Smoke and Survival (Best Wishes Book 2)

by A. J. Macey

  Why is my throat rough? It was fine when I went to bed.

  “What happened?” Rubbing my hand over my forehead to wipe away some of the sweat beading up, I took in their silent glances toward one another and waited for someone to explain. Dante knelt next to me, his tanned hand wrapping around mine.

  “Were you dreaming?” His deep voice resonated within me, chasing the last of the dream away. I nodded, unable to keep my eyes fixed only on him. Instead, I continued to scan the room, making sure all my guys were here. Nik and Logan were still seated on top of the blankets, their hands resting on my legs. Landon stood next to Cam to the left of the bed between us and the bathroom. Landon’s arms crossed tightly across his bare chest while Cam’s hands were tucked into his sweatpants pockets. Hudson rounded out the group standing in front of my dresser, off to the side behind Dante’s crouched position. Hudson’s hands wrung restlessly in front of his plain grey shirt, his black boxer briefs tight against his thighs.

  “You were whimpering and shaking and then started sobbing,” Nik filled me in, his gravelly voice harsher than normal, as if sandpaper had ground against his already rough vocal cords.

  “You wouldn’t wake up,” Landon continued, a shudder running through his body. I paled at his words.

  “Like right away? Or….?” I trailed off, waiting for him to expand.

  “Like at all, we’ve been trying to wake you for over ten minutes.” Logan took over from his brother, his fingers tightening on my thigh. “We almost had to call Dean Renaud.”

  “I’m sorry, guys—”

  “Don’t apologize, Firecracker,” Dante cut in. “It isn’t your fault.” His free hand reached out and gently turned my head to face him, his thumb tracing against my jaw. “You’re awake and you’re safe, that’s all that matters.” I nodded, trying to stay calm despite the tears that brimmed in my eyes and the remnants of the nightmare that clung to my mind. It was difficult to keep my cool when all I could see was the unbearable fear clearly written in their eyes.

  “Thank you.” I eyed everyone around me as I said it. I lost control at trying to push the tears back, several dripping in quick succession down my cheeks.

  “For what?” Cam’s hand came out to wipe my left cheek, the tears glistening on his palm.

  “For being there for me.” I tried to smile, but from the softening of Cam and Landon’s eyes in pity, I’m pretty sure it came out more like a grimace. “What time is it?” I didn’t want to keep talking about my shitty sleep. I wanted to focus on the fact that it was Thanksgiving weekend and we’d be all heading toward my hometown later today.

  “It’s a little after seven,” Hudson responded, shifting out of the way of my dresser when he saw me shuffling out of bed. I nodded, a shiver running through me at the air hitting my quickly cooling body. “You going to shower, Princess?”

  “Yeah, just real quick. We going to grab breakfast? I might not be able to eat much, but I want to at least try to keep something down.” I piled everything I needed for the day into my arms from the dresser and closet before turning and making my way to the bathroom. This room really isn’t meant for seven people. I chuckled, brushing against every one of my guys while attempting to get to my bathroom. They started to move, pulling clothes from the closet that they had stored there earlier this week. I left the door to the bathroom cracked open for them to come and go as they needed to get ready for the day. The water heated quickly, and I jumped in as soon as it was hot, my body covered in dried sweat and goosebumps until the stream washed over my skin.

  I lathered my body wash on my arms when the first of the guys came in, a squawk echoing off the tiles followed quickly by Nik’s murmurs, too quiet for me to hear over the sound of the water. The guys quickly rotated through brushing their teeth and getting dressed as I rinsed the soap from my body and shampoo from my hair before slathering the ends in a thick dollop of conditioner. Too lazy to shave this morning, I piled my hair on top of my head and stood under the spray, letting the heat melt away the tension in my shoulders.

  My eyes trailed down my body as I relaxed. My ribs weren’t sticking out, but I could tell my body had continued to lose what little weight and fat it carried due to stress and anxiety. I groaned. This shit is really getting tiring. Noah’s texts and emails had become consistent over the last few weeks, but the silver lining was that he hadn’t called recently, and I hadn’t seen him since the Kohl game. Whichever guy was with me carried my phone, forwarding and screenshotting all texts and emails to Alex and the police detective that had been assigned to my case. She was compiling any and all evidence against Noah and working closely with the security of the university to try and catch him. I sighed, knowing I would need to meet with her after this weekend was over.

  “Hey, Love.” Logan’s words pulled me from my internal musings, his head appearing at the edge of the shower. His eyes immediately dragged down my body and up before speaking, his smile sinful and full of mischievous promises. “Just wanted to see if you wanted us to grab food and bring it back or go get food from the dining hall together. I wasn’t sure what the plans were for the day until Charlie picked you up.”

  “We can go get something unless some of the guys want to hang out here,” I suggested, tilting my head back to rinse the conditioner, “or I can stay here with someone. It makes no difference to me.” I looked at Logan whose eyes were half-lidded as he watched the water pour down my pale skin. He held up a finger signifying one minute and disappeared. I heard disjointed talking before the door was shut completely. I had reached behind me to shut off the water when rough fingers caught my wrist. Surprised, I turned to look over my shoulder, finding Logan’s naked and chiseled body stepping into the tub. The water pouring over his head and shoulders brought my attention to every dip of his defined torso.

  “I sent them to get food,” he whispered, his lips brushing my ear as he shifted my wet hair into his left hand, his hard chest pressing against my back. “So we only have so much time.” Barely brushing the sensitive spot under my ear with his lips, he ducked his head down my neck, showering my skin in kisses.

  “What did you have in mind?” My question was breathy with need, and his own arousal was obvious as his hard cock pressed into my ass. He used the hand that was tangled in my hair to angle my head back toward him, his lips moving desperately against me as he drew me closer.

  “I haven’t gotten my chance to taste you yet,” he growled, his hand tightening slightly. A moan escaped at the tugging, a shot of desire curling through me at his words. “Bend that beautiful ass over, Love.” His grip on my hair loosened enough for me to follow his command as I folded forward. His hand ran over my back and down to my ass, gripping tightly as he groaned from his place behind me. “Fuck…” He fell to his knees, my hair tumbling around my face as I propped my hands on the tile. I glanced over my shoulder and was captivated by Logan’s eyes that burned with desire as his fingers massaged my thighs and ass.

  My legs quaked under the intensity of his stare, gripping the wall harder when he shot forward. A long, hot lick trailed from my throbbing clit all the way to my ass. More moans echoed against the tile, his tongue swirling over my clit before dipping inside me, my own wetness mixing with the water dripping from us both. My breathing grew ragged at his relentlessly sinful tongue. Fuck, I groaned, feeling myself nearing my orgasm. The build was intense, and my limbs were trembling with anticipation. Logan’s name was disjointed to my own ears as I shattered in release, my legs nearly giving out under the tremors.

  Logan continued his ruthless pursuit, holding my thighs tightly against his chest to keep me standing. My eyes widened when his attention shifted from my throbbing pussy and tender clit to my ass. My heart thudded erratically at the onslaught of new sensations. Despite my initial protests, the tension melted from my rigid limbs and left me panting. A hand shifted from my thigh and gripped my ass tightly as Logan stood. As I adjusted to try and stand, he held me in my current position. I opened my mouth to ask w
hat was happening when I felt the head of his cock pressing into my entrance. Without prompting, I pushed back, Logan sheathing himself fully inside me. I received another tight grip at my movement, a responding moan nearly covering his words.

  “Now, now, Love,” he cooed, rubbing the curve of my ass, “you did the work last time. Let me take care of you.” I bit my tongue at the feeling of him slowly pulling out before sliding back in. His torturous pace brought whimpers to my lips, my gaze darting back to him. The water poured around his shoulders, down his torso, and over where he pistoned in and out of me, falling into a hard but steady rhythm. Fire burned in my veins, my orgasm slamming down on me without any build up. I couldn’t hold back the disjointed moans that ripped from my throat as he pounded into me.

  “God damn, Love, you feel so good,” he murmured, bringing a hand down on my ass. Though it wasn’t a hard hit, the half slap turned into another grip that seared through me. I shifted my support just enough to slip one hand down to my clit, rubbing quick, hard circles in time with his thrusts, bringing us both to an explosive release. After the shaking subsided and my muscles were able to move, Logan stepped back and pulled me to stand against him. Our breathing was ragged as our chests heaved in an attempt to get more air.

  “You taste even better than I imagined.” He nibbled my ear lobe. “I could eat you for every meal of the day and still be starving for more.” My used pussy quivered under his words, strong emotions building in my chest that pushed me to say something I wasn’t sure I was ready for.

  You can’t think that yet, I chastised myself for wanting to blurt the words that danced on the tip of my tongue. Swallowing the sentiment, I turned, Logan reaching behind him to turn off the shower as it had started to turn cold.

  “Hopefully we didn’t scare Gerry.” I giggled at the thought of how that situation would go. Logan reached out of the curtain, handing me my towel before quickly drying off in his, a humorous glint shining in his eyes. I stepped out of the shower, wrapped tightly in my towel to come face to face with Landon’s devilish smirk and heated gaze. He was leaning his hip against the counter of my vanity, a hardened bulge straining his pants.

  “Well, I see why you made them go get food.” He cocked a brow at his twin before turning to look at me. “Trying to leave me out. I see how it is,” he teased lightly.

  “I didn’t know he was going to come in the shower with me,” I defended in a huff. “Besides, you could have joined too if it was such a problem.” The red in his burning coal eyes flared, igniting my own flame again.

  “Good,” he said with finality before shooting forward and yanking the towel from around me as he kissed me fiercely. “Because listening to you being fucked is damn near torturous,” he murmured against my mouth. Without any warning, he hooked his hands under my legs and hoisted me onto the counter.

  “Holy cold,” I squealed at the icy stone under me, but Landon’s hands roving my flesh distracted me. His movements were frantic and rushed as he pushed his pants down to free his hard cock from its tight confines. As I was still dripping from my round with Logan only moments earlier, Landon was able to push in with ease.

  “Fuck, you’re so tight,” he moaned, rocking in and out of me. I had no idea what fell from my lips as he moved, my mind a muddled mess of desire and need, unable to form any coherent thought as I slowly started my climb to release. I tightened around him, my pussy over-sensitive from the roughness of my previous romp. Lightning seared every nerve as I clamped down, falling into the blissful pool of my orgasm. Landon crushed his lips to mine, swallowing my loud cries, his hair gripped tightly in my hands as he reached his own explosive release.

  “Think we have time for another round?” Logan questioned from his position right outside the tub, his own erection thick in his hand as he pumped it. Landon shook his head tiredly, his forehead falling to my shoulder as he panted. My eyes locked with Logan’s as Landon caught his breath, the burning in his gaze searing me despite having both of them in the last little while. Logan pumped faster, the motion bringing my attention to his thick cock that was still slick from being inside me. I was near panting when he finally came, thick ropes of his cum falling over the head of his cock and down his hand.

  “Like watching him jerk off to you, Lemon Drop?” Landon asked in a soft, sensual voice, his words whispering across my neck before he kissed my throat and stood upright again. I nodded, unable to speak as he slid out and helped me off the counter. “Good, maybe we can watch each other get off next time,” he offered, and my mind ran wild with the thought of watching them jerk off while I masturbated in front of them. To try and curb the desire still pulsing through me, I turned and grabbed my brush to detangle the knots Logan’s grip had caused.

  “I’m going to go get dressed, Love. The guys should be back shortly,” Logan said, dropping a quick kiss on my cheek before slipping out into my room. Landon’s rough palms cupped my cheeks, his lips pressing against mine gently. He followed his brother to get dressed before the guys came back from the dining hall. I took a deep, calming breath as I picked up my dropped towel and slung it over the shower curtain. In the silence of my bathroom, unwanted thoughts and loneliness crept in. I tried to quell the raging emotions fighting for my attention, worry about the guys being upset, fear about Noah, stress of the entire situation we’d been in since he found me, and finally, the one I was most terrified of, love.

  I stood up after sliding on my panties and hooking my bra, wiping the mirror of condensation to look at my gaunt face. As I stared into my own dark blue eyes, I knew without a doubt that I loved them. Turning away from the truth easily painted all over my face, I quickly slipped into my jeans and a thick sweater. When did it happen? I questioned myself. Isn’t it way too soon? I didn’t want to think about it at the moment, so I was thankful when the sound of the guys filled my room, their talking loud and boisterous. Steeling myself, I pushed out into the room to find the guys spread around the floor and bed passing takeout boxes between them.

  “Hey, Doll.” Cam’s sweet demeanor washed away the loneliness.

  I smiled and crawled onto the bed between Nik and Hudson. Grigori shuffled off Nik’s shoulder and onto the bed, coming closer to me. I watched him curiously. Where are you going, little guy? I silently questioned him. A tiny squawk answered me, his talons heaving him into my lap as I stared wide-eyed at the strange bird. Did he just… read my mind? Another squawk, his beady eyes zeroing in on my face before he leaned into me, a feathery forehead booping my jaw. The guys were silent as I started to rub Grigori’s wings, and several of their mouths gaped open as they tracked Grigori’s movements.

  “He likes you.” Nik smiled at me, his words soft, his attention shifting to the bird. His next statement to Grigori was so soft, in fact, that I almost didn’t hear him mumble, “Attention whore.” In response, the hawk flicked a wing against Nik’s hand making him drop his sandwich into his lap. I chuckled. These two have quite the love/hate relationship. I snatched up the dropped food and took a large bite, creamy peanut butter and strawberry jelly meeting my tongue. Laughs filled the room as we slipped into comfortable conversation. My phone started to ring, and immediately the contentment came crashing down. Dante reacted first, answering with cool politeness.

  “Hello.” The room was silent as we waited. The female voice on the other side was garbled from this far away, but it didn’t seem like it was Noah. “May I ask who’s calling?” More silence, Dante’s face grew drawn, his naturally tanned skin fading into a sickly pale. “One moment,” he said softly, holding it out for me to take. Reaching around Cam, I took the phone, the number reading that it was the hospital where Charlie’s dad worked.

  “Hello. This is Lucie.” I willed my voice to be steady despite the dread filling my stomach.

  “Hello, Miss Envie. My name is Stephanie Long, and I’m a nurse at Pinewood Drive Medical Center. I’m calling to inform you that your mother was brought in via ambulance about an hour ago.”

  My hearin
g fuzzed over. My mom’s in the hospital. I couldn’t believe it. I forced myself to focus. Mom needs me.

  “Is she all right? What happened?” Almost as though he sensed the urgency building within me, Grigori shuffled off me without prompting. With him safely out of the way, I surged off the bed. I slipped on my tennis shoes, not bothering with socks, my phone secured between my shoulder and ear.

  “She’s currently being examined, but we don’t believe there was any major damage. The matter is under police investigation, so I’m not privy to any information.”

  I took in a sharp breath. Police investigation... examined... My brain swirled in a thousand directions about what could have happened, but I knew. Deep down, I knew this was Noah.

  “All right, thank you. I’m currently at my university, but I will be heading straight there. Call me with any updates.” I hung up as soon as I received confirmation she would notify me. The guys had shifted to standing, waiting anxiously for me to explain. “My mom’s in the hospital. They don’t think there are any major injuries, but it’s under police investigation.” I hurriedly tossed on my jacket when my phone rang again, but this time Charlie’s name flashed on the screen.

  “Boo, I’m coming to get you. I’ll be there in a bit, and we’ll go to the hospital.” I heard her car radio being turned down in the background and sound of her huffing as she balanced the phone while driving. I didn’t question how she knew, figuring her dad was on call today and had let her know as soon as he was able to. Knowing I’d have my best friend by my side helped calm some of the nerves that were still bouncing around inside me.

  “All right, I’ll see you in a bit.” I hung up and turned back to the guys. “I need to call Alex and let him know what’s going on.” Before I could dial his number that I did in fact memorize, Dante’s hands covered mine, bringing my attention from my phone to his face.