone beside my plate and watched as they started typing back. I could hear my heartbeat thrumming in my ears while my blood drained to my toes. I was back in panic mode, wondering if this conversation was going to somehow push one or more of them away.
I didn’t want any of them to leave. I wanted them all to stay so I could care for them like they deserved.
But suddenly, as their responses started coming through, my phone rang.
It was an unknown number.
“Darling,
who is that?” Tony asked.
“Oh no.”
“Lexi, what’s wrong?” Terry asked as he put his fork down.
“No, no, no.”
Tears filled my eyes as I picked up the phone and held it to my ear. There was silence as I held my breath, and then it started again.
The heavy breathing.
“What do you want!?” I screamed into the phone. “What do you want from me!?”
“Tony, call Officer Rowland,” Terry said. “Lexi, look at me.”
“Who is that?” a voice said through the phone. It was broken, rumbling, like someone was attempting to choke the life out of him on the other end of the line.
“Is it him? Jeremy?” Terry asked.
“Yes, Officer Rowland, we have an incident. Yes, Lexi is fine, but I believe Jeremy is contacting her again,” Tony said.
The phone call ended as tears poured down my face. I dropped my phone to the table, but it didn’t even bounce once before it started ringing again.
“No!” I shrieked.
I picked up the phone and answered it before I started screaming into the receiver.
“Leave me the fuck alone, you useless, worthless prick!”
“Lexi, love, you need to calm down,” Terry said.
“Yes, that’s the hotel we’re at. The penthouse. You need to get here soon. I’m not sure how much more of this Lexi can take. If you guys can’t solve this, I’ve got plenty of money that says a private investigator can,” Tony said.
The heavy breathing was still happening. I put the call on speakerphone, letting Jeremy’s breaths fill the hotel room. Tony paused his conversation as his head slowly turned toward the sound, but it was Terry who sat back down in his chair and wrapped his fingers around the phone.
“Mr. Jeremy Newberry, I’ve been looking forward to chatting with you. I’ll make this quick. Lexi is protected—by us. She is under our watch, she is under our care, and there isn’t a move she makes that we don’t know about,” Terry said.
“That means there isn’t a move you make that we don’t know about,” Tony said as he hung up with the police.
“So far, we are allowing the very ignorant police department of LA to handle this case. If they catch you, they will most certainly throw you in prison and never allow you to see the light of day again,” Terry said.
“But if we choose to pull this case from them and we catch you,” Tony said, “then seeing the light of day will be the least of your problems needing resolutions.”
“That is assuming you remain capable of resolving problems by the time we are finished with you,” Terry said.
“Consider this our first, and only, warning,” Tony said. “Leave Lexi alone and come clean to the police. At least your life will be spared that way.”
The heavy breathing had stopped, and I dropped down onto the couch. I couldn’t believe what the brothers were saying, but I was even more shocked that Jeremy was still on the phone. He was listening to what they had to say, was obviously curious about what was going on.
He was still keeping tabs on me.
Then it happened, that sickening, stomach-rolling laughter. It started as a low rumble before it grew into a raucous guffaw, and tears poured down my face as it filled the space around my body. I pressed my hands to my ears and screwed my eyes shut, trying desperately to drown out the sound. The hideous, blood-curdling, demonic sound that made me nauseous and haunted my dreams.
It wasn’t until I felt Terry’s hands on my knees that I realized I’d been screaming.
“Lexi, it’s all right. The phone call is over,” Tony said as he rubbed my back.
“How did he get it? I changed my fucking number!” I yelled.
A knock came at the hotel door, and I jumped, then flung myself at Terry, whose arms wrapped tightly around me. Tony, clad only in his robe, went to answer the door, and soon people surrounded me as my phone started to ring again.
“Pick it up,” Tony commanded the police.
“Hello?” Officer Rowland asked. There was a split second of the deep breathing on the other end of the phone line before the call ended. I sobbed into Terry’s robe, and he pulled me closer and closer. Then the phone rang again. The officer picked it up, said hello, and the call quickly dropped.
Jeremy was waiting for me to pick up the phone.
The phone rang out again. I pulled back from Terry, who wiped my face, and held my hand out for the phone.
“Are you sure, Lexi?” Tony asked.
“Yeah. Give it here,” I said.
Officer Rowland handed me my phone, and I put the call on speakerphone. The deep breathing started up, and I gathered myself before I found the courage to speak.
“I know this is you, Jeremy,” I said.
The breathing stopped, but the call didn’t end.
“Listen, I-I’ve been thinking. What I’ve been doing with these guys, it’s just a rebound, you know?”
“What are you doing?” Tony mouthed.
The call hadn’t cut out.
“None of them can make me feel quite like you did. I thought that maybe our differences were too much, that the smothering was too much and that I didn’t feel free and independent.”
“Lexi, stop,” Terry mouthed.
And still, Jeremy kept listening.
“I just—I’m never very good with words. You know this. I hate talking on the phone. It’s so impersonal, and a waste of time, really. Would you be willing to talk? Maybe?”
The other end was silent while the police stared at me. The Wolf brothers were irate, but they weren’t stepping in either.
If the police couldn’t find him, then I was going to bait him to come to me. Then we could ambush him.
“When?” the voice asked.
“Well, I work Monday—a long day. I’ll be in pretty early and staying pretty late. Maybe we could get a room at the hotel or something and talk,” I said.
“About what?” the voice asked.
“About how sorry I am for everything I put you through. You weren’t scaring me; you were punishing me, trying to show me that these men couldn’t be you, couldn’t give me the things you could. And I was an idiot. I recognize that. I’m sorry, Jeremy. I’m so, so sorry.”
The phone call went dead silent for what seemed like an eternity. The police were hanging on to every word, and Terry was holding me tighter than I ever could have possibly imagined. Tony was looming over me, ready to snatch the phone from me if something bad happened. Tears poured down my face as my entire body quaked against Terry’s grip, but the moment I heard Jeremy breathe in deeply, I knew I had him right where I wanted him.
“See you Monday.”
The call went dead.
Chapter 31
I didn’t have the stomach to finish breakfast with the brothers. They tried to get me to stay, but my head was reeling from what had just happened and I couldn’t. I needed to go back to the hotel and talk to Courtney. I needed to wrap my mind around everything that was going on.
I needed to talk to my best friend.
“At least let one of these police officers provide an escort for you,” Tony said.
“It would make us feel better, especially since you don’t want us to come,” Terry said.
“Are you sure you don’t want us to walk you out?” Tony asked.
“I’m sure,” I said as I came out in my dress. “I just need to see Courtney. I need to just vent and volley things off her.”
“You know you can do that with us,” Terry said.
“But we understand,” Tony said, nudging his brother.
“Thanks,” I said breathlessly.
“The boys are expecting you in the next thirty minutes. We gave them the evening and morning off since you were with us,” Terry said.
“So no diverting. Go straight to the hotel suite. If you need something, send one of them out to get it,” Tony said.
“I will. I promise, you guys.”
“Miss Lexi, we’re ready when
ever you are,” Officer Rowland said.
“Let us know when you get back, darling,” Tony said, and he kissed my cheek.
“And keep in touch. Assuming things go well, we’ll see you Monday, love,” Terry said. He kissed my other cheek.
“All the guys seem to be onboard for Monday night, so I’ll message a time and place we can all agree on later,” I said.
I hugged their necks and breathed in their individual scents one last time. Then Officer Rowland escorted me out of their penthouse suite. My mind was so tired of repeatedly reeling that it wasn’t thinking of anything. I simply stared blankly at the elevator doors while three police officers stood behind me. Officer Rowland was droning on about something, but I didn’t care. I was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to catch Jeremy.
I didn’t know if I would ever have my life back.
The elevator dinged as the doors opened, and I stepped out into the lavish lobby. The lights were bright and I had to shield my eyes. My dress trailed behind me as the fabric slipped effortlessly around my legs, and even though I was dressed in the finest fabric, I felt like a prisoner, someone whose life was dictated by the ghost of their past. Why was this happening? Why did it have to be me? Why couldn’t they find—
“Hello, Lexi.”
I froze while the officers scrambled behind me. Guns were drawn and things were being yelled, but all I was doing was staring down the barrel of a shotgun. Jeremy’s eyes were on fire as they raked up and down my body, taking in the dress I was wearing before his lips curled into a gut-wrenching smile.
“Put down the gun, Mr. Newberry,” an officer said.
“Mmmm, I don’t think so,” he said. “You look wonderful by the way.”
“Thanks,” I said flatly.
“Did you really think I was going to buy that?” he asked.
“Buy what?”
“That little whimpering apology you just made on the phone,” he said. “Did you really think I would believe it?”
“Doesn’t look like you did,” I said.
“I’ve known you for three years, Lexi. I know you better than you know yourself,” Jeremy said.
“Hardly.”
“I said, put the gun down, Mr. Newberry,” the officer said again.