Show & Sell: A Dark MFMM Romance

by Abby Angel

  Jasper’s the first to come in. “What’s all this about Aurora?”

  “Why don’t you calm down, man, and have a seat?” I tell him patiently.

  “Just tell me what’s going on. I don’t have all day.”

  “Well brother, we need Declan here, don’t we? I don’t want have to repeat myself.”

  I turn towards him, wondering why he’s so hung up on Aurora. I have a sinking suspicion in the pit of my stomach that my brothers might be into her as well.

  Declan walks in without even knocking. “What’s up?” he says.

  I cordially offer them some of my finest scotch.

  “That’s great,” Jasper says, “but fancy liquor isn’t going to derail the situation. Why did you call us down here? What do you have to say about Aurora?”

  I frown but keep my mouth shout. No point in starting an argument the minute he sets foot onto my part of the world.

  “Good to see you, too, Jasper.”

  I motion for them to take a seat.

  The air thickens with hostility. I already regret having called them.

  Why had I thought doing this in person was a good idea? I would have been better off sending them each a text message and then changing my phone number.

  I glance from one to the other. Maybe they won’t care that I saw Aurora and want to see her again. Maybe they have no interest in her.

  “Okay fine,” I say. “I called you in here for a specific reason. I want to ask Aurora out, and I’ve had date with her already.”

  There, I fucking said it.

  Now, I brace for the thunderstorm.

  Jasper will do the shouting, and Declan will add the pointed, biting comments.

  But neither of them says anything...at first.

  “But you couldn’t have...” Declan starts, but Jasper cuts him off.

  “So much for the band of brothers and our secret oath and all that shit,” he throws at me.

  I let out a breath, trying to remain calm. “Jasper, we didn’t swear a secret oath or anything else. We simply—”

  “I fucked her, too,” Declan interrupts, and we shift our attention to him.

  The air in my office is getting heavier. We can all feel the aggression, the tension. It’s tangible.

  I’m fucking pissed. I never imagined my own brother would go behind my back and do this.

  And yet, I know I’m being a hypocrite. I did the same thing after all.

  The only words that get out of my lips are, “Holy fuck.”

  “Okay,” Jasper begins, “I’ve done it with her, too.”

  I stare at each of them in disbelief. I called this meeting to make it known that I have my sights set on Aurora.

  Now, I find out that she’s been with both of my brothers. Fuck.

  And the competition begins again. Can we ever go a fucking minute without there being a woman between us?

  My possessive nature kicks in. I want to punch both of them, but I don’t. I need to get the full story first.

  “What the fuck are you guys talking about?” I ask, trying to tame my rage.

  We look at each for a long moment.

  Finally I say, “I knew you couldn’t keep a promise. I don’t know why I tried again with you guys.”

  “What are you talking about, Finn?” Declan says. “You’re the reason we’re here. You broke your promise, too.”

  I hate to admit that he’s right, but I never expected to have to compete for her. It didn’t even really cross my mind.

  But now I realize that my brothers are as devious as ever. I should’ve known that someone as gorgeous as Aurora would come between us.

  “Shut up, Declan,” I say bitingly. “I didn’t know you guys were betraying me this entire time, stabbing me in the back.”

  “I don’t know what you guys are fighting about,” Jasper says. “She’s going to pick me anyway.”

  Now my rage is bubbling to the surface, and it’s hard to contain. The last thing I need is to deal with Jasper’s arrogant attitude.

  “What makes you think that, huh, Jasper? You don’t know her the way I do. You have no idea what we have,” I say the words, but I can’t help wondering at their connection.

  “There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?” Declan says. “We have to make her choose.”

  For a second, my heart stops at the mention of making Aurora choose. I mean, what if she doesn’t choose me?

  Usually, I’m so confident. I don’t care about other people’s opinions. But when it’s between my brothers and me—two other guys who look just like me—and when there’s a girl like Aurora involved...well, the stakes are high.

  I can’t lose her.

  I had never thought about Aurora not choosing me until this moment. I called my brothers to tell them that Aurora and I are now dating.

  I thought maybe I’d lose them, my only family...but never her.

  It’s as if I’m in a giant spider web of complexity that I may never escape. If this thing doesn’t go my way, I’ll be fucking crushed.

  If she chooses one of my brothers and not me, I’ll be fucking tormented forever.

  The idea of seeing her with one of them and not me is just not something I can handle.

  “Fine,” I say, voice laced with anger. “Let her choose.”

  But I only have one thing on my mind—I can’t lose her.

  “Let’s do it in person,” Declan says. “I’ll have my limo come pick us up.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Jasper says.

  We’re each trying to control our inner rage. None of us wants to show any kind of weakness.

  Barely a word is spoken on the entire journey to her apartment.

  Yes, I want to see her again. But not like this.

  Chapter 40

  Aurora

  We are officially out of money.

  It’s not good.

  Somehow, to my horror, Anders managed to blow through $3 billion. I sold my virginity for that money. It’s supposed to be our livelihood, our fortune, our nest egg for the rest of our lives.

  For God’s sake, who can’t live on $3 billion? Somehow, my brother has defied the odds, and he’s plundered through our fortune...twice.

  I’m becoming increasingly angry at him. I know he’s in a bad state, but he can’t keep doing this to me.

  I honestly have no idea how we’re going to dig ourselves out of this hole.

  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret a thing when it comes to my virginity. The Grayson brothers were the perfect people to have given that away to. I waited my whole life for that moment, and it was so worth it.

  But at the same time, I don’t deserve to be poor. I don’t deserve any of the hardship Anders has thrown at me—not to mention the fact that he’s disappeared again.

  He goes out and is gone for days at a time. No phone call or message of any kind. Of course, I get worried sick.

  It seems like my life is in the eye of a perfect storm. Everything’s happening all at once, and I don’t how to stop it.

  I get on the phone with my financial advisor.

  “Hey, it’s Aurora. I’m sorry to be calling you again. But we have a situation on our hands.”

  “Aurora, yes,” he says. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you as well. The situation has become very dire. If you don’t get some funds in the account soon, you may lose the company. Not to mention your apartment.”

  I think a minute about what can be done. I’m not exactly financially savvy, but there has to be a way out of this mess.

  “Well, can you take out some cash from our investments to tide us over? I’m sure the chocolate company will begin making money soon,” I say to him in a pleading tone as if he can fix my fate.

  He says the words very solemnly, “Aurora, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but Anders took all the investment money out a few days ago. He said that you two were both on board.”

  “What? That can’t be true. He couldn’t have done that. That was my safet
y net!”

  “I’m really sorry to have to tell you this. He told me that you knew, that you wanted it that way. That’s why I keep saying that you must have separate accounts if you don’t want something like this to happen.”

  His words do nothing to help me now. They make everything worse.

  I was relying on those investments. I thought that, at least, we would have those to depend on.

  “You have to excuse me. I need to find my brother to sort this out,” I say, eager to get off the phone.

  “Of course. Just contact me when you can,” he says before hanging up.

  My heart beats fast with rage and fury. I can’t believe my brother did this to us—to me—again! We could be homeless in a matter of days.

  Just when I’m making my daily calls to the police station, Anders stumbles through the door.

  He looks more haggard and drugged up than I’ve ever seen him before. He looks like a different person, thin and withdrawn.

  “Anders, what did you do with the money?” I say to him angrily.

  To my surprise, he starts to cry. “Aurora, please, I’m so sorry. You have to forgive me. You just have to.”

  I’ve never seen my brother cry before.

  The tears streaming down his face unsettles me. What happened to him?

  “I’m serious, Anders! You better have something to say for yourself. We have no fucking money, and it’s all your fault!”

  I expect him to apologize or to, at least, tell me where the funds went. Instead, he’s pleading with me.

  He’s still crying and has already sunk down to the floor.

  “Aurora, I don’t know how to tell you this. First of all, let me just say that I know I need help. I know it okay?”

  I look at him for a moment and my anger slowly ebbs away. Is he really saying what I think he’s saying?

  The tension in my stomach uncurls a little bit.

  “Anders...I’ve been waiting for you say that. You do need help. Badly.” Sensing the urgency of the situation, that he needs to enter rehab now, I continue, “I can get on the phone with Dr. Pembroke. He has a very nice place for you to go. It has a very high success rate. Let me just call him.”

  But then, he looks up at me and practically screams at me, “No! Aurora, stop. I’m not finished. I’ve done something very bad, very, very bad.”

  I look at him solemnly, wondering what’s on his mind. What more could he have done to ruin us?

  “What are you talking about?” I ask, although a part of me doesn’t want to know the answer.

  He looks up at me with bloodshot eyes and says, “I found a way out of this mess. I promise this will be the last time. It’ll take care of us for life. You’ll never have to do it again.”

  I sink down to my knees so that I can see his face. “Anders, what are you talking about? Tell me what you’ve done.”

  It’s hard to understand his words because of all the sobbing, but I manage to make out most of it.

  “There’s this guy, this man. He saw you at the auction, Aurora. He still wants to have you. He was the other billionaire that was bidding on you. He bought most of the girls, and I know he wants to buy you, but it’s only for one night. You just have to give yourself over to him one time and then we can be rich again. Don’t you see? I’ve done it. I figured out our situation.”

  He says the words almost triumphantly, and I want to hit him in the face.

  “Are you trying to tell me that you sold me to that disgusting guy?” I say, the fury thick on my tongue.

  “I had to do something, Aurora. All the money’s gone.”

  “Yeah, and it’s all your fault! What were you thinking?”

  Hot, angry tears trickle down my cheeks. The two of us probably look like a hot mess.

  “I’m sorry, Aurora. What more can I say? I’m just...sorry. I’ll do anything to get back in your good graces, to be your brother again. I know I need help, okay?”

  His words should be music to my ears, but instead all I can envision is that disgusting man in the mask from the billionaires’ auction. He was old and overweight.

  I had felt sorry for the girls that he bought, and now it looks like I’m going to be in the same position.

  “You’re still my brother,” I manage to say. “You’re always my brother. And I won’t give up on you.”

  Maybe I should be feeling happy that my brother’s finally seeking treatment.

  But all I can think about is what I have to go through to get our money back.

  I’m going to have to sell my body again—this time, like a cheap whore. That’s how it makes me feel.

  This is worlds away from the Grayson brothers. Everything with them is...different. They make me feel special and treasured, adored even.

  But this guy, this monster with money from the auction, is not going to make me feel special. He’ll make me feel degraded and beneath myself.

  “Oh, Anders,” I say softly. “How could you?”

  He looks up at me with tears in his eyes in his drug-induced state. I have a feeling Anders has finally reached rock bottom.

  At least I think that’s what this moment is. He seems genuine enough.

  The two of us sit on the floor. I’m just about to call Dr. Pembroke when there’s a knock at the door.

  Chapter 41

  Declan

  My heart beats hard in my chest.

  Jasper knocks on her door, and we all wait.

  This is the moment of reckoning—either Aurora will choose me, or I will have lost her forever.

  Fuck. How did I get into this mess?

  Thoughts and questions run through my mind, but I’m mostly intent on just seeing her.

  She opens the door, and the sight of Aurora makes me feel fucking insane. I want her. I need her.

  And yet I might lose her.

  It’s good to see her, but at the same time, I see the distress on her face. She doesn’t want me or my brothers to see that she’s hurting right now. The door is opened just enough for her to see us—but something’s going on inside that apartment, and I’m going to find out what.

  “Hi, guys,” she says as she wipes away the tears as quickly and as nonchalantly as she can. “What…what are you doing here? All of you?” she asks confused.

  “Aurora, what’s wrong?” I say, disregarding her own questions.

  Forget why we we’re here. We have a new purpose to serve.

  “Nothing. Don’t worry about me,” she says stepping in front of the door and trying to close it slowly.

  She’s going through a lot of effort to hide whatever the fuck is going on in there. While her body is an incredible distraction, it’s not enough to make me ignore her reluctance and tears. Clearly, she doesn’t want us to know what’s happening inside that apartment.

  It’s funny how, for this one moment, the competition between my brothers and I cease to exist. Our anger at each other has flown out the window at the sight of Aurora’s tear-stained face.

  “Step aside, Aurora,” I command.

  She stares at me for a second before she hesitantly takes a step away from the door. I shove it open, and we see a man slumped on the floor.

  “Who is this guy?” I ask, demandingly.

  “This is Anders,” she explains. “He’s my brother.”

  I get a good look at Anders. He’s an absolute mess of a man. His clothes are disheveled, his eyes sullen, and he probably hasn’t shaved in days.

  “That guy. He’s your brother?” I ask.

  I just can’t imagine Aurora—being who she is—living with someone so pulled apart. It’s clear to see that he’s strung out on something. Something heavy.

  “Yes. Anders and I were just discussing our…financial options,” she says, trying to sweep the topic under the rug.

  “Financial options?” Finn chimes in. “We each own businesses. You’re well aware. Let’s hear what you’ve got going on. Surely, we can lead you in a good direction.”

  “I’m actually pret
ty sure we’re decided, guys. But thank you,” she answers.

  “Aurora, we’re worried. Please stop avoiding talking to us. Let us help you,” I say.

  I can tell she needs us. She just has to say it out loud.

  Tears well up in her eyes, and it breaks my heart. She immediately starts to cry, losing all composure.

  “Okay, fine. Let’s just tell them, Anders. They might be able to help,” she says to the drugged-out mess on the floor. “Our entire fortune is gone. Every fucking dollar. The earnings from the auction, the investments in our company, everything is just gone,” she says, now staring directly at Anders.

  “Three billion dollars—all gone?” Jasper asks to clarify. He looks around the home. “How did it all get spent? I don’t see any big expenditures here.”

  “Anders. He spent it all. I don’t even know exact amounts or what he bought, or what he fucking owed people to drain it all, but it happened,” she admits.

  “Aurora —” Anders starts.

  “Fucking don’t,” I interrupt. “You have no fucking room to talk here, so just don’t.”

  My blood is boiling in my veins. What in the hell would make him think he had any right to embezzle her prize money and their company’s earnings? Especially to piss it all away on drugs and gambling or whatever else he’s gotten himself into.

  I can tell that my face is beet red. Veins are popping as I feel myself rage. I look to my brothers and see the same.

  Poor Aurora.

  One thing we can seem to agree on is our care and concern for her. Right now, we don’t matter to one another. She’s the only thing that matters.

  “Well, how much do you need?” Finn asks. “I’ll happily get your payroll corrected, and I can help you set up some security on your accounts, so he can’t take from you ever again,” he offers, glaring at Anders.

  “Finn, it’s not that simple. You don’t understand. Anders has gotten himself into a lot of trouble, but he’s my brother. We’re all we have left of our family, and I will not give up on him. He needs me,” Aurora explains.

  “And besides, that only solves half the problem,” Anders chimes in. “I fucked up. I fucked up a lot.”

  “He arranged an agreement with a loan shark,” Aurora interjects, sighing.