Theirs to Pleasure: a Reverse Harem Romance

by Stasia Black

“Everything’s changed,” he whispered, running his hand down from her temple to the V of her collarbone and then down to her chest, right above her breasts. Over her heart. “You changed everything.” He couldn’t help his brow furrowing as he said it, though.

  “You don’t look exactly happy about it.”

  He huffed out a laugh. “I just…” He dropped his forehead to hers. “I had this picture of my life, okay? I was wealthy and respected and had all the things I never did growing up.” He shook his head and then nuzzled his nose with hers. Then he drew his lips ever so slowly back to her other ear and nibbled a moment before quietly whispering another truth. One he’d never told anyone.

  He shut his eyes as he confessed it. “Sometimes I think I can never wash the stink of that trailer park off me, no matter how much success I earn.”

  “Henry.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in his hair, pulling him tight against her.

  “And I know how superficial that sounds. And just stupid. Like if I got enough material things, it could make up for all I didn’t have as a kid. It’s pathetic, really.” He dropped his face to bury it between her neck and shoulder.

  “Henry,” she tried again, but again, he just shook his head and went on. “But still, I had this barometer of what success meant. Good job. Good house. Okay,” he smiled down at her. “The best job and the best house.” His smile dropped and his eyes went intense. “And the most beautiful wife that anyone ever had. Ever.”

  Shay started to wave off his comment but he took both her hands in his.

  “What I never expected or even thought to want was a wife like you. Someone as smart as she is beautiful. Someone who would make all that other shit pale in comparison to the way you make me feel every day.”

  Shay swallowed hard and looked like she was suddenly fighting tears. But now that he’d started, Henry had to get the rest of it out.

  “What I didn’t know to want, because I’d never really had it, was family. But Shay, you’ve given me that. You’ve shown me what it feels like to be important to someone. What it feels like to…” This time it was him swallowing. But then he stood up straighter as he squeezed her hands. “You’ve shown me what it feels like to love someone. I love you, Shay. And it changes everything.”

  Tears spilled down her cheeks.

  “Don’t cry, beautiful,” he whispered, cupping her cheeks and wiping away her tears with his thumbs. “Never cry. I’m going to give you the world. Just you wait.” Then he dropped his head. But just before his lips made contact with hers, she whispered urgently, “Stop! I have to tell you something.”

  He paused, then pulled back at the distress on her face. “What? What is it?”

  “I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

  She took a deep breath.

  “It all started the day the tanks rolled into town…”

  Chapter 29

  SHAY

  “Holy shit, Shay.”

  He looked away from her, out at the dark night. Her whole body went tense, waiting for him to pull away. Waiting for him to call her a hundred names, to slam the door on her and go tell the other guys what a traitor she was.

  But the next second he was pulling her into his arms, his hand at the back of her head holding her tight against his chest. “You’ve been carrying this alone all this time. It must have been hell.”

  Her arms flew around his waist as relief washed through her body. He wasn’t rejecting her. Oh thank God, he wasn’t rejecting her. Or leaving her.

  Still, when he pulled back, the old fear resurfaced and she went tense, preparing for the worst.

  “Have you told anyone else?”

  She shook her head.

  “Okay,” he said, nodding, his face knit in concentration. He took her hands and looked around like he was afraid there might be cameras or something. Then he pulled her close again. “I haven’t said anything because I never wanted to worry you, but the Commander’s known for a while that there’s a faction working against him in the Township. There’s a small council of us the Commander trusts absolutely who knows. We’ve been investigating it.”

  Shay’s eyebrows shot up. “What have you found?”

  He huffed out in frustration. “A lot of dead ends. We narrow down one spy and arrest them quietly, but they don’t have any information about Travis’s larger agenda.”

  Shay felt her shoulders sink. Of course. She could have told him that much. “That’s how he operates. In cells. No one knowing what the other is doing except for a few key players.”

  Henry nodded. “That is what we figured. Has anyone contacted you since you have been in Jacob’s Well?”

  Shay shook her head. “No. Jas—Travis gave me all the equipment I was supposed to plant before I left Travisville. But Henry, I think he’ll attack soon. I know he wants Jacob’s Well. We have to do something. You said you’re on the council. So you can talk to the Commander. Let him know that an attack is imminent. Maybe even talk to President Goddard—”

  But Henry was already shaking his head. “You saw that man last night. He only cares about the bottom line and Travis is a supposedly ‘loyal’ supplier of goods that Goddard relies on. More than that, Goddard is terrified of him. Travis has the second largest army in the Republic so unless we have proof, Goddard will not do a thing.”

  “But Travis told me to plant the device in the sculpture I’m supposed to present to the President tomorrow. Surely that—”

  “Will only get you arrested,” Henry finished sharply. “No. And you saw what he did to Drea. Do you want to end up in a jail cell beside her? We will not speak a word of this to that man. He is completely unpredictable and I do not trust him.”

  Shay let out a frustrated sigh. He was right. Of course he was right. “But the Commander. You can tell him.”

  Henry nodded. “Yes. And the sooner the better. I will go see if he is up now, in fact.”

  Shay let out a huge breath of relief. Oh thank God.

  “But Shay,” Henry said, taking her hands and glancing back at the hotel room, “You were right to be cautious. We still do not know who we can trust.”

  Shay swallowed the lump in her throat as she followed his gaze. “But surely they can’t be— I mean, we know them. Just a little bit ago you were talking about family and how it’s—”

  But Henry just kept vehemently shaking his head. “There is a reason there are only four people on the security council. The Commander barely trusts anyone and we all swore a vow of secrecy. The consequences are too dire to risk any leaks.”

  Shay nodded. She hated keeping up the deception, but Henry was right. And if the Commander knew, that meant the town could start fortifying its defenses. They’d be prepared and on the lookout for whatever Jason sent their way.

  “Okay.” Henry looked around one last time. The furrow in his brow deepened. “I hate to leave you here.”

  “Go,” she urged. “I’ll be fine.”

  He still looked indecisive.

  “Go,” she said again. “Look, worst case scenario, one of them is a mole.” She could barely even get the words out, the thought was so terrible. She barreled on. “But the rest aren’t. And you know you can trust them to protect me.”

  Henry stood still for another long moment, eyes going back and forth from the sliding hotel room door to Shay.

  “All right. Fine. But promise me you’ll stay awake and alert until I get back?” He cupped her face in his hands. “You’re my life now, Shay. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you. Do you understand me?”

  She nodded, again swallowing back emotion. “You be careful too.”

  He nodded and planted a swift kiss on her lips before pushing the sliding door aside and disappearing through the curtains.

  Shay wrapped her arms around herself and raised her eyes to the dark sky, praying to the God that Jonas could never forgive to please, please keep them all safe.

  Chapter 30

  SHAY

&nbs
p; Shay must have been dozing on the patio chaise lounge because the next thing she knew, lights were flooding the suite. As she blinked awake, Audrey shook her shoulder and urged her back inside.

  “Something’s happening,” Audrey whispered. “I don’t know what’s going on, but Nix, Graham, and Clark have been in with the Commander for half an hour and they sent Henry to bring me and the rest of my clan here.”

  Shay rubbed at her eyes as she hurried to her feet and all but tripped following Audrey back inside. She shut the sliding door behind her and searched the faces of her clan and half of Audrey’s, along with Sophia.

  Rafe was the only one from her clan not there. He’d left after dinner to go spend time with some of his old Air Force and Elite Guard buddies who still lived in Fort Worth.

  “What?” Shay asked, gaze locking on Henry. His features were tight. It was bad news.

  Oh God, had the Commander totally flipped out when Henry told her what she’d done? Was he under orders to arrest her?

  Her eyes darted around. If that was the case, where was Nix? Wouldn’t the chief security officer be the one to do the arresting?

  Or maybe Henry had argued to have the responsibility himself because he wanted to make it easier on her?

  Her mouth went desert dry.

  She deserved whatever punishment they came up with, as long as they came up with some way to go rescue her kids. Oh God, Matthew, they had to find a way to sneak in and get Matt—

  “Travis’s troops have Jacob’s Well surrounded,” Henry said grimly.

  Shay’s hand shot to her mouth as Sophia gasped, “No!”

  “Graham hasn’t had direct access to the satellite feeds since he’s been here. He’s had to rely on intelligence from his backup.” Henry’s eyes drifted to Shay. “Who was apparently working as a spy for Travis.”

  Gabriel was immediately moving, shoving clothes in a backpack and then throwing it on the floor. “I have to go. My boys!”

  Henry nodded. “The President is lending a battalion. It’s outright insurrection against the rule of law. Nix and Clark will be heading back with them to Jacob’s Well and I’m sure you can go along. They’ll be heading out within the hour, though, so hurry. Here, take this.” He handed Gabriel a keycard. “They’re meeting in Conference Room C, fourth floor.”

  Gabriel nodded and went for the door. Then, before he could yank it open, he paused, spun on his heel, and ran back until he was standing in front of Shay. He cupped her face in his hands and looked her straight in the eye.

  “I love you.”

  Shay choked, the tears she’d been managing to hold back spilling. Oh God. She’d been so wrong about him. Whatever that notebook was, it couldn’t have been for Jason. Gabriel would never put his boys in danger like this. “Don’t you dare say that to me. Not just because you think you might not— Not right now.”

  His face went soft. “But it’s true.”

  He leaned in and placed the gentlest kiss on her lips. If she hadn’t been gone before she was after that.

  “Go protect our boys,” she blubbered before throwing her arms around him. And inside, there was a voice screaming, hypocrite! Hypocrite! You could have stopped this but you didn’t!

  Or at least made sure they were so much better prepared. All it would have taken was a word…

  Gabriel nodded and then pulled away. He kissed her forehead and then hurried out of the room.

  Charlie came over to her and looked ready to pull her into his arms, but she held a hand out to stop him.

  At the other side of the room, Mateo had Audrey held to his chest. Danny was at her back, his arms draped around her from behind.

  Shay wanted to bury herself in her own clan’s arms like that more than anything in the world. But how could she after she’d betrayed them all?

  She’d waited too long.

  Her intentions didn’t matter at this point. All that mattered were the facts.

  “H-how many troops?” Shay finally managed to stutter out. “How many of Travis’s troops are there?

  Henry came close and when he ran his hands down from her shoulders to her elbows, she let him.

  He knew, at least. He knew and he was still looking at her like he— Like he—

  “I love you, too,” he whispered and she collapsed into his arms. He still loved her. Even after she’d told.

  When she felt Charlie’s warmth behind her, she didn’t push him away. And then Jonas closed in on her right.

  She didn’t reach for anyone but Henry, though. He knew and he still loved her. she squeezed her eyes shut. She could only pray the others would be as understanding.

  Though even as she had the thought, she realized how self-centered it was. Jacob’s Well was in danger because she’d been too afraid to speak up until it was too late—and now all she could think about was if her husbands would still want her after learning what she’d done.

  People would die.

  She squeezed her eyes shut and nestled her head into Henry’s shoulder, trying to block out the night and all its realities. Tomorrow. Tomorrow she’d let it all in and deal with it.

  But one last night, she’d soak in the comfort of their embrace as they surrounded her on all sides.

  ***

  Henry came and went throughout the night, but after several hours of no updates other than to say the Battalion had departed for Fort Worth, Shay dozed on one of the living room couches with her legs over Charlie’s lap and her head in Jonas’s lap.

  They were all exhausted by the time dawn broke over the Fort Worth skyline. Shay squinted and turned onto her side, burying her face against Jonas’s thigh. He stroked her hair and she sank into the touch.

  Maybe it wouldn’t have made any difference if she’d warned them about Jason… Didn’t she know firsthand just how useless it was to stand against him? He crushed anyone and everyone who stood in his way.

  Which was even more evidence for why she should have told someone right away. The Commander. Why hadn’t she gone straight to the Commander? Stupid. She was so fucking stupid.

  Or had she not told anyone not because she couldn’t trust them, but because deep down, in her heart of hearts, she’d been too afraid to act against Jason?

  He said he’d kill Matthew if she did anything against his orders.

  And if she’d told the Commander and somehow it got back to Jason…

  So was that the truth of it? She valued one boy’s life over an entire town’s?

  She squeezed her eyes shut harder.

  “Did you hear that?”

  Shay lifted her head and blinked against the morning sun at Sophia’s voice.

  “What?” Audrey asked.

  Sophia had stood up from a lounge chair across a wide coffee table and was looking toward the door. After a long moment of silence she shook her head. “Nothing, I guess. I just thought I heard something.”

  She sat back down, still frowning.

  Shay sank against Jonas. But right as his fingers began to stroke through her hair, an ear-splitting alarm rang throughout the hotel suite. She jumped and sat up as did everyone else who’d been dozing around the room.

  The next second, someone started pounding on their hotel door.

  Jonas, Charlie, and Henry jumped to their feet, along with most everybody else in the room.

  “It’s Eric,” shouted a muffled voice.

  Shay frowned. Who was—?

  “The Commander,” the voice clarified, barely audible over the wail of the alarm.

  Jonas and Mateo hurried to the door.

  “Careful, it could be a trap,” Charlie hissed, running after them.

  But they were already swinging the door open. And it was just the Commander. He swept into the room, shoving the door shut behind him.

  “Move out,” he barked. “Now. Leave everything behind. There’s no time. They’re coming.”

  “W-what?” Sophia stammered as her father grabbed her by the arm and hauled her toward the door. “Who’s coming? What
’s going on?”

  “Let’s go,” Charlie said, hurrying back to Shay and urging her toward the door as well.

  Shay didn’t need to be told twice. Something had happened. Something big and something bad. That was enough for her. She slid her feet into her sneakers and followed Charlie.

  Audrey and her two clansmen already had the door open again and were heading through.

  “But Dad,” Sophia said, trying to stop as her dad all but dragged her out the door. “What’s—”

  “No time,” was all he said.

  She huffed as the Commander led them down the long hallway to the stairway. Shay looked left and right before following them into the stairwell. The way the Commander was acting, she expected armed troops or something. Her heartbeat was racing a mile a minute and she grabbed the railing to keep her balance.

  Was the capitol under attack?

  It was the only reason she could think of for the alarm.

  But who would be attacking? Had the Southern States’ Alliance regrouped somehow and she hadn’t heard about it?

  The sound of all their running footsteps became a roaring echo in the concrete stairwell. No one said anything, they all just hurried down the stairs, floor by floor, all fifteen stories.

  “Daddy, stop.” Sophia planted her feet once they got to the underground parking level even though the Commander was again trying to literally haul her out the door. “Tell us what’s going on.”

  The Commander let out a frustrated noise, then obviously decided the quickest way to get her moving was to explain. “President Goddard’s been assassinated. They’re blaming it on us. Now come on.”

  What? But that didn’t make any sense.

  “That’s ridiculous!” Sophia said.

  “Not when it Shay’s sculpture that exploded and killed him.”

  Chapter 31

  JONAS

  “Oh God.” Shay’s face went suddenly pale and Jonas was just about to reach for her when she whispered, “But I didn’t—” She blinked in horrified confusion. “I mean, I took it out.”

  She took it—