When Rivals Love

by Beck, J. L.

  “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Sullivan questions urgently, looking directly at me. He sounds almost frantic, and though I want to tell him, to reassure him that everything is okay, it’s not. With everything going on, with all the added stress. It’s wearing me down. Eating away at my resolve.

  “Since when have you earned the right to ask her a question? She’s been trying to talk to you all week, and all you do is ignore her.” Banks lashes out at Sullivan next. Deep down, I don’t want them to fight, even over me.

  “Harlow,” Sullivan takes a hesitant step toward me, and I can’t stop the tears from forming in my eyes. I blink them away, but they remain there, a reminder of how out of control my emotions have become. “Are you okay? What happened? Tell me, and I’ll make it better. I’ll do whatever I need to fix it.”

  To fix it. For some reason, my ears catch on those three words.

  “Do you want her? Do you not want…” The words lodge in my throat. After everything we’ve been through, the mere thought of us not all ending up together. It kills me, physically kills me.

  Sullivan looks as if I’ve slapped him, his nostrils flare and his eyes flicker with anger.

  “Who? Tiffany?” All I can do is nod.

  His body visibly trembles, and in nothing more than a second, he’s crossed the space separating us. “No, no way in hell. I don’t want her. You’ve got it all wrong. I don’t give a fuck about her. I’ve been trying to get close to her, so I can find out what she’s doing and who she’s been talking to.”

  What? I don’t understand.

  “What are you talking about?” Banks asks the same confusion filling his face as mine.

  “Last week, I went to talk to her to tell her to leave you alone. She told me that she’s not the one we need to worry about; that there were other people looking for Harlow, asking questions about her…”

  “And why the hell didn’t you tell us any of this?” Oliver yells, his cheeks heating.

  “Because I didn’t know if Tiffany was even telling the truth or if she was just trying to get to us. I didn’t want to worry you, Harlow.” Sullivan’s gaze drops to the floor, and I swear it feels like I can breathe again. At least now, I know he didn’t really want her. He was only doing it to protect me.

  “I guess I worried you just as much by not telling you what I was doing,” he says, sounding completely defeated.

  Before I know what is happening, Sullivan pushes the coffee table out of the way and is on his knees at my feet. His hands move up my legs, coming to rest on my hips, where he gives me a firm squeeze. Burying his face into my jean covered thighs, he inhales, and I do the same, moving my hand to his head, so I can thread my fingers through those long chocolate brown locks.

  Suddenly my entire world realigns, and it’s like all the planets in my solar system are back in order and no longer on a course for collision.

  “I’m so sorry, baby, so sorry…”

  “It’s okay, but you could’ve told me. I would’ve understood.”

  Sullivan lifts his head, a dimpled grin appearing on his lips, “But would you have? If I had told you what I was going to do, you would’ve freaked out and told me not to, and while it was hard as hell not to look at you or tell you what I knew. I needed to be strong if I wanted answers.”

  Nibbling on my bottom lip, I nod my head, “You’re right. I wouldn’t have let you do it because we’re a team, and we’re supposed to do this all together. What if something happened to you? I thought…” I force air into my lungs, so I can say what I need to. “I was sure you were done with me.”

  Sullivan stares at me in shock like he can’t believe I would think something like that. His blue orbs are bright, and brim with sadness, a sadness that I’m sure is reflecting back at him equally.

  Turning to Oliver, I say, “Can I have a moment alone with him?”

  Oliver nods his head, and then I turn to Banks. He looks at his brother with a mixed bag of emotions before speaking. “We’ll leave you guys alone for a little bit.” Banks narrows his eyes at Sullivan. “But if you make her cry again, I will personally rip one of your balls off and play golf with it.”

  Oliver snorts and releases me to get up off the couch. “You don’t even play golf.”

  Banks chuckles, “Yeah, I know, but that’s beside the point.”

  Each of them, press a kiss to my forehead before disappearing out of the room, leaving Sullivan and me completely alone.

  “Why would you think I was done with you?” he asks.

  I shrug, “I’m used to people who I thought loved me, turning their back on me. I didn’t want to think the worst, but it’s hard when I’ve been disappointed so many times. My own parents got tired of me, so it’s hard to believe that you guys wouldn’t.”

  “I’m so sorry, I didn’t think about it that way. I would never be tired of you, and as for your parents… well, there is seriously something wrong with them, so you can’t use them as an example.

  “Honestly, Harlow, the last few days were horrible for me. I was so wrapped up in finding out what was going on, so I can protect you, that I thought it was better to keep my distance. But I didn’t think me distancing myself from you was going to be a big deal for you.”

  “Why would you think that? I was miserable the last few days.”

  “Well, I thought, since you still had Banks and Oliver, you wouldn’t be alone, and you wouldn’t miss me much.”

  “Sullivan, that’s not how this works. I need you; I need all three of you, and I love you. When you are not here, I don’t feel complete, it’s like a part of me is missing. Promise me you won’t do this again.”

  “I promise you, I won’t do anything like this again, and I will never be tired of you.”

  “Good,” I say, leaning down and kissing the top of his head. “’Cause I will never be tired of you either. Now can you please tell me what Tiffany said that has you so worried about me?”

  “I will, I swear, but first, I need you to do something for me,” he says, lifting his head to look up at me.

  “Anything,” I say without thinking.

  A wicked grin spreads across his face. “I was hoping you’d say that. God, I missed you so much.” With his hands moving up my body, sparking a fire of pleasure, he presses his lips to mine. The kiss consumes me, and I claw at his shirt like a ravenous animal.

  In seconds, he has me in his arms, flipping us around, so he is sitting on the couch, and I’m on his lap, straddling him. I need him right here, right now.

  “I want to take my time with you, but I can’t. I need you now.” He groans into my neck, and my heartbeat spikes, my insides turning to liquid.

  “Same. I need you just as badly,” I mumble as we take each other’s clothes off before finally coming together. Sinking down onto his cock, I revel in the way it spreads me, the girth of his cock filling me as my channel swallows every inch of him.

  I’m mesmerized by the pleasure, consumed with a fiery need. Sinking my nails into his flesh, I watch as his head tips back against the couch, his fingers grab onto my hips with bruising force, and strangely that’s what I want. I want Sullivan to leave his mark on me.

  The bite of pain leaves me greedy with need, and I start to rise, only to slam back down. I keep my pace slow, enjoying the way the head of his cock brushes against the tender tissue at the top of my pussy. With every slide down his length, I can hear our combined juices coming together, coating both of us.

  “So, fucking beautiful, so fucking mine.” Sullivan’s words hold me hostage and encourage me all at once. Bouncing up and down on his length, I swivel my hips, and we both sigh at the ripples of pleasure that zing through us. Our bodies are like livewires, the energy between us teetering near explosive.

  Sullivan must feel the heat, the pleasure rising, because with a feverish need, he threads his fingers into my hair and pulls, forcing my lips to his. He nibbles on my bottom lip, all while jackhammering upward, thrusting into me so hard that if it weren’t for
his grip on me in that moment, I would be off his lap.

  My core clenches, pulses, and I know I’m nearing the edge of the cliff, slowly inching closer with each thrust.

  “I’m close,” I pant, bucking my hips, needing more, always more. I’m sure Banks and Oliver can hear us now, our sounds spilling over into other parts of the house, but I don’t care, and I don’t think they do either.

  “Yes, come on my cock, squeeze me, let me feel you when you fall apart.” He growls against my lips, and my eyes flutter closed, but only for a moment as he tugs at my hair, forcing me to open my eyes again.

  “I want to see you when you come, see the heat in your cheeks, the color of your eyes. I want to see what I do to you…”

  “Shit,” I’m fumbling, swiveling my hips feverishly, searching for that spot, that one single… when I feel his thumb press against my swollen clit, it’s all I need to push me over the edge. My eyes widen, and my mouth forms that perfect O you always hear about. Sullivan watches me intently like a man on a mission.

  Like a kite in the sky, I soar into the air, riding the waves of pleasure, floating away without a care in the world. My orgasm causes a chain reaction, and as I start to come, so does Sullivan, his cock slamming into me ferociously, until I’m positive I’ll still be feeling him tomorrow. His eyes remain on mine, though, unfocused, and I bare down, squeezing his length, ensuring that he’s lodged deep inside of me.

  A second later, sticky warmth coats my insides, and I shiver as I slowly come down from the high of my orgasm.

  “I’m sorry,” Sullivan shudders beneath me.

  “Don’t be. I love you, and it’s in the past now.” I nuzzle into his chest as he wraps his arms around me. With him and his brothers, I feel invincible like I can do anything, but without them, I feel broken. Like I’ll never amount to anything. I know I shouldn’t rely on them as my sole reason for happiness, but they’re the one and only choice I’ve ever been able to make.

  “It isn’t fully in the past. There are still things we need to talk about, but none of that matters right now. The only thing I care about is getting you upstairs so we can do this all over again.”

  Pulling away just enough to look at him, I smirk, “Ready again so soon?”

  That grin, it’s the same one he’s always given me, the one that makes my knees weak, and my heart do somersaults in my chest.

  “When it comes to you, Harlow, I am willing and ready for anything… anytime.”

  And if those aren’t the truest words I’ve ever heard, I don’t know what is. There isn’t anything the brothers won’t do for me, and there isn’t anything I won’t do for them, and if we want to make it through this, if we want our happily ever after, we’re going to have to continue down this path.

  We’re going to always have to be each other’s support system.

  10

  The next morning, we all take a seat at the kitchen table. After Sullivan and I caught up on a week of missed sex, we were too exhausted to talk about the whole Tiffany thing, but we can’t put this off any longer.

  “Start from the beginning,” Oliver orders, looking at Sullivan.

  “Like I already said, it started with me going to Tiffany just to tell her to leave Harlow alone. When I did, she told me that I shouldn’t be worrying about her when there were bigger things going on. Supposedly, there are these guys looking for Harlow. I asked her what the hell she was talking about, and she went on to tell me that there have been these rough-looking guys on campus asking around about Harlow.”

  “What kind of guys?” Banks asks.

  “Well, that’s what I’ve been trying to find out. Every time I talk to Tiffany, she only reveals a little bit. It’s clear she was enjoying having me around, so she made sure she only gave me a smidge of information each time I saw her. She told me if I wanted any more information, I needed to be nice to her.” Annoyance laces his words, and I can only imagine how hard this must have been for him. I hate Tiffany, hate her so much right now.

  “I wasn’t even sure if she was telling the truth or just playing games, but the more I listened to her and talked to others, her friends and a couple of guys around campus, the more I started to believe her.”

  “Fuck,” Oliver says under his breath.

  “According to Tiffany, these men were showing pictures of you and asking what classes you had, and where you were staying. I was so consumed with finding them that I even talked to campus security, but like I expected, they completely brushed me off. I’m pretty sure they think I’m some crazy, overprotective boyfriend now.” Sullivan sighs, and all over again, I want to crawl into bed with him and forget about our crazy life. But I can’t ignore this, no matter how much I want to. Someone is out there looking for me, and I don’t know why.

  “Do you think my dad sent them?”

  Sullivan shakes his head, “I don’t know why he would. I mean, he knows where you’re staying, right?”

  I nod, “Yeah, you’re right… but who else would be looking for me, and why?”

  “I don’t know, but I think we should consider hiring some kind of security again. Just to make sure you are safe in the moments that we aren’t with you.” It’s a shame Milton is in hiding.

  Frowning, I say, “I had hoped that we were past this, but it seems like every time things start to get better, something has to happen. I just want to be happy.”

  “You can still be happy. We’re all together in this, Harlow. Where you go, we go. If we have to hire a little more protection, then that’s what we do. Like always, your safety is the most important thing to us.” Oliver speaks this time, giving me a dazzling smile that melts my heart.

  “I know, but when does this stop, when do we get to be normal people. I’m not anything special, and yet I’ve come closer to dying more than the average person.”

  Banks laughs, “Well, I can tell you right now you’re pretty fucking special. As for why people are out to hurt you, no one really knows why people do the things they do. Shelby is just mental, and now that she’s been put away, the biggest risk is gone. Now, we just have to figure out who these guys are and what they want?”

  Oliver places a hand on my shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze. “Everything is going to be okay. Nothing is going to happen to you. Not now, not ever.”

  Just as I’m starting to calm down, and feel a little better about the shit storm called my life, a knock sounds against the door. The brothers exchange a look before Oliver pushes away from the table. The loss of his touch leaves me cold, and for some unknown reason, this inky dread starts to tug at me. I’m not sure why, but it feels like something bad is about to happen.

  Sullivan moves closer to me, and Banks watches Oliver as he walks slowly to the front door. The knocking grows louder, harder, more insistent. Whoever is on the other side of that door is growing more impatient by the second.

  “Are you guys expecting someone?” I ask Sullivan, just as Oliver makes it to the door.

  “No, which is why I don’t have a good feeling about this.” His words have barely left his mouth when I look up and see Oliver opening the door. All hell breaks loose then. Immediately the door is forced open, knocking Oliver back against the wall.

  I stand up so fast, the chair I was sitting on falls back and crashes to the floor. My head is dizzy, and fear has a tight grip around my throat, making it hard to breathe. I want to go to Oliver, but that would only put me in danger.

  Two large men dressed from head to toe in black enter the house. One of them closes the door behind him, while the other one pulls out a gun and aims it at Oliver’s chest.

  A gun. No, no, no.

  One of the intruders starts yelling something, but somehow my brain can’t decipher what he’s saying. My hands start to shake, and my lips wobble. Maybe I’m in shock, or maybe it’s the fear I have of watching someone I love being hurt or worse.

  Banks grabs me and shoves me behind him and Sullivan, building a wall in front of me. Because they are so much
taller than me, I can barely look past them and over their shoulders, but that doesn’t mean I’m panicking any less. In fact, my panic has reached new heights, because now that I don’t have a clear view of what’s happening, I don’t know if Oliver is okay, or if one of these men are coming for Banks or Sullivan.

  “Everybody, calm down,” a gruff voice orders. “You do what we say, and no one needs to get hurt. You do the opposite, and well, I’m sure you know what’s going to happen.” A coldness sweeps through me, and I do my best to continue breathing, tiny little black spots form over my vision, the bubbling panic residing inside me is only getting worse.

  “What the hell do you want?” Banks speaks, his tone defensive.

  “Right now, I want everybody to slowly grab a chair and sit down with your back against that wall over there.” Peeking around Banks, I can see that the man is pointing to a spot in the dining room. “We’re going to have a nice little chat.”

  I try to step around Banks and Sullivan, but they don’t let me pass. They’re like an immovable mountain. Instead, they push me back against the wall, keeping me shielded from the man making demands.

  “Just relax and take a seat,” a second voice orders, and only then does Banks pull up a chair and motion for me to sit down. Oliver comes up on the other side with two more chairs, a menacing look in his eyes. A moment later, all four of us are lined up against the wall.

  The two men each grab their own chairs and sit down in front of us, with their guns in their hand, but they’re not pointed at us, not right now, at least. My eyes stay trained to the weapons. I know it wouldn’t take much to raise a hand and shoot one of us. All of us. Just the thought of it has my heart beating against my ribcage with the force of a sledgehammer.

  Now that I have a better view of the men, I allow myself to take a good look at them when they’re facing away. Both of them are tall and muscled like brick walls.

  Something tells me they probably don’t need those guns to inflict major damage on their enemy. One of them has a huge scar across his face, making him look like some kind of ancient gladiator. The other one has tattoos all over his hands, neck, and even some on the side of his face. At a glance, I can tell you that I would turn and walk the other way if these guys approached me at any time.