Page 28 of Don’t Hate Me (Secrets of Ravens Hollow #2)

In a panic, my eyes lock with Orlando’s, expecting to see some sort of fear etched into his handsome features. “Your rescue party has arrived, treasure.” His eyes dance with amusement instead. He’s not worried about them at all. In fact, he looks almost pleased to see them.

My heart goes into overdrive. I stand in a rush on the step, trying to cover myself up but also getting some distance from him.

I search the pool and deck for my swimsuit but can’t see it.

Fuck. “What the hell is going on?” I whisper, my attention flicking back to the three furious men approaching us.

Their timing couldn’t be any worse. I’m naked, sitting on their enemy’s cock after I was the one who made the distress call, or email, to be saved.

I couldn’t be happier to see them, but like this?

Fuck my life, seriously. My guilty eyes meet with the three of them, not sure what the hell to do.

There is no way to hide my nakedness or what I was just doing with Orlando, and I know exactly how this is going to look to the three of them. Bad, really fucking bad.

“About time you boys joined us. Sloane’s been frantic,” Orlando comments, way too smugly, since they have obviously just walked in on me enjoying his cock.

Onyx is the first to make it to the edge of the pool. He glares down at me, his face a hardened mask of fury. “Get out of the water, trouble.” His voice is filled with ice, and I know this isn’t going to be the happy reunion I have been imagining with him.

I glance back at Orlando, my heart racing, not sure what to do. Are they about to rip each other apart?

Reef throws Onyx a towel that was resting on the sun lounger. “Now.” Onyx’s voice booms off the glass of the deck when I haven’t moved, making me jump in fright.

Fuck! I force my shaky legs to take the stairs out of the pool.

This is awkward as hell, but I guess it’s better to rip off the band-aid now.

I can’t deny that something has started between me and Orlando.

I arrive on the top stairs right in front of Onyx, who now has the towel held open for me as if he’s going to cover my nakedness from the rest of them.

But it’s not like they all haven’t seen me like this before.

Onyx wraps the towel around my body, and I can’t help but inhale his smell now that I’m so close to him again.

I have missed him so damn much. I hug the towel close to my body, tucking it under my arms, avoiding eye contact with any of them as I try to wrangle my tangled mess of hair and get my now frantic heart under control.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Sloane?” Onyx growls, his voice sending a chill down my spine. I glance up at him, and his dark eyes meet mine, the distance in them sending a wave of nausea over me. So much has changed in a week.

My heart flutters with a mix of nerves and excitement.

I’m so thrilled to see him again even if he’s angry with me.

The last week has been hell without him by my side.

“Orlando is teaching me how to swim,” I respond, sassy as hell.

But what did he expect when he asked a question like that?

He knows what he walked in on, even if he doesn’t understand it.

Orlando steps out of the pool, his board shorts fixed back in place. “I’ve been teaching my treasure a hell of a lot more than that. But I guess you watched the videos, didn’t you, bodyguard,” Orlando throws at him, clearly trying to get a rise.

I feel Onyx’s hands on me tense, and both Reef and Romeo step forward, their eyes filled with fury, their chests puffed out.

“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Romeo seethes.

But none of them actually move to hurt Orlando.

Their fists are clenched and their jaws tight, ready for a fight.

I know they want to, but they’re holding back.

Fire burns in my eyes, and I direct them at Orlando.

What the fuck. I knew about the one where I was having a nightmare, but he sent them the videos of us fucking as well?

I could kill him myself for such a fucked-up move.

How fucking dare he! I step in their way, not wanting some pissing match over me.

This situation is bad enough. “Fucking hell, Orlando!” I seethe.

Orlando shrugs off my coldness toward him like he’s not worried, before turning his attention to Romeo.

“Watch your manners in my home, Brother. I could just as easily have you escorted out before you get to talk to her. It would do you all some good to remember our deal.” Orlando taunts him as he places a hand on my hip possessively on his way past me.

His attention locks with his brother as he kisses my cheek.

I want to elbow him in the gut or tell him to fuck off, but this fight isn’t one I want to have in front of these guys.

So, I don’t move. I know he’s baiting Romeo.

This is some sort of fun for Orlando, torturing his brother.

“I’ll let you three catch up with Sloane while I shower.

Then we have work to do,” he says before striding off toward the house, not even worried these three men look like they’re about to rip his head off as he passes them by.

Awkwardly, I smile back at the three of them, not able to help it.

I can’t believe it’s Reef, Onyx, and Romeo in the flesh.

I want to run to them, throw my arms around them, and tell them all what they mean to me.

“How did you get here?” I ask instead, because right now, I don’t even know where we stand.

So much has happened, and fucking Orlando has clearly been causing a shit storm behind my back.

For all I know they might be here to tell me they never want to see me again and this island is now my home.

Reef is the first to make his move, closing the distance between us and desperately pulling me into him.

His arms wrap around me, and he kisses me in a hurry.

It’s deep and passionate, and I know at least for Reef nothing has changed.

“Fuck, I have missed you, wildcat,” he mumbles into my mouth as he pulls back just a little so he can look into my eyes.

I beam back up at him, running a hand through his long hair.

“I’ve missed you too.” He holds me close, breathing me in, and I let him, needing his smell to fill my senses just as much.

Fresh and clean with a hint of mint. I run my hand around his back and hug him to me.

I can’t get close enough to him right now.

Part of me thought I might never see him again.

I have to blink away the tears at the thought.

Then I feel the trail of Romeo’s finger down my arm, and his head drops to my ear. “If he hurt you…” he growls.

I place a hand to his chest, trying to calm the raging bull before he has a chance to go off and cause a scene. “He didn’t, Romeo, I swear.”

He looks back at me with so much love in his eyes it almost scares me, but how could it when I know how I feel about him.

I have been thinking about it constantly since I have been locked up here.

Thinking about how strong my feelings are for all of them.

It’s crazy and doesn’t make any sense, but I know it’s true.

“What the fuck happened to you then? You’re covered in bruises and look like you have a broken ankle,” Onyx grumbles, his eyes locking with mine as he searches for the truth.

I sigh heavily, not sure how I explain all the shit that has happened on this island since I arrived here.

I feel like I have been living on another planet for the last week.

Hell, I don’t understand how to explain it to myself.

“I tried to run away, and I tripped and fell. When I went down, my ankle rolled.”

“I’m actually going to kill him. Deal or no fucking deal.” Romeo storms toward the door.

“Romeo, please stop. I did this to myself. Orlando was actually kind of sweet and took care of me after I fell. He got a doctor out here and all. I’m fine now, really. It looks worse than it is, I swear.”

Romeo freezes, his fists clenched, the muscles in his jaw visibly working as he fights to contain his rage toward his brother. He turns back toward me, our eyes locking.

I offer him a half smile, trying to calm the crazy. When he doesn’t move, I walk toward him, taking his hand in mine. “What deal are you talking about?” I ask, wondering what is going on here.

Reef joins the two of us. “Orlando is making us jump through hoops.”

“Why?” I ask, confused.

Reef’s brow rises. “He found that email you sent us telling us everything you could about your location.”

My eyes go wide. He never mentioned it to me, but of course he did. “Fuck! But I deleted it,” I say in a panic, knowing what this means. I’m in big trouble.

Romeo’s forehead creases. “Yeah, fuck. He has cameras everywhere, doll face. I guess he worked out you would do anything you could to see us again, and he figured it was safer to arrange a meeting on his terms, before we just arrived out here. This way he holds all the control and there isn’t a lot we can do about it if we want to see you.

” He shakes his head, and I can see he’s dealing with his own demons.

“Just like my fucking brother to arrange this messed-up shit.”

“Sounds like him. And you guys agreed so you could see me?” I can’t help the small smile that tugs at the corners of my mouth, knowing how desperate they were to see me again.

Reef pulls me in closer. He can’t keep his hands off me, and I get it. I feel the same with him, the intoxicating pull we have toward each other now stronger than ever. “We would have done anything to get to you, wildcat. We have been going out of our minds not knowing where you were.”