When Rivals Love

by Beck, J. L.

  My fingers wrap around the cold metal, and I stumble backward, nearly tripping over my feet in the process. Tremors of fear wrack my body, and my wild gaze swings to my stepmother. The weight of the gun in my hand is heavy, but it doesn’t stop me from lifting it, pointing the barrel directly at her.

  “You can’t do it, Harlow. You aren’t a killer.” She taunts, and my finger shakes as I move it toward the trigger.

  She’s right, I’m not a killer, but when it comes to protecting my unborn baby, the men I love, and myself, I’ll become anything I need to.

  “Harlow, don’t do something you can’t live with…” Her voice trails off, and before I can even think about it, I pull the trigger. The kickback of the gun vibrates through me, and I watch completely unmoved as the bullet cuts through her chest. Her eyes go wide, and her mouth opens, but the words never come out.

  A second later, she falls, just like Shelby did. My entire body clamps up, and then I start to shake watching as the only person I’ve had as a mother figure dies. Forcing myself to move, I drop the gun and turn running down the stairs.

  Once I reach the bottom step, I yell, “Banks? Banks?”

  “Over here,” he weakly replies, and I rush in the direction of his voice, finding him on the ground near the door. My hands start to move, inspecting him just as my eyes are. His hand is pressed to his side, the bright red blood seeps through his shirt, and I can barely breathe as I look into his eyes.

  “Please don’t die on me, Banks.” Tears fall, skating down my cheeks, but I don’t even feel them. All I can see is blood, it’s everywhere, on my hands, on the floor. Death surrounds me, and I refuse to let it claim another person.

  “Banks,” I whimper, but he’s slowly fading, the color draining from his face. He’s lost so much blood, and there is nothing I can do.

  “I love you,” he says, but it sounds like a wheeze. His bright blue eyes fall closed, and panic seizes my heart.

  “Don’t. Stop. This isn’t the end. Banks!” I scream, pressing harder against the wound. Sirens sound off in the distance, but it feels like it’s too late. I can feel him leaving me.

  “Please, Banks! Stay with me,” I sob, but he doesn’t listen. He doesn’t open his eyes, and by the time the ambulance has arrived, I have no more tears to cry. In the end, my stepmother took more from me than I could have ever imagined. More than I think my heart can handle.

  Epilogue

  One Year Later

  They say time heals all wounds, and I believe that. I think that as time goes on the heartache and loss, it all gets easier to deal with. The pain becomes less, the sadness isn’t so suffocating, and slowly the anger toward it all fades away.

  “You sure you’re ready to do this?” Sullivan asks.

  “Honestly, I’m not sure,” I say, looking down at our four-month-old daughter. She is still so small, so fragile. Even though I know Caroline will take care of her, it’s hard to let her go. Even if it’s just for a few hours.

  “I promise little Phoebe will be perfectly fine with me,” Caroline chimes in. “We will have a great time watching classic movies, reading stories, and singing that baby shark song before bedtime.”

  “Oh, god, I can’t hear that song anymore,” Sullivan frowns.

  “But, she loves it!” I interject. “And more importantly, it makes her sleepy.”

  “She probably wants to go to sleep to get away from that song,” Sullivan grins.

  “You guys just need a break, that’s all. So, go, get out of the house. Go have fun. I’ll send you updates every ten minutes if it will calm your mind. Just please, go do something.” I know she is joking, but I actually like the ten-minute update idea. The last year has been crazy, and protecting our daughter is the most important thing to me. Since her birth, I’ve been with her every second of every day.

  “Don’t tempt her; she’ll hold you to it,” Oliver chuckles, walking into the living room.

  “I will not,” I lie, my lips pull into a sly grin.

  “She will, and that’s fine. Give us periodical updates. We’ll be keeping Harlow busy enough to take the worry off her mind.”

  Caroline wrinkles her nose, “Ew, that’s nasty. I don’t want to hear about your sex life.”

  Shaking my head, I give Phoebe one last kiss before buckling her into her car seat.

  You can do this. You can do this. It’s just a few hours. I tell myself.

  “Alright, we’ll see you guys later,” Caroline announces as she walks out the door, taking my entire life with her.

  I watch from the window like a little kid as she puts her into the car, securing the car seat in the base.

  “She’s coming back, you know,” Sullivan whispers into the shell of my ear, and a shiver rolls down my spine. It’s insane how effortless they have to be when it comes to my body. With them, I’m in tune, every muscle, every beat of my heart, they own me, consume me. There is no them and me. Just us now.

  “I know, but it’s so hard. I’ve never been away from her, and all I can think about is if she’s going to get enough snuggles. Is she going to miss me? What if she cries, and Caroline doesn’t know what to do?” I’m rambling now, but these are all the things I worry about as a new mother.

  “Let us take your mind off the small stuff for a few hours.” Banks sneaks up behind me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me back to his chest. His warmth blankets me, and I melt into his touch, letting him guide me into the bedroom. Since everything that happened, we got a new house in a new area, away from Bayshore. We wanted to a new life, a fresh start, and that meant leaving the past behind.

  With both Shelby and my stepmom dead, things have finally become easier, safer, and much less complicated. But the past will always be a part of me, no matter how hard I try to forget it. It will always be there.

  My father has tried to contact me a few times, but I never could bring myself to talk to him. The two people that surprisingly did stay in my life are Matt and George Bishop. I don’t talk to Matt often, but we have stayed friends. We all hung out a few times, and the guys actually became friends as well. George has been telling me about my mom, my real mom. The chance to meet her was taken away from me a long time ago, but at least I have his stories to get to know her.

  “What exactly are you going to do to help take my mind off of things?” I smirk, knowing damn well what they all have planned. “Didn’t we tell Caroline we were going out for dinner and drinks?”

  Sullivan chuckles, and I can feel that deep husky sound in my bones. “Yeah, we could still do that, but we really thought about something else… something better.”

  “It would have been weird to tell Caroline what we really had planned,” Banks points out. “Hey, Caroline, would you please watch our baby so we can have an uninterrupted fuckfest?”

  Oliver punches Banks in the arm, making me giggle.

  “You are such a romantic, but you do have a point,” I tease, “So… what exactly do you have planned?”

  “Follow us, and we’ll show you,” Oliver says, holding out his hand to me. I take it eagerly and let him lead me up the stairs. Banks and Sullivan follow close behind.

  They lead me to my bedroom, the one I hardly ever sleep in, and Oliver motions for me to open the door. I grab the brass doorknob, turn and push the door open. When I see the inside of the room, I can’t help but gasp.

  The entire space is decorated beautifully. There are candles set up on the dresser and desk, illuminating the room with a dim, romantic light. Fresh cut flowers are sitting on my nightstand, giving the space a fresh, flowery scent, and rose petals are artfully laid out on the bed in a heart shape, making the whole thing just perfect.

  “Oh, you guys. I love it,” I say, having to hold back tears. Tears of happiness, of course. I’m just so happy and incredibly lucky. Not only did I find one man of my dreams, but I found three. Three wonderful men who love me and would do anything for me and my happiness.

  We enter the room, and like always, Banks
is the first one to lose his patience. I giggle as he pounces on me like a wild animal. His lips crash against mine, stealing the air from my lungs. I’m consumed by his kiss as I pull up his shirt while he undoes my pants. We only break the kiss to pull his shirt over his head. The fabric landing somewhere on the other side of the room.

  As soon as Banks’ upper body is free, I run my hands across his chest, stopping at the tiny raised scar where he was stabbed.

  It’s hard to believe that something that is so small now, barely noticeable even, almost cost him his life. I shudder just thinking about it, reliving those moments of when he was in the hospital, fighting for his life while Sullivan and Oliver promised me that everything was going to be okay. I remember falling apart, not knowing if I was ever going to come back together again.

  Someone moves behind me, starting to pull up my shirt, and Banks moves from my mouth to my breasts. Pulling my bra cups down and freeing my boobs, he closes his lips around one of my nipples. My head falls back, and I moan, just as my shirt is being pulled over my head.

  “You smell divine,” Oliver whispers against the tender skin on my neck as he undoes my bra, letting it fall to the floor. He starts peppering open mouth kisses all along my neck, shoulders, and down my spine while his brother pays special attention to my chest.

  “Lay her on the bed, so we can show her the other surprise,” Sullivan urges, and the next thing I know, Banks is wrapping his arms around me, and picking me up. I throw my arms around his neck and start to giggle like a schoolgirl.

  He gently deposits me on the bed and pulls my panties off in the next moment, leaving me completely naked. When I look up, I see Sullivan holding a small bottle of lotion or maybe oil, I can’t really tell.

  “We’re going to give you a relaxing massage,” Oliver grins, letting Sullivan pour some liquid into his palm.

  “Yes, a very, very relaxing massage,” Banks adds with a wink, while he also gets what looks to be massaging oil poured on his hands.

  I smile again, but the smile turns into a low sigh when Banks’ warm, oily hands land on me, slowly working into my tight muscles.

  “Where did you learn to do that?” I sigh, melting into the mattress. Banks’ hands move up my body, while Sullivan crawls up onto the bed and starts massaging my shoulders and neck. Oliver tends to my feet, and right then, it starts to feel like what I imagine heaven feels like.

  Their big hands work my tight muscles and tender flesh until I’m nothing more than a liquid mass floating in the center of the bed.

  “I hope you’re ready for us,” Sullivan whispers as he leans down, and nibbles on my earlobe. Banks takes that moment to suck one of my pebbled nipples into his mouth and Oliver, well, he spreads my thighs and settles between them. I can feel the heat of his breath against my core, and I shiver.

  “Oh, god. It’s not going to take me long with all three of you,” I complain, even though it’s not really a complaint. “But still, I can’t get enough of you. I don’t think it will ever be enough...”

  “That’s fine. We’ve got hours and days, and if that’s not good enough, we’ve got years too.” Sullivan says, sucking at my throat hard enough to leave a hickey behind. I open my mouth to speak, but the words are lost on me when I feel Oliver’s rough tongue against my slit. At the same time, Banks pinches one of my nipples, and I can’t help myself.

  My pussy gushes and my thighs quiver with the impending pleasure that’s about to be brought on me. With my clit in his mouth, Oliver enters me with two fingers, pumping in and out of me with an ounce of resistance.

  “Fuck me, my cock is harder than steel right now,” Banks says, his voice muffled from my breast. I try to focus on each of them individually, but I can’t. The pleasure builds rising second by second, and it doesn’t take me long to start going off.

  “Come, baby, come all over my brother’s tongue,” Sullivan’s filthy words only encourage me onward, and with a gasp, I lift my hips and fall apart, grinding my core into Oliver’s face. Like a wild animal, he continues to feast on me, leaving not even a drop of my release behind. By the time he’s done, I’m completely spent, and the brothers move away from me to slip out of their own clothing.

  Watching through hooded eyes, I admire each of their bodies, my mouth watering as their rock-hard cocks come into view.

  “You ready to get fucked?” Banks growls, and I nibble on my bottom lip seductively before nodding my head. He strokes his cock up and down a few times with the oil that they used on my body earlier. Then they’re moving me.

  Banks lifts me, and I reach out, pressing my hands down onto his impeccable chest as he impales me on his cock in one single thrust. My gaze widens, and my tongue darts out over my bottom lip. Sweet baby Jesus.

  He stills inside of me, and I swear it’s like he’s grown, gotten bigger. It doesn’t hurt, but I feel fuller. Oliver appears in front of me, and Sullivan presses against my back, bending me to his will. Banks fingers dig into the flesh at my hips, holding me in place as he bucks his hips, his cock slicing me in two. At the same time, Oliver starts to stroke his cock, the mushroom tip is red and painful looking, and all I can think to do is ease his pain.

  “You want my cock in your mouth?” he questions, his thick, heady voice shooting lightning bolts of pleasure through me.

  “Yes,” I gasp, just as Sullivan starts to lather my ass, and my puckered asshole with the oil. His fingers probe at the entrance before slipping in with ease. Slowly he fucks my ass with his fingers while Banks moves steadily in and out of me.

  Like a cat in heat, I mewl, the sound radiating through Oliver’s cock, which I suck on like a lollipop. Teetering back and forth between Sullivan and Banks, we slowly find a rhythm that works for all of us.

  “Fuck, yes, suck me, baby. I want to come down your throat. Fill your belly with my cum.” Mmm, yes. Sucking him harder, I take him deeper into my mouth, gagging when he threads his fingers through my hair and holds me against his groin. My lungs burn, and my eyes water, but as soon as he pulls back and I see the pleasure pooling in his eyes, I’m doing it all over again. With every hole filled, it doesn’t take long for me to fall apart, and with my orgasm brings the brothers’ orgasms.

  Banks is the first to come, groaning as my clenching pussy rips every drop of sticky hot seed from his cock. Oliver is next, and I fondle his balls as he holds my head in place, fucking my throat until he finally reaches climax. I suck him off until he grows soft and slips from my mouth. Pressing a kiss to the corner of my mouth as he moves off the bed, most likely going into the bathroom.

  With two out of the three done, I push back against Sullivan, and he meets my thrust, slamming into me with the same intense need. His touch is rough, and all I can feel is his cock taking my ass.

  “Please fill my ass with your cum,” I whimper, knowing how he loves it when I talk dirty. Peering at him over my shoulder, we lock eyes, and his thrusts become harder, almost painful, but like a volcanic eruption, I feel my own climax sneaking up on me. Thrust. Thrust. The sound of our skin slapping fills the room, and my mouth pops open, a delightful moan escaping.

  Banks smirks at me, and I can feel the bite of pain as he rolls my hardened nipples between two fingers.

  “Come on, baby, you can come again. I know you can…” Banks encourages, the look in his eyes is dark, heated, and like waves cresting the beach, my orgasm slams into me. At the same time, a roar that could wake the dead pierces the air. Sagging against Banks’ sweaty body, I smile floating down from my own orgasm while Sullivan fills me with every drop of his release.

  My lids start to grow heavy immediately after. It’s been a long time since we did a threesome, and with a baby, there isn’t much time for sex, let alone with all three of them.

  “You okay?” Sullivan asks, his fingers caressing my back.

  “More than okay. I’m pretty sure I’ve become a pile of liquid mush.”

  “No worries, we’ll let you sleep for a little while before we go for round two.”


  That causes me to perk up, “Round two?” I roll off Banks, and sit up on the bed, my eyes moving between all three of the men I love.

  “Yes, round two, and three, and four, and…”

  Oliver rolls his eyes, “I think she gets it. We want to fuck her.”

  “Oh, that’s not the only thing we want,” Banks snickers and jumps off the bed. Confusion isn’t even a word I would use to describe how I’m feeling, still my brow furrows, and I try and comprehend what is happening.

  “What do you mean?” I direct my question to all three of them.

  “We started as enemies,” Oliver says.

  “We became lovers,” Sullivan says next.

  “We have saved each other, and had a baby,” Banks adds.

  “And?” I say, my heart beating out of my chest.

  The brothers look to each other before Sullivan pulls out a black velvet box. It’s then that I know what is happening.

  “Will you do us the honor of becoming Mrs. Bishop?”

  What? How? What do I even say to that? After all we’ve gone through? After everything that’s happened, there is no way I could ever say no.

  We’re more than just fated rivals.

  We’re lovers, we’re a family, and together we beat the odds. We got our happily ever after, and so much more.

  “Of fucking course. I’d love nothing more than to be tied to the three men I love for life.”

  Something that resembles relief appears on each of their faces, and within seconds the heavy, three stone diamond ring is placed on my finger. Nestled between the three diamonds is one smaller one, and I know right away the symbolism of that ring. It was designed with a purpose. Our story.

  Three Brothers.

  One love story.

  A lifetime of love.

  The End

  What’s Next…

  Want to know what happens to Matt and maybe see what Harlow and the guys are up to?