by Stella Moore
“No, ma’am. I rent an apartment downtown.”
“He is about to co-own a property with Olivia and me in Ocean City,” James finally spoke up. “We’ll be using it as our own personal beach getaway as well as a rental property.”
“Figures.”
The low, croaky commentary had all of them whipping around to where Shannon was glaring at them from her bed.
“Shannon!” Olivia rushed to her side, and if it hadn’t been for all the wires and tubes she would have climbed right into bed with her. As it was, she made do with clutching her hand. “You scared the shit out of us, Shay.”
“Sorry. Hurts.” Pain etched into every line of her face, she turned her head. “Mama.”
Mary pressed her daughter’s hand to her cheek. “I’m right here, baby. I’m right here.”
“What...” Shannon swallowed, and the simple action had tears slipping from the corners of her eyes. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?” Bryant asked, frowning from his position at the foot of the bed.
Olivia glared at him. “Unhelpful, Bryant.” Softening her expression, she turned back to Shannon. “You just rest and get better and then we can talk.”
“Can’t remember.” Panic filled Shannon’s pale eyes. “Why? Liv? Mama?”
Before Olivia could reassure her friend everything would be fine, she and the men were ushered out of the room by a handful of nurses. With nothing to do but wait, they returned to the room Detective Rogers had interviewed her in.
“What’s taking so long?” Wringing her hands, Olivia paced the small room for what felt like the hundredth time.
“They have to be thorough, Livvy. Maybe we should go home and check on her in the morning,” James suggested softly.
“No!”
Her outburst earned her identical raised eyebrows. “Do you really want to push your luck with both of us, young lady?” Bryant growled.
Ignoring the warning in his voice, she crossed her arms. “I’m not leaving her. And that’s final.”
“Livvy, baby, they won’t let us stay all night. I’m going to see if we can say goodnight to her, but then I’m taking you home. And that, little girl, is final.”
Olivia glared at his retreating back, stomping her foot when the door shut behind him.
“Come here, Livvy.”
“Ugh.” Making sure her eye roll was obvious enough for him to see, she turned to Bryant. “What?”
“Oh, little girl. You are so lucky we’re in a public place. Come. Here.”
Bryant had never punished her without James’s explicit permission. Which didn’t mean he wouldn’t, but she still felt the need to push back. “Why?”
“Because we both need it.”
The truth of it caught her off guard. Letting her arms drop, she crawled into his lap.
“I’m scared, Bryant.”
“I know. Me too.”
She couldn’t resist needling him. “Because you like her,” she said in a singsong voice.
“Because I love you.”
“Bryant, this isn’t about me.”
“Don’t be stupid, Olivia.”
She twisted out of his arms and jumped to her feet, glaring at him. “I’m not stupid.”
“You are if you don’t see this is about you. If you haven’t figured it out yet you’re the grand fucking prize.” Fury unlike anything she’d seen in him before blazed in his eyes.
“You think I haven’t?” She didn’t care that she was shouting. “I’m not a fucking moron! You think I don’t know, for whatever reason, I’m the end game? That I’m the reason my best friend is lying in a hospital bed after someone tried to kill her? You really think I don’t know that, you arrogant asshole?”
“Shit.” All of the fight left him and he scrubbed a hand over his face. “Sweetheart, that’s not what I meant. This isn’t your fault.”
“I want to believe that. Detective Rogers told me it wasn’t. But it’s hard. And I’m so scared.”
Bryant easily plucked her off her feet and cradled her on his lap again. “Your daddy and I would never let anything happen to you. Understand me? We’re going to keep you safe. I swear it.”
“What if you can’t?”
It was, selfishly, her greatest fear. One she hadn’t even voiced to James.
“We will. You just have to be an obedient little girl, and we won’t let anything happen to you.”
A shadow fell over them and she looked up to see James standing next to them. He crouched to look her in the eye. “Bryant is right, baby. We would never let anyone hurt you.”
Though she still wasn’t convinced, she nodded. “Okay. Can we go home, Daddy?”
“You still want to see Shannon first?”
“Yeah.”
He held out a hand, and she accepted his help up. Flanked once again by the two men she loved most in the world, she summoned every ounce of her strength and walked back down the hall.
Chapter Twenty
After news about the attack on Shannon spread, everyone at Olivia’s agency suddenly became her personal bodyguards. She no longer went to any showings alone, regardless of who the client was. And now, more than ever, all of her clients seemed more interested in the murders than buying houses.
Then there was James. The man hardly let her out of his sight if he could help it. More often than not, he was the one who accompanied her to her showings. He insisted on driving her to and from work, and if he couldn’t go with her for a showing, he made her ride along with whoever was shadowing her. She hadn’t driven her own car in nearly a week.
And every evening after work, they met Bryant at the hospital so she could sit with Shannon for a few hours before going home. After five days confined to a bed, Shannon wasn’t in a particularly chipper mood.
“I feel fine. I don’t know why they won’t let me go home.”
“They said you could probably be released tomorrow.” Nudging the tray of untouched food closer to her friend, Olivia tried to keep her voice bright and cheerful. “The guest room is all ready for you.”
“Seriously, Liv. You guys have already done too much.” Shannon pushed the tray away again. “Mama said I can come stay with her for a little while.”
“You’ll be safer at their house,” Bryant insisted from across the room. “And it’s easier for the cops to keep an eye on the two of you if you’re together.” Olivia glared at him, but he just shrugged. “You know I’m right.”
“You don’t have to be such a jerk about it, Bryant.” Olivia’s voice was sharper than she’d intended, but the reminder of the constant police presence just cranked up her nerves, which were already in overdrive.
“Livvy.” James ran a hand over her hair, a gesture that normally soothed her, but at that moment just felt patronizing.
Shrugging off his touch, she focused on Shannon. “If you make us a list, we can stop at the store tomorrow and get you whatever you need. I know you like those weird smoothie things.”
Shannon rolled her eyes. The puffiness around her right eye had gone down considerably, but the discoloration lingered more than Olivia cared for. “I make my own breakfast smoothies, but I can live without those for a few days. Whatever you normally have at the house is fine.”
Frowning, Olivia nudged the tray of food back toward Shannon. “Don’t be silly. We want you to be comfortable.”
“Really, Liv. It’s just for a day or two, so I’ll be fine.”
Bryant snorted disbelievingly from the corner he’d planted himself in. “The only way it’s going to be a day or two is if you have some superhuman healing powers you’ve neglected to clue us in on, and the cops somehow manage to catch this guy in the next forty-eight hours. You’re with them until he’s caught and you’re back to one hundred percent.”
The corner of Shannon’s lip curled up in an impressive snarl. “You are not the boss of me, Bryant Monroe.”
“Maybe not, but you’re still going to listen to me. I’m trying to keep yo
u alive, goddammit.”
“You think I want to die?” Shannon’s voice, still rough from having their would-be murderer’s hands wrapped around her throat, rose sharply.
“I think you don’t seem too interested in helping us keep you alive,” Bryant shot back.
Before anyone could get another word in, Shannon snagged the cup of pudding from her dinner tray and hurled it at him. Unfortunately, her aim was horrible and the pudding hit the wall behind him, exploding in a shower of chocolate.
A nurse came rushing in moments later. “What is going on in here?” She looked over at Bryant, then at the chocolate dripping down the wall behind him. With a resigned sigh, she shook her head. “All right. That’s enough excitement for one night. You all need to go home now.”
“But—” Olivia’s protests were cut off by James squeezing the back of her neck. As much as she wanted to argue, she knew that signal well enough and she had no desire to earn a spanking on top of all the other bullshit they were dealing with.
“Go on, Liv. I’m tired anyway.” Shannon offered a forced smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“We’ll be here.” Giving her friend’s hand one last squeeze, she forced a smile of her own. “I promise not to bring Bryant.”
Closing her eyes, Shannon lay back against the pillows and laughed. “Good luck with that.”
After James and Bryant each said their goodbyes, the trio was ushered out of the room by Shannon’s harried nurse. They walked to the parking deck in silence, each lost in their own thoughts and worries.
“Bryant,” James began when they reached Bryant’s car. “Would you like to come over for a bit?”
The casual tone was almost too casual, and Olivia narrowed her eyes at him. What were they up to?
The slight curve of Bryant’s lip just confirmed her suspicions that they were planning something behind her back. “Yeah. I’ll meet you there.”
“What’s going on?” she asked, looking from one brother to the other.
Bryant’s only answer was to lean down and brush his lips across her cheek. “See you in a bit, brat.”
Slipping an arm around her waist, James guided her to his SUV. Unsatisfied with Bryant’s non-answer, she looked up at her husband. “James, what are you up to?”
“You’ll see.” Opening the passenger side door, he nudged her inside.
“That’s not an answer, James!” Anger began to override her curiosity. “Tell me what’s going on, right now.”
“No.” The refusal was delivered in a perfectly calm, even voice, but she heard the authority ringing in that single syllable. “You do not make the demands, little girl. I do. You’ve just earned yourself a loss of speaking privileges until we get home.”
“That’s not fair!”
“And that’s three. Want to try for more?” He cocked an eyebrow, practically daring her to speak again.
It had been so long since he’d used this particular punishment, she’d nearly forgotten how it worked. But it came rushing back to her then. One with the paddle for every word she spoke while under restriction. And she would have to take each stroke in perfect silence, or it didn’t count. Unwilling to risk any further strokes, she silently shook her head.
“Good girl. I think you’ll enjoy what Daddy has in mind when we get home.” With a wink, he shut the car door. Biting back the dozens of questions dancing in her mind, she folded her hands in her lap and faced forward.
James joined her in the car and they rode the first five minutes to the house in complete silence before he spoke. “You’re being such a good girl, Livvy. Would you like to know what Daddy and Bryant are planning tonight? Nod if you do.”
Nodding, she shifted to face him.
“You’re so stressed, little one.” Glancing over at her, he lifted a hand to stroke her cheek. “And it’s been a while since we all played together. I thought you could use a night of distraction. Sound good so far?”
Squeezing her thighs together in an attempt to relieve the sudden ache between them, she nodded again.
“That’s my good girl.” James grinned and gave her hair a playful little tug. “When we get home, I want you to go upstairs and wait for us in your room. I want you on your knees in the corner, naked.”
Her lower lip pushed out into a pout, but he just laughed. “You can pout all you want, little one. It will just give Bryant a reason to spank you, and you know how much he enjoys turning your bottom red.”
Because it was true, and Bryant spanked a hell of a lot harder than her daddy even when he was playing, she immediately stopped pouting.
Bryant’s car was already in the driveway when they turned in. James stopped the car and leaned over to release her seatbelt. “You can speak again, little one. But you still have those three coming for so blatantly ignoring me earlier.”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry.”
“I know you are, little one. Go on, we’ll give you a few minutes to get settled before we join you.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Such a good girl,” he murmured, stroking her cheek again. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” The passenger door opened, revealing a grinning Bryant.
“Ready for some fun, brat?”
Sticking her tongue out at him, she hopped out of the car. “Only if you’re nice.”
“Please.” Bryant fisted a hand in her hair, yanking her head back as he pulled her into him. “You love it when I’m mean.”
“Do not.”
“Keep lying to me, brat. It’ll just give me a reason to be even meaner.”
Releasing his grip on her hair, he turned her toward the house and sent her off with a stinging smack to her bottom. Turning back, she gave him one last poke of her tongue before walking to the house. Even though she was dying to see what they had planned for her, she forced herself to walk and not run. No sense in giving them an even more inflated ego over the way they affected her.
In her bedroom, she stripped and dropped her clothes in the spare hamper. Naked, she moved to the bathroom where she took a moment to pull her hair up in the ponytail her daddy favored. With nothing left to do to stall, she returned to the bedroom and knelt in the corner, with her arms folded behind her back.
Much sooner than she’d expected, she heard the bedroom door open behind her.
“What a beautiful sight.” Bryant spoke first, his voice husky with desire.
“Isn’t she?” James’s voice was a low purr. “You want to warm her up for me? She has three with the paddle coming before we can play.”
“It would be my pleasure. Come here, brat.”
Taking a deep breath, she pushed to her feet and turned. Experience had taught her never to cover herself around either of them, so she kept her hands by her side as she walked over to the chair where Bryant was seated.
“I heard you disobeyed your daddy, Olivia. Care to explain yourself?”
She glanced over at James, who was laying different implements and toys out on the bed, including the large wooden paddle she’d be facing once Bryant was finished with her. “Not really, sir.”
“It wasn’t a request, young lady. Explain.”
Giving in to the annoyance welling up inside of her, she stomped her foot and crossed her arms. “I was just upset about being left out of the plans, okay?”
“Does this really seem like a good time to be getting an attitude with me?”
The steel in his voice sent a shiver down her spine and she immediately dropped her arms. “No, sir.”
“You’re lucky I don’t have your daddy double that count with the paddle. Get over my lap before I change my mind.”
Knowing it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility, she hurriedly draped herself over his lap. A large hand, larger and rougher than her daddy’s, rubbed her bottom.
“You know, if you had just listened to your daddy, you could be getting a fun spanking right now. But you decided to be naughty instead.” Cupping each cheek individually, he squeezed hard e
nough to make her wince. “So now I get to warm you up for your daddy’s paddle before we can have any fun.”
That large hand slammed into her bottom, setting her skin on fire with one swat. “Ow! Bryant, stop, that’s too hard!”
“Excuse me, young lady?” A second swat landed on the opposite cheek. “Who decides how hard naughty little girls get spanked?”
She howled when a third and fourth spank quickly followed. “You do, sir! I’m sorry!”
“Better.” With that, he focused on setting her ass on fire. God, she’d forgotten how hard he could spank when he wanted to teach her a lesson. And no amount of squirming and fighting allowed her to escape even a single punishing swat.
“Are you going to be a good little girl the rest of the night?” His assault on her bottom didn’t even slow as he lectured.
“Yes, sir! I promise, I promise!”
“Let’s make sure, shall we?” The final lightning round was applied to her sit spots, drawing a long screech from her.
By the time he finished, she was limp over his knee, whining and whimpering at the burning in her bottom. A burning that was matched only by the heat between her thighs. She couldn’t stop herself from pressing her hips into Bryant’s thigh, seeking some kind of release.
“Naughty girl,” Bryant said with a chuckle, giving her two more slaps to her bottom that just made her grind harder against his leg. “Up you go, so your daddy can paddle you.”
Groaning, she stood and allowed him to lead her to the bed. James was standing beside the bed, holding the dreaded paddle. “Daddy, Bryant spanked me really hard! You don’t have to paddle me; I swear I learned my lesson.”
“Nice try, little one. One more argument from you and I’ll start adding strokes. Get in position.”
With a heavy sigh of defeat, she rose on her tiptoes and bent over the side of the bed with her bottom high, waiting for the first blow of the paddle.
“Why are you getting a paddling, little one?” James tapped the cool wood against her burning backside.
“Because I was naughty and I argued with you after you put me on restriction, Daddy.”
