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“We gather evidence, we take it to the cops, and we keep her safe in the meantime. So are you with us or not?” I snap.

Tase considers me. The longer the quiet stretches, the more the air clears. It’s always been our way. He doesn’t need words to have a full conversation and neither do I. It’s what’s made us such a good team in the past.

Finally, he relents. “What do you want me to do?” He’ll do anything, too. For her.

It seems like Gilli has gone from being an annoyance to being the center of our circle. We’re the ones orbiting around her, our bright slice of sunlight, helplessly pulled to her again and again.

It’s not just the sex, although fucking her is brilliant. It’s her heart and her mind, her resolution to put herself out there in the face of incredible odds.

We talk in low voices, fleshing out the foundation of a plan, until the door to the bathroom opens. A belch of steam escapes before Gilli pops her head around the corner and her eyes go wide when she spots us. She ducks her head like she’s embarrassed, but none of us are.

We know the deal with sharing. Well, Aiden and I do. Tase has always kept his partners to himself, even before he got married. Her skin still rosy from the hot shower, Gilli hustles across the hall to her bedroom and lets the door click shut to give her privacy while she dresses.

“We keep this to ourselves,” I finish. “There’s no sense in alarming her if she’s already jumping at ghosts.”

Tase nods. “Agreed.”

“The three of us against a faceless threat? We have it covered,” Aiden says, sounding assured.

I want to believe the worst is already behind us and whatever it is we’re facing now will be easy to fix. A matter of search, destroy, and pick up the pieces afterwards.

Because as stupid as it sounds, I want to keep her. I’m a selfish prick for it, as she’s calledme too many times to count, but the hatred in me has shifted into something else. If itwashatred to begin with, because now that I take a closer look at it, I suspect it’s been desire since she came back into my life.

I crack my knuckles. Whoever is out there trying to hurt her, I’ll make sure they pay for it. Slowly. Painfully.

Chapter 30

Gilli

Aiden is the only man with the decency to tell me what they’re planning.

When the others are stone-faced and tight-lipped, he’s the one who pulls me aside to tell me they’re on board with Operation Save Gillian.

Except Gillian doesn’t need three strong men to ride to her rescue, I tell him. Even though the thought of it sends warmth spiraling through me and soothes the ragged edges of my raw nerves.

“Come on, Aiden. It’s not up to you guys to do anything for me. You have no idea where to even start. We should concentrate on getting the police to cooperate,” I say.

They aren’t a part of that life like I am. The boys don’t have the same kind of mindset. Or outlook. They see it as one beast and I see it differently.

There is something about doing online work… It’s not porn, exactly, but there are low days where it feels like it. Where you take a hard look at what you’ve been doing with your life and ask yourself if the money is worth it, because it’s hard to scrabble together your dignity.

It’s impacted me, just likeMaxxx8Uand his comments impacted me.

Tase gives me the day off. He has to go to a meeting a few hours away, so Kayla and Belle are going to handle things at the clinic. But he’ll need me tomorrow, as long as it’s safe.

“I don’t need you to take pity on me.” I grab Tase by the front of his leather jacket.

“Is that what you think I’m doing? Pitying you?”

“I think you’re all treating me like I’m breakable now, and I hate it.”

My fingers curl into the soft leather.

“Ah, I see what the issue is.” I jerk up at the sound of Soren’s voice. “You don’t have any faith in us. You think we’re a bunch of screw-ups who can’t help you with your problem.”

Air scratches my lungs on its way through my clenched teeth. “Soren, I don’t want you to get hurt. Let me handle this. It will be much easier without you trying to boot me out on my sizable ass.”

He growls and his gaze drops to the ass in question. “Stop insulting yourself.”