by L. E. Bross
“And what if I tell the guys?”
Something flashes over his face, anticipation maybe, before he smiles.
“Oh, I’m counting on it.”
He turns and leaves through the gate while I try to figure out what the hell he means. He wants me to tell them that he’s blackmailing me for the chip? Wouldn’t that give them the advantage?
I lock the door and sink down into the closest chair.
Now I don’t know if I should tell them or not. Peter wants me to, that can’t be good. But if I don't, then I’d have to get close enough to take it from Baz. I’d have to steal it. I definitely can’t do that, not when it might tell them where Wendi is.
I drop my hand and it brushes the card Peter left for me. There’s a number written in bold black handwriting. Next to it is the paper X left. On it I see two phone numbers. There’s a B in front of one and an R in front of the other. X left me their numbers, almost like it’s fate.
Even though it’s what Peter wants, I create a group message.
Peter was here.
Seconds later my phone starts to buzz. Ry is the first to respond.
Do not move. On my way.
WTF I just left. Coming right back.
What did he want?
The last is from Baz. I gnaw on my bottom lip debating whether or not to tell him, but I was the one who texted them first. I’m not backing out now.
He wants me to steal the chip from you. And he wanted me to tell you, too.
My phone remains silent and I wait. I expected some kind of reply, but get nothing. I check to make sure there’s still a signal. There is. I stare until I hear a door slam, then feet pounding on the patio. The doorknob jiggles, then someone starts to pound.
“Peep, let me the fuck in or I’m breaking the door down.”
I jump up and flick the lock and Riot barges in, a hurricane of pissed off boy.
He stops long enough to run his gaze over me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Then get your shit. We’re leaving.”
He’s not wearing his school uniform, so he wasn’t coming from there.
“I can’t just leave. Luc will worry.”
His eyes narrow. “Then leave him a fucking note, but do it quick because you’re not staying here as of now.”
They’re doing it again. Making decisions for me without telling me a god damned thing.
“No.” I cross my arms over my chest and glare at his back until he spins around and pins me with the darkest stare known to man.
“You think I won’t carry you out of here?”
I throw up my hands because I know he would.
“Why don’t I ever get a choice with you three? I’m still waiting on a fucking explanation why you bailed me out and then ignored me.”
“We didn’t bail you out,” he grits out. “We don’t have access to that kind of money. There are trust funds but not until we’re twenty-one.”
Now I’m confused. “Luc said Baz told him to be at the courthouse to pick me up. How did you know my bail was paid if you didn’t pay it?”
“Can we talk about this later? We need to go. Baz and X are waiting for us.”
“Tell me, Riot, or I’m not budging. And if you try to carry me I’ll kick you in the balls, too. Ask X, it’s not that fun.”
Riot scrubs his hands over his head, muttering something about stubborn women.
“Who paid my bail?”
A muscle in his jaw ticks and I can practically hear his teeth grinding together. He pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers, then belligerently growls out, “We called Bill. Luc’s father paid your bail. Now get your shit and let’s go.”
~
I’ve opened and closed my mouth at least a dozen times, questions burning the tip of my tongue, but every time I do, Ry makes a noise in the back of his throat and I think better of it.
He drives for twenty minutes, then pulls up outside a nondescript motel. I see their black truck parked off to the side, hidden in shadows. He grabs my suitcase from the back seat and opens my door.
“Come on.”
“Should I have not told you?” I ask as we walk in. He’s been pissed off ever since he stormed into the pool house and I’m not sure how much more I can take. I could have just stayed there. Peter needs me, he’s not going to do anything stupid. At least not yet.
Riot stops outside room seventeen and turns to face me.
His face is drawn and I can see the lines of fatigue all over his face.
“Yes, you did the right thing. We’re just not ready yet. Thought we had more time.”
“Time for what?”
Riot raps on the door three times and a lock clicks before it swings open. X pulls the door wide and Riot lays his hand on my lower back, herding me inside.
“Welcome to Neverland,” X says with a big grin, sweeping his arm around the room.
It looks like every other motel room I’ve seen. Drab comforters on two double beds, mustard-colored carpet that has seen cleaner days, and a television that looks more like a huge box than a TV.
My eyebrows dip down.
“Neverland?”
He points behind me and I notice the name of the motel. The Neverlanding Motel.
“Ironic, right? Lost Boys,” he points between him and Riot, “Neverland.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, give it up,” Riot growls, pushing me further into the room. There’s a weird smell coming from somewhere and I wrinkle my nose.
“You’re just salty ‘cause you didn’t think of it first.”
Riot rolls his eyes to the ceiling. “Where’s Baz?”
“Said he needed to get some shit and he’d meet us at the rendezvous spot tomorrow.”
“Why are you talking with a British accent?” I ask.
X grins. “Aren’t all spies British?”
“Just the hot ones,” I shoot back.
“You just proved my point, sweetheart. So which bed do you want, left or right?” He throws himself down on the closest one and a god awful creak fills the room.
“Mental note, this is not the sex bed.” He bounces a few times, making a racket. “Or maybe it is. Everyone for two blocks would know what we were doing. That’s kinda hot, right?”
Riot tosses my suitcase at X and it hits him in the chest.
“Wait, we really are staying here tonight?” The smell gets worse the closer I get to the bathroom. I’m not sure I can spend a night here. Not without throwing up. I push the door to the bathroom open and gag. Yep, I’ll definitely throw up if we have to stay here long.
“Just for tonight. It was the cheapest, shittiest place I could find on short notice. No one will look here.”
“I’m going to call Baz. See if everything worked how it was supposed to.” Riot ducks out of the room and it’s just me and X.
I expect more wise cracks about the bed, but he turns incredibly somber looking.
“We thought we had more time. Guess we did a piss poor job of making Peter think we hated you, huh?”
Chapter Eight
The door opens and Riot strides in and grabs my suitcase.
“Come on, we’re leaving.”
I don’t even argue, just follow behind him in relief.
“It worked?” X says, coming up next to me.
“Yeah. He’s there now.”
“Are you guys going to keep talking in cryptic talk or are you going to let me in on what the hell is going on?”
“We’re just…” X starts.
I spin around and drive my finger into his sternum. “Swear to god if you say you’re just trying to protect me, I’ll kick you in the nuts so hard your non-existent grandchildren will feel it. Stop shutting me out. I deserve the fucking truth. I’ve earned it don’t you think?”
Riot lets out a loud sigh when he gets to the car. Instead of climbing in, he turns to face us. I cross my arms over my chest to mimic his stance. I’m not backing down again. They keep dragging me all over
the place, pointing me in a direction they expect me to run in without telling me why.
I’m done.
“Look, I’m not some delicate flower that can’t take care of herself. I love that you all want to keep me safe, believe me, I haven't had that very much in my life, but this is my future on the line, too. Let me help fight for it.”
Riot’s gaze never wavers from mine and I lift my chin. Maybe if they told me what was going on, I could help them with whatever it is they’re planning.
“Fuck, she’s right, Ry. She’s proven she’s strong at every turn. We keep telling her to trust us, but we aren’t giving her the same.”
Ry reaches out and takes my hand, tugging me forward until I’m right in front of him. “How about this? You can ask your questions, and we answer the ones that will help you make sense of all this.”
My eyebrows dip down. That means there are also other things going on.
Riot leans forward and presses his lips softly to mine. “Can it be enough for right now, Peep? When this is all over, we’ll tell you everything, I promise. I just need to know you’ll be safe and this is the only way I can make sure that happens.”
The fear in his eyes is real and I concede. For now.
“Okay.”
He nips my bottom lip, but when I swipe my tongue out and run it along his, he grabs the back of my neck and slants his lips over mine. Kissing me thoroughly before reaching out to pop the car door open.
“Let’s go. Baz is waiting.”
He smacks my ass with a grin and X climbs into the back seat instead of the cab of the truck. After we’re all buckled, Riot takes off. My phone buzzes in my pocket and when I pull it out, there’s a text from Luc. When I look at the clock, I see it’s after three.
I never left him a note.
“What do I tell Luc?” I wave my phone and Riot’s jaw hardens. “I need to tell him something. He gave me a place to stay and he’s been there for me.”
A rumbling growl comes from Riot.
“When you assholes decided that ignoring me was for my own good, he was there, so stop acting like a caveman. We’re friends, deal with it.”
“Kitty has claws,” X says from the back seat. “Rawr.”
When I reach back to try and hit him, he laughs. I hear him move and then his arms snake over the seat, coming around behind me. He drapes them over my shoulders, brushing his fingertips where the V of my shirt dips down.
“I personally like claws. Especially when they’re digging into my back while I’m balls deep…”
“Fuck’s sake,” Riot grunts. “Can’t this wait?”
X slips his hand completely under the material of my shirt and cups one breast. I suck in a breath.
“Ry’s wound a little tight, sweetheart. I think he needs a distraction.” We’re on the highway in the middle of the day. What the hell does he want me to do?
“The last thing I need is a fucking distraction.” But I notice that’s Riot’s hands tighten on the steering wheel and his glance keeps coming back to where X is massaging me under my shirt.
X pinches my nipple and I gasp suddenly, arching into his hand.
Riot’s knuckles turn white.
“Wanna come back here and sit on my dick, sweetheart?”
The car swerves to the right and I bite back a scream when a loud horn blares at us. X’s laughter gets louder when Riot yanks the steering wheel hard, sending us shooting onto the breakdown lane. The tires squeal when he slams on the brakes.
He glares at X in the rearview mirror, but it doesn’t faze him at all.
“What? Can’t tell me you haven’t been self-lovin’ wishing she was back under our roof.”
My mouth drops open and Ry drops his shaking head to his hands.
“So what do ya say, you want to climb back here with me? I’ll make it worth your while. Got about a twenty-minute drive, plenty of time for a few orgasms, yeah?”
I tilt my head and look back at him.
“I missed you.” He lifts one shoulder and I see the vulnerability in his eyes. It’s not just about sex. Being apart from them hurt and when I didn’t think I’d see them again, it felt like a part of me died.
“Fine, I’ll ride back there with you.”
I unhook my seatbelt and climb over the seat. X pulls me into his lap the next second. When I meet Riot’s stare in the mirror, I see the dark hunger shining from his eyes.
He might have protested, but he likes what X was saying.
It makes me feel brave.
I’ve got two of my three guys with me and time is fleeting. I need to live enough in these moments to get me by if it all ends tomorrow.
“You drive and I’ll make our girl feel real good.” He leans forward and presses his lips just under my ear. “And make sure you’re nice and loud so the chauffeur can hear you way up there.”
Ry flips X the middle finger, but puts the car in drive and pulls out onto the highway. This is what I missed, the comradery, the easy way we all interact together. Being part of something more.
“Safety first.” He scoots to the middle and pulls the seat belt wide, then clicks it around both of us, anchoring me in his lap. “Oh, this is good. You’re not going anywhere until I’m done with you.”
I can feel him hard already under my ass and I wiggle a little because he’s already torturing me and he hasn’t even done anything yet.
X trails his hand up the inside of my thigh, then pushes so that my leg is draped over his. When he does it to the other one, my legs are spread wide over his lap.
I look up and swallow when I see that X has positioned me so that all Ry has to do is glance in the mirror to see my face. He won’t be able to see anything else, but I think that was the intent.
Watching Riot’s reactions while he’s watching me, god, I ache already.
“You like this, don’t you, you little exhibitionist?” X whispers in my ear. When I don’t answer he nips my shoulder and I yelp. “Don’t you?”
“Yes,” I say on an exhale.
He slides his hand between my legs and groans. “God, you’re so hot right here.” He teases his pinky along the skin just under the hem of my shorts. “Bet your even hotter here.” He drags his finger right up the center seam of my shorts and I feel him touch my clit through the material. He presses down and I cry out.
The car jerks.
Riot swears.
Our gazes clash in the mirror and I swear that his eyes are glowing.
X takes the opportunity to slip his hand under the waistband of my shorts and moves his hand down slowly, using the tips of his fingers to tease just above where I pulse now.
I shift my hips and gasp when his finger slides over my clit.
“Fuck, sweetheart, you’re soaking wet.” He dips lower and I feel him tease around my opening before sliding a finger inside me.
“Oh fuck.”
I whimper and Riot’s eyes are on me more than the road. He grips the wheel hard and I see the vein in his temple pulse. X moves his finger in and out while pushing my shirt up with his free hand. My nipples are already pebbled and when he finds one and rolls it between his fingers, I clamp down around him, so excited that I’m ready to come apart already.
“Keep your eyes on him.” He plunges in and out faster and I lean forward and dig my fingers into the back of the seats.
I rock my hips and X grunts in approval. He pulls out his finger, spreads the wetness over my clit, then drives two back inside.
The pressure is exquisite and I can feel myself starting to fall over the edge.
I lock eyes with Riot and X crooks his fingers, hitting a spot inside that sends me spiraling over the edge. I wail as the most intense climax I’ve ever experienced crashes into me.
X pulls me back, pins my back to his chest and keeps moving his fingers in and out. When I try to close my legs, he widens his, spreading me even more. I can’t feel it building again and can’t believe it.
“X.”
“That’s it, s
weetheart, come for us again.”
Tears burn in my eyes as the pleasure sharpens again.
I alternate between gulping in air and holding my breath. Somewhere in the storm building inside me, I hear one of them swear. I brace my hands on the roof and press down so that X is buried inside me as far as his fingers can go. He flicks my clit with his thumb and I’m suddenly sucked up into the tornado once again. Every muscle in my body locks as wave after wave of white hot release shoots through me.
A scream echoes in the car but I’m too busy trying not to break apart into a million pieces to care very much. I hear a deep masculine grunt, then a long, drawn out moan. X slows his fingers until they still, resting inside me.
Slowly things start to come into focus and I realize we aren’t moving anymore. Riot’s head is tipped back and he’s panting and when I look down I see his pants are undone and his hand is resting between his legs, slick and shiny.
Holy. Fuck.
“See what you did to him, naughty girl.” X chuckles as Riot finally moves, reaching over to grab a handful of napkins out of the center console. He cleans himself up and then fixes his pants.
X removes his fingers gently, making sure to drag his slick fingers over my clit. I’m so sensitive that it makes me whimper. I meet Riot’s gaze again and his half-lidded satisfied expression makes me smile shyly. I still can’t believe he did that, but then again, I can’t believe what I did either.
Hands down the hottest thing I’ve ever experienced.
Riot starts the car and pulls back onto the road.
X presses his lips against my sweaty neck and my boneless body melts against him. After he eases my legs back together, he shifts so that I’m sideways in his lap, my feet on the seat next to us now.
I feel his erection pushing into my hip. Two of the three people in the car got their happy ending. I trail my hand down over his stomach and feel his muscles jump under my touch.
Right before I reach the button, he takes my hand and bring it to his lips.
“Not yet,” he says against my fingers. “Next time, I want to be inside you, and the first time we do that, I don’t want an audience.”