Page 48 of Never Run Again (You’re Enough #3)

48

Lincoln

T onight has been perfect for Katy. Everyone celebrated our favorite teenager, and we got to enjoy spending time together as ourselves without judgment.

I watched Tucker pull Axel away as everyone said their goodbyes, and I silently thanked him. He’s been in a funk lately, and I couldn’t figure out why. Hopefully, my arrogant, stubborn brother can get to the bottom of it.

When the text came through to a group chat from Tucker, my heart fell to my feet. Have we been that neglectful of his feelings? Miller and I had a routine before we moved into Spencer’s house, and we can all see the connection Tucker and Spencer have that’s different from the rest of us.

“I feel like shit. How could we be so terrible to the guy?”

Miller tucks me into his arms and kisses my temple.

“No one has been terrible to him. We just need to make more effort. It’s an adjustment for all of us. We’ll get settled into the big house and make new routines. We’ve been crammed into the small space, making due, living our separate lives together. We need to be a family. Annie is making it possible for us to all be together in one room, and I, for one, can’t wait.”

I cuddle further into his chest and relax. He’s right. We need everyone to make the effort, and we will.

Miller, Spencer, and I are chatting in a booth, waiting for Tucker and Axel to finish, when Dempsey strides back into the restaurant with a grave face.

“Dempsey, what’s wrong? Is everyone okay?” Everyone left about twenty minutes ago. Blake, Annie, and Cole left in Cole’s car, and Nicole, Justin, and Katy left with Dempsey to pick up the kids from Annie’s house.

“Miss Katy forgot her purse.” He steps over to a booth and picks up a small black bag. “But we have a problem. Lincoln, could you come with me.”

“Oh, hell no.” Miller stands from the booth. “If there’s a problem that involves my family, we’re dealing with it together.” Dempsey looks around the room, looking for the other two missing people. “They’re busy. What’s wrong?”

Dempsey sighs, and his shoulders fall. “There’s something on your truck, Lincoln. I didn’t move it, but you should probably come and see.”

“Not here.” Spencer sounds mad, which isn’t an emotion she shows often.

“You’re fucking kidding me.” How is this asshole still following us? “Let’s go.”

I see it as soon as we get close. There’s a large, thick envelope under my windshield wiper.

“He can’t reach us at home anymore, so he’s resorting to this.” I reach for the envelope, and Dempsey grabs my wrist.

“You don’t want to call the cops?”

“First, don’t ever grab me again.” I shake my arm away and glare at him. I know I shouldn’t direct my anger toward him, but I’m pissed. I grab the envelope, and it’s lighter than I expect.

“Sorry, Sir.”

“Second, I am the cops. And so is this asshole, that’s the problem. He’s on his home turf, and we need to be careful how we deal with it. We thought he’d just been sending pictures until we realized he’d tampered with Spencer’s security system. He’s slowly escalating.”

Everyone gathers around as I open the envelope. Spencer gasps when I pull the pink lacy panties out.

“Please tell me these aren’t yours, Dream Girl.”

She shakes her head. “They aren’t.”

Thank fuck . I would have lost my mind if they were.

“What else is in there, Linc?” Miller reaches his hand in and pulls out a picture. Spencer and Katy stand next to each other, laughing. It’s a Polaroid from tonight. Was he in the club? Miller flips the image over, and written in the all-too-familiar handwriting is the worst note yet. PINK IS MY FAVORITE COLOR ON HER

“Fuck.”

Whatever Tucker is doing, I hope he’s done.

Lincoln: Out front. Now.

Tucker: Coming now.

A few minutes later, Tucker comes charging out the front door with Axel on his heels.

“What’s going on, brother?”

The two of them were definitely up to something. Axel’s shirt is untucked, and Tucker’s is only buttoned halfway, having lost his string tie. If this were any other situation, I’d be happy for them and want all the details, but not right now.

Miller hands Tucker the envelope contents, and while they look everything over, I pull Axel aside.

“Everything good?” I put my arm around his shoulder and pull him into my side.

A smile that spreads ear-to-ear flashes on his face. “Yeah. I’m good. Thank you guys. I just had a moment.”

“Tucker helped you through it?” His eyes lift to Tucker, and I swear, in the dim parking lot lights, I see him blush. “I’ll take that as a yes. I’m happy for you man.”

“Me too. Now, what’s going on?”

I explain to him about the picture and the underwear, and he visibly becomes as pissed off as the rest of us.

“What the fuck do we do now?”

I wish I could answer Axel’s question, but even though we’re on the right side of the law, they won’t be of any help.

“Dempsey, get back to Katy. She’s your main priority. I know Annie and Justin have top-of-the-line security, but you’re her security everywhere outside their houses. I’ll watch her at school. Spencer, don’t protest. You go nowhere without at least one of us.”

“I’m protesting.” I smiled because I knew she would. “I’ve been dealing with this for over a decade. I’m not running scared of him. I’ll never run scared of him again. I’m not that woman anymore. Now, I will happily allow any of you to escort me, but please don’t think it’s for my protection. It’s because I understand there is safety in numbers.”

“And apparently guns,” Axel murmurs, but Spencer hears him and gives him a deadpan look that he hunches away from, mouthing “Sorry.”

I fucking love this woman. She’s fiercely independent, but she’s letting us in. Stepping up to Spencer, I pull her into my chest and kiss her forehead, whispering thank you.

“There’s no use standing around in the dark. Let me go close up inside, and the four of y’all head home.” Tucker tips his hat to Dempsey, steals Spencer away from me for a kiss that has my heart racing, then leaves us.

The ride home feels tense. I want to go straight to the carwash and rinse this fucker right off my truck, but getting Spencer safe and secure in our new-to-us home is my focus.

“I’m beat.” Miller drops his head to the back of the headrest and closes his eyes. I reach into the back seat and squeeze his thigh.

“Rest while you can. You still have a punishment coming to you, and I’m not letting it slide.” He puffs out a breath, but there’s a smile on his lips.

“Fuck. Me.” Axel’s semi-panicked voice catches everyone’s attention.

“What’s wrong?” Spencer looks around at the windows, trying to see any signs of Axel’s distress.

“Tucker owes me a punishment too and said he would enjoy punishing me while Lincoln punished Miller.”

An evil laugh starts in the back of my throat. I try to contain it, but it escapes, and I let it. Soon, everyone is laughing through our stress, and it feels cathartic.

“What did you do, Axel?” I’ve got to know.

“I asked him to fuck me and called him Daddy Tucker.”

“Holy shit.” I choke on the air around me.

Miller lifts his arm, eyes still closed, and high-fives Axel. “You’re a crazy shit. He’s gonna get your ass good tonight.”

Axel wiggles in his seat. “He already did.”

“Axel. Shut the fuck up before I crash my truck, or I’ll tell Tucker to punish you harder. Well damn.” I’ve just come to a realization. “My brother is an instigator. He got both of you in trouble today.”

“What the hell did you do, Miller?” I’ve been waiting for Axel to ask. This is going to be good.

Miller huffs and crosses his arms like a child throwing a tantrum.

“I’m horny. So fucking horny, and my lovely boyfriend here has been denying me all day.”

“Watch it, Fireball.” He heeds my warning.

“So I asked Linc to shower with me, and when he told me no, I acted like a brat and teased that I bet Tucker would do it. When I asked Tucker to jokingly walk with me to the pool house to pretend we were going to take a shower, he told me he doesn’t play pretend. The evil man made me shower with him to earn my punishment and still denied me any release.”

Spencer giggles, and every one of us stops to listen.

“What’s so funny, Dream Girl?” I run a single finger up her inner thigh, and her gasp stops her laughing.

“You all joke and call him Daddy Tucker, but it really is like he’s the father to a bunch of children.”

Spencer’s relatable comment kills any tension left in the truck, and the conversation is light-hearted the rest of the way.

When we get home, everyone showers and gets comfortable, waiting for Tucker to return. Miller and I are relaxing on the couch when Axel approaches. He huffs with his hands on his hips and quickly starts pacing in front of us.

“Problem Axel?” He stops and gives me a deer-in-headlights look, then drops to his knees in front of Miller.

“How much trouble am I in? Tucker can be scary as fuck when he turns all Daddy Dom. I never even knew I was a brat until he called me out on it. My ass is already sore from the pounding he gave me earlier.” He drops his head in Miller’s lap and groans, “I’m scared.”

“Axel.” My sharp tone snaps his head up to meet my eyes. “What’s the safeword?” He looks at me, puzzled. “Safeword. Tell me the safeword.”

“Code Blue.”

“Good boy,” I croon. “What does the safeword mean?”

“I want to stop.”

“Very good.”

“But what if I’m not sure about it? I’ve never been spanked before.”

I reach over and run a hand through his damp curls. He closes his eyes and hums.

“Would you like to add a yellow safeword?”

“Yellow?”

“Yes. Yellow, like a pause. Or a slowdown. When Miller and I first started dating, we used stoplight safewords. Red, yellow, and green. He was new not that long ago.”

He rolls the word yellow around on his tongue, trying it out.

“Y-yeah. I’d like that. I like that a lot, actually. Thanks.” Axel stands and flops on the couch next to Miller, laying his head on his lap and hanging his feet off the arm of the couch.

“You’re welcome to play with my hair some more.” He looks at me upside down and smiles. It’s sweet and innocent, and one of my favorite things about him.