Page 56 of My Ex-Best Men (Ex Marks the Spot #4)

***Claire***

F lying in a bridesmaid dress with tear-streaked makeup was only slightly less attention-grabbing than running across the airport in a broken bra and stained shirt.

I at least had the benefit of my tits not bouncing all over the place, thanks to the structure of the dress.

I was exhausted after catching a layover and having to sprint across yet another airport.

There’d been no direct flights from Miami to London and there’d been no one to secretly upgrade my seat to first class.

By the time I landed in London I was more exhausted than I was human.

After waiting to get off the plane and waiting in baggage claim for ten minutes before remembering I didn’t have any luggage, I slowly made my way towards the cab pickup. I was so tired that the idea of telling a driver my address even felt like too much.

My heart hurt, I missed the same guys who’d broken it, and I couldn’t get the image of Madeline and Will embracing out of my head.

The worst part of it all was knowing I was going home to my empty apartment in a place I didn’t want to be anymore when what I really wanted was to be in the Keys with Will, Anthony, and Zane.

My dream of moving back to Manatee Key was dying right in front of my eyes.

There was no way I’d be able to move back there, chancing seeing Will and Madeline living their lives together.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I thought about just how lonely London felt after being home. The idea of returning to work like I hadn’t been irrevocably changed seemed impossible. How could I?

Tears blurred my eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that day and I didn’t notice someone stepping into my path until it was too late. I collided with a rock-hard body and would’ve bounced back on my ass if two strong arms didn’t lock around my back.

“You’re in a lot of trouble, sweetheart.”

I jerked my eyes up and gasped when I saw Anthony gazing down at me. Shock did its best to convince me that I was hallucinating. “Anthony?”

His arms tightened. “Mm-hmm. You ran away from us, Claire.”

Us. I glanced over and saw that Zane and Will were there, too. “What…? How…?”

“You don’t get to run away from us. Did we not make that clear?” There was a bite to Anthony’s voice, one I’d never heard when he spoke to me.

My brain was struggling to catch up but that tone in his voice kicked up a little fight in me. I pressed my hands to his chest and pushed until he let me go. “How are you here?”

“We took Anthony’s jet.” Zane’s hesitant smile didn’t feel right on his face. “You can’t leave a guy with a private jet, Claire.”

“You flew here to…what?” I looked between the three of them but my gaze stayed on Will. Everything came raging to the surface in a breath. “Did you bring Madeline?”

He flinched and looked down at his feet. “I deserve that.”

“Why are y’all here?”

Anthony growled and gripped my upper arms. “I already told you. You don’t get to run away from us. You have an issue, you come talk to us. You get mad, sad, heartbroken, you come talk to us. Do you understand that you’re not getting away from us?”

I frowned up at him. “You’re mad.”

He lightly shook me. “Yeah, I fucking am. I just spent hours worried about you, not knowing if you’re okay or stuck somewhere, if you were safe.

And then we find you and you’re walking through the airport like a fucking ghost, crying, Claire.

Crying . The only time I want to see you crying is from happiness or because you’ve come too many times. ”

I flushed and brushed his hands away. “No. No, you don’t get to be angry at me. I’m angry at you. At all of you. More than angry.”

“It’s my fault.” Will’s ears went red as he stepped closer to me and I held out my hands to stop him. “I’d like a chance to talk to you somewhere away from here, if you’re willing. If not, I’ll just do it right here.”

“I don’t want to hear anything from you.

I saw you today. I saw you holding Madeline like she was everything to you.

She told me the truth. You were with her.

Why didn’t you just tell me that?” I cursed the emotion filling my voice.

“And you made that awful bet about me in front of her! She told me all about it and then I found the checks so don’t try to deny it, Will.

Why did you do this? If you wanted Madeline this whole time, you could’ve had her. Why hurt me?”

His eyes flashed angrily. “Madeline said what ?”

“She was more than happy to tell me everything.”

Anthony looked at his watch and cleared his throat. “We’re not doing this here. We have to get back to the states. I have a meeting that I can’t miss.”

Pain scorched me. “Fine. Go.”

He laughed bitterly. “You’re coming with us, sweetheart.”

I frowned. “No. No, I’m not. I just spent half a day flying here and I’m staying.”

“I’ll give you one chance to go with us willingly.”

“Anthony, you can’t-” I yelped when he bent forward and tossed me over his shoulder. “Anthony!”

He landed one sharp slap over my ass and left his hand there. “There isn’t a you without us anymore, baby. You’re coming with us and you’re going to listen to what we have to say, even if I have to tie you down and stuff your mouth to shut you up.”

I gasped and kicked my legs, hurt and angry enough to make a scene. “I’m not going back with y’all! You had your fun! Now let me go! I’m going back to my apartment and I’m going back to work and I’m going to pretend like none of this happened!”

“Sir? Is everything okay?”

The twisting emotions warring in me when I saw the security agent approaching us made me angrier. The small part of me that was sad that they’d been caught trying to haul me off was stupid. I should’ve been thrilled that the agent would help get me out of Anthony’s grip.

“We’re heading back to my private jet. This is our girlfriend and she’s mad at us right now but once she stops throwing a fit and listens, she’s going to feel really silly about this.

How about an escort?” Anthony shifted his hand over my ass and cupped the back of my thigh with his other hand.

“An escort would be greatly appreciated.”

I twisted around and saw the security agent fawning over Anthony. Groaning, I knew he wasn’t going to be a help.

“Oh, yes! Yes, sir! Follow me.”

I let out a little huff of frustration and let my body go limp. I didn’t stand a chance of getting out of his grip. Especially when he seemed even larger than normal while angry at me.

That thought lit a secondary fire in me, though. I jerked my upper body upright and braced my hands against his lower back. “You have no right to be angry at me or throw me around to do your bidding. I left for a good reason and I’d like to stay here, away from the three of you.”

“No.” Anthony’s fingers flexed on my ass and I got the distinct impression that he wanted to spank me again.

“Anthony! You can’t just take me!”

“That’s not what you said last night.” Zane groaned at his own sad attempt at a joke. “Ignore me. I’m still having a hard time breathing since finding out you’d vanished.”