by K. A Knight
I don’t let it show just how much that hurts. I don’t reveal that her words just stabbed through my heart and soul like a fucking bullet. She regrets it. The best thing to ever happen to me, the thing I have been dreaming about for years…and she regrets it.
“Yeah? Well, you’re about to regret a whole lot more, princess,” I sneer, and then I yank down her suit. She struggles, trying to get me off of her, but not really. Her nipples are tight and hard, pressing against the material of her sports bra. Her lips are parted on a moan, and her body rubs against me, even as her mouth spouts off insults.
“You fucking asshole! I hate you, I hate you, I fucking hate you!” she yells as I drop to my knees, pulling the suit with me. In one quick move, I tug her leg free, rip her panties aside, and flick her engorged clit with my tongue. She groans and pushes her pussy into my face, and like I assumed, she’s already wet as hell for me. It drips down her pretty pink pussy, and I can’t help myself.
I need to show her that she may hate me, regret being with me, but she still wants me all the fucking time. Like I do her. This is toxic, but I don’t care.
I eat her like an animal, imprinting her taste in my mouth and on my tongue as she screams obscenities about how much she hates me. “Keep talking, princess. You’ll be screaming for another reason in a moment, and we both know it.”
I bury my tongue in her tight hole, and she stops her rant to moan, threading her fingers in my hair and dragging me closer. She presses her pussy to my face until I can barely breathe. Who fucking cares? Who needs air when I have her?
I attack her like I normally do, but this time with my fingers and tongue instead of words. In no time, she’s riding my face, grinding her pussy onto my tongue as I lash her clit. I slide one finger inside her at first before I spear two more into her, stretching her as she writhes and yells.
“Fuck you, Kalen!” she shouts.
Pulling my mouth away, I meet her eyes, my lips coated in her cream as I smile. “Nah, but I’ll fuck you, princess. Now shut up and come on my tongue, let me feel just how much you don’t hate me.”
She shakes her head, even as her body starts to quake, and I know she’s close. Laughing at her stubbornness, I suck her clit into my mouth, and then with a cruel twist, I bite down on it. She screams, jerking in my grip as her pussy clamps on my fingers as she comes. I lick and suck her through it until she tries to push me away. Sitting back on my heels, I look at her shivering, sweat-coated body and lick my lips clean of her sweet taste.
Her eyes flicker open to watch me, hazy with pleasure. “Still hate me, princess?” I taunt.
“Yes…maybe not as much. Keep that up, and I might even start to like you.” She huffs, reaching down and getting back into her suit before zipping up. Grinning, I get to my feet. She reaches for my obviously hard cock, but I pull away.
“That wasn’t about me getting my rocks off, Andrews. That was about proving just how good of a liar you are…even to yourself,” I murmur as I lean in and kiss her, bruising her lips before I turn away.
She swears and stomps off, muttering about assholes, and my grin widens. Fuck, I’ve missed this—the teasing, taunting, and getting her riled up for me—but watching her explode around me makes it all worthwhile, even if my brother hates me for it.
Just then, our mics crackle, and I grab it as I sip some water. “Pey?” comes Tyler’s frantic voice.
“Sorry, brother, just me,” I snark.
He sighs. “Sorry, man. You both okay?”
“We’re fine. How’s it going? I’m getting restless,” I tell him as Peyton crowds next to me to hear what they have to say, but I have a bad feeling.
It goes quiet, and that only enhances my suspicions. “We’re working our hardest, but we can’t get the equipment here for five days due to a tropical storm. I need to know your supply count so we can create a different plan. Fin and Riggs are already scouting for different routes through—”
Peyton swears and grabs the mic. “Ty.”
He goes silent, and she brushes her hair back, looking at me for a moment. “We might have a way out, that high up tunnel. I don’t know where it leads, but it’s better than sitting here and waiting to die.”
“We have a plan. We need you to listen carefully. Your lives depend on it going right,” Tyler orders, his voice hard.
“We have no choice,” she retorts. “We have to try!” I glare at the tunnel she wants to try and get through, and her voice softens then. “Ty, please, babe, I can’t—I can’t sit here and wait for it to just happen.” I flinch at her use of ‘babe,’ and she presses against my side without a word or a glance. Jealousy roars through me, but I don’t move away, even not wanting to break contact with her. “I need to keep fighting. I have to keep moving. If there is a chance, even a remote chance that it leads to somewhere, I have to take it, and I need your help to do it. We both do. Trust in us. I know it’s hard for you to relinquish control, but you need to right now.”
It becomes quiet, and I think she’s pushed too hard, so I glare down at her as she stares sadly at the comms, but she’s still determined. Nothing will stop her from going through that tunnel. I know her well enough to know that, and so does Tyler.
“Fine, but there are conditions. One, you communicate with us at all times. Two, if you get into it and it doesn’t seem safe or like it will go anywhere, you will go back and wait for us to get you out with no complaints,” he grumbles.
“What? No three?” She laughs.
“Three…you do not fucking die, either of you. You keep yourselves alive no matter what you have to do, is that understood?”
She smiles and winks at me. “Got it, bossman. Okay, we’ll pack up and get started soon.”
She goes to move away when another crackle comes. It’s Fin this time. “Darling, stay safe and come back to us.”
She freezes, and our eyes meet as there’s a fumble followed by another voice. “He’s right. I’ll monitor from here…but please, Peyton, don’t do anything stupid. I couldn’t bear to lose you again,” Riggs whispers.
I close my eyes for a moment, pushing back my own issues when I see the pain on her face.
She swallows, staring at me helplessly, so I grab the comms. “What? No drawn out demands for me?” I ask with a scoff, even as I lean down and kiss her forehead, comforting her, though I don’t know why.
“Shut up, it includes you.” Riggs huffs as Fin laughs.
“Want me to come kiss you better, Kal?” he taunts.
“Fuck you guys.” I chuckle as another voice joins the fray.
“Minnow?”
She grabs the comms, and I let her. “I’m here, old man.”
“Less of the old.” He laughs. “Minnow, fuck, just be careful, okay? I know you can do this, but don’t fucking mess up. I need you, kid. Who’s going to kick my ass and drag me back to life if you’re not there?”
“Save me a bottle, I’ll be there soon,” she promises and turns away, but not before I see the sheen of tears in her eyes. I watch her go, confusion growing within me. I’m still angry, I still hate her, but seeing her vulnerable and watching her struggle is hurting my heart.
All these years, I thought I wanted to make her pay, to hurt her like she hurt us…but now I’m not so sure, because seeing her in pain, even if she deserves it, only hurts me more.
Putting down the comm, I head over to her as she’s packing her bag. I drop my hands to her hips, and she stills. “Look at me, Andrews.”
She sniffs but doesn’t turn, so I force her to, and her eyes drop to my chest, but I refuse to let her hide from me. I tip her chin back with my finger, and her watery eyes meet mine. “Princess.” I sigh and then pull her into my arms and just hold her. “We’re getting out of here, I promise you that. I won’t stop until I get you back to them.”
She rests her head on my chest, and I just embrace her for a moment as she gathers herself back together again. I hear her suck in some breaths before she pulls away slightly, brushing a
way her tears. I cup her cheek as she looks at me, searching my eyes. “Why are you being nice to me?” she rasps.
Leaning down, I kiss each eye and then her lips, lingering there as I taste the saltiness of her tears. “I can be nice, princess, you just usually prefer me mean.”
“Nice? I’ve never seen you be nice,” she teases, making me grin.
“Only for you. Don’t tell anyone, I have a rep to maintain,” I counter, and she laughs and pulls away again. Scrubbing her face, she sighs and stands taller.
“Okay, asshole, let’s do this shit.” She turns with renewed vigour to get ready, and I do the same, smiling at the fact she let me comfort her. Usually, only Riggs can do that, so it sends a weird bolt of pleasure through me. Everyone needs to break sometimes, to lean on someone, but Andrews never usually lets anyone, always wanting to be so strong—apart from the night she kissed me when her dad died.
She had been weak, alone, and lost in a whirlwind of emotions, looking to feel anything, and I couldn’t help myself. I still regret that it was our first kiss, it haunts me, but we don’t have time to waste dwelling on the past. All we have is now.
Down in the dark, anything can happen.
We still have a job to do. We will make it out of here, then finish exploring the cave…and then what? Break apart again? I don’t know if I can let her walk away a second time.
Once we are ready to go, unsure what to expect, we press our foreheads together, the usual adrenaline starting to surge through us. “We’ve done this a thousand times, what’s one more, princess?”
“Hell yes. See if you can keep up, asshole.” She grins and then unexpectedly leans in and kisses me before ripping herself away and rushing to the wall, taking a running jump up onto it.
I stare after her, my lips still parted, and with a laugh, I chase her. She’s already halfway up the wall when I begin to climb. My reach is longer than hers, so I easily catch up as she reaches the tunnel entrance and perches there, shining her light into it. “Here we go,” she murmurs, and then she moves into the unknown.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Riggs
I watch them on the cameras, although visibility is low, even with the lights. Nerves fill me, as does exhaustion, and I haven’t slept or left my computers since they were trapped, needing to assure myself she’s okay at all times.
I even saw when they fucked—not that I said anything.
I think they thought they turned the cameras off…but they didn’t. Luckily, I was the only one here. Tyler was arguing with the equipment manager, and Fin was shouting commands and doing dive after dive to try and find a way through, almost frantic…reckless.
We are killing ourselves, but it doesn’t matter as long as we get them back. We are family to the end, no matter what’s happened and the mistakes we have made. Right now, our family is fractured, and we need to put it back together again. When they’re safe—when, not if—I’m going to do what I’ve wanted since the moment I laid eyes on Peyton Andrews.
I’m going to kiss her.
I know Fin has, and now Kalen has fucked her, so it seems all bets are off. If they can take what they want, then so can I, and what I want more than anything is Peyton. Always have. The others are gathered around me, watching the progress. Fin is bouncing on the spot from nerves. Tyler is stoic, viewing them, but I can hear the pounding of his heart against my side.
He loves her, I know that, and of course he loves his brother too. He can’t lose them, none of us can. But what we said is true—if anyone can make it through, it’s those two. We have to trust them now more than ever and send up a prayer that they do.
“The equipment is ready to be brought through to meet them if you’re right, Riggs,” Tyler mutters.
“Good. Who’s doing it?”
“Fin and I. We need you here to monitor everything and keep us updated. I know you’re tired—”
I turn, and for once, I narrow my eyes in irritation. “I love them too,” I snap. “I’m fine. Do what you need to do, let’s get them back.”
I turn to the monitors. I feel their eyes on me, but I don’t look, I’m too busy watching my girl and my brother trying to find their way back to me—to us.
Fuck, please let them make it, please let them come home to me. I swear I’ll never let them go again. I promise I’ll love them until my last days if they survive this.
FIN
It all seems so stupid now, all the reasons why I held myself back from her. Knowing I could lose her is making me frantic with the need to kiss her, hold her, and tell her how I feel.
Peyton is the love of my life, always has been, even when I didn’t believe in it, and if she comes back—no, when she does, I’ll tell her. I’ll lay myself bare for her, no jokes, no flirting. I’ll tell her how I feel and hope she feels the same.
Tyler will have to deal with it. I’m tired of tiptoeing around his feelings, and with us almost losing them, the concern is stupid. There is so much more in life to worry about, and being in love shouldn’t be one of those things. Peyton was made to be loved, and not just by him—she needs us all. I can share, I can do whatever the fuck she wants, as long as I get to have her too.
I know Riggs feels the same, and Tyler will probably punch us, but I’ve decided I can live with that. What I can’t live with, however, is never having loved Peyton Andrews properly.
I watch over Riggs’ shoulder as they begin to crawl through the tunnel. Fuck, I wish I was there with them. I wish I could be there to help, to comfort her, to get her out. I have to trust in my brother, and so does Tyler, and if he can trust Kalen to save his girl, then he can trust him to love her as well.
Kalen loves her, and he has never loved before, never let anyone else close other than us. If he loses her again, we may just lose him forever. This is about more than my own selfish feelings, I can’t let my family break apart again. I meet Tyler’s eyes like he can hear my thoughts, or maybe it’s just Riggs’ declaration. I saw the fire in his eyes. He didn’t just mean he loved her like a friend or a sister, he was telling Tyler he’s in love with Peyton, and in Tyler’s gaze, I see the truth.
He knows.
Maybe he always did.
A noise has us both spinning back to the monitor. These feelings, all these lies and suppressed truths can wait. For now, it’s about them. We can do nothing but watch and wait.
Either they make it through, or we all die down here, because I’m never leaving her again, not to save myself or my family. She’s trapped, I’m trapped. She dies, I die.
Together.
After all, she’s this diver’s heart.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Peyton
The tunnel is big enough to crawl through. Our breathing is loud in the silence, and my light shines steadily ahead, but it only penetrates the darkness just in front of me. Every now and again, Kalen reaches out and squeezes my ankle to comfort me and let me know he’s still right behind me.
He held me while I cried. I never thought I’d see the day. Riggs? Hell yes. Fin? Maybe, though he would feel my ass. Tyler? Of course. But never Kalen. In his eyes, there was a softness I didn’t know he had in him, and the worst part? It made my heart pound, and I almost admitted that I loved him once.
That I still do.
It was on the tip of my tongue and almost slipped free, but I couldn’t let it out, because those are words I can’t take back, and I know once we gain our freedom, he’ll return to being cold and distant, to hating me for what I did to him and his brothers. He will go back to pretending he’s never tasted me, never felt my body lock around him in the throes of passion, never kissed me so deeply, I thought I couldn’t breathe without him anymore.
Part of me aches, wishing we could stay in this bubble for just a moment longer, but it’s time to move, it’s time to get free, even though it cracks my already fragile, shattered heart.
“How’re you doing, Pey?” Riggs asks sweetly.
“Oh, you know, the usual. Cold and wet,
and not in a good way.” I hear a few laughs as I smile and crawl through the dark tunnel. “Also craving a big fat burger.”
“I’ll have one waiting for you when you get out,” he replies, laughter in his tone.
“Yeah? Extra cheese?”
“Of course, and a beer, maybe even some fluffy socks if you’re quick enough.”
I smile, even though I know he’s doing this for my benefit to try and keep my spirits high and hopeful. “What about a foot rub?”
“Now you’re pushing it, darling,” Fin chimes in, making me snigger.
“Anything yet?” Tyler questions, interrupting our banter, and we become silent for a moment.
“Nothing, still going. It’s heading down, I think,” I murmur.
“Good, that’s good… I’ll rub your feet if you hurry up, baby,” he offers.
“Well damn, consider me speedy.” I grin as I pick up my pace.
Kalen laughs behind me, and I yelp when he spanks me. “Don’t be reckless.”
“Or what?” I tease as I crawl. The conversation is keeping the fear and worry at bay like they knew it would.
“Or you’ll be back on your knees again,” he warns, and I freeze as I realise they can hear what Kalen just said. No one comments, so I carry on crawling like nothing’s wrong. Like he didn’t just joke about me sucking his cock in front of his brother, my ex, and our whole team.
The tunnel starts to tilt down, and I close my mouth and focus on what we’re doing. After the trouble we have already been through, I’m not risking one little mistake. This beast of a cave system requires our entire focus.
“We’re going down. I think it’s widening too.”
“That’s what she said,” Fin quips.
I snort but carry on, and in about another three or four meters, I know I’m right—the tunnel is opening. I don’t feel the rocks scraping on my sides or along my pack, which is good. It means it may actually lead to somewhere.