“Something happened last night,” I said aloud.
No one responded, but their silence was the only confirmation I needed. The dynamic had shifted there.
“I’m making omelets,” Isaac announced. “What do you want in yours?”
I glanced over at him, about to remind him that I didn’t eat eggs when he pointed toward a carton on the counter.
“Vegan eggs,” Ian supplied. “Who even knew that shit existed?”
I laughed. I did, actually.
“Isaac looked it up,” he told me. “Found all kinds of shit at Whole Foods.”
“They love you, PB,” Everly said in a singsong voice. “Ian even promised to make cookies.”
“I most certainly did not,” he said, leaning in and chuckling against her neck.
“Can’t blame a girl for trying,” she teased.
I watched the three of them. It would’ve been easy to explain away the light atmosphere as being related to whatever obstacle they’d overcome, but I got the feeling it was more than that. This wasn’t about Ian giving in to the love he felt for Everly. That was inevitable even if he’d never realized it. I’d known all along, though it wasn’t my place to point it out.
Isaac looked up, his eyes locked with mine.
“What’s going on?” I asked, ensuring he knew what I was referring to.
He motioned toward the barstool with his elbow. “Have a seat.”
“No.” I wasn’t intentionally disregarding a command, but I could see in his eyes he thought I was. “Tell me.”
Ian moved, getting to his feet and holding Everly in his arms. “We’ll give you two a minute.”
“No,” I said, more firmly this time. “I want to know what’s going on.”
Everly dropped her legs from around Ian’s waist, waited until she was on her feet before turning to study me and Isaac. It was obvious she didn’t know what was going on, but Isaac and Ian sure did.
“Tell me.”
“A warrant’s been issued for Vernon’s arrest,” Isaac said, plating the last omelet.
“A warrant?” I glanced at Ian, who nodded. “For what?”
“Conspiracy to commit murder,” Ian relayed.
“Whose murder?”
“Your father’s,” Isaac said.
Everly gasped, her hand covering her mouth.
I knew he was dead, knew it hadn’t been a pleasant way to die, but considering the hell he’d put me through, I had never found it in myself to give a shit.
“Who killed him?”
“Hathaway hired a hit man.”
“They’ve got proof?”
“Yeah.” Isaac nodded to the stool once more.
Realizing my legs were shaky, I managed to make my way over, drop onto it.
Everly was behind me in a second, her arms draped around my shoulders, holding me. I put my hands on her arms, clutched them tightly. I would never deny that her comfort always managed to settle me.
“But that’s not all,” Ian added, walking over to stand in front of me.
“What else could there be?”
“Vernon’s gone to ground,” Ian explained.
“Doesn’t surprise me,” I told him. “With his father’s money, he’ll likely stay hidden for as long as he wants to stay hidden.”
“True,” Isaac said, standing beside Ian. “But there’s something Daddy’s money won’t be able to cover up.”
I frowned, glancing between the two of them. “What? Just fucking tell me.”
Their disapproval at my outburst was instant, both of them glaring at me. I could see their desire to punish for the transgression, just as easily as I saw them erase the idea instantly.
“Vernon’s father … Thomas Hathaway…” Ian sighed, crossed his arms over his chest. “From the information that’s been gathered, he’s responsible for your mother’s murder.”
“Murder?” Hating myself for doing it, I released Everly, pushed her away from me. “What are you talking about? My mother abandoned me when I was a baby. Left me with him.”
“Actually, she didn’t,” Isaac stated. “Your mother, at the age of sixteen, just months after you were born, was sold to Thomas Hathaway.”
My mouth was dry, as though I’d swallowed sand. “Sold? By…? No.” I shot to my feet. “That bastard sold her?” I glared at them, baffled. “For how much?”
“Ten thousand.”
A scream formed in my throat, anger, bright and fierce, unable to escape as a roaring sounded in my ears. My father had sold my mother for a measly ten grand?
I was barely aware of Isaac approaching, strong arms banding around me. Instinct had me fighting him off, but he was stronger, more determined than I gave him credit for. He jerked me back against him, his steely arms banding around me, pinning my arms to my chest.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” he murmured in my ear and I could hear the pain.
My breaths sawed in and out of my lungs as my legs weakened. He held me, never letting go as all the pain built and spewed out. Angry tears burned my eyes. Vicious sobs scoured my throat. How could he do that? To her? To me? How could God let that happen?
The next thing I knew, I was on the floor, Isaac still kneeling behind me, holding me, his strength the only thing safe in my entire world. I was vaguely aware of Everly crying, Ian soothing her with words.
“She didn’t leave me.”
“No,” Isaac assured me. “She didn’t leave you. The devil took her.”
“And the devil’s spawn tried to take me,” I acknowledged aloud.
“Yes.”
I sat there until the pain subsided, my breaths returned to normal. “I’m sorry, Master,” I whispered, hoping he heard the sincerity in my tone.
Isaac pressed his lips to the top of my head. “Do not apologize. Not to me, not to anyone.”
“I need to get up.”
When he released me, I pushed to my feet, turned to Everly.
“Come here, sweetheart.”
She ran into my arms and I held on tight as she shook, her tears soaking my shirt, but it didn’t matter. When she settled, I didn’t move, didn’t release her, but I did turn my attention back to Isaac and Ian.
“How did you find this out?”
“Let’s just say, there’s quite a bit of support when it comes to friends and family.”
I knew he was talking about his friends, his family because I didn’t have any.
“They didn’t do it for us,” Isaac said, a slight edge in his tone as though he knew what I’d been thinking. “They did it for you because they know how important you are to us. That makes you family, Dante.”
My heart felt as though it wobbled slightly, but I ignored it.
“Now what?” I asked, releasing Everly when she pulled back. “How do we find him?”
“We don’t,” Ian said firmly. “It’s being taken care of.”
He sounded so sure of himself, but he hadn’t met Vernon. He didn’t know the depth of his depravity. That man would not go down without a fight.
And though I prayed I never had to see him again …
There was no way I would get that lucky.
ISAAC
“No luck, Isaac.” Ransom’s disappointment echoed in my ear.
I’d spent the better part of the afternoon making calls, promising favors I feared I would one day be called on for in the hopes of finding Vernon and Thomas Hathaway.
“Something clearly spooked Daddy Dearest,” Ransom explained. “When the police got there to serve the warrant, he was gone. They searched the house, took the wife into custody, but she denies knowing anything about it.”
“They believe her?”
“If she’s not telling the truth,” Ransom said, “then she deserves a fucking award for her acting abilities.”
“Shit.”
“Exactly.” He took a deep breath. “Look—”
“No,” I snapped. “We’re not discussing it again. I’m not using him as bait.”
“I ge
t it, Isaac, I do.”
I sat up straight, gripped the phone hard enough to shatter it. “No. You don’t get it, Bishop. You don’t have a fucking clue.”
Ransom growled. “You don’t give me nearly enough credit. I do get it.”
Not caring that I was unleashing my frustrations on a good friend, I seethed. “One day you might get lucky and fall in love, but until then, Bishop, don’t even pretend to know how I feel.”
Ransom was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again, there was a restrained edge in his voice, something I’d never heard from him before. “Just because I haven’t taken a submissive doesn’t mean I don’t…”
“Don’t what?”
“Nothing. Forget it. We’ll figure it out. But Isaac, I can’t keep posting men outside your house. This is costing a fucking fortune. It doesn’t matter that it’s your fortune. I’ve got jobs to deal with, ones those men need to be assigned to. Not to mention, I need you and Ian out on one by the weekend. I can’t put it off indefinitely. We’re running out of time.”
Feeling rightfully chastised, I fell back in my chair. “I’m sorry.”
Ransom exhaled roughly. “Let’s just find a way to settle this. I’ve got a few ideas of my own, but I figured I owed you the courtesy of running it by you first. And before you tell me you’ve got some ideas, I’ve talked to Liam. He warned me of what your options are.”
“They’re still options,” I told him.
“No. That kind of debt … no. You want to spend the rest of your life waiting for the axe to fall, sure. You can call in the Irish mob, Isaac. You want to live happily ever after and not worry about Everly and Dante, you forget that shit once and for all.”
He was right. But I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of hearing me say so.
“I’m gonna take care of this,” Ransom said, his tone steely. “I want you and your new family to sit tight. Together. Understand?”
I could read between the lines as well as anyone else. Ransom was ordering us to be one another’s alibi.
“I understand.”
“At the house,” he clarified.
“I hear you.”
“Cameras record things,” Ransom added.
“I get it,” I huffed.
“There doesn’t have to be fireworks and drama, Isaac. It’ll be handled quietly and efficiently while you … do whatever it is the four of you do.”
“I’m not worried about what we’re doing,” I assured him. “What are you going to do?”
“Let’s put it this way, you’re not the only one with connections.”
Before I could protest, the call disconnected. I slammed my phone on my desk.
“Problem?”
I snapped my head up, stared at Ian, who’d obviously been eavesdropping from where he sat on the stairs.
“Let me guess,” Ian mused as he got to his feet and walked down the stairs. “Ransom wants us to make a sex tape.”
I choked out a laugh. “He didn’t exactly suggest that.”
Ian smirked. “Maybe not. But he certainly wouldn’t mind some time-stamped video as backup.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Fine. You don’t want to talk about it.” He pointed toward the ceiling. “I’m going to spend some time with Everly. In the library.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
His grin widened. “I was wondering if perhaps you’d want to join us.”
Admittedly, I was still getting used to this new dynamic. While we hadn’t discussed what was going on, Ian and I didn’t necessarily need to. I knew the moment he’d carried Everly into my room two nights ago that everything we’d ever thought we wanted had merely been a romanticized role-playing exercise. There was no way to map out how things would go when it came to love. Everly was our case in point.
“I’d like that,” I told him, realizing I really would. “I’ll be up shortly. Fifteen minutes?”
“We won’t wait for you,” he said with a chuckle.
He moved with purpose, calling out to Everly when he got to the top of the stairs. I listened to the rumble of voices, and when they disappeared, I made my way upstairs and headed for Dante’s room. At his request, I’d given him space, but that didn’t stop me from worrying about him.
I rapped on the door, then let myself in.
He was sitting at the desk, and when his eyes met mine, he slowly but efficiently moved to kneel on the floor.
I took a seat on his bed. “I’ve decided to implement a few protocols.”
“Of course, Master.”
“Starting tonight, you are not allowed to go to bed without asking permission. If that means seeking us out, then you will do so. Once you’ve been given permission, you can come back here, strip, then kneel beside the bed until one of us comes in. Understood?”
“Yes, Master.”
There was a hint of approval in his tone.
“Should you forget about either of those, you will be punished the following morning.”
“Yes, Master.”
“You might not completely understand this, but it’s not as easy as it looks to make any and all decisions in a household. For instance, deciding what you can and will do next is not something I can manage. From here on out, it’s your responsibility to ask permission for what you can and will do. Whether it’s to take a swim or a leak, I don’t care. I expect you to ask one of us for permission.
“Now, I don’t mean when you’re sitting down for dinner, that you should ask me if you can eat this or that. That’s trivial. But I know you want this, Dante. I’m not oblivious. And in an effort to do right by you, I need your assistance in that matter. Does that make sense?”
“Absolutely, Master.”
“The last one for now… Every Monday morning, when I’m not traveling, of course, I want you to come into my room at six o’clock. You will join me in the shower. Just me and you. Every Monday. No matter what. I don’t care if you’re pissed off or if I am. That’s our time together. Understand?”
“It would be my pleasure, Master.”
“Mine, too.” I got to my feet. “And since today is Monday and we missed our shower, I’ll expect you to make up for it tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Stand,” I instructed as I walked toward him.
Dante was on his feet, hands clasped behind his back, head dipped low.
I corrected that, tilting his chin up and pressing my lips to his gently, then holding his stare. “We’ll be in the library for a while. Me, Ian, and Everly. While we’re up there, I want you to spend some time thinking about what we’ll be doing to her.”
His eyes flashed with heat.
“You may get in your bed or the recliner, either one’s fine. I expect you to be naked while you fantasize about it.”
I waited, anticipating the question I could see burning in his eyes. I didn’t have to wait long.
“May I touch myself, Master?”
“I expect it.”
“May I have permission to come, Master?”
“Absolutely.”
“Thank you, Master.”
I kissed him again, then turned toward the door. “Just so you know, I’ll be thinking about what you’re doing while I’m with her, too.”
Dante smiled and that tightness in my chest, the one that had been there since our conversation that morning, eased slightly.
THIRTY-TWO
Everly
The heavy thud of footsteps on the stairs had me looking up from where I was sitting at the small writing desk.
“What’re you working on, little fairy?” Ian asked, his gaze zeroing in on the sketch pad laid out in front of me.
I smiled up at him. “I was just … doodling.”
His eyebrows lifted as he reached for the pad, brought it closer. “This is a little more than doodling.” He glanced around the pad at me. “In fact, it’s rather impressive.”
“Thank you, my Alpha.”
He smiled, set it
back down. “I didn’t know you were an artist.”
I laughed. “Oh, definitely not. But I enjoy drawing from time to time.”
“What is it?” he asked, nodding toward the picture.
“Just an idea I had.”
“For?”
I swallowed. I honestly hadn’t expected him to see it. Anyone to, for that matter. I’d just been thinking about it since the three of us had started sleeping in the same bed together.
Realizing he was still waiting for an answer, I brushed my fingertips over the page. “I was redesigning the bedrooms. Trying to get a feel for what it would be like if the separation was no longer there.”
“Separation?” He walked over to the recliner, took a seat, then patted his leg.
More than content to be close to him, I walked over, sat in his lap, and allowed him to put his arms around me.
“Well, right now there are four bedrooms, three of which aren’t really being used anymore. I thought maybe we could put some of that space to better use.”
He brushed my hair back from my shoulder, kissed my neck. “How so?”
“Well, for starters, we could merge three of the rooms into one. Isaac’s and the two guest rooms. Add some closets, an entertainment area, bigger bathroom.” I chuckled. “This is all hypothetical, of course.”
He brushed his lips over my ear. “Of course.”
It took effort to ignore the wicked things his mouth stirred inside me. “Then, I was thinking. What if Dante moved into yours and we found a way to connect it to ours. I know he needs his space, doesn’t care to sleep with other people, but it would be nice to have him close by. But, you know, maybe we could convince him that the four of us could share a bathroom. More specifically, a shower.”
“You’ve given it some serious thought.” Ian’s hands began to roam in time with his mouth.
When he nudged me to sit up, I did. He had me topless within seconds before pulling me back against him, big, warm hands cupping my breasts.
“I think we should do it,” he said.
“You do?”
“Of course. I do have one suggestion.”
“What’s that?” I asked on a moan when he plucked my nipples.
“A bigger bed.”
I giggled, but it was cut off by another moan. “A bigger bed … okay.”
Their Fairy Princess (Office Intrigue Book 7) Page 36
