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I t is late in the afternoon when we finish taking a much-needed shower. As soon as we are dressed again, I head to the kitchen and whip up something for us to eat before we return to my office to finish editing the video for Hush.

Watching them intently, I look from Kieran to Fintan in a seemingly endless loop as we work on the footage but they seem fine.

Kieran catches my stare as I blow out a relieved breath and his lips curl up in a small smile before focusing on the screen again.

I am not na?ve enough to think they have completely worked through the trauma I caused them but they seem better and less on edge. This feels like a small step in the right direction.

Hours pass in a blur as we lose ourselves in the task at hand. The room is filled with the soft glow of the computer screens, casting long shadows on the walls.

The men took over at my computer a while ago and I have been poking around on their work phone, getting myself familiarized with Hush.

Everything about this site makes me sick to my stomach. All these people are on here against their will. Fuck, they don’t even know they’re being filmed.

Hush’s firewalls seem pretty good and I doubt any of my codes are sophisticated enough to do anything meaningful.

I was hoping I could use the phone to dig deeper and corrupt their site before having to post the footage but alas hopeful thinking has never been a sure-fire way to accomplish a goal this big.

I could have saved Kieran and Fintan from editing the video. I could have put an end to this before our plan even began if only I knew a safe way to destroy this digital hellscape without leaving a trace.

Glancing at the clock on the screen, I note it is nearly ten o’clock, as the last edit is made, Fintan sits back with a sigh of accomplishment. “I think we’re ready to post this,” he says, looking at Kieran and me for confirmation.

“Ready when you are,” Kieran says, waiting for my response. I take a deep, uneasy breath and grip their phone tightly as I ready myself for what’s to come. With a nod, I give them the go-ahead.

Fintan logs into their Hush account from the computer and uploads the video with the caption: “not-so-innocent target gets revenge on Hush actors.”

Our plan rests on our video standing out among the thousands of others and if that caption doesn’t get people’s attention, I don’t know what will.

“You two sure you’re ready? As soon as I post this, our plan is in motion and there will be no going back,” Fintan says as he lets the cursor hover over the “post” button on the screen.

“I’m ready,” I say as I suck in a deep breath before letting it out and waiting for Kieran’s final consent to this insane plan we came up with.

“Ready.”

As he clicks to post the video, a sense of finality washes over me, although I know this is just the beginning. The footage is out there now, a part of our unfortunate shared history etched into the digital realm.

Fuck it. It’s out there and we might as well make the best of this. God, I need a drink! I want to erase the last few hours from my memory.

“Well then, it’s out there. I guess now we wait,” I sigh as I swivel back and forth in Alex’s comfortable desk chair.

“Yeah,” Kieran lets out a breath. “I don’t know about you two but I don’t think I’ll be getting any sleep soon.”

Alex glances at him with a wicked smile that can only spell a dangerous idea. “I have a bottle of whiskey in the kitchen,” she says with a playful shrug. “I think we could use a stiff drink after the day we had, don’t you think?”

Letting out a chuckle, I crinkle my nose. “Let’s first look at this bottle. I am not drinking any whiskey-branded swill, Dove.”

Alex mocks a reaction of offence as her lips part dramatically and she sucks in a loud breath with her hand over her heart. “Oh, I am hurt,” she jokes before gesturing for us to follow as she starts toward the kitchen. “Come on, asshole. I’ll show you the… swill .”

“Excuse him, baby, he is kind of a whiskey snob, so to speak,” Kieran muses beside me as we enter the room and pull out our chairs at the table.

“I’m not a fucking snob, I have taste,” I mock in a pretentious tone, gaining laughter from both of them. Taking our work phone from my pocket, I place it in the middle of the table so we can track the progress of our video.

Kieran reaches out and flips the phone face-down. “We can do this later. I need a fucking break from Hush for a couple of hours to relax.”

“Agreed,” Alex says as she places three tumblers of amber liquor on the table.

“Uh… The bottle, little Dove?” I question her before she levels me with a challenging glare. “Shut up and drink it, Fin,” she demands.

Kieran sniggers beside me as he takes his glass and lifts it for a toast, waiting for us to follow suit. Alex mimics his movement and now they are both watching me expectantly.

“Fine! But if this tastes like ass, I’m dumping it,” I say, lifting the remaining tumbler to clink against theirs. “Hmm, you love ass, last time I checked,” Alex giggles before Kieran and I join in on the infectious laughter.

I am enthralled by her the more I get to know her. She has to be the best thing that has happened to Kieran and me, well, besides the mind-blowing sex we all share.

As the first taste of whiskey coats my tongue, I freeze for a moment. “Glendalough?” I ask, stunned by the taste.

“Yeah, Glendalough 25-Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey,” she smiles. “I got this as a gift from one of my clients a while back.”

“Jesus, you have great fucking clients. This costs upwards of five hundred dollars a bottle,” I state before taking another sip and savoring the taste.

Alex raises an eyebrow in amusement. “Well, it looks like I’ve impressed the whiskey snob after all,” she teases, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Kieran leans back in his chair, a contented smile on his face. “This is perfect,” he murmurs, swirling the liquid in his glass. “Just what we needed after today.”

We spend the next few hours sipping on the exquisite whiskey as the tension of the day slowly melts away. The warmth of the alcohol spreads through me, mingling with the warmth of something more that simmers beneath the surface.

Alex picks up the phone lying between us to check the time before she stands up with a stretch. “I don’t know about you two, but I could use some fresh midnight air,” she suggests, a glint of tipsiness in her eyes.

Without waiting for a response, she heads towards the doors that lead to her backyard. “Sure, I could use a smoke,” I exhale as Kieran and I exchange a glance before following her outside.

The cool night air brushes against my skin, carrying with it the scent of smoke as Kieran lights a cigarette beside me.

Alex plops down on the patch of grass beside the pool with a warm smile on her face, complimented by the shade of her alcohol flushed cheeks. “Come join me,” she purrs as she lays down and looks up at the stars.

Kieran hands me his cigarette before lighting another for himself as we move toward Alex and lie on either side of her. The quiet hum of the night surrounds us, broken only by the occasional sound of crickets.

“This is nice,” Alex muses softly, breaking the silence between us.

I nod in agreement, feeling a sense of peace settle over me and Kieran lets out a low hum. Despite the turmoil that constantly swirls around us, moments like these make everything feel just a little bit lighter.

As we lie under the vast expanse of the night sky, the stars twinkle like distant promises. I steal a glance at Alex, her eyes fixed on the celestial beauty above us, a soft smile playing on her lips.

I lift onto my elbows and move my gaze towards Fintan, his profile illuminated by the gentle glow of the moon. His expression is one of contentment, a rare sight on a man who is always full of wit and sarcasm.

We may not have chosen an easy path, but in moments like these, I know there is nowhere else I would rather be.

A shooting star streaks across the sky, drawing a gasp of wonder from Alex. She sits up, her eyes wide with excitement. “Did you see that? Make a wish!” she says eagerly, her voice carrying a childlike enthusiasm that is both endearing and infectious.

I close my eyes for a moment, my mind racing with all the things I could wish for. But right now, there is only one thing I truly desire – for this seemingly fragile bubble of happiness to last. This may be a bond forced in fear, trauma and sex but to me it’s more than that.

When I open my eyes, I see Fintan watching me intently, as if trying to decipher the unspoken wishes written in the depths of my soul.

There is a softness in his eyes as he watches me, a tenderness that tugs at my heart. In moments like these, it’s easy to forget about the complexities of our somewhat unconventional relationship and how it started.

Alex shifts until she is facing us with a serious look on her face like she needs to get something off her chest. Curious, Fintan and I sit up before she reaches out her hands toward ours as she intertwines our fingers with hers.

The touch sends a jolt of electricity through me, igniting something within that I can only assume are the butterflies people always talk about.

“I love you,” she whispers, her voice barely above a breath. The words hang in the air, heavy with meaning and emotion. As if sharing the thought, Fintan and I move forward simultaneously to wrap our arms around her.

Fintan peppers kisses along her neck and shoulder as I inch back and place my hand on her chin, ensuring I have her eyes on mine. “I think I speak for both of us when I say, we love you too, Alex.”

“Sure do,” Fintan breathes as he nuzzles into her neck before turning her face toward him and kissing her. She breathes heavily as she kisses him back fiercely before sitting back on the grass.

Fintan turns to me and we share a kiss that is not quite like the ones we shared before. This is gentle, passionate and fuck if it doesn’t make my dick grow hard as Alex snakes her fingers into our hair and places kisses on our cheeks while my lips are sealed to Fintan’s.

I could stay like this for hours and the thought of having sex out here under the stars is exhilarating, but our passionate moment of peace is short-lived as Alex’s phone suddenly rings inside, shattering the spell we were under just a second ago.