Page 10

S IX MONTHS LATER

EMILY

“I don’t want to go back, either, but you promised your mom we’d all come to dinner,” I say, throwing my towel at Luke.

“That shouldn’t count. It was forever ago, before I knew we’d be traveling for six months,” he argues.

Will steps between us, pulling me to him and kissing me deeply. “You two need to stop arguing about this and start packing. Our flight leaves soon.” And just like that, he releases me and walks off.

I go back to tossing clothes into my suitcase. What was I thinking buying new clothes while we’ve been away? I’ll never get them all into this suitcase. A moment later, Jeremy walks in carrying a large suitcase I’ve never seen before.

“You’re gonna need this,” he says, laying it on the bed and unzipping it. Then the fucker walks away laughing.

“I can’t believe none of you are going to help me pack!” I yell at them, before collapsing into a fit of giggles at how absolutely normal things have been for us the last six months. I mean, I never expected our beach trip to become semi-permanent, but we all love it here.

In fact, I’ve already put a sizeable down payment on our condo and signed a purchase agreement without even telling the guys. Which means, I really don’t have to pack all of this. I smack myself in the forehead and start putting clothes away, sorting what I really need and leaving what won’t be useful. Even if this is just our vacation home, the outfits I’m leaving will be more useful here.

I zip my suitcase and carry it to the front door. Three sets of eyes lock onto me, realizing that I’m not taking everything. I play innocent for a moment. “What? I’m ready to go now.”

“Where are all your clothes?” Luke asks, giving me a curious look.

“Well, most of them are in my dresser, in our condo,” I smirk.

Will laughs. “You bought the condo? That’s hilarious.” He turns to Jeremy and holds out his hand. “You owe me twenty bucks.” Then Luke. “And you owe me fifty.”

“You guys bet on if I’d buy the condo or not?” I’m amused and floored by how well Will knows me, and how easily he can con the other two.

Tucking the money in his wallet, he strolls over to me and kisses me again. “Thanks for being reliable, sugarplum.” Before I can respond, he grabs my suitcase and heads out the door.

“It’s not like we can’t afford it,” I say, trying to justify the purchase. “And your moms can all use it when we’re not. It’ll be like a time share, but we actually own it.”

Jeremy pats me on the head on his way out the door. “Whatever you say, Em.”

I turn to Luke. “Is he really mad about it?”

Luke shakes his head. “No. He actually bet that you’d tell us you bought it after the first month we were here. Will was the one who said you’d slip up today and tell us that you did it. I thought you’d hold out until we got home to admit it.”

“So, you all knew that I was going to? Damn. It was supposed to be a surprise.” Disappointment crosses my features, and Luke pulls me into his arms. I can’t help smiling at him as he kisses me deeply. The past six months have been the best of my life. I don’t want this to end.

Logically, I know heading home doesn’t mean things will change. And we are going to have to put my apartment on the market if we plan to get a bigger place in the city or near it. So, we have to go back. At least to settle things and get our living arrangements sorted.

“Mom said she has a surprise for us. She’s not sure how you’ll feel about it, though. But I couldn’t get her to tell me anything else,” Luke says as he breaks our kiss.

“Come on, guys, we need to go,” Will calls. Luke and I race down the path to the car.

A few hours later, we sit in the formal living room at Luke’s family home. It’s a gorgeous house, and his mom has made quite a few changes since we’ve been gone. Most of the fancy artwork is gone, along with the stuffy furniture.

“Wow, Ms. Donovan, I love what you’ve done with the place,” I say as she pours us tea.

“Now, dear, I’ve asked you to call me Kate. Please. Or Mom. I’m okay with either,” she insists.

“I’m sorry, Kate. It’s just hard to break old habits,” I answer.

“Can you tell us the big news, Mom? It’s making me crazy,” Luke says, fidgeting in his seat next to me.

“Lucas! Don’t rush me. I’m getting to it.” Kate pauses and looks around the room. “I’m glad you like the changes, Emily. Because I’d like to sign the house over to the four of you.”

My jaw drops. Luke nearly chokes on his tea. Jeremy’s eyes go wide, and Will is the only one able to respond. “We’d love that, Kate. Thank you.”

“But, it’s your home,” I argue.

She shakes her head. “No, dear. It was his home. This house never felt like a home to me. I’ll be much happier with the new place I just bought. After all, you did give each of us a rather nice nest egg, didn’t you?”

I can’t cover the look of shock on my face. No one is supposed to know that I’m the one who provided that money. How did she find out?

“Now, don’t freak out, dear. Carol, Jean, and I know that you took care of our problems for us. We also know about the money. And no, our sons did not tell us. We figured it out from how protective and nurturing you are. I, for one, am excited to have an assassin in the family. You never know when you’ll need that kind of help.” Kate grins at me, and I know I have nothing to fear with her knowing my secret. I’ve been family to her since her husband died—okay, since I killed him.

“I don’t know what to say. So, I’ll say thank you. For the house and for keeping my secret. I really appreciate it, especially since I’m the one who messed up your lives so much,” I offer.

Kate shakes her head and reaches for my hand. “Emily, dear. You did not mess up our lives. You saved us. The boys had no idea what their fathers were like behind closed doors, which was intentional. We never intended for them to find out. But you figured out our secrets and saved us from them. Then you made sure we had what we needed financially. That’s not messing anything up. That’s taking care of family.”

I let her pull me off the couch and into a big hug. “I’ll be leaving after dinner, so you kids can move in tonight if you want.” Kate releases me and strolls off toward the kitchen.

“How do you guys feel about this?” I ask. I don’t want to be too excited if this isn’t something that they want.

“Anything that makes you happy is what we want,” Luke says.

“It won’t feel weird living in the house where your dad died?” I’m not trying to talk him out of it, but I don’t want him to be stuck, either.

He grabs my hands and drags me down onto his lap on the couch. “I understand that you’re worried. It’s okay. I grew up in this house. This will always feel like home to me, especially with the three of you here. So, unless you don’t want to move in here, let’s just be happy that we now own a house that we didn’t exactly have to pay for.”

Will laughs, “She kinda already paid for it, though, didn’t she?”

Jeremy punches his arm and shakes his head. “That’s not what he meant, and you know it. We should go back to the apartments and pack up before time to be back for dinner. Then we can get everything moved tonight.”

“Do you think the landlord will be angry that we’re moving out so quickly without notice?” I ask, considering making the offer to pay for another month or two of both apartments to smooth things over.

“We’ll only be moving out two months early. I already called him when you finally told us you bought the condo. Henry is fine with us moving. He’s already got two different couples interested. The way I see it, this makes things easier on him.” Jeremy’s explanation makes sense, but also surprises me. I had no idea he’d called our landlord about this.

“How did you know we’d be moving?” I press.

Will takes my hand, drawing my attention away from Jeremy. “Because we started looking for houses outside of the city a couple of weeks after we left for vacation. You need more privacy for your work—both jobs, and we need more space for all of us. We were gonna surprise you, but you beat us to it.”

I feel bad for ruining their surprise, but I’m glad we can settle into Luke’s family home. I love the idea of making this enormous house our own. And I’m pretty sure there are enough bedrooms and office spaces that I can have an even better set up than I do at the apartment.

“How are we going to get everything packed and loaded up before dinner?” I ask, suddenly on board for the idea. The sooner we get settled, the better.

“Well, one of the companies my family owns is a moving company. As soon as Kate told us, I sent a text, and the truck is on its way. They’ll have boxes and packing material for us, and will help pack if we want,” Will explains with a smirk.

“We need to get moving, then,” I insist, jumping from Luke’s lap and dashing into the kitchen to let Kate know about our plans.

The moving crew is awesome. The guys give them carte blanche to pack their entire apartment, leaving Jeremy, Will, and Luke free to help me pack my stuff. I’m glad they understand that I like to keep my equipment private. I let Jeremy and Luke pack up my costumes and wigs, while Will and I pack the secret room.

“You have so much computer equipment. This is some amazing stuff. Do we need to figure out which room to set it up in tonight? Or do you still have some vacation left?” He’s teasing, I know, but it’s still cute.

“I think it can wait until tomorrow. I’ll have to plug the laptop in just in case there’s an urgent message, but jobs come through a different way, so that’s not an issue.” I realize that I never told them much about the guild or how I get assignments from them. That’ll be a conversation for later, then.

No more secrets between us, ever. I will tell these men everything, no matter how big or small. We’ll figure it all out together, one step at a time.

Once we have both apartments packed up and loaded onto the truck, we head back home. Home. That’s always been such a foreign word to me, until I met these guys. I feel like I’ve been home ever since we started dating, and now that we’re moving into a house that we own together, it feels even more right.

I know I’ll have to get back to work soon, with my cam job and assassinations. I can’t put it off forever. Brynn has been way too understanding about all the jobs I’ve turned down the past six months.

We pull into the driveway and start unloading everything. Luke instructs the movers where to stack boxes so they’re out of the way and we can start organizing tomorrow.

ONE YEAR LATER

EMILY

The past year and a half has been crazy. Somehow killing three men brought me closer to their sons. We split our time between the condo on the beach and the house outside the city. My guys helped me set up an office and cam room in each. I have twice as many wardrobe and wig choices between the two houses.

It should feel weird that they help me with my jobs now, but it doesn’t. They’ve taken to their new roles as my team in the best ways possible. The tiny pink orbs continue to find me, no matter which home we’re at. Or Brynn shows up unannounced. I’m not a fan of him spying on me, but I understand.

I consider everything we’ve been through as I finish a private call with my next mark. Mr. Day is a freak for sure, and he’s trying to reconnect Franklin’s circle that I disbanded. I won’t let that happen. “Same time next week?” I ask with a soft smile.

“You mean our time is already up?” He pretends to be clueless, but I refuse to let him push me.

“It is. And I do have other clients, so I have to go. I’ll see you soon.” Sooner than you think, even. He begrudgingly agrees and I disconnect the call.

“I hate watching you on these calls. Just thinking about those pervs wanting to touch you makes me want to eat their faces,” Jeremy growls.

“I know, and that’s why you’re not supposed to be in here while I’m on the private calls,” I scold him, then focus on his expression. He’s upset about something that has nothing to do with my camming. “What’s up?”

“We’re gonna have to head back to the city earlier than planned,” he says, holding up a pink orb.

“They’re giving you my assignments now?” I ask, letting him place the orb in my hand. Interesting. “Who is this?” I ask the orb as if it can speak back to me. Of course Jer thinks I’m talking to him.

“I don’t know,” he says “you’re the only one who can get the info, remember? You have to take the job so we can find out.”

I shake my head and lock eyes with him. “No. I’m not quite ready to go back to work just yet.” As soon as I say the words, the orb disappears.

Jeremy shrugs and walks away. I shower, washing off the makeup and glitter I use while camming, slip into a bikini, then stroll out the sliding door to the beach. This place is paradise, and I intend to enjoy it, even if it means turning down a job or two.

I stare at the water, allowing myself to wonder if I made the right decision about that last offer, when a pair of strong arms wrap around me from behind. I freeze for a moment, taking a deep breath of his scent. A smile tilts my lips and I spin in Will’s arms.

Our lips meet in a feverish kiss, feral and desperate. He lifts me, and I wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me back to our condo. As much as I’m into voyeurism, I don’t want our neighbors to see us fucking on the beach. Plus, sand is abrasive and uncomfortable when it gets involved.

Once we’re back inside, Luke takes me from Will and carries me upstairs to our bedroom. It’s spacious, and the balcony doors are open, letting the thin curtains dance in the breeze. Two of my men lay me down on the bed, their hands exploring my body in ways that make me ache for more.

I want them but can’t stop thinking about pissing Jeremy off. “What’s wrong, sugarplum?” Will asks, both of them pausing to stare at me.

“You fought with Jer, didn’t you?” Luke asks.

“How did you know?” My eyes go wide and I stare back at him.

“He’s in the basement sulking,” he responds. “You should get him to come up here.” At Luke’s words, Will holds up his cell phone, and they both grin.

“I’ll be right back,” I say, shifting into pixels and diving into Will’s phone. I find my way to Jeremy quickly. For a moment, I feel like I’m spying on him. But that’s not what this is about, and I have to remind myself of that.

I shift back, standing behind him. “Still mad?” He jumps at my voice, then turns to face me.

“Maybe. I just think you should have taken that job,” he argues.

I step closer to him, running my hands up his stomach and chest. “But then I wouldn’t be able to do this, because I’d be working.” I tease my fingers into his hair, pulling him down to me for a kiss. My tongue tangles with his, and he finally relents, wrapping his arms around me and deepening the kiss.

“This is better,” he admits, scooping me up and racing up the stairs to the bedroom. He doesn’t even look shocked to find Luke and Will already there, waiting for us.

The three of them exchange a glance, then Jeremy tosses me at the bed. I’m caught off guard as I bounce on the soft mattress before Will grabs my arm and straps me to the headboard. “You know this won’t hold me,” I threaten with a smirk.

“We just wanna see how long you’ll let us play,” Luke answers.

Fuck, it gets me hot when they work together like this. I might actually let them take the lead this time. It’s hard for me to give up control, and they know it. But we’re working on it with small trust exercises like this one. I know I can escape any time, and they get to see what I’ll let them do to me. My bikini bottoms are soaked at the idea of what’s coming.

Jeremy drags my bottoms off before looping restraints around my ankles, spreading me open for them. For a moment, I have to remind myself to breathe. I don’t want a panic attack to ruin what we’ve got going here. And I can get free at any time. These three won't hurt me.

Luke unties my bikini top and slowly pulls the strip of fabric away, letting the straps tease my nipples to peaks. I’m already worked up to the point of feeling desperate for them. I don’t know how much more I can take.

Will shifts his index finger into a feather, and I know I’m not going to last. The soft, nearly tickling sensations that rock my body as he trails it along my skin make me buck and writhe. “Now, sugarplum, you have to be a good girl to get what you want. Understand?”

“Please, Will. I need it.” Fuck, I’m already begging, and they just got started. This has to be a new record.

“Soon, kitten. Just relax and let us worship you,” Luke insists, trailing his fangs along my neck and chest, before biting down on the side of my breast. He’s been finding new and interesting places to bite me, just to see what happens.

I feel a gush of moisture from my core, and Jeremy hums his approval. “That’s what I like to see. Now I’m going to taste you, and you’re going to scream my name when you come. Then the three of us are going to fuck you until you can’t think straight.”

Before I can respond, Jeremy is between my legs, lapping at my pussy. He licks and sucks until I don’t think I can take any more, but I refuse cry out. I want to see how much more I can take too. While he continues, Luke gently bites my nipples and breasts. Will continues his torturous feather trail down my body.

I can’t hold back the orgasm any longer, so I cry out. “Jeremy!” The moment his name is off my lips, they all stop. “Wait, why are you stopping?” I look from one to another, but they just stare at me. “Please, I need you all. Fuck me already,” I beg.

That gets them moving, changing position and adjusting my restraints. It doesn’t take long to figure out what they’re doing, because it’s easier for me to take all three of them if they turn me on my side. Will’s cock slides along my entrance, rubbing against my clit and making me squirm again.

Luke’s fingers spread lube along my rosebud as he preps me, dipping one finger inside, then another to stretch me for his dick. While they tease me toward another release, Jeremy positions himself next to my head, where I can see his cock. I lick my lips and he eases it into my mouth, giving me what I want.

Luke enters me first, sliding his dick into me slowly, allowing time for me to stretch and relax. Once he’s fully seated, he pulls back a little to give Will room to enter. Will’s cock pushes into me at a teasing pace. I want to buck my hips and make them move, but I can’t. I’m pinned between the three men, and I have no choice but to let them control our pace.

I groan around Jeremy’s dick as Will and Luke finally start to move, thrusting in and pulling out of me in tandem. Each thrust shoves Jeremy’s cock further down my throat and I have to swallow to keep it from choking me. I try to focus on sucking him off, but all I can do is relax and let him fuck my throat while the other two fill me.

The three of them pick up the pace, finally finding a punishing rhythm that sends me over the edge way too soon. I can’t cry out with my release, so I hum instead. The vibration sets Jeremy off and he shoots streams of cum down my throat before pulling out and letting me lick him clean.

“That’s it. That’s my good girl. Clean it all up,” he says quietly.

Luke and Will switch to sliding out and thrusting in opposite each other, since Jeremy is no longer in my mouth. Each thrust pushes me closer to another orgasm, and I’m not sure how many more I can take. They thrust over and over, picking up speed and pounding harder into me. I’m getting close when Jeremy slips his hand down my stomach to tease my clit.

That sensation is all it takes to completely undo me. I scream with my release, clenching down on them and milking theirs out as well. I collapse on the bed when they pull out of me, not noticing that the restraints are gone.

Jeremy cleans me up with a warm cloth while the other two take care of themselves. I want to offer to help them, but I’m sated and can’t move. “Just rest, love. We have all the time in the world here,” Jeremy tells me as I drift off to sleep.

I wake a few hours later, noticing that the sun is lower in the sky. Stretching, I find myself alone and still naked. I take a quick shower and slip into another bikini because it’s still scorching here, even in the afternoon.

Walking down the stairs slowly, I hear voices in the kitchen. I slow down and listen as I approach. “When do you want to do it?” Luke asks.

“As soon as she wakes up,” Jeremy responds.

Curiosity grips me and I walk into the kitchen. “What are you two plotting?”

Their eyes go wide, and they exchange a look. “Nothing,” they say in unison. Now I know they’re lying.

I glare at them for a moment. Something catches my eye, and I turn to see Will kneeling beside me. Jeremy and Luke join him. Each of them pulls a ring box from their pockets.

“We can’t exactly make this legally binding, but we’d love it if you’d marry us,” Luke says.

“Em, we love you, and want to spend our lives with you,” Jeremy adds.

“Please, sugarplum?” Will asks.

“How could I say no to a proposal like that?” I ask, touching each man’s cheek. “Yes, of course. We can have a small ceremony here on the island.” I smile as they place the rings on my finger, and I see how they fit together, forming a flower. This is our beginning, and nothing can stop us now.