by Ophelia Bell
His expression turns venomous, but there’s clear conflict in his eyes. “I’m not disputing what those men did was deplorable, but this isn’t how I’d handle it… just letting another criminal sweep it all under the rug. I didn’t want this for my family, Elle. If I had my way, we’d all leave LA and fucking Flores behind. That bastard is toxic.”
“That bastard also happens to be my dad. You do realize he is family now, right? Especially now that Maddy and Sam are both with Celeste and Toni. You don’t expect them to leave the women they love behind, do you? And everything he’s done has been to protect me.”
“This doesn’t look like protecting you,” he says. “Putting you under Drake’s roof just put you in danger.”
“Putting me under Drake’s roof saved Drake’s life. Think about it. If not for me, Baz and Ben wouldn’t have been there, and neither would you. He’d be dead now…” The reality of it hits me again, and hot tears well up for the second time.
Marco utters a soft curse and wraps his arms around me again. “Shit, Bean. I’m sorry. It’s just that I got all the intel for this op I was just assigned to, and now that I have a bigger picture of Arturo’s business with Amador, I like the man even less. And if that’s not bad enough, they seem to have spawned an even more vile monster in Gustavo Delgado, who seems to keep leveling up every time we come across the bastard.”
“But you’re going to help stop them, right? I just want to go back to a normal life.”
“I’m going to do what I can. Jake volunteered to join me, despite his better judgment, so there will be at least two people on the team with a vested interest in taking those bastards down.”
“How long are you here for?”
“A week before we ship out to the training camp.”
A surge of happiness at this news is quickly replaced by disappointment. I lean back against the wall opposite Marco and bang both fists against it in frustration. “Shoot. We’re sort of hiding out until this is all over, so I won’t get to see you. Are you going back to your old team when it’s done?”
He shakes his head, pressing his lips into a line. “That’s a door I can’t go back through. But I never expected to be a SEAL my whole life, and thirty isn’t a bad age at which to plan a new career.”
“Oh, Marco. But you loved it so much!”
He gives me a half-smile and a shrug. “My family matters more. Maybe whatever I choose will mean more time with you.”
“That’d be nice,” I say. “No love interest in the picture, I take it?”
He chuckles. “Not as such.”
“And Jake… The two of you are…?”
“Like brothers. We’ve saved each other’s lives a time or two. He insisted I wouldn’t survive without him, and I couldn’t say no.”
“Cool. He seems nice, but I didn’t really get to meet him.”
“He’s solid. A bit of a lone wolf, so I’m privileged he chose to stick it out with me for this assignment.”
Our conversation lulls, and I begin to straighten up to head back to the pavilion when Marco says, “So… you and Stavros, huh? Between you and me, I always thought you’d wind up with Baz Quin. Especially considering your recent circumstances.”
I lean back on the wall again, bracing myself as I look Marco squarely in the eyes. I never lie to my brothers, and I don’t plan to start now. “You’re not wrong on either count.”
Marco frowns, his lips parting as what I said sinks in, then his eyes widen a little. I feel a hot flush creep up over my shoulders and face. For some reason, his opinion matters more than the others’, and I hold my breath, waiting to hear his reaction, because there’s one more thing he needs to know.
“So, this is a thing with this family, isn’t it? Fucking hell, Bean.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “Though I guess it’s a testament to how special you are, if two men are willing to compromise enough to share you.”
I clear my throat. “Not just two. Ben … was my first.”
His jaw drops open when I share that gem. It’s almost comical watching him try to wrap his head around the news. Then he snaps it shut and stares at the ceiling, his face red as he struggles to regain some composure. I just watch, waiting for him to offer a verdict. When he lowers his gaze to mine again, his jaw is clenched and his serious look bores into me.
“They make you happy?”
“Yes. They’re each kind of perfect in their own way.”
He heaves a sigh and chuckles. “Those two have been pining for you for years. Somehow I always imagined they’d come to blows over who gets to have you. I guess this solves everything. They seem to like Drake too. Or at least Ben does.”
“Between you and me, I think Ben’s a little in love with Drake, but then so am I.” I grin. “You should’ve been here for the party. He was amazing on stage.”
“Well, if he sticks around, I’m sure I’ll have a chance to get to know him soon enough. Just be careful. A relationship like that must be like spinning plates.”
I give him a sly smile. “I think we’re finding a good balance. Don’t worry about me.”
“You know, Bean, of all the Santos brood, I think you might be the only one I almost never worry about.”
He offers me his arm and I hook mine through, letting him escort me back to the pavilion.
The second we step into the big room, all three of the men we were just talking about swivel their heads to look, equal looks of relief and adoration lighting up their eyes. Marco laughs.
“Yep, those three are all done for. Good job, Bean. Good job.” He pats me on the hand, then releases me to rejoin his friend, who’s seated on the edge of the stage.
I smile back at Drake and the twins and make my way to them. “Are we good to go?”
“Duffy just landed, so we can leave anytime,” Drake says.
Nodding, I turn back to my family, making a somewhat tearful round of farewells, since I have no idea when I’ll see all of them next. They all head out the front door as a group while I join Drake and the twins, and we walk out the rear exit to the field where Duffy waits in Drake’s helicopter.
I let out a sigh when we strap into our seats, Drake beside me and the twins across from us. Drake slips his arm around me and pulls me tight against him, pressing his lips to the top of my head.
“Everything will be okay,” he says, his deep voice reverberating into my ears through the headphones. I thread my fingers through his and hold on tight, eyes meeting Ben’s and Baz’s as we head back to the yacht.
I think we all want desperately to believe it, but after tonight, our confidence has been too shaken for us to be sure of anything anymore.
39
Elle
I doze for much of the flight back to the yacht, but wake up when we land. Upon entering the lounge, Ben heads straight for the wet bar and pours us all drinks while Drake hangs back to give Duffy instructions. A moment later, the helicopter lifts off again and departs, and Drake joins us, slipping off his tuxedo jacket and tossing it over an armchair, then rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt. His bow tie disappeared sometime en route, and if anything, he looks more handsome now than he did fully dressed, despite the bloodstain marring the back of his collar.
“Duff’s on-call to meet us at our next port if we need him.”
“Do we know where we’re going?” I ask.
“I left it up to Theo. He’ll make sure we stay off the radar for as long as we can. But we’re completely restocked and fueled up, so we can disappear for a few weeks before we show our faces anywhere civilized again.”
“Wouldn’t we have to refuel before that?” Baz asks. “I know the fuel tank is big, but it isn’t that big.”
Drake takes the tumbler of Scotch Ben hands him and sits on the sofa, taking a restorative sip. “Once we’re moving, we rely on auxiliary sources for power. You probably didn’t go up to the bridge deck. There are wind turbines and a bank of solar panels up there that charge the auxiliary batteries, and water turbines att
ached to the hull that generate power whenever we’re moving. We’re basically self-sufficient until we run out of food. I put most of the staff on paid leave, so with a skeleton crew, we can last as long as we need to.”
“So this is where we need to be in a zombie apocalypse. Got it,” Baz says, chuckling as he props himself against the arm of the sofa and nurses his drink. He’s down to his sleeveless undershirt and tuxedo pants now, looking more like he belongs in a gang than he ever has.
I sniff my glass, and my nostrils fill with the smoky scent of the Lagavulin, or at least whatever is left over from my father’s visit last night.
Ben drops down next to Drake and leans his head against the back of the sofa with a groan. “What a fucking night. On the plus side, at least we survived Elle’s brothers.” Both Baz and Drake grunt in agreement, directing smirks my way.
“They like you guys. But more importantly, they love me. Ben, what did your mom keep hounding you about?”
“She wants us to come back to work for Arturo,” Ben says. “Which is never going to happen.”
“But I thought you made up last night,” I say.
“It’s got nothing to do with that,” Baz supplies. “We just like working for Drake more. And for other obvious reasons. Not to mention it’d be hella weird if we’re with you and working for your dad.”
“I just don’t want to move back to LA,” Ben says. He raises his glass to his lips, then winces and shifts it to his other hand. His tuxedo jacket survived the night, but his shirt didn’t, so he’s bare-chested, the swaths of dark tattoos across his brown skin. My heart stutters when I take in the three of them and consider the near-miss we had tonight.
“I don’t want you to move back to LA, either,” I say. “In fact, I’m glad we can’t leave this boat for a while. There’s nowhere else I want to be.”
I set down my glass and rise, impulsively moving to Drake. He opens his arms and I slide onto his lap, embracing him.
“I almost lost you,” I say, holding tight and burying my face in his neck. I inhale the sharp scent of sweat and aftershave, taking deep, sustaining gulps of him. I want to wrap them all in my embrace, but the best I can do is reach out a hand for Ben, who takes mine and squeezes, then lifts it to his lips. I reach for Baz on the other side, grasping his hand and pulling him down onto the sofa next to Drake.
“We should’ve sent you home with Arturo,” Drake says, his brow knitting. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“I disagree,” Ben says. “Sitnik had to have seen you with Elle tonight. He’d have to be an idiot not to realize she’s important to you. Leaving her behind, even with Flores, would’ve put her at risk more than bringing her with us. I don’t want to think about what that bastard might do with her if he took her.”
“I wouldn’t have left you anyway,” I say.
Baz chuckles. “Of course you wouldn’t.”
The world begins to shift disconcertingly, and I grab hold of Drake, eyes widening. “I’m not that drunk, am I?”
He smiles indulgently. “No. That’s just Theo turning the Brizo to take her out of the harbor. When we wake up tomorrow, we’ll be several hundred miles from here. If you listen, you can hear her engines running.”
I close my eyes and can make out the deep, rhythmic pulse of an immense motor somewhere far beneath us. It’s comforting to know we’re moving, yet still completely sheltered, and more than that—together.
When I open my eyes, I take Drake’s face in both hands, rest my forehead against his, and say, “I love you.”
He responds with startling sureness, grasping my head and pressing his mouth to mine. The kiss is both searing and sweet, and lights up all my nerve endings at once.
When he releases me, he gazes deep into my eyes. “God, I love you so much, Elle.”
A throat clears, and I look up to see Baz gazing back with one raised eyebrow. I smirk and reach for him next.
“You know I love you. I have for a while. Both of you,” I say, looking at Ben.
Ben responds by reaching down to hook my ankles with one hand, lifting them to rest on his lap. He pulls my shoes off and slides a hand up to my knee over the silk stockings Ines gave me, along with garters and matching black lace bra and panties.
“We’re fucking wrecked over you, Elle,” Ben says, his voice cracking. “I want you all the goddamn time.”
“Every second,” Drake says. “And not just to watch on a screen. I want to touch you.” To illustrate, he slides his hands from my jaw down my neck, fanning his fingertips out over the tops of my breasts. The sensation is electrifying, and my breath hitches.
“We’re not making it to the bedroom tonight, are we?” I ask, looking into his eyes. His gaze glints back wickedly and he kisses me again in reply.
I feel both twins shift closer, two pairs of warm lips finding different parts of my neck to nuzzle and kiss while Drake attends my mouth. Baz finds the side zipper of my dress and slowly draws it down while Ben hooks his fingers beneath one strap and tugs it off my shoulder, his lips following a slow path south. When the bodice loosens, he pulls the strap farther, urging my hand out of it. I release Drake’s mouth and try to stand, but he holds fast.
“Let us,” he says. “Let us do everything.”
I nod and relax, turning to Baz, who’s helping slip the strap off my other arm. He urges me to lie down, and I recline across his lap, staring up into his fevered eyes as Drake and Ben tug the dress down my belly and past my hips. Ben carefully drapes the rustling fabric over the back of the sofa before returning his hands to my stockinged legs.
Baz’s erection presses against my shoulder, and I glance at the swell in his pants, biting my lip.
“Uh-uh, eyes on me. We’re going to make you scream our names before we take care of ourselves, preferably inside you. Are you good with surrendering to us for a little while?”
“Yes,” I say, though I can’t quite relax because I want to see them, and I can’t as long as they’re all still dressed.
“This is pretty, but it has to go,” Drake says, reaching up and tugging at my bra strap, making it snap against my skin. “Roll over so we can unfasten it.”
I obey, painfully aware of all three hard cocks pressing against various parts of me as I shift onto my belly, resting my cheek atop Baz’s thigh. He carefully unhooks the back of my bra and I roll back over, letting him peel it off and toss it to the side with my discarded dress.
The entire time, both Drake and Baz have started to slowly caress me, their big hands roaming over my legs and torso, my hips and belly. I’m achingly aroused, my panties growing damper by the second, yet they haven’t touched me between my thighs yet.
But Baz, bless him, cups both my breasts and lightly pinches my nipples between thumb and forefinger. He looks utterly entranced by my submission, my willingness to be their plaything.
I reach up and caress his cheek, diverting his attention to my face. His gaze softens and he bends to kiss me. I rise partway to meet him, moaning when he tweaks one nipple a little harder.
One of the other two undoes the clips at the tops of my stockings, and Ben removes them with slow, deliberate care. Drake curls long fingers around my upper thigh, grazing his fingertips so very lightly over the crotch of my panties. He lets out an interested sound, then rubs a little harder. The sensation makes me squirm, but I don’t want to move. I like giving in to them this way—surrendering completely and showing them that I’m theirs, however they want me.
“You’re already soaked. This is going to be fun.”
“Let me see,” Ben says, lifting my foot and forcing me to bend one knee. Drake hooks a hand beneath my thigh, holding it up. Ben pushes my other knee up, fingers tight around my ankle.
He does more than simply look; he bends down, nipping at my inner thigh, then running his tongue along the crease of my groin alongside the edge of my panties.
“Rip them off her,” Drake commands.
My eyes go wide, but Ben obeys. With both hands, he gri
ps the lacy band across my hip and wrenches it between his fists. The lace doesn’t give at first, but then I hear a snap that makes me jump. He peels the panel aside, revealing my core. Then with a growl, he scoots back a little and drops between my thighs, covering my pussy with his mouth.
With a gasp, I arch up, only to find Baz’s hands at my breasts again, massaging, teasing. I open my eyes and look at Drake, who seems content for the moment just watching the other two drive me wild. The hard ridge of his cock against my hip betrays how much this affects him though.
“Please tell me you aren’t just going to watch,” I say, close to delirium from the pleasure the twins are inflicting on me.
“You need my hands on you too? Two was never going to be enough for you, was it?” Drake smirks, then nudges Ben, who sits up and swipes my juices off his chin. “Roll over, baby.”
I obey, and as I do, Ben tugs my ruined panties down my leg, leaving nothing but the garter still fastened around my waist.
With my breasts beneath me now, Baz occupies himself gently removing the pins from my hair, releasing the tight bun, which is a sensuous treat all by itself. When my hair is down, he carefully combs his fingers through the strands, fanning them out over my back. He continues stroking my head while Drake grips my ass cheeks, spreading them open.
“Get her wet.”
“My pleasure,” Ben says.
The next thing I feel is his tongue plunging into my wet pussy, then swiping up, spreading my fluid and his saliva around the tight ring of my ass. I barely suppress a desperate moan at the new sensation of his tongue between my cheeks. He toys with me for a second, then sits back.
“Let me know when you’re ready for the lube,” Ben says. “I stashed some up here.”
Drake chuckles. “You weren’t kidding when you said you wanted to fulfill a fantasy in here, were you?”
“Nope.”
“Well, I have a fantasy too. Elle, if anything stops feeling good, you say so.”
