“Help me,” I bellowed. “Help me, please.”
* * *
Time seemed to move. Lots of people spoke to me, and I answered them. I was pretty sure I did anyway. A nice woman cut the restraints off my wrists and feet. Someone wrapped me in a blanket, which was good because I was freezing cold. My wrists were red and raw. The police apprehended Molly. She wasn’t dead. That much was clear, but whether I had caused her brain damage I didn’t know. Truth was, I’d never imagined I was capable of doing what I’d done.
I borrowed a phone, except I didn’t know the guys’ numbers. They were automatic on my phone. I knew my own number and called it, but maybe it was still on the street in Manhattan, or had been stolen, or any number of scenarios. The detective who helped me promised to call the detective in New York who would hopefully get in touch with my guys. They would come for me. I was sure of it.
I’d really dinged her hard. They’d taken her to the hospital, and after an hour of interviewing me, I guessed I was okay in terms of the law. I rubbed my eyes. She’d been so… off. That was a ridiculous thing to think. This was a woman who had set fire to buildings. Of course she was off. Why did she think we were sisters? Why did she want to burn me to death? What if I’d taken longer to wake up? Would she just have gotten to it? Why didn’t she burn me when we were roommates? Why was any of this happening?
I sat shivering in a corner of the police station. Why was it so cold? My teeth chattered hard. I had a million questions.
The three guys I wanted to see most in the world appeared before me. Like silent angels come to bring me home. Chance squatted down in front of me. “Vonni?”
“Hi,” I managed to get out. “I’m so sorry about all of this.”
He blinked rapidly. “You’re sorry?”
“Yes, this has been nothing but trouble. From moment one, really. Now you have to drive to Pennsylvania to retrieve me and it had to be a huge hassle. I mean, you keep having to come for me. It’s got to be enough…”
He shook his head. “Stop. You’re terrified. You know you have nothing to apologize for.” He wrapped me right up against him as he sat down in one of the uncomfortable seats. “We have to apologize to you. We promised you you’d be safe. We promised it over and over. I stayed in the house, and she took you.”
I shook my head. “She was going to kill you. She had a gun and sniper skills. I had no choice. I’m sorry. I…”
He put his nose in my hair. “Don’t apologize again. You’re killing me, my love. Keep it together, Maven. You too, Banyan.” I looked up at them. Neither had moved. Maven was pale and Banyan’s eyes were red. “I think we were all half convinced you were dead. That we’d lost you. They told me up front you can go. Can we just go? Can I take you out of here?”
I nodded, but he might not have felt it through my chattering teeth. “I… I beat the crap out of her.” I lifted my hands. “They hurt.”
He ran his finger over my swollen fingers, and I winced. “You need a doctor, Vonni.”
“Do I?”
He picked me up in his arms. “You do. Come on.”
Maven said something to Chance that I didn’t catch. Was I losing time? Maven let out a sigh, his hand coming onto my back. “You’re not okay. But you will be.”
“No way are we taking her back to that mess.” What did Chance mean? What mess?
“Giovanna.” Banyan’s voice shook. “I promised you. I’m sorry. I…”
I wasn’t sure what he said after that. The world sort of grayed out. It was possible to be awake and also not that way. I wasn’t concussed. I was just… done.
* * *
I drifted through long periods of time. The hospital had doctored my hand and given me something so I could relax. That had made me even loopier. I thought I slept mostly after that. My dreams were loopy. They alternated between running through Manhattan being chased by bunnies to locked in a dungeon while being screamed at by Molly.
I woke up finally but something must have been wrong because I didn’t know where I was and it felt like the ground swayed beneath my bed. Oh God, had I officially gone over the deep end? Had the guys had to… put me somewhere?
“Hi.” Maven reached out his hand, his voice low. He rubbed my shoulder and the side of my neck. His smile was slow. “You with me?”
“Have I not been?”
He nodded. “To say the least. I think they over drugged you. You’re tiny. You were hysterical at the hospital. They fixed your hands, and I think the pills they gave you were too much. I mean, that’s just my opinion. I may have halved your dose a couple of hours ago and not told anyone just to see what would happen. Chance might kill me. He was very big on following the pill instructions exactly. He’s probably right, but look, you’re lucid.”
I sat up, letting the world right itself as I did. “Thanks for that. I’ve always had a really strong reaction to medication.”
He pulled me against him. “Do you remember the millions of times I’ve apologized?”
I shook my head. “No, but that’s probably because you have nothing to apologize for.”
“I was yelling at my father in the kitchen while you got kidnapped. I… I have things to apologize for, Library.”
I pressed my head into his shoulder, and I didn’t stop the tears when they came. Not because I blamed him. I didn’t. I was always going to be kidnapped. It was always going to happen. He drew me even closer.
“I’m drenching your shirt.”
Maven laughed: a hard sound. “I don’t give a shit about my shirt.”
That was good. It was ruined. The door opened and closed. Banyan sat down on the bed next to me. “She’s awake?”
“Awake and weeping.”
Banyan held me from the other side. I was squished between them. I loved it.
He finally spoke. “I’m so sorry. I… My father had assured me they were the best security. They failed. That’s all there is to it. And I failed. I should have been there.”
I shook my head. “I’m glad none of you were. She had a gun.” We stayed like that for a while. Quiet, holding each other. The door opened and closed again this time Chance coming in. He sat down on the bed next to Maven. He didn’t try to talk.
Eventually, I lifted my head. “Where are we and why is the ground moving?”
“On my boat.” Chance grinned. “It seemed best to get away from the reporters.”
Lead settled in my stomach. “Lots of questions about the fires.”
“That and Banyan’s mom outing him for being polyamorous. That’s the word for it, apparently. People keep shortening it to poly on blog posts. So it depends on what reporter is seeking what story. They haven’t actually linked you to Banyan. But we thought it was better to just get away.”
I lifted my head. “Chance, you have work. Maven, you have school. Banyan, you have to meet with the agent.”
Banyan squeezed me tighter. “None of that shit mattered at all when we thought you were gone forever.”
“It does matter.” I choked on my words. “Those are your dreams.”
Chance leaned over to kiss my cheek. “Vonni, I am going to restart work in a month. In addition to my girlfriend being kidnapped, you are linked to me publicly since you’re staying in my house. My father is dying. They were okay with giving me a month. I’ll start applying for school when I get back. For now, I am fine. I didn’t exactly give them a choice. I kind of told them I was leaving and they said fine, please come back in a month.” He shrugged. “I guess they want me.”
Maven pushed my hair out of my face. “Don’t freak out. I dropped out of school. It’s what I wanted. I don’t want to be a lawyer. Let my parents deal with the law in whatever ways they do. I’m done. I don’t know what I’m going to do with my life but it’s not that.”
“Maven.” I shouted. I didn’t mean to, but I did. “You were in one of the best law schools in the world.”
“Yep, and I don’t care at all. I had decided to drop out standing there in the
kitchen. There is too much shit related to my parents wrapped up in that crap for me. No thank you.”
Banyan shrugged. “I’ll get back to the agent whenever.”
This was too much. I was going to have to sit with it, to digest it. Whatever they were saying about choices—and I did trust them to know themselves—they’d so clearly put me above everything else. “I was thinking about things.” I wiped at my eyes. “In between being terrified and beating up Molly.”
“Thank God you did that.” Banyan closed his eyes, holding me even tighter. Soon, I wouldn’t be able to breathe but that was okay. I didn’t care.
“What were you thinking?” Chance asked me. “While she had you.”
“For most of it I was out cold. Drugged. But there were moments where I thought about the three of you and how I love you. How that wasn’t going to be the ending. How I was going to find a way to happiness.”
Maven sucked in a long breath. “We love you, too.”
“So fucking much,” Banyan added.
I stayed like that, basking in the feeling. Chance kissed my cheek, breathing in a long, audible breath. “We are so sorry. We let you down.”
I shook my head. “I had to get myself out of trouble. Now I know I can.”
Maven shook his head. “I’m afraid we’re never going to see it that way. We… failed you. Completely.”
“You didn’t. You came for me. You love me. It’s more than I ever thought to have.”
They really weren’t relenting on this.
Banyan eventually rose. “Come on. There’s more to this boat than this room. If you’re feeling better, I think you’ll like the rest of it. I do. It’s one of Chance’s more… wonderful possessions.”
“He helped me pick it out. I’ve done a lot of things since I inherited but this was my most lavish.” His cheeks turned pink. “I could have helped a lot of people with this money. It’s a little embarrassing, but I love it.”
He was so cute. I touched his cheek where he blushed, and he grinned wider. “No one can tell you how to spend your money, Chance. How did we get to this boat and where are we docked?” I wanted to relax, to just be in this moment, but there were questions that needed answering.
“That’s the thing… um, we’re by the Cayman Islands.” Chance cleared his throat.
I blinked. “Did you say the Cayman Islands?”
“He did.” Maven leaned on Banyan’s side.
Okay, now they were being deliberately unhelpful. “Can I presume we got here on Banyan’s plane?”
“That would be a good assumption.” Banyan took my hand and pulled me through the door and up some stairs. I’d been on boats several times in my life but usually to travel to remote places not otherwise accessible. I didn’t hang out on boats, but as I breathed in the bright blue sea all around us, the islands in the distance, and the sunlight on my head, I could see why Chance liked this boat. Calling it a boat didn’t do it justice. It had to be a yacht.
The deck was outfitted much as I’d imagine he would someday want to do his house. Sleek lines, modern furniture. A hot tub in the middle of the deck.
I whirled around. “Shouldn’t one of you be captaining? Are we okay to just sit here?”
“We’re still for the moment, and we have a captain and crew to do that.” Chance rubbed the back of his neck. “They’re not full time. But they look after the boat when I’m not on it and then have it ready for me when I want it.” He shook his head. “Yeah, I’m an asshole.”
I didn’t understand. “Are you feeling judged?”
“Yes. Maybe I’m judging myself. I do love it, though.”
I wrapped my arms around him. “I have to tell you that I don’t usually love boats. But I feel okay on this one. Not too much like I’m going to throw up over the side.” At least not yet. Maybe that was going to come as consciousness truly returned to me.
My hand ached, but I ignored it. “Although we had agreed you couldn’t bring me on any trips, I am glad to be here. Considering the circumstances. I should be dead, but I’m floating on a yacht near the Cayman Islands. Thank you for this.”
I hadn’t in my wildest of imaginings pictured this happening. I sunk down on one of the bolted down chairs on the deck. Chance smiled and sat down next to me. He lay back, pulling me with him. “Let’s just try to breathe.”
Banyan sat on a chair next to us. “Tell her the rest. Let’s get it out. All of it.”
Maven walked to the other side, finding another lounge chair. “Banyan’s father is taking care of things at home. He’s why you could be here and not there dealing with questioning. The authorities will communicate with you over the internet if they need to. Also, he’s making the reporters go away.”
Was that it? “That’s not all Banyan wanted to tell me. Although I clearly owe your father another thank you, Banyan. He keeps saving my life.”
“No, I owe him a thank you. I’ve been… dwelling on things.”
What things? “Oh yeah? Like what?”
He shook his head. “Later. Chance?”
“The reason we are sitting here by the Caymans as opposed to St. John or St. Thomas or Turks and Caicos or anywhere else in the world is because my father is dying right there on that island. He’s fading very fast. I guess when I was picking a location, I thought I’d give myself one more out to go see him.”
I caught my breath. “Chance. Are you okay?”
“Well, yes. I am okay. You’re alive, here in my arms, on my boat. I’m more than okay.”
Even with his father dying, I didn’t doubt that he meant it. “Are you going to take your out?”
“I don’t know. Tonight, I’m just going to breathe.”
That sounded like a plan.
Chapter 11
I woke up, gasping for air. The cabin was dark, and I wasn’t alone. Chance had a huge bed, and we’d all fallen into it. Banyan’s hand came to mine, tugging me closer to him. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
“Yeah, I’ll believe you when you aren’t having nightmares. Do you want something? I know Maven took you off your meds, and don’t get me wrong I’m glad to see your alert eyes, but maybe you need them.”
I didn’t. I was all for taking something when needed but those things had made me a zombie. Maybe I did need something but not that. I’d find a doctor soon. If I needed one.
“Want to talk about it?”
I didn’t. I scrunched down, bringing my head against his chest. He held me close before his mouth came down on top of my head. “I know this shouldn’t be so easy. I know it should be complicated. You’re dating all three of us. We’re sharing you. But it is simple. It’s just… love. We all love you. When we realized you were taken, we all fell apart. It shouldn’t be possible that they love you as much as I do, because I love you more than anyone has ever loved in the history of the world.”
“Banyan.” That would be cheesy if anyone else had said it. He didn’t say things like that and what was more he meant it. “I love you like that, too. I love all of you like that, so I get what you’re saying. It shouldn’t work. But it does.”
Chance shifted next to me, his arm coming over my stomach. He sighed. “I love you like that, too, Vonni. I love you like I didn’t know I could love. I love that you love Banyan and Maven like that. They’re the best people I know. My best friends. I… want us to all be together forever.”
And there it was. The first time any of us had said that outright. We weren’t just doing this, we weren’t just going to go with it and see what happened next. We weren’t going to assume all would be well. We were saying it. Forever.
Maven rolled over. He was next to Chance. “And here I am, I can’t touch you. I love you, too, Library. Yes, please. Say you’ll never leave us. We want this. Just as it is. The four of us. Other people don’t have to get it. I have my two best friends and my girl. This is where I want to be and who I want to be with.”
“I want it, too.” It wasn’t even hard to
say it. “I want us. Forever. If there is such a thing.”
“I didn’t believe there was until you.” Banyan said. “But I believe. And as long as you believe with us, I don’t need anything else.”
I took a long breath. “I believe.”
“Good.” Maven shifted. “Now, Chance, you and Banyan hold her close and get her back to sleep. No more nightmares tonight. Tomorrow we can figure out forever.”
Tomorrow we could figure out forever… that sounded beautiful.
“The commander has spoken.” Chance laughed. “But yes, that is the idea. Come here, Vonni. You need to rest. We have nothing to do here but rest. Close your eyes. Or Banyan is going to start spouting beautiful words again and I’ll have to try to out do it. The next thing you know we’ll be on the deck reciting poetry. That won’t do. Time for bed.”
I laughed. It was the first time I’d done so since I’d opened my eyes. It felt so good that I couldn’t believe the tears that followed.
“Hey now,” Banyan whispered. “You’re okay.”
Maven got off the bed and came over to the other side. We’d done this before, where I slept on top of one of them, the other two on each side of me. He quickly picked me up and readjusted me so that happened. It couldn’t be comfortable, and I was being selfish letting him do this. They didn’t try to stop my tears. They just let me do it until I cried myself to sleep. Tomorrow, I would try to be brave, I would try to feel what happened less. But tonight, in the dark, I had them, and I knew they’d hold me through the waves riding me harder than the ocean hit our boat.
* * *
The sound of a motor woke me. I lifted my head. Maven lay on his back, his hand flung up by the headboard. He snored the sound of a man still deep asleep. Banyan had his hand on my stomach. His eyes moved beneath his lids. It was just Chance and me who startled at the sound.
“What is that?”
He jumped out of bed. I had fallen asleep so fast the night before that I hadn’t had a chance to admire him in just his boxer-briefs. He grabbed his pants off the floor. “A boat approaching.”
Undeniable: Reverse Harem Story #3 Page 12
