by J Bree
Holy fucking shit.
Okay, I’m now a little nervous about having sex with any of them because Blaise is probably the same size as Harley and, sweet fucking lord, how the hell is that going to fit in me? My mind wanders to Ash, because he’s the only one I haven’t gotten this close to yet, but Annabelle’s taunts stick in my head about the extra inches he has. Fuck.
Blaise’s eyes are glued somewhere between my nipples and the wet mess on my thighs so he misses the little moment of panic I have as he grunts and comes all over his fist.
Fuck.
That’s a good look.
Blaise recovers a bit quicker than me, his face flushed and sweaty and fucking stunning, and he wipes his hand on his discarded shirt. I wrinkle my nose at him and he laughs at me, rolling off the bed to throw it in our laundry basket and wash his hands.
I still can’t move.
It only makes him laugh harder, but I grin back at him, happy to finally see him without the gloom wrapped around him he’s been carrying since he showed up in the Bay.
He helps me back into my shirt and then tucks us both into bed, switching the light off. I settle onto his chest, surprised to find myself close to sleep already. My eyes drift shut and he rubs circles on my back.
“Promise me you won’t let Avery cut my dick off.”
I blink at him, but it’s too dark to really see if he’s being serious. “What?”
“I sent her a text so she would stay back at our room with Ash and Harley, and we could have the room to ourselves all night. She’s just messaged to say she knew I’d be the one to christen her knife. Mounty, I can’t live without my dick.”
I smother my laugh in his chest and fall asleep.
I wake to the smell of coffee, and open my eyes to find Avery wafting a cup under my nose.
I hum happily, grabbing the cup, and when I start to gulp down the sweet, sweet life-giving liquid Avery says, so sweetly, “And anything for your bedfellow this morning?”
Bedfellow?
Oh.
Fuck.
I almost forget the cup of piping hot coffee in my hand as I sit up. Thank fuck we put at least a little clothing back on last night before we fell asleep. My cheeks are burning as I brave a look at Avery. She smirks at me.
“I think he’d rather sleep in.” I croak and shift around to try to get out of the bed without her noticing my bare ass.
“Exhausted, is he? Big night?” She coos and I give up, swinging my legs out and preparing to run for the bathroom, bare ass be damned! I need a minute for my brain to unscramble.
“You know he’s not a morning person, Aves.” I mumble and scurry off to the bathroom. I take my time getting clean, letting the water calm me down. Fuck. What the hell am I going to say to Harley or Ash about this? This is the real fucking test of whether or not they can share.
When I finally emerge Blaise is still snoring. Avery is cooking a mountain of pancakes and Ash is drinking a coffee like his life depends on it. When he hears the door, he turns to offer me a cup, no hesitation or judgment. I let out a breath.
“Harley’s coming up when he’s finished at the pool and we can study together. Avery is getting twitchy about biology already.” He smirks and I join him at the bench. Pancakes aren’t my favorite, but I could eat fifty of them I’m that hungry.
Avery snarks over her shoulder at him, “Why do we always have to cut up dead things? It’s disgusting.”
Ash snorts. “Too bad you’re not paired with the Mounty, Harley told me word on the street says her hand is the steadiest.”
I elbow him in the ribs while Avery laughs. We get set up on the table, pancakes and assignments spread out around us, and eat while we wait for Harley. I refuse to wake Blaise and I don’t mention that it’s because I know the real torture will start the moment he does. Avery is distracted, her mind on her phone more than her breakfast. When she looks up I quirk an eyebrow at her.
“Joey has moved to my fathers estate in Washington. He has a new dealer and he’s already causing problems there.”
I pull a face at her. “Problems like a trail of dead bodies?”
Ash snorts. “Senior is not enjoying being on Joey babysitting duty. It was easier for him to leave it to us. He’s already stabbed two of my father’s men when they tried to stop him from going out.”
I nod slowly. I have the opportunity to finally ask why the hell Ash’s life depends on Joey breathing but I’m not sure now is the right time, with Blaise snoring and Harley on his way back. Avery sees the indecision on my face and cuts a careful look at Ash.
“Senior has made his disappointment very clear that Joey is the only one of his progeny to have inherited his taste for violence.”
Right.
Gross.
Harley unlocks the door, for fuck’s sake they all must have keys, and wanders in. He scoffs at Blaise’s snoring form and throws a pillow at him. Blaise doesn’t so much as twitch. Harley pulls up a chair next to mine and, though his eyes are intense as he looks me over, he kisses my cheek sweetly and his wet hair tickles the side of my face. I try, and fail, not to start to blush but I’m so fucking relieved.
I clear my throat. “Your dad’s pissed because the two of you are ruthless dictators, but also manage to have morals? Jesus fucking wept. I don’t want to meet the guy. Knowing and dealing with Liam O’Cronin is enough, thanks.”
Ash snorts again and says, “Please tell me you’re going to record yourself slitting that cretins throat so we can all enjoy it.”
“It’s on my list.”
Harley’s hand squeezes my thigh, not missing a beat in the conversation he’s walked into. “Can we pretend for one second that you’re not the most secretive person on the fucking planet and can you tell us what’s on the list?”
I blow out a breath and share a look with Avery. “We should wait until Blaise is up so I don’t have to repeat myself.”
Avery gives me a sly look and I brace myself for the shit I know she’s about to grab a spoon and start stirring. “Ash, go shake the asshole awake. Ask him what he’d like for his last meal on Earth because I’m going to gut him for kicking me out of my own room just so he could get his dick out. Mounty, I hope he was gentle with you.”
Kill me.
Just fucking kill me now.
I tip my head back and stare at the ceiling for a second, blushing furiously and avoiding any of the eyes that are now glued on me. Blaise decides that this is the moment he will return to the land of the living, sitting up sharply, and I’m sure the look he gives Avery will earn him a knife to the kidneys from Ash or Harley.
“Leave her the fuck alone.”
The look Avery gives him is so fucking cold the temperature in the room changes. “She’s my best friend. I can ask her if I need to kill you if I want to.”
Blaise heaves himself out of bed, looking rumpled and fucking delicious, before stalking over to us. He kisses my head sweetly, cradling my cheek, and snaps back at her, “Don’t be a bitch about it. Ask her that shit when we’re not around, don’t make her feel like shit by putting her on blast. This isn’t a fucking game.”
I don’t know if it’s just the ice Avery is throwing, but the whole room freezes. I’m too damn worried to look at Ash or Harley right now so my focus stays glued on Avery. Her eyes narrow at Blaise but he doesn’t back down, and I start to sweat at the thought of the brawl that’s about to happen. This is exactly what I was afraid would happen, dammit! I open my mouth, ready to try and diffuse the fight, when a slow smile stretches across her face.
“I’m glad you’re taking your relationship seriously. Morrison is still second. You two need to step up.” She decrees, shooting me a smug look.
Blaise scoffs at her, kisses my head again, and then stomps his way to the bathroom.
Ash gives Avery a hard look. “How? I look in her direction and you have a fucking episode at me.”
Avery stands to clear plates away. “I’m not explaining myself to you, Ash. I’m doing w
hatever I have to do to keep our family safe and happy, even if that means gutting one of you for Lips.”
Harley moves to sling his arm over my shoulders and I take my first deep breath since I woke up. His eyes are possessive on me while he says to Avery in a tone haughty, “So we’re all being tested by you to make sure our intentions are pure? I’m not fucking worried. I’m sleeping here tonight. I’m fucking sick of spending all of my time with that skank of a teacher.”
Chapter Eight
I’m sitting in math class, keeping a careful eye on Blaise’s blushing desk buddy from across the room, when my phone vibrates silently against my leg. Harley feels it and glances around then frowns at me when it’s clear the text has come from outside our little family.
I shrug and wait for the teacher to turn his back before checking the text.
I’m coming to your stuck-up school, little Wolf. Big news, the kind that needs to be delivered personally. The O’Cronin kid can get you into the pool, right? Meet me there at 11pm.
I groan. Just what I need. Harley quirks an eyebrow at me and I flash him the screen to show him Illi’s text. His frown deepens and he nods his head a fraction.
I try to get my focus back on the sums in front of me, but the swirling pit of my stomach makes it impossible, so instead I glare at the back of the blushing girl’s head.
Harley bumps me gently to get my attention, and asks me what the hell my problem is using just his eyebrows. Yep, I’m fluent now. I know exactly what the golden god who’s taken over my bed is saying. Only my bed, he won’t take over my body with Avery’s watchful eyes around and with all of the extra classes he’s barely making it to our room before midnight on the nights he comes to me. I’m sort of hoping Ms. Vivienne will hurry up and make a move on him so the whole thing can be done with, even if it does make me twitchy to think of her touching him.
I’m not sure I can get my eyebrows to say what I need them to in return so I shrug instead.
After class Avery laughs at me as I eyeball the fuck out of the blushing girl. I tuck my arm into hers and stomp to the dining hall for lunch, ignoring the guys as they gloat at each other over last night’s fight club.
I already know Ash won.
If the bruised and split skin on his knuckles didn’t give it away then the looks of respect and sheer terror he gets from the other students would have clued me in. I hear Blaise joking about sending Harley the video of a particularly brutal fight with one of Joey’s ex-flunkies and I make a note to get a copy myself.
For research purposes.
Ahem.
Avery grimaces at her phone before murmuring, “I don’t know why you’re glaring at that poor little sheep. It’s not like he even noticed her, and she was too shy to ever speak to him.”
I roll my eyes at her. “Exactly. So if he needs help with his workbook she’s not going to be able to do shit if she can’t even speak to him. She didn’t take a single note the entire class.”
Avery chuckles. “Neither did you.”
“Difference is, the Mounty has already finished the entire Algebra unit and is now working on the Geometry workbook that the class won’t move to for another eight weeks. She’s so far ahead even Harley’s extra special tutoring can’t get close to her.” Ash interrupts, and Avery cuts me a look.
“Are you sleeping at night? How much coffee are you drinking? Do I need to give up ballet and start stalking you to make sure you’re taking care of yourself?” She hisses and I laugh at her.
We push into the dining hall and I try to ignore the looks I get. At least I don’t have to listen to the whispers while I’m surrounded by the others. The students here seem to think they’re the dangerous ones.
Fucking rich idiots.
I grab a tray for myself and Avery, ignoring three sets of glares at my independent move. I make it two steps before Ash wrestles it from me. Chivalrous dickhead. “I’m sleeping just fine. Things are calmer this year, at school at least. I’m not worried about Joey choking you or Harlow fucking poisoning you. I’m not stressing about hot assholes sitting on my couch glaring at me all day.” Avery gags at me dramatically and I smirk back. “I’m just getting ahead before everything turns to shit like it always does.”
Famous last words.
Harley arrives at our door at 10pm.
He lets himself in and I frown, confused about his early appearance. Avery stomps out of the bathroom, wrapped in a fluffy towel, and snarks at him, “The keys are for an emergency! If you don’t stop letting yourself in I’m going to start walking around naked!”
Harley snorts at her. “You’ll only be risking Morrison’s life. I don’t wanna see my cousin’s tits, but it’s not going to scar me for life. Morrison’s the one who’ll get stabbed for looking at you.”
Avery loosens the hold on her towel so it slips a little to call his bluff.
I groan and slap a hand over my face as the two of them glare each other down like some sort of fucked up game of chicken.
I clear my throat to try to interrupt them. “Can we just go, Harley? Please? Or do you want me to put a movie on while we wait?”
He reluctantly looks away and Avery crows in victory. “Grab a bathing suit, we can go for a swim before the Butcher gets here.”
I blanch. “I’m shit at swimming.”
“Well, I’m not. I’ll keep you afloat.”
I’m not proud to admit it, but the deciding factor is the very thought of being pressed up against his wet, naked chest.
Yes fucking please.
One small problem.
“I don’t have a bathing suit.”
Harley quirks an eyebrow at me. “You’re from the Bay, how do you not have a suit?”
Avery tugs me into her closet and pulls her bathrobe on, rummaging through her drawers until she finds a tiny scrap of fabric and passes it to me.
There is no way it will cover even my small tits.
I cut her a look and she smirks at me. “That asshole should be kissing my feet for giving you that. Try it on.”
It’s obscene. It’s truly fucking obscene.
My entire body flushes as Avery looks me over, clinically approving like I’m her own personal model, and somehow it’s so much worse than being naked. It’s technically a bandage-style one-piece, but I’ve seen micro bikinis have more coverage over the important parts. I have underboob cleavage in this thing, for fucks sake! I turn around in the mirror and, oh look, there’s eighty-five percent of my butt-cheeks.
“Let me find you something to cover up with for the walk down there.” Avery mutters, as she moves to a different drawer.
Harley lets out an exasperated sigh and calls out, “We’re not going to get the chance to swim if you turn this into a fashion parade, Floss. Just grab a sweater to wear once our… friend gets here.”
Avery ignores him and winds a silky, shimmery wrap dress around me, tying and buttoning and tucking me in until I’m positive Harley is going to have to bundle me back into it when we’re finished. When she nudges me out of the closet she snarks at him, “If you run into anyone on the way down and she wasn’t covered up, you’d stab them. You’re welcome, cousin dearest.”
Harley rolls his eyes at her, then kisses her cheek sweetly and tucks me under his arm to walk down to the pool. I wait until we’re in the hall before I burrow into the solid warmth of his chest. The rumbling noise of contentment he makes is loud against my ear.
He uses his own set of keys to get us into the building and he disarms the alarm with practiced ease. When he catches my questioning look he shrugs, “Coach knows I come here when I can’t sleep. He gets an alert saying someone has disabled the alarm and when he sees it’s my code he ignores it.”
Huh.
I didn’t know that this was soothing for him. They all have little rituals, every one of them. Avery cleans obsessively and puts things in meticulous order, Ash runs until he can’t breathe, and Blaise messes around with lyrics and drawings in his notebook. They have all learned ho
w to cope with the dark reality of our world.
I take to my bed and cease existing two days a year.
I’m busy musing over our broken little family when Harley does that move of his and pulls his shirt off one-handed. He grins at me, the absolute asshole because he knows he has my attention now, and he pushes his jeans down his legs until he’s left in a pair of swim shorts.
Sweet merciful lord.
I would like to climb that boy like a freaking tree.
It occurs to me that I can now. Jesus fucking wept.
His grin stays in place while he waits for my soul to return to my body and it only falters when I start to fumble with the dress, gritting my teeth at the stupid thing until finally the fabric floats to the ground and I’m left in the sparse black suit.
“Holy fuck.” Harley croaks, and I barely manage to blink before he’s hauling me up into his arms, my legs wrapping around him instinctively, like they were made to be. Maybe they were; I’m not questioning it. I couldn’t right now if I tried.
He holds me up with one arm under my ass, holy fucking hotness, and uses the other to gently grip the back of my neck, pulling my lips into his. Just before they touch he whispers, “We are not having sex for the first time in a pool, but fuck me, it’s tempting. That suit is the work of the devil, and she’s trying to fucking kill me. I need some frigid water to calm my dick down.”
I huff out a laugh, but before I can tease him he tugs me into his kiss. I wriggle in his arms a little, just enough that I slide down his body a fraction and feel that, yep, he really does like what he sees. I wriggle a little more, moaning into the kiss and grinding against him, so distracted by his groans that I barely take note that we’re moving. It’s only when he steps down into the water, slowly descending the concrete steps, that I break away and prepare to be submerged.
“Don’t look so scared, babe. I won’t drop you.” He teases, nipping at my neck.
I don’t want to tell him that I’d once been held underwater until my vision blacked out, and doing this with him is using a level of trust I didn’t know I was capable of. Not just going for a swim with him, but being this close to him in the water. I clear my throat, and try to chase the ghosts away.