Page 4

Three

I check the time and groan. It’s a whole hour before I should wake up, but there’s no way I’m falling back to sleep and into the nightmares and memories of my experience with Dimitri, Knox, and Jaxon.

The guys have infected my mind.

“Oh, screw it,” I mutter as I toss the sheets off my bed.

I’ll just get an early start at work, and I’ll be able to avoid them for at least a little while. I’ll have some peace and quiet to do my job.

As I brush my teeth and fix my thick black hair in a high ponytail, my eyes settle on my reflection in the mirror.

Dark crescents paint the skin beneath my pale blue eyes, reminding me of how bad of a night I’ve had.

The last thing I want is for the guys to know that they’re getting to me, so with some concealer, I cover up the tiredness on my face and add some extra blush and bronzer to give me some color.

My stare drops to my chest, following the carvings, the scars they inflicted on me on that night seven years ago. The night before I ran.

Some curve lower to my belly, some even paint the insides of my thighs. They marked me, made me theirs, and now it seems they’re here to claim me again.

I scoff and shake my head as I put on my team polo shirt and fitted khaki pants. I close a few extra buttons to be sure no one sees the scars and slide on my tennis shoes before I head out the door. My eyes dart up and down the hallway to make sure the coast is clear.

They can try whatever they want, but this time, I’ll fight harder. I’ll take back what they stole from me.

They’re probably all on the third floor, but I don’t know that for sure. They could be spread out. Knox or Jaxon could even be somewhere on this floor. It’s bad enough that they live in the same building as me. With my luck, one of them will be on my floor too.

This must be purposeful sabotage. This can’t be a coincidence .

With a racing heart, I hurry to the elevator and hit the down button multiple times. Luckily, the elevator isn’t busy right now since so many people are asleep, so it reaches me quickly. I hit the floor for the lobby and leave the building in a brisk walk, not even daring to glance around.

Once I feel like I’m in the clear, I slow down and take a deep breath of cool, early morning air. The sun has barely broken through the horizon, slight darkness still painting the sky. I head to the stadium and park in the employee parking lot.

When I round the building to go to one of the side entrances closest to the gym and therapy room, my heart plummets at the sight of Knox leaning against the building with a cigarette between his fingers.

“What are you doing here?” My words escape me before I can even stop them.

Knox takes a drag, blowing a cloud of smoke into the air. He lowers the cigarette and smirks at me. “Getting a head start on the day.”

The same idea I had. Of course.

“By standing outside and smoking a cigarette?” I question him, unable to rein in my sass.

Knox smirks and crushes his cigarette under his shoe before stepping closer to me.

I take a step back. “Don’t.”

Knox puts his hands up innocently. As if he could ever be innocent. “How do you like your job?”

“Is that a trick question?” I ask as my eyes narrow .

Knox’s piercing stare finds mine, making my heartbeat stall for a second. “No.”

I sigh. “I love this job. I worked hard to get it,” I say in a firm voice, hoping he has enough heart to not screw this up for me. But does he have a heart at all?

Knox hums under his breath as he nods, the side of his mouth turning up. “It’s a lot of pressure.”

“I can keep up.”

He grins, but he always looks wolfish when he smiles, like he can eat me alive at any second. “Well, I did choose this team because it had the best physical therapist.”

White noise rings in my ears as I stare at him in shock. “You knew I was on the team before you transferred?”

Knox shrugs, tucking his hands in his pockets as he steps closer until his frame towers over me. “Perhaps.”

My heart thunders as I try to make sense of this. “You could’ve picked any other team, and you came to this one for me?”

Knox lifts a finger and clicks his tongue. “Me and the guys had multiple offers, but you definitely sweetened the pot for this team.”

I was a deciding factor? I drew them here like bees to pollen, and I can’t get rid of them. I shake my head. “You need to leave me alone!”

He laughs. “You should calm down, Hope. This is a good thing for all of us.”

My finger jabs his chest. “A good thing for you! You three! Not me! ”

Knox smirks and catches my hand before I can pull it away and draws me closer, the smell of his cologne filling my nose. “It could be good for you too if you just behaved.”

I peek down at our joined hands, my stomach flipping. I try to pull away, but he tightens his grip that much more.

“Stop this,” I grit.

Knox leans even closer, his face only inches from mine. “Why? Can’t handle it? You already handled us before.”

My eyes widen as I lean away, my heart threatening to pound out of my chest. “Just leave me the fuck alone, Knox!”

Knox laughs again, the sound chilling my very soul. “Don’t lie to yourself, sweetheart. I bet you still think about us at night.”

I can only stare at him, my face paling. Of course, I think about them at night. Just not in the way that he thinks. I grit my teeth and steel myself as much as I can. “You wish!”

A smirk crosses his face as his eyes roam over my tense face. He finds amusement in every little thing that I do like I’m some sort of toy or game that he can play. His free hand cups my cheek, and I’m too frozen to jerk my head away from him. “Don’t worry, we still remember how rough you like it.”

All of the oxygen in my lungs evaporates, leaving me stunned and breathless. His words grate on my very soul, stripping away my strength. My control. He has me in the palm of his hand, waiting to crush me at any moment.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, Knox,” I tell him, my voice coming out in a harsh whisper .

Knox slides the hand on my cheek around to the back of my neck, tightening his grip and keeping me from pulling away. The ghost of his touch on my skin burns, and I feel weak at the knees as his tongue trails over his bottom lip. “Maybe we should remind you.”

My survival instincts kick in, and I gather enough strength to shove him away from me. I stumble back from the force, but I manage to plant my feet and ground myself as he takes a few steps back. “Fuck off, Knox!”

Knox merely chuckles, and a chill races up my spine, and my fight or flight instincts intensify again. This time, I want to run and get as far away from him as I can, like I’ve done before.

Noise from me behind me makes me turn. A relieved breath leaves me as I force a smile on my lips. Other team players are strolling our way, helping me by just being present.

“Hey, Hope.”

“Morning, Hope.”

“Hi, guys.”

I watch them walk up to Knox and slap hands with him in greeting, acting like they’re old buddies. Heat bubbles within me as anger climbs to see how easily the guys were able to integrate themselves into the team. How can no one see past their masks?

Why am I the only one who is able to peek behind the curtain?

While Knox is distracted by the two other players, I quickly slip past them and go to the therapy room .

As I flick on the light, I’m welcomed by that familiar buzz of them above me and I rest my back against the wall to catch my breath, my skin burning hot.

It’s only day two, and I wonder what they have in store for me. I’m terrified to find out.