Page 31 of Brutal Reign (Shadowed Heirs #5)
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“ I still can’t believe you got tickets!” I squeal, practically jumping out of my skin as I sprint ahead of Seb and Ace to round the corner of the building.
To say I’m excited is an understatement. I’ve been obsessing over this band for the past year, and when their only Colorado show sold out in minutes, I was devastated. Since then, I’ve been trying to get my hands on tickets, and where I failed, Ace somehow pulled off the impossible. It’s probably a good thing he waited to tell me until lunchtime today, because my head was anywhere but on the field during our afternoon training session. I was busy mentally planning my outfit and reeling over the fact that I’m actually going to see Audio Whiplash perform live.
Could this day get any better?
I stop in my tracks when the parking lot comes into view, realizing that yes , yes it could. Because I recognize the shiny black classic Corvette parked in the closest spot, and this surprise is almost as good as the tickets themselves.
“Your dad’s car?” I gasp, whipping a glance at Ace over my shoulder.
“ My car,” he corrects, a smile curving his lips. “He gave it to me as a present for my eighteenth birthday.”
My mouth drops open as I swivel my head back toward the vehicle I’ve always admired, blinking in disbelief. “No fucking way.”
This car was his dad’s baby; he rebuilt the engine himself when he was our age. It’s hard to imagine he’d part with it, but then again, Cal Conway is a lot more sentimental than he lets on. Kinda like my dad, when he passed on his beloved motorcycle to me.
“How have I not seen this in the parking lot before?” I marvel, my eyes sweeping over the smooth curves of the Corvette’s body.
“He keeps it in the garage at the packhouse,” Seb chimes in. “Cal’s orders.”
“Picked it up over lunch today,” Ace adds.
I let out another girlish squeal, running toward the Corvette while calling out, “I’ve got shotgun!”
“No way,” Seb growls, the soles of his boots stomping against the pavement behind me as he rushes to catch up. “I’m not wedging myself in the back seat.”
“She did call it,” Ace points out.
I spin around as I reach the passenger side of the car, leaning a hip against the door and grinning. “What Ace said. And it’s his car, so he makes the rules.”
Seb shakes his head adamantly, brow furrowing deeper. “No, fuck no.”
I fold my arms over my chest, shoving out my lower lip in a pout.
“Don’t even try it,” he grumbles as he approaches me, tipping his head. “Get in the back, Riv.”
Lifting my chin defiantly, I stand my ground. “No.”
“River,” Seb warns.
“Seb,” I growl back.
“Would you two just knock it off and get in the car?” Ace sighs, giving us a hard look from the other side as he opens his door. “Seb, quit being a dick and let our girl ride up front.”
Seb and I stare each other down, both daring the other to break first. He narrows his dark eyes on me, heaving a sigh and mumbling, “fine”.
“Yes!” I hiss, grabbing for the door handle and pulling it open wide.
I gesture for him to climb in, and Seb hits me with one last glare before bending over to climb between the front seats toward the tiny jump seat in back. He grumbles under his breath as he tries his best to wedge himself in, and I can’t help but laugh while watching his attempt at maneuvering his big body to fit into the cramped space.
“Okay, okay, stop,” I cackle, doubling over in a fit of giggles. “Get out, I’ll ride in back.”
Ace chuckles to himself as Seb contorts his body to climb back out, glaring at both of us once he’s upright. “You two are assholes.”
“Aw, but you love us,” I tease, lifting a finger to boop him on the nose as I slide past to get into the car. My heart stutters a beat when I belatedly realize what I just said.
No, he’ll know I’m just teasing. It’s too soon for the L word. Shit, what if he thinks I’m getting clingy because we slept together?
Mortification burns through me as my mind spins a mile a minute, but the moment I bend over to crawl through the seats, it’s clear that my words are the last thing on either of their minds.
“Goddamn, Riv,” Seb rasps as I feel my skirt ride up over the curve of my ass.
“Fuck,” Ace murmurs.
“Easy, pervs,” I admonish as I twist around and drop onto the seat, unable to keep the grin from my lips. Because it feels good to be desired. It feels powerful.
Leaning forward, I poke my head out between the front seats, swiveling my gaze between the two of them. “Pick your jaws up and get in, we’ve got a show to see.”
“Fuckin’ tease,” Seb mutters under his breath as he slides in on the passenger side, throwing me a smirk over his shoulder.
I flip him the bird, getting situated in back as Ace takes his seat and the two of them shut their doors.
I’ll admit, the black plaid schoolgirl skirt I’m wearing is criminally short. I had to raid Avery’s closet once I found out about the concert, and this was the closest thing I could find to fit the aesthetic of this band’s vibe. A white tank top and black boots complete the look, and even before the unsolicited commentary from the guys, I already felt hot as fuck in this outfit. Now, my confidence has cranked up to a hundred.
Ace turns the key in the ignition and fires up the Corvette’s engine, a shiver of excitement running through me at the smooth purr of the machinery.
“What do we have for tunes?” I ask, gripping onto the backs of the seats and poking my head between them again to scope out the dashboard. “Whoa, did you upgrade the stereo?”
“Of course I did,” Ace replies smugly, reaching down to press a button on it. “Connect your phone to the Bluetooth, babygirl. You can be our DJ.”
If I wasn’t in such a tight space right now, I’d be kicking my feet with glee. As it is, though, I just wiggle with enthusiasm as I reach into my bra and pull out my phone, working to connect it and cue up a song while Ace pulls out of the lot and hits the road.
Of course, I pick an Audio Whiplash song. Ace cranks the volume as it starts to play through the car’s speakers, and I relax back against the seat, shifting around to get comfortable in the cramped space. Humming along to the familiar tune, I suddenly realize that Seb’s quietly singing along.
“You know this song?” I blurt.
He turns his head to peer back at me, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk. “Well yeah, I listened since I knew we were coming to the show.”
“Mhmm,” I tease, a grin stretching my lips. Glancing over at Ace, I find him mouthing along to the chorus and my grin widens, warmth blooming in my chest.
“Which song’s your favorite?” I ask as I turn back toward Seb, arching a brow in challenge. The current song is Audio Whiplash’s most popular, but the real question is how far into their catalog he actually dove.
I don’t even need to test Ace. Knowing him, I’ll bet he checked out their complete discography weeks ago, after I first mentioned the band to him.
“Ruination,” Seb answers, and my brows lift in surprise. He did a deeper dive than I thought.
I nod, leaning back with my phone in hand and queueing that song up to play next.
Between the music and the conversation, it feels like the drive flies by. We reminisce about the trouble we used to get in when we were young, like the time Seb’s parents caught us trying to steal their car. We thought we were so clever with our schemes, but we got caught more often than not. Guess that’s what you get when your parents got in their fair share of trouble when they were young, too.
We blaze a couple of joints once we enter Boulder’s city limits, and by the time we enter the downtown parking structure, I’m feeling the effects. A warm buzz has settled in my veins, my muscles relaxed and my eyes half-lidded. I’m also still giddy as hell, giggling as I swipe some chapstick over my lips and stumble out of the car, Seb grabbing onto my arm to steady me.
“You good?” he asks, brows drawing together as his dark-eyed stare pulls me in like a magnet.
“Uh huh,” I breathe, another giggle slipping free. “Never better. Hope you’re ready to dance!”
“I don’t dance,” he mutters.
“Aw, you sure about that?” I tease, grinning widely as I reach up to cup his rugged jaw. “What if I dare you?”
“I’ll dance with you, babygirl,” Ace drawls smoothly, coming up behind me and banding an arm around my waist.
I lean back against his firm chest, lifting my chin to gaze up at him. “Promise?”
His ocean eyes crinkle at the corners with his smile. “You bet,” he winks.
“Leave it to my best friend to make me look bad,” Seb mutters, grabbing for my hand and yanking me away from Ace.
I crash into his chest with a giggle, swatting him away. “Hey, you’re doing that all on your own,” I tease. “But I’ll let you make it up to me when we dance.”
He grumbles under his breath, shifting me to his side and slinging an arm over my shoulders to guide me away from the car.
The three of us walk the block to the venue– a popular downtown bar right in the heart of Boulder– where Ace presents our tickets to the burly guy working the door. He scans them and waves us inside, the guys sticking close to me as we enter the dimly-lit interior.
This place isn’t very big, which accounts for how quickly the show sold out. A stage is erected in the back of the room, and a thick crowd has already gathered to claim spots in front of it since the concert is standing room only. Seb leads the way as we thread through the throngs of people, guiding us over to the opposite side of the room where it’s a little less packed.
“We need to grab some drinks,” he mutters as he locates an empty high-top table, leaning an elbow against the surface to stake his claim.
“Tell me one of you have a plan for that?” I ask, swiveling my gaze between the guys.
Within the six-pack territory, the bars will serve anyone over the age of eighteen since alcohol doesn’t affect shifters the same way it does humans. Out here in the real world, though, actual laws apply, and none of us are twenty-one.
“Yeah, you’re gonna go get them for us,” Seb replies, waggling his brows mischievously.
“What? No!” I object, shaking my head with a scowl. “What if I get carded?”
“You won’t,” Ace reassures, sliding an arm around my waist and turning me toward the bar along the wall opposite of the stage. “See that bartender with the backwards hat?” he murmurs, leaning in closer. “He hasn’t been able to keep his eyes off you since we walked in. Order from him, he’ll be too distracted by how hot you are to ask for your ID.”
“Just don’t flirt too much, or I’ll have to chop his balls off,” Seb adds with a grunt as Ace tucks a wad of cash into my hand. “It’s too early in the night to get blood on my hands.”
I swing my gaze on him, frowning. “ Ha ha ,” I bite out sarcastically.
“I’m serious,” he deadpans.
Shit, some part of me wonders if he really is– and why the hell is the thought of that so damn thrilling? A man willing to maim someone for something as benign as flirting with me should be a huge red flag, but suddenly, red’s my favorite color.
“Whatever, I’ll be back,” I sigh, shrugging Ace’s arm off and starting forward. I yelp when Seb lands a hard slap on my ass, darting him a glare over my shoulder as I proceed to stomp off toward the bar.
They were right, though– the guy doesn’t card me. He hits me with a lame pickup line about hurting myself when I fell from heaven, and I force a smile and play along while he pours the drinks, scampering back over to my guys as soon as I have them in my hands.
Seb and Ace are still posted up at the high-top table, the crowd around them thickening by the minute. I shoulder my way right between the pair of them and slide two of the lowball glasses onto the table, keeping one for myself.
Seb picks up the one closest to him, lifting it to his nose and taking a sniff. “Whiskey?” he asks, licking his lips with a satisfied smile. “I’m impressed.”
“Liquor is quicker,” I shrug, lifting my own glass in the air. “Bottoms up, boys.”
“Hold up,” Seb barks, snatching my wrist before I can bring my drink to my lips. “Are we finally calling a truce?” he asks, arching a brow as he holds my stare. “No more groveling, no more games… we’re really doing this? Leaning into the bond and seeing if we can make it work?”
My heart stutters in my chest, mouth running dry. Shit, are we really doing this?
“Truce,” Ace agrees from my other side, picking up his own glass and holding it out. He looks to me questioningly, and as I stare into his ocean eyes, it’s suddenly hard to breathe.
Butterflies take flight in my belly as I glance between Seb and Ace, my dual bonds humming contentedly in my chest as I consider what this means for us. What it could mean for our future. Can one person even seal two mate bonds?
I guess we won’t know until we try, but there’s no longer a question in my mind as to whether I want it. I want this , want both of them. Blowing out a shaky breath, I thrust my glass forward, clinking it with Ace’s. “Truce.”
Seb puts his own drink in, knocking it against each of ours as we all exchange looks, cracking smiles. Then we throw back the whiskey.
Two drinks later, I’ve got a solid buzz going as the band finally takes the stage. We crush forward with the rest of the crowd, an infectious energy consuming the room from the first strum of the lead singer’s guitar. I lose my goddamn mind when they drop right into their biggest hit, throwing up my hands and shaking my ass as I sing along, Seb and Ace laughing at my antics. They stay glued to me like bodyguards as we shove our way deeper into the fray, getting as close to the stage as we can.
Even though Seb said he doesn’t dance, he sure as shit sways to the beat, getting more into it with every song. It’s hard not to, considering how great this band is when performing live. I was already obsessed with their music, but being here in the room with them is a whole other experience. I still can’t believe Ace pulled this off.
I proceed to lose myself in the music, throwing my head back and dancing between my boys while their hands trail over my body. Every time I look up at them, their eyes aren’t on the stage, though. They’re on me . And there’s something incredibly powerful in capturing the undivided attention of these two men; both absolute Adonises that any girl in here would kill to be with. That heady feeling infects me until I’m grinding on the two of them shamelessly, allowing them to pass me back and forth between them like their favorite toy.
As the crowd continues to press forward, the three of us start slipping further back, until we’re on the outskirts of the sea of people. Seb’s hand slides beneath my skirt to grip my ass and I lean back into him, tipping my chin up and smirking.
He lowers his head, lips hovering beside the shell of my ear as he murmurs, “Wanna fuck?”
I blink back at him in stunned surprise, both because he just asked that so bluntly and because yeah , I kinda do . The two of them have been working me up all night with their wandering hands, and I’m so hot and bothered that I feel as if I could combust.
“Where?” I breathe, eyes darting back and forth.
His smirk deepens as he slides his hand back out from underneath my skirt, lifting his gaze to Ace and arching a brow in question. Always two steps ahead, Ace nods toward a vacant alcove behind us; one of many set up alongside the room as a VIP area for regular bar operations. The two of them exchange conspiratorial looks, then Seb grabs for my hand and gives it a little tug in a directive to follow. I instinctively reach for Ace’s, needing him, too.
He licks his lips, his heated gaze connecting with mine. Game on.
Frenetic energy ripples through me as the three of us slink back into the shadows of the dark alcove. Though we lose full view of the stage in doing so, it doesn’t compromise our ability to hear the music. It pulses through me in time with the erratic beating of my heart as Seb guides me inside the space, looking to Ace.
“Pull that curtain,” he directs, and Ace grabs for the sheer black fabric, a whoosh of air hitting me in the face as he yanks it over to cover the opening. It’s a little bit see-through, but fuck it. It conceals us well enough.
Seb’s arms wind around me from behind, pulling me back against him. His stubble tickles my skin as he leans down over my shoulder, sucking on my neck.
I tilt my head to grant him better access, Ace’s eyes blazing with hunger as they fix on mine. “You want him to fuck you right here, babygirl?” he asks, the low, gravelly tone of his voice sending a shiver skittering up my spine.
I shouldn’t want that. We’re in public, a flimsy curtain the only thing separating us from the hoard of people watching the show. But I do . I sink my teeth into the cushion of my lower lip as I nod, Ace’s stare turning molten.
“You gonna let Ace watch me fuck you?” Seb murmurs in my ear, punctuating his question by grinding the bulge of his hard cock against my backside.
My breath hitches as I stare at the man in question, liquid silver bleeding into his irises as he advances on me. He closes the distance between us in a blink, darting a tattooed hand up to wrap around my throat.
“Yeah, she is,” he answers for me, grip flexing around my neck as he extends his thumb to trace the curve of my lower lip. “And she’s gonna keep her eyes on me the entire time, aren’t you, Riv?”
If my panties weren’t soaked before, they definitely are now. A flood of heat rushes to my core, lashes fluttering as I blink back at Ace, suddenly lost for words.
“Say yes,” he directs, a devastatingly sexy smirk tilting his lips.
I couldn’t say no to him if I tried.
“Yes,” I breathe, a ripple of excitement sizzling through me like a sparkler in summertime.
“Good girl,” he drawls, leaning In to smack a kiss against my lips.
Shit, why do those two words get me even hotter?
Ace goes to pull away, but I throw my arms around his neck, dragging him back in and slamming my lips against his. He groans in satisfaction as our mouths fuse, Seb’s hands dropping to my bare thighs and tucking up underneath my skirt. Ace’s hand slides up the back of my neck, fingers sinking into my hair to hold me in place as he plunders my mouth. Meanwhile, Seb works his way between my legs, shifting my panties to the side.
I gasp into Ace’s mouth as Seb plunges a digit inside me, body jolting from the sudden rush of sensation.
“Fuck, bro, she’s so wet for us,” he grits out, pumping his finger in and out as Ace swallows my moan and deepens our kiss.
His tongue slides against mine languidly, licking and exploring every corner of my mouth while Seb withdraws his digit and flips my skirt up over my ass. I’m too caught up in the moment to consider how reckless this is, and when Seb nudges my thighs apart with a knee and I feel the velvety head of his cock brush my center, I cease to have any thoughts at all other than how much I want him inside me.
“Eyes on Ace, baby,” Seb reminds me as he rubs his tip through my slick folds, coating it in my wetness. “Let him see how much you love taking my dick.”
Ace breaks our kiss, collaring my throat with a hand again as he presses his forehead against mine, staring into my eyes. “You ready for him?”
“Yes,” I whine, wiggling my ass in invitation as Seb continues rubbing the head of his cock along my slit, teasing the fuck out of me. His fingers tighten around my hip as he lines himself up, stealing my breath as he enters me with a forceful thrust.
I cry out, Ace’s lips covering mine to muffle the sound as my inner walls stretch around Seb’s thick cock. He pauses for a moment, pulsing his hips before sliding out halfway and punching in even deeper, filling me to the brink of destruction and setting every nerve ending in my body alight.
“Does that feel good, babygirl?” Ace murmurs against my lips, the fingers of one hand flexing their grip around my throat while his other palms my breast.
“Mhmm,” I whimper, gripping onto his shoulders for dear life as Seb starts fucking me hard and fast, matching his rhythm to the heady beat of the music on stage beyond the curtain.
Ace seizes my lips again, sliding his hand down the front of my body and tucking it up underneath my skirt. His thumb finds my clit instantly, my legs buckling beneath me as he starts rubbing in a circular motion while Seb’s thrusts quicken with the changing beat of the song.
Thank god I’m sandwiched between them, because there’s no way I’d be able to stand on my own right now. I go completely boneless as Seb fucks me from behind and Ace works my clit, alternating between kissing me breathless and staring into my soul.
“How you doin’ babygirl?” Ace rasps, thumb still rubbing tortuous circles while his hard dick digs into my hip from behind his zipper.
“I’m gonna come,” I pant, shocked I can even string the words together.
His jaw clenches, the spade tattoo on his neck dancing as the muscles strain. “Let go,” he coaxes, dropping his forehead against mine and holding my stare. “Come for us, River.”
The boys match their movements to the build of the music, Seb’s pelvis slapping against my ass as Ace rolls my clit between his fingers, pinching it. The coil in my belly winds impossibly tighter, the symphony of sensation in my body climbing with the peak of the song on stage, almost as if they planned it that way. Then, right as the music crests its climax, I do, too, the sound of it drowning out my scream as I come on Seb’s cock and Ace’s fingers, falling apart to the tune of my new favorite song.
My body trembles in their grip as they hold me upright, wave after wave of pleasure crashing over me, taking me under. I damn near black out from the intensity of my orgasm, Ace’s eyes never leaving mine as Seb’s hips stutter and he comes with a low groan. The entire experience is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before; the two of them, the music… it’s goddamn transcendent.
And that’s when I know I’ll do anything to make this work between the three of us; whatever it takes. Because nothing has ever felt more right than being right here, between my safe and my wild, completely at their mercy yet trusting them to hold me up when I can’t stand even on my own two feet.
And I never want to lose this feeling.