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Chapter 14

Addie

We arrived at the outpost three days after my engagement.

Engagement.

My stomach still fluttered like thousands of butterflies were rapidly batting their wings. I never thought I would fall in love with one man, let alone seven. My parents had severely tarnished the concept of love for me. What might’ve been depicted as beautiful in romance novels and movies held nothing but painful memories to me.

I saw how love could be twisted, demented, until it was barely recognizable. Mom and Dad claimed to love each other, yet they punched, hit, and scratched until blood was drawn. Faithfulness? That was a fucking joke.

My definition of love was skewed because I grew up with the idiotic mentality that to love was to be weak. The comfort a child should’ve gotten from her parents was noticeably absent in my early years.

Crying led to a slap in the face.

Innocent hugs contorted to perverted gropings.

Now, I had six soon-to-be husbands, and I was constantly cocooned in warmth and love. It was surreal.

“You can’t stop smiling,” Asher pointed out as a daunting, large school came into view.

Deciding for honesty, I said, “Tamson tied me down and fucked me a few nights ago, and I’m engaged. That’s something to smile about. And I’m thinking about anal, too.”

Silence.

“Holy shit, Kitten,” Ryder gasped.

“Actually,” I continued contemplatively. “I wasn’t thinking about anal, but now I am. Hmmm. Would any of you be down for that?”

Six hands quickly rose into the air, and I couldn’t contain my chuckle. Even Fallon, who was driving, had one hand raised.

My mood was buoyant, bright, and I felt like I could conquer anything.

According to the faded sign, the building was a high school in a nondescript town. It was surprisingly modern with elaborate archways, brick siding expanding in all directions, and a new fence sprouting from the ground like jagged, silver teeth. A guard post was situated in front of the gate opening, made up of roughly hewn logs and a single window. A young guard stood inside, a gun strapped over his chest.

More men guarded the length of the fence, their eyes turned curiously but not suspiciously towards our car as we pulled up.

Our caravan consisted of only two large vans. Tonya and her crew, Kai and Doc, and my brother and Tommy were in the second vehicle.

Fallon rolled down the passenger window, and Asher flashed a kind smile.

“How many in your party?” the guard asked stiffly, eyes roaming over each of us. It rested a moment longer on me, and the heat I was accustomed to seeing in men’s eyes flared in his. It was different than the waymymen looked at me.

It didn’t hold any love or warmth or affection. It was pure, undiluted lust.

I stiffened instinctively, and Declan tightened his arm around my shoulders. I recognized the gesture for what it was: possessiveness.

“Seven in this car. Seven in the other,” Fallon supplied, voice tight with an unnamed emotion. Only someone who knew him as well as I did could see the crack in his impeccably placed apathetic mask. He didn’t like the scrutiny of the guard.

After a quick inspection of both cars - checking for bombs, Tamson told me quietly - he waved us through with a scathing warning about being on our best behavior and leaving all weapons other than a knife in the car.

We parked in the full lot and, as instructed, left our weapons in the car. I could tell my men didn’t feel right about it, but they didn’t complain. Whether it was trust or blind faith, I couldn’t discern, but we walked into the building with only our hidden knives.

Despite their lack of weapons, I knew my guys were a force to be reckoned with. Their bodiesweretheir weapons.

I pushed my way through the guys until I was standing between Nik and Tommy, the latter of which held a surprisingly content Mof in his arms. Slinging my arms over both of their shoulders, I asked, “How are my two favorite men doing?”

Tommy, of course, took that as an opportunity to cast a smug look behind him. Nik just shrugged his shoulders.